Leopard's Spots 2: Oscar (8 page)

“Mr Travis—” Josiah began only to stop and start over since Oscar’s dad glared at him. “Sorry. Henry, even if these three are legit, this could put your family at risk. Maybe they do have trackers, too. And maybe they could bring Cole Tavares right to your door.”

Henry got a hard glint to his eyes Oscar had never seen before. “I’m counting on it.”

Fear greater than anything Oscar had known speared through him. It was so much worse, because it wasn’t himself he was afraid for. “Dad, can we discuss this first?”

“No,” Henry said firmly. “I will handle this, and our family will be perfectly safe. I expect you to help see to that, Josiah, and to make sure Oscar is kept out of anything that might happen between me and Tavares.”

Oscar wanted to argue but he knew that expression, the way his dad’s eyes gleamed and the hardness pinching his features. Henry’s mind was made up, and arguing would only get Oscar mad and probably in trouble, too. Just because his dad wasn’t a shifter like Oscar’s mom didn’t mean Henry wouldn’t want to defend his loved ones.

Josiah moved until he stood beside Oscar rather than behind him, but he kept a hand pressed to Oscar’s lower back. The possessive touch lit Oscar up inside, and when Josiah spoke, Oscar could feel the vibration of Josiah’s voice all the way throughout his body like a warm embrace.

“Oscar and I will take care of each other. That’s what mates do.” Josiah pulled Oscar a little closer. Devon and his brothers gasped.

“Y’all are mates?” Devon peered enviously at them, as did Clark and Chris. “Really?”

“Yeah really,” Oscar snarked. What was it to them anyway?

Devon glared up at Chris. “See? I told y’all both it was possible. You each owe me a hundred bucks.”

Henry turned and started towards the hotel when the brothers started squabbling. “I think Josiah was right about all of them needing a trip out to the woodshed. Come on, let’s get going.”

Oscar let Devon and his brothers precede him and Josiah. He wasn’t ready to trust anyone related to Cole Tavares, with the exception of Lyndon. Right now Chris, Devon and Clark all seemed friendly and desperate for help, but who was to say they wouldn’t put a knife in everyone else’s back the first time they got the chance?

“For what it’s worth, I’m not sensing any nervousness or anything else suspicious coming from them,” Josiah murmured, his voice barely making any sound at all. “They may very well be sincere about wanting to find an end to this that doesn’t involve more dead siblings.”

“Maybe,” Oscar conceded. It was possible that Lyndon wasn’t the only kid of Tavares who wasn’t batshit crazy. But he wasn’t going to bet the lives of those he cared for on it.

Oscar pouting was kinda cute, Josiah thought.

“I am not,” Oscar snapped, but he chuckled afterwards. “I think the whole mental link thing is going to bite us in the ass sometimes. Why isn’t it consistent?”

Josiah’s dick hardened just from the question. Or, more correctly, thinking of the answer. “Because we haven’t mated yet. Once we do, it won’t be a twenty-four-seven thing until we’ve been together for a long time, if at all. There’s different degrees of it between couples, and no one’s been able to figure out why some pairs have stronger telepathic tendencies than others.”

Oscar shifted around in the passenger seat until he was almost completely facing Josiah. “Well, it works enough right now that I know you’re, um, aroused.”

Oscar glanced down at his groin and Josiah was pretty sure his pecker was going to pop right through his underwear and jeans.

“And I can smell you,” Oscar whispered, his voice raspy in a way that made Josiah’s dick even harder. “Damn.” He slumped against the passenger door and visually drilled holes through Josiah’s jeans.

Josiah swore he could feel the look like a touch to his cock. At this rate they’d never make it back to his place. He needed a distraction before he pulled the truck over and jumped Oscar right there. Oscar wasn’t ready for it, no matter how horny he might be. Josiah could remember being that age, it wasn’t all that long ago, and he had been damn near constantly aroused. Oscar had a lot more restraint than he’d had back then.

Regardless, Josiah wanted Oscar fiercely, too much to top the first time, or maybe even the first few times. And thinking about having Oscar fuck him until they were both boneless wasn’t helping the situation at all.

“Think your dad and the Tavares brothers have left yet?” he blurted, desperate to get his mind off the subject before something in his pants went off.

Oscar’s hiss reminded Josiah of a pissed off cat. He kinda liked it. He cut Oscar a sideways glance. “Now you sound like my own personal kitty.”

“Oh fuck you,” Oscar said without any heat. “Does it make me warped that I like hearing you call me kitty? Oh god,” he mock-wailed, “did my penis just fall off?”

