Rick

by Catherine Lievens

  Cole just nodded at him and hugged Rick closer, stroking a hand down the knobs of his mate’s spine. Rick clung to him as if he was afraid Cole might disappear if he didn’t hold him. Cole couldn’t blame him. He felt the same way.

  Watching Rick defend him and attack Carter had been the worst moment of Cole’s life, including his mother’s death. It had made him realize just how much he’d come to love his mate, and he had to bite on his lower lip to stop himself from blurting it out. It wasn’t the right moment, not yet, not when Rick would think Cole was saying it just because he’d been scared to lose him.

  Maybe it was for that reason, at least in part, but Cole knew that wasn’t the only one. Rick was one of a kind, a perfect mix of vulnerability and strength, and Cole couldn’t not have fallen in love with him.

  He didn’t know how long they sat there, wrapped into each other, but eventually a dressed Kameron joined them.

  “He’s fine. Lost a lot of blood, but he’ll be fine.”

  Cole nodded. “Is he already in jail?”

  “He’s being moved as we speak. What happened, Cole?”

  “He tried to kill me, probably would’ve succeeded if Rick hadn’t been there. For the money my mother left me. He’d have inherited half of it if I’d died before mating with Rick.”

  “But you’re already mated,” Kameron pointed out.

  “He didn’t know that. I didn’t tell him, and he didn’t see the marks.”

  Kameron sighed and raked his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry if...”

  Cole stopped him before he could say anything else. “It was instinct. You stopped, that’s the important thing.”

  “Yeah.” Kameron sighed again. “Go and get some rest, both of you.” The alpha left and Cole relaxed on the couch. Rest. They needed that.

  He nudged Rick, but his mate didn’t react. Cole looked down and smiled when he saw Rick had fallen asleep. He stood, and Rick’s arms tightened around his waist, but he didn’t wake, not even when Cole walked to his room, Rick still wrapped in his arms. He sat on his bed and reclined on the mattress, taking Rick with him and hugging him close as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

  Chapter Seven

  Rick bit his lower lip and bounced his knee before giving in. He checked the meat in the oven again, but it was still just as raw as it’d been when he last checked—two minutes earlier.

  “Why are you so nervous?”

  Rick yelped and jumped away from the counter. “Zach!”

  “Oops, sorry,” the alpha mate said in a tone that made the fact that he was more amused than sorry obvious.

  Zach settled at the kitchen table and linked his fingers together on top of it. “So? Why so nervous?”

  “You know w-what happens tonight.”

  “You’re nervous because of that?”

  Rick nodded and checked the oven again. Tonight would be the first night he’d spend in his new home—in their new home. The first night he’d be totally alone with Cole. How could he not be nervous about that?

  So Rick was preparing a nice dinner for his mate.

  His life was finally settling down. He was about to move into his own house, with his mate. He’d start taking cooking lessons in Gillham soon. His mother was doing better. She was still having a hard time, but she’d been sober for a month and a half. Rick still hadn’t gone see her, but Jared and Gentry gave him regular updates. He also seemed to be more accepted by the pack in general, although he didn’t know why. Not that it mattered.

  And since all was good, Rick wasn’t worried about any of that. No, he was worried because he’d decided that tonight would be the night. He wasn’t sure he could still consider himself a virgin anymore. He and Cole had progressed very rapidly after the night they’d claimed each other, and Rick’s mind had started to accept and understand the fact that Cole wouldn’t hurt him, that he didn’t have to fear Cole’s touch. Rick was pretty sure he already knew Cole’s body as well as Cole did, with all the touching and cuddling they’d done.

  They’d done more than that, actually. Hand jobs and blowjobs, although Rick still had to try being on the giving side of that one. But there was one thing they hadn’t done yet—penetration. Rick knew he’d be nervous about it even without his past, even if he waited a month or years. He just didn’t know what to expect—well, he did, in theory, but that didn’t make him feel all that much better.

  “Hello? Earth to Rick.”

  Rick’s eyes snapped to Zach. “Sorry.”

  “Okay, so what’s really bugging you?”

