“This isn’t a good time. I–I need to feed my cat, goldfish, brother…”
Olin tried to take a step back, but the bed stopped him. Nothing was more appealing to Coop than to see the uncertainly and vulnerability in Olin’s green eyes. He slid his hand under Olin’s jaw, caressing the skin.
“I can’t control this. You know that.” Coop slid his index finger past Olin’s lips, and Olin turned, as if to force Coop’s finger from his mouth, but then he began to suckle it, his tongue sliding over the skin as they both locked gazes.
Coop groaned as his cock pulsed to the sucking sensation. He had dipped his head, tangling his tongue with Olin’s, tasting the sweet nectar of the little leopard’s mouth when a throat cleared behind him.
Chapter Six
The interruption should have pissed Olin off, but he was never so glad to see Karidon in his life. He’d almost given in to Coop, almost begged the man to fuck him.
Talk about a close call. Instead of folding Coop’s clothes, Olin shoved them into the duffel bag, ready to get the hell out of there before he changed his mind and kicked Karidon out of the house.
With the way Coop affected him, that was a strong possibility. Even knowing the cost of giving in, Olin had been tempted.
Karidon’s smirk wavered when Coop turned his head, his eyes narrowed and his canines bared.
“You really don’t value breathing, do you?” Coop asked his friend.
Karidon’s smirk returned, but the humor didn’t reach his eyes. “Talyn is looking for Olin. He also sent me over here to see if you seriously came here by yourself.”
“I’m a big boy,” Coop said in a clipped tone. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to—”
“All packed!” Olin announced a little too loudly as he slid past Coop. “We should hit the road before it gets dark.”
Coop threw his arm up to stop Olin from getting by. “You really don’t know what I’m offering you.”
“Oh, I have a pretty good idea,” Olin said.
Coop shook his head. “No, you don’t. It’s more than sex, more than babies. It’s a lifetime of happiness. Do you know that for me…waking up every morning next to you would be like Christmas?”
Olin’s breath caught in his throat. He had no idea Coop felt that way about him. The wall Olin struggled so hard to keep in place had just grown cracks. He bit into his lower lip, unsure how to respond to what Coop had just said. Olin’s resistance softened. “Thank you.”
The sides of Coop’s mouth tugged downward.
“For keeping your word,” Olin clarified.
Coop framed his thick hand over Olin’s jaw. “Not going anywhere, little wildcat.”
“Okay,” Olin said as he moved Coop’s hand from his jaw. “Way too many inner feelings going on lately. Let’s just get to my house. Aunt Mya is cooking her mouthwatering spaghetti, and I don’t want to miss out.”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Karidon said as he grabbed the duffel from the bed.
“Oh, she even makes homemade twisty rolls. I’m not sure if they have a real name, but that’s what Gabriel, Ollie, and I always calls them. They melt in your mouth.” Olin grabbed the small travel kit Coop had sitting on the dresser and tucked it under his arm. “Do you need to pack, Karidon?”
“Nope, already done,” Karidon said as he walked toward the back of the house. “I even have my Jeep started and ready to go.”
“Well, aren’t you the good little Cub Scout,” Coop grumbled as he followed.
He understood why Coop was grumpy, but the guy didn’t have to take it out on Karidon. Olin elbowed Coop and then glowered. “Be nice. He’s only trying to make due with a bad situation. Don’t forget. He’s got a price on his head, too.”
Coop gazed at him and then his eyes flashed to Karidon. Coop looked as if he wasn’t sure what to think, and then he gave a bark of laughter that sounded more like resignation than humor.
Olin could see how hard Coop was trying to hold it together. He wasn’t even sure why the Primal Heat hit one person in the relationship and not the other. And it only happened with gay relationships. Everyone accepted that fact—even if there were still bigoted people who thought two men shouldn’t lie together. Most guessed that the Primal Heat came on to give the couple a shot at having kids. What nobody could figure out was why this strange phenomenon had a time period of seven days or why, if the relationship wasn’t consummated, the leopard in heat was no longer interested afterward.
He felt bad for Coop, but not bad enough to rush into this. They still had six more days. Olin had to take his time to think long and hard about what he wanted, if he was ready for a lifetime commitment and a family.