Bailey Morgan [Seven Brothers for McBride 1] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (14 page)

McBride encouraged them to explore one another as they had last night. Gently, with solid and sure movements, Bailey explored Ferris as he did the same. Their touches grew more fervent as their moans became more passionate. Without being prompted, Bailey pushed into Ferris, leaning him back, covering his supine body with his own. Loving how his mate gave way to his need, Bailey eased back so that he could kiss his way down Ferris’s body and place a series of openmouthed kisses along his tender groin. After teasing him, Bailey finally kissed his cock, loving how the blood-hardened flesh trembled when he did.

“My mate. My beautiful and kind mate with the ecstasy-bestowing mouth.” Ferris gasped and groaned, his hands teasing through the strands of Bailey’s hair as he continued to torment his lower body.

“I am forever yours.” Bailey rose up as Ferris willingly parted his legs around him.

“I am ready for you.” Ferris urged Bailey to penetrate him, which told Bailey he’d already inserted one of the grease pellets.

Slowly, kissing him and caressing him and taking note of everything, Bailey slid his cock into the snug, welcoming heat of Ferris’s hole.

Together they sighed, and then they groaned. Moving as one, working themselves into a frenzy of need, they reached the crest of desire. It was then that Bailey realized all that his munificent master had given him. Ferris was so much more than a companion. He was a man that Bailey could easily see spending his entire life with. As they grew older, they would always have a place with McBride or his heirs. They wouldn’t be tossed aside, or ignored. They would have a home, and they would slowly fall deeper in love with one another. Right now their love was small and untested, but Bailey had no doubt about their bond standing the test of time.

“I claim you as my own.”

Ferris met his gaze. “I willingly give myself to you.” He then turned his face away, baring his neck.

A new and far stronger itch made Bailey’s canines extend. Hunger drove him to open his mouth and long to bite at the willing man below him. But he didn’t. Just as McBride had done, Bailey kissed the feeding spot upon Ferris’s neck. Using the restraint borne of care, he kissed, licked, and nuzzled him until Ferris was breathlessly begging him to take what he so freely offered.

“Please, my powerful mate. I give you all that I am. My body, my soul, and my very blood.”

Lowering his lips to the glittering flesh of his chosen, Bailey kissed him once more, opened his mouth, and then scraped his tooth against his neck. It was a tease that caused Ferris to buck below him. Driving him to madness, Bailey continued with his torment until Ferris’s sweet hole quivered around his prick with grasping insistence.

“I claim you.” Bailey sank his newly extended teeth into Ferris, causing him to buck wildly below him as he drilled his cock deep and came. He felt Ferris find his release between their pressed bellies and thrust another bit further as he drew in a great swallow of blood.

“Oh, my sweet love.” Ferris tightened his arms and legs around Bailey as he continued to draw against his neck.

Blown away by the salty life essence of his mate, Bailey found himself grounded by the amount of trust that Ferris had shown him by willingly exposing his neck. Easing back, Bailey took smaller sips, gently licked the wound closed, and then pulled away entirely.

Just as he had last night, Bailey shared the taste with Ferris by kissing him. Swirling their tongues together increased the intensity of the bloodbond. Bailey didn’t move away from his mate until his cock had softened and slipped from him. When it did, they both winced, sighed, and then smiled.

Bailey climbed to his knees, faced the mirror across from the bed where the red candle burned, then helped Ferris sit up. Ferris turned around so that he was sitting nestled in the space between Bailey’s knees, with his back against Bailey’s chest.

For a long while, they simply stared at their reflection. A dozen times, Bailey had imagined this moment, but the reality blew away the dreams. Ferris glowed in his arms. His stunning eyes were tilted up at the corners, just like his mouth, showing clearly how very happy he was. When Bailey looked at his own face, he was pleased to see the same joy lifted his features.

“You are a stunning couple.”

