by C. S. Poe
He didn’t answer, but let go of my hand and took the handle of the cart, slowly and quietly pulling it back the way we had come. When he’d gotten it out of the maids’ sight, he quickly started rummaging through the contents of towels and sheets and mini soaps.
“Wes!” I whispered loudly.
“Here!” He pulled out a uniform shirt and handed it over, taking the egg briefly. “Put this on. No one pays attention to the cleaning crew. They’re looking for two dumbasses running around with a stolen egg.”
“It’s not stolen. It was abandoned,” I corrected, pulling the shirt over my head.
Wesley was grinning when I tugged it down over my eyes. “It matches your pants.”
“Stupid fucking salmon!”
He laughed and handed the egg over to pull his own uniform on, the sleeves and legs made for someone about a foot shorter than Wesley was. “Okay,” he said, slipping his glasses into his pocket. “Put the egg in with the towels, and we’ll push this down the road to the rooms, and hopefully if we bump into them, we’ll—you know, blend in.”
“This is insane,” I answered, crouching down to bury the egg safely into the pile of fresh towels on the cart’s shelf.
“No more insane than getting beat up defending an egg that isn’t ours,” he said before pushing the cart. “Just keep me walking in a straight line and stay low.”
And so we walked back out onto the long, open driveway of the resort, cart wheels clanking and rolling along loudly. The cart broke the silence of the evening, and with every jolt on the uneven ground, I winced. It was like banging cymbals in an empty music hall.
But Wesley was right. As we walked closer and closer to the next building where our rooms were, guests didn’t spare us a second glance.
I tilted my head down to look into the back of the shelf a few times, but the egg seemed fine. When I looked at the road ahead, I could see the group of men and security personnel all standing together outside the front doors of the events building.
“Crap. That’s them.”
“Keep cool,” Wesley replied.
“They’re going to recognize us,” I answered as we got closer.
“Just focus on the goal.”
“Not dying?”
“Think about how incredible our sex is going to be as soon as we get to my room.”
“We’re still having sex? Even after all this?”
“Especially after this,” he corrected.
“I’m a virgin,” I blurted out. “I don’t want to die one.”
The group broke up into two, with a few turning to walk in the direction of our building and the others making right for us.
Wesley moved his hand over mine, gripping it tight. I ducked my head down, pretending to fumble with some of the spray bottles attached to the side and waiting for the first punch to the face.
It never came.
I heard Wesley let out a breath, and I looked over my shoulder. They had walked right by us, continuing into the dark. “I can’t believe that worked,” I stated.
“Me neither.”
“What?” I looked at Wesley. “You said it would!”
“I was trying to keep you calm!”
“Oh my God!”
“Hush! We still have to get inside. Where’d the others go? I can’t see shit.”
I huffed and looked around, just catching security following the other three into the building. “Fuck me,” I grumbled.
“Not out here.”
“Ha-ha. They just went into the same place we’re going.”
I followed Wesley to the front door and held it open for him to push the cart inside. The lobby was silent. I pushed the button for the elevator, and we hurried in. “What floor?”
“Four,” Wesley said as he leaned back against the wall for a breath.
When the elevator opened again, I stepped out, then jumped back in a panic, bumping into the cart. “Ouch!”
“Sorry! What, what?” Wesley asked.
“T-They’re at the end of the hall,” I said, frozen in panic.
Wesley cursed as he pushed the cart out of the elevator. “Get the egg.”
I scrambled through the heaps of towels and pulled the bundle out safely. I clutched Wesley’s free hand as he put on the cheap glasses and led the way in the opposite direction. He stopped near the far end and had to fumble for his key card through the uniform pants.
“Hurry, before they turn around,” I whispered, although how I even managed to speak at all, I don’t know, I was so freaked.
Wesley got the card and shoved it in the lock before throwing the door open and grabbing me. He closed it behind us and engaged the deadbolt before looking out the peephole.
“Anything?” I asked.
