Curtis's Dads 23 (4 page)

Blair hiked a leg up on the bed, turning toward Curtis. “Okay, lay your problems at my feet, my brother.” Curtis fell back on the bed, sighing heavily. “Okay, here’s the deal, and don’t laugh.”

Blair crossed his heart with the tip of one finger. “Super secret swear. I won’t laugh. Now tell me.”

“I’ve never had sex, and I have a very large mate.”

“Condoms, condoms, cond—wait, he’s your mate, scratch that,” Blair said as he tapped his finger against his chin. “I need a new approach with you. Didn’t we have this conversation before?”

“Yeah, when I was fifteen,” Curtis replied.

Blair patted him on his knee. “It’s a good thing you took my advice. Now we have to unvirginize you.” Curtis pulled his knee away. “You’re hot and all, but—” Blair snorted as he cut Curtis off. “You dork. I wasn’t talking about me. I was referring to Operation Get Curtis Laid.” He should have stuck to the Internet plan.

Maverick sat back in his office, his muscled and lean body at ease for now. He kicked his feet up on his desk as he threw his stress ball up into the air, catching it and then tossing it back up. He had to figure out what to do about the hit out on him and the other leaders.

The problem he faced was that he didn’t know who had placed it.

The four leaders had tracked down the lead they had on Balstic, D’s uncle—D being the vampire residing at the Lakelands’—but hadn’t been able to find the guy. They were told that Balstic wasn’t the heavy in all of this, just a low man on the totem pole.

Maverick would love to get his hands on the guy to find out. He leaned back, tossing the ball into the air once more as he sighed. Why was life so damn complicated at times? Chaos always seemed to break out just when he was getting comfortable with the peace around him.

It had been quiet for a while now, but that only made him think that plans were being made against him, Zeus, Panahasi, and Christian. There was no way the hit was called off.

His luck wasn’t that good.

* * * *

Chauncey rode his brand-new motorcycle over the gravel as he parked it next to Curtis’s car.

He was nervous as hell, walking into a house full of wolves. Not that he was scared of the wolves. He just didn’t know what kind of a reception he would get.

Since finding out that Curtis was his mate, Chauncey hadn’t come here. He had taken things slow. Hell, a snail moved faster than he had.

But Chauncey knew Curtis was human and needed time. Time Chauncey had no problem giving him.

He removed his helmet, setting it on his seat, and then he walked across the expansive lawn. As Chauncey climbed the steps and rang the doorbell, he noticed a camera whirl around and focus in on him, the little red light above the lens blinking rapidly. He did what any man would do when presented with a camera.

He scratched his balls.

Chauncey snickered to himself as the front door opened. The small laugh died when he got a look at his mate. Fuck if Curtis didn’t look edible. “I
came
to take you for a
ride
on my
hog
.” Chauncey grinned at his play on words. He had rehearsed that line all the way here. He should have gotten into greeting cards. Curtis’s ears turned a deep shade of red as he blushed.

“Really, now?”

Chauncey was proud of himself. “Yep.
Come with me
.” He winked. Damn if he wasn’t horny as hell. And Curtis was standing there looking all scrumdillyicious. Chauncey’s cock throbbed as he openly perused Curtis’s body, licking his lips at the tempting sight.

He wanted to tongue bathe that pale skin from eyebrow to toenail.

Chauncey moved aside as Curtis walked out of the house and closed the door behind him, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial level, making Chauncey snap his head around to see who might be listening in on their conversation. There was no one outside but the two of them. “I have to go apartment hunting. Can we do that while we’re out?”

His senses immediately went on alert.

Chauncey fought to keep his bear from emerging as the thought of someone making his mate run had his claws threatening to explode from his fingernails and shredding someone to pieces. They itched, they itched badly, but he managed to keep them at bay, along with his bear. “Why? Are your dads bothering you about me?” He didn’t care how he looked in Curtis’s eyes. If his mate’s dads were the ones making Curtis want to leave, Chauncey was going to kick their asses. Fuck taking a nosedive. He respected the men for their protective ways, but some parents kept such a tight hold on their kids that they almost strangled them. He prayed this wasn’t the case with Curtis.

“No,” Curtis said quickly as he shook his head, pulling Chauncey a little farther away from the door. “I just need to be out on my own. I’m a grown man. I need to stand on my own two feet. It’s time I spread my wings and took on the world as a man.”

