Page 21 of Fated Mates and How to Seduce Them (Fated Mates #4)

Even with driving out of the city to fetch Ian, they still beat André’s parents to the house.

André could tell Ian was a bit overwhelmed by the house (mansion), but he didn’t say anything.

To say it made André happy Ian wanted to stay the night with him was something of an understatement.

It ranked right up there with saying the sun might be warm sometimes.

He had to remind himself multiple times that this was a good step in the right direction.

Taking advantage of it by trying to seduce Ian would backfire. He’d need to behave himself.

Behave, behave, behave.

Damn, this was going to be hard.

Even though he didn’t want to give Ian a reason to reconsider, he did feel it prudent to ask a question as they pulled into the driveway. “What about Casper?”

“She’s all right for the night,” Ian assured him. “I figured I’d be back late, so I left extra food and water out for her. I also texted my roommate.”

“Good. I didn’t want you worrying about her.”

André parked in the garage and led the way inside.

He kicked off shoes near the shoe rack, found guest slippers for Ian, and tried to cover up his nerves.

André had slept over with people so many times he’d lost count, so him having fluttery feelings in the pit of his stomach made no sense. Why be nervous now?

Because it was Ian.

Their housekeeper poked her head around the corner, blinking at him. “Master André, you’re back already?”

“I am, yes.” André paused and slid an arm around Ian’s waist, bringing him around. “Ian, this is Auntie Im. She runs the house. Auntie Im, this is Ian. He’s staying the night.”

“Ohhh,” Auntie Im replied, recognizing who he was.

She’d been turned years ago, but she still looked like the forty-year-old woman she used to be.

Tonight she’d clearly been relaxing, as she was in sweats and pink fuzzy slippers with her dark hair up in a messy bun.

She gave Ian a wave and bright smile, taking him in from head to foot and back again. “It’s so good to meet you, Ian.”

Ian picked up on her reaction and shot André a dry look before returning the smile. “Miss Im, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Auntie Im, please. Have you eaten dinner? I can make something.”

“I ate before leaving. Thank you, Auntie Im.”

“Then I’ll let you be for the evening. Just let me know if you need something.”

“We will, thanks.” André took Ian’s hand and towed him toward the stairs. Ian didn’t try to tug free, which made André even more ridiculously happy. Seriously, this man was intent on sparking joy in André’s night.

Note that he was not complaining.

“Auntie Im’s been with the family so long, she basically helped raise me,” André explained as they went up the stairs. “So yes, she knows all about how I’ve been chasing you.”

“I figured from the way she looked at me.”

André paused right at his bedroom door and second-guessed his initial plan of having Ian sleep with him.

Would he be able to control himself? It was genuinely a question.

He probably wouldn’t get much sleep—he’d be way too excited—but he would make the sacrifice if he could snuggle with Ian all night.

It should be fine. Yeah.

He pushed through, reluctantly releasing Ian’s hand as he did so. “I can pull out some clothes and let you take a shower first.”

“Thanks, I’d like one. I feel a bit sticky after dealing with kids all day.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling. How they can find so much dirt so quickly is a wonder to me.”

André left him in the center of the room while he went for the closet.

He had more than a few comfortable pants and shirts Ian could change into.

He and Ian wore basically the same size, André being just a bit taller and slimmer.

His loose-fitting sweats, a pair of boxers, and a T-shirt should work fine.

Ian took the clothes and retreated into the en suite bathroom. For the second time that night, André took a minute to pat his heart, making sure it stayed in his chest. Calm down. Calm down, André. Yes, Ian was in your room. This wasn’t an earth-shattering event—no need to get so excited.

Except it kind of was. When Ian turned him down over two months ago, André had only dreamed this day would come.

He’d often feared it wouldn’t. The number of times he’d curled up on the couch, depressed and hurting, couldn’t be counted on both hands.

There were moments André had considered giving up.

To him, having Ian trust him like this and taking the initiative to come over was nothing short of a miracle.

In fact, he felt nothing short of giddy right now.

He was so inconceivably happy about this change, he damn near vibrated out of his skin.

It was all he could do to not dance around the room belting out love songs.

André mentally pledged a million dollars to a children’s hospital if god granted him the favor of this being a turning point in his relationship with Ian. Please and thank you.

