Page 19 of Ghost of a Chance
My mate’s blood inside me.It was his last coherent thought as his brain when on the fritz at the hands stroking his cock, coming with a blinding fury. He was sure he heard shouts and cries, but he couldn’t say for sure who released them.
Brad groaned at the beeping sound. Rolling over he slammed into a hard wall of… muscle. He blinked sleepily at the chest in his way and his mind flooded with the evenings events. His lips tugged into a huge smile when Lionel didn’t so much as stir at the sound of his alarm clock. The lamp remained on, and the curtains Brad could see now were open. The light of dawn was breaking outside the window meaning it was time for Brad to get up, only he didn’t want to. Why would he when he’d barely had one or was it maybe two hours sleep after he’d bitten Lionel? His lion had gone a little wild after Brad had come to his senses.
They’d explored each other’s bodies until they'd both come twice more. As yet his ass hadn’t had the pleasure of Lionel’s cock, but they’d done everything else. Brad could feel thewhisker burn on his ass cheeks when his mate had wanted to clean off the chocolate from…everywhere.
Brazen.
Get over it.
Why do I need to get over it?Brad squeaked at hearing Lionel’s voice. He met Lionel’s slitted eyes grinning sheepishly. “I was talking to my poodle,” he explained, hoping Lionel wouldn’t notice the heat gracing his cheeks.
“What does he need to get over?” he asked in a sleep gruff voice that rubbed Brad in all the right places.
“Calling me brazen,” he answered without thinking, distracted as Lionel moved, unfortunately, to turn off the alarm.
It was then that Brad noticed the bits of éclair in Lionel’s hair. He reached up and patted at his curls when he recalled what they’d done, which was not eat the choux pastry.Ugh!
Lionel, who had flicked off the alarm, glanced back at Brad with arched brows. “What’s up?”
The worry coming at Brad got him explaining. “Choux pastry hair… not sure it’s a good look on me.”
Lionel rolled them, so fast Brad found himself flat on the mattress and plump lips so close to his he found thoughts of his hair no longer what was on his mind. “Everything looks wonderful on you… especially me,” Lionel murmured against his lips. “What time do you have to go to work?”
“Work?” Brad asked between soft kisses that tempted him.
The chuckle hit his lips as Lionel stopped kissing him. “Yes, work. Weren’t you the one saying you have deadlines?”
If he’d been sprayed by a hose of freezing cold water, it wouldn’t have had the same effect as Lionel’s reminder of Morty and his due date. He groaned and with regret wriggled to get free. “I’m gonna have to go,” he said when Lionel didn’t initially move. “I should be on site by seven, and I can tell I’m already going to be late as I need to take a shower and get a fresh set ofclothes from home.” He didn’t sigh with disappointment at the mention of leaving, but it was a close call.
Lionel nuzzled his throat, under his chin, by his shoulder, then bit true. Brad’s cock, which had been showing interest, spurted over his mate at the show of possession. He sensed the desire coming from Lionel for folks to know they were mates. Brad had no issue with that, none.
The second Lionel finished lapping at the marked skin, Brad’s poodle thought it was only right to return the favor. Brad took hold of Lionel’s head before he could pull away, angling it to get at his throat. He surged forward, his poodle leading and bit Lionel.
There, now everyone can see I’m yours and you're mine.The smug satisfaction was all his poodle’s—maybe not.
Chapter Eleven
Lionel
Okay, so this is what being mated is all about. Lionel looked around his office. In a lot of ways, it was just like any other day. He could feel Brad’s essence like a busy presence in the back of the brain. His lion was snoring, completely content that their much smaller mate was off on a construction site, and Lionel was sitting in his office, a pile of papers currently being ignored in front of him.
Sighing, Lionel pushed his chair back from his desk, hooking one ankle over his knee while his other foot set his chair spinning from one side to the other.
I’m not sure how I’m meant to do this. Lionel thought about his and Brad’s morning. The man was in a rush—fair enough. Lionel appreciated punctuality, and he liked how Brad was a responsible person. Hector was pulling his hair out, worrying if they’d finish the renovations before the baby arrived, so Brad’s need to get to work was valid.
Lionel made a point of walking Brad to his car, even when his mate said it wasn’t necessary. There was no way he wanted his neighbors to think Brad was just a casual hook-up. Nope. Brad was his mate, and Lionel stopped himself from getting in the passenger seat or running after the car as Brad headed down the road, so that was a positive.
I guess I thought…Lionel had no idea what he thought. His head was a bit of a mess—lack of sleep and knowing he was now responsible for another person would do that to a typically laid-back lion.
He wanted to tell everyone about Brad—throw a party or host a giant dinner—that wasn’t even a question. The deep-seated urge to shout from the rooftops that one of the most popular bachelors in town was now claimed, mated, and happy about it was all-consuming.
At the same time, Lionel couldn’t stop thinking about cuddling his mate, holding him, stroking his skin, their two heads resting together, their hair entwined as they shared silly stories about their lives. Intimate times, special times, that couple-closeness Lionel didn’t know he had wanted until he met Brad.
Instead, Brad had gone to work. Left at home alone, Lionel stripped the bed because that was necessary—there were crumbs and stains everywhere. He did the laundry, remade the bed in anticipation of hopefully sharing it with his mate—sex optionalbecause his cock was a little tender—and then, without anything else to do, went to his office.
It’s not like I really have anyone I could tell about my mating.That was sobering. He would probably text Mom. Lionel squinted his eyes to the ceiling, trying to remember where she was now. Somewhere in Europe, possibly, although it could be Australia for all Lionel knew. Mom didn’t feel the need to check in on him at all, and she was a free spirit.She’ll get the text, eventually.
Ian was probably still busy with Maisie. Just because Maisie had done the hard work, Lionel knew Ian’s family was really close, and Ian would be an amazing doting uncle. He didn’t expect to see his friend for at least a week.
