Rick's Reluctant Mate by Alice Cain Read Free Book Online

felt for his
mate—fuck, how much worse would this be as a werewolf?—Rick moved to his laptop
and tried to concentrate on something other than the man taking up space in his
room.
    If felt like an eternity passed by, but
Lilly finally signaled the all clear and Rick moved to disengage the locks to
the panic room. He'd been a little embarrassed when they'd first offered him
the home and full-time security as part of his employment, but he could
honestly say he'd been very happy to be safely inside while people far more
qualified dealt with whatever had come their way.
    "Okay, long story short…we have a group
of…friends who need your expertise," Lilly said as she stepped into his
bedroom, "but they hadn't quite realized you don't appreciate them
dropping by unannounced in the early hours of the morning."
    Troy smiled casually. "We set them
straight." He must have noticed Rick's fear that blood had been shed for
no reason because he added, "But the guy painting the summerhouse is not
going to be impressed."
    "That was what you meant? You needed to
clean up spilled paint?"
    Lilly laughed happily. "Not everything
is a life-or-death fight, but I'm looking forward to watching Troy explain to
an innocent human painter how white oil-based paint ended up splattered fifteen
feet in every direction."
    "Do I want to know?" Rick asked as
relief and confusion warred inside him.
    "Probably not necessary tonight,"
Troy said with a shrug, "but since you're up for it, what our visitors
need done won't take long." He frowned. "At least I don't think it'll
take long. He explained it to Lilly, but Terence is pretty agitated. He and his
partner are still here if you want to meet them."
    Rick didn't know to be glad or irritated
when Jordan moved a little closer, putting himself between Rick and anything
that might be a danger. He wasn't really sure he wanted to meet the creature
he'd seen on the video feed, but this sort of thing was probably going to be a
part of his life now. APS helped lots of different species—or so he'd been
told—so it was something he needed to get used to.
    "Sure." He glanced down at his
cotton sleep pants and mismatched singlet top. "Just give me a chance to
get dressed."
    Troy grinned lasciviously, apparently happy
to stay and watch Rick get changed, but the wolf growl from Jordan's throat had
the man positively beaming.
    "We'll meet you in the office in twenty
minutes," Lilly said, rolling her eyes at the same time that she dragged
her brother from the room.
    Rick was already digging out jeans and a
T-shirt when he realized Jordan had politely turned his back so that Rick could
change in private. Annoyed as hell that the man who'd claimed his virginity,
and then declared he'd made a mistake, wouldn't look at him, Rick moved to
stand in front of him instead.
    "Problem?" Jordan asked, his stress-tight voice not giving him the casualness
he'd apparently been trying to exude.
    "Yes, I've got a problem," Rick
said, trying not to sound like a shrew, but unable to stay calm in the face of
his mate's continued rejection. "You don't want me, but you growl the
moment someone else shows the slightest bit of interest in me!"
    "He wasn't serious," Jordan said
as if that somehow made the growling a non-incident.
    "I know he wasn't serious," Rick
said angrily. "He knows I miss you. He knows we're mates. And he knows you
rejected me."
    "Ricky, no. I'm not rejecting you. I care deeply for you."
    "Yeah, well you've got a funny way of
showing it."
     
    ~*~
     
    Jordan ached for the anguish his mate was
feeling.
    And maybe it was that pain, or the lingering
effects of an adrenaline rush, or hell, maybe it was just plain fucking
selfishness, but when Rick stepped closer, Jordan closed his arms around him
and held his mate pressed to his heart.
    He had no idea which one of them initiated
the kiss, but before he could even think about anything clearly, he had his
mate underneath him, spread out on the mattress, Ricky's legs wrapped