Reggie’s Reasons by Lisa Oliver

Chapter Nine

Dirkin needed to touch base with his contacts in the Underworld, in particular his boss, Balthazar. There were too many things he didn’t know, too many puzzle pieces that didn’t seem to fit with Reggie’s situation, but because Reggie was feeling so confused about everything, he couldn’t very well take Reggie down to the Underworld either. Not yet. The Underworld took a bit of getting used to for outsiders.

He should’ve known Balthazar would also be keen on an update. After Reggie made such a poor show of eating his meal, Dirkin found out his mate had a sweet tooth, and took them both out for ice cream. They were wandering along a lonely stretch of beach, hand in hand, finishing their cones, when Dirkin felt the tingle along the back of his hair line, letting him know one of his kind was near. 

“Not exactly sunbathing weather,” Reggie whispered, tilting his head towards the sand dunes.

Looking over, Dirkin smirked. A big brawny figure was sprawled out on a towel on the sand, wearing nothing but dark sunglasses and a floppy hat. I know those legs. “Get some pants on, Balthazar,” he yelled. “My mate doesn’t need to see you naked.”

“That’s Balthazar?” Reggie quickly turned his head to the sea as the demon stood up. There was a lot of naked glory to appreciate if a person was so inclined.

Dirkin had seen it all before. “Pants, Balthazar. Sheesh, you can’t go running around naked here. You’ll frighten any children and their mothers.” He steered Reggie across the sand, even though his vampire was still looking at everything except the naked demon.

“He’s grown a bit since I saw him last.” Balthazar nodded at Reggie. “Plenty big enough to cope with a demon’s appetites. You’ve claimed him then?”

“We both wear marks.” Dirkin couldn’t hide his grin. “Totally worth the wait.”

“So, no hard feelings?”

“Meh, you were under a summons. An illegal summons, but still.” Dirkin checked his friend/boss’s neck. “Where’s your talisman? Gods, I can’t afford to have you summoned again. That damn Bevan wants to see Reggie about his inheritance.”

“After that little episode with you, I had it embellished into my skin.” Balthazar turned to one side and slapped his butt cheek. “Like it?”

Dirkin laughed. There was a cartoon red devil tattooed on Balthazar’s ass. “Love it, my friend. Love it. But where are my manners. Reggie, darlin’, may I formally introduce Balthazar, son of Lucifer, Prince of Darkness – officially my boss, and more importantly, my friend.”

“Has he put pants on yet? It doesn’t sound like it.” Reggie was now intensely studying the sand. Dirkin gave Balthazar a long look as his friend shook his head, his shoulders shaking with repressed laughter, but within seconds the demon’s cock was covered.

“You can look up now, sweets,” Dirkin said. “Reggie, Balthazar. Balthazar, Reggie.”

“Nice to meet you.” Dirkin was pleased to see Reggie didn’t tilt his head or expose his neck. Balthazar might be bigger and stronger, but he had no rank over the young vampire. “Were you waiting to speak to Dirkin, or was this just coincidental? Only I can move over there…” Reggie flicked his thumb at the water’s edge.

“There is far too much sand for me here.” Balthazar tugged at the cloth covering his butt. “I think there’s some stuck up my crack. D, use your tongue and get it out for me, would you?”

Dirkin started to laugh, but then a growling blur sped past him, jumping on Balthazar and knocking him to the ground. The muscles under Reggie’s shirt were heaving, the cords of his neck tight, and his long nails were now black and making impressive inroads into the side of Balthazar’s solid neck.

“You dare speak to my beloved that way?” Dirkin could barely see Reggie’s fists as they started pummeling Balthazar’s face. “You asshole, motherfucking shit of a demon.”

“Er… Reggie? Sweetheart, darlin’ mate?” Dirkin closed the gap between them, resting a hand on Reggie’s shoulder. “I’m pretty damn sure Balthazar was teasing. He does like a joke.”

