STORY EXCERPT

Byron grabbed Trey’s arm and pulled him toward the desk. He forced Trey to sit in a chair. The warmth of that brief contact and having Byron want to take care of him almost made Trey cry. His parents threw money at him but never cared if he was hurt. Kip cared, but they were friends. No, he thought of Kip as a brother. This was different. Byron made his heart race. This kindness gave him hope.

“Did the glass break? Did it cut you? I don’t smell your blood. But I need to make sure you weren’t hurt.”

Trey rubbed his fingers against Byron’s cheek. An hour ago, he wouldn’t dare display this type of intimacy, but hearing the concern in his boss’s voice made him want to reach out and console him. “Whenever I got sick, only Kip stayed with me. No one else cared, so I don’t know what to say. ‘Thank you for your concern’ doesn’t seem like enough.”

“You’ve been with Kip a long time.” Byron’s voice had a dangerous edge.

“Kip’s my cousin. We’ve been together since my fifth birthday. I think of him as my brother.”

 “Are you injured?” The tone of the question demanded an answer.

“I’m lucky. The glass broke, but it didn’t cut me.” He rubbed the back of Byron’s hands, savoring the warmth. “I need to go home and change. I’ll come back to finish the last hour of my shift.”

“No. You’re not leaving like this. I have a shower upstairs. I’ll get you a new uniform. Go upstairs and wash up.”

Trey’s eyes widened. He was being invited into Byron’s home. The giddiness almost had him leaping out of the chair. His heart raced at the possibility. Then the fear set in. Going to another man’s home was a big step. “I shouldn’t. I live pretty close. It’s not that far. I’ll be back in no time.”

“Your shift ends in an hour. If you leave to clean up, by the time you get back your night will be over.”

“I know, but I spilled the drink. Kip took care of the mess and my tables.” He puffed out his chest. “I plan to finish my shift and help out for an hour after my shift ends. The money I make will pay for the broken glass and spilled drink.”

Byron’s brow scrunched up. “What about the weapons show?”

“It’s no big deal. I decided not to go.” Gordon wouldn’t lure him away from the bar. Trey trusted him even less after hearing the creepy-sounding man give orders. “Working an extra hour is more important.”

Byron looked like one of the bar patrons who talked to invisible people or started screaming about green men following them.

“I need to get going.” Trey headed for the door, making sure to brush against Byron on his way out. Byron reached out and grabbed Trey’s wrist. The gentle touch made Trey’s knees weaken. The place where their hands met sizzled. They stared at their connected bodies. Trey didn’t want to move, but soon Byron smelling the blood on his clothes wouldn’t be Trey’s only problem. “I—” Nothing came out. He was too dazed to form words.

Byron leaned down. Their noses were inches apart. “You’re not walking through a Warsarian city smelling like blood.” The commanding tone vibrated through Trey. He closed his eyes and leaned forward.

His stunned silence couldn’t be attractive. Trey opened his mouth, but didn’t know what to say.

Byron lips were next to Trey’s ear. Warm breath tickled his neck. “No turning yourself into a snack. If you walk out the door, you’ll be devoured by hungry men.”

“Devoured? That didn’t sound so bad.” If Byron were doing the snacking, Trey was ready to be eaten.

A low throaty growl tore him away from the fantasy. The ferocity of the sound only made Trey want Byron closer to him. Trey forced his body to step away, instantly regretting it, but it was better than humping the warrior’s leg. Being fired wasn’t on his list of things to do today. “I don’t want to be just anyone’s dinner.” Was that too forward? Hell, if he knew.

“No one will snack on you.”

Damn. Trey was hoping Byron would take a bite. But while Byron didn’t start nibbling, there was a hint of possessiveness that gave him hope.

“I can’t go out like this.” Trey turned in place, making a full circle. Byron’s gaze roamed down his body with what Trey hoped was interest. “That leaves your shower.”

“Then it’s settled. Wait here. I’ll be back with a change of clothes.”

“You’re not going upstairs with me.” Trey sounded desperate, so he quickly added, “To show me the way and lend a guy a hand.”

“I trust your ability to locate the shower. As for washing, you’re a big boy, capable of undressing, soaping up, rinsing off, and redressing in clean clothes.”

