STORY EXCERPT

Bryck Castell winced as he watched Lucas nearly drop the tray of glasses as the slim human weaved his way through the tables. At the rate the man was going, Bryck would have to buy all new glasses for the bar. The guy broke at least three or four a week, along with a few dishes as well.

“You better be lucky he’s your mate.” Taz stood next to Bryck behind the bar, hands on hips, watching as Lucas steadied his tray. “I should’ve fired him his first week here.”

That was the truth. If Lucas hadn’t been Bryck’s mate, Bryck would’ve fired him for Taz.

“He’s learning.” At a very slow pace. Bryck had never seen anyone that clumsy. The human should be equipped with a helmet and knee pads. He fell to the floor more times than he stood.

They both jerked when Lucas tried to dodge a drunken guy, only to run into another. The tray tumbled from his hands and hit the floor, the mugs of beer shattering as the tray flipped up into the air and then slid across the bar. It took out a bowl of pretzels and a few empty wineglasses that hadn’t been taken away yet.

Taz turned to Bryck. “I’ll send you the bill.”

With a sigh, Bryck moved around the bar to help Lucas clean up the mess. His mate was on his hands and knees, using his bar rag to clean everything up when Bryck approached. The floor and Lucas’s pants were soaked in beer.

“I’m sorry.” Lucas wiped with quick swipes to sop up the beer. The rag was soaked, so all he was doing was sloshing the beer around. “I tried to avoid one guy, but another one came out of nowhere.”

“I saw.” Bryck squatted next to his mate.

Lucas looked up at him in horror. “Please tell me Taz didn’t see. I can’t afford to lose my job. I’m beyond shocked he hasn’t fired me already.”

So was Bryck. Taz owned Theo’s Bar and Grill, and Bryck helped out because he loved the atmosphere. That had been his reason in the beginning, but when Lucas had stumbled into the tavern, needing work, Bryck had stayed to learn all he could about the human. He’d even tried to approach Lucas to get to know him better, but every time Bryck tried to put the moves on him, Lucas ran in the opposite direction.

Bryck was at his wits’ end. He thought of just telling Lucas they were mates, but the human was skittish as hell and the last thing Bryck needed was for the guy to take off from Pride Pack Valley.

He had to think of a way to get closer to Lucas, but so far his mate hadn’t made it easy.

With a heavy sigh, Bryck took the rag from Lucas’s shaky hand and wiped the broken glass into a small pile. “Make sure no one steps on this while I go get a broom.”

He’d tried to put Lucas in the kitchen, but his mate had burned several dishes. He tried to make Lucas a dishwasher, but his mate had cut his hands countless times when the glass he was washing broke. Lucas was a walking disaster, and Bryck wasn’t sure what to do with him.

Bryck cut a glance at his mate as Lucas raced into the kitchen. What the hell? With a low growl, Bryck followed. He pointed at one of the other waiters before he entered the kitchen. “Can you clean that broken glass up before someone gets hurt?”

The guy rolled his eyes as he went for the broom behind the bar. Bryck pushed open the door to the kitchen to find Lucas at the sink, washing his hands.

The scent of blood filled the air as Bryck walked toward his mate. “Cut yourself?”

“I was trying to get a piece of glass from under one of the stools,” Lucas said.

“Let me see.” Bryck pulled Lucas’s hand from under the water. He’d managed to cut three fingers, and the slashes looked pretty deep. “You’re gonna need stitches.”

“I–I can just wrap them.” Lucas tried to tug his hand away, but Bryck kept a firm hold on it. He wasn’t ready to break the contact. Being able to touch his mate was a rare thing since Lucas did everything in his power to avoid Bryck. His mate’s hand was a lot smaller and slimmer than Bryck’s. Images of Lucas running those hands over Bryck’s cock popped into his head and he had to force back a groan.

Bryck wasn’t sure how much longer he could stand being around Lucas without claiming the human. He was developing blue balls.

“You can’t work with sliced fingers, Lucas.”

“And I can’t afford to miss work while I sit in the ER for hours on end.” Lucas used his free hand to reach for the stack of clean bar rags on the shelf above him. His mate was too short to reach them.

Bryck grabbed one and wove it around his mate’s hand. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

Lucas worried his lower lip as he stared at the sink. Ever since Bryck had tried to put the moves on his mate, Lucas hadn’t looked him in the eye. “I see I’m not going to win this argument.”

Not when it came to his mate hurting himself. Bryck wasn’t going to budge on that. He shook his head. “Nope, so just do as I say and we can avoid the entire disagreement.”

Lucas nodded at the sink. “Let me go tell Taz.”

“I’ll let him know.” Bryck guided his mate out the back door and into the passenger side of his truck. Once Lucas was secured in his seat, Bryck closed the door.

Maybe while he was at the hospital, he could get the doctor to put Lucas in a damn plastic bubble so the guy would stop getting hurt.

