“I don’t need courting gifts,” he smiled softly. “Really. I just need you. I want to say that I don’t need protection but obviously I do. It sort of stings to admit that I would’ve never believed that Jon would actual physically harm me under almost any other condition.”
“You don’t need protecting. I’m merely working on making the world one that deserves someone like you in it, Nic,” I said and pushed his soapy hair away from his face.
“You can say I’m naïve,” he laughed.
“Having a good heart doesn’t make you naïve. It feels wrong to call you that because you loved someone and even when you found out their intentions weren’t the best, you still wanted to believe they weren’t evil. It’s not your fault that he let you down especially when the bar was so low: Don’t try to take your family’s company and don’t try to kill you. Maybe take no for an answer here and there. I hold myself to much higher standards, Nic. I want you as much as you smell like you want me. I long to kiss every inch of your body and then take you into my arms and lay my claiming bite on that pretty curve of your shoulder above your collarbone. To lay that bite so that everyone knows we’re together for every lifetime and if they make the world a place that isn’t worthy of you, I’ll fucking kill them. Maybe your mother had the right idea. Maybe I was naïve to think maiming them was enough. It doesn’t matter. What needed to be done is done and we will be together but not until you have your third courting gift.”
Nic opened his mouth and shut it again.
“I will help you get off, though, if you like,” I offered.
“That doesn’t seem fair if you’re not getting off too,” Nic said, his voice almost a whine.
His desire was thick in the air, and it was hard to tell him no. He stepped forward and pressed his wet soapy body up against me and my dick answered his call. He was going to be my undoing if I wasn’t careful.
“Pleasure isn’t about fairness, Nic,” I said, wrapping my arms around him and holding him close to me. “It’s about making each other feel good.”
“Exactly!” he sighed. “I want to make you feel good.”
“I haven’t earned it yet.”
“Why do we have to earn pleasure?”
“You do not. I will give it freely.”
“But you do?” he arched a brow.
“Maybe it’s an outdated tradition in your culture. Maybe it should’ve died out long ago in ours but when and if you’re laid up with a big belly and need help reaching your feet you deserve to know you have a mate who will be there to reach them for you every step of the way.”
“I think you’ve already proven that and I really don’t want any more body parts, Beal. I mean that part.”
“I do not plan to bring you more body parts,” I chuckled softly and drew little, soapy circles on his lower back with my thumbs. “I know what I am going to get you. I think it will mean more to you than body parts. I think I’ve proven that I can keep you safe at any cost and that there is nowhere danger can take you that I will not follow. Now, I will prove, I can make you happy.”
“Is it letting me touch you?” he said, his voice tilting up hopefully.
“No, not yet, but my offer still stands. I will blow your mind so that you don’t have enough brain cells left to worry about me,” I teased him.
“That’s a big promise,” he laughed.
“I am a big cat who doesn’t believe in tiny promises,” I said and kissed his forehead because if I brushed my lips against his, I might’ve given in to everything he wanted.
***
After dinner of take out from a local Chinese restaurant, Raiel offered to wash up and I let him. Nic tried to protest but neither of us would hear about it. Raiel was family and it wasn’t uncommon for us to help each other out in exciting or difficult times. We’d just met and his mother was down and out. This qualified under both of those premises. So, I carried my mate off to his bedroom despite his complaints.
“You know, you’re not the only one who can play the part of brute,” he sighed.
“You’ve showed me that,” I nodded. “Though, tonight you’re tired and I hope that you’ll allow me to continue playing the role until we get to your bedroom.”
“How do you even know where it is?” he asked.
“It smells like your pleasure,” I shrugged. “I can follow that trail from anywhere, Nic. You are my mate.”
I didn’t need to see his face to know that it was a beautiful shade of crimson.
“And if you will let me, it will smell even more like your pleasure before we fall asleep tonight.”
“What about your pleasure?” he asked.
