Tarth City, Di Consueto District
Renyoj Building, Park Serenity Overlook, L Givens' flat
Well after midnight, morning of Sumertsag 39
Wulf let himself into the apartment he'd leased to L Givens and double-locked the door. He didn't need to turn on the lights. Although she'd brought in her own furniture, the layout remained the same, and he could find his way around blindfolded. He pulled off his shoes and set them aside to protect the new white carpet. He'd had it installed last week, which was the least he could do, considering he'd been the one who'd ruined it. Who knew body paint could do so much damage?
Emptying his pockets onto an antique table in the foyer, he shrugged out of his jacket, hung it on a chair, and headed for her bedroom. When he opened the door, the heady scent of peaches wafted to him. Candles lit the sumptuous bedroom, illuminating the warm, inviting colors. It was a woman's room, soft, appealing, yet strong.
At the foot of her bed stood a serving cart draped with linen. A silver bucket of ice held an open bottle of his favorite black vodka, and to one side, a single martini glass with a white chocolate truffle inside. Picking up the bottle and glass, Wulf followed a trail of petals from L's ornate iron bed to the open bathroom door.
There, in a tub of bubbles, lounged his blond and beautiful lover.
The sight of Alitus Vivaldi made Wulf's breath catch. Damp and curling, tendrils of Alitus's pale hair clung to his jaw and throat. His face looked innocent, but the ocean-blue gaze was far from it.
Wulf bit hard into his lower lip and fought the carnality threatening to overwhelm him. He almost broke the fragile glass stem. "Hi."
"Hi." With a faint blush, Alitus rested his head against the tub. The bathwater's steam rose around him.
Leaning against the doorjamb, Wulf released a long breath, and stilled himself. "It was so hard tonight, seeing you at the palace and having to pretend you weren't the most important person in the room."
Alitus gave him a lazy smile, and trailed a wet fingertip along the edge of the tub. "Same here. When you said that thing about Betters and then looked at me, I feared every person in the room would know we were lovers."
Wulf felt his cheeks flush. "Sorry. I couldn't let Kloven get away with that, even if Destoiya did attack me for it."
"Saint-Cyr had a few words too."
Wulf grimaced. "You heard that?"
"More saw than heard. But I was sorry you took heat for defending my kind."
"Betters deserve defending."
"Thank you, Wulf." Alitus lowered his gaze, his cheeks darkening. "I was worried I'd end up an albino prune before you got here."
"I love you all wet and slippery and pruney." Wulf wagged his martini glass. "What's with the truffle?"
He picked up his own glass from the floor beside the tub and held it aloft. "Refill and I'll tell you."
When Wulf poured, the truffle in the glass floated to the top.
"Grib taught me how to make this." Alitus brought the drink to his lips.
"Grib is your servant, right?"
Nodding, he gestured with his glass toward Wulf's. "Try it."
Wulf splashed a bit of the black vodka over the white chocolate, then took a hesitant sip. "Mmm. Creamy and biting at the same time." He filled the glass halfway, then set the bottle aside. "You know what this reminds me of?" He sipped.
"What?"
"Last week when I called you from the beach." The white chocolate melted into the black liquid. "Remember when you talked to me while I played with myself? Your voice hummed through me like a drug. Just as I was about to come, the moon rose over the water."
"I'll never forget your voice when you told me. Or hearing you come, when I couldn't be there to see it. But you're here now, and I will see you come tonight."
"You know it." Wulf bent down and kissed his lover.
Alitus opened his mouth, inviting him in, and Wulf lingered for a taste. The flavors of vodka and chocolate mixed with his lover's pheromones. The intoxicating peach scent of Alitus's pheromones held an undercurrent of tart apricot. It made his heart race. The enhanced human had addicted him the first time they'd sex.
"Mmm." Wulf pulled back. "Your kisses are delicious."
"Try this." Alitus sucked the truffle into his mouth, crushed it, and beckoned Wulf back for another kiss.
He kissed Alitus again, swept his tongue into Alitus's mouth, and took the candy into his own. He chewed the treat, swallowed, and smiled. "Yum. My new favorite drink."
Alitus took Wulf's drink and drained it, allowing the candy to fall into his mouth. He tucked the candy to one side. After setting aside both glasses, he leaned up, and connected his mouth with Wulf's.
They exchanged the sweet, and Alitus leaned back against tub. Smiling up at Wulf, he dragged a fingertip across Wulf's lower lip. "Mine too."
"What's this called so I can ask for it again?"
"Grib named it 'Bad Moon Rising.' It's like us, I guess."
"What does a 'Bad Moon' have to do with us?" He sat on the edge of the tub and braced his free hand on the other side so he could reach Alitus for a quick kiss. "I think we're perfect together."
"Trouble." Alitus rolled his head back and forth. "That's what we are together. We are t-r-o-u-b-l-e."
