Page 35 of Temptation On Ice

“That’s correct. It’s an intensive first round. I sent him to a puppy handler in Buford for a few weeks. They specialize in crowd work and what the Hydras will need. He’ll be back soon and on a regular schedule here.”

“That’s what McKenna mentioned. What the fuck am I supposed to do? I can’t tell my kid he can’t have a dog for class when he’s already committed. I’ve been trying to teach him about follow-through. This is a prime example of not living up to your word if he doesn’t make it happen.”

“You’re in quite the pickle,” Tucker says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “If only you knew someone who had a bunch of puppies and could help.”

I groan, realizing how easy this could be. “Would it be possible to borrow another puppy for him to share? I can’t believe he springs this shit on me at bedtime out of the blue, and I’m left scrambling.” I rub my eyes as the heaviness of the situation settles on me.

“Yes, Sebastian. Send me the address of the school and the time. I’ll be there. Don't even worry about it.”

“Fuck, thank you! I could kiss you right now, I’m so happy,” I say quickly.

There’s an awkward silence on the phone after that, and I realize what I said.

“Oh, shit, sorry, is that unacceptable, and I shouldn’t say that kind of thing?” I ask quickly. “I can do better, I swear. I just need to know the rules.” I chug the rest of my beer and feel the heat in my belly from the shots radiating out to my limbs, making me loose and more relaxed than I should be. Which could be why I said the stupid thing in the first place.

Tucker clears his throat. “Maybe don't say that unless you actually want to kiss me, because it makes me think about it a little too much, and I’m trying to be a good friend here.”

So, he thinks about kissing me? What else does he think about?

“I probably shouldn’t tell you the body wash I got makes me think of you, then?” I ask, my voice scratchy as I share a bit of the truth. My cheeks heat with the idea that he could want to know more, and I might have to tell him. Do I want him to know? What would that even do for us?

“Depends on how you’re thinking about me, I guess,” he says slowly, the words taking on the thicker drawl I only notice when he’s emotional, or maybe it’s turned on. It’s hard to decipher the context of our previous interactions and compare them to the present now that we’re both aware of his orientation.

“It’s not fit for polite company to hear,” I tell him, not sure how to approach this. I’m walking a fine line here, and I don't know what my endgame is.

“I never said I was polite,” he rumbles, the deep sound sending a shiver down my spine and making my cock take notice. It’s perking up, and I’m not even in the shower with the body wash as an excuse. It’s just Tucker’s voice and the idea of telling him how I’ve thought of him that’s doing it now.

That short reply is all it takes to push me over the edge. I want to explore whatever these impulses are and see where they go, despite being so far out of my comfort zone, I need an entirely new map. For some reason, I know if it spins out of my control, Tucker is the person who would be the safest to attempt this with and would be there to steer me back if I get lost.

“It’s the same scent as your beard products. From the same line,” I say, letting my voice drop low and slow, turning this into a story when it’s just an obscene sex fantasy I’ve had multiple times.

“I know it. I use the same one,” he says, voice matching my tone and cadence, without any hesitation. Okay, so he’s meeting me here without any reservations. It gives me the confidence to continue.

“The first time it made me think of you was last weekend, before I came over and stayed the night. I was in the shower, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders, but when I opened the bottle, all I could think of was smelling your beard, and then I was thinking of you and nothing else.”

“H-how were you thinking of me?” he asks with a shake to his voice that is so not like him. I wonder if he’s trembling.

“It was the first time my cock decided to get hard in months, and it was you I had on my mind. Your body wash on my skin. Your beard under my hand. You on your knees for me,” I manage to rasp out finally as I struggle to breathe through the anticipation and weight of this moment. My armpits are sweating, and my heart is racing as I tread into unfamiliar territory. Not only have I not spoken to someone like this in years, but it’s a man on the other end of the phone, and I like it.

He curses under his breath. “Sebastian,” he growls, warning clear in his tone when he’s able to speak again. “Don’t say another word unless you want me thinking of doing whatever it is you imagined.”

I shiver again at the command in his tone and realize why the dogs all do exactly what he says. He’s someone you obey without question.

“And if I want that?” I ask, barely recognizing my voice as the words leave my mouth.

Do I want that? My cock sure as fuck does. It’s pressing against the fabric of my gym shorts, begging to be let out of the confines of my boxer briefs.

He groans, the sound making my dick jump. “You’re a walking temptation, you know that?”

I smile at the sound of need in his voice and rub my palm over my trapped cock. “You want to know more, don't you?”

“Fuck yes,” he growls.

“Say please,” I demand, not sure why I’m toying with him.

“Please, Big Daddy,” he begs, voice low and needy, unlike anything I’ve heard from him before.

Holy shit, that does it. I put the phone on speaker, setting it on the pillow next to my head. I slide my shorts and boxers down, letting my cock spring out and hit my stomach so I can stroke it while I talk to him.