Authors: Lynn Hagen
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be rude.” Nicholas could feel the lack of sleep kicking in. He must look a mess. He glanced around and noticed the room lacked mirrors. “Can I use your bathroom?”
Jason nodded toward a door to the left of the room, his eyes following Nicholas as he walked across the room. Nicholas closed the door behind him, finally able to take a deep breath. What a night this had been.
His head tilted when he saw that the bathroom mirror was covered with a T-shirt. Did Jason loathe himself that much? Leaving it be, he splashed water onto his face, drying it with the soft towel draped on the bar behind him. He could smell Jason in it. He inhaled deeply before replacing it and opening the door.
Jason had turned the bed down. He was now sitting in the window seat. It seemed to be his favorite spot. His head turned when Nicholas emerged, watching his every move as he made his way over to the bed. “Aren’t you going to sleep?”
Jason shook his head, staring back out into the night. Nicholas wanted to argue but felt the thirty-six hours that he had worked pulling him down.
* * * *
Jason crouched at the end of the bed, watching his mate sleep as the early morning sun peeked through the blinds. Jason could hear the birds chirping and the breeze running through a few trees outside. He had opened a window, hoping the fresh air was enjoyable to his mate this morning.
He looked so fragile. Humans were, after all. Jason had been so afraid of hurting him when he claimed him. They weren’t built tough like shifters were. He would have to be careful with him.
Jason traced the scar on his face that Nicholas had trailed with his tongue last night in the truck. How could his mate not be disgusted with it? It just didn’t make sense to Jason how his mate could accept him, scars and all.
“I can feel you watching me,” Nicholas said as he opened his eyes.
Jason jumped from the bed. He had been watching over his mate all night, making sure no harm came to him. Jason watched as Nicholas stretched, smiled up at him, then extended his arms. Cautiously, he walked back over, slowly climbing onto the bed.
“Morning.” Nicholas pulled him down, laughing as he kissed him.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Morning breath. It stinks.”
“No it doesn’t.” Jason leaned in and sniffed. “I have superior olfactory senses, and it doesn’t stink.”
Nicholas laughed again.
“You’re laughing again. Why are you laughing at me?” Humans still confused Jason. He would have to learn them now, more than he tried to figure the other mates out.
“I’m not laughing at you, babe. I’m laughing because you make me happy.”
He did? He made this human happy? How? Jason wanted to know because the sound sang to his heart. Whatever it was that was making him smile, he would repeat it over and over again. Jason had been isolated for so many decades that his mate’s voice sounded like the windows had been flung open in his soul and the fresh air was wafting through.
“You have any food around here?” his mate asked as he kissed and nipped Jason’s neck.
“You need to be fed. Come on. George will feed you.” Jason pulled his mate from the bed, hearing Nicholas’s stomach growl. He wasn’t doing a good job taking care of him. This was the one person in life that wasn’t going to throw him away, so Nicholas’s health came above anything else, even his own.
“Hang on, babe. Let me use the bathroom.” Nicholas sashayed toward the bathroom, looking over his shoulder at Jason with lust-filled eyes. His cock hardened at that look.
Jason watched as his mate disappeared. He was taking this well. Jason knew humans didn’t know about them, so why was his mate being so easy about this, about him? He ran his hand over his chest, thinking of how his scars didn’t bother his mate. How could that be when even
he
cringed at the sight?
Nicholas walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later, a wide smile on his face. “Ready.”
Nicholas pulled Jason’s hand, tugging him along as he opened the bedroom door. “Show me this George.”
Jason grabbed his mate, pushing him behind him when Kyoshi’s tiger form padded by. The tiger stopped, stared up at Jason then at Nicholas. He let out a small yowl, batting at Nicholas.
“No, Kyoshi,” Jason warned him gently.
“It’s okay. I think he wants to play.” Nicholas applied slight pressure to Jason’s back, moving him aside as he knelt down, scratching behind the tiger’s ears. “Aren’t you adorable?” He smiled, Jason hovering over him.
The tiger rolled to its back, batting all four paws at Nicholas’s hand.
“Don’t hurt him, Kyoshi.” Jason took a step forward, unsure of what to do. His mate was delicate. The tiger could hurt him.
“He’s not.” Nicholas laughed as Kyoshi chewed lightly on his hand.
“Dragonfly.” Storm chuckled as he caught up to his mate.
Nicholas stood, and Jason pulled his mate into his arms as Storm approached them and smiled lovingly at the tiger. He knelt down, rubbing the tiger’s belly before standing again, facing them. “Hi, I’m Storm.”
Nicholas shook his hand. “Nicholas.”
Jason slid his hand into Nicholas’s, separating it from Storm’s.
“Nice to meet you. Don’t mind my mate. He’s new at shifting and loves to be in his cat form.” Storm reached down, scratching behind the cat’s ear.
“He’s adorable.” Nicholas pulled Jason close when he let off a low growl. Storm looked over at Jason, studying him for a moment before smiling.
“It’s good to see you mated, Jason.” Storm led the cat away.
“He seems nice.”
“Mine,” Jason growled, pulling Nicholas close. Nicholas was the one thing in Jason’s life that belonged solely to him. He would kill anyone that threatened to come between them. He knew Storm wasn’t flirting, and neither was Nicholas, but his possessiveness kicked in and made him want to hurt anyone that came near his mate.
“Dear god, I have a caveman. Come on, feed me.”
