“Nothing I’d like better,” Rohan replied in a husky voice.
Emotion, it shimmered between them. A step forward to a partnership. That’s what it felt like to Kiran and his heart rejoiced in their closeness, not a shred of fear in evidence.
They kissed, lips moving in a teasing tango, brush and retreat, flirtation before deepening to intense and bold. A silent exchange of promises, the moment tender and full of passion and fire. Rohan wriggled his finger a little before removing it.
Kiran made a protest against Rohan’s mouth. Rohan lifted his head and grinned. “Don’t panic. I’m gonna grab the lube. I don’t want to hurt you. Any pain should be the good sort that makes your balls go tight and your toes curl. That’s the only pain either of us should have to suffer through.”
The care in Rohan loosened a tight band from around Kiran’s chest, something rooted in the past that he didn’t recall at the moment. All he knew was Rohan’s consideration eased something inside him.
“Luckily, I’d hoped to need the lube in the near future so I have some handy in the drawer.”
“I’m all for preplanning.” Kiran ran a hand over Rohan’s back as he leaned over to open the top drawer of the heavy bedside cabinet.
“Do you want to use condoms? I haven’t been with anyone for over a year. There hasn’t been time.”
“No condoms,” Kiran said. “Gavin tested me for FIV and said I’m clear. He said that’s the only thing we need to worry about.”
“I know. I was there, remember? Maybe I should have asked him to test me as well.” Scowling, he plucked a condom from the drawer along with the bottle of lube. “We’re not risking it. I’ll ask him to test me tomorrow.”
Kiran nodded, despite wanting to argue the point. The truth—they had plenty of time. His test hadn’t taken long since Gavin’s surgery was set up to service the feline community. Rohan’s test wouldn’t be equally quick and would set both their minds at rest.
Rohan tucked the condom under the pillow and flipped the lid on the lube, squirting a dollop onto his fingers. He kissed Kiran, firing the caress with passion and heat. Kiran gasped, and Rohan slipped his tongue into Kiran’s mouth, stroking with clear intent. Kiran’s heart beat faster and his need escalated. He stirred restlessly, groaning when the head of his cock slid along Rohan’s hip in a sizzling stroke. His hips jerked, trying to repeat the move, but Rohan laughed and dodged.
“Hold that thought,” he said. “Spread your legs for me. Yeah. Like that.” Rohan rubbed a finger over his entrance, then pushed a lubed finger inside. A second finger followed shortly afterward, scissoring open to stretch Kiran.
“The lube is cold.”
“You’re welcome to fuck me any time you want,” Rohan said, silent promises in his eyes but no apologies.
“I’ll bear that in mind.” Kiran let his eyes close and concentrated on the intrusion of Rohan’s fingers, the sweet burn of pain and pleasure. The stretch. He let his mind wander, abuzz with sensation. When Rohan mentioned him having a turn, the idea had seemed foreign. He didn’t know if he’d done it before or not.
Rohan slid his fingers deep, angling them to slither across Kiran’s gland. Rohan watched his lover’s face and knew the exact moment when he did it right. Kiran gasped, shuddered, his hips bucking. “Good, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Kiran’s beautiful blue-green eyes stared at him with something akin to shock. It made Rohan wonder about his past. Part of him wanted Kiran to remember so he had answers and the other part worried about the past. All the small signs indicated a hard life and maybe abuse. The idea of someone hurting Kiran irked Rohan.
He slid his fingers deep, taking pleasure in making Kiran feel good. His own cock was so damn tight he thought he might explode any minute. Kiran didn’t look in much better shape. After another pump of his fingers, he pulled free and grabbed the condom. In seconds flat he rolled it onto his cock. After adding more lube, he lined up and pushed into Kiran’s searing heat. Rohan watched Kiran’s face the entire time, holding in place until he was sure he wasn’t hurting him.
“You’re not hurting me,” Kiran said, reading his mind. “The only way you’ll do that is if you don’t hurry.”
