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Rowan inhales sharply through his nose as I slide one hand behind his head and kiss slowly down his throat, licking and nipping at the sensitive skin beneath his jaw until another shaky breath slips out of him and his fingers tighten instinctively in the sheets beneath us.

I take my time with him after that, dragging my mouth lower across the line of his collarbone while my tongue swirls against his skin, tasting the salt and warmth of him as his body keeps reacting before he can stop it. Every small sound only makes me slow down further, wanting to feel each shiver and uneven breath beneath my hands.

I mouth gently at one nipple before soothing it with my tongue, and Rowan’s back arches sharply off the mattress with a wrecked sound that goes straight through me. “Fuck… that’s not fair⁠—”

“No? Not fair?” I murmur, brushing a kiss across his shoulder. “I’ll show you something else that’s not fair.”

“C-Ciaran—” His hands bury themselves in my hair now, clutching hard enough to sting while his breathing turns ragged above me as I make my way down.

I fucking love his hand on my dick, but right now I want to make him see how good I can make him feel.

I drag my tongue over the soft skin of his stomach, and Rowan jerks beneath me with a moan. I catch one of his nipples gently between my teeth.

His back arches. “Light, you’re such an asshole⁠—”

“I know. Hear that? Your heart’s going crazy again," I murmur, feeling the frantic rhythm beneath my hand.

“That’s because—because—” he stammers, the rest swallowed back when my hand drags lower over his stomach and his muscles clench beneath my palm before I slip my fingers beneath the waistband of his boxer briefs. He jerks sharply at the first touch. “F-fuck⁠—”

Fuck, indeed.

He’s already leaking against my hand by the time I wrap my fingers around him properly, the slick warmth making my control pull tight in my chest. “You’re already this worked up for me, mouse?” I murmur against his skin. “You like what I’m doing that much?”

Rowan tries to say something, but the moment my tongue brushes over his wet crown, another shaky breath leaves him instead. His hips twitch helplessly off the mattress while the taste of salt, heat, and something uniquely him floods my mouth.

He tastes fucking delicious.

“That’s it, baby,” I murmur, circling my tongue slowly over his sensitive head. “I want to hear every sound you’ve been keeping from me.”

The medical band flashes amber-red against Rowan’s wrist, his breathing breaking apart into uneven sounds as his pulse climbs higher and higher because of me.

The band that spent weeks warning him of panic is measuring want now. And every spike of it belongs to me.

“Ciaran,” he gasps, twisting against the pillows. “If you don’t stop, I⁠—”

“Oh, baby. We only just started.”

Then I drag myself back up his body. I need to see those green eyes before I completely ruin him.

I settle between his spread thighs again while he lies wrecked beneath me, the oversized black shirt riding high over his hips and his golden hair destroyed against the pillows.

Fuck. The sight of him like this nearly ruins me.

I drag one hand over his shoulder and trace my fingers carefully across the old scar near his heart, and Rowan’s entire body tightens beneath me at the contact.

“What happened here?” I murmur, tracing the edge of it carefully.

Rowan turns his face deeper into the pillow. “Nothing.”

I don’t believe that for a second, but now’s not the time to pry. So I let my thumb stroke over the scar one final time before I lower my mouth to the curve of his shoulder instead, kissing across his skin while he trembles beneath me.

“You’re so tense,” I murmur against his skin. “You afraid I’m going to fuck you with my gun?”

He winces, then scoffs at his own reaction.

“Don’t worry, Rowan. I’d never do such a thing. My cock would be terribly insulted if my gun took its place.”

Rowan’s hips lift helplessly off the mattress. “You’re insufferable,” he breathes.