The Lynx Who Claimed the Sun (16 page)

Nicolas shot toward the hallway, hoping to catch his mate on the phone before Garth ended the call. Alas, not even his hummingbird speed served to get him there in time. When Nicolas reached his phone, Garth had already hung up.

Nicolas cursed and picked the receiver up. It was easy enough to call back. He just needed to press one single button. But something stopped him from doing so. What would he say if he did call? He would have to admit he’d ignored Garth. He wanted to kick himself from creating an awkward situation between them when they were always so at ease with each other.

As he stood there, wondering, Nicolas’s eyes spotted his abandoned laptop on his bedroom desk. He hadn’t booted it once since that fateful night since he’d received the PM on Twitter. It was yet another thing he’d been afraid of. A part of him imagined that once he logged in, he would see another horrible message that spoke of stalkers coming to destroy his life.

Nicolas put the receiver back in its place and stepped in his bedroom. Perhaps he could e-mail Garth. He hastily started his laptop, tapping his foot impatiently as the operating system loaded. At last, after passing through the usual wall of passwords—God, how stupid those precautions seemed to him now—he opened the browser, logged in on his e-mail account, and opened his Twitter in a different tab.

His inbox was flooded with various e-mails. His friends had written back after they’d gotten his good-bye messages. There were also inquiries from concerned customers and other random acquaintances. More recent messages came from his sister back in Mexico.

Nicolas read through those from his friends, touched at the obvious concern stemming from the words on the screen. He debated opening Valentina’s, but decided against it. He wasn’t in the mood for
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it now. He lingered over the “compose message” tab for a few moments before deciding against it. Perhaps calling would be better, after all. Finally, he logged off and stole a peek on his Twitter account.

There were several PMs in his account, but upon a close inspection, Nicolas didn’t find anything suspicious. He almost laughed at himself. Of course he wouldn’t find it. What did he expect? The elder who’d tried to kill him was now imprisoned in the bowels of the pyramid he’d wanted to sacrifice Nicolas in. His priests and the warriors fighting for him shared his sentence, and Sara would decide when they would be released, if ever. There was no one who would want to hunt Nicolas now.

However, there was also a PM from Garth. It seemed to have been written moments ago.

I know you most likely won’t read this, but I love you. Please
come back to me.

It was short, like all Twitter messages, but it was enough. On impulse, Nicolas typed a message in the reply box. “I love you, too.”

As if in a daze, he pressed send.

Only seconds later did he figure out what he’d just done. He’d essentially declared his love to Garth over Twitter, when he’d never said it out loud, face–to-face. Nicolas wanted to punch himself at his stupidity. He wished there was a way to undo it, but alas, some things couldn’t be taken back.

For a few moments, Nicolas waited to see if he would receive any reply. When none came, he was both disappointed and relieved.

Perhaps he could hack into Garth’s Twitter account and delete the damn message from there. He laughed at his own ridiculous ideas.

Why was he even considering such absurdities?

He turned off his computer as he accepted Garth would see the message sooner or later. He should call and invite Garth over so that
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he could say the words in person before Garth read it. No, he didn’t want to bother Garth at work. Hopefully, the lynx wouldn’t see the PM until tonight and the visit. Then again, he should probably contact his lover, if only to confirm the meeting. God, why did it have to be so difficult for him to make one single decision? It was just a freaking phone call.

Frustrated with himself, Nicolas retrieved his cell and dialed Garth’s number. Much to his surprise, it went to voice mail without the lynx picking up. Anxiety rose inside Nicolas. Had something happened to Garth or was the other man angry with Nicolas?

Nicolas looked for the number of Garth’s office. His lover’s koala secretary answered his call. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Mckenna is not in.

Can I take a message?”

Nicolas numbly thanked her. How could Garth not be there? Just minutes ago, he’d logged in on Twitter. Sure, he might have done so from his smartphone, but if that was so, where had Garth gone when he was supposed to be in the office?

He fretted over this, pacing back and forth through his house.

What now? Should he wait and call later? But if so, when?

