Page 3 of The Tech Guru's Heart

Reaching the top, Link turned the corner and continued jogging forward.He spotted a toned Caucasian standing in the doorway to Amelia’s apartment.His feet were braced in his running shoes, and his lean arms flexed where he gripped either side of the door frame.

And that ass in those work-out shorts.Gods, I want to grab those cheeks so bad.

Link almost stumbled a step as the inappropriate thought slammed through his brain.Catching himself in time, he slowed his pace.After all, Link didn’t want to freak out the handsome human who was obviously trying to help Amelia out.

“I may not be able to stop you, sir,” the human replied, his voice once more causing butterflies to dance in Link’s belly.“But I can sure slow you down until the cops get here.”

“You didn’t call the cops,” Gary countered coldly.His tone turned to ice as he continued, “Get your friend out of our way, Amelia, before I have to hurt him.”Gary threatened again, “Don’t think I won’t take your bastard child away from you.No judge will let you keep it once I prove you’re cavorting with abominations.”

Yeah, he’s a bigoted asshole, all right.

Rigel and Tucker’s descriptions of the man hadn’t done the asshole justice.

Reaching the doorway, Link stopped a pace behind the human.He opened his mouth to say...something.Except, then the human’s smell hit him, causing his mouth to water.Link barely resisted a moan as he inhaled the earthy, masculine goodness of the guy...who must have just been returning from the gym, considering his tank top, shorts, and running shoes.The hint of musky sweat clung to the human’s skin, and his flesh still shone with lingering sweat.

“Oh, gods.”The whispered words were out of Link’s mouth before he could stop himself.

This human would-be hero is my mate.

At his words, everyone’s attention focused on Link, and he fought back a blush.He hated being the center of attention, especially when he didn’t have a computer to use as a buffer.Still, Link was there to help, and help he would...and maybe score a date with his mate.

When said mate half-turned to peer over his shoulder at him, Link found himself entranced by the man’s gorgeous green eyes.The guy’s sandy-blond hair flopped over his forehead, also a little damp, betraying that he’d been working out.Only the fact that the man’s eyes widened and he took a step to the side to add space between them stayed Link’s desire to reach out and brush those strands to the side.

The smell of unease that filled the guy’s scent was a good deterrent, too.

Link knew what the guy would see.He looked at himself in the mirror every day, after all.His big, broad-shouldered body stood six-foot-four.While he had a little bit of a belly, Link had plenty of muscles, too.

On top of that, Link’s thick black beard and bald head often made others guess that he was in a motorcycle gang or something.Mothers often pulled their kids to the side when he passed them on the street.Even many men wouldn’t look him in the eye.

For the most part, Link rarely cared.He was what he was—a big musk ox shifter.Unfortunately, this was his mate reacting that way.

Gotta change that.

After offering his human a small smile, Link moved his attention over the guy’s shoulder and focused on Amelia.Her father had her arm in a tight grip, and he glared at him from a red-flushed face.Gary’s anger perfumed the air.Considering Amelia’s father stood over six feet and appeared to have a good thirty pounds on Link’s mate, he understood the man’s threat of moving him bodily.

That thought had Link seeing red.

Focusing on Gary, Link rumbled, “Hemay not be able to stop you”—he tipped his bearded chin to indicate his handsome blond mate—“butIsure as hell can.”Cracking his knuckles threateningly, Link ordered, “Let Amelia go, Gary, before I make you.”

Link had never started a fight in his life, but to help Amelia and his mate, hell yeah, he would.

Chapter Two

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EZRA PENDLE STAREDup at the huge guy who’d appeared behind him, a mixture of unease and arousal swirling in his gut.The man was, in a word, huge.He towered over Ezra’s six-foot-one by a good three inches, but it was the breadth of the man that truly made him feel dwarfed.

The stranger had wide shoulders that stretched his navy green t-shirt to capacity.He had tattoos of vines and birds down his left bicep.His right forearm sported a weave of barbed wire.

The guy would probably look right at home on the back of a bigHarley.

While Ezra knew that was probably stereotyping, considering the lightly bronzed skin of his bald head and thick, bushy black beard, he just couldn’t help himself.

And why do I find him so hot?

Tatted-up biker types were so not Ezra’s jam.

“Who the fuck are you?”Gary demanded, sneering at the new arrival.Then, curling his lip, he waved his empty hand and growled, “Never mind.Both of you, get the hell out of my way.We’re leaving.”

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