Midnight Matings 13 Splash and Elegance (10 page)

“Damn it, Jude! Just fuck me already.” Without a word, Jude climbed up on the running board, spread his legs wide for balance, and removed his fingers from Whitley’s greedy hole. With one hand on his lover’s hip, he used the other to grip the base of his cock and line up the crown. Once in position, he gritted his teeth and surged forward, encasing himself in his mate’s silky heat until his balls tapped against Whitley’s firm cheeks.

He didn’t pause to give his mate time to adjust. He couldn’t. The intense pressure surrounding his cock compelled him to move, and he
was helpless to resist. His fingers dug into Whitley’s hips hard enough to leave bruises as he drove into him at a demanding pace.

His hips snapped forward with such power, he had to move one hand to Whitley’s shoulder to hold him in place and keep him from moving across the seat. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he worried that he was being too rough with the smaller man, but it was a tiny voice and easily silenced as he continued pounding into him.

Thankfully, Whitley gave no indication that he wasn’t enjoying himself. His loud moans filled Jude’s ears, spurring him on and driving him wild. The flames of lust engulfed him, erasing everything from his mind but the snug hold on Whitley’s ass around his throbbing cock.

Three more lightning-quick strokes, and Jude tensed as he threw his head back and roared, filling Whitley’s depths with endless reams of cum. He didn’t even have time to savor his orgasm before his lover fell forward, and Jude’s sated dick slipped from his hole with a squelch.

Whitley rolled over to his back, palmed his engorged length and began to stroke furiously as he stared into Jude’s eyes pleadingly. The postorgasmic bliss vanished instantly, and Jude felt like a selfish prick. He’d never failed to satisfy a lover, and this was his mate.

Needing to rectify the situation, he dove forward and captured the swollen head of Whitley’s cock in his mouth, swirling his tongue around the crown and sucking hard. Pushing Whitley’s legs wider, Jude inserted two fingers into his lover’s hole and pumped fast, burying his fingers deeper as he searched for the little, walnut-size gland.

Batting Whitley’s hand away, Jude bobbed his head, slicking the hard shaft in his mouth until it slid easily through his lips. Then he took the entire length to the back of his throat and swallowed at the same time he brushed his fingers over Whitley’s prostate.

Whitley’s back bowed up off the seat, and a loud cry erupted from his lips as his body went stiff and salty semen burst over Jude’s
tongue. When he’d drained every drop, Jude licked his lover clean and crawled up his body so that they were eye to eye. “Better?”

“Thank you,” Whitley breathed, a contented smile on his face. “I thought you were going to leave me hanging there for a minute.”

“Not going to happen,” Jude promised with a quick peck to his lover’s lips. He started to take the kiss deeper, but a loud wolf whistle followed by shouts of, “Nice ass!” reached his ears. He glanced down at Whitley to gauge his reaction, and all it took was one look for them to both crack up in laughter.

“Okay,” Whitley said when they’d calmed a little. His arms went around Jude’s neck, and his legs wound around his waist. “I guess I kind of like you.”

The words only made Jude feel guiltier, but he hid it well and smiled. “I guess I like you, too.”

Chapter Nine

“I have to go with him.”

Whitley settled into the sand near the shore and crossed his legs under him. “I know.”

“You should probably find somewhere to hide. Me and the kid will be safe enough out in the water, but you’re too exposed here.”

“I’ll be fine, Jude.” Whitley wasn’t looking forward to spending so much time alone, but he understood why Jude needed to keep an eye on his brother. “We’ll find a place to meet up every day at the same time, because that shit sucked.”

“The mating heat? Yeah, it did.” Jude sighed and plopped down in the sand beside him. “Whit, I don’t want it to be like this. I’m not trying to treat you like a prostitute or a booty call, but I don’t know what else to do.”

Taking his lover’s hand in his own, Whitley laced their fingers together and squeezed as he stared out over the horizon. “I know. I can’t go with you, and Carter can’t be alone. It is what it is until we know if he’s going to be okay or not. We still need to talk, but right now, I understand.”

Maybe it was his lot in life to be the understanding one. There were worse things he could be, so it didn’t bother him too much. Was it the way he’d imagined his mating to go? Not in the least, but their situation wasn’t going to allow for a honeymoon phase.

