STORY EXCERPT

Jacob turned to Griffin. “I’m in charge of the investigation. Do you agree?”

Griffin smirked. “If that’s what you want, it’s fine by me. However, I won’t leave your side during the investigation. Do you agree?”

“You don’t trust me.” Jacob felt hurt. Griffin felt the need to watch his every move. He wanted Griffin to trust him, but he didn’t know why.

“Oh, it’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s the rest of the world I don’t trust.” Griffin pulled away and started to walk to the door leading to the back rooms. “Are you coming?” he asked.

Jacob cursed as he followed behind Griffin. When they reached the door, Jacob tried to push past him, but Griffin placed a large hand on his shoulder. “I’ve been here before,” Jacob said, trying to argue his point, but Griffin shook his head. “Oh come on. I’m not a weak human. I can take care of myself.”

Griffin cocked his head to the side. “I didn’t say you’re weak, but I’m stronger. That means I go first.”

Jacob rolled his eyes. “What if someone attacks from behind?” Jacob wanted to take the words back when Griffin pulled him close and wrapped his strong arms around his body, looking all around for danger. Jacob leaned into the embrace, feeling safe and protected. Griffin’s musky, woodsy scent turned him on. Jacob started to place his head on Griffin’s chest when realization hit. He jumped back, freeing his body. “Calm down. I’ve survived this long without you.” Jacob’s voice was unsteady. This time though he pushed past Griffin. He walked faster, hoping to put distance between the two of them, while he tried to figure out what was happening.

Not paying attention, Jacob walked directly into a door. He groaned, rubbing his shoulder.

“It’s easier to enter a room after you’ve opened the door,” Griffin teased. When Jacob rolled his eyes, Griffin smiled. Jacob’s heart pounded in his chest. He liked the smile. No, he loved the smile.

“Thanks a lot. Hitting the door hurt.” Jacob rubbed his sore shoulder.

“Here, let me.” Griffin moved closer. With his large hands, Griffin massaged both of his shoulders. Jacob suppressed the moan threatening to escape. He bit his lip as Griffin’s strong hands moved down his back. “Did you hurt any place else?” Griffin asked in a low, sexy voice.

Jacob turned to face him. “You’re coming on to me,” he said. Jacob hated the blunt statement, but he wasn’t thinking and that usually led to him saying something stupid. This time it was the pure shock that left him confused. Griffin was strong and sexy and the strong shifter wanted him.

Griffin cocked his head to the side. “Why are you surprised?”

The question hit him. Why was he surprised? Was it because he loved someone who didn’t even see him as a potential lover? He’d lived with this one-sided love for years. Since he fell for the vampire Prince, he wasn’t interested in starting a relationship with anyone. Sure he had sex, but mostly one-night stands. He shivered at the thought of Griffin wanting him. “Let’s keep going.” Now wasn’t the time to think about the lack of love in his life.

Griffin nodded and moved in front of Jacob. “Follow me.”

Jacob growled. “I don’t need you to protect me.” He had enough of others treating him as weak. It started with Zed looking out for him and refusing to see him as a man and ended with everyone else feeling the same way.

Griffin nodded, but kept walking, only pretending to hear Jacob’s complaint.

Griffin and Jacob entered the back offices. The silence unnerved him. Jacob’s hand moved and latched onto Griffin’s shirt. Griffin turned and arched one eyebrow up as the unspoken question hung in the air.

“First, I can’t see that well. It’s too dark in here, so I’ll let you lead, but only this time. Second, if you insist on coming with me, then we shouldn’t separate, and holding on will help keep us together. Okay?”

Griffin’s lips edged slightly upward as he strained to keep from smiling. “Makes sense.” Griffin’s voice cracked a little. Yes, he was definitely trying to keep from laughing.

Well, Jacob didn’t care. He hated the dark. Ironically he spent the night living with vampires and the day sleeping.

A crash rang through the room. Jacob jumped closer to Griffin. The taller man wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer. Jacob’s heart beat in his chest with a mixture of fear and desire as Griffin’s body rubbed against his. He didn’t move. He stayed in Griffin’s strong embrace for a minute before pulling away. “Let’s go.”

“Stay behind me.” Griffin pushed him back. This time he didn’t argue. They walked down the dark hall. Jacob grabbed onto Griffin’s arm, refusing to let the dark bother him. The noise came from either the staff lounge or the main office. Griffin lifted his nose up, sniffing the air. He looked at the staff lounge and nodded. He pointed to the wall and narrowed his eyes.

ADULT EXCERPT

Griffin’s hands moved over his skin. Each area the shifter’s rough fingers touched burned as his body ached for more. He couldn’t get enough. The room might have been cold, but his skin was on fire. He never wanted the soft caresses to end.

