Ipalmed Dustin’s cock, wishing his jeans weren’t in the way, and rubbed it firmly. It responded immediately and hardened under my touch. It set my blood aflame, filling my nostrils with the luscious scent of alpha, but I would not hurt this precious boy. I had to keep my own ardor cooled and willed my body’s swift reaction to subside. He needed care, not someone pawing at him for their own pleasure. Still, slick wetted my asshole and made me squirm. “Strong sensations may bring you back faster. But I need you to be willing and unafraid.”
Dustin’s back tried to arch, and he let out a loud moan. “I—I don’t—”
“Shh. It’s all right, Dustin,” I murmured into his ear as I snatched my hand away. I had to keep my promise. I couldn’t risk alienating Dustin. The boy, though, groaned and squirmed in my lap, making it hard for me to keep my composure. “I will not touch you sexually again without your consent.” Once again, I wrapped my arms around him, holding him securely to my chest as I rocked us side to side on the soft seats of the limousine.
Dustin’s voice came into my mind again, awed and timid. “I… I trust you.”
I didn’t believe him. But I had to trust his instincts in this matter if he was to make it back to me. “Are you certain?” My breath puffed against Dustin’s neck, and he rewarded me with another shiver that let me know he liked that sensation.
“I trust you,” he said with more certainty. I could almost feel the emotions coursing through him, from doubt to excitement. Such a brave young man. He made my heart hurt and soar at the same time.
I cupped Dustin’s cheek and brushed my thumb just under his eye. My heart squeezed as I murmured, “Thank you, beauty,” and kissed his forehead.
I returned my hand to the mound behind the zipper of Dustin’s jeans and rubbed firmly until Dustin was hard and aching, until I could smell his pre-cum and heard his quiet mewls for more. Dustin’s body started to come alive. I could tell he wanted to thrash and writhe, but he still wasn’t in full control yet.
The way Dustin responded to my touch thrilled me. I couldn’t help myself as I nuzzled the soft skin between his jaw and his ear—couldn’t help myself as I kissed my way down to the hollow of his throat, pulling his shirt away to nibble along his collar bone. I traced along his throat, feeling his pulse quicken under my fingers.
If I didn’t stop now, I’d be soiling my pants, and I couldn’t break Dustin’s trust in such a way. He whimpered as I pulled away, but it cut short when I bodily removed him from my lap and set him on the seat beside me. His fingers twitched against the soft, supple leather under his palms. I was proud of this car, loved the way it felt and loved sharing such luxury with a young man who should have such fine things in his life always. It surprised me that I desperately wanted to give him everything and had known him for what seemed like only minutes.
The hiss of fabric against leather echoed through the quiet car as I settled on the floor between Dustin’s legs. I had the opaque, sound-proof divider up between my driver and us to afford us some privacy. The last thing I wanted was for Charles to see me on my knees before a young man. I wasn’t ashamed, but there were some things staff didn’t need to be privy to.
I unfastened Dustin’s belt, button, and zipper and pulled his straining erection free of the confines of his jeans and thin, threadbare underwear. Dustin gasped as the cooler air inside the limo washed over his overheated skin.
“Relax, beauty, and come back to me,” I said softly, reverently. I couldn’t keep the husky note from my voice as I purposely made my breath waft along the head of his penis. It throbbed in my hand with Dustin’s anticipation. “Come back to me,” I mumbled against his flesh, then snaked my tongue out to lick a stripe up the center of his swollen, leaking head. I took a moment to tease that delicious spot just beneath the crown, gently nipping, licking, and sucking that little strip of flesh that connected his cock head to his foreskin just to hear his breath stutter.
When I released his frenulum from my ministrations, I took him into my mouth, traveled down his shaft, and, after taking a deep breath, swallowed him down. It drew a deep, needy moan from Dustin’s mouth. He murmured, “God…” and I knew he was coming back to me. I knew he would open his eyes soon, be back fully in his body so I could cherish him properly.
No. This was just to bring Dustin back. He wasn’t mine to cherish.
Yet, my mind offered. Could this beautiful young alpha be mine? It seemed impossible, and I refused to hope. But I had a task to accomplish. He moaned again, and I pulled back just enough to chuckle around his cock. Then I slid back down until I buried my nose in Dustin’s neatly trimmed pubic hair. He smelled divine, and I inhaled him deeply on my way back up.
I sucked hard, swallowed around his shaft. Dustin shifted, his muscles starting to come around. He cried out as I milked him with my throat, swallowing over and over again.
