“I should be able—.” He started to answer but lightning cracked and thunder boomed so close together it was one big snarl of terrifying noise. Ji-Su jumped, hitting the top of his head against Raul’s chin as he dove forward to bury his face against his chest. He stayed there, shaking, until the angry sounds outside the windows eased up. Once it was quiet except for the sound of the pounding rain, he pulled back and looked up at Raul.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Barely felt it.”
“Are you sure?” He tried to joke as his racing heart slowly returned to normal speed. “I’ve been told I have a hard head.”
“You can always kiss it better.” Raul went quiet and pressed his lips together for a moment. “Sorry, that was a bad joke.”
“I don’t mind.” He leaned up and pressed a quick but soft kiss to the spot where his skull had collided with Raul’s chin. “Did that help?”
“Yep, the pain is all gone now.”
Ji-Su smiled. Raul teasing him to take his mind off the storm that raged outside really helped. When another crack of lightning came, he squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t jump, but he couldn’t help the shivers of fear that ran through him. Raul rubbed his back, his big hand sliding up and down in a soothing caress.
“Sssh. You’re okay.”
His eyes still closed, Ji-Su nodded. The warm hand on his back was exactly what he needed to stay calm. The thunder gradually rolled into silence and Ji-Su opened his eyes. Raul was watching him. His face was mostly in shadow, but Ji-Su could still make out how handsome he was. Ji-Su shivered again, but this time it wasn’t from fear. Raul was so big and he made him feel safe. But he also made him feel something else. A familiar feeling, one he hadn’t experienced in a while, tugged behind his navel. The feeling grew when the hand stroking his back changed course and moved to cup his jaw, a broad thumb caressing his cheek.
“You’re...”
Raul stopped, the unfinished sentence hanging in the small space between them.
“I’m what?” he asked when Raul didn’t continue.
“You’re sweet.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Mmm-hmm. I like sweet.”
Ji-Su’s heart started racing again. He knew Raul could hear it. And sure enough, his thumb moved down to lightly press over his pulse.
“Is this fear?” Raul asked quietly.
Ji-Su shook his head. “No,” he whispered back.
At his answer, Raul slowly leaned down. Closer and closer until their lips were almost touching. Ji-Su let his eyes drift closed and waited. In the next breath, their lips met. Raul’s lips were gentle as they moved across his own, kissing him softly. Ji-Su kissed him back. This wasn’t what he’d come for. But it felt too wonderful to tell Raul to stop.
RAUL COULD HARDLY BELIEVEthat Ji-Su was there in his bed. He lightly teased him, hoping to take his mind off the storm. It worked, except now after the sweetly chaste kiss to his chin, Ji-Su was staring up at him with his dark eyes wide and sparkling, an expression Raul recognized on his delicate face. Unable to resist the temptation, he leaned down and kissed him.
It was the barest brush of their lips, giving Ji-Su ample room to move away or leave the bed altogether if he chose to do so. But he didn’t try to leave. He did the opposite and scooted closer, so Raul kissed him again. And again. Then he traced the tip of his tongue over the seam of Ji-Su’s lips, coaxing him to part them for him. Ji-Su followed the silent instruction on a shaky breath.
With a rough groan, he licked into Ji-Su’s mouth, tasting him fully, deepening the kiss. More thunder boomed, but Ji-Su didn’t even react to it. Instead, he moaned, the soft sound reaching Raul’s ears over the rumble and rattling windows.
After several minutes of intoxicating kisses, Raul pulled back to look at Ji-Su. His face was flushed, lush lips pink and kiss swollen. He appeared to be enjoying this. But Raul asked to be sure.
“Is this okay?”
Ji-Su nodded once. “Yes.”
That was all the assurance he needed. Raul resumed their kiss, aiming to bring forth more of those sweet noises. Ji-Su gavehim what he wanted, airy little moans that made him wantmore. He smoothed his hand down until he reached the small of Ji-Su’s back. Slipping his hand beneath Ji-Su’s sleep shirt, he touched his warm, bare skin. It felt like silk under his palm.
“You’re so soft,” he whispered against Ji-Su’s lips before he kissed him again. That single caress had him longing to touch Ji-Su everywhere. Going slow, he moved his hand down further, slipping into his pajama bottoms to grasp the curve of his ass. It was plump and full in his hand. He squeezed, earning another moan, this one long and throaty. Encouraged by the sound, he continued to rub and squeeze the warm, round curve as their kisses bloomed from tender and sweet to hot and passionate.
When Ji-Su’s hips began to move in little curls, Raul knew what it meant. He moved his hand around to the front of Ji-Su’s body. Along the way, his fingers brushed over the fine skin of his hip, then slid over soft pubic curls, before they reached the hot, silky length of his cock. Raul took Ji-Su in hand and began a light, stroking rhythm.
“Ah!”