Happy Trails

Happy Trails By Carol Lynne

Resplendence Publishing, LLC http://www.resplendencepublishing.com

Resplendence Publishing, LLC 2665 N Atlantic Avenue, #349 Daytona Beach, FL 32118

Happy Trails Copyright © 2011, Carol Lynne Edited by Michele Paulin Cover art by Les Byerley, www.les3photo8.com

Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-402-4

Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Electronic release: September 2011

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

Chapter One

Sam Sloan’s mouth watered as he watched Officer Nick Green pull the tight black Durango Police Department T-shirt over his head and off. Damn. Glistening with sweat, Nick’s ripped and sun-bronzed torso almost sent Sam to his knees. Despite Sam’s older brother, Vince, being nearby, Nick looked directly at Sam and winked. “It’s a hot one today.” Swallowing around the lump of need in his throat, Sam nodded. “Yeah.” Vince turned and looked back at his best friend and his little brother. “Are you two coming or what? We’re not gonna make it to the campground by dark if you don’t move your asses.” Sam rolled his eyes and picked up his backpack. Hiking through the wilderness for an entire day wasn’t what he’d had in mind when his brother had suggested they go camping. The only reason Sam had agreed to go in the first place was to spend time with Nick before Sam had to return to Notre Dame for his senior year of college. If Sam could have had his way, he would have camped with Nick on a king-sized bed at the hotel where they’d parked their car. Not that Nick would willingly join him in a weekend romp, but the fantasy served to entertain Sam on his way up the stupid mountain. “Chill out.” Nick used his T-shirt to wipe his face and torso. The action drew Sam’s attention once again. He’s trying to kill me. Sweet baby Jesus, Sam wanted to lap the sweat from Nick’s body with his tongue. “Why can’t we just camp here?”

“You want to roll down the side of the mountain in your sleep, dipshit?” Vince asked. “The waterfall’s only about another four and a half miles. If we hurry, we’ll make it in plenty of time. So stop bitching and let’s go.” Vince resettled his pack and turned to continue up the trail. The idea of skinny-dipping in a pool of cool water was the only thing that propelled Sam forward. Since Vince had graduated from the police academy and started working for the Durango Police Department, he’d become more of a cop than a brother. A warm hand landed on the small of Sam’s back. He glanced over his shoulder right into the greenest eyes he’d ever seen. “Don’t push yourself too hard in this heat. If you need to stop, I’ll deal with Vince.” “I’m okay,” Sam told Nick. He really wasn’t, but confessing to Nick that his wimpy body was ready to drop dead from the heat and exertion was out of the question. How could a strong, physically fit cop like Nick understand how it felt to be a short, skinny clarinet player who attended Notre Dame on a music scholarship? Hell, Sam wasn’t even in the marching band. He much preferred to sit in the orchestra section of a well air-conditioned auditorium. Although Vince had never come right out and said it, Sam always knew how ashamed his brother was of him. Wasn’t that precisely the reason Vince had always sent Sam to his room to practice before running out to play some sort of ball with his friends? Nick continued to stare at Sam for several moments before dropping his hand. “Just don’t let anyone push you into something you’re not ready for.” Before Sam could ask Nick what the hell he meant, the handsome man took off up the mountain. Their new order gave Sam the perfect view of Nick’s ass. He groaned under his breath. Why did he have to fall for his brother’s best friend and partner? It was bad enough they were both cops, but riding in a patrol car day in and day out had brought the two men closer together than Vince had ever been with Sam. When Sam had returned from Indiana for the summer, Vince’s new friendship with Nick had really bothered him, but over the last few months, he’d grown to understand it. Of course, that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. It sucked to know Vince had replaced him with a guy who could do all the things Vince loved to do but Sam couldn’t. How important was it in real life to know how to throw a damn football anyway? If Nick weren’t so hot and nice, Sam would easily hate him. Unfortunately, Nick was everything Sam wasn’t, athletic, tall, muscled and freaking gorgeous.

