Ben (5 page)

Fascinated, he turned to Ben. "Will you take me there?" Tommy really wanted to go into that shop. There was no way he would be able to afford anything in there but looking was half the fun.

"Where?" Ben sounded a little lost.

"The Crystal Caves."

Ben groaned.

"What's the matter? Is the store off limits for some reason?" Tommy asked, wondering about Ben's reaction to his request.

"No, not at all." Tommy looked closely at his mate and he swore he saw a slight blush staining his cheeks.

"Ben?"

"The shop is beautiful, rocks and crystals everywhere, out the back they have this one room that has nothing but amethyst geodes of all different sizes and it really is a sight to behold. Underneath the store, they've built in a series of tunnels and caverns that people can walk through and look at all the different displays they have."

"Really?" Tommy was getting excited. What Ben was saying sounded really fascinating. "Can we go? I'd love to be able to see it."

Again Ben paused and Tommy swore his cheeks were turning pink.

"Ben, what's the matter?"

"See… Ahh, to get to the caverns underneath the store, there's this winding walkway that they've built… And I swear to god, they built that entire thing with midgets in mind."

"You can't fit?" Tommy asked as he tried to hold back the laughter that was threatening to burst forth.

"Nope. Hell, I doubt you could fit. I tried once a couple of years back when they got the Empress of Uruguay. I wanted to see it and had to practically bend in half and crawl to get down there."

Tommy smiled and bit back his laughter. There was no way he would laugh at his mate. "What in the world is the Empress of whatever it was?"

"Uruguay. It's the world's largest amethyst geode and stands at three and a half meters tall. It weighs in at two and a half tonnes. People go down and get their picture taken next to it; its size really is something amazing."

"I'd love to see it."

"We have plenty of time to get to do everything you want."

"You don't have to come with me if you don't want." Tommy would love to see the store with his mate but he understood if the man didn't want to go with him into the caves because his size made it difficult.

Ben moved their still joined hands and pressed the back of Tommy's hand against his lips. "Tommy, I would go anywhere with you.
Do
anything for you. If I get a little cramped for a couple of minutes, who cares? As long as we're together, that's all that matters. I want to experience everything with you. You're my mate."

Tommy nodded quickly as he looked away. He really didn't want the other man to see the tears that gathered in his eyes. He tried as discreetly as he could to move the hand not currently being held by Ben and wipe his eyes clear.

They weren't even mated properly yet. Tommy knew he should be freaking a little about how intense Ben was, but he just couldn't bring himself to be upset by it. If he was honest with himself, he loved what Ben had just said. His wolf was in complete agreement with him too. He wanted to curl up in Ben's lap and never move. Tommy had to admit the idea had its merits.

Ben seemed to realise as he pulled up in front of small red brick house that Tommy needed a minute and gave it to him. They sat in the car in silence. Tommy watched Liam pull up behind them then he and Declan started to unload the food.

Tommy looked over at Ben, reached out and touched his palm against the rough stubble coating Ben's jaw and pulled the man down. Soft tender lips met his own in a gentle kiss.

"Thank you," Tommy whispered.

"Anytime, anything you ever need, all you have to do is ask." Tommy nodded and smiled. It might take him a little while to get used to having a mate who he could turn to for everything and anything he might need but hopefully he would get there.

"Come on, let's go meet your friends and play some poker. I need me some spending money." Ben laughed at him as they got out of the car. Tommy waited for Ben and took the larger man's hand when it was held out to him.

Taking a deep breath, he silently prayed that the people closest to his mate would like him.

CHAPTER 5

Poker with the guys had been quite the experience with his mate sitting at the table across from him. Ben couldn't remember an evening he'd enjoyed more except when Tommy had asked him to sleep with him the week earlier and that was for a completely different reasons.

Corey Jones and Bradley Cowens, his two other Betas, along with Samuel Jenkins and Kieran Baxter had all fallen prey to his mate. They had eaten Declan's delicious food as they had played cards and Ben had found it increasingly harder to concentrate as the night wore on.

