Chapter Twenty-One
Mal kept his eyes closed even as he heard Rocky’s bike roar down their short driveway. It was morning and Mal felt so much better for enjoying a full night’s sleep.
The house had seemed so empty when Mal had got home the previous afternoon. But, reminding himself he’d mentally needed some space from his mate, Mal made himself a light meal, enjoyed a long hot shower, because baths were something he preferred to do with Rocky, and after reading for a few hours, he took the sedative Doc had provided and had a long and dreamless sleep.
He smiled as he heard the clump of Rocky’s boots being dropped by the door and seconds later the mattress dipped as Rocky climbed onto it, his arms wrapping around Mal as Rocky spooned behind him.
“I’m so sorry,” Rocky said softly. “Can we put this down to me being a new dad idiot?”
“I guess it depends on what this you’re talking about.” Mal pressed back against Rocky’s weight as his body sighed. It was as if every cell in his system had missed his mate.
“I was being overprotective. Like…I suppose you used a knife last night when you were prepping a meal?”
“I did. I chopped tomatoes and potatoes and even cut some chunks of cheese.”
“Hmm. And I suppose you sat on the dining room chair while you were eating.”
Mal’s grin widened even as he kept his eyes closed. “I did, and I used your chair as a footrest. But I showered before I went to bed, not a bath. It didn’t feel right being in there alone. It never does.”
“Last night was torture.” Rocky groaned into Mal’s hair as his arms seemed to hold him tighter. “I would’ve given anything to have been in a bath with you.”
“Are the boys all right?”
“They’re fine. They spent a couple of hours whining about how they hated being in the cells and they wanted to go home. I did not cave in even though there were tears at one point. But I knew they were safe. And then they started whining again, because Joe woke them up when he arrived early, and they were still sleepy. But Mrs. Hooper brought us all bacon buns this morning – yours are in the kitchen.”
“I swear that woman must be a seer – she knows everything that’s going on.” Rolling over, Mal hooked his arms over Rocky’s neck. His mate had tired lines around his eyes – even his hair looked limp. “You didn’t sleep at all, did you?”
“I didn’t want you to think I was being irresponsible, not keeping an eye on the boys. And then I worried I wouldn’t hear them if one of them called out through the night or had nightmares or something being in a strange place, and it didn’t feel right sleeping when I wasn’t beside you, so I just thought of all the ways I’d upset you and I promise you, I’ll try really, really hard not to do any of those things again. Really hard.”
“Rocky, take a breath. I love you so damn much.” Mal stroked down the side of his mate’s face. “You don’t have to try so hard. You just need to be yourself, and let me be myself as well. Do you honestly think I would do something silly and jeopardize the health of our little ones?”
“No.” Rocky twisted his head, brushing his lips over Mal’s fingers. Just that simple action sent shivers of awareness through Mal’s touch-starved body.
“We’re always best when we work as a team,” Mal said as he watched one of his fingers being sucked into Rocky’s mouth. “Your rejection of me, here in this bed…”
“It wasn’t rejection. I was just being an idiot,” Rocky mumbled around his finger, but then Mal’s finger was waving in the air again and within a blink Rocky was savaging Mal’s lips.
Never doubt how much I want you.
Mal could feel the truth of those words, even before they fluttered through his mind. He got wrapped up in the kiss – it felt like it’d been forever since Rocky had been loving on him, their bodies pressed together as best they could with a cover between them. But when Rocky pulled off to breathe, Mal had to say, “Don’t wind me up, mate. I can’t help my body doing what it does, but then when you leave me empty…”
“Not today. Never again.” Rocky jumped off the bed and stripped off his clothes, his uniform dumped in a heap on the floor. Mal barely had time to fling the covers back before Rocky was on the bed. Rocky groaned long and loud as their bodies slammed together.
“I missed this so much.” Rocky seemed to have developed a dozen extra hands. Mal felt fingers in his hair, down his back, lifting his leg up and stroking down his thigh. Mal arched into the hands, clinging onto Rocky’s shoulders and he wallowed in the sensations.
