STORY EXCERPT

“I’ll whip up some hot chocolate,” she said with a lilt of happiness in her tone. “How does that sound?”

“I’m not a kid anymore,” he argued.

“I’ll add those little marshmallows you love so much.”

Gil was glad she couldn’t see his wide grin. “Well, since you’re twisting my arm, I’ll be there soon. Love you, Ma.”

“Love you too, honey bunch.”

She hung up and Gil groaned. He was so glad she’d never called him that in front of anyone. He still blushed when she said it to his face, but he never passed up a hug. Ever. He would never be too old for one of those.

After closing his laptop and sliding it into his messenger bag, Gil went to his cluttered room to dress. The snow had fallen steadily all day, so he grabbed his thermal underwear and top. Although Brac Village was surrounded by vast woods, and the trees beat back most of the wind and snow, it was still asshole-cold outside.

Posters from Supernatural and The Lord of the Rings covered his bedroom walls. The shelf anchored to the wall by the door was cluttered with figurines of howling wolves, fire-breathing dragons, wizards, and a wand. He even had a small stack of fake potions books that were made of plaster and stacked haphazardly.

He stood there for a brief moment as he glanced around his room, longing for that kind of world to truly exist. Gil brushed his fingers over the tiny statuette of a demon with jutting horns. What would living in a world filled with magic be like? To run like hell from a hungry vampire or be cherished by a gallant werewolf? Gil sighed heavily as he went to his closet.

If his dad knew how much he daydreamed about that kind of world, he would slap Gil upside the head. David Flanagan didn’t believe in anything other than the real world. He had no imagination whatsoever and lived by absolute truths.

Ferguson was just like their father in every way. The only reason he didn’t despise Christmas was because his wife wouldn’t let him. But Ferguson was his father’s golden boy. He was married, with two sons, lived in New York where he worked as a lawyer, and he could do no wrong in their dad’s eyes.

Rafferty worked on a ranch in Montana, was married with two daughters, and his dad thought his second oldest could do better, but didn’t harp on the fact.

Gil was the youngest, and nothing he ever did seemed to be good enough for the old man. Although he made pretty good money at what he did, his dad had never embraced technology and thought Gil was wasting his life. He also made comments whenever the two were around each other about Gil getting married.

That wasn’t going to happen. So Gil spent most of his time trying to avoid his father.

“Get your butt moving. It’s already dark out, and you need to get back here so you can attempt to get some work done,” he murmured to himself, although he loved the fact it became dark after five. That was the one thing he loved about winter. Correction. The only thing he loved about the season. Mother Nature could keep the cold and snow.

Except for Christmas. It most definitely had to snow on Christmas. After that, the snow could bugger off.

After dressing in layers, Gil grabbed his bag, keys, and phone before he hurried out of his building and was met with a gust of frigid air. He instantly wished he could run back inside as he yanked his knitted cap farther down over his head. The snow fell in thick, fat flakes, and the rush of the lashing wind robbed him of heat and made his hands and face sting.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Gil hunched his shoulders and started his trek. He briefly thought about stopping at The Café for something to warm his insides, but that would take him out of his way. Gil didn’t want to spend any more time outside than he had to. He was afraid his bits and pieces would crawl up inside him and hibernate until spring.

Although he hadn’t had sex in a while, he still jacked off. If his beans and wiener disappeared for the winter, he’d be in real trouble. His hand was the only action he’d seen in six months.

Gil had rounded a corner when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He had the weirdest sensation he was being followed. But by who? As far as he knew, he had no enemies, and the crime rate in Brac Village was practically nonexistent.

Picking up his pace, Gil wrapped his arms around his chest, one hand gripping the strap of his messenger bag. If someone tried to take his bag, Gil would be screwed. His laptop was state-of-the-art, had two terabytes of storage, top-notch gaming graphics, and contained all his work. It was the only thing he’d made a real investment in. He would fight to the death before he allowed someone to run off with it.

As he passed the mouth of an alley, something slammed into his back, propelling him forward. A hand grabbed his upper arm in a viselike grip as Gil cried out.

Whoever had a hold of him was strong. The guy moved ahead of him while dragging Gil into the dark alley. Gil fought to get free, but the stranger swung behind him and wrapped an arm around his neck in a chokehold.

“I love when they struggle,” the stranger said before he shoved his nose into Gil’s neck and inhaled. “That’s right, fight me.”

“You can have my wallet,” Gil coughed out as his heart raced and he struggled to breathe. “Just don’t hurt me.”

He had a mere seven dollars in it, so the guy could have it. He was still in shock that he was being mugged. Gil stopped struggling. He didn’t know if his attacker was armed, and he didn’t want to die in a filthy alley from a gunshot wound.

His chest was shoved into the brick wall and his arms pinned painfully behind him with strong, rough hands. “I’m not going to rob you, human. I’m just going to eat your soul.”

ADULT EXCERPT

“I want you,” Wayland murmured so seductively that Gil’s breath hitched. “I want to feel my cock sinking deep inside your body.”

