by Lynn Hagen
Ben slouched back and smirked. “Take me back to your place and I’ll prove we’re mates.”
Because Ben’s cock was hard as fuck and he wanted a piece of his little bunny.
* * * *
When Moose brought their food, Milo shook his head. “You can take the duplicate over to my friend’s table. I guess I’m eating alone.”
With a nod, Moose set Milo’s stuff down and took the rest to Ben. There were no hard feelings. If his best friend wanted to get some tail while they were in town, more power to him. He just hoped Ben didn’t take all day with that short guy. Milo was ready to…he sighed.
Ready to do what? Go back to their double-wide trailer and live their lonely existences. Not that his life was bad. He and Ben always had a good time whenever they were out riding.
But Milo knew it was time to move on. They needed to find a place they could lay down roots, and Montana wasn’t for them. He looked out the window and watched the town come to life. There were shifters here. Milo had scented them. Maybe they needed to scope out Maple Grove and see what it had to offer.
He could give himself a tour while his friend closed the deal and went somewhere to have sex. What Milo had seen of the town so far, he liked. It had a laid-back feel to it that he wanted to explore.
After breakfast, he would take a walk and find out what Maple Grove was all about. And if he played his cards right, Milo might find someone he could let off a little steam with.
Chapter Two
That was the last thing Jericho wanted to do. Landon would have a holy cow fit if he brought a guy home, especially a wolf shifter.
Especially a guy. His uncle was the most homophobic prick Jericho knew, even though more and more gay couples were seen around town. Normally shifters didn’t care about the gender of their mate. They were just thankful they’d found him or her.
The gender mattered to his uncle. Lately Landon had been spouting off about the gays invading Maple Grove and how the sheriff needed to do something about it.
Landon had no clue that Sheriff Copache was mated to a guy. His uncle would flip his shit if he found out. He was surprised his uncle hadn’t discovered that fact already since his mate was never too far from the sheriff.
The thought of Landon finding out about Jericho’s mate had his stomach twisting into knots. He wanted to tell Ben that he felt the pull, that he was floored that they’d found each other, that he wanted to take Ben home and have hours of sex until neither of them could walk.
But he couldn’t say jack shit. Clearly Ben was passing through town, and what, Jericho was supposed to uproot his life and run away with the biker? He knew nothing about Ben, and until that changed, Jericho wasn’t going anywhere.
His silence must’ve had the wheels in Ben’s head turning. Jericho could actually see the man thinking before he asked, “What, you got a boyfriend at home?”
There was a lethal spark in his gray eyes, although he was still smiling. It was a legit question since they’d just met, but it was one Jericho didn’t want to answer.
“Maybe,” he said while smirking himself. “Is that your boyfriend you came into the diner with?”
Ben looked over his shoulder and gave the guy a short wave. “Nope. Milo’s been my friend since childhood. That’s it. There has never been anything sexual between us.”
He turned back around, and Jericho studied his gorgeous face. Ben had stormy gray eyes, stubble that ran the length of his jaw, and a head full of rich, dark hair.
Jericho’s cock hardened as he stared at his mate. He wished he could tell Ben the truth, but a lot of guys ran from drama, and Jericho’s life was filled with the crap.
But oh how Jericho wanted to throw himself into Ben’s strong arms and tell him everything. Jericho didn’t, though. He needed to see what kind of man Ben was first. Honorable and loyal or someone who ran from life’s problems. That was the big question.
“We can’t go back to my place because of reasons, but I’ll take a ride on your bike.” Jericho shoved a piece of bacon into his mouth and chewed like crazy while he waited for Ben’s answer.
Jericho rested one of his hands on the foot pressed against his right hip. His heart was thumping wildly, and he felt a strong need to touch Ben in some kind of way. Jericho was craving that connection like all mates did. That rush of butterflies in his stomach, the way his body yearned to be cuddled against his mate’s. His cock in Ben’s mouth or the other way around.
Some kind of connection.
Ben pressed his foot harder against Jericho’s side. “Why don’t we finish eating first? Your meal is on me if you give me a tour of your town.”
