JURASSIC SPARK
Pandora Pine
After a night of mind-blowing anonymous sex, Paleontologist Gibson Davis knows he’s hit rock bottom Shifting into an ankylosaurus wasn’tonhis itinerary. Yetthere’s no time to lickhis wounds. He’s intownto deliver the keynote address at Paleoconandmeetwiththemanwhofundshisresearch
Amanhe’snevermetinperson
Blaming what he saw on too much whiskey, gay billionaire, CEO, philanthropist, and dinosaur enthusiast Cooper McFee graspsthathedidn’treallyseehisdateshapeshiftintoaprehistoriccreature.Right?Either way,hecan’tstopthinkingabout theamazingnighttheyshared.
Duringameetandgreetattheconvention,Gibsoncomesface-to-facewithhismysteryman,onlytofindhe’snoneotherthan hisbenefactor.
Amanwho’sgotapropositionforGibsonandasecretallhisown.
FirstE-bookPublication:March2024
ALLRIGHTSRESERVED:Thisliteraryworkmaynotbereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,includingelectronicorphotographicreproduction,in wholeorinpart,withoutexpresswrittenpermission.
Allcharactersandeventsinthisbookarefictitious.Anyresemblancetoactualpersonslivingordeadisstrictlycoincidental.
Allcharactersdepictedinsexualactsinthisworkoffictionare18yearsofageorolder CreatedwithVellum
Gibson
I
don’tknowhowIendedupblowingasharp-dressedmaninabusinesssuitagainstthebackbumperofhisJaguar,butthere was no goingback, notwithhis dickrammed halfwaydownmywindpipe. Icould blame itonthe booze;everyone does. Truthfully,thisguyburnedhotterthanthesun,andithadbeenalong,dryspellforme.NotaslongastheJurassicEra,butclose enough
Therearebookstoresfullofnovelswherethesciencenerdgetsthequarterbackofthefootballteamorsomeglamrockerwith aheartofgoldunderallthegreasepaintandattitude.Theideaisgoodintheory hell,it’sevenagreathypothesis butinthe coldlightofday,Icouldn’tevengetadatewithanotherequallynerdypaleontologist,nevermindTomBradyorPaulStanley IthadbeentwoyearssinceI’dlastbeeninthisposition,worshippingathick,juicycock,andthisguy IwasfuckedifIcould remember his name was exactlymytype. The epitome oftall, dark, and devilishlyhandsome, withhis wavy, nearlyblack hair,whichIjusthadtotouch,andhisdeep,soulfuleyes Although,thatmightjusthavebeentheFireballtalking Hewaswell oversixfeettall.Inotherwords,sexonlegs.Hewasdamnfine.NotthatIwasexpectingtomarrythebig-dicked,handsome, Jaguar-drivingman,buthey,strangerthingshadhappened.
Moreonthatlater.
“That’sagoodboy.Takeitall,”Tall,dark,andhandsomeurged,wrappingbothhandsaroundthebackofmyheadashethrust deepintomythroat.
Atthatpoint,Iwasjustalongfortheride.Droolcoatedmychin.Mynosetickledeverytimehisdonghitthebackofmythroat andIburiedmynostrilsinhispubes.Christ,themanwaswearingafive-thousand-dollarsuit;theleasthecouldhavedonewas manscape
“Fuck!I’mgonnacome!Swalloweverydrop Youhearme,boy?”TDHpanted Whothefuckwashecallingboy?Iwasthirty-threeyearsold,althoughIhadtoadmitIcouldpassforadecadeyoungerwith therightclothesandhairstyle.Usually.Well,maybeafterthreeorfourshots,buthey,whothehellcouldtellinthedark?
Irelaxed mythroatas bestIcould under the circumstances as TDHcontinued drillingmyface. He was breathinghard and moaninglikeIwasgivinghimthebestheadofhislife Hell,Iprobablywas Nottobrag,butmyoral skillsareprettydamn stellarifIdosaysomyself,andIdo.
“Playwithmyballs,”TDHordered.
