Park was quiet for long enough that Cooper would have thought he was asleep if not for the way he kept rubbing Cooper’s back. Finally he said, “Sort of. They’re happy. One is calling the other home.”
“Romantic as fuck,” Cooper sighed.
“Not necessarily. Sounds more like a pack bond, actually,” Park said.
They both listened to the howls fade into the distance and the sounds of a summer night fill their absence. It seemed wrong to be so cold in July. And he’d been so sure he was fine on the river, too. Cooper considered getting up and fetching more of his clothes from his bag to put on, but the thought of disrupting the tenuous warmth he’d managed to gather sent another painful shiver through him.
Park sucked his teeth. “If you freeze to death, how am I supposed to stay on at couples camp?”
“Hoo-hook up with Nielsen,” Cooper stuttered, shivering. He felt like he was rapidly getting worse and wasn’t sure why. The river had been cold, sure, but the air warm. And though tired, he’d felt fine for the rest of the day. Now it was like waking submerged in an ice bath and being windblown dry.
“Nielsen’s not my type.”
“I’ve ru-ruined you f-for humans, forever?”
“Nah, too attractive.”
Cooper considered kicking him, but his muscles felt too stiff to move and he gently pressed his teeth into Park’s chest instead and felt him twitch. “Ma-make hot, passionate l-love to me.” He sneezed, jerking away momentarily to avoid getting Park, and groaned stuffily at the uncomfortable way the pressure in his head had suddenly increased. “Or j-just very warm l-love where I d-don’t have to move or d-do anything.”
“Mmm, so tempting, but no thank you,” Park said dryly.
“At least t-take your cl-clothes off. Bod-body heat.”
Park was quiet, and Cooper wondered if he was genuinely considering it.
“I could...” Park trailed off.
Cooper waited as patiently as he could under the circumstances, then pressed his teeth into Park’s chest again.
“I mean, it would be a lot warmer if I was in fur, unless you wouldn’t be comfortable like that. It was just a thought,” Park said in a rush.
If Cooper had better control over his muscles, he’d have frozen. As it was, he shook quietly and then said, “If you’re o-okay with that, I w-would appreciate it.”
Park pressed a kiss to Cooper’s head. “Just a minute.” He pulled away, and Cooper tried to smother his whimper at the loss of heat. Park quickly shucked his sweatpants and tossed them to Cooper to put on over his own sleep pants, and the lingering heat was wonderful. He tugged them on awkwardly, trying to stay under the blanket while subtly watching Park, who stood naked with his eyes closed. He appeared to be forcing himself to breathe very rapidly.
“It’s smoother if my heart rate’s already up,” Park said as if sensing Cooper’s question.
“Do you want me to tur-turn around?”
“No. I—I want you to watch me.” He opened his eyes then and gave Cooper an odd look—a little mischievous, a little challenging. “You should know, I’m very, very good at this.”
The initial clacking sounds of rock on rock started while Park was still standing and looking at Cooper, then abruptly he dropped into a crouch, falling forward at the same time and—
It was over. Where he’d dropped stood a large wolf with fur the same color as Park’s dark brown hair, edged with gray. The wol—no, Park stretched lazily. First in downward dog—plumed tail flopping back and forth—then with one back leg extended at a time. Cooper heard a couple more pops, but it sounded more like knuckles cracking than anything else.
That...wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
BSI agents were told shifts took about three and a half seconds. The only transformation Cooper had ever seen was that of Park’s sister Camille from fur into, ah, very much not furred. That shift had barely been one and a half seconds, meaning the BSI got the information the Trust wanted them to have and at least some wolves could transform much faster than others. But still. Even with Camille there had been glimpses of...an in-between state as one body stretched and shrank to make another. But Park... He had stood as a man and sat into a wolf.
Park yawned widely, teeth glinting, then blinked up at Cooper who had been just shocked enough to forget how cold he was for a heartbeat.
“You are good,” Cooper said, and his voice came out a little strained.
