Chapter 16
The next couple of years were so busy that Jonah barely had time to think, let alone fret about his nightmares. Not that they were gone. No, the visions of his mother still plagued his sleep just as often as the erotic dreams featuring Zev. And the dreams continued to share the strange wolf connection. In fact, the dreams about his mother now had a new twist where the men he saw with her were sometimes wolves. That is, they looked like wolves, but Jonah always knew they were the same men he’d seen in previous dreams. None of it made sense.
“What are you up to tonight, Jonah?”
Jonah looked over at the staff room door and saw his friend Katie walking in. The petite blonde flopped down on the couch next to Jonah and moved a coffee cup sitting on the table so she could rest her feet on it. After looking around for a new place to put the cup, Katie sniffed the liquid, shrugged, and drank it.
“You’re disgusting.” Jonah shook his head and laughed in spite of himself.
“Hey, it’s not as if this sludge they call coffee tastes good when it’s fresh, so what’s the difference? At this point, it’s medicinal. I need the caffeine so I can stay awake tonight. I just pulled a sixty.”
“Aren’t you off now? Go home and get some sleep,” Jonah said.
“Nah, I need to get laid. It’s been an embarrassingly long time.” Katie took another sip as she furrowed her brow, looking like she was in deep thought. “Shit, I think it’s been almost a month. I haven’t had a dry spell like this since… I’ve never had a dry spell like this.”
As pretty and smart as Katie was, Jonah had no doubt that was true.
“Poor baby. A month. Welcome to my world,” Jonah replied. He rolled his neck around and felt it crack.
“No thank you. Your world scares me. It’s all sunshine and roses with Mr. High School Sweetheart.”
“What kind of a lesbian are you? Aren’t you supposed to be renting U-Hauls on your second date and not gallivanting around from one woman to another?”
Katie smiled and shrugged. “I have a short attention span.”
Jonah shook his head and chuckled. “All right,” he said as he rubbed his hands over his face and forced his tired body off the couch. “Are you taking off now? I’ll walk out with you.”
The hospital wasn’t in a bad neighborhood, and it wasn’t as if Katie could protect Jonah if they were attacked—the woman barely cleared five and a half feet and was thin enough that a strong wind would probably blow her away—but Jonah still felt better with company. Over the past several months, he’d constantly felt like he was being watched when he was outside at night. He’d never actually seen anyone, but the feeling was still disconcerting.
“Yeah, let’s go. I have just enough time to go home and change into something slutty before hitting the bars.”
“And what, pray tell, would that be? A flannel shirt and some cargo pants?”
Katie smacked Jonah’s chest without turning her head. “You’re an ass.”
“Kidding,” he said with a laugh. “I’m kidding! I know you’re the femme. Speaking of which, I get that you’re into girls who keep their hair short, but what’s the deal with the scissors in bed? Can’t they wait until later to get a trim?”
“I’m officially ignoring you,” she said and shook her head as they kept walking to their cars. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. I blew it with Dr. Hottie again.”
“I seriously doubt that, Katie. The woman wants you. Trust me.”
“Right, because you’re the authority on women,” Katie said and rolled her eyes. “Besides, even if she wanted me before, she’s changed her mind after the latest fiasco. The other day Lucy and I were practicing wraps and she walked in. I smiled and gave her my best ‘come and get me’ look. Then I tried to flick my hair back, totally forgetting that my arm was covered in a splint and gauze, and almost gave myself a black eye. She thinks I’m an idiot.”
Jonah laughed and put an arm around Katie’s slender shoulders.
“That’s doubtful, given your resume. But whatever else she thinks, she also knows you’re hot. And I’m pretty sure that’s the feeling that’s gonna win out in the end.”
“Spoken like a true guy,” Katie said. “You have no idea how women work. Besides, you wouldn’t want me to go out with someone who just wants me for my looks, would you?” she asked with feigned horror.
“When has that ever stopped you?” Jonah said drolly.
Katie grinned and put her arm around Jonah’s waist. “Stopped me? Hell, it’s a plus. I was just confirming what you meant.”
“Uh-huh,” Jonah said. “What was that you said about me not having a clue about how you work?”
