Dancing Around The Cop

by Lisa Oliver

  been helping me with some advice about how to get help for my

  sister. She’s trying to get rehabilitation for a drug problem,”

  Terry lied glibly. Only Zander would be able to smell the deceit.

  “Anyone at the station could have given you that advice, there

  are pamphlets available and everything. That’s hardly a

  Detective’s job.”

  Fuck. Sully was a suspicious son of a bitch. Terry didn’t know

  what the hell his mate saw in the man. All Terry could see was

  an arrogant asshole who got his kicks from hating others.

  “I know,” said Terry smiling sweetly. “But the Police

  Commissioner recommended that I talk to Detective Samuels

  specifically, him being on the drug squad and everything. I’m a

  friend of the Police Commissioner’s brother. Madam Morgana put

  in a word for me with the powers that be and here we are.”

  “You mean Morgana, the drag queen? I think she is absolutely

  fabulous,” the blond standing beside Sully gushed. “Do you

  really know her personally?”

  “I design all her outfits,” Terry replied, his grin widening at the

  excitement in the pretty woman’s face, and Sully’s deepening

  look of anger. Not sure where the spark of devilment came from,

  he continued, “I can get you tickets to her next show if you like,

  maybe even introduce you to her backstage. I’m sure your

  partner here would love it.”

  “You would do that for us? Oh Sully, did you hear that? How

  exciting. I’ve wanted to go to one of their shows for months, but

  they are always booked out. Oh, oh,” she said, grabbing a pen

  and a piece of paper from her tiny purse.

  “Here, let me give you my number. I’m Suzy, by the way. So

  you design all of those lovely clothes? They’re amazing, better

  than anything you could buy in a store.”

  “Thanks Suzy. If you ever need a frock for a special occasion,

  just let me know. I’ll be happy to do a one-off design just for

  you. With your coloring and awesome figure, you could wear just

  about anything and make it look good.”

  Terry handed Suzy his card, and took the piece of paper with her

  number on it. Suzy was still rabbiting on to Sully about the

  amazing Divas and their exotic costumes. Terry had to force

  himself to look at the table cloth. He didn’t dare look at Zander

  and he would laugh out loud if he had to watch Sully’s face any

  longer. The man looked like someone had shit in his pants and

  then slapped him on the ass. Finally they left, Suzy pledging

  undying friendship and Sully, well he looked like he wished his

  date would just shut up.

  “She seems like a nice lady,” Terry said brightly, scraping the

  last of his gateau off of the plate. He didn’t even remember

  eating it, and he kind of wished he had another piece. He didn’t

  get cake like that very often.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” Zander growled quietly. “I told you

  I’m not ashamed of being seen with you. I didn’t have a problem

  with Sully thinking we were on a date. He’s going to find out

  soon enough.”

  Giving his fork one last lick, just in case he had missed anything,

  Terry put it back on the plate and smiled at his scowling mate

  and hopefully soon to be lover. “I know you aren’t ashamed of

  me. I believe you. You brought me here, on a lovely date, with

  tablecloths and everything. I couldn’t have asked for more. But

  if you’d thrown our new relationship in your friend’s face then it

  would have ruined the whole evening for both of us. I didn’t want

  that to happen. I’m your mate too you know. It is just as much

  my job to protect you, as it is for you to protect me. Who knows,

  if Sully keeps Suzy around then maybe things won’t be as bad

  as you think they’ll be. Suzy seems to like me well enough.”

  Zander looked like he was going to argue, but then his face

  cleared and he smiled. A genuine, I’m happy and I don’t care

  who knows it kind of smile and just like that Terry’s world

  became a warmer place.

  “Fancy a night cap?” The big man’s eyebrows were raised and

  how Zander managed to pull off a combination of lust and hope

  all in the one look, Terry would never know. He just nodded. His

  tummy, which was still working on that delicious gateau,

  fluttered a bit, but Terry squashed his nerves down firmly. He

  wanted to be claimed. He wanted this big, gorgeous looking

  Alpha to belong to him, even if they still had a lot of things to

  work out. He’d settle for his very first kiss if that was the only

  thing on offer, but God he hoped for so much more.

  Chapter Eleven

  Zander was sick and tired of fighting his wolf, something he’d

  been doing since they first spied Terry all those weeks ago in the

  bar. His wolf wanted the Omega. He didn’t need a reason. In his

  wolf’s eyes Terry was his from day one. And his wolf was getting

  pretty darn snarly at Zander for not getting close enough to the

  sweet little Omega. Driving Terry to see his house for the first

  time, Zander was now not only dealing with a wolf who wanted

  his teeth in the pretty boy’s neck, but a totally unexpected fit of

  nerves. He was an Alpha, fuck it all. Alphas didn’t get nervous.

  But Zander was sure that is what the butterflies in his stomach

  meant.

