right up. “’Cause I am head over heels for you, darling.”
Kalai yelped in surprise, then laughed, wrapping his arms around Tauran’s neck. His slender, beautiful body felt sleep-warm against Tauran’s. “Are you drunk?”
“Only a little.” Tauran kicked the door closed. Kalai hardly weighed a thing when Tauran carried him for the stairs.
Kalai stopped them with a hand around the bottom of the handrail, laughter still in his voice. “How about I walk up on my own?”
Tauran flushed. “Oh. Okay.”
Kalai wore a pair of soft gray shorts. He took the stairs first, giving Tauran a delightful view of his bare, toned legs. Tauran’s eyes trailed up to the perfect round curves of his ass. At the top of the stairs, Tauran wrapped his arms around Kalai from behind and pressed his lips to the curve of Kalai’s neck, pressing his hips against him. The soft moan escaping Kalai was enough to send a shiver of heat all throughout his body. “By the skies, you are mind-blowing,” Tauran whispered, trailing kisses up the side of Kalai’s neck to his cheekbone.
“You’re not so bad yourself.” There was joy and amusement in Kalai’s voice, and it was the sweetest thing Tauran had ever heard.
Tauran dragged Kalai to the bed, and they tumbled onto it. He discarded his own shirt faster than he’d ever managed to while drunk before and pressed his body against Kalai’s. Kalai angled his chin up and Tauran met him for a kiss. Kalai’s teeth dragging along Tauran’s lip sent a wave of desire through him. Skies, he wanted Kalai so bad. More than he had ever wanted anything before. He pulled the collar of Kalai’s shirt down to fit his lips over the curve of his collarbone. His own scent clung to Kalai’s skin from the shirt, and he reveled in it. The shivering sigh leaving Kalai told Tauran he’d found a magic spot. His other hand trailed down, slipping underneath Kalai’s shirt, then downward.
“Wait,” Kalai sighed, his grip tightening on Tauran’s hips.
“Mhm, what?” Tauran trailed his lips back up to Kalai’s jaw.
“Tau, stop.” Kalai’s tone had changed, and he pushed against Tauran’s hips instead of pulling him closer.
Tauran raised his head. His heart skipped, and he searched Kalai’s face for pain or discomfort. As carefully as he could while drunk, he shifted off him and settled on the mattress instead. “What did I do?”
Kalai’s eyes widened. He followed Tauran and reached for his face. “Nothing. You were amazing.” He sealed his words with a kiss to the corner of Tauran’s lips.
Tauran melted at the touch, covering Kalai’s hand with his own. But his mind stayed focused on that single, crucial word. “Talk to me.”
Kalai hesitated. He looked down, letting his hand slide from Tauran’s grasp. “I’m just... if I have an episode while we...” He flushed.
Tauran blinked slowly, his sluggish mind working hard to keep up. Then he realized what Kalai had said, and he took a deep breath. “Kalai.” He took Kalai’s hand in both his own. “I will never, ever, take advantage of you. I’ll die first!” He knew the wine was making him a little over-dramatic, but he still meant it.
Kalai blinked. “No, that’s...” He smiled a little, bringing Tauran’s hands to his lips, pressing a sweet kiss to his knuckles. “I know you wouldn’t. I trust you.”
Those three words filled Tauran with a rush of pride and he shifted closer, dropping his head on Kalai’s shoulder.
Kalai wrapped an arm around him. “It’s not that I don’t want to sleep with you. I do. I really, really do. I’m just worried we’ll be in the middle of... it, and I’ll have an episode you won’t notice straight away because you’re drunk, and... ugh.” He rubbed his forehead against Tauran’s temple. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have taken it this far. I was enjoying myself.”
Tauran hummed. His hands found Kalai’s hips, thumbing slow circles into the skin under his shirt. “I understand,” he said softly. “When I’m sober. Sorry.”
Kalai shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. Lie with me?”
He didn’t have to say it twice. The hardness between Tauran’s legs wouldn’t let him sleep for a while, but he didn’t care. They pulled the covers aside, and Tauran stretched on his back, dragging Kalai closer. Kalai settled halfway on top of him, as close as he could get, pulling off his shirt so they were skin to skin.
In the dazed moments right before sleep took him, Tauran thought this was the best ending to a wonderful night.