by Skyler Snow
"P-Parker," Jared stuttered out his name. "Wake the fuck up already!"
His shouted words seemed to snap Parker out of his stupor. The man's long lashes fluttered, and finally, he saw his hazel eyes peer up at him with lust, then confusion. As the dream clouds cleared, Parker seem to understand the situation, and he quickly released Jed before he scrambled back against the headboard where he dusted himself off, adjusted his shirt, and then cleared his throat.
"You were supposed to be up already," Jedidiah said as he tried to keep his voice steady. "Next time, I don't want to have to come in wake you up when you should be ready to go. G-go on and get dressed already. I'll be waiting for you downstairs."
Jed fled the room before Parker had the chance to say anything. He quickly made his way into the nearest bathroom and slammed the door before he threw the lock. His dick was on high alert and so was his wolf, ready to pin Parker down and feel just how tight his hole was.
The alpha tried to soothe the lust by rubbing himself through his slacks. When that didn't work, he yanked them down and pulled his cock out of his boxers. His palm wrapped around the engorged flesh, and he pumped up and down until, not long after, he spilled his seed into the toilet.
A pant struggled past his lips, and he saw stars in front of his eyes. He hadn't come so quickly since he was a teenager. It was a surreal feeling, but the fire still burned inside of him.
I want him.
I want Parker right fucking now.
Chapter Four
Parker
Parker stared at the open door in horror. It would have been amazing if Jed hadn’t seen anything or knew what that particular dream was about, but Parker was sure about two things. One, he had the stiffest erection of his life, and there was no way that Jed didn’t feel that. Two, he saw the way his hands gripped Jed when he woke up and the perplexed look on his friend’s face.
“Shit, shit, shit!” He mumbled as he scrambled out of the bed and yanked on a nearby pair of pants. “I need to explain that shit.”
It wasn’t like he’d purposely fallen asleep thinking of Jed. At first, it had been innocent enough as he reminisced about the fun night they had together. And then he started to think about their fun times in the past. Slowly, it turned into him thinking about how much Jed had changed, and how breathtaking he looked.
Before he knew it, he was moaning Jed’s name in the most obscene way. And the worst part was that it tasted good on his lips. Jed’s name felt as if it belonged falling from his mouth in an avalanche of wild moans and erotic thrusting. Before he knew it, he had worn himself out and passed out naked without tugging back on his pajama pants. Now, he deeply regretted his little night of taboo pleasure. He shuddered just thinking about it.
What is wrong with me? Parker quickly made his way down the hall to the stairs when a sound caught his attention. Slowly, he backtracked. Through the bathroom door, he heard the unmistakable sound of low, muffled moans and slapping, wet flesh.
Walk away. That’s all I need to do. Turn around and get the hell out of here.
Parker told himself that, but his feet refused to move. It was bad enough that he’d been caught once, and Jed was probably disgusted with his behavior. He heard the bathroom go quiet and started to retreat before it started up again. His hand slipped into the confines of his pajama pants, and he rubbed himself softly until he heard the faintest mumbled words.
“Fuck, Parker. Gods.”
Parker bristled. Is he getting off to...me? The realization stunned him, and he stared at the door. Every instinct in him screamed to go inside, to see if Jed would sleep with him for real, just once. He’d wanted him since they were teenagers, but Jed never seemed to want him the same way.
One time couldn’t hurt, right? He touched the knob and heard the toilet flush from the other side. Reality hit him hard. If he didn’t want me then, he sure as hell doesn’t want me now. Parker made a beeline to his bedroom and headed straight for the shower in his en suite bathroom.
What the hell was I about to do?
Parker flipped on the cold water and couldn’t jump into the shower fast enough. Instantly, his teeth smashed together and chattered, but it was better than what he was about to do a minute ago.
The truth was that Parker didn’t have the huge number of friends that he pretended to have. Not anymore. They were quick to disappear when the party was over.
