by Stormy Glenn
Dom chuckled. He could see that being an issue, although he wouldn’t mind seeing Keeland when he was tipsy. That had to be an interesting sight.
He set the empty picnic basket on the floor, then put Henrietta and her bowl of food inside of it. In the week he’d had her, he’d learned she was quite the curious cat and could get herself into a lot of trouble if not supervised.
For a few minutes, silence hung in the air as they both ate, with the occasional moan tossed in. Dom’s eyes widened when he felt a burp coming. He quickly covered his mouth, praying he could swallow it down.
Keeland thumped his chest with his fist, a long burp coming out of his mouth. “Damn, that was good.”
Dom chuckled. He hadn’t been expecting that out of the cute little man. He burped loud enough to make a lumberjack proud.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin, then settled back in his chair. He didn’t know exactly how long he had before Keeland booted him out, so he planned to make the best of the time he did have.
He also wanted his curiosity appeased. “What was with those guys who were leaving when I got here? They didn’t seem like the pet type.”
“Yeah, it was really weird.” Keeland’s brow furrowed. “They were asking a bunch of questions about animals I might have treated.”
Dom tried not to let his alarm show as he asked, “What kind of questions?”
Keeland let out a little snort. “Wild ones.”
Dom lifted his brow. “Wild questions?”
“Well, yeah.” He chuckled and shook his head. “They actually wanted to know if I’d been called out to treat any wild animals.”
“Do you treat wild animals?”
“Not usually, but I do get called in occasionally if someone finds an injured animal or something.”
“Were they from the Fish and Game Department?”
Keeland shrugged. “I actually am not real sure. They mentioned some organization, but honestly, I stopped listening once they started asking me if I had ever treated wild predatory animals.” Keeland picked up a business card and held it in the air. “They asked me to call them if I treated any large felines, but what they were saying was so outrageous…”
Keeland tossed the business card into the garbage can. “After that, I was just trying to get them out of my office so I could go back to work.”
Dom almost forgot to breathe. “What type of large felines?”
Keeland snorted again. “Panthers. Can you believe it?”
Dom could, and it made his blood run cold.
Chapter Five
Keeland frowned as he watched the blood drain out of Dom’s face. That wasn’t the reaction he had been expecting. He sat forward, worried about the ashen man. “Dom?”
“I need to go.”
Keland sat there and watched as Dom stood and quickly started putting everything back into the picnic basket. There was something going on here, but damned if he could figure out what it was. Dom was acting very peculiar, but he didn’t know the man well enough to say if he was acting out of character or not.
He had hoped, when Dom showed up with lunch, that he would be given the chance to learn more about the man, but now he wasn’t sure he really wanted to. He didn’t need crazy in his life. It was complicated enough.
“Dom, what’s going on?”
Keeland reared back from the hard look Dom shot him. The pure panic on his face was infused with a healthy dose of anger. It was a look he never expected to see on someone interested in getting to know him better.
It wasn’t one he wanted to see again.
Keeland stood and started grabbing stuff off his desk to hold out for Dom. If the man wanted to leave so bad, Keeland wasn’t about to stop him. He wasn’t sure what happened, but if this was how Dom reacted to a situation—whatever that situation might be—Keeland didn’t really want anything to do with him.
It was really too bad. Dom was hot, like really hot. Keeland’s heart was heavy with the knowledge that his fantasies about the handsome man would never be realized. They would forever stay fantasies.
“I’ll call you,” Dom said as he gathered Henrietta up and reached for the picnic basket.
“Yeah, don’t do that.”
Dom’s eyes were hard as steel when he glanced up.
“I don’t know what this is”—Keeland waved toward Dom—“but I don’t do crazy.”
Being snarly was probably not his best bet considering Dom could easily fold him in half, but he refused to let the man know just how intimidated he was by his massive size. He was betting on the fact that Dom wouldn’t hurt him.
He was hoping Dom wouldn’t hurt him.
“Look.” Dom pushed a hand through his hair. “I can’t explain this to you right now, but I promise I will just as soon as I can.”
Keeland still didn’t know what this was. He crossed his arms. “Fine.”
“Baby, don’t—”
“Baby?” Keeland snapped, the sudden infusion of anger making his head spin. “You don’t get to call me baby or darling or anything else.”
“Keeland—”
“I think it’s best if you left now.” Keeland was seconds away from begging Dom not to go. He needed the man to leave before that happened. He wanted to walk away from this was some of his pride intact.
Dom’s nostrils flared as he stared at Keeland with a stony glint in his eyes. The muscles in his jaw started to tick. He moved so quickly, setting the picnic basket down and dropping Henrietta into it, that when he came at him, Keeland didn’t have time to do anything but step back.
He didn’t step back far enough.
“You drive me insane,” Dom snapped as he grabbed Keeland and yanked him close.
After sliding his thumb over Keeland’s lips, Dom bent to kiss him. He brought his hand to the back of Keeland’s head, holding him still. It was a deep, sensual kiss that swept through his body like a tsunami.
Keeland whimpered when Dom broke the connection of their lips and pulled back. His eyes, dark and stormy, flashed with something Keeland couldn’t define before Dom leaned back in and recaptured his lips, kissing him again, hard and deep.