Itwasonthetipofmytonguetosay,“Sir,yes,sir,”butconsideringthefactthatthetipofmytonguewaslickingthethickvein runningdownhiscock,Ifeltitwasbettertojustmoanagainsthismeatanddowhatheordered
Finding his nuts in that nest of hair was like trying to slice through the Amazon Rainforest with a rusty butter knife TDH moanedlouderwhenIaccidentallyjerkedsomeofthoseimpossiblytangledhairs.
Okay,sohelikedalittlepain.Icouldworkwiththat.Lashinghisshaftwithmytongue,Ibrushedmyfingersagainsthisball sack,givinghishairtheoccasionaltug
“Fuckme!That’sit Justlikethat”TDHgasped
He was gettingclose While Iwanted this blow job to lastas longas possible, who knew whenImightbe inthis position
again? Butmyjaw was achingsomethingfierce, and he was practicallygivingme a tonsillectomywiththe wayhis fatdick washammeringmythroat.NotthatIminded.Infact,Iwasinheaven.Therewasnothingmoregloriousthanbeingonmyknees, servicinganenthusiasticman Theonlythingbetterwasfindingabone No,nottheoneIwassucking,butonebelongingtoan ankylosaurus.
I’mapaleontologistbytrade.Bonesmakemehorny,whatcanIsay?Nomatter ifthey’repoundingmytightassor emerging throughalayerofsedimentaryrock Idigbones Literally
“Fuck,”TDHpanted “Gonna come”
I’dbeenreadyforhisdicktoeruptforwhatfeltlikeforever Inreality,ithadprobablybeenonlytenminutesorso Ihummed againsthis shaft,hopingthatwouldmove the process along.Diditever!TDHroared,soundinga little bitlike the T.rexin Jurassic Park Hisfingersdugagainstmyscalp,holdingmefirmlyinplace
Onefinalthrustandhewascomingdownmythroat Burstaftercreamybursthitmytongue,hisflavoroverwhelmingmytaste buds. Mine! I couldn’t help thinking, shocking me to my core. Not that I had time to worry overmuch. If I didn’t keep swallowing,Iwasgoingtodrowninhiscome Probablynottheworstwaytodie,butIwantedtogetmyownrocksoffone lasttimebeforecrossingovertomyeternalreward.
TwomoregruntsandTDH’switheringcockslidfrommylips,whichIgreedilylicked,hopingtocatchonelastfleetingtasteof him.
“Damn,thatwassomething,”hesaid,collapsingbackagainstthetrunkofhiscar.Reachingdown,hegrabbedmebythefront ofmyshirt,poppingmybuttons,whichpingedoffthecarandwerelostontheground Herippedmyshirtwideopen,hislips landingonmythroat.Hebit,nibbled,andlickedhiswaydowntowardmycollarbone.
Myhands were onhis shoulders, pushinghim. Iwas onthe edge and not ofglory. TDHcouldn’tpossiblyfathomthe actual edgehewasaggressivelypushingmetoward Ibegantosweat,notfromthesultrysummeraironmynewlyexposedskinbutfromthechangeIknewwascoming ThemoreI triedtofreemyselffromhispassionateembrace,thetighterheheldon.“No,stop!”Ihalfshouted,startlinghimawayfromme. “Sorry,man.Ijustgotcaughtupinyou…”
“It’snotyou,it’sme.”Wasitever!KnowingIdidn’thavealotoftimeleft,Ibegantostepbackintotheshadows.
“Oldestlineinthebook,pal!”TDHsaid,soundingdisappointed.“It’salwaysshortfororgasmremorse.” “Orgasmremorse?”Icouldn’tbelievemyears.Nothingcouldbefurtherfromtheactualtruth.“I’msointoyou.Sofuckinginto you,but ”Icouldn’ttellhimwhatwasabouttohappen Ijustcouldn’t “Butwhat?”Hishandswerefistedonhiships TDHworealooktellingmehispatiencewasnearlyatanend “ButI’m urrg!”Mytimewasup ThealcoholI’dhad,plusmyrampanterectionandthewayTDHhadbeenmanhandlingme, meanttherewasnoturningbacknow.Underanyoneofthosecircumstances,Imighthavebeenabletostopit,butnotwithall threeworkinginconcerttogether
I wasn’t nearly far enough away for him not to see what was happening to me The transformation came on faster than Supermansheddinghis ClarkKentpersonainaphonebooth.Ifelttheshiftstartandrelaxedintoit.Iwas madefor this.As scaredasIwasinthemoment,Igaveinandletithappen Secondslater,Istoodbeforehiminall ofmyglory: afull-grown ankylosaurus,wrecking-balltailandall. “Holymotherfuckingshit!”TDHwhispered.
