Page 44 of It’s A Little Bit Bunny (Fangs on Ice #4)

Forty-three

Jules

T he moment Nikolai stepped through the veil, a low thrumming went through my forest like an earthquake.

He’d said Saturday.

Why is he already here? Has something happened?

In seconds, I had given my mask for the occasion a last minute check in the floor length mirror behind my bedroom door, then I turned around and left to meet him.

“I will be back in a bit, Barnabas. With him,” I told my Wolpertinger as I left the room. I heard a satisfied little grunt back.

“Bunny!” I called when I spotted him near the pathway to the labyrinth. “You’re early. Are you alright?”

“I am,” he said, rasping a hand over his neck. “Sorry, I know I’m early, but I wanted to see you.”

I stepped forward until I was within his reach. Immediately, he slid his strong arms around me.

This is my favourite height.

I nuzzled my nose into his neck, inhaling the scents of shaving soap and his cologne. They were unable to mask his own, the one I would recognise anywhere these days.

“My home is your home, Bunny. You know that.”

Nikolai buried his hands in my hair and let out a needy little gasp as he tilted my face up and kissed me.

“It’s so good to see you, baby,” he rasped when he eventually backed away. “Take me home.”

I knew he probably just said it but my heart skipped a beat at his words.

Home. Yes, I will. In more ways than one.

I led him around the house into the clearing, my heart fluttering like a caged bird in my chest.

Thank the trees I had prepared everything already.

“I have a surprise for you, Bunny.”

“Oh my God, Jules!” Nikolai turned on the spot, taking in the mountain of pillows and blankets, the picnic basket, and the canopy of leaves shielding us. “Did you do all this?”

Does he hate it?

“I did, I thought you might…”

“Jules,” he stopped me with a hand on my arm. “This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me.” Leaning in a little, he pressed a kiss on my cheek and hugged me. “Thank you.”

“I’m glad you like it, Bunny. I thought we could watch a movie, eat, and maybe cuddle a bit?”

“That a great idea.”

We took our shoes off and settled on the cushions. Smiling to myself when I remembered how I had stripped every room in my house of anything that even closely resembled a cushion to make the forest bower, I poured him a glass of my sweet summer wine.

“To this perfect evening.”

“To you. Thank you again, Jules. You have no idea how much I love this.”

You have no idea how much I love you.

We drank. Then I moved in, feeling brave enough to steal a little kiss.

Nik lingered on my mouth for a long time before breaking the connection. His cheeks were flushed as he fired up his sleek laptop and picked a movie for us.

“I had a pretty tough week, Jules,” he sighed when we snuggled up with our hands joined under the fluffy blanket I had brought and our empty glasses set aside. “Thank you for this.”

“Anything for you, Bunny.” I raised our clasped hands to my mouth and kissed the back of his. “Anything.”

A clear drop slid down his cheek, followed by another and another.

It took him a long time to calm down. I held him through it, stroking his golden hair. Getting things out helped.

“Sorry, I—”

“Don’t apologise for your feelings, Nikolai. I adore your tears as much as I do your laughter. They are all part of you.”

“Fuck.” Sniffing, he buried his face in my chest, fresh tears seeping into the fabric. “I feel so dumb. I have everything. A supportive family, the best job, a hot boyfriend. Why the hell am I so fucking miserable?”

Boyfriend? Does he mean me? But who else would he be talking about? Unless…

“I don’t know, Bunny. You are, and you have every right to be. There is no amount of suffering you need under your belt to be allowed to be sad or empty. Sometimes we just are.” I stroked his sweaty hair off his brow. “And having supportive people in your life makes things easier, but they don’t magically heal you, as much as your family or your boyfriend might want to do that for you.”

Nikolai pressed a soft kiss on my throat. “I would never expect you to, Jules. I hope you know that.”

He means me.

“I’m your boyfriend?” I blurted out.

He sat up abruptly, hair sticking up in all directions, his face red and puffy; he was still the most beautiful man I had ever seen.

“What the heck, Jules! Did you seriously just ask me that?” His indignant expression made me want to whoop with joy.

“I…”

“Did you think I had another boyfriend out there?” Nik pointed at the woods behind himself. “That I only come here when he isn’t around or what?” With a frustrated sigh, he pushed his stubborn hair off his brow and slid off my lap.

I stopped him with my hands on his hips. “We never really talked about it. I didn’t want to assume…”

“Assume? Jules! After we did all this stuff together? We had sex the other day, for God’s sake! I don’t do that when I have another boyfriend. That’s not my style. And if it’s yours, then…” Once more he tried to push me away, but I hugged him close.

“It’s not, Nikolai. I don’t even have a style. All I want is you.”

He stopped avoiding looking me in the eyes. Then my big, burly hockey player tackled me to the pillows, straddling my hips and taking my mouth in a deep kiss.

The movie kept playing, unnoticed by both of us.

Within minutes we had stripped all our clothes and rubbed our bodies together in a delicious dance.

“I should have brought lube.” Nikolai blushed. “But it’s all good. We can just kiss and make out.”

“We can, but we can also…” By my forest, at nearly four hundred and fifty years old, I should be a pro at discussing sex.

“Sleep with each other? Absolutely not, Jules. It’s not that I don’t want you.” Nikolai kissed my neck. “Believe me.”

I believed him.

He’s so hard.

“You can’t get hurt, baby boy. That’s just not happening.”

“You won’t hurt me, Bunny.”

He tried to object, but I stopped him with a finger pressed against his lips.

“My backside it’s uh…it is self-lubricating,” I muttered, unsure how he would take the news.

His thick eyebrows arched. Pecking the pad of my ring finger, he gently pulled my hand away.

“Are you kidding me?”

“No. You can feel it for yourself, if you like.”

Jules! What are you saying?

Nikolai sank back down onto the mountain of pillows, cupped my cheek, and pulled me in for a kiss. A long, slow kiss that made my cock buck against his.

His warm body stretched out under mine grounded me, and my budding shame dissipated.

I’m safe with him.

“Mm, God. Yes, I want to feel for myself, baby boy,” he breathed into my mouth, his fingers trailing down my back until he stroked my glute. “Do you get wet when you get aroused, Jules?”

His low purr travelled right through my body, and I let out a low whimper.

“Yes,” I whispered, breath hitching in my throat as his fingers slid between my cheeks and grazed my hole.

“Oh good lord, Jules,” Nikolai groaned, bringing his hips to mine and lining up our lengths. “You are so hot, baby.” He massaged my sensitive skin, not forcing his way inside, but spreading my wetness around my backside. It felt beautiful.

I rested my head on his palm, kissing whatever bit of his skin I could reach.

“Is this alright?”

“Yes, Bunny, yes. It’s so good.”

“Can I touch you inside, too?” He peppered my face with kisses. “It’s okay if you say no, at any point, sweet Jules. Please don’t forget that.”