by J. D. Light
I wasn’t really in the frame of mind to analyze what he meant by never. Especially when he gripped my ass cheeks hard enough to leave bruises. Already I was on the verge of coming, my balls pulled tight. I didn’t realize I was even thrusting back against him until I noticed my thrusts starting to stutter a bit.
I grabbed his hair with both hands, pulling his mouth into an even better position where I could thrust my tongue as deep as it would go. I could taste blood as I assaulted his mouth, but I just couldn’t control my need to get closer to him.
When he dipped in finger into my crease, brushing my hole, I threw my head back and shouted as the tingles racing up my body, hit my dick and I came. Hard. Seconds later, while I was still riding the waves of my orgasm, more warm liquid spilled between our stomachs as Flynn whimpered into my neck.
As I relaxed into the man beneath me, I slowly unraveled my fingers from his hair, not wanting to cause any more damage than I probably already had.
That’s when I realized that I had basically just grabbed the man by the hair and humped him with zero control. If he hadn’t realized before that I was a twenty-year-old kid with little to no experience and all the horny, he probably realized after that little performance.
Feeling embarrassed, I dropped my forehead to the pillow beside his head and started to giggle. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. At first, Flynn laughed with me, but I think after a moment, the oddness of my laughter must have set in, and his body went rigid. When the laughter gave way to tears, I tried to bury my face even further into the pillow, but Flynn rolled us gently, forcing me to face him.
I shut my eyes tight and tried to hold my breath so the hiccups wouldn’t escape, but Flynn wasn’t having it. "What’s wrong, sweetheart? Did I hurt you? Open your eyes so I can see you, okay?"
I shook my head and kept my eyes closed tight. "I’m not hurt," I managed to whisper, but I felt my chin quiver as even more tears streamed down the side of my head into my ears.
How could I ever face him again? I’d been dreaming about this moment, never believing it would actually happen for months. And when the impossible actually happened, I completely screwed it up. My need turned me into an impulsive being with zero control.
A man like Flynn, who had probably been with far more experienced lovers––people who knew what they were doing and had the control and willpower to do it––would have little use for a kid whose entire previous sexual history, narrowed down to two clumsy, uncomfortable hand jobs and about a million masturbatory sessions.
All of which lately, starred Flynn.
"What is it, baby? Do I need to take it slower next time? Maybe not be so rough?" Flynn kissed the tears leaking out of the corners of my eyes while brushing my now wild hair away from my face. "I’ll do anything, my sweet gingerbread boy."
Wait. What?
Slowly, I opened my eyes, looking up into his concerned face. "Next time? You still want there to be a next time?"
"Of course," he whispered. "I want there to be a million next times."
"But…why? I just––" I motioned with my hands to his hair and then our bodies, completely unable to say the words. "You know."
He smiled then. One of such affection, I again––like so often in his presence––found myself confused.
"Yeah. And it was fucking amazing. Don’t you realize how hot it is that my shy little gingerbread mouse turns into a fucking wildcat it bed?" He leaned down, pecking my nose with a sweet kiss. "God really did bless me with my perfect mate. You'll be modest and patient with our people, but stern and in control when it's needed. You'll make people feel comfortable enough to come to you with their problems, but hard enough to lead them if they get wayward."
Wow. He'd pegged my personality perfectly. People always seemed to come to me with their problems, possibly knowing I would never judge them. When they asked for my advice, I always tried to be completely honest with them, while being sensitive of their feelings. My mother used to tell me all the time that I was born to be a leader and many, many times said I should become a teacher. That was actually what I had been going to school for when she passed.
As for the shyness…It was really only around Flynn. And basically, all his fault. His gorgeous made me stupid.
"You said 'mate' again. Does that mean boyfriend to you? Do you really want to be my boyfriend?" It just seemed so unreal. The man I had deemed, superficially, the love of my life, never actually thinking I had even a sliver of a chance with, wanted to be my boyfriend?
