STORY EXCERPT

“Did you have a reason for coming by?” He studied the other man who was at least five years older than him. Faron was an attractive man with gold skin and blue eyes.

“I do,” Faron admitted as he took one of the guest chairs before the battered old desk.

Most of the furniture was second-hand. Even the copy machine was used. Aristotle hadn’t known how long he’d be in the city when he first opened the office. Now, he wasn’t sure he’d ever leave.

There were many pleasures to indulge in from good food to cultural and social activities. Aristotle wasn’t much for the socializing, but he did visit the museums and art galleries.

“What is it? Come to rake me over the coals again for how things went with Dallan?”

“You fucked up, man,” Faron said. “Allowing Dakota that close to Hansel almost cost us all.”

“Conal and I didn’t see any reason why a past should be a problem for any of them,” he muttered. But he’d known better. Dakota was a good guy. On the other hand, Dallan was a better man in so many ways.

Even better than him as it turned out.

“Just because Dallan doesn’t allow romance to interfere with business doesn’t mean everyone has the balls.”

“Balls? Dallan fucked over him,” Aristotle muttered.

“He didn’t get emotionally involved,” Faron corrected softly. “There’s a difference and we both know it. We’ve both been there. You can’t allow him to stay out there on his own.”

“He chose a demon over us.” The friendship with Dallan had been strong yet almost tenuous at times.

They’d been from different worlds. Dallan was a gray witch who’d crossed a few lines in the past though for all the right reasons. Aristotle had never taken chances. He played by the rules and stayed within the lines.

That had included his love life too for the most part which was why he was single.

“He made a deal with Jox, and Dallan isn’t one to go back on his word. So that means if he promises to kill you someday, know he will,” Faron told him.

“Thanks, but I’m not worried about a death threat, Faron.” He sighed.

The hell gate was closed, demons weren’t running rampant, and dark witches weren’t beating down his door with an attempted assault every day.

He considered himself safe enough. However, that incubus who’d come through the hell gate in their last battle with demons was still out there, and he wondered if Dallan or Jox was even trying to find him.

“You should be,” Faron said sharply, and Aristotle frowned. “I just got word from an old friend in Vermont, a seer.”

“About what?” he asked blandly.

“Your old nemesis the Devourer has resurfaced in a Vermont town. He’s looking for something.”

The demon had left him for dead after a long and bloody battle. He was a devourer of souls. Always on the prowl for new powers and witches he could collect to drain them from.

Their souls were fed to a fire of evil that made it strong, gave evil an advantage over good while the souls burned in eternal flame.

“What is he looking for this time?” The one time Aristotle had faced him, the demon had been looking for a mythical box called the Case in which some mythical items were supposed to be stored.

In the process of his search, the Devourer had killed five good witches who were rumored to have known something about the Case.

“The Mage.”

“What?” Aristotle demanded, barely suppressing a shiver of fear. If the demon got his hands on that book…he didn’t want to think about the damage he could do.

“That’s not all he’s looking for though.”

Aristotle couldn’t even imagine what else the demon was on the hunt for.

“He’s hunting the time relics,” Faron told him. “He’s killed two of the guardians, leaving only three. He used a pestilence demon to inflict them with cancer, hoping they’d beg for their health back and trade their secrets.”

“Do they even know where to find the Mage?”

“I don’t think so,” Faron replied. “But there has to be some connection. The demon isn’t merely hunting random pieces of power.”

He agreed and the end result could be catastrophic.

“We should contact them,” Aristotle said, reaching for his cell phone. “Give me the number of your seer friend. Surely, she or he knows how to find a guardian.”

“You do realize that the keepers are two tiered?” Faron asked.

“So what?” He didn’t know much about the timekeepers.

“There are the guardians who guard and teach, who keep knowledge. He’s killed the seven and moved on to the next tier which consists of keeper warriors.”

“Is this important?”

“They’re much like the Guild,” Faron said patiently. “In fact, they worked with the Guild which is how he was able to get them. They were trying to help the Guild as they hid from Galla.”

Galla, a chaos demon, had killed off the Guild in her search for the Mage. Dallan and Jox, a demon who seemed to be Dallan’s new best friend, had only vanquished her three weeks ago.

“How is that a problem? I mean their ties to the Guild. The Guild is gone. They can work with us.”

Faron was shaking his head, the black strands of his ear-length cut shifting around his face.

Aristotle groaned inwardly. Why couldn’t this just be simple and easy? He’d had too much drama lately.

“The keeper warriors have always worked with another organization,” he said. “Dallan is the only one who knows how to find the actual leaders.”

“Fuck.”

ADULT EXCERPT

And just like that, heat ignited in his blood and curled through him, making his cock stiff and his entire body crave Dallan’s against him. Dallan’s chocolate stare darkened with his own carnal awareness.

“There’s no telling, but how can demons fear?” Hansel asked.

“How can he love? That’s a better question, but he does,” Dallan answered, and Hansel rested his hand on Dallan’s shoulder, allowing it to curl around to his nape.