There was a split-second of expectation, of waiting for an answer before his brain caught up to the obvious. Park wouldn’t be responding. With words, anyway. He did take a couple steps back from the bed, turn in a quick circle, then stood on his hind legs, teetering for one second, two, before falling back to all fours heavily. Whatever that was supposed to mean. Cooper shuffled over in the bed and lifted the blankets, wincing at the heat-loss.
Very gracefully, Park leapt up, the mattress dipping beneath his weight, and quickly filled the cold spot. For one brief moment Cooper had a terrible thought. What if this sent him into another flashback? The way Vanessa had in the river?
But then Park was settling himself up against Cooper with a quiet little grunt and he dismissed it. Everything about Park, from his familiar smells and sounds to his careful, watchful movements, had the opposite effect he feared. They relaxed Cooper. Made him feel safe.
Gently and with plenty of time for Park to pull back, Cooper reached one finger out to rub up Park’s long nose, across his brow and over the tips of his ears, almost velveteen in their softness. Then he did it again, mapping his face, wanting to be sure he recognized him, no matter what. Park held very still, amaretto eyes wide.
Eventually satisfied, Cooper snuggled closer to the now almost intense heat of Park’s body and whimpered blissfully. His muscles started to uncramp and he immediately felt his eyelids grow heavy. Now that the pain was gone, his exhaustion could not be fought. Cooper closed his eyes, and the last thing he saw was Park studying him intently, still on high alert. He wanted to say something to put him at ease, but the silence felt too important. As important as talking was to their relationship, this was not a moment for words. Not when Park couldn’t respond in kind.
Cooper stroked the fur at Park’s neck instead, and this too was luxuriously soft and warm. With his touch he tried to communicate everything he felt—the safety, satisfaction, pleasure. Just before he fell asleep, Cooper felt Park’s nose tuck under his chin and heard him sigh contentedly. Message received.
* * *
The next morning you could smell a storm on the air and the sky was that strained green-gray that casts an off-tinge over everything. Cooper woke to a fleshy and naked Park checking his temperature, hand to his forehead. “Welcome back to Kansas, Dorothy.”
“I had the most wonderful dream. And you were there and you and you—” Cooper mumbled, looking pointedly at each of Park’s shoulders before reaching around to pat his ass. “And definitely you.”
“Any pain? No, wait, let me guess. You feel fine.”
“Actually—” Cooper frowned, taking stock of himself. “I feel amazing.”
It was unexpected, but true. The memory of uncontrollable shivers and a scratchy throat felt like a strange dream now. His body felt relaxed and strong. Even his ribs weren’t hurting. Cooper touched the bruise curiously and winced. Well, they weren’t getting worse, anyway.
“Whatever it was, my body must have fought it off.” He stretched, noticing again the pleasant thrum of his muscles and how well rested he felt. “Nothing a good night’s sleep couldn’t fix. Couldn’t have done it without you.”
A slight blush appeared on Park’s cheeks, and he busied himself with taking Cooper’s pulse. “You’re a little elevated.”
“Could get a lot elevated if you play your cards right.” He scratched his hand down his own chest absently and registered it was bare. In fact, all his clothes were
missing, the blanket was kicked off and the sheet was low on his hips. He looked at Park suspiciously. “Did you strip me?”
“Of course not. You ripped everything off about an hour ago, half-asleep, raving about the heat. I figured my...services were no longer desired.” Park was still avoiding his eye and his language had slipped into a prim and proper tilt that usually meant he was uncomfortable.
“Do you regret shifting in front of me?” Cooper asked.
“No,” Park said, sounding like even he was surprised by the answer. “Though I don’t know why I was feeling so, ah, performative.”
“I was very thankful for it. And impressed,” Cooper added sincerely, and was delighted to see Park’s blush deepen. It wasn’t easy, flustering a long-term partner. Especially someone as controlled as Park. “You were right. You’re very, very good.”
Park stood up fast and walked across the room, fiddling with something on the dresser and keeping his back to Cooper. It was too late. Cooper had noticed his cheeks weren’t the only part of his body affected. That was...interesting.
