The words made Tony even harder if that were possible. He was so tightly strung with need and want, but when doubt clouded Pete’s eyes, it sobered him.
“Or, I mean, I’d understand if you wanted to take this slowly. We could stop.”
The idea was abhorrent.
Tony didn’t think he could stop if his life depended on it.
“I want you to fuck me.” He looked Pete directly in the eye so there was no mistaking his desire.
Pete nodded. “Let’s take this to the bedroom.”
“Do you mind if I shower first? I’m covered in grime from the explosion and my hair…”
He pulled a face as he tried to slide his fingers through the hair on the back of his head, but met with resistance. It was matted with dried blood. But he was amazed to find that the cut had indeed closed. The area was still tender, but not nearly as bad as it had been.
Pete grinned wickedly.
“Only if I can join you in there.”
Tony matched his expression.
“Sounds like a plan.”
He had to wonder if they’d actually make it to the bedroom after they got naked and wet together, but he was eager to find out.
Pete turned on the shower in the tub then adjusted the dials until the water was hot enough for them to step in. Tony watched, transfixed as Pete pulled off his T-shirt then slid the brown leather belt through the loops at his waist and pulled down his zipper. He knew he should be taking his own clothes off, but when Pete slid the jeans down his hips, revealing tight, white briefs that outlined his erection perfectly, Tony could do nothing but stare.
Pete raised an amused eyebrow. “Am I showering alone now?”
Shaking his head to clear it, Tony began to undress, but when he got down to just his briefs Pete growled and grabbed him, tugging him close.
“You’re so damn sexy,” he said against Tony’s ear, before trailing a line of hot, wet kisses down his neck.
Tony tilted his head to the side to allow Pete more access and that drew another low growl from Pete’s throat.
Tony would never tire of hearing it.
When their mouths met again, Tony ran his hands over Pete’s naked back, delighting in the feel of his skin and the strong lines and muscles beneath his fingertips. Pete had an incredible body and it was obvious he took care of himself. His skin was soft and smooth, yet hard and rough at the same time. He was undoubtedly all man.
Tony inched his hands lower until he reached Pete’s ass and kneaded it. He dipped his fingers into the elastic of Pete’s briefs and dragged them down his hips. Pete did the same to him until their hard cocks sprang free and rubbed deliciously up against one another.
Tony had to touch.
He reached between them and palmed Pete’s erection. The length and weight of it felt just right. He pulled back and looked down, delighted at what he found.
Tony had never been with a man who was uncut before, and he loved the feel of it as he slid the foreskin up and down.
Pete hissed, arched his back and thrust into his hand.
“God, feels so good,” Pete ground out.
“You’re not circumcised.”
Pete shook his head. “Wolves don’t do that to their children. We’re always uncut.”
Tony would have replied but when Pete trailed his fingers down his stomach and wrapped them around his cock, he forgot what he’d been about to say. When Pete found the pre-cum that had beaded on his slit and spread it around the head with his thumb, Tony had to close his eyes and bite his lip to stop from begging Pete to take him right then and there.
“Come on,” Pete invited. “Let’s get in the tub before the water gets cold.”
They climbed in and took turns under the showerhead. The hot water felt wonderful against Tony’s skin. After he’d soaped up his hair, he closed his eyes and let the water rain down on the back of his head, washing away the last traces of blood.
“How does your head feel now?”
“Almost as good as new. I can’t quite believe it.”
Pete squirted some liquid soap onto his hands and used it to lather Tony’s chest. His hands moved lower to soap up his cock and Tony let out a soft moan. When Pete finished washing the front half of his body, he made him turn around and did the same to his back and ass.
Tony bit his lip when Pete slid his hand lower, before rubbing his fingers against his entrance. He wanted those fingers inside him and opened his legs, pushing out his ass in invitation.
Tony whimpered when Pete’s touch disappeared without warning.
It was returned seconds later, his fingers covered in more soap. Pete teased him at first before pushing a finger gently into his ass. He was so turned on he didn’t even feel the sting. It was pure pleasure.
Tony’s forehead fell forward to rest on the tiles in front of him. He wasn’t sure whose moan was loudest, but as Pete’s finger started to move inside him, he shoved back on it with a loud grunt.
Pete pressed the length of his body to Tony’s back, and, as he continued to finger fuck him, he latched his mouth onto the sensitive juncture between Tony’s throat and neck.
“Pete…” Tony groaned.
He needed more, but instead of getting it, he found himself suddenly empty.
“Let’s move this to the bedroom,” Pete suggested. “I need you underneath me.”
It was the best damn suggestion that Tony had heard all night.
They quickly rinsed off the remaining soap then Pete turned off the water. After stepping out of the tub, he grabbed two towels from a rail near the washbasin and handed one to Tony who used it to dry himself almost as quickly as did Pete.
The separation of Pete’s body from his own felt practically unnatural to Tony until Pete pressed their mouths together again, walking them backward with purpose.
Tony had no idea how they managed to reach the bedroom so quickly.
It had been touch and go when Pete had shoved him up against the wall outside the bedroom door, eating at his mouth as if he was a starving man and Tony was the first meal he’d been offered in months.
