“Thanks!” the youngster immediately replied, turning his attention to the stingray. “And I won’t!”
William straightened. After a quick glance around, he turned his attention to the older human. He held out his hand and offered him a winning smile. “Hi, I’m William Roush. And you are?”
The older human’s brows lifted high on his forehead, but he took his hand. “John Casinov.”
The name jogged William’s memory. “Oh, you’re the captain at Detective Canton’s precinct. Good to meet you.” Very, very good to meet you. “He speaks well of you.”
The two times Grisham mentioned the captain, it had been in a good light, after all.
“That’s nice to know,” John replied, tugging his hand, since William hadn’t bothered to release him.
“I’ve always found your job fascinating,” William told him, finally letting go of his mate’s hand. That might have been a stretch—a big one—but William sure felt that way now. “Will you have dinner with me tomorrow? I’d love to hear all about it.”
John’s lips parted in an inviting way, betraying his shock. His cheeks took on a pinkish hue, and he glanced around swiftly. He even swallowed so hard his Adam’s apple bobbed.
William waited impatiently, peering down at the slightly shorter man and holding his gaze.
“Oh, you’re serious?” John laughed as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. He even swept his gaze down, then back up, William’s body. For an instant, it seemed he might accept. Then John glanced beyond William before meeting his gaze. “I’m flattered. Really. But I have my son and his family in town, so I’m not available.” With a smile that appeared to hold a hint of disappointment—same as the scent that John was giving off—the captain stated, “My family’s moving on. Thanks for your help getting the stingray over here for Pryce to pet. That was really kind of you.”
Then John brushed past William.
William turned and watched him go, pleased when he saw how John peered over his shoulder at him. Narrowing his eyes, William gave the man a once-over, allowing the human to see the desire he felt for him. John’s cheeks pinked once more, and he turned away.
“Oh, my mate,” William muttered to himself. “You won’t get away that easily.”
“Everything okay?” Serena asked, touching William’s arm and drawing his attention. The dolphin shifter’s gaze held concern.
William nodded. “I’m pretty fantastic.” He grinned at Serena. “That man is my mate.”
Letting out a little squeak, Serena hugged him, then bounced back a step. “Congratulations, Beta William!”
“Thanks. I’m gonna step away for just a sec,” William told her. “I need to call my brother.” He didn’t mention that he was going to call Eban, their head enforcer, so he could have his mate discreetly followed.
“Of course.”
William crossed to a quiet corner as he pulled out his phone. As he waited for Kaiser to pick up, he realized it was a damn good thing they always had two people on duty when they had stingrays in the pool, because William knew he would be very distracted for the two-plus hours remaining on his shift.
Chapter Two
Even as John sank the tines of his fork into his fillet of grilled, wild-caught salmon, his mind drifted back to the big, good-looking man at the stingray petting pool. William. His wide, friendly smile in his handsome face had caused John’s heart to trip wildly in his chest. The way his deep green eyes had heated as he’d watched John walk away—
Just thinking about it caused John’s blood to fire in his veins. Even his groin warmed, and his prick plumped.
John couldn’t remember the last time his body had responded just from a look. It had definitely been over a decade. Some of that was probably due to the fact that after his son had married and moved, he’d buried himself in work.
Empty nest syndrome, some had said.
Any way John looked at it, he’d sure liked the way William’s attraction had made him respond. The big guy had been damn hot, too. Unfortunately, being asked out by a man in front of his family—who’d already been heading away from the pool—John just hadn’t been able to get himself to respond.
It was too big a step... especially while out in public.
John wondered if he would ever meet the man again.
Dismissing the notion in favor of listening to his grandkids chatter excitedly about the different exhibits they’d checked out as well as the tiger shark show they’d just come from, John couldn’t help but smile. He loved that something he’d planned had given them such joy. It didn’t surprise John that Pryce had thought the shark eating raw, dripping chunks of meat was way cool—his words. Fortunately, Anita had enjoyed it, too, calling the shark magnificent.
At a lull in the conversation, Pryce stated, “That guy where we were petting stingrays asked Grampa on a date.”
The side conversation between Jonathan and Grace where they were pouring over the map ceased. Both of their heads popped up. Grace’s brows were lifted a bit on her forehead, and Jonathan’s lips were parted in obvious surprise... but something more.
Scandalized, maybe.
John forced a rough chuckle from his too-dry throat. “William didn’t say date, Pryce,” he countered, reaching over to ruffle his hair.
Predictably, the twelve-year-old pulled away while rolling his eyes.
“What did he say?” Grace asked curiously as she used her fork to stab a large fry.
“He knows Grisham and recognized my name as the captain of my precinct,” John told them, doing his best to downplay the interaction. “He said he was interested in getting together and talking about what it’s like.”
“That’s a date,” Anita piped up, grinning at him. She lifted her hand toward him in a fist. “Rock on, Gramps. He was good lookin’ for an older guy.”
Unable to help himself, John laughed softly. He didn’t leave his granddaughter hanging. Lifting his own fist, he bumped it against hers.
At the same time, John commented, “So, if he’s an old guy, what does that make me?” He wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear the answer.
