* * *
As soon as the order for expulsion was given, Zephyros, who should have been delighted to flee, instead rose slowly, as if reluctant to leave.
“Hurry up and get out.”
Only after Felix, unable to hold back any longer, barked the command did Zephyros finally step outside, escorted by the knights through the open door.
Once the intruder had left, Felix strode toward the sofa where Lowell was seated, his steps impatient and urgent.
“Lowell.”
The heat from their earlier kiss had yet to fade.
If anything, driving the third party away had only stoked Felix’s fire further.
“I want to kiss you.”
Lowell found it endearing that Felix always sought permission before kissing him, so he spread his arms wide in welcome.
“As much as you’d like.”
Felix ran his tongue lightly over Lowell’s lips, mimicking what Lowell had done just moments ago.
Then, as if knocking, he tapped at his lips with the tip of his tongue, and Lowell, as if he had been waiting for it, parted his lips in response.
Their tongues intertwined as if they had always been one, refusing to part for a long time.
It was a slow and tender kiss—one that traced each other’s delicate palates and caressed firm teeth.
When they finally broke apart, having tasted every bit of each other’s breath, they lingered, their hands brushing over each other’s arms, reluctant to let go.
The air between them was thick with a scent of temptation, neither belonging to one nor the other.
Burying his face in the crook of Lowell’s neck, Felix clenched his jaw and abruptly pulled away.
“I need to get my pheromones under control.”
The veins standing out on his neck betrayed how desperately he was restraining his excitement.
“There’s no need for that.”
Lowell reached out and caught the hem of Felix’s clothes.
It was the faintest of gestures, weaker than a passing breeze.
And yet, like a dandelion seed swayed by the lightest touch, Felix was easily drawn in.
“Lowell, you might not know this, but it’s still too soon for us to… go that far.”
He started with a firm tone, but by the end, his voice had softened as if he were trying to coax rather than command.
Lowell already knew what Felix was worried about.
‘I don’t remember exactly how many weeks it’s been, but there’s still a little time before the stable period.’
He tried to recall information about pregnancy, but since it had never been relevant to him before, it wasn’t easy to remember.
Frustrated by his hazy memory, Lowell roughly estimated that it would take another two or three weeks before he reached the stable period.
But there was only one reason he was deliberately tempting Felix.
“We can still be intimate without going all the way. Would you like me to show you how?”
The moment those words left his lips, Felix climbed onto the sofa and pressed Lowell down beneath him.
His sharp gaze lifted slightly at the corners, and his lips were drawn into a tight line—signs that something had clearly irritated him.
“Where exactly did you learn that from another man?”
Hot breath spilled onto Lowell’s neck.
The warmth quickly morphed into a faint sting as Felix bared his teeth and bit down, as if branding him, claiming him.
“I’ve never learned from anyone else. I only show these things to you, Your Grace.”
Lowell gently ran his fingers through Felix’s dark hair.
That alone was enough to ease Felix’s intensity.
Though his black eyes still held suspicion, Lowell continued stroking him with quiet reassurance.
“And I’ll only ever show them to you.”
Their lower bodies pressed together, their arousals straining against each other, seeking connection.
Even through the layers of clothing, the heat was unmistakable—an unlit fuse waiting for a spark.
“Let’s move to the bed.”
His voice, laced with desire, sank low.
Lifting Lowell into his arms, Felix guided his searching hands to his own neck.
“You always tense up when I carry you.”
“It’s just that I’m not used to being carried like this.”
“Well, get used to it. You’ll be in my arms often from now on.”
As Felix chuckled softly, Lowell instinctively relaxed.
Despite his commanding tone, Felix’s movements were careful, as if he were holding the most fragile glass figurine.
The lamp beside the bed cast a soft glow, forming a quiet circle of light.
Stepping into its warmth, Felix gently placed Lowell onto the mattress.
When he climbed in beside him, the bed dipped slightly, creating small ripples.
‘It almost sounds like waves.’
Lowell welcomed Felix as he leaned in, willing to be filled entirely by him if that was what he desired.
“Tell me if it’s too much.”
Felix’s fingers trembled slightly as he unfastened Lowell’s buttons one by one, struggling to rein in his excitement.
As the silk fabric slipped from Lowell’s body, his pale skin was revealed.
The flickering light tinged his white skin with a soft blush, and Felix’s lips descended upon it, leaving warmth in their wake.
Like a raspberry resting on pristine cloth, his tongue traced over the most prominent peak, teasingly circling a nipple.
Sliding his hand under Lowell’s side, he effortlessly removed the rest of his clothing.
There was no need for Lowell to lift his hips; Felix was already peeling away every layer with an urgency bordering on desperation.
His hand slipped under the last piece of fabric, fingers brushing intimately, but before he could grasp him fully, Lowell lightly tapped his thick thigh.
“Let’s do it together.”
“…Alright.”
Unlike how he treated Lowell, Felix practically tore his own clothes off, discarding them carelessly.
His body radiated heat, as if burning with uncontained frustration.
‘The first time, I was too overwhelmed to really look.’
Lowell traced the scars marking Felix’s battle-worn body.
They were remnants of a life spent fighting, and they filled him with an aching tenderness.
“Did it hurt a lot?”
His gaze lingered on a long scar stretching from Felix’s iliac crest down to his thigh.
He brushed his fingers over it, brows furrowing in concern.
Felix, caught off guard by the question, let out a small laugh, his expression briefly softening into that of a young man rather than a hardened warrior.
“I don’t even remember, so it’s nothing to worry about.”
Even so, Lowell continued to run his fingers gently over the old wound.
“…Hah.”
Felix’s brows knitted together, and his already-hard length twitched, growing even firmer.
Just the sensation of Lowell’s touch seemed to be enough to drive him wild.
Lowell reached out and guided Felix’s arousal between his thighs.
“Rub it here.”
“Are you sure?”
Felix understood immediately, his knowledge of such acts not entirely lacking.
“More than sure—I want it.”
Felix no longer had the patience to refuse.
He gathered Lowell’s thighs together, though keeping them pressed was a challenge given the softness of his frame.
Still, with Felix’s impressive size, even if Lowell’s legs parted slightly, it wouldn’t matter.
His heated length nestled between Lowell’s pale thighs, transferring its warmth.
As Felix adjusted his position, his movements slow and deliberate, the friction against Lowell’s perineum sent shivers through them both.
Gradually, his pace quickened.
The subtle burn of skin against skin sent tingles of pleasure radiating through their bodies.
A scent of overripe apples, rich and intoxicating, mixed with hints of honey, briefly filled the air before dissipating.
“Lowell.”
Felix wrapped a hand around Lowell’s arousal.
With stimulation on both ends, Lowell instinctively arched back, his breath catching.
If Felix hadn’t supported his nape, his head would have tilted back entirely.
Instead, he was forced to meet Felix’s gaze.
A fierce, undiluted hunger crashed over him like a tidal wave.
“…Kiss me.”
Felix’s lips parted slightly.
He was usually the one who asked for permission to kiss, but now Lowell was the one making the request.
That alone sent a rush of delight through him.
As their lips met again, deep and wanting, the rhythm of Felix’s movements quickened between Lowell’s thighs.
“Aah… hngh.”
* * *