“I’m going to make this up to you.”

It wasn’t the first time Jude had said that to him, but Whitley still didn’t know what the shifter felt he had to atone for. They were in a fucked-up predicament, but it wasn’t of Jude’s making. Whitley liked
to think that his mate would have helped him without reservation if their positions were reversed.

“Just make sure Carter’s okay. I’m going to take the truck and see if I can find a motel close by. I’ll meet you right here at the same time tomorrow.”

Jude leaned over and brushed his lips across Whitley’s cheek.

“Please, be careful. I…I feel kind of responsible for you being here.” Whitley snorted and rolled his eyes. “You think?”

“Okay, it’s completely my fault that you’re here,” Jude conceded.

“That doesn’t mean that I don’t want you to be safe, though. There’s some cash under the seat. Use that if you need money. Don’t talk to anyone and stay alert.” He ticked off a few more instructions before kissing Whitley’s lips and pushing to his feet. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Part of him resented being treated like a child, while the rest of him warmed that Jude actually cared enough to worry about him. Up until that point, he’d had his doubts. “Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jude pulled his shirt over his head and let it fall to the ground.

“Hey, Whit.”

“Yeah?”

“If you see something suspicious, or if someone comes after you, I want you to run, okay? Don’t look back. Don’t worry about me. Just run.” He backed away as he spoke, and when he’d delivered the last order, he turned around and jogged toward the water’s edge without waiting for a reply.

Whitley sat there for a long time after the sun had set and his mate had disappeared into the Pacific with his brother. Eventually, he climbed to his feet, dusted the sand off his backside, and made his way to Jude’s pickup. He didn’t know where he’d go, but he couldn’t sit around all night and wait for his lover’s return.

He’d already spent too much time in one place. If what Jude said was true, his father wasn’t going to back down without a fight.

Reginald Chambers didn’t want Carter, but he couldn’t let his secret
out. What powerful woman would he be able to manipulate then? Not to mention it would tarnish Isa Gamble’s reputation, which had an indirect link to her own father’s prestige in the paranormal community.

There was also the little fact that Whitley’s father was most likely involved. He didn’t know how else that cell had come to find its way into the Chambers’ home. It didn’t really shock him. He’d known his father was crooked for years. Something niggled at his subconscious about the information, though. He just couldn’t put his finger on why it bothered him.

With Jude’s warning still weighing heavily on him, he pulled out of the parking lot and set out to find a place to sleep for the night.

* * * *

“I’m sorry, Jude.”

“Don’t sweat it, kid.”
Jude didn’t know how long they’d been swimming, but he could see the sun shining down on the surface of the water. It hadn’t taken him long to search out and catch up to his brother. Since finding him, Jude had kept up a constant string of one-sided conversations through their telepathic bond.

If he’d been talking aloud, he’d have made himself hoarse.

Throughout the entire monologue, Carter had never responded, though. Now that he was talking, Jude didn’t really know what to say.

The relief that coursed through him was making it hard to breathe. If Carter was finally responding, then hopefully that meant he was going to be fine.

“I’m feeling better, but I don’t want to shift back. Everything that
happened is still kind of fuzzy. Did I hurt anyone?”

“No, you didn’t hurt anyone. And you don’t have to shift back
until you’re ready. Take all the time you need.”

“Will you stay with me?”
Jude wanted to say yes, but he knew he would have to meet Whitley soon. He wouldn’t be much use to Carter if he went feral himself. It had taken months for the kid to reach the condition they’d found him in, but Jude could only guess that his mating bond and the little potion the elders had cooked up would accelerate the process.

“I have to meet someone for a little while, but I’ll come right
back.”

“Who do you have to meet?”
Carter ducked beneath Jude and swam around him in a circle before drifting along beside him again.

“Someone I know. We can trust him.”
Whitley wouldn’t betray them. The man was entirely too honorable for that. Jude only wished he could say the same about himself. Not that he’d ever sell Whitley out or use him as a scapegoat, but all the lies he’d told since meeting the man were beginning to fuck with his head.