  Should he tell Zach? Rick felt more comfortable with Duncan, but Zach was his friend, too. “Were you a v-v-virgin when you got with Kameron?”

  Zach’s eyes went round. “Yeah. Why?”

  “Me and Cole h-h-haven’t, you know, n-n-not yet.”

  “And...”

  “I t-t-thought that t-tonight we could.”

  “Oh! You want to have sex with Cole tonight!”

  Rick cringed a bit at the blunt words. “Yes.”

  “Well, that’s good. Right?”

  “Yeah. B-but I’m nervous.”

  Zach reached out and patted Rick’s arm. “It’ll be fine. Cole loves you, you love Cole, and you’re already mated, so he’ll feel what you feel.”

  Rick gaped. “He 1-loves m-me?”

  Zach looked repentant for all of two seconds. “He didn’t tell you yet? Because it’s kind of obvious.”

  Rick took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Zach was right. He’d be fine. People lost their virginity every day and they were fine, why shouldn’t he be?

  “So, what do you think?”

  Rick looked at Cole, then at the house around him. It was perfect. It was exactly what Rick had always imagined when he’d thought about the house he’d live in for the rest of his life.

  The front door opened onto an entrance. There was a staircase to Rick’s right and an arch that opened onto the living room, while the arch on the left opened onto the dining room. The door next to the staircase led into the kitchen. Rick knew there were three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an office upstairs. Perfect.

  He wanted to explore, he really did, but he was afraid he’d lose his nerve if he did. So he went for the stairs instead. He climbed them slowly, still looking around, taking everything in. He could feel Cole following him closely.

  Rick stopped at the top of the stairs. “Where is o-our r-room?” he asked without looking at his mate.

  “The one on the left.”

  Rick walked to the door Cole had pointed at and stopped just before entering. He looked around, smiling when he saw that Cole really had respected the plans they’d worked on together. He turned around and finally faced Cole. “Come h-here.”

  Cole smiled and walked closer. Rick waited until he was close enough to touch and slipped his hand up underneath Cole’s T-shirt. He could feel Cole’s heartbeat accelerating, and the fact that he wasn’t the only one nervous made him feel better. “Why are y-you nervous?”

  Cole shrugged. “I’m not.”

  Rick smiled. “Liar. I’m n-nervous.”

  “Why?”

  “Because of w-what we’re a-about to do.”

  “And what are we about to do?”

  Rick just looked at Cole, wishing his mate to understand without him saying it explicitly.

  Cole smiled. “Are you saying you want to make love?”

  Something in Cole’s voice, in the way he looked at Rick, made Rick feel like he was everything to his mate, and maybe he was. He knew that Cole was everything he’d ever wanted but was afraid to ask for or even to wish for. “Y-yes. You’ve d-done this before, so you’re p-probably not n-nervous. You d-don’t understand.”

  Cole chuckled. “I do. You’re my mate. You’ll be the last man I’ll ever make love with, and the one with whom it’ll count the most.”

  Rick smiled and stepped even closer to his mate, almost tangling their feet to
gether. Their hips pressed against each other and Rick put his hands on Cole’s sides as they kissed. Everything that wasn’t Cole’s taste, his scent, his touch, faded away.

  Rick could feel Cole’s hands hesitantly make their way over his body, and it made him want to laugh. He usually was the shy one, the hesitant one, but now that the moment he’d been anticipating had come, most of his fear had vanished.

  He pulled on Cole’s T-shirt, pushing it up his mate’s body. When Cole leaned away to take it off, Rick made quick work of his own. They froze and looked at each other, both shirtless, then Rick took the first step again. He reached for Cole, his fingers digging into his mate’s skin as they stumbled toward the bed, locked together at the lips.

  When they got there, Rick pushed Cole onto the bed and looked at him, just looked at him. Cole was there, T-shirt off, jeans already unbuttoned and low on his hips. Rick could see his gaze raking over his own body almost like a tangible touch, and it sent shivers down his spine.

  Rick kneeled and reached for Cole’s jeans with trembling hands, then pulled on them, slowly sliding them down until Cole’s cock was just about to slip out of his pants. And that was when Cole stopped him by wrapping his hand around one of Rick’s wrists.

