PAWPRINTS:

GIVING & TAKING

Anne Cain

www.loose-id.com

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Pawprints: Giving & Taking

Anne Cain

This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or
existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the
author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or
dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.


Published by
Loose Id LLC
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San Francisco CA 94102-2907
www.loose-id.com


Copyright © December 2008 by Anne Cain
All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of
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ISBN 978-1-59632-801-3
Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader


Printed in the United States of America


Editor: Barbara Marshall
Cover Artist: Anne Cain

Chapter One

“Hurry!” Adrian hustled through the sliding glass doors and dodged between two

packed luggage carts. The bag slung over his shoulder bounced against his hip as he jogged

around a cluster of people, his fingers closed tightly around his lover’s hand so they wouldn’t

get separated. He glanced back to catch Lal smiling with excitement, sections of pure white

and black hair falling across his brilliant, jewel-blue eyes in a way that made him look

seductive, mischievous, and everything in between. It didn’t matter that they’d been living

together for months; Lal’s pure sexiness could always steal Adrian’s breath away. Distracted,

he stumbled over himself and he bumped into a frazzled-looking woman who was trying to

lug five suitcases up to one of the terminal counters.

“Sorry,” Adrian apologized sheepishly. He straightened the travel roller he’d knocked

from her hand.

“What’s the rush?” she snapped. Her sharp features twisted in an expression of pure

irritation multiplied by a factor of ten. “Half the flights out of here have been canceled.”

“Are you serious?” Adrian whipped around, squinting at the scrolling itineraries on the

display screens against the far wall. The letters were too tiny for him to make out at this

distance, but Lal’s sharp eyes didn’t have a problem reading the print. Leaning against Adrian

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from behind, Lal rested his chin on his shoulder and grinned. “No worries. The 1714 to San

Juan is still on time.”

“Which means we’ve got almost an hour to make it to the gate,” Adrian said, glancing

down at his wristwatch.

“Good luck.” The woman cackled dryly.

“Now what kind of holiday spirit is that?” Lal blinked at her.

“Trust me. You won’t be able to check all your luggage on time,” she retorted.

“We just have carry-ons,” Adrian explained. Some of the woman’s smug attitude

cracked, and she gave the single bag each man carried an envious glare. “We better go.”

Adrian gently pushed Lal forward, eager to get far away from the crabby lady.

“Merry Christmas!” Lal waved at the scowling woman as Adrian dragged him through

the mass of holiday travelers. They got in line at the counter for Caribé Air, which

thankfully had only two other people in front of them.

“Why does everyone look so cranky?” Lal whispered in Adrian’s ear.

“It’s holiday stress.” Adrian glanced around at the ridiculously busy airport and shook

his head. Even at two in the morning, the place was packed. “Wait until we try flying at

Thanksgiving one year. Then you’ll see real chaos.”

“I thought the point of holidays was to relax and get away from stress.” The corner of

Lal’s mouth quirked up.

“Well…” Adrian turned, slipping his arms around Lal’s waist and drawing him close.

“Not everyone is going off for a weeklong cruise with two close friends and the one person

he loves most in the world.”

Leaning in, he brushed his lips over the soft, rounded curve of Lal’s cheek. Adrian

kissed the warm skin and felt his own body temperature spike with arousal. Knowing he had

to be blushing and not caring who in the crowded airport might be watching, he trailed his

Pawprints: Giving & Taking

3

lips down to meet Lal’s. Their mouths joined in a series of tender sucking motions, and soft,

moist noises passed between them.

“Mmm,” Lal murmured in a husky voice as they slowly drifted out of the kiss. He

peered up at Adrian from under his feathery bangs. “It’s been ages since I tasted some of that

love.”

“Ages” was actually three days, nineteen hours, and thirty-four minutes ago, when

Adrian had pounced on Lal at six o’clock in the morning for a quickie before pulling a double

shift at Dr. Frauke’s veterinary clinic. Not that he was keeping track or anything.

The animal hospital had been packed with patients all week as people rushed to get

their pets in before the clinic closed for a few days of holiday vacation. Since Adrian was

interning there during this semester and the next, his workload ended up being almost as

much as the actual vets on staff. He’d been too busy and tired these past couple of nights to

do more than collapse on top of Lal in a snoring heap.

After four days of forced abstinence, Adrian missed the sounds of pleasure filling the

bedroom, Lal’s salty, earthy taste filling his mouth while he sucked on his lover’s cute, silky

penis, and the feel of their bodies grinding together as they brought each other moaning and

shivering toward a blindingly wonderful moment of climax. Now, with their bodies pressed

together, their cocks touching through the fabric of Adrian’s cargo shorts and Lal’s jeans, his

sex drive made a desperate bid to take over the higher functions of his brain.

“I can’t wait to get down there.” Adrian’s hands dropped a couple of inches to rub Lal’s

lower back, just above his butt. Getting unashamedly hornier by the second, he whispered,

“And I don’t just mean the trip.”

Lal’s hands were at Adrian’s hips and their grip tightened. Needlelike claws extended

and pricked Adrian through the clothing. “Ahh!” Adrian gasped at the stinging sensation.

Letting go with a playful grin, Lal kissed Adrian on the chin. “Don’t get me more

anxious than I already am.” His expression abruptly sobered, the playful look replaced with

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bold, wide-eyed lust. “I mean it; I’m starving for you.” He clutched the hem of Adrian’s T-

shirt. “I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to hold out, damn it!”

“Oh, God, me too,” Adrian gasped, his hands cupping Lal’s backside.

A woman coughed loudly behind them. They swiveled around to look at the smiling

blonde attendant at the counter with a Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer pin fixed to her

aqua blue blazer. “Usually people actually wait to get on a plane before joining the Mile High

Club.” She snickered at her own cheesy joke.

“Heh-heh.” Adrian chuckled weakly as he stepped up to the counter, embarrassed.

Lal scowled, but from the way he slipped his hand in Adrian’s back pocket and kept it

there, only the interruption itself had put him off. He crinkled his nose at the attendant.

“What’s the ‘Mile High Club’?”

His embarrassment now edging toward total mortification, Adrian dug into his

shoulder bag and whipped out his credit card. “This is his first flight.” He laughed nervously

and shoved the slip of plastic at the woman.

“Aha.” She took the card with a smirk. “Then I’ll let you explain it to your boyfriend

during the flight.” She winked at Lal. “That’ll be more fun than a movie.”

Both of Lal’s eyebrows shot up while the corners of his lips curved in a naughty grin,

and Adrian knew his lover had started to catch on. Adrian cleared his throat and jumped in

before Lal could drop a line that would make it even tougher to keep his cock down.

“Not to be in a rush, Cris,” he said, reading the woman’s nametag, “but could we get

our boarding passes, please?”

Hopefully, without the conversation continuing in a hard-on

inducing direction

, he pleaded silently.

“No problem.” She smiled. But as she typed away at the keyboard behind the counter,

she bit down on her lower lip. “Actually, I think there might be one.” Cris glanced up with a

pout. “I really hate to break this to you, guys, but I’m sorry. It looks like your flight was

overbooked.”

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5

“Completely?” Adrian’s heart sank when she nodded.

“The holidays are always crazy, especially this close to Christmas.” Cris sighed.

“Wait -- does this mean we’re going to miss the cruise?” Lal stared between Adrian and

the young woman. He leaned over the counter to look at the computer screen for himself,

the silver collar dangling from his throat clinking softly on the granite top. “But can’t we just

get on a different plane? From the size of this airport, there have to be dozens of them.”

“Let me check…” Cris’s gaze swiveled back down to the screen, and she hammered

away at the keyboard for a second. “What I can do is set one of you up on this flight with a

complimentary upgrade to first class. For the other, there’s a flight departing the day after

tomorrow that I can squeeze you on.”

“But we’re supposed to leave port tomorrow morning.” Adrian’s shoulders slumped

with defeat. “There’s no way we’ll make it.”

“I’m so sorry, you guys.” Cris bit down on her lower lip.

Lal straightened and squeezed Adrian’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go? I’ll stay.”

“No way, I couldn’t do that.” Adrian blinked, surprised and a little hurt. How could he

even consider going alone, when all he’d wanted for the holidays was the chance to spend

them lounging lazily in Lal’s arms? Not to mention having hours and hours of sex to catch up

on what they’d missed this week, and to be ahead -- just in case next semester started off

with a crazy schedule also.

“The whole point of going is for us to be together,” he added, putting his hand over

Lal’s. “I’ll let Marty know we can’t make it.”

“But you should go and take Whiskers with you.” Lal raised his eyebrows.

“Huh?”

“Whiskers, your cat.” Lal squeezed Adrian’s shoulder a little harder, this time getting

his point across.

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“Ohhh…right!” Adrian turned back to the airline attendant with a grin. “That would

be great if I could take my, um, pet with me.”

“On a cruise?” Cris stared at him with one brow raised.

“Adrian loves his cat.” Lal nodded. “They go everywhere together.”

“Whiskers is my best friend,” Adrian chipped in.

“I’m jealous half the time.” Lal sniffled.

“Don’t be.” Adrian pulled Lal into a hug, patting him on the back. “I love you too.”

“You guys are so sweet.” The airline rep pulled out a yellow luggage tag. “It won’t be

any trouble getting Whiskers on the flight. I just need to check the pet and carrier really

quick.”

Adrian and Lal traded glances. “Uh, we’ll be right back,” said Adrian, giving the woman

a sheepish grin before dashing off toward the restroom with Lal behind him.

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Chapter Two

Lal stared at Adrian’s sandals. Every time his lover shifted position, his bare toes curled

in or stretched out, and he couldn’t help being fixated by them. Tucked under the seat in

front of Adrian and cramped in the tiny pet carrier they’d bought from a stranded traveler at

the airport for the ridiculous price of seventy-five dollars, Lal didn’t have a lot of choices for

entertainment. Not that he didn’t enjoy staring at those cute toes. They just looked

so…suckable.

He stuck a white paw through plastic bars and strained to reach Adrian’s left foot. But

the seats in first class were too roomy, keeping the man, and his toes, just out of reach.

