Page 17 of Adonis (Salt and Starlight #1)

Between the morning’s excitement and the sun beating down on him, Connor only read a few chapters of his book before he drifted off to sleep. It was Adonis’s fault. He held the paddleboard steady while Connor slept so no errant wave jolted him awake.

It was dusk when he opened his eyes, waking up chilled. Connor felt Adonis’s presence next to him before even turning his head to see him. Adonis’s cheek was on the board next to Connor, and he made a soft sound in his throat, blinking lazily.

“Do you have nothing better to do all day?”

Connor asked. Inside, he was thrilled that Adonis had spent the day with him. Pleasure curled in his gut at the thought that Adonis would willingly spend time with Connor, even when Connor wasn’t being all that entertaining.

Connor sat up and stretched his arms over his head, letting out a groan. Adonis’s gaze jumped to his exposed mid-rift. Connor snorted. “Pervert.”

Although between the two of them… Connor was clearly the one with perversions. He peeked at Adonis’s face, admiring his high cheekbones and those lovely, sculpted lips. The image of those lips around his cock flashed in his mind, and he dragged his gaze away before he could think of anything else dirty. His cock stirred in his shorts, and he ignored it.

“I’d better head back,”

Connor said. He checked the time and groaned again. It was just gone half… which meant Trevor was about to arrive home and find that Connor wasn’t back yet, and he was possibly going to have a heart attack about it.

Adonis touched Connor’s thigh. He startled, looking at the water. Adonis had snuck over and was gazing up at Connor with a question in his eyes. His gaze darted between Connor’s crotch and his face, and he hummed a questioning note.

“No, no,”

Connor said, his face warming. “That’s not why I was groaning. This time.”

He patted Adonis’s hand but hesitated as he went to lift it off his thigh. A darker, selfish part of him whispered, why not? But as alluring and dirty as the prospect of getting another blow job was, Connor didn’t know if… well, he didn’t know how exactly Adonis thought about this. He would hate if he was taking advantage of him and didn’t realise.

But… Adonis seemed to have a concrete grasp on consent. He’d stopped earlier when he’d noticed that Connor couldn’t move, waiting until Connor could tell him no if he wanted, and then proceeded. And—not that Connor could say much, given that his experience was limited to intimacy with Austin, which had included the occasional blow job—that hadn’t felt like Adonis’s first time.

Adonis must have misunderstood his hesitation for permission, because he moved his hand up Connor’s thigh, probing fingers brushing against his cock. Connor took in a sharp breath, immediately stiffening.

“Okay, no, wait,”

Connor said, taking Adonis’s hand off him. “I can’t. Trevor will worry… if I leave him worrying longer so that I can get my dick sucked, I will feel like the worst person in the world.”

Adonis put his hand back on the board and looked at Connor through his half-lidded eyes. His hair had dried completely, and rather than the dirty blonde it was when wet, it had dried to a shade of blonde so light it was almost white. It was quite the sight against his pale skin. Connor turned over Adonis’s hand, studying the blue veins he could see running beneath his pale skin. Adonis shivered under Connor’s touch.

“I have to head back,”

Connor said reluctantly. “Do you want to come with me?”

Connor moved onto his knees and reached for the oar, only to find an empty space. Connor was sure he had clipped the oar into place, but not only was it gone, the spare was also absent.

“Adonis.”

Adonis pushed off from the board, protesting loudly. He swam to the back of the board and grabbed on, giving it a violent shake.

Connor had already grasped the sides, so he wasn’t dislodged. “How many times do we have to have this argument?”

Adonis smacked the water with his hands, gesturing so enthusiastically between himself and the board that he made waves.

“Yes, I know you are powerful and fast, but I need the oars for when you’re not here, don’t I?”

Adonis lifted his tail and pointed to it, slapping his tail fin hard into the water and propelling himself forward powerfully through the sea.

“Adonis—”

Adonis circled back and made a show of gesturing to Connor and then flapping his arms feebly in the water. Connor sat back on his heels, watching the display until Adonis calmed down and stopped.

“Pathetic, am I?”

Connor asked, far from amused.

Adonis grunted.

“The oars, please.”

Adonis cast him a glare before disappearing underwater. He resurfaced with the two oars. He didn’t slap them on the board this time but placed the main one Connor used at his feet and then clipped the extra one back into its spot—Connor noticed that he had no issues working the clip. He then turned his chin away from Connor with a derisive snort and swam away from him, heading toward Connor’s home.

They hadn’t gone as far today, so it should only be thirty minutes of Connor rowing to get back. Although… Connor surveyed the choppy nature of the water. It might be a bit longer if he had to fight the tide part of the way.

