Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Despite the rocky start, dinner wasn't a total disaster. The tension eased, and Sebastian was able to enjoy the undivided attention of a man he'd never expected to think twice about him.

Of course, Sebastian had schemed to get James's attention. He hadn't hired James as an electrician because his business was in Moonlight Falls. It wasn't on a whim that he'd written to Gray Electrical, mysteriously asking for assistance from a childhood acquaintance. Sebastian's actions during James's first visits to the house had been calculated, tailored to intrigue James as much as possible. He'd needed James hooked so that when things got complicated, he wouldn't abandon Sebastian to rot in the godforsaken manor like some helpless victim in a gothic novel.

Still, Sebastian had never imagined his seduction would go this well.

It was fully dark by the time he got up to throw away their compostable takeout containers. Luckily, James had helped him eat the jalape?o poppers and tots. Otherwise, he'd have made himself sick trying to finish everything. Though, he supposed he could have put any leftovers in the refrigerator at James's house. He was too used to being unable to save certain foods, always cooking and eating precise servings to reduce waste.

Sebastian walked back to the picnic table where James was waiting. "You know what, a movie sounds good."

He was about to step into the light when something flashed in front of him. He turned as a shade swooped down. "Go away." He shooed it with an outstretched arm, the gesture less than effective without the billowing sleeves of his purple robe.

The shade hissed and lunged at him. It latched onto the exposed skin on his wrist with its sharp teeth, clamping down hard. Sebastian gave a shout of pain and surprise as he tried to shake the beast off.

James jumped up from the table. "Get into the light."

Sebastian staggered to the side. Blood ran down his wrist onto his hand. The shade seemed larger than usual, it's body more solid and imposing. It emanated shadow, tendrils rolling off it and darkening the night around them. Sebastian stumbled into the light, but the shade was unaffected by the brightness.

More shades appeared in the sky. James swore as he tried to help Sebastian free his wrist. The beast had a vicelike grip that they couldn't pry open without risking more damage to Sebastian's arm.

The shades above them swooped around the light fixture. It looked like they were trying to attack it but couldn't get close enough, like it had been warded. Apparently deciding destruction wouldn't work, they arranged themselves in front of the light, blocking it out as more shades joined them.

"Why isn't the light affecting them?" Panic took hold of Sebastian as more of his blood spilled from the shade's jaws.

"I don't know." James stepped back and summoned sunlight, sending a flaring orb right into the face of the shade attacking Sebastian.

It had no effect. Sebastian had never seen a shade so immune to light .

"I need to go brighter." James grimaced, already straining with the effort.

"No!" Sebastian shouted. "You drained yourself less than twenty-four hours ago. Don't you dare."

Sebastian hadn't done any magic since freeing himself from the curse. Now seemed as good a time as any to test if his strength had returned. He said the words to summon fire. Sparks flared and flames erupted in the shade's face. It hissed, releasing Sebastian as the fire took hold.

The beast exploded into tendrils of black smoke. With nothing left to feed it, Sebastian's fire went out. The shades overhead paused, staring down.

"Come on." James put an arm around Sebastian and guided him around the back of the diner to his truck. Once they were in the cab, James inspected Sebastian's wrist. "I don't think you'll need stitches, but I'm no doctor. Let's go home and bandage you up. Then we can head to the hospital in Apple Valley."

Sebastian held his sleeve back, trying not to get blood all over James's leather jacket. "I don't think I need the hospital." He winced in pain. He was pretty cut up, but he refused to see the injury as anything dire.

James was already backing up. "We'll be home in two minutes."

The drive was as quick as promised. James turned into the driveway of a tidy two-story home on the south side of town. It was the perfect picture of domestic life, a simple garden of dormant rose bushes, a clipped lawn, and a small picket fence. James clicked open the garage door with a remote and pulled in. He was out of his seat and opening the passenger door before Sebastian could collect himself.

Sebastian didn't pay much attention to the home's interior as he was led upstairs. James pulled him into a bathroom attached to what was presumably his bedroom, directing Sebastian to the sink to wash himself off. The water stung like hell .

