He’s a keeper.
The thought stuck in his mind, and he wondered what it’d be like to belong to a man like Tort.
* * * *
Tort could practically read the thoughts that ran through Kane’s head. I have a chance. Oh, the opportunity. He knew he had to make the best of it.
Don’t fuck this up.
With that thought in mind, Tort held out his hand to Kane. “You look amazing,” he told his mate. Tort watched a sweet, almost shy smile curve Kane’s lips as he took his hand. “Never mind,” he whispered, bringing his mate’s hand to his lips and kissing it lightly. “Not just amazing. Handsome. Hot. Someone I want to get the chance to do, uh—” Tort glanced toward Kent and amended his comment. “Wonderful things with.”
“Um, thanks.”
Tort cleared his throat. He smiled at Kane, the man he wanted to soon make his lover. Banishing the idea of Kane spread across his sheets, he focused on immediate actions.
Gods, how do I tell someone I just met that he’s the other half of my soul?
“Are you ready to get going then?” Tort asked softly, squeezing the hand he currently held. He barely resisted bringing Kane’s hand to his mouth so he could suckle on his fingers. “I have everything we need in my truck.” After sweeping his gaze over Kane’s lean, jeans-clad form once more, Tort added, “Except maybe grab a jacket... unless you’d prefer that I hold you.”
“Not a bad idea,” Kane murmured, a smile toying at his lips. “But how about we start with dinner first.”
Tort nodded as he released Kane. He watched him turn and grab a jacket off a nearby sofa, then head toward him. Stepping backward, he focused on Clarice.
“I’ll take good care of Kane,” Tort assured softly. “But I won’t promise to have him back at a reasonable hour.”
Clarice barked a laugh as she grinned widely. She knocked her elbow into Kane’s as he returned to Tort’s side. “Have a good time,” she urged, her tone clearly teasing as her eyes twinkled. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Grabbing Kane’s hand, Tort responded, “I’ll be sure to ask Kane what those limitations are.” He saw his handsome mate’s flushed cheeks and tugged him toward the door. “Let’s go.” Tort winked. “I don’t want the ice chilling the wine to melt.”
“You got wine?” Kane asked, following behind him.
Tort nodded as he led the way to his truck. “Yeah. I have both red and white, since I didn’t know what you like,” he told him. “Along with a few finger foods.” As he opened the passenger door for Kane, he hummed and smiled. “Things I can feed you.”
“F-Finger... f-feed?” Kane paused next to the open truck door and peered up at him. Meeting Tort’s gaze, he expressed his incredulity. “You want to feed me?”
Chuckling softly, Tort released Kane’s hand so he could trace his forefingers down his mate’s jawline. “Yeah,” he whispered huskily. “It’s more intimate, and I love the idea of caring for you.” Unwilling to give Kane the opportunity to refuse, Tort tipped his head toward the open door. “Now get up there.”
Kane’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he took a deep breath. He continued to peer at him for a few seconds, seeming to search his face. Finally, Kane apparently found or decided on whatever was running through his mind, for he nodded again. He turned and climbed into Tort’s truck.
Taking that as a win, Tort closed the door, then rounded the hood and climbed behind the wheel. He fired up his truck and started them on their way. After pointing the truck north toward the beaches owned by the Roush brothers for the shifters’ private use, Tort reached over and rested his hand on Kane’s thigh.
“I received permission to take you to our private beach,” Tort stated, squeezing Kane’s leg softly. “There’s a gorgeous stretch near a cove that will be revealed for several hours at low tide this evening.” He glanced Kane’s way, offering him a warm smile. “Absolutely stunning views of the ocean. Great for a first date,” he told him. “Plus it’s secluded.”
Kane shifted a little in his seat, his leg muscle flexing beneath Tort’s palm. “It sounds fantastic,” he murmured. “Thank you for taking me out.”
“It’s my pleasure, I assure you,” Tort immediately responded. Glancing Kane’s way, he spotted the nervous smile his mate sported. “Kane, when was the last time you went out?”
Tort couldn’t help but notice the way Kane’s nervous scent filled the cab. While that concerned him, the smell of his continued arousal pleased him, too. Tort knew his mate was nervous, but was that due to his near-overwhelming attraction or to something else?
