Page 27 of Feral Heart
Cesar’s eyebrow arched. “What’s that, colibrí?”
“Can I kiss you?” His heartbeat accelerated, pulse thudding in his ears. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you since you first came through my checkout line,” he confessed, words tumbling out. “And then we got shot at, and you turned into a wolf, which was crazy awesome by the way, and now you’re cleaning my knee, and I just really, really want to kiss you before something else happens. Like aliens. Or zombies. Or my brother.”
To heck with it. Jamie leaned forward, closing the distance between them. His lips met Cesar’s in a soft, tentative kiss—the barest brush of contact, a question more than a demand.
For one terrifying heartbeat, Cesar didn’t move. Then his hands slid up to cup Jamie’s face, and he was kissing back, mouth firm and insistent against his. Sliding his hands into Cesar’s hair, he deepened the kiss, a small sound of pleasure escaping him when Cesar’s tongue swept against his. His honey bunny tasted faintly of mint and something wild that Jamie couldn’t name but instantly craved more of.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, Jamie felt dizzy with want. “Wow,” he whispered. “That was even better than I imagined.”
“Been thinking about this for months,” Cesar murmured against his lips.
“Me too,” Jamie whispered back. “Every Sunday. Watching you squeeze melons.”
Cesar pulled back slightly, eyebrow raised. “Melons?”
“It was very sensual melon-squeezing,” he defended then pulled Cesar back in for another kiss.
This time there was nothing gentle about it. Cesar’s mouth claimed his with hunger, one hand sliding around to the back of Jamie’s neck, the other gripping his thigh just above the injury. Jamie parted his lips, inviting him deeper, a small moan escaping when Cesar’s tongue stroked against his.
Heat bloomed low in his belly, spreading outward until his skin felt too tight. He’d never been kissed like this before, like he was something precious but also desperately wanted. Like he mattered.
Cesar’s hand moved higher on his thigh, fingers brushing the edge of his boxers. Jamie gasped against his mouth, body arching involuntarily toward the touch.
“Dios, the sounds you make,” he groaned, trailing kisses along Jamie’s jaw. “You’re going to drive me crazy, colibrí.”
“Good,” Jamie breathed, tilting his head to give Cesar better access to his neck. “That’s my evil plan.”
Cesar chuckled, the sound warming Jamie from the inside out. Then his mouth found a spot just below Jamie’s ear that made his mate’s toes curl.
“Oh!” He clutched at Cesar’s shoulders, suddenly very aware of how little he was wearing compared to his fully-clothed dreamboat. “That’s—oh my god.”
“Sensitive,” Cesar murmured, nipping gently at the spot again. His hand slid higher, fingers slipping beneath the fabric of Jamie’s boxers to stroke the sensitive skin of his inner thigh.
Jamie’s hips bucked involuntarily. “Not fair,” he gasped. “You’re still dressed.”
“We can fix that.” Cesar pulled back, the amber in his blue eyes glowing darker. With one hand, he reached back and pulled his shirt over his head, revealing a chest that made Jamie’s mouth go dry. Smooth brown skin stretched over defined muscles, both arms inked from shoulders to wrists.
“Sweet mother of goose eggs,” Jamie breathed, reaching out to trace the lines of his abs. “You’re like a freaking sculpture.” His hand traveled higher, skimming over Cesar’s chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart. His jellybean just stood there, letting Jamie explore.
“La oscuridad nunca volverá a tocarte, alma mía. Te lo prometo.”
Jamie didn’t know what the words meant, but the reverent way Cesar said them made his heart swell. Then he gasped. “Your shoulder.”
“It’s already healing,” Cesar assured him. The bite mark on his shoulder was indeed less angry-looking than it had been earlier, the edges already starting to close.
“Wolf thing?” Jamie traced a finger over the bite, knowing Cesar had gotten it because of him.
“Wolf thing,” Cesar confirmed, his muscles jumping under Jamie’s exploring fingers. “We heal faster than humans.” He kissed Jamie’s palm. “Your turn. Shirt off.”
His T-shirt joined Cesar’s on the floor. He felt suddenly self-conscious, aware of how much smaller he was, how much less defined. But the hunger in Cesar’s eyes as he looked at him banished those thoughts.
“Hermoso,” he murmured, hands skimming up Jamie’s sides. “So beautiful.”
Jamie shivered at the touch. “You’re just saying that because you want to get in my boxers.”
“I do want to get in your boxers,” Cesar agreed, leaning in to press a kiss to Jamie’s collarbone. “But I’m saying it because it’s true.”
His mouth moved lower, trailing kisses down Jamie’s chest until he reached a nipple. When his tongue flicked over the sensitive bud, Jamie gasped, fingers digging into Cesar’s biceps.