  Every human instinct in Zander told him that he needed to take

  things slow. Terry might be his mate, but Zander had been

  nothing but a complete bastard to him from the moment they

  met. In fact, he almost turned the car around so he could take

  Terry back to his apartment. It was only his Father’s words,

  about sharing, letting his mate into his life, giving him a chance

  to see the type of man Zander was, that kept him heading to his

  own address.

  All too soon Zander pulled into his driveway. He would have put

  his car in the garage, but he didn’t want Terry to think he was

  being presumptuous. He planned to make his mate a cup of

  coffee, or even a small drink, maybe beg a first kiss. They would

  have to talk some more, because Zander had a lot of groveling

  to do over his past behavior, and then he would take Terry home

  just like a decent man would do. A mate would fuck him into the

  mattress, but Zander had to rely on his human instincts when it

  came to wooing his mate. He didn’t think Terry was anywhere

  near ready for him to pounce on him, teeth bared and cock

  waving urgently, even if Terry was a wolf shifter too.

  And that plan worked up to a point. Zander escorted Terry inside

  his small and rather sparsely furnished house, inviting his mate

  to look around while he went to put some coffee on. He tried to

  imagine seeing his place through his mate’s eyes and could

  admit to himself that maybe it was a little ‘functional’. He

  couldn’t think of any other word to describe it. Even though he

  had lived in the house for six years, the sparse white walls, the

  dark solid furniture and the decided lack of pictures or knick

  knacks made th
e place appear unlived in. The couch was

  comfortable and the television screen was as big as he could

  buy. The only reason the house was clean was because Zander

  had a woman come in once a week. Well that, and the fact that

  he was barely ever home.

  Still, Terry didn’t say anything. Just wandered around, peering

  at the few books that Zander had, rifling through his DVD

  selection. Then he headed off down the short hallway towards

  the three bedrooms, one of which Zander had turned into a work

  out room, the bathroom – shit, Zander hoped he’d left that clean

  – and yep, there wasn’t anything else.

  Zander was in the kitchen where he was pleased to see he had

  coffee beans, milk and sugar at least, but he had lost track of

  what Terry was doing, and that ramped up his anxiety levels.

  What if his mate found him lacking in some way? Did he put his

  gun in the safe like he was supposed to? Racking his brains, he

  tried to recreate the steps he’d taken when he came home to get

  ready for his date. Yep. He was fairly sure the gun had been put

  away where it belonged. But what would Terry say if he found

  the one in his bedside drawer, and oh shit and fucking hell, he

  should have gotten rid of the half empty box of condoms in his

  bathroom. Another human reminder of what he’d done to hurt

  his mate.

  A tray. He needed a tray for the coffee jug, the mugs, the milk

  and the sugar. Shit, he’d forgotten spoons, how could his little

  wolf put sugar in his cup without spoons? Zander yanked open

  the kitchen drawer so hard half the contents went crashing to

  the floor. He heard Terry yell out, “are you okay Zander?”

  “Yes, just a few knives and forks. Coffee’s in the living room

  when you’re ready.”

  Giving up on the spilled utensils, and the hope of ever finding a

  tray, Zander grabbed the coffee pot and the mugs – he’d make

  two trips. Which he did. But Terry was still in his house doing

  whatever it was he was doing. Should he go and look for him,

  or would that look untrusting? Not sure what to do, Zander sat

  on the couch and poured himself a coffee. Maybe he should turn

  the television on, but then he was sure that was a rude thing to

  do on a date. He flung the remote on the corner of the couch

  and tapped his fingers on his knee. What was Terry doing and

  what should he do?

  Zander was still trying to work out his fuddled thoughts, when

  Terry sauntered into the living room, and came over to the

  couch, straddling Zander’s legs, planting his tight little behind on

  Zander’s lap and hooking his arms around Zander’s neck. Talk

  about invasion of personal space. It was awesome. Those dark

  and strongly expressive eyes looked deep into Zanders’ and

  rather than take it as a challenge, Zander felt strangely cared

  about. A foreign feeling for him, but Zander thought he might

  like it.

  “You seriously need some color in your life,” Terry said firmly.

  “There’s no heart in this house, and your wardrobe, ugh, don’t

  get me started about your clothes. Honestly Zander don’t you

  wear anything that’s not black, grey or dark blue?”

  “I need those clothes for work?” Zander said hopefully. “They

  look good on me, and…” Yeah. He had nothing. He bought dark

  clothes because they didn’t show blood, and because some

  woman had told him years ago they went well with his coloring.

  “I am not suggesting that you wear pink and purple shirts to

  work or anything,” Terry said. “I know you need to look

  professional and smart and the total bad ass that you are. But

  what about when you take your ladies out? Haven’t you ever

  wanted to wear something else then? Pale green maybe to

  match your eyes?”

