with him. He adjusted the pillows under his head and neck, then bent his knees so Micah could lie more comfortably, settled in Travis’s lap. Micah moaned softly but didn’t wake. He wiggled, his head resting on Travis’s pectoral, his damp breath over Travis’s breastbone.
The room was chilly, night air sneaking in through the open window, and Travis glided his hands over Micah’s back, his ass cheeks, and thighs until he reached the edge of the blanket. He tugged it over them. Nuzzling the top of Micah’s head, he filled his nostrils and mind with the intoxicating scent. His knot pulsed softly in response.
This time, it had been all Micah. He’d opened himself and used Travis’s cock, impaling himself with abandon until the trance-like breeding orgasm had swallowed him up. Travis had never come so hard in his life.
Spreading his hands over Micah’s back, Travis tried to lose himself in the moment, to savor Micah tied to him. Yet in his mind, he couldn’t stop hoping and worrying. He knew how heat sex felt, and he was sure what he’d experienced with Micah was much more. He didn’t need extra time or any further proof. He felt a profound sense of rightness, even inevitability, whenever they made love. Breeding Micah was life-changing, soul-crushing, both beautiful and painful because Travis desperately wanted Micah to be the one. It’s him. It must be. I’ll spend the rest of my life with him.
In the weakest, most selfish, hidden alcove in his mind, Travis wished he could get Micah pregnant already, so they’d be connected forever. The thought of Micah leaving him terrified him to his very core.
He knew he must wait. He’d wait for however long it would take. Micah was his future.
“You’re the love of my life, Micah. I wish I could tie you to me forever, but I want you to have the freedom you deserve. I want you to choose me when you do have a choice.”
Micah didn’t hear his whispered words, but Travis felt lighter in his heart for having said them.
On the tenth day of Micah’s heat, Travis made pancakes for breakfast, and then they took a three-hour hike in the forest surrounding the chalet. The circular trail led them to a vista above the valley, offering a view of the chalet, the meadows surrounding it, and the meanders of the Shatter River. Micah’s eyes shone with excitement for the entire time.
“Damn, I missed this.”
“You’re like a mountain goat. My aging joints can barely keep up.”
Micah snickered. “Bullshit. Your aging joints have been carrying me around the house for over a week. C’mon. I’m hungry.”
“Of course, you are.”
“I can’t wait to go running again.”
“You run competitively?”
It wouldn’t have surprised Travis. Micah was lithe, his body tight with wiry muscles, and he’d barely worked up a sweat climbing the steep slopes of the valley.
“I used to. Cross-country and orienteering. I don’t compete anymore, but I still run seven miles a few times a week.”
“In a few days, you’ll be recovered enough to go running again.”
Micah threw Travis a sad smile. “I’d need my running shoes.”
And all his things were in his father’s house. Travis still didn’t know if Micah would stay, but he didn’t push his luck.
When they came back, Micah insisted he’d cook a late lunch and spent a long time inspecting the contents of Travis’s fridge and pantry. In the end, he made oven-baked vegetables, blue cheese sauce, and chicken fillets. Travis enjoyed watching Micah dart around in his space, focused on his tasks. He’d refused Travis’s help. Travis opened his laptop and pretended to work, when in reality, he stalked Micah’s every movement.
“Can I at least do the dishes afterward?”
“You can. You can even make dinner. Even though I’m sure there’ll be leftovers. I’m already full.”
“It’s delicious, Micah. I love it.”
“Thank you. I’m glad I could do it.”
It had been almost twenty hours since the last wave. Not that Travis was counting. He desperately wanted to make love to Micah one more time. Micah wasn’t tired anymore; he seemed energized even. The long breaks gave them plenty of time to do other things besides roll around naked, and the more Travis got to know Micah outside of bed, the more he feared losing him.
Micah lifted his eyes to Travis’s above the table and smiled softly, stabbing Travis’s heart over and over.
“Can we take a bath after lunch?” he asked, his expression almost coy. No way was Travis going to miss an opportunity to hold him.
“Sure. How