Page 47 of No Strings Attached

“Don’t give him any damn ideas,” Morgan snarled at Kellen.

“My head filled with red haze when he talked about you that way.” Sam was still spitting mad. He was just as protective of his mate as Morgan was of him. Morgan meant everything to Sam, and he would risk injuring his back further in order to defend his bear.

Morgan slowed, as if he was purposely allowing Kellen to get ahead of them. “If you’re still this pissed when we get home, I have the perfect outlet for you.”

“Then you better get me home.”

Chapter Fifteen

As upset as Morgan was that Sam had risked further injury today, watching the guy lose his shit defending him was the biggest goddamn turn-on.

Kellen had had Morgan’s back in that strip club six decades ago, but it was completely different seeing a pocket-sized human fighting tooth and nail to get the person he wanted to destroy for talking shit about him.

Never would Morgan have guessed that Sam had that kind of temper. It had actually been a bit scary.

But Sam had paid a price for his actions. It was evident in the way he walked toward the front door, though he was trying his hardest to hide his pain.

Kellen and Morgan grabbed the bags from the trunk and brought them inside, placing them on the couch.

“Hanging out with you is never dull,” Kellen said. “If you decide to let another shrimp bad-mouth you, give me a heads-up so I can get a front-row seat.” He gripped Morgan’s shoulder. “You lucked out when it came to mates.”

“I did.” Morgan looked toward the stairs and wondered if Sam had gone up already.

“I’m gonna hit the road. It was good seeing you again, Morgan.”

He walked Kellen to the front door. “It was good seeing you again, too. Be careful of who you shoot your game to. One day it might bite you in the ass.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, my brother.” Kellen smirked as he left.

Shaking his head, Morgan closed the door and locked it. The guy might have his issues, but he was one hell of a friend.

“Sam?” Leaving the bags for now, Morgan glanced in the kitchen, but he didn’t see his mate. He walked upstairs and went to their bedroom.

His heart dropped when he saw Sam on the floor, his eyes closed and his arms at his sides. Morgan knelt, his insides clenching. “Sam, talk to me.”

“I’m just lying here because the hard floor makes my back feel better,” Sam said without opening his eyes. “If you breathe a word to Dr. Baldwin about what I did today, I know where you sleep.”

Morgan lay on his back next to Sam and folded his hands over his stomach. “If you scare decades off my life again by letting me find you flat on the floor, I’ll put his cell number on my speed dial.”

Not that Morgan had Hendrix’s personal cell number.

“I take it your anger is gone.”

Sam smiled, still not opening his eyes. “Admit it, watching me go after that skank got you hard.”

“Watching you defend my honor did.”

“You always make it about sex.” Sam laughed, opening his eyes and turning his head to look at Morgan. Once again, those dark blue orbs mesmerized him.

“Do I really do that?”

Sam entwined his fingers with Morgan’s. “No, but when you do, I enjoy giving you a hard time. You’re easy to have fun with, and I like when you make things about sex. It makes me feel desirable.”

Morgan frowned. “Are you kidding me? You have this beauty you’re not even aware of, and it flows seamlessly from your appearance to the core of who you are. I don’t desire just your body, Sam. I desire everything about you.”

“Every time you say stuff like that to me, you restore just a little more of my self-worth.” Sam rolled to his side, pushed to his knees, and unsnapped the button of Morgan’s jeans.

Morgan circled his fingers around Sam’s wrist. “I don’t want you to exert yourself just to bring me pleasure, Sam. I know your back hurts.”

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