Tag Archives: Artemio

From the Secret Files...

Last Laugh

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It’s #1lineWed again! Today’s “Context is Key” entry in the Secret Files comes from Holy – the theme was humor, after all! 

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Artemio felt Matti shifting on his chest as Marina shouted down Luca’s protests. He was so relaxed, his lips occasionally pressing against his throat, his fingers warm against the back of Artemio’s hand, that this time he didn’t worry. He grinned as Luca reached out and clapped a hand over Marina’s mouth to shut her up, at least long enough that he could get a word in.

“You’re drunk. Seriously, do you hear yourself? The second one is the shitty one, Jason vs. Necromancer Moon Unicorn three is Stabbin’ Fever.”

Marina pulled Luca’s hand off her mouth, took another drink and shook her head emphatically. “No it’s two, three’s from 2029 and it has the Cyberwar crap in it -”

“Uh…huh.”

Luca looked contemplative, but Artemio nudged the back of his head with a knee. “Nobody cares, because we’re not watchin’ anything with Necromancer Moon Unicorns.”

“But boss man -”

“Not. Happening.”

“I’m with Art on this one. Gotta add it to the list – no driving for Yuyi, nobody go to Luca’s house, and no picking movies for Marina when she’s drunk.”

“Fuck you – and you – and…and Taj again.”

“No, you just keep fuckin’ Taj, I got enough on my plate.”

“Hey!”

“The hell now? That’s like the third time tonight, who said I was screwing Marina?”

“I -”

“I mean not like I’d say no, but -”

“I -”

“Seriously, what gives?”

“I would like to say something if you’d both SHUT UP.”

Two pairs of eyes turned in Marina’s direction.

“….”

“…What?”

“Artemio’s a prick and I will never fuck Taj.” Without further ado, Marina slugged the rest of the bottle, then rolled it away across the floor and threw her head back. “Next!”

Artemio nudged Taj with an elbow, looked back at him over his shoulder. “Artemio, she says. Look at that, you got her to use my actual name.”

“I got her to? I think this one’s all you, Art.”

“Uh-huh, whatever. But anybody gives her another bottle I’m settin’ Yuyi on ‘em.”

“Oh? Oh? Oh? Yes? Yes…”

Artemio glanced down at her, suddenly alert, her head lifted, her eyes bright. “Don’t be too eager or nothin’…”

Luca reached up a hand, waved it around.“I want a bottle. Or a glass, even. Since, y’know. Marina drank the whole rest of the first one.” Luca scowled around, irritated, but nobody made to get up, and he scowled harder. “Seriously, I gotta get it myself?”

Artemio shrugged. “I’m not getting up. And that means Matti’s not getting up, or Taj, either.” Luca glared at him, then shrugged.

“And Marina can’t stand.” He tossed a hopeful glance in Svava’s direction, and she lifted an eyebrow.

“You are a lazy man.”

“I’m an old man.”

“You are only forty seven. I came into being more than two thousand years ago, but I am not whining about old age.”

“You don’t get achy.”

“I will be kind and bring you a glass, and the bottle, as I wish for a drink myself. But it does not change that you are a lazy man. And you, Taj?”

“No, thanks. I gotta drive, and dealing with Marina’s gonna be hell as it is.”

“Hmmm…this, I think you are right about. Artemio, is your glass full? Should I make offering to your lover?”

Artemio jerked his gaze up to her face. “To my – Matti? Fuck no, he’s had enough twice over.” There was giggling against his chest, then laughter, and Artemio only sighed. “See? Look at this. As I was gonna say before, I didn’t mean to even get him drunk, but I fucked up pourin’ outta the bottle and onto the altar. Which I’ve never done before. Also I got no idea how much it takes to set him off, I mean he’s got this wine, and he never got like this off that.”

“Yes, Artemio. But you?”

“Eh…yeah, I could use a splash.” He sipped at his glass, stretched his leg until he felt Luca’s shoulder against his knee, cold through his sweatpants. Svava came back with the bottle and a pair of glasses, topped off Artemio’s drink then stepped around the couch to give Luca his.

