STORY EXCERPT

“Phaedran?” Ben asked, rummaging through the stack of papers on his desk. “Did we take the statement from Mrs. Bianchi in the Blanchard case?”

Phaedran looked up from his share of reports and frowned. “We did. It should be there.” He reached for the papers scattered over the desk, his arm nudging Ben’s in the process. His breath hitched as Phaedran’s warm breath ruffled his hair. He shifted uneasily in his seat as Phaedran looked through the papers. “Damn it,” he said in annoyance. “I could have sworn it was there.” They both looked up as Samantha Collard, one of the Agency’s human employees, marched into the room, her high heels clicking ominously as she moved, fuming. She slammed her purse on her desk.

“She looks mad,” Phaedran said out of the corner of his mouth, still leaning over Ben, his lips dangerously close to Ben’s ear. He was talking quietly, but apparently not enough since Samantha whirled to face them, eyes blazing.

“Do you believe Francis had to drop me off again?” she demanded. “You know why? It’s impossible to use a car to get here since we have demonstrators on our doorstep. Again!”

“Uh-oh. So that’s why,” Phaedran murmured.

“Notice that Francis isn’t here to deal with the fallout.”

Phaedran smothered a laugh, pulling back to his own chair. Ben eyed Samantha thoughtfully.

Francis was a dragon, so dropping off probably meant that he flew her over from her home to the roof of the Agency’s building. He surreptitiously checked the way she looked. Yep. Her hair was blown, her face flushed, and her clothing in disarray. She also looked pissed, and that meant that Francis, who adored acrobatic flying as much as annoying his straitlaced partner, was up to his usual tricks. Ben looked back at Phaedran, who was still staring at Samantha. With his dark-blue eyes and black hair, Phaedran looked almost completely human. The only hint of his Earthian heritage was a faint sheen to his skin, but it was something most people wouldn’t notice if they weren’t looking for it. He usually wore dark sunglasses when they were outside, but that wasn’t much of a giveaway either, Ben had to admit. Most of the Earthians did that since they disliked the sun and dust that abounded in human cities, but a lot of humans did that, too. There were Earthians who, even in their semihuman form, were easily recognizable. Phaedran wasn’t.

He dragged his attention off his partner and tried to focus on Samantha.

“I’m sure that Francis didn’t mind,” he tossed in her direction.

She gave him a dark look.

“No, he didn’t mind.” Pulling her chair out with unnecessary force, Samantha sat behind her desk and tried to straighten her clothes. Her mouth twisted in annoyance. “You know, Ben, one of these days I’m going to throw up all over his shiny skin, and then he is going to regret every sharp curve and upside-down maneuver.” She went slightly green and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were filled with relish. Ben heard Phaedran snort. Clearly, he thought Francis deserved it.

“Why didn’t you?” he asked.

Sighing, Samantha slumped in her chair. “He would tease me to no end afterward,” she muttered in a cross tone. “One of these days, though, that isn’t going to be enough of a deterrent. Sometimes I positively loathe him.”

“Well, he was nice enough to offer to bring you here,” Phaedran pointed out. “You didn’t have to drive.”

Samantha slammed the drawer closed.

“I want those people off my parking place. I like my car. I like driving it. I even like sitting in it during traffic jams. I have an excuse for being late to the job, and I don’t have to suffer that—prick!” The last word was filled with meaning.

As if on cue, Francis breezed into the office. “Did someone mention me?”

Ben had to cough to cover his laugh. He caught a ghost of smile on Phaedran’s lips, too.

“Samantha was just commenting on our guests,” he drawled. Francis went over to Samantha’s desk, hopping up until he was sitting on it. She looked at the reports he was sitting on and then up at him. Her eyes narrowed. He didn’t seem to notice, preoccupied with his thoughts. Samantha opened her mouth, but before she could say something, Francis spoke.

“I saw them. They are unusually active.” He sounded thoughtful. His tone struck Ben wrong. He threw a sharp glance in his direction. What was on Francis’s mind?

Phaedran, on the other hand, seemed unconcerned. He shrugged. “They have a right to be there. You know that.” Ben sneaked a look at him. Demonstrators in front of the Agency of Earthians weren’t an unusual occurrence. They protested against the Agency, against their members, against the existence of Earthians. They were persistent. Their numbers varied, but usually they could be counted on to show up. The Agency of Earthians’ Affairs was one of the rare establishments connected officially with Earthians. Ben sometimes wondered if it bothered his partner to hear humans yell filth and curses at him just because of who he was. It started bothering Ben, even if Phaedran and the other Earthians didn’t comment on it.

Francis’s mouth tightened in annoyance.

“I’m not disputing that, but I think this crowd is somewhat more organized than the rest. They are very quiet, and their spokesman is very smart.”

His curiosity piqued, Ben leaned back in his chair. After more than eight months working for the Earthian Agency, he’d gotten used to demonstrators. Maybe that wasn’t smart. They had become complacent.

