STORY EXCERPT

Corey stared for a long while at his basket of french fries, taking in the information Dean had given him.

“That’s a…big step,” he said, not knowing what else to say.

He could feel Dean tensing in his seat beside him. The only thing that would keep an argument at bay was the fact that they were in a public place.

Dean prided himself on being out, but he was also a private man. They could be inside a gay bar at happy hour in New York City and he wouldn’t dare put his arm around Corey’s shoulder.

That was fine with him, he wasn’t much for public shows of affection anyway either, but this quiet anger only let Corey know about what was to come when they were alone.

“I take it you don’t approve.”

Not a question, and spoken through his teeth. Damn.

“It’s not that I don’t. I think it would be a great thing to do, one day. I’m just not ready for that right now.”

“We’ve been together for almost a year now. People move in with each other a lot earlier than that. They get married earlier than that.”

Corey knew that. That’s what was bothering him.

He searched for an excuse. Funny thing was, the first thing he could think of wasn’t an excuse at all. “I guess I’m just worried about your work coming home with you.”

Not the right thing to say, apparently.

Dean stood and grabbed his jacket from off the hook above the booth. He shrugged it on.

“Dean.” Corey hated it when Dean did this. “Can’t we talk about this?”

“Nothing to talk about. I’m leaving.”

Dean threw down enough bills to cover the burger he’d been eating, but nothing else.

He knew Corey didn’t have a lot of cash on him, but now that Corey had pissed him off it seemed that lunch was no longer on him.

Corey, as quickly as he could, pulled every small bill and quarter out of his wallet and put it down on the table. He followed Dean out before the barmaid could come on over and see that there was no tip waiting for her and shoot her accusing glare at him.

It was a shame, too. Corey really liked coming here.

He caught a hold of Dean’s arm as they left the bar, and damn whoever was watching. “Will you stop and talk to me?”

Dean jerked his arm away. “Why bother when you don’t want to be with me because you think I’m dangerous or something.”

Corey fought the urge to sigh his frustration, but that would only make things worse. “I didn’t say you were dangerous, just, some of the things you go out and do―”

Corey didn’t get a chance to finish as he was shoved into the brick wall of the bar. Dean’s hand was on his shoulder, his blue eyes up close, intense, and filled with a little bit of that paranoia that made Corey worry for his own safety.

“You cannot talk about that. You can never talk about that.”

He was serious. Corey could see it in his eyes. He’d always known how strongly Dean felt about his…job, but Corey didn’t feel altogether fine with the way Dean was holding him, or looking at him.

Corey shoved him off. “I haven’t been.”

“Good. Because if you have―”

“What? You’ll what?” Corey demanded, body shaking with rage and, dare he admit it, fear.

Dean was by far the most dangerous man Corey knew. If that had been a threat he was about to utter, what could Corey have done about it?

Dean shook his head and turned away. “Nothing. Let’s go.”

Corey hesitated. He had no cab fare and no car of his own, so he followed Dean back to the van, staring at the back of Dean’s head, wishing he knew what the other man was thinking. He considered just parting ways with him for now and catching his own ride home or walking, but he was in the passenger side of Dean’s van before he knew it, and they were heading out.

It really shouldn’t have made him nervous that they were heading in the direction of Dean’s house and not Corey’s.

* * * *

“You hear that, James?”

James was already turning the keys to the ignition. “Sure did.” And it sounded a whole lot like that asshole had just threatened his mate. James knew to take it seriously, too, considering he could smell the stink of the guy’s anger and paranoia even from where he was parked on the other side of the lot.

Suddenly, the fact that Corey was involved with someone bothered James a whole hell of a lot less.

James put the truck in gear and followed the van.

ADULT EXCERPT

“What are you doing here?” Corey asked. Wolf eyes he may have, but it seemed his human mind was still very much in control.

Not a good thing then. The eyes likely meant that Corey’s wolf was about to tear itself out instead of being let out. James hoped he had enough time.

He wanted to be charming and sensitive. “I–I can’t take it anymore,” he said. “I need to fuck you.”

That wasn’t charming and sensitive. Not in the least.

He couldn’t help himself. Maybe Corey wasn’t the only one suffering from his own inability to let go.

James swooped in, his mouth finding Corey’s lips. The man needed a shave, he managed the brain cells to notice, but then he pushed the thought away as he climbed on top of his mate, blood pumping with excitement as he felt Corey’s erection pressing into his own.

Thank God Corey was on the same page as James with this. He stopped his futile self-resistance and kissed James back with as much need and desperation as James felt. Their tongues came together, slick and fast. Their teeth clashed, forcing them to slow down.

Corey’s one arm went under his arm and around his back, the other wrapping around James’s shoulder, his legs spreading, welcoming James between them, his hips moving, humping against him, desperately searching for friction. It was only made awkward by the fact that the stupid comforter was now tangled up between their legs. James really needed to destroy the pajama pants he was wearing.

There was no clearer invitation, but this had been the reaction James had feared. This eager let’s have sex now even though I was hesitant to say anything before reaction. He had to yank his mouth away from Corey’s so kissable lips, had to force himself to focus on the other man’s face and his still-golden eyes.

“Corey, do you want this?” he asked, making his voice as clear as he could through the movements of Corey’s hips that made James’s dick jump with need.

“Yes,” Corey moaned, grinding into James’s dick again, as much as he was able with the comforter, that is. It made the sensation that much more torturous.

“Do you accept me as yours?” he asked.

“Yes!” Corey snarled, those golden eyes glowing angry and hot. Clearly he was getting sick of the questions.

That was good enough. James kissed him again, surprised when Corey’s tongue invaded his mouth instead of the other way around.

His mate had a tiny bit of the alpha inside him, it seemed.

He hoped that topping wasn’t Corey’s main preference, because for now, James needed to be in control, to be the one to do the claiming.

James took hold of that stupid comforter and ripped it away, lifting himself just enough so that he could get his pajama bottoms off as well.

Fuck it. He didn’t care anymore if Maggie saw him naked. Let her. If James wanted to walk around his own house with nothing on, that was none of her damn business.

He lost his patience and finally just ripped it, just enough to break the elastic and a little bit of the cotton seam. Getting it off after that was easy, even with Corey’s mouth suckling on James’s neck, his tongue darting out, touching, tasting.

“Fuck,” James muttered.

“Yes,” Corey said again.

James grabbed for the lube bottle he left on Corey’s nightstand and twisted off the cap with shaking fingers. Yeah, definitely a mistake to wait this long before he claimed him. Christ, for all he knew, James was the real reason Corey had such a difficult time letting his wolf out.

“Suck me,” Corey said. “Put my cock in your mouth.”

James halted what he was doing, open lube bottle in hand. Corey lay beneath him, his light hair all over the place on his pillow, chest still as sweaty as when James first walked in, and nipples peaked.

And his eyes were green again.

Good, very good.

He smiled and put the bottle on the mattress. Maybe they could draw this out just a little. “Whatever you say.”

He slid down Corey’s belly and to his thighs, stopping when he reached his thick erection, hard, curved, and pointing up from a bed of dark pubic hair. It was still blond, but not the same shade as what Corey had on his head and doubtless not nearly as soft either. The heavy scent of musk was stronger than ever now that his nose was right in front of the source.

“Don’t suck me off, though,” Corey said, looking down at him. “Want you to fuck me.”

James took Corey’s prick in hand, the shaft jumping a little as he did so and the veins protruding even more so than before. The reaction was enough to make James’s own cock and balls throb.

“You are going to love your new stamina.”

Before Corey could ask any questions about that, James took him into his mouth, sliding his head down as far as he could go.