Tony had wanted to turn around and bend over right there in the hallway. He might have if Pete hadn’t got them moving again. And how insane was that? Tony was desperate with need for this man.
When they finally parted Tony looked around at Pete’s room.
It was warmer than the guestroom had been, decorated in mostly earth tones, but it was so tidy it looked almost like a showroom. There wasn’t as much as a shirt slung over the chair in the corner of the room. Even the bed had been made with precision.
Tony grinned. “Are you some sort of neat freak?”
Pete looked around the room and shrugged.
“I hadn’t really thought about it, but yeah, I guess I do like things just so.” Pete mirrored Tony’s grin. “Why? Are you trying to tell me you’re some kind of slob?”
Tony threw his head back and laughed. “Not a slob, no. In fact, I’m almost OCD about cleaning, but not even I keep things this tidy.”
“Then we complement each other perfectly.” Pete pulled Tony into an embrace. “Because I hate cleaning, but things have to be in their place.”
“I’ll remember that,” Tony said right before Pete kissed him again, turning his brain to mush and making him doubt he could remember his own name.
Pete walked them back to the bed until they fell on it in a tangle of limbs. Tony opened his legs in invitation, hissing when their hard cocks rubbed against each other. Pete moved lower, taking one of Tony’s nipples into his mouth and the lower position put his cock right at the entrance to Tony’s body.
He wanted it inside him.
“Where’s the stuff?” he asked breathlessly, amazed he had the power of speech at all.
Pete pulled off his nipple with a loud, wet pop.
“Huh?” He looked almost as dazed and confused as Tony felt.
“The lube, condoms.”
“Oh, uh, lube’s in the drawer, but I h
aven’t got any condoms. We don’t need them, anyway. I told you wolves can’t catch any diseases—neither can we transmit any.”
Tony was about to argue when he remembered not twenty minutes before he’d ingested the man’s blood. Maybe now was a little late to worry about such things, but he’d never…
“Not only that,” Pete said. “You’re it for me. Now that I found my mate, I won’t ever be with anyone else.”
“What?” Tony jerked his head up and stared at Pete. “Never?”
It was the wrong thing to say and he regretted it at once, but Christ, it was all moving so fast. He’d been so turned on, wanted Pete to fuck him so much that he hadn’t thought about the implications of those actions. At least, not until now.
This meant a hell of a lot more to Pete than two men enjoying one another’s bodies. Pete wanted forever and as soon as Tony realized that, it caused panic to surge in his chest and dampen his desire.
They’d only just met—how could he promise that?
Pete knelt between his legs, his eyebrows pulled tightly together.
“No. Never,” he said with finality. “I told you that wolves mate for life.”
“Well, yeah, but I didn’t think… I mean… I didn’t…”
“Does that bother you?” Pete asked. “Don’t you think you could be happy to spend your life with me?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted honestly. “This is happening so fast.”
Tony was attracted to Pete, sure. He felt a deep connection to him that was difficult to explain, but they’d only met a few hours earlier.
How was he supposed to commit the rest of his life to someone he didn’t know? It briefly occurred to him that Jake had done just that when he’d met Kelan and he was happier now than Tony had ever seen him, but he didn’t know if he would be able to make the same leap himself. It was a huge step.
“I know it’s fast,” Pete agreed. “But it’s not like we’re two strangers who met on the street. I mean, we’re strangers, sure, but you’re my mate. You were made for me. There is no one more perfect for me than you.”
“I’m sorry.” Tony shook his head. “I can’t do this. I… I think I need more time.”
Tony liked the idea of them being made for one another—he liked it a lot—but his head was spinning.
This was all too much to come to terms with.
He needed time alone to think.
He started to move to the edge of the bed. If Pete believed everything he was saying then Tony didn’t want them to have sex yet. He didn’t want to lead Pete on and make him think that this was more than two people having a good time and enjoying each other’s bodies. As much as he wanted Pete, he needed to get to know him more before he could commit to a lifetime with him, and he realized Pete would accept nothing less.
He got up off the bed and stood there for a moment, studying Pete’s face.
The man looked utterly defeated.
His shoulders were slumped and his eyes were downcast.
Tony reached out and cupped Pete’s jaw, lifting his head until he met his gaze.
“I’m not saying I don’t want this, or that I don’t want you. But forever is a long time. However natural this is for you, you need to remember this is all new to me. I have to be one hundred percent sure before I can commit to that. I need some time, okay?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Pete nodded and his lips curved into a tender smile. “I’ll give you all the time you need, but I promise I will persuade you that I’m the one for you. The only one.”
Tony leaned forward and pressed their lips together.
“I don’t doubt it for a second. Thank you for understanding.”
Chapter Eight
Pete rolled over and thumped his pillow to plump it before laying his head back down again.
He couldn’t sleep worth a damn.
He’d caught maybe twenty minutes all night and now that the sun had started to make an appearance on the horizon, he could forget about getting any more. He rarely slept past sun-up even after working the night at Jessie’s. He knew it stemmed from all the years he’d worked as a ranch hand and had to get up at the crack of dawn, but it was a habit he couldn’t shake.
