Rough River Coyotes Prequel

Surprising a Perfect
Mate

Fate threw them together, but that didn't mean
they were right for each other…

Straitlaced accountant Vance Ramsey doesn’t
like surprises. With his entire life mapped out in
detail, he knows exactly where he’s headed, and
how he’s going to get there. Everything is right
on schedule until fate tosses a hunky blond into
his path.

Surfer Skylar Bruedigan is as free-spirited as
they come. He has no idea how he ended up
naked in Vance’s office, but he doesn’t care once
he gets a good look at the handsome number
cruncher. All he wants now is Vance’s clothing
gone as quickly as possible.

Having his plans smashed to smithereens turns

out to be the least of Vance’s worries. Indulging
his lusts with Skylar means giving up his
legendary control, but he could gain a profound
connection if he does. The only question is will
he be able to handle what their joining unleashes?

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal,
Shape-shifter
Length: 12,933 words

SURPRISING A

PERFECT MATE

Rough River Coyotes

Prequel

A Siren App Exclusive

Anitra Lynn McLeod

EVERLASTING CLASSIC

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove


SURPRISING A PERFECT MATE
Copyright © 2012 by Anitra Lynn McLeod
E-book ISBN:

978-1-62241-491-8

First E-book Publication: December 2012

Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2012 by
Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL

RIGHTS

RESERVED:

This

literary work may not be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means,
including electronic or photographic

reproduction, in whole or in part, without
express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are
fictitious. Any resemblance to actual
persons living or dead is strictly
coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

DEDICATION

For the little town I grew up in and all the

characters I met there.

SURPRISING A

PERFECT MATE

Rough River Coyotes Prequel

ANITRA LYNN MCLEOD

Copyright © 2012

Chapter 1

There was a naked man in Vance

Ramsey’s office. A young and exceedingly
handsome man with straw-colored hair
that appeared bleached by a unique
combination of sun and salt-water surf. He
looked as if he’d walked right off a
Southern California beach and dropped
into the massive chair behind Vance’s
desk. His body certainly possessed the
sculpted perfection of an avid surfer, and
he had a flawless allover tan. Not one
single white spot broke up the long line of
his form, including his hips and…other
bits. Vance deliberately tore his gaze
away, but he found himself wondering if
this man surfed in the nude. That seemed

strangely dangerous to Vance. But given
the fact he was a decided non–risk taker,
he really wouldn’t know if that was
considered eccentric in the culture of—

The young man sneezed, drawing

Vance’s attention back to him. His eyes
blinked open so slowly Vance thought he
was watching a film that had been
decelerated for dramatic impact. Whoever
he was, he had eyes that were so vividly
azure blue they were mesmerizing. When
his intense gaze settled on Vance, the man
who never took a risk swallowed hard,
and fought an urge to step forward and
claim the man as his own. The very idea
was so bizarre it stopped Vance in his
tracks. Vance didn’t know him, and he
certainly didn’t intend to get wrapped up

in some crazy scheme. That had to be what
this was. Some of the cowboys on the
Rough River Ranch had gotten together to
play this prank on him. Somehow, they’d
gotten deep into the secret part of Vance’s
lust and brought his cravings to life. The
man in his chair was down-to-the-last-
detail perfect for him. Well, perfect in
appearance, at any rate. Vance had always
liked diminutive blonds. Still, he wasn’t
about to get involved with anyone. Not
when he had finally gotten his life
organized. Everything had a time and a
place, and there were absolutely no
surprises.

Until now.
“Where am I?”
His voice was low and soothing, almost

like the sound of waves lapping at the
shore. Vance decided the man had a voice
he could listen to for days on end. He
could recite his grocery list, and Vance
would be rapt with attention. Even now,
after three simple words, Vance felt his
cock harden below the fabric of his
tailored suit.

“Hello?” He waved his hand as if to

capture Vance’s attention when he was
already riveted. “Where am I?”

Vance just stood there with his mouth

open and his brain a million miles away.
It was difficult to think when all the blood
in his body was rushing to his cock.
“Where are you?”

“I asked you first.” A slow grin lifted

the edges of his exceedingly perfect lips.

“Don’t you know where we are, either?”

Vance considered how to answer that.

Technically this beautiful man was in the
western spiral arm of the Milky Way
galaxy. From there he was on planet Earth,
in North America, the United States, Utah,
and then the Rough River Ranch. All of
that shot through Vance’s head in a
nanosecond, but what came out of his
mouth was, “You’re in my office.”

When the naked man looked around the

room, Vance followed his gaze. Since his
office was in the farmhouse, it was
converted from what Vance suspected
used to be a parlor of some sort. The
ceiling was a good fifteen feet high. There
was wainscoting around the walls that
were flocked with wallpaper in a garish

combination of brown, red, and yellow.
Floor-to-ceiling bookcases were filled
with a solid collection of fiction,
reference, and some textbooks. There
were three doors. One door led to the
inner hall, the second to a private
bathroom, and the third opened to the front
porch of the massive house. The room
only had one window, and it was open
because Vance had forgotten to shut it
yesterday. But what dominated the room
was the massive oak desk and the huge
green leather chair that the sexy stranger
was sitting in.

“Who are you?” he asked, now turning

his incisive gaze onto Vance once again.

Another long list of answers spilled

through his gray matter but he said, “I’m

Vance Ramsey, accountant for the Rough
River Ranch.”

The look the young man gave Vance

mingled disbelief and curiosity. “You’re
an accountant?”

“Yes.” Vance wondered why everyone

doubted that fact. “Why does that surprise
you?”

“Because you look more like a fashion

model.”

Vance felt his eyes go wide. “I do?”
“Oh, yeah.” He grinned, but it bloomed

into a wide smile that revealed perfect
white teeth that were made brighter by his
tanned face. “You look like you just
stepped out of

GQ.”

Vance was so stunned he almost

dropped his briefcase. No one had ever

told him anything like that. They usually
just murmured that he didn’t look much
like an accountant, but they never said
what he did look like. “What kind of
model?”

The naked man’s gaze raked Vance from

the tips of his shined shoes to the top of
his carefully cut brown hair. “Take off
your clothes and we’ll see.”

“No.” One thing Vance absolutely knew

about himself was that he didn’t take
chances. Stripping down for some stranger
was definitely dicey. Moreover, it
confirmed that the men of the ranch had set
him up because otherwise the man
wouldn’t have suggested Vance undress.

“Bummer.” He sighed. “I’ll bet you look

better out of that suit than you do in it.”

Vance didn’t know about that since he

didn’t spend a lot of time admiring himself
either way. If he wasn’t working on the
books for the ranch, he was working on
getting his CPA license or wrangling
cows. If he wasn’t doing any of those
things, he was sleeping, studying, or—his
gaze swept guiltily over the desk and
chair. Had one of the men found his secret
stash? That would explain why they’d put
this man behind his desk.

“Why am I naked?” From the casual

way he was sitting in the big leather chair,
he didn’t seem overly concerned about his
current state of undress.

“Probably because someone’s playing a

joke on me.” Vance sighed as he clutched
his briefcase a little more firmly. In a way

he was dreadfully disappointed. For a
moment, he thought something strange and
wonderful was happening to him, but not
now. This was just another pedestrian
prank.

“Why would someone do that? Play a

joke on you, I mean.”

“Because I’m a little uptight.” Vance

knew that was putting it mildly.

“Yeah. I’ve noticed.” The stranger

smiled again. Vance knew from the casual
way he was acting he didn’t seem
perturbed at the thought of being used in
some kind of joke. His cavalier attitude
confirmed that this was all some prank.
“Try taking a deep breath and relaxing
your shoulders. Your very big and broad
shoulders.”

Vance frowned. Now he knew the

cowboys had set him up. Everyone was
always telling him to take a deep breath
and relax. Rather than follow that advice,
Vance felt himself tighten up another notch
and grip the case with such vigor he was
surprised the handle didn’t snap. Why in
the world did everyone feel they could tell
him to relax? His tension wasn’t anyone’s
business but his own.

“Okay. Maybe not.” Another big smile

transformed the stranger’s face as he
brushed back his sun-bleached hair. As
soon as he let go, the strands dumped right
back down, obscuring his gaze. The
fleeting image of having his hands buried
in the man’s hair, holding his head still as
he kissed along the tanned line of his chin,

caused even more tension in Vance’s
tailored slacks.

“What’s your name?” Vance decided

that he had no choice but to deal with
these shenanigans. He quickly calculated
how long it would take to get this man out
of his office and into the hands of the
jokesters who had put him here. By the
time he was able to settle in his chair it
would be almost noon. That would throw
his entire schedule off for days.
Annoyance quickly nibbled the edges of
his desire. Soon there would be nothing of
lust left.