Cooper tucked one arm behind his head, propping it up to better watch Park fuss and the bare muscles of his back and ass flex repeatedly as if they sensed Cooper’s gaze and couldn’t decide between preening or hiding. Cooper trailed his other hand down his own body, brushing past his semi-hard dick covered in loose sheets, and bent one knee up. He rocked it gently back and forth when the familiar trembling ache beginning in his balls demanded he move something, anything, now.
“You did so well keeping me warm,” Cooper said carefully, noting the way Park stilled, body alert at the authoritative praise. Approval. “Exactly what I needed. You’re always so good to me.”
“Cooper,” Park said, and his voice hitched. He cleared his throat. “What are you doing?”
“You know what to say if you want me to stop. Anytime,” Cooper said. “Do you want me to stop?”
Park shook his head quickly. “No. Please,” he said in a whisper without turning around.
“Okay,” Cooper confirmed. He took his time, thinking. “What was it you said?” he mused, his hand continuing to brush back and forth over himself through the sheet. Only the lightest touch needed to keep him suspended in that delicious stage of arousal, where he was past the point of return, but not in immediate, desperate need yet. “Your services were no longer desired. But that’s not true. I’ve thought of another way you can service me this morning.”
Park’s hands gripped the edge of the dresser, knuckles white.
Cooper murmured, “Turn around. I want to see.”
He did, and Cooper had to swallow convulsively, mouth pooling. Park’s hands hovered in front of his hard dick, caught between whether to hide himself or not.
“Come here, please,” Cooper said.
Park hurried forward, then slowed, second-guessing how eager he was supposed to look.
Cooper let his bent knee fall to the side—legs open beneath the sheet—and showed Park his own erection tenting the fabric. “Look at how much I need you. Need you to take care of me.”
Park groaned like the sound was torn straight out of his throat. He gave himself a quick, soothing squeeze before kneeling up on the foot of the bed. He bent over Cooper, first kissing his calf, then rubbing his face against Cooper’s right leg through the sheet. He worked his way slowly up, pressing more kisses at various signposts, like he was pacing himself. The crook of Cooper’s knee, the tender spot on his inner thigh. The crease of his hip.
He moved to do the same to the left leg, but Cooper stopped him by grabbing his chin. The bite mark throbbed a bit, and Cooper didn’t want Park seeing it just now and freaking out. “No. No more teasing.”
Park obediently moved his attention to Cooper’s cock. At first he just rubbed his face against it, catlike, and making small, bitten-off sounds of want. Then he started to mouth along the length, and Cooper could feel hot breath through the sheet against his sensitive skin.
Cooper cupped the back of Park’s head. “Do you want to fuck me?” he asked, and felt Park nod desperately between his legs. “Want to make me feel good with your fat cock?”
Park made a shuddering sort of sound. “Yes, please. I want to make you feel good.”
Cooper’s hand on Park’s head tightened, gripping the hair at the scalp and guiding him up so that his other hand could maneuver the sheet down to thigh-level.
When his dick was exposed, Park tried to put his mouth back on it, but Cooper held him back. “Wait.”
He took himself in hand and stroked loosely, a few times, enjoying the simple satisfaction of pressure and movement before letting go. Cooper stuck two of his fingers into his own mouth and slowly began to lick and suck. Park watched him hungrily; his tongue kept darting out between parted lips as if imagining it was the one doing the work.
Finally, when they were as slick as they could get with spit, Cooper reached down, past his cock and balls, to his ass. Park’s eyes tracked the movement down intently and growled when Cooper began to massage his own hole.
Cooper hummed happily, loosening his grip on Park’s hair, distracted by his own zinging nerve ends. His body’s muscle memory fluttering in anticipation.
“Feels nice,” Cooper said. With his other hand he reached blindly up toward the bedside table where they’d unpacked lube. Park, sensing his intention, scrambled forward and fetched it first.
“Get me wet,” Cooper said, holding up his fingers, and Park squeezed just a bit too much out in his eagerness.
Cooper began to open himself up with a renewed sense of purpose, and focused on Park’s intent expression. Watching him, trembling where he knelt, poised on the edge like a spring as tightly wound as it could go. Only waiting for Cooper’s go-ahead before he’d pounce and nail him into the mattress.
