STORY EXCERPT

“Reality time.” Tre gave a tired but real smile and reaching out, caressed Tredd’s chin briefly, before dropping his hand and exhaling slowly. “As soon as we step into the Alliance hotel, this between us will change. I won’t be just Tre Sanchez anymore. I’ll be Lord Alessandro Trent Sanchez, Commander to the Alliance. I’ll have to explain why I destroyed the tracking device my brother Baron keeps sticking me with and be reprimanded for taking a wander around the city without my eight bodyguards. I thought it was fair to tell you. You might not appreciate surprises.”

Tredd had heard about Alessandro Trent Sanchez, who went by Trent, the renowned tiger shifter with the strategist gift. Trent worked with the Alliance and High Council to stop Renegade attacks. He worked closely with soldiers on the ground, commanding them to protect innocents, save lives, and work out ways to bring fighting to a stop as quickly as possible.

Holy hell! Tredd could hardly believe the fates had matched him to this creature, one who had saved thousands of lives, was said to be the best strategist alive, and worked tirelessly to stop the battles that harmed so many. He’d been involved in a few fights against Renegades where Trent Sanchez was behind the scenes directing soldiers and knew the shifter was instrumental in removing a dozen innocents from the area without them being harmed and reducing the number of casualties.

Tredd didn’t lack confidence. He wasn’t over the top, but he knew what he was capable of and didn’t get bogged down by everyday shit. But Trent Sanchez was a Lord, the King’s nephew, whereas Tredd was from a small sleuth in Canada who hadn’t cared about money and status.

Tredd frowned, considering. He’d never known the Sanchez clan to actually behave above anyone else though. Sure, they were authoritative, and ones like Baron, such as the Crown Prince, Drake Sanchez, and his brothers, Emile and Dominic, were obviously royals, but Drake and Dom also drag raced with Tredd, got down on the battlefield and fought, and tended their own barbecues, serving others.

Tre was studying him. Tredd chuffed a bit, letting the surprise go, and concentrated on the here and now. He had his mate, and what Tre had just done stood out in Tredd’s books. The feline shifter could have let Tredd walk into the hotel without any prior knowledge and be blind-sided, but he hadn’t. Tredd was impressed.

“Eight bodyguards? That’s a bit excessive, even for the best strategist,” Tredd teased.

“I had to talk them down from a baker’s dozen. Baron and Drake take security to the extreme.” Tre ruffled his hair, glancing across at the hotel. “They have good security, probably would have seen us.” He looked back at Tredd. “My life is complicated.”

“Well, beau, I don’t like simple. Want to get out of here?”

Tre’s face lit up. “What’re you thinking, bear?”

“New York is the city that doesn’t sleep, and I’m not tired.” Tredd leant down and trailed his lips along the shell of Tre’s right ear. “Or we could find the closest hotel and get to know each other real well, sexy. Your choice.”

The sharp intake of breath was a turn-on, and the way the feline sniffed Tredd let him know he wasn’t alone in this storm of lust and need, heady wants and desire. Those shocking electric eyes blazed with everything the man was feeling, and he was heating up beneath Tredd’s hands.

“Maybe we could do both.”

Tredd grinned. “Sounds perfect. Oh, take this. You should always have some protection on you, beau. The streets aren’t safe with who you are, unfortunately.”

Tre blinked, straightening as Tredd slipped his mate’s hands around one of his spare guns. Tredd always carried an assortment, never could tell when he’d have to deal with Renegades, HAP, or just a mugger.

“Oh…err, yeah…”

Tre held the gun clumsily, like he hadn’t handled one before, which made no sense. As a Commander for the Alliance and part of the Sanchez pride, Tre would have been extensively trained in weaponry. Tredd watched, unsure why the feline wasn’t checking the gun over then putting it away. Tre fumbled with the Beretta, holding the weapon awkwardly between two fingers. Next thing it fell apart, the pieces shooting off in all directions, one getting Tredd in the nose and bits hitting his chest.

Tre gave a funny squeal and shook his hands about, leaping back a foot, agile as a cat. Concerned his mate had been injured when the gun fell apart, Tredd lurched forward and quickly caught his mate.

“You okay? Are you injured?” He studied his mate’s hands and arms, looking for burns and cuts. His mate was pale perfection.

“No, I’m good.” The tiger smiled up at Tredd, a genuine, mind-wiping, and open smile.

Grinning in return, Tredd leant down and brushed his lips lightly over the top of his mate’s, noting their softness, the way Tre purred softly. The need boiled up inside, and it was so damn hard for Tredd to not deepen the kiss and wrap Trent in his arms, devour the man’s mouth.

But he wanted the unwrapping. He wanted to know more about Trent, learn the man’s ways, how he thought, and bring that light to the tiger’s electric eyes that Tredd had seen when they talked of going out and discovering the city together.