The stranger considered for a long time.
“You do know your name, don’t you?”

Something

about

that

made

Vance

reconsider that the handsome man had

been put up to this. He’d recall his lines
better if he had been. Wouldn’t he?

“This is really weird. It’s like I know

my name but I just can’t remember. I think
it’s Skylar. Yeah. That sounds about
right.”

If that was his name, it suited him

perfectly. His eyes were the deep azure of
a desert sky. Also, there was something
free-spirited about the name that seemed
to match Skylar’s easygoing attitude.

“I’m thinking it must have been one hell

of a party.”

“Pardon?”
“Me ending up here in your office that

looks straight out of the nineteen
hundreds.” Skylar lowered his foot, but
his leg wasn’t quite long enough to get his

foot all the way to the floor. Since he was
pushed well back from the desk, Vance
had a perfect view of his entire body. His
long legs were out of proportion to the
rest of him, giving him a certain appeal to
Vance. It was then that Vance realized
Skylar had to be just a little over five feet
tall. Another shot of pure lust raced
through Vance’s body. At six foot three, he
could mold Skylar’s perfect body against
his. Vance would be able to lift and move
him easily. Why, Skylar would be perfect
for the fantasy that haunted Vance, the
reason that he kept lube tucked away in his
desk.

“So you party a lot?” Vance hadn’t even

partied once, really. He was too
straitlaced. Getting drunk could mean

losing control, and being in firm charge of
himself at all times was of paramount
importance to him. Given that his
childhood had been nothing but chaos
because his father had always been
chasing jobs, it wasn’t much wonder to
Vance that he’d turned out the way he had.
He’d come to work at the ranch because
of the permanency of the place. Rough
River

Ranch

had

been

operating

continuously for over one hundred years.
Vance had also liked the idea of being a
cowboy accountant. Combining two such
different jobs was about as wild and crazy
as he’d ever gotten.

“I party enough to know when I’ve

probably done too much.” Skylar rose
from the chair, put his hands over his

head, and stretched.

Vance couldn’t help but examine his

body again. The way he’d been sitting in
the chair had kept his cock mostly covered
up, but now Vance could see everything.
And he liked what he saw. The erection
under his dress slacks grew harder at the
smooth, hairless perfection of Skylar’s
beautiful body.

“Nice.” Skylar looked right at Vance’s

bulge and winked. “Are you sure you
don’t want to take your clothes off?”

Actually he did. Something about Skylar

called to some very primitive part of him.
Vance wanted to strip down and toss off
his inhibitions along with his suit, but he
didn’t. He wouldn’t. He didn’t know
Skylar from Adam. Besides, if he got

naked he had a damn good idea where
things were going to go. Out would come
the ranch hands with cameras and loud
jests. He’d be standing there with his dick
in hand while everyone else got a good
laugh.

“Come on.” Skylar finished his stretch

and came around the desk. “We can have
some fun, and then you can take me back
to the beach.”

“Beach?” Vance mentally calculated

that the nearest beach would be along the
mighty Colorado River, but he didn’t think
that was what Skylar was talking about.

“Yeah. I’m assuming whoever put me in

here got me from the bonfire party at
Manhattan Beach.”

“California?”

“Yeah. Why? Aren’t we close to there?”

Skylar confirmed Vance’s assessment that
he was a free spirit. Here he was buck
naked in an unfamiliar place, but he
wasn’t worried at all. In fact, he seemed
more curious than concerned. That spoke
volumes about his attitude toward life.
Vance couldn’t help but admire that
cavalier approach. Had he more of that in
him, he wouldn’t be so frazzled now.

“We’re not anywhere near California.

You’re in Utah.”

Skylar stopped advancing and tilted his

head. “Utah?”

Vance nodded.
“The land of Mormons and multiple

wives?”

Vance frowned. “There’s a lot more to

Utah than just that. We have some of the
most stunning national parks in the world,
not to mention—”

Skylar cut him off with a lifted hand.

“I’m sure it’s awesome, but the big
question is, how did I get from California
to Utah?”

Vance shrugged. He had to hand it to the

cowpokes.

They’d

really

gotten

themselves a good actor for the part.
Skylar’s performance was flawless. He
had the clueless surfer boy persona down
pat. Vance was simply waiting for the
joke to grind to a halt and all the guys to
flood into the office, get their laugh, and
then go. Once they did, he could get on
with his day. Perhaps later Vance would
take the issue up with his boss and the

owner of the ranch, Marshal Roberts.
There was no way Marshal was involved
in this. Vance doubted he’d condone these
kinds of hijinks, either.

“No, wait.” Skylar was looking down at

himself. “I think the bigger question is
what the hell happened to my dick?”

“What?” Vance took several steps back.

There was no way he was going to get
near Skylar while he was examining his
prick. It was uncut and rather big
considering it was flaccid, but Vance
didn’t want to be caught with his hands
anywhere near Skylar’s goods. That was
decidedly the moment when the other men
would pop out yelling

surprise. And then

the truth hit him. Of course. He should
have seen this coming. Vance would be

celebrating his twenty-sixth birthday on
Friday. Obviously this was a pre-birthday
prank. Or perhaps a gift. Everyone knew
he hadn’t had time to date so maybe they
bought him some time with this man.
Creepy, really. But at least Vance knew
their hearts were in the right place. Skylar
probably wasn’t a gigolo but someone’s
friend who had seen a picture of him and
thought he was cute enough to bang once
or twice. Vance still wasn’t interested, but
at least it explained what was going on.

“Okay, just what the hell is going on?”

Skylar flipped back a hank of his sun-
bleached hair and glared at Vance. “I’ve
been to some pretty wild parties, but I’ve
always woken up in the same state with
my same dick.”

“Pardon?”
Skylar cupped his cock into his fist and

gave it a good shake. “This isn’t my dick!”

Chapter 2

“I’ve been with my dick for twenty-one

years, and this isn’t it because I’m
circumcised.” Skylar had thought he’d had
way too much to drink, but now he wasn’t
sure what the hell was going on. Vance
was certainly a hunk, especially in that
black suit that somehow showed off the
deep brown of his eyes. And that bulge.
Damn. Skylar had never seen such a sexy
sight in his life. A conservative
businessman packing that kind of heat?
Kinky and compelling. But then Skylar had
gotten a good look at his own cock. He
had always been circumcised. As far as he
knew there wasn’t an operation to give
him back his foreskin. And it wasn’t some

fake. When he touched that extra bit of
skin, he almost fell to his knees it was so
richly sensitive. Now he knew why his
intact buddies were always bragging that
they had it better.

“Clearly, you’re not circumcised.”
When Skylar looked up he noticed that

Vance’s gaze was riveted to his cock.
Skylar stroked himself tentatively and
watched as Vance’s pupils dilated. Skylar
grinned. At least their attraction to one
another was mutual.

“Yeah, I noticed that. But I should be

circumcised, and I should have some short
and curlies.” Skylar continued to explore
himself, but his attention was on Vance’s
reaction rather than the most curious state
of his genitals. Each touch he made to

himself caused Vance to lick his lips or
nibble at the bottom one. “Although,
having a foreskin is really…sweet.”

Just exploring himself gave Skylar a

hard-on of epic proportions. At first he
hadn’t liked the look of his new turtleneck,
but once he was hard, his cock looked like
its old self. And there was that added
bonus of newfound sensitivity.

“What I wouldn’t give for a blow job

right now.” Skylar thought he’d probably
pass out from just one lick.

Vance dropped his briefcase, causing

Skylar to look up. It was on the tip of his
tongue to say

I didn’t mean you . But

Vance’s eyes were oddly focused. Intense
yet dreamy and riveted to Skylar’s prick.
Vance’s cock was now so hard it was

pressing obscenely against the thin fabric
of his slacks. Before Skylar realized what
he was doing, he stepped close to Vance
and cupped him through his tailored pants.

“Maybe we could make a trade.”
Clearly shocked by his boldness, Vance

drew a deep breath, but he didn’t move
away. “Do you smell that?”

When Skylar took a deep breath, the

most intense sexual need caused him to
tighten his grip on Vance. “What is that?”

“I don’t know.” Vance looked down,

and his gaze locked with Skylar’s. “But if
this is some kind of joke…”

“It’s not.” Skylar closed the distance

between them. Now the erotic essence
was even more insistent. “It’s coming
from you.”

“No. It’s coming from you.”
“Maybe it’s both of us,” Skylar offered.

“I want you. I feel like if I don’t have you
I’m going to go crazy.”