“Oh.” Cooper inhaled as a wave of desire clenched his abdominal muscles so hard his shoulders actually lifted from the bed. “God, I’m aching,” he whispered. “I need you in me. Need you to make me feel better.”
He stretched his arms up above his head, holding on to the square wooden bars of the headboard and spread his legs, wider, feet flat, making room for Park’s body. Welcoming him. Showing off how very ready he was. “C’mon. Show me how good you can be, fucking me just the way I like it.”
Park was on him in a flash, positioning Cooper with one powerful hand, slicking himself up with the other. His cockhead nudged hungrily at Cooper’s entrance in aborted little thrusts.
Park hunched over Cooper and licked a line up his throat once, tugged gently on his ear with his teeth. “Say it again,” Park whispered. “Please...”
Cooper hesitated, but what the hell. It was clear what Park was asking for, what he craved. He mentally reached deep within himself and added a hint of demand to his voice. “I need you, Oliver. Give me what I need now.”
Park pushed inside of him. Cursed his name. Cooper’s head stretched back and his grip on the headboard slats tightened. The sharp edge of wood against his fingers giving him something else to focus on besides the fullness, the stuffed feeling that radiated all the way up to his sternum and stole his breath away.
Park rocked into him slightly, until Cooper’s body eased with acceptance and he urged Park deeper, faster. “Yes,” Cooper said, pushing down to meet Park’s thrusts. “More. Harder. Fucking ruin me.”
Park pressed forward so he could lick and suck at Cooper’s throat again. The slapping sound of flesh on flesh rising and falling as they teased out waves of pleasure, short, fast strokes to long, deep ones that made Cooper’s toes curl.
“Just like that. You’re doing such a good job taking care of me.”
Park whimpered and began working even harder, more diligently as Cooper continued to praise him. How good he was, how big, how well he fucked him. He could feel Park literally shaking over him, his body rubbing agonizingly back and forth ove
r Cooper’s dick.
“Please. Can I—?”
“Touch me,” Cooper gasped.
Park slipped his hand between them to grasp Cooper. The first touch was like a release all in itself—the beginning of the end. The tight, slick warmth around his cock at the same time Park drove in and out of him was like closing a circuit. Electricity coursed through him, lighting every nerve, charging every fiber of muscle to dancing, singing life.
Cooper let go of the headboard and his hands sort of hovered in front of him, paralyzed on the tantalizing edge. Park pushed his face into one of Cooper’s palms, nudging at the fingers and kissing his wrist.
“Perfect,” Cooper whispered, and his grip slipped into Park’s hair. “Mine. Just mine. Give me your come. Fill me up like a good boy.”
After that, all it took was one particular combination of Park hammering his hips and twisting his hand, and Cooper was coming. Body jerking and lifting like it was nothing but debris caught on the unstoppable tide of his own orgasm.
Park pinned him down harshly, drilling into him, fucking him through the last spasms and wringing the last shuddering pleasure out of his soul until he too came, releasing deep inside Cooper.
Together they slowed, cooled, relaxed into nothing but twitches in the dark. Eventually, Cooper became aware of Park pulling gently out of him, crawling down his body to inspect him, kiss him, until Cooper protested, too tender, too raw. “Too much, too much.”
Park gathered Cooper to his body, curled around him. A bit more contact than Cooper’s usual post-sex taste enjoyed, but he could feel the vulnerability pulsating off Park in waves and allowed it. Their breaths fell gradually into sync.
When Park spoke, his voice was rough, barely more than a croak. “Yesterday, in the river, I thought I’d lost you.”
“You’re not going to lose me,” Cooper said, rolling his head back and forth against the bed. A bad thing to say. Certainly not something he could promise. No one could. But maybe that’s what they meant about feeling young in love and your heart behaving like a teenager’s again. Not because of any of the horrible stuff adolescence brings, but rather because of this bone-deep sense of immortality only ever really seen in children unable to comprehend their own end and lovers who outright refuse to.
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Big Bad Wolf) Page 11
