"Sure. I'll meet you back here in a couple of hours once I'm finished with business." He looked at the smile that curved the other man's lips. d.a.m.n he was hot. As he stared, the man's tongue swept out along his lower lip and Garret's groin tightened. "I'm Garret," he said, mesmerized by the movement of the pink tongue. He wondered what it would feel like on his c.o.c.k. "I'm Rob." The man reached up and brushed his fingers along the placket of Garret's khaki trousers. "I'll be waiting." He sat down at his table and saluted Garret with his drink, a sly smile playing about his lips.

Garret headed for the restaurant, his head spinning with alcohol, l.u.s.t, confusion, and a good dose of pain. Holden wasn't the only one upset by circ.u.mstances, he thought angrily as he followed the hostess to a private room where the rest of the Antaeus International executives were. Luckily, they were all standing around with c.o.c.ktails in hand instead of seated at the long table. He would have hated walking in late only to find them all seated and staring at him. His eyes instantly picked out Holden standing in a corner of the room, deep in conversation with his brother Declan. Briefly, he wondered if Holden had told his brother what had happened.

A hand touched his shoulder and he turned, grateful to find his boss Emily standing there in a red designer sweater and black silk slacks. "They only seem like they'll bite," she murmured in his ear.

Garret smiled. He liked Emily. There was a lot more to her than people realized. "Who exactly?" he asked in a conspiratorial whisper.

She waved her hand, the contents of the martini gla.s.s sloshing dangerously near the rim. "All of 'em. But mostly, those Antaeus brothers." Her hazel eyes narrowed then. "And Sean's brown nosed Siamese twin."

"Siamese twin?" Garret wondered if this was some colloquialism that he didn't know.

Emily nodded, her sleek blonde ponytail bobbing. "Vahid. He and Sean are like Siamese twins, attached at nose and a.s.s. Vahid's nose to Sean's a.s.s," she whispered.

Garret bit the inside of his mouth to stop himself from roaring with laughter. "How many of those have you had?" he asked his boss, gesturing toward her drink.

She shrugged carelessly and finished it. "Who cares? It's not my dime and I'm not the one doing all the speeches tonight. I'm ent.i.tled to get blitzed on a night like this. I lost my chance to be happy because of this job. Alcohol helps make that circ.u.mstance easier to live with."

Emily sauntered away toward the bar, balancing carefully on her spike heeled shoes. Garret's grin faded as he processed Emily's words. He would never have guessed she was so unhappy. She had a brilliant mind for finance and was a perfect corporate executive. He'd never heard anything but rave reviews for her. Getting a glimpse of her private h.e.l.l made him wonder if he would end up the same. His happiness hinged on Holden's acceptance of what was meant to be. He'd never liked having things out of his control but he'd learned early on in the stock market that he had to let go and take the risks. Dealing with Holden would be a lot like playing the stocks. And at the moment, he was losing his a.s.s...

Dinner turned out to be a boring drawn out exercise in patience and tact. Emily sat beside him getting drunker by the minute. On his other side, Vahid grew stiff with annoyance the more Emily drank. Sean's speech was like a bad spoof of motivational speakers. Far down the table from him, Holden and Declan had their heads together and were writing on napkins. Tension coiled around the back of Garret's neck and tightened his spine. He hoped like h.e.l.l that Rob was gonna suck his c.o.c.k because after this dinner, he needed some kind of release or he'd never get to sleep knowing that Holden was so near, yet so far from accepting him. The moment Sean concluded the evening, Vahid grasped Emily by the elbow and hustled her limp form from the room. Holden and Declan disappeared. Sean appeared beside him, a small smile curling his firm mouth.

"The Australia takeover has issues," he said gesturing toward the seats his brothers had vacated. "Don't be surprised if Holden doesn't make it back to your suite until the wee hours." He flashed a grin then. "Are you settling in? Learning all the names?"

Garret smiled politely. "Yes. Emily's great. I'm going to enjoy working with her."

"I knew you would," Sean replied, his grin fading a little. "She'll be grooming you to take her place one day so stay sharp."

As Sean moved away toward another group of managers, Garret wondered what he meant about Emily grooming him to take her place. She was young and healthy and immortal. He couldn't see her leaving her job until she was ready to retire. Garret recalled her saying that she'd lost her chance for happiness because of her job. That didn't sound like someone who was preparing to leave. Perhaps Sean had some kind of promotion up his sleeve for her. Holden had said that Sean liked being the puppet master.

