Authors: Carol Lynne
Liquid crimson (2 page)
Walking into his adjoining bathroom, Michael studied himself in the mirror. His pale blond curls looked a bit wild after his long trip. Michael went to one of his bags and retrieved the strip of leather he used for times such as this. He tied his hair back at the nape, before surveying himself once again. “It’ll have to do,” he said to his reflection.
Michael quickly changed his shirt before opening the bedroom door and stepping out into the hall. He made his way down the grand wood and iron staircase. “Hello?” he called, wandering towards the main part of the house.
Joseph appeared with a bow. “May I help you find something, sir?”
“Uh, yeah, I was hoping to meet Neo? Is he around?”
Joseph grinned and gestured towards a closed door. “He’s in the study. Knock before you enter.”
“Thanks.” Michael took a deep breath and knocked on the ornately carved mahogany door.
“Come in,” a deep voice commanded.
Michael slowly opened the door and stepped inside. The room appeared empty until he spotted the large wingback chair in front of the window. A head of shiny black hair could be seen over the back. “Sir?”
“Do you like wine, Michael?” Neo asked.
Michael had no idea
Neo’s
voice would be so low. Spiro’s voice was as soft as a dove’s breast. “Um, yes, sir, I do,” he answered, rubbing the goose bumps on his arm. If
Neo’s
voice had the power to excite him, what would a touch do to him?
An olive-toned hand gestured to another chair. “Join me.”
Swallowing around the lump in his throat, Michael moved to the chair. The first thing he noticed was the view outside the window. Rows and rows of grapevines were accented by landscaping lights. The result was mesmerising. “It’s breathtaking.”
“Yes, it is.”
Something in
Neo’s
voice caught Michael’s attention. He looked at the man for the first time. Neo stared right at him with eyes so dark they appeared to be made of onyx. The artist in Michael yearned to reach out and trace
Neo’s
perfect facial features. Had he ever seen a man more worthy of a statue carved in marble?
“My father told me you’ve been making wine for many years,” Michael said, scrabbling around for a safe topic of conversation.
“Five hundred and ninety-seven to be precise,” Neo chuckled. “There should be an extra wine glass on the shelf over the desk. Please bring it to me.”
Michael did as asked, handing the glass to Neo. When the large man’s fingers brushed his, Michael gasped and pulled his hand back. “What was that?”
Neo said nothing for several moments as he poured the wine. When he held it out, Michael hesitated.
“I won’t bite,” Neo said. “What you felt is your body’s reaction to mine, nothing more.”
Michael took his wine, making sure to not touch
Neo’s
fingers and sat in the offered chair. How could Neo call what he felt nothing? It had been everything, even if just for a second. He took a gulp of the dark liquid, shaken. “I’ve never felt anything like that.”
Neo looked at Michael, one black brow rising as the corners of his mouth lifted. “That’s because you’ve never met me before.”
Michael almost choked on his wine. He couldn’t tell if Neo was joking or not. Did everyone have the same reaction to
Neo’s
touch? For some reason, the idea didn’t sit well with Michael. He glanced back and caught Neo staring at him, into him. Would he ever be able to read Neo? When Neo turned his head to once again look out the window, Michael tried to think of something else to say. “It’s my birthday.”
Neo’s
gaze swung back to Michael. “Yes, Spiro told me. It’s the reason I invited you in for a glass of wine.”
Sitting back in his chair, Michael tried to concentrate on the drink in his hand. Either Neo didn’t like him or he wasn’t much of a conversationalist. Michael decided he’d be better off just keeping his mouth shut.
When his glass was empty, he stood. “Thank you for the wine.”
“You’re quite welcome. I hope you’ll come to appreciate the extraordinary wines we produce at Le
Uve
del
Regno
.”
“Yes, sir, I’m sure I will. I’ll, uh, take the glass to the kitchen on my way to bed.” Michael started towards the door when Neo stopped him.
