Wes

by Catherine Lievens

  “That’s good. Right?” Taylor asked, wanting to know more about what Wes had realized. Hopefully it included Taylor, and in a good way.

  Wes beamed at him, taking Taylor aback. “It’s very good. I know you’ve been really patient with me until now, but—”

  “Wait, I haven’t been patient.” Wes arched a brow in a really? Look, so Taylor continued, “I just gave you the time you needed to figure things out.”

  “That’s what being patient means, Tay.”

  Taylor shrugged. “Not really. You don’t owe me anything.”

  “But you’re still waiting to know what I’m going to do. I’m sure you’ve wondered if I decided to stay here, and more importantly, how you fit into my life.”

  “Of course I’m wondering.”

  Wes folded a leg on the bed and turned so that he was facing Taylor. “I’ve been thinking a lot since I moved in with you. I was scared that I was saying yes just to be off the streets, you know? That maybe I didn’t really want to be with you, but that I felt I had to.”

  Taylor’s heart sank, and it felt like it ended up around his knees. “If that’s how you feel...”

  “I never said that. I just said that I was afraid I might, and even with all the thinking I did, I was still hesitant.”

  “So? I mean, I already told you that I’d help you even if you didn’t want to be with me. We can find you another room, and I swear you won’t have to go back on the streets, not ever. I won’t allow it. Unless you actually want to, of course. I—that’s your decision.”

  “God, Tay. Shut up.”

  Taylor snapped his mouth closed and looked at Wes. He didn’t look angry, more... amused?

  “Don’t you want to know what I decided?”

  “So you made a decision? Because you don’t have to if you’re not ready. You can just stay here and work things out a bit more.”

  “You’re cute when you’re flustered,” Wes pointed out, a smile on his face.

  “Who said I was flustered?”

  Wes snorted. “Please. You so obviously are. You’re not even letting me tell you what I want to tell you because you’re afraid it won’t be good.”

  “Yeah, okay. Maybe I am, so what?”

  Wes reached out and cupped Taylor’s cheek. Taylor leaned in without even thinking about it, and Wes smiled at his reaction. “It’s good, very good, at least if you’re sure you want me around for a long while.”

  Taylor’s heart stuttered. “Of course I do. I want you around forever.”

  Wes chuckled. “Who would’ve thought there was a romantic heart in this big chest of yours?”

  “Not romantic. Just honest.”

  “I like that. So, just to continue being honest, I decided that I like you a lot, and that being bonded to you isn’t a bad thing.”

  “You know you—”

  Wes moved his hand from Taylor’s cheek to his mouth. “Don’t you dare say that I don’t have to bond with you to be able to stay here, because I know that. I also know that you’re already bonded to me and that you won’t be able to forget about me if I decide to leave.”

  “Yeah, but—” The words were muffled by Wes’ hand but still recognizable, so Wes pressed his hand harder.

  “Shut up. You’ve barely even tried to kiss me since I got here, and I’m afraid it might be because now that you know what I did to survive you’re disgusted. I know I kind of am, even though I know I had to do it.”

  Taylor tried to say something, but Wes shook his head at him. “So if you were just... giving me my space or whatever, you need to stop it, because it’s hell on my self-esteem. I need to know you still want me, because I want you, and I want you to bite me again, because it was hot as hell.”

  Taylor grabbed Wes’ wrist and pushed his hand away from his mouth. “I was just giving you your space,” he croaked. “And I don’t have to bite you again. I already had your blood.”

  Wes swallowed loudly. “So the next step is me drinking yours, right?”

  “Only if you want to. You’re still very young, so we could wait. Nothing says we have to mate right now.”

  “Isn’t it what you want?”

  There was a hint of fear in Wes’ eyes—rejection. He was afraid Taylor didn’t want him. “Of course it’s what I want. I want nothing more than to throw you on the bed and make love to you, and just before you come, I’d slit a wound in my neck, and you’d latch onto it. I’d pound into you while you drink me down, and you’d feel just how it turned me on as soon as the bond would snap between us.”

  Wes shivered. “That sounds a lot better than it should, since we’re talking about blood play.”

