11. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

E nzo could watch Landry for hours. Maybe days if nothing interrupted him. He’d learned a few things in the time it took him to make dinner and for them to eat. Landry was a deep thinker. He could sit and watch the snow fall and not get bored. His brain never shut off. Enzo knew something was always churning around in his pretty head because he would pick up his sketch pad and draw between bouts of contemplation.

Enzo was curious about what he drew, but he didn’t want to intrude. He’d ask later.

Another thing about Landry was he didn’t always say what was on his mind. He’d shared a lot with Enzo, but it was rare for him to do so. Enzo figured that out because of their internal link. It wasn’t complete yet, but they’d grown closer in the last few days. It was a short time, but it had a big impact on their connection. But Landry didn’t share his thoughts or his past with everyone. Not even with Daruss, who was more like a father to Landry. He didn’t get a front-row seat into the deep part of Landry. Enzo was special in that regard.

Enzo washed his hands before sitting next to Landry.

Landry put down his sketch pad and met Enzo’s gaze. He smiled. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Enzo raised his hand and then gestured to Landry’s leg, asking permission to touch him. Landry propped them on another chair. It was probably way more comfortable because it took the pressure off the wound on his inner thigh.

Landry nodded.

“The food needs time to simmer.” Enzo touched his knee, rubbing his thumb across his crisp hair. “How are you feeling?”

Landry’s cheeks turned pink. He met Enzo’s gaze through his lashes. “I’m feeling good.”

The tough guy Landry had led with disappeared. Something told Enzo it wasn’t just an act. Daruss would have made sure Landry had skills. Enzo knew he’d been teaching Raylee and Jude self-defense. They used his gym sometimes. But Landry let his guard down with Enzo.

“Why are you blushing, baby?”

“Because I wanted to say something different.”

Enzo scowled. “Is something wrong? Do you need more pain meds?”

“No. I don’t have pain at all.” Landry leaned forward, gripping the back of Enzo’s neck. “I got hard.”

Enzo sighed in relief. “Well, that’s perfectly normal.”

“Not for me. Only in the morning and stuff like that. Like just because my body does it. You know what I mean.”

“Physiological.”

“Yeah. That’s the word.” Landry sighed. “But it hasn’t happened because something or someone turned me on. Not in my entire adult life. Until a few minutes ago.”

Enzo smiled. “What triggered it?”

The pink in Landry’s cheek deepened. “I don’t want to say.”

Landry’s reaction to a simple question was so cute. “I’m sorry if it embarrasses you. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want.”

Landry snorted. “You’re just fishing for a compliment.”

Enzo raised his eyebrow. “So something I did made you hard. It’s the apron, isn’t it?”

Landry chuckled. “Totally the apron.”

Enzo pressed his forehead to Landry’s. “What was it?”

“When you were chopping vegetables. Your forearms.”

“Hmm. Never thought my arms were sexy.”

Landry ran his fingers along Enzo’s bare skin. “The rest of you is covered with clothes.”

“Would you like to see me naked?”

There was interest, but he bit his lip, and his eyebrows drew together as though he wasn’t sure. “I don’t know if I’m ready to see all of you.”

“No pressure, baby.” The last thing Enzo wanted was to make him uncomfortable.

“Can I see more of you? Maybe just your chest or something.”

“All right.” Enzo pulled his sweater over his head, leaving his T-shirt. “More?”

Landry licked his lips and nodded. His breathing changed and he worked his hand down, pressing it against his cock.

Enzo pulled the T-shirt off. As stripteases went, it wasn’t the most sensual, but it didn’t have to be. It wasn’t a seduction so much as making Landry feel again.

When Landry whimpered, Enzo went on alert.

“What’s wrong?” Enzo didn’t want to touch Landry for fear of triggering him. So he picked up his T-shirt, intending to put it back on.

“No. Please. I-I need…something.” Landry pleaded.

Enzo wasn’t sure what. Maybe Landry didn’t know either. So Enzo took control of the situation.

“Can you take your cock out of your pants?” Enzo wanted to take his out too, but he wouldn’t. He somehow knew doing so would push Landry too far. “Remember, you have a safe word. You can use it whenever you want. We’ll stop. No questions or explanations.”

Landry nodded. “I can’t take my pants all the way off.”

“That’s okay. I just want you to be able to touch yourself.”

Landry pushed his sweatpants out of the way. His cock was hard and angry. Enzo had doubts Landry got himself off.

“Feel a little better?”

Landry nodded. “Can I touch myself now?”

Enzo was a little surprised Landry asked. It was his cock, after all. But he realized Landry would rely on Enzo for his pleasure. Landry already trusted him. Maybe it was because Enzo had been responsible for his physical wellbeing. And then Landry had confided in him. Couple that with them already starting the bonding process with Enzo’s blood, saving Landry’s life, and it made it possible for Landry’s trust to deepen.

“Whenever you want.”

“Will you touch yourself?” Landry held onto his cock, stroking it. He sighed as if in relief.

“Some other time, baby.” He knew it would push Landry too far. But he ran his hand over his chest and down his abdomen. He pretended it was Landry touching him. “This is enough for now.”

“Can I touch you?”

“Do you want to sit on my lap?”

“I’m not too heavy?”

Enzo smiled. “No, boy.”

It was slow-going, but Landry settled on Enzo’s lap. He sat facing Enzo.

