STORY EXCERPT

Varian knocked on the door to his captain’s office and stood waiting for the call to enter. He’d been ordered to report to Rom first thing this morning. He knew that he was in a lot of trouble, and he dreaded the coming interview. It wasn’t going to be good. He’d screwed up the night before, and he figured that he was in for a serious dressing-down. The door opened, and Rom stood before him, grim faced. Standing back, his captain gestured him in and then closed the door behind him.

“Have a seat, Varian.” Rom nodded to one of the chairs in front of his desk. Varian sat and waited while Rom returned to his own chair behind the desk. The Captain of the Guardians of the Gray Tower looked at him for several long moments, letting the silence between them stretch and making Varian squirm uncomfortably in his seat. He wished the man would just get to it so he could return to his duties in the training yard. Finally Rom spoke. “Varian, I realize that you’ve been having a difficult time of it lately. I know that you blame yourself for the queen’s death.” Rom met his gaze with a frank concern. Varian tightened his lips but said nothing. He saw the other man shake his head. “I have told you that neither I nor Kelan hold you to blame for the events of that day, yet you continue to act in a manner that indicates to me that you did not take me seriously.”

“Because I was to blame.” Varian blurted out the words and then shut up at the look of reprimand in Rom’s eyes.

“I’m not here to argue with you about this anymore. As far as I am concerned, this matter is closed.” The captain shook his head. “However, there is a larger problem. Your drinking has gotten out of control. Last night, your fellow Gray could not rely on you to come to his assistance to capture a dangerous criminal because you were too drunk to even realize there was a situation going on. Instead, he had to get help from a civilian, a prospective priest with absolutely no training of any sort. Brax could have been in serious trouble.”

Varian dropped his eyes guiltily.

“In addition to that, it has been reported to me by several of your fellow soldiers that there have been a few instances when you have reported to duty smelling of alcohol. Your reaction time has slowed, and your temper is short. They are concerned. I am concerned as well.”

He paused, and Varian looked up to meet his eyes. “Have you anything to say?”

“I wasn’t on duty that night, Captain. I think I am allowed to let off some steam on my off-duty hours. And I have never reported for duty drunk.” He may have had a drink before going on duty one or two times, but he had not been drunk.

Rom nodded. “I am aware of that fact, but you should know that the Gray are always in service to the crown, even during their off-duty hours. And if your fellow warriors worry that they cannot rely on you in a difficult situation that unexpectedly occurs, such as the incident at Mal’s, you become a hindrance to your comrades rather than a help.” Rom stood and came around the desk to lean against it and look down at Varian. “Varian, it pains me to see you doing this to yourself. You are a great soldier and a powerful asset to the Gray. I can’t count the number of times when you have gone above and beyond your duty and been a great source of pride to this company. But if you can’t gain control of yourself and your drinking, you are not going to be of use to anyone.” He let out a heavy sigh. “So I’m temporarily suspending your duties starting immediately.”

Varian was stunned. “What? But that isn’t fair. It was just one incident.”

Rom nodded. “I thought you’d feel that way, and I truly hate to do it, but my first thoughts must be of the Gray. I have to count on the men under my command. You are out of control, Varian. The one incident last night was just a foreshadowing of things to come if you continue on your current course. I’m giving you a month to get yourself together and to resolve the guilt you feel over what happened. Thirty days to straighten yourself out. If you are unable to do that, I will have to release you from the Gray permanently.”

Varian could feel the blood draining from his face at those words. Being a member of the Guardians of the Gray Tower was his life. “Please, Rom. Give me another chance. I’ll do better. I swear it by Salara’s Shield. Don’t suspend me. Put me on Tower duty. I’ll scrub floors. Peel potatoes. Anything. I’ll change, you’ll see.”

Rom shook his head. “I wish I could believe that, Varian. I truly do. But you know the situation we’re dealing with right now is critical for the safety of Emryn. The men under my command must be men that I trust completely, and right now, I don’t trust you to do your job. I’m sorry. Use this time to think about what you are doing to yourself, Varian. I care about you. I need you.”

“If you needed me so much, you wouldn’t be doing this to me.” Varian’s words were bitter as anger took the place of shock.