During the hours he’d lain awake, he’d tried not to think about what he was going to do now that he was out of a job. Jessie would have to decide if he was going to rebuild the bar and that could take months. Pete would have no choice but to find work elsewhere.
But what could he do?
He didn’t want to go back to ranching. He’d loved his job at Jessie’s despite the occasional problems he’d had to deal with there.
But it was the man sleeping in his spare room that had been the primary cause of Pete’s restlessness. He couldn’t believe he was in the same house as his mate and they weren’t even sharing a bed. Tony should be by his side, preferably wrapped around him.
Pete would be able to sleep then.
His bed had never felt so empty or so cold.
He sighed. He could understand Tony’s reluctance of course. It was to see the situation from Tony’s viewpoint. It was a lot to ask someone to spend the rest of their lives with a person they’d only just met.
It was different for shifters who knew about the mating bond, of course. They were usually already on the lookout for their mate and it didn’t matter if they weren’t. Once they found the person that was meant to be theirs, all bets were off.
It was a given they would spend their lives together.
The yearning to be with Tony was fierce. There was a dull ache in Pete’s chest that wouldn’t abate. He’d meant what he said to him earlier, too. He would persuade him they were meant for one another and he didn’t care how long it took. Pete would die before he gave up—even if it meant moving to New York to be with Tony, he’d do it. He would rather not have to, but if it came down to it, he wouldn’t hesitate. He’d do anything to be with his mate.
Movement from the other room caught his attention and when he heard the door to the spare bedroom open, he leaped out of bed and crossed his room in three long strides, pulling open his bedroom door.
“Is everything all right?” he ran an assessing eye over Tony. “Is it your head?”
Even in the dim light, Tony was the most attractive man that Pete had ever seen, especially when his mouth curved up into that damn sexy smirk.
“No, my head’s good—great, actually. I…uh, I need to take a leak. Did I wake you?”
“Oh, no. It’s okay. I was already up.”
“Can’t sleep?”
“No, not really.”
Tony nodded. “Me, either. Weird, I’m normally out as soon as my head touches the pillow. I would have thought, after everything that happened last night, I’d be out like a light, but no such luck.”
Pete wanted to tell Tony that he couldn’t sleep because he wasn’t next to his mate, but he didn’t say the words out loud. And he shouldn’t be so damn presumptuous, either. The reason for Tony’s sleepless night might have had nothing to do with him. Tony had just learned that werewolves existed—creatures he’d believed to be fantasy—and he’d been knocked on his ass from an explosion and suffered a head wound all in the same night.
Either one of those things would be enough to give someone a restless night.
“How about I go put on some coffee, maybe cook us up some eggs?”
Tony grinned. “You just said the magic words. I’m going to grab a quick shower if that’s okay. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
“Sure thing.”
Pete threw on some clothes then headed down to the kitchen, grateful to have something to do instead of toss and turn while he thought about things he had no control over. He washed his hands then set about making breakfast. He had eggs and bacon frying and was stirring a pancake mix when Tony appeared in the kitchen doorway. Even before he saw him, Pete could smell his mate over the aroma of coffee and the fry-up.
He cursed his damn dick for getting excited.
<
br /> “It smells wonderful.” Tony strolled into the room and came to stand behind him. “Anything I can do to help?”
He crowded up behind Pete and looked over his shoulder into the pans. Pete had to suppress a moan when Tony’s scent flooded his nose and the heat of his body warmed him. Jesus, it was hard to be so close to his mate without being able to touch him, without pulling him into his arms and kissing him to within an inch of his life.
“All under control. Coffee’s ready.” He cleared his throat then nodded to the steaming pot on the countertop. “Help yourself.”
“Thanks.”
Pete tried to concentrate on what he was doing instead of watching his mate, but his gaze kept drifting. Tony looked too good standing there—his skin fresh and still damp from the shower. He seemed right at home in the kitchen and hell, in the rest of the house, too.
Pete liked that a lot.
He wanted Tony to call his place home. He’d have been excited beyond words if Tony would agree to come and live with him. Pete saw it as his responsibility to care and provide for his mate. He didn’t say any of that because he was sure that Tony was independent and too proud to want anyone to take care of him. Maybe when he got to know Pete better he might start to come around to his way of thinking.
Tony yawned and stretched out his long arms, making his white fitted t-shirt ride up, exposing a rock-solid, washboard stomach.
The sight of it went straight to Pete’s cock.
Damn the man was fine.
And all his… if Tony decided to embrace a relationship with him.
“Oh, excuse me,” Tony said around another yawn. “I’m as good as useless when I don’t get any sleep.”
Tony might have been tired, but that didn’t stop him from looking great. Pete wished they could forgo the breakfast and do other things, like go back to bed… preferably together.
He shook the thought from his mind and started to cook the pancakes while Tony took a seat at the kitchen table.
“Wow, pancakes, bacon, eggs—you’re spoiling me.”
Pete hid his smile.
He’d spend the rest of his life spoiling Tony if he’d let him.
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