The Furry Matchmaker

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

AVE

had a list a mile long of things to do today, and, much

to his regret, not one of them involved him getting laid. That
was  not  happening  anytime  soon  after  his  boyfriend  of  two
years left when they’d had fight a few months ago. Time had
run  together  since  as  he  threw  himself  into  his  business,
keeping  busy  even  though  that  had  been  the  reason  for  the
argument in the first place.

As he drove along, he gazed across the road, marveling

at how it could be sunny on a January morning but still just
above  freezing.  He  crossed  the  bridge  and  was  nearly  to  the
other  side  when  something  caught  his  eye.  It  looked  fluffy,
like  a  stuffed  animal  someone  had  left  there  by  accident.  It
was one of the most realistic toys he’d ever seen.

Too realistic. His gut churning, he drove down to the

next light and got in the left hand turn lane. All it would take
was five minutes to check it out, and then he could be on his
way. It was probably some pranksters with a video camera
attached somewhere nearby who would be laughing their
asses off when he stopped to “rescue” the poor kitten.

The light turned green and he turned his sporty little

sedan around to head back. He was back to the spot on the
bridge  where  a  tiny  little  ball  of  fluff  sat  on  the  concrete
barrier  that  stopped  cars  from  flying  off  onto  the  busy
interstate below.

She was tiny if she was real, her calico fur ruffled from

the wind. He wondered why she might have gotten up there.

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

He figured it was to get more sun, although there were
thousands of places safer to do so. Kittens were cute but not
always the brightest creatures.

She was sitting in the sunshine, which meant there was

a  fair chance she  didn’t  have rabies,  a part of  his mind told
him. Another part of his mind told him to get back in his car
and  call  animal  control.  Instead  he  took  off  his  jacket  and
stepped out of the  car slowly, not wanting to  startle  her.  He
threw  the  jacket  down  on  the  seat,  knowing  he  would  need
something to wrap her in to keep her warm.

He closed his door and approached her. She was sitting

on the barrier with her rump facing him, so he couldn’t see if
she was real or not. He moved slowly toward her, and as he
got closer he realized with a jolt of fear that he was directly
over the interstate below.

Determination replaced the panic as adrenaline rushed

through his system. He took another step closer, and
suddenly she turned her head a little. He couldn’t breathe,
shock choking the air from his lungs as he realized she was
real and alive.

He hadn’t realized he’d been worried she possibly was….

No, he couldn’t even think about that, not inches away from
saving her. He had to do something, and he had to do it fast.
Remembering his training from volunteering in an animal
shelter during college, he reached out, quick as a snake, and
grabbed her scruff.

Her fur was soft as could be, but she was ferocious and

a fighter. He could tell she was scared as she swung her
paws around, her claws unsheathed. He tightened his hold

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

on her and a few seconds later her instincts kicked in and
she went limp, as if her mama were carrying her.

“It’s okay, little one,” he cooed as he took her quickly

back  to  his  car.  He  opened  the  car  door  and  set  her  gently
down  on  his  jacket,  wrapping  her  quickly  in  a  makeshift
carrier.  He  picked  up  the  bundle  and  set  her  down  in  the
passenger seat.

He got a better look at her in the car, and he realized

she  was  hurt.  His  heart  twisted,  and  he  felt  sick  for  a
second,  looking  at  this  tiny  baby  that  was  having  such  a
rough  start  in  the  world.  He  took  a  deep  breath  to  steady
himself and grabbed his cell, needing to find the nearest vet’s
office.

He found a local one, just down this same road, called

Royal Veterinarian and Boarding Services. He knew where it
was located, having seen it a couple of times on the way to
the home improvement store.

He pulled away from the barrier when it was safe,

driving  as  quickly  as  he  could  down  to  the  small  shopping
center  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town  he  lived  in.  He  had  to
stop for a red light once, and he looked over to the passenger
seat to check on her. She was shaking, probably still scared
from being on top of the concrete barrier for who knows how
long in the bitter cold.

Then she looked up at him, her little blue eyes still

cloudy, and let out a tiny little squeak. He was a goner. He
lost his heart to the tiny munchkin wrapped in his jacket
like a burrito. “Just a bit longer, little princess.”

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

This seemed to satisfy her because she settled down,

closing her eyes. He concentrated on driving, needing to get
her there as fast as he could.

He pulled into a parking space in the lot in the strip

mall, hopped out, and ran inside the vet’s office. There was a
tiny slip of a girl with dark, curly hair sitting behind the
receptionist’s desk.

“Can I help you?” she asked, her smile widening as she

turned her gaze to him.

“I found a kitten out on the highway and she’s injured. I

don’t know how badly, either.”

She frowned slightly. “Is she yours?”

He shook his head. “No, I just found her on the

overpass. She’s bleeding and she’s hurt. I don’t know what to
do with her,” he said helplessly.

She nodded and got up out of her chair. “We normally

don’t take injured animals, but let me ask the doctor. Just
give me one sec.”

He nodded as she walked down a hallway to a door

marked for staff only and opened it. She ducked inside and
closed it behind her. It seemed like ages until she came back
out again and smiled. “Bring her in.”

Relief flooded him as he raced out the door to his car.

He opened the passenger seat, reaching for her. She was still
now, except for her even breathing. He picked her up, trying
his best not to disturb her as he rushed her inside.

The girl beckoned for him to follow, taking him back to a

treatment room where he set the kitten down on the

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

sparkling  table,  and  then  left  the  room  for  a  minute  and
came  back  with  a  little  basket  with  a  blanket  in  it.  She
picked  the  kitten  up  and  placed  her  gently  in  the  basket,
cooing  quietly.  “Oh  yes,  sweetheart.  Look  at  you,  pretty
baby.”

“Is she going to be okay?”

The nurse looked at him and sighed. “I hope so. She’s

only about four weeks  old, but  she appears to be a fighter,”
she  said,  looking  back  down  at  the  kitten  already  trying  to
crawl  out  of  the  basket.  She  set  down  some  papers  with  a
pen. “Just fill these out, and I’ll take her back for Dr. Prince
to  look  at,  and  then  he  should  be  in  to  tell  you  about  her
shortly.”

Dave nodded as he sat down in a chair while she

whisked the tiny fluff ball away. After all the excitement of
getting here, he was finally coming down off his high, and his
body started to shake from all the adrenaline in his system.
Now he could relax. She was in good hands.

HRISTIAN

glared at the woman who stepped through the

door with a basket in her hands. “I can’t take in every stray
animal that comes through our door.” His tone was stern,
but his nurse knew his big heart and the fact he often did
just that.