“Thanks, Svava. Life-saver, really.”

“I am not getting up again to give you the bottle -”

“Eh, you can throw at it me. Or I’ll just make Marina get it, that’ll be fun. So anyone gonna pick a movie or not?”

Artemio leaned his head back against Taj and closed his eyes. “I never finished watchin’ Terminal Glory but I think the noise might scare Matti into another incarnation. Unless he’s passed out alr-” Mouth. Tongue against his lips, so hot, so sudden he almost dropped his glass of whiskey. Matti kissed him hard enough to steal his breath, then pulled back and stared at him with eyes that were burning with brightness.

“Not passed out, not sleeping, not anything, only waiting, wanting – waiting.” Another kiss, somehow sharper and softer both, and then Matti slid back down Artemio’s chest and turned to the face the Wall again. Artemio blinked down at the top of his head, licked his lips, then lifted his glass carefully around Matti and transferred it to the hand resting on the back of the couch.

“Well. Guess that answers that – but I still don’t wanna watch it. Anybody else got a suggestion?” Artemio slung his gaze around the room – Jer only lifted an eyebrow, and Sváva blinked at him dispassionately. Yuyi’s eyes were closed, her breathing steady, and he couldn’t see Marina or Luca at all, turned his head and peered up at Taj out of one eye, met his gaze and the shrug in it.

“Don’t look at me.”

Artemio sighed. “We’re gonna end up watching moon unicorns, aren’t we?”

“Nah.”

And, as always happened eventually, random movie titles began to bounce around the room. “Imperfect Suicide?”

“Seen it. Sucked. Last Call?”

“You think everything sucked. And Last Call is almost four hours long, I don’t wanna listen to the boss snoring for that long. The Omen?”

“Luca, nobody is ever gonna wanna watch The Omen. Why do you always suggest it?”

He shrugged, a movement Artemio felt against his leg. “Better than Robocop?”

“Oh you dinn’t – don’even – Rob’cops th’best. Well, almos’. Alien’s reall’ th’bes’.”

“Christ, Mari. Just…don’t even talk. Though…actually. What about Alien?” Artemio scanned the room, got shrugs and shrugged himself. “Fine, at least it’s somethin’. Wall, find movie, Alien.” It came up almost at once. “Play. Hey, Matti. Matti -”

“Hmmmm? Master. Master? You need -”

“No, just – ‘s gonna get loud. Eventually. If it scares you, you don’t have to -”

“Master. It doesn’t scare me, it’s just…loud.”

Taj was snickering again, and Artemio shoved an elbow back into his ribs – but then the movie credits zoomed in from space to the interior of the ship, and Matti wiggled back against him, and Artemio gave up his scowl for a sip of bourbon and pressed his lips against the back of Matti’s neck.

By the time the movie was a half hour in, the soft whiskey scent had left Matti’s skin, and his mouth only tasted like sweetness when Artemio bent to kiss him, testing. In the light from the Wall, his eyes were clear now, and Artemio leaned back satisfied.

“Master.”

It was the softest whisper, pleased and warm. Matti wiggled back against him again, slipped his hand over Artemio’s hand and pushed it down to his waist, then his hip.

Artemio lifted an eyebrow, hooked his thumb into the waistband of Matti’s borrowed sweatpants and pressed his lips against his throat again, brought his mouth up to Matti’s ear and nipped the curve of it. “You be good.”

But Matti turned against him, pressed back and wiggled, wouldn’t be still until Artemio’s erection settled against the curve of his ass, and then he rocked against it.

“Matti enough!” He hissed it sharply, truly annoyed now. Hadn’t he made it clear enough that he wanted him? Didn’t the fucking hard on that’d been jabbing him in the back for the last hour prove it? “Enough.” Softer, irritated at himself now for being so sharp, he tightened his grip on Matti’s waist.

Matti shivered once and went still against him, eyes on the screen – but Artemio wondered, because there was no worry on his face, and he was still relaxed…even though that hadn’t been the case before, when he’d been sharp with him.

