Page 65 of Slow Heat

Longing and frustration squirmed in Jason’s gut. “Can I call you again after? I want to talk with you more.”

“We shouldn’t—”

“Not for that!” Jason hastened to explain, but then he softened his voice. “Well, for that and other reasons. I want to talk to you about anything really.” He’d settle for listening to Vale breathe. “Anything at all.”

“Not tonight. You need to do your homework. I know you have quite a lot to make up.”

“Yes,” Jason admitted reluctantly.

“But I’ll tell you what, Wednesday, maybe you could come over to my house.”

“What?” Jason gasped, unable to believe his ears.

“I’m having Rosen, Urho, and Yosef over for dinner. It’ll be an early Feast of the Expectant Wolf. Since we’re negotiating on Friday, and my friends have to travel for their other plans on the actual feast day, I wanted to spend Wednesday in their company. Would you want to join us? Rosen will be cooking, never fear. I’ll ask your parents’ permission of course. But with the three of them here, nothing untoward will happen. I can promise them that.”

“Yes! Of course! I’ll be there.”

“I’ll call your parents in the morning.”

“No, I’ll ask them tonight. They’ll say yes. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Don’t, Jason,” Vale said with a hint of disapproval that made the thrill in Jason’s gut shrivel. “I should arrange the meeting through your parents. Protocols are cloudy with our age difference, but if we were age-mates my parents would arrange the invitation with yours. I don’t think it would do for me to overstep. Your father isn’t someone I want on my bad side. Your pater, either, for that matter.”

He didn’t want to admit it, but Vale was probably right. His father wouldn’t take it as a good sign at all if Vale failed to follow protocol for arranging meetings. Jason just hoped his parents didn’t insist on tagging along.

“I’d come over after school on Wednesday?” He hoped the answer was yes. He wanted all the minutes and hours in Vale’s presence he could hoard at once.

“Well, not directly. You should go home, of course, and change into something suitable for dinner, and then, yes, come to my house. Oh, and use the front door this time.” Vale’s voice lifted with the tease. “While I’ve no doubt you’re limber enough to crawl in the study’s window, there really isn’t any need.”

Jason grinned. “But there’s something romantic about that idea, isn’t there?”

“Oh, you sweet young thing. What am I going to do with you?”

“I think you better start asking what I’m going to do with you,” Jason growled. “Becausethatanswer is much more exciting.”

Vale gasped, and Jason took the opportunity to end the phone call. He leaned back in his father’s leather chair, grinning like a wolf. Yes, he wanted Vale on his toes. And on his knees. And in his bed. And bent over desks and tables and countertops. And down in the dirt of the garden Jason was going to plant for him.

He wanted him everywhere.

Jason stood up, grabbed the list, and shoved his semi-hard dick into a more comfortable position in his pants. Then he left his father’s study in a much better state than the last time he’d taken a phone call from Vale.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“Jason! Wait up!”Xan jogged toward him, cheeks flushed with exertion. His coat flapped behind him and his scarf slipped, revealing a polka-dotted bow tie.

Jason reluctantly slowed his steps. He didn’t want to be late to Vale’s house party, but he couldn’t afford to blow Xan off. They were at a crucial juncture in their friendship, and if he wanted Xan in his life at all, then he couldn’t make an excuse to him now.

“Hey.” He pushed his hair out of his face. The dry air of the heaters in the classrooms had sucked the humidity out of his usually full-bodied hair, leaving it a flat, overlong veil. He needed to trim it. “I didn’t see you in Alpha-Omega Relations today.”

Xan’s cheeks flushed even darker, and he used the opportunity to rewrap his scarf to evade Jason’s gaze. The weather had turned frigid the night before. It was unseasonable and would be disappointing if it remained, because then the ground would freeze and Jason would miss his opportunity to plant bulbs for Vale. Jason wrapped his coat tighter over his thick burgundy sweater and khaki school pants.

“Yeah, I didn’t feel up to it,” Xan said dismissively. “Did you take notes?”

“Of course.” Jason dug around in his bag full of books and notepads until he brought out some pages he’d scribbled in class. He handed them over to Xan.

“What’d we cover?” Xan asked, not meeting Jason’s eye.

Jason wrinkled his nose. “Pregnancy.”