He heard the scuffing of socked feet on carpet as he pulled the bowl of salad and the pitcher of iced tea out of the refrigerator. Setting them on the table, Lou listened as Damon greeted Wesley. His brows rose when he heard a second voice greet the boy, then a third. That last one was raspy and deep and sent a shiver down Lou’s spine. He’d had lovers since Jay had died, but none had made his pulse race from just a few words. With everything going on, it was not the time for complications!
“Dad! Uncle Wesley brought guests,” Damon called. He reappeared in the doorway. “We need two more plates,” he said, as if Lou couldn’t see that for himself.
Lou nodded and smiled at his son. “Will you take care of that, please?” Damon moved to obey, and Lou strode toward the strangers. He watched his son for a second, smiling fondly. Jay would have been proud. Damon was such a good kid.
The taller of the two had honey-brown hair, brown eyes and stood about six foot three. He was good looking, muscular, and looked startlingly similar to Damon. He fought back a gasp as he realized the man must be a shifter—a lion shifter. He shot a questioning look toward Wesley as his pulse picked up, this time not due to lust like a few moments before.
“Hey, easy now,” the second man said, stepping close and resting a hand on Lou’s shoulder. “We’re not here to harm you or your son. We’re here to help.”
This man was the one’s whose voice sent chills down Lou’s spine. And now, with him so close, Lou wanted to step into the embrace the African American offered. His dark, swarthy skin made Lou’s fingers itch with the need to touch. The man was close enough to smell, and his earthy masculine scent filled Lou and soothed his senses even as it enflamed them. He just knew if he stepped forward, the man would wrap him in his arms and they’d fit together perfectly. He’d never considered himself short, standing at five foot ten, and this guy was just a few inches taller than him. It’d be perfect.
“Dad?”
Damon’s concerned, one-word question cut through Lou’s lusty thoughts. He jerked back, breaking the contact. Oddly, Lou missed the way the man’s thumb felt when he’d slipped it under his shirt and rubbed reassuring circles over his collar bone.
That knowledge had him backing another step and pasting a false smile on his lips. “Welcome. I didn’t realize Wesley was bringing others, but there’s plenty. I hope you like spaghetti and meatballs.” He knew his voice sounded higher than normal, but Lou couldn’t seem to calm himself.
“I’m sorry, son,” Wesley said. “I should have called. From your reaction, I’m sure you’ve figured out that these two men are shifters.” The old man lifted a hand, palm out, in placation. “Calm down. Haben spoke the truth. They’re here to help.”
Haben. The man whose touch feels like heaven is Haben.
Forcing that particular thought aside, Lou nodded and let out a slow, deep breath. Feeling a bit more centered, he looked over at the men and smiled. “Right. Sorry. It was just a shock.” He held out a hand to the first one, “I’m Louis Reynolds. Everyone calls me Lou. Nice to meet you.”
The taller man took his hand and replied, “Terence Williams. Nice to meet you.”
Releasing Terence’s hand, he gathered his courage and offered his own to the African American. The man’s black eyes glittered with heat and he gently clasped it into a firm hold. “I’m Haben Bello,” he murmured, his deep voice once more going straight through Lou. This time, when he touched the man, Lou’s dick reacted almost instantly, hardening in his jeans. Haben’s grip tightened just a bit as he stated, “You and I have much to discuss.”
Then the man released him, and Lou wanted to protest at the loss of Haben’s touch, which made no sense whatsoever. He didn’t even know if this guy was gay. He was a shifter who was supposed to be helping him and his son.
Wesley cleared his throat, drawing Lou’s attention. The aging man had a pleased gleam in his green eyes that Lou didn’t understand. “This old-timer is definitely ready for some of your famous spaghetti and meatballs,” he said. “And is that garlic bread, I smell?”
Lou had to clear his throat before he found his voice. “It is. Come, have a seat everyone,” he said, motioning them into the room. He was pleased to see Damon had completed setting the table, and he headed into the kitchen to get the spaghetti. When he turned around, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he discovered Haben standing directly behind him.
Haben grabbed the bowl of sauce with one hand and Lou’s arm with the other, keeping him from toppling over and saving the food. “Easy,” he crooned. “I just wanted to know if I could help with anything.”