As he headed toward the bar, Garret tried to shake off his amazement that Holden had spoken those words only that morning. It seemed like a lifetime had pa.s.sed in the span of a day.

The discovery that Holden was his mate obviously made everything seem surreal. He paused, his footsteps slowing. A big part of him didn't want to meet Rob in the bar. Holden was his mate.

That was who he wanted to f.u.c.k. The memory of that angry kiss lingered in his soul. A shiver went through him. Holden didn't want him and Garrett didn't know how to deal. Questions he had no answers for rose within him. Did he try to convince Holden? Did he leave him alone to figure it out? And meanwhile, was he supposed to be celibate? What if Holden never came around?

Garret's eyes shifted from the elevators to the bar. He barely knew Holden; although, his body recognized the man as his mate. At this point, it probably didn't matter in the least if he was faithful to Holden. The man didn't even consider them a couple, let alone mates. A flash of anger spurred him on toward the bar. On the patio, Rob's long, lean form waited.

Ignoring the waitress, Garret strode over to Rob's table. "Dinner's over."

Rob looked up and smiled, his white teeth flashing. "So I see." He reached out a hand and stroked Garret's thigh. "Do you want a drink or should we go somewhere more private?"

Arousal spiraled through Garret's body. "The coworker I'm sharing a suite with is out for a few hours on business. We can go to my suite and have a drink."

"Sounds good to me."

Rob rose to his feet, his long jean clad legs carrying him easily out of the bar and into the lobby. Garret followed and they got in an elevator. Alone in the car, Rob rubbed a hand over Garret's a.s.s, l.u.s.t filling his eyes. "You bottom?" he asked in a low tone.

Garret shrugged. "I do it all. I'm versatile," he murmured in a sardonic tone. He eyed the other man for a moment, sizing him up. Then he said in a rough voice, "but I'd like it a lot more if you were my little sub tonight. Would you like that?" The l.u.s.t on Rob's face fired brighter. His nostrils flared. The elevator door opened and Garret headed down the hotel corridor to his suite. Once inside, Rob reached for him, but Garret sidestepped out of reach. "Do you want a drink?"

Rob shook his head. "No. Are you gonna tell me what to do?"

Garret walked over to the sofa and sat down. He pointed to the s.p.a.ce between his spread thighs. "Here," he ordered. "Naked."

Rob hurried over, pulling his t-shirt from the waistband of his jeans. The shirt landed on the coffee table. The zipper of the jeans slid down and then the denim thudded to the carpet. Garret watched with narrowed eyes as Rob removed his boots and kicked the jeans aside. By the time Rob was naked, his c.o.c.k was hard. Garret noticed that it was a respectable size, curving up toward his washboard abs and belly b.u.t.ton.

"Stroke it for me," he whispered.

With a low groan, Rob grasped his c.o.c.k and began to m.a.s.t.u.r.b.a.t.e. Pre-c.u.m leaked from the thick head and Garret leaned forward, licking it up with a swipe of his tongue. Rob groaned and thrust his hips toward Garret. Digging his fingers into Rob's thigh muscle, Garret told him, "Kneel here between my legs."

The moment Rob was on his knees, Garret yanked the zipper down on his khakis, lifting his hips to push down his briefs and slacks. He kicked away his shoes and socks and yanked his polo shirt over his head. Spreading his thighs wider, he grabbed Rob by the back of the neck.

"Suck me."

The words were rough, growled in a belligerent tone. Frustration over his situation with Holden fueled his pa.s.sion. He pushed Rob's head toward his straining c.o.c.k. Mouth open, the man came at him. He licked Garret's b.a.l.l.s and rubbed the flat of his palms over Garret's chest, tweaking his nipples. Garret's breath came harder. A low moan escaped him as Rob deep-throated his c.o.c.k. The hot wet suction sent pleasure rippling through Garrett's body. He loved the feel of Rob's mouth on his c.o.c.k. It had been a long time since someone had blown him, let alone so well.

His b.a.l.l.s tightened, but he didn't want to come yet. He pushed Rob away and got to his feet, stepping away from the sofa. He stood, legs braced apart, in front of the door to the patio. Rob still knelt by the sofa, his hand rapidly stroking his thick c.o.c.k. Sweat glistened on his hard body as he stared hungrily at Garret's shaft.

Garret pointed it at him. "Come and get it," he said in a low rough voice.

