by Lynn Hagen
Kester jerked away from Mike. “Using crushed aspirin is nothing to be ashamed of,” he stated. “I have a hard time swallowing pills, and yes, I use aspirin when I have a headache.” His brows shot up. “You thought that was drugs?” Now Kester looked doubly pissed. “You thought I was an addict?”
Mike held his hands up. “Whoa, calm down. What was I supposed to think when I saw a white powdery substance in your pocket?”
“That the packet it came in got wet, so I transferred the aspirin to that plastic bag.” Kester shoved at Mike’s chest. “And you could’ve just asked instead of coming at me with that speech. I have never used, nor do I want to use, drugs.”
“My bad?” Mike had royally screwed this up. “But in my defense, at least I was willing to get you some help and stand by your side.”
“While I kicked my aspirin habit.” Kester folded his arms. “I drink a lot of soda. Wanna help me kick that addiction too?”
Mike burst out laughing. He couldn’t help it. This conversation was so insane. His laughter didn’t last. Kester looked at Mike like he wanted to strangle him.
“It’s not a humorous matter. I know. I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.”
Kester smirked. “I guess it did look suspicious, and you really don’t know me. So maybe I would’ve thought the same thing if roles were reversed.”
Mike took his mate’s hand and sat him on the bed. “So tell me about this Strabo guy.”
After taking a deep breath, Kester told Mike everything.
Chapter Seven
“Mates…huh?” Kester looked down at his hands. The only mates he knew about were Strabo and his wife, and Kester was still convinced that his uncle had killed his aunt. He’d confessed as much to Mike when he’d been spilling his guts about the situation he was in.
“What Strabo did is rarely heard of.” Mike took Kester’s hands in his and used his thumb to draw lazy circles on his hand. “Nonhumans take mating very seriously, Kester. We cherish what fate has given us. Your happiness means everything to me.” He gave a soft chuckle. “Why do you think I’m moving forward with the renovations so quickly?”
Kester’s brows shot up. “Because of me?”
“The smart thing to do would be to wait until spring when the weather is better. But I want you comfortable and happy with your surroundings.”
“You’re doing all this so I’ll stay,” Kester surmised. Wow. No one had ever gone to this length for him. Mike was dropping a boatload of money just so Kester would stay. Just…wow. He wasn’t sure what to say to that.
Mike’s eyes were sparkling when Kester looked at him. “Plus, a Christmas tree would look pretty ridiculous in the drab lobby.”
How had Kester forgotten the holiday was only three weeks away? He’d been so caught up in his problems that he hadn’t even thought about it. “I highly doubt the lobby will be finished in time.”
Mike ran his hand down Kester’s back, sending a wave of desire through him. “Maybe not the rest of the renovations, but I’m pretty sure we can get the lobby done.” He winked at Kester. “We’ll just have to put in a lot of overtime to make it happen.”
“Is that the only thing we’re gonna put overtime in for?” He gave Mike a suggestive look, one that he hoped conveyed how needy he felt.
Sex should be the last thing on Kester’s mind considering all the trouble he was in, but Mike’s closeness, his masculine scent, those pretty eyes staring at him, and his hand on Kester’s back was driving him crazy.
But he was still reeling from the fact that Mike had said they were mates. He didn’t fully understand what that meant, but at the moment, all Kester could think about was getting laid.
Mike’s gaze roamed over him. “I have a few other ideas about what we can do until the lobby construction starts.”
Kester wanted more than just a blowjob this time. He still couldn’t believe that Mike had done that for him and hadn’t asked for anything in return. This time, Kester planned on giving, too.
He slid off the bed and dropped to his knees. Mike watched him with heavy-lidded eyes as Kester curled his fingers around the man’s exposed cock. Mike was still naked from his shift, and Kester took full advantage of that fact.
He tilted the head toward his lips then took Mike’s erection into his mouth, all the time watching Mike watch him. Pre-cum had already beaded at the head, and Kester moaned at the taste when it touched his tongue.
