Purrfect Protector (15 page)

With one hand, he reached down between them and grasped Aleksi’s huge shaft firmly. Then, with his other hand, he scraped up the remaining lube and spread it liberally over Aleksi’s cock. He wrapped his fingers around Aleksi’s dick. Kale’s mouth watered. He wasn’t a size queen, but he appreciated a large cock for the work of art it was—especially when it was as thick and perfect as this.

Thankfully, he’d grabbed a XL sachet. Kale might like the burn, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be ripped in half. Taking advantage of his position, Kale kept stroking Aleksi’s cock until the man shuddered and groaned.

“Stop teasing,” Aleksi chided, thrusting his fingers deep and tapping Kale’s prostate in retaliation.

Kale lifted off Aleksi’s fingers and allowed the shifter to grip his hips and position him over Aleksi’s dick. He kept absolutely still when he felt the tip press against his opening.

With his gaze firmly melded to Aleksi’s, they stayed like that for a few breaths, staring at each other and taking in the moment. This was their mating. After this, he would belong to Aleksi. And Aleksi would belong to him.

After a moment longer, Kale realized Aleksi waiting for him to make the next move, giving him a way out if he’d changed his mind.
Silly shifter
. Kale was surer than ever about becoming Aleksi’s mate.

He put his hands on Aleksi’s big shoulders and braced himself. Taking a slow, deep breath, he relaxed his muscles. Cramps during sex were so unattractive. He could imagine rolling around on the floor while Aleksi stood there, erection pointing accusingly at him for ruining the fun.

Aleksi must have realized Kale’s thoughts were becoming absurd, because he shook his head and chuckled softly, snatching a kiss then whispering in Kale’s ear. “Be calm, my mate.” And just like that, Kale settled.

He couldn’t help clawing his fingers into Aleksi’s shoulder as the man pushed the head of his cock inside Kale. Thankfully, the shifter didn’t seem to mind. If anything, Kale would say his lover liked it owing to Aleksi’s soft growl and full-body shiver.

Slowly, he sank down onto Aleksi’s erection, biting his lip until his ass came to rest on Aleksi’s pelvis. “Oh. So
full
.” Wide-eyed, he looked at Aleksi. Completely focused on Kale, the shifter’s eyes had turned pure cat.

Aleksi lifted him up by the waist until Kale thought Aleksi was going to pull out completely, but instead the shifter slowly brought him back down again, sinking inside him once more. It was like a slow torture, building him up to anticipate hard and fast thrusts to match the intensity in his lover’s eyes then being forced to accept slow and gentle penetration until he was ready to throw Aleksi down on the floor and have his way with the infuriating shifter.

“Stop fucking around and fuck me!” Kale growled.

That seemed to be the sign Aleksi was waiting for. He slid his hold on Kale’s waist down to his hips and tightened before lifting him and then keeping him still, Aleksi’s cock only halfway in.

Instinct made Kale hold on and no sooner had he tightened his hands on Aleksi’s shoulders did the shifter begin thrusting upward into Kale. The force of Aleksi’s thrusts caused him to lose his balance but he caught himself again just in time for the next slamming drive.

Aleksi was still in the chair but seemed to be holding himself up with his legs and shoulders as he kept throwing his big body upward. The display of how strong Aleksi was, even without straining, made Kale shiver. It was a turn-on he’d never experienced. Maybe one day he could get Aleksi to fuck him like this without the chair, just leaning back against a wall or maybe against the wall, holding Kale up with his cock.

“Oh fuck,” he shouted.

The fantasies vanished under a wave of sharp pleasure as Aleksi changed his angle and started to bring Kale down as he thrust up again. Kale screamed as the alteration allowed Aleksi to hit the button inside him with every plunge. Kale tried to move with Aleksi but the shifter tightened his grip on Kale’s hips, stopping him from contributing. Kale had no choice but to hang on and try to drag in enough oxygen in so he wouldn’t pass out.

Aleksi bit down, sinking his sharp teeth deep into Kale’s neck. The shock of pain, followed by an overwhelming feeling of rightness and connection with his lover sent Kale crashing over the edge and headlong into the most powerful orgasm of his life. Liquid heat seared his insides as Aleksi came in an explosive climax.