Mary pouted. “I know. But the guy who brought her in

was so hot, he was a hunka hunk of burning love. I couldn’t
say no.”

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

Christian laughed as she set the basket down on the

table and the orange and black head of the kitten popped up
with a tiny squeak. “Aw, she’s so cute.”

“So is her knight in shining armor.”

Christian arched his eyebrows. “Try to concentrate on

the patient here, not her savior?” He tried to say it with a
straight face, but after a glance at her dreamy expression, he
couldn’t help but chuckle.

Too bad for him the apparent hunk who saved the kitten

was  probably  straight.  Christian  could  have  used  the
distraction  of  a  hot,  torrid  love  affair.  He  worked  too  much
and  his  sex  life  was  positively  lackluster,  except  in  his
fantasies.

He focused on his patient to do a quick exam on her,

ordering  an X-ray just  for  his peace of mind.  After Mary  left
with the kitten, he washed his hands and then straightened
his  scrubs  as  he  left  the  room.  Even  if  the  hunk  who  was
waiting  in  the  treatment  room  for  word  on  the  kitten  didn’t
swing his way, he still wanted to look good.

He walked down the hall to exam room two, thankful it

was a slow day at the office. He did have a few appointments
later in the evening, including a visit to a farm out in Winter
Haven.  He  would  take  the  kitten  home  with  him,  knowing
she  would  need  to  be  bottle-fed  for  a  little  while  longer.  He
made  a  mental  list  as  he  stood  in  the  hallway,  thinking  of
what he would need tonight for her.

He was stalling outside the door, nervous about seeing

the man inside the room. He didn’t know why, so he took a
deep breath and opened the door.

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

When Christian saw him, he felt like he’d been punched

in  the  gut.  Mary  was  absolutely  right.  This  man  had  to  be
simply the most beautiful man ever. Dark brown eyes looked
up at him, worry evident in them as he ran his hand through
thick,  dark  hair.  Full  lips  begging  to  be  kissed  were  pursed
with apprehension.

“Doctor?”

He held out his hand. “Dr. Christian Prince, how are

you today...? I’m sorry. Mary didn’t tell me your name.”

“David Wallace. Just Dave is fine.”

“Just Dave, then,” Christian said absently as the brown-

eyed  man  stood  up.  He  was  a  few  inches  shorter  than
Christian  and  well  built,  thick  and  muscular  like  a
weightlifter,  making  Christian  happy  his  scrubs  were  loose
fitting to hide his already throbbing erection. Dave was hot—
sinfully so.

Christian steered his mind back toward business,

needing  the  anchor  to  his  thoughts.  “It  looks  like  she’ll  be
fine. I’m taking an X-ray just to be safe, but she doesn’t have
any  obvious  injuries.  The  blood  on  her  face  was  just  a
scraped  nose,  and  some  of  her  teeth  looked  like  they  were
knocked out.”

“Whatever treatment she needs, I’ll pay for.”

Christian smiled at his eagerness to help, but he’d

noticed the way the other man’s cheeks paled when he listed
off the kitten’s injuries. “She’s going to be fine. Don’t worry. I
know her face looked bad when she came in, but it was just
her baby teeth. Her adult teeth will grow back in.”

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

Dave nodded, but he couldn’t seem to keep his head up.

“That’s good. Listen, can I go now? I feel tired. I think I’m
going to go home and take a nap.”

Christian chuckled as he took a step toward Dave. “I

think you’d better sit down.” He’d seen that look too many
times to be too surprised as the burly man swayed slightly.
“Better yet, how about lying down?”

The haze was obvious in Dave’s gorgeous dark eyes as

he tried to keep his head up. He tried to speak, but Christian
was  already  reaching  out  to  catch  him  as  he  fell  forward.
Christian  was  thankful  for  the  workout  he  did  three  times
weekly, because Dave was  a big man. He guessed Dave was
almost six feet tall and nearly two hundred pounds, but the
way he’d become dead weight, he could barely hold him.

“Mary!” he shouted, hoping his technician could hear

him  through  the  soundproofed  walls,  cursing  them  for  the
umpteenth  time.  He’d  been  happy  about  them  when  he’d
first  rented  the  new  office  space  for  his  practice  because  it
muffled the noises the animals made when they were scared
or  injured,  but  if  he  needed  an  extra  pair  of  hands,  he  was
generally screwed.

He wrapped his arms around Dave’s chest, holding the

larger  man  closer,  getting  a  better  hold  on  him  as  he  slid
them  both  to  the  ground.  He  groaned  under  Dave’s  weight,
his  own  legs  parting  naturally  to  accommodate  the  way
Dave’s body leaned against him like a lover’s.

Christian swallowed hard as he looked down at Dave’s

fluttering  eyelashes.  His  breathing  seemed  normal,  and  he
didn’t  seem  to  be  in  distress,  so  Christian  assumed  he  had
just  passed  out  from  hearing  about  the  kitten’s  injuries.

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

Christian smiled ruefully. How sweet. A knight in shining
armor who saved the day now needed saving.

He was a gorgeous knight too. He had tan skin, a little

stubble  gracing  his  firm  jaw.  Christian  wished  he  could  see
those  chocolate  brown  eyes  again,  especially  this  close.  And
last  but  definitely  not  the  least,  Dave  had  a  heart  of  gold  to
stop  and  save  an  animal  most  people  wouldn’t  have  noticed
in their busy work day.

Right now, that muscled body of his was causing

problems because it was pressed against an intimate portion
of  Christian’s  body.  With  that  sensual  pressure,  his  cock
hardened. He enjoyed being on the bottom, especially with a
guy  as  sexy  as  the  one  on  top  of  him,  but  he  did  need  to
have  his  partner  awake  and  wanting  him  back.  Nothing
seemed  to  kill  his  erection  since  his  cock  obviously  had  a
mind of its own.

“Dr. Prince!”

He looked up at Mary who had just stepped into the

room,  her  expression  aghast.  “Mr.  Wallace  passed  out,  and
rather  than  let  him  break  his  nose  on  our  lovely  floors,  I
caught  him.  Can  you  get  a  pillow  and  blanket  for  him?  I
don’t want him to go into shock.”

As she rushed from the room, Christian turned his gaze

back to the man who was now leaning heavily on him,
breathing steadily yet softly. What a day this had turned out
to be, he thought to himself.

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

AVE

groaned, rolling over on his couch, and snuggled

deeper  into  his  scratchy  blanket.  Wait,  he  had  a  very  soft
cotton blanket that he kept folded on one side of the couch,
not  a  scratchy  one.  He  opened  one  eye  and  looked  at  the
black  leather  couch,  knowing  his  couch  was  brown.  The
walls were gray instead of the cream he’d painted his condo
the weekend before he moved in.