With a dejected meow, Lal turned on his side and looked up through the bars. The

view from this angle was even better -- or worse -- depending on how he looked at the

situation. From this position, he could see halfway up Adrian’s baggy shorts, where a faint

dusting of hair started midway along the toned thigh. Lal’s gaze traveled the path that he

knew the hairs took along Adrian’s leg, leading up to the full bundle at his groin. He saw the

mound of cock and balls resting heavily on the edge of the seat within the cargo shorts, and

Lal let out another pathetic whimper.

How much longer was this flight going to last?

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Adrian doubled over and stroked his finger along Lal’s paw. “Are you doing okay?” he

whispered.

“Meow.”

I’d be more okay sitting on your lap, rubbing that half-hard bulge between

your legs, licking it, kissing it

. Lal couldn’t think of anything but these frustrating sexual

fantasies even if he tried.

“Want to stretch for a while?” Adrian asked, already reaching for the latch on the

kennel. “You’ve been in there almost an hour.”

The man in the seat next to Adrian sneezed. “I hope you’re not seriously considering

taking that animal out.”

“Excuse me?” Adrian straightened with a frown.

“It’s bad enough I have to sit this close to the thing,” the man huffed, his words muffled

because of a stuffy nose.

“He’s a cat, not a thing,” Adrian replied defensively.

“Trust me, I know what it is.” The man sneezed again and then sneezed again. “My

allergies are killing me.” He pushed out of his seat, grumbling about how much first-class

seats cost and what was the point if animals were allowed here the same as in coach.

After the man lurched down the aisle toward the restrooms, Adrian leaned over again,

muttering, “Jerk.” He touched the latch and Lal flipped onto his stomach, poised and ready to

spring out of the kennel the moment he could. But a flight attendant with a cinnamon tan

and dark auburn hair appeared next to the seats.

“Is everything okay, sir?” she asked in a hushed tone.

“I just wanted to take him out for a while.” Adrian gestured at the kennel. “He’s been

cooped in there for so long.”

“Pets are supposed to stay in their carriers throughout the flight.”

Damn it

. Lal meowed again, realizing he must sound whiny but not caring as long as it

had the desired effect on the woman.

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9

Sure enough, she leaned over the empty seat to get a better look. The tag on her

turquoise jacket said her name was April, and she had the same reaction as the girl back at

the airline counter. “What a pretty kitty -- look at those gorgeous eyes!”

Lal hammed it up for the sake of getting at least five minutes of freedom. He pricked

his ears forward and tucked both paws under his chin, widening his eyes to turn on the

“irresistible feline charm,” as Adrian called it.

“Think it would be okay?” Adrian asked the attendant softly. He had his own quiet,

adorably sexy charm that never failed to turn Lal on, and he used it to persuade April.

“Everyone else in the cabin is sleeping, and he’ll only be out for a few minutes. No one will

even notice. Please?”

“Oh, all right,” April agreed, smiling. She reached up to remove an indigo airline

blanket from the storage container overhead. “But keep him under the covers, just in case.”

“Thanks so much.” Adrian spread the large blanket while the attendant continued

down the aisle to check on other passengers. Lal tried to sit up in the cramped kennel and

clawed at the latch, even more eager to get out. As soon as the door popped open, he darted

out and jumped straight onto Adrian’s lap.

It felt wonderful to be free, with his lover’s scent filling his nose and covering his body

as he rubbed himself on Adrian’s chest. The blanket fell over him, cocooning him warmly.

“Better?” Adrian kissed Lal’s back through the covering.

Much, much, better

. Lal curled around under the blanket, kneading the inside of

Adrian’s thighs. Purring loudly enough to be sure Adrian heard his contentment, Lal settled

against the mound at Adrian’s groin and massaged his ball sac through the shorts. The flesh

tightened below Lal’s paws, faster than he’d expected it to. Adrian’s cock kicked against the

restrictive zipper, thick and rigid, demanding attention. More than happy to oblige, Lal

worked his paws over the covered shaft.

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Adrian inhaled sharply, but didn’t protest. He spread his legs slightly apart, probably

trying to relieve the pressure of his swelling sex. He squirmed in his seat, breathing faster

while his temperature spiked. His cock jerked up against Lal’s touch, as anxious to be freed

from the shorts as Lal had been to get out of the kennel. Once Adrian reached this state of

arousal, Lal knew from experience there was only one way of addressing it.

Turning in place to face the full-on erection, Lal hooked the zipper with a claw and

pulled down. He nosed into the open fly and after a few seconds of nudging, the engorged,

beautifully flushed penis sprang free with a quivering bounce. Adrian’s cock made a sexy

sweep upward as Lal rubbed his cheek along the sensitive underside, his lover’s erection

beautifully curved and thick from the base to the prow-shaped tip.

“Oh,” Adrian gasped above. His body trembled, legs spreading farther apart so Lal had

to put a paw on the seat to keep his balance. The rich scent of Adrian’s cock became stronger

as more blood flowed down to the blushing area. The hint of precum about to ooze from the

tip tickled Lal’s nose pleasantly, making his mouth water with longing to taste it. Not

thinking, he lapped at the tender foreskin facing him, and Adrian flinched with a hiccupped

cry.

Lal pulled away, remembering his tongue was a little too rough in this form for

Adrian’s delicious but sensitive cock. They’d never gone so far before with Lal still in this

form, and he couldn’t resist any longer. Dropping to the floor between his lover’s knees, he

shifted Natures.

The blanket draped down past Adrian’s ankles, more than enough to keep Lal’s small,

lithe frame covered. On hands and knees, he also just managed to fit within the roomy space

between seats. Lal dived forward, his mouth closing around the head of his lover’s cock. The

same arc of pleasure that danced through Lal when his lips fused around Adrian’s hot shaft

must have been even more amplified for his lover. Adrian thrust up from the seat, barely

stifling a throaty groan. Precum washed over Lal’s tongue in a burst of salty and musky

flavors, and he shivered with anticipation for the thicker, richer fluid this taste only hinted

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at. Eager to coax more out of the swollen head, he gripped Adrian’s knees to keep steady as

he lapped at the slit and sucked deeply.

The pull on his cock almost finished Adrian. He lifted off the seat at the rush of

pleasure flooding his body through his groin.

“Oh,” he moaned, then bit down on his lower lip to keep any other noises that

might’ve been heard over the roar of the plane’s engines from slipping out. Adrian dropped

back into the chair, his thighs tightening around Lal’s shoulders as he glanced around the

dimly lit cabin. The people across the aisle were still napping; the couple seated behind them

watched the in-flight movie with half-closed, sleepy eyes. Adrian wiped at the beads of

sweat on his brow and hunched over.

“Lal,” he whispered hoarsely. Between his knees, Lal’s head continued to bob up and

down under the blanket. Another drawn-out and mind-numbingly wonderful suck on

Adrian’s dick was accompanied by a massage on his taut and aching sac.

Gasping, Adrian rocked back and forth on the seat. All the muscles in his abs and legs

twitched with the desire to thrust into the warm, moist depth of Lal’s mouth. He could

barely restrain himself from bucking into that delicious suction, and Adrian squeezed the

armrests so hard he thought he was going to leave dents in the plastic. The rhythmic, slightly

abrasive strokes of Lal’s tongue on his head urged him to let go, right now, fast and hard.

Adrian cradled the back of his lover’s neck and buried his face in the woolly, plastic-

smelling airline blanket draped over Lal’s head. The muscles in his abdomen and upper

thighs tensed, his cock throbbing as he rushed toward his peak, his heart pounding. Adrian

sucked in his breath sharply through clenched teeth, and he let everything go in a blinding,

wonderful, erotic burst of pleasure.

The gush spilled out of Adrian in a hard spray, his shaft twitching in Lal’s mouth. His

lover sucked fiercely to swallow it all. Adrian found himself bouncing on the edge of the seat

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with each tug from Lal’s lips, his chest heaving. Another hot wave flooded his cheeks, and

sweat dripped down the back of his neck in spite of the chilly air inside the plane. He

tumbled toward a second orgasm, freefalling thirty thousand miles in the sky thanks to his

boyfriend’s mastery of oral sex.

Oh God…I’m getting blown in the middle of a flight, surrounded by dozens of

strangers who have no idea what’s going on

. Adrian’s cock swelled up all over again just from

the thought. This was the most wickedly good, daring sex they’d gotten away with yet, and

Adrian loved it. The thrill left him feeling wild and bold and ridiculously hard and -- a

sneeze at the end of the aisle sent his naughty thoughts packing.

He didn’t have to glance behind him to know his surly flight companion was coming

back from the restrooms. Adrian stared at the back of the gray leather seat in front of him,

his breath caught in his throat as he tried not to panic. His hand still pressed to the back of

Lal’s neck, he felt the roll of muscle on his fingertips while his lover swallowed and

swallowed more. How much had he spilled out?

“Lal, finish up fast,” he whispered hoarsely.

The muffled response sounded like, “But you’re still hard.”

Adrian sat back and lifted up the edge of the blanket to stare beneath it in disbelief. His

glistening dick bobbed up defiantly when Lal released the head. “Oh, hell --” Adrian

whimpered. The more he panicked, the more his cock seemed to like the danger of being

caught. And Lal wasn’t helping. His blue eyes flickering with lust, he kissed the tip and

wiggled his tongue along the slit.

“Stop that!” Adrian reached in to tuck his erection away.

Lal gripped the base, refusing to let go. “No, it’s mine,” he protested, diving for the head

again. For a moment, the tug of war on Adrian’s cock felt insanely pleasurable, and he almost

lost track of why he wanted to zip it up in the first place.

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Another sneeze, followed by an annoyed grumble, reminded both men. Lal stopped

yanking and hurried to stuff the tenaciously rigid shaft back into Adrian’s shorts.

Unfortunately, the swollen length didn’t fit too well.

“Did these clothes shrink?” Adrian sputtered.

