by Lynn Hagen
“Okay, I’ll try and understand.”
“But I’m still going to stalk you until my coyote is ready to claim you,” he warned before handing Baker his helmet.
Baker swallowed, unsure how to feel right now. Reno was growing on him. He still didn’t like the whole stalker thing, but he understood more now than he did before. He frowned, breathing rapidly as he felt fluttering in his stomach. “And I’m still going to run.”
Reno winked at him as he moved a little closer. “I’m counting on that.”
* * * *
Reno was in the bay washing down one of the engines. He was flustered at the progress of the mating dance. It didn’t seem like he was getting anywhere with Baker. From seeing the dance firsthand in his past, Reno knew what was supposed to be happening, but what he was experiencing was totally different.
Instead of being the coyote on the prowl, he found himself wanting to ask Baker over for dinner just so he could get to know the man a little better. He scratched at his cheek as he thought about what Baker had said to him at lunch. His mate was overwhelmed by the way Reno was acting and that bothered him.
“Are you going to finish the rest of the truck or just polish that one spot all day?”
Reno’s thoughts froze when he heard Chief Callahan behind him. He bit his lip and turned around, facing his boss. “I’m a little distracted.” Crossing his left arm over his right, Reno stood there wondering if Bear was going to press the issue. He liked his boss. He really did. But Reno was not going to be put through the third degree.
Bear leaned on the frame of the door and hitched his thumbs into his pants pockets, his legs slightly bent, at a semi-wide stance. He looked relaxed. “Anything I should be worried about?”
Reno wasn’t sure why he had been worried in the first place. Bear was one of those men who didn’t like to talk about feelings and all that other crap—straight to the point. What needed to be done and what he could do to help, that was all he wanted to know.
“Nothing yet,” he answered honestly. Not only was Reno puzzled over his behavior and deviation from the mating dance, the pesky cop was on his mind as well. “But I’ll send you a memo if things change.”
Bear gave Reno one of his deep laughs. “You do that. Until then, try getting the rest of the truck finished.”
Reno gave a nod as he turned back around. He noticed the one shiny area he had been meticulously wiping. Gah, his mind was not into this right now. It was scattered all over the place.
“Hey,” Travis said as he stuck his head into the bay. “Someone’s here to see you.”
Reno frowned as he tossed his cleaning rag aside and headed for the door. Before he could reach it, Baker appeared. His hands were clasped in front of him as he gazed everywhere but at Reno. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”
Yes he did. The man may be standing there biting his beautiful lip, looking uncertain, but he had intentionally sought Reno out. His coyote was confused, but Reno just smiled. “No intrusion.”
Baker stepped into the bay and Reno watched his mate closely, glad he was here, but wondering what made him come. He didn’t say a word, waiting to see what Baker was going to say.
“I’ve never been in a fire station before.”
“Care for a tour?”
Baker bounced forward on his toes as his eyes seemed to glow. “You can do that?”
Reno wasn’t sure what had gotten into the man. Baker was usually surly and always had a smart-ass comeback. He didn’t trust this new side he was seeing. “Yeah,” he answered slowly. “I can do that.”
Leading the way out of the bay, Reno showed him around. They visited the kitchen, the media area—which was in the same room with just a small divider—then led him down the hallway lined with red metal lockers. “This is the shower room,” he said as he opened the door and showed him where the men took their showers.
He saved the bunk room for last. There were six beds in the room—if one could even call them beds. They had plain wooden frames and a thick mattress, a small nightstand sat on the side of each. There was a door at one end and windows on either side.
“You sleep here?”
“Sometimes my shift is forty-eight hours. I sleep in here on that rotation.” Reno sat down the on bed closest to the door by the hallway, pulling Baker down beside him. “Tell me what brings you here.”
When Baker’s eyes flickered to the open door, Reno got up and shut it, making sure it was locked. He rejoined his mate on the bed. “Better?”
If anything, Baker looked tenser now than when the door was open. “I figured we should get to know each other since we’re mates. I wanted to invite you to dinner.”
