“My cue to leave…” Justin stomped out of the room without a glance back in her direction.
“Greeaat,” she moaned. “Now I don’t even have anyone to help me.”
“Love…” Aaron turned her around to face him and set his forehead against hers.
Her world shrank in an instant to just Aaron and herself. And that was all that really mattered anyway.
“I hoped you’d love this place. Did I make a mistake?” He raised his eyebrows.
“No.” Tessa shook her head. “It’s perfect.”
Gifting her with a home of their own, on her parent’s property, just a mile from the main house, had been beyond her wildest dreams. Since they’d mated six months ago, she’d been torn between two worlds. She’d been used to living and working on her parent’s dairy farm. All her life she’d been surrounded by nature and free to roam as she pleased. Moving in with Aaron in a cramped condo had suffocated her, but she’d kept her mouth shut for months because she thought he’d loved the place.
Aaron had known. Unbeknownst to her, he’d arranged to have a home built behind her back. The whole family had been in on the task … except her. She still didn’t know how that many brothers had managed to keep the secret.
“Then why is your pulse rate so high? Why are you yelling at your brothers about furniture placement and rugs?” He narrowed his gaze at her, a grin lifting one side of his mouth.
“I just want everything to be perfect,” she muttered.
“And it is. You. Me. Nature. You’re close to work. I’m close to work. We have privacy. What more could we ask?” Aaron took her lips in a long kiss that thawed her even more. Every time he kissed her, he still scrambled her brain cells, even after all these months.
And the bastard knew it too. He did it on purpose. He even chuckled at her when he pulled back. “Better?”
“I’d be even better if we were alone.” She bit her lip again, just to entice him. He may be able to ply her with kisses, but she could get into his pants with just a slight nibble on her lip.
“Ugh. You imp. Stop that.” He tugged her lip and leaned back in to suck it. His tongue swiped over the swollen flesh until she moaned against him. Aaron pulled back. “Another benefit of the new house.”
“What’s that?”
“You can moan as loud as you want and no one will be close enough to hear. Well, theoretically. I mean, it is a mile to your parent’s, but you have been known to scream almost loud enough to breach that distance.”
Tessa swatted at Aaron’s arm. “Stop. I do not moan.”
“Ha.” He grinned, but didn’t bother to argue with her further. “Listen, it’s all just furniture. Don’t worry so much about perfection. You can move it every day if you’d like. We don’t have to create a work of art on the first night in our new home.”
“You’re right.” Tessa relaxed her shoulders even more. Why was she stressing so much? She should be enjoying the perfection that was her life. She had the perfect man, the perfect job, the best new home, and plenty of space to roam free.
Aaron smiled down at her. “You still haven’t mastered the ability to block your thoughts.”
“I don’t need to. I have no secrets from you.”
“That’s a relief, but you fill my head with ideas and make it difficult for me to go to work most days.”
“Ah, then my plan is working.” Tessa grinned and pulled her mate in tight. “I like it better when you stay home, naked, worshipping my body with your tongue.”
“You hear that?” Aaron wiggled from her grip and tipped his head, listening to something she couldn’t hear.
“No. What?”
“Silence. Nature. You must have pushed your brothers over the edge. They left.”
Tessa’s pussy moistened. Finally, she’d managed to seduce her mate. He’d been nothing but business since they’d gotten out of bed. Tessa reached for her shirt and pulled it over her head.
Aaron stepped back several paces.
In just her lace bra and jeans, Tessa sauntered toward him, her nipples growing hard as he glanced down and swallowed.
“Tess… That’s not what I meant. We have a lot to do today. You are the most infuriatingly distracting nymph on this planet.” He adjusted his cock as she pressed him into the wall. At the last second, he ducked and dodged her grasp. “I know we need to christen this place, and we will … each and every room. We can even do it today, if you want. But right now, I was thinking we’d go for a run.”
Tessa froze. A run? Now? With her sex all wet and needy and her mind focused on getting his cock inside her as fast as possible?
