36. Aryn
Aryn
The next evening, a covered basket waits outside our room, with a thick woven blanket and a lantern on top.
I sneak it into the room and onto the table, setting the blanket aside as I dig through the contents.
Fresh bread, roasted meat, and honey cakes sit inside, along with a bottle of spiced wine.
“What’s this?” Cato asks from directly behind me.
I startle and turn to him with wide eyes. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people.”
One of those ruggedly handsome crooked smiles tugs onto his lips as he nods at the basket. “We’ve been here this whole time, and you didn’t tell me there was room service?”
I chuckle as the lid drops shut, then take his hand. “It isn’t room service because we aren’t staying in the room.”
He hums and pulls me in for a kiss. “No? Are we running away together?”
“Something like that,” I agree as I press one more soft kiss on his lips.
When I try to pick up the basket, he swats me away, slides his arm through the handles, then offers me his hand. My fingers thread through his as we leave the village through the smaller northern gate. The guards nod and let us pass without comment, though I catch one of them fighting a smile.
Brihn’s doing, no doubt.
The walk to the hot springs is short but steep, and I lean on Cato more than I’d like.
My ribs ache, and the gash on my shoulder hasn’t fully closed, but the pain feels distant tonight.
The path winds through snow-dusted trees until they open into a sheltered valley.
A single, small dirdira tree remains, adding its golden glow to the rosy shine of the night sky.
Steam rises gently from the water, catching the moonlight in shifting shimmers.
Cato stops, his breath visible in the cold air. “Holy shit,” he whispers.
“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” I agree, allowing him to take it all in.
There are several smaller springs around the valley, but the largest sits almost directly in the center. It’s ringed in smooth black stone, with mist curling above the water. We step closer, spreading the thick blanket underneath the dirdira tree, then light the lanterns to help battle the dark.
Cato helps me sit, then lowers himself beside me. For a long moment, we simply listen to the quiet bubbling of the water and the distant wind howling between the mountains.
“This is… incredible,” he says finally. “You planned this?”
“With a little help from Brihn,” I admit. I grab the wine and two cups, but Cato shakes his head and takes a long swig straight from the bottle.
He pulls it from his mouth, licking his lips as he passes it my way. “I’ve never been on a date before. Not really.”
“I’m sorry it took me this long.”
He grins and bumps my shoulder with his. “To be fair, we’ve been a little busy.”
“More than a little,” I agree. I take a long swig of wine, enjoying the sharp, spiced heat as it moves down my throat. “It feels wrong to sit still like this after everything, but I wanted to give you something special. You’ve done so much for me—”
“—says the guy who literally ran off an army to keep me safe.”
I huff a laugh. “We’ve spent so long running that I haven’t had the chance to properly show you my intentions.”
“Your intentions,” Cato snorts, eyes crinkling with a giant smile. “You going sweet on me, darlin’?”
I glare at that gorgeous grin. “I’m trying to.”
Cato takes the bottle back and leans over, pressing a finger under my chin to tilt my mouth to his. “You didn’t have to do all this,” he murmurs against my lips, tasting of sweet wine. “But I’m glad you did.” He kisses me, slow and deep, and I melt into it.
“Are you hungry?” I breathe against his mouth.
“Starving,” he agrees, scraping his teeth along my lower lip.
“There’s food,” I murmur as I scoot closer.
“Sounds delicious,” he replies, kissing me harder.
I swing a leg over his thighs and settle into his lap. He sighs into my mouth, one hand sliding into my hair as he urges me closer. The kiss deepens, tasting of wine and heat and want. His beard scrapes against my chin as his other hand settles on my waist.
It’s what he does when he’s trying to regain control, but tonight, I’m ready for him to lose it.
I reach down and guide his hands lower until he’s gripping my ass and coaxing me even tighter against him. We break apart only when breathing becomes necessary. I rest my forehead against his, soaking in the heat blazing in his eyes.
“The water is hot,” I say breathlessly.
Cato grins at me in that devilish way of his. “Does the respected Master Aryn want me to go skinny dipping with him?”
“No,” I answer, lifting an eyebrow right back at him. “Master Aryn wants to strip you naked and fuck you under the moons.”
Cato’s breath catches, his pupils flaring as I weave my fingers into his hair and hold him exactly where I want him. “Do you want that, kitten?”
“Yes,” he groans.