After another tortuous hour of hiking his ass off, Sam’s foot slipped between two rocks. His forward momentum propelled him towards the ground at lightning speed. He wasn’t coordinated on a good day, but today, he’d stuck his hands in his pockets to keep his everpresent erection from pointing the way toward the campsite. With the ground coming up to meet him, Sam struggled to free his hands. Smack! Sam barely managed to turn his head to the side before striking the rock. The impact to the side of his forehead was the last thing he remembered before his world went black.

Chapter Two

“Are you with us?” Vince called through the heavy fog of Sam’s muddled brain. It wasn’t his brother’s voice that got Sam’s attention. It was the sudden onslaught of pain that brought his eyes open. He lifted a hand to his throbbing head. “Don’t touch it,” Vince warned, grabbing Sam’s hand. Sam struggled to free himself. “Let go of me.” “Calm down. You’re hurt.” Vince held Sam tighter with his free arm while he continued to press a hand against Sam’s forehead. How long had it been since Vince actually hugged him? Sam wondered. Vince wasn’t known for his compassion. He’d always been one of those aloof assholes who looked fantastic leaning against a wall at a party. “Almost done,” Nick said. He was in the act of securing an elastic bandage around Sam’s ankle. “Is it broken?” Sam asked as the pain there finally began to register. How could a simple fall make him feel as if he’d taken a nosedive off a cliff? “I don’t think so, but no sense in taking chances. There are a lot of bones in this little foot of yours.” Great. Just what I need. Yet another reference to my fucking size. Sam hated being the “pocket gay” as his friends at college called him. “Let me up,” he told Vince. “Your head’s still bleeding.” Vince removed the pressure from Sam’s forehead and showed him the bloody T-shirt before settling it back into place. “So what? You’re just going to build the damn tent around me and hope I survive the night?” Sam stared up at Vince. He hated looking even weaker than he actually was. Despite the pain he was in, he wanted to get away from the pitying expression on his brother’s face.

Vince broke eye contact and looked at Nick. “There’s a spot flat enough to camp about a quarter of a mile up the trail. We’ll take turns carrying Sam until we can get there. One of us will have to hike back down and get help, but I doubt we’ll be able to get anyone up here before morning.” “You know this trail better than we do. Why don’t you go ahead and start down now? I’ll take care of getting Sam settled,” Nick offered. Sam opened his mouth to protest. As much as he hated the thought of Nick babying him for the rest of the night, the idea of being held in Nick’s arms wasn’t at all distasteful. He snapped his mouth shut and waited for the two men to come to an agreement. Vince glanced back down at Sam. “I hate to just leave you here, but Nick’s right. I can get down faster than he can.” “I understand.” Sam gave himself a mental high-five for playing it cool. “I’ll be fine until you get back.” Vince narrowed his eyes. Sam knew his brother well enough to recognize the “I’m thinking hard about something” expression. With a simple nod, Vince released Sam’s trapped arm. “Keep pressure on this until the bleeding stops.” Sam did as instructed, though the damp cloth soaked with his blood felt totally gross. “Do I have any blood left in my body?” “It’s a head wound. They always bleed like that,” Nick chimed in, setting Sam’s foot carefully onto the ground. “Here.” Vince handed Nick the backpack that held the small tent. “Once you get Sam settled you should have time to come back and get the food before it gets dark.” “I don’t want to leave him up there alone with this head injury. I can carry enough food and water for the rest of the night.” Nick settled the pack in front of him before turning to his own. He started pulling stuff out of both and combining the two into one, dumping his personal items unceremoniously onto the hard ground. Nick started to zip the pack, but stopped in the process. Looking around the strewn debris, he retrieved a small shaving kit and shoved it inside the bag before zipping it and settling it onto his back. “You have your canteen?” he asked Vince. Vince reached behind his back and lifted the dinner-plate sized canteen. “Got it.” He gestured to Nick’s clothes. “Make sure you clean all that up.” “Vince was an Eagle Scout,” Sam informed Nick with a wry grin.