“Let’s go explore, beau.” Tredd pressed a last kiss to his mate’s lips. The man smelt and tasted like chocolate. It was going to be hard to resist him. Tredd had an incredibly sweet tooth.

Tre smiled and grabbed Tredd’s hand. “Let’s stop for chocolate along the way—oh! I always wanted to try one of those big pretzels. Do they have chocolate-filled ones?”

Tredd nodded, grinning, loving how Trent was coming alive. “I’ll sniff them out for you, babe.”

ADULT EXCERPTS

Reaching out, Tredd wrapped his hand around his mate’s ankle and stroked his fingers along the tanned flesh. His cock was hard and leaking already. It’d been months since he’d had his mate, and now they were finally alone. He wanted to strip Trent bare and lick every dip, groove, and suck the tiger’s cock as he opened the man up to take Tredd deep inside. Then when his mate was mindless with pleasure, Tredd would cover Trent’s damn fine body and slide inside, taking them both to the heights others could only dream of.

Taking the iPad from Trent’s lax hand, he put it aside, leaned forward and took his mate’s soft lips in a hot kiss that blew away any other thoughts.

Trent pushed Tredd back, his hands on Tredd’s chest. Not breaking their kiss, the sexy panther climbed onto Tredd’s lap and moved with sensual slowness until their groins were pressed together. Tredd slipped his hands beneath his mate’s shirt and smoothed them over silken, tanned flesh and up lean, toned muscles. He tossed his mate’s shirt aside, then jerked Tre to him, resuming their kiss that was growing more passionate by the minute.

“I need you, darlin’.” Tredd slid his hand beneath the soft track suit pants’ waistband and took his man’s hot, long, slender cock in hand.

“Yesss!” Trent’s head fell back, eyes closing.

The look was so sexy Tredd lurched up and sucked the claiming mark he’d left seven years ago on Trent’s neck.

“Mine,” he growled.

“Y-yeah, yours, completely, always…I want our own place. I want you and me in a hot tub with dipping chocolate and marshmallows.” Trent groaned with the sharp nip from Tredd.

“Good, mate, tell me everything you want. Let me in in every way.” Tredd moved them so Trent was on his back. He jerked the sweats off and latched onto Trent’s right nipple, the little brown disk pebbling with the light nip of his teeth and flick of his tongue.

Tre groaned and wiggled beneath him, hands running over Tredd’s shoulders and through his hair. Tredd played with both nipples and let his hands wander over silken skin and down. Slipping his hands beneath Tre’s well-toned ass, he tugged till his mate opened his legs, and Tredd moved between them.

Slowly he loved on his mate, enjoying the sweet taste, the way Trent groaned and moved so sensually, so openly beneath him, driving Tredd wild with need. Reaching over he flicked open the bedside drawer and grabbed the bottle of lube he’d dropped in there while Tre was in the shower earlier, ever hopeful he’d get alone time with his mate and the tiger would be receptive.

Making his way down, he took Trent’s cock in his mouth and lubed up his fingers and Trent’s crack. His mate’s taste was addictive, Tredd greedily sucking, using his tongue to lap the pre-cum from the tiny slit on the head of the cock in his mouth.

“I-I want to d-dance,” Trent groaned, bucking and thrusting his cock down Tredd’s throat.

Tredd didn’t mind. He encouraged more as he slid a finger deep inside Trent’s ass and rubbed on the little nub inside. He was rewarded with a spurt of cum and Trent filling the room with loud groans and pumping into Tredd’s mouth.

Tredd stretched Tre swiftly, his fingers large, his mate tight and so on edge it took only a few moments of thrusting before the man was coming. Tredd swallowed down every sweet drop of his mate’s seed and slipped a third finger in Trent’s hole, scissoring and stretching. Once Trent was finished coming and Tredd had four fingers deep in his mate, he leaned up and kissed those soft lips.

“Now,” Tre demanded.

“Hell, yeah.” Tredd removed his fingers and, retaking Trent’s lips, grabbed his cock and pushed inside his mate’s tight, hot ass.

He was lost to the pleasure between them, thrusting deep. Tre wrapped his long legs around Tredd’s hips and met each thrust, his hands squeezing and pulling Tredd closer.

Their need of each other had always been wild and out of control, no reservations between them. Tredd pounded into Trent, his mate wrapping himself around him, nails scraping, teeth grazing, tongue tasting. Tredd had never been able to get enough of Trent. What flared between them was an inferno. He took his mate, sinking into that tight flesh again and again, his hands gripping and stroking, inciting them both. When Trent’s teeth dropped to long, thick fangs and his cock jerked between them, Tredd growled and offered his throat.

“Yes, claim me again. Make us one.”

Sharp teeth pierced his skin as muscles squeezed his cock, the sensations driving him over the edge. He roared his pleasure, hands snapping the bedframe as he emptied himself inside his mate, smelling Tre’s release at the same time.