Ice Man (7 page)

“After that I can guarantee phone sex will never be enough.” A heavy sigh melted Rowan into the lounger.

Crawling up beside him, Brett straddled his lap and kissed him. With eyes closed, he ran his fingers along Rowan’s arm to the leather restraints. A few flips and the band loosened. Rowan took his free hand and raked his fingertips through the hair at Brett’s temple. Brett freed the other arm. Still they kissed. Wet, hot suction brought Rowan’s tongue into his mouth. Heads shifted. The play of lips created sensations blazing over his flesh. His nipples stiffened and balls drew up against his body. He rolled his pelvis into the corded plane of Rowan’s abdominals.

The kiss broke and they both inhaled deeply. Inches separated their faces. Red, slightly swollen lips smiled. “How do you feel?”

“Better than I can remember,” Rowan said. “Thank you.”

“Damn, don’t thank me.” Brett slid from his lap and laughed.

“You know what I mean.”

“Maybe I don’t. Lie down and tell me.” Brett stretched out in front of Rowan. They spooned, Brett’s back to Rowan’s front. Rowan’s arms loosely wrapped around his middle and he placed kisses along the tops of his shoulders and the nape of his neck. His cock nestled in the crack of Brett’s ass. With subtle movements, he pressed and nudged the seam, keeping his cock erect. Brett arched, wanting to feel more—more heat, more hardness—just more.

“Yesterday, you made it clear that you wanted an encounter in the club,” Rowan said. “I know this isn’t what you had in mind.”

They were quiet and still for a moment. “You’re right.”

A sleepy groan came from Rowan. “About what?”

“I want to see you outside the club.” Neither spoke.

“Are you sure? I pushed, but I’m fine with this.”

“I don’t think I will be.” Brett took an audible breath then decided to be honest. “I’m divorced.”

“You were married. I’ve never been with a woman, always knew I was gay.”

“I did too, but I fought it. I married young then went to school. We had our first child.” He thought back on the years. “I don’t regret raising the kids with Karen.”

“Does she know you’re gay?”

“She’s always known. Now the kids do too. I don’t want my preference to affect them. I swore to her I’d keep my private life very private.”

“It sounds as if you’re still close.”

“Close in choices, not close in affection. We both want what’s best for everyone. She’s moving on and so are the kids.”

“And so are you.” Rowan caressed his hip and ran his toes along Brett’s instep. They touched as much as possible. “They want you to be happy, right? You’re divorced. Your ex-wife has to realize you’ll move on…with a man.”

“I’m sure she does. The divorce wasn’t bitter. She doesn’t have a reason to bitch. We haven’t been married in the physical sense in a long time and she has enough money not to care whether I’m in Texas or not. I’m sure she’s glad I’m gone as long as my life doesn’t infringe on hers.”

“You’re divorced. She doesn’t get an opinion now.”

He chuckled. “You’ve never been involved with a woman.” He laced their fingers. “We won’t have to do much more than talk for a few years. Both our kids are in college now. Until they have lives and families of their own, the thousand miles between us will be enough.” He shifted and glanced over his shoulder. “What about you?”

Rowan leaned forward and kissed him. His mouth opened and Rowan slipped in for a taste. Tongue glided along tongue and then they parted. “There isn’t much to tell. Childhood sucked, teenage years were worse, the last few years have been better.”

With Tac. Brett hated that he had to know but jealousy had him by the balls. He had no claim on Rowan, no right to ask for anything, especially when he hadn’t been willing to give any more than a secret fuck in this private room. That could change. First he had to know about Rowan’s lover and the strength of their relationship. “What about Tac?”

“What do you want to know?”

“Start with the basics. You’re involved.”

“Yes and no.” After tonight he was sure he didn’t want to continue fucking Theron, not if he was having sex with Brett. But he was still a blood slave. “I work for him. We’re friends. Good friends.”

“How good?”

“Very good.”