He didn’t want to lose Jed too. His body tried to pull him in another direction, but he had made up his mind. Jed was strictly off limits. He didn’t want to jeopardize one of the few relationships in his life that he cherished.
Eventually, the cold won out, and his body relaxed. He quickly cleaned up and hopped out before he froze to death. A pair of jeans and a button-up shirt later, he strolled down the stairs and into the kitchen. Jed sat at the table, a coffee mug in his hand, looking as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn’t been moaning Parker’s name in the bathroom just moments before.
“Sorry about, uh...” Parker rubbed at the back of his neck. “That. Upstairs.”
Jed shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I shouldn’t have gotten on top of you. I think I forgot for a minute that we’re not teenagers anymore.”
Parker smiled. “We had so much fun back then, though. I can’t blame you for acting like a giant kid,” he joked and poured himself a mug of coffee with unsteady hands.
“Yeah,” Jed grunted. “We should get started. Tomorrow, please be up on time.”
The smile faltered on Parker’s lips. Jed said it was okay, but he still hadn’t looked at him. Parker nodded slowly and scolded himself. Just forget about all of it. It’ll never happen again.
“Sure, I’ll be up on time, sir,” he said sarcastically as he headed for the door. “Let’s get started, sir.”
“Don’t start your bullshit with me,” Jed grumbled. “I told you yesterday that if you didn’t follow the rules, I’d leave. Should I go now since you don’t want to take any of this seriously?”
Parker sighed. “No, I don’t want that. I’ll show you where everything is outside.”
“Good.” Jed stood up from the table, refusing to look him in the eyes.
Jed followed behind him and Parker felt that same sensation from years before, like he was a scolded child that simply couldn’t do anything right. He led Jed to the barn and showed him where the supplies were stocked.
“I can give you a feeding schedule and show you the basics. These aren’t small animals like the birds you had when you were young,” he said as he ran his hand over a horse’s muzzle. “The sheep will probably need to be watched over the most from predators, and they have to be sheared, but cows and sheep are generally pretty hardy.” He turned to Parker. “Let’s feed and water everyone, and then I’ll give them quick exams. You really need to hire a stable boy to clean out the stalls. Trust me, it’s a lot of work, and they could help you tend to the horses at least.”
Parker nodded. “Got it. Hire a stable boy.”
He put aside his pride and focused on what Jed had to say. Most of it wasn’t too difficult to grasp, but it would be hard work. More than what he was used to. Parker had become accustomed to sitting behind a desk and doing paperwork. This was an entirely new world.
They started feeding the animals, but Parker stopped and stared. When he glanced over, Jed had unbuttoned his shirt and showed off a broad chest, thick and firm with soft red hair on display. It was such a contrast to see the huge man hauling bags of food while dressed in his sleek black slacks.
“Are you working?” Jed asked as he stopped and wiped his forehead with his arm.
“Y-yeah, I’m working,” Parker repeated, and finally peeled his eyes off the man.
By the time they were done, he was sweating and exhausted. His soft hands had already started to revolt. They were tender to the touch and sore. Parker hissed as he ran them underneath the water in the kitchen sink.
“That looks painful.”
Parker jolted. Jed had wandered up on
him and stood right against his back. His heart worked overtime at the heat that came off of Jed’s body. Jed pressed forward more and took his wrist before he examined it closely.
“It’s a little painful,” Parker muttered. “Not horrible, but it definitely stings.”
“It’ll go away. I take it your fancy job over there didn’t require using your hands very much.”
Parker sighed. “Nope, not at all. I mean, unless you count typing.”
“I do not,” Jed said as he raised a brow at Parker as if he was crazy.
That expression tickled Parker, and he shook his head. “Hey, it was hard work!”
“I’m sure it was, princess,” Jed teased as he ran a finger over his palm. “You’ll have calluses again one day, and it won’t hurt as much. Do you want me to get you something for the pain?”
“Uh, no. No, thank you.” Parker shook his head and tried to hold back the shivers from Jed’s touch.
