Opalina Outpost

Chapter 16 /Part 2/

Even though something fragile beneath Ravi's ribs twisted at the sweet tease, even though all the painful possibilities were still circling with sharpened claws, even though Lio could leave him bruised, he was too starved for it.

He leaned in, curled a hand along Lio's neck, thumb skimming his jaw just above a pulse racing as fast as his own. And then the kiss he'd been dreaming about for night after night was warm and sweet and real. Lio made a muted sound, folded both arms around his shoulders and tried to pull him closer.

Ravi drew back. His exhale was shaky. This was such a bad idea. But it felt unbelievably good.

Lio's arms were still wrapped loosely around him. "Please tell me you're not immediately regretting doing that."

"No." He shook his head, half at himself for his own foolishness. "But I feel like I should be." There was more he should say, more they should talk about before the flimsy remains of good judgement abandoned him. But it was impossible. The mesa was so quiet it felt like they were the only ones around for miles. A legion of stars overhead. Warm wind stirred Lio's hair, and Ravi stared at him, captivated. He could do as he always did and deny himself what he wanted. Or he could just reach for it.

Moving before he realized it, his hand settled against Lio's cheek. Lio closed his eyes, and Ravi kissed him again, and then again. Addicted and done fighting it, no matter what it did to him in the end.

They half-lay on the caprock, kissing each other like it was breathing. Stopping was impossible. Propped up on one elbow, Ravi hooked his arm around Lio's waist, palm sliding along the thin mesh of his shirt, up the arch of his back. There was desert heat in his skin.

"Ravi," Lio gasped against his lips.

"Slow down?" he croaked. His arm was going numb beneath his weight and half of Lio's.

Lio kissed him again, hard, and Ravi almost lay down on the mesa and pulled Lio on top of him. There were too many people around for that.

"No," Lio mumbled. "No slowing down."

Ravi drew back with an unsteady breath. "Then...we should go somewhere with less people." His mouth went dry as soon as he said it. He didn't want to go fumble in a dark corner of a packed club. He wanted time. Lio in his room. In his bed. "Would you"—his tongue felt suddenly clumsy—"maybe want to go back to Opalina?"

He was light-headed watching the slow smile unfurl across Lio's expression. "Yes. Let's do that."

Keeping his hands to himself as they found their way from the roof to the elevators was nearly impossible, but very necessary. Kissing him had just smashed all the restraint he'd managed for so long. He tugged self-consciously at the waistband of his trousers, yanking them down to cover the way his body had responded to kissing Lio. Please goddesses, let them not run into any of the crew while he was walking around half hard.

The elevator leaving the club was empty, but Ravi slouched in the opposite corner from Lio. Neither of them said a word as they walked side by side through the ports and Lio coded the hov. It sailed down the mag lane toward them, a tiny, two-seat section split off from the rest.

Lio opened one of the doors and chewed his lip, eying the seating arrangement. "Perhaps I should get us another hov."

Ravi was already climbing into the front seat, so he didn't have to stare at the back of Lio's chair the whole time. "Nope, you're stuck with this." They wouldn't be able to do anything but talk to each other on the ride back, which was probably good. Even if he kind of wanted one of those old-fashioned hovs that was just one long, double seat, no armrests or consoles in the way.