by Sean Michael
“You heard me, Pet.” Luke grabbed shaving supplies out of the cupboard under the sink.
“That’s not...” Men didn’t do that shit to each other, dammit.
“What’s not what?” Luke asked, grabbing the scissors and coming over, tilting his head back.
“You can’t.”
“But I am shaving you, so obviously I can. No moving now. I don’t want to hurt you.” Luke began to cut off his beard.
His heart pounded and he tensed, his hip aching, the muscles grinding.
“Breathe.”
He tried to catch his breath, but his chest hurt with confusion, tension, arousal.
“You’re mine,” Luke said, almost absently, the scissors cold against his skin.
A dull sense of panic began to creep into him, and then, suddenly Luke’s hand landed in the center of his chest. “It’s hair, Pet. Excitement, arousal, even anticipation. No fear.”
“I haven’t shaved since...” Since being injured.
“Then it’s good that we’re doing it today. That beard reminds you of what happened, every time you see it.”
“Everything reminds me.”
“I don’t.”
The words surprised him and he stared up at Luke. It was true.
Luke grabbed the soap and rubbed it between his fingers, then transferred the suds to Greyson’s face. “I don’t have a razor because I don’t need one, but my knife is very sharp and I know what I’m doing.”
“How, if you don’t need to...”
“Because I’m good with the knife. Even if I’d never shaved anyone with it. Do you think you can trust me?”
The man was a dragon, for fuck’s sake. A dragon. Let it happen and breathe.
“I do.”
“Good.” Luke tilted his head back, and drew the knife along his jaw, the sound of it scraping along his skin almost shockingly loud.
He forced himself not to move, not even to breathe.
Luke didn’t linger, moving quickly but carefully, and he could feel the air hitting his skin as it was bared.
“You look lovely, Pet. I intend to shave you daily.”
The things Luke said.
“Shh.”
“Nope. I’m not a chatterbox, and I won’t hush. Or stop baring you and keeping you that way.” Luke reached out, pinched one of his nipples hard enough his eyes crossed. “I like how my words make you react.”
He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t doing it on purpose. He wasn’t doing anything on purpose. Hell, he wasn’t sure what it was he was supposed to do, if he were honest.
Luke put the knife down and grabbed a cloth. He ran it under the water, and then brought it back to him, running the hot terry over his face.
“Mmm. Look at you. So pretty.”
“I’m not pretty. I was a soldier.”
“And I’m a dragon, what’s that got to do with anything?” Luke stroked his face, fingers sliding along his skin.
“Nothing. Everything. I don’t know.” And that was the most honest he could be.
“You need to stop thinking so hard,” Luke informed him. “It’s interfering with your ability to experience pleasure.”
“You say that like it’s easy.”
“No, I know it’s not. But I’m here to help you with that.”
“Did you...did you mean to find me?” Had Luke known he was out there in the woods?
“We were meant to find each other—we were made for each other.”
“Did you know about me or was it an accident?”
Luke tilted his head. “I knew you existed in principle. It’s been a very long time and I guess I had given up ever finding you. I knew I had to come rescue you when I realized you were staying at the cottage but I didn’t know you were who you are.”
“Who am I?”
Luke paused again and it felt as if Luke was trying to decide if he could deal with the answer. Or maybe if he’d believe it.
“You are my soul mate.”
“No. No, you’re amazing.” He wasn’t going to let Luke even say that, no matter what those words meant.
“And so are you,” Luke insisted.
“Listen to me.” He touched Luke’s shoulder. “I’m fucked up. You understand me? It wasn’t that long ago you had to come to the cabin to feed my drunk ass and make sure I didn’t freeze to death.”
Luke growled, the sound deeper than what he’d heard from Luke before. “I don’t believe you’re fucked up in the first place. And I know how I found you, but you’re mine, warts and all. I’m no picnic in the park, either, trust me.”
He didn’t know what to say. He simply didn’t.
“I’m a grumpy asshole who doesn’t like people. You, on the other hand, are a handsome, recently shaved man who has spent a lot of time defending people.”
“My face is going to freeze.” He had to change the subject; he didn’t know what to do otherwise. He wasn’t used to being told he was handsome. Especially by someone as hot as Luke.
Luke leaned in and kissed him, lips warm against his cheek.
He sighed, the sensation sharp, surprising.
Then Luke licked, tongue dragging along his skin. “Mmm. Tasty.”
“You’re thinking of brownies.”
“No, I’m thinking of you.” Luke licked him again, then sucked on his jaw.
Greyson kept finding himself in the middle of nowhere, lost in Luke’s desire.
The sucking kisses followed his jawline to underneath his ear. Then Luke began to hum as well, the sound translating to vibrations that soaked into him. God, he loved those sounds, loved the way they buzzed against his bones.
As he licked and sucked and hummed, Luke also touched him, fingers moving slowly and lingering on his skin. He began to tingle, to ache from head to toe.
“This isn’t the right place for this, is it?” Luke stood and lifted him up again, carrying him out of the bathroom. “I want you in my bed, Pet.”
