Chapter Twelve
Gabe
After Temple went to work, I texted my father and asked him to find out about the Deepwell pack and whatever had fractured this family away from it. Not long after, one of the betas sent me all the information. My heart fell.
I did some more research, only confirming what I’d already learned. As long as he was with me, I’d take care of him, treat him like the prince he was, but he’d already been through so much.
A few hours later, I showed up at the diner.
“Coming home with me, Temple?” I asked when he came out from behind the counter. “Or would you like me to take you somewhere else?”
“Home…funny how the motel feels more like one than the house I share with my brothers.”
Because you’re my mate.
But I didn’t say that, of course. “Why don’t you order us some lunch, and we’ll take it to go? Or we can pick up some fried chicken if you prefer?”
He licked his lips. “I haven’t been to Fred’s except one time. Since I get free food at the diner, I try not to spend the money.”
“Then Fred’s it is. Light meat or dark?”
We got in my car and headed for the stand while Temple went back and forth on what parts of the chicken he wanted. I ordered a bucket with sides. The room had a small refrigerator, and we’d be able to snack on whatever was left later.
As soon as we got into the room, I laid out all the food on the table. He suggested taking a shower, but I suggested eating first, since it was a greasy lunch and he might as well get cleaned up once.
We sat down and ate. Not so much greasy, but it was sure juicy. The mac and cheese was rich, the slaw creamy, and the biscuits light and fluffy.
“Fred deserved all the 5-star reviews,” I groaned, unbuttoning the top button of my jeans.
“No way. That would draw foodies, and he’d raise the prices.” Temple pushed to his feet. “I’d better take that shower and get the work grease and the lunch grease off me before I stink the joint up.”
“Want me to wash your hair?” I didn’t even know where the words came from, maybe my wolf sneaking in. “Just kidding.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” He pulled his shirt over his head and let it fall to the floor, flaming cheeks enhancing sparkling eyes. “Because my hair really needs a shampoo.”
“Well, if you really need me.” I followed him into the bathroom where we both undressed.
The shower stall was not large, and I had my doubts we’d both fit, but miracle of miracles, we did.
And the tight fit meant we had to stand very close together while I lathered his hair, my cock bobbing against his buttocks.
He was every bit as hard, and when I finished his hair and lathered a washcloth, things heated up.
Running the soapy cloth over his skin, I cherished the opportunity to explore my mate’s body.
I still wasn’t planning more than this, more than taking care of him.
Feeding him lunch and helping him to wash away his labors.
His boss was nice enough, but working over a hot grill like he did was hard work.
“It gets into my pores,” he said. “I like the cooking, but I hate that everything I own smells like bacon and burgers.”
“But you still like eating them?” I asked, lifting his arm to wash underneath it.
“Of course.” He chuckled. “But one day, I hope to just be a customer.”
“You’ll do that.” I continued washing him, lathering from head to toe and just swishing the cloth over his cock and balls. He would have to give me permission to do any more. “All right, let’s get you rinsed.”
I turned him around, splashing water over all of him before giving myself a quick wash and stepping out.
So far, I’d done pretty well not being too personal, but patting him off with the towel…
that was hard. He was hard. “Omega, you’d better finish this yourself, or I’m going to bend you over the sink and do unspeakable things to that slick hole of yours. ”
“Finally.” He bent forward and thrust his buttocks in my direction. “Am I really slick?”
He didn’t have to ask me twice, although I did spend some time making sure that slick coated both of us.
He hadn’t said anything about being my mate, but then neither had I.
And this was as consensual as any lovemaking could ever be.
There’d be no marking, but please goddess that would happen because I’d never be able to survive walking away from him now.
Standing behind him, I placed a folded towel between his body and the porcelain sink then pulled his butt cheeks apart, revealing his shiny hole.
“Oh, Temple, you are the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. Are you sure you want to do this?”
He wasn’t a wolf, but he growled anyway. “Gabe, do you want me to die?”
“Of course not!”
“Then please, please get inside me. I want to feel you fill me up.”
His skin held the clean fragrance of soap but also his own woodsy scent.
Intoxicating, and, when I drove into him, it blossomed in the steamy bathroom.
He was tight, but slick and hot, and everything about him made me want more of him.
His neck was bared, vulnerable, so easy to mark, but I couldn’t do that.
Not honorable. Not what an alpha would do.
Plunging into him again and again, I managed to dislodge the towel, and he jerked.
“That’s it.” I spun him in my arms and lifted him, already missing the heat of his body. “We’re going to the bed.”
This time, we were face-to-face, and I loved that. If this was our only time together, I wanted to remember how he looked at this moment. I filled him again but stayed still, closing my fist around his cock and stroking up and down.
“Why aren’t you moving?” He jerked his hips in frustration.
“Because I’m not coming until you do.” I could have pulled out and gone down on him, but I wasn’t quite that selfless. “But you feel incredible.”
He folded his hand around mine and changed my rhythm. “Oh, that’s it. That’s ohhh…”
“Please move so we can come together.” He bucked under me again. “Can we do that?”
“We can try. If that’s what you want.” I pulled out and drove in again. Not too fast, not too slow, just at the speed of my jerking hand.
But any control dissipated as we rocked together, and I was biting down so hard on my lip to keep from coming that when he yelled out my name and poured hot cum over my hand and onto his belly, I was only a split second behind him.
A high I’d never experienced before with the person I’d been waiting for my whole life.
My knot swelled, and I hung over him, panting when a sharp sting at the side of my neck had me sucking in a breath. He marked me! Did he even know what he did?
Unsure, I couldn’t return the favor, but what I did do was kiss him, rolling to the side and bringing him with me to make out until my knot shrank and then even longer.
We had to talk about mating…but for now? Ecstasy would have to do.