Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
One month later.
Shaun rubbed his right eye with the heel of his hand and blinked. If he did it enough, maybe the fucking coffee would magically appear wherever Zenko had put it.
How the fuck can coffee disappear? Where the hell is it?
He stuck his head around the kitchen door and yelled down the hall, “Hey, babe?”
“What?”
“Where’s the coffee?”
“It’s on the counter next to the machine.”
He scratched his head and stared at the counter again.
Fuck, if I can kick my ass into wake mode, I might actually see it.
“It’s not here.”
“It’s there.”
The shower was still running, but the change in the sound told him Zenko had opened the door.
A moment later, the ocean-scented shower gel he used drifted up the hall.
The corner of his mouth lifted when the faint scuff of bare feet came toward the kitchen.
With the shower still running, he almost felt bad for dragging Zenko out to find coffee that was apparently sitting right in front of him.
He watched the door, waiting for his man to make an appearance.
Ah, there he is.
“Dayum.” His gaze traveled slowly from Zenko’s wet hair to the towel wrapped low around his waist. A month of waking up beside the man hadn’t done a fucking thing to make this sight less distracting.
A punch of lust hit him in the stomach, swiftly followed by a jolt of happiness.
Zenko was his, and he was Zenko’s. Yup, sappy, happy shit was the order of the day, but the coffee gremlins in his soul were bitching that they needed a fix, and he wasn’t awake enough to find the freaking pods for the machine.
“You just called me up here so you could perv on me.” Zenko kissed the top of his head on his way to the coffee machine, lifted the dishcloth to reveal it had been covering the box of pods, then rattled it in his direction.
“See. I told you it was next to the machine.” He lifted the lever and swore softly when it refused to cooperate.
“I still don’t understand why we own that fucking thing.
” He took the box when Zenko shoved it at him and glared at the machine instead.
“There was a perfectly functional coffee maker sitting right there when we got here. It had a timer. It made an entire pot. I could wake up, walk into this kitchen, and coffee was waiting for me. Now I have to be conscious enough to operate machinery before I can drink the thing that makes me conscious.”
“You drank the entire fucking pot before nine in the morning.” Zenko planted one hand on the counter and stared at him. “Then you made another one at eleven because apparently eight cups of coffee wasn’t enough to keep your bloodstream properly caffeinated. The pod machine was an intervention.”
“It was an act of fucking betrayal.” He shook the box of pods at him. “You came into my house, removed my coffee maker, and replaced it with something that expects fine motor skills before sunrise. I’m amazed our relationship survived.”
“Your coffee maker is in the pantry, you dramatic asshole.” Zenko reached for the lever again.
“I moved it twenty fucking feet. If the withdrawals get too bad, you can visit it.” He scowled at the machine.
“Assuming this piece of shit survives the morning.” Zenko picked up the screwdriver from beside the machine and used it to pry loose the pod jammed inside.
His fingers were too big to fit into the narrow space, so he worked the screwdriver beneath the edge until the pod finally dropped free.
“There. Now quit bitching before I put the drip machine in the garage with your fucking death trap.” He shoved a fresh pod into place and hit Brew.
“Hey.” He wrapped his arms around Zenko’s waist and rested his chin on his shoulder before burying his nose against his neck. Peace and happy shit had never been in the master plan. Somehow, the man standing barefoot in his kitchen wearing nothing but a towel had become part of it anyway.
His mouth found the scar on Zenko’s neck, and the smooth ridge beneath his lips brought back a flash of blood beneath his fingers before he shoved the memory away. “Let’s not do kill shots again, ’kay?”
“I survived.” Zenko threaded their fingers together where Shaun’s hands rested against his stomach. “I’m still here.”
He swallowed past the freaking frog that had taken up residence in his throat. “I know.” Very few things terrified him, but losing Zenko was right at the top of that list.
“Shh.” Zenko pulled the mug from under the nozzle and handed it to him before checking the almost-empty box again. “We are going to have to go and get coffee.” He held up the box. “There’s only one left, and I’m stealing a sip of yours once it cools down.”
He wrapped both hands around the mug and took his first sip. Hot, bitter perfection hit his tongue, and his eyes closed as the caffeine gods finally answered his prayers.
“Fuck, Shaw.” Zenko’s voice dropped into the rough tone he knew very fucking well. “Stop looking at me like that, or I’m going to have to fuck you again.”
Shaun opened his eyes. “Huh?”