“Figures. You’d better get going.” Nick moved to take Vince’s place beside Sam. Before moving out of the way, Vince pressed the back of his hand against Sam’s cheek. “Stay strong, little brother.” Although the words meant the world to Sam, he wasn’t about to let Vince know it. “I’m not going off to war for god’s sake.” Vince grinned and shook his head. “You’re such a pain in the ass.” “So you’ve told me my whole life,” Sam muttered. Vince looked as if he wanted to say something more but shook his head and stood instead. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Sam watched Vince as he began to descend the mountain. “He’ll be okay by himself, right?” “He’ll be fine.” Nick placed one arm under Sam’s knees and one behind his back. “Put your arms around my neck.” “What about my pack?” “Is there anything of use in it?” Nick asked. “Not really. Vince already took all the heavy stuff out before we left home.” “Leave it for now,” Nick grinned. Sam willed his lower half to control itself as Nick lifted him off the ground. Within moments, he was cradled in Nick’s arms. It was the place he’d longed to be for the last two months. Unfortunately, the circumstances weren’t quite what he’d had in mind. The jarring motion of Nick getting to his feet sent a brief moment of nausea through Sam’s system, but he soon recovered. Please don’t let me throw-up. “Rest your head on my chest. It should help the dizzy feeling you’re no doubt fighting,” Nick instructed. “I’ll get you all bloody. Maybe you should put me down and pick me up from the other direction?” Nick shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m a cop. I’m used to blood. Besides, it’ll help hold your bandage in place.” Sam smiled. “You mean Vince’s favorite T-shirt? I still can’t believe he sacrificed it for me.”

Nick started up the path with a thoughtful expression on his handsome face. “You scared the shit out of us. I don’t think Vince cared what he had to use to stop the bleeding.” He glanced down at Sam. “Why do you always do that?” “Do what?” “Push him away. He’s talked about it in the past, but I thought he was just blowing it out of proportion. But now that I’ve spent some time around the two of you, I can see what he means.” “That’s ridiculous. Vince’s always been too busy for me. I’m not the one who’s done the pushing. He’s the one who’s never wanted me around, tagging along behind him. It’s been like that my whole life.” Sam resettled the bloody shirt over his wound. He couldn’t imagine what Nick had seen to make him think that way. “If you see me pushing him away, maybe it’s because I’ve learned my lesson about trying to get close to him. I mean, really, we have absolutely nothing in common. Vince is Mr. Athletic and I’m nothing but a damn nerd.” “He envies you because you’re a nerd. Did you know he wanted to be a doctor?” Sam chuckled. “Yeah, right. Vince never even mentioned going to college. He knew his senior year he was going to the academy as soon as he graduated.” “That’s because his ACT scores weren’t good enough to get him a scholarship. He settled for the police force because he felt he had no other choice.” Sam laid his head against Nick’s upper chest. Why hadn’t he known any of that? Vince had been his brother for twenty-one years. Hell, Nick had only known Vince for around eight months and already the guy knew more about Vince than he did. “Why didn’t he tell me?” he whispered. Despite the heavy load he carried, Nick shrugged his shoulders. “He’s the big brother. I reckon he was just embarrassed.” Sam was quiet for the rest of the trek up the mountain. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around the earlier conversation with Nick. Vince had always seemed so self-assured. Sam tried to remember a single conversation around the house that had involved Vince’s desire to go to college. Of course “around the house” was an over exaggeration. Sam had only been five when their father had left, never to be heard from again. They’d lost their house a year later and had been forced to rent a small singlewide trailer at the edge of town. Besides her normal full-time

job, their mom had started working at the local grocery store in the evenings. It meant Vince was in charge of taking care of Sam after school and in the summer. Vince had been the one to send Sam to his room to practice the used clarinet they’d bought at a pawnshop. It hadn’t bothered Sam in the beginning. He loved the music he was able to produce from the instrument. Once he’d reached his freshman year in high school, he’d started to believe Vince sent him off to practice because he didn’t want him around. The realization had hurt at the time, giving Sam the desire to pull away from his brother. Had he been wrong all those years? What if Vince simply wanted to give Sam what he needed to get into college?