“Does the position cause pain?”

Landry shook his head. “Feels fine.”

Landry leaned in and kissed Enzo. “Will you touch me?”

“You’ll have to tell me where you want my hands.”

Landry kissed him again. “My cock. Please.”

“Are you sure?”

“Very sure.” Landry shut his eyes and moaned the second Enzo wrapped his hand around Landry’s cock. His skin was warm and soft, like silk over steel. He pulled up. Landry moved into the touch, seeking more. It was clear another person hadn’t touched him with gentleness.

Landry panted as if Enzo had been jacking him off for a while already. He petted Enzo’s chest and leaned into him.

His fangs had dropped. When he opened his eyes, they were reptilian. “Mine.”

He hissed at Enzo as if expecting him to deny it. But Enzo’s instinct was to do the opposite. He chuffed, trying to calm Landry’s dragon. “Yours. I’m not going anywhere, baby. My good boy.”

Landry began chuffing, as if he liked the praise. He ran his hands down Enzo’s chest to his abdomen before leaning in. “Warm. Mine.”

Enzo wrapped his free arm around Landry and jacked him off in easy, lazy strokes, letting Landry know they would go at his pace. Landy didn’t give him a lot of room to set a faster pace, anyway.

Landry was a cuddler. Even while they were having sex, he still tried to burrow into Enzo. It was a bit of a revelation, considering he had issues with being touched before trusting Enzo.

He moaned. His hips thrust each time Enzo pulled on his cock. “Need to bite you.”

Enzo sucked in a breath. “You have my permission.”

Landry kissed his way up Enzo’s chest. His lips were soft and barely a whisper. “Mine. My Daddy.”

“That’s right, sweet boy,” Enzo hissed when Landry struck, and then he moaned. His cock wasn’t out of his pants and still he came.

Enzo’s dragon took over. “I’m going to bite you, boy.”

Landry’s answer was to arch his back, so he pressed into Enzo’s hand.

Enzo tried to go slow, giving Landry time to safe-word if he needed to. When he sank his teeth into Landry’s neck, it seemed to be the only thing Landry needed to come. His moan was muffled, but still audible. Warm come covered Enzo’s hand and chest. So much of it, it seemed, the orgasm would last forever.

Landry relaxed against Enzo.

Enzo licked across the wound. “Mate.”

Landry sighed and stopped drinking. With the way he still kept his teeth in Enzo, one would think he was a vampire. But Enzo could feel Landry’s dragon trying to get close to Enzo in his mind. Landry was a pretty, deep red. Enzo wrapped his tail around Landry’s dragon.

Landry ended the bite. “Mate.” He spoke as if he were agreeing with Enzo.

Landry lay against Enzo’s chest. He’d sleep like that if Enzo let him. But they needed to talk first.

“How are you feeling?”

“No pain.”

“What else?”

“Loose. Relaxed.” Landry wrapped his arms around Enzo. “Needy. I need you, Daddy.”

“I’m here, baby.”

Landry nodded. “That’s how I feel.”

“Nothing else?”

“Hungry.”

Enzo smiled. The smell of the chicken pot pie permeated the room. It made Enzo’s stomach rumble.

“I didn’t trigger you?”

“Not even once. It’s the safe word. I trusted you’d stop if I said it.”

“I always will.” Enzo wanted to make sure Landry knew he was in control of his own body. No one, not even Enzo, would take that away from him ever again.

Their gazes met but only for a moment before Landry focused on Enzo’s chest again. In particular, where Landry’s hand was. “The contrast between us is beautiful.”

Enzo rubbed Landry’s back. “ You’re beautiful.”

Landry’s cheeks turned pink. “I sketched you. A lot. Do you want to see?”

“Let’s get cleaned up first. I don’t want to make your book dirty.”

Landry chuckled. “Come-covered wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”

“You won’t be saying that if the pages stick together.” But Enzo smiled at the thought.

Landry stood. His mobility seemed to improve. Maybe bonding a bit more helped him heal. Enzo would look at his wounds later.

Landry settled into the seat he had vacated earlier. His gaze darted to the wet spot on Enzo’s pants. “You came too.”

“When you bit me.” Enzo washed his hands before grabbing a paper towel, wetting them with warm water. He brought it to Landry. “Do you want me or you to do it?”

“You want to clean me?”

Enzo smiled. “Very much. But it’s okay if you do it yourself.”

“You can.” Landry watched as Enzo cleaned his cock and then tucked him back inside his sweatpants.

When Enzo turned to throw the towels away, Landry grabbed his arm, getting his attention. When their gazes met, Landry whispered, “Thank you. That was…what I needed.”

Enzo kissed his forehead and then his lips. He ran the back of his finger down Landry’s cheek. “It was amazing for me, too.”

Enzo threw the towel in the trash and sat again.

Landry handed over his sketch pad, opening it on a page. At first, all Enzo saw was body parts. A nose. Eyes. The shape of a face. A hand. Then he turned the page. And there he was. It was as though he were looking in a mirror. When he turned another page, Enzo smiled. And another drawing where he seemed concerned. Landry had drawn a heartbeat graph at the bottom of the page, as if Enzo gave someone life.

He was a doctor. It was what he did. But he had to wonder if it meant a bit more than that to Landry.

“These are really good, baby.”

Landry blushed. “Thank you.”