Adren twirled, letting his hair swirl around him, coal-black over his snowy, grey-spotted pelt. When it came to rest, a thick lock of it was hooked over his shoulder, running down his body and over his hip.

Not, he fancied, a horrible look for him, but he made no particular effort to keep it there when he straightened. No, he had no want of a studied, arranged appearance now; it was enough to know that his hair was as free of knots and tangles as he’d thought.

He left his reflection behind, striding out into the hall. His hand trailed along the polished wood banister as he descended the front stairs. His guest was waiting in the foyer, looking over the art hung on the walls; so absorbed was he that he didn’t notice the leopard’s approach until Adren laid a hand on his leather-clad shoulder.

Merrill’s chin jerked up, and the bear smiled over his shoulder. “There you are,” he said, turning. “Ready to… oh, my.” His eyes drifted down along Adren’s body, and he bit his lip. Looking back up, he said, “I, uh… when you said you felt like a ride, I thought you meant on a gryphon.”

And that explained the leathers. Oh, hells. Adren winced; he’d entirely misread the other man’s eager acceptance of his suggestion. “I’m sorry, Merrill. I truly didn’t mean to mislead you…” Taking a deep breath, he reached up to touch the bear’s dark lips. “Would you mind the substitution overly much?”

“For you?” Merrill squeezed his shoulders, and the bigger man gave him a breathless smile. “Not at all, dear one.”

Relief was a wonderful thing. “Tomorrow,” Adren promised, “we’ll go out riding. But for this afternoon…”

“I understand.” The bear’s hands slid down Adren’s sides, coming to his waist; then one of them moved in, curling under the snow leopard’s half-firm flesh. “Been anticipating this, huh?”

The feline shivered, arching up into his friend’s touch. “Good gods,” he moaned, “you have no idea.”

“I do now. Goodness.” That big hand slid along Adren’s swelling rod. “Let’s get situated, huh?”

Adren led him up the stairs and ushered him into one of the guest suites. He promised to be right back, then ducked into his own room for the things he’d set there. A bottle of wine and two glasses rested on a platter; to that he added a wooden flask, carved with innocuous geometric designs. He could have just brought Merrill in here, but after that slip on his part, treating the bear to the finer comforts of the guest room seemed appropriate.

Merrill was certainly eager for this new agenda, though. By the time Adren found him in the suite’s bedroom, he was unclad and lying on the bed, caressing his own member, coaxing it to attention.

Seeing it, Adren quailed. Was he getting in over his head? He’d known Merrill was a big man, obviously, but he hadn’t known the bear was, well, big.

He swallowed, gathered his nerve, and stepped forward.

Merrill looked over at him, smiled, and breathed a heavy sigh. “I always wondered why you went through the work of keeping your hair like that,” he murmured, passing a hand over his own short-cropped scalp. “Now I think I know.”

“I might as well take advantage of the contrast,” Adren mused, setting his tray down on the nightstand and taking the flask from it. Once it was open, he brought it near the bear’s ebon shaft, gripping that flesh with his other hand.

It felt even bigger than it looked. Gods be good, this wouldn’t be easy.

He dribbled a generous quantity of clear oil over the bear’s flesh, relishing in the groans, in the way Merrill thrust up into his grip. A few more strokes to smear the stuff all around, and he stoppered the flask and put it back.

Then, before he could lose his nerve, he swung over to straddle his friend’s hips and lowered himself into place.

It was tough going, and it involved a few false starts, but finally, he got the head of the bear’s cock in under his anxiously-lashing tail. From there, it got easier; still, sweet gods, Adren’s third lover was going to leave him much more sore than had the other two.

“I think,” he gasped, about halfway down, “I may have to… put off that ride for one more day. Gods…”

“Easy, easy,” Merrill crooned, stroking Adren’s thigh, reaching up to rub over the leopard’s chest. “Don’t break yourself on my account.”

Adren laughed, short and sharp. “You’re not the one who asked for this,” he pointed out.

“True…” The bear’s fingers slid inward, brushing over the cat’s pouch, then up along his rigid shaft. “Even so.”

By that point, there wasn’t much farther to go. Still, feeling the bear’s hip against his thighs was a relief. The fullness was exquisite, but it was pushing him to the utter limit.

So there they rested for a time, getting accustomed to one another. Merrill’s big, powerful hands roamed his smaller friend’s – lover’s – body, gathering up some of his hair and pulling it around front, fingers combing through it.

“This is undeniably impressive now,” the bear said, grinning up at him.

“So,” gasped Adren, “are you. I had no idea…”

Merrill ducked his head, ears furling. “My first sought me out just for that, I learned after.” He took Adren’s length in his hand again, reaching over to dribble some oil onto it as he started stroking. “So hearing that is reassuring.”

Adren shook his head sharply. “You’re far more dear to me than that, Merrill. I…” His mind shied away from that word; it was much too soon. “I like you very much,” he said instead.

Merrill kissed his fingertips, touched them to Adren’s lips; kissed them again, and instead stroked over the crown of Adren’s manhood. “And I you,” he breathed. “Now…”

He started stroking in earnest, and any reply Adren might have made was lost to a wail of surging need. He squirmed atop the other man, writhing, head tossing, tail lashing, and Merrill didn’t let up until he’d cried out in ecstasy and sent a few sticky squirts up by the bear’s collarbone.

And then Merrill bucked up under him, groaning, and filled him with even more warmth.