STORY EXCERPT

A light caress moved slowly down his cheek, gently touching his skin. Toby leaned into the unfamiliar warmth. For so long, he avoided all skin to skin contact. Theodore Carlson thought it was another example of his son’s uselessness, a mental deficiency. To his father, Toby was mentally ill and physically handicapped. After all, in the wizards’ world, someone that couldn’t use magic was shunned and an embarrassment.

For Toby, not touching people was a necessity. He hated being bombarded with their thoughts. Sometimes he felt like a pervert spying on others. Their secret desires, suppressed memories, or hidden motives, everything open to him. There was no hiding. If another person’s bare skin touched his skin, images and strong feelings leaked in. Most of the time it was pain, sorrow, hate, and anger that pushed its way inside. Even when another person felt happy, that wasn’t much better. Instead of feeling pain, the guilt of intruding into someone’s private life overwhelmed him, eating at his conscience. He only wanted to feel the things he felt not everyone else’s feelings.

The dream showed him something he’d never have. The gentle touch weren’t real. Toby fought to keep the tears at bay. Intimacy wasn’t allowed.

“Shh, it’s okay,” a soft voice said, as the hand pushed back his hair.

Toby’s dreams were never this gentle or vivid. No, this was something different. He dreaded waking up. The dream would end and he would be trapped in his own life, but he couldn’t fight it any longer. He opened his eyes and stared straight into the ice-blue eyes of Thomas Walker.

He sat up, pushing the other man’s hand away. The skin around his cheek and neck tingled from the demon’s touch, but he had to be sure. “Did you touch me?” Toby asked.

Thomas cocked his head. “Yes, and you didn’t melt.” He stood and moved away from the bed.

Toby thought about the demon’s words. Not only did he not melt, but he didn’t feel anything. That was more disturbing. Even if Thomas had no feelings, he’d still get flashes of memories. “You touched my skin?” he asked again.

“Look, dinner ended two hours ago. I came upstairs to check on you. You were asleep, with a flushed face, so I leaned down and touched your forehead.”

Something was wrong. It didn’t make sense. Toby bent his knees and pushed them up to his chest and leaned back against the headboard. He looked out the window. The lights from the buildings below added little light to the room. “Did I sleep that long?”

Thomas sighed. “Dinner was hours ago. Didn’t I warn you that being late was rude?” Thomas stood. “Tomorrow you will apologize to Roman and Micah.”

Toby heard the words, but his brain was stuck on one thing. “You touched me.”

Thomas walked back to the bed. He moved his hand closer and Toby pushed it away. Thomas grabbed Toby’s arm and placed his other hand on the smaller man’s cheek. Their skin touched. Toby closed his eyes in relief.

“See, nothing happened.” Thomas rubbed up and down the side of his face.

Toby nodded. Someone just touched him and nothing happened. Toby’s hand shook as he moved it toward Thomas. Tentatively, he touched the demon’s larger hand, rubbing up and down it. Thomas turned his hand and their palms connected and their fingers intertwined.

“Toby, what’s going on?” Thomas asked. “I’m not going to hurt you. Why are you afraid of people touching you?”

He wanted to tell Thomas everything, but he couldn’t take the chance. “I don’t like being touched, but for some reason, I don’t mind it when it’s you. Actually, I like it.”

Thomas stared at him. “Maybe it’s because we’re mates.”

“What?” Toby asked. The words didn’t make sense. He knew about mates. Everyone in the supernatural world dreamed of finding their other half. Could he have a mate? Then reality set in. Thomas was playing with him. Trying to see how far Toby could be pushed before he cracked. There was no way someone like him was the demon’s mate. Did Thomas know how much his words hurt? Did he hate Toby that much? Maybe he just enjoyed teasing him. “Please stop playing with me.” Toby lowered his head.

“Excuse me. What did you say?”

“Stop it. I can be uptight and you’re the type of person that hates people like me. Please stop playing. I know we can’t be mates. You’re teasing me because I take everything too seriously. I might annoy you, but I feel pain. It still hurts.”

Thomas grabbed Toby’s chin forcing him to look directly into his eyes. “Why can’t we be mates?”

“Because mates are for supernaturals and I don’t fit into that world.”

ADULT EXCERPT

Thomas guided him to the bed and pushed Toby down on his back. “Oh come on. We’re going to be so much closer.” Thomas ran a finger down his chest. “Tell me. How do you play with yourself?”

Toby’s mouth opened. He only had himself to blame. Why did he mention his toy collection? He shook his head before turning it away.

Thomas grabbed both thighs and spread his legs far apart. He hovered over Toby’s cock lightly licking then nibbling the tip before moving his mouth down and nipped and bit at the two balls.

