Chapter 2
Chapter Two
R onin stalked back and forth in front of the restaurant, checking his watch with every pivot. The trio still had a few minutes left, but it had been difficult enough waiting hours to see Shiloh again. He was impatient by nature but yearning only made that weakness worse. The nearby elevator bank pinged, and the doors whipped open. Numerous folks filed out, but none of them the one person he wanted to see most.
Just before the doors closed, three omegas exited.
Ronin’s heart quickened. Shiloh met his gaze and smiled softly.
His gaze drifted down Shiloh’s body. His omega’s body was leaner and much more graceful than his bulky, muscled one. They were both dressed in similar fashion—casual lightweight linen, but he had to say Shiloh looked much better in it than he did.
It would look even better piled on the floor beside my bed.
Ronin pushed the thought away. He wasn’t pushing Shiloh into bed, no matter how much he ached.
The three omegas slowly closed the gap, stopping a foot away from him. All Ronin could do was look at Shiloh.
All grown up and stunningly handsome.
“You look nice,” Ronin murmured to Shiloh, offering a soft smile of approval.
Shiloh’s face grew a bit pink. “As do you.”
“Do we look nice?” Sage asked him.
Ronin dragged his gaze from Shiloh and acknowledged his cousin. “Yes, of course. You all look very nice.” He’d barely looked. He barely cared.
Not when Shiloh outshone every other man on the ship.
Ronin clenched his hands at his sides, fighting the need to touch his omega. “Ready to eat?”
“Sure,” Shiloh said, a bit breathless. He glanced at Sage and then at Eirin. “Ready?”
“You know, I don’t know if I feel like sushi tonight,” Eirin said. He looked at Sage. “What about you?”
“Nah, I’m not feeling sushi, either,” Sage said. He eyed Ronin. “But Shiloh can join you. He loves sushi. One of his favorite foods.”
“Are you kidding me?” Shiloh whispered to Sage before he eyed Eirin.
Both omegas patted Shiloh’s shoulders before wandering off. Sage looked back as they walked away. “Have fun, you two.”
Ronin couldn’t deny he’d wanted Shiloh alone for dinner, but it was clear the omega was having second thoughts. “I swear I don’t bite. Not hard, anyway.”
Shiloh met his stare, his hazel eyes bright. He was silent and looked ready to bolt.
“Do you want to have dinner with me?”
Shiloh’s tongue appeared, wetting his lips. “I guess.”
Ronin’s gut clenched. “You guess?” It wasn’t the reaction he’d been hoping for. “I won’t force you to spend the night in my company if you’d rather be somewhere else.”
Shiloh searched his face. “The last time I saw you, you glared at me like I was the worst person on the planet. I guess I’m a bit confused why you’d want to have dinner with me now.”
“I’ve never thought you were the worst person on the planet,” Ronin murmured. “Far from it.” He closed the small gap between them. They’d already been apart far longer than he’d intended. He wasn’t going to play games or dance around the subject. Ronin went straight for the heart of it. “Don’t you feel our connection?”
Shiloh looked around, appearing a bit embarrassed and uncomfortable.
Ronin grasped his chin and forced him to look up. “Do you feel it?” He searched Shiloh’s face. “An undeniable attraction.”
“Yes,” Shiloh whispered.
“As do I,” Ronin replied, his voice sounding strange to his own ears. “And I felt it back then, too. When you were far too young for me.”
Shiloh’s eyes widened as he gasped.
“I had to fight the need. I distanced myself intentionally. If I looked angry or I hurt you in some way—I’m sorry. It was unintentional. I was clinging to the edges of my control.”
Shiloh’s lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
“Talk to me,” Ronin murmured.
“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? It’s been years since we last saw one another.”
“I heard you’d gotten a scholarship, and I wanted you to get your education before I intruded on your life,” he replied. “Then you continued on for your Masters, so I waited a little longer. I wasn’t aware you’d decided on more. Sage hadn’t told me that.”
“You talk to Sage about me?”
