“Better?” Grayson asked against Ryan’s ear.
Ryan went very still. His breathing hitched. “Yeah. Better.”
Grayson’s hand spread across Ryan’s stomach, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his breathing through the thin shirt. He could feel Ryan’s pulse where his wrist rested against his abdomen. Too fast. Still scared. Grayson started rubbing slow circles against Ryan’s back, working at the knots of tension he could feel through the fabric.
“You’re safe,” Grayson murmured. His mouth was close enough to Ryan’s ear that he felt him twitch at the words. “Nothing's going to hurt you. I promise.”
“You keep promising that.” Ryan’s voice came out thready. “What if you can’t keep it?”
“I can.” Grayson continued the slow circles, feeling the muscles gradually start to loosen under his palm. “Trust me.”
“I do. That’s the weird part.” Ryan shifted slightly, pressing back into Grayson’s hand. “I've known you for like three days, and I’m letting you spoon me in your bed because I’m terrified. That’s either trust or stupidity. Jury's still out on which.”
“Not stupidity.” Grayson’s hand moved higher, working at the tension in Ryan’s shoulders. The T-shirt rode up slightly with the movement, exposing a strip of skin. Grayson’s thumb brushed against it, and Ryan made a sound low in his throat.
They stayed like that for several minutes, Grayson working out the knots, Ryan gradually relaxing into the touch. The fear scent started to fade, replaced by something warmer. Something that made Grayson’s lion purr with satisfaction.
Ryan turned over. The movement was sudden, bringing them face to face. Only inches separated them now. Grayson could count Ryan’s eyelashes if he wanted to, could see the flecks of color in his eyes that the dim light almost hid.
”This seems like maybe more than just comforting someone who's scared.” Ryan’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Grayson’s hand stilled on Ryan’s back. “Do you want me to stop?”
“No.” Ryan’s tongue darted out to wet his lips. Grayson tracked the movement. “I really, really don't want you to stop. Which is probably a bad idea given everything happening, but my brain is finally not thinking about death threats, so I’m counting that as a win.”
Grayson moved his hand up to cup the back of Ryan’s neck. His fingers threaded through the soft hair there. Ryan’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment then opened again.
“You can kiss me,” Ryan said. “If you want. I know we kissed earlier, but that feels like a million years ago and I’m pretty sure I’m not imagining that you want to, but I’m terrible at reading signals so I could be completely wrong and making this super awkward.”
Grayson kissed him, cut off the rambling with his mouth and swallowing Ryan’s small gasp of surprise. Ryan’s lips were soft, parting immediately to let Grayson in. The taste of him went straight to Grayson’s head, making his lion growl softly with possessive satisfaction. His mate. Finally.
Ryan made another sound, needy and desperate. His hands came up to fist in Grayson’s hair, pulling him closer. The kiss deepened, turning hungry. Grayson rolled them until Ryan was on his back, Grayson’s weight pressing him into the mattress. Ryan spread his legs and Grayson settled between them like he belonged there.
“God,” Ryan breathed when they broke apart. His lips were already swollen, his eyes glazed. “That’s even better than earlier. How is it better than earlier?”
Grayson didn’t answer. He kissed Ryan again, slower this time. Savoring the taste of him, the way Ryan’s body arched up into his. Ryan’s hands moved from Grayson’s hair to his shoulders, his nails digging in through the skin.
“Wait.” Ryan turned his head, breaking the kiss. “Wait, I need to say something before my brain completely stops working.”
Grayson pulled back enough to look at him. Ryan’s face was flushed, his breathing ragged. His T-shirt had ridden up, exposing his stomach. Grayson wanted to put his mouth there, wanted to taste every inch of exposed skin.
“I’m not good at this,” Ryan said. His eyes darted away, focusing on something past Grayson’s shoulder. “The whole casual thing. I get attached. Like really attached. So if this is just a distraction or a one-time thing because I’m scared and you’re being nice, I need you to tell me now before I get all weird about it.”
Grayson brought his hand up to Ryan’s face, turning him until their eyes met. “This isn't casual. And it’s not because you’re scared.”
“Then what is it?” Ryan searched his face. “Because three days ago you didn’t know I existed and now you’re letting me hide in your house and you’re in bed with me and I just need to understand what this is.”
Grayson wanted to tell him everything. That Ryan was his mate, that every protective instinct and possessive thought was hardwired into his DNA. But the words wouldn’t come. Ryan wasn't ready for that truth.
“It’s me wanting you,” Grayson said instead. “That’s what this is.”
Ryan stared at him for a long moment. Then his mouth curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. “Okay. That’s good. I can work with that.” He pulled Grayson back down, their mouths meeting again. This kiss was different. Deeper. Ryan’s tongue slid against Grayson’s, his hips rolling up in a movement that made Grayson growl low in his throat.
Grayson moved his mouth to Ryan’s jaw, trailing kisses along the line of it. Ryan’s head fell back, exposing his throat. The trust in that gesture made something fierce and protective rise in Grayson’s gut. His mate, offering his throat. The lion wanted to mark him there, wanted to make sure everyone knew Ryan belonged to him.
“You’re making sounds,” Ryan said. His voice came out breathless. “Like growling sounds. That’s really hot. Is it weird that I find that hot?”
Grayson scraped his teeth along Ryan’s throat, not hard enough to mark, just enough to make him gasp. “Not weird.”
