Vying for his Affection (A Loving Nip Book 19) Read online

  Rhyme’s nostrils flared as he moaned softly. “Behave, my beloved,” he urged softly, holding out his shirt. “I want our next round in a bed.”

  Nodding slowly, Max took the offered shirt and wiped it over his groin. He didn’t know when Rhyme had done it, but the big man had rucked his shirt up, so most of his spend had missed the fabric. Only a bit of the hem had become damp.

  Damn thoughtful.

  Once Max had cleaned himself off, he handed the fabric back to Rhyme. His lover cleaned himself as Max righted and closed his jeans. After his cowboy had done the same, he tucked his shirt into his back pocket, then held out his hand.

  My cowboy. Max smiled as he took Rhyme’s hand. I sure do like the sound of that.

  What would it take to actually keep a man like this?

  As they exited the trees and Max again took in the beautiful sprawling ranch where Rhyme worked, doubts assailed him. The gorgeous black man worked at a guest ranch where there were dozens of beautiful people passing through on a weekly basis. How could Max, who lived in the city over forty-five minutes away, compete with that?

  Rhyme somehow had a sixth sense for reading Max’s mind. “Can I have your phone number?” he asked, squeezing Max’s twined fingers. “I want to take you on a date Monday night.”

  Max snapped his gaze to Rhyme, who winked at him. “I’d say Sunday night, but I figured you’d have things to do after being gone all weekend. Laundry, getting ready for the work-week, and shit.”

  As much as Max wished otherwise, he had to agree with Rhyme. “Afraid so.” They’d reached Max’s cabin by then, and he paused at the base of the steps. “So, um...” He held out his hand. “Phone?”

  Rhyme smiled as he handed over his device. A second later, he heard a muffled chime from the phone in his pocket. After that, Max handed it back.

  “There.” Max smiled shyly. “Now you have my number.”

  “Thank you, Max,” Rhyme stated, sounding sincere. He cupped Max’s jaw and dipped his head. “Dream of me.” After whispering those words, he placed a too-chaste, too-short kiss on Max’s lips before releasing him and striding into the night.

  Then Max turned and headed onto the porch. As quietly as possible, he crept into the dark cabin and, after locking the door, tip-toed to the bedroom. He suddenly felt like a teenager sneaking into the house in the middle of the night.

  Rolling his eyes, Max bit back a snicker at his thoughts. He grabbed the same sweatpants and t-shirt he’d used to sleep in the night before and headed to the bathroom. After he’d cleaned up and changed, Max climbed into bed.

  Max rested on his back, staring up at the ceiling. His body still hummed with aftershocks, and he smiled in the darkness. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so good after only making out and a handjob.

  But damn, Rhyme’s hands are amazing.

  After about five minutes of lying in bed and staring at nothing, Max sighed. He glanced at the clock and realized the problem. The clock read eleven-fifteen at night, and Max didn’t normally go to sleep before midnight.

  Shit.

  Max was just contemplating pulling up the reader app on his cell phone when Stanton rolled over in his bed to his right. Holding his breath, he waited. He hadn’t meant to wake his fellow cabin member, after all.

  “You still awake, Max?”

  Stanton’s deep voice sounded softly through the darkness. From his low tone, the big man gave away his uncertainty. He was also not trying to wake Max if he had indeed already fallen asleep.

  Not wanting to hurt Stanton’s feelings should he somehow figure out that Max had ignored him, he rolled over to face the big man in the other bed. “Sorry. Did I wake you?” he whispered.

  “Uh uh. Was waiting up for you.”

  Okay. Um...

  “Why?” Realizing how abrupt that was, Max added, “What’s up?”

  “You never answered me earlier.”

  Confused, Max tried to figure out what Stanton was talking about. “I-I’m sorry, Stanton. I don’t remember.” After a second, he urged. “When? Ask me again?”

  “Just before Rhyme arrived earlier.”

  Through the moonlight streaming through the window, Max made out the way Stanton adjusted himself on the bed to cradle his pillow while still focusing on him.

  “How come a gay guy wants something so huge up his ass? Wouldn’t it hurt?”

  Max gaped for a few heartbeats, then snapped his mouth shut. Never in a million years would he have thought Stanton would follow up on that. Then he realized he should have known better.

