“What are you? Who are you?” Levi asked in a strangled voice. “How the hell can you know?”
The question cut through the lust strung tight between them and sent a chill over Lyndon’s skin. The attraction between them was so strong it almost seemed supernatural. Maybe it was supernatural, what did he know? Not much, but he could answer at least one question before he asked any of his own.
“My name is Lyndon Hines.” He kept a visual lock with Levi. “I would ask you the same questions.” And he was afraid neither of them was going to have the answers.
Chapter Seven
“I don’t know,” Levi admitted, his mind swirling, mixing thoughts of golden hair and eyes, grunts and mewls, the purring sound the man beneath him had made when he’d climaxed. “What are you doing here? Why did you leave—”
me?
Levi shut up, the questions having tumbled out as soon as they’d popped up. But that last one, oh no, it carried too much of the longing and anger Levi had battled against for a week. He’d gone back every night, of course he had, his body aching with a need it knew Lyndon could sate, at least temporarily. Levi had a feeling giving himself over to Lyndon once wouldn’t be enough. He’d crave more touches, more rough hands holding him down, more bites and thrusts and—
Lyndon tightened his grip on Levi’s wrists. “I don’t know why I’m here, it just—it was a place to stop for a while.” Lyndon’s jaw firmed as he frowned. Levi would bet that wasn’t the truth, or at least not all of it. “And, I didn’t know what to do. Cougars are territorial. For all I knew, there were more of your kind out there. I didn’t expect them to be as accommodating as you.”
“As accommodating.” Levi twisted his wrists free, not hard to do when Lyndon didn’t bother trying to keep him held. “Accommodating.” The word hurt like a fired poker through his chest. Levi didn’t care to think of himself in such a way, although he supposed it was better than saying he’d begged like a horny slut.
But accommodating? What the fuck?
He was off Lyndon and backing away before Lyndon could even push to his elbows.
Levi kept moving back, stopping only when Oscar’s touch prevented him from stumbling over his brother. He looked at the man who made him yearn for things he’d never expected to actually have. It made him ache deep inside, but Levi thought he deserved it for being stupid enough to be tied up in knots over a guy he didn’t know and had only rubbed off on. It also pissed him off, because he wasn’t some moody, insecure adolescent, yet that was exactly what he’d been acting like over the past week—and it wasn’t getting any better.
“Fuck you and your condescending bullshit,” Levi growled, more infuriated when he realised his cock was still as hard as a freaking steel pipe. He turned and caught Oscar by the elbow, started dragging him out of the alley—and why the hell was Oscar trying to dig in his heels anyway? Whose side was he on here?
“Stop.”
If anyone had told Levi that he’d ever come to heel from one simple, sternly spoken word, he’d have laughed in their face right before he slugged them. Yet his spine snapped straight and his legs followed the command Lyndon uttered even as his mind yelled at him to
movemovemovemove!
The turmoil between what he wanted to do and what he thought he should do threatened to make him shout in frustration, so Levi pressed his lips together and—stopped, his neck bent as he waited for what.
Beside him, Oscar muttered softly but slid his hand in Levi’s and squeezed. “It’s fine, it’s good he didn’t let you walk away—or run away, like he did.” Oscar added so much volume to all but the first two words, Levi wouldn’t have been surprised if everyone in town had heard him.
“That was a mistake, I admit, and,” Levi jumped at the soft caress to his nape, then had to bite his tongue to keep from whimpering when Lyndon dug beneath his collar and scraped his nails over the patch of skin Lyndon had marked. “I’m sorry.” He said nothing more, made no promises, but Levi couldn’t stop himself from leaning back, just a little, drawing comfort from Lyndon’s body heat. “Come with me.”
It wasn’t really a question so Levi didn’t bother answering, he just let his back rest against Lyndon’s chest, let Lyndon soothe him using gentle caresses down his side, over his hip, his flank.
Oscar untangled their hands and touched a finger to Levi’s chin. Levi blinked at him, trying to decide if he should be embarrassed for turning into such a brainless slut or not, but Oscar’s delighted smile took most of the worry from Levi’s shoulders.
