Lucas started laughing. Something about the banter between the two brothers struck him as extremely funny. He hadn’t laughed in a long time, even before that night with the vampires. He always considered himself a happy person, but maybe not. If he hadn’t laughed in months, maybe longer, didn’t that mean he was unhappy?
“I’ll have you know I am the one who brought Lucas to you. I practically delivered your mate to you like he was a fucking pizza. You should be thanking me,” Forrest said and stood. Lucas watched him enter the kitchen. He heard the refrigerator door open and close again. “Seriously, Bennett. You have ketchup, pop, and pickles.”
Forrest came back in the room and held out his hand to Bennett. “Fork it over. I’ll grocery shop for you so you don’t look like a complete loser in front of your mate.”
“There’s money in the top drawer of my dresser. Now leave us alone for a minute.”
“You got an hour to fuck each other blind, then I’ll be back,” Forest said, walking out of the room, heading down what Lucas thought was probably a hallway, but he couldn’t really tell from where he sat.
Lucas turned back to Bennett. His smile died when he saw the look in Bennett’s eyes. Lucas licked his lips and couldn’t keep himselffrom leaning forward. Bennett’s hands came up to frame his face as he pulled Lucas to him.
The kiss was a press of their lips, neither of them taking it any farther. It was as if Bennett feared scaring Lucas again. Lucas was far from scared. His cock grew hard and he tried to get closer to Bennett, wanting close to the source of his pleasure.
Lucas slipped into Bennett’s mind with no effort at all. He didn’t even know he did it until he felt Bennett’s passion rise to the surface and then Lucas gasped and pulled back. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” All the passion Bennett felt, coming off him in waves, was too much again and Lucas panted, trying to catch his breath.
“It’s all right, baby. Shh, I’ve got you. You’re okay. So pretty like this, though.”
Lucas, once again, tried to climb out of Bennett’s lap. “About that shower.”
Bennett’s hands left Lucas’ face and he lifted him into his arms as he stood, making him squeal at the unexpectedness of it. Bennett held on to him as if he weighed nothing. Lucas had been losing weight since being on the run. He wasn’t a big eater when he stressed out and that was catching up with him. Still, he had to be heavy.
“I can walk,” Lucas said.
“I like this better,” Bennett said.
Yeah, Lucas kind of did too, not that he was ready to admit that, though. Lucas didn’t say anything but held on as Bennett walked down the hallway. He went into a bedroom that had the blankets and sheets all rumpled up on the bed, as if someone had just gotten out of it. The room had that cinnamon smell to it and Lucas couldn’t help but moan. The smell was so strong, so…intoxicating.
“Why do you smell so good?” Lucas asked and pressed his face against the bare skin of Bennett’s shoulder.
“That’s how you know I’m your mate. I don’t smell like that to anyone else. Just you. Your smell is stronger for me because I’m a shifter.”
“What do I smell like to you?”
“You smell like the northern forest. Like pine, I guess.” Bennett stopped inside a bathroom, continuing to hold Lucas close, and took a big long pull of air in through his nose. Bennett moaned against Lucas’ hair. The air he expelled moved some of the strands aside. “And like the roses on the west side of my mother’s house. I’ll show you sometime soon.”
Lucas thought about Bennett already talking about meeting his mother. They hadn’t even been on their first date yet.
Lucas wasn’t sure what to say to Bennett, who seemed so fierce and instinctual with everything he did. At least he was around Lucas.
“Can you put me down, please?” He asked without looking at Bennett.
He put him on his feet but didn’t release the hold he had around Lucas’ waist. Lucas was eye level with the center of Bennett’s chest and that was right where he kept his gaze. Bennett lifted his chin with a finger until their gazes met. “What did I say that has that worried look on your face?”
Lucas shrugged. “This is all happening so fast.”
“When a shifter finds his mate, that’s it for him. You’re it for me, for the rest of my life.”
“Just like that?”
“Yep, just like that. Fate has chosen.”
“And you don’t have a say in it at all.”
Bennett shrugged. “Why would I question Fate? I trust that you’re perfect for me.”
“I can’t do that. Trust like that. So blindly.”
Bennett frowned. “Are you rejecting me?” He asked in a gruff voice that scared Lucas a little.