“I think you grew.” The well-meaning but unavoidably arousing pats Lal used to get

everything back into place succeeded in giving him enough room to pull up the zipper --

barely. Adrian’s penis continued to jut up, only now at a crooked angle. The hard knob

provocatively pointed off to the left, straining against the front of his clothes and forming a

tepee at his crotch. They hadn’t managed to get the cock back into Adrian’s briefs and a tiny,

embarrassing wet spot darkened the khaki shorts where the head touched. Adrian’s cheeks

burned.

“Oops.” Lal glanced up at Adrian with a wink. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of that later.”

He shifted Natures and scuttled into the kennel.

“I hope you don’t just mean the shorts,” Adrian called down softly, wadding up the

blanket to hold the bundle over his hard-on.

Lal stuck his head out and gave Adrian the feline equivalent of a sly grin. He ducked

away just as the other passenger dropped into the seat beside Adrian.

“How were the bathrooms?” Adrian asked loudly to cover up the click of the latch as

he nudged the kennel door closed with his foot.

The man gave him a dry look as he sniffled into a tissue. “A fabulous experience,” he

muttered.

“For both of us.” Adrian pressed his lips together to keep from smiling and turned to

look out the window as the plane soared over miles of dark ocean water.

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Chapter Three

“It’s beautiful!” Lal draped his arms around Adrian’s shoulders. “And it smells so salty.”

He nuzzled the side of Adrian’s neck, making it unclear if he meant the vibrant aqua ocean

to their right, or Adrian’s earlobe. Lal nipped at the tender flesh playfully, purring under his

breath. His lips felt so soft and warm, and his moist breath tickled the skin just under

Adrian’s ear. The fact they were walking in public be damned -- the sweet show of playful

affection was all it took to ignite the passion that had been smoldering between them since

they had set foot off the plane.

Adrian veered off the walkway and pulled Lal toward the waist-high cement wall

blocking pedestrians from the thirty-foot drop to the rocky edge of the bay below. They

drew up under the shade of a flamboyán tree, and he gathered Lal into his arms, squeezing

him tightly. “I’m so happy you’re here with me.” Adrian kissed Lal on the bridge of his nose.

“I love you, the sunshine, the city…everything. I used to come visit my family here a lot

when I was kid, but it feels even more special now.”

Lal laughed. “Really?”

“Absolutely.” Adrian had spent plenty of summers living with his aunt in their house

near Isla Verde, a couple of miles east of San Juan. The island was beautiful and he always

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had fun with his cousins, but it was a totally different experience being here with the one

person he loved most. Everything seemed new and fresh and exciting, including the

centuries-old fortress with its monolithic stone walls, and even the dusty Spanish relics had

renewed charm. On the way to the cruise ship harbor, Adrian walked with Lal through Old

San Juan just to see El Morro, where his lover’s infectious curiosity prompted them to

explore every corner of the fortress. They were sweaty and grimy afterward, but Adrian

couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed himself so much at the place. He kissed Lal one

more time on the nose.

“Mmm.” Lal let his purrs of happiness do all the talking as he pressed close.

“Save some of that for the cruise, will you?”

Adrian looked over his shoulder. “Hey, Marty!” he greeted his friend, who approached

from one of the vendor stalls lining the opposite side of the walkway. The holiday vacation

was obviously working its magic on the man. Marty had cut his auburn hair a few inches so

that the tips curled up above his collar, and a few more freckles dotted the bridge of his nose.

The span of tan skin not covered by his shorts or T-shirt suggested a number of lazy

afternoons spent basking on a sunny beach during the couple of days he’d shared with his

lover, James, here in Puerto Rico before the start of the cruise. Marty wrapped Adrian in a

bear hug and kissed Lal on the cheek. “How was the flight down here?”

“Long.” Adrian bit down on his lower lip to keep from smiling too suspiciously. “But

fun.”

“Very fun,” Lal added, his sly tone obliterating Adrian’s attempt to be subtle.

“Aha!” Marty grinned, his eyebrows shooting up above his stylish sunglasses. “Sounds

like two boys were misbehaving and being naughty. And right before Christmas. For shame.”

“Shut up.” Adrian playfully pushed Marty away, but he felt the spread of warmth over

his cheeks.

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“Oh, my God, you’re blushing,” Marty ribbed. “You two --” He silently mouthed,

fucked

.

“No, we didn’t.” Lal sighed and rested his chin on Adrian’s shoulder. “Not really,

anyway.”

“I

knew

something happened.” Marty snickered. Adrian groaned, expecting to be

teased relentlessly by his friend. Marty paid almost as much attention to Adrian’s sex life as

his own, and this -- literally -- juicy tidbit would be fodder for all sorts of good-natured

jokes. But Marty kept any other quips to himself and gestured for Adrian and Lal to follow

him down the rest of the way to the cruise docks. They skirted around the crowds of

blizzard-escaping tourists from the East Coast who were also enjoying the beautiful morning

among local artisans and musicians. The friends stopped a few times along the way and

checked out some of the souvenirs. Although Adrian couldn’t help noticing that, after the

bright greeting, Marty seemed unusually quiet.

“Is everything okay with James?” Adrian asked, switching his shoulder bag to his other

side so Lal could walk close against him and still be next to the ocean.

“Yeah, he’s doing great.” Marty flashed Adrian a subdued smile. Lal also caught that

something seemed off with Marty, and he frowned at Adrian. Though before either man

could comment further, they’d reached the cruise harbor. All sorts of ships lined the dock,

from the huge liners to smaller boats that only circled the island. A crowd of people milled

around the boardwalk, but Marty wove through them to reach their ship. As they came up to

the boarding ramp, Adrian looked toward the main deck where a tall, bronze-skinned, dark-

haired man waved down at them. Shirtless and gorgeous, Marty’s lover wasn’t at all hard to

pick out of a crowd.

Adrian waved back at James, and Marty cupped his hands around his mouth to call out,

“Meet us at the entrance.”

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17

They climbed up the ramp where an attendant checked each passenger’s ticket. James

was already there, with passes and a room key for Adrian and Lal. As soon as they were

cleared to come on board, he hugged them both. “Happy holidays,” he said warmly, smiling

to show off his dimples and a few crinkles that were just starting to form at the corners of his

eyes.

“Thanks again for inviting us,” Adrian said. He took Lal’s hand and gave him a brief

squeeze. “We’ve been looking forward to this vacation like you wouldn’t believe.”

“The cruise wouldn’t be half as fun without you both here.” James beamed.

Adrian loved James Cohen as a match for Marty, and he knew his best friend was

absolutely crazy about the sexy lawyer. James could always get a person to smile no matter

what kind of lousy day they had, and he was patient and generous, especially to charities and

nonprofit groups. The biggest stressor in their relationship so far had been finding time to be

together since both guys were pretty busy. But James had started cutting back some of his

hours at the firm for Marty, and it was clear their relationship was one that wouldn’t cool

down any time soon.

Not to mention there was the fabulous sex Marty kept bragging about. Adrian didn’t

want to stare, but James did look extremely attractive and he was only half-naked. The gray

and red swim trunks clinging to James’s narrow hips weren’t loose fitting enough to

not

show off the large, semierect cock bundled with his sac between his legs.

While they’d all said hello, James had slipped an arm around Marty’s waist. He touched

his lips to Marty’s cheek in a tender kiss. “It’s being together with the people you love that

makes the season special, right?”

A sad look flickered across Marty’s face. He immediately tried to cover it up with a

smile, but Adrian noticed. So did James. He squeezed Marty’s shoulder. “Hey, I really mean

that.”

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Lal nudged Adrian and they shared a concerned glance. “What’s going on, guys?”

Adrian asked.

“Nothing important.” James waved him off, clearly not wanting to discuss it.

But Marty refused to let the issue drop. “Did they finally return your calls?”

James sighed. “No.”

“Damn it,” Marty cursed under his breath. He gave Adrian and Lal a short explanation

that, judging from the way he was biting his tongue between words, was probably very

abridged. “James’s family isn’t particularly happy about us.”

“You mean, you two as a couple?” Adrian frowned.

“Yes. They’ve basically stopped talking to him.” Marty clenched his jaw, and Adrian

knew his friend was most certainly holding back more to the story.

“It’s because you’re not Jewish.” James chuckled. In spite of the cheerful attitude, his

tone carried a trace of sadness, proving just how much the situation hurt him.

“It’s because I’m a man,” Marty corrected. Bitterness sharpened his tone, and Adrian

could only guess what had happened between Marty, James, and the Cohens. James said

nothing.

Apparently, the beauty of San Juan wasn’t the only thing Adrian had taken for granted.

His mom knew he was gay and had never been anything less than supportive of him, no

matter what. He could only imagine how badly his two friends must feel at getting the silent

treatment, especially now, during the holidays. Crushed, Adrian bit down on his lower lip.

“It’s your happiness that should matter most to them,” he said.

“I’m not surprised that it doesn’t,” Lal muttered, anger creeping into his tone. “Trust

me, I know how hardheaded and selfish some blood relatives can be before they come

around.”

“Honestly, none of that matters,” James asserted. He drew Marty close again. “Sure, I’m

disappointed in my parents. But I’m not going to let that ruin the holidays for us.”

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19

“But --”

James placed a finger over Marty’s lips, silencing him. “That’s enough. Right now,

there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” James smiled. “And on the plus side, it’s kind of nice to

know that no one is going to be calling and interrupting any particularly special moments.”

He dipped in for a kiss. His mouth melted gently together with Marty’s and neither

man seemed at all eager to pull apart. They held each other, totally absorbed in the sweet

moment of shared tenderness powerful enough to make life’s troubles feel a million miles

away. That was the same kind of passion Adrian experienced in his relationship with Lal.

Seeing Marty with James only reminded him how much he badly he ached to act on that

love. The pull started deep in his gut and spread down to his stiffening cock.

Lal tugged on the back of Adrian’s shirt. “We should go find our cabin,” he breathed.

He sounded as desperate as Adrian felt.

Finally surfacing for air, Marty offered them a lopsided grin. “Sorry. I should give you

guys a tour of the suite we’re sharing.”