“Since when do you have wings?” He didn’t mean to crack a joke right now, but Chauncey didn’t like his mate being out on his own. It wasn’t safe for Curtis to be away from his pack. “Why don’t you move in with me?” Damn, he had some brilliant ideas. Chauncey mentally patted himself on the back. He was so damn smart.

Curtis blushed as he shook his head, looking back at the front door for a moment before facing Chauncey once again. “Then I might as well stay here. I want my own, you know?” No. He couldn’t figure out what was so great about living on his own. Chauncey was used to a house full of arguing males and loud dinners. He absolutely loved it. He wasn’t so sure he could take the silence. It would drive him nuts. Chauncey knew he would start talking to himself, and answering himself, if he had to go it alone. No, solitude wasn’t for him.

“We can do that.” God, he was such a pussy. Chauncey grabbed Curtis’s hand and led him across the lawn. He didn’t want to say what he was really thinking. Curtis might not like it.

He was hurt that his mate didn’t want to come live with him. That was it, plain and simple. Curtis was his mate and should be living under the Lakeland roof, not some shitty-ass apartment building where his mate would be by himself. It made his jaw clench to think of the possibilities of what could happen to his small mate. No, he didn’t like it one bit.

“Slow down.” Curtis panted as he ran behind Chauncey. And of course, Chauncey slowed down. He wasn’t trying to hurt his mate. He was just pissed. Pissed at the rejection and pissed that his mate was willing to put himself in harm’s way. Okay, he was mostly pissed because his mate didn’t want to live with him. That shit hurt.

“Sorry,” he grumbled as he grabbed his helmet off of his bike seat. He pulled Curtis’s out from the saddlebag. Chauncey had been excited when he bought one for his mate. Now he just handed it over without thought. He also gave Curtis the riding jacket that his mate had tried on in the store.

“This is nice,” Curtis said as he ran his hands over the leather.

“Yeah, nice.”

Curtis sat the jacket down, staring up at Chauncey with uncertainty in his eyes. Chauncey felt like a shit for acting like a spoiled child who hadn’t gotten his way. He kicked his feet into the gravel, watching a few pebbles race across the lot as he grunted. He placed his hands on his hips, taking a deep and cleansing breath.

“Sorry.”

“What’s wrong?” Chauncey could see the hesitation in his mate’s eyes. Curtis was pulling away, and that was the last thing he wanted.

It was time to eat crow.

“I just thought maybe, that if you were moving out, you would want to live with me.” Fuck if he didn’t sound like a five-year-old pouting. He twisted his lips to the side and eyed Curtis from beside him, wondering if his mate wasn’t about to hand him his ass. He’d deserve it. It seemed Chauncey just couldn’t get it right where his mate was concerned. For the past two days, he’d been fumbling to say the right thing, do the right thing, and he was failing miserably.

“I’m not ready for that, big guy,” Curtis said softly as he laid a hand on Chauncey’s chest, making him pant. “Hell, I’m barely ready for sex.” His mate pulled his hand away as he curled his lips in and turned a lovely shade of pink as his eyes darted around. Now Chauncey really felt like crap. If he was interpreting his mate correctly…

Holy fuck! Curtis was a virgin. The realization slammed into Chauncey like a Mack Truck going a hundred miles an hour. He growled, forgetting everything they had been talking about as he pulled Curtis into his arms, smashing his mouth to his mate’s. So
that
was
what was wrong with him. Chauncey was glad to know it wasn’t because he had acted like a total ass. He broke the kiss, grinning down at his mate. “Don’t worry, I’ll go slow.”

“What about rope?” Curtis asked as Chauncey set him on his feet.

He stilled, wondering where in the hell this conversation was going.

He had many wicked ideas in his head of what he would do with Curtis when he finally claimed him, but rope had never entered his mind…until now.

“Uh, rope?”

Curtis waved his hands in front of him as he shook his head back and forth. “Never mind. The mates gave me advice, but I don’t think they knew what they were talking about.” Chauncey was curious about the rope thing. Just exactly what did they say to his mate? “Go on,” he encouraged, wanting details, many, many details.

Curtis shook his head harder, his eyes resolute. “No way. Forget it.”

