Chapter 18 Reno #2
“Yeah.” I held up my free hand. “I didn’t look at anything, but it seemed wrong not having your stuff inside.
” I smiled, feeling all warm and fuzzy at having my mate’s belongings close.
More of that nesting instinct, probably, but now I was reveling in it.
“I only put a couple of bins of your clothes in our bedroom closet for now, and I put the rest in the guest bedroom. I figure when you’re feeling up to it, you can use your super strength to haul it all upstairs.
I already moved a bunch of my clothes from the closet to make room for yours. ”
He stared at me for a few more seconds, and his eyes filled with tears. He let go of my hand and leaned over to throw both arms around me. “I haven’t had a place to hang my clothes since I lived with Davi, and that was only for a few months.”
Oh, fuck. I hadn’t anticipated this. I pulled him closer, making his chair legs scrape across the floor. Through the bond I was getting a mishmash of love, gratefulness, disbelief, and awe. “You have a home now. You’re home.” I rubbed his back as he tried to stifle his sobs.
Tia got up, came around the table, and hugged Simon with one arm, then kissed him on his head. “You have family and friends too. You’re not alone.”
Across from us, Cal appeared decidedly uncomfortable, as if he’d rather have been anywhere but here in the middle of all this emotion. Jackson’s face was slightly scrunched up, and they kept glancing between Simon and Nicky. Nicky’s lips were pressed together, and his eyes were shiny.
Oh. Oh, shit.
Simon must’ve felt my realization, because he sat back and wiped his eyes. “Sorry.”
I smiled at him and brushed his hair out of his face. “You’re entitled.” I looked over at Jackson and Nicky. “The home thing? That goes for you two as well. I want you to stay as long as you like.”
“Yes.” Simon nodded emphatically as he sniffled.
“Really? You just got mated. Don’t you want privacy?” Nicky’s face turned pink.
I chuckled. “Maybe don’t open our bedroom door without knocking first, but no. We don’t need to be all alone in the house or anything.”
Simon rubbed his chest. “Actually, I miss being with people. I would prefer it if you would stay. Both of you.”
Jackson nodded, and Nicky grinned. “Okay.”
“Great.” I waved a hand at the living room. “You’re welcome to continue sleeping in here, but we can get a TV for the guest bedroom. And once you’re able to go up the stairs by yourself, Nicky, you should check out the attic and see if you’d prefer to live up there.”
He looked thoughtful. “Thank you, I will.”
Tia went over and gave Nicky a hug as well. Jackson got a kiss on the top of their head, and she gave Cal a pat on the shoulder. “We’re heading home. Do you want us to bring you more food tomorrow?”
I shook my head. “I think we’re good. But feel free to stop by if you like.” Simon gave me wide eyes, and I backpedaled. “Um, in the afternoon would be better, though.”
Cal faked a cough to cover his laugh. After I came back from walking Tia, Rosita, and Soledad to the door, he said, “Now that Jackson is okay, I’ll be heading home in the morning.”
“Thanks for coming, Cal. Really. Not to mention the vision that saved our lives.”
He fidgeted under the praise. “I told you, I was just doing what I could to help.”
“Well, it meant everything to all of us.” Simon, Nicky, and Jackson all nodded and threw in their agreement.
We stayed up about an hour more, keeping Jackson company while they downed most of a pizza. They insisted Nicky eat one slice, and I made a mental note to make sure he was getting enough food. He could walk to the kitchen now, but could he stay steady on his feet long enough to make a sandwich?
For that matter, did Nicky know how to make a sandwich?
Shit, I should make a list of life things Nicky needed to learn.
I picked up my phone to make a note, and I didn’t have any unread texts or Discord messages. I leaned into Simon. “Thanks for messaging the Wonders back.”
He kissed me on the cheek. “My pleasure.”
I went back to my note-making, but my thoughts started straying to the feel of Simon’s shoulder where it pressed against mine. How his jaw was covered in a fine stubble that would feel oh-so-nice rubbing along my naked thigh.
Fuck. I couldn’t get a boner at the kitchen table. I sat up, moving away from Simon. He made a barely audible noise of protest. Maybe it was time for bed. Except Simon needed sleep more than he needed sex, and I had to keep that in mind. My dick could wait until morning.
Finally the conversation wound down, and Simon and I escaped to our bedroom. I showed him where I’d made space for his stuff in the closet and the drawers, and we decided to see how everything fit before determining whether we needed another chest of drawers. We had room for a small one.