“Please call me Neo. So few do.”
“Okay, Neo. Thanks again.”
“My bedroom adjoins yours. Because I sleep during the day, if you desire my company, you’ll need to get accustomed to my hours.”
Michael stood in the centre of the room, wondering what the hell that was supposed to mean. Was Neo asking him to stay up through the night and sleep during the day, or was he offering Michael a place in his bed?
Though it probably should have frightened him, the thought of sleeping with the gorgeous man sent shivers down Michael’s spine that travelled around his hip and straight to his groin.
“Goodnight, Michael,” Neo said, taking the decision out of Michael’s hands.
“Goodnight, Neo. Thank you for letting me stay.”
“You should thank my brother, not me.”
Michael left the study more confused than ever. One thing was clear. If he wanted to lighten
Neo’s
spirit, he’d first have to figure the man out.
Chapter Two
Before dawn broke, Neo held a meeting with the top members of his security staff. Gunnar, the alpha of the pack of werewolves was his first in command.
For the first time, Neo realised how handsome the man was, and not just Gunnar, but all the men. He’d specifically interviewed and chosen each one based on their loyalty, strength, and sexual orientation. He suddenly wasn’t sure that he wanted anyone in the room to look after Michael while he slept. “First of all, let me make it perfectly clear. Under no circumstances are you to touch Michael in any way, unless it’s in the process of protecting him.”
Haig, one of the wolves snickered. Neo spun around, but before he could reprimand the guard, Gunnar had already done it for him with a backhand across the face. Haig knew better than to challenge his alpha and immediately dropped his gaze to the floor, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket to hold over his bleeding nose.
Neo looked at the blood totally unfazed. The reason he’d chosen to surround himself with were creatures was simple. Theirs was not the blood he craved. Hating the part of himself that drove him to drink blood in order to survive, Neo prided himself on never biting to feed. He had a well-paid staff of donors who came in weekly to donate.
Joseph served
Neo’s
daily meal in a wine glass. It was one thing to have to drink the blood of others, quite another to feel like a savage while doing it. Returning his attention to Gunnar, Neo leant forward. “I’d like you to show Michael the winery if he asks. No one else.”
Gunnar’s head tipped to the side. “Don’t you trust your own men?”
Neo rubbed his chin, pulling to mind a vision of Michael. A more perfect specimen of manhood he’d never seen. When his soon-to-be mate had entered the study earlier, it was all he could do to stay seated. He couldn’t even retrieve a wine glass for Michael without showing his very obvious arousal. Michael’s pale blue eyes reminded Neo of the sky on a summer day. His golden mane of curls begged to be fingered, and
Neo’s
hands had itched to do just that. But it was Michael’s body that called to him most of all. Muscular was not a word he’d use to describe Michael. The young man looked almost…frail. Although Neo was sure Michael was healthy, he wondered if a strong wind might blow the man away.
“I don’t trust anyone to be around Michael and not want him, even myself,” Neo added, when he realised Gunnar was still staring at him.
“That hot, huh?” Gunnar teased as they often did with each other.
Without thought, Neo reached over and grabbed the werewolf by the neck. “He is mine.”
Gunnar’s hands shot out in a gesture of surrender. “Sorry. I was just kidding,” Gunnar wheezed, his airway restricted by
Neo’s
hand.
Neo released his friend and sat back. “You can kid all you want, but not about Michael.”
Neo looked around the room at the wolves and cats. Each species had guards and workers amongst them. The
werecats
could easily take on any one of the wolves if they so chose, and probably win, but they had long ago pledged their allegiance to Neo and Gunnar.
“For the time being I’ll station
Sema
outside Michael’s door at night. I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to try and get past him.” Neo smiled thinking of his six-hundred and eighty pound black Siberian tiger. For him,
Sema
was more of a house pet, but he knew the cat made an intimidating guardian.
“How long will your guest be with us?” Gunnar asked.