Sighing, Kane turned and focused on him. “Sorry, Tort.” He rubbed his right hand over his thigh as he tentatively placed his left over Tort’s where it rested on his other leg. “I guess you can tell I’m a little rusty at this whole dating thing.”
While Tort really had no desire to hear about his mate’s past conquests, he figured he should get some idea of why that was. Plus, getting his mate to talk about himself would tell him about his man. Tort needed as much information as he could to know how to woo his mate.
“Uh, can I ask how long it’s been?” Tort asked tentatively. He glanced over and met Kane’s gaze for a few seconds as he stated, “You’re a damn fine-looking man, Kane. I can’t see how you don’t have to beat men off with a stick... women, too, for that matter.” Squeezing Kane’s thigh lightly, Tort added, “What the hell are you doing alone?”
Seeing as he was driving his truck, Tort had to return his focus to the road. He still managed to notice Kane’s discomfited look. His human peered out the windshield, his head tilted just a little.
“I’m a, uh, I seem to be an asshole magnet,” Kane admitted softly. He glanced furtively at him before looking away. “I suppose you wouldn’t tell me if you’re an asshole even if you are.” His leg began to bounce a little as his unease appeared to spike. “So your huge stature and this secluded area definitely has me a little nervous.”
A lot nervous, so it seems.
Tort squelched his initial instinct to demand to know who’d hurt Kane. It wasn’t like he could hunt the bastards down and throttle them, anyway. Eat them, maybe, if he could catch them swimming in a secluded place.
Mentally rolling his eyes at himself, Tort instead focused on what he should be. He rubbed his hand up and down Kane’s thigh. At the same time, he gently massaged his man’s leg muscles.
“I don’t know what assholes you’ve been out with in the past.” Tort glanced Kane’s way and offered a warm smile. “But I’ll never, ever use my strength against you... well, unless it’s to manhandle you in bed, but again, only if you want me to.”
Patting Kane’s leg lightly, Tort told him, “I don’t get off on hurting or manipulating my partner, Kane.” He shook his head as he scowled at the road. “I want to care for you, hold you, pleasure you. Treasure you.” He cleared his throat, mumbling, “That’s how a significant other should express his devotion.”
Kane sucked in a surprised gasp. Tort glanced at him from the corner of his eye, meeting his gaze for a split second. He offered him a smile.
“That’s how I feel, anyway.”
“Me, too,” Kane responded softly. “Glad we agree on something.”
Spotting the turn he needed, Tort slowed the truck. “I think we’ll end up with a few other things in common. You like to surf?” He winked at his mate as he slowed his truck and took a dirt trail, pausing before a closed gate. Hitting a button, Tort watched as it rolled to the side. “Or maybe crab fishing? How about sunbathing?”
To Tort’s pleasure, Kane barked a laugh and shook his head. “God, I’m stuck behind a desk for so many hours, do you actually think I look like I get out to do those things?” He held out his arm. “And I don’t tan. I burn.”
“SPF fifty-five or above, huh?” Tort winked at Kane as he started his truck slowly moving. “Gotcha. So what do you do for fun, then?”
Tort watched in surprise as K
ane’s smile faded and his brows furrowed. “Actually. I’m not sure, anymore,” he admitted. Rubbing a hand over his jaw, Kane sighed. When he peered over at Tort and smiled at him, he asked, “What’s crab fishing?”
While Tort chuckled softly, he felt his heart tighten a little in his chest. His mate sure didn’t sound too happy. He prayed to the water gods that he’d be able to change that.
First, however, Tort needed to begin the process of wooing his mate... and that started with getting Kane comfortable with being alone with him, so he started telling him about crab fishing.
Chapter Five
“Oookay.” Kane grabbed the oh shit handle above the truck’s door. His heart rate spiked, and not because of the arousal thrumming through his veins. “B-Be careful, huh?”
Even as Kane nervously muttered the request, he couldn’t help but realize his heart wasn’t pounding just from the narrow rocky trail embedded in the cliff that Tort drove his truck down. He gaped out at the spectacular view. Waves lapped along the beach shore thirty feet below for only a span of twenty yards or so. To the left and right were craggy rock outcroppings.