“Do I have to be specific? Do you fuck him? Suck his dick? Have him suck yours? If you do, do you always wear a rubber because even though I joined this club to have indiscriminate sex with strangers, that isn’t what happened.” He flipped over and faced Rowan. “I met you.”

“Yes, in a sex club. Are you now saying you want monogamy?” His heart pounded, waiting for the answer.

“After one day of knowing each other?” He shook his head. “No. I’m saying that I need to know the score. If you tell me you’re interested then I’m not coming into the club to fuck anyone else.” He traced Rowan’s lower lip. “I’ve enjoyed fucking you. How would you feel if you showed up for work and discovered I was in the Pit?”

Heat blazed in his gut. He swallowed the rise of bile in his throat. “I’d feel sick.” Just the thought had his stomach roiling. “I wouldn’t want to share.” He reached between them and stroked the silky softness of Brett’s semi-erection. The skin swelled and stretched with his touch. “I want to see where this can go. What do you want?”

“I didn’t think I would, not this soon after the divorce, but I’d like to have someone special in my life. I want more than indiscriminate encounters.”

“I won’t fuck anyone else either.”

Brett closed the space between their faces. A brush of lips then mouths opened and tongues explored. Wet, hot, erotic and full of expectation. A meshing of teeth, more tongue and moans of pleasure. Rowan’s erect cock jerked, bobbing into Brett’s. A thrill chased up his spine. Had someone suggested a man could walk into the club and turn his world on its axis, he would have believed the notion impossible. Yet his mind was spinning, his body on fire.

Finally they parted. Brett sighed and closed his eyes. Rowan focused his thoughts—his quiet thoughts. They hadn’t labeled their encounter with the relationship tag. It was too soon. But they had just declared monogamy.
Monogamy.
Fuck.
He didn’t know how he’d work it out with Theron but he had to try.

In the windowless room, he didn’t have a sense of time. No sunlight but the hour had to be past daybreak. He smiled. Had Theron heard his thoughts, the vampire would already be in the room, dragging his ass back down to The Catacombs, where he believed Rowan belonged—at his side.

Breathing deeply, he pulled Brett closer, closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, content in his lover’s arms.

* * * * *

Rowan stirred, stretched and slowly opened his eyes. Brett glanced up from zipping his jeans. “Hi.” Rowan blinked a few times and slowly sat up.

“I’d say good morning but it’s closer to lunch. I didn’t realize the time. We’ve been asleep a couple hours.”

“You have to go?” His throat tightened. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye. “There’s no rush.”

Brett laughed. “I wish I could. I have a conference call tonight.” He snagged his shirt from the floor. “If I want to close the deal, I need to be prepared. I’ll be at the computer most of the day.” He yanked the Henley over his head and quickly tucked it in. “Will I have any trouble getting out?”

The club closed during the day. However, there would be plenty of men downstairs, employees cleaning up and restocking the bar. “I’ll walk you out.” Already desperate to savor their last few minutes together.

Brett leaned against the wall and watched him dress. Whiskers darkened his jaw and a smile curved his mouth. Rowan’s gaze traveled over Brett’s fit form, pausing on the bulge in his jeans.

“Don’t.” He pointed his finger at Rowan. “As tempting as I find you in those leather pants, I need to go. I wish I had time.”

“We’ll see each other soon.” He hated the desperation in his voice. They would have time later. Besides, Rowan had issues of his own to deal with, like how he was going to feed his lover and not fuck him.

“A few days at the most.”

They left the room and descended the stairs. A weight settled in his stomach. He didn’t have much experience with morning afters. He didn’t want the night to end. He mentally snorted. The night never ended. And wouldn’t as long as he remained a blood slave to Theron.

Brett stepped a few paces ahead. While in the throes of passion, Rowan could easily see life differently. But how would he feel in a few hours, when his need for the high was as strong as the vampire’s?

The club was quiet. Floors were mopped and polished, the bar restocked and the booths wiped down. The lights shown brightly. Without the mood, music and men, the mystery wasn’t here.

Brett paused near the doors. “I checked my coat.”

