Chapter 26 - Rafael
Heat rushes to Rafael’s face. He leans forward, lips brushing Kane’s fingers while he takes a bite. The cupcake is sweet and soft, but the taste barely registers. His racing pulse drowns everything else out.
Kane dips a finger into the icing, eyes locked on him as he lifts it, frosting glinting under the rooftop lights.
“Now, a lick,” he murmurs, voice low and husky.
Rafael moves in without thinking, tongue tracing the sweetness from the cool metal until every trace is gone. When he sits back, a quiet hum slips out.
The smirk on Kane’s lips sharpens. “Tastes better like this, doesn’t it?”
He can only nod, Rafael’s core burning too hot for words.
Focus never leaving him, Kane sets the cupcake down and reaches for the zipper on Rafael’s shirt. A shiver runs through Rafael at the sound of metal against fabric. “Maybe I can get a taste of you, too. Somewhere else entirely.” He tugs the zipper down slowly.
“But Kane,” he breathes as the zipper parts with a hiss, “what if someone sees us? A drone could fly over at any moment.”
A sly glint flashes in Kane’s eyes. “Didn’t I tell you not to worry? I came prepared.” With a final tug, he leaves Rafael’s shirt undone two-thirds of the way, then twists away.
Rafael blinks as Kane rummages through the picnic basket behind them.
A moment later, he pulls out a small pouch no bigger than his palm.
One press of a button on the side, and the fabric unfolds, forming a floorless dome that shimmers faintly in the air.
Rafael’s mouth drops open, but Kane isn’t finished.
He flicks across his wristlink, and the dome’s edges dissolve, leaving only the faintest outline.
Above them, the sky is visible now, almost as if the tent isn’t even there.
“Whoa.” He tilts his head. “Is this the same tech Echo uses? Like on your license plate?”
When Kane doesn’t answer, Rafael glances down, only to discover the man has moved closer.
“Let’s not talk about the tech. Or Echo,” Kane murmurs, crawling forward. “Just enjoy it.”
Instinct drives Rafael back until his spine meets the blanket. Kane crawls over him until his knees bracket Rafael’s thighs, hands planted on either side of his head.
The cage of chrome is welcome and inviting, but Rafael’s mind can’t settle. “What about—does this shield us from everything?”
A nod is all Kane offers before he yanks Rafael’s sweater open. A rush of heat flares through Rafael. Kane smirks and shifts his stance, snatching something out of sight.
When Kane returns, his hand is braced against the ground while the other lifts, two fingers coated in icing.
Rafael’s pulse stutters. The sticky touch lands on his chest, sliding between his nipples before trailing lower.
By the time Kane reaches his stomach, a jolt fires through Rafael’s groin. His eyes snap upward.
Heavy-lidded green eyes meet his. “Can’t wait to taste every bit of you,” Kane breathes before tracing the icing with his tongue.
Rafael clutches at his shoulders as Kane’s mouth works downward.
Deft fingers find the clasp of his trousers and rip them open.
One hard yank, and the fabric slides down his legs. Rafael kicks them aside.
Kane’s tongue lingers for a final lick across his stomach before he shifts, grip settling over Rafael’s hips. With almost no effort at all, he flips him onto his stomach.
A startled gasp leaves Rafael. When he glances over his shoulder, Kane is already kneeling between his legs with a smirk.
“That was just the appetizer,” Kane rasps, tugging off Rafael’s boxers. “Time for the entrée.”
Blood rushes through Rafael. The rooftop air is cold against his bare skin, but his cock beneath him pulses, growing harder when Kane holds up a finger covered in icing.
Eyes locked, Kane traces a finger down Rafael’s right cheek. Rafael sucks in a breath, heart flipping as he realizes exactly what Kane plans the moment Kane dips his head.
The wet touch of Kane’s tongue hits instantly.
He licks the stripe of frosting clean across Rafael’s skin, and Rafael bucks, searching for any friction against his aching length.
A cool hand settles on his opposite cheek, and he goes still.
When Kane’s hand leaves his backside, settling on his hip, Rafael buries his flaming face in his arms.
While Kane’s tongue drags lower, toward his entrance, a thrill runs through him. They haven’t done this together yet.
Except the contact is cut short.
Instead, Kane shifts to guide Rafael onto all fours over the blanket with his hips raised.
Arousal barrels through him. His gaze cuts to Kane. The man is on his knees between Rafael’s spread calves.
“This main course is served in two parts,” Kane rumbles, grip dropping to his hips. “And it’s better eaten in this position.”
The words steal the air from Rafael. He grasps for himself, desperate for relief, but Kane swats him away. A whine escapes Rafael.
“Oh no, I’m the cook here,” he teases. “Trust me, sweetheart. The wait will be worth it.”
Before the last syllable fades, his tongue breaches. Rafael cries out. The pleasure is blinding, and as Kane plunges deeper, Rafael’s spine arches, chasing for more.
A laugh rumbles against his back, the vibration adding to the sensation. His eyes snap shut as the ache in his gut starts to build.
He needs more. More friction, more pressure.
A lubricated finger joins the tongue. The stretch flushes his entire body. Yet his cock still aches between his legs, precome slicking the head. Kane’s tongue dives deeper. A strangled noise tears from Rafael’s mouth.
