“Ha!” Deyvid shook his head. “The last thing I want is any sort of complication with you.”
“That doesn’t entirely precludewanting, though,” Petur replied, taking a step closer. Their chests were nearly touching now. At this distance, it was all too easy for Deyvid to remember how Petur looked when he was naked, standing so tall and confident in his own nudity. His shifter nature had given Deyvid abundant time to become acquainted with Petur’s physical attributes, including the frankly outsized dimensions of his cock. Deyvid’s fingers twitched traitorously as he imagined touching it, stroking it, seeing just how big it could become as the man hardened within his grasp.
“I smell it on you,” Petur murmured, his eyes glowing in the dim light thanks to the tapetum lucidum he’d kept from his animal form. It made him look animalistic and more appealing than ever. “Your lust. I know you want me.”
Deyvid took a deep, quelling breath. “So what?” he said. “I can’t control everything about my own desires, but I do have the ability not to give in to my needs, unlike some—”
Petur bared his teeth. “Unlike somewhat? Animals?” he demanded.
“I was going to say, unlike some spoiled royal brats. But sure, animals,” Deyvid replied casually. Petur just laughed, throwing his head back and chortling so genuinely that Deyvid had to wonder why he found being insulted so hilarious.
“This is one of the things I like about you most,” Petur said as he finally slowed his chuckles. “You’re not afraid to be honest with me. When you think I need to hear something, you tell me.”
“Speaking of that,” Deyvid interjected, “here’s something I think you need to hear. Your people are poorly trained to work with each other.”
“I know,” Petur agreed, startling Deyvid with his easy acquiescence. “The task that we embarked on here has been as much about learning what doesn’t work in our training regime as what does. As shifters, we emphasize the individual. Eachperson has their own particular strengths and weaknesses, given whatever form they happen to be in. We don’t often work in groups and are unaccustomed to fighting alongside each other.” He shrugged. “That’s something I can change, though, as long as we all survive. Which, thanks to you, we may very well do.”
That reminded Deyvid. “How’s your arm?” he asked.
“Fine, and stop changing the subject.”
“I didn’t realize I—”
Petur closed the last of the distance between them and slowly, carefully slid his arms around Deyvid’s waist. Deyvid could have tried to fight him off, could even simply have said, “Stop,” and despite himself, he had faith that Petur would listen to him. And yet … he closed his eyes as the heat of Petur’s body transferred into his own, the press of their chests and groins against each other warming him like no amount of fire ever could.
It had been solongsince he’d been touched, so very, very long. And here was this man, young, handsome, and powerful, who wanted him. This had been building between them for a week now, Deyvid reasoned, and their time together was coming to an end. Of course, such a spoiled princeling would want to push the boundaries and see what he could get, see if he could satisfy his curiosity so close to the end.
And Deyvid—well, for once, just once, he decided to give in to what he wanted too.
“Will you let me touch you?” Petur murmured, staring into Deyvid’s eyes.
“Yes,” Deyvid whispered back, wrapping his arms around Petur’s neck. “Touch me.” He expected something straightforward—a hand jammed inside his pants or being pulled to the forest floor in a frenzy of lost clothes, but what he got was a kiss, a tender, warm kiss, so gentle Deyvid didn’t understand what to do with it. He didn’t know how to respond, so he just accepted as Petur moved his mouth, pressing forward,then retreating slightly. When his tongue peeked out between his lips and touched Deyvid’s, Deyvid actually startled.
Petur pulled back with a smile, but it wasn’t a mean expression. “You haven’t done this much, have you?” he asked.
“No,” Deyvid confessed. “Almost never and not for a very long time.”
“That’s all right. You’ll enjoy it,” Petur promised, and Deyvid had to laugh at his arrogant certainty. But as the kiss continued, as it deepened, and as Deyvid finally started to respond, he had to admit that Petur was right. When Petur walked them so that Deyvid’s back touched the bark of a nearby tree, he let it happen, welcoming the stability when his own legs were feeling so unexpectedly wobbly. They kissed and kissed, the heat between them growing, and when Petur finally ground their groins together, thick lengths rubbing against each other, Deyvid broke the kiss and moaned needily.
“That’s it,” Petur said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “Fuck, that’s it, that’s what you want, isn’t it?”
“Yes, just like that,” Deyvid breathed.
“I think I can do even better,” Petur said. He reached down, and Deyvid tensed, but there was nothing rough, not yet, at least. He was careful as he opened Deyvid’s pants, as he reached inside, as those long, thick fingers closed around his shaft. Deyvid had to shut his eyes against the shudder of pure lustandfear that went through him.
This man was a shifter, so much stronger than Deyvid. If he wanted to, he could kill him right now—he could take him apart. Instead, although his hand wasn’t as gentle as his lips, Deyvid felt infinitely cared for.
“Do you like that?” Petur asked him greedily.
“Yes,” he groaned, “yes, I do.”
“Are you going to come?”
Deyvid opened his eyes and glared at him. “Not until you,” he said, then daringly lowered his own hand and pressed it against the front of Petur’s trousers. Gods, how much longer had he gotten? “You seem like you need the release,” he added.
“I do,” Petur replied with a purr. “Are you going to help me with that?”
“Are you going to ask nicely?”
