Chapter Ten
WEST WAS HUMMING AS he walked into the tattoo shop. He grinned at Christy, who was behind the counter, drawing on a pad. She smiled back and visibly relaxed when she saw him, which gave him pause, but he raised the bags he was carrying. “Late breakfast?”
“Is there coffee in there?”
“Of course. Who do you take me for?”
“I love you. Do you think Jonathan would mind if I stole you from him?”
West laughed, bright and happy because that was how he felt. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind since there’s coffee for him in there, too.”
“I would mind very much,”
Jonathan said as he came into the waiting area from the back room where he worked.
He looked a bit tired and had dark shadows under his eyes. He didn’t hesitate to come up to West, though, and when West dumped his bags on the counter to wrap his arms around him, he felt Jonathan’s body relax.
They’d been taking things slow because West never wanted to rush Jonathan, so he was surprised when Jonathan was the one who reached up and kissed him. It was quick and nothing that would be out of place in front of Jonathan’s friends, but it was their first kiss, and it left West blinking.
“Sorry about that,”
Jonathan said as he tried stepping away.
West didn’t let him go. Instead, he leaned down and kissed him again. “Sorry about what?”
he murmured.
Jonathan’s cheeks flushed. “I wasn’t sure how you’d react. I’ve been building it up in my mind since I first met you, so I decided to get it out of the way.”
“That’s not how I want you to feel about us kissing, but I get it.”
It wasn’t something to get out of the way, but considering Jonathan’s history, it made sense that he’d been nervous. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be anymore. West hoped this would be the first of thousands of kisses, and he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.
Ethan stepped out of the hallway, too, and West could hear the buzzing of the tattoo machine, so he knew Daniela was working. She didn’t join them, but he noticed that Ethan put some food away for her. These four were like a family, and it was good to see. It felt a bit like the relationship West had with Austin and the other people on his team.
He couldn’t help but notice that Jonathan kept glancing at the door and out the window as if he expected to see something or someone there. If West had to guess, it involved Sal, and he didn’t like it.
Jonathan deserved to live a life without Sal’s presence hovering over his head. Instead, he was still looking over his shoulder, and West couldn’t blame him for it. Sal had made it clear that he wasn’t willing to let go of Jonathan, which meant that Jonathan needed to be careful.
West wished he could take all of that away, but the only thing he could do was distract his boyfriend. He tried doing just that, telling the three friends about some calls he and his team had gone on over the past few days. There was nothing outrageous, but it was enough to keep them relaxed and entertained until they were done eating.
Ethan vanished with his coffee and Daniela’s food after saying goodbye, but Christy looked like she was there to stay. She’d gone back to drawing, maybe to give Jonathan and West some semblance of privacy. West decided to take advantage of it and wrapped an arm around Jonathan’s shoulders to pull him close, but the way Jonathan tensed gave him pause. “Everything all right?” he asked.
Jonathan gave him a forced smile. “Yeah. I just didn’t expect you to come over today.”
“Should I have called? I didn’t think it would be a problem.”
“It’s not.”
Jonathan glanced out the window again. “I’m glad you’re here.”
West believed him, but he could tell something was wrong. He couldn’t force Jonathan to tell him, but he glanced at Christy, hoping she might tell him what was happening.
She seemed to have been waiting for that because she was eager to give West answers. “Sal was here yesterday.”
“Christy!”
Jonathan scolded. “There was no need for you to tell him.”
“Yeah, there was. I’m not sure you would’ve told him if I hadn’t, and he needs to know.”
“She’s right,”
West agreed. “What happened? What did he want?”
Jonathan shook his head. “The usual. He told me I shouldn’t date you.”
West snorted. “That’s not gonna happen.”
“And that’s why you should’ve told him right away,”
Christy murmured.
When Jonathan glared at her, she mimed locking her lips and throwing away the key. She grabbed her drawing pad and waved at West before disappearing into the hallway leading to the workrooms. She’d probably have to come back soon, but she was giving Jonathan and West some privacy.