He shook his head after a beat, then held his hand up.
I could hear muffled conversation and footsteps go by, come back, and then the distant ping of the elevator.
“They’re gone,” he breathed before falling back against the door.
I walked to the king-sized bed and sat. “So. Not exactly how I expected our date to end.”
Wesley walked across the room and sat beside me. He put his hand on the back of my neck, squeezing gently, and tugged me against him. He kissed the top of my head. “A roadblock.”
“That was more like an explosion on the freeway.”
He laughed quietly. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Do you have a robe?”
“Robe? In the closet, I think.”
I passed him the egg, stood, moved to the closet, and pushed a few hung-up suits aside before pulling free a big, snuggly robe the hotel provided.
“What’re you doing?” he asked as I took the egg back and walked to the overstuffed armchair in the corner.
“Making a nest—thing. For the egg.”
“You’re adorably domestic,” Wesley said, in a tone like he was finally admitting the truth.
I snorted and crouched to wrap the egg, with its scarf, up in the robe, nestling it safely against the back of the chair. “If they don’t want it, there are plenty of other Magells who would take it as their own. There’s no reason to destroy it.”
“You don’t even have a partner yet to help you,” Wesley pointed out.
I felt my cheeks get hot, and I shrugged, my back to him. “I know. But I can’t deny I’m rather attached to it.”
I heard the bed creak lightly as Wesley stood. “I couldn’t tell,” he said dryly.
I got up and turned in time for his hands to take my hips, tugging me closer. I swallowed, feeling like a bundle of raw, nervous energy. “I don’t have any condoms or, uh—anything,” I said quickly to fill the silence.
“I do.”
“Really?”
Wesley shrugged one shoulder and offered that little self-conscious smile. “Hopeful thinking.”
“It’d be a shame to waste them, then.”
His smile broke into a grin. “That it would be.” Wesley leaned down and kissed me again.
It was like magic. Sparks of pleasure shot all along my body, from my fingertips to my toes. My skin tingled everywhere he touched—hell, even what he hadn’t touched tingled. Wesley raised his hands to thread his fingers through my hair, and I practically melted.
“Get out of this awful uniform,” he said, pulling back to help tug the shirt off.
I threw it aside, stupid tweed jacket and tie following. I’d unbuttoned my shirt halfway before turning back to the egg. It was just sitting there. Obviously it couldn’t see anything, but it felt weird. Two’s a party; three’s a crowd. I carefully turned the egg in its robe nest.
That didn’t do much.
“Is this the front or back?” I mumbled absently.
“I think it’s upside down,” Wesley said.
“What?” I yelped, adjusting the egg again. After a beat, I just covered it completely with the robe. “There.”
Wesley pressed up behind me, his body hard and hot against mine. He set his chin on my shoulder, silent
ly finishing with the buttons of my shirt before helping tug it off. He ran his hands down my arms, kissing my neck, my shoulder….
And then I was on the bed, bouncing on the mattress as Wesley dove naked on top of me, both of us laughing. He kissed me, deep and passionate. I slipped my arms under his, pressed my fingers into the firm muscles of his back, and pulled him down on me. A jolt of pleasure went straight to my cock as his own rubbed against me. Wesley rolled his hips, grinding roughly. I moaned into the kiss and eagerly thrust up to meet his motions, if not a bit awkwardly.
“One second,” Wesley managed to say after breaking the kiss. He climbed off and went to his suitcase on the floor.
“I’m ready to come right now,” I said breathlessly, staring at the ceiling.
“Don’t do that,” he warned, coming back, uncapping a bottle in his hand. Wesley squirted lube onto his fingers, reached down, and stroked me a few times. He did the same to himself before getting back on the bed, laying over me once more, and thrusting.
“Oh my God!” I wrapped my arms firmly around Wesley’s neck and bucked up.
“Sorry,” Wesley whispered into my ear. “I don’t think I can hold back long enough for something better than this.”
