Ezra lived in the States, in San Francisco, thousands of miles away, and was here only so long as it took for him to solve this case. That was a wrench in Raum’s plans—well, as much as he had plans.
One night with Ezra and he wanted more than a casual fling. He wanted something solid. Ezra’s aura was invigorating, a delight to the senses, and everything Ezra did made Raum fall a bit harder, a bit faster, and he was dreading what would happen when Ezra finished this case and prepared to leave.
He’d never believed in love at first sight—not for him, at least, he was no werewolf to fall instantly—but his heart was already engaged, and he was struggling to find his emotional and mental balance.
Ezra was changing the landscape of his heart, and Raum had no idea what to do.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
EZRA
Raum walked him to his door at Sacred Threshold, and Ezra was given a slow, deep kiss full of promise and longing, and he returned it with equal yearning. If he didn’t need to change and tend to Lilith he would have stayed at Raum’s place, in his bed.
But the real world called along with all the responsibilities that came with it.
“See you later?” Raum asked as they parted, Ezra’s hands clutching at Raum’s shirt, creasing the fabric. He relaxed his grip and smoothed out the wrinkles.
“Absolutely yes,” Ezra replied, making Raum grin. “I’d have stayed, but Lilith…”
He could hear her meowing through the door, loudly demanding he hurry up and feed her. He had left her full bowls of food and water the night before, hoping he might get lucky and stay the night with Raum, but she likely ate it all and was hungry for her breakfast.
“I can hear her,” Raum said with a chuckle. “Text me when you’re heading to the library? If you are today, that is.”
“I want to go through Simmons' notes about the skull, see if there’s anything in his research about who the skull was in life,maybe something we can use to help break the cycle. I can’t wait on the chance your grandfather is going to find the answers we seek—I need to keep looking, too.”
Raum didn’t take that badly, nodding in agreement. “I have office hours this evening, but I will be free tonight if you want to come over?”
Ezra couldn’t help the ridiculous smile on his face or the heart-eyes he was surely displaying. “Yes, please.”
“Good,” Raum murmured, leaning down and giving him a kiss that was full of passion. Ezra shivered, delighted, wanting more, but they parted and Ezra reluctantly let Raum go.
Raum gave him a flirty look over his shoulder as he walked away, leaving Ezra watching forlornly in the hall, Lilith loudly meowing through the door.
He turned to the door and opened it, and was promptly pounced on by a very angry Lykoi cat who lived up to her nickname and growled like a tiny werewolf even as she danced between his feet and rubbed against his ankles. She transitioned to screaming for her food, and Ezra felt horrible, even though he saw the bowl still had a little bit of kibble in the bottom of the basin.
She was starving to death, of course.
He paused, realizing he had no idea where he left the kitty bag of meatballs the night before, and he sighed, a bit exasperated with himself.
Ezra shut the door, hoping to quell the noise and not disturb the rest of the hospital. He really should get a hotel room or something instead of staying at Sacred Threshold. He had no room for a guest in the room he had now, and he really wanted to invite Raum for a naughty sleepover.
“I’m sorry, I’m here,” he placated Lilith as he got out fresh food and filled her bowl, rinsing and replacing the water, too. Hetook the time to clean the litter box, and then stripped down and turned on the shower.
The hot spray was welcome, and he took his time under the water, especially once he found evidence of love bites on his chest and fingerprint bruises on his hips from the night before. He grinned, cock hardening, and he had to lean on the shower wall as he stroked himself to a quick orgasm, thinking of Raum taking him, focusing on the slight sting in his ass from the pounding Raum gave him all night.
He came, shaking, and it took him a long while to work his head around cleaning up and rinsing off, the water going lukewarm and heading toward cold when he finally finished.
He got out of the shower and dried off, and he found himself just dripping on the floor, towel in hand, mind occupied by thoughts of Raum. He shook himself out of it and quickly dried off, toweling his hair before finishing his morning routine and contemplating his next steps.
There was the skull to figure out. That was the most pressing matter, but he had a new problem. A problem he knew was going to happen, but he went for it anyway.
He wanted Raum. For more than a one-night stand or a few casual dates. And he had no idea how to resolve the distance issue. He’d never had a relationship as an adult, and had no idea what to do. Throw in long-distance, and he was floundering mentally.
“I’m getting so ahead of myself,” he muttered, digging through his bags for clothing. He needed to do laundry or go shopping soon for more clothes. He was running out. “Raum may not even want a relationship with me. Maybe this is just casual for him?”
He tried not to sound like he was whining, but he failed, even to his own ears.
He took his clothes to the bed, sat down on the edge with the clothing piled on his lap, and for the first time wished that he had someone to call to talk about relationship issues.
