Here we go, friends. I know a lot of you are waiting for Vaughn and Finley’s story. I’ll get it done. I promise. Meanwhile, enjoy a tiny snipped from their story:

“Shouldn’t we talk about the elephant in the room?”

“The only animal I have the desire to talk about is the cougar who came into my bedroom without my invitation. In the middle of the night.”

Finley threw his arms into the air and let out a loud, suffering sigh. Talking with his mate felt like pulling teeth. Surprising Vaughn while the guy was asleep hadn’t been the best idea, Finley had to admit. But he’d been desperate. “We’re scheduled to leave on a mission in the morning. Don’t you think carrying around unsolved problems could put us both in danger?” Finley suppressed the urge to adjust himself last second and crossed his arms over his chest instead. Mostly because he didn’t want to give Vaughn the satisfaction.

The coyote already knew how he effected Finley. And a naked Vaughn who sat in his bed—the planes of his muscled body softly illuminated by the lamp light and a sheet poling around his waist—caused Finley’s cat to purr in deep appreciation.

Vaughn merely raised a dark red brow.

God, what Finley wouldn’t give to be able to lick over the equally red morning stubble already covering Vaughn’s cheeks.

“Unresolved problems? Do you mean the fact that you forced your way into my mission? Or how you keep following me around and trying to be friends although you know I’m not interested?” Vaughn grabbed his pillow and fluffed it up. “Well, in my opinion the only problem right now is that you’re keeping me from getting some much-needed sleep. That, in fact, could be dangerous because I don’t think we’ll get much sleep during the mission.”

Finley pressed his lips together and took a couple of deep breaths. Yeah, he wanted to smother his mate with his own damn pillow. And maybe punch him in the face for being deliberately obtuse. “Stop being a prick. I want to know why you’re acting as though you don’t know what I am to you.”

“A nuisance?” Vaughn asked with a straight face.

Finley winced. Okay, that hurt. He’d been in the human military for five years. He’d thought he was over taking insults personally. Turned out his mate was his weak spot. “No, my mate.” Finley put emphasis on the last word. He took a couple of steps toward Vaughn and stopped beside the bed. “Why are you denying me? Am I so hideous?”

Vaughn laughed, but it wasn’t a happy sound. A muscle in his jaw twitched. His cold gaze never left Finley’s. “Don’t be stupid. Just because you have a nice ass—and I admit I wouldn’t mind giving it a good drilling—doesn’t mean there’s more between us than lust.”

“So you admit that you’re attracted to me?” That was something at least. Finley could build on that.

Vaughn shrugged his shoulders. He was fit for being in his early forties, but not overly bulky like Malcolm or Bailey. The light set fire to the crinkly copper-colored hair on his chest. The skin under that hair was creamy pale. “Who wouldn’t be? I haven’t had sex in a while, and you’re constantly throwing yourself at me. I’d be dead not to get a boner around you. Is that why you’re here? You want a cock up your ass?”

“No.” Finley squinted.

“Pity. Maybe a good hard fuck would get rid of the tension between us.”