He was so lost in his thoughts that when he felt the presence approach he almost disregarded it as his imagination playing tricks on him. The sound of the key in the lock dissipated that illusion. He rushed to the hallway, just in time to see Garth enter the house.

Their gazes met and held, and the recollection of their first meeting passed through Nicolas’s mind. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

Was it only a couple of months?

He didn’t have time to dwell on that thought. Garth crossed the space between them and grabbed him in an iron-like vise. “Say it again,” he murmured. “Say it.”

For a few moments, Nicolas went blank, Garth’s forcefulness making hot arousal course through him. He loved the way Garth squeezed his arms, just on the other side of pain. The intense look in
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Garth’s blue eyes made them look almost black, like the sea on a stormy day. Nicolas wanted to drown in them.

“Nico.” Garth’s voice was a growl now. “Say it.”

In that instant, Nicolas realized what Garth wanted him to say.

The lynx must have read the Twitter message. Oh, well, so much for trying to avoid Garth seeing it.

Was Garth pissed? No, Nicolas didn’t think so. If anything, behind that harsh tone, there seemed to be a need hiding, a need for reassurance.

Nicolas knew that when his friends had bonded with their respective mates, a deep connection had formed. It was something he’d always wanted to have with Garth, at the same time fearing what he needed to give up in order to achieve it. All his secrets would have been revealed, and Nicolas had been terrified of them chasing Garth away.

But his past was out in the open now, and his fears needn’t rule his life any longer. “I love you,” he said. “You’re my mate, and I love you.”

It was the first time he’d admitted the bond between them out loud. Garth released an almost sob and then, to Nicolas’s surprise, grabbed him and draped him over his shoulder. “I’m sorry about this, love,” he said. “I have to claim you.”

In a few long strides, Garth reached the bedroom and dumped Nicolas on the mattress. A bit dizzy, Nicolas simply watched as his lover—no, his mate—stripped for him. The garments flew off in a flurry of material, revealing Garth’s majestic body. With every inch of skin revealed, Nicolas grew even hotter and more light-headed. He wanted to get rid of his own clothes, but he couldn’t move, hypnotized by his mate’s now nude form.

Garth, however, didn’t have any problem in shedding the damn clothing. After ripping his own off, he began to work on Nicolas’s.

Nicolas congratulated himself for wearing comfortable and easily
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removable things when indoors. In moments, he was naked and panting under Garth.

Garth brought their bodies together, and Nicolas moaned as the lynx’s fist enclosed around his shaft. They’d tried this several times since Mexico, but it hadn’t worked out. Now, Nicolas couldn’t even remember why. The mere sensation of his mate’s warm hand around his dick drove him crazy with lust. When Garth brought their two erections together, Nicolas arched his back and clung to his mate, digging his fingernails in the other man’s skin. “God, Garth. Please!”

Garth just looked at him, his breath coming in pants as well. His eyes fixed on Nicolas’s face as he moved his hand up and down their joined pricks. “What do you want, love? Tell me.”

Nicolas didn’t mind asking for what he needed. “Fuck me, Garth.

Fuck me.”

Garth’s gaze seemed to get even more intense. “No, Nico. I’m not going to fuck you. I’m going to make love to you.”

The explosive passion between them somehow surrendered in front of the emotion. Garth pressed their mouth together, and Nicolas pulled Garth closer, disregarding all his fears and uncertainties.

Garth’s tongue demanded entrance, and Nicolas parted his lips, allowing his mate inside. He lost himself in the kiss, his senses invaded with Garth’s distinctive taste.

Garth’s hands trailed over his sides, caressing and massaging, and Nicolas allowed himself to do his own exploring. He mapped the strong, corded muscles of Garth’s back, shuddering when Garth released a low growl. Sometimes, Garth’s gentleness made Nicolas forget that deep inside the man was a beast, a carnivore, a predator wanting to claim his mate.

For once, Nicolas wanted to give in to that demand. It was one he should never have refused because they fit together, like yin and yang—Garth, the caring lynx with a heart of gold, and Nicolas, the hummingbird who collected weaponry and had once been taught ten ways to kill a man.

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When their lips parted, Nicolas found his strength and murmured,

“Claim me, Garth. Just, let go and claim me.”

