been helping me with some advice about how to get help for my
sister. She’s trying to get rehabilitation for a drug problem,”
Terry lied glibly. Only Zander would be able to smell the deceit.
“Anyone at the station could have given you that advice, there
are pamphlets available and everything. That’s hardly a
Detective’s job.”
Fuck. Sully was a suspicious son of a bitch. Terry didn’t know
what the hell his mate saw in the man. All Terry could see was
an arrogant asshole who got his kicks from hating others.
“I know,” said Terry smiling sweetly. “But the Police
Commissioner recommended that I talk to Detective Samuels
specifically, him being on the drug squad and everything. I’m a
friend of the Police Commissioner’s brother. Madam Morgana put
in a word for me with the powers that be and here we are.”
“You mean Morgana, the drag queen? I think she is absolutely
fabulous,” the blond standing beside Sully gushed. “Do you
really know her personally?”
“I design all her outfits,” Terry replied, his grin widening at the
excitement in the pretty woman’s face, and Sully’s deepening
look of anger. Not sure where the spark of devilment came from,
he continued, “I can get you tickets to her next show if you like,
maybe even introduce you to her backstage. I’m sure your
partner here would love it.”
“You would do that for us? Oh Sully, did you hear that? How
exciting. I’ve wanted to go to one of their shows for months, but
they are always booked out. Oh, oh,” she said, grabbing a pen
and a piece of paper from her tiny purse.
“Here, let me give you my number. I’m Suzy, by the way. So
you design all of those lovely clothes? They’re amazing, better
than anything you could buy in a store.”
“Thanks Suzy. If you ever need a frock for a special occasion,
just let me know. I’ll be happy to do a one-off design just for
you. With your coloring and awesome figure, you could wear just
about anything and make it look good.”
Terry handed Suzy his card, and took the piece of paper with her
number on it. Suzy was still rabbiting on to Sully about the
amazing Divas and their exotic costumes. Terry had to force
himself to look at the table cloth. He didn’t dare look at Zander
and he would laugh out loud if he had to watch Sully’s face any
longer. The man looked like someone had shit in his pants and
then slapped him on the ass. Finally they left, Suzy pledging
undying friendship and Sully, well he looked like he wished his
date would just shut up.
“She seems like a nice lady,” Terry said brightly, scraping the
last of his gateau off of the plate. He didn’t even remember
eating it, and he kind of wished he had another piece. He didn’t
get cake like that very often.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Zander growled quietly. “I told you
I’m not ashamed of being seen with you. I didn’t have a problem
with Sully thinking we were on a date. He’s going to find out
soon enough.”
Giving his fork one last lick, just in case he had missed anything,
Terry put it back on the plate and smiled at his scowling mate
and hopefully soon to be lover. “I know you aren’t ashamed of
me. I believe you. You brought me here, on a lovely date, with
tablecloths and everything. I couldn’t have asked for more. But
if you’d thrown our new relationship in your friend’s face then it
would have ruined the whole evening for both of us. I didn’t want
that to happen. I’m your mate too you know. It is just as much
my job to protect you, as it is for you to protect me. Who knows,
if Sully keeps Suzy around then maybe things won’t be as bad
as you think they’ll be. Suzy seems to like me well enough.”
Zander looked like he was going to argue, but then his face
cleared and he smiled. A genuine, I’m happy and I don’t care
who knows it kind of smile and just like that Terry’s world
became a warmer place.
“Fancy a night cap?” The big man’s eyebrows were raised and
how Zander managed to pull off a combination of lust and hope
all in the one look, Terry would never know. He just nodded. His
tummy, which was still working on that delicious gateau,
fluttered a bit, but Terry squashed his nerves down firmly. He
wanted to be claimed. He wanted this big, gorgeous looking
Alpha to belong to him, even if they still had a lot of things to
work out. He’d settle for his very first kiss if that was the only
thing on offer, but God he hoped for so much more.
Chapter Eleven
Zander was sick and tired of fighting his wolf, something he’d
been doing since they first spied Terry all those weeks ago in the
bar. His wolf wanted the Omega. He didn’t need a reason. In his
wolf’s eyes Terry was his from day one. And his wolf was getting
pretty darn snarly at Zander for not getting close enough to the
sweet little Omega. Driving Terry to see his house for the first
time, Zander was now not only dealing with a wolf who wanted
his teeth in the pretty boy’s neck, but a totally unexpected fit of
nerves. He was an Alpha, fuck it all. Alphas didn’t get nervous.
But Zander was sure that is what the butterflies in his stomach
meant.