Anita grinned brightly at him. “You’re Gramps. You don’t have an age.”
John swallowed around the lump in his throat while nodding. “Thanks.” Scooping up another forkful of fish and rice, he shoved it into his mouth.
For a second, John thought that would be the end of it.
Then Jonathan commented with disdain in his tone, “So did you tell him to take a hike?”
“No,” John replied, drawing out the word. “I—”
“Holy shit,” Jonathan hissed, leaning across the table in the curved booth they were seated in. His cheeks had taken on a ruddy color. “You’re going on a date with a guy?” Jonathan scowled even as he shook his head in obvious disbelief. “Is that why you haven’t dated? Why you hardly gave Molly and Linda’s pictures a second look? Are you a—”
“Honey, language,” Grace cut in, scowling sternly from her position next to him.
John could guess at what his son had intended to say, and the word probably wouldn’t be a kind one considering his tone.
“I think a little cussing is understandable when Dad’s dropping a bombshell like this,” Jonathan countered, waving his fork in John’s direction. Good thing it was empty.
“I haven’t dropped any bombshells,” John stated, hoping to diffuse the situation. He didn’t want to see Jonathan and his wife fight. “I told William that I was flattered but unavailable. Then I hurried and caught up with you all.”
Jonathan didn’t seem to want to give an inch. Resting his forearm on the table, he pressed, “So if we weren’t in town and you were available, you’da said yes?”
“Please, calm down, Jon,” John murmured even as frustration slithered through him. He bit back his desire to sigh. Holding his son’s gaze, John saw a mutinous gleam in Jonathan’s eyes—one that he hadn’t seen in over a decade. Realizing no
matter what he said was going to cause his son to get bent out of shape, John figured it might as well be for the truth. “His offer for dinner was tempting. After all, like Anita said”—he waved absently toward his granddaughter, who was sitting directly to his right—”William is a good-looking guy. Even if it was just as a friend, I don’t have many of them outside the department, so that would be good, too.” Then John shrugged and curved his lips into a small smile. “If it progressed into something more? Well, like you said. It’s been a while. Having someone in my life would be a good thing, right?”
Seeing the way Jonathan’s mouth hung open made John realize his son hadn’t expected him to admit anything head-on. He also saw the gleam of revulsion in his eyes, and as his son closed his mouth, it twisted into disgust. His cheeks continued to darken.
John knew an explosion was imminent.
Fortunately, Grace recovered first. “That man seemed very nice and knowledgeable. Pryce told me how he helped him.” While she smiled, there was a worried tightness around her eyes—probably put there because she kept cutting side-eyed glances at Jon. “Maybe after we leave you could come and see him again. Ask him out. Hmm?”
“You’re okay with the idea of Dad going on a d-d-d—” Evidently, Jonathan couldn’t even get the word out.
Not wanting to have something like this hashed out in the restaurant, John decided to give his son a few minutes to collect himself. “I’m gonna slip off to the men’s room,” he stated, placing his napkin beside his half-eaten plate. John smiled at everyone as he rose. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
John headed toward the sign indicating the restrooms. Turning into the hallway, he paused, surprise rippling through him. There, leaning against the wall across from the men’s room door, stood William.
His heartrate spiking for a whole different reason, John swept his gaze over the male. With his hands shoved in his cargo shorts’ pockets and his legs crossed at the ankles, William screamed confidence. John found it damn sexy.
William grinned at John as he pushed off the wall and took the two steps needed to close the distance between them. “I heard what you said, John.” His voice sounded like a deep, smooth rumble. “Does that mean you’ll accept my offer for a date after all?” His deep green eyes glimmered with a hungry light. “And make no mistake, John. It is a date.”
Figuring he was already causing upheaval in his life, John decided he might as well go all the way. “Yeah.” Butterflies bumped in his belly, and his groin tingled at the triumphant smile that spread across William’s face.
“Give me your phone, John,” William ordered, holding out his hand. “I’m gonna put my number in it, and after the chaos with your son settles this evening, you’re gonna call me.”
John obeyed, not even questioning how William knew about his family issues.
* * * *
“So, how is it going with your mate?”
William slouched in his recliner and scowled at his brother.
“That good, huh?”
Kaiser narrowed his eyes as he swept an assessing gaze over him. He tapped his forefinger on his tumbler of amber liquid—scotch that he’d brought over to share with William. His brother, older by eight years, always seemed to know when he was struggling.
William and Kaiser were close. Always had been. While most squid shifters were solitary—like their animal counterparts—Kaiser had stuck beside William. Maybe it was because they hadn’t turned out to be the same species of squid. William had taken after their mother, while Kaiser their father.
Maybe sire would be a better word. The male certainly hadn’t been around much.
“William?”
Kaiser’s stern tone redrew William’s attention.
William couldn’t help but smile at that. That was another difference between them. While William was thought of as the happy-go-lucky and fun-loving brother, Kaiser was known for his seriousness and intensity. William figured that was because at the age of sixteen—when William was only eight—fishermen had killed their mother while she was in her animal form. They’d never seen their father again, so Kaiser had raised William.
