In a Stranger's Eyes Read online

  Winding his way through the living area and down the long hallway, he stepped into his mate’s room without announcement. There was no rule that said he had to have a plan A and a plan B. Maybe he could combine the two. And if that failed, well, there was always the ass-kicking Lynk had mentioned.

  “Hello, Raith.”

  “Gods, do you ever give up? Just go away.”

  “We are going to talk. We can do this the hard way, or we can do this the easy way. The choice is up to you.”

  Damn, the man was gorgeous. Thick, black hair gleamed in the moonlight spilling through the windows, and the muscles of his naked torso rippled with each agitated movement as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I want you to leave. Is that an option?”

  October sighed as he shut and locked the door. “Then I guess we’re doing this the hard way.” Taking his time, he unbuttoned his pinstriped shirt, pulled it off, and folded it carefully before placing it on Raith’s dresser. “Come here, Raith.”

  “No.”

  “It was not a request.” October lowered his voice, letting the authority seep into his tone. “Come here.”

  Though he appeared skeptical, Raith uncrossed his arms and stepped forward until he was within a foot of October.

  “Closer.”

  Raith grunted but did as he was instructed, stepping closer until only centimeters separated their chests.

  “Closer,” October whispered.

  With a slight tremble of his shoulders and an almost-silent moan, Raith closed the remaining distance, pressing their half-naked bodies together. “Happy?”

  “Not yet.” The man felt so good against him, and the scent pouring off of him was making October’s mouth water. “You’re not going to hide from me anymore, Raith Braddock. I promise you that I am strong enough and more than capable of handling your burdens.” His arm encircled Raith’s waist in a light hold. “Don’t run from me.”

  “As you can see, I’m not running. Just tell me what you want to say and leave.”

  “I’m not leaving, so you can stop.” His other hand smoothed up Raith’s back until his fingers tangled in the soft locks of the witch’s hair. “Let me help you.”

  “I don’t need help, and even if I did, I doubt you could be the one to give it to me.”

  Oh, his mate was a prideful idiot and as muleheaded as they came. With supernatural speed and strength, October spun around, taking Raith with him and pinning himto the door. “We can do this all night, Raith. Stop being such an ass.”

  “Why did you come back?”

  “I came back because you need me. I can only say that I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner.”

  “I don’t need anyone.”

  “Then why are you holding on to me so tightly?” Raith’s hands were gripping his sides in a hold that October was sure would leave bruises the next day. He didn’t care. He’d cherish every one of the marks. “Stop fighting me. I swear I won’t let you fall.”

  There was a split second where he thought the man would argue again. When he didn’t, however, October took advantage of the hesitation, pulling Raith’s head down until their lips met in a light, chaste touch. “I won’t let you fall.” He repeated the vow in a soft, mumbled whisper against the supple skin ofhis mate’s neck.

  With a quiet breath, Raith wrapped his arms around October’s back in a crushing embrace and attacked his mouth with a kiss that was hot enough to scorch the desert sands.

  Chapter Two

  How was he supposed to remain steadfast and aloof when the man was waving the very thing he wanted right in his face? In the matter of a couple of minutes, October had managed to push every single one of Raith’s buttons until he’d completely snapped.

  There’d been no reason for the vampire to remove his shirt, other than to test Raith’s self-control. Commanding him, using that voice just laden with power, had been a singularly underhanded trick. He didn’t want to be someone’s keeper or champion. He wanted a strong, independent, capable partner, and October Tuesday was all those things rolled into one tight, tempting package.

  Then the guy had gone a step further, outlining Raith’s insecurities and susceptibilities, dragging them to the forefront so he could no longer hide behind them.As if that wasn’t enough, October had then dropped the authoritarian demeanor to adopt a softer, gentler tone. It was the true concern in his words and the sincere caring in his eyes that had finally won the battle.

  Raith Benjamin Braddock was no one’s submissive, though. If October wanted him, he’d accept him on his terms. He didn’t take orders. He didn’t bow down to anyone. He damn sure wasn’t going to let the vampire lead him around like a puppy on a string.