Tommy sat across the table from him and Ben couldn't take his eyes off his mate. Tommy, of course, seemed to figure this fact out pretty quickly and used it to his advantage. Every chance the young man got he was making covert gestures towards Ben. The lick of lips here, the suck of a finger there, the hollowing of cheeks as he pretended to suck something hard, the hand sliding beneath the table all drove Ben mad. Ben had jumped when he had felt a foot sliding up the front of his jeans-covered leg. He had watched Tommy closely but the man had refused to even acknowledge that he was doing anything.

As such, Ben's game had gone to shit, he couldn't concentrate on anything but his mate and he quickly lost his money. Tommy laughed as he swept the chips towards himself once again. Ben wanted to be mad at his mate but couldn't bring himself to even have a glimmer of that emotion with how much fun Tommy seemed to be having.

"Man, you are so whipped," Corey stated as Ben bowed out of the game in what he thought could have been record time.

"Yep," Brad agreed.

"Just you wait, Corey. When your time comes, I bet you'll fall at your mate's feet any time he says." Ben laughed, knowing it was true.

"Not me, man. I plan to be single for the rest of my life so I can sample all the delicious flavours available to me."

"What's that they say: the bigger they are the harder they fall?"

"Fuck off, man." Ben grinned as he watched the corners of Corey's lips fight not to turn up in a smile.

"It's nice to see you happy, Ben," Kieran said quietly.

"Thanks, Kieran." Turning to face his mate, he said, "Why don't you come over here and sit with me, pup, we can play together." Tommy didn't even have to think about joining him on that side of the table. He picked up his chips and walked around. Ben pushed his chair back and patted his lap.

Tommy sat without hesitation, Ben had to clamp his hands down on the man's waist as he started to wiggle his pert ass in what he was sure was a fake attempt to get comfortable.

Ben had grown immediately hard and was sure everyone else around the table could smell his arousal. There was one good thing he could say about being an Alpha. It saved him from a lot of the ribbing his friends were sure to be giving if it was anyone else in their group acting this way.

Sometimes Ben hated the invisible barrier that seemed to be a constant between him and his friends but he could understand why it existed even if he didn't always like it. Ben was, above all else, their Alpha. With his position came certain rights and responsibilities and Ben took them to heart. He was their leader, the one who looked after them and who they came to if they had any problems. That mantle couldn't simply be removed anytime he wanted.

"Settle down, pup." Tommy immediately stilled in his lap, Ben's hard cock pressed against the crevice of his ass. Ben looked up from where he had been watching his mate and noticed all his friends staring at him and Tommy. Their expressions varied between barely contained laughter, happiness, longing, and then there was Declan who looked like he wanted to throw up.

Tommy bent forward to pick up his cards and pushed his ass back against Ben. Ben's grip on his waist tightened and he could feel the low growl rumble in his chest.

"Pup," he said in warning.

Tommy looked back at him with the most innocent expression Ben had ever seen. "What?" he asked.

"You damn well know what. Look at your poor brother. Declan looks like he's about to lose his dinner."

Tommy glanced at his brother and then flushed a deep red. "Sorry, Dec."

Ben couldn't take it anymore, that blush was the last straw. He stood, his chair scraping against the floor beneath him. Tommy squealed as Ben threw him over his shoulder. Ben's hand came down on the back of Tommy's legs, stopping the man from going anywhere.

"Umm… Well, this is different," he heard Tommy say.

"Sorry to cut this short, guys, but we're out of here." Ben strode around the table.

"Ben," Liam called for him.

"Night, guys," Ben said, not bothering to stop. He had a mate who needed his attention and Ben planned to give him all the attention the man could want.

"Uh, Ben," Liam called again but Ben wasn't going to be swayed from his course.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," he called out over his shoulder, and with that, Ben stepped from the house and strode towards his car. The entire way Tommy's hands played and kneaded his ass cheeks.

Ben unlocked his car but didn't open the door. Instead he allowed Tommy to slide down his chest partially and pushed the man up against the side of the SUV. Tommy got the idea and wrapped his legs around Ben's hips as Ben crashed his mouth down on his mate's.

