Page 7 of The Suspicious Mate

Kallan found himself glancing down to the tabletop at Noa's hand, large, muscled, and capable. He held that hand twice tonight, and he desperately wanted to hold it again. The touch was calling to him, and he had to concentrate on resisting the urge. Noa mentioned antique shops in the Cincinnati area, and although Kallan knew what was coming next from Mac and he was too slow to stop him.

"Why don't you let Noa show you around and take you to a few of the shops to give you a chance to evaluate the competition?” Mac made the suggestion effortlessly as Kallan sat there and started to squirm.

“I think Noa made himself clear that hanging out with your baby cousin was not high on his things to do.” Kallan tried to pass it off with a laugh, but Noa was not amused.

"I'd love to show you around Kallan. I'm off tomorrow. How about I pick you up early, say nine, and we start with breakfast, my treat for all the trouble I've caused." Noa steamed ahead and set up a date. Kallan was nodding and agreeing before he realized what he was doing. "All I need is your address and phone number."

Kallan handed Noa his phone, and within seconds, they had each other's numbers, and Mac was rattling off Kallan's address which Noa was putting into this phone. Kallan was not sure what was happening, but it seemed that getting rid of Noa was not going to be as easy as he thought.

"This isn't necessary, Noa. You owe me nothing." Kallan tried a last-ditch effort, but Noa and Mac were both shaking their heads.

"I want to do it." Noa was emphatic. "I'll pick you up at nine o'clock sharp, so be ready. Now I have to get back to work. You guys enjoy yourselves, and I am so glad to have met you properly, Kallan." Noa stood and reached out his hand, and Kallan eagerly took it. Holding it, he experienced again the same sense of calm and a feeling of being connected in some weird way to this man. He liked the man's touch and the warmth that went with it. Maybe he was right when he told him that he wasn't all bad.

“I knew you two would eventually get along.” Mac began taking his bows, but Kallan kept shaking his head.

"You railroaded him into this, and if it turns out to be the worse date in the history of dating, I will make you pay in many ways for a very long time, and I will bring it up constantly. Just remember I warned you." Kallan riveted him with a steely glare as they both finished their drinks and stood up. "I'm going to head out but feel free to stay. I can catch a ride share or a cab." Kallan told him, but Mac was ready to go as well.

"No, I can drive you. I'm heading out too, unlike you two; I have to work in the morning." He chuckled when Kallan gave him a playful punch in the upper arm. "You're going to have fun, and you're going to like him, so relax and enjoy."

"Yeah, sure, just remember my threat." Kallan told him as they made their way out the exit door, which was just a couple feet left of the main doors. He couldn't help himself and looked back over his shoulder at Noa and found the man staring at him. When their eyes met, Noa smiled, and Kallan returned the gesture. "Maybe I will grow to like him." He commented as he turned and left with Mac.

"How did it go?" Ames asked once Noa was back to work. Noa smiled and nodded and didn't know quite how to describe the wonderfully light feeling he was experiencing. He had things in hand, and they had a date scheduled, and Kallan wasn't dismissing him outright, so life was very good at the moment.

"It went quite well, and I'm rather surprised at my reaction, to be honest." Noa let two men inside and rejected the third for not putting in any effort.

“Why’s that?” Ames continued the conversation.

"I've never felt so anxious around anyone before, and anxious isn't even the right word. It was almost an urgency that I fix the rift between us and get the relationship back to acceptable.” Noa struggled with an explanation.

“But it was never acceptable. You went straight from hello to being an asshole in seconds flat." Ames laughed and let another person inside but then put up the velvet rope, and he and Noa leaned back. Lowell had informed them the place was filled and no one else would be entering until some left.

"That's true, so let me say it went from him having zero interest in me to having a modicum of interest." Noa chuckled and crossed his arm on his chest. "He's twisting me up, Ames, in a way that has me questioning my motives." Ames moved to lean his shoulder against the pillar and gave Noa his complete attention.

"I have never cared for anything messy or difficult when it comes to a relationship; I've always kept them shallow and basic. I make no promises, and I expect no drama, just limited time enjoyment for both parties, and then move on." Noa paused for a moment to think and then continued.

"Kallan is different. I felt it the moment our eyes met, and when we touched, it was captivating. The thought of him not liking me or being upset with me began to boil my blood, and I needed to settle things and get on a good footing. I needed him to like me, and I have never needed anyone in all my one-hundred and eighty years. I have needed no one." Noa felt overwhelmed and blessed in equal measure where Kallan was concerned.

Ames stared at him for a few seconds and then started asking a few pointed questions. “What does he smell like?”

"Rich, dark hot chocolate, my favorite smell in the world." Noa closed his eyes and licked his lips.

"Did your bear like him?" Ames was looking strange, like he knew what was happening but was leading Noa to the truth rather than just flat-out telling him.

"I could hardly keep him under control. He persisted in pushing forward, and twice I know he showed up in my eyes and expression before I could subdue him, but Kallan didn't comment." Noa looked at Ames speculatively. "Why all these questions?"

"Do you feel like you're about to crawl out of your skin, and do you have the urge to go after Kallan just to be near him again?" Ames stepped up his to rapid fire. Noa didn’t verbally respond but did nod his head because he felt all of those things.

"You know what it means, Noa. Just think about it." Ames stated and then fell silent and waited.

"No, no, it can't be that. I don't believe in that. It's not real." Noa was vigorously shaking his head. "No such thing. This is just basic carnal interest, and once I bed him, I'll probably never think of him again."

"If you bed him be careful. You may not believe, but your bear is fully on board, and if you don't control him, he will bond with Kallan at the first opportunity." Ames was talking crazy because there was no such thing as mates, and his bear was just out of sorts tonight.

"He's not my mate," Noa stated emphatically. "Mates don't exist where I come from. Kallan is just a good-looking guy, and I intend to enjoy that good-looking guy." Even as he spoke, he felt a sense of disloyalty, but he wasn’t being disloyal to anyone. It didn't make sense what he was feeling. It just wasn't making any sense.

“No one in your family ever met their mate?” Ames seemed incredulous. Noa shook his head. “So, you don’t believe that Liam is my Fated mate?”

"I believe that you and Liam have an intense connection, but Fated is not in my vocabulary." Noa was careful with his words, not wanting to offend his good friend.

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