Jacob grabbed the front of Griffin’s shirt, pulling it up as he slid a hand underneath the black fabric. He rubbed up and down the shifter’s hard chest before slowly moving downward, feeling hard abs under his fingertips. He continued toward Griffin’s jeans. He reached for the button and opened it. Jacob slowly slid the zipper down. His eyes never left Griffin’s eyes as he reached into the shifter’s pants and rubbed his stiff cock. Jacob bit his lip, suppressing the moan threatening to escape.

Griffin stepped back, pulling away from his roaming hands. He yanked off his shirt and Jacob looked at each scar marring the shifter’s chest.

“What happened?” Jacob asked, moving in to place small kisses on each angry mark that flawed Griffin’s body.

“Don’t worry. It happened long ago.” Something in Griffin’s voice made him a little sad.

Jacob continued moving his lips up and down Griffin’s naked chest, placing nips and small bites on the unscarred skin. He licked one long scar that ran from Griffin’s shoulder down his chest to his stomach.

Griffin ruffled Jacob’s hair. He looked up. Their eyes met. Griffin’s deep-blue eyes locked with his dark-green eyes. They moved toward each other. Their lips met. The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but Jacob found it hard to breathe when they pulled apart. His painfully hard cock pressed against his jeans. He rubbed against Griffin’s leg, but he couldn’t get the relief he so desperately needed. Jacob reached down and unbuttoned his pants, but as he was reaching for his hard shaft, Griffin grabbed his hand.

“Not yet,” Griffin said.

“I need more,” he cried out, horrified by the neediness in his voice. Jacob couldn’t think. A part of him whispered that it was Zed he wanted, but the other part screamed for Griffin. He had never wanted anyone like he wanted the lion shifter.

Griffin moved them toward the bed. Jacob hesitated when he spotted the layer of dust covering the top of the blanket. Griffin looked down. He pulled off the blanket, leaving behind another thin blanket that didn’t look that bad. Griffin kissed him again. His heart pounded in his chest as the blood rushed to his cock. The sensations were too much and Jacob’s knees started to buckle, but a strong arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him up and into Griffin’s body. He buried his head into the crook of Griffin’s neck, inhaling a sweet, musky scent. Jacob had never felt this connected to anyone. He wanted to push away and think about it, but he was powerless to stop the passion between them.

Griffin pushed him down on the bed. He pulled at Jacob’s pants and yanked his jeans down to his knees. Jacob’s face reddened when Griffin’s brow arched up. He didn’t like to wear underwear. Nothing beat the feel of his cock rubbing against the rough fabric of his pants. Griffin smirked and he felt even more embarrassed. Jacob moved his hands to block his erection, but Griffin grabbed his wrists.

“No, keep them away.” Griffin moved down his body. He slowly pulled off one shoe and gently pulled off a sock. He moved to his other leg and repeated the same action. He rubbed Jacob’s naked feet. He shivered when he saw the fire burning in Griffin’s eyes. Griffin took pity on him as he grabbed the ends of his pants, and with one firm pull, he yanked off his jeans, leaving him completely naked.

Jacob leaned back watching Griffin slowly take off his own pants and underwear. Maybe when this was over, he’d convince Griffin that nothing was better than going without underwear.

He moaned when Griffin’s large, thick cock jutted out. Jacob licked his lips in anticipation. The shifter’s shaft was enormous.

“Suck my cock,” Griffin ordered.

Jacob nodded, unable to speak. He licked his lips as he crawled across the bed on hands and knees. He rubbed Griffin’s cock, moving his hands slowly up and then down. Jacob licked his lips and bent down, taking the tip into his mouth. He looked up into Griffin’s eyes as his tongue played with the tip of the shifter’s sensitive shaft. He sucked on the tip before his lips slowly glided down. Soon he was bobbing up and down with his mouth, taking in as much of Griffin’s massive cock as he could without choking.

Griffin’s cock popped out of his mouth. Jacob’s tongue swirled around the sensitive end before licking down the shifter’s cock. His hands reached down and massaged Griffin’s balls before his mouth reached the area. He nipped each side as his hand continued to stroke his new lover’s shaft. He licked back up the long shaft before he took the cock into his mouth, but no matter how hard he tried the whole thick shaft wouldn’t fit into his mouth. He moaned, unable to wait much longer before trying it in his ass.

“Enough,” Griffin said, pulling his cock away.

Jacob tried to follow. He wanted to taste it some more.

“Don’t worry. You’ll have more of it. Soon I’ll have my cock up your ass as it pounds into you.” Griffin rubbed his cheek. “Now move back.”