Somehow going to Luke’s bed made things seem so much more intimate, so much more real.
Luke sat him on the edge near the bottom of the bed, then pulled back the comforter, revealing a bunch of pillows at the head of the bed. The sheets were flannel and looked soft, inviting, and warm.
“Your bed, huh?” It looked like heaven.
Luke picked him up again, then laid him down with his head on the pillows and began to work off Greyson’s sweats. The sheets were every bit as comfortable as he’d imagined.
“Our bed.”
“Our bed.” Well, hell. He floated there and stared into the heat that was Luke’s gaze.
“That’s right.” Luke didn’t immediately follow him down onto the bed. Instead, Luke stood there and slowly undressed, pulling his clothes off but somehow never losing Greyson’s gaze.
“This is a dream, isn’t it?”
“Not that I know of.” Luke climbed on the bed, straddling his legs and slowly moving up.
“No? Good.” He didn’t want it to be. He wanted this to be real.
Luke put his hands on either side of Greyson’s head and slowly bent to bring their lips together. He exhaled, the connection between them strong enough to make him ache, deep in his bones.
Luke’s nostrils flared, like he was pulling in Greyson’s scent on the air, and he reached for Luke, stroking the lines of his angular jaw.
“I could kiss you for the rest of time,” Luke murmured against his lips before sliding those lips along his newly bared cheek.
Sweet words. And if Luke was right, if they were going to be together for the rest of time, he wished this had happened before he’d gotten hurt.
“I wasn’t joking, Pet. And I should get my wish, too.” Luke kissed him hard. “You are my soul mate,
so you will be mine forever. Nobody else has the soul that matches mine.” Luke gave him a quick, hard hug. “Now, making love or more shaving?”
Like he could answer that. Seriously. He grabbed Luke behind the neck, tugging the big guy into a kiss.
Luke rocked against him, cock hard and leaking on his skin, leaving burning hot little lines that left him gasping.
It didn’t matter what part of Luke touched him, he felt it to his bones.
Damn, that was something else. Something he couldn’t quite comprehend.
Luke’s lips left his, moving again along his bare jaw, licking and nibbling, but very quickly moving to tease the skin on his neck, leaving little shivers behind. “Mine,” Luke whispered. “All mine.”
“Shh.” They’d known each other approximately thirty-five seconds, for fuck’s sake.
Luke grinned at him, looking smug as fuck. It was kind of annoying that it was as attractive on Luke as every other look.
He’d never found another man as attractive as he found Luke. It was...undeniable.
Luke licked his way down to Greyson’s right nipple. He breathed on it. Then breathed on it some more. The anticipation made his body tense, made his skin tighten. His nipples hardened as he continued to wait.
When Luke finally pounced, lips wrapping around his nipple, so hot, it felt enormous.
He cried out, the sound shocking him, the pressure making him shudder.
His reaction saw Luke begin to suck, tongue flicking back and forth across the tip of his nipple.
God, were guys even supposed to get off on that? Was that a thing?
Whether it was a thing or not, he totally was.
Then Luke bit and he howled, the sudden sharpness enough that he whimpered and twisted, caught by Luke’s teeth.
Luke grabbed his hips, pulling him in tighter and grinding their hips together as he didn’t let go of Greyson’s flesh.
“Aches.” And he couldn’t seem to breathe around the pressure.
Luke’s teeth closed over his nipple again, just the tip, all the while grinding against him.
Heat poured from him, shocking the hell out of him. Luke rumbled and let go of his nipple, moving down immediately to lap the come from his belly.
He watched, utterly stunned, as Luke lapped up every single drop, tongue dragging along his skin.
When Luke looked up, he smiled. “Mmm, you’re delicious.”
“You...” That had been the hottest thing in history.
“What about me, Pet?” Luke flicked his tongue across Greyson’s left nipple before rising all the way up and gazing down at him.
“This is insane. Really.” He couldn’t believe this was happening.
“I don’t think so. We’re two healthy, sexy males. And we’re soul mates, so we’re drawn to each other. We’ll make love a lot. Like a lot, a lot.”
“You think so?” He wasn’t so sure. Hell, he wasn’t sure about anything, except that he was comfortable here, in Luke’s bed. And the warmth of Luke’s body was doing wonders for his aches and pains.
“Yep, I do. You’re going to go through changes as your body adjusts to being mine. And a part of that is sex.”
He didn’t know what to think, but for now he’d go with it. He’d come and he was melted, goofy with pleasure.
Luke shifted against him, cock still hard.
“You want me to suck you?”
Luke made a noise. “There isn’t a man alive who’s going to say no to that, Pet.”
“I never have before,” he warned. “You’ll have to be patient.”
“You’ve got all the time in the world to get good at it.”
All winter, at any rate, but maybe that would be enough. “Then I want to try.”
“How about I lie on my side and you can scootch down and lie on your side as you do it?” Luke shifted off him, lying on his side, which gave Greyson an amazing view.
