Page 34

34

Aran

A helicopter picks us up before the coast guard arrives. The fireball that the sinking ship has turned into can be seen from miles away, so it shouldn’t be long before another vessel spots it and alerts the authorities, if they haven’t done so already.

We’ll be landing in Honolulu, as that’s where the closest airport is. The Akiyama’s private jet will then take us back to Nagoya.

Sighing, I drape a hand over my forehead. My breathing is still erratic, my heart pounding like it’s in the middle of a rampage. This was crazy, even by my standards. Things went south too quickly, too suddenly. One moment we are in the lab piecing together this mystery, and the next we are trying to outrun suicide drones after Hex has turned the ship into a floating coffin.

Still, lowering the lifeboats was a genius move. We don’t know for sure if everyone died, but the chances are high. Unfortunately, that includes all the drugged and innocent people who were unaware of what was going on that ship, but there was very little we could do. Hell, we barely made it out. Whoever ordered that drone strike poured enough firepower in it to ensure that the ship and anything in its vicinity got scorched to death, so even if someone made it onto those boats, the likelihood that they had enough time to get away from the cruiser is minimal.

Hex plonks his head on my shoulder, sagging against me. He’s been in and out since we boarded the helicopter. The adrenaline got too much for him, I think. Being shot at twice is bad enough, but then the whole ordeal with the drones happened… and if not for his quick wit, we’d have ended up at the bottom of the ocean while the evil bastards who were running drug experiments on unsuspecting employees would’ve gotten away with it.

But they didn’t. They are dead and it’s all thanks to Hex.

I rest my hand on his head, massaging his scalp gently. He settles more comfortably against me, some of the tension vacating his body.

Carefully, so I don’t disturb him, I extricate the tablet he’s holding in a death grip against his chest. I enter the password—he’s changed it so it’s my birthday—and tab between all the apps he’s got open. Among them are a bunch of log files he’s downloaded, but the majority are corrupted. Those must be the videos and the results that incriminate not just those billionaires, but the involved governments as well. But sadly, they are unusable.

“We have the list,” Hex says quietly into my shoulder. “No evidence, but all the bigshots are dead. The drug prototype is gone, too.”

He sounds exhausted, like he could sleep for a week. It’s what happens after you’ve been high on adrenaline for extended periods of time. “Are you sure?” Everything happened so fast in the lab that my brain is still trying to organize the order of events and analyze whether we failed or succeeded in our mission.

Plopping into my lap, he aims those strikingly gorgeous eyes at me. “Yes. There were… briefs and some documents on the lab servers. Emails. This was… they had almost everyone here because they were expecting a breakthrough. Key players, sponsors, scientists. The staff were meant to be their test subjects, Aran.” He scrunches his forehead. “Even us.”

“Shh,” I coo, kissing his forehead. “It’s over. We are safe.”

Guilt and sadness swim in his gaze, heartbreaking and heavy. “Yes, but the rest…”

The decision we made was a hard one. It will take him a while to make his peace with it, but eventually he will. It wasn’t his fault, even if it might feel that way now. The world demands sacrifices sometimes, and there is little you can do.

Hex shoots up suddenly, barely avoiding point-blank collision with my chin. “The list!” He snatches the tablet and opens a file containing a bunch of names. “These are the assholes who didn’t attend the cruise because they weren’t important enough or busy with other shit. But they are still involved.”

Which means they could pick this up and try again. A drug that could allow you to control the minds of people is just too lucrative. Too tempting to let go and forget. It’s worth anything to those in high places, a new toy, a new opportunity, to get even more power. They have been set back, but it’s not like entire corrupt governments were on that ship. A representative or three, yes, while the rest stayed home.

Small fries will rise, I am sure of it. Vultures will peck on what remains, so they can become the new elite.

“We’ll hunt them down,” I promise not just him, but also myself. My reasons might be more selfish than his, but my kind-hearted genius deserves an equally kind world. And I intend to give him that. “One by one, until they are all dead.”