  “It’s not blood play. It’s really just this one time, to bond. We’re not gonna play around with it.”

  “I know.”

  “Well, unless, you w—”

  “No, I don’t like blood play.”

  “Good.”

  They looked at each other, and the sexual tension in the room racked up. Taylor knew where this was headed, but instead of throwing himself head first, he just watched Wes and let the tension build.

  Wes bit on his lower lip, then licked it, his gaze never leaving Taylor’s. “So you want us to finish the bond?”

  “Is the sky blue?”

  Wes laughed. “It is, unless it’s cloudy, although I guess it stays that way even then. It’s just that we don’t see it.”

  “Wes.”

  “Yes?” Wes asked in a trembling voice.

  “I want you. I want to fuck you through the mattress and have you drink my blood while I do it. I just need to be sure it’s what you want, too.”

  “I... yes. I want that.”

  “And you want it now?”

  “Yes.”

  Taylor pounced.

  * * * *

  Wes’ breath whooshed out of his lungs when Taylor pushed him back onto the bed. He clearly hadn’t thought about it before making his move, because they were sitting on the edge of the bed, and they toppled off it.

  Wes landed on his back, Taylor on top of him. “Oww.”

  “Shit. Did I hurt you?”

  “Eh. I’d rather have landed on something soft.”

  “But you’re fine.”

  “Yeah, I’m fi—”

  Taylor’s lips cut off Wes’ answer when he pressed them on Wes’. Wes didn’t mind one bit, and he looped his arms around Taylor’s neck, then his legs around Taylor’s waist. Taylor wouldn’t go anywhere any time soon. Wes would make sure of that.

  Taylor laughed against his mouth. “Are you a monkey?”

  Wes tightened his holds. “Nope. Just enjoying the first time you’ve touched me in weeks.”

  Taylor put his elbows on the sides of Wes’ face. “I didn’t see you trying to touch me.”

  Wes looked down. “I thought you might not want me to, you know. After what I told you.”

  Taylor sighed and shook his head. “I’m going to say this until you don’t need to hear it anymore, okay? I don’t care about that. Sure, if I think about it I’m jealous, but only because I want to be the one doing that with you. I don’t think it makes you less of a man, or anything else that I don’t want to say right now because it would kill the mood.”

  Wes shrugged. “I think I already killed it.”

  Taylor pushed his hips forward and Wes felt Taylor’s dick against his leg. He was still hard, so clearly the mood hadn’t been killed. It would be if they didn’t start doing more than talking, though, so Wes surged forward and kissed Taylor again.

  He slid his hands down Taylor’s back as they kissed, until he reached the bottom of Taylor’s sweater. Wes grabbed it and pulled up, and they had to stop kissing for him to be able to take Taylor’s sweater off.

  Wes let his legs fall and Taylor sat up. He smirked at Wes and rubbed his ass on Wes’ erection, making him whimper. Taylor threw his sweater over Wes’ head and pushed Wes’ long sleeved T-shirt to under his ar
mpits. His eyes glinting, he leaned down and sucked on one of Wes’ nipples.

  Wes hit his head against the carpet they were stretched out on. He wasn’t used to this, wasn’t used to having someone taking care of him instead of the contrary. Even when he’d first had sex with Taylor, it had been more rushed, and Taylor had been a bit out of it.

  But now... damn, it was heaven. Taylor swirled his tongue around Wes’ nipple, then gently bit down on it. Wes arched his back, needing Taylor to move on to the other nipple. Taylor could apparently read his mind, because he mouthed a path across Wes’ chest and closed his lips around the neglected nipple.

  Wes felt overdressed and restrained by his clothes. He wanted to tear them off, but he pushed Taylor away and sat up instead. Taylor took the opportunity to stand, and he offered Wes a hand. Wes let his T-shirt fall onto the floor and accepted. He let Taylor pull him up, not resisting.

  He stumbled into Taylor’s arms and Taylor scooped him up. He threw Wes on the bed and Wes squealed, flailing his arms. “What the fuck, Tay?”

  Wes looked at Taylor, ready to reprimand him, but nothing came out of his mouth when he saw that Taylor was pushing his briefs down. His jeans were already off, probably decorating the carpet.

