Page 8

Chapter

Eight

W aiting three days until the next one that Quin was off at the bar was almost impossible.

Quin had taken some poor kid who was originally from like, Nebraska or something, home. He’d promised Thiago he’d be back soon, but he needed Thiago to keep an eye on the blond bear kidnapper situation.

But, on the good side, Thiago got a crap-ton of work done, got a kid in touch with her folks, and got a short-term house rental so he could stop expensing the hotel.

Graham had bitched at him about his choice there.

Now he was on his way to Quin’s apartment above the bar, score that for date two, and he had beer, pizza, and a spice cake with cinnamon frosting from a local bakery. Quin didn’t seem like red velvet or Devil’s food, being a wolf and all.

Spice cake seemed good without having a repeat on cake and icing.

He hiked up the outdoor steps on the back of the building, then juggled all the shit in his hands to knock. Good thing he was a cat. If he fell down the damn stairs, he might land on his feet.

“Mmm…coming.” The door opened and Quin stood there, wearing a pair of gauzy, almost see-through pants and a loose blouse to match.

It ought to look like a costume, like a joke, but it didn’t. It was intensely erotic, and Thiago’s mouth went dry.

“Not yet, but give me a chance, and we will make it happen for you.” Quin’s apartment was surprising—it wasn’t rough-hewn; it wasn’t like a teenager’s bedroom with heavy metal posters and a shitty neon sign. This was a warm and colorful spot with cushions and artwork.

Thiago was absolutely charmed.

“I brought cake and food.”

“Bring it into the kitchen.” That room was clean and sparkling, and Thiago set all his offerings down before turning to face Quin. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s wonderful to be seen.” Quin stepped right up into his space, their chests bumping together before their lips met, crashing down together. That electricity hit him again, like a lightning bolt, and he grabbed his own personal puppy and dove right in.

God, he could find himself addicted to this man. He grabbed that tight, hot little ass, and he wanted to bite each muscled globe. He wanted to spank it.

Badly.

“Mmmm.” Quin pulled away from him, and the evidence of his need lifted against the placket of those gauzy pants.

“Uh-huh.” He wondered if Quin would have a little appetizer before they ate and then the main event after.

“Come over to the nest.”

“The—”

“Den also works.” Quin’s smile was pure wolf, and he was led to a huge bean bag that was covered in blankets and pillows, just tall enough for Quin to sit on and reach for Thiago’s waistband.

Without a single thought, he sucked in, giving Quin room to work.

It didn’t take Quin any time at all to open his fly and pull out his cock, those pretty lips already open, wet, and hungry.

“Damn, baby boy. You make me dizzy.”

“Good. I’m going to make you fly.” Those lips crashed down over him, the soft tongue lashing at his shaft, the suction drawing his balls up and making him shiver.

He cried out, his head slamming back as he arched. His ass cheeks clenched, and he sucked in one desperate breath after another, trying to find a place to put his hands.

Quin sucked him, head bobbing, not teasing at all, but giving him everything he could need, all he wanted.

“Damn, Sam. I won’t last long, but this means that I can last a long time when I fuck you. When you ride my knot.”

Quin’s suction got stronger, as if he was trying to pull his bones right out of his body. Want you. So much. You taste so fucking good, Kitty.

The touch on his mind made his eyes roll back in his head, another deep cry filling his chest, ringing in his brain.

I can hear you!

Those gorgeous eyes flashed up at him, wide and hungry. What?

I can hear you. I need you, puppy. I’m so close . Maybe he’d heard Quin before, but this was deeper. Hotter.

Not a puppy.

Yes you are. He touched his hand to Quin’s cheek. My puppy. Mine.

Quin moaned around him, licking and sucking and pulling. He panted, his hips rocking as he rose up on his toes to thrust, then moved back on his heels. Fuck. Fuck, he was gonna come. Like, now.

He shouted as he came, lights flashing behind his eyes. “Quin!”

Quin swallowed him down, sucking good and hard, keeping him spinning, the aftershocks rocking him.

Then he was left standing there. Quin cuddled back in his huge bright green bean bag, those beautiful eyes shining at him. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

“Uh-huh. I like the way you do welcomes. A lot.” He grinned. “What do you need, baby boy? You want me to make you come? You want me to tie up your pretty cock so you can hold off through supper? There’s pizza.”

Thiago felt like a million fucking bucks.

Quin hummed for him, the sound raw and rough. “I do love pizza…”

Thiago didn’t think the moan was for the pizza. In fact, he was sure of it. He crawled in next to Quin, loving how his bare cock rubbed against Quin’s soft clothes. “So tell me, pretty pup, what have you been up to? Have you been working hard?”

“Mmhmm. Working hard, making drinks, wiping down the bar. You know…”

“Uh-huh.” He smiled at Quin. “You rescue any omegas?”

One of Quin’s eyebrows shot up. “Pardon me?”

“Come on, pup. You and I know how much good work you do with omegas. You have safe houses all over the city.”

Quin sighed. “You are a PI, aren’t you?”

“I am, but I only use my powers for good.” He winked. “Seriously. I do missing persons. Mostly kids and lost omegas. Occasionally, I get an alpha who has enemies.”

“Well, my brother is Symon Garmin. He owns Shiftr Inc. Not long ago we had a?—”

“A case of someone using the app to prey on young omegas…”

“Yeah.” Quin shrugged. “So I help.”

“I think so. It’s a wonderful thing, to have a place for omegas in need to go.” Thiago beamed at him, stroked his cheek.