"They're not quite the same thing, my sweet little gingerbread boy. But an explanation will have to wait until later. I really need to head to the shop. Would you like to go? I need to get your car over there and looked at just in case I need to order parts and I have three others I need to finish today. Plus, we have to stop by your house on the way to pick up clothes for the rest of the week."
"Oh." Of course he didn't want to be my boyfriend. We were on two completely different levels.
Wait. Week?
"The rest of the week?" I squeaked. Was he really asking me to come stay with him for the rest of the week? Maybe I could somehow come up with some hidden charm I have absolutely never had and by the end of the week he might change his mind about that boyfriend thing. I mean, it had to mean something that he wanted me around for more than one day, right?
"Yeah. I'd rather have you close at hand until we can figure out Abby's plans. I'm hoping she's just going to move on, but I'm not willing to chance having you stay away from the Alpha house, even if you had guards, until I at least know where she went."
Right. Not because he wasn't ready to let me go, but because he felt responsible for my safety. Great. There went those hopes of easing into the boyfriend spot. But really, what chance did I have anyway? Even if I managed to be more than the benefits under his roof for a few days, someone beautiful and interesting would have eventually come along and I would have already fallen madly in love with him and then I would just be left with a broken heart, and I was pretty sure I wasn't ready for a broken heart, yet.
"Right. Abby. Why exactly does she want to kill me?" I'm pretty sure I always took excellent care with her food at the diner. I did with everyone. And it wasn't like I saw anyone or did anything outside of work and occasionally hanging out with Benny and Bunny. "Do you think she thinks I'm someone else?"
"I can't be sure until I find and question her, but I think she was hoping someday I would marry her and make her Alpha-Mate." He walked around the room, getting clothes together, stopping to hand me a t-shirt and some sweats.
"And she thinks I'm a threat to that?" I asked, squeaking a bit at the end. It just seemed so ridiculous to me.
Flynn frowned, leaning his head to the side like he was trying to figure something complex out. "Oh course she does. You're––"
A loud knocking interrupted whatever Flynn was saying, which sucked because I really wanted to understand why this woman hated me so much.
"Hold on Bennet." Sighing, Flynn stepped into the second set of sweats he'd had thrown over his shoulder and leaned forward to kiss me on the forehead. "Go get showered in my bathroom, I'll use the one down the hall. I would suggest we shower together," he said, cupping the side of my face while he nuzzled my nose with his. "But I'm pretty sure we wouldn't get very far toward actually getting clean."
Well, it definitely couldn't be said that we didn't have chemistry. We'd had sex twice in the last two hours, and I was more than ready to jump in the middle of that shower sex, just from a little nose nuzzling from a half naked Flynn.
Groaning, Flynn took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "One day soon, we are both taking an entire day to just stay in that bed and do all the things I've been wanting to do since the first day I saw you."
I snorted. "I really don't get you, but I'm so in."
Flynn's stern face surprised me. "Listen to me, Ridley. You are absolutely stunning, and I am in complete awe that I have been blessed with you as a mate. My mate. I don't c
are if it takes me the rest of our lives, but I will prove to you how perfect you are."
His arms nearly crushed me in a hug, but it felt so amazing. Nobody was ever going to hear me complaining about not being able to breathe from it.
"Now," he said, pulling back, but still clutching my shoulders. "I'm going to go tell Bennet that you are going with me to the shop before work. What time should I have him come get you to take you to work?"
"I have to be at work at eleven," I squeaked out, finding myself a bit emotional. I really wanted to question him about this "rest of our lives" thing, but I'd probably annoyed the hell out of him enough for today.
"Perfect. I'll take you by the house on the way in so you can grab work clothes and overnight stuff." His eyes narrowed on me, which told me I was probably making some stupid face. "Lots of overnight stuff. Now, go take a shower."
"Fine," I said flirting. "But just think, you could have had all of this." Turning, I strutted to the bathroom, wiggling my butt a little––something I have seriously never done––then turned at the door to throw a "sexy" look over my shoulder before entering the bathroom and shutting and locking the door.
