Page 31 of Glow

Wrapped in Quinn’s arms, feeling Wally’s protective presence in his mind, Dan fell into a deep, exhausted sleep and didn’t wake until morning.

He made good on his promise when the alarm went off, mouthing his way down Quinn’s hard cock through his underwear before Quinn had completely awakened.

“This okay?” he asked with a lascivious grin.

“Oh yeah,” Quinn groaned. “Don’t stop.”

Dan tasted the residue of last night’s orgasm and breathed in his lover’s scent, both of which just made him achingly hard.

He went to work, licking and sucking, hoping he made up for his lack of experience with enthusiasm. By the time he brought Quinn to release, Dan had already rubbed himself out against the covers to relieve his own erection. He inched up to kiss Quinn, who plundered Dan’s mouth with his tongue.

“Shower?” Dan asked breathlessly when they finally parted.

“Definitely,” Quinn agreed. “That was…a very nice way to wake up.”

Dan smiled. “Good. You know what they say: practice makes perfect.”

They managed to fit into the shower together, and while they used the soap as an excuse to touch each other all over, they weren’t expecting another round right now.

They ate a hurried breakfast of cereal and toast from room service before Quinn had to leave for work.

“Stay close to the hotel, like we discussed,” Quinn warned. “I’ll be back for dinner. Call me if you need me.”

“I just have to go to the Fox Institute to meet with Dr. Jeffries and his witch,” Dan replied.

“Maybe Liam’s hacker friends have a breakthrough for us,” Quinn said. “Until then, lie low, and I’ll be here as soon as I can.”

They parted with a kiss, and as Dan waved goodbye, he hoped for both their sakes that the day would be uneventful.

Dan combed his hair, gulped another cup of coffee, and shouldered into a sweatshirt with an oversized hood that shadowed his face before he headed to the Fox Institute.

Hearing the sheriff and Quinn suggest keeping a low profile ramped up his nervousness, even as it validated his concerns. Maybe the bounty hunter hasn’t figured out who I am yet, he thought. It’s only been a couple of days.

The witch will help us, Wally said confidently. After all, we are already magical.

Dan allowed that was true, although he had never thought of his other side in quite those terms. Then again, everything that came with taking in Wally’s spirit when he became the new Dover Demon would sound like magic if he described them. Heightened senses and intuition, a second sentience that inhabited his body and mind, shape changing, and a non-corporeal best friend would make for a good urban fantasy story, the kind Dan always liked to read.

He did his best to keep his mind on surveilling everything around him as he drove to the Fox Institute, leery of walking although the office was close. He parked and hurried inside, keeping his head down. He stopped at the desk and glanced nervously into the large parlor, relieved when the room was empty.

“Dr. Jeffries is expecting me,” he told the receptionist, who recognized him and directed him to where the others were waiting.

“We’re in here, Dan.” Jeffries waved him into a conference room where two women Dan didn’t know sat at the table.

A stick of sage incense in a burner perfumed the air and cleansed the room of bad energy. Tendrils of smoke rose from cones of sandalwood and pachouli, calming Dan and adding to the room’s protections. He took a deep breath, opening himself to whatever peace he could gain.

Dan glanced at the two women with Jeffries. One was probably in her early forties with a blonde bob and blue eyes that didn’t seem to miss anything. The other looked to be about the same age, with brown hair and brown eyes.

“Dan Connor, this is Amy Criswell and Becca Adams,” Jeffries said, and the strangers smiled encouragingly at Dan.

“Amy is a talented witch.” He indicated the darker-haired woman. “Becca is a very strong psychic medium,” Jeffries added with a nod to the other guest. “They’ve volunteered to help with your rather…unique…situation.”

“Thank you.” Dan felt a rush of relief. “I’ll take all the help I can get.”

“I’ve already given them some background,” Jeffries said, “but hearing a brief description from you about what’s going on will help both Amy and Becca summon the energies they need.”

Dan took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m the Dover Demon. There’s a bounty hunter chasing me. And I saw a dragon in the woods.”

Jeffries slid a glass of water to him, and Dan took a sip, buying himself time to organize his thoughts.