smoothness
of his face a pleasant contrast to the rough bristles on his own.
“If I realized you
were this overdramatic, I would’ve dropped you instantly,” Pat said dryly, and
was rewarded by Jules’s addictive grin.
Realizing that the
other man was acting dramatic and teasing him to ease the tension, Pat began to
relax. Jules knew him far too well, even in a span of just a few days. Jules
had even seen the harsher and darker side of him when his dominant wolf rode
shotgun. Hell, Jules liked it.
Pat could still
remember the way the other man trembled at his every command and touch. The way
his body reacted so passionately and strongly to his—but what if Jules only
wanted that darker side of Pat and not his shy and awkward human half?
Pat didn’t think
he could go through the process of losing another mate so soon. He wouldn’t
survive. Didn’t you want Jules the moment
you saw him? Show some balls and take
what’s yours, his wolf chided, but then the beast only wanted to ride its
mate hard again because that was his right. Besides, didn’t Jules want it, even crave it so badly that he begged Pat for it? Hell,
remembering the way he pleaded and begged Pat made him grow hard again.
Pat couldn’t deny
the thrill that ran down his spine at the sound of crunching leaves, of the
naked expense of Jules’s glorious body exposed for his eyes alone.
Not knowing what
to do or say, Pat dumped the other man on the couch and tried to hide his
growing erection. “You wait there. I’ll get the first-aid kit and we can check
on your paw.”
Jules snorted,
clearly knowing he was making excuses.
Pat frowned.
“Silver is dangerous, in case you forgot.”
“You shrugged it
off fine enough with our mate bonds. Plus, we just mated earlier, so the
process should even be faster. Let’s make a bet, Pat. If my hand’s all nice and
healed up, we both do what we wanted to ever since you brought down that evil
bastard.”
“And what do we
both want?” Pat knew he was asking for it, but he couldn’t keep the cynicism
out of his voice.
“Fuck each other
raw.” Jules flicked him a knowing glance and laughed when Pat blushed
furiously. “Look Pat, let’s not kid around. I saw the way you looked at me. You
want me and you know it, and I want you. Badly.”
“I’m getting the
first-aid kit, asshole.” Pat huffed. “Way to go on the romance by the way.”
“You aren’t
attracted to me because I’m romantic. You fell head over heels for me because
of my jokes and my refreshing honesty.” Jules wiggled his eyebrows suggestively
at Pat, and a twinge of longing speared through Pat. How could this handsome
man want him?
Jules frowned at
his expression. Clearly, Pat’s grim and pessimistic reaction was not the one he
wanted. “Let’s see my hand first.”
“You
and your stupid bet. Fine,” Pat snarled. “You
want to prove something, smartass?”
Pat strode up to
his frustrating new mate. He joined Jules on the couch and held his hand up.
Did Jules have to take everything as a bloody joke? Without warning, Pat
viciously ripped through the pieces of bloody cloth covering Jules’s wrist. He
hesitated when Jules let out a sound of protest and Pat nearly dropped his
injured arm.
“Oh gods, Jules,
I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were really hurting. I thought you were
joking.”
Guilt began to burrow
into him, but when Jules’s expression of pain faltered, Pat narrowed his eyes
in displeasure.
“Of course I was
kidding. Look, it’s all healed.” Jules shook off the makeshift bandages.
While there was
still dry blood on his hand, there was no vicious looking wound in sight. The
flesh had closed on whatever damage the silver traps managed to cause.
“Don’t scare me
like that,” Pat snarled.
Jules only leaned
over and kissed him on the mouth, stealing the breath out of him. Tension eased
away from Pat’s body, leaving him with a pleasant feeling.
Jules parted from
his mouth to say, “I love it when
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