He chuckled as he placed Curtis’s helmet on his head, strapping it into place. “I
will
find out.” He leaned in closer, taking Curtis’s chin between his fingers as he met his mate’s grassy-green eyes. “But for future reference, if you want to know about sex, ask me.” Chauncey liked the fact that his mate was nervous and asking around. He didn’t know why, but he did.

Curtis’s eyes lit up as Chauncey swung a leg over his brand-new bike. “Hop on, babe.”

His mate grabbed his shoulders and slid behind him. Chauncey was ready to pull Curtis back off and toss him on the ground and fuck him like a wild bear. The guy felt too good back there. The intimacy was driving him nuts. Fingers smaller and more nimble than his dug into his shoulders as Curtis got settled.

Chauncey rode through town, parking his bike by the apartment building that sat next to the police station. He waited for Curtis to dismount before getting off. They walked to the apartment marked “Leasing,” and Chauncey knocked.

He still didn’t like Curtis living alone. He wondered what his dads thought about this. He wondered if Curtis had even told them.

Chauncey had a feeling he hadn’t.

“Yeah?” An older human male answered the door, glaring irritably until he spotted Chauncey. His face dropped, and then he looked at the two nervously. “What can I help you with?” Chauncey leaned one arm against the frame of the doorway, showing off his massive size to its fullest as he nodded down at Curtis. “My boyfriend wants to look at your apartments.”

“Sure, sure.” The man hurried back into his apartment and then ran back to the door with a set of keys.

“He’ll be living alone, but I’ll be over here
all
the time.” Chauncey threw the warning out there, and the guy nodded his head in understanding. Good, the human wasn’t stupid. Chauncey wanted no misunderstandings that Curtis would be well protected and well watched.

“Not a problem. Most neighbors stay to themselves. We don’t have problems here since we’re right next to the police station. Nope, it’s a real good building.” That still didn’t ease Chauncey’s worries as the manager took them to the first apartment. He flipped through his ring of keys until he found the right one and then opened the door, allowing Curtis and Chauncey to walk in.

Chauncey laid his hand on the small of Curtis’s back as they entered the apartment. He didn’t like it. It was too damn small.

Chauncey also didn’t like the floor coloring or the wallpaper or the radiators or any damn thing about it. He knew he was being biased, but he just couldn’t help it.

“Don’t you have anything bigger?”

Curtis stared up at him and then gifted him with a devastating smile. The smile was heart-stopping, making Chauncey hard as a rock right there in that closet of an apartment. “I’m going to be living alone, Chauncey. I don’t think I need that much space.” Chauncey shivered when he heard Curtis say his name. He wished there was a bed in the tiny apartment already. He watched his mate closely as Curtis wandered around. It took all of two seconds. The place was that small. Hell, if he shifted, he was going to knock a hole into one of the walls. “I still say you need bigger.” He grinned at his mate, hoping he caught the innuendo.

Curtis’s eyes widened, and then he cleared his throat. Boy could he make his mate blush. Chauncey was proud of that fact. “Bigger may be better, but I’m not sure I’m ready for bigger.” Chauncey cocked his head, staring down at his mate. Were they still talking about apartments? He had a feeling they weren’t, so he just went with it. “Stop worrying so much. Just because it’s bigger doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it. I’m pretty damn sure you can handle it.”

“I have a bigger apartment,” the manager tossed in, looking between the two curiously.

“But what if bigger won’t fit?” Curtis asked shyly, finally getting to the root of the problem. Chauncey wanted to laugh. Was that what scared his mate? His fears were unfounded. There was no way he wouldn’t fit perfectly into Curtis’s body. He would bet his life on that.

“Huh?” the manager asked as he looked even more mystified. “Fit what?”

“I highly doubt that, Curtis. Fate wouldn’t give me a mate that didn’t fit. Stop worrying.” He wrapped an arm around Curtis’s shoulders as he turned toward the manager. He wanted to laugh at the lost look on the guy’s face. “Show us a larger apartment, please.” They followed the rotund man up two flights of steps. Chauncey was panting by the time they reached the next apartment. Maybe he needed to lay off of his third helpings of dinner. It was starting to get to him.

“Here it is.” The manager wheezed as he unlocked the door and then leaned against the hallway wall, wiping a hand down his face.

Chauncey was five seconds away from joining him. He needed to get out and run more.