Page 55

Sam

Sam was panicking.

Felix’s lips moved over his, turning urgent, frantic. And Sam understood. He needed to hide the vulnerable exposed parts of himself, too, hide behind the press of mouths, the glide of tongues.

Because he knew it now with absolute certainty.

This wasn’t some passing fancy.

He was in love with this man.

The organ in his chest swelled, beat against his breastbone, determined to be as close to the man in his arms as possible.

He wasn’t surprised by it. He had seen it coming and had purposely ignored it.

But love wasn’t something a mere human held any power over.

And the realization came harsh and heady, crashing over him, pulling him under, swallowing him whole—just like the water they stood in would if he sank below the surface.

He was drowning in it.

And it was terrifying.

In that moment, Sam ceded all power to the man pressed up against him.

This man now held the ability to break him.

And Sam didn’t have any choice in the matter.

That was how love worked, wasn’t it? One had no control.

Love did whatever the bloody hell it wanted.

So Sam tangled his fingers into Felix’s amber curls and held on tight.

Prayed this man would be more careful with his heart than anyone else had been in his past.

Would actually want the heart no one else had wanted.

He rocked his hips into Felix’s, and their groans reverberated through the stone enclosure as their hard lengths slid against each other. Felix pressed tighter, the iron-hard muscles in his arms flexing against Sam’s shoulders and neck, pulling, demanding.

Demanding everything from Sam. And if there was ever a man he’d take this leap with, it was Fee. He handed over his heart and let Felix take the lead.

Like Felix could read Sam’s mind, he spun them and slammed Sam’s back against the cool tile of the pool wall.

A night where Felix needed control. And a night where Sam needed to be the one controlled.

That’s how perfectly attuned they were to one another.

Words weren’t needed, not when their hearts spoke to each other.

Felix’s hands slipped behind Sam to cup his arse.

Squeezed until a throbbing pain surfaced.

Pleasure raced through Sam’s veins, settling heavily in his groin.

He bucked against Felix, and Felix groaned into his mouth.

Then those silken lips disappeared, tracing their way down Sam’s jaw.

Teeth sank into the sharp corner of his jawline, followed quickly by the soft press of his tongue.

A moan rumbled from Sam’s throat, the sound like thunder in the cavernous space.

His blood turned blistering hot. It was like Fee wanted to devour him.

And then Sam was heaved out of the water. Sam’s arse slapped against the cold stone floor, his eyes stretching impossibly wide as he blinked down in shock at the man who’d just tossed him out of the pool.

Felix’s chest heaved, a satisfied smirk gracing his lush lips. How adorable he was, proud of himself for being able to throw Sam around. Sam’s heart nestled even further into the man’s palm. Because that’s exactly where it would be for the rest of Sam’s days—in the palm of Felix’s hand.

He ever-so-slowly ran the tips of his fingers up Sam’s thighs.

Then gripped them hard and slid Sam to the edge of the pool.

Promise glimmered back in those shadowed amber eyes.

Sam cursed the dimness of the chamber. Even though he’d memorized their color, he wanted to know their exact shade.

Were they the burnt umber they turned when he was drunk with desire?

Were they the glimmering whisky they turned when he was feeling playful?

Or were they the honeyed amber they took on when he was overcome with emotion?

Felix stroked Sam, unhurried, wet palm slipping over Sam’s aching length. Then he leaned forward, and Sam sucked in a breath as his cock disappeared inch by inch between those pouty pink lips. Fuck .

A moan escaped those pretty pink lips, the vibration sending an arc of pleasure through Sam’s groin.

Felix’s fingers tightened on Sam’s thighs, and he wasted no time, didn’t build up slowly, threw that unhurried pace out the bathing chamber.

He swallowed Sam down, cheeks hollowing below those delectable cheekbones as he sucked Sam with purpose.

Sam fell back on his forearms, chest expanding with stuttered, ragged breaths.

His vision dotted, his mind a dizzying mess as Felix brought him to the edge in a matter of seconds.

He squeezed his eyes shut tight. If he watched the erotic sight of that man bobbing on his cock for one more moment, this would be over in his next breath.

A tortured inhuman groan slipped free, because this wasn’t actually any better. Now every other sense was heightened. The tip of Felix’s tongue pressing against the sensitive underside of his cock. The wet sucking sounds filling the air. Sex. The sound of sex surrounded him.