“Let me roll over,” he panted against Rocky’s chest. “I need you in me.”
“Roll with me,” Rocky growled. He rolled onto his back taking Mal with him. “You can ride me.”
“I’m not a cowboy.” Mal chuckled, reaching back and finding Rocky’s cock already slick with dripping precome. “I’ve never even been on a horse. I ride a motorbike, just like you do.”
“Pretend.” Rocky’s hands were heavy on Mal’s hips supporting him as he rose up on his knees. “I want to be in you. I want you to control the experience.”
“Oh, Rocky.” Mal glanced up. In that moment Rocky’s expression was pure alpha. The heat in his eyes, his flared nostrils as he inhaled the smell of their joint arousal, the growl that rumbled in his chest as Mal caught the head of Rocky’s cock against the opening in his ass.
It was a new position for Mal and if it hadn’t been for Rocky’s hands keeping him steady, he wasn’t sure it would be comfortable. Mal’s body was used to Rocky’s cock, but it had been a week, and Mal huffed out long breaths as he willed his body to relax.
“You’ve got it, mate. Keep going.” Rocky’s face was flushed and the tendons in his neck stood out. Mal realized in that moment how much control Rocky was showing, letting Mal dictate the pace.
As Mal felt fuller, his eyes closed. A man’s appendage pushing into his ass shouldn’t make Mal feel so complete, and with anyone else Mal knew it wouldn’t feel the same. Gods, he couldn’t even imagine that without feeling sick. But Rocky was his mate – the other half of his soul. Mal let out a whoosh as his butt finally kissed Rocky’s hips.
“Are you falling asleep there?” Mal opened his eyes, smiling at his mate.
“I think…” Rocky stopped and cleared his throat and then tried again. “I think if you so much as twitch I’m going to blow my load. Just give me a minute.”
Mal was happy to wait – his wolf was calm, he could sense the happiness of Rocky’s wolf through their bond. He traced pattern lines on Rocky’s chest and abs, enjoying the closeness he’d been missing.
When Rocky’s grip on his hips tightened, Mal slowly rocked back and forward, just little movements. He couldn’t move very far, caught as he was, but it was just enough to send tingles through his insides. Resting his hands on Rocky’s chest he used the leverage and raised his butt, sinking down slowly and enjoying the sensations all over again.
It was so easy to get lost in the sensations. Rocky kept him steady, his hips following Mal’s as Mal would rise up, groaning as Mal sank down again. Mal moved faster – chasing the feeling of Rocky filling him, over and over and over again.
“I’m sorry, babe, but I’ve got to do this. Tell me if you’re uncomfortable.” Mal was flipped, his legs bent up toward his head, as Rocky loomed over him, pounding into him hard and fast.
All Mal could do was hang on. Rocky’s need was intoxicating and contagious. Mal hadn’t had so much of a hand against his dick, but he could feel his orgasm building low in his belly. Rocky bent his top half down and Mal’s tilt of his head was instinctive. As Rocky’s teeth hit their mark, Mal tensed as his orgasm powered through his body and seconds later, Rocky’s hips slammed into him one last time, freezing as he groaned around Mal’s neck, filling Mal’s insides.
It was a long minute later before either of them moved. “Hmm, babe, you feel so good.” Rocky pulled out and rolled off far too soon in Mal’s opinion, but as Mal stretched out his legs, he was quietly grateful.
“I was a fool,” Rocky mumbled, his eyes already closing. “Am I forgiven.”
“As if you had to ask. Sleep babe.”
Mal wasn’t even sure if Rocky heard him as his only response was a quiet snore. Feeling decidedly sticky, Mal rolled out the other side of the bed and headed for the bathroom. Rocky had said there were bacon buns for him in the kitchen, and Mal could enjoy a hot tea and the peace and quiet for a while longer.
And then I might go back to bed, Mal decided. He was sure Joe could take care of things in the office for one day. Curling up with his mate seemed far more important.