A Very Holland Valentine: Holland Brothers 6 (7 page)

Brian stood leaning against the wall, a wicked glint in his eyes. As he looked Marcus up and down, he poked his pink tongue out and licked his lips. Brian's hand travelled down his flat belly until it wrapped around the hard length of his shaft.

Marcus watched in fascination as Brian's hips bucked up into the touch. A groan of pleasure escaped his kiss-swollen lips. Marcus spun and jogged across the room.

"Where the hell are you going?" Brian asked. He took a step to follow Marcus.

Marcus pointed back at Brian. "Don't you dare fucking move."

He growled low, his wolf riding him hard, wanting to take his mate. Marcus yanked open the drawer to the bedside table and rummaged for one of their old bottles of lube. They usually had more than one on the go, and he was thankful for that at the moment. He was not about to go searching through suitcases for the lube that had been packed.

He finally clamped down on a bottle and pulled it free.

When he turned around, he nearly swallowed his tongue. Brian stood there, back against the wall, eyes closed, and head thrown back. One hand was wrapped around his pretty prick and the other was behind his back. Marcus knew exactly what that was: Brian had stretched himself for Marcus plenty of times in the past. It always revved his engine something shocking when Brian would climb on top of him in bed, turn around, and start finger-fucking his pretty little pink hole right in front of Marcus's face.

Marcus never lasted very long when Brian did that. He always ended up throwing his mate down on the bed and slamming his cock home, much to Brian's happiness.

Now, though, Marcus flicked the bottle of lube open and poured some on his fingers as he strode across the bedroom floor. He wrapped his palm around his throbbing length, making sure to coat his flesh thoroughly. Brian winked at him as he drew closer, and Marcus growled.

"Fucking tease."

"You love me." Brian laughed lightly.

"I do," Marcus agreed.

Brian stopped what he was doing and lifted his arms. Marcus stepped right into his personal space. He cupped one of Brian's ass cheeks in each of his large hands and lifted the man up. The feel of his mate's arousal sliding against his belly, the smell of the small drops of pre-cum, the sounds his mate made all served to heighten his already overwhelming need for his mate. Marcus crashed his lips down on Brian's.

His wolf was always happy and content whenever Brian was in his arms, and now was no different. Brian's legs went around him again, and Marcus slipped a finger inside Brian's tight heat. His mate bucked in his arms, then ground back down on the questing digit. Marcus added a second, and then he heard the slap of flesh as he thumped Brian back against the wall. His mate didn't lose his rhythm as he rode Marcus's fingers like a pro.

Marcus growled and he pulled his fingers free. He lifted one of Brian's legs a little higher and lined his dick up.

"This is going to be hard and fast, love."

"Just the way I like it."

Brian tightened his grip on Marcus's hair and pulled him down for a kiss. The kiss was scorching, all tongues and teeth and animal sounds. Marcus didn't even pause; he slammed home, the tight heat of his mate's body holding him close. Marcus pulled back, Brian groaned, his nails digging into Marcus's back as he tried to take Marcus back inside. Marcus held firm to Brian's hips, not letting the man move an inch.

His mate whimpered in need and Marcus thrust forward again, hard and deep and loving every second of being buried balls-deep in his man. Brian cried out his joy, and fuck, Marcus had missed hearing his man's loud moans of pleasure. He set a pounding rhythm, not giving his mate time to catch his breath.

His hold tightened on his mate's hips, Marcus pulling the man down to meet each and every one of his thrusts. He kissed Brian, his mate going crazy in his arms, the noises he made only serving to heighten Marcus's own arousal. He could feel his orgasm barrelling through him and knew he wouldn't last much longer—it had been far too long since he'd been able to take his man like this.

Marcus pulled back from the ravishing kiss, his wolf surging to the forefront. His canines lengthened and he snarled before he bit down on the juncture of his mate's neck and shoulder where he had claimed him for all eternity years ago. Brian screamed under him as his body convulsed, and Marcus felt wet heat coat his abdomen.

His mate's body clamped down on Marcus, the sensation incredible. Marcus thrust hard twice more before he too was thrown headlong into orgasmic bliss.

