I sighed. I had always suspected that Elex felt responsible for me, but this was taking it to new heights. I slowly processed what he’d done and a surge of affection for the man in front of me rushed through me.
“Wait, let me get this straight…” I said, stepping closer to him.
“My brother, one of the deadliest men in the world evenwithoutusing his magic, said I couldn’t take care of myself and youthrew him against a wall?”
His face turned redder.
“He’s your brother! He should know better than anyone how amazingly strong you—” he began, but I cut him off with a kiss.
The velvety soft touch of his lips against mine was addicting. I could feel fire racing through my body as his body heat spread to mine. My heart was racing at the feelings this man was stirring within me. My cock was swelling as I leaned into him, wrapping my arms around him.
In his half-form, Rhu was taller than me, but I felt him slowly shift back to his normal size as my lips gently brushed over his. They were deliciously soft, but so freakin’ hot I wouldn’t have been surprised if blisters had risen on my skin. Unlike with Kopanos, though, I would gladly have endured this pain over and over.
“I don’t think anyone has ever given me a nicer compliment,” I whispered before laying another gentle kiss on his lips.
Rhu froze under my touch.
Cold anxiety grew in my belly, and I stilled. For just a moment as he remained quiet under my touch I wondered if I had misread the situation. Maybe, like Kopanos, Rhu wasn’t interested in a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex? Hel had said that notallBonded pairs were in a sexual relationship, though most were.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered and started to pull away, wondering how much power it would take to have the earth open up and swallow me in my humiliation, but I should have trusted that Rhu would never be anything like Kopanos.
As I started to pull away a low growl grew in his chest and he surged forward, his hands grabbing hold of either side of my head, pulling me into a devouring kiss. The searing caress seemed to go on and on as he ravaged my mouth before finally gentling into slow, deliberate movements. Heat rushed through my body as I stood, crushed against his front. One hand stroked up his back while the other gripped his hip. Arousal surged through me, my cockthickening with aching urgency as the kiss continued. I might have felt embarrassed about that, but pressed together as we were, I could feel Rhu’s very obvious arousal as well.
Finally, he pulled back. His chest still heaving, but all sense of the rage that had been in him just moments ago had disappeared.
I looked at this wonderfully resilient, sensitive, amazing man as he gently pushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
“You are one of the strongest people I’ve ever met in my life,” he said as if echoing my thoughts about him. “If he can’t see that, thenhe’sthe one with the disability.”
I felt the corner of my mouth quirk upward.
“I like how you think, soldier,” I whispered.
“Soldier, huh? Guess that makes you the General.”
“Hm. Might make for some interesting roleplay,” I said, waggling my eyebrows suggestively at him.
He laughed and pulled me closer. The sound was pure joy, and I felt like I could listen to it forever.
I took his hand and began walking down the opposite hall.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
I just grinned at him and said nothing. I wanted to do this now, before I lost my nerve.
I led him back to my room, closing and locking the door behind us.
Suddenly uncertain, I paused and rested my head on the door. I still couldn’t believe that he had decided that I might be a good partner. But really,hadhe decided? Or was this just a trick of the fates? There’d been no ceremony after all, it’s not like either of us had chosen this.
“Talk to me,” I heard him say, his voice low and rough. “I can feel your worry, feel your fear, but I can’t do anything about it unless you talk to me.”
I turned to look at him. Rhu was all glorious lines of muscle and strength. He sat on the one chair in the room. His dark hair hung across his forehead, and I saw him brush the straight black strands back from his emerald-green eyes. They seemed to glow in the dim light.
“I’ve lived most of my life without choices. As a child, I was told what to say, what to think, how to act. In the Legion, even the pretense of choice was taken away. I know what it’s like to be a slave to someone else, to something else. The last thing I want to do is takeyourchoice away, Rhu. I can’t do that to you.”
He looked at me, confusion on his face.
“You didn’t take my choice away, Luke,” he said.
