Kane’s hands clenched into fists, he squirmed within Everet’s hold on him.
“I’ve got you.”
Kane frowned. He shook his head. “I don’t need—”
“Whether you need it or not,” Everet cut in, his voice just slightly breathless. “That’s the way things are. You’re mine. I’ve got you.” He tightened his hold on Kane’s wrists in proof. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt Kane now.
Kane looked away and squirmed again.
This time, Everet didn’t make Kane wait. Bracing his feet against the bed, he pulled away, then thrust deep into the other man.
The groans of their pleasure hit the air at exactly the same time. Kane was so tight around him, and it was so soon after his flight, and he’d wanted Kane for so long. Everet scrabbled for control of his own body as he pushed into Kane over and over again.
Determination to make Kane happy flooded through Everet’s veins just as quickly as his own need to come. Every inch of his skin tingled with increased sensitivity, but the frantic signals sent up from his cock overpowered everything else.
Its way slicked with a generous coating of lube, his shaft was encased within the heat of Kane’s body. Combined with the tight muscles, it seemed to caress his erection on each stroke.
If he hadn’t been so determined to make Kane come first, Everet would have been able to reach his orgasm a dozen times or more. But, no, that wasn’t an option.
Kane had to come first—in all meanings of the term. If Everet had ever doubted that before, every single part of his mind and body declared it to be true in that moment.
Please, please, please.
Kane didn’t say a word, but that didn’t mean he stopped repeating the plea over and over inside his head. He needed to come so badly, he could barely think.
When he’d lived with the humans, he’d only ever wanted to beg because he knew the guy screwing him would probably give him a better tip if he put on a good show. This time, the words were inside Kane’s head. He didn’t plead for anyone’s ears but his own.
Squirming on the mattress, Kane tried to meet Everet’s thrusts and tighten his muscles around him, but that wasn’t for Everet’s pleasure either. Kane was incapable of thinking of anyone other than himself.
Forget manipulation. Forget payment. Kane wanted to come. That realization scared him more than any kind of kink could have. Pain was one thing, power something else.
If Kane couldn’t focus on the other man now, then he wouldn’t be able to make Everet do whatever he wanted later. He’d have no way to ensure Everet treated him right after they zipped up.
Kane whimpered. Thoughts, even those he’d been able to manage until that point, slipped away into darkness and oblivion. Everet thrust into him again, pushing against his prostate, sending sparks of bright, shiny bliss shooting through Kane.
Kane couldn’t reach for his own cock to jack himself off, but the tip of his erection rubbed against Everet’s stomach every time the other man thrust forward. Suddenly, that was enough.
Jerking within Everet’s hold on him, Kane came. His cum spilled across his stomach and smeared between their bodies on Everet’s next thrust.
The raven’s grip on Kane’s wrists tightened.
Gasping out Everet’s name, the only thing Kane could do was fly high on whatever air currents his pleasure offered to him and hope it didn’t drop him some place he didn’t want to be.
Everet let out a yell. The sound was muted and seemed to come from very far away, but Kane still knew what it meant. Everet had come, too.
All was right with the world. Kane had been good enough. The other man would be pleased with him.
Slowly, the ecstasy drained away, leaving them both panting for breath on the mattress. As the first minute passed, Kane sensed Everet begin to recover. The raven rearranged them in the bed so they lay facing each other. His hands remained around Kane’s wrists as he brought them together to rest on the small amount of empty mattress between them.
Kane tried to breathe more evenly, but his heart rate showed no sign of slowing. Panic bubbled inside him. He closed his eyes very tightly as he fought against it.
“I’ve got you,” Everet said again.
I don’t need to know that. I can look after myself.
Kane pressed his lips firmly together. If he said those words right then, he had the terrible suspicion that they would sound like a lie.
Everet tightened his grip on Kane’s wrists.
Kane didn’t want that to make him feel better, but it did. So did the gentle kiss Everet placed against his lips.
“Open your eyes.”
Against all his instincts, Kane obeyed. He glared at Everet, determined not to let any honest emotion show.
Everet smiled and relaxed comfortably with his head on one of the pillows. That was it. He just lay there, pleased as punch and twice as intoxicating.
At least he seemed to have forgotten all about the stuff he’d found in the back of the drawer. That was good. Kane closed his eyes and pretended to rest just as easily as Everet seemed to, until the raven eventually released his wrists and sat up.
Wriggling toward the opposite side of the bed, Kane immediately headed for the door.
“No.”
Kane found himself stopping short as the order hit the air. There was no reason for him to do that. Everet couldn’t physically stop him from the other side of the room, yet the door remained a yard away, and Kane didn’t take another step.
Everet got up and walked past Kane. He opened the door and stepped out into the living room. Before Kane realized what the other man intended to do, Everet had picked up all the pretty little things Kane had acquired, placed them in a drawer, and locked it.
