Page 25 of Beautiful Butterfly

Wyatt frowned. It was scary at times how his boss knew so damn much. Blowing out a deep breath, he headed inside.

Chapter Eight

If life hadn’t continued to blindside Alister, then Wyatt wouldn’t have been benched. That was how he felt when he’d learned that his mate had been given two weeks off. It felt like a snowball rolling downhill, but instead of getting bigger, it just kept flinging boulders in every direction.

And the biggest was still somewhere out there, possibly hurling in Alister’s direction.

Mr. Mysterious.

That boulder would decimate Alister’s way of life if the guy ever discovered where he was living.

But like most people, since the danger wasn’t in-your-face immediate, Alister decided to ignore the problem. As far as he was concerned, he’d never met Sloane, never been sold, and Mr. Mysterious didn’t exist.

Sanity safely intact.

Which was more than he could say about his favorite shorts that were destroyed two days ago in the front seat of Wyatt’s car. But, the memory of why they’d been shredded still brought a smile to his face.

Alister’s gaze slid over Wyatt’s sinewy muscles, hard-cut and sleek like a honed cat that would either play with you or end you.

Wyatt moved around the kitchen with feline agility, every step confident as he made dinner. Two hoagie sandwiches that were stacked higher than a mouth could possibly open to enjoy a bite.

“Do you want to eat outside or chill on the couch?” Wyatt grabbed a large wooden platter, placing both sandwiches in the center, making sure to add napkins as well. Next to the platter was a large bowl of barbeque chips and two tall glasses of soda. Wyatt appeared focused on what he was doing, but Alister wondered if being sidelined bothered his mate as much as it bothered him.

Call him chicken—he’d been called worse—but so far, Alister hadn’t brought up the subject.

“It’s a really nice out. Low humidity,” Wyatt went on, continuing as if he hadn’t just asked Alister a question. “I figured we could light firepit to keep the mosquitoes away while enjoying the evening.”

Alister glanced through the large window into the backyard. In the center of the yard stood a large fire ring, crafted from sturdy flagstone and surrounded by four Adirondack chairs in a rich, dark brown hue.

“I’ll take the platter outside if you want to grab the bowl of chips.” Wyatt placed the glasses of soda on the tray and headed for the back door.

After grabbing the bowl of chips, Alister followed him outside. The sun was beginning to set as his mate settled the platter on the wide stone ledge and lit the gas fire pit. Flames erupted, dancing and crackling as they spread over the lava rocks.

Alister placed the glasses next to the food then relaxed in one of the chairs. Wyatt sat in the chair next to him, letting out a content sigh as he leaned back and looked up at the sky.

“This is perfect.” Wyatt sounded relaxed. “I can’t think of a better way to end the day.”

The ambiance really was tranquil. Alister’s question could ruin it, but it was time to stop being a chicken. “I never asked how you felt about Sheriff Harper making you take two weeks off.”

“At first, I was furious. The incident rested solely on Lowell’s shoulders.” His mate grabbed his sandwich and took a bite, holding up a finger as he chewed.

That same night, Paris called Alister and told him that Cannon had stopped by the hospital to check on the human. Alister was relieved that he hadn’t broken the skank’s jaw, which meant that his kick wasn’t as forceful as he initially thought.

“Sorry, but I’m starving.” The potency behind Wyatt’s grin…holy hell. “Every time I turn around, you’re giving me a helluva workout. A guy’s gotta keep up his nourishment with such vigorous activity.”

Warm heat flushed through Alister, burning his cheeks and the rest of his body. “You’re the one who won’t stop flinging me onto flat surfaces or against the wall every five minutes, you insatiable feen.”

“I haven’t heard you complain once.” Wyatt took a drink of his soda, the rim of his glass nearly concealing his grin.

Alister gaped at him then laughed. “I haven’t, but my tush demands tonight off for marvelous behavior.”

“Your incredible tush can have whatever the hell it wants.” Wyatt gave him a playful wink.

“At first, you were furious.” Alister changed the subject back to the original topic.

“Now I’m glad I got the time off.” Wyatt popped a few chips into his mouth. “There’s no way I could be at work when just hearing you breathe makes my dick hard. I’ve sated my lust over a dozen times in the past two days, yet I’m ready to bend you over that chair and shove my face in your ass.”

Alister took a long drink of his grape soda in hopes the cold liquid extinguished the heat building inside of him.

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