Chapter Twenty-Five
Emmett
WILDER PUSHED him toward the front door, keeping a hand on the small of his back as they walked inside, and the touch damned near burned right through his clothes. His heart was beating frantically, and he needed… he needed to take a second.
“Come with me,” he said, grabbing Wilder’s hand and tugging him toward the kitchen. He knew where Emma kept most of her medical supplies.
“What are we…?”
“Cleaning you up is the least I can do,” he said, glancing up over his shoulder with a tight smile. Wilder met his gaze with a raised brow, his lips twitching and making Emmett jerk his head back around before he changed his mind and pulled Wilder into the nearest bedroom.
Stepping into the kitchen, he walked past the sink to the cabinet in the corner, glancing over his shoulder when he heard Wilder’s soft grunt. He was leaning back against the counter, that long, thick body on full display.
He was so thoroughly fucked. Or he would be, if―when―that man got his hands on him, which reminded him… He turned, looking for the right drawer and pulling it open to find what he needed to clean Wilder’s knuckles.
Wilder sucked a breath in through his teeth as he undid his belt and pulled it off along with his hip holster and gun, placing them on the counter next to him. His jeans slid just a bit down his hips, and Emmett nearly dropped the bottle of wound cleanser before startling himself back into action.
He walked up to Wilder and opened the bottle, pouring some onto a gauze pad.
Wilder held his hands out, and he took one in his, carefully dapping the cleanser onto the wounds.
They weren’t as bad as last time. He hated that there was a last time.
That both times had been for him. He didn’t like Wilder getting hurt.
Wilder didn’t make a sound or move as he cleaned his knuckles, but he felt those eyes on him the whole time, his nerves starting to really fray by the time he was done. He put the bottle of wound cleanser away and washed his hands in the sink, then turned to Wilder with a raised brow.
“How’s your side?”
“I’ll live.”
He crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side, giving Wilder a look that didn’t seem to get through his thick skull because all Wilder did was smile at Emmett and reach for him, hands finding his hips to tug him up against him.
Those hands then slid up his sides, and he couldn’t keep his body from reacting even if he’d wanted to.
He arched into the touch, biting back a moan.
Wilder hummed, nose buried in Emmett’s neck. “You smell so fucking good.”
Emmett pulled back, his brows creased as he looked at Wilder with disbelief.
“Really?”
Wilder raised his hands to cup Emmett’s face, thumbs brushing across his cheekbones in a soft caress that left Emmett gasping for breath, his pulse roaring in his ears. Wilder was looking at him like he wanted to devour him, and there was no doubt in his mind that he’d happily let him.
His heart raced, heat pooling inside him as his lips parted, a groan escaping him when Wilder pressed his thumb against his bottom lip.
“Yes, really. Why wouldn’t I?”
Emmett winced, the need inside him doused with a cold splash. He took a step back, gaze dropping to the floor, his fingers pressed against his lips.
“He hated it,” he whispered, unsure how he got the words out with how tight his throat felt.
Wilder stepped closer, that wide chest pressing against him as his head was tilted back by big hands. His gaze clashed with Wilder’s, breath stuck in his lungs at the ferocity he saw in those green-flecked eyes.
“Who hated it?”
There was a darkness to the growl in Wilder’s voice that had him swallowing hard. Not out of fear, he realized. He liked how protective Wilder was. He didn’t coddle him like his family did, but that darkness? He wanted to step into it with Wilder.
“My ex. He made me throw anything vanilla-scented out when we got together.”
An arm snaked around his waist, jerking Emmett right up against Wilder, their bodies touching from thighs to chests.
He was forced to tilt his head back, his heart stuttering at how close Wilder’s lips were to his. All Wilder had to do was lower his head, and he’d have those wicked lips back on his. He wanted that. He wanted it so fucking much. He wanted every part of Wilder.
“He sounds like a piece of shit,” Wilder said with a growl in his voice.
“When we broke up, I went out and bought everything I could find with that scent.”
“Good. Fuck him. You smell fucking incredible.”
Wilder buried his nose in Emmett’s neck again, drawing in a deep breath before teeth dug into his skin. His gasp turned into a moan, heat rising inside him. Lips brushed against the raging pulse in his neck, the touch soft compared to the bite.
“I sometimes still―”
He shook his head, eyes squeezing shut. He hated how Heath still had control. He felt so fucking weak because he was still holding onto it all.
