Page 33 of Forbidden Moon
He knew they were also making long-overdue improvements to the plumbing and electrical systems as well. The ugly concrete exterior, now half-covered by the new facade, would be a tremendous improvement. The last notice he received warned of new window installations over the next two weeks. He’d already moved the meager furniture away to give them space to work, both in the living room and bedroom. It didn’t matter since the folks across the water were no longer shifting where he could see them.
Whenever he looked now, they were always in human form and fully dressed. Something changed their usual behavior, though the patrols continued. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if they’d stumbled on his Strange Things blog and decided to cool it for a while. He dismissed the idea with a laugh, as it was unlikely they knew anything about it or could tie it to him in any way.
The train of thought led him to his co-worker, Russell. He’d been uncharacteristically quiet lately, with no shapeshifter questions or digging for information. Oh, they remained cordial with one another, only speaking about work-related subjects. Dominic wasn’t quite sure what happened there, but his instincts told him to be wary. Men like him didn’t change their behavior without a good reason, and the last thing he needed was some kind of trouble with the guy. Best to keep quiet and hope Russell didn’t bring it up again.
Chapter 14
OF ALL THE DAYS TObe held up, did ithaveto be today? RJ spent a good portion of the afternoon at the Haymeadow Creek Recreation Area investigating a report of illegal dumping. By the time he returned to the office and finished the paperwork, it was well after five. He rushed home, sent Jonah a quick text, and stripped out of his work clothes. As a man of his word, and one who prided himself on punctuality, RJ didn’t want Jonah to think he was feckless or lazy. First impressions were important, and showing up late for your first date sent the wrong message.
RJ repeated his morning routine with alacrity: shower, shave, brush teeth, deodorant, a dab of cologne, dress. At five minutes to six, he locked up the house, climbed into the pickup, brought up Garth Brooks on his playlist, and headed for Gladstone. There’d been barely a moment all day when hewasn’tthinking of Jonah, eager to spend time with the man that didn’t involve official business. Their meeting yesterday gave him the confidence to manage his first real date without totally screwing it up. If things went well, he hoped they’d be spending a lot more time together.
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AS USUAL, JONAH CLOSEDup the office at five and then took his time freshening up before changing into his nicer clothes. Robert, dismayed at the lack of anything remotely suitable in Jonah’s closet, ran back home to grab several of his better shirts. Nothing Ash wore would fit Jonah’s slimmer frame, and because no one else was supposed to know what they were up to, Robert’s clothes were the only option.
They’d finally settled on a snug, royal blue, V-neck shirt which complimented Jonah’s eyes and revealed a tantalizing swath of chest hair. Matched up with black khakis and a freshly polished pair of dress shoes, Robert deemed the outfit nominally acceptable. Before leaving for home, he’d all but demanded a clothes shopping trip as soon as they could arrange it. Jonah smiled at the memory, knowing Robert only wanted to help him look good for his mate without overdoing it.
Around five-thirty, his phone pinged with a short text from RJ.
> Running late. Be there by six-fifteen.
Damn! The last thing he needed wasmoretime to wait and worry. He appreciated the heads-up from his considerate mate anyway and decided on some mindless tasks to keep his body busy while he cogitated. He’d surprised Robert last night by asking him to explain what dates were and what they accomplished.
“Well, a date is a social engagement where two people spend time together. Often it means going somewhere, like a movie, meal, concert, or ballgame. It could also be something informal, such as hanging out, taking a walk, or running errands. The point of it all is to become acquainted with the other person through conversation, interaction, and observation. RJ knows virtually nothing about you as a person, let alone as a shifter.
“He’ll want to know everything—your interests, how you think, what makes you laugh, or angry, or happy. If a relationship is going to work, he has to be sure the two of you are compatible. It’s the best humans can do before making an exclusive commitment, and even then, a huge percentage of couples split up eventually. As shifters, the bond ties us together and settles the commitment question right away, giving us the rest of our lives to figure out the other stuff. You don’t have that option, which means doing it the human way.”
While Jonah understood what Robert told him, it was foreign to his thinking and experience. Sure, his daily interaction with humans helped, but he wasn’t trying to build a life-long relationship with any of them! Adding a raging libido and a bushel full of secrets only made the prospect of dating more difficult. In the end, hemustwin over his mate, no matter what it took.
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RJ PULLED UP TO THELRC office at five after six, noting the same dark red Subaru from yesterday parked nearby. With a deep calming breath, he shut off the truck and went inside to get his date. Jonah’s incredible scent enveloped him as he opened the door, and there he stood, looking even better than the last time.
RJ slipped off his sunglasses to get a good look, dick twitching as he boldly eyed him up and down. The shirt clung to Jonah’s perfectly proportioned torso, highlighting every muscle and revealing a mouth-watering peek at a hairy chest. Dark pants hugged his lower half, revealing a slim waist, firm thighs, tight ass, and a prominent bulge in the front. Yow!
“You look... terrific.”
Jonah flashed him a nervous smile, eyes wide. He thought RJ was hot in his uniform but almost creamed his pants with this urban cowboy look.
“Thanks. You do, too.”
“Sorry for being late. Work kept me busy all day, and I got here as soon as I could.”
Without quite knowing how, Jonah found himself almost nose to nose with RJ, submerged in his mate’s scent. He reached up to brush the back of his fingers over the man’s smooth cheek, causing him to shudder at the touch. Realizing what he’d done, Jonah tried to pull his hand away and step back. RJ caught it, lifted it to his mouth, and pressed a soft kiss on the palm.
