"If you insist," James said raising a brow and shrugging. He was used to taking care of himself. He wasn’t entirely sold on letting someone else pay for everything, but he could probably learn to accept gracefully. It wasn't worth arguing over.
"You ready to go watch the stars?" Cesar asked as he finished tipping the waiter and got up to get the car back from the valet.
"Do you plan on keeping me so distracted we don't see any of the stars, or do we actually get to see some of the meteor shower?" James asked him. He had never stopped to watch one, so part of him actually wanted to see it.
"We can watch it. I have a bottle of wine, a blanket, and some pillows, so we can lie on the grass." He nodded to the valet and slipped him a few dollars for bringing his car back. James got in and fastened the seat belt, waiting for him to get in. He put his hand on his leg after he got in the driver's seat.
The look he gave him sent shivers up his spine. The only thing he really still wanted was to see him shift. He wasn't sure he'd do it tonight, but the thought of him sharing that part of himself had him aroused. James wanted him to feel comfortable enough to show himself in his most raw form. Wondering how he was going to ask him, he decided blunt might be the best way to go, but he wanted to wait until they were comfortable.
Chapter 5
James was sitting on the blanket cross legged behind Cesar’s house, a large, open-windowed house near the ocean. It had grass for an acre before touching the beach. His nearest neighbor was far enough away James couldn’t see the house besides a murky outline against the night sky. They were alone and had privacy.
He didn’t want to comment on the cost of his house, but James had a feeling this was way out of his pay grade. Instead, he just focused on him. Cesar handed him a glass of wine and sat down, recorking the bottle and setting it into the grass. Checking his phone, he nodded.
"Should be starting any minute if the reports are correct," he said and sipped his wine. He was staring at James instead of the sky, and he could feel his eyes on him.
"I want to watch some of the stars, but I want to see you shift more. Will you do that for me, Cesar? Will you turn into your other form and let me watch?" James asked as he slid closer to him, putting his hand on Cesar’s chest. Their mouths were an inch away from each other's and, before Cesar answered, he kissed him. Cesar pressed his lips against his mouth, dominating, arousing, and hard. He pushed his tongue between his lips and kissed him like his life depended on it. Something about this man pushed all the right buttons. He would shift for James, but first he was going to kiss him.
Cesar’s tongue teased him and his hands grabbed his hips pulling him harder up against him. He could feel his arousal as he kissed James inviting neck. James moaned into his mouth. Satisfied with this response to him, he pulled back and looked into his eyes.
Lips swollen from the kisses, James brought his hand up to his mouth and stared back, with heavy lids. His breaths were coming shallow and his heart was racing. If that's what he did with a kiss, he couldn’t wait to see what else he could make him feel.
"Shifting, huh?" Cesar let out a small laugh and stood up on the blanket. Stripping naked he didn't bother to hide his large erection. Backing up, he threw his head back and his arms out. The shift rolled over him. It bordered somewhere between pleasure and pain, and he let out a low grunt. He hit the ground on all fours, completing his shift into a bear.
Standing, he looked straight at James. Cesar knew he was an impressive bear. Larger than most bears by a few inches, his brown fur reflected the moonlight. He stood about fifteen feet away on the grass. James scrambled to his feet to touch him. He was enthralled. Cesar was as impressive in his bear form as he was as a man. James stroked down his back and by his ears. He admired his legs and his strong back. Eventually, he stopped touching him and stood back, allowing him to shift back to his human form.
He was kneeling in the grass after he shifted back. James walked back over to him and ran his hands over Cesar’s bare back. Touching his skin, James sighed, feeling the heat as his fingers trailed down his body.
On his knees before him, Cesar began to unhook James' pants. With quick deft fingers he exposed him. James breathed in, gasping at the sensation of the cool night air on his erect member. He moaned, his hands caressing Cesar's thick hair. He did not have to wait long before the warmth of his mouth surrounded James cock. Cesar’s tongue dancing along his length sent shivers up his spine as he teased and tormented with his lips. James felt the cold air of the night sky ripple across his skin as he stood, receptive, in the moonlight. The heat of his skin was a contrast to the breeze coming up from the water. He looked up at the sky long enough to see a shooting star. Making a wish on it, he hoped this night turned out to be as promising as it seemed like it would.