“Teasing? You thought he was joking?” Reggie froze – one arm above his head ready to strike again while the other one was two inches off Balthazar’s face. “Do demons make a habit of joking amongst themselves about licking butt cracks? I would’ve thought only canine shifters did that. But, oh, I’m so sorry.” He spread his arms wide, presumably to show he wasn’t a threat any longer. “Is this something I need to join in with so your friends will accept me? Bend over and wave my butt in your friend’s face and tell him to lick my crack? Does that qualify as demon humor?”

“No, it fucking doesn’t.” Dirkin saw red, dragging Reggie off Balthazar’s body, and hauling him up so his mate was clasped to his chest so tight not a breath of air could get through them. “You are mine,” he snarled fisting Reggie’s hair one handed, the other one flush with his mate’s back. “Ten fucking years I waited for you. Ten years!”

Just the thought – the very idea of his innocent Reggie bending over, his pants around his ankles, Balthazar leering behind him with his tongue hanging out… No. Just no. Dirkin had to remind his mate of their commitment and he plunged his lips over Reggie’s stealing his breath.

Reggie fought his embrace for a moment, his body wired from beating on Balthazar, but when he surrendered, his muscled frame going limp in Dirkin’s hold, the demon’s heart soared. He redoubled his kissing efforts, determined to drive Reggie so wild with lust his sexy mate would never look another person and consider dropping his pants.

And it was working. Reggie’s eyes were closed, his chest was heaving, and his hips were making little bumps against Dirkin’s groin like he wanted to hump but wasn’t sure that he should. Dirkin wanted him to hump – damn, he was ready to hump right back, and he would’ve done if it hadn’t been for an annoying voice trying out a British butler’s accent, breaking into his sexy interlude.

“Pardon me for butting in, but could we remember I was the one who was getting beaten up here? Do you think I can have some attention? I could be severely injured.”

Dirkin shot his friend a dirty look as Reggie groaned and buried his face in Dirkin’s neck, his cheeks hot. My mate forgot Balthazar was even here. So sexy. “One, you’re not injured,” Dirkin scoffed. “You’re the son of Lucifer, for fucks sake. You don’t get injured, not even by hunky strong-as-the-Hulk vampires like my darling mate. Two, what’s with the accent? And three, can’t you see we need some privacy here?”

“I wasn’t lying in the sun naked just to give your limp dick something to jump up for.”

At least Balthazar dropped the fake accent but now Reggie was hissing – softly, but it was still there. Dirkin tightened his hold on his mate. “Then why did you waylay us?”

“Do you want to know why that pathetic coven leader, the one who had the audacity to summon me, why he’s so obsessed with your young Reggie?” Balthazar grinned, showing all his teeth.

Damn, you know me too well, you old fart.

But Reggie had been listening too. “Bevan’s not obsessed with me. He’s barely had anything to do with me since I moved away from the coven.”

“That’s what you think. He’s been watching you.” Balthazar stared up at the sky, humming.

Dirkin was torn. On the one hand, sexy mate in his arms, cocks all primed and ready to go. But on the other… damn it. Balthazar knew how he hated not knowing every detail of a situation and spending ten years as a shadow had really kept him out of the loop.

“And,” Balthazar drawled slowly, “I might have some information about that Fox fella who can’t keep his lustful eyes off your sweet Reggie. Course, he doesn’t just want to fuck him… More like fuck him over, but…”

“Damn it. All right.” Dirkin dropped a kiss on Reggie’s hair. He looked around. The beach was still almost empty, but Balthazar was right - sand had a knack of getting under clothes. “Reggie, hon, do you mind if Balthazar comes back with us to your place? At least then we’ll have some privacy.”

“So long as he doesn’t ask you to do anything stupid again, like use your tongue to clean his smelly ass.”

“I’ll have you know my ass is squeaky clean.” Balthazar patted his own butt. “It’s just a little sandy.”

“More like dusty from lack of use,” Reggie muttered, and Dirkin took that as a yes.