Kale collapsed onto Aleksi, making the chair creak in protest. He was actually surprised the chair had held up under such abuse.

Kissing the bite mark on his neck, Aleksi sleepily said, “
Mine
.”

“Yours,” Kale agreed with a tired smile.

Chapter Eight

Sooner rather than later, Kale had to get up and pee. It took some wriggling and maneuvering but he finally got free of Aleksi’s arms. Fast asleep, Aleksi had curled around him as much as the chair would allow. Just like a cat—if that cat was six foot ten and covered in bulging muscles. He looked back over his shoulder with a goofy grin. Aleksi was his now. As his bladder reminded him why he’d woken in the first place, he hotfooted it to the bathroom.

He took care of business and washed his hands, smiling when he felt the twinge in his muscles. Being sore in places he hadn’t been in years and in some new places too was nice.

Kale caught himself grinning in the mirror and blushed at the dreamy expression on his face. The bite mark on his neck was big but already healed. Aleksi had licked it to form the mating mark. Reaching up to finger it lightly, he shivered at the zing of arousal it caused.

The sound of ringing interrupted his exploration and he ran to the bedroom to answer it before it could wake up his new mate. He grabbed the phone from his pants and, seeing it was Caleb’s number on the caller ID, he answered.

He probably had another job offer to consider. His brother certainly knew how to get the best deals from all the squabbling designers on the circuit. Caleb had to beat back offers and bribes from other models to come work for them. No one knew that everything Kale made, he split it evenly with Caleb then they distributed a good chunk of the money to the various charities. So it was almost impossible that they were offering a better deal, even if his brother would ever consider leaving him, which he wouldn’t. Kale also received offers from agents, but he gave the same response Caleb did—brothers stick together.

“Hey, bro. You finished with your meeting?” He craned his neck to look into the sitting area and see if Aleksi was still asleep. Sure enough, the shifter was still sprawled awkwardly in the chair. Kale would have to wake him up in a moment or his mate would be suffering for it later. People Aleksi’s size were definitely not made to sleep in chairs.

“Hello, my beautiful boy. Are you having fun playing our little game?”

Kale’s blood ran cold. “How did you get my brother’s phone?”

Immediately racing over to Aleksi, Kale was about to reach out and wake him when Not-Barry’s voice cackled through the phone at him.

“Ah-ah-ah! Now
don’t
even think about fetching your pussy cat. This is between you and me.”

He froze, scanning the room for some kind of camera, but he had no idea what he was looking for. Nothing stood out.

“As for how I got your brother’s phone, I’ve had him in my care since last night. Now listen to me very carefully. You’ve been a naughty boy, running away from me.” Excitement filled Not-Barry’s voice as it gradually rose higher and Kale realized the man was enjoying this, even getting off on it.

“You
will
come to your brother’s room. Take the elevator directly to the lobby then come here and ride the car straight up without stopping on the other floors. I’ll know if you do. You have five minutes.”

Panic struck him, but he struggled to keep calm and think. He desperately hoped the man was lying and Caleb was going to walk through the door any minute and ream him for causing so much trouble or for leaving his socks on the floor—any mundane shit.

“I want to speak to my brother,” he demanded in what he hoped was a strong voice. Not-Barry’s words about not stopping on the other floors confused him. They were on the first floor. If Not-Barry didn’t know that, then perhaps he didn’t know where they were. However, knowing that Kale was going to tell Aleksi and that Aleksi was asleep told him that Not-Barry was watching him.

Sounds of rustling and a heavy thump came over the line. He could hear Not-Barry telling someone to be good and speak. Kale stopped breathing as he waited, his heart in his throat.

No one else spoke in the background, only Not-Barry. There was another thump and a cry of pain. This time Kale heard the distinct sound of a hand slapping a face and he recognized the voice of his brother cursing.

“Stop it,” Caleb cried.

“Tell your brother to be a good boy,” Not-Barry demanded harshly.

“No, don’t come here, Kale!” Another slap and thump followed, then everything went quiet.

“Caleb!” He quickly shot a glance over to Aleksi to check that the shifter was still sleeping.

“Now, are you going to be a good boy?”

Kale swallowed the bile in his throat. “Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, sir,” he said through gritted teeth.