"What has you smiling so big?" Cesar asked as he pulled his head back.
"The stars. It started. Let’s watch it for a few minutes and we'll pick up where we left off," He told him, pushing him back. They repositioned and sat back down on the blanket. James felt completely comfortable putting his head on Cesar's broad shoulder. Pointing at a star shooting overhead James smiled. "It's gorgeous l, isn't it?"
"Not as gorgeous as you," Cesar said and grinned, but tried to pretend like he was paying proper attention to the sky above them. He sat there for a few minutes, feeling James breathing fall and rise next to him, noting the way his heart was slow and steady. He reached over and pulled the top off, exposing James’s lean torso. He playfully walked his fingers down the length of his taught stomach. When James didn’t stop him, he kept touching him, He was slowly working his way down, beneath his waistband to the small smattering of pubic hair framing the parts he wanted to touch the most. Digging his fingers through it, he combed his way down until he found his firm cock. Stroking it, he turned slightly, cradling James' shoulders in his arms while they watched the stars. James let his head fall back as this bear of a man worked his magic. Fire and ice, the wind cooled his skin and Cesar's manipulations heated his entire body up until he broke out in a sweat. His hips were rotating up as Cesar stroked his sensitive flesh. He was close to Cumming. Half-shutting his eyes, a moan ripped through his throat as rose closer and closer, as if able to touch the stars themselves. Cesar kissed him then, capturing his mouth with his own, swallowing the cries of pleasure. Sensing that James was closer than ever, Cesar changed position, moving his mouth once more down to capture his between his lips. His hands pulled down James pants with urgency and clutched at the flesh of his hips as he pleasured him.
"I want you to watch the stars explode as I pleasure you," he said. James was hard and erect and, when Cesar placed his warm mouth upon him, James thrust into him, his hips twitching on their own accord. To his surprise, Cesar took him up to the hilt, pressing his mouth down upon him, deep into his throat. James felt the pleasure washing over him. No one had ever taken him that deep before in such a way. James's head dropped back and he moaned loudly. He was using his grip on his hips to pull up and down on his cock.
"You are so big,” Cesar muttered, taking a breath.
Placing his hands on Cesar's shoulders, he used the leverage to help make his hips find the rhythm of his partner's mouth. He wanted to watch him pleasuring him, but it felt so good that it was hard to keep his eyes open. He was sliding in and out of his mouth, Cesar's lips hitting all the right places as his hands gripped the flesh of his hips almost painfully tight.
Rolling against him, he took him deeper, faster, until he tumbled over the edge into his climax. He jerked inside his mouth as he came, it felt so good. The rolling sensations kept coming as long as he moved.
After a few moments, the feeling settled down and he realized his entire body felt like jelly. They both collapsed on the blanket. Laughing slightly, James pressed kisses to his chin and cheeks.
Cesar cradled him in his arms and wrapped the edges of the blanket around the two of them, blocking out some of the wind as they finished watching the meteor storm toget
her. When it was over, they went inside.
"We will need to talk," Cesar told him as he pressed kisses to his mouth. "But tomorrow. Tonight, I have plans for your body that don't involve much talking."
"I can live with that," James said, grinning. Taking his hand, he let him lead them to his massive bedroom. He flipped on the light and grabbed a couple of ties he'd had thrown on his dresser near the light switch.
"You game?" He asked winking as he held up the ties.
"For me, or for you?" James asked him, raising a brow. The idea of him tied to the bed at his mercy had his knees almost buckling. Getting to touch every inch of him while he lay there. Picturing his wrists tied to the bed had him growing harder by the second. Oh, the things he could do to him.
