The Crimson King Ch. 11

When Mary awoke, she felt the urge to scream but bit it back when she saw the last vestiges of daylight curling around the velvet drapes and realized that she was back in Thorne's mansion. The baby turned in her stomach, kicking momentarily before finding a comfortable spot and lapsing back into stillness. She smiled, running a hand over her bloated abdomen. Her baby was safe. Her hand touched another and she realized with great joy that Leon was sleeping behind her, his strong body plastered to her back.

She reached behind and found his hip, letting her fingers trace the long muscles and curve around the smooth round of his ass, then down his firm thigh. Leon moved behind her, a low moan escaping his lips as her hand continued exploring. His hand covered hers, fingers intertwining briefly before she disengaged and returned to her exploration of his marvelous leg. She let out a staggered gasp as his questing hand found her damp pussy, pushed through the golden curls and wiggled against her drowsy clit.

Leon shuddered when her body reacted honestly to his touch, arching back against him, her curvy globes of assflesh rubbing against his stiff cock. He burrowed deeper through the thick folds until his middle finger curled into her hole, stroking and thrusting inward while the other fingers pinched the fat, swelling lips together. She arched again, a tremor snaking through her body as juices wetted his fingers. He stroked again and again, bringing her close to the edge and closing his eyes as her pussy honey and whimpers of pleasure washed over him. Sensing her impending climax, he pressed the heel of his hand onto the top of her mound, applying pressure to her throbbing pearl.

Her climax snatched the breath from her lungs and she stiffened as her pussy muscles rippled around his fingers. She gasped through the aftershocks, her entire body tingling in release. His lips found her neck and shoulder, nipping and biting as his fingers swirled in her honeypot, coaxing her back into quietness.

"Leon, please. I want you inside me."

"I don't want to hurt the baby."

"You won't. Let me show you." Her soft hand again reached back, this time, targeting his prick and adjusting her position until she could rub the fat head up and down her glistening slit. He groaned deeply, his hips moving in concert with her hand. "Come inside." She whispered in a sultry voice, pushing back a little. "It's nice and warm inside."

Leon whimpered. His juice-coated cock head split her thick lips, pushing into her hot, wet canal until he was fully seated against her. "Oh, Mary."

"Let's pretend we're making this baby." She clasped her pussy around his rod. "Fuck me, baby."

Leon couldn't think straight. He moved gently out of her wet hole, sighing at the sensation and pushed back in, drawing a low moan from her. In minutes, he was slamming against her backside, his long cock plumbing her dewy depths. Her second orgasm made him grit his teeth as more of her thick juices coated his aching prick and her third took him over the edge, triggered yet another. His cock pumped warm semen into her womb, the head flexing against her cervix, his breath hot and moist against her neck.

For several long moments, the dusky room echoed with the sounds of lovers kissing in caressing each other in the aftermath of lovemaking and soft words of affection and contentment. "Leon?"

"Yes."

"What's going to happen now?"

"I don't know. Thorne said that Pieter was working on something ... "

"Not with them. With us."

Leon pulled her close, running his fingers over her gravid belly in a soothing manner. "What do you want to happen with us?"

"I want to stay with you."

"What about the baby?"

Mary gulped against the lump in her throat. "I want to keep my baby."

Leon smiled in the darkness. "I had hoped that you'd say that." He stroked her cheek tenderly. "Mary, I'd like nothing better than for you to move in with me and to hopefully be a father to your baby." He said in a soft voice. "I ... I love you."

"Oh, Leon."

"And maybe we can make one of our own, for real."

Mary reached down, grabbing and stroking his awakening rod with a smile. "Maybe, but pretending sure is fun."

* * * * *

Pieter didn't turn when he heard the heavy door scrape open because he already knew who his visitor was. Jacob's essence was like an electrical shock to his system, an invisible pheromone that had kept him up all night, unable to seek neither the solace of sleep nor the comforting release of masturbation. What was worse was that the connection they shared laid Jacob wide open and Pieter could see into his heart. So much confusion, so much loneliness. He felt the pain of Jacob's tears and wanted to console him but his sensibilities told him that this was something that the young man needed to work out for himself.

"Good evening."

"Hi." Pieter answered tersely, checking a concoction swirling in a fluted beaker. "Sleep well?" When Jacob didn't answer, the housekeeper turned to him and was shocked to see deep black bags under his eyes. "You didn't sleep at all?"