  October was certainly fit, but his narrow shoulders and lean muscles gave him a more streamline build like a swimmer. Standing six-foot-four and built like a linebacker, Raith had a good four inches and at least forty pounds on his mate. He was bigger, stronger, and more suited to the alpha role—even if October was older and politically more powerful.

  Grabbing him by the shoulders, October pinned Raith to the wall and panted for breath. “Easy, now.”

  Well, there went his theory about being stronger than the man. “You should go.”

  “Cut the shit, Raith. That chant is getting old. I’m not going anywhere, so you might as well stop acting like an ass and talk to me.”

  He didn’t want to talk, though. He wanted to throw his mate down on the bed and fuck him six ways from Sunday until neither of them could walk for a week. He tried to dislodge the vampire’s hold on him, but it was no use. Like velvetlined steel, October’s muscles flexed and bulged as he held Raith immobile against the wall.

  How fucked up was it that the raw display of dominance was making his dick hard to the point that he ached?

  “So, what’s it going to be, Raith?”

  “We can talk,” he relented. “Just let me go.” Please let me go before I do something stupid. Being so close to all that nude, fragrant skin was making him want things that he had no business thinking about.

  “How do I know you won’t run again if I let you go?”

  “I won’t run.” Being a surly bastard clearly wouldn’t dissuade the man. He’d have to take a different approach. “We can talk. I just don’t like you much.”

  “Liar.”

  Raith shrugged, adding a little tilt of his head for effect. “Believe what you want. I know everyone trips all over themselves to make you happy, but I’m not that guy. You’re arrogant and pushy, and to be frank, I was just trying to let you off easy. I figured if I ignored you long enough, you’d get the hint and go away.”

  Please let me go. Give me five minutes to get my shit together.

  “Liar,” October repeated. “You can’t fake a kiss like that.”

  “I’m horny. It’s been a while, and you’re okay to look at.”

  His Infinity simply chuckled as he skimmed his nose up the side of Raith’s neck. “Nice try, draga. You’re going to have to do better than that, though.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  Releasing Raith’s shoulders, October took a step back and folded his arms over his sinewy chest.“Okay then. If that’s how you truly feel, I’ll go. But…”

  “But?” Raith didn’t know how he felt about the statement. On one hand, he wanted October as far away as possible. On the other hand, he couldn’t believe the man would give up on him so easily. Damn, he was a mess.

  “I want you to look me in the eyes. I don’t mean look through me, but look right into my eyes, and tell me that’s what you want. If you can do that, I’ll leave and never come back. I won’t bother you again. You have my word.”

  Then he closed the distance between them again, pressing their chests together and cradling Raith’s face in both hands so that he had no choice but to look into those emerald green eyes. “What’s it going to be, Raith? Do you really want me to go?”

  A war raged inside him, an epic battle of selfishness and selflessness. To say yes
would be a lie, but it would keep October safe. If he answered truthfully, however, he wasn’t sure that he could ever forgive himself. Who the hell wanted to share a soul as black and cold as his?

  “I’m waiting. You know whatyou want to say, so just spit it out.”

  “I can’t think,” he mumbled before he even realized the intent to speak. His head was spinning, his heart thundered loudly against his ribs, and breathing was becoming much more difficult than it should be.

  “I don’t want you to think,” October replied with a wickedly sinful grin. “Tell the truth, Raith. That’s always the easiest and requires no internal debate.” His lips brushed fluttering kisses along the curve of Raith’s jaw and over his cheek, ending at the corner of his mouth. “What do you want?”

  His cock ached like a bitch, struggling to break free from his zipper, and he had to curl his fingers against his palms to stop himself from grabbing the vampire pressed against him. Any decision worth making was never easy, but his current predicament was far more complicated than anything else he’d ever faced.