Zenko stared at him for another second before a slow grin spread across his face. “You really don’t know what you look like when you take that first sip of coffee in the morning, do you?”
“Like a man finally getting the life support he needs?”
“Nope.” Zenko shifted back against him, making his interest impossible to miss. “You look almost exactly like you do right before you come.”
“Damn.” He glanced suspiciously at the mug in his hand before looking back at Zenko. “Maybe I really do love coffee too much.”
Zenko deliberately pushed his ass back against Shaun’s dick. “Are you turned on by the coffee?”
“Mmm.” He brushed his mouth over Zenko’s cheek. “Nope, that’s your pretty ass turning me on, but I needed coffee to do something about it.”
“You could come and shower with me.” Zenko twisted carefully in his arms, one hand steadying the mug before he could spill the damn thing over either of them. “Although if you dump hot coffee all over me, you’re licking it off.”
His gaze dropped to Zenko’s mouth. “Is that supposed to discourage me from spilling it?”
“Probably not.” Zenko pressed his hips forward until his hard dick rubbed against Shaun’s. “But judging by what I can feel against my ass, I don’t think you need much encouragement.”
Heat crawled over Shaun’s cheekbones as his dick twitched against Zenko. The smug bastard’s grin widened immediately.
“Yeah.” Zenko rubbed against him again. “That’s what I thought.”
Shaun tilted the mug, drinking down a swallow of coffee. Zenko rubbing their dicks together made the burn of the hot liquid going down his throat irrelevant. Coffee was usually to be savored, a jolt of caffeine fuel to kick-start his day. However, the unspoken promise of what Zenko offered?
Yeah, thanks, coffee… you’re fired.
His damn cock certainly agreed. Shaun placed the mug on the counter behind Zenko’s back, and reached out to run his palm along that square, firm jawline, his fingers catching in the morning scruff Zenko had yet to shave off.
He lifted his gaze to meet Zenko’s, threaded his fingers through his short dark hair, and drew him down for a deep, thorough kiss.
Zenko’s hand cupped him through his boxer shorts, the well-worn material soft against his skin until those big fingers tightened around his cock and dragged the fabric over sensitive flesh.
All the blood in his brain rushed straight to his dick, and coffee disappeared from his mind with everything else.
All he could focus on was Zenko’s mouth against his and the tightening of those fingers around his cock.
“Mmm.”
His hands wrapped around Zenko’s waist, his fingers working the towel loose until it pulled free and dropped to the floor. Zen’s ass cheeks clenched when he dipped his fingers between them and pulled his man closer. He arched his hips, searching for more friction against his cock.
“These have got to go.” Zenko hooked his fingers into the waistband of his boxers and shoved them down over his hips.
He wriggled impatiently to help the material on its way until the boxers cleared his thighs and dropped to the floor. He kicked them aside before widening his stance, and Zenko immediately moved into the space he’d created, those thick legs keeping his spread.
Zenko cupped his aching balls and worked them in his palm, sending another pulse of need through him.
“Ah, so good.” He pushed a hand between them, reaching for Zenko’s cock, but Zenko pulled back before he could get his fingers around him. A growl escaped when his man caught both his hands and planted them on the counter behind him.
“Keep them there.” Zenko kept his hands pinned against the counter. “You’ve had coffee. Now it’s my turn for my kick starter.”
“Cum is your coffee?”
“No.” Zenko rubbed his cheek against Shaun’s, their beards catching against each other. “Your cum is my morning kick starter.” He brought his fingers to Shaun’s mouth and pushed them past his lips. “Suck.”
He did as he was asked, fucking loving the lust in his man’s eyes as he stroked his tongue over Zenko’s fingers as if it were his cock in his mouth.
He let his teeth scrape lightly over Zenko’s skin, and even that was enough to make his balls ache.
Saliva coated Zen’s fingers as he swirled his tongue slowly over the tips.
“Jesus, I almost wish it was my dick in your mouth.”
Yeah, let’s do that. Your dick in my mouth... fucking yummy.
His eyes closed at the promise in Zenko’s voice, and a frustrated sound caught in his throat when those fingers slipped out of his mouth.
“Nope.” Zenko pinched his right nipple hard. “Keep them open and watch me.”
The sting of the pinch went straight to his cock, “Mmm. Fucker.”
“Yup.” Zenko’s smirk said he knew exactly what he was doing to him, knew he was making him crazy. “And you fucking love it.”