“Actually…” Adrian glanced at Lal to make sure they were both on the same lusty

page. A very intense, hungry expression glazed over his lover’s eyes, like a cat getting ready

to pounce. And God, Adrian wanted to be pounced on. He cleared his throat. “Lal and I can

manage on our own and then meet you guys for lunch in a little while.”

“Yeah, right.” Marty snorted. He was back to his usual playful self. “Once the two of

you get under the sheets, the only view you’ll see during the entire cruise is the one from the

window over your bed.”

James swatted Marty on the butt and turned the teasing right back on him. “I’m not

sure we’ll see much else either.”

Adrian didn’t get a chance to laugh before Lal started dragging him toward the staircase

at the end of the deck. He might’ve been shorter and smaller than Adrian, but he was very

strong and clearly not in the mood to keep the lid on his desire any longer.

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“We’ll see you two for lunch later,” James called after them.

“Maybe.” Lal flashed a wicked, decidedly feline grin at Adrian. He broke into a run,

tugging Adrian right behind him.

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21

Chapter Four

They found the suite a couple of decks below. Swiping the passkey through the card

slot at the door, Adrian and Lal stepped into a posh living area with creamy white furniture

and a thick beige carpet that complemented the bright blues and whites of the rest of the

decor. A flat-screen television was mounted on the wall opposite the sofa and minibar, and

the tropical flowers in the brilliant arrangement on the narrow coffee table released a soft

perfume into the air. But after a quick scan of their suite, Adrian was too caught up in Lal to

see much of anything beyond his lover.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Adrian tossed his bag to the floor and Lal

jumped him. He devoured Adrian’s lips in a fiercely passionate kiss, one that burned and

throbbed and felt wonderfully, achingly good. His nimble tongue slipped into all the private

corners of Adrian’s mouth, claiming them as his own with short, dirty flicks and longer,

more sensual strokes.

In a flash, they were taking up where they’d left off back in the airport and on the

plane. Muffled noises of pleasure vibrated between them, and the hard, blunt tip of Lal’s cock

dug into Adrian’s thigh as they stumbled through the suite’s living room. His own shaft

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Anne Cain

swelled up against his fly, pulsing and ready to nestle its way into Lal’s hands, mouth, or the

puckered opening at Lal’s rear.

Just the thought of it had Adrian groaning and twitching in anticipation.

Making all kinds of primal, lusty noises, they tumbled through an open doorway on the

left side of the living area and groped each other on the way to a queen-size bed. Pausing

every few steps, Adrian managed to rip off his T-shirt and undo the top button of his shorts.

But Lal never let up -- he kept Adrian’s lips locked in a heated kiss that went on and on. And

on.

Tangled in each other’s arms, they landed sideways on the bed in a heap with Adrian

happily pinned to the mattress underneath Lal. They kicked off their shoes and scooted up to

a row of pillows at the base of the headboard. Settling against the soft cushions, Adrian

nibbled on the swell of Lal’s lower lip as he rubbed both hands down Lal’s shoulder blades.

Lal tilted his head back with a low, rumbling moan of pleasure, his Adam’s apple

bobbing in the column of his throat. He arched into Adrian’s caress, his entire body

quivering with delight. The links of his collar tinkled softly with the subtle movements, the

silver glinting against the skin at the base of his neck. “More,” he pleaded.

Always happy to indulge his lover, Adrian reached under the hem of Lal’s black T-shirt

and pulled the piece of clothing over Lal’s head. Adrian stroked the smooth, pale skin, feeling

the taut muscles sliding and flexing under his touch. He ran his fingertips along Lal’s spine,

and Lal went crazy for it. Loud purrs filled the bedroom as he pushed against Adrian’s touch,

his sinewy body curving and flexing to make as much contact as possible. He shivered with

pleasure as Adrian swept his hands down to Lal’s waist where he undid the fastenings of Lal’s

jeans and tugged them down.

Delighted, Lal pounced on top of Adrian and rubbed his face all over Adrian’s chest.

The softness and warmth of his cheeks left Adrian’s skin tingling wherever they touched. Lal

mouthed a hard nipple, sending an arc of pleasure spiraling through Adrian’s torso to coil

Pawprints: Giving & Taking

23

around his gut and groin. His cock kicked up against the zipper and Adrian gasped from the

tension seizing his body.

“Lal,” he groaned. His dick felt so hard it hurt.

“Mmm.” Lal showered Adrian’s face and neck in dozens of kisses. His soft, moist lips

covered every bare inch before they finally settled at the hollow at the base of Adrian’s

throat. He suckled the sweaty skin, tickling and teasing the area while he pressed his hips

down on Adrian’s swollen, still-confined cock. The pressure almost drove Adrian out of his

mind, and he squirmed, dangerously close to spilling out on himself before he’d even had a

chance to take his shaft out of his pants.

But Lal knew exactly how far he pushed and how much Adrian could take. He was

sharply attuned to Adrian’s needs and desires, hypersensitive enough at times that Adrian

wondered if Lal could read his mind. Maybe he could, because as he eased off Adrian and

rolled onto the mattress, a coy smile danced across his lips.

“You know exactly what I’m thinking, don’t you?” Adrian propped himself up on his

elbows, panting hard and grinning.

“It’s not

hard

to figure out.” Lal reached over and traced a finger along the jut of

Adrian’s rigid, bone-hard erection.

The touch sent a wave of pleasure rippling down the swollen shaft, and a series of

erotic moans spilled from Adrian’s mouth. He tugged down his zipper and wriggled out of his

shorts and briefs. His penis bounced free, thick and long and already glistening at the tip.

Adrian groaned with relief as the cool air washed over his flushed cock after having been

bundled up in those tight shorts.

Lal leaned over and swabbed his tongue over the slit. In its pure, erotically tortuous

way, the touch urged Adrian to stop fighting and surrender to the powerful urge to rip loose,

fast and hard. But he wanted to wait for Lal, so they could share in that orgasmic crash

together. Adrian flopped back on to the bed and pulled one of the thick pillows over his head

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Anne Cain

to muffle a deep, throaty cry. Lal stopped teasing his cock and burrowed under the pillow

also.

“I’m never going to last if you keep doing that.” Adrian panted in the hot, dark space.

“That’s the point.” Lal slid his rough tongue along the side of Adrian’s neck. “I’m trying

to make you come.” He planted a trail of kisses down to Adrian’s clavicle and across his left

pec.

In the months they’d been together, Lal had searched for and found every single place

on Adrian’s body where the skin was most sensitive. He settled now on a spot just below

Adrian’s underarm and started bathing the area, knowing just what effect that would have.

The deliciously coarse strokes drove Adrian wild, and he just about melted into a

puddle of moaning, malleable goo. “Oh, don’t do that,” he gasped and then giggled. He rolled

away from those fiercely skilled lips and scrunched himself up into a ball, laughing. “Stop.”

“I love you.” Lal pounced on top of Adrian, stroking the sides of his face all over

Adrian’s bare shoulders and back. “I can’t stop.”

Adrian turned to welcome Lal’s warm body into his arms. He couldn’t imagine not

having this man be a part of his life -- missing out on these sweet, happy moments and not

sharing this love. He thought about the situation with James’s family, and Adrian didn’t

understand how they could hold it against their son for having found happiness like this in

his relationship with Marty. Adrian held Lal even tighter, kissing his silky pink lips with as

much tenderness as he could, so Lal would always know how much he was cared for and

needed.

“Take me already,” Lal murmured into Adrian’s mouth. For emphasis, he rubbed his

own cock into Adrian’s groin. He was stiffer than a pole and swollen, a crimson blush

spreading all the way from the tip to the bed of white, downy pubic hairs at the base. Adrian

reached between their bodies to fondle the thick shaft, and he gave Lal’s hard-on some

much-needed attention. Moaning and squirming, Lal clearly loved the touch. He thrust his

Pawprints: Giving & Taking

25

hips in time with each gentle tug, his cock sliding in and out of the ring formed by Adrian’s

hand and fingers.

“Oh,” Lal gasped. He squeezed his eyes shut and threw his head back, his body

trembling. Encouraged by the noises his lover made, Adrian used firmer strokes. He reached

the head and gently pulled back Lal’s foreskin, and a trickle of precum oozed from the slit.

The pearly fluid dribbled down the smooth length, leaving the flushed skin glistening. Lal

started to thrust harder, more urgently, and his erection lengthened further in Adrian’s grip.

He wasn’t just rocking in time with the masturbation -- he was trying to fuck Adrian’s

hands. And he didn’t even know he was doing it.

Had Lal ever pleasured himself? Adrian frowned, realizing he didn’t know the answer.

There was still a lot he needed to learn about Lal’s past, questions he hadn’t asked during the

last few months since Lal started living with him. Adrian didn’t want Lal to keep thinking of

the past, certainly not when the silver collar dangling from his neck was constant reminder

enough. Why make Lal revisit a life he’d finally escaped? The rules from that strange

dimension were many and strange. Of course, any realm that would make sex slaves out of

beautiful, magical beings like Lal was beyond Adrian’s ability to understand. But he knew

the first time he’d touched Lal’s cock was the first time

anyone

had touched Lal with the

purpose of pleasuring him.

A shocking thought occurred to Adrian.

When had Lal ever enjoyed anal sex as

anything other than a bottom?

To date, they’d never switched positions.

An exciting idea took hold of Adrian. He stopped pumping Lal’s cock, though he held

on to the base of the shaft. “Lal, there’s something I want us to do.”

“Anything,” Lal purred, his eyes still closed behind a fringe of thick lashes.

“Come inside of me for a change,” Adrian whispered.

Lal froze in midthrust. His eyes shot wide open. “What?”

Adrian brushed his free hand over Lal’s thigh. “I want you to fuck me.”

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Anne Cain

In the silence that followed, Adrian could’ve heard a pin drop on the bedroom’s lush

carpeting. A master of seduction he was

not

.

Adrian felt himself blush. “I guess that sounded pretty dirty.” He rolled his eyes and

grinned sheepishly. “But I still want you to, you know…penetrate me for a change.”

