Boneless, I collapsed on him. Don trembled beneath me as his thoughts settled into mindless joy and sated comfort. I groaned,nuzzling his broad chest. I kissed him. “So good. You are such a fucking good boy.”
Us touching like this, skin to scales, I thought wouldn’t be possible, but Don made it so much easier.
His hand gently slid up and down my back, feeling my bare skin. Don cupped my ass, and I sighed, relaxing. With slow movements, he explored me, and I didn’t freak out. It might have been a combination of his lazy thoughts joining with mine and the after-sex glow. Or it was that I simply trusted Don.
“Perfect way to get rid of a hangover,” I said.
He chuckled. “I will remember that, my Vince.”
Chapter 29
What’s better than an awkward conversation?
After we cleaned up, we returned to bed. Vince remained right against me, running his fingers over me. He hadn’t redressed, and when I touched him, he leaned into me while his thoughts remained calm and pleased.
His fingers moved over my side, and I fought a growl. I loved when he touched my scent glands. Instinct demanded I cover my mate in my scent so everyone knew he was mine, but Vince didn’t know he was my mate. He still thought this was temporary. I had no plans to disillusion him from that assumption.
As much as Vince claimed to be unkind, I knew the truth. He was genuinely nice and he cared. A lot. He cared aboutCamden and Pierce. He cared about Teddy. He loved Seth. And he truly cared deeply about me. If he knew his leaving would permanently injure me, which it would, he would stay.
I feared if he stayed here for me, he would regret it. Though hope at him remaining wouldn’t completely go away. I couldn’t help but wonder if Vince overcame some of his issues or came to terms with what had happened to him, then maybe he would stay by my side where he belonged.
Someone rang the chime, and Vince groaned. I kissed his head, my tail tightening around his calf. “Don’t worry. No one will bother us unless it’s an emergency, and if it was, NAID would’ve pinged me.”
A wave of possessive need washed through Vince and made me smile in contentment. He wanted me with an almost feral intensity. I loved it. I ran my hand over his back, marveling at the smooth chill of his skin. I’d never experienced anything like this ever before. Vince kissed my shoulder and snuggled closer.
The person kept ringing the door, and we ignored it. It was probably one of my brothers, and I didn’t bother to check with either NAID or my inner fire—I didn’t want to deal with any of them. Not right now. All that mattered was Vince. We were running out of time, and I wanted to spend every moment I had with him.
NAID appeared on the screen in front of my bed, and Vince squeaked, even though NAID literally couldn’t care whether he wore clothes or not. I pulled the sheet up to cover him while keeping him close.
“What, NAID?”
“The princes Serlotminden, Zoltilvoxfyn, and Kalvoxrencol are outside your room. They wish to speak with you.”
“I bet they do. Nosy assholes,” Vince grumbled, making me chuckle.
I nuzzled the top of his head, scent marking him, which soothed my soul. My Vince. “NAID, tell them I’m unavailable.”
Warmth rushed through Vince and into me. Content. He was happy. We could always be like this to some extent if he chose to remain, but I wouldn’t pressure him. This was his decision, and I couldn’t take it from him no matter how much I wished to.
“Dontilvynsan, stop fucking Vince and open the door,” Kalvoxrencol shouted, living up to his endearment of “Pest.”
Visions of stabbing Kalvoxrencol flitted through Vince’s mind.
“As irritating as he is, I would rather you not kill my younger brother.”
“Then tell him to fuck off,” Vince growled. “We’re spending the day together, and I’m not sharing. Besides, Seth and Teddy are probably hungover. Kal and Mindy should be with them.”
As I slid out of bed, Vince kissed my arm and snagged my tail, gently holding it. “Come back soon.”
I kissed his head. “I will.”
Tugging on trousers and a shirt, I stepped into the shared space and opened the door. The trio of my younger brothers all stood there—Kalvoxrencol at the forefront.
“What?” I asked, examining their thoughts. All were worried about something. Me. Vince wasn’t far from their thoughts either.
“We need to talk,” Kalvoxrencol said. Even though he was the youngest, Pest often led the way, especially with Zoltilvoxfyn. Serlotminden followed them unless he disagreed.
“I’m spending the day with Vince,” I said, leaning against the door jamb.
