“Are we going to do this?”
“Didn’t take you for the impatient type.”
“I am when I’ve got a hot guy in front of me who’s supposed to be kissing me, not staring at me.”
“I quite like staring at you.”
“Bet you’ll enjoy kissing me even more,” Marshall taunted with a grin.
In reply, Aaron slid his thumb along Marshall’s jaw, finally tracing the line of stubble he’d been itching to touch all day. He settled his hand on Marshall’s neck, absorbing the warmth of his skin. Again, he made sure that Marshall wasn’t in pain before continuing. Marshall gave him a nod, confirming he was okay.
With Marshall leaning against the desk, he was slightly lower than Aaron. With his thumb, Aaron tilted Marshall’s chin. Emerald eyes searched his, and then Aaron brushed his lips against Marshall’s. It was a fleeting touch, and he drew back just enough to check that Marshall was okay.
“For fuck’s sake, just kiss me,” Marshall growled out, tugging on Aaron’s shirt before capturing Aaron’s mouth with his own. There was a second of surprise before Aaron gave his own growl and tightened his grip on Marshall’s neck, holding him in place.
Heat raced through Aaron as he got his first taste of his fated mate. Before he could dive deeper, though, Marshall pulled away, panting.
“We good?” Aaron asked, his voice husky.
“Yeah, we are,” Marshall said with a grin. Aaron returned the grin, and their mouths met again in a sensual slide. Marshall ran his tongue along Aaron’s lips, and the Alpha opened for him. Strong arms slid around his neck, pulling him closer, and he felt a foot hooking behind, holding him in place.
Warmth and desire leaped through him, and he reveled in the almost forgotten feelings. He dragged his mouth away, and before Marshall could protest, he was nipping along Marshall’s jaw and nuzzling at the sensitive spot below his left ear. A groan escaped from Marshall, and he tipped his head to the side to give Aaron better access.
A low growl rumbled through Aaron’s chest before he swiped his tongue along the cords in Marshall’s neck. Aaron’s wolf wanted to bite and mark their mate, but Aaron knew it was too soon for that. Marshall gasped at the sensation and dug his fingers into Aaron’s hair, holding him in place as the Alpha nibbled and nipped before soothing him with swipes of his tongue and butterfly kisses.
“Fuck!” Marshall’s harsh whisper had Aaron tensing, and he loosened his hold. He pressed a soft kiss against Marshall’s jaw and then another against his mouth before resting their foreheads together.
Marshall’s eyes were dark with desire, and his breathing was uneven. They stared at each other as they caught their breath.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. More than. You?”
“I haven’t felt like that before,” Aaron said, easing away from Marshall but keeping a hand at his waist.
“Felt what?”
“I wanted to bite you. Mark you as mine. I wanted to crawl inside you and never leave.”
Marshall ran a hand up Aaron’s chest, resting it on his heart.
“Is that normal for mates, or do you think it’s the soul bond?”
“Mates do bite each other. It’s part of the mating ceremony and consummating the bond. I’ve met no one I wanted to mate, but now all I can think about is how I really want to do what you suggested earlier and bend you over my desk.”
Aaron felt the tremor go through Marshall at his words.
“I think we need to take a rain check on that idea,” Marshall said ruefully. A second later, he went pale and swayed. Aaron tightened his grip to steady him. “I… I need to sit down, Aaron.”
“I’ve got you.” Aaron hitched his shoulder under Marshall’s arm, and they shuffled over to the couch. Marshall sat down without completely collapsing, and he dropped his head back. Aaron lifted his feet and pushed him back, so he was lying down before crouching next to the couch. He ran his eye down the lean body, but it didn’t seem like Marshall was going to seize.
“Rest for a moment, and I’ll call the kitchen for something to eat and drink.”
He stood, and Marshall grabbed his wrist before he could move away. “Hey. I’m okay, honest. Just a small system overload.”
Aaron crouched back down beside him and ran a finger along his jaw. “You promise?”
Marshall gave him a reassuring smile. “I promise. As soon as I’m feeling better, we’ll be repeating the exercise.”