Chapter 1 #6
I nodded, though I was acutely aware that he hadn't let go of me yet. His hands were large and warm against my ribs, and I could feel something pressing against my lower back that definitely wasn't human anatomy. The realization sent heat shooting through me despite the cool water.
"I'm fine. Just wasn't expecting company."
"This room tends to draw people in," Kieran said. "It's designed to feel like the forest pools back home. I find it very peaceful. And I can’t help playing my pipes here. That’s probably what drew you in." He paused, and I felt his breath against my ear. "Would you like me to let go of you?"
The question was gentle, giving me an easy out.
But the truth was, I didn't want him to let go.
After what had happened upstairs with Erik, my body felt more awake than it had in years.
And there was something alluring about Kieran.
Maybe it was his voice, or the way he'd immediately helped me when I was in trouble, or just the sheer otherworldly beauty of him.
Either way, it made me want to stay exactly where I was.
"Not yet," I said quietly, surprising myself.
I felt him smile against my shoulder. "Good. You’re still tense, Cal. You can stay here and relax a while if you like."
One of his hands moved, fingers tracing along my collarbone in a way that made me shiver. The touch was light, exploratory, completely different from Erik's more direct approach.
"What do you do?" he asked. "In the outside world, I mean."
"I'm a lawyer." The words came out automatically, then I winced. "Sorry, I know we're not supposed to talk about that stuff here."
"Some people don't. Others do. It depends on what makes you comfortable." His hand continued its slow exploration of my chest. "Your job sounds… stressful."
"That's one way to put it."
“Would you like me to play my pipes for you while you relax?” He paused a moment, one finger circling my nipple. “Or would you like me to help you in other ways?”
God… there was something about his voice and his touch that went straight to my cock.
“I… I’m really new to this,” I said, finding my voice at last. “I’ve never been with anyone who wasn’t… you know…”
“Human?”
“Y-Yeah,” I admitted. The words felt almost wrong to say, like I was being prejudiced without meaning to. “I haven’t been with anyone in a long time.”
“Well, lawyer Cal, why don’t we fix that?” He guided me gently toward the edge of the pool where there was a low bench built of natural stone. “Sit there, relax, and let me take care of you.”
My cock twitched. “What do you plan to do?”
“Why don’t we figure that out together?” He took a seat next to me, his shoulder brushing against mine. “What do you miss most from being with someone? Be honest.”
I thought for a long moment, staring down at the water rippling around us. What did I miss most? What about my last relationship made me feel like it was worth having? What had I been missing all this time without realizing it?
“Th-There were times,” I began, feeling the fear welling up in my belly at what I was about to reveal.
“There were times when my ex would fuck me really soft and slow. And when he did, I felt… Well, I felt loved. More loved than I’ve ever felt again.
” I paused, unable to look at Keiran. “I… I miss that.”
I saw him nod out of the corner of my eye.
“That is truly a beautiful feeling,” he replied.
There wasn’t a single ounce of judgment in his voice.
But there was, I thought, a hint of respect for saying something so profoundly true.
“Would you like me to make love to you, Cal?” He asked simply.
“You’re very beautiful, and I would be honored to serve you in that way. ”
I stared at him, my heart hammering against my ribs.
The way he said it… that he would be honored to serve me…
It made something deep in my chest flutter and ache at the same time.
When was the last time anyone had spoken to me like that?
Like I was worth something beyond my billing rate and my ability to structure a deal?
"I..." I started, then stopped. The word yes was right there, sitting in my throat, but I couldn't seem to get it out.
Not because I didn't want it. God, I wanted it more than I'd wanted anything in years.
But because wanting something that much felt dangerous.
Like admitting to a weakness I'd spent so long learning to hide, and to a stranger no less.
Kieran must have seen the war happening on my face, because he shifted closer, his hand coming to rest on my thigh under the water. The touch was warm and grounding, but there was nothing demanding about it.
"What are you afraid of?" he asked gently.
What was I afraid of? That I'd forgotten how to be touched with tenderness? That I'd cry, or break apart, or discover that the person I used to be before the job ate me alive was gone for good? That I'd like it so much I wouldn't be able to go back to my careful, controlled, empty life afterward?
