STORY EXCERPT

“All I’m saying is you should let me set you up with Jared. He’s really nice looking and dresses impeccably.”

Kevin groaned. “No, Tasha. I think I’m going to enjoy the single life a little while longer. I just can’t deal with men right now.”

At least not the men she tried to set him up with. Kevin would be better off with his hand while drinking a glass of wine. At least his hand wouldn’t make him roll his eyes and wish the date would end soon.

He set the watering can aside and plopped down at his desk, leaned his head back, and stared at the ceiling. “I gotta go. My work is calling me.”

“Fine, stay single,” she huffed. “Just don’t start collecting neighborhood cats.”

That made Kevin laugh as he sat forward. “I don’t like cats, remember?”

“You know what I mean, spinster.”

“Spinster?” Kevin sputtered. “I’m twenty-eight. I think I have quite a few years left before I earn that title.” Though he sure felt like a spinster. His prospects were dismal, and the dating scene just didn’t do it for him anymore.

Kevin had gone out to night clubs, but these days all men wanted to do was take a guy into the bathroom to have sex. It was like that on the dating apps too. Quick hookups. That wasn’t what Kevin was looking for. So maybe he had too many romantic notions in his head, but what was wrong with that?

Was it too much to ask to meet a guy who wasn’t arrogant, rude, self-absorbed, and had table manners?

Kevin sighed. “I really do have to go.”

“Okay, avoid the topic all you want, but I’m not giving up on finding the right guy for you.” She let out a breath. “I just care about you and want to see you happy, big brother.”

“I am happy.” Not really.

“Love you.”

“Love you, too,” Kevin said before he hung up.

He tossed his phone onto his desk and rubbed his face with his hands. He hated when Tasha reminded him that his love life sucked. He’d never been in a serious relationship, and sex, so far, had been okay. Nothing earth shattering. Not that he’d slept with the guys his sister threw his way. It had been so long since he’d been fucked that he might to able to regain his virginity.

His last date had been six months ago and they hadn’t even slept together.

Putting the call out of his mind, Kevin opened his laptop, ready to get to work, when he heard banging outside his apartment door. Curious, he got up and glanced out his peephole.

It looked as if someone was moving in across the hall. Kevin stood there, being creepy, and watched as furniture was brought in, wondering who his new neighbor was. The building was a four-unit, and the apartment across the hall had been empty for months.

Please don’t let it be noisy neighbors.

The building was mostly quiet, and Kevin loved that. He got a lot of work done with the peacefulness. The last neighbor had thrown parties every weekend, had a dog that barked all the time, and they loved to slam their door when they were coming and going.

Some people just didn’t understand apartment etiquette.

Like spying on your new neighbor? With a roll of his eyes, Kevin went back to his laptop and checked his emails, happy when he saw his boss had sent him documents to proofread. He worked for a publishing house that sold tons of books from romance—those were his favorites to edit—to self-help books and everything in between.

Then he groaned when he saw it was a spiritual book. Not his favorite because most who wrote those types of books tended to get a bit preachy. Kevin believed in a higher power, but he wasn’t the kind of guy to go to church or practice any kind of religion.

He clicked out of the email after downloading the attachment and noticed an email from someone he didn’t know. Curious, he opened it.

Then rolled his eyes, hard.

I’ve watched you from afar, and you’re perfect.

God, he hated spam. Kevin deleted the email and got to work. Three hours later he stood and pressed his hand into his back and stretched.

Fresh air was what he needed.

And another cup of coffee.

After making a cup, he went onto his wrought-iron balcony and leaned against the railing, soaking up the sun, and noticed there wasn’t a moving truck down on the street.

His new neighbor must have gotten everything inside. At least he didn’t hear a dog barking or things being slammed around. Hopefully that was a good sign.

The door to the balcony across from him opened. Kevin held his breath, interested to know who now lived in his building. He was completely stunned when the guy walked out, nearly dropping his coffee mug.

Tall, gorgeous, and muscular. Holy shit! Kevin couldn’t have pulled his gaze away if his life depended on it. Even his dick stood up and took notice.

The guy turned, spotted Kevin, and smiled. There was something about a man’s grin, the show of straight, white teeth and a sparkle that entered his eyes, making him seem approachable.

“Hi.”

Kevin felt himself blush. “Um, hello.”

His new neighbor curled his hands around the railing. “I didn’t mean to disturb your peace, but I needed some fresh air.”

The guy could disturb anything he wanted to. Kevin knew he was openly staring at the man’s body, but he couldn’t help it. “You’re fine. I was just taking a break.”

“I’m Cannon,” the guy said.