As he set out, Connor was plagued by the sight of Adonis swimming ahead, flapping his hands in the water mockingly. Connor watched the display with a growing feeling of annoyance in his gut.

His shoulders were sore as he fought through the now very choppy waters, and he sank to his knees for balance, even though it meant slower progress. Adonis circled back to him, slapping his tail mockingly against the water as he passed, and lined up with the back of the board. The cold spray hit Connor’s face, stoking his temper.

Connor slapped the water with the oar, splashing Adonis as he reached for the back of the board. He twisted around and imitated Adonis’s hiss.

Adonis’s sardonic expression vanished. He retreated with a confused look, keeping a safe distance as Connor glared at him. When he hesitantly tried to approach the board, Connor hissed again. Adonis’s expression changed to alarm. He let out a desperate sound that tugged at Connor’s heart before he steeled himself against it.

“No,”

Connor said. “If you want to be rude, you can hang out with yourself.”

Adonis called out, clearly upset, but Connor ignored him. He set his oar back into the water and continued on. Adonis swam alongside him, not getting any closer than the distance at which Connor hissed at him, and made mournful, keening sounds. It chipped at Connor’s heart, breaking his resolve to pieces, but unfortunately for Adonis, he had a proud streak that burned fiercer than either his sense or his heart when provoked. And while Adonis’s complaints were cute, mocking his physical capabilities so excessively had struck a nerve.

Adonis gave up on his entreaties when Connor didn’t respond and swam sullenly beside him. He cut through the water silently, hardly making a splash. Connor’s lungs were burning, but he was too proud to stop and rest after Adonis’s mocking. All Connor’s pride got him was a sore body and a bad mood. He reached the final bend in the coastline and his house came into view. He’d never been more relieved to see the dock.

Adonis was silent as the waves helped Connor with the last leg of his journey. He kept going through the point he knew Adonis couldn’t and stepped off the board, dragging it onto the sand. Adonis hugged the dock post, watching Connor with wide eyes. When Connor glanced at him, Adonis let out a hopeful chirp.

Guild prodded at Connor’s conscience. He caught his breath and walked down the dock toward Adonis. Adonis’s expression brightened, but he still looked wary, and retreated quickly as Connor got close.

Connor sat on the edge of the dock, staring at Adonis as he got his emotions under control. Eventually, he sighed, feeling silly for losing his temper. Adonis wouldn’t understand that mocking his ability to navigate the ocean—one of the only places that was safe for him—struck a nerve. “You can come over if you want.”

Adonis approached slowly, keeping his eyes on Connor’s face as if he expected Connor to hiss and chase him off again. He reached Connor’s legs and carefully pressed his cheek to his knee. He made an apologetic sound.

The last of Connor’s anger dissolved. He reached out to pet Adonis’s head. “I’m sorry. I lost my temper.”

He had treated Adonis the same way he did everyone else when he felt like he was being looked down on, and it didn’t leave him with a good feeling. “I don’t like being mocked. Okay? I shouldn’t have lost my temper like that, but it wasn’t very nice behaviour on your part, either.”

Adonis moved between Connor’s knees, rubbing his cheek against the inside of the other knee. He made soft keening sounds, like the ones he’d made after hurting Connor accidentally. His cheek rubbed against the edge of Connor’s shorts, and Adonis turned his face, pressing his nose against the fabric and pushing it up, dragging his cheek against the inside of Connor’s thigh. His other hand slipped over the back of Connor’s calf in a slow, hot drag.

Connor’s breath caught.

Wetness touched his skin, and he gazed down through his lashes as Adonis pressed a wet kiss to his inner thigh, still making that apologetic keening sound. Connor’s cock hardened.

His mouth dried, and he shivered at the zaps of heat shooting through his thighs. Adonis’s gaze flicked to his face as he moved in, pushing Connor’s knees apart. Connor reached for Adonis but lowered his hands shakily, setting his palms onto the dock on either side of him, watching as those wet kisses moved up and up.

“You’re turning me on on purpose, aren’t you?”

Connor murmured.

Adonis sucked a mouthful of Connor’s skin into his mouth and nibbled on it. The feeling of teeth indenting his flesh was divine; Connor groaned.

Adonis’s apologetic keening morphed into a distracted hum. His free hand palmed the front of Connor’s shorts, and once he found the outline of Connor in his briefs, he squeezed.

Connor cursed. He has definitely done this before.

Adonis answered his curse with an excited groan of his own. He released Connor’s cock to slip his hand up the leg of his shorts to feel around; he tugged Connor’s cock from the briefs and guided his length out the bottom of his shorts. Only his pink head peeked out from the bottom.

Adonis moved toward him, dragging his tongue over the sensitive tip, squeezing his dick and lapping up the pre-come that he pushed out. Adonis reached, wrapped his free arm around Connor’s waist, and dragged him to the very edge of the dock as he swallowed Connor’s head into his mouth.

