Page 86 of The Vanishing
“No—of course not. I am just… unaccustomed to it.”
“You and Yuna never talked to each other about what you liked?”
“Never. And… if you notice what I like, why do I need to say it?” The sensation of Nino’s wet fingertips against his body derails him from his thoughts. Haruka moans, relaxing himself as Nino presses them inside.
“Because I want to hear it,” Nino says, lifting his head to lick and suck Haruka’s bottom lip between his own as he moves his fingers deeper. “Knowing what turns you on gives me confidence—and I don’t want you to feel ashamed to tell me what you like or want to try…”
Haruka’s body trembles with want, with desperate need of his mate and their completion.
“Ah—”
Nino pulses his energy inside, the sensation like fizzy heat radiating from his slick fingers. Haruka is breathless as Nino’s energy intensifies. When the low embers of pleasure finally spiral outward into a blaze of ecstasy, he stretches his spine, letting the bliss of climax wash over him—surrendering to what Nino is giving him.
He breathes through it: inhaling the scent of grass and trees swirled with the cinnamon notes of Nino’s essence. It makes Haruka’s head foggy.
Removing his fingers, Nino grips his body and rolls, delicate in shifting Haruka onto his back against the grass. Nino straddles him, but as he leans down, he slides his fingers through the damp of Haruka’s release against his abdomen, then reaches down to grip and stroke his own shaft.
Haruka shifts his tailbone down and lifts his knees. He is blissful, watching his honeyed mate through hazy eyes. This love. These feelings that Nino cultivates inside of him: honesty and freedom, hope and promise. Haruka never imagined this was possible. That the cold darkness of his life could be changed and painted with such color and joy. That he would feel so alive.
Nino hovers above him, his amber gaze soft. “Say it, Haru,” he whispers. “Please?”
He closes his eyes as Nino’s palms rest against his hips. He waits for Haruka’s response, patient as he caresses him. Haruka takes a deep breath, pushing through the block he feels in his chest. “I—” Haruka swallows, self-conscious. He brings his palm to his forehead. “I like… I prefer… you. Inside me.”
Nino lowers his hips, pressing his damp tip to the outside of Haruka’s body. “Tesoro, relax for me.”
Haruka blows out a breath, easing the strain in his body after the confession. He shifts his hips upward, still breathing to relax himself but wanting to meet Nino’s body. Wanting him inside. His mate lowers his hips, but not enough to push through. Not enough to break the intimate barrier.
“Thank you for telling me…” Nino smiles, leaning down and kissing the mole on the bridge of Haruka’s nose. When he pulls back, his tone is gentle but serious. “Can we try to be more open and talk about these things going forward, so I don’t have to guess all the time?”
Staring into his mate’s eyes, Haruka nods in earnest. “I’ll try,” he breathes.
Nino slowly guides himself into his body, and a wave of relief and satisfaction washes over Haruka from head to toe. He closes his eyes and arches his neck in a groan, loving the feel of him. Wanting him deeper.
Nino keeps his body low and still, allowing Haruka to independently roll his hips up and into him, over and over again as he holds the small of Nino’s back. Already, he feels the second climax bubbling in his groin like a pot of hot water, so close to boiling over. Through the thick haze of lust, he hears Nino’s voice. “How do I feel inside you?”
He licks and bites his bottom lip, his body shaking. So close. “Full,” he breathes. “Perfect.”
Something in his response triggers Nino into movement. He presses his hips down, driving Haruka’s body back into the lush grass as he thrusts and rocks. Haruka lifts his knees to cradle him—the passion behind Nino’s movement sends a flash of heat up Haruka’s spine. Soon, he groans in pleasure, his deep voice echoing in the vastness of the starry sky above him.
He grips his mate’s strong back underneath his robe, holding him tight as the climax subsides. Haruka sighs in pleasure when he feels Nino’s sculpted body tense in his arms—the heat of his release pouring out like something delicious and intimate inside of him.
Haruka rolls his hips once more, reveling in the weight of him and the wetness of their bodies. Nino dips his head into the nape of Haruka’s neck and bites down. He feeds and Haruka’s eyelids grow heavy—his body relaxed and profoundly satiated.
By the time Nino is finished, Haruka can barely keep his eyes open. As always, his mate smiles, genuine and handsome. “I also notice… that if I do a good job of making love to you, you fall asleep right after.”
Haruka frowns, but it feels weak. Without true conviction. He’s too warm and too comfortable lying half naked in the grass. The image of his mate hovering over him and set against the starry sky is too dreamlike. “It’s—” Haruka yawns, the sensation rattling his chest. “Embarrassing.”
Nino laughs, the sound like a gentle echo far away from his conscious mind. “It’s not,” he says. “I love it—that you trustme enough to be vulnerable and let go like this. Shall I carry his lordship to the bedchamber? Is this context appropriate for such an act?”
“No.” Haruka breathes deep, unable to keep his eyelids open. “I… I’ll walk…” But then there is nothing. Just blackness, deep contentment and calm.
When Haruka flickers his eyes open again, morning light and a cool breeze are pouring in through the open patio doors. He is warmly tucked into his bed, the love of his life nestled against his chest and sleeping in his arms.
Epilogue
“Everything was very… bright. There was so much color?”
Mai tilts her head, her dark eyes perplexed, as if she isn’t certain that she’s expressing herself correctly. Her tawny-brown skin is clear and rich—much healthier compared with the first time they saw her in Lajos’s mansion two months ago. “And the smells were abundant—offensive. Here, it is better. Still strange but… not overpowering.”
