by Lynn Hagen
But now that it was a real possibility, Kade had an urge to run in the opposite direction.
Chapter Five
Keaton killed the last couple of hours at work, ready to shut the hut down so he could meet up with Kade. The guy had found some building that he thought perfect for his handmade furniture store. He wanted Keaton to come take a look at it with him.
“Either you have finally found the dark side and have begun eating sugar, or you are ready to get the hell out of here,” Oliver said as he cleaned the utensils he had just used. “You’re bouncy as hell.”
Was he? Keaton hadn’t even noticed. Now that Oliver had pointed that fact out, Keaton realized he was running from one task to another, trying to get the shop ready to be closed for the evening.
“I have a hot date,” Keaton said. He was only going to look at an empty store, but Oliver didn’t know that. Keaton’s love life sucked and he liked thinking that he had an actual date. The past week had gone by in a blur. Kade had inserted himself in Keaton’s life and Keaton couldn’t be happier.
Okay, he would be happier if Kade wanted to have sex, but ever since he had talked with the doctor, Kade steered clear of anything intimate. He wasn’t sure what the man had said, but whatever it was must have scared the hell out of Kade.
“Tell me, Oliver,” Keaton began as he hopped up onto the counter and had a seat. “What do you know about the drug Liquid Wrath?”
Oliver dropped the knife he had in his hand, his eyelids lowering until the blue irises were almost gone. “I know that if you plan on using that shit it will kill you. I thought you were very careful what you put into your body?”
He could hear the disdain in the man’s tone. Keaton gave Oliver a reproachful glare. “Dude, I wasn’t asking because I wanted to use the drug.”
“Then what did you ask for?”
As Keaton explained to Oliver what had happened to him and how Kade was now acting, Blair—Oliver’s brother—walked into the shop, along with his troublemaking friend, Cecil. Oliver told Keaton about how Cecil had a penchant for finding ways to cause havoc. Oliver thought the man funny and cool.
Keaton didn’t have anything against the guy, but trouble was something he tried to stay out of.
“Sounds to me like he is hesitant about changing you,” Blair said as he leaned against the glass display case. “From what I’ve heard, he spent a very long time in prison. It’s got to be hard as hell readjusting to the outside world. Maybe since he had his choices taken from him, he doesn’t want to do the same thing to you.”
Glancing between the brothers, Keaton remembered what Kade had told him. It wasn’t his place to say a word to them. He wondered if Kota was right. Were they better off not knowing how much of a monster their dad truly was? They already knew that from what Keaton had learned, but to know the man was forcing guys to have sex with him at gunpoint just might send one, or both, over the edge.
“Shifters are very stubborn,” Cecil added. “They are pushy and think they know what’s best for you. Sometimes you have to push back and demand what you want or they’ll wrap you up in cotton.”
Keaton didn’t want to be wrapped up in cotton. He could already tell that Kade was a very stubborn and reserved individual. He would probably have a fit if he knew that Keaton was talking to these men about matters Kade wouldn’t want anyone else to know about.
But the man wasn’t forthcoming with answers. Keaton had to get them from somewhere.
“I remember when I was younger,” Cecil began. “I had an uncle who had done a long stretch. When he got out, he was a very strange man. He acted as if he were still in prison.”
“How so?” Keaton asked.
Cecil grabbed a chair from one of the tables, turned it around, and then straddled it. “He still ate like he had when locked up. He basically ate noodles with weird stuff mixed in. He wouldn’t eat what my mom cooked. He also used to stay in the small bedroom my dad fixed up for him. My uncle wouldn’t come out unless one of us called him out…like we were his guards.”
Keaton had noticed that Kade spent a lot of time in his bedroom. Bishop had told him that he was welcome to come over anytime. Keaton had taken the man up on his offer, but it seemed no matter when he dropped by, Kade was shut in his room.
He just wasn’t sure how to get him past his experience. What he had noticed was that the man was more relaxed, venturing out whenever Keaton came over. Maybe he was the key to helping the guy readjust.
“I wouldn’t push him,” Blair said. “He’s had it hard enough. You have to give him time.”