His mate’s words were echoing his thoughts from earlier. It was on the tip of Reno’s tongue to ask Baker over for dinner, but he couldn’t get the words past his lips. It just didn’t seem right. Reno knew he was supposed to be pursuing his mate, not inviting him over for dinner. Maybe he needed to call his dad and find out if something was wrong with his coyote.
But until then…
Leaning to the side, Reno nuzzled his face into his mate’s neck, giving a low growl of approval when he smelled the familiarity of Baker. He could feel his heart beating faster and his blood heating up just from pressing his lips into his mate’s soft skin. His insides were vibrating in anticipation of kissing his mate once more. There was no way Baker was getting out of here until Reno at least tasted those beauties.
Reaching his arm around Baker, Reno pulled him closer. This was the first time they were alone, no crowd, no one to stop them. The temperature in the room seemed to climb a few degrees as he touched and explored Baker’s sculpted frame.
God, he wanted to feel Baker touching him in the same way. Reno grabbed his mate’s hand and led it to his back, coaxing the man to touch him.
“W–Won’t you get into trouble?” Baker asked as his fingers curled into Reno’s shirt, giving the fabric a light tug.
In that moment, Reno had clarity of why Baker had shown up. His mate had been hoping for this. Baker wanted Reno to touch him, to kiss him. The knowledge that his mate wanted him just as much as Reno wanted the human propelled him forward. Baker’s back hit the bed as Reno crawled over him, trapping the man underneath him and showing his dominance. “No. The chief knows we are in the middle of our mating dance. He won’t interfere.” And if anyone else bothered them, Reno was going to rip their fucking heads off.
Reno pressed his body into Baker’s, his erection firm as it touched Baker’s upper thigh. He wanted the man to know exactly how he affected Reno. His skin felt tight and achy as he stared down at eyes darker than sapphire. They intensified, and the dark lashes that ringed the blazing fire only made them look even more spectacular. Dipping his head, Reno captured the lips he had been dying to taste since his mate showed up here.
Baker didn’t protest. In fact, he wrapped his arms around Reno’s neck and pulled him closer, spreading his legs to accommodate him. Slipping his hands behind his mate, Reno drew him closer, tasting, teasing, and driving himself insane with need.
Baker seemed to be just as needy. He ran his fingers over Reno’s head, pulling him down as Baker sucked at Reno’s tongue. The action only made Reno’s cock throb like a frenzied heartbeat in his jeans. He had to do something to relieve the pressure.
It was a rush of excitement that shot through his veins as he kissed his mate lower, on his neck, savoring the sweet aroma of salty skin and a racing pulse. In that moment he didn’t care if something was wrong with his coyote or if he and Baker mated the traditional way, or even if he simply claimed the man. None of it mattered when Baker was lying here giving himself to Reno.
He was uninhibited beneath Reno, and that was all that mattered to him. The pulsing in his jeans intensified as he pushed Baker’s shirt up, kissing his navel and tracing a long, wet line over his abdomen. Baker moaned and his stomach jerked before Reno bit the button of the man’s pants.
Even beneath the fabric he could sme
ll Baker’s desire. It was the sweetest scent in the world—strong, musky, and all for him. He nuzzled the pronounced outline in his mate’s jeans, leaving a wet mark before he used his fingers to unsnap them, pulling the zipper down slowly, teasing not only his mate, but himself.
Baker’s hips hitched and Reno knew it was involuntary. The excitement was building, just how he wanted it to.
“Reno, what if—”
“We won’t be caught,” he reassured his mate, hearing the deep, hungry need in his voice when he spoke. “I promise not to let anyone see you like this.” Reno kissed the skin right above Baker’s waistband. “No one will ever see something so intimate between us.”
He usually didn’t give a rat’s ass who saw him and what compromising position he was in. Reno wasn’t into exhibition. He just didn’t care. But the thought of anyone seeing Baker this way made him gnash his teeth as possessive rage filled him.
He’d gouge out anyone’s eyes if they even dared to look at Baker while he was so lost in passion. It was for him and him alone.