Eventually his thrusts slowed and then stopped altogether, and the knot in his prick latched on to Brian, who groaned above him. He tightened his hold on Brian and felt the softening prick against his stomach twitch and spill forth another spurt of fluids. Brian panted above him, his hot breath wafting against Marcus's sweat-slick skin. Marcus pulled back and licked at the wound on Brian's shoulder, making sure the bite marks closed sufficiently.

"Fuck," Brian breathed.

"Give me a minute and we can go again." Marcus chuckled.

Brian groaned. "I might need more than a minute."

When Marcus was sure he would be able to move without collapsing into a puddle of go, he wrapped his arms around Brian, making sure he wouldn't drop the man and hurt them both in the process. Brian placed gentle kisses up the side of Marcus's neck as Marcus slowly walked them across the empty space of the room and then crawled on his knees onto the bed.

He placed Brian down on the mattress and kissed his mate passionately. His cock twitched where it was still held in the confines of Brian's body and the man under him groaned. Marcus chuckled, then rolled them so he was on his back and Brian lay over him.

This was one of his favourite positions with his mate. He loved the forced cuddling they had every time they made love. There was nothing he enjoyed more than holding his mate close and listening to his heartbeat, knowing it beat for him.

"Sleep, love."

"Mmmhmm."

Brian cuddled in, his head resting in the crook of Marcus's neck. Marcus reached out and pulled the light blankets from the other side of the bed until they were covered. The fan had cooled their sweaty skin sufficiently that Marcus felt Brian shiver against him. Marcus wrapped his arms around his mate and closed his eyes, his wolf curled into a happy sated ball inside him.

* * * * *

With Valentine's Day looming just a couple of days away, Brian was run off his feet at Heart in Hand, the florist shop he now co-owned with Sarah Murdock. She had wanted to start slowing down and spend a bit more time with her retired husband.

Brian had been overjoyed when she'd sat him down six months ago and asked him to buy out half her business. Marcus had supported him all the way and the deal was struck. Sarah didn't want to fully retire yet, because she said she would probably end up killing the old goat, as she called her hubby, if they spent all their time together. So she cut her hours and Brian took on a larger role in the business.

But with Valentine's so close, it was all hands on deck. The number of roses on order for the special day was astronomical. As popular as the red flowers were, Brian wished more people would be more creative with the floral selections. Roses were overdone and trite if you asked him. Give him a lovely bunch of native Australian flowers any day, or lilies, gerberas, or orchids—he wasn't picky really, just anything but roses.

The front of the shop was filled to brimming with all kinds of flowers, roses in abundance. There were teddy bears in all shapes and sizes, as well as colours. There were boxes of chocolates, not just the same generic crap that you could get at any supermarket but the handcrafted, individually made ones. Brian had made the suggestion two years ago that they branch out to more than just flowers, and people seemed to eat it up. The chocolates were a special order product and Heart in Hand was the only place in town that supplied them.

Sarah came out to the front of the store from where she'd been working out back. The place was a madhouse. Brian had been taking orders and answering the phone all day long, along with making up as many arrangements as he could. Sarah had been out the back with Wendy, another of their employees, doing the same thing.

Brian was thankful as hell that he wouldn't be the one to deliver all these. Wendy had already agreed to man the shop on Saturday when they were open until three for those that wished to collect their arrangements. Billy, the young man they hired to do their deliveries, would more than likely be pulling an all-day shift to make it through everything.

They weren't the only florist in town, but Brian liked to think they were the best, and by the number of orders they had, it would seem the locals might agree with him.

"You just about done for the day?" Sarah asked as she leaned on the counter next to where Brian was finishing tying the ribbon around the box of his last arrangement.

"Just about," he replied as he straightened the bow. Happy with his work, he placed the long plastic fork in the arrangement, placed the handwritten card with the recipient's name and address on the envelope in the prongs, and handed the completed product to Sarah. "Be a dear and place this in the fridge for me." He grinned at her and batted his lashes.

Sarah laughed at him and swatted at his arm. "Go on with you, you're half my age."

"I know, and you love me."

