Page 147 of Labor of Love

I buried my nose in the fleece. A deep breath proved I hadn’t been losing my mind. It was real. So very real.

Moaning at the ache the scent brought forth, I palmed my stiff dick. What the hell kind of magic was this? Why did it affect me so much?

I reached back in the bag to get some kind of hint as to what this all was about. The damn thing was empty though, meaning I had to make do with what few clues I had.

The book was nice, as was the candle. But neither compared to the comfort the blanket brought me.

Wrapping it around my head, I laid back on the bed. My hands tugged at my pants, pulling the elastic band down until I could free my length.

Before I could register what I was doing, I stroked myself with determination. I kept my head turned into the fabric, huffing at it like I couldn’t survive without taking in the scent.

I gathered some of my slick, using it as lube to help me better fuck my fist. My hips thrust as I built up speed. This was going to be fast and dirty. I didn’t have it in me to draw it out.

Sure enough, a few strokes later, my orgasm crashed over me harder than ever. Panting, I held my softening cock in my hand and wondered what had just happened.

I had questions, and hopefully tomorrow I could get some answers.

3

MAKLIHN

After Kris left yesterday, I thought more about how excited he got seeing the boxes of book related items. If he, a non-book lover, could find joy in them — even as a gift — then I needed to get off my lazy butt and stock the shelves.

I dragged the boxes over to the main floor area and began opening all the lids. Some of the orders I remembered. Others I didn’t.

The blankets, mugs, and bookmarks were all smart decisions. They’d be great for gifts or add-ons to a personal purchase.

It was the stickers that threw me for a loop. Most of them were more provocative, with suggestive poses and lewd commentary. A few had hilarious sayings on them. I had to stop more than once due to laughing too hard.

Since it was still early, there was no one around to talk to. I began humming a tune as I worked. The mugs and blankets went on a table display, while the bookmarks went into the rack I’d ordered for them. It spun, which gave buyers a chance to view them all in an easy fashion without clogging up the space.

I was contemplating what to do with the stickers when the bell above the door chimed. “Be right there,” I called out.

“No rush.”

The voice that called back had my cock swelling in my pants.Holy, fate.What kind of reaction was that?

I’d never gotten turned on by a voice. At least not one that wasn’t whispering dirty things and telling me how much they wanted my knot in my dreams. This was a surprising first.

Dropping the stickers, I took off to the door. I had to see who this was. Needed to know why I was reacting this way.

When I made it down the short aisle, I turned to say something to the customer. Except…

I couldn’t speak.

My entire body shut down, then surged back to life in a flash ofmine, mine, mine.

“Oh, hello,” the man said when he turned. I must have made some kind of noise. That or he smelled my arousal. I had no way of knowing, no way of asking.

We stared at each other for a moment. I still couldn’t voice my thoughts, and he seemed just as transfixed.

When he took a deep breath as if to speak, he gasped,“Mate.”

The pieces in my mind clicked into place. Joy filled me, breaking through the frozen state I was in and sending me straight toward him.

I pulled him into my arms. “Mate,” I repeated.

He felt perfect in my arms. Like he was made to fit there.

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