Shifters and Spice: A Shifter Romance Box Set

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Shifters and Spice: A Shifter Romance Box Set Page 42

by Desiree Holt


  “Sure,” he said instead.

  Dare’s tour was certainly more helpful than Mindy’s, though it was nearly as brief. Evan was able to collect his phone and keys from the laundry room, though his clothes weren’t quite ready to switch over to the dryer, and the two men ended back up in the living room, standing in slightly awkward silence.

  “So what now?” Evan asked, and Dare shrugged unhelpfully. “Got a pack of cards?"

  Chapter 5

  Dare had been desperately checking his phone, so he knew it was less than an hour since he and Evan had sat down to play cards before Cole arrived, but it had felt like forever. How many times had Evan caught him staring? Taking a too-long, deep breath? Dare couldn’t help it. There was something about the man’s scent, something about the man himself, that put Dare on edge, unstable. Horny. Outside of the week around the full moon, he was used to having his body one hundred percent under his control, and every time he found his eyes had strayed from his cards to Evan, he grew angrier with himself. Last night had been the new moon—he had no excuse for his lack of control.

  So when Cole arrived, Dare threw down his hand and bolted to his room, sparing his brother a brief greeting. He heard Cole ask Evan what they had been playing.

  Slapjack. He hadn’t played that since he was a kid. And he’d been consistently losing. Embarrassingly so. They’d shuffled the cards five times already, Dare losing all his cards to Evan each time, but every time he begged off the next round Evan somehow convinced him to try once more, certain that Dare would win this time.

  There was no way he could win when his eyes were stuck on the man and not the cards.

  He peeled off his clothes with an exhalation of relief. Even the boxer briefs were too much pressure with as hard as he was. After a pause, he turned back to lock his door. While it was unlikely either Cole or Evan would need to come in…his train of thought derailed at the thought of Evan opening the door. Even though he knew Evan was no longer wearing his too-small boxers, Dare couldn’t help but picture him that way. Impossibly, his cock surged hotter and harder. Fuck. There was no way he was getting to sleep without taking care of this tonight.

  He took his cock in hand and arched his back in pleasure. This wasn’t going to take long. He crawled into bed and returned to his fantasy of Evan opening the door clad only in Dare’s boxers. Even the ridiculous sight of Sponge Bob did nothing to deter the fire in him.

  Evan held the lateen, its light illuminating Dare’s bed, leaving no room to wonder exactly what was going on. Then he swiftly closed the door behind him and came through the dark to Dare with no hesitation.

  “Need any help?” Evan’s voice would be light and teasing. Cole had always said Evan never took anything serious if he could help it, and Dare had seen that tonight.

  Dare squeezed the base of his cock, then switched his grip to loosely circle the shaft and began a slow, steady stroke. In his fantasy, he pulled the other man down on top of him before abruptly flipping their positions, pressing his steel hard cock against Evan’s thigh and reaching down to grasp the other man’s equally hard and hot length through the smooth fabric of the boxers.

  Dare sped up his hand as he imagined putting the larger man under his control but stopped abruptly, edging. Shit. It had been years since he’d been this close to coming this fast. Maybe it was because he’d been sitting with this hard on for an hour without being able to do anything about it.

  It only took a few moments more, thinking about working one hand beneath Evan’s boxers while the other held his hands above his head, rutting into his thigh, and then Dare was coming. Too soon, damn it. But his body didn’t care, wracking his body with tremors and convulsions as he bit back his cry of release. It left his body exhausted, even as his mind tried to play further through the scene. But he was drifting off to sleep, his body betraying him. He cleaned himself up quickly, then tugged the covers up around his shoulders and drifted off to thoughts and dreams about a large, smiling man.

  Dare snuggled into his covers, slowly waking. The smell of a warm log cabin in the middle of winter clung to him like the vestiges of a half-remembered dream, but unlike a dream, it didn't fade as he eased into consciousness. A strong waft of it rolled over him and his eyes flew open as he remembered what that scent belonged to.

