Chapter 27 Rafael
RAFAEL
ALESSIO’S EYES HEATED, full lips parting at my invitation.
I hadn’t expected to have to give one. I thought by coming down here he would know he didn’t need my permission to touch me, but his self-restraint was admirable.
Unwanted at the moment, but admirable.
“Destroy your body, huh?” He pulled me flush against him before his hands traveled down over my ass, plumping and squeezing me. “The way you did mine last night?”
“That better not be a complaint.”
“Oh, it’s absolutely not.” He gripped me tighter, rubbing me up against him and giving me a good feel of his erection through his jeans.
“Just making sure you know I thoroughly”—he kissed my jaw—“thoroughly”—a kiss to the other side—“enjoyed it. So much so I was hard all day just thinking about it.”
It was impossible to hide my smile, and the relief I felt at knowing it wasn’t just me.
I’d never been more preoccupied in my life than I had today, running through every little detail of last night in my mind over and over again.
Any doubt I might’ve had about whether I should come down here had been squashed by the overwhelming need to be near Alessio again.
To hold him. Look at him. Breathe him in. Be inside him…
I perused his face, watching him the way he’d apparently watched me for years. I should’ve felt his gaze on me all that time, should’ve seen it before now. Maybe I would’ve done things differently.
Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve.
“You’re staring,” he murmured.
“I’ve earned it.” I ran my fingers through his hair, something I couldn’t seem to get enough of, and Alessio leaned into my touch, a soft smile on his face. I kissed him, unhurried, exploring his warmth again and coming home.
Because that was what this felt like, a deep sense of belonging that only solidified when we connected like this.
Everything in my brain turned off, all the warnings and reasons why I shouldn’t be down here, why we shouldn’t be doing this.
It hadn’t even been a decision I’d warred over all day, because I knew this was where I’d end up. Where I wanted to be.
I licked inside his mouth, rubbing my tongue along Alessio’s, and his soft moan had my dick reacting.
I’d never expected to feel this way again.
The moment I walked away from him, I’d put aside any physical desires, because what I’d needed at the time was something more.
Something I thought only God and sacrifice could give me.
And for a long time, it had.
“I like this,” I said, brushing my fingers over the dark hair that lined his upper lip, chin, and jaw. My lips followed, tracing the path my fingers made, and he tipped his head back to give me better access.
His rapid pulse betrayed him as I kissed down the length of his throat.
Last night we were both too eager to take things slow, but tonight felt different.
I could explore him the way I wanted to, could kiss every inch and take my time learning him again.
He didn’t have to rush out of my rectory, where he couldn’t linger.
There was no one else here, and we had all the time in the world.
“So this desk,” I said against his lips. “You’re pretty particular about it?”
Alessio opened his eyes. “Why?”
I shrugged and trailed my hands down his chest, taking my time to feel every inch of hard muscle beneath the soft fabric. When I got to the waist of his jeans, I paused at the button and then slowly unfastened it. “I just pictured you sitting down here and thought it would be hot—”
I didn’t even get the rest of the words out, barely caught the flash of heat in Alessio’s eyes before he had us turned around, my ass hitting the edge of the desk.
He swept every single thing off the surface, the keyboard and several expensive-looking gadgets included. All of it hit the floor with a crash.
This was exactly what had been running through my mind all day, down to Alessio pressing up against me, his lips slamming down on mine and stealing my breath. It was hotter than my brain could conjure.
“You’re crazy,” I said as I unzipped his jeans, but it was full of admiration that he was still the same guy I knew.
“And somehow you’re still here.” He glanced down at where I had his pants parted.
“Seems I can’t stay away from you. Not now, not ever. I tried.”
Alessio nipped at my lower lip. “Should I apologize?”
“No.” I shook my head, our noses brushing. “You should kiss me instead.”
Alessio grinned, then slid his tongue between my lips and tangled it with mine. I shoved my hand inside his jeans, and when my fingers brushed along his stiff length, he ripped his mouth off mine.
