Page 12 of Tied In Tentacles
Justin slowed. “Really?”
“Yes. The deer come right up to my door. I’ve seen bears, too. When the grass grows long, it’s nice to walk through.”
“Idyllic,” Justin murmured. He could see himself in his office, staring outside when he had a few minutes. Taking in nature as he puzzled through a problem.
“Yes, but it can be lonely, too.” Eteriion slowed, then pointed ahead. “Watch.”
Justin stopped next to Eteriion and watched a deer step out from the trees and lift its snout to sniff the air. Justin could see it move from side to side, the black wet nose taking in the air around it. A noise caused it to lope away, and Justin released the breath he hadn’t been aware of holding. “Wow,” he whispered.
“There’s a place a kilometer from here where we can stop and watch. There’s a stream nearby that we can watch. If we time it right, we can see all sorts of animals going there to drink.”
“Lead the way.” Justin followed behind Eteriion, pausing regularly to stare at the birds, or a hare, or the blue sky above. It reminded him of photos he’d seen in galleries. So beautiful and clear. “This is gorgeous.”
“It is. I like to come out here on the weekend.” Eteriion adjusted his hat, and Justin saw how large it was. It covered his head and went halfway down his back. Maybe he had dreads, and that was why his hat was so big. With a shrug, Justin walked on, taking in the scenic beauty around him. So different from where he lived, he felt a freedom he rarely felt at home, and the thought of starting his business crossed his mind again. A place here, away from the hustle and bustle and being able to decide his own hours.
“We’re not far now.”
Justin looked around and realized they had been walking for at least an hour. Lost in thought and taken in by the views, he’d lost track of time. “I could do with a drink.”
“You seemed lost in thought.”
“I was. Being here reminds me of how chaotic life can be at home.”
“And you’ve had some difficult times in the last few months.” Justin flattened his lips as he nodded. Eteriion was correct. His breakup and the fallout had left a sour taste in his mouth, but then he’d met Eteriion, and it hadn’t taken long for him to be naked under him. “Some time here will help to clear your head.”
“It already is.” Justin paused and bent down to look at some pretty white flowers. Standing, he glanced at Eteriion, seeing the way his eyes followed him. “How much farther do we need to go?”
“Not far.” Eteriion’s voice was low and gravelly and caused a shiver to rush over Justin’s skin. “We should move on.”
“Eager?” Justin let his eyes move over Eteriion’s body, watching the muscles tense and flex as he walked.
“Yes.” Justin liked the fact that Eteriion didn’t hide his attraction or the fact that he wanted Justin, and he felt the same way. He wanted Eteriion to take him like he had the night before. So strong and powerful, he’d moved Justin with ease, and Justinwasn’t a small man. He worked out, so had muscles, and he was six feet so wasn’t small either, but Eteriion, being taller and bigger, made Justin feel small, and he found he liked it. He liked having someone who could move him with ease. The fact had him hard within seconds.
Eteriion’s nose twitched, and he looked at Justin with hooded eyes, then began walking again. Justin grinned, his eyes dropping to Eteriion’s ass, watching the firm globes move beneath his pants. Licking his lips, he had plans to bite him there, but first they needed to reach the hut, then he could put those plans into motion.
It took another thirty minutes to reach the cabin, and that was mainly due to Justin stopping to watch the local wildlife and touch the flowers around him. There was beauty everywhere he looked, and he struggled to understand why anyone would move away from a place like this. Unless money was involved, which was generally the case. “Are we there yet?”
Eteriion stopped and frowned as he looked back at him. “Almost. Why?”
“It’s something kids say when you’re going somewhere. Are we there yet? Are we there yet? On repeat. It annoys parents.”
“Children are eager to reach the destination.”
“Yes, and them constantly asking the same question eventually annoys parents, so they learn to say it.”
“Children can be very smart.”
“And annoying.” Eteriion jumped over a fallen log and waited for Justin to join in on the other side. “I love kids even when they are annoying.”
“Do you want children?” Justin nodded. “How many?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m gay, so adoption for me. I guess it’ll be however many my partner and I want.”
“I would like a couple of children.”
“Yeah? Two sounds good.” Justin smiled at Eteriion, then saw the hut in front of them. “Is this it?”
“It is. It looks worse on the outside than it actually is. It’s structurally sound, with the roof still intact. The locals make sure it can protect anyone who happens to be caught in a snowstorm up here. They don’t bother to make it nice looking.”