“Still what, Em?”
He raised his head, heart skipping a beat when he met Wilder’s dark gaze.
“It’s like he’s still in control sometimes. I’ll reach for my shampoo, and that little voice inside my head will tell me not to. That it’s not worth the fight we’ll get into.”
“If I ever meet this asshole, I’m going to fucking kill him for making you feel this way,” Wilder snapped.
Emmett shook his head. “He’s not worth it. He’s not worth a single thought in my head. I’m done letting the insecurities he fed lead my life.” He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly while he tried to gather himself. “I want you.”
Heat flared in Wilder’s eyes, and then a smile spread on his lips that had Emmett fighting for breath.
“Thank fuck,” Wilder exclaimed, and then he was jerking Emmett up against his body, mouth crashing down on his.
Hands on his hips backed him toward the counter, and when he hit it with a soft bump, Wilder lifted him onto it, never breaking the kiss. Fuck, yes. He spread his legs, allowing Wilder to press in close, one hand sliding into his hair.
He dug his fingertips into Wilder’s shoulders, kissing him with all he had. Wilder’s mouth and tongue consumed him. He’d never been kissed like that before, like he was someone worth worshipping. He wanted to get on his damned knees for this man. Wanted to worship him right back.
“Bed,” he gasped out.
Wilder made a guttural sound against his lips, then pulled back, taking Emmett with him. His feet hit the floor, and Wilder tugged him toward the door, hand in his. Wilder led them across the living room and into his bedroom, the door closing behind them with a quiet snick.
Wilder turned to face him, the smile on his lips playful in a way that made his pulse spike, heat unfurling inside him.
He couldn’t help biting his lip as he ran his gaze over Wilder, that leather cut fitting over his shoulders like it was made to be there, those jeans hugging him tight, leaving barely anything to the imagination.
As good as the man looked in leather, he needed Wilder naked. He needed to see that gorgeous body, even if he knew it would undo him.
He pulled his shirt off with jerky movements, dropping it on the floor, Wilder’s shirt landing right next to his. He caught himself staring at that ridiculously sexy chest of Wilder’s, his brain barely functioning at this point. He suspected it would only get worse once those jeans came off.
Wilder grabbed Emmett’s hands, pulling him a step closer and placing them on that sculpted chest he’d been dreaming about touching for longer than he dared admit to.
A tug on his hips made him look down to see Wilder’s fingers undoing his pants and showing them down his thighs.
Long fingers wrapped around his hard length, drawing a pitiful moan out of him.
Wilder’s lips found the side of his neck, and he was damned sure his eyes rolled into the back of his head when the hand on his cock started moving.
“Fuck,” Wilder groaned against his skin, pulling back to look at Emmett with lust-filled eyes. “I love how hard you are for me.”
He wasn’t sure what possessed him to say it, but the words came tumbling out anyway. “Just for you.”
Something carnal flashed through Wilder’s eyes.
Wilder released him, taking a step back, his voice hoarse as he said, “Get on the bed.”
Emmett swallowed hard, then toed off his shoes and kicked off his pants.
He held Wilder’s dark gaze as he stepped around him, backing toward the bed.
The back of his legs hit the mattress, and he sat down, putting his hands behind him to let Wilder see his body.
See just how much he wanted him because he’d never wanted anyone as much as he wanted Wilder.
Wilder’s jaw clenched for a second, and then he was undoing his jeans, shoving them down, and stepping out of his boots.
A gasp tore through him when Wilder straightened, and he got his first look at the man’s hard length.
There were horizontal piercings along the underside of his cock. Six of them. Fuuuck.
“That’s gonna kill me, isn’t it?”
Wilder’s husky laugh had him looking up, expecting to find amusement in his eyes. It was there, but there was something dark and hungry in those eyes, too.
“Kill you? No. But, Darlin’, you might think you’ve died and gone to heaven.”
What should’ve been a corny as fuck statement came off more as a promise, and heat rushed through his whole body. He had no doubt Wilder had the skills to back that up.
When Wilder stepped closer, Emmett reached out, carefully brushing his fingers over one of the barbells, lip caught between his teeth. Wilder’s hiss made him look up to find the man watching him with barely restrained desire burning in his eyes.
“I want this inside me,” he said, fingers wrapping firmly around Wilder’s cock.