CHAPTER2
Michael closed his eyes for a moment, searching for the control he knew was in there somewhere. Isaac’s scent, both familiar and somehow new, curled around him, tugging at the tenuous hold he had on his instincts.
With Isaac laying himself open like that, inviting Michael to take what he wanted, it was all he could do not to throw back his head and howl his intentions to the whole fucking building.
The urge to half-shift and sink his fangs into the tender flesh of Isaac’s throat, claiming him, marking him as taken, was almost impossible to ignore.
But he had to.
They were far from being at that point.
If we ever get there.
But they had this.
Now.
This moment.
Locked away from the outside and all the trouble waiting for them, Michael refused to waste one single second.
Breathing deep, he forced himself to calm down, to steady his heart rate until the desire to bite settled into a soft hum at the back of his mind.
Satisfied he had a handle on his base instincts, Michael gave in a little and let his body slide into the half-shift. His teeth lengthened and his claws slid out, the pain a welcome relief to take the edge off the desperation coursing through him.
“Careful,” Isaac murmured, pupils dilating as Michael traced a claw down the column of his throat. His smirk said otherwise, so Michael pressed down harder, leaving a mark and eliciting a hiss.
They’d never been careful with one another, and he wasn’t about to start now.
Isaac sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and pushed his hips forward, brushing his denim-covered crotch against Michael’s. He still had his arms spread wide, but Michael knew it was only a matter of time before Isaac got tired of being passive.
Grasping the collar of his T-shirt, Michael tore it down the middle, taking a moment to appreciate the wide expanse of olive skin. Isaac had an inch or two on him, wide shoulders tapered into narrow hips, and Michael trailed his hands over every exposed part of him.
He felt the hard muscles under soft skin. Isaac hadn’t been idle during his time at Mothecombe, that was for sure. Tugging the torn material off completely, Michael lingered at Isaac’s wrists. His big hands were surprisingly soft—surgeon’s hands, his mind supplied—and long fingers curled around his for a moment before letting go.
A noise sounded out in the stairwell, and Michael’s head snapped up, remembering where they were. Pulling Isaac with him, he slammed the door closed behind them. “Bedroom?” he asked, glancing around the small entranceway to Isaac’s apartment.
“This way.” Isaac grabbed his hand, and Michael let his claws and fangs retract, earning himself a huff. “You can get those fuckers out again as soon as we’re naked.”
Michael laughed, feeling suddenly lighter and more carefree than he had in what felt like a lifetime. “Only if you behave.”
Isaac tugged him through another door, then swept him up across the floor so fast Michael’s head spun. Pinning him to the enormous bed in the centre of the room, Isaac peered down at him, eyes sparkling with both heat and amusement, his mouth curved into the dirty smirk Michael pictured in his dreams. “Never.”
They stared at each other, the playfulness slipping into something darker, more intense, and as Isaac’s gaze flicked to his mouth and back up, Michael realised they hadn’t even kissed yet.
As soon as the thought occurred to him, it was all he could focus on.
“Isaac...” He reached up, cupping his jaw with both hands, and slowly drew him down until their lips almost brushed. “I’m so fucking sorry I waited this long to come back to you.”
Isaac’s eyes widened in surprise. “Shh,” he whispered, gaze softening into something close to how Michael remembered.
And then he kissed him.
Gentle at first, a slow exploration with his tongue and his lips, as if feeling his way in unfamiliar territory.
Then Michael moved his hips, Isaac let out a whine, and that was it. The kiss deepened, Michael slid his fingers into Isaac’s hair, grip the wrong side of painful, and Isaac threw his head back, fangs dropping as he ground against him.
Isaac looked down at him with wild, dangerous eyes, tongue snaking to lick over sharp teeth as he leered at Michael. His gaze dropped to the base of Michael’s throat, and for one delicious moment, he considered it. Pictured himself tipping his head back, exposing his throat and encouraging Isaac to bite him, claim him, tie them together for the rest of their lives.
