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

them."
    "I told you Cali's opinion isn't accurate."
    Rick smiled and touched a finger to Jordan's
cheek. "Cali is my best friend and we were roommates for over a year. I
trust her judgment, but I've also asked Dad and Trent about you as well."
He leaned in and kissed Jordan softly. It was barely a touching of lips but it
somehow felt more intimate than anything they'd shared up till now. "I
know we're destined mates, Jordan and I plan to do everything in my power to make you happy. Please don't
reject me again."
    He had no idea how to respond to that. He
was trying to be a good man, but he'd never really been sure how to go about
it. "I'm not rejecting you," he said sincerely. "I'm trying to
protect you from me."
    "Why would I need protecting from a man
who loves me enough to die protecting me?"
    "That's not what I meant," Jordan
said, desperately trying to piece his thoughts together into some sort of
coherent argument. "You deserve so much better than me."
    "No, sweetheart," Ricky said as he
held Jordan tighter. The endearment was so startling that Jordan didn't even
remember he should be moving away. "Fate chose us for each other. Just
give me a chance to show you how good life can be together."
    "But, you're young. You haven't had a
chance to really live yet."
    "Perhaps," Ricky conceded, taking what
was essentially an insult without being offended, "but I do know my own
mind. I understand what I want to do for a living and what I want for the
future."
    Ricky pulled Jordan closer, pressed their
lips together, and then kissed him like the world was going to end. By the time
they came up for air, Jordan had no idea what else he'd wanted to say.
    "I want you, Jordan. As
my friend, my lover, and my mate. Please let me love you the way you
deserve."
    Jordan finally found the strength to
untangle their limbs and took a tiny step away. He stared at Ricky, a little
overwhelmed by how much the human had changed and grown more confident in the
past four years.
    "I need to go back to Lupinville…for a
few days. You're obviously safe here."
    Rick sighed softly. "Are you coming
back?"
    Jordan wanted to lie and make this
conversation easier on both of them, but it would only hurt Rick more in the
long run. "I don't know, Rick," he confessed without looking at his
mate. "I have to report to the alpha."
    "I've got work to do right now, but can
you at least stay and hold me for the rest of tonight?"
    Against his better judgment Jordan nodded
and, once they were dressed, escorted his mate to the office in this huge house
and waited patiently while Rick dealt with a distraught vampire with a
stolen-identity issue. The strange stone-like creature was nowhere to be seen
and Lilly and Troy didn't seem inclined to explain, but to Jordan the Alateeka
sibling's attitudes seemed to indicate this sort of thing would be fairly routine in Rick's life from now on.
    They'd even gone as far as to assure him
that if they'd known the vampire had been dealing directly with their previous
computer whiz—a man who'd lived in this home with far less security than Rick
needed—there probably wouldn't even have been a security issue at all. The
vampire had promised to phone next time before dropping by.
    As usual Rick was able to deal with the situation
quickly and efficiently, and then accepted the man's thanks with a slightly
embarrassed smile.
    When he was done working, and Lilly and Troy
had gone back to whatever they'd been doing before the security breach, Jordan
climbed into the bed beside Rick, and held his mate in his arms.
    "Is it okay to give you your birthday
present now?" Rick asked as he moved away slightly, grabbed a small box
out of the drawer, and handed it to Jordan.
    Jordan stared at the small package and tried
to remember what day it was. He'd never particularly celebrated his birthday,
but he was a little surprised to realize that this year it had come and gone
without him noticing.
    "Jordan?"
    "Oh, sorry," he said, sitting up
slightly so