Behind the Eight Ball

by M. A. Church

  I snorted. “Not the words I’d used to describe him, but go head.”

  “I’m sure, but you’ve put that behind you now, right?”

  “Trying to.”

  “Right. So there he was—a big, beautiful black man. We hooked up, then starting dating. All was good for a while. Until I introduced him to my parents. Shit hit the fan immediately. Mom freaked, and the things Dad said…. Not worth repeating, trust me.”

  “I bet. Can you tell me their names?”

  “Sure. Mom’s name is Rhonda, and my dad’s name is Justin. As far as I know, they still live in Florida. It’s been years since I talked to either of them. What about yours? You’ve never said anything about them either, just your sister.”

  “Oh, they moved to a clowder based in Las Vegas right before Lynette died. We aren’t close. Never were, actually.”

  “Another thing we seem to have in common,” Lawson said.

  “Maybe now, yeah, but you were close to yours in the beginning. I never was. Mom—her name is Tiffany—did a lot of charity work and social events connected to several clowders around here. Name kind of fit, you know? She was all about status.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Dad was no better, believe me. His name is Douglas—he owned several fast food restaurants around here. He had the whole big fish in a small pond thing going on. But… he wanted to be a beta for this clowder. However, he was never offered the right to fight for the position.”

  “That had to be… like a slap in the face.”

  “Yes. He could’ve challenged another beta for position, but considered it an insult he wasn’t offered the chance to fight to begin with, so they moved. I was already living on my own, so I stayed.”

  “He must have been pissed when he heard you got the position.”

  “He wasn’t happy, that’s for sure. It might have been a bigger issue than what it was, but he’d won a beta position in the clowder he was at.”

  “So it all worked out?”

  “Yup. His clowder has more members and more prestige, so it’s all good. Last time I talked to either of them was several years ago too.” I sat down in the chair next to him. “So…. Thanksgiving?”

  “Until Janelle and Marshell met me they hadn’t observed holidays, but it was something I couldn’t let go of. As the three of us got closer, they saw how much I needed that one tradition. Now I celebrate with my adopted family: Janelle and Marshell.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

  “You do realize that it’s just two days off, right? Trying to find everything I’d need at this late date would be impossible. The shelves in the stores will be picked over. I also don’t know what they have planned, if anything. Just forget it.”

  “No, no, let me think for a moment.” A thought hit me. “What did you usually fix?”

  “Nothing like Mom used to do, but I cooked a turkey, did the cornbread dressing and giblet gravy, had rolls, and finally cranberry sauce. I usually did a cherry pie for dessert. Not really all that much, but I started cooking the day before. Why?”

  “I might have an idea. Maybe.” I fished my cell out of my jeans. “I’m not worried about getting them over. They know how you feel about this, so they’ll come. Just give me a second, okay?”

  I called Sam, hoping he’d answer. “Hello, is Sam there?”

  “Speaking.”

  “Hey, Sam, this is Heller.”

  “Oh, hey, Heller.

  “I have a question for you.”

  “Okay, shoot.”

  “Is your restaurant open Thanksgiving?”

  “It is, yes.”

  “Are you serving a traditional Thanksgiving meal?” I caught the quick intake of breath from Lawson. I glanced at him and winked.

  “Oh yeah. You’d be surprised how busy we are for that. Why?”

  “Excellent. Are you doing the turkey, dressing, and the cranberry deal?”

  “That and several other side dishes and desserts.”

  “Perfect. I have a very, very big favor to ask you.” I explained that I needed the whole deal: the turkey, dressing, cranberry, dessert, and why.

  “Okay, I can handle that. Janelle was sitting across from me and heard my end of the conversation. She’s kicking herself for forgetting. She just said to tell you to tell Lawson she’s going call him in a little while, and she’s sorry.”

  “I will. But tell her to hold on. I’m glad you can swing the meal, but it’s not just for us. I need to know if you can handle a meal for Dolf and his mates, our Alpha and his mate, all the betas, you, and Janelle and Marshell. So thirteen people and mostly our kind. And you know how we like to eat. We need enough to feed twenty at a minimum, I guess.”