Rob didn't waste any time. He crawled across the carpet and engulfed Garret's c.o.c.k in his mouth again. A wave of pleasure swept over Garret and he fought not to come. "Stroke your c.o.c.k," he ordered.

He looked down, watching Rob's hand moving rapidly on his own turgid flesh. It was obvious to Garret that the man was going to come very soon. He buried his fingers in Rob's hair and began to f.u.c.k the man's face, at first gently, then more urgently as his o.r.g.a.s.m neared.

Rob's tongue swirled over the underside of Garret's c.o.c.k as his cheeks hollowed with each suck. Garret could feel his b.a.l.l.s tighten, a low ache beginning in them and spreading through his groin.

"f.u.c.k, yeah. Suck me," he growled, smoke trickling from his nostrils. Garret closed his eyes and pretended the mouth that sucked him was Holden's. In the deepest recesses of his mind, he knew that what he was doing was wrong. For another, he knew that s.e.x with Holden wouldn't be anything like this. This was only l.u.s.t. Anything he did with Holden would feel a thousand times better by all accounts.

He pictured Holden's muscular form, imagining it naked, imagining what his c.o.c.k would look like. Rob rolled his tongue over Garret's c.o.c.k. Between the image of Holden's naked body and what Rob was doing to him, Garret felt his b.a.l.l.s release as pleasure flooded his senses. He cried out as he came, his c.u.m filling Rob's eager sucking mouth.

Then a growl of rage penetrated his o.r.g.a.s.m-fogged brain. Garret's eyes flew open to find Holden standing in his bedroom doorway, clad only in a damp towel, his hair wet from the shower. Fury filled Holden's amber eyes making them glow eerily in the dark room. Garret jerked away from Rob, pulling his c.o.c.k from the man's mouth just as Rob came, his c.u.m spurting out onto Garret's shins.

Anger, dismay, embarra.s.sment, and fear all vied for top honors in Garret's head. His eyes were locked on Holden who glared at Rob. Holden trembled with a fury so palpable Garret didn't know what to think. Their eyes met and Garret could see Holden's confused rage. Then Holden spun around and went back in his room, slamming the door resoundingly.

Shaking with reaction from what had just happened with Holden and from the force of his o.r.g.a.s.m, Garret slumped onto the sofa. Rob slinked around picking up his clothes and getting dressed.

"I'll...uh...just take off now...it was...uh...nice..." His voice trailed away and a few minutes later he was gone.

Garret bolted from the couch, gathering his things and storming into his room, slamming the door behind him. Fury replaced every other emotion he'd felt. Holden was his mate, but the man didn't want to be. Yet, he'd barged in on Garret and looked at him with such rage that Garret had wanted to crawl to him on hands and knees and beg his forgiveness.

Tossing his clothes into a laundry bag, Garret got into the shower. Hot water gushed from the shower heads, steam quickly filling the bathroom. d.a.m.n him! Why did Holden have to make everything so difficult? It wasn't supposed to be like this when you found your mate. It wasn't supposed to be confusing and painful. It was supposed to be a joyous thing.

Leaning his forehead against the cool tile, Garret finally calmed and acknowledged to himself that the mating bonds were already winding their tendrils around him. He barely knew Holden and yet he felt guilty for being with Rob. He had to find a way to convince Holden that things would be great between them. Despite being straight, Holden would soon feel the same s.e.xual pull that Garret felt and hopefully it would help ease things between them.

Turning off the shower, Garret stepped out and dried. He slipped into bed and stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours, trying to figure out how to make Holden want him and accept a relationship. He kept seeing Emily, drinking herself into a stupor, and knew with every atom in his body that he didn't want to be that unhappy. It would be unbearable. Already his chest ached as if there was a gaping hole behind his breast bone.

He'd spent a lot of years solving problems for his employers and clients. Now he had a problem he needed to solve and he could barely think about it, let alone come up with a way to make everything right. As the moon crept higher in the night sky, he fell into a fitful sleep, resolving that he would find a way to fight for Holden Antaeus. The alternative would be to walk away and pretend the man didn't exist. Unfortunately, his heart knew differently and wasn't about to let him forget it.

Chapter Three

Holden hadn't ever felt a fury like the one lashing him now. His heart thundered louder than the slamming of his bedroom door and the reverberations rippled through his body. He yanked off the damp towel and slung it full force at a chair before tunneling beneath the covers of his bed to lay, chest heaving, in the darkness.

