Page 13 of At His Wife’s Behest

“We’ll talk about it later,” he warned.

“Fine.”

Kellan had to laugh. Her exasperated fine sounded identical to the one Emma had spat moments before. “I’ve got to go eat dinner, but I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Dinner? But we just ate lunch!”

“Ask Mama about time zones,” he said, grinning.

“Okay,” Abigail chirped. “Bye, Daddy. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Abby.”

When he ended the call, he glanced up to see Connor in the doorway.

“Abby’s well?”

Kellan nodded, his gaze tangled in Connor’s. “Yeah.”

“It’s going to be weird not being in class tomorrow.”

“You took a week off work to come here with me. Must’ve been worth it.”

“Had I known it was you, I’d have come for nothing but the plane ticket.”

Was that true or the practiced words of a paid companion? He wanted to believe the former but knew better. “I bet you say that to all your dates.”

“I don’t,” Connor murmured, his voice low. “This is a job, just like any other. Most of the time.”

Kellan saw the heat in the man’s eyes but didn’t know how to respond.

It had been years since his last encounter and that had been with a stranger.

He wasn’t schooled in the art of seduction nor had experience to pull from.

“I…” He swallowed the lump in his throat, cheeks flaming.

He rose and turned to face Connor. “I’ve never done this. ”

“Done what?” Connor asked, a hint of a smile curling up the sides of his mouth.

“This,” Kellan replied, waving a hand between them. “I think we both sense where this might be going, but in all honesty, I don’t know. I’ve never…”

“Nev—”

Kellan sighed, cutting him off. “I may be reading this all wrong.” He scoffed. “I probably am. Just ignore me.”

“Do I get to talk now?”

Kellan released a shaky breath as Connor closed the gap between them. He stopped close enough to feel his body heat.

“We agreed we wouldn’t cross the line. You seemed quite adamant about that.”

“Yeah, of course,” Kellan said. He took a step back, shame hitting him. “No lines crossed.”

Connor reached out and dragged him closer. “We shouldn’t. There’s a lot at stake if we went too far.”

“A lot, yes,” Kellan whispered.

“I mean, it might be awkward when you dropped off Abby. Or worse,” Connor drew him ever closer, their bodies just barely touching. “I wouldn’t want to ruin things at the Academy. I like it there.”

Kellan leaned in, seeking more. “You’re right. We should just be friends.”

Connor’s head lowered. “Yep. Just friends.”

Kellan caught his breath as he watched Connor’s lips growing ever closer. “Just… friends. Yeah…”

Connor captured his lips in hungry possession. Kellan shuddered, Connor slamming against him. Their mouths warred, heat and desire blossoming… until they broke apart, gasping for air.

“You just said you’ve never done this. Didn’t you tell me yesterday that you’ve been with a man?”

“A few lewd hookups in a men’s room. Nameless strangers I never saw again.” Kellan dragged in a breath. “I’ve never dated someone.” Face flaming, he choked. “Not that today was a date. It was date-like, perhaps, but it wasn’t a date.”

Connor tipped his chin up. “Today was most certainly a date.”

Kellan smiled, some of the awkward energy fading away. He was lost in Connor’s stare and the hunger he saw within it.

“I’d be honored to be your first non-stranger, non-bathroom hookup— if we both agree to cross that line.”

Kellan snorted, dragging his gaze away. Yet he couldn’t keep it away long.

It returned to Connor, incapable of seeing anything but him.

Connor lifted a hand, bringing it to Kellan’s temple.

He brushed back a lock of hair there, sliding his fingers through the strands.

Never did he pull his gaze away, capturing Kellan’s and holding tight.

Without words, Connor pushed Kellan’s jacket from his shoulders.

Tackling the buttons of his button-down, Connor’s hands were ever so lightly shaking.

Not like the excited quivers rocking Kellan’s own body.

He was one large tremble, his legs like rubber.

When Connor pushed his shirt wide, he forgot to be embarrassed.

A soft growl of approval came the same time palms spread across his torso.

He closed his eyes, luxuriating in the feel of Connor’s touch.

A snap and an unzip later, and his pants were tossed atop the rest of his clothes, leaving him in only briefs.

“Damn you’re beautiful.”

Kellan’s face warmed.

“My turn,” Connor murmured. He grasped Kellan’s wrists and dragged them closer. Pressing against his buckle, Kellan got the idea.

He struggled to open it, with his hands shaking so much. Connor swept in to help. Not long after, they were both in only their underwear, inches away from one another.

“What next?” Kellan whispered.

“How about this?” Connor asked before he leaned in and seized Kellan’s lips.

The kiss started off as innocuous as the one they’d shared at the bottom of the stairs the night before.

It soon flourished into something more, a breath-robbing, lip-crushing, soul-searing caress of lover against lover.

Connor coaxed more from him, nibbling and biting, drawing the embrace out longer.

Building the fire that had been banked since the moment they’d first come face-to-face outside the villa—though he knew it had started well before that, in the halls of Allton Academy.

Connor broke the kiss as he slid one hand down. “Can I touch you… here,” he asked, fingertips sliding under the band of Kellan’s tented briefs.

“Yes,” he croaked out, barely capable of speech.

The second Connor’s hand trailed along the length of his shaft, conscious thought went out the window. He pressed his forehead to Connor’s chin, rolling his hips and urging the man to touch him.

More.

The kiss to end all kisses resumed. Connor’s hand wrapped around his cock, slowing sliding from base to tip.

Kellan couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think.

His back bowed and he came, shooting into Connor’s palm after a few strokes.

Growling, he crested, his desire coating Connor’s hand.

As comprehension returned, embarrassment followed.

He’d come in a matter of minutes.

