Page 102 of Should Our Hearts Catch Fire

“I can tell.” Gabriel burrows his nose in Ellis’ neck, taking a greedy breath in. “You smell like vanilla and spices.” He licks a spot behind his ear, pulling out a surprised squeal from him.

“Spiced orange,” Ellis supplies, like it’s important.

Gabriel hums his approval. “Can I have a taste?”

“You just did,” Ellis retorts, earning a pinch to his ass. God, he had no idea what kind of noises he’s capable of releasing into the world. “Okay. Yeah, okay, if you…if you want to.” As if Gabriel’s arousal and the press of his cock against Ellis’ lower back isn’t loud and clear confirmation.

“Oh, Ellis.” His breath gusts over the wet spot he licked. “You have no idea, do you?”

Before Ellis can ask for specifics, Gabriel has slid down his body. He pulls his cheeks gently apart and licks a long stripe over his hole. The abruptness of it all sends Ellis up the mattress, shy of knocking his head against the headboard.

“How was that?”

“Mhmfm.”

Gabriel’s laugh vibrates against his skin. “Hold on tight, Grumpy. I’m about to rock your world.”

If Ellis was capable of words, he’d tell him that ship had sailed a long time ago. Except Gabriel hadn’t just rocked his world, he’d barged into it like a whirlwind, destroying everything in its path that was built on illusion and fear, until the only thing that remained was the truth.

Right now, the truth is that Ellis is falling, uncontrollably and irrevocably, in love with his quirky barista.

Why are you having this revelation when the guy in question has his tongue on your ass?

A hysterical laugh bubbles out of him, dissolving into a mewling moan when Gabriel spreads him further, spearing the tip of his tongue inside him. Ellis’ body jerks as if he touched a live wire, but Gabriel has him, holds him in place as he laps at his hole and nips at his cheeks. One particularly sharp bite—which Ellis secretly hopes will bruise—has his spine curving, sending his ass higher and back against Gabriel’s face.

Gabriel groans, clearly getting off on the desperation. The wet sound of his tongue licking between Ellis’ cheeks echoes in the room, making blood rush in his ears. He’s wet enough that he can feel spit dribble down his crack, wet enough that if Gabriel wanted, he probably wouldn’t need to prepare him much before pulling his cock out and pressing it in—

Ellis’ mouth opens on a silent scream. His hips rock forward, grinding against the sheets, then back to feel Gabriel’s tongue back inside him. The combined sensations are more than he can take, his balls drawing up and cock erupting where it’s trapped between the bed and his belly. Waves of pleasure ripple through him, severing the connection from his brain to his muscles until he’s just a boneless heap jolted by violent aftershocks.

His head feels fuzzy, his ears filled with cotton, but through the haze of mind-numbing pleasure he registers Gabriel’s voice asking him something.

“Huh?”

A chuckle, dark and raspy right next to his ear. The sweet, chaste kiss pressed to his shoulder is in direct opposition to the words that follow. “Can I finish on your back?”

Ellis’ world narrows down to the image of Gabriel painting his back with ropes of come while Ellis is too useless to do anything but lie there and take it.

He voices his assent which probably doesn’t come out as articulate as he thinks.

“I need words, babe,” Gabriel says, laughing softly against him.

“Since when?”

“Ellis.” Gabriel’s voice is just this side of reprimanding, betraying how much, despite all the endless teasing, he has a serious side.

Summoning his voice, Ellis says, loud and clear and maybe a little too eager. “Yes. Do it.”

Gabriel doesn’t waste time. The slick sound of skin on skin echoes from the walls, exacerbated by his labored breathing and the occasional slip of Ellis’ name spoken in that filthy, addictive way.

It takes major effort, but Ellis turns his head, twisting until he can watch Gabriel strip his cock with ruthless strokes, teeth sunken into his lower lip and dark eyes glued to Ellis’ back and ass. He must have been close for a while, because it doesn’t take longer than a few seconds before splashes of hot come land on Ellis’ skin. His cock makes a feeble attempt at perking up again, but that’s where it stays.

A breathless ‘Fuck’ falls from Gabriel’s lips. The angle is awkward, but he stretches up until he can take Ellis’ mouth in a shaky, uncoordinated kiss. “I’ll be right back.”

Barely able to keep his eyes open, Ellis watches as Gabriel disappears into what he assumes is the bathroom. There’s the sound of running water, and then he comes back with a warm washcloth, running it lovingly over Ellis’ skin.

“To answer your question,” Gabriel starts, dropping the cloth on the floor. “I need words because feeling that you want something and being willing or comfortable to act on it are two very different things.”

If it were anyone else, Ellis would agree. But it’sGabriel.