“Remember, I told you. Otto took it over after my father went to prison.”
Jackie nodded as he laid his head down on Boone’s chest. He did remember. Now. He’d kind of had a lot of other things on his mind lately.
“Do you still want to claim me, baby?”
Jackie lifted his head to look up at Boone. “I’m a shifter, aren’t I?”
Boone chuckled as he tightened his arms around Jackie. “That’s what I’ve heard.”
“Then yes, I still want to claim you.”
Jackie knew he’d be stupid not to. He still wasn’t sure about all the shifter business, but he wanted Boone in his life, however he could get him.
“Why now, Jackie? Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled, but a couple of days ago you were yelling at me to get out and never come back. You threatened to report me to the council if I touched you again. What changed?”
“I had an epiphany last night while I was lying here watching you sleep.”
“What sort of epiphany?”
“I felt safe, and it’s been a long time since I’ve felt that way.” It was hard to describe being afraid to someone who’d probably never felt scared a day in his life. Jackie lived in an almost constant state of fear.
“You know I’ll protect you no matter what. You don’t have to—”
“That’s just it, Boone,” Jackie insisted. “I don’t have to. You’ve never forced me to do anything I didn’t want to do, even if it hurt you. Do you know how rare that is?”
“It’s not that rare, I can promise you. I see it every day with my brothers and their mates.”
“For me, it is rare. And lately I seem to have the innate ability to draw every freak in existence to me.”
“I am not a freak.”
Jackie sighed. “I wasn’t talking about you or your family. I was talking about that asshole who kidnapped me and used me as his own personal guinea pig.”
Boone’s jaw clenched.
Jackie reached up and soothed the tight jaw with his fingertips. “I can’t say I’m not afraid anymore, because I am. But I know you’ll do everything within your power to keep me safe.”
“I will, Jackie. I swear it.”
Jackie smiled as he leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to Boone’s lips. “And that’s why I want to claim you. You care about me.”
“I do, Jackie, more than you could ever know.”
Elation rushed through Jackie at Boone’s words. He took it as Boone’s okay and leaned in for another kiss, this one longer and harder. Hotter. Jackie groaned as heat suffused his body. He ached, every nerve in his body feeling as if it were being stimulated at the same time.
Opening his eyes, he glanced down, his heart beating faster when he saw brown eyes looking up at him.When Boone began planting small kisses over his heated skin, a cry fell from Jackie’s lips and he arched into the air. Jackie panted heavily, aching with need.
“Boone!” Jackie cried out when the man nipped at him. A moment later, Boone soothed his tongue over the small bite before moving on to more skin. Boone’s hands weren’t idle either; he caressed Jackie, slowly driving him out of his mind. Jackie didn’t even have the brainpower to form a thought. All he could do was lie there and soak up the pleasure shooting through his body.
“I love touching you, Jackie. Your skin is so soft.”
Jackie wanted to answer, but his thoughts fragmented as Boone continued his hungry exploration of his body. Every little touch made his body tingle.
Jackie’s breath came out in a long, surrendering moan instead. Boone had moved farther down his body, licking and kissing his fevered skin.
A spurt of hungry desire spiraled through him when he felt Boone’s mouth take him in. Boone slowly caressed the head of Jackie’s cock with his tongue, licking each inch, the slit in the top, then down under the edge of the head before Boone swallowed him down to the root.
“Bo-Boone, you have to stop.” He was too close to coming. It felt too damn good.
