Page 127 of Should Our Stars Collide

Kieran kisses the way he does everything else: chaotic, overthinking, and trying so hard to do his best that Ash wants to shower him with praise until it seeps into every fiber of his being.

He pulls Kieran forward until he ends up in his lap, gasping into the kiss in surprise. He slides his arms fully around Ash’s shoulders and presses close, until they’re chest to chest. His heartbeat is loud and quick, speeding up even more when Ash slides a hand between them and flicks his nipple. Kieran makes the most beautiful sound, grinding against him.

Ash drags his palms down Kieran’s sides and over his hips to grip his thighs. His fingers dig into the soft skin there, hopefully hard enough to leave marks, to remind him who he belongs to whenever he looks in the mirror. He slides his hands higher, dipping under the edge of the towel to cup Kieran’s ass.

Kieran makes a sound like a whimper, breaking the kiss.

“Ash.” There’s a need in his voice, but underneath it Ash senses the anxiety that comes with the unknown.

“I know.” He kisses Kieran’s neck, the edge of his jaw, the corner of his mouth. “It’s okay. I won’t.”

All the tension drains out of Kieran at once. The knowledge that he trusts Ash so boundlessly threatens to unravel him completely.

“Okay.”

“This is good, though?” To demonstrate, Ash cups both hisass-cheeks and squeezes.

Kieran bites his lip and nods. “It’s good.”

Ash hums, kissing over his neck, knowing exactly which spots make him shiver and keen. Once Kieran is putty in his arms, he looks up with a grin.

“Want to get your reward now?”

Kieran blinks, his gaze confused and unfocused, like he forgot about it. His chin dips in a small nod.

Dropping one more kiss on his puffy lips, Ash prompts him to stand. Then he shuffles backwards until he’s half-lying, half-sitting against the headboard, and pats his stomach.

“Drop the towel and come here.”

There’s a moment of hesitation before Kieran unravels the knot on the towel and lets it fall to the floor. He moves across the mattress on his hands and knees, blushing prettily. He shuffles forward over Ash’s legs and sits astride his stomach.

“Um…”

“Higher.”

Grabbing onto the headboard, Kieran shuffles up another couple of inches, his dick hovering in front of Ash’s face. It twitches under the attention, a drop of pre-come pooling at the tip.

Ash licks his lips, pretends to lean forward, just to fuck with him. Then says, “Higher.”

Kieran’s brows pull together in confusion. “What are you gonna do?”

“I’m going to eat your ass.”

Kieran stares at him, then barks out a laugh, which dies quickly when Ash remains silent. “You’re kidding, right?” More silence. “I know you’re obsessed with my ass, but this is weird.You’reweird!” He’s starting to panic now, but seeing as he’s not moving away, Ash isn’t too worried.

“And I’m also horny.” He taps his chin. “So park yourself here before I snap.”

Kieran’s executive function must’ve been disabled because heremains frozen, staring at Ash with a mixture of shock, disbelief, and reluctant want. His dick is dark red, the drop of pre-come rolling down its length.

“Kieran,” Ash uses his Dom voice. “I won’t tell you again. So make a choice; you either safeword out, or sit on my face.”

Kieran sputters, eyes nearly bulging out. His chest rises more shallowly and quickly. “Wh-what happens if I safeword out?”

Ash’s demeanor softens. He knows Kieran doesn’t want to actually use the safeword, but it’s the possibility that using it might create a rip between them that is causing him paralysis.

Ash reaches for his face, stroking his cheek. Kieran leans into it instantly. “We take a break. Talk about what we’d like to do instead.”

Kieran nods, his breathing evening out. That’s all it took. Just some reassurance that putting up boundaries doesn’t equal conflict or abandonment.