Insteadofhisvoicefeelinglikeacaress,itfeltmorelikeacondemnation.Itriedtospeak,tomakehimunderstandwhatwas happening,butallthatcameoutofmymouthwasaplaintivewail.NotthatTDHwouldknowIwassadbeyondmeasure.No humanhadeverheardthevocalizationsofanank,atleastnotanyonewhowasn’toneofus Yes,therearemore Alot more “You’re a…” TDH tooka deep breath. He rubbed the heels of his hands against his stunned eyes, blinkingrapidlybefore lookingupatme.
WhenIbowedmymassivehead,Iwasateyelevelwithhim.
“You’readinosaur.Agoddamnedmiraculous,fuckinggorgeousdinosaur!”Hestumbledbackafewstepsbeforeskiddingona
rockandfallingtohisassinstunnedshock.
Iturned,makingsuremyten-foottaildidn’tsmashintotheJaguarorTDH,andambledofftowardtheforest.
“Wait!Comeback!”TDHshoutedafterme.Heremainedontheground,seeminglyunabletoregainhisfeet.
Giving my engine-block-sized head a shake, I lumbered out of the light, more scared than I’d ever been in my entire life, includingthefirsttimeIshiftedwhenIwasthirteenyearsold
We’dhadalottodrinkthatnight Therewasnowayhewasgoingtowakeupinthemorningandrememberanyofthis Ifhe did,therewasnowayhe’dbelievewhathe’dseenwasactuallyreal.Evenifhedidacceptwhathisowneyeswitnessed,there wasnowayanyoneelsewouldgivecredencetohistalltale.Right?
Mysecret,thesecretofallthedinosaurshifters,wasinthehandsofadrunkguywithahugedick,whosenameIcouldn’tfor thelifeofmeremember Whatcouldpossiblygowrong?
yheadfeltlikeitwasgoingtoexplode WhatthehellhadIbeenthinkingtakingfourshotsofFireball?Worse,I’dgotten behind the wheel of my car and had driven out to MacArthur Hill, overlooking downtown Billings, with my equally intoxicateddate.IfyoucouldcallamanI’dhadthefortuneofsittingnexttoattheWagonWheelbaradate.
MakingmattersevenworsewasthatIdidn’tknowhisname.Gordon?Gary?Gabriel?Itstartedwitha G.Ithink.Iwasfucked ifIcouldrememberhisname MakingmattersevenworserwasthefactthatifwordgotoutthatI’dbeendrinkinganddriving, thenhavinganonymouspublicsex,myimage,brand,andlifewouldtakeaserioushit.I’mtalkinga six,possibly seven-figure hit
It’snoteasybeingagay,billionaire,CEO,philanthropistdinosaurnut Iknow,poorlittlerichboy AmIright?
Technically,I’mlegacybillionaireCooperMcFee Theultimatenepobaby Isnepogreat-grandbabyevenathing?Ifitis,then I’m definitely one. My great-grandfather, Carrolton McFee notice the pattern? was an oil magnate in Wyoming. Bison Basin, to be precise Say that name ten times fast Great-grandpappy struck lucky, and as a result, my great-grandchildren wouldneverhavetoworkadayintheirlives.
BecauseoftheluckystarIwasbornunder,Iwasabletofollowmydream several ofthem,infact.IwenttoMontanaState anddoublemajored.IgotmyBSinearthscienceswithanemphasisonpaleontologyandasecondBSingeology.Afterall,a paleontologistneedstoknowasmuchashecanaboutrocks.