It was good to be able to have fun with Oscar, considering they didn’t really know each other. Josiah laughed at Oscar’s theatrics, glad he didn’t seem worried about what would happen when they were alone. Josiah was. He didn’t want to hurt Oscar, or scare him, or do anything to make an utter fool of himself, such as come in his pants while he was driving. Or as soon as Oscar touched him.

He was fucked. That was all there was to it, because Oscar was looking at him again. Josiah could feel it along with the desire thickening the air between them. He didn’t need extra senses to pick up on it at all.

“Your dad,” Josiah croaked, blushing when his voice cracked.

Oscar laughed softly but the intensity in the truck cab ebbed. Josiah caught the white glow of a cell phone as Oscar hummed. Then cursed. “Damn it. Mom said for Dad to ‘bring the poor boys’ back with him.”

Josiah could hear the disgust when Oscar spoke. He’d bet Oscar’s top lip curled up in an Elvis-like snarl, too. And such thoughts weren’t helping him at all. “You know the saying about keeping your enemies close.”

Oscar sent off a message, his breathing picking up speed as he grew more agitated. “Yeah yeah, I know. Maybe they aren’t our enemies. I couldn’t detect any trace of deceit on them either, but what do I know about it? Or them? I don’t think you can scent crazy. Though it’d be so cool if we could!”

Josiah chuckled, amused as much by Oscar’s swift mood changes as he was by what he said. Oscar was definitely going to keep him on his toes. And his back, and knees and any other sexual position Oscar wanted to try.

“Oh well. I guess I’m not really mad about him taking them because I think they’re dangerous in and of themselves, but I do think it’s a risk because their dad is a fucking nutjob.” Oscar rapped his knuckles against the window, diverting Josiah’s attention from the road for a second. “I’m afraid Cole Tavares really will come after Lyndon, or the three weirdos he calls some of his offspring. Or my family.”

Josiah finally turned down the bumpy drive to his place. It was just an apartment above his brother’s garage, but it was private, usually. Unless his brother decided to be a nosy bastard.

“And I don’t want him to hurt you.”

The quiet admission from Oscar sent an equally quiet thrill through Josiah. His instinct to trust in their mate bond, even though it wasn’t yet strengthened, made him susceptible to emotions he might otherwise be able to ignore or never even feel. He slid his hand over the seat and turned it palm up. Oscar placed his hand in his.

“Is this all…” Oscar stopped but left his hand where it was.

Josiah cupped it gently but firmly and guided the truck to his usual parking spot. He was pretty sure he knew what Oscar was going to say, what he hadn’t quite been able to ask. Josiah unbuckled. He released Oscar’s hand long enough to be able to do the same for him.

Then he reached for Oscar at the same time as he scooted across the truck seat. Oscar didn’t move, but he didn’t protest either when Josiah wrapped his arms around him. Josiah took a moment to absorb the feel of Oscar against him, the scent of arousal and the hint of fear. Oscar’s breaths were shallow pants, his lips already parted. He watched Josiah, hunger and shyness showing in his eyes.

Josiah lowered his head, brushing his lips over Oscar’s twice. Oscar whimpered and shimmied closer. He grabbed onto Josiah’s arms and curled his fingers, bruising skin and tissue. Josiah liked it, the pressure and twinge of pain, but even more, he liked knowing Oscar clung to him with such intensity. When he kissed Oscar again, it was with an unleashed need that threatened to undo him as he twined his tongue with Oscar’s.

Oscar’s touch, his hands kneading Josiah’s arms—everything about the leopard shifter—it was driving Josiah to the brink of his control. He surged forward, pinning Oscar to the door. Josiah cupped the back of Oscar’s head and pressed in even more, wanting to devour him entirely.

Oscar growled and shoved, and Josiah, unprepared for the counterattack, sprawled backwards. Oscar was on him before Josiah could even figure out quite how he’d ended up on bottom. Then Oscar gave him a feral look and planted his hands right on Josiah’s pecs. He pinched the turgid tips of Josiah’s nipples, twisting them when Josiah gasped, his eyelids drooping and his back arching.

Josiah reached for Oscar, grabbing frantically, fiery want surging to his nerve endings, throbbing in the ones in his tits. “Oscar…please!”

Begging again, something he knew with a certainty he was going to be doing a lot of with Oscar. Oscar smirked and plucked away at his nipples and Josiah quit worrying about it. He’d do whatever made Oscar happy—and whatever got him worked up like this, dominant and wild and fierce.