If only.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Wow, this is, uh…I’m drawing a blank.” Elijah's cock had gone from soft to fully erect and throbbing in a span of a second. He licked his lips as he stood there staring at Bryck’s cock. It was hard, long, thick, and droplets of clear liquid beaded at the head.

“Is this like naked couples counseling?” Lucas asked.

Bryck turned onto his back and tucked his hands behind his head. His muscles rippled and flexed, and Elijah was dying to strip naked and use Bryck as his personal playground.

“Call it skin therapy,” Bryck said.

It was barely there, but Elijah detected apprehension in Bryck’s eyes. The man was waiting to be rejected as he had been earlier.

“Take your clothes off,” Elijah whispered from the side of his mouth.

“What?” Lucas looked at Elijah as if he had just told him to get into a stranger’s van. The guy’s light brown eyes were wide as he swallowed repeatedly.

“I’m not about to let him feel rejected again.” Elijah slid his jacket off and tossed it aside. Bryck’s dick jerked. Elijah might have deep trust issues, but he had no qualms about having sex.

Biting his lower lip, he turned to Lucas. “I’m about to strip you down. Got a problem with that?”

Lucas looked like a deer caught in headlights. He just stood there staring at Bryck, his lips slightly parted, his pupils dilated. Oh yeah, Lucas wanted Bryck. The guy was just too scared to make a move.

So Elijah made the move for Lucas. He winked at Bryck before cupping Lucas’s jaw. The guy was his exact height, and their eyes stared directly into each other’s—brown on gray—before Elijah descended on Lucas’s lips.

Lucas was stiff, as if his brain couldn’t comprehend what was going on. As Elijah licked across those soft lips, probing at them with his tongue, he began to undress Lucas.

Seconds later, Bryck was at Lucas’s back, helping. Since Bryck was removing Lucas’s clothes, Elijah started to work on his own. Once he was completely naked, he went back to kissing Lucas.

Lucas's body was rigid as Elijah skimmed his hands up and down Lucas’s sides, his hips, his ass. He squeezed Lucas’s butt as he licked his way into the man’s mouth.

Finally, Lucas opened up for him. Elijah wanted to pump his arm in victory as he plunged his tongue inside. He’d never had sex with two men at the same time, and although it was intimidating, the thought was also thrilling.

He hoped he didn’t disappoint. The only lover he’d had before now was Nick. He’d never had the pleasure of topping anyone, and his dick wept at the thought of driving deep into Lucas’s body.

He broke the kiss, needing air, and then kissed a path along Lucas’s shoulder, as Bryck dropped to his knees to remove Lucas’s shoes, his socks, underwear, and pants.

Elijah almost came when he looked behind Lucas to see Bryck separating the man’s cheeks and then burying his face in the spread cleft.

When he looked back at Lucas, his mate’s eyelids began to flutter closed. Lucas inhaled sharply as he stood there shaking.

“Nervous?” Elijah teased as he nipped Lucas’s chin. Elijah was nervous, but thank heavens he wasn’t shivering. He had to remain calm because Lucas needed that. The pretty boy needed two men who knew what they were doing, who knew how to take control.

“I just…I’ve never….” Lucas swallowed roughly.

“I’ve never been with two men, either,” Elijah admitted. Still, he had a vivid imagination, and the positions that came to mind had his cock throbbing

Bryck stood, wrapping a beefy arm around Lucas’s chest. “Me, either.”

That shocked Elijah. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe because Bryck was the only one who seemed steady, as if he weren’t about to shake apart at any second. Elijah held it together, but on the inside, he was all exposed nerves.

“No.” Lucas shook his head. For a second, Elijah thought their mate was about to put a stop to this.

“What?” Elijah glanced at Bryck, who stared at him. It was obvious they were both confused.

“I’ve never….” Lucas’s skin heated as a bright red hue worked its way from his face to his chest.

“Had sex?” Elijah tried to keep the surprise out of his voice but failed. He wrapped his hand around Lucas’s erection, squeezing slightly before giving it a few strokes. Lucas gasped as his head lolled to the side.

Bryck picked Lucas up and spread him out on the bed. Elijah settled on one side of him as Bryck settled on the other. They licked and sucked at Lucas’s cock and balls.

Lucas trembled beneath them, his hands balling into tight fists. Bryck grabbed one of Lucas’s hands and guided it toward his cock, so Elijah did the same. Lucas fisted them and Elijah groaned.

“Make him come,” Bryck said to Elijah.

“A couple times,” Elijah said with a smile. “He’s got years of pent-up cum in his nuts.”

Bryck chuckled. “That he does.”

“Lying right here,” Lucas said as his hand tightened on Elijah’s cock. “I can hear you two.”

“Then you know the pleasure we’re about to unleash on you,” Bryck said. Elijah grinned when Lucas glanced down at Bryck, his eyes wide.