  Stanton didn’t have those kinds of hang-ups. That was probably due to living with Jerome, who while straight as an arrow—apparently—was a very open and accepting guy. Jerome had probably talked openly about his brother and homosexuality with him.

  Still, a straight guy could only answer so many questions. Did that mean Stanton wasn’t so straight? Clearing his throat, Max pushed that thought right out of his mind.

  Instead, Max decided to start with the basics. “Do you remember any of your anatomy lessons in high school, Stanton?”

  Huffing a sigh, Stanton admitted, “Jerome helped me get a GED. Classes confused me. I’m much better when things are hands on.”

  Oh. Okay. Wow!

  Max really wondered how Stanton and Jerome had met, but he figured it wasn’t the time. Instead, he decided to be blunt. That always seemed to work for Jerome.

  Still, as delicately as he could, Max explained about the pleasures of a guy’s prostate and the sensitivity of some men’s inner chute muscles.

  To Max’s shock, Stanton seemed to absorb it all as if the information was fascinating.

  Even after they’d stopped talking, it took a long time for Max to fall asleep.

  Chapter Ten

  Rhyme spent lunch with Max on Sunday, but his group left directly after that. Watching his beloved climb into an SUV and disappear down the driveway felt like a stake to the heart. He rubbed at his chest, and when they disappeared from view, heaved a sigh and threw himself into work.

  It won’t be forever.

  That was a promise he made to himself... over and over throughout the day.

  “How are you holding up?”

  Pausing in his task of cleaning out horse stalls, Rhyme peered at Master Jaymes. The big vampire coven master leaned his forearms on the half wall and stared at him with an assessing gaze. His deep brown eyes held a gleam of worry.

  Rhyme smiled at his master, appreciating his concern. “I’m fine.” Recalling that Jaymes had needed to wait almost two months so his own beloved could come of age before he could claim him, he assured, “It’s only been a day, and I have a date with him tomorrow evening.”

  “That’s good.” Jaymes nodded as he continued to stare. “Whatever time off you need, you have it. Arrange it with Mathe.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Rhyme had figured as much, but he appreciated hearing the confirmation. “I’ll talk to him.”

  Mathe was the foreman of the ranch even though he was a tracker in the coven. He had a good head for schedules and numbers. It never failed. If the master or second pulled an enforcer or tracker away from the normal rotation without notice due to coven business, Mathe always had two possibilities to fill the gap.

  Tapping the wall with his palm, Jaymes nodded. “Keep me posted. Any help you need, you’ll get.”

  “Thanks again.”

  Resting his forearm on the wall, Jaymes relaxed. “So, tell me about him.”

  Rhyme placed the rake on the stall wall, then leaned his butt against it. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he tipped his head back and grinned. For the next thirty minutes, he chatted with his master about the human who consumed his thoughts.

  “He lives a ways off,” Jaymes pointed out as he finally pushed away from the half-wall. “I hope you won’t have too much trouble convincing him to move here.” Then a gleam of mischief filled his eyes. “Maybe I’ll drop by the construction office and put an idea in the b
oss’s mind that he can do a lot of the accounting from here. If he only has to go in a couple of times a week, it may be easier to convince him.”

  Grinning at his coven master, Rhyme nodded. “Yeah. I’d appreciate that.”

  Jaymes chuckled as he turned and began heading toward the doorway. “I’ll put my head together with Gypsum and come up with a viable excuse to visit there.” With a wave, he left the barn, so Rhyme returned to work.

  That evening, Rhyme couldn’t resist calling his beloved. “Hi, handsome,” he rumbled into the phone when he heard Max’s greeting.

  “Hi, Rhyme,” Max responded, sounding shy.

  “How’s your unpacking coming?” Rhyme asked as he relaxed on his bed in his room. Rhyme closed his eyes and brought up an image of his small, sexy beloved. “Everything coming together for going back to work tomorrow?”

  The creak of fabric sounded through the line, telling Rhyme that Max was at least sitting, too. “Yeah. I’m almost through with the laundry. Just waiting for the last load in the dryer,” Max told him. “Then I’ll hop in the shower and be ready for work.”