As broke as Jericho was, he jumped at the chance for a free meal. “Deal.”
He also knew the perfect secluded place they could go to. He might be leery of trusting the wolf shifter, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t fuck like crazy. Jericho was so wound up that he was ready to clear the table with one arm swipe and climb naked onto the tabletop.
“What about your friend?” Jericho looked beyond Ben to see the other man looking at him.
“Milo is a big boy. He can entertain himself while you and I entertain each other.”
At least they were thinking along the same lines. Jericho had never eaten so fast in his life. He would wind up with indigestion if he didn’t slow down. But the sultry looks Ben gave him had Jericho sucking down his orange juice in seconds flat. “I’m done.”
Ben chuckled. “I see.”
After Ben paid the bill, they passed Milo’s table. “I’ll be back in a little while,” Ben said to his friend.
Milo smirked. “Take your time.”
Jericho felt himself blush. Milo had winked at him, as though the guy knew exactly what they were about to do. When they got outside and he looked at Ben’s large bike, Jericho had second thoughts.
“I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before.”
“Then you’re in for a treat.” Ben handed Jericho his helmet. He was about to protest when he noticed a red sedan coming down the street. Jericho’s heart slammed into his chest, and he turned to run back inside when he noticed it was a woman behind the wheel and not his uncle.
When he turned back to Ben, his mate was staring strangely at him. “Is there something I need to know?” He stared at the sedan as it passed by. “Do you really have a boyfriend at home?”
Jericho shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. And no, I don’t have a boyfriend or a husband.”
“Look, I know we just met twenty minutes ago, but—”
“And that sentence should stop whatever you’re about to say,” Jericho strapped the helmet on. “We’ve known each other all of twenty minutes. Are we gonna ride or what?”
The helmet was a tad big, and Ben had to readjust the strap. Jericho gazed up into Ben’s eyes and became lost in them. His pulse sped as he found it hard to suck enough air into his lungs. His mate grazed Jericho’s jaw with his fingers before he let his hands fall away.
“Fine, keep your secrets.” Ben mounted the bike and patted the seat behind him. “Just sit your sexy ass right here and hang on.”
That seemed simple enough. Jericho had to use Ben’s shoulders to climb on and settle himself. His mate grabbed Jericho’s hands and wrapped them around his thick waist.
Oh, this was really nice. The guy had a ripped abdomen that Jericho enjoyed touching. When Ben started his motorcycle, Jericho’s body jerked at the way the bike vibrated underneath him. The sensation wasn’t doing his cock any favors.
Jericho was rock-hard as Ben pulled away from the curb. He yelped and gripped Ben tighter as they drove toward the stop sign.
“Which way?” Ben asked.
Jericho pointed right. When they reached the next road, Jericho pointed left. They were now racing down a backroad, and Jericho loved the feeling of the wind against his face. He also loved being so snug against Ben’s hard body.
His mate smelled earthy and masculine, and Jericho couldn�
�t stop sniffing him.
When they were close to the access road, Jericho tapped Ben’s shoulder and pointed to the dirt road surrounded by trees. Ben slowed and made the turn, driving carefully down the narrow path.
He stopped when the worn shed came into view. Jericho didn’t live too far down the road, and had taken a risk coming here, but it was the perfect place and would give them plenty of privacy.
Ben cut the motor and used his boot for the kickstand as Jericho removed his helmet.
“What’s that building for?” Ben asked.
“I have no idea.” Jericho climbed off the back of the bike and set the helmet on the seat. “I discovered this place on one of my runs, but I’ve never been brave enough to go inside.”
Ben grinned. “Now you’ve got me to protect you. Let’s see what’s inside.”
The guy had no idea just how much protection Joshua truly needed. He didn’t pull his hand away when Ben took it and walked a few feet ahead, although Jericho had no intention of going inside. “I’m not sure of this. The shed looks creepy.”
“Don’t worry.” Ben wrapped an arm around him. “I’ll keep you safe.”
He looked up at Ben. “What does a mate mean to you?”
