Chapter Four Calum

“W ell, I’m fucking bored,” I sighed, dropping my phone on the bed. “I’ve watched the entire internet twice now and jerked off more times than I care to count. I need something to do.”

“I don’t think it’s jerking off if you use my ass,” Erick said, giving me some side eye.

“We both know you wouldn’t let me jerk off alone if I tried.”

“I fail to see how that’s relevant…”

“I need something to do , Erick,” I sighed again. “I love you and your body and fucking like pigs all day long. But I’m bored . I need to do something with my hands or my brain or something that isn’t my dick.”

“I’m gonna try not to be offended about that.” I opened my mouth to retort, but he just nudged me in the shoulder with his. “I’m kidding. I understand. I’m bored as hell too.” He looked around, letting his phone drop to the bed beside mine. “I thought not having a job and having all the free time in the world was going to be thrilling. Turns out it’s just kinda… meh.”

“I mean, if we had a ton of money and we were on an actual vacation, it might be better.”

“True. But considering we have limited funds and nowhere to go, I think I’d welcome some work to keep me distracted.”

“Does that mean we have to go talk to the hunky front desk guy?”

Erick sighed. “Yeah. I guess it does.”

“Oh darn,” I replied, shooting him a mischievous grin. “I hate doing that. He’s just so hard to look at.”

“You mean you’re so hard while looking at him.”

“Don’t make me look like the bad guy,” I chuckled. “You’re just as smitten with him as I am.”

“Well, before we get so bored that we start sleeping our way through this entire hotel, maybe we should ask him about those jobs.”

“Yeah. I suppose you’re right.”

I kicked my feet off the bed, hopping up and stretching my arms high over my head. Erick’s gaze trailed down my body, landing firmly on the bulge in my sweatpants.

“Don’t you ever get tired of gawking at me?” I asked. “It’s the same old thing all the time.”

“Not at all.” He smiled, sliding over to the edge of the bed and wrapping his arms around my waist. He placed several small kisses on my belly, his lips causing my skin to prickle with delight. “I love the way you look, the way you smell… everything about you.”

I hugged him back, running my fingers through his hair. “I love you too, baby. I know I said I’m bored, but never with you, okay? The front desk guy stuff is just a joke.”

I never wanted him to think I was growing tired of him. He was my mate after all, and I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life. Nothing and no one could ever come between us. But even so, I couldn’t help still feeling some sort of strange pull toward Sam. I just couldn’t seem to get him off my mind. At this point I wasn’t sure if it was a crush, a fascination, or just some passing need to try something new. Either way, I wasn’t going to give into it.

“I know, Calum,” Erick replied, kissing my bare skin a few more times. “I’m not worried. I know we’re mates.”

“Should we go down and talk to him about some jobs then?”

“Yeah, I suppose so.” He pulled back, booping the tip of my penis with his forefinger. “You better put on some jeans though or this monster is liable to send him into a tizzy.”

I waggled my eyebrows at Erick. “Maybe that’s what I want .”

“Oh my god!” He gave me a shove and slapped me on the ass. “Go puts some pants on your horny motherfucker!”

“Fine, fine!”

Both of us spent the next ten minutes fucking around and acting like a pair of teenage boys. It was one of the things I loved most about our relationship. We could fuck like pigs, be sensitive with one another, and then wrestle for no reason all in the span of a half hour. I could be everything I wanted to be with Erick and so much more. And he got to be the same with me. Nothing had to be hidden between us. We were both on full display, our goofy sides and all.

Once we’d finally managed to get dressed, the pair of us headed down to the elevator and took it to the first floor. Stepping out we found the hotel lobby pretty much abandoned except for Sam sitting behind the desk, just like he always was. However, instead of reading a book like he normally did, he had his brows furrowed as he stared at his computer, muttering and clicking furiously.

“Good morning,” Erick called, stepping up to the desk beside me.

Sam looked up, his expression taking a few seconds to slip back into customer service mode. He glanced over the pair of us, his eyes lingering a little longer than they normally would have.

“Good morning. What can I help you with?” he said at last, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts.

“Well, Calum and I are getting awfully bored sitting in that room all day long, so we thought we’d come down and offer our services.”

“You said something about jobs in the area,” I added. “It would be nice to do something with my hands if you know anyone that needs help. I’m not licensed, but I can do general handyman stuff.”

“And I can help with computer things,” Erick said, leaning over the desk. “Seems like you’re already having issues with that.”

“It’s just slow,” Sam replied, glaring at the computer. “And obstinate.”

“Want me to take a look?”

“If you really think it’ll help…”

Erick went around the desk and Sam got up from his chair, handing it over. He didn’t wait to see why Erick was clicking up a storm. Instead, he turned to me.

“How are you with carpentry?”

“I can hold a saw.”

Erick scoffed behind us. “Don’t let him fool you. He’s being modest. You could give him a stick and he’d build you a chair in twenty minutes. He’s a magician with wood.”

I bit back a smirk as the double entendre sank in. Sam caught me though, and he smiled too. The sight of it nearly took my breath away. He was pretty normally, but he was gorgeous when he smiled.

“Well, if that’s the case, Andy might want your help. Him and Josh are putting in some bar seating at the bakery for people who like to work while they enjoy their coffee. Neither of them are terribly handy, so you’d probably be just what they need. Not to mention, I’m sure Andy’ll pay your weight in pastries if you let him.”

“I like apple fritters,” Erick chimed in, still clicking like a mad man.

“Sure,” I replied. “I’d love to help them. Would you mind introducing me?”

