And if they needed to swap, he wasn’t worried about the current owners. Once he explained it to Clay and Dane, he doubted the two men would have a problem changing rooms. Both men seemed to like Wiley, and Dane was the sweet, caring sort even if Clay was gruff and growly.
But just understanding the disorder wasn’t enough. Wiley was so much more than this illness, and Baer wanted to know everything.
And not just in the carnal sense, though he wanted that pretty damn badly. Yesterday morning had been so fucking hot. He’d awakened to Wiley’s tight ass against his cock, and he’d been unable to stop himself from reacting to it. Then Wiley had kissed him, and the desire that had shot through him was shocking. He’d never felt anything like it in his life.
The only problem Baer faced was the soul mate issue. His was out there somewhere. He’d begun to wish that Wiley was his soul mate, but he wasn’t, right? He’d know Wiley was his soul mate. It would be a feeling down in his bones or a bolt of lightning.
When they’d first met, there’d been attraction and well…something, but that had been similar to his Weaver feeling. He didn’t know what that was, but it was probably linked to the pestilents in the area.
From attraction, they became friends. And now they stood to enjoy some very wonderful benefits of that closeness. But was getting together with Wiley really unfair to him?
As Clay and Grey had pointed out, the odds of meeting his soul mate were incredibly slim. As long as he was up front with Wiley, couldn’t they explore what they felt for each other and have some fun? Dane had been married before he met Clay and completely loved his wife. Couldn’t he find some happiness like that with Wiley?
He stared at the small, brick building, hoping Wiley was doing okay in there. He couldn’t imagine what it must be like for Wiley—dealing with a disorder that difficult. Even though he knew Wiley had done sessions like this probably hundreds of other times in his life, Baer still felt the urge to go in there and hold his hand through it. Probably wouldn’t make a big difference to Wiley, but it would make him feel a hell of a lot better.
Not that Wiley needed that or him. The young man was so strong and admirable. They met in an attack on a freaking bakery. Wiley watched him shift and kill two pestilents, and the guy still didn’t hesitate to walk out of there with him—a total stranger.
The hour seemed to fly by and soon, Wiley was coming out the door. The bright smile on his face and the spring in his step had Baer breathing a sigh of relief. He might have already been planning what he’d say to the therapist if Wiley came out looking sad. Thank God he’d brought Wiley to his appointment, especially if it was going to put that expression on his face.
Wiley climbed into the Jeep and strapped himself in.
“Good meeting?” Baer asked.
“Yeah, I really like her,” Wiley said with a relieved sigh. “She spends half the time telling me stories about herself, but she really listens when it’s my turn to talk. And she knows her stuff from having dealt with this for years herself. Her son has OCD, so she has a lot of experience. Talking to her always makes me feel good about myself.”
“Before we go, I want to put your next appointment into my phone.”
Wiley gave him a look filled with warmth, and he couldn’t help but feel it deep inside. He got out his phone and added the information Wiley gave him. He felt better knowing that he was keeping up with Wiley’s needs. He still planned to research OCD and learn all he could about what Wiley dealt with.
“If you need to see her sooner, don’t hesitate to tell me,” Baer said. “This is too important to let go.” Baer put his phone away, started the Jeep, and pulled out of the parking lot. “So, did you tell her about us?”
Wiley laughed and Baer’s heart skipped a beat. “Did I tell my therapist about magic, a shapeshifter, and evil aliens? Hell, no! I don’t want her to think I’m crazy.” Baer laughed with him and Wiley added, “I just said that I’d made some new friends.”
“Friends, huh?”
From the corner of his eyes, he could see Wiley shrug, looking as if he were trying for nonchalant, but the big smile was a dead giveaway. “I’m kind of hoping you and I will be a little more than that.”
Baer hit his blinker before turning into the parking lot of a grocery store. He deftly pulled the Jeep into an open spot and turned off the engine.