Chapter 35

S alem felt the handle of the door behind him, pushed it blindly open, and pulled Gregori inside, luring him with soft kisses and two fingers hooked inside the waistband of his pants. Tonight, he was going to show this man just how loved he was. Normally, they came at each other like two cats in an alley, but tonight he wanted it sweet and slow.

The interior of the apartment felt cooler, but he knew the sensation wouldn't linger for long. Not with the heat they were building between them. Their kisses became deeper, hotter, hungrier. His tongue tangled with Gregori's, savoring the man's moan. Gregori's dragon was clearly getting on board because there had been a distinct rumble in that moan.

Don't smirk, don't smirk, there will be plenty of time to smirk later.

Gregori tugged at Salem's shirt, and he returned the favor. They shuffled a little as they got clothes off, heading slowly for the bedroom, but right now getting to skin was the priority. With every piece of clothing he undid, he pressed a kiss against Gregori's fair skin, feeling the heat radiating against his lips. Grazing a nipple with a lick of the tongue had Gregori shivering, but Salem deliberately didn't give the other nipple any attention. Later.

He pinned Gregori to the bedroom door, keeping him there with one hand while he used the flat of his tongue to trail down over strong abs, prying open Gregori's pants as he did so, tugging them down until they pooled on the floor around his ankles. Gregori's hand stole into his hair, gripping it without pressure, but those blunt fingernails felt good carding against his scalp.

Salem mouthed at the base of Gregori's cock, mostly teasing, reaching up with fingertips to lightly scrape his nails against his balls. Then he sank a little lower on his knees to get his mouth around the tip of his half-erect cock.

"Fuck, sweetheart," Gregori groaned, that low dragony growl coming more to the fore. "You're far too good at this."

Damn right he was. Salem's knowledge of anatomy was not just for surgeries, thank you very much. He liked hearing Gregori say it, and his smug meter rose a few more notches.

Salem had a whole plan, but you know what? He was changing his plan. He was going to make Gregori come right here, without even making it to the bed, then fuck him. Sometimes a good plan just needed to pivot.

The fingers in Salem's hair tightened. Almost like a warning. Too bad Salem had no intention of pulling off.

"Salem." Gregori said his name like it should be a warning, but it was too breathy, too filled with need to come off convincingly.

He trailed his fingers backward, stroking the perineum. Lightly, but firm enough to be sensual. He knew just how sensitive Gregori's ass was, so?—

With a shout, Gregori came hard, the hand clenched on Salem's shoulder almost punishing for a second before he gentled it. Salem focused more on swallowing without choking. It was quite the challenge, as Gregori had a lot to give.

Salem pulled off, swallowing the last of it and wiping his mouth, only to find Gregori staring down at him with warm eyes. His breathing was a touch quick, but a mellowness seeped through his body language.

Salem grinned back at him. "If you lie on your back, at the edge of the bed, I'll eat you out before fucking you."

"You're determined to spoil me tonight, aren't you?"

Salem pressed a kiss against the inside of his thigh before answering. "Objections?"

"Not a one."

He did help Gregori take his shoes off and then step out of the pants still around his ankles before letting his lover go. While watching Gregori's fine ass flex, his braid lightly swinging along his spine with each step, Salem almost absently got the rest of his clothes off, chucking them in the general direction of the laundry basket. His entire attention was riveted on the man before him. Salem honestly couldn't remember when he'd wanted someone this badly.

He deviated to the nightstand very quickly, snatching up lube, before coming back around to the end of the bed. Gregori had followed his directions to the letter. He had sat his ass right on the end of the bed and flopped back, spread out over the middle. Were dragons feline? Because he sure could take up a lot of space without trying.

A thought to ponder later. Right now Salem had higher priorities. Such as enjoying the view. "All of that flying really keeps muscles on you, doesn't it?"

Gregori grinned up at him, entirely comfortable with this lewd observation. "It does. I know you enjoy them."

"Damn straight I do." He lined up with Gregori's torso and ordered softly, "Pull your legs up."

Heat entered Gregori's expression as he faithfully obeyed the order. With hands under his thighs, he pulled his legs up and spread them, completely on display for Salem and reveling in it, based on his expression. Such a good boy. Salem had every intention of rewarding him.

He fell to his knees again, grateful the rug in here was thick, and dropped the lube to rest in between his own legs to keep track of it. Very annoying, when the lube chose to go missing.

Then he took a moment, caressing the back of those firm thighs, reveling in the here and now. So often, his mind was set on the next goal, the next task. Rarely was he focused and present in the now. But this was something he wanted to lock away in his memory and cherish. Salem didn't want any other intrusive thought stealing joy from this.

He started just above the knee, kissing his way down, feeling every jerk and sigh from Gregori. With both hands, Salem spread his cheeks, revealing his ultimate goal. Gregori's hole was already flexing just from the anticipation, and it was a delicious rush indeed. Like a mixture of smugness and lust coursing through his system. He might have nipped an ass cheek just to hear Gregori startle and laugh. He was always teasing in bed, this one. Past time to return the favor.

