Chapter 40
Aiden felt as if he couldn’t get close enough to his mate. He kissed along his jawline as he ran one hand up and down the side of his chest and abdomen, the other holding his head. He just needed to feel, to touch. Remembering that this good man had been taken and held inside a fucking cage reignited the flame of vengeance deep inside him. Along with the anger, though, the terror crept back in. Terror that Jamie would be taken away from him again, and Aiden would somehow let it happen. He still couldn’t understand how his father had been able to make Aiden simply believe that Jamie left of his own volition. It didn’t make any sense. Anxiety and dread chilled his blood even as he burned for his mate in his arms. Why hadn’t he looked for him immediately, as soon as he disappeared? He should have searched and searched until he found him. He couldn’t let it happen again. No matter what, he wouldn’t let it happen again.
“Hey, hey. Are you alright?” Jamie squeaked from underneath him.
Aiden reluctantly pulled his mouth from Jamie’s skin. “Yeah, why?” he mumbled.
“You just started squeezing tighter,” he said with a chuckle.
Aiden shook his head. “Did I hurt—?”
With a hand on his cheek, Jamie forced Aiden to look into his eyes. “No. I’m not some weakling. I’ll tell you if you’re too rough. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t stuck in your head again. I want you here with me.” He gave him a gentle smile.
Aiden growled and kissed him on the lips. “I am here.”
“I want you closer.”
Aiden gazed down at his mate and frowned. He was on top of him. “How?”
Jamie drew Aiden close enough that he felt his lips as he spoke. “I want you inside me, right now.”
Aiden’s mouth went dry. “You sure?” Aiden asked. “I’ve never, you know.” He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Jamie’s. “I want to so much. I just don’t want to hurt you.”
Jamie gently pushed Aiden back to stare him in the eyes. He bit his lower lip before whispering, “You won’t.”
“Mate wants to be with us,” the phoenix hissed. “He’s perfect. Listen to him.”
Aiden noted that Jamie didn’t seem at all unsure. He felt his beast so close, as if ready to act if Aiden balked. But he wouldn’t. He loved Jamie. He just wanted to be as good as this wonderful man deserved.
“Please,” Jamie whispered.
Heat pulsed through Aiden’s core at hearing Jamie’s need. He snarled, a deep and throaty sound that caused Jamie’s pupils to dilate. Oh God! He could scent Jamie’s lust. He licked Jamie’s lips, taking his time to savor him before leaning back to gather himself. Jamie’s tongue peaked out, seeking Aiden’s.
Jamie grunted. “Don’t be a tease.”
“I’m not,” Aiden choked. “I’m just trying to calm down. I want to make it good. For you, I mean.”
Jamie rose up and wrapped his hands around Aiden’s neck. “It will be good.” He dragged him back down to lie on top of him. “Just stay here.” He nipped Aiden’s lower lip and tugged at the bottom of his shirt. “Can I now?” he asked.
Aiden grunted his assent and helped Jamie pull his shirt up and over his head. His mate then pulled him on top of him so they lay chest to chest, skin to skin as they kissed and ran their hands over each other. Jamie’s rigid cock pressed against Aiden’s hip. He himself was painfully hard. He had to do something before he embarrassed himself. He needed to cool down a bit if he was going to last long enough to make it memorable for his mate. He lifted his head from Jamie’s and took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm himself just a bit.
“What’s wrong? Is something wrong?” Jamie asked. His big blue eyes shimmered in the dim light.
Aiden snarled and grabbed the sides of Jamie’s head with both hands. He touched his nose to his mate’s. “No, everything’s good. It’s almost too good. You feel perfect.”
A smile lit Jamie’s face. “Then we’re doing it right. Come on, take these off.” He reached for the zipper on Aiden’s jeans and rubbed where his cock bulged against the denim. “Oh, you are ready, aren’t you?” he teased.
Aiden moaned. “You’re killing me.”
“OK, get these off,” Jamie said. He yanked uselessly at the top of Aiden’s jeans. “Up, up. I need to get these off, too.” He looked down at his own jeans. Aiden noticed a wet spot on his crotch.
“You look ready, too,” he croaked.
“I told you I was. Now, hurry,” Jamie growled as he wiggled out of his own pants, throwing them off the side of the bed. Aiden heard the wolf in his voice.