"Trouble, huh?" Wulf set his glass on the floor beside Alitus's and drew aside a strand of his wet hair. "So, how much trouble do you want to get into tonight?"
"I want to play the game we played last time."
"We played several. Which one?"
"Church."
Wulf chuckled. "You liked that, did you?"
"Yeah. But this time"-- He slid his arms up around Wulf's neck --"I'll be the sinner, and you be the sin." With a laugh full of mischief, Alitus yanked him down into the water.
Lying in the tub, body flush against his lover's, it felt like every gift Wulf had ever wanted had been given to him decorated with bows and glitter. He smiled with all the joy he'd been storing in his heart. He tunneled his fingers through the man's pale hair.
"I need you to make love to me, Wulf. Make me believe I can go on."
"What's this?" Wulf propped himself up on his elbows. "Go on? What do you mean? You have to go on. I need you too bad." Cupping a hand around Alitus's jaw, Wulf stroked his thumb across the smooth cheek. "I can't live without knowing you're there for me."
"I love you, Wulf."
"Shh. We agreed not to say those words."
"I can't help it. I love you."
Freeing one hand to smooth back a lock of hair, Wulf traced a fingertip across his lover's cheek. He had to get him past this stage. If Wulf thought about what they weren't permitted to do or say, he'd go mad. "Do you know what I'm going to do to you in bed?"
"No." Alitus squirmed beneath him, sloshing water. "Tell me."
"First, I'm gonna lick every part of you like you're a dessert. Like you're... let's see." He delighted in the way Alitus's eyes widened, the pupils dilating with pleasure. "I know, like you're a cream pie."
Alitus laughed out loud. "How 'punny' of you. Are you going to make me all creamy first?"
"Oh, you'll be covered with cream when I'm through with you, you hot thing."
The scent of peaches made Wulf woozy as Alitus released pheromones. Wulf's heart stuttered, then began to pound as if he'd run up a flight of stairs. His mouth went dry. He leaned in to connect their mouths, and it was like embracing languid fire. He brushed his lips across his lover's, then wrapped Alitus's wet hair around a fist and took his mouth in a slow, teasing kiss. Alitus tasted of peach brandy, vodka, and white chocolate, lush and sultry. Wulf settled against his lover's body.
"What else?" Alitus drew back a lock of Wulf's hair.
"What else will I do to you? I'll make you moan with pleasure when I take you. I'll make love to you as if there's nowhere else we have to be. I'll make you beg."
An inarticulate sound left Alitus's mouth. He rubbed up against Wulf, begging him with his body.
Wulf's skin tightened as the pheromones affected him. "I'll make love to you as if we had all day, 'Litus. As if we had all the rest of our lives."
"Now, Wulf!" He thrust against him. "I want it now. Don't make me wait."
"So hot, Alitus. You make me so hot." Wulf brushed his lips across Alitus's, treasuring the velvet feel of his mouth. The fire inside threatened to engulf him; his eyes burned. But he'd promised. No hurrying. Never. Never hurry. He drew the tip of his tongue across the pliant mouth beneath his. "Give yourself to me."
Alitus groaned and pulled him down.
"Open," Wulf murmured, and dipped his tongue into the honeyed sweetness of his lover's mouth. Wulf's cock pulsed, captured between his belly and his lover's thigh. He fit his lips to Alitus's, canting his head to align himself for better access.
Locked in a tight embrace, Wulf braced a hand behind Alitus's head and held him fast. His senses drowned in passion. Not lust. Nothing so common or coarse. This was passion. Passion and deep, deep love.
Alitus turned his face, and kissed Wulf's cheek. "Take me." His voice evoked an ache that plundered Wulf's heart. "That way. You know. I'm ready. Please, Wulf?"
That Alitus trusted enough to ask for this, for sex the way he'd once feared most, and to beg for it in his sweet voice... The depth of his trust rolled heat across Wulf in a welcome embrace. He knew Alitus had been brutalized, and had been rescued at the last moment by Destoiya.
Wulf hadn't wanted to ask for more than Alitus was ready to give.
"We can wait for anal sex, love." Wulf traced the shell of Alitus's ear. "I'm in no hurry. I'm satisfied with oral."
Alitus squirmed beneath him. "I'm ready."
"Are you sure?"
"I trust you."
All the tenderness Wulf felt for this man rushed to the fore, threatening to swamp his heart. "I love that. It makes me insanely happy."
"It does?" The wistful smile shot heat through Wulf.
"Oh, yes, love. It does." Was this how Luc had felt the first time Wulf had submitted to him?
"If you don't want to, I..."
"Hah!" Wulf shook his head. "Never believe that for a nanosecond. You are everything I've ever dreamed of. Making love to you--in any way--is a joy."
Alitus blushed.
"Let's get out of this water so I can get naked. I want to touch you, body to body."
"I like that idea. We can get into bed."
"Oh hell yeah." Wulf kissed him. "And then I'm going to take you all night long."