by Lynn Hagen
His fury exploded inside of him. His mate had called the cops on him! Reno was both pissed the fuck off and impressed. Well, his coyote was beaming with approval that his mate wasn’t an easy catch. God, he was so deranged.
Both cops stepped out of the car, slowly approaching him like they had all the time in the world. Reno stood, dusting his ass off as he eyed both men. He hated cops more than he disliked wolves. “Evening,” he said, although it was only around three in the afternoon.
“We got a complaint that someone was hanging around out front who didn’t live here,” the cop to his right said. “You live here?”
Damn, they were fast. Where Reno had come from, the cops would have taken five hours to respond to a nonthreatening call.
If they had showed up at all.
It seemed Brac Village took every call seriously. “No, I was tired and decided to rest.”
“This is private property you’re resting your ass on.”
Reno took an automatic disliking to—he glanced at the name on the badge—Officer Johnson. The cop seemed full of himself, like he was a badass just because he wore a badge and carried a gun. Reno had met a few men like Johnson. They were always just this side of the law. He wouldn’t be surprised if the guy was dirty.
“I didn’t know that,” Reno lied. “I’ll be on my way.”
The cop put his hand up, the palm touching Reno’s chest. He barely managed to pull in the growl that threatened to erupt. He didn’t like anyone touching him, especially when all he had been doing was sitting on a step. “Let me see some ID.”
Reno locked eyes with the pompous asshole and then reached for his wallet. He pulled it free and dug his driver’s license out. He handed it to the cop.
“You look familiar,” Johnson’s partner said. “Where have I seen you before?”
“Probably a mug shot photo,” Johnson said as he scanned Reno’s license and then used the radio attached to his side to call in Reno’s information.
He really didn’t like this cop. “Firehouse,” Reno answered the second cop.
“Hey, Johnson, he’s a fireman. Let him go.”
Johnson didn’t look impressed. He took a few steps away from Reno as he waited for dispatch to come back with his information. They wouldn’t find anything. Reno was clean. It just pissed him off that Johnson was taking this so seriously.
What a fucking prick.
His partner gave Reno an apologetic shrug.
Johnson turned, tossing Reno’s ID at him. He barely caught it. “You’re clean. Get your ass moving, and no more loitering around.”
Reno was tempted to bare his canines, but he suppressed the urge. They were letting him go. No need to piss the asshole off. Shoving his ID back into his wallet, Reno walked away, already plotting on how he was going to punish Baker for this.
A nice spanking would do, but his coyote growled. In the back of his mind Reno knew he wouldn’t want an easy prey. His beast had already given his approval.
Reno smiled to himself. If Baker wanted the stakes to be high, so be it.
Chapter Three
Baker glanced out of the window once more as he saw the cops talking to his stalker. A part of him felt like shit for calling the cops, but another part of him smiled. If the shifter wanted to play predator and prey, then he should be willing to accept anything Baker threw his way.
He really didn’t want the man arrested, but he was proving to the shifter that he wasn’t that easy—although his heart was in his throat. The moment Baker had looked out the window and saw the guy sitting on the front step, he had panicked. The shifter now knew where he lived. He might as well go back to work. Nowhere was safe for him now.
Glancing out of the window once again, he saw the cop holding something small in his hand. Shit, they were running the coyote’s ID. Baker had thought the cops would just come by and shoo him away. He didn’t want the man arrested.
When Baker had thought the guy would accept anything thrown his way, he hadn’t meant for the guy to go to jail. That was downright wrong. He grabbed his keys from the coffee table and hurried from his apartment. Whether the shifter intimidated him or not, Baker couldn’t in good conscience send a man to jail for sitting on the front steps.
By the time he made it downstairs, the cops were walking away and he could see the coyote walking down the street. He had been let go. Baker should turn around and go back upstairs. Nothing had happened, so why in the hell was he heading down the street after his stalker?
God, he was fucked in the head. “Wait!”
