Crashing into Fate (Maple Grove #25) - Lynn Hagen Page 0,32

guy was bulky with muscles, though carrying him had been a breeze for Lewis. Still, he hoped this was never spoken about.

Ever.

“Sleep it off, buddy,” Lewis said as he deposited Charles onto the bed. He removed the guy’s boots then tossed the keycard onto the dresser before walking out.

To his surprise, Arlan was awake and waiting for him to return. “That was so freaking sweet of you,” Arlan said when Lewis entered their room. “I saw you carry him.”

Crap. It seemed Lewis hadn’t gotten away scot-free. “Just doing what any decent person would do.”

Lewis stripped out of his clothes and headed for the bed. He just wanted to get back to sleep, holding Arlan in his arms. If they were lucky, Charles would stay asleep for the rest of the night.

“I feel so bad for him.” Arlan dropped onto the edge of the bed. “Charles is the most caring and loving guy I know, and he doesn’t deserve this.”

Lewis didn’t know anyone who deserved to have their heart ripped out. Being over two hundred years old, Lewis had had his fair share of relationships, and he knew firsthand what heartache felt like.

One particular guy named Willis had stolen Lewis’s heart at the turn of the century. They’d been together for thirty years, although they’d had to hide their love because of the era they’d been in.

Still, it had torn Lewis apart when Willis had died. He’d sworn then that he would never again fall in love.

Until now. In Lewis’s opinion, the best part of mating was that Arlan would age as slowly as Lewis, which meant he wouldn’t die of old age while Lewis still appeared in his mid-thirties.

Lewis enveloped Arlan and rested his chin on his mate’s head. “Time will heal him.”

Not one hundred percent. The pain would ease. Of that, Lewis had no doubt. But Charles would always remember the heartache. That kind of experience never left a person.

* * * *

The way Lewis had handled Charles last night made Arlan fall deeper for his tiger shifter. He still couldn’t believe how far Lewis had gone out of his way to take care of Charles.

So, that meant Arlan was going to do this. He wasn't going to freak out or faint from a heart attack. He would give Lewis a chance.

“Are you sure?” One of Lewis’s brows was arched. “We have a lifetime together. This can wait.”

“No.” Arlan blew out a long breath. “I want to see every facet of you.” He swallowed around his dry throat. “So that means meeting your tiger again.”

Lewis stood in the middle of the room naked, and Arlan was having a hard time concentrating. Part of him was terrified of seeing Lewis’s beast, but the other half was horny as shit. Arlan couldn’t help it. Lewis had an amazing body, and he stood there with every sinewy muscle on display.

Arlan sat on the bed, his hands in his lap to hide his growing erection. If he allowed his hormones to take over, Lewis wouldn’t get a chance to shift.

“You know I can still understand you while I’m in my animal form, right?”

Arlan nodded. That still didn’t help his nerves. They were jumping all over the place as he took a few deep breaths. It was like ripping a Band-Aid off. Lewis transformed so quickly that Arlan almost missed it.

But there was no missing the large Bengal tiger seated at his feet. Arlan stiffened, refusing to move. His hands were clasped tightly between his legs as he tried to breathe.

Lewis padded over to him, making Arlan’s heart jump out of his chest. With a shaky hand, he petted the soft fur and smiled as he listened to the tiger purr.

“You’re an oversized kitty.” Arlan chuckled, though the sound was a nervous strain. He was still terrified, but Lewis kept licking his hand, that rumbling sound vibrating in his chest.

The tiger huffed, as if offended by Arlan’s statement. Well, Lewis was a feline.

“Okay, you can change back. This is as adventurous as I get.” Arlan raked his fingers under the tiger’s chin. “If you’re a good boy, I’ll buy you the largest ball of yarn I can find.”

The tiger transformed back into Lewis. He was on his knees, staring right up at Arlan. Fuck. The guy was gorgeous, with his big, green expressive eyes.

“Only if I can tie you up with it.” He winked.

“That would be a hard no.” Arlan pressed his hands harder against his lap, his cock so hard it throbbed. He