  Rather, who it belonged to.

  “Hey, Cole!” Evan shouted as he passed Dare’s door. “Do you have any mouthwash?”

  “Under the sink, doofus.”

  Dare buried his head under his pillow to block out their noise. Not that it helped. He should feel guilty for getting off to fantasies of his younger brother’s best friend, shouldn't he? It was hard to feel guilty when all he could think about was doing it again.

  Before he had time to really consider following through on the thought, Cole was banging on his door. “Up and at ‘em, Dare! Mom said she needs our manly muscles.”

  Dare reached out blindly for his cellphone and then popped his head up to check the time, but the phone was dead. He hadn't even bothered to plug it in last night with the electricity out. He reached for the charger he always kept near his bed and plugged the phone in. It started charging immediately, thankfully. That meant a hot shower was in his near future.

  Cole was still banging on the door. “Dude, come on! If I’m going, you're going. Not all of us have spent the last few years wining and dining European nobility. Time for you to remember what it’s like to get your hands dirty.”

  Dare lurched to his feet and opened the door as Cole lifted his arm to bang on the door again.

  “Good morning, sunshine!” Cole said with a bright grin, seeming to grow brighter as Dare’s scowl darkened.

  Dare pushed past Cole and immediately smacked into Evan, who was exiting the bathroom. Evan flailed, and Dare reached out to grab his waist before he fell. Evan was clad only in low slung jeans, his hair still wet and dripping, his hip bones sharp in Dare’s hands.

  “Oh shit! I'm such a—I was just—you probably want to get in here, don't—”

  At Dare’s growl, his words sped up.

  “Oh, so not a morning person? I thought Cole was the worst in the morning and I can tell it's a family trait, though I bet you could give him a run—”

  Dare shifted his hands slightly to pick Evan up and move him out of the doorway, then closed himself in the bathroom, turning the lock firmly behind him. He couldn't block Evan’s voice out, though.

  “Dude. Your brother—did he just…? Seriously? What does he do to build that kind of strength? I’ve gotta weigh at least fifteen pounds more than him and he just picked me up like I was a hundred pound chick.”

  Dare reached in to turn the water on, trying to cover the incessant chatter.

  “It’s just good genes,” Cole said, his tone smug.

  “Whatever. You’ve never picked me up like that.”

  “I could if I wanted.”

  “Ha, yeah right!”

  As far as Dare could tell as he stepped into the shower, the discussion devolved into a wrestling match. He tuned it out as he leaned into the hot water. Which quickly became tepid. And then ice cold.

  “Holy shit!” he yelled, jumping out and wrapping a towel around his waist. He threw the door open. “Cole!”

  The two men froze mid-wrestle, Cole’s arms around Evan’s shoulders and chest in a lock. “Not me!” Cole said.

  Evan looked sheepishly up at Dare. “Sorry…”

  Dare pinned them with one more glare before turning into his room and slamming the door behind him.

  Chapter 6

  “I think your brother hates me,” Evan groaned while they fit one last round of Gears of War in while waiting for Dare.

  “Why? Because of his angry face? That's just his face, Evan. He has the worst case of resting bitch face I've ever seen.”

  “His face and the boxers and the shower this morning…” Evan had told Cole about the boxers last night and Cole had nearly peed himself with laughter. He hadn't told Cole the rea
son he took so long in the shower this morning was he was getting off to thoughts of Dare. He couldn't do it in Mindy’s room. That just felt…wrong.

  “He’s as much a girl about showers as you are,” Cole said.

  “Ass.”

  They lost themselves in the heat of the battle, nearing the end of the mission. “Booyah!” Cole yelled, his kill stats passing Evan’s by more than twenty. “Still can't beat the Colester.”

  “Seriously? I thought you'd drop that ridiculous moniker after college.”

  “The Colester doesn't know what you're talking about.”