Over the almost three centuries of their long lives, their relationship had easily morphed from parent and son to their natural brotherhood. Every once in a while, though, Kaiser reverted to the worried father. Normally William teased him when it happened.
Not this time.
“We talk on the phone every evening,” William told Kaiser as he eased his recliner back, kicking his feet up. He was careful not to spill his own tumbler of scotch. “The calls are always short, because his son, Jonathan, and his family are staying with him, so he’s not getting a whole lot of alone time at the moment.”
Furrowing his brows, William frowned into his drink, swirling the liquid and watching the light play across the amber fluid. “I know he’s feeling a little guilty, too, because while his son is not very accepting, the wife is. Even Anita is annoyed with Jonathan because her best friend at home, Carley, is a lesbian.” Shaking his head, William added, “Then there’s Pryce, who’s just confused and feeling a little guilty. I guess he’s the one who shared with the family that I asked John on a date, so he thinks the tension is his fault.”
After pouring all that out, William took a sip of his scotch. “We talked a lot about family, but little else.” He scoffed before adding, “Not like I can share much about myself with him, yet.”
“So, you’re feeling guilty because you want John, but you hate that your presence is causing your mate problems,” Kaiser stated astutely. As William responded by nodding, Kaiser hummed thoughtfully. He tipped his head to the side before saying quietly, “William, you’re not responsible for John’s son’s bigoted attitude. That’s all on Jonathan.”
William sighed, running his free hand through his shoulder-length black hair and scratching at his scalp. “I know.” He pulled his hair band out in the process. Giving his brother a wry smile, William admitted, “It’s been four days since I met the man, and I’m getting a bit anxious. So’s my animal. I want him. See him. Touch him. Feel what his lips and body feel like against mine. I—”
Groaning, William shoved back to a sitting position before downing the rest of his scotch. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. Just thinking about doing those things had his prick hard and aching behind the fly of his shorts.
Kaiser chuckled, the sound rusty and low.
William snapped his attention to his brother. He knew what that kind of dark laugh meant. The other shifter had an idea pinging through his brain.
Will I like it?
Laughing louder, Kaiser grinned broadly. “Don’t give me that look.”
The relaxed expression on his serious brother had the same effect on William. His heart rate slowed. Lifting one brow, William gave Kaiser his what look expression.
Kaiser rose and snatched William’s tumbler from his fingers. “What I mean is,” he began as he headed to the sideboard where he’d left the liquor. Half-turning as he refilled their glasses, Kaiser kept part of his attention on William. “You’ve given the mate-pull four days to build. It does affect the human, too, remember?”
After William nodded, Kaiser twisted the cap back on the scotch bottle and picked up both tumblers. “It’s time we get you some help,” he stated, holding out one glass. William took it automatically, and Kaiser continued, “Is John still working while his family is in town? Or is he on vacation, too?”
“John took the first week off, but he goes back to work on Monday,” William told Kaiser. Before taking a sip, he added, “His son and family are staying a second week, then leaving Friday evening.”
“Good,” Kaiser responded, drawing out the word as he returned to his chair. Resting his forearms on his thighs, he cradled the tumbler between his palms. Kaiser pinned his intense focus on him, his lips curving into a reassuring smile. “At the moment, the rumor that you found your mate in a guy named John has made the rounds, but few kno
w specifics about the man. It’s time to change that.”
William took a sip of his scotch before nodding slowly. “What did you have in mind?” Cocking his head, he added, “I don’t want John made anxious because others begin accidently bumping into him”—he used his free hand to make air quotes—”and saying things that make him uncomfortable.”
“Not what I meant,” Kaiser assured. “What I do mean is that it’s time we bring in Grisham. He’ll understand the mate-pull, since he’s mated with Cuzco. Plus, he already knows the captain.” Grinning, Kaiser added, “If you haven’t talked about food, yet, he can help you come up with something to take him for lunch at work.” Kaiser grinned and waggled his brows. “From what I hear, due to John’s influence, Grisham’s precinct is very accepting of homosexual relationships.” Then he turned serious. “And if you don’t want to out him, you can always go as a representative of World of Aquatica, and you’re following up on Solomon’s case.”
Warming to Kaiser’s idea, William nodded slowly. Excitement surged through him, and even his squid vocalized in his mind. His breathing sped up.
One way or another, soon, I will see my mate.
Chapter Three
John knew he should feel guilty about being happy that he’d returned to work that morning. Unfortunately, things were so tense at his house that he couldn’t drum up the emotion. Whenever Grace wasn’t around, Jonathan would pester John about what he’d admitted, asking him what was wrong with him and was it something his mother had done to make him think about trying out the other side of the fence.
It was the snide comment of, “You actually like your prostate exams?” that had really pissed John off. Only years of exerting self-control with perps had kept him from telling his son to shut the fuck up. John had figured Jonathan wouldn’t understand, but he hadn’t anticipated the animosity it generated in him. Grace had even apologized more than once for his behavior.
When Grace had walked into the living room and overheard Jonathan grumble, “I’d rather have you stay single than be a cocksucker,” her face had turned beet red. She’d glanced around swiftly, probably making certain that the kids weren’t around to hear.
Drifting With a Giant Squid Page 2
