Hidden Passions (Hidden, #7)(76)

"Freda is good people."

"You and she ever--?"

"No," Chris said. "It didn't seem right to use my alpha's BFF that way."

Tony looked relieved. He scratched his cheek, which was slightly pinker than usual. His guardian cuff gleamed with the movement. Chris decided he liked the way it looked on the wolf's strong forearm.

"Speaking of the dragons," Tony said.

Chris gave him an inquiring look. Tony exhaled and dropped to the edge of his rumpled bed. Chris joined him and took his hand. Their fingers twined together in a natural easy way. His heart felt good beating slow and steady inside of him: happy and peaceful, he realized.

I'm content, he thought. This is how that feels.

"About the dragons?" he prompted.

"You didn't put on your cuff. When Cass's dad gave it to you, you stuck it in your pocket."

"I'm thinking about it before I put it on."

Chris didn't think this statement was outrageous, but Tony's jaw fell open. "Why do you have to think? You already said you'd be my co-guardian."

"I will. Ninety-nine percent probably. I admitted I was your mate when Roald asked because I would have felt like a skunk leaving you hanging. The guardian business I want to mull over."

"Don't you think the dragons are awesome?"

"Sure," Chris said. "I feel honored to be asked to protect them."

"And me? Aren't I awesome too?"

Chris laughed. Tony was kind of joking and kind of not. "You're extremely awesome."

"Then what is there to think about? Unless you think you're not hero material. Should I not have saved your bacon?"

Chris squeezed his hand. "I want to think because it's a big decision. I want to make it with my eyes open. I want you to know I chose."

Tony considered this. "You want me to know you're certain, and that you didn't feel pressured."

"Exactly," Chris said, pleased that he'd understood.

Tony grinned. "How long is that going to take?"

"You're impossible!" Chris exclaimed, amused by his impatience.

"Yeah, but you love me anyway."

"I do." Chris stroked his fingertips down the side of Tony's face.

Tony kissed his palm and gazed into his eyes. It all felt wonderful. Heat ran through Chris, followed by a humming excitement. He curled his toes. They could do this any time they wanted. Hold hands. Lock gazes. Even kiss in public. Everyone who mattered already knew what they were to each other.

"Would you consider selling your condo and buying Rick's place?" Tony asked.

"What?" Chris said, taken by surprise.

"Rick lives with Cass now. And I'm too much of a pack rat for us both to have our stuff here."

"Do you think your brother would sell? What about your alpha? Isn't this house kind of a pack thing?"

"Pfft." Tony waved his hand dismissively. "Adam got over Nate marrying a tiger. This isn't really a bigger deal."

Chris saw Tony believed this, and maybe it was true. He shook his head. "You wolves . . ."

"We're very forward thinking," Tony said airily.

Chris snorted. "All right. I'll--"

"--think about it," Tony finished for him.

They smiled at each other. "I love you," Chris said.

"You should," Tony teased.

"We could celebrate by having sex."

"I thought you'd never ask," his lover responded.

Tony leaned forward, and they kissed each other. Though they had exactly the same mouths and bodies as before, a sense of novelty rose in him. This was Chris's brave new world. He was gay, and happy, and Tony was right in the thick of it with him.


"Mm," Tony said. "Kissing you makes me so fricking hard."

Charmed by the claim, Chris ran his palm up Tony's thigh to check.

Tony jerked when he squeezed the big ridge between his legs. His cock was thick and long, easily standing up to the pressure he applied.

"Yup," Chris said, so happy he was almost laughing. "That is a hard hard-on."

Tony growled and kissed him more deeply. The wolf's interest was accelerating on fast forward. He yanked Chris's shirttails out of his trousers, his hands driving under it up his back. The kneading of his fingertips felt amazing. Chris squirmed and started unbuttoning his own shirt.

"God, I love watching you do that," Tony said.

Chris remembered doing it for him at the carwash. That seemed a zillion years ago--and not only because he'd been in the closet then. Tony's fight with Jonah had gotten to him, reminding him every moment they spent together should be treasured. Abruptly crazy-eager, Chris kicked off his shoes, wrestled out of his pants, and pulled Tony from the bed onto his feet.

He was so ready to ravish the sexy wolf it was not funny.

Grinning at his expression, Tony wrestled his black T-shirt over his head. Chris inhaled sharply.

Above the sweats he'd borrowed from his brother, Tony chest was bloody.

"Oh," he said, looking down at the stains. "Sorry. I'm healed. I just didn't take time to wash up before I pulled this on."

"Wait," Chris said when Tony would have kissed him again. He strode quickly to Tony's bathroom, ran a washcloth under the hot water, and wrung it out.