Rohan barked out a laugh, pulled back and pushed deeper this time. The tight grip of Kiran’s channel made him grimace. “Going slow won’t be a problem.” As if to prove his statement, he withdrew and thrust. Kiran echoed his groan. Rohan pulled back and this time slid home. Kiran gripped his shoulders and pulsed around Rohan’s cock. It was intimate. It was personal. Incredible.
A tremble slipped through Rohan, his arms shaking as he braced them on either side of Kiran’s body. He wanted to prolong their encounter. He wanted to go slow and couldn’t. Even as the thoughts screamed through his head, he pulled back and slid deep again, setting up a rhythm. Increasingly faster, his strokes no longer measured but choppy. Jerky and verging on loss of control.
Kiran let out a needy sound, not far short of a whimper. Rohan wanted to grip Kiran’s cock and drive him to the point of insanity with his hands, except that would mean he’d have to stop the driving thrusts.
“Touch yourself, Kiran.”
Kiran blinked, and Rohan sensed he’d never considered the idea. Maybe because of his past conditioning. Rohan made a silent vow to make sure Kiran knew they were a partnership, that nothing they wanted or did together was wrong or dirty.
He attempted to slow and repositioned his body so his cock slid in at a different angle. Kiran’s surprised hiss told him he’d managed to get it right.
“Rohan,” he muttered, his voice strained. “I can’t hold back, not if I touch myself. Sorry.”
“I’m not asking you to hold back. This isn’t a competition between us. We don’t have to come together.” Rohan slowed his strokes even though it almost killed him. Gritting his teeth didn’t help. “This is about pleasure, about giving and taking. It’s about us. Whatever we decide is what’s right.” He withdrew and paused with only the head of his cock inside Kiran. “Okay?” The sharp spasm of Kiran’s rectum around the tip of his dick made him hiss with pleasure, but he wanted to make a point. Kiran had to stop reacting to his past conditioning. It bothered him even though Kiran didn’t realize he was doing it. “Okay?”
“Yeah. Don’t stop!” A panicked look filled Kiran’s expression, along with worry. He gnawed his bottom lip.
“I’m not gonna stop. I promise.” This was obviously going to take time and trust. He made a mental note to talk with Gavin. “It would kill me to stop.”
“Good. That’s good.” Kiran gnawed his lip again, scanned Rohan’s face, and must have felt reassured by what he saw. He grasped his shaft, stroking it with a firm grip.
“Yeah, it is good,” Rohan said, sliding home. This time he gave in to the lure of pleasure, surrendering even as he angled his strokes to pass the feel-good sensations on to Kiran. If he’d thought his balls were tight before, he was wrong. Each stroke intensified the feeling, make it worse, his need more demanding. The scent of sex and arousal filled the air.
Kiran gave a loud groan and semen splashed against his fingers and chest. His channel clenched around Rohan’s cock. Rohan gave one last hard, digging stroke and came with a soft curse. When the spasms died down, he fell against Kiran. Kiran’s arms came around Rohan, holding him tight, and it felt as if he were home.
Chapter Seven
“Hey, lover. It’s morning. We need to get out of bed before Ambar comes looking for us.” Rohan laughed when Kiran wrinkled his nose.
“I get the feeling it wouldn’t embarrass her.”
“Nope. The best we can do is take notes and give her a hard time when she starts dating.” Unable to deny himself, Rohan leaned closer to kiss Kiran. Their lips slid together as if they’d been partners for a long time. The comfortable feeling swelled his heart with a blaze of happiness. The kiss between them swiftly morphed into urgent, cocks swelling with need.
A thump on their bedroom door brought th
em back to reality. “Hurry up. Coffee is ready and I’m hungry. I’m cooking bacon, eggs and baked beans this morning. If you want some you need to be in the kitchen in ten minutes.” Ambar paused and knocked on the door again. “There’s no time for morning nookie.”
“Our parents will turn in their graves,” Rohan said.
“Newsflash,” Ambar retorted through the closed door. “They’re already spinning. They’ve probably disowned us and claimed some other poor kids to haunt.” A quick skip of steps indicated Ambar’s retreat to the kitchen.
“I think we’ll have fun when it’s our turn,” Kiran said.