“Whatever.” Katie waved her free hand in Jonah’s direction. “What about you? Gonna take off anytime soon to see Mr. Wonderful again?”
Jonah smiled dreamily and nodded. “His name’s Zev. And, yeah, I have three days off in a row.”
Katie tightened her grip and gave him a squeeze.
“Glad to hear it. This couldn’t have come a moment too soon.”
“You having sympathy pains from my empty-bed syndrome?” he asked.
“Nah. I’m too busy worrying about my empty bed to think about yours. But you’ve seriously looked like shit lately. You need to relax, and you always seem better after your trips to meet your guy.”
“Aww, Katie. I didn’t know you cared,” Jonah said with one hand on his heart and his eyes blinking rapidly in a mock fluttering motion.
“I don’t. But if you run yourself down any further, you’ll end up getting admitted for exhaustion and I’ll have to work more shifts. So, you see, it’s in my best interest for you to keep your act together.”
“Now, there’s the self-absorbed woman I know and love. Glad to see all the sleepless nights haven’t made you go soft.”
She scoffed and smacked Jonah’s ass before walking to her car.
“Have fun with your man, Jonah. And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“I will. And from what you’ve told me, there isn’t anything you wouldn’t do.”
She turned back and waggled her eyebrows, Groucho Marx-style. “Exactly! That’s why it’s fun.”
Jonah laughed and waved goodbye, then walked over to his own car. Just as he was opening his door, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he was overcome once again with a disconcerting feeling of being watched. He quickly scanned of the parking lot, but he didn’t see anyone. Then he heard the sound of a heavy door opening and turned around just in time to see a small, brown-haired man disappearing into the stairwell.
“Shit,” Jonah said, shaking his head. “I probably have at least a foot on that guy. Apparently my paranoia knows no bounds. Maybe tomorrow I’ll get the heebie-jeebies from an old lady with a walker.” He hesitated and then added with disgust, “And now I’m talking to myself out loud in public. Wonderful.”
“This room’s great,” Zev said as he followed Jonah into the hotel room.
“Yeah, it is. Oh, God. Remember that first motel we slept in a couple of years back?” Jonah crinkled his nose and shivered at the gross memory. “I’d call it a rathole, but I think even rats knew better than to go in there. Wish I could say the same for the cockroaches. I almost had a heart attack when that one crawled across my arm in the middle of the night.”
“That cockroach was probably cleaner than the sheets on that bed. I don’t even want to hazard a guess about the origin of some of the stains,” Zev replied.
Jonah laughed as he unzipped his bag and moved the clothes into the dresser. They had three days to spend together almost uninterrupted. Zev would need to meet with a couple of retailers, maybe take a few calls, but they both knew these business trips were just an excuse for them to get together.
After Jonah had been called into the hospital during Zev’s first couple of visits once Jonah had started his residency, even though he wasn’t on-call, they’d instituted a new game plan. Jonah would tell Zev his schedule as soon as it was posted, and Zev would make business appointments in neighboring cities and states during times when Jonah had two days off in a row. Then Jonah would meet Zev at his hotel. Jonah rested while Zev worked, and the rest of the time was theirs to spend together. It was a great way to ensure uninterrupted time, but it didn’t happen nearly as frequently as either of them wanted.
“Well, we have you to thank for the improved digs, Blondie.”
“How do you figure, Hassick? I’m just a poor resident. You’re the one covering the bill, Mr. Fancy Businessman.”
A muscular chest pressed against Jonah’s back and strong arms enveloped him.
“I can afford to foot the bill because the business is doing so well. We’ve tripled sales since I started traveling. And we both know you’re the reason for my trips, Blondie.”
Zev stood behind Jonah and rubbed his bare chest against Jonah’s clothed frame. He moved his hands up and down Jonah’s chest, then reached with nimble fingers for the buttons and slowly opened the shirt. Once the fabric draped open, Zev made his way back to Jonah’s chest and caressed his skin.
Moaning, Jonah draped his arms over Zev’s and pushed back against him.
“Mmm.” Zev kept petting him while he kissed his way from Jonah’s ear to his neck and then rained openmouthed kisses on his skin, making Jonah shiver and whimper. Then Zev moved his right hand over to Jonah’s hair, caressing it until Jonah turned his head and took Zev’s finger into his mouth, licking and sucking it.
