Page 49 of Thomas
The files had been a welcome distraction, but as Cameron set his papers aside and stretched his arms up, Thomas caught a strong whiff of him. His presence was so… entrancing. If Thomas wasn’t mindful, he’d get caught up in the pull and allure of Cameron’s essence and nature quietly wafting from him—like scenting something fragrant and sweet that made one’s mouth water and stomach growl.
Except it made Thomas’s fangs pulse and his nature hum and squirm.
“Are you hungry?” Cameron asked, turning his head to regard him. “Shall we eat lunch?”
Thomas took a breath, which of course didn’t help. “Yes, and… could we play chess after lunch? Ornotplay chess?”
Cameron frowned, utterly confused. “What do you—Ah!” His face lit up with understanding. “Ah, right. I forgot momentarily that ‘playing chess’ is coded language, my apologies. It was a week ago that we last played, wasn’t it? Are youhungryhungry?”
Thomas smiled. “Yes, I amhungryhungry. Is it alright?”
“Of course. If you need to feed, simply tell me? As Lennon so insolently pointed out, I am… not always aware of certain subtleties. You must speak plainly with me.”
“I already ask so much of you,” Thomas said, gently sliding the tray between them aside and shifting closer. Quite intentionally, he looked up at Cameron from beneath the weight of his lashes. “It’s difficult to request more.”
Cameron stiffened as Thomas drew nearer to his body. “Well, I-I am willing to give much, so it’s alright.”
“Why?” Thomas asked quietly, lifting his fingers toward the collar of Cameron’s shirt. He paused. “May I?”
Cameron swallowed. His Adam’s apple bobbed heavily in the length of his throat. “You may. And because I… I want to. I delight in your contentment.”
“Mm…” Thomas parted the soft golden material of his sweater first, then lifted both hands to undo the first two buttons of his shirt. “You’re a very thoughtful and generous man, Cameron. I feel lucky to have been chosen by you.”
In expressing this basic truth within his heart, Thomas’s eyes alighted. Slowly, Cameron’s glowed to life in turn, luscious and green like a forest canopy backlit by the sun. Something inside of Thomas was deeply satisfied by that.
“Are you ready?” Thomas asked, leaning even closer. “Do you need to count?”
Cameron huffed, his voice tight. “No, I do not need to count.”
Tilting his head, Thomas smiled as he leaned into the warm curve of Cameron’s neck. He licked him in a slow, greedy stroke, reveling in the spicy sweetness of his skin. His fangs elongated into sharp points and he opened his mouth wide, then softly bit down.
Chapter Seventeen
Cameron winced when Thomas bit into his neck. The action was unnecessary, because his mind and senses were immediately flooded with that same gooey, warm and soothing sensation as before. A kind of enchantment that seduced Cameron into relaxing his shoulders. He unclenched his fists and allowed his eyelids to flutter closed.
Thomas lifted a hand to hold the back of Cameron’s head and leaned in, pressing his chest into Cameron’s while humming indulgently.
Thomas’s intention slipped deeper into his being. The sensation was so intimate and perplexing that Cameron didn’t think he had the words to describe it. Somehow, though, he understood Thomas’s satisfaction… no, obvious affection for him.
Not only did he love the taste of Cameron’s blood, but he thought he was intelligent and kindhearted. Responsible and stable in his temperament in such a way that made Thomas feel safe. He admired Cameron and found him physically desirable, too.
Cameron’s eyes burned intensely as he opened them once more. Thomas was right in that the fiery sensation didn’t hurtquite as much this time, and the heartfelt sentiments swirled hot inside of him like shooting stars. They were so close like this—pressed together with Thomas leaning into his chest.
To his astonishment, Cameron found that helikedthis closeness with Thomas, but something deep and preternatural within him was beginning to unravel. He had not thought he’d been holding himself together in any conscious way, but Thomas’s feeding was undoing something within his primal nature. Like the core of his very being was crumbling and he was seconds away from dissolving.
Cameron inhaled sharply because the feeling alarmed him. He didn’t want to submit to it. “T-Thomas,pleasestop?—”
Thomas pulled up from his neck. When he lifted his head, he licked his lips, but his fangs were still sharp points and his eyes were alighted in that pretty blueish-silver hue. “What’s the matter? Are you alright?”
Clenching his fists at his sides once more, Cameron swallowed. His throat felt unexpectedly dry and achy. Was he due for another bag? “I’m alright, I just… Something strange was happening inside of me and I didn’t know what to make of it.”
Thomas inhaled deeply and blew it out. The warmth of his breath brushed Cameron’s face. Thomas’s fangs retracted, but his eyes kept glowing. “I wasn’t trying to release your aura, but I felt your nature responding to me. Reaching for me.”
They blinked at each other. Thomas had said the words as if they should make some obvious sense to Cameron. They didn’t, so he shrugged.
“Okay…”
“Cameron, has anyone ever explained to you about your nature as a purebred? What it means when your eyes alight and, well… the proverbial ‘birds and bees’ of vampire intimacy?”