Kane doesn’t relent, adding a second finger draws another whine from Rafael. As both digits push in farther, the tips graze Rafael’s prostate.
White lights explode behind in vision. The ache inside burns hotter.
“Kane!” Rafael’s fingers dig into the blanket, panting for breath.
Through the haze, Kane’s voice almost doesn’t register. “Ready for dessert?”
All Rafael can manage is a frantic nod. As long as that means more of this.
Before he can brace himself, Kane’s fingers slide free, leaving him empty.
He snaps his head back. The sight steals the breath. Kane, with his pants shoved down to his thighs, bare chest above, and a lubed-up length pulsing in his hand.
Rafael’s mouth waters.
The head of Kane’s cock breaches his entrance.
“Kane!” he cries out.
A satisfied hum is his only response, along with the plunge of Kane further inside.
Finally, he’s giving in to what they both want. What Rafael had been craving for so many dates, but was too embarrassed to push for. But now they’re here, joined together under the neon and stars.
With a single thrust, Kane pushes deep, filling him completely. The stretch burns but sends a different kind of spark throughout Rafael’s entire body. Kane withdraws once before spearing him again, and Rafael presses into the motion, drawing him further inside.
“Can’t get enough, huh?” Kane chuckles. “Want me to go faster?”
Speech fails him, overwhelmed by the surge of arousal and the desperate urge to touch himself.
Yet, he gets what he wants, anyway. Kane grunts as he thrusts forward, burying himself deep and pressing against Rafael’s prostate.
Stars explode in Rafael’s vision, and a sob escapes his throat. Before he can fully adjust to the sensation of being filled, Kane withdraws and slams back in.
The powerful thrust is only the beginning. Kane quickly establishes a steady rhythm, and Rafael twists in an attempt to keep up.
Though his efforts earn a groan from Kane, a sound that swells Rafael’s pride.
He’s satisfying and pleasing this strong, self-assured man.
Except it’s not enough. He needs more.
With the next thrust, Rafael squeezes around him.
A groan rips from Kane. His fingers tighten around Rafael’s hips. “Fuck, Rafael, so good.”
That raw praise sends a thrill through Rafael. He bucks his hips to meet Kane’s motion, flexing around him and arching to take him deeper.
Time dissolves in his mind as the rhythm continues. His legs shudder, and his neglected cock aches, slick with precome.
But amid the chaos, he lets himself stop thinking. No choices, no expectations.
There is nothing but the hard, piston-like drive from Kane and the building release in his gut.
Even untouched, Rafael knows he’s close. He just doesn’t realize how much until cool digits wrap around his cock. A sudden jolt curls around him, ripping a primal sound from his throat.
In his ear, Kane hisses, thrusts synchronizing with the strokes of his hand.
The dual sensation is all Rafael needs.
His world explodes in white-hot pleasure, body tensing. With a final cry, he spends himself over Kane’s fist.
For a moment, nothing else exists but this. Simple, pure, overwhelming ecstasy.
The aftershocks begin to settle, and his awareness turns to Kane’s breath behind him.
Seconds later, Kane’s rhythm falters. A wet heat pours into Rafael’s insides while a deep roar breaks near his ear.
Rafael can’t help but clench and push in. Kane shudders above him, pushing further inside. He relaxes to accept more until Kane finally collapses.
The silence settles between them.
When Kane finally stirs, he rolls onto his back, drawing a deep breath before withdrawing. Rafael exhales and sinks beside him, head resting on his arm.
Kane catches his eye and grins. “You were delicious, sweetheart.” He leans in for a slow kiss, then meets his eyes. “Hope you enjoyed your dinner too. I know you liked dessert.”
Rafael chuckles. “I did.” His arm drapes over Kane, and the man pulls him closer.
For a while, they just lie there. The pond burbles nearby while a breeze stirs the plants. Rafael traces the wires running down Kane’s shoulder, letting his thoughts drift.
With Kane, the words come easier. He says things he’d usually swallow, lets silences sit without filling them. He doesn’t feel like he needs to act or soften anything.
That feeling follows them everywhere, racing through downtown, wandering Midtown at dawn, or lying together on this rooftop.
A future slips into his thoughts before he can stop it.
Kane beside him, hand in hand, five years from now.
His fingers still.
The realization twists in his stomach.
Does that mean…
Rafael stiffens.
Does he love Kane?
“What’s wrong?” Kane’s voice barely registers over the rush of his pulse. “Still worried about those security drones?”
Rafael swallows hard.
Love. The word is much too big. Too soon. Their lives are still in completely different worlds.
If anything, he cares for Kane. More than most people in his life.
He presses a kiss to Kane’s chest. He needs to stay grounded, stay present. “Thank you for the amazing date,” Rafael whispers.
Kane chuckles. “You’re welcome. But we can’t stay much longer. I have to head back tonight—only trust my lieutenants so much.”
Something tightens in Rafael’s chest. He nods. “Of course.”
It’s easier to enjoy what they have now—simple and uncomplicated—than chase feelings he doesn’t have words for yet. Or think too hard about what comes next.