Page 44 of Elemental Hope
Dominic gave an exasperated sigh. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s hardly your fault that a coven of psychotic witches and a junkiewarlock are after your blood.” He giggled, a little hysterical. “That sounds insane.”
“I’m glad you can see the humorous side of this, Dominic.” Evrain glared at him through narrowed eyes. “We’ll see how funny you find it when I lock you up at Hornbeam and never let you out again.” He rested his head against the cracked red vinyl of his seat and closed his eyes. “And I haven’t forgotten your reference to my ‘pyrotechnics’ either. Cheeky brat. At the very least that merits a spanking.”
Damon gave a snort of laughter. Dominic’s face heated. He kept his eyes on the road. When he risked casting a nervous, sidelong look at Evrain he had fallen asleep. Dominic breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully by the time Evrain woke up he would have forgotten his threat.
“You’re in soooo much trouble,” Damon said, giggling.
“And when I tell Nathaniel how you risked your life for us, you will be too. I’ll bet that stab vest was for protection only. I doubt Nathaniel sanctioned you actually taking a knife in the chest.”
“Um, there’s no need to mention all the details, is there?” Damon made puppy eyes. “My butt doesn’t need decoration.” He shivered. “Though it might not be all bad.”
“Way too much information, Damon. Just drive.”
“Spoilsport.”
“What are you, three?”
“We’re the same age aren’t we, or close enough?”
“Birth certificate says one thing, your mouth says another.”
“Hey, we’re bickering. That means we must be friends.”
“God help me.” Dominic wished Evrain was awake.
The rest of the drive home was uneventful. Dominic controlled his tiredness and let Evrain sleep. Every now and again he cast a sideways glance at the dark head wedged against the van window, eyelids flickering as Evrain dreamed. There were smudges on his face and the faint marks of developing bruisesaround his neck where Symeon had held him and presumably where the collar had been tight against his flesh. The filthy workman’s jacket hung open to expose part of his smooth chest, which was rising and falling gently. Dominic brushed at the warm salt tears that welled in the corners of his eyes. Evrain looked so vulnerable and Dominic hated that he had been hurt. He thumped one hand against his seat, beating out the rhythm of his frustration in time to the low rumbling of the van’s engine. To his relief, Damon kept his mouth firmly closed.
The light was beginning to fade by the time Damon parked the van at the end of the lane leading to Hornbeam Cottage. He switched off the ignition with a sigh—of what appeared to be—relief, turning to press his forehead against the glass next to him.
“The others aren’t back yet.” He squinted into the trees. “I can’t see anything suspicious but then I probably wouldn’t.”
“Symeon wasn’t in any condition to come after us by the time Evrain had finished with him,” Dominic said. “If Gregory and Nathaniel are dealing with Imelda then we have some time.”
Evrain began to stir. Dominic placed a reassuring hand on his thigh.
“We’re home. How do you feel?”
Green-gold eyes flickered open and regarded him with piercing scrutiny.
“I feel like taking you over my knee and spanking the disobedience out of you. That’s how I feel. In fact I’ve been dreaming about it.”
Dominic stared at him. Heat built in his cheeks and his cock jerked. “You really are an ungrateful bastard, aren’t you?”
“If things are going to get stormy, I’m out of here.” Damon almost fell out of the van in his hurry to escape.
Dominic gave Evrain a glare he didn’t mean then followed Damon. He slammed the door behind him then leaned against the side of the van. Seconds later, Evrain joined him. Hehad discarded the borrowed jacket and was bare-chested. The wounds on his arms and around his wrists looked stark against his pale skin and his midnight hair was in wild disarray. He braced one arm each side of Dominic’s shoulders and leaned toward him.
“Do you want me to be grateful that you put yourself at risk? Grateful that you suffered so much pain for me? Grateful that I was such a fucking idiot that I put us both in danger?”
Dominic hardly heard the words. He was too busy trying not to drool at the sight of the muscles flexing in Evrain’s arms and chest. He made an effort and focused. “Was that your attempt at an apology? You need to rethink your…” Dominic’s protests were cut off as his lips were crushed by a forceful kiss. An insistent tongue pushed its way into his mouth, probing deeply, until he thought he would run out of breath. Evrain encircled his wrist with long slender fingers then tugged him away from the van and down the path to the cottage.
Intent on his destination, Evrain didn’t speak again. Even with his feet bare, he moved quickly and Dominic found himself half-running to avoid falling. He felt strange—half scared, half excited, his cock now swollen so much it rubbed against his overalls. Evrain was so intense, no doubt driven by a basic need to re-establish his dominance, but surely he wouldn’t follow through with his threat.
The cottage was empty. Shadow was nowhere to be seen and there was no sign of Gregory, Coryn or any indication that unwelcome intruders had gotten past the wards. The pots and pans used to brew the agrimony solution sat on the draining board, bringing back painful memories.
“Evrain, stop!” Dominic resisted his pulling. “We have company, remember.”
Damon, who had tailed them through the door, wiggled his fingers in a small wave. “Don’t stop on my account. Really. I’m kinda enjoying the show.”