ADULT EXCERPT

Reaching out, he gently tugged the blanket that covered Masun’s lower body until he could clearly see every inch of the other man. He sucked in a deep breath at the image of male perfection. His eyes moved over Masun’s body, lingering at the soft penis lying in its nest of curls. Even limp, it was an impressive size. He could just imagine how it would look engorged with blood. His mouth watered at the thought of taking that flesh in his mouth and feeling it harden from his ministrations. The wrinkled of sacs that rested below Masun’s cock also drew his gaze, and he pictured himself caressing them, rolling the balls through his fingers as his mouth worked the swelling length of Masun’s shaft. His own cock stirred at the thought.

At last he tore his gaze away and let his eyes continue their journey down Masun’s well-shaped legs, admiring their blatant masculinity. Then his gaze returned to the tempting sight at the apex of his thighs. He moved, ignoring the protesting twinges of pain from his body and positioned himself above Masun’s resting cock. He leaned forward and, using just the tip of his tongue, licked a wet trail down the flaccid length. Then he blew lightly on the dampened flesh. It twitched, and Varian grinned. He continued the moist caresses until the cock began to harden from his ministrations.

Taking a moment to glance up, he saw that Masun was still sound asleep. Gaining confidence, he reached out gently and took Masun’s cock in his hand and lifted it. His lips closed over the tip, and he began to suckle. Slowly but surely, the rod began to become firm and solid as he drew it deeper and deeper into the warm depths of his mouth. He moved his hand, pushing Masun’s thighs apart, and began a slow caress of the ball sac that lay there, just as he’d imagined doing.

Suddenly he felt Masun’s hips arch up into the caress and heard a sharp gasp. “Varian…What—”

Varian pulled his mouth off Masun’s erection and looked up at the other man, whose eyes were now wide open. “Just lie back and enjoy, Masun.”

“Farking hells, Varian, I didn’t bring you back here for this.”

“Didn’t you?” Varian didn’t know, and didn’t really care, why he was here. All he cared about at that moment was getting his mouth back on Masun’s beautiful cock. And it was truly beautiful. It was long and slightly curved, a dark, ruddy color. The head was mushroom shaped and a bit darker than the shaft. It was about eight inches long and about five or six inches around. Veins bulged in a random pattern down the swollen surface of the cock, making it look powerful and dangerous. Delicious.

“No. You should stop. You’re injured and drunk. You don’t know what you’re doing, Varian.”

Varian chuckled softly. “Does it feel like I don’t know what I’m doing?” He bent and gave the shaft a long lick, lingering around the head to delve into the slit for a brief taste. “And I’m not drunk. Not anymore.” With that, he engulfed the head in his mouth and once again began to suckle, drawing the cock deep. He felt Masun’s hand clench in his hair, and, for a moment thought the other man would pull him off his cock. Instead, after a moment of hesitation, Masun used his grip to direct Varian’s movements. If he could have smiled, he would have. Instead, he allowed the other man to show him just what he liked and how he liked it.

He could tell from the Masun’s increasingly ragged breathing that he was nearing his climax. He sped up his movements, adding his hand to his strokes in order to increase the friction.

“Salara’s bones, Varian, that feels so good. Your mouth feels so good on my cock.”

Varian hummed lightly to let Masun know that he heard him even though he couldn’t answer him at right that moment. When he did, Masun moaned. “Goddess, that’s farking amazing. I’m about to come, Varian. If you don’t want a full mouth, you’d better pull back.”

But Varian was having none of it. Pull off? No way in farking hells. He wanted to feel the hot explosion as Masun erupted in his mouth. He wanted to taste the salty sweetness of the man’s seed as it slid down his throat. Ignoring Masun’s words, he continued to work the throbbing cock, faster now, taking it deeper and deeper. He loosened his jaw and breathed through his nose, swallowing the shaft as deep as he could take it. With a harsh shout, Masun began coming. Varian swallowed each hot spurt, relishing the knowledge that he had given Masun such pleasure. He sucked and sucked until Masun lay back limply on the bed, his hands falling loose onto the bed at his sides.

Varian sat up, using the back of his hand to swipe across his mouth to remove any excess seed that he hadn’t been able to swallow. His eyes focused on Masun, watching as his quickened breathing began to slow until finally the other man’s brown eyes blinked open and his gaze met Varian’s. Masun’s lids were lowered sleepily, and his hair was a wild mess from where he’d tossed his head back and forth on the pillow, giving him a sexy, tousled appearance that Varian found very appealing.