I’d been funding a dig in the Hell Creek Formation, which was about two hundred miles northeast of Billings. The head paleontologistwas a mannamed GibsonDavis. Over the lasttwo years, he’d discovered several new ankylosaurus fossils, oneofwhichwasanintactnestwitheggs
Hewasoneofthekeynotespeakersatthatyear’sPaleoConbeingheldinMontana Rightinmybackyard
Upuntil then,I’dbeencontenttofinancethedigfrombehindthescenes Iwas hopingfor thechancetomeetwithGibson I wantedtotalkaboutextendingmypatronageandtoaskifIcouldjoinhiminthefield.Hell,I’vegotadegreeinpaleontology, andIwantedtouseit Iwasn’tcutoutfortheboardroom Ilongedtobeonthehighprairie,digginginthedirtforankylosaurus bones.
MostpeoplelovethebigcarnivoreslikeT.rexorallosaurus,whileotherslikethemorecommon,recognizableherbivoreslike triceratops,stegosaurus,andbrachiosaurus I’dalwayslovedankswiththeirheavyarmorandwreckingballtails
Awaveofnauseabrokeoverme Idashedtothebathroomandhitmykneesinfrontofthebowl Mystomachtightened,andI gagged a few times but, thankfully, didn’t spew. Puking my guts up was the last thing I needed after the bizarre vision? Memory?Feverdream?I’dhadlastnight. Irememberedgettingthebestheadofmylifefrommynamelessdate.WhenIwenttoreturnthefavor,heseemedintoitatfirst but pushed me away. Things got hazy from there. I could have sworn he morphed or somehow shape-shifted into an ankylosaurus.Ridic,right?
I’mamanofscience.Dinosaurshavebeenextinctforsixty-fivemillionyears.There’snopossiblewayIsawwhatIthoughtI saw IknowI’dhadtoomuchtodrink Myheadandentirebodyhadbeenbuzzingfromthetitanicorgasmthatmademyentire bodylightupwithelectricity.ItwassointenseInearlyblackedout.MaybeIdid.Whoknew?
It’spossiblemydrinkshadbeenspikedeitherbythepurple-mohawkedbartenderattheWagonWheelorbymydate.Anything waspossible,withtheexceptionofmeseeingthismanchangeintoadinosaur.Iwouldhavehadanevenbiggerproblemthan whatIsawifItoldanyonewhathappened;I’dbethelaughingstockofPaleoConandwouldneverbeabletoshowmyfaceat anotherconvention,mybusinesswouldsuffer,andGibsonDaviswouldn’twanthisworkassociatedwithascrewballlikeme. No.Thebestthingtodowastoshutupandgetonwithmyday.Iabsolutely had not seenadinosaurlastnight.Myunnamed datewasmostdefinitelynot ashape-shifter
Halfanhour later,Iwas showeredandshaved Dressedinapair offadedjeans anda MontanaState tee,Iheadedout Just seeingtheJaguar inmydrivewaymademystomachlurchandmyballstighten.Warringemotionsdueledinmybrain.Shame andembarrassmentcollidedwithcuriosityandinsatiablehorniness
Ididn’twantto admitit, butIwas hopingI’d runinto mymysterious date again Mydickjerked inabsolute agreement He wasn’tonetopassupagoodtimeoranopportunitytogetwet.
Gunningthe engine, I headed out. It was a twenty-minute ride to the conventioncenter. After parkingand havingmybadge scanned bysecurity, Iheaded offto the floor Vendors offered various fossils for sale Tool companies had their latestand greatest devices on display. Same for the tech companies. I wasn’t a fan of using gadgets or gizmos in the field, with the exceptionofGPSandasatellitephone,buttoeachtheirown.
Atthe far side ofthe huge conventionfloor were the personal appearance booths.Justlike Comic-Con,where youcanmeet DarthVader,theMandalorian,orBabyYoda,youcouldmeetthestarsofthepaleoworld
Ipassed JeffersonHaines’booth He was workingona T rexdiginthe badlands Nextwas Carrie Foster, famous for her hadrosaurusnestexcavationandthehypothesisconcerningtheideathatdinosaurswereacommunalanimal.
AttheverylastboothwasthemanIwaslookingfor,GibsonDavis.Istoodback,watchingashesignedheadshotsandtook selfieswithfans Hewasontheshortside;allIcouldseefromwhereIwasstandingwasthetopofhisblondhead Howcrazywasitthatpaleontologistshadfans?IcouldhearGibson’sthroatylaughandthesofttonesofhisvoice Thegroup ofpeoplewantinghisattentionsuddenlypartedliketheRedSea.StandinginfrontofmewasthebrilliantmanwhoseworkI’d beenfundingforthelastfewyears Hisblondhairshonelikespungold,whilehiscornflower-blueeyesglowedwithapparent happiness.
