That got a real laugh out of Zack, less nervous than before. Muscles in his arms twitched as he kept rubbing the bruise, so Colton caught the fingers gently without a word and pressed them between his own. The smaller hand fit perfectly inside his grip.
“Gonna make that worse if you keep poking it,” he said. “Let me see.”
Zack’s mouth went soft for a second. Not quite a thank you. Not an apology, either. Just relief. He let Colton hold his arm, thumb stroking over the tender place like he owned it.
No more jokes for a minute. They kept walking, silent, but it was the right kind of silence, the one Colton remembered from late nights in the kitchen after everyone else had gone to bed.
Back at the Harley, Zack hesitated. He stood with his hands on his hips like he was about to challenge the world. “This time, if I die, you have to tell everyone I made it three whole stops before falling off.”
“That’s not happening,” Colton promised. He set his hand on the back of Zack’s neck and pulled until their faces were less than an inch apart. “You did good, Blue. Proud of you.”
With Zack’s mouth right there, it would have been a crime not to kiss him. Colton didn’t wait, just leaned in and caught those lips. Warm. Soft. His hand slid into the back of Zack’s hair, keeping his mate still while he explored the taste, taking his time. Scent of cinnamon and coffee still clung to their skin.
Zack moaned into his mouth, hips pushing forward. The guy tried to keep a lid on it, but Colton felt the tremor run through his entire body. For a moment, breathing was the only thing that existed. Zack broke the kiss, but Colton wasn’t about to let that fly. He caught the guy’s bottom lip between his teeth and sucked until Zack hissed and pressed up closer.
“We keep doing this in public and you’re not making it home with all your clothes,” Zack said, voice ragged.
“Not sorry.” Colton growled the words, then captured him for another kiss. This one was dirtier, less about comfort and more about letting his mate know exactly what he wanted from him. Tongue shoved deep, thumb still moving over that bruised wrist.
Zack whimpered, hands fisting in Colton’s shirt.
Fuck, he wanted this man.
Colton broke off the kiss, biting lightly down Zack’s jaw. “On the bike,” he murmured.
Zack blinked, dazed, then climbed on without even pretending to be nervous. Colton mounted in front, making sure the seat pressed them together. The bike came alive under him. He waited until Zack was flush against his back, both arms locked around his body, before gunning the engine and pulling out onto the road.
This time, his mate didn’t hesitate. Fingers dug into Colton’s waist, holding tight like he never planned to let go. A guy could get used to this.
Wind buffeted them, patches of sunlight hitting the road. Every time Colton shifted gears, he felt Zack’s knees press in, thighs bunching tight against him.
One time, at a stop, Colton caught Zack’s reflection in a storefront window. His mate’s mouth was open, pink tongue dragging slow along his bottom lip. The sight nearly made him wreck.
They made it back to Zack’s apartment in record time. Colton didn’t give a shit about checking his phone or even looking at the street numbers on the buildings.
All that mattered was getting his mate up those stairs.
Tucked over a laundromat, the apartment looked exactly like Zack had described. Small. A little battered. But clean, and with a weird sense of comfort that showed in the details. Mismatched coffee mugs on the counter. Plants on every available windowsill. A punchy orange throw pillow on the lopsided couch.
“This is me.” Zack held the door open, then immediately pivoted and yanked Colton down by the collar of his shirt. Their mouths collided. Zack devoured him, hands fisted in his shirt, moaning as if he’d been starving for weeks. Colton’s panther nearly ripped out of him. Pressure built behind his eyes, not pain, just pure need.
“Knew you’d taste good,” Colton rumbled between kisses.
Zack smacked him in the shoulder. “Knew you’d be bossy.”
“You like it.”
“Yeah, fuck, I do.” Zack arched his body, desperate for more.
Colton steered his mate to the couch and spun him, pressing Zack’s back to his chest. He kept the man upright, hands covering his stomach, then dropped lower, feeling the shudder that zipped through Zack’s body. His own cock was hard, straining behind the zipper. Didn’t matter. Right now, all Colton wanted was to make Zack fall apart.
“Want to know what I see?” Colton ground the words into Zack’s ear. “I see you kneeling, begging for it. I see those blue eyes looking up. I see your cock leaking for me, and I haven’t even touched you yet.”
“Holy shit.” Zack’s breath came fast, hips pushing back hard.
“You gonna be a good Blue and let me take care of you?”
“Yes. Fuck, do anything you want. Please.”