Keaton had two conflicting pieces of advice. Should he tell Kade that he wanted to be claimed—even if that meant becoming a snow leopard—or should he wait until Kade was ready? Would he ever be ready?
He groaned as his head began to pound.
“Listen,” Oliver said as he leaned on the counter next to Keaton. “You do what you think is best. Maybe he needs a little push, maybe he doesn’t. Only you know him well enough to make that call.”
“Anyway,” Cecil said as he waved a hand in dismissal. “We were heading over to that new place, the Lucky Clover. They have fine dining and a dance floor.”
Somehow Keaton had a feeling Cecil wasn’t going for the fine dining. From what Oliver had told him, the man was going to cause trouble. “Have fun.”
“You don’t want to come?” Oliver asked, nudging his arm into Keaton’s leg. “It’ll be fun.”
Oh yeah, Keaton could see the devilishness in Oliver’s eyes. “No. I have to meet Kade to take a look at a building he wants to use for his shop.”
“I thought you said you had a date,” Oliver said. “Your big plans are looking at an empty building with your mate?”
“That sounds romantic,” Blair teased. “Kota and I watch paint dry when we are feeling adventurous.”
Keaton scowled at the man. “Whatever. It’s a large step for him.” Why was he even explaining himself? “Get out so I can lock up.”
The three headed toward the door. “You know where we will be at if you change your mind,” Cecil called out over his shoulder. “Just don’t spread the news. Maverick is already going to have a coronary when he finds out that I slipped out of the Den.”
Keaton shook his head. Cecil really was hopeless. Kade had gotten the loan for his business through the mayor—alpha now that he knew the truth. But Keaton had never known that Cecil was Maverick’s mate. He just thought Cecil was the man’s husband.
Maverick was stuck with the short man for the rest of his life.
Poor guy.
Pocketing his keys, Keaton hurried down the street. He didn’t want a repeat of being attacked by a vampire. Keaton had finally come to terms with the fact that vampires really existed. His mind was still trying to convince him that it was some fruitloop with bad teeth.
Although the thought of vampires existing scared Keaton, he was not going to stop himself from living his life.
It had taken a good night worth of arguing with Kade to let the man know he wasn’t going to have an escort wherever he went. Thank goodness the guy had conceded—begrudgingly.
As Keaton walked to his destination, he swore he felt someone following him. Maybe he should have driven, but it was such a beautiful night.
If it was another vampire, he was running as fast as his legs could carry him. Keaton refused to be a victim once more. Giving up a pint of blood was bad enough—he really wasn’t sure how much the vampire had taken, but it had felt like a lot—and he was not about to be someone else’s snack.
But as he glanced around, Keaton didn’t see anyone. The niggling hadn’t gone away, but the streets were clear. He decided it would probably be best if he hurried.
Keaton took off running, not wanting to leave anything to chance.
Once he made it to the building that Kade had told him to meet up at, Keaton was eternally thankful he ate right and was healthy. That had been one hell of a run.
“What’s wrong?” Kade asked.
He was standing outside, as if not wanting to go inside without Keaton present. Kade’s teal eyes scanned the streets and then settled on Keaton. The guy looked edgy.
“Just getting my exercise in,” Keaton said as he waved a hand toward the door. “Ready?”
Kade did not look convinced, but Keaton was not about to tell the man he had been spooked. It would defeat his argument that he didn’t need an escort. Cecil had said that shifters were stubborn as hell. Keaton had a feeling that if Kade knew he thought he was being followed, the guy wouldn’t let Keaton out of his sight.
When Kade opened the door, Keaton followed him inside. There wasn’t much lighting in the place since the electricity wasn’t on, but from what he could see, the shop was pretty damn nice.
“What do you think?” Kade asked as he walked around what was sure to be the showroom. It was big and roomy. “I was told this was a perfect building for what I want to do. Kota told me there is a large woodshop in the back.”
Keaton moved closer, praying he was doing the right thing. It would really suck if Kade rejected him. He had said they were mates, but the guy was also dodging any situation that could potentially turn intimate.
He wasn’t passing this opportunity up. Keaton stepped in front of Kade, tilting his head to the side and giving him a teasing smile. “It’s perfect, Kade.”