I might not understand why he wanted me, but it sure was fun to see that lust filled gaze directed at me.
***
Watching Flynn fucking work on cars was the worst kind of test on self-control. There was just so much pulling and pushing and reaching involved in mechanicing. It was like it was made for the sole purpose of flexing muscles. For the last two hours and forty-two minutes, there had been this constant hum going on in my lower body and my dick was just chilling at half-mast.
I had a feeling Flynn knew it too. He kept sending me these smirks when I would have to grip the stool he had me perched on so I wouldn't tackle him, grab him by the hair and hump him again. And it seemed like he spent a lot of time bending over for no reason in particular. I wasn't a mechanic, but I didn't feel like it was actually necessary to bend over and stick your ass out when you were simply checking the blinkers. I could see those mother fuckers were working fine from my roost and I was all the way across the fucking shop.
A couple of his employees wandering in, gave him funny looks until they looked over and saw me, and then they just smirked and went to their own stations to do actual work, with a lot less posing.
When he actually stopped after doing nothing for a solid thirty seconds in an obscene position and wiped his brow with the hem of his shirt, exposing his amazing abs and the crisp black hair that led down to what I already knew was an impressive package, my dick nearly broke through my zipper and I'd had enough.
"Fucking cut it out!" I bitched, standing up so I could let my dick breathe a bit.
"Me?" He actually did a pretty good job of sounding affronted.
"Don't 'me?' me! I know you know what you're doing!" By this time, I'd crossed to him and was poking him in his solid chest.
So help me, if that smile on his face broke into laughter, I was going to punch him straight in the dick.
"Alpha?" One of the other mechanics looked concerned, but hesitant to interfere.
That's right. He better be. Leopard or no, I'd get a big ass fucking wrench and beat all these mother fucker's asses.
I was a sexually frustrated mess, damn it!
The smirking alpha, waved the guy off, probably saving his life or at the very least his manhood. "It's fine, Ronny. This is my mate, Ridley Scott. Ridley, this is Ronny Franks."
I wanted to be mad still and a little petty, but Bunny would jerk me up by my ear if she ever caught me being rude, so I nodded. "Nice to meet you, Ronny."
Ronny bowed his head, which seemed far too formal, but what did I know about leopard greetings. "I'm so happy to meet you Alpha-Mate."
"Uh. No, I'm not…" I laughed, trying to lighten the suddenly heavy mood. "I'm just Ridley."
Again frowning, Flynn blinked at me like I made zero sense, which really wasn't too far of the mark with all my stumbling over words. "Ridley, you do realize I'm the alpha, right?"
It was my turn to give Flynn a confused look. "Uh, yeah. Are you trying to brag or something?"
Ronny snorted, trying to cover it with a cough.
"Why do you think I call you mate all the time?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. I asked, but you were a bit unclear. I thought maybe it meant fuck-buddy since you aren’t British or Australian and you said I wasn't your boyfriend."
"I didn't say…Well, I guess I did, but that's not––" and then he just stood there for a few moments with his mouth hanging open and a few sounds escaping until a laughing Ronny just patted him on the shoulder and walked away.
"He's absolutely stunning, Alpha. Congratulations."
Frowning after Ronny, because what the hell was that all about? I turned to find Flynn still standing there, staring at me. "I so want to say something snarky to you right now with your mouth all hanging open like that, but I don't want to be disrespectful to special needs people."
Snapping his mouth shut, Flynn snagged my waist, pulling me against him and nipping at my lips. "You are mine, Ridley. Do you understand that?" He growled low in his throat, making me shiver.
I squeaked and nodded, my eyes wide and my dick hard.
"Let me hear you say it, my little gingerbread mouse. Tell me you're mine."
"I'm yours, Flynn." And sadly, I meant it. Because I was falling for him already. Now if I could just figure out how to make Flynn mine.
