Their height difference was always so much more noticeable up close: the way Sebastian had to tilt his head back so their eyes stayed aligned, the way his lips were just out of reach so that Wesley would have to bend in order to kiss him. “Balderdash. There is no possible way you will look anything but stunning.”
“Not stunning,” Sebastian insisted. “I look like a penguin.”
His long-lashed eyes were deeper brown in the dim light, his hair in looser waves after a long day of travel. “Only if penguins were devilishly sexy.”
“Youlook sexy in a tailcoat.” Sebastian took Wesley’s tie in hand, pulling it free from the waistcoat. “It suits you. I will not look so handsome the way you do.”
“And you call meshameless.” Wesley was reaching for him, unable to resist. “Flattering me as if you can get me to agree you don’t need proper clothes for a ball.”
“I would never,” Sebastian said, with wide, innocent eyes. “You’re much too smart to fall for flattery.”
Wesley had to laugh. “You will be unbearably gorgeous, not that you have ever seemed to care.” His hands found Sebastian’s hips, his feet moving on their own. “I’m certain you could have the duke’s entire circle eating out of your palm, but instead you’re sulking over comfort. You’re too wild for society’s cages and gilding the bars can’t change that.”
Sebastian’s body was pliant in his arms, letting Wesleysteer him backward, to the bed. “I’m not what people consider wild.”
“Because people don’t understand. They only ever think wild is something to be feared.” They hit the bed and tumbled down together, Sebastian on his back and Wesley on top of him.
“And yes, wolves are wild, but so are fawns,” Wesley said, crawling over him. “And you’re wild like a mustang on a beach, like your heart still beats in time with the wind and the waves. You don’t care about a ball; you’d rather run free through the sand.”
“You could run away with me,” Sebastian said, as Wesley caught his hands and pinned them to the bed.
“Spoken like the fae trying to tempt a man away into the woods.” Wesley bent his head, their noses nearly touching. “But this time, you’re caught in my world, a world of traditions—and tailcoats. You’re simply going to have to accept that, duck.”
Sebastian groaned, but he was smiling. “You’re such a bastard.”
And then his eyes abruptly went wider. And just as suddenly, Wesley became aware of their position: Sebastian on his back, his hands held to the mattress on either side of his head as Wesley loomed over him. Wesley hadn’t been paying attention, had been too busy talking and teasing to realize he’d pinned him in a position they hadn’t been in since Sebastian had lost his magic.
The room had gone very quiet.
“All right there?” Wesley kept his voice a whisper. “Do you want me to move?”
Sebastian’s tongue darted out to wet his lips. Held down as he was, with his wrists facing up, the blackink of the lion tattoo was stark against his skin and the bright white of the bed’s duvet.
Then he shook his head. “Stay.”
The word rippled over Wesley’s skin like Sebastian had tattooed it onto him, a thrill down his spine that left his head spinning. He tightened his grip on Sebastian’s hands and heard the quiet inhale. “Stay?” he repeated, making it a question, giving Sebastian room and time to change his mind.
Sebastian shivered. But he didn’t tense, instead tilting his head to meet Wesley’s eyes. “Stay,” he whispered again.
Fuck. Wesley dropped onto him, finding Sebastian’s mouth. Lips parted for his tongue, another gesture of trust and hard-earned surrender that went straight to Wesley’s cock.
They kissed for long moments, Sebastian letting him set the pace, an intoxicating relinquishing of control that made it hard to think straight. Finally, Wesley moved to kiss his jaw. “For the record, I despised having an empty bed last night.” Their fingers twined together as one of Wesley’s legs slipped between Sebastian’s. “Knowing you were down the hall but out of my reach.”
He pressed his thigh down, finding Sebastian’s cock a hard line against him. Sebastian’s eyelashes fluttered, a noise catching in his throat. Wesley kissed down his neck, to the top of his collar. “At least I can make up for it now.”
Sebastian’s eyes were heavy-lidded as Wesley shifted to the side, plucking open his shirt buttons to get to the warm skin beneath. “I will never get enough of this side of you,” he admitted, skating his hand over Sebastian’sstomach to slip under the waistband of his trousers. “All mine to take apart however I like.”
He wrapped his hand around Sebastian’s cock, getting another full-body shiver. He slowly stroked up and down, hearing the lovely little noise that caught in Sebastian’s throat every time he moved his hand. “And I can’t decide if you’re being sweet or wicked right now,” Wesley said, “because you’re letting me have you exactly how I want, but you know full well it drives me wild.”
He tightened his hand, and Sebastian swore. “Wes,” he whispered, and Wesley needed their clothes off,now.
In short order their suits were crumpled on the floor at the foot of the bed. Wesley pushed Sebastian over onto his stomach on the mattress and crawled over him. “I’m so enamored with your gorgeous face that I forget how good this view is.”
Sebastian huffed a half laugh. “Shut up.”
Wesley tsked. “That’s not how nice boys talk.”
“To you it is.”