“I’m sorry. I forgot.” Jason’s face fell as he pulled Nicholas down the stairs. He would have to take better care of his mate. Forgetting to feed him would be very bad.
“Well, if it isn’t my buddy, Jason.” George smiled as Jason guided Nicholas into the kitchen.
“George, this is, uh, my mate. His name is Nicholas.” Jason pulled a chair out, sitting his mate down. George watched him closely then nodded over at him.
“Glad to meet ya,” George said as he turned back to the stove, spatula in hand.
“You, too.” Nicholas smiled.
“My mate’s hungry, can you feed him?” Jason didn’t like that he had to ask anyone else to see to his mate’s needs, but he was a horrible cook and didn’t want to kill the guy. He was an expert at burning toast and prayed he never had to cook for his mate.
“Coming right up.” George began to toss things around, pans clanking as he broke egg shells.
Jason stood behind Nicholas’s chair, placing his hands on the back of it. He watched George scramble eggs, slide bread into the toaster, and push sliced potatoes around the grill. His mate was going to enjoy this. Jason did every time George cooked.
* * * *
Nicholas watched Jason, but his wolf didn’t growl at George. So it was okay to talk to the smaller men, but not the big ones.
Gotcha.
Nicholas made a mental note not to touch the bigger ones.
“It smells good, George.” Nicholas’s stomach was trying to claw its way out to get to that aroma. It had been a long time since he had a home-cooked meal. His mother wasn’t the cooking type. The cook at his parents’ home was good, but it had been years since he lived there. He usually grabbed whatever was in the hospital cafeteria, and the nights he wasn’t working, he ordered out or ate at a restaurant.
George turned to Nicholas and smiled as he nodded. “Thanks, I’ll have it ready for ya in no time.” He twirled the spatula in his hand and began to whistle softly.
Nicholas reached down to his cell phone when his hip began to vibrate. He prayed it wasn’t his father. Nicholas was so not in a mood this morning to listen to his bullshit. He knew sooner or later he would have to hear his father’s mouth, but he would prefer later, much later. It seemed Nicholas got an instant headache any time he even looked at dear old dad.
He tapped the screen and put the phone to his ear. “Dr. Nicholas Sheehan,” he answered.
“Well, don’t you sound all professional.”
Nicholas smiled at Rebecca’s voice. He was aware Jason was standing right behind him dissecting his every word. “Hey, Becky.”
“Nicky, your father’s in a rage, screaming about you leaving in the middle of a shift. He called me, wondering if maybe I had an emergency that pulled you away. Where are you?” Her voice was filled with worried concern.
Nicholas scratched at his neck, not wanting to have this conversation right now. He felt Jason still his hand, his fingers soothing over the irritated skin. Nicholas leaned into his touch. “Away.” God, just feeling Jason touch him was like a calming balm to his soul. It instantly made him relax.
“Away? Did you get lucky?” She laughed.
“As a matter of fact I did, real lucky.” Jason was everything he wanted, broken and all. There was no one else on this planet Nicholas wanted. Jason made him feel safe and protected, loved and wanted. Even though he had parents, Rebecca, and his job, Nicholas had always felt alone, until he met Jason.
“You go, boy. Hike that ass up once for me.” Peals of laughter were heard through his phone. Nicholas had to pull it back so his ear wouldn’t bleed. Rebecca Winston may come from money, but she sure as shit didn’t act like it. Nicholas smiled. He was glad they were able to become friends despite the situation.
He giggled as he put the phone back to his ear. “I’ll try to remember.”
Rebecca sobered. “Is he hot?”
Nicholas looked up over his shoulder at his mate. “He’s gorgeous.” Jason blushed, his fingers sliding under Nicholas’s jaw, his thumb caressing Nicholas’s bottom lip. Nicholas had an urge to drop to his knees right here in the kitchen and suck Jason off until he collapsed.
“No fair, you always get the hot ones.” Rebecca pouted.
“They’re all yours now. I’m keeping this one.” Nicholas forgot George was in the kitchen when Jason’s eyes hooded, sliding his thumb into Nicholas’s mouth. His tongue whirled around the pad, as his lips closed around the digit. He began to suck it with enthusiasm, watching Jason’s eyes close and his lips part. Jason groaned, and Nicholas tossed the phone down onto the table.
Nicholas stood, wrapping his arms around Jason’s neck as he sucked Jason’s tongue down his throat. Jason inserted a leg between his, and Nicholas ground his balls into it, needing the pressure relieved. His head fell back as Jason sucked his way down his neck. Jason’s hands slid up Nicholas’s back as he pulled him closer. Nicholas rode his leg harder. He was so close.
When Jason reached down and squeezed his cock through his scrubs, Nicholas cried out, shooting into his pants. Jason sucked on his neck, rubbing his sensitive skin as Nicholas floated back down.
“Holy shit, no wonder Tank attacked me last night.”
Nicholas looked over his shoulder. George stood there open-mouthed with a spatula stuck in his hand, smoke billowing from the grill.
“You’re burning your food.” Nicholas pointed to the stove when his words didn’t seem to register.
“Shit.” George spun around, scooping the home fries up and tossing them into the sink.
Nicholas turned back around. Jason’s chocolate brown eyes were staring deep into his. He leaned up and kissed his mate, Jason’s leg still tucked between his. Jason’s hand pushed past the waistband, sliding his finger down the crease of Nicholas’s ass, tapping at his starburst.