A growl ripped from Mike’s chest, vibrating down his body. Kester felt the sensations all the way down to his cock. Mike’s eyes narrowed. Kester smirked around his shaft, knowing how he was affecting the guy.
Kester wanted Mike to unravel, to come apart at the seams. He’d been with guys who’d acted as though sex was a quiet, quick act. Kester didn’t want that with Mike.
But every little look Mike gave him, every hiss, squint, and moan became precious to Kester. Mike touched him, a sweet caress over Kester’s cheek, a sweep of his hands that was so tender that Kester paused for a moment just to enjoy that moment.
He leaned into Mike’s hand and closed his eyes. Kester hadn’t even realized he’d needed the touch. With everything going on, the constant fear he lived with, Mike’s soft touch was not only welcome but desperately needed.
“Come here.” Mike pulled Kester up from his armpits, placing him across the bed. There was such tenderness in Mike’s dark eyes that Kester wasn’t sure he could handle it.
“Let me take care of you.” Mike slid Kester’s shirt off and tossed it aside, making Kester’s nipples hard from the cool air in the room. Had he mentioned that the heating unit wasn’t all that grand? There was always a lingering chill, but right now, Kester’s skin was too heated, and he welcomed the coolness.
Mike brushed the tips of his fingers over Kester’s hard nubs then smiled when Kester shivered.
“Sensitive nipples?”
“Sensitive body,” Kester replied.
“Let’s find out how sensitive.” Mike dipped his head and sucked one of the nubs between his lips. His tongue lashed out, and Kester groaned.
Kester slid his hand down Mike’s muscled chest, playing with his rigid abdomen as Mike gently bit down on his nipple. Kester arched his back, his hand going to Mike’s hair, running his fingers through the soft strands as Mike moved his way across Kester’s chest, latching onto the neglected nipple.
Could someone orgasm from getting their chest sucked on? Mike’s expert lips had Kester damn close. His cock throbbed in his jeans as he lay back on the bed, touching Mike everywhere as Mike continued to lash his tongue over Kester’s tingling body.
“Tell me you have lube.” Mike kissed his way up to Kester’s neck, teasing his Adam's apple with his teeth. Kester was finding it hard to breathe, let alone form an answer.
“Shaving kit...bag…”
When Mike got up from the bed, Kester kicked the rest of his clothes off then tried to strike a sexy pose, stretching himself out and propping his head on his hand.
He nearly swallowed his tongue when Mike bent over to rummage through his bag. God, that ass. Had Kester seen anything close to that perfection before? Nope. Not in his short lifetime. And he appreciated the view tremendously.
Mike straightened and turned toward him. He caught the look Kester gave and smirked. “Like what you see?”
“I’d have to be blind not to.” Kester turned onto his stomach and tucked his hands under his head like a makeshift pillow. He’d had sex before. No big deal. Nothing new had been invented since the last time he’d engaged in the act.
But watching Mike move toward the bed had his heart thundering and his mouth going dry. This was different, of course. Mike had said they were mates. From what little Kester did know, once they did the nasty deed, their souls would be tied together.
Kester’s dad hadn’t known much about nonhumans, but what he did know he'd imparted to Kester. There was no breaking up or calling quits. Mike was it for him.
And that knowledge had him trembling
slightly as Mike crawled onto the bed. Kester stayed on his stomach as Mike stretched out next to him. Kester was glad for the dimly lit room. Hopefully it helped to hide his nervousness.
No sooner was Mike settled than Kester moved closer, attaching his lips to Mike’s throat. He liked the tickle of Mike’s beard against his face as he kissed his way up to Mike’s lips.
A growl. A groan. A whimper. A hiss. Kester wasn’t sure who was making what noise as they rolled around the bed, lapping at each other’s mouths, hands everywhere, legs entwining, cocks brushing.
The room echoed their sounds, their heavy breathing, and the sound of their lips smacking together. Kester was all for nude wrestling, but he wanted to get down to the good part.