Every human instinct in Zander told him that he needed to take
things slow. Terry might be his mate, but Zander had been
nothing but a complete bastard to him from the moment they
met. In fact, he almost turned the car around so he could take
Terry back to his apartment. It was only his Father’s words,
about sharing, letting his mate into his life, giving him a chance
to see the type of man Zander was, that kept him heading to his
own address.
All too soon Zander pulled into his driveway. He would have put
his car in the garage, but he didn’t want Terry to think he was
being presumptuous. He planned to make his mate a cup of
coffee, or even a small drink, maybe beg a first kiss. They would
have to talk some more, because Zander had a lot of groveling
to do over his past behavior, and then he would take Terry home
just like a decent man would do. A mate would fuck him into the
mattress, but Zander had to rely on his human instincts when it
came to wooing his mate. He didn’t think Terry was anywhere
near ready for him to pounce on him, teeth bared and cock
waving urgently, even if Terry was a wolf shifter too.
And that plan worked up to a point. Zander escorted Terry inside
his small and rather sparsely furnished house, inviting his mate
to look around while he went to put some coffee on. He tried to
imagine seeing his place through his mate’s eyes and could
admit to himself that maybe it was a little ‘functional’. He
couldn’t think of any other word to describe it. Even though he
had lived in the house for six years, the sparse white walls, the
dark solid furniture and the decided lack of pictures or knick
knacks made th
e place appear unlived in. The couch was
comfortable and the television screen was as big as he could
buy. The only reason the house was clean was because Zander
had a woman come in once a week. Well that, and the fact that
he was barely ever home.
Still, Terry didn’t say anything. Just wandered around, peering
at the few books that Zander had, rifling through his DVD
selection. Then he headed off down the short hallway towards
the three bedrooms, one of which Zander had turned into a work
out room, the bathroom – shit, Zander hoped he’d left that clean
– and yep, there wasn’t anything else.
Zander was in the kitchen where he was pleased to see he had
coffee beans, milk and sugar at least, but he had lost track of
what Terry was doing, and that ramped up his anxiety levels.
What if his mate found him lacking in some way? Did he put his
gun in the safe like he was supposed to? Racking his brains, he
tried to recreate the steps he’d taken when he came home to get
ready for his date. Yep. He was fairly sure the gun had been put
away where it belonged. But what would Terry say if he found
the one in his bedside drawer, and oh shit and fucking hell, he
should have gotten rid of the half empty box of condoms in his
bathroom. Another human reminder of what he’d done to hurt
his mate.
A tray. He needed a tray for the coffee jug, the mugs, the milk
and the sugar. Shit, he’d forgotten spoons, how could his little
wolf put sugar in his cup without spoons? Zander yanked open
the kitchen drawer so hard half the contents went crashing to
the floor. He heard Terry yell out, “are you okay Zander?”
“Yes, just a few knives and forks. Coffee’s in the living room
when you’re ready.”
Giving up on the spilled utensils, and the hope of ever finding a
tray, Zander grabbed the coffee pot and the mugs – he’d make
two trips. Which he did. But Terry was still in his house doing
whatever it was he was doing. Should he go and look for him,
or would that look untrusting? Not sure what to do, Zander sat
on the couch and poured himself a coffee. Maybe he should turn
the television on, but then he was sure that was a rude thing to
do on a date. He flung the remote on the corner of the couch
and tapped his fingers on his knee. What was Terry doing and
what should he do?
Zander was still trying to work out his fuddled thoughts, when
Terry sauntered into the living room, and came over to the
couch, straddling Zander’s legs, planting his tight little behind on
Zander’s lap and hooking his arms around Zander’s neck. Talk
about invasion of personal space. It was awesome. Those dark
and strongly expressive eyes looked deep into Zanders’ and
rather than take it as a challenge, Zander felt strangely cared
about. A foreign feeling for him, but Zander thought he might
like it.
“You seriously need some color in your life,” Terry said firmly.
“There’s no heart in this house, and your wardrobe, ugh, don’t
get me started about your clothes. Honestly Zander don’t you
wear anything that’s not black, grey or dark blue?”
“I need those clothes for work?” Zander said hopefully. “They
look good on me, and…” Yeah. He had nothing. He bought dark
clothes because they didn’t show blood, and because some
woman had told him years ago they went well with his coloring.
“I am not suggesting that you wear pink and purple shirts to
work or anything,” Terry said. “I know you need to look
professional and smart and the total bad ass that you are. But
what about when you take your ladies out? Haven’t you ever
wanted to wear something else then? Pale green maybe to
match your eyes?”