“I check in on occasion, yes,” Ronin answered.
“You should’ve told me,” Shiloh said, frowning. “What if I’d met someone else?”
Ronin brushed back a stray hair from Shiloh’s forehead. “I wouldn’t have let that happen.”
“You wouldn’t have let it?”
“You’re mine,” Ronin said, his voice raw. He closed his eyes and inhaled, but that only made it worse. Shiloh’s scent was overwhelming after waiting so long. When he reopened his eyes, he captured Shiloh with his gaze. “I had to trust fate. We belong together. So I sat back and watched… and waited.”
“Is that why you’re here? On this ship? You’re ready to pounce and claim your property?”
“You’re not my property.” Ronin could see indignation in Shiloh’s eyes. “I was honest when I said my father wants to purchase the company. I had no idea Sage was here or that you’d be with him.”
Shiloh searched Ronin’s gaze, as if trying to decide if he believed that.
“Fate brought us together again,” Ronin said. “And this time there’s nothing stopping us.”
His omega’s eyes grew heavy lidded. Need shone in Shiloh’s eyes. Ronin considered kissing the man then and there and seeing where that led them, but he didn’t want to push too hard, too soon. While Ronin had known what they were when they’d first met, Shiloh had been young enough to possibly not realize his crush had been more than that.
It had been recognition of his mate.
“Will you have dinner with me?”
Shiloh nodded silently.
Ronin turned and ushered Shiloh ahead of him. As they walked, he placed his palm on Shiloh’s lower back and felt the omega jolt at the touch. Luckily, he didn’t pull away. He leaned back against Ronin’s hand, instead. Ronin smiled to himself, the tiny flash of surrender a positive sign.
As they were led to their table, Ronin noticed how empty it was inside. It seemed most guests ate at the ship’s buffet or in the dining room, not the restaurants. From a service aspect, it seemed a waste, but he didn’t mind in that moment, given the privacy it afforded them. It was quiet. There were only two other tables occupied, and they were far from them.
Once the hostess left them to peruse the menu, Ronin struggled to keep his attention on the words on the page. His gaze flicked to Shiloh over and over above the top edge.
“Can you stop?”
Ronin frowned. “Stop what?”
“Staring at me?” Shiloh murmured, never looking up from his menu.
“What if I tell you that I can’t?”
Shiloh’s gaze whipped to his for a second before moving back down. “I feel as if I’m something on the menu you plan to devour.”
“Maybe you are.”
Shiloh took a shaky breath before lowering his menu and lifting his gaze to Ronin. There was a warning there, but there was also that glimmer of need.
“I know I might sound forward, but I’ve been waiting nearly a decade for you to be ready for this,” Ronin whispered. “I’m trying to maintain my restraint, but there’s not much left of it at this point.”
Shiloh’s gaze softened.
“Good evening,” their server said, arriving at their table. “Can I interest you in hearing our chef’s special tasting menu of the night?”
Ronin struggled to drag his gaze from Shiloh. He eyed the server and nodded, forcing a smile. Maybe they’d needed a pause before he said the wrong thing. “Absolutely.”
Shiloh barely heard what the server said. All he could focus on was the intense, dominant alpha seated across from him. Not just any alpha, but his alpha.
Ronin Drake was his alpha .
He had to be dreaming.
Shiloh pinched his leg under the table and winced with pain.
The wince didn’t escape Ronin’s notice. He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, a question in his eyes.
“I think that sounds wonderful,” Ronin said to their server. “How about you, Shiloh?”
Shiloh had no idea. He wasn’t all that interested in eating anymore. Whatever was brought to the table would be fine. He wasn’t even sure he’d taste it. “That’s fine.”
The server smiled and nodded. “I’ll go inform our chef and then bring out the sake. I’ll be only a moment.”
As soon as he was gone, their menus in hand, Shiloh shook his head. “What did we just order?”
“I can’t remember,” Ronin murmured.
Shiloh chuckled. “I barely heard a word.”
