Chapter Seven
~Jessie~
Oh, Elliot is never going to let me live this down now…
Jessie inhaled deeply, staring at the front corner like he was in time out.
If he looked down, he’d see his tented sweats.
He’d been through a few heats. Five, at the very least, and all of them came about at the worst time.
First was in high school when the pretty cheerleader kissed him on the cheek for getting a book down off a tall shelf.
A few days of awkwardly rubbing it out, he finally admitted to his folks about it.
The last heat was two years ago, when Nikolai came home from the shop smelling of oil and sweat.
A random Tuesday, where Jessie was on the couch, napping.
Then, out of nowhere, he was pinning Nik to his mattress.
Breathe. He inhaled sharply through his nose. Now out. Heat was a heavy burden, pun intended. His older brother would laugh at him, which is exactly what he deserved. Dragon’s breath, but what would a kiss have been like…I gotta kiss her now. Just once; get it out of the system.
“Jess?” Nik’s soft rumble ran a shiver up his spine. Jessie twisted inch by inch to find his roomate looming in the living room doorway with an arched brow.
“I…uh…got a problem,” Jessie nodded down to the iron rod that hoisted his sweats high.
Nik’s eyes widened and eyebrows shot up on his face. “Oh.”
“Yeah, I just,” Jessie trailed off, leaning one way then the other to ensure Katarina and Isabella couldn’t see from the kitchen. Then he strode across the floor to hide his hips in the dark of the living room. “Look, she might have popped my knot.”
“Popped? Your…knot?” Nik squinted at him, as if each word were foreign to his mouth.
“Yeah, you know, how you popped it last time. It’s nothing serious, Ma says happens to unmated Minotaurs all the time.
You’re just living your life then bam, knot.
” Jessie grimaced as he looked down at his pelvis.
His shower curtain rod wasn’t going anywhere soon, and he wasn’t about to stuff it under their cheap dining room table.
I’m gonna need to eat upstairs, or after the girls go to bed. He glanced up at Nikolai.
Nikolai snickered, sitting on the arm of the couch. “Think you can survive another two hours?”
Jessie’s eyebrows shot up. “Two hours, why?”
Nik leaned backward, his ears twitching as if he were listening in. Then he leaned back forward and whispered, “Bedtime.”
“Nik, you don’t…” Jessie trailed off as Nik climbed to his feet.
His stomach fluttered as Nik grabbed him by the waist. Their mouths crashed together, and Jessie’s head spun.
If Katarina hadn’t popped it with her teasing touch, Nikolai surely would have with his rough kiss.
It started as mostly teeth, then dissolved into brushing lips.
Jessie sighed with relief into Nikolai’s mouth as a large hand wrapped around his cock.
The burning warmth that pumped through his veins cooled down to a blissful, tingly feeling as Nik stroked him.
“Bedtime,” Nik reiterated once, his rumbling voice sending a shiver down Jessie’s back.
He let out a nervous, horny laugh. “I mean, who could say no to that?”
“Then don’t,” Nik teased with another hard kiss. He pulled away immediately afterwards and slipped away from him. “Or suffer, your choice.”
“Hey!” Jessie huffed, situating his sweats once more.
They didn’t feel as comfy without a bugbear palm stroking his cock through them.
Nik flashed him a knowing smirk before sauntering back into the kitchen.
Jessie took a moment to get his lung function back.
Cocky fucking bastard. He loved it, despite the complaints.
Nik was that perfect confidence where he didn’t need to be flashy for people to know he was comfortable in his own skin.
Fur? Fluff. In his sexuality and desires, and Jessie reminded himself if Nik wanted something, he’d say something.
Which means he really wants to get laid tonight then.
Jessie smiled to himself, sneaking back up the stairs.
He’d claim it was to blow dry off or anything, but really he was waiting for the girls to go upstairs.
Then, he’d get some grub, and after they went to bed, he’d take care of his knot.
The first knot wasn’t the problem. It tended to be easier to ignore for a little while.
It was the knots following it that were offensively demanding.
Soon, his heat would drive him to madness.
Hopefully, it won’t be a long one and I’ll bone Nik a few times… and Katarina will never know.
It'd be embarrassing, or at least, he imagined she’d be embarrassed.
She hadn’t asked him to become a major horny bastard just because she looked pretty pressed against that wall.
