Page 21 of Mated to the Human: Volume One

Throwing an arm over his eyes, Derek sighed again. “Yes. I left the mangled hull of my SUV and a bystander’s car in the middle of downtown. Can you take care of it?”

“I’m on it. Hollis?”

“I’m here.” Hollis sat on the bed beside Derek, suddenly aching all over.

“Call me if either of you need anything, you understand? Anything. I’ll call Ariella and have her bring some food for you both. He’ll need to eat a lot and sleep to restore his energy.”

“Okay. Thanks, Knox.”

“Anytime, alpha mate.”

The phone went dark. Hollis reached for the cord to charge it, plugged it in, and set it on the nightstand. He started to tremble, teeth clicking together and feeling like he could just fall over.

“Easy, sweetheart,” Derek said, warm hand resting on Hollis’s back. “Hang on, love.” He started to crawl out of bed.

“No-o, I’m supposed to take care of you.”

Derek sat beside him and pressed a kiss to his temple. “We’ll take care of each other. Come on.”

Derek stood, slowly, and offered Hollis his hand. They walked together to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, Derek pulled the orange juice out. He unscrewed the cap and drank straight from the jug.

Hollis watched his throat work. He took the jug when Derek offered it to him. As soon as he had both hands on it, he took a big drink. He started to feel better the moment the juice hit his stomach.

“It’s the sugar,” Derek said. He’d turned to rummage in one of the overhead cabinets. “Here.” He handed Hollis a granola bar and took the orange juice back. “Eat that. We’ll take a quick shower, bandage up your forehead, and get some sleep.”

Hollis ripped open the wrapper and stuffed half the bar into his mouth. The idea of being wrapped in Derek’s arms in their warm bed was maybe the best thing he’d ever heard in his life.

Derek snorted. “Be sure to chew.”

“M hueing,” Hollis said, mouth too full to speak properly.

Derek moved into his space, gathering Hollis to him and pressing his lips to the top of Hollis’s head. He stayed that way, holding Hollis tight for a long minute. “That scared the shit out of me,” he said when he finally pulled back.

“Me, too.”

Derek nodded, taking Hollis’s hand, their granola bars, and leading him to the bathroom.

9

A fantastic, warm sensation along his spine woke Hollis from the best sleep he’d had in a while. It took him a minute to come back to himself—the gala, the man grabbing him, and Derek rescuing him all flashing through his mind and then melting away as Derek’s lips continued to trail down his back.

“You awake, sweetheart?”

“Mmmhmm,” Hollis hummed, squirming and moaning a little at the feeling of his hard, naked cock against the soft sheets.

Derek chuckled. He sounded like himself. The room was still dark, and opening one eye, Hollis read the time as way too early in the morning. After their trip to the kitchen earlier, they’d finished their granola bars and showered. Then Derek had put a couple butterfly bandages on the cut on Hollis’s forehead. He’d taken some aspirin, and they’d collapsed into bed without even putting underwear on.

Hollis was realizing now what a fantastic plan that had been.

Derek’s lips stayed steady on their journey south, hands brushing Hollis’s sides and down to his ass. He kneaded Hollis’s cheeks, making him squirm all over again, and parted them. “Hollis—”

“Yes,” he said, delirious with want even as his face went hot. The cool of the room and the warmth of Derek’s breath and skin was making him tingle all over, and he didn’t think he’d ever wanted anything as much as he wanted Derek’s mouth back on him.

Derek didn’t make him wait. As soon as the word left Hollis’s mouth, he leaned in and buried his face in Hollis’s most intimate crevice and speared his tongue right against his hole.

Hollis bucked, feeling sure he would come right that second from how amazing it felt.

Banding an arm over Hollis’s lower back, Derek held him in place, licking and sucking and nibbling on flesh Hollis had never dreamed was so sensitive.

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