“Yes, a run. Now. The first in our new home. A place we can freely strip and shift and leap off the porch. We can finally drop our clothes and dash into the trees without fear of detection from the neighbors. Afterward, I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to remember your name.” Aaron unbuttoned his shirt while he kicked off his shoes. He didn’t take his gaze off her.
Tessa had shifted a few times since they’d mated, but she hadn’t been entirely comfortable with it. People had always been around. Her parents hadn’t bothered her so much, but her brothers… They made her nervous. She felt like they were judging her abilities as a wolf since they’d all been able to shift for years and she was new to that world. Plus, she didn’t like getting naked in front of them. She’d never understood why the males of her species could shift most of their lives while the females couldn’t until after they’d mated.
“Come on.” Aaron dropped his jeans. Naked now, he nodded toward the door. “Run with me. Just us. Wild and free. When we get back, I’ll take your pussy ten times, but first I want to run with my mate.” Aaron pushed open the front door and stepped outside. In moments he’d shifted. Bones popped. Hair grew. He dropped onto all fours on the porch and then nosed the door to entice her to join him.
Tessa smiled. What the hell. No one was around. Aaron didn’t judge her. It was time to cut loose and run free. Plus, there was the promise of sex afterward…
Hastily now, Tessa dropped her jeans and the scraps of lace Aaron so loved. She pushed through the front door, dropped down next to the love of her life, and shifted smoothly, as though she’d been doing it for years.
After a brief nuzzling of her neck with his, Aaron bolted from the porch and raced toward the tree line. Tessa bounded behind him. One thing was for certain, wherever he was going, she intended to be right on his heels. Always.
The End
Publisher’s Note
Please help this author's career by posting an honest review wherever you purchased this book.
About Becca Jameson
Becca Jameson lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and two kids. When she isn't writing, she can be found reading, editing, scrapbooking, running, swimming, biking, or taxiing kids all over creation. She doesn't sleep much … or sit down often … but she loves to be busy! To learn more about Becca Jameson, visit her blog at www.beccajameson.com, email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter @beccajameson.
Spring Mates
By Lynn Tyler
Blurb
Watching everyone around him find a mate isn’t easy for Cullen, especially since the man he’s loved for years refuses to take that final step.
Crazy in love with Cullen, Adam’s well-aware his parents’ screwed up mating has messed with his head but he can’t seem to make the commitment Cullen needs.
Will the two men find common ground or will the increasing distance between them pry the lovers apart?
Mating season. The time when a young man’s heart turns to creating a permanent bond with the one he loves. At least, in theory. But Adam seems to have no interest in mating with Cullen, though they’ve been together for years. Cullen can’t even take comfort in sure knowledge of Adam’s feelings for him—though they’ve been together for years, Adam has yet to say the words “I love you.”
Adam’s parents screwed up when they mated. The bond
forged by the mating bite, supposed to be a way for mates to share their love and devotion, became a conduit for their hatred and bitterness. He won’t do that to someone he loves, or to himself. Cullen seems to understand, which is one of the things Adam loves about the man.
But Cullen doesn’t understand, and Adam’s forced to decide if he’s strong enough to face his fears for the man he loves.
Dedication
To romance lovers everywhere.
Acknowledgements
A huge shout out to Dayna for helping me refine Spring Mates and taking it to a whole other level.
Chapter 1
Spring sucked.
Cullen Stark sighed and stared out his office window. Yet another e-mail had landed in his inbox about another mating planned for this spring. That was three altogether. Three more times he’d have to watch a couple exchange mating bites and experience the mating bond.
He glanced down at the manuscript he was editing and shut it down with a disgusted snort. The last thing he needed to read was a freaking romance.
God, even Cullen’s wolf was growling. What he needed was to shift, have a nice long run, and maybe eat a rabbit or two.
