13. Cedric

Gage didn't respond, and while I was freaking out inside, I'd been with him enough to know he chewed over things before answering.

But my heart was pounding so loud, it echoed in my ears. Shifters had super-sensitive hearing, so perhaps Gage could hear it, though it was more thundering than anything else.

"I don't know. How I feel about you has… is a little different than it was."

That sounded… promising.

He steepled his fingers, the ones with calluses, that had held the steering wheel as he drove all the way from Riverford to help me. Who did that? Friends? Good friends? But it wasn't Harry or Reed who got in the car and traveled across the country.

I inspected my nails and rearranged a pile of books on the coffee table. Anything but hearing he wanted to just continue as we were: friends.

"But we could do an experiment."

That got my attention, and I jerked my head up. "Go on."

"You said the kiss changed your perspective, so perhaps we should do it again."

I composed my face, trying not to squee at his suggestion. But inwardly, I was celebrating. But wait, was this going to be another kiss on the cheek or lip to lip? I'd take whatever I could get, but if I had a choice it would be option B. If we had to vote, it might be a tie, so no to voting.

"That's an excellent idea." I sounded as though I was in a meeting and a staff member had made a proposal where everyone nodded and we agreed to reconvene again next week.

"Cheek or lips?" I asked and counted the seconds until he replied.

"What?" Our eyes locked on one another. His hazel eyes had tiny green flecks I'd never noticed.

"I kissed you on the cheek, but if we're really going to make this an experiment, we should be lip to lip."

He tilted his head to the side. "That sounds like a song."

I hummed a tune from a popular tune in the top 10. "I vote for lips." I'd gone and done exactly what I hadn't wanted to. We might be here all night negotiating. I was tempted to grab him and kiss, but this was Gage. Slow and steady.

"Oh, we're voting." His lips curled into a smile, and he closed his eyes. What did a bear shifter see when surrounded by darkness?

"I think it's usual when wanting to kiss that there might be some hand-holding first."

"You're right. Skin-to-skin contact is important." He smirked. Damn, he knew what he was doing. Foreplay. It might not lead to sex, but I would get a kiss and some stroking, I hoped.

He held out his hand, palm upward, and I studied his lifeline. Was he offering that? A long life with a man whom outwardly I had nothing in common with, and yet, we'd become friends, though we had shared values.

I placed my hand atop his, palm to palm. Warmth from his hand seeped into mine. Not sweaty, sticky, humid heat, but similar to a hug. Using one finger, I traced his lifeline, and he shivered. Glancing up, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth which gave me confidence I was doing something right.

"Too much?"

"No, just right."

His words reminded me of the Goldilocks tale, and I wanted to steer clear of that. I walked my fingers up his bare arm to his sleeve. Not knowing what to do next, I paused, but he grabbed my fingers and brought them to his mouth. Was this my kiss? His supple lips pressed against my fingers before he kissed my wrist. That tickled a little, but I didn't jerk away.

Gage let go of my hand and stroked my cheek, and I couldn't resist grabbing it and kissing his palm.

"Mmmm, that's nice." He placed a hand on either side of my face and pushed hair off my brow. Each time his skin brushed over mine, my belly flip-flopped. This was happening, but we hadn't gotten to the best part.

"It's been a while since I kissed anyone."

I got on tiptoes—really, I needed a box, as he was so much taller—and pulled his head close so our foreheads were touching, "Don't worry. You've got this. And how do I know? Because I'm right here with you. We're in this together."

I placed my lips on his, my first taste of him. I couldn't describe it because there was nothing, not a single thing that reminded me of anyone else. It was uniquely Gage.

He grunted and licked along my lower lip. My knees trembled, and I leaned against him for support. Not sure that was a good idea because our crotches were pressed together and he couldn't mistake my arousal. I was hard as fuck. And wowza, he was also turned on.

Gage peppered kisses around my mouth, and I moaned, my lips parting, giving him the opportunity to put his tongue in my mouth. But he didn't. His breathing sped up as a blush crept over my cheeks. I draped my hands around his neck, and his nose nudged mine. I groaned into his mouth.

Now he pushed his tongue inside me, not a thrust or a shove, but it glided in, and he twisted it around my tongue. We lapped and darted, danced and twirled, before pulling back and drawing in deep breaths.

I searched his eyes, looking for an answer, but he pulled my head against his chest, and with my ear pressed on his shirt, I listened to his pulsing heart.

When we finally pulled apart, he took both my hands. "I can't put into words how that made me feel. But you are my friend. The kiss opened my eyes. You are my mate, and fated mates can be friends before they mark one another."

I'd only heard reference to the marking ritual, but I hoped he wasn't getting ahead of himself. We'd kissed. It didn't mean we were going to live happily ever after.

Also, we'd kissed. We'd not had sex or been on a date. No, wait. The dinner at his cabin could be considered a date, and also the meals at the coffee shop. Okay, dates were done, but we hadn't talked about what a future would look like, and one kiss wasn't a path to a happy ever after.

Damn, after encouraging the kiss, Gage had gone full tilt and decided we were mates for life.

I couldn't believe I was going to say what I needed to say. I didn't want to discourage him, but he was the one who did everything slowly. And now I had to deliver the bad news.

"Marking can come, but couples need to weave their lives together. Ours are so different…"

"But the most important thing is that fate put you in the forest that day."

"Or maybe fate put you there."

He grinned. "Fine. Our lifestyles are the opposite of one another, but we know one another. The time we spent in the woods, I learned your favorite color, that you don't like mint but you are partial to sour flavors. You're compassionate like when we found the baby bird who'd fallen out of the nest. And when the forest put its spell on you, unlike many humans, you took care where you trod, not wanting to disturb a nest or a burrow. All of that told me who you were. I don't need to see you working on your computer or signing a check or parking your car."

Wow! That was more than I'd ever heard him speak. And it was about me.

He placed a hand over my heart. "I know who you are in here."

Gage was a man of few words, but he must have been saving them, and I was so glad he did. But as much as I cared about him, I wasn't prepared to live in his cabin, not full-time anyway. I'd compromise on a lot of things but not to no hot running water or power.

But again, I was racing ahead, and I had to keep reminding myself we'd kissed. One time pressing our lips together did not make a relationship.

Gage reached out and pulled me close, saying he missed me. Gods, this man tunneled into my heart and embedded himself. My defenses crumbled, and I took his hand and led him into my bedroom. We had to wend our way around piles of stuff, and I stubbed my toe in the dark. Turning on a light would have been smart.

But Gage, who had shifter sight, flicked on my lamp. "I want to see you."

I'd removed my suit jacket but was still in my work clothes. There were buttons and zippers and waistbands to get past. I hated the awkward fumbling of first-time sex, but that was also coupled with intense passion, so I toed off my shoes and undid my zipper and pulled down my pants and briefs to my knees.

My cock bounded out. He placed his lips on my ear. "I thought you said we should go slow." He stroked the tip and captured pre-cum. "But that was a lie because you are raring to go."

I was.