Even though McBride’s voice was low, Bailey startled just a bit. He had entirely forgotten that he was with them. All through their mating he’d remained in the doorway. This night, he’d not had to give them any instructions, but he stayed because the ceremony needed a witness. Not that the likelihood of their bonding would ever be challenged, just that it was part of the ritual.

“Thank you for being our witness.”

“You’re welcome.” McBride entered the room and handed Bailey a new collar. “I know this isn’t quite what you wanted, but it’s the best I can do for now.”

Bailey looked down and realized it was Ferris’s old collar with fabric wrapped around it. “How did you make this so quickly?” Had he dashed out to sew the thing then returned without either him or Ferris noticing?

“It’s just a narrow band tie that I threaded the old collar through. But I picked it because it matches your mate’s eyes.”

“It’s really quite becoming.” Ferris stroked his delicate finger along the length. “I’m proud to wear this.”

Even though Baily was crushed he hadn’t been able to buy new things for Ferris, he was far more concerned with how he felt about them. If the refurbished collar was good enough for his mate, then it was good enough for Bailey, too.

“I put this collar on you to show that you are bloodbonded to me. Only I can drink from you, so only I can remove your collar.” With that, Bailey slipped the length of fabric-covered leather around Ferris’s neck. After fumbling for a bit, he got the clasp to work then kissed his mate’s cheek. “I will only take this off when it’s time for me to feed.”

Ferris reached up, touching the collar as he examined himself in the mirror.

“Is it too tight?”

“No, my love, it is perfect.” Ferris turned his head and kissed Bailey. Their kissing quickly grew more intense, wiping everything out of Bailey’s head.

“Finish things up, Bailey.”

“Sorry.” Bailey rose from the bed. He leaned over the black candle. “We have bound our bodies.” He blew it out then moved to the white candle on the other side of the bed. “We have bound our souls.” With a puff of breath, he extinguished that one. He moved over to the last one, the red one, but before he blew on it, he caught McBride’s gaze in the reflection of the mirror. McBride looked tired, but there was an easy smile tugging at his features, making it clear that he was happy for Bailey and Ferris. “We have bound our blood.”

With a gentle breath, he snuffed the last candle, plunging the room into darkness.

Ferris didn’t see McBride leave, but he heard his boots
whooshing
across the carpet and then the sound of the front door closing with a soft
snick
. Straining to hear, Ferris wondered if McBride would lock them in again, but he didn’t hear the telltale noise of the lock engaging.

“He didn’t lock us in.” Ferris clung a little tighter to Bailey.

“He said he would handle Caleb.”

“Do you think that’s where he went?” Ferris took a calming breath, but the smell of burnt wax actually made him more anxious.

“I do.” Bailey made a series of little circles on Ferris’s back. Despite his concern about the other Morgan brothers, Ferris started to relax. “When McBride says he’ll do something, he always comes through.”

“Why was he so angry earlier?”

“I don’t know. Something’s bothering him, though. Since he came here, he’s always been kind. Not that he was mean today, just…short tempered, I guess. Usually he’s nicer, so something must have happened.”

“With Caleb?”

“No. I think something else. Caleb was teasing me in the field today along with my other brothers, but none of them went too far. I think they know if they get mean, or if they dare to touch you or hurt you in any way, McBride won’t get them companions of their own.”

“It sounds like a good deterrent but…”

“But?”

“Do you honestly think that will make them behave?” Ferris wasn’t so sure if they could keep their lust in check for a potential payout in the murky future.

“Actually, yeah. I do. You have no idea how many times we’ve talked about it.”

“Talked about getting companions?”

“Yeah. All of us want one. Well, Caleb never said anything, but the look in his eyes, the way his shoulders kind of slumped when we were talking about it…”

“What?”

“Well, just, I could be wrong, but I’ve known Caleb all my life.”

“I kind of figured since he’s your brother.” Ferris giggled.

