Page 9

Chapter Nine

Kingston

H is easy acquiescence—and acceptance—that he was coming to my bed made things simple. I wasn’t letting him go.

Ever.

Twenty minutes later, we were in bed.

Naked.

He’d propped up my sore ankle and made a hot chocolate with milk so I could take an anti-inflammatory. His inherent nature was also to nurture. On the way home, he’d mentioned just a few of the many, many, many jobs he’d had in the past six years—plus a few he’d held in high school to earn pocket money. The list had made my head spin.

But somewhere in there had been line cook in a fancy restaurant. In the end, he’d clashed with the head chef over the right way to make a peanut drizzle.

No surprise there.

He used that experience, though, to make meals for those he cared about. He proudly informed he that he’d stocked my pantry full of spices and staples, and I’d be eating healthy for, uh, the rest of my life.

I might’ve confessed my cholesterol numbers had been trending in the wrong direction, my iron levels were low, and my blood sugar was a little high. I cared about these things—just not enough to change my eating habits.

My garbage eating habits.

According to Ethan.

He grinned at me. “What are you thinking?”

I finished off the last of the hot chocolate. I put the mug on the nightstand, then I met his gaze. “That I don’t understand how I got to be so lucky.”

His blue eyes shone with happiness. “Because you went for a run and found your mate.” He caressed my cheek. “I know I’m a lot. Gran says that all the time.”

“When do I meet your gran?” I didn’t want him disparaging himself. That I’d been so cruel the other day in essentially telling him to shut up shamed me. He just…had a different way of communicating. Perhaps, in an appropriate moment, we could have the time and place discussion. But I didn’t want to clip his wings. I wanted him to fly. Well, at least from tree to tree.

Not like Tabitha’s owl. I’d leaving the soaring to her.

Although she’d offered to take Ethan for a ride.

To my relief, he’d declined.

“I’d love for you to meet Gran. Maybe we can invite her over? And I can cook something that appeals to both of you. She’s pretty easygoing. She just…” He blinked a couple of times. “I’m going to miss living near her.”

“Would you want her to move in with us?” Now I’m the one who’s a little loopy. But the idea felt right. Like this was something we needed to do.

He bit his lip? “Really?”

“Yes. I have that room at the back of the house, so she wouldn’t have to worry about stairs. We can set it up however she likes.”

“She can help us raise our children.”

The needle on the old record player I’d inherited from my father screeched on my favorite Billy Joel album. “Say what?”

“Well, you need a child to carry on your legacy. What will happen to your business?”

“I was going to sell it…” I said the words slowly. The first time, in my life, that I’d uttered them aloud.

“Nope. You need a child to carry on the family tradition. Now, I’m hoping you won’t care if it’s a boy or girl—”

“I don’t.” The job could be done by anyone willing to learn. A young woman might face some discrimination…but hopefully by the time she was an adult, some of that would have dissipated. Things were already better in the twenty years I’d done this job. “You make it sound so simple.”

“Well…” He scrunched his nose. “We need to find a racoon-shifter surrogate. That’s going to be tough. But there’s a website.”

“You’ve looked.”

“Of course. I mean, I want kids and didn’t want a wife. I mean, unless she turned out to be my fated mate in which case I wouldn’t have had a choice.”

“We don’t have to have a racoon kit. We could always have a squirrel pup.”

His eyes glistened with tears. He swallowed. Hard. “Maybe one of each?”

I couldn’t think of anything that sounded sweeter. “I’d…be honored.” I rubbed my nose. “But isn’t this…”

“Too soon? Probably. I mean, I was hoping you’d fuck me tonight, but talking about our future is even more important. We need to know where we’re headed, I think.”

“Well, I want you to move in. You can put your stuff wherever you want. We can donate whatever of our things no longer work for us. We have three other rooms up here—so, as time moves on—we can turn them into rooms for our kids.” Now, I swallowed hard. “Gran can move in downstairs, if she wants, and we’ll have our family.” I sniffed. “That sounds too easy.”

“Gran said when she met Gramps, she knew. And they had a good, long life together. His heart attack was because of a genetic issue. Neither my dad nor I have it. So…I should probably live a long life as well. Once your health is better, you can anticipate that as too.”

Shifter genetics allowed us to live longer, healthier lives. My parents dying in their seventies was unusual.

Ethan was right. From this moment forward, I needed to take care of myself. “Okay.”

He did a little bouncy thing on the bed.

This is too easy. He’s going to get bored. He’s going to find someone younger. Someone more attractive. Someone to hold his interest.

I tried to quiet the voice of doubt in my head. Yes, those things were possible. Or, perhaps, I could keep the Ethan of this moment. And if his gran moved in, then he’d have to stay.

Right?

Right.

Slowly, he moved toward me. He put his hands on either side of my head on the pillow and moved toward me.

