Page 41 of Bear Creek Thanksgiving (Holiday Mates #3)

Gruff met Dustin at the foot of the bed, arm wrapped around his shoulder as they made their way.

While Gruff was naked, Dustin still wore the tight undies holding his bandages in place, and the sight got Gruff’s motor going.

When they reached the bathroom, he sat on the edge of the tub while Dustin took care of business.

With their mating bond so fresh and the pull to claim still strong, Gruff began to growl in anticipation.

Dustin flushed the stool, tucked his dick through the fly, and yelped in surprise when Gruff picked him up, chanting mine, mine, mine .

Back in the bedroom, Gruff laid his mate out on the mattress to sniff, lick, and kiss him from head to foot.

Until then, Dustin hadn’t known that having his toes sucked (along with other parts), could be such a turn-on.

Gruff’s focused attention left splotchy marks and beard burn in its wake until Dustin’s aching cock was the only thing remaining.

Tugging the underwear down far enough to access the prize, Gruff swallowed it down to the root.

On edge already, Dustin exploded with a strangled shout, rewarding his mate with a mouthful of tasty jizz.

The urge to mark him again was too strong to resist, and Gruff hurriedly stroked out a load of his own, splattering his mate’s chest and stomach with fragrant seed.

Dustin watched through hooded eyes as Gruff wiped him down with a clean hand towel and then tucked him under the covers for soft kisses.

Bathed in scent and exhausted, Dustin soon fell asleep with Gruff whispering love notes in his ear.

“My mate. Love you, Dusty. All mine.”

############

Wednesday morning

Dustin was awakened by Gruff’s rumbling and the man’s erection wedged in his crack.

As the sun rose, they went at it like bunnies, using every technique in the book to satisfy Gruff’s overwhelming need without wearing out Dustin’s ass.

Once Gruff got all up in there, however, he didn’t pull out until he’d fired off three loads in succession.

While their lovemaking was intense, Dustin never felt used or abused—only cherished and essential.

Not for the first time, he wondered what the mating process would have been like if he weren’t human.

The energy expended by two shifters had to be considerable, and it brought back the niggling doubt that he might never be enough to satisfy his mate.

When his scent changed along with his thoughts, Gruff immediately responded.

“What is it, Dusty? Did I hurt you?”

Now Dustin felt guilty for upsetting Gruff, and he lifted his head from the man’s warm, hairy chest to kiss him.

“No. I’m a little sore, but you didn’t hurt me. I just couldn’t help thinking that if I were a shifter, things would be… different.”

Gruff growled, unhappy with Dustin’s self-doubt.

“I only want you, exactly the way you are. You’re my perfect match, and I could never be happier with someone else, shifter or human.”

Dustin sighed, knowing Gruff wouldn’t lie to him. The other mixed couples he knew seemed to be happy and content, so why should it be any different with him and Gruff?

“Thank you. I love you so much, and I’m going to keep saying it in case you forget.”

Gruff squeezed him, kissing the top of his head.

“I love you, too, Mate. It’s nice when you say it, but I’ll never forget. Your scent and the things you do tell me every day.”

They snuggled for a while longer until Baxter began yowling for his breakfast on the other side of the bedroom door.

When their laughter subsided, the pair got up and dressed, took care of the poor starving feline, and made themselves something to eat.

While Gruff preferred to have Dustin on his lap, the poor man’s backside was a wee bit sore.

Instead, he grabbed a soft pillow from the sofa for Dustin to sit on and pulled their chairs side by side.

It wasn’t ideal, but this way, they could easily touch and smooch while they enjoyed their breakfast.

Like he often did, Dustin chatted about whatever came to mind—filling the silence while Gruff refueled.

Though no subject was ever off limits, he took care not to bring up important issues until Gruff could focus on something other than food.

A sudden change in scent warned his mate that the next topic might be problematic.

“The Tillmans are expecting us for supper tomorrow. What are we going to do?”

Gruff growled at the thought of leaving the house or being around other people. With mind and heart focused on his mate, he’d completely forgotten about Thanksgiving.

“NO! Bonding time is for us and nobody else. We’re staying home.”

Dustin kissed his man until he calmed down, carding fingers through his hair while warm lips worked their magic. He didn’t want to miss the holiday, but surely the Tillmans would understand.

“It would be rude not to show up, so why don’t I call DeeDee and let her know?”

Gruff nodded his agreement, though even a phone call broke the isolation bubble he wanted to maintain. They’d gotten up late today, so Dustin felt comfortable making the call now. DeeDee answered right away.

“Hello, Dustin. Sunny and I were just thinking about you and Gruff.”

“Hi DeeDee. I’m sorry, but we won’t be there tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Gruff claimed me last night, and we don’t feel comfortable leaving the house.”

There was some happy growling on the other end of the line before DeeDee responded.

“Oh, that’s wonderful news. Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll tell the family and have Sunny or one of the boys deliver your Thanksgiving meal. I can’t tell you how pleased we are!”

“Thanks. We’re pretty happy about it ourselves! I hope you have a wonderful holiday.”

Dustin ended the call, only to be possessively wrapped in Gruff’s arms. Even talking about their mating felt like a violation of privacy, but he knew the Tillmans appreciated the meaning and intensity of a fresh bond.

Dustin’s scent both grounded and excited him, and his cock swelled with arousal.

Dustin noticed, and leaned in to nibble on Gruff’s earlobe.

“That went well, didn’t it? Tell you what—if you stuff my turkey I’ll make some gravy to go along with it.”

Had there been lube close at hand, Gruff would have done the honors right there on the table. Fortunately, they made it to the bedroom before starting their own pseudo-Thanksgiving celebration.