Chapter Three

Sam was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn’t immediately realize they’d reached the clearing Vince had spoken about. “This’ll do,” Nick said. Sam studied the area. There wasn’t a single blade of grass in the clearing, but there were a few trees. “Just set me down anywhere,” he mumbled. “You’ve been awfully quiet. Are you feeling okay?” Nick knelt with Sam still in his arms and gently lowered him to the ground. The weight on Nick’s back seemed to propel him forward, throwing him off balance. At the last second, Nick’s strong arms landed on either side of Sam as he tried to keep from landing on top of him. Despite having spent the previous thirty minutes in Nick’s arms, the new position seemed twice as intimate. Sam stared up into Nick’s green eyes. If he lifted his head a couple inches, their lips would touch. He swallowed around the lump of desire forming in his throat and prayed Nick would back off before he made a fool of himself. Nick continued to stare down at Sam, his gaze moving from Sam’s eyes to his lips. “I want to kiss you,” Nick whispered. It was the moment Sam had waited for all summer. He released his hold on the bloody Tshirt and threaded his fingers through Nick’s dark brown hair. Their first kiss was soft. It was the kind of kiss that spoke more of feelings than passion, something Sam had never experienced. Nick slid the tip of his tongue across Sam’s bottom lip before he lifted his head. “I’ve wanted to do that all summer.” “Why’d you wait?” Sam asked. It wasn’t like he was in the closet. Hell, Nick could’ve taken him to bed the first night they’d met, and Sam wouldn’t have complained a bit.

“Because of Vince.” Nick shrugged out of the heavy pack and settled on the ground next to Sam. “He doesn’t know you’re gay?” Sam had thought the two men told each other everything. Nick inspected the cut on Sam’s head, pulling several stray hairs away from the dried blood. “I think he likes me, and I care too much about him to hurt his feelings.” Wait a minute. “Vince isn’t gay.” Nick shook his head and sighed. “You really need to sit down and talk to your brother.” Learning his brother was gay should’ve made Sam feel better. Unfortunately, his reaction to the news was just the opposite. “Why didn’t he tell me? All these years, I had to go through all the bullshit in school and stuff on my own. It would’ve been nice if I’d had someone to talk to.” “He hasn’t told anyone, really. I mean, I know because he asked me out, but no one else at the station knows. I think it’s one of the reasons he thinks so highly of you. You’ve always been strong enough to accept who you are and embrace it.” Sam thought back to the wedding reception they’d attended together earlier that summer. His brother had spent the entire evening leaning against the wall, shooting dark looks at the best man. At the time, Sam had figured the two men didn’t get along. Ciro Moretti was a detective in Vince’s precinct. Now, Sam wondered if Vince’s apparent anger that night was something entirely different. The brush of Nick’s lips against his cheek brought Sam back to the moment. He’d waited months to feel the man next to him, so he pushed all thoughts of Vince from his mind. There would be plenty of time to deal with his brother, but he was due to leave for Indiana in less than a week. Sam turned his head to the side and captured Nick’s mouth with his own. There was nothing sweet about their second kiss as the passion between them roared to life. Nick opened immediately, and Sam thrust his tongue inside, feeling every ridge and molar with the tip. Nick groaned and moved to straddle Sam’s hips without breaking the kiss. The first touch of Nick’s hard cock against him sent Sam’s body into overdrive. He broke the kiss and began pulling at Nick’s shirt. He needed to feel that hard chest he’d salivated over earlier. “Off.”