Gil gasped when he was pulled away from the window and lowered to the soft carpet. Wayland inserted himself between Gil’s legs as Gil’s fingers curled around his upper arms. Gil stared into coppery eyes as they stared back at him.

“Wayland—”

The demon shook his head. “Don’t deny what we both want. You say you’re not into men, but I’ve seen how you look at me with just as much craving as I feel for you.”

Gil’s head lolled to the side as Wayland’s lips and tongue teased his neck. His legs instinctively curled around the demon’s waist as Wayland lowered himself just a bit more so that their groins touched. Wayland ground his erection against him and Gil cried out.

“Do that again,” Wayland begged into Gil’s ear.

Gil wanted their clothes gone, all barriers out of the way. He glided his hands down Wayland’s arms and then back up again, feeling the man’s strength beneath his hands. Wayland’s muscles flexed at his touch as the demon nipped at his collarbone.

“I have to warn you.” Gil struggled to get the words out as Wayland’s tongue glided over his Adam’s apple.

“You think I don’t know?” He nipped Gil’s skin. “I already know, tiger.”

“How?”

“I just do.”

Wayland devoured Gil’s mouth with hot licks and starving kisses. The demon’s groin ground harder into his. Gil started beating on the man’s back with frustration. “I need my clothes off.”

He wanted what Wayland wanted—to feel the demon’s cock buried inside of him. Gil wanted to feel the man’s flesh pounding into his, stretching him wide, and making him cry out for more.

The demon didn’t get up, didn’t move from his spot between Gil’s legs. He used one hand to unfastened Gil’s pants and planted the other on the carpet next to his head. Gil was amazed at how skillful Wayland seemed with one hand. The guy had Gils’s pants down his waist in seconds. Gil’s hips shot up before Wayland shoved the jeans the rest of the way down. Gil kicked his shoes off, and then used his feet to get the jeans from around his ankles.

Now he lay there naked while the demon was still fully clothed. The rough material of Wayland’s jeans against Gil’s cock made him hiss with pleasure.

“I want to see you come before I take you.” Wayland’s strong hand wrapped around Gil’s cock. Gil’s back arched into the demon’s touch, Gil needing the relief his body craved. He hitched his hips higher, begging without words for Wayland’s hand to move faster.

And it did.

But Wayland pulled it away long enough to spit in his hand, and then it was back on Gil, stroking him so expertly that Gil’s head thrashed from side to side, his fingers dug into the soft carpet, and his toes curled. He panted for breath as he fucked Wayland’s hand, staring up into those gorgeous, coppery eyes.

Wayland undid his jeans and freed his cock, then inserted it between Gil’s thighs, just under his balls. He saw the ruddy head wet with clear liquid as the demon tugged at Gil’s sac.

The pressure built along his spine and his balls grew tight. Gil closed his eyes as he clenched his jaw, and then a kaleidoscope of colors burst behind his eyelids. He cried out as Wayland’s hand moved faster, and the man murmured something in a language Gil couldn’t understand. But it sounded sexy, and he didn’t want Wayland to stop.

As Gil’s climax slowly eased, the demon coaxed him to his hands and knees. Gil rocked against Wayland’s body like a wanton slut as he struggled to breathe.

“That was beautiful.” Wayland kissed a spot on Gil’s shoulder. “I want to hear your cries again as I take you.”

His words penetrated the fog surrounding Gil’s brain. “Wayland—”

The demon kissed Gil’s nape. “Hush. No worries, tiger. I’ll go as slow as you need me to.” His hand pressed into Gil’s lower back. “Don’t move from this spot.”

Gil nodded, then felt Wayland’s heat leave him. The man had gotten up. Gil stayed on all fours, blinking several times. Never had an orgasm gripped him that hard. His insides were still humming as he wondered what the demon was doing.

A pair of jeans fell to the floor by Gil’s head, followed by a shirt. Wayland was undressing. Seconds later, he was behind Gil again.

“Just relax.”

The head of his cock pressed against Gil’s hole.

“Lubricant!” Was the guy insane? Gil may not have had sex with a man before, but even he knew lube had to be involved.

“Trust me.”

Since Gil was the newbie, he nodded. But his shoulders tightened and his cock hung flaccid. He was too afraid to be turned on. And then something spurted against his ass.

“What was that?”

“We demons have natural lube.” Wayland’s lips skimmed across Gil’s shoulder. “It will help your muscles to relax and allow me inside you.”

Another spurt hit him and Gil’s muscles did exactly as the demon said they would. Gil’s fingers curled into the fibers of the carpet as he felt pressure, but no pain.

“Steady,” Wayland whispered. He smoothed his hands down Gils’s back. “I promise it gets much better. You’ll see, my little virgin.”

Gil heard the teasing in Wayland’s voice and wanted to smack the demon. So Wayland really did know what Gil had been trying to tell him. Gil wanted to give him an earful, but the head of Wayland’s cock popped past the ring of muscles and all thoughts fled.