"I do. Now hurry up and clean up your mess, I want to go home. God, I can't wait for next week." Sarah turned and took the arrangement out the back to place with the other finished products. Brian couldn't wait either. Valentine's was their busiest time of year, and they were all usually utterly exhausted by the end of it.

Brian cleaned up all the clippings scattering the bench he had been working on. The flowers he hadn't used went back in their tall bucket of water, probably to be used tomorrow. By the time he was all cleaned up, Sarah had flipped the Closed sign on the front door and flicked the lock over. Brian emptied the register of cash and eftpos receipts and handed them over to Sarah for her to lock up in the safe in the office.

Wendy had left ten minutes ago, and taking one last look around the store, Brian was happy everything was where it should be. Sarah was back before he knew it.

"Everything locked up tight?" he asked.

She nodded and turned the lights off.

"Let's blow this joint." Brian chuckled as they made their way to the front of the store. They unlocked the door, set the alarm, and exited before relocking the door.

"I'll see you nice and early tomorrow for another fun filled day," Brian said as he headed to his beat-up old truck.

"If you're lucky… I might decide not to show up."

"Huh. You do that and I'll come searching. Just remember I'm on
very
friendly terms with the local cops."

"Damn you," Sarah said and grinned at him, then waved goodbye.

Brian laughed and got in his car. He wanted to get home and see how Zack was doing today. The man had been in bed for nearly a week. Thankfully there hadn't been another reoccurrence, but Zack was starting to get annoyed as not being able to move around. Brian couldn't blame him. He couldn't imagine being confined to his bed.

Joe and Maryanne had agreed to come over every morning and have the kids and make sure Zack followed the doctor's orders.

He started the engine, but before heading home, he remembered he had to call past the supermarket to pick up a couple of ingredients he needed for dinner. Brian made the quick drive and pulled up in the large car park out the front of Safeway. Next to the supermarket complex was a pub on one side and a chain fast food joint on the other. There were also dozens of little shops, including a generic bakery, a hairdresser, a coffee shop, and a newsagency to name a few. He grabbed a couple of his reusable shopping bags out of the glove box and locked the car before heading inside.

After the day Brian had had at work, he was absolutely exhausted and couldn't be bothered making anything elaborate for dinner or having to spend a great deal of time on his feet in the kitchen. He'd decided an hour ago that he really felt like apricot chicken, and seeing as it was one of the simplest meals he knew how to cook, that fit perfectly with his plans.

The supermarket was lovely and air-conditioned, which made a nice change to the heat outside. He was lucky in the fact that the Heart in Hand was also air-conditioned and Brian could stay cool at work during these rare heat waves they occasionally experienced.

Brian picked up a basket and got to work. It didn't take him very long to gather all the ingredients he required. Rice he had a home, but he needed chicken pieces, tins of apricot nectar, a couple of lemons, and a few packets of French onion soup mix.

Once done, Brian used the self-service checkout up front. He collected his bags—the heavy tins in one bag and everything else in the other to balance out the weight—and made the trek back to the car.

He had started crossing the car park when a shout went up just to the right.

"Hey, you." The speech was slurred.

Brian didn't look, he kept his eyes on his car.

"Hey! I's a talkin' to you."

Brian noticed a fairly rotund older man staggering toward him, his hand held out as if to stop Brian.

Brian quickened his pace, but the drunken man was surprising fast on his feet for someone that had obviously consumed a great deal of alcohol. The man took a bruising grip to Brian's arm and spun him around.

Brian's hold on his groceries tightened. "Let go of me. I don't know you and you have no right to touch me."

"You're one ov them… ain't ya? I… seen ya… at that house… with that fag." He spat the word 'fag' like it was filth.

Brian tried to tug his arm away, but the man had a hold on him. Brian looked around frantically, hoping someone would help, but unless he wanted to scream to garner some passer-by's attention, there was no one close enough.

The guy stunk. Brian couldn't even contemplate how much he would have had to drunk for the stench of alcohol to be clinging to him like it was. It was practically coming out of his pores. His shirt was strained with God knew what, his hair was greasy and lank, and his beard had specks of food in it. Brian almost passed out from the stench of the man's breath.