  “I won’t be taking anyone out except you from now on,” Zander

  said quickly. He really didn’t want to discuss anything about the

  ladies he’d been out with before, or the fact that he didn’t care

  what he wore then. “If you want me to wear more colorful shirts

  and stuff when we go out, I’m sure I can buy some from

  somewhere.”

  Clothes. Clothes? It was normal for Terry to talk about clothes,

  it was his life after all. But Zander was having real trouble

  thinking about anything at all now his mate was so close and

  they were alone. He couldn’t do anything about the smell of his

  arousal and he just hoped that Terry wouldn’t get offended or

  scared off by it. As much as he wanted to pull Terry closer and

  taste those full sweet lips, he fisted his hands into the couch,

  and hung on, trying to keep his dirty thoughts from showing on

  his face.

  His sweet mate was smiling at him. “I think,” Terry said pertly,

  “that once we’re mated, then I’ll probably add a bit of color to

  your home and wardrobe, and given that you are in serious need

  of a makeover, I think you should probably claim me tonight.

  This is going to be a long project.”

  “Tonight?” Surely his voice didn’t break, but Zander had a

  horrible feeling it probably did. He couldn’t believe his ears. Terry

  wanted to be claimed, after all he had done? Because the little

  man thought he needed a makeover? Nothing was making

  sense.

  “Yes, tonight would be best,” Terry said as casually as if he was

  discussing the weather. “Face it, your wolf will be a lot happier

  if you claim me. Don’t think I can’t feel the tension in those

  hunky muscles of yours. Once claimed, whether your human

  mind wants to or not, your wolf will make darn sure you don’t

  hurt me anymore by doing stupid things and face it darlin’ you

  need someone to look after you and that’s what my wolf was

  born to do. Might as well go with it.”

  “Don’t I have a lot to make up for first? You know, groveling and

  explaining and stuff?” Zander didn’t know why he was opening

  his mouth, but he felt that he should. Both Richard and his father

  had made it plain that he had a lot of work to do if Terry was

  ever going to accept him. In the meantime his wolf was snarling

  in his head, wanting to know why Terry was still all of two inches

  away, and his cock was threatening to explode in his pants. If

  Terry moved so much as an inch, he would be making a colossal

  mess, he was sure of it.

  “We’re mates,” Terry said simply. “You have a lifetime to make

  things up to me, and you will, I’ll make sure of that. If you ever

  treat me anything less than the awesome person I am then you’ll

  be sorry. I might not be able to kick your ass, but once we’re

  mated every time you upset me, you will be feeling it too. My

  mother told me so, and I believe her. So unless you’re a

  masochist, you’d better be nice to me.”

  “My father told me the same thing, and I promise you, I will be

  the mate I should have been in the first place,” Zander said

  faintly. “Are you honestly sure you want to do this now? I mean,

  we still barely know each other. You’re a virgin and…and
…”

  “Yes, I am,” Terry said, still calm, and Zander felt like his little

  mate was in total control of the conversation. “You are going to

  have to put up with that little problem and deal with it, however

  you do, you know, whatever.” Terry waved his hand in the air as

  if he wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but Zander got the

  general idea. In fact, his body was positively trembling at the

  ideas he was getting. His mate still wanted him and Gods,

  Zander wanted too.

  “Remember,” Terry continued, “I did tell you that night at my

  apartment, if you took me out on a date then I would put out.

  You took me on a lovely date, better than I could’ve ever hoped

  for and that is more than a lot of new mates get. My mother

  explained it’s usually wham bam and sink your teeth in. You took

  the time to listen to me and give me the date I asked for. That’s

  more than my mother got, believe me, and by the Fates I hope

  she never repeats that story again. But for now I’m willing and

  able and I think it’s about time I learned what all the fuss about

  sex is about. Don’t you want to claim me?”

  Zander searched those wonderfully dark eyes and saw nothing

  but honesty and sincerity. Although he definitely didn’t deserve

  his mate, Zander wasn’t going to hurt him further by turning him

  down. He would take what Terry was offering and he would make

  damn fucking sure that he never gave his mate any cause to

  grieve over him again.

  “I want to claim you more than I have ever wanted anyone or

  anything in my whole life.” And wasn’t that the truth.

  “I’ve never even had a kiss before,” Terry said and this time

  there was just a tiny touch of uncertainty in his Omega’s tone.

  “Just follow my lead,” Zander said softly. He unclenched his

  hands from their grip on the couch and settled them around

  Terry’s tiny waist. His fingers almost met in the middle. Leaning

  forward he carefully placed his closed lips on those two shapely

  cushions that graced Terry’s face and just pressed, gently.

  Terry’s lips were as soft as he imagined they would be. He

  pressed a little harder and then forced himself to pull back. Terry

  gave a little groan, and the slender arms around Zander’s neck

  tightened.

  “I might not know much about kissing, but I know there is a lot