He rubbed a hand over his face.
“God, I’m tired. I only get poetic when I’m wiped out. But I don’t want to go to sleep, ya know? I’m afraid I’ll be suffocated by cheese the moment I close my eyes.”
He snorted at the image. It was funny, but only because he didn’t want to feel the horror of it again—of that white stuff binding his arms and legs, of the dark cheddar bits pelting his body or the feel of an American slice covering his nose and mouth. Twice a slice had flattened over his mouth, and twice he’d been able to bite through it while magic tingled on his lips and tongue. He hadn’t had the explosive farts Bruce had let loose, but he’d felt the pixie magic in him all day, and it hadn’t been pleasant—kind of like sparks of energy bursting through his belly. It had taken hours before the magic had come out the other end, and the memory still made him queasy. He had no idea if that was normal, and with everyone fighting monsters near the lake, it seemed too trivial to mention.
A cold wet nose pressed against his cheek, and Laddin smiled. He burrowed his good hand into Bruce’s ruff and scratched through the thick pelt. It was comfort, pure and simple, and he relished every second of it.
“Do you know what the best part about being a werewolf is?” he asked. “It’s this right here. You’ll see. The pack will do things together as wolves. We all have to practice hunting so we know what it’s like and can control the urge when it’s inappropriate. And wolves hunt in packs. We’ll do this whole chase thing. I don’t take down any deer. And I won’t eat the meat either.” He shifted to allow Bruce room to stretch out beside him. “I’m not vegetarian or anything. I just can’t get past eating Bambi.” He gave another shudder. “Then afterwards, we all tumble together and sleep. A big ol’ puppy pile, everyone touching, everyone happy. We’ve usually had a hard run and everyone’s got full bellies. A lot of us do a romp through the stream to get clean, and then we shake the water off on each other before snoozing in the sun.” If he closed his eyes and didn’t inhale too deep, he could pretend he was back in Michigan by the streambed with everyone else. “It’s like having family that doesn’t drive you crazy,” he murmured. “And if they do, it’s okay to bite.”
The wet nose lifted from his neck to his cheek. And then he felt a lick against his five-o’clock shadow, a soft tongue against the roughness of his skin. Sweet. Gentle. He smiled as he turned into the kiss.
And then, quite suddenly, it was a kiss. A man’s mouth touching his. Exploratory lips. Hardness of teeth. And deepening to more as he opened up to the thrust and parry of their tongues.
It was so natural, he didn’t question it. His hand was no longer burrowing into fur but kneading the back of a man’s neck. And the weight against his side was now man-shaped—no longer soft with fur, but hard with bone, muscle, and a thick erection that was impossible to miss. And extra special, no more rancid cheese smell. Just hot, sexy man.
Until that man stiffened in shock and pulled back.
Bruce was naked and looked so appalled that Laddin felt a wash of shame. But then he bristled internally. He hadn’t asked for the kiss. He’d just gone with it when it came. Whatever was going on in Bruce’s horrified mind, it wasn’t Laddin’s fault. And after everything that had happened today, Laddin didn’t have the mental bandwidth to deal with any more drama. Besides, this particular problem was 100 percent Bruce’s issue. Let the big firefighter figure it out.
And that was exactly what happened when the guy spoke about ten seconds later.
“I’m straight,” Bruce said.
The massive erection against Laddin’s thigh said differently, but he didn’t respond.
“Really, I am. I can’t tell you the number of women I’ve bedded. A different one every night.”
Laddin nodded. “I believe you.”
Then Bruce looked down at Laddin’s mouth, and he bit his lower lip. It was an endearing sight, like a child seeing a sweet and dreaming about licking it.
“I’m not into men,” Bruce said.
“Are you sure? You never looked at a fellow firefighter and thought interesting things?”
Bruce’s gaze slid away, and when he spoke, his words were low. “You don’t understand. Gay wasn’t okay in the firehouse.”
“We’re not in your firehouse. We’re not even in Indiana.” Laddin smiled and gave his best come-hither look. “Things change.”
“But I’ve never….” Bruce swallowed, and his gaze roved over Laddin’s face. Down below, Laddin felt Bruce’s dick twitch against his thigh. He gently took Bruce’s hand and pulled it to stroke down Laddin’s chest, over his tight nipple, and across his quivering abs. It was a slow stroke with Laddin guiding while Bruce followed the motion with his eyes. Laddin had burrowed into the bedroll in shorts and a T-shirt, but now he guided Bruce’s hand beneath the fabric and back up over his chest. He couldn’t stop the gasp when the calluses on Bruce’s fingers rubbed against his nipple. The sensation was electric, and it made Laddin’s toes curl in delight.
It had been so long since someone had done
