Michael frowned. “You okay with that?”
“I don’t think we have much of a choice.”
Michael stared at him for a beat longer. Whatever was going through his mind, he didn’t let on, and Isaac didn’t ask. They’d said enough tonight.
“Come on, then. We’d better get back, they’ll be wondering what we’re up to.”
Isaac didn’t know if they’d been within earshot or not, but it wasn’t as though the others weren’t aware they had a history. And he was pretty sure Michael’s scent had been all over him after the night they’d spent together.
I need to stop touching him. At least until the HRU have been here.
That thought alone was enough to snap him back into the present and remind him of all that was at stake. Whatever he and Michael were struggling through needed to take a back seat.
When they re-entered the cave, Isaac cleared his throat. “It’s getting late, so I’ll leave you all to it until the morning.” He gestured to the huts behind them. “It’s not the most comfortable lodgings, but there’s plenty of bedding and blankets, and there’s a portable toilet at the back of the cave. I’ll be back early tomorrow with breakfast. There’s water and snacks in here”—he tapped the huge cool box next to him with his foot—“if you need any in the meantime.”
After saying his goodnights, Isaac headed for the steps back up to the house, Michael hot on his heels. After spending most of the day together, especially after their heart-to-heart by the sea, the idea of leaving Michael down here felt wrong. Isaac rubbed at his chest, his wolf unhappy at the thought of separation.
Movement caught his eye, and he glanced over to find Logan and Cole stripping off, clothes dumped in a pile inside one of the huts before they both shifted. Isaac wasn’t surprised. Why use blankets when they had their own fur coat? The urge to join them tugged at him, and it was surprisingly harder to resist than he was expecting.
Would Michael shift?
Cole and Logan curled around each other, and before he could stop it, a vision of him and Michael doing the same slipped into his mind.
Even more reason to return to the house.
Isaac pushed his instincts back down. Things might be simpler if he shifted, but it wouldn’t solve anything.
Michael followed him up the first few steps, reaching for Isaac’s hand when they were out of sight of the others.
Isaac let him twine their fingers together but put his hand on Michael’s chest when he leant in to kiss him. “You need to go back to the others. I smell like you enough as it is.”
“I wanted to say goodnight.”
Isaac raised an eyebrow. “Goodnight.”
They stared at each other, the dark of the tunnel giving the impression they were the only two down there. Isaac had no illusions that any of this conversation was private.
Michael didn’t seem to care.
“Goodnight, Isaac.” Dipping his head, he buried his face in the crook of Isaac’s neck and took a deep, unsteady breath. “You smell so good.”
Michael’s warm breath ghosted over his skin and he shivered. “Michael.” It was meant to be a warning, but his voice came out far too rough for it to be anything other than a plea for more.
“I know.” Michael lifted his head and went to step back, but Isaac grabbed his T-shirt and hauled him close. Their lips met, Isaac’s low whine loud in the silence of the tunnel but he couldn’t care less who heard them because kissing Michael blocked out everything else. They kissed as though they had all the time in the world, slow and intense, as if discovering each other for the first time. Michael cupped his jaw, strong hands holding him in place as he backed him up against the cave wall.
Cool rock met Isaac’s back, the uneven surface digging in, but Isaac welcomed it, needed it to keep him grounded and not totally lose himself in the feel of Michael pressed up against him, his scent surrounding him and making his head swim.
When the need for air overrode everything else, Isaac drew back and rested his forehead against Michael’s, their breathing harsh and ragged. “We can’t keep doing this. I can’t have your scent on me when they come.”
What was the point of keeping them down in the cave if Isaac practically bathed in Michael’s scent every chance he got? Soap and water would only go so far.
“I know.” Michael sighed, and it seemed to take tremendous effort for him to step back and put some distance between them. “Night, Isaac.” He took another step backwards, and another, eyes never leaving Isaac’s until his feet hit the sand. With a small smile, he turned and disappeared around the corner.
Isaac slumped back against the rock, drawing in a shuddering breath.
Fuck.
He closed his eyes.
Whatever Michael’s plans were after the coming storm, Isaac knew he’d never be able to stay away.
He just hoped they’d both survive it.