West turned to Jonathan. “You should have told me, but I understand why you didn’t. I’m sorry about all of this.”
Jonathan’s shoulders slumped. “And I’m sorry for dragging you into it.”
“There wasn’t any dragging. I came willingly, and I don’t regret it.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
West kissed Jonathan’s forehead. “Well, I hope that eventually, you’ll be able to believe it. I know about Sal. I know what he’s capable of. None of that’s going to be enough to push me away from you, so I’d like you to stop expecting me to leave.”
It would take time, but West would show Jonathan that he could trust him.
He’d probably have to deal with Sal at some point, though. West didn’t care how many times Sal threatened him, but he needed to leave Jonathan alone, and it looked like he wasn’t planning to. West wasn’t sure what he could do about any of this, but he wasn’t letting Jonathan face Sal on his own. He was in this, for better or worse, and he’d protect Jonathan through whatever Sal forced them to deal with.
It was clear that the man wouldn’t let it go. It worried West, but he decided to focus on Jonathan. Sal would do whatever Sal wanted to do, and the only thing West could do was wait and see what happened. Once Sal made his move, so would West.
In the meantime, he’d do his best to make sure Jonathan was safe and happy.
JONATHAN HATED SAL. Even though Sal wasn’t really in his life anymore, he still managed to torture him.
Ever since Sal had visited yesterday—hell, even before then—Jonathan saw him everywhere. He was at the corner down Jonathan’s street when Jonathan stopped to get coffee this morning. He was in the grocery store parking lot yesterday afternoon. He was hiding behind a tree when Jonathan walked down the street after parking his car.
Jonathan didn’t think it had been Sal any of those times, but it could’ve been. That was what he hated, and he had no idea how to deal with it.
He hadn’t wanted to pull West into this, but what was he supposed to tell him? Thank you for bringing us breakfast, but you need to leave before my ex-boyfriend realizes you’re here and decides to attack you? West wouldn’t leave because of that. If anything, he’d cling even harder to Jonathan, which Jonathan wanted, but he was afraid for both of them.
He knew how to deal with Sal, but he was only human, and he wasn’t strong enough to truly defend himself if Sal attacked. West was strong enough, but he didn’t know Sal, and he wouldn’t know what to expect.
To be honest, Jonathan wasn’t sure what to expect, either. Sal wouldn’t out himself as a dragon shifter to the world, would he? He might be arrogant and spoiled, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew he couldn’t do that. That meant that if he was going to hurt Jonathan and West, he would do it in a more discreet way. There would be no dragon fight in the sky over the city.
That didn’t make Jonathan any less worried or scared.
He didn’t think anything could. He wanted to spend time with West, but having Sal’s ghost hovering over their heads the entire time made it complicated. Jonathan wished he could forget about Sal, but he didn’t feel safe. He hated that Sal had shown him how vulnerable he was at the shop because now he would never forget that he wasn’t safe. Sal could come in whenever he wanted. He could get to Jonathan.
“I can’t promise that everything will be all right, but I’ll do everything I can to protect you,”
West murmured.
He’d been trying to reassure Jonathan, telling him that he wasn’t leaving and that he would support him. Jonathan wanted to believe him. Part of him did because if there was anyone who could kick Sal’s ass, it was a firefighter, but Sal would find a way to hurt West and Jonathan.
“I hate that I put you in this position,”
Jonathan admitted. “This is a new relationship, and we should both be giddy and happy. Instead, I keep jumping at shadows, and you look ready to tear someone’s head off.”
West chuckled and kissed Jonathan again. “Only Sal’s.”
Jonathan wished it were that easy. Sal wasn’t a lone dragon, though. He had a clan and a father who would want revenge if anything were to happen to him.
Christy peeked back into the room and rolled her eyes when she saw them. “You’re still here?”
West looked nonplussed. “I can leave if you need me to. I just didn’t realize I had to.”
“I was talking about the two of you,”
she explained as she stepped closer to the counter and poked around the bags that were still there.