Jacob shook his head. "I was hungry. I had to stay awake to fight it."

"And now?"

"I'm still hungry." His tortured eyes swung up to Pieter's. "Can you help me?"

"Maybe." He used a pair of tongs to carefully lift the fluted beaker and poured the contents into a large round container, then opened the descending valve, watching as the dark red liquid slowly dripped, winding through filters. "But it would require your absolute trust."

Jacob slumped onto a stool, rubbing his face with his hand, seemingly oblivious to the tears that leaked from his eyes. "I've never trusted anyone."

As before, the three colored liquids bubbled in separate tubes, slowly sliding in a viscous dance down the thin rods of glass and commingling in the solitary tube. Pieter watched the journey with the practiced eye of a scientist, anticipation percolating in his veins as he twisted the release valve closed and stoppered the tube.This time. He lifted the tube and placed it into the cradle, activating the purple light. Time slowed and crawled to a trickle as the fluid meandered down the sides of the tube, edging toward the light.

"That will have to change," Pieter held his breath. "If you want to truly live." The liquid crept into the luminescence and formed iridescent swirls in the bottom of the tube. Pieter's hands shook as he grasped the tube and held it aloft, scrutinizing the results. Beauregard's Solution. Finally. "Will you trust me?"

Jacob lifted himself to his feet, his heart in tatters in his chest and his will to live fading fast. "I don't have any other choice. If this doesn't work, Pieter, I want you to kill me." Tears brimmed in his eyes. "I can't stand the hunger any more."

Pieter guided Jacob to the stool and took his head in his hands, gazing into his eyes. "It will work, Jacob." His heart fluttered when Jacob leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to Pieter's mouth. He moved away and prepared a sterile syringe, drawing the liquid directly from the tube and expressing a tiny drop out along with any extra air. "Ready?"

* * * * *

Pieter and Jacob

"It's absolutely amazing." Jacob gushed happily. "Absolutely."

It had been a long twelve hours since Pieter had given him the shot and he had suffered through body cramps and nausea that made him beg for the sweetness of death. But Pieter hadn't killed him. Pieter had stayed at his bedside, sponging the sweat from his brow when flaming heat seared his body and wrapping him warmly when cold skated through his skin. His large hands massaged every inch of his body as cramps racked him, soothing him with whispered words and soft kisses.

The sunrise stretched across the dark valley of sky, fingers of orange and pink reaching out and giving the buildings below a soft strawberry tinge. The breath painfully caught in Jacob's throat as he watched the city come alive. Lights flickered on in windows, scents of bacon and coffee wafted through the air and the streets filled with cars until they resembled a slow flow of lava, their taillights gleaming starkly in the dawn light.

Pieter joined him on the balcony, handing him a glass of champagne. His own body still ached from the onset of Beauregard's Solution and he sought the railing to take some of the weight off of his throbbing knees. "Magnificent, isn't it?"

Jacob nodded in agreement. "It's been so long since I saw it ... " He took a long drink of champagne, turning to gaze at Jacob. His beatific smile melted into horror when he noticed the grimace on Pieter's face. "What's wrong? Pieter, did you take the shot, too?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jacob set his glass down and dashed inside, returning with a chair.

Pieter sat slowly, wincing as his sore knees bent. "I'm okay. Quit fussing over me."

"You fussed over me all night. Am I not allowed to return the favor?" The look in Pieter's eyes told Jacob everything he needed to know. For the first time since they'd had sex, Jacob allowed himself to tap into the connection that they'd shared and was floored by the wealth of feelings that flowed through them. He felt Pieter's fear: his fear of pity, his fear of loneliness and his fear of rejection. He also felt the depth of Pieter's love and closed his eyes, basking in its innate warmth, trembling with the realization that it was for him. "Pieter ... "

"No, Jacob." Pieter fought the tears that made his throat ache. "You have a chance to live a life now. Take it."

"You have the same chance that I do." The older man looked away, taking a sip of champagne. "Pieter!" Jacob's shout brought Pieter's eyes back to his. "You have the same chance."

"No, I don't."

His raspy whisper caught Jacob.I am too old. His heart spoke softly, sadly. "You are not too old."

"I am, dear Jacob. You will always be a youthful thirty while I will always be an aged fifty-two." Pieter stretched his legs, gasping at the pain. "You deserve a younger man, Jacob. I have to be realistic in this."

