Seb stared at him, suddenly feeling like he was back in the sex education class at school. “Wow. You make it sound so much fun.”
“You were the one who said you didn’t want to have any kind of relationship with me. I’m just trying to be practical and make this as painless as possible. For both of us.”
Second thoughts began to kick in. Could they really jack off, smear come on each other, and just go about their business as if nothing had happened?
The answer he kept coming up with was a big fuckingno way!From what Seb knew about shifters, he couldn’t possibly see how Tim would be able to do it either. No matter how clinical he tried to make it sound. “What about you?”
Tim startled as though he’d been lost in thought. The pink tinge to his cheeks made Seb wonder if their thoughts had been along a similar line. “What about me?”
Trying not to sound arrogant, Seb met his gaze. “Won’t it affect you if we do that?”
“Affect me how?”
Seb eyed him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.Is he being deliberately obtuse?“Won’t it… um, trigger your possessive instincts, or something like that?” He felt silly saying that out loud.Damn Jared and all his stories of Possessive Nathan.
Two seconds away from telling Tim to forget he’d said anything, Tim spoke so quietly that Seb had to lean closer to catch it all.
“Yes.” Tim turned away before Seb could read the look in his eye. “You’ll smell like me. Likemine. It won’t be anywhere near as strong as if we were bonded… but the instinct to protect you will be there.”
The atmosphere between them crackled, suddenly so thick with tension that Seb could almost taste it. Tim sat with his fists loosely clenched, and Seb was certain that if he uncurled them, he’d find claws. “That’s not fair on you,” he whispered. “They shouldn’t ask you do it, when you feel—”
Tim offered a wry smile. “It’swhythey asked me.”
In Seb’s opinion that seemed really fucking cruel.
Tim added, “It’ll make things more believable.”
Seb frowned, wondering how an alpha who supposedly cared so much about his pack could use one of his shifter’s feelings like that?
As if catching his train of thought, Tim nudged him with his knee. “It’s for the good of the pack.”
“Right.”
“I know Jared thinks we have no self-control, but I promise you that if we do this, I won’t try and pressure you for more. No matter what my instincts tell me to do. I can control myself. You’re in no danger from me.”
Sincerity rolled off him, and Seb got caught in his gaze again, warm and inviting and promising all sorts of security.
Yeah, it isn’t Tim I don’t trust.
The moment of silence stretched out, threatening to head towards uncomfortable territory.
Tim broke it. “Well?” He smiled, tentative. “What do you say?”
No, no way.
It was going to end badly, Seb just knew it. But faced with that open, hopeful expression, he could only smile. “Yes.”
Tim’s smile spread wide, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Thank you.”
“What for? Isn’t this all supposedly for my benefit?” He was pretty sure Tim wouldn’t be thanking him by the end of it. More likely cursing the day they’d ever met.
“Yes, but I meant ‘thank you for trusting me.’”
“Oh,” Seb mumbled, embarrassed but not sure why, exactly. He stood up quickly, needing to put some space between them, and headed into the kitchen.
“Where are you going?”
Half turning to face Tim, Seb’s crutch slipped on the edge of the rug and out from under him, and he fell forward. “Shit!” With nothing to hang on to, he fully expected to face-plant onto the floor at any second…