James helped him dry and wrap his wrist, putting pressure on it. Sebastian took off the leather jacket as carefully as he could.

"Some of these are still bleeding," James said, strain visible as his mouth formed a tight line.

"It's okay." Sebastian didn't want to cause undue stress. He knew James was afraid of anything bad happening to him. The bite wasn't serious, but that didn't mean James's reaction wouldn't spiral. "Why don't you try the spell you used in all our blood-magic rituals to stop the bleeding?"

"That's a good idea." James's face relaxed a fraction. He uncovered Sebastian's wrist and performed the spell, which clotted the wounds and prompted Sebastian's natural healing to start.

The cuts weren't going to close and disappear before their eyes. That kind of magical healing wasn't possible, but something was much better than nothing, and after a moment, the bleeding seemed to stop.

The spell working confirmed that the bite wasn't that bad. Simple magic like that wouldn't help a more severe injury.

James delved into his first-aid kit and pulled out some bandages. "I've never seen shades act like that."

"Me either." Sebastian wasn't going to deny how worrying the behavior was. "They were way stronger than usual."

James grunted in agreement, most of his attention fixed on covering the larger cuts on Sebastian's wrist. After wiping the remaining blood away, James wrapped the wounds with gauze. "We can still get a doctor to take a look."

Sebastian examined his bandage. "I think we're good after that spell."

James nodded reluctantly. "Okay, but fuck. You really didn't need this on top of everything else."

"It hasn't been my best night. But we still got free today." Sebastian refused to accept everything going wrong since leaving Storm House as a sign. It didn't mean anything.

He was overwhelmed by the events of the last day. The transfer spell, the explosion, being crushed by shades, James almost draining himself to death. Too much had been packed into those twenty-four hours, and after all of it, his future yawned in front of him, blank and uncertain like the biggest horror of all.

He had no idea what would happen next or what he wanted to happen. He didn't know if his anxiety in the diner would come back every time he was in a situation like that. He didn't want to think about any of it.

"Yeah, we're still free," James agreed, though he didn't look as happy about it as earlier. His posture was tense and worry lined his eyes.

Sebastian didn't like to see James stressed, but he was glad he'd suffered the bite, not James, especially after how much James had risked fighting against the horde of shades at Storm House.

"Come here." Sebastian pulled James close, knowing James was likely worrying as much as he was. They could be quite the pair.

James melted into Sebastian's arms, cradling Sebastian around the waist. They might be plagued with fears, but they could still comfort each other. The promises they'd made at Storm House weren't empty. Sebastian wanted to keep them and hoped James wouldn't change his mind about wanting him so he'd get the chance to try.

"James?" Sebastian whispered.

James pulled him tight, kissing his cheek like he understood what was behind the plea. "I've got you, Sebastian." James's voice was tinged with desperation, almost like he was reminding himself things were all right.

Sebastian needed the reminder too. He needed James's closeness while he could still have it. He tilted James's face upward and kissed him.

James groaned, the sound raw. It fueled Sebastian's need to connect with James and revel in the fact that this man liked him, wanted to protect him and build a future with him. Even if all that scared Sebastian and felt out of reach, he wanted to live in a world where it was all possible, even if that world only existed for as long as this kiss.

James pulled Sebastian into the bedroom and guided him to sit at the end of the bed. "Nothing else bad will happen to either of us. Not after beating this curse." It wasn't a promise James could make, but his adamant tone showed how much he cared about Sebastian. At least right now.

"No, I won't let it," Sebastian promised in return, determined not to let his problems cause James any more grief.

James stood between Sebastian's legs and leaned in to kiss him. Sebastian accepted needily. He didn't think he'd ever get over touching or being touched by James. After so long alone it was hard not to constantly wrap himself up in James. He needed affection more than ever, and he'd always been touch-starved. Only in these intimate moments did Sebastian let himself loose. He pulled James to him like he'd never let go and lost himself in feeling wanted and cared for by another person.

