Backstroking With a Tiger Shark

by Charlie Richards

  Kane did his best to hide his surprise upon hearing Mr. Nesky’s request, but he must not have succeeded. After Wendy had walked away and he’d closed the door, he saw the slight upturn of Mr. Nesky’s lips. It was the closest thing to an actual smile he’d ever seen the man make.

  Does he ever smile?

  Dismissing the thought... and trying not to stare too deeply into the handsome man’s deep blue eyes... Kane crossed his office and settled behind his desk. He pulled up his calendar and checked the dates. Unable to help himself, he frowned.

  “Here you are, gentlemen,” Wendy said, announcing her presence. She handed a mug first to Arthur, then set the second on Kane’s desk. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

  Kane nodded as he reached for the handle of his mug. He slid the cup toward him while he watched her exit his office and close the door. Finally, he returned his focus to his client.

  Arthur’s eyes were narrowed just a little, and he held his mug to his lips, blowing on the hot liquid. “You’re quitting, aren’t you?” His lips curved into a semblance of a smirk and, just before he sipped his drink, he told him, “For just an instant, you seemed disappointed when I asked to be put on your schedule.”

  Feeling his eyes widening, Kane gaped at Arthur. “I, uh—” he snapped his mouth shut. There was no way he could lie to the man. He just seemed to be too damn astute. After swallowing hard and gathering his wits, Kane managed to say, “I am so sorry, sir. Really. While I admit I do intend to move on, I didn’t mean for it to make this difficult. Whoever your account will be transferred to will surely be able to—”

  “No,” Arthur cut in. “No, he won’t.”

  The man sighed, his eyes narrowed, and Kane really didn’t know what to say.

  “You went away for a week. You told your bosses it was a vacation, not that I blame you.” Arthur shook his head, his lips twisting into a sneer. “After you leave, my account will be assigned to Pierce, who is an asshole and a bigot. It makes me wonder who he bent over for to get ahead of you.” He pinned him with a penetrating gaze. “You’re not just a better graphic designer, you’re far better with people, Kane.”

  Feeling his cheeks heat, Kane went with the truth. “It really was a vacation. I went to see my sister, but I’ve been toying with moving closer to her for years.”

  Arthur chuckled softly as he nodded slightly. “And the man you met wherever you went? He doesn’t have anything to do with it?”

  Kane gaped for a second, then snapped his mouth shut. “What? H-How did you know?”

  “Well, you don’t look at me quite like you used to, Kane,” Arthur drawled huskily, his blue eyes darkening with what could only be called mirth. “Good thing my contract with this company is only for these graphics, plus more contingent on service.” His voice hardened. “And I know as soon as you leave, this company’s service will not be acceptable.” He tipped his chin up just a little as his eyes narrowed. “Please tell me you’re still going to design wherever you’re going.”

  “Uh, yeah,” Kane instantly replied. “Was going to open my own business.”

  “Good. You’ll have at least one client.” Then Arthur’s eyes darkened, his expression turning just a little heated. “As long as you take me to wherever you met your man, anyway.” To Kane’s ever-loving shock, Arthur waggled his brows playfully as he continued, “Since it seems I missed my chance with you, after all.”

  “You’re gay?” Kane exclaimed.

  After several seconds, Arthur actually burst into laughter.

  Chapter Eight

  Kane waved at Doc Keller as the doc drove his pick-up back up the steep hill. For some reason, going down the hill with the doc had been even more harrowing than with Tort. Maybe it had something to do with the mate-pull thing that Tort had told him about. He just felt so much safer with his sort of lover, knowing the man was devoted to his safety and happiness.

  Smiling at that thought, Kane turned and headed down the beach. He put down the picnic basket, then spread out the blanket he’d been carrying under his arm. After kicking off his shoes, he strode toward the ocean.

  Doc Keller had told him Tort was down in the ocean swimming. He was supposed to be with a few others, shifters that could keep his animal in line should it decide to swim south in search of him. Evidently, if a shifter was away from his mate too long, it could become difficult to control the impulsive instinct to track down his other half.

  I’m going to give Tort a hell of a scolding for not telling me that little tidbit.

