Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
GARRUN
Any good intentions I had to go slow with Henry melted away, and I rocked into his touch, hissing when his fingers just barely grazed over the head through my legwear. I wanted nothing more than for Henry to touch me. But if he didn’t stop teasing, I was going to end up tackling him.
“Henry…” This time was more of a warning, and his lips curved against mine as he grinned at me. He tugged playfully at the ties of my legwear, and even without sight, the sultry look he gave me took my breath away. I doubted he was even aware he was doing it.
“Should I untie these? Or is it better to wait until we return to your tent and–” He barked out a laugh as I growled and surged forward, knocking him back onto the rock so I could climb on top of him.
I was careful to cushion his head, but he didn’t seem to mind my roughness, running his nose up my neck before nipping at my chin playfully.
Nimble fingers untied my legwear while I fisted his hair and tangled our tongues together.
A groan escaped me when his hand slipped inside, those long delicate fingers tracing over my length like they did over my face when he was trying to see my expression.
The gentle touch was near torture, but I forced myself to stay still, letting him touch as he wished.
Henry hummed curiously, chuckling when he brushed his thumb over my tip, spreading the precum around and causing my hips to buck in an attempt to chase the sensation. “I’m not hurting you, am I?” he teased.
Through gritted teeth, I growled, “Two can play those games, erska. Just wait until it is your– Ngh…” I couldn’t finish the threat, not when Henry had fisted my cock while his other hand slipped lower to cup my balls.
“I thought you were inexperienced,” I croaked, rocking into his hand to find friction when he seemed more focused on the way he cupped lower.
Watching the wicked grin spread over his face made my heart stutter and my breath catch. “I’m a man, Garrun. I know how to touch a cock in ways that feel good. I do it to myself from time to time.”
He was teasing me, but the image of him touching himself made me groan, and I seized his mouth in a fierce kiss as I lost the battle to let him touch unhindered.
Reaching between us, I unfastened his legwear, dropping my forehead to his shoulder as he drew my length free and began to stroke more firmly. “Henry…”
His chuckle turned into a gasp when I fisted his length roughly, stroking him in the same way he stroked me.
“G-Goddess, why does it feel so much better when you do it?” he asked, bewildered and wide eyed as he rocked his hips, trying in vain to thrust into my hand.
Only after I pulled down his legwear enough to free him did he have the space to do so, and the moan that escaped him sent shivers down my spine.
“I do not– ungh– know. It is better when–” I groaned, trying to force the words to come out, despite being unable to think. “When it’s you, too.”
Henry bit his lip, spots of pink appearing on his cheeks as he thrust harder into my hand. I wished to bring him to completion, to hear the sweet noises that would come from his lips, but I wanted him closer to me first.
Spitting into my palm, since I hadn’t thought to bring oil with me for this conversation, I knocked his hand out of the way, fisting both our cocks together. Henry’s head flew back, a loud moan escaping him as his hips bucked into the circle of my fist.
“That’s it, erska. Take what you need from me,” I encouraged, my eyes rolling back as he reached between us, his hand joining mine so that we were mostly covered. I would ask later about the things he did to himself when he was alone that made him such an expert now.
“Garrun… Garrun…” he panted, writhing and bucking like he couldn’t stop himself.
I watched, enthralled as he moved closer to completion, taking in his swollen lips parted around his panting breaths, the lust clouding his eyes, and leaned into his touch when his free hand slid up my chest to touch my face, watching me just like I was watching him.
The slide of his skin against mine, now slippery with our precum, was too much to bear.
I came with a shout when Henry’s hand tightened around the heads of our cocks, my hips thrusting into the circle of our hands until Henry cried out a moment later and he joined me in release.
Only then did I release us, not wishing to hurt him when we became oversensitive.
I braced my weight on my elbows, both of us panting as we fought to regain our breath. When Henry’s hand on my face moved to the back of my neck, I let him draw me down for a kiss, leaning my forehead against his when he broke away with a breathless laugh.
“Maybe they had a point about barbarians being dangerous.”
A grin spread across my face at his teasing tone, and I answered similarly, my lips brushing against his. “Only to your heart, erska. The rest of you is safe.”
“I sincerely hope not,” Henry smirked. “There are certain parts of me I definitely don’t need kept safe from you.”
