Moose wanted to hug Jeremy. The pocket-sized guy was in deep pain, but he knew no amount of alcohol would ease it. The booze might numb him for a while, but the heartache would always return.

  “I didn’t see or hear anyone in my backyard,” Jeremy said. “I’m sorry, but I’m of no use.”

  “Can you think of anyone who would do that to you?”

  Jeremy shook his head. “I don’t bother anyone, so I don’t have any enemies.” His smile was weak and barely there. “Then again, I don’t recall too much about the past two years.” He picked up his bottle and took another drink.

  Moose dug out one of his business cards and handed it to Jeremy. “Call me if you can think of anything, or if you just wanna talk.”

  He showed himself out as Jeremy stared at the window, as if his wife would return at any moment.

  After that interview, Moose wanted to hug Grayson close and never let his mate go.

  Chapter Six

  “So how did your conversation with Jeremy go?” The ride home had been quiet, which had Grayson wondering why Moose, who normally chatted up a storm, was staring out the window, deep in thought.

  Moose turned and looked at Grayson. “Does anyone really know him?”

  “I don’t understand.” Grayson made the turn onto Walbash Road that led down the long backroad to his house.

  “Does anyone know why Jeremy is drinking himself to death?” Moose rolled his window down and sucked in a deep breath of fresh air.

  “What’s going on with you?” Grayson asked. “Why do you seem so…I don’t know. Reflective?”

  “It’s nothing.” Moose smiled at him, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I guess I let Jeremy affect me.”

  “How?”

  “The guy has one fucking sad story to tell.” Moose enlightened Grayson, telling him about the conversation he’d had with Mr. Longing. “The guy is on a destructive path, and it seems no one cares.”

  Grayson had heard that Jeremy’s wife passed away, but sadly, he, too, was guilty of not reaching out. But in his defense, Grayson had been retired, knew the residents, but not personally, and stayed to himself.

  “I’m going back there tomorrow to…I don’t know, talk to him. He needs someone, Grayson.”

  Moose’s humongous size matched his humongous heart. He’d told Grayson that he was all soft and gooey on the inside, and now Grayson truly saw that. “I think that’s a good idea.”

  Too bad Jeremy couldn’t find someone to fill that empty void, not that that was a solution, but having someone in his life might help ease the pain.

  Grayson agreed that everyone needed someone in their corner. Even he did and was glad Moose had refused to be kicked out. Wow. That sounded creepy as fuck in his head.

  Grayson grinned and shook his head.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “I have the weirdest thoughts,” Grayson said. “Don’t mind me.”

  He pulled into his driveway and parked by the large shed out back. Grayson had thought Moose would talk shit on the way home, remind him of tonight or try to make a move on him in the truck.

  But Moose was silent as he got out and stretched, his shirt riding up and showing off his abs and the trail of hair leading past his waistband.

  Grayson got out and headed for the house. Moose grabbed his arm and stopped him. “I need fresh air and wouldn’t mind the company.”

  Moose’s interview with Jeremy had affected him deeply. Grayson saw that as they took seats on the lawn chairs. Aside from the bugs, Grayson liked sitting outside at dusk. There was something different about that time of day that made things seem possible.

  Like the fact that nonhumans existed.

  “What makes Grayson Copache tick?”

  The question caught Grayson by surprise. “Gee, I don’t know.”

  Moose sat on the side of his chair—a chair that looked barely able to contain his height and weight. He entwined his fingers together and rested his arms on his thighs. “What were you like as a kid?”

  Grayson didn’t want to talk about his childhood. It hadn’t been bad, but it hadn’t been sunny, either.

  “I’m gonna get us something to drink.” He got up and hurried toward the back door before Moose could stop him.

  “I’m not trying to make you run from me,” Moose said behind him as he entered the house. “You don’t need to exert yourself any more than you have to. We can just talk about climate change or sex.”

  “Was that a segue attempt?”

  Moose grinned. “I thought I changed the topic pretty smoothly.”

  “Guess again.” But Grayson liked Moose’s charm. “You feeling any better?”