“No problem.” Sam flashed that million-dollar grin again, making my heart skip a beat. Between that and his sweet floral scent, I could barely think. “Just let me grab a coat and I’ll walk you to the bakery.”

As soon as he was gone, Erick glanced over his shoulder at me, a knowing smile on his face.

“Don’t fuck him on the way to the bakery,” he grinned, giving me a wink.

“Don’t worry,” I smiled back. “When I do fuck him, you’ll be there to watch, baby. I know how much you dream about using that cuck chair in our room.”

“Only if I get a turn after you.”

“Deal.”

“Alright, I’m ready to go,” Sam said, stepping back into the room and cutting our conversation short. He stopped, looking at me in just my hoodie. “Do you need a jacket?”

“I run hot. I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

“Believe me,” Erick said. “Sleeping with him is like sleeping in an oven.”

Sam glanced my way, his cheeks blushing bright pink. “Alright. Let’s go then.”

I gave Erick a quick kiss before I followed Sam out of the hotel and into the street. In the past few days the winter weather had really kicked in. Being a boy from the Midwest, I wasn’t a stranger to cold winters. But Michigan winters had a different level of ferocity to them. And being that we were on the east side of the state, there was nothing to slow down the biting wind that whipped across the state toward Lake Huron.

“It’s a pretty town in the summer,” Sam said, seemingly reading my thoughts as he hiked his hood up around his face. “Beautiful beaches, lots of sun, and all the greenery you could wish for. But during the winter…” He gestured toward the desolate and snow-drifted main street of downtown. “Well, it’s a little bleak.”

“It’s fine,” I replied as we walked, the snow crunching underfoot. “Erick and I grew up in northern Missouri. It gets pretty cold there although it looks like you all get a lot more snow than I’m used to.”

“It’s pretty snowy here. The lakes make sure of that.”

“Do you get a lot of tourists during the summer?”

“A few.”

“Must be good for business.”

“I don’t have much room in the summer. Seems a lot of wolves get kicked out in spring to be on their own. Come summer I’ve nearly got a full house with all of them flocking here.”

“And you just take care of them all, huh?”

Sam nodded. “I try.” He glanced over at me, a happy but tired look in his eyes. “I love helping them, I really do. I don’t want anyone to do what I had to do when I got kicked out of my home. So I do everything I can to give them a safe, supporting place to get back on their feet.”

“It must be exhausting.”

He bit his lower lip nervously. “It can be. But I try not to think about it. The wolves I’ve helped give back to the hotel and take some of the weight off my shoulders.”

“Still,” I continued. “Running this whole place by yourself is pretty impressive. How long have you been at it?”

“Over ten years.”

“Fuck. That’s a long time!”

“Some days it feels like it.”

“You must’ve found your mate by now then,” I said before I could stop myself. Curiosity was getting the better of me and the wind was blowing his floral scent right into my face. I couldn’t help myself. “I mean, with all these wolves coming through, I’m sure you got snatched up pretty quick.”

“No, I haven’t.” There was a melancholy note in his voice as he looked away. But it was quickly replaced by his customer service voice. “I make it a point not to date my customers. I want to care for them, not prey on them.”

“Oh… I didn’t… I mean, I wasn’t trying to insinuate anything.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he smiled. “I know what you meant. I just try to keep in mind that most people who come through this hotel are having the worst days of their life. If I’m going to find the right guy for me, then I want him to like me for who I am, not because I saved him.”

The right guy for him. Those words made my heart soar. I had a feeling, based on the cover of his book he was always reading, that he might be gay. And considering the way he’d reacted to us when we first arrived. Not to mention, he definitely smelled of arousal that morning. The wolf inside me was running in circles, the excitement getting the better of me. Between his scent on the wind and this new knowledge, I could barely contain myself.

“What if the guy you met was part of the hotel, but not emotionally compromised?”

Sam looked over at me, his brows furrowed together. “I don’t know how that could be. Everyone who comes here is a little messed up after what life has done to them.”

“Yeah, but some of us already have mates and are really happy.”

He looked at me long and hard, that smile fading from his face in an instant. The warmth in his eyes turned cold as he realized what I was hinting at. I felt my chest tighten as I recognized that I’d gone too far.

“Then I would tell him that he already has a mate and that he should be ashamed for thinking of betraying him like that.”

Sam turned away from me then, his pace picking up. I opened my mouth to argue, wanting to explain what I’d meant. But he was right. I’d told Erick not twenty minutes ago that what I felt toward Sam was only a joke and nothing more. And here I was, trying to tell him that I wanted to fuck him in a not-so-subtle way.

I felt myself deflate and the chill seeped in. Betraying Erick wasn’t my intention. I never wanted to do anything to hurt him. And this attraction I felt toward Sam… it was strong, but it would pass, right? Erick was my mate, through and through. I needed to remember that. What we had together wasn’t worth risking for a quick fling. If Erick and I were together for the fling, that would be a different story, but we weren’t. Erick was in the lobby of the hotel three blocks behind us, and I was out there in the cold, hitting on a guy without Erick’s knowledge. That was wrong of me to do, and Sam was right, I did feel ashamed.

Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I followed after Sam, keeping my mouth clamped shut. I felt like such an ass for what I’d said, and I knew no amount of backpedaling would get me out of the hole I’d dug for myself. Instead, I stayed quiet and kept to myself. I just hoped Erick didn’t find out about my indiscretion. The last thing I needed was a wedge driven between us after everything we’d gone through to be together back home.

Erick was my everything. So I pushed Sam from my mind, intent on forgetting all about him.

If only it were that easy.