Eric stirred his fingers through the hot liquid and smiled. The acquisition at his company had gone through just as planned, and now his plans were to celebrate with his lover. Orlando loved being pampered, and Valentine's Day was a special indulgence for them both. Not that he didn't bow to the beautiful man's whims on most occasions, but on Valentine's he could do it without feeling like he was ass-whipped.

Thoughts of Orlando's ass sent a pulse through his groin and Eric rose from the tub's edge, wiping his hand on the towel near the sink before shifting the growing appendage between his legs and flipping the switch to keep the tub water hot. With a glance to the clock on the mantel as he made his way into the spacious living room, he noted that Orlando would be home any moment.

Flopping onto the couch, he picked up the current month's Esquire magazine and flipped through, landing on The Napkin Fiction Project. So lost was he in reading that he didn't notice the hour slip by until the clock chimed seven.

Frowning, he glanced at his watch as if the clock above the fireplace would lie to him. Where was Orlando? He should have been home at six - the shop closed at five o'clock, and even with cleanup Orlando was normally home a bit early. Batting down his panic, Eric pulled his cell phone from his pocket and looked at the time again. He could call him, but he didn't want to appear to be keeping tabs on his lover.

He recalled the last time he'd overstepped the worry-bounds when Orlando had been fifteen minutes late one evening. Though the make-up sex had been great, he didn't enjoy the verbal lashing he'd received for his insecurities. That incident had been early on in their relationship, and neither one of them carried the insecurities that they had then. But this was an hour! Feeling justified, he speed-dialed Orlando's number right before the sounds of cursing reached his ear.

Hurrying to the kitchen, he met his lover just as the Brit was setting a large sack of groceries on the counter. Orlando threw him a quick smile before reaching into his jacket pocket for his phone.

"This better be good." Leaning back against the counter Orlando looked for the missed call.

Eric held up his phone with a guilty wave just as Orlando looked at the number. Looking to the floor, he cut his eyes up at his lover under the cover of long, dark lashes. "Didn't know your hands were full."

Orlando smiled, rounding the counter to snuggle into Eric's arms. "You were worried, weren't you?"

Eric mumbled an affirmative as he nuzzled into the dark chestnut strands on Orlando's head, his arms tightening protectively around the smaller man as the rest of his body relaxed. He let out a long sigh, his fears evaporating with it.

"I'm sorry, love. I should have called," Orlando said, pulling Eric down for a quick kiss before extricating himself from the embrace to put away the groceries. "You'd not think a pastry shop would be so busy on Valentine's day! The small assortment of colored treats that we baked this morning was gone by ten o'clock. We ended up baking three more batches before we closed," he continued, shutting the fridge after getting himself a bottle of water.

Eric settled on one of the tall chairs at the breakfast bar and watched as the liquid disappeared down the long throat in four large gulps. He felt the tightening begin again in his trousers and shifted uncomfortably. Orlando took no notice of his lover's agitated state, continuing on about his day.

"I have a feeling tomorrow won't be any better. Everyone will be coming down off a sugar high!" He giggled and went to stand by Eric's side, running his fingers through the near-black hair while studying the strange look on his lover's face. "Eric? What's wrong?"

Swiveling the chair, Eric pulled Orlando close and let him feel exactly what the problem was. "Do you have any idea how sexy you are when you talk about pastries?"

Orlando snorted laughter. "Only because you think of my ass as honey buns and your come as the crème filling!" A swift smack to his behind sent him directly against Eric's erection, causing both men to groan.

"Best buns in the business," Eric growled against Orlando's neck before sucking heatedly on the patch of skin below his ear.

Orlando crumpled in his arms. Moaning as his own cock swelled, he muttered something about the bedroom. When Eric answered with a negative, Orlando regained some of his composure. "Kitchen counter is quite handy…" Another rumbled negative. "No?" Orlando pulled Eric's mouth off his neck. "What the hell do you mean 'no'? As much as I love you, I am not cooking our dinner with a hard-on - Valentine's Day or not!"

Ignoring Orlando's perturbed pout, Eric snatched his lover into his arms and carried him towards the bedroom. That was the nice thing about being several inches taller - he could pick Orlando up and there wasn't a hell of a lot the other man could do about it. Size did matter, he thought, his mouth curving into an smug grin.

Orlando gave a tiny squeak as he was nearly cast over Eric's shoulder like a sack of potatoes and was about to smart off about him finally coming to his senses when Eric detoured towards the bathroom. He held his tongue until Eric set him back on his feet, and was glad he had.

The master bathroom was lit only by a variety of candles, their ambient glow casting the room in soft shadows. There was enough light that he could make out their grand tub, filled almost to the brim with bubbles. A bottle of champagne and two flutes sat on the vanity next to the tub and Orlando beamed a smile to Eric. "You suave bastard, you."