Starting a steady rhythm, I sucked hard on my way back up and plunged back down, only taking a breath with every fifth pass. My actions made Dustin breathless. He already started to sweat, gasping and panting as I continued my ministrations. It made me feel powerful to elicit such strong reactions from him.
I lightly grazed my teeth along his shaft on an upstroke and nibbled along his head, focusing on the slit that kept leaking drops of salty-sweet pre-cum onto my eager tongue. The gentle nips had Dustin shifting on the seat. He whined low as his thick cock grew cold from the air, cooling the saliva I left behind.
“That’s it, beauty,” I rumbled through a throaty purr. “Come back to me.”
I attacked Dustin’s cock again, sucking hard and fast, swallowing every time I plunged onto his shaft, spearing my throat with him. Dustin’s moans became high-pitched gasps as he neared his climax.
Finally, he seemed to regain use of his body. His hands clutched at my long hair, his hips jerking. I held his hips still, picking up my pace until Dustin lurched forward with his orgasm, bowing over my back and rewarding me with a drink of him for my hard work.
Pulling off so that only Dustin’s head remained wrapped with my lips, I swallowed what he gave me and laved him clean as the young man slumped into the car’s seat, panting.
With care, I tucked Dustin back into his pants as I licked my lips. Once I had him dressed again, I settled on the seat beside him, plucked him up, and deposited him on my lap to trail kisses along Dustin’s eyelids, nose, and chin. I had to let him know, by actions and not words, that I wouldn’t use him. That I would cherish anything he gave me.
“Open your eyes, Dustin,” I murmured against his ear, my voice husky and raw from pleasuring him. “I have waited so long to see them again.”
Dustin remained limp in my lap, making me wonder if he was just enjoying the post-orgasm high or if his mind had retreated again. He gasped for panted breaths, his heartbeat visibly calming as I watched it throb along his throat.
“Open your eyes,” I coaxed again, keeping my voice soft and serene.
Dustin heaved a shuddering sigh. His eyes fluttered, then opened fully. They still hadn’t focused, so I leaned my face in closer, wanting to be the first thing he focused on now that he was coming back to me. And when those eyes did focus, he looked awed and shifted. “You aren’t even aroused…”
I offered him a tender smile and pressed a kiss to Dustin’s forehead. “I will never take advantage of you. What I did, I did for you, not for myself.”
Flushing, Dustin pressed his face into the curve of my neck and laughed, the heat of his blush searing my skin. It seemed an odd reaction, but I couldn’t help but tease him. “What is so funny, imp?”
“I’ve never met anyone like you before. Everyone is always out for themselves, even in that.”
“You will find that little is as it appears.” My eyes bored into his, pinning him in place once I teased his head out from the crook of my neck. “You will soon see this, especially with me.”
Dustin shifted awkwardly in my lap and let out an endearing sigh that made me want to kiss him so badly I almost broke my oath to myself. He asked, “What do you mean?”
I gave him the gentlest, kindest smile I could and hoped it hid my lies. This young man was too perceptive for his own good, and I had to be careful with how and when I presented the information to him about his destiny. I had just found him. If I lost him now… I couldn’t even think of it. I had been alone for so long that even the thought of losing Dustin now made me want to cling to him, and that would push him away faster than anything else.
With that in mind, I changed the subject again. “That is a conversation for another time.” I gently poked his belly and grinned. “I believe it is time to feed you. Your stomach is rumbling again.”
He grimaced. “I’m not letting this go.”
“I do not expect you to, beauty.” I lowered my head and frowned. The weight of my omission held me down, and I knew I would make a fool of myself if I let it out now. But he needed at least a bit of the truth. “You were correct. I did lie to you,” I admitted. “But the truth will be made known to you when I am ready to reveal it. Will you wait for this?”
The solemnity in my voice and expression must have reached Dustin’s heart. He swallowed hard and nodded, looking both scared and sad. Sad for me? “If it means that much to you, I’ll wait.”
I let out a relieved sigh. “It does, and I thank you.”
My expression must have crumpled. Dustin tapped my cheek, his big, sky-blue eyes open and honest, and he said, “Hey. I don’t like that look. What’s wrong?”
“That is another thing that must wait,” I replied softly. I couldn’t burden Dustin with my past. Not yet. I wanted to befriend this young flower first. Not load my guilt and loneliness onto his shoulders. I didn’t yet have that right or privilege. Yet.
“Well, if it’s gotta wait, I’m not letting you brood over it,” Dustin declared. He smirked and tapped the bottom of my chin until I looked back into his stunning eyes. “We need to do something to make you happy.”