Not-Barry let out a sickening, gleeful laugh. “Good boy. Now hurry. Time is ticking. Tick, tick, tickity tock.”

The dial tone sounded like a foghorn in Kale’s ear.

He quickly dressed and, subtly as he could, he typed a message and saved it as an alarm to go off in ten minutes. If he was really being watched then he needed to think of a discrete way of leaving a sign for Aleksi. The shifter wouldn’t sleep much longer if he wasn’t there. He dropped the phone on the bed under the guise of tripping over his suitcase then quietly walked to the door and left, closing it behind him with a shaking hand.

The elevators were all busy so five of the minutes Not-Barry had given him slipped away far faster than Kale anticipated as he took the stairs. Sneaking past Gio, who was stationed by the front desk, was more challenging. Luckily, Kale was able to dodge behind a giant rubber tree and duck through the door as the officer looked his way. He had no idea if Gio had seen him, so as soon as he exited the hotel, he ran as fast as he could while cutting through the busy crowds.

“Excuse me.” He glanced at his watch and started to sweat. Three minutes left. “Out of the way!”

The lobby of his original hotel was more difficult to get through as he entered via the revolving doors. He knew there were officers assigned there by Aleksi’s friend, so he grabbed one of the umbrellas from the stand to the left inside the door, opened it up and made a show of putting it down and over his arm, skipping to catch up with a young woman who gave him an appreciative glance. He briefly put his arm over her shoulder. As a model, he knew better than anyone that people saw what they wanted to see. In this case, he was a man with his wife struggling with his umbrella.

As soon as they passed the officers and stood outside the elevators, he removed his arm and apologized, sending her a charming smile. She blushed and looked away shyly. He used her distraction to get into the elevator, pressing and holding the button to close the doors until the metal slid shut with a click. He stabbed the correct floor number and held the door closure button again until he heard a beep. It would ensure the elevator went straight to that specific floor and would not stop anywhere else. Another glance at his watch made the hair on the back of his neck rise. One minute left.

The numbered buttons lit up one by one as the elevator ascended. Kale was practically vibrating by the time Caleb’s floor button illuminated. He squeezed out before the metal panels had fully opened and ran down the corridor to Caleb’s room, hammering on the wood. “I’m here. I’m here!”

The door swung open before he’d finished shouting.

Kale’s feet carried him into the room before his brain caught up with his body.

Slumped unconsciousness, Caleb sat tied to a chair, face swollen and bloody. If Kale hadn’t recognized his brother’s electric-blue shirt, he wouldn’t have even known it was his brother. He started toward Caleb with a cry of anguish, but the sound of the door slamming and locking behind him made him spin around to face Not-Barry.

Shirtless, and with his jeans undone, Not-Barry stood, holding a gun pointed on Kale. Before Kale could react, the man squeezed the trigger.

“Now we can find out how much fun you can take, my pretty,
pretty
boy.”

Sharp pain in his arm shocked Kale and he saw a little dart with a pink tuft sticking out of his arm before the world started spinning. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

* * * *

Stretching and yawning, Aleksi slowly lifted his eyelids enough to scan the room as he tried to figure out what had woken him. He stood and called for his mate. “Kale?”

No answer.

He took in a deep breath, stopping short when he could smell only the lingering scent of his mate. A beeping noise came from the bed and he spotted Kale’s phone lying on the bedspread, vibrating as the screen illuminated.

He walked over and picked up the cell. The first thing he noticed was that the device was unusually hot. It was a new model and there was no reason for it to be heating up. The battery was low too, even though he knew Kale had charged it only hours ago. Aleksi snarled as he realized Not-Barry had somehow managed to tap or hack the device. When the note for the alarm appeared on the screen, Aleksi gripped the phone so hard the little glass screen cracked.

NB has C at other hotel. NB wants me or he’ll hurt C. Come save us!

From the time stamp on the alarm, he knew his mate had only left minutes before he’d woken. Forcing down his initial instinctive, furious need to hunt down his mate immediately, Aleksi calmed himself and placed the phone on the bed. He continued walking through the room and headed to the bathroom as if nothing was wrong, carefully not looking at the cell’s front-facing camera lens.