"What's realistic? What the hell's that mean?"

"Besides, you don't really have feelings for me."

Jacob stepped back, glaring at him. "That's not fair. We haven't had enough time."

"Maybe not, but it's realistic." The tears slipped from Pieter's eyes, even though his face bore a smile. "It would be too painful for both of us if we were to continue. A besotted old man and a young man full of pity." He struggled to his feet, nearly dropping his glass in the effort. "I thank you for what you gave me. Without you, I wouldn't have found the secret to Beauregard's Solution and none of us would have a chance at living a halfway decent life."

"Pieter, you're wrong."

"No, Jacob, I'm not." Pieter let his gaze roam over Jacob, taking in the dark hair and ice-blue eyes, the slim shoulders and slimmer hips, the manicured hands and soft lips. "Enjoy your sunrise."

Jacob watched the man leave, sighing sadly at the closure of the connection. Pieter was wrong. Jacob Whiting did have feelings for Pieter Ringgold. He just wasn't sure what to do with them. He turned back to the beauty of the rising sun, surprised to feel the tears on his cheeks and wondering if he would ever find peace.

* * * * *

It was late when Pieter sought the comfort of his own bed. Once he knew that the Beauregard's Solution worked, he had spent much of the morning and part of the afternoon concocting a second batch, larger than and just as potent as the first. Thorne was the third recipient, Sammi the fourth. But there was a problem with Sammi. Because she had not been a vampire for a full month and fed during a full moon, her result would not be the same. She would not fully remember the events that occurred after her blood initiation. She would only retain vestiges of her memory, Thorne included.

He had stood silently while Thorne cried at the news, his own innards racked with pain. His work had kept him busy; busy enough to evade Jacob's attempts at conversation and busy enough not to see his departure. He had seen, though. He had hidden in the dusty folds of the drapes, watching his silverleaf Volvo pull out of the driveway. Jacob had slowed, pausing to glance up at the windows and Pieter felt his eyes find him, even though he was trying to hide. Then, the elegant car pulled away and Pieter was alone again.

After the shot administration, he had returned to the lab, preparing their daily doses, carefully packaging Jacob's for delivery and trudged up to his room, physically and emotionally exhausted. The aches had fled from his body but not from his heart, not from his soul. He poured himself a large Sambuca, complete with coffee beans and headed for the shower, dropping his clothes along the way.

"Well, Pieter," He sized himself up in the mirror, taking in the still-firm body with its obvious paunches and the silver-streaked black hair and golden eyes. "Another night alone."

At least the shower welcomed him. The stinging jets pulsed against his skin, a cloud of mist rising as the hot water beat down. He leaned against the tiles, letting the spray course over the back of his neck and shoulders while he sobbed in silence. He sobbed because he knew that he could have said something to Jacob, should have let him know that he could feel the seed of something there, that together, they could have brought it to bloom. But he didn't want Jacob to be held back by an old man, even if he was in pretty good shape.

"Fuck you."

Pieter whirled at the soft voice that floated over his shoulder. Jacob stood outside the shower, his dark eyes alive with anger and Pieter's heart leaped in his chest, his cock hardening at the beautiful sight. "What?"

"I said, fuck you!" Jacob stepped into the shower, ignoring the water that soaked his clothes and pushed Pieter back, pinning him with his body while his mouth sought the hot depths of his mouth, then moved to his ear, breath heated. "You're a fucking liar."

"What are you talking about?" Pieter panted, closing his eyes and whimpering as Jacob's searching mouth was joined by wandering hands, hands that caressed his furred chest, slid over his wet torso and wrapped around his straining cock. A low moan escaped him as Jacob's hands moved together, stroking him from thick stem to weeping stern, both fists tight around him rock-hard prick. "I don't understand ... "

"You." Jacob hissed, nibbling Pieter's corded neck and suckling the sensitive flesh. "You're a damned good liar. You even had me believing."

His dreams unfolding before him, Pieter felt giddy, his hands reaching up to push the wet denim jacket from Jacob's shoulders, opening his Hilfiger shirt. "I didn't tell you any lies." His mouth covered a nipple, reveling in the tightness of it beading on his tongue.

"Yes, you did, goddammit!" Jacob pushed Pieter back, gazing into his eyes, his own angry. "You lied to me when you told me that I deserved a younger man."

