Aidan also didn’t want to commit his heart to someone who might not want to reciprocate for the long term.
The really long term.
After dinner, Jeff followed Aidan back to his house and they ended up on the couch in front of the TV. It felt comfortable draping his arm around Jeff’s shoulders with him nestled against his side. It felt right.
“Can we have a little talk?” Aidan asked.
“I think we need to, don’t we?”
Aidan laughed. “Oh, boy, do we.” He tipped Jeff’s face to his. “I don’t want to rush you into anything you’re not comfortable with. I respect you, and I respect your beliefs.”
“I’m not exactly a textbook Baptist, Aid.”
He grinned. “No, you and Kal certainly broke the mold there, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, you can say that again.” He caressed Aidan’s face, leaving his palm resting against the other man’s cheek. “I don’t know if you know me well enough to give me forever yet. I’m okay with that. I’d like to see where it goes, though.”
Aidan thought his heart would explode. “Yeah?”
Jeff nodded. “Yeah.”
“Forever’s a long time. You might have it backward. You don’t know me well enough yet to want to spend it with me.”
Jeff’s fingers gripped the back of Aidan’s neck and gently pulled his face down to his. They shared a tender, soft kiss. “I know you well enough to know that you have a good heart and won’t hurt me.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I want to love you.”
Aidan’s breath caught in his throat. “I want to love you, too.”
“Then that’s what matters, right?”
“Right.”
Jeff nervously licked his lips. Aidan felt his cock throb in response. “I asked Kal about the soul mate stuff, and she didn’t know a lot about—”
Aidan shook his head. “We don’t have to worry about that tonight. That’s a separate issue. Her situation was different.”
A slow smile snuck across Jeff’s face. “So we can…” He didn’t finish.
“We can do anything you feel like doing tonight without settling that other question for now.”
“Anything?”
The blatant, unmistakable hope in Jeff’s voice caught Aidan off guard. He laughed. “Yeah. Anything. Everything. Whatever you feel like doing. For as long as you feel like doing it.”
Jeff kissed him again. Aidan pushed him down to the couch and eagerly kissed him back. It’d been a long time since Aidan had anything remotely resembling a romantic relationship. Most of his encounters were quick one-night stands with little to no romance involved. He received more emotional response from his own right hand than he did from some of his partners.
This man was more than ready and willing to give him that and then some. For the first time in his life, Aidan was ready to let go a little and trust.
“You’re sure you want this?” Aidan gasped as he came up for air.
“Dude, you’re asking me that now? What we’ve had is great, trust me. I’m not complaining. It’s just that I’ve finally got to the point where I’m more scared not to be with you than I am to take things further. I’m tired of being a chicken.”
Aidan rested his palm over Jeff’s heart. He felt it racing through his shirt, pounding as hard as his own. “I’ll admit there’s been more than a few times I took care of business after I left you.”
“Yeah, join the club.” Jeff’s playful smile twisted Aidan’s heart in a pleasant way.
Aidan’s hand drifted south and settled on the front of Jeff’s slacks, his hard bulge firm against his palm. “Want some help taking care of that tonight?”
“Man, I thought you’d never ask.”
Jeff pulled him down for another kiss. Aidan refused to be rushed. He wanted Jeff’s first time to be special—didn’t that sound all girlie—and not an occasion to regret. Aidan had tried it with women a few times and while it was, well, okay, it wasn’t anything spectacular.
This man captivated him. The promise of firm muscles, rough and tumble passion, and deep, sensual moans made his cock throb almost painfully. Aidan stood and pulled Jeff to his feet. “Come on,” Aidan said, his voice husky. “Let’s get comfortable.”
Aidan led Jeff to the bedroom and pulled him into his arms, kissing him again, trying not to grind his hips against his. At this point it wouldn’t take much to make him explode, and he wanted to prolong the pleasure.
The feel of Jeff’s fingers on his back, digging in, pulling him tightly against him, made him moan. Yeah, this was what he wanted. Hugging a girl was nice and all, but Aidan hated worrying if he was going to break her in his arms. That was always a problem he’d had with women. He wanted someone who could love him back hard. He pushed Jeff down to the bed and started working on his shirt, ran his hands along his lightly muscled chest, licked and bit at his nipples.