A few minutes later, Benny showed up to take me to work. I was a bit surprised when Flynn kissed me goodbye and told me he'd stop in at the diner for lunch later. Not that I didn't think he'd actually stop by, but I was surprised by the casual affection. It just seemed like more of a boyfriend thing than a fuck buddy thing.
Not that you were going to hear me complaining.
***
The day went fairly smoothly, and when Flynn came in, I managed to not burn the diner down or even disfigure myself with a cheese grater.
I looked through the window, spotting him like I always did, and found him doing what he always did. Watching me. I blushed and rolled my eyes, trying not to smile, as I put someone's soup in the window and grabbed the next ticket.
At some point during the day, I may have gotten a little distracted, staring at Flynn as he stared back at me, because suddenly Bunny was right next to me, yelling in my ear.
"Stop looking like a lovesick moron and get back to work, Ridley!"
I jumped, smacking my elbow on a stack of plates and sending the whole thing into a plastic avalanche, making all the noise and all the mess.
"Bunny!" I heard Flynn bellow, actually sounding a little mad.
"Alpha-mate or not, Flynn, that is my godson, and if I want to yell at him for mooning after you when he's supposed to be making lunch, I damn sure will!" She bellowed back, still far too close to my ear.
Looking around frantically, I tried to see if any of the human patrons had heard Bunny yell words I wasn't sure they were supposed to hear, but the only eyes that were focused on the commotion, were ones I knew I'd seen at the alpha house the night before.
"Bunny!" I whisper yelled at her. "Volume! And I'm not the alpha-mate, jeez!"
Bunny gave me the same stupid look Flynn had given me earlier before pinching the bridge of her nose. "Are you seriously that stupid, boy?"
"Bunny," Flynn growled this time from a lot closer.
Waving her hand at her alpha dismissively, she moved to stand in front of Flynn where he stood inside the swinging door, she asked, "You haven't explained to him what exactly is going on? He has a crazed female leopard gunning for him because she thinks he's taken her 'rightful' place, and you haven't fully explained the situation to him?"
Sighing, Flynn looked imploringly at her. "I've tried! Just when I think he understands, he says something like, 'I'm just Ridley' and I realize, I clearly have no clue what the hell I'm doing. That and Bennet's fucking timing sucks!"
"What did I do?" Benny whined
from the other room.
I won't mention how annoyed I was that not only were they talking about me like I'm wasn't right there, but Flynn had used the most ridiculously high-pitched voice to simulate mine.
"Alright! This is what we are going to do," Bunny said, clapping her hands together. "Ridley, you are going to get these plates cleaned up, then Flynn, you are going to take Ridley back to your house and explain to him everything. Benny, you're going to come in here and take Ridley's shift and I'm going to find a lot of vodka and drink myself into a coma. Men are so fucking dumb!"
"Hey!" Flynn said, crossing his arms over his chest. "You aren't the boss of me!"
"I'm an elder! I get a pass." And then she was walking out the back door like she was on a mission.
"Sometimes I forget how mean that woman can be," Flynn said, looking every bit the petulant child. "Come on, I'll help you clean the damn plates up since it was kinda my fault too."
CHAPTER FOUR
My mate was a mess. An adorable, completely clueless mess.
Before we left the diner, Bunny had pulled me aside to give me a little backstory on my mate and why he might have such a hard time gripping the fact that he was, in fact, the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
After the boy lost his father at ten, he'd retreated into himself. Even Bennet had a tough time getting Ridley to open up. The kids at school treated him like an outcast. Called him weird. The types of things that young people do when they aren't taught not to.
They made fun of his bright red hair, so he'd cut it. Then they made fun of it because it was too short. They made fun of his freckles, so he'd started wearing long sleeves and a hood to try to cover his skin. When he grew over a foot in a year in tenth grade, they'd made fun of him for being so tall and skinny. So, he'd started working out and walking with his shoulders hunched, trying to look shorter.
Benny had been there to defend him most of the time, but then it got to where they meanest kids would wait until Benny was off at football practice or a track meet to pick on Ridley. And that was when things would get really ugly.