What had changed? Was it that there was someone else here with them now? Instead of paying attention to the movie, which he’d seen before, Artemio sipped at his drink, closed his eyes and contemplated the riddle that was Matti.

Obedience. But even if that was his nature, it obviously wasn’t the whole of him – wasn’t everything – or he wouldn’t resist. Or does he? Or…was he…

By the end of the movie, with Matti still and no longer trying to entice him, Artemio had dozed off. He always did, couldn’t help it – the dark did him in, and the alcohol, and the warmth of familiar presences, the knowledge of their safety which was the whole point of the evening. The difference was that this time, when he cracked his eyes open to the sounds of people moving around, felt Taj’s body moving out from under his head, there was one point of warm contact that didn’t move away.

Matti was still against his chest, his eyes closed, his breathing even and deep. He was glowing that soft glow again, asleep and perfect, and four pairs of eyes were staring at him that weren’t Artemio’s. Jer was already gone, and Yuyi was pacing by the door, waiting for Svava, but the rest –

He shifted his glance from one to the other and grumbled at them. “What’re you lookin’ at? Why are you still all here? Get.” Warmth tickled his chin as Matti turned his head, waking, rubbed his cheek against Artemio’s chest, and looked up at him.

“Master, should I get rid of them for you?” That scattered the rest of team. Artemio grinned, waved them all off and snickered at Taj’s back as he helped Marina stumble swearing out the door. It clicked shut, and Matti kissed Artemio’s throat in the same instant.

“You are awake now, Master? You were sleeping, so I slept with you – I did not like that movie. Everyone kept dying.”

Artemio chuckled, shook his head. “Yeah, I know. And I’m…awake? Mmmm…sorta. Kinda. Maybe.” He yawned, shifted, and Matti sat up, slipped off the side of the couch and knelt beside him. “Why, there somethin’ you wanna do?” He asked the question even though he knew exactly what Matti wanted to do, and the thought brought back the last thing that had been on his mind before he dozed off.

“No. No, not -” But he was biting his lip that way he did so often, leaning forward, and Artemio pushed himself up on one arm and leaned over the edge of the couch. He kissed him deeply, fully, smirked and came far more awake at the sound of Matti’s moan.

“What if there’s something I wanna do?”

“’Temio?”

“Like take you.”

“Oh. Oh -”

“I made you a promise…though I seem to remember somebody gettin’ handsy. In the middle of the movie – in fronta my whole goddamn team.” He lifted an eyebrow, reached out to tug at Matti’s hair the way he knew he liked, watched his lips part, his eyes darken. “Somebody who knows better.”

Matti’s gaze was innocent, but that innocence uncompelling. “Master, you never said not to-”

“Rub all over me? Kiss me like a dyin’ man? Try to make me fuck you right here, in front of my team? Cause you got me this close -” Artemio kissed him roughly, tugged harder at the hair in his grip and then forced himself to let go.

 

Friday Fun

Week Nine – Holy

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This bit  of erotica comes from Holy – a last excerpt before I put Matti and Artemio on the back burner to focus on Sophie In September and book five of Eight Kingdoms!

(And of course, remember, this sort of Friday Fun is NSFW!)

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“Hey, sleepy. Angel?”

Matti sat up abruptly, turned and stared at him for one moment before he leapt out of the sheets, down off the end of the bed and onto him. He wrapped his arms around Artemio’s neck, his legs around his waist and nuzzled his face into the curve of Artemio’s cheek. Despite himself he laughed, reached one hand up into Matti’s hair and tugged gently.

“What the hell are you, a fuckin’ monkey? Christ, Matti -”

“Master. I -”

“Hey. What’d I say about that?”

“I – sorry. Ar…tem…io…”

“Better. Now, what were you gonna say?”

“I missed you.”

“Yeah? You’re an idiot, huh?” But he grinned, then shrugged his shoulders under the pressure of Matti’s arms, turned his head to one side. “You gonna let go anytime soon?”

“I don’t want to. Do you want me to?”

