The Duke's Husband

An eBook By Mychael Black and Shayne Carmichael.

Jay got off of the bike and waited for Dev. They'd spent the entire day riding around the countryside, with him showing Dev some of the older nearby villages and several castles. Now they were outside a small, out-of-the-way pub called Darkness. It was run by an American, but the clientele came from all over the British Isles. Jay trusted the men who frequented the place to keep his identity to themselves. He only wanted fun when he came here, not some tourist or another fawning over him after learning that he was a duke.

"I think you will like this place very much," he said as he opened the door for Dev.

The first thing Dev noticed after seeing the huge circular black bar in the center of the room was that there were no women anywhere. A dance floor, lit by low, sultry red lights from the wall, was crowded with dancing couples. The ceiling was a black, billowing fabric that undulated above their heads. Already he liked the place.

"Want a drink," Jay asked him, "or did you have something else in mind first?" The look he gave Dev was positively wicked. "Drink, I guess, then maybe dancing." As Jay passed by him, Dev's gaze followed the form clad in tight black clothing. He also noticed he wasn't the only one staring at Jay. After a few minutes the bartender made it to Jay. In the meantime, several men approached Jay, leaning toward him to whisper in his ear. Jay just laughed them off, shaking his head. When he turned back around to Dev, he handed him a bottle. "So you dance, then?" he asked, sipping on his Guinness. Realizing Jay seemed to be a popular man, Dev stayed quiet, simply watching. As he took the bottle, he nodded. "I enjoy dancing. Though you don't have to stick by me the entire evening, you know."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "And if I said that I wanted to? If I said that I'm hoping you will dance with me?"

Blinking in surprise, Dev eyed Jay for a long moment before he said, "I'd be more than willing to dance with you." He managed to get it out without blushing, though he did lower his gaze to Jay's chest. The material of the man's shirt smoothed perfectly over the taut muscles beneath, as if it had been painted on him.

Slipping a finger under his chin, Jay tilted Dev's head up. "Good. Then finish your beer. I want to get you out there on the floor."

For a moment, Jay's eyes temporarily mesmerized Dev, the beer in Dev's hand long forgotten. "Oh, yeah." Hastily, he took a few swallows, drinking nearly half the beer without thinking about it. Setting the glass down on the bar counter, he looked expectantly toward Jay.

Jay finished off his Guinness and without another word, took Dev's hand, and led him out onto the packed dance floor. Once he found a small pocket within the throng of sweat-slick, gyrating bodies, he snaked an arm around Dev's waist, pulling him right up close, their bodies pressing together. The beat of the music was a bizarre techno rhythm, but it was danceable. Jay quickly proved he knew what he was doing; his hips, indeed his whole body, worked to the music, sliding across Dev's.

Relaxing within the rhythm of the dance, Dev matched every one of Jay's movements. The reddish light surrounding them faded with the beat of music, leaving them in the shadows.

Lowering his head, Jay whispered in Dev's ear, "Would it be in bad form if I were to ask for a kiss?"

Not even thinking twice, Dev whispered back, "No." Turning his head slightly, his gaze sought Jay's as his lips parted slightly, almost inviting the touch.

The first meeting was no more than a brush of Jay's lips across Dev's. Then Jay slipped his tongue out, taking a fleeting taste of Dev before dipping into his mouth. His hold tightened around Dev's waist, pressing them together as he began to sway absently, not quite moving to the music and not appearing to care in the least.

The bar around them completely faded to Dev as Jay kissed him. Near to taking his breath away, a tingle ran down his spine as his fingers tightened slightly on Jay's arms. His tongue slowly flit beneath Jay's, and he lost awareness of everything else around him. He'd been kissed before, but Dev had never been so totally drawn into it like this, and it floored him.

Nothing else existed. Not the rigors of his life, not his mother, not the snooty socialites Jay was expected to be like. No. The only thing that existed at that moment was the body pressed tightly to his, the fingers digging into his biceps, the tongue exploring his mouth as thoroughly as he was exploring Dev's.

Breathing deep, Jay pulled away, the room spinning as he simply stared into Dev's eyes. "Wow." Blinking rapidly, Dev looked bemused as he opened his eyes. "I..." Without breaking the contact between their bodies, Jay backed up, moving through the crowd until he felt the wall behind him. Relaxing back against it, he spread his legs and pulled Dev to stand between them...

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