MakingeyecontactwithGibsonsentaboltofawarenessthroughmybody,straighttomycock.MystomachroiledasIrealized whohereallywas.Mydatefromlastnight.Blowjobmaster.Possibledinosaur.
Iwasfrozentothespotwhenrecognitionlitinhiseyes Ihadtwochoices:runorfacehim Iwasnoquitter Istrodeforward withall the confidence Icould muster while myheartpounded like a jackhammer. “Cooper McFee. It’s nice to finallymeet you.”
His blue eyes, whichtwelve hours ago had stared up at me fromhis knees while he sucked mybrainout throughmydick, registeredshockandfear “GibsonDavis,”hereturned,stickingouthishandtogripmyowninabriefshake “It’sgoodtomeet youtoo.”
Iwatched,fascinated,as hebegantoblush.His ears turnedtheprettiestshadeofpink.NotthatIwas anear man,butdamn, washeadorable “I’dlikeafewminutestochatwhenyou’refree”
Gibsoninstantlypaledastheblooddrainedfromhisface “Sure,”hesaid,soundinguneasy “I’mdonehereinfifteenminutes I’llmeetyouatthefoodcourt.”
Inoddedandwanderedaway.IthitmethatGibsonprobablythought,duetoour extracurricular activities lastnight,Iwould pullhisfunding Nothingcouldbe further fromthetruth
Iwatchedas more people swarmedhis booth One womanhada stuffedankshe wantedhimtoholdintheir phototogether Gibsonflashedacutesmileasthepicturewasshot.
WasitacoincidencethatthemanIthoughtIsawmorphintoanankylosaurusbeforemyveryeyeswastheforemostauthorityon thespecies?
I was being ridiculous I must have seen Gibson’s picture somewhere at some point and in my drunken, oversexed state recognizedhim.Then,mywhisky-addledmindconcoctedthewildstoryabouthimbeingashape-shifter.
Iwasamanofscience.Ididn’tbelieveinvampires,zombies,orwerewolves.Ididbelieveindinosaurs,buttheyhaddiedout nearlyseventymillionyearsago.Ihadtoadmittobeingmesmerizedby Jurassic Park andtotheideathatthosegreatbeasts couldonceagainroamtheearth,buttheideawasfiction,nomatterwhatStevenSpielbergandMichaelCrichtonwantedyouto believe.Dinosaurswereextinct.
Iwasjustadrunk,hornyfool.
Wasn’tI?
Gibson
I
was goingto be sick Notbecause Iwas hungover or because Cooper fucking McFee was myone-nightstand No, Iwas abouttotossmycookiesbecause,drunkornot,heknewwhatIwashiding.He’dseenmeshift.
He knew my secret.
Iwasfucked,andnotinagoodway.Myhearthammered,andmyhandsshook.FromthetimeIwasthirteenyearsold,when myfather told me aboutour incredible gift, Iknew to keep ita secret. Mymother didn’tknow until she and myfather were married He was afraid if people found out we were dinosaur shifters, we’d be branded as freaks at best or captured and studiedlikelabratsatworst.
Imadeabeelineforthemen’sroomwhenmysigningsessionwasover.Iwashedmysweatypalmsandsplashedmyfacewith cold water I needed to pull myself together if I had any hope of convincing Cooper what he’d seen last night was a hallucinationspurredonbytoomuchwhiskeyandtoomanyhormones.
After a few deep breaths, I was ready to go and face my doom. Best-case scenario at this point would be for Cooper to discontinuemyfunding Thereweresomanymillionaireswhowantedtogetinonthefossilgame Itwouldbealoteasierto findanewbenefactorthanitwouldbetokeepalidonwhatCoopersawlastnight.
Makingmywayto the food court, Islapped ona smile. Ifound Cooper sittingatthe furthesttable inthe back. He had two bottlesofwaterinfrontofhimandwaspoppingcashewsintohismouth.Asidefromwhathadhappenedbetweenusatthebar andagainstthetrunkofhisJag,hewasn’twhatIexpected.ThatsamethrumofexcitementlitmyentirebodyonfireasIwalked towardhim.“Hey,Mr.McFee,”Isaid,sittingdownacrossthetablefromhim.