Of course, just as he was pulling off his shirt, his BlackBerry beeped. Shit. That was probably his Alpha, Declan, wanting to talk about all the damn spring matings.
He picked up his smartphone and glanced at the screen. Yep. Declan was summoning him.
Well, he couldn’t exactly ignore a message from his Alpha, even if they had been friends since they were cubs. He tugged his shirt back down and stuffed his feet in his shoes.
The walk to the Alpha’s house was not nearly long enough to clear his mind. He let himself in and had to take a step back when Quinn came barreling into the foyer, laughing his fool head off, waving something white over his head.
“Quinn. Will you get back here with my shirt? Cullen and Adam will be here soon and you don’t like for anyone else to see my body, remember? You get all growly.” Declan’s voice floated down the hallway until the man himself appeared, loping after his smaller mate.
Declan barely spared Cullen a glance before focusing on Quinn again. “Come on, sexy. Give me the shirt.”
Quinn laughed like a lunatic but launched himself at Declan, who caught the blond wolf easily. “I like you this way. Besides, it’s only Adam and Cullen coming over, and they’ve been together way longer than we have. I don’t have to worry about them making goo goo eyes at you.”
Declan’s expression softened. “You don’t have to worry about anything at all, sexy. You’re the only one I want to be looking at me.”
Quinn smiled up at his mate and kissed him lingeringly.
The two wolves snuggled together, completely oblivious to the fact Cullen was standing right there.
Great. Just what he needed. More happy mates shoved down his throat.
Cullen was happy for Declan, he really was. His best friend deserved to be happy. And Quinn? Quinn was awesome. He’d helped turn the pack from a group of wolves to a real family.
A warm hand slid up Cullen’s back until it rested on his shoulder. “Hey, babe. They at it again?”
Cullen couldn’t help the shiver that ran through his body at his lover’s touch. He leaned into Adam a little before pulling away. “Looks like. Think we need to get a bucket of water to cool them off?”
Adam cleared his throat a couple of times. “Do you want us to come back?” he called loudly.
Declan broke the kiss and growled at them a little, enough to let them know he wasn’t exactly pleased with the interruption. Quinn merely giggled and wiggled around until Declan set him on his feet.
Grabbing the shirt from his mate’s hand, Declan slipped it over his head and smiled fondly at Quinn. “I love you, Quinn. Mating you was the best thing I ever did.”
Cullen flinched a little at the words. “You okay, babe? You’re a little pale.” Adam massaged the back of his neck with one strong hand.
No, he wasn’t okay. Six years with Adam, and they were no closer to mating than they were the first time they hooked up.
It wasn’t like Adam and Cullen had just been fuck buddies. Adam had moved into his house within the first couple of months they’d been seeing each other. They shared everything. A bed, a bathroom, meals … hell, they’d even shared a toothbrush a time or two.
But Adam refused to become mated. Every time Cullen brought the subject up, Adam found a reason to put it off. Cullen tried not to read too much into it. He knew Adam loved him, even if the man never said the words. But he ached, knowing there was something more for mates, a kind of bond nothing, not even nature, could break.
Watching Declan and Quinn, happy and secure in their mating, drove home how much he was missing.
He walked behind everyone else, ignoring the concerned look Adam shot at him.
Could he live like this for another six years? For the rest of his life? Could he live knowing the thing he longed for wasn’t even on Adam’s radar?
He was miserable, and it was starting to affect everything he did. How was he supposed to carry out his duties as pack beta like this?
The answer was simple. He couldn’t.
Chapter 2
Adam resisted the urge to drum his fingers on the table. Cullen sat next to him looking like he was at a funeral. All Adam wanted to do was take him home and find a way to soothe the man.
“Adam? You wanna pay attention here? This is some important shit, you know.”
He blinked and looked up at Declan, directing his gaze to the man’s chin. Declan may have been one of his best friends, but the guy was still his Alpha. “Sorry. I just don’t find arranging all these matings to be very interesting.”
