“Perhaps, you could provide some guidance in the—” His gaze dropped heavily to the rosy skin inches before him, tongue tracing his lips nervously.
“—matter.”
Orin sighed, one hand brushing his thick brown hair into disarray as his broad shoulders lifted into an uneven shrug.
“Listen, honey. I ain’t a decent man. I really oughta be trying to talk you out of this. I’m sure if I gave you instructions, you would follow them to the letter like a damn pro, but to tell the truth, I’m just dying to watch you put that big brain to work figuring this out your own sweet self.”
Ari spent a moment just looking into Orin’s eyes, the hopeful, sheepish expression on his face sending warmth spreading through Aristotle’s chest like an overturned inkwell.
He focused back down to the task at hand, taking a fortifying breath before leaning in to start in earnest.
He began small, with tentative kitten licks all across the head, squeezing his fingers with a deep moan as the musky scent and flavor of Orin exploded across his senses.
Orin responded with a choked gasp, his fingers compulsively clenching and releasing against his thighs.
Ari switched to one hand, moving it up and down as he licked every inch of exposed skin, his hand and chin growing sloppy wet.
He wrapped his other hand around Orin’s wrist, lifting his hand to rest on the back of Ari’s head. Orin groaned through his teeth, biting back other noises under the slick sound of Ari’s fist working his shaft.
He cried out sharply as Ari wrapped his lips around the tip and sucked down until the head popped into his mouth.
Ari pressed down further, barely taking in a third of his length and groaning at the way his jaw already felt stretched to capacity.
Orin’s bitten-back noises exploded into words, shoved rough and sweet between panting moans.
“Gorgeous. Look at you. So beautiful, baby. Holy fuck. Stars. Just, look at you.”
Ari hollowed his cheeks, pressing until Orin hit the back of his throat, and when he choked, Orin’s hand pulled him gently up.
Orin seemed transfixed by Ari’s wet, open mouth as he shook his head. “Don’t hurt yourself, baby.”
Ari spared him an irritated glare before shoving himself down as far as he could go, swallowing against the choking sensation, already addicted to the blunt press of Orin against his soft palate.
Orin’s fingers spasmed behind his head, Ari’s eyes rolling up at the light tug to his hair. “Good. So good. You’re so good for me, beautiful.”
Ari attempted to bob his head as Orin had done, choking twice more before he found a rhythm that he could manage, belatedly remembering to chase the motion with his hand around the shaft.
The muscles of Orin’s thighs tensed against his shoulders, the hand that wasn’t on Ari’s head sneaking down to slip under Ari’s shirt, unerringly finding and pulling at his nipples.
Ari muffled a surprised moan at the sensation, shocked that he was hard in his trousers once again.
“Perfect, baby. Just like that.”
Ari whimpered helplessly at the words, doubling his efforts.
He would feel the ache in his jaw in the morning, and the knowledge sent a dark thrill down his spine. He wanted to stay here forever, achingly full and cradled by Orin’s heavy thighs.
Ari shoved his free hand under Orin’s shirttails and raked his fingers through the curls up to his navel, tracing the ridges of tensing muscle across his abdomen.
Orin’s voice cracked, his hand trembling against the back of Ari’s head.
“Shit. Baby, you gotta pull off if you don’t want. I can’t. I’m close.”
Ari wrapped his tongue around the head and pressed down as far as he could, hand working frantically as Orin swelled impossibly larger before shooting down his throat.
He tried to swallow against the warm waves but had to pull off to take a breath, catching the last pulse on his chin.
He lifted his lashes to fix on Orin’s wild, awestruck face.
“C’mere, beautiful.”
Large hands pulled Ari into his lap, evidently unconcerned with tucking himself into his trousers.
Orin grazed his sore lips with a rough fingertip before swiping at the mess on his chin.
Ari surged forward, taking Orin’s tongue into his mouth as his fingers clenched in the soft waves of his hair.
Orin’s hands slid into the back of his trousers before working their way to the front, blanking Ari’s mind with bliss.
For the first time in his life, Aristotle couldn’t hold another thought in his head until morning.
Chapter Nine
Orin woke up to the familiar sensation of a warm body in his bed, pressed close against his side.
A thoroughly ruffled crop of bright hair tickled the bottom of his chin as Ari’s head shifted with every breath.
Careful not to wake him, Orin ran his fingers gently down the elegant lines of Ari’s back.
Gorgeous.
His skin felt like silk, running smooth and unblemished under Orin’s hands. Felt like something he ought not to be touching, to tell the truth.
Felt like something he might break with his big, clumsy hands.
Felt like something too good for the likes of him.
No denying that.
Dr. Aristotle Campbell was definitely too good for him.
Lucky for them both that Orin wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Pretty little Core scientist wants to slum it up in Orin’s bed, and he wasn’t going to be the one to kick him out. Man like that should come to his senses soon enough. Best not to get attached, just hold on and enjoy the ride while he could.
Damn, but he was sweet though.
Too bad he didn’t come with the ship at the end of their contract.
Orin swallowed that line of thought down quicker than a shot of whiskey. No point even going there, nothing at the end of that track.
Truth was, Orin had landed himself in a real sweet spot, and he’d be a fool to throw a wrench in it by trying to make this more than it was.
Just a week ago, Orin had been cut adrift and sinking fast, no ship, no pay, no prospects.
Then he picked up on a rumor some Core stiff was hunting for a pilot with the skill and discretion to get him through the deep dark, and here he was.
Sitting pretty with a redhead in his lap and a ship coming his way when his contract was up.
Couldn’t ask for better. Already getting better than he deserved, and that was a fact.
Ari lifted his head, blinking blearily up at him before busting out in a full-body flush.
Orin had never seen anything more precious.
Sweet thing was trying to keep the sheet wrapped around himself while he used his foot on the floor to scoot his trousers close enough to reach.
Orin grazed his hand along Ari’s arm, ending up tangling their fingers.
“Hold up, now, beautiful, where’s the fire?”
Poor thing couldn’t meet his eye, slender fingers twitching before tentatively wrapping around Orin’s hand. Orin’s heart jumped in his chest at the gesture, dumb beast that it was.
Ari peered up at him through those spun-gold lashes as if he didn’t even know the havoc that kind of thing could wreak in a man. As if he didn’t even know the kind of damage he could do with a pair of pretty green eyes. As if he didn’t know Orin was already doing his best not to drown in them.
Ari’s morning voice was soft and sweet with just a hint of raspiness.