Page 106 of Kiss Me Honey Hone

By the first week of December, Aaron slipped back into the rhythm of university life, though it felt more like a fragile imitation of normalcy. He sat at the back of his lecture, giving Kenny steady eye contact. Attended the Pole Dancing Society’s Christmas bash organised by Sade and promising—half-jokingly, half-seriously—to plan something spectacular for the New Year. He even handed in his final assignment just under the wire, did a shift at the shop, and tried to ignore the way his gut sank when the doors closed for the holiday break.

It was almost like everything had returned to normal. Almost.

Except this year, saying goodbye to everyone felt heavier. Like last Christmas, he had nowhere to go. But last Christmas, there had been Taylor. Now, it was just him, left alone with too much time to think and the ghosts he couldn’t quite shake.

When the knock came on his door the second week of December, Aaron leapt to answer it. Kenny stood on the other side. Gorgeous as ever in a tailored suit, hair loose around his face, a leather bag clutched in his hand stuffed full of whatever he had to take home for the holiday break and work on thereinstead of here. Aaron’s heart didn’t just skip a beat; it stumbled, faltered, then raced.

“Pack a bag,” Kenny said.

Aaron folded his arms, leaning on the doorframe in a fabricated display of nonchalance. “I have a three-six-five accommodation agreement. You can’t just toss me out.”

“So, you’d rather stay here?”

“I’ve got the whole place to myself. It’s like living in a hotel when no one’s around. Room service is lacking, but the peace and quiet?” Aaron gave a chef’s kiss. “Top-tier.”

Kenny stepped closer, tipping his leather brogue over the threshold, eyes never leaving Aaron’s. “I have a counteroffer.”

“Oh yeah? Better be good for me to give all this up.”

Kenny then turned on his heel. “Ten minutes. Be at the car.”

And with that, he was gone, leaving Aaron staring after him, reaching for the already packed duffel bag. Within five minutes, he clambered into the passenger seat of Kenny’s Discovery, and neither of them spoke as Kenny drove them out of campus and back to his place.

There was too much to say to start talking.

Inside, Kenny shed his coat and shoes, Aaron following suit, then Kenny angled his head for Aaron to follow him straight up the stairs and into his bedroom, which was dimly lit with tea lights and feint scents of jasmine and sandalwood. Kenny pulled at his tie, then spun to face Aaron.

“Go shower.”

“I showered this morning.”

Kenny gave him a look. So Aaron tapped off to the bathroom where a folded towel waited for him on the stool, along with a toothbrush. He smiled, stepped into the walk-in shower, scrubbing himself clean.Everywhere. When he returned, clutching the towel around his waist and pushing back his wet hair, he drew in a breath. Kenny was by the bed, completely naked, cock hardening as he rubbed his handstogether, the slick sound of squelching liquid making Aaron’s heart stutter.

“Lay on the bed face down.”

Aaron didn’t bother asking why. He couldn’t. His thoughts scattered, mind hazy with anticipation, and he climbed onto the bed, settling on his stomach, towel clinging to him as if programmed to do as Kenny told him. Catching Kenny in his periphery, pouring more golden oil into his palm, Aaron’s pulse quickened.

The mattress dipped, and a jolt of heat shot through him as Kenny straddled his hips, bracketing him with his thighs. Then Kenny tugged his towel down to just beneath his buttocks, leaving him exposed but not quite naked. Vulnerable, yet completely safe. And when Kenny’s hands—warm, slick with oil—pressed against his back, Aaron bit down on the gasp trying to escape.

Kenny’s first touch was firm, careful, tracing the line of Aaron’s spine, and Aaron melted into the mattress. Kenny’s hands were strong, skilled, yet there was a tenderness in the way he worked the tension out of Aaron’s muscles. Aaron squeezed his eyes shut, the sensation sending shivers through him and radiating outward like ripples in water. Kenny hovered just above him and the heat of his body, the faint scent of his aftershave—spicy, woodsy—was intoxicating.

Aaron trembled as Kenny glided his hands over his skin in slow, languid strokes. He kneaded his lower back, and Aaron bit his lip to curtail giddy moans of pleasure. Each touch sent warmth curling through him, pooling in his stomach and spreading lower. He wanted to move, to shift, to press himself up into Kenny’s hands, but he stayed still, trying to maintain some semblance of control over himself. He didn’t know why. Instinct, maybe. Because he knew Kenny held all the power over him.

He wanted it that way.

Aaron turned his head, resting his cheek on the soft sheets, eyes fluttering open. Kenny’s focus was intense, brows drawn together as if Aaron’s body was a puzzle he was intent on solving. That look alone made Aaron’s heart twist, made something inside him crack wide open. For him. Forthis.

“Relax,” Kenny said, voice a gravelly softness sending goosebumps erupting across Aaron’s skin.

Aaron swallowed hard, his voice coming out shaky. “Hard to relax when you’re sitting on me.”

“That’s the issue, is it?” Kenny glided his palms over Aaron’s shoulder blades, pressing down with a steady, firm pressure. Every touch felt like both a question and an answer. It was terrifying how easily Kenny could dismantle him, stripping away every defence with just his touch. And how Aaron wanted him to. He closed his eyes, surrendering to Kenny’s hands, his weight, his presence. It was so intimate, Aaron was utterly at Kenny’s mercy.

“Better?”

Aaron shook, aching with a heady mix of vulnerability and desire. “I…fuck…” He closed his eyes. “I can’t chat right now.”

“Have I finally found a way to shut you up?” Kenny chuckled, stalling his hands for a moment, thumbs pressing into the base of Aaron’s neck. “Good. I don’t want you talking. I want youfeeling. Open. Relaxed. Letting me in.”

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