STORY EXCERPT

Quinton suppressed a growl, unsure what was more beautiful, Noah’s smile or his sweet laughter.

Or what confused and pissed him off more, those guys trying to pressure his mate into having sex with them, or the fact… Had the blond really said Noah’s brother? That couldn’t be right. Quinton must’ve heard him wrong.

What exactly was going on with his mate?

“Nuh-uh, wait.” He snatched the pretzel before Noah could eat it.

“You’re just one big pretzel tease, aren’t you?” Noah huffed, appearing genuinely annoyed.

Quinton’s bear softly growled. “I propose a game.” He held up the pretzel he’d taken from Noah.

His mate spun to face him, and damn if Quinton didn’t want to tug the skinny human onto his lap. “What kind of game?”

Who can get undressed the fastest.

“Each person asks a question,” Quinton stated. “If the other person answers it, truthfully, they can eat a pretzel.”

Noah smiled softly, causing Quinton’s dick to harden. “So, just to clarify, we’re playing a high-stakes game of getting to know each other.” He tapped his chin in the most adorable way. “What happens if we don’t answer?”

“Then you have to buy the other a drink.”

Noah seemed to consider his offer, and Quinton swept his gaze over the guy’s handsome face. He was staring directly at Noah, simply blown away at the fact his mate was seated right next to him.

Now he knew how his best friend, Kalen, had felt the morning he’d met Delta. No wonder the wolf shifter had acted like his mind was short circuiting.

That was exactly how Quinton felt at the moment.

“Okay, but we don’t get too personal,” Noah finally agreed, picking up a pretzel. “Go ahead and ask.”

The first question that popped into his head was asking who those men were and why the fuck they were trying to pressure his mate into having sex with them. Also, would he need to kill them?

“How old are you?” Lame, but he wanted to put his mate at ease.

“Twenty-five.” Noah smiled before tossing the pretzel into his mouth. Quinton’s perverted gaze zeroed in on Noah’s swanlike neck as his mate chewed then swallowed.

He’d just met his mate, and his bear wanted to claim the human, to bend him over the bar and fuck him, which only fueled Quinton’s arousal.

Picking up a pretzel, Quinton held it close to his lips with a sly grin. “Ask whatever you want, handsome.”

“Are you single?” Noah’s cheeks blossomed with the prettiest blush Quinton had ever seen.

Not anymore. “Yes. I haven’t been in a relationship in some time, and, no, I currently don’t have anyone on speed dial for booty calls.”

He had to erase those numbers pronto.

Using the tip of his tongue, Quinton drew the snack into his mouth, watching how Noah’s cute nostrils slightly flared.

His mate absentmindedly reached for the bowl, his gaze still locked on Quinton’s mouth. Quinton smiled when Noah knocked half the contents out of the bowl before picking up a pretzel.

It was good to know he could easily fluster the guy.

“Who were those men with you?”

“My brother and best friend.” He ate the pretzel. “How old are you?”

That was a tricky one. Quinton couldn’t reveal his true age, which happened to be 324. The human wouldn’t believe him, of course, and then he would call an end to the game.

“How old do I look?”

Noah studied him, his dark green eyes reminding Quinton of cat eyes.

“Late thirties, possibly early forties?” Noah tilted his head. “I’m gonna go with forties.”

“Does that bother you?” As they asked questions, they ate the pretzels.

“That you’re old enough to be my father? I’m not sure just yet,” Noah answered honestly. “Right now, I’m just enjoying our game.”

So was Quinton. Whose turn was it? He flipped back through their conversation to remember. “When was your last relationship?”

Are you screwing around with your best friend? He didn’t outright ask but was dying to.

“I’ve never been in one.” The pretzel froze halfway to Noah’s mouth, as if he hadn’t meant to reveal the fact.

There were so many ways to interpret his answer. It was possible Noah was afraid of commitments. He could’ve also been flat-out lying, but his expression said otherwise. Maybe he’d just recently come out of the closet—a phrase Quinton wasn’t particularly fond of.

“Care to elaborate?” He held up his hand then ordered two beers before turning his attention back to his mate, who still appeared stunned.

“I guess I’m buying.” Noah cleared his throat. Damn, his blush had grown a darker shade of red.

“Nonsense.” He tested the waters by resting his hand on his mate’s knee. “You answered my question. We already said nothing personal, so you’re not penalized for refusing to answer.”

Jake set the bottles on the counter, refilled the bowl with fresh pretzels, then asked the guy standing behind Quinton what he wanted to drink. The bar was getting crowded, and now Quinton was dying to finish their game in a cozier setting.

“Do you want to continue our little game outside?” He leaned in close, his chest almost touching Noah as he reached for some napkins.

He had done that on purpose to allow his scent to invade Noah’s lungs, hopefully enticing his mate to join him.

“Dad, are you coming back to play?” Ryker hollered from the entrance to the pool room.

Would it be considered illegal to kill a firstborn if they’d just ruined an intimate moment? Quinton saw the moment realization dawned on Noah who Ryker had been shouting at.

“Dad?” His mate’s gaze flickered between father and soon-to-be-dead son. “You have a son my age?”

ADULT EXCERPT

After Noah started a pot of coffee then tried to hurry past him again, Quinton gently gripped his slim upper arm.

“Why do I get the impression you don’t want me here?” He pulled his hand away but was ready to grab it again if necessary.