Confusion, fear, and anger warred inside him for top honors. He'd been off balance from the moment he'd smelled Garret's spearmint scent. Every cell in his body had told him that the man was his mate, but his head refused to wrap around the idea. It didn't seem logical to him. From the moment he'd become aware of s.e.xual attraction, he'd always wanted women. He'd never found men s.e.xually attractive. Yet, there had been something instantly appealing about Garret.

Holden had felt a pull inside him as they'd sat in his office that morning, but he hadn't understood its meaning. Then when he'd brought things to a head with Garret before dinner, only to be told what his body seemed to already instinctively know, he'd been afraid and confused. The more Garret insisted their mating was the truth, the angrier Holden had become. He didn't want or need a complication like this in his life.

Before dinner, he'd cornered his brother Declan and drilled him about mating. Declan had told him everything he knew, which admittedly wasn't a lot because Declan wasn't mated. Holden hadn't told Declan about Garret but he knew his brother suspected something was going on. After dinner, they'd had a cigar and then Declan had left to check on the Australian takeover while Holden had returned to his suite and locked himself in his bedroom, retreating to his personal Jacuzzi tub for a long soak.

Thoughts of his conversation with Garret before dinner had come back to him as he'd let the hot water and bubbles ease his tense muscles. He'd felt the same pull inside him that Garret had said he'd felt. Holden's emotions were tumbled and confused, but they still felt connected to Garret. Fear kept him from even acknowledging that there was a s.e.xual side to the situation. He wasn't ready to face that yet.

The rush and whoosh of the churning water in the tub had droned loudly so Holden couldn't tell if Garret had returned to the suite or not. However, when he had gotten out of the tub and had stepped into his bedroom, the sound of voices in the main room of the suite came very clearly to his ears. He'd instantly known that Garret wasn't alone and although he hadn't wanted to face the part s.e.x played in the whole mating process, Holden had tensed with anger. A possessiveness he'd never felt before had grabbed him, fueling his march across the room. Not even thinking about the fact that he wore only a damp towel, he'd thrown open the door and been confronted with a p.o.r.nographic scene. A sick feeling had taken hold of his stomach as he'd watched Garret in the throes of an o.r.g.a.s.m. The man in front of him had his face buried in Garret's crotch, obviously sucking his c.o.c.k, swallowing his c.u.m. On top of that, the man had clearly been turned on by Garret.

Holden's gaze had taken in the man's thick erection, glistening with pre-c.u.m. Primal emotions had flared red hot inside him and a growl escaped his control as he'd fought the urge to rip the man away from Garret. When Garret had pulled away, the man's c.o.c.k was spurting onto Garret's legs. The urge to pummel the stranger into raw meat had risen inside Holden. For an instant, he'd locked gazes with Garret. In his new mate's eyes, he'd seen regret and pain before Holden realized he literally shook with fury. Spinning around, intent on escaping the sight, sound, and scent of the men's s.e.x, he'd slammed his bedroom door shut. Holden lay between the soft sheets, his body wreathed in heat, his mind in turmoil, and he had no idea what to do. His life had suddenly become a mess. A huge flaming mess, he thought angrily. And apparently, he was the flamer.

Holden had known gay men in his ninety years of existence, but he'd never seen men have s.e.x. Although, he sorta knew what they did together. Well, he did know what they did together, but he'd never given it much thought since it wasn't his thing. Now, as much as he didn't want to think about it, images of a naked Garret with his c.o.c.k in that man's mouth refused to leave Holden's brain. Layered with the rush of emotion and sensation he'd felt when Garret had kissed him earlier, it was all more than Holden could take.

This morning he'd been a normal heteros.e.xual man with a demanding girlfriend whose mouth drove him insane with pleasure. Now, at midnight, he tossed and turned in his bed, thinking about the rasp of a man's stubbled jaw against his own, the taste of his firm lips and agile tongue, and how a wave of pure l.u.s.t had swept over him when he'd seen the man naked. Already the emotional bonds of mating pulled at him. If they hadn't been, he wouldn't have wanted to kill the man who was naked with Garret.

With a heavy sigh, Holden rolled onto his stomach, half surprised to find that his c.o.c.k was semi-erect. He flexed his hips, rubbing his erection against the sheets as he hugged the pillow, burying his face in its softness. What was happening to him wasn't even something he could talk to Declan about, and usually he talked to his older brother about everything. For a moment, he contemplated calling Eden because she always had an open, non-judgmental ear. However, the dilemma he found himself in this time would not go away even if he spilled his guts to his sister.