Connor groaned, reaching out to seize Adonis’s hair. Adonis answered with a grunt of approval as Connor flexed his hips, and the arm wrapped around his waist encouraged further movement. Adonis’s tongue tortured the soft underside of his dick, and Connor panted, his hips jerking.

Adonis licked against his slit hard, and Connor let out a weak breath, pain and pleasure bolting down his length.

Adonis turned his head, biting down suddenly into Connor’s thigh.

“Ow—”

Connor panted, but before he really registered the pain, Adonis was back, torturing his cock in the best way possible. The arm around Connor’s waist tightened, and Adonis lifted himself up. Connor saw a glint of fevered excitement in Adonis’s heavy-lidded eyes before burying his face in Connor’s naval. And—

“Ow!”

Connor yelped. Adonis bit down hard, teeth sinking into his abdomen.

“Adonis, I don’t think—”

Connor broke off in a heavy groan as Adonis took his head into his mouth, sucking on him hard. He grabbed Connor by the waist using both hands and encouraged Connor to thrust. Connor blinked, seeing the bleeding bite marks on his thigh and stomach, but set his weight back on his palms so that he could move the way Adonis was encouraging him.

His balls throbbed, and he tipped his head back, moaning. “That feels good.”

Adonis released one side of his waist, grasping Connor’s thigh firmly. It was all the warning got before he bit in hard into the flesh of his thigh.

Connor whimpered but was so close to coming that words evaded him.

Adonis immediately returned to his dick, and Connor could barely even feel the throb of pain from the bites. Connor’s balls tightened. “I’m about to—”

Adonis grabbed Connor by the waist and yanked. Connor went with a surprised gasp, falling into the ocean. His head didn’t go underwater, Adonis catching him by his ass. He grabbed Connor’s shirt at the collar, ripped it open, and buried his face into his neck.

“Wait—”

Adonis bit him hard.

Connor groaned, a confusing mix of arousal and pain swarming his senses. Is he going to keep biting? Under the water, Adonis took hold of Connor and fisted his length.

Connor grasped Adonis’s shoulders, his back against the pillar of the dock as he panted, hips desperately thrusting, trying to chase after his orgasm. He was too gone to care that he was in the ocean, that Adonis was being rough with him—his cock hadn’t done anything but twitch in stimulation at the bites. I’m definitely a pervert.

“Do you have a dick?”

Connor asked desperately, cupping his face and shoving his forehead roughly against Adonis’s. He spoke between whines and groans. “Or Jesus, anything, Adonis. I want to touch you, too.”

He knew there was the slit, but he’d hurt Adonis earlier when he’d found it, and he didn’t think he could be anything close to gentle right now.

Adonis growled. He stopped fisting Connor, making him whine in protest, and turned him around. He pinned Connor against the wooden pillar, his hand grasping the back of Connor’s neck in a possessive manner. Connor groaned, loving the rough handling. His cock throbbed, an iron bar against his stomach.

Adonis’s head dipped under the water, and Connor jerked forward against the pillar as he bit his shoulder blade. Adonis’s mouth trailed down, and he was biting viciously into his lower back. Connor cursed, reaching for himself when Adonis didn’t. He fisted his sensitive head desperately, groaning as the inside of his legs brushed against Adonis’s tail when he came back up.

Adonis reached down, cupping Connor’s balls as he furiously pounded his cock. His balls squeezed up, and his breath caught. Connor reached desperately for Adonis, grabbing his hair as he cried out, rutting his hips as he orgasmed.

Connor crashed hard, collapsing into Adonis’s arms, struggling to catch his breath. Adonis buried his face into Connor’s hair, letting out a sound of deep satisfaction. Connor panted, his breaths loud and obvious. Adonis held his midsection, propping him up against his body, and even with the chill of the ocean, Adonis produced enough heat that he didn’t get cold.

Connor groaned again. “How am I supposed to walk all the way up to the house?”

Even weightless in the water, his legs trembled.

Connor rested his head back on Adonis’s shoulder. As he took stock of his body, he realised he was still squeezing Adonis’s hair. He untangled his fingers, releasing him with a sigh. His eyelids were heavy. A few heavy blinks, and sleep was tugging at his body.

“No, I can’t…”

Connor groaned. Trevor must not have seen him coming to shore, but he would be checking on him soon. It was a miracle he hadn’t come down in the middle of that; if he had… what a sight that would have been for his step-dad. Not only would he see a new species, but he’d also seen it making his stepson orgasm.

Connor tipped his head back, trying to get a look at Adonis’s expression. “Is this what you do? Go around the coast seducing people? Or are you getting ready to eat me?”

