STORY EXCERPT

Checking to make sure no one else was outside, Nester slipped from the woods, nearly tripping over tangled roots, and quickly made his way to the rented room he’d been lured to.

Lured.

That was the perfect way of putting it. Scott had tricked Nester into meeting him there. Had planned on offing them both. Nester had come that close to losing his life.

He rushed toward the motel room door, trying his best to dodge around the security lights so he wouldn’t be seen.

If it hadn’t been for the sun setting so early, Nester would have had to wait a few more hours in the cold woods. He normally hated this time of year, but it was working to his advantage.

Nester tried the door handle and cursed when he found it locked. Who was he kidding? If men were restoring the room, then it had already been cleared.

Which meant his phone had already been discovered. Probably. But he had held out hope that some kind of miracle had been waiting for him.

Clearly it hadn’t.

He would still try and get into the room to make sure, but right now he needed somewhere warm and dry, preferably with food and a soft bed.

If he didn’t get his phone back, he was a dead man. Looking around to make sure he was still alone, Nester eased his way around the building, his feet crushing the weeds jutting from the sidewalk.

Damn it! The bathroom window—the one Nester had crawled out of to escape the room—was locked. Now what? He had nowhere to go, no money, and he was tired, cold, and hungry.

Maybe if he turned himself in, he could get fed and given a place to sleep. How bad could the town jail be?

“Do you think the jail is a motel?” he grumbled to himself. “You turn yourself in and you’re going to prison for a very long time.”

Nester was still kicking himself in the ass for trusting Scott in the first place. That was what he got for falling for a pretty face. He should have known it was too good to be true. Guys like Scott didn’t normally date guys like Nester.

It was some unwritten rule in the cosmos.

Nester’s heart twisted as he looked around, feeling lost and unsure what to do. He could track where his phone was if he had his laptop, but he’d left that in his apartment in Falls Bend.

By now the cops had checked out his apartment. Nester had no doubt about that. He was a murder suspect. He’d watched from deep in the woods that night, had seen the firefighters putting out the fire, and had watched Scott’s body being taken away.

By now they had his prints, because Nester had touched a lot of surfaces in the room when he tried not to get shot by Scott.

His life was over.

Then again, if he didn’t get his phone, he wouldn’t have to worry about seeing the inside of a prison. Dublin McLeay would torture Nester slowly before ending him.

A thought struck him. What if there was an internet café in town? All Nester had to do was sign into his account and ping his phone’s location.

With that little bit of hope, Nester hurried toward the road and made the long, cold journey toward town. He wandered aimlessly, searching for a coffee shop.

When he found it, Nester nearly shouted in joy.

Until he realized the coffee shop was closed for the night.

Crap.

Spending another night outside was a gloomy thought. Last night he’d bedded down in the woods, trying to use the foliage as a blanket.

He was surprised he hadn’t died from hypothermia.

With sagging shoulders, Nester took a seat on the bench next to Bistro. Hot, wet tears stung his eyes. He used the back of his hand to wipe them away as he looked out over the town.

The smell of the diner reached him, and Nester’s stomach picked that moment to rumble. He started across the street, ready to offer labor in exchange for food, but hesitated.

He was a wanted man, and showing his face around town would be a really dumb move. He eased away from the diner door, tucking his hands back into his jacket pockets, and headed down the dark street.

He passed the police station and stopped for a brief second, contemplating turning himself in. That would solve his hunger pains, his tiredness, and the chills that clung to him.

But he wasn’t going to prison for defending himself. He wasn’t going to let Scott ruin his life any further. He would just wait until tomorrow. Then he’d go to the café and find out where his phone was.

If it hadn’t died. If it had, he wasn’t sure what he would do. Calling his mom wasn’t an option. She would insist he go to the police.

Not to clear his name, though.

Norma Jean would want the attention and would feel self-righteous that she’d talked a murderer into turning himself in. Anything she did was for her own gain. Norma Jean never did anything out of the kindness of her heart.

Nester slowed when he heard voices coming from an alley. They sounded heated the closer he eased toward the mouth. Nester peeked around the corner and gasped when he saw a giant drive a knife into the other person’s chest.

Nester yanked his body back, slamming his back against the brick wall as he tried to remember how to breathe. He’d just witnessed a murder, and there wasn’t anything he could do about it unless he was willing to risk his own freedom to do the right thing.

It wasn’t as if he’d gotten a look at the giant. The alley was dark and filled with shadows. This was none of his business. He didn’t need to get involved.

Damn it! He should’ve stayed in the woods and died of cold and hunger. Now his conscience was telling him to help the stab victim, to make sure a killer didn’t get away.

Which was ironic since he was a killer, too. Even though he’d been defending himself, the guilt still ate away at him. Nester had never taken a life, and the weight of what he’d done still sat heavily on his chest.

He started away, trying to be as quiet as possible, but when he turned, the killer stood right there, blocking Nester from moving.

ADULT EXCERPT

Pyke’s grin stole Nester’s breath. His heart pounded, almost out of control, as his cock lengthened. The wordplay excited him, thrilled him, actually. Nester was so nervous that his stomach did backflips. He also actively avoided thinking about the consequences of what they were about to do.

Nester couldn’t rip his eyes away when Pyke undressed, revealing his dark tan—or was that the natural color of his skin?—and well-toned body. “What’s your nationality? You don’t have to answer. I’m just curious.”