Jonathan didn’t understand how she could still be hungry since she’d eaten as much as he had, but he wasn’t surprised. She was always hungry. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve thought she was a shifter.
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
“I checked, and you don’t have any more appointments today. I’m not even sure why you came in today.”
“I had a customer.”
“You could have moved her to one of us and stayed home.”
Jonathan had been tempted to do it, if anything so he wouldn’t have to worry about Sal, but he was glad he hadn’t. He would’ve missed out on West bringing everyone breakfast and on their first kiss.
Thinking about it still made his skin tingle. It had been nothing, but at the same time, to him, it had been everything. He’d been wanting to kiss West, but part of him had been afraid of what would happen if he did. He kept expecting West to become more like Sal the closer they got, but he hadn’t. Jonathan was starting to believe that he never would, and he hoped he wasn’t wrong.
“Go home,”
Christy ordered. “Have fun, and please, try not to think about Sal. He wants you to obsess over him. He wants to ruin the relationship the two of you are building, and I don’t want him to get what he wants.”
“I’ll do everything in my power so he doesn’t,”
West promised.
“Good. Now take Jonathan away and force him to have fun.”
“I know how to have fun,”
Jonathan protested.
“You hid in the kitchen last night when we watched that series.”
“Watching zombies eat people isn’t fun.”
It really wasn’t, but Jonathan had been happy to spend an evening with his friends. He, Caleb, Ethan, and Daniela had gathered at Christy’s apartment with take-out. They were watching an older series about zombies that a few of them had already seen. Jonathan never had because it wasn’t his kind of thing, but he couldn’t regret being forced to watch gore when it meant spending time with his friends. He was always up for more of that.
“No zombies,”
West promised. “Honestly, they kind of creep me out.”
“Thank you,”
Jonathan said as he turned to him. “I knew I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.”
“Whatever,”
Christy said as she waved him off. “I don’t want to see you until tomorrow. If I do, I’ll send zombies after you.”
Jonathan laughed as he allowed West to drag him toward his workroom so he could pack up his things. He wouldn’t mind an entire day with West, and it seemed that West felt the same way. He was as eager as Jonathan to get out of there.
Jonathan realized he hadn’t thought about Sal once in the past few minutes. It felt good, and once the panic at the thought of Sal seeing him and West together had vanished, he felt it was easier not to obsess over his ex-boyfriend again. It probably wouldn’t last long, but if he and West decided to spend time at one of their apartments, Jonathan would be able to.
“What do you want to do?”
he asked because he felt a bit guilty about keeping West inside every time they saw each other.
“Well, I promised no zombies, but that doesn’t mean we can’t watch a movie or something. I’ll even cook for you.”
Could this man be any more perfect? “We could get takeout.”
“I want to cook for you.”
Jonathan found himself smiling. “Then I want to eat whatever you’ll cook.”
“That’s what I was hoping you’d say,”
West said as he pulled Jonathan closer and kissed him.
It took them a little time to leave the shop, and Christy took one look at them and rolled her eyes at the sight of Jonathan’s messed-up hair, but Jonathan didn’t care.
He didn’t care about anything or anyone who wasn’t West, and he would continue feeling that way for the rest of the day. Reality could wait until tomorrow, dammit.
THE SCENT OF GRILLED chicken and garlic filled Jonathan’s apartment as West moved around the kitchen. He moved as if this was something he did every day, and Jonathan wanted it to be.
The sizzle of vegetables in the pan was interrupted by a soft chime from the oven, signaling that the bread was ready.
“Dinner should be done in ten,”
West called out, his voice warm and inviting. It made Jonathan feel like he was home, and not only because they were at his place.
Jonathan’s eyes were drawn to West’s broad shoulders and the way his shirt clung to his back. He couldn’t help but imagine what West would look like without that t-shirt, but thoughts of Sal twisted in his gut like a knife, interrupting his daydreaming. He shook them off, focusing on the here and now. Thinking about Sal wouldn’t help. It never did.
“Need any help?”