He sat up quickly, and dizziness set in. Memories came

swirling  back  to  him,  one  about  being  asked  his  name,
another  about  the  date,  and  finally  one  about  being  helped
to  a  couch  as  he  lay  down,  feeling  disoriented  from  fainting
in  the  vet’s  office.  He  must  have  fallen  asleep  afterward,
needing a bit of rest.

“Lay back down.” He heard wheels from an office chair

as  his  vision  filled  with  a  man  in  blue  scrubs.  He  tried  to
focus  on  the  face  belonging  to  the  voice  that  convinced  him
to  rest  more.  He  could  listen  to  that  voice  all  day  and  long
into the night. It was smooth, and it warmed him like a finely
aged whisky.

He looked up at the man the voice belonged to and

found his voice didn’t do him justice. If he’d found someone
this  gorgeous  at  the  clubs  in  the  area,  he  would  have
certainly shown up there more often. To say he was easy on
the  eyes  with  his  surfer  boy  good  looks  and  pale  blue  eyes
was saying the least. He hated to think it, but he was already
falling  into  those  gorgeous  eyes.  He  needed  to  stop  that,
since the vet was probably married, and he was fairly certain
the  wife  would  have  something  not  very  nice  to  say  about
him lusting after her husband.

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

“Feeling okay?” the vet—Dr. Prince, that was his name—

asked.

“I’m better now,” he said. “Sorry for falling over like an

idiot.”

“Oh, I’ve seen worse than you. I once had this old man

who passed out when I gave his toy Chihuahua a shot. I
have to admit the way the dog’s eyes bugged out looked
weird, but still.”

“Thank you for taking care of me, Dr. Prince, but I really

need  to  go,”  Dave  said  stiffly,  trying  to  tamp  down  on  his
arousal  before  he  pulled  the  blanket  off.  He  tried  to  sit  up,
only to feel a strong hand on his shoulder pushing him back.

“I’d really feel better if you waited a little bit to leave,

especially since you don’t have anyone to drive you home.
And call me Christian.”

He let out a breath as he slipped a hand beneath the

blanket to discreetly adjust himself. Oh, the things
Christian’s voice did to him, mainly reminding him of all the
things he wanted to do to the good doctor. Those blue eyes
were looking at him imploringly, and Dave couldn’t help but
give in. “Okay.”

Christian smiled at him before rolling back to the desk

next to the couch. He started writing in a file that was open
on the desk. His dirty blond hair fell over his forehead as he
scratched  away  at  the  paper.  He  stopped  for  a  moment  and
then pressed his lips together, deep in thought. His blue eyes
clouded  for  a  second,  and  he  looked  like  he  was  trying  to
remember something.

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

Unexpectedly, he glanced over at Dave. Dave sucked in

his breath when he met Christian’s gaze. He wasn’t sure if it
was the fainting spell or the desire racing through him that
had the room spinning.

“Do you want some water?”

Dave barely realized the vet was talking to him as he

gazed at him. When he took in the doctor’s amused smile, he
realized he’d been staring, probably like a lovelorn fool. He
flushed, looking down at the blanket. Christian was probably
used to it by now, women and men falling all over the
handsome doctor. “No thanks… but how is she?”

“She’s fine, actually. X-rays came back fine. The little

patchwork cat is all patched up now.”

Dave snorted. “Oh wow.”

Christian flushed a little. “Yeah, I worked on that one

for a while.”

Dave couldn't help laughing at the rueful smile, his

focus drawn to Christian’s lips. They were a dark rose, bright
pink and moist. He sat up, the dizziness plaguing him now
gone. Christian looked at him and frowned. “You should
rest.”

“I’m fine,” he said as he swung his legs to set his feet on

the floor. “I really need to get going. I wasn’t planning on
making a pit stop to save a cat today.”

“Would you like to see her?”

Dave looked at those ice blue eyes as he stood up.

Christian got up as well, reaching a hand out to catch him,
just in case he fell. He knew he should probably walk out

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

right  now  and  not  look  back,  but  something  inside  him
wanted  to  stay.  He  felt  comfortable  with  Christian,  like  he
could  tell  him  anything—except  about  the  lust  pouring
through him.

He let out a sigh, meaning to turn him down. He needed

to get away and get a hold of his thoughts before he was in
Christian’s presence again. Surprise flooded through him
when he said, “Yes.”

Next time he would bite his tongue. Being around the

handsome doctor was doing a number on his addled brain.

Christian beckoned for him to follow as he made for the

door, holding it open for him. “So, what do you for a living?”

“I was originally a physical therapist, but I created my

own line of products designed for health and rehabilitation,
so I manage that mainly now,” Dave said.

“That must be really cool. Do you still work out?”

Dave nodded. “I started it when one of my co-workers

was in a car accident. He was pretty badly injured, and I
worked with him to get him back into shape, and I got
hooked. It’s a nice high, ya know?”

Christian smiled as he opened another door and

stepped through. Dave saw past him into a room where there
were a dozen cages of different sizes. There was one about
shoulder level with a blanket inside, the other cages empty.

He heard the squeaking as they approached, a tiny little

head popping up from folds. The calico looked much better,
her nose still raw and red but no longer bloody. Dave’s
stomach turned slightly at the thought of her injuries, but he

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

kept it together as they approached and Christian opened
the cage.

He reached in and scooped up the little ball of fluff as

she squeaked. “She’s a real talker this one, especially when
she’s hungry. Can you hold her while I fix her formula?”

Dave hadn’t wanted to hold her because he could feel an

attachment  forming  to  the  little  fur  ball  and  to  the  doctor.
But  as  Christian  held  out  the  kitten,  Dave  reached  out  to
take her and was rewarded with the doctor’s smile again.

Dave was pretty much a slave to those gorgeous lips,

feeling  weak  in  the  knees  as  he  looked  at  Christian’s
handsome face. It disappointed Dave to  know Christian was
probably  thinking  about  formula  calculations  for  the  tiny
calico instead of figuring out the time it would take for them
to rip off their clothes and fall into bed together.

He smiled mirthlessly. It figured. As a “fuck you” from

fate, the hottest guy he’d ever seen was probably straight
and completely uninterested. How about that for serendipity.

HRISTIAN

turned away to get the bottle ready, his hands

working  from  memory  while  his  mind  wandered.  He  didn’t
want  Dave  to  leave  only  to  never  see  him  again.  He  capped
the bottle, his heart pounding.

