Ian (Unbreakable Bonds 4.5)

As a little bonus, we’re including the Valentine’s Day snippets we posted on our website. At the time, Devour hadn’t yet been released and we received questions about Ian and Hollis getting a romantic vignette as well. Now that we’ve had their book and compilation of stories, we decided it was a good time to add in how these two spent that holiday. Enjoy!Bonus—Valentine’s DayLucasAndrei walked slowly, allowing himself to be carefully led by Lucas as a smirk lifted one corner of his mouth. He started to touch the blindfold again but stopped himself before his fingertips reached the silky material, dropping his hand back down to his side. “You know, I’ve never been much of a Valentine’s Day kind of guy. If you wanted to have your way with me, you just need to give me a bottle of lube and maybe some pizza.” He paused in his little shuffling walk and cocked his head to the side. “Actually, I think you can forget the pizza.”

Lucas stepped close, running his left hand up Andrei’s chest while tightening his right on Andrei’s hip. “Are you saying you’re a cheap date?”

“For you, baby? I’m fucking free.”

Lucas couldn’t help himself. He swooped in and captured Andrei’s mouth in a rough kiss, loving how the man instantly melted into him. A moan rose up Andrei’s throat as he kissed Lucas back. No matter how much time passed, they would always burn this hot and bright for each other. Lucas knew there was no one else for him. Never would be. Andrei could read him like no one else. He knew when to give him space, and he knew the moment he needed to step up and rein Lucas in.

A soft whimper broke from Andrei when Lucas ended the kiss. “God, Lucas, why haven’t we done the blindfold thing before now?”

“Maybe because I love looking at you.”

“Yeah, but all the other senses kick into overdrive,” Andrei growled. He stepped in closer, digging his nose into Lucas’s cheek and licking his jaw. “Smell. Taste. Fuck, I hear your breath catch.”

“Later, I promise,” Lucas said, forcing himself to take a step back when all he wanted to do was pin Andrei to the nearest wall and pull his clothes off.

“Just tell me you’re my gift. That’s all I want.” Andrei caught Lucas’s wrist and tried to pull him in close again, but Lucas pressed his hand to his chest, keeping at least a foot of distance between them.

“Soon. I promise.”

He guided Andrei the last few steps into the master bedroom and got him in the right position. “Go ahead and take the blindfold off.”

Lucas stepped back as Andrei released him to pull off the tie they’d used as a blindfold, trying to ignore the nervous flutter of his heart. He’d never tried to give a Valentine’s Day gift. He’d gotten his assistant Candace to send flowers in the past, but he’d spent weeks contemplating and planning this gift for Andrei.

Blinking, Andrei rubbed his eyes before looking around the room. Lucas knew the moment his gaze focused on the mountain bike sitting in the middle of the room with the fuzzy plush monkey carefully tied to the seat with a red ribbon because Andrei’s loud, joyous laughter filled the space.

“Your monkey has stolen my bicycle,” Andrei said in Romanian, repeating the same silly line he told Lucas over and over again, recalling the warmth and happiness of their first night together.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes! I was thinking of taking up mountain biking this spring. Something to change my workout, get me out of the office a little more.”

“You had mentioned that,” Lucas said while reaching into the interior pocket of his jacket and pulled out plane tickets. “I also got a bike for myself. I thought we’d head over to Switzerland and check out some of their mountain biking trails.”

Andrei stepped closer, wrapping his arms around Lucas’s waist. “So…vacation in Switzerland. Mountain biking.”

“And excellent hotels and hotel sex.”

“That is an excellent plan. I think we should practice now so we’re ready.…”AndreiTightening his hands around the steering wheel, Andrei focused on the traffic in the parking lot as he pulled into a spot.

Lucas shifted in his seat, looking out the passenger’s side window. “A movie? Is that your big secret?”

“You’re getting warmer,” Andrei said in a teasing, singsong tone. Of course, it was a good guess considering they’d just parked in the giant lot for the new movie theater.

“I like it. We’ve never gone out to a movie.” Lucas unbuckled his seat belt as Andrei put the car in park and leaned across to swiftly kiss Andrei, while Andrei tamped down a smug smile. “Do I get a say in what movie we see?”

“Nope.”

Lucas lifted his eyebrows at Andrei. “I thought this was my gift.”

“It’s been handled already.” Lucas stared at him for a second as if he was trying to peer straight into Andrei’s brain. It was enough to get Andrei to set free the smile he’d been fighting. It was never easy to surprise this man. It was like he was always one step ahead.