“You mean that? We’ll make things work?” Roux gave Jack’s lips a tiny lick and made him chuckle when he pushed on his forehead with his own until they looked straight into each other’s eyes.
“We will. We’re like… you know, pieces of a two-piece puzzle,” he said, not particularly proud of his metaphor but confident it communicated the right things nevertheless. He wanted Roux. No, he needed him.
He was sure Roux would also come around when it came to Chad, and then they could go on adventures together, maybe settle in London one day, be neighbors with Drake. He only hoped there wouldn’t be a custody battle over his spider-baby.
“Let’s go wash all this blood off and collect our reward.” Roux nuzzled Jack once more and smiled.
Oh yes, Jack couldn’t wait to undress Roux, wash that blood off him and fuck all night. Roux wanted him just because.
Chapter 7
The heat of the bathing room was a dream come true after leaving behind the cold night air, and the blizzard that had felt more like an onslaught of bullets whenever snowflakes hit bits of bare skin. But now that outer clothing had been shed, and they entered the small space with a buzzing fire and plenty of hot water in a copper tub, Jack could finally relax.
He exhaled, pulling Roux closer as soon as he’d removed his heavy snow boots. “As beautiful as it is around here, I’m never returning in winter.”
The bathing room was meant for communal use, but they’d paid for an hour of privacy at Roux’s prudish request. Jack didn’t mind though, as he was happy to accommodate his kitty. And the reward money they’d accepted made this little extravagance not that big of a deal. They’d earned this, and if he also got to see Roux naked, he’d write this night off as a win-win kind of situation.
“Tell me about it. My pads feel like they’re about to fall off,” Roux said, but to Jack’s dismay, he pulled a wooden divider between the two steaming tubs. Each of those could easily fit both of them, so Jack had assumed they’d be bathing together.
“What are you doing?” he asked, rubbing the dried blood that congealed in the fur on Roux’s cheek.
Roux groaned and looked away. “Bathing is very intimate for a chat. Please don’t make it harder than it needs to be.”
Jack laughed, trying to not let his confusion show too much. “It’s an intimate ‘act’ for everyone. That’s the point. Are we not on that… level yet?” he asked while his brain already screamed that it likely meant no sex too.
Roux sighed and took off his shirt, then proceeded to put his forearm into the water. When he pulled it out, the usually fluffy fur stuck to the skin underneath, and Jack couldn’t help but burst out with laughter.
“See?” Roux huffed. “This is what I’m saying. I’ll look stupid. Better just not.”
Wait. No.
He needed to take his laughter back!
“Oh, come on! Every guy looks silly when their hair is wet,” Jack said and dunked his head into the hot water. It was a shock to his system, but when he emerged, sending water everywhere, he couldn’t miss the twitching of Roux’s whiskers. “See?”
Roux ran his hand through Jack’s hair, his eyes softening. Having the freedom to touch Roux after so many years of pining for him overwhelmed all of Jack’s senses and made him impatient.
“But you have to promise you won’t laugh anymore. It’s really embarrassing. I usually just comb it, but not with all the blood in my fur, that won’t be enough.”
Jack stepped closer and settled his hands on Roux’s slender hips. When he was growing up, he wouldn’t have imagined in his wildest dreams that he’d fall for anything other than a human male. Not in a million years, but Roux had swept him off his feet with that agile tail.
“I promise. We’re together now. Why wouldn’t we help each other bathe?”
Roux’s shy smile was what cloud nine was made of. “I suppose so.” He leaned closer and rubbed his dirty fur against Jack’s cheek.
Jack breathed in the coppery smell, itching to once again sense the pure scent of fur and pheromones. Roux’s whiskers tickled his jaw, and he squeezed him more tightly, smiling when their heartbeats synchronized.
“Finally.”
Roux purred, and if that wasn’t the purest sound Jack had ever heard, he didn’t know what was. He’d love to fall asleep to it with Roux in his arms. “I really thought I’d just be another conquest for you.”
He reached to Jack’s pants, wanting to unbutton them, but his fingers were thick and short, and he couldn’t work it out.
