Paws for Change (5 page)

“Uh—”

Chuckling, Dillan sobered. “Get in the damn hot tub, jay-walker. I won’t bite unless you ask me to.” He pointed at the beer, then at the seat across from him. “Get undressed and relax, Derek.”

Finally, as if he’d suddenly come to a decision, Derek started moving. He whipped his shirt over his head and draped it over the back of a chair. Next, he unbuttoned his belt and jeans, then stripped them off, too. These he folded and set on a chair as he kicked his socks underneath it.

Derek stood in his navy blue briefs for an instant, the line of his rigid cock showing blatantly leaning a bit toward the left. His face still red, he quickly climbed into the tub and slid into the water. He glanced around the four person tub, hesitating, then grabbed a beer and sat in the seat to Dillan’s left instead of the one across from him.

Pleased with Derek’s choice, Dillan took a sip of his beer. “So, you mentioned visiting Stone Ridge. Are you here to see someone? Just to view the sites? Go hiking?”

After swallowing his own swig of beer, Derek licked a drop of the beverage from the corner of his lip and stared out at the forest. He scoffed. “I’m running away, actually.”

Dillan felt his brows shoot up, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. “Really? From what?” Then, he cocked his head, something about the wistful look on Derek’s face triggering something. “Or perhaps you are running
to
something?”

“I never thought of it that way, but yeah,” Derek mumbled. He rested the beer on the edge of the tub, still gripping the bottle. He stared at it. “My father ran off my brother, Deke, and I didn’t do anything about it. I was too chicken shit. I’d like to mend things with him.”

Dillan hummed.
Interesting.
His mate seemed to have some baggage. From the way he stared vacantly, obviously deep in thought, it was obvious these weren’t happy thoughts. Still, if his mate needed to talk about it, Dillan would listen.

“Why did your father run your brother off?” Dillan asked gently.

Derek’s jaw clenched. “Because Deke is gay.”

“Ah,” Dillan replied softly. That explained his question about Dillan’s sexuality. “And what about you?” he probed. “Do you have a problem with those that are gay?”

“No!” Derek snapped. He scowled. “Sorry.” Sighing, he rubbed his free hand over his face, then took a gulp of his beer. Finally, he leaned his head back and muttered, “This probably isn’t relaxing like you’d hoped.”

“This seems like it’s something you need to get off your chest, though,” Dillan purred, lowering his voice to a soothing rumble. “They say sometimes sharing with a stranger is easier than sharing with someone you know.” Trying to lighten the suddenly somber mood, he added, “Why do you think therapists are paid so much?”

Derek snorted. “Right. Like you want to listen to my problems.”

Dillan chuckled. “I have a good ear.”

“Well, talking about how my father is an asshole and bought my silence because he paid off a police officer to get me out of joyriding charges that I don’t even remember doing...yeah, that’s not really going to help me relax.”

“Talking about family does have a way of killing a boner,” Dillan confirmed, smirking.

When Derek’s gaze snapped to him, Dillan grinned.

Yes, got his attention now.

“Oh, come on,” he rumbled. “You saw mine and I saw yours. I can think of a far better way to relax you than talking about family.” He smirked. “Maybe after that, when you’re already relaxed, we can talk about solving all your family problems.”

While Dillan meant his offer about helping Derek solve his problems, he wanted to touch his mate even more. Sitting there, remembering the sight of his mate’s cloth-covered dick, Dillan was having a hell of a time not touching. He wanted to rub up against his wet, sexy human and mark him with his scent. He wanted to please the human, seduce him with pleasure.

Derek sucked in a sharp breath. His eyes widened for an instant as he licked his lips. His breathing sped up. Finally, Derek mumbled, “I’ve never been hard enough for a guy to want to act on it before.”

Before.
Dillan liked the sound of that.

“And now?”

Derek peered at him through water-beaded lashes. “What did you have in mind?”

If Derek didn’t like what this guy offered, he could say
no.
That’s what he told himself as he asked his question. Just because his cock was hard as a steel pipe, it didn’t mean he’d act on his attraction.

I’m not gonna suck his dick or anything.

Derek mentally told himself that again as he watched a knowing, feral smile curve Dillan’s lips. Shit. Why did that hungry look make him want to agree to anything the older male wanted?

