“You’re right,” Kiernan replied softly. “Five minutes, in the bathroom. Please.”
Demitri licked his lips, then nodded. “Sure. Okay.” He followed Kiernan to the men’s room. Five minutes? That was about how long it would take to give someone a kiss-off, right? His heart tightened in his chest. Was Kiernan going to tell him he didn’t want to have anything to do with him?
As soon as the door closed behind him, Kiernan grabbed his arm and yanked him against his chest. Demitri gave an unmanly squeak at the move. A warm broad hand gripped the nape of his neck and firm lips claimed his own. Kiernan slid his tongue into Demitri’s mouth, forcing it wider.
Kiernan dominated his mouth, twining their tongues as their teeth clacked together. Demitri moaned and clutched at Kiernan’s shirt as he melted against the man he’d missed so much.
“Demitri,” Kiernan muttered, the word muffled since he still hadn’t pulled his lips away from Demitri’s. Then for the next couple of minutes, there was no talking. Kiernan wrapped his arms around him, held him tight, and devoured him. His mate sucked his tongue, his bottom lip, and mapped his mouth.
Finally, when breathing became paramount, Kiernan lifted his head just enough to fill their lungs. “Come home with me,” Kiernan pleaded. “We’ll talk. I’ll tell you all about how sorry I am, and how much I want another chance.
Please?” Staring at Kiernan in stunned silence, Demitri couldn’t seem to get words past his throat.
Evidently, Kiernan took that as uncertainty. “Please,” he said again. “I’m sorry I freaked out. I really am, but you can’t really blame me.” He grimaced and shook his head.
“Give me another chance to meet your…your wolf,” he begged, his voice hitching, telling Demitri that he was still uneasy, but at least he was trying.
“Yes,” Demitri finally got out. “Yes, I’ll go with you.”
“Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Between each thank you Kiernan pecked a kiss to his lips. “I—I appreciate it. More than you could ever know.”
“Thank you,” Demitri said when he could finally get a word in edge-wise.
Kiernan smiled, the move lighting up his pale, silver-blue eyes with such pleasure. “Shall I wait for you out front?”
Demitri nodded. “I won’t be long.”
“See you soon.” Kiernan captured his mouth, thrusting his tongue deep in feral possession, then just as suddenly released him and slipped out of the bathroom.
It took a couple minutes of willing his erection away before Demitri could step outside without embarrassing himself. Too bad as soon as he saw Jessica and she gave him a wink, he flushed hot. He just knew he’d given himself away.
Demitri hustled out of the restaurant and toward Kiernan’s truck. If he heard one more joke about him, Kiernan, and the bathroom, he thought his head would explode. It was hard to get angry since he knew they all meant well and were happy for him.
“Can’t wait,” Kiernan muttered as soon as Demitri closed the truck door, reaching across the cab to cup his head and pull him close. Demitri was all too happy to acquiesce, sinking into Kiernan’s embrace, draping himself across the seat. Kiernan nibbled his lip, then tugged gently between his teeth as he pulled away, finally releasing when Demitri shivered.
Kiernan grinned at him. “Ready to go?”
Demitri nodded, too out of breath to answer.
Evidently figuring out his problem, Kiernan’s grin turned lascivious. He winked, then he focused on driving. It took everything in Demitri not to reach over and touch. His phone rang, yanking him out of his thoughts. He pulled out his phone and cringed. “Damn, I forgot to tell Frankie.”
“Better answer it,” Kiernan told him. “But tell him you’re at my place for the night, because I’ll be damned if I let you go before morning,” he growled.
Shivering at the lust filling Kiernan’s tone, Demitri nodded quickly. “Okay.” He answered breathlessly. “Hey, Frankie?”
“Where are you? Are you okay?”
Demitri grimaced. He hated that he’d made his friend worry. “Yes. I’m okay. Um, I’m really sorry I didn’t call you but…well, I guess I got a bit distracted. Kiernan dropped by the diner.”
“Oh—OH! Is he there now?” Frankie asked excitedly.
“Yeah, he, uh, I’m at his place,” Demitri admitted. “We just pulled up,” he added, as Kiernan parked the truck in front of his home.
To his surprise, Frankie remained quiet for several seconds, then demanded, “I want to talk to him.”
Demitri’s eyes widened and he turned toward Kiernan.
“Frankie wants to talk to you.”
Kiernan nodded slowly, reaching for the phone. “That was the big guy who turned into a strawberry blond wolf, right?”
Impressed that, even in his panicked state, Kiernan had paid that much attention, Demitri just nodded dumbly.
“This is Kiernan.”
Because of his heightened shifter hearing, Demitri didn’t have any trouble hearing Frankie’s half of the conversation.
“Okay, it’s really you. I recognize your voice. I just wanted to make sure, because if you were scientists, I’d hunt you down and shred you,” Frankie stated succinctly.
“Uh, okay,” Kiernan replied slowly. He frowned, then growled, “I don’t plan to ever allow Kiernan to be caught by those assholes. I’ll kill them all if they come after him again.”
“Great. That’s what I like to hear,” Frankie responded without missing a beat. “Okay, tell Demitri to call if he needs anything.”
Kiernan handed him back the phone. “Uh…he said—”
Demitri nodded. “I heard what he said.”
“You did?” Kiernan asked, clearly surprised.
He blushed. They hadn’t covered that, had they? “Yeah.
Uh, shifters, um, they have more sensitive hearing and eyesight. They’re stronger and faster and are harder to injure. Heal faster,” he paused, trying to decide if he’d forgotten anything.
“Come inside,” Kiernan urged, interrupting his thoughts.
Demitri nodded and followed.
Once locked inside Kiernan’s cottage, Demitri’s lover grabbed his hand and led him up to the bedroom. He urged him to sit on the bed, his back against the headboard.
Kiernan settled opposite him against the footboard. “Okay, so you have increased abilities. Fine.” He nodded, then added, “One of my co-workers is mated to