He licked his lips, then noticed the way the bigger man’s eyes narrowed. Haben seemed to follow the movement of Lou’s tongue closely, and he saw the shifter’s nostrils flare. Okay, so maybe the guy is gay after all. At least, he seems attracted to me. “Sure,” Lou whispered, releasing his hold on the bowl. “Take that out, and I’ll get the noodles and bread.”
Nodding, Haben did as instructed. Just like the last time, when the man released him, Lou immediately wanted the contact back. Shit, this is weird!
Haben placed both hands on the bowl and left the kitchen. Confused, Lou shook his head, grabbed the bowl with the bread and the one with the noodles, then followed Haben to the dining room. Everyone was seated. Lou saw the only plate setting left was between Haben and his son. After placing the food on the table, he took his seat. The table was small—a round four-seater, and someone had brought in an extra chair from the office. Everyone dug in, and the table fell into silence as they focused on eating.
There wasn’t much room between them, and through the course of the meal, Lou found his leg bumping into Haben’s time and time again. The contact sent tingles through his thigh straight to his groin, causing his dick to remain at half-mast with no hope of deflating any time soon.
When the pace of consumption slowed, Lou looked across the table at Terence and said, “So, you’re a lion shifter, like Damon?”
Terence glanced at Haben and Wesley, then nodded. “I am.” He turned to Damon and said, “If you’d like, I can teach you how to shift swiftly and painlessly.”
“You mean it doesn’t have to hurt?” Damon asked in surprise. The boy peered around the table and saw both Terence and Haben shaking their head. “Cool! Can I, Dad?”
The excitement was written all over his son’s face.
Lou nodded. “Of course. As long as it doesn’t interfere with your school work,” he admonished.
“It won’t,” Damon promised.
“I’m sure Wesley has already mentioned it,” Haben said. “But it’s important that you don’t tell anyone or show anyone your ability to turn into a lion.” His expression was grave when he leveled his stare on Damon. “No matter how cool you think it is. Although we consider our ability to turn into an animal a gift, others don’t see it that way. Humans like to experiment on what they don’t understand.”
Damon scowled and cocked his head, as if thinking about Haben’s words.
“It’s for your own safety, son,” Wesley added.
“Yeah, okay,” Damon replied, though a bit sullenly. Lou made a mental note to talk to Damon again about this and stress its importance.
Lou looked at Haben. “So does that mean you’re a shifter, too?”
Haben nodded. “Yes.”
“Are you a lion?” Hadn’t Wesley told him that shifters banded into herds and prides and stuff? Lou tried to remember.
“No,” Haben replied. “I am not a lion.” He paused, and Lou wondered for a second if Haben was going to tell him. Licking his lips, Haben smiled, though it appeared forced. “I am a tarantula. A Goliath Birdeater.”
“A tarantula! Cool!” Damon crowed. “Can I see?”
Lou frowned at his son. Could someone ask a shifter to change just to see?
This time, when Haben smiled, it was much more convincing. “During the course of your practice, I’m sure you will.”
“Is that something I can watch?” he
asked without thinking.
Haben turned to look at him and gave him a lascivious grin. He leaned close and murmured, “As long as you don’t have a problem with nudity. We shifters aren’t real shy.”
Lou’s face burned and he tried to stammer an answer, but his tongue seemed stuck to the roof of his mouth. Just the thought of seeing Haben naked had his dick standing at attention. “Sorry, handsome,” Haben crooned, leaning closer still. “Didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
To Lou’s eternal shock, Haben closed the distance between them and pressed a soft kiss to his temple, right there in front of everyone!
“Oh,” he murmured, feeling those firm lips against his skin. He turned, what he was going to say he wasn’t sure, but he never got the chance.
Haben cupped his jaw in one calloused hand and kissed him. It wasn’t just some chaste peck. The man—shifter—took advantage of Lou’s open mouth to slip his tongue in deep. Probing his mouth, Haben swirled Lou’s tongue with his own, coaxing him to join in the erotic dance of lips, and tongue, and teeth, and mouth.