“I swear, I’ll have him stuffed, Levi.” Oscar tipped his head enough to glare over Levi’s shoulder. Whatever stare-war or pissing match Oscar and Lyndon had, it was brief, with Oscar looking no less fiercely past Levi as he said, “Bring him home. He has orders to finish.”
Levi groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, because God knows that hadn’t made him sound like some sort of subby slave something or another. Levi wasn’t sure which terms applied, but he was reasonably sure they all started with an ‘s’. “I’ll finish the last chair for the Aberdeen’s in the morning, like I said I would.” At least it was an explanation of sorts. Didn’t make him sound like he came running on command. Oscar was watching him questioningly and Levi smiled a little at his ferociously protective little brother—a side of Oscar he’d not seen often, but then again, when had there been cause?
“Go on, take the truck.” He started to dig the keys out of his pocket only to stop when Oscar shook his head.
“Drake will be here to eat at Jambree’s,” he said, referring to the diner. “I’ll catch a ride home with him. Don’t want you being stranded.” Oscar gave him a quick hug, ignoring Lyndon’s hand that still rested on Levi’s hip, then he was off, moving in that graceful way he had.
“Your brother is something else.”
Levi jerked like he’d stepped barefoot on a livewire. Lyndon’s voice, soft and low, his breath warm and moist, all of it against Levi’s ear had goose bumps breaking out over his skin.
“Who’s Drake?” Lyndon asked, tormenting Levi in the best way, his lips barely brushing Levi’s ear. Lyndon trailed his hand down Levi’s hip, around to the inside of his thigh where his erection throbbed in the confines of his jeans. He rubbed that length forcefully and Levi couldn’t keep back the whimper he’d swallowed down before. It burst free at the first stinging touch.
“‘Nother brother,” he panted then thumped his head against Lyndon’s shoulder. “Stop, please! It’s—not while we’re talking about my family, okay?”
He thought the vibration against his back was Lyndon chuckling, but since the man didn’t make a sound, Levi couldn’t be sure. When the movements stopped, though, Lyndon cupped Levi’s elbow and stepped beside him. With his other hand, he palmed Levi’s chin and tipped it towards him.
“How about we don’t talk at all, other than you agreeing to come back to my room? Afterwards you can tell me about your family, if you’d like.”
Was that yearning he saw in those golden eyes? Levi wished he knew for sure, but studying them for several seconds didn’t clarify it. If Lyndon was wishing he had a family, Levi would gladly give him half of his. Well, maybe a quarter of them. Some of them were beyond being a pain in the ass. Levi opened his mouth to say yes or okay, but what came out made his cheeks flame. “You’re not going to run off again after?”
Lyndon arched a dark gold eyebrow. “It’s my hotel room, not your private property. But no, I promise.” He smiled then, a slick hot twist of lips that Levi would have begged to feel around his cock. “And I’ll give you what we both want. I won’t leave you wanting again.”
Jesus!
Levi stood debating his options. He wanted what Lyndon was offering—in a way. The idea of being discarded afterwards though, that held no appeal at all and made him hesitate to agree. If he’d been a confused mess after the heated exchange in the woods, what would he feel like after giving himself to Lyndon if the man left again?
Levi grunted to himself, acknowledging the likelihood that he’d not handle that well. It gave him the strength to shake his head and meet that golden stare. “I’ll go to the hotel, and we’ll talk. That’s it.” And God, he hoped he had the fortitude to stick to his words.
Lyndon narrowed his eyes and studied him for a moment before he sighed and ran thick fingers through his sunny blond hair. “All right, if that’s what you want. We’ll just…talk.”
Levi shivered at the rasp in Lyndon’s voice. He didn’t sound convinced that talking was all that would occur. Levi wasn’t convinced himself, but he was damn well going to try not to do anything else stupid. He gestured towards the hotel then walked beside Lyndon, every step leaving Levi feeling as if he was being inexorably drawn to his fate.
Chapter Eight
Talk. Just talk.
