He was leisurely admiring Austin.
It should have made Austin snap and warn Tristan that he could admireonlywhen Austin was being purposefully provocative. But…Austin enjoyed the abode Tristan had built for him, and he’d already bitten the merman a few seconds ago.
He would let it slide this once.
Face warm, Austin sidled up to Tristan, hands flat on his abs. He gazed up at him. “Are you tired? I can massage your muscles if they’re sore.”
Tristan hummed. “I would enjoy that when we retire for the night. For now though, let’s eat.” He pressed his hand to the small of Austin’s back and guided him out of the wind and into the lounge connected to Austin’s porch. The chaise lounge waited beside a low table, its shape barely visible in the firelight. Beneath the scent of smoke came fruit, cheese, and something savoury. Food. A whole platter of it.
“I’ll fetch light.”
“No.” Austin caught his arm. “It’s fine.”
A fire crackled in an open fireplace protected by a metal grate, casting the room in just enough light to turn everything into shadow. A human shape hung by the fire. A robe?
Tristan approached the fire and took it down, wrapping a length of fire-warmed fabric around Austin before dressinghimself similarly. Austin took Tristan by the wrist and guided him to the chaise lounge. He let Tristan sit in the nice spot with the backrest.
Austin sat next to him, glanced unseeing at the table, then at Tristan, and waited. Tristan studied Austin’s face and posture, then the deliberate emptiness of his hands. At length, he reached for the table. After a few moments of contemplation, he picked something up and brought it hesitantly to Austin’s mouth. Austin parted his lips, taking the morsel into his mouth carefully. Not that he would be terribly upset to accidentally bite Tristan’s fingers.
Tristan’s eyes flared as a soft shiver worked its way through his body. He tore his gaze from Austin, studying the table anew, and picked out another morsel, staring hard at Austin’s mouth as Austin took it from his hand. After a few bites, Tristan brought Austin juice to drink and then returned to the food.
Austin’s stomach eventually started to swell, and he turned his chin from the next offering. Tristan offered juice—Austin turned his chin the other way—and then the merman flattened himself to Austin’s side, butterflying kisses down Austin’s temple, cheek, jaw, chin. Austin shut his eyes, basking in the attention. Tristan cupped his cheeks, pressed a kiss between his brows, then the bridge of his nose.
Austin tilted his face up in invitation.
Tristan’s lips brushed against his. A test, to see Austin’s reaction.
Austin released a soft, entreating sound.
Tristan pulled Austin onto his lap, gathered him to his chest, and kissed him. Austin, pliant as warmed clay, shaped easily against him. His limbs folded around Tristan, his lips parted on a gasp. His tongue tried to establish dominance asit always did, but Austin’s body was too sated for a show of strength.
Tristan cupped Austin’s nape, fingers slipping into his hair, supporting his weight. The arm wrapped around his waist pinned Austin to Tristan’s firm chest. Tristan’s rumble all but masked Austin’s softer purr.
Tristan explored his mouth at his leisure, the hand holding his waist sliding down Austin’s side, thumb brushing hip bone, the swell of his thigh muscle. There, it stopped. Squeezed. Then travelled back the way it had come. This time, his hand slipped under Austin’s shirt, warming bare skin.
At Austin’s hip, Tristan hesitated.
Austin shifted his weight, offering his front for the merman to touch if he liked. Tristan did. He took Austin in his palm, stroked his hard cock, gently squeezed the tip. Brushed light fingertips over his tightened balls, then moved on.
Austin made a soft, protesting sound.
Tristan broke the kiss, breathing hard. “We’ll miss the chance to work on your nest while the tide’s in.”
Austin’s lids weighed as much as mountains, and keeping them open was almost beyond him.
“I’m hard.”
For a second, he thought a third person in the room had spoken. Someone needy. Someone desperate. Someone who begged. Certainly not Austin. And yet the soft whine filling the air tickled his throat as though he were the one making it.
“Me too, my dear.” Tristan kissed his cheek. The swell of his cock pushed against Austin’s buttocks.
Austin became very aware of its length and bulk. “I don’t like pain.”
“I intend our joining to bring you pleasure, not pain.”
A modicum of control returned to Austin. Thoughts flitted by, loud as the storm battering the windows. He caughthis lip in his teeth. Tristan leaned in to suck it free, humming happily to himself as he did. Differing wants flared, but he reallydidwant to return to the nest while he could. He also wanted Tristan to keep touching him. “I want both.” It lacked the bite of an imperial command, too needy.
Tristan tensed, eyes widening in surprise, then narrowing in suspicion. “I wish to please you, and I will do all you ask of me. But I do not get the sense you would enjoy pleasure and pain both. Perhaps—”
