Chapter 11: Chapter 10
"What day is it?"
Esmé, sat shirtless as he was on the toilet bowl while I checked the temperature for his shower, blinked at me. He'd managed walking alone once we began heading for our motel room, though I insisted that I'd take care of everything else anyway. After all, it was a genuine pleasure for my Alpha to serve and provide—even if the most I could do right now was a mere motel room.
I'd make it up to him later, I'm sure.
"The day?" he asked. "It's Friday, the 25th of June."
"Time?"
He checked his wrist watch without question. "One oh-seven." As though belatedly realizing it'd be a hindrance to his showering, he promptly began removing his watch to set it aside. He murmured, "It's rather late..."
"Or early, depending on how you look at it," I said, smiling as I let the warm water run for a bit to be certain the temperature would be consistent. As the mirror in the bathroom fogged up from the heat, I told him, "I'm going to say a few words, I want you to repeat them in order."
"Are you a doctor, then?"
"Bzzt, wrong." I laughed. "Business owner, actually. I just know a bit of first aid as a necessity. The words are: elbow, apple, carpet, saddle, bubble."
He parroted the same words back to me.
"Again."
"Elbow, apple, carpet, saddle, bubble."
"One more time."
He gave me an amused look, one elegantly shaped eyebrow rising in question. "Are you yanking my chain right now?"
"Definitely not."
A sigh left his mouth, pulling my attention right to his pink lips. Thankfully, he wasn't feeling too cold even without his top on. Though, another part of me was taking notice of something else: the dryness of his mouth that I wanted to kiss away, the slight pinkness to his pecs as he'd awkwardly scratched at his chest, his abs...
I turned off the shower.
Anyway.
"Elbow, apple, carpet, saddle, bubble."
"Good, you did well." I gave his head a pat with my less wet hand, biting back a wide smile when I realized he'd immediately started bowing his head into me the moment I raised my hand.
Was he a natural submissive? Even as an Alpha? It should be impossible for a man I'd met for the first time to be this perfect, and yet...
Maybe he was.
"Let's do numbers this time." I pulled my hand away from his head despite wanting to keep it there; he was cute so far, but I might end up pushing his boundaries if I got too comfortable. "I'll give you a list of numbers, I want you to repeat them to me in reverse order. As an example, if I say nine one seven, I want you to say—"
"Seven one nine," he finished for me, tilting his head up just enough that I could see his blue eyes perfectly.
He was looking expectantly at me. Smiling.
...damn.
I patted him on the head again, unable to keep myself from a helpless smile when he leaned into the touch. The fire inside me was roaring still, but I'd grown up in a family that valued self-control better than anything else—I had to hold myself back if I didn't want to scare him.
But he was being so cute.
I pressed my lips together in a firm line away from his sight, and inhaled sharply. His health first, my rut later.
"Four nine three," I said.
"Three nine four," he replied.
"Three eight one four."
"Four one eight three."
"Six two nine seven one."
"One seven nine two six."
"Seven one eight, four six two."
"Two six four, eight one seven."
"Well, it looks less and less like a concussion, and more a headache from being hit in the head," I mused, gently ruffling his hair with my hand. He seemed to like the touch, going by the hum that left him as he nuzzled into my palm.
Nuzzled.
He was unhesitating about it too, the smile on his face almost knowing as he closed his eyes to my ministrations. We only met each other today, and yet, it seemed like I wasn't the only one who felt the potential of us.
Ahh. Really, he was making this so difficult for me...
"Last one."
"Still?" he asked, looking up at me. "What is it?"
"I need you to list the months in reverse order."
"So, December, November..."
He recited everything well. A little too well for a man who'd previously been in a daze, unbalanced, and having just returned from being kidnapped. It was almost as if he saw the entire thing as a challenge to his intelligence, which, I could understand.
I was glad it wasn't a concussion, but the knowledge of that made it harder and harder for me to deny what I wanted. What I wanted being:
Him. His entirety, body and soul, and a child with him.
