Page 16

Theo

Watching Roan's body disappear into the water is one of the single hottest things I have ever seen. Despite having fooled around twice, this is still the closest to naked I’ve seen him. And he is magnificent.

Watching the way his muscles worked to lower himself in? Ngh .

My fingers tremble as I race to undo my shorts and rip off my tee shirt all the while trying to kick my way out of my shoes. I hop on one foot, trying to regain my balance, fighting the tee shirt I have caught on my head, but my shorts, on the slightly too snug side, have trapped my thighs.

I am very close to tipping and embarrassing myself entirely by cracking my head open on the stone slab beneath me but manage to somehow get the top off my head and the shorts to slide down the thick part of my thighs to pool at my feet.

Because I have thick parts of my thighs now. It’s been a lot of hard work, but they are there.

Ignoring Roan’s booming laughter at my close call, I flick the tee shirt free and bend with my back to the water to take off my socks. Roan’s laughter cuts off with a sharp intake of breath.

In my hurry to join him in the water, I had completely forgotten the underwear I had selected this morning after I showered and changed. It’s nothing overly racy, like the lacy lingerie Seldon had tried to convince me to buy, but it’s definitely the nicest I’ve ever owned.

The hot pink briefs stretch across my ass, the scraps of material struggling to maintain some level of dignity. This particular pair barely covers my cheeks, especially with the wide cut out beneath the thick waistband that gives a peek at the cleft of my ass.

Not that Roan had seen just yet, but they also dip almost indecently low at the front. When I slipped them on in a rush this morning, I'd been extremely grateful that I naturally have no body hair so I hadn't needed to take care of any maintenance to wear them.

As I become very aware of Roan's gaze on me, and the fact that I am bent over basically presenting myself to him, I freeze, and it feels like the Falls freezes with me.

I’m slow to stand, my breath shaking with anticipation. I try to breathe slowly and deeply, try to focus on anything else but the intense awareness building in the moment but I can’t, and I can feel my cock rapidly, dangerously , filling in my tiny, inappropriate briefs.

In the seconds that it takes to stand, ready to face Roan, my dick is already rock hard, further testing the integrity of the fabric, straining like a divining rod to what it wants. Roan.

Maybe I should just make a run for it? Just walk out of the Falls and back into the Woods? A neric—a bear-like creature with poisonous claws—could grab me. Or maybe a nabras could just swallow me whole and save me from the embarrassment?

Or maybe Roan could swallow me and save me from blue balls? A particularly unhelpful voice chimes in. I take a deep breath in and hold it for a few counts before releasing it. Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

And then, I turn to face the water, acutely aware of the warmth of the stone, rough beneath my feet. The heat of the sun's rays on my creamy, pale skin, the way my gold-flecked freckles glow in the light, the flutter of the cool breeze as it passes, the roaring sound of the Falls.

Of the way Roan swallows hard when he rakes his dark grey eyes over me from head to toe. He mutters something under his breath, and I am pretty sure that it was “fuck me”, but I am all of a sudden too hyper aware of the moment to risk it all by being a dick. My legs tremble when I lower myself to the rock at the edge of the pool, Roan treading water in front of me, as I hesitantly slide myself in.

The water is cool, refreshing on my overheated skin, relieving the frantic pulse throbbing through me, pushing me closer and closer to Roan. I can only reach the sandy floor of the pool here on my tippy toes, so I bob, treading water. Roan’s big arms swing wide to keep himself afloat, and his fingers brush mine with each pass.

The air between us crackles as we circle each other, drifting further into the water, neither of us willing to break eye contact. A fidgety sort of tension builds in my chest, bubbling through my body. It all feels a little too intense, making me giddy and unsettled.

That is, until a ripple from the waves formed by the base of the Falls meets Roan’s swaying arm, sending an arc of water in my direction. I screech indignantly, and obviously in a very manly way, as the water smacks me in my face.

Kicking furiously to tread water while I rub at my eyes, I huff and fume. Curses fall from my lips that would have meant something if I still had my powers. When I open my eyes, I see that Roan has darted away, hovering just out of the potential splash zone.

“I’m sorry, it was an accident!” He pleads with his hands held up in surrender, but the mischievous smile on his lips and devilish glint in his eye really detract from the sincerity of his apology.

“That’s right, you will be sorry!” I crow with a laugh, lunging at him from across the water to tackle him around his big shoulders, trying to shove him under the water.

From there it’s on, tackling, splashing, and wrestling each other, while our laughter rings loud over the sound of the Falls and the calls of the creatures hiding in the trees. Roan has a definite strength advantage, which he uses regularly against me, hauling me around the waist and launching me across the water. But I am small, sneaky, and like I said, quite a strong swimmer. I manage to dive under the water more than once and trip his feet as they struggle to maintain their purchase on the sandy banks.

After Roan once again launches me into the air, I swim back to him along the bottom of the water but loop around behind him. I can see his feet clearly under the water and know that his back will be to me. His feet swivel, obviously searching for where I am in the pool. Before he has a chance to catch me, I surge up, collecting a mouthful of water on the way, spurting it like a fountain at the back of his head. My cackle of laughter rings through the Falls, blending with his playful howl of outrage at my attack.