When Dillan had uninhibitedly stripped in front of him, showing off not only his lean muscular form but his long, slender erection, Derek had just about swallowed his tongue. He’d had to swallow hard or run the risk of drool dripping down his chin. Not only had he wanted to touch it, stroke it, he’d wanted to taste it. What would it feel like on his tongue?

That
thought had just about scared the shit out of him. However, since Dillan hadn’t made a big thing of it, Derek had pushed his reaction down. Seeing the guy’s ass had been just as ball-tightening. It’d taken Derek a few seconds to realize Dillan had been talking to him.

“Well, let’s start with the idea of me relaxing you,” Dillan rumbled, his voice coming out impossibly low. “I’m going to slide a little closer and put my hand on your leg.”

Dillan put deed to word, sliding closer in the sort-of rounded tub. The seats were plastic and at slightly different levels, showing where one ended and the other began. Dillan’s seat was higher than his own, allowing Dillan to loom over him. He turned to place his left arm along the back of the tub and his right hand rested on his submerged right thigh.

Derek found himself craving whatever Dillan seemed to be offering him. “Y-Yeah?” he mumbled. “Then what?”

His skin tingled where Dillan touched him. Goose bumps broke out over his inner thigh upon feeling how the other man rubbed ever-so-lightly with his fingertips. A zing shot up his leg to his groin, causing his balls to tighten and his cock to jerk in his briefs.

Shuddering, Derek opened his legs a little, giving his cock more room to jerk and twitch. He panted harshly, his gaze riveted to Dillan’s green eyes. Even in the evening darkness, Derek easily made out the feral desire in the other man’s eyes.

“Now, I’m going to slide my hand up your leg,” Dillan rumbled huskily. “I’m going to tickle your skin, tease your flesh, then I’m going to cup your balls. Do you think you’ll wish you had removed your underwear then?”

Derek licked his lips, then swallowed hard. He stared at Dillan, who leaned so close his face was only a hairsbreadth from his own. God, when had he moved so close?

Then, Dillan skimmed his fingertips up Derek’s inner thigh. He scraped his nails just hard enough to cause Derek to shiver. Pleasant tingles zinged across his skin, spreading through the rest of his body.

By the time Dillan reached the apex of his leg where his thigh met his groin, Derek trembled—fucking trembled! He wanted Dillan’s hands on his balls so badly. Not only that, but he
already
wished he wasn’t wearing his briefs.

Why the hell had he left them on?

Right, as if he’d ever in a million years expected something like this to happen.

Then, Dillan cupped Derek’s balls and all thought ceased.

Derek moaned and bucked into the hold. He spread his legs even wider, begging for more stimulation with his body.

Dillan gave it to him.

While rolling Derek’s balls with his fingers, he used his thumb to stroke up and down the underside of his hard length. Pleasant sparks danced up and down his prick. Groaning, Derek rested his head against the headrest of the hot tub. His hips rocked, pressing harder into the stimulation.

“Now, wouldn’t this feel better with nothing between us?” Dillan growled softly. “Wouldn’t you love to have my hand cupping your balls? My fingers massaging your flesh? My thumb working your shaft? And how about this?” He paused his thumb directly below Derek’s cock head, teasing the sensitive wrinkled flesh.

Sparks shot down his cock.

Derek moaned and bucked into Dillan’s grip. “Oh. Fuck!” He couldn’t help his slight whine. His balls were pulling flush to his body, causing the best kind of pain to erupt through his groin. “D-Dillan!”

“That’s it, handsome,” Dillan crooned into his ear. “Let go.”

Feeling Dillan’s warm mouth seal over the pulse point in his neck, Derek roared. His body convulsed. He felt his orgasm rock through his system, bliss rolling through him. Heady pleasure swamped him as he shuddered and bucked.

Floating on waves of endorphins, Derek couldn’t remember the last time he’d experienced such an intense release. He’d been trying so hard to fit into one particular mold...a mold set by his father. Now, after a single, short hand job from a stranger, Derek knew why he’d struggled so much.

Derek didn’t fit.

For so long, Derek had suppressed his desires.

Having gotten boners in the locker room for as long as he could remember, Derek had begun using bawdy stories about his girlfriend to excuse his randy state around the other guys. He didn’t have to make up most of it, either. Derek had dated the head cheerleader in high school and she really had been a horny bitch.