The tease was delicious. I let a wicked gleam enter my eyes, a Cheshire grin spread across my still-swollen mouth. I could still taste him in the back of my throat, a teasing reminder that I had pleased him. I almost squirmed from the fresh memory, my ass cheeks slippery with another slip of slick. “Mmm. Well. Now that you are thoroughly loved, flushed beautifully, and relatively sated, will you let me dress you?” I plucked at his torn and worn black denim jacket. “I would really like to see you in tailored things…”
“B—b—but! I don’t have that kind of money!” Dustin squawked.
My grin widened. “Did I ask you to pay for anything?”
“But, I can’t—”
“Nonsense.” I tutted at him. “Your objections are nonsense. I can hear them already. I am doing this for me, Dustin. It will bring me immense pleasure to see you in fine clothes. No charity, no strings attached. Just me getting my way.”
“Oh… well…”
“Splendid!” I lowered the partition between the driver and us, letting the moment lift my spirits. “Charles, take us to Mr. Cipriani, please.” I smirked down at Dustin. “I must take this chance before you regain your senses and begin objecting again.”
Dustin shifted. His blush deepened and flowed down past the collar of his shirt, making me want to chase it. “Why do you want to dress me up, anyway?” he asked through his embarrassment.
I cocked my head to the side, truly confused. “You wouldn’t want served caviar on a paper plate, would you?”
The young man blinked, opened his mouth as if to retort, but then must have rethought that. He wrinkled his nose and stared at me. “I’ve… never even seen caviar, so I don’t know…”
I heaved a long, drawn-out sigh and shook my head. This beautiful man was poor. How had I forgotten? “You are missing nothing. Another try. You have been to a museum, yes?”
He nodded. “Yeah…”
I latched onto the idea and went on with fervor. “What would you think if all those lovely canvasses were dirty, stained, and poorly framed?”
Dustin had to think about that. He looked around as if he could see a museum at that moment and frowned. “Well… they’d still be pretty. The frames can be changed. Dirt can be cleaned away.”
I waved that away. “Yes, yes, yes. But the fact is, the museum shouldn’t let them get that way in the first place.”
Dustin blinked and perked a brow, perhaps at the ferocity of my tone. He seemed to choose his words carefully. “Well… they don’t, do they?”
I snorted. “No. They do not. That is exactly my point.”
Dustin laughed, a bright, joyous sound that I wanted to hear every day. “What… Uhm… What is your point?”
“My point is, you are a dirty, stained, poorly dressed museum piece, and I am the museum director fixing the damage.” I punctuated the statement with a playfully dignified, sage nod.
Dustin knocked me down off my soapbox with an abrupt change of subject. “Who is Mr. Cipriani?”
The mention of my old friend’s name made my whole being brighten. “My personal tailor. He only works with the finest cloth, and his clientele list is very, very short.”
“And you want him… to dress me?” Dustin asked in disbelief.
My grin spread, and I squeezed Dustin in a tight hug. “He will fawn all over you, beautiful boy. Sun-kissed skin, toned physique with broad shoulders leading down to a delightfully narrow waist. Long, graceful legs… All hidden by this baggy, saggy, cheap laundry!”
“Whoa…” Dustin laughed and continued between chuckles. “That was bordering on girly.”
I suppressed a grin. He more than likely knew I was playing up my despair over his state of dress to lighten the mood, but I had to keep up my part. I sniffed and raised my chin haughtily. “I am not girly, Dustin. I am aggrieved that anyone would let you run around in such disarray when your body is meant for cashmere and Egyptian cotton.”
“What happened to buying me dinner?” Dustin teased.
I glanced up and down Dustin’s body and pursed my lips. It was true. I could take him to any fast food restaurant or a sit-down restaurant somewhere where his attire wouldn’t be an issue, but I wanted to treat Dustin to what he was missing.
So, instead of having Charles take us to a more modest place for him to eat, I said, “While I would never be ashamed to have such a beauty on my arm, even if he is in rags, it would be shameful to parade you around until you have something warmer on. The sun is setting, and the air is growing too chilly for that thin jacket. Especially with the back ripped as it is. We will get you dressed and warm before we fill that angry belly. Do you think you can wait two hours with a snack to tide you over?”
Dustin sighed and rolled his eyes, but he had an amused grin to soften it. “I suppose a burger and fries are out of the question.”
My brows crawled toward my hairline at the very mention of those greasy, disgusting things. “Burger?” I let out a whimper and wailed, “Fries!”
“All right! All right, no burger and fries! Jesus, don’t have a hernia.” He laughed and poked my cheek. It almost felt as if we had been friends for years, rather than an hour or so. “Anything to keep that shrill note out of your voice.”