  It wasn’t the first time Wes had seen Taylor naked, but they’d avoided dressing and undressing in front of the other ever since Wes had moved in. It had made for a few awkward situations, and now Wes couldn’t help but wonder why they’d done so. “I could’ve been ogling you for the past three weeks,” he breathed out.

  Taylor looked at him, still smirking, and Wes wanted to do something to get that smirk off his face. He smiled wickedly and pushed on his feet, then raised his ass and pushed his jeans and underwear down his hips and legs.

  Taylor’s smirk toned down and Wes could see his eyes moving, his gaze taking in Wes’ body. Wes put his feet flat on the mattress and let his knees fall to the side, exposing himself. He had a moment of hesitation, the situation reminding him a bit too much of other ones, ones he didn’t want to remember.

  So he reminded himself that Taylor wasn’t a client, that there was more than sex in this, and that for once, he could just be himself and do whatever the fuck he wanted to do. No one would stop him, certainly not Taylor, who was looking at him with little stars in his eyes and a dazed expression. It was empowering to know Wes was the one responsible for that, and just by getting naked.

  Wes bit on his lower lip and smiled. “Well? Are you going to come here, or do I have to take care of myself?”

  “You’re hairless,” Taylor croaked.

  “Umm, yeah. You’ve already seen me naked, remember?”

  “It’s not—” Taylor cleared his throat and put his knees on the mattress, right between Wes’ legs. “It’s not the same thing. I was drunk, and I was still reeling from the fact that you were my mate. And it was dark.”

  Taylor knee-walked closer. He traced a fingertip up Wes’ leg, starting from the ankle and stopping just before getting to the sensitive skin where thigh met groin. Wes groaned, but Taylor didn’t seem to care. He fingered the skin there, then skimmed Wes’ balls.

  “That can’t be natural,” Taylor whispered.

  Wes barked out a laugh. “It definitely isn’t.”

  Taylor looked up at Wes, his finger never leaving Wes’ skin. “How do you do it?”

  “Wax.”

  Taylor winced. “Doesn’t it hurt?”

  “Like a bitch.”

  “Why do you do it, then?”

  Wes worried his lower lip. “I, well, it was easier, before, and cleaner. You know. I guess I could stop now, but it’s a habit, and you seem to like it.”

  Taylor touched Wes’ balls again, this time with two fingers. “Oh, yeah. I like it.”

  Wes let Taylor explore his smooth skin until he felt he was ready to explode. Taylor used only two fingers and traced invisible paths on Wes’ balls, down his cleft and up his dick. He slipped the tip of one finger into Wes’ ass and Wes clenched around him.

  He’d never thought he’d crave the kind of connection sex could give. Heck, he’d never really thought about the kind of connection sex could give. It had always been a business for him, but this time was so entirely different, he might as well be a virgin.

  Taylor was achingly slow and tender, and it touched something in Wes’ heart. “Come on, Tay. Don’t make me wait.”

  “I want to explore you.”

  Wes’ eyes were damp. “We have the rest of our lives to explore each other, right?”

  God, the emotion in Taylor’s eyes when he looked at Wes. Wes hesitated to call it love, because he didn’t want to presume, but he sure hoped that was what it was.

  Taylor nodded and stopped touching Wes. Wes missed his warmth instantly, but he was also eager for what was coming now. He kept his legs open and pulled his knees closer to his chest while Taylor reached into his nightstand and took the lube.

  That was when Wes realized they’d do this bareback. Nysys and Keenan had told him about shifters not being able to get sick and therefore unable to pass him a STD, and he’d asked Jared for confirmation. He knew, yet it still felt like a step in the dark. He’d never done it, of course, and it felt like a bigger intimacy than protected sex. As if what Taylor had just done to him hadn’t been intimate.

  Taylor uncapped the bottle and squirted lube on his fingers. He spread it and warmed it, then pushed Wes’ legs apart and leaned forward. He kissed Wes the entire time it took to prep him, soft kisses all over his face. Wes didn’t remember anyone but his mother kissing his forehead, and he was sure no one had ever kissed his eyelids.

