It was another hour of fulfilling guest requests for food, drink, and extra blankets before I finally made my way back. By the time I arrived, he was asleep.
I let out a sigh of relief as I watched the rise and fall of his breathing beneath the heavy blanket. I’d be sure to save him a room tomorrow.
I got ready for sleep and slipped beneath the covers, painfully aware that his shirtless chest was just inches away from me. We’d be sharing body heat all night to stay warm, and the thought was excruciating.
I felt him stir beside me. “Goodnight, Cassian,” Sterling said in his low voice.
My heart pounded. I hadn’t taken care of myself in the bathroom like I did the night before, because I thought I was safe from him. Even the sound of his voice shifted the flow of blood to somewhere beneath my waistband. I was grateful for the thick comforter for hiding my growing desire.
I looked over my shoulder to see him smiling in my shadow behind the flickering firelight. “Did I wake you?” I asked.
“It’s too cold. I’m having trouble getting to sleep,” he said.
“Do you need another blanket?” I asked.
“No, thank you. I wouldn’t mind if you kept me warm the way you did this morning, though.”
“I have no magic left for today. I’m sorry,” I said.
“That’s not what I meant.”
I faced away from him, realizing he wanted me to cling to him like I had been when I woke up that morning. I couldn’t do that. He would definitely feel how hard I was. “Maybe when the case is over,” I said.
Sterling sighed. “I’m not on the job while I’m sleeping.”
“You better get to sleep then.” I gripped the blanket tight in my fist, fighting my desire to face him.
Sterling sighed. “All right. Goodnight, Cassian.”
“Goodnight.”
I lay there thinking about the conversation and realized I had been acting stupid. What was I thinking? Sterling had turned me down earlier, so why wasn’t I jumping at the chance to get closer? Had I missed it? His rejection hurt my ego, so maybe I just didn’t want to feel desperate. I was desperate, though. Not for affection, but for him.
I turned around, and Sterling’s eyes were already closed. He appeared to be asleep. My chance had passed.
I moved closer until I could slip my arm around his torso and my leg between his. I pressed my face against his warm chest, taking in his earthy scent. I enjoyed the way he smelled, which was clean and a little spicy, with something else I couldn’t place that was intoxicating. I could breathe him in all day.
“Change your mind?” he muttered sleepily.
I froze, mortified that he had caught me smelling him while he slept. Gods, how weird. “Sorry,” I said.
He shifted to slide his arm around my waist, and I realized with horror that my hard cock pressed against him. “Mm…” he hummed. “I don’t think you are.”
I spun around with my back to his chest. “I am. I’m so sorry,” I said again, covering my face with both hands.
“Don’t be,” he said, taking my hips to pull my ass against his pelvis. He began grinding against my ass, and I unintentionally gasped. It was much breathier than I would have liked. His cock hardened with every pass, until his thick meat rubbed between my ass cheeks, separated by our clothes.
I collapsed onto him, rubbing my ass against his cock. This time he gave a small gasp, his grip on my hip tightening while I writhed in his lap. “Gods, yes,” he whispered in my ear.
He slid his hand down my stomach and beneath my waistband, and I moaned when his fingers ran over my hard dick. He wrapped his hand around me and began to stroke. I melted into him, letting him take control. Even with the layers of fabric between us, his dick rubbing against me felt amazing. I wanted to pull my pants down and let him fuck me.
As much as my desperate cock begged me not to, I pulled his hand out of my pants and turned to face him. He watched me with raised eyebrows, a rosy flush tinting his cheeks. “Was that too?—”
I kissed him before he could finish the question, sliding one hand around his waist and the other up his chest. I could have died when he pulled me close and kissed me back. “Sterling,” I whispered against his mouth.
“Cassian…” He kissed me again and said, “I can’t resist you.”
He rolled on top of me, pinning me beneath him, and rubbed our cocks together slowly while planting soft kisses on my neck. I dug my fingers into his back and moaned. Even with his pants on, he was good at this. His hips moved gently, just enough to sate me for a blissful moment before leaving me wanting more. My hands roamed his warm skin and threaded through his soft hair. His hands wandered beneath my clothes everywhere I wanted him to touch, but maybe I wanted him to touch me everywhere. He slid my shirt over my head and kissed my stomach, working his way up to my nipples. He teased one with his tongue and rubbed the other firmly with his thumb.