Nick sat up and ground his ass against Sam’s erection. He wasted no time ridding himself of his shirt much to Sam’s delight. Sam had never topped in his life, but the feel of Nick’s ass against him was giving him all sorts of wicked ideas. “Perfect,” Sam whispered as he ran his hands across Nick’s hairy chest. He followed Nick’s prominent happy trail down to where it disappeared behind the closure of his jeans. Sam rubbed the imprinted brass snap with the pad of his thumb, waiting. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Nick asked. Sam looked away from the bulge pressing against the fly of Nick’s jeans and nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more.” “Then let’s do this right.” Nick stood and looked down at Sam. “When I fantasized about having you naked, it sure as hell didn’t include rolling around in the dirt.” “I don’t mind,” Sam said. God, I’m shameless. “I do.” Nick stepped over to the backpack and pulled out the food and water before retrieving the small dome tent. After a quick look around, Nick carried the tent over to a fairly rock-free area. Sam watched in awe as Nick efficiently erected the tent in less than ten minutes. With a hand to his forehead, Sam slowly sat up and reached for the sleeping bag tied to the bottom of the backpack. “I’ll get that,” Nick said, rushing to Sam’s side. “You should lie back down.” “Oh, I plan to, but not until I’m naked and laying on this thing.” Nick didn’t argue which was a very good sign. One thing Sam couldn’t stand from a lover was to be looked at as weak. Sure, he wasn’t as big or as strong as most men, but that had nothing to do with being weak in his opinion. It was nice to see Nick seemed to understand that. Once Sam had the sleeping bag free of the pack, he handed it to Nick. “If you’ll spread that out, I’ll use water to try to clean some of the blood off my head.” “There are some wet wipes in my shaving kit.” Nick dug the small kit out of the backpack and handed it to Sam. “There’s a couple of other things in there we might need, too,” he said with a wink. Sam unzipped the pouch and smiled as he held up a small tube of lube and a strip of condoms. “Pretty sure of yourself.” “Sure? No. Hopeful? Yes.” Nick laughed as he carried the sleeping bag to the tent.

Sam set the supplies aside and pulled out several of the moist towelettes. He used a small mirror he found inside Nick’s shaving kit to clean as much blood off his face and neck as he could. He couldn’t do much with his blond hair that had been tinted red, but it didn’t seem to bother Nick so Sam decided to ignore it. “It doesn’t look that bad. Might need a couple of stitches, if we get back in time, but not as bad as I thought it was.” He found a plastic sack that held a box of matches and used it to dispose of the bloody wipes. Nick walked over and held out his hand. “I don’t think you’re gonna be able to walk on that foot.” Sam grabbed Nick’s hand and stood, putting his weight on his good foot. He was wobbly at first, but Nick’s arm around his waist quickly steadied him. He wouldn’t mind if Nick carried him again, but being carried to bed was too cheesy, even for Sam. With his arm on Nick’s shoulder, Sam hopped his way to the tent. It was a little harder to crawl in through the small opening without knocking his foot, but he eventually made it inside unscathed. Sitting in the middle of the spread out sleeping bag, Sam untied his remaining shoe. He hoped to hell the shoe Nick had taken off him earlier would still be on the path by morning. “You coming in?” “Yep.”

Chapter Four

Several moments later, a nude god entered the cramped tent. Sam sucked in a breath at his first glimpse of Nick’s cock. I’m not worthy was all he could think. He’d been in the process of taking off his shirt, but one look at Nick’s body stopped him cold. The interior of the tent was dark but not nearly dark enough for him to compete with everything Nick had to offer. Nick knelt at Sam’s side and reached for Sam’s shirt. “You want help with that?” Sam shook his head and gripped the soft fabric tighter in his fists. “Maybe I should leave it on.” Nick’s dark eyebrows drew together. “Why? I want to see you.” “No, you don’t,” Sam argued. Nick leaned in and touched his lips to Sam’s. He separated Sam’s lips with his tongue and thrust inside. If a kiss had ever felt like a claiming, it was that one. Jeez oh Pete, the man could kiss. Breaking the contact too soon for Sam’s taste, Nick stared into Sam’s eyes. “Yes. I. Do.” Sam released his hold on the bottom of his shirt and lifted his arms as Nick carefully pulled it over his head. With another one of those sexy groans, Nick gently pushed Sam down onto the sleeping bag. Fully reclined, Sam watched Nick as the much bigger, much hairier man seemed to map every inch of Sam’s scrawny chest with his gaze. He held his breath, waiting for Nick to crack a smile at Sam’s less than manly physique. Instead, Nick reached down and brushed one of Sam’s nipples with the back of his hand. “I like that you’re soft.” Sam let his fingers drift through the short curls on Nick’s chest. “Funny, ‘cause I like that you’re not.”

