STORY EXCERPT

The microwave beeped, reminding him about his food.

Without thinking, Micah quickly spun around and popped open the microwave door. He reached inside to turn the wraps, without thinking, and squeezed the pizza one way too hard.

It exploded hot red sauce on his hand. Micah yelped, jumping back.

“Careful!” Stefan rushed around to him, grabbing Micah by the shoulders before he could fall, but Micah was too focused on the hot pain pulsing over his burning hand to notice.

“Ow! Oh my God, ow!”

Tears welled in his eyes. It was that painful.

“Okay, sweetheart, come over here.” Stefan led him to the sink. Micah practically pounced on it when he realized what the intent was, reaching out with his good hand and turning on the cold water tap before Stefan could make it there.

Stefan put Micah’s burning wrist under the cold water. The immediate contrast from hot to cold was intense but also wonderful. The burning pain in his hand finally diminished, allowing him to melt against the sink, his wolf ears and tail slumping.

Stefan petted his ears, as though trying to perk them back up into a standing position. “Are you okay, now?”

Micah nodded. “I think I put them in too long.”

“They can cool off for a bit. Let me see your hand again.”

Micah didn’t want to take his hand out of the water, thinking the pain would flare up again if the cold water wasn’t there to banish the heat.

Didn’t happen, and he was fine when Stefan had a look.

The dragon frowned, his platinum blond brows pulling together. “It looks a little red, but I think otherwise you’re fine.”

“Do I need bandages?”

Micah had no idea why, but he was being a fairly large crybaby at the moment. Even though it didn’t hurt anymore, just the fact that he’d been burned by his food was enough to make him want to burst into tears.

It was a struggle to keep that from happening.

Stefan smiled at him, lifting Micah’s hand to his mouth for a kiss. “No. I think you’re all right. It just might throb a bit after. If you need, I’ll put some cream on it, but I don’t think your skin will peel.”

That was good, and just like that, in that instant, the need to cry and shout over what had happened suddenly vanished. As if it had never been there in the first place.

And all Micah wanted to do was throw himself into the arms of his mate, the man who protected him from vampires, from other dragons who wanted to steal Micah away, and from hot food that was determined to burn him.

“You think you can stay up long enough so we can…you know.”

He could never quite bring himself to tell his mate when he wanted sex. Not unless he was in the absolute throes of pleasure and Stefan was being mean, demanding Micah say it out loud.

Stefan smiled at him, his hand rubbing the back of Micah’s head. “I think I can get something of that nature done for you. Why? What did you want to do?”

Micah growled. His mate knew exactly what Micah was asking for, and right now he was just being a tease.

“I figured we could stay up for a bit. Just the two of us.”

“And watch a movie?”

“Maybe. If the mood was right.” Micah had only recently been introduced to online porn videos. At first he’d been scandalized, but then he understood the appeal. If he had to put one of those movies on to get Stefan’s attention and gather up some flashing neon lights to go with it, then so be it.

Stefan laughed then leaned down and kissed him, his lips smiling even as they were pressing together.

Then he pulled back, his eyes still a little tired, but at least now they were somewhat more alert.

“Don’t worry. I knew exactly what you were getting at. I missed you, too.”

The way Stefan stroked his hands down Micah’s shoulders had a decidedly different meaning than they’d had just a moment ago. Micah shivered, his flesh tightening all over his body as the warmth within him suddenly flowed south.

Yes. Yes! This was exactly what he wanted, and he grinned up at the man he loved, pushing himself up onto his toes so he could get another kiss.

Until he spotted the angry eyes staring at the pair of them through the kitchen window above the sink, and Micah shouted and flew back.

He didn’t just shout. He screamed. He screamed because his body didn’t know what else he was supposed to do other than get away.

“What? What is it? Any look of fatigue in Stefan’s eyes immediately fled as he spun around, glanced out the window, searching for whatever it was that had Micah backing away.

Micah pointed at the window, and he struggled to get the words out when he wanted nothing more than to shout them out loud so Stefan could do what he clearly wanted to do and protect the home and clan. “He’s…he’s outside!”

Stefan wasted no time. He ran to the sliding glass doors. They were reinforced and shatterproof, the kind that tinted during the daylight for Sorin’s sake as a vampire.

But the windows in the kitchen were perfectly clear now, allowing Micah to see what he’d seen, and he still didn’t feel safe when Stefan ran out the doors, chasing after Van.

Van, the dragon shifter who had been banished from the pack when he’d tried to make Micah mate with him against his will.

