Renner Morgan by Anitra Lynn McLeod Page B

McBride would make him shave it off again, Renner pushed the notion away.
    Famished for him, even though they’d been together earlier in the day, Renner wanted to take Quintus in his mouth, but Quintus refused.
    “This time, let me take care of you.” Quintus finished taking off Renner’s clothing, kissing him everywhere. When he had him totally bare, he urged him onto the bed then climbed up beside him. More kisses followed, and Renner felt he would explode from a combination of longing and fear.
    “What if he comes in?”
    “Then he does.” Quintus got Renner facedown on the bed and then kissed his way along his back.
    “Did you tell him?”
    “No.” Quintus parted Renner’s cheeks. “I don’t want to cause trouble.”
    “This is going to—oh.” Renner stopped talking when Quintus teased his tongue around his hole. He couldn’t remember ever being so sensitized to another’s touch.
    “I want you. I want only you.” Between his murmured words, Quintus teased Renner until he was practically thrashing with need. He found the bottle of greasers on the bedside table and slid one inside.
    Just when Renner didn’t think he could take anymore, Quintus rolled him over so he was face up, slid between his legs, but he didn’t enter him.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing. Everything.” Quintus lowered his body over Renner, but he still didn’t penetrate him.
    “Please, I want to feel you inside me.”
    “I want that, too.” Quintus kissed the edge of Renner’s ear, then licked and bit his earlobe. “But I want so much more.”
    “Anything.”
    “I want you to bite me.”
    Renner shook his head. “If McBride won’t let us stay together, then a bloodbond will kill us when he separates us.”
    “He’ll let us stay together if he sees that it’s too late.” Quintus nuzzled the scar on Renner’s neck.
    “We should wait until we’re certain.”
    Quintus kept right on teasing his neck, making him crazed, but Renner didn’t want to compound his error. No matter how badly his canines itched, he wasn’t going to bite Quintus.

Chapter 9

    Quintus knew he shouldn’t push Renner to bloodbond, but he thought if they took that final step, McBride would have to let them stay together. From the brief conversation they’d had about Jonas and Ollie, that seemed to be what compelled McBride to not only allow their relationship to continue, but to offer out himself to cover them.
    “You’re right. We should wait.” As soon as Quintus spoke, Renner relaxed below him. “Forgive me.”
    “I do.” Renner rested his head on the pillow while Quintus held himself up over him. “You know I do.”
    “I just—I don’t want to lose you.”
    “You won’t.”
    Quintus wanted to believe him, but after the toast tonight, he wasn’t so sure McBride was going to let him go, especially not when gentrymen were at a premium. For all they knew, they were the last two gentrymen left in the entire county of Woven Spire.
    “Don’t you like McBride?” Renner’s question was hesitant, almost like he didn’t want to know the truth.
    “He’s handsome, and he clearly cares about his men, but…”
    Renner lifted his brows, waiting to hear the rest.
    “I’m not attracted to him that way.” Quintus sighed and kissed Renner’s shoulder softly. “As soon as you knelt down beside me to comfort me, I knew I wanted you.”
    Rather than talk anymore, Quintus fell to kissing Renner. Today, they’d snuggled in his bed because he thought the time to let go had come, but he found he simply couldn’t. As he and McBride stepped out to feed, he chose Renner, thinking he could have him one last time, but that was impossible. Quintus knew it wasn’t fair to Renner, McBride, or himself to try to juggle two men in a relationship. But more than that, McBride deserved better. He should have a mate who truly wanted him. While Quintus found him attractive, the zing wasn’t there, not like it was with Renner.
    What made things even