His heart felt as if it were going to pound right out of his chest when Dom shoved him roughly up against the wall, pinning him there with a leg between Keeland’s thighs.
Dom grabbed a fistful of Keeland’s hair and yanked his head back. Keeland’s breath caught in the back of his throat before a long, needy moan was wrenched from his mouth. He had been kissed before, but never like this. Dom wanted to devour him. He tasted him, claimed him.
Keeland was all too willing to submit.
He closed his eyes as he sank his hands into Dom’s thick hair and pulled him closer, returning the kiss with abandon. Dom wrapped his arms around Keeland and lifted him off his feet. His hands gripped Keeland’s ass.
“I’m not crazy, baby. I promise,” Dom whispered against his lips.
Keeland wasn’t sure he agreed with Dom, but he wasn’t sure he cared.
“Come with me, Keeland.” His voice had a catch in it. “Please?”
Keeland leaned back until he could look into Dom’s eyes. “Why?”
“Please?”
Keeland’s shoulders slumped because there was no way he could deny the plea in Dom’s voice or the desperation in his eyes. He didn’t know what was going on, and maybe Dom was just as crazy as he thought he was, but maybe it didn’t matter all that much.
“I have some things I want to share with you, but I need to talk to my brother first. It’s important.”
Keeland frowned. “I can’t just leave work.”
“I know, I just…” Dom’s hand wrapped around Keeland’s throat, his thumb rubbing lightly over his skin. “I really want to talk to you, to spend more time with you, but…” He shook his head. “I have to go talk to my brother.”
“Can you at least tell me why?” Keeland asked.
“Those two men who were here, I think they mean me and my family harm.”
<
br /> Well, that didn’t make sense.
“Are you a poacher?”
“God, no!”
“Then—”
“Look, just come with me.” Dom’s hand slid down Keeland’s arm until their hands connected. He entwined their fingers. “Please.”
“Fine, I’ll tell Jarrod we’re closing early.”
Dom’s grin was worth whatever shit he was going to face out in the lobby. Jarrod was a fantastic receptionist, but he had a wild gossiping streak. If Keeland ever wanted to know anything about anyone, he just needed to ask Jarrod.
Keeland grabbed his jacket, car keys, and wallet, then waited for Dom to get the picnic basket and Henrietta—who he had to pull out from under the desk—before heading out to the lobby.
“Jarrod, I have to go out for a little while, so we’re going to close up the clinic early. You can have the rest of the afternoon off.”
“Is something wrong, Doc?”
Damn, how much to say without it being bandied about town? “No, no, nothing is wrong. I just—”
“He’s helping me,” Dom said as he gestured to the kitten peeking out of the top of his jacket. “Henrietta is a bit of a handful. I was hoping he could come over and see what I have set up for her and give me some pointers. I don’t want to do anything that might stunt her growth.”
“Oh, she’s so cute,” Jarrod said as he leaned over the counter to pet the small furball. “Keeland found him by the side of the road about a week ago and gave her to me.” Dom grinned. “I don’t want to piss the doc off and have him take her back.”
Keeland found himself nodding his agreement with the artful story Dom was spinning. Not one word of what he said was a lie. It just wasn’t the whole truth.
“Well,” Jarrod said, “no one’s better with animals than the doc. If he has any ideas on how to make Henrietta’s life easier, I’d go with them. He really knows his stuff.”
Dom grinned. “My thoughts exactly.”
“We don’t have any animals in the kennel,” Keeland said, “so you can just check the doors, then close up and go home. I’ll see you back here in the morning, bright and early.”
Jarrod was all grins. God, he was young. “Okay, Doc.”
Keeland walked out of the clinic, knowing Dom would be hot on his heels. He’d been able to get out of work easily enough. It helped that he worked for himself. But he knew if they didn’t leave now, Jarrod would start asking more questions, questions Keeland didn’t think Dom wanted to answer.
“Where’s your bike?” he asked when they reached the parking lot.
“I told you, I won’t drive my motorcycle when I have Henrietta with me.”
“So where’s your truck, then?”
“Back at the shop. I walked here.”
Okay, that made things a bit easier.
“My truck is around back.” Keeland started walking, knowing once again that Dom would follow. He had no idea how he knew that, just that he did.
When they reached his truck, Keeland hit the unlock fob on his key chain, then climbed into the driver’s seat. He waited until Dom got into the passenger seat and got belted in before starting the vehicle.
“Where to?” he asked.
“Do you know where West Elm Street is?”
Keeland thought about it for a moment before asking, “Isn’t it down by the grocery store?”
Dom nodded. “Turn right on West Elm. Gabriel lives a couple of miles outside of town.”
Keeland put the truck into drive and started heading where Dom had directed him. He wouldn’t mind finding a place out of town, but that was a ways off. He needed to be more established with his clinic before then.
The silence in the truck was a little disconcerting, but Keeland had no idea what to say or even if he should say anything at all. His skin buzzed with an uncomfortable edge. He just knew something was about to happen that would change the way he looked at the world.
