Page 20 of The Tides of March

“Wild? Curious about what?” he asked warily as he approached the bed.

Tony shrugged. “You. Us. This,” he said as he gestured between them.

“Have ye thought about…us?” Ronan managed weakly. He was shaking so badly, you’d think he was the one facing a hideous merrow.

“Of course!” Tony laughed and gave the tub a toss. “You gotta admit, there’s been a vibe between us.”

“A vibe?”

Tony flicked Ronan an impatient look before opening the lid and giving the Vaseline a curious sniff. “What else would I be thinking about since your ‘juicy steak’ revelation?” he said before closing it and dropping it on the bed. “I’m definitely willing if you don’t mind.”

“Yer willin’?” Ronan repeated in disbelief. “Are ye sure? I know I keep sayin’ I wanna be rid of ye, but I’m in no hurry. We can look fer other?—”

“There is no other cure,” Tony interrupted. “Like you said, Nox and Merlin would have cured me with witchcraft and Bryn and Arawn would have cured me with modern medicine if any of those things were possible. I’ve been enchanted by a merrow and you’ve done everything else in your power to heal me but I’ve only improved enough to stumble to the toilet and back.”

“Aye, but with time…” Ronan chided, not sure why he was trying to talk Tony out of it. “I don’ know what else to do, but I don’ want ye feelin’ like ye don’ have a choice.”

Tony smiled, his lips taking on a seductive tilt as he flipped back the quilts. “I know.” He looked like a god to Ronan, chiseled from the finest marble, and he had a very obvious hard-on. “It’s alright,” Tony said and raised a hand as he reclined, encouraging and inviting Ronan.

“Alright?” The words were a breathless croak. Did ‘alright’ mean sublime or spectacular in Silver Spring because Ronan felt like crying. He’d gotten used to going about with a twitchy cock and aching balls since Tony’s arrival, but Ronan had never been this painfully aroused in his entire existence.

Ronan staggered closer, dizzy as his fingers touched, then curled around Tony’s. His hand was guided to Tony’s stomach and Ronan let out a gasping laugh, amazed at how warm and smooth he was.

“It’s okay. You can touch me. I want you to,” Tony whispered, spreading Ronan’s hand and pressing it against his skin.

“Aye?” he asked hoarsely. “How could ye?”

“No one’s ever wanted me…the way you talked about wanting me,” Tony said, licking his lips as he used his other hand to lift the front of Ronan’s gown. “And you’re not that bad.” He craned his neck to get a better look but Ronan swept his hand away.

“I’m not puttin’ on a peep show and ye don’ need to flatter me,” he said as he pulled the gown over his head. Ronan threw it at his chair and paused when Tony groaned appreciatively.

“I’m not going to flatter you and tell you you’re handsome, Ronan, but you look like my idea of a good time from the neck down.”

“Aye?” Ronan looked down at himself and tried to get a look at his backside. “Me?”

Tony snorted, gesturing for Ronan to come back and take his hand again. “I’d show you if I had full use of my limbs.”

“Ye don’ mind lookin’ at this?” Ronan pointed at his face. “It doesn’ put ye off?”

“It doesn’t put me off,” Tony stated. He caught Ronan’s other hand and returned it to his stomach. “It’s grown on me and I see a lot of things Ilikeabout you.”

“Me?” Ronan asked, letting his trembling fingers brush the closely cropped hairs beneath Tony’s navel. “Yer so smooth! Ye barely have any hair!” His laugh wavered with wonder but Tony smirked.

“You haven’t seen many naked men, have you?” he teased and Ronan shook his head.

“Not really, no. I’ve done me best not to look. I’ve never touched…anyone else before,” he admitted.

“Okay…” Tony licked his lips, looking slightly nervous. “First time for both of us,” he said, then laughed when Ronan shot him a startled look. “I’ve had sex plenty of times with all kinds of people. But never with a merrow. Will it work the same or are you going to…change?”

Ronan shook his head quickly, unable to look at Tony. His face was too hot. “No! Me member’s more like a seal’s and a bit longer than a man’s, but it’ll work the same.”

“Oh? No worries, then!” Tony said brightly but he had to smother a yawn. “We should…start, unless you don’t want me to be awake for this.” That earned another scandalized look from Ronan, making Tony laugh. “I’d like to be awake,” he said, becoming serious. “Because I’ve wanted to see what you’d do if you could have your way with me.”

“Ye wanted to see?” That surprised Ronan too. He would have understood if Tony wanted a blindfold or for all the lights and the fire to be put out so the cabin was as dark as night.

Tony’s wicked chuckle created another bout of goosebumps as he undulated on the bed, kicking the covers away. He spread his legs wider, giving Ronan’s hand one last tug.

That was all the invitation Ronan needed. He dropped to his knees and kissed Tony’s right thigh, inhaling deeply as he rubbed his cheek against warm, firm, flickering flesh. He rubbed his cheek against the other thigh, reveling in how alive Tony felt and how much brighter he glowed as Ronan kissed his way toward the cleft of his ass.

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