Kester listened to Mike’s heavy breathing as his mate—Kester liked that word—curled his fingers around Kester’s hard cock. Kester threw his head back and groaned.
Mike’s eyes were filled with excitement and want. He stared at Kester with hunger as he moved to settle between Kester’s spread legs.
“Do you know how many times I’ve fantasized about doing this?” Mike popped the cap on the lube and slicked his fingers, pressing them at Kester’s hole. “Do you know how many times I had to force myself not to grab you and bend you over?”
“And now I know why you’ve been super nice to me,” Kester said. “Why you drove me around town, brought me food, and did things a stranger normally doesn’t do.”
Mike looked stricken, but Kester could tell the expression was fake. “Hey, I’m a nice guy. Even if we weren’t mates, I would’ve done all that for you.”
“Liar.” Kester grinned then hissed as Mike’s fingers breached him. His body sizzled at the burn as Mike stretched him, moving his fingers in and out of Kester’s hole.
“You got me.” Mike grinned. “I might not have done all that stuff, but I’m still a nice guy.”
Kester believed that. Mike had an air of authority about him. He screamed danger, but so far, the guy had been nothing but sweet toward him.
As Mike hovered over him, his fingers flexing and twisting, Kester stared into his pretty brown eyes. “Are mates really nice to each other?”
Mike pressed a kiss to Kester’s lips. It was soft and sweet. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, hon. I’m not your uncle, and like I said, what he did isn’t how mates are supposed to act with each other.”
Kester forced Strabo from his mind. He didn’t want thoughts of his uncle to ruin the moment. Even so, a small part of him worried about mating Mike. Any sane man would have some reservations. He hardly knew the guy.
His thoughts fled when Mike pulled his fingers free and lined his cock to Kester’s hole. One swift move impaled him. Kester arched his back and cried out at the pain/pleasure that assailed him.
Mike braced his arms on either side of Kester’s head and pulled almost all the way out then thrust back in. Kester curled his legs around Mike’s waist, grabbed his biceps, and held on.
Mike brushed his hands over Kester’s hair, giving him a savory kiss that had him melting. Another wave of pleasure rushed over Kester, a mind-blowing, tingling sensation that reached every nerve in his body. It wasn’t just the mouth-watering stretch of his ass, either. There was something about being with Mike that made the experience all the better.
His firm body. The spark of need in his eyes. The gentle way he held Kester as he punched his hips forward. The scrape of beard across Kester’s face. The panting. The touching. The moans and grunts.
Kester was falling hard for him. There was no denying the fact. The time they’d spent together, the moments they’d shared, Mike’s soft laughter, and the way Mike looked at him had wormed its way into Kester’s heart.
“What’re you thinking about?” Mike reared back to look down at him. “What’s running through your mind?”
“You.” Kester bit his lower lip. “I think…I might be…” He grabbed Mike’s face and devoured his lips, unwilling to spill his heart just yet.
The kiss distracted Mike, making him moan into Kester’s mouth as he pistoned into Kester’s ass.
The buildup raced up Kester’s spine and wrapped around his groin. His balls drew tight, and his body pulsed with his nearing orgasm.
“Mike…” Kester gasped as he clung to his mate, raking his nails down Mike’s back.
“I’m about to make you mine,” Mike said seconds before he sank his sharp canines into Kester’s shoulder.
The pain lasted only a second before Kester cried out, his climax ripping into him and shattering him. Mike snarled as he thrust faster and deeper. Kester felt the man’s cock pulsing inside of him.
For a brief moment, Kester felt something tighten his chest. a wash of emotions, a strange “click,” and a feeling as though he’d known Mike his entire life.
A strong bond snapped between them.
Mike removed his teeth and licked at the wound as Kester tried to remember how to breathe. He lay there motionless, trying to understand what had just happened, and already knowing the answer.
Mike nuzzled Kester’s neck, dropping small kisses along his shoulder. What Kester felt was…nothing he could describe.
“You feel that?” Mike smiled down at him.
“Your cock still in my ass?”
Mike grinned. “That, too.”