  The darkness would eat away at him, poison and consume him, until there was nothing left but the shallow existence of the man he used to be. He hoped when that day came, someone would be kind enough to put him out of his misery, because he’d already be dead on the inside. To ask October to share that fate with him was deplorable, no matter how much the thought of letting him go ripped at his heart.

  For once in his miserable life, he’d do the right thing. “October?”

  “Yes, draga?”

  Gods, he really wished the guy wouldn’t use that sweet endearment that made his legs weak and his resolve crack. No. He was stronger than that. He could do this. It was just one simple word, spoken with conviction. That was all it would take to protect his mate.

  “Your heart is beating so loudly,” October whispered, settling his ear against Raith’s chest as his hands slid around him in a light, almost tender embrace.“You’re shaking.”

  Was he? He hadn’t realized it. Well, it made sense. He was fighting a war inside himself after all. There was bound to be a little turbulence. “October, look at me.”

  Lifting his head, the vampire looked up into his eyes. His expression was completely neutral, giving absolutely nothing away. The man probably made a killing at poker. Opening his mouth to tell October to leave, Raith hesitated when he caught a small glimmer in his mate’s eyes. It passed quickly, but it had definitely been there, that same shadow of longing that Raith felt each time they were together.

  When his hands settled on either side of October’s neck, he felt the same rapid pulse that echoed his own. The smooth column of his throat constricted only slightly, and his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed, giving Raith another little sign that the man was far more anxious for his answer than he was letting on.

  “We can figure this out together,” October finally said, though his face remained impassive. “I’m not afraid, and you shouldn’t be either. If you want to walk away, I won’t stop you, but don’t make my decisions for me.”

  “And what is your decision?”

  “I choose you,” he answered simply.

  All the reasons this was a bad idea faded away, leaving only his desire for the man in his arms. That little glimpse of vulnerability had finally shattered the last of his resolve, crumbling his defenses around him. “Damn you.”

  Jerking October into a deep, searching kiss, he walked them backward toward the bed, keeping one arm securely around his partner while his other hand fumbled with the clasp on October’s slacks.

  In a lightningfast move he couldn’t combat, October spun him on his heels, dropping him to the mattress before landing on top of him. “What are you doing?”

  “I thought it would be obvious.” His nimble fingers went to work on Raith’s jeans, popping the button open and sliding the zipper down with ease. “Should I stop?” He parted the material and reached into the denim to grip Raith’s throbbing cock.

  “I don’t…I can’t…”

  “You do and you can,” October answered huskily. “The question is will you?” His lips slid down the exposed skin below Raith’s navel and nipped the flesh on his hip. “You didn’t answer me, Raith. Do you want me to stop?”

  His jeans were jerked down his legs and off his ankles, leaving him completely nude. His heavy erection throbbed painfully, leaking translucent beads of moisture from the tip. Did he want to stop? A gorgeous man had Raith’s dick in his hand, ready and willing to do all kinds of naughty things to him.

  Rustling in the nightstand drew his attention, and the air caught in his throat as he watched October extract a bottle of lube from the drawer. Intellectually, he knew what the slippery gel was meant for, but no one—ever—had been allowed access to that particular part of his anatomy. Top, Dominant, Alpha, or whatever label people wanted to slap on it, that was him.

  His body vibrated with nervous energy, and a fine sheen of perspiration slicked his skin. His mouth was dry as a desert, his lips felt numb, and his virgin entrance clenched tight at the prospect of showing that level of vulnerability. With all of that, however, he couldn’t form a single protest.

  “Easy,” October cooed to him, climbing up his body once more to kiss along the side of Raith’s neck. “Relax, my draga. If it’s too soon, that’s okay. We don’t have to go any farther than this.” His fist pumped Raith’s cock in slow, measured strokes, while his lips and tonguetraveled along the curve of his jaw. “Tell me what you want, Raith.”

  It was easier said than done because Raith didn’t know what the hell he wanted. Fear was an entirely foreign concept to him until recently, and he had no clue how to handle the new emotion.

