STORY EXCERPT

“Who was that guy?” Paul asked when Sam returned behind the counter. “Was he your uncle or another relative?”

Sam gritted his teeth. Because, of course, Cable couldn’t be a love interest. Not according to Paul and the way he always took shots at Sam, though he made the insults sound innocent enough.

“My boyfriend.” Sam took great pleasure in wiping the smirk off of Paul’s face. The guy was good-looking but one of those who took great joy in making others miserable. For some reason, he’d targeted Sam as soon as Sam started working at Apley’s.

It wasn’t as if Sam could go to his boss about any complaint, considering Paul never did anything that justified being a snitch. Like now, asking about Cable, knowing he was being a dick… How could Sam prove that?

Right now, he honestly didn’t care. He had more important things on his mind, like what had happened to him last night. Sam had been on his way home, after working the last shift and helping to close, when he’d been yanked into a dark alley. Never in his life had he been more terrified than when he felt a strong hand on his arm and he was being sucked into darkness.

That was how it felt.

Then the guy had thrown him up against a wall, and… Sam cleared his mind and concentrated on his next customer, still feeling those sharp teeth sinking into his neck. The pain. The terror. The weightlessness as he thought he was going to die.

Until Cable had come in for the save.

Even now, Sam’s mind refused to believe it was a vampire. They didn’t exist. They were fictional. Stories that had been made up. Right?

“Hey.” The guy in front of him cleared his throat. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah!” So much for not thinking about what had happened to him. That was how it had played out for the rest of his shift. As soon as Sam shoved aside what had taken place, it came right back. Setting up that meeting with Cable might help or it might send Sam further over the edge.

When one thirty finally rolled around, Sam clocked out and took a few deep breaths before he headed to the coffee shop. He checked his hair in a glass window on the way there to make sure he was presentable. Then he cupped his hand in front of his mouth and blew his breath out, satisfied it wasn’t hideous. There was nothing he could do about smelling like grease. All his work clothes smelled as if he’d rolled around in onion rings. He should have set the meeting for three. That way he would have had time to go home and shower.

“This isn’t a date, moron,” he said to himself.

Cable wanted to ask him a few questions, that was it. The fact that it would take place in a quaint coffeehouse was nice, but it was still on a social level, not personal. No, not social. They weren’t friends. Would this qualify as a business meeting?

But it definitely wasn’t a date, even if he’d told Paul that Cable was his boyfriend. That was only to stop the jerk from insisting that Cable was a relative, as if Sam couldn’t land a hot guy. A lot of people were offput by his red hair, including Paul, but Sam had all the confidence in the world thanks to his hard-as-nails mom who’d constantly told him how handsome and important he was throughout his life.

Okay, no thinking about his mom before he broke down and cried. She’d died two years ago, and he still felt her loss deep to his soul.

Squaring his shoulders, Sam walked into the place to the sounds of milk being steeped, piped-in music playing smooth jazz, and the aromatic scent of coffee beans. He’d applied to work here before, but no one had ever called him about a position as a barista.

It would be his dream to work in a place like this. Sue him if his goals weren’t on a larger scale. Not everyone wanted to work at large companies or have stellar careers. Sam was content with the small things in life, even if he wished there was more to his life than going to work and home, with an occasional visit to this place once in a while.

Six months ago, Sam’s friend had moved away because of a job offer, and Sam had found it hard to get out of his rut. Lately, his life had been as exciting as watching paint dry, except for last night, which wasn’t exactly his idea of fun.

It had been more like terror on steroids.

Now that he stood in line, looking up at the order board, he recalled the name of the coffee shop. Haley’s Heaven. Why on earth could he never recall the name of his favorite place? It always eluded him, as if the name popped out of existence as soon as he made his exit.

Once he was given his drink, Sam looked around. He must have shown up early because he didn’t see Cable anywhere, and it was hard to miss a guy who belonged on the cover of a model catalog.

He chose a seat by the window so he could look for Cable while thinking about last night. Sam touched his neck where the jerk who’d assaulted him had bitten him. There were no marks to indicate it had even happened, but Sam knew it had.

Were those fake teeth or cosmetically altered, the kind people paid a ridiculous amount to have changed at the dentist? His brain was trying to come up with a logical explanation, but in the back of his mind, he knew the truth.

Even if he wanted to deny it.

Vampires were real.

