Page 13 of The Jorogumo (The Sanctuary #2)

Haruto

No one had ever made me feel the way Liam did.

Seeing him in my robe, wrapped up in what was essentially my webs, made me feel possessive in a way I hadn't thought I could feel.

Stepping closer, I cupped Liam's cheek and leaned down, pressing my lips to his.

Our kiss started out soft and slow, but then I nipped at his lower lip, making him open his mouth with a gasp. Not wasting the opportunity, I slid my tongue into his mouth as I wrapped my arm around his waist, pulling him close as I explored his mouth.

Liam moaned as he clung to me, his hand fisting in the back of my shirt as he let me devour his mouth. I could feel his arousal rising in the air around us, and this time, I didn't want to ignore it. I wanted to make him feel the way he made me feel.

Pulling back from the kiss, I waited until Liam's eyes opened and met mine, then asked, "Can I pleasure you, Liam? I wanted to make you come."

Liam's lips parted, and he gazed at me for a long moment before swallowing hard. "You—you want that? Really?"

I nodded, then leaned down to brush my lips against his throat, mouthing at his prominent Adam's apple.

"Fuck," he gasped as he jerked under me, then nodded. "Yes, please. Whatever you want."

Smiling against his skin, I straightened up, then picked him up and carried him to the hammock as he clung to me.

Laying him down in the middle, I stepped back and just gazed at him for a moment. He looked beautiful with his flushed skin, parted lips, and the sleek material of the robe clinging to every dip and curve of his body.

While Liam was a big man, he wasn't all muscles, and I loved the soft swells and curves around his waist and hips. There was a lot of him to touch and hold, and I wanted to explore every inch of him.

"Haruto," Liam murmured, licking his lips as he gazed at me.

Smiling, I leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss on his lips before grabbing the sash that held his robe closed. "May I?"

His eyes slid to my hands, and he nodded slowly. Giving him another kiss, I pulled the sash, pushing the lapels to the side until he was bare to me. He still wore underwear, and a wet spot appeared on it as I scanned every inch of him, admiring his smooth skin, and the way his muscles flexed when he moved.

He made a soft sound under my perusal, his arousal a thick cloud around us, cocooning us off from the world .

Liam looked like he was on the edge of a climax simply from having me admire him, and since I didn't want that to happen just yet, I parted my lips and sucked in some of his arousal, humming when it settled warmly in my stomach.

Liam blinked at me, and his brows furrowed. "Did you..."

I nodded slowly, and even though he'd given me his consent before, I asked, "Is it okay?"

He nodded quickly, then blushed a little. "I just didn't realize I'd feel it too. I was close to the edge, and then I wasn't."

Nodding, I leaned forward and pulled him into another kiss as I ran my fingers over his bare torso, flicking his nipples and swallowing the moan that ripped out of his throat.

"Imagine the fun we could have with that," I murmured against his lips, and he whined.

"Fuck. You're evil."

Chuckling, I pulled back, trailing kisses down his throat as I rubbed my palm over his bulge, making him hiss.

I adored the way he reacted, and knowing that it was for me, that I was the one making him feel this way, made me feel wonderful.

When I reached his nipples, I took one in my mouth, and he almost leaped out of his skin. A loud moan escaped his mouth as I sucked on the small nub until it was hard, then gave it a soft bite as I slid my hand into his underwear and wrapped it around his hard, leaking cock.

I swallowed another mouthful of his arousal, making him groan desperately, then turned my attention to his other nipple as I started jacking him off slowly.

"Faster, Haruto, please!"

"Would you like me to make you come, Liam?" I asked nonchalantly, as if he wasn't a moaning, begging mess under me, and Liam's eyes snapped open, flashing as they met mine .

"Fuck, Haruto. If you don't make me come, I'm gonna..." He trailed off with a moan when I gave my wrist a twist and rubbed the pad of my thumb over his head.

"You're gonna what?"

"I'm gonna steal all your," he panted, his words barely legible as he struggled for control, "all your comics."

I waited until he was looking at me and eyed the shelves lining my walls. "All of them? I don't think you could manage."

"Fuck you," he said with feeling, making me laugh.

I decided to have mercy on him and leaned back, pulling his underwear down to his mid-thighs before wrapping my hand around his cock firmly.

It didn't take more than a few strokes before he was coming, and I continued stroking him as he spilled over my hand and his abdomen, small whines and groans slipping past his lips.

When he'd stopped moving completely, I tore off a layer of my webs from the hammock and used it to wipe him and my hand before sliding his underwear back on.

I threw the dirty cloth to the floor before moving a limp Liam lengthwise, tying up his robe once more, and sliding in beside him.

He threw an arm and a leg over me instantly, clinging to my side as he caught his breath.

