Chapter 19 #3
Krys rose up and held on to the headboard, his long hair curtaining down as he watched me stroking him while he remained still. My stomach was glossy from my own climax, and now I wanted to give him that feeling more than anything. Tonight was supposed to be about him.
My free hand braced against his pec, and I clawed his flesh.
“Own me,” I said, summoning his inner wolf.
Heat sparked in his eyes. This man wasn’t broken; he just needed to follow his wolf.
The connection between us was palpable.
Krys arched his back and thrust his hips forward twice before coming. His breathing was so labored I thought he might pass out.
After another gentle stroke, I let go and gave his ass a playful smack.
He reached onto the floor and used a shirt to clean up.
“Wait a second… Is that my shirt?”
He wiped my stomach. “So?”
“So, it’s only a vintage Bowie.” I snatched it from his hand and then laughed. It looked like the weight of the world was off his shoulders, and I couldn’t be mad. “I guess that settles that, lover boy. You’re definitely a gay man trapped in a straight man’s life.”
He fell onto his side. “I might need another lesson just to be sure.”
“The first lesson is how to walk ten extra steps to get a towel from the bathroom. I’ll wash this later.” I balled up the shirt and tossed it toward the bathroom. “As for more practice, we’ll see how you feel in the morning.”
His brows knitted. “What the hell does that mean?”
I crawled off the bed. “If you can’t look me in the eye, I’ll know.”
“Know what?”
I flipped on the bathroom light and shut the door. The answer he wanted seemed self-explanatory, and I didn’t want to get in an argument while I was still high on endorphins. After turning on the shower, I stepped into the cold stream of water and shivered.
Krys tore back the cheap liner. “Know what?”
“If you’re ashamed. People change their tune in the light of day.” The water finally heated up, and I faced him. “They say they were caught up in the moment or that I took advantage. I don’t take advantage of anyone.”
He stepped into the shower and pinned me to the chilly wall, my heart jumping beneath his primal gaze. “It’s never been like that with anyone.” His gaze drifted off to the side. “Now I know what I’ve been denying.”
Water sprayed his hair and ran down his broad shoulders. Krys was divine, and he owned my body and soul without realizing it.
His gaze fastened onto mine. “How about that? I can still look you in the eye. I’m not ashamed, Virgil. I just don’t know how the hell to fix my life now that I know. What about you? Am I just your pet project?”
I wrapped my arms around his waist. “I have zero regrets.”
He rested his forearm against the wall, a sexy move that didn’t go unnoticed. “I like this version of you.”
“I have versions?”
“You have more versions than a web browser. The joker, the party guy, the hippie, the best friend, the sex god—”
I sputtered with laughter. “You make it sound like I’ve got multiple personality disorder.”
He cupped my neck and stroked his thumb along my jaw. “That look right there. Shy, submissive, absolutely fucking present.” Krys heaved a sigh. “Nobody ever listens to me, not the way you do when I have this version of you.”
Part of me wanted to bolt. Whatever this was between us was doomed to fail.
If not by choice then by necessity. Packmates interested in casual or serious relationships with each other were supposed to talk to the Packmaster and get his approval.
People were free to date who they wanted, but everything came with a risk.
Most alphas incorporated the rule for a number of reasons.
For one, they had to make sure no one else in the pack was interested in one member of the couple.
That led to jealousy and fights. But the main reason had to do with casual relationships ending badly and both individuals remaining under the same roof. Packmates took sides; fights got ugly.
Tomorrow would come soon enough, and in the light of day, after sitting with his thoughts, Krys would crawl back into the safety of his closet. And if he didn’t, tonight would only motivate him to experiment with other men to find out his type.
It scared me more that he wouldn’t. That he might want something more—a part of me I wasn’t ready to give.
What Pandora’s box did I just open?
I moved my hands to his hips. “We have a long drive. Better go visit the sandman.”
He threaded my wet hair away from my eyes, and it was in that moment that I realized Krys had another version too. One I was seeing for the first time. Loving, warm, affectionate. The way his fingers skated along my neck put goose bumps on my arms.
“You didn’t eat your peanut butter,” he said, a smile touching his lips. “Is my little wolf hungry?”
Somehow my Shifter craving had all but disappeared. I loved the idea of being his little wolf and having someone looking out for me.
I nudged him away and stepped beneath the stream to rinse myself off. “I should warn you: I sleep in the nude.”
His arm snaked around my waist, and his lips grazed my ear. “So do I.”