Yes, he had said that. To speak those words had taken every ounce of courage he'd possessed. "Yes, but ... "

"And then, you lied when you said that all I'd feel for you was pity."

"Jacob ... " The older man wanted to embrace Jacob, to let him know that those feelings were all right. He'd experienced rejection before and he was well-equipped to handle it. "You don't need to ... "

Jacob gritted his teeth as he spoke again, unexpected tears burning in his eyes. "And worst of all, you lied when you said that you didn't have a chance at life." Jacob leaned close, his lips just inches from Pieter's. "What about a chance with me?"

Pieter was suddenly speechless. After all the nights of fantasy and constant replays of the one evening they'd spent together, he never thought that there'd ever be a chance of a repeat performance. So, instead of waiting for the inevitable rebuff, he had decided that it would be best to be proactive: he would dump Jacob first, making it seem as if the young man was not to blame. But obviously, it hadn't worked. "I ... I ... "

"Why didn't you ask me how I felt?" Jacob asked, his heart teetering on the edge of oblivion. "Here." His hands grasped Pieter's shoulders. "Feel me."

Pieter resisted at first. He had only skimmed the surface of Jacob's feelings when he'd previously opened the connection but now, he had no choice. An angry torrent of feelings flooded him, disorienting him enough that he was unaware of his subsequent collapse and of Jacob escorting him to bed, dousing the shower and shedding his own clothes. All Pieter was conscious of was the onslaught of feelings that ruled his senses and what he felt was love and appreciation. Not pity. No disgust or revulsion but deep love, welling up from a place that had been untapped. It was something that Jacob had never felt before and Pieter understood the hesitation he'd sensed before. It was not that Jacob didn't feel; he was just afraid of what he was feeling.

Pieter looked up into the young man's face, reaching up to smooth the worry lines away. "Jacob, I ... I didn't know ... "

"Then listen to my heart," He bent closer, targeting Pieter's mouth. "And learn."

Searing desire washed over him as the connection filled and widened, encompassing both of them and Pieter's cock hardened under Jacob's sure fingers. He shivered as the young man's tongue plunged deeply, tasting and touching the warm inside of his mouth as if it was the first time. Jacob's hands moved over his trembling body, smoothing flesh and fur, fingertips lingering over beaded nipples, loving the low moan that rumbled through Pieter. He teased the tender pink tips, alternately rubbing, then pinching them, making Pieter gasp in pleasure.

"Are you listening?" Jacob's lips traveled from mouth to neck, raining open-mouthed kisses over collarbones, nipples and ribs. His breath escaped in shallow bursts as Jacob continued downward, over Pieter's trembling belly, past the crease of his abdomen and into the thick forest of dark curls, ignoring the straining stalk and seeking out the soft sac below.

"Oh ... " The word slipped from Pieter in a long groan, his body quivering with Jacob's touch. He reached down and ran a loving hand through Jacob's hair, arching at the tickle of tongue along the sensitive inside of his legs, then the tease of hot breath. Then time stopped as Jacob's warm, wet mouth slowly slid up the side of his cock, pausing at the top to suckle from the slit, then back down the other side.

His taste was exquisite and a perfect mix of salty and musky precum covered his tongue, leaking from his thick rod. Jacob hummed in appreciation, moving back to the top, engulfing his tool and taking him deep into his throat. He whipped his tongue over the fleshy head, slathering the steely skin with his saliva while his head bobbed up and down, his cheeks concaving with the suction.

Pieter alternately gasped and whimpered with each movement, his fingers looping through Jacob's hair and his toes cramping as the sensations built, hurtling him closer and closer to the edge. Then, without warning, he was there, screaming Jacob's name as his balls released their sticky load, spurting again and again into Jacob's hot mouth. He shuddered again as Jacob moved up and shared part of the cum load with him, their tongues rolling it over until both swallowed.

He moved his hands over Jacob's naked back, tracing the muscles and kneading his ass and grinding his semi-hard prick against Jacob's rock-hard cock. Jacob groaned, moving against him. Pieter reached down and smeared pre-cum over Jacob's rod, then raised his hips, placing the thick head at his pucker. The action caught Jacob's attention and he broke their kiss, meeting Pieter's eyes with an unspoken question.

"I want you to." His plea squeezed Jacob's heart. "I want you to be the first, last and only."