Fuck, fuck, fuck .

His thighs locked so tight they shook. Pressure swirled at the base of his spine, building, building. His balls drew up tight—

Felix pulled off, a sharp, wet pop slicing through the room.

Sam’s breath exploded from him, ballocks aching, his body screaming from the denial.

Something predatory gleamed in Felix’s dark gaze, had the hair on the back of Sam’s neck prickling. A wolfish smile glinted in the candlelight, and Sam scrambled backward. Instinct taking over. The one that said run.

Felix propelled himself up and jumped out of the pool, landing in a soft crouch.

Water splashing against stone filled the room.

Sam was on his feet in the next breath, stumbling backward.

Felix prowled forward, hand stroking his hard length, teeth digging into his bottom lip.

Christ, the man was temptation incarnate.

He moved languidly, lazily stalking Sam, lazily running his palm over his swollen shaft.

There was Sam’s lion again. Confidently prowling forward.

Knowing he had his prey cornered. Sam hadn’t once in his life felt like prey.

A tremor skated down his spine. Excitement.

Impatience. Need. He couldn’t say he hated it.

Sam glanced over his shoulder, catching sight of the pair of chaises with their banyans resting atop. He skirted around them, but then there was nowhere else to go. His back hit the smooth stone wall.

“Turn around.” Felix’s demand boomed around them. Deep. Authoritative. A tone that brooked no argument. A man who knew he got what he wanted.

Sam spun to face the wall, his breath bouncing against the dark grey surface.

His pulse surged in his neck, his body already aching for what he knew was coming.

It had been a long time since Sam had let another man do this to him.

There was nothing like the orgasm that came from being torn apart inside and out.

His cock throbbed at the thought, a trickle of sweat building between his shoulder blades as he waited in pained anticipation.

A shuffling came from behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder. Felix produced a vial from the pocket of his banyan, uncorked it, and poured a generous amount into his palm.

He glanced up, caught Sam staring. “Did I say you could turn around?”

Sam jerked back to face the wall, eyes wide. He had no idea what had gotten into Felix, but Sam had wanted to be the one controlled, needed to be the one to feel safe, with Felix’s strength wrapped around him—and he was getting his wish.

The wet slap of Felix’s bare feet against stone rang out and then a strong palm was pushing at Sam’s upper back, the other sliding down his crease. Sam let out a shaky exhale, one that stuttered when Felix’s slick fingers coasted over his hole.

Felix gently massaged, a tease so light there was almost no pressure at all. Sam growled and pushed back. Felix’s low chuckle resounded through the room.

“Greedy,” he murmured against Sam’s neck. “It’s what you always call me, isn’t that right? How does it feel to be on the other side?”

He added a little more pressure with his fingers. Sam whined.

“I know,” Felix crooned. “It’s the best kind of torture, isn’t it?” Felix’s other hand slid around Sam’s chest, down his stomach, and wrapped around his cock. He gave a few bored strokes. “To know your pleasure rests in the palm of someone else’s hand.”

Sam’s forehead dropped to the wall with a soft thud.

“ I’m going to make you feel so good, Sam.” One finger pushed past the tight ring of muscles, and Sam instantly let out a slow breath, relaxing his body. Felix cursed. “Fuck, look at you letting me in. Like you’re desperate for it.”

Sam grunted. The only response he was capable of, because Felix slid in farther, closer to the spot that would light Sam on fire.

When Sam began rocking back on Felix, his moans turning more to growls of frustration—frustration because the god-damned man was avoiding the god-damned spot on god-damned purpose—Felix added another finger.

Sam bore down, the slight burning stretch setting his nerves sparking and fizzing.

The sign of what was to come. Felix slid his fingers in and out, scissoring them, the burn intensifying as he worked Sam open.

Then, he finally gave Sam exactly what he needed, craved.

Felix coasted over that spot deep inside.

A moan ripped from Sam, his body jerking as pleasure streaked through him.

Felix immediately pulled off the spot, added a third finger while Sam could do nothing but pant and attempt to stay upright.

Sam couldn’t wait for Felix to be deep inside him, pegging that spot over and over.

“Hurry,” he pleaded.