STORY EXCERPT

As soon as he was gone, Taylan unzipped the leather bag left on the chair. He removed the short briefs and studied them with a frown. They were sexy, short, black scraps of fabric that he didn’t imagine were his style. The pouch ensured his penis wouldn’t hang out of the leg. A matching T-shirt and a pair of sweats rounded out the ensemble. He saw that there was a set of clothing for tomorrow as well as the black leather toiletry bag. He took the items to the small bathroom and turned on the light. The fluorescent lights were too bright and had him squinting.

He took a quick shower after shaving and dressed. When he stepped back out into the white room with its shiny tile floor Collen was seated in the chair. The scent of burgers and fries scented the air, but it was the clean masculine scent of Collen that drew him.

Taylan walked over to him, keeping his eyes cast to the floor. He stopped in front of the chair, head down and hands clasped before him as he waited for Collen to acknowledge him.

Collen stroked his fingers over Taylan’s cheek, and he shivered from the light caress. His heart beat a little faster as his body soaked up the touch. He loved the callused feel of his man’s hands.

“Sit on the bed, Taylan,” Collen ordered him.

“Yes, Sir.” He climbed onto the bed and Collen got to his feet and pushed the tray table over the bed and laid out the meal.

“I brought you a chocolate shake,” Collen said. Taylan looked at him. His brow furrowed as he accessed the few memories he did have. Collen and the shake went together. He saw laughter, felt arousal and something deeper.

“You like chocolate shakes,” Collen told him.

“I like them with you,” he murmured. “You fed me doughnut holes.” He frowned. “Homemade ones.”

Collen blinked and suspicion clouded his brown eyes. “You remember that?”

He smiled. “You sent them to me with two yellow roses once.” He frowned and cocked his head to one side. “I was—there was a note.” He laughed. “You said I was sweet enough to give you a stomachache, and you wanted to see me that night.”

“Where did I take you, Taylan?” he asked softly.

Taylan racked his brain, but there was no knowledge to go with that memory. He shook his head as his face pulled into a pained mask. “I don’t remember.”

“I took you out to dinner,” Collen told him evenly.

Taylan nodded and frowned. Part of the statement didn’t feel true. “I’m sorry I don’t remember, but Judson said I might get all of my memories back,” he said. “How long have we been together, Sir?”

“Call me Collen, Taylan,” he replied. “We haven’t been together long. Just over a month and a half.”

A month and a half? Why did he remember this relationship above all others in his life? He frowned confused. “Do I have any family? A pack?”

“How do you know you’re a wolf?” Collen asked, eyes suspicious.

He shrugged. “The doctor told me that’s why I was still alive,” he answered. “No family?”

“You have a brother, but you aren’t close. And you have no pack.”

No wonder Collen was all he remembered. He had somehow become the one thing that mattered to him. His hand went to the necklace.

Taylan rubbed at his forehead and then took a bite of his burger.

They finished the meal in silence and Collen got rid of all of remains. When he returned, Taylan cut his eyes in his direction as he lay back on the bed.

“What’s the matter?” Collen asked.

“Nothing,” he said. “I feel like things were going on in my life that I need to remember and I can’t.”

“Don’t try so hard,” he said and glanced at his watch.

He sighed. “Were you breaking up with me? Had we just broken up?”

“Actually, we weren’t even close to that,” Collen admitted with a little smile.

“Then, why haven’t you tried to kiss me or touch me?” he asked with a frown. “Is it because we had an open relationship or a relationship based on being Dom and sub with no real emotional attachment?”

Collen’s brows drew together. “You weren’t just a toy, Taylan,” Collen answered and then sighed. “I didn’t think you’d be ready for any kind of show of emotions.”

“My memories—” He broke off as Collen glanced at his watch. Hurt shafted him, making him wince. “You have someplace to be?”

“I do,” he said. “I’ll come back in the morning.”

His tone was curt, adding to the hurt already stabbing at him. “Okay, Collen.” Was he always like this? His memories revealed a thoughtful man, not this cold creature who seemed a million miles away. Had Collen tried to kill him?

Did he know something about Collen that had warranted his lover trying to drown him? He closed his eyes and hugged himself as a chill crept over him. This was obviously Collen’s territory. No one he’d talked to had said anything bad about him. Maybe what he needed to do was get out of here.

Where would he go?

ADULT EXCERPT

Collen met his gaze again, took his elbow, and led Taylan to the dressing table. “I want you to put your hands there.” He laid his hands palms down on the cool material. It felt almost brittle under his touch.

Collen’s footsteps were nonexistent as he crossed the room, the thin carpet a paltry sound barrier. A moment later, Taylan felt a calloused hand on his back, the touch light.

