Page 38 of Beastkin
Even through the fur, his touch burned like a brand. I had to suppress a shiver of pleasure.
“Of ruining everything,” I said honestly. “We just found each other again. What if... what if these feelings mess that up? What if we try something and it doesn’t work out and then we lose each other all over again?”
Phoenix’s hand slid up my arm, leaving a trail of heat in its wake.
“We won’t lose each other again,” he said firmly, his orange eyes blazing with determination. “I won’t let that happen. Not after what my parents put me… putusthrough.”
His fingers traced along my forearm, and I couldn’t stop the shudder that ran through me. Every nerve ending felt like it was on fire where he touched me, and my cock throbbed so hard I was afraid I might cum just from this simple contact.
“Phoenix,” I breathed, his name coming out like a prayer or a curse. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Neither do I,” he admitted, stepping closer until there were only inches between us. “But I know I don’t want to pretend these feelings don’t exist. I’ve spent too many years having my choices made for me. I want to make this one myself.”
The late afternoon sun filtered through the trees, casting golden light across his face. He looked ethereal, like some forest spirit sent to torment me with everything I wanted but was too afraid to reach for. The scent of cinnamon and woodsmoke was overwhelming now, mixing with something else, something warm and full of…arousal.
“I jerked off thinking about you this morning,” I blurted out, then immediately wanted to sink into the earth. “Fuck, I can’t believe I just said that.”
Phoenix’s eyes widened, but instead of pulling away in disgust, his pupils dilated and his cheeks flushed darker. He let out a small nervous laugh. “You... you did?”
“In the woods,” I continued, apparently incapable of shutting up now that I’d started. “I couldn’t sleep because all I could think about was how you felt in my arms last night, and how you smelled, and...” I dragged a hand through my fur. “Christ, Phoenix, I’ve never felt like this about anyone. And definitely not another guy.”
“Good,” he said, his voice rough with something that made my knees weak. “Because I did the same thing. Last night, after I got back to my room. I couldn’t stop thinking about you either.”
The admission hit me like a freight train. Phoenix had been thinking about me the same way I’d been thinking about him. The knowledge sent a surge of possessive satisfaction through me that was purely beast-like in its intensity.
“We’re both losing our minds,” I muttered, but I couldn’t bring myself to step away from his touch.
“Maybe,” he agreed, his hand sliding up to rest against my chest. Even through my hoodie, I could feel the heat of his palm. “But I’d rather lose my mind with you than pretend to be sane without you.”
Something inside me snapped. Maybe it was the way he looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered. Maybe it was the desperate honesty in his voice. Maybe it was just that I’d wanted this… wantedhim…for longer than I was ready to admit, even to myself.
I reached up and cupped his face in my large, clawed hand.
His skin was warm beneath my palm, smooth and supple in a way that contrasted sharply with my rough, furry hide. I half-expected him to pull away, to recoil from the touch of my claws against his cheek, but instead he leaned into it, his eyes fluttering closed for a brief moment.
“Karrick,” he whispered, and the sound of my name on his lips sent a shiver straight down my spine.
I knew I should stop, should think this through, should considerall the ways this could go wrong. But Phoenix was looking at me with those burning orange eyes, and his scent was filling my nostrils, and I couldn’t remember why waiting seemed so important just moments ago.
“Fuck it,” I growled, and closed the distance between us.
The first brush of my lips against his was tentative and hesitant. I was painfully aware of my tusks, afraid they might hurt him. But Phoenix made a small, desperate sound in the back of his throat and pressed closer, his hands fisting in the front of my hoodie.
All rational thought fled my mind. His lips were soft and warm and perfect against mine, and when they parted on a gasp, I deepened the kiss without hesitation. My tongue slid against his, tasting that perpetual cinnamon of his that made my head spin. My hand moved from his cheek to the back of his neck, cradling his head as I angled him just right, desperate to taste more of him.
Phoenix responded with an eagerness that matched my own, his hands moving restlessly from my chest to my shoulders to tangle in the fur at the nape of my neck. The touch sent electricity racing across my skin, and I groaned into his mouth, my free arm wrapping around his waist to pull him flush against me.
The feeling of his body pressed against mine was intoxicating. He was lean but solid, all wiry strength beneath that prim button-up shirt. And when my erection pressed against his hip, I felt an answering hardness that made me growl with satisfaction. This wasn’t one-sided. He wanted me just as badly as I wanted him.
I backed him up until his shoulders hit the trunk of a massive oak tree, never breaking the kiss. His hands were everywhere now, exploring the contours of my chest and arms through my hoodie, each touch leaving trails of fire in its wake.
“W-We…” I sputtered, forcing myself back. “We should probably stop…”
“I don’t want to,” Phoenix replied, pulling me closer. “I just want to kiss you forever, Karrick.”
Heat surged through me again, my cock pulsing against his hip. Suddenly an idea struck me. “I have a private room.”
Phoenix didn’t even flinch or stop to consider the implications of what I’d just suggested.