“Thank you for thinking to do this.” He pulled me into his arms and gave me a kiss that made my entire body zing.
I groaned and pushed him away. “Stop it. You need to sleep.”
“Nooo.” His irises had a red cast to them, same as when we'd had sex for our bonding, and when he pouted, his lower lip stuck out between his fangs. It was fucking cute, and I had to walk away to keep from laughing. He called after me, “We said we’d see how I felt. And I feel horny.”
I let out a breath but didn’t turn around. “Okay, once I’m done in the bathroom, if you still want sex, we’ll do it.”
He muttered something about not being very romantic as I shut the bathroom door behind me.
My dick was half-hard, but hopefully brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed would take care of that. Sleep was more important for Simon than sex, and I was laying even odds that he’d be zonked out by the time I was done.
Though of course I wouldn’t protest if he was awake and initiated something. He was right that I’d promised, and he knew his own body after all. Just thinking about his body had the image of Simon's naked skin consuming my brain.
My balls started to ache as I stripped down to my boxers.
Shit, I needed to stop dwelling on sex. I put my clothes in the hamper and thought about doing laundry tomorrow, but it was no use.
I could almost feel Simon's fingers spreading my precome down my shaft. My breathing was getting heavier, and I spread my legs apart as my dick began to stand up. My body was primed for Simon. Fuck, he’d know if I jerked off, but what if he was sleepy?
How could I go out there with a raging boner and assure him he should just close his eyes and ignore me?
I opened the bathroom door a crack, half-hoping and half ready to be disappointed that Simon had fallen asleep.
Well, he was in bed at least. But he’d pulled the covers down and he was naked, staring at me and stroking his cock.
I threw the door open the rest of the way and pointed at him. “You were sending sexy thoughts through the bond, you fucker!”
He widened his legs. “It’s not my fault you didn’t notice.” He bent his knees and put his feet flat on the mattress. “Now get over here. I haven’t been fucked since 1946, and you need to fix that.” He lifted his balls and rolled them in his fingers.
I froze. Holy fuck. Even if Davi had liked to bottom, there hadn’t been anyone else in all that time?
“What’s the matter? Why are you anxious?” He started to sit up.
I raised my hands and rushed over to the bed. “No, sorry! Don’t stop what you were doing.” I sat down on the edge of the mattress and stroked his thigh. “I just had a little freakout. Some performance anxiety. I don’t want to disappoint you.”
He cursed under his breath and cupped my face in his hands.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.
But you have nothing to worry about. We’re mates.
Remember how you can feel what I feel and vice versa?
Neither of us will be disappointed, I promise.
” He kissed me, and through the bond I got an enormous wave of lust and something a lot stronger than affection.
It was too soon to be love, right? I'd felt hints of it before, but this seemed bigger.
I pushed myself into him, his sparse chest hair delicious against my nipples as his tongue and mine mimicked what I really wanted to be doing. I dragged a hand down his side to land on his hip. We should be lying down. This position didn’t let me get close enough.
He pulled back, ending the kiss. I stared at him, my foggy, blissed-out brain not understanding why he stopped.
“We need lube, and I’ll need prep.”
“Lube,” I repeated back to him, still staring into his eyes.
“Lube.” He smiled at me like I was the most precious thing in the universe, and I melted against him.
“You’re gorgeous.” I ran my hand through his long auburn hair.
“Reno.”
“Huh?” I dragged my fingers along his ear, then down his neck.
“Never mind. I’ll check this drawer, shall I?
” He scooted out from under me, and I barely kept myself from clinging to him like a koala.
At least his dick, engorged and leaking, told me he was as turned on as I was.
“It’s okay. I’ll be right back.” He only moved far enough to let him reach the nightstand and yank open the top drawer.
“Ohhh. Lube. Good idea.”
He chuckled. “Thanks.”
My brain started processing again, and I took the tube from him. It was more than half full, so we’d be okay. At least for this round. I dropped it on the bed before lifting my hips so I could strip off my boxers.
Simon leaned back against the pillows, his hair mussed and his lips swollen from our kiss.
His eyes were golden but tinged with red, and they looked at me with possessiveness and lust. Had anyone ever been more beautiful?
He was so out of my league it wasn’t even funny, but for whatever reason he’d picked me to be his mate.
All I could do was make sure he never regretted it.
He lifted a hand and cupped my cheek. “I’d never regret you, Reno.”