Vance nodded and then shook his head.

While pushing Skylar’s hand away from
his cock, Vance said, “This is totally
irrational. I don’t even know you.”

“I don’t know you, either.”
“I know this is just some prank for my

birthday, so whatever you’re doing to
make me feel like this, you need to stop.”

“It’s not a joke.” Skylar had never been

more serious in his life. “I don’t know
how I got here or why, but I’m here. And I
want you.”

Vance strode over to a door and yanked

it open. Whatever he was expecting

wasn’t there because he shook his head
and closed it softly. When he hesitated,
Skylar almost asked him what was wrong,
but then Vance locked the door.

“No one put you up to this?”
Vance kept his back to Skylar, so he

couldn’t just shake his head. When he
managed to find the words, they came out
high-pitched and a little breathless. “I
swear, I don’t know how I got here. Or
why I’m here.”

“I’m not in the mood for games.”
From the tense cast of Vance’s

shoulders, that was crystal clear. “I’m not
playing.”

“I don’t know what that smell is, but

you’ve created a dangerous situation for
yourself.”

Skylar had no idea what they were both

smelling that made them so aroused, but it
certainly wasn’t something he’d done.
Trying to take the intensity down a notch,
he jokingly asked, “Just what kind of
trouble am I in?”

Vance turned, and their gazes collided.

Skylar shivered. In a flash of insight,
Skylar knew

exactly

what kind of danger

he was in. Gone was the conservative
businessman. In his place was a beast clad
in a suit that couldn’t begin to hide his
animal lust. Clearly, Vance was a man
who was always in control of himself.
From the way he dressed to the
conservative cut of his hair to the ordered
precision of everything on his desk. Vance
Ramsey was a man who never colored

outside the lines or did anything that
wasn’t penned into his day planner. But
that rigidly controlled man had vanished.
It was clear from his body language that
Vance wasn’t going to let Skylar go until
he was satisfied. Thoroughly and deeply
satisfied.

In four long-legged strides, Vance was

back and so close to Skylar he had to tilt
his head up almost painfully to keep eye
contact. When Vance’s nostrils flared and
he drew in a deep breath, Skylar was
expecting just about anything but the low,
ominous growl that emerged from between
Vance’s gritted teeth. Skylar uttered a
shocked gasp, which drew in another
breath of the wickedly compelling scent.
In that moment, Skylar knew it was all

over for the two of them. Neither one of
them was getting out of here until they’d
scratched this itch.

In a flash, Vance had his massive hands

cupped around Skylar’s buttocks, yanking
him against his powerful body. He
growled again, almost as if he were
questioning Skylar’s acquiescence. Skylar
moaned in answer and went limp in his
arms. His surrender sparked Vance to take
control, something he was probably very
good at. Skylar had never hungered for
another the way he did for this stranger.
He’d never been utterly submissive,
either, but he was in Vance’s embrace.
Something was different here, in this
place, with this man. Gone were all the
usual accoutrements to a hookup. No

party, no alcohol, and no rock-n-roll
music with that driving bass line that
mimicked the pace of fucking. This was
something so far removed from that the
only thing Skylar knew for certain was
this wasn’t a casual encounter. This was
serious. Forever and ever serious. The
idea of losing himself in another was as
exciting as it was terrifying. Vance was a
stranger, and yet Skylar swore he knew
him in some way that was almost
paranormal.

“Swear to me this isn’t a joke.” Vance’s

thick cock rubbed against Skylar’s,
making heat from their friction.

“God, no. It’s no joke. I want you so

badly I’m shaking.” Skylar felt his entire
body trembling all over.

“Are you afraid of me?” Vance

loosened his grip on Skylar.

“It’s not fear that’s making me shake.

It’s need.” Skylar had had his fair share of
sexual encounters but nothing like this. “If
you don’t fuck me, I swear I’ll go crazy.”

“Can’t

have

that.”

Vance’s

grip

tightened. His massive hands perfectly
cupped

Skylar’s

buttocks.

Without

straining himself at all, Vance lifted
Skylar up against his body and then locked
their lips together as Skylar wrapped his
legs around Vance’s hips. When he
squeezed, crushing their cocks together,
Vance uttered another hungry growl.

Before he knew it, Vance had moved

around to the back side of the desk. He
settled them in the big leather chair then

pulled Skylar even more firmly against
him. Now Skylar was able to rock his hips
and slide his prick against Vance’s. More
movement made more heat.

“Get these off before I make a mess all

over them.” Skylar frantically scrabbled at
Vance’s pants. When he struggled to get
them open, Vance pushed his hand away
and practically ripped them in his haste to
get them down and off. Working together,
breathlessly stealing kisses in between,
they managed to get Vance completely
naked.

Skylar traced his hand down Vance’s

smooth chest to the nest of dark hair and
his thick cock. When he wrapped his fist
around the shaft, Vance’s head went back
and Skylar swore he snarled. It was so

aggressively sexy Skylar’s fist tightened
involuntarily.

“I’ve always wanted—” Vance cut

himself off by kissing Skylar again.

“What?” Skylar pulled back. “Tell me

what you’ve always wanted.”

It took a moment for Vance to summon

the words. “I’ve always wanted a man
like you in my lap while I’m in this chair.”

“A man like me?”
“Blond. Sexy. Willing.”
Skylar grinned. “Very willing.”
“But we don’t know each other at all.”
“I think that’s part of the attraction.”

Convinced that if he allowed Vance to
think about what he was doing too much
he might call a halt to everything, Skylar
plastered himself against Vance’s big

body and uttered a plaintive whimper.
He’d never made such a curious sound
before, but it struck something in Vance.
Whatever he’d activated was so dark and
primitive Skylar knew neither one of them
would be able to call a stop to what was
happening between them. And Skylar
didn’t want to. Not when Vance went from
mild to wild so fast it was stunning.
Bodily he lifted Skylar off his lap. Barely
had his feet touched the floor before he
found himself spinning toward the desk.
Vance caught his hips, nestled them
against the edge, and then bent him over
the surface.

“What—Oh!”
He didn’t need to ask what Vance was

doing, not when he immediately parted his

cheeks and proceeded to tongue fuck him
until he was squirming against the top of
the desk.

“You have the most perfect ass.”
Skylar would have answered, but he

was too far gone into sublime ecstasy. He
still didn’t know what happened to his
hair, but he was glad it was gone. Every
sweep of Vance’s tongue delivered so
much erotic bliss Skylar worried he was
going to climax all over the desk.

As if he sensed his dire need, Vance

turned him around and sucked his cock
into his mouth right down to the base.
Skylar barely managed a startled cry of
pleasure before he climaxed. As soon as
he stopped quivering, Vance turned him
back to the desk and continued to tongue

his ass. Luckily Vance was tightly shaved
or his frantic movements would have
burned his beard along Skylar’s tender
bottom, but all he felt was pleasure.

Slowly, the tempo changed, and then

Skylar arched up as Vance eased his
finger inside.

“You okay?” Vance’s voice was gruff

with lust, but clearly he was concerned.
Even in his current state of hormone
overdrive, Vance would never hurt him.
Skylar found that tremendously endearing.

“Yes. I’m better than okay. Please don’t

stop.”

A low growling chuckle tickled his

flesh. “I don’t think I can anymore.”

“Good.”
Behind him he heard a drawer open and

close. He wondered what Vance was
doing, but when his finger returned all
slick to tease him, he knew. “You keep
lube in your desk drawer?”

Vance was silent for so long Skylar

started to think he wasn’t going to answer,
but as he worked his finger in and out in a
pulse-pounding rhythm, Vance explained,
“There are times when I’m sitting here,
done with all my work for the day, and I
allow myself the luxury of indulging in my
most compelling fantasy.”

“You mean the sexy blond surfer like

me?” Skylar had to dig his hands against
the desktop to hold steady when Vance
slid another finger in beside the first.
Every wicked plunge encouraged him to
lift his butt up higher and higher until he

was standing on his tiptoes.

“Yes.” Vance kissed one buttock and

then the other. “A man like you comes in.”
Vance’s voice was harsh from his
herculean efforts to control his lust. He
spoke, but only with great difficulty.

“And?”
Before he answered, Vance stood, and

now rather than two fingers he slid his
prick up and down the split of Skylar’s
bottom. “I find myself so ensnared I fling
him over my desk and have my wicked
way with him.”

“Am I supposed to struggle?”
“You can try.” Vance wrapped his

strong hands around Skylar’s hips, holding
him up and steady for his continued
teasing with the length of his cock.

“But it clearly won’t do me any good.”

Skylar stretched his arms out in front of
him and lifted up.

