Page 7 of Jinn

Ajax nodded and settled in the chair, setting his guitar in his lap. Finn took that as a cue and turned to leave the nook.

But the whole time he patrolled the outside grounds, he kept thinking about how much his last statement to Ajax no longer applied. Because he was definitely intrigued by the rock star.

Chapter Five

Ajax

Ajax slowly rolled onto his back, the thick covers of the very comfortable bed tangling around his bare legs. Morning light spilled in from the window across the room, highlighting the small particles of dust that danced in the air. It was Monday, and Finn would be returning soon. The ball of anticipation in Ajax’s belly felt warm and electric, and he settled his hand on his stomach, marveling over the new feelings the bodyguard brought him. Though Ajax usually mentally disappeared into his work completely, a part of his mind was always aware of Finn’s quiet presence.

He’d missed him over the weekend.

The man, or whatever he was, had such a unique demeanor. Steady and calm, with occasional hints of deep humor. Tiny lines would crinkle around his eyes when he laughed. There was a light about him that drew Ajax’s gaze. A fabulous warmth that made Ajax want to curl up in his lap and purr. Finn felt safe, which was good considering his profession, but there was so much more to the way he made Ajax feel. That electric part of hisanticipation of seeing him was the part fascinating Ajax at the moment.

His need to see exactly how those pink lips would feel against his own was coloring everything he did. He’d wanted to create deep and sexy music, and it had grown quickly obvious that more than Finn’s lips were what made him the perfect muse. And it wasn’t that big, intriguing body, no. There was something in his expressions that inspired Ajax, made him want to dig deeper into what made Finn tick. He wondered how old he was, what he’d seen in his lifetime. He especially wanted to know what kind of magic he had.

Hell, he wanted to know everything.

Rolling onto his side, he watched the play of light, one particular melody filling his head. It was the new song, inspired by Finn. The music came to him so strongly, he threw off the covers, tugged on a pair of sweatpants, and hurried toward the studio to get it down. He spent the next hour mixing in the sexiest slow beat and was so caught up in what he was doing when a throat cleared behind him, he jumped and turned to face Ivor.

“Sorry for startling you,” Ivor said as he held out a mug of coffee. “Thought you might need this since you started so early. I shouldn’t have interrupted your…zone.”

It took Ajax a moment to blink back into reality before he gave the weekend bodyguard a smile and accepted the coffee. “I was about to stop for caffeine, so this is fine. Thank you.”

Ivor had told him he was a long-time fan, but he’d been nothing but professional the last two days. He would be considered a beautiful man by both men and women with his dark skin and long, thick hair, and he held a kind of innate sensuality that graced his every movement. Yet, he didn’t intrigue Ajax the way Finn did. He wondered if all magicalbeings carried that sensuality because like Finn, Ivor was something else. Something different from Finn, though.

But he didn’t inspire music and lyrics in Ajax. Didn’t draw him in.

No, there was just something about Finn. Something beyond the surprising instant attraction.

“Still playing music in your head?” Ivor asked with a chuckle. “I’ll leave you to it. Just wanted to say it was nice meeting you and getting to hear a little of your new work. Finn’s on his way, so I’ll see you next weekend.”

“Thank you for filling in for him.” Ajax barely noticed him leaving, humming as he walked back to his bedroom to get dressed. He set the barely touched coffee down on the counter in the bathroom then looked into the mirror, happy with how well-rested he looked. He’d truly needed this sabbatical after so many years of non-stop touring and recording with BTC. He was close with the members of his band, but lately there’d been more dissent—especially with Barry and Thorn. Fame had a way of twisting some personalities, so Ajax was thankful for Matt, who’d managed to stay grounded. He supposed the werewolf’s long life so far had helped with that. For him, BTC’s fame was a blip in his world. But for the others, it had become everything. And a part of Ajax had started to resent them for that. Though he understood. Fame had a way of coloring everything in one’s life.

For Ajax, it was all about the creation of music and performing it. He thrived on being on the stage and on the audience’s reaction to the songs he created. It was unfortunate that those reactions often led fans to believe they deserved more of his privacy. That they had the right to know about his personal life and relationships.

That made him think of Alan, and he scowled into the mirror. His ex had blatantly exploited that, inspiring a song Ajax had thought to include on the new album but was now rethinking.The entire album was intended to create moods, and maybe that wasn’t the kind of mood he wanted in the mix.

Ajax left the mirror and turned on the shower. The whole time he washed, music played in his head. Music and images of Finn and those crinkly lines when he laughed. That electric anticipation came back and stayed as Ajax dried off, threw on some jeans and a T-shirt, and carried his guitar into that little nook he so loved. It had two wide windows that overlooked the trees and koi pond in the back, a warm, cozy area where his creativity seemed to thrive. He lit two candles, applied his lip balm, and with his small rituals out of the way, he settled into a chair and placed his guitar onto his lap. He could hear Ivor moving about in the kitchen, but he blocked that out, closing his eyes. The song he wanted to work on, the one that had gotten him out of bed so early, filled his mind.

The song about Finn.

Chapter Six

Finn

A strange sort of agitated restlessness colored everything Finn had done over the weekend. He couldn’t relax, often getting up to pace his apartment and the whole time, he thought about Ivor and all his ‘in the face’ sexuality. It wasn’t that Finn felt he wasn’t as sexy; it was just the other preternatural’s magicwassex.

And Ajax might be human, but he had more raw sexuality than any other human Finn had ever met. Finn spent half the weekend watching videos of the man singing. It was like he couldn’t help himself. His moves were slow, but he still managed to pump those hips to heavy, rocking beats—his utter sensuality blatant in both his body and powerful voice. He commanded the stage in a way that kept a person mesmerized, a way that said he owned that venue. That commanding presence was there in the man himself, yet he seemed softer in person, more approachable.

Too fucking approachable.

By the time Finn drove back to Ajax, he was a bundle of nerves—something entirely new to him. He wasn’t one forworrying or anxiety. He took life as it came. So now he felt like he wasn’t in his own skin, like he’d somehow disassociated from his normal self. He’d been like this since right before meeting Ajax, and it had only grown.

He didn’t like it.

Just as he wasn’t sure how to feel about the pure need to be back around Ajax. He wanted to be in the house with the man somewhere close by.

And he definitely wanted Ivor away from him.

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