Steal the Wind (Godstone Saga 1)

“Wha-what are you doing?” Rayne demanded in a harsh whisper, as though he were afraid of waking Caelan and Drayce. Eno felt fairly certain a bomb landing in the living room wouldn’t wake those two, but he had no desire to test his theory.

“I wanted to see you, see how badly you were injured, and knew you wouldn’t tell me,” Eno grumbled.

That wasn’t the entire truth, but that was enough of it for now. He lowered his gaze, taking in the large dark purple and almost black bruise across the left side of his rib cage. There was a white bandage secured with waterproof tape on his right side. More bruises decorated his thighs. He looked back up and discovered an ugly cut at the base of his throat as if he’d just narrowly avoided being decapitated. Blood leaked from it, mixing with the water before streaking down Rayne’s chest. A chill ran through him, and his lungs seized up. How close had he come to losing Rayne tonight?

“Broken?” he forced out in a rough voice, nodding toward his ribs.

“No. Just bruised. They’re fine,” he snapped.

He lifted his hand toward the bandage. “Do you need stitches?”

Rayne quickly caught his wrist, stopping him from touching him. He couldn’t understand Rayne’s hostility toward him. “I’m fine. It’s just a cut. I’ve taken care of it.”

“Anything else—”

“Everything is fine, Eno. I’m fine.”

Eno took a step toward him, closing what little distance there had been. Rayne gasped softly, his soft lips parted and rich green eyes wide. “Why won’t you let me help you? Why are you hiding?”

“Because I don’t want to give you a reason to leave me behind,” Rayne shot back in a harsh whisper.

This time, Eno jerked away. The idea had never even crossed his mind. “What?”

“If you think I can’t keep up, if you think that I’m a liability to Caelan’s safety, you will leave me behind. And Caelan needs me.”

With his free hand, Eno reached up and cupped the side of Rayne’s face. “I need you.”

Rayne’s mouth fell open in surprise, and Eno seized the advantage. He leaned in and kissed the man deeply.

Only in his darkest of moments, when it felt like the world was crumbling around him, did Eno allow himself to dream of this kiss. Rayne with his plans, his ambitions, and his endless drive. He had a vast future ahead of him, and it didn’t include a simple warrior like Eno. The man would have his choice of anyone from anywhere.

But this kiss. He could have this moment and this kiss.

And it was everything he’d hoped it could be.

Eno moved his lips gently over Rayne’s in a sweet caress, loving the tingle that spread from his face to encompass his entire body. Rayne’s breath caught again, but Eno teased it out with the swipe of his tongue across the tip of Rayne’s.

The man moaned into his mouth and kissed him. Rayne released his wrist and gripped his shoulders with both hands. Fingers bit into his muscles, and Rayne pressed into him as he deepened the kiss. Their bodies rubbed from chest to knees. Eno grabbed one ass cheek as he thrust his hips forward. Their rigid dicks pressed together, and Eno groaned. He wanted more. Needed more. Needed everything he could get from Rayne.

Rayne ripped his mouth away and tilted his head back, gasping for air, but he didn’t try to otherwise pull away. Eno carefully kissed his way along Rayne’s jaw and along his throat. His lips whispered lightly above the cut that could have ended Rayne’s life. He prayed that soldier was dead now. He wouldn’t survive without Rayne’s brilliant mind there to guide him.

“Oh, gods, Eno,” Rayne panted.

“Tell me.”

“I…I…” Whatever he was going to say broke off and seemed to get snagged behind whatever walls he’d built inside himself.

Still holding the side of his face, Eno forced Rayne to tilt his head down to look him. “For once, please just tell me what you want. Anything,” he pleaded, his husky voice wavering. There wasn’t much he could offer Rayne but himself, and right now he’d give Rayne anything to give him some relief, some bit of joy

A smirk played on Rayne’s lips, and some of the light returned to his eyes. “I tell you all the time what I want.”

Eno grinned at him. “Telling me to fetch Caelan or to keep Caelan out of trouble does not count.”

His answering smile faded too quickly, and his eyes darted away. Eno kissed him again and Rayne instantly returned it, desperate and hungry. Eno could taste his need in that kiss, and it matched his own.

Eno’s fingers gripped his ass before slipping between the cheeks and brushing tantalizingly over Rayne’s hole. The sexy man in his arms bucked against him and moaned. Greedy fingers slid into Eno’s hair and twisted as Rayne pressed into the pad of his finger.