Rohan stole another quick kiss on principle before he slid from the bed. The scent of sex, musky bodies and the splash of dried semen on his belly brought satisfaction. He padded into the bathroom and flipped on the shower. When the water ran warm, he stepped into the cubicle and grabbed the soap.
He noticed a flash of movement and turned a fraction, taking pleasure in observing Kiran. His lover stretched and slipped one hand behind his head to itch the back of his neck, muscles flexing with the sensual move.
“I would invite you to share the shower, but I’m thinking we’d get distracted,” Rohan called above the splash of the water.
Kiran’s grin was pure sunshine. He leaned against the bathroom cabinet, his gaze skimming Rohan’s body. Rohan fumbled the soap and dropped it with a curse. Kiran’s chuckle warmed him inside. His cock filled and lengthened, but aware of the passing time and the gnawing ache of hunger in his belly, Rohan hurried through his shower. Kiran handed him a towel and took his place under the warm water.
Back in the bedroom, Rohan dressed in jeans and one of the polo shirts he and Ambar had purchased to wear in the store. They’d decided to keep their shirts uniform and wear jeans or shorts as the season dictated. None of the strict black and white uniforms his parents had insisted they wear whenever they worked in the store.
“Not bad,” Ambar said when he joined her in the kitchen. “I thought I’d have to shout through the door again.
Rohan grabbed two cups and poured coffee. “Do you want a refill?” The scent of cooking bacon made his stomach rumble a complaint.
“Please.” Ambar stirred the pot of baked beans and jiggled the pan. “Grab some plates will you? And put on some toast.”
Rohan pulled three plates from the cupboard and handed them to Ambar. She served the bacon and eggs and added generous servings of baked beans. They worked together like a well-oiled machine. By the time the coffee and food was on the table, the toast had popped up.
Kiran arrived in a wave of citrus, dressed in one of Rohan’s old T-shirts and a pair of the jeans they’d purchased in Dunedin at the same time they’d picked up their new vehicle. He’d put on weight and looked good enough to eat. Maybe even bite, Rohan thought with a twist of his lips.
“Hungry?” Ambar asked.
Kiran nodded. “Yeah, it was the run last night.”
“Or it could have been something else,” Rohan said, exchanging an intimate look with Kiran.
“Eew,” Ambar said, wrinkling her nose. “Just eew. I’m too young to know about your sex life.”
“Yet you want one of your own,” Rohan pointed out.
Kiran grinned and applied himself to breakfast. “Thanks for doing breakfast, Ambar. I know it was my turn.”
Rohan thought Kiran appeared relaxed and happy, and it delighted him. Kiran was a changed man from when they’d first discovered him in the hospital. The weight gain looked good on him.
“That’s all right,” Ambar said. “I was awake. You take my turn tomorrow.”
“Probably safer for you to do it,” Rohan said. “Kiran doesn’t seem to be a very good cook.”
“That’s no excuse,” Ambar said. “He’ll learn. He is learning.”
“Both of you can stop talking like I’m not here.” Kiran paused to scratch the back of his neck and smiled. “If you have time today write me an instruction sheet for cooking breakfast for tomorrow. I can follow instructions.”
They finished breakfast. Kiran helped Rohan with the dishes and cleaning the kitchen.
“Okay, I’m off to work,” Kiran said, and it was easy to see the pride in him. “I’m not sure what time I’ll be back. Gavin said it depends on emergencies. I’ll ring if I’m gonna be late.”
“I’ll walk over with you, and see if Gavin has time to do a test for me,” Rohan said.
Ambar’s brows rose. “Do I want to know?”
“No,” Kiran said.
“No!” Rohan shouted at almost the same time.
A smirk formed on Ambar’s face. “I’ll take that as a no, then.” And she calmly picked up the key for the store and left them to it.
* * * * *
David was a fool. Nando Marsters had observed his oldest brother over the years, taken note. There was so much money to make, yet his brother kept to mainly legal activities. Of course his personal life didn’t run with the same aboveboard preciseness. Where sex was concerned David was both bi-sexual and kinky and wasn’t afraid to pay for his perversions.
