Fighting Temptation [Brac Village 11] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove)

Brac Village 11

Fighting Temptation

Detective Carmine Bianchi watched a once powerful man turn into a shell when his mother was killed. His father was no longer who he used to be and Carmine refuses to go through the tragedy that was now his father's life. If only fate hadn’t intervened and thrown one small fey Carmine's way, making the walls he erected slowly begin to crumble.

Turi had his own set of complications. His father was trying to make Turi mate his own uncle. He didn’t agree with Wood elf custom of inbreeding and Turi was determined to stay on the run for as long as he had to.

When Turi is nearly hit by a car, he soon realizes that the man behind the wheel is the other half to his soul. Unfortunately, Carmine makes it very clear that the only reason he is sticking around is to help Turi with his problem.

But as Carmine spends time with Turi, he realizes that fighting to keep Turi at arm's length is a battle that his heart was determined to win.

Genre:
Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal, Shape-shifter

Length:
35,124 words
 

Brac Village 11

Lynn Hagen

EVERLASTING CLASSIC

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove

FIGHTING TEMPTATION

E-book ISBN: 978-1-62740-185-2

First E-book Publication: July 2013

Cover design by Siren Publishing

All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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Fighting Temptation
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FIGHTING TEMPTATION

Brac Village 11

LYNN HAGEN

Copyright © 2013

“What the fuck?” Detective Carmine Bianchi slammed on his brakes, the ass end of his car swerving as he prayed he didn’t hit the guy who had just run out in front of him. His foot damn near went through the floor as he prayed he stopped in time. Where in the hell had he come from?

He sat in his car for a moment, trying to get his heart out of his damn throat. Had someone just run right out in front of him? Knowing the answer was yes, Carmine opened his car door and stepped out onto the country road. He walked to the front of his car and gazed at the man who had fallen to his knees.

He hadn’t hit the guy. Carmine was positive of that. But the man looked a bit shaken up. “Are you all right?”

The man just knelt there, staring at Carmine with a very complex look on his face. The guy blinked a few times as he pushed to his feet, dusting his hands off. “I’m sorry.”

Yeah, sorry wouldn’t have cut it had Carmine actually hit the guy. But from the frazzled way the man looked, Carmine couldn’t find it in himself to be mad.

Carmine took a step closer to make sure the guy was really okay when the most intoxicating aroma entered his lungs and sent his heart to racing. He scented the air as he gazed at big, emerald-green eyes and felt something inside of him snap into place. His black bear growled gently as Carmine cocked his head to the side, studying the short man.

“Oh no!” The guy backpedaled, his long black hair swaying in the breeze as his eyes grew round. “This can’t be happening.”

Well, this wasn’t exactly how Carmine pictured meeting his mate. He almost ran the man over and now the guy looked like he was about to pass out. “Why did you run out in the middle of the road?”

“To get away,” his mate answered Carmine as if it should have been obvious. He sucked in his bottom lip, his eyes bouncing all over the place.

“From who?” Carmine drew his sidearm, glancing around the deserted road. He didn’t see any immediate threat. The man glanced over his shoulder, his eyes flickering everywhere. Carmine knew that look. He had been a detective for too many years. This guy was definitely running from someone. “Who is after you?”

“I have to keep moving,” the guy said as he started to hurry away.

Carmine reached out and grabbed…he scented…he wasn’t sure. “What are you?”

“Scared shitless,” the guy answered in a high squeak. “Now if you don’t mind…” He tried to yank his arm free, but Carmine held fast.

“I do mind. Who are you running from?” he asked a little more firmly. Carmine wasn’t the type of guy that liked to be disobeyed.

“Trouble.” The short man continued to yank at his arm. “Would you mind letting me go so I can run?”

Carmine had had enough. The detective in him was rearing its head and there was no way he was letting the man go. He was a very dominant male and normally did not let someone talk circles around him. But this man was not his submissive, so Carmine was not going to punish the guy for his insubordination. But one thing was for sure. The guy was in trouble and Carmine was going to help. “Why don’t you let me give you a ride?”

“I don’t take rides from strangers. Also, I’m not helping you look for a lost pet and I don’t like candy.” His mate smacked at Carmine’s hand repeatedly, making Carmine growl. “Now let me go before I blow my you-can’t-come-near-my-body whistle.”

Reholstering his gun, Carmine scratched at his short beard. He wasn’t sure what to make of the squirrelly man. He had never run across anyone like this guy before. He saw a red whistle dangling from a coiled plastic band around the guy’s wrist. “You do know that we are mates, right?”

The man stopped struggling and exhaled loudly. “What is with everyone trying to mate me? I just don’t want that complication.” He smacked Carmine’s hand again. “Go away.”

Carmine felt his insides boil at the idea of someone else trying to mate a man who belonged to him. It was a knee-jerk reaction, one Carmine knew he wasn’t even going to examine right now—if ever. “Tell me who is after you…What’s your name?”

“Jeez,” the guy groaned as he slumped his shoulders. “I told you I’m not taking candy from you.”

Carmine wanted to bang his head into his car. The guy obviously wasn’t playing with a full deck. He was looking at Carmine like he was some kind of damn predator. Well, he was, but not the type this little squirrelly man was insinuating.

“Get in the back of my car.” Carmine was through playing around. The man was going to do what he said or Carmine was going to paddle his—no, he wasn’t going to go there. He didn’t plan on claiming the man so there would be no paddling. There would be no playing, no bondage, nothing of that sort. Carmine was going to help the man and that was all.

“Why?” the guy shouted as he struggled once more to get free.

“I’m a detective and I’m arresting you.” He just had to figure out what the charges were. But putting his mate into his car was better than chasing his tail in circles. Carmine was nearly out of patience. It was apparent that someone was after the guy and he was going to protect his mate whether the man wanted it or not.

It was his job. He had sworn to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves and run down the bad guys. He just didn’t see any bad guys right now.

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

Carmine reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, flipping it open to flash his badge.

The man didn’t look convinced. “My cousin has one of those. He bought it at a novelty store.”

Carmine didn’t say another word. He shoved his wallet into his back pocket and then pulled his mate toward the back of his car. “I guess we’ll see if I’m telling the truth when you are sitting behind bars.”

“Okay, okay,” the guy said hastily as he tried to stop the forward momentum by dragging his feet. “I believe you. But you haven’t told me why you are arresting me.”

For being so damn stubborn.

“To keep you from getting hurt,” he answered. “Now get in the back.”

“Turi, my name is Turi. Now will you let me go?”

Was the guy serious? His morning had started off fucked-up. He was already running late. His alarm hadn’t gone off. The hot water tank went out on him—so he hadn’t even had a chance to take a hot shower. And his car was giving him trouble. It was a miracle the damn thing started.

Now this.

“I am five seconds away from cuffing you, Turi.”

Turi raised his arm, wiggling it at Carmine. Not only was the red whistle there, but a slim, steel bracelet. “I’m already cuffed. They slapped a dang bracelet on me. How much worse can things get for me?”

“You can be arrested,” Carmine reminded the small man. “Now tell me who is after you.” He hated being a prick toward the guy, but Turi was leaving him no other option. There was no way Carmine was letting him go when the man was in danger.