Kade’s nostrils flared as he took a step back. Keaton could see in the man’s teal eyes that he wasn’t rejecting him. The guy looked just as turned on as Keaton felt. Keaton moved closer, refusing to allow Kade to continually put distance between them.
When the guy moved to his right, Keaton followed. They continued their little dance until Kade was backed into a corner. Keaton ran his hands up Kade’s chest, leaning in. “Can I have a kiss?”
They had yet to even kiss. Keaton was dying to know what Kade’s lips tasted and felt like. He was damn near ready to beg. He could feel the man’s heart pounding rapidly under the palms of his hands, and if Keaton wasn’t mistaken…nope, the man was getting hard, all right.
“Keaton.” Kade grabbed Keaton’s wrists, pulling them away. Keaton pushed his hands back onto Kade’s chest.
“You said we were mates, Kade. You explained to me that mates were together until death. If you don’t kiss me, I’m afraid I just might die.” Keaton pushed himself up until his lips were mere inches from Kade’s. He could feel the small puffs of air gliding across his mouth and Keaton wanted to close the distance.
And he did. He pressed his lips against Kade’s, trying his best to get some sort of reaction out of the inscrutable man. But he just stood there, frozen, unmoving. Keaton gave it another try, yanking his hands free from Kade’s tight grasp and letting them roam to the guy’s groin.
Kade hissed, his head rolling until he was staring up at the ceiling. “It’s been a very long time for you, hasn’t it, Kade?”
The man didn’t say a word, his body still rigid…oh, there we go. Kade’s hips began to press into Keaton’s hands. Now they were getting somewhere. Keaton tried once more to kiss Kade. This time the man parted his lips.
It didn’t bother Keaton to be in control. He was very flexible—in more ways than one. He was going to rock Kade’s world if the leopard let him. Yes, he was that confident. For him, sex wasn’t about how well someone could bend their legs behind their head—although that was one handy trick—but how well two people connected.
And he was feeling very connected to Kade right now. When his mate didn’t protest, Keaton swept his tongue inside Kade’s mouth and moaned. He knew the guy was going to taste all hot and spicy. He also tasted like…Keaton pulled back. “Do you smoke?”
Kade looked as if his brain wasn’t quite functioning properly yet. His teal eyes were glassy as he stared at Keaton. “Do I what?” He licked his lips and Keaton felt his breath catch at the delicious action.
“Smoke?”
Straightening, Kade began to look more focused. That wasn’t what Keaton had wanted.
“I had one before you came.” When Kade tried to move away, Keaton blocked the guy. It was true that Kade was much larger than him, but he wasn’t going to be so easily dismissed. It dawned on Keaton that Kade needed someone to guide him, to take charge. Kade was a predatory creature, but he was so damn lost inside himself. Keaton had no problem helping the man find his way.
“If I catch you with another cigarette, I’ll…I’ll…give you some very strong words that you just might not like.” His threat wasn’t as imposing as he would like it to be, but Keaton wasn’t a violent man.
Kade gazed at him for a moment, and Keaton thought the man was going to argue about being treated so high-handedly. But he laughed. The freaking man laughed at him! That was not the response Keaton was looking for. He pinched Kade’s arm. “I’m serious! Do you know how deadly those things are?” Keaton pushed back into Kade, taking away the man’s personal space. “And do you know how nasty it tastes to kiss a smoker?”
Before Kade could say a word, Keaton ran his hand over the guy’s now semi-soft cock. He hadn’t meant to kill the mood, but there was no way Keaton was going to allow the man to put that crap into his body.
“I—” Kade swallowed and Keaton could see that the guy was extremely nervous. He was going to have to ease the man into this. Kade had never answered him when Keaton asked if it had been a long time for Kade. It wasn’t any of his business what had taken place before him. If Kade had sex in prison, Keaton wasn’t going to pry. But he was not about to have a quick and meaningless encounter with his mate. Keaton was going to show Kade how good it could be between them. “I thought we were going to look around the building.”
Keaton teased the man’s flourishing erection with the tips of his fingers. “I am looking at something very interesting right now. Don’t spoil this for me.”
