Page 126 of Heart of the High King
Chapter 48
Spending so many months trapped alone without even a clue if the sun was up or down gave a person a great deal of time to think. Rafe had spent countless hours reflecting upon who he was and every aspect of his life. There hadn’t been much to like. Surrounded by liars and evil, Rafe had somehow missed the signs and believed he was loved. And he’d treasured and respected those men in return, so the betrayal had cut deep. When the tears flowed and even when there were none left inside, Rafe had used Aleksander to escape the pain.
Reflecting upon his voice, his kind heart, and the way he’d held him while they kissed had kept him sane. Each moment became etched into the very fabric of who Rafe was, and he’d yearned for him. So as he lay in Aleksander’s bed with their mouths locked, Rafe allowed himself to be a selfish ass.
Nearly a week had passed since he’d been released from the hospital, and there was little swelling left to be found, but he had convinced Aleksander he needed just one more day to mend. The High King didn’t put up a fight, which hadn’t lessened Rafe’s guilt about keeping him away from his family. That shame was outweighed only by Rafe’s fear that once they stepped out the door, the spell would break. Rafe would wake up from this dream where he had everything he’d ever wanted and find himself chained and covered in his shit again.
“What’s wrong?” Aleksander murmured.
“We’re kissing; how can anything be wrong?”
Aleksander shifted and pulled Rafe closer. They were under the blankets and through their pajamas, Rafe could feel his hardness. It matched his own, but although they’d made out plenty the last few nights, Aleksander hadn’t pushed further. As for Rafe, he was too flummoxed to ask.
“I don’t know, babe, but you’re not as into this as you were last night. You want to stop?”
Rafe smoothed his hand over Aleksander’s back. “No, I love it when you kiss me. It’s my new favorite hobby. I get pissed when we have to stop to breathe.”
“I know the feeling,” Aleksander remarked, then moved in for a deep mating of mouths. When Rafe’s tongue slid alongside Aleksander’s, he swore the temperature in the room went up about ten degrees, and he couldn’t stop himself from undulating against the solid body pressed to him. Aleksander’s hand cupped Rafe’s ass and he unleashed a torrent of swear words at the exquisite pleasure, making his mate chuckle.
“Fuck, you make me feel good,” Rafe whispered as soon as he managed to adjust to the fingers that were now kneading his cheek. There was a voice in his head telling him to strip off his fucking clothes and lay himself out like a banquet for Aleksander to do whatever the hell he wanted as long as he didn’t ever stop.
Their lips touched again, and Rafe eagerly wiggled in a vain attempt to get some friction on his cock. Aleksander responded by dropping a line of kisses toward Rafe’s ear. “I’d really like to get naked with you,” he purred.
“Okay, but I’m like really skinny and shit.”
Aleksander put enough distance between them so their eyes locked. “We don’t have to if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“Trust me, I fucking want it.” Rafe wasn’t going to take the time to argue. Releasing Aleksander and with the covers still very much up to his chest, he managed to squirm his way out of his clothes, which he chucked on the floor. “Your turn, what are you waiting for?”
With a chuckle, Aleksander pulled his shirt off, giving Rafe the incredible view of the smooth skin of his pecs and shoulders. His pants flew out of his hands, and Rafe lay there awkwardly for a moment. Did he move forward, or wait for Aleksander to do it?
“You’re blushing,” Aleksander remarked, caressing one hot check.
“Some experience at this would be nice right about now.”
Rafe sucked in a breath when Aleksander pulled them flush together. All they were doing was lying there, and it was still the most pleasure Rafe had experienced in his eight centuries of life. Although he wanted to grind against Aleksander until he came, he wouldn’t ruin the moment by being greedy.
“I like that you don’t.”
“That I don’t what?” Rafe had completely forgotten what they were talking about as he stared at Aleksander’s mouth. The redness and the puffiness of those fantastic lips were because of him—he was the one who’d spent hours making out with Aleksander.
“That you don’t have any experience.”
“Oh, yeah, okay. I get it. Yeah. I’m glad you don’t either.”
Aleksander cupped Rafe’s face, and their kiss forced out a moan. In his head was a steady stream of swear words as Aleksander rolled them over so Rafe was on his back. The heavy weight of Aleksander was exquisite, and he gave in to the urge to spread his legs. Bending his knees, Rafe clasped Aleksander’s sweaty skin and thrust. It took them a minute or two to find a rhythm that suited them both, but they managed to get their cocks lined up. With each movement upward, the thick hardness of Aleksander’s dick rubbed and slid against him.
When he could no longer manage to do two things at once, he tore his mouth free and arched his throat. Aleksander buried his hands beneath him and his face into the pillow under Rafe’s head. His mate’s breath was choppy, and Rafe clutched him tighter as they moved faster. Those unsteady sounds were drowned out by the babbling Rafe couldn’t stop. It was a mixture of curses interspersed with his nickname for Aleksander as his balls drew up tight. Digging his heels harder into the bed, his movements became more frantic. There was no time to figure out if Aleksander was ready; Rafe’s orgasm exploded out of him with little warning, and he clung to his mate as his muscles locked in place. Aleksander surged against him, came to a stop, and groaned out his release.
His eyes still shut, Rafe slowly floated into some semblance of realism as he lay there under Aleksander with their come now painting them where they were mashed together. It was the most intense pleasure he’d ever known, and his ass clenched at the idea of having Aleksander inside him.Fucking might just kill me, Rafe thought and couldn’t hold in his chuckle.
“What’s funny?” Aleksander muttered next to Rafe’s ear. Lifting himself up, he brushed their lips together. Lazy satisfaction was in his eyes, and Rafe had never been closer to another living being in his life.
“I love you.”
“That’s funny?”
“No, I just had to tell you that right now.”