“Well, at least let me take care of it. Do you have a first aid kit?” He asked as he glanced up from the beta’s hand through his lashes.
“Yeah, actually. There’s one in the bathroom down here underneath the cabinet.”
“I’ll be right back,” Jed said. “Don’t move.”
Parker shuddered when he walked away. How can I move when you use that voice on me? It was so low and deep, gruff yet tender at the same time. Parker’s stomach fluttered, and he wrapped an arm around it and tried to calm himself down.
"Okay, hold still," Jed said once he returned to the kitchen.
Jed let him first clean his hands off under the running water with some soap before he led Parker to a chair and had him sit down. He took a bottle of iodine and cleaned off the skin before he added an ointment on top. The ointment worked quickly, and soon the burning sensation in both of Parker's palms had been soothed to a dull ache.
"Wow," Parker said as Jed began to wrap his hands carefully with bandages. "Thank you. I didn't think it would be quite this hard."
"That's what I was trying to tell you yesterday. I wasn't trying to be an asshole, I really wasn't. The truth was that I knew you had taken on a lot, and I know that you don't have as much experience as you should have. I really do think you can do this though. The way you were today, working and diligent, that's mostly what you need to succeed in this line of work. I think you'll be fine once you get the basics of it and heal up a bit."
Parker did not want to get emotional over such simple words. However, they meant the world to him. It was nice to know that Jed wasn't judging him, wasn’t putting him down, but was instead looking out for him. Parker wasn't used to that.
"Do you want to come with me for the exams? Or would you prefer to stay here and rest?" Jed asked as he peered at Parker with a slight worried expression on his face.
Parker shook his head. "No, I want to go with you. Besides, you're the one who's going to be doing all of the exams. I don't have to use my hands just to watch."
Jack smiled at him, and he saw how proud he was that Parker was pushing through the pain. "Then let's get started, and since you've been on track so well today, how about I make us some dinner tonight?"
I would love that." Parker said with a smile.
"Then it's a deal," Jed said as they made their way to the pens.
Parker follow along with Jedediah as he examined the animals one by one. He was relieved to hear, one after the other, that they were fine. At least he had strong, healthy animals, and he hoped to be able to keep them that way.
"This ewe is pregnant," Jed said when he examined one of the sheep.
"Really?" Parker asked as he peered at her curiously. "How long do sheep stay pregnant?"
"Somewhere around 5 months, but it could be much sooner than that. I'll keep a closer eye on her. When she's closer to giving birth, we will have to separate her and give her a comfortable space."
"Wow," Parker breathed. "I can't believe I'm going to be able to see that. It's kind of exciting," he said as he smiled down at her.
Jed smiled softly. "It is pretty exciting. We'll check on her more often, and if she needs anything, we'll be here."
Parker watched as Jedediah began to collect his things. For a brief moment, he thought the alpha would stand up and be gone, just like that. Instead, he cocked his head towards the house and smiled.
"Do you have any groceries in there, or am I going to have to go shopping first?"
"I grabbed a few things," Parker said as he smiled back at him. "We can always take a trip to the store if it's needed."
"Let me check it out and see what you're working with."
Parker trail behind Jed, his eyes on his back the whole time. He had just talked himself out of doing anything crazy earlier, but now that same sensation had come back again. It was like the only person who existed in the whole world was Jedediah, and he wanted him badly.
Chapter Five
Jed
“Oh man,” Parker groaned as he leaned back in his seat. “That was amazing.”
Jed smiled at him. “I’m glad you liked it. I mean, it was nothing special.”
“Better than eating takeout almost every night.” Parker shrugged and devoured the last spoonful of shepherd’s pie that he’d been served. “I haven’t been this full in a long time. It feels great.”
“Do you want me to pour you a glass?” Jed asked as he nodded toward the wine.
Parker shook his head. “No, thanks. I’m too full to even drink anything at this point.” He fiddled with his napkin before he glanced up at Jed. “I know I keep saying it, but thanks again for everything you did for me today. I’ll send you the money as soon as you give me the account info.”