“You’re bossy,” Kade said, but didn’t move away. He was once again pressing his groin into Keaton’s hands.
Keaton gave a low chuckle. “Not really. But I know what I want and that would be you, Mr. Kade Marshall.” He backed up his words with a swipe of his tongue over the strong corded muscles in Kade’s neck. A part of him grinned in satisfaction when Kade shuddered.
That’s more like it.
Closing his fingers over the large bulge in the front of Kade’s jeans, Keaton massaged the outline in slow, leisurely strokes. Kade’s back hit the wall and he nearly slumped as his hips continued to hitch into Keaton’s ministrations.
Keaton was fascinated to see the large man giving himself over like this. It was a powerful feeling and one he didn’t take lightly. Keaton was pretty sure the guy didn’t give himself over to anyone.
Wanting to see Kade come unraveled, Keaton lowered himself to his knees. When his fingers slid back up the imprint, he unsnapped Kade’s jeans and lowered the zipper. He watched Kade carefully, Keaton’s eyes rooted on the man as his fingers dipped below the waistband of the underwear and skimmed over the heated flesh.
Keaton smiled up at Kade, licking his lips. Kade’s eyes hooded, his jaw in a tight grip as Keaton lowered his underwear, revealing the hard erection. Gliding his fingers down the fully erect cock, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on the tip.
Kade’s hands curled into fists as he watched. Keaton wasn’t about to get him a quick suck off. That wasn’t what he wanted between them. As he played, his veins started buzzing, fever rising in his blood. He licked a hot trail along the side of Kade’s cock and then Keaton took Kade into his mouth, sucking vigorously.
Kade pumped his hips, fisting Keaton’s hair. He wanted to bring Kade off so badly, he was practically shaking with the need. But Keaton held back. Again, he didn’t want to be just another quick suck off to the guy.
“Don’t…don’t slow down,” Kade said between gritted teeth. His hand smoothed over Keaton’s hair, his teal eyes dark with desire and need. “Please”—Kade turned his head away—“don’t make me beg for it. Not from you.”
Keaton had no idea what happened to Kade in his d
ark days, but he wasn’t going to make the man beg. Not when he looked so forlorn. This was not a dirty little act between them. It wasn’t something Keaton wanted hidden.
“I’m all yours,” he said as he continued to stroke Kade’s cock. “Do whatever pleases you.”
Kade looked at Keaton with uncertainty right before he began to fuck Keaton’s mouth in slow, sure strokes. His hands cupped either side of Keaton’s face, his gaze concentrated on Keaton’s lips, at what he was doing to Keaton’s mouth.
Keaton stroked his hands up Kade’s arms, running his fingernails along the skin and feeling the gooseflesh that followed in their wake.
“You’re mine,” Kade murmured as his strokes began to increase. “I can have you whenever I want.” It wasn’t a bold statement. It sounded almost like Kade was telling himself this, glorying in the knowledge that he could come back for seconds, amazed by the fact.
Keaton had no clue what Kade had been through, but his heart went out to the man. Using his tongue for added pleasure, Keaton licked and sucked, his eyes never leaving Kade’s.
“So beautiful.” His hips thrust harder. “So giving.”
Reaching up, Keaton maneuvered his hand until he was playing with Kade’s tight sac, tugging and massaging the wrinkled flesh. Kade let out a long purr, making Keaton shiver at the sound and reminding him that he was with a shifter.
Kade’s lips thinned as his jaw clenched, his hips moving quickly until he grunted and groaned, his seed spilling into Keaton’s mouth. Keaton licked every last drop from Kade’s cock before the man pulled free.
Keaton was on his feet, pushing Kade into the wall and kissing him in a frenzied passion. He wasn’t looking for sex. Keaton was just reminding Kade who he was with, that there was more here than a causal blow job.
Kade wrapped his arms around Keaton, holding him in a viselike grip as Keaton plunged his tongue into Kade’s warm mouth. He was hard as hell and his erection was pulsing in his pants. But Keaton wasn’t going give himself release. Tonight was all about Kade, letting him see that Keaton wasn’t going anywhere and that Kade could be himself around him.