Page 10 of Curtis & Jae (Mate Match #1)

Ten

Jae

Curtis had called me at lunchtime on Monday, sounding exhausted. We’d initially picked that day for our date, but he had to ask for a rain check until Tuesday. A supplier was running late, and the crew had to pull some overtime to get the materials secured because they were expensive.

His apologies were unnecessary, though sweet. I completely got that work had to come first sometimes. His company couldn’t afford to have materials being stolen or damaged by weather, so of course they had to get them put away before he could leave for the day.

What I don’t think he understood was how good it made me feel to have him think of me straight away. Rather than run late or keep me hanging on, he told me as soon as there was an issue.

Besides, cementing what we were to each other in that call made up for the momentary pang of disappointment at our date being delayed. Then, when he picked me up, he brought me the plant? I knew I was in danger of falling in love with him so fast!

“Is it okay if I run upstairs with this?” I asked, brandishing the sweet plant. The hydrangea was flowering with bright pink blooms. Curtis was so thoughtful! Even the pot was pretty, painted in my favorite shade of blue.

“Of course. We’ve got plenty of time.”

I kissed him on the cheek once more and hopped out of the truck.

Taking the stairs at a fast clip, I soon got to my apartment.

Percy was delighted to see me return after such a short time away.

He was furious when he realized I wasn’t staying.

I placed the plant on my windowsill, kissed my cat on his furry head, and dashed outside once more. I’d make it up to Percy later.

“You didn’t have to run!” Curtis chuckled when I returned, sweating slightly. He turned the AC in the truck up, washing us in cooler air.

“Didn’t want to make us late.”

“I promise, we’ve got plenty of time.” Curtis eased us out into the early evening traffic.

He drove with a competence that was sexy.

His hands held the steering wheel in a loose grip, though I knew he had complete control of his truck.

I felt safe in his care, at complete odds with how Hwan drove.

Really, I should stop comparing these two alphas, it was silly.

They were like night and day with how differently they acted.

Rather than distract him while driving, I sat enjoying the music, some random pop station, so when Curtis spoke again, I jumped. “Fair warning,” he flashed me a dimpled grin, “Grace recommended this movie. If it sucks, we have to blame her.”

“Grace is one of your crew, right?”

“Yeah. I’ve got a couple of women on payroll, none of them work in the office. Honestly, they work so damn hard, they’re worth their weight in gold. Grace is an omega.”

“Really?” I couldn’t keep the surprise out of my voice.

Curtis’ smile grew. “I’ve actually got a few omegas in the crew. My best friend, Marty, is an omega and a single dad. He runs his own team.”

“Wow!” I could sense this was a point of pride for him. “I’m looking forward to meeting them, eventually. Your crew, I mean, if this—”

“I can’t wait to introduce you to my friends and my crew. The people I work with are awesome, I’m very lucky. What about you? You said you’re freelance, but you have a publisher you work with?”

“Oh!” I said, startled at the change of subject and the easy way he announced wanting to let me meet his friends. I felt my cheeks heat. “Right. Yeah, my best friend, Brady, works at the main publisher I do work with, though there are a couple I can rely on contracts for.”

“Is it stressful being freelance?”

“Yes, and also no. Like me, I bet you have times when it’s quieter and that can be worrying.

” Curtis nodded while pulling into a space.

He put his arm on the back of my seat to reverse.

Why was that sexy? I wanted to lick him.

His pheromones buzzed around me, leaving me with a tingling sensation low in my gut.

“Usually I’m lucky and have people queuing up to work with me.

” A bit of a brag, but I’d worked damn hard to get where I had.

“I take commissions as well, and there is a waiting list.”

“Impressive.” He parked and switched off the engine, turning his body towards me automatically.

“I wouldn’t—” I began dismissively, except I was interrupted.

Curtis took my hand, rubbing lightly calloused fingers over my palm. I shivered. If he kept it up, we were going to miss the movie. “It is, Jae. You’ve got people waiting for your art. That’s a big deal.”

Simple words with a lasting effect. For the first time in forever, I felt important.

Curtis didn’t let me pay for the tickets.

I tried, okay, but he insisted he get them this time.

He did let me buy the snacks, though. Except he only wanted popcorn to share and a bottle of water.

I saw him looking at some candy and picked it up, sure he wouldn’t.

Despite my assurances about his weight, he seemed reluctant to eat all that much around me.

I’d work on his confidence, I promised to myself.

My new boyfriend was irresistible, and he needed to know it.