  “I was just rattled. That’s all.” Moose patted his stomach. “Some food might help shake away the cobwebs.”

  “I think food would help you get off your deathbed.” Grayson went to the fridge and pulled out some leftovers, surprised he had any with Moose in the house.

  “You know me so well.” Moose chuckled.

  “How about some baked chicken to soothe your soul?” When he turned around, Moose was right there, standing so close that Grayson almost ran into the guy.

  Moose’s gaze swept over him in such a provocative way that Grayson sucked in a deep breath.

  “You smell like fresh-baked bread.”

  That was the oddest compliment Grayson had ever gotten. “I smell like yeast?”

  Moose slowly shook his head. “I didn’t say that.”

  “But you just said—”

  Moose inhaled deeply. “Oven fresh.”

  Grayson scooted past Moose and set the container on the counter. “You’re one strange man.”

  Moose grinned so wide that his pearly-white teeth were showing. “You like that about me.”

  Grayson felt the sexual tension building in the air. They weren’t in the bathroom at the diner. They weren’t anywhere they could be interrupted. It was just them, a hell of a lot of lust, and nothing but time and privacy.

  Moose reached past him and placed the container in the microwave, setting the timer. Their chests were touching, and Grayson felt an ache growing in intensity.

  He could feel Moose’s cock growing, too. The hard flesh was pressed against Grayson, and it was just as hard as the man’s body was.

  Grayson’s breath hitched. In a daring move, he slid his hand up Moose’s side. Moose’s arm was still stretched past Grayson’s shoulder as though he was leaning on the cupboard. But Moose didn’t move as he stared down at Grayson with heavy-lidded eyes.

  “You want something else to go with that chicken?” Grayson asked as he let his hand slide back down.

  “A side of sheriff would be nice.” Moose’s voice went all husky as he licked his lips. “But I’ll take a kiss as an appetizer.”

  Tilting his head back, Grayson waited, but Moose didn’t move. Was he waiting for Grayson to initiate the kiss? They’d kissed before, and the feeling was powerful. Grayson always felt a deep connection to Moose whenever their lips touched.

  He brushed his lips over Moose’s as his excitement built, rushing through him like a strong, warm current. The air seemed to fill with it as Moose trapped him against the counter and a small growl rumbled in the man’s throat.

  For half a second Grayson hesitated, and then their tongues were tangling, moans were erupting, and their hands were groping. Only one of Grayson’s hands since his other arm was in a cast.

  As the kiss grew deeper, Grayson brushed his hand down Moose’s back and cupped his ass, squeezing and pulling him closer, grinding their hard dicks together.

  Grayson was snatching at Moose’s clothes, his fears vanishing amid tangled limbs and desperate kisses. He was cursing his cast, wishing it wasn’t there so he could undress his soon-to-be lover. Grayson wanted naked skin against his, a hard cock in his hand, and fuck, what was that noise?

  Oh, the microwave was beeping.

  Moose ignored it as he pulled Grayson to the living room, still trying to kiss him, his lips landing on Grayson’s jaw, nose, and cheek.

  “Stop trying to kiss me before you place one on my eyeball.” Grayson dropped to the couch and tugged at his boots as Moose was quickly undressing. Moose yanked his shirt over his head so fast that Grayson heard material ripping.

  His broken arm. The damn thing was a curse right now. Dressing one-handed wasn’t easy, and Grayson was slapping at his crotch trying to unfasten the button. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply then let the air out slowly.

  “Need help with that, or are you gonna be too stubborn to admit it?”

  Grayson had been so busy looking at the button of his uniform pants that he hadn’t realized Moose was already butt fucking naked.

  All Grayson had managed to take off was his damn boots.

  And he couldn’t stop staring at the nude glory in front of him. He was about to blow his wad gaping at all that exposed muscled flesh.

  “Close your mouth before you catch a fly.” Moose sauntered over to him, all cocky and shit, and pulled Grayson to his feet. “If you needed help getting naked, all you had to do was say so.”

  “Say so.” Those were the only two words Grayson could manage to form. He was staring at mountains of hard flesh, and the hardest flesh of all was between Moose’s legs.