Zev groaned and bucked, his erection dragging against Jonah. He circled Jonah’s chest with his left hand, trailed around his nipple. Then he pushed down into Jonah’s pants, taking Jonah’s hard cock in a gentle grip and stroking it.
Tilting his head back, Jonah rested against Zev’s shoulder. He closed his eyes and reveled in the feeling of Zev’s skin touching his, Zev’s hand pumping him, Zev’s finger pushing in and out of his mouth. He groaned when the finger pulled out and began playing with his nipples.
“’S good, Zev.”
“Yeah, it is,” Zev mumbled into his neck, his hand continuing the up and down motion. “How’s work going? Any interesting patients?”
“Umm.” Jonah tried to concentrate on something other than Zev’s body. It wasn’t easy. “Oh, there was one patient who came into the ER wanting the aliens removed from his body.” His breath caught when Zev’s palm skirted over the top of his glans, sliding fluid down the shaft. “Said if the surgery went well, he’d bring in his brother, ’cause he had ’em too.”
Zev’s hands suddenly disappeared from his body, leaving Jonah feeling lost. He turned back to look at his friend.
“Why’d you stop?”
“I’m comin’ back. Don’t worry.”
Zev pushed Jonah’s pants down, and a few seconds later, a suddenly slick hand returned to his cock, continuing to jack him. Jonah sighed and rested his head against Zev’s shoulder.
“When’d you start carrying lube around?”
“When I got dressed this morning. Wanted to be ready for you.” Zev nibbled on his ear. “So what’d you do with the alien guy?”
It took several seconds for Jonah to remember what he’d been saying.
“Well, we ran some tests. Turns out he was loaded out of his mind on meth. The hardest part was that he told us they had the equipment to do the alien removal in their basement, but it was noisy and disturbed the neighbors. So his brother told him to come to the hospital to get it done. We were wondering if the brother was drugged out too, but when we called his house, he admitted that he’d just gone along with the whole alien thing to get the guy to the hospital.”
“Smart brother.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Hey, Jonah?” Zev’s voice was husky and rough with arousal, his grip around Jonah’s cock tightened, and his breath beat faster against Jonah’s neck.
“Mmm-hmm?”
“Can I try something new?”
Jonah swiveled his hips to push into Zev’s fist.
“You can do anything you want with me, Zev. Always. You don’t need to ask.”
A rough groan left Zev’s mouth just as he clamped down on Jonah’s neck. Jonah arched to the side to give Zev more room. He was so lost in the feeling of being with Zev again, in those teeth gnawing on him, that hand stroking him, that scent overtaking him, that he’d forgotten about Zev’s question until he felt slick fingers caress his crease.
“Zev?” Jonah gasped. Zev had rubbed his cleft before, but never with lube or lotion coating his fingers.
“Just my fingers, Blondie. I gotta get in here. Figure if it’s just my fingers, it’ll be okay. I think I can get in deeper than with my tongue this way.”
“Love your tongue.”
Zev chuckled. “Yeah, I know. I think the people in the rooms next to ours know too.”
Jonah laughed, enjoying the fact that they could talk and tease while they loved on each other.
“Am I too vocal, Hassick? Want me to try to keep it down?”
Thick fingers circled and massaged Jonah’s entrance, causing him to push back against them, seeking more.
“Hell no. I like it. But I will admit that one time when we went for a run in the morning and saw those two little old ladies leave their room, I was a little embarrassed.”
Zev pushed the tip of one finger into Jonah’s hole, and both men moaned.
“When…” Jonah gasped when the finger continued its inward slide. “When was that?”
Hot suction on his neck let Jonah know he’d have to wait for an answer. And wear collared shirts for the next week. Zev enjoyed marking him. He took the opportunity to do it whenever they saw each other. Not that Jonah objected. Hell, he encouraged it.
“It was after the night when you were working your dick and pleading with me to lick your ass. You were screaming, and I think your exact words were, ‘eat my ass, fuck me with your tongue, oh yeah, I’m coming’ or something like that.”
The pumping of the finger in and out of his sensitive channel made it hard to respond. Jonah couldn’t decide which he enjoyed more, Zev’s hand stroking his cock or Zev’s finger pushing into him. When a second finger joined the first, the decision was made and the conversation was forgotten.
