Center of Gravity (MM)

Mercury Rising 10

Siren-BookStrand, Inc.

Heat Rating: Sextreme
Word Count: 29,926
29 Ratings (4.8)

[Siren Publishing: The Lynn Hagen ManLove Collection: Alternative Paranormal Romantic Suspense Romance, MM, shape-shifter, HEA]

Jimmy is a simple kind of man who lives in a low-rent apartment, works from home as an accountant, and has enough clothes that he could open his own store. What he doesn't have is that special someone in his life. He's so lonely that he frequents Grizzly's just to get out of the house. But little does Jimmy know he has a secret admirer, one whose intentions could turn deadly.

Ethan has been interested in Jimmy from the moment he laid eyes on the little leopard. Getting with Jimmy wasn't easy, but now that Ethan is in his life, he realizes Jimmy needs protection. Twice Jimmy's apartment has been broken into, and Ethan isn't taking chances on a third. But a killer is on the loose, leaving bodies all around Mercury. It's up to the bounty hunters to find out who the killer is while Ethan races to save his mate's life.

 
Lynn Hagen is a Siren-exclusive author.
Center of Gravity (MM)
29 Ratings (4.8)

Center of Gravity (MM)

Mercury Rising 10

Siren-BookStrand, Inc.

Heat Rating: Sextreme
Word Count: 29,926
29 Ratings (4.8)
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Cover Art by Emma Nicole
Excerpt

 

STORY EXCERPT

 

"What can I get for you?" Darius gave him an award-winning smile, but he didn't flirt with Jimmy. Odd because Darius always flirted. The guy would probably make a pass at the grim reaper while lying on his deathbed.

Although Jimmy wouldn't sleep with the bear shifter, he liked when Darius hit on him. It always lifted his mood. "What, no cutesy names?"

Darius's gaze strayed. When Jimmy looked over his shoulder, he saw one of the waiters, Coral, talking to the cute guys in the booth.

"Fine." Jimmy snapped his fingers to regain Darius's attention. The lughead's mind seemed to have drifted off. "Give me whatever that is that smells good and a Coke."

Darius rapped his knuckles on the bar. "You got it. One bowl of stew coming right up." He walked to the kitchen door and shouted Jimmy's order to whoever was cooking in there.

Jimmy might not want to sleep with the guy, but he wasn't missing an opportunity to ogle Darius's ass. And what a fine ass it was. He blushed when Darius turned and caught him staring.

The bartender winked at him before strolling down the length of the counter and taking another order. How pathetic was it that that one little wink made Jimmy smile?

When Jimmy's phone rang, he looked at the name displayed on the screen. Why was Mr. Brash calling him? He was one of Jimmy's clients, but Jimmy wasn't in the mood to talk to him right now, so he ignored the call.

A few minutes later, Darius sat a steaming bowl in front of Jimmy, the savory aroma making his mouth water. The bartender even placed a small plate of bread next to the bowl then poured Jimmy's Coke into a glass filled with ice and handed it to him.

"Thanks." If he was gonna get wasted, he needed something on his stomach first. And holy fuck, the stew was to die for.

He turned slightly when he heard the door open and loud voices carry in before the men entered. The guy on the right had a tattoo on his neck that peeked out past his T-shirt. He was handsome as hell, but not as good-looking as the guy strolling in next to him. Jimmy normally wasn't into facial hair. It chafed too badly, and he'd once dated a guy who couldn't seem to keep food out of his beard.

Okay, maybe "dating" was too strong a word. He'd slept with the guy twice.

He turned back around, staring at the soundless TV as he ate his stew. Jimmy knew the men. He'd seen them at the pack house where Leslie lived. The one with the tattoo was Tap. The guy next to him was Ethan. Jimmy only knew them by name because Leslie had introduced him to everyone in the house.

He'd also seen the two around town, though he didn't recall Ethan having such a thick and long beard. He must've grown it out, and Jimmy had to admit Ethan looked damn sexy wearing it.