Aiden clambered off the bed and yanked his pants off, nearly tearing them in his haste. After kicking them aside he glanced up at his mate. “How do you want—?”
“You on top. C’mon up,” Jamie blurted out.
Aiden nodded. He climbed up onto the end of the bed. Jamie was still on his back close to the headboard. Aiden watched as Jamie reached over to the bedside table and opened the drawer. He pulled out a vial of lubricant. He unscrewed it and proceeded to coat two of his fingers, recapped the small bottle, and then tossed it to Aiden. Aiden watched silently as Jamie reached around to prep himself. His throat went dry. What if he hurt him?
“Snap out of it. Focus on mate,” his beast snarled.
“What’re you talking about? I am!” Aiden silently replied.
“No. You’re busy worrying again. Stop it. You won’t hurt mate!”
Aiden’s hands trembled as he unscrewed the lube. He managed to coat his cock with a general amount of the warm liquid.
Jamie chuckled beneath him. “You look like you’re trying to disarm a bomb, not lube up.”
Aiden felt his face heat. He huffed a laugh. “Like I said, I just don’t want to hurt you.”
“I know. I know.” Jamie turned and lay on his side in the bed, finally completely undressed. He held an arm toward Aiden. “C’mere.”
Aiden shifted closer until he lay on his side facing Jamie. He ran a hand over his mate’s shoulder, sucking in a breath when he felt Jamie tremble. He smelled his need. He tilted his head and kissed him once more. He continued to give and return slow, drugging kisses until they were both panting heavily. Jamie turned and repositioned himself to lay face down on the bed. Aiden climbed up on top of him, his body pressed against his back.
Aiden felt his phoenix close to his consciousness, as if he too wanted to be with his mate. He rutted against Jamie’s ass as he planted kisses along the side of his neck. Jamie reached for Aiden’s hand and pulled it to his cock, sighing when Aiden wrapped his hand around it and gave two pulls. “OK, OK, stop. I won’t be able to hold off if you keep doing that.”
Aiden chucked as he complied. “What do you want?” he whispered.
“You. Inside me. Now.” He spread his legs apart and bent slightly at the waist, telling Aiden without words what he wanted. Aiden panted, his cock now throbbing. He used the lube still coating his cock to ensure Jamie’s entrance was prepared, placed his cock into position and slowly entered his mate.
He was so tight, so perfect. A low moan from Jamie caused him to immediately cease his entry. “Too much? Too fast?”
Jamie pushed back against him, grabbing and squeezing his thigh with one hand. “No, it’s perfect. So good. More. Don’t stop.”
His mate’s babbling stirred him even further. He continued his advance excruciatingly slowly and steadily until he was fully inside, his chest pressed against Jamie’s back. He was sweating and shaking. He had to force himself not to come. He wanted his mate to find his release first. He kept himself pressed against Jamie’s back, his lower body still. He reached around for Jamie’s cock with one hand and found his mate already gripping himself. Aiden wrapped his hand tighter around Jamie’s and moved with him as Jamie moaned and whined. He mumbled nonsensical things until he let out a scream.
Thank God! Aiden kissed the side of his jaw and whispered, “My turn.” He gripped Jamie’s hips and thrust back and forth into his mate’s tight passage over and over as Jamie moaned and writhed.
In his close to forty years on the planet, Aiden had never felt anything like this before in his life, and it wasn’t just physical. Mentally, he felt safe and secure and loved. It didn’t make any sense to a cynic like himself, but it was as if he and his beast were home. This was where he belonged. Jamie was everything to him. He’d never felt closer to another living being. It wasn’t long before Aiden came with a shout, emptying himself inside his mate. He swore he saw stars. Before he collapsed, he carefully pulled out of Jamie and rolled to his side, bringing his mate along with him. He wrapped an arm around Jamie, snuggling him close. Jamie muttered something that Aiden couldn’t decipher, but he let Aiden cover them both with the comforter.
After a few minutes, their breathing evened out. Aiden was wiped out mentally. He’d been so worried about hurting Jamie that he never imagined how wonderful it would feel to be with his true mate. He stared at Jamie, who lay with his eyes shut, his lips tipped up in a grin. He looked relaxed. Aiden placed a soft kiss on his shoulder and rested his head against him. “Should we jump in the shower? Things are a bit messy.”
Jamie murmured something that sort of sounded like, “Tomorrow.”
Aiden chuckled and followed his mate into sleep.