Page 24 of Wolf Lost

“Don’t like coffee that much.”

For a moment, Sawyer blinked at him. Then he groaned and turned his face heavenward. “Maybe that’s because you drink the stuff black, ever think of that?”

Dez shrugged, uncaring. “If it needs to be doused in milk and sugar, why not drink milk and sugar?”

“Fair enough,” Sawyer agreed. “That’s called a steamer, and it’s delicious.”

Dez stared. “You’re serious. That’s a real thing.”

“An awesome thing!”

Sawyer half expected an expression of disgust, or a dismissal, but Dez always surprised him. “Sounds more honest than a latte, I guess. But you were talking about the chairs, not coffee.”

How did Dez always manage to sidetrack his brain? He swiped a palm down his face and nodded. “Yeah. Big, fluffy, cushy, comfy chairs.”

“For people to spill stuff on?”

Sawyer waved that away. “Have the regular ones for people in a hurry, but you want the place to feel homey. You want people to feel welcome. To want to stay.”

“What, buy one cup of coffee and hang out all day?”

“Yes!” Sawyer exclaimed, nodding wildly. “The locals. You’re going to get a ton of in-and-out customers, but they don’t matter. They’re here for five days, they buy a couple of coffees, and they’re gone. But when they’re trying to decide where to go, who are they going to ask?”

“The... locals?”

“Exactly. And if the locals like coming to your shop, feel comfortable there, they’ll recommend you.”

Dez nodded, but he looked dubious. “There aren’t a ton of coffee shops in town to begin with. And our position is good—close to town center, lots of tourist traffic.”

“That doesn’t mean you don’t want to be the best.”

Dez tipped his chin up, and Sawyer knew he’d won. He wasn’t competitive with other members of the pack, but Dez definitely, always, wanted to be the best. Sawyer thought he succeeded rather nicely. He hopped down off the counter and slowly, giving Dez plenty of time to avoid him, stalked over to where he leaned against the wall.

He licked his lips, and Dez’s gaze flew there, mimicking the motion on his own sinfully full lips. “You are, you know,” he whispered, leaning up till their lips were inches apart, breaths intermingled.

“I’m what?” Dez asked, obviously having lost the trail of the conversation.

Sawyer didn’t want to ask for the kiss, nor did he want to force it. He was almost sure Dez wanted it—wanted him—but asking was too much. Sawyer didn’t have much left, but the thought of his pride smashed to smithereens if Dez said no, or worse, laughed at him—

Without warning Dez forged ahead, pressing their lips together, but somehow he kept it light and soft. When Sawyer didn’t pull away—leaned in, in fact—Dez wrapped those huge arms around him and pulled him in tight, till they were both leaning against the wall.

Every impulse told Sawyer to climb the man, wrap his legs around Dez’s waist and cling to him like a barnacle. Dez’s leg wouldn’t thank him for it, though, and his arm probably wouldn’t help matters. So instead he wrapped his own arms around Dez’s neck and pressed into the kiss. If that was the way for him to show his affection for the terse, quiet man who was quickly becoming a major part of his life, that was what he’d do.

He tested the waters, opening his lips a fraction and sliding his tongue out to run lightly over Dez’s bottom lip. It was probably a strange impulse, but it was so perfect and plump that he wanted to bite it. Some sort of claiming impulse, maybe.

Good gods, their first kiss and Sawyer was contemplating claiming the man. That wasn’t rushing at all. He tried to clear his mind of distraction, and found that he didn’t have another choice. Dez had apparently tested the waters to his own satisfaction, and he swept his tongue into Sawyer’s mouth in a hot, possessive kiss.

His blood rushed, pulse speeding and breath coming in short pants, somehow less important than his next taste of the man in front of him.

Dez slid his hands down, slowly, from Sawyer’s waist, to cup his ass. When he didn’t resist—why would he when it was everything he wanted?—Dez pulled him in, grinding their cocks together. There were multiple layers of clothes between them, but the friction was almost enough to have Sawyer coming in his pants like a teenager.

He buried his face in Dez’s neck, whimpering and biting the taut skin there. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that the biting urged Dez on, but knowing that wouldn’t have stopped him from doing it.

Might have made him do it sooner, in fact.

Dez pushed his hips forward, a full thrust that made Sawyer imagine what it would be like to have Dez thrusting inside of him, and that was it. He pushed hard against Dez once more, biting down on his neck almost hard enough to draw blood, and slammed his eyes shut as he came.

Almost immediately, the movement of Dez’s hips went slow and lazy, though Sawyer was sure he hadn’t come. He couldn’t force his brain to focus on that, though, and Dez didn’t try to bring him around. He brought one hand up to rub rhythmically up and down Sawyer’s back. It was almost mesmerizing, and part of him wanted to fall asleep right there.

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