“We’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Yanis hung up and looked at Adan. The bulge in Adan’s pants mirrored Yanis’, and Yanis knew he had to get rid of it before his family arrived. “What do we do?”
“Cold shower?” Adan suggested.
“Or we could make it quick and dirty.”
Adan seemed to think about it. Yanis glanced at his cell phone, aware of the fact that they really didn’t have much time. Before he could ask Adan again, Adan was on him, fighting with the button on Yanis’ jeans. Yanis hurriedly helped him, and he didn’t even have the time to ask Adan to turn around for a sixty-nine since Adan had already swallowed him down.
Yanis keened and grabbed a handful of comforter while burying his other hand in Adan’s hair. Adan was very good at blowjobs, and he had Yanis in sobs of pleasure in a handful of minutes. He licked and sucked, teased with his tongue, but it was when he pushed a finger in Yanis’ ass after pushing Yanis on his back that Yanis exploded.
“Shit,” he breathed out when the last drop of come had left him.
Adan hummed, his cheek on Yanis’ thigh. Yanis reached down and pulled him up, wondering why Adan looked so blissed out. He found his answer when he reached for Adan’s jeans and found his cock soft. “You already came?”
“Mmm, yeah.”
“Just by blowing me?”
“Well, that and the fact that I tapped into your emotion as you came.”
“That... that’s a useful aspect we hadn’t considered yet.”
Adan laughed and pushed away. He kissed Yanis’ nose and got up. “I need a shower, but you should be good to go.”
Yanis looked down at himself, and sure enough, Adan had swallowed everything. He got up and pulled his pants up. “Will you come downstairs, or should I tell my family you’re busy?”
“I’ll come down. Give me five minutes.”
“We’ll be in the downstairs living room.”
Yanis went to the door, pausing just for the time it took to kiss Adan again. God, how he wanted to stay there, in bed with his mate.
But he left the bedroom and headed downstairs, just in time to see two cars pull up when he opened the front door. The drivers parked, and Yanis’ mother was out of the car even before his stepdad could turn the car off.
“Yanis!”
Yanis smiled. His family, and his mother in particular, might be too much, but he wouldn’t exchange her for anything in the world. He opened his arms as she hurried up the stairs and she fell into them, hugging him tightly.
“It’s good to see you, Mom.”
“Oh, I wish you’d live closer.”
“Me too, but my life’s here now.”
Yanis’ mom moved away and cupped his cheek. “I know. It doesn’t mean I have to like it.” She looked behind Yanis. “Now, where’s your mate? We came all the way here to meet him.”
Yanis rolled his eyes. “Of course. And here I hoped you came to see me.”
Yanis’ mom swatted his chest. “We did. We came to see you, and him. I need to make sure he’s good enough for my boy.”
Yanis fought the urge to roll his eyes again and stepped aside. “Come on, let’s go sit. Adan should be down in a few minutes.”
* * * *
Adan could hear people talking in the living room and his stomach churned. He smoothed down the shirt he’d put on after his shower and wondered again if he should have put on a tie. He’d decided not even five minutes ago that a tie would have been a bit much, but now he had doubts.
Tie or no tie? And was the dress shirt good or did it make him look like he was trying too hard? Maybe he should go back up and change—again. He’d only tried three outfits after all, so maybe he could try a few more, just in case.
He felt the need to be perfect. He was about to meet his mate’s family, and they were people he’d see a lot in the future. He wanted them to like him, and he was afraid he’d forgotten how to deal with people that way. The pride members didn’t count—he didn’t care about what they thought as much. They weren’t as important, at least not most of them.
Adan eyed the stairs. He knew Yanis was waiting for him. He probably thought Adan had changed his mind, that he didn’t feel up to it, and Adan knew Yanis wouldn’t be angry with him for that. He’d think Adan needed time and rest, and he wouldn’t be wrong, but the reality was Adan was scared.
He’d never had a boyfriend who was so serious they’d gotten to the meet-the-parents stage. He hadn’t had a family in several years, and he was scared he wouldn’t remember how to behave, what to say. What if they hated him? What would Yanis do? Would he have to choose between Adan and his family? Could Adan even allow that?
