“Any time, mate.” Boone meant that. He couldn’t think of a single thing he wouldn’t do for Jackie.
Jackie suddenly let out a huge yawn. “Sorry.” His face flushed. “I haven’t been getting a lot of sleep.”
“That’s probably due to the mating heat. Why don’t you close your eyes and get some rest? I’ll stay here to watch over you.” At the raised eyebrow Jackie gave him, Boone chuckled. “No funny business. I promise.”
He wasn’t sure Jackie believed him until the man closed his eyes and snuggled in. Boone stretched out a bit, more than prepared to stay right where he was while Jackie slept. He gently stroked his fingers through Jackie’s long auburn hair, wishing he could do more. As much as he’d like to help Jackie relax by sucking his cock, he couldn’t. A promise was a promise.
When Jackie began to softly snore, Boone scooped the man up in his arms and carried him into the bedroom. He laid Jackie down on the bed and then pulled his shoes off. He left the rest of the man’s clothing alone.
Unfortunately.
Boone stepped out into the hallway to make a quick call into work and let them know he wasn’t going to be into the office for the day. If there was an emergency, they could call, but other than that, he was off the clock.
After hanging up, Boone walked around the house and checked all the doors and windows. He wasn’t thrilled to find three unlocked windows. He’d have to talk to Jackie about that. If someone was after the man, leaving anything unlocked just wasn’t a good idea.
Once he was all done, Boone walked back into the bedroom. Jackie was lying right where he’d left him except for his arm, which was stretched over the other side of the bed. Boone would have liked to think Jackie was searching for him, except he wasn’t delusional by any means. Jackie was probably just stretching out.
Still, fantasies were nice.
Boone slid his boots off and then stretched out on the mattress beside Jackie. He smiled when Jackie’s nose wiggled as if he was sniffing the air. Maybe he was. It made him wonder what kind of shifter Jackie was. Until Jackie shifted, there wasn’t a way to find out.
When Jackie started stretching out as if following whatever scent he was chasing, Boone grabbed his mate and carefully pulled the man into the curve of his body. Jackie’s face went to his neck, and the man settled almost immediately.
Boone knew scent was important to shifters, but sometimes he took it for granted and forgot how special it was. Especially the mate scent. Nothing would ever smell as wonderful as his mate. Dark chocolate and spice.
Boone suspected his mate was a lot like that. Sensual and decadent, yet hot tempered. Jackie wouldn’t be a pushover. Boone was pretty sure his demeanor was more like Benji when the man was pissed off. That wasn’t a bad thing, especially for the mate of the pride beta. He didn’t want a submissive mate except in the bedroom.
Boone curled his hand in Jackie’s hair and then laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. The warmth of Jackie’s body pressed against his, the knowledge that he held his mate in his arms, plus the exhaustion from trying to keep it together while going through the mating heat alone, was catching up with him.
Maybe if he just closed his eyes for a little while…
* * * *
Boone woke to hot, wet suction around his dick. That shouldn’t have surprised him, except he’d been dressed when he fell asleep and Jackie was the only other person in the room. Just because he had to be sure, and he was desperate to see if his fantasies were playing out in real life, Boone opened his eyes and glanced down.
Hot damn, they were.
Smoky gray eyes peeked up at Boone through a fall of luxurious auburn hair. A mischievous glint in their murky depths. A flush in his cheeks. His silky hair framing his face. Rosy lips spread wide around Boone’s dick.
“Fucking beautiful.”
Boone could see Jackie’s delight at his words when the man’s eyes shone brighter and the corners of his mouth stretched as they turned up. Boone reached down to slide his fingers through Jackie’s hair, but the man did something with his tongue that made Boone’s eyes roll back in his head.
He groaned as he sank his fingers into Jackie’s hair, then fisted them as he began to hump his hips, fucking the world’s most perfect mouth. “Oh, baby, please.”
He was so not above begging.
The suction around his dick grew stronger, tighter. Boone could feel the pressure building. Boone cried out as his entire body went stiff, the throbbing in his cock shooting out. He tried to jerk Jackie out of the way, but the man just tightened his lips.
When Jackie began to swallow, Boone thought he’d died and gone to heaven. Spots appeared in his eyes as Jackie’s throat muscles massaged his aching length, as the man swallowed down all he had to give.
By the time Jackie pulled off his cock, Boone felt like a wet noodle. He had just enough strength left to untangle his fingers from Jackie’s hair and curve one hand around the side of Jackie’s face.
“Thank you, baby.”
Jackie’s face was flushed and his lips were swollen and ruby red.
He had never looked better.
“Can I claim you?”