“Indefinitely.” Neo hated keeping secrets from Gunnar, but one slip of the tongue could do serious damage. The gods took their gifts seriously and if word got out he’d been presented with a mate created specifically for him, Michael would never be safe.
The sun was creeping above the horizon, when Neo excused himself. He called
Sema
away from Michael’s door and entered his own suite of rooms. After undressing, he opened the door between the two bedrooms and gazed at Michael.
Sometime during the night Michael had kicked his covers off. He crept into the room, wanting, no, needing a closer look at his mate. He stepped to the side of the large bed and perused Michael’s nude body.
Gods but he’s magnificent.
The sun-bronzed colour of Michael’s skin stood out in stark contrast to the blond, almost white curls.
Neo felt his body responding to the perfect being sprawled on the bed. He longed to reach out and stroke the soft skin of Michael’s flaccid cock presently lying against the sun-kissed thigh.
Without thought, Neo reached down and wrapped his fingers around his own hardened cock. As much as he wanted to crawl over the top of the much smaller body, Neo knew he could not. The blood that pumped through Michael’s veins called to him like no other ever had. Spiro’s words came back to haunt him. Neo shook his head. He couldn’t risk both of their lives for a fuck, no matter how incredible he knew that fuck would be.
Michael’s eyes opened and the sexy little sprite smiled. “Like what you see?”
Neo stepped back and released the hold on his cock. “Excuse me.” He turned to leave, but Michael jumped out of bed and caught up to him before he reached the door.
“Don’t go,” Michael begged. He ran his hands down
Neo’s
back. “It’s been so long since anyone’s looked at me like that.”
Neo didn’t dare turn around. The smell of Michael’s blood was intoxicating. “Just because I want you, doesn’t mean I’ll take you,” he explained.
Michael’s hand snaked around
Neo’s
hip to encircle his cock. “I bet I could persuade you.”
Grinding his teeth together, Neo reached down and removed Michael’s grip. The younger man’s assessment of
Neo’s
control was accurate. There was no doubt Michael could easily persuade Neo with a few more sensual touches, but it was up to Neo to keep Michael at bay, for both of their sakes. “You don’t know what you’re doing. Unless you want to find yourself at the other end of my fangs, I’d suggest you stay away from me.”
Without waiting for a reply, Neo strode into his room and shut the door, sliding the bolt into place. By the time he made it to his bed, his body had begun to shake with unfulfilled need. Slipping under the covers, Neo rolled to his stomach and ground his erection against the black silk sheets, a picture of Michael in his mind.
“What have you done to me?” he cried to the gods as he continued to hump the mattress. The silk sliding against his cock felt as soft as he imagined Michael’s body to be.
The physical stress his body endured as he picked up speed, alerted
Sema
that something was wrong with his master. Large paws landed beside
Neo’s
torso as a loud growl sounded,
Sema
biting at the air. Without breaking stride, Neo reached back and thumped
Sema
on the nose. “Lay down,” he commanded, though his voice was nothing more than a series of pants.
“Michael,” he cried as he
spasmed
, spilling white pearls onto the black sheets.
Neo collapsed to the side of his cum spotted sheet, and closed his eyes. Hadn’t he been through enough torture in his life? Perhaps he would have to seek his release with
Rafi
, the
weretiger
alpha, until he could trust himself to touch Michael.
* * * *
With his ear pressed to the wall, Michael grinned as he heard Neo call out his name. He’d had no doubt his soon-to-be lover would pleasure himself after the teasing Michael had given him. He should probably be ashamed of his wanton behaviour, but when he’d opened his eyes to see the gorgeous man standing over him with his cock in hand, he couldn’t resist.
An unseen hand tugged at Michael’s ear until he was forced to turn away from the wall. Spiro shook his head. “That is not the way to my brother’s heart.”
Michael shrugged. “He shouldn’t have come in here flashing that magnificent…”