Dave was holding the kitten firmly, his large hand

underneath  the  kitten's  tiny  bottom.  Both  were  adorable,
especially  the  way  the  burly  man  was  looking  down  at  the
purring  bundle.  Christian  walked  over  and  held  out  the
bottle.

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

The kitten latched onto it as Dave looked down, a

genuine  grin  crossing  his  lips.  Dave  had  an  engaging,
gorgeous smile, Christian thought to  himself. Those full lips
framed  perfect,  straight  teeth—and  what  he  wouldn’t  do  to
graze  his  lips  across  Dave’s  jaw  bone,  feel  it  clench  as  his
hand  roamed  lower  and  slid  into  the  jeans  molding  to  his
ass.

Dave met his eyes, and Christian felt lightning snake

down  his  spine.  All  it  would  take  to  kiss  him  was  to  step
closer  and  meet  those  full  lips.  What  he  wouldn’t  give  to
taste  Dave’s  sweet  mouth,  slide  his  tongue  inside,  and  kiss
him thoroughly until the sun came up.

He shook his head, trying to clear it. The kitten was still

sucking on the bottle even though the formula was long
gone. There was an honest attraction in those dark eyes, and
it made Christian lick his lips as he released a deep, throaty
sigh.

He was floored. Dave was attracted to him, his soft

brown  lips  parting  as  his  breathing  quickened.  A  moan
escaped  that  sinful  mouth,  and  lust  exploded  in  Christian’s
body.  He  leaned  toward  Dave  to  kiss  him,  fire  racing  along
his nerves with a surge of adrenaline mixed in.

Dave’s body jerked minutely, and Christian pulled away.

A look of confusion crossed his face, his eyes growing darker.
Christian looked down at him, trying not to let how much
the rejection hurt show on his face.

“Uh, I have to go,” Dave said uncomfortably. He held out

the  tiny  ball  of  fluff  as  she  squeaked  angrily  from  being
woken  up.  She  had  been  resting  against  Dave’s  firm  chest,
lulled to sleep by the steady heartbeat.

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Disappointment flooded Christian as he took the

proffered  kitten.  It  was  obvious  Dave  was  not  at  ease  with
the  situation,  and  it  occurred  to  him  the  other  man  might
even be in denial of his obvious sexual attraction to men.

His body screamed for him to keep Dave there, but the

instant Christian had taken the kitten, Dave had made for
the door. Christian sighed and put his charge back in the
cage, closing the door so she wouldn’t fall out. “Dave.”

The burly man turned around as Christian spoke his

name.  Dave’s  warm  brown  eyes  told  him  a  different  story
than  what  the  hard,  muscled  body  was  telling  him.  Ripples
of  tension  floated  along  the  bunched  muscles  Christian
could see under his shirt, but Dave’s eyes were full of desire.
Christian really wanted to run the tip of his tongue teasingly
along Dave’s hot skin and have the gorgeous man return the
favor.

Instead of walking over to him, dragging their bodies

together, and kissing him thoroughly, he suggested, “I’ll walk
you out?”

A light dimmed in those dark brown eyes, and he

instantly felt terrible. If only Dave would be honest to himself
about wanting another man, then he’d have something to
work with, a platform to start from. Right now, he wouldn’t
even know where to begin.

Dave nodded and turned around as Christian grabbed

his jacket.

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

AVID

wanted to hit his head against the steering wheel as

he drove home. Frustration sang through his veins while his
cock throbbed. He groaned as he tried to adjust himself but
finally gave up. Nothing he did was going to take care of this
problem until he got home and jerked off while thinking of
those riveting blue eyes.

He’d had to get out of there, what with the doctor

standing so close to him. He could still feel the body heat the
handsome  vet  had  given  off  when  he’d  stood  so  close.  He
didn’t  have  to  look  up  much  to  stare  into  those  pale  blue
eyes, the color of the sky on a clear day.

The doctor was like a fantasy come true with his sandy

blond  hair  and  those  gorgeous  eyes,  not  to  mention  his
slender  body.  He’d  always  had  a  thing  for  tall,  slender,  and
handsome  guys,  and  Dave  knew  he  was  fit  and  attractive—
except to straight guys like Dr. Prince.

Christian had given off a distinctly heterosexual vibe

Dave  knew  would  make  trouble  for  him.  He  didn’t  want  a
straight guy who  was  curious.  He  didn’t want a guy looking
for just fun either. He was over that part of his life at the ripe
old  age  of  thirty-two.  He  wanted  someone  to  come  home  to,
to laugh with, to lie in bed with and make love to.

It made him sick with regret Christian wasn’t that guy.

He would still fantasize about the doctor, but he wouldn’t let
his  heart  get  involved,  although  he  was  fairly  certain  he
didn’t  have  that  pesky  part  of  himself  anymore,  since  he’d
given it away countless times already.

He pulled up to his connected garage, sighing in relief.

Once inside the condo, he stripped his clothes off as he

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made for the shower. He turned on the shower, turning to
look in the mirror.

His vision blurred as fantasy took over. The gorgeous

doctor  was  behind  him,  trailing  his  lips  along  his  nape,
caressing  his  dark  hair.  Dave  groaned,  the  sound  filling  the
bathroom as his hand went to his cock.

He closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see he was really

alone  in  the  bathroom,  jerking  himself  off.  He  wanted  to
think about what Christian would do if he was there. Would
he  be  slicking  himself  and  then  loosening  Dave  to  take  his
hard  dick?  Dave  growled,  and  it  echoed  in  the  bathroom  as
he increased the pressure on his cockhead.

“Christian,” he whispered, wishing the man were there

and willing to hear his name on his lips, the words thick
with lust. Dave leaned against the wall as his hand
quickened, his knees weakening as his peak neared.

He wished he’d felt the other man’s lips on his own so

he would know now what to remember as he fantasized, how
the man would touch him as they came together.

He tensed, his peak taking him by surprise. As the

pleasure left his body, he closed his eyes, his fantasy fading
and the cold seeping into his chest. The doctor could never
be his.

T HAD

been hard to wake up the next day and fill the

orders,  but  he  continued  on.  Each  day  it  got  easier  to
concentrate  on  work  and  not  think  about  the  hypnotic  blue
eyes  of  the  doctor.  After  nearly  two  weeks  had  passed,  he

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answered his business line and heard a voice he never
imagined he’d hear again.

“David? It’s Christian, from the vet’s office.”

Shock ran through his system as the warm voice on the

other end washed over him. “Hi, Doctor. What can I do for
you?”

“Just call me Christian,” he said with a laugh. “I wanted

to give you an update on the kitten you brought in. She’s
doing fine. She’s always hungry and quite vocal about it.”