  A man nearly seven feet tall and just as wide was not packing a minnow. He was packing a fucking whale.

  “I told you,” Moose said as he unbuttoned Grayson’s shirt, going so slow that Grayson had to grit his teeth to calm himself. “I’ll be gentle.”

  Grayson slapped Moose’s hand aside and narrowed his eyes. “I don’t need any coaching from you. I know how to have sex.”

  “With a man?” Moose looked dead serious. “You don’t have to play hardass with me, Grayson. It’s just us, and I don’t care how inexperienced you are. We’re still gonna have fun.”

  He started unbuttoning Grayson’s shirt again, and Grayson let him as his arm dangled at his side. He didn’t like that Moose had seen right through his anger. Grayson didn’t like that the guy completely understood his “inexperience.”

  He wasn’t a virgin when it came to gay sex. Grayson had been with another guy before, even if it had been a one-night stand five years ago.

  Moose dropped to his knees and finished undressing Grayson like Grayson was two and couldn’t the hang of it. But he bit his tongue, keeping his smartass comments to himself.

  Grayson was already nervous enough. He didn’t need to pop off at the mouth and make his anxiety worse.

  “Lift your leg.”

  He did as Moose asked, and then in under a second, Grayson was just as naked as his lover was, with his casted arm tucked at his side.

  “Mmm.” Moose stood to his full height and gazed down at him. “I just want to gobble you up.”

  “Because I smell like fresh-baked bread?” Okay, so Grayson couldn’t keep all his smartass comment trapped in his throat. A few were bound to slip free.

  Moose gave a hearty laugh. “Something like that.”

  He pulled Grayson down to the couch and grabbed the remote. Grayson was completely lost. Were they having sex or watching a movie?

  “We can just chill for a minute.” Moose threw an arm around Grayson and pulled him into his side. “You need to unwind and relax before I make my move on you.”

  “I’m not a teenager, and this isn’t a date.” Grayson couldn’t seem to keep his mouth shut.

  “No, you’re not, and this is a date, sort of. I took you to dinner.”

  “I paid for my own meal.”

  Moose shrugged. “We still had dinner together. If you want flowers, give me a second and I’ll go pick some.”

  Grayson elbowed him. “Shut up.”

  Moose gave him a grin that Grayson was growing to love. Moose’s smile could light up a room and make anyone who looked at him swoon. It was that charming and boyish, and his smiles made his eyes sparkle like uncut diamonds.

  “What should we watch?”

  “Not a porno,” Grayson said before he knew the words had formed.

  “Good, because I’m not really into them, either. I’d rather make my own.” Moose bounced his brows playfully before turning the television on.

  “You record us having sex and I’ll murder you in your sleep.”

  Moose pulled Grayson closer and kissed his temple. “No worries since I’m not sharing you with the world.”

  Grayson sat there stiffly until Moose turned on a cartoon. He wasn’t sure what to think. “Are you serious?”

  “What?” Moose asked. “I love this show.”

  “Uh, no. I’d rather watch porn than a cartoon.”

  Moose bounced his brows. “Give it a chance.”

  “Not gonna do it.”

  When Grayson tried to get up, Moose said, “Fine,” and changed the cartoon to an actual movie. “Spoilsport.”

  As the movie started and Moose didn’t try to attack him, Grayson sort of relaxed. He couldn’t fully calm down, not when they were sitting there naked and Moose’s dick was so hard that it was sticking out like a divining rod.

  Grayson’s gaze switched between the screen and Moose’s cock. He wanted to touch, but Moose had Grayson’s good arm trapped at his side and gripping anything, let alone a hard dick, with a cast on was damn near impossible.

  Moose sighed and got a little more comfortable, his cock bobbing up and down as he settled deeper into the couch.

  He was doing that on purpose. Moose was teasing him, tempting him to make the first move. He was waiting for Grayson to calm down enough that he would enjoy sex, enjoy touching, kissing, and fucking.

  Grayson was halfway there considering he’d had Moose’s dick in his mouth earlier. The only thing that had Grayson wound up was the thought of Moose sticking that whale into his ass.