He hums, putting his weight on me as we come shoulder to shoulder. “Ominous. But also very in character with the new unhinged you. I love how deadpan you were when you said it.”

He mimics me, bringing a smile to my face. He’s precious, my biggest treasure. He made this mission a success, despite the rather abrupt and life-threatening ending it had, and thanks to him, we have a direction, a way to put out what remains of this evil conspiracy. The stars in the sky have nothing on him—he shines brighter than any of them. He’s a godly being that walks the earth among us mortals, and he’s picked me. I’m his and he’s mine.

“I can’t wait to get home, have a hot shower and crash in bed,” he mutters, his voice a bit groggy.

“Just hold on a bit more.”

He yawns. “No, I don’t think I can. I’ll sleep and you won’t wake me up because you are nice like that. And when we land in Japan, you’ll carry me to my apartment in a princess hold.”

“Is that so?” I challenge, raking my hand through his silky blue hair.

“It is so. You think I don’t know?” Another yawn rips out of him. “You just can’t say no to me, no matter what crazy thing I ask for.”

He’s out less than five minutes later and I am glad, because if he was still awake, he’d see me grinning like the biggest fool in love in the entire world.

We arrive in Nagoya just after sunset. I briefed Kwanchai, Leo and Kieran during the flight back, and Daichi joined via video call. Using connections he has to the Hawaiian coast guard, Daichi has confirmed that other than us, no one else made it off the ship, which is good news. With the information Hex obtained, we’ll start eliminating the remaining players as early as next week, and once that’s done, we can maybe look into culling the governments from their weak links. It’s not something we can do overnight of course, but we have the upper hand now.

After bidding goodnight to my companions and making sure that Mong and Eleanor will be taken care of, I pick up my sleeping beauty from the three seats he’s sprawled over. He’s snoring lightly, which tells me his sleep is a bit restless, but I am sure he’ll be fine. He’s a fighter.

My black SUV, which I had someone drive over to the airport, is parked at the service gate. This time, I opt for the backseat, letting the chauffeur take us to Hex’s place so I can take on the role of his pillow. Or maybe Teddy Bear is more accurate with how tightly he hugs me the moment the car rocks forward.

Not that I am complaining.

Hex’s apartment is dark and a little stuffy when I key in his code—which is, again, my birthday—and enter. After placing him gently on the couch in his lounge, I open a few of the windows and fill up his bathtub. With a ton of whining and complaining, I get him to undress and soak in the water, and in the meantime, I check his fridge.

Unsurprisingly, all I can find are eggs and cucumbers. But they will do.

I get some rice going and make a fluffy but runny omelet, just the way Hex likes it. Cucumbers with vinegar, soy sauce and sesame seeds follow. By the time I’ve plated up, Hex should be done with his bath, so I go to check on him, frowning when I don’t find him in the bathroom.

“Are you looking for me?” he says from behind me, his voice laced with something dark and titillating.

Swallowing as I loosen my collar, I turn around. His hair is a damp mess, and his cheeks are flushed in the cutest way. He’s wearing his red house shorts and a black hoodie with one of those ridiculous prints. This one reads ‘I like big burgers’ and shows a guy with his face tucked between two disproportionately giant ass cheeks.

I cross my arms and lean my shoulder against the doorframe. “I was, in fact. Dinner’s ready.”

He marches over and plants himself in front of me, mouth pouting. “Okay, but you didn’t even ask me whether I want dinner, bath, or crazy hot sex with you.”

I ponder that for a second, feeling the corner of my lips curl up. “Does the order matter?”

Pushing off the wall, I walk into the lounge while he just stands there like a statue. He needs about ten seconds before he can function again, so I use that time to get the table ready. Then I wait.

“Oh… Ooooh .” His feet thud against the tiles as he sprints over to me. Cheeks red, and beaming the most beautiful smile of the day, he lowers himself on the chair. “I like this plan. But I’m suddenly not hungry, so can we skip to banging?”

I take a sip from my glass of water, leaning into the backrest of my chair. The way he says things can be so silly and endearing at the same time. But I must be firm, because he hasn’t eaten all day. “No. Food first.”

