Chapter 31
Dean
I woke up to the scent of cinnamon. It made memories flood back of when my grandpa was still alive and would come over to watch us on Saturdays while my mom worked. Since we were so young, it was hard for my dad to do it on his own in his condition.
Looking at the other side of the bed, I found it empty.
Damn ninja.
I heard the shower turn on, and even though my mind was trying to make me think about something obscene, I pulled on a pair of sweats. With a yawn, I headed into the kitchen. I came to a stop when I saw someone there, holding a laptop in one hand while he flipped a pancake.
“Oh, good,” Remi said without looking up. “You’re awake. I thought you’d sleep all day.”
Glancing at the clock on the stove, I snorted. “It’s only nine.”
“What a waste of the day. Guess that’s what happens when you’re out all night.”
“Well, I wasn’t out all night. And I don’t see you scolding Oli.”
“He’s been up.”
“That’s because he can’t sleep if anyone else is awake.”
Remi hummed thoughtfully. “I see you’re learning things. What a relief. I thought I’d have to come to your rescue every time you had little relationship hiccups.”
There was a flutter in my stomach, both nerves and a hint of defensiveness. I pushed it back, not really wanting to fight the way I’d begun to feel about Oli. It was pointless anyway.
Remi’s eyes were on me, and they were narrowed. I tried to pass him to get to the coffee pot, but he stepped into my path.
With a sigh, I shook my head. “He spilled the beans, huh?”
“Do I have to tell you that if you hurt him I’ll kick your ass?”
I raised one brow and eyed the bruises on his face. “You sure you could?”
His expression hardened. “Listen—”
“You don’t have to worry,” I interrupted.
“I always have to worry about Oli.”
“Then I guess we’ll just share the responsibility from here on out, got it?”
His eyes stayed narrowed for another second before he dipped his chin and stepped to the side.
As I poured myself a cup of coffee, I thought about how much had changed since I walked into this apartment for the first time.
Remi trusted me more, at least. But did Oli trust me?
After his show of insecurity last night, I was a little worried, but I decided I’d just have to make sure he knew he could let his guard down.
“This is a solid spreadsheet,” Remi said as he scrolled on the laptop.
Moving to his side, I wrinkled my nose. “How do you have that?”
“Oli was working on it earlier.”
“He was?” The thought of it made me smile.
Remi nodded. “I don’t know how you did it. God knows I’ve tried to get him on something like this. Told him to download all these apps, but he always gave up after a day.”
“Maybe the apps sucked.”
“Maybe,” he chuckled. “More likely, he wasn’t actually listening to me.”
“You were probably trying to parent him too much.”
“Ah, what do you know? So, are you going to take control of the books at the bar?”
“I’m not the one with an MBA.”
“Damn right, and don’t forget it.” He set the laptop down and moved the pancakes to a plate. With a wink, he grabbed it and left the kitchen, carrying a bottle of syrup under his arm.
The bathroom door opened, but I refrained from peeking out of the kitchen.
“Hey, your boyfriend’s up,” I heard Remi say.
I gripped the edge of the counter, trying to slow my heart rate. It was bad enough he knew what was going on, but the commentary wasn’t exactly necessary.
“Rem,” Oli hissed.
“What? You sleep together and make out in my bar. Don’t look at me like that. You know I have cameras.”
My cheeks heated. I knew that too, but I hadn’t thought about it last night.
Whatever. It wasn’t like we’d groped each other. Not there, at least.
I looked over as Oli came into the kitchen. He was walking like there was air beneath his feet, and as soon as he saw me, his face lit up. His easy grin was infectious, and I found myself smiling.
I grunted when his body collided with mine, pushing me back against the counter. He took my face in both hands and kissed me without an ounce of hesitation. His arms wound around my neck, and I wrapped mine around his waist, trying not to tense since he was sure to notice.
“I’m glad you’re up,” he said without pulling back.
“Are you?”
“Yeah, I was prepared to go pounce on you after my shower if you weren’t.”
“Good thing we avoided that.”
“Good?” He blew a raspberry through his lips. “It would’ve been fun. Maybe I’d get you all excited again.”
Breathing a laugh, I tried to ignore the way my face heated. It didn’t help when he pushed his hands underneath my shirt and kissed my neck.
“Oli,” I whispered, pushing on his abdomen. I didn’t try very hard, but it was the thought that counted.
But shit, I was getting very hard as his fingers dug into my hips. And honestly, I wasn’t as weirded out by his dude hands getting me there as I should have been. Just thinking about what had happened last night made my entire body feel warm.
“So,” I started, trying to distract myself so I wouldn’t pop a full boner while Oli’s best friend was in the other damn room. “Spring break, uh . . .”
“Hmm?”
Oli nipped at my earlobe, making me suck in a breath. Like a feral animal, he dragged his tongue up the shell of my ear, then let out a throaty groan.
“Spring break,” I repeated. “Are—God damnit, are you going anywhere?”
“Where the hell would I go?”
His breath on my skin made goosebumps rise on my neck. “Florida? I don’t know.”
He snorted. “Sorry. Forgot my trust fund at home.”
When his thumb brushed over my nipple, my teeth slammed together. To my dismay, he noticed my reaction and went back to the spot. I gripped his side hard, and it just seemed to drive him on.
“We’re . . . not alone,” I gritted out. When he didn’t stop kissing my neck, I turned around, pushing him up against the counter. Sinking my fingers into his hair, I tipped his head back and met his eyes. “Tell Remi to go home.”
