Chapter 12 #2
His words shot Dariel straight through the heart. “I told you, I don’t enjoy lying, so why would I?”
“I’ve admired you since I first learned you existed.
For years I’ve wished to meet you. Now I have, and you’re too good to be true.
How could I have been so lucky to have been brought to you?
” Athens reached out a long arm to cup Dariel’s cheek—Dariel melting into the touch, elbows on his knees and hands clasped in front of him.
“Godwin. He’s the reason for everything,” Dariel said, eyes closed for a moment.
“He brought us together. It’s as though he knew we needed each other.
The three of us. Right here and now. How could he be so wise?
” Athens rubbed a thumb across Dariel’s cheek.
He was freezing now, but as if on cue, Athens pursed his lips then stood back up to turn the shower off.
He held out a hand to help Dariel up. “Let’s dry you off. ”
The taller man helped Dariel step out of the shower, and immediately wrapped him in the largest towel, ruffling his hair and waiting for Dariel to clutch the material around him so he could reach for his own.
“Thanks,” Dariel beamed, shivering into the new warmth. The towel was soft against his skin as he patted his feet on the bathmat to warm up even more.
Athens didn’t speak as he dried himself off, but his bright eyes said enough. He was glad for Dariel’s company. Happy to be with him.
Dariel shook the damp out of his hair, drying his own body off and noting his own blurry outline in the condensation against the large mirror. You’re truly happy, John. I can sense it.
“You look cosy,” Athens eventually said, reaching out his tattooed arm to pinch Dariel’s shoulder over the towel. Dariel watched the movement happen in the mirror, sharply turning at the sensation.
“That I am,” he said calmly.
Athens closed the space, tying his own towel around his waist. “I think…” he started, gripping both Dariel’s shoulders.
What? Dariel stared up, waiting for the end of the sentence.
Athens kissed him. Delicately, gently, with so much heart, and Dariel simply melted into the depths of oblivion.
‘Bedroom?’
Dariel dropped his head as a grin widened across his face.
Make the most of this evening. Dariel nodded.
In seconds they were both stumbling, passion resurfacing as they scrambled from one room to the other, giddy, chasing the high of each other until they fell onto the bed, Athens pushing Dariel down firmly into the bedding.
They struggled to part as they edged further onto the bed and Athens climbed atop Dariel, shadow fully enveloping him. “Everything okay?”
Dariel let himself sink into the warmth of the other man’s body.
He wanted anything and everything all at once.
He’d never experienced such intense desire for decades.
Sure, it wasn’t all about sex. He could go without it, he knew that, because to him, once a romantic relationship formed, it grew into a much more complicated connection. One requiring more than just the body.
But tonight, it would have to be only that. That was all it was ever meant to be.
“More than okay,” Dariel said, shifting his hips.
Athens looked down, arms to either side of Dariel’s head. “Finally,” he said, bending his arms so their bodies pressed together. “Just where I wanted you.”
And it was exactly where Dariel wanted to be.
“Anything you don’t enjoy? Things you don’t want to do or don’t want me to do?” Athens asked openly, giving Dariel the freedom to be honest.
He couldn’t think of anything he wouldn’t want to do with Athens right now, so he said as such.
“Perfect.” A quick kiss to the temple. “I’m going to sit on your face then, is that okay?”
Dariel almost laughed, everything was happening so fast, but oh, how he craved that. Already starving since the last time he tasted the man on top of him.
“Be my guest.” Dariel readied himself, slightly adjusting his shoulders and letting his legs fully relax underneath the weight. Have fun.
Athens pressed down before repositioning his body to lower over Dariel’s mouth, pulling on the reforming white curls atop Dariel’s forehead that were soaking into the pillow.
“Squeeze my arm twice when you want me to stop,” Athens said more softly as he began to move against Dariel’s tongue. Dariel frantically nodded; hands gripped around Athens’ thighs.
‘Good. Like that. Just…like…’ Athens let out a cry, gripping to the headboard above Dariel. They reacted together, Athens moving his hips slower as Dariel’s tongue explored every inch of him until they moved in sync.
They worked until Dariel’s jaw ached and he finally squeezed Athens’ arm. The other man moved off him immediately to sit back into a straddle.
“Good?” Athens grinned, observing Dariel’s lower body.
Dariel slowly licked his sore lips in response, slightly sitting up.
“I do usually enjoy… you know,” Athens flicked his head, waiting for Dariel to understand as he gently rubbed himself down the length of Dariel’s erection.