“Let’s try…legs down, and less strangling. Grab my chest if you wanna hold on to me, not my neck, and…and…Matti.”

He obeyed promptly, easily, and Artemio sucked in a breath as Matti slid down his body. He hadn’t thought this through. He had not thought this through. Matti was wearing his shirt and nothing else, and as he slipped down it opened and shifted until far too much of Matti’s skin was pressed against him.

He was so hot in Artemio’s arms, squirming just a little – a little too much. It was easy to forget, because he made himself so small so easily, but he was almost exactly as tall as Artemio was and that meant standing like this –

It was too perfect of an embrace. It gave everything away.

“Artemio…Artemio…Master. You want me. Oh – ohhh -” Matti rocked against him, and Artemio felt the extra heat of his cock against the length of his own erection as he leaned up on his toes and then back again. “Master, tell me it’s because of me, tell me you want me, please, please.”

“Goddamnit…goddamnit, Angel, what’d I say? I -” But Artemio couldn’t make himself let go, held tighter instead. He slipped his hands down Matti’s back and grabbed his ass with both hands, a sweet curve of bare skin under the hem of his shirt. “Fuck.”

“Mast-”

He bent his head and shut him up with a hard, hard kiss, then jerked back and sucked in a breath when Matti gasped against his mouth, bucked his hips forward in Artemio’s grasp and groaned. So hard. So hot. And his cock was leaking against Artemio’s belly, wet enough that he could feel it through his shirt, against his skin. “Matti…Matti.”

Artemio kissed him again, and again – god, kissing Matti was like drinking coffee and whiskey at the same time. Intoxicating. Maddening. Not enough and too much and – and – “God. Yes. Yes, I want you, I want you so bad – been wantin’ you so bad. Wantin’ you since I found you, since I – God’m gonna. Gonna fuck you right now. Gonna fuck you right against the wall.”

“Master!”

“’S your own damn – your own damn fault.”

“Please. Please. I don’t know why you, I don’t know why now, but I’ve been waiting, wanting, waiting. Please…please take me.”

“You – goddamn. You’re wearin’ my shirt.” He closed his eyes, brought his nose down to Matti’s throat and breathed in the richness of his skin, the mingled warmth of his own scent with it. “Your own goddamn fault. Kept on – askin’ for it, and askin’-” Again he kissed him, and again. “You got that? Your fault.”

“Yes, Master.”

Matti was laughing at him, laughing between every hard kiss, rocking against him and  moaning and laughing still.

Friday Fun

Week Six – Holy

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This week, I’m sharing from the first draft of Holy once again!  (And of course, remember, this sort of Friday Fun is NSFW!)

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“Gonna make me fuck you right against the wall.” It came hoarse and hard and quiet against Matti’s mouth, but Artemio kissed him before he could say anything in response, then kissed him again. “Wanna do it – fuck I wanna. Cause I can, cause you – but not now.” Every other word he almost lost in a kiss, but Matti didn’t complain, pulled him closer, tightened his fingers against Artemio’s scalp and pulled deliciously.

“Love that, Matti. When you – when you – mmmm.” Words went to silence against Matti’s mouth again, but this time Artemio moved away from the wall, maneuvered around the bedroom door, thankfully open, and let Matti go onto the bed.

He made to move back, but Artemio was too quick for that, darted over him and pinned him down against the mattress. “All mine, so goddamned lucky and you’re all mine. Want you – god I want you. Fuckin’ stupid how much I want you. And you think – goddamn. Wake up wantin’ you, go to sleep wantin’ you, dream about fuckin’ you. Like a fuckin’ teenager. Want you more than anything.”

“Master -”

“No.” He kissed Matti hard, pressed his mouth against those soft lips until Matti was panting for breath every time he pulled back. “No, don’t you call me that. You know what to call me.” Matti sighed against his mouth, and Artemio licked his lips, his tongue, caged him against the bed with both arms, both legs. “What do you call me, Matti?”

Broken, husky, the sound came obedient from Matti’s lips. “’Temio. Oh – oh ‘Temio.”