  While Kane couldn’t really have done anything about being so far away from the man he was crazy-attracted to, he could have called him more. Doc Keller said talking to your mate helped. He also said if Kane had told him a timeframe of when he was returning, it would have calmed Tort, too.

  Kane focused on his plan and mentally pushed aside his rising desire to spank his man’s ass. Later. I can do that later. He had to find the shifter first.

  While Kane couldn’t see any fins in the water, he knew that was normal. He remembered from the information Gerard had shared during the tiger shark show that sharks didn’t traditionally swim along the surface showing off their fins. A shark swam under the water, only rising to the surface to feed on something.

  Kane had a solution for that, though. He pulled a folding knife from the pocket of his cargo shorts and opened it. Once he was over knee deep in water—doing his best not to cringe at the chilliness of the water—he took the tip of the blade and sliced a shallow cut across the top of his forearm.

  Screwing up his courage, he lowered his left arm into the water. The salt of the ocean stung like a son-of-a-bitch, but he endured. To distract himself, he rinsed off his knife, dried it on his shorts, and put it away.

  Breathing through the pain, Kane narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze over the area. He waited, semi-impatiently. It hurt, after all. Fortunately, the roar of the waves and crash of the surf lulled him.

  It truly was a spectacular location. He could see himself enjoying the private beach often. The fact that he’d need a truck—maybe a Jeep—occurred to him. His sedan, while great for city driving, wasn’t going to cut it along the dirt roads.

  My god, am I actually going to turn my life upside down for this man?

  Yeah. Yeah, I am.

  Kane could see him spending the rest of his life exploring a relationship and building a life with Tort. He was that amazing... attentive and thoughtful. He smiled, his heart warming from just thinking about Tort.

  Okay, so Fate knows what she’s doing.

  Just as Kane began to think his idea wasn’t going to work after all and he’d have to call Gerard and implement plan B, he spotted a fin break the surface of the water. His heart rate spiked, and not from the warmth of his thoughts of Tort. He realized just how stupid it was to effectively chum the water with blood.

  What if that’s not Tort?

  How the hell was he supposed to tell?

  Maybe something in his body language gave away his tension, for the shark slowed down in its approach. Kane backed up a step, lifting his arm out of the water as he watched. The creature veered right, then made a figure eight.

  “T-Tort?” Kane felt stupid talking to a shark, but Tort had told him he understood in animal form. “Jump out of the water if you’re Tort.”

  Kane watched in shock as the tiger shark disappeared under the water. A second later, the shark reappeared, leaping from the water. The wave it created swelled over Kane, causing him to stagger and leaving him dripping and sputtering.

  Glaring at the shark, which actually appeared to sort of be smiling, Kane snapped, “Was that necessary?”

  Evidently, it had been, for a few seconds later, Tort’s shark swam past him. His swishing tail smacked into the back of his legs, sending him stumbling forward. In seconds, he was under the water.

  The tiger shark swam under Kane, much as it had done in the marina pool. It carried him deeper into the
water before slowing and allowing him to slide from the front of its body. Kane broke the surface of the water and sucked in a deep lungful of air, then rolled to his back and floated on the water.

  Kane couldn’t help but laugh as he felt the tiger shark bump him and rub against him each time he passed him. Reaching out with one hand, he slid his palm across the shark’s hide. It was smoother than he thought it’d be and warmer.

  Marveling at the novelty of swimming with a tiger shark, being free to touch it and know he was safe, Kane no longer felt the chill of the water. He enjoyed floating on his back, secure in the knowledge that his shifter would keep him safe from not only other predators, but undertows and being washed too far away from shore.

  After maybe fifteen minutes of frolicking, the shark pushed Kane back toward the shallower water. He stood, then turned, searching for the creature. Seeing bubbles erupting a few feet away, he started toward them, then paused.

  Kane’s heart felt as if it skipped a beat as he watched Tort rise from the water. The sexy shifter’s head was thrown back, water dripping from his hair and down his broad, tanned torso. His chest expanded as he sucked in a deep breath.

  “Holy shit,” Kane whispered, unable to help himself. “You’re so damn stunning.”

