Chapter 9: Morning After
A sliver of pale dawn light cut through the gap in the curtains, painting a stripe across the tangle of deep red sheets. Derek surfaced from sleep slowly, the thick, comfortable fog of deep rest clinging to him. His body felt deliciously heavy, pleasantly sore in places that brought the memories of the night before flooding back in vivid detail. Warmth radiated against his back, solid and encompassing. Carmelo.
He shifted slightly, a contented sigh escaping him, only to freeze. A large, warm hand was already resting possessively on the curve of his bare ass. Not just resting. Squeezing. A slow, rhythmic kneading that sent sparks skittering down his spine and straight to his groin. Carmelo’s breath was a warm puff against the nape of Derek’s neck, steady and deep, but the hand was undeniably, deliberately awake.
“So much for sleeping in,” Derek murmured, his voice thick with sleep and amusement. He pushed back slightly into the touch, a silent invitation.
Carmelo’s low chuckle vibrated against his skin. “Morning, Hale.” His hand slid lower, fingers tracing the crease where ass met thigh, then dipping slightly, just a teasing brush against Derek’s sensitive entrance, already slick and yielding even in the early light. “Someone’s eager.”
“Reflex,” Derek breathed, but he knew the flush spreading across his chest wasn't just from sleep. He rolled slightly onto his back, turning his head to see Carmelo’s face. Sleep-rumpled, his dark curls a chaotic halo, the mustache and goatee framing lips curved in a satisfied, lazy smile. Those warm brown eyes, still half-lidded, held a heat that instantly banished any lingering drowsiness from Derek’s system. The sheet had slipped down to Carmelo’s waist, revealing the powerful expanse of his chest and shoulders, the defined ridges of his abs. And the thick, heavy length of his cock, already half-hard against his hip, uncut and glistening faintly at the tip.
Without a word, Derek slid down the bed. The cool air hit his skin, a sharp contrast to the warmth of the sheets and Carmelo’s body. He settled himself between Carmelo’s legs, the plush rug soft beneath his knees. He looked up, meeting Carmelo’s gaze as it darkened with instant understanding and anticipation. Derek held it for a beat, a slow, deliberate challenge in his own green eyes, before leaning forward and taking the thick head into his mouth.
Carmelo hissed, a sharp intake of breath that turned into a low groan as Derek’s lips stretched wide, sinking down. He tasted musky, salty-sweet, the scent of pine and sex clinging to his skin, filling Derek’s senses. Derek worked him slowly at first, swirling his tongue around the sensitive ridge, lapping at the precome beading steadily. He hollowed his cheeks, applying suction, then relaxed, letting the heavy weight rest on his tongue before taking more. His hand wrapped around the base, stroking in counterpoint to his mouth, feeling the thick vein pulse beneath his fingers.
“Fuck, Derek…” Carmelo breathed, his voice rough. One large hand tangled gently in Derek’s dark hair, not pushing, just holding, a point of connection as his hips gave a tiny, involuntary thrust. “Christ, your mouth…”
Derek hummed around him, the vibration drawing another ragged groan from Carmelo. He increased the pace, taking him deeper, his throat relaxing as he focused on the rhythm, the taste, the feel of Carmelo thickening impossibly within his mouth. He flicked his tongue relentlessly under the head, teased the slit, then plunged down again, nose brushing the dark curls at the base. Carmelo’s thighs tensed, his grip on Derek’s hair tightening fractionally. The desperate, gasping breaths above him were music.
“Gonna… Derek… you’re gonna—oh god—!” Carmelo’s warning was choked, his body tightening like a coiled spring. Derek didn’t pull back. He pushed forward, swallowing him down to the root as Carmelo’s climax surged. Thick pulses flooded his mouth, hot and salty, and Derek swallowed convulsively, milking him through it with his lips and hand until Carmelo shuddered, collapsing back onto the pillows with a guttural cry, utterly spent.