He shook himself out of the thoughts and changed out of the tux, hanging it up before pulling on some loose pajama pants. Normally he didn’t like to sleep with a shirt on, but maybe he should tonight? Would extra clothes encourage his libido to behave?

The bathroom door clicked open.

“André, I didn’t know what to do with my clothes, so I just threw them into the hamper.”

“Yeah, that’s fine—” André turned to face him and honestly forgot how to speak. Words? What were those?

André spoke three languages fluently and couldn’t remember a single syllable just then.

Ian stood there in front of him, not at all self-conscious, his body still damp from the shower, wearing André’s clothes, and…

oh god, he was so unbearably sexy. He was the epitome of soft and touchable, so much so that André’s fingers twitched with the urge to lay hands on his soft pale skin.

Something about seeing Ian in his clothes made the primal part of his brain growl mine with visceral satisfaction.

His fangs literally ached with the need to bite.

Something of this showed on André’s face. It must have, as Ian froze, eyes wide.

André stalked forward, one deliberate step in front of another, his entire focus on Ian. He had to touch. It wasn’t a question, it wasn’t a debate; he had to touch this man who claimed his heart.

Ian stood his ground, even as André advanced, although he swallowed hard. André unnerved him. He should stop.

He couldn’t bring himself to.

His hands found Ian’s hips and drew him in closer so they pressed together. Ian was like a wall of heat against his chest and groin, and damn, it shouldn’t feel this good just to hold the man. André tilted his head to press a cheek against Ian’s, his mouth right next to the other man’s ear.

“Push me off,” he rasped. His entire body trembled with the effort of holding back. Even as he said the words, his fingers tightened their hold. He had no restraint left. The only option for sanity still was in Ian’s court. “Push me off and tell me no.”

“I’m tired of telling you no.”

What?

André pulled back a few inches, sure he had heard him wrong, but he had no time to question it. Ian’s hands came up, latching on to his shoulders, and he turned his head, capturing André’s mouth in a firm kiss.

The first taste of his mouth was divine.

Ian’s lips were soft against his and so incredibly sweet.

André groaned into the kiss, deepening it, using the tip of his tongue to trace Ian’s mouth and ask for entrance.

Ian didn’t even hesitate, just opened for him, his own tongue sliding into André’s mouth to play.

If André had experienced a hotter kiss than this in his life, he sure didn’t remember it.

The taste of the man, so rich and sweet; the feeling of him pressed tight against André, as if air wasn’t even allowed to be between them; the way his fingers carded against André’s scalp, sparking little tingles of pleasure—all of it was this heady, sensual pleasure threatening to overwhelm André’s good sense.

Ian lifted up on tiptoe, just enough to grind his hips into André’s, and shit, that sparked the most lovely friction. André pulled out of the kiss with a groan, feeling his control climb for the nearest window, ready to leap free.

“Ian,” he panted, and wow, he was still capable of words? Go him. “Unless you want me to drag you to the bed and spend the rest of the night driving us both insane—”

“Sounds good,” Ian agreed with a smile full of pure mischief.

André stopped dead, staring down at this man like he didn’t even know him anymore. “Seriously?” His words dripped disbelief.

“I told you, I’m tired of telling you no.” Ian took André’s hands in both of his, turning and walking backward, drawing André toward the bed, his expression an interesting mix of determination and nervous anticipation. “From now on, I’m only telling you yes.”

So it looked like André owed a hospital somewhere a million dollars because, damn, did god pull through for him. He’d get right on that tomorrow. Tonight, he had a man to sex up.

“I like yes,” André agreed fervently. “I like yes very much. If you’ve got something you don’t like in bed or a limit, tell me now.”

Ian blinked at him as if he didn’t even know how to respond to this question. “I…don’t know? You’re the first man I’ll be with.”

Welp, there went André’s control. It had just taken a flying leap out the window. RIP control.

No, wait, get back here; he needed some control so he didn’t hurt Ian. Last thing he wanted was to traumatize a virgin on their first night together. Wait, was he a virgin? “So…it’s fine either way, but…do you have any sexual experience?”

“With straight sex, a little. Gay sex, none at all.” A flush spread to his ears, but his eyes stayed on André’s.

“Got it. I’ll be gentle. Can…Can I bite you?” Dammit, André probably shouldn’t have asked that.