Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
EAMON
I woke slowly, awareness seeping in like honey, sweet and thick.
The first thing I noticed was the solid warmth pressed against my back and the strong arm wrapped around my waist, anchoring me.
Charles. My eyes fluttered open, and I smiled, relishing the intimacy of waking up with him, our bodies fitted together like puzzle pieces.
He stirred behind me, nuzzling into the nape of my neck with a contented sigh. I rolled over to face him, my heart swelling at the sight of his sleep-mussed hair and heavy-lidded eyes blinking open to meet mine.
“Good morning,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep. The sound sent a shiver down my spine.
“Mornin’, love.” I cupped his stubbled jaw, brushing my thumb over the curve of his cheekbone. He leaned into my touch, a soft smile playing at his lips.
Our mouths met in a lazy, languid kiss, the kind that had no destination in mind except to savor.
Charles hummed against my lips, the vibration igniting sparks under my skin.
I licked into his mouth, tasting hints of sleep but not caring.
I wanted to taste all of him, to map out every inch of his mouth until I knew it as intimately as my own.
Charles’s hand slid into my hair, his fingers tangling in the dark strands as he deepened the kiss.
His tongue stroked against mine, slow and sensual, stoking the embers of desire that always seemed to smolder between us.
I rolled him onto his back, settling my weight on top of him as I kissed a trail along his jaw, down the column of his throat.
He tipped his head back with a soft moan, giving me better access.
“I love waking up with you,” he whispered, his hands roaming over my back, mapping the planes of muscle. “I wish we could stay here forever.”
My heart clenched at his words, a bittersweet ache blooming in my chest. If only he knew how much I wanted that too—to freeze this moment in time, to live in this perfect bubble where nothing existed but him and me and this connection between us.
But I couldn’t give him forever. I couldn’t even give him the truth of who and what I was.
All I could give him was now. This moment.
We kissed until the need for air became too great.
I pulled back reluctantly, resting my forehead against his as we caught our breath.
Charles’s eyes were dark, pupils blown wide with desire.
It would be so easy to roll him onto his back, to lose myself in his willing body again.
But the insistent pressure in my bladder demanded attention.
“Hold that thought,” I said, pecking his lips once more before extricating myself from his embrace. “Nature calls.”
Charles made a disgruntled sound at the loss of contact but released me.
I slipped out of bed, hissing as my bare feet hit the cold wood floor, and padded to the bathroom.
After relieving myself and splashing some water on my face, I studied my reflection in the mirror.
My hair was a wild mess, my lips slightly swollen from Charles’s kisses.
But it was my eyes that gave me pause. They were brighter than I’d seen them in decades, alive with a light I’d thought long extinguished.
Happiness. That’s what it was. For the first time in longer than I could remember, I was truly, incandescently happy. And it was all because of Charles.
The realization hit me like a physical blow, stealing my breath. Charles had become my entire world, the center of my universe, in such a short time. And now the thought of leaving him, of going back to the cold emptiness of my existence before him, was unbearable.
I gripped the edge of the sink, my knuckles turning white as I fought the surge of emotion threatening to overwhelm me.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with my charge, to let him get under my skin and into my heart.
But here I was, head over heels for a man I’d have to leave behind as soon as this assignment was over.
The creak of floorboards made me jerk my head up, and I had just enough time to school my features before Charles appeared in the doorway, a soft smile on his face.
“I missed you.” He moved behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder.
“In the three minutes I’ve been gone?” I managed to keep my tone light.
“Mmm, we were in the middle of something, in case you forgot.”
“Why don’t we take a shower together, see what mischief we can get into in there?”
“Excellent plan.”
I turned on the faucet, and we undressed while the water slowly turned warm. The shower was small, but we made it fit. It wasn’t exactly a problem to be pressed together, and the hot water rained down on us as we kissed again and again.
My hands wandered over Charles’s slippery skin, mapping every curve and angle. He was perfection, all lean muscle and subtle strength and those gorgeous freckles, his body responding beautifully to my touch. I kissed along his neck as the steam rose around us, then made my way down.
Charles tipped his head back against the tile, a low moan escaping his lips as I nipped at his pulse point. “Eamon…”
The sound of my name on his lips, breathless and wanting, made my cock throb. I slid my hand down his stomach, fingers teasing through the trail of hair leading to my prize. When I wrapped my hand around his hardening length, Charles gasped, his hips canting forward into my grip.