“T-This is good,” I panted. “Fine, great!” Even in my fantasies, I hadn’t imagined my first time being this amazing. If having Wesley draped over me, our cocks rubbing together desperately, skin hot and sweaty, and breath mingling as we kissed and moaned wasn’t considered his best—then, Jesus Christ, what was in store for me next?
I moved my hands down and grabbed Wesley’s ass, groping the firm muscles while thrusting up harder. “Wes!”
He answered with frantic kisses, one hand on my throat as he bruised my lips with his own. “Come on,” he groaned. “Show me how much you like it. You’re so beautiful. I can’t wait to fuck that perfect ass.” Wesley ran his tongue down my neck, nipped my throat, and proceeded to share every sinfully thrilling act he planned to partake in with me.
I came shortly after Wesley told me how much he wanted to suck my cock. Just the thought of his hot, wet mouth on me…. I arched my back as my orgasm rocked me, stomach covered in a sticky mess as I screamed Wesley’s name. I opened my eyes in time to see Wesley overcome with pleasure. He bit his lip and rocked against me once, twice, and shuddered as he came hard.
My chest heaved as I panted for breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
Wesley ran a shaky hand through his hair as he raised his head. “Wow,” he said before laughing.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“How was that?”
I grinned foolishly. “Let’s do it again.”
THREE TIMES total. That would explain why when I woke up, the sky was pink with the coming morning.
I rubbed my eyes and rolled over to check the alarm beside the bed. Just a little before seven. I grumbled and moved onto my back, turning to Wesley, but the bed was empty. “Wes?” I sat up when I heard splashing in the bathroom.
I tossed the blankets back, checked the egg, then tiptoed across the room and pushed the door open to peek inside. The tub was full, and a Magellanic penguin was floating on the water, occasionally dunking himself under the surface, then shaking his head. I walked in and crouched down beside the tub when he was underwater.
“Hello,” I laughed when the penguin came up.
It let out a startled sort of squawk and splashed in the water. In a poof, Wesley sat in the tub, wiping water off his face. “Theo.”
“Sorry,” I chuckled. “You know what?”
“Hmm?”
“You’re such a cute penguin.”
He scoffed and shoved me playfully. “Sleep well?”
“Yeah.” I grabbed a hanging towel and set it on the floor before sitting. I leaned over the edge of the tub, looking at Wesley. “So. What should we do? It’s nearly light out.”
He lay back, resting his head against his arm on the side, droplets of water sliding down his smooth skin.
I had to tell myself not to drool. As if I hadn’t gotten enough of him in the past few hours. But my cock twitched hopefully and I had to quell its anticipation.
“I thought we’d take the egg and head out, walk along the beach to the parking lot since no one will be out there at this time of day, and then you can stay with me at my place. You know, until your return flight to New York.”
My heart sped up. This was it. Where I’d try to explain to Wesley I thought he was the one. “What if I didn’t want to go back?” I asked.
Wesley’s mouth twitched into a smile, but he hesitated. “New York is your home.”
“Home is who you share it with, not where it is.”
Wesley smiled wider, his eyes looking a little glassy. “Stay with me?” he whispered. “Both of you. I have room for three.”
“HERE’S THE plan,” Wesley said as we hurried along the beach. “Get to my car, drive like hell, and then we’ll call the Magell authorities to explain the egg.”
“Then we can ask to formally adopt it?” I asked, grabbing Wesley’s arm to keep from tripping through the sand.
“Right,” he agreed.
“Do you think they’ll say yes?”
Wesley stopped and turned to me, put a hand on my face, and kissed me. “I believe they will,” he whispered.
“I finally found you both!” shouted a familiar voice.
We turned with a start. Steven and his group of friends were swiftly surrounding us. Wesley pushed me behind himself, and I held on to the egg tight.
“We don’t want any trouble,” Wesley warned.
“But I do,” Steven growled.
