Lost & Found

by Lynn Hagen

  The Canteen was where people celebrated graduations, weddings, and where friends met for a meal and a great time. Derek had witnessed first dates, men bending on one knee and proposing to their significant other, and he’d even hosted a sweet sixteen birthday party once.

  He was proud of The Canteen and was excited to show off his pride and joy to Steven, who was tapping away on his phone.

  “Social media?” Derek asked.

  Steven held up his phone for Derek to see. The guy hadn’t tried to hide anything from him, like boasting on Facebook that he was with Derek Mitchell.

  That happened a lot with Derek’s dates. He didn’t think himself unobtainable or some fancy catch. Derek was just a normal guy who had been looking for someone to share his life with. He didn’t think that had been too much to ask for. But when a person was loaded, finding someone genuine was a tricky fucking game.

  “A game?”

  Steven shook his head. “It’s color by numbers. I like coloring. It relaxes me.”

  “Are you nervous, sweetheart?” Derek was still trying to figure Steven out. He still believed the guy was sweet and innocent, but Derek had been fooled more than once by gorgeous eyes and a pretty smile.

  “No, but I sometimes say the wrong thing or talk too much, so I occupy myself so I don’t get into trouble.”

  The guy really did say what was on his mind, and for Derek, that was refreshing. “What do you do for a living? If you don’t mind me asking.”

  Steven’s brows drew down as he stared at Derek. “Why would I mind you asking? I work at The Diner Train. Cyril hired me because a bad guy was after Kenny and Kenny wanted me there so he could keep an eye on me. My brother doesn’t know I knew his reasons for taking me to work, but I figured it out.”

  Derek’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Is that bad guy still after Kenny?”

  “Nope.” Steven smiled. “Brad ran into the diner and held me at gunpoint, but a lion saved me. Then Moose took Brad’s gun away, and the cops shot Brad.”

  What. The. Fuck. “Come again? Did you just say a lion and a moose saved you? Don’t give me the skinny. I want details.”

  “Skinny?”

  “Short version,” Derek clarified.

  “Oh, well…” Steven chatted away as Derek pulled into the parking lot of The Canteen. He sat there and listened to the whole story, which had a little too much detail, but Derek loved hearing Steven talk. The man’s voice was light and filled with excitement as he recounted the events.

  “So a lion just wandered into the diner from the kitchen and attacked Brad?”

  “Yup.” Steven scratched his head. “I’m still trying to figure out how he got into the kitchen in the first place.”

  If Derek had been a betting man, which he wasn’t, he would guess that the lion had been a shifter. “And what about the moose?”

  Steven chuckled. “Moose isn’t a moose. He’s a guy who works there.”

  “Ah, okay. I got it now,” Derek said.

  “Then the cops took Brad outside, but he busted free and grabbed a cop’s gun. The other cops shot him to death right there on the street. Cyril closed the diner for a few days so the people of Maple Grove could…” He frowned. “I can’t remember how Cyril said it. But it was something about letting the town forget what happened.”

  Why hadn’t Derek heard of the incident? Why hadn’t anyone told him? He would have a talk with Katie about not keeping him abreast of the things that happened in his own damn town.

  Without thought, Derek touched Steven’s temple. “Are you okay now?”

  Steven nodded as he leaned into Derek’s hand. It was the most amazing thing Derek had ever witnessed. They’d just met, yet based on Steven’s behavior, it looked as though Derek had his mate’s full trust. He rubbed his thumb over Steven’s temple and stopped himself from pulling the little human onto his lap.

  “I knew I would be okay because Cyril winked at me through the order window.”

  Derek had no clue why a wink would stop Steven from being terrified. He knew who Cyril Anson was. The guy had been a resident for quite some years. Derek recalled giving Cyril the loan to open his diner, and the place had been a success right off the bat, although Derek had never been to the diner for a meal.

  Derek couldn’t stop brushing his thumb over Steven’s temple. The man’s skin was so soft, and he loved the way Steven responded. “Come on. Let’s go get something to eat.”

  Steven blinked as if coming out of a daze. His stomach rumbled, and Derek chuckled.

