Page 22 of Forbidden Mischief
My tongue pokes out, swiping across my dry lips. His eyes drop, watching the movement and my cock twitches when his eyes darken slightly.
The breath he lets out is shaky. “I’ve had dreams about you,” he whispers, slowly meeting my eyes.
My breaths come quicker.
“What kind of dreams?” The words are a little more raspy than I was trying for.
He swallows hard. “Dreams I shouldn’t be having about my stepbrother.”
Fuck. Fuck!I want to know what they are. To do every dirty thought he’s had.
“Does it bother you? That we’re stepbrothers?”
“Not really,” he admits. “I think I’m more stuck on the man part, you know?”
Slight disappointment hits me. “If this isn’t something you want, if it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to accept it.” The words feel like razor blades crawling up my throat as they leave my mouth.
“What?” His brows furrow.
“I’m not going to force you to embrace the mate bond. You have the right to reject it.” I don’t mention how much it would hurt me. He’s a warlock. They don’t feel it the same way a shifter does. At most, he would feel a bit of longing, but it would fade over time for him. The gaping hole in my chest and the loss of my will to live would be my fate.
A wolf losing their mate can be deadly.
“No.” He shakes his head, eyes widening. “No. I don’t want to reject you, Asher. That's the last thing I want to do.”
I can’t hide the visible relief as my shoulders relax. “You don’t?”
“No,” he says sternly. “I like you, Asher. I want to see where this could go. I feel something between us. All I ask for is time, you know? Time to wrap my head around all this new information, these new feelings swirling around inside me. I’m not sure if I’m bi, or if the only man I’m attracted to is you. Either way, I like you, Asher.”
A deep rumbling growl of satisfaction threatens to slip free, but I swallow it down, not wanting to scare him off by the overwhelming need to possess him. Soon, but not yet.
When my sweet little mate is ready, I’ll show him just how much he means to me.
“So, what does this mean for us?” I ask, needing to know where his mind is at right now.
“We hang out, get to know one another. Test the waters. I’m not saying we go slow.” That blush finds its way onto his cheeks again as he licks his lips. I can smell his desire and fuck, it’s nearly blinding. I should get a damn award for the restraint I have right now. “Just a little time to absorb this.”
“Okay,” I agree.
“Okay?” he asks.
I give him a half smile and nod. “Whatever you need. I’ll do it for you, Zayne.” His eyes flick between mine. I can see the fearin his eyes. The vulnerability looking back. Allowing my hand to inch forward, placing it lightly on his shoulder, I tell him, “Everything’s going to be okay.”
“Thank you,” he sighs, closing his eyes.
No. Thanks for giving me hope you might be mine. He won’t regret this, I promise.
We head back inside, and the sound of Alice’s and Dad’s laughter drifts through the hallway. They’re still at the table, wine glasses in hand, the conversation light and carefree.
"Boys, come in here!" Alice calls.
I freeze, a knot of unease tightening in my stomach. My heart beats faster than it should. What if Dexter is pissed that I’m mated to his son? What if he doesn’t want a gay son? A gay stepson is one thing, but his own flesh and blood? And mated to his brother? I can’t let him throw Mom out—she’s so happy, so in love. I won’t let anything destroy that.
Taking a deep breath, I push forward, steeling myself for whatever comes next.
I force myself to sit down next to Zayne. Dexter looks at me, his face calm, a slight smile tugging at his lips. My mom raises an eyebrow, but says nothing, letting the silence stretch between us.
“I told Dexter that you’re mates with Zayne,” she says softly, her voice filled with a mixture of support and care.