  “What are you doing, pup?”

  Rick froze. He didn’t dare look up. Cole had said they’d have sex, right? So he wasn’t rejecting Rick. “U-u-undressing you.”

  “Are you sure about this?”

  Rick’s head snapped up and he scowled at his mate. “Yes! I’m not a k-kid, Cole. I know w-what I want, and I w-want you. Now. I want y-you in my mouth, then in my a-a-ass.” That would’ve come out better if Rick hadn’t stuttered, but he’d known the situation wouldn’t help. He was nervous, so his stutter was acting up. At least he wasn’t too ashamed of it anymore, just mostly annoyed with it.

  Cole pulled him closer and Rick didn’t protest. He let his mate hug him close and put his cheek over Cole’s heart.

  “That’s not really what I had in mind for tonight.”

  Rick frowned. “You d-don’t want to have s-sex?”

  Cole pressed a kiss on Rick’s hair. “I want us to make love, yes, but I was thinking more about having you in my ass. If you’re okay with that, of course. I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to.”

  Rick jerked up and looked down at his mate. “Me? In y-you?” Cole nodded. “But... I d-don’t know what to d-do. I don’t h-have experience.”

  Cole smiled softly. “We’ll start slow and I’ll walk you through it. You’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.” Cole swallowed. “Besides, I’m new at this too. You’re the only one I trust enough to do it.”

  Rick knew he was gaping, but he didn’t think he could’ve reacted in any other way. “You’ve n-never...”

  “No. I’ve always been the one to do the fucking, but now I want you to make love to me.”

  Rick didn’t think twice. He attacked Cole’s mouth, gripping his face with both hands, groping at the only article of clothing Cole still had on. He pushed the jeans down and let a moan out when he felt Cole’s cock finally pop out of the fabric.

  Rick pushed himself away and dove onto his mate’s dick. He tried to remember what Cole had done to him and swirled his tongue over the head while griping Cole’s hips with one hand.

  Rick felt Cole slumping down and surrendering. He smiled and decided to try a bit more. Opening his lips, Rick eased them over the head of Cole’s cock and tried to take as much of him as he could. He gagged when Cole’s dick touched the back of his throat and backed away a bit, scared he’d done something wrong.

  But Cole’s back was arching as Rick sucked on the head of his cock, so it couldn’t have been so bad. Rick continued what he was doing, careful not to try and take too much of Cole inside. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but being on the giving end of a blowjob wasn’t bad. His jaw was already aching and it felt a bit weird, but having Cole writhe under him, knowing he was the one causing that, was definitely worth a bit of pain.

  Cole suddenly sat up, but Rick didn’t let go of his cock. He felt his mate’s hand roam over him, going from his hair to his jaw, stroking his cheek before going back to burrow into his hair. Rick knew he was making all kinds of noises and that maybe he should’ve been self-conscious about them, but Cole didn’t seem to mind.

  Rick settled on a rhythm as he moved up and down. Cole groaned and tried to open his legs even more, but they were kind of stuck in their position. “Rick... you have to—to stop.”

  Rick made a slurping sound as he rose from his mate’s dick. “W-why?” Had he been that bad? He didn’t think so, but then he wasn’t the expert there.

  Cole stared at him, making him self-conscious. “No, you were incredible. Really. I just don’t want to come in your mouth.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to come while you’re in me.”

  Rick felt his cheeks go red. He swiped his fingers over his mouth, knowing from having seen Cole in the position he currently was in that it was probably swollen and shining with spit.

  Cole leaned forward and kissed Rick. He eased his hands past the waist of the jeans Rick was still wearing and followed the curve of Rick’s ass, then gripped it. He moved backward, taking Rick with him as he laid down again.

  Their lips never parted as Cole tried to remove Rick’s jeans, grunting awkwardly when they got stuck at his thighs. Rick laughed into his mate’s mouth and pulled away, then got up. He kicked his shoes off, then slipped his socks and finally his jeans off as well. Standing there naked still made him feel a bit awkward, but the heated look in Cole’s eyes was enough to tell him he didn’t need to be ashamed.