Jack swallowed and squeezed both furry hands before dealing with it himself “I’ve done some things I’m not proud of, but I promise I’ll try to be the guy you deserve,” he whispered, ignoring the tension in his chest. Because for all the confidence he had, he was also aware of Roux being gentler, more aware of issues Jack didn’t understand. Maybe even smarter. And he deserved someone who would stand by him when it counted.
The deep introspection was cut short the moment Jack reached for Roux’s pants and was dumbfounded by a type of buttons he’d never seen before.
Roux shook his head. “They’re press studs.” He pulled on the two bits of fabric, and the metal fastenings parted with a snap.
Jack chuckled in amazement. “That’s clever. Is it a chat thing? Like… a tradition?” he asked, and pressed a kiss to Roux’s damp nose. He wasn’t even in a hurry to fuck. For some reason, after the long wait, after the tough day, he just wanted to enjoy Roux’s company and make him feel comfortable.
Roux wiggled his fingers. “Lots of us have thicker fingers. It can make human fashions tricky. These snap buttons were invented by a chat, but only after we arrived in this world.”
The simplicity of this conversation made Jack relax. For once, he could really sense there was no wall between them. He would learn all the little things that mattered to Roux.
“That’s such a smart solution. That guy should market this for children! I’d have definitely gotten some for Chad,” Jack said, and opened Roux’s pants with a decisive tug that made him feel hotter already.
Roux shook his head, but his fingers tensed on Jack’s shoulders. “Chad. I still can’t believe you’re keeping a tarantoid pet.”
Jack frowned and removed his undershirt, acutely aware of the way Roux’s pupils widened in reaction. But unlike many of his former lovers, Roux didn’t just care for Jack’s looks and fame. He wanted all of him. “How about we go somewhere hot after this?”
“Hotter than a bath?”
Jack groaned. “No, I mean once we’re out of Siberia. I’m so done with snow. I want to treat you to a vacation.”
Roux smiled shyly. “I do love to lounge in the sunshine. Even if that makes me a chat stereotype. You spoil me, Jack.”
Jack swallowed, running his hands through Roux’s fur. “What made you change your mind about me?”
Roux purred and nuzzled Jack’s neck. “These pecs.”
“No, Roux, I’m serious.”
Roux pulled away and tentatively approached the tub of hot water. “You have heart. And courage. When push came to shove, you gave it your all to save that little centaur. Maybe you don’t always say the right things, but your heart is in the right place.”
So maybe it wasn’t anything big, nothing like the grand compliments Calix would sometimes give on his prowess or how popular he was. How Jack was a god among men and that his cock was the biggest Calix had ever seen on a human. Roux looked for a much deeper connection, and being evaluated with such fondness had Jack smiling.
“And you’re the smartest person I know. And you make so many sacrifices to show ignorant people who you really are. It’s impressive.” He smirked and pushed his pants down next. “Also, you saved me from being consumed alive by tarantoid babies. So there’s that. Everyone likes a hero.”
Roux smiled at him, lowering his eyelids, which made his lush pale lashes stand out more. “I thought you were a shit back then, but I didn’t want you to die. Confident guys are my weaknes
s. It annoyed me so much that I was attracted to you, despite your ugly words.”
That would explain Roux’s snappy behavior in the past. And it did boost Jack’s ego to hear that Roux had had to work that hard to contain his attraction for him.
Jack stretched his now-naked body, presenting it to Roux like a chat-approved Popsicle. It was Roux’s turn to undress “I was a bit of a shit back then. And you know what changed me?” Jack whispered, cupping Roux’s jaw before looking down that slender chest, at the eight nipples peeking out from the short fur.
“The inner need of a man to strive for righteousness?” Roux teased. It couldn’t have been a serious question, since they both knew it was Roux who’d spoken his mind about Jack’s actions when others wouldn’t.
“No,” Jack said, and grabbed Roux’s belt loops before kneeling in front of him and pulling down the fabric. Heat stabbed his body like a dagger, but he didn’t flinch and looked up at Roux’s pretty face, even though the chat’s privates were right in front of him. “You always told me the truth. You never tried to pander to me. You wouldn’t compromise just because you liked me. I had to reevaluate many things to get here.”