“Oh, damn, that feels so good, Zev. Push it faster, deeper.”
Zev complied. He moved his long fingers in and out of his mate, enjoying the warmth, reveling in Jonah’s pleasure, thinking about how good it’d feel to do the same thing with his cock one day. Zev didn’t think Jonah could look hotter than he did right then. His cheeks flushed with passion, his mouth open and gasping for breath, his shirt unbuttoned, exposing his chest, and his pants pushed down to his knees. Then Zev twisted the tips of his fingers inside and touched a certain spot, and Jonah went wild.
“Yes! Uh-huh.”
Animal noises poured out of Jonah as he pushed back hard and fucked himself on Zev’s fingers. When Zev added a third digit into that tight body, Jonah convulsed and came with a cry. His body went limp against Zev’s, his breath ragged. Zev kept his fingers inside, moving them slowly in and out, waiting for Jonah to calm.
“Did you like that?”
Jonah snorted. “You kidding? I think you melted me.”
When Zev’s fingers left his body, Jonah turned around, slipped out of his shirt, toed off his shoes, and let his pants and briefs fall to the ground.
“Get naked and get in bed, Hassick. I want your dick in my mouth and this floor’s hard.”
“I missed you, Blondie,” Zev said with a laugh.
“Missed you too.”
Jonah woke in the middle of the night to feel Zev pressed against his back, sucking on his earlobe, pinching his nipples, and rutting against his ass.
“Mmm,” he moaned sleepily as he thrust back against that hard cock.
“You awake, Blondie?” Zev asked gruffly.
“You didn’t actually expect me to sleep through this, did you, Hassick? I think that might be a little too weird, even for me.”
“Ha ha, smartass.” Zev kissed Jonah’s temple. “Sorry for waking you. I know you need your sleep. But I really want you.”
“Don’t apologize. This kind of wake-up call is always welcome.”
Jonah scooted up a little closer to the headboard, reached between his legs, and took Zev’s dick in his hand. He pulled it down so the crown dragged through his cleft, making both men shiver and groan, then tucked it between his thighs. A slight wiggle backward had Zev’s member situated right where Jonah wanted him—enveloped snugly between Jonah’s thighs.
Zev moved his hand to Jonah’s hip and held tight as he began to pump back and forth between those muscular thighs. The movement had Zev moaning in no time. Jonah took himself in hand and stroked in time to Zev’s thrusts.
“Fuck, yeah,” Zev whispered huskily right before he grasped Jonah’s shoulder between his teeth and gnawed and sucked on it, bringing blood to the surface in a deep hickey.
The pressure Zev put on his hip was sure to leave finger-shaped bruises. Jonah’s arousal ramped up at the knowledge that he’d wear yet another of Zev’s marks.
“Almost there, Zev. Come on, come on,” Jonah encouraged through gasps before he arched his back and threw his head against Zev’s shoulder.
Long streams of ejaculate shot out of his cock and painted Jonah’s hand and stomach. He swiped his hand through it and reached over his shoulder, where Zev’s tongue made quick work of licking his seed.
“Yes!” Zev cried as wet heat spread through Jonah’s thighs.
They lay together and gulped air.
“Now I’m all sticky,” Jonah whined.
“Oh, you poor thing.” Zev laughed. “Let’s get in the shower. I’ll help you clean up.”
Jonah flipped around, tucked one arm under Zev’s neck, and draped the other over his friend’s shoulder. He leaned in for a chaste kiss that quickly turned into two kisses and ultimately a dance of tongues. Zev squeezed Jonah’s ass with both hands and pulled him close, until their reenergized cocks were pressed together.
“Change of plans. First I’m gonna get you even stickier, then we can take a shower.”
“Excellent strategy, Hassick. You’re getting smarter in your old age. Never thought I’d see the day.”
“Yeah? Well, you aren’t getting any funnier. Now stop talking and kiss me,” Zev said as he nipped at Jonah’s lips, catching the bottom one between his teeth and sucking it into his mouth.
Jonah didn’t bother arguing. Talking really was overrated when the alternative was having Zev’s tongue push into his mouth.