Heraisedaquizzicalbrow.“PleasecallmeCooper.Weknoweachotherwellenoughtobeonafirst-namebasis.”
“YoumeanbecauseIknowyouinthe Biblical sense?”IwishedIcouldhavetakenthosewordsbackthemillisecondtheyflew frommylips Itjustwasn’tmyday
Cooperbarkedaquicklaugh “No,becauseI’vebeenfinancingyourdigforthelastfewyears”
JesusfuckingChristridingastegosaurus.Yes.Ireallywas that stupid.Icouldn’tbelieveIsaidthosewordsoutloud.Iwas goingtolosemyfundingforsurenow.
“Iguess that’s what Iget for spendingmore time inthe boardroom. Ishould have made meetingyoua prioritylongbefore now”SincerityfilledCooper’sdarkeyes
“Igetthatyou’rebusy,”Isaid “You’vebeenanexcellentbenefactor Notupmyassliketheothers”Fuckmeblue,Ineededto shutthehellupbeforeIgotmyselfintoworsetrouble.
“You’vehadotherbenefactors up your ass?”Cooperaskedwithadevilishgrin.
“Metaphorically upmyass.”Ifeltmyselfstartingtosweatagain.“AcollegebuddyofmineworkswithJonesVanderbilt,and he’s on-site dayandnight, tellinghimwhattodo and where to dig, all the while threateningtopull his fundingifmyfriend doesn’tcomply.It’sasuck-asssituation.”God,whatthehellwaswrongwithme?IhadtostoptalkingaboutassesbeforeIlet itslipjusthowbadlyIwantedCooperupmine
“Isupposeit’sbettertoletyoudoyourownthing MyspecialtalentisthatI’mgoodathiringtherightpeoplefortherightjob”
It was good to know I was the right person, but for how muchlonger? “So,” I begancasually, “what did youwant to talk about?” Iwasn’t usuallythat impatient, but Ifelt like Iwas goingto jump out ofmyskinwaitingfor Cooper to pronounce sentence
His eyes darkened as he leaned over the table toward me. Cooper looked as if he wanted to eat me whole, not that I was opposedtothat.He did owemeone.
“Iwantedtotalkaboutyourdig,”hesaidsimply.
“Whataboutit?”Mystomachwasbacktoroilinglikehurricane-tossedseas.Thankgoodnessithadbeenhourssincebreakfast. IfI’dstartedtogag,therewasn’tlikelytobemuchinmyguttoupchuck
“Well,therearetwothings,asamatteroffact”Cooperofferedmeaslysmile Icouldn’ttellifthatwasagoodorabadthing Mystomachsanklower Prettysoon,theonlythingholdingitupwouldbemy shoes.Ididn’tneedtobepsychictoknowhewasgoingtoaskaboutmydinosaurandthenfiremewhenItoldhimhewasinfucking-sanetothinkIcouldturnintoanankylosaurus “Okay,sure,”Isaid,soundinganything butsure
“IknowIsaidI’mthekindofguywhohirestherightpeopleandthengetsoutoftheirway,butwhatwouldyouthinkaboutme joiningyourdigteam?Iamatrainedpaleontologistbuthaven’tworkedinthefieldsincecollege.”
“Join my dig?”Isputteredindisbelief.Ofallthequestionshecouldhaveaskedmeinthatmoment,thatonewasn’tevenclose tobeingonmyradar Whythehellwouldthisbillionairewanttojoinmy team?Couldn’themakeoneofhisown? “Iwouldn’texpectyoutoputmeattheheadoftheclassjustbecauseofwhoIam”Cooperworeanearnestlook,makinghim looklikeachildaskingforapuppy.
“Yeah,Imean,sure.You’remorethanwelcome.”Ishookmyhead.Thedaywasgettingstrangerbytheminute.“Whyhaven’t youbeeninthefieldsincegraduation?”Ifeltmyselfstarttorelax Ifhewantedtovisitmydig,thatmeanthehadnoimminent planstofireme.Asforaskingaboutmydinosaur,I’djusthavetowaitandsee.Notaneasytaskatthemoment.