“When you’re disobedient, you don’t get warm-up taps. Count them off. You’ll get five for each infraction.”

The warning was barely out of Collen’s mouth before a heavy thud landed on his butt. The suede was almost a caress but for the bite of pain.

The next tap was no harder, the suede whipping over his skin. “Two.”

The third landed on the same cheek and was a painful bite into his flesh that made him wince.

“I don’t like disobedient boys, Taylan,” Collen told him in a hard tone, and then lashed him again.

“Four.” The fifth stung even worse across his other cheek and he let out a startled cry, but refused to give way to the urge to beg Collen to stop. “Five.”

“No getting yourself off. That is my job. No toys unless I give permission.”

The next lash was a bite of pain that made him gasp. It was followed by seven and eight in a quick succession that made him catch his breath. “Seven. Eight. Oh fuck. It hurts.”

“It’s supposed to,” Collen responded coolly. “How else will you remember?”

He grunted as the next flick of the whip brought another bite to his butt. The tenth was a sharp slap of Collen’s hand.

“Ten.”

Collen rubbed his reddened flesh in a soothing stroke. “You won’t forget my dictates on these matters anytime soon, will you?”

“No, Sir.” He grimaced and swallowed tightly.

“Not this time, and if you do you’ll be able to tell me why,” Collen murmured as he caressed Taylan’s ass.

* * * *

He savored the smooth texture of his lover’s skin one more time. He wasn’t going to take him. Not here and not at all until he recovered the memories he said he’d lost. He needed to be sure—his hand lifted of its own accord and dropped on Taylan’s ass again. He felt the shiver and scented the heat of burgeoning arousal mingled with that spring rain scent that was so quintessentially Taylan.

His wolf howled in joy inside his mind, and he fought it. The wolf lunged for the delicious scent. He saw Taylan as a treat to be savored, to be enjoyed. His body agreed while his mind tried to clamp a tight leash down on those demands that were now attempting to override rational thought.

“Turn around, Taylan,” Collen ordered tightly. Taylan obeyed and he removed the handcuffs. “Get packed.” He stroked Taylan’s wrists. “I mean for you to be obedient.” His gaze slid slowly down Taylan’s body taking in the rich brown  of his skin. The wolf wanted to lick him up. He gripped Taylan’s chin and lifted it bringing their eyes level.

“I won’t disappoint you again, Sir,” Taylan murmured, and lowered his eyes.

“Thank you, sweetheart. Now, look at me, Tay,” he commanded softly.

Taylan lifted his gaze to meet his Dom’s. He leaned toward him, holding his gaze. Collen caressed the handsome with his eyes, willing himself to look away, to move away, or order Taylan to. He couldn’t, and those gorgeous blue-gray eyes ensnared him just like they had the first night he’d looked into them.

Swaying toward him, he didn’t bother trying to fight the pull of this one little man. He knew there was no way out. His breathing was harsh and irregular, but he drew in Taylan’s scent. That clove and fresh spring breeze was intoxicating, and threatened to shred his control.

Back up, he ordered himself even as he angled his head and caught Taylan’s lips in a rough kiss. The wolf was hungry and unwilling to wait for a taste.

* * * *

Taylan caught his breath or rather had it stolen. Collen’s kiss was rough, demanding. His teeth nipping as his tongue demanded entrance into the wet heat of his mouth. Taylan’s lips parted on a soft growl and he melted into Collen.

Their tongues dueled, explored and sucked. Collen slowed the kiss, savoring him and Taylan stroked his hands up his Dom’s arms, bared by the shelves of his shirt. He loved the feel of Collen’s skin and touching him seemed to arouse him even more. His claws sliced out and his wolf scraped along the tough skin, drawing a low growl from Collen.

Collen’s hands slid down his back, gripped his ass and squeezed slightly, tearing a harsh moan from him. Collen’s tongue glided over his in a slow, seductive motion that had his blood boiling in his veins and his skin heating.

“Mmm.” Collen’s approval was low and soft as he bent his knees and rubbed his erection against Taylan’s throbbing prick.

“Oh God.” Taylan breathed out roughly as Collen trailed kisses the side of his neck. Sharp teeth played over the warm skin of his neck before Collen’s slightly rough tongue licked along the column of his throat. Sensation rushed Taylan, hot and heavy, making him light-headed.

Collen sucked hard, and Taylan hissed. Collen nipped and he released a soft whimper of pleasure, melting his bones.

Firm lips brushed over his collarbone and down to his shoulder. Sure fingers found his nipples and tugged them. The tiny points were sensitive, hard little beads begging for attention. Another tug and he gasped from the bite of pain that followed.