In Wulf’s Clothing Read online

  “It’s not?” He nuzzled the back of Trey’s neck. “Why not?”

  Trey’s head fell forward. “Oh…”

  Right there. Right there at the base of Trey’s neck was where his bite would go. He licked that spot, his balls drawing up.

  “Cory…”

  “Uh-huh.” He was on the edge of rushing things again. “You taste good to me.”

  “I want… I can’t breathe.”

  “Yes, you can. With me.” He took a deep breath. Then another one.

  “You make me ache.” The whisper was everything because Trey made him strong.

  “I want to make you scream.” His name. Goddess, he wanted Trey to call out to him.

  “No one ever has, since you. You think you still can?”

  “I do, babe. I think we can make each other crazy.”

  “Crazy.” Trey turned in his arms. “Kiss me.”

  He kissed Trey again, and it was like falling off a mesa, soaring like a thunderbird. The world tightened to his wolf, his heartbeat, his mate, and the blood pumping through them.

  Trey wrapped around him, arms about his neck, one leg coming up around his hip. Trusting him to hold up Trey’s weight. He got a double handful, that sweet butt fitting in his palms.

  God, he loved Trey’s incredible heat and his scent. So fucking perfect.

  Trey’s fingers tangled in his hair, tugging on him, keeping him close.

  They rocked together, both of them panting already, the heat ratcheting up like the middle of summer. They feasted on each other’s mouths, pushing hard enough that his lip split and Trey licked it clean.

  “Fuck.” He wanted to bend Trey over the table and fuck him. Wanted to bite and growl and destroy furniture.

  Too bad this was Stephen’s house.

  “Uh-huh. I want to. Not here. Laurel’s house.”

  Trey was right. Their pheromones had flooded the place as it was.

  “No. Not here. We promised to stay…” God, he was torn. Maybe he should just call Wendy, get a favor from her.

  “Uh-huh…we have to be good.” Trey just kept rocking against him.

  “I— We could go to my truck.” He really was that desperate. “No.” He took a deep, deep breath. “No, I want to lay you out and love you.”

  “I have a room. Is that…is that creepy?” The little hint of desperation in Trey’s voice made him need to bite, hard.

  “We can’t, baby.” He took one more kiss before setting Trey away from him. “As soon as they get back, I am going to take you home and fuck you so hard neither one of us can walk for days.” He had no idea where he got the strength to do it, but he was going to wait. They were going to wait.

  Trey groaned softly but stayed where he was. “Butthead.”

  “I want you in my bed.”

  Trey reached out, touched his face. “Yeah. Yeah, I want to see your place.”

  “I hope you like it.” He kissed Trey’s fingers gently. His home was something he was pretty proud of, even if he was borrowing the actual house. He had a good collection of his mom’s cast-offs, and he’d been gifted things from a lot of the elders over the years. It was home, it was safety, and it was his.

  “I will. Mine is…big, southwest-y, still really new.”

  “Mine was where Erma Hilieah lived.” She’d always been so good to him.

  “Ah. I remember that place. She loved you. That’s cool.”

  “Yeah. I put some new tile in the kitchen, but the fireplace is the same. Remember the time we melted her toilet brush trying to get the condom wrappers out?”

  “Well. If she’d had a fireplace poker…” Trey’s eyes rolled like thrown dice and then they were laughing. Just holding each other and cackling.

  They’d been housesitting for Erma, and they thought they were so damn adult…

  He knew better now, but it was still so damn funny.

  “I’m surprised we survived to adulthood.” Trey’s laughter faded. “But I suppose we did.”

  “Mostly.” Cory was kinda feeling new and improved today.

  “Basically.” Trey sighed. “So what? We’re supposed to stare at each other?”

  “Uh. We could play checkers,” he teased. They could watch a movie, he guessed.

  “I’d kick your ass, man.”

  “Oh, you think so? I’ll have you know, I play on Saturdays with all the old fucks at the store.”

  “Damn. Really?” Trey rolled his eyes, little shit. “You’re getting old.”

  “I was.” He’d been… shrinking. Every day. Living a half of what he could be, he thought.

