Page 24

Ayo sighs and fiddles with the fabric of my T-shirt. “I don’t like the idea that you might be right. Even if what you’re saying is true, I really don’t think Teo would condone murder. Not of innocent people.”

I don’t know Teo well enough to agree, but I get the definite impression the jaguar shifter at the head of the Alejo Prowl knows every single innocent and not-so-innocent thing that happens in his territory.

When I don’t reply, Ayo turns back to the fridge. “What are you hungry for?”

With Ayo’s deliciously round arse right in front of me, food is no longer my top priority. I bend down and kiss the skin of his neck just above his collar. “You.”

He’s been in a much better frame of mind today, and while he might still turn me down, I can’t help trying my luck.

His scent fills with lust, but he doesn’t abandon the fridge yet. “You don’t want to eat first?”

I wrap an arm around his waist and splay my hand just above his belt, pressing up against him as I harden in my cargo trousers. “Do you?”

All he has to do is ask me to back off and I will, but thankfully that’s not what he does. He leans back against me, his breaths growing shorter and his pulse picking up. “Um… I don’t think… Fuck it.”

He turns and leaps into my arms, wrapping his legs around my waist and his arms around my neck.

He kisses me like his life depends on it and I kiss him back just as urgently.

I turn and sit him on the island so I can whip off his tie, then work on unbuttoning his shirt.

I get impatient with all the stupid, fiddly little buttons, growling against his mouth when it takes me far too long to get the damn thing off him.

“Fuck, Ethan,” he mumbles against my mouth. He yanks my T-shirt up and we break our kiss long enough to get the restrictive material over my head.

I press close again, relishing the feeling of his smooth skin against me, his mouth just as hungry as mine. His focus is cool where it presses against me, although I swear it’s… pulsing?

I break away from his swollen lips to kiss my way down his neck. “Ayo, I have a confession.”

“Hmm?” Ayo’s deft fingers are working on my belt already.

“When you said you wanted to stroke Jet… I got really fucking jealous.”

Ayo pauses, then leans back as he bursts out laughing. I try not to pout. It wasn’t supposed to be funny.

He grins and presses a firm kiss to my lips. “You’re the only one I’m interested in.”

“Good,” I growl, then I pick him up off the island and move us to the sofa so I have better access to get the rest of his clothes off. “I don’t want anyone else, either.”

Ayo seems to hesitate, so I stop with him on my lap, releasing him in case he wants to get off me. “What? Have you changed your mind?”

“No!” He bites that gorgeous, full lower lip. “Um, it’s just…”

“Hey, you can tell me anything, okay?”

“Right. I know. Right.” He exhales. “It sounds a lot like we’re having an exclusivity conversation.”

Huh. I guess it does. “Is that something you’d be interested in? Remember, no pressure. It doesn’t affect your job or you staying with me.”

His eyes soften and he plays with the hair at the back of my head. “Yeah, Ethan. I’m interested.”

A smile splits my face and my wolf jumps for joy, the ridiculous creature. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

Ayo lets out this cute-as-fuck little giggle. “Yes. Absolutely, yes.”

I go to kiss him again, ready to show him the benefits of being with an older, much more experienced man, but he holds out a hand. “Wait.”

I pause, tantalisingly close to his mouth.

He cringes. “Uh, I know literally every shifter can tell we’re together, but do you think we can maybe keep this kind of on the DL?

I hate to ask this of you because it’s really shitty, and it’s not that I’m not proud to be with you, but I really don’t want to get kicked out of my coven.

And fuck knows how Nyoka would react if he found out.

I mean, his cousin sleeping with his rival? I’d be toast.”

I hesitate, needing to take a minute to think it through. I’ve felt like Ayo is mine for a while, and now that we’re making it official, I want to shout it from the rooftops. I want everyone to know he’s chosen me, that he’s off the market for anyone else.

But I have to respect that he doesn’t want to be cut off from his people. Even if I think they’re bigoted idiots who don’t value him like they should. They definitely don’t deserve him.

That said, I do trust that he’s loyal to me and to Soldati Security. He didn’t immediately run off to call the task force when he identified the species of the probable murderer. I think he still hasn’t told them.

Having lost my own pack, I won’t be the reason he loses his coven.

“I understand. I won’t lie if anyone asks if we’re together, and I’m still going to want you to smell like me, but we can avoid any PDA. Good enough?”

His smile is a little sad, but then he grinds his semi-hard cock against my abs. “Yeah. Now, kiss me like you mean it.”

I lunge at him so hard we topple onto the rug, which has him laughing.

I try to keep my weight off him, but he tugs me down and soon I’m lost in kissing him again.

I kiss him until he stops laughing and starts moaning.

Until he’s grinding up on me and tugging me closer, his hands everywhere at once.

We peel each other out of the rest of our clothes, hands roaming, mouths hungrily devouring each other.

I blindly reach for the lube I stashed behind a sofa cushion when we first started fooling around, grinning triumphantly when I locate it.

I don’t use it immediately, just put it on the floor beside us.

I kiss my way down his throat, taking my time to suck a mark into the skin on the join between his neck and shoulder—the spot where a mating bite would go.

I’ve been drawn to that spot since our first time together.

