Page 12 of My Broken Mate (Healing Bonds #1)

For a moment, we just look at each other without saying anything. The barkeeper approaching pulls us out of our haze. “Do the gentlemen want another drink?”

“No,” Joel says, without looking at me. “We are paying. This time it’s on me.” Before I can protest, he rolls his eyes. “Please don’t be such a chauvinist.”

“I’m pretty sure you used that word wrong,” I say.

“Doesn’t matter.” He pays the barkeeper, tipping him generously before nudging me to leave. For a split second, he looks uncertain all of a sudden.

“I have an apartment in the city,” I tell him, noting how his eyes light up in relief.

We don’t talk much as we walk next to each other. It’s not a long walk anyway, but I enjoy the cold breeze and the fresh air, and having the company of someone who is genuinely kind. I never had such a connection to someone before.

We have barely made it into my apartment when Joel grabs me and slams our lips together. Fuck, it’s been forever since I was intimate with someone. “Just so we are clear,” he whispers. “I’m absolutely topping.”

I smirk. “Oh, are you? I kind of doubt that.”

Instead of being annoyed, he just wiggles his brows. “Come on, with that perfect ass of yours, you need to give me a chance to plunge into it.”

“Wow, such a charmer, aren’t you?” I tease while tugging his shirt open.

He shrugs it off easily, before wiggling out of his pants.

It must be a skill of his to undress that fast. Once he stands in front of me like the goddess made him, I need a while to take in the picture.

He has a surprisingly broad chest, clearly toned and muscular, strong arms and thick thighs.

I have a thing for guys with strong legs.

He looks fantastic. Until this moment, it never struck me that he is an alpha, too.

Seeing him now, though, it’s all too evident.

Before he can catch me ogling him, I push him through my living room until he drops onto the sofa, then I undress myself.

Joel’s gaze follows me, a certain hunger in his eyes that I haven’t seen in anyone for a long time.

I’ve had some affairs, but never with someone who so openly wanted me, and never with someone I actually liked.

“Goddess, you are hot,” he says bluntly. “It’s almost like you are too handsome to sully.”

“I will pretend not to have heard that,” I say. “I don’t react well to people putting me on a pedestal.”

He grabs my arm to stop me from pulling away. “Whatever you say. You win.”

I straddle his hips, bending forward into a kiss. It starts gentle and seductive, but soon turns heated. I feel his fingers brushing through my hair, tugging it to push me back. “It’s good that you keep it long,” he smirks.

“Just be glad you are hot,” I mutter. “Or you would have felt my knee in your sensitive parts.”

“I heard you have a bad temper,” he grins, tugging at my hair again, and making me tilt my head, so he can suck my neck.

I usually don’t like anyone touching my neck.

It’s a pet peeve, but with him, I don’t seem to mind.

Even my wolf is surprisingly content with what’s going on.

Joel and I struggle a bit for dominance, neither one of us eager to give up on it.

That is, until Joel just pulls out his trump card.

“I just wish I knew what I was doing,” he says.

I halt, staring at him. “Wait a moment… you’re joking, aren’t you?”

“You think I pull the V-card out just like that?” he says, looking a bit flustered.

“I can’t believe it,” I say, amused as he looks up at me innocently. How can he flirt with me so effortlessly, hit on me, and have the body he has with all his muscles, yet look like a helpless little pup, now?

“Alright,” I say. “You go first, but next time it’s my turn.”

He beams. “Does this mean your ass is mine?”

I’m about to get annoyed by his silly comment when he suddenly grabs me by my hair again, tugging me downwards into a kiss. I don’t know how he can do that, go from hot to silly and then back to hot. The air around us sizzles again as he lets his hands glide over my naked back.

I decide not to give him the win to dominate me completely, so I keep straddling his hips and preparing myself while he keeps watching me.

I’m not sure if it’s the drinks we had before, or the talk or the fact that for the first time in my life I met someone who seems to be genuinely interested in me as a person, but I find myself getting lost in the sensation.

It’s been a while for me, too, and his dick almost stretches me open painfully, but I couldn’t care less. I ride him until I can feel his orgasm approaching, while his hands are around my dick, pulling me off.

In a way, we are both selfishly chasing our orgasms, but it doesn’t matter to me that we didn’t spend much time on foreplay. It’s been forever since I felt that sated.

When I drop down next to Joel, he rests his head against mine. “You said next time,” he mutters.

“Huh?”

He smiles. “You said there will be a next time.”

“I did,” I admit, feeling torn. Joel doesn’t seem to be the type of person to play around with.

And in a way, I do appreciate him for who he is.

He is kind, smart, funny and confident. He has very rare attributes for an alpha, and I like how he can pull it off without appearing weak.

But I can’t see myself in any type of relationship.

“We don’t know each other,” I say. “You don’t know me. ”

“Listen,” he says. “I’m not going to trap you in any way. This here was amazing, and I’m just saying we can be friends who occasionally hook up. I don’t know you either,” he admits. “And after the drama with my fated mate, I prefer something more casual.”

I look at him for a while. “Are you sure?” I ask. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

He stretches, showing off his nice muscles.

I’m not made out of steel, and his body is very attractive.

There is no denying that. Also, he knows some of my quirks by now.

Despite only knowing him for a few days, I’ve already shared some of my darkest thoughts with him.

It would be a lie to say that I wouldn’t want a friend-with-benefits thing between us.

Joel nods. “I’m all in for this.”