Vance nestled his cock between his

cheeks, leaned over, and placed his mouth
against Skylar’s ear. “Do you want me to
stop?”

Chapter 3

Vance held perfectly still, waiting for

Skylar to answer. If he said no, it would
kill him to end what they had begun, but he
would. His secret fantasy of taking a
blond over the top of the desk included the
blond’s total willingness. Still, when
Skylar drew a shaky breath and shook his
head, Vance uttered a sigh of relief.

“Good. Because I don’t want to stop.”

Vance couldn’t count the number of times
he’d settled into his chair after a long,
hard day and took his long, hard cock in
hand for a well-earned release. “You’re
the most incredible thing that’s ever
happened to me.”

“Same here.”

Vance felt a hundred questions roll in

his head and push against his mouth for
release, but he swallowed all of them
back. If this was a dream, he didn’t want
to wake up. Maybe, for once, he could
indulge himself. There would be time
enough later to sit and ponder and wallow
in regrets. But not now. Not when Skylar
was pushing him to keep going. Not when
his tender bottom was so incredibly
flawless. Not after working him open with
his fingers. Not when his cock slid down
that slickened perfection and settled
against his tight hole.

“Oh, God.” Skylar rose and lifted his

arms over his head so that he could twine
his fingers in Vance’s hair. “Kiss me. Kiss
me and don’t stop.”

This time when their lips came together,

the scent that had compelled Vance
seemed even stronger. He had to get
inside him

now. Vance had to fill him,

mark him, and claim him. As crazy as it
seemed, and as much as it went against
everything he’d ever done, Vance wasn’t
going to know peace until he made Skylar
his mate.

Mate?
The word sounded at once crazy yet

utterly correct. Skylar was his mate. If he
finished what he’d begun, they would be
thoroughly bound together.

Vance tore his mouth away and tried to

step away, but the chair was right behind
him.

“What’s wrong?” Skylar looked over

his shoulder, his vivid azure eyes filled
with the same impossible hunger that
possessed Vance.

“We should stop.”
“For fuck’s sake, why?” Anger flashed,

turning his stare wickedly intense.

Because if we do this we’ll never be

able to walk away from one another.

That

was what Vance thought, but that wasn’t
what he said. If he was crazy, Vance
didn’t need to speak and let Skylar in on
it. Besides, just because he felt something
strongly didn’t mean it was real. Perhaps
it only felt so seriously intense because
Vance hadn’t been with anyone since his
one and only boyfriend. Sadly, in the heat
of a new beginning, Vance realized his
past relationship had fallen apart because

Vance wasn’t willing to take a risk. He’d
wanted things to stay on the same level,
and when his partner had pushed for
change, he’d left.

Turning around, Skylar pushed against

Vance’s chest, tumbling him back into the
chair. He was exceptionally strong for a
short man. Vance landed with a dull thud,
and then Skylar was in his lap. His fingers
were holding up Vance’s prick, lining it
up with his bottom. In a timeless moment,
Vance watched as Skylar settled down to
take his cock within. If he did, the
decision was his, and Vance could wash
his hands of it. But at the last possible
second Vance stopped him.

“No.” He rose and settled Skylar on the

desk. “I don’t have any condoms.”

That seemed to snap Skylar out of his

lust. “I’ve never gone without.”

“Neither have I.” Vance was probably

rare in that he could count the number of
lovers he’d had on one finger.

“Then we’re both safe.” Skylar looked

down at Vance’s cock and then reached
out. “I want you almost desperately. If I
don’t have you…”

“What? What happens if you don’t? Or

maybe the bigger question is, what
happens if you do?”

Skylar’s gaze jumped to his, and in that

moment Vance knew Skylar had had the
same crazy thought. This was something
so much more than just sex.

“If we do this, we can’t separate. Ever.”
Skylar swallowed. “I know.”

“And you still want to do this?”
“Do you?”
Vance struggled to answer, but the scent

that had been driving him mad increased
until he was blinded by a frantic need to
mate. Rather than speak, he descended on
his chosen, pulling him up into the air and
then sliding him down his body, nestling
his cock against his welcoming body. For
another split second, he hesitated, but
when Skylar lifted his mouth and
whispered, “Fill me,” Vance allowed him
to slide gently down.

As his cock slipped up inside the snug

heat of his mate, Vance heard the music of
his mating need as a whimper of
surrender.

“Mark me.”

In answer, Vance growled, and then

found himself biting along Skylar’s neck.

Skylar cried out but didn’t try to move

away. He laid his head to the side,
allowing Vance to bite him with hungry
nips of his teeth and strong sucking
motions of his mouth. All the while he
lowered and lifted his body by a firm grip
on his buttocks. Each stroke worked their
bodies together. Each movement buried
Vance’s cock deeper and rubbed Skylar’s
prick harder.

“Claim me.”
It was the last bridge to cross. The final

point of no return. Vance lifted and
lowered his mate faster and faster until
they both uttered cries of release. Vance
had never had such a rush of pleasure

when he climaxed. His orgasm shivered
his entire body as he pumped deep into
Skylar. His mate clung to his shoulders,
creaming between their bellies, each pulse
of which tightened him around Vance’s
prick.

After what seemed forever, the shivers

and shakes left them. Vance settled lightly
into his chair. Skylar wrapped his arms
around him, buried his face against
Vance’s neck, and then kissed him so
softly it was surprisingly touching.

“Did I hurt you?” Vance stroked his

hand along Skylar’s sun-bleached hair.

“No.” His voice was muffled until he

lifted up. “I’ve never felt anything like
that.”

Vance grinned. “Me, either.”

“You are the most—oh, whoa. What’s

that?”

“I don’t know.” Vance felt the base of

his prick swell, and before he knew it, he
was locked inside Skylar. “Does it hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt.” Experimentally, Skylar

shimmied. When he did, Vance uttered a
growl. “If feels good to me, too.”

“This has never happened to me before.

I’ve never even heard of a cock swelling
up at the base.”

Skylar met Vance’s eyes then quickly

looked away.

“What?” Vance didn’t know Skylar

well, but that was an evasive glance if
ever he’d seen one.

“I’ve heard of this happening.”
“Really?”

Skylar nodded and then met Vance’s

eyes. “When canines mate, the base of the
male’s cock swells to lock him into the
female.”

Vance felt his eyebrows rise so high and

fast he couldn’t believe they didn’t just
shoot off the top of his head. “Canines?
Like dogs?”

“Yep.” Skylar grinned and then blurted,

“I guess both of us have new dicks.”

Vance wondered how in the world

someone could wake up with a new dick.
“So what the hell does this mean for us?”

“I have no idea. But maybe that explains

the scent thing, too.”

Vance waited.
“Pheromones. Chemical signatures. It’s

why dogs…uh…sniff…”

“I got it.” Vance felt his tension rise. He

hated surprises, and this one was pretty
out there. When he shifted in his chair, he
bounced Skylar on his cock.

“Damn, but that feels good.” Skylar

rolled his hips until they both climaxed
again.

“Looks like I was right.”
“Yeah?” Skylar asked.
“We are locked together.”
“Let’s just hope it’s not for eternity.”

Skylar grinned and then sobered. “But I
know that we really are. As soon as you
came inside me, I knew.”

“That I had claimed you.” Vance felt a

curious combination of pride and panic.
Skylar was in all respects a handsome,
fascinating man. But that didn’t mean they

were compatible for the long haul. As
much as Vance wanted to believe in
something as whimsical as happily ever
after, he knew that was as unlikely as one
of the cattle balancing on her back legs
and dancing the cancan.

“Why do you look so worried?” Skylar

brushed his fingers along Vance’s jaw.

“Because everything, and I mean

everything, is about to change.”

Chapter 4

After hours of cuddling together in the

chair, and another dozen or so climaxes,
the knot at the base of Vance’s cock
finally abated. When he pulled out, Skylar
couldn’t believe how empty he felt. It was
devastating.

“It’s okay. I’m not leaving you.”
“I know. I know.” But Vance’s ominous

words that everything would change
repeated in Skylar’s head. His life to date
had been parties and surfing broken up by
occasional college classes. He didn’t take
anything seriously, but all that was
different now. Skylar no longer had the
luxury of doing whatever he wanted when
he wanted. If he had to have a mate, a part

of him was glad he’d gotten such a hunky
one, but another part wondered just what
the hell they were going to do together.

