“He will get over it.” Haruka smiles, leaning in to catch his mouth once more. After a moment of indulgence, he pulls back. “How was the first meeting?”
“It was good,” Nino mumbles, busy kissing Haruka’s face. He moves near his ear, then down the line of his neck to his shoulder. His skin is so soft and damp from soaking in the warm water. He wants to tell him about his day, but the combination of Haruka’s muffled scent, the bath and the clean, spring night air is doing a number on Nino’s mental capacities. His voice is husky as it passes through his lips. “Can I tell you about it later?”
Haruka laughs, affectionate and deep from his throat. Nino loves that sound. Maybe it is his favorite sound. Haruka kisses him, then grasps Nino’s free hand beneath the water to drag him toward the edge of the hot spring.
Once there, Haruka lifts himself to sit atop the underwater bench, simultaneously pulling Nino between his spread thighs. He wraps his long legs around Nino’s waist in the water, bringing their bodies tightly together. Nino leans forward to place the bottle of lube at the edge of the spring, friskily taking Haruka’s mouth as he does so. With his hands free, he reaches down and grips Haruka’s ass. He lifts him into his body, the weight of him like nothing from the buoyancy of the water.
They cling to each other, their bodies slick and their mouths moving and teasing underneath the celestial sky. Just as Nino is building up his courage, Haruka lifts his head from the kiss and lazily looks into his eyes. “My love, if you desire me, you can have me. You do not need to hesitate like this.”
“Well… I… I thought we weren’t supposed to be intentionally reading each other’s thoughts until we practiced more?”
Haruka smirks, unwrapping his legs from around Nino’s waist to stand on his own. “Intentionally reading your thoughts is superfluous. You are an open book.” Haruka turns his back to him and Nino shrugs in agreement. Fair point.
His mate places one knee against the bench, partially lifting his body from the water to quickly grab the bottle and hand it to Nino. Mesmerized by the sight of his long, creamy back and firm cheeks slick in the moonlight, Nino’s eyes glow to life as he steps into him. He presses his chest into his spine and tilts his head to kiss Haruka along the curve of his shoulder. Multi-tasking, Nino makes quick work of lathering his fingers as he indulges in the taste of his skin.
When he’s finished, he tosses the bottle back to the edge of the spring, then lays one palm flat against his husband’s tight stomach. At Nino’s touch, Haruka subtly arches his lower back, making it easier for Nino to reach down and softly caress his fingers against his tight, damp flesh. Haruka’s breathing shortens as Nino teases him and kisses behind his ear, nuzzling his face into his hair. Nino finally presses his fingers into him and Haruka groans, lying into Nino’s chest.
As Nino strokes and stretches him, Haruka rests his head back against his shoulder, his eyes closed. He grasps Nino’s free hand at his belly, then slowly guides him down until their fingers are wrapped tightly around Haruka’s shaft. With both hands busy, Nino whispers against his husband’s ear, “Tell me when you’re ready.”
Haruka lifts his head, then bends forward slightly to rest his palms against the edge of the hot spring. He breathes out and Nino can feel him relaxing his body. His warm flesh giving and flexing around his fingers. His beautiful back is glistening and dotted with droplets from the hot, rolling steam of the spring. Soon, Haruka’s deep voice is husky in the quiet night air. “I’m ready.”
Nino removes his fingers, then slowly replaces them with his shaft, gradually pressing deeper into his tight, slick warmth. His mate is breathing, steadily yielding to him and taking him in. Nino exhales as he moves his hips forward, not wanting this to end prematurely.
He gently rocks against Haruka, driving himself in and out of his body in a steady rhythm. The heated water surrounding them ripples and swirls with his movement. As Haruka pushes back, his breathing is controlled—perfectly calm—and his eyes are closed.
Actually, he’s a little too calm. Too polite.
Nino pauses in his movement, then brings his hand back up to grasp Haruka’s damp belly. He encircles his navel with his thumb as he whispers, “Tesoro… we would have more fun if you stopped restraining yourself like this. Why won’t you let your aura rest?”
“I am deeply enjoying you.” Haruka turns his head, smiling seductively. “But when you have done something systematically for seventy years, it is not an easy habit to break.”
“I can help you…” Nino breathes, his eyes glowing even brighter.
Nino firmly holds his mate’s abdomen, willing his own essence within Haruka to grow and expand—to unravel, rest and be free from the strict hold he’s imposed upon it. Haruka gasps sharply, his eyes burning the color of fiery sunset and his spine tensing. He grips his fingers around Nino’s at his stomach and firmly bucks backward, the water splashing from his movement. His deep voice is hoarse. “Harder.”