He sighs in disappointment and takes a bite of his omelet, making an unfairly erotic expression that’s one hundred percent intentional. “I could eat you out instead?” He licks his lips. “I bet you taste yummy.”

He’s ridiculous, but I’m glad he’s back to his usual self. I was a little worried he might end up breaking down, but the nap and hot bath seemed to have helped. Still, I’ll monitor him for a while.

“Wouldn’t you like to find out?” I say, because I feel like it. I’ve never given into his silly games, I learned early on that the best way to shut him down is to ignore him, but I don’t have to do that anymore, do I?

Shock is written all over his face. “Are you… flirting with me? Holy shit, I need to tell Leo and Matt!”

“Flirting is not the only thing I want to do with you,” I interrupt him as he begins to vigorously type on his phone.

He gapes at me, blinking slowly. “Oh my god.”

This is new for me. I don’t… I never imagined I would be in a position where I could do it. But it’s fun, especially with the lovely way he goes red like a tomato. For all his talk and bravado, he’s so innocent when he’s on the receiving end of a flirt.

No one has seen this side of him. Just me, because I am the only person who can get him flustered. It’s the best feeling ever, humbling and tantalizing at the same time.

I was going to wait, maybe until tomorrow, so he could rest. But he’s such a little devil, poking me with his trident and chipping away at my resolve to behave. It’s no use, I can’t fight this. I want him in my arms, in my bed, chanting my name as I show him how absolutely he owns me.

Food forgotten, I stand and circle the table. He looks a little confused at first, wary too, like he doesn’t know what’s happening. Good, he can’t be the only one who gives heart palpitations.

“Up,” I say, gazing into his pretty eyes.

His Adam’s apple bobs, and after a small delay, he complies.

I inch in, catching the fruity scent of his shampoo.

“Aran, what are you doing?” he breathes out, his lilting voice shivering.

It goes straight to my dick. I love that voice, just like I love every part of him. His nose, his mouth, his eyes, his sensitive neck, his slim form, his smooth skin, that rebellious tattoo he has. The lizard makes sense—he loves any and all reptiles—but the forest? It carries the meaning of my name.

I pretended not to know, just like I lied to myself about what I wanted. But that’s behind me now. I want to worship Hex, to make up for all the time we missed out on because of my stubbornness.

Hooking a finger under his chin, I tilt it up. “I’m going to kiss you, Tien.”

His eyes shimmer with desire, dark and intense. His pulse pounds madly against my finger, spurring my own equally erratic heart. I lean in slowly, savoring the crackling tension along my skin that his every breath causes. I’ve kissed him before, I know what he tastes like, how addictive he is, but as our lips make tentative contact, my entire body comes alive.

Wet softness welcomes me, its pull irresistible. I willingly let go of my sanity, needing only to feel. To be with him as time freezes the world so that only the two of us exist. Suddenly desperate, I part his lips with my tongue and dive in, the urge to claim his mouth overwhelming. He lets me in on a throaty moan, and his tongue greets me. It’s slick and hot, eliciting tremors of pleasure all over me as we lock into a wild kiss.

Hex is clumsy, stumbling and gasping as I deepen it. Other than me, he’s not kissed another person. The thought drives me wild. He’s mine, in soul and body, by his own choice. I revel in that knowledge, in the possessive and dangerous need it stirs within me.

He’s mine. This sweet and perfect man.

He tastes divine, the muttered gasps and moans soothing my soul. He deserves to be adored, and that is what I will do. I need him to feel good, to use me for his own pleasure, any way he wishes.

“Tell me what you want,” I prompt, pausing the tangle of our tongues so we can get some air.

His gaze is delirious when we part, unfocused. “You. I’ve always wanted you, Aran. I don’t care what you do to me, just… let me have you. Please?”

He’s so lovely, so desperate to stake his claim on me. To hear those words he should’ve heard years ago.

“I love you, Tien. I always have. You are my world, and I am done trying to run away from you. You have my heart, my soul, my everything, so please, let me have you in turn?”