And without an audience, without anyone to make comments or remind me of my history, I laughed. Henry truly was a gift from the gods. Only he could make the heaviness of the world seem light. So long as he wished to stay, I would always keep him by my side.
While we were cleaning up, I noticed we had knocked Henry’s instrument onto the ground. Worry ate at me, and I carefully picked it up, turning it over to check for any damage.
“Garrun? What’s wrong?”
I wasn’t sure how he knew I was worried, but I didn’t question it, setting the instrument in his lap with an apologetic frown. “We knocked it off the rock before. It is not damaged, is it?”
He tipped his head, letting his fingers run over it for a moment before huffing out a laugh. “No, it’s fine. It’s in its case. The case is hard to protect it. Besides, the rock isn’t far from the ground. Even outside its case, I doubt it would cause permanent damage.”
His reassurance helped, but I wasn’t satisfied until he opened the case and pulled the instrument out, setting it on his shoulder and dragging the longer part against the strings. He played a little, just to ease my fear, and when I let out a breath, he smiled at me. “See? All fine.”
Leaning in to steal a kiss, I sat back on my heels, studying the instrument that sang to my soul. “I don’t wish to damage it. I know it is important to you.”
His smile was warm, and he was careful to close the case and set the instrument aside before cupping my cheeks and pressing another kiss to my lips.
“Thank you. I appreciate that. Now…” He grimaced, plucking at his tunic with a wrinkle of his nose.
“How am I going to clean up without everyone in the clan seeing and knowing what we just did. I don’t know about you, but I’m not like Simon.
I’d prefer to keep our private life private. ”
Chuckling, I scooped him off his feet. “I can bring you back like this. No one will notice–”
He shook his head rapidly, eyes wide and horrified. “Absolutely not! I’m not a damsel in distress!”
Pursing my lips, I considered his words thoughtfully for a moment before an idea formed in my mind.
His brows drew together like he somehow knew I was going to do something wicked, and I only gave him enough time to feel the smirk stretch my lips before setting him on his feet again.
The confusion only grew, but just as he opened his mouth to question me, I dipped low enough to toss him over my shoulder, one arm banded across his legs to keep him there while the other carefully grabbed his instrument to bring along with us.
“Garrun!” Henry protested with a laugh. “This is worse than before!”
“You said you didn’t wish to be a damsel,” I pointed out, still smirking. “If my clan brothers are drunk, this is how I move them to their tents. It is easier than trying to make them walk.”
When we strode out of the forest, Henry was still complaining loudly enough to draw attention our way. My clan brothers looked amused at his predicament, and none offered him a hand to rescue him. They did make comments, though.
“Have you taken up hunting, brother?” Tyos called out with a smirk. “That’s a fine catch you made.”
“You couldn’t have carried him nicely?” someone else teased. “Is he in trouble for something?”
Faldar was practically bouncing where he sat, eager to get in on the fun. “Should we leave? Give the two of you privacy?”
Henry must have understood enough of their teasing because I felt him cover his face with his hands, and when I eventually set him down inside my tent, his face was bright red with embarrassment.
When I set his instrument aside and drew him into my arms, he lightly thumped his fist against my chest in retribution.
“You ass,” he complained, hiding his face against me.
Chuckling, I tugged his tunic, removing the soiled clothing we’d accidentally covered in our release. I knew better now to remove our clothing before getting my hands on him. Once we started, I lost all sense.
“Apologies. We’ll go to the river to clean up. For now, you can wear one of mine if you prefer.”
It would be big on him, but I knew of some male bondmates who preferred to be covered instead of walking around shirtless like the rest of us did.
Henry seemed to consider the same thing, his hands moving over my chest like they had in the forest. “You almost never wear a tunic unless the weather is chilled. Do all the barbarians dress the same way?”
“Most,” I agreed, running my hands up and down the smooth skin of his back. “We wore tunics in the winter, but it is hot here. There is no need during the day.”
“Then I won’t bother,” he shrugged. “We’re going to bathe anyway.”
I studied him with a frown. I had no problem with his decision, I trusted my brothers to respect my relationship with Henry, but his skin was pale compared to mine.
I worried about the sun affecting him. He had turned pink the first time he played his music outside my tent, and he complained that it was tender for days after.
He had been wearing a tunic then, so only his face felt that kind of pain.
I didn’t wish for it to affect his whole body.
“Perhaps we will bathe in the shade…”