A Cowboy in Ravenna (6 page)

“It’s not like we haven’t gone camping before,” Chace said. “This isn’t any different, except the fancy furniture.”

“I kissed you,” Trin said. “That makes it different.”

Chace blushed but then shot Trin a direct look. “What did Sabin mean when he called you a ‘shifter’?”

“No idea. Maybe it’s an Italian thing,” Trin lied.

“Huh, don’t think so.”

“Didn’t you say you were dying for a shower?”

“If you want to get rid of me, just say so.” Chace began digging through his bag, his face hard. “Except…why? Will you tell me that?”

“Why…what?”

“Why do you touch me, want me, and still push me away? It hurts.”

Trin squeezed his eyes shut. “I can’t give you what you want.”

“What gives you the right to decide that? You sound like my father.”

“Your father wanted me with you in Italy to ‘straighten you out’,” Trin said.

“Good luck.” Chace laughed.

“I’m old enough to be your father.”

“I don’t care.”

His control on a thin thread after seeing Sabin touch Chace, Trin couldn’t help but reach out and grip Chace’s slender shoulders. Had he really thought he could tamely watch Chace with other guys? Trin buried his face in Chace’s hair, feeling the warmth, wanting to mark Chace. Trin’s teeth lengthened. He was becoming the monster. “Don’t look at me.”

Chace reached out and lifted Trin’s face into the light. “Your eyes…”

Trin dropped his gaze.

“I thought they looked strange in the alley when you tackled Sabin. I thought it was a trick of light.”

Breathing harshly, Trin shook his head. “No.”

“I don’t understand. You’ve never been like this before. Help me understand.”

He couldn’t turn Chace away when he was so confused. Trin could never turn Chace away, not from the first time he’d seen him, a lonely boy locked away in his room. Trin had known right away he was looking at his future mate, God help him.

“Sabin touching you made me sick.”

A sad smile tugged Chace’s lips. “Like I felt when you dated all those women. Did you ever think of how it hurt me?”

“I knew but it didn’t matter.”

“How can you say that?” Chace flashed.

“You were too young, Chace. I was a man.”

“I’m not too young now.” Chace crowded close, suddenly as predatory as a wolf. “I want to understand how you’re different. Your eyes, the thing Sabin called you.”

“You know I’m a healer,” Trin said, giving a partial thread. He was afraid of showing his true face to Chace, who’d had always adored him, but the raw sexual beast he could become was nothing for a virgin to experience. And what if having Chace triggered the Shadow Wolf?

“You have to stop being afraid.” Chace wound his arms around Trin’s neck.

Trin’s sex lengthened, massive and swollen. From the way Chace looked at him, Trin knew his eyes must look freaky.

“I watched you,” Trin said. “When Cass had Tom in the woods, I watched you touching yourself. I heard you call out my name.”

“I couldn’t look away from them. They were so hot, so beautiful. I’ve done some sketches.”

Jealousy gripped Trin’s chest.

Chace laughed. “So secretive, so stubborn, but you don’t want anyone else to have me.”

“No,” Trin growled. He gripped Chace’s hair, tugging. “I don’t want you looking at other men.”

“Then let me see you.” Chace swallowed. “Please.”

“I’d die before I ever hurt you.”

“Don’t you think I know that? Jesus, you’ve always been overly protective.”

But could Trin be gentle enough? “I can’t let you see me.” He was afraid he’d scare Chace, turn him off.

Chace opened his mouth to argue.

“But I won’t let you hurt. I’ll give you what you need.” Trin smoothed his hands down Chace, lean and muscular, liking the feel of warm skin and the silky hairs on his forearms.

“Take off your clothes for me,” Trin demanded.

Chace immediately went for his belt. Colour burned his cheeks, but he was caught in the same compulsion as Trin. Chase needed to submit sexually to his mate.

His jeans fell open, revealing boxers printed with Roman gladiators—only they weren’t exactly fighting each other.

“You really are into this trip!” Trin said, fighting not to smile at the bawdy underwear.