Dave winced. “God, I’m sorry to burden you with her.

I’m sure you have enough to do without another animal to
take care of.”

“It’s fine,” Christian said. There was a long pause after

he said that, and Dave felt like he should say something.

“Can I take you to dinner?” he blurted out just as

Christian said, “I guess I’ll hang up now.”

“No, don’t hang up,” Dave said quickly. “I’d like to repay

you with dinner at my place. It’s a really great thing you did,
taking her in like that.”

There was silence on the other end and Dave wanted to

kick himself. He’d put Christian in the bad position of having
to turn him down. He was about to apologize when he heard,
“That sounds great. Home cooked?”

Shocked, Dave blurted, “Sure.” He wanted to secure the

date, but suddenly he realized he needed to think of menu
and what he would wear, and his mind went into a jumble.

“I’m free tomorrow night.”

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“Uh, yeah!” Dave said eagerly. “I’ll make a stir fry. I’m

into healthy eating. I hope you don’t mind.”

He was babbling, but Christian didn’t seem to notice or

mind. “I can’t wait. I’m so busy at the clinic and with visits to
farms, I never get to eat at home. Sometimes my clients will
take pity on me and send me home with a meal, but it’s
different when you have good company.”

Dave nodded along with his words until he realized

Christian couldn’t see him. “Wonderful. I’ll see you at six?”

Christian agreed, Dave gave him directions, and then

the vet hung up. As he set his cell phone down, Dave
couldn’t help but wonder if it had been a nervous shake he’d
heard in Christian’s voice or if it was just wishful thinking on
his part. Dave shrugged it off as he started writing down
ingredients for his shopping trip tomorrow.

HRISTIAN

walked up the corridor to the condo Dave had

given  him  directions  to.  The  invite  to  dinner  had  been
unexpected  and  very  welcome.  Most  of  the  time  he  was  too
busy to eat, grabbing a microwave meal at work. This would
be  a  treat,  especially  with  the  company  he  would  share  the
dinner with.

He wasn’t sure he had the right condo number when he

saw the beautiful woman standing in front of the door. As he
came closer, he saw Dave’s gorgeous smile as he stood in the
doorway, the one that had Christian weak in the knees.

He felt like the breath had been knocked from his lungs.

That smile was meant for him, or it at least should have

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been, except Dave hadn’t seen him yet and he was still
looking at her.

He really did have a frog in his throat when he cleared

it, brought on by the shock threatening to choke him.

Dave looked up suddenly, a surprised look on his face.

“Christian, you’re early.”

It seemed like his windpipe closed, choking him. “I’m

sorry. I got done seeing patients sooner than I thought I
would.”

Dave looked uncomfortable, looking between the blonde

and him, before finally Christian took pity on him and said,
“I should’ve called before coming over early. I didn’t know
you’d have your girlfriend over. We’ll do this another time.”

He didn’t wait around for Dave’s agreement. He just

walked  down  the  hall  back  to  his  car  with  a  heavy  heart.
Stupid,  stupid,  stupid,  he  cursed  himself.  Why  would  he
think  a  handsome  hunk  would  want  a  skinny  guy  when  he
was so obviously into the girl on his doorstep?

AVE

swallowed hard when he realized he was reaching for

Christian  as  he  walked  away.  He  looked  down  at  Denise,
thinking  she  would  be  laughing  at  his  pathetic  attempt  to
touch  the  man  who  had  his  back  to  him.  He  couldn’t  call
after Christian without looking like a total desperate idiot so
he settled for banging his head against the doorjamb.

“Oh no! Don’t do that!”

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He pulled his head away to stare at Denise. “He thought

you were my girlfriend.”

She pulled a face. “Why would he think that?”

“Oh thanks,” he grumbled. “My ego hasn’t had enough

of a beatdown lately. He’s the vet I took the kitten to, and I
invited him over to dinner tonight to repay him.”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that. I meant doesn’t he know

you’re gay?”

He shook his head with an exasperated sigh. “No, and I

think he’s straight.”

“Oh geez, Dave. Are you kidding me? Why else would he

have  agreed  to  come  to  dinner,  especially  with  that  lovesick
look  on  his  face?  If  he  was  just  a  friend  or  he  was  straight,
he  would  have  stayed.  He  wouldn’t  have  cared  I  was  your
girlfriend.”

He had to admit Denise was right about Christian

accepting a dinner date. Although one observation stuck in
his head. “Did he look lovesick? Really?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “You must be blind, Dave. If he

looked at me like that, I’d have him naked in my bed in the
blink of an eye.” He glared at her and she chuckled. “Not
that you have anything to worry about big boy. The doctor
has eyes for you only.”

He sighed. “I’ll call him tomorrow. Care for dinner? I

already have the chicken marinating.” At least tonight he
could wallow in his sorrows with a friend. Tomorrow, he
would tackle the doctor if it was the last thing he did.

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AVE

tapped lightly on the glass. He’d been knocking for a

bit. It was about five minutes after closing, and he saw the
doctor’s truck still in the parking lot. Dave had tried to call a
couple times to set up a time to meet, but his calls had gone
to voice mail.

Finally, he saw movement behind the darkened glass.

Christian came to the door, saw him through the glass, and
unlocked it. After Dave stepped through, he locked the door
again and said, “I’m sorry I didn’t answer your calls. It’s been
a bad day here.”

Dave could tell by the dull look in Christian’s eyes he

was upset. “It’s okay. I was just worried about you.”

Christian didn’t say anything. He just walked out of the

front office and down a hallway. Dave assumed he should
follow, so he walked behind Christian back to the office he’d
woken up in a couple weeks ago. “I’m sorry Denise was there
when you stopped by.”

Christian looked at him ruefully. “I probably should

have stuck around. Nothing like a home-cooked meal.”

Dave wished Christian had said more, like the company

wouldn’t have been bad either. But he’d take what he could
get. “Uh, you said you had a bad day. I’ll come back another
time if you’d like.”

Christian shook his head as he sat down in the chair at

his  desk,  files  piled  high  in  the  inbox.  “No,  please  stay.  It’s
just  been  a  long  day.  I  didn’t  get  much  sleep  last  night
because  a  client  had  a  show  dog  who  gave  birth  and  it  was
rough.”

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David sighed, his heart hurting for Christian. “Were they

okay?”

Christian nodded with a smile. “She had two puppies,

and I really thought one wasn’t going to make it, but they all
did.” He looked away, pinching the bridge of his nose.

David shoved his hands into his pocket to keep from

throwing his arms around Christian to comfort him. “God,
I’m sorry.”