He gave in to his desire and kissed back. Lou took control of the kiss, because if there was something he liked more than cooking, it was kissing, and a man who knew how to kiss was worth his weight in gold. And Haben knew, oh he knew. They tilted their heads, deepening the contact and Lou found himself the aggressor. Haben let him into his mouth, curling his tongue around Lou’s, stroking the sensitive appendage.
A wolf whistle cut through Lou’s haze of lust. He snapped his head back and stared into Haben’s glittering black eyes. His breath came in ragged pants that matched Lou’s. Some perverse pleasure filled Lou when he realized he seemed to affect Haben just as much as the shifter affected him.
Then he remembered where he was and who he was with, and the heat of embarrassment slammed into him. Lou jerked out of Haben’s arms and off his lap. How the hell did I end up there? Haben rose with him and took a step toward him as he back-pedaled. Lou held up a hand, swinging it between them as if that would really do anything if the man pressed. It seemed he had no self-control where this guy was concerned. One touch and he was done for.
His gaze swung to his son. Damon’s mouth was open in shock and his face was bright red, but from embarrassment or anger, Lou didn’t know.
To his relief, Haben gave him space. “I’m sorry,” Lou whispered, glancing around the room. “I don’t—I don’t know why I…” He shook his head, trying to clear the last of the lust clouding his brain.
Haben sighed. “I told you we had things to discuss.”
“What things?” he snapped, becoming frustrated. It didn’t miss his notice that Wesley and Terence wouldn’t meet his gaze. “What the hell is going on?”
“I hadn’t wanted to tell you like this,” Haben replied. “But it seems we can’t keep our hands off each other, and I really don’t want to try,” he admitted. Looking Lou in the eye, the shifter stated, “You’re my mate, Lou.”
“Yo—Your mate? What does that mean?” Lou sputtered. Could his life get any weirder? Not only did he have a shifter for a son, but now he was practically attacking some stranger in front of said son.
Terence sighed and leaned back. “Do you want us to leave?”
Haben shook his head. “No, this is something that affects all of us,” he said, “and it is information Damon will need to know.”
His son frowned. “What’s going on?”
“Now, you all don’t panic,” Wesley ordered firmly. “This is nothing bad. In fact, I’m happy for you. You couldn’t find a better man than Haben.” The old man winked at Lou. “In or out of the sack.”
Lou frowned. “Huh?”
“Not helping, Wes,” Haben said, lightly smacking Wesley’s arm. The African American sat back down and motioned for Lou to do the same. After a moment’s hesitation, he did. “Okay, where to start,” Haben mused softly.
“How about explaining what you meant?” Lou snapped.
Haben lifted his hand and nodded. “Fate gives one mate to each shifter, designed to complete and complement him or her. We search our entire lives for that special someone, Lou,” Haben said softly. “And we live a long time, and there’s no guarantee that we’ll find them—but if we do, we do everything we can to take care of them and please them, in every way possible.”
“Okay,” Lou said, drawing out the word. “That wasn’t quite what I expected,” he admitted. “You’re essentially saying that you think I’m your soul mate and you want to make me happy?”
Haben nodded and his earnest black eyes met Lou’s. “Yes.”
“Why do you think this?” Lou asked. Not that he minded Haben wanting to please him—the man was fucking hot—but it seemed just a little too coincidental.
The shifter sighed. “I understand your reticence. Really, I do,” Haben said. “One thing you need to understand is shifters live longer than humans.” His gaze switched to Damon. “Sorry, kid, but you just got your life extended by a few centuries.”
“I did? That’s so cool!” Damon replied immediately. Then he frowned. “But what about Dad? Will he live longer, too?”
Lou was about to say, no, that he wasn’t a shifter. Then he was going to give Haben a piece of his mind for dropping that little bombshell on his son, but he didn’t get the chance.
“Actually, yes,” Haben revealed, interrupting him.
“What?” Lou whipped his head around to look at Haben. “But I’m not a shifter.”
“Once I claim you, your life will extend to match mine.” Haben’s lips curved into a slight smile. “I’m already almost two centuries old, sweetheart, but that’ll still give us a couple together.”
“You’ll really live that long?” Lou asked, his jaw sagging open.
Haben nodded. “So will you, if you’ll let me claim you,” he replied softly.