He had rarely been more than half mast while making out with her. Claudia, however, had been more than happy to do the rest of the work to get him hard enough for her to ride him. Claudia had been a top—a dominant top. It had worked well for them.

She’d writhe and moan on top of him, and Derek would buck up into her. Eventually, he’d come. Friction, any kind of friction, would do that to a man. Derek still had no idea if what he had done pleased her. She acted like it did and she kept coming back for more so...

This though...no comparison.

A sharp bite to his neck had Derek hissing and shivering. His cock even jerked, sending a fresh wave of arousal through his body. Groaning, Derek opened his eyes and turned his head.

Through a heavy-lidded gaze, Derek took in Dillan’s narrow-eyed gaze and smug expression. “Feeling better?”

“Oh my fucking God, yes,” Derek whispered hoarsely. Had he been shouting? He didn’t even know, but his throat sure felt as if it had been. “How the fuck did you do that?”

“Welcome back, sexy man,” Dillan purred roughly, his voice thick with what Derek suddenly realized was arousal. “Gods above, you coming was the fucking sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Dillan nipped and licked Derek’s pulse point, which sent another set of tingles through Derek, causing his beaded nipples to ache. When had they become so sensitive?

“H-How is this possible?”

“How is what possible?”

Still reeling from the most intense orgasm of his thirty-two years, Derek scowled. He tried to get his scrambled brain to sort out what he was trying to ask. Licking his lips, he blinked once, then focused on Dillan.

“How is your touch better than any woman’s I’ve ever experienced?”

While Derek couldn’t help voicing the question, he hadn’t actually been with that many. He’d made out with a few, done plenty of fucking with Claudia, but after dumping her—okay, she’d actually dumped him, but he’d lied to his family and friends. He hadn’t been sorry to see her go, but his parents sure had been. If only they’d known what they’d been up to.

Now, Derek realized he’d never known what he was missing. It was a little bittersweet. By denying himself, just what possible relationships had he missed out on over the years?

“I’m a man,” Dillan murmured. “I have a dick. I know what feels good and what doesn’t,” he pointed out. Shrugging, he added, “Of course, you wouldn’t enjoy it if you didn’t have some level of attraction.” He lifted his head and grinned. “Your dick was already hard, after all.”

“Yeah, it was,” Derek admitted. He wasn’t too proud to admit that. Hell, his cock had all but been straining for this man’s touch. He’d wanted it more than anything he’d ever wanted in his life. Derek met Dillan’s intense gaze. “Your touch was better than anything I’ve ever experienced. You’ve—” He paused and smiled. “You’ve opened my eyes.”

Dillan shuddered a breath. His smile turned almost painful. “Good,” he whispered. “I hope you’ll allow me to top it someday soon.”

Suddenly remembering Dillan’s long slender erection, the way it had jutted from his soft-looking patch of curls, he whispered, “Did you need me to return the favor?” Good God, had he just offered that? Yeah, he wanted to touch Dillan’s pretty cock. Licking his lips, he added, “No man appreciates blue balls.”

Dillan’s nostrils flared and his expression turned hungry. “One stroke and I think I’ll blow,” he rumbled gruffly. “You turn me on that much.”

“I do?” Derek responded, disbelief seeping into the euphoria caused by his release. “Why?”

Chuckling roughly, Dillan began to ease away. “Why is anyone attracted to another? Pheromones, maybe?” He smirked as he lounged back on his own seat and picked up his beer. “Animal magnetism,” he added with a wink before taking a sip.

Not wanting to miss the opportunity to satisfy a curiosity he’d had since...forever, Derek did what he did in court. Took the bull by the horns and charged ahead. Or rather, the
horn
in this case.

After downing the last swallow of his beer, Derek set the now empty bottle on the side of the hot tub. He slid to the edge of his seat, then knelt on the bottom of the hot tub. The water just reached his collar bones. Looking over the other man’s relaxed form, Derek judged where his waist would be.

Derek reached through the water, searching for the other man’s leg. He bumped his fingertips against the top of his knee. Glancing up, Derek saw Dillan’s narrowed eyes watching him intently.

Using the man’s leg as a guide, Derek skimmed his fingers up Dillan’s leg. He marveled at how the man’s crinkly hairs felt against the pads of his fingers. It was so different than a woman’s and he felt his own heart thud in his chest as his arousal flared once more.