Page 81 of Thomas
“You fed from me, searching and wanting me more intensely,” Thomas went on. “I said yesto your desire and will, and now we are mated. I am yours to discover, and you are mine.”
They watched each other in the quiet as Cameron took that in. Thomas lifted one hand and gently caressed his fingers along Cameron’s jawline.
“We’re bonded,” Cameron said simply.
“Yes.”
“Not just on paper, but actually. Physically. Permanently.”
“Yes.”
“And… you’re pleased with this?”
“I am,” Thomas confirmed. “Very.”
Cameron nodded. He didn’t know what came over him next, but he bent down and pressed a kiss to Thomas’s mouth. Thomas blinked in sheer surprise when Cameron lifted briefly, but when he leaned into him once more, Thomas parted his lips, raised his chin and received Cameron with a deep, audible sigh.
Cameron brought a hand up to cup Thomas’s face as their mouths moved and their tongues played, caressed and tasted. Some barrier inside of Cameron had given way to pure relief and joy, and the wave of it was dominating his mind and senses.
Thomas had officially, unequivocally accepted him in all his prickly weirdness. He didn’t care that Cameron had never properly fed before, or that he couldn’t scent other vampires and was socially awkward. That he was embarrassingly inexperienced at sex and intimacy.
Thomas had wanted him anyway. He’d said yesdespite these things and when he hadn’t even needed to. Cameron would have taken care of him and treated him well regardless, forever. But he cared for Cameron in return. He loved him.
It felt like a miracle.
The two of them indulged in soft, sensual kisses while basking in the blue-silver haze of the night. Cameron traced his lips along Thomas’s sharp jawline and down to his beautiful neck. He kissed and breathed him across the span of his collarbone, all the while amazed, grateful and mesmerized.
He lifted his head, wanting to look into Thomas’s face to make sure he was still fine. That this was all real and not a distorted figment of his imagination. When he did, Cameron inhaled quietly. Thomas’s eyes were alighted, but they had changed. They weren’t the color of lightning anymore. Now, their hue was more like the deep aqua of a tropical sea. A perfect blend of emerald and indigo, backlit by warm sunlight.
“Your eyes have changed,” Cameron said, sweeping the heft of Thomas’s dark hair from his forehead to see him pristinely. “They’re turquoise now.”
“I’ve heard that happens when two natures merge within a bond. Your irises are likely the same.”
“Incredible…” Cameron kept staring into his face, truly awestruck. Thomas adjusted slightly beneath him and Cameron remembered himself. He shifted from atop his frame. “I’m sorry. I keep staring at you like a simpleton.”
“I don’t mind,” Thomas said, turning his head against the pillow as Cameron lay on his back beside him. “It does make me a little self-conscious, but I can tell you’re processing. It’s alright.”
Cameron met his eyes. “Are you processing?”
“I am. In my own ways.”
He nodded, then shifted his head to look up at the ceiling. “Before, I had promised that I was fine with you taking a lover when you desired it. I’m afraid I’ve gone and made that prospect a bit… complicated.”
“I’d much prefer to have you as my lover, Cameron. If you’re willing to try?”
Cameron turned his head again to meet Thomas’s gaze. “I am. I… may not excel at it, necessarily, but I can try.”
Thomas shifted and cuddled into Cameron’s side. “Thank you. You’re exceptionally skilled at kissing, so I have faith in you.”
“Am I?” Cameron said, surprised and encouraged by this glowing review.
Thomas closed his alighted eyes. “You are.” He said nothing more. His breathing evened and slowed, and his facial features relaxed. Cameron turned into him so that he could lace an arm around Thomas and hold him closer. Cameron closed his eyes and was lulled to sleep by the warmth of Thomas’s frame and the lovely scent of his essence.
Cameron’s body felt warm and light when his eyes blinked open. The sunlight was golden, which meant the sky was at least partially clear for once. A sweet, clean and nutty fragrance wafted around him, and he realized he no longer lay beside Thomas. The man was sitting upright, over him with his back against the headboard and Cameron’s head rested on his soft, pajama-clad thigh. His long fingers were lovingly caressing Cameron’s head and face.
Pulling his wits about him, Cameron dragged himself upright. “Good morning.” He paused, surprised to see Thomas’s eyes glowing.
“Good morning,” Thomas said coolly.