When he opened his mouth, for a moment I was afraid he'd offer to reciprocate. I shouldn't have been, since I'd told him my boundaries more than once, but then again, it wasn't like people hadn't ignored them before.

"For that, you can have all the cuddles you want," Liam declared, and something loosened in my chest as I grinned.

"Is that so?"

Liam nodded emphatically, then pulled back a little so he could meet my eyes, though his legs stayed tangled with mine. He wasn't at all weirded out by the fact that there were eight of mine, and I might have just loved him a little for that.

"You can do that to me whenever you want. Carte blanche."

Smiling, I leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his nose, which made him chuckle.

"You can ask me for it too, you know. Don't feel like you can't or like it'd be selfish to ask. I enjoyed giving you pleasure."

"Not to mention you get a meal out of it," he pointed out with a grin, which I took to mean he accepted what I'd said.

"There's that," I agreed with a nod just as Liam let out a wide yawn. "Time to sleep."

"Yeah," he said, then gave me a drowsy smile. "I really enjoyed spending time with you today."

"Me too," I murmured, and he sighed happily before closing his eyes and pressing his face into my shoulder.

I wrapped an arm around him, holding him close as I let my eyes fall shut. I would love to end every night just like this.

Liam

When I woke up the next morning, it took me a few minutes to be awake enough to realize where I was.

The gentle sway of my 'bed' was a dead giveaway, and I frowned when I realized I was alone in bed. Why was I alone?

After almost flipping over and falling on my ass, I somehow managed to sit upright in the hammock, and I rubbed at my sleepy eyes before peering around the house, frowning when I found it empty.

"Good morning, Liam."

I jumped at the voice, and almost flipped the hammock again before catching myself. I glanced up, then gawked as Haruto lowered himself in front of me, his hand wrapped around a thick web.

"Did you just do that to impress me?" I asked, because I knew there were web-walkways all around the walls and he had no need to lower himself from the ceiling like a certain superhero we both liked.

Haruto's cheeks lit up immediately, and he quickly let go of the silk rope that now hung from the ceiling.

"What? No! That's not—I was just trying something," he fumbled, and I grinned at how damned cute he looked.

I loved that there was no morning-after awkwardness to be found here.

"Okay, okay, sorry I doubted you. And good morning to you too, Haruto."

He huffed, then nodded at me before glancing at his watch. "It'll be time for breakfast soon. Would you like to stay?"

My eyes widened and I struggled off the hammock, growling when I tripped. Haruto caught me before I could faceplant, and I shot him a grateful look as I straightened up.

"What time is it?"

"Half past eight."

"Fuck. I'm late to open the shop." I opened at nine, but I usually got in at eight to do all the pre-opening prep.

"Oh. No breakfast then?" Haruto said with a smile, and I nodded.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. How about you get changed and I'll walk you to the door?"

Nodding, I did just that, and when I came out of the alcove, the house was empty.

I placed the robe I'd worn on the hammock, then walked out of the house, finding Haruto waiting for me outside .

We headed out together, our hands clasped, and made plans to see each other again tomorrow. I didn't think I'd have met up so frequently with a human boyfriend, but things were different with Haruto. I wanted to be around him all the time.

Just before we reached the main exit, Keoni tumbled up to us, the clatter of his cart preceding his arrival.

"Hey, Keoni," I greeted, not wanting to be rude even though I really needed to leave.

"Hey! I know you're running late, so I'm not gonna tease you about staying the night yet, but here." He held out a paper bag, and I took it automatically, confused.

The scent of recently fried bacon hit my nose, and I peered inside, finding smaller boxes filled with breakfast.

"Haruto said you're going straight to your shop, so I got you some food."

I was not going to tear up over breakfast. I wasn't .

"Thank you," I said, and if my voice came out a little choked, neither of them called me out on it.

I left quickly after that, but not before I gave Haruto a kiss, and Keoni a friendly half-hug.

It was only after I'd opened up the shop and settled behind the counter that I gave myself a moment to sort through my emotions.

Yesterday had been amazing from start to finish, and I'd loved falling asleep in Haruto's arms.

This was what I'd been looking for in all my relationships, in all the time I'd dated. I'd never had this kind of easy companionship before, this type of relationship that didn't hinge on sex.

I knew Haruto had enjoyed driving me crazy, that it'd pleased him to watch me come apart for him. I also knew I would never get to do that for him, and frankly, I was okay with that.

There were a lot of ways to show Haruto how I felt that didn't involve sex. All I needed was for him to be happy with me.

The bell above the door jingled, and I forced myself to focus on my work, pushing all thoughts of Haruto to the back of my mind, because it'd be impossible to push him completely out.

He texted me around lunch, and I spent my whole lunch break talking with him on the phone. Maybe I'd gotten too attached too quickly, but if that was the case, I wasn't the only one feeling that way.

As long as Haruto felt the same, I didn't mind being a little clingy.