“Would you be the same if I was experienced? Would you be this hesitant if I was older?”
I had to think about those questions for a minute. It worried me a bit when I came up with the answer of most likely not. “You being inexperienced is not an issue with me, but it does change the way I feel that we should go forward. You yourself said you weren’t ready for things, and I’m respecting that. It’s no issue for me. Until you have a heat, that is. Then we’ll have to figure out things.”
Duncan sighed. “No we won’t. Just claim me, and it’ll be fine. You’ll take care of me during the heat, and it won’t be the first time we are together. I’d like to remember that if you can understand that.”
I was only a man, and my mate, who was still unclaimed, had just told me that he wanted me to claim him. I had to take several deep breaths to calm myself. Only that didn’t work because that just filled my body with Duncan’s scent.
“I can’t,” I told him finally after getting myself a bit more under control. The look on Duncan’s face said I’d messed up again. “You’re going to work in under two hours. Do you really think that if I were to take you to the bedroom and claim you, you would be ready to go to work in two hours?”
Duncan’s mouth dropped open. It took a bit for him to close it, and then he blinked at me. “It doesn’t take that long, does it? I mean, I know in videos it goes on and on, but that’s not real. They do multiple takes. And use…things to…” Duncan wobbled his head side to side. “Keep it up.”
I fought it as long as I could, but it was no use. I couldn’t help but laugh. Not at Duncan, but at what he’d said. He startedlaughing with me, and when he pushed hard on my shoulder, I fell into the arm of the couch.
“What? It’s true, and you know it.”
I nodded and finally got myself under control. “True. What you said is true,” I finally said in agreement. “And you are correct. Claiming won’t take two hours. But it will take time. It is not something to be rushed, nor is it something that either of our other halves are going to be able to just get up and walk away from afterward. Going to work won’t be possible for at least a few hours.”
“Really?” Duncan asked. “Didn’t Charlie go to work the next day?”
I nodded. “Yes. As did Silver. But they both paid for it, and they ended up calling it a very early day. But that was after spending the entire evening and night together. They had at least twelve hours. You’re talking about less than two.” I didn’t know how else to explain this to him. Would I claim him? If he was absolutely certain. But I knew that there was no way I would be able to send him on to work at ten. It simply wasn’t happening.
“Okay,” Duncan said as he stood. “I’ll be right back.” I tracked him as he left the living room and went to the kitchen and picked up his phone. He typed something, then swiped several times, typed again, then set the phone back down on the counter. “There,” he said. He walked back toward the living room and then gestured with his head toward…my room. “This room, right?”
I slowly stood. “That’s my room, yes. What about it?”
“Well, I figured you’d want to claim me in there? Maybe you would like to do it upstairs?”
“Duncan, not now,” I told him.
“Why not?” He pulled his shirt off over his head and dropped it onto the floor. “I just texted both of my bosses and let themknow I met my mate and wouldn’t be in for a few days.” He was now leaning against my doorframe and looking absolutely adorable. And irresistible. “I figure…if they fire me, then I’ll have to find a new job. There are plenty of places that need waitstaff though.”
I slowly walked toward him. “You don’t have to hurry for a new job. If it comes to that.” I was standing just inches from him and could feel the heat radiating off his body. “You have to be absolutely certain because there’s no going back after this. My gorilla won’t allow you to move out once he’s claimed you.”
Duncan snorted. “I think that it’s safe to say that my roommates aren’t going to want me to move back in anyway. Some of their messages were a bit harsh.”
My building desire was suddenly dampened. “What do you mean?”
“Later. But they’ve been texting me since last night. I muted all of their numbers, so the messages still came in, but Dave’s messages are the worst. And he wasn’t even a roommate. He was just there all of the time.” Duncan reached out and placed his hand on my side. “Will you kiss me? You do that, right?”
I would have my brothers look into each of Duncan’s roommates later. Right now, I had a mate to take care of. I reached for his face and cupped his cheeks gently as I lowered my face toward his. “I’ll do anything you want,” I whispered. “If you want me to kiss you, I absolutely will. It’s quite enjoyable and can be intensely intimate.” I didn’t give Duncan a chance to say anything else as I gently touched my lips to his.
I used my thumbs under his chin to carefully lift his face a bit more. That was exactly what we needed, and I was able to use just a bit of pressure from my own lips to get Duncan’s to part. It was his first kiss, and I had to remember to not take things too far while making sure it was memorable for him.
Duncan moaned when my tongue swiped across his upper lip. I felt his fingers fist in my shirt and took a chance and gently pushed my tongue into his mouth enough to find his tongue. I pushed against it briefly before retreating and swiping at his upper lip again. Duncan moaned once more before I pulled away. I opened my eyes first and smiled at my adorable mate.
“I hope that was an acceptable first kiss,” I whispered. Only then did Duncan’s eyes open. He nodded in response. “That’s good to know. I’m a bit rusty when it comes to kissing, but I very much look forward to spending a lot of time kissing you. Among other things. That is, if you’re comfortable with all of it.”
Duncan took a shaky breath. “I think I will be.” He bit his lower lip. “Can we do that again?”
I smiled down at my mate before slowly lowering my head again. I could certainly kiss him again, as it truly was no hardship in the least. In fact, I couldn’t think of a better way to start things with my mate.
I lowered my lips to his once more, and the difference this time was immediate. Duncan’s arms slid around my waist, and he tilted his head back perfectly. But it was when his tongue came out to play that had me groaning this time. I pushed back against his tongue, and when I moved mine under his, his body collapsed into mine. I wrapped my arms tightly around his body, holding him to me securely.
Duncan turned his head, gasping for breath, and I took that opportunity to lean closer and kiss just in front of his ear. Duncan’s moan spoke of approval, and when he pushed his lower body into my thigh, I smiled before gently sucking on his lobe.
“Clay, you have to stop. I think I’m gonna come.”
I moved enough to meet his eyes and found them glassy with need. “Do you want to?”