Roux’s tongue darted out to lick his nose, and it had to be the cutest thing anyone had ever seen. “Here, as in with your face in my crotch?” he tried to make a joke out of it, but it came out hoarsely.
Jack smirked and lowered his gaze to the linen underwear that hid his prize. “Among other things? Though I admit I’m curious of how it’ll feel in my mouth,” he said and rose, wanting to prolong the wait until neither of them could fight the desire that had kept pulling them together throughout the years. He moved closer to the tub.
“Bath first?” Roux slowly put his leg in the tub. If Jack was to make a guess, he’d say the kitty was skittish now that the hormones released during heat weren’t there to push him into action. The way he stood now though, with one leg over the edge of the deep bath, offered Jack yet more temptation by presenting the round ass and the long tail so exquisitely he couldn’t look away.
It was so perfect. All of Roux was, regardless of how comical he looked when wet.
“I wanna wash you so don’t you dare grab that soap,” he warned playfully before climbing into the tub too, eager to position himself behind Roux.
It was easy enough to take the spot he wanted when Roux was anxious about the water to the point of it being ridiculous. “Fine, fine, I’m your pet now, after all,” Roux grumbled, but didn’t actually sound mad.
Jack leaned against the back of the tub and grinned, already rubbing the soap bar as the gloriously warm water thawed his cold body. Roux remained standing, and Jack stole a glance at the pouch that hid his partner’s cock and the fuzzy balls he wanted to weigh in his hand. But he started with Roux’s thighs, which he first splashed and then soaped up, pretending this wasn’t his first time doing this. He’d had hookups with furry creatures, but none of them had felt this intimate. This important.
“I rather enjoy having you as my pet.”
Roux ignored Jack’s efforts at pretending the touching had anything to do with hygiene and knelt in the water, straddling him. His ginger fur floated under the surface like an underwater current, and Jack couldn’t take his eyes off his new boyfriend. So graceful, so cute.
“What if it’s you who is really the pet?” Roux leaned down and stroked Jack’s damp hair.
Jack’s breath caught, and he briefly imagined Roux climbing on top of him, and the unusual cock, nubs and all, prodding at his hole. “If I was to be someone’s pet, I’d definitely prefer you as my master.”
“Then wash the blood off my face, because I hate being dirty.”
He sat on Jack’s thighs, and the touch of soft balls gave Jack a rush of excitement.
Jack smirked and moved his hands up Roux’s belly, and then above the surface, rubbing soap into the chest hair. “Your wish is my command. You deserve to be the King in the Venator card deck.”
Roux melted into the touch, and all that Jack needed was violin playing a gentle tune in the background, because his heart soared in ways it hadn’t, even during the best moments of his relationship with Calix. He could now see that where Calix had flattered him all the time, appealing to Jack’s vanity, Roux’s compliments were always honest and told with no other agenda than expressing his feelings.
“You’d be the Joker. Unpredictable.”
Jack laughed and carefully washed all the blood and grime from Roux’s hands, off his face, head, and cute tufts on his ears. Maybe that was what he should do all the time once he retired? Just take care of Roux, making him feel needed and pampered all day long?
“Am I? Maybe to other people, but you’d know when to play me and how.”
A self-satisfied smile spread over Roux’s lips. “I could have played you many times if I wanted to. But I don’t want to manipulate you into things. I want you to want them.” Even though he did look a bit funny with the fur wet and flat, Jack didn’t feel like mocking him, even good-naturedly. Getting to know every new facet of his lover only made Jack’s attraction grow.
“You succeeded. I’m not the same guy you met the first time,” Jack said, carefully removing the soap from the beautiful face. If he ever reached the point where he had an office of his own, he wished to have a portrait of Roux above his fireplace in that room. “And I hope to change your mind about things, too.”
“Like what?” Roux slid closer over Jack’s thighs so that their chests met, and Jack gasped, because the hard shape prodding at his belly could only be one thing. He inhaled Roux’s fresh scent and moved his hands down the lean back until he cupped both of the buttocks, floating short hairs and pert flesh.