As they’d been quite literally stuck

together, they’d talked about themselves
and found they had very little in common.
Where Vance was sharply organized with
a concise list of goals for each day, Skylar
woke with an empty agenda, preferring to
let the demands of the day dictate his
schedule. His hippie parents, both artists,
had run their lives the same way. Easy
come, easy go, and competing in surfing
competitions and photographing them gave
Skylar enough money to pay for a room in
a beach house with a dozen other guys
who were all doing basically the same
thing. With his freedom gone, what did

Skylar have to look forward to?

“If you want to clean up, there’s a

bathroom over there.”

Skylar made use of the facilities mainly

so he could have a moment to himself.
He’d been frantic to have Vance, but now
that they’d thoroughly scratched that itch,
he wasn’t so sure what their relationship
would bring. What doubly irked him was
that he never worried or wondered about
the future.

Until now.
The sex was certainly epic, but what

about the rest? All his life he’d been
pretty much a party animal without a
serious thought in his head. So far, Skylar
had been rather blasé about his life. Hell,
he was only twenty-one. He didn’t intend

to get serious about anything until he was
at least twenty-five.

“How old are you?” Skylar asked as he

exited the bathroom.

“I’ll be twenty-six this Friday.” Vance

settled himself back in the chair. “You?”

“Just turned twenty-one.” And he meant

that

quite

literally.

Last

night—or

whenever it had been since he had no idea
what day it was—he had been at a party
for his birthday. There were a lot of
people. Most of whom he didn’t know.
And there had been drinking. An awful lot
of drinking. Skylar vaguely remembered
showing off for someone or betting
someone that he could surf in the dark. He
remembered getting out into the water, and
then…he woke up here.

“I’m sorry I’m not what you wanted.”
Vance’s low and quiet voice instantly

moved Skylar over to him. “Whatever
gave you that idea?”

“Your face is very clearly stamped with

regret.” Vance reached up and smoothed
the hair out of Skylar’s eyes.

“I’m not regretting anything, just…”
“Be honest.”
“I had a plan.”
“A plan?” Vance asked.
“For my life.”
Vance’s eyes lit up. “What is it?”
Skylar was touched that Vance didn’t

ask what

was

it, like whatever it was, it

was too late to do it now. No, he had
asked “what

is

it,” like Skylar could still

follow his dream. Somehow, that tiny

little word sparked a flash of hope in his
heart. “I want—” and Skylar cut himself
off. Just how brainless was he going to
sound if he said he wanted to party and
surf until he was twenty-five and then he’d
get serious about life? Vance was a
straitlaced guy who’d probably never
even gotten drunk.

“I promise I won’t stand in your way.”

Vance stroked his hand from Skylar’s hair
down to his waist and settled it on his hip.
“I’ll do what I can to help you.”

Skylar knew that Vance meant what he

said. As a man driven to obtain his goals,
he would truly be happy to help Skylar
bring his dreams to life in any way he
could. “Tell me your plan first.”

“My plan?” Vance chuckled as he

settled Skylar in his lap. “What in the
world makes you think I have one?”

“Pu-lease. You probably schedule your

bathroom breaks.”

That comment teased a smile across

Vance’s stern face. “I’m not that
organized, but yes, I do have a plan.”

“Let’s hear it.” Skylar rested his head

against Vance’s shoulder.

“Well, once I get my CPA license, I

plan on building a house here. On the
ranch. I’ve always wanted to work and
live right here. After the chaos of my
childhood I want to put down roots.”

“That’s it?”
“Yes. Why?” Vance traced little circles

on Skylar’s hip with his fingers.

“I dunno. I guess I thought you wanted to

do something big.”

“I thought that was big.”
“It is.” Skylar leaned up and kissed him.

“I’m not dissing your dream.”

“Thank you. Now, tell me yours.”
Skylar realized they were doomed to

failure right from the start if he wasn’t
honest. “I wanted to party and surf until I
was twenty-five. Then I’d get serious.”

Vance frowned. “How would you

manage to have a place to live and all
that?”

“Student loans. And I sometimes win

surfing competitions. I also sell pictures
of other surfers.” Skylar teased his finger
around Vance’s nipple, loving the way his
flesh tightened.

“You have to pay those loans back, you

know.”

“Right. Once I got serious at twenty-

five, I would get a real job and pay that all
back.”

Vance made a face that told Skylar all

he needed to know. Rather than continue
on down a path that they obviously didn’t
see eye-to-eye on, he changed the subject
by pointing to the door. “When you yanked
that door open, what were you expecting
to see out there?”

“Oh. That.” Vance shook his head. “I

thought the ranch hands had put you up to
this. I thought they were all waiting out in
the hall.”

Skylar nodded. “What’s beyond that

door?” He pointed to the opposite side of
the room.

“It goes outside.”
“What’s out there?”
“Seven hundred thousand acres of land

covered with about one hundred thousand
head of cattle.”

Skylar whistled lightly. “So you’re a

cowboy?”

“Accountant cowboy.”
“Now there’s something you don’t see

every day.” Skylar had a sudden vision of
Vance on horseback in his suit. He thought
it was funny until the Vance in his mind
started to strip down. Then it was sexy as
hell. “Can we go outside?”

Vance looked at the door then back at

Skylar. “You know what’s weird?”

“No.”
“I really want to go out there, and I

don’t want to get dressed first.”

“Me, either.” Skylar grinned as he

stood. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

“But what if we get caught?”
“Who cares!” Skylar grabbed Vance’s

hand and pulled him out of the chair and
toward the door. “Stop thinking about
everything so much and have a little fun.”

For a moment he didn’t think Vance was

going to go for it, but then he seemed
resolved to indulge his crazy side. As
irrational as it was, Skylar felt the first
stirrings of genuine affection for his mate.

Vance went first, peering around the

doorway. “The coast is clear.”

When Skylar followed him out, he was

struck by several things at once. The air
was impossibly dry, and it was scented

with sage. The wooden boards that made
up the porch were soft below his feet and
the urge to run into the dirt was
overwhelming. Skylar turned to Vance to
ask him something, but he found that he
couldn’t. He was closer to the ground, and
his mouth wasn’t made for human speech.
When he took a deep breath, he smelled
sage and a dozen other plants, but he also
smelled the cattle. They were miles away,
but he was still able to smell them.

“My God!”
Skylar looked up and realized that

Vance appeared impossibly tall. From his
vantage point, Skylar figured he was about
at the height of Vance’s knees.

“You’re a—a—my God. I think you’re a

coyote!”

Chapter 5

“Woof!”
Vance stood on the porch of the

farmhouse staring down at his mate who
just a moment ago was human but now
was a coyote. He couldn’t help but look
warily around. The Rough River Ranch
had been having trouble with coyotes. The
beasts had recently gotten bold and
plentiful enough to take down a calf. If his
boss found out that Vance’s new mate was
actually a coyote…

Skylar bounded off the porch and ran

toward the long drive. If he kept going,
he’d eventually end up near the herd.
Panicked, Vance took three big strides
after him and then suddenly realized he’d

fallen. No, wait. He’d not fallen. He was
still running after his mate, but he was
running on four legs, not two. Vance knew
without seeing himself that he had become
a coyote, too. That was why the urge to
mate had been overwhelming, turning him
into an animal. They weren’t human after
all but some kind of human-coyote hybrid!

When Vance took a deep breath, he was

again enraptured by a compelling scent,
one that urged him to mate. Pushing
himself hard, he caught up to Skylar. In the
gathering darkness, Vance could still
clearly see his mate. When the moment
was right, he pounced, grasped the scruff
of Skylar’s neck in his mouth, and then
mounted him without preamble. As his
cock sank deep, he let out a growl of pure

bliss. Below him Skylar whimpered and
went limp, just as he had in his human
embrace.

“Am I hurting you?”
“Fuck no. It feels good.”

Up came

Skylar’s bottom as he angled himself for
more penetration.

So lost in the pleasure of claiming his

mate a second time in a most spectacular
way, it took a long time for Vance to
realize they were speaking with one
another in their minds.

“Are we really awake?”

Skylar asked.

“I think so.”

Once he knotted to him,

Vance rolled to his side so they could be
comfortable as they waited for the knot to
abate.

“What does this mean?”

“I don’t know.”

Vance nuzzled Skylar’s

neck.

“I guess our plans, whatever they

were, are going to be changed now.”

“I guess.”
“Please tell me what’s wrong.”
“I just—I wanted to be a surfer dude,

and I don’t see how the hell I can do that
in landlocked Utah. Your dreams are
here, but mine aren’t.”

After that they were silent. Once his

knot abated, they slid apart, and just as
before, the loss was profound. Before
Vance could offer Skylar any kind of
comfort, he was on his paws and running.
Vance followed after him. Eventually
Skylar ran out of steam and stood panting.

