Page 80 of Slow Heat

“We’ll take ours out here. Right, boys?”

The other two betas nodded, not even looking up from where they cut, chopped, and tossed broken branches, dead bushes, and overgrown weeds into giant wheelbarrows.

“I’m eating inside,” Jason said, turning to face Mox. “And then I’ll be back out.” His long fingers gripped the windowsill.

Vale closed his eyes as a flash of his dream hit him again. Dream-Jason had known what he was doing, nailing his prostate with every twist of his fingers and working his omega glands expertly, but this Jason couldn’t know anything like that, could he? Had he even been with a beta? Wolf-god, he was going insane.

Mox huffed but only said, “If we don’t finish today, I’m guessing you’ll be giving us another day’s pay. Go ahead, I say. It’s your money.”

Jason turned back to Vale and teased, “Should I climb in here or…”

“Come around to the kitchen door in fifteen minutes,” Vale said, jerking his thumb toward the side of the house. “I’ll have sandwiches for everyone then.”

Luckily, Rosen had left behind leftovers and some staples, like bread, eggs, and milk, for Vale. If his friends didn’t look out for him, he didn’t know where he’d be in life. Hungry, for sure.

The brown bread was soft and easy to cut into sandwich slices. He slathered on some mayonnaise and dotted on mustard. The slices of leftover duck lay nicely over the bread, and the green spinach leaves gave a dash of healthiness to the offering. He rummaged around in his cabinet until he found the unopened bag of dried pineapple slices he’d been saving for a sweets craving, and put two on each plate.

He’d just finished when Jason’s knock came at the back door.

“Come in,” he called, and gathered three plates in his hands. He passed them out to the workers, who carried them toward the back yard with grunts of thanks.

“Don’t they need something to drink?” Vale asked, watching after them, while Jason tugged to get his dirty work boots off before stepping into the kitchen.

“They have thermoses.” Jason grunted as he pulled his second boot off. He stood with a grin and shut the door behind him.

The house felt quiet. A sense ofalonefell hard. Vale’s breath tingled in his lungs. The bubbly fizzy feeling lingered as Jason gazed down at him, his eyes almost obscured by the swoop of his blond hair.

“I should wash my hands,” he said, but it sounded like seduction somehow. Gritty and full of lust.

Vale stepped back and motioned toward the sink. “I made sandwiches for us, too.” They sat on plates on the table, along with tumblers of cold water, waiting for them to sit down.

Jason didn’t say anything as he washed his hands thoroughly and then bent low over the kitchen sink, splashing his sweaty face with water. Vale’s stomach flipped, an undercurrent buzzing between them. He stood frozen, waiting.

Jason wiped his face with a kitchen towel Vale had left out on the counter, and then turned to him. “Come here.”

“Why?” Vale’s gut squirmed and his cock thickened.

“Just do it.”

Vale swallowed and took a step closer, his heart in his throat and skin prickling all over.

When he was close enough, Jason took hold of his chin gently. The room felt too small and too big at once, and so did his body. He wanted to run away, to lean up on his toes and take Jason’s full lips, or to dissolve into a quivery, slick-damp mess all over the kitchen. He almost didn’t care which, just so long assomethinghappened.

“I’m going to kiss you,” Jason announced, steady and sure. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Where was his insecure baby alpha now?

“No.”

“No, you don’t have a problem, or—”

“I don’t have a problem with that.”

He was thirty-five and he’d kissed many men, but nothing prepared him for the sweetness of Jason’s lips on his. Soft and wet, determined but respectful, he felt the kiss in his toes, his dick, his gut, and his melting, aching, burning heart. His asshole gushed with slick, and Jason growled in reaction to the scent. Knees trembling, he wrapped his arms around Jason’s neck and held on, tasting him over and over.

When Jason pulled away, he rested his forehead on Vale’s, panting softly, his hard dick shoved tightly against Vale’s stomach. “That’s enough now.” His mouth was wet and red, and his chin was scrubbed shiny pink by Vale’s beard.

Vale thrummed with lust. His mind turned over a singular, wondrous question: how had his delicious, young alpha learned to kiss like that?