My wolf rumbles happily whenever I suck on it, and I’m beginning to wonder if that means what I think it does.

Could Ayo be my fated mate?

I’m not ready to talk to him about it, barely ready to acknowledge the possibility, even to myself. He’s half my age. A magic-user. My employee.

None of those things seem to matter when he’s naked under me, though. Or when I’m holding him close in bed at night, even with no possibility of sex between us.

I move on from my favourite spot, satisfied I’ve marked it thoroughly for now. I work my way down his body, licking, nipping, and sucking until I’ve tasted every inch. I bypass his cock to work my way down one leg, then back up the other.

“Oh, come on,” he whines, wriggling under me, hands struggling to reach my shoulders. “You know, most people are nice to their boyfriends.”

I laugh into his thigh. “I want to worship you the way you deserve.”

When I look up at him, his eyes are full of affection. “You don’t play fair.”

I smother my grin because he’s right, I don’t. I reach for the lube and liberally coat the fingers of one hand while I distract him by licking a stripe up the length of his cock.

“Yes,” he hisses. “That’s more like it.”

I have to stifle another laugh. Damn, this man is fun.

I take my time licking all over his length, getting him nice and wet, while he goes from whimpering to begging to cursing me.

“You’re a fucking sadist, aren’t you? Jeez, Ethan, hurry up and get to the good stuff. At this rate I’ll die of old age before anything fun happens.”

I take my mouth off him and raise an eyebrow.

He winces. “Not that this isn’t fun. It is. Huge fun. All the fun. I’d just like a little more fun. Please?”

I hide my smile and circle his pucker with one of my lubed fingers. His scent intensifies, lust and need mixing on a desperate moan. “Yes, please. I need that. Please.”

I slowly push inside as I suck his cock down to the root.

He yells my name, then chants it in between curses as I work him open.

When he’s loosened enough, I add a second finger, sucking on his cock to keep him distracted from the inevitable burn.

I scissor him open, loving the sounds he’s making and the way he digs his fingers into my hair.

When I crook my fingers to stroke over his prostate, he goes wild.

“I’m ready. Please, I’m ready. Get in me. Get up here.”

I pull off him with a filthy pop and add a third finger. “Not yet, sweet thing. You’re deliciously tight back there. I don’t want to hurt you.”

He tugs at my head with desperate fingers. “A little pain is inevitable with that monster you’re packing. Please, Ethan. I need you.”

The way he’s looking at me, the need on his face and in his scent, the way he’s pushing back on my fingers and tugging at my head convince me he’s as ready as he needs to be.

I lick a stripe up his abdomen and chest, then take his mouth again in a dirty kiss. He still tastes faintly of the cup of tea he had earlier, as well as a unique flavour I’ve come to associate with him.

I reach for the lube to coat my dick, then stop. “Fuck, do we need a condom? I can’t catch or transmit human diseases, but I think I’ve got some in the bedroom somewhere if you want me to use one.”

Ayo swallows hard, studying my face. “I’ve never had anyone in me bare before.”

“I’ll go get one. Be right back.” I start to get up, stopping when he grabs for me.

“I’d like you to be the first. I trust you.”

Fuck, the trust and affection in this man’s eyes. What did I do to deserve it?

I lube up my length then settle between his legs. He spreads them wide for me, and I notch myself against his hole. “Ready, sweet thing?”

He nods. I take my time pushing in, because he’s really fucking tight and I don’t think every pant and groan is lust, but his hands cling to me desperately, constantly trying to pull me closer, so I keep going carefully until I’m fully seated.

I give him time to adjust, waiting until he’s kissing me like he can’t get enough and trying to thrust against me. I break away from his addictive lips and pull my hips back, moving slowly at first because I really want all his memories of this to be positive and pain-free.

Soon he’s clawing at me and pushing back on my length more urgently. “More… Harder…”

Well, all right then. I sit up and lift his legs over my shoulders, gripping his thighs to keep him steady. Then I thrust, hard.

I must hit the right spot, because he yells his pleasure. I pound into him, relishing every grunt and moan, every chant of my name. I can tell he’s getting close, his rock-hard cock bouncing between us, and I don’t want to be this far from him when he blows.

I lean in, practically bending him in half, and thrust harder, kissing him deeply.

He can barely kiss me back, too lost in his pleasure.

I let his legs go so I can get closer, skin-to-skin, and break our kiss to search out my favourite spot on his shoulder.

My balls tighten but I hold back my release, needing him to be first.

I want to bite him. To claim him.

Fuck. I can’t do that without consent—no chance—so I bury my face in the crook of his neck and pound into him with everything I have.

He yells as his cock spurts between us, untouched, and the way his channel clenches and spasms around me draws out my orgasm after only a couple more thrusts.

My vision whites out as my hips twitch a few more times, then I slump on him before rolling us over on the rug so I don’t crush him.

He winces when I slip out of him, then settles on top of me, sticky and breathing hard. “Holy fuck. That was… Fuck. That was epic. My boyfriend is a sex god.”

I manage a breathless laugh. “Worth taking my time for?”

He sniggers against my sweaty skin. “You’ll never get me to admit it.”

I tickle him, following when he scrambles off me, until we’re laughing and kissing and gearing up for round two.