“Remi, leave,” he called.
“Your Muscle Milk daddy drove me here,” Remi reminded him.
The voice was so close, I released Oli and took a step backward. Remi was standing at the entrance to the kitchen, looking bored. His eyes roamed down to the exposed skin of my waist, then to my sweats. Quickly, I tugged my shirt down and angled myself away from him, which just made him chuckle.
Oli tossed his Dragon Ball Z lanyard at him. Remi caught it and flipped the keys over in his palm, studying the metal keychain.
“Aw, I get to take Guts for a spin?” Remi’s lips twisted into a grin. “You’re making dreams come true, Oli.”
“I’ll pick it up from the bar when Dean goes to work.”
“Alright,” Remi replied with an easy shrug. “You kids be careful. Call me if you need . . . help.”
Oli laughed, but I scowled. That seemed to just entertain Remi more. Thankfully, he left without dragging it out. As soon as the door closed, Oli was on me again.
“God, you’re sexy,” he said against my cheek. He grabbed the neckline of my shirt, and I gasped when he yanked it apart. The sound of it tearing made me stare down at it in shock. When it was hanging off my shoulders, he licked from my navel to my chest.
What the . . .
“Let’s . . . slow down,” I suggested between breaths.
With his lips against my ribs, he nodded. “I don’t know what I’m doing anyway.”
“You’re doing just fine. So . . .” I bit my lip and waited for him to look at me. “You haven’t done this with a guy?”
He shook his head. “I figured if it ever happened, I’d just ask Remi for pointers.”
“Well, let’s not do that. I’m sure you’ve seen enough that we can figure it out . . . if we get there.”
“I’m not a voyeur, Dean.”
“Well, yeah. I mean, like, porn.”
“Oh. I haven’t seen any videos of it either.”
My brows shot up. “I guess I assumed because you’re bi.”
“Mm, I see how you’d get there. But I don’t watch porn.”
“Never?”
“Nah. Everything I know, I’ve learned with my own two hands.” He held them up with a smile.
While I found that a little different, there was also something pure about it. If we did get to a point where we wanted to have sex, we’d be learning it entirely together. It made the whole thing more enticing.
“Sounds like we’ll have to see where our instincts take us,” I said, feeling my lips curve upward.
“’Kay, but I do have one question.”
“Shoot.”
“Where does your whole breeding thing come from? You have a lot of experience, huh?” He chewed on his lip, and his eyes darted to the side.
When I laughed, he looked at me again. His mouth was set in a tight line, which made me run my thumb across his lips.
“I’ve been with two women,” he blurted. “And they weren’t serious, so I really don’t have much experience.”
His info-dump was sudden, but it made me feel more comfortable talking about my own experience. “Well, I’ve only been with Sadie.”
His eyes widened. “Seriously?”
His grin made me feel awkward, but I tried not to let it shut me down.
“We were together for over two years. When she wanted to stop using condoms, it was probably stupid of me to agree, but I thought we were serious. I was young. Younger,” I added, breathing a laugh.
“I never considered she might cheat on me. I guess I learned a lesson there. Also learned . . .” I grimaced, feeling a wave of heat wash over my face.
“I won’t be weird about it,” he assured me.
“It wasn’t that I wanted kids with her yet, but the idea of it if we ever got there was . . . Well, it was as emotional as it was physical. It made me feel . . .” I clicked my tongue while I thought about it. “Like she was mine. Like I could make her mine. Does that make sense?”
He nodded. There was no particular expression on his face, but I didn’t think he seemed bothered by it.
“It’s kind of like marking someone as yours,” he said after a minute. His fingers brushed the place he’d left a mark on my neck last night. “Claiming them.”
“Yeah, I guess it is.”
The corner of his lips raised. “Would you want to breed me someday?”
It was impossible not to laugh. “Not sure if you know this, but that’s impossible.”
“Except it’s not about actually breeding me.”
Now that it was in my head, I felt blood rushing to my dick. That weird sixth sense Oli had made him look down. Flattening his hands on my chest, he dragged his lips across my cheek until he was at my ear.
“You can breed me, Dean.”
My breath shuddered out of me. “You’d want that?”
He spider-crawled his fingers up my chest until they were at the dip in my shoulder. “As long as I can claim you too.”
I groaned as he kissed a path down my neck. His teeth grazed my shoulder, his canines scratching my skin. I barely thought about it before I gripped his hair. Tipping his head back, I met his eyes. They were more green today, ringed with gold.
“Do it, then,” I challenged.
I didn’t loosen my hold, so he had to fight against my grip. When he managed to bite down on the hollow of my collarbone, a choked sound escaped me. He didn’t hold back, and even when I thought he’d stop, he didn’t.
“Fucking hell,” I gasped when he finally released me.
Looking down at the spot, I saw that it was an angry red. Already, the skin was darkening. I would’ve thought he drew blood with how hard he’d bitten me, but everything was intact.
“You’re crazy.”
“Did you hate it?” he asked immediately.
Shaking my head, I slammed my mouth against his.
He made a sound deep in his throat as I pushed him backward toward the counter.
It didn’t feel like enough when I pressed him up against it, so I grabbed him by the backs of the thighs and lifted him on top of it.
His legs wrapped around me immediately. The way he clung to me while his tongue sought mine was enough to convince me that I wouldn’t be letting go of him any time I had the opportunity.