The coyote glanced over his shoulder and Baker nearly stumbled when he saw the expression in the guy’s espresso eyes. He really was handsome as hell. Why did it seem all the good-looking guys were either straight or crazy?
Against his better judgment, Baker caught up with the shifter. The guy stopped walking, turned, and raked his eyes over Baker. “What, gonna have me arrested for stalking you now?”
The tone was bitter, even if the man’s eyes looked at Baker like he was a snack. Maybe he should have just gone back to his apartment. “You warned me,” Baker replied, not letting the withering look make him back down. “Now I’m warning you. If you want to play this game, then be prepared to have your balls nailed to the wall.”
Was he really encouraging the crazy man? Kenway had said this shifter was his mate. Baker wanted proof. Just because the guy was—damn, he really was gorgeous. His brown eyes seemed intent, penetrating as a smile curved his lips. “Challenge accepted.”
“What’s your name?” Baker asked.
The man moved closer, his heat searing Baker as he leaned in. “You can call me whatever you want, little baker.” The words were tinged with sarcasm, but they were also very playful. Baker had never seen such a mixture of emotions before. It was strange.
“How about your birth name?”
The guy leaned in just a little closer until his warm breath could be felt on Baker’s ear. “That is part of the fun, mate. If you really are interested in playing with me, then you’ll find out, now won’t you?”
Before Baker could open his mouth, the man turned and began to walk away. Baker grabbed the guy’s arm, pulling him back. He quickly released the shifter when he heard a low, throaty growl. “How do I know you aren’t just some deranged man having his kicks with me before I’m diced up into tiny pieces?”
The guy actually looked offended. His eyes narrowed as he took a step closer. “I may be a lot of things, little boy, but a monster isn’t one of them.”
“I’m not a little boy!” Baker was getting pissed. This guy wanted Baker to trust him, but he didn’t know shit about his crazy ass. Baker didn’t know shit about shifters. This was all new to him, and Mr. Stalker McCrazy just wanted him to blindly follow the rules of engagement. “You know what, go stalk the postman. Fuck you. I’m done with this shit. I’m going back to work. If you come into the bakery, I’ll beat you over the head with a rolling pin.” This time it was Baker who stalked away. “Bent fucking bastard,” he grumbled to himself.
Instead of going back home, Baker walked to work. He wasn’t going to run and hide from anyone. He wasn’t going to let anyone upset his life for a little fun. Baker had a job and he was damn well going to do it.
As he walked into Sweet Delight he could see the shocked look on Kenway’s face. “Didn’t I send you home?”
Baker threw his hand up in the air in frustration. “Screw that psychopath. Let him come near me. I’ll cut his balls off.”
“Damn, what’d he do?” Kenway asked, an amused smile on his face.
Baker spun on Kenway. “Are all shifters nuts? I mean, he wants me to blindly trust him, yet he won’t even tell me his name. How do I know he’s really my mate? Because that was what he said? He could be a fucking loony liar for all we know.”
Kenway straightened and came around the counter, stopping in front of Baker. He stopped being intimidated by the buffalo’s size weeks ago. The man towered over him as he laid a hand on Bak
er’s shoulder. “His name is Reno Davis. I called and found out. He works at the fire station. And yes, he expects you to believe him. Shifters don’t take mating lightly. It isn’t something we joke about, Baker. A mate is for life and is very sacred.”
“He’s still a nutjob,” Baker stated as Kenway’s words played in his mind. For life. God, he couldn’t wrap his head around that time frame. That was the next sixty to seventy years, if he was lucky. Baker couldn’t imagine being with someone that long.
When Kenway snatched his hand away from Baker, he looked at his boss like he lost his mind. “What’s wrong?”
“Not sure how I could forget.”
“Forget what?”
“Reno is going through the mating dance with you. I’m told that anyone who touches you is asking to get his throat ripped out. Coyotes are extremely possessive, especially when they are courting their mates. All shifters act nutty about their mates, but Maverick told me coyotes are ten times worse.”
Baker rolled his eyes. That only confirmed his belief that Reno was a nutjob. “I’ll be in the back if you need me.”