“Get dressed, come out here, and we’ll deal with this.”
“Deal with it how?” Kane said, suspiciously.
“Get dressed,” Everet repeated. He stepped into the bedroom, but only for long enough to grab a clean set of clothes from his wardrobe, then he was back in the living room.
Kane looked from the raven to the rumpled bed. It was as if nothing that had happened there existed in Everet’s mind. That was… that was just wrong.
“I told you before that nothing we do together will affect the standard of behavior I expect you to achieve in the nest at large,” Everet said, pulling a black long-sleeve T-shirt over his head.
He’d actually meant it…?
Kane cursed the raven in a dozen different ways, but he didn’t open his mouth to share his opinions.
“Get dressed, Kane,” Everet said once more.
Pulling his clothes on gave Kane time to think, unfortunately it didn’t give him any clue how to handle the other man. All too soon, he sat on the sofa facing Everet, still without any firm idea of how he could get out of this without having to accept some sort of punishment.
“Do you remember the rules I’ve given you?” Everet asked.
Kane studied him warily. “Don’t leave the apartment without your permission. Don’t try to use sex to manipulate you.”
“That’s good,” Everet said.
It was like watching a volcano, waiting for it to explode. Every muscle in Kane’s body tensed as he waited for the raven’s anger to be unleashed. Unfortunately, it was only then that he realized being perched on the edge of a rocky outcrop looking down into the bubbling magma wasn’t the safest place from which to observe proceedings. If Everet flipped out, there’d be no way for him to get out of the apartment.
“I’m adding a new rule,” Everet went on, still outwardly calm.
“Okay,” Kane said, since some sort of contribution seemed expected of him at that point.
“You’re not to take anything that doesn’t belong to you. There are things I’ve given you since you came to the nest, they’re yours. No one will take them from you. And, if you come to me and tell me you need something, I’ll listen. But I want your word that you won’t take anything from anyone else without both my and his permission.”
Kane stared at Everet, wondering if the raven had completely lost the plot.
“It’s wrong to take something that doesn’t belong to you,” Everet continued, his expression as serious as ever. “Just like it would be wrong for someone to take something that belonged to you. Can you understand that?”
“I’m not a child,” Kane snapped.
“I didn’t say you are,” Everet said, still as mild as ever. He hadn’t moved anything but his lips the whole time he spoke. His eyes hadn’t left Kane’s face. It was freaky.
Kane shifted his position on the sofa, pushing his hand through his hair and wiping his fingers across his lips.
“Can you give me your word you’ll remember that rule and follow it from now on?” Everet asked.
Saying no obviously wouldn’t get Kane anywhere. That only left one answer he could give. “Yes.”
“If you break your word, you’ll be punished. Understand?”
“Yeah.” Kane shifted in his seat again. “Are we done now?”
Everet leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. “With this part, yes.”
Kane frowned, all his misgivings roused once more. He straightened the edge of his T-shirt, as if that would help. “This part?”
“We need to return the things you took.”
Kane shook his head and crossed his arms. There was no way in hell he’d do anything of the sort. “They’re mine now.”
“Things become yours if someone gives them to you of their own free will, or if you buy them, not if you just take them.” Everet walked across to the locked drawer and took out the little bundle of items Kane had acquired.
Kane rushed across to stand next to him. Everet moved the stash out of his range before he could grab a single thing.
“We’ll see Raynard first.” Everet glanced at his watch. “He should be with Ori and Hamilton in the elders meeting room.”
“I don’t want to go.”
Everet glanced over his shoulder. Whatever he saw on Kane’s face, it made him turn around and look at him properly. “Nothing bad will happen to you, Kane. You won’t be punished.”
Kane still didn’t make any attempt to follow Everet when he set off toward the front door of the apartment.
“This isn’t optional,” Everet said.
“They’ll be mad,” Kane pointed out as fear peaked inside him, invading all those parts of his mind where pleasure had reigned a few minutes earlier and claiming them for its own. Not far behind that came anger. If Everet hadn’t decided to be stupid and try to make him go and admit to picking up the things, no one would be angry with him and there would be no need for him to be afraid.
“Yes,” Everet agreed. “They’ll be mad, but I’ll be there with you.”
“And you can protect me?” Kane demanded, moving back toward the far side of the room.
“Yes.” He said it with such confidence, holding Kane’s gaze without a flicker of hesitation. “Have I ever given you any reason to think I’d lie to you?”
“You promise I’m not going to be punished?” Kane asked, doubtfully.
“I promise.”
Either Everet really believed every word he uttered, or he was the best liar on the planet, better even than Kane could claim to be himself.
With a heartfelt sigh, Kane gave in. He followed the other man through the corridors and hallways, but he saw no reason why he should act as if he was happy about it.