“You don’t know what sugar pie is?” Ron looked legitimately shocked.
I shook my head, trying to recall if I’d ever heard of it before.
Doc seemed pleased by this segue. “How about we meet in a couple hours and have ourselves some sugar pie. No man should live life without the wonders of sugar pie.”
“I can't believe you’ve never had sugar pie.” Ron took out his phone and started scrolling through. “What did the city folks do for dessert?” He handed me his phone with a picture showing.
I didn’t want to burst their bubble, but it looked like custard pie to me.
“Nothing like this.” I smiled and handed the phone back. “See you then?”
We all walked outside, and I waved him off before we kept up the pretense and walked to the next door, the one leading to Doc’s office.
He barely had the door shut before the questions started. “So, what brought you to our little neck of the woods?”
“I guess I’ve been itching to get out of the city.” I shrugged.
He swirled his hand, indicating he wanted more information.
“Fine.” I rolled my eyes and gave him what he wanted. “People kept trying to rescue me and bring me to the shelter.”
He pursed his lips, obviously struggling to keep a straight face.
“And you're about to laugh again.”
“Only because it’s funny.” He sat on a rolly stool and pushed the receptionist’s chair my way. “Sit. Stay a while.”
“Thanks.” I sat down, glad he found me so amusing.
“And don’t pretend you don’t know it’s funny. You’re the one who got yourself a cat sitter.”
“What else could I do? Even if Ron’s landlord let him have cats, it wasn’t like I could be in two bodies at once.” The obvious response would be to tell him the truth, but I wasn’t ready for that...not yet. “He kept telling me I needed to get him fixed. He even gave me the name of a vet.”
Doc nodded his head, trying to look serious. “Did you agree?”
“No! I did not. I can’t even...can we move on from the Leo amuses Doc portion of the day?”
“I suppose.” He stared at me in silence.
“So…” There was even more silence. I wasn’t sure if he was waiting for me to just share what I wanted to share or if he was trying to figure out what to say or if he was in his head about the letters. I figured it just best to wait it out.
“The town loves you, by the way. You saved us from a factory moving in.”
“That’s good, I suppose. Although the sheriff hates me.” And if he wasn’t the sheriff, I wouldn’t give a hoot. But he was, and I was found in the possession of a ton of guns so I didn’t need him to hate me.
“The sheriff is a jackass. Don’t be fooled into thinking the town doesn’t know that. He’ll get his comeuppance.”
Please let that be true. How Ron put up with him on a daily basis was beyond me.
“You look like there’s something you want to ask. Spit it out. I won’t be late to sugar pie.”
I didn’t have something, I had a ton of things floating around in my head that I wanted to ask. And while Jase and August would be happy to talk to me about most of it, they were also new guys and might not know much more than I did about some things.
“Do the humans in town know about the shifters?” August did, but August was a mate.
Doc shrugged. “Some do.”
“Does Ron know about shifters because that's really what I want to know.” Especially after last night. It took all I had to not mark him right then and there. But that wouldn't be fair to him. He needed to pick me too, and humans didn't go by instincts. They needed more of a mark. I could only imagine Ron having a conversation with his buddy. “Oh, hey, I met this guy, and like, he's my forever.” That was not at all how humans worked. Sure, they were into hot one-night stands, but that was a far cry from forever...and I couldn’t just ask to have all his babies and watch them run around until they sprouted their fur. Actually, in a human/shifter mating, would they even sprout fur? I didn't know.
“As far as I know, he has no idea. Most of the town doesn't. But there are a few people here and there who are keeping our secrets.”
“And other shifters?”
“There are a few of us. You already met me and Jase. Xander is a bunny, but from what I can tell, not the recessive-gene type of bunny. Are you a recessive gene cat or are you from a family of cats?”
I grimaced, hating to admit my inadequacy. “Lion defect.”
“Not defect. You’re a cat with a fierce lineage. Own it.”
Own it. That was what I thought I had been trying to do by leaving, but all I’d really been doing was hiding. Maybe things could be different here.
“Is there like a clan or pack here? Am I stepping on any toes?” Or maybe I was welcome. How beautiful that would be...
“No pack. Although, as the numbers grow, it's looking like we might consider forming one at some point. For now, we’re just happy to be living in the middle of nowhere and not dealing with all the hierarchal bullshit that packs tend to foster.”
How true that was. At least for lions.
We spent the next hour talking about all things related to shifters in town. I’d never lived in a place where shifters of different species all got along. And while I doubted that was strictly true, they were at peace.
“He almost marked me,” I blurted out as Doc’s phone alarm went off. He was hard core on that pie.
Doc didn’t even look my way as he snoozed the alarm. “Because he’s your mate.”
Yeah, as if it was that simple. “Humans don’t do that.”
He got up and went to the door.
I followed behind, not wanting to be the reason he was late for that pie.
“He’s your mate, and who knows...he may be a descendant of shifters.”
“Then he might be my fated.”
“Fate doesn't care about your descendants. That’s not how it works. If he’s your mate...he’s your mate. All the rest is noise.”
