Chapter 34
Raul watched as Ji-Su drifted into sleep. He looked like an angel. His inky black lashes rested against his cheeks and his pink, bow-shaped lips were parted for his slow, even breaths. His heartbeat had slowed from its wild, excited pace to a slow, steady beat.
Usually, the even pace of Ji-Su’s heartbeat would lull Raul into sleep. But tonight, he was too amped up for it to soothe him. Although he’d orgasmed with Ji-Su, he was already hard again. Thanks to the way he’d resisted his true desires, his sexual hunger wasn’t completely satisfied.
The sun wouldn’t be up for another hour.
He would have to lay here—his body buzzing with arousal until the rising sun pushed him down into the vampire’s deep sleep.
Raul rolled onto his back. Maybe he should get this damn lust out of his system instead of lying there grumpy and twitchy with a hard cock.
But he couldn’t do it here or he’d risk waking Ji-Su.
After checking to make sure that Ji-Su was still sleep, he slipped from the bed and went to the bathroom.
Raul turned on the shower and waited for it to warm before he stepped inside.
He let his head fall back on his shoulders as the hot water cascaded over his body.
It fell on his face, his chest, and his stiff erection.
Raul raised his head and looked down. His cock stood straight up, aching for another release.
He took himself in hand with an almost angry grip and started to stroke.
As he stroked, he brought up the image of Ji-Su, lovely and flushed, riding his cock.
Raul groaned. He braced a forearm on the shower wall and leaned his head against it.
Jerking himself off felt good. But he wished it was Ji-Su’s hand on him instead.
Or even his mouth with those plush, pink lips.
He’d only allowed Ji-Su to suck him off a few times.
He wanted to hold his human down and slide his cock in between those sweet lips but something about doing that felt wrong.
Ji-Su was sweet and delicate and pure. He was untouched by the raw ugliness of the crime-filled world Raul walked in.
And he ... he was a man who’d done bad things.
He used violence. He killed. He hadn’t been able to resist taking Ji-Su as his lover.
But he feared completely letting go with him.
Raul increased the speed of his strokes. He needed to reach his climax quickly so he could get back to bed. A picture bloomed in his head of him shoving Ji-Su to his knees and holding him still while he fucked his mouth. “Fuck,” he drew out the curse on a ragged groan.
His orgasm was close, the base of his spine tingling and abs pulling in tight, when over the rush of the shower, he caught the sound of the door opening.
He whipped around to see Ji-Su walking into the bathroom.
Raul let go of his cock almost guiltily as he made eye contact with Ji-Su through the steam covered glass shower door. “Ji-Su. What are you doing out of bed?”
Ji-Su crossed the bathroom. His hair was sleep rumpled and there were bruises on his slender thighs. Bruises that Raul had put there.
“Can I get in?” he asked.
Raul mutely nodded in answer. He watched as Ji-Su pulled open the shower door. He finally answered Raul’s question once he was in the glass walled shower with him.
“I woke up and you weren’t there. When I heard the shower, I thought I might join you.”
His eyes dropped to Raul’s stiff cock. It stood straight up, the veins along the shaft visibly throbbing.
He reached out and lightly touched a fingertip to the head.
Raul was so close to climax, a thick bead of pre-cum welled up and mixed with the water falling on them both as it spilled down his shaft.
Ji-Su looked back up at him, questions in his dark gaze.
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“You were sleep and I didn’t want to wake you. And we already had sex once tonight.”
Ji-Su wrapped a hand around his cock. Raul hissed at the touch, his hips automatically thrusting forward in reaction. He loved having this sweet little human’s hands on him.
“I want to take care of you until you’re satisfied,” Ji-Su said, his soft voice nearly drowned out by the rush of water. “I don’t care how many times it takes.”
Raul closed his eyes for a moment after hearing that generous offer, imagining taking Ji-Su again and again in multiple ways until neither of them could move.
Then he opened his eyes. No. This small, delicate human standing before him couldn’t handle that.
He pulled Ji-Su’s hand off his cock. He meant to exit the shower, but Ji-Su stretched up on his tiptoes, lifting his face for a kiss.
Raul gave him what he wanted, bringing their lips together in a kiss.
He kissed Ji-Su slowly, their lips wetly clinging together as steam billowed all around them.
Unable to resist touching him, Raul put his hands on Ji-Su’s waist to hold him in place.