“Greek.”

Pyke tossed his boxer briefs aside, and Nester’s gaze zeroed in on his enormous cock. Lord help me. Had he gotten in over his head?

“But I don’t speak the language or uphold the traditions. Something my mother was disappointed in.”

The bothered look on Pyke’s face made Nester want to change the subject. He knew about disappointing a parent. Norma Jean reminded him too many times that he hadn’t become a doctor or lawyer. Her son had been a cashier, something she had been ashamed of.

Oh god. He needed to get his mother off his mind while he was staring at a gorgeous naked man. Thoughts of her would kill his libido.

Thank goodness Pyke solved that problem by crawling onto the bed next to him, making the mattress dip with his weight.

Nester didn’t say a word as Pyke helped him remove his clothes. All that was left was Nester’s underwear, and he wasn’t sure why he hesitated to take them off.

“There’s still time to change your mind.”

Pyke’s voice was deep and husky, only adding to the temptation Nester was fighting against. He should tell Pyke that this wasn’t going to happen, that it might be a mistake, but fuck if Nester could get his mouth to form those words.

He had a sexy, naked man lying behind him. He didn’t think anyone in the world had that much self-control. He sure as hell didn’t.

While telling himself not to do it, Nester scooted back a little, trying to get closer to Pyke’s nakedness. The only thing between them was Nester’s underwear. It would be so easy to take them off and offer himself to Pyke.

What if they just had sex? What if Nester kept things simple between them, kept his heart out of the equation? They could be friends with benefits, but there was just one problem with that idea.

Pyke had said they were mates, and keeping things casual wasn’t going to work. Nester still wasn’t sure he was ready to become Pyke’s. They both had baggage they needed to deal with. Nester needed to get his phone back, if only to keep himself alive. Right now he felt safe with Pyke, but that could change in an instant.

He should tell the guy about Dublin, yet the fear returned when he thought about Pyke getting hurt or killed. One could argue that Scott had deserved his fate, but Pyke was innocent, had done nothing but help Nester, and Nester wasn’t going to repay that kindness by having a stone cold killer gunning for Pyke.

His resistance faltered when Pyke yanked him back and their bodies aligned. His butt was nestled in the curve of Pyke’s groin, and oh god, it felt so good to have a hard cock pressed firmly against the crease of his ass.

Being the dork that he was, Nester pretended to “get more comfortable” so he could wiggle against Pyke’s hardness.

Pyke’s hand tightened on him and glided from Nester’s hip to his stomach, where it rested just above the waistband of Nester’s boxers.

“All I’ve thought about since meeting you was claiming you. My bear has been going nuts to get to you.” Pyke’s hand slid up Nester’s chest. He plucked one of Nester’s nipples, making him hiss. “Tell me this is what you want, Nester. Tell me I’m not the only one feeling this way.”

“You’re not.”

All the reasons Nester had kept Pyke at bay vanished. He couldn’t think with Pyke damn near curled around him. He wasn’t made of stone, and his cock throbbed for release.

Praying he wasn’t making a big mistake, Nester slid his underwear off and tossed them over the side of the bed, baring his naked ass to Pyke.

Pyke turned him and pressed Nester’s back to the mattress. They looked at each other before Pyke’s lips caressed his. This was what Nester had been craving. He moaned as he parted his lips, sucking Pyke’s tongue into his mouth.

They kissed and touched and explored each other with their hands as Nester’s body grew tighter. He wanted Pyke to fuck him so badly that he nearly begged for it.

“We can fool around without me claiming you,” Pyke said as his lips ghosted over Nester’s jaw. “I know you’re not ready for that.” Pyke pulled away and settled on his back. “Turn around and get on top.”

It took a second for Nester to understand what Pyke wanted. He slid his hand over Pyke’s rigid stomach and kissed along his chest. If all they were going to do was suck each other’s cocks, Nester wanted to draw this out. He wanted to map Pyke’s body, get to know each dip and cut line. Nester didn’t want to rush into the sixty-nine position and have this end so quickly.

And it would because his cock was so hard, throbbing so heavily, that one touch from Pyke’s tongue would send him over the edge into a mind-numbing orgasm.

Unfortunately, Nester wasn’t sure he could hold out much longer. His body was on fire with need. Every spot Pyke touched, every lick he gave drove Nester’s senses crazy.

Pyke grabbed Nester and flipped him, making Nester laugh. “As much as I’m enjoying your tongue on my chest, I want to feel it on my dick.”

“That needy?” Nester teased. Who was he kidding? He was just as needy.

“Damn right.”

Nester moaned and hugged Pyke’s hairy leg when Pyke took Nester into his mouth. He lashed his tongue over Nester’s erection, sucking his length deep into his mouth before pulling back. Nester’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as his fingers curled into the blanket. His hips jerked, and he felt as if he’d died and gone to heaven. Never in his life had he experienced anything so wondrous, so mind numbing, or so toe curling.

Nester began to pant and jerk, and goddamn, the man’s tongue was pure magic. The abrasion from his beard only added to the pleasure. Nester had never been with anyone who had facial hair, and he was quickly becoming addicted to the feeling.

Pyke released Nester’s cock, and Nester damn near cried out in protest. “You can join in anytime.”