“I’m sorry,”

Vance offered quietly.

“So am I.”

“What can I do?”
“Nothing.”
Vance nodded and looked back along

the way they had come. His eyes went
wide, and his heart started beating at
double the normal rate.

“Get up into the

foothills.”

When Skylar refused to obey,

Vance grasped his neck, shook him
sharply, then ordered,

“Now!”

“I’m going. I’m going, bossy!”

Skylar

looked back. When he saw what Vance
had seen, he moved faster.

“Who the hell

is that?”

“I don’t know, but if they see us, we’re

dead.”

Vance nudged his mate until they

were at least halfway up the sloping
foothills of the buttes that surrounded the
Rough River Valley. They took shelter

behind a clump of twisted pinyon pine and
rocks. From their vantage point, they
could keep a close watch on the men
below. It wasn’t the cowboys that Vance
was worried about but the guns they had
slung over their shoulders.

“They would just shoot us on sight?”
“I believe they would.”

Briefly, Vance

explained about the problems the ranch
had been having with coyotes.

“I can’t

tell exactly who they are.”

Vance kept

blinking and shaking his head, but no
matter what he did he couldn’t see the men
clearly.

“It’s like my eyes see movement

but not details.”

“Must be your canine eyes.”
Vance nodded but kept his attention

glued to the men below. For a timeless

moment, he thought they would simply
keep going, but something caught one
man’s eye. When he pointed right at
Vance, he felt everything in his body
tighten. All his careful attention to detail,
all his deep-seated caution in all things,
was worthless now. He was going to die
when he’d just discovered something
wonderful and had the barest taste of
freedom.

“They see us!”

Skylar’s furry little

body pressed close to Vance for
protection and comfort.

Vance turned his head this way and that,

but he saw nowhere for them to go. If they
ran across the sparsely covered foothills,
they could outrun the men, but not the
bullets. With their human eyes, they could

track both movement and detail.

“Don’t run.”
“What? Are you crazy? If we don’t

run, we’re dead.”

“If we do run, we’re dead.”

Vance kept

his attention on the men. They kept their
rifles slung on their backs as they hiked up
the foothill.

“They won’t shoot until

they’re sure.”

“And what good will another few

moments of life do us?”

“It’s enough time for me to tell you

that I really think we could have made
it.”

“What?”
“You and I. As mates. We could have

worked. In a very short time you
managed to make me see exactly what my

life was missing.”

“And what’s that?”
“Fun. I know it sounds pathetically

simple, but I had forgotten how much fun
it is to simply do something because I
wanted to.”

What was killing Vance was

not being given the chance to see just how
far he and Skylar could go together. All
his prior misgivings seemed petty now. So
what if his carefully crafted schedule
would crash and burn? It wasn’t the end of
the world. He could have made a new
schedule with Skylar. Maybe he would
have learned to let things happen a little
more spontaneously.

“I think you would

have helped me be more relaxed.”

“And you would have helped me be

more organized.”

Vance took his eyes off the men so he

could look at his mate.

“For what it’s

worth, I think I would have come to love
you.”

Skylar smiled with his canine face.

“I

know I would have come to love you,
too.”

The urge to wrap his arm around his

mate was almost overpowering. Each
second brought the men closer to them and
each second was one more moment Vance
was allowed to spend with Skylar. Too
soon, the men were close enough to see
them clearly. Guns were drawn, safeties
were clicked off, and they locked their
gazes on the sights, drawing a bead on
where Vance and Skylar hid.

Vance wasn’t sure what came over him,

but he had to protect his mate. He flung
himself on top of Skylar just as a
tremendous boom cracked the sky.

“Holy fucking shit! It’s Vance!”
Vance turned and met the eyes of Paul.

Much like Vance, Paul pulled an odd
double duty around the ranch. He was a
chemist, but he was also a cowboy.

“What the hell are you doing up here?

We thought you were a coyote. We
almost…oh.”

Paul’s voice trailed off when Skylar

peeked around Vance’s side.

“Will wonders never cease?” Paul’s

grin bloomed into a wide smile. “Looks
like Mr. Uptight is getting his freak on.”

“Do you mind?” Skylar asked, giving

Paul the most cutting glare Vance had ever

seen.

“I—well—later.” Paul and the other

men trooped off down to the valley floor.

Vance didn’t recognize the others, but

he knew Marshal was bringing new hands
on all the time. “I’ve never seen that
before.”

“What?” Skylar asked.
“Someone putting Paul in his place.”

Vance turned and pulled Skylar into his
arms, just as he’d been longing to do.

“It’s none of his business if you want to

get your freak on.” Skylar’s beautiful
smile glowed in the dark.

Another boom split the sky, and Vance

realized what he’d heard wasn’t a gunshot
but a crack of thunder.

“I thought they’d taken a shot at us.”

“Me, too.”
“That’s why you flung yourself over

me.” Skylar gazed up at him proudly.
“You were trying to protect me.”

“Of course I was. You’re my mate.”
Skylar nodded as slow, sluggish tears

tracked down his cheeks.

“What’s wrong?” Vance kissed him

gently then held him close.

“Remember how I said I would have

come to love you? I think I just started
falling.”

Chapter 6

“You’re falling in love with me?”

Vance asked.

“I think so.” Skylar had never made a

commitment to anyone but himself. Now
he was willing to commit to a lifetime
with Vance. “You would have given up
your life to keep me safe.” If that didn’t
show love, he didn’t know what did.

Another boom of thunder cracked the

sky, and then rain pelted down. Even
though they were getting soaked, Vance
didn’t move. He sat staring at Skylar like
he had all the time in the world. “I think
I’m falling in love with you, too.”

Wrapping his arms around his mate,

Skylar clung to him as the storm grew

stronger. “Should we go?” It hardly ever
rained in Southern California, so he had
no clue what they should be doing during a
Utah storm.

“It will pass very quickly.”
The exceedingly dry air now cooled

with the wash of rain, but it wasn’t cold.
Pressed together, they were quite warm as
the water gathered on the rocks around
them. Skylar noticed that what he’d
thought were simply rises and falls along
the base of the butte were actually tracks
for water. As the rain pelted the land, it
gathered and then was channeled down the
divots along the edges of the foothills.

“We’re on high ground here, so we’re

safe from flash floods.”

Skylar looked below and watched as the

cowboys who’d confronted them ran for a
pickup truck. One of them, not Paul but
another, looked up and waved at them, as
if encouraging them to come down.

Together he and Vance waved them off.
“Now, about that freak of yours.” Skylar

nudged his mate gently.

“We already addressed mine in the

office, remember?” Vance kissed Skylar
tenderly on his shoulder. “It’s your turn
now.”

“Right.” Skylar grinned and then shook

his head. “You’ll never believe me.”

“Try me.”
“I’ve always wanted…” Skylar’s voice

trailed off as the images filled his mind. It
simply wasn’t fair for him to ask Vance
for something he couldn’t possibly do. Not

anywhere around Utah, at any rate.

“Be honest. I swear I won’t laugh.”
“I’m not worried about that.”
“What then?”
“It doesn’t seem fair for me to pick

something that would be difficult for you
to do.”

“We’ll make it happen. I promise.”
“Okay. I’ve always wanted to make

love on the beach. Not like I haven’t done
it on the beach because I have, but it
wasn’t love, and it wasn’t special.”
Skylar met Vance’s gaze. “With you, it
would be both.”

A pleased smile transformed Vance’s

face. “A beach?”

“Yeah. I know, it’s nutty considering

where we are—”

“No, it’s your fantasy. And I’m going to

make it happen.”

“You are?”
“Yep.” Vance nodded and the sneaky

grin that lifted the corner of his mouth
made Skylar wonder just what he had in
mind. “But not tonight.”

“Right.” Skylar looked down, and very

far away was the farmhouse where they’d
met. In a flash, he remembered what had
happened.

“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I just remembered how I got

here.” Skylar shook his head, which flung
the water off the ends of his hair. “I was
showing someone that I could surf in the
dark. And I could. But then he bet me that I
couldn’t surf a river, and I said bring it on.

We drove for hours with my surfboard on
the top of his car.”

“Where were you going?”
“The Grand Canyon.”
Vance laughed.
“I know, nuts, right? But we got lost.

We stopped for gas, and I smelled
something. It was just the faintest bit of
scent, but it made me transform into a
coyote.”

“Like we were earlier?”
“Yeah. And now I think I know why. It

was so that I could track that scent.”

“What was it?”
“You.”
Vance laughed and pulled slightly away.

“You smelled me from hundreds of miles
away?”

“I guess so.”
“Was it a bad smell?”
“No!” Skylar laughed. “It was like what

we were smelling in your office.”

