Page 23 of Winds of War

“If you want me to open up to you about my past only to mock me later, forget it, boy. I'm not in the mood for your little games. Good night, and sleep well,” Van spoke in a tired voice, turning his back on Spyros.

“I was a total asshole, and I treated you horrible, although you told me nothing but the truth from the very start. I stabbed you in the back when I stole from you, and then I tried to convince the boss and Advisor Bloom you were scouting for child traffickers, but I changed when I realized...something. There, I admitted it. Now let me help you.” Spyros stopped to catch his breath after saying everything in one go.

“Here’s the deal.” Van’s reply came in the same tired voice. “You tell me how much of my conversation with Lauren you heard, and I’ll fill you in with the rest, then we both go to sleep.”

“How did you...” Spyros let out a loud gasp, a mix of disappointment and disbelief taking over his features. “You knew the whole time I eavesdropped on the conversation you and Lauren Briggs had and laughed at my attempts to comfort you. And I, who thought...forget it.”

“Even now you assume things and insult me,” Van flatly spoke. “Had I shared with Seamus the kind of bond the two of you have, I, too, would have followed the black guy I never trusted to make sure he didn't betray my best friend's secrets after a quickie with the hot, blonde chick.”

Spyros's eyes went wide with shock, and he mentally facepalmed. “Look, Van, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like that, but...” The man paused for a few seconds, then continued in a small, shy voice. “The things you said about me...you really meant them, didn't you?”

Van shifted, facing Spyros, who shrunk under his lust-filled gaze. “Some people never learn, do they, boy?”

Not giving Spyros time to react, Van crushed his lips with the other man’s, devouring his mouth in an all-consuming, possessive but still very sweet kiss that sent shocks of pleasure straight into Spyros's groin, leaving him wanting for more. He parted his lips, inviting Van to explore and taste his mouth, completely surrendering to the man's domination.

Because, after all the months of deep denial, Spyros realized he needed everything Van was giving to him: domination, protection, pleasure. The man was a strange mix of authority, patience, and kindness, and he instinctively knew what buttons to push to bring his partner exactly where said partner needed and wanted to be.

Seamus was right all the time, I am more stubborn than a mule, Spyros thought as Van slid his hands under his pajamas, running them up and down his torso, setting his skin on fire. The two men broke the kiss, undressed each other with urgent moves, then reprised their passionate make out session, mapping each other's bodies with their hands and tracing trails of hot, wet kisses on one another's chests and abdomens.

Van palmed the nightstand, searching for the lube bottle, then cursed under his breath, opening the nightstand's drawer where he hid it to avoid Spyros jokes and snarky remarks. After finally retrieving the elusive bottle, Van opened it and coated his already-hard member, then started to prepare Spyros.

Shit, he mentally cursed as he inserted a lube-coated finger inside Spyros and wondered if the younger man would be able to take his cock. Van was not naïve. He didn't expect Spyros to be a virgin, but seeing how tight his ass was, he couldn't exclude that possibility. If this is the case, I should use a completely different approach, Van thought, deciding to have a little talk to Spyros before continuing.

“Boy, are you a virgin? Sorry, I should have asked you from the start,” Van spoke in a gentle voice, giving his partner an affectionate, concern-filled look.

”No, I'm not.” Spyros smiled at the happy memory. “He said it was better with him than with a random man who, most likely, wouldn't have appreciated that unique gift the way he did. But it was over after that first time, so you don't have to worry about...” Spyros sighed dreamily. “It was Seamus.”

“Thank you for trusting me with that precious memory, boy.” Van gently kissed the other one's soft, tempting lips. ”If there’s anything else I need to know, please tell me now. I want to make this unforgettable for you in the best sense of the word.”

“Can I...can you lay on your back with me...you know...riding you?” Even in the darkness of the room, Van could see the deep shade of crimson coloring Spyros's cheeks.

“Anything you want, my boy.” The answer came in a deep, sexy voice that made a certain part of the younger man's anatomy react. “I promise to take good care of you.”

Van's words went straight to the core of Spyros's soul, bringing tears of happiness and gratitude to his eyes. All the men he was with, except Seamus, ignored his needs, selfishly thinking only about their own pleasure and seeing Spyros as a mere instrument to get it. The last one-night stand he had more than five years earlier ended badly, leaving him physically and emotionally scarred.

Unaware of the thoughts running through Spyros's mind, Van continued to prepare him with utmost care, examining his face with worried eyes, making sure he was comfortable. Good boy, beautiful boy, sweet boy, and other terms of endearment poured from his lips, silencing Spyros's fears and making him feel valued.

Once the preparations were done, Van peppered butterfly kisses all over his partner's face and neck, then lay on his back, a reassuring smile playing on his lips. Spyros moved on the bed, straddled the other man's waist, then slowly lowered himself on Van's steel-hard cock, taking it inch by inch inside him.

It took Spyros a few moments to adjust to the intrusion and the sensation of fullness inside him, but then he started to move his hips in sync with Van's slow thrusts. His partner's big, strong hands roamed all over Spyros's body, turning the blood running through his veins in a river of lava that made his heart race in his chest.

All the time, Van never stopped praising his lover, showing his appreciation for him in sweet, passionate words while he tenderly caressed every part of the man's body. The more Spyros got, the more he wanted, so he sped up the pace, needy moans and whimpers escaping from his lips. His cock became painfully hard and swollen, little pearls of precum forming at the tip.

Although he had never been with a man before, Van instinctively knew what to do, like he did earlier when he prepared Spyros. Pouring a generous amount of lube in his hand, he coated his lover's cock, then slowly started to stroke the man's length, making him push his cock into the tunnel Van's fist formed.

With each stroke and thrust, the two men got closer and closer to the ultimate pleasure until the orgasm took them over. With a grunt, Van flooded Spyros's ass with his hot cum while the younger man spilled himself over his lover's fist, then collapsed exhausted on top of him. As he stayed like that, eyes half closed, Spyros realized he hadn't had an orgasm since his first time with Seamus, and that brought tears in his eyes.

“Thank you,” Van softly whispered, caressing Spyros's sweaty back. “You were such a good boy for me. The best ever.” He lovingly gazed into the other one's eyes. “What happened? Was it that unpleasant for you?” Worry poured from Van's voice when he saw Spyros crying.

“No, on the contrary. I enjoyed every second of it. I just realized that I...you know...I haven’t experienced something like that since my first time. All the other men I was with only thought about themselves, and that made me feel less than a whore. That's why I tried to keep you away, but I was wrong. You are nothing like them.”

“The hell I'm not,” Van exclaimed, guilt washing over him. “I things did to you I shouldn't have done and took what wasn't mine. Goddammit, boy, I didn't even stop when you asked me to,” the man added, his voice heavy with regret and pain.

“Because I didn't really want you to stop. I liked what you did to me, how you took control over my body, how you commanded me, but I was too deep in denial to admit it, even to myself,” Spyros whispered.

Van kissed his younger lover's forehead, then gently put him on the bed, on his back. “Now, let's get you cleaned, and then off to sleep with us. Tomorrow is another long day.”

Eyelids half-closed, Spyros hummed in approval. Fifteen minutes later, the evidence of their lovemaking washed off their bodies, the two men fell asleep, Van wrapping his arms around Spyros in a loving, possessive, protective embrace.

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