Lal quickly drew back. Startled, Adrian had to catch Lal’s wrist to keep him from

bolting off the mattress. “Wait, I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?”

The frightened look on Lal’s face told Adrian that he had.

“I’m sorry.” Adrian sat up. “But it’s all right to be on top every once in a while. I’d love

to know what it feels like to have you inside of me.” He squeezed Lal’s hand and offered him

an encouraging smile. “That would be one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten in my whole life.”

Lal shook his head fiercely. He slipped his hand out of Adrian’s hold and backed off the

bed. He opened his mouth to say something else, but clamped his lips shut instead.

Confused and hurt, not to mention worried, Adrian bit down on his lower lip. “Oh,

okay.” He hadn’t seen such a frightened look on Lal’s face since that night they’d faced off

with the Master. Adrian shivered. “I’m sorry,” he apologized again. “I just thought…”

“No.” Lal shifted Natures and ran from the bedroom in a streak of black and white fur.

Adrian stared after him, too stunned to move.

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27

Chapter Five

Wherever Lal hid, the spot was too clever for Adrian to find. He didn’t come across a

single whisker behind the sofa in the living area or underneath James and Marty’s bed in the

other adjoining room. Obviously, Lal didn’t want to be discovered. Adrian had to reluctantly

resign himself to the fact that eventually -- hopefully -- his lover would want to talk about

what was going on. Or not. Adrian knew well enough that Lal kept some things to himself,

and Adrian relied on the trust they’d built between them to eventually coax any secrets out

into the open.

To help clear his mind, Adrian took a cold shower and changed into fresh clothes. He

slipped out of the room quietly to give Lal some privacy in case his lover was still somewhere

inside. While they’d started making love, the cruise ship had pulled out of the bay, and

Adrian headed up to the deck to watch the beautiful coastline drift by.

Somewhere along the way to the viewing deck, he found himself at the ship’s bar.

White lights were strung above the countertop, along with mistletoe and other bright

decorations for the holiday. A number of cruise guests crowded the bar with piña coladas in

hand to start their Christmas Eve celebrations early, and Adrian decided he could also use a

drink.

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While he waited for his order, he noticed Marty sitting at the very far end of the bar,

alone. His friend kept twisting a napkin around his hands, an untouched cocktail beside him

on the counter. He stared down at a piece of paper, his lips moving along to the words he

was reading. Adrian carried his drink over and took a seat next to him. “Hey,” he said,

nudging his friend in the shoulder after a few seconds.

“Oh, hi.” Marty flashed him a distracted grin. He dropped the napkin and quickly

wadded up the piece of paper covered in his scratchy handwriting. “Sorry, I didn’t see you

there.”

“I noticed.” Adrian eyed the crumpled sheet in Marty’s hand. “You’ve definitely got

something really important on your mind if you’re this nervous.”

Marty rubbed the back of his neck. “It shows, huh?” He let out a shaky sigh.

Adrian nodded.

“There’s something I want to do with James…” Marty trailed off.

Those words sure sounded familiar to Adrian after having said something similar to Lal

only an hour or so ago. He raised both eyebrows at his friend.

“Don’t look at me like that, Adri.” Marty gently bopped him on the side of the head.

“It’s something good. I think.” He glanced down at the rumpled paper and added quietly, “I

hope.”

“Can I see?” Adrian pointed at the paper.

“Never mind, it’s probably really stupid,” Marty mumbled, stuffing the sheet into his

pocket.

“I doubt it,” Adrian replied. He nudged his friend. “Come on.”

“Well…” Marty cleared his throat. “There’s a special gift I’m planning on giving

James.” Instead of the paper, Marty pulled a small black jewelry case from his pocket. He set

the box down between them.

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29

“Oh, wow,” Adrian whispered. He didn’t need to open the case to know what was

inside.

Marty let out a long whistle under his breath. “I know.” He ran both hands through his

hair. “Take a look.”

Adrian flipped open the leather-covered top. A simple, elegant gold band was tucked

between two cushions of thick gray silk, the polished metal glinting under the pretty

overhead lights. He lifted the ring out and noticed an inscription etched along the inside:

I

am to My Beloved and My Beloved is to me.

“This is beautiful, Marty,” Adrian whispered.

“It’s not a wedding ring or anything like that.” Marty stared down at his hands. “I just

want James to know how much he means to me,” he said, his voice husky. “And I hope that

my love is worth all the stress that’s going on with his family right now.”

“Even if you’re not Jewish,” Adrian gently teased as he handed the ring back.

Laughing, Marty nodded. “Yeah, exactly.” He took the ring and weighed it in his palm.

“The situation with James and his parents has been pretty hard on him.”

“On you both, I’d imagine,” said Adrian.

“The thing is, they’ve known he was gay for a really long time, and they supposedly

accepted that,” Marty explained. “But when James told them he and I were going to move in

together after New Year’s, it was like they finally realized, ‘Hey, our son is involved in a very

real, very serious relationship with another man.’ They not only stopped talking to him, but

uninvited him from visiting their house for Hanukkah.”

While Adrian was surprised and upset by how James’s parents had overreacted, he

couldn’t help focusing on one very important thing Marty said. “Wait.” Adrian touched his

friend’s shoulder. “You and James are moving in together?”

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Anne Cain

“Yeah.” Marty nodded, one corner of his lips tugging up in a half smile. “I love him

more than ever I’ve loved anyone, Adri. I want to share everything with him, including the

rest of my life. It’s the same way you feel about Lal.”

“I know,” Adrian replied softly. “But sometimes, I don’t think he realizes that.”

“Lal?”

“His past is…complicated.” One day, Adrian hoped to explain everything to his best

friend, but for now he kept the supernatural details quiet until Lal was ready to share. “He

doesn’t realize that I want to give him as much as he gives me.”

“Hey, listen.” Marty slipped the gold band back into place and closed the box. “Let’s

make a promise to each other. We don’t get off this cruise without letting our boyfriends

know they mean more than the world to us.”

“You’ve got a deal,” Adrian agreed. They shook hands, grinning.

“But I’m still nervous as hell.” Marty took a swallow from his drink and let out a puff of

air. “I’m not even sure what I’m going to say to him yet.”

“Let’s see what you’ve got so far,” Adrian encouraged.

Marty pulled out the crumpled paper. “It’s awful,” he warned, and Adrian had to

snatch the sheet before he could hide it away again.

“I bet it’s sweet.” Adrian started reading a couple of lines, and he couldn’t stop from

cracking up. “God, Marty. There’s so much cheese here, I think you’ll need some crackers to

go along with it.”

“Hey, I’m not a master poet or anything.” Marty nabbed the page and jammed it back

into his pocket, but he was cheerful and upbeat. As he stood to leave, he leaned over to kiss

Adrian on the cheek. “Thanks for everything, Adri.”

“That’s what friends are for.” Adrian smiled and watched him head off to find James.

Finishing off his own drink, Adrian set the empty glass down and pushed away from the bar.

“Now to find my own lover.”

Pawprints: Giving & Taking

31

Before this holiday cruise was over, he was going to make sure Lal knew their love

worked both ways, without limits.

Because Adrian belonged to Lal as much as he belonged to anyone.

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Chapter Six

Lal felt horrible the entire afternoon. After wandering listlessly around the ship for a

few hours, he went up to the observation deck and settled into one of the wooden chairs

facing out to sea. He tucked his knees under his chin and watched the ship sail past the

coastline as the sun dropped lower on the horizon, brooding quietly. All the other passengers

lounging on the deck chairs were having a good time, some of them even getting quite

romantic with each other, as if no one else on the deck mattered. The gay couple in the

Adirondack chair right next to Lal had gone from holding hands to making out, and Lal

couldn’t bear to watch. They made him think too much about wanting to be here with

Adrian, cuddling under the warm sunshine.

Swallowing a groan, Lal buried his face in his palms. How could he have run away

from Adrian like that? He was a coward, and he wasn’t even sure why.

Except…Adrian had asked for something very, very dangerous. It went against all

those damn rules Lal had lived under for years in the Master’s house. Back then, to even

think of penetrating another male would’ve been grounds for punishment. Lal’s fingers went

to the silver collar dangling from his throat.

Pawprints: Giving & Taking

33

Never in his life had he been asked to take such a precious, volatile gift, and frankly, it

frightened him a little. Okay, a lot. And now he worried that by running away, he’d spoiled

the start of their first holiday together. He tugged his hair, miserable.

“Lal?”

Oh, no. It was Adrian, searching at the far end of the deck near the shuffleboard area.

He was dressed in a white button-down shirt, black slacks that complemented his long, lean

legs, and sandals. He looked casually elegant and sexy, clearly ready for a romantic evening.

But Lal couldn’t bring himself to face his lover and explain why he’d run away, especially

when he had trouble explaining the reasons to himself. Adrian called out again and started

weaving his way through the crowd.

Lal panicked. He slipped down to the deck and crouched by the kissing couple, using

them for cover. Adrian was so shy, he probably wouldn’t look anywhere near the two men

while they really went at it. In fact, the couple was so hot for each other, stroking and

squeezing and moaning, Lal was getting turned on. Their contagious passion had his body

quivering and aching to be touched, and it was all he could do to keep from purring. He

gulped and tried to be as still as possible.

Sure enough, as Adrian came by the couple, a blush spread across his cheeks. He kept

his eyes glued to the floor while scratching the back of his head, his bashfulness so adorable

Lal had to fight the urge to jump out and grab him.

“Oomf!”

The couple -- and Lal’s cover -- crashed onto the deck with a heavy thud. During one

of their fervent exchanges, they’d flopped right off the chair. The racket caught Adrian’s

attention, and when he turned back to see what had happened, he locked eyes with Lal.

“Hey!” Adrian broke into a smile.

Lal, meanwhile, broke into a run. He hopped over the two guys who were still making

out, gravity be damned, and made a dash for the shuffleboards.

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Anne Cain

Adrian started after him. “Wait up, Lal. Please!”