“You actually listened?” he inquired.

Francis shrugged like it was no big deal.

“I was bored.”

ADULT EXCERPT

Phaedran let himself sink into the couch cushions. He didn’t change often since he didn’t need to, and as a consequence, it always left him feeling excited. He stretched his arms in front of himself, feeling goose bumps jump on his skin.

“Something wrong?”

Phaedran cracked one eye open to see his partner hovering on the edge of the sofa. He let his arms drop into his lap. “Ben. Stop fussing.”

“I’m not!” his friend denied. Phaedran laughed, feeling giddy. He reached to grab Ben’s wrist and tugged him down. Ben yelped as he landed in his lap. Phaedran shifted to let him settle more comfortably.

“Zigorlan told you I’m fine. I’m fine.”

“Yes, but—” Ben started to protest. Phaedran grinned, pushing his hands upward. He could feel his blood heating, arousal building slowly in his belly. His more-than-half-hard cock pressed into Ben’s belly. Ben groaned, burying his head into Phaedran’s shoulders. His nostrils flared. He ran his hand down Ben’s back, stopping at the mound of his ass, and gave him an encouraging squeeze. Ben gasped, pushing into him.

“All right, you’ve convinced me.”

His mouth found Phaedran’s, tongue slipping in hungrily. Phaedran gasped as he allowed himself to be pushed down on the sofa on his back. Ben straddled him, giving him a heated glance.

Impatiently, Phaedran tugged on his shirt. “Off,” he said. “Off now.”

He took a deep breath as Ben whipped his shirt over his head, inhaling the scent of his sweat tinged with arousal. He ran both hands up his chest, stopping to pinch his nipples. Glancing up at Ben in the moment, he saw his pupils dilate and his lips part. He rubbed the nipple with his thumb, only to have Ben take a sharp breath. There was a noticeable bulge in his jeans now. Phaedran dropped one hand down to palm it, feeling the jean-clad cock harden and strain under his touch. Ben growled, leaning down to capture his mouth. They warred for dominance, Ben nipping at his lips and licking the small hurt away. His need skyrocketed. He snapped the buttons on Ben’s jeans open, tugging them impatiently over Ben’s hips and down his legs. Ben at least cooperated with that, raising his body to let them slide down easier. He hissed as Phaedran finally got hold of his naked cock, wrapping his fingers around the hard column and giving it an experimental tug. He panted into Phaedran’s neck, a shudder going down his body. A thrill shot up Phaedran’s spine. Ben was so responsive.

“You like this, don’t you?” Wetness spread over his palm, making his grip slick. Instead of an answer, Ben bit into his shoulder.

His cock jerked.

“What was that for?”

“I like this,” Ben agreed, pushing up to sit on his heels, “but we are going to do more than last time.”

Phaedran frowned at him, his whole body protesting Ben’s absence. It wasn’t until Ben started to turn him over that he realized what Ben intended. Desire spread through his body, the force of it making him dizzy.

“Yeah,” he breathed, “fine.”

He settled onto his hands and knees, Ben a warm weight on his back. Ben murmured something before pushing his shirt up to his shoulder blades, licking at the exposed skin. Phaedran shivered.

Ben licked a long stripe up his spine. “You going to do,” he tried, his words ending in a moan, “more than taste?”

“I will,” Ben promised.

“Should be…lube on the table.”

“Hand me.” Ben shoved Phaedran’s pants down, reaching between his legs to squeeze Phaedran’s cock. Phaedran gasped. Ben’s lips were still on Phaedran’s shoulder as he slowly jacked him off. Phaedran was having trouble concentrating. He reached for the bag carelessly left on the coffee table.

“What’s this?” Ben asked curiously.

“It’s for…scales,” Phaedran breathed, his back bowing as Ben slid a finger into his hole. It was cold, and it sent prickles over his flesh. He moaned and pushed back on the intruding finger. “Francis left it for me.” He groaned as Ben added another finger. He was now moving his fingers in a steady rhythm, and combined with the friction on his dick, it brought Phaedran dangerously close to coming.

“Damn it, Ben!” he said in frustration.

Ben released his dick and pulled his finger out at the same time. Before Phaedran had time to complain, Ben was gripping his hip and pushing into him. His dick slid into Phaedran’s ass, making him whimper. Bursts of pleasure flashed through him. Harsh breath escaped his throat. He dug his fingers into the couch arm. Ben’s balls slapped his ass, the sensation going straight to his dick. He gasped as Ben wrapped an arm around his waist and tugged him upward. He yelped. Ben was now kneeling on the couch, and Phaedran was in his lap. He pushed back, impaling himself on Ben’s dick. This position allowed for deeper penetration, and both of them shuddered in pleasure. Phaedran growled in frustration, his legs still tangled in his jeans.

“Come on, Phaedran,” Ben murmured in his ear, reaching for his cock again.