“Touch me,” Hansel urged softly. “I want you.” If Dallan touched him, and he knew he wouldn’t, he would still wonder what was going through his mind, but Hansel would be able to believe it had nothing to do with what Gretel had said.

Dallan claimed Hansel’s mouth and Hansel’s lips parted, allowing Dallan’s tongue entrance. The tang of coffee lingered on him as Hansel’s tongue stroked against Dallan’s and Dallan deepened the kiss.

Hansel groaned and pushed his fingers into Dallan’s hair to drag his head closer. Dallan closed his arm around Hansel and pulled him against him, backing him to the wall, and Hansel sighed in relief.

Dallan pressed him against the firm surface next to the curtains and rested a hand next to him. Hansel stroked a hand over Dallan’s chest, eager to get rid of their clothes. He needed nothing between them as they once again affirmed their love.

Dallan broke the kiss and his lashes fluttered up, revealing dark eyes lit with hunger. “You’ve got me, Hans,” Dallan rasped out. “You own me, heart and soul.”

Hansel leaned on tiptoe to press a kiss to Dallan’s throat.

Hansel trailed kisses down the column, and Dallan groaned. His hands moved down to cup Hansel’s ass.

He traced kisses along Dallan’s jaw before claiming Dallan’s lips for a slow kiss. They tasted each other slowly, and Hansel’s hand moved between them to work the belt of Dallan’s pants free. He unfastened the button and dragged down the zipper to push Dallan’s pants open.

Hansel broke the kiss, dragging air into his lungs. “I need to be naked with you.” Hansel tugged at Dallan’s button-down. He ripped it from his pants and quickly undid the buttons. “You’re so hot I can hardly keep my hands off you.”

His hands glided over a broad chest sprinkled with dark hair. Hansel lowered his head and traced his tongue along the collarbone. Nipped hard and sucked.

“Hansel,” Dallan said breathlessly. “I want you, too, sweetheart.”

Hansel licked one nipple as he pinched the other, drawing a hiss of pleasure from Dallan. He flicked his tongue over the flat nipple again before scraping over it with his teeth.

Dallan moaned roughly, and Hansel sucked the flat disc into his mouth while teasing the other nipple. He lifted his head to circle the tight bud before sucking it again then moving to the twin. Hansel licked and blew a soft stream of air over it.

“Fuck, yeah.” Dallan moaned.

Hansel flicked the nipple again before catching it between his teeth. At the same time, he pushed his hand inside Dallan’s briefs. His fingers wrapped around the erect flesh.

Dallan sucked in a breath as Hansel’s thumb stroked over the tip of his cock. “Damn, that feels good.”

Hansel watched Dallan. His eyes were half-mast as he stroked him. Heat slithered through Hansel, pushing his own desire higher.

He released Dallan’s shaft to kiss a path over the hard plane of Dallan’s chest and down to his stomach. He licked over the hairless skin and nipped at his defined abs before licking over the navel and down to his lower belly.

Hansel sank to his knees before looking up at Dallan. His eyes glowed with passion and emotion that took Hansel’s breath away. That the man could love him still left him dizzy.

“Suck my dick, baby.”

Hansel grasped the thick length and swirled his tongue around the mushroom head. With the point of his tongue, he licked slowly down to the shaft and over his balls. He glided his tongue back up as he tightened his grip on Dallan’s dick.

“Damn, your mouth is lethal,” Dallan cried as he pushed his fingers into Hansel’s hair. Hansel sucked Dallan deeper into his mouth, taking him to the back of his throat. He drew his head back slowly and sucked the head as he pumped the part of the shaft not in his mouth.

“Shit!” Dallan grimaced, expression tight with pleasure. “You’re killing me, sweetness.”

Hansel lowered his head on the thick prick, sucking, his head bobbing up and down.

“Enough.” Dallan urged him up.

“Not yet,” he protested, and Dallan chuckled and pushed him against the wall.

“I’m going to fuck your tight little ass,” Dallan told him and claimed his mouth. The kiss was searing, burning Hansel. “God, let’s get rid of these clothes.”

He tore Hansel’s shirt open. Then, he glided his hands down to push Hansel’s lounge pants down. The pants fell down around his ankles, and Dallan kissed him again before lowering his head to circle a nipple while using the finger of his free hand to tease the other.

Hansel thought of a spell and wiggled his fingers. The nightstand drawer opened and a tube of lube floated up. Dallan grabbed it from the air and shoved it into his pants pocket.

“Damn, you’re a little eager tonight,” Dallan teased. “I told you, you have me. You don’t have anything to fear.” He turned Hansel around and smoothed a hand over his ass before delivering a stinging tap. “Stop doubting me.”

“I—”

Before he could speak, Dallan dropped a hand on his ass again. “Trust me,” he said in Hansel’s ear.

“I do,” he said breathlessly.

Dallan struck his ass again and pushed his hand into Hansel’s hair and tugged his head back. He bit his earlobe.