A Shifter's Fevered Heart (Distant Edge Romance Book 3)

by Chloe Adler

  He pulled back, breaking our tether, then leaned into my ear. “That’s just a taste of what’s to come.”

  “I can hardly wait,” I panted back.

  “Don’t take your eyes off me during my next act. You won’t be disappointed.”

  Then he turned and sauntered off. Chrys squealed beside me. “That was hot, I won’t deny it.” I glanced at my friend, rewarding her with a smile.

  Carter returned with another drink for me. “Wouldn’t it be nice to be a fly on their wall later?” he asked Chrys.

  “Carter!” she exclaimed.

  I waited at the bar for Alec’s next act, barely registering the girl who was dancing. Women didn’t turn me on at all. Sometimes I played with Burgundy, and back when Sadie had been single, we’d often had foursomes with another hot guy. I knew how to pleasure the women in my life but it didn’t turn me on. I did it because I loved them and pleasuring them made me happy. It was hard to talk to other fags about this. They didn’t understand, so I basically kept it to myself. I didn’t need their approval. My friends were my family, and I loved them fiercely.

  Carter leaned on the bar to get my attention. “He was asking about you last night.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. When he came in to audition, your shift was over and you were heading out. Walked right by him. Must have been tired not to see the way he looked at you. His head practically swiveled off his neck.”

  “You’re putting me on.”

  “He’s not,” Chrys chimed in. “He told me about it later. Said there was a new guy in town that already had the hots for you.”

  “Yeah, right. Before saying a word to me?”

  “I guess he liked what he saw. How many times does that happen to you?” Carter asked me.

  “Enough,” I conceded. It didn’t really matter what they said to me either, unless it was completely inane or mean. I’d still screw ‘em. But if I was looking for more, I’d be a lot more discriminating.

  The woman finished her act by dry-humping a pole. Not sexy. I was glad they cleaned them between acts. Chrys swiveled her barstool around as Burgundy approached the bar. She walked straight up to me and tousled my hair, then sat down on the stool Alec had vacated.

  “We missed you in the back room,” she said. Her hair was slightly mussed but I doubted anyone but me would notice. Her makeup and outfit were impeccable. This woman knew how to have a good time without wearing it.

  “Who was it?” I asked.

  “Bobby and Kate,” said Burgundy. “Delicious.”

  “They are a hot pair,” I agreed.

  “Bobby asked about you.”

  “I bet he did. The last time we slept with him, as I recall, he’d never received.”

  “You spoiled him,” she teased me. “Kate had to buy a strap-on and now she pegs him on a regular basis.”

  I laughed. “I’m glad to hear she’s pleasing her man.”

  “The key to a lasting relationship,” Chrys butted in, giggling. That particular act was not something she would ever do with Carter and we all knew it.

  “Are they staying for a while?” I asked Burgundy.

  “Nah, they’re passing through on their way to Mexico but they’ll be back.”

  “They always are.”

  “You look different,” Burgundy said, eyeing me. She ran her hand down my chest, pausing on my stomach. “Oh, your shirt is untucked.” She waggled her brows at me. “You got a little a somethin’ somethin’ too?”

  Carter appeared with Burgundy’s signature drink, Michter’s single-barrel bourbon. “He sure did. The new boy.”

  Burgundy clapped her hands together. “Nice. He’s smokin’.”

  “You met him too?” I asked, incredulous.

  “Last night, after you left. He auditioned. Man, it was hard for me not to fuck him right there on stage. Well,” she looked around and then leaned into me, “I tried, but as you know, he doesn’t swing my way.”

  “You tried to screw Alec?”

  “Can you blame me?” Burgundy threw her drink back.

  Chrys snorted.

  “That’s how I ended up with the two I brought home this morning, a consolation prize. I was desperate.”

  “If that’s desperate . . .” The music swelled and Alec made his entrance wearing—oh hell yes. A fireman’s outfit. “He’s starting, we have to watch.”