“I’m just exhausted.” He covered a yawn with his hand. A toddler could’ve given a better performance.

A soft, irritated growl rolled up his throat. “Please do not insult my intelligence, Noah.”

His mate looked him over. Quinton took a step back, realizing his height was intimidating to a person Noah’s size.

“I just want the truth, cub.” Quinton softened his voice, dropping the growl from his tone.

Noah glanced nervously around. “I know this sounds cliche, but it’s not you.”

And now Quinton felt like his mate was moments from sending him on his way. “Then what is it?”

His mate’s shoulders slumped as he let out a deep sigh. “You’re the first man, aside from my brother and best friend, who’s ever been in my apartment.”

Call him thick-headed, but Quinton still didn’t understand. “And that somehow makes you nervous?”

Plenty of people went to the other person’s house for a hookup. Quinton never brought anyone home. Made things less complicated that way.

When the fun was over, you didn’t have to find a polite way of asking your bed partner to leave. You just dipped out from their house and made your way home.

“Yes,” Noah admitted, still refusing to look at him.

“Can I ask why?”

“I think the coffee is ready.” Noah shot past him and nearly ran into the wall. Wincing, Quinton quickly reached for his mate, but Noah moved lightning-fast into the kitchen.

His mate was definitely an enigma. Quinton couldn’t figure him out. At the bar, Noah had been engaging and smiling, even a little flirtatious. At the diner, he had started to cool off.

Now? Quinton couldn’t make heads or tails of the guy.

“How do you take your coffee?” Noah asked after poking his head out.

“Black is fine.” He wasn’t so sure his mate needed to drink the caffeinated coffee. He was already jittery enough.

Noah walked out with a mug in each hand than offered one to Quinton before leading him to the couch. More like walked to it and left Quinton to invite his own self to sit down.

“I can’t believe how tired I am.” The next yawn seemed more genuine. Quinton was used to very little sleep. He’d been that way for at least six decades.

He could function with no problem with as little as four hours of sleep.

“Noah.” Quinton set his cup on the rug and turn to face his mate. “Please tell me what’s really going on. I’m a good listener, and it takes a lot to upset or shock me.”

His mate nibbled on his lower lip, drawing Quinton’s attention to their plumpness, and he had to fight not to kiss them.

“You make me want things,” Noah finally said like he’d had to muster all of his courage just to say that.

Want things? Preternatural couldn’t get drunk off of human alcohol—though he’d learned that fey could—but Quinton began to wonder if those beers had gone to his head.

“Can you be a little more specific?” Although Quinton was ninety percent sure his mate was referring to sex, he didn’t want to assume anything.

But he sure as hell was hoping that was what Noah wanted. His mate was extremely handsome, his chestnut-brown hair purposely styled to look as if he’d just rolled out of bed. He had expressive green eyes and a long, slim neck Quinton wanted to run his lips over. His features were a combination of boyish and masculine, creating the perfect blend of beauty.

“Specific?” That red-hot, burning-as-hot-as-hellfire blush returned, setting his face ablaze.

Now there wasn’t a question in Quinton’s mind what his mate was talking about.

If Noah didn’t know how to ask, Quinton had no problem taking the reins. He cupped Noah’s jaw and leaned forward, taking his mate’s mouth in a searing kiss.

Noah clutched at Quinton’s arms, like he was holding on for dear life. He yanked the man closer, Noah’s coffee sloshing, spilling some on them, and then Quinton heard the cup hit the floor.

The intensity of the kiss heightened until Quinton’s mind was empty of everything except Noah. He explored the inside of his mate’s mouth then gently bit his lower lip.

Quinton sprinkled kisses down his mate’s throat, smiling when he felt the vibration of Noah’s moan.

Fuck. He was so damn hard it was almost painful. Leaning back, Quinton pulled his mate with him, draping Noah over his chest.

Cupping the back of his mate’s neck, Quinton lowered the man’s head until his lips brushed over the shell of his ear. “I want to suck your cock, sweetheart.”

He palmed Noah’s ass and pressed their bodies together, grinding against the guy to show Noah just how hard he was. “I’m dying to feel your soft lips sucking me off.”

Noah went rigid.

Quinton at once pulled his hands away, holding them out at his sides. He wasn’t sure why his mate had reacted that way, but he wanted to make it clear that Noah was free to get up if that was what he wanted to do.

“Did I say something wrong?”

Noah lifted his head and gazed at him. “Why would you ask that?”

He seemed genuinely confused. Quinton stared at his kiss-swollen lips, his mussed hair, and the shine in his eyes. “You…” Fuck. His mate wasn’t the only one confused. “Are we good?”

The man’s blush was out to kill him. “Yes.”

That was all Quinton wanted to hear. He reared up and placed his mate on his back. Quinton’s foot kicked his own mug, adding to the soaked mess on the rug as he unfastened his mate’s pants and tried to work them down.

“Lift your hips, hon.”

Noah complied, his hands fisting the cushions. Quinton could hear how quickly his mate was breathing as his hard cock slapped his stomach.

“So goddamn pretty,” Quinton murmured. Despite Noah’s cock being a bit shorter in length, his girth more than made up for it.

Quinton scooted back and then dipped his head, licking around the mushroomed head.

Noah gave a sharp cry, his hips bucking. Quinton’s lips sank onto his mate’s prick, taking the shaft down his throat.