ADULT EXCERPT

As soon as they walked inside the house, Sam flung himself at Cable. Fuck, it felt good to have his mate in his arms, especially when Cable hadn’t been entirely sure he’d make it home. Not after he and Logan had been captured and so many vampires had surrounded them.

He thought for sure they would be killed but was thankful that hadn’t happened. Once Cable had hugged Sam tight and reassured him he was safe, they made their way out back where Beast had started a fire in the pit and cold beers were being passed around. Music blared from close by as Cable took a seat, pulling Sam onto his lap.

“If you ever scare me like that again, I’ll kick your ass,” Sam threatened. “Do you know what I went through when I woke up and you weren’t there? The same thing I went through when you were kidnapped before.”

Cable nuzzled Sam’s neck, unable to contain the grin spreading across his face. “I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to worry you. But you know I had to take care of business.”

Sam frowned as he slapped Cable’s chest. “You could have at least left me a note or something.”

Cable chuckled, grazing his fingers over the hem of Sam’s shirt, touching the soft skin underneath. “I promise not to do that again. Maybe I’ll even give you a surprise. Something to make up for all the worrying I caused.”

Sam looked skeptical, but curious. “What kind of surprise?”

Cable leaned in close, his lips brushing against the shell of Sam’s ear. “I was thinking something along the lines of...me, on my knees in front of you, just waiting for you to tell me what to do.”

Sam’s breath hitched. “That might be worth all the worry,” he moaned, grinding his ass down onto Cable’s lap.

Cable growled low in his throat, his arms tightening around his mate’s waist. “Easy there, baby. Don’t want to start anything we can’t finish.”

Sam stood and took Cable’s hand. “We’re, uh, going to bed early. Sorry to leave…whatever this is.”

Everyone around gave them a knowing look as Cable and Sam hurried inside, climbing the stairs so fast that Sam nearly stumbled. Cable made sure his mate didn’t fall, and as soon as they entered Cable’s bedroom, he slammed the door behind them then yanked his shirt over his head.

“Now where were we?” Cable stalked toward his mate.

Sam undressed so fast that he stumbled sideways, but caught himself on the edge of the bed before he fell to the floor. “You were saying something about being on your knees in front of me, willing to do whatever I said.”

“No.” Cable shook his head then slipped off the remainder of his clothing. “I said I would be waiting for you to tell me what to do.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?” Sam’s eyes rounded as Cable stalked closer, his cock so full the hard flesh jutted out from his groin. As soon as he reached his mate, Cable slowly lowered himself to his knees.

“So tell me what you want.” He gazed up into Sam’s pretty green eyes. Then he lowered his gaze, his mouth watering as he looked at the thatch of red hair between his mate’s legs.

Sam swallowed as if he was having a hard time deciding. Cable waited in silence, not pushing him, just letting Sam make the choice himself.

Finally, Sam spoke. “Kiss me. Everywhere.”

Cable started with his mate’s inner thighs, pressing soft kisses along his skin, then followed them up with nips and licks. As he slowly moved toward Sam’s balls, Cable brushed his fingers over the backs of his mate’s knees, loving how Sam shivered in response to his touch. Seconds later, Sam’s fingers were combing through Cable’s hair, and tiny whimpers escaped his throat.

Cable was lost in Sam’s scent, in how goose bumps peppered his mate’s skin as his fingers ghosted from the backs of Sam’s knees to his ankles then back up again. Then his tongue reached Sam’s balls, and Cable couldn’t resist any longer. He mouthed them, lavishing the wrinkled skin with his tongue as he moved his hands up until he was cupping his mate’s ass.

“Oh god,” Sam whispered as he spread his legs wider. He caressed Cable’s hair, his fingernails scraping along his scalp.

Cable devoured his mate’s sac then licked his way up to the base of Sam’s cock, using the tip of his tongue to trace the heavy vein until he reached the tip.

Sam’s breath hitched, and when Cable looked up, his mate’s eyes were closed and Sam was biting his bottom lip. With a grin, Cable parted his lips and swallowed Sam’s cock to the root.

 Cable stroked along Sam’s cock with one hand and cupped his balls with the other while his tongue set a steady rhythm over and around Sam’s shaft. He felt the tremors starting, and he glanced up to see his mate’s eyes roll back in ecstasy.

That was exactly what Cable wanted to see. He loved watching as his mate fell apart, loved how his face contorted into pure pleasure. The human was so damn beautiful that Cable was willing to do anything for the guy.