  “And stop referring to yourself in the third person.”

  “Nobody tells the Colester what to do. Because the Colester is KING!” Cole leapt at Evan, starting yet another wrestling match, which is how Dare found them, again. Evan was glad he was already red from exertion. He couldn't have stopped the blush flooding his skin. Dare must think him such a child.

  Dare spared them an exasperated glance, then grumbled, “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 7

  There had been a brief argument over who was driving, but when Cole played the groom card, Dare gave in. He drew the line at letting Cole drive his car, though, a classic muscle car that Evan knew nothing about, but screamed “sex on wheels.”

  They stopped for coffee on the way and Dare seemed marginally less growly and caveman, his humanity apparently needing the proper fuel to engage.

  Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up outside a small shop. From the street, it looked like a little antique store, a table with two elegant chairs in a window set to the right, a bookshelf to the far side. The whole scene was full of little odds and ends. Evan’s mom would have loved it.

  “Oh no.”

  Evan looked back to see Dare’s face had lost none of its frown, but now there was a hint of…apprehension, perhaps?

  Cole on the other hand, was nothing but cheerful. “Oh yes. You've missed six years of Auntie Teas. I don't know how you've managed to skip out on them so far this trip back, but that blissful period of your life is over, bro.”

  “Auntie Teas? What in the world is that?” Evan asked.

  “A monthly gathering of the community’s leading women. They don't like it to sound so formal, and even if they aren't related by blood, there’s definitely a relationship there. We grew up calling most of them ‘aunt something or other.’ Dare coined the term Auntie Tea.”

  Dare didn't acknowledge Cole’s story, simply pulling himself out of the car with a grunt. The three men lined up at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Alright, men,” Cole said. “Gird your loins.”

  None of them made a move to take the lead, and Mindy stuck her head out the front door. “Will you pansies stop lolly gagging around and get in here?” When they reached her, she muttered, “This is shared pain. You at least, Cole, should take care to protect your fiancée.”

  Cole paled. Apparently in his reluctance to enter the Auntie Tea, he'd forgotten a worse possibility: leaving his intended alone with the aunties. He hurried past Mindy who giggled before following.

  Evan waited for Dare to take the lead, but the older man placed his hand against Evan’s lower back, pushing him gently forward. The light pressure lifted as Evan stepped up, but a heavy tingling remained. Evan couldn't drag his focus from Dare’s presence behind him and tripped up the stairs. He couldn't bear to look back at Dare. His face was already engulfed in flames, and he knew his pale complexion did nothing to hide it. Gratefully, Dare didn't say anything, and they made it in the shop without further incidents. Mindy gave him a questioning look as he entered, but he ignored it, though he did take the empty chair next to her. There were two open chairs together just as they entered the room, but Evan couldn't chance sitting next to Dare and making even more of a fool of himself.

  He glanced around the table, recognizing no one outside of the Williams siblings and Jessica, but just as he sat back, a sleek, silver haired woman in a dusty pink skirt suit entered from another room. “Alice!” he called, jumping up to wrap his arms around the Williams’ mother, leaning back to pick her off the ground. She chuckled and swatted at him to put her down, which he did, then placed a kiss on her cheek when she offered it to him.

  “Evan Rogers, it's taken two years and a wedding to pull you back here. The next time better not be for a funeral!”

  “Ugh, Mom! Don't be so morbid.” Mindy scrunched her face. “Besides, we’re the only people Evan knows around here, and I don't think any of us are planning on kicking it anytime soon.”

  “Would you rather I start harassing you about when you’ll get married? That's the only other likely event I can see bringing Evan back here anytime soon unless we convince him he doesn't need a special occasion.”

  Mindy turned to the bride. “Well, there you have it, Jess. I'm putting you on Evan convincing duty. It's either he visits us of his own free will, or Cole has to die.”

  “Why is it always me?” Cole protested. “And how is it that me dying is a better possibility than you getting married?”