God, what the hell was he doing out there?

ADULT EXCERPT

Stefan thrust his cock against Micah’s groin. Even with the material separating their skin, Micah threw his head back and moaned.

“Oh God,” he sighed, his eyes squeezing shut as that pleasure hit him hot, hard, and heavy.

More. He needed so much more than this, or he was going to burn up and die.

“Harder.”

Stefan did. He thrust harder, his hips pulling back and pushing forward with a wide range that made Micah come absolutely alive.

He panted for breath, his cock already straining against the pleasure that wanted to take him out.

So good. It was so damned good, and yeah, this definitely felt as if it were the first time they were doing this. This felt as if Micah hadn’t been touched in way too long.

Somehow, the pleasure was better because of it.

Maybe holding off on the sex was the better idea if it made him so sensitive. Was Stefan feeling that, too?

“Are you feeling this?”

“Feeling what?”

Both of their voices puffed for breath, lust and pleasure thick within their words. The room was loud with the sounds of their pleasure.

“This.” Micah didn’t know how to describe it. He got a firmer hold on the back of Stefan’s thigh as he thrust his hips forward, desperate to meet the man so Stefan could feel just how much Micah was enjoying this. “It feels good.”

Stefan snorted, his cheeks bright with pleasure, but he still managed to laugh and smile at Micah’s expense.

“Supposed to feel that way, sweetheart.”

Micah growled. Why didn’t he have the words to describe this? He wished he was more articulate, but maybe he was just going to have to wait until after the orgasm was done so he could better collect his thoughts. Maybe then he’d be able to get his shit together and explain what he was trying to say.

“Cat got your tongue?”

Micah’s grip tightened on the back of Stefan’s hair. He noted the slight flinch in Stefan’s eyes, but the man didn’t stop smiling. “Shut up and kiss me,” Micah commanded, yanking Stefan’s face down so their mouths could meet once more.

And fuck, it was so good. Warm and wet. Those were the only words his brain could think of to describe it.

Stefan’s hand came down on the side of Micah’s head as he got into a more comfortable position, his hips still grinding, still thrusting, still searching for friction.

“Wanna fuck you.”

Micah nodded. “Took you long enough.”

Stefan’s eyes briefly glowed, but then it went away. “Can’t be rough with you.”

Micah puffed for breath. “Th-that’s what you’ve been thinking about this whole time?”

It was so utterly shocking, and a little stupid. If he’d had the strength, and was in the proper position, he might have tried to slap the man upside the head.

The pleasure that continually sizzled through Micah’s body was enough for him to feel at least somewhat forgiving.

Stefan growled at him. “It’s not funny. It could happen.”

“No, it won’t.” The thrusting stopped, proving Micah had Stefan’s attention, and this time Micah removed his hands from Stefan’s hair and reached down for the elastic waist of his pajama pants. He began shoving them down. “You are not going to punish us because you think something will happen if we make love. The baby will be fine.”

Stefan still didn’t look entirely sure about that. He pressed his lips together, eyeing Micah as though weighing the pros and cons of what they were about to do.

Micah grabbed him by the chin, desperate to snap his mate out of this weird state he’d let himself fall into.

“No,” he insisted, putting as much force into that word as he possibly could. “You’re not going to think that. Even I know that it’s all right for us to do this.”

“We could ask one of the other omegas. You must have had a nurse somewhere among you, right?”

“We’ll ask tomorrow. I’m not going to give you a name until you either decide to get out of this bed or take care of us. Either way will put me out of my misery.”

The flinch Stefan gave this time was a little more noticeable.

Micah felt a twinge of guilt over being so harsh with his mate. He didn’t want his mate to do anything he didn’t want to do, but he got a strong impression that wasn’t entirely the case.

Stefan did want to fuck him. The proof was in the passion he used when he kissed Micah’s mouth and thrust against him. He wasn’t doing Micah any favors here. He clearly wanted this as much as Micah did.

He was, it seemed, genuinely worried for Micah’s health.

Micah’s heart warmed a little, some more sympathy lighting up inside him now that he had a better idea of what was going on here.

Micah brought one hand back up, touching Stefan’s hair again, loving the way it felt through his fingers.

“I love you, and you’re more than welcome to touch me. I thought you didn’t want to touch me anymore.”

Stefan’s eyes glowed, as though Micah had just set off a challenge inside the man. “Nothing could ever be further from the truth. God, do you have any idea how much it hurts me to not touch you?”

“You can show me.”