  Now he wanted to be…more.

  “Not now?” Trey gave him a shrewd kind of look.

  “Nope. Come on. There’s some chocolate cake in the fridge that Laurel already offered to send home with me so she can fit into her dress. Let’s sit with it and watch a movie.” That way they could at least snuggle.

  “I’d love that. I mean, you used to be my best friend.”

  “I know.” He reached out his hand, and Trey took it, just like that. He snuck in a hug. Just a hug. “You get drinks and I’ll get the cake.”

  “Coffee or milk?” Trey walked him to the kitchen.

  “Coffee, please. Since there’s a pot on.” He wouldn’t ask anyone to make some with that freakish machine Stephen had bought his girl.

  “Sure. How do you take it?” Right, they’d been more the whiskey and Coke types back then.

  “A little cream and sugar.” Usually he took it with half and half, but he was living a little today. Maybe a lot.

  “Good deal.” Trey filled two mugs and doctored as he cut two huge pieces of cake.

  They headed in together, settling on the couch and grabbing the remote, thankful it was one he was familiar with.

  “Anything but superhero movies,” Trey murmured. “The guys back in Santa Fe watch them constantly.”

  “You got it. How about something silly. Jumanji?”

  “That works. I love Jack Black in that one. He makes me laugh.”

  “Me too. Though oddly enough, the Rock reminds me of Stephen.”

  “Yeah? Really?” Trey glanced back at him. “Huh. Okay, I’ll watch with that in mind.”

  “It will make you cackle, I promise.” They got the movie queued up, settling in to nibble cake.

  Trey stayed close, feeding him bites, leaning in to take bites from him. The heat between them simmered, but didn’t get out of control, and they were laughing together like old times.

  He couldn’t remember being so happy, so relaxed, and so incredibly focused. Even with Dave passing and George being a dick, he felt…centered. Grounded.

  “The cake is good, hmm? Did you ever learn to cook?”

  “Nope. I mean, I can make chile con carne. And tacos.” He glanced at Trey. “Did you?”

  “Fuck no. I have a lovely packmate, Therese. She cooks for me, Miguel, some of the others.”

  “Yeah? I guess I envisioned you eating out for all your meals, you know?” Decadent living. That was what he thought of when he thought of “Wulf,” which was such a recent thing for him, but he sure had ideas.

  “When I’m out, I do, but it’s nice to have meals together with someone. I get lonely.”

  “Yeah. I hear that.” The pack tried to keep him in the loop, but Cory had always felt like shit company. The elders he couldn’t dodge, but Stephen and River were his friends. Laurel. He adored her. “Are you lovers with them? Your pack?”

  “No. Miguel and I tried, and we care about each other, but…no. Not with other wolves. Men? Yeah, some.”

  “Yeah.” He’d snuck out of the canyon a few times. “River and I— it’s not as much as you think.”

  “I don’t blame you. He’s hot. You’re unattached.”

  “No, I’m not. He is, though. He plans to get married and have babies.”

  “No shit? He swings both ways, does he?”

  “Yeah. If he swings your way, though, he’s gonna get his ass kicked.”
/>   “He likes my flexibility.”

  “No.” He wasn’t joking now. Cory would rip River to pieces.

  Trey looked up at him, one eyebrow lifting, challenging him. “No?”

  “No.” He put every ounce of his growl into that denial. Trey was his.

  The arousal in Trey’s eyes made him hard as a rock, and suddenly he could smell it, how he affected his mate with his possessiveness.

  “Have more cake.” There were just a few bites left, and he forked up a piece to share.

  “Bossy.” Trey licked his lips, still staring.

  “I am. There are things worth fighting for.” And he was no teenager anymore.

  “Are there? Are you sure?” Trey looked so worried.

  “Yes, baby. I learned my lesson.” His life had clicked back into place like a combination lock when he’d seen Trey. The ripples would take a while to settle, but he knew they were going to be together. Somehow. They would work through it.

  Trey nodded and took the bite of cake. His mate didn’t believe him, not yet, but Trey would. He couldn’t even blame anyone. It was what they were. He hadn’t been strong enough then.

