Page 31 of Alpha's Touch
He shifted slightly, and his mate’s arm tightened around him. “You awake?” Zeppelin’s voice rumbled against his ear, rough with sleep.
“Yeah,” Preston whispered, turning in the circle of Zeppelin’s arms to face him. In the darkness, he could just make out the contours of his mate’s face, the strong line of his jaw, the fullness of his lips. “Just thinking.”
Zeppelin traced a finger along Preston’s cheekbone, down to his lips. “About?”
“This. Us.” Preston pressed closer, his body responding to the proximity. “Everything.”
The soft brush of Zeppelin’s lips against his forehead sent tingles down to Preston’s toes. “Good thoughts, I hope.”
He answered by tilting his face up, capturing Zeppelin’s mouth with his own. The kiss started slow, exploratory, before deepening as Zeppelin’s tongue slid against his. Heat bloomed between them, turning the gentle caress into something hungrier.
Zeppelin rolled them until Preston lay beneath him, the weight of his body a delicious pressure. His hands skimmed down Preston’s sides, pushing up the borrowed T-shirt he’d slept in, fingertips grazing bare skin.
“Take this off,” Zeppelin murmured against Preston’s lips, tugging at the fabric.
Preston lifted his arms, allowing Zeppelin to pull the shirt over his head and toss it aside. The cool air against his skin made him shiver, but Zeppelin’s hands quickly returned, warming every inch they touched.
Moonlight filtered through a gap in the curtains, casting a silver glow across the bed. Preston watched as Zeppelin sat back on his heels, gaze traveling over Preston’s exposed torso with reverence.
“Look at you,” he breathed, palms sliding up Preston’s stomach to his chest. “So fucking beautiful.”
Preston laughed softly, reaching up to pull him back down. “Says the guy who looks like he was carved from marble.”
Their bodies aligned, skin against skin, and Preston gasped at the sensation. Zeppelin’s mouth found his neck, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down to his collarbone. Each touch of lips and tongue left a trail of fire in its wake.
“God, that feels good.” Preston sighed, arching into the contact.
Zeppelin hummed against his skin, moving lower to capture a nipple between his lips. The gentle suction made Preston’s hips buck involuntarily, seeking friction. A low chuckle vibrated against his chest as Zeppelin shifted to the other nipple, giving it the same attention.
“Patience,” Zeppelin whispered, his breath cooling the damp skin.
“Patience is overrated,” he countered, running his hands through Zeppelin’s hair, tugging him up for another kiss.
Their tongues tangled as Zeppelin’s hands continued exploring, mapping the contours of Preston’s body like he was memorizing every dip and curve. When his fingers hooked into the waistband of Preston’s boxers, Preston lifted his hips in silent invitation.
The fabric slid down his legs, and then he was completely naked, vulnerable under Zeppelin’s gaze. But instead of feeling exposed, he felt treasured, especially when his mate looked at him with such naked hunger.
“Your turn,” he said, reaching for Zeppelin’s boxers. “Fair’s fair.”
With a grin, Zeppelin helped, kicking the underwear off the bed. The full-body contact that followed drew moans from both of them. Preston’s hands roamed over his mate’s broad back, feeling the play of muscles beneath smooth skin.
He kissed his way down Preston’s body, pausing to nip at his hip bone to trace the soft curve of his stomach with his tongue. His beard tickled against sensitive skin, making Preston squirm and laugh.
“Ticklish?” his mate asked, deliberately rubbing his chin against Preston’s inner thigh.
“Stop that,” he gasped through his laughter, halfheartedly pushing at Zeppelin’s head.
His mate’s response was to grip Preston’s thighs, holding them apart as he lowered his mouth to the sensitive skin. The tickling sensation transformed into pleasure as Zeppelin’s tongue traced patterns on his inner thigh, moving higher with each pass.
When Zeppelin’s mouth finally closed around him, Preston’s back arched off the bed. Wet heat engulfed him, sending jolts of electricity up his spine. Zeppelin took him deep, hollowing his cheeks as he withdrew, creating a suction that had Preston clutching at the sheets.
“Fuck,” he breathed, watching through half-lidded eyes as Zeppelin worked him over. The sight of those full lips stretched around him, the sensation of Zeppelin’s tongue swirling around the head… It was almost too much.
Just as the pressure began building, Zeppelin pulled away, leaving Preston panting and frustrated. Before he could protest, Zeppelin was kissing him again, the taste of himself on Zeppelin’s tongue oddly arousing.
“Turn over,” Zeppelin whispered against his lips.
Preston complied, rolling onto his stomach. Zeppelin’s hands smoothed down his back, thumbs pressing into the muscles along his spine, massaging as they went. When they reached his ass, they kneaded the flesh, spreading him open.