He attacks my mouth, vicious and ravenous. His arms wrap around my neck, pulling me down so he can comfortably devour me. “Yes. Aran, I love you so fucking much. You are mine, forever. No one else can have you.”

I wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t think I’m capable of ever loving another person, even if Hex left me one day. But that’s fine, because I know he won’t. I feel it in his every breath, in every caress and every look. It’s all around me, his love. In the little things, in the big ones, in the way my days are brighter when they start by seeing his sleepy smile.

He believes this is fate. Us. And after the past few days, I’m inclined to agree. We are two halves meant to make a whole together.

“I love you,” I tell him again, needing to voice over and over again what I’ve been forcing down for so long.

He smiles, nuzzling my nose with his. His lips are gentle as he rains kisses all over my face, reverent as if he too can’t fully believe there are no obstacles in our way anymore. Joy slithers into my chest, tingling and uplifting. I scoop him up in a princess hold, and he laughs wholeheartedly, jokingly teasing me about being his manservant from now on.

I’d be anything he wanted me to. A servant, a slave. I’d take him to the moon if he asked me to. As long as I continue to be by his side, I don’t care about anything else.

Setting him down on the bed, I hover above him and drink him in. His hair is a charming mess of locks sticking out in all directions, his cheeks are still flushed and his lips are a little swollen from our kiss. His hoodie has ridden up his stomach, exposing a tempting stretch of his smooth skin and giving him a disheveled look. I want to gobble him up, to bury myself inside him.

“Get a move on or I’ll die of old age before we get to the good part,” he jokes, flashing me a row of white teeth.

I rub my fingers along his exposed abs, then drag my hand up his ribs. His chiming laughter turns into an appreciative groan that raises the hairs on my nape. I dive in for another scorching kiss, exploring his heated body while our tongues chase after each other.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get enough of you,” I confess reverently, tracing a line down the side of his neck.

He can’t stay still, his body reacting to the onslaught of pleasure my open-mouthed kisses cause. I love seeing him like this, struggling to keep it together because of how good it feels to be with me.

“I don’t think I can take much more of this teasing without losing my mind,” he bites back with a growl.

I slide one hand down his body, reaching for the bulge in his pants. My other one stays on his chest, rubbing and tweaking one perky nipple as my mouth licks the other. He mews under me and fights me, but my weight keeps him pinned to the bed.

He’s physically weaker than me, I could crush him so easily. Yet he holds absolute power over me. One word is all it takes, and I’d be on my knees for him.

“Then tell me what you want,” I respond belatedly, liking the idea of being at his mercy a little too much.

He closes his eyes and bites on his bottom lip, trying to stifle down another sweet cry. “I don’t know,” he whimpers. “But I think I want you in charge today.”

“You can do better than that, Tien.” I nip his nipple with my teeth as I run my hand up his chest and grasp his neck.

His eyes snap open, burning with desire. “Oh yes, baby. There it is. Your thing for necks.”

Wrapping my fingers around his shaft, I meet his dark gaze head on. “Does it bother you?” I’ve never stopped to think about it, but he might have a point.

“Are you crazy? It’s hot as hell.” He gives me the thumbs up. “You can squeeze a little more if you want.”

I comply, careful not to apply too much force. His breathing hitches as his cock hardens even more in my hand. “Tell me what else you want me to do to you.”

He worries his lips, then sighs. “We should be naked. And make it sexy. You know, maybe rip your clothes off because of how horny you are for me. And then you can rip mine?”

This is such a Hex thing to say. It’s nearly impossible for him to ever be serious, no matter the situation.

But a request is a request, and this is one I am all too happy to execute. Pushing myself off the bed, I get rid of my clothes like they are on fire. My erection springs free, heavy and leaking. My balls tingle with anticipation at the hunger in his eyes, the black in them fully consuming the brown.

He’s turned into that devil from earlier, here to tempt me until I’ve willingly put on a collar with his name around my own neck. And I would, if he asked.

