With a Kiss (21 page)

“Then we’ll start in the red drawing room,” Marcus announced.

Marcus extended one hand toward the door, inviting Liam to exit the playroom before him. Frowning slightly and not in the least sure what was going on, Liam still didn’t see that he had much option but to walk out of the freshly cleaned playroom. Glancing over his shoulder, he was just in time to see Marcus closing the door behind them.

By the time they stood in the drawing room, Liam had no idea what to expect. Marcus walked straight past him, and drew the full length curtains over all the windows, until they effectively covered one wall of the room. It was called the red drawing room for a reason. The curtains, the walls, the sofas, everything was some shade of the same color.

The same color as blood. A shiver ran down Liam’s spine—half fear, half anticipation.

“There are DVDs in that cabinet,” Marcus said, with a wave of his hand. ”Pick one out and put it in the machine.”

Liam knew exactly what kind of DVDs would be in there before he even opened the door. He had no doubt that every title on a case would include the word dominance, or submission, or leather—if not other words that were even less to his taste. Opening the cabinet, Liam crouched down in front of it and steeled himself for the worst.

A frown flittered across his brow as he saw what kind of titles were actually there. Each one was obviously brand new, not even removed from the cellophane, and they were all his secret favorites—the kind of movies he’d never dream of admitting he liked out loud—at least, not to anyone who he knew was actually able to hear him.

Liam closed his eyes for a moment. Marcus really had heard every word…

Aware that he was keeping the other man waiting, Liam forced himself to open his eyes and face reality head on. Selecting a DVD at random, he slipped it into the machine, just as Marcus had ordered. The other man was already sitting on the sofa waiting for him. Liam turned toward him just in time to see Marcus lift one hand and push his hair back off his face.

It should have looked like a feminine gesture, cute and flirtatious. Somehow, on Marcus, it looked as strong and as dominant as a senior matador posturing in the middle of a bull ring.

Marcus lowered his hand and tapped the seat next to him as he caught Liam’s eye.

“I thought we were going too—” Liam began, perching on the very edge of the sofa cushion.

“We are.”

Marcus held out his other hand. A set of leather wrist cuffs hung from his fingertips.

Liam swallowed rapidly as he watched them swing back and forth like a hypnotist’s watch, only far more mesmerizing.

“I’m going to tell you exactly what I intend to do. You’re going to tell me if you like the sound of it. Understand?”

Liam nodded.

“I’m going to put these around your wrists, and we’re going to sit here and watch a movie together.”

Liam managed another jerky nod.

“After the movie has finished, if it’s what you still want, I’m going to feed from you.”

One more nod.

Marcus smiled encouragingly. It didn’t seem to be an expression that came entirely naturally to him, but he was certainly trying hard.

Each movement as jerky as a puppet whose strings had been cut, Liam clung to that encouragement as he held out his wrists to be bound. The leather was wrapped around them in seconds, the shining silver buckles neatly fastened against his skin. Staring down at the thickly padded restraints, Liam took another deep breath and tried not to panic. There was no way anything around his wrists could restrict his ability to breathe.

They were just strips of leather, just toys. Just things that would make it even harder for him to get away when everything hit the fan.

Hands came to rest on Liam’s cheeks and tilted back his face until he had no choice but to meet Marcus’ eyes.

“I’m—”

“Don’t apologize.” Marcus stroked his thumb across Liam’s cheek. “You’re doing fine. It’s only natural that it should feel a little strange at first.”

Liam tried to look away, but his eyes kept swinging back to Marcus’ lips and there was nothing he could do to stop them.

“The important thing for you to remember is that these cuffs aren’t about me forcing you to stay anywhere you don’t wish to be. They’re about you knowing that you don’t need your hands free if you ever want to get away from me—all you have to do is tell me to stop.”

Liam blinked. Unable to turn his head, it was the only thing he could do.

“Every time you look at the cuffs, I want you to try to repeat to yourself that they’re a symbol of how safe you are with me. Can you do that?”

Liam nodded, pressing his cheeks more firmly against the vampire’s hands in the process.

Marcus finally released his face. “That’s good.”

He picked up the remote and pressed the button to begin the film without any further ado. Leaning comfortably against the highly cushioned sofa back, Marcus turned his attention to the screen and immediately became completely absorbed in it.

Liam took another deep breath, as if the third one just might be the charm that let him not make a complete pillock of himself. Looking down at the leather around his wrists, he did his best to remember what Marcus had told him.

He was safe, and nothing was going to happen unless he wanted it to. Liam repeated the words one more time for good measure and, gathering up every piece of courage he had at his disposal, shuffled back until he sat properly on the sofa next to the other man.

The movie played across the huge screen mounted on the wall above the fireplace. Liam stared intently at the image, making a point of never once looking to his right.

“I only bite if you want me to.”

The words made a mockery of Liam’s determination to keep his eyes facing forward. He turned his head so quickly, the muscles in his neck hurt.

