Page 39 of The Return
Matt snickered, looking so damn happy. It was the first time I’d actually taken the time to examine the man. His red hair and the spray of freckles made him look far younger than his thirty-two years. When I’d met him and Kinsey, I’d dismissed Matt as being rather… dumb. Now, thanks to Corey, I could see how wrong I was to judge him. When he let his guard down, Matt was sweet and adorable. Not at all aggressive like most wolves I knew, but so eager to please. I would never again assume people were what I thought. I’d get to know them, then make decisions.
Matt would peek at Corey when he turned around and went to work on the orders he’d gotten. While gazing at my mate, Matt would sigh. It was easy to see how much he adored Corey.
It made me wonder if he’d ever been shown kindness by anyone he’d worked for. I had to admit, I hadn’t been particularly nice to him. Corey? He’d seen the need in Matt and set out to fill it. The shelter in the backyard was nothing big. Brent said it was a throwaway, and he’d wanted to make it a lot grander, but Corey insisted on something simple. When I’d asked him about it, he said that Matt would be ashamed if it was too nice, like he’d asked for something extraordinary, and guilt would swamp him.
Corey was so in tune with people, and I wasn’t. I was focused on the pack as a whole, while Corey saw the individuals. I needed to take more of my cues from him. Or maybe I needed to trust him to deal with everyone while I took care of things.
Aclinkdragged me from my thoughts. Corey set a bun in front of Kinsey, whose eyes gleamed. Then he put another in front of Matt, along with a cup of rich hot chocolate. The scent tickled my nose and made me think of cold winter days when his mom would make Rice Krispie Treats for us, served with hot chocolate that was swimming with marshmallows. When he placed mine down, I could see the white fluff dancing on the surface, and warmth flooded me.
“You remembered.”
“Of course,” he said. “One of my happiest memories was you and me, making that slush man, then coming in soaking wet and my mom making us strip off our clothes, then sit on the couch to watch cartoons. When she brought the treats in, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. You, me, cocoa, munchies, andTom & Jerry. What could be more perfect?”
Those were the memories that got me through the loneliness of isolation. There were so many times that Corey’s family took me places with them. They treated me like I was their second son, and I soaked it up. Not that my parents weren’t amazing, but they had the pack to think about, so our free time was limited.
A timer in the back dinged, and Corey hurried through the doors. I got up and followed behind him, leaving Matt and Kinsey to enjoy their snack. Corey was humming happily as he put the frosting into a piping bag, which he put aside. I stepped up behind him and put a hand on his back. He turned around and grinned when he looked into my eyes.
“Hey.”
“Hey back,” I said. “I need to talk to you.”
“All ears,” he replied, pulling one group of pans from the oven, then putting the next sets in.
“I know that I haven’t been as forthcoming with information as you’d like. I’ll be honest with you, I’m kind of trying to catch up on everything. Dad left me with a lot of information to absorb, and I have to make sure all the property and stuff is transferred to me, then go around and see where I can make changes to help out. I’m sorry, and I promise that things will settle down after the transfer is complete. I’m just glad he agreed to hold off a few weeks, so I could get it all done.”
He chuckled. “It’s not a problem. I keep an eye on you. I see you leave early in the morning, then drag yourself home late at night. Even then, I’ve found you in the living room, asleep at your computer. Waking you up and bringing you to the bedroom? I love that. I enjoy you leaning on me and letting me take care of you.”
I did that? Damn, I must be exhausted if I couldn’t remember.
He pushed the piping bag to the side, then turned to face me. “Anyway, what did you want to talk about?”
“It’s my wolf. Well, me. I mean, us.” I sighed. Normally I was polished and concise, but around Corey, all rational thought flew out of my head. “We have a need, and it involves you.”
Corey’s lip curled up and his eyes sparkled. “You wanna fuck me, don’t you?”
“Oh, so goddamn desperately!” I cried out, not caring if anyone heard. “My wolf goes nuts every time he catches your scent, and he wants me to drag you off to the bedroom.”
Corey stepped closer and put a hand on my chest. “See? You should be listening to your wolf. He’s smart.”
“Can we…? I mean, would it be okay if…? Would you…?”
He snickered. “I love seeing you like this. Normally I’d tease you, but this time I’m going to make things easy for you. I want you in the worst way. Being with you has always been my fantasy. I’d watch porn and pretend the actors were us as I stroked myself. I can’t wait to see if reality is as good as my dreams.”
And like that, I was hard enough to drive nails into solid concrete. Thinking about Corey stroking his cock while fantasizing about me fucking him and—wait.
“What was I doing in this fantasy of yours?”
That made him laugh. “What do you think, doof? You had me pinned to the bed and were riding my ass like a Harley.”
“And when do you want to do me?” I asked. I didn’t know any Alpha who bottomed. Ever. For Corey? I would do whatever he wanted.
His lip curled. “Uh, never. In every video I’ve ever watched, I could never be the one doing the fucking. I knew from the first time I sawConqueredthat I wanted to be the slave boy to your gladiator.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. I grabbed him, spun, and slammed him against the walk-in cooler. “You’re a fucking tease,” I growled next to his ear. “You’re driving me insane.”
He reached down and cupped my cock through my jeans. It was a wonder I didn’t shoot right then and there. “I’m not a tease,” Corey promised. “I’ll do it with you anytime you want.” He smirked. “Except in my kitchen. Get out.”
“I—I—what?”