I can’t wait. We’ve never made love. We’re about to embark on a life together…and we’ve never made love.

Ethan appeared to have had the same realization as his eyes flashed when he moved in for a kiss. His soft lips touched mine, and I nibbled. He used that opportunity to thrust his tongue into my mouth.

He was a damn good kisser. Much better than I was. I shoved aside the thought that he’d likely had a lot more practice than myself. I could either be jealous of everyone who had come before, or enjoy the fact my mate knew how to…

Oh holy hell.

My cock jerked as his hand encircled it and squeezed.

He pulled back. “Lube?”

“Top drawer.” I waved in the general direction of the nightstand.

He grinned as he reached over me to open the drawer and grab it. “I’m going to ride you so hard.”

“Uh, okay.” I’d sort of assumed we’d have to wait until my ankle healed. If he was careful, though, this would work. I’d just have to lie back and enjoy myself.

I could totally do that.

Within moments, he’d pulled back the covers, coated his fingers with lube, and prepped himself.

“One day…I want to do that.”

He grinned. “Oh, count on it. But for tonight? I can’t wait.” He groaned.

Then tossed me the lube.

With fumbling fingers, I coated my cock. The shaft that was already leaking a drop of precum. I wasn’t going to think about just how long it’d been since I’d been with someone.

“Okay, ready?” Ethan’s face was alight with glee.

I’d never get tired of gazing at that smile.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

“Hang on, it’s going to be a wild ride.”

I don’t doubt that. Every minute with you, I’m going to have to stay on my toes.

With great care, he positioned himself with his calves on either side of my hips, then he crouched, held my cock in place, and slowly lowered himself.

Warmth and tightness greeted me. I gritted my teeth as my crown breached him.

He grinned. Then he took his time, gently sliding up and down until he was finally seated.

My patience was beyond strained. My willpower nonexistent. My ability to hold out in question. “Now?” Jesus, please say yes . I’ll die if you don’t —

“Yep.” He pressed his hands against my abs and began to raise and lower himself on me.

The tightness enveloping my cock had me seeing stars. Pleasure suffused my body as he worked his magic on me.

He moaned, and I noticed his cock jutting out.

With my lubed fingers, I grasped it.

“Yes, babe. Please.” He elongated the word as he continued to ride me hard—as he’d promised.

I matched his rhythm with my tugs. Not too hard…but not too soft, either. He needed to feel well-used by the time this adventure was finished.

We came together like we’d been meant to. All who’d come before paled into the sepia of the past. He was all bright colors, shiny rainbows, and red glory.

A flush ran up his chest from his nipples to the tips of his ears. His breaths came in short, sharp pants as he worked himself on my cock.

He looked glorious as he arched his neck backward and said, “I’m coming, babe.”

Not normally a fan of pet names, I found this one adorable. I redoubled my efforts to bring him to climax and, within moments, he spurted over my hand.

His inner walls battered my cock, and as I grasped his thighs, my balls drew up, and I surged within him as I came.

Hard.

He held still as I poured my cum into his ass.

This is hotter than hell. Oh God…the look on his face.

His bright-blue eyes held me mesmerized in their depths. He was my everything, and I didn’t know how I’d live without him.

I said a quick prayer that I never would have to. I didn’t believe in deities, but I believed in Mother Earth—and so I placed my request to her that she always care for my Ethan.

He eased off me, and I slipped from him with a little squelching noise. The bed could be a mess, but—

“I’m going to get a washcloth so I can clean us off. Nothing less appealing than cum-covered sheets.” He was up and gone before I could respond.

Resting my hand on my belly, I awaited his return.

He popped into the room from the ensuite and quickly poked his head into the walk-in closet. “I suspect I’m doing laundry tomorrow.” He moved toward me. His eyes were alight as he’d obviously spotted my pile of dirty clothes.

“Well…”

“I don’t mind. I can make vegetarian lasagna while I do all the messy uniforms piled in that room.”

“I…”

“My pleasure, okay? I like to keep a clean nest.”

“And yet when you cook, you use every pan, dish, and bowl in the place.”

He grinned as he knelt on the bed. “But I always clean everything up.”

“You have me there.” I sighed as he ran the washcloth over my belly and grinned when he thoroughly cleaned my flaccid cock. “That’s lovely.”

“I’ll always take care of you.” He pressed a kiss to my lips, then scurried back to the bathroom. Moments later, he returned. He pulled the blankets over us—mindful of my ankle—and settled against my side.

I ruffled his hair as a feeling of pure contentment—unlike anything I’d ever felt before—settled over me.

Thanks, Mom and Dad. You promised this would happen, and you were right. I’m sorry I’d given up hope. I’ll be the best mate I can possibly be. That, I pledge to you. I probably should’ve pledged those words to Ethan as well, but his breaths had already lengthened and his body slackened.

He was asleep.

A long time passed before I joined him.