“So that’s how you got here.”
“I was traveling at night and sleeping

during the day. I remember now coming up
to the farmhouse last night. Your scent
was most concentrated in the office.”

“But how did you get in?”
“Someone left the window open.”
Vance uttered a stunned laugh. “I left it

open.”

“You did? That doesn’t sound like you.”
“It’s not.” Vance nuzzled Skylar’s neck.

“I’m telling you, I honestly believe we
were truly meant to be.”

“Because of a window?”

“Because I had never opened the

window before. But I did last night
because the room just seemed so
unbearably stuffy.”

“And it let me follow your scent right to

your chair.”

Vance nodded. “Well, technically, it’s

Marshal’s chair. He’s the man who owns
the house and the office.”

“He doesn’t sit there nearly as often as

you do. Your scent dominates that room.”

“So you tracked me down to my office,

curled up in my chair, and went to sleep.”

“Yep. I must have shifted back to human

during the night. I didn’t remember
everything until after I shifted back to
human with you just now.” Skylar grinned
and shook his head, flinging off more rain.

“And now the curious question of what
happened to my dick has been answered.”

Vance lifted his brows, waiting.
Skylar nodded to Vance’s cock. “Looks

like you got a nifty new turtleneck, too.”

Vance looked down and his mouth

dropped open. “Shifting into coyotes gives
us back our foreskins?”

“I guess so.”
“How very strange.”
“There’s more, too.”
“Dare I ask?”
“I think my teeth are different.” Skylar

felt around inside his mouth with his
tongue. “I used to have this one filling that
made a divot in the top of my tooth. Now
it’s gone.”

“Oh, my.” Vance looked down at

himself. “And the perfect allover tan. I
thought maybe you surfed in the nude, but
it looks like I have one now, too.”

“Weird.”
“What? It doesn’t look good?” Vance

asked, examining himself.

“Trust me, you look awesome. I was

saying that it’s weird the things that
changed. It’s like a do-over.”

“Hey, is Skylar really your name?”
“Skylar Bruedigan. That’s me.”
“Bruedigan? You aren’t very brooding,

but Skylar suits you.” Vance grasped his
hand and held it as they waited for the
storm to pass.

When the rain finally let up, they shifted

back to coyote form, returned to the
farmhouse, then shifted back to human.

“I think we should keep this quiet for a

while.” Vance opened the door to the
office with Skylar right behind him. They
were shivering, but Vance said they could
take a long, hot shower and then he’d find
Skylar something to wear.

“What the hell? Who turned off the

lights?”

As soon as Vance turned the lights on,

the office erupted with men yelling,
“Surprise!”

Chapter 7

Vance had never been so surprised. In

fact, he was so shocked he almost had a
heart attack. He’d been hoping to slip
back into the office, shower, dress, then
sneak Skylar up to his room. No such luck.
Every man he knew and a few he didn’t
lined the walls around the office.

“Looks like we’re the surprised ones.

Now I know why the inner office door
was locked.” Marshal grinned and tipped
his hat back. When he saw Skylar, his
eyes widened, and he quickly turned
around. “Okay, guys. Out. Out of the office
right now.”

There was a chorus of back talk and

curious stares over shoulders, but the men

followed Marshal’s order and left.

“Get yourselves situated and then come

on out for cake and ice cream.”

“Thank you.”
“And Vance?”
“Yeah, boss?”
“Congratulations.” Marshal flashed a

rather cryptic smile as he closed the office
door.

“That’s your boss?” Skylar asked.
“Yeah. Marshal Roberts. He’s a good

guy.”

“Cute, too.”
“You think?”
“Well, he’s not as cute as you.” Skylar

leaned up and stole a smooch that turned
long and lingering when Vance wrapped
his arms around him.

“Shower?” There was one attached to

the office. Since it didn’t have a window,
Vance was pretty sure it used to be a
closet until it was converted into a
bathroom.

“Oh, yes. I’m freezing.”
As soon as Vance got Skylar in the

shower he took his time and cleaned him
thoroughly. When they were finished, he
wrapped Skylar up in a towel, and started
to get dressed in the clothes they’d so
frantically torn off. But then he decided
that he didn’t need to bother. He tightened
the towel around his hips. “Wait here. I’m
going to go get you something to wear.”

“And face the gauntlet of all those

cowboys teasing you.”

“Probably.” Vance smiled at Skylar.

“But for once I don’t care.”

“Good for you!”
Vance left the office and made his way

down the hall toward the kitchen. He was
stunned when he entered and found it
empty of people. On the battered wooden
table where the men gathered for meals,
there were two plates of food and a stack
of clothes. From the looks of them there
was a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt for
him and Skylar. Lying on the top of the
clothing was a note from Marshal.

I figured the best gift we could give

you was some comfy clothing and
privacy. Enjoy!

Vance couldn’t help it. He laughed.

Marshal certainly had picked an excellent
present. Vance gathered the items and
returned to the office. Since he’d left the
door slightly ajar, he was able to push it
open with his elbow. For a split second he
thought Skylar was gone. His heart
literally stopped beating until Skylar’s
face popped up from behind the desk.

“I found this on the floor.” Skylar held

up one of Vance’s many detailed to-do
lists.

“Toss it.” He closed the door behind

him and set the items on the desk.

“So you know what you need to do?”
“Oh, yes.” Vance came around and

lifted Skylar out of his chair. “I need to do
you.”

Skylar tossed the list over his shoulder

and helped Vance rid himself of his towel.
They didn’t touch the food until after
they’d gotten creative in his office chair.
After they ate, Skylar yawned hugely.

“Come on. Let me take you to bed.”
“For

more

sex?”

Skylar

asked

hopefully.

“I think some sleep.”
“Dang.”
“But in the morning…”

* * * *

Morning came and so did they. Vance

was happy that this was the case for each
subsequent morning. At first he would
wake up in the middle of the night,
convinced that Skylar was only a dream,

but when he found him in his bed, he gave
thanks and held him close.

Worried about his friends and family,

Skylar spent their first morning together
making phone calls. His surfer pals were
happy for him, but they were going to miss
his contributions to the rent. He
apologized to the friend he’d been
traveling with and made up a story about
running into someone he knew and that
was why he left suddenly. Vance figured
the kid wasn’t all that bright if he believed
the incredible tale Skylar spun. When
Skylar was finally able to reach his
parents, they were jubilant for him, which
caused Vance a slight twinge of jealousy.
When he’d come out to his father his
reaction had been coldly cutting, and

everything Vance did after that was tainted
by his father’s strong dislike of his
orientation. What almost crushed any
connection at all was when his father said
it was a good thing his mother had died in
an accident so she wasn’t alive to see him
ruin his life. They still spoke on occasion,
but their relationship wasn’t anything
close to what Skylar had with his folks.

Skylar assimilated to the ranch with

astonishing speed. He had a natural
affinity for farm life, and even though he’d
left behind his love of surfing, he took up
horseback riding and said it gave him
almost as much joy. But Vance saw that
sometimes Skylar’s gaze would go
unfocused, and he would move his feet in
a curious way. Eventually Vance realized

he was imagining himself surfing. His feet
were flexing to keep him balanced on his
imaginary surfboard. But not once did
Skylar complain. And that made Vance
fall in love a little more. Skylar
understood how much Vance loved his life
on the ranch, and he’d given up something
he cherished for Vance’s happiness. If that
didn’t say love, Vance didn’t know what
did.

Vance brought up the idea of moving

somewhere else. A place where both of
them could pursue their dreams, but Skylar
refused. “Your life is here, and I’m
making one for myself.”

As much as Vance appreciated his

sacrifice, and as deeply as it showed the
love that Skylar has professed, each day

seemed to take another bit of the sunshine
from Skylar’s soul. As if to prove he was
determined to carve out a life for himself
on the ranch, Skylar enrolled at an online
university. He still hadn’t decided on a
major, but he’d yet to finish his general ed
courses. As thoroughly as Skylar tried to
cover up the truth, Vance saw he wasn’t as
happy as he could be.

One night as the two of them ran in

coyote form in the moonlight, Vance had a
grand epiphany. When they returned, he
climbed into bed with Skylar, but as soon
as he was asleep, Vance was out of bed
and making plans. He had no idea if his
scheme would work, but he thought he had
nothing to lose by taking a chance. If he’d
learned nothing else from Skylar, he’d

learned that sometimes he had to take a
risk. The very best thing that had ever
happened to him—Skylar—was because
he’d simply opened a window.