The two took a seat right next to him, talking to each other. Jimmy's heart skipped a few beats, and his leopard purred at Ethan's deep voice and masculine scent.

"How can you claim to be a health nut if you can't stay out of the bakery?" Tap asked Ethan. "You drink those disgusting shakes and frown at anyone with a cheeseburger in his hand, yet you scarf those sweets down like you’ve got one day to live."

Ethan's chuckle sent shivers of pleasure through Jimmy. It was as though his laugh had literally reached out and caressed Jimmy's body. Goose bumps scattered over his skin as he tried to ignore them.

"I'm a complicated man," Ethan said. "Stop trying to figure me out before you hurt yourself."

Jimmy took a sip of his Coke, his ears tuned in on their conversation. He really didn't care what they were saying. He just liked hearing Ethan talk.

"Hey." Ethan bumped his arm against Jimmy's. "You're Leslie's best friend, right?"

"Jimmy," Tap provided. "He was at the house earlier."

Jimmy was an outgoing, flirtatious guy who hardly ever censored what came out of his mouth, but words failed him when he turned his head and stared into Ethan's dark eyes. His heart did a summersault as Ethan gazed back at him. Jimmy wished someone would smack him on the back of his head to unstick his words.

"You okay?" Ethan's brows furrowed as concern filled his eyes. "Been drinking already?"

"Sorry." Jimmy gave the two a plastic smile. "Just zoned out for a second. Yeah, I'm Leslie's best friend."

Ethan gave a short nod and looked away. Jimmy wanted to smack himself for acting like a complete boob. He gazed at Ethan's profile a moment longer before giving the stew his attention.

But Jimmy was no longer hungry, and only half the bowl had been eaten. He waved Darius down and ordered a mojito. "Extra lime," he told Darius as Jimmy push his bowl and plate away.

"You want a container for your food?" Darius nodded at his unfinished meal.

"Sure." Not that Jimmy would eat it later. He never ate leftovers because they never tasted good the second time around. They sat in his fridge until they became hairy science experiments.

He was ready to get drunk, anyway. Maybe he could find a random to take home who would help him forget his lonely existence for a few hours.

Darius set Jimmy's drink down then filled two shot glasses and placed them in front of Ethan and Tap.

Ethan reached for a napkin from the black plastic holder, his beefy arm veering into Jimmy's territory.

"Eek!" Jimmy jumped when Ethan's arm hit his glass, spilling Jimmy's drink over. The cold clear liquid splashed Jimmy's shirt and dripped down the counter as Ethan grabbed more napkins and threw them on the mess.

"Shit, sorry, Jimmy." Ethan grabbed more napkins, this time blotting Jimmy's shirt. The way Ethan rubbed his chest had Jimmy growing hard.

"I’ve got it!" Jimmy curled his fingers around Ethan's thick wrist to stop him from getting him even more excited. If Ethan kept rubbing him, Jimmy's dick just might go off.

 

ADULT EXCERPT

 

Jimmy clenched his eyes shut, breathing out slowly, while telling himself that Ethan hadn't meant to do it. Not the spilled drink, but getting Jimmy's body hard. And if Ethan had done it on purpose, then the guy needed a new pickup tactic because being clumsy wasn't a turn-on. Or it shouldn't have been, but there Jimmy stood, hard and wishing Ethan would take a step back.

So much for self-control. Jimmy literally had zero as he lay there waiting to see what Ethan would do. He'd told himself they would watch a movie, and then he'd kick Ethan out. But once he'd had Ethan in his apartment, Jimmy's innocent intentions had died a painful death.

Now he was lying on his couch, completely naked, with a god kneeling on the floor beside him. Ethan hadn't undressed. He was still fully clothed, and for some reason, that baffled Jimmy and turned him on.

His stomach jerked, and he bit his lower lip as Ethan kissed his navel then moved lower. One of Ethan's hands cupped Jimmy's balls, and the other was traveling up Jimmy's chest, tweaking his nipples and dragging a moan out of him at the tingles of slight pain working their way over each pebbled knob.

