“Do again,” Bazel whispered. “I like you doing it.” He kept his eyes closed, just taking in the sensation of Atlas’s hands on him. Then the heat intensified as Atlas used his tongue, spreading heat all over. When he reached a nipple, Bazel groaned long and then put his hand over his mouth.
“Don’t stop yourself. Make all the sounds you want. It’s part of how I know what you like.”
Bazel nodded and pulled Atlas into another kiss, this one sloppy, making it hard for him to think about anything else. Not that he wanted to. There had been so much hard and bad that had happened, and this felt so good. He wanted it to go on forever. But nothing lasted that long.
“You are so sexy. You know that? I love how you react to me. That I can touch you and you love it this much.”
“Just no stop.”
Atlas made a sound deep in his throat. “I won’t stop unless you tell me to.” And Atlas tugged at Bazel’s belt before pulling it off. He held his breath, waiting for what would happen next. The only times he had had sex before, things were rushed and they couldn’t get caught, so there had been very little kissing and none of this, what Bazel described to himself as sexy play. It was down to business and that had been it. However, it seemed that Atlas had other ideas. Bazel was already revved high and they hadn’t even taken their pants off. A whole new world was opening up in front of him, one devoid of fear and filled with care.
“Then I not tell you to.” He wanted to demand that Atlas go faster, but he didn’t have the words. At least not ones that didn’t sound dumb to him. His culture was different than here. Peoplewere more reserved, and they certainly never discussed sex or the type of talk that went on between two people. Heck, he had lived in a small house with his parents, and he had never heard any sort of sexy sounds coming from their room. So maybe they were extra quiet or just didn’t say anything. Whatever it was, he had no role model for this type of thing.
“Babe, it’s okay to say what you like and to tell me how you feel.”
Bazel sat up, his pants open, breathing deeply. “But what if I say stupid?”
“There is nothing stupid. Not at a time like this. Being open and honest is really hot. It tells what you like and what isn’t for you. And whatever it is, that’s okay.” He kissed Bazel right below his belly button, making him collapse back on the bed with a deep groan. “I take it you like that.”
Bazel made some sort of noise. He wasn’t sure what it meant, but Atlas seemed to know what to do. He tugged off the pair of jeans they had bought together and dropped them on the floor. Bazel wanted to jump off the bed and properly care for the clothing, since it was all he had, but Atlas nuzzled him right through the underwear that had come from the same trip, and he forgot all about anything other than his lips and the heat that nearly sent him through the ceiling.
“Did you like that?”
“Yes. Do not stop.” He ran his fingers through Atlas’s soft hair, holding his head as he moaned softly.
“I promised I wouldn’t, and I meant it.” Atlas was growly now, and Bazel realized that was so good. It meant that Atlas was as caring, protective, and generous now as always. “I will keep this up until you go out of your mind.”
“What that mean?” Bazel asked. It sounded kind of bad.
“That I want you so happy and head-spinny with passion that you forget about everything else. That I want you to be thehappiest I can possibly make you.” He tugged at the waistband of Bazel’s briefs, and Bazel held his breath in almost wild anticipation as he held onto the bedding, wondering what was coming next.
BAZEL WASbreathless as he lay next to Atlas, his eyes closed, hands roaming over Atlas’s slightly furred chest. Atlas had driven him to the point where Bazel could barely see straight, and he had only used his mouth. That was one heck of an experience. “How can anyone think that could be bad?” Bazel finally asked.
“There is plenty of bad sex,” Atlas said softly.
“That not what I mean,” Bazel said, and rolled onto his side so he could look at Atlas in all his manly glory. He had always been so furtive, so careful about where he looked and who he watched, that being able to look his fill was almost mind-blowing.
Atlas chuckled. “I know. I was teasing you.” He tugged Bazel closer. “You were amazing, babe. You really were.”
“But you do all the work,” Bazel said, wondering if it was always this way. Did the stronger of the men play the man’s role always? Was that how things worked? Bazel didn’t want to feel like he was less than a man, and yet if Atlas made him feel like he was going to fly into a million happy pieces every time, then he was not going to complain.
“This time. There will be more. I promise you that.”
“And I can be the man?” he asked.
Atlas smoothed his hand over his cheek. “It isn’t about who does what or that there is a man role or not. It’s just about two people expressing their feelings for each other. That’s what matters. And I thought that you didn’t have much experience,so I took the lead, but it will be different each time. That’s the wonderful thing. It’s only about being happy.”
Bazel sighed. “I happy.” And he was, so very happy at the moment.
A shrill bark made them both sit up and listen. Another followed, and Atlas jumped out of bed and pulled on his clothes before racing out of the room. “Remember what I told you.” Then he was gone.
Bazel jumped out of bed, retrieved his clothes from where Atlas had strewn then, and pulled them on. Then he peered out the bedroom door, listening. But the house was quiet. He left the room and went to the one he had been using, carefully looking out the window into the backyard. A man tore across the grass toward the gate with Evie right behind him. “Take down!” Atlas yelled, and Evie leapt as the man jumped for the gate. He didn’t make it. Evie had him by the leg, and Bazel heard the cry in the house as the man fell from the gate. Evie stood over him, growling and barking at the top of her lungs while Atlas hurried up. It all happened so fast, but it seemed that whoever had been trying to find him hadn’t given up. Maybe he was no longer safe here, and as much as he wanted to stay with Atlas, it might be time he left.
“WHAT AREyou doing?” Atlas asked when he came back in, once the intruder had been taken into custody and transported to the station, finding Bazel in his room. He had changed into the ill-fitting clothes he had arrived in. They had been washed.
“I have to go.” He had left all the things Atlas had bought for him stacked and folded neatly on the bed. Maybe they could be used to help someone else. “These men, they want me, and I am putting you and Evie in danger. I cannot do that. If I gone, they leave you alone.”
Atlas’s eyes blazed, and Bazel stepped back in case he got mad. His father hit when he got that way. “You realize they will find you one way or another. Then you’ll be in danger and no one will be there to look out for you.” His voice was harsh and rough.
