When the second button revealed his lack of boxers, Tim coughed. “Okay, I think that’ll do.” Mark stopped and gave him a grateful smile. “Obviously neither of you were badly injured, and Cam is being… overly cautious.” His expression said those were not the words he wanted to use.
“Right, then.” Tim glanced between the two of them, and Mark was convinced he was fighting a smirk. “I’ll leave you to it.”
“Please do.” Alec had no manners, but Mark found that incredibly appealing right now. “And when you report back to Cam, tell him we might not be around much tomorrow.”
Tim’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you two—?”
“No.” Alec herded Tim towards the door. “Whatever you’re about to say can wait till later. Goodnight, Tim.”
Alec strode back into the room in just his boxers, and Mark couldn’t help but smile. Alec eyed him curiously, his gaze drifting down to the waistband of Mark’s jeans. “I was so fucking worried about you.”
Mark’s breath caught. “I know. I’m sorry.” Guilt washed through him. “I don’t know what I can say to make it better.”
“I don’t want you to say anything. Exceptyes.” Alec closed the distance between them and cupped Mark’s jaw in his hands. “I never thought I’d want this.” He kissed him softly, and Mark’s heart set off at a gallop. “But I do,so much.”
“Are you sure?” Mark had to ask, had to be certain because, despite everything he felt, every instinct screaming at him that Alec was his, he remembered Alec’s words from that night.I’m not exactly mate material.
Alec kissed him again. “So very sure.” He stroked his thumbs across Mark’s cheekbones, his touch gentle. “Bond with me?”
Everything Mark wanted stood in front of him, and it was the easiest decision he’d ever made. “Yes.”
Alec took him by the hand and led him towards his bedroom. The whole flat smelled of Alec, but nowhere more so than his bedroom. Mark paused just inside the doorway, took a deep breath in, and closed his eyes for a second.
Now that he was here, with Alec, the last two days seemed to have happened to someone else. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could pretend they’d never happened at all.
“Hey.” Alec came up behind him, slipped his arms around Mark’s waist, and rested his head on his shoulder. “We don’t have to do this if you’re not ready. I’ll understand.” He tried hard to mask it, but Mark caught the hurt in his tone, and it pulled at his heart.
Turning in his arms, Mark reached up to cup Alec’s face. “I am ready. I just can’t believe I’m here, doing this, after everything that’s happened.” He tugged Alec down for a kiss and lost himself in the feel of Alec’s mouth on his. With each stroke of Alec’s tongue and press of his lips, the tension drained away, replaced by a low burning fire deep in Mark’s belly.
Alec was virtually naked under his hands. Mark needed to touch him. Trailing his fingers along Alec’s bare shoulders, the power in them took his breath away, and he realised how easy Alec had gone on him in their fight. Newell had been right—Alec would never have fought him to the death, and Cam wouldn’t have asked him to. That was the difference between a good alpha and one like Newell.
But Newell had also underestimated Mark’s connection with Alec. They might not be bonded, but on some level, it had already started. Enough for Alec to break through Newell’s hold on him. He met Alec’s gaze, and the heat behind those deep brown eyes sent a shiver down his spine. In a slow, teasing move, he slid his hands down over Alec’s chest and round to rest on his underwear-clad arse. Then gave it a squeeze.
Alec laughed. “I’m trying to steer you towards my bed, but you keep stopping me.”
Grinning, Mark squeezed again and let his fingers slide in between Alec’s arsecheeks. “That’s what you get for wandering around almost naked.”
“Is that right?” Alec took a small step back, hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his boxers, and shoved them all the way off. “What do I get now?” His hard cock was too much for Mark to resist, and he had his hand around it before Alec finished speaking.
“Anything you want.”
Alec hissed as Mark started to stroke him, slow and lazy. “I want you out of those jeans.”
With his free hand, Mark undid the last two buttons and let the jeans fall to the floor. He stepped out of them and kicked them to the side, still working Alec with his hand. “Done. Now get on the bed.”
For a second Mark wondered if Alec would object to being ordered around, but his eyes darkened and he walked backwards towards the bed, slipping out of Mark’s grasp.
Immediately missing the contact, Mark followed, lunging at him, and tumbled them both onto the mattress in a tangle of limbs and laughter.
Alec ended up underneath, and Mark took the opportunity to bury his head in the crook of Alec’s neck. Fuck, he smelled good there. His teeth ached, and the sudden need to bite took him by surprise with its urgency. Lifting his head quickly as his fangs extended, Mark met Alec’s gaze. “Alec.”
Alec opened his mouth to show Mark his own fangs. “I know.” He pulled Mark down, with a hand on the back of his head, and rolled his hips up at the same time, his cock rubbing against Mark’s in the most delicious way.
Mark moaned, instinctively setting his teeth at the side of Alec’s neck, and matched the slow grind Alec started.
“I wanted to take my time with you,” Alec whispered, his lips brushing Mark’s throat with each word. “Wanted to draw it out, make you beg.”
“Mmmm….” It sounded like the best idea. For later. Their scents combined in the air around them, and Mark couldn’t concentrate on much other than the inviting expanse of skin under his teeth. “Can’t wait.”
