Page 47 of Map of Pain
His hands ached to cup that smiling face, to taste that joy. But he kept them at his sides, digging his fingers into the comforter.
Nickshifted, now half-straddling Luka’s thigh, their faces inches apart. He blinked, a single tear escaping to trace a path down his cheek. His scentwasa heady cloud of blooming florals and burgeoning desire.
Want.Need.Taste, the beast pulsed, a hungry throb.
Nick leaned in. His lips, soft and quivering, met Luka’s. Itwasa kiss of gossamer and gravity, hesitant yet intentional. Nick’s hand came to rest on Luka’s shoulder, steadying himself as he pressed closer. Luka remained still, a rock in Nick’s storm, letting him set the pace.
Nick’s tongue traced the seam of his lips. A question.
Luka parted them. An answer.
The taste of him flooded Luka’s senses—vanilla and city dust and the impossible, sweetening flavor of Nick’s own soul. A small sound, half-sigh, half-whimper, echoed from Nick into Luka’s mouth. He guided Luka’s hand from where it rested, placing it palm-flat against the flannel of his waist.
Touch only where he places you, Luka reminded himself, his beast whining for more.
Nick deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring, no longer hesitant. He moved Luka’s hand again, sliding it up his side to rest over his heart, over the scarred wordkitten. Luka fought to keep his touch gentle, to not let the rage he felt at the cruelty written in Nick’s skin betray itself through his fingertips. He focused on the frantic, stuttering beat of Nick’s heart beneath his palm.
Nick moved, straddling Luka’s thigh. His gasp as their hips made contactwassharp, and the scent of arousal bloomed between them. He guided Luka’s other hand to his hip, pressing down, a silent command for pressure, for an anchor. Luka obeyed, his grip firming as Nick’s whole body shivered.
Tentatively, Nick shifted, an experimental roll of his hips pressing his thigh firmly against Luka’s growing hardness. The contact sent a jolt through Luka, electric and insistent, testing the edges of his restraint. He bit the inside of his cheek hard, the sharp sting grounding him, keeping him from surging forward to take and devour as every instinct screamed.
Nick’s movements grew bolder, more confident with each subtle grind, his breath coming in hot, ragged pants that ghosted across Luka’s neck like a summer breeze. He wasn’t guiding Luka’s hands anymore; instead, his fingers dug into Luka’s shoulder, gripping tightly as if holding on for dear life amid a storm of sensation.
Wait.
Luka pulled back just enough to see Nick’s eyes. Hehadto know. Hehadto see the man, not the victim. He caught Nick’s gaze and held it.
Wide, startled, but clear. Present.There he is. A slow nod of understanding. A small, shy smile from Nick, like a sunrise after a storm.
Nick reached for Luka’s hand again, sliding it from his chest down to the small of his back, pressing them closer until their bodies were flush, every curve and contour aligning in heated harmony. The friction was immediate and intoxicating, sparks racing down Luka’s spine like fireflies in the dark, igniting nerves he hadn’t realized were so alive. Nick’s movements turned urgent, his hand tangling in Luka’s hair, fingers weaving through the strands with a desperate tenderness. He pulled Luka into a messy, fervent kiss, their lips crashing together in a dance of need and affection, tongues brushing in soft exploration.
Soft, broken moans escaped Nick’s lips, vibrating against Luka’s mouth, each one a siren’s call that drove Luka’s inner beast wild with yearning. Yet he held it back, savoring every tremor of Nick’s body, every hitch in his breath, drinking them in like the sweetest nectar.
Nick buried his face in the crook of Luka’s throat, his scent an intoxicating war of lingering shame and blooming pleasure, mingled with the faint musk of arousal. “Please, I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he gasped, his hips still moving in desperate, seeking undulations, chasing release even as apologies tumbled out like confessions.
Luka shook his head fiercely, wishing for a voice to soothe him. He pressed his hand more firmly to Nick’s back, guiding him. Nick’s hand suddenly grabbed Luka’s from his hip, dragging it around, pressing Luka’s palm hard against his own ass. It was a wordless plea for friction, for help.
Luka understood. He used his grip to guide, to angle and to help him find what he needed.
The changehadNick gasping, his whole body shuddering. His hand returned to Luka’s shoulder, his nails digging in harder, but Luka welcomed the pain, anchored by it.
“I’m sorry—I don’t—I-I-I—” Nick’s words fractured into a broken, breathless sound, his voice a melody of ecstasy and lingering vulnerability. His body went rigid, every muscle tensing before release crashed over him. He pressed his face harder into Luka’s neck, shaking uncontrollably as he came apart in Luka’s arms, his climax a profound unraveling, warm and trusting.
The implicit, absolute trust in that surrenderwasthe key that unlocked Luka’s own control. Nick’s climax triggered his own, a wave of pleasure so forceful and profound itwasalmost painful. He bit his lip until he tasted blood, stifling the sounds that wanted to tear from his broken throat.
They stayed like that, tangled and breathing hard. Nick’s weight sagged, melting into him, soft and pliant. Hewasn’tpulling away.
His beast purred.Ours, it whispered.To protect.To cherish.
Nick shifted, lips brushing against Luka’s throat in what might have been an accident or deliberate kiss. Either way, it sent shivers through Luka’s oversensitive body. “Thank you,”he whispered, the words a fragile gift.
Luka pressed his lips to the crown of Nick’s head in silent acknowledgment. Later, they would move. Later, there would be words, and clean clothes, and the world. But for now, this moment of connection, of trust given and received—thiswasenough.
More than enough. It was everything.
Chapter nineteen
He's not my enemy...