Unfortunately, I’m too distracted giggling myself stupid, so I miss his dark brows pulling together in a mock frown, right before he lunges for me, wrapping his big hand around my hip, fingers digging in tight as he hauls me to him.

I slam against his slick chest, the light coating of hair there tickling my own damp skin. In a heartbeat the air between us changes as we become aware of the way that we are pressed together. My being so much shorter than him means that despite being chest to chest, my hips only come to his waist. And being so close, my legs naturally wrap around him. Honestly, there was no way to prevent it. I promise.

With his mouth not even an inch from mine, I couldn’t not hear the hitch in his breathing, see the way his tongue darts forward to lick his lips so close to mine. His hand on my hip flexes, almost too tight, but the pain blooms like pleasure, radiating from the pinpoints of his touch throughout my body.

I know exactly when he feels how hard I am up against his abs; I see it in the flare of his eyes, the way they turn predatory and narrow in on my mouth. I can feel every heartbeat in my chest like a big booming bass drum as we float in the Falls. I slide my arms around his shoulders, digging my fingers into the nape of his neck. He nuzzles back on my fingers ever so slightly, it would have been imperceptible if my body wasn’t honed in on every facet of his existence.

“We need to talk.”

Shit. Was that me ? Why the fuck am I cock blocking myself like this? Roan doesn’t catch what I’ve said immediately but then shakes his head, as if clearing it of every dirty thought he’s ever had about me, before pulling back, not too far because where was he going to go? But enough. His eyes search mine again, this time without the feral heat that promised he would devour me.

“We probably should.” He sounds hesitant, resigned, and I could honestly kick myself.

“Ok. Well, I’ll start. I’m sorry.”I take a deep breath and circle my fingers in the hair at the base of his skull, the unconscious movement grounding me. “There may, may , have been a tiny, infinitesimal chance that perhaps, the past time or two that we have…”

I search for a word that doesn’t sound gross or too flippant. “…been intimate. I could have possibly overreacted and projected some stuff onto you. And that maybe , all of the stuff that has happened over the past,” I remove a hand from his hair to wave it in the air but promptly return it to his hair to continue my massage, “whatever, may have had a significant impact on my emotions making me react somewhat irrationally.”

My cheeks heat as I ramble through my apology, unable to look Roan in the eye. Instead, I direct my apology firmly to his shoulder. I finally raise my eyes to look at him, but the flat look on his face gives me nothing. That is, until, a smile cracks his face and he huffs a laugh, squeezing my hip, gently this time. With his free hand he wipes over his face before shoving it back through his hair.

“That’s what you call an apology, brat?” Laughter laces his voice, making me tug at his hair in retaliation. He just winks though. “Look, Theo, I get it. You don’t have to apologise. Really.”

He sighs deeply, like there is a heavy weight on his soul. And I can feel whatever he is about to say ballooning between us. All too late, I try to patch those flimsy shields against all those feelings he draws out of me that I just cannot tame.

“I know you don’t like it when I get all protective of you and your feelings, Theo.” I squirm against him because that is not one hundred-percent true. I like it a little too much, just not when it goes against what I want. He continues, “But I was worried about you. I felt like I was taking advantage of you, and I care too much about you to do that.”

His hand comes up to tuck a curl behind my ear, his fingers following the curve to cup my jaw. I swallow thickly, my heart seizing in my chest. I don’t think I’m even breathing, too scared to ruin the moment with silly things like my need for oxygen.

His eyes watch mine intently, his nostrils flared like he can smell the lust pouring off me. “You deserve the chance to heal, Theo, to explore the world on your own terms. I want us to be friends.”

Friends . A knife slices through me at the pithy word. But, deeper than my initial reaction, I know that maybe he’s right. And maybe being friends with Roan wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

“Friends with orgasms ?” I plaster a cheeky smile on my face and grind my erection into the firm planes of his stomach. It had flagged during our talking but I’m young enough, and Roan is hot enough, that I’m never really more than an errant thought away from a hard cock.

It is almost comical, the way Roan’s emotions play across his face until he finally gives in with a feral groan. With a hard yank I am pressed tight against him as he swims us back to the rocky water edge. His mouth is hard on mine, demanding, and when I part my lips his tongue sweeps inside, dominating, tasting. Claiming. I cling to him as hard as I can, digging my fingers hard into his skin anywhere I can reach, and he swallows every single one of my whimpering cries.

When he tries to peel me from him, I squeal in protest, fighting to keep myself wrapped around him until he laughs, kissing my lips quickly before withdrawing.

“Trust me, Theo.” His whisper is gravelly with need, and I nod mindlessly, not trusting myself to form coherent sentences right now.

Water rushes from my body as Roan lifts me. He doesn’t even strain as he places me delicately on the low slab behind me. The stone is hot under my ass from the heat of the sun, but I barely register it, the cool water lapping at the stone, offering a reprieve from the sting.

Roan hovers in front of me for a moment while he gains steady feet beneath him, his hands stroking my knees, thumbs rubbing wider and wider circles on my inner thighs. Impatience builds within me, waiting for him to take the next step, make the next move, but he seems content stroking my thighs in increasing sweeps.

