"Mom—"
She shook her head and shoved us both aside to clear the path back into the hallway. "The offer stands. If your apartment building burns down or needs an exterminator, don't blame me."
"Are you sure she's not connected?" I asked.
Mika's laugh reached a higher-than-usual register. "Before today, I was positive. Now?" He shrugged.
"You know I can hear you whispering." Her voice echoed down the hallway. "Are you coming with me to the storage unit or not?"
I expected Mika to back out of the driveway and turn toward the giant wrought-iron gate leading out of the gated housing development he called the compound. When he drove past the turn, I frowned at Talia, who pointed to the giant warehouse at the end of the street. I'd missed it when we entered, but it was hard to avoid the looming building as Mika drove toward it. It took up an entire city block and stood at least ten stories tall.
"That's a lot of storage," I said.
"It's not all storage," she said. "Some families prefer to burrow underground as their meerkats, which leaves little room for plumbing and other amenities. This is our public bath and indoor recreation building, along with storage and one-bedroom apartments."
Mika pulled into a parking spot along the street, and we followed Talia inside the metal door. Mika took my hand, lacing our fingers together as we power-walked to keep up with his mom. Children's laughter followed us between the rows of storage containers, but grew fainter as we hustled down the first row.
"Not quite the hike I planned," Mika teased when we finally reached our destination, a double-wide storage container at the far corner.
"Bookshelves are along the wall." Talia pointed. "If you take the tall ones, be sure to drape a flag over them and stay off the freeway."
"Yes, Mom." Mika caught her when she shoved the stall door up over her head, pulling her in and planting a kiss on her temple.
She hugged him tight, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Find me in the rec room before you leave."
"Of course!" He scowled. "Did you think I'd make you walk back?"
"Like it's far." When she rolled her eyes, her gaze landed on me, and we both grinned. I liked her already.
"It's rude!" Mika stepped up behind me and put his arms on my shoulders. We hadn't even kissed yet, but I loved the casual touches whenever he was near. Already, I felt closer to this guy I'd known only a week than to any guy I'd dated before.
"That's my good boy." She leaned in and patted both our cheeks before powerwalking back the way we came.
"Your mom is great." I craned my neck to see Mika over my shoulder and almost tripped when he spun me around and shoved me inside the storage container. A few more feet, and he had me up against a stack of boards along the wall. He cradled my head so only my shoulders hit the boards, knocking them into the metal container with a muffled bang. His breath was hot against my lips as his gaze met mine.
"Don't just stand there," I said with my mouth so close to his that I could feel the bristle of his stubble against my lips. "Kiss me."
His lips pressed against mine, and it was too hard to keep my eyes open. I felt like I was still spinning, maybe falling, but then his arm cinched around my waist and pulled me against him. His skin was warm, and when he snapped his hips, his hard length poked me through our clothes.
He wedged his thigh between my legs, and I pressed against him, desperate for more friction on my own thickening cock. I was still months away from my next heat, but a dribble of hot slick made my underwear stick to me. The sensation felt so foreign, while at the same time inevitable. It shook me from my stupor.
I broke the kiss and rested my head on Mika's shoulder to catch my breath. He licked and sucked the pulse point where myneck and shoulder met. Instead of calming down, my heart sped up.
"You taste so good." He sucked a little harder.
"If you leave a mark on my neck, your mom will know exactly what we were doing in here." I tried to sound upset, but when I paused to breathe every few words, it sounded more like a dare for him to keep going.
"She said yes." Mika pressed his lips to my neck again, and then he slid his hands around my neck, covering up the mark and putting some distance between us. "I'm so sorry."
All my blood was still in my dick, and I was confused. "Why?"
"She said we could mate, but that doesn't mean … I shouldn't have jumped all over you like that."
I grabbed his hips and tugged him closer. "I told you to kiss me. I wanted this."
"What if I'd accidentally marked you?" He stepped backward out of my reach. "That's why you didn't want to be alone with me before."
I stepped back into his space and reached up to cup his cheek. "Then I got to know you."