* * * *
Kenway watched Baker walk away and wondered if the human knew just how much trouble he was in. The guy didn’t look like he believed Kenway. The desire to claim Ross when he first discovered his mate had been an all-consuming need.
If Maverick was right about Reno, Baker was going to learn the hard way what denying his mate felt like. He had a feeling Reno was just getting warmed up.
“Everything all right?” Ross asked as he walked from the office, slipping his arms around Kenway.
He pulled his mate into his arms and shrugged. “Not sure. Baker isn’t taking Reno’s warning seriously. He came back to work.”
Ross looked shocked. “Damn, I knew that human was working with a half a box of crayons.”
Kenway chuckled, but wondered if his bakery was about to become a war zone.
* * * *
Baker locked his door and walked down the steps. His mind had been on nothing but Reno since the incident yesterday outside his apartment. His thoughts were a mess, and his anger had drained away. Baker wasn’t sure if he should take the guy seriously or not.
He just didn’t know what to think.
“Morning.”
Baker looked up from checking his mailbox to see Reno leaning just inside the door. His well-honed muscles rippled under the tight grey shirt he was wearing. Crazy or not, thoughts of licking every available inch on Reno raced through Baker’s mind.
“Hey, Reno.” Baker tucked the junk mail back into his box.
“So, you took the time to find out my name.” The man’s tone sounded pleased.
“Nah, just guessed. I started to call you Rumpelstiltskin, but that would have been too obvious.”
Reno laughed and Baker found he was mesmerized by the sound. Why did he have a feeling Reno didn’t laugh often? He hid his own smile as he turned away from his mailbox. “Now if you don’t mind, I have to get to work.”
Baker’s heart froze and then pounded as he quickly inhaled when Reno was in front of him in the blink of an eye, trapping him against the wall, a hand on either side of his head. Baker tilted his head to the side as he gazed into Reno’s brown eyes. He had a heavy feeling in his stomach and was nearly breathless at the way Reno was staring back at him. “Stealing another kiss?”
Baker glanced down and wished he hadn’t. Reno’s well-defined eight pack left Baker all but drooling. His fingers itched to touch the sculpted muscles. He moistened his dry lips with his tongue as he stared back up at Reno.
“Mmm, I like the way you are staring at me.”
Baker pressed his hands into Reno’s chest to push him away and found himself panting at the tight flesh beneath his fingers. God, he would really love to see the man without a shirt—no he wouldn’t. Damn it. Baker was supposed to be ignoring Reno, not lusting after him.
Baker cast Reno a dark scowl. “I’m contemplating how to get you to leave me alone.”
“Right,” Reno said with a wink, moving his body just a little closer. “Tell me you don’t want me.”
This time Baker managed to push on Reno’s chest. “Get away from me, Reno. I’m going to be late.”
Reno played with a strand of Baker’s hair, his look predatory and challenging. “I can give you a ride on my motorcycle.”
Fat chance. “No thanks.”
Reno pushed away from the wall, giving Baker room to move away. He took the opportunity quickly as he headed for the door.
“See you at lunch,” Reno called out as Baker hurried away. Gah, he really was losing it. Baker’s heart actually skipped a beat thinking about seeing Reno later. There was no way this game was thrilling him. Yes, Reno was gorgeous as sin. But the man didn’t play with a full deck. Baker didn’t need a man who thought stalking was equivalent to courtship.
But he had a feeling getting rid of Reno was going to be impossible.
Ya think? He’s your mate whether you choose to believe it or not. Get used to this.
Baker ground his teeth. Should he be thrilled, scared, angry, or committed? He wasn’t sure how he should feel. But one thing was very clear to him.
Reno wasn’t going away.
Honestly, he wanted to give in just to know what it would feel like to have such a powerful man as a lover. Baker was pretty certain Reno wouldn’t disappoint between the sheets. But Kenway had said Reno didn’t want an easy conquer. So no matter what Baker wanted, he had to let Reno chase him.