The sun hung low on the horizon, the sky just beginning to take on shades of pink and orange. Few clouds marred the blue. Deep gray rocks jutted from the sea in the distance, offering contrast and depth perception.
As freaked out as Kane felt to be driving down a narrow cliff-side trail, the view was beyond belief.
“Relax, babe,” Tort rumbled soothingly. He reached over and rubbed his leg again. “You’re okay.”
“Two hands on the wheel,” Kane couldn’t help but snap. He felt his face heat and knew he was blushing. Hell, even his balls threatened to crawl into his body. At least it got his erection under control. “S-Sorry. Just—”
Tort returned his hand to the wheel. “It’s fine,” he cut in soothingly. “Got a thing about heights?” He glanced Kane’s way and winked, offering a roguish smile. “I’ll remember that, handsome.”
Kane just nodded. He wouldn’t admit it, but his stomach even rolled a little bit. By the time they reached the bottom of the slope, even his bladder throbbed.
Damn it all.
Once Tort rolled the truck to a stop, parked it, and shut it off, Kane eagerly shoved open the door and sucked in a deep breath of salty sea air. His queasy stomach immediately eased, fortunately, but his bladder sure didn’t. Grimacing, he slid from the truck, then peered through the cab at Tort, who’d just done the same.
“Hey, uh, I hate to be crude on a first date and all, but is there somewhere around here I can piss?”
Tort smirked at him and waggled his brows. “Sure, babe.” He swept his arm out, indicating the secluded area around them. “We’re alone on the beach, and I’m not shy. If it’ll make you more comfortable, I’ll even turn my back.”
Kane scoffed, unable to help but grin at the man’s openness. Tort’s attitude somehow managed to ease and buoy his own all at the same time. He nodded as he decided to do a little teasing of his own.
“My momma warned me about smooth talkers like you.” Kane rested his hands on his hips and lifted his brows, offering the other man his best saucy expression. “I will not succumb to your wiles on a first date. You’ll have to wait until at least the third before seeing the goods.”
Breaking out in barks of laughter, Tort grinned widely. His dark eyes twinkled. He pointed toward the rocks behind Kane.
“Then by all means,” Tort responded between chortles. “Slip behind some rocks, but be careful, okay? I don’t want to have to contact Doc Keller again.” He winked. “I’ll even unpack the basket and blanket with my back turned toward you.”
Snickering, Kane waved, then turned and scanned the shoreline. He spotted plenty of craggy rocks, waves swirling between them. Beyond that, he thought he noticed a sliver of beach.
Kane carefully climbed over the rocks and found the small expanse of sand. He headed up the sand toward the cliff face. Peering to the right, back the way he’d come, he realized that between the rocks and the truck, he was out of Tort’s line of sight.
Still, Kane turned his back when he opened his jeans. He opened his fly, pushed down his underwear, and pulled out his dick. Releasing his hold on his bladder, he let out a soft sigh as he relieved himself.
Once Kane was finished, he shook and tucked himself away. As he zipped up, he wondered if Tort had any wet wipes or something similar. He supposed he could always use salt water and a towel if he didn’t.
As Kane turned to head back toward the water’s edge where the rocks were easy to scramble over, he heard a stranger’s voice. He carefully made his way across the slick stones, keeping his arms out for balance. Just as he reached the last couple of stones, he glanced up and spotted whoever Tort was speaking with, and he froze.
For several heartbeats, anger and jealousy surged through Kane in equal measure. Tort was standing a few feet from the water’s edge, next to a spread out blanket and an open basket. He spoke with a slender, muscular stranger... who happened to be buck-ass nude.
What the fuck? Did Tort bring me to a nude beach? Was he planning some kind of ménage set-up? Was he—
Kane gasped as he watched a strange ripple go through the stranger’s form. As the guy sank to his knees, his body twitching, his skin seeming to undulate, Tort made some comment, but made no move to help him. A second later, the stranger’s arms split as did his legs. His body appeared to fold in on itself, and—
“Oh my god!” Kane stumbled backward a step on instinct. “What the fuck?”