  “Twenty? Twenty? Aw man, Heller, do you know what you’re asking me?”

  “Yeah. I’m asking for you and your mate to come to Thanksgiving dinner at my house. This means a lot to Lawson since Janelle and Marshell have been his only family for years. Now I’m hoping to add to that.”

  “Well, jeez. I can’t say no to that. Let me… oh boy. Let make a few calls to see if we have people to handle the extra cooking. I’m going to have to pay more for this, and I’m passing that on to you, just so you know.”

  “I can handle it.”

  “Good, because it’s not going to be cheap. Let me talk to Janelle too before she takes the cell from me. I’ll call back shortly.”

  “Thanks, Sam.” I hung up and found my arms full of a very happy mate.

  I dropped the cell on the table next to me as Lawson cuddled close and plastered his lips against mine. As usual heat spread through me from his touch. He buried his hand in my hair and jerked my head back.

  Lawson kissed down my neck, nipping at the skin. My cock went from interested to hard in seconds. I wiggled under him and he shifted until he was straddling me. He was just as hard as I was, and when he rocked against me, I whined with increasing need.

  “Thank you,” he whispered against my neck.

  Squirming under him, I did my best to string together words in a sentence. “But I don’t know yet if he can pull it—”

  “Doesn’t matter. You tried, and for that I’m very, very grateful. So much so….” Lawson slid off me and to the floor. “I’m going to show you just how grateful I am.”

  Lawson undid my jeans with those long fingers of his, and my mind went blank as my arousal spiked. All I wanted was to feel his hands on me. Family, phone calls, Thanksgiving, other paranormals, members of our clowder… it all faded.

  “Mmm, smells like coconut in here. I love your scent.” Lawson mouthed my cloth-covered cock and my breath stuttered in my chest.

  Slowly, ever so slowly, he uncovered my dick. I whined, I moaned, I begged without words for him to hurry up, to take me out, to get that hot fucking mouth of his on me. His wonderful ocean scent filled my head.

  Lawson licked a path up my cock and swirled his tongue around the head. “Gonna have to be fast. He might call back at any minute.”

  My eyes might have crossed. What if Sam did call? There was no way I could talk to him with Lawson’s mouth wrapped around my dick.

  Lawson pulled my underwear down enough to get my balls out and rolled them. “And I may or may not continue sucking you, but you will answer the phone.”

  Yeah, and stutter like an idiot in Sam’s ear. My head fell against the back of the chair. I was so fucked. Higher-brain functions and sucking cock didn’t go together, at least not with me. I’d probably drool all over the damn phone.

  “So you better give it up fast, hellcat, before he calls.”

  With that Lawson dropped his mouth over my cock. Heat. And wetness. The wet slurping sounds of him taking my cock… and sure enough, there went any higher brain function I had. He bobbed his head up and down, sucking like there was no tomorrow.

  Pleasure exploded through me, and I curled my toes at the small moans from him. Clutching the chair arms, I thrust my hips. He rolled my balls and that busy tongue of his lashed at the h
ead of my dick. Goddess, my mate knew his way around a dick. His other hand snaked up my stomach and pinched a nipple.

  I yowled. Loudly.

  He, the devious fucker, hummed. I snapped my head up off the back of the chair and watched him, watched him take all of me over and over. He turned those sexy gray eyes up to me, so dark with pleasure that I gulped. He rubbed one of his fingers across my hole, and that was it.

  My spine tingled. I bit my lip and sweat broke out on my forehead. I was right there. If I didn’t need to come so badly, I’d probably be horrified how fast he got me at the edge, but the things he did with his mouth… I wasn’t sure some of them were even legal. My belly tightened. Just a little more and I’d come.

  Just as I flooded his mouth, my cell rang.

  As Lawson sucked me dry, my brain shut down. Forget thinking, all I could do was feel. Nothing had ever felt as good as this. I was… complete. Whole. This man before me on his knees had filled me with something I’d never thought I’d have… love. I knew then I’d give my life for him. Gasping, sweating, I watched as he rose and answered my cell, a satisfied smile on his face.

