He wasn’t sure how he’d gotten so lucky as to find someone so sexy and intelligent to fool around with, but he was sure he was going to make the most of the time they had together. She was certainly a welcome distraction, what with everything that was going on. It was unfortunate that she would be leaving just after the next full moon, so he’d end up having to lie to her about his whereabouts on that night, but otherwise it was going to be a fun-filled four weeks.
Their kiss continued, growing increasingly frantic with lips, teeth and tongues clashing, hands wandering and brief pauses for air. By now Matthew’s cock was so hard it ached, and he wished more than anything that they were already back at Sally’s cottage so he could bury it deep inside her willing pussy. She was so damn hot, so damn responsive, she drove him crazy.
“Oi, you two! Get a room. Woo-hoo!” The voice came from close behind Matthew, startling him, and he let go of Sally so rapidly she almost fell over. Spinning around to face the owner of the voice, he growled.
“Get lost, kid!” Too late he recognized the teenage boy as the son of one of the villagers who knew what he really was. His friends were behind him. The three boys looked absolutely petrified, and the one who had originally spoken stuttered a response.
“S-s-sorry, mate. I d-didn’t realize it was you. Sorry!” He turned tail and ran, his mates close behind him.
Making a supreme effort to get rid of the aggression that had flooded his body when his instincts had kicked in, Matthew waited until his muscles had relaxed, pasted a smile onto his face and faced Sally. “Hey,” he said gently, “are you all right? I didn’t mean to let go of you like that. Stupid kid made me jump, that’s all.”
Narrowing her eyes, Sally replied, “Yeah, I’m fine, thanks. He made me jump too. Looks as if he regretted it. I thought he was going to shit himself when you turned around and he realized who you were. Why’s he so scared of you?”
Matthew’s heart skipped a beat then sank a little. Damn, he was being forced to lie to her already. He’d known her for less than twenty-four hours. Shrugging, he said, “I dunno really. Perhaps because I’m a lot bigger than him? And I did spin ’round pretty fast—my reflexes are shit-hot. Probably made him jump just as much as he made us jump. Little bugger.” He laughed, but it sounded hollow even to his ears. “Come on,” he said quickly, reaching for Sally’s hand. “Let’s go get that room he was talking about and continue where we left off. Hopefully without interruptions.”
He had no idea whether Sally had believed his excuse or not, but she allowed him to take her hand, linking her fingers with his, and they started walking again.
“Do you, uh, have another condom?” she asked, breaking the silence. “Hmm…probably more than one, actually.”
“I don’t, not on me. As you saw, though, Isaac’s still at the pub with Richard, so I can easily pop home and grab some. How many do you suggest?” He grinned wickedly at her, glad that the tension seemed to have disappeared, and sexy fun was definitely back on the table.
Mirroring his smile, she said, “Oh I dunno. All of them?”
He released her hand, only to slip his arm around her shoulders and pull her tight to him, pressing a kiss to her hair. “You, missus, are a minx. Fine, I’ll bring all of the ones I’ve got. But you know, they’re kinda getting close to being out of date, so we’ll have to make sure we use them all.”
Gasping, Sally poked him in the side. “Now who’s being a minx? Or whatever the male equivalent is. Having said that, I quite like your idea.” She looked up at him through her lashes and his erection suddenly sprang back to life.
“Christ, woman, you’ll be the death of me,” he said, rearranging himself before his jeans cut off vital blood supply.
“Well…” She giggled. “What a way to go!”
They quickened their pace through the village, slowing only when they reached Matthew’s house. “Come inside a second,” he said, opening the door. “I’d invite you in properly but I don’t know how long he’s going to be out. And let’s be honest, if we’re planning to get through a shit-ton of condoms, it’s probably better to do it in an otherwise empty house, right?”
Nodding, Sally followed him in, waiting in the hallway as he hurried up to his bedroom to grab the box of protection. When he returned, the box in his pocket, she was peering into the living room.
“Want me to show you around?” he said, noting her curiosity.