  He sighed and let Taylor take care of him, feeling treasured and precious, and like finally, he mattered.

  “You ready?” Taylor whispered against Wes’ cheek, his breath warm against Wes’ skin. Wes nodded, unable to talk, and Taylor leaned backward just a bit. Wes reacted without even thinking and clung to Taylor’s shoulders.

  Taylor didn’t laugh or try to make a joke out of it. He smiled softly at Wes and settled down again, one arm between them. Wes felt Taylor move, then something big pressed against his ass. He tried to open his legs even more, and Taylor pushed.

  Taylor didn’t move away again. He engulfed Wes in his arms completely, their noses just inches away as he slowly slid inside Wes. Wes looked in Taylor’s eyes, overwhelmed by the emotions that were about much more than the sex.

  Taylor moved slowly, steadily, and he seemed to understand when Wes was getting closer to orgasm. He never looked away from Wes when he raised his hand to his neck. Wes didn’t see what he did exactly, but when Taylor moved his hand away, there was a long scratch on his skin, and blood was trickling out of it.

  It was a bit scary, but Wes knew what he had to do, what Taylor expected him to do. He didn’t hesitate—he leaned forward and pressed his lips to the wound, and Taylor hips faltered. Wes sucked, grimacing a bit at the taste, but drinking anyway.

  Taylor raised his stomach just enough to slip a hand between them again and grabbed Wes’ cock. He tugged on it, and between that, the fullness of Taylor’s cock in his ass, and the weird eroticism of drinking Taylor’s blood, Wes came.

  He managed to drink down one last mouthful of blood before arching away from Taylor’s neck. Along with his orgasm, there was something else, a pleasure that mirrored his own and that yet wasn’t his, and he knew they’d done it. They were fully bonded, and Taylor was in him, just as he was in Taylor. For the first time in seven years, he felt complete.

  * * * *

  Taylor was still feeling boneless when Wes prodded at the wound in his neck with a finger. He caught his mate’s wrist and kissed his palm. “What are you doing?”

  “I thought this would heal right away. Mine did.”

  “It’s not a mating bite.”

  “But I drank your blood from there, and wow, that makes me sounds like a vampire.” Wes showed Taylor his teeth and hissed. Taylor laughed and pu
lled him closer.

  “I think you need to meet a real vamp.”

  “Do you have those?”

  “Uh, nope. But we have a half vamp, half shifter. Emery.”

  Wes scrunched his nose. “Mmm. Is that the small guy with purple eyes?”

  “Yeah, him.”

  “So he’s half vampire?”

  “Not really. He explained it to me, said he’s another species entirely, but it still sounded like a vamp to me.”

  Wes skimmed a finger on Taylor’s mark again. “So it’s going to disappear?”

  “Yes.”

  “Pity.”

  “I could get a tattoo.”

  Wes grinned. “You’d do that?”

  “Of course I would.”

  Wes kissed him. Things became heated again very quickly, then someone who wasn’t Wes and definitely wasn’t Taylor squeaked. Taylor reacted out of instinct. He rolled off the bed and took a fighting stance in front of Wes.

  “I told you we should’ve knocked!”

  Taylor relaxed and rolled his eyes. “What are you two doing here?”

  Nysys ogled Taylor’s bits as he answered. “Wes wasn’t answering his phone.”

  Taylor grabbed his jeans from the floor and pulled them on. “And he had a very good reason not to. Guys, you can’t shimmer in other people’s rooms like that.”

  At least Keenan looked repentant. Nysys definitely didn’t, and now he was trying to peek at Wes, who was still on the bed, laughing his ass off. “Stop that,” Taylor groused. Nysys rolled his eyes, but he did as he was told, for once.

  “Was there a reason you were looking for me?” Wes asked from his cover nest.

  “We just wanted you to play video games with us,” Keenan told him. “You can come too, Taylor.”

  “Jeesh, thanks. Don’t be too enthusiastic about my presence.”

  “We just know you suck at video games,” Nysys pointed out, and Keenan nodded in agreement.

  “I’ll probably suck too,” Wes told them. “I’ve never played.”