"Either way," he said, shrugging.
"I like the way you think." Pulling him over to the bed, he put the ties to good use. They ended up taking turns more than once that night. When James woke in the morning he was well sated, and sore from all the activity.
Chapter 6
James yawned as he woke up in the morning. He could smell coffee brewing and followed his nose to the kitchen. Cesar was there, and he looked good. His hair was wet from a shower and James suddenly felt like he should have asked to take one. He felt grimy and a little dirty after having sex at least five times last night. His legs were stiff and his stomach hurt in places that showed those muscles hadn't gotten a good workout in quite a while.
"You want some coffee?" Cesar asked as he grabbed another cup. "My housekeeper will get to the dishes later, but I made some breakfast if you are hungry."
"I would like breakfast, thank you, and coffee would be wonderful," He told him as he sat at the bar at the island counter. "I am going to need to get home to get ready for work at some point today."
"I'll take you home after you eat, but let's talk first." He had a serious expression on his face as he handed James the coffee. "I want to see you again, James. I like you, a lot. We are clearly...compatible in more ways than one."
"If you mean all the sexual positions, sure,” he joked and sipped the coffee. Sighing in pleasure, he closed his eyes and savored it. Now this was good coffee. Opening his eyes back up, James grinned at him.
"I mean that despite our different backgrounds, we work well together. I like you. When I'm with you, I'm just Cesar. You accept me. All of me, my human and my bear side...even my job. I couldn't ask for a better partner, James. You're handsome, funny, and smart. I want to see you again. Sex for one night isn't going to be enough for me when it comes to you. I want you to be willing to give this a real chance between us," he said as he slid a plate of toast and eggs across the island counter. Waiting for a response, he looked a little tense. James almost felt bad for him. He wasn’t sure where they'd end up, but he agreed it was worth finding out where it would go. With one exception.
"Maybe we could slow down a little bit. We are certainly compatible. Of that there is no doubt. I let myself get carried away last night. I've never done that before. Something makes me want to throw all common sense to the wind to be with you."
"If you insist," he said, shrugging. "Did you know bears mate for life?"
"Do they really?" James said, looking shocked.
"No, I dunno. I was joking, but I'm the kind that would mate for life." He gave James a pointed look and then let him finished his coffee as he absorbed what he was saying.
"I had fun last night," James said, not sure what Cesar was getting at entirely. But he was getting the hint that he wanted more than one night. The question was, could he handle what he asked for. While James wasn’t looking for the rich, billionaire boyfriend, he had been looking for a shifter. Most would consider his being rich a bonus, but money brought a lot of troubles.
"James, whatever this chemistry is that's going on between us, I think it can last. Sex with you is amazing, and you accept my shifter side. You already know that I'm a domineering ass at times, and it seems you can get past that. You will stand up to me when needed. You bring out a part of me that I can't share with anyone else most of the time. You asked for it, eagerly," he said and cupped his cheek as he looked down at him. "It would be easy to fall in love with you. I'm not trying to pressure you, or rush you. I just want a chance to let this go where it goes."
"I think I can handle that," James said. Cesar’s amber eyes were lighter than normal, a sign of his intense feelings right now. James was already starting to learn to read him. He realized that, when he looked at him, he wanted to know everything about him. "But, I have a few conditions."
"Okay, I'm listening. I won't make promises before I hear what they are," he said and raised his brows together.
"No secrets. We have to communicate and talk. You have a high-stress job where people will throw themselves at you because of money. I'm not the jealous type. I'd be able to trust you as long as you tell me everything. Even when I don't want to hear it. I can handle the truth better than feeling like there are secrets between us." James nodded as he spoke. "Second, you have to agree to shift for me occasionally. I want to see it, to touch you when you're in your other form. I find it enthralling, and it's a part of what I find attractive about you. I suppose this falls under the ‘no secrets’ request."
Laughing, Cesar leaned down and kissed him “Fine, I can live with all of that, but I have a condition of my own."