He touched the bite on his shoulder.

Adonis rubbed his face against Connor’s hair, humming.

“Let’s get this over with,”

Connor murmured. He tapped at the arm locked around his waist. Adonis grunted, not releasing him.

“I know, I know. But I have to,”

Connor said. “I’ll come see you tomorrow. Or maybe the day after so I can recover.”

He tapped Adonis’s arm, and he knew that Adonis understood him because he tightened his grip.

Connor let out a hard breath as his midsection throbbed in pain, Adonis’s arm resting against one of the bites.

“Adonis, come on,”

Connor said.

Adonis wrapped his other arm around Connor’s waist, locking on. He pressed his forehead against Connor’s, a long string of unhappy complaints vibrating from his throat. It was a milder version of Adonis’s issue with the oar earlier.

Adonis’s hand closed around Connor’s softened cock, and he gave his balls a gentle squeeze, making an inquiring sound.

“No, no,”

Connor said, catching that hand quickly. “I’m too sensitive, okay?”

Adonis released his cock in favour of his waist.

Connor tried to twist around to see Adonis’s expression, but Adonis wasn’t giving him enough room to move; he held on, his entire body trembling in unhappiness. The complaints grew louder, more emphatic. Connor interpreted Adonis’s complaints as, “No, Connor. You live in the ocean with me now.”

This was what Connor had been afraid of happening yesterday; Adonis not wanting Connor to go back to land. He wasn’t afraid. Adonis’s behaviour was enough to show Connor that he didn’t want to hurt him—bites aside, of course, but Connor guessed that happened because Adonis got excited, and it was something mermen did when aroused. There were plenty of people in the world who enjoyed that kind of thing, too… Connor would have to count himself among them after coming that hard.

Connor took in a deep breath.

“I’m going in, Adonis,”

he used a stern tone.

Adonis whined. He loosened his grip enough that Connor could turn. He twisted in Adonis’s arms and found him heavy-lidded and unhappy. Connor cupped his cheeks, leaning in to press his forehead to his.

Adonis made a pleased sound in response, stroking Connor’s backside.

Connor twitched, and so did his cock. He hoped Adonis didn’t notice because a third round and he would probably go live with Adonis in the ocean. Perhaps something like that had happened before—those legends of sirens luring seamen into the ocean may not have been legends after all.

“I’ll see you tomorrow. Okay?”

Adonis made a garbled sound that sounded like, “not okay.”

“I promise. I won’t even be mad about all the bites if you help me swim to shore.”

Adonis stroked the one on Connor’s shoulder. With obvious reluctance and a lazy swish of his tail, they drifted down the length of the dock toward shore. Adonis brought him halfway and stopped.

Connor parted from him, floating in with the waves. Adonis caught his ankle just before he was beyond reach and pulled him back into his arms.

A tired laugh spluttered from Connor. “Leave it, Adonis. I have to change into my spare clothes before anyone sees me.”

Adonis let him go but watched from the dock as he dragged himself onto the beach. Connor changed quickly, noting that he would need to bandage the bites since they’d pierced deep enough to draw blood. Oddly enough, the salt water didn’t sting them.

“Connor?”

Trevor called.

Connor tried not to look too guilty as he turned to watch Trevor coming down the footpath. His face filled with obvious relief when he laid eyes on him.

“Mind helping me with this?”

Connor asked, actually grateful that Trevor had chosen now to come down because he didn’t have the strength to pull the board in alone.

Trevor did, and raised an eyebrow at Connor when he was left to shoulder almost the entire weight. Luckily, Trevor could probably bench press two boards with ease.

“Sorry,”

Connor said. “I’m wrecked.”

“It might be an idea to give the paddle boarding a rest for tomorrow?”

Trevor said.

Connor hummed.

Trevor set his hands on his hips. “Going out alone is one thing; going out when you’re exhausted is another. You need to give your body time to rest and recover. Besides,”

Trevor added. “I also checked out the weather reports. Tomorrow isn’t promised good.”

“It’s calm tomorrow, isn’t it?”

Connor glanced toward the spot Adonis had been, sure that he would be gone. He startled when he saw two dark eyes shining out from underneath the dock.

“Not according to this evening’s report,”

Trevor said. He nodded out to sea. “Even I can tell that isn’t promising.”

Connor dragged his gaze from Adonis to the storm clouds on the horizon. His heart sank. Even if it was storming tomorrow, he would have to come out to the dock, at least. The thought of Adonis waiting out here for him was too much. It took him a moment to realise that Trevor was waiting for his answer.

“I’ll stick to dry land tomorrow,”

Connor promised. He could surf if there were big waves, but Connor suspected he wouldn’t have the energy for it, even if the sea was agreeable.