“Hopefully we ordered well,” Ronin said, the corners of his mouth curling up. “It’s a special tasting menu. How bad could it be?”
“I don’t know how much appetite I have at the moment,” Shiloh said. “I’m a bit overwhelmed with this new information.”
Ronin sat back, watching him. “Is there something else you’d rather do?” He cringed. “Or do you need some time to yourself?”
Shiloh shook his head. Since the second Ronin’s admission had fallen from his lips, all Shiloh could see was them in bed together. He’d never wanted with that kind of intensity in his life. “I want you.”
Ronin closed his eyes, looking as if the last vestiges of his control were held by frayed strings. He clutched the edges of their table, drawing in short breaths. When he reopened his eyes, Shiloh nearly moaned there at the table without a single touch from Ronin.
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life,” Shiloh whispered.
He rose, holding out a hand. “Let’s go.”
Shiloh lifted his shaking one to Ronin’s and was almost yanked out of his chair. Ronin led him past, barely pausing when he saw their server. “I’m sorry. My omega’s become ill. We need to leave.”
Shiloh fought a smile at hearing Ronin call him his omega.
“Of course,” Shiloh heard their server reply, but they were out and near the elevators before the words were barely out of her mouth.
Ronin smacked the button for the elevator before turning and drawing Shiloh close. Since their arrival, it had taken forever to get an elevator. With thousands fighting for space on only a few, it was no wonder, but Shiloh wasn’t sure he could wait.
“Where are we going?” Shiloh asked, not really caring as long as they had privacy.
“My suite,” Ronin replied.
“Where’s that?”
“Level twelve,” Ronin said.
“We could take the stairs,” Shiloh murmured. “It’s only…” He glanced at the number on the wall. “Nine floors.”
Ronin nodded. “Stairs. Yes.” He grabbed Shiloh’s hand and rushed forward toward the stairwells. “Or we’ll wait here forever.”
Shiloh was all but dragged behind Ronin. They raced up the stairs, sprinting. Ronin’s long legs made it harder to keep up. His foot slipped on a tread, and he went careening down. Somehow, Ronin caught him before he faceplanted.
“Thanks,” Shiloh whispered.
“I caused it,” Ronin replied. “We need to slow down for your sake.”
Shiloh didn’t want to slow down.
They took the rest at a slightly slower pace but still managed them quickly. They exited out onto the twelfth floor, but Shiloh didn’t see a door in sight. Ronin pressed a hand on his lower back again, and it sent another shock of need through him just as it had the first time. He led them forward and finally, a door appeared.
Ronin swiped his card and opened it.
All Shiloh saw was a wall of windows before him. His mouth dropped open as he walked deeper into the suite. “This isn’t a suite. It’s an apartment.”
There were two floors, the open one above them a bedroom. It had a full living and dining space, a library area with packed bookcases and a reading nook, a friggen baby grand piano , and outside the windows was a full deck with three small tables, a hot tub, and enough space for twenty to easily stand and enjoy the view. He spun to face Ronin. “This is unreal. Our state room is a closet compared to this. Eirin and I are squeezed in there together.”
“This is their royal suite,” Ronin murmured, tossing his room key onto the dining room table. “We can move your things in here tomorrow and give Eirin more space. I’d offer to let them use the other two bedrooms, but I’m greedy and I want you all to myself.”
“I didn’t say I was moving in,” Shiloh said, though it was tempting as small as their room was. He paused. “Did you just say there’s two more bedrooms?”
Ronin nodded, grinning as he moved closer.
“I thought spies usually traveled incognito. There’s no way they don’t know you’re here inspecting them.”
“As far as we know, they’re not aware of my father’s plans,” Ronin said. “No reason to hide me being here. No reason not to travel comfortably, either.”
“This is beyond comfortably,” Shiloh replied.
Ronin dragged him closer. “Is it? I think you’ll be quite comfortable here. Wait until you see the sunrise in the morning.” He pointed up to the loft and Shiloh’s gaze followed it. “We’ll have a perfect view.”
