Arcane Entanglement (The Mage and His Brute #1)

Chapter 49

Evander’s mind was still reeling from all he had learned that afternoon when he returned to his townhouse in Mayfair.

“Would you like dinner now, my Lord?” Hargrove said.

“Yes,” Evander replied distractedly. “I shall freshen up first.” He crossed the foyer and paused, one foot on the staircase. “Has there been any news from Mr. Stonewall?”

Hargrove’s expression made him immediately regret the question.

“I’m afraid not, my Lord,” the manservant said in a saccharine voice. “You shall be the first to know when he sends a missive.”

Evander sighed. “Jasper?”

“Yes, my Lord?”

“Stop smiling like that. It’s making me want to punch you in the face.”

“That’s cold, my Lord.”

Evander took a shower and changed into comfortable day wear before making his way to the dining room. Hargrove’s stare turned disapproving as he watched Evander wolf down his meal.

“You’ll get indigestion if you eat that fast, my Lord.”

“And you’ll be right there to nurse me back to health,” Evander quipped, rising from the table.

“Har-har, my Lord,” the manservant grumbled. “Shall I bring you some coffee?”

“Please do. And make sure no one disturbs me. I shall be working late.”

Evander retired to the formal study on the ground floor and picked up several tomes on dark and rare magic from his bookshelves before sitting at his desk. They were exclusive editions rarely available outside the Royal Institute. Some he’d picked out personally from little known shops in Europe when he’d toured the continent.

The clock on the mantelpiece had just chimed ten o’clock when a mild breeze rustled the pages he was poring over. He frowned, so immersed in what he was reading it took him a couple of seconds to realise he’d not opened the windows.

Magic ignited his chest and warmed his blood as he jumped to his feet and whirled around.

“Good evening,” Viggo said.

The Brute stood watching him with a quiet intensity where he leaned against the wall, his ankles and arms crossed. Curtains moved gently next to him, letting in the night air through the window he’d pushed open.

Evander’s body grew light with relief. He retracted his magic and smiled tiredly.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“A good few minutes.” Viggo’s eyes glittered. “I like watching you work.”

Evander’s mouth went dry at the predatory light in the Brute’s stare. He swallowed.

“I wish you’d use the door, like everyone else.”

Viggo’s lips curved in a smile that quickened his pulse.

“And miss surprising you? That would be utterly boring.”

He straightened and closed the distance to Evander.

Heat coiled through Evander, as it always did in Viggo’s presence.

Viggo stopped in front of him. His gaze searched Evander’s face before he gently cradled his cheek.

“You look worn out.”

Evander’s flesh tingled where the Brute caressed him. He leaned into his touch.

“It’s been a difficult few days.”

Viggo’s gaze moved past him to the books on the desk. He wrinkled his brow.

“Your nighttime reading appears to be on a somewhat serious topic.”

Evander hesitated before relating what he and Rufus had learned that afternoon. A troubled silence befell them when he finished.

“So, this isn’t over yet,” Viggo said in a hard voice.

“It isn’t.” Evander ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. “But the murder case is closed, for now.”

Viggo’s gaze dropped to Evander’s mouth. Evander’s breath caught when the Brute brushed his lower lip with a thumb, his eyes darkening with an emotion that made his blood sing and his cock spring to attention.

“Really?”

Desire licked through every inch of Evander’s body. He nodded tremulously.

“Good,” Viggo growled. “Because I’m about to fulfil the promise I made to you the last time we were in this room.”

Evander barely had time to draw a breath before Viggo’s mouth landed on his.

The kiss seared his senses. Lit up his heart. Made him weak to the bones.

Evander could only moan and cling to Viggo as he claimed his lips with passionate savagery. The Brute danced his large hands over Evander’s body, stroking him, kneading him, rousing his nerves until his skin sparked all over.

Evander gasped when Viggo walked him backwards to his desk and lifted him so he could set him on the edge.

“I want to fuck you so badly I’m pretty certain I’m going to embarrass myself the moment I enter you,” Viggo confessed roughly.

He hastily unbuttoned Evander’s shirt and shrugged it off his shoulders before dropping it on the floor.

Evander looped his arms around Viggo’s neck as he nipped at his swollen lips, the Brute’s tongue snaking out to lave the wounds he made while his hands found Evander’s nipples. Evander hissed and dropped his head back when Viggo pinched and rubbed the hard nubs, pleasure spearing him with every clever move of Viggo’s fingers.

Viggo took advantage and pressed torrid kisses down the column of his neck. He paused to feast on the pulse beating frantically at the base of Evander’s throat before exploring his chest with his lips and tongue.

