STORY EXCERPT

Derek was stupidly happy to bring the arrogant angel into his house, even if he did make comments about Derek that were less than polite. He couldn’t help himself. This was an angel, and that could only mean that the voices inside of his head were real. He wasn’t crazy, like his entire family and nest thought he was. There really was something otherworldly going on inside of his head, something that might even be able to be fixed, if it wasn’t already too late.

The angel did say something about how it wouldn’t matter if he died after his birthday in three days, but if he could give Derek a better death, something nice and peaceful, as opposed to being hunted down by other vampires and murdered for doing something awful, then he would gladly take it and still consider that to be his escape from the curse he’d been carrying around his entire life.

That, and the angel was handsome as all hell, and Derek had never had the pleasure of being in the company of a handsome man without worrying that his other, darker side might come out and humiliate his family, scaring the potential date away.

The way the angel looked at him, however, with contempt let Derek know with absolute certainty that nothing romantic would happen. That was fine. He was just lonely and grateful for the company.

“So this is your home?” asked the angel, looking around the spacious rooms and lush furnishings.

“Nice big bathroom, too. Come on,” Derek said, realizing that he was still holding the angel’s hand as he led the both of them through the sitting room, past the entertainment room, and to the full bathroom that was situated on the first floor.

He wondered why the angel let him hold onto him like this then decided not to push his luck. He really was much more lonely than he’d originally thought.

The first-floor bathroom was large, even bigger than the one that connected to Derek’s bedroom. This house was made for a large family, but Derek had it all to himself.

No one wanted to share space with the vampire who burst out into violent fits and occasionally tried to kill his family members in their sleep.

Maybe they’d left him here hoping he would turn that violence onto himself and end all of their misery.

“Okay, so, just sit here, and I’ll go and get the first aid kit. How fast do you heal?” Derek said, working under the assumption that an angel had to have healing powers.

“Not quickly enough,” the angel grouched, pulling at the clasps of his breastplate and carefully lifting it over his head, exposing his firm, muscular chest, which did have some bleeding and skin-tissue damage.

Again, the thirst for blood came over him, but he was fine now and was confident that if he were to lose his mind and attack, then an angel of all things would be able to defend himself.

“I―” Derek cleared his throat and stepped back, though whether he was retreating from the scent of the blood or the sight of that beautiful, scarred chest, he wasn’t sure. “I’ll be right back.”

He practically ran out of the bathroom and down to the hallway closet. The first aid kit was inside, and it was brand new, recently replaced because Derek had used up the last of the items in the previous one he’d had. He had to rip the plastic sealing off of it. This would have to do. He just wished he could pull himself together and stop thinking about an angel in sexual terms.

They’d just met, and the angel clearly didn’t want to be here, but Derek needed him if he was going to break his curse and survive, or die before he could hurt anyone.

He came back to the bathroom to find the angel almost entirely naked. He’d put his dirty and bloody armor into the bathtub and was currently sitting on the toilet. He wore some kind of wrap that made Derek think of underwear, but that clearly wasn’t what they were.

He had burns and cuts all over his body, but mostly along the places where his armor hadn’t been protecting him.

“Where are your wings?” Derek asked, realizing that they were gone.

“I still have them. They’re just away for now. I don’t need them,” the angel said. “Are you going to heal me or not?”

Derek stepped closer into the bathroom and opened the first aid kit. “Don’t know how much healing you’ll need, but this will at least clean you up and make you feel better. You can have a shower after if you want. Do angels shower?”

“I do not know what a shower is. This is my first trip to Earth in some time.” The angel’s lips pursed when he said that, and he scowled and looked away.

Derek didn’t know what he’d said wrong. “A bath then? You know what a bath is?”

“I’m not an idiot, of course I know,” he snapped.

“Sorry, sorry, I wasn’t trying to…Anyway, hold still for a bit.” Derek put some antiseptic on a cotton ball and started wiping away at the blood. He liked the smell of the chemical he used. It overpowered the scent of blood and made him forget about his thirst for it.

It did nothing to help the fact that he was now aware of the way he was touching the man’s calf, holding onto it, as he wiped away blood and grime from a shallow slash on his leg. Many of the wounds, now that Derek could see them up close, didn’t appear deep or life threatening. They would only need cleansing and bandages.

ADULT EXCERPT

Luke was kissing him once more, and his strong hands were in Derek’s hair.

Oh God, he wasn’t going to last.

They tumbled onto Derek’s bed, and Derek took the initiative to climb on top of his new soon-to-be lover. Derek pulled his T-shirt over his head, and now they were both shirtless.