“Another time,” she said, shifting her focus back to him. “We’ve got four weeks, right? Right now, I’d rather get you home and get you naked.”
“My sentiments exactly.”
They left the house and continued up the road to Sally’s cottage, where she let them in, locking the door behind them.
“Can I get you a—”
Her words were cut off as he pulled her into his arms and melded his lips to hers. An overwhelming need for her had overcome him, spurring him on to kiss her even as she tried to ask him a question.
“Later,” he said, parting from her briefly, “later.”
They kissed for several more long, hot seconds, until Matthew broke their embrace, reached down and slapped Sally’s arse. “Upstairs with you, woman! Time’s a-wastin’.”
“All right, all right, Mr. Impatient.” Her words said one thing but her tone, and the way she scurried up the stairs, implied that she was just as eager as he was to get to the bedroom. Indeed, as he followed her into the room, closing the door behind them, she tugged the curtains shut then stalked back over to him and put her hands on his chest.
“Get ’em off then, gorgeous.” Stretching up on tiptoes, she kissed him briefly, then trailed her lips down his chin and neck as she undid his belt and button.
Pushing her gently away, he tugged his top over his head, feeling gratified when she moaned. Reaching out, he undid the tiny buttons on her blouse—it took a great deal of willpower not to rip it open—and shoved it off her shoulders, then reached around to get rid of her bra too.
Now they were both topless, and their gazes met for a second before they broke away to drink in the sight of each other.
“You are so fucking beautiful,” he said, toeing off his shoes, then reaching down to pull off his socks. “So incredibly beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she said, eyes glinting and lips parting temptingly. “You’re pretty damn sexy yourself.” With that, she removed the rest of her clothes, spurring him on to do the same.
“Don’t forget the condoms,” she said, turning and heading for the bed. “You’re going to need one very, very soon.”
Fishing the box in question from his pocket, he followed her, dropping the protection onto the bedside cabinet before clambering onto the mattress. Cupping her jaw, he kissed her again, hoping he conveyed with that simple gesture just how much he wanted her. “That’s what you think, sweetheart. Earlier was a bit of a rush. But right now, neither of us have anywhere to be except here, so I intend to take my time. To explore every millimeter of your sexy body with my fingers and tongue. I want to stroke you, pinch you, rub you, lick you, bite you…”
“Ooh,” Sally replied, tangling a hand in his hair and tugging it, sending sparks of pain dancing across his scalp, the resultant arousal pooling in his groin. “I think I just came already.”
“Wow, I really am good, aren’t I? I’m just getting started. Hold on, gorgeous. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Isaac was maneuvering his car out of a space at the nearest supermarket when he spotted a familiar face. In the row opposite and a little farther up, Nathaniel opened the hood of his vehicle and stared into it, looking exasperated.
Driving toward his fellow villager, Isaac slowed and buzzed his window down. “Hey, Nathan, you got car trouble?” He knew it was a silly question, but he didn’t see the point in offering to help, as his knowledge of cars was next to nonexistent. Filling up with petrol and topping up the oil and radiator fluid was
about as far as it went for him. Anything else he left to a professional.
The other man’s head snapped around and the glare on his face disappeared when he realized it was Isaac. Stepping over to the open window, Nathaniel leaned on the jamb and sighed. “Yeah, I’m afraid so. Damn thing won’t start. I’ve tried and tried, but it’s just chugging but not biting. Reckon it could be the spark plugs.”
“Damn. I wish I could offer some useful advice, but my job is fixing people, not cars.” He smiled, hoping to lighten Nathaniel’s mood. Even frustrated, the man was damn gorgeous, his green eyes glinting and his cheeks rosy with irritation.
Returning his smile, Nathaniel turned back to the exposed engine, stared at it for a second, then pulled his mobile phone out of his pocket. “I have no idea what I’m doing either. I’m gonna have to call for a tow—I don’t have breakdown cover.”