“We do. There are many places—we just offer a few where they can move through to somewhere safe. No one is forced to be away from their family.”

“I know. Both my clients heard from their family members. Both of them. They’re over the moon. They were so scared, you know? That something terrible had happened.” Thiago wanted Quin.

“Sometimes it does, but we try to make it so that it’s rare. And I thought we were talking about pizza and bondage. How did we end up at work, exactly?”

“Who knows? But you’re absolutely right. We should be talking about touching each other.” He stroked Quin through his pants. “I love these trousers, by the way. Sexy as fuck.”

“Thank you. They were a gift from a fashion designer.”

“You were his lover?” he growled.

Quin whapped him. “I was his model.”

“Ah. I can see that.” He relaxed. The idea of his mate, his, sleeping with someone else. He knew it had to have happened, but he didn’t want to hear about it.

He had a feeling that Quin had a lot of “friends” who were just people who wanted him and his beauty in their lives. They took, but they didn’t seem to give much.

Thiago was going to give it his all.

He kissed Quin hard, leaving his lover blinking at him, then slid his hand into those pants to squeeze that hard cock. “Get something for me to bind you up, and we’ll eat supper, baby.”

Those gorgeous eyes widened. “You meant that?”

“I did. I do. I want to watch you eat pizza.”

Quin’s glinting little grin made him smile back, and Quin rolled away for a moment, then came back with a band of fabric. “Here.”

“Nice. Silk blend.”

“Yeah. Just enough other fabric so it doesn’t tighten down and cut off my nuts.”

“Very good, baby.” He wound the fabric around Quin’s cock and balls, then tied it off, just tight enough to keep him from shooting his load too soon. “Now we can have supper.”

“Cool.” Quin stretched long and lean, his belly showing. “What kind of pizza?”

“All the meat. And one supreme.”

“Damn. I could eat a whole one myself.”

“I bet you could, too. I could as well. And we have spice cake with cinnamon frosting.”

“Oh, damn.” Quin licked his lips. “I might start with that.”

“Yeah, but then I would eat all the pizza.”

“You would do that?” Quin spread a hand over his heart as if he were hurt.

“Do you know how much food it takes to keep a big cat going?”

“Uh…” Quin chuckled. “There’s an obvious gag there.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m proud that you didn’t take the low-hanging fruit.”

Quin groaned, slapping his thigh. “Okay, that’s even worse. Come on. Food.” He rose, heading to the kitchen.

Thiago followed, grinning when Quin sniffed each box, then took a couple of pieces from both and put them on a plate, handing them to him along with a paper towel.

Quin did the same for his own plate.

“Thanks, baby boy.”

“You want a beer?” Quin asked.

“Sounds great.”

Quin pulled them out some beers, and they went to sit. “I can’t believe it’s still hot.”

“Well, you know. I bought that warming bag it was in so I could impress you with that.”

“Wow.”

“I know. I’m not proud.”

“You bring your bike?” Quin asked.

“No, she’s in the storage shed I rented the other day. I have an SUV too.”

“Not as sexy, but handy when you need a place to have sex on the road.”

He chortled. “I can get some pillows.”

“Mmmm. But we have plenty right here and now.” Quin flopped down again.

“How did you get into the PI business?”

“I was in the military, met some guys. Discovered that working for myself was way more entertaining than being a soldier. So when I got out, I had skills and the willingness to work my own hours.” Thiago waggled his eyebrows. He liked to play Twenty Questions. “How did you get into the bar business?”

Quin nibbled on his pizza and shrugged. “I won it in a poker game. Periodically, I have the need to be able to access a bit of the seedy underbelly of the world, so I kept it.”

Thiago grinned, tickled shitless. Now that was a great story. “Was it always a biker bar?”

“Yeah. It used to be worse. I cleaned it up some. You know how you do—get rid of the cockroaches. Get rid of the rats. Accept the fact that there might be a few stray dogs and cats. Maybe a squirrel in the attic. It’s all a matter of degree.”

“I can see that. Get rid of the stuff that’s a disease.”

Quin nodded to him, smiling as he licked grease off his fingers. “Exactly. I can’t protect people if I don’t get to be down where they are.”

“How many people do you have working with you to protect folks?” Was Quin well enough protected? Did he have enough muscle to help keep him safe?

Quin shrugged, the action casual as hell. “Usually, it’s just me. Sometimes, my brothers are involved, but I generally work alone. This is assuming, you know, I’m not in jail or something fun like that. The police and I have a—how should we call it? Fascinating relationship.”

“I understand that, believe it or not.” PIs weren’t well-loved in the law enforcement community, and hell, neither were the big cats. His kind were notoriously territorial and private. “Still, I hate the idea of you being caged.”

“So does my lawyer, and the police absolutely dread dealing with Rian.” Quin’s eyes gleamed, and the pure adoration that he saw there fascinated him.

“Rian?” No being jealous. It wasn’t a good look for him.

“My brother. I have two—the software marketing dude and the lawyer.” Quin slowly licked his lips clean and picked a piece of sausage off the pizza, snapping it up. “They’re mated, normal, tax-paying citizens with pretty omegas.”

“And what are you, Quin?” He had to ask; it was necessary.

“Oh honey, I’d think that was obvious.” Quin blinked at him, stretched out, all long and lean. “I’m trouble.”

He cracked up, because yeah, he believed that with his whole soul.

But this kind of trouble? Thiago was willing to just wallow in.