Eric grinned and shrugged. "Happy Valentine's Day, Orlando." Reaching out to grasp his shirt, he brought the younger man forward and placed a tender kiss to his lips. Heat flared between them instantly, and he felt rather than saw Orlando's fingers on the buttons of his shirt.

"We should really get in there and enjoy those bubbles, don't you think?" Orlando asked, winking at his lover as he thought of the slick bubbles traveling around their bodies and what all that slipperiness would be good for.

Eric nodded as his slacks were pushed quickly to the floor, his boxers following thereafter. Orlando licked his lips at the appetizing display before him and Eric groaned as his shaft was nuzzled against. If he let Orlando take control now, he wouldn't make it into the water. Leaning over, he pulled the lithe form to his feet and stripped him efficiently, all the while kissing him as if it were to be their last.

Breathless, Orlando stepped backwards until his calves hit the rounded white porcelain, his eyes alight with desire. As he stepped into the tub, Eric brought the ice bucket and glasses, setting them on the wide ledge behind it. Orlando waited until Eric stepped in and got settled before he sat down and positioned himself between his lover's long, well-defined legs.

Snuggling back into the larger man's embrace, Orlando released a contented sigh. "This is just what I needed," he said, his eyes drooping closed as the warm water relaxed his muscles. The sound of ice sloshing filled the room, followed by the pop of the champagne cork, and then the soft gurgle as the flutes were filled. Not bothering to open his eyes, he lifted his hand out of the water expectantly and was given his drink along with a kiss on the cheek.

"You look damn sexy like that," came the soft husk of Eric's voice in his ear as he sipped the fizzing liquid.

"Mmmm…" the Brit replied, turning his face up with a satisfied smile.

If the smile hadn't beckoned him, the full lips were a clear temptation, and the scent of the strawberry bubble bath combined with his lover's own gave Eric no choice - he had to taste Orlando's mouth.

Setting his untouched drink on the ledge, he tilted the perfectly shaped face towards him and met the petal-soft lips in a light, seeking touch. He felt the goose flesh rise on Orlando's skin as his tongue traced along the rosy curves that parted willingly on a sigh.

Slipping into his lover's mouth, he probed it tenderly, the flavors of champagne and Orlando a heady combination that sent his libido into overdrive. Every ounce of animal in his blood screamed to take the younger man right there and then, but this was Valentine's Day, and Eric was going to give Orlando the romance of his life.

Large hands caressed the sinuous muscles of Orlando's arms and Eric smiled inwardly when something like a purr rumbled in the younger man's chest. Roaming inward, he massaged the pectoral muscles, then moved down to Orlando's hips and thighs, unable to hide his grin as the legs slid apart, inviting him to access every inch.

Momentarily breaking the kiss, he took Orlando's drink away and set it behind them. As rambunctious as they tended to get during sex, glass in the ass was not a kink he wanted to explore.

Starting at the top of the dark head, Eric let his lips travel down until they grazed Orlando's neck, returning to the patch of skin he had previously assailed in the kitchen. The result was a swift shift in position from the smaller man, his back brushing firmly against Eric's arousal. Orlando's own cock stood up proudly from the nest of dark curls, yearning for his lover's touch.

With a moan of delight, Eric pushed forward, moving one hand to fondle Orlando's sac while the other came back up to torment a nipple. Orlando arched backward at the dual assault, the movement pushing his shoulder into Eric's mouth and Eric involuntarily bit down.

"Fuck! Eric!" Orlando cried as his release hit him like a tidal wave.

Eric thought for a brief moment that he'd hurt Orlando, then saw the evidence of what had really happened on the flushed chest and grinned as he laved the mark on his neck. "Like that, eh?"

Slumping like jello against Eric's furred chest, Orlando shivered as the remnants of his orgasm drifted through him. "Bloody brilliant," he exhaled. He'd never considered himself very kinky, but biting suddenly seemed to have potential.

The hands returned to Orlando's chest, this time scooping water onto it as they rubbed to wash him clean. He turned in Eric's arms, his hands cupping the other man's face to kiss him while his abdomen pressed against the length of extremely hard organ beneath him.

Eric groaned loudly when he felt one of Orlando's hands snake down between them to grab his cock. The surprise of the younger man's spontaneous orgasm at being bitten had sent tendrils of electricity into every nerve in his body; an explosion of great magnitude was imminent.

"Orlando… fuck…," Eric whimpered as he felt the tingle begin in his balls.

"After dinner, babe. Right now I want you to come for me."

The sensual rasp of his lover's voice coupled with the sure grip on his slippery cock made Eric feel as if he'd been turned inside out when his orgasm overtook him. Orlando milked it to the end, kissing Eric's chest and licking up the splatters of come.

"Jesus, Orli, you keep giving me those visuals and you are going to be dinner."

Orlando chuckled as his tongue swiped over Eric's nipple, causing him to flinch. "Nice thought, love, but I've had a hard day at work and I'm hungry. Feed me, then I'll feed you again."

Eric gave a melodramatic eye-roll. "The things I do for love…."

~END~