STORY EXCERPT

“Hey man, I got a problem.”

“Please, don’t tell me you’re quitting.” Dylan sounded like he was gonna cry. Raven smiled. “No. No worries. Pipes and the faucet burst in the bathroom this morning. I’m waiting for a call back from the landlord. The plumber will let him know when he can make it out. By some miracle, if they can get out here today, would that—” He was cut off.

“Yeah, yeah. Take what time you need. You can make it up later. Had three cars come in this morning, all wanting the services of the mighty Raven Terrence.”

They both laughed. “Okay. We’ll make it work. I’ll call ya back. Later.”

“Later, man.”

He walked into the kitchen and was beginning breakfast when his phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Good morning. Is this the gentleman needing a plumber?” a low, rumbling voice asked.

“Depends. Who’s this?”

“The names Stone McTiernan. I’m the plumber.

“Oh, yes, sir. Thanks for calling so quickly. The pipes and faucet in the bathroom shower burst this morning.”

“Are the pipes inside or outside the wall?”

“Outside,” Raven answered.

“I had a cancellation, so if it’s all right with you, I’ll be right over. What’s your address?”

Raven rattled it off, then gave the man directions.

“See you in about thirty minutes.” The line went dead.

He called his boss back, informing him of the situation, then finished cooking his bacon and eggs.

Sitting and reading his kindle while he ate, he heard a truck pull in. Opening the front door, he almost swallowed his tongue. Bent over the back of his truck, the biggest man Raven had ever seen was pulling a tool belt from the covered bed. From his vantage point, he tilted his head and bit his lower lip, watching the guy. Raven had to admit that was the finest ass he’d ever seen. Now that, was a work of art.

Shaking his head, he called out, “Mr. McTiernan?”

His cock grew interested as he watched those fabulous globes and that huge muscled back flex and ripple. Still facing his truck, the man had shoulder-length chestnut hair. He stood up and turned.

They both stopped dead, staring at each other. Narrow, deep-set, almost black eyes landed on a pair of large pale green orbs. The big man’s appreciation slid first down, then back up Raven’s body. His gaze felt like a warm caress, making the wolf shudder.

He was definitely a shifter, as Raven could feel the raw power of an alpha pouring from him. His wolf side whined, flopping on its back and showing its belly. Raven had the urge to do likewise. Nonetheless, with the wind blowing the wrong direction, he couldn’t catch the big man’s scent. But, damn. Was he fine or what? Nothing boyish about that tall drink of water. He was all man. Looking like a deity itself had carved him from granite, he was big, yes, but his chiseled body also spoke of a warrior and working man. When he at last moved, walking toward the house, his massive frame exuded pure strength while at the same time having the fluidity and grace of a shifter’s body.

The plumber walked up to him, giving Raven his first sniff. Bear. No wonder he was so big. Like many of the men he’d met here so far, he’d keep McTiernan at arm’s length. Perhaps the length of a vaulter’s pole would be better. He had to. With his history? This one was dangerous to someone like Raven. He may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he had no intention of banging his head against that wall again.

If he needed a reminder, Raven only had to look at his cellphone. At least three or four times a week, Tynan still called, e-mailed, or texted him. He may not know where Raven was, but the big blond still made his presence known.

When Stone walked up to the wolf, he gazed down into the most beautiful eyes he’d ever beheld. So expressive, so sensual. So innocent, so—sad? He hated seeing that look on the little one’s face. He had no idea what made him do it, but he reached out slowly, running a finger down his jawline from the outside of his brow to his chin. A sign of affection among bears, it was usually reserved for family or mates.

Raven forgot how to breathe.

Gently, not wanting to scare the smaller man, he kept his touch feather-light. When those eyes closed and leaned into his palm, Stone knew he’d just met someone who would forever affect his life. Had the gods ever created such beauty before? He didn’t think so.

Raven couldn’t help himself. He leaned into the big man’s touch. Closing his eyes, he felt it. The warmth of coming home in those strong hands. His mind told him to back away—run as far and fast as he could, but his heart and body kept him in place. His eyes snapped open. It couldn’t be possible. He didn’t know this man. Coming to his senses, he pulled away, startled at his own reaction.

“It’s okay, little one. I won’t hurt you.” Stone coaxed in a soothing tone. While that deep, sexy, rumbling voice held the power to rock Raven’s world, it also held the ability to crush him and he knew it.

“Ex–excuse me.” He turned and backed away. He had to get away from Stone McTiernan. He wasn’t going to jump headlong into that meat grinder again, and even though the big man felt so very right, he could be lethal to Raven’s poor heart.

“Come on in. The bathroom’s this way.” He showed the plumber in, trying to calm himself. It didn’t help a bit, hearing the tools on his belt clank together as he walked, stirring up all kinds of fantasies in the smaller man.

“Here ya go,” he said, backing up trying to get out of his way. His took wolf over, and he ended up bumping into Stone’s chest.

“Oh, pardon me.” He sidestepped, blushing.

“No problem, little one.” The bear growled, softly.

Little one? Raven wasn’t exactly short at five feet ten, but compared to this guy, he guessed everyone was small. He walked out of the bedroom. There was no way he was standing next to a bed with a walking aphrodisiac in the room.

