Page 15 of The Return
I nodded, my mouth too dry to speak.
Jonas grinned and unzipped his pants. “Is this going to weird you out? I can go into the bathroom if—”
“No!” I nearly shouted. “I mean, keep going.”
He winked, the bastard. “You know we can smell arousal, right?”
“Fine, my dick is hard. Does that make you happy?” I groused.
“Insanely.” He leaned down and kissed me. I swooned like a forties starlet as I got my first-kiss ever. He tried to stand again, but I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on. His lips on mine were like a drug, and I couldn’t get enough of them.
When he pulled back, I whined. “Hey, my wolf wants to meet his mate,” he whispered into my ear. “Is that okay?”
I wanted to say no. I wanted to tell him to keep kissing me and never stop. Instead, I nodded. “Sure.”
He stood again and shimmied out of his pants. I held my breath when he kicked them aside, then started on his underwear. “Control yourself, okay?” he teased.
“No promises,” I breathed, my voice husky.
He let the Calvin Klein drawers slip down those thick legs, then toed them aside, before he turned to me and stood there, not a drop of arrogance as my gaze ran over his body. “Am I… okay?” he asked.
“You’re remarkable” came my strangled words.
“I know you’re used to me before puberty.”
“You’re still Jonas. My Jonas,” I reiterated. “You were beautiful when we were kids, and you’re a stunning man now.”
He gave me a soft smile. “For the record, I’m rather fond of how you turned out too. Laying with you as my little spoon was… wow. I mean… wow.”
It was remarkable how we’d slid back into the roles we had when we were younger, like those missing years had merely been a weird dream. Neither of us were afraid to admit our feelings, because even back then, we didn’t hide them. We weren’t overt, but we exchanged glances, smiles, and had no problem with affection.
“Can we get on with the display here? I’m dying to meet your other half.”
“And he can’t wait to finally meet his mate.” He glared at me. “Do you remember the rules?”
I nodded, nearly breathless. I was about to see my best friend shift into an animal out of legend.
Jonas got down on his hands and knees, his face tilted so he was looking at me. “I won’t hurt you, I swear it.”
He never had, and I trusted that he wouldn’t now. In fact, I was about to prove to him how deep my trust ran.
His change started slowly. Jonas grunted, like it was being pulled from his depths. His arms, which already had a good amount of hair on them, sprouted more in the same exact sandy blond color. His ears lengthened and perked up as his arms grew longer, thinner. His eyes became slits of inky darkness against a backdrop of amber. Within fifteen seconds, he stood before me, majestic as all hell.
“Wow.”
Jonas took a tentative step toward me, probably figuring I’d run screaming from the room. It was time he learned that I trusted him with my life. I reached out, grabbed his jowls, and pulled him close until our faces were scant inches apart. Then I did something I’d been warned about: I stared into his eyes.
A soft rumble rose from his chest.
“Stop that,” I ordered.
He whimpered and leaned in to lick my cheek.
“You are so beautiful,” I informed him, and he gave me a wolfish grin, his tongue lolling out. “And modest. Did I mention that?”
He crowded into me, pressing me down onto the floor. He stood above me, his chest expanding with each panted breath. I put my hands on his legs and massaged up toward his torso. He preened. He hadn’t been kidding—he loved the touch.
“Can you get off me, please? I want to see something.”