"I'm listening," He said breathlessly after he pulled back from the kiss.
"That when you love me, you're not afraid to say it. I want you to be honest with me about your feelings, and what you're thinking. I can't make educated decisions if I don't have all the information. Simply put, information is my specialty. Unlike a computer where I can figure everything out by looking at code or running programs, human relationships are far more complex. I'm not a mind reader, which means your bluntness is one of the things I like the most about you." He rubbed his knuckles against his chin. He resisted the animal urge to push him back on the counter and have his way with him until the conversation was over.
"I can do that. I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship," James whispered to him as he leaned forward and put his hand against his chest.
Kissing him back, they both ended up late for work.
Born of Fire
Chapter 1
The circus was coming to Perri, and all the streets were abuzz with gossip and hype and excitement over the prospect. Ralph had never seen nor heard of anything that could get an entire town of twenty thousand people as excited as when the Barnabus Circus posted their fantastical, multicolored flyers around town and erected their huge harlequin tent in the fairgrounds.
Every street cafe he passed, every group of gossipers on the street, and hell, even the local feed store clerks, everyone wanted to talk about the circus. “Did you hear, Old Barnabus got a new act for his circus. I heard it was a dragon!” “No, surely not a dragon. Dragons can’t be caught, much less tamed.” “Well, I’m sure there’s something unusual about Barnabus’ new act!”
No matter who it was--someone was talking about the Barnabus Circus. Granted, this was nothing new. Every five years, the famous circus made its transit across the country of Yarn, setting up in any city that had enough people to make a stop profitable. Though they didn’t always set up in Perri, it was about the third time in Ralph’s living memory that they had.
For as long as Ralph could remember, the Barnabus Circus was the end all, be all entertainment attraction in the entire country of Yarn. From sea to sea, a more fantastical show could not be found--or at least, that’s what the posters always advertised, and the carnival goers rarely, if ever, begged to differ.
The sole reason that Ralph had to rely on hearsay for so many years to confirm whether or not the Barnabus Circus was all it was cracked up to be was due to the price. Being a farmer, the ten shillings that were asked for a seat was a bit too much for him to possibly ask his parents to spare for a simple night of entertainment. After years meticulously saving from odd
jobs, though, Ralph finally could afford to go see what all the fuss over the circus was about, and he’d never been more excited.
On the night of the circus, Ralph dressed in his finest, which wasn’t saying much. He had a clean flannel shirt that his mother had just made for him, and new brown cotton pants that had been carefully starched and creased. These were things that he would eventually break in on the farm, but they were new now, and that was all that mattered.
Upon entering the city, he saw a veritable rainbow of elaborate dresses intermingled with dashing tuxedos and suits milling around the fairgrounds and funneling into the brilliant circus tent, everyone set aflutter with excitement for the evening. Ralph, though he was very much out of place in this crowd, confidently strode in. The chauffeur, a dapper looking fellow to be sure, gave him a quizzical glance, but ultimately led Ralph to his seat.
Ralph didn’t let himself be too bothered by the strange gentleman, and instead allowed himself to splurge yet further tonight by buying some peanuts from a wandering vendor while he waited for the show to begin.
“It looks like it’s true! There’s a real life dragon that will be shown today!” a woman’s voice from behind Ralph said. He moved a bit in his seat to look around the dirt pit that the circular stands of the circus were surrounding, but there was nothing there yet apart from some props. On the far side, however, there was a huge wooden door, painted with vibrantly colored question marks, suggesting that it was a mystery.
“That’s just a rumor, it hasn’t been confirmed,” a man’s voice replied to the woman, making Ralph even more anxious. He munched on the peanuts he had bought earlier until the tent fell silent when a rotund looking gentleman in a fine black waistcoat began walking from one of the side doors of the stadium to the center stage. The hush was so pronounced that Ralph felt like the noise from his cracking of the peanut shells was unacceptable, and so he stopped eating for the time being and paid attention to what was going on in front of him.
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