Ashamed and scared, Lal didn’t stop. He darted between other guests, slipping through

the crowd as fast as his human form could carry him. He ducked under the arm of a waiter

carrying a tray of cocktails, startling the man. A few seconds later, Lal heard a crash behind

him and Adrian apologizing.

Lal took advantage of the distraction to bolt through a doorway, but a dense pack of

passengers in the ballroom-sized area cut off his escape route. Judging from the slot machines

lining one wall and the rows of tables with card and dice games going, this was the ship’s

casino. Lal glanced around, knowing that he’d never be able to make his way through all the

people without Adrian catching him. It wasn’t like he could blend in that easily either, not

with his silvery white hair. But if he were smaller…

Squeezing through a bunch of people to make it to the closest corner of the room, Lal

ducked behind a cluster of potted palms. He shifted Natures, scuttling out from under his pile

of clothes. He didn’t mind leaving his things behind for now since he wasn’t carrying any ID

or the room key. Later on, he could come back for his stuff.

Lal scurried along the edge of the room and hid underneath an empty table,

undetected. Scrunching himself into a tight ball, tail wrapped around his body, he planned to

wait it out for a couple of minutes while he tried to figure out what the hell he was going to

do.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have nearly enough time. A number of people crowded

around the table, laughing and talking. Next thing Lal knew, a dealer in glossy patent leather

shoes showed up at the spot closest to Lal’s hiding place and opened up the table for a dice

game.

Damn

. Lal swallowed a meow of dismay. He could be here for hours, maybe the rest of

the night.

Pawprints: Giving & Taking

35

Adrian’s -- very adorable -- toes appeared next to the dealer’s shoes. “Excuse me,”

Adrian said, interrupting a deal. “Have you seen a guy with white and black hair come

through here? I’m so sure I saw him come into the casino.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen him, sorry,” the dealer replied.

“Thanks anyway.” Adrian sounded disappointed enough to make Lal ache with guilt.

He moved away from the table, and Lal’s heart went right along with him.

This was silly. Adrian loved him, and there was no reason why Lal had to hide like this,

no matter how ashamed he might feel after what had happened in their bedroom. Adrian

wouldn’t push him into doing something he wasn’t ready or willing to do. Still, Lal couldn’t

handle the idea of facing Adrian just yet, though he wanted to be near the man.

As soon as the passengers got into their dice game and were too distracted to notice

much else, Lal darted out from under the table. A few people who weren’t caught up in their

games spotted him, but by the time they got over their initial surprise at seeing a cat on

board, Lal had trotted past. He caught a glimpse of Adrian near the casino exit not too far

ahead of him, and Lal followed, hugging the wall to avoid getting stepped on. They climbed

up a red-carpeted staircase and entered a different area of the ship.

Here, the lights were warm and muted, and all the glass doors surrounding the area had

been opened to receive the fresh evening breeze coming off the ocean. A jazz band played

soft, romantic music from their stage at the head of the dance floor, classy holiday

decorations in black and white glittering over the polished wood below. A few couples were

already dancing, while others lingered around the bar with their cocktails or sat at tables to

have dinner. Lal found a hiding place where a fountain and koi pond was set up the corner of

the room near the tables, the number of plants surrounding the beautiful water feature

offering more than enough cover.

A couple of feet away, Adrian had taken a seat at the table closest to the fountain. After

a few seconds, he was joined by Marty.

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“How do I look?” Marty asked, doing a half turn so Adrian could check out both the

front and back of his navy blue sports coat.

“Great!” Adrian grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. “Now relax and have a drink.”

“I’ve already had God knows how many.” Marty rubbed his hands together. “The next

one is going to be a toast of champagne with James. Here he comes.”

“Hi, you two.” James came up to the table with a warm smile for everyone and a kiss

for Marty. Marty held the embrace a few seconds longer, drawing out the kiss until a soft

groan of pleasure vibrated between them.

“What was that for?” James breathed. Marty only smiled in response.

Adrian cleared his throat. “I’m going to head off to see if I can find Lal,” he said,

winking at Marty. “I’ll see you both later.” Adrian pushed away from the table and drifted

toward the bar, glancing back over his shoulder a couple of times. “Okay, you two are up to

something.” James chuckled.

Lal certainly agreed. What would make Adrian leave the table so abruptly, and why

did Marty seem so nervous around James? From his hiding place, Lal could feel the anxiety

emanating from Marty’s stiff posture and he sensed a curious tension between the couple.

James tried to break the strained mood. “Whatever it is, please don’t let me get drunk

and make an ass out of myself on camera,” he joked.

“Let’s sit down a minute,” Marty said. “There’s something I want to tell you.”

“Sure.” Puzzled, James frowned and took the empty chair beside Marty’s. “This sounds

serious.”

Marty let out a puff of air and rubbed his hands together. “Umm…wait, hang on.” He

reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a wadded-up sheet of stationery. He smoothed

the paper out on his knee and cleared his throat so many times it sounded like he was

choking. Even from his hiding spot, Lal could see Marty’s cheeks and the back of his neck

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37

turn bright red, the color an almost perfect match to those horrible vegetables -- beets --

Adrian sometimes liked to buy from the grocery market.

“Do you need some water?” James asked with a concerned look, and he started patting

Marty on the back.

“No, no. I’m okay.” Marty clutched at the page with trembling hands and started

reading out loud. “We live in a world with a lot of insecurities, where people forget to let

their heart lead the way in…” He stalled in the middle of his recital and shook his head.

Laughing, he said, “God, Adri was right -- this is horrible.”

“But what is it?” James gave him an affectionate, if not totally confused, smile.

“Just a few things I wanted to tell you.” Marty looked embarrassed. “But I’m a shitty

writer.”

James chuckled. “You’re not that bad.”

“Yeah, I am,” Marty asserted. “So, let me try this instead.” He reached into his jacket

pocket a second time and pulled out what Lal recognized was a ring box. He offered it to

James, the wash of red on his cheeks deepening.

“Marty,” James breathed as he opened the box and lifted out an elegant gold band.

“I know your family isn’t too happy about us, and that’s been very difficult to deal

with.”

“Hey --” James started, but Marty raised a hand.

“But I just wanted you to realize that you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,

and I can’t imagine ever being without you.” Marty sucked in a deep breath. “I love you,

James. More than I’ve ever loved anyone else in my life. I just…I just hope you don’t regret

having me be a part of yours.”

James leaned forward and brushed his fingertips along Marty’s cheek in a gentle caress.

He spoke so softly that Lal had to inch closer to hear. “Never,” James whispered. “I adore

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you, Marty.” He slipped the ring on his left hand before pulling Marty into an embrace.

“You’re the best gift I could ever want to receive in my life.”

Lal glanced over to the bar, and he caught sight of Adrian leaning back against the

counter. With a champagne glass in hand, Adrian was watching Marty and James. The sense

of happiness for his friends that radiated from him hit Lal hard.

Suddenly, he understood everything that his lover had been trying to tell him earlier.

He’d just been too caught up in his own doubts and fears to realize it. When Adrian had

offered his body to Lal, the gesture wasn’t about giving or taking -- it was about sharing

everything between two men who loved each other, equally and without limits.

The jazz band started a new song, one that invited couples to hold one another closely

and slowly dance to the sensual melody. James led Marty to an open spot on the floor, and

they slipped their arms around each other.

From his hiding spot, Lal watched the couple start to move together. Marty rested his

head on James’s shoulder, and they just held each other, swaying gently to the soft jazz.

Every so often, James would run his hand through Marty’s hair, and the gold band would

shine in the holiday lights. Adrian sat at the bar, in a chair that was closest to the couple. A

happy, somewhat tipsy smile tugged the corners of his mouth. He emptied his champagne

flute and set it beside the three other empty glasses on the counter in front of him. Every few

seconds, he glanced toward the empty seat next to him with a look of longing, and Lal

realized that more than anything, Adrian wanted him there at his side.

Lal would’ve darted out from his hiding spot to jump into his lover’s lap right then and

there. But the song ended, and Adrian stood on wobbly legs to give Marty and James one

more hug. He said good night, kissed them both on the cheek, and then made his way

carefully to the exit.

Moving from under one table to the next, Lal tried to keep up. Too many people

crowded the area near the buffet table and cut Adrian off from view, forcing him to wait for

Pawprints: Giving & Taking

39

an opening to run across. Finally spotting a break in the crowd near the Jell-O bowl, Lal

made a dash for it. More than a few passengers were startled to have a black and white cat

dart across their path, but he hoped to catch Adrian before he disappeared into the elevator

and didn’t care who saw him.

By the time he made it to the elevator, the doors had closed and Lal was attracting too

many curious stares in his feline form. One of the cruise workers noticed him and did a

double take. “Hey!”

Next thing Lal knew, the waiter started chasing after him. He ran, streaking across the

floor and jumping up onto the dessert table, to see if he could spot another way to escape.

“Catch that cat!” the waiter yelled.

Another server working the seafood table whipped around and spotted what was going

on. He made a lunge for Lal, but ended up being too slow. He got an armful of chocolate

pudding instead, and Lal took off. With two guys hot on his tail, Lal made a sharp turn past

the bar and cut around the dance floor -- where Marty and James were still dancing,

oblivious to everything but each other -- to head straight for the bathrooms. The door to the

men’s room swung in to let out a passenger just as Lal reached the entryway, and he ducked

right between the guy’s legs. The restroom’s lounge area was empty, thankfully, and Lal

shifted Natures and was back in his human form by the time the two workers burst through

the doors. They stumbled as soon as they caught sight of Lal, and the server with the

pudding-stained sleeves had a really hard time looking away from Lal’s cock.

The distraction worked to Lal’s advantage. While the two guys stared at him, he

reached out and snatched the apron off of the nearest waiter. “Thanks,” he said, wrapping the

black cloth around his waist. There was just enough material to cover his front and backside

nicely.

“Did you see a cat come in here?” the pudding man asked, his gaze still locked on the

general area of Lal’s groin.

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“Yes, he ran back in there a couple of seconds ago.” Lal pointed behind him toward the

adjoining room with the toilets.