  “I'm more likely to kill you myself than commit to marriage.”

  Cole opened his mouth to protest further, then stopped and shrugged his shoulders. “Fair enough.”

  “Cole,” a woman about Alice’s age, as round as Alice was angular, said, “Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?”

  Being the well trained son he was, Cole dutifully introduced each of the aunties, and Evan promptly forgot their names except for Delores, the one who had harangued Cole for introductions.

  “So what do you do?” she asked directly.

  Evan guessed that was what most people would consider small talk, though, wouldn't they? People who weren't newly, unwilling unemployed. He felt his face flushing. There were many times he cursed his fair skin, and this was definitely one of them.

  “Evan’s a software developer,” Mindy jumped in, saving him from either lying or dancing around the subject. There was no way he was going to bring up his less than gainfully employed status the week of Cole’s wedding. This week was about happiness, beginnings and Cole. Not depression, endings and Evan.

  “Oh really?” Jess leaned forward with interest. “That's what my older brother Gage does. I'll definitely introduce you too.”

  Evan knew that look in her eyes—he’d seen it in Mindy’s eyes often enough. He glanced at her to see the two women share a conspiratorial glance. Damn matchmakers. He couldn't help but chance a look at Dare. The man was glaring at Jess, but Evan really couldn't tell if it was any different from his normal glare. It would be too much to ask that this man he didn't know was a little bit jealous, wouldn't it?

  They survived the Auntie Tea. Actually, Evan hadn't seen what the big fuss was about. But maybe he got off light with the focus on Cole and Jess’s wedding.

  Mindy grabbed him as they all left the shop. “I was serious about taking Cole out for some fun,” she said. “You know you've only got two more nights, right? And mom will kill you if you get him drunk the night before the wedding. So really, you have tonight.”

  “You think I would let my best friend get married without a big bang?” Evan scoffed, even as the guilt crept up on him. He did intend to take Cole out, but he'd been so wrapped up in his oh-woe-is-me crap he hadn't realized how little time they had left.

  “I'd hound Dare as the best man, but he’s been particularly crabby this week.”

  So this wasn't Dare’s normal attitude? Maybe he really hated weddings.

  “Ooh, are you talking about the bachelor party?” Jess leaned in. “Give me your phone.” Evan handed over his phone and she tapped at it for a minute. “There, that's my brother Gage’s number. You should invite him. He and Cole get along really well, and I think you two would as well.”

  Evan barely suppressed the roll of his eyes, but Mindy caught him anyway and slapped him upside the back of his head.

  “Don't be a punk,” she said. “This is about Cole, not about you.”

 
“Sure,” Evan replied, his voice thick with sarcasm. “I will invite him, though,” he said with more sincerity.

  Cole and Dare were already waiting in the car and they rode back to the house much the same way they had come, with Dare returning to his pre-caffeinated surliness. Cole vanished to the bathroom immediately, and Evan strengthened his resolve to approach Dare to figure out the evening’s plans.

  Dare spoke before he had to. “We have reservations at eight,” he said with no lead in.

  “Wh-what?” Evan stammered, completely derailed.

  “For dinner,” Dare clarified. “McMurphy’s. They have live Irish music tonight, and it's one of Cole’s favorite places. It's not clubbing,” Dare shrugged, “but it’s lively and there will be plenty to drink.”

  “Oh. Okay. Great.” Evan was relieved. He hadn't relished planning a fun night out with this late notice. And clubbing wasn't exactly his thing.

  “You'd better call up Jess’s brother and find out if he's coming. It shouldn't be a problem, but I'll call to update the reservation. They get pretty packed. And if he can't come at seven, we’ll probably be there all night. I know some of our cousins are planning on dropping by a bit later in the evening.”

  “Right,” Evan said, his mind distracted. Had Dare overheard Mindy giving him instructions? Was he upset his sister didn’t trust him to handle this?

 

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