Jonathan asked, trying to sound casual. Helping would help him not think of Sal and get closer to West.
West glanced over his shoulder, a smirk playing on his lips. “Nah, I’ve got it. Just grab a couple of plates, would you?”
Jonathan nodded, feeling a strange mix of relief and disappointment. As he reached for the plates, he couldn’t help but notice that the way West moved was so different from the way Sal did. There was a gentleness in West’s strength, a care that Sal never had. Sal didn’t take care of people. He only cared about himself.
After setting the table, they sat down together. The air between them was thick with tension—the good kind of tension. The silence was broken only by the clink of their silverware. Jonathan didn’t know what to say, and he found himself stealing glances at West, wondering how things had moved so quickly between them. They only met a few weeks ago, yet Jonathan could see them being together for years to come.
“So,”
West said, breaking the silence. “I heard Christy say that you’re working on a new tattoo design. Mind showing me?”
Jonathan hesitated, his hand instinctively moving over the scars on his forearm. They were covered—they always were—but he couldn’t help it. “It’s personal.”
West leaned forward, his expression softening. “Hey, no pressure. I just thought it might be something we could talk about, but if you’re not comfortable with it, it’s fine—”
“No, it’s okay,”
Jonathan interrupted, feeling a rush of warmth at West’s understanding. “Let me get my sketchbook.”
He returned moments later with his latest sketchbook, flipping through the pages until he found the design he wanted to show West. It was a phoenix rising from ashes with its wings spread wide.
“It’s beautiful,”
West murmured, tracing the lines with his finger. “Symbolic, too. Rebirth and all that.”
Jonathan nodded. The intensity of West’s gaze made him feel exposed yet safe. He’d never thought he could have this, not after Sal. “Yeah, it’s about moving on, starting fresh.”
West looked up, and their eyes met. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, the world beyond the apartment fading away. Sal didn’t matter. He never had.
West reached out, his fingers brushing against Jonathan’s cheek, sending shivers down Jonathan’s spine.
“You deserve to feel safe, Jonathan,”
West whispered, his voice barely audible over the beating of Jonathan’s heart. “I want to be here for you, whatever that means.”
Jonathan swallowed hard as the weight of the words settled in his chest. He wanted to believe West and to trust him, but the memories of Sal’s betrayal and the pain he’d caused lingered like a shadow.
“Why are you doing this?”
Jonathan asked, his voice trembling slightly. “Why take the risk now that you know about Sal?”
West’s eyes softened even further, his thumb gently caressing Jonathan’s jawline. “Because I see you, Jonathan. I see the pain, the struggles, and I know I can’t erase any of it, but I can be here and support you.”
Jonathan’s breath caught in his throat. He wanted to lean into the touch and let go of the fear that had held him captive for so long. He was done letting Sal control him. Taking a deep breath, he made his decision.
“Okay,”
Jonathan whispered, closing the distance between him and West. Their foreheads touched, the heat of West’s skin seeping into his own. “Just be gentle.”
West nodded. His grip on Jonathan was firm yet tender. Slowly, they stood, dinner forgotten.
When they settled onto the couch, West pulled Jonathan closer. The weight of West’s arm around Jonathan’s shoulders felt reassuring and electrifying. They both remained silent, but they didn’t need words.
Jonathan’s hands found their way to West’s chest, where he felt the steady thump of West’s heartbeat beneath the fabric of his shirt. He marveled at the sense of safety that radiated from West. It was a stark contrast to the hollow emptiness and fear that Jonathan had felt with Sal.
West’s hand trailed down Jonathan’s back, fingertips tracing the curve of his spine. The touch was slow and deliberate, each stroke sending waves of sensation through Jonathan’s body. He closed his eyes, willing himself to surrender to the moment. Sal had no place here.
“Are you okay?”
West asked softly, his breath warm against Jonathan’s ear.
“Yeah,”
Jonathan replied, his voice barely above a whisper. “I just needed a moment.”