Face flaming, he backed away. “I’m so sorry. It’s… it’s…”

“Been a long time,” Connor finished for him, smiling gently. “You’ve done nothing any other touch-deprived person hasn’t done.”

“Touch-deprived?” That’s a stretch.

Connor lifted his hand to his lips, licking Kellan’s seed from his fingers. “You said yourself that it’s been a long, long time. Years, from the sounds of things.”

“I touch people all the time.”

“The way I just touched you?”

Kellan frowned.

Connor closed the gap, lifting Kellan’s chin.

“There’s touch. And then there’s touch. A hug from a loved one can go a long way—but the caress of an intimate partner?

It’s a whole other thing.” Connor licked the last of Kellan’s cum from his fingers.

“I enjoyed seeing you let go. Long or short, it doesn’t matter.

You found pleasure, and that’s all that does. ”

“What about you?”

Connor smiled. “We don’t have to worry about me. This trip is all about you.”

“I want…” Kellan cleared his throat. “I want to make you feel good, too.”

“Okay,” he whispered. “What would you like to do?”

“Taste you. Like you did me.” Kellan knelt, knees pressed into the antique, silk rug.

Straight ahead was Connor’s cock, stretching the front of his bright-colored, Andrew Christian briefs.

Kellan chuckled to himself. In the past, he’d jerked off to some of the videos hosted on the company’s website.

He’d never expected having a man modeling a pair for him in real life.

Hesitantly, he reached out, trailing his fingertips over the leaking head.

Each touch that followed gave him courage, coupled with the sighs and moans of pleasure coming from Connor’s lips.

When he drew the waistband down, the shaft popped up to greet him, brushing against his lips.

Eager, he opened his mouth and sucked the tip into his mouth.

Kellan groaned, his cock already hardening again, and he sucked a few inches more. It didn’t take long for him to suck in earnest, taking Connor as far back in his throat as he could while hollowing his cheeks.

“For someone without… much experience,” Connor murmured, pausing to groan. “You do that… very well.”

Kellan smiled around Connor’s shaft, soaking in the praise. Connor slid his fingers through the hair at the back of Kellan’s head and took control of the pace. Kellan whined, hungry to taste Connor’s release on his tongue.

“Slow down, baby,” Connor murmured. “We have all night.” He chuckled. “We have all week.”

But Kellan was starved for the connection. He fought Connor’s hold, quickening the pace.

“You’re gonna make me come too fast.”

Kellan didn’t care. He tightened his lips around Connor’s thick shaft.

“Fuck!” Connor yelled before his body stiffened. The first jet of hot cum was salty. The rest were sweeter, coating his tongue as he swallowed as much as he could take. Drops spilled from the corners of his mouth, hitting his bare chest. Lifting a hand, he rubbed the seed into his skin.

Connor pulled from his lips, gasping for air. After a few seconds, he lifted his gaze, shaking his head. “No experience, my ass.”

“I like sucking cock,” Kellan replied.

“And it shows,” Connor said, still panting. He collapsed on the side of the bed, hands on his knees. “Fuck, Kel—your mouth.” He laughed. “You have a talent. It’s a shame it goes to waste.”

“Maybe it won’t this week, hmm?” An acrid scent came to his nose. “Is something burning?”

“Dinner!” Connor cried before running from the bedroom. Kellan dragged off his wet briefs, washed up as quickly as possible and drew on his robe before hurrying down to see if dinner was ruined.

From the scent and the smoke, he was fairly sure it was. He glanced at the burnt lasagna, laughing. “We better not let Ana Maria see that.”

“Oh, no,” Connor said. He used a fork to lift off the top layer of burnt cheese. “Maybe we can eat the center bits? They don’t look burnt.”

“Or we could walk to the village and eat dinner there,” Kellan said before stifling a yawn. Going out didn’t sound good at all. Jet lag was hitting hard.

Connor took a bite from the center. “Damnit! This is amazing. Even charred.”

He scooped up more from the center and offered it to Kellan. Kellan met his stare before opening his lips and allowing Connor to feed him.

“Shit! That is good. And we ruined it.”

“Pffft… ruined? I hardly think so.” He took another bite, eyeing Kellan. “If you want to go out, we can—but you look utterly exhausted.”

“Jet lag after a day of sightseeing has taken a toll.” He yawned again.

“And you just came. Hard. That doesn’t help.”

Kellan’s cheeks warmed. “Let’s just eat what we can and call it a night.”

They sat at the kitchen table picking at the burnt dish, drinking from another bottle of wine, and laughing.

Connor stole kisses between the bites, and after they’d soaked the remaining inedible lasagna, they lit a fire in the main bedroom, removed the last of their clothing, and slid into the big bed together.

Kellan had feared not being able to sleep, even as tired as he was. The excitement of sharing a bed with a man? Too much. Yet, he drifted off in Connor’s arms and couldn’t recall the last time he slept so well.

Connor stared down into Kellan’s face. Sleep had taken all of the stress and wiped it away.

He was beautiful when at peace, far surpassing simple good looks.

Angelic, almost. Connor had struggled to find sleep himself, too excited about the day and the night they’d shared.

The fire crackled, sending light and shadow dancing along the walls of the bedroom.

Kellan shifted, rolling to his other side.

That’s when Connor got his first peek at the scars scattered over Kellan’s back.

He traced a fingertip over one of the longest, barely touching the puckered skin there.

Rage filled him, and he hoped his assumptions were wrong.

If Norman Rhodes had caused that, he would live to regret it.

Connor wasn’t sure he had the power to inflict real pain, but if it took him the rest of his days, he would do his damnedest.

The hour grew late. Kellan rolled again, snuggling close. Connor drew him even closer and closed his eyes, finally able to sleep. Dreams of revenge followed.