Jimmy was already on edge because he had a mouth so close to his cock. Ethan's breaths were torturous, his lips igniting fireworks everywhere they landed. Jimmy was a shaking puddle of anticipation, laid out for Ethan's indulgence while praying Ethan wrapped those soft-looking lips around his cock soon.

Jimmy was actually willing Ethan's lips to make contact, but so far, the only thing that had touched the head of his cock was Ethan's beard. The hairs scraped over the sensitive flesh, making Jimmy drool and ready to beg the guy to get on with this.

How long was he supposed to endure the wait? It had been like, what, two minutes? Why did it feel like an hour since Ethan started molesting Jimmy's body with his lips?

Calm down. Breathe. You've done this before. Stop acting like this is your first time. But this was his first time with a broad, mountainous, lethal-looking man. Jimmy was used to having sex with clean-shaven, tall, lithe geeks who liked to boss him around.

Ethan was a badass wolf shifter who legally killed people for a living. Jimmy couldn't understand why he was even attracted to the brute

But in all fairness, Jimmy didn't really know Ethan, so he couldn't pass such harsh judgments. There was probably more to Ethan than just killing, layers Jimmy wasn't sure he wanted to explore. This would be a one-off, nothing more, and when they were done, Ethan would be on his way and the two would never see each other again unless they passed each other on the street.

And I'll go back to my lonely existence. Jimmy pushed that thought from his mind and concentrated on the present.

Which would be Ethan kissing and nipping his way around Jimmy's dick.

"Are you trying to get revenge on me or something?" Jimmy gritted out between clenched teeth. "Do something already."

Ethan looked up at him, the devil in his eyes. "I am doing something."

"Teasing me?"

"Enjoying you." Ethan gave Jimmy's inner thigh one long lick. The tip of his tongue touched Jimmy's balls, and then Ethan moved his head away.

"My cock would like to be enjoyed, too." Jimmy curled his fingers around his shaft and gave the hard flesh a few strokes. "Do I have to do this myself?"

Ethan arched a brow. "Gonna put on a show for me?"

With an irritated growl, Jimmy tried to get up. He was ready to tell Ethan to get the hell out when Ethan trapped him back on the couch and swallowed Jimmy's dick down to the root.

"Sweet baby Jesus!" He hadn't meant to scream those words, but Ethan had attacked his cock in a way that surprised Jimmy.

He threw his head back and cried out, pumping his hips as he grabbed Ethan's head, but Ethan knocked his hands away as he devoured Jimmy.

Clearly the guy didn't like being controlled, though Jimmy's hands on the guy's head weren’t controlling in the least. Jimmy might be brash at times, and had a mouth on him, but when it came to sex, he was as submissive as a kitten.

Ethan just seemed to bring out the brat in him. Now he was bringing out the horndog in Jimmy as he sucked and licked Jimmy's brain out through his cock.

Jimmy writhed. With so many sensations flooding his body, the buildup came fast. When Ethan inserted a finger into his ass, Jimmy would've fallen off the couch if Ethan hadn't been there to block him. His cock pulsed in Ethan's mouth as Jimmy howled out his pleasure.

Jimmy slumped against the cushions, panting, tiny aftershocks making him jerk. But the fun wasn't over yet. Ethan rose to his feet, pulled his erection from his pants, then began to stroke himself over Jimmy's limp form.

No way could Jimmy pass up the opportunity to taste Ethan. He got to his knees, pressed his hands into the man's thighs, and sucked the head of Ethan's cock into his mouth as Ethan's hand moved faster.

Ethan's hands clamped down on Jimmy's head as he threw his head back and grunted. His cum shot down Jimmy's throat as Ethan punched his hips forward in a frenzy.

Ethan took a step back, gasping as he blinked up at the ceiling. Jimmy let the softening cock slip from his mouth before he lay down on the couch. "Now I need a nap."

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