“I will never look you in the eye again.”
Nathan laughed, and headed out the doors. “Welcome to the family, Jason.”
“Sergeant Owen Stirling, Sir,” Jason said in a single hurried breath down the phone. “I need you.”
“Need me?” Owen sounded far too chuffed.
Jason stared at the open deliveries door and the uninvited kangaroo-wallaby-marsupial standing there surveying just how convenient Carl’s store might be.
“I mean, I need urgent help with my backdoor.”
Silence.
The kangaroo thumped its tail. “Please come quick,” he rang out breathily.
“Jumping in the car now. You’re on speaker.”
Jason gulped. “What should I do while I wait? Feed it?”
“I . . . don’t think you should do that in the store.”
“Right. It’ll get greedy.” Jason scanned the store. Water bottles. “I—I’ll wet it.”
“Again, something we shouldn’t do at the store.”
“Outside?”
“That would be an offence.”
Animal cruelty, right. Yes. Of course. He didn’t want to hurt it, just . . . make it shoo. A dozen inches over the threshold and he could just shut the door. “I have to make this go away. A couple of bounces is all it would take.”
“You’ve worked yourself up into quite the state.”
“I’m kinda shaking here.”
“Hold on, sweetheart. I’ll take care of you.”
Brakes screeched outside, and in rushed Owen on a gale. Jason glanced to him and back to the contemplative kangaroo, still obscured from Owen’s line of sight. Owen moved toward him in long, calm strides.
“You’re still dressed.”
“Undressing would have helped?” Did nudity assert dominance in the kangaroo world or something? Or maybe he meant waving his shirt around to scare it. Why hadn’t he thought of that?
He yanked off his flannel—flannel he absolutely hadn’t taken a liking to wearing, and only put on out of habit . . .
Oh my God. It worked. The wallaby-kangaroo bounced out of the store. “Shut the doors!” He sprang forward and yanked it shut, turning around, flushed from the adrenalin.
Owen rubbed his jaw. “As much as I’m surprisingly turned on, Jason, I have to insist we explore any kinks at home.”
Jason shot him a confused look.
“Don’t look so pouty, pup. We’ll play soon, promise.”
Pup—oh oh. His hands flew up to his collar and he flushed.
Owen moved toward him with a soft grin. “Are you embarrassed?”
“You’ve got this all wrong?”
“Have I?”
“There was a kangaroo. It freaked me out.”
“A kangaroo,” Owen said drily, shaking his head.
“Yeah. It was right here.”
Owen smirked. “Sure the wildlife won’t get too much for you here?”
Jason bit his lip and gazed down Owen’s length. “But don’t you know? Turns out I’m a fan of snakes after all—”
A small smack came to his butt, steering him towards the door. “I want to play too, Jason. But I’m going to have to insist. I choose your collar.”
Owen nibbled the back of his neck and tugged on the leather with his teeth. Oh. Oh.
That . . . the collar bit sounded . . . He dropped to his knees, panting. “Take me home.”
THE END