“Like… make you accept my son.”
Roux snorted against Jack’s cheek. “Fine. Everyone has baggage.” He ran his claws over Jack’s shoulder in the gentlest way, but the gesture still gave Jack a thrill.
“What’s yours?” Jack asked, shuddering with pleasure when Roux’s hands trailed down his back. A bit more pressure, and he’d be bleeding, but Roux controlled himself perfectly, creating heat with the sense of danger.
Roux licked Jack’s ear, rocking his cock against Jack’s stomach more intensely. All this time Jack had thought Roux was a prude, yet here he was, as horny as the next guy. The truth was finally out!
“My family I guess. I’d rather focus on the here and now, Jack.”
“Your family? Think about mine,” Jack said, but he reached to Roux’s crotch, keeping up the eye contact to see his lover’s reaction.
Roux shivered, and his whiskers twitched. “True. Your dad would lose his shit if he found out you’re having illicit relations with a chat.”
With his pelt flattened, Roux seemed even more slender than usual, but when Jack touched him, he could sense the strong muscles that allowed chats to move with inhuman grace and agility.
His dad would have disowned him. But maybe, with time, he’d understand. Maybe he would dedicate his time to learning more about other creatures if he saw them from Jack’s point of view?
“His head would combust.”
Roux rocked hips back and forth, fucking Jack’s fist with his cock, which hardened and now fully emerged from its sheath. The nubs peppered all over its surface teased Jack’s skin, making him imagine being fucked by this tool. But the way Roux’s ass tensed under the touch was just as inviting. When Roux was driven by heat, his insatiable lust left little space for exploration, but now he had the patience to sniff Jack, rub his face against him, and run the soft pads of his palms over Jack’s back and shoulders.
Jack smiled at him, leaning in to lick the small lips. The smooth fur felt smooth on his tongue, but when he slid it over the sharp teeth, his dick twitched with excitement. “I don’t wanna leave this tub,” he said, and squeezed Roux’s buttock with his other hand before pushing his fingers closer to the hole.
Roux wrapped his arms tighter around Jack’s neck. “Oh, so now you’re also a mind reader?” hi
s voice was hoarse, releasing warm breath to tease Jack’s ear.
“I love to serve my chat overlord,” Jack said, pulling their chests close as he nudged the bare flesh around the entrance to Roux’s body. The chat felt so agile in his arms, so unashamedly excited to be here, that Jack wished he could bring him home and finally come clean to the people who were his closest family, yet didn’t know the real him.
Roux chuckled, nipping on Jack’s ear, but then proceeding to lick… his wet hair, and it was so surprisingly erotic a tremble went all the way down Jack’s spine. All of a sudden, he wished to be licked all over by that coarse tongue.
“Serve him with your cock, Jack.”
“Oh, yes,” he breathed out and frantically looked at the small metal table with bathing supplies. Brushes? Not now. Cologne? Razors? No.
Thick balm.
He grabbed the small jar and bent his head, sucking one of Roux’s nipples into his mouth. One dip of a finger, and it was coated. Ready for Roux.
Roux giggled when Jack licked another of his nipples, but that sound turned into a moan when Jack teased his hole with more intent. Roux’s tail rose, and the tip made little twitches Jack could see over Roux’s shoulder.
No lies, no manipulation, no heat. Just the two of them connecting.
And it was both wonderful, and hot, but most of all—honest. After years of dancing around one another, they were both ready to make the leap.
He shivered when his finger dove in, and the walls of Roux’s body tightened around it so wonderfully he wished to feel them on his cock already. “Touch me,” he whispered, rubbing his mouth along Roux’s jaw.
He didn’t need to ask twice. Roux dipped his hand between their bodies and stroked Jack’s already hard cock with those gloriously padded fingers. “Like this?” he whispered, squeezing his ass around the fingers and stirring time and time again. If Jack were to have a guess, this kitty was very eager for dick.
Jack Addison vs. a Whole World of Hot Trouble - The Complete Series Page 28