Nino obeys, driving his hips into him. Haruka bends forward again, bracing himself as he pushes back into Nino’s body to match his carnal movement. The mist in the air is like a veil around them, making smooth lines of condensation trickle down the center of Nino’s spine as he thrusts into his mate, over and over. The sound of their bodies clashing in the water combined with Haruka’s grunts of pleasure has Nino teetering on the edge—the pressure of release bubbling hot and low in his groin.
Need and lust are overtaking his mind, but he wants Haruka with him. For them to reach the height of ecstasy together.
In a quick decision, he runs his fingers into the back of Haruka’s short hair and pulls him upright. He wraps his palm around his husband’s shaft, then bites down into the curve of his shoulder. Nino sucks hard against his flesh, feeling the metaphysical weight of Haruka’s aura inside his core. Focusing his mind, he pulls again, filling his mate’s body with love and assurance—urging him to let go. Haruka cries out, his voice echoing through the trees as his body trembles.
Nino holds him tightly as the rosy coolness of his aura releases like a dazzling sunset. His scent is divine and Nino moans, slowly rolling his hips into him as his own body finally surrenders. He pulls his mouth from Haruka’s shoulder, gasping as the release rushes warmly from within him and into his mate.
When the force of the climax subsides, Haruka is sagging. His elegant body lulled and satiated as Nino supports his frame. The beautiful, hazy glow of their bonded aura surrounds them. Peaceful and dreamlike. Truly, it is the manifestation of something deeply significant between them.
He licks Haruka’s neck where he fed. After a moment, Nino rests his forehead against his temple while he holds him tightly, warmly in his damp embrace. “So… have we been too timid? Is this what turns you on, Haru? Diplomacy and rough sex?”
Laughing, Haruka stands straight as they carefully disconnect their bodies. He turns in his arms, then cradles Nino’s chin with his fingertips. He smirks, his evocative eyes practically shining. “As I have said before—when you are involved, many things arouse me. And I am looking forward to making new discoveries with you.”
Nino leans in to softly kiss his lips as he wraps his arms around his waist. He can’t believe that this intelligent, beautiful, complicated, messy and seductive male is his mate. His partner, friend, source and lover for life. He takes a deep breath to calm the warm pounding of his heart, then grins. “Agreed. I think this is the start of something very good.”
-The Beginning-
Preview
Lore and Lust book 2: The Vanishing
One year later | Late April
Morning. Nino enters the kitchen and Haruka is already there, sitting at the table with Junichi. The doors to the courtyard off the kitchen are propped open, allowing the cool, sweet air and sunlight of spring to saturate the open space.
Moving toward the counter, Nino’s objective is clear. Coffee pot. He smiles in their direction. “Hey, Jun.”
Tall and dark with warm, almond butter–brown skin, the first-generation vampire lifts his marble-black irises, grinning. As Okayama’s local tailor and clothing designer, something about Junichi Takayama is unquestionably suave. In Nino’s mind, he’s like a male peacock, except his feathers are all black. When the light hits him, his plumage flashes like liquid iridescence.
“Good morning, Nino.” Junichi nods politely, his English smooth and unimpeded by his native tongue like Haruka’s. Junichi is also fluent in Spanish. His mother was Dominican, but he was raised in Hiroshima. “Your husband and I are at an impasse. Maybe you help can us?”
“What’s going on?” Nino pours his coffee. He has told Junichi that he can speak Japanese when visiting their home, but the vampire has coolly refused, claiming it’s “more fun” this way.
“This is for the Hamamoto-Iseki wedding in six months,” Junichi explains “We’re having difficulty deciding whether Haruka should wear a suit or traditional attire. Do you have a preference in his clothing?”
Junichi flirtatiously raises his eyebrow while Haruka sits with his arms folded at the head of the table, his gaze focused on a letter directly in front of him.
“Well…” Nino leans against the counter with his elbows, cradling the warm coffee cup in his palms. “He looks regal in a kimono… but modern and sexy in a suit. I like both. Maybe I prefer the kimono? Oh—you know what’s even better? A yukata. He’s always naked under those things. Only one layer.”
Junichi laughs. Haruka shakes his head, his eyes closed. Nino grins, bringing his coffee cup to his lips. Lately, whenever Haruka wears traditional robes, Nino feels as if he’s bonded with one of those elegant lounging figures in an ukiyo-e wood-block painting—especially with his hair so dramatically long like this.
“That was a lot of information.” Junichi smirks. “Unfortunately a yukata is too casual for a wedding, but your preference is noted. Maybe I’ll make a couple new robes for him this month before I fly to Europe? They’re easy for me to design and tailor since I know his measurements by heart.”
