Hayden went with the truth. “Yes.”
“Butterflies or red flags?” Liam turned to face him.
Hayden could tell by the crease between those eyebrows that the answer mattered to…his mate. There, he’d said it. In his head, but…baby steps.
“I’m gonna keep it real.” Exhaustion had worn his nerves to frayed ends, leaving no room for clever comebacks or witty deflections. Tonight had drained the last of his social reserves. All he could think about now was standing under hot water until his muscles unknotted and his mind finally went quiet.
Liam crossed his arms, his stance less relaxed. “By all means.”
“Teagan’s the only guy I’ve ever been with.” Hayden paced because laying it all bear required walking in circles and gesturing at thin air. “My flirt game is nonexistent. Zero skills, buddy. My brain goes into critical meltdown when shit gets real, and you dropping that mate bomb took things from seeing-where-this-goes to this-is-not-a-drill in zero-point-five panicked seconds.” Hayden scrubbed his hand through his hair.
“Breathe, babe.” Liam’s hands hovered near Hayden’s arms, but didn’t touch, as if he wasn’t sure contact would make the spiral better or worse.
“Breathe, seriously? Do you know how terrifying it is trying to get to know someone who suddenly became your other other half? Teagan knows me down to my bones, but what if you discover you hate the way I chew? Or you get irritated because I talk through movies that have the dumbest plots? Heads of lettuce creep me out. I scream at the top of my lungs if I see a spider. Those suckers have eight freaking eyes! I drive like an old person on the freeway because I’ve seen the damage going over the speed limit can do to a car, and I like crunchy peanut butter.”
Hayden needed a hit of oxygen. Once the words had started spilling out, he hadn’t been able to stop them. Half of what he’d said shocked him because, before now, he hadn’t known they were insecurities. He’d thought they were just quirks.
But saying all of that out loud made Hayden wonder if he needed therapy.
“He also tosses wet clothes into the hamper and drinks chocolate milk straight from the carton,” Teagan added from the entrance to the kitchen. “Oh, and he likes sleeping with socks on. Tube socks.”
“Nope. Deal breaker.” Liam sliced his hand through the air. “I want my men barefoot in bed for easy access.”
“To…my feet?” Hayden instinctively curled his toes as if Liam might slip off his shoes and do something he might need therapy for. “What kind of fetishes are you into?” He held up his hands, palms out. “No judgment. You just caught me off guard.”
“None personally.” Liam’s voice pitched low. “But I’m more than willing to explore any you might have, handsome.” He moved closer, nearly towering over Hayden, but Hayden refused to take a step back. Not because he was worried Liam would hurt him but because his mere presence was so… consuming.
“Maybe you should kiss Hayden so he’ll calm the hell down.” Teagan walked to the fridge and grabbed a can of soda. “Unless you already have and that’s the reason for his brain melt.” Teagan popped the tab and arched a brow at Hayden. “Or do you have cold feet? I had to practically pull you into bed the first time we had sex.”
“Really?”
Liam glanced at Hayden like he was trying to picture him kicking and screaming the entire way. So not what happened. Teagan was exaggerating. Hayden had every right to be nervous that night since it was the first time for both of them. They’d been all limbs and fumbles and lubed so heavily they’d had a hard time keeping a grip on anything. Hayden had been terrified Teagan would glide right out from under him.
Neither of them had known what the hell they were doing that night.
Teagan hid his shit-eating grin behind the rim of his soda can. “Hayden comes off as confident when it comes to sex, but he’s adorably awkward underneath that handsome exterior.” He slung an arm over Hayden’s shoulder then licked the side of his face. “Better feel lucky you’re cute and taste delicious.”
Hayden knocked his arm away before using his shirt to wipe his cheek. “I’m not that damn awkward. I don’t hear you complaining when your dick is in my mouth.”
Teagan sighed dreamily. “You give the best head.”
“I’m the only one who’s given you head, dweeb,” Hayden shot back, enjoying their banter. It was hard to rile Teagan, especially when he could lob an insult that made you question if he was kidding around or actually roasting you.
“You guys do realize I’m standing right here, imagining all that filth, which, by the way, has left me with a raging boner.”
Liam placed his hands on his hips, not even trying to cover the outline in his jeans. Hayden and Teagan glanced down at his crotch.
It looked like he was smuggling a large roll of hard salami in his underwear.
What had Hayden expected? Liam was easily six-five or six-six. Did Hayden honestly think the guy would be packing a peanut?
“Oh my.” Teagan took a hard swallow of his soda, his gaze never leaving Liam’s crotch. “Hayden, you can go first so I know if I need to order a saddle.”
Hayden burst out laughing at the sheer insanity of…everything.
Edwin and Ramos Out for Revenge: Part 2.
Liam being a wolf and turning their relationship into a triad.