Rowan nodded, hopped up on the counter and went into the coat-check room. A few jackets hung on hangers. He guessed at the expensive trench, slipped it from the hanger, went back to the window and over the ledge.

“Thanks.” Brett took the coat and shrugged his arms into the sleeves. He adjusted the collar and then paused.

Their eyes locked.

Breath froze in Rowan’s lungs. His heart thundered and his hands trembled.

“Why does this feel like goodbye?”

Rowan shook his head. “It’s not going be.” He stepped forward and kissed him. Theron slept in his chamber. The Zenith had faded. His thoughts were his own and all of them revolved around this man. “May I call you later?”

Brett nodded. “I won’t be able to talk long.”

Long enough to hear his voice was all he needed.

The door opened and wind whipped into the building.

Then he was gone.

Rowan forced his hands into the front pockets of his pants, turned and headed toward the bar.

“How’d it go last night?”

Falcon, one of the regular bartenders and sometimes bouncer, laughed. “I was about to ask you the same question.” He ducked below the counter. Bottles clanked together. He made checkmarks on a clipboard. “Considering the time, I’d say you’re in much better spirits than Tac.”

He didn’t want to ask but curiosity was killing him. “What about Tac?”

“Once you disappeared upstairs with your friend…”

Brett. His name is Brett and he feels like more than a friend this morning.
Only he couldn’t tell Falcon that. Names weren’t shared. “Sorry, I missed that.” He hadn’t been listening but rather reliving last night in brief, totally erotic flashes.

Falcon popped up from behind the counter. “I said, Tac was insatiable. Not even the Pit took the sting out of his bite.” He cocked a brow. “And I’m not talking the kind of bite you enjoy. Whatever pissed him off, he took out on his subs. Not that you’d hear them complain. I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when he finally retired to his chamber.”

Those words didn’t bring any comfort. What would happen if he simply refused to go below tonight and rouse Theron from his slumber? He cringed at the thought. He’d learned enough through the years not to cross the ancient vampire. Last night, Theron had been clear. Rowan had pushed far enough. But he hadn’t. Somehow he would find a way to satisfy both his and Theron’s lust for blood but not sex. “I’m heading home.”

“Catch ya later.” Falcon went back below the counter. “And could you please tame the beast before he comes to the club tonight?”

No, he didn’t think he could. Maybe his priorities were fucked up because he didn’t want to lie to the man he’d known a day but wanted distance from the one he’d served for seven years.

Chapter Five

Rowan’s heart thundered like a herd of mavericks. Wild and untamed. His palms sweated and his cock stirred. Emotionally torn and feeling physically ill. He’d tossed and turned for a few hours but his unsettling dreams had twisted his gut into knots. Finally he’d given up the effort. Now he sat on the sofa in his small one-bedroom apartment, staring out the front-room window.

He didn’t have much, didn’t need much. Growing up, being tossed from one family to the next, he’d never had much. He had relied on himself, made his own way, until Theron had plucked him off the street. Rowan wasn’t a fool. He might have been young but he’d experienced enough to know what he was doing when he climbed into Theron’s vehicle then into his bed.

Taking the glass of water from the table, he took a sip, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. His eyes burned and pressure seized his chest. He couldn’t do this. Couldn’t give up Theron for Brett. Not totally. He had to feed. He swallowed hard. Tears welled in his eyes. When was the last time he’d felt anything strong enough to make him cry? God, he couldn’t remember. Over the years, he’d become a cold-hearted bastard. The only pleasure came from feeding Theron—until last night. Fuck him, maybe he was selfish. He wanted them both.

He stood and paced to the kitchen. Damn, the sun was already starting to set. He didn’t have time to plan. Theron expected Rowan in his bed. Tonight he wouldn’t accept a clothed slave. If he fed him, he’d have to fuck him.

Shit!

One thing he’d never been was a liar. He’d given his word to Brett. No sex with anyone else. Somehow he knew that applied to
Tac
especially. He hadn’t hidden their involvement. But he’d said that, as of last night, their involvement would no longer be sexual.