  “Yes please.” Burgundy grabbed her drink with one hand and my arm with the other, pulling me to the only empty table in the front corner of the stage. Alec may not be interested in my female consort but that did not keep her from trying. She bent forward on the tabletop, squeezing her breasts together. He didn’t notice. But he did notice me. His eyes swept over me hungrily and then he stared at a fixed point on the wall far ahead. Burgundy pushed her drink toward me but the acrid smell made my stomach roil.

  Alec began his act by traipsing around the bottom of the pole, swinging his hips to the music. Gradually, he stripped off the ridiculously hot fireman’s outfit, ending up in shorts and a tank.

  Slowly, deliberately, He placed both hands on the pole, locked eyes with me and licked his lips. The crowd was in a frenzy now.

  As he walked up the pole using only his arms, I was at my seat’s edge. He clamped his feet to the middle of the pole, wrapped one arm around it and placed a hand below his back, holding his body out flat like a tabletop—in midair.

  “Bravo!” a woman exclaimed, clapping furiously.

  Pirouetting around the pole while still suspended above it, he flipped his body upside down, pausing for two breaths before plummeting face first toward the ground, then stopping a split second before collision.

  People leapt out of their seats.

  Paying them no mind, he completed the move with a backbend before standing up. He circled his hips and torso while removing the rest of his clothing.

  I’d spent the last five years of my life at the V Club, and no one had ever gotten as much recognition from the crowd as Alec did. After several more gravity-defying moves and appreciative hoots, Alec posed at the top of the pole. His eyes locked briefly with mine. So much intensity. Pushing himself off, he completed a double flip, flying through the air and landing, quite miraculously, on top of my table. It happened so fast I couldn’t even react. For that I was grateful. I probably would’ve screamed like a banshee and fallen out of my chair. Instead, I looked up into Alec’s fathomless brown eyes. He was smiling down at me. Burgundy clapped furiously. The crowd roared.

  Chapter Four

  After a safe-sex conversation, Alec pulled me into one of the many side rooms at the V Club designated as protective activity spaces. A couple of the rooms had doors but the rest sported a metal beaded curtain—or nothing at all. Each room was decorated similarly with a steel bed frame pushed up against a wall. The mattresses were vinyl. There were nightstands on either side of the bed with paper towels, regular towels and spray bottles of cleaning solutions. Baskets of condoms and even small bottles of lube nestled in blackened chrome boxes. The beds themselves were equipped with handcuffs and ties at every corner. There were also at least two heavy steel chairs in each room. One room also had a vaulting horse, another a St. Andrew’s cross against one wall, and a third sported a wooden rack with a top clamp to hold your head and wrists firmly in place.

  If they were all available, you could pick your fancy, but that was rare. Each room was painted a different color for easy reference. Alec pulled me into the blue room. It was painted a dark, almost steel blue and it was the room with the horse. He walked over to the bed and pulled out a washcloth, spraying the mattress and wiping it down.

  “I’m surprised you know your way around here so well,” I said while he worked. “Didn’t you just get in last night?”

  Alec smiled to himself but didn’t look up at me. “Benedict gave me a tour last night.”

  “Of course. So . . . are you staying in the Edge? Like, did you move here permanently?”

  He finished what he was doing a
nd tossed the used washcloth into a bin in the corner. “Do you want to get to know me or do you want to get to know me?”

  I sauntered slowly over to him. “Oh I want to get to know you,” I said, putting my hands on his chest. He was wearing a loose black button-down and jeans. I pressed my hand into the flesh beneath the shirt. I already knew he was toned but feeling those muscles was something else entirely.

  “Why me?” I asked him, maintaining eye contact.

  “Because you didn’t notice me last night,” he responded easily. “Everywhere I go the men line up, but not you. You just breezed past me, cool as the night air. Didn’t even notice me standing there.”

  “Well, in my defense, I was tired, and in all honesty, had I seen you, I’d have drooled like all the rest.”