Marcus smiled slightly as their gazes met. “You can come closer.” He held up one arm, inviting Liam to curl into his side and snuggle against him as if they were just a normal couple who’d decided their date would be conducted at home rather than the cinema that night.

Without even thinking once about it, Liam reached out to brace his hand against the back of the sofa as he moved closer to the other man. The leather around his wrists stopped him short.

An unexpected wave of pleasure rolled through Liam’s body in response. The fact his cock was already screaming for release didn’t help. His movements became clumsier than ever as he finally closed the gap between them.

Eventually, he was close enough to rest his head on the other man’s chest. The vampire’s heartbeat was slow and steady, just like the beep of the monitor that had stood next to his bed in the hospital. The rhythm seeped into Liam’s body telling him that he was as safe there as he had been when the other man was asleep.

Marcus’ arm settled comfortably around his shoulders. His skin was warmer than a human man’s, his touch gentler, too.

The film continued to play in front of Liam, but for once the fairy tale romance that filled the character’s lives couldn’t hold his attention. He closed his eyes, all the better to savor the closeness of the other man.

It was only a sudden burst of music that alerted him the credits were rolling. Liam blinked open his eyes, trying desperately to make his pupils adjust to the light more quickly so Marcus wouldn’t realize he hadn’t been watching the actors.

Liam looked up. He was wide awake, but he wouldn’t have blamed Marcus for believing otherwise. Hell, he might as well have fallen asleep against the other man for all he had seen of the show.

Marcus softly stroked his fingers over the leather covering Liam’s wrists. “How do they feel?”

“Good.” Liam had no idea the word was going to leave his lips until it was out there, hanging in the air between them.

Marcus ran his fingers down Liam’s cheek just as tenderly as he’d caressed the bondage. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for months.”

Liam swallowed. His tongue slipped out to moisten his lips in what had to look like a calculated flirtation. He dipped his head, blushing at the idea he’d ever be confident enough to try something like that on any man, let alone one like Marcus.

The other man smiled. His knuckle slipped under Liam’s chin, and he gently tilted back his head.

The first touch of his lips was so light Liam barely felt it. His eyes drifted closed. He leaned forward, blindly searching for more. Marcus’ mouth was impossibly soft as it molded against his. As soon as the vampire’s tongue caressed his bottom lip, Liam opened his mouth in acceptance.

The vampire kissed as if that was all he ever wanted to do, as if there really was no rush to move on to the more exciting parts of the evening. In some stupid way, Liam actually felt that the simple little kiss would be enough to completely satisfy the other man.

He could pull away without pissing off Marcus. That knowledge just made him lean all the more enthusiastically into the other man’s embrace.

Marcus’ other hand stroked across Liam’s neck. His thumb rubbed back and forth on the skin just above his jugular. Liam whimpered into the kiss. His body remembered how good the other man’s bite made him feel before. Pure instinct made him tilt his head back and offer his veins up to the other man as overtly as he knew how.

Marcus groaned into the kiss as he deepened it. His other hand moved to the back of Liam’s head to support him at just the right angle for kissing and prevented any further offering of his blood.

Barely able to catch his breath, Liam brought his bound hands to rest on Marcus’ chest. He pushed at him slightly, his head spinning from lack of oxygen as much as from desire. Marcus immediately pulled back. Liam’s hands tightened into fists, grabbing at the vampire’s shirt before he could retreat out of reach. The chain between the cuffs rattled.

“Don’t go!” The words were breathless, but Liam had to get them out.

Marcus smiled slightly, his eyes already heavy lidded with desire. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Liam managed to smile back. He couldn’t look away from the other man’s lips. He desperately needed to taste them again, but at the same time, he had to feel the other man’s teeth break through his skin. Caught between the two desires, he had no idea what to actually ask for.

“Please?” That was all Liam could say. All he could do was beg and hope that his lover would make the right decision for them both.

“Here.” Marcus ran his fingers over Liam’s jugular once more.

The single word was half question and half statement. That was where Marcus wanted to bite him.

Liam nodded, willing to agree to anything.

Marcus’ hands moved to Liam’s shoulders then and turned him around, so Liam’s back was to his chest. Liam looked over his shoulder at Marcus, tentatively tilting his head to the side to give his lover better access.

His cock was so hard, Liam had a terrible suspicion that he was going to come in his jeans the moment Marcus bit, but he couldn’t bring himself to care about that right then. Nothing was too embarrassing if it meant getting what he wanted from the vampire—if it meant giving Marcus what he wanted, too.

Marcus dipped his head. The kiss he placed against Liam’s neck was impossibly delicate. He paused for a moment, as if to test Liam’s reaction.

Tilting his head even farther to the side, Liam squirmed against the other man’s body in an attempt to encourage him. Marcus’ erection pressed against the back of Liam’s jeans, but the vampire seemed entirely oblivious to it as he brushed his lips against Liam’s neck once more. His tongue caressed and, just when Liam was starting to feel sure it was never going to happen, Marcus bit.