Page 30 of Midnight Whispers
Actually, Riley felt the loss of all those hard muscles in his soul the second Cass released him.
Riley set the bag on the table and wandered over to the bookshelf. All the while, he tried to keep Cass’s privacy by not getting a peek at his naked body.
Riley pulled a book from the shelf. It seemed Cass liked the fantasy genre of the epic variety. The books were big enough to be door stops. Someone could use it as a weapon. The cause of death would be blunt force trauma.
Riley chuckled to himself. Not that murder was funny. But Cass’s giant books were the stuff of nightmares for Riley. He was more of a romance person. And he liked cozy mysteries a lot. None of the blood and gore or magic so epic it wiped someone off the face of the earth. Or whatever happened in the books Cass liked.
“What’s so funny?”
Riley whipped around with his hand on his chest, holding his heart in his chest. “You light-footed bastard.”
Cass snorted. “Sneaking up on people is how I can tell I have good wolf genes.”
“What’s the alternative to good wolf genes?”
“Bad ones.” The words probably encompassed a lot of sorry stories. “Wolves can be aggressive sometimes. Violence is still the way some packs handle things.”
“Not Fortune Falls?”
“No, usually. The murder case notwithstanding.”
“So, sneaking up behind people makes you better than other wolves.”
Cass chuckled. “Absolutely. But I can tell you have a different opinion.”
Instead of answering, Riley smirked.
Cass stepped closer, cupping Riley’s cheek. “You don’t owe me an apology.”
“Yeah, I do.” Riley offered Cass the truth behind the angry comment. “I just don’t want you to see me as a kid.”
Cass’s eyebrows raised. “I definitely don’t. Do not. See you as a kid.”
“But I’m Iven’s kid. You and my dad are tight. I can tell.” They were far tighter than Riley had realized. Cass had called Iven his best friend. It was one thing to hear him contextualize their relationship in that way, but seeing how they interacted really brought home how close they were. “You finish each other’s sentences.”
“We do not.” Cass didn’t realize it, but they absolutely did. “My friendship with your dad doesn’t change how I feel about you.”
“And how is that, exactly?”
“Protective. That’s where I was coming from earlier.” Cass narrowed his eyes. “And you walked across the yard alone to get here, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.” Riley wanted to have strong feelings about Cass chastising him, but Cass ran his thumb across Riley’s cheek and down to the corner of his mouth. It was the most intimate experience Riley had ever had.
He’d had sexual experiences, but he wouldn’t call them intimate. He would call them scratching an itch. He met some random guy. They had sex. The end. He had a regular thing with a co-worker a couple of years ago, but it had never been more than fucking. Riley had never had time for love and romance. He hadn’t had the emotional capacity for it either.
But Cass was different. Riley felt a connection with him. And he wanted things with Cass. He wanted sex. But he craved how Cass touched him and how he seemed to see Riley. He especially saw through Riley’s crap.
“Call me next time, or have Zinnie or Griffin watch for threats as you walk over.” Cass framed it gently.
Was Riley bothered because Cass’s tone worked? Maybe a little. He’d get over it a lot quicker if Cass kissed him.
“So, you only feel protective, then? Nothing else?” Riley bit his lip to keep from smiling.
Cass’s amusement reached his eyes. “I feel other things.”
“What other things?” Riley thought he knew the answer.
“You’re fishing, but that’s okay. I’m going to tell you anyway.” And then Cass kissed him. It didn’t start out as a press of the lips. Riley wasn’t sure what passion tasted like, but he was pretty sure Cass intended for him to find out. At first, the kisses came with a hint of tongue. Each one melted Riley more than the last. Riley was a pile of desperation and need, and it hadn’t taken very long.
