Page 236 of Alpha Mates

“I can help with what you’re doing, you know,” he insists, before that frown deepens. “Whatever it is that you’re doing.”

I push the stray hair out of his face, forcing a smile “I know you can, but you’re not a hundred per cent yet.”

I drop my hand down to his too-thin arm, trailing it with my knuckles. He looks much better already, but he’s still a long way off from what he used to be.

“I’m fine,” he says, stubborn as ever.

“No.”

Our eyes lock. He searches for an out he won’t find. I’m not letting him lift a finger until he’s back to being as strong as I know he is. His shoulders drop when he realises as much, and his gaze falls with it.

“I just want to spend time with you,” Julian’s hushed whisper fills the silence, making me still before I feel my heart crumple in on itself.

“Okay,” I say finally. “You can watch.”

His grin returns, cheeky as fuck.

“But only watching,” I warn.

He nods happily before he melts back into me. I wrap him up again, humming my pleasure at the familiar thrum of our bond. He slumps against me, heavy and warm.

I tug him closer, sliding him over me until I’m flat on my back with him in my lap. I trace my fingers up and down his spine, and the weight of him fixed over me feels so good, so right.

Julian shifts, trying to get comfortable, and … it’stoogood. Heat sparks low in my gut as his weight settles. My body reacts faster than my brain and as Julian tenses, I curse myself to hell and back.

He lifts his head, his eyes finding mine and all that desire coursing through them. He swallows, and bites his bottom lip.

I shift, trying to ease my crotch away from him as I feel my cock hardening, but Julian follows—pressing closer with a soft sigh that send my pulse off-beat. Breath caged, I watch as Julian fixes himself directly in my lap with a determined frown.

There’s no way he doesn’t feel it now—I know he does. But he doesn’t move. Julian stays exactly where he is, breathing harder, and his own erection begins to grow against mine.

My eyes flit upwards, meeting his as he draws closer, until he’s so close that his breath ghosts over my lips. I groan softly when his fingers brush my mark, and the sound might as well be a landmine with how quickly he stiffens.

Sitting up like he’s waking from a trance, he shifts back, forcing another groan from my lips that makes him jolt. “Sorry,” he stutters out in a panic before he scrambles from the bed. “I’m gonna go get ready.”

“No, it’s fine,” I start, sitting up. “I’m the one who’s—”

Too late. The bathroom door shuts, and a second later, both the tap and shower are on, drowning out any sounds for our too-sharp ears.

I collapse back against the bed and stare at the glass ceiling.

That had been … something.

Awkward, weird, and nothing like our usual madness. Julian wanted it, wanted me, then looked almost scared to kiss me—and that alone is enough to drain the last of the heat still slithering in my veins.

For all our progress yesterday, we need time in that department. And that’s fine by me. We’ll take all the time we need. Speaking of …

Crawling from the bed, I dig through the mess of my drawers until I find my phone clinging to its final two per cent. Good enough.

I call the first number in my contacts, and it rings twice before he picks up.

“Aiden?!” Emitt shrieks from the other side. I draw the phone back for mercy. “Aiden?! Is that you?! Say something! Say something right fucking now!”

“Something,” I say. “Something right fucking now.”

A heavy sigh of relief crackles through the line. Followed by what I can only assume is my best friend dramatically collapsing to his knees. For once, it’s a valid reaction.

Guilt pinches me. “I’m sorry,” I mumble into the line.