Plus, poor thing barely got out of a bad situation, she didn’t sign up for all of Jessie.
She needed a roof over her head and a safe place to keep the kiddo till she was back on her feet.
The least he could do was not make her feel like she owed him anything. Despite wanting to kiss her…
But, dragon’s fucking breath, what would sharing a bed with her and Nik at the same time be like?
His cock bobbed and he nearly lost all the air in his lungs at the singular flash in his head.
Like a photograph, with Katarina bouncing over his lap, Nik pressing into her ass and Jessie’s cock buried between her thighs.
Those pretty lips spread into a happy smile, red hair tangled up in Nik’s fingers while her throat was decorated in Jessie’s kiss.
Nope—no-no… But it was too late. He was in his bedroom, hunched over his bed, pawing at his own cock helplessly. Bedtime needs to come faster.
It did take two hours, but Katarina and the kid were finally in bed when Nik pinned Jessie to his bedroom wall.
Between Katarina giving the little one a bath, Jessie getting in his dinner, and Nik giving the kid one last piggyback ride, the minotaur thought he truly might die.
Unlike a regular boner, heat knots stayed until they were taken.
Especially the early ones—little bastards didn’t go anywhere until they were buried in someone.
Thanks, early minotaurs who needed to ensure they breed!
Too bad his ancestors would scream in horror to find him desperately scraping his bugbear best friend’s clothes off.
This definitely wouldn’t result in tiny minotaurs roaming the townhouse…
but dragon’s fuck if I don’t enjoy fucking Nik like I could breed him.
Jessie threw his best friend onto the bed, belly side down. Nik spread out like a starfish first, snickering to himself. Little shit. Jessie slapped his fluffy ass for good measure, enjoying the sight of Nik’s legs tensing up. “Like that, you ass?”
“Mmm, harder.” Nik tossed over his shoulder with a cheeky grin spread across his face. It made his tusks glint in the amber light. Jessie tried not to leave all the lights on, lest it give them away if Katarina got up in the night.
Jessie slapped Nik’s other cheek twice as hard, and his roommate shivered. “You’re such a glutton for punishment, Nik.”
“Ha, pot, kettle,” Nik flopped around like a trout until he was sat up on the edge of the bed.
Jessie slapped a hand over his mouth to keep the guttural moan from echoing off their empty walls.
Nik’s mouth fit around his tip and Jessie sank into the wet warmth.
One hand to the back of Nik’s head, the other between his teeth, he was already on the brink.
Calves tight, he held deadly still. The last thing he wanted was to ram himself down Nik’s throat.
It was a steady, spine-tingling sensation that ran through him as the other man worked him deeper.
Stars formed behind his eyelids before Nik finally popped off him with a lewd smack.
“Fuck,” Jessie wheezed, stumbling back.
Nik chuckled, snatching the him by the hips.
Bringing Jessie back to the bed, Nik forced him to crawl over him.
It squeaked a little too loud for Jessie’s liking, but the worry melted away as fingers wrapped around his cock.
He pulled back to pant for air. Nik lazily stroked him, taking the same deep breaths.
“You really want this cock, huh?” Jessie teased, glancing down at where Nik pressed a thumb against his tip and spread the pre-cum across all of that.
“You really got a knot from almost kissing a pretty girl, huh?” Nik shot back, cocking a brow. Jessie scowled as his roomie’s lips spread into a wicked grin. “Pull my hair and tell me I’m pretty or fuck me already.”
Jessie’s hand snapped out lightening fast and fisted the man’s hair at the nape of his neck. He tugged his head back then leaned over him, whispering in his floppy ears, “You’re very pretty, now take my knot, you ass.”
He—squeaky bed be damned—hoisted his friends legs up and around his waist. His tip pressed against an already slick entrance. Someone definitely wanted to get laid tonight.
“Motherfucker,” Nik laughed breathlessly, sighing dreamily as Jessie sank into him.
“When did you have the time to stretch?” Jessie grunted before nestling his face into the crook of Nik’s neck.
“Earlier,” Nik teased, fingers curling around the fur on Jessie’s shoulder.
Jessie’s hips were on autopilot. They’d done this literal fucking dance a hundred times.
Jessie knew where Nik liked it, how hard to thrust, how fast he liked it.