All of the above, probably.
"I don't know how to do this anymore," I admitted. "I don't know how to just... let someone..."
"Let someone what?"
"Take care of me." The words came out barely above a whisper. "I haven't let anyone take care of me in so long, I'm not sure I remember how. I don’t even know how to take care of myself anymore."
Kieran's thumb moved in a slow circle on my thigh. "It's not something you have to remember how to do, Cal. It's something you have to allow yourself to receive."
He leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear. "All you have to do is say yes. I'll do the rest."
I closed my eyes and felt something in my chest crack open. Not breaking, exactly. More like a door I'd kept locked for years finally giving way.
"Yes," I whispered.
Kieran made a soft sound of approval, and then his mouth was on my neck, pressing gentle kisses along the line of my throat. His lips were warm and soft, and when his tongue darted out to taste my skin, I shivered despite the warmth of the water.
"You taste like stress," he murmured against my collarbone, and I felt him smile. "We'll have to do something about that."
His hands moved to my shoulders, turning me so I was facing him.
Up close, his eyes were even more striking.
They were definitely more gold than brown, with flecks of green that caught the filtered light.
His horns curved back from his temples, dark and smooth, and I had the strangest urge to touch them.
"Go ahead," he said, as if he'd read my mind.
"What?"
"You're staring at my horns. Touch them if you want to."
Heat flooded my face. "I wasn't—"
"Cal." His voice was amused but kind. "You can touch me anywhere you'd like. That's the point of all this. Exploration."
I reached up tentatively, my fingers brushing against the base of his left horn. It was warm and surprisingly smooth, like polished stone. Kieran's eyes fluttered closed and he made a soft sound in the back of his throat.
"Are they sensitive?" I asked.
"Very." His voice had gone rougher. "But I like it."
I traced my fingers along the curve of the horn, marveling at the texture, at the reality of touching something that I’d never experienced before. Kieran's breathing had gotten deeper, and when I looked down, I could see his cock starting to harden beneath the water.
It was... not human. He was longer than what I’d seen before, with a slight upward curve and what looked like ridges along the shaft. The head was flared wide with little nubs along the edges. The sight of it should have been intimidating, but instead I felt my own cock stir with interest.
"Still okay?" Kieran asked, noticing where my gaze had gone.
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
"Good." He stood up in the shallow water, offering me his hand. "Come here."
I let him pull me up, water streaming off both our bodies.
He was taller than I'd realized, maybe six-two to my six feet, and his body was magnificent.
All lean muscle and golden skin, the hair on his chest trailing down in a line that disappeared into the coarser fur covering his lower half.
His legs were wrong in the way I'd seen earlier from afar.
They were digitigrade, ending in cloven hooves instead of feet.
But somehow that just made him more beautiful, more otherworldly in the best way.
He guided me to sit on the edge of the pool, my legs still dangling in the water. Then he positioned himself between my knees. His hands came to rest on my thighs, thumbs stroking gently.
"I'm going to take my time with you," he said, looking up at me with those impossible eyes. "And I want you to tell me if anything doesn't feel good, all right?"
"All right."
He started with my mouth, kissing me slowly and thoroughly.
His lips were soft, his tongue clever, and he tasted like something I couldn't quite identify.
It was almost like honey, maybe, or warm red wine.
I found myself melting into the kiss, my hands coming up to rest on his shoulders, feeling the play of muscle beneath his skin.
When he finally pulled back, I was already breathing hard.
"Better," he murmured, his thumb brushing across my lower lip. "You're starting to relax a bit at least."
Then he kissed his way down my throat, taking his time, his mouth hot and wet against my skin. When he reached my collarbone, he bit down gently, and I gasped at the sharp pleasure of it.
"Do you like that?"
"Y-Yes."
He did it again, this time at the junction of my neck and shoulder, and I felt my cock jump against my stomach. Kieran noticed, his eyes dropping down to take in my arousal with obvious appreciation.
"You're beautiful, Cal," he said, and the sincerity in his voice made my chest tight. "Absolutely beautiful."