Page 25 of Bear the Burden

“I’m capable of using the—” Wesley’s eyes grew wide. His hands flew behind his back, and then they started patting his nicely shaped ass. “Everyone just saw my bare butt!” he loudly whispered.

The low growl rumbled all on its own. “I made sure they looked away.”

Factually true, even if it was at the last second.

“Did you look away?” Wesley appeared skeptical even before Hyett could answer.

He dropped his arm and stepped closer, bending with a smirk. “You’re my mate, honey. I’m the only one who gets that privilege.” Brushing his lips over Wesley’s uninjured cheek, he whispered, “It’s the nicest heinie I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

Wesley sucked in a sharp breath, and it was the sweetest sound. Hyett grinned, glad his mate wasn’t just prickles, like when they’d met. There was a vulnerable, beautiful man under the layers of anger and fear.

A few times Hyett had glimpsed the real Wesley, and he liked what he’d seen. But he wanted more than just quick peeks.

Wesley turned his head, like he was about to kiss him. Hyett jerked back.

Raw anguish filled his mate’s eyes. He twisted sideways, trying to yank the fabric of his gown over his injured leg.

“Don’t,” Hyett said firmly. “Don’t you dare hide from me.”

“Just go,” his mate insisted, the hurt evident in his strained voice. “Just get out of here!”

“No!” Hyett barked the word. “I’m not letting you push me away, Wesley.”

“What do you care if a monster pushes you away? I’m giving you an out,” he argued.

“I want you to give me an in, damn it.” Hyett ran his hand through his hair, ready to pull out the strands. “You’re not a monster, Wesley.”

“Hideous, grotesque. Why would I think you wanted to be anywhere near it.”

Those weren’t Wesley’s words. He was reciting what someone else had said to him. “Whoever he was, this guy who—”

“He only spoke the truth.” His mate was trying to balance on one leg, the injured one pulled back in an attempt to hide what he thought was too hideous to look at.

Hyett carefully grabbed his mate and placed him on the counter of the sink. He wasn’t going to let Wesley strain himself on one leg.

“I’ll never understand why people smile at a compliment yet cling to an insult.” Hyett curled his arms around him. “Your ex was a colossal jerk.”

Wesley twisted his lips to the side then glanced to his right.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Hyett growled softly.

“He wasn’t an ex.” Wesley refused to look at him. “He was just some random hookup six months after it happened.”

The fire. Six months after the fire.

“Babe…” He breathed out heavily through his nose. “While I am not dismissing the fact you were probably at a low point at that time in your life…” Hyett pressed his forehead against his mate’s. “Some random guy, who you don’t give a shit about, and it’s safe to bet he’s got a small dick… Can you confirm?”

Wesley shook his head. Hyett was relieved it hadn’t gotten that far. It would have been much worse to give the guy some tail and then have the jackass insult him.

“Screw what Tiny Dick said to you, babe. He’s a nobody hanging out in bars picking up guys. I bet he didn’t even pay for the room.”

Hyett had nothing against bar hookups—his sex life lived off of bar hookups—but he was just trying to prove a point.

“I actually picked him up,” Wesley admitted with a blush.

“Goddamn right my baby knows how to close a deal,” Hyett purred playfully. “But those days are over. Unless you want to pick me up in a bar. I’ll role-play with you. I’ll be the unsuspecting guy enchanted by the little vixen out to steal my heart and cock.” He wiggled his brows. “You can steal both, sweetheart.”

“That might have been fun.” Wesley looked away. “Kinda hard to do that when you won’t even kiss me.”

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