Derek pulled off slowly, licking his lips, a satisfied smirk playing on his face as he looked up at the wrecked Alpha. Carmelo’s chest heaved, his eyes closed, a sheen of sweat on his forehead.
“Morning,” Derek said, his voice a little husky.
Carmelo cracked one eye open. “You’re ridiculous.” But the awe and pure, sated bliss in his voice belied the words.
Before Derek could retort, Carmelo moved. Fast. He hooked strong hands under Derek’s arms and hauled him bodily up the bed, flipping him onto his stomach with surprising ease. Derek gasped, the cool sheets against his chest a shock. Before he could even register the movement, Carmelo had straddled his thighs, spreading Derek’s legs wider. Cool air hit Derek’s exposed ass, followed instantly by the warmth of Carmelo’s hands gripping his cheeks firmly, spreading him open.
“Carmelo—!” Derek started, pushing up on his elbows.
“Just lie there.” Carmelo’s voice was a low rumble, commanding but threaded with a warmth that made Derek shiver. “Let me.”
Derek dropped his forehead onto his folded arms, anticipation coiling tight in his belly. He felt utterly exposed, vulnerable, yet utterly safe. Then, the first warm, wet swipe of Carmelo’s tongue, broad and deliberate, right over his slick entrance.
“Oh, fuck!” Derek gasped, his hips jerking involuntarily. Carmelo held him firm. He licked again, a slow, exploring stroke that made Derek whimper into the sheets. Then again. And again. Each pass was deliberate, unhurried, mapping every sensitive fold, teasing the tight furl that was already softening, yielding to the insistent pressure. Carmelo’s tongue was relentless, probing gently, then flattening, circling, pressing inside with just the right amount of pressure. He alternated broad strokes with focused flicks, his mustache tickling the sensitive skin, his breath hot against Derek’s skin.
Derek was dissolving. He pushed back shamelessly, desperate for more, his cock hard and aching beneath him, trapped against the sheets. Whimpers and choked pleas escaped him without conscious thought. “Please… Melo… more… just there… oh god, yes…” His fingers clawed at the red linen, his spine arching beautifully under Carmelo’s ministrations, presenting himself completely. The sensation was overwhelming, intimate, and so fucking good it bordered on torture. Carmelo hummed against him, the vibration sending fresh jolts of pleasure rocketing through Derek.
“Need you,” Derek panted, his voice trembling, reduced to raw need. “Inside… please, Melo. Now. Need you in me.”
Carmelo pulled back just long enough to growl, “How?” His own cock was already hard again, thick and flushed, nudging against Derek’s inner thigh.
“Behind,” Derek gasped, pushing his ass back urgently. “Just… fuck me.”
The blunt pressure against his entrance was immediate, insistent. Carmelo guided himself with one hand, the other braced on Derek’s hip. He pushed forward slowly, deliberately, stretching Derek wide despite the slickness and the thorough preparation. Derek moaned, low and long, feeling that thick heat sink into him inch by glorious inch, filling him impossibly full. Carmelo bottomed out with a grunt, balls pressed flush against Derek’s ass.
He paused, buried deep, letting them both feel the connection. Then he pulled back, almost out, the drag exquisite, before slamming home. Derek cried out, the force driving him forward. Carmelo set a brutal, driving pace from the start, each powerful thrust jolting Derek up the bed, the headboard rattling softly against the wall. His large hands gripped Derek’s hips hard, fingers digging into the muscle, holding him steady for the relentless pounding.
The sounds were primal: skin slapping skin, Derek’s desperate cries muffled by the sheets, Carmelo’s low, guttural grunts. The scent of sweat and sex and Derek’s sweet slick saturated the air. Derek pushed back to meet every thrust, his body writhing, mindless with pleasure. “Yes! Fuck! Harder!” he begged, the words ripped from him.
Carmelo obliged, his pace becoming almost punishing, driving deep with piston-like force. Derek could feel the coiled power in the Alpha’s body, the raw strength focused solely on claiming his pleasure. It was overwhelming, perfect. Derek felt his own climax building rapidly, a supernova gathering in his core, fed by the relentless friction and the sheer dominance of Carmelo’s possession.
