"One, I'm not ungrateful. Two, I'm exhausted."I glared back at him. "But because of you, no one will touch me, and I'mused to certain, uh, extracurricular activities, not to mention cuddles atnight. Apparently, the lack is keeping me from sleeping."
"You need to be held to sleep?" He stared atme, incredulously. "That's a lot of touching."
"Hey, mate, you're the one that keeps runningphantom hands up and down my back, or playing with my hair." I'd noticedthat, too.
He opened his mouth to protest, then snapped it shut. "Incubiare bad influences."
"Yeah, is it actually his fault?"
"Of course, it is," Ezra protested a bit tooinsistently.
"Umhm." Shit, what was I doing? Trying toprovoke him? "If you would let Sabian hold me, I'd probably pass rightout."
"No. I will not be...held...by a subordinate, nomatter the situation." Ezra shuddered.
"I could call Mal."
The demon prince glared at me.
"Sorry the hellhound isn't quite doing it for me.He's cute and all, but it's not the same."
Suddenly I was back in my body. "You're going togive me whiplash if you keep that up," I grumbled.
Shut up, and go to sleep. A heavy, warm weight settled around me, as if someoneI couldn't see had wrapped themselves around me. Ezra's phantom arm slid aroundmy stomach, his legs tangled with mine, and his chest pressed against my back.I swore his breath tickled my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
You're not sleeping.
"I mean, it takes a minute. Sorry. Follies ofmortal bodies and all."
Price, your heartrate is even higher than it wasbefore. You're supposed to relax.
"I, uh, sorry." Shit, now I was reallyawake. He felt awfully good pressed against me. That coupled with the memory ofhis lips on mine was sending me on a mental spiral into places I shouldn't begoing.
The demon prince sighed. If you tell anyone I didthis... He trailed off and before I could ask what he meant, Ezra slid thearm that was under me up until his hand gently gripped my throat. His otherhand trailed down lower until it slid under my clothing, leaving traces of firealong my skin.
"Sabian will know," I blurted out, heartreally racing now.
He needs to feed, too, and he will not say anything ifhe knows what is good for him. Thatlast bit was likely directed at Sabian.
"But..." I gave one last weak protest, notquite getting the words out.
Your men will understand. Besides, this is all in yourhead.
"Really?"
Mmhmm. He kissedmy neck, then bit me gently. I quivered, breath coming fast.
My protests fled as he rolled me from my side to myback until I was cradled against him, legs spread, giving his fingers access. Hebit me again, harder, and I arched back into him, gasping. His fingers closedaround my throat, enough to get my attention, but not enough to hurt.
I whimpered, as he stroked at my clit, then dipped afinger inside me, before going back to work on the sensitive nub. I shudderedagainst him, trembling as he worked me. Some part of me held onto the idea thatthis was all in my mind, but I could feel it so exquisitely, every press of hislips or nip of his teeth on my neck, the squeeze of his hand on my throat, hisfingers as they dipped inside of me again, pumping, stroking, rubbing, until mybody shattered, and I rocked against him as he fucked me with his fingersthrough my orgasm.
Once I could think again, I was almost surprised tofind myself still cradled in his arms.
I took a breath, and then another, before I finallyfound my voice. "Do you, uh, need anything?"
Ezra chuckled, the sound vibrating through me. Price,I'm inside you, your pleasure is my pleasure. Thank you for your concern,however.
"Yeah, sure." Whatever else he'd done, thecombination of endorphins and the heavy, warm weight of him curled around mewas doing the trick. Even if it was all just in my head. My eyelids drooped,and I tried not to think about what he'd said, or my brain might really break.
Good night, Chris Price.
"'Night, Ezra."
That he had used my first name for the first time occurredto me right before I passed over the point of oblivion, but it didn't keep mefrom passing out into the deepest, most dreamless sleep I'd had in ages.
∞ ∞∞
I could barely meet Sabian's eyes the next morning andburied my face in the cupboard while I looked for something to eat. Mal hadbeen in charge of food enough that I didn't actually know what I had in thecupboard and I wondered if he had actually been shopping because there was morefresh produce than I normally kept in my kitchen. Maybe Aaron? He was basicallyliving here, too, for the moment. I kind of wanted to touch him just to see ifI got the same electric shock the others did.
If you like touching electric fences, go ahead, Ezra grumbled.
I ignored him, grabbed some bread to make toast,turned around, and almost ran into Sabian.
"I feel like I haven't seen you in forever, andit's been like, a few hours," I admitted and threw my arms around him.
Ezra snarled and I shoved him down. I swear I heardhim yelp in surprise, but for the moment I had a time alone with Sabian.
He clutched me tightly and I drank in his familiarwarmth.
"You know," he said, "Prince Ezra isright. It's a convenient way for me to feed, and no one is going to be upset withyou for any of that."
I relaxed into him.
"I'm positive, Chris," he answered myunasked question. "Okay, before he gets upset and freaks out on me later."Sabian released me. "Seriously, do what you need to do. Living with me,well, believe it or not, I try to keep most of it reined in, but my nature isgoing to leak out, and it is going to affect you." He grinned. "Usually,this is a good thing."
I sighed, already missing his warmth, but I didn'tprotest when Ezra surfaced from wherever I'd shoved him.
"Mal's on his way over, by the way," Sabiansaid. "We figured you'd probably need to go over to the
