Marcus had tried to fire him, saying that they couldn’t work together if they were dating. He wanted to just give Ethan a generous allowance and access to his bank account if he needed anything else. It was a little tempting after living most of his life hand to mouth, but he didn’t want to be a “kept man.” He wanted to do something useful and earn his own way. And if he’d learned anything in the past month, it was that Marcus needed an assistant helping with all the various tasks of life, whether big or small.
For now, he’d managed to get Marcus to simply extend his contract indefinitely. He figured after they straightened out this political nonsense, he could find a more permanent job within Marcus’s companies. Maybe even finish his damn degree.
Yet even with those vague plans, Ethan couldn’t completely shake off Victoria’s words that no pet ever escaped their vampire. There was no life after Marcus.
Of course, he didn’t want to leave Marcus. He loved being with him, loved their talks and dinners together. He loved falling asleep as the sun rose in Marcus’s arms and making love to him.
But that damn skeptical voice kept taunting him. What if Marcus got bored? Eternity was a long time, and Ethan was getting older by the day. He wasn’t going to stay young and vibrant forever.
Shoving those dark thoughts aside, Ethan focused on getting the last of the truck unpacked, papers signed, and movers generously tipped. He’d just finished ordering pizza when he went to locate his lover.
The vampire had been moody since the last of his things were loaded on a truck. They’d stopped at Ethan’s old apartment to grab a few things he didn’t want to part with. The rest would be packed up by a service and donated to charity.
After Marcus snapped at the movers the moment they arrived at the house, Ethan sent him off to his room so he could handle the last of the move.
Marcus wasn’t in his new office, but he did locate him in the massive closet off the master bedroom. The thing was bigger than most bedrooms and even had its own sofa for lounging, as if Marcus or Ethan were in danger of wearing themselves out trying to choose a pair of shoes.
When he peeked inside, he found Marcus organizing his button-down shirts by color, which was kind of adorable and nerdy. But what had Ethan’s heart skipping a beat was seeing his clothes carefully hung up and organized on the shelves and racks opposite Marcus’s. He’d never shared a closet with anyone, and he could guess that Marcus was feeling the same eagerness, considering it was the first thing he’d unpacked out of the entire house.
“Have you mellowed?” Ethan asked from where he leaned against the doorframe.
Marcus smiled. He didn’t jump, proving that he’d heard Ethan approaching. “Yes. I’m calmer now. The movers gone?”
“Yep. Everything is here. I checked off every box. I’ve also ordered pizza, which should be here in about twenty minutes.”
“Good.” Marcus turned from his suits. His eyes darted over to Ethan’s clothes and then to Ethan. “I unpacked your things.”
“I noticed,” Ethan said, unable to keep from teasing his lover. He couldn’t help himself. He could feel the power in Marcus, see the way others reacted to him, and yet Marcus treated him like he was the one with all the power. It boggled his mind.
“I know you said that you wanted to share a bedroom, so I assumed it also meant sharing a closet.”
“It did.” Ethan walked into the room, he moved to his clothes and touched the frayed hem of a pair of jeans before crossing to Marcus’s tailor-made suits. He ran his fingers over the silky material of one tie before looking at Marcus. “I think our clothes look good together. Power suits meet lazy Sundays.”
“I love how you dress. Don’t change if you don’t want to.”
Ethan moved to the dresser in the center of the room and lifted himself up so that he was seated on the top. Marcus stepped between his legs and wrapped his arms around Ethan’s waist. This way, Ethan was only an inch or two shorter than Marcus, giving him much easier access to his lips. They kissed slowly, letting the fire build between them. The hands resting on his hips suddenly slid under his shirt, rubbing against his bare back. And then they were pulling the shirt over his head.
A low laugh turned into a gasp as Marcus started kissing down his chest. Marcus’s tongue swept across his nipple, followed by the hint of fang. Jesus fuck, he probably shouldn’t be as turned-on as he was by Marcus’s fangs, but he couldn’t deny the way his cock filled at just the touch.
“We shouldn’t,” he groaned. “The pizza. It’ll be here soon.”