  “Hello? Oh, hey, Sam. Sorry, Heller can’t come to the phone right now. Something came up. He left his cell on the table and I knew you planned to call, so I answered. Yeah? I sure will tell him. And thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.”

  Wicked smile still in place, Lawson hung up.

  “It’s a go. Sam said he could swing it. All he needs is a time you want to pick the stuff up.”

  I was still sprawled out, shirt hiked up, jeans undone, and cock hanging out. He’d blown my mind and my dick. Fuck, how corny was that? “You, my mate, are pure evil.”

  Lawson buffed his nails on his shirt, a smug smirk on his face and one hip cocked. “Aw, you know you love it.”

  I nodded my head, serious as a heart attack, as I pulled my underwear back over my cock and redid my jeans, then pushed my shirt down. He was playing around, but I couldn’t, not about this. “I do.”

  Lawson faltered, and something—an emotion I couldn’t place—wiped the playful look off his face.

  He opened his mouth, but I cut him off. “I do love it. Love how you take me over. Love how you take me out of myself. Love how you care for me. Love… you. I love you. I know it’s fast. Boy is it fast, but I don’t need you to say it back. Not yet. I know you care, and that’s good enough for now.”

  Lawson crawled back onto my lap. “Wow, you don’t pull any punches, do you? I do care for you. Obviously I do, or I wouldn’t have mated you, wouldn’t have moved in with you, wouldn’t have joined your life with mine. But love? I don’t think I’ve ever loved anyone, not like what you’re talking about. I’m not sure—”

  “I’m not asking you to say it. It is soon, and I know that. But I had to say what I felt.”

  “I know. I do know what I feel for you is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. But is that love? I don’t know.”

  “You will. One day you will. That I know.” I pulled him closer. “So Sam can do it, huh? That means we need to set a time for Sam to have the food ready and call everyone.”

  “Changing the subject?”

  “Fat lot of good it does if you point it out.”

  Lawson snickered. “Point taken. How about six o’clock Thursday? Tell Sam to have the stuff ready by five. We can pick it up, get back here, and have plenty of time to get ready. What do you think?”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Heller said. “Why don’t you call Janelle and Marshell, and I’ll call everyone else.”

  “Okay. I’m going to the kitchen to make my calls.” I helped Lawson up and stood. I made my way to the kitchen, fixed myself a drink, and got ready to have some interesting conversations.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Lawson

  I RELEASED the deep breath I wasn’t aware I’d been holding as Heller walked into the kitchen. Oh my God, he’d said he loved me. Loved me. It both thrilled and scared the crap out of me. I’d loved my parents; I loved Marshell and Janelle, but I’d never been in love.

  What I felt for Heller was different—it was more. I worried about him, wanted to take care of him… wanted him on his knees with his lips wrapped around my cock. He made me laugh, made me want to strangle him at times, and made me want to beat anyone who made him feel like he was less.

  He was the last thing I wanted to see at night and the first thing in the morning. I wanted him—all of him—the good, the bad, and the ugly. But was that love? Shaking my head, I unlocked my cell. I’d worry that subject to death some other time.

  I sat down, called Janelle, and told her what Heller had planned. Since Sam was the one doing the food, she already knew everything but the time. She went on and on about how sorry she was about forgetting, but I nipped that in the bud. Hell, I’d forgotten too. With all that had been going on in both of our lives, it was no wonder.

  I hung up with her and called Marshell. He answered and I explained our plans to him.

  “Thanksgiving? Oh man, I forgot all about it. Jeez, I’m an idiot. And no comments from the peanut gallery either.”

  “Well, damn, take all the fun out of it, why don’t you? Fine, no comment about knowing you’re an idiot.” Snickering at the grunt I heard on the other end of the line, I continued. “Seriously, though, Janelle forgot it too. It’s no biggie. I’d have been perfectly happy to skip it this year, but Heller threw something together at the last minute for Thursday evening.”