“Adam Tulloch,” Quinn scolded gently. “You should take an interest. Mated couples are what keep a pack strong, and you know it.”
Not always. Sometimes people tied themselves to someone entirely incompatible and were miserable for the rest of their lives. He should know.
His parents had been the most mismatched mated pair he’d ever seen. And it had not been a case of opposites attracting, that was for sure. His entire childhood was nothing more than a giant blur of screaming matches. His mom had thrown at least one glass or plate at his father nightly.
Not that his father hadn’t deserved it, the cheating bastard.
But one ill thought-out mating bite and they had been stuck with each other.
Of course, Adam hadn’t exactly been a welcome addition to their happy little family. His parents ignored him for the most part, seeing him as yet another tie to each other.
“Sorry,” he said politely to Quinn. “I guess I just don’t see it that way.”
Quinn patted him sympathetically on the hand. “Well, I didn’t see it that way either until I mated with Declan. Don’t worry about it. We’ll handle all the mating stuff. All you’ll have to do is show up.”
He nodded but frowned. Cullen was the one who usually jumped to comfort him. But the man slumped in his chair, looking like someone had died.
That was it. He needed to get Cullen home and find out what the fuck was going on. And then he needed to kill whoever had put that look on the man’s face.
“Sorry, Dec, but can we do this tomorrow? I don’t think either Cull or I are quite in the mood for all this mating shit right now.”
Declan gave him an assessing look, suddenly all Alpha. Then he sighed and wrapped an arm around Quinn’s waist. He pulled the submissive wolf into his lap and rested his chin on Quinn’s shoulder. “Yeah, go ahead. Quinn and I can handle most of this stuff on our own.”
Cullen’s chair scraped across the floor as he jumped to his feet. He was out the door before Adam could even stand up.
“What the fuck?” Adam said, raising his eyebrows at Declan and Quinn. “He’s been acting strange for a little while now. Do either of you know what’s going on with him?”
Declan adjusted his hold on Quinn so that he cradled the smaller wolf against his chest a
nd stroked Quinn’s blond hair. “He hasn’t said anything to me, but if I had to guess, I’d say all of these matings are starting to get to him.”
“You think Cullen wants to get mated?”
Declan didn’t answer his question. Instead, he stood, making sure Quinn had his footing before straightening completely.
Adam had to smile at the care Declan took with his young mate. When Quinn had first come to the pack, he’d been quiet and shy. He had been afraid of his own shadow. Declan’s love had given the man confidence and had brought him out of his shell. Now Quinn was one of the most beloved members of their pack. Every single one of the wolves in the pack would lay down their lives to keep him safe, and yet Declan always made sure he did everything in his power to keep Quinn happy and protected.
Declan threaded his fingers through Quinn’s and looked Adam dead in the eye. “I think you need to give very serious consideration to your thoughts about mating, and listen very carefully to what Cullen says.”
Adam nodded and followed his lover out the door. He trudged down the stairs and lifted his face so he could catch Cullen’s scent on the warm spring breeze.
Cullen’s clothes were scattered about on the front lawn, including his shoes. Obviously he’d shifted and taken off.
Adam picked up the clothing and folded it neatly before placing it on the bottom step. It wasn’t that he was a neat freak. Far from it. It was Cullen who couldn’t stand to have his stuff scattered everywhere.
A feeling of dread built in his gut as he sat and unlaced his boots. Something was seriously wrong, and Adam couldn’t help but feel that whatever Cullen had to say to him, it was going to change his life forever.
Chapter 3
Cullen dipped his paw in the icy water and splashed it halfheartedly at the robin perched on the rock next to him.
The bird cocked its head at him and went back to singing its merry tune.
He didn’t want joyful, happy birdsong intruding on the funeral dirges running through his head. He was witnessing the slow, painful death of any hope of being Adam’s mate, and he wanted to mourn.
Beneath a Spring Moon (Those Sexy Shifters, Book 1) Page 5