I hum with pleasure and reach for the wine, tipping the rim to his lips. “Open for me.”
Cato keeps his eyes locked on mine as I pour into his mouth. He swallows, and I take a long drink myself before setting the bottle aside. Dark, hungry eyes watch as I stand, clocking my every move.
“Come here.”
He rises without hesitation. I pull him close and kiss him deeply, tasting the wine on his tongue as I unzip and discard his coat.
My hands slide under his shirt next, pushing it up and over his head as he lifts his arms for me.
I drop the shirt onto the blanket, then hook my fingers into the waistband of his pants.
He moans softly, his cock pressing against my hip as I unbutton and unzip him, sliding both pants and underwear down his powerful thighs.
Cato steps out of them, completely naked now.
His cock is heavy and flushed between his legs, and steam curls around his body, making his skin glisten.
He looks beautiful, all broad shoulders and powerful chest with endless constellations of freckles mapping his skin.
My eyes trace the trail of hair on his belly, moving lower until I land on the fiery curls around his cock.
He’s entirely mine in this moment.
I step closer, wrapping my fingers around him as I kiss him again. “Into the water,” I murmur against his lips, giving him a slow stroke that we both feel in every single connected nerve.
He obeys, stepping down into the pool with a low groan as the heat envelops him. I strip slowly, letting him watch every movement. When I’m fully bare, I step in after him. The water is perfect—hot enough to soothe my aching body, but not scalding.
A stone ledge rings the outside of the pool, and I guide Cato over before tipping my head towards the flat surface.
He glances at it, then back at me before he hoists himself on.
I admire the roll of his shoulders and flex of his back before my eyes shift lower.
The water only covers the bottom of his legs, leaving the top of his thick thighs covered in goosebumps.
His cock stands hard between them, droplets of water and pre-cum beading down the thick length.
I let myself stare, soaking in the way he shifts under my attention.
My eyes move up his frame, cataloguing the soft layer over his belly and the swell of his powerful chest. I take my time as I appraise him, finally landing on his flushed cheeks and hooded eyes.
“Is this too cold for you?” I ask as I settle beside him, enjoying the contrast of the frigid night on my torso as it fights the steaming water on my legs.
My hand traces over his body with deliberate slowness—palms gliding across his chest and down his stomach before mapping his thighs.
He shivers under my touch, breath coming faster.
“Keep touching me like that and I’ll forget all about it,” he says, biting back a soft sound as my fingers inch closer to his cock. His eyes shutter as I brush him with the back of my hand, but he focuses on me with nervous intensity. “Can I tell you something?”
I pause, eyes moving up to his. “Of course.”
“You said you wanted to… fuck me,” he admits, voice uncertain, “but I’ve never…”
“Bottomed?” I ask. He nods, endearingly shy. “Is that something you want?”
“It is,” he rushes to say. “I want… gods, I want it all with you, Aryn.”
A rush of affection hits me so hard it nearly steals the breath from my lungs. “We won’t worry about that tonight, then,” I say as I lean in and kiss the corner of his mouth, then nip at his jaw. “I don’t have to be the one inside you to fuck you, Cato. Do you understand that?”
He nods his head, so beautifully obedient without even trying. “Yes.”
“Good,” I say, pressing another soft kiss on his lips. “Let me take care of you. Let me fuck you, kitten.”
“Okay,” he breathes. “Yes. Please.”
“I want you,” I murmur against his lips. “Give yourself to me.”
He’s so vulnerable as he stares at me, brown eyes reflecting the red moonlight. “You can have me.”
My lungs fill with a long, relieved inhale as I drop my forehead against his shoulder, pressing a kiss there before guiding his wrist to his side. “I need you to keep your hands to yourself so I can worship you the way you deserve. Can you do that for me?”
He nods quickly. “I’ll… try.”
“So good,” I murmur. “You’re so good, Cato.”
I slide down into the water until I’m hovering between his spread thighs.
Steam curls around us as I press my lips to the inside of one knee, then slowly kiss my way upward along the sensitive skin of his thigh.
Cato’s breath hitches, his muscles jumping under my mouth and begging me to hurry even as his hands stay obediently by his sides.
I take my time, savoring the warmth of his skin and the way he trembles as I move higher.
I kiss across his belly next, tracing the trail of hair with my tongue before moving to the other thigh and working my way back up.