“You mean the connection?” Kester asked.
“Our souls have bonded.” Mike hissed as he eased out of Kester’s body. He opened his mouth to say something else, but the sound of someone knocking on the door had him growling.
It was an animalistic sound.
“Stay right here,” Mike said to him as he got up and pulled some underwear on before answering the door.
* * * *
If this wasn’t an emergency, Mike was gonna murder whoever it was and hide their body out back. He cracked the door open and saw Smitty Green standing there.
“What?” Mike snarled.
Smitty appeared unimpressed by Mike’s surly attitude. “The heat went out in my room. It’s freezing in there.”
“If you would’ve checked out when I asked, you wouldn’t be having this problem.” Yes, Mike was in a pissy mood. He’d wanted to cuddle with his mate, not get harassed about his crappy motel.
“Be that as it may,” Smitty said with a clenched jaw, “either move me to another room or reimburse me for my stay.”
With a sigh, Mike said, “Just give me a minute.”
He closed the door with a growl. When he looked at the bed, Kester was already up and getting dressed. “It seems our work is never done,” he said.
Mike didn’t mention the fact that his mate had said “our work.” He still wasn’t sure if Kester planned on staying. Since Mike knew his mate wasn’t going anywhere tonight, he dressed and headed to room five. Whether he was pissed or not from the intrusion, he still had a job to do.
It was late and cold as shit outside as Mike went to the office to grab a toolbox he kept under the counter. Just that fast, the biting cold had seeped into his bones. Maybe if he set the motel on fire, everyone could stay warm, though they’d be out of a place to stay.
His head snapped up when the door opened. Kester hurried inside, rubbing his hands up and down his arms. “What’re you doing?” Mike asked.
“Learning how to fix a heating unit that doesn’t entail whacking it with a wrench.” Kester gave him a big, goofy smile that went straight to Mike’s heart.
He didn’t like his mate tagging along, though. Mike still wasn’t sure Smitty was on the up-and-up. What if this was a trap, a reason to lure Mike to his room so he could try and get Mike out of the way? Still, he was confident he could handle one human, who may or may not want to incapacitate him.
He set the toolbox on the counter and framed Kester’s face with his hands.
There was so much Mike wanted to say, that he vowed to keep Kester safe, that he wouldn’t let anything happen to him, that they were in this together. Instead, Mike delivered a scorching kiss to Kes
ter’s soft, plump lips.
When he pulled back, Kester looked dazed.
“I know,” Kester said, as if he knew what Mike was trying to convey with that kiss.
Mike sighed as he let his hands fall to his sides. If he didn’t take a step back, he’d drag Kester to their room and ravish his body. Mike grabbed the toolbox and headed out the front door, holding it open so Kester could pass him.
“Do you have a wrench in there?” Kester teased. “I didn’t stick around to see if the front desk lady had any success with her method.”
“I have a wrench, but I won’t be using it to beat on anything.” One of the upgrades Mike planned on doing was replacing all the units with new ones. There was no telling how old they were. He suspected they’d been installed when the motel was built over fifty years ago. Mike wouldn’t doubt that was the case.
“Am I going to be allowed to help you remodel the rooms?” Kester had a pep in his step as he asked. “I’m kind of digging the whole remodeling vibe. Who knew facelifts could be so exciting?”
Kester wasn’t the only one feeling that vibe. Mike was looking forward to a new and improved motel. With the upgrades, he wouldn’t be out here so late at night, in the freezing cold, repairing a heating unit.
He would’ve been still snuggled in bed with his mate. Now that idea had him more excited than remodeling. He needed to get this unit working so he could pull Kester under the blankets for warmth, and round two.
If Smitty hadn’t insisted on staying, Mike could’ve taken Kester home where there was plenty of warmth and no disturbances. But someone had to be here if even one of the rooms was occupied.
For reasons like this.
He looked toward the motel sign just to make sure it still read that there were no vacancies. As soon as Smitty checked out in the morning, and they helped Russell with whatever needed to be done, he was taking Kester home.