Page 16 of Kitten Kisses

It was shocking his animal hadn’t tried to break free when Slater had gotten his mate off last night. God, Alex had been so gorgeous falling apart on the very couch Slater was sitting on.

The rich aroma of coffee pulled him out of his thoughts, followed by the sound of someone moving around. Slater got up and walked into the kitchen then paused.

Alex stood in front of the coffeepot, oblivious to Slater’s presence. His back was turned toward him, and he had earbuds in his ears. With one hand resting on the counter, Alex bounced his hips back and forth in time with whatever music was playing, eagerly awaiting his morning caffeine fix.

Leaning his shoulder against the wall, Slater watched his mate dance unknowingly for him, his heart swelling with affection. Alex looked carefree and beautiful, and even though he didn’t know it, every move he made tugged at something deep inside Slater.

But then he shuffled his feet like he was doing some fancy dance move and banged his knee against the lower cupboard, causing Slater to wince in sympathy and make a mental note to buy some padding for those dangerous knees.

“Jeez!” Alex jumped and stumbled backward, his hand clapping over his chest when he suddenly noticed Slater standing behind him. “Warn a guy before sneaking up like that!”

“Sorry.” Slater chuckled. “I smelled the coffee and wanted a cup.”

Alex removed his earbuds and set them aside. “I just started brewing it. I had to search your kitchen to find coffee then had to figure out how to use your fancy grinder. Who even buys whole beans?”

“People who want a truly fresh cup of coffee every time.” Slater walked the rest of the way into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, facing Alex. “You can smell how fresh the grounds are as it brews.”

He loved the way the morning light caught Alex’s sandy-blond hair, making it shine like gold. He found himself getting lost in those piercing blue eyes, feeling like he was drowning in them.

“Coffee all tastes the same to me.” Alex shrugged.

“You must be joking,” Slater let out a disbelieving laugh. “You’re telling me you would choose gas station coffee over freshly ground and brewed coffee?”

Slater may not be a coffee expert, but he could definitely tell good from bad.

He avoided drinking coffee at work because it always left a bitter aftertaste. On his first day, he had tried some but decided it wasn’t for him. He didn’t know how his coworkers consumed two or three cups of the stuff.

“I have to admit it does smell pretty good.” Alex poured some of the dark liquid into two mugs beside the machine. “How do you take your coffee?”

“I’m all about the cream,” Slater replied with a smile. “It sweetens the tastebuds.”

Alex gripped the carafe tightly with a flicker of lust in his eyes.

The guy was an expert at picking up on innuendos, as evidenced by last night when Slater flirted and his mate caught on to them effortlessly.

“Right.” Alex cleared his throat and set down the carafe, nearly missing the counter in his rush to get to the fridge. When he returned, he thrust the container into Slater’s hand.

“Everyone has their own preference for how much cream they want. I’ll leave that up to you.”

Slater couldn’t resist teasing him, leaning in close and whispering, “I don’t mind you handling my cream.”

He loved handling his mate’s last night.

Alex sucked in a soft breath, his cheeks turning a delicate cupid-pink that only drew Slater in closer. Needing a kiss more than coffee, he brushed his fingers under Alex’s chin and gently tilted it upward before their lips brushed together, his mate’s breath tickling beneath his nose.

Alex’s lips were so soft against his. They parted slightly, allowing Slater’s tongue to slip inside with gentle kitten licks as he savored the sweet, slow kiss. A low purr rumbled in Slater’s chest as their bodies pressed together against the counter.

The feel of Alex’s fingers flexing against his biceps destroyed Slater’s senses.

As much as he wanted to take things further, to take Alex the way he wanted to, he couldn’t. Not yet. But even just this innocent kiss left him feeling breathless and dizzy.

Pulling back, Slater drew in a deep breath. “Good morning, hummingbird.”

Alex let out a shuddering breath before he slowly composed himself. “Good morning. Are we still going to breakfast?”

“Most definitely.” After pouring cream into his coffee, Slater took a sip then sighed. “You can’t beat freshly ground.”

Alex added cream and sugar to his own cup, stirring it slowly before taking a sip. His eyes closed briefly while he smiled in pure bliss. “You’ve officially made me a believer.”

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