Where the twitching, naked stranger had been was suddenly a small octopus. The creature slipped along the wet sand and into the water, disappearing beneath the waves.
Kane tried to take a second step backward, but without watching where he was going, he missed his step. He cried out in surprise as he tumbled backward. Pain slashed through the back of his left forearm as well as his right elbow. That was followed up by a spike of agony through his temple, reminding him that he’d been injured only the day before.
“Kane! Kane! Babe!”
While Kane could hear Tort hollering his name, he couldn’t respond. His ringing head made it damn difficult to string two thoughts together. Black spots danced across his vision even as he felt Tort’s hands on his arms, then torso, checking him over.
Blinking up at the clearly distressed man, Kane attempted to focus on him. He blinked once, twice, finally managing it on the fourth try. When Tort skimmed his fingertips over his forearm, he winced.
“Ow,” Kane muttered. “That hurt. How did I—”
Kane met Tort’s concerned gaze just as he remembered why he’d taken a tumble in the first place. He gaped, then attempted to sit up, his skin scraping anew on the rocks. Hissing, he allowed Tort to help him sit up. With the odd memories swirling through his brain, it was easy to ignore the pain in his body as well as the waves swirling around him.
“Sea monster,” Kane hissed. “There was a sea monster.”
Kane glanced around uneasily. He wanted to push to his feet, but Tort gripped his upper arms, not letting him move. Meeting Tort’s gaze, Kane attempted to understand the serious expression on the man’s face even as his heart continued to gallop in his chest.
“T-Tort? What did I just see?”
After his tongue slipped out, wetting his lips, Tort heaved a soft sigh. “You just saw something I hadn’t intended to share with you just yet, but I won’t lie to you.” Sliding his arm around Kane’s torso, he told him, “Come on, babe. Let’s get you dried off, we’ll check out your cuts, and then I’ll answer any questions you have. Okay?”
Because he could do little else, Kane nodded.
* * * *
Tort wanted to kick his own ass. He never should have called out to Cuzco when he’d spotted him. His intention had been to ask the coconut octopus shifter to leave where he was crab hunting between rocks and head out. Tort had wanted the beach to himself, after all.
Now I have to figure out how to explain shifters to my mate... who probably still doesn’t trust me.
Okay. One thing at a time.
Easing a sodden Kane onto the picnic blanket he’d spread, Tort knelt beside him. He picked up first one of Kane’s arms, then the other. After doing a quick inspection of the cuts and scrapes—and doing his best to ignore the way his mouth watered at the sight and smell of Kane’s blood—he released Kane’s arms and moved around him so he could check his head.
To Tort’s relief, his mate didn’t have an injury there, but he did notice a few dots of red soaking through the fabric of his pale green polo shirt.
“Sit tight,” Tort ordered softly, pressing a kiss to Kane’s temple. “I’m going to grab my first aid kit from my truck. Be right back.”
Although his brows remained furrowed, his expression uneasy and his eyes widely dilated, Kane still nodded.
“Be right back,” Tort whispered, pausing just long enough to peck a kiss on his lips. He rose and jogged to his truck. The only reason he had the kit was because Keller had put it together for him after he’d learned Tort’s mate was human. Now, he was damn grateful for that.
Tort returned to Kane and knelt beside him. Placing the kit on the blanket, he opened it and palmed through it. He found a disinfectant wipe and opened it.
Doing his best to be quick, Tort grimaced each time Kane winced or flinched. He apologized profusely, feeling guilty as hell. While he knew it hadn’t been him who’d hurt Kane, his mate had been hurt due to his decision and actions.
“Okay,” Tort murmured. “Arms are all set. I do need to check your back, though.”
Kane nodded. “Is my shirt ruined?” he asked, sounding a little glum as he gripped the back of his shirt and lifted it higher. “It’s a favorite.”
Tort noticed the few tiny spots where Kane’s blood had seeped from between his scratched skin and oozed into the fabric. “A little got on it, but not too much,” he told him. “It shouldn’t be too difficult to clean.” Touching Kane’s cheek, Tort added, “I’ll pay for dry cleaning. Don’t worry.”
Backstroking With a Tiger Shark Page 4