Page 61 of Last Resort

Erik nodded. “And it scares me because I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Same goes for you.” Ben slid his hands over Erik’s body, reaffirming his claim. “So we just have to watch out for each other.”

Ben took his time, lavishing Erik’s mouth and throat with attention before moving slowly down to his chest and nipples. Ben’s hands and lips showed his appreciation to Erik’s bare skin before dipping lower.

Before he ever reached for the lube, Ben sucked Erik’s cock to hardness and licked at his balls and taint. He pushed Erik’s thighs wide open and rimmed him until Erik begged for release.

“Gonna make this good.” Ben slicked up his fingers and loosened Erik’s clenched hole, angling to hit his spot over and over until Erik was writhing and humping himself on Ben’s hand.

“Please,” Erik moaned.

Ben moved into position and pushed inside, sinking slowly into Erik’s tight channel until he was balls deep.

Erik locked his ankles behind Ben’s back. “Move,” he whispered.

Ben rocked in and out, slowly at first, setting up a rhythm. Erik tangled one fist in the sheets and reached for his cock with the other. “Yes. Please. More.” Erik didn’t seem to be able to manage full sentences.

“Gonna take good care of you.” Ben picked up the pace.

Erik knew his partner could read everything in his eyes—love, lust, vulnerability, and the vestiges of the day’s tension. He could see the same in Ben’s gaze, along with an intensity that made him tremble.

He’d never trusted anyone like he did Ben, allowing him to see his fears and insecurities and the depths of his emotions. Erik had learned early to keep parts of himself hidden, to nest the tender places behind armor, and to take precautions to avoid having his feelings used against him. Ben managed to disarm his protections and prove himself worthy of Erik’s faith, which only made Erik love him more.

Erik felt the urgency in Ben’s thrusts, insistent but not rough, and sensed the tide of his orgasm rise as they moved together. Erik climaxed first, spurting over his fist and onto his belly. Ben came seconds later, working them both through the aftershocks before he leaned down and kissed Erik on the lips.

“Better?” Ben moved back far enough to meet Erik’s gaze.

Sated and still riding the high, Erik nodded. “Definitely.”

Ben pulled out carefully and padded to the bathroom, returning a few moments later with a warm, wet washcloth. “Let me,” he said when Erik reached for it and wiped down Erik’s belly and between his thighs, a gentle intimacy.

“Ready to sleep?” Ben tossed the washcloth away and settled down beneath the covers next to Erik.

Erik nodded. “Yeah. Barely keeping my eyes open. I think you used me up.”

Ben chuckled. “I’ll remind you of that in the morning. There’s time for a second round before breakfast to start the day right.”

Erik kissed Ben goodnight and closed his eyes, keeping his thoughts focused on the warmth of his lover’s body, the smell of sex and their colognes, the softness of the linens around him.

Tonight he was loved and safe. Tomorrow would come soon enough.

* * *

The cold morning wind off the ocean made Erik shiver despite his coat and hat. He and Ben joined Alessia, her coven, and other volunteers to raise a protective barrier around the site where the Commodore Wilson once stood as the autumn equinox made the genius loci’s power wax stronger.

The participants formed a circle around the empty lot. A little farther back, clearly an observer and not part of the ritual, Chief Hendricks sat warm and toasty inside his idling squad car.

Monty Clark nodded in acknowledgment as did Susan. Jaxon and Arjun came to stand next to Ben and Erik, looking equally cold despite their wool coats and scarves.

“At least it’s not as cold as it was at the winter solstice last year.” Jaxon ran his mittened hands up and down his arms.

“Still too bloody cold,” Arjun muttered.

“It’s a short ritual.” Erik tried to take that solace to heart.

“Yeah, it takes longer for hypothermia to set in,” Ben snarked. Erik elbowed him in the ribs, and Ben pretended to be wounded.

Jaxon and Arjun laughed. “Be careful,” Arjun warned, playfully wagging a finger. “You sound like an old married couple—like us!”

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