“Yeah. Yeah, Matti. That’s good. So good, you – you’re so good. So good.”

He shivered, tensed, and Artemio felt Matti’s fingers twitching against his back, tightening in the fabric of his shirt. “’Temio won’t you – won’t you fuck me, please, please -”

“Fuck. When you talk like that-” Artemio kissed him again, nudged his head aside, kissed his throat, his collarbone, bit gently then forced himself back. “I’ve been a bad influence on you. Listen’a you. Such a dirty mouth – but I’m not gonna fuck you, Matti. Not tonight.”

“Not..not…no – please -”

“Gonna make love to you, Angel. Gonna love you nice’n slow, give you all the cock you want – but I’m not gonna fuck you tonight.” Matti blinked up at him, confusion mingled with the softest delight.

“’Temio? Temio, what’s – I don’t -” But Artemio shut him up with a kiss, then pulled back and stripped off his shirt, his sweatpants. “’Temio?”

“Undress myself first, so you don’t get distracted tryin’a do it for me.” Matti opened his mouth to protest, but Artemio kissed him and whatever words he’d been going to make turned into a moan instead, warmed his mouth. “Wanna take my time with you, Angel. Wanna make you understand – ” He knelt on the bed over Matti again, kissed him, then his throat, peeled the t-shirt he was wearing up over his skin a little at a time.

He traced meaningless patterns on Matti’s skin with eager fingers, brushed his mouth with his lips with just enough pressure to make it a kiss and laughed deep in his throat when Matti moaned even at that, lifted his hips to press his erection against Artemio’s body. “Need it so bad already? But I’m not gonna let you come until I get my cock in you, Matti.”

“Nn…Mas…’Temio.”

“Cock dripping already, look at you. Look at you. Makin’ a fuckin’ wet spot on my sweatpants.” He leaned back and grasped the shaft of Matti’s cock through the cotton, rubbed his thumb over the leaking head and grinned when Matti rolled his hips up into the touch. “Feels good?”

“Ohhh…yesss.”

“Bet I could make you come just like this, huh? Rubbin’ your cock like this, barely even touchin’ you, not even got your pants off yet but you’d come for me, wouldn’t you? Come if I told you to. If I just kept doin’ this.”

“Yes, yes -” He lifted his ass up off the bed, tried to roll his hips into Artemio’s grip, but Artemio only smirked at him and let go.

“Maybe next time.”

“Oh ‘Temio. Not fair – not fair.”

Artemio chuckled and reached for the knot he’d tied in the looped up drawstring, untied it and let it drop. “I know. Didn’t say I was gonna be fair, said I was gonna make love to you – and I love teasin’ you, Angel. Love watchin’ you get all worked up for me – ”

He leaned back, then tugged at the shirt still pulled up around Matti’s ribs. “Take this off.”

 

From the Secret Files...

Broken Glass

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Another bit of Holy, for your reading pleasure, which includes the lines I shared from this WIP for today’s #1lineWed theme on twitter: Sound! This time,  the words come from scene one, draft two! 

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It had been a quiet night. Now, there were too many lights flashing, and the noise of too many heavy, booted feet. The old brick and concrete behind the new installations of Wall-ads and neon signs hovered in a vague haze of too many colors, too much bright. It was the part of the city Artemio didn’t come to, not any more, not even though he’d been born here. They’d called it Old Boston but it wasn’t the Boston he remembered. Just a reflection, gone blurry and eye-catching on wet asphalt. He stubbed out his cigarette against the door of the van.

“Too many goddamn lights.” What was the point of calling his team in if the regulars were gonna fuck it all up before they had a chance to get started? He heard the wet slap of Taj’s boots against the pavement as he rounded the back of the van and came up beside him. Artemio threw an expectant glance at his second, but Taj was already shaking his head.

“No dice. We’re gonna have to go with the info and blueprints we got out of storage, Luca’s got nothing. No access in or out, this place isn’t even hardwired to the old surface ‘net so there’s nothing to patch in on.”

