How to Howl at the Moon (19 page)

Tim tugged on a small patch of white near his left nipple and grinned. “Getting old?”

In answer, Lance growled and thrust up with his hips.

That redirected Tim sufficiently. His eyes dropped down to Lance’s lap and grew wide. H
is
fingers brushed against the bulge in Lance’s jeans, tracing its outline, then rubbing across it with his thumb. They both simultaneously groaned.

“Yeah,” Tim panted, “self-control detonated, ka-blam. I know I shouldn’t be this easy, but holy hell I want you.”

“There’s nothing easy about wanting someone this much,” Lance growled, and he took the reins. His mate was aroused and aching and needed him, and by God, Lance would give him what he wanted.

He brought Tim back to his lips with a firm hand around his nape and kissed him more deeply than before, setting up a purely filthy rhythm with his thrusting tongue. He managed to undo Tim’s button and zipper with one hand and pulled out his erection.

Mine.

“L-lance,” Tim gasped. He fought to get Lance’s pants open, and then his slender hand wrapped around Lance’s thick shaft and it was—dear lord. Perfect.

Lance’s concentration shattered, and he had to break the kiss, only able to put his forehead to Tim’s chin, close his eyes, and hold on. He set a relentless pace, too turned on to tease, and Tim mirrored it. They liked the same moves, if the tensing in Tim’s thighs and the hitching of his breath was any indication. But Tim felt better in his hand than Lance had ever felt to himself, hard and warm and
sex
and… and rutting and….

“
Lance
.”

“Got you.”

“S-so crazy.
Fuck
.”

“Perfect.”

It was, but it wasn’t enough. Lance was dying to be able to bury his face in the richest parts of Tim’s scent, to taste and touch him everywhere. But that wasn’t possible in the car. For now they were on a one-way roller coaster that went up and up and up. Sooner or later—sooner if the tightening spiral in Lance’s groin were to be trusted—they had to fall. Their hands moved in sync, Tim mouthed and panted and moaned at Lance’s temple, and Lance’s head spun with sensation
—the sounds, the
smells, and the
erotic images that threatened to do him in
when he dared open his eyes and look down. His mind was so entranced it was difficult to tell who was touching whom and who was feeling what.

“Mmm. So good. Close—” Tim choked out, vibrating all over.

“Now.” Lance meant himself, that he was there, but they came together. It felt like the sensations they caused in each other were energy bands so interwoven there was no sending one off the cliff without the other being pulled along. Lance had never imagined anything like it.

Lance slumped against Tim, his body singing and his mind offline. His dog was
very
happy.

After a while Tim nudged him. “You too tired to drive to dinner? We could hit McDonald's.”

Lance laughed and forced himself to sit up. “No way. I’m taking you out to a nice place. Can you reach the glove compartment? There are wipes in there.”

They cleaned up, and Tim shifted over to the passenger seat. He seemed to be avoiding Lance’s eyes, so Lance leaned in and nuzzled his ear.

“Consider that an appetizer. The main course will be when I can get you into a bed. Or at least up against a wall.”

“I don’t know, obviously the public sex thing works for me,” Tim teased.

Lance pulled out of the parking lot and groaned. “I see an impeachment in my future. Because
you
could talk me into anything. You could probably get me to have sex in the diner
during the lunch hour rush.”

“I swear to be responsible in the use of my
super
power,” Tim said solemnly.

Just for that, Lance held Tim’s hand the entire drive to the Mountain Place, even though he’d always been a stickler for ten and two.

Some things were worth breaking the rules for.

*                          *                         *

The Mountain Place was a small, cozy
log cabin with an upscale home-
cooked menu. It was Lily
’s favorite place to stop when they drove to Fresno for shopping. It wasn’t overly fancy, but it felt more romantic than usual tonight. Maybe that was because they were seated near the roaring fireplace. Or maybe it was the way Tim looked, golden and glowing, in the firelight, the sharp boyish lines of his face softened. Or maybe it was the post-sex endorphins making Lance feel all mellow and smiley.

“So… how come you’re not already married?” Tim asked as they waited for their main course. “You must be quite the catch in Mad Creek
, e
specially if you date both men and women.”

“You’re the first man I’ve dated. And I haven’t dated women much either.”

Tim looked surprised. “Oh? Why not?”

Lance got as close to the truth as he could. “I’m very dedicated to my job. I figured it wasn’t fair to marry someone and have children when I couldn’t give a family the attention they deserved, when I had to put the town first.”

“Oh.” Tim’s face fell, but he covered it quickly with a fake smile. “I get it. Married to your work.”

Lance silently cursed himself. “No, that’s not what I mean.” He leaned forward, elbows on the table, and stared intently into Tim’s suddenly shy eyes. “I’m explaining why I didn’t marry a woman in the past. But… people change. I like you, Tim. And if you really want children, I…
I’ll support you as much as I can.”

Tim looked shocked. He started to speak, swallowed instead, dumbfounded.

“Sorry,” Lance drew back. Uneasiness pricked the hair on the back of his neck. He wanted to whine. “That was too soon.”

Tim frowned. “Are you—are you jerking me around? You hardly know me.”

