Page 82 of Bonded By Tea and Tarot

“Get in here and help me, then.” I sling an arm around his neck and pull his head to my shoulder, pleased when he doesn’t resist and instead winds his arm around my waist. “Missed you, bello,” I murmur into his hair.

“You just saw me like two hours ago.”

I shrug and let him go, but he sticks right by my side at the counter, turning to face me.

“I missed you too. Thanks for inviting me over. I would have hated going home alone tonight.” Earnest brown eyes make a home in my heart and it leaps, trying to get closer to him.

My smile softens as I appreciate his willingness to be vulnerable. I’m glad I can give him what he needs, especially since Siobhan makes it so hard to take care of her. She doesn’t need it, but my alpha wants to care for the pack. If I’m not taking care of everyone, then what am I doing?

“How can I help?” Aury says, breaking me from my twisted thoughts.

“You want to boil the noodles or shred cheese?”

“Cheese,” he says, grinning.

“You’re going to snack on it, aren’t you?”

He shrugs, and I chuckle, turning to set a pot of water to boil. “So long as you share.”

“Oh, I’m excellent at sharing, alpha,” he says, his voice a low purr.

I spin around and slam my hands to the counter on either side of his hips. His back is to my chest, and he stiffens against me, then I feel his back vibrating. Is he laughing?

“Are you taunting me, naughty beta?”

Aury presses his hips back and his ass grinds against my already hardening cock. “I would never, ah bi.”

I wonder what that name means, but am too dialed in to this moment to sidetrack us. His arms work, forearms flexing as he shreds the cheese into a bowl, pretending to ignore me while setting my insides on fire. I lean down and brush my lips against the shell of his ear. He freezes for half a second, then continues running the cheese down the grater. I smirk and run my tongue lightly down to his earlobe.

“I think you are,” I whisper. Then I nip his earlobe, and press a more firm kiss to the soft spot of his neck, right below his ear.

His muscles bunch and release, a tense shiver. I move my grip from the counter to his hips and pull him flush against me. He drops the cheese and grater with a clatter and spins around. I eye him, noting that he swallows hard, his throat bobbing, and I dip my head down to lick a stripe up it.

“Hayden,” he rasps.

I hum into his warm neck, nipping and licking and kissing my way down to the exposed hollow of his throat, then along his collarbones. The necklace gets in my way, and I snag the chain between my teeth, then pull back to look at him.

His pupils blow wide and his lips part as he sucks in a ragged breath. I tug the chain in my mouth, forcing him closer to me, then I lean in, letting it dangle between us. I open my mouth and drop the silver necklace, letting it slip back down his chest, and he blinks slowly, his eyes still fixed on my mouth.

“Kiss me, Aury.” A quiet demand.

He doesn’t hesitate. Our mouths are hot and his lips are firm against mine. I stroke my tongue into his mouth, licking up his taste and staking my claim. He presses his chest into me, fisting his hand in the back of my shirt. I hum into his mouth, pleased at his reaction, and slip one of my hands from his hip up his spine, then grip the back of his neck with my thumb under his ear. I apply pressure, tilting his head as I press my body forward, forcing him to lean back and giving him no choice but to take everything.

He pants into my mouth, kisses turning frantic. Our erections are long and hard, straining the front of our pants where we’re pressed together, and I grind down on him.

“Fuck,” he whimpers into my mouth.

Bliss sears through me. I don’t let up, grinding our hips together, plundering his mouth, taking his breath as mine and then giving it back.

“Hayden,” he gasps and attempts to wrench his head away, but I only let him pull back an inch.

“Mine.” I demand his obedience, his submission, his everything.

His eyes widen, but he pauses, staring up at me. I plead with my eyes, begging him to trust me, to let me take us there, to give us this. His lips are parted, swollen and red. His dark eyes dart between mine, and I take a slow, steadying breath.

But then he nods and whispers the quietest, “Yes, alpha.”

My inner beast howls, and I devour him. I shove his pants down, trapping his knees, then mine follow just enough for our cocks to spring out. I suck his lower lip into my mouth, then fist our cocks together in one hand. He moans, his hips thrusting forward into my hold, and I release my teeth from his lip before I draw blood. I pull back to spit on our cocks, Aury’s heaving chest in my periphery as I focus on spreading the wetness around. It’s not enough, so I raise my palm to his chin and give him a dark look.