  Blood and broken bones had been enough back then to make him pause. No way would that stop him now. He put an arm around Trey, pulling him in again, smelling that wild, wonderful hair.

  “You’re sniffing me, Sheriff.”

  “I am. You smell amazing. Like wood smoke and shampoo and wolf.” Mate.

  Trey’s body heated, flushed with his pleasure, and Cory felt every second of it. Damn. Stephen needed to hurry. He really did.

  They were going to set the house on fire.

  Trey lifted his chin, nose trailing along the line of Cory’s jaw. “You smell like cinnamon and sex and man.”

  “Bunuelos.” He did love his cinnamon sugar.

  “Sweet tooth. Cake and churros and bunuelos all in one day?”

  Cory chuckled, shivering when Trey licked his skin. “I’ll have to work it off.”

  “You think? I might be able to help with that.”

  “I bet you can. Over and over.” He planned on a long, sweaty, intense session.

  “Are you sure you should be seducing a man you’re supposed to be watching?” Trey teased.

  “What better way to keep an eye on you. If I’m on top of you, no one can get to you.” He heard the huskiness in his own damn voice, and knew it was time to back it down again. Damn.

  “What if I’m the one on top?”

  “Then you’ll just have to protect me.” He tickled Trey’s underarm.

  Trey wiggled and swatted his hand. “Butthead. Be good.”

  “Still ticklish.” The devil in him made him pounce and press Trey to the couch, tickling all his spots mercilessly. His mate howled, arching and rubbing up against him. Soon the tickling became touching, Trey like a dream under him.

  He bent to kiss that mouth because he had to. Just had to. Cory wanted to cry at the combination of chocolate and Trey.

  Trey pushed up into the kiss, the needy groan sliding into his mouth. Those lean arms wrapped around his shoulders, and Cory couldn’t stop kissing and licking.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake. You’re not seriously macking on my brother on my sofa, are you?”

  He popped up like a floatie in a pool. “Yes.”

  Trey, on the other hand, glared at Stephen. “Seriously? I am never going to get off at this rate.”

  “Go get a room!” Stephen flapped a hand. “River is staying over in the casita. Go on. Go to Cory’s.”

  “Should I bring a teddy bear?”

  “Out.” Stephen was trying not to grin.

  “Toothbrush?”

  He was going to turn Trey over his knee.

  “I have extras,” Cory said, rising so he could yank Trey up. “We’re going.”

  “What about…”

  He clapped his hand over Trey’s mouth. “Ignore him. He’s fine.”

  “I’m sure Cory has condoms,” Laurel said. “He occasionally gets together with River.”

  “But will they fit Cory?” Stephen shot back.

  “Oh, my God.” Laurel held her nose. “Boys. Go away.”

  He nodded and waved, hauling Trey over his shoulder. Goddess, this was the most fun he’d ever had.

  “Cave wolf! What are you doing?” Trey pinched his ass.

  “Wolf take mate home. Fuck like bunnies. Grr. Argh.”

  “Should I take a bag?”

  “Nah. I have a robe for you and we can toss your clothes in the wash.” He didn’t want to waste any more time.

  “This is really happening, isn’t it? We’re not going to just stop again?”

  “No. No stopping.” This time they were going to finish. For a while.

  Trey nodded and relaxed, and his mate unloaded him into the truck.

  “So… law enforcement.” Trey touched his radio handset.

  “Yep. What did you say? Penal?”

  “Yes. Those slacks don’t suit you. They’re baggy in the butt.”

  “You can design me a new uniform,” he teased. He would look like something from the Village People.

  “I’d be happy to. I’d love to design trousers for you. I’d never let you leave the bedroom.”

  “Mmm. I like that idea a lot.” Of course, a guy had to work, but right now his job was Trey. It was like his dearest fantasy come true.

  “I do too.” Trey scooted across the seat, hand sliding over his thigh.

  “Now, don’t make me drive off the road.” He checked his mirrors, driving more carefully because he was distracted.

  “You going to arrest me, Sheriff?” Little shit.

  “You have been a bad boy. Teasing me.”