Damn it. It was really hard to keep Lance and Chance separated and to remember that Tim’s interactions with Lance had been so limited.

He was about to cautiously answer when the phone in his pocket vibrated. It could be an emergency call from his deputy, or it could be Roman. Lance glanced at his watch. It was 7:30. Roman then.

“Excuse me a minute.”

“Sure.”

Lance gave Tim an apologetic smile and stepped outside the restaurant’s door to take the call. He felt a flush of nerves as he answered the phone.

What if Tim is growing drugs after all?

I don’t care. I’ll deal with it.

“Roman?” Lance answered.

“Hello, Sheriff. Reporting in, sir. I checked all the trays in the greenhouse. I also sniffed around the cupboards and bags in there.”

“Yeah?” Lance felt like the future hung by a Damoclean thread, no matter that he’d told himself it didn’t matter.

“It’s clean. There’s no trace of any of the plants I was trained to look for—no cannabis, no opium poppies, no mushrooms. They’re just ordinary plants.”

Lance felt relief wash through him followed shortly by a niggle of self-disgust. There had been nothing to it, ever. Then again, if he hadn’t been suspicious, he never would have gotten to know Tim.

“Thank you, Roman. If you—”

“Hang on!” Roman’s voice was suddenly tense. It sounded like he dropped the phone, and in the next instant there were popping sounds. Lance recognized them, with horror, as gunfire. They were accompanied by the sound of shattering glass.

“Roman!”

Shouting. More gunfire. Something large overturned.

Shit.
Shit!
It was difficult, but Lance forced himself to hang up so he could dial his deputy. He gave Charlie Tim’s address. “Call in everyone we’ve got—now! I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Dear God. Roman was at Tim’s, and so was Lily. Lance had a horrible image in his mind of them lying near the greenhouse bloodied and dead, the furry heap of Renfield’s body nearby.

Please, no.

Lance stalked back into the restaurant. The minute Tim saw his face he stood up. “Something’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, but we have to go.”

“Of course.”

Lance said nothing more, just threw money on the table and ushered Tim out. How was he going to explain this to Tim?

More importantly, what the hell was going on?

Massacre

SOMETHING WAS
terribly wrong. Tim kept waffling between feeling scared about it and telling himself it had nothing to do with him, that it was some sheriff-related emergency involving people he didn
’t know. But even if that were the case, he was worried for Lance, because Lance was going to be in the thick of it, whatever it was.

Lance had been so unbelievably sweet and affectionate tonight—in the car when they’d fooled around, holding his hand on the drive, taking him out to a nice place, and what he’d said over dinner, implying they had a future. That was nuts! Tim had heard stories about people who knew they were going to end up with someone as soon as they met. He’d never believed something that romantic and momentous could happen to him. But there Lance had been, talking about supporting Tim if he wanted kids. And it was only their first date! Tim might have thought it was just a ploy to get in his pants, but Lance didn’t strike him as a liar. He didn’t say much, or say it well, and what he did say seemed sincere.

Tim couldn’t deny the thrill of being with a man that sure of himself, nor the undercurrent of emotion that ran between them. He wanted it to be for real like he’d never wanted anything before. What would it be like to share his life with someone? To have someone to come home to, someone to share his successes and failures with, to build a home with, a home that was safe from fear and violence. It sounded too good to be true.

Yup, it would be just like Tim’s luck to meet the love of his life and have him killed in a shootout later that same night.

Lance hadn’t said anything more about the phone call, but his jaw was tight and his hands were locked on the wheel as he drove fast. He even leaned forward a bit as if he could get them
there faster that way.

Tim didn’t want to distract him when he was so focused, but on the other hand, maybe he should say something supportive. “Is it work related or family? The emergency.”

Lance pressed his lips together tighter. “I’m not sure. Can you do me a favor? Can you get
my
phone out of
my
jacket pocket and try to call the last person who called me? Just see if they pick up?”

“Sure.”

Tim did as asked, fished the cell phone from Lance’s pocket. The last call received was from ‘Roman’. He dialed it. He let it ring a long time, then hung up, and did it again. “No answer.”

Lance’s mouth tightened, but he said nothing.

“Is there anything else I can do to help?” Tim hated seeing Lance this worried, and it was making him anxious as well.

“Listen—” Lance stopped himself, hesitating.

“Anything.”

“When we get to your cabin, I’m going to need you to stay in the car. Can you do that for me?"

“
My
cabin?”

Lance nodded grimly, his hands clenched on the wheel so hard his knuckles were white. “Gunshots were heard there. But I don’t know what’s going on yet, so try not to worry. It could be nothing.”

“Oh my God. Your mother is there. And Renfield!”

Lance nodded tersely.

“
My
house. Why would there be gunshots at my house?” Tim was having a hard time getting his head around it, but he felt panic wake up and lift its head down deep in his gut.

“Keep calm. We don’t know what’s going on yet. But is there anyone… anyone who wishes you harm? Anyone capable of coming after you?”

“No!” The idea was preposterous.

“Not your father?”

Tim gave a bitter laugh. “He can hardly make it to the store for smokes. Besides, he wrote me off long ago. He has no idea where I am.”