He groaned and reached out, grabbing Thomas’s hair and trying to push his mouth further down. His cock ached as his stomach fluttered with anticipation, but still no relief. He tried to push his hips up but the demon’s heavy arm rested on his waist and kept him firmly pinned to the bed. “Is it a silicone vibrator? Do you like plugs? What about clamp, pinching your nipples?”

“Stop talking.” He looked into Thomas’s eyes. The determination to get Toby to answer the question burned within the demon. “They were a gift from Grant. I started with smaller plugs and moved up to a dildo. Are you happy?”

Thomas growled and pushed a dry finger into his ass. “Another man bought you sex toys?”

Toby nodded. Thomas’s fury both scared and turned him on. “Grant’s my best friend and cousin. Nothing else.”

“Not okay.” Thomas moved up his body and pressed their noses together. “I won’t lose to another man.” Toby gasp as his nipples were pinched. “Tell me. How big?” Thomas demanded. “How big is that fake cock you slip in here?” The finger slammed in and out of him.

Toby moaned. Every nerve burned. His body ached for more. This was too much. He wanted to be in control. He was always in control of his own pleasure.

Thomas started to gently caress him again. “Let go,” Thomas coaxed. “How big is your toy?”

“Not as big as you,” Toby finally confessed. He arched his back up off the bed. “Do something,” he ordered. Not sure what he was demanding.

Thomas laughed. “That’s the difference. With toys, you’re in control. Now, I decide where to touch.” To prove his point, Thomas reached down and grabbed Toby’s cock.

Toby cried out. He needed more. The need was overwhelming. For so long no one touched him, but now every touch was too much. Thomas didn’t focus on one area. He moved all around from his cock to his nipples. The only constant was the finger slowly thrusting in and out. He gasped. A second finger joined the first and both moved in and out of him. Toby’s hands grabbed the comforter and squeezed the fabric.

Thomas sat up, pulling out both fingers. He opened the nightstand drawer and grabbed a bottle. Toby watched as he poured the lube over his fingers. Thomas held up his hand. The liquid glistened in the light. The demon moved his hand back over to Toby’s ass. He lifted up to give Thomas better access. The fingers plunged into him.

Toby closed his eyes, and focused on the fingers buried inside of him. He gasped when Thomas started to suck his cock. He pushed up, moving his cock deeper into Thomas’s mouth and then slammed down on the fingers plunging into him. Thomas let him continue to set the pace, but then he pulled his mouth away.

Toby grabbed at Thomas. He needed more. His cock wept for more. “Don’t stop,” he moaned.

Thomas handed him the lube. “Spread it over my cock. Get it ready for your ass.”

The demon wanted him to participate in this. He was giving Toby some control in what was happening. Tomorrow there would be no denying what happened. He didn’t care. He needed Thomas now. Toby squeezed the bottle. Lube covered his hands. Toby covered the demon’s length, rubbing his hands up and down. Thomas’s cock throbbed. He moaned before pulling Toby’s hands away. Thomas grabbed Toby’s thighs pushing his legs up and spreading them wide. Toby blushed at the exposed position as Thomas moved in between his legs. Their eyes locked as Thomas slowly sunk into him. Toby’s back arched upward as Thomas filled him with a burning heat. Just when he thought he’d taken the demon’s massive cock, Thomas slipped further inside of him. It was too much. The demon was too big. He moaned and cried out. Then Toby sighed as the balls slapped his ass. Thomas was fully seated inside of him. He’d taken the demon’s entire length. Thomas stopped moving and Toby tried to adjust to the size. He was stuffed. The burning heat filled him, splitting him. It took a minute before he adjusted. Then it wasn’t enough. He needed more. Toby tried to push up but Thomas kept him pinned to the bed. “Move,” he demanded.

Thomas rolled his hips never pulling out.

“More,” Toby demanded again.

“Like this,” Thomas gently rocked his hips back and forth. The slow motion wasn’t enough. Toby wanted more. He tried to get the demon to move faster. Then Thomas slammed into him with three hard thrusts. Toby cried out when the gentle pace returned. He clawed at Thomas’s back and wrapped his legs around the demon’s waist. The unsteady pace left him not knowing what to do.

“Remember, mate. I’m not a toy you can control.” He accentuated his words with a hard thrust. “I decide how hard and how fast.” Thomas reached down and stroked Toby’s cock. “I decide when to touch you and when not to.”

Toby grabbed at his red hair desperate for something to hold. He quivered on the bed under Thomas. The gentle pace continued. Toby squeezed down on the demon’s cock, trying to coax him to move faster.

“Not going to work.” Thomas’s face was flushed as he fought for control.

Toby moved his arm to his mouth and bit down. The burning heat moving inside of him was better than any toy or plug. “So good. Please, Thomas,more," he begged.