Nothing any of his siblings could say to him would fix what had happened. He would be forced to accept Garret as his mate whether he was comfortable with it or not. And according to his c.o.c.k, which now throbbed with l.u.s.t, he was becoming more used to the idea by the moment.

Closing his eyes, he rubbed his c.o.c.k against the sheets, the rhythmic sensation making him groggy. As he drifted to sleep, he decided that confusion notwithstanding, he didn't want to be unhappy. He'd heard horrible things about dragons not completing the mating process with their chosen mate. Somehow, he had to find a way to accept what had happened. The first step had to be getting to know Garret. Everything seemed so surreal. If he spent some time with Garret and got to know the man, maybe his emotions and his head would sync up, making the whole mating process a lot easier to swallow. So, tomorrow, he would work on getting to know Garret.

The sun barely peeped over the horizon when Holden woke with a jerk. He lay on his back, spread eagle, the covers kicked off and his skin drenched in sweat. Pools of s.e.m.e.n decorated his taut abdomen and chest.

"Holy f.u.c.k," he muttered in disgust. He hadn't had a wet dream in more than seventy years.

In his youth, s.e.x had dominated his thoughts and dreams. As he'd grown and matured, gaining more control over his thoughts and emotions, his s.e.xual dreams had become fewer and fewer until they'd disappeared altogether.

Holden got up and headed for the shower. As he washed, he tried to recall the dream, but all he got were visions of Garret's naked body as his c.o.c.k slid from the mouth of the man who'd been sucking it so avidly. Hot water sluiced over him and Holden closed his eyes wondering what it would feel like to touch the long lean slabs of muscle that covered Garret's frame. He wondered what it would feel like to have Garret touch him. He'd never thought men attractive before, but he realized that Garret was exceptionally handsome. With his open minded s.e.xuality, he had to have been with quite a few men and women.

Pushing aside his s.e.xual thoughts, Holden stepped out of the shower and dressed quickly in shorts and a t-shirt. He opened his bedroom door and the stale scent of s.e.x a.s.saulted him. With a growl, he let a burst of dragonfire escape him, a small fireball not big enough to set the room on fire, but enough to burn off the smell of that other man's c.u.m. The acrid scent of smoke permeated the room now, and Holden strode over to the wet bar, yanking open the small refrigerator. He grabbed a bottle of water and drank half of it in a couple of gulps. Calm settled along his nerve endings and he set the water on the counter, crossing the room to Garret's bedroom.

Knocking softly, he opened the door. Sprawled on his side, one foot sticking out from beneath the sheet, the sleeping Garret's wide shoulders seemed pale against the navy colored cotton sheets. As Holden watched, he rolled onto his back, his eyes slitting open. The navy sheet rode low against his hips and Holden's eyes were drawn to the finely sculpted muscles of Garret's body. Although taller than Holden, Garret had long smooth muscles and a leaner body ma.s.s. A fine dusting of pale brown hair decorated his pecs and arrowed down his abdomen to disappear beneath the blue sheet.

"Get up," Holden said softly. "The tennis courts are empty at dawn."

Garret's eyes widened in surprise and Holden could see the suppressed emotion in them. "Is that an order or are you asking me?" Garret croaked in a sleep roughed voice.

His caution didn't surprise Holden. With a wry smile, he turned toward the door. "It's not an order, but I'm not asking either. If we're going to figure this out, we need to get to know each other. That means you get your stiff British rump out of bed and join me on the tennis court.

After we play, we'll have breakfast and talk. We should have time to shower before Sean's first workshop of the day."

Holden wanted to look over his shoulder to see Garret's reaction. He didn't. He returned to the main room of the suite and picked up his water, wandering out to the balcony to watch the sun rise. It couldn't have been more than ten minutes later that he heard a soft sound that told him Garret had joined him.

"Holden, I'm sorry."

The softly spoken words caused Holden to release his breath on a sigh. "I am too, Garret." He turned, his gaze caught and held by Garret's. A wave of emotion, mostly indefinable, rose within him, causing an ache in his chest.

Garret swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. "I shouldn't have done that."

Holden sensed Garret's discomfort, but stayed silent, waiting for him to finish. He gave the man points for holding his gaze when by rights he probably wanted to look anywhere else.

