Gray's Shadow (Kings of Hell MC 4)

They quickly dried themselves and returned to the bedroom where Gray dragged his own comforter to Shadow’s bed and spread it on top of the one that was already there. He briefly wondered whether he should put on something dry, but in the end he only pulled on fresh boxer briefs and slid under the covers that felt cool against his overheated skin.

“Come on.”

There was something adorably mischievous about the smile Shadow offered him. Hypnotized by the delicious curve of his lips, Gray watched Shadow drop the towel, revealing his half-hard dick. Gray ignored the erection and quickly locked his eyes with Shadow, who was quick to dive right behind Gray.

“I might still need more warmth,” he said, even though his body was a furnace.

Gray stiffened briefly when the cock dug into the back of his thigh, but he was quick to roll in Shadow’s arms so that they faced one another. Shadow’s damp hair clung to his face and fell all the way to the pillow, pooling in black waves.

He was beautiful.

“Really?”

“Only yours.” Shadow slid his arm around Gray and pulled him close, but every move he made expressed wariness, as if he feared getting slapped.

Gray let him do it, enchanted by the promise behind Shadow’s words. How many people could ever count on this kind of devotion? Romance and sex were common. Pleasant. But the kind of raw passion Shadow not only declared but also acted upon, was the stuff of fiction. Gray would have called it too good to be true if he didn’t know for a fact that it was. Six more weeks remained. After that short time, Shadow would be gone forever, so Gray couldn’t let the sweet words capture him.

Still, it felt good to be close, so Gray closed his eyes and tucked his head under Shadow’s chin, breathing in the warm scent of water and skin. “Are creatures like you always so hot to the touch?”

“It’s warm where I come from.” Despite the erection prodding at Gray, all Shadow did was curl up around him, letting their bodies relax together under the comforters.

It would have been so easy to just stop thinking and invite Shadow into sex. There was no doubt that Shadow would enthusiastically jump right in. But was it fair to use him like that? The cuddling would have to do. The last thing Gray needed was his relationship with Shadow, whatever it was, getting out of hand. He needed the boundaries that kept his emotions protected at all times.

Gray swallowed. “It’s warm where I came from too. Do you know how little humans are born?” he whispered, gently petting Shadow’s back as his body gradually relaxed in the embrace.

Shadow shook his head, and despite his arms being of sturdy muscle, and his handsome face pronouncing to the world that he was all man, his twinkling eyes were full of childish curiosity. “No, tell me.”

Gray licked his lips and transferred his hand across Shadow’s side, only to move his fingertips up the strong chest. The dark body hair tickled his skin in this peaceful way that was only about intimacy. “We grow inside women. Most of the time, the babies are inside the womb on their own, but sometimes there’s two or more. And even rarer, the babies who grow together look identical,” he said, swallowing hard at the whirlwind of memories.

Shadow must have picked up on the sudden stiffness in his shoulders, because his hands remained gentle and cautious as they stroked Gray’s back. “Oh. That’s so strange,” he said as if his whole existence wasn’t much stranger than pregnancy. “So there is another one of you? The Gray in the photo.”

It’s been a almost three years since Mike’s death, but the question was so direct it felt like taking a stab to the chest. Gray pressed closer to Shadow, pushing his one arm under him to hold on tighter. “No, he’s the brother I told you about. The one no longer here.”

Shadow hugged him back, making no demands with uninvited touch. He was just there for Gray. Sturdy, warm, and desperate for closeness. Gray wouldn’t deny him that. After all, Shadow had proved he could keep a secret when asked to.

“And that’s why you understand my pain,” Shadow whispered, and it wasn’t a question. “What happened?”

Gray nuzzled Shadow’s Adam’s apple, and somehow being held made the pressure in his chest a bit more bearable. “He died. A motorcycle accident. He was there one moment, and then he was gone. I didn’t expect it. I thought we’d always be together, live under one roof. He was the one person who took the time to really understand me. But since he died, I sometimes feel like he’d taken a part of my soul with him.”

Shadow let out a shivery breath. “No. Oh no.” He squeezed Gray tighter, as if he were somehow capable of feeling Gray’s pain, and desperate to relieve Gray of some of it. “And there was no way of bringing him back?”