A soft whimper edged up his throat and Ethan’s body trembled, unable to decide if it wanted to press backward into the hand on his ass or thrust himself into the one against his front.
“Food later. We need to go now,” Ethan said breathlessly.
Marcus released him and grabbed his bag off the bed before taking his hand. They briskly strolled out of the apartment and to the elevator. The apartment was only a ten-minute walk to Marcus’s town house and only a fraction of that by car, but Ethan swore it took twice as long. His mind was already conjuring up the most wonderful images that included that damn collar and Marcus’s magnificent cock. Fuck, if he was lucky, he’d barely be able to walk the next day.
In Marcus’s home, they went straight to the master bedroom, but when Ethan tried to press against the sexy vampire, he held him away from his tense frame.
“I want you to shower. When you’re done, I want you to come out wearing only the collar.”
Ethan sucked in a harsh breath and nodded. He grabbed his bag from Marcus and dug through it until he came up with the box from Rafe. He flashed Marcus a smile and darted for the bathroom. He wanted to make it the world’s quickest shower, but he forced himself to slow down so that he could do a thorough job. He tried to get his brain to sink into what he thought of as a pet’s headspace. A pet would want to make its master happy. If his master wanted him to shower, then Ethan would come out squeaky clean and smelling of Marcus’s personal soap.
Some of this seemed to run so very counter to his own thinking, but he could see how turned-on Marcus was. This was just a little bit of role-playing. Some fun. He could have some fun with Marcus, and he trusted Marcus to always take care of him.
Several minutes later he stepped out of the bathroom. His skin had a slightly rosy glow from the heat and scrubbing. The collar sparkled around his neck, and the little gold pendant was cold against his sternum. There was no hiding his excitement. His cock was already hard, the damp head rubbing against his stomach. Nerves made him a little hesitant to step into the bedroom, but Marcus’s hungry gaze wiped away his reticence.
Marcus had stripped off everything but his briefs and was sitting on the edge of the bed, but he got to his feet at the sight of Ethan.
Ethan closed the distance between them, and Marcus looked like he was about to pounce on him at any second. His hard body was tensed, muscles bunched under pale skin. That wonderful cock was tenting his briefs as if it were desperate to reach Ethan.
“You look beautiful,” Marcus breathed. His voice was so rough Ethan could barely understand him. “Several lifetimes aren’t enough time to spend worshiping your body.”
“I’m your pet. Do you want me on my knees licking your cock?” Ethan teased.
Marcus brushed his thumb across Ethan’s lower lip before shoving it inside. “If you need something in your mouth, then you must make do with this until you earn my cock.”
A low moan pushed out of Ethan as he focused on working his tongue around Marcus’s thumb, sucking it just like he would his leaking dick.
“Good boy,” Marcus purred. After a moment, Marcus pulled his thumb out, spreading that dampness across his lips. “Listen to me, Ethan. This is all play tonight. You are not my pet. You are my equal. My lover. My everything. Do you understand?” Marcus’s voice shook with sincerity as he stared into Ethan’s eyes.
Ethan blinked against the first prick of tears. “I understand.”
“If there is anything you’re not comfortable with, you must tell me. I promise I will stop. I will always do whatever you need me to.”
“I trust you. I love you. Love you so much, Marcus.” Ethan leaned in the last few inches and kissed Marcus. But Marcus allowed only a couple of desperate, hungry kisses before he pulled away.
“Would you like to earn your master’s love?”
A tiny thrill ran through Ethan. The game was on, and he loved this playful side of Marcus. “Yes. Very much.”
“Get on your knees in the middle of the bed. Lean back and put your hands on the mattress to support yourself.”
Ethan scrambled to follow his instructions. He hadn’t realized it at the time, but it stretched his body out, thrusting his cock in front of him. Marcus hummed his pleasure as he slowly drew off his briefs and climbed onto the bed with Ethan.
“So perfect.” He fingered the collar for a moment. “These gems are beautiful, but they aren’t worth a tenth of you. Just pretty baubles trying to match your perfection, and failing.” His hand slid down Ethan’s chest, lingering for a moment to pluck at his nipples before grazing over his stomach and carefully missing his cock altogether before running over one of his thighs.