Chapter Twenty-Seven
Five days after dancing with Leyden, Connor sat in the office staring at security reports without reading a single word. His mind kept circling back to the same thought.
He was ready.
Not almost ready. Not getting there.
Ready, ready.
His body responded to Leyden constantly now. A glance across the dinner table sent heat pooling low in his gut. Watching Leyden train in the yard made Connor’s skin tighten to the point where his clothes were a nuisance. Even simple touches - Leyden’s hand on his shoulder, their fingers brushing - ignited something fierce and undeniable.
The arousal didn’t feel foreign to him anymore. It felt right. Like waking up after years of sleepwalking. More to the point, to Connor, it finally felt natural and that is what he’d been waiting for.
Closing his laptop, Connor stood up and went to find Leyden. He was in the living room checking over some spreadsheets.
“Can we talk?”
Leyden looked up immediately, and Connor felt his mate’s concern spike through the bond.
“Yeah, of course.” Leyden set the papers aside, giving Connor his full attention. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” Connor sat on the couch, leaving space between them. His heart hammered. “I just...I need to tell you something.”
Leyden’s worry intensified. His jaw tightened. “Okay.”
Connor took a breath, then another. The words tangled on his tongue, but he forced them out before his nerves could choke them back.
“I want to have sex with you.”
Silence.
Complete, absolute silence.
Leyden stared at him, gray eyes wide, mouth slightly open. He didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Just stared.
“Leyden?”
“I…” Leyden blinked. “What?”
Connor’s face heated, but he didn’t look away. “I want to try. Having sex. With you.”
Leyden still didn’t respond. Through their bond, Connor felt shock, disbelief, and underneath it all, hope.
“I’ve been thinking about it for days,” Connor continued, words spilling faster now. “More than thinking about it. I’ve been wanting it. Really wanting it. Not because I’m supposed to, or because you need it, but because when I look at you, I…” He broke off, searching for the right words. “My body responds. I get hard. I want to touch you and have you touch me and I’m tired of stopping.”
Leyden’s hands clenched on his thighs. “Connor, are you sure? Because if you’re feeling pressured…”
“I’m not.” Connor shifted closer, needing Leyden to understand. “I swear I’m not. This is me wanting you. Not duty or obligation or trying to be a good mate. I want you. Not just because you’re my mate, but because I love you. Because you’re patient and kind and you make me feel safe enough to want this.”
Leyden’s breath shuddered out. “Fuck.”
“Is that a yes?”
“I…” Leyden ran a hand through his hair, looking dazed. “I need to know you’re absolutely certain. That you’re not doing this because of what my father said, or because the pack expects it, or because you think I need it. You make me so happy just being in my life.”
“I’m certain.” Connor took Leyden’s hand, threading their fingers together. “I’ve been thinking about it constantly. When you walk past me. When we’re working. When we’re lying in bed. I imagine what it would feel like to have you inside me, and I want it. I want you.”
Leyden’s pupils dilated. His arousal spiked sharp through the bond, immediate and overwhelming.