Tommy tasted like nothing he had ever imagined. His skin prickled with energy and he ground his pelvis against that of his mate. Tommy's arms wrapped around the back of his neck and Tommy's fingers tugged as they found their way into his hair.

Ben licked and sucked at Tommy's mouth, wanting to devour the man with every fibre of his being. His wolf was chomping at the bit to be let out so he could bite and claim that which was his.

He squeezed his hands that were currently cupping two perfect ass cheeks and ran his index finger down the crease of Tommy's pants. Tommy shivered in his arms before the man forcefully broke the kiss and his head fell back against the car with a loud thud. Ben winced slightly but Tommy didn't seem to notice. Instead his breath was coming in heavy pants as he wiggled his ass against Ben's fingers, trying to get more friction.

Ben wanted nothing more than to give his mate what he wanted but there was no way in hell he was going to take his mate for the first time on the verge in front of his friend's house where anyone could watch.

With a great deal of reluctance Ben removed his fingers from where they had been caressing his mate through his clothes and lowered Tommy to the ground. He didn't step back until he was sure Tommy had his feet firmly planted on the ground and was steady enough to support himself. Even then he maintained a hand on Tommy's waist as he opened the car door and manoeuvred Tommy into the passenger seat.

His mate looked a little out of it so Ben reached across him and clicked the seatbelt into place before closing the door and heading around to the driver's side. Ben had to adjust himself before he sat down, otherwise he would be very uncomfortable for the entire ride home.

The trip seemed to take forever if you asked Ben. He had driven that route so many times in his past that it was ingrained in his memory, thank god, because Ben's mind was in a perpetual state of fog due to the lust and arousal that he could smell saturating the inside of his car.

When Ben finally arrived home he was in no state to wait for the garage door to open so instead he slammed on the brakes out in front and turned the car off. He pulled Tommy from the car and once again had him up and over his shoulder as he practically ran the short distance to his front door, Tommy's hands constantly touching him the entire way.

Unlocking his house, Ben crossed the threshold before slamming the door closed behind him, He flicked the lock then took the stairs two at a time as he raced to his bedroom.

When he arrived in his room though and clicked on a light, Ben's arousal started to cool as he thought about his mate and if he was ready for what Ben wanted to do. If not, then Ben would be okay with that. He might need to lock himself in the bathroom for a while but he wouldn't force the other man to do anything he wasn't ready for.

Ben gently slid Tommy off his shoulder and settled him on the ground in front of him. He continued to hold him since Tommy's face looked a little red from all the blood that must have rushed to it while hanging upside down for so long. Ben cursed his stupidity at not thinking about that.

"Sorry," he said gruffly as he cupped Tommy's cheek, rubbing his thumb over the tender smooth skin while the colour slowly dissipated.

"Don't be, I think it's hot when you go all caveman on me." Tommy smiled at him and turned to kiss his palm.

"We don't have to do anything if you don't want to."

"Oh fuck that," Tommy said as he took a step back and pulled his shirt up and over his head. "I've had enough, Ben. I want to live again. I'm tired of being cooped up in a house, reliving every night what happened in the past. I don't want to be a victim any longer; I want to move on. You might need to help me though; I want to explore the bond we have between us. I want to go back to school and finish my degree. I want a lot of things. But what I want most of all right this second is for you to claim what's yours. That is, if you'll have me."

Holy shit! Ben's mind nearly short circuited. He couldn't quite believe what Tommy had just said. It took him a moment to process everything, and so by the time his brain actually switched back on, Tommy's shoulders were slumped and his chin was tucked so close to his chest, his hair had fallen over his eyes.

Ben knew he needed to say something to reassure the younger man. "Yes, pup, I want you more than I've ever wanted anything in my life. I will help you with anything you need, all you have to do is ask and it's yours." Ben lifted Tommy's head and kissed him, gently this time.

He ran his large hands up and down the soft skin of his mate's naked back. Tommy shivered under his touch and soon goose bumps stood out across his flesh. "Naked, pup, bed." Ben stood back and removed his own clothes as he watched his mate strip.