Shit, he was going to blow this. Though he continued stripping, Chace looked so uncertain, like a horse ready to bolt. If only Trin could show him how perfectly he was made. Sleek, with a long, elegant cock, tufts of dark blond hair at his crotch and under his arms.

Naked, Chace kicked away his clothes.

Trin touched him, and Chace hissed in a breath, his skin cool and delicate beneath Trin’s hot and pulsing hand.

“Kneel beside the bed.” He stroked Chace’s side. “Do it, it’s all right.”

“You’ll take care of me?” Chace’s penis was a long, needy pole in Trin’s grip as he mastered Chace. “Ahhhh.”

“I’ll always take care of you. When you need relief, I want you to bring your needs to me.”

Chace knelt beside the bed, looking over his shoulder at Trin, his legs spread, his round buttocks intensely arousing.

He was afraid Chace would see the claws. “Don’t look at me.”

“Trin—”

“Do you need this?”

“You know I do.”

“Then we do it my way.” He removed his belt. “Hold out your hands.”

Keeping his eyes downcast, Chace lifted his wrists. Trin tied them with his belt, tightening it so the leather bit into the skin. Chace couldn’t touch Trin. If Chace was passive, Trin should be able to control the
thing
locked like a nightmare inside his body.

“I thought you were going to use it on me,” Chace said.

“The belt on your ass?” Heat slammed through his gut. Did Chace really want that from him?

“Yes.”

Trin settled behind Chace, stroking his back, his buttocks, trying to gentle him like a nervous colt. “If you want a spanking from me, climb over my lap, and I’ll give you one.”

Chapter Five

“You’re pushing me. You want to scare me.”

Trin inhaled sharply, as if Chace had landed a bull’s-eye. Even with his eyes closed, Chace could feel the ribbons stretching from his gut to Trin’s, braiding them tight. God, they had to be together.
I belong to him. Why doesn’t he take what’s his?

“What if I told you that you should be scared?”

Chace absorbed the words and tone. Oh, yeah, Trin meant what he was saying.

“Then I’d tell you that offering to spank me didn’t disgust me. It turned me on.” Chace crawled to Trin, fumbling as he climbed over his lap. Embarrassment heated his face but when he squirmed into place he felt right, draped naked over Trin’s knee. He imagined how he looked, his pale, slight body a submissive stretch over Trin’s worn jeans. As Chace lay panting, Trin’s hot callused palm clasped his left ass cheek, hesitant wonder transmitting through touch.

“You think I don’t know you? Maybe you just want a quick screw. I don’t care.”
Believe
, Chace told himself.

When Trin still didn’t speak, Chace swallowed.
Believe. Believe and Trin will finally touch me the way I need.
“If we were back home… Do you know what I see happening?”

Trin didn’t remove his hand. He was stroking Chace’s ass as if he couldn’t stop himself from petting him.

Chace groaned. God, he was so hard. He was on the edge of coming from displaying himself like this, just for Trin.

“What…” Trin cleared his throat. “What do you see happening?”

“I see you coming in one hot evening all pissy, bruised because you got kicked by a horse, maybe unshaven if it’s a busy time of the year. And then I lock the door in your kitchen, yank down the blinds, strip out of my clothes and drape myself on your lap.”

“Christ!” Trin’s breaths were harsh and loud.

Chase’s heart was thundering like a wild summer storm.

Trin slid his fingers down the invitation of Chace’s open body, stroked his dimple.

Chace caught his breath.

“What if we weren’t alone, would you do that, climb on my lap and ask for a spanking if other men were watching us?” Trin asked, caressing Chace’s lips.

He had a feeling Trin had something specific in mind. Whatever. Chace wouldn’t hide how he felt. He kissed Trin’s big palm.

“You’re excited. You like the idea of submitting to me in front of other men.”

“You keep pushing me, bringing up stuff you think will make me afraid, but all it does is make me want you more. When I fantasise about you, I want you to take me over.” He closed his eyes, waiting on Trin. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“You should be.” Resignation darkened Trin’s voice but he didn’t stop touching Chace. With closed eyes, Chace’s other senses were highly sensitised. Trin’s hands felt odd, something like hardened tips grazing his flesh. The size of Trin’s palm was also off, having apparently doubled in breadth.

