12. Finn
Finn
I couldn’t stop thinking about what Chester had confided in me. All of it. His loneliness. His cunt of an ex. His longing to expand his circle but not knowing how to do that.
I’d known there was something special about Chester from the first time I met him, but now, having spent so much time with him as Buddy, that feeling had solidified. It was like he’d crept under my skin and taken up residence.
The others had noticed too, making several jabs about my‘protection duty . ’ I didn’t give a fuck though. I’d hidden my interest in Sarah for obvious reasons, but I wasn’t about to do that with Chester. I didn’t give a fuck who knew that I liked him.
Because I did. I really fucking liked him.
This morning had been a revelation. He’d made several comments about me when I was ‘Buddy,’ but nothing as explicit as the bomb he’d dropped earlier.
“ God, what I wouldn’t give for just one night with that man. Just one. Hot. Night. When I could let my hair down and forget everything except Finn. ”
It was a good thing I was in my wolf form.
If I’d been human, I probably would’ve swallowed my tongue.
To hear someone as sweet as Chester asking for such a thing?
It was so damn sexy. It made me want to peel back his other layers.
To tease out the man who hid behind the walls.
The one who’d been locked away by his ex.
I suspected Chester wanted him teased out too. I knew about his loneliness. About the friendship group he’d surrounded himself with, once upon a time.He’d lost it all because of Matt. Lost a huge part of himself. I so desperately wanted to help him find it again.
All in all, it presented me with one huge fucking problem.
Did I want one hot night with a gorgeous man like Chester?
Fuck yes. Obviously. That wasn’t the problem. The problem wasn’t whether I could make it good for him either. My hookups might have been limited to rushed one-night stands, but I’d always left my partner satisfied.
The idea of having Chester under me for an entire night…
yeah. I’d make sure he felt good. Over and over and over again.
No, the problem was that I wanted more than one night with the man.
Our conversations might have been one sided with me in my wolf form, but that just meant I had nothing to do but listen.
And the more I listened to Chester, the harder I fell for him. His quiet smiles. His caring nature. His gentle sense of humour. His thoughtfulness. His beautiful voice as he sang in the shower.
All of it appealed to me.
One night just wasn’t going to cut it. But the other benefit of having spent all this time with Chester as ‘Buddy’ was that it had taught me that he needed to be handled with kid gloves. This was a man who’d been burned badly. So much so that he was afraid to let anyone else in.
Anyone, that is, except Buddy.
It had crossed my mind that, if this thing between us developed as I wanted it to, I’d eventually have to come clean.
Would that break the trust we’d built? Or would Chester understand why I’d done it and that it was the only way I could help him feel less alone?
To be near him in a way he was comfortable with?
It was a bridge that would need to be crossed in the future, but the path we needed to walk to get there was a long one. Plenty of time for what-ifs and possible complications.
Chester had given Buddy a chance, now I just needed him to give Finn one too.
If what Chester wanted was one night with me, that I could do. I’d make it the most spectacular, earth-shattering experience for him. I’d show him all the different ways he deserved to be worshipped. I’d lavish praise on him until he forgot he’d ever heard otherwise.
I could do all of that. Hopefully, well enough that he’d be keen for a repeat.
Time was all Chester needed. Time to see that I was a safe person, that I’d care for him in the ways he deserved, and that having me in his life wouldn’t limit it but enrich it.
But it wasn’t just persuading Chester to give me more than a night that I was going to have to contend with.
“ I doubt he’d look twice at someone like me .”
That was something else he’d said. As if he had no idea what he looked like. As if I hadn’t come with his name on my lips every night for the past few weeks. Like he wasn’t aware that he was all my fantasies rolled into one beautiful package .
One I was dying to unwrap.
Usually, I’d laugh at someone being so unaware of how others perceived them. Knowing Chester’s history, all I felt was anger.
Anger that someone had made him believe this about himself.
Fury that he’d been made to feel lesser.
Rage that he didn’t realise he was too good for me, and not the other way around.
Today though, I was going to start righting those wrongs. I didn’t care how long it took—Chester deserved to know how special he was.
And I was just the male to do it.
For the first time in weeks, I was about to face him in my human form. He still watched me every morning in the loch, but I wasn’t supposed to know about that. I’d been pushing my luck too, dropping my clothes and towel right outside his house.
I was uncharacteristically nervous as I pushed the door to Thistle Do Nicely open. Logan had gone to Edinburgh and picked me up several new shirts and a pair of black jeans. He’d kept the shit he gave me over it to a minimum too, for which I’d be forever grateful.
I’d paired a forest green shirt with the jeans. Well, I say ‘I,’ but really it was Logan. He’d refused to let me leave the clan house until I met his standards. Once again, I’d skipped the cologne.
