Prickly Business by Piper Vaughn & Kenzie Cade Page A

think twice about being nude in front of others, himself included. They were partly animals—nudity was as natural to them as breathing—and it was considered rude to ogle.
    Dylan’s stare was assessing, not desirous. It still made Avery shiver. He’d often thought about being naked with Dylan. How could he help it? And in spite of the situation, his cock began to fill at the idea of finally being bared to his mate.
    The flare of Dylan’s nostrils, and his sudden deep breath told Avery his reaction hadn’t gone unnoticed. As he watched, Dylan’s uncut cock thickened. Avery thought Dylan would reach for him then. He waited, hushed, craving the feel of the work-roughened hands he would’ve once sneered at. Craving it so much it was a physical ache, as if he were suffering from touch deprivation.
    Dylan leaned closer, and Avery tensed in anticipation. Then Dylan shook himself and stood from his crouch.
    “Get dressed. I’ll take you home.”
    Avery nodded, ignoring the flash of disappointment in his gut. “Thank you,” he murmured as he pulled up his briefs and jeans, “for helping me. I would’ve never expected it.” He looked over at Dylan, who’d already donned his own jeans, regrettably hiding that fine cock and his well-muscled legs. “How did you know?”
    Dylan yanked on a T-shirt that appeared nearly torn in two, ripped open from the collar down to his navel. He seemed oblivious as he bent down for his boots. “I heard some of Josiah’s friends talking at Wolfhound. They told me where you were.”
    Avery flushed. How many people had known what Josiah and the others would be doing to him tonight? What would’ve happened if Dylan hadn’t come to his rescue, despite their tumultuous history? He might be dead, or at least seriously wounded. Some injuries weren’t recoverable from, not even for a shifter. He could easily be killed, murdered for something as ridiculous as betting on races, and all because of his own arrogance and his certainty he had exclusive inside information. The thought humbled and shamed him. Worse, he knew this was only a temporary reprieve. Maybe Dylan wouldn’t be around to save him the next time. He might still lose his life over a stupid decision.
    “Ready?” Dylan asked, pulling Avery from his thoughts.
    Avery shoved his feet into his shoes and grabbed his shirt. “Yeah.”
    Dylan led him through the woods to a motorcycle. He withdrew a helmet and a jacket from one of the saddlebags and handed them to Avery. “I’m sure this’ll be big on you, but it’ll be cold once we get going. The helmet isn’t optional. State law.”
    He said the last like he expected Avery to argue, but helmet hair wasn’t even a blip on the radar of Avery’s concerns at that moment. He wanted to go home, snuggle up in his blankets, and pretend this day never happened. At least until tomorrow morning, when he had to come up with a solution to get himself out of this situation with his spines intact.
    Once their helmets were in place and he had slipped on the leather jacket that smelled like Dylan, Avery waited to mount the bike behind him.
    “I live in the Pearl District,” he told Dylan as he settled in place. “My building is over on—”
    “I know where it is.”
    That surprised Avery into silence. Dylan kicked on the engine and guided the motorcycle out of the parking area, and talking became pointless anyway. Avery pulled down the shield on his helmet and attempted to hang on while holding himself away from Dylan. He knew to lean into the turns, but it soon became apparent that by trying to keep distance between them, he was making things a hell of a lot more awkward. Finally Dylan reached back with one hand and pulled Avery’s right arm around his waist. Avery took the hint and wrapped his other arm around Dylan as well.
    Compared to the cold wind, Dylan’s body was furnace hot. His scent was strong, saturated into the leather of the jacket. Avery inhaled deeply and gave in to the