He always knew when that was about to happen, ever since he was a small child and knew before the phone call that his father had died in a car accident. It had been a curse he’d lived with almost his entire life.
He really hoped he wasn’t about to find out Dom was married or something. He wasn’t sure he could handle that without going completely to pieces.
“Turn here,” Dom said after they had driven a couple of miles out of town.
Keeland was a little surprised at how nice the small farmhouse they pulled up to was. The term quaint came readily to mind. It was two stories tall with a full porch that went the entire length of the front of the house. Green shutters framed most of the windows except the large picture window on the first floor. It even had a green door.
“Your brother lives here?”
Dom nodded as he reached for Henrietta. “My brother and his…partner, Chay, who also owns the motorcycle shop with me, both live here.”
“Your brother and your business partner are involved?”
“Engaged actually.”
Okay, that made things either easier or harder. Keeland couldn’t decide which. It was nice to know his interest in Dom wouldn’t be looked upon with disdain by the people close to the man. Being gay wasn’t a disease to be ridiculed, contrary to popular belief. What he did in the comfort of his own home was no one’s business but his own.
Keeland parked the truck and turned it off. When Dom climbed out, he followed. Nerves fluttered in his stomach as he joined Dom on the front porch. He was about to meet the family of the man he was interested in. That was pretty nerve-racking.
Dom knocked once, then opened the door and strode in as if he had done it a hundred times before. Keeland walked in behind him. The inside was just as quaint as the outside. Soft, overstuffed furnishings in neutral colors and lots of wood. Keeland liked it. He was pretty sure he’d feel really comfortable here if he weren’t so uncomfortable about meeting Dom’s family.
“Gabe,” Dom called out.
A man appeared in an archway off to the left. Keeland could instantly see the family resemblance in their vivid blue eyes and surmised that this was Dom’s brother.
“You bellowed?” the man inquired.
“We have trouble,” Dom said.
“When don’t we have trouble?” the man said right back. It didn’t appear to be a question.
“This is Keeland.”
“The Keeland?” Gabriel asked.
Dom’s brows lowered over his eyes. “Chay already called you?”
Gabriel snickered. “The second you were out the door.”
Keeland frowned as he glanced between the two men. What was going on here?
Dom set Henrietta on the floor, then pulled something out of his pocket. As he handed it to his brother, Keeland realized what it was. “You took the business card out of my garbage can?”
He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
“I needed to show it to Gabriel,” Dom insisted.
Keeland narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
“Look, give me a few minutes to get Gabriel started on this”—Dom held up the business card—“and then I’ll explain everything to you. Okay?”
“Fine, but I want a full explanation or I’m done.” He’d walk right out the front door.
Dom grimaced but nodded. “I’ll explain everything. I promise.”
Keeland didn’t understand the dark look Gabriel shot his brother, but he was pretty sure Gabriel didn’t like the idea of Dom explaining anything. That only ramped up Keeland’s curiosity.
He stood there and watched as Dom explained about the business card and the two men who had come into the clinic asking questions. He didn’t understand what the big deal was. The guys had been weird, but no weirder than Dom freaking out over it.
Gabriel whispered something low enough that Keeland couldn’t make it out, and then he rolled his eyes and walked away. Keeland turned his attention back to Dom.
“I’m waiting.”
Chapter Six
Dom’s hand shook as he p
ushed it through his hair. This conversation wasn’t going to go the way he wanted it to. He could just tell. Keeland was going to freak out and split. Dom would never see him again. He could feel it in his gut.
The creature that lived inside of him was snarling, wanting nothing more than to sink his teeth into Keeland and claim the man for all eternity. He didn’t understand the very human need to ask permission first.
Dom figured maybe he could start at the beginning and then Keeland would understand why this was so hard for him. Maybe he wouldn’t freak.
It was a hope, anyway.
“A couple of weeks ago I found out that I was adopted.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Dom’s smile was rueful. “My adopted father left long before I was old enough to remember him, and my adopted mother was a drunk. Knowing they weren’t my real family was no big loss.”
“What about your biological parents?”
“They were killed not long after I was born, murdered.”
“I’m—” Keeland plopped down on the couch and drew in a heavy-sounding breath before resting his elbows on his knees. “Man, I’m sorry, Dom. It had to be horrible to find out you had other parents out there, only to learn they were dead.”
Dom nodded, swallowing the lump in his threat. “I don’t think I’ve really thought about it yet. There’s just been too much going on to really think about it.”
There was an ache in his gut every time he thought about what he would never have, but there wasn’t much he could do about it except stop whoever had killed them.
“There was good news, however. I found Gabriel, or rather, he found me.”
Keeland’s eyebrows lifted. “You didn’t know Gabriel before a couple of weeks ago?”
“No, I always thought I was an only child. Turns out, I was the second born of quadruplets.”
“There are four of you?”
Dom chuckled as he nodded. That had kind of been his reaction too. “So far, we haven’t been able to locate the other two, but we’re looking for them.”
“Wow.”
Dom walked over and sat in the chair kitty-corner from Keeland. He clasped his hands and let them dangle between his thighs. “I need you to keep an open mind. What I’m about to tell you is kind of wild.”