“Don’t you ever become a gym rat,” Aidan growled against his flesh. “Damn, you’re perfect.”
When he got Jeff’s shirt all the way off him, Aidan straddled him, kissing him again, enjoying the feel of someone else’s flesh beneath his fingers. Jeff’s fingers twisted in Aidan’s hair and pulled him hard against his mouth as his hips bucked against Aidan. Jeff’s hungry moan nearly finished him.
He looked down at Jeff. “Point of no return, man,” he whispered.
Jeff nodded, his face flushed with passion. “Don’t stop. Please.”
Aidan grinned and worked his way south, shedding his shirt in the process. Jeff moaned again and tried to stroke Aidan’s chest, but Aidan gently pushed him back to the bed. “You’ve never been with anyone, right? Ever?”
Jeff shook his head as Aidan’s grin widened. He leaned over and ran his lips down Jeff’s firm abs, all the way to his belt buckle. “I get to pop your cherry,” Aidan whispered.
“I don’t mind if you want to… you know…use something anyway.”
Aidan smiled. “Only if you want to. One of the perks of being an archdemon. I’m clean, and I don’t think I have to worry about you getting preggers, so it’s your choice if you want them.”
Jeff laughed. “Yeah, uh, no chance on the preggers stuff, dude.” He met Aidan’s gaze. “I trust you.”
That settled, Aidan nodded and continued his southerly sojourn, running his lips over the fine line of hair that traveled from Jeff’s navel and disappeared under his waistband. Jeff kicked off his shoes while Aidan unfastened Jeff’s slacks, both men moaning as Aidan freed Jeff’s stiff shaft from his briefs.
He shifted position to crawl between Jeff’s legs and looked at him. He’d pulled a pillow under his head. “You okay?”
Jeff smiled, nodded. “Yeah. Real okay.”
Aidan took his time, slowly working his way over and down his lover’s erection with his lips and mouth, pausing when Jeff’s moans nearly made him come in his pants. Jeff was fucking sexy simply because he was real and honest and wasn’t trying to be anyone he wasn’t. Jeff reached down and caressed Aidan’s head, beyond coherent speech, his eyes squeezed tightly shut from the sensation.
Aidan’s heart twisted, irretrievably in love with this man. It’d been a long time since he’d had anything quicker than a wham-bam with someone, and never had he felt emotionally connected like this before.
He could lie there all night and do that to him, but when Jeff started begging for release, Aidan knew he needed his turn and soon. When he brought him over, Jeff’s whole body tensed, his greedy, hungry cry tightening Aidan’s need as he stayed with his lover until every last hot drop was out. He worked his way up Jeff’s body. Jeff trembled, gasping, finally opening his eyes to look at Aidan.
“How was that?” Aidan asked.
Jeff stared at him for a moment, then grabbed him and rolled on top of him, kissing him hard. “God, that was fantastic!” he finally gasped when he let Aidan push him up for air. “That was… That was amazing!”
Jeff finished removing his slacks an
d briefs and peeled off his socks. Then he dove for Aidan’s waistband.
Aidan laughed and stopped him. “Hold on. Just a sec.” He kicked off his shoes and socks and lay back on the bed. “Okay.”
Jeff fell on him. Aidan gave himself over to the sensation of having a lover ready, willing, and eager to bring him pleasure for the sheer joy of it, not because it was polite reciprocity. Jeff licked and kissed Aidan’s chest, working lower, fumbling, anxious to rid Aidan of his slacks.
When Jeff discovered Aidan had gone commando, he happily groaned. The feel of Jeff’s hot mouth around his cock nearly finished Aidan right then.
Aidan touched his shoulder. “Slow, man, or you’ll get a quick surprise.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for. I want to do this all night.” He met Aidan’s gaze. “I want to do this for eternity. I want you to make me your soul mate, Aidan. I want to be with you forever. Please.”
Aidan nodded. “I know, sugar. I want that, too. I just want to make sure you understand the whole picture before you agree to this gig.”
