and he brushed kisses over Lindsay’s mouth. “You don’t need any magic to make me feel good.” The
difference was night and day. Dane had been overwhelming and intense before, and that was still true, but
he was careful now, in control where he hadn’t been before. “You okay?”
Lindsay nuzzled Dane’s cheek. “I’m all right.”
“Good. Last thing I need is to hurt you.” Dane bit the curve of Lindsay’s neck, carefully this time.
“You didn’t.” Lindsay would be sore, and there would be marks on his chest and belly from Dane’s
bites, but Lindsay didn’t care. “You wouldn’t.”
“Never on purpose.” Dane pulled back to watch Lindsay’s face. His breath was coming rougher, and
his hair fell around them, making everything dim. “You’re so pretty like that.” Dane’s voice was a low
purr. He ducked his head and licked up the tender line of Lindsay’s throat, growling possessively. He bit
the softness under Lindsay’s jaw, growling again, pushing in hard.
Lindsay cried out, shivering, his hands clenching on Dane’s shoulders. “Please,” he whispered. There
was something so shockingly good about the possessiveness in Dane’s voice, in the way he growled and bit
and fucked Lindsay like that.
144
www.samhainpublishing.com
Tatterdemalion
Dane’s breath was hot against Lindsay’s ear as he gasped Lindsay’s name and came hard. Lindsay
whispered Dane’s name in answer, nuzzling Dane’s neck and cheek, licking and kissing the warm skin
there, basking in the heat of having been wanted so very much, but Dane wasn’t done with him yet.
He kissed Lindsay on the mouth, fiercely, as he pulled out. Then he did as he had done before, sliding
down Lindsay’s body to suck Lindsay’s cock into his mouth, pushing his fingers into Lindsay as he went.
There were no fangs in the way this time, either. His mouth was hot and hungry, his tongue exploring
Lindsay’s cock again.
“Dane?” Lindsay gasped. He scrambled to pull his magic back in, but there was none. There wasn’t
any illusion to strip away Dane’s self-control this time.
Dane pinned him to the bed with one big hand in the middle of Lindsay’s chest. It was like he
couldn’t get enough, sucking Lindsay off and fucking him with three fingers. Lindsay cried out, rocking
between Dane’s mouth and his fingers, his noises coming faster and more desperate with every passing
moment. He couldn’t hold on. Finally, his cries sharpened as he came, and Dane still didn’t stop. Dane took everything Lindsay had to give, swallowing him down and purring around his cock.
When Lindsay could think again, he wound his fingers in Dane’s hair and tugged lightly as he
whispered Dane’s name. Please let it be real, let it not be an accident with my magic again.
Dane lifted his head and let Lindsay’s cock slip out of his mouth. He pressed a kiss to Lindsay’s belly,
then met his gaze. Dane looked normal, but Lindsay wouldn’t have realized last time either, if he hadn’t
noticed that Dane wasn’t acting normally. He bit his lip. “Are you… I didn’t… It’s you, right? I didn’t mess up again?”
Dane slid his fingers out and crawled up over Lindsay’s body to kiss him on the mouth. “Me,” he
murmured, between tender, reassuring little kisses. “All me. Wanted to finish what I started earlier, because I could.”
Lindsay relaxed, wrapping himself around Dane as best he could and kissing him back sweetly.
“Good,” he whispered. “God, Dane, I don’t ever want to… I want it to be you.”
“I know.” Dane curled up with him and held him close, giving him the kisses he needed. “It was a
mistake, and I’m not hurt. You’ll learn.”
“I learn fast,” Lindsay promised. He was so glad Dane wasn’t angry at him. Dane had every right to
be, Lindsay knew, and he planned to do his best to deserve the forgiveness he’d received.
“I like that about you, remember?” Dane pushed Lindsay’s hair away from his face and gave him a
sharp, feral smile.
Lindsay smiled back, relieved and happy. Pleasing Dane—with anything—was such a good feeling.
“You ready to go to sleep yet?” Dane grabbed some of the blankets and shook them out to cover
Lindsay up.
“As long as you’re staying,” Lindsay murmured, rolling to curl up beside Dane.
www.samhainpublishing.com
145
Anah Crow and Dianne Fox
“I’m not leaving you yet,” Dane said quietly, tucking Lindsay in against him. He kissed Lindsay’s
hair and cradled Lindsay in his arms.
Not yet. Lindsay hated the way Dane said that, but he knew it was true. Once they were back at
Cyrus’s house, he’d have to get used to sleeping alone again. Being alone again. For now, though, he had
this, and he wanted to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.
Dane watched Lindsay sleep. The light of the moon was more than enough for him to see by; it
limned Lindsay’s delicate features with a thin line of silver. Lindsay would hardly recognize himself the way Dane saw him now. The moon’s pen traced the lines of Lindsay’s face that were growing stronger by
the day, bringing out the picture of the grown man he would be when his body recovered from years of
neglect and abuse.
The moon crept higher and Dane still wasn’t tired. Lindsay was a bit restless and Dane didn’t blame
him. It had been that kind of day. At least Lindsay smiled when he wriggled closer, no more frowning and
scowling. Dane kissed his temple and huffed softly in his hair. So sweet. The wind rattled around the
window and Lindsay murmured.
“It’s nothing,” Dane said to him in a low voice. Lindsay didn’t wake. Even sleeping, he believed Dane
and settled again.
Dane wanted it to be nothing. He closed his eyes and forced the world away. Lindsay’s breath
skimmed his chest like a little hand petting him to sleep.
The wind whined in the chimney and Dane heard delicate feathers of ash scattering across the
hearthstones. Damn it. He kissed Lindsay and then worked away slowly, tucking his pillow where he’d been and letting Lindsay snuggle it instead.
Sleeping, Lindsay pouted. Sad little bunny. “I won’t go far,” Dane promised. The wind rattled the
flue. “I will be right there,” he hissed through his teeth. He finished tucking Lindsay in securely and finally made his reluctant escape. The cold wasn’t going to bother him, but Cyrus would have something to say if
he were to hang around naked, so he pulled on his robe.
The windows were surprisingly well sealed, for all that the wind had been tugging at them. At the
north-facing window, Dane flicked the brass catches back and felt the weights in the frame dropping as the
pane rose slowly. When it was open enough for him to slither through, he slipped out to perch on the wide
ledge and pulled the pane back down until his fingers were nearly caught against the sill.
“I’m here,” he said grumpily, as though Cyrus didn’t know. He set his back to one side of the deep
well in which the window was set and his feet against the other, leaning against the glass while the wind
pulled at his hair and robe. It was snowing, but the flakes fell against something that was nothing Dane
could see, and none reached him.
“You weren’t sleeping,” said Cyrus. “So don’t be such a bear.”
146
www.samhainpublishing.com
Tatterdemalion
Dane sneezed as his own hair tickled his nose. Cyrus was feeling playful. “Am I to have no privacy,
still?”
“As much as you need.” The wind feathered through his hair. “You never needed much.”