“You have very nice assets,” Hex comments, shuffling up the bed so he’s leaned his back against the stacked pillows. Among the dark gray sheets, he looks even more enticing.

I put my knee on the edge of the bed and hook my fingers under the hem of his shorts. Then I pull, ripping the flimsy fabric along with his briefs, so I can release his flushed cock. It’s pretty, just like the rest of Hex, lean and elegant and begging to be touched.

Before I get to that though, I destroy his hoodie the same way I ruined his pants, the poor thing ending up in pieces on the floor. He doesn’t mind one bit, his nostrils flaring as I take a moment to take in his nakedness.

He’s smooth skin all over, silky. His hackles rise as I drag my hand down his chest to his navel, as I grip his leaking cock and give it a quick stroke.

“Lube and condoms are in the drawer,” he chirps, wiggling his eyebrows.

I chuckle. Of course they would be—Hex is always prepared like that. Without a protest, I grab the supplies and slather my fingers, jerking myself off. He watches me mesmerized, chewing on those full lips as he teases his own slit.

“I wanna feel how hard and hot you are,” he says, slurring a little. “And then I want to try riding you.” He blushes, red spreading from his cheeks all the way down to his chest. “And maybe we can try no condoms? I hacked into your medical records. You don’t have to… you know, pull out when…” He presses his hands against his face, peeking from a gap that forms between his pinkies. “Both Matt and Leo advised it feels amazing .”

My chest becomes impossibly tight, desire flooding every fiber of my being. Why am I not surprised that those three dorks discuss such things? God knows what other stuff they gossip about. But still, I smile, fondness for this man twisting my insides. He wants all of me, with nothing between us. This is our true beginning, a life we’ll build together as a team, as partners. No matter what the world has in store for us from now on, I have him and he has me.

“You are a force of nature, Tien, but the three of you together…”

He rolls his eyes, moaning as I bring our cocks together. “I’ll have you know that I am the least wild of us three. I am the Holy Mary, pure and innocent and very eager to change that. With your help, psycho daddy.”

Snorting, I quicken my strokes, because, clearly, I’m yet to drive him crazy with desire if he’s talking so much. But I will amend that right away.

Within seconds, the smartass is no longer blabbering. My nerve-endings sing as I watch him slowly begin to unravel, as he clasps the bedsheets and begs me to go faster and harder and make him come. That’s my cue, so I loop my arms around his waist and roll us over, ending up under him.

His eyes shine like black gems, greedy and overcome by arousal. My cock twitches with the need to be inside him, to fill him up and mark him as mine.

“Scoot forward,” I instruct, groping his ass with one hand as I use the other to slick his tiny hole.

Once I have him sufficiently prepared, I slip one finger inside. He cries out, bucking his hips, but soon enough he’s moving, inviting me deeper and deeper. I add a second finger after a while, his moans growing louder and more urgent.

“I can’t take this anymore. Make me come,” he complains, latching onto my shoulder and neck. “Please.”

My stomach feels about to burst from all the butterflies, my chest not far behind. I line up my dick and let him sink slowly on top, gritting my teeth to suppress the urge to thrust up into him. He’s slow, torturous, taking his time to get used to the stretch and my girth.

“Fuck, I feel so full.” He moves deliberately, rolling his hips until I’m almost fully out. Then he sinks down again, inviting me deeper with every glide.

I pull him closer, plastering his front to mine and trapping his cock between us. I’m barely holding myself together, driven wild with pleasure and tingling need.

“Yes, feels so good,” he purrs, throwing his head back. “More.”

I lose it as he pulls almost out and slams down with a deep moan. My legs start pumping fast and deep, and his lovely noises intensify with every tag of his prostate.

We kiss, dirty and loud, and it undoes the last of my self-control as I give into that instinct to claim what’s already mine. Hex screams my name as he climaxes, squishing me and milking me as my own orgasm hits me shortly after.

It’s messy as we come apart together, but it’s also right, just like the bliss I feel after. We take a shower and slip under the covers, cuddling and making plans for the future as we drift off in each other’s arms.