Jeff’s lips wrapped around Aidan’s cock again. Aidan was sure his eyes must have rolled back in his head as Jeff eagerly devoured him. He couldn’t hold his climax back if he tried. Jeff’s desire and determination more than made up for his lack of experience this first time.
Aidan’s hand tightened on the back of Jeff’s head. “Get ready,” he hoarsely grunted, closing his eyes as his orgasm hit. It rolled through him, faster and stronger than…ever, truth be told. And he’d had a lot of experience in that regard.
Aidan’s very soul felt pulled, stretched, increasing the pleasure he experienced, like it would last forever.
Jeff moaned, hungry and ready. After a few minutes Aidan had to gently pull him off. “Okay,” Aidan gasped. “Okay, buddy.”
Jeff curled up next to him, tight against his side, his arm draped over Aidan’s chest. “How was that?”
Aidan weakly nodded and kissed Jeff’s forehead, holding him, able to relax now that their initial frantic, frenetic first encounter was out of the way and they’d sated their immediate urge. “That was great, sugar,” he whispered. His pulse pounded in his ears, or was that the sound of Jeff’s heartbeat? Did it even matter? He’d never felt like this before with anyone.
The second time around they were both slower to move from their post-climactic embrace, sated and happy and more than a little drunk from the emotion.
Aidan lifted his head and looked at the clock. It’d only been an hour. He kissed the top of Jeff’s head. “How about you and me have a snooze and then see what happens, and we can call in late to work tomorrow morning?”
“Mmm hmm,” Jeff sleepily mumbled, contentedly clinging to Aidan’s side.
Aidan smiled and pulled the sheet over them and fell asleep, feeling Jeff’s slow, steady breath against his flesh, almost like it was part of his own soul.
* * * *
A little after midnight, Aidan was pleasantly awakened by the feel of Jeff’s mouth on his cock. Aidan suspected this was round three.
“That feels so good, sugar.”
Jeff lifted his head. “You finally awake up there?”
“I’m awake down there, too, now.”
“Took you long enough.” Jeff drew another deep, hungry moan from Aidan as he went down on him.
“Slow down. We’re not in a hurry.”
“Am I doing it right?”
“Oh you’re doing it just fine, but if you want to do something else you need to let me save a little energy.”
Jeff crawled up Aidan’s body again and kissed him, their flesh hot against each other. “I want to do that.” Aidan could feel Jeff did from the way his rock-hard cock rubbed against Aidan’s stomach. “I want to do everything with you.”
Aidan rolled him onto his back and kissed him. “Let me go get something. You stay right there.” He reluctantly quit kissing Jeff and padded, naked, to the bathroom. He grabbed a couple of towels, wet a washcloth, found the bottle of lube. In bed he nudged Jeff out of the way as he laid out the towels, then kissed him again.
“You wanna bottom or top?” Jeff’s confused look both amused Aidan and warmed him. This was a man who’d never experienced anything like this before, and he got to be the one to teach him. “You wanna just lay back and enjoy it for now?”
Jeff eagerly nodded. Damn, he was so cute.
“Come here, sugar,” Aidan said, his voice husky. “On your back.”
Jeff lay down on the towels, his blue eyes locked on Aidan’s. Aidan wanted to watch Jeff’s face this very first time. He nudged Jeff’s legs into position and slipped a pillow under his hips, then carefully lubed his fingers. When he gently worked one into Jeff, pressing through his tight ring of virgin muscle, the man threw his head back and moaned.
“You okay?” Aidan asked.
“Yeah!”
“You tell me to stop if—”
“Don’t stop! Please don’t stop!”
Aidan smiled and reached between Jeff’s legs, stroking him with his free hand as he slowly worked another lubed finger into Jeff’s rim. When a low moan escaped Jeff’s sweet lips, Aidan slowed his hand and slipped a third finger inside him.
“Yesss!”
“You like that?”
“Yeah!”
He removed his hand from Jeff’s stiff shaft and applied lube to himself. He withdrew his fingers and slowly pressed his throbbing head against Jeff’s rim. “Just relax,” Aidan softly said before carefully pushing in. “Breathe, buddy.” He waited, allowing Jeff time to get used to it. “Let me know when it’s okay.”