“Adan?”
Adan jerked his head toward Yanis. “Umm, hi. How did you know I was here?”
“I didn’t. I was coming to see if you were ready or if you’d changed your mind. You haven’t, right?”
“Not exactly.”
Yanis frowned and came closer. He took one of Adan’s hands in his and Adan resisted the urge to snatch it back. He wanted to dry it on his pants because he was sure Yanis didn’t want to touch a clammy hand, but Yanis didn’t seem to care. “What do you mean, not exactly?”
“I’m... nervous. Very nervous.”
“You don’t have to meet them if you don’t want to.”
“I want to. I think anyone would be nervous while meeting the in-laws, huh?”
Yanis smiled. “They’ll love you.”
“You can’t know that.”
“No, but you can.”
“Are you giving me the go ahead to sneak into your family’s minds?”
“Yes, if that’s what it takes to make you feel better. I’m not saying you should try to identify everything they feel, but I’m sure you’ll have no problem understanding what they think of you.”
“It kind of feels like something I shouldn’t do, but then it’s what I’ve been doing to everyone else.” Adan chuckled darkly.
“You’re doing it for a good reason.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s right.”
Yanis pulled Adan closer and hugged him. “No, but it does mean you might be able to stop the mole before he hurts someone else. Too many lost their lives to the hunters, Adan.”
Adan couldn’t say that wasn’t true, so he just hung tight until Yanis moved away. He didn’t release Adan completely, though, pulling him gently along as he walked back toward the living room. “I already told them what happened to you, although I didn’t say why you’ve been catatonic. They know this isn’t easy for you, so don’t worry too much.”
It was easier said than done, but Adan swallowed and nodded. He let Yanis pull him into the living room and plastered a smile on his face, hoping it would fool at least Yanis. Not that he had many hopes he would. Yanis seemed to be perceptive of Adan’s mood, even though they weren’t mated yet.
“Everyone, this is Adan. Adan, this is Amahle, my mom, and Paul, my stepdad. The beautiful lady over there is Jess and the ugly guy beside her is Bobby, my brother. The baby is Lenny.”
Adan extended his hand toward Yanis’ mother. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
She looked at him with a critical eye and Adan couldn’t resist—he let a tendril out, hoping she wouldn’t feel it. He pushed it against her chest as lightly as he could. She was happy but also reserved. The happiness won, though, and Adan didn’t have the time to pull back before she stepped forward and hugged him.
Adan looked at Yanis, feeling a bit panicky, but Yanis just smiled and didn’t intervene.
“Amahle. Don’t you dare call me ma’am, Adan.”
“Uh, right. Nice to meet you, Amahle.”
She moved away and held Adan at arm’s length, looking at him right in the eyes. “I don’t know you yet, but if Yanis thinks you’re good for him, then you are.”
“I...” Adan swallowed. “Thank you. I hope I am.”
Meeting the other members of
Yanis’ family was a lot easier than Adan had expected. He’d been most scared of Amahle’s reaction, because he knew how much Yanis loved his mother. They all settled on the couches, Yanis in the middle of one, Adan on one side and Bobby on the other, while Amahle and Paul sat in front of them, leaving the third couch to Jess.
Yanis’ brother was amused and tired, Jess exhausted and little more. Her baby couldn’t be more than a few weeks old, not that Adan understood much about babies, and he wondered why she’d come. Then she smiled at him, and contentedness poured from her. She was pleased to meet him, and while he didn’t know why, he could imagine it had to do with Yanis being happy.
“Welcome to the family,” she said in a soft voice, keeping an eye on the sleeping baby.
“Oh, we’re not mated yet.”
She coked her head. “I know, but you’re family anyway.” She said it like it was a fact, and Adan decided not to insist.
“Thank you.”
“So, when do you plan to make an honest man out of my brother?” Yanis’ brother asked.
Yanis slapped his brother’s stomach. “Shut up.”
Bobby rubbed the place Yanis had hit. “What? I was just curious.”