Jed waved a hand. “We’ll worry about that later.” He stretched slowly and felt Parker’s eyes on him as he shifted. “I think I wore myself out today.”
"If you want to stay the night here, there are plenty of rooms that you could crash in. I was going to offer, but I figured you would turn it down. I don't mind. It's not going to be long before I'll need help with the morning feeding again."
"True," Jed sighed. "I want to make sure you can handle it all or hire someone before I leave you to it on your own. And I have had two glasses of this," he said as he sipped at the wine. "How are your hands?"
"Much better." Parker smiled. "I'm surprised." He flexed his fingers and stretched them out. "I think I'll be fine to work tomorrow. They're only aching a little bit now."
"If you need the day off, I would understand."
Parker shook his head. "No way. I'm not going to learn if I'm taking days off. I'll be fine."
Jed smiled. "Then I'll wake you up bright and early if you don't hear that alarm," he said as he stood up and started to clear the table. "I guess we should turn in."
"Or," Parker interjected from behind him, "we could watch a movie and then go to bed. I'm exhausted, but I'm not ready to turn in just yet."
Jed loaded the dishwasher and turned around. "What do you suggest?"
"Indiana Jones?"
"You know I'm a sucker for that movie."
Parker beamed. "That's why I suggested it. I'll set it up if you want to finish cleaning the table."
"I'll be there in a minute."
He watched Parker head for the living room room and shook his head. I should be going to bed as far away from him as possible.
The entire day had been a struggle. Every time he was anywhere close to Parker, he felt the urge to touch him. Even bandaging his hand he'd had to mentally smack himself because he was happy to have an excuse to touch Parker even though he should have been doing whatever it took to put space between them.
What the hell am I doing? His wolf stalked back and forth, on edge and ready to go. While Jed was trying to run away, his wolf wanted to be right beside Parker. He didn't want to let the human out of his sight. Jed quickly dried his hands on a kitchen towel and rushed to the living room. As soon as Parker was in front of him, he felt better.
"I was wondering what was
taking so long." Parker smiled up at him and patted the sofa right next to himself. "The movie is ready to go. Come sit down."
Jed fought with himself. He wanted to go up to one of the rooms and go to bed because he knew if he sat beside Parker, it would be over. He'd be on him, and Parker would probably let him do it. Or he'd call him a creep and throw him out of his house. Both had consequences.
Parker frowned. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Jed said, not able to withstand the sad look in his eyes. "No, everything's fine. Play the movie."
Parker smiled and turned the movie on as Jedidiah sat beside him. Usually, Jed would have been into the movie. He knew every line, and it still entertained him ever since he was a kid. However, Parker's scent kept distracting him. He was a beta; it shouldn't have been as strong, but that aroma of freshly brewed coffee was intense, and Jed was positive that it wasn't from the coffee pot. It was just Parker, and the scent was enticing his wolf.
Jed kept his eyes glued on the television, even if it was hard to focus, until he felt Parker shuffling around. His eyes snapped to his friend when he felt Parker's head in his lap. The brunette smiled at the TV and looked completely relaxed. Jed tried to keep it together, but his concentration was completely shot.
"Uh, Parker? What are you doing?" He asked as he looked down at him.
"Watching the movie," he replied without skipping a beat.
"No, I mean. You know." Jed huffed at Parker being oblivious. "Why are you lying on my lap?"
"Oh, that," Parker muttered. "I was tired of sitting up, that's all. I used to do this all the time." He chewed his lip. "Does it bother you now?"
Only in the best way.
Jed shook his head, but his body had other plans. He felt himself hardening before he could stop it. Great, because what I really wanted to do tonight was poke my friend in the ear with my dick!
He waited for Parker to say something about it, but he never did. Instead, he squirmed and moved around until his lips were so dangerously close to Jed's dick that it took every ounce of restraint to stop himself from unzipping his pants and shoving his cock into Parker's mouth.