ADULT EXCERPT

“You saved me.” Trey paused and tried to put his thoughts into words. “I don’t know why they were chasing me, but I’ve never been so scared in my life. Then you were there. Like a hero riding to the rescue.”

“There’s danger in the space port and I let you go without telling you.”

“No one let me leave. Stop blaming yourself for my actions.” The room got suddenly quiet. Trey laid his hand on Byron’s shoulder. The electricity sizzled between them. One touch wasn’t enough. Trey’s heart beat faster. He looked up. Their eyes met. Byron leaned closer. Their lips met.

The kiss melted the wall between them. He opened his mouth and Byron moved in, taking the kiss to the next level. He closed his eyes and let the warmth engulf him. Byron nibbled on his lip. He tried to keep up, but his touches were awkward and out of sync.

A hand moved down his chest, rubbing over his nipples. Trey gasped and moved away. Byron’s eyes never left him as Trey took a step back and then another step until his back touched the wall. Byron followed slowly, like an animal about to pounce. Trey swallowed when two arms landed at his side, pinning him to the wall. He rested his head against Byron’s chest. Trey’s heart pounded, his skin tingling as Byron studied him.

“I’m nervous,” he offered, as if that excused his lack of experience.

Byron reached under Trey’s shirt. Slowly, he eased it up. This was it. Trey just needed to let go and relax. His body responded, but his mind wouldn’t stop worrying. Great, what every lover wanted: a terrified partner. Get it together, he thought, but it didn’t work.

“Do you want to stop?” Byron asked.

Trey shook his head. “That’s the last thing I want. It’s been a while,” he confessed, which was kind of true. Never was a while ago. Right?

Byron nibbled down his neck, lightly biting his shoulder. “Let’s go into my bedroom.”

Trey nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.” Byron lifted him off the ground. He wrapped his legs around Byron’s waist, and as the warrior walked he planted kiss after kiss down his neck. Trey ran his fingers through Byron’s dirty blond hair, gripping the strands into a tight hold that must’ve hurt, but the warrior never stopped nipping at his neck.

Hands squeezed his ass. Trey clenched his ass, tightening the muscles. He slid a hand down Byron’s back, desperate to touch. His stomach tensed but his groin tightened. He was both terrified and turned on. Desire won out as he lost himself to the passion.

Byron laid him on the bed. Trey looked up, licking his lips as Byron stood over him. Seeing the man he’d wanted for so long ready to give him what he needed made his mouth water.

Byron hovered over him. The weight of Byron’s body and presence relaxed him. The kisses started at his neck, moving to his chest and then his nipple. Byron took one into his mouth, sucking and pulling on it like a new toy that needed to be explored. Fingers squeezed the other nipple and Trey nearly shot into a sitting position. When he’d touched his cock and dreamed of Byron, his hand had never wandered to his nipples. He’d been missing out?

Byron placed kisses down his belly as his fingers unbuttoned Trey’s pants. A hand slid down and pressed into his cock, pushing the rough fabric of his undergarments into his hard shaft.

“You want me.” Byron said as he squeezed Trey’s balls. “Let’s get your pants off, so I can see how much.”

Trey couldn’t think as inch by slow inch his pants were pulled from his body. Cold air danced across his cock and he bit down to keep the moan inside as Byron rubbed his balls. Trey whimpered. He wasn’t going to make it to sex. His body was too hard and needy. He was going to ruin their first time together.

“Shh.” Byron kissed his forehead.

“Not going to make it.” It was embarrassing to admit, but better than Byron finding out when he came all over them. “I need…” He didn’t know what he needed.

Byron lifted up just enough to study him. He focused on the warrior’s eyes. Trey reached down to touch his cock, but Byron got there first. He rubbed his finger over the tip, spreading the wetness leaking from him. His cock jerked and Byron moved down his body. He watched as one of the strongest men he’d ever met sucked the tip of his shaft. Blood red eyes stared back at him, but Trey barely noticed them when Byron rubbed his balls. He opened his legs to give the warrior better access.

“I like your legs open and spread to welcome me in.” Byron’s soothing tone made his cock jerk. This was so much better than using his own hand.

The heat pooled in his groin. It wouldn’t be long now. “Byron. I can’t,” Trey warned, trying to get the warrior off his shaft, but it was no use. With blood red eyes watching him, Trey’s entire world came undone.