He could pleasure Nik with his eyes closed.
A comfortable routine where the two ended up fulfilled.
Friends with benefits…because if Nik wanted more he’d say something!
“How much earlier?” Jessie didn’t want to admit why it mattered. Not out loud, at least. But if it was after Nik found out about the knot…
“After lunch,” Nik confessed with a groan.
“Really?” Jessie blinked, pulling away from Nik’s neck.
Nik furrowed his brows. “Yeah, why?”
Because I was worried you were only in my bed because you thought I needed it…not because you wanted it. “Heat’s my problem, not yours. Didn’t want it to feel like a chore.”
“Fuck off.” Nik rolled his eyes, dropping a hand between them. Jessie followed the movement. Sitting back on his calves, he watched Nik wrap his fingers around his own cock and stroke it in tandem with his sharp thrusts.
“Oh, so you were so horny you lubed up at the shop?” Jessie grabbed him by the hips and worked himself deeper.
It made delightful chills run down his spine.
Fuck. He was inches away from release, but his knot wasn’t buried in Nik yet.
The Minotaur thrust harder, stars sparkling in his vision. So close.
“Nope, the casino.” Nik wiggled his brows.
Jessie wheezed, “You’re fucking with me.”
“I’m fucking you.” Nik stretched his other arm behind his head and grinned cheekily.
Fuzzy bastard. Jessie shook his head, returning his focus to where his knot pressed against Nik’s ass.
His muscles flexed again, and he was a charging beast. The bed groaned in protest, but he was too close to care.
Katarina will understand. He hoisted Nik’s hips a smidgen higher, and they were both chewing on their tongues.
Heads tossed back, fireworks behind their eyelids, balls pulled up tight as Jessie snapped into place.
His knot sank into Nik, and bliss flooded him.
He nearly punched his teeth out to keep from moaning loudly.
Cool, tingly mint left tracks in his fur, down his back, across his ass, and biting into his core.
He floated in his own body as his hips rocked against Nik’s helplessly.
Ropes of him spilled until he was sure he’d run dry.
His knot stayed firmly inside as the two came down from the high of release.
Nik was still glassy eyed, smiling up at the ceiling.
Jessie stared down at the puddle of cum spread across his bugbear’s belly.
“Damn,” he exhaled, fists to his hips. “You’re gonna need a shower.”
“I’ll grab it on the way down.” Nik nodded to himself, finally propping himself up on his elbows.
“What? No, just go scrub off and hop back in bed.” Jessie scoffed, waving the thought off. He leaned back an inch to be able to see himself still buried deep in Nik. His knot was taking its sweet time to release.
“What about the kid?”
“What kid?”
“Bella?” Nik answered as if it was obvious. Which it probably was. Jessie eyed him suspiciously. The dots didn’t connect for him as Nik cocked a brow. Finally, he spoke again, “Kid’s too curious, she could see us in here and crawl in?”
“So, we just sleep with boxers on.”
“Barnibus is downstairs…defenseless.”
Jessie rolled his eyes, “Are you trying to get out of sleeping in my bed or do you want me to go get the platypus while you shower?”
Nik snickered as Jessie’s knot finally softened enough to pop out of him. The wet sound echoed around his walls. The charcoal fur covered man glanced around the bare white paint that they’d not changed. “We should soundproof.”
“Oh?” Jessie quirked a brow, climbing onto his post orgasm, wobbly hooves. “Why? You thinking of getting laid more?”
Nik’s eyes widened. Oh no, was that the wrong answer? Nik rushed to slide off the bed, ensuring he didn’t leave a smear of him on the blanket. “No.”
Right? Right, like…that would be weird…
“Oh, you mean with the knot, yeah,” Jessie chortled, nodding in pained acknowledgement. Nik eyed him from the side, his face scrunched up in confusion. Jessie flashed him a toothy grin. “Probably for the best. Especially, you know, if little momma gets in on the action.”
Jessie wiggled his eyebrows at Nik. Nik’s face immediately fell into a scowl, tusks pressing into his cheeks.
“Go get the fucking platypus,” Nik huffed, slapping Jessie hard on the arm with his clean hand before stomping to the bathroom. Jessie stood, reeling as he looked around for his sweatpants.
“Was…it…something…I said?”