  “Sorry.” Steven held his flat stomach. “I forgot to eat breakfast.”

  “Then let’s solve that problem.”

  Chapter Two

  Steven hadn’t the first clue what most of the things on his plate were, but the food had been delicious. After their lunch, Derek took Steven to his impressive home.

  “Wow,” Steven said as he glanced around once they were inside. “Ten of my apartments could fit in here.”

  Derek walked up behind him and placed his hand on the small of Steven’s back. The touch sent shivers through him as Derek gave him a tour. Steven was only half listening. He was concentrating on the sound of Derek’s deep and sexy voice, not the words.

  He was also trying to make his cock behave, which wasn’t working. He was hard and aching for release as Derek showed him around.

  The room Steven was most interested in was the huge bedroom. The bed was ginormous, and there were French doors to the right of it, no curtains, allowing Steven to see the woods. He bet the view was amazing in the morning. He had an urge to fling them open and let in the smell of the trees. Steven loved the smell of the outdoors.

  He thought for a moment that maybe he should have called Kenny to tell his brother where he was, but Derek’s hand slid up his back, and Steven forgot all about making any phone calls or sending a text.

  His brain went a bit fuzzy as Derek curled his hand around the back of Steven’s neck. His breath hitched as all the blood in his body went to his cock.

  “Would you care for something to drink?” Derek removed his hand, and Steven’s neck felt as though it had gone cold. He wanted Derek’s hand back on him. Sweet mother of mercy, he wanted Derek’s body on him.

  “Do you have any soda or tea?”

  Derek shook his head. “But I do have spring water and orange juice.”

  “I’ll take the juice if that’s okay.” Steven was a bit breathy as he spoke. Derek’s eyes were smoldering as he took Steven’s hand and led him to the shiny kitchen. It was another huge room in the house. Steven had never seen a kitchen with an explosion of plants or one that had a couch in it. The white sofa was made of leather and looked inviting, but Steven choose to sit at the island that was in the middle of the room.

  Derek rummaged in the refrigerator as Steven checked out his butt in those nice jeans, but he quickly looked away when Derek moved to the cupboard. He poured Steven a glass of juice while Steven checked out Derek’s backside once again.

  He rested his chin on his hand and sighed. What he wouldn’t give to belong to Derek. The guy was dreamy with a side of delicious. Steven wasn’t sure why Derek had invited him home, but he was thankful for the gorgeous view. Derek was ten times more handsome than any of the guys Steven had slept with. He scratched his head. So why had this hunky man taken an interest in him?

  Derek moved around the island and came up behind Steven. He pressed his chest into Steven’s back as he set the glass down. “Here you go, kitten.”

  Derek had spoken into Steven’s ear. The soft brush of air that skittered across Steven’s lobe made him shiver. “T-Thanks.”

  Steven jerked slightly when Derek’s hands slid down his sides. “Why are you so nervous?”

  To stop the truth from coming out, Steven pressed his lips together. He couldn’t tell Derek that he wanted the man to fuck him. Even Steven knew that was a slutty move when they’d just met.

  Besides, Steven trusted too easily and always ended up gett
ing hurt. No one had ever wanted to stick around for anything long term. Not that Steven was complaining about having sex, but at the end of the day, he was always left lonely and wanting more than just a wet ass and a promise that the guy would call.

  Those calls never came.

  Steven gave a fake yawn and threw in a stretch. “I’m just tired from that amazing lunch.”

  Derek took a step back. “You could rest in my bed if you wanted to.”

  That was awful nice of Derek, even if Steven had been lying. But now that he’d gotten himself into this pickle, he had no choice but to accept Derek’s offer. “Thanks.”

  Drat. Steven wasn’t even tired.

  Derek took his hand and led him back to the bedroom. When Steven sat on the bed, Derek lowered himself to his knees and removed Steven’s sneakers. His hands glided up Steven’s calves, sending goose bumps throughout his body.

  A groan escaped as Derek massaged his legs. “That feels so good.”

  “I’m glad you think so.” Derek’s hands moved farther up Steven’s legs, his fingers circling his thighs. “I give amazing back rubs.”