Lou took a deep breath. This was really important to the man. He didn’t have to know Haben well to realize that. He bit his lower lip, trying to decide how he felt about it all. Confused, to be sure. Overwhelmed, definitely. Excited? Yeah. And flattered. With his small belly, love handles, and short brown hair, Lou didn’t think he was much to look at. To have this sexy, muscular guy want him with such intensity flattered Lou’s ego.
It didn’t help Lou’s thinking process when he saw how Haben stared at the lip he was gnawing on. “What, uh, what does claiming entail, exactly?” he finally asked nervously.
At that, Wesley grinned really big and Terence actually glanced at Damon then quickly away and blushed. Haben’s expression as he met Lou’s gaze could only be called one thing, smoldering.
“Maybe we should discuss that at another time,” Haben recommended.
“Uh, okay,” he replied.
“What?” Damon cut in.
Lou looked at his frowning son, but had no idea what to say to the boy.
Terence patted the boy on his shoulder. “We’ll explain once you’re a little older,” he promised.
“Let us help you clean up,” Wesley said, drawing everyone’s attention.
That sounded like an excellent distraction, Lou decided.
Chapter Three
Haben watched Terence and Wesley leave. His pack-mate promised to drop his old friend off at home. Wesley had offered an air mattress or couch, but Terence had graciously declined. At six foot three, the lion shifter didn’t find most couches very comfortable.
“Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable. I need to check Damon’s homework, then I’ll be back,” Lou told him.
He nodded and settled on the sofa, a glass of iced tea clutched in his hands. Haben tried to focus on his plan for tomorrow. Wesley had told him he’d send a letter to Vivian, letting her know she had no legal grounds to see Damon without Lou’s permission. They both knew that wouldn’t be the end of it, but it would give Haben the opportunity to slip into their compound. As an arachnid, he didn’t have much of a scent, and what little he gave off would be easily masked by Terence’s lion smell.
Wonder
ing how the lioness had even found out Damon had shifted made for scary thoughts. Had someone seen? Did Lou have a peeping tom? Had Damon told someone? Had she actually been keeping an eye on the boy? Was there a spy amidst Lou or Damon’s friends? Thinking of all the possibilities had Haben’s mind bouncing and he leaped to his feet to pace.
“Hey, you okay?”
Lou’s soft question interrupted him a few moments later, and Haben swung around to face his mate. My mate, Gods that still sounds so odd to me. He smiled at Lou and nodded. “Just thinking.”
“About what?” Lou leaned his butt against the arm of the sofa.
This wasn’t really the conversation he’d planned to have with his mate, but at least Lou was willing to talk to him after his display at dinner. He’d practically mauled the man in front of everyone. Shaking his head to clear his wayward thoughts, he said, “I’m just wondering how Vivian knew Damon had shifted. Wesley told us it happened in the living room. Did he shift again at some point—maybe in front of people?”
Lou frowned. “Not that he’s told me. Maybe when Terence starts training him, your friend could ask. He might feel more comfortable sharing shifter stuff with him instead of me,” he added thoughtfully.
Haben cocked his head. “He seems like a good kid. Do you think he’d keep things from you?”
Sighing, Lou rolled his shoulders. “About anything else, I’d say no, but, after everything that’s happened? Maybe. This is a big adjustment—for both of us.”
“And I’m just complicating things,” Haben muttered.
Lou’s brows shot up and he leaped to his feet. To Haben’s surprise, Lou took his hand and squeezed.
“Hey, I didn’t say that. I admit, this is a lot to take in, but,” he paused and shrugged before adding, “I’d really like to get to know you. See where this goes.”
His hand tingled where his mate held him. Haben brought Lou’s hand to his lips and gently kissed the palm. “Where this goes is to a permanent partnership, Lou,” he whispered, liking the shiver his kiss and rough admission caused in the other man’s body. “I’ve searched too long and hard to find you to just let you go.” Shaking his head, Haben continued, “I know that sounds a bit like a stalker, but I know we’ll never find this level of attraction to another.” He smiled at Lou’s confused look of disbelief. “I know you’ll need time to understand, and I’d like to give that to you, but resisting you is difficult.”
Spider Sense Page 2