Just as Derek felt he couldn’t take another second, Carmelo slowed. He pulled out entirely, leaving Derek gasping, achingly empty. Before Derek could protest, Carmelo flipped him onto his back again, his strength effortless. Derek stared up, dazed, at Carmelo’s sweat-slicked chest, his dark eyes burning with intensity. Carmelo hooked Derek’s legs over his shoulders, bending him almost double, Derek’s ass lifted off the bed. The angle was obscene, exposing him completely.
Carmelo plunged back in without hesitation, deeper than before. Derek screamed, the new angle hitting his prostate like a hammer blow with every thrust. Carmelo leaned over him, bracing on his elbows, his face inches from Derek’s. He captured Derek’s mouth in a searing, possessive kiss, swallowing his cries. He fucked him with deep, measured, devastating strokes, his eyes locked on Derek’s.
“Look at you,” Carmelo rasped against his lips. “Taking me… so fucking perfect…” His thrusts turned harder, faster, driving Derek towards the edge with terrifying speed. Derek tore his mouth away, gasping for air.
“Gonna come!” he warned, voice cracking. “Melo, I’m—!”
“Come,” Carmelo commanded, driving into him with a final, brutal thrust that pinned Derek to the mattress. “Now.”
The command, the fullness, the sheer intensity shattered him. Derek’s orgasm exploded through him, white-hot and blinding. His back arched violently off the bed, a raw, wordless cry tearing from his throat as he came untouched, thick ropes striping his stomach and chest. His inner muscles clenched Carmelo in a rhythmic, vice-like grip, milking him frantically.
Carmelo groaned, a sound of utter surrender. He buried himself to the hilt, grinding deep as his own climax surged. Derek felt the hot pulses deep inside him, flooding him, mixing with his own release. Carmelo shuddered, collapsing forward slightly, his forehead resting against Derek’s shoulder as they rode out the waves together, bodies slick and trembling, utterly fused.
Slowly, the frantic pace dissolved into shallow breaths and trembling aftershocks. Carmelo carefully lowered Derek’s legs, untangling himself with a soft grunt. He eased out, the sensation making Derek whimper softly. Carmelo collapsed onto his back beside Derek, both of them staring at the ceiling, chests heaving, skin cooling in the morning air. The room smelled overwhelmingly of sex, pine, and sweat.
Derek turned his head, his body feeling like molten lead. Carmelo met his gaze, a slow, utterly sated smile spreading across his face, crinkling the corners of his eyes. His mustache was slightly damp.
“Fucking hell, Hale,” Carmelo breathed, his voice rough but filled with awe.
Derek managed a weak grin, lifting a hand that felt unnaturally heavy to swat lightly at Carmelo’s sweat-slicked arm. “Told you I was good orally.” His voice was wrecked.
Carmelo laughed, a warm, rich sound that vibrated through the mattress. He turned onto his side, propping his head on his hand, his gaze sweeping over Derek’s flushed, sticky, thoroughly fucked body. “Understatement of the century.” He reached out, tracing a lazy finger through the mess on Derek’s stomach. “Breakfast?”
Derek groaned, shifting gingerly. “Gotta shower first. Feel like I’ve been run over by a very enthusiastic truck. A very sexy truck.” He met Carmelo’s eyes again, the warmth in the Alpha’s gaze doing funny things to his insides. “But yeah. Breakfast sounds… survivable.” He offered a tired, genuine smile. “If you’re buying.”
Carmelo leaned over, brushing a surprisingly tender kiss against Derek’s sweat-damp temple. “Deal. But I call dibs on the shower first. You look like you need five more minutes.” He paused, his expression softening further. “Last night… this morning… fucking incredible, Derek.”
Derek’s smile widened, a flicker of something more than just satisfaction warming him. “It really was. Now go. You smell like sex and pine needles.” He shoved Carmelo lightly, wincing as his muscles protested. “And try not to use all the hot water, Alpha.”