He eased down, diving under the blankets as he moved, kissing gingerly as he went. Luke stayed still, but he made noises, little hums and happy-sounding noises that told Greyson he was doing okay.
Okay, Greyson, he told himself. You can do this. The scent of Luke hit him and he breathed in deep, wanting more.
You can do this, a voice inside of his head told him, clear as day.
He gasped and grabbed Luke’s hips, trying to figure out what the hell was up with him. One of Luke’s hands moved over his head, petting him, and he looked up, meeting Luke’s gaze. The look on Luke’s face was need banked by tenderness. Luke’s fingers brushed over his newly bared cheeks, thumbs lingering on his lips. Greyson opened his mouth automatically, like it was the easiest thing on earth, and sucked on Luke’s thumb. If anyone had suggested this to him before, he would have snorted or rolled his eyes, but it felt surprisingly soothing, easing his nerves. He could do this.
He let go of Luke’s thumb and turned his head toward the thick cock. His tongue glided along the ridged tip of Luke’s cock, the head leaking and leaving a hint of salt on his tongue. Luke groaned for him, hips moving, sawing for a moment before settling again.
“Your tongue is electric.”
He pressed again. A fat drop of liquid appeared on the slit, like a pearl. He lapped it away, moaning deep in his chest as the flavor hit him.
“Killing me,” Luke muttered. “Don’t stop.”
He didn’t want to stop—Luke felt good in his mouth and tasted wonderful. One drop after another dripped from Luke’s cock. Greyson began to suck, pulling steadily. This was easy. He opened wide, taking Luke deeper, silently cheering at being able to do this.
Those amazing rumbles began again, and he sucked a little harder, grabbing Luke’s thighs and encouraging him to move.
“Making me feel so good.” Luke began to thrust gently.
Greyson was doing it. He was giving a blow job. Not only were his lips stretched around Luke’s girth, but he wanted more. He managed to take the heavy cockhead in, hands wrapping around the base of Luke’s cock. He’d never believed he’d be doing this one day and now here he was with Luke’s cock in his mouth and he was eager for it.
Luke’s noises continued to vibrate inside him, fill him up and make him ache.
Big hands wrapped around his head, holding him in place as Luke moved faster, pushing a little deeper. Greyson’s hold on Luke’s cock stopped Luke from going too deep, stopped him from taking too much.
“Harder, Pet, suck me harder.”
He nodded and pulled even harder, sucking for all he was worth.
“Fuck, yes.” Luke’s voice sounded twisted, rough. Raw with pleasure. And he’d done that.
A few more thrusts into his mouth and then he was flooded with salty liquid pouring out of Luke’s cock.
He choked a little, but he took most of it, swallowing convulsively.
“So good. So good, Pet. You feel so good.”
He sighed happily, beginning to clean Luke’s flesh.
“Fuck, yes. Such good instincts. Your body knows what to do.”
The words poured down over him, leaving him shivering in the covers. Luke combed his hand through Greyson’s hair, hand warm against his skull.
“Such a good pet, so giving, so warm.”
Luke went on, talking and murmuring, telling him how good he was, how sexy, how hot, how wonderful. It made him a little dizzy, and he rested his forehead on Luke’s hip.
A few moments later, Luke grabbed his arms and tugged him upward, their skin gliding together, rubbing. His entire focus was on Luke, on their connection.
On the pleasure they found.
When they were face-to-face again, Luke smiled at him, then brought their mouths together.
You taste like me.
The words echoed in his brain. So weird.
“I wish you could touch me like that for days.”
“Who says I can’t?”
“Well, you have to eat. Work. Shower.”
“I suppose you’re right, but I’ll keep coming back to it.”
He would take Luke up on that.
Those big, warm hands began to squeeze and release, massaging him.
His eyelids got heavy, his world stilling as he focused on Luke.
“I love touching you,” Luke told him. “That’s never going to change.”
He didn’t know how to respond to that really. But the touches continued, keeping him from hurting.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “It feels so good.”
“That’s what I want to hear. It’s my job to make you feel good.”
“It’s your job to...do forest-rangery things.”
“Yes, that, too. But my most important job is you.”
He took a kiss, good and hard, a little zing zipping through him. Luke’s smile warmed him, and one big hand moved behind his head, holding him in place.
He felt daring and sensual, sexual and alive. It was heady and rather wonderful.
They continued to kiss, the covers keeping them warm and close, cocooned together. Luke kept stroking his cheeks, petting him, making him relax.
It was like they were in their own world, carefully wrapped away from the rest of the universe, and he intended to enjoy it for as long as he could.
Luke seemed to be of the same mind, taking his time and keeping it slow, keeping it easy and exciting at the same time.
Please, he prayed. Please let this winter last forever.
A voice answered him. Our winter together will.
Chapter Seven
Luke slipped into some clothes and left Grey sleeping in bed while he went to the office to check in. He made his report and checked the instruments, monitoring for storms or anything strange that might be out of place. Job done, he made his way to the kitchen to make breakfast.
Sleep and food and his touch were the best things for Grey. Those were what would heal his pet.