It wasn’t supposed to be that way. He wasn’t supposed to feel guilty about using the man. It was all Whitley’s fault, too. Why couldn’t he have been the arrogant, pompous jackass Jude had envisioned when he’d cooked up this whole scheme?

“I trust you, so I guess I trust this guy, too. I’ll stick close by until
you’re back, but I don’t want to shift again.”
There was a long pause before he pushed his thoughts into Jude’s head again.
“I’m not sure
that I
can
shift back.”

“Let’s just take it a day at time. We’ll figure this out, okay?”
That would be the true test. They’d already established that Carter was still in there mentally. Now, they’d just have to continue to wait and see if Carter would be able to shift back to his human skin.

“Yeah, you’re right.”
Carter’s thoughts were happy again as he sped off ahead of Jude and shot straight up toward the surface.

Jude waited as long as he dared before corralling his brother and convincing him to head back to where he was supposed to meet Whitley. As they neared their destination, Carter shot past him, making a beeline for the surface once again.
He didn’t think much of it until he spotted the shadow floating above them and the webbed feet that kicked lazily at the water.

“Carter, no!”
Turning on a burst of speed, Jude caught up to his brother within seconds, barrel rolling him away from the swimming swan.

Before Carter could react, Jude flipped around and darted toward his mate. He caught Whitley in his mouth, holding him delicately between his teeth, and swam them both to the shore, right up on the sand. Once he released his lover, he closed his eyes and shifted quickly.

“Are you insane?” he shouted down at the smaller man once Whitley had shifted back as well. “What the hell, Whit?”

“You tried to fucking eat me!” Whitley shot back with accusation.

“Seriously?”

“I wasn’t trying to eat you. I was saving your goddamn life!” They must have made quite the scene, two men standing butt naked in the sand and screaming at each other. Jude didn’t give a rat’s ass. “I didn’t think swans were exactly compatible with salt water.”

“You’re not the only one who needs to shift occasionally. I didn’t really have many options.” Whitley was scratching at his belly as he spoke, and Jude wanted to roll his eyes.

“Just be more careful. I wasn’t going to eat you, but Carter sure as hell was.”

Whitley’s eyes rounded and his mouth fell open in a comical little
O
. “Oops.”

Jude sighed and shook his head. “Come here.” He sighed again when Whitley moved into his arms without hesitation. “You’re supposed to be taking care of yourself. Don’t scare me like that again.”

Whitley leaned away and looked up at him, a mischievous glint shining in his eyes. “I brought you clothes, but I’m hoping you won’t need them right away.”
“It might be best until we get back to your motel room.” Jude chuckled when Whitley stuck his bottom lip out and pouted. “I just don’t want anyone seeing that gorgeous little ass of yours. No more public sex.”

Whitley shrugged and gave him a beaming smile. “Then let’s get going. Is Carter going to be okay until you get back?” Jude adored his mate for thinking of his brother. “He’s going to stick close until I get back. He’s doing better, and I think he’ll be okay for an hour or two.”

“Two hours?” Whitley looked like Christmas had come early. “I only expected half an hour at most.”

Of course he had. Jude hadn’t given him any reason to expect more than that. It was high time he started treating his mate like the man deserved, though. “I’ll drive.”

* * * *

That was their routine for the next six days. Jude would spend the majority of his time swimming the ocean with Carter, but he was extending his stay with Whitley a little longer each night. Whitley didn’t know what had changed, but he was happy that it had. While he’d understood that Carter’s well-being was important, he could admit that he’d been a little jealous.

Now that Jude was actually treating him like a real mate instead of just a sex toy, the time they spent apart was a little easier to cope with.

He missed the man when he wasn’t around, but he never complained, wanting to make the most of the time they did have together.

As he sat on the tailgate of the pickup and waited for Jude on the seventh night, Whitley wondered why no one had come looking for them yet. They were barely an hour away from Jude’s house, and he assumed the ocean would be the first place people would come looking for them.
Jude had said something about hiding in plain sight, and maybe he was right. Something still didn’t feel right, though. He’d caught his mate on the phone the night before when he’d come out of the shower. Jude took one look at him, gave a hurried good-bye, and proceeded to act as though nothing had happened.