Artemio grimaced, shrugged. “Guess we’re gonna have to do it the hard way, then.”

“You wanna wait for the girls?”

“Can’t. How long’ve the regs been out here like this? Anything serious inside’s gotta know they’re out here by now, and we’ve been here five minutes – five more’s too many. We’re goin’ in – take out those east windows, blow the whole inside of the ground floor flat and clean.”

“Got it.”

“Get Jer at the rear, I want you on point with me and Marina’n Luca in the middle.”

He didn’t turn to make sure his orders would be followed, he knew they would be. He waited twenty seconds, then raised his fist, dropped it. At the signal, Luca tossed a pair of crackers, and the world dissolved into a flash of shattered magic and the sound of breaking glass.

Artemio swung himself into the window, dropped and turned to the cover the room while Taj slipped in beside him. Something was…off. The sound of the sirens had faded out of his awareness as soon as he was inside the building. He could still hear the glass breaking, but only where it crunched on the floor under his feet, and then Taj’s. “What the hell? Taj -”

“Yeah, I feel it. I can see it. Something strong. Dunno what, I’ve never felt anything like this.”

Artemio felt magic moving on his skin, itchy-tingling, already strong enough to make him tighten his fist and run the fingers of his other hand back through his hair. He drew his gaze along the walls, peered into dark corners, then glanced at the windows and noticed the way they failed to let in light, as well as sound. More glass crunched as Luca dropped in and crossed to stand beside Taj, and Artemio watched Marina drop in behind him, cat-quiet. Jer came last, face scrunched in irritation as his vestments caught on the glass.

He signaled them all out to check the rest of the downstairs, because this room was sure as fuck empty, and despite the noise they’d made busting in there was nobody on the stairs. Artemio turned his attention back to the windows. Reflections from the lights on the building across from them spilled toward them, but just like the sound nothing entered.

Artemio  scoped out the room around them again with sharp eyes. That was the other thing bothering him – not a single shadow was disturbed, though there should be many. He filed the thought away with all the other things that already stuck out as wrong about this place.

It was right at the edge of the worst of the blasted district that still had buildings standing, but this one was untouched. There wasn’t a boarded window or a cracked brick in the whole place, at least not that he’d seen. And the silence, when outside there was the beginnings of rain and the sounds of sirens, crackling speaker-static, tires on wet pavement, boots tramping and conversation? All of that was loud enough that the noise should have been spilling in, flooding the whole of this downstairs room. The shadows didn’t move because the outside lights went dark at the line of the window, as if they didn’t dare come in.

Artemio stared at the broken pane of glass for a second – yeah, just what he’d been afraid of. The line of dark and light was sharp, unnatural, cut off just where the glass should be.

“Somebody fortressed this place up real good. Best goddamn barrier I’ve ever seen.”

And that’s not good.

Friday Fun

Week Four – Holy

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This bit  of erotica comes from a work in progress, the infamous Holy. My apologies for the lateness, because of course if you hadn’t noticed this bit of Friday Fun is coming on Tuesday. But…better late than never!  (And of course, remember, this sort of Friday Fun is NSFW!)

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“Matti.”

“No. No – I – I’m not Matti. I’m Matti for you, but I -”

Artemio stared at him, then reached out with his other hand and brushed blond hair away from his eyes, sucked in a breath and let it out on a long sigh. “Yeah. I know. ” He took another breath and smirked faintly. “I know who you are, Sraosha.”

Not for the first time, Artemio tasted incense, the serenity and the sacrifice of some ancient offering long vanished. Then he dragged Matti close with the grip he had around his throat, kissed him bruising hard and shoved him back against the wall.

“You wanna be broken? Fine. Fine. God knows I’m not gonna let anyone else do it.” Matti pushed forward and kissed him, impatient, testing, and Artemio growled against his mouth, stepped back and jerked him tight against his body. “You know better than that.”

