STORY EXCERPT

Watching the buffalo shifter open the display to start collecting the donuts, Styles ignored the man’s statement. Kenway of all people should know how Styles felt and why he held onto his anger. His friend might get along with a lot of the residents here, but Styles wasn’t going to be so forgiving—even though no one in this town had technically done him wrong. Kenway glanced at him through the glass and he could see the man give a heavy sigh.

It seemed all the men he lived with were getting on with their lives while Styles felt as if his was stuck in the past, stuck in a limbo that ate at him every fucking day. It wasn’t that he wanted to live that way, but he couldn’t get past the fact that a pack of wolves had killed his parents and left him scarred for life. He refused to forget the times when he was a young pup and had gotten beat up by a few wolves who had nothing better to do than pick on the little coyote.

There were times in his early adult life when he had run-ins with a few wolves who thought themselves better and tried to prove it at Styles’s expense.

No, Styles wasn’t going to let bygones be bygones.

“Breathe,” Kenway said as he straightened. “You were having such a good morning.”

Styles hated that his morning was ruined. He wasn’t laid back like Reese and he wasn’t friendly like Kenway. It wasn’t that Styles was a sourpuss, but whenever he thought of the things that had happened to him in life, his blood always boiled.

Styles turned away, glancing at a shelf filled with fresh baked bread, trying to lasso his anger and rein it in. As he had done most of his life, he shoved the toxic emotions to the pit of his being and then turned back toward Kenway, nodding toward the box in the guy’s hands, and getting away from the subject of wolves. “Finished?”

He took a sip of his coffee, ignoring Kenway’s assessing eyes, hoping the man dropped the subject. He knew the buffalo shifter cared, but there were just some things Styles didn’t want to talk about.

“Yep.” Kenway closed the lid and set the box on the counter. Styles handed the man the twenty that his boss had given him the night before. “Coffee is on the house.”

Styles grinned, forgetting his momentary anger as he gave Kenway a quick wink, raising his cup at the same time. “Giving me freebees?”

Kenway shook his head, but Styles could see the humor in the man’s expression. “Don’t get used to it. Since this is the first time you’ve stepped foot in here, I’ll give it to you for free. You pay the next time.”

Styles once again felt guilty that he had never visited Sweet Delight before. But he wasn’t a sweet eater and he always had to be at work at the crack of dawn. He glanced around the shop, nodding in approval. “It’s a great place you have here, Kenway. You and Ross have done good for yourselves.”

“Why, thank you,” Ross said as he walked out into the shop from a small door to Styles’s right. “I’m glad you finally came to see the place.”

Styles liked Ross. Even though the man was a vampire, he was pretty cool people. Ross was the most androgynous man Styles had ever met, but that only added to his character. The guy also won a shitload of brownie points for the way he treated Kenway. Styles always saw them at home, taking care of one another, smooching, and damn if they didn’t look blissful.

“Try this.” Kenway slid a piece of buttered bread onto a small paper plate and handed it to Styles. “I know you don’t like sweets, but the bread is pretty damn good here.”

“That’s because we lucked out with Baker and Robby,” Ross said. Styles didn’t know who they were talking about, but he took the plate. The bread did look delicious. He could feel the warmth of the plate and see the butter melting, making Styles’s mouth water.

Before he could take a bite, a short, slim guy with blondish-brown hair and hazel eyes walked from the back. Styles stared at the man, thinking how damn cute the guy was. Styles felt his blood begin to simmer and his body tingle when the man cocked his head to the side, one dimple showing when he smiled.

Styles was riveted to the spot as the guy winked at him. He gave a low chuckle, liking that the smaller man had such confidence to openly flirt. The scrawny guy cocked an eyebrow at Styles and he saw a glimmer of amusement in those entrancing hazel eyes.

“Wow,” Ross said, almost breaking the spell. “I can feel the attraction as if it were a damn breathing entity.”

A frisson of nervous energy passed through Styles. He set the plate down, appreciating the gorgeous perfection—because the man was, he definitely was, hell, he really was—but mostly because the stranger was so focused on him. Styles was instantly aroused and that was something that had never really happened before. Not this instantaneously.

“Uh, Styles,” Kenway began as he waved a hand in front of Styles’s face. “That’s Robby, my head baker.”

The man might be slim, but he was pure male and was flirting with him. Styles’s grin widened, as he felt his libido go crazy. He took a step forward, ready to ask the guy out when he caught Robby’s scent.