If that were the only noise, I’d be golden.
As it was, I had a house that was falling down, a sheriff trying to frame me for I didn’t even know what, and no idea how I was going to deal with any of it.
Fourteen
Ron
“This might be the best thing I ever put in my mouth.” Leo made yummy sounds around his fork.
“Agreed.” I was lying. It was the second-best thing, but Doc didn't need to hear that. I’d already shared far more than I’d planned to with him.
“I still can't believe you’ve never had sugar pie.” I had been waiting there with our pies already ordered when they arrived, including a second piece for Doc as Camille suggested.
He didn’t turn it down. Good thing I did too, since they sold out five seconds after I walked through the door.
Leo’s eyes rolled back in his head. “I want to make it part of my life. Please tell me she makes it the same day every week so I can put it in my calendar.”
I loved seeing his face light up like that. If it made him this giddy, he needed it more often, especially with the way things were going with his new home.
He was about to put another bite in his mouth when he stopped, holding the fork just an inch from his delicious lips. “Or is it one of those things you just have to know about?”
“You just have to be in the know.” Doc started to work on his second piece. I was glad Camille had made the right call.
“I'm gonna need to get myself in the know.”
While we ate our pies, we talked about benign things like the weather. Doc finished his quickly then excused himself to go pick up Xander from school. I was curious as to how he was going to handle the notes, but that wasn’t any of my business. It was between the man and his son.
But still, I was a nosy Nelly and had a feeling it could go either one of two ways. One, they were notes from the mother to her son, just telling him all the things she wan
ted him to know before she passed. That would be heartbreaking and heart-wrenching and horrible in its own right, but at the same time, it would give some closure to a boy who lost too much too soon.
The second option, however, could be that she was letting him know things about his past. And since he had shifter blood, and we didn’t know if she was a shifter, that could lead to more questions than answers.
“The sheriff hasn't called to say I could go back yet.” Leo set down his fork, eyeing the last bit on my plate.
I pushed it his way. You only have one first time with sugar pie.
“I’m not surprised. He'll probably dawdle on that, if I’m being honest.” Because he's an asshole. “What do you think about us heading into the city? Not the big city, but about a half hour from here. We can check out the home store.”
He forked the last bit of my pie. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. We can look around and place an order for delivery or organize everything to place an order since we don't know when I'll be able to get in.”
He was going to need delivery for sure. Either that or a rental truck. Even with my truck, he’d be making multiple trips with the amount of supplies that place needed.
“That sounds like fun.”
I smiled in agreement. Anything with him sounded fun.
“I’ve been meaning to do some things around the house for Mrs. Parker anyway.” She mentioned the back fence was getting ratty. I figured I could fix that up for her so she didn’t have to call someone in.
“You're like the ideal tenant.”
“I try to be. There aren’t that many places like it in town. They're usually either larger and perfect for families or just rented rooms.” I took out a few bills to leave on the table to cover the pie.
Leo eyed the money on the table. “If you drive, I'll buy dinner.”
“Deal.” There was no point arguing about it. I wasn’t that kind of alpha. Sure, I wanted to treat him, but if this was what he wanted, that’s what he would get.
The trip to the home store turned out to be a blast. Starting over from the ground up meant we got to look at everything. There were a lot of choices to be made, and since we were only window shopping, they were stress-free.
We looked at bathroom fixtures and kitchen countertops and cabinets. I had to admit, I was impressed by how much a city boy knew about construction and finish work. I could do bare minimum repairs like fixing the fence or replacing a broken outlet. He, on the other hand, contemplated buying the tools to make his own cabinets.
By the time he was done, he came out with an entire notebook full of things he needed, complete with the order numbers and their prices. Ordering online at a later time was going to be a breeze. He wanted to order it all today, but not knowing when he could start work put a damper on that.
I had to work the next day so at least I could try to expedite things for him. He shouldn’t be blocked from his own home. That was bullshit.
We stopped and ate dinner at a fancy steakhouse. It was his choice not mine. And it was perfect. Granted, we didn't fit in at all. Both of us were in our jeans and t-shirts, surrounded by suits and ties. All eyes were on my date, but not because of his clothes. He had a way of lighting up the room. Maybe it was the sparkle in his eyes. Maybe it was that smile he gave, the one that sucked you in. All I knew was it wasn’t just me who was drawn in by him.
The entire way home, I wanted to ask him for more. More than just the night we had. The one we were both ignoring like a boss. And every time I was about to say something, I chickened out, not wanting to make things weird for him while he was still at my house.
But then his hand settled on my thigh and slowly started moving up. So freaking slowly. I almost questioned if it was moving at all. It was nice. Beyond nice. Maybe we didn't need the words. Maybe this was enough.
As we drove home in silence, just being together, only connected by that one hand, an unfamiliar peace settled over me.
I didn’t want it to end.
Fifteen
Leo
“I have to confess something,” Ron said as he shut the door behind us.