Christian nodded. “Then a lady who I’ve known since I

was  a  kid,  when  I  used  to  come  to  work  with  my  Dad—she
called and asked if I could come out to see her cats for their
yearly  visit.  She  normally  brings  them  in,  but  her  daughter
was  there,  and  I  guess  she’d  had  a  stroke.”  Christian
swallowed  hard  as  he  finished  speaking.  “She’s  been  a  real
sweetheart, and she loves her cats. I could tell those animals
are  upset  about  her.  They  wouldn’t  come  out  much,  and
after their shots, they just slunk back under her bed.”

Dave looked at Christian’s drawn face, feeling his pain.

“I’m sorry.” He didn’t know what else to say so he just sat
there, wishing he could absorb the other man’s pain.

Christian nodded. “Thanks. So, you want to have that

dinner? I might be able to scrape something together.”

Dave shrugged. “I could pick some stuff up and make

you dinner. You look like you need a shower and a good
meal.” And amazing hot sex, his mind supplied as well. Dave
wanted to slap himself.

Christian nodded mutely before rattling off an address

Dave wrote down. “Give me an hour?” Christian asked.

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Dave nodded with a smile. “Any orders for the chef?” he

asked, wanting to see a smile on Christian face.

He was rewarded with a smile. “Not really. Anything’s

great. Thank you.”

Dave grinned back. “Anytime.”

T WAS

a little over an hour until Dave could get to the

address  Christian  had  given  him.  It  was  a  gorgeous  ranch-
style  home,  older  yet  comfortable  looking.  The  three-car
garage  was  still  open,  and  the  truck  he’d  seen  Christian
driving  was  parked  next  to  a  low-slung  sports  car.  He
whistled as he parked over to the side, grabbing the groceries
as he walked to the front door.

He didn’t have a chance to ring the doorbell. Christian

opened the door, his dark hair wet, dressed in a pair of jeans
that  molded  to  the  slender  frame  that  had  haunted  Dave’s
dreams  for  the  past  few  days.  The  jeans  were  paired  with  a
dark  blue  T-shirt  that  enhanced  Christian’s  gorgeous  blue
eyes.

“I have a driveway chime,” Christian answered Dave’s

unspoken question.

“You’re not just psychic?” Dave quipped.

Christian

shook

his

head.

“Just

average

veterinarian.”

Average was not a word Dave would use to describe the

man standing in front of him. Mouth-wateringly gorgeous,
maybe. He realized he was staring and looked away furtively.

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He followed Christian into the kitchen, setting the bag down
on the island.

“Nice kitchen,” he commented.

“Thanks. My mom designed it a couple years after I was

born. My dad didn’t really see a need to change it after she
passed away.”

“I’m sorry to hear about that,” Dave said honestly.

“About my mom? Thanks,” Christian said, opening the

fridge.  He  pulled  a  beer  out  of  the  fridge,  offering  Dave  one.
He  twisted  the  top  off  and  took  a  swig.  “It  was  just  my  Dad
and  I  for  a  long  time.  I  used  to  follow  him  around  at  the
clinic all the time, watching his gentle hand with patients.”

Dave listened as Christian spoke quietly about his

family  and  how  he  became  a  vet  and  took  over  the  family
practice.  As  he  chopped  the  vegetables  and  potatoes,
throwing  them  in  a  pan  along  with  the  chicken  and
seasonings,  he  left  it  to  bake  before  turning  back  to
Christian.

“So, it’s just you here? What about a wife and kids?” he

asked, washing his hands.

Christian frowned. “No wife, no kids. I’m not married,”

he said, holding up his left hand and wiggling his ring finger.
“Wouldn’t I be wearing a ring?”

Dave shrugged, stuffing down the hope rising within

him. “Some guys don’t wear rings,” he said. “My dad never
did, and he and my mom have been married for thirty-one
years.”

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“Well, I would if I ever got married. I’d wear one proudly,

but I’d have to move to Massachusetts or Vermont to get
married.”

Dave froze in his tracks. Did he mean what Dave

thought he meant? “You’re gay?”

Christian winced. “I should have told you sooner, but I

didn’t have the right timing to say, ‘Hey, I like guys’.”

Dave was floored. His gaydar must have been broken

because to him, Christian wasn’t putting off feelings of being
interested. Oh. Just as quickly as he’d become excited, it left
him. He wasn’t getting those vibes because Christian just
plain wasn’t interested in him.

Christian stared at the counter. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t

have said anything. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable
about me being gay.”

Dave swallowed hard. “I don’t feel uncomfortable about

you  being  gay.  I  just....”  He  trailed  off,  unable  to  speak  or
even think. He felt like he’d been offered a whole cake only to
have  it  snatched  away  cruelly.  Christian  looked  hurt  and
Dave felt a surge of protectiveness rise within him.

“It’s okay to admit you’re uncomfortable. I understand.”

He was so quiet when he said it, Dave’s heart shattered.

“I’m not uncomfortable,” Dave said firmly. “I’m gay too,

so there’s no reason to feel weird.” He shoved his hands in
his pockets and met Christian’s eyes.

His gut twisted as he tried to not get his hopes when he

saw the anticipation there. A longing accompanied it, the
intensity matching his own.

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HRISTIAN

stepped forward as Dave let out a sigh. Screw it,

he thought to himself as he wound a hand into Dave’s thick,
soft hair. Let him push me away if he doesn’t want this.

He lowered his lips to Dave’s, crushing their mouths

together roughly. Dave’s hands came up to rest on his chest,
and  for  a  second  he  really  did  think  the  other  man  would
push  him  away,  disgusted  with  him.  Instead,  Dave  twisted
his hands into Christian’s shirt to hold their bodies closer.

Dave moaned as Christian’s mouth started to throb

from kissing him so hard. He couldn’t back off, not until he
was certain this was real.

Dave’s hands left the grip on his shirt to wrap around

his  waist  as  Dave  rocked  his  hips  forward  at  just  the  right
time.  A  needy  cry  rose  up  in  his  throat,  and  he  broke  the
kiss.

“God, I’ve wanted this,” Christian admitted.

“Me too,” Dave said softly, the lust in his eyes evident.

Christian’s cock throbbed as he thrust his hips into

Dave’s. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“Thought you were straight. I should’ve said something.”

“Yeah, you should have,” Christian whispered as they

bumped  their  hips  together.  Christian’s  head  dropped  back
as  he  gasped.  As  their  still-clothed  cocks  slid  against  each
other,  it  wasn’t  enough  to  satisfy,  only  tease.  He  panted  as
Dave’s hands slid along the hemline of his shirt, sliding it up
and finally touching skin against skin.

