He teased the soft skin there but didn’t go for the prize. It was too soon for that, and he wanted to enjoy Rick’s body a bit more, to show him how good making love was.
Rick hissed as Cole’s fingers brushed against his skin. Cole ran his hands up Rick’s chest and gently pushed him backward. Rick didn’t protest, and Cole pressed his back onto the mattress.
He leaned down and kissed across the pale, perfect flesh of Rick’s chest. Rick was perfect, something that still amazed Cole after all the years of abuse Rick had endured. Rick was a shifter, but not even that could heal every wound he’d sustained without leaving scars. Cole’s eyes lingered on Rick’s face and moved down his milky white neck and chest. There were a few faint white lines over his chest, and Cole traced them with his finger, mentally cursing Erskine.
Rick reached up, ran his hand through Cole’s hair and smiled. Cole’s heart stuttered. He still couldn’t believe they were about to mate.
He noticed a long scar that ran from Rick’s wrist to the inside of his elbow and frowned. Rick tried to pull his arm away, but Cole stopped him. He took Rick’s hand in his own and then carefully ran fingertips over the scar, wondering what had caused it but unwilling to discuss it at the moment.
“Don’t,” Rick whispered.
Cole placed small kisses all along the jagged line, then on Rick’s lips. “It’s proof you survived, Rick. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Before Rick could reply Cole kissed the palm of the hand he still held, then continued to work kisses up Rick’s wrist and arm. He moved up further so Rick could feel his breath at his ear.
“I want you, Rick,” he whispered. “All of you, scars and stutter, fears and happiness.”
Cole slid the hand that wasn’t holding Rick under the blankets. He closed it around Rick’s erection, and Rick gasped. The feel of Rick’s cock in Cole’s hand sent a surge of adrenaline through him. His own cock was already hard, straining against his sweats, but it wasn’t time to take it out, not yet. He wanted to take care of his mate first, so he began stroking him, using the same pressure and movements he himself liked.
Rick’s hands moved suddenly and he pushed on Cole’s sweats, pushing them down just enough for his cock to spring out. Cole moaned with pleasure at the unexpectedness of it, at the thought of what Rick would do now.
“Fuck,” he muttered, trying to focus on what he was doing, making sure that Rick was enjoying himself. That was hard to do when Rick’s hesitant hand was sliding along his aching length, when his fingertips grazed the tip of his dick.
Rick squirmed under Cole. “C-c-clothes. Off. Now.”
Rick’s commanding voice was hot as fuck, and Cole complied without complaining. He let go of Rick’s cock and pushed himself up. He quickly finished pushing his pants down and kicked them away, then looked at his mate. Rick had pushed the blankets to his feet and was lying on the bed completely naked. Cole let his gaze trace the contours of his body for just a few seconds and promised himself he’d explore them in detail the next time.
Rick held a trembling hand up at Cole and Cole climbed onto the bed again. He slid his body between Rick’s thighs and kissed him. We fit was Cole’s last coherent thought before pleasure overtook him.
Hands stroked, teeth nipped, lips sucked. All that mattered was the pleasure, the throaty moans coming from Rick and the whispered words as they brought each other closer to the edge. Cole ground down, their cocks sliding against each other, pressing together. Rick’s hands were clutching at Cole’s shoulders as his back arched, exposing his neck.
Cole hesitated. He knew Rick had asked him to claim him, but still—
Rick wouldn’t have any of it, though. His head snapped forward and their gazes briefly met before Rick buried his face in the crook of Cole’s neck and bit down.
Cole howled. The movements of his hips faltered, but it didn’t matter, not when he was already coming all over their stomachs.
He buried his hand into Rick’s long hair and angled his head without dislodging him, then mirrored his mate’s position and bit in his pale skin. Rick jerked under Cole and a muffled moan came from him. Cole drank down the blood Rick had freely offered just as he felt Rick’s cum join his between them.
Rick’s lips left his neck but his tongue lingered, cleaning the wound. Something snapped between them and Cole groaned. He could still feel his own pleasure and satisfaction, but it was joined by Rick’s. His mate was feeling so many things that Cole didn’t even try to comprehend them. Joy, pleasure, fear, worry. Doubts. Cole couldn’t tell what Rick was doubting, but he’d ask. Tomorrow.
Cole licked his mate’s mating mark clean and rolled to his side. He took Rick with him, smiling when his mate tucked his head just under his chin. Cole fell asleep with the beat of Rick’s heart against his side and the heat of his breath on his chest.
Chapter Six
Rick flipped the pancake and listened to the people in the house moving around. He was always the first one up, because he was the one to cook breakfast. He thought it was the least he could do, considering that Kameron and Zach were still housing him and Cole and that they didn’t ask for anything in return. He still had problems accepting that, but he was getting better. And he liked to cook anyway.
“Morning.”
Rick turned to look at Zach before sliding the pancake onto one of the plates he’d prepared. “How many pancakes do y-you want?”
Zach rubbed his eyes and grabbed a mug from the cupboard. “Two, please.”
Rick nodded and prepared the next one while Zach filled his mug with coffee and leaned against the counter next to him. Rick watched as he practically inhaled the coffee before refilling the mug. “Better?”