Lyndon’s cougar was throwing a hissy inside, wanting a hell of a lot more than talking, or a lot less. If it were up to his cat, he’d have Levi naked and screaming beneath him as soon as the hotel room door was shut.
It’s a good thing I’ve got more control than my cougar. This is too important to screw up again.
Why that was so, and why this one man called to him so, Lyndon didn’t know. He just knew that he couldn’t have walked away had his life depended on it.
As they crossed the street, that sensation of being watched returned. Lyndon glanced around and caught a glint of sunlight on pale blond hair.
Oscar, then.
That was all right. He liked that there was someone watching out for Levi, even though he meant to take over that position. First he’d have to convince Levi of that, though. Lyndon knew where Levi’s reticence to mate was coming from, or at least he was pretty sure he did. If Lyndon had felt wrecked from abandoning Levi a week ago, how must Levi feel? Judging by his tight jaw and the scent of nervous sweat tinged heavily with arousal, Levi had to be at least as confused as Lyndon. Probably even hurt, which hadn’t been Lyndon’s intention, but who the hell would have thought a quick one-off would lead to the sort of emotional entanglement that was already growing between them?
Lyndon caught Levi’s elbow and almost moaned at the heat seeping through his clothes. He met Levi’s gaze and tipped his chin to the left. “It’s the last room down this way.”
Levi’s cautious smile set Lyndon’s stomach to fluttering like it had when he’d kissed his first crush years ago. It was sweet and sexy, and Lyndon knew then he was going to find it impossible to leave Levi even if he didn’t want Lyndon around.
He slid his hand down Levi’s forearm and skimmed his fingers over Levi’s palm before letting go of him, conscious of the fact they were in a small town where people might not react well to two men holding hands. His fingers itched to lock with Levi’s regardless, so Lyndon stuffed them in his pants pocket and pulled out his wallet to get the key card for the door. That task done, he gave Levi what he hoped was a reassuring smile then started towards his room, gaze sweeping the parking lot to see if anyone was watching. He wouldn’t want to cause problems for Levi here.
“Your door is open,” Levi said in a barely audible voice. “And I smell cougar—not you.”
Lyndon’s heart stopped then slammed hard against his ribs as he grabbed Levi’s shoulder and squeezed. He saw the slight gap where the hotel room door hadn’t quite been shut all the way and cursed himself for thinking he was safe.
“Is there—” Levi sighed and shook his head before darting a glance from Lyndon to the door. “Do you have someone else?”
“No,” Lyndon bit out, angry that Levi would think so little of him but more angry at himself for giving Levi reason to do so. Fear also fuelled his temper. He wasn’t afraid for himself. Lyndon sniffed the air and barely caught a whiff of the other cougar, but the scent was familiar and his pulse pounded as his two halves had a quick disagreement. His cat wanted to stay and fight and claim Levi as his own, but the man in him wondered if it wouldn’t be best to leave and hopefully keep Levi from becoming involved in this twisted game that had become Lyndon’s life.
“Don’t even think it,” Levi growled, and Lyndon looked at him, surprised at Levi’s perception. “I can read you—” he faltered, blanching and turning away.
“Great,” Lyndon muttered. Now he had another thing to try not to freak out over.
Jesus, what is going on between us? And if he can ‘read’ me, can I do the same to him?
This wasn’t the time to worry about that, but Lyndon did intend to investigate it. Right now he had another question to ask. “How sharp is your sense of smell when you’re like this?”
Levi’s frown wrinkled his brow in a manner Lyndon found entirely too adorable. “Not as good as when I’m my other, but—” He sniffed. “Good enough to pick up what I should have a few minutes ago if I hadn’t been distracted by you.” Levi tempered that with a smile that eased away some of Lyndon’s tension. “Whoever it was is gone now, and the odour of his markings is very strong. Can’t you smell it?”
Lyndon shook his head as Levi fanned a hand under his nose. He was impressed with Levi’s abilities. “Not as strong as you can. I don’t think I retain as much of my cougar’s attributes as you do your snow leopard’s.” So was he defective, or were their shifter differences normal? Did it matter? Not right then it didn’t. “I’m going to go check the room out. Wait—”