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“David,” Christian moaned, thrusting his hips. His

hands  moved  up,  lifting  the  shirt  as  he  went,  shivering  as
those  thick  fingers  slid  against  his  heated  skin.  His
breathing  was  uneven  and  labored  when  Dave  finished  the
task and pulled the shirt up over his head, throwing it to the
side.

Dave ran his hands over Christian’s chest, thumbing his

nipple gently. “Wow. You’re gorgeous.” He met Christian’s
eyes after he said it. He looked so honest and open.

Christian dipped his head to kiss Dave again, wanting

to  feel  those  soft,  wet  lips.  This  time  he  was  gentler,  sliding
his  tongue  inside  Dave’s  eager  mouth,  meeting  that  hot
tongue.  Every  nerve  jumped  in  his  body,  and  suddenly  the
need  to  be  skin  against  skin  was  too  much.  He  tugged  on
Dave’s  shirt,  pulling  it  up  to  reveal  a  cut  physique  that  had
Christian  nearly  drooling  on  himself  as  he  pulled  off  the
other man’s shirt.

“You say I’m the gorgeous one? Just... wow. Hot.”

Christian  was  reduced  to  one-word  sentences,  his  brain
taking  a  mini-vacation,  but  only  as  far  as  speech  went.  His
cock was responding, rock hard and twitching and neither of
them  was  naked  enough  for  his  liking.  His  hands  went  to
Dave’s button-fly jeans, jerking them open quickly. He got a
glimpse  of  black  briefs  pulled  taut  from  the  thick  cock
straining against the cotton fabric.

He leaned in to suck on Dave’s earlobe, his hand going

to  Dave’s  briefs  and  palming  the  bulge  there.  He  was  about
to  dip  his  hand  inside  the  briefs  when he  felt  Dave  pushing
at  him.  He  pulled  back  to  look  at  Dave,  only  to  find  him
looking at the floor.

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The little fuzzball was sitting on the floor, looking

incredibly happy with herself, a serene look on her face. If
the little calico could have smiled, she would have. Dave,
however, looked slightly put off. “Uh, I can’t do this with her
watching.”

Christian chuckled. “C’mon, then,” he said, taking

Dave’s  hand  and  leading  him  out  of  the  kitchen.  He  took
Dave  into  his  bedroom,  closing  the  door  behind  them  and
pushing Dave against it.

He had to touch, to feel Dave’s hard cock in his hand.

He shoved the briefs and jeans down Dave’s thighs and then
encircled  Dave’s  thick  prick  with  his  hand.  Dave  gasped
before  Christian  claimed  his  mouth  again,  kissing  him
deeply.

Dave broke the kiss before Christian got all he wanted

and  let  out  a  strangled  cry  as  he  shoved  his  cock  into
Christian’s  hand.  Christian  looked  into  his  brown  eyes,
watched  them  go  unfocused  as  his  hand  slid  up  and  down
Dave’s shaft.

Their bodies moved together in a primal rhythm, their

gasping  cries  only  serving  to  make  Christian  harder  as  he
stroked Dave’s cock. He wanted to taste Dave, too, and gave
him a final kiss before he fell to his knees. Dave’s moans got
louder;  Christian  loved  how  he  voiced  his  pleasure  without
holding back.

He held Dave’s cut prick in his hand and swirled the

red, engorged head with his tongue. Dave’s choked cry urged
him on and he took the whole tip in his mouth, reveling in
the taste of his lover.

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He sucked on the tip while he worked the shaft, tasting

the fluid leaking from the slit that he tongued gently. Dave’s
moans urged him along, as did the hand in his hair. He
worked it slowly at first, wanting to draw it out, hoping that
sucking cock was like riding a bike—you never forgot how.

He moved his hand from the shaft down to the other

man’s  balls,  palming  them  and  enjoying  the  growling  noise
Dave issued. He was tugging at Christian’s hair, pulling him
off  his  thick  cock.  “You  don’t  get  to  have  all  the  fun,”  Dave
said, tugging him to his feet.

Dave’s hands were on Christian’s jeans, opening them

and pulling down the zipper. “Oh, wow. Do you go
commando all the time?” he asked, looking at Christian’s
long prick as it tapped lightly against Dave’s stomach.

Christian nodded. “Easier when you have to change

scrubs at work.”

Dave groaned. “Oh shit, now I’m going to think of you

like this under your scrubs every time I see you.”

“There’ll be more times in the future, then?” Christian

almost grimaced when he heard the needy tone in his voice,
but as he looked up into those earthy eyes, his
embarrassment fell away.

“Yeah,” Dave said hoarsely, cupping the back of

Christian’s  neck,  pulling  him  in  for  a  desperate  kiss.  Their
tongues met  as Dave’s hand encircled Christian’s cockhead,
rolling  it  gently.  He  saw  stars  and  felt  weak  in  the  knees  as
Dave took the fluid gathered there and spread it around the
head. “I want to feel this inside me.”

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Christian drew back at the words, surprise hitting him.

Dave’s eyes flew open as he pulled back. “Are you sure? I
thought you’d want to be on top.”

Dave licked his lips. “Maybe next time. Right now, I

gotta get your big, long dick inside me.”

Christian gasped as a wave of lust rolled through him,

his  cock  twitching.  He  finished  getting  naked  as  they  made
their way over to the bed, grabbing a condom and lube out of
his bedstand. It had been ages since he’d needed a condom,
since he  didn’t use one when it  was just  him and his hand.
He  peered  at  the  expiration  date  on  the  package  and  then
looked at Dave, who was staring back at him.

He flushed, setting the condom down. Dave was

stroking himself, the look on his face expectant. His body, all
over,  was  perfection.  His  tan  attested  to  a  little  Spanish
heritage  instead  of  Dave  being  a  sun  worshipper.  His
muscled  shoulders  were  broad,  his  waist  was  narrow,  and
then there were those gorgeous cheeks.

Christian went to his knees, licking his lips. Dave’s eyes

widened  as  Christian  bent  forward,  palming  the  generous
globes  of  Dave’s  ass,  spreading  them.  Christian  leaned  in,
biting  one  and  slapping  the  other.  Dave’s  moan  filled  the
room,  echoing  in  Christian’s  mind  as  he  leaned  in  and
tongued the tight, clenching hole.

Dave let out a groan, slamming his palm down on the

cotton sheets. “Fuck, Christian!” Dave’s cries only urged him
on, and he dragged his tongue leisurely along the puckered
hole as Dave shivered.

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Christian finally pulled away, and Dave fell against the

bed. “Gonna kill me,” Dave whispered, looking over his
shoulder as Christian ran his hand up Dave’s back.