“I won’t be taking anyone out except you from now on,” Zander
said quickly. He really didn’t want to discuss anything about the
ladies he’d been out with before, or the fact that he didn’t care
what he wore then. “If you want me to wear more colorful shirts
and stuff when we go out, I’m sure I can buy some from
somewhere.”
Clothes. Clothes? It was normal for Terry to talk about clothes,
it was his life after all. But Zander was having real trouble
thinking about anything at all now his mate was so close and
they were alone. He couldn’t do anything about the smell of his
arousal and he just hoped that Terry wouldn’t get offended or
scared off by it. As much as he wanted to pull Terry closer and
taste those full sweet lips, he fisted his hands into the couch,
and hung on, trying to keep his dirty thoughts from showing on
his face.
His sweet mate was smiling at him. “I think,” Terry said pertly,
“that once we’re mated, then I’ll probably add a bit of color to
your home and wardrobe, and given that you are in serious need
of a makeover, I think you should probably claim me tonight.
This is going to be a long project.”
“Tonight?” Surely his voice didn’t break, but Zander had a
horrible feeling it probably did. He couldn’t believe his ears. Terry
wanted to be claimed, after all he had done? Because the little
man thought he needed a makeover? Nothing was making
sense.
discussing the weather. “Face it, your wolf will be a lot happier
if you claim me. Don’t think I can’t feel the tension in those
hunky muscles of yours. Once claimed, whether your human
mind wants to or not, your wolf will make darn sure you don’t
hurt me anymore by doing stupid things and face it darlin’ you
need someone to look after you and that’s what my wolf was
born to do. Might as well go with it.”
“Don’t I have a lot to make up for first? You know, groveling and
explaining and stuff?” Zander didn’t know why he was opening
his mouth, but he felt that he should. Both Richard and his father
had made it plain that he had a lot of work to do if Terry was
ever going to accept him. In the meantime his wolf was snarling
in his head, wanting to know why Terry was still all of two inches
away, and his cock was threatening to explode in his pants. If
Terry moved so much as an inch, he would be making a colossal
mess, he was sure of it.
“We’re mates,” Terry said simply. “You have a lifetime to make
things up to me, and you will, I’ll make sure of that. If you ever
treat me anything less than the awesome person I am then you’ll
be sorry. I might not be able to kick your ass, but once we’re
mated every time you upset me, you will be feeling it too. My
mother told me so, and I believe her. So unless you’re a
masochist, you’d better be nice to me.”
“My father told me the same thing, and I promise you, I will be
the mate I should have been in the first place,” Zander said
faintly. “Are you honestly sure you want to do this now? I mean,
we still barely know each other. You’re a virgin and…and
…”
“Yes, I am,” Terry said, still calm, and Zander felt like his little
mate was in total control of the conversation. “You are going to
have to put up with that little problem and deal with it, however
you do, you know, whatever.” Terry waved his hand in the air as
if he wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but Zander got the
general idea. In fact, his body was positively trembling at the
ideas he was getting. His mate still wanted him and Gods,
Zander wanted too.
“Remember,” Terry continued, “I did tell you that night at my
apartment, if you took me out on a date then I would put out.
You took me on a lovely date, better than I could’ve ever hoped
for and that is more than a lot of new mates get. My mother
explained it’s usually wham bam and sink your teeth in. You took
the time to listen to me and give me the date I asked for. That’s
more than my mother got, believe me, and by the Fates I hope
she never repeats that story again. But for now I’m willing and
able and I think it’s about time I learned what all the fuss about
sex is about. Don’t you want to claim me?”
Zander searched those wonderfully dark eyes and saw nothing
but honesty and sincerity. Although he definitely didn’t deserve
his mate, Zander wasn’t going to hurt him further by turning him
down. He would take what Terry was offering and he would make
damn fucking sure that he never gave his mate any cause to
grieve over him again.
“I want to claim you more than I have ever wanted anyone or
anything in my whole life.” And wasn’t that the truth.
“I’ve never even had a kiss before,” Terry said and this time
there was just a tiny touch of uncertainty in his Omega’s tone.
“Just follow my lead,” Zander said softly. He unclenched his
hands from their grip on the couch and settled them around
Terry’s tiny waist. His fingers almost met in the middle. Leaning
forward he carefully placed his closed lips on those two shapely
cushions that graced Terry’s face and just pressed, gently.
Terry’s lips were as soft as he imagined they would be. He
pressed a little harder and then forced himself to pull back. Terry
gave a little groan, and the slender arms around Zander’s neck
tightened.
“I might not know much about kissing, but I know there is a lot