  Alec smiled and nipped my lip. “All right then, it wasn’t just that. That’s what made me first notice you, but then once I did . . .” He looked me up and down. “I liked what I saw.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “A man who doesn’t care what others think.”

  “You could ascertain that from just looking at me?”

  Alec’s laughter was deep and all-encompassing. “So it’s true then.”

  “It is,” I admitted. “I just find it strange that you could pick up on that from a glance.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe your friend Burgundy helped.”

  I pulled him to me and took his mouth. It was warm and yielding. He drove his body into mine, my arms weaving around his back and trailing down to palm his ass. It was perfect, just like the rest of him, two firm orbs practically hovering in midair. Everything about this man defied gravity. My other hand flew to his cock. It was obvious the man was packing but seeing was believing and tasting provided the ultimate certainty. Unzipping him, I moved him back toward the bed, yanking his jeans down to the floor. When the mattress hit the back of his knees, he was forced to sit. I kneeled in front of him, the floors matted for this very purpose.

  I took a moment to survey his cock. It was thicker than I’d imagined—I chastised myself for entertaining stereotypes. Resisting the urge to measure its girth in my palm, I looked up at him. The intensity of those dark eyes pierced me while his bare bottom squirmed against the vinyl covering.

  Alec’s eyes glistened in the partial light of the room. I ran my hands along his inner thighs and stomach before tasting him there. Small licks and bites elicited faint moans, and he threw his head back.

  “Yes,” he hissed and I hadn’t even taken him in my mouth yet. This was encouraging.

  I fisted his cock with one hand and continued teasing him with my mouth. Licking. Sucking. Biting. Thighs. Legs. Stomach. Chest. He was trying to fuck my hand but I refused to move it down the length of his shaft. I held it still and squeezed harder. Pre-come blossomed on the tip and I couldn’t stop myself from tasting him. Salty and sweet. Yum.

  “Oh god, please,” he moaned, surprising me. This man had acted so sure of himself, the way he’d teased me at the bar. Now, he seemed almost desperate for me to take him.

  I wouldn’t disappoint.

  Sucking his length into my mouth, I worked my tongue around the head.

  “Jared,” he moaned and pushed himself deeper into my mouth. His cock thickened, the head swelling. His body tensed. He was on the verge of coming, so I stopped. He flopped completely back on the bed and let out a small yelp. Fisting his cock again, I climbed up and lay beside him.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, rolling to one shoulder so I could see his face. His head was turned away, his eyes moist. He batted my hand away from his penis and I let go.

  “I’m so embarrassed,” he said without looking at me.

  “Why?” I reached out and ran my fingers through his soft dark hair. “You can tell me. I won’t judge you, whatever it is.”

  “I know you won’t,” he said, turning his head back. Yes, those were tears in his eyes. He closed them and took a deep breath. “I haven’t been with anyone for about three years.” The breath he’d been holding came out in a whoosh.

  I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to have a weird reaction or make him feel bad but it was really hard for me to believe. This god-like creature hadn’t— He must have meant something different than sex. “You mean you haven’t felt connected to anyone in three years?” I needed him to clarify.

  He rolled over to face me. “I haven’t had sex, or any kind of sexual touch, in three years.” Looking away again, he sighed.

  I pushed him onto his back. He let me. Then I climbed on top of him, straddling his hips, and looked down at him until he looked back at me. “That sounds horrible. But you’re here now with me. Do you want it now?”

  “I do,” he rasped. “I really do, but . . .”

  “Tell me.” I pressed a hand to either side of his face and bent over him, waiting.

  “Well, first of all, I don’t know how long I can go without shooting everywhere. Even your touch makes me almost lose it, forget about your mouth.” He laughed wryly. “But more than that, and this is what I’m embarrassed about, it’s this place. This room . . .” He trailed off, pressing his lips together.

  “It’s not a very inviting place,” I agreed.