“Sometimes I feel like I raised animals,” Amahle said, shaking her head.
“Technically, you did, Mom.”
She leaned forward as if to hit the same spot Yanis had, but Bobby moved away in time to avoid the light blow. He stuck his tongue out at her, looking very much like a kid, and she laughed. “You’re no animal. You just like to behave like one.”
Bobby growled, and the sound was so much like the one a lion would make Adan wonder if Yanis could make the same sound. The idea of Yanis growling like that, maybe in bed, made Adan shiver.
“You okay?” Yanis asked in a soft voice, leaning toward Adan.
“Yeah.”
“We can go whenever you want to.”
“I’m fine, and you need to spend time with them. They’ll be here for only a few days.”
Yanis smiled. “We can go visit them next time, huh?”
“Of course.” Although they’d have to drive there, because there was no way Adan would climb onto an airplane. Those things were flying deathtraps. Yanis didn’t need to know that right now, though.
The rest of the day passed quickly enough. There were plenty of awkward moments, like when Jess had thrust Lenny into Adan’s arms so that she could go to the bathroom. Bobby had mysteriously disappeared and Paul and Amahle made a show of looking the other way, leaving Adan to fend for himself.
Yanis was there, of course, but holding Lenny turned out to be very peaceful. The baby was sated and clean, and the feeling of contentedness and sleepiness coming from him was soothing, so much that Adan almost fell asleep too.
He was very awake when Jess and Bobby left to go rest in their room. Yanis got up and pulled Adan along. “So, Mom, Paul, we’ll see you tomorrow.”
Amahle smiled widely. “Tomorrow, yes. Have fun.”
Yanis laughed. “Oh, I’m sure we will.” He kissed her cheek and barely gave Adan the time to say goodbye, too, before he dragged him away.
“Where are we going? Why aren’t we eating dinner with them?”
Yanis dragged Adan toward the front door, stopping only to retrieve a bag from the entrance closet. “I thought you might need a break from them.”
“What? No, I don’t. They’re nice. We can stay.”
“Well, no, we can’t, because I have something planned.”
“Something planned? It couldn’t wait for your family to leave? You could have had more time with them.”
Yanis handed Adan his jacket and pulled his on. “I was going to wait until Saturday, but since Dominic gave us both the next few days free and Mom wanted to be here to celebrate, it had to be now. If you’re okay with it, of course.”
“Okay with what?” Adan stopped and Yanis had to stop too if he didn’t want to let Adan’s hand go.
Yanis turned to face Adan. “Okay to mate.”
* * * *
Adan blinked. “Mate?”
“Yes. Since every time we try to be intimate someone needs us, I booked a hotel room. Dominic knows we’re unavailable for the next few days, and if he needs someone to read emotions, Sylvie has agreed to do it. My parents want to celebrate with us tomorrow and they were happy to skip a few hours with us to give us this opportunity.”
Yanis stared at Adan, trying to read him. They hadn’t really decided anything about the hotel before, so he hoped Adan would be fine with it. They also hadn’t talked about mating today of all days, but they both wanted to, so Yanis hoped today would be as good as any other day. He wasn’t sure they could pull it off again if Adan said no, at least not until the mole had been found and Sylvie and Yanis’ family were gone.
But Adan smiled widely. “You think we can do it without anyone needing us?”
“I made sure of it. We’re booked only tonight, so we have to leave tomorrow morning, but it’s still plenty of time.”
“What are we waiting for, then?”
Yanis laughed and pulled Adan toward his car, not that Adan seemed to need it. He was at the car right after Yanis and hurried around it. They kept glancing at each other as Yanis drove through town to the hotel he’d chosen. He’d gone for the most expensive and lush one, but it was only one night, and now that he was officially Adan’s bodyguard, the council paid him pretty well.
Yanis couldn’t look away from Adan, not even as he gave the concierge everything the man needed, not for long, anyway. Adan looked back every time. It made Yanis feel giddy, something that never happened. Even when he’d found Adan, his happiness had been tinged by worry and fear for Adan’s life. Now, though, Yanis was free to feel that way. He was free to love Adan without shadows hovering above them.
