Aiden snorted. “I’m sure you’ll manage.”
To Ronan’s utter shock, a positively filthy smile spread across the very staid Marcus’s mouth. “Yes. I have a few ideas,” he murmured and strolled out of the library.
“So?” Aiden said, drawing Ronan’s gaze to his face.
Ronan shrugged. “It could have gone worse. But I say that we go to bed before the fates decide to throw worse at us.”
Aiden’s shoulders slumped and he flashed Ronan a weary smile. “That sounds perfect to me.”
And Ronan had some excellent ideas about how to make Aiden forget about the rest of the world for a few hours.
Chapter Fourteen
Ronan leaned against the closed door as he watched Aiden cross the bedroom. His lover’s shoulders looked too straight, too tense, despite the fact that they were hidden away in Aiden’s private rooms—the one place he should have been able to relax.
But then he wasn’t surprised Aiden couldn’t truly let go of his worries. The man loved to ruminate on a problem, pick it apart in his brain until he had it shredded and screaming its secrets at him.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Aiden turned suddenly to face Ronan, his brow lined with worry. “Ronan? Something wrong?”
“Only that you’re still thinking about Heller and the Ministry,” Ronan replied.
Aiden sighed heavily. “I can’t just turn that off. They’re threatening you, my family, all the vampires in the Americas with their archaic rule. We need to work out their next steps.”
“You forgot to list yourself among those the Ministry would like to control or kill.”
“Yes, yes,” Aiden said, absently waving off his words.
Ronan swallowed a groan of frustration. There was no point in arguing. Aiden was always a protector first. It was written into the very essence of who he was, and a thousand years couldn’t change it. The man refused to worry about his own neck. That was fine. Ronan would do it for him.
Shoving away from the doors, Ronan cross the room and circled his sweet man to stand behind him. He ran his hands up his back and curled them over tense shoulders, massaging away the tightness. Aiden groaned loudly, relaxing some under his touch. This…Aiden needed this.
“Ronan,” Aiden whispered.
“I’ve got you, darling. I want you to put yourself into my hands tonight. Let me take care of you.” Ronan slid his hands down Aiden’s back and around his waist. Ronan pressed a kiss to the side of his neck and grinned at the shiver that went through his lover. He loved Aiden’s responsiveness, loved how he seemed to soak in Ronan’s every touch. While one hand moved up his chest to pinch a nipple, his other dropped to the front of his trousers, lightly skimming over the hard bulge he found. Aiden gasped and thrust into his hand. “Do you want that? Would you like me to take care of you?”
“Yes, please. Yes,” Aiden panted.
“And if I tell you to get on your knees and make love to my cock with that beautiful mouth of yours?”
A low moan rattled up Aiden’s throat. Ronan could feel him get harder against his hand. “Yes.”
“And if tell you that I want to fuck your perfect ass?”
“Yes. It’s yours. Anything you want. Just don’t ever stop.” The last words came out choked, and Ronan wrapped his arms around Aiden, holding him tight, making him feel completely trapped.
“Never. You’ll never stop feeling me with you.” Ronan closed his eyes, his face buried in Aiden’s neck for a moment as he struggled to get a tight rein on his own emotions. Everything still felt so raw with Aiden, as if they were existing on the very edge of all things. It would likely be a while before they both stopped fearing that it would all fall apart at any second.
When he was feeling more in control, Ronan loosened his arms enough to pull Aiden’s thin sweater and undershirt up over his head. He moved around to stand in front of him and unfastened his pants, taking time to slowly caress his lover through the material before shoving both the slacks and underwear down his legs. Ronan put a little space between them as Aiden stepped out of his clothes, giving Ronan a chance to admire the golden beauty in front of him. A dusting of brown hair covered Aiden’s pale chest, leading to a flat stomach and powerful legs. A nice thick cock he’d felt for himself jutted upward as if trying to reach for him, and he smiled. He planned to spend countless hours becoming well acquainted with that member, memorizing every inch of it and the sounds he could conjure from Aiden’s throat.
But he had different plans tonight. He wanted Aiden to forget for a little while. To think only about them.
Lifting his gaze to Aiden’s hungry amber eyes, he smiled. “Now undress me.”