  “It’s not romantic,” he blurted.

  “Romantic? Is that what you’re looking for?” I pulled my leg off of him.

  “I’m not looking for a relationship, but yes, I’d like a little romance.”

  “What are you looking for, Alec?” I needed to know before we went any further, because no matter what he said, it seemed like this guy was looking for something more. Why else would someone be abstinent for three years?

  And why wasn’t I running straight for the door? Was it because this man was so hot that it overrode my don’t bring ‘em home if they’re not a couple standard? Or was it something else? Had to be my cock talking—all the blood had drained from my big head.

  “I’m looking for a good time with someone I can connect with. Nothing more. Just a bit of fun.”

  “That I can do.” I leaned down and kissed him, nibbling at his bottom lip, and he bucked his groin upward, trying to reach me.

  I rolled off and stood, holding out my hand. He took it and I pulled him to his feet.

  “Get dressed, sexy. I’m taking you home for some romance.”

  Alec smiled and threw on his clothes. Fast.

  We held hands as we exited the blue room and walked back toward the thumping music. Throngs of dancers filled the floor now that the night’s show was over.

  “One sec,” I said to him as I made my way to the bar to tell the girls where I was going.

  Burgundy eyed us, drawing her brows together. Leaning into my ear, she whispered, “You weren’t gone for every long. What happened?”

  “I’m gonna bring him home to our house. We want to feel more comfortable.”

  “Ahhh, of course.” She nodded and grinned. “That language I speak. You need a ride?” Burgundy had driven the three of us in her ’76 red Camaro.

  “Nah, we’ll cab it.”

  “Have fun boys,” she said and winked at Alec.

  “You can count on that.” I gave her a peck on the cheek, and then I gave Chrys one as well. “See you two tomorrow.”

  “Meow,” Burgundy called after us as we made our way out of the club.

  At home, the front door to Casa Mañana opened onto our living room, replete with Burgundy’s colorfully themed decor.

  “Wow, this place is cool,” Alec said. “Kind of different taste, huh? What do you call this?”

  “Burgundy loves Moroccan designs but she’s also a proud Latina, so it’s kind of Aladdin meets Tim Burton.”

  Alec laughed. “Totally.”

  “Hey, you want a drink? You didn’t get one at the bar since you were working, but we have some stuff here. Wine, mostly, but we may have some . . .” I walked toward the kitchen.

  “I don’t drink. Actually,” Alec said, stopping me from leaving the room by touching m
y arm, “I’m sober.” He stopped talking and looked to gauge my reaction.

  “That’s cool,” I said. “I don’t drink much and I certainly don’t need one now.”

  “I don’t mind if other people drink around me. I’ve been sober for many years.”

  “How old are you anyway?” I had to ask. He looked my age but I didn’t think he was human, and with Signum, you never knew.

  “I’m thirty but I’m . . .” he trailed off, looking suddenly uncomfortable.

  “Signum?”

  “Yes. You?”

  I nodded.

  “Oh good.” He let out a long breath. “I didn’t think you were human, but you’re not a vampire. So what are you?”

  I laughed. “You first.”

  “Can we sit for a minute?” he asked and walked over to the velvet sofa.

  “Sure.” I sat next to him and grabbed his hand, holding it.

  “I’m a shifter.”

  “Oh, wow.”

  “You’re a witch?” he asked me, tilting his head the side.

  “Nope, shifter too.”

  He laughed. “Weird.”

  “I don’t hang out with many shifters,” I said. “They’re not very accepting of my lifestyle.”

  “They’re homophobic?”

  “Yeah,” I sighed. “Actually, if my two closest friends didn’t live here, I’d have moved to San Francisco or even Hillcrest by now. Anywhere more accepting.”

  “Wow. I mean,” he looked away, “I’m not entirely surprised. China is the least accepting place when it comes to being queer, trans or even female.”

  “Not cool.”

  “Nope.”

  “So I gotta ask.”

  He looked at me.