“Fuck.” He pressed my palm up against him. “I feel like a fucking teenager with you.”
“You were just as greedy then.”
“Greedy, huh? More like desperate, horny, needy… I’ve wanted you for so long. Waited even longer. So this, this all feels a little surreal.”
I curled my fingers around him and squeezed. “I don’t know, feels pretty real to me.”
“Damn, Rafael.” He punched his hips forward, rocking his hard-on into my hand as his head fell back. “Yeah, just like that.”
I leaned in and kissed along his throat, up to his jaw, and as I began to stroke him could feel his pre-cum soaking through his briefs. I wanted to taste him so badly, to feel him slide along my tongue and drive him wild.
Just as I was about to move to my knees and do that, we heard footsteps.
“Oh, um…uh—” A deep, awkward cough filled the air, and we both turned to see Tyrone Kingston standing in the office doorway, his eyes averted, a manila folder in hand. “I didn’t know you had company.”
There’d been many times Alessio and I had nearly been caught back when we were teens, and now felt no different as I stood with my back to the leader of Libertine, my hand shoved down Alessio’s jeans.
It did, however, apparently feel different to Alessio, who did nothing to free himself of me, instead grabbing my hips and pulling me closer, hiding my hand’s placement as he looked over my shoulder to his boss. “Yeah, sorry. You mind comin’ back later?”
“Uh, no.” King looked between the both of us, and nodded at me. “Later, fa—Rafael.”
Then he was gone.
I dropped my head into the crook of Alessio’s neck and groaned. “What he must be thinking right now…”
Alessio stroked a hand up my back. “That I’m the luckiest sinner in New York?”
I gave his cock a quick jerk, making him suck in a breath, before pulling my hand free. “Not funny. I meant about me. His priest.”
Alessio straightened to his full height and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “He’s not thinking anything. Stop worrying. The man shares a bed with two men and has way more to confess than you do.” I opened my mouth to reply, but Alessio quickly put a finger to my lips. “Do you want to leave?”
My eyes shifted to his kiss-swollen lips, then trailed down to his open jeans, and I knew there was no way I was leaving. “No.”
“Then how about we go somewhere a little more…private? Upstairs.” Alessio held his hand out, and I frowned.
“I don’t know. It’s one thing to come down here, but, um, what if others—”
“See you?” Alessio interlaced his fingers with mine. “Trust me. I’d never let anything happen to you.”
He meant it, too. I could see it in the earnest expression on his face. He’d once promised to always look out for me, always protect me, and right now we both understood what that meant. No one else could see me here.
I nodded and followed him out of his office and through the catacombs of tunnels they’d turned into secret spaces for the privileged seven trusted to walk these halls.
I knew all about the Kings, felt as though I knew them as well as I knew myself through their confessions, and that connection only grew stronger as I moved through their sacred space.
We reached a wide set of stone stairs lined with flickering flames, and I looked up the winding path. My breath caught.
“This place is incredible,” I whispered, in awe of the mammoth structure.
“We like it. Me especially. It’s my cave.” Alessio chuckled. “Literally. Remember my dad used to always say I spent too much time stuck in my computer cave?” He winked at me. “If only he knew, right?”
“Your dad would love this place.”
He snorted. “That seems like an odd thing for you to say. He would have a fit if he knew what I did.”
“True. But your dad was always smart, always knew more than he let on. I bet he has an inkling.”
Alessio leaned over and kissed my temple. “He knew I loved you. Never judged me for it. Never would.”
“But judged me for leaving.”
“Not for leaving. But for breaking my heart a little.”
I stared into Alessio’s beautiful face, hating how much I’d hurt him over the years, and reached for him, cradling his cheeks.
“Take me somewhere private. Somewhere I can worship you for the rest of the night.”
A shiver ran through Alessio as he reached for my hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing my palm.
“Come with me.”