The wild look in his eyes is almost reverent, taking in every inch of me, tracking the rivulets of water trailing down my now slightly defined stomach, to where they pool at the thick band of my briefs. The hot pink fabric is stark against the creamy white of my skin, no longer sickly but still pale.

Under Roan’s hot gaze, my cock hardens further, reaching the very limits of the fabric. When it twitches, impatient and eager, a rumbling growl vibrates through his chest, and he shoves my knees wide, forcing himself between my thighs. Despite the fierce and wild look in his eye, he still pauses with his hands on the waistband, his eyes finding mine for approval. I bite my lip to keep from screaming at him to hurry up and nod.

There is a ripping sound when he yanks them down and I have to fight him to give me enough room to lift my hips so he can get them past my ass. Finally, my cock is free, slapping my stomach with a hard thwack, leaking a puddle of pre-cum at my belly button. I lean back on my hands, laying myself out for Roan to feast on, but he still takes his time, his hands roaming my body, stroking, worshipping, everywhere but my hard and leaking dick.

His thumbs brush along the sensitive indents of my pelvis, tickling me, and I cry out, pleading with him to please, please touch me. His chuckle is dark, his breath so close to my high, tight balls. I am so wound up that I am scared that I’ll blow the moment he touches me.

But thankfully I don’t, even though the strain hurts every muscle in my body to hold it together. Even when one of his hands wraps around the base of my dick, pulling it back towards him, into his hot, wet, and utterly incredible mouth. I shout my pleasure sharply, and, somewhere in the trees, creatures call back.

But I do not care, Gods, a corion could slither up and crush me to death and I would die an extremely happy man with Roan’s perfect lips sliding down my considerable length, until I am completely encased in him. A shudder racks my body when he swallows, and a thick pulse of pre-cum spurts from me, threatening to open the floodgates.

He swallows it greedily, sucking his way back up to lavish attention on my weeping head. His free hand moves to stroke me, twisting and jerking me in rhythm with the tight suction on my head.

When his tongue traces the sensitive place under my head, I almost lose it, curling my body around, arching hard into his mouth. My hand dives into his hair, tangling with the long loose strands until I can get a firm grip on the base of his horn.

It isn’t even intentional, I just wanted a good grip, but it unleashes something in Roan, and he doubles his efforts, taking me to the back of his throat with almost punishing intensity, encouraging me with a slap to my thigh and a rough growl to fuck his mouth.

The rough stone scrapes my ass as I undulate my hips the best that I can to take advantage of Roan's offer, chasing my release with wild abandon while jerking off his horn.

My orgasm is right there, like a tidal wave I can’t hold back. I’ve already fought it too long, and so I hook my calf around his back to bring him even closer. I can feel the frantic movements of his muscles in his back as he uses his free hand to stroke himself off.

That he was getting off with me, that the idea of pleasuring me got him hot and desperate, pushes me over the edge. My fingers lock in his hair, the other hand scraping my nails harsh against the rock, clawing my way through my release, body tight as a bow.

“ Roan!” The cry of his name falls from my lips in ecstasy, as my cock spurts a stream of cum into him, pulling him to fall into the abyss with me. I watch his eyes flutter, the almost pained look on his handsome face when he comes making my cock twitch again in his mouth.

He groans again, pulling his mouth off my over-sensitive dick, and, with a move that my orgasm-addled brain can’t keep up with, he pushes his way out of the water, up and over me, pressing me back onto the stone with an animalistic kiss. Even in his frenzy he protects me, his hand pillowing my head against the hard surface.

He kisses me as if his very life depends on it, and I can taste my release on his tongue. After devouring my lips until they are tender and swollen, he pulls back with a grunt, kissing and biting his way along my jaw, his hips still grinding against my thigh despite coming only moments ago, just seeking the pleasure, the friction. He kisses the juncture of my neck where my heartbeat throbs frantically. Once there, he loses even more composure, until he is sucking a hard bite against my soft flesh.

Pleasure and pain combine, shooting a thousand tiny sparks of fire throughout my body, and I arch up into him, my cock already hard and ready to go again, my breath in hard whiny pants.

But instead he pulls back, gentling his kisses, licking and teasing at the bruise. Finally he stops, and I think it will kill me when he brushes his nose delicately back up my neck to place a delicate kiss on my lips.

The silence is deafening between us as we attempt to gather ourselves. Vaguely, I’m conscious that I have no idea where my underwear is, but that seems like a later problem because Roan’s hand has dropped between us, right next to mine, and he has hooked his pinky finger over mine, completely decimating those fragile barriers I had attempted earlier in the water. My heart melts, and I tuck my finger more securely around his. But, not being one to let a beautiful moment pass without making a comment, I turn my head to smile at him.

“So, friends with orgasms it is then, Boss Daddy?” His big chest rises and falls with his huff of annoyance, but I can see the genuine affection in his eyes when he turns to face me, his horn scraping on the rocks beneath us.

“It seems that’s so, brat. It seems that’s so.”

I think I can work with that.