“What’s happening to you?” he asked, wishing Trin hadn’t forbidden him to look. If he could just see him, understand. “I want to see you. Please, let me see you.”

“Yeah, right, so you can run screaming from me,” Trin said derisively. “That would really add to this holiday.”

The texture of Trin’s hands was different too, kind of leathery, but good against his skin, hot and rough. He imagined one huge hand cupping and squeezing his balls and whimpered.

“Jesus! Hold on! I have to…” Trin swung Chace around, so he was facing away. He balanced himself on his bound hands, glad he took regular yoga classes. Trin lifted Chace so he hung, legs on Trin’s shoulders, cock heavy and pendulous, fully exposed.

A warm mouth latched onto the back of his balls, feasting on him.

“Holy fuck!” he choked.

Every lick of that hot tongue was like a lash. Trin was spanking him, but
not like any spanking Chace could have envisioned. Trin used his tongue to punish and to torment. Chace was so alive to each strike of Trin’s tongue that his body jerked in Trin’s hold, but he was kept utterly helpless. “Please,” he begged.

“Taste you.” Trin’s voice sounded odd, guttural, sending a feather of ice down Chace’s spine. He was caged in the arms of a beast, his body pleasured by something dangerous and alien.

“Please… It hurts.” Hurt so good, the stroke of that sandpaper tongue all along his shaft, from base to leaking tip.

“Take it,” Trin said. Chace pictured himself hanging, his balls luscious grapes that Trin was eating like dessert.

Trin took possession of Chace’s opening, sucking strongly.

Chace screamed, his bound hands scrabbling uselessly against the floor. A hard, relentless tongue penetrated him as if nothing was off-limits, as if everything had to belong to Trin. The tongue thrust in and out of his body, fucking him while Trin snarled dark greedy sounds.

“Hungry,” Trin rasped.

Chace’s body was one big heartbeat, pulsing as Trin took his balls into his mouth, devouring them, marking them with a hint of sharpened teeth.

Chace ejaculated, unable to stop himself, spattering the backs of his hands and the floor with his jizz.

“Mmmmm.” Trin lowered him on his back to the floor and then Trin was between his legs, spreading him wide as he lapped at the spend on Chace’s skin.

Hot tears welled because that tongue against him now was really painful. It forced him to stay hard as Trin ate him.

At the same time, Chace was aware of something slender and sharp penetrating him. It felt almost like…a claw. The shock of it broaching his ass made his eyes fly open.

Trin’s face was familiar, rugged, but his eyes were molten, the pupils tiny pinpoints, his teeth long and jagged so they could’ve easily torn out Chace’s throat.

Chace’s nipple was caged by claws as Trin played with it.

“Jesus!” He should be afraid. He knew he should be afraid but instead the beast only made him hot. Trin wouldn’t let him soften, but forced him to take more pleasure. “Untie my hands,” he whispered.

“
No.
” Trin wouldn’t look at him, as if he were ashamed.

“I’m not afraid of you. I want to touch.”

The gold in Trin’s eyes flared like lava.

Claws as long as switchblades flashed and the leather belt around his wrists fell to the floor in pieces. Chace opened his legs, welcoming Trin, who mounted him, crushing Chase with his heavy weight. His blue T-shirt had split from his mysterious transformation.

A massive erection pressed against Chace. Trin shook, fear flickering in his eyes.

“It’s all right,” he soothed Trin instinctively, petting the beast.

“Can’t hold on…” Trin flung himself off Chace. “Shadow wolf’s a killer. It does nothing but destroy.”

“Shadow wolf?”

Trin curled into himself, hiding.

Not knowing what else to do for the beast, Chace went to him, ran a hand tenderly along one of his legs. Trin’s jeans were also in shreds, his thick root free, as big as a tree branch, distended and pulsing.