He gave in to an impulse that had been tormenting him for weeks, slipped his mouth from Matti’s lips and down to his throat, his shoulder, bit hard and sucked blood to the surface. Matti bucked against him, cock suddenly rock hard, his whole body vibrating with his moans, and Artemio chuckled, pulled his mouth away and admired the dark bruise he’d left. “Fuck me, but you do want it. What’d I do to deserve you, huh?”

He slid his lips further up Matti’s throat and did it again, sucked at the gleaming skin, twisted his fingers in Matti’s soft blond hair and pulled hard. Matti pushed up against him again, begging for friction, groaning, muscles wiry with tightness and desire.

“Gonna mark you up, Matti. Next time somebody sees you on the street with me, know what they’re gonna say? Know what they’re gonna ask us?”

“Wha – what?”

“Nothing. Cause you’re mine, all mine, and it’s gonna be all over you.” Artemio bit him again, further along his shoulder where he knew the collar wouldn’t cover, sucked heat to the surface, then moved his mouth lower. He pushed Matti’s vest back off his shoulders, bit the burnished skin again and again, then lifted his head and nudged Matti away.  Artemio put his own back to the wall and reached down to undo his belt.

Matti went to his knees without even being asked, lifted his hands to unzip, unbutton, tugged Artemio’s pants down around his hips and reached for the waistband of his boxers. “May I – may I -”

“Gonna ask now? When you’re already touching? That’s no good.”

“Master. Sorry, I’m sorry-”

“You can be sorry later. Finish what you started…since you started.”

Matti bit his lip, half-worried, half-eager, slipped his fingers under the waistband and tugged them down. He leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek against Artemio’s cock, stared up at him, waiting, waiting …but Artemio could wait. Now – now, he could wait, because it was making Matti crazy, his fingers trembling against Artemio’s thighs, breath quickening, body leaning forward while he licked his lips.

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For more from the first draft of Holy, try Accidental Master!

From the Secret Files...

Accidental Master

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As I’ve been whining about it everywhere lately, I thought it only fair to share with you a snippet of my newest and most all-consuming work in progress: Holy.  

This bit comes from what is  currently scene two of draft one!

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Angel-face didn’t stir until Artemio had made his way almost a full block, past the screaming lights of a half dozen ambulances to the emergency tent that had been set up on-scene. Even then, it was only to press his face against Artemio’s shoulder, to sigh and breathe deeper, reach his arms around Artemio’s neck.

“You awake? I thought you’d gone out on me. Think you can stand?” There was a pause, and then he felt the head against his shoulder shaking no. “Don’t worry about it then, not like you weigh much.” It wasn’t far, anyway, just around to the other side of the tent where the parmeds were clustered together, speaking in low voices.

Female, all of them, but not women – not, definitely not women. What they were exactly, Artemio didn’t know. Taj would, always did, but it was enough for Artemio that they were Other, and therefore trouble. As much as he was capable of, he was…quiet with them.

“Hello, ladies. Got another patient for you.”

Six pairs of eyes turned to him at the same time, though he’d no doubt that they had noticed him long before he’d spoken. The murmuring was quiet, but only one stepped forward, peering at the Angel-face in his arms.

“This one is not like you, this one is Other – all the rest were human, had mortal mothers.”

He stopped. That was…interesting. “He was marked for a sacrifice, tied up, kept captive -” Their faces were growing darker with every word, and he took an involuntary step back at the sound of hissing, rattling, snake-and-shadow-sounds to which his most primitive instincts were vulnerable. “Yeah. I know – he’s cut up and bruised but I think the worst of it’s probably mental. I think…” He hesitated, then shrugged. “I think he’s been captive for a while.”

“This is not done -”

“It was, so take care of him, will you?” Artemio stepped forward, and the parmeds parted around him, let him into the tent. It was only when he tried to put his burden down on one of the medtables that there was trouble. The blond head snapped suddenly upright, and tight fingers clutched at Artemio’s duty vest, then at the sleeves of his jacket beneath it.

“Oh please no. Don’t let go.”

