Stefan's shoulders slumped, and some of the stiffness in his body faded. "I know," Stefan answered in a small voice. "But the pain of losing you was worse than dying. I will move to the middle of the Canadian wilderness if that's what you need, but I can't handle you leaving me again."
Sawyer winced as he realized that letting Stefan think he was dead might have caused more harm than good. He had been truthful with Stefan when he said he had been trying to keep the man safe. He just might have gone about it the wrong way.
"The Canadian wilderness, huh?"
"I remember how much you like the snow."
Sawyer pressed a kiss to the side of Stefan's neck. "I like you more."
God, he had missed Stefan. He missed the way he tasted, the way he smelled, the way he moved. Hell, he missed the way the man walked. He missed every damn thing about him.
"How long did Roark say he'd be?" Sawyer whispered as he angled his head to one side.
"An hour or so," Stefan replied between kisses.
Sawyer grabbed Stefan's hand and pulled him across the warehouse then up the stairs to where they kept the hay for the horses. He led him to the back of the second floor and around a large stack of hay bales.
A brief shiver rippled through Sawyer as Stefan's arms wrapped around him from behind. Warm breath blew across his neck as Stefan pressed up against him. "I love you, Lewis Sawyer."
Sawyer exhaled suddenly, unable to hold the air in his lungs. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against Stefan's shoulder, the man's words flowing over him like a warm ray of sunshine. "Oh, Stefan, I love you, too."
"Yeah?"
Stefan sounded so hesitant that Sawyer couldn't help but open his eyes and look at the man. He could see the apprehension in Stefan's eyes and knew that he was afraid of being rejected, just as Sawyer was.
Sawyer smiled and reached around to caress the side of Stefan's face. "I do love you, Stefan, and I've never told any man that before."
* * * *
Stefan stared at Sawyer for a moment as the man's words sank into him then dropped to his knees and grabbed the buttons of Sawyer's pants. He started to unbutton Sawyer's, but his hands were grabbed and pressed against thick muscular thighs. Stefan glanced up, confused. He didn't know too many men that turned down a blow job.
"Get undressed."
Stefan backed away from Sawyer and started undressing, slowly. The slower he moved, the hotter the glow in Sawyer's eyes grew. By the time he stood naked, the lust burning in Sawyer's eyes was almost blinding. Sawyer's chest heaved with his heavy breathing. The man looked tense as if he was ready to pounce.
Stefan held his hands out to his sides. "Is this what you wanted?"
His skin prickled when Sawyer growled. He wasn't sure he'd ever heard a sound like that come out of someone's mouth before and certainly not from a man looking at him the way Sawyer was looking at him. The man wanted to consume him.
"Sawyer?" Stefan whispered as he took a step back. He wasn't afraid. He would never be afraid of Stefan, but the man looked really intense. Sawyer's fists were clenched. The corner of one lip curled up, but Stefan didn't know if it was a snarl or a sneer. "Babe? Are you okay?"
"I don't think I'll ever get enough of you, Stefan," Sawyer whispered hoarsely. "You're so fucking beautiful."
Stefan felt his face flush. He'd been called a lot of things, handsome, gorgeous, even sexy, but no one had ever called him beautiful and looked at him with the same intensity as Sawyer did. He didn't think he'd ever get enough of that.
"I'm all yours for as long as you want me, Sawyer."
Stefan's eyes widened as Sawyer finally gave in to the desire blazing on his face and pounced. Stefan was quickly pressed against Sawyer's body, the man's arms wrapping tightly around him.
"I'll always want you, Stefan."
"You make me ache, Sawyer." Stefan shuddered as Sawyer's hands stroked down his back to grab his naked ass. "You make me need."
"I like that," Sawyer whispered as he nuzzled the side of Stefan's neck. Stefan let his head fall back, exposing his vulnerable skin to the man's questing lips. He felt the heady sensation of Sawyer's lips against his throat. "I want to make you ache, to need. I want to make you forget anyone that has come before me."
"No one ever came before you," Stefan replied. "I might not have been a virgin, but no one has ever made me feel like you do."
"And no one ever will," Sawyer growled. "No one has ever loved you the way I'm going to love you."