Nando stepped up to the immigration counter and presented his passport. He juggled his duty-free purchase of good Scottish whisky and his laptop from his right hand to his left and smiled. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” the customs officer said. “You’re here for a holiday?”
“No, business, although if things go well I might take a week and go down to Queenstown. I’ve always wanted to try bungee jumping in the gorge. You know, the original site.”
“Rather you than me. Where are you staying?”
“The Fawkner Hotel in central Auckland,” Nando said.
The customs officer nodded and stamped his passport. “Welcome to New Zealand. Keep the agricultural declaration form and hand it in before you exit airport security.”
“Thanks.” Nando collected his passport and put it in his suit jacket pocket. He strolled through to the luggage collection area. The other passengers scurried around like busy ants. Over to his left, a toddler screamed and dropped to the ground, kicking her feet and beating her tiny fists on the ground. Nando suppressed a shudder.
Like him, others stared at the spectacle. A young pregnant woman who appeared ready to drop her child at any moment rubbed her straining belly. Nando turned away, striding to the other side of the baggage carousel. Pregnant women were disgusting. He didn’t like to look at them. When he married he would banish his wife once she became pregnant. She could return to his side once the child came. He liked his women to focus on him, on his needs. He intended to rule his household. He would protect his women, both wife and mistresses, to the best of his ability, and in return they would treat him like a royal king.
The luggage carousel jerked in a metallic shriek. Bags started appearing and soon Nando spied his. The benefits of flying business class.
At the rental car counter, he presented his gold card and after minimal paperwork, he received a set of keys.
Kiran Ramji had sealed his fate when he’d eavesdropped on business he had no right overhearing. Once Nando realized Kiran had witnessed the murders, that was it. The slave had signed his death warrant. He’d instructed two of the men loyal to him to kill Kiran and get rid of the body. A snarl emerged as he thought of the mess his men had made when they’d disobeyed his orders, compelled by greed. Fortunately, Nando had a second chance to get rid of Kiran.
This time he wouldn’t fail. He’d do the job himself.
Nando knew his other brothers would cover for him because he terrified them. They’d made the mistake of thinking the youngest brother should inhabit the lowest rung on the family hierarchy. He’d set them straight with a swift show of violence. A favorite mistress had died at his hands, his team of well-trained bodyguards backing him with silent might. It hadn’t taken long for him to exert his power, although he’d taken care to present a different face to David.
Nando respected David. He remembered the treats David had given him
during his childhood, an act of kindness from a brother many years older than he. Unfortunately, the time had come for him to make a move and seize power from his brother. A matter of economics.
Nando loaded his bag into the rear of his vehicle and strode around to the driver’s seat. He slid behind the wheel and set the GPS system. The zoo. Urgency beat at him. He needed to take care of this last loose end to ensure his empire didn’t topple.
“A tiger. All this time David kept Kiran’s magical powers secret.” Nando snorted, shaking his head at the lost opportunities as he pulled out from the parking lot. He would have used the man. He would’ve made a formidable bodyguard, the ultimate burglar, but no. His older brother had loved the man, protected his secrets.
Love made a person weak. Nando had learned that at an early age, watching his mother cry when his father disappeared for months and photos appeared in the papers with other women on his arm. Nando signaled a turn, following the directions of the feminine voice coming from the directional system.
Nando found the drive relaxing after the hustle and bustle of India. It was the same whenever he visited a Western country, although he’d never shift his business interests from India. He knew the legal system intimately in his home country, knew who to bribe and how to keep under the radar. No, while he appreciated the Western education he’d received, he liked playing the system in India and using it as his base.
Annoyingly, the zoo crawled with children. He wondered if he should have stopped at his hotel to change into casual clothes so he didn’t stand out as much. The last thing he needed was to draw attention. Nando considered the situation and decided to amend his plans. His impatience had almost led him into making a mistake.
Kiran had kept for this long. A few more days meant little because he’d still die.
Death was the only way to clean up this mess.
* * * * *
Two Weeks Later
“Have you had any more dreams?” Gavin asked.
Kiran shook his head. “Not really. My days are busy now that I work for you and help out at the store.”
My Cat Nap Page 12