Aiden's voice dropped to a stage whisper. “Dude, I’m outside your place. Came for that Nirvana vinyl. There’s some ancient Honda in your driveway that looks like it survived the apocalypse. You buy that thing?”
Shit. His brother was outside right now. Perfect timing, as always. The album Aiden had been bugging him about for weeks. Naturally he’d pick tonight to grab it.
Ash glanced down at Danny. He hadn’t even seen what his mate drove here. His car was that bad?
“Just come in quiet, grab it, and bounce,” Ash murmured, his hand instinctively tightening when Danny made a small noise in his sleep. His mate’s breathing stayed deep and steady. He must’ve been dreaming.
“You’re acting weird. You hiding a body or something? Wait. Are you in trouble? Blink twice if you need help.”
“Over the phone? Genius plan.” Despite himself, Ash’s mouth twitched. His brother was an idiot, but a funny one.
“Good point. I’ll ninja my way in.”
Considering his sheer size, Aiden was about as capable of stealth as a drunk elephant.
Ash hung up as the front door creaked open. Instinctively, his hand flattened against Danny, a low rumble building in his chest that he swallowed back.
Despite knowing it was his brother, hearing someone creeping inside while his mate was tucked into his side made his bear feral.
Aiden rounded the couch and stopped dead, eyebrows shooting to his hairline at the sight of Danny curled against Ash.
Who’s that? he mouthed, pointing.
Rolling his eyes, Ash jerked his chin toward the shelf with the vinyl.
Aiden kept staring at Danny like he was a sleeping goth twink curled into his brother like a housecat.
Ash pointed insistently at the shelf.
Jesus Christ. Aiden threw his hands up, shaking his head with this ridiculous “what the hell?” expression. He gestured at Danny again with a “seriously, who is this guy?” look.
This could not be happening. Ash was seconds away from mauling the dumbass. It wasn’t until he bared his canines that Aiden finally got the hint, snatching the record off the shelf.
His brother kept throwing bewildered glances over his shoulder. Ash might not have invited men to his home, but it wasn’t that damn weird. His brother was looking as if Ash had an alien tucked into his side.
Out, Ash mouthed, pointing at the door. Now.
With one last shake of his head, Aiden slipped out the door.
Once they were alone again, Ash yawned and settled deeper into the cushions, his arm curling around his mate. The movie droned on, but Ash was already drifting off.
Chapter Three
A voice from the TV asked, "Can you see all your family standing around you?" Danny blinked awake, momentarily confused before realizing it was just the movie. Though, for a second, he thought his own family was there, which would’ve been weird as hell.
He’d fallen asleep on Ash’s couch. Somehow they’d ended up on their sides, with Ash’s hand resting against Danny’s back. Right over the scars. He tried to figure out how to wiggle free without waking Ash, but then Ash’s eyes fluttered open, and Danny forgot how to breathe.
Their faces were inches apart, and Danny felt that same pull he always did around Ash. That dangerous feeling that made him want to stick around even though he knew better.
To ignore all his own rules about keeping people at a safe distance.
Heat pooled in Danny’s stomach, spreading outward until every nerve ending felt alive and over-sensitized. Ash’s fingers moved against his scalp in slow circles, fingernails scraping lightly, and Danny’s body betrayed him with a soft exhale that sounded too much like surrender.
“You okay?”
No. Yes. Danny didn’t know anymore. Everything felt too close, too warm, too much. Pine and smoke filled his lungs with each breath, and underneath that, something else… Sleep-warm skin and the faint sweetness of beer on Ash’s breath.
Instead of answering, Danny tilted his chin up. Just enough. An invitation or a mistake, he couldn’t tell which.