ADULT EXCERPT

He brushed his hands down hard muscles, over Cannon’s back, his biceps, settling his palms against the man’s hard chest. He felt Cannon’s muscles flex under his hands, as if the touch affected him as much as it did Kevin. Then Kevin rested his hand against Cannon’s cheek as heat flooded him. Cannon closed his eyes briefly after he broke the kiss, then turned and pressed one to Kevin’s palm. The tenderness in that one look solidified the fact that Kevin truly was falling for Cannon.

Hard.

Fast.

Deep.

His breathing grew shallow as Cannon turned, opened his eyes, and pinned Kevin with a stare so intense that his cock thickened. “I want you, Cannon.”

“You have me.” Cannon kissed Kevin’s neck, his lips whispering over his scar, then his collarbone as Kevin trembled, his hands resting on Cannon’s shoulders. He didn’t make Kevin feel ashamed. It was as if Cannon was letting him know that his scars were a part of his past and he was now Kevin’s future.

 His heart raced and adrenaline tripped through his veins as Cannon moved even lower, kissing and sipping at his skin, his hands moving to unsnap Kevin’s jeans. Kevin lifted his ass, and Cannon took his pants and underwear all the way down. Kevin kicked them off, and then Cannon settled between his legs.

“You’re perfect, Kevin.” Cannon kissed the scars on Kevin’s stomach. His breath hitched as he slid his hands into Cannon’s soft hair, too choked up to say anything.

Finally, Kevin felt as if he could speak. “You don’t have to say that.”

Cannon pressed his hands into the bedding and lifted himself up. He stared at Kevin, his brows furrowed. “I wouldn’t lie to you. Always know that. I would never lie about something like this. I want you with every fiber of my being. To taste you, worship your body with my mouth and cock, to explore every inch of you until you’re boneless and spent.”

Holy shit! No one had ever said anything remotely close to that to him. Ever.

Cannon lowered back down and kissed the inside of Kevin’s thigh, using his hands to spread Kevin’s legs farther apart. Kevin lifted them, planting his feet firmly, and let his knees fall to the sides. Cannon worked his way up, used his thumbs to separate Kevin’s cheeks, then lapped at his hole.

Kevin reached above him and gripped the headboard, throwing his head back as sparks flew inside of him when Cannon took him into his mouth. Oh god, how he’d missed this feeling! Kevin bucked so hard that Cannon pressed an arm over his waist to hold him down.

Fear clogged Kevin’s heart, the feeling of being trapped, but he forced it down and told himself that this was Cannon, that his mate would never do anything to hurt him.

He swallowed once, twice, then let himself go as Cannon took Kevin’s cock down his throat, pulled back, then lapped and sucked, damn near devouring him. Cannon pulled back long enough to spit on his fingers, then took Kevin’s cock back into his mouth, his fingers working inside Kevin’s tight ring of muscles.

Kevin’s body trembled, clenched, then he burst into a million shattering pieces, his cock pulsing with his release, Cannon drinking every last drop before he pulled back.

Kevin’s chest rose and fell quickly. His vision had blurred. Never had he experienced an orgasm so fucking intense. His body jerked with tiny aftershocks as Cannon kissed his way back up Kevin’s body, his fingers still buried inside Kevin. He had a shit-eating grin on his face. “Next time I want to hear you shouting my name.”

Cannon leaned sideways, only one hand free, and yanked open the nightstand drawer, coming away with a bottle of lube. It was then that he pulled his fingers free, lubed them, then worked them back in.

Already Kevin felt the stirring of his cock.

Cannon looked down at him. “Are you doing okay?”

Now was not the time for Kevin to discuss his feelings. “Yes.”

Had Cannon felt Kevin’s hesitation, knew he’d felt momentarily trapped? From the look in Cannon’s eyes, he knew Kevin was lying but didn’t call him on it. Thank god. It had been a fleeting feeling, and now it was gone. He didn’t want this to stop because there had been a hiccup. Okay, so it had been more than a hiccup, but Kevin was fine now.

Even better when Cannon scissored his fingers, stretching Kevin, making him moan even though he’d just climaxed.

Cannon eased his fingers out of Kevin, then turned and sat, pressing his back to the headboard. He grabbed Kevin’s hips and coaxed him to straddle the man. “I know you don’t like feeling trapped.”

Kevin opened his mouth to argue but closed it. What Cannon said was true, even if it gutted Kevin to admit that.

“We could stop, or you could ride me.”

In answer, Kevin leaned over and grabbed the discarded bottle of lube. He locked gazes with Cannon as he wet his fingers, then stroked his mate. Cannon’s eyes grew darker, his pupils dilated, and his lips parted as he stared right back.