“Myfatherindulgedmewithmyeducation,lettingmemajorinanythingIwantedwiththeunderstandingthatatsomepoint,I’d take over the familyoil business. Iassumed thatwouldn’tbe until he was older andreadyto retire,butIwas wrong. Iwas forcedtogotoworkforhimafterIgraduated”Cooper’sdisappointmentdrippedfromeachandeveryword
“I’msorry”Ididn’tknowwhatelsetosay Icouldonlyimaginewhatitmusthavebeenlikegrowingupinafamilywiththat muchmoney,but,asthesayinggoes,moneycan’tbuyhappiness,atleastnotinCooper’scase.I’dassumedhewashappywith hislife,butlookscouldbedeceiving Iknewthatbetterthanmost
“Whydon’t youlet me take youout for dinner tonight? Mytreat We’ll go to the best steakhouse inthe city” He paused, seemingtostudyme.
“Umm…”Whatthehellwasitwiththisguyconstantlycatchingmeoffguard?
“Ifyourecall,”Coopersaid,leaningclosertomeacrossthetable,“wehadagreattimelastnight.”
Ifheleanedoverafew moreinches,he’dbekissingme.Rightthereinthefoodcourt.Otherpeoplewereeatingandmilling around No one seemed to be payingus anymind, for the moment Iwas so tempted to close the distance betweenus, butI wouldn’t.Notthereanyway.“Sure,soundslikefun.”
Coopersmiled,hiseyesdarkeningtoalmostblack.Hegotupfromthetableandwalkedtomyside,allthewhileleavingmeto dealwithmygrowingattractiontohimandmakingmewonderifherememberedseeingmydinosaurornot
“Dinnerisdinner,”hesaidwithagrin “Whathappens after willbefun”Cooperlickedhislipssuggestively,leaningcloserto me.
FeelinglikeIwasinthe Twilight Zone,Isetahandagainsthischest.Icouldfeeltheheatofhimsoakingintomypalm.“Sure, butthistime,Iwantabed,notbeingonmykneesoutintheopen.”Mydickhardenedinaninstantasmymindreplayedwhat happenedbetweenuslastnight.
Cooper shookhis head. “Iliked youonyour knees under the stars.” He pulled slightlyback, lookingaround the food court beforeleaningbackintome.“Besides,ifIremembercorrectly,youneedalotofwide-openspacetorepeatthatmagictrick.” Hewinked
Mymouthhungopenlike a fishoutofwater.Mycockdeflatedlike a Macy’s Thanksgivingballoonatthe endofthe parade route.IhadthoughtIwasintheclear,thatCooperhadbeentoodrunktohaverememberedwhathe’dseenlastnight,butIwas wrong Deadwrong
“SexiestdamnthingI’veeverseeninmylife.”Coopersetahandonthesideofmyface.“Howdiditfeeltofinallysharethat partofyourselfwithsomeone?”
Isupposedatthispoint,therewasnoneedtolie.“Prettydamngood,butyoucan’t ” Rubbingmylowerlipwiththepadofhisthumb,Coopergrinned.“Yoursecretissafewithme.Iswear.”Hesetahandagainst hisheart
WhatchoicedidIhavebuttobelievehim?Iwassofucked,butoddlyenough,Ididn’tcare
yleftkneeshookasIsatwaitingforGibsontoarriveatJake’sSteakhouse TherestaurantwasprettyfullforaTuesday night,evenwiththeconventionintown.Hewastwentyminuteslate,whichdidn’tbothermemuch,buthehadn’ttextedto sayhe’dbelateorthathewasn’tcomingatall.
Istillwasn’tsureIhadmadetherightdecisionaskingGibsontoshiftinfrontofme.Icouldimagineitwasaprivatething,and Ipracticallyordered himto do itlike he was one ofmyemployees Notone ofmybestmoves Ididn’tblame himfor not showingup.
IwasabouttoorderasecondCokeandatomahawksteakwhenthehostessbroughtGibsontothetable.
“SorryI’mlate,”hemuttered,takingthechairacrossfromme. “Iwasn’tsureyouwerