* * * *
Soren watched Andrew’s pert ass swing from side to side as he walked away, and he couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t sink in the tight place between the high cheeks. Damn, the man was a tease.
Soren thought Andrew had gone crazy when he had started to undress in the living room, but the man hadn’t finished what he had started—he had made Soren hard as a rock, but he hadn’t taken care of it, and that was just mean. It also made Soren even hotter for his mate, though.
Well, there was nothing much he could do right now, so Soren got up and headed to the kitchen. He had managed to find something to cook for breakfast, but if he was going to cook on a regular basis, he was going to have to go grocery shopping. There was no way he was heating those awful frozen, ready-to-eat thingies he had found in Andrew’s freezer. Didn’t the man cook? How on earth did he still manage to be so thin if he ate that crap every night?
There wasn’t much to work with, but Soren managed to put together some pasta with meat sauce, and by the time Andrew came back, everything was on the table and Soren was washing the pans he had used. “Is this okay, sugar-pie?” Soren asked, grinning when Andrew scowled.
Andrew sat down and Soren let his gaze wander to Andrew’s wet hair and the way it clung to his skin, then the soft t-shirt he wore that was a bit stretched out around the neck and exposed more skin then it should have. Soren longed to taste that skin, to run his tongue on it, and he just couldn’t resist when some sauce ended up on Andrew’s chin.
Before Andrew had the time to grab a napkin and clean himself, Soren leaned down and licked the sauce away, taking his sweet time and indulging himself in his mate’s taste. Under the taste of tomato sauce and garlic, there was the taste of Andrew’s clean skin, and while he didn’t taste like chocolate, his flavor was the best thing Soren had ever tasted.
“Soren...”
Soren hesitated, his lips still on Andrew’s chin. Was the man telling him to stop? When Andrew didn’t move, Soren decided to just act and see how it was going to go. He moved his lips up, peppering the dark skin with kisses until he reached Andrew’s mouth. When Andrew still didn’t move away, he placed one kiss on his lips, then two. They were just closed-mouth kisses, but those lips felt so good under his.
When Andrew opened his mouth, Soren knew he had won, even if it was only a fraction of what he wanted. He had no problem coaxing his mate to open up to him, though, to work on seducing him. He licked Andrew’s lips, slipping his tongue just an inch inside the moist cavern, only to retreat. He did this once, then twice, until a sound of frustration rose from Andrew’s throat. What Soren hadn’t expected was for Andrew to take charge.
Andrew suddenly rose from his chair and grabbed Soren’s hands, pushing them behind his back and circling his wrists with one of his hands, grabbing his chin with the other and slanting their lips together. Soren could have broken the hold Andrew had on him any time he wanted, but the point was that he didn’t want to. He loved that Andrew was taking charge of this, was showing him what he wanted.
Andrew went from passive to aggressive, pushing his tongue between Soren’s lips and licking everywhere he could get with it. Soren pushed back, but he didn’t really want to win the struggle for dominance. He was fine with what his mate was doing, even when Andrew moved both his hands and wrenched Soren’s t-shirt up and off before crashing their mouths back together.
Soren’s hands were free now, and he took advantage of it. Sliding them up, he grabbed the collar of Andrew’s shirt. “I hope you don’t particularly love this shirt.”
Andrew looked a bit dazed. “No, why?”
Soren pulled, using his shifter strength to tear the shirt until it was wide open. Milk chocolate skin was revealed. Andrew’s nipples were a darker tone of brown and surrounded by even darker hair. Soren loved his mate’s chest. It was hairy where Soren was hairless, but not so much that Andrew would feel like a bear under Soren’s palms. They both had a treasure trail, but Andrew’s was dark and thicker. Soren followed it with the tip of one finger, satisfied to see Andrew’s shaft tenting his sweats. It seemed they both were in the same state of arousal.
Andrew slid his hands up Soren’s chest and tweaked both his nipples, making him shudder before he trailed his lips down Soren’s neck. He seemed to know exactly where Soren wanted to bite him, and Soren nearly came when Andrew clamped his teeth down the sensitive skin of his neck in the exact same spot. It was almost a pity that Andrew couldn’t bite him, but he would cope.
Their mouths met again in a fury of tongues and lips, sometimes even teeth, while their hands explored. Soren touched soft skin and taut muscles while Andrew tortured his nipples, eliciting such pleasure Soren wasn’t sure he was going to last enough for them to actually get to the main course. He moved his hands down Andrew’s back and pushed them under the waist of his sweats, grabbing a compact cheek in each hand. He decided to tease a bit and slid the tip of one finger deep into Andrew’s crack, expecting him to scowl at him. It was obvious Andrew liked to be in charge, and if his lovers had always been like Xavier, meek and shy, he probably had always been the top.
Soren didn’t expect the loud moan that rose from his mate when he teased the little patch of wrinkled skin, or the way his back arched as he tried to get Soren to enter him. It seemed that Andrew was ready to give control up, at least sometimes, and Soren just loved that. He pushed Andrew’s pants down to have better access to his mate’s tight hole, loving the way Andrew shivered as the fabric slid down his lean legs and bunched at his feet. He didn’t hesitate to step out of it and stand gloriously naked in front of Soren.
There was so much to see that Soren wasn’t sure what he should look at first, but his gaze was naturally drawn to the thick shaft that jutted proudly from a nest of dark curls. The tip was dark and weeping, calling to him, and who was he to resist? He fell on his knees, sticking his tongue out and tasting Andrew’s glistening tip. Andrew was tart and salty, and it made Soren’s tiger purr in his head. He reached for his mate’s legs, using them for balance and enjoying the way the muscles moved under the soft skin and hair.
Andrew looked a bit startled when Soren looked up, but he quickly adapted. He grabbed Soren’s hair hard, and the twinge of pain shot directly to Soren’s cock, making it twitch.
“Come on, tiger. Suck me.”
Soren wrapped his lips around Andrew’s cock and sucked, relishing the way in which his mate moaned and shuddered, the way his hold on Soren’s hair tightened just a tiny bit and how he used that hold to guide Soren’s head. Soren was in control but not. He could decide whether to suck hard or slow and how much of the thick member he could take, but it was Andrew who set the rhythm. Soren had always liked giving head, the way the masculine flavor exploded on his tongue and the feeling of a hard cock between his lips, but with his mate...it felt like this was the first time all over again. The sensations were so new, so special, and Soren almost couldn’t believe his luck.
Andrew let his head fall back as Soren moved his head up and down his mate’s shaft, licking and sucking until he could feel Andrew’s legs tremble under his palms. He was really getting into it, and he knew Andrew was close when the man started moving his hips and fuck Soren’s mouth in earnest. Of course, that was when the phone started ringing.
Andrew groaned and reached for his cell.
“Don’t answer.” It didn’t come out well, considering Soren had a full mouth, but Andrew just narrowed his eyes at him and tried to push him away, so in retaliation Soren just sucked harder.
“Ye-yeah?”
“Andrew? It’s...it’s Xavier. I need you to come here, please.” Okay, this sounded serious. Soren let his mate’s erection go and stood up, listening to the conversation.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think it was your stalker. He attacked me.”
* * * *
Damn, damn, damn! This was starting to affect more than Andrew, and he really wanted to kill the guy
now. Xavier had said he was fine, but Andrew had heard how weepy his voice was. It didn’t matter if he’d been physically hurt or if he was just scared—he shouldn’t have been.
Obviously, Andrew’s stalker hadn’t been informed he had broken up with Xavier, but it didn’t really matter to him, and he hoped it wouldn’t for Soren either, because he was going to ask Dominic to take Xavier in at the mansion. He didn’t care if they had to tell him they were shifters, he just wanted his friend to be safe.
Soren was driving, his hands tight on the wheel and anger written all over his face. Andrew wasn’t sure if he was angry that the stalker was still around or about the fact that he had attacked Xavier, but he had noticed that his mate actually liked Xavier. So he didn’t think it would be a problem to get him protected. He grabbed his phone and pulled out Dominic’s number. He was grateful that it was only ten PM and that his lion friend would still be up.
“Andy, is there a problem?”
“Yeah. It seems that my stalker attacked Xavier. I want him protected, Dominic. I want to bring him to the mansion, and I don’t care if you have to tell him about you guys. He won’t tell anyone.”
“Okay, Andy, slow down. What happened?”
“I called Xavier tonight and had him come over. I broke up with him, and by the way, did you know that Soren was my mate?”
Dominic chuckled. “I did. He told me the other night.”
“I’m going to kick your ass for not telling me, but unfortunately I’ll have to wait. Anyway, I broke up with Xavier and he went home, but he called me an hour or so later and told me someone had attacked him. I don’t have any details yet, but he said it was my stalker. We’re going there now, and I’m going to have him pack a bag, then I’m going to bring him to the mansion, and I don’t care what you think of it.” Okay, that wasn’t exactly right, since the mansion was Dominic’s house and it wasn’t as if Andrew could have someone live there if the man wasn’t okay with it.
“I have no problems with that. I don’t know Xavier that well but Jeremy does, so I’ll talk with him. Give me Xavier’s address and I’ll be there soon.”
God, Andrew was so relieved. Unfortunately, it lasted only a few minutes, until he got to Xavier’s house. Andrew’s ex-boyfriend lived in an apartment building and Andrew could see from the street that all the lights in Xavier’s home were on. Shit, he didn’t even know if the stalker had gotten to him in his apartment or somewhere else.
As soon as the car stopped, Andrew rushed to the stairs with Soren bitching behind him because he wasn’t waiting for him to make sure the place was secured. Andrew really wanted to send Soren to hell, but he needed his help right now, so he shut his usually big mouth and climbed the stairs two by two. He didn’t even knock on Xavier’s door. Andrew just opened the door and barged in, frantically looking for Xavier.
He found the man huddled on his couch, trying to make himself as small as he could. “Oh, Xav. Are you okay?”
Soren was still bitching about men who ran straight into danger instead of letting those who were trained check the place first, but at least he was being helpful as he checked the rooms one by one.
“I’m fine, I told you. I just got scared.”
“What happened?”
“I parked my car down the street and walked home, but this guy was hiding behind a tree, I guess, and he jumped out when I passed him. He grabbed my throat from behind and started spouting that I shouldn’t be with you, that my...my fat ass is not good enough and that you belong to him. H-he said that if he sees me with you again he’ll take care of me permanently, that I should leave town. I-I told him that you had just broken up with me and he started laughing.”
Andrew noticed the way Xavier had his hands wrapped protectively around his throat and he gently pried them open. He flinched when he saw the ugly bruises already forming, and anger boiled deep in his gut. He didn’t want to scare Xavier more than he already was, though, so he just squeezed his hand and waited for him to finish explaining what had happened. He was vaguely aware that Soren had finished checking the house and was standing close to the door, and it somehow eased his fear and anger.
“What happened next, Xav?”
“Not much. He just threw me on the ground and hit me a couple of times, then he left.”
“Did you see his face?” Soren asked while Andrew tried to get Xavier’s shirt off to see if he was hurt, but the man was having none of that. He was clutching his shirt to his chest as he shook his head.
“No. He grabbed me from behind and then I was too worried about keeping my head far away from his fists to look at him. I know I should have. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Andrew said. “You did what you had to do to protect yourself. I don’t care who the man is.”
“But he might hurt you.”
Andrew patted Xavier’s knee. “Don’t worry about me. I have Soren, and he’s more than able to protect me and himself.” Andrew’s cell rang and he answered, telling Dominic which floor they were on. “Xavier, I want you to go and stay with Dominic for now. He’s the guy you met at my house yesterday.” God, had it really been only one day?
“I remember him, but—”
“Please. A lot of people live there and you’ll be safe. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you.” He could see that Xavier wanted to protest again, but someone knocked at the door and interrupted him.