  Rubbing his hands over his head, Tort wiped the water from his face, then threaded his fingers through his hair, pushing it away from his face. He opened his eyes and grinned widely. His gray eyes almost seemed to be lit from within as he immediately reached for him.

  “Kane,” Tort rumbled gruffly, grabbing his upper arms. “What the hell are you doing here?” He tugged Kane even closer to him. Sliding his right hand down Kane’s left arm, he gripped his wrist in a light hold as he wrapped his left arm around Kane’s waist and pressed their wet bodies together. “Gods, babe. When I smelled your blood, I just about had a heart attack.”

  Tort turned his wrist, and Kane didn’t fight him. He glanced down at his cut, which still oozed just a little. When the bigger man lifted his arm, Kane snapped his attention back to his face.

  “Why are you here?”

  Kane shivered at the huskiness in Tort’s tone. “I-I’m your mate, Tort,” he murmured. Seeing the other man’s nostrils flair and his eyes widen, Kane swallowed hard. “I figured that means I should at least be in the same city, right?”

  “Same city,” Tort growled, his eyes narrowing. “Same home. Same bed.” He lifted Kane’s arm to his mouth, stuck out his tongue, and licked a long swipe over his wound. “Wrapped around my cock. As close to me as I can get you.” He licked him again. “From now until the day we die.”

  Tingles broke out on his arm where Tort had licked, causing goose bumps to erupt. His cock jerked and twitched, uncomfortably restricted in his wet khaki shorts. Shivering, he watched in awe as his wound closed.

  Kane jerked his gaze to Tort as he remembered something his lover had mentioned that first time at the beach together.

  Paranormals have accelerated healing, and some of that can be passed on to our mates once we bond. Better senses. Stronger bones. And our saliva heals.

  The exchange of blood was what also bonded them.

  “You just started the bonding process,” Kane whispered, jerking his gaze to Tort. Spotting the hint of insecurity in the man’s eyes, feeling the sudden tension in the arm around his waist, Kane offered a soft smile. “I’m yours, Tortelion Muenster.” He narrowed his eyes and growled softly. “How about we go back to shore? I have everything you need to finish the bonding process there.”

  Tort’s eyes narrowed as a low rumbling growl erupted from him. “Do you know what you’re offering?” he asked, his arm tightening. “If we do this, I’m not letting you go, Kane. Not ever. I won’t be able to.”

  Kane rested his palms on Tort’s thick pectorals, rubbing lightly over his smooth, wet skin. “I knew that when I offered, Tort.” He met his soon-to-be lover’s gaze. “And you’d better back that up, because I’ve been dreaming about your dick in my ass for weeks.”

  When Kane heard Tort’s groan of need, a heady sense of smug satisfaction filled him. A squeak of surprise escaped him a second later. Kane grabbed Tort’s neck as the bigger man swung him into his arms and started carrying him toward shore.

  His blood fired through his veins, and he found he loved the almost cave-man routine.

  Clutching at Tort, Kane reveled in the heady feeling of anticipation, enjoying the way it caused his prick to twitch and ooze.

  * * * *

  The heady scent of Kane’s arousal mixed with his pre-cum caused Tort’s mouth to water and his shaft to throb. He swiftly carried his mate toward shore. Eager anticipation surged through him, his body humming with the need to finish his bond with his mate.

  Tort didn’t know if licking and sealing Kane’s wound, beginning the bonding process, was the way to go. Fortunately, his mate seemed to be just as ready, as needy, as himself. Tort needed to bury himself, to complete their bond, to affirm that they were there together and that Kane was his in every goddamned way possible.

  And he needed it in the worst way.

  When Tort reached shore, he barely even noticed the picnic basket. Instead, his focus was riveted on the blanket. He crossed to it, stopping at the edge, then allowed his knees to buckle, taking himself and Kane to the ground.

  Kneeling beside Kane, Tort made quick work of his mate’s clothes. He just managed to stay his enthusiasm enough to keep from tearing anything, but it was close. He heard more than a few stitches pop.