Using the tip of his finger, Reno lowered the waistband of Baker’s underwear to reveal a dark-red, weeping cockhead. He could feel his mate’s legs quivering as he tongued the head, licking away his evidence of desire.
A whoosh of air left Baker’s lungs as his body jerked. Reno sucked the head past his lips, working the flesh mercilessly as he brought Baker to the brink of climax only to ease back and start over again.
“W–Why are you teasing me?” Baker was breathless, barely getting the words out as his hands curled in at his sides.
Without answering, Reno took the cock down his throat, tightening his muscles before easing back. Teasing may be the end result, but the truth was, Reno was savoring the feel of his mate’s dick in his mouth.
He glanced up just as Baker looked down, brown eyes clashed with blue, and Reno could feel Baker’s submissive compliance in that one glance—that he was Reno’s to do with whatever he wanted. His eyes were heavy-lidded, sleepy looking, and seductive.
Reno’s fingers tightened on Baker’s thighs as he worked Baker’s cock, sucking the shaft with expertise as he brought his mate to climax. Baker threw his head back and shouted as hot seed filled his mouth and ran down his throat.
Reno petted with his hands as he suckled the flesh gently. Breathing raggedly, Baker relaxed back against the bed. He released the soft cock and then reared back on his knees, pulling his own aching flesh from his jeans.
Without asking, Baker was up and swallowing Reno down. Jesus! He was going to jack off on his mate’s belly, but this was so much better. Reno grabbed Baker’s thick, brown hair as he thrust forward, desperate for his release.
He growled and snapped his jaws, feeling his balls tighten as his cock pulsed between Baker’s sweet, beautiful, and very talented lips. His mate knew what he was doing. That thought shoved Reno closer to orgasm and made him want to rip out the throat of the man his mate had gained his experience from.
His body exploded like fireworks as his cock rammed down Baker’s throat, his cum shooting from his shaft as the man sucked Reno to the point his toes curled.
“Fuck!” Reno shouted as he pumped his hips a few more times until his sac was empty. His heart was thumping in his chest, his hands shaky as he let go of Baker’s hair. His mate pulled back and Reno tossed the man onto his back, kissing him and tasting his release on the man’s lips.
The room was silent, the traffic outside lost on Reno as he tried to gain control. How he wanted to fuck Baker, to claim the man. He had never cared before when it came to location, but Reno knew he couldn’t take his mate in the back room of the fire station, on what amounted to a cot.
So he eased back, running his fingers through Baker’s hair. “Now, that was what I call a very nice visit.”
Baker blushed as he lay there. “Not what I came here for, but yes, it was.”
Reno cocked his head. “Then what did you come here for?” He thought from the look in his mate’s eyes when they were standing in the bay that Baker had come here to fool around. Of course, he had been all for that. Now that the haze of lust was dissipating and Reno was paying attention, he could see something more in Baker’s eyes. “I thought you said you came by to invite me to dinner?”
“I did, but my apartment was broken into.”
Chapter Six
“Did you walk in on someone breaking in?” Reno asked, his tone deadpan serious as he adjusted his jeans. “I didn’t see any bruises on you.”
Baker had been too afraid to call the cops after the incident in The Pit’s parking lot. Images of Officer Crazy had come to mind, so instead, he had run to Reno.
He hadn’t been too sure about his decision, but he knew Reno—although the man had outright told him he was stalking Baker—was a safer bet.
What Reno just gave him was not quite the help he was looking for. He wasn’t complaining because damn could the man suck a dick. Baker’s body was still jerky with tiny little aftershocks as he lay there savoring the taste of Reno in his mouth.
Trying to pull his mind together after that intense orgasm, Baker blinked a few times. “No, I got home early and found my dresser drawers open and a few things out of place.” He hadn’t really come here to invite Reno to dinner, but the man had caught him off guard. Baker had seen him in the bay, working a rag over the fire truck, his muscles flexing under his tight shirt, and had a total brain fart.
“Did you call the cops?”
