Page 14 of Medium
When we’d arrived at my house, they’d wasted no time in heading for the back yard. After a cursory inspection of the tiny patio, the dozens of potted plants I’d rescued from the dumpster at work, and the shrubbery lining the privacy fence, they’d made a beeline for the hammock, which was in the shade of my live oak tree.
After a couple of hilarious false starts, Ms. Jackson managed to successfully climb into the hammock and lie down. I was glad I’d bought the stand to go with it, because Ms. Jackson’s weight as a tiger could’ve damaged any trees I might’ve tied it to.
“I guess I’ll have to wait my turn,” Ellis had said, his eyestwinkling at me. I’d forgotten he’d told me how much he loved hammocks.
I’d chuckled. “I’m sorry it didn’t occur to me to buy two.” As if I’d had the budget to do so.
He’d waved this away. “Ms. Jackson will have to get up sometime.”
Then we’d gotten a couple of beers out of my fridge and sat on my patio, enjoying the humid but for once not too hot evening air while watching a tiger swing gently in the breeze. I’d ordered Indian food for dinner, and I’d swear Ms. Jackson had pouted as they’d dragged themself inside to eat. As soon as they’d gulped down their vegetable korma, they’d promptly gone back outside to the hammock.
I dropped the takeout containers in the trash, and Ellis followed me into the kitchen with the plates and cutlery. “I kinda thought Ms. Jackson wanted to spend time with us so they could impart some wisdom about the vampires or something. I didn’t expect them to just sleep.”
I pursed my lips as I glanced out the window. “If I’d spent decades trapped in one room with only piles of dusty books for company, I’d want to spend as much time outside as I could too.”
“Good point. But if they’re still out there this time tomorrow, I might have to flip the hammock over and dump them out so they’ll talk to us."
I eyed him dubiously. “Hmmm. They look pretty heavy in their tiger form.”
He flexed a bicep. “I’m motivated.”
I laughed and shook my head. “You want another beer?” We’d already had three apiece, but they’d been spread outover a couple of hours, so we’d be fine. We were both staying here tonight anyway.
“Please.” He loaded the dishwasher, and I got two more bottles of Dos Equis out of the fridge. I usually drank whatever was cheapest, but since Ellis was visiting, I’d splurged a little. He was probably used to more expensive craft beers, but he hadn’t complained so far.
I took the beers into the living room and sat on one end of the sofa. Ellis washed his hands, then he came and sat down next to me on the middle cushion. Which was a lot closer than I’d expected him to sit. When we were near enough to each other like this, our magic reached out, humming a little as it intermingled. If DMs could bond with other DMs, I’d say we were resonating.
But I didn’t say anything as I handed him his beer. He thanked me, then took a long sip. His throat was so sexy when he tilted his head back and swallowed. I wanted to lick it. I wanted to see it bulging with the head of my dick.
I looked down at my beer. “Um, it was cool how we were able to connect with Ruben and Karla today. Do you want to connect with some of my Wonders while you’re here?” I could think of a few who regularly traveled to Dallas and would feel safer having a connection to the DM there.
Ellis made a face. “How many Wonders do you have? Because I’ve got almost a hundred, and tracking down even half of them to connect with you will take forever.”
“Crap. Same here.” I picked at the label on my bottle. Ellis’ magic flared a little, and it felt nice brushing against mine. I looked up. Was his face closer than it’d been a moment ago? I shifted in my seat. “Um, what if, like, you and I connected? Wouldn’t we automatically get connected to each other’s Wonders in one go?”
Ellis stilled. Then he smiled, his cheeks pooching up under the rim of his glasses. “I’d love to be connected to you.”
My face went hot. “Um, same.” I’d guard a connection to Ellis with my life, even after I was bonded to someone else. Some future mate I hadn’t met yet didn’t mean as much to me as Ellis did. But at least when I was eventually bonded, my magic would be stronger. Every so often—not too often of course—I could check my connection with Ellis and see where he was and what emotions he was feeling. I’d just have to be careful not to let my own feelings about how much I missed Ellis bleed through to him.
Or to my mate.
He plucked the beer from my hand and reached around me to set it, along with his own, on the side table next to the sofa. I inhaled as silently as I could, because who knew when I’d get this close to him again? He smelled of some spicy cologne or body wash. I couldn’t identify the scent completely, but it had sandalwood undertones. His hair was soft when it briefly brushed against my jaw.
All too soon he straightened. With a shy smile, he held out his hand, palm up. I smiled back, glad to have an excuse to touch him. I put my hand in his. He was warm, and his hand was firm and sure in mine. Our magic buzzed together, giving the impression it’d been waiting for this all day.
Ellis looked down at our joined hands. “I don’t think we’ll have any trouble connecting.”
I chuckled. “Nope.” I closed my eyes and focused on visualizing my magic where it spun in a big sparkling wheel inside me. I was startled to also be able to see Ellis’ wheel, spinning next to mine. All of our connections to our Wonders stretched outward. As I watched, the wheels adjusted their speed to turn in tandem.
I urged my magic to extend a tendril out toward Ellis’, pushing my intent to connect with him along with it. I wanted to be connected to Ellis. Hell, I wanted to be as close to Ellis as I could get.
To my surprise, both of our wheels extended multiple shoots outward, twining around each other and pulling the wheels together into one giant sparkling, spinning mass.
I sucked in a breath and opened my eyes. I was... in Ellis’ lap. Straddling his lap. His dick was thick and hard beneath my ass cheek. Mine was grinding into his belly. Our arms were wrapped around each other, and our faces were mere inches apart.
“Oh,” I breathed. “I, um, is this okay?” I couldn’t stop a tiny thrust. Fuck. My eyes almost rolled back in my head. But what was weird was I could vividly imagine what it had felt like from Ellis’ perspective, how most of his dick was constricted by his shorts but the head had managed to peek out of the leg opening. My jeans-covered ass was giving it the most delicious friction.
Ellis’ eyes blazed, the rich brown brightening to a molten copper. I could smell the many individual scents that made up his body wash or whatever it was. I could also smell his precum, which was soaking into the fabric of my jeans.