A heavy lid slammed down on what he was feeling, his senses putting up walls all around him. But to his dismay, his cock was still hard in his jeans.

Robby was a fucking wolf.

Figures.

ADULT EXCERPT

Robby pulled away from sucking Styles’s cock and stood, wrapping his lips around Styles’s nipple. The man sure as fuck liked sucking. His cock jerked at the thought of having Robby permanently attached to his body with those masterful lips. He rolled the nipple around with his teeth, and then gently bit down.

He could feel the tips of Robby’s canines biting into his flesh. Styles grabbed the back of Robby’s head, pulling the man back, gazing down into eyes that were swimming in a carnal, fervid mist. “You like biting?”

Robby licked at his lips, his smile slow in forming but finally appeared, reaching his eyes. “I got carried away.”

“I just bet you did.” His words were spoken in a low growl, his coyote close to the surface. His hand moved to Robby’s back stroking its way down to the man’s buttocks. He gripped tightly as the beginning of a smile tipped his mouth. “You like toying with me.”

“I like getting a response out of you,” Robby countered. “I like to keep you guessing. I want to keep you on your toes, constantly surprising you, always making you wonder what I’m going to do next.” The man’s words had a slight snarl to them but Styles could see that Robby loved sending ransom notes, loved the game of guess-what-I’m-going-to-do-next.

He could be just as spontaneous as Robby. Styles could keep his mate guessing as well. Like now for instance. He reached into the drawer and pulled out the lube, keeping a tight grip on it. Then, in one swift move, Styles took Robby to the wooden floor. He was on top of his mate in a heartbeat, slamming his lips over Robby’s.

Styles set the lube down next to Robby’s head as he tried to devour the man.

His mate dug his fingernails into Styles’s shoulders, parting his lips. Their tongues dueled and fought over who would control the kiss. Robby might be slim, and not as tall as Styles, but the man definitely had a strong, aggressive personality.

Grabbing his mate’s wrist, Styles locked the man’s hands over his head. He smiled, flashing his white teeth. “You are a very determined man. What, do you think you’ll roll me, place me on bottom, and then what were your plans?”

Robby lifted his head and tried to nip at Styles’s lips. “Very naughty ones.”

Styles dipped his head and locked his teeth on Robby’s throat, giving the man a throaty growl before he pulled back and kissed his neck. His cock was hard, straining in his jeans and Styles could feel the blood pulsing, making him almost mad with the need.

Robby smirked at him. “Don’t worry, you would’ve kept control.”

Styles seriously doubted that. Locking eyes with the man beneath him, Styles lowered his head and licked his tongue over Robby’s exposed chest, smiling to himself when his mate’s breath hitched. He could feel Robby tugging at his arms, trying to get his hands free.

In the struggle to see who was going to dominate who, there was no fucking way Styles was going to release the man. Never before had Styles met a man who should’ve fallen into the category of twink, yet acted more like a dominant alpha.

But under all the posturing, Robby was also determined to love Styles, no matter how much he pushed the man away, snapped at him, or acted like a total ass. He saw Styles as his and was laying his claim.

Releasing one of Robby’s arms, Styles pointed at the man, giving him a look that said, “don’t fucking move.” He shoved at his jeans, kicking them off. He wanted skin against skin. Styles wanted their entire bodies to touch without confinements, without anything getting in the way.

With his free hand, Robby tried to reach down and grab Styles’s cock. He knocked the man’s hand away. “Still trying to take over?”

“Still trying to play.” His mate’s eyes shimmered with laughter, his features softening as he gazed at Styles with such love that Styles had to look away. He couldn’t understand how Robby could love him and they had just met. Not only that, how could Robby love him when Styles had done everything in his power to keep the man away from him?

“Growl for me,” Robby teased as his hitched his hips and drove his cock forward, making the heated flesh slide along Styles’s own erection. “It flips my trigger when I hear that sound coming from you.”

His mate lifted his legs and swung them around Styles’s waist, locking Styles into place. “Or should I be begging you to purr?”

Styles was totally and utterly confused. Robby was acting dominant and submissive at the same time. He was giving Styles control, yet keeping some for himself. “It is you who is going to be purring like a kitten when I’m done with you.”

“Challenge accepted,” Robby said as he humped at Styles’s groin. “Make me purr, Styles.”