I stroked him slowly, relearning the weight and shape of him against my palm. He was fully hard again, the silken skin hot and pulsing with need. The temptation to keep going was strong, but I had something else in mind, something that had been on my wish list since the moment I’d seen him.
“Turn around for me.” I let go of his cock and nudged his shoulder. “Show me that perfect arse of yours.”
He flushed pink but did it anyway, sticking it out a bit as he leaned his hands against the wall. “Yeah, you like it?”
Did I like it? I fecking loved it. Without hesitation, I sank to my knees on the tile floor. “Spread those legs, love, and let me feast on you.”
Charles complied eagerly, spreading his legs wider and bracing his hands against the slick tile wall.
I had never seen a more inviting sight. His perfect, round ass was on full display, the muscles flexing as he shifted his stance.
I groaned in appreciation, my hands coming up to knead the firm globes.
I spread his cheeks, revealing the tight pink furl of his entrance. He was perfection, all smooth skin and taut muscle, just begging to be tasted. I leaned in, inhaling the scent of him, my mouth watering in anticipation.
“Fuck, Charles, you’re gorgeous,” I breathed, leaning in to press open-mouthed kisses along the curve of his cheeks.
I nipped lightly at his skin before soothing the sting with my tongue.
Slowly, teasingly, I worked my way inward, trailing my lips along the crease of his arse.
Charles was trembling now, his breath coming in short, needy pants.
When I finally reached my goal and licked a long stripe over his entrance, Charles let out a ragged moan, the sound echoing off the tiled walls.
I spread him wider, my thumbs digging into the supple flesh of his cheeks as I lapped at him, savoring the musky taste.
He was exquisite like this, laid bare for my pleasure, his body trembling under the onslaught of sensation.
I swiped my tongue over his hole again, a slow, firm lick from perineum to tailbone.
Charles jolted as if electrified, a choked moan echoing off the tile walls.
I pressed open-mouthed kisses to his puckered hole, my beard rasping against the sensitive skin and making him shudder.
My tongue circled the furled muscle, teasing, coaxing, until he relaxed enough for me to push inside.
The tight heat of him was intoxicating, and I groaned against his flesh as I fucked into him with shallow thrusts.
“Fuck, Eamon, yes…” Charles pushed back against my face, seeking more. His voice was wrecked, desperate, and it spurred me on. I pointed my tongue and delved deeper, my lips sealed around his rim as I ate him out like a starving man at a feast.
I lost myself in the act of pleasuring him, reveling in every twitch and moan I coaxed from his lips.
My jaw ached and my knees protested the hard tile, but I didn’t care.
All that mattered was Charles’s pleasure, the desperate sounds spilling from his mouth as I worked him over with lips and tongue.
His thighs trembled against my palms, his fingers scrabbling for purchase on the slick tile. “I love hearing the sounds you make, love,” I murmured, nipping at the tender skin. “So desperate for my mouth, my tongue.”
Charles whimpered, arching his back to offer himself up further. I dove back in, licking and sucking at his hole until he was writhing against the wall. When I slipped a finger in alongside my tongue and pressed on his prostate, he cried out sharply, his muscles clenching down.
I wrapped my hand around his straining erection, stroking him in time with the thrusts of my tongue and the movements of my finger. It was a tad uncoordinated at times, but his litany of whimpers and moans and grunts and sighs spurred me on.
Then he cried out sharply, his hips bucking into my fist as his orgasm overtook him. His hole clenched around my tongue as ropes of his release painted the shower wall. He shuddered and spasmed, my name a broken plea on his lips.
I gentled him through the aftershocks, lapping softly at his fluttering hole until he whimpered from oversensitivity. Only then did I pull away, pressing a final reverent kiss to his tailbone before rising to my feet on unsteady legs.
Charles turned and slumped against the wall, his chest heaving and his eyes glazed with blissed-out satisfaction. I pulled him into my arms, relishing the boneless way he melted against me, all sated and pliant.
“I’ve died and gone to heaven,” he mumbled.
“Nah, my love, it’s your arse that’s heaven.”
We rinsed off, quickly washed, then did a half-ass job of toweling off. My own erection was still unsatisfied, and Charles noticed. “Let me take care of that,” he said, but when he reached for me, I stopped him.
“I’m good.”
He frowned. “But you didn’t come.”
“I know, but it’s okay. Watching you come was reward enough.”
He studied me for a few moments as if he wanted to make sure I meant it, then crawled into my arms again. We hugged until we shivered from the cold, and even then, we were reluctant to let go, as if we both knew time was running out.