  Once Kane lay naked before him, Tort sucked in a harsh breath. He gripped the base of his prick and hissed. When Kane’s smile turned predatory as his focus riveted on Tort’s jutting dick, Tort’s mouth went dry.

  A shudder rolled through him, and his cock twitched and jerked, oozing pre-cum.

  “You said you had supplies, so you must have lube somewhere,” Tort reasoned out loud, trying to remind himself why he couldn’t just flip Kane onto his stomach and drive into him. His need to couple with his mate, to claim him, was riding him damn hard, making it difficult to think. “Where is it?”

  Humming, Kane peered at Tort through his lashes. His smile turned feral. “Yeah, I got what you need.” He pointed at the shorts Tort had tossed aside only a moment before. “Hand me those.”

  Tort continued to grip the base of his prick, fighting the way his balls were rolling with his need. He reached over and grabbed his mate’s shorts and thrust them into his hand. His body practically vibrated as he watched Kane fish something out of a pocket.

  Watching Kane roll to his knees and lift his ass into the air, Tort nearly swallowed his tongue. He’d forever deny the whimper that escaped him as he fought against the fire of desire coursing through him. His dick expelled another drop of pre-cum as he took in Kane’s smooth backside and firm round globes.

  Kane held something out to him.

  Taking it, Tort realized it was a single use packet of lube. While he understood that his mate wasn’t a virgin by any means, he didn’t know how just that little bit of lube would be enough. He had a pretty good-sized prick—nearly nine inches long and with a hefty girth.

  Tort refocused on Kane, watching as his mate spread his legs even wider. That was when he saw it. The base of a pink butt plug protruded from his hole, stretching his striated muscle.

  “O-Oh, by the water gods, Kane,” Tort whispered. Even as he tore the corner off the lube packet and poured the contents onto his prick, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the sight of Kane’s already stretched and plugged hole. “That is truly the sexiest fucking thing—”

  Sucking in a harsh breath at the feel of his own hand on his sensitive shaft, Tort cut himself off.

  Kane peered over his shoulder at him. His blue eyes twinkled with pleasure and desire. He wiggled the packet as his expression turned pleading.

  “Will you bond us, Tort?” Kane whispered, his words barely loud enough to be heard over the crash of the surf. “
I want to be yours. Do you want that?” He began to lower his arm as his brows furrowed. “Am I pushing? I should have asked. I—”

  Snarling, hating that he’d caused such uncertainty in his mate, Tort gripped the base of the plug. He eased it partway out, then pushed it back in. Hearing Kane’s hiss, seeing the way his back arched and body shuddered, he growled softly and levered over his mate.

  “You are mine,” Tort whispered roughly into his ear. “Now, tomorrow, forever after, you are mine.” He nipped at Kane’s lobe then suckled lightly to ease the sting as he slowly, gently removed the plug from his human’s body. “Never will we be apart.”

  Tort tossed the plug onto the blanket and fitted the head of his prick to his mate’s hole. Feeling the slide of Kane’s twitching muscle move across his sensitive glans, he groaned. His body shuddered, and his hips bucked as he instinctively slipped the head of his cock into Kane’s body.

  Kane’s hot, slick chute clamped down on Tort’s body, drawing a gasp from him. He froze, barely able to acknowledge the moan from the man beneath him. His brain felt fried, and his body seemed on fire.

  “Tort, please!” Kane cried. “Please sink into me. Fuck me.” Moaning harshly, he shuddered once more. “Claim me. Make me yours.”

  Letting out a growly gruff groan of his own, Tort shoved forward, burying half his prick into Kane. He shivered hard, then eased backward. After he’d pulled out enough for his crown to stretch Kane’s ring, he reversed and sank into him once more.

  Tort moaned low in his throat as he bottomed out. Freezing, he bent over Kane. He rested his left hand on the blanket and curved his right arm around his mate, holding him tightly.

  “You’re mine,” Tort claimed, whispering into his ear. His balls rolled, tightening swiftly. “Tell me that’s what you want, to be mine for eternity.” He grimaced, fighting against his orgasm. “Before it’s too late.”

  “Yes,” Kane gasped, rocking up against him. “I’m yours. Claim me.”