Resigning himself to playing Reno’s game, Baker walked past the feedstore, seeing the cop that had talked with Reno yesterday. He was standing there with another cop, presumably his partner, having a heated discussion.
Baker moved down the street quickly. He’d never had a run-in with the law and he didn’t want to start now. They didn’t know it was him who had called in the complaint yesterday. Baker had called anonymously. Still, he hurried toward work.
Being late was never a good thing, even if he had a cool boss. Baker could always tell Kenway that Reno had cornered him and the buffalo wouldn’t be mad he was late, but Baker quickened his steps. No matter the reason, it would still make him look like a slacker—at least in his own eyes.
And then Baker thought about his father. It hurt like a bitch to see the disappointment in the man’s eyes. It seemed nothing he did appeased the guy. Baker had all but given up trying to do things to make his father proud of him. He had thought once he got the job at the bakery that his dad would soften, but he hadn’t. His dad went from harping about a job to constantly telling Baker he better not fuck this up.
Baker had no idea why his father had started looking at him as a loser. He had graduated high school and tried finding work right after that. But jobs had been scarce in Brac Village and he didn’t have reliable transportation to go outside the village to look for work.
His father should have understood this. But instead, he had gotten so sour that Baker had scrounged the money together to get his own place. He barely could afford the apartment let alone the utilities. Internet and a cell phone were luxuries he couldn’t afford, and groceries were barely lining his cupboard and fridge.
Baker rushed into the shop, working his way around the customers, and headed toward the back. Kenway had been busy behind the counter, and Baker hoped the man hadn’t noticed he was two minutes late.
“Need you up front this morning,” Kenway called after him.
So much for going unnoticed.
Baker put his apron on as he walked back to the counter. When the bell above the door jingled, he saw the cop that had been standing by the feedstore walk in, his strides filled with arrogance as he glanced around. His eyes swept the room until they fell on Baker.
Anonymous or not, Baker had a feeling the guy knew he had called yesterday. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but the look told Baker he was now in the cop’s sights.
Chapter Four
Reno throttled down as he entered Brac
Village on his motorcycle. He had spent the better part of an hour riding the back roads, trying his best to clear his mind of images that were barraging him, almost making him go to the bakery and take his mate right there, in front of everyone.
It seemed the longer the dance continued, the harder it was to stay away from Baker and those sweet kissable lips he possessed. Not only was his coyote exhilarated at the chase, but Reno was trying to give the man time to get used to him, his presence, and the demands he would put on his mate.
They weren’t bad demands.
They were purely sexual.
His cock beat out a pulse at the thoughts now entering his mind. Damn. He needed to get a grip. Pulling his motorcycle in front of Sweet Delight, he cut the engine and stood. Reno tucked his helmet under his arm, heading into the bakery when he spotted the cop who had harassed him yesterday.
He stood by his cruiser as he gave Reno a smirk and a nod. He wasn’t sure what that was about. Had Baker called the cops on him again? There was only one way to find out. The thought spiked his anger as he walked inside, the aroma of baking bread once again surrounding him.
“Harass him when he gets off of work at five,” Kenway said from behind the counter, his blue eyes narrowing on Reno. “We’re backed up as it is.”
That wasn’t Reno’s problem. “He does take lunch breaks, doesn’t he?”
Kenway gave a heavy sigh as he nodded. “He can have forty-five minutes. But I really do need him back here.”
Reno could hear the sincerity in the buffalo’s tone. “I’ll have him back here on time.”
“Baker!” Kenway shouted.
Reno watched as his mate walked from the back room, his apron and face filled with what appeared to be flour. He smothered a grin at the state of his mate. The man was adorable.
“Reno is here to take you to lunch. Be back by one.”
Baker looked unsure as he gazed at Reno. It was almost as if the man hadn’t believed Reno this morning when he said he would be here for lunch. He had to quickly push the image of cornering his mate out of his mind. He didn’t care if he stood there with a hard-on. Hell, he didn’t care if he stood there naked.