“Just think of what might have happened

if I’d opened the door!” Vance chuckled
and returned to his plans. It took a few
long nights, but eventually everything was
ready. In a week, he would make his
move. His only fear was that if things
didn’t work out as expected, he might hurt
Skylar worse. Still, the potential to give
him what he wanted inspired Vance to try.
He gained nothing by playing it safe. He
loved his mate enough to put himself out
there and do something a little bit crazy.

“I only hope if it doesn’t work, Skylar

forgives me.”

Chapter 8

“Where are we going?” Skylar sat with

his seat belt firmly fastened as Vance
piloted his very safe and extremely fuel-
efficient car down the winding River
Road.

“It’s a surprise.” Vance grinned, but he

never took his eyes off the road or his
hands off the ten and two positions on the
steering wheel.

“I thought we agreed neither one of us

liked surprises?”

Worry wrinkled up Vance’s brow.
“But I’m sure this one will be fun.”

Skylar didn’t like that look darkening his
mate’s face. Whatever he’d set up had
taken him a lot of time and effort. Vance

thought he was sneaking off without Skylar
being aware but he felt his mate’s absence
from the bed almost as soon as Vance’s
feet touched the floor. Curious, Skylar had
gone downstairs one night and peered in
the office window from outside the house.
Vance was at his desk, splitting his
attention between a pad of paper and his
laptop. Skylar had tiptoed back to bed, but
he’d lain awake wondering until Vance
crawled back into bed. Only then had he
been able to fall asleep.

“Here we are.” Vance pulled over at

one of the many vehicle turnouts that lined
the river. There were dozens of cars in the
same small parking area.

“Well, whatever we’re doing doesn’t

call for privacy.” Skylar realized his little

love-on-the-beach

fantasy

wasn’t

happening today.

“This is more of a group thing. Or it can

be.” Vance climbed out of the car, and
Skylar followed suit. Just as they were
starting to go down toward the river,
Vance suddenly stopped and gripped
Skylar’s hand.

“What?”
“Just know that no matter what happens,

I did this because I love you.”

“You—what? You’re telling me in the

middle of a dusty trail that you love me?”

“Yes. I do. And I want so much for you

to be happy here.”

“What did you do?” Skylar was just

about jumping up and down with a need to
know what was going on.

“You’ll see. But if it doesn’t work, I

don’t want you to be sad. We’ll try again,
and we’ll keep trying.”

“For the love of God, Vance, what—”

But he refused to say any more. The walk
down the well-trodden path to the river
seemed like the longest walk in the world.
When they finally broke through the copse
of tamarisk bushes, Skylar saw something
that made his mouth fall open. “What in
the world?”

“It’s a beach party.”
“I can see that.” Skylar saw dozens of

people engaged in various sports. Some
were playing Frisbee, some were building
sand castles, and others were surfing.
Surfing? His eyes widened as he saw
several people riding a forever-wave that

wasn’t too far from the shore.

“I know you missed surfing. I can’t give

you the ocean, but I can give you this.”

Skylar was so overwhelmed he didn’t

know what to say.

“I bought you a board. That’s what I

was arranging because I didn’t know what
board would be best, so I talked to people
online, and I got yellow because you said
that was your favorite color.”

“You are the most amazing man ever!”

Skylar wrapped his arms around him,
kissing him a dozen times. “You did all
this for me?”

Vance nodded. “Just to see you happy.”
“I am. I really am!”
“Go on. Go try out your board.”
Skylar didn’t have to be told twice. He

grabbed the bright yellow board, leashed
it to his ankle, tucked it under his arm, and
ran for the water. Someone, probably one
of the guys riding now, had waxed it up
good for him. As soon as he hit the water,
he paddled out to where the wave was. It
took several tries, but eventually he caught
on. What made it so exhilarating was that
with the wave being basically static, he
was able to try out multiple techniques.
When he turfed it, all he had to do was
just get back on his board and try again.

Eventually the sun went down, and he

returned to shore.

“Did you see that?”
“You were amazing.”
Skylar stood there, dripping, staring at

his mate.

“Are you okay?” Vance was on his feet

in a flash.

“More than. I just—I’ve never had

anyone do such a nice thing for me.”

“You’re welcome.” Vance wrapped a

towel around his shoulders. “Come sit
with me by the fire.”

The party started to wind down after

dinner, and people started drifting away.
Skylar could not remember a better day in
his life. He’d made new friends, and he
had an entirely new outlook on living in
Utah.

“Should we go?”
“No. See that over there?”
Skylar gazed in the direction Vance was

pointing. “The tent? What about it? I
thought it was for people to change their

clothes in.”

“That’s ours for the night.”
“It is?”
“Mm-hmm.” Vance kissed his shoulder

then whispered, “Some wickedly hot
blond told me that making love on the
beach would be pretty fantastic.”

“Really?” Skylar grinned. “He sounds

like a very smart man.”

“Indeed he is.”
Skylar turned into Vance’s embrace. A

gentle kiss led to another, and another, and
then before he knew it he was up in his
mate’s arms. Rather than take him to the
tent, he took him closer to the water, and
settled him on a blanket. Here, Skylar was
able to hear the water lapping against the
shore, and the wave he’d ridden all day

made a distant hum.

Just as he’d always wanted, Vance

made a slow, sweet love to him. He
kissed him from the top of his head down
to his toes and everywhere, simply
everywhere, in between. Not a bit of him
escaped Vance’s careful attention.

“Your thoroughness really does have its

glorious moments.”

“I know.” Vance smiled as he parted

Skylar’s legs. “But you see I haven’t
attended to all of you just yet.”

Unlike that day in the office, this time

Vance tongued him with wanton slowness.
He kept right on going even when Skylar
was thrashing in ecstasy and begging for
completion.

“This is supposed to be lovemaking, my

mate. I’m not going to rush no matter how
much you urge me to.”

Skylar tried to relax, but he couldn’t.

And then he realized there was something
that would stir Vance’s passion to a
fevered pitch. At just the right moment,
Skylar let out a whimper. It wasn’t an
ordinary cry but the low mating call of the
beta coyote.

In response, Vance growled. “You

know that isn’t fair.”

“All’s fair in love and war. And this is

most decidedly love.”

“This is definitely love.” Vance rose

over him then took his time looking at
Skylar as he lubed up his cock. “I can’t
even begin to find the words to tell you
how amazing you look. A full day in the

sun has darkened your tan and brightened
your hair. I can even see a bit of a line
now from where your swimming trunks
covered you up.”

“I can see yours, too.”
Vance grinned and then lowered himself

to his mate. But he didn’t join their bodies
together.

“Is something wrong?” Skylar asked.
“I just wanted to know if this—having

the ability to surf here—makes you happy
enough that you want to stay.”

Skylar couldn’t believe it had taken him

this long to see that just the idea of his
unhappiness had tormented Vance. He was
a planner, and he wanted to know if he
should plan on a life here or if he had to
find another way for them to compromise.

“I want to stay.”
Vance’s sigh of relief was so loud

people on the next beach could probably
hear it.

“Under one condition.”
Vance tightened right back up. “And that

is?”

“You have to stay with me.”
This time, his sigh slipped out as he

laughed. “That I can do.” Tenderly, he
swept the hair off Skylar’s forehead. “I
just wanted to make you happy.”

“Finish what you started and I’ll be

ecstatic.” Skylar lifted his legs and
wrapped them firmly around Vance’s hips.

Ever so slowly Vance sank his cock

deep into Skylar. He held steady for a
long time, kissing Skylar’s face and neck

before he started to rock his hips. True to
the fantasy Skylar had always wanted to
bring to life, Vance didn’t rush. He made
love to Skylar with his entire body.
Wordlessly he showed him how much he
loved him. But Skylar already knew. As
he surrendered to his mate, opening up his
body so Vance could go deeper, Skylar
showed him that he felt the exact same
way.

As their pleasure built they moved even

more slowly. Eye to eye and heart to
heart, they deepened the intimacy of their
act by breathing in sync. When the urge to
climax came, they smiled and worked
together so that they released within
seconds of one another. Skylar had never
known anything so perfect as the day that

Vance had given him.

“I love you.”
Vance smiled. “I love you, too.”
Fate may have thrown them together, but

they had made their relationship work by
putting each other’s well-being first.
Skylar knew that as long as they continued
that tradition, they would stay together and
be blissfully happy for the rest of their
lives.

THE END

WWW.ANITRAMCLEOD.COM

ABOUT THE

AUTHOR

Reading, writing, and white-water

rafting are the three things Anitra Lynn
McLeod enjoys the most. You can visit
her at www.AnitraMcLeod.com.

For all titles by Anitra Lynn McLeod,

please visit

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