Ben stopped walking. His arm fell from Jericho’s shoulders as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. “I guess a mate means the same to me as any other nonhuman,” he said with a shrug. “To be honest, I’ve never really thought about it until I laid eyes on you.”
That hadn’t been the answer Jericho was looking for, but Ben had a point. Every once in a while Jericho dreamed of finding his mate, and then he waved away the notion, thinking he would never get that lucky.
He still wasn’t sure if he was lucky or not. Jericho needed to feel Ben out. Or feel him up. He snickered at his thoughts.
“Ready?” Ben yanked on the rusted padlock. With his superhuman strength, the lock snapped right off. Ben tossed it aside and grabbed the handle.
“Wait.” Jericho touched his mate’s arm. “What if there’s a dead body in there or some kind of spirit that’s been locked away?”
The side of Ben’s mouth curled into a smile. “You have an active imagination.”
This time Jericho gripped Ben’s arm as his mate turned the metal knob. It squeaked in protest as Ben shoved the door open with his foot. The interior of the shed smelled musty and dank, and it was dark inside except for the block of sunlight filtering in.
With a death grip on his mate’s arm, Jericho walked inside behind Ben. The small structure couldn’t have been any larger than twenty-by-twenty, but Jericho shrieked and jumped when he felt something brush against his face.
“It’s just cobwebs,” Ben said in a low, soothing voice. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, pup.”
“Pup?” Jericho frowned. “Baby bunnies are called kits.”
“But you’re my baby, and since I’m a wolf, I’m calling you a pup.”
“I don’t like being referred to as a baby,” Jericho argued.
“Is it any different than me calling you baby or babe?” Ben asked.
“That’s different. Those terms are used as endearments.”
“And so is pup,” Ben said. “Now let’s explore our haunted shed and enjoy our day, pup.”
Jericho blew out a frustrated breath, until something scurried across his foot. He shouted and tried to climb up Ben’s body as his mate burst out laughing.
“That was just a rat.”
“I hate rats.” Jericho looked around as he hung on Ben’s back, refusing to let his feet touch the ground again.
“I thought you were brave.” Ben tucked his arm around Jericho as he moved farther into the shed.
“I never claimed to be brave.” If he were, he would’ve stood up to his uncle a long time ago. Jericho would have knocked Landon on his ass and beat the crap out of him, but it was always the other way around.
“You really are scared,” Ben said. “I can feel you shaking.”
Jericho hadn’t noticed he’d been doing that and knew it was from thoughts of Landon, not the vermin in the shed. He blew out a few short breaths and tried to get a grip on his emotions. He refused to let thoughts of Landon ruin his day.
“Are we done in here?”
Ben sighed. “I’ll have mercy on you, but I give you props for coming inside in the first place.”
He was relieved when Ben walked outside. As soon as they were out of there, Jericho hopped down from Ben’s back.
“Do you do a lot of adventurous things?”
“Gotta keep the blood pumping.” Ben closed the shed door. “How’s life worth living if you don’t take risks?”
Jericho wasn’t a risk-taker. The most daring he’d been was selling Red Spanking to the customers at Tilted. But since Moose had warned him not to, Jericho had lied to the customers and said they were out of the nonhuman booze.
Although Armand had no problem selling it. But there had been nothing Jericho could do about that. He wasn’t the owner, and telling Armand they were warned would’ve made the human roll his eyes.
It wasn’t as though Armand even knew what Red Spanking did, anyway. But if Moose wanted the stuff truly gone, he’d have to take that up with Mike.
Ben snapped his fingers in Jericho’s face. “You zoned out, kit.”
Jericho smiled. It seemed Ben wasn’t averse to compromise. That was a brownie point for him.
“It’s pretty secluded back here.” Ben removed his leather jacket and tossed it onto the seat of his bike. “Did you have anything in mind when you tricked me into coming here?”
“Tricked you?” Jericho’s brows shot up. “I didn’t trick you. I just wanted you to see the shed.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Ben moved closer. “You wanted to seduce me, didn’t you? You want to steal my innocence from me.”