The two of them coming together was so much more than sex. Not that Sebastian would admit that aloud. He was terrified of James finding out how intense his reactions were. Having James's naked body pressed against his was about more than getting off. More than finally having sex after six years of isolation. More even than finally getting to kiss the person he'd crushed on for most of his life. Touching had become primal. Being skin on skin created a life force of its own, and Sebastian thought he'd die without it.

He yanked James's shirt up, needing to be closer.

"Careful." James touched Sebastian's wrist before taking his shirt the rest of the way off, followed by Sebastian's.

Sebastian had forgotten his injury. He was already hard, squirming where he sat. His hunger for James would never be satisfied. Maybe that was down to the isolation or the fact that Sebastian's sexual experience had been limited before his imprisonment, but sex with James was different from anything he'd had before.

Twenty had been too young to be cut off from the world. He'd only started coming into himself. His intimate experiences had been fumbling and exploring without a lot of thinking. That sex had been fun, but it should have been the beginning for him, not the sum of his experience.

This was so much more than fun. No one turned Sebastian on like James. He'd acted like seducing James was a game because part of him had needed to see it that way so the risk of rejection wouldn't stop him in his tracks. But they were past that now, and James couldn't seem to get enough of him either.

Sebastian pulled James onto the bed. "Please." He could never help begging.

James's reactions were worth it. Sometimes he got this look like he was in awe of Sebastian, like he thought Sebastian was special. He was doing it now, his fingers tangling in Sebastian's curls like he was afraid to let go.

They kissed like two people who'd just survived the most traumatic event of their lives. Not the most recent shade attack. That was just a momentary scare. The curse was the real terror.

Sebastian managed to keep his injured arm out of the way, but only just. He wasn't thinking about anything but touching the man in bed with him as much as possible.

"Please," Sebastian begged again. He needed James closer. Needed to be consumed by him but couldn't find the words to convey his exact desires.

James seemed to understand him anyway. He undressed them both and settled on top of Sebastian like he was meant to be there, only breaking their kiss when they were heaving for breath.

James pulled back and looked down at Sebastian as if he were about to devour him. It was exactly what Sebastian wanted. He ran a hand over James's lean muscles, his chest and defined pecs, his tight stomach, and down to his thick cock. James closed his eyes at the touch, rocking into Sebastian's fist, rubbing tantalizingly against Sebastian as he moved.

"James, I need you," Sebastian whispered. He needed to be held more than he needed air. He wanted James to crush him into the mattress and fuck him forever. He never wanted to be alone again, to always have James touching and kissing him, to not have a single moment apart. It was unhealthy and consuming, but Sebastian didn't care.

He knew he couldn't have James for the rest of his life, but it didn't stop him from wishing. "Please, James," he begged without a shred of shame.

"I've got you." James kissed down Sebastian's body with a fervor that said his need was just as consuming. His mouth was wicked, biting and sucking every bit of Sebastian he could reach.

Sebastian writhed, his breath heaving. His whole body tingled and sparked. He buried his hands in James's hair, not restricting his movements, just needing the extra connection.

James groaned when his mouth reached Sebastian's leaking cock. "Already so wet for me."

Sebastian's cheeks burned.

James licked the precum off Sebastian's stomach. Sebastian shivered and moaned as James sucked him down, but James didn't keep his mouth on Sebastian's cock for long. He hitched Sebastian's legs up, hands under his knees, elbows braced on the bed, practically bending Sebastian in half. James moved his mouth lower, licking and kissing Sebastian's balls before turning his attention to Sebastian's hole.

The way James ate him drove Sebastian out of his mind. It made him feel so cherished he feared he'd burst. It felt so good to be spoiled and lavished with pleasure. To be connected to someone so intimately and to have that someone be James.

James licked and kissed, giving Sebastian endless open-mouth caresses, pressing his tongue into Sebastian's entrance and moaning every time Sebastian pressed himself harder against James's mouth. James seemed determined to get Sebastian off by eating his ass and nothing else. He could have, but Sebastian didn't want to come before James was inside him.