  Rick climbed on top of Cole again, but after one brief kiss Cole gently pushed him away. Rick arched a brow at his mate, but Cole only gestured toward the nightstand. “Lube.”

  “W-what?”

  “The lube. We need it. It’s in the nightstand.”

  Rick felt himself blush again and reached for the drawer. He grabbed the bottle he found in it and sat back, uncertain. “W-what do I d-do?”

  Cole chuckled and opened his arms for Rick. “Come back here and kiss me again.”

  Rick obeyed and let Cole opened the lube as they kissed. Then Cole’s hand was there, on Rick’s cock, slicking it up with cool lube and making him moan. “Are y-you sure—” Rick question was cut off when he felt Cole’s fingers slide back under the head of his cock. He had to lean forward and keep himself up with one arm. “Are y-you nervous?”

  “Of course I am.”

  Rick pulled back, settling on his knees and looking down at his very naked mate. “Then w-why do you w-want me to d-do it?”

  Cole smiled softly. “Because it’s our first time. We’re both inexperienced.”

  Rick shook his head. “That’s n-not true.”

  Cole sighed. “Yes, we are. I told you, the others didn’t matter. They weren’t you.”

  Rick thought about it and nodded. He couldn’t do anything about it. He knew he wasn’t his mate’s first, but he would be his last. That had to count for something. “W-what if I’m b-bad at it?”

  “You won’t be. You can’t be,” Cole said pulling Rick down for a kiss before squirting lube on Rick’s fingers.

  Rick used trembling hands to search for his mate’s hole, then to open Cole for his cock. It took him a few tries, but Cole helped him until he finally declared himself ready.

  Rick kneeled between Cole’s legs and angled his dick, then pressed forward. The head popped in and he bit his lower lip. He wanted to come right then and there, but he also wanted to let his mate come first, or at least to last a decent amount of time.

  He pushed forward slowly, keeping his focus on Cole’s face, searching for any signs of pain or discomfort, but the only things he saw were Cole’s soft smile and his shining eyes. “How a-am I doing?” he asked when he bottomed out and his hips pressed against Cole’s ass.

  Cole ju
st nodded, and Rick took that as the okay to start moving. So he did. He thrust, first slowly and experimentally, but then Cole groaned and arched his back. His cock was wet and glistened between them and Rick took it in his hand as he started thrusting faster and harder.

  He could feel himself coming apart and leaned down. He burrowed his other hand into Cole’s short hair, feeling his mate’s jagged breath against his skin. Rick knew he was talking, repeating Cole’s name over and over again like a prayer, but they were together, they were making love, and it was so overwhelming that he was sure he was about to burst.

  Cole gripped the back of Rick’s head and pulled him closer for a kiss, licking inside Rick’s mouth and making him moan. Rick stroked his mate’s cock, needing him to come right fucking now.

  Cole made a sharp, deep sound and lunged forward, his teeth burying into Rick’s neck. Rick howled, even if he was in his human form, and came deep into his mate. His hips didn’t immediately still. He couldn’t seem to stop moving, and he knew Cole hadn’t come yet, so when his mate licked his neck and leaned away, Rick struck.

  He bit Cole right over the mating mark his mate was already sporting and stroked his still-hard cock. Cole fucked up into the grip of Rick’s hand, each time pushing back on Rick’s still mostly hard cock.

  Cole came with a snarl, hips bucking as Rick withdrew his teeth from his neck and kissed and licked the skin there. Rick sagged onto his mate’s body, uncaring about the mess between them. They were both breathing heavily and the air smelled of sex, of them.

  Then Cole gently pushed Rick off and Rick rolled onto his back. Cole got up and disappeared in what had to be the bathroom, coming back with a damp washcloth. He cleaned Rick up quickly, then stretched himself out next to him and pulled him close again. Rick looped his arms around his mate’s waist and hummed contently, waiting for his breathing to slow.

  “H-how was it?” He was hesitant, needing to know it had been as good for his mate as it had been for him.