"I was angry and disappointed and confused. When Rob came on to me in the bar..." Garret broke off and swallowed again. "I didn't think you would care what I did, but that is no excuse. It's just an explanation of my motivation. I know it was wrong of me to bring him back here on the day I found you. I'm so sorry." It had been a long time since Holden had met someone with the level of integrity that Garret had just shown. "I'm sorry too, Garret," he replied in a low voice. "This whole thing was such a shock. And I know that's not an excuse for my behavior. It's just an explanation."

He smiled as he repeated Garret's words. The British man's eyes lightened as a smile curved his lips. Holden caught a glimpse of brilliant white teeth as Garret's smile flashed out and he suddenly felt sucker punched, his gut twisting with emotion. The urge to reach out and touch Garret overwhelmed him, just like the man's scent filled his senses, until all he could think about was asking him to repeat yesterday's kiss.

Garret's eyes flickered. "You realize that a lot of what you think and feel bleeds out to me now," he murmured. "Despite your natural shielding."

Holden sucked in a breath. "If you know what I'm thinking then just do it, Garret, 'cause the G.o.ds know I can't yet," he said in a shaky voice, feeling his heart begin to race.

Garret took the three steps needed to bring their bodies within inches of each other. Holden began to shake a little with fear and antic.i.p.ation. The first kiss had been a surprise and filled with anger on both sides. This would be their first real kiss. They both acknowledged that they were mates, and that they felt some emotion pulling at them along with a steadily growing attraction.

Regardless of the previous kiss, Holden didn't know what to expect and when Garret's hand came up to wrap around the back of his neck, he stiffened a little at first. Then fire licked through his veins at the feel of Garret's warm palm on his bare skin. He shook harder.

"Don't be afraid, Holden. It's just a kiss."

Garret's soft whisper accompanied the press of his thumb against the underside of Holden's jaw. Reflexively, he tilted his chin up and Garret's mouth came down on his. l.u.s.t swept through his body as Garret expertly parted his lips. Holden gasped a little opening his mouth wider as Garret's tongue glided easily against his own, the wet heat sending lightning bolts of desire shooting through him. This time when Garret's hips brushed his, he didn't move, letting the man press his growing erection against him. His own c.o.c.k started to respond, twitching inside his shorts.

Just as Holden was about to let go and kiss Garret back, the British man broke off the kiss on a long shuddering sigh. "I think we need to go downstairs before I forget that you've never been with a man before, Holden," he said in a shaken voice.

Garret took a step back and Holden took in the stormy green eyes, the wetness of his full bottom lip, and the erection that strained the front of his navy cotton shorts. The broad shoulders covered in a pale blue polo shirt shook a little with his efforts to control his rapid breathing.

Holden felt as shaken as Garret appeared. He knew his black t-shirt did nothing to hide his rapid breathing nor did his grey sweat shorts hide the fact that his c.o.c.k had hardened.

"I don't know how we're going to work this out, Garret, but I don't want to be unhappy either. I don't know why you're my mate, but maybe as we get to know each other that will become clear." Holden's confession spilled from his lips, causing Garret's eyes to widen in surprise. "I know nothing about being with a man and what I'm beginning to feel for you scares me. I've been with a lot of women, but that doesn't tell me how to do... this."

Garret's mouth curved in a rea.s.suring smile that made Holden feel better the instant he saw it. "Holden, I've been with a lot of women and men, but I don't know how to do mates either.

Sure, I know how to kiss a man, how to suck his c.o.c.k, how to f.u.c.k him, and how to let him f.u.c.k me, but that doesn't mean I know how do those things with someone who is the most important person in the world to me. Because, Holden..."

He broke off and reached out to take Holden's hand in his for a moment. "You are now the most important person in my life and we both need to learn how to deal with that."

Holden nodded and Garret dropped his hand. "Did you bring a racket?" Holden asked gruffly.

"Yeah. I'll get it." Garret flashed another of those brilliant smiles that Holden felt in every nerve ending.

As Garret stepped back into the suite, Holden reached for his water bottle with a shaky hand.

Dear G.o.ds. He was actually going to go through with this whole thing. He actually had accepted the fact that he had a male mate. Well, as much as he could accept it at the moment. If Garret had touched his c.o.c.k, Holden probably would have freaked out. He accepted that desire for Garret had begun to wrap it's tendrils around him, but he wasn't ready to get naked with the man. The thought still sort of squicked him out. He couldn't imagine himself touching another man's c.o.c.k, let alone sucking it. Although, f.u.c.king might not be too hard to do. After all, Holden had always loved a.n.a.l s.e.x.