Okay. Aesthetic attraction fit.
The next item was romantic attraction which was described as someone wanting emotional intimacy, partnership and commitment.The desire to build a life with someone.
Connor thought about falling asleep holding Leyden’s hand, the way they worked together in the office, their easy conversations over breakfast. The bone-deep certainty that Leyden was his person, his partner.
All right then, I’m romantically attracted to Leyden as well.
The third aspect had Connor thinking even harder.Sensual attraction: desire for physical touch and closeness without sexual intent. Cuddling, kissing, handholding, etc.
Connor paused and then read it again.
Physical touch had always been his enemy. Something he tolerated at best, actively avoided at worst. But with Leyden...
We already hold hands in bed. We’re pressed together on the couch. Leyden doesn’t make my body itch…In fact, if Connor was being honest with himself – which he always tried to be – he realized he wanted those touches to the point of craving them. Which would suggest he definitely felt a sensual attraction to his mate.
The last one slapped him in the face.Sexual attraction: desire for sexual contact with a specific person.
Connor waited for the familiar emptiness, the disconnect between what he should feel and what he actually experienced. But as he slowly breathed, something else stirred instead – curiosity.
He’d never wanted sex before. Never felt that pull toward another person’s body. But the claiming bite had felt good. Better than good. And touching Leyden didn’t trigger his usual aversion.
What if…
Connor clicked on another thread:Demi Experiences - When Did You Know?
Something Leyden has asked him on their very first date together and Connor hadn’t known what to say. The responses in the thread varied wildly. Some shifters knew immediately after meeting their mate. Others took months or years to develop sexual attraction. A few never did, and their partnerships worked anyway.
One comment from StarGazer snagged his attention:For me, sensual attraction came first. I wanted to touch my mate, be close to them. After about six months of regular physical contact - cuddling, kissing, sleeping in the same bed - sexualattraction followed. It wasn’t instant. More like waking up one day and realizing I wanted MORE, you know? Your timeline might be different. Or sexual attraction might never show up. Both outcomes are valid.
Six months?
Connor had been mated to Leyden for barely three weeks.
He leaned back in his chair, mind racing, trying to fit other people’s experiences in with his own truth. What if developing sexual attraction wasn’t about forcing himself to want something his body couldn’t provide? What if, like StarGazer had said, it was about building comfort with touch, letting sensual attraction grow naturally?
What if he could get there, given time and patience?
It wasn’t a guarantee. The forum made that clear. Some people just never wanted to have sex even with a fated mate. But it was a possibility.
He thought about Leyden’s loneliness, the hollow ache Connor sometimes felt through their bond. His mate never complained, never pushed, but Connor knew the sacrifice Leyden was making. Giving up casual sex, restructuring his entire relationship with physical intimacy.
Is it possible to meet him halfway?
Connor knew he wasn’t ready to have sex. He didn’t know if he ever would be ready. But he could accept touch – perhaps initiate some touching of his own.A form of deliberate contact, not just passive acceptance of the touches Leyden gives me.
Closing his laptop, Connor headed downstairs. Leyden sat in the living room reviewing pack finances, squinting in the way he did when he was picking out tiny print. Connor’s heart did that weird flip it always did when he looked at his mate.
Aesthetic attraction. Romantic attraction.
Possibly sensual attraction, if he let himself explore it.
“Hey.” Leyden glanced up, smile immediate and warm. “Did you finish those reports?”
“Not yet.” Connor crossed to the couch, although he didn’t sit in his usual spot at the opposite end. Instead, he settled next to Leyden, their thighs touching.
Leyden’s eyebrows rose slightly, but he didn’t comment. Just shifted his papers to give Connor more room.
“You okay?” Leyden asked.