I blew out a breath. No, I can be patient. I didn't have to push for anything now. "Seems you're good for now. Best to check later with an actual doctor, but it doesn't seem like you're in any danger."
"I appreciate it, doctor," he said, cheeky smirk on his face as he sat back. "Will you be helping me with showering too?"
Fuck.
"Would you like me to?" I began unbuttoning my top as I said so—slowly, carefully, giving him room to say no if he'd only been joking. "I wouldn't want you to slip and hurt yourself, so I'd be fine with it."
He stared at me for a moment. His gaze was hot on my body, full of intent yet not so lascivious that it felt disgusting; rather, it felt wonderful, felt like I had the entire world in my hands. Like I was a work of art, revered by those roving eyes as they consumed my body with gaze alone.
He licked his lips, and I bit my own to hide a smile.
"You do realize what you're offering?" he asked.
I finished unbuttoning my top, and let the sleeves fall from my shoulders to my elbows. My bra was the sports bra type, not quite sexy as it was practical, but that didn't seem to deter Esmé as he smiled softly up at me.
That smile was warm, but his eyes felt like they'd burn holes right through my skin, baring the very core of me.
I wouldn't mind, if they did.
"I'm no fool, of course I know what I'm offering," I said, chuckling as I pulled my shirt completely off. I didn't wait as I took my bra off too, unzipping it from the front so my breasts could fall loose from their hold. When he reached out to me, hands coming up to rest against my back, I allowed myself to be pulled into him until I was standing between the wide-open spread of his legs.
The way he pressed a gentle kiss to one breast, calm gaze unwavering as he looked up at me, told me that this wasn't his first time. That this body of his, sculpted from what felt like hard work and effort, had already been touched and wanted by another. That he had already wanted someone else before too.
It was a relief, honestly.
Even if I didn't have experience, at least one of us would know enough to not fumble this.
"Undress me?" I asked.
He watched me for a moment, a thoughtful gleam to those blue eyes, then nodded.
I didn't bother to hide my wide smile when he took to using his teeth to unzip my pants. It seemed holding back was pointless after all, if he wanted me just the same.
"Are you going to blame the adrenaline for this too?" I said, a bit of fondness slipping into my voice as I stroked his hair. He gave a pleased hum at my caresses, though it didn't hinder him as he pulled my zipper down, down, and down. "I'll be a little sad if you need an excuse like that, but..."
"No."
When he released my zipper from his teeth, he didn't hesitate to press a kiss to the patch of skin right below my navel. It was so intimate a thing, so sweet, that I couldn't help a slight shudder.
Maybe it was a mistake to have never had sex before. I felt like a livewire, felt far too sensitive from a little physical contact like this—what would happen to me if we went any further?
I might just go insane.
Still, I spoke, "No? So you won't be making any excuses for this after?"
He nodded.
"I know what I'm doing." His hands were gentle, but not so much that it felt coddling, when he tugged my pants down from my hips until they were on the floor. I figured it would be my move to remove my remaining underwear, but he stopped me before it could happen with a warm hand to my ass, just gently rubbing, making me feel far too hot to be healthy.
I felt like I was on fire, but his cool skin against me as he rested his chin on my abdomen, his calloused hands gently moving down my thighs, felt like relief.
"I won't make excuses for this."
The way he said it was so firm, so unshakeable, it left no room for any doubts. Even his gaze was a solid, heated thing as it looked right into my face, regardless of my nudity. It was so much that I had to put both my hands to his shoulder for some balance; I felt unsteady on my feet at the knowledge that this was finally happening.
Did he feel it too? Could he tell how compatible we were, how perfect we'd be for each other, enough that he didn't want to waste time like this? Was it mere lust, or something more?
Later, I'd ask.
For now—
I leaned down just as he craned his neck back, cupped his cheeks with both hands to keep him still, and kissed him. It was soft, just a peck, and yet, I felt myself burning anyway.
With our lips a breath away from each other as I pulled back, I said,
"Then, I'm all yours."
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