Evander cried out when Viggo bit his nipples and sucked them inside his mouth. Then Viggo’s hands were on the buckle of his trousers and he was freeing Evander’s weeping erection.

“I swear, your cock is the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen,” Viggo groaned.

He trailed his fingers up and down Evander’s naked manhood.

Evander twitched and bit his lip to stifle a lustful moan, his chest heaving with shuddering pants as he watched Viggo caress his shaft.

“Don’t.” Viggo tipped his chin up and tugged his flesh free from his teeth. He pierced Evander with a scorching stare. “I want to hear the sounds you make when I make love to you, mage.”

Evander almost swallowed his tongue when the Brute dropped to his knees. Then his lips and tongue were on Evander’s aching erection and Evander lost himself to the dizzying pleasure that was Viggo performing fellatio on him.

He grabbed fistfuls of the Brute’s hair as the latter worked him thoroughly with his mouth, his hips rocking to and fro and his heels digging into the larger man’s back. The sounds he made would have made him blush had he been in possession of his senses. But Evander could only close his eyes and feel.

Every clever lick and suck. Every heated breath that danced across his sensitive nerve endings. Every groan the Brute made as he ate him to his heart’s content.

Brightness seared Evander’s sight when he came. He bucked and convulsed, his mouth open on lustful cries as he emptied himself on Viggo’s eager tongue, his head spinning from the ecstasy of it all.

He came to after a fathomless moment and found Viggo gazing at him hotly, his lips grazing his inner thigh with soft kisses.

“Was that good?”

Evander gulped, still shuddering with aftershocks of pleasure.

“Do you even have to ask?!” he panted.

A wicked grin lit Viggo’s face. He rose to his feet, pulled Evander off the desk, and tugged his trousers and shoes off.

Evander’s hole twitched as he watched Viggo strip, exposing the beautiful ink decorating his toned skin. His gaze roamed the Brute’s brawny physique hungrily before landing on his impressive manhood. He swallowed, his insides quivering at the thought of being penetrated by Viggo.

The Brute took Evander in his arms and kissed him, his rock-hard shaft digging into Evander’s belly as he worked his hands down his back and palmed his buttocks.

Evander clutched Viggo’s shoulders and closed his eyes on a ragged gasp as he parted his crack and rubbed the pad of a finger up and down his entrance.

Viggo’s whisper tickled Evander’s ear. “Do you have something for?—?”

“Second drawer on the right,” Evander mumbled.

Viggo froze and straightened.

Evander blinked as he met his guarded stare.

“Should I be worried about the fact that you have that in your desk?”

Evander flushed. “I—I don’t do that kind of thing in here. It was just—” He stopped and chewed his lip, his gaze lowering. “I remembered your promise, is all.”

Viggo drew a sharp breath.

Evander sneaked a look at him from under his lashes. His toes curled at the sight of the Brute’s feverish expression.

Viggo hastily opened the drawer and removed the vial of intimate oil Evander had tucked in there.

“Evander?” the Brute mumbled as he uncorked the bottle with his teeth.

“Yes?” Evander hummed and closed his eyes, his senses focusing on the delicious feel of Viggo’s finger circling his hole.

“I don’t think I can be gentle right now.”

The Brute twisted him around, knelt behind him, and spread his buttocks.

Evander’s mouth rounded on a shocked gasp as Viggo exposed him to the cool night air before flicking him with his tongue. He grasped the edge of the desk with a white-knuckled grip and moaned and cursed as the Brute used his mouth on him for a long, torturous moment.

Viggo climbed to his feet, his breathing loud and fast.

The musky smell of the oil hit Evander’s nostrils as the Brute poured a generous amount in his hand. He shivered when cool drops anointed his entrance. Then Viggo’s fingers were warming him, rubbing and circling with brisk motions before slipping inside.

Evander arched his spine and dropped his head back on a guttural moan as Viggo worked him open.

It wasn’t long before the Brute crowded his back and pressed his cock to Evander’s opening. They both groaned when he pushed inside, Evander shivering at the delicious penetration.

Sweat dripped off his nose as Viggo slowly filled him up, the sensation of fullness so exquisite Evander almost came there and then. He hissed when Viggo reached the tightest part of him, the sting and burn making him stiffen.

Viggo pressed soft kisses to his nape and worked his hand around his body.

Evander whimpered as the Brute started working his aching manhood.

Viggo waited until Evander was writhing and rocking his hips in pleasure before punching all the way to the hilt in a single thrust.

They both stilled, their pants echoing around the room.