His alpha took advantage of his raised head to nuzzle his neck. Shiloh gasped at the caress of Ronin’s lips over his throat. Melting against Ronin, he silently pleaded for more. Ronin was only too happy to oblige.
Shiloh moaned as Ronin’s mouth traveled upward, a whisper-light touch. “More.”
Ronin nipped at his neck, capturing a tiny bit of skin but not biting hard. He licked the spot once he’d released it… and then traveled higher to press a kiss at the corner of Shiloh’s mouth. He kissed the other when all Shiloh wanted was a full kiss on his lips.
“Ronin…”
Ronin captured his lips as if he knew what Shiloh yearned for. His hands squeezed Shiloh’s ass, dragging them closer together when there had been no space between to begin with. They kissed until Shiloh was breathless. When they parted on a gasp, he noticed their reflection in the glass windows. Poor Ronin was hunched over, their nine inches in height difference likely causing him pain.
Shiloh wrapped his arms around Ronin. “Pick me up.”
Ronin leaned up, and Shiloh wrapped both legs around his alpha’s waist.
“Is that better?” Shiloh asked him.
Ronin nodded before claiming his mouth again. From the corner of his eye, he saw movement and didn’t realize it was them and not the boat until Ronin climbed the stairs. Once in the loft, Ronin lowered him to the bed before reaching for the button above Shiloh’s zipper. He paused, lifting his gaze. “Are you sure you’re ready?”
Shiloh undid the first button on his linen shirt and continued down to the next. “I’m sure.”
Ronin shuddered before unfastening the button and dragging Shiloh’s zipper down. Their clothes were removed in a flurry, first Shiloh’s and then Ronin’s. He heard a few buttons fly amid it all and should’ve been more concerned about the clothing Sage had just purchased for him, but it barely registered. He had to have Ronin inside him, or he might lose his mind.
When they were both naked, Shiloh scooted back on the bed, stroking his hard cock, and got his first good look at the thick shaft hanging between Ronin’s legs. He’d thought his size was above average, but he was small by comparison. Ronin’s cock was as thick as his wrist if not more so and the knot was almost twice the diameter without being inflated. As he pressed one knee onto the mattress, it rose a bit, apparently still growing.
Shiloh had his first moment of doubt. He had little experience with men and definitely none with a monster that size.
“I won’t hurt you,” Ronin whispered. He moved a bit closer and caressed Shiloh’s cheek with a knuckle. “I promise.”
Shiloh’s gaze lifted to Ronin’s, and he sensed he’d be taken care of. He’d have to give his trust to this huge, powerful man to keep him safe.
He’s already protected me. When he’d realized that Ronin had been struggling for nearly a decade, waiting, it had stunned him. He’d barely made it ten minutes in the restaurant before all but begging for Ronin’s touch.
“Lay back. On the pillow,” Ronin murmured, pointing to the top of the bed.
Shiloh crawled up and lay back, still eyeing Ronin’s cock with concern.
“Relax,” Ronin said before grasping the root of Shiloh’s cock and stroking.
“You tell me to relax and then jerk me off? Mixed messages, dude,” Shiloh replied.
Ronin grinned as his hand moved up and down the length. “I meant… not to worry about where this leads. Just let me love you. You’ll be ready when the time comes.” He lowered to lie between Shiloh’s legs, pushing them farther apart to give himself room. After he licked from base to tip, he recaptured Shiloh’s gaze and did it again.
Shiloh shivered. It was surreal watching Ronin giving him a blow job. He’d dreamed of them being together, but it already exceeded expectation. Of course, he’d been too young to truly know what happened between mates when he’d been younger, but there had been a few times when Ronin had slipped into his fantasies as an adult, too. He’d imagined moments like they were sharing. The reality, for once, was better than the fiction.
He'd experienced pleasure with another before, but nothing as good as his friends proclaimed it could be. Shiloh had assumed it was a flaw in his design. Maybe subconsciously, he’d known none of them were his and he was only wasting time. He’d already met his alpha and no other man would do.