  Groaning softly at the thought of a wet, naked Max, Rhyme muttered, “Gods, I’d love to see that.”

  “Really?” Max sounded shocked.

  Creasing his brows, Rhyme confirmed, “Oh, yeah. I’d soap up my hands and caress your smooth skin. After you were squeaky clean, I’d count each freckle with my tongue.” Rhyme’s dick thickened beneath the towel he’d wrapped around his waist after his shower. He chuckled huskily as he shoved the fabric aside and gripped his length. “Gods, just thinking about it has me hard as nails.”

  Max’s breath sounded as if it caught in his throat. “Oh my god, you are?”

  “Hell yeah.” Rhyme began to jack himself slowly, unable to resist giving his aching dick friction. He moaned softly, struggling to concentrate. “I don’t know who fucked with your confidence, little bit,” he muttered, his voice husky with his arousal. “But you are so damn hot. Your frame is slender and strong. Your hair is brilliant, and I love how it gleams in the sun.” His foreskin eased away from his crown with each stroke, and his balls began to tingle, so he spread his legs, giving them more room. “When you swung off your horse yesterday, I practically drooled over your little bubble butt. I wanted to grip it in both hands and squeeze.”

  Unable to help himself as he thought of his beloved, Rhyme groaned. His stomach clenched as his dick oozed a bead of pre-cum. Swallowing hard, he struggled to keep his breathing even.

  It didn’t work.

  On the next downstroke, Rhyme rasped a moan.

  “Oh, god. Are you jacking off?” Max asked, shock filling his voice.

  “Oh yeah.” Rhyme didn’t bother trying to hide it any longer. “I’m lying on my bed thinking about your gorgeous body. All I was wearing was a towel after my shower. I’ve pushed that aside, and I’m gripping my hard shaft and stroking it.” Rhyme grunted as he teased at his frenulum. “Wish it was you playing with my dick, but hearing your voice in my ear sets my blood on fire, Max. Will you talk to me, baby?”

  “I-I don’t really know what to say,” Max murmured.

  Rhyme grinned, appreciating how his beloved’s voice had taken on a huskiness, too. “Anything, Max,” he told him. With a chuckle, he added, “Hell, you could read the ingredients on your shampoo bottle, and I wouldn’t care. I just wanna hear your sexy voice.”

  After a couple of heartbeats, Max offered shyly, “How about I tell you how much I loved sliding my palms over your huge pectorals.” His breathing hitched, then he continued, “Your nipples are perfect for sucking and teasing with my tongue. I could nibble them while I trace the lines of your abdominals.”

  Max cleared his throat as the sound of fabric rustling came through the line.

  Rhyme’s blood flamed in his veins. A shudder rocked his body as more pre-cum oozed from him. Tingles began working their way up his spine as his cock throbbed.

  “Oh yeah,” Rhyme responded gruffly. “I would love all of that. Are you getting your dick out, Max?” He growled as he thought about his beloved touching himself while they spoke. “Are you as hard as me?”

  “Yes,” Max squeaked before he swallowed loud enough to be heard over the phone. “C-Can’t believe I’m doing this.”

  Chuckling gruffly, Rhyme urged, “Wrap your fingers around your dick, beloved. Pretend it’s my hand caressing the sensitive skin of your shaft.” Recalling pressing Max’s slender erection against his own, Rhyme purred, “Remember how that felt last night? Remember my hand jacking our dicks against each other? How good it felt?”

  Max moaned wantonly in his ear, the sound a thing of beauty. “Yes,” he said on a pant. “Oh, god, it felt so good. Your rough callouses sliding up and down my shaft.” After pausing to let out another groan, Max muttered, “Your cock is so huge. So dark and thick and beautiful. Wanna slide my tongue under your foreskin and push into your slit.”

  Rhyme huffed a grunt as he teased his fingertips over his crown, pushing aside the foreskin and scraping a nail over his slit. His gut clenched, and his balls tightened. He could practically taste the bliss of release as it teased at his senses.

  “W-Would you suck me, Max?” Rhyme groaned at the mental image. “Would you nurse at my crown and tease my balls?”

  “Oh god, yes,” Max replied, whining and mewling. “I-I want to lick your balls. I’ll suck ‘em and roll them in my mouth. I—” A long low moan sounded through the line.