“Second floor, sir,” the concierge said as he handed the keys to Yanis. “Have a nice stay.”
Yanis nodded and grabbed the bag he’d brought again, then Adan’s hand. They hurried toward the elevator and Yanis tapped his foot on the floor as they waited for it to arrive.
“Are you nervous?” Adan asked in a whisper.
Yanis looked at him. “No. Should I be?”
“No, no, it’s just that you look nervous.”
Yanis took a deep breath, then another. They stepped into the elevator and he waited until the door was closed to answer. “I’m not nervous, just happy. You should know that better than anyone else.”
Adan smirked. “You can’t wait, huh?”
“No, I can’t. We’ve waited long enough.”
Adan reached down and made a point of pressing his palm against his groin. “That we did. I think my balls would have fallen off if we’d waited any longer.”
The elevator pinged and the door opened. They got out and Yanis looked around. The sign on the wall said their room was on the left side of the hallway, so he hurried that way, Adan laughing as he stumbled along.
Yanis’ hand was trembling when he opened the door. He pushed it open and threw his bag on the floor, then his jacket on the chair in the corner. He didn’t know what to do next—put his hands on Adan or get the lube out of the bag.
Adan decided for him when he pushed him toward the bed. Yanis’ foot tangled with the bag and he almost fell, but Adan was there, wrapping an arm around Yanis’ waist from behind, holding him up even as he guided Yanis to the bed.
Yanis fell face first on the comforter, Adan on top of him. They were both laughing and Yanis tried to roll to his back, but Adan captured both his wrists and pinned them on the mattress. He pushed down with his hips as he did so, and the situation shifted from amusing to something very different.
Yanis stopped moving, his cheek pressed against the comforter. “What—” He cleared his throat. “What are you doing?”
“Mmm, I thought we were going to mate.”
“Yeah.”
“So what’s the problem?”
&nb
sp; Adan nuzzled Yanis’ nape, making him lose his thoughts for a few seconds. “Nothing. No problems.”
Adan moved, pressing his groin harder against Yanis’ ass. “Let me guess—you thought you were going to fuck me.”
“I don’t know.”
Adan rolled his hips and Yanis pressed his lips together. “You don’t know?”
“Well, I can’t say I haven’t thought about fucking you.”
“But? I can hear there’s a but there somewhere.”
“But I’m not against you fucking me.”
“I think there’s something more, something you’re not telling me.”
“Maybe.”
Adan kissed Yanis’ nape. “And what do I have to do to have you tell me?” he whispered, his breath warm on Yanis’ skin.
“Nothing.”
“So what is it?”
“I’ve never bottomed.”
Yanis felt Adan freeze on top of him. “Never?” Adan asked in a soft voice.
“No.”
“Do you want to?”
“With you? Yes.”
Adan nodded against Yanis’ nape. The rasp of the slight stubble on his cheeks made Yanis shiver, and he suddenly couldn’t wait to be naked, to feel that stubble against other parts of his body.
He tried to push up, but Adan wouldn’t let him. He might be lighter than Yanis was, but that didn’t mean he was without muscles, and Yanis wasn’t trying very hard. “We need to get our clothes off if you want to fuck me,” he pointed out.
“I know.”
“You need to let me go for me to do that.”
Adan groaned. “Do I really have to?”
“Uh, yeah, you do.”
“I’m not too sure of that.”
Adan sat up and slid off Yanis’ ass. He released one of Yanis’ wrists and pushed Yanis’ sweater up his back. Yanis helped him, slipping his free hand out of it, then the other when Adan swapped his hand to Yanis’ other wrist. They managed to get Yanis’ sweater off, then Adan grabbed both Yanis’ wrists and pinned them to the mattress with one hand.
Yanis let him do it. He even raised his hips as much as he could when Adan tried to push a hand under them to open his jeans. Adan had a bit of a hard time snapping the button open, but once he managed, it only took him a few seconds to have Yanis naked, his clothes somewhere on the carpet.
Adan Page 11