The anticipation he felt in Ronin’s bed was greater than any he’d felt before. The gnawing ache to find release was overwhelming, making it harder to breathe. Every caress of Ronin’s lips or fingertips sent him higher, his body tightening like a bow string. As good as he’d promised, Ronin prepared him for what would come. He stretched Shiloh with his fingers as he engulfed his cock, fingerfucking him. Slick dripped copiously, making the slide in and out easier. A pearl slid down along the crack of his ass. Before it dropped down to the bed, Ronin’s lips captured it.
He moaned, savoring it. With a growl, he licked Shiloh’s puckered hole, claiming more slick with his tongue. The teasing and tempting pushed Shiloh closer and closer to the edge. When he came, his lungs burned. After a few seconds, stars floated in his field of vision… and then he finally dragged in a ragged breath and followed that with a hoarse moan, his thighs shaking violently. His cock erupted. Ronin stroked him through it, lifting the head to his lips to taste Shiloh’s pleasure.
After the shaking stopped and every drop had been urged from his shaft, he gasped for air. Ronin lay still between his legs, watching him.
“Are you okay?”
“I didn’t know…”
Ronin frowned. “Didn’t know what, pet?”
Shiloh struggled for the words. “That… it could be like that.”
A satisfied smile crossed Ronin’s lips but was quickly gone. “I’d appreciate not being reminded you’ve been with others.”
“Had you told me, perhaps you could’ve been the only one.”
Ronin’s jaw tensed. “Telling you would’ve made us both suffer, waiting for our future. What might you have denied yourself if I’d been hovering in the shadows?”
“I hate to tell you this,” Shiloh said, running a hand through Ronin’s silky hair. “But you’ve been hovering there regardless.”
Saying it out loud, he suddenly realized it was true. Ronin had always been in the back of his mind, even after his young heart had broken. Knowing the truth mended it a little. Time would mend it more, hopefully.
“There was also the chance telling you might’ve snapped my control. I didn’t want to chance it and do the unthinkable.”
“When I was sixteen or seventeen, sure,” Shiloh murmured. “But I’ve been an adult for six years.”
“You had dreams and aspirations I didn’t want to hold back.” Ronin kissed the inside of Shiloh’s knee before looking up again. “We both know an eighteen-year-old is hardly an adult. You deserved time to grow up and experience life. Without me. I had that, so I couldn’t rob you of it.”
Shiloh’s heart clenched at what Ronin had done for him. While he hated that he’d not known, he recognized the sacrifice Ronin had made. He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Thank you.”
Ronin smiled and kissed the inside of his knee again. “You’re welcome.”
“So… are we done? I figured you had more in you than this.”
Ronin’s smile widened. “I was giving you a few seconds to come down… and then you scolded me.” He rose on his knees and forearms and crawled up Shiloh’s body. “I had to defend my honor.”
Shiloh grinned. “You had to, hmm?”
“Of course,” Ronin replied, pressing his hips between Shiloh’s spread thighs and rubbing their cocks together.
Shiloh arched his back, surprised how ready he already was after such an intense orgasm. When Ronin captured his lips, he kissed his alpha hungrily, wanting the man to know how much he appreciated that sacrifice. After a few minutes, he was once again breathless—not only from their kisses but the need rising within.
Ronin played his body like a master musician, knowing exactly where to touch. How rough or how soft. When to give more and when to give less. By the time Ronin pressed his cock into Shiloh’s slick passage, only a slight edge of pain was felt. It mixed with pleasure as his alpha claimed his body, stretching him wide to accommodate the thick shaft. One of his legs was propped on Ronin’s shoulder, his body almost on its side. Ronin knelt between his legs, sinking inch by inch inside him.
He paused when he was almost all the way in, watching Shiloh’s face closely. “Are you okay, pet?”
Shiloh nodded. “I’m fine… but I want it all…”
Ronin shook his head. “Not tonight.”