West nodded, continuing his gentle exploration. His hand moved lower, cupping Jonathan’s ass through the fabric of his jeans. The gesture was possessive but not pushy. West had nailed a delicate balance that made Jonathan’s head spin.
They stayed like that, bodies pressed together, hearts beating in unison. Each second made it easier for Jonathan to relax.
“West,”
Jonathan breathed. “I don’t want to let go.”
Maybe he should, but he could trust West. He was sure of it.
West tightened his hold, pulling Jonathan even closer. “Then don’t. We’ll figure this out together, one step at a time.”
Jonathan’s fingers dug into West’s shirt, clinging to him. He lifted his head, their lips mere inches apart, and whispered, “Stay with me tonight.”
He didn’t know what he was ready for, but he wanted this. He wanted West.
West’s eyes darkened with desire, his reply a husky murmur against Jonathan’s lips. “Always.”
He pressed his lips against Jonathan’s, and Jonathan surrendered.
West’s hands roamed over Jonathan’s back, his touch reassuring and arousing. The kiss deepened, their tongues exploring each other with a hunger that had been building all evening—or maybe since they’d first met. Jonathan’s fingers tangled in West’s hair, and he pulled him closer.
The room was filled with the scent of garlic and warm bread, mingling with the scent of West’s cologne. Jonathan needed more of that scent, so he was glad when West’s hand slid down his spine to press them more tightly together.
“West,”
Jonathan murmured against West’s lips, his voice thick and rough. “I want this.”
West pulled back slightly, pressing their foreheads together as they caught their breath. “Are you sure?”
Jonathan nodded, his gaze steady. “I trust you,”
he whispered.
West shifted them both so that Jonathan was stretched out on the couch. He pushed up Jonathan’s t-shirt, revealing the tattoos that covered his chest. Each design told a story, some personal, and all of them were there to cover the scars left by Sal’s abuse.
West’s fingers traced one particularly prominent scar. His touch was reverent and soft, nothing like how Sal used to touch Jonathan. “You’re beautiful,”
he said softly.
Jonathan shivered at the sincerity in West’s voice. “Touch me,”
he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper.
West complied, his hands moving to Jonathan’s waist, then lower, opening his jeans and pushing them and his underwear down just enough to free his erection. Jonathan gasped as West’s hand closed around him, the sensation both thrilling and grounding. He looked up into West’s eyes, not surprised to see care and affection there.
“Like this,”
Jonathan urged, guiding West’s hand to move faster. The friction of West’s palm against his cock was exquisite and sent waves of pleasure through his body. He could feel West’s arousal pressing against his thigh, but West didn’t ask for anything.
West leaned in, capturing Jonathan’s nipple between his teeth, biting gently before soothing the sting with his tongue. Jonathan arched his back, overwhelmed. He could hear the rustle of fabric as West fumbled with his own jeans, freeing himself.
Their cocks brushed against each other, and Jonathan groaned. West’s hand moved between them, guiding their cocks together to stroke them in tandem. The pressure built rapidly as both of them thrust into the tight grip of West’s hand.
“Fuck, West,”
Jonathan panted, his hips bucking uncontrollably. “It feels so good.”
West’s voice was ragged as he replied, “Just like that, Jon. Keep moving.”
Their breathing grew labored, the room filling with the sounds of their passion. Jonathan’s head fell back, and his eyes squeezed shut as his pleasure peaked. He could feel his orgasm approaching, the tension coiling inside him tighter and tighter, needing to be released.
“West, I’m gonna—”
Jonathan’s words were cut off by a strangled moan as he came, his release coating both their stomachs.
West followed moments later, his own release adding to the mess, his grip tightening around their cocks almost to the point of pain.
They remained locked together, chests heaving, as the aftershocks of their orgasms slowly subsided and West let go. He kissed Jonathan’s cheek, then his jaw, whispering words of affection.
“Better?”
West asked, his tone gentle.
Jonathan nodded, still catching his breath. “Yeah,”
he managed to say. “Thank you.”
West smiled, brushing a strand of hair from Jonathan’s face. “Always,”
he replied.