Nick met Sam’s gaze and winked. “Then we’re perfect for each other.” “Yeah, I think maybe we are. Too bad, I’m getting ready to go back to school.” Sam used his free hand to unfasten his shorts and lower the zipper. As much as he loved Nick’s touch, he needed more to get his mind off the fact he was leaving. Nick stretched out beside Sam. “That doesn’t mean we can’t see each other, does it?” He leaned over and swiped Sam’s nipple with the flat of his tongue, moving his hand down to push under the waistband of Sam’s underwear. Sam shivered at the first touch of Nick’s hand on his cock. He liked the idea of coming home on school breaks to see Nick, but what if Nick found someone else while he was gone? Sam silently cursed his paranoia for sabotaging the budding relationship with “what ifs”. Pushing people away before they had the chance to hurt him had become a theme of late. He’d always known he did it with lovers, but according to Nick, he also did it with Vince. “Can we take these off?” Nick asked, interrupting Sam’s moment of self-loathing. Instead of answering, Sam pushed at the material until he’d worked his shorts and underwear down to his upper thighs where Nick took over. Sam braced himself as Nick maneuvered the clothes over his sore foot. “Okay?” Nick asked. “Yeah. That wasn’t too bad at all.” “Good.” Nick ran his hands up Sam’s thighs until they joined and framed the base of Sam’s hard cock. “You never answered me earlier.” Nick leaned over and licked up the length of Sam’s erection from balls to tip. Sam moaned as Nick’s lips surrounded the crown of his cock. “I don’t normally come home for Thanksgiving, but I can this year if you want me to?” When Nick started to release Sam’s cock, Sam held his head in place. “You don’t have to answer right now.” Nick chuckled and moved farther down on Sam’s length. Sam’s eyes closed as Nick’s spit-laden finger began rubbing back and forth across his hole. Oh, fuck, it had been too long since anyone had cared enough to do that. To hell with his injured foot, Sam wanted to be fucked. Opening his eyes, Sam tried to find the shaving kit Nick had carried into the tent. Although the sun hadn’t completely set, the interior of the tent was dark enough that Sam ended

up feeling around until he came up with the small, leather bag. Without a word to Nick, Sam unzipped it and dug around inside until he came up with the bottle of lube and the strip of condoms. As if they had their own unspoken language, Nick reached up and took the lube from Sam’s hand. Ahh, it was nice to be with a man who knew what he wanted. “Want me to roll over?” For the first time since he’d begun the fantastic blowjob, Nick released Sam’s cock. “Would you be more comfortable on your back or stomach?” Sam didn’t have a preference. He’d learned it wasn’t the position but the intensity of the fuck that got him off. “Which one would make you hornier?” “Don’t know if it’s possible to feel hornier than I already do, but I would like to get better access to this pretty ass of yours.” Decision made, Sam rolled over, being mindful of his sore foot. Once on his stomach, he pulled his knees up under him and stuck the object of Nick’s fascination into the air. “How’s that?” Nick’s hand landed on Sam’s butt cheek. “Did we bring a flashlight?” “You’re not looking at my ass with a flashlight, Dr. Perv.” Laughing, Nick leaned down and bit Sam’s ass, hard enough to elicit a moan from Sam but not hard enough to draw blood. “In me,” Sam begged. He wasn’t normally a beggar, but then he’d never been so close to feeling Nick’s cock inside of him either. “Hang on.” Sam heard the crinkle of a condom wrapper. Good sign. Moments later a slick finger began rimming the puckered skin of Sam’s ass. Ooh, even better. Sam pushed back against Nick’s hand until the tough cop finally gave in and pushed one finger inside. Nick moved his finger in and out of Sam’s hole several times before adding another. “Damn, you’re hot. Are you sure you’re not running a fever?” Nick asked, scissoring his fingers inside Sam. There were so many cheesy lines on the tip of Sam’s tongue, but he decided to go with the grown-up answer instead. “I’m fine.”