"Fuck me," Sebastian gasped. "Now. I need you."

James released him, sitting up on his knees. "You're so hot when you're desperate."

Sebastian huffed, but it came out more like a moan.

"Don't worry, I won't make you wait." James smiled, running a hand down Sebastian's chest. He climbed off the bed and opened his bedside table drawer. He quickly rolled on a condom. Back on the bed, he lubed his fingers and began working Sebastian open. "There you go. Just what you need." His expression was hazy with lust but not without tenderness. It was a look Sebastian had never seen before.

Sebastian nodded in agreement. James was what he needed. His breaths came out in a steady pant, sweat lining his brow. " James ," he pleaded just as he thought he'd die of anticipation. James's fingers felt so good, but they weren't enough.

James was always eager to please. In bed, he acted like Sebastian lit his world and he'd do anything to keep him shining, like he'd do anything Sebastian asked of him. Having that power should have made Sebastian arrogant, but instead, it made him feel loved. Which was absurd in itself. There was no way James loved him. It only felt like it because Sebastian had never had a truly attentive sexual partner before. And James always knew just what to do to drive him wild.

James aligned his dick with Sebastian's needy hole and Sebastian spread his legs wide. They hadn't fucked in this position before, with Sebastian on his back. As James bore down, pushing in and filling Sebastian with that pleasurable burn and stretch, Sebastian didn't think anything had ever felt this good.

He wrapped his legs around James, pulling him in until James's dick sat fully inside him. James brushed Sebastian's hair back and kissed him, the gesture almost unbearably tender. Sebastian gripped the back of James's neck with his uninjured hand, holding him close, and moaned as James began to rock his hips at a slow, steady pace.

Sebastian had initially intended on demanding a hard fuck. James excelled at taking him apart with punishing thrusts and firm hands, but as James kissed him, his tongue in Sebastian's mouth, and rolled his hips in the most sensual rhythm, Sebastian realized hard wasn't what he needed.

James stroked Sebastian's hair as he worked his hips, looking down at Sebastian with so much emotion in his eyes. He pressed their foreheads together and let their breath mingle, their moans unmuffled.

Sebastian lost himself in James's tender touches. The slow build of pleasure opened his heart and laid him bare. It felt like they were making love. This wasn't fucking but a promise of more, a pledge from James to give Sebastian all his delicate feelings, all his secrets, his futures, his pleasure, and his joy.

It felt like a shift in their relationship, an acknowledgment that there could be something lasting between them. They weren't just two men trapped together burning off steam and giving in to sexual tension to get off.

Sebastian loved it. It was everything the clingy, lonely part of him needed. Sebastian held nothing back. How could he when James seemed to be pouring his heart out with every touch?

"I need you, James." Sebastian tightened a hand in James's hair.

"Oh, Sebastian, sweetheart, I need you too," James crooned in his ear.

Sebastian's heart skipped. He'd never been anyone's sweetheart before, and there was no one he wanted that with more than James. He tried to reply, but words failed him. He only managed a strangled moan .

James looked into Sebastian's eyes. Sebastian released another exposing sound, and James seemed to soak it up. He took Sebastian's straining cock in his hand and let out a deep, satisfied groan.

It only took a few strokes before Sebastian came all over James's fist. He held James tight as pleasure took him, forgetting his injury and feeling nothing but good things as he clung to everything James offered.

James moaned, his thrusts becoming more desperate as he chased his release. He came saying Sebastian's name, the sound so sweet and sexy Sebastian almost couldn't take it. He wanted to keep James forever. He needed more of this, wanted nothing between them, nothing hidden, not even their most embarrassing thoughts or desires.

Sebastian knew he was in trouble. He couldn't have that without telling James the truths that risked destroying all their newfound closeness. Really, Sebastian shouldn't have let James fuck him so sweetly with such a big secret hanging between them.

But James was the good one, not Sebastian.

He held James close, not ready to let him go or move on to what came next. James seemed happy to stay where he was, nuzzling Sebastian's neck. If only they could stay in bed forever, things would be perfect.