Brown eyes darkened with lust as Christian reached up

and cupped Dave’s cheek. He trailed a finger along Dave’s
lips, tapping them gently. “Suck them,” Christian said
hoarsely.

He’d studied those full lips and tasted them as well, but

he wasn’t prepared for the intensity of the lust he felt as
Dave rolled his tongue along his digits. Christian sucked his
breath in as Dave mock-fellated his fingers, making soft little
sighing noises that had Christian’s balls aching.

Once his fingers were good and wet, Christian pulled

them  out  and  probed  Dave’s  tight,  puckered  hole.  The  gasp
he  heard  as  he  stretched  Dave  sent  a  shock  through
Christian’s  body.  He  leaned  over  and  planted  a  kiss  on  the
dimple  above  his  ass  cheeks  as  he  fingered  Dave’s  grasping
hole.

He took a dollop of lube and smeared it on the tight

hole,  moving  inside,  feeling  the  puckered  hole  stretching
around  his  fingers.  He  grabbed  the  condom,  tearing  it  open
with  his  teeth,  wishing  he  could  feel  Dave’s  tightness  sans
protection.  Later,  he  thought  to  himself  as  he  rolled  the
rubber on.

Dave turned back, his eyes glistening with want.

“Please,”  he  begged,  and  Christian  briefly  wondered  how  he
would  react  to  being  restrained,  tied  to  his  four-poster  bed
and  teased  mercilessly  for  hours.  He  smiled  darkly  at  the
thought  as  he  positioned  his  cock  at  Dave’s  entrance,
pushing in slowly, gently.

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Dave’s hand tightened in the sheet, and he let out a cry

of  passion so  full of need  that Christian’s balls drew up. He
closed  his  eyes,  taking  deep  breaths,  wanting  this  to  last.
Dave  had  other  ideas,  shoving  his  hips  back,  taking
Christian all the way in.

Christian tensed, his vision going white momentarily. He

leaned in, trying to get the breath back in his lungs as he
ground out, “Fuck, Dave.”

“Been too long,” Dave sighed, tightening around

Christian’s cock. “Just ride me hard. Make love to me later.”

Christian was used to being in charge, but at Dave’s

words he obeyed, whispering in his ear, “Gladly.” He started
fucking Dave’s hot, slick ass. He lost himself in the moment,
his  blood  pounding  in  his  ears,  his  balls  tightening,  and
when  Dave  came  and  his  ass  started  the  rhythmic  tensing,
the haze around Christian’s vision clouded reality.

Christian came with a shout, his knees weakening. He’d

be damned if he could remember sex being so amazing with
anyone, ever.

next morning, Dave awoke to an alarm going off. His

internal  clock  never  let  him  sleep  in,  so  he  couldn’t
remember ever needing an alarm of any kind. He rolled over,
realizing the most comfortable bed he’d ever slept on  wasn’t
his and the noise wasn’t his alarm.

The amazing sex and the burnt dinner along with the

laughter and kisses all night came rushing back to him, as
did the invitation to stay the night. He remembered

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

accepting after having a can of soup heated in the microwave
with a  promise of  a  real dinner  soon.  Now  he looked for the
annoying  sound,  intent  on  smashing  it  to  pieces,  when
suddenly it stopped.

Dave had done the whole one-night-stand thing before.

Instead of the awkwardness he normally felt the morning
after, he felt whole, like he was home. Looking into
Christian’s eyes, he said, “Morning.”

He felt the covers shift, but Christian didn’t move. He

saw  the  little  kitten  had  crawled  up  the  blanket  onto  the
bottom  of  the  bed,  mewling.  Demanding  though  she  was,
Dave couldn’t help but smile at the little scamp. Right then,
he wondered if the kitten was a little cupid, sent to bring the
two of them together.

As Christian snapped his fingers and made a little noise,

the  kitten  walked  up  the  covers  to  sit  on  Christian’s  chest,
purring  madly.  As  she  looked  over  at  Dave  peacefully,
kneading the comforter, he knew for certain she was a furry
little matchmaker.

Two Years Later…

“

you remember your lunch?”

Christian smiled. He had forgotten his lunch yesterday,

and Dave had driven all the way to the clinic to bring it to
him. They’d ended up sharing the meal in the short amount
of time he had in between patients, just staring at each

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

other. It was rare they were able to have lunch together with
being so busy, but they always had dinner together.

He picked up the brown bag. “I did now.” It was nice,

having  Dave  to  watch  over  him.  Even  more  wonderful  was
coming  home  every  night  to  his  smiling face  and  waking  up
every morning snuggled against his warm, muscular body.

Dave chuckled. “I’ll walk you out,” he said, coming

around the butcher block to follow him out to his truck.

Once they stepped outside into the crisp morning air,

unseasonably cool for March, Dave enfolded Christian into
his arms. “Have a good day at work.”

“You too,” Christian whispered, brushing his lips

against Dave’s ear in a gentle kiss. “I’ll call you when I’m on
my way home. Have I told you how much I love you?”

Dave grinned as Christian pulled away. “Not since this

morning when you woke me up with a blow job, which, may I
say, was amazing. Feel free to wake me up any time like
that.”

Christian leaned in to kiss him, realizing just how

routine these mornings had become, with Dave walking him
out  to  send  him  off,  sneaking  in  furtive  caresses  and
whispered  promises  of  what  was  to  come  later  that  night.
There was something missing, though.

He felt the brush against his ankle, and he pulled away

from  Dave,  looking  down  to  see  the  calico  brushing  against
his  ankles,  purring  madly.  She  sat  back  on  her  haunches
and looked up at them, meowing delicately.

The Furry Matchmaker | Lori Toland

Every morning during the week was like this, with Dave

and the calico they had named Mynx escorting him out to
his car for work. He had never been happier.

He pulled away from his family and got in his truck,

waving as he backed out. He felt a surge of pure happiness,
knowing they would be waiting for him when he came home.

CEO by day, manlove writer by night,

ORI

OLAND

somehow finds time to play video games and watch movies
while taking care of her cats and husband.

Visit Lori’s web site at http://www.loritoland.com or e-mail
her at

lori@loritoland.com

The Furry Matchmaker ©Copyright Lori Toland, 2010

Published by
Dreamspinner Press
4760 Preston Road
Suite 244-149
Frisco, TX 75034
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the
authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,
business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover Design by Mara McKennen

This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is
illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon
conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No
part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. To
request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 4760 Preston Road, Suite
244-149, Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

Released in the United States of America
May 2010

eBook Edition
eBook ISBN: 978-1-61581-433-6

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