“Smarty.” Bailey pinched Ferris’s bottom. “As I was saying. I know Caleb really well, and from the way he was acting when we were talking about mates, it was like he wanted one more than anything in the world. He’d never admit it because that’s just the way Caleb is, but he wants one real bad. Thing is, from the way he turned away and his big shoulders drooped, I got the impression he didn’t believe he’d ever get one. Like if our master bought him one, the fates would conspire against him and manage to take his mate away.”

“Maybe if he wasn’t so rebellious and scary, he might be more likely to be happy.” Ferris had not been closer than possibly one hundred feet to Caleb, but his dangerous green eyes had seemed to drill into Ferris like Caleb wanted to ram his cock into him while ripping his neck apart.

“Aw, Caleb’s okay. He’s the oldest, so I think he feels like a lot falls on him. If we mess up, he thinks he needs to fix it or take the blame.”

“I thought he was mean to you?”

“No. Well, yeah. Sometimes. But Caleb can be nice, too. It’s just when he is he doesn’t want anyone to know.”

“I don’t understand.”

“One time, Ollie was sick, so he only planted about half of what he should. The master—McBride’s father—said it was fine, or he told Jonas to tell us it was okay. Anyway, we all went into our houses, ate, and went to bed. A noise woke me up and when I looked out the window, Caleb was planting
tallos
in the moonlight. I didn’t say anything to anyone, but the next day, our master said there must have been a miscount because all the rows were done. I looked at Caleb, and he glared at me like if I said anything he was going to rip my tongue out.”

“So you kept quiet?”

“I did. And Ollie got a full day’s pay. All thanks to Caleb.”

“How very strange.” Ferris wondered why he hadn’t wanted credit for doing a good deed.

“I thought so, too.”

“But why wouldn’t he want praise or even the money for himself?”

“I wondered about that, too.” Bailey sighed, and even though it was dark, Ferris could see that his eyes were open and he was staring at the ceiling. “I finally figured that maybe Caleb wants to project an image of being bad so people won’t expect anything from him. Being known as nice might make him feel weak. Caleb only likes to be strong.”

“So he’s not the bad man I think he is?” Ferris could not shake the way Caleb had looked at him when he’d ridden up on McBride’s
dressiter
.

“Oh, don’t let that story make you go soft on Caleb. He’s as mean as they come. But he felt badly for Ollie. He wanted to make sure he got a full share. Maybe Caleb knew something about Ollie that I didn’t.”

“Something like what?”

“Maybe Ollie was saving up for something.”

The idea that there was a compassionate soul behind Caleb’s green eyes made Ferris shiver.

When he did, Bailey pulled the covers up from the bottom of the bed. “Better?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Thank you for what you’ve given to me.” Bailey kissed the edge of Ferris’s ear.

“Thank you for taking lightly.”

Together they sighed, and then Ferris laughed.

“What are you laughing at?” Bailey asked.

“Just that we already sound like a longtime couple. We sigh together, laugh at the same time. It’s nice.”

“It is.” Bailey stroked the collar around Ferris’s neck. “I will get you a proper one soon.”

“Please don’t worry about it. It’s actually very comfortable. The fabric is slippery and keeps the leather from chaffing my neck.”

“You are very sweet.” Bailey kissed his ear again and then went lower, pressing his lips against Ferris’s neck. “Does it hurt where I bit you?”

“A little.” Bailey stiffened, so Ferris rushed on. “But it’s more a pleasurable ache, like after our first night.”

“I hurt you then, too?”

“No.” Ferris turned so he was curled against Bailey’s chest in the dark. “I feel what we did. It reminds me, happily, of you piercing my bottom and my neck.”

“No pain?”

“None.” Actually, there was some, but it was so minor he didn’t want Bailey to worry. Ferris was learning that his mate was very sensitive about handling him with all due caution and care. The tiny twinges he felt were simply reminders of all that they had shared since he’d come to McBride’s
tallos
farm. “How about you?”