him away from the party.
“I think we can call that a success,” Brendan said as he held the cottage door open for him.
“Yeah, it’s going great,” Riley agreed. “Thanks for walking me back. I’ll just go lie down for a bit.”
His heat was reaching the stage where it couldn’t be ignored, but he didn’t want to ask Brendan to leave the party early. It wasn’t fair to the alpha or his family.
Brendan canted his head to the side, a slight frown on his face. “I’m not heading back to the party, I’m staying here with you. It’s one thing to ask you to be sociable for a few hours, but it’s quite another to expect you to have mammoth self-discipline when your body is trying to screw you over. We’re in this together, remember?”
Riley blinked at the outpouring of words, relieved when he realized their meaning. “Oh, good. I wasn’t going to beg you to stay and have sex, but it was a close thing.”
Brendan reached out and tugged him forward until they were chest to chest. “No need to beg for what I’m happy to give. Come on, let’s go to the bedroom.”
He let Brendan usher him along the corridor, his body singing with pleasure at the simple touch of the alpha’s hand on his back. Warm and sticky, he knew exactly what he wanted.
“I need a shower.”
“Sure. I’ll start the water running for you.” Brendan slipped into the bathroom while Riley struggled out of his clothes. He made a brief attempt to fold them neatly but gave up and just left them in a heap at the end of the bed.
“Water’s hot,” Brendan called from the doorway. He looked so good standing there that Riley’s breath caught. “I’ve left towels…”
Riley hurried to the alpha, grabbed his T-shirt, and tugged it upward.
Brendan’s hands caught his, bemused. “Riley?”
“I can’t wait. I’ve been watching you all afternoon, but I couldn’t touch. It’s driving me crazy. I need you, right now.”
The alpha laughed and yanked off his T-shirt, letting it fall to the floor. “Poor guy. Let’s not keep you waiting any longer, huh?”
Riley could have cried with relief when Brendan shoved his pants and boxers to the floor. The alpha tugged him forward until they were skin to skin, and just that touch was enough to settle some of the desperation. He clung tightly to the alpha as Brendan’s hands lifted him up, urging Riley’s legs around his waist.
“That’s it, I’ve got you.”
Brendan carried him into the shower, and he groaned in pleasure as the water beat along his back. He wrapped his arms around Brendan, pressing his face against the alpha’s neck.
“Good, huh?”
“Amazing. Can I stay right here forever?”
“Sure. If that’s what you want.”
But after a few minutes, it wasn’t enough for him. Need itched under his skin, making him shudder.
“I want you.”
“I’m right here.”
“No, not like this. Like…”
Brendan chuckled, his voice low and deep. “Got it. How do you…”
“Remember our first time?” Their only time. “Like that.”
“Uh-huh, I remember.” The alpha kissed his cheek, and Riley turned his face, seeking more. A moment later, Brendan’s lips captured his. He whimpered with need, his world narrowing to nothing but the alpha. His touch, his taste, his scent.
So when Brendan set him on his feet, pressed him against the shower wall, and let go, Riley surfaced with a cry.
“Brendan?”
The alpha pressed a kiss to his shoulder. “I’ll be right back. Safety first, huh?”
Riley couldn’t think through the need thrumming beneath his skin, so he murmured an acknowledgment and waited impatiently for Brendan’s return. The cool tiles of the shower wall were a welcome contrast to the heat of the water. And then the alpha’s hands were splayed across his hips.
“Hey there.”
“Hi.”
“You comfortable?”
“Better now you’re here.”
He turned and put his back to the wall, meeting Brendan’s eyes.
“I waited for you.”
“You did.”
“Don’t make me wait anymore.”
Another kiss and he parted his lips, Brendan’s tongue plundering his mouth. He groaned, spreading his legs and tugging the alpha closer. He ran his hands down Brendan’s back, feeling smooth skin and bunched muscles beneath his palms.
When Brendan turned him again, he went willingly, leaning against the shower wall. The alpha’s hands trailed down his thighs, urging his legs apart.
“Yes, Brendan. Please.”
A finger pressed inside him and he shuddered once more. The need was louder than anything, a constant echoing shout inside his head. He’d never had anyone there to answer that call before. But now he had Brendan. The alpha stretched him with gentle thoroughness, until