“Then it is settled,” I said with a vibrant grin back on my face. “We will see Mr. Cipriani and then go to Anatole’s for dinner.”
Dustin’s brows shot up, and his already large, gorgeous eyes went huge as he leaned away. “Anatole’s?” he squawked. “They don’t advertise. That place is only featured in the news, and only because of the celebrities who go there! Isn’t that a black-tie affair?”
I opted for a nonchalant shrug and smirked. “Only for news-worthy events. Normally, however, there is no dress code, per se. Though, the clientele is… limited… by the size of one’s bank account.”
Dustin shrank down, his eyes still huge. “One meal… is going to be more than my monthly paycheck, isn’t it?”
My heart broke, and I held him tighter. What could I do to console him and let him know how much this would mean to me? “Try not to think of it that way. Think of it as a profound apology for accidentally shoving your mind out of your body.”
“And the clothes?” he squeaked.
“Me,” I said, my voice once again solemn. “Me, getting my way. Remember?” I smiled softly and shifted Dustin on my lap. It must have reminded Dustin that he was, indeed, still sitting there instead of on the car’s seat beside me.
Squirming, Dustin wrinkled his nose. “I should probably sit next to you. I’m probably making your legs fall asleep.”
I squeezed him once, then let my arms relax. “If you are uncomfortable, you may sit where you wish. But I assure you that you are not making me uncomfortable in any way.”
Another blush heated Dustin’s cheeks. I could see the debate in his eyes, how he must have been talking himself out of remaining ensconced in my arms. But then he seemed to have a sudden dose of self-consciousness and slid off my lap and onto the seat next to me.
“I never thought you would be one to be shy, Dustin,” I murmured. I kept my tone, once again, that soft, kind timbre. “One so striking should never be self-conscious.” I reached over and squeezed Dustin’s hand warmly, then folded my own in my lap with the other.
I missed his weight terribly, but I couldn’t let him know. I couldn’t show that weakness… yet. I spared a glance to my alpha companion, noting his strong physique. He seemed to have bulked up from his job in hard labor. He wasn’t body builder material, but he easily weighed over one-hundred seventy-five solid pounds of lean muscle with very, very little fat. Too little fat. Did he not have the money to eat properly? Was he that poor?
I had to get my mind out of that cycle. With a glance over, I noticed that Dustin had a frown marring his features as he stared unseeingly ahead. I carded my fingers through Dustin’s hair, trying to tease him out of his own mind. “So pensive,” I said near his ear. “Is everything all right?”
When Dustin looked over, his eyes focused again, and he shook his head. “Just thinking.”
“About?”
He looked down at his hands. “The impression of your necklace is still there, but it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
I frowned as I heard the avoidance in his tone. I nodded minutely, though, and stroked over the intricate swirls branded into his fingers. “They will fade when the process is complete.”
“Process?” Dustin blinked and pinned me where I sat with a cold look. “What process?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. How could I have let that slip? I should have saved it for later in the evening. But there was no avoiding it now. “Do you believe in magic, Dustin?”
“No… Why?” Dustin shifted in his seat so he could face me full-on. “What’s wrong? You look broody again.”
A dry chuckle escaped me. “Under an hour, and you already know my looks.” I sighed again and shook my head, sending tendrils of my long, black hair over my shoulder. “The amulet I wear is magical. This is why it felt strange when you touched it, as if it burned but did not. It is why the marks still have not faded and look as if they are merely scars. That is what tore your mind away from your body, beauty.”
Dustin opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish out of water for a long moment until I tapped his chin. “I will not ask you to believe me. I will show you. But not here. Just know that we will speak of this, at length, when I can get you somewhere more private than a flashy limousine.”
The young man’s cheeks heated again, and he let out a disbelieving laugh. “No, that didn’t sound like a come-on at all. Honest!”
“Would it displease you if it was?” I asked with an impish grin.
“Are you trying to make my face explode?” Dustin groaned and rubbed his cheeks. I could almost feel the heat of his bright blush from where I sat next to him. “I swear,” he muttered, “one moment, you’re so serious I feel like you’re about to shatter, and the next, you make comments like that.”
“If I am truthful, I am trying to keep the mood light,” I said softly. “I want to keep you from the realization that I have greatly wronged you.”
Dustin frowned and stared into my eyes. “Wronged me how?”
I worried at my lower lip as I looked down. Frowning, Dustin reached out, grabbed my arm, and tugged. “Answer me. If it’s bothering you, spit it out.”
Just then, the limo pulled over, and the driver exited the car to open my door. “Soon, beauty. I will confess soon. You have my word.”