  “Yep. Enjoying every minute of it, too.” There was a definite lack of regret in Trey’s voice.

  He wasn’t going to regret this either, so what the hell.

  “I want to fuck you, Trey. I just want that out there now. Right now, so you know when we get to the house that I’m hunting your ass.”

  “If you can catch me, you can have it.” Trey’s voice was almost a growl.

  “I can.” Trey had always been faster, but really, Cory had little else to do but run with the pack and work out. Trey was a city boy now.

  Besides, they needed a chase, because Trey wanted to be caught, just as bad as Cory wanted to catch him. There had to be some effort put in after all this time or it was just too easy.

  Then he intended to make Trey believe.

  He grinned, his wolf pressing at him, wanting out. He could feel it behind his eyes. Other parts of his body were aching too, but that was all man.

  “Eyes on the road, Sheriff. I can feel you shivering.”

  “I just can’t wait much longer. You’re here. Touching me. Wanting me.” He’d never thought to have this again.

  “You want me to suck you off in the truck?”

  “Trey!”

  “What? It has merit. You’ll last longer after.”

  “Stop it.” This was his work truck. It was like Stephen’s front room all over again.

  “Seriously? You don’t want my mouth? I guarantee you I suck like a dream.” Trey just pushed and pushed.

  “I do want it, but not here.” He gave Trey a look, showing he meant business. He almost grinned when Trey settled back in his seat, pouting, but that would ruin the effect. Goddess, he was flying—soaring with this wild, wonderful power Trey offered him.

  He had no idea he could feel this… whole.

  Now he just had to get them home without killing them.

  8

  It’s not real.

  Trey just had to keep reminding himself about that fact. This was old energy meeting up, and it was going to be hot and fun and wonderful, but it wasn’t going to be real.

  Cory belonged here. He belonged in Santa Fe. Cory was going to be here until he was an old man, like Dave. Trey was going to burn out early like a firework.

  Still, the way Cory vibrated next to him, the way th
at hard cock was outlined even by those loose pants… That was fun.

  And he wanted Cory like he wanted to breathe. He was lonely, aching, and he wanted to know what it would feel like, to be taken good and hard, again and again.

  Cory seemed to feel the same way. Hell, Cory had been like a ghost of himself yesterday. Today he was all… well, confident as hell, more sure. More certain.

  Powerful.

  And hot, by the moon. Nothing had ever been so goddamn hot.

  He hummed when they turned up the road he knew ended at Cory’s house. Lord, it had been Erma’s back when he was here last.

  “Is the spring pool still back there?”

  “Yep. Why do you think I live here?” Cory winked. “When Erma left us, I kinda played my ‘I work hard for the pack card’.”

  “That’s cool. I drive to soak my bones a lot. I need it. My hot tub isn’t quite the same.”

  “You okay?” Cory frowned. “I mean, do you hurt?”

  “Old scars. Nothing to worry about.” Did he hurt? Parts of him did, but his arm? It could be a vicious bitch.

  “That sucks.” Cory bit his lip, and he could see it, the sadness creeping in at the edges. No. None of that.

  “This isn’t going to be a pity fuck. If you want me, want me because I’m the hottest bastard you’ve ever had in your bed.”

  “You are.” Cory’s word were fierce. “No one’s ever been in this bed with me. You’ll be it.”

  “Good.” He wanted to be the first, dammit. “Not River?”

  “No. We had a living room hand and mouth policy.” Cory snorted. “Bro jobs.”

  “I want everything.” And he wanted it hard.

  “I do, too. I want inside you. So bad.” Cory burned into a parking spot that had been carved out by a new freestanding garage.

  They sat there, staring at each other, eyes lit up.

  “I—”

  “Trey.”

  They stopped, then chuckled. “Inside,” Cory said.

  Trey stepped out of the truck, feeling surprisingly nervous. He’d never been in a house that was Cory’s before. He’d never done this before.

  They’d had wild spates of touching outside, sneaking in loving where they could. But to make a plan to fuck in a bed?

  Cory’s bed.

  Goddess.

  He closed his eyes and breathed for a second, then closed the truck door.