Zach smiled. “Oh, yeah. You make the best coffee.”
“Thank y-y-you.”
“I think I’m going to find a lot of excuses to come by your house when you move out.”
“No excuses. You c-can come by whenever you want.”
“Aww, thank you.” Zach took another sip of coffee and closed his eyes. “So. Do you have anything to tell me?”
Rick bit his lower lip. He knew what Zach wanted—of course he knew. Cole hadn’t been exactly discreet the night before, and Rick was pretty sure they’d woken up most of the pack. Or at least the alpha and his mate.
Zach opened his eyes again and smirked. “Speechless?”
Rick shrugged. “I’m not s-s-sure what to say.”
“You know you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, right?” Zach looked worried he’d overstepped Rick’s boundaries, and Rick hated that. He hated that people were constantly scared of saying or doing something that made him uncomfortable and that they had to keep themselves in check because of that. “I know. It’s n-n-not that I don’t want to t-t-tell you, it’s just that I’ve never had this kind of c-c-conversation before.”
“Just take your time. I’ll be here if you want to talk, sipping on this elixir from heaven and trying to wake myself up.”
Rick smiled. “Where’s Kameron?”
“Went out running, if you can believe that. It’s like, the crack of dawn, and the man went running instead of staying in bed with me.”
The mention of a bed reminded Rick of what he’d done in his the night before and of the fact that Cole was still there, sleeping. “Me and Cole... w-w-we got. Closer.”
“Yeah? Can I ask just how close?”
Rick pulled on the collar of his T-shirt and tilted his head to the side. He heard Zach gasp and saw him move closer, but he didn’t touch Rick. “He claimed you?”
“Yes. And I c-c-claimed him.” He let go of his T-shirt and slid another pancake on Zach’s plate, then handed it to him.
“Thank you. So, you did it, huh?” Zach sat at the table and grabbed the syrup.
“We didn’t... have s-s-sex.”
“Oh?” He stabbed his pancake and cut out a piece, then stuffed it in his mouth and hummed in pleasure.
“I’m not... ready for t-t-that. Yet. But we d-d-did other stuff.” That had been the most intimate Rick had ever been with anyone, and he wasn’t thinking about the physical part. Oh, that had been incredible, and it definitely beat jacking off on his own. Feeling Cole’s hands on his body, having his skin slide on Rick’s, had been incredible, but it was the soft kisses and murmured words that had hit Rick hard. That, and being able to feel what Cole was feeling. Those were the things that reassured Rick that he’d done the right thing, that he’d chosen the right man, mate or not mate.
“He didn’t push you to do it, right?”
“No! Cole would n-n-never do that!”
Zach held his hands up in surrender. “Sorry. I wasn’t saying he would. I just want to protect you.”
“You don’t n-n-need to do that. Cole will.”
Zach’s smile was brilliant. “I know he will. So, what do you think?”
“Of what?”
“Mating.”
Rick had to think about that one. He wasn’t sure he fully realized he was mated yet. He hadn’t thought of it yet, instead concentrating on getting up, showering and making breakfast. But now that he had time... “It’s w-w-weird. Good weird, but still weird.” Rick could feel that Cole was still asleep. His feelings were full of contentedness and not much more.
“Yeah, it takes some time to get used to feeling something that’s not yours, but it gets easier.”
“It’s not h-hard exactly. I know what I’m feeling and that the r-rest is all Cole.”
“But it’s still like having two sets of feelings around your head.”
“Yeah.”
Rick finished making the pancakes and covered the stack with aluminum foil before putting it on the table. He grabbed Zach’s plate, since he was done, and quickly washed it before Zach could try to do it himself. He felt Cole stir in the back of his mind and smiled. He grabbed another plate and put some pancakes onto it, making Zach smile.
“He’s up?”
Rick nodded and put some coffee in a clean mug, then set it with the plate.
“I think I’m going to go and see if I can get my mate to come have breakfast.” Zach rose from his chair and put his hand on Rick’s arm. He squeezed lightly and Rick was overwhelmed by what this man and his mate had done for him. He wasn’t afraid of them, not anymore. He grabbed Zach’s arm too and pulled him closer, then hugged him awkwardly.
Zach tensed a bit but quickly slid his arms around Rick’s waist and hugged back before moving away. It was very short, but it was the first time Rick had actually hugged someone who wasn’t his mate, and he could see how touched Zach was.
“I’ll see you later, okay? I’ll help you with lunch.”
“Okay.”
Zach left and Rick started washing the things he’d used to cook breakfast. He knew he could use the dishwasher, but he rather liked doing it by hand. It was soothing, and it helped him think, at least until two arms slid around his waist and a warm chest pressed against his back.
“Is this okay?” Cole murmured next to Rick’s ear.
Rick nodded, because it was more than okay.
“Okay then. Good morning, pup.”
Cole pressed a kiss just under Rick’s ear and stepped away. Rick both mourned the loss of warmth and felt a little relieved. He was still getting used to touching, even with Cole, and sometimes it made him nervous without reason. How was it that he’d been more than okay the night before but was nervous now over a hug and a kiss?
