“What?”
“I felt it. You….” Exploded like a teenage boy. “You came too.”
Silence. Josh wondered if the man was going to lie about it, but eventually Nero sighed. “Yeah, I did. That happens sometimes. Don’t think about it. Think about your body. How does it feel?”
Like it had just had the best orgasm of his life. But Josh didn’t say that. Instead, he focused on the heat on his skin, the gentle skim of caresses up and down his arms, and the steady heartbeat behind his back. Nero’s solidka-thump,ka-thumpwas like the beat of a big drum. It made him feel safe on a subliminal level. And no matter how many times he told himself that he couldn’t get comfortable, that he didn’t trust this man as far as he could throw him, he couldn’t deny the way thatka-thumpfelt against his back.
“I’m good,” he said.
“Then I’m going to get up and get something to clean up with. You okay with that?”
“Uh, yeah, sure. I can—”
“Stay right here. You feel good right now, but Mother used to faint if she stood up too fast. So do us both a favor and relax. Let me take care of things right now, okay?”
“Okay.”
Nero shifted, drawing his leg out and twisting his large body around. “I’m also going to heat up some broth for you, so this will take me a moment. Please don’t try to get up or run away. The windows and doors are locked, and you’re likely to end up passed out on the floor. I swear I’m not trying to hurt you.”
That harmonic resonance was back in the guy’s voice, so he knew Nero was speaking the truth. He really was trying to look out for Josh, even if that meant jerking him off on the couch. God, he squirmed internally whenever he thought about that, so he gave up the fight. He didn’t have the mental resources for it. And though he’d likely damn himself for it later, Josh nodded and closed his eyes as he relaxed back against the cushions.
Nero spent a moment helping him readjust some throw pillows so that his back was supported, and then Josh exhaled happily while someone else took care of him.
His mind went blank as he listened to Nero moving around the kitchen, putting something in the microwave. And then there were all those bathroom noises before his heavy steps returned to the couch. Josh opened his eyes to see the big man looking awkward as he hovered with a thick washcloth in his hand.
“I’m going to clean you up, okay?”
Josh could have done it himself, but when he’d given up, he’d done it all the way. He nodded, then closed his eyes in pleasure as the warm fabric brushed across his chest and belly. Then it slid lower, and he was already thickening in anticipation. But that was too far to go. A first ejaculation could be put down to being overwhelmed. A second would be intimate, and so he stopped Nero with a raised hand.
“I got it,” he rasped. And he did. He took the cloth and cleaned up with a few quick swipes; then, while Nero took the cloth back, Josh tucked everything away. He even pulled his T-shirt on while Nero went back to the kitchen. By the time the big guy returned with a bowl of dark broth and saltine crackers, everything looked normal and yet felt totally weird.
“It’s bone broth,” Nero said as he sat down on the coffee table and held out the soup. “Take it slow, but eat it all.”
Josh meant to reach for the soup. He really did. His hands went out and his mind said,Take the soup, eat it all, get strong enough to get your head on straight. But he watched with a kind of dumbfounded shock as his hands went to Nero’s face instead. And while the big guy was leaning forward to pass him the soup, Josh pulled their faces together for a kiss.
Nero’s body stiffened a moment, but only for a fraction of a second. And even so, his mouth was never hard. His lips were full and sweet as they moved across Josh’s with gentle confidence. And when Nero’s tongue pressed forward, Josh surrendered to him with openmouthed abandon. He let the guy touch him everywhere—tongue, teeth, and the roof of his mouth. And as excitement heated his blood, his own tongue came alive. It thrust forward, then ducked back. He dueled and fought for dominance while his heart pounded and his hands began to grip. He angled Nero’s head and he surged forward, thrusting into Nero’s mouth like a man demanding his due.
And to his utter delight, Nero gave way. He opened up for the kind of foreplay Josh loved. Give and take, surrender and dominance, a back-and-forth that had him rising off the couch to pursue this further.
Nero was the one who broke free. His breath was coming hard as he jerked back. And then he cursed with a sharp bark of surprise. It took a moment for Josh to realize why. The guy had spilled hot soup on himself and rapidly set the bowl down before shaking off his wrist. The skin there was flushed red, and Josh had the strongest urge to lick it better.
Nero didn’t give him the chance. He was already straightening up, away from the coffee table, and dropping the crackers. A second look told Josh that he’d spilled half the soup on his pants and more onto the floor.
“Damn it,” Nero muttered as he stripped off his shirt and dropped it onto the carpet to soak up the spill. “Mother is going to bitch about that. I swear her human nose can smell spilled—” His words choked off, and for a moment the guy froze. He was crouched in front of Josh, his glorious torso flushed as he pressed his shirt into the carpet, but his whole body went rigid. And then Josh looked at his face and felt his heart lurch at the naked grief. Nero’s mouth was open in shock and his eyes were wide. A sheen of tears reflected the light, but not a single sound or movement shook the frozen tableau. It was as if Nero held his whole body rigid in fear of what would come out if he relaxed any part of himself, even for a second.
It wasn’t hard to put the pieces together. He’d seen grief like this before. Mother was gone—probably dead—and the event was so recent that Nero’d forgotten for a moment that she wasn’t here.
Well, shit. Whatever else was going on, Josh instantly felt bad for someone in the depths of that much pain. So he reached down to finish sopping up the spill. He gently tugged on Nero’s wrist and spoke in a gentle tone.
“I’ve got this. Go clean up.”
Nero pulled himself together with visible effort. His body tightened and he shook his head. “You’re the new wolf. It’s my responsibility to care for you.”
And responsibility was clearly a big deal to this guy.
“I’m fine, and your pants are a mess.” He touched Nero’s chin and caught his gaze. Damn, if ever a man looked lost, it was this guy. He was alone and yet still fighting with everything he had to hold it together, to do his duty, to be the alpha in charge. “I’m good,” he repeated. “Get cleaned up.” Then he sighed. “I don’t think I’m going to run away anytime soon. There’s so much to learn here.” He let his lips curve into a rueful smile. “And I’ve never been able to resist that.”
He saw doubt cross Nero’s features. The man suspected a lie, but his exhaustion overrode any suspicion. Nero was simply too tired of fighting to question Josh’s apparent surrender. He nodded.