  Upon hearing the glorious sound, Rhyme stopped fighting his need. He cupped his balls and squeezed, giving his body the final push it needed. His dick jerked in the air where it arched over his abdominals, then began to pulse, spilling his seed in bliss-inducing spurts.

  Rhyme growled his pleasure as he released his nuts so that he could take hold of his erection once more. Milking his throbbing flesh, he extended his orgasm. “Oh, Max, gods.” Sighing deeply, Rhyme reveled in the delicious sensations of his release. “Gods, that’s good, beloved.”

  Once his shaft stopped twitching in his grip, Rhyme slowed his rhythm and rested his forefingers on his frenulum. He massaged the wrinkled flesh ever-so-gently as he sighed deeply, extending his pleasure. Humming as he enjoyed the aftershocks, Rhyme grinned at the ceiling.

  “Gods, Max,” Rhyme began when he finally found his tongue. “You’re so fucking sexy.”

  Max groaned through the line. “Don’t start up again,” he whined. “I’m so tired I’m not sure I can make it to my bed.” A second later, he grumbled, “And getting it up again would hurt right now.”

  Laughing softly, Rhyme murmured, “Oh, beloved. When I get the chance to lay you down on a bed, I will show you how wrong you are.” He dreamed of that moment any time he allowed his mind to wander. “Three orgasms? Four?”

  “Think pretty highly of yourself, don’t you?”

  “Well, I did get you off twice with that handjob last night,” Rhyme pointed out smugly.

  Humming, Max commented, “About that... what was up with the biting? Is that a kink of yours?”

  Not wanting to have this conversation over the phone, Rhyme racked his sluggish brain for an acceptable response.

  “I mean,” Max continued absently, “I never realized I liked that before. I think you biting me was what caused that second orgasm. Why would that happen, though?”

  Groaning softly, Rhyme opened his eyes and sat up. “This is something I would really prefer to explain face to face,” he decided to admit, hoping he could get Max to agree. “It’s more than just a kink, and I... I, um”—he paused and sighed, running his palm over his bald scalp—”the explanation may surprise you.”

  Gods. That’s the understatement of the century.

  “O-Okay.” Max sounded as if he was smiling when he added, “Discussions about sexual kinks should definitely be done face to face.”

  “Thank you, beloved,” Rhyme replied, relief coursing through him. Then he glanced around his empty room and flopped back on the bed. “Wish
you were here,” he admitted with a sigh. “I’d have you curled up in my arms while we make out for half an hour, then we’d start all over again.”

  Max laughed, the sound making Rhyme smile. “Probably good that I’m not then. I have work tomorrow, after all... and I bet you do, too.”

  “True. But that doesn’t stop me from wishing it.” Rhyme slid his fingertips through the cum drying on his hairless chest. “Since I can’t hold you, I guess I better let you go so we can both clean up.”

  Sighing, Max murmured, “Yeah. I suppose so.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, though.” Rhyme could hardly wait. “Can I pick you up at six-thirty?”

  “Sounds good, Rhyme.”

  There was hesitation in Max’s voice, so Rhyme waited, hoping he would say more. To his relief, Max did.

  “Rhyme, do you pursue guys who come to the ranch often?”

  Rhyme realized what Max was really asking.

  Why me?

  Since Rhyme didn’t want to explain about vampires and soul mates over the phone—humans always needed proof—he decided to go with, “Maximus, I realized you were special the second I laid eyes on you. Please believe me, little bit.” After a few heartbeats of silence, Rhyme added, “There’s something about you that just drew me in, and I knew I needed a chance to get to know you.”

  After that, Rhyme waited. There wasn’t much else he could say until he curled around his beloved and explained vampires.

  Fortunately, Max finally stated, “Okay. So, tomorrow?”

  “Definitely,” Rhyme confirmed. “Go to bed, and dream of me, little bit.” He appreciated that Max had given him permission to call him that. The endearment just fit him so well. “I’ll definitely dream of you.”

  Max snickered. “You can’t promise that.”

  “Sure I can. If I don’t do it in my sleep, I’ll be daydreaming about you.”

  “You’re too much.”