Crashing into Fate (Maple Grove #25) - Lynn Hagen Page 0,21

around, but his gaze kept going back to Lewis, stunned that the tiger was the same guy Arlan had spoken with, the same man who had saved Arlan’s life.

“Okay. You can do this.” Arlan exhaled and moved closer, praying Mike was right and the tiger wouldn’t suddenly wake and attack him.

Even with that thought in mind, Arlan lowered himself to his knees to get a closer look. It was still a lot to wrap his head around. Lewis had been attacked by vampires? Arlan had no idea they existed. Hell, he didn’t know shifters existed, either.

Yet there he was, reaching out to stroke the orange fur. The hairs were soft under his gliding fingers. When Arlan saw those big green eyes, he shrieked and scooted backward. He’d been so focused on petting the tiger that he hadn’t noticed the tiger watching him.

Oh hell no. He couldn’t do this. Arlan wasn’t brave enough. Before he could scramble to his feet, the tiger transformed into Lewis.

Lewis circled his hand around Arlan’s wrist, preventing him from escaping. “Don’t stop petting me.”

Had Lewis just…purred? Arlan must have lost his ever-loving mind, because the sound turned him on.

“I just…I came by to…” It was hard to think with all that naked skin exposed. Arlan’s gaze lowered to Lewis’s cock, and then he quickly looked away.

Lewis chuckled. “Go ahead and look if you want. I promise I won’t be offended.”

“I wasn’t looking,” Arlan said bullet-fast.

Lewis yanked him closer until their faces were nearly touching. “Yes, you were.”

There went that purr again.

Lewis slid a hand around Arlan’s nape and closed the distance, giving him a kiss that ignited something deep inside Arlan.

Clearly Arlan’s mind latched onto the act, shoving aside the rest of the insanity, and he wanted to drown in sex, to forget any of this insane shit was happening.

Arlan groaned into Lewis’s mouth, scooting closer, desperate to feel Lewis’s bare skin against him. God, all those muscles. How did Lewis expect him to think when all that golden flesh was begging to be touched?

As they kissed, Lewis, with his hand still around Arlan’s wrist, lowered Arlan’s hand to his hard jutting cock.

Closing his fingers over the thick erection, Arlan stroked in slow leisurely movements. Lewis arched his back and hissed, hitching his hips.

Arlan was fascinated to see the large man giving himself over like this. It was a powerful feeling and one he didn’t take lightly, though Arlan was afraid to do anything since Lewis had just been injured.

Even so, Arlan had an overwhelming urge to see Lewis come unglued. An urge to tame the wild beast. Lewis broke the kiss and groaned. “This is exactly what I need.”

Arlan’s heart was hammering as he slid down Lewis’s body and came face to face with his thick shaft. When was the last time Arlan had had sex? Way before he’d moved in with his brother. It had been months, and Arlan’s needs were overriding his common sense. The smell of musk invaded his lungs, made his mouth water, and his own cock was rock hard, pulsing in his jeans.

Arlan smiled up at Lewis, licking his lips. Lewis’s eyes hooded, his jaw tight as Arlan leaned forward and placed a kiss on the tip.

Lewis’s hands curled into fists as he watched. Arlan wasn’t about to give him a quick suck-off. That wasn’t what he wanted between them. As he played, his head started buzzing, fever rising in his blood. He licked a hot trail along the side of Lewis’s cock, and then Arlan took Lewis into his mouth, sucking vigorously.

Lewis punched his hips forward, fisting Arlan’s hair. Arlan wanted to bring Lewis off so badly he was practically shaking with the need. But Arlan held back, unsure if he was doing the right, sane thing.

“Don’t…don’t slow down,” Lewis said between gritted teeth. His hand smoothed over Arlan’s hair, his green eyes dark with desire and need.

“This is all moving so fast,” Arlan confessed. “We’re complete strangers, Lewis.”

Maybe Arlan should have thought of his protests before he’d come face to face with Lewis’s cock. Arlan wasn’t a tease. He really wasn’t. But this wasn’t a normal situation, either. Shifters, vampires, dead bodies, and a strange deep attraction to Lewis that Arlan still couldn’t explain.

Nope. None of this made any sense or was, in any way, normal. Then again, normal was overrated. Normal had taken Arlan’s job, had forced him to move in with his brother, and had led him to the motel where all the craziness had ensued.

For