Cole settled at the table and started eating, but before he was halfway through his stack of pancakes, Zach walked into the kitchen again. “Cole, do you know a Carter?”
Cole put his fork down and frowned. “Yes.”
“Your brother?”
“He’s not my brother, just the son of the man my mother married a year before she died. Why are you asking, Zach?”
“Because he’s here. He’s asking to see you.”
“Tell him I’m not here.”
“I’d love to if you don’t want to see him, but he’s insisting he’s here as representative of his sleuth.”
Cole snorted. “He wasn’t part of a sleuth yesterday, let alone representative of one.”
“Look, I’d kick him out, but we don’t want him to create problems. If you could at least talk to him...”
Cole sighed and thumped his forehead on the scarred wood of the kitchen table. “Fine, I’ll talk to him. Just... can I finish eating first? You can stick him wherever you want in the meantime, I don’t care.”
“I’m sure he won’t mind waiting outside. I’ll have Kevin and Merle bring him to the house and make sure he stays on the porch.”
Cole gave Zach a curt nod and grabbed his fork again, but Rick could feel his heart wasn’t in eating his breakfast anymore. He couldn’t help but wonder why Carter was there. Trust the Universe to make sure something went wrong in Rick’s life now that everything seemed to finally have settled down.
* * * *
Cole knew what Carter wanted, of course. He just didn’t know why the man was so desperate he’d actually taken a plane to get to Cole. Not that it mattered, or that he cared. Carter’s problems were Carter’s problems, and Cole didn’t appreciate the fact that they’d been brought to his home.
He pushed his plate away and gave Rick an apologetic glance. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can eat anymore.”
This wasn’t how Cole had expected the day after their mating to go. Of course, he hadn’t expected them to mate so soon either, but the only thing he wanted to do was be with Rick today, damn it. Was it too much to ask for at least a one-day honeymoon?
Obviously, it was. “I’m sorry Carter is ruining this.”
Rick dried his hands and put the towel down. “Nothing’s r-ruined. It’s just a... bump in the r-road.”
Cole rose from his chair and got closer to his mate. “We’ll do whatever you want once I get rid of him.”
Rick turned and leaned against the counter behind him. “Take all the t-time you need.”
“Which won’t be much. I have nothing to say to him.”
“You think he’s still asking f-for money?”
“Oh, yeah. That’s the only reason for him to come all the way here.”
“What about if you g-give it to him? Would it k-keep him away?”
Cole shook his head. “Only for the time it’d take him to spend it. Then he’d be here again, asking for more. My mother left him more than enough to have a comfortable life, even if she didn’t have to. I don’t know what he did with the money, but I’m not about to give him more.”
Rick nodded, and Cole realized something. “We have to talk about this, you know?”
Rick frowned, “About what? Your f-family?”
“No, about the money. It’s not only mine anymore.”
Rick shook his head. “I don’t w-want it.”
Cole reached out and cupped his mate’s cheek. “It’s still yours, though. I want you to at least know how much there is and how it’s divided. It’s complicated, but if something happened to me—”
Rick stomped his foot. “Don’t s-s-say it! Nothing is going to h-h-happen to you!”
Cole could see the fear in his mate’s eyes and he hurried to reassure him. “I’m not about to leave you alone, pup, but we can’t predict life, and most of all, we can’t predict people. We don’t know what’ll happen tomorrow and I want you to be prepared, just in case.”
Rick shook his head. His hair slid against Cole’s hand and his mind flashed back at the night before.
“You better not let a-anything happen to you.”
“I won’t. I promise I’ll be as careful as I can.”
“That’s all I c-can ask for, right?”
“Yes.”
Rick sighed and pressed his cheek into Cole’s hand. “Then okay. I’ll d-deal with it.” He moved closer and slid his arms around Cole’s waist. He was still hesi
tant when it came to physical contact, but the fact that he’d tried made Cole so happy he didn’t even have words for it. “You’ll be here when I come back?”
Rick leaned away and looked at Cole as if he’d said something stupid. “I’m coming with y-you.”
“You sure?”
“I’m your mate, r-right?”
“Yes.”
“So I’m c-coming.”
“Let’s go, then.” Cole kissed Rick’s lips, keeping it light, and moved away. He took Rick’s hand in his and pulled his mate along as they exited the kitchen and headed toward the front of the house. They found Kameron and Zach in the living room, both tense and looking at the front door.
“He’s out there?”
“Yes,” Kameron answered. “Is he going to stay here for a while?”
“No.”
“We can give him a room.”
“It won’t be necessary. It’s complicated, but you’re more a brother to me than he is. I have no intention of trying to get closer to him or build a brotherly relationship with him. I’ll send him on his way.”
The alpha nodded and Cole mentally thanked him for not pushing for more answers. He strode to the door, wanting it to be over as soon as possible. Rick’s presence by his side was comforting, because it meant Rick really saw them as partners, and that meant that he didn’t see himself as flawed or broken anymore. It was what Cole had wanted all along, and he almost wanted to thank Carter for doing it. Almost.
Cole opened the door and stepped in the cool autumn air. Carter was sitting on the first step of the porch and got up as they approached, turning to face Cole.
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