Page 73 of Butterfly Assassin
“Really?” It came out breathier than he’d intended, but Aaron was standing so close, the heat of his body almost a tangible thing.
“Yes, really, but probably not for the same reasons.”
“Oh?”
“You’re SCTF. You know how we work, right?”
“Are you talking about bonding? Because—”
Aaron laughed. “No, calm down.” Michael relaxed, not realising how tense he’d got. “But even without a bond, having sex comes with consequences for shifters.”
Michael’s eyebrows rose. “Consequences?”
Scrunching up his face, Aaron sighed. “I’m doing a rubbish job of explaining this judging by the look of horror on your face right now.”
Lips twitching, Michael said, “It’s not horror.”
“Mhmm.”
“Maybe mild concern…”
Aaron huffed out a laugh. “Let me put it this way. When we had sex, it triggered some of my baser instincts.”
“Such as?” Michael was well aware of how quickly shifters became attached—bonded sometimes—but being the focus of that attention was a different beast entirely. It was a toss-up whether he found the whole idea worrying or exciting. With the way Aaron held him, still with one hand on his back and the other on his cheek, Michael was going to go with the latter.
Aaron smirked at him. “We get possessive.” The roughness to his voice sent a shiver down Michael’s spine. Aaron let his gaze drop to Michael’s mouth and linger long enough for Michael’s stomach to flutter and his heart rate to kick up. “And protective.”
Mouth dry, Michael struggled to answer. “I don’t belong to you,” he managed but without much conviction.
“I know that.” The reply was softly spoken, sincere.
“And I can look after myself.”
“I know that too.” Closing his eyes, Aaron leaned in just enough to touch his forehead to Michael’s. “But it doesn’t stop me from starting to think of you as mine and wanting to keep you safe.” He sighed, the warmth of his breath tickling Michael’s lips like the promise of a kiss. “It’ll pass, in time.”
I’m not sure I want it to.
Fuck, that was a thought he didn’t need to be having. Since when did he want to get mixed up in all the crap that came with dating a shifter? Especially considering what he did for a living. Even if Aaron hadn’t been involved with the case, it wasn’t the best idea for an SCTF member to cosy up with a shifter.
Aaron shuffled closer, dipping head to nose along Michael’s neck and aligning their bodies in a way that left Michael in no doubt as to how he felt. The hard length pressing into his hip had him biting back a moan and wanting nothing more than to slip his arms around him, slide his hands down towards Aaron’s arse, and—
Teeth grazed the side of his neck and he froze.
Another sigh, and this time Aaron’s warm breath ghosted over his skin, standing his hairs on end. “Don’t worry,” he whispered, “I’d never bite you.”
Not sure what came over him, Michael replied with, “Not even if I asked you nicely?” Panic threatened to follow, but Aaron’s huff of laughter staved it off.
He placed a soft kiss where his teeth had been moments before, then trailed more, equally as soft, up along Michael’s neck to just behind his ear. “Well, maybe then I’d make an exception.”
A car door slammed further down the street, and reality came crashing back in for Michael. What were they doing, for fuck’s sake? He was supposed to be telling Aaron they couldn’t have a repeat performance, not practically humping him in the street. Aaron’s presence clouded his judgement. How was he supposed to think rationally with 180 pounds of solid muscle pressed against him like a second skin and smelling so good?
Sensing his mood change, Aaron took a big step back, his hands touching Michael until the last possible second as though reluctant to let him go. “Sorry.” One word, but all the emotion behind it tugged at Michael’s heart. “I know we can’t do that again. I can’t seem to help myself.” Michael knew the feeling, but he shouldn’t.
He wasn’t a shifter. There were no base instincts at work for him. It had just been a blowjob in the toilets—albeit a fucking hot one—but nothing he hadn’t done before. Yet here he was, standing on the street like a teenager with his first crush, not wanting to leave. Something about Aaron just… called to him. Which sounded ridiculous even in his head, but it was the only description that fit.
Gripping Frank’s car keys in his palm, he raised his hand to show them to Aaron. “I’m going to go.”
“Okay.”