And Oscar was intense, yet also as uninhibited as any lover Josiah had ever had before. He leant down and made a purring, rumbling sound. Josiah tipped his head in anticipation of the kiss and hissed at the first feel of teeth against his skin. Oscar began to suckle beneath his ear, licking and nipping before sucking again, and Josiah moaned, writhing beneath Oscar’s slighter weight.

 “Mmm, you feel so fucking good.” Oscar punctuated the words with a nip to Josiah’s ear.

He’d never found his ear to be an erogenous zone before, and in fact, had been grossed out on more than one occasion when a hook-up had tried to stick his tongue in Josiah’s ear. But biting his fleshy lobe? That just sent chills all down Josiah’s body and made him ache to his core.

“Oscar, please.” He was just going to die if Oscar didn’t do something more.

Oscar’s chuckle tickled Josiah’s damp skin where he rubbed his lips along Josiah’s neck. “Please what? I don’t know what you want, but I’ll do it if you ask me nicely.” Oscar jerked his head up and scowled just right after the truck door was jostled hard enough to rock the vehicle. “Who the frickin’ hell is that?”

Josiah craned his neck around but he needn’t have bothered. There was only one person who’d get his rocks off by interrupting. “Bobby.” Josiah was going to kill him.

Oscar did the one thing Josiah wouldn’t have expected then. He reached over and unlocked the door. Josiah groaned and tried to reach for the handle, but it was too late. Bobby opened the door and leered at Josiah.

“Well, well, little bro, you brought home a pretty boy this time.”

That was as far as he got before Oscar shot up and out of the truck, knees almost catching Josiah in the balls then head. “Oscar, wait!”

“Fuck you, asshole,” Oscar snarled, and Josiah was relatively sure Oscar wasn’t talking to him, especially since there was the distinct sound of bodies colliding and what sounded like fists on flesh. “Fuckin’ call me a pretty boy!”

Definitely not cussing at me.
Josiah smacked the steering wheel and whacked the dash with his elbow. He winced as his ankle hit the handle on the passenger door, but he was trying his best to hurry up and get out, because either Bobby or Oscar was likely to get hurt. Judging by Oscar’s fury, Josiah was thinking it’d probably be Bobby.

“You little son of a bitch!” Bobby grunted and dropped to his knees. Josiah would have felt sorry for him, but Bobby always did have a temper and didn’t know when to shut up. “Thill pretty—” Apparently even split lips weren’t going to silence him.

“Enough!” Josiah roared, leaping between the two, or more like prying Oscar off Bobby, because Oscar had just managed to get Bobby in a head lock that could turn dangerous. Josiah wedged himself between them and pulled Oscar’s arms from around Bobby’s neck. “Stop it. He’s an ass, but he’s not really as big of one as he’s acting like!” Oscar glared at him. “He’s my brother, Oz.”

Whether it was the use of the nickname or Josiah stressing the relationship between him and Bobby, he didn’t know. Either way, Oscar quit fighting him and let go of Bobby completely. Josiah backed him up a few steps and made sure to keep Oscar behind him when he turned back to Bobby. Who was, of course, grinning like a goddamned loon.

“He’th got thpunk,” Bobby slurred. “I like ‘im. He won’t be a doormat.”

Josiah considered decking Bobby himself while Oscar spluttered behind him. “You’re an idiot,” he settled for saying.

Bobby gave him a loopy grin and pointed. “He’th got pawth, too.”

Josiah caught Oscar before he could slip past him. Silky fur against his skin assured him that Oscar had indeed morphed his hands into paws. He glanced down and grabbed Oscar’s other wrist. The white fur was incredibly soft, and Josiah wondered if he could get Oscar to fuck him like this, mostly man with a little of the beast loosed.

Oscar tensed for a moment. He slowly turned his head until he could peer from the corner of his eyes at Josiah. Josiah forgot about his brother sitting on his ass a few feet away, forgot about the fact that Oscar had been trying to beat Bobby’s ass for being a dumbfuck. He forgot about everything but the expression on Oscar’s face, the need that seared straight to his balls.

Oscar twisted his arms around until he was gripping Josiah’s wrists instead. With slow, measured steps, he began walking backwards, pulling Josiah with him.

“Jothiah, wait.”

Josiah ignored Bobby. The idiot could get himself up and inside. He wasn’t hurt that bad and he shouldn’t have provoked Oscar anyway. Oscar’s expression tightened, a fierce gleam lighting his eyes. Josiah heard movement behind him, likely Bobby pushing to his feet.