ADULT EXCERPT

When he pulled the man’s jeans down and tossed them on the back of the sofa, he took in all that was Raven. His beautiful cock stood up, pointing at Stone like a compass.

He opened his unfocused, glazed eyes, just in time to watch as Stone took him to the root, making him scream in pleasure.

“Oh. Oh, oh yeah. Like that. Please oh yeah. More. Like that. Oh shit…” Raven cried in pleasure.

Stone’s large, slightly rough tongue was heaven and he knew what to do with it. Having never received a blow job, Raven finally understood why his ex-lover had liked them so much. Stone swirled his tongue around the pink beauty, licking and nipping first the vein running up his length, then the bundle of nerves at the base of the mushroom head. He nudged his balls with his nose, taking the twin orbs into his mouth, massaging and sucking, then licked up the length of Raven’s shaft. Sucking hard, he hollowed out his cheeks, as the smaller man panted heavily and grimaced, his face reflecting his ecstasy. He’d back off, then suck hard, repeating his motions again and again until the wolf was bucking and shouting.

“I’m gonna. I’m gonna, oh shit…” Raven yelled as he exploded, coating the inside of Stone’s mouth. The big man swallowed every drop of the sweet cream tasting of honey, man, and a hint of salt, as shot after shot of seed burst onto his waiting tongue.

“Mmm.” He hummed. After licking the gorgeous cock clean, he released the sensitive organ, letting it drop onto Raven’s thigh.

Raven again lay with his head back, unable to keep his eyes open, lost in a wave of sexual satisfaction. Opening them at last, he brought his heavy eyes up to stare into glittering black eyes, burning with desire and need of their own.

“Give me a…” He yelped when Stone picked him up and carried him down the hall. A door was pushed open and the next thing Raven knew, his back hit a huge bed, bounced, and then settled.

Placing his hands behind his head, he watched Stone move around the room. When his jeans hit the floor, he turned, striding across the bedroom toward the bed.

Holy shit, Raven thought, raising up to a sitting position as he looked down at the man’s cock. He had always heard stories of men too big to take, but never believed them. Until now. Yeah, Stone was a big man. At six feet ten, Raven knew his package would be big, but oh my gods. His eyes grew large as he watched the side of beef coming at him.

Putting up a hand, he stopped Stone cold. “What is it, babe?”

“Ah, are you?” He glanced back down at the monster. “Are you sure that’ll—” His question drifted off, unfinished.

Stone’s brows raised and his eyes filled with worry. He suddenly realized what was going on. It wasn’t like this was the first time it had happened to him.

“I would never intentionally hurt you, Raven. We’ll take it slow. I know I’m big, but I can be gentle too. Let me show you how good it can be between us. Please?”

Raven saw the truth in his eyes, then glanced back down at the dripping shaft in front of him. The head was a deep purple with the rest of the cock a dark red. He knew Stone was aching and he couldn’t leave him that way.

Licking his lips, he gathered his courage.

“Come ’ere,” he whispered, giving his bear a trembling smile.

A grin broke out on Stone’s face and a second later, his 300 pounds was crawling over the top of his 170-pound wolf. Kissing his way up the man’s body, he gave him feather-light touches and nuzzles to go with those intoxicating kisses.

Raven looked down when Stone stopped to taste his inner thigh. His lover smiled at him when he shuddered, his eyes filled with total delight. By the time they were face to face, Raven was so hard again, he too throbbed.

“I’ll be easy, love,” Stone whispered, when a well lubed finger pushed inside him and damn, that felt terrific.

He had huge hands that were rough from working, in addition to being in heaven as they twisted and curled inside Raven’s tight, hot depth. Never stopping the kissing and mauling of his neck, Raven had three fingers in him before he knew it. When they were pulled out, he protested the loss, but then the head of that cock pushed its way in. The man’s girth was unreal and it was a definite relief when the great crown finally popped past his guardian muscles.

The wolf was still in pain from his lover’s sheer size. When Stone released his pheromones, it filled Raven’s mind with endorphins, calming and relaxing him. On his lover scale from one to ten, ten being perfect, Stone had to be a million. Light-years better than—he pushed the name from his mind and repeated the name “Stone” over and over in his head. He wasn’t about to hurt this man’s pride by accidently calling out something he didn’t mean to. He was much too special for that. The way this man slowly entered him inch by delicious inch. The way he distracted him and talked to him, lessening the pain. He’d already made sure he got his release before he started on his own. Something the other would never have thought of.

Stone stopped to make sure his lover was all right. That was when Raven felt something move within him. His wolf felt it too. A warm, comforting sensation. Something he’d never experienced before. Stone truly cared. Raven now knew it in his heart and never having experienced it, it overwhelmed him. Ready to try again, he pulled the bear’s hair a bit, giving him leave to move.

Stone’s control was being strained to their limits, trying to stay still. He wanted Raven to feel good. When he felt the pull, he’d started to breathe again.

Even though he’d said he only wanted casual, Stone knew better. Raven wanted to be someone’s everything. Craved it. Someone who would touch him, not just sexually, but like he was important to be cherished and protected. He knew he was the man for the job.