We’d had such an amazing time between the home store and dinner. And the way he’d brush against me as if it were the most natural thing in the world, I wasn’t even sure he noticed he was doing it. He sure noticed when my hand climbed up his thigh. I wanted to beg him to pull over right there.
It wasn’t easy, but I was good. I waited. Now, the waiting was over. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“When I said that pie was the best thing I ever put in my mouth.”
He licked his bottom lip and then pulled it in with his teeth. He knew exactly where this was going. “Yeah.”
“That was a lie.”
“Oh really?” A shiver of desire ran up my spine.
Ron closed the distance between us. His body was so close to mine, yet not close enough. “Really.”
I bit my lip, playing coy. “You didn't enjoy it?”
“Oh, I enjoyed it very much.” He reached forward, grabbing my belt hoops with his forefingers. “But there is something I enjoy more.”
“Me too,” I whispered.
Ron didn’t wait for more. He walked me straight to the bed, neither of us wanting to waste any time getting naked.
“I want you in my mouth,” I said as I pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the ground.
He grinned. “But what if I want you in my mouth first?” He shoved his jeans past his hips until they puddled on the ground and he stepped out of them.
“Maybe we can do this together?” I shoved off my jeans as well and gave Ron a gentle shove onto the bed.
His beautifully naked body fell back with a soft bounce, and he stared up at me, his hard dick pointing straight up. The tip had a tiny bubble of moisture, and my mouth immediately started to water.
I climbed onto the bed beside him then threw my knee over his shoulder with a twist so he was staring up at my ass and his cock was just inches from my mouth.
Ron didn’t give me a chance to get started before he pulled my hips down toward his face and sucked my balls into his mouth.
“Ungggh.” My whole body felt a shock of pleasure as he sucked and teased me with his lips and tongue. I could have stayed in that position forever, but I had needs too, you know. I leaned forward and pulled his shaft into my mouth, sucking it down to the root as his head filled my throat. I held there as long as I could, loving the way he stretched me out before I had to pull back to let some air travel through to my lungs.
Ron‘s hips tilted up, chasing my mouth until I slid back down again. I loved that he wanted me so badly. Almost as badly as I wanted him.
We continued to stroke and tease and nip at each other until we couldn’t hold back any longer. I wanted to feel him inside me, but I also wanted him exactly like this.
And more than anything, I wanted to come when he came. Feeling every inch of his body beneath mine as he gave it all to me, at the same time I gave it all to him. His finger snaked up my crack and then down to my hole, pressing against my opening.
I knew what was coming next, and I was desperate for it.
My hips instinctively tilted so he had better access, and as a result, the increased pressure of my cock at the sharp angle sent a spike of adrenaline through me. I moaned around him and squeezed his thighs as I got closer to release.
Ron’s hips moved faster, pumping up into me at a frenzied pace as I pumped into him.
Just moments later, I felt it. The intense sensation pulling at my balls before exploding out of me, straight into his mouth.
As soon as the first load hit his tongue, he shoved his fingers deeper inside me, finding that spot within me that made everything so much better.
I did the same, slipping my fingers inside him as an orgasm rocked through his body and mine, moving us in sync as we both leaned into the pleasure of being with each other.
I was completely boneless as I lay upon him, wanting this moment to la
st forever but also wanting more.
I wasn’t the only one with that idea. A few minutes later, Ron shifted our weight so we were side-by-side, still head to toe, and his tongue periodically darted out to lick my softening cock. “Now that was the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”
My cat purred as I nestled my cheek against his leg, just wanting to be close to him. “I don’t think anything could ever beat it. Will you stay with me tonight?”
Ron opened his mouth to speak but his phone pinged in his jeans. “Hold that thought.”
The worst part about being with a cop is that he couldn’t just ignore his phone when it rang. He was perpetually on-call. I listened with bated breath to find out what his answer would be. If he could stay, I knew he would. But when Ron sighed heavily and threw his head back in frustration, I knew it wasn’t gonna happen.
“Yeah, I’m on my way.” He disconnected the call and slowly turned to me. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go.”
I nodded. “I know.” I wanted to tell him it was okay, but it wasn’t. I didn’t blame him for leaving but I wanted more than anything to be in his arms until morning. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Sixteen
Ron
The sheriff was getting ridiculous. Not getting. He was ridiculous. I really needed to figure out how to deal with him without making things worse for Leo. There was no reason why Leo shouldn't go back to his home. Although, truth be told, I didn't actually want him to leave my place.
I liked having him under my roof and in my bed, even if it wasn’t the one I was in.
But that land was his home even before he fixed it up. He deserved to be there. He deserved to be allowed to rehab it, making it exactly the way he wanted.
By the time I got to the office after dealing with the overturned truck on the highway, it was pretty late. The sheriff was gone for the day, and Ms. Patty had the night off. Since I had some privacy, I decided to dig a little further into the mess that was Clarence. That man continued to be a pain in my ass even after his death.
Feline The Love: An M/M MPreg Shifter Romance (River’s Edge Shifters Book 2) Page 7