Luke stared up at him, and he reached a hand out to gently touch his stomach and ribs. “You are lovely.”

Derek blushed, then he smiled. “Well, thanks, but you’re the beautiful one here.”

Not that he wasn’t pleased that Luke found him attractive. If anything, it was a major confidence boost, considering this was the first time he’d ever allowed anyone to see him like this.

He leaned down and did something he’d always wanted to do. He kissed Luke’s chest and then played with one of the man’s nipples between his lips.

Luke inhaled deeply, his back arching toward the feeling of Derek’s mouth and tongue, and he knew he had to be doing this right. The only thing he had to work with was all those porn vids he’d watched to keep himself company over the years.

It wasn’t exactly easy making friends when everyone believed you had some kind of mental disorder that made you violent.

Luke’s fingers were rough when he gripped Derek’s hair, but he didn’t care. The pain was somehow pleasurable, and he liked it when the angel touched him like that. One hand clenched his hair while the other moved up and down along the flesh of his back, touching and feeling, stroking.

Derek couldn’t help himself when his cock swelled even further. He shifted just enough to be able to kiss and lick at Luke’s neck, and he found his still-clothed cock pressing into Luke’s as well.

They both released guttural moans at that sensation, and both began humping against each other just to get at more of that friction. Luke’s hands abandoned his hair and back and went down to grip at his ass, pulling Derek more firmly against his prick.

“That’s…that’s…” Luke gasped.

Derek couldn’t even make a reply as he lost complete control and just started moving. Suddenly, all he wanted was to get off, even if it meant waiting a little longer before he and Luke could have sex. He was so close, and the sounds coming from Luke’s mouth were so gorgeous and…

He came, his body shuddering as he emptied himself inside of his jeans. Only then did he remember to be a little embarrassed for what he’d done, but then the sight of Luke squeezing his eyes shut beneath him, his mouth open as he twitched and spasmed, made Derek feel a whole lot better.

At least he could do the same to his new lover. It didn’t make him feel quite so inadequate to know that he wasn’t the only one who would need a change of clothes.

Luke’s body seemed to turn into jelly as he became boneless on the bed. Derek had to catch himself on his hands just to keep from falling on top of the other man, but they were still close. Close enough that their breaths mingled and their shared body heat was lulling Derek into a similar state of relaxation.

“That was nice,” Derek said, grinning.

A lazy smile pulled at Luke’s lips, and his hands stroked his hips. “Indeed.”

The only thing that stopped Derek from falling down on the other man and snuggling was that he wasn’t sure if it was his place. This had been the first orgasm he’d shared with another person, but he was still an adult and knew perfectly well that something like that didn’t mean he was welcome in the room after everything was said and done.

Luke wasn’t staying here forever, after all.

Then the other man opened his green eyes, and his smile became predatory. “I would like to do that again,” he said just as he dipped his hands down, fingers running beneath the waist of Derek’s jeans so he could grip his ass.

This was not over then.

“Anyone ever tell you that you have the most wicked smile?”

A slight bit of confusion mingled in with the lust on Luke’s face. “Do I?”

Those fingers kneaded and massaged, and though it was an incredibly tight fit, some of them even managed to tease him around the crack of his ass.

“I think it’s the beard that does it. It looks good though. You should smile more often.”

Luke was smiling right now, knowing perfectly well what he was doing to Derek. He had to lean down and kiss him again, enjoying the way the little hairs that were growing around his jaw prickled him. He wondered if Luke ever needed to shave it. It certainly didn’t look like it had grown out any more from yesterday.

His thoughts were cut off when Luke’s hands and fingers left his ass, and he started to struggle with the button and zipper of Derek’s jeans.

Derek could feel the way the other man’s cock had begun to swell again between them, and Derek’s own body was having a similar reaction. They were doing this. Definitely.

He sat up a little and helped with the new task at hand, getting the pants and boxers off his hips and kicking them away. Luke reached for his prick, as though it were hypnotizing him, and Derek was forced to bite his lips together on contact.

“Are you well?” Luke asked, his voice husky and those green eyes staying right where they were on Derek’s cock.

“Very,” Derek said with a little moan. “Guess it’s a good thing we already, uh, did that. I think I can keep from coming for a little while now.”

Which meant they could actually take the time to enjoy themselves.

Luke’s green eyes flashed, as though he were getting the same idea.

Derek’s fingers found the button and fly of his jeans, and he pulled them apart, getting Luke out of his pants.