Page 108 of Tides of Fate

“I can sit here all night. Perfect spot.” Jay wiggles his butt just to hear Gideon catch his breath.

“Words, please.”

It’s a battle of wills which, if Jay is honest, he’s not sure he can win.

His mate’syesis breathy, and Jay doesn’t wait for a gilded invitation. He slides back, yanking the bed covers down so he can see Gideon’s beautiful body. Smooth skin glows under the bathroom light, illuminating his gorgeous cock lying hard against his belly.

Jay takes hold of his ankles, lifting them so he can kiss each one, biting at the skin before soothing each mark with his tongue.

Eyes glittering, Gideon bites his lip but refuses to give Jay the satisfaction of hearing him.

That’s okay. Jay is patient—and he has plans to get more than a sigh from Gideon.

Jay yanks him toward the end of the bed, grinning as Gideon gasps at his show of strength. He follows the abrupt movement with a soft kiss to the inside of each calf before laying Gideon’s left leg down so he can suck a mark into the scent gland behind his knee.

“Fuck,” Gideon groans.

Jay just smiles into his skin and continues until the area is mottled purple and black.

“You smell so good here, kitten.”

Gideon lets out a heavy breath and covers his eyes with his arm. He likes to call Nixhiskitten, but Jay has one, too. He never gets away with it for long, but Gideon likes it—so Jay keeps trying.

Kicking his leg, Gideon dislodges him with a muffled, “Fuck you.”

“If you like,” Jay says before sinking his teeth into Gideon’s thigh above his knee—deep enough that Gideon moans.

“But you’ll have to wait for me to finish here.”

“Get on with it, then,” Gideon grumps.

Jay has to laugh because Gideon looks likethatcat from the internet—with his frowny forehead and down-turned mouth. Jay isn’t fooled—that mouth is red, and he’s flushed down his chest.

Gideon is trying to tip Jay’s wolf over into feeling challenged so he’ll get what he wants: a good, hard fuck with a bit of pain to distract from all thatemotion.

But as much as Jay likes that, too, he needs Gideon tofeelsomething.

So, Jay leashes his wolf and lifts Gideon’s other leg, nipping at his ankle and laying biting kisses on his calf and thigh until the skin is mottled with bruises.

“You are so beautiful, Gideon,” Jay whispers. “Love to see my marks on your skin. Remind everyone that I loved you, made you feel good.”

He lays the leg down, then nudges them apart so he can crawl between them and press a kiss to that old scar on Gideon’s belly.

Gideon’s stomach tenses and his cock jerks at the romantic words, but it’s snark that rolls off his tongue. Jay wouldn’t have expected anything less.

“Haven’t made me feel good yet,” he grumbles.

“Lies, but I forgive you,” Jay says because it’s true. Jay would forgive this man for anything.

“Such soft skin. You always smell like summer rain to me.”

Turning his attention to the place where Gideon’s thigh meets his torso, he murmurs, “And here, too. Makes me crazy.”

The skin bears the marks of each of his mates on both sides—except for Luca, and now Nix. Nosing at each bite, he follows with a long lick.

“I don’t think you know how much they love you, kitten. Sharp claws keep everyone at arm’s length. Don’t you think I see you? That they see you for who you are? That they love you because of it, not despite it?”

He sucks on Finn’s mark, which sits close to Gideon’s hip bone. That must have hurt—but knowing them, it’s perfectly placed and entirely on purpose.

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