“You don’t understand!” I tried. “We didn’t—I just found it in the trash!”
“Whoever your wife was with, it wasn’t us,” Wesley said in agreement. “We were on a date with each other!”
“Liar!” Steven said angrily.
One of his friends lunged without further word, grabbing Wesley and spinning before tripping in the loose sand and sending them both crashing to the ground.
“Run, Theo!” Wesley shouted.
“No!”
“Go!” he demanded, punching the guy in the jaw and shoving him off.
I looked up to see Steven running right at me. I heard myself squeak before I took off. I slid this way and that through the sand, holding the egg like a football as I dodged around Tiki lamps, under resort umbrellas, and even jumping over some lounge chairs. If I could get somewhere safe and hide the egg, I could go back and help Wesley.
Run!
I looked over my shoulder to see one of the guys grab Wesley from behind, holding him as another punched him in the gut. “N-No! Wes!”
Steven grabbed the collar of my jacket just then, ripping me back with such violent force, that I flew and landed on my back, gasping for air. Then he was standing over me. Steven reached down, wrestled the egg free from my hold, and threw it into the ocean.
I watched in horror, time slowing down as the egg sailed through the air before plunging under the waves. A surge of anger, foreign to my usual nature, roared to life inside me. I scrambled to my feet, shoved Steven facedown into the sand, and ran for the water. I shed my coat before jumping in, slipping free from the constricting clothes into my true form. Maybe penguins were goofy on land, but there was a reason we refrained from changing unless in water.
Here in the ocean, this was where we flew.
I leapt up like a dolphin before diving down. I was frantic, swimming hard through the warm water, panic flooding my every waking second I didn’t find the egg. Deeper, just a little farther, find it before it’s too late! I was about to rise up again for the air I hadn’t been prepared to need when I caught sight of the little thing sinking just out of reach.
I propelled myself like a bullet through the water, dove under it, and turned my belly up to stop its descent. I closed my eyes and let the form melt away, my human body unfurling. I fumbled for the egg, grabbed it close, and kicked for the surface.
I was deeper than I thought.
In a body that couldn’t swim for shit.
That couldn’t hold its breath.
The sunlight shimmering above me seemed so far away.
My lungs burned.
Don’t give up!
Just a little—!
Please—!
I gasped when I broke the surface, coughing as I took in seawater. I raised the egg up, holding it above the gentle waves and looking toward the beach. Convention security had joined the scramble and successfully pulled Wesley from the fray, saving him from a beating. I hauled myself to land, toes just touching the ground below when Wesley caught sight of me.
He ran to the water, rushed out, and waded to me. Wesley took me into his arms and held me tight. He had a split lip and a black eye that would take him out of the modeling world for a week or two, but otherwise he seemed all right.
“Okay?” he breathed against me.
“Okay,” I confirmed.
“And the egg?”
I smiled as I pulled back to show him. “Safe.” I glanced down. “And I’m naked.”
He laughed. “Didn’t I tell you my plan was to keep you that way?” He held the back of my head and kissed me deeply.
39 days later.
I SHUT the door behind the men delivering the last of my boxes from New York. My cell rang as I turned the deadbolt.
Incoming call: Wes.
“Howdy, handsome,” I answered.
“Hey.”
“Guess what,” I said, walking through the spacious living room of Wesley’s apartment. “The last of my crap was just dropped off. You’re officially stuck with me.”
“Lucky me,” he purred. “I’m on my way home. I thought I’d stop and grab dinner. Want anything special?”
I hummed thoughtfully while stepping into the bedroom to check on the egg, nestled in its blankets and heater. “Fish tacos? I’ve been craving—oh my God!”
“Theodore? What’s wrong?”
“Oh my God, oh my God, Wes—the egg!”
“What? What?”
“It’s hatching!” I screamed, watching it shake gently and a crack form at the top.
“Hatching? Now?” Wesley shouted. “Tell it to wait. I’m not home yet! Five minutes!”