Jericho opened his mouth to give Ben a piece of his mind when he realized the guy was teasing him. “You found me out. I guess the jig is up and you’ll have to take me back to the diner.”
“It doesn’t work that way.” Ben pulled his T-shirt over his head and tossed it aside. “You got me out here, now have your wicked way with me.” Ben’s gray eyes were glassy with desire, and all Jericho’s dumb ass could do was stand there and ogle the man’s chest like an idiot as his cock stirred in his jeans.
He was so engrossed with Ben’s body that he hadn’t noticed Ben reaching for his sunglasses. He pulled them off and gave a low, deep growl. “Who the fuck blacked your eye?”
It took a moment for Jericho to realize what Ben was talking about. He lifted a hand to his eye but let it fell before he touched it. “It was an accident.”
Jericho would’ve shifted and healed himself, but his uncle had threatened to beat his ass if he did. Landon had shouted that Jericho deserved to wear his shame, and Jericho had been too terrified to argue.
Ben glared at him as though he didn’t believe Jericho, but thankfully he dropped the subject. That fast he was back in his playful mood, and Jericho breathed a sigh of relief.
“Are you shy, Jericho?”
Jericho wanted to smack the smug smile from Ben’s face, but in truth, he was shy. He acted outgoing and flirted at work, but that was just to get bigger tips. He never took things too far.
“No,” Jericho objected as his face caught fire.
“Are you sure about that?” Ben pulled Jericho into his arms, and their lips twisted together in a hungry kiss.
Jericho clung to Ben, grabbing at him and trying to crawl up the man as Ben took the kiss even deeper.
They ended up out of breath when they pulled apart. Jericho licked his lips, hungry for more. A low growl rumbled in Ben’s chest as he snatched Jericho’s shirt up and off.
The raw need in Ben’s eyes caught Jericho’s breath, making him feel exposed in ways that had nothing to do with his shirt being gone. Jericho had been alone and adrift in life, always dodging relationships because of his uncle. That craving to belong to someone, to be
the center of someone’s world, came crashing into him, and Jericho had never wanted something more desperately than he wanted Ben.
But instead of saying that to his mate, Jericho used his body. He moved into Ben’s space and attached his lips to one of the guy’s nipples.
“Fuck, Jericho,” Ben moaned. His hands clamped the back of Jericho’s head, holding him in place as his fingers massaged Jericho’s scalp. “Feels good.”
His shyness melted as he explored Ben’s chest with his hands, ghosting them down his mate’s body and bringing them up Ben’s back. The guy was taller, and the top of Jericho’s head reached Ben’s shoulders, which put his lips right at Ben’s nipples.
Getting lost in Ben’s body was his goal. Jericho didn’t want to think about the ramifications of mating the wolf shifter, didn’t want to think what his uncle would do once he found out Jericho was gay. All he wanted at the moment was to feel strong hands on him, a hard dick in his ass, and after that, Jericho would burn that bridge when he came to it.
He detached his lips and dropped to his knees, unfastening Ben’s fly. He pulled the zipper down and fished out his hard cock, sucking the erection between his lips.
“Oh hell,” Ben groaned. “That’s it, baby. Suck my dick.”
If Ben had been anyone but his mate, Jericho would’ve been turned off by those words. He hated when men said that. Cleary he was already sucking dick and didn’t need the encouragement. But coming from Ben, his mate, Jericho was turned the hell on and doubled his efforts until Ben was coming down his throat.
“Fuck, pup.” Ben wiped at his brow. “That was exactly what I needed.”
Jericho got to his feet and licked his bottom lip, his cock so hard it strained against his jeans. Even so, Ben made no move to return the favor. He simply stood there catching his breath.
Irritated, Jericho reached for his fallen shirt, only to have Ben move him toward his motorcycle. “Just hang onto the seat, kit.”
His growly voice made Jericho’s heart sing with excitement. “Why?”
Ben pressed his naked chest into Jericho’s bare back. “Trust me, you’re gonna love this.”