“Hey, no,” Isaac said hurriedly. “Don’t do that. It’ll cost a bomb. I’m a little embarrassed to say I’m a bit of a Boy Scout and I have towing rope in the boot of my car. I can pull you back to the village and you can sort it out from home, maybe get a mobile mechanic out or something. It’ll be slow going, probably, but we’ll get you home before your frozen stuff thaws out.”
Nathaniel sagged with relief. “Wow, really? You’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about, Boy Scout. You’ve saved my bacon. Literally.”
They laughed and Isaac popped the trunk and got out of the car. “Use some of that bacon to make me a sandwich sometime and we can call it quits.”
“You’re on.”
Isaac retrieved the tow rope from the trunk of his car, and between them they secured the cars together and maneuvered them into position, ready to leave the parking lot.
Hopping out of his vehicle and crossing to Nathaniel’s open window, Isaac said, “Okay, it’s all ready.” Pausing, he continued, “You know what, I thought I was prepared, but jump leads would have been even better than a rope in this situation, wouldn’t they? Damn. My Boy Scout badge will be revoked at this rate.”
With a chuckle, Nathaniel replied, “You’ll get no complaints from me. Either is fine. And I’m ready when you are.”
“Cool. See you at yours.”
Isaac clambered back into his car, started it up and put his hand out of the window in a thumbs-up. When Nathaniel returned the gesture, he pressed his foot to the accelerator and started the slow journey home on the damp roads.
Once they were out on the main road, minus all the parked cars to worry about, he relaxed a little. Inevitably his mind wandered to the man trundling along a few feet behind him. He’d hardly seen Nathaniel since their interrupted kiss, and that wasn’t entirely an accident. The guilt and confusion had eaten at him, and instead of facing it head-on like a mature adult, he’d shoved his head into the sand. Other than work, he’d kept himself to himself, avoided the local shops and the pub and done his best not to linger on what had happened between them—and what would have happened if Matthew hadn’t banged on the door.
His brother hadn’t been around much either, as he’d been spending a lot of his spare time with Sally, who, it appeared, was sticking around for a while longer. Isaac wasn’t entirely happy about the development but figured it wasn’t worth another argument. He needed to pick his battles, and his brother’s fling wasn’t one of them. The bastard who was trying to ruin their lives definitely was.
Sighing, he drummed his hands on the wheel. His head had been way better off in the sand, because now it had been pulled out into the open, it was whirling. Thoughts of Nathaniel, their kiss, what could have happened, what it would have been like, how wrong, how impossible it all was… It was a wonder he didn’t crash the car.
For possibly the bazillionth time in his long years, Isaac cursed what he was. Yes, it had its perks, like the good health, strength, slow aging, long life. But its downsides, in his opinion, far outweighed them. The secrecy, the lack of a love life. Granted he and his brother were lucky in that many people around them did know, so it wasn’t as if they had to be careful in every single conversation they had, every move they made, to ensure they didn’t slip up, but still…a love life had grown to be something he missed more and more as the years went on.
It seemed silly, he knew, to miss something he’d never had, but over four hundred years without ever knowing romantic love sucked. To watch people in the village meet, get together, fall in love, marry, have children and live happy lives together was tough. And he’d seen it over and over again with different couples, different generations.
Now his mind wandered to his brother. They’d never really discussed their feelings on the matter. It had been a case of them both knowing relationships were impossible, and that was the end of it. Until recently, with events stirring up many things, including their emotions. But how did Matthew really feel about it? His flings and fuck-buddies would satisfy his physical needs, for sure, but it wasn’t the same, Isaac suspected, as just spending time with someone, having fun and seeing where it went. He seemed happy enough with Sally at the moment, despite knowing she wasn’t going to be around for much longer.