  “You do realize the man all but declared his love for you, right? Paranormals don’t usually celebrate human holidays, as you know. He did this to make his mate happy.”

  “Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to wrap my head around you being pro-Heller now?” My heart fluttered at the mention of love, though. “And yes, I do know that. In fact he came out and told me.”

  “Wait. He told you he loves you?”

  “Yup.” I curled my feet under me. “He did.”

  “You’re on the phone with me… why?”

  “Don’t worry, I plan to take care of that tonight.” Did I ever. I didn’t come after I sucked Heller off earlier.

  Marshell laughed but then grew silent. Finally he spoke again. “I want you to know I’m glad it worked out between you two. You deserve all the happiness I hear in your voice.”

  The soft, sweet side of Marshell always got to me, especially since the man kept that part of him locked down. “Well, it didn’t start out all hearts and flowers, but we’re getting there. He makes me happy, Marshell, even if he’s….”

  “High-maintenance? A diva? A handful?”

  Too bad he couldn’t see the leer I was sporting. “Oh, he’s more than a handful, trust me on that.”

  “I walked into that one.”

  “So you did.” I snuggled down in the chair. I’d missed talking to Marshell. “He’s work, yes, but he’s so worth it. Anyway this Thursday night at six is Thanksgiving. Please be there.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it.”

  “Good. It’s short notice, and I wasn’t sure if you had a hot date already.”

  “No hot date. There are some other things I’ve recently been made aware of, but I’m not sure about them… and I’m not ready to talk about it either.”

  “That’s about as clear as mud.”

  “Yeah, I know. Sorry. I promise as soon as I can, we’ll talk. But for now who’s going to be there, and what time?”

  “Six. We’re inviting our Alpha and his mate, Dolf and his mates, the betas, you, Janelle, and Sam. I’m not sure yet if all of those people will be there. Heller’s talking to them now.”

  “Cool. Well, count me in, then. I don’t mind spending the evening with the kitties.”

  “Good grief. Marshell, I’d highly discourage calling them that.”

  “No problem. I’ll just say it around Heller. I know how much he enjoys it.”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose and made plans to seat Marshell at the other end of the table. We tal
ked for a few more moments and then hung up. Not long after, Heller joined me.

  “Alpha Armonty and his mate, June, can’t come.” Heller sat on the couch. “They already had plans with another Alpha couple in the next county.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad. I’d like to meet his mate.”

  “Yeah, he mentioned that.” Heller wiggled around until his back was against the arm of the couch and his legs stretched out in front of him. “Brier’s a no-go too. He had plans already. So we have you, me, Dolf, Tal, Kirk, Remi, Aidric, Sam, Janelle, and Marshell coming. That’s ten people. Still think we need enough to feed twenty?”

  “The way shifters eat? Yeah, just to be safe. I’d rather have too much than not enough. I think we’re good to go now.”

  Heller patted the empty place between his legs. “Good. Why don’t you come over here? We can watch a movie or something before bed.”

  The “or something” caught my attention. I kicked off my shoes and joined Heller on the couch, sitting between his legs. I settled in as he wrapped his arms around me, and the heat from his body soaked into my back.

  “If I remember correctly, you didn’t come earlier.” Heller nuzzled my neck.

  “Yup. Are you going to help me out with that?”

  “Oh yeah.” Heller unsnapped my jeans and pushed them down as far as he could. “Damn. I need you to…. Can you lift up for me?”

  Well, I wasn’t expecting that. I figured he’d just take me out and stroke me off. I lifted my hips and we both pushed my jeans down enough so I could open my legs. Heller wrapped one hand around my cock, and his other hand slipped under my shirt.

  His fingers trailed up my chest. Heller’s soft pants echoed in my ear. I shuddered. Heller’s scent teased my nose, and I could feel him purring too. This wasn’t going to take long. Heller didn’t waste time once he found a hard nub and pinched it lightly.

  He stroked my cock hard. The rough sound of skin on skin made me moan. I wished we had lube, but at least I was leaking precome. That helped some. Heller panted heavily, and his breath was hot and moist against my neck.