  Using his strength and agility to flip their positions, October pulled Raith down on top of him and attacked his mouth while he rocked up against him. “Is this more comfortable for you?”

  “I’ve never,” he began, suddenly feeling the need to explain himself. He didn’t get far, though, before his mate cut him off with another scorching kiss.

  “I know, Raith. It’s okay.” He grinned devilishly, showing off his perfectly straight and gleaming white teeth. “We’ll work up to it. I enjoy both, so we’ll go at your pace.” The smile slid from his lips, and his expression took on a lost, almosthaunted look. “I’ll go as slow as you need, but I’m not going to just disappear. You need to wrap your head around that.”

  A thousand-year-old vampire, and leader of his own substantial coven, was on his back, submitting to him simply because he knew that was what Raith needed. October understood that he needed to feel like he was in control, even if they both knew it wasn’t true. Since the fiasco with the skank witch, Raith hadn’t felt like he was in much control of anything.

  Though his dick throbbed unmercifully, he wouldn’t take advantage of the situation. He wouldn’t have October submit to him just to soothe his abused psyche. It would be under mutual agreement, or it wouldn’t happen at all. Raith might be messed up emotionally, but he wasn’t a cad.

  Placing a hand on October’s chest to stop him from following, he rose off of his mate and grabbed his jeans from the floor. “I can’t do this.”

  Instead of arguing or berating him, October levered himself up on his elbows and cocked his head to the side. “What exactly is it that you can’t do?”

  “This. Us. All of it.” He waved one hand around while the other held his pants halfway up one thigh. “Look, all bullshit aside, I’m not just going to mount you like a dog in heat because I can’t deal with myown baggage.”

  To his shock and annoyance, October laughed at him. “Is that what all this is about?” Pushing up from the mattress, he crossed over to Raith and tugged on the leg of his jeans until they slid back to the floor. Then he reached up with both hands to cradle Raith’s face and smiled. “I wasn’t lying just to placate you. Yes, I enjoy a tight ass wrapped around my cock.”

  His deliberately crude words sent a jolt of electricity straight to Raith’
s groin, and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from moaning. How did the man know just how to play him after so short a time?

  “I have a great number of responsibilities as a coven leader,” October continued. “It’s very taxing and stressful at times. The mark of my strength isn’t in my ability to overpower or dominate, though. It’s in my capability to submit if the situation calls for it. Everything is about compromise, Raith. I know they say it’s better to give than to receive, but I very much relish in receiving.”

  The last comment was said with a wink as he pulled Raith to him for a lingering kiss. Part of Raith really wished the guy would quit doing that. It was so hard to think coherently with his mate’s lips on him. A bigger and louder part of him said to shut the hell up and just enjoy it.

  “Do you think less of me for it?”

  “No,” Raith answered immediately. His unwillingness to surrender in a power struggle had nothing to do with feelings of inferiority. To submit to October wouldn’t make him feel like less of a man. For Raith, it was about the vulnerability and trust that was an integral part of the act.

  “If this is what we both want, what’s the problem?”

  Well, when said like that, Raith didn’t have a good answer. Or maybe it was because most of the blood in his body was pulsing through his cock at the moment. Either way, it was clear that October wasn’t going to give up and just walk away.

  Maybe he could make it work. There was no rule saying that he had to claim his mate and bind them just to be with him. They could take it one day at a time. Raith would be extra vigilant, and at the first sign of selfimplosion, well, he’d figure that out when the time came.

  Giving a playful shove to October’s chest, he sent the man falling back to the mattress before diving on top of him. “The problem, Mr. Tuesday, is that you have on entirely too many clothes.”

  Chapter Three

  What little clothing that remained was torn and shredded, tossed unceremoniously about the room. Hands pawed, groped, fondled, tugged, and kneaded in a proprietary way with little concern for gentleness. Their mouths met, tongues twined, and groans mingled in harmony while they moved to the center of the bed in a tangle of limbs.