STORY EXCERPT

“Tell me what I need to purchase, and will you put it all together for me?”

Red suppressed the knee-jerk reaction to jump when he heard the voice behind him. He’d been mending part of the fence, lost in his own thoughts, and feeling at peace out there in the pasture all by himself.

It had been Adam Perry who had shown Red how to fix the fence. One demonstration and Red had the procedure down pat.

But if he spent much more time under the grueling sun, Red wouldn’t be for the shortened version of his name. He would be called Red because he would sunburn. Even though he was out in the open with a nice breeze, he was sweating like crazy.

And now that Lincoln had shown up, Red was sweating even more. Why did the guy have to be so damn good-looking? He was the epitome of manly cowboy, and damn it, Red wanted a piece of that fine-ass man.

“I don’t know too much about the computer stuff.” Red set the fencing pliers down and wiped at his sweaty brow. “You’d be better off hiring a professional.”

Just the thought of buying the equipment and building Lincoln a computer had Red’s blood pumping. Or it could have been how close the tall, lean man stood by him. Red had done everything in his power to avoid his boss, but Lincoln always found a reason to search him out.

“You seemed to know what you were talking about yesterday.” Lincoln went to his knees, pulled a pair of work gloves from his back pocket, and grabbed the next part of the barbed wire that needed repaired. He looped the end then grabbed the small roll of wire and fed it through the loop.

Red cursed the fact that he’d let on about his skills in the office. He was trying to forget that part of his life. If it hadn’t been for his skills, he never would’ve been there that day, never would’ve been stabbed and shot. Now the cold that always invaded him whenever he thought of that crept through him.

“Red?”

Red took a step back, forcing himself not to rub his arms. “Mending fences is my job. If you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to it.”

He also didn’t trust himself around Lincoln. Fuck, why was he so attracted to the guy? Lincoln was hunkered down in front of him, and all Red could think about was tackling him and kissing him until neither of them could breathe.

Lincoln stood, towering over Red. “I don’t know your past, what you’re running from, and it ain’t my business. If you want everyone to think you’re not too bright with computers, fine. I can keep a secret, Red. I also have a ton of paperwork that needs to get done. I’m just asking you to do me a solid.”

The temptation was overwhelming. Red hesitated then shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He wasn’t getting sucked back into that part of his life. It was over. There was no room for discussion.

“If it’s money—”

A bark of wry laughter escaped Red. Money wasn’t an issue. “You just don’t know when to give up, do you? You hired me as a ranch worker, and that’s what I’m doing.”

Red bent and grabbed the barbed wire. He used the stretcher, so pissed that Lincoln was trying to pry, that he lost his hold and the wire snapped back, cutting Red across the face.

Red fell to his ass, pressing a hand over his face.

“Fuck!” Lincoln dropped to one knee. “Let me see how bad it is.”

The smell of his own blood triggered a flash of emotions that had Red scrambling away, his hand still pressed against his cheek. Fuck, it hurt like hell, but all he saw were those three men who’d attacked him.

Lincoln held up his hands. “You’re safe, Red. No one is going to hurt you. I just need to take a look at the wound.”

Talk about showing his cards. Could Red be any more fucked up? He swallowed tightly and lowered his hand. He made himself sit still as Lincoln inspected his injury.

“You’re gonna need stitches. I need to take you to the clinic.”

“No.” Red couldn’t chance going into town. He didn’t want anyone seeing him, though no one in Fever’s Edge knew who he was. Even so, if those men who had tried to kill him came looking, Red wanted the residents to remain ignorant of his existence.

“I can have the doctor come here, or I can stich you up myself,” Lincoln offered. “Unless you know how to stitch up your own self.”

Just the thought of putting a needle into his face made Red queasy. “You can do it.”

“Then let’s get you back to the house.” Lincoln stood and offered his hand, but Red ignored it and stood on his own. He had used a four-wheeler but left it as he stalked to Lincoln’s truck and hopped into the bed instead of the passenger seat.

His boss didn’t say a word as he got in and drove them back to the house. Red had removed his work gloves and had a hand against his bloody cheek. He closed his eyes and continually reminded himself that he wasn’t in that kitchen chair, that a knife hadn’t just been plunged into his thigh. That he hadn’t just taken two bullets.

He was cut by barbed wire. That was all. No threat. No taunting men. No crawling away to safety. He was in Lincoln’s truck, out in the open, being driven to get his cheek stitched up.

Red jumped out when they arrived, and regretted the move. His feet hitting the ground jarred him and made his face pound even harder.

Lincoln led him inside.

ADULT EXCERPT

Pressing his palms into Lincoln’s chest, Red reared back. His eyes were bright and sparkling as he slid his ass over Lincoln’s cock. “Enough talk, handsome. Fuck me and make me yours.”