Artemio shook his head, lay him down on the table and unwound his arms, but he couldn’t get away. Soft fingers plucked at his jacket, tried to keep him close. “Angel-face you’ve gotta – you’re hurt. You need to let the parmeds look at you, they’ll bring you to -”

“No don’t send me away not back not anywhere not – no – Master – Master.” It was a babble of words on the edge of terrified hysteria, and despite himself Artemio took a step back toward him, reached out and lay his hands on shaking shoulders.

“Angel. You need -”

“You.”

Artemio pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead, huffed out a breath. “Look I – I’ll stay while they check you over, all right? I can do at least that much.” He turned to get the attention of the parmeds again, finally, but they were standing by the wall, clustered together, staring not at Angel-face but at him. “One of you gonna help him, or -” He was interrupted by all of them in turn.

“He called you Master -”

“You, no king, no lord, no caster!”

“If we could we’d take him from you-”

But what has been done is not in our power to undo.

The last phrase was blazed only across his mind, not in his ears, and Artemio jerked himself away from clutching fingers, took a full step backward, angry, averting his eyes awkwardly. “Stop that, just – stop. This one’s one of you and I just pulled him out of that house, and you don’t want to help him?”

As he does not want us to, as he wants only you – and what a disaster! A servant of the Master – so mastered!

“Get the fuck out of my head!”

The lead parmed drew herself up and threw a scornful glare in his direction. “He is yours. We will not, cannot touch him. Go to the Council, if you’d make much of it!”

They streamed out of the tent past him in one unbroken line behind her, but his glare was tempered by the need to steady himself against the table as Angel-face crawled all the way out of the tapestry he’d been wrapped in and up into Artemio’s arms. “Master -”

“Oh, no. Don’t get comfortable, I’m going straight to the Council with you, I don’t care if it’s two in the morning, I’m not dealing with this -” But his arms were closing around the worn, warm body, drawing him close, and when Artemio looked down again, the coffeecream eyes were already shut, and his face was relaxed, and Artemio knew, knew, that he was doomed. “Fuck.”

Artemio lay him back on the tapestry, wrapped it up around him despite the sound of protest he got when he let go, and then picked him up again. “’S a damn good thing you don’t weigh much.”

“Yes, Master.” But it was more of a yawn than words, and in the five minutes it took Artemio to make his way back from the tent to where Taj had parked his car, the Angel-face in his arms had fallen asleep.

“Hey Art, you need a ride home, or -”

Artemio whipped around, knot between his brows. “Shh. And yeah, I need ride, but not home.”

Taj blinked at him when he came around the corner and saw his arms still full of blond, sleeping Other. “What are you still doing with him?”

“The parmeds wouldn’t take him. He’s – he keeps callin’ me master, Taj.” The word came rough and thick and hesitant off his lips, still quiet. Even if he was causing trouble, Artemio didn’t want to wake the poor bastard. He’d suffered enough.

“Master? The fuck did you do, pick up a -”

“I don’t know. But I’m not gonna keep him no matter what he calls me or what the parmeds think. You know I can’t.”

Suddenly bright with djinn-fire, Taj’s eyes met his gaze. “But you want to.”

“I -” The word came out loud, angry, and Artemio caught himself, stole a glance down at the sleeping angel-face. Fucking Taj. Fucking djinn. Knows too much for his own good.

“I don’t know what I want. He’s gorgeous, yeah. But he’s Other, and that means he’s trouble. Plus he was…fuck, Taj, you know what I like. I can’t do that to him. Not the way he was…not how he was when I found him.”

Taj’s brow knit into a dark maze of disturbance. “That bad, huh?”

“Worse. Let’s go – Council never sleeps, but I do – and I don’t wanna hold onto him for too long, might give him the wrong idea.” Carefully, groaning faintly as he bent, Artemio slid into the front seat and settled Angel-face on his lap, tucked his legs in so Taj could shut the door. There was a content murmur against his throat, lips and sound both whisper soft, and the arms around him tried to squeeze tighter. Artemio shook his head. He had never been a safe space for anyone, and now this Other was clinging to him like his life depended on it.

Well, maybe it had – but only for about five minutes. So why wouldn’t he let go now?