Then Salem's mouth found his puckered ring and he made the most of it. Slurping, rimming, tongue fucking him. Gregori's moans were back with a vengeance, thighs trembling. Salem loved the reactions he got from this. Loved every bit of it. But his own body was raising demands, and he rather desperately wanted in that ass.

Besides, at this rate, Gregori might well come again before Salem could even get in him.

Blindly, he fumbled with a hand and got the lube open, slathering a generous amount all over his own dick. Salem worked himself up to full hardness in about two seconds flat—he was all out of patience.

He had to get in this man. Now .

Salem pushed himself up to his feet, but as he moved, he got Gregori's legs up onto his shoulders. The second he'd caught his balance, he guided his dick into Gregori's tight hole, pushing relentlessly in. From this stance, he could see every flicker of emotion on his dragon's face. The tightness around his eyes from the burn of penetration, the parting of his lips saying how much he enjoyed it, the way his hands knotted in the blanket under him, like he had to grab something as an anchor.

Bottoming out felt sublime, pulling slowly out like a breath of anticipation of something joyful and perfect. Salem's whole body shuddered in bliss at being surrounded by such tight heat. He found a rhythm quickly, his thrusts gaining power and speed, but his eyes never left Gregori's. For once, it didn't feel awkward to meet a partner's eyes during sex. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. Rather, it felt like he had so much to express to this man, and keeping their gazes locked on each other was essential to convey it all.

Pleasure started overtaking his common sense. He fucked harder, faster, felt Gregori's ankles lock behind his neck. Gregori's dick was fully hard and erect, beading pre-cum despite having just come not long ago. He was clearly loving every second of this and Salem was glad. He was also scheming on doing it again. And again. Really, he couldn't imagine ever tiring of making love with this man.

Salem could feel his balls tightening, his groin becoming sharper with sensation, knew he was seconds away from coming.

"You're close," Gregori panted out.

"Yeah. Are you?"

"Yeah."

Gregori put a hand to himself immediately, jerking off in the same timing as Salem's thrusts.

The sight of it triggered Salem and sent him immediately over the edge. He pounded into that hot ass once more and then came so hard he felt vertigo. Only his grip on Gregori's thighs kept him upright. He felt Gregori clench around him, heard the sound he only made as he came, and knew Gregori was right there with him.

Making love with him was always so perfect. Good thing for Salem he got to do it for several more centuries. Decades didn't seem like enough time.

He ended up kneeling again, head pillowed on Gregori's thigh, utterly relaxed and loath to move. He should, though. He should clean them both up. Salem just needed a second. Maybe a minute to get his wind back, his brain unscrambled from the ridiculously hot sex, and his coordination rebooted. Right now he had none of that.

"Salem?"

"Hmmm?"

"You dead?"

"Still breathing, promise."

With a groan, he pulled himself up off the ground. That was to say, he got as far as sitting on the edge of the bed and then all willpower and motivation to move any farther died. To hell with it, this was what magic was for. He used the cleanup spell with a wave of his hand and then flopped down next to Gregori.

Who immediately pulled him in closer, cuddling as he was wont to do. This time, Salem had no problem with it.

"I feel like you've been trying to tell me something all evening. Mind putting it into words for me?"

And the man claimed he wasn't a telepath. Well, Salem should say this aloud, though.

He propped himself up a little so he could look Gregori directly in the face as he spoke. It just felt right to do so.

"Look. This is hard for me to say, so just listen. I still don't believe in soulmates, or fate, or any of that. But. I choose to be your mate. I—" He gulped. Come on, courage, don't fail now. "I love you a lot. More than I ever have any other person. For you, I think I can be anything. Screw destiny, my choice is you."

Gregori snatched him in close, kissing him hot and hard, his joy nearly vibrating through his skin. "I love you."

"I know." He found the courage to say it again, and for some reason, it felt easier this time. Less panic inducing. "I love you too. I know it took me a while to catch up with you, but I'm confident in this now."

"That's all I need," Gregori said against his mouth. "I'm so full of joy I feel like I'm about to explode."

"Don't, I'm not cleaning it up. Also, I can't do this anymore. You gave me space to think. I've done my thinking and I know precisely what I need. I need student loans paid off, a fully equipped clinic, nightly cuddles, someone to make sure I eat, regular sex, and do not ever give me space again or I'll smack you."

Gregori's lips parted in absolute delight. "Then…?"

"I'm not leaving you again. If you'll just say the word, I'll move back in with you tomorrow?—"

Gregori snatched him up in a tighter hug. Or he tried. They were practically glued together as it was. "Word."

"You smartass, I didn't mean it literally."

The hug tightened a little. "I mean it. I don't want space from you, either."

"Good." Such a relief to be on the same page. "Then, lesson learned, let's not repeat this. Now. What do you need from me?"

"You."

"I'm being serious, fav."

"What does fav stand for?"

"Favorite person. Because you are, clearly. Now, answer me. What do you need from me?"

Gregori pulled him in closer, either unable or unwilling to tamp down his grin. "Just you. And home. It's really all I need."

Salem gave him a look, wondering if Gregori was being difficult on purpose. "I'll figure this out eventually. But is that all you want to say to me?"

"No."

"Then what else?"