Nick kissed Sam’s spine and withdrew his fingers. Before Sam had time to protest the loss, the tip of Nick’s cock pressed against his hole. Unable to take the suspense, Sam pushed back, impaling himself in one smooth motion. The Hallelujah Chorus filled his head as he felt the burn of Nick’s cock for the first time. Nick let out a loud grunt as he buried himself to the root. “Fuck!” “Uh huh,” Sam agreed. He’d happily go into a long monologue praising the joys of Nick’s cock if only he could form a coherent sentence. Sam tried to keep his foot out of the way as Nick began to move in and out of him. When Nick’s thrusts picked up speed and intensity, gooseflesh broke out all over Sam’s body. Yeah, he’d definitely be home for Thanksgiving. And Christmas. And maybe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Sam wondered how many holidays he could use as an excuse to see Nick again. Sam lowered his shoulders to the sleeping bag in order to free his hands. He reached back and grabbed Nick’s hand before bringing it around and under him. Like earlier, Nick seemed to understand what Sam needed. He wrapped his hand around Sam’s cock and began jerking him off to the fucking rhythm he’d established. Of course, Nick was so incredibly talented that he did the entire thing without breaking stride. He’s perfect. Sam moaned. Surely, the man had to have faults, right? Didn’t everyone? When Nick’s thumb pressed against the slit on the crown of Sam’s cock, Sam decided he didn’t give a fuck if the man had faults a mile long. He would do whatever it took to make sure he didn’t blow the chance to start something real with the hunky cop. Sam barely had time to reach for his discarded T-shirt and toss it under him before the first strand of cum shot from his cock. “Nick!” he cried as his body bucked with his release. Nick’s growled response would rival any bear in the surrounding terrain. He ground his cock as deep as it would go and collapsed onto Sam’s back. Sam slowly stretched out to lie on his stomach, thankful he hadn’t left cum tracks on Vince’s sleeping bag. After several moments, Nick pulled out and disposed of the filled condom before stretching out next to Sam. “Even better than I’d hoped,” Nick mumbled, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

“Imagine what we could do in a real bed without working around clumsy injuries.” Sam rested the uninjured side of his head on Nick’s arm and stared at the man he hoped would be in his life for a long time. “What’re we going to tell Vince?” “That depends.” “On? “Whether or not you plan to come back home after you graduate. I don’t want to sound like an asshole, but I’m already in deeper than I’m comfortable with. I can hold out for holidays until you graduate if I know you’re really interested in seeing where this thing between us can go, but I don’t think I can do the casual thing with you.” “Casual’s overrated. I’ll talk to Vince in the morning.” Although Sam said it as if it were no big deal, he was worried about how his brother would take the news. They’d need to find Vince a distraction. “We’ll talk to him. If this has a chance at working, we’re going to have to go into it as a unified team.” Sam smiled. He liked the thought of being unified. “Are we a team?” “Yes.” “Are you the coach?” “No.” “Will you let me play with your balls?” Nick chuckled. “Go to sleep.” “What about your bat?” “Sam.” “You can play pitcher, and I’ll be your catcher,” Sam continued. A loud snore erupted from the handsome man beside him. Sam jumped before settling back against Nick with a wide grin. Nope, not too perfect, but perfect for me.

