Chapter Thirteen
Seb sat there tapping his fingers on the table top, debating whether he could be arsed to go to the shop or not. Luke and Jack had left about an hour ago, leaving the new door and security camera all installed. After a quick demo of how to use the security system, they’d gone with Luke’s assurance that should Seb want to go out later, him—plus a couple of P-Pack shifters—would be keeping an eye on him.
That knowledge was both reassuring and invasive. Seb wasn’t in the habit of being watched, and even though the observers were out of his sight, it still made him uncomfortable.
Can they hear me right this second?He stilled his fingers, suddenly conscious of every sound.
A walk down the street, with six pairs of eyes tracking his movements, suddenly didn’t seem all that appealing. He grabbed for his crutch and headed to the kitchen to set about making some lunch. It was almost one thirty, and breakfast had been ages ago.
Sandwich in hand, Seb carefully made his way over to the sofa. His book lay on the coffee table, waiting for him, and he set his plate down beside it before lowering himself to the seat and getting comfy.
Five hours later he was still lying there when he felt a hand running through his hair.
“Hey.”
Seb smiled, leaning into the touch, and a soft chuckle sounded close to his ear. Opening his eyes, he found Tim looking down at him. “Oh, hey.” His voice was scratchy and thick from sleep. He cleared his throat a little and tried again. “You’re back. What time is it?”
Tim smiled. “Just gone half past six. Surgery finished on time for once.”
Seb raised his arms above his head and stretched. The pull on his muscles felt good after being stationary for so long, and he let out a low moan of satisfaction. When he looked up, Tim’s gaze had dipped to the waistband of Seb’s pyjamas and his lips had slightly parted… and if Seb wasn’t mistaken, his teeth looked sharper than normal.
Seb glanced down at where his T-shirt lay rucked up against his stomach, a wide strip of skin on show.Oh.
Heat curled in his belly; he slowly reached down to palm his cock through the material.
A low, rumbling growl filled the quiet of the room.
Seb grinned. An afternoon on the sofa had left him well rested, and Tim looked good—all windswept and fresh-faced. Seb wanted to tug him close and breathe him in.
So he did.
Tim came willingly, stretching out above Seb along the sofa, taking care not to touch his cast. “This okay?”
Seb parted his legs and lifted his injured ankle so it rested on the back of Tim’s calf. “Yeah.” He ran a hand through Tim’s hair, the black curls sliding through his fingers, and tugged a little. Tim’s breath caught. “How was the meeting?” Seb whispered, lips brushing Tim’s in the barest of touches.
“Don’t want to talk about it.” A slight shake of his head accompanied the words, and then Tim kissed him.
Stubble scraped against Seb’s mouth and chin, the roughness sending a tingle down his spine. He arched up as best he could, grabbed Tim’s arse with his free hand, and pulled him closer, needing the full-body contact. The day had been a strange one and Seb felt off, but couldn’t put his finger on why, exactly. He clung to Tim as they kissed and moved against each other in a slow dirty grind. The constant press of Tim’s groin had Seb hard, but with both of them still fully clothed, each roll of his hips was like a tease of what could happen if only they were naked.
He caught sight of the camera monitor out of the corner of his eye and a thought struck him, working its way into his mind until he had to stop kissing and pull back a little. “Is anyone close enough to hear us?”
Tim took a second or two to answer, his mouth busy as he trailed kisses along the cut of Seb’s jaw. “Hmm?”
“Is anyone listening?” Seb tried again, his voice going a little breathy at the end when Tim reached that spot below his ear.
“Don’t think so. Hard to concentrate.” Tim ground his erection against Seb’s belly to emphasise his point. “Does it matter?”
Seb opened his mouth to say yes just as Tim bit down, teeth sharp but safe. “No” came out instead, and he closed his eyes, turning his head to the side to give Tim all the access he wanted. Offering his neck to a shifter like this, especially when they weren’t in full control, should scare him or at least make him wary, but the only thought running through Seb’s mind wasmore.
Which was probably why he had no handle on what words came out of his mouth.“I want your scent all over me. So everyone knows.” Tim immediately stilled, and Seb whined at the sudden loss of friction. “Don’t stop.”
Tim’s sigh tickled the side of Seb’s neck as he rested his forehead on the sofa cushion. That didn’t bode well. “We don’t have to.”
He took the opportunity to get his hands on Tim’s arse and trail his fingers along the curve of his arse cheeks.
Tim’s groan was gratifying, but he remained still. “We still smelltogether, if that’s what you’re worried about. We don’t have to do anything for another day, probably. As long as we share the same bed.” Tim sounded disappointed, and Seb took that as a good thing.
Seb let his fingers slide along the seam of Tim’s trousers, tracing the line all the way down between his legs. “That’s not why I want to do this.”