“Oh, love.” Garth groaned, a tortured, torn sound. “I thought I might never hear those words from you.”

A pang of guilt speared Nicolas, but when Garth smiled at him, it began to dissipate. Yes, he’d waited. Yes, they’d lost a lot of time together. But if he hadn’t, perhaps he wouldn’t be so sure now that this was truly what he wanted, what they both wanted, and not just sexual attraction.

“You’ll hear them every day from now on,” he replied.

The words seemed to flip a switch inside the lynx, and Garth descended upon Nicolas again. His hands were frantic, exploring Nicolas’s skin as if he couldn’t get enough. His weight above Nicolas felt so very comforting, so safe, familiar and at the same time, insanely arousing. Now more than ever, Nicolas wanted to have his mate pierce his ass, to take Garth’s cock inside him. His anus clenched in anticipation, and Nicolas released a chirp-whimper, hoping to convey his tremendous need.

His mate must have understood his desire. Garth briefly rolled off Nicolas and rummaged through the nightstand. He came back seconds later, his precious prize in his grip.

Grinning, Garth opened the bottle of lube and poured the slick liquid on his fingers. Eager, Nicolas lifted his legs and spread them wide, exposing his nether opening to Garth’s inspection. Garth released another groan. “God, love, you’re so beautiful.”

His slippery fingers rubbed against Nicolas’s hole, awakening every nerve in the region. One digit wormed its way inside, zeroing in on Nicolas’s prostate. Nicolas gasped and pushed back, the gentle touch merely whetting his appetite.

Garth added another finger, while his other hand went to Nicolas’s cock. He moved his fist in perfect coordination with the almost relentless massage against Nicolas’s special spot. Nicolas thrashed on
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the bed, torn between ripping himself away from the far too delicious torture and demanding more of it.

In the end, he didn’t have to make the choice. Garth removed his fingers from Nicolas’s ass and poured more lubricant on them. He slicked up his cock and positioned the thick shaft at Nicolas’s twitching hole. Slowly, ever so slowly, he pushed in, filling Nicolas to the brink.

Nicolas bit his lip in an effort to contain the pleasure that threatened to overcome him. As expected, he failed abysmally. When his mate’s thick prick brushed against his prostate, he had to reach between them and squeeze the base of his dick to prevent himself from climaxing.

He wanted to ask Nicolas to pound him, but his mate stilled and gave him a deep look. “Say it again,” he whispered.

Even if Garth’s voice was low, the words swept over Nicolas with a striking intensity. For a few instants, they didn’t really process, so Garth repeated, “Say it again.”

Nicolas finally made the connection between Garth’s earlier demand and this one. He couldn’t have been more surprised. All the blood seemed to have pooled from his brain to his cock. How could Garth expect him to even think right now? Besides, didn’t the lynx know that words spoken in the heat of passion couldn’t be trusted?

Or could they? Between the two of them, the boundaries between mere lust and genuine affection had long ago disappeared. They were now combined into one comprehensive emotion. When their bodies came together, so did their souls.

And so, Nicolas was not afraid to say the words again. “I… I love you,” he stammered out between pants. “I love you so much.”

As he finished the phrase, Garth pulled out of him and thrust back in. The motion made the lynx’s cock hit Nicolas’s special spot with a strength that caused the bed to creak. The pleasure that exploded through Nicolas’s body grew even more, and he pushed back, fucking himself on his mate’s cock.

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They fell into a rhythm as familiar to them as life itself. Their breaths and heartbeats were in unison. In Garth’s eyes, Nicolas saw the same emotion he’d earlier expressed. Neither of them spoke.

Words were useless, the language of their bodies enough to convey everything that needed to be said.

Nicolas felt like he was back in the rainforest, glowing in the sun and fleeting among the flowers he loved so much. Only here, there were no threats and no enemies. He was safe, protected, and most of all, loved.

With the amazing ecstasy soaring higher and higher, it didn’t take long for him to reach the brink. He needed just one more thing, one thing to cement their bond. “Claim me,” he managed to cry out.

“Please, Garth, claim—”