“Being in charge?” Dariel suggested, hoping he was right.
Athens reached a hand down to rub his clit, eyes locked to Dariel’s. He bit his lip. “Will that be a problem?”
There were likely going to be more times with Godwin, but Dariel wondered how Athens would treat those times. If they’d have more time like this. Could they be lovers?
Thinking about it was going to ruin the moment though. So he kept on track. “I still haven't made you come.”
Before he even finished his sentence, Athens laughed. “Oh, I know what will do the trick. I’ll make it easy for you.”
In the heat of the moment, he was prepping Dariel in hand, drawing out more breathless, pleading, elated sounds from Dariel, then positioning the tip between his legs, teasing for a moment before slowly lowering himself down a little bit at a time.
They both gasped together as Athens squatted to his knees and rolled his body down to Dariel, bobbing up and down with careful precision, his burning desire plain to see.
“I was so close before, you can see how wet you’ve made me. Now finish the job, darling.” Athens bent close to Dariel’s ear with his final request. “There’s a good boy.”
Dariel tipped his sodden head back, arching up as pleasure rippled through him, Athens quickly finding their rhythm and lowering himself more each time until Dariel was fully inside him.
They wove their hands together like a final puzzle piece, calling out each other’s names and speeding up until finally, Athens let go, shattering around Dariel’s cock, his head tipped far back, teeth growing in.
‘Oh, you have no idea how good that felt. Look how hungry you’ve made me now.’
‘Bite me. Take it all.’
Without further persuasion, Athens’ sharp teeth clamped down on the hollow of Dariel’s neck and he drank, their bodies still connected.
‘Consume me.’
Dariel wasn’t sure whether a fellow vampire’s blood would have the same strengthening effect as human or animal blood did, but the blissful numbness one felt as they were drank from could not compare to anything else, he believed.
He would let Athens drain him dry, and it scared him how easily he’d given himself up.
When Athens pulled up for air, Dariel’s own blood dripping from the other man’s chin and onto his chest, Dariel could wait no longer. He reached up and pushed Athens down, his canines finding Athens’ neck as he began to take his share.
‘Oh, you menace.’
‘I don’t hear you asking me to stop.’
‘Drink up, darling.’
Dariel took his time, feasting on the sweet tang of his bed partner.
Athens writhed and wriggled beneath him, as he had done, and Dariel had to repress his smugness as he rose from his drink to see what his work had done to the other man.
Athens’ red tinged pupils were blown wide, canines still protruding from his gums as he gagged back his pleasure and grinned.
“You’re exquisite, you know. You taste like gold,” Dariel said, sliding his leg over from straddling Athens so they now sat facing each other.
“Copying my own words now, are we?” Athens cocked his head.
“Maybe, but…” Dariel reached over to grab Athens’ shoulders, his thumbs stroking over his clavicles and over the now drying blood from his neck wound. “I mean it, you’re everything I could…” he stopped himself, acknowledging the tension in his grip as their gazes locked.
Athens was unfazed, bending over into Dariel’s space. “Speak your mind.”
“I want to…” was all Dariel managed, arousal hitting again as he observed every tiny detail of Athens’ body.
He quickly grew hyper aware of his own ragged breathing preventing him from doing anything else other than leap back forward to lock their lips once more, blood and saliva merging as their arms wrapped around each other and they became one.
‘Ruin me, Athens Daněk. Devour me whole if you must.’
‘Do you say this to all your partners on the first night?’
‘You know I don’t.’
You’re different, I know it. I… He hoped Athens didn’t get that last signal. They rolled back, Dariel once again beneath Athens as they worshiped every ounce of skin on their bodies. It was too much and not enough. He was full and starving. Satisfied and begging. He’d never felt like this since…
Athens is different.
After an eternity, they collapsed side by side, bodies aflame.
Athens curled up to Dariel’s side, hand tracing up and down his chest. “Oh, I missed a bit,” he said, before licking up the last drop of blood staining Dariel’s skin.
They’d fed once more from each other, trying new places and coaxing out all sorts of sounds from one another.
They’d thankfully kept the mess to their own bodies though… mostly.
“I will never tire of this,” Dariel tried, hoping Athens understood his meaning. He hoped after what they’d shared, Athens would maybe want the same. Godwin would join their souls, but Athens would be Dariel’s air. He would find the words, one day, to truly express his desire.