  Moose brushed his hand over Grayson’s bare shoulder, his thumb drawing tiny circles on his skin.

  Grayson decided to initiate things. Fuck sitting there naked with a gorgeous guy next to him. He could get through this. Grayson could handle Moose’s ginormous cock. It was a piece of cake. No sweat. A walk in the park.

  After taking a deep breath and convincing himself of his bravado, Grayson stood then straddled Moose’s lap, using his one good arm to place his hand on the guy’s shoulder.

  Moose glided his hands up Grayson’s sides. “Anyone ever tell you just how handsome you are?”

  “I’ve been tossed a compliment or two in my life,” Grayson said. “I could say that about you, too.”

  “Nah.” Moose shook his head. “I’m okay. More people are afraid of me than attracted to my dumb ass.”

  “I’m not afraid of you.” That was the truth. He’d seen the softer side of Moose, and that had helped dissolve Grayson’s fears. Mostly. The guy was a shifter, after all.

  “You say the sweetest things.” Moose pressed a kiss on Grayson’s nose.

  “I’m horny.”

  Moose chuckled. “Again, the sweetest things.”

  “So do something about it,” Grayson said.

  “What do you want me to do, boo?” Moose kneaded Grayson’s ass, separating his cheeks every few seconds.

  Grayson tried to think, but Moose’s hands were magic, having the ability to not only bring him pleasure but also to make Grayson’s mind unfocused.

  He groaned and leaned into Moose, gliding his lips over his lover’s as he ground his ass into Moose’s large hands.

  “I confess,” Moose said against Grayson’s mouth. “I was hoping for this, so I stashed the lube I found in your nightstand between the couch cushions this morning.”

  “Sneaky devil.”

  Moose removed one of his hands and fumbled around as Grayson kept licking the man’s lips. A moment later, there was a wet finger at Grayson’s hole.

  With a deep groan, Grayson lowered himself onto the digit, hissing as he was breached. He rested his head on Moose’s shoulder, closing his eyes as he moved up and down.

  Then Moose added another finger.

  Grayson was so hard he wasn’t sure if he could hold out. Not having sex for five years had him ready to come. But knowing it was Moose who was about to break that dry spell did something to Grayson, made him feel…he wasn’t sure. His emotions were all over the place as Moose slid a third finger into his ass.

  Flipping Grayson as if he weighed no more than a feather, Moose towered over him as Grayson lay on his back, staring up at the wild beast.

  He removed his fingers and lubed his cock before pressing the head against Grayson’s stretched hole.

  “Tell me you’re ready.” Moose gritted his teeth, appearing as though he was barely holding his shit together.

  Swallowing his fear, Grayson nodded.

  Moose grabbed Grayson behind his knees and pushed his legs back as he slowly inched his cock into Grayson’s ass.

  Grayson grabbed the cushion below him with one hand, gripping it tightly, desperate for this but seconds away from telling Moose to stop.

  As if reading his mind, Moose paused. He bent over Grayson and devoured his mouth, sucking Grayson’s tongue down his throat. He pulled back and said, “I have you right where I want you, sweetheart.”

  He let Grayson’s legs go, and Grayson curled them around Moose’s thick waist. “So what are you going to do with me?”

  “Mate you.”

  That sounded oddly erotic, but also a bit weird. “I’m not sure what to say to t-that.” Grayson groaned and panted, squeezing his legs tightly.

  There goes that heart-stopping smile.

  “Why’d you stop?” Grayson tried to push Moose up, to give himself a little room, but Moose weighed a freaking ton and their bodies were still smashed together.

  “Mates.” Moose nipped Grayson’s bottom lip. “Mine.”

  “You’re not…ungh…making any sense.” Grayson’s limbs were fucking shaking. Moose might have paused what they were doing, but Grayson’s body was still tingling and pulsing, ready for what the big lug had to offer.

  If only he’d start moving.

  “That’s why you smell so good to me.” Moose kissed him between each word. “In my world, a mate is someone fate handpicks for another.” He moved just enough to press his hand against Grayson’s sweaty chest. “I know you feel the connection between us.”