Soren checked who it was before opening and Xavier’s eyes widened when he saw Dominic stepping in with Jeremy and Denver. They were the reason Andrew had met Xavier in the first place, but from the surprised look on Jeremy’s face, he hadn’t known they were dating.
“Hey, Xavier. I didn’t know you and Andrew knew each other.”
“Yeah. We, uh, used to date.” From the way Xavier’s eyes flickered to Soren, it was obvious he had guessed the tiger shifter had something to do with their break up, and didn’t that make Andrew feel even guiltier? Damn.
“Oh, okay.” Jeremy was still looking from Andrew to Xavier, then to Soren, but he didn’t add anything.
“Did Dominic tell you what happened?” Andrew asked. He so didn’t want to talk about his relationships right now.
“Yes, I told them. Glad to see everyone is okay.”
“Look, there is no need for all of you to be here. I’m fine, and I told the guy I wasn’t with Andrew anymore. He’ll leave me alone.” His eyes flickered to Soren again and knowing Xavier, he was wondering if Soren was the one in danger now. The man was selfless, but he was also stubborn. Too bad for him that Andrew was even more stubborn than he was.
“I don’t care. You’ll go with them.”
He knew he had said the wrong thing when Xavier’s eyes narrowed and all but shot him daggers. “And just who do you think you are to tell me what I should do?”
Andrew sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. Everyone is on edge right now, especially me, and I shouldn’t have talked to you like that, but I’m scared for you, okay?” Xavier’s anger deflated just as fast as it had rose, and Andrew didn’t feel a bit sorry for using the feelings he knew Xavier had for him to keep him safe.
“I just can’t hide, you know. As much as I hate my job, I need it. I can’t just throw everything away because a nut case is bent on having you. I can’t just stop going to work for that.”
“If the only problem about you disappearing for a while is your job, I’m sure Dominic can help with that,” Jeremy said, glancing not so covertly to where Dominic was standing. “I love working with him, and there’s something to say for working at home.” Jeremy blushed lightly as he finished talking and the glance he exchanged with Denver just about made the air sizzle with sexual tension. Damn, if this was what being mates meant, Andrew was definitely signing up for it. Well, he would have signed anyway, because he was finding out that he really liked Soren.
“Well, not everyone is as lucky as you to find a job in a freaking mansion full of hot men,” Xavier said w
ith a smile.
“If that’s what you want, I have a friend who is looking for someone to help him with his...group’s money. He lives a little like us, with a lot of people partially depending on him, although they don’t all live together. He’s in Gillham, though. Still lots of woods, nature and hot men.” Dominic smiled. “Although don’t let Ani find out I said that.”
Andrew briefly wondered how on earth they had explained why they all lived together to Xavier, but the way his ex’s eyes lit up made him think that they might have found a solution to this particular problem. One down, about a million to go. Damn.
* * * *
Soren was glad as fuck that this crazy day was finally ending. Oh, it wasn’t over yet, but they were heading home, so yeah, it was nearly over.
They had told Xavier about shifters, since he had accepted to go and give the Gillham pack a try. After fainting a few times and freaking out, the man had calmed enough to understand that no one was going to hurt him. It wasn’t pretty, but he had finally agreed to go stay at the mansion until they worked out all the details, and he had followed Jeremy, Denver and Dominic home.
Soren wasn’t really sure Xavier was going to accept the job with Kameron, but he guessed the man was stronger than he looked. It had just been a crazy day for him too. He looked like a good guy, so he probably wouldn’t spill the beans about shifters, but it was still wise to keep an eye on him for a while, not to mention the stalker and the ever present Glass Research Company problem. They were still working out the details for a united attack on both the headquarters in New York and the various labs around the country, but now that Soren was on guard duty for Andrew, he would probably end up being out of the loop. He hoped they would solve the stalker problem before Dominic and the council decided to act, because he wanted to help, and god knew they needed all the help they could find.
Andrew [Whitedell Pride: 9] Page 5