“Thanks.” The guy started off. He had to drag his companion along behind him, and

pudding man protested.

“Wait, I wanted to get his number.”

Lal rolled his eyes and laughed. At least the two men had been too distracted to ask

what Lal had been doing in the room naked. He slipped out and retraced his steps as fast as

possible. Unfortunately, he attracted more attention from fellow passengers than he wanted.

Aside from the stares and a cat whistle from one particularly appreciative young woman

with a margarita in hand, two guys actually stopped him to slip napkins with their contact

info into the apron’s pockets. Lal rushed through the casino and retrieved his discarded

clothing before anyone else could slow him down. He hurried on out and caught the first

elevator down to the room. Since most of the passengers were up in the entertainment levels,

the hallway was empty and Lal made his way back to the suite without interruption.

Adrian was already inside, and he must have been even tipsier than Lal thought. One

of his shoes was caught in the doorway, keeping the door ajar, and when Lal slipped inside,

he found a trail of Adrian’s clothes leading to their bedroom.

Adrian was stretched out facedown on the bed, sleeping deeply. Affection for the

gentle, kindhearted man welled up inside of Lal, and he tossed his clothing and the apron to

the floor so he could climb into the warm bed beside Adrian. He kissed Adrian on the back

of the neck, drawing a contended murmur from his lover.

“I love you,” Lal whispered. Tomorrow morning, he was going to make sure Adrian

knew just how much.

Lal wrapped himself around Adrian’s warm, half-naked body and drifted off to sleep.

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Chapter Seven

In the morning, Adrian woke up to a loud, rhythmic pounding in his ear. For a few

dazed moments, he thought last night’s champagne must have left him with one hell of a

hangover. Gradually, as he became more awake, he noticed he didn’t actually have a

headache, but the banging persisted. Yawning, he sat up.

Adrian glanced around, looking for Lal. There was no sign of his lover in the room, but

his pants were covered in cat hairs. That was a good sign. Lal must have felt better, enough to

come out of hiding and spend some part of the night cuddling with Adrian.

Rubbing his eyes, Adrian rolled out of bed and shuffled through the common room.

The thumping was louder there, along with other intimate grunts and noises that only two

very

aroused men could make. Adrian blushed. The commotion was coming from James and

Marty’s bedroom.

“Hey, guys?” He knocked on their door. “Try to keep it down, okay?”

The banging stopped and Adrian heard muffled sounds and a few giggles. Marty

appeared at the door, panting and covered in sweat. He held a pillow over his front, and

Adrian had seen Marty naked enough times to know his friend really did need every inch of

covering to hide his erection. “Merry Christmas.” He flashed Adrian a crooked grin.

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Over Marty’s shoulder, Adrian caught a glimpse of James stretched out on the bed, also

in the buff, his thick, cut cock in hand. Adrian didn’t think he could’ve blushed any worse,

but his cheeks felt like they were getting scorched from the inside out. “It sounds like you

guys skipped Christmas and went straight to New Year’s with all the fireworks.” He bit down

on his lower lip to keep from laughing. “I’m guessing James really,

really

liked the ring?”

Marty glanced back into the room and groaned. “I gotta go, Adri. You can tease me

later.” He shut the door, and a few seconds later, the thumping started all over again.

“I sure hope the couple in the next suite over is having just as good a time.” Adrian

chuckled. Otherwise, the banging was going to wake up everybody else on this deck. Adrian

laughed, shaking his head. On his way back to bed, the door to the suite clicked open, and

Lal shouldered his way inside. He was carrying two trays with fresh coffee, cakes, and other

breakfast goodies.

“Let me help you with that.” Adrian trotted over and took one of the trays. He ached to

shower his lover in kisses, but was afraid he might scare Lal off all over again. “I’m sorry

about yesterday,” Adrian apologized.

“Don’t be,” Lal replied quietly. But something about the loud banging and groans

coming from Marty’s room ruined the tender mood. He started to giggle and glanced down at

the food trays. “I thought breakfast would be nice for everyone, but I guess they’re busy.”

“Oh, they’ll want something to eat afterward.” Adrian grinned. “That’s for sure.”

“Let’s leave all this here for them.” Lal set his tray down on the coffee table in front of

the sofa. “I want you to come with me somewhere.”

“Okay,” Adrian agreed happily. He set his tray beside Lal’s and went back to the

bedroom for some fresh clothes. “What should I wear?” he called out.

Lal came up behind him and rested his chin on Adrian’s shoulder. “I packed something

for you that’s perfect.”

* * * * *

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43

“Wow,” Adrian breathed. He raised a hand to his eyes and scanned the surrounding

beach. “This is beautiful.”

Pristine white sand stretched out before him and Lal, and the crystal blue surf gently

lapped at the crescent-shaped section of beach. A quarter mile behind them, the catamaran

that had brought them to Culebra Island was docked close to shore. An outcropping of rocks

and palm trees blocked the small boat from view, as well as the cruise ship. To their left, a

lush green tropical forest swept away from the beach, the trees and brush rustling in the

breeze. The beauty and peacefulness of this solitary spot captivated Adrian, and he reached

beside him to take Lal’s hand.

“When the cruise ship stopped at this island for a sojourn, I thought it would be nice to

see the beach with you,” Lal said. The corner of his mouth curved up. “Especially since

things were so noisy in the room this morning.”

Adrian couldn’t agree more. This deserted section of beach was the perfect place for a

few moments of privacy, where they could both relax and just enjoy the pleasure of each

other’s company on this special day. He threaded his fingers through Lal’s, and they walked

together under the shade of the palm trees for a few more yards.

When they reached an area where patches of sunlight filtered through the canopy of

fronds overhead, Adrian set their beach bag down. He laid out a towel that was large enough

for them both to lie down, and Lal didn’t waste any time stripping out of his clothes. Adrian

knew Lal loved to be naked, free to shift forms or stretch out whenever he liked.

Lal spread out on the towel and rested his chin on his forearm, the swatches of sunlight

creating shifting patterns on the smooth, pale skin of his back. The beach might’ve been

beautiful, but Adrian didn’t think it compared to Lal’s beauty at all. His gaze traced the

sinewy muscles gliding under Lal’s skin as the young man tucked his arms under his head,

the dip of Lal’s back as it swept toward the swell of his taut buttocks.

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Lal caught Adrian staring and smiled invitingly. How could Adrian resist? He pulled off

his T-shirt and dropped his shorts. But some of his gusto evaporated as soon as he glanced

down at the pair of skimpy, skintight white swim briefs stretched over his crotch.

“What do you think?” Adrian asked, trying to hide how shy he suddenly felt. Lal had

surprised him with the briefs before they left the cruise ship, and at first Adrian thought the

sexy swimsuit was hot. Now that he was modeling the one-piece, he felt more like a dork

than a hunk.

“Oh, I like it even more than the view of the island,” Lal replied in a husky voice.

The little strip of clothing was obscenely tight, tracing every inch, mound, and jut of

Adrian’s cock and balls. The waistband just barely covered the thatch of dark curls at his

groin, though a few stray pubes leading up the flat span of his abdomen toward his navel

were still visible. Given how stretched out the swimsuit was, Adrian had a bad feeling that

the thin material would be semitransparent should he ever get wet. He started to blush,

feeling more naked in the skimpy Speedo than if he’d been in the nude in the first place. But

he liked the hungry way Lal looked at him, and forgetting how awkward he’d felt, he was

definitely glad he’d worn the tiny pair of briefs.

“You’re so adorable when you act shy,” Lal teased.

“I can’t help it.” Adrian grinned sheepishly. “Thank God Marty hasn’t seen me in this;

I’d never hear the end of it.”

“He’s very happy with his lover, isn’t he?” Lal asked quietly, getting serious. “The ring

means something very special…they love each other in every way.”

“Yes, they do,” Adrian said. He sat down on the towel beside Lal. “Hey, you were at the

dinner last night?”

Lal nodded.

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45

“Where?” Adrian cocked his head to one side, thinking back on the previous evening.

The whole time, he’d had the feeling that he was being watched and that Lal was nearby.

Now he understood why. “You’re a sneaky kitty.” He chuckled.

“I was scared.” Lal bit down on his lower lip.

It hurt Adrian to hear his lover talk that way. “Why?” Adrian stroked his hand along

Lal’s back. “I wouldn’t force you to do something you weren’t comfortable with, or didn’t

want to do.”

“I know. It’s just that I’ve never taken so much from a lover before,” Lal explained, his

voice shaking. “The Master made it clear that was something I wasn’t supposed to do.”

Adrian kissed Lal on the shoulder. “It’s okay,” he consoled. “That life is over, Lal.”

“But I still didn’t understand what you were trying to do yesterday.” Lal turned over

onto his back, his eyes reflecting all the love Adrian felt for him. “Not until last night when I

saw Marty and James together. Then I realized that’s what you wanted for us -- to love each

other in every way, without limitations.”

All Adrian could do was nod slowly. “Yeah,” he managed to say, his voice cracking.

“You mean everything to me.”

“And I adore you with all my heart,” Lal said. He sat up on his elbows and brushed his

lips across Adrian’s cheek. His warm breath filled Adrian’s ear. “So let me be inside of you.”

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Chapter Eight

A rush of heat coursed through Adrian’s body, spiraling down his core and spreading

deep into his groin. A dull, throbbing ache welled up in his cock. “As much as I want this” --

he gulped -- “and I’ll admit I really,

really

want this, but, Lal, we don’t have to.”

Lal swept his lips back down across Adrian’s cheek to touch their mouths together. The

soft caress blossomed into a full kiss, his lips spreading open to welcome Adrian’s all-too-

eager tongue. Lal tasted so good and so warm Adrian could spend the rest of his life drinking

from this kiss. He moaned softly, and Lal drew back.

“I want to,” Lal purred. “I really,

really

want to.” He suckled on the fat swell of

Adrian’s lower lip, pulling at the soft piece of flesh. Adrian felt each tug on his rapidly

swelling cock, and one glance at the already stretched-thin material showed his piece was

dangerously close to tearing through the fabric.