The face behind the counter wasn’t the one I wanted to see. I tried to hide my disappointment, but from the smile spreading across Reid’s face, I failed.
“Chester,” he called out immediately, eyes shining with amusement. “I’m taking my lunch break.”
He was around the counter and out the door before his boss had a chance to reply.
I frowned slightly as I watched him go. We’d had a good talk the other day, and I’d reassured him of his safety.
Not only would we keep his location a secret from his former clan, but being ‘supe adjacent,’ he fell under our protection.
Thanks to a treaty we shared, Reid’s former clan couldn’t take him from our lands or do anything that incited or involved violence.
It seemed to have settled the fear in Reid.
By the end of our conversation, I was confident he wouldn’t go on the run.
He’d understood he was safer here and had promised to contact me if any issues arose.
Me. Not Evan. Nothing I’d told him had shifted his view of the other wolf.
Something I knew Evan was tearing himself to pieces over.
Footsteps echoed from the back and I pushed all thoughts of that away. My heart hammered in my chest as Chester’s intoxicating scent grew stronger.
Fuck, the things this man did to me.
“Reid?” Chester’s voice sounded a second before he walked in.
His eyes landed on me, and a blush darkened his cheeks.
I tried not to smirk. Was he remembering how I’d wantonly towelled off outside his kitchen window that morning?
Or was he imagining some of the dirty things he’d told Buddy that he wanted me to do to him? “Oh, Finn. Hi.”
“Hello.” My hands itched to touch him, so I shoved them into my pockets. I flashed him an easy grin. “I’d like to buy a bouquet, please.”
Just as I’d planned, my request snapped Chester into professional mode.
My theory was that if he was distracted with work, this would be easier for him.
He seemed most comfortable when he had a task to focus on.
Even when visiting him as Buddy, I’d noticed that. This was a man who liked to keep busy .
“Of course.” Chester smoothed his apron before going behind the counter so it was between us. That was okay. I could work with this. “What’s the occasion?”
I braced my forearms on the counter. Chester’s eyes shot to my now bulging biceps, his throat bobbing once.
I made a mental note to thank Logan for making me roll the sleeves up past the elbows.
“I have a man I’m interested in, someone who likes flowers.
Can ye make something that might hint at that interest for me? ”
Was it me, or was that disappointment that flashed in Chester’s wide blue eyes? “Yes, I can do that.”
He pulled his notepad out, the pen hovering above the paper as he bit his lip. He kept his head low and his gaze averted. “What kind of…intentions are you considering? Just so I can narrow it down.”
His tongue darted out to soothe where he’d bitten his lip and I had to force myself not to groan as I said, “Sexual. This is someone I want to sleep with.”
For a start.
A small smirk tugged at the corner of Chester’s lips as his eyes flicked up sharply. “I’m not sure flowers are a requirement for that. Have you looked in a mirror lately?”
I gave a low chuckle. “Aye, I’m well aware of what I look like. But this man is special. He deserves to be treated like a king, even if it’s just for one night.”
Was I being too obvious? There was no way Chester would put together the ‘one night’ with what he’d told Buddy, right?
Yes, I’m sure he’s going to correctly assume I shift into a wolf that he thinks is a dog. A dog he’s been feeding breakfast and confessing all his inner thoughts to.
“That’s…” Chester exhaled, ducking his head again. It didn’t stop me from seeing the blush deepen on his cheeks. “Wh at a lucky guy. I can definitely do that for you. Do you have any preferences on colours?”
“Nope.” I eased myself a little closer to the counter. I wasn’t touching him, but that didn’t stop the air between us feeling charged. From how Chester’s breath hitched, he felt it too. “Whatever ye think looks best works for me.”
“Great.” His voice came out a little strained, and he cleared his throat. “I mean, that’s fine. Can you come back in about two hours? I should have it ready by then.”
“Excellent.” I grinned as I straightened up. “What would I do without ye?”
Chester gave me a long-suffering sigh. “Get laid based on nothing but your charm and your looks?”
I tilted my head to the side. “You think I’m charming too? I’m a lucky one.”
Chester’s eyes fluttered shut and I could almost hear him counting to ten in his head.
I didn’t give him a chance to come up with something to say. Instead, I leaned over the counter and rubbed my thumb lightly over his cheek. His eyes flew open, his jaw dropping.
“Smudge of dirt,” I said innocently, holding up my hand to show him.
“Oh,” he said softly, touching his cheek where my hand had been. “Thanks.”
“For the record, I think you’re charming too, Chester.” I walked backwards as I spoke, nearing the door. “Charming and attractive.” I gave him a mock salute. “See ye in two hours.”
Ducking out the door before he had a chance to reply, I found myself whistling as I strolled along the street.
Chester was about to learn just how charming I could be.