  Without being asked, Steven flipped to his stomach and tucked his hands under his head. “Rub away.”

  A back rub would be much better than faking sleep.

  “You say the sexiest things.” Derek gave a low, soft chuckle. He straddled Steven’s waist and ground his fingers beneath his shoulder blades. Steven was seconds away from drooling. The man’s hands were magic, and he didn’t want Derek to ever stop.

  Steven was also developing a problem. His cock was once again hard, and he was glad he was on his stomach to hide the outline in his jeans. Derek’s hands were driving him insane, and Steven wanted desperately to shed his clothes and offer himself as Derek’s snack.

  “Has anyone ever told you how pretty you are?”

  “No.” No one had ever used the word pretty. Some had called Steven cute or adorable, which he didn’t like. Adorable was for puppies and kittens, and cute was for little kids. Steven wasn’t any of those things.

  Pretty? He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “Don’t people call girls pretty?”

  “Boys can be pretty, too.”

  “I’m not a boy,” Steven protested. “I’m a grown man.”

  “I know, sweetheart. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t be giving you a massage.” Derek scooted to sit on Steven’s thighs. He wasn’t putting his full weight on Steven, because Steven didn’t feel much pressure. Derek’s hands moved lower down his back, his thumbs skimming right above the waistband of Steven’s jeans.

  Oh yeah. He liked that much better. Steven’s eyes fluttered closed when Derek’s fingers glided over the crease of his ass. If the guy would just go lower, Steven would be in heaven. He wanted his butt massaged, and he wouldn’t mind being naked while Derek did it.

  “Is this okay?” Derek asked.

  “Mm-hmm.” Steven sighed in delight. “Perfect.”

  He felt his jeans slip down a little. His heart skipped a beat as he groaned. Derek was still massaging him, but his hands were working the meat of Steven’s ass.

  It truly was perfect. Except Steven wasn’t naked, which sucked. He wanted to ask Derek if he could strip his clothes off but kept his lips pressed together.

  The guy was nice enough to treat Steven to this heavenly session, and Steven didn’t want to ruin it by begging like a slut to be taken advantage of.

  He was all for being taken advantage of. Or he wouldn’t mind taking advantage of Derek. Either way was fine with him.

  Derek parted his cheeks, and Steven sucked in a gasp when he felt a wet tongue glide down the crease of his ass. He shivered and moaned and wiggled his backside, curling his hands into fists to stop himself from crying out in pleasure.

  Lord have mercy. Derek was so freaking hot that Steven would have the man’s babies, if that were possible. He wiggled his ass again as Derek slid his jeans and underwear down his quivering legs. The whoosh of air across his heated skin made Steven’s arousal spike.

  “Is this okay?”

  “Take my socks off and this will be picture-perfect.”

  A sexy chuckle erupted behind him. “What about your shirt?”

  Steven squirmed around, unwilling to sit up, and worked his shirt off then tossed it next to him. “Problem solved.”

  “Not yet,” Derek said. He stripped Steven’s socks off. “Now the problem is solved.”

  Steven gave a short, high cry when his cheeks were parted and Derek shoved his tongue deep into his ass. He rimmed Steven as a purr rumbled in Derek’s throat. The sound was sexy as hell and made Steven pant as he spread his legs wider, gasping for air.

  Thank god he’d showered that morning and he hadn’t sweated walking into town.

  Derek’s hands molded Steven’s ass cheeks as he licked his way up the crease then back down, circling his wet, hot tongue around Steven’s puckered hole. Steven shuddered as pleasure erupted through him.

  The purring continued as Steven lost his ever-loving mind. He also loved how Derek’s goatee tickled his skin, the abrasion adding to his overwhelming desire.

  A wet finger slid inside his ass. Steven made crazy noises that sounded as though he were being strangled. He shoved his hands against the bed and lifted himself to his hands and knees, rocking back on Derek’s finger.

  To hell with it. Today, he would be a slut. A needy, desperate slut who wanted Derek’s cock instead of his finger. It wasn’t as though they would see each other again. Steven wouldn’t fool himself into thinking that Derek would call him later, either. But he didn’t care because he didn’t want this to stop.