Jeff nodded, his hands on Aidan’s arms, clutching him tightly.
Aidan felt him wiggling around, settling, then after a few moments trying to thrust against him and take him deeper. “You okay?” Aidan asked.
Jeff nodded. “Yeah!” Aidan took his time, carefully easing himself inside his lover, gasping when he filled him.
He leaned forward a little and wrapped his arms around Jeff’s hard thighs, one hand slowly stroking his shaft again. “You ready for me to fuck you, baby?”
“Yeah!” He opened his eyes and met Aidan’s gaze.
Aidan wanted to take it slow. Thank the gods they’d blown a little tension earlier or he’d never make it past three strokes. There was no denying this man had his heart. He could do this to him every night for eternity with no trouble at all.
Wanting to get Jeff over first, Aidan kept his strokes long and slow, making it last for both of them. Jeff looked gorgeous, panting and breathless and trying to work his hips in concert with Aidan’s thrusts. Aidan felt him getting close and tried to time it as best he could.
Jeff gasped, and just before he came he whispered, “I love you, Aid.” Aidan felt his lover’s release as his own slammed home. With two more stokes he finished, carefully lowering Jeff’s legs and relaxing on him, kissing him, nuzzling his throat.
“I love you, too, sugar.”
Jeff wrapped his arms around Aidan and sobbed. “That was so good!”
Aidan’s heart raced. “Please tell me those are happy tears.”
“Heck yeah!”
Aidan finally untangled himself from Jeff and wiped them both off with the wash cloth. Then he curled around him and tightly spooned along his back with Jeff’s head resting on his arm. Jeff’s shorter frame was a perfect fit for Aidan’s body.
“Let’s sleep in, sugar,” Aidan murmured, already drifting again. “I’ll call us in, and we’ll take the whole damn day off.”
“Okay.” Jeff hugged Aidan’s arms tightly around him. “That sounds real good.”
* * * *
Jeff was still asleep the next morning when Aidan slipped out of bed and called Purson to tell him they wouldn’t be in, to make sure the office would get opened on time.
“Why not?” Purs quizzed. “What are you two doing?”
Aidan tried to sound threatening but he was in too good a mood. Looking through his bedroom door, he watched Jeff, st
ill asleep in his bed. His heart fluttered in a strange way he wasn’t used to feeling.
A good way.
“None of your business.”
Purson laughed. “Dude, if you two are getting laid, just say so. No shame in it. About fucking time you grew a set and claimed him. Watching you two making googly eyes at each other every day was getting pretty damn old. Congratulations, by the way.”
“I haven’t claimed him yet. And what the two of us are or aren’t doing isn’t any of your fucking business.”
Purson laughed again. “Um, yeah. Suuurrre. Okay. Riiight. Whatever you say. Give the new missus my love.”
He reddened and hung up on Purs. Damn ballbuster anyway.
It didn’t dampen his mood. After using the bathroom, Aidan eagerly slipped back in bed with Jeff. When he did, in his sleep Jeff automatically snuggled against Aidan, his firm ass—yes, it was a nice one, Kal got that right—pressing perfectly against Aidan’s quickly inflating cock.
When was the last time he’d slept with someone like this, not counting his platonic cuddle with Kal when the wraith still possessed her?
Too long to remember. Might as well be never.
Jeff smelled good, too. A clear, musky scent, slightly tangy. Mixed with their sweat and sex from last night, it was dang near intoxicating. Aidan felt like he couldn’t keep his hands off him.
Aidan hated to wake Jeff because he looked so comfortable, but he couldn’t resist running his tongue along his lover’s shoulder, tasting him. He wrapped an arm around Jeff’s waist, and his hand slipped beneath the sheet, finding Jeff’s cock already stiff.
It was Aidan’s hungry groan that finally awoke Jeff. Aidan felt him stretch, rubbing even more comfortably against his now-throbbing member. He tipped his head back to look at Aidan.
“Good morning.” Jeff’s sleep-husky voice stirred Aidan’s soul. Aidan wanted to wake up next to this man every morning.