But Ji-Su stepped closer to hug him, bringing their naked bodies together in a heated embrace.
Raul kissed him a little harder before he forced himself to stop.
When Raul ended the kiss, he looked down at Ji-Su. He gave a small shake of his head, confusion and desire swirling within him. Why did he want this human this much? Never in his more than two-hundred years alive had he wanted anyone, human or vampire, the way he wanted Ji-Su.
“What’s wrong?” Ji-Su asked.
“I want you.”
Ji-Su blinked up at him, water droplets sparkling on his dark eyelashes.
“I’m here. For anything. Anything you want.”
Raul groaned and dropped his head into the curve of Ji-Su’s neck. “Please don’t say that. Don’t tempt me. I’m at the edge of my control and I don’t want to hurt you.”
“It’s okay. I promise.”
“No,” he firmly stated. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.” The strength of his desire for Ji-Su scared him. He wanted him—wanted to fuck him rough and deep. But he wasn’t going to do that and risk hurting him.
He stepped back, forcing Ji-Su’s hold on him to loosen and fall. Exiting the shower in a barely controlled rush, he walked out of the bathroom soaking wet. In the bedroom, he quickly grabbed pants and a shirt, then sped off to the stables without bothering to dress first.
LEFT ALONE, JI-SU TURNED off the shower and stepped out. He dried off, slowly rubbing the thick terry cloth towel over his hair and body while one word bounced around his head. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Raul had rejected him again.
He didn’t understand. Raul clearly wanted him. Or at least, he said that he did. So why had he turned him down? And what had caused him to destroy the headboard then pretend like nothing happened as if Ji-Su couldn’t see the damage right in front of his face? He needed to think.
As he dressed, he suddenly felt the urge to get away from the bubble he was living in at Raul’s home. He decided to go to a hotel for the day or for however long he needed to stay to get his thoughts together.
Ji-Su was tempted to pack a small overnight bag to take with him.
But that would raise questions and he wanted to leave the ranch without anyone asking where he was going.
So, he walked outside with nothing but his car keys and phone in his hoodie pocket.
He was running, yes. But not like when he’d run from Cedric. He needed some time to think.
As he walked to the garage, the ground lights began to blink off.
The sun would be coming up soon. There was already a faint tinge of gray on the eastern horizon.
He passed one guard, human since all the vampire staff should be preparing to sleep away the day.
The woman gave him a courteous smile which he returned.
At the garage, he went to the pedestrian door and entered the code he’d been given on the keypad.
A light on the keypad flashed green, and the door clicked as it unlocked.
Ji-Su opened the door and went inside the garage.
His car was at the far end of the double row of vehicles parked on the glossy concrete floor.
There was no one there to notice him as he went to his car and got in.
Feeling as if he was escaping, Ji-Su used his opener to raise the garage door.
He nervously bit his lip as it rose at a seemingly glacial pace, expecting to see Raul waiting for him in the driveway.
But he wasn’t there. As he pulled out of the garage, the sky was fully gray.
If Raul wasn’t sleep by now, he would be soon.
Ji-Su headed down the drive to the security gate and the guard who manned it. They were the only things stopping him from leaving the ranch. He slowed and came to a stop, rolling down the passenger side window when the guard stepped out to greet him.
“Going for a drive, Mr. Ji-Su?” he asked with a polite smile.
“Yep.”
The guard flicked a glance at the obviously empty backseat, then looked up toward the garage.
Ji-Su knew what he was looking for—an escort car. But there wasn’t one and its absence clearly had him reluctant to open the gate so that he could leave.
“Alone?” he asked.
“Yes. I have to make a quick run to the store.”
“I’m sure that Mr. Raul would prefer that a guard accompany you. For your safety.”
“I’ll be fine,” Ji-Su said calmly. He added a sweet smile for good measure.
Still the guard hesitated. “It’s almost daylight. I’d better call—.”
Ji-Su cut him off before he said he was going to call Raul. “I’m not a prisoner here. I can leave on my own if I want.”
“You’re right, Mr. Ji-Su. My apologies.”
He stepped back into the booth and opened the gate.
Ji-Su waved and drove through, like it was no big deal and he was simply headed to the store for milk. Still, he wasn’t surprised when he looked in the rearview and saw the guard on the phone, urgently speaking to someone.
“Damnit,” Ji-Su softly cursed. He drove a little faster, knowing he only had a few minutes before Raul was alerted to his absence.