  Derek moved up beside Steven and growled into his ear, his finger still sliding in and out of Steven’s hole. “You’re one sexy motherfucker.”

  “I…I need…”

  “Tell me what you need,” Derek demanded in a soft purr.

  Steven’s arms shook before he collapsed to the bed, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. His eyes flew open when Derek pulled his finger free.

  He was seconds away from begging Derek not to stop when he saw the man undressing. Inches of golden skin were revealed, his muscles, washboard abs, large biceps, and…good lord, the man had a long, thick cock jutting out between his legs.

  Steven’s whimpering grew in intensity. How could it not? Derek was the best-looking man Steven had ever laid eyes on. His past lovers paled in comparison to the god who stood before him.

  He said as much.

  Derek narrowed his light brown eyes, which turned a stormy brown. “Don’t mention past lovers when I’m getting ready to fuck you.”

  Steven’s heart hammered. “You are…I mean I know you are…but…oh hell.”

  Derek slid in beside him, bringing a bottle of lube he’d taken out of the drawer of his nightstand. Steven lay on his stomach, watching as Derek wet his fingers, tossed the bottle aside, and inserted them back into his ass.

  Steven hissed as he writhed on the bed. Derek was stretched out beside him, all that glorious naked skin exposed to feast on as he kissed Steven’s bare shoulder.

  “You still haven’t told me what you needed, Steven.”

  Hearing his name on Derek’s lips while the guy had his fingers shoved into his ass made Steven’s pleasure shoot to the stars. Derek had said it in a soft, guttural voice that made Steven shiver again.

  He seemed to do that a lot with Derek. Shiver. But he couldn’t help how he reacted. Derek was so much, and Steven was barely holding on.

  Steven tried to string his thoughts together, tried to give Derek an answer, but the man’s dark and spicy cologne, his closeness, the heat from his body, and his moving fingers robbed Steven of his senses.

  I’m going to lose my load all over the bed before anything gets started.

  A twist of Derek’s finger. A glide over Steven’s prostate. Steven cried out as he came, gripping the cover tightly in his fists. His body jerked, and Derek moved his fingers faster, nipping Steven’s earlobe as
he purred.

  “That was hot as fuck, kitten,” Derek groaned.

  Steven was stunned he had come without touching himself. He’d normally had to stroke himself into a frenzy to achieve an orgasm. But his hands hadn’t been anywhere near his cock as he’d had the best climax of his life.

  Derek turned Steven onto his back and settled between his legs. He lubed his hard cock and set the bottle aside. He stared down at Steven with hunger and need in his stormy eyes as he grabbed the back of Steven’s knees and lifted his legs.

  Just that fast Steven was ready to go. No recovery time needed. His cock was already stirring to life as the head of Derek’s erection pressed at his entrance.

  The powerful man kneeling between his legs, the feral look in Derek’s eyes, the gentle way he held Steven’s legs, all combined to set Steven’s soul on fire.

  Don’t you dare fall for him. This is a one-time thing. You guys will fuck, and then you won’t see him again. Keep your feelings separated from this.

  As Derek breached him, he leaned forward and took Steven’s lips in a hot kiss. He devoured Steven’s mouth as his cock moved forward an inch and then pulled slightly back. Derek kept up that slow pace until he was balls-deep in Steven’s body.

  Derek shuddered. “So fucking tight, so fucking good, kitten.”

  Steven was lost in Derek’s words. That voice, his thick, hard dick, the kissing, and the endearment were almost too much. Steven sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, adjusting to the invasion. He was deliciously stretched and wanted Derek to start moving.

  Don’t look into his eyes. Your dumb butt will fall for him if you do.

  Steven looked into Derek’s beautiful eyes.

  Damn it!

  Derek moved Steven’s legs to wrap around his waist. He propped himself on his forearms as they continued to stare at each other. “You’re so damn beautiful.”

  Steven had never slept with a talker before. His past experiences had been filled with grunts, moans, and more grunts. No one had ever looked him in the eyes before, either.