Chapter 3

If I thought he'd back down, I was mistaken. He gave me a smile so breathtaking I barely rasped out, "It means nothing. Just so we're clear."

His smile dimmed. "Right. I understand." Didn't stop him from gripping my boxer briefs and pulling them down my hips to join my jeans. He tugged them both off, leaving me naked. "Can I remove my shirt? Skin-to-skin contact soothes my wolf."

"Knock yourself out." I did my best to keep my voice detached. A simple hookup like I used to do in the clubs. These days I texted a regular hookup and they'd be at my place in under an hour. Or I'd be at theirs.

I scooted back on the bamboo-silk bedding to give him room, pushing aside a bunch of artfully arranged pillows. I tried not to focus on his broad, freckled shoulders, or his eight-pack as he pulled off his jacket and silky black tee. Or that fiery treasure trail, leading straight to a sizable bulge. He didn't move to undo his dress pants, instead running his gaze over me from top to bottom.

"Fuck, you're gorgeous." He squeezed my thighs, sinking down between them. "Solid."

I wasn't some twink, that was for sure. I'd honed my body on Baltimore's docks. Knew I was built like a brick wall. Or a boxer in his prime. But so was Michael. Seeing him between my legs, his hot breath ghosting along my length made me want to moan. I didn't. He didn't need to know how he affected me. He hadn't earned that.

"I love your body. Love that you have the perfect amount of hair—not too much, not too little." To demonstrate, he ran his hands down my thighs again, then slid one onto my stomach, his fingers splaying over the tightly curled hair at my groin.

Shit, this was a bad idea. Didn't want pretty words. Not from him. Not when I was a "complication." I'd grown up in a human household where my existence was a complication. Not planning to relive those days. Wouldn't be some guy's dirty little secret. Or even worse, his public shame. Been there, done that.

I opened my mouth to call the whole thing off when he bent forward and swiped his tongue over the slit in my crown, his eyes crinkling in pleasure as he tasted the drop of precome beaded there.

Instead of stopping things, I moaned. His mouth felt amazing.

He heard me. All the encouragement he needed. He began to engulf my cock, at first only taking the tip, his tongue pressing hard against the underside, the heat so good. Then he slid partway down, his fist gripping my base so he wouldn't choke. Still, I wasn't a small guy. Holy fuck, I wanted to thrust into that damnable mouth. I kept my hips still. I wasn't an inconsiderate asshole. Not even to him.

I curled my fingers in the sheets so I wouldn't run them through his hair. I'd always loved redheads, and his was a beautiful shade of dark auburn, with enough length to grip and a bit of wave to make me itch to touch. Looked soft and inviting. Not doing anything he might take as encouragement, though. This was a quick one-off, nothing to get worked up over.

Pulling off my length with a pop, he ran his tongue down the underside and paid my balls some attention. He nipped my thigh, and I jumped. He chuckled, his eyes definitely darkening with want.

"You taste so good. Bet I know where you'll taste even better," he said, before placing his hands on my thighs and pushing them toward my chest and swiping his tongue over my entrance.

I almost shot off the bed in surprise. No one had rimmed me in a long time and I forgot how amazing it felt. Michael kept a steel grip on my thighs. I couldn't squirm away. His strength only ratcheted up the heat. Another lick, and then his tongue pushed inside.

I tried hard to hold back my moans, but no way could anyone have the dire wolf's hot tongue inside them and keep quiet. At this rate, he wouldn't even have to blow me.

He reduced me to a writhing mess of nerve endings, pleasure zinging along all my limbs, and my stomach clenching from the desires he awakened in me as he continued tongue-fucking me. Damn, he was good at that.

My body pulled tight, my balls ready to unload. I reached for my cock, but he batted my hand away and withdrew his tongue. He wiped his chin on the bedding before grinning and moving back to my dick.

"I promised you a blowjob. I always deliver on my promises."

The way he said it let me know he wasn't talking about sucking my dick. But damned if he hadn't realized the best way to cut off my protests was to sink onto my cock before I could get the words out. Fucker.

This time, he didn't mess around. He opened his throat and took my cock, angling me in a way that made every cell light up. I wasn't going to last. My back arched, and a pained groan escaped my throat as the last of my reserve gave way.

"I'm gonna come," I rasped. Always respectful to give a guy warning.

Instead of pulling off, he sank down and tightened his suction. That's all it took. I unloaded in his mouth, my orgasm ripping through me, every muscle straining as he continued to suck me down. Felt like my orgasm lasted forever. When I finally stopped coming, my muscles went lax, my chest rising and falling like I'd run a race.

Contentment tried to settle over me. Couldn't let it. Should get up and walk away. Let him know it didn't mean shit to me. Only I wasn't that guy. Not right to leave someone hangin'. I sighed.

"I can—" I started to offer, at the same time he pushed up onto his elbows and said, "You don't have to—"

We both stopped and stared. Michael cleared his throat, his eyes shifted back to a deep green. "I did this for you. Until you're ready to make it mean something, I won't accept or expect anything from you."

"You'll be waiting a long time." My words didn't sound convincing, even to me. And the twinge of disappointment in my gut didn't help.

His mouth tugged up at the corners. "We'll see."