Lal placed a hand at the back of Adrian’s neck and pulled him down to the towel.

Adrian couldn’t have stopped his body from going along with this even if he’d tried. He took

Lal’s mouth in his own, coaxing those soft lips apart so he could ease into the welcoming

warmth. Their tongues met and slid together in an erotic, oral dance. Adrian worked his lips

in a series of tender sucking motions to accentuate the flickering caresses they exchanged.

Pawprints: Giving & Taking

47

The kiss developed its own powerful energy that coursed through Adrian with the intensity

of an electric current. He surrendered to the flow, rolling onto his back and drawing Lal with

him as they remained joined at the lips.

Lal smoothed his hands over Adrian’s chest, his nails just lightly scraping the surface.

The touch sent an electrifying wave of sensation arcing through Adrian’s chest, ending as a

sharp throb in his nipples. The nubs peaked under Lal’s thumbs and forefingers as he pinched

and teased them, then traced the areolas with the tips of his nails.

Adrian squirmed on the towel. The terry cloth rubbed into his skin, grains of sand

sticking to the sweat that started to roll down between his shoulder blades.

Lal slipped both hands under the swimsuit, his warm fingers sliding through the curls

at the base of Adrian’s erection. He tugged away the briefs, pulling them down to Adrian’s

knees.

Free from the tight restraint, Adrian’s cock lifted straight up. It stuck out from below

his abdomen like a thick, pulsing rod, his foreskin stretching away from the swollen head.

He held the base while Lal continued to massage the insides of his thighs, those teasing,

sharp nails just lightly grazing Adrian’s skin. Here was another very sensitive spot on his

body. The pressure from Lal’s kneading fingers on his thighs, mixed with the tickling grazes

of his nails, sent fiery bursts of sensation ripping up through Adrian’s groin. His cock lifted

even higher, his balls tightening up so hard that he had to squeeze his eyes shut and clutch at

the towel for support as he rode out the wave of erotic sensation. He was only vaguely

conscious of how his legs kept spreading wider and wider apart, exposing more of his thighs

to Lal’s wickedly good massage.

A ripping sound broke the mood. Startled, Lal stopped and Adrian sat up to see what

had happened. On the towel between his knees was his swimsuit, in two pieces.

“Whoops.” Adrian felt heat spread up through his cheeks.

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“It was too small for your cock anyway.” Lal settled between Adrian’s legs and dragged

his tongue from the base of Adrian’s shaft all the way to the tip.

Adrian didn’t think it was possible for his blush to deepen, but his cheeks felt so hot he

wondered if steam was coming out of his ears. Lal wrapped his lips around the head of

Adrian’s shaft and sucked. That blindly wonderful, erotic sensation just about killed Adrian

right on the spot.

“Oh.” He arched off the towel, groaning. “Oh, God.” How did Lal always know what to

do and where to touch him to get the most volcanic reaction out of him? Adrian gripped the

base of his cock and squeezed, using just enough pressure to keep him from letting go too

quickly. He didn’t want to come just yet. Not until Lal was buried deep, deep inside of him.

“Wait,” Adrian pleaded. He ran his fingers through Lal’s hair. “Sit up for a minute.”

Lal obeyed, though Adrian couldn’t keep from whimpering the moment Lal’s lips

moved away from his cock. He swallowed any more sounds of protest and reached over to

scrounge through the beach bag.

Before they’d rushed out of the suite, he’d stopped and grabbed a tube of lubricant from

his carry-on luggage. The idea had seemed too impulsive and maybe a little too hopeful at

the time, especially since he wasn’t sure if Lal would want to get intimate. Now he was so

glad he’d brought the lube along he could almost kiss the tube. But instead he leaned forward

and captured Lal’s pretty mouth with his own, savoring the long and heated kiss that passed

between them.

They drew apart to catch their breaths. Adrian squirted a quarter-sized dab of the clear

cream dead center in his palm and reached down to find the hard length of Lal’s erection. As

soon as he closed his hand around the shaft, a low, rumbling sound of pleasure started deep

in Lal’s chest. Encouraged, Adrian slid his hand up and down the entire length, coating the

hot skin with the slick lube. As well as Lal knew Adrian’s sweet spots, Adrian had also

explored Lal’s body well enough to have found some choice places where Lal enjoyed being

Pawprints: Giving & Taking

49

touched the most. Adrian focused on giving his lover as much physical gratification as

possible, trailing his fingertips along the thick, cordlike vein that wrapped itself around Lal’s

cock and then rubbing his wet thumb along the tender area where Lal’s foreskin gathered on

the underside of his penis.

Lal sucked in his breath and closed his eyes. He started to thrust his hips forward,

quickly sinking into that rhythm of humping that was his instinctual desire to try and drive

his cock into Adrian’s hands. He was ready to go, and so was Adrian.

“Here,” Adrian whispered, his voice thick and scratchy with lust. He held the base of

Lal’s cock and positioned the head at his own opening below his sac.

“Can you take me?” Lal asked. Strands of white hair fell across his eyes, covering them

so Adrian couldn’t see if his lover was still afraid or worried or just hesitant.

“Absolutely,” Adrian rasped. He swept his free hand across Lal’s brow, pushing back

the damp strands of hair. “Here, let me show you.”

Adrian reclined back on the towel. He raised his knees to his chest, fully exposing his

round, pink hole. He squirted a little more lube on two of his fingers and slowly circled the

ring with the wet tips.

“Mmm,” he grunted softly. Actually, it had been a long while since he’d bottomed for

anyone, and he hadn’t penetrated himself in an even longer time. He pushed in with one

digit and let out a long, contended sigh at the way his hole quickly responded. He stretched

wide open to suck in first one finger, and then the other. He had both digits buried at least

three inches in his ass, and it felt good, but he wanted Lal’s thick, gorgeous cock filling him

instead.

Adrian pulled out his fingers and smiled at Lal from between his knees. “Try it,” he

invited.

Lal took his lube-coated erection in hand and pressed the blunt, hard tip in the middle

of Adrian’s stretched-out hole.

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The contact sent a shiver of anticipation up through Adrian’s spine, and he moaned.

“Yeah,” Adrian gasped. “Push in.”

Lal worked his thick head into the opening. The stretching and pulling sensations sent

Adrian’s senses into a tailspin.

“Oh,” Adrian groaned. “That feels so good.” He squeezed his eyes shut and clutched at

the backs of his knees. “Harder, please.”

Thrusting forward, Lal really pushed his weight against Adrian’s ass. His fat cock

ground in another inch, the friction causing a burst of pain and pleasure that knocked the

wind out of Adrian. He gasped and threw his head back. “Again,” he whimpered. “Harder.”

Lal eagerly responded. His thrusts peaked with a powerful driving motion that wedged

his cock deeper into Adrian’s tight, responsive passage. The sensitive walls seized and

buckled around that thick, hot length, and an exquisitely delicious spasm wracked Adrian’s

entire body, from his wide-stretched anus to his swollen cockhead.

They crashed together, becoming one body moving in total sync as they rocked to that

pounding rhythm. Lal’s soft pubic hairs cushioned the joining of their two bodies, tickling

the edges of Adrian’s stretched and burning anus. Adrian lost himself in the feel of Lal’s cock

filling him, pushing against the pulsating walls of his passage, slamming right in the spot that

made him scream out with pleasure. Heat and ecstasy collided in an explosion of pure

physical expression, and Adrian trembled beneath the power of an intense orgasm. He

erupted all over himself, searing hot cum splattering across his belly, his cock twitching as

the fluid jetted out of him.

At the same instant, Lal cut loose. He cried out as his hot gush flooded Adrian’s passage,

easing the friction. He clutched at Adrian’s knees, using them for leverage as his body

stiffened and he spurted again. Adrian felt the release as if he’d been entirely coated by that

hot spray, the sticky wetness drenching him from the inside out. Some of the warm fluid

overflowed from the rim of Adrian’s opening, trickling down between his cheeks and

Pawprints: Giving & Taking

51

soaking into the towel. Lal kept twitching and pulsing inside of him, and Adrian orgasmed

again, though his throat was so raw from all the sounds he’d already made that all he could

do was gasp for air.

Lal shuddered with one last spurt, his cock kicking against the wall of Adrian’s passage.

Then the strength seemed to leave both men at the same instant, and Lal collapsed on top of

Adrian.

They held each other, waiting to catch their breath. The musky, delicious scent of their

hot and heavy sex drowned out the saltiness of the ocean and the too-sweet aroma from the

flowers growing in the brush behind them. Basking in the patches of warm sunlight and

enjoying the feel of the warm Caribbean air gliding across their naked bodies, Adrian

wrapped his arms and legs around Lal. He wanted to keep them joined together for as long as

possible, even when Lal softened inside of him. As if reluctant to give up Lal’s cock, Adrian’s

ass continued to pulse around the thick shaft buried in his passage. So he clung to Lal,

wishing this moment could last forever and always.

But why wish for something he already had? Adrian knew without a doubt that he had

the rest of his life to spend with Lal in his arms, countless more moments of love and

pleasure to be shared between them.

When he could finally muster the strength to talk, Adrian kissed the top of Lal’s head.

“That was amazing,” he whispered.

“The best gift I could ever have hoped to receive,” Lal replied. He kissed Adrian on the

cleft of his chest.

“Same here.” Adrian smiled. He thought of Marty and James, who were probably still

rocking the boat -- maybe literally -- with their own passionate lovemaking, and he was

gladder than ever to have come on this holiday cruise with them. He and Marty had fulfilled

their promise to each other; both their lovers knew exactly how much they were cared for

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and needed. Adrian kissed Lal again and happily allowed himself to sink into a peaceful state

of bliss.

Anne Cain

As a cover artist, illustrator and writer, Anne works for several publishing companies.

Whenever she's not chained to the PC or doodling away in a sketch book, Anne spends too

much time reading, watching anime or playing on the Wii.

Check out Anne's DeviantArt Portfolio at http://annecain.deviantart.com/