Chapter Ten
JASON
The engine caught first time—a relief, as that wasn’t always guaranteed—but Jason sat for a moment instead of following Riley’s car out of the lot. He wanted this, but it was all happening so fast.
He’d always pictured things differently.
He’d meet someone, and they’d take their time, care about one another before they had sex.
And the sex itself would start with long, gentle make-out sessions where he and some unnamed guy got to know one another before finally falling gracefully into bed, where they either discovered things together or Jason magically knew what to do.
That was how he’d wanted it to go for him.
Yet another reason he never fit in anywhere—he was out of step with everyone else.
But nothing took away the fact he wanted this. He really wanted this, even if it wasn’t happening the way he’d always imagined. Even if he wasn’t sure what Riley wanted or whether he’d be enough.
Easing his car into drive, he followed Riley to the motel lot. There, he sat for an instant longer, tightening his clammy hands on the steering wheel. This was it. Moment of final decision.
And then he forced himself to let go—of the wheel, of his long-held dreams. Climbing out of the car, he followed Riley into a dark room.
The door clicked shut behind him, and for a second, all he could hear was the sound of his own breath.
The drapes were drawn against the afternoon sun, and the room smelled faintly of air freshener.
There was nothing memorable about it, nothing special.
But it felt like something enormous was about to happen.
As if what happened in this cheap motel room would change everything.
Riley stepped forward and reached up to kiss him. For an instant it was soft and gentle, and then Riley flicked his tongue along Jason’s lips. It was all the hint Jason needed to open up and let Riley in.
He was lost in the hot slickness of Riley’s tongue in his mouth, but Riley wasn’t satisfied with just that. He pulled Jason so close he could feel Riley’s cock pressing against him through their jeans, and he groaned into Riley’s mouth.
At some point, he’d shoved his hands under Riley’s t-shirt, clutching at skin, feeling his muscles, tracing down his shoulder blades. And then his explorations stopped, his fingertips digging into Riley’s skin because Riley—he was stroking Jason’s ass.
God. Jason fell further into the kiss, a little sloppy and dirty and deep as hell, because Riley’s hands felt so good.
Even better than he’d thought they would, and all he could do was react.
When Riley’s long fingers trailed down the center seam of his jeans, Jason hitched against him helplessly, rubbing himself against Riley, desperate.
Riley pulled back from his mouth. “I want to see you,” he said, his hands tugging Jason’s t-shirt up, until Jason got the hint and pulled it over his head.
He had no time to feel self-conscious before Riley started exploring him, his long fingers light on Jason’s chest, brushing over his nipples.
Jason was trembling deep inside as Riley made little circles with the back of his knuckles below his navel, just above the waistband of his jeans.
He’d never known it would feel this way, to be touched by someone.
And he was standing there, instead of making Riley feel as—oh, God, as good as Riley was making him feel right now.
But he didn’t know what to do. If he clutched Riley and drew him close, it would stop Riley touching him the way he was.
And what if Riley didn’t like that? He was trembling under Riley’s touch, uncertain, paralyzed by how badly he didn’t want to mess this up.
“I don’t—I haven’t—” he stumbled, cheeks aflame in excruciating embarrassment.
Riley looked up at him. The darkness in his eyes slowly cleared to be replaced by utter shock as his hand stilled on Jason’s skin. If he didn’t want this so damn badly, Jason would have looked away in shame.
“You—really?” Riley asked. Although he was obviously stunned, there was no mockery there. At least, Jason didn’t think there was. “Hey,” he said softly, reaching up and pressing a quick kiss on Jason’s lips. “If you don’t want—”
“I do,” Jason bit out, because he’d never wanted anything so much in his life.
“Thank God for that,” Riley said, with a half laugh. But his eyes were soft, not mocking. He meant it. And he kept his eyes on Jason’s as he flicked open the button on Jason’s jeans and drew the zipper down.
“Tell me if this is going too fast,” he said.
“Okay,” Jason said, strangled.
Riley’s gaze dropped to where Jason’s jeans were open, his cock pressing against the front of his boxers, and then his hand was on Jason, through the cotton. Jason whimpered and clutched at Riley, burying his face in his neck and drawing in ragged, helpless breaths.
As Riley started to stroke him through his underwear, Jason licked the sweat on Riley’s neck, nipping at the skin that was so tempting, and Riley jolted.
“Sit down,” he said, his voice rough.
Jason stumbled back a few steps until the bed met the backs of his knees and he sat heavily, his heart hammering. His whole body thrummed with the need to move, to touch, to do something—but Riley was there, kneeling in front of him, all slow focus and steady hands.