About the Author

An avid reader for years, one day Carol Lynne decided to write her own brand of erotic romance. Carol juggles life as a full-time mom and a full-time writer. These days, you can usually find her either cleaning jelly out of the carpet or nestled in her favorite chair writing steamy love scenes. Carol loves to talk to her readers and can be found at www.Carol-Lynne.net.

Carol Lynne’s Refuge Shifters Series is at

Resplendence Publishing

Extinction Professor of Environmental Science/Wildlife studies at UNLV, Jack McBain has spent his adult life trying to track a legend overheard during his youth. Born and raised in the Canadian Province of Newfoundland, Jack remembers his grandparents telling stories of a race of people eradicated by European settlers in 1829. According to the legend, the Beothuk people didn’t die out as first thought, but were transformed into wolf shifters. When Newfoundland wolves began to appear in great numbers, the European settlers began killing them under the guise of population control. In 1910, the last of the Newfoundland wolves was shot, making them one of the few extinct species of wolves in the world. Following spotty leads, Jack begins to track what he believes are Beothuk/Newfoundland shifter wolves. His search leads him to the Lake Mead National Recreational Area outside of Las Vegas. There, on Spirit Mountain, he finally comes face to face with not only the shifter he’s been looking for, but the man of his dreams he didn’t know he needed.

Retribution Three lonely souls find each other in the midst of an all out war between the shifters and the Hunters. Mother Earth gave Ryker Allen rebirth over a century ago, his main purpose to protect Mother’s shifter children. Ryker has never begrudged his duties, but the loneliness is something he’ll never get used to. Daniel was the King of the Coyotes until a mistake led to the decimation of his species. Alone and half-dead, he was taken in by a pack of wolf shifters as a pet for the Alpha’s mate. When he’s given a chance to live as an Alpha once again, he’s reluctant to accept, afraid he’s no longer worthy to lead. Hakan is the son of Father Sky. He was awarded rebirth over a thousand years ago to protect the Native American Bird Shifters. When animosity towards Native Americans escalated, Hakan’s charges took to the sky permanently, leaving him without a purpose. He’s lived his long life alone, waiting for the day he can once again serve his Father. Three men, three very different backgrounds, one thing in common. Loneliness. Can these three souls come together to form a family?

Evolution Jarek, a young cougar shifter, arrives at Refuge full of hope. He is finally in a place where he can have a lover and his first-ever home. Meeting Mica feels like icing on the cake, but his dreams are quickly shattered by a night of pain and violence at the hands of his Alpha. Mica, a stone man, is trying to get his emotions under control. He likes Jarek, but isn’t sure what to do with the overwhelming lust he feels whenever Jarek is near. After the two of them are caught in a compromising position, Jarek goes missing, and Mica will do anything in his power to track him down. Suni, the true-blue Alpha of the cougars, doesn’t want anything to do with the rest of his kind. He is perfectly content to live out his life in seclusion. When he stumbles across a young cougar shifter near death, he realizes he’s found his mate. When Jarek regains consciousness and tells Suni about Mica, the true Alpha is left wondering where he’ll fit in. Three men, one who wants to feel, one who doesn’t know how to feel, and one who refuses to feel, come together on the side of a mountain. The resulting clash of personalities and sexually charged energy will change their lives forever.

Resolution After an attempt on their lives by an unknown group, the bird shifters are forced to seek shelter at Refuge. Having spent years in their bird-skin, the adjustment for some isn’t easy. Bird shifters Takoda and Enapay have been best friends for years. Enapay knows Takoda is his chosen mate, but Takoda refuses to consider a life living in his man-skin. When Enapay starts to work closely with Dr. Gray Whitmore, he can’t understand his overwhelming attraction to the human. With Takoda’s continued rebuffs, Enapay finally gives into his desire for Gray. It is soon apparent, Gray was meant to be Enapay’s mate. But when Takoda’s health takes a turn for the worse, old feelings resurface. Enapay is left wondering why Father Sky gifted him with two mates, especially when one of them still refuses to live as a man.