Excerpt Day: Defying the Moon by Cheryl Dragon

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Defying the Moon by Cheryl Dragon
Release Date: Apr 2, 2009
ISBN: 9781419920059
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Publisher Link: http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-7111-50-defying-the-moon.aspx

Blurb: Brian’s life is simple—screw hot guys and catch bad ones. But when the one man he can’t forget rescues him and finds out a secret even Brian doesn’t know, his life takes a new turn. Brian is a werewolf. Desperate to find a cure, he keeps Ed close for protection and turns to his sister, a zoologist, for help. Being so close to Ed reveals all his insecurities but Brian fights his feelings. Out of fear, Brian pushes Ed away one too many times. Only then does he realize keeping Ed at arm’s length won’t make it better. Ed is all Brian needs to face whatever lies ahead. He just has to win him back.

Excerpt:

Ed drove Brian home in silence and tried to ignore the heat of his need for the man next to him. Brian needed help and while wild sex didn’t hurt anyone, the bigger issue of a werewolf pounded in Ed’s brain. He pulled the car in Brian’s driveway and parked. Ed had tried to explain things twice already but Brian resisted the idea.

“It’s not real.” Brian exited the car and slammed the door.

Grabbing his cell and the digital camera he couldn’t leave at work, Ed followed him into the house. “I wouldn’t believe it either, but I saw it. I lugged a werewolf into my car and into a cage. I tranquilized you in my neighbor’s backyard.” Ed handed Brian the camera.

Brian reviewed the pictures that included his turn back to human. “This is insane. I blacked out. That’s all. Too much partying.”

“Were you out partying last night?” Ed asked.

Brian shrugged. “No, but it happens. Maybe you came over and drugged me. Why else would you be the one who found me?”

“My neighbor called. We’ve had reports of a wild dog on the loose. Every month or so he’ll turn up and people know I work for Animal Control. You don’t live that far from me. It makes a lot more sense than someone breaking in here just to mess with you. You’re hot but not worth breaking the law.” Ed sat on the sofa.

“Why your block? I could’ve gone anywhere. That makes no sense. You’re still a few miles away.” Brian flopped down next to him and grabbed the cell phone out of Ed’s hand.

“A few miles would be nothing to run for the creature I saw—or you on a morning workout.” Ed occasionally ran out Brian’s way but didn’t want to be labeled a stalker. Since their one night together, he couldn’t get Brian out of his system.

“Why you?” Brian asked.

“Maybe you liked me and won’t admit it?” Ed backed off from the sex stuff or Brian might start to believe that Ed had something to do with it. “There are kids in my neighborhood, okay. I couldn’t let you roam around. Would you rather find blood on your hands?”

Brian stared at the cell phone screen and looked down at his own body. “Sorry. It’s just hard to believe.”

“For me too. I’ve been handling animals, native and exotic, and never seen anything like that. I couldn’t leave you in my house. It’d never hold you. Work was the only safe place and no one saw me. No one knows it’s you.”

“Thanks.” Brian took a deep breath. “And I’m sorry about what happened when you let me out of the cage. I could smell you so much stronger and I couldn’t stop. This werewolf thing has odd side effects. I’ve got to control it.”

“I’m not complaining. Sex doesn’t solve anything but it felt damn good after working all night to keep you safe. You look a lot better like this.” Ed wanted more but Brian clearly had regrets.

“I had a lot of thoughts on why I was blacking out. Random violence. Or random sex and someone spiked a drink. It was only a few nights.”

“Every month or so? Last night was the night of the full moon.” Ed propped his arm on the back on the couch behind Brian and tried to relax. “You’re a werewolf.”

“Last night and the night before that. It’s never just one night. For the last couple months its three nights in a row. I remember nothing about them.” Brian rubbed his face with his hands. “What if I hurt someone?”

“You’re not the type.” Ed ran a hand over Brian’s strong shoulders.

“In this form, sure. I could’ve done anything to anyone like that.” He leaned toward Ed.

Ed couldn’t resist, he pulled Brian in close and kissed him. Brian stiffened for a moment but Ed held his neck and Brian relaxed, returning the kiss and deepening it.

Brian kissed down Ed’s neck and Ed groaned. “You only hurt the bad guys. That’s what cops do.”

Without a word, Brian lifted his head and looked Ed in the eye. “You shouldn’t get mixed up with someone like me,” he said as he opened Ed’s fly.

“Who else could handle your wolf and man side now?” Ed didn’t care if he got rejected. With this man he wanted more and never saw that changing. Ed knew it was a bad idea, falling for a guy like this, but on some level he already had. He told himself it was a crush, then a one-nighter that fueled the crush. Life wasn’t easy for Ed, never had been.

When Brian’s warm hand wrapped around Ed’s shaft it grew harder. Ed lifted in ecstasy.

“Why are you so nice? Hot guys aren’t supposed to be nice.” Brian smiled up at Ed as his tongue stroked the tip of his cock.