Lincoln furrowed his brows. “Are you sure? You’ve been running from me at every turn. Why the change of heart?”

Not that Lincoln was trying to talk his mate out of being claimed. He just wanted to see where Red’s head was.

Red shrugged. “That hand job with you and the fight with Jason. I’ve just been thinking lately that I want my old self back. Not that I want to announce to the world that Redford Cohen still walks the earth, but it’s time I started enjoying life.”

“Cohen?”

“I faked my last name. It’s not Wailing.”

Lincoln chuckled. “You suck at fictitious names.”

“Hey.” Red slapped Lincoln’s chest. “I couldn’t part with Red. It was my father’s name.”

Lincoln rolled them, placing Red on his back. He rested his arms on either side of Red’s head and cupped his face. If any of those “thugs” came after his mate, Lincoln would tear them apart.

He distracted himself from those dark thoughts by reaching between them and fisting Red’s cock. His mate’s eyelids fluttered closed as he shivered.

Lincoln couldn’t ever remember feeling this needy before, this turned on. The desire in him surged as he leaned sideways and rummaged through his nightstand drawer, snagging the used bottle of lube.

He wet his fingers and pressed them between Red’s cheeks. His mate sucked in a breath and spread his legs wider as Lincoln inched two fingers into his mate’s ass.

“Oh fuck,” Red moaned. “I haven’t had my ass played with in forever.”

Red made him feel raw, wild things. Lincoln didn’t want this moment to end. It was Red he wanted to wake up to every morning and go to bed with every night. The thought of spending a lazy Sunday in bed as they cuddled and watched a movie or made slow, sweet love made Lincoln’s chest hurt.

A rumbling purr escaped Lincoln. “You like that, sweetheart?”

“Fuck yeah.” Red’s eyes fluttered closed as he'd begun to thrust his ass downward onto Lincoln’s fingers.

He scissored his fingers and crooked them, grazing Red’s prostate. His mate whimpered and writhed, clutching Lincoln’s biceps.

Lincoln pulled back, removing his fingers before he lubed his cock. He locked gazes with Red as he slowly entered the man.

Red’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he cupped his hands behind his knees and pulled his legs back. His lips parted, and Lincoln wanted to kiss them again. He wanted to kiss every part of the man’s body.

As he inched inside, Lincoln grabbed Red’s ankles, spreading the man’s legs apart as he watched his body joining with his mate’s.

The skin hugged him so tightly that his teeth ached from gritting them. He wanted to make this last all night but knew he couldn’t. Red was too much of a temptation, and Lincoln wasn’t going to last that damn long.

“So fucking good,” Red breathed out.

Lincoln groaned. “So damn good.”

He pulled back and then slid inside, slowly at first and then faster. He couldn’t stop himself. His hips began to thrust his cock harder inside Red, the pleasure so damn good he wanted to growl with it.

His mate was eager, matching Lincoln thrust for thrust. Lincoln took Red’s lips in a blazing kiss.

Red was so hot, so tight around Lincoln’s cock, the muscles gripping Lincoln like a slick, velvety glove.

“You kiss like a dream,” Red murmured when their lips parted.

Lincoln grinned and drove deeper. “That’s because you taste like heaven.”

Red’s brows furrowed. “Your canines.”

Lincoln couldn’t help it. He was drowning in lust, in passion, and his tiger was close to the surface. But fear crept its way in. Lincoln didn’t want Red to reject him.

“Are you afraid, Red?” Lincoln didn’t want this moment ruined.

As if Red could taste Lincoln’s trepidation, he shook his head and brushed his hands down Lincoln’s arms. “I think you look wild and sexy.”

Lincoln flexed and was rewarded with a swift intake of air from Red. The man looked reverently at him, and Lincoln never wanted that look to diminish.

That thought only drove Lincoln to fuck Red faster, harder, and deeper. Red’s skin glimmered with a fine sheen of sweat as he wrapped his legs tightly around Lincoln’s waist.

Even after our weeks, Lincoln was still in awe that Red had wandered onto his ranch, had come right to him as if fate had guided Red’s way.

And now he was claiming the man, was buried balls-deep inside his ass—a place he never thought he would be with the way Red had acted for a month.

He kissed Red again, slowly this time, exploring his mate’s mouth as he punched his hips forward, sending them closer to their climaxes. Lincoln’s orgasm was cresting, no matter how badly he wanted this to last.

The kiss broke apart, and Lincoln licked along Red’s shoulder. He stopped where his shoulder met his neck and sank his canines deep. It felt as though something slugged him in the chest, dead center, and gripped him with a stranglehold.

Red gasped and jerked beneath Lincoln, clinging to him as he cried out. His hold tightened around Lincoln’s cock, the pressure making it almost impossible to move.