Page 9 of Wrong Number, Right Fox (Dial M For Mates #6)

GARNER

I woke early, but not because I couldn’t sleep. Whoever designed the rooms had placed a twentieth-first century mattress on the four-poster. Thank gods.

Nope, I pulled myself awake because I didn’t want to miss one minute of being beside my sleeping mate.

He’s your mate but you’re not mated .

I could always count on my beast to keep me up to date.

Not wanting to disturb Joss, I lay still, content to have his body resting against mine.

Lying underneath sumptuous bedding with a proper goose feather quilt was a luxury, though I’d had to calm my fox when he scented the feathers, thinking there was prey in the bed.

I stifled a laugh as I pictured Joss being woken up by a fox attacking the quilt and feathers flying everywhere.

I almost did it .

Very glad you didn’t .

Joss stirred, and my breathing sped up as I practiced what to say and how to position myself. I got up on one elbow, thinking that was a sexy position. But would Joss appreciate opening his eyes to me posing like a model? Perhaps not.

Rolling onto my side facing him, I reconsidered when I pictured it from my mate’s point of view. With eyes drilling into him, just inches from his face, he might freak and leap out of bed.

I rolled the other way, then got on my belly, but ended up pulling the quilt up to my chin and closing my eyes.

There was always the possibility that the morning after the night before would be awkward, especially if it was a one-and-done. And though Joss was my happy ever after, I couldn’t read his mind

“You move around a lot.”

My eyes snapped open. “Sorry, did I wake you?”

“No, I assumed you were tired and were trying to go back to sleep.”

“Nah, it’s all good.”

Joss sat up and tucked a pillow behind him. He folded his arms, not a good sign when the omega you had sex with was protecting himself with a barrier.

“Did you want to talk?”

I didn’t. I wanted breakfast and more sex, in that order, but “talking” suggested we had to examine what and why we did what we did.

“Ummm…” It was best to jump right in and get it over with. If the discussion went south—the only thing I wanted headed in that direction was my mouth, sliding over his skin—I hoped we could act professionally so Joss could finish the job he’d be contracted to do.

“I don’t regret having sex with you and would like to have more.” Hmmm, that wasn’t the impression I wanted to give. Sounded as though I wanted him for a sex toy. “And I’d like to get to know you better.”

A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. “I second that.”

My belly grumbled, and Joss cupped his ear. “Hark! Someone is trying to tell us something.”

The tension that I’d bottled up inside me burst out, and I snorted. “It’s not very subtle.”

Now we had the should we or shouldn’t we decision of did we shower together or should I assume Joss wanted to be alone.

“Let’s get room service.”

One pitfall avoided.

He pulled up the menu on his phone, and we ordered a variety of hot and cold dishes. Vigorous sex had made me hungry, but it was the intimacy, the closeness with my forever mate, that had me ravenous.

Joss put on a robe and signed for the food, and I crawled to the bottom of the bed and stole a piece of bacon.

“Ahhh, you’re that sort of breakfast person.”

Lying on my face and studying Joss upside down, I held up what remained of the piece. “Want some?”

He tapped his lips. “Let me think. Do I want to eat the remains of some bacon when you’ve devoured most of it?

” He grabbed another piece and shoved the whole bit into his mouth.

His cheeks bulged, reminding me of a chipmunk.

But the best part was when he finished and licked the bacon grease off his lips.

I was jealous of his tongue because I wanted to do that.

“Coffee?” He held up the pot.

“Please, with just a touch of milk.”

He raised a brow. “Really? I prefer my milk with coffee. Just shows how different we are. ”

If he only knew just how true that was, seeing as he was human and I wasn’t.

Turned out my mate liked runny eggs, while that grossed me out. He spread lashings of butter on his toast, and I tamped down the desire to talk of cholesterol.

“That was so good.” My mate only had one coffee while I drained the pot.

Now that my belly was sated, I was looking forward to giving him a blow job. If he was into it.

Stop! You have to introduce me to him .

I can’t do it inside. He might jump out the window . We were only on the second floor, but humans were fragile.

Joss picked up the now-empty pot. “We should order more because we have a lot to get through.”

I guessed he was talking about work, not us giving one another mutual blow jobs. It was why we’d come here, but now that we’d had sex, work was far from my mind.

“Perhaps we shouldn’t do it in the room.” I jerked my head at the rumpled bed.

“Right, the staff will want to clean it.”

He was so adorable I wanted to plant my lips on his, but my brother phoned, and I told Joss to shower first. I was reluctant to remove his scent from my skin, but I was covered in dried sweat and slick.

“How’s it going?” Booker was never interested in what I was doing unless I was F-ing up and he announced he could do better.

“Fine.”

“Is it going to rock your world?” He was referring to the new systems Joss had designed.

“It already has.” I said it with such finality I heard the whoosh of air from my brother's mouth.

“Okay then… I’ll let you get on with it.”

I wished it was, the it being back in bed with my mate or out in the woods, taking my fur and showing him who I really was.

“See you soon.”

He ended the call, but I wasn’t going to waste time thinking of my brother when my mate was in the bathroom, naked and standing under a steaming stream of water.

I must have stood still, daydreaming about bending over a very wet Joss and plowing into him, because suddenly he was in front of me, dressed in a soft white robe and asking if I was okay.

“Fine.” I waved the phone at him. “Booker just being his usual self.”

“I sense some rivalry between you. What’s that about?” Joss toweled his hair.

I screwed up my face in an it’s nothing kinda way. “The usual sibling crap.” Discussing Booker was not on my to-do list during our stay.

“Your turn.”

“To do what?” Damn, my brother being in my head, I’d lost track of what my mate was saying.

“Shower?” He made a face. “Unless you’re one of those people who believes water and soap remove the natural oils from your skin.”

“Definitely not.” I was a two showers a day guy.

I went into the bathroom, swaying my butt and hoping Joss was looking. Again, it was Booker’s fault I didn’t get to be naked with my mate while soaping his body.

Anything that went wrong today, I was going to blame on my brother.

“There are secluded tables on the terrace where we won’t be overheard.” I followed Joss as he led me outside.

But with a view of the woods, my beast clamored to be let out.

“You don’t enjoy the great outdoors.” Joss opened his laptop as he spoke. It was a statement.

“Why do you say that? I leave the city at least twice a week and spend time on land the company owns.”

My mate peered at me over his computer. “Never would have guessed. The look on your face said otherwise.”

This is your fault, wanting to shift without me talking to Joss first . Back down .

My fox grumbled about never having any fun, but he curled up and said he was going to nap.

Joss ordered coffee but waited until the waiter delivered it before placing the computer between us. “Are you ready for this?”

I shuffled my chair closer to his so our thighs were touching. “For it to revolutionize my life and save the company from going ass up? Absolutely.”

Focus, Garner . I told myself. My skin tickled as it rubbed against my mate’s leg. I had to put Joss, my mate, out of my head, and treat him as the consultant he was.

“Let’s do this because time is running out.”