The movie was a fairly decent rom com. It was the perfect excuse to cuddle up to Curtis and just be for a while. We laughed together, held hands, and even snuck in a kiss or two in the dark of the theater. I even got Curtis to eat some of the candy. The smiles he gave me lit me up inside.

After it ended, we stood awkwardly together in the parking lot. I didn’t want our date to be over just quite then, though I knew Curtis probably had another early start.

“Invite me over to your place,” I finally said, breaking the tension. “I’ll take a cab or something home.”

“Or you could stay the night.” His eyes twinkled with amusement.

“Or that. Invite me.”

Curtis chuckled. “Okay, Jae, would you like to come over to my house?”

“Yes, I would.” I went onto my tiptoes to kiss him. It was slow and sweet, a tease of what was to come. When it broke, we both grinned. “I’d invite you to mine, but it’s a mess because I’ve been sketching these changes the publisher wants on my book.”

“Right, you said. What are they asking for?” He opened my door for me and closed it when I was seated. Under his care, I felt like a treasure.

I explained the alterations while Curtis drove us back to his house. Once in his spot, we lingered in the truck for a moment, nerves rushing in.

“This is silly,” I laughed. “We’ve had sex before.”

“We don’t even have to have sex. It’s not like I expect it. Hell, if you just want to make out for a bit, then go to sleep, that’s just as good.”

“Maybe not just as good. Sex with you is amazing!”

“Yeah, but it’s not all that we are, okay?”

I nodded and waited for Curtis to open the door for me. Inside his house, I felt more of his pheromones wash over me, relaxing me.

He pulled me into his arms, claiming my mouth in a deep kiss. We stood there in the hall, me on my tiptoes, arms around his neck. Curtis hoisted me into his arms and set me against the wall, thrusting his tongue into my mouth.

Like mine, his cock was hard. I could feel it against my ass as he rocked against me.

Our pheromones rose in a cloud of lust, making my underwear damp from the slick I was producing.

I needed to feel Curtis’ cock inside me again to see if it really lived up to the memory.

We both moaned when Curtis lifted me higher and carried me to his bedroom. Damn, his strength was sexy!

After he laid me out on the bed, he stood and peeled his clothes off. I paused unbuttoning my pants just to watch him. He was thick in all the right places.

“Keep looking at me like that and I won’t be able to take this slow.” His voice was filled with desire and came out as a low rumble.

“What if I don’t want you to?” I challenged.

He was on me in a second and before I knew it, I was naked under him with his tongue in my ass. “Oh, fuck!” he groaned. “You taste so good!”

Curtis worked me open quickly, not that I needed all that much. I was close just with fingers and his mouth on me. We could draw it out later once we’d taken the edge off.

“I can’t wait anymore. I need to get inside you.” Curtis turned me onto his back and raised my feet to his shoulder. He tapped the head of his cock against my hole, getting it wet before he pushed inside.

Even with all the slick I was making, Curtis had a big dick, and it took him a moment to get all the way in. He stopped to let me breathe when his groin met my ass. Then, slowly, he pumped his hips.

I could only cling to him while he fucked me hard. It was everything I remembered it being. The way his pheromones wrapped around me, his big body surrounding me, his thick cock lighting me up inside, was perfect. I couldn’t ever remember sex being that good.

On and on, he speared me on his cock until I was coming, shouting his name. His knot swelled inside me and he filled me with his release.

We breathed for a long moment until his trembling arms couldn’t keep him suspended above me any longer. He switched our positions carefully, still earning a wince when his knot tugged on my rim. He came once more when I tightened around him.

Laying there, over Curtis, I was so relaxed I could almost fall asleep. We needed to clean up or we’d be stuck together.

When his knot went down, he took me to the shower, where I rode him on the little bench until the water went cold. Then he took me to bed, still on his cock and took me apart so tenderly, so thoroughly that I nearly cried.

Curtis cleaned us up quickly after and wrapped his big body around me. We were so warm together we didn’t need a blanket. I’d never felt so comfortable with another person in my life and I barely knew him.

Falling asleep in Curtis’ arms was as easy as breathing. When I woke the next morning, there was a flower on the pillow next to mine alongside a note.

Jae, Sorry to leave so early. Wanted to stay in bed with you. There’s some oatmeal in the crockpot. The door will lock behind you. I’d say take your time and hope you’d be here after I finish work, but Percy will be mad and hungry! Call you later, Curtis x

When I left holding the flower an hour later, it was with a grin stretching my face, a stomach full of that amazing oatmeal, and dreams of a future with my alpha boyfriend.