There had been the thing with Mrs. Smithers, of course, all those years ago. Not that Isaac really knew what had happened. Back then it had been almost unheard of for people to sleep together out of wedlock, and as marriage had never been an option…had it just been a case of unfulfilled love? It hadn’t been unrequited, Isaac knew that much for sure. Mrs. Smithers—or Miss Hart as she’d been then—had been just as smitten with Matthew as he was her. Literally the only thing that had prevented them from courting and marrying had been Matthew’s nature—the one thing he couldn’t change. She’d eventually married someone else at her parents’ insistence, and Matthew had appeared to give his blessing, but Isaac couldn’t shake the feeling that there was still a bond between them, something stronger than being longtime friends and neighbors. Perhaps if his brother could turn back time, he’d do things differently.
Isaac let out a growl. Christ, if it was possible for werewolves to exist, why couldn’t other types of mythical creatures exist, and magic? God, if he could wave a wand and cast a spell that could make his brother happy, that could make him happy, he would do it without a second thought, and definitely in spite of the consequences. Four hundred years was a bloody long time to be without love, and it seemed to get harder with every passing year. Thumping the steering wheel, he wished he could get all of this crap out of his head. It was depressing, overwhelming and almost irrelevant compared to the other stuff going on, but it was impossible to get it out of his head.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so hopeless, helpless. Some nutcase was trying to fuck him and his brother over, and he couldn’t distract himself with a relationship, or even just casual sex. Everything looked so damn bleak, with no quick solution. A weaker person would have fallen into total despair by now, drowning their sorrows with booze or going out and getting laid.
Normally Isaac was the kind of guy who could see the good in people and situations, but even his ever-optimistic nature was taking a battering. He continued to wallow in his gloomy thoughts all the way back to Eyam, only pulling himself out of his funk when he carefully pulled up outside Nathaniel’s house—he didn’t want a bump to make either of their days even worse.
Shifting the car out of gear and pulling on the handbrake, Isaac jumped out of the car, untied the rope connecting the cars together and threw it back in the trunk. Then he moved toward Nathaniel’s vehicle, ready to help him push it into a safe position on the driveway.
“I really appreciate you helping me out, mate. Seriously. Do you fancy that bacon sandwich I promised you? Ever since you mentioned it I’ve been jonesing for one.”
“Ooh, yeah. I’ll never say no to a bacon sarnie. Let me head home and put the shopping away, then I’ll be back. That all right?”
“Yep, not a problem. I’ve gotta get mine put away too, then I’ll get the frying pan on, so don’t be too long.”
“I won’t. See you in a few.” Isaac headed back to his car quickly, started the engine, then turned around and drove back home. He grabbed the shopping bags out of the car and put the frozen food away first, followed by the rest of the groceries. He was nowhere near as careful and precise as normal, a fact he put down to the lure of a bacon sandwich. But deep down he knew it was more than that. It was less about the sandwich and more about the man who was making it.
It was fine, he told himself. Yes, he fancied the pants off Nathaniel, but in spite of all his internal whinging about love—or the lack of it—he knew it could never happen. It just wasn’t safe or practical. Christ, why weren’t there any other gay guys in the village, ones who were in the know? He’d be willing to give it a go then, see what came of it, whether he could cope with his partner aging much faster than him and eventually shuffling off this mortal coil, leaving him behind.
Shaking his head, Isaac put the last item away, then grabbed his keys and left the house, striding back through the village. He really, really had to put all this stuff out of his head. It was messing him up, conflicting him, making him argue with his brother. And nothing was worth his relationship with Matthew—if he didn’t have him, he was alone. Totally alone. They’d been the one constant in each other’s lives since they’d lost their parents and, as reluctant as they were to admit it, they needed each other.
No, Isaac decided, I’m not going to keep torturing myself with all this crap. It’s not healthy. Nathaniel and I are friends. Yes, we had one little slip-up, but I’ll make sure that never happens again, make sure he doesn’t think it will happen again, and that’ll be the end of it. I’m over four hundred years old, for Christ’s sake, I’ve had enough sexual tension to last five or six lifetimes, I can handle a bit more. Eventually it’ll get old, stale, and won’t be an issue anymore. In the meantime he could enjoy someone’s company, like a centered, mature adult, without feeling the need to jump his bones—couldn’t he?