He started tugging at Jason’s shoelaces, and Jason could only stare, lightheaded.
“I learned the hard way,” Riley said, flashing him a crooked grin as he worked. “Nothing worse than trying to wrestle your jeans off with your damn shoes still on.”
Jason tried to laugh but only managed a croak. His throat was dry, his head pounding with each fast heartbeat.
Riley rose to his feet, pulling his shirt over his head in one fluid movement.
Jason drank in the way his skin looked, almost golden in the low lamplight.
He reached out, but Riley was already moving, kicking off his boots and shucking out of his jeans and underwear with impatient hands, almost too quickly because Jason wanted a moment to take in the way those dark blue boxer briefs clung to him.
And then the briefs were gone, and Riley was just there, the kind of beauty that stole the air right out of Jason’s lungs. He’d thought he was ready for this, but nothing could have prepared him for the reality of Riley, naked, hard, and right in front of him.
Jason scrambled up the bed, giving Riley room, his heart hammering wildly.
Riley laughed under his breath, a delighted sound, as he joined Jason on the bed.
Leaning over him, he kissed him again, and Jason melted into it.
He was still floating somewhere in a haze of want when Riley pulled back, just long enough to finish undressing Jason, the scrape of denim over his thighs, his hands stripping him of his underwear until Jason was naked.
Riley sat back on his heels a moment and just looked. Jason wanted nothing more than to drink in the sight of Riley, fully naked and hard, but this was too much, he was too exposed. For a heartbeat, he wanted to cover himself, to hide.
Somehow, Riley got it, because he lay down beside Jason again and kissed him, gently this time. “You’re okay,” he said, and it was what Jason needed to hear. Not a question, but reassurance.
And then the kiss deepened, Jason clutching at Riley until he moved on top of Jason, his weight holding him down as Jason gasped and arched up at the feel of Riley’s cock, so hot and hard against his.
“God,” he said, and then all he could do was whimper.
Because everything he’d dreamed of, however he’d thought it would be—it was nothing like this.
Naked, with Riley, and they were moving together, and it was so good, and Jason could feel it building at the base of his spine.
He spread his legs a little wider, hooked his ankles over Riley’s legs, and the heat was gathering fast, too fast—
He came, and it was better than it had ever been, a juddering climax that whited out the room.
When he came back to himself, Riley was looking down at him, stroking back the hair from his face.
Oh, God. Jason had ruined everything. He’d come way too soon, and Riley hadn’t, and—
“Fuck.” Riley’s voice was hoarse as he leaned down and kissed Jason, his tongue slowly teasing into his mouth. Then Riley pulled back and stared down at him again, his eyes dark. “Do you have any idea how you look when you come?”
The apology that was on Jason’s lips stilled. Maybe—maybe it was okay that he’d been so fast on the trigger.
“I love that I can make you lose it like that,” Riley murmured, mouth against Jason’s ear as he pressed him down into the mattress with his body, skin to skin. He made a low sound in his throat when Jason touched his hip, like he’d done something right, something good.
His cock was hard against Jason’s body, heat and slickness between them, as he moved—small, restless shifts that made both of them shudder.
The sound he made wasn’t words, just breath and need, and Jason stroked warm skin, trailing his fingers down the small of his back.
Riley’s breath hitched, and the next movement was sharper, more desperate.
He swore softly, once, and then went still, shaking with it as wetness spilled on Jason’s skin, face buried in his neck.
Then he relaxed on top of Jason, his heart pounding against Jason’s as he gave a short, breathless laugh. “Didn’t plan on that,” he murmured against Jason’s skin.
Jason didn’t care about the wetness and stickiness between them. He didn’t care about anything except Riley. He held him tight, his face buried in Riley’s short blond hair.
He suddenly realized he was snuffling Riley, his wolf coming unbidden to the surface.
He stopped, because that might freak out a non-shifter.
But that didn’t stop him wanting to mark every part of Riley with his scent, wanting Riley all over him, to draw Riley’s scent so deep inside him that it became part of him.
Riley let out a small sound, not quite a laugh, and nuzzled against Jason’s neck in return. “That okay?” he murmured. Not just about the sex, Jason thought, but about all of it.
Jason tightened his arms in answer.
“You smell amazing,” Riley said quietly. “Like the woods after rain.” He huffed a soft breath. “That’s weird, right?”
“No,” Jason said. “Not weird.” Not at all. It made him feel wanted.