Page 64 of Ronan

“Ronan.”

Warmth surrounds me and a cool breeze blows over my skin. The part of my brain responsible for language has devolved to primitive times as I grunt and burrow deeper, drifting back to sleep.

“Ronan…”

“Shh…” I mutter, pulling Cameron tighter and kissing the nape of his neck, a satisfied, sleepy smile on my face as he shivers against me.

“I really have to pee,” he whines, and I grumble as I release him. One of my eyes cracks open as he sits up, adjusting his glasses before shuffling into the bathroom. My arms stretch above my head as I roll to my back, arching my spine as the heaviness of deep slumber melts away. Bright morning sun shines outside the window, and I blink the sleep from my eyes as I stare.

When was the last time I slept past sunrise, or slept the entire night uninterrupted by my thoughts?

During the night, I snuggled against Cam and wrapped him in my arms. The steady rhythm of his breathing and the gentle warmth of his body lulled me into the most peaceful sleep I can ever remember. Out here where safety is the biggest concern, sleeping that heavily is dangerous, but fuck, I feel amazing this morning.

Cameron walks back into the room, only wearing a pair of boxers, and I bite at my lip as my cock takes notice. Lean muscles sit underneath a field of golden skin, his body willowy but not delicate. Never fragile.

Strong in a different way than I am.

His tongue darts out, tracing his lips as his attention drops to the growing bulge in my shorts, the heat of his gaze making it swell further. A smug smirk plays on his mouth as his eyes move to mine, his brow arched.

“Not going to apologize,” I say, my voice thick with sleep.

“Wasn’t planning on complaining.” The mattress sinks as he lowers himself beside me, curling into my side as he traces his fingertips along my chest. Open curiosity lines his face as he explores, outlining the dips in my muscles.

It’s been a few days since everything happened between us, and I’ve given Cam time to process without mentioning it.

From the hungry way he’s looking at me, he’s processed.

“You’re… different from me.”

“We’re separate species. There are lots of differences in anatomy.”

His hand dips along my abs as a thoughtful frown forms on his lips. “You don’t have a belly button.”

“When we are being formed, we process nutrients differently than humans.”

“Ah, shit, are you hatched from an egg?” he asks, and I chuckle at the grimace that pulls onto his face and the painfully obvious manner he tries to hide it.

“Would that disgust you, knowing I pecked my way from a shell and chirped for my mother?”

He narrows his eyes at me as I grin. “Why does it seem like you’re being sarcastic?”

“Been around you too much, I guess,” I tease as I tug him closer, pressing a kiss to his temple. “No, I’m not hatched from an egg… although there are species that procreate that way. But where a human fetus collects nutrients through the umbilical cord, we absorb them.”

“What else is different?”

“Well, I don’t know if you picked up on this, but I have tails. Three of them, to be exact.”

He snickers, smacking me on the stomach as he laughs. “Now you’re just getting wild with these fibs. I think I would’ve noticed tails.”

“You’ve been too busy ogling my ass to pay attention to my tails.”

“That is probably true,” he mutters, and both of us laugh as his hand starts exploring again. The soft touch skates over my pecs, grazing my nipple and watching as my cock flexes. “Guess that’s something that crosses the biological lines,” he says, doing it a second time.

“Cam,” I warn, and he bites his lip as he moves away from my chest. Lower and lower, his fingers sweep in a downward path, the warmth of his touch sending tremors like tiny earthquakes under my skin. He traces along the waistband of my shorts, and a visible shudder works myspine. “If you aren’t careful, you’re going to start something.”

“Can I look at you?” The uncertainty of his shy question sends an ache through my chest, and when I meet his eyes, there’s heat there, surrounded by an earnest curiosity.

“Like I could deny you anything,” I murmur, voice husky.

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