Connor’s mouth had moved up to the inside of his calf, pressing kisses against the soft skin there. He worked up the inside of Vidal’s right leg with his mouth, alternating wet kisses with the scraping of his teeth, lingering at the tendon behind the knee until Vidal’s leg jumped of its own accord, and then carrying on up his inner thigh. He stopped just short of where Vidal’s cock was now fully hard against his belly, dragged his lips in a wet line across to the inside of the other thigh.
By the time Connor’s kisses had reached the crease where Vidal’s left thigh met his hip, Vidal had begun to make involuntary sounds at the back of his throat that were somewhere between irritation and pleading.
“Connor.”
“Sweetheart.”
“You are beingcruelto me.”
“I’m taking my time.”
“You are taking your timestrategically, and I would like to register a formal objection.”
Connor lifted his head from Vidal’s hip and looked up at him along the length of his body. His hair had fallen forward across his forehead and the wicked half-smile he was wearing had nothing to do with apology. “Noted, Your Serene Highness.”
“Don’t call me — ”
“Your Serene Highness.” Connor pressed a kiss against the soft place under Vidal’s navel. “Mr Montcada. Vidal. Whatever you like. I’m not getting off this bed until I’ve had my fill of you, so you can lodge as many complaints as you fancy.”
He dipped his head and mouthed at Vidal’s balls. Vidal’s hips bucked off the bed, and Connor’s free hand came down hard across his lower belly and pinned him in place.
“Stay where I put you.”
“Connor — ”
“Stay.”
Vidal obeyed. His sling was rising and falling against his chest in time with his breathing, which had gone shallow and was not going to slow down again any time soon, what with the way Connor was dragging things out.
Connor went lower. He kissed his way down across Vidal’s hip to the soft place where his thigh met his arse, and then his grip was at the back of Vidal’s right knee, lifting and folding Vidal’s leg up against his ribs, opening him out across the duvet.
“Connor, what are you —oh, my God.”
Connor’s mouth had closed wet and hot around the head of Vidal’s cock, and then he dragged the flat of his tongue up the underside from root to tip in a wet stripe that made Vidal’s hips try to come up off the mattress against Connor’s hold.
“Connor. Connor, I need — ”
“I’ll get you there, sweetheart. I’m taking the scenic route.”
Connor worked his lips across Vidal’s belly in a serpentine path, pausing at his hipbones to suck at his skin and worry it gently with his teeth, then up across the soft hollow under his navel and the line of dark hair that ran down from it. He paid particular attention to the place just below his sternum where Vidal had once, in passing, mentioned being ticklish. And Vidal’s whole body jerked against his sling, which Connor caught and gentled back into place against Vidal’s chest.
Connor’s teeth closed gently against the pulse point under Vidal’s jaw. He sucked a mark into the skin there, taking his time, working the spot until Vidal could feel the blood rising under the surface and knew it was going to show in the morning. He didn’t stop until he was satisfied with the colour of it, and then he kissed the bruise once, softly, and moved up to Vidal’s mouth for the first time since they had come into the room.
Vidal could taste the faint salt of his own skin in the kiss. Connor’s hand had moved from Vidal’s belly to the side of his throat, his thumb resting against the corner of Vidal’s jaw as he worked the lube bottle open. Then Connor’s slick fingers were sliding down between his legs without breaking the kiss.
His first finger went in slowly. Connor was kissing him through it, working him open with the same unhurried thoroughness he had used on the inside of Vidal’s thighs.
“Alright, sweetheart?”
“Yes. Yes. Don’t stop.”
“I’m not stopping. I’m just checking.”
“Checkingwhat?You have been in there enough times now to know your way about.”
Connor huffed a laugh. He crooked his fingers forward, found Vidal’s prostate inside him, and pressed hard against it. Vidal’s whole body lifted off the pillows.
“You’re going to do yourself an injury, love.”