Shiloh whined, reaching for Ronin’s wrist. He wanted to feel that swollen knot inside him, even though he also feared its size.
“Not. Tonight,” Ronin repeated. “I promised you no pain, and I meant it.”
“How do you know my limits without pushing them?”
Ronin’s lids fell low over his eyes. “I can feel your body pushing back against me. This is as far as I go for now.”
“You keep making decisions for me,” Shiloh growled.
“Fine. You want more?” Ronin surged a bit deeper, and Shiloh gasped in pain seconds later. Ronin immediately retreated. “I didn’t make decisions for you. I listened to your body.”
Shiloh whimpered, almost hating that Ronin seemed to understand his body and pleasure better than he did. Ronin turned his head and kissed the inside of his calf before sliding farther out. Shiloh missed the fullness but sighed as it slowly returned.
Ronin let out a shaky breath before pulling out and thrusting back in. He soon set a steady tempo, the delicious friction soon sending Shiloh to the edge again.
He stared at his alpha, watching how attuned Ronin was with his needs. They rocked against one another, building an urgent desire for release. After long minutes that caused a sheen of sweat to coat their bodies, their pace quickened as they raced toward oblivion. When they came, they did it together, Ronin erupting deep inside him—but with the knot outside. There was no worry of pregnancy when he wasn’t in heat, so he reveled in the hot feel of Ronin’s seed.
They collapsed together, and he snuggled into Ronin’s strong embrace, feeling sleep calling. Two intense orgasms had taken a lot of out him… and he’d need to rest if he wanted more before the night was over.
Ronin caressed his head, soothing him after it was over. “No pain, right?”
“No pain,” Shiloh murmured sleepily.
“Attention, guests,” a loud, disembodied voice said over the PA system, jolting him awake. “This is your captain. A tropical depression has formed in our planned route to Fiji. We’re adjusting course to avoid any bad weather, but we might see a bit of harsh seas in the coming hours. Please take precautions and secure your belongings, but don’t panic. We’re going to be just fine. If there are any changes, I’ll update you.”
Shiloh rose on his elbow and eyed Ronin. He saw worry on his alpha’s face, and that made it harder not to feel it himself. “Should we do something?”
The worry vanished from Ronin’s expression. “These folks are professionals. I’m sure they’re used to the ever-changing weather in this area and know how to redirect around it. Unless we hear differently, we’re not going to panic. Okay?” He rolled to his side. “But maybe we should go collect your things and bring them here? Just in case.”
“I never agreed to share your room,” Shiloh said, fighting a smile.
Ronin narrowed his eyes. “You’re my omega. You belong with me.”
Shiloh chuckled. “Bossy.”
“If you’d rather stay in that tiny stateroom with Eirin, I guess I’ll have to accept that,” Ronin said, one eyebrow arching. “I assume you have two twins?”
“The tiniest twins you’ve ever seen. I feared I’d roll over and right on out of bed.”
Ronin stretched his arms wide, faking a yawn. “I didn’t have that problem in this big king-sized bed.”
Shiloh rose to his knees, trying to stop his lips from curling into a smile. “Asshole.”
“Hey, I offered to let you share it with me. I can’t help it if you’re being stubborn.” Ronin took one of Shiloh’s hands and laced their fingers together. “The offer stands, but I won’t force you here if you don’t want to spend the rest of the cruise with me. I’d just feel better knowing you were near if bad weather finds us.”
“Okay,” Shiloh murmured, grinning. “But only because of the big bed, not because of you. I can’t have you in here taking up all this room alone.”
Ronin smiled before dragging Shiloh back into his arms. “We’ll go in a minute. I want to hold you a little longer before we get up.” He pressed his lips to Shiloh’s forehead. “I’ve been waiting a long time to have you in my arms.”
Shiloh melted against Ronin, feeling like he’d waited a long time to be there, too… just without knowing what he was missing. He felt at peace in a way he’d never known—even with the worry of bad weather.
He sensed nothing could go wrong when his alpha was around.