Baker pushed to his elbows and gave Reno a droll stare. “After the way that cop keeps harassing us?”
“Right,” Reno replied. “But there has to be something you can do.” The guy looked frustrated as hell. There was a fine tic in his jaw as he pulled Baker up from the cot and then paced down to the outer door and back again. Baker redid his pants as he watched Reno.
“I could cook you dinner.” Baker hadn’t come here for that, but since he offered…
Reno gave him a sideways glance and then nodded. “Yeah, show whoever it was that you aren’t alone.”
That wasn’t what he was thinking, but okay, he’d go along with that reason. It shook him up to know someone was in his place, but Baker wasn’t sure what he could do about it. The cops were out of the question, and it would be nice to have someone a lot larger than him around to show people he wasn’t alone. “Then it’s a date. I’ll see you at seven.”
Baker quickly left the room, unsure what to say to Reno after what they had just done. He felt his cheeks blazing as he passed a few men in the hallway. They were looking at him like they knew what he and Reno had done. One guy was even smiling.
“Hey.” Reno grabbed his arm just as Baker made it to the parking lot. “Why are you walking so fast?”
“I need to go buy the items I’m going to use for dinner.” And he was a little off kilter. He had started to like Reno, but after what just happened, Baker felt himself falling for the guy. The feelings inside of him were unfamiliar, and he wasn’t sure how to handle them. He needed time to himself to think.
Reno hooked his hand on the back of Baker’s neck, pulling him closer. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’m supposed to be stalking you.”
Baker wasn’t sure what was going on either. He had butterflies in the pit of his stomach and his heart was racing as he stared up into espresso eyes. He had just given the man a blow job, yet he stood here a nervous wreck with sweaty palms. “Okay, then I’ll cancel seven o’clock and you just show up through a window or something. Surprise me.”
Reno gave him a slight chuckle as he dipped his head and took a quick kiss. “I’ll be there at seven.”
Licking his lips, Baker nodded. He wanted to take the kiss deeper, to explore that tantalizing mouth and savor the taste of the guy standing there making him feel excited and scared. He loved kissing Reno. The man knew how to take the act of kissing and turn it into something so sensual, so exhilarating that Baker took a step back. “Seven.”
He quickly walked away, n
ot looking back. If he looked back, Baker would turn around and beg Reno for one last kiss. Heading to the grocery store, Baker felt like he was walking on a cloud instead of a sidewalk. His skin was still humming from where Reno had touched him and his lips still tingled.
His cock was trying to perk up as well.
What in the hell was wrong with him? He never fawned over a man before. He was never excited to see anyone, never hated leaving their side. Baker was actually looking forward to dinner just so he could see Reno again.
He entered Village Mart and hadn’t a clue what he was going to make for dinner. He was an extremely lousy cook. Maybe something simple. Who said it had to be anything fancy? Baker went about grabbing things he would need for a very modest meal. He was on a tight budget, after all.
“Hey, Baker.”
Baker glanced over his shoulder to see George walking toward him. The diner cook was cocky, a cowboy hat on his head, and whiskers around his jawline. If Baker hadn’t had Reno, god, this man was definitely up his alley. George was a very handsome man. “Hey, George.”
He knew the cook because Baker always stopped at the diner for a cup of coffee.
“Didn’t see you at the diner this morning.” George grabbed something off the shelf as he glanced at Baker. “Not that I stalk my customers when they don’t show up.” His grin was easy, modest.
God, was everyone into stalking around here? Baker swept his eyes down the aisle and behind him, looking for either Reno or the cop. “I was running late.”
George gave him an assessing gaze. “You okay there, fella?”
Like he was going to tell the cook what was going on. Baker wasn’t sure himself why the cop had a hard-on for him and Reno. “Yeah, sure.”
Grabbing a few more things from the well-stocked shelf, Baker walked away from George and to the register. Once his groceries were bagged, he made his way to his apartment. Any sane man wouldn’t head back to a crime scene, and because Baker was, he started to wonder at his sanity.
