[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
hell were you thinking?
Chip sank into his embrace, his arms going
around him and clutching at his shoulder blades
tightly. They were going to attack you. You
didn t see them. Chip s breathing hitched, then
he whispered, I couldn t let them hurt you.
Grimes struggled to control his urge to demand
that Chip never put himself in danger again. He
knew it d be the mate-pull talking and would only
anger Chip. His little bobcat had been on his own
for decades. Although Grimes knew that,
rationally, it didn t make it any easier to calm his
racing pulse.
Tucking his face against Chip s sandy brown
and black locks, Grimes inhaled his lover s scent.
The faint trace of blood that hung in the air made
slowing his racing pulse difficult. After a few
minutes, Grimes became aware of Chip s hands
stroking his back, soothing the tense muscles
there. He nuzzled his cheek across Chip s hair a
few times, then lifted a bit and pressed a kiss to
the top of his head.
94
Charlie Richards
Finally Grimes felt like he had a bit more
control over his tongue. He raised his head and
used his hold on Chip s skull to urge him to tilt his
head back. Forcing a slight smile, he told him,
You scared the shit out of me, Chip.
A corner of Chip s mouth twitched up. I could
say the same about you. Then, the man scowled
and peered down Grimes body. And you re
standing naked in a room full of people.
Frowning up at him, he asked, Why the hell am I
bothered by this?
Because our relationship is new, Grimes
explained. He slid his hand around Chip s head to
cup his jaw. We ll always be a bit protective of
others seeing each other nude, but once we re
more secure in our bond, some of that will ease.
Chip nodded. Okay. Can you put on some
pants or something, then?
After everything that had just happened, for his
mate to seem only worried about others seeing his
naked ass, tickled something inside him. Grimes
threw his head back and laughed. Happiness
suffused him and he clutched his lover tight to his
chest. Once more, he became aware of Chip
petting his back.
Grimes grinned down at his shifter, reading the
concern on his face. Leaning down, Grimes
pressed a soft butterfly kiss to Chip s upturned
95
Catting Around
lips. He didn t deepen it, having no desire to
sprout a boner in the middle of his pride.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder and he
turned to see Carlton standing there holding up a
pair of jeans. His friend smirked at him, and
Grimes chuckled as he took the offered clothing
and pulled them on over his legs.
Unable to allow his mate out of sight or
contact, for that matter for any length of time,
yet, Grimes swiftly zipped and buttoned the jeans.
Then, he grabbed Chip s arm and reeled him back
in so he could slide that arm around his lover s
waist and tuck him against his side.
Chip chuckled as he wrapped his near hand
around Grimes back and settled it on the opposite
side of his waist, gripping a belt loop there. Tilting
his head, Chip grinned up at him. Am I close
enough?
Grimes grinned down at him. I guess. You
okay? He nodded his head toward where Sam
bandaged a few scratches some of the others had
sustained. Do you need anything patched up?
He swept his gaze over Chip s chest, but didn t see
anything but a bit of red scratches here and there.
No blood.
Shaking his head, Chip replied, Just a few
scratches on my legs from when I didn t move
quite fast enough. Nothing a shower won t cure.
96
Charlie Richards
He winked. Maybe we should go take care of that
now.
Although extremely tempted, Grimes shook his
head. I believe I owe you a dance, my sexy
mate.
Chip s eyes glowed, suddenly, the citrusy-
sweet scent of arousal flooding the air around
them. His eyelids lowered to half-mast. You just
had to mention dancing, he murmured, a rosy
glow flushing up his chest to his neck.
Now that the ruckus was over, the band had
begun, although Grimes noted there were no
dancers yet. He had every intention of changing
that. He turned and eased away from Chip just a
bit, then growled in frustration and pulled him
close again.
Snickering, Chip welcomed his embrace as
Grimes crushed their chests together, mingling
their scents. Next, he rubbed his cheek along first
one side of Chip s face, then the other. He added a
couple nips and licks along both sides of his
mate s neck for good measure.
That earned Grimes a soft moan from Chip as
he whined, You gotta stop if you wanna dance.
Grimes lifted his head and stared smugly at
Chip. He took in his mate s slightly opened
mouth, the way his chest rose and fell swiftly in
quick pants, and his half-lidded eyes. The sexy
97
Catting Around
look was almost enough for him to change his
mind about that dance& almost.
Mmm, Grimes hummed appreciatively. He
took Chip s slight disorientation as the
opportunity he needed to draw his lover onto the
dance floor. As he loosened his arms into the
proper waltz position, he leaned a bit closer and
crooned, Now that you re once again covered in
my scent, me and my cat will be able to settle
down.
Straightening, Grimes grinned at his man.
Dance with me.
As he whisked his lover around the dance floor,
Grimes flooded with pride. Chip focused on him
and followed him easily. He even smiled and
blushed, his dilated eyes and the occasional glance
down giving away the direction of his thoughts.
Happiness looked good on Chip, and Grimes
vowed to make it his goal to see that look there as
often as possible.
They d managed to get through three songs
before Grimes gave in to his need to do more than
hold his man. As he led Chip from the dance floor,
he leaned down and crooned, And you didn t
panic once.
98
About the Author
Charlie started writing fantasy when she was
eight, and after stumbling onto her first erotic
romance at age nineteen, she realized her true
calling. She now focuses on writing gay erotic
romance, normally of the paranormal variety, with
heroes of all kinds. With the help and support of
her husband, Charlie finally fulfilled one of her
life-long goals& move to acreage with her horses.
You can often find her curled up with her laptop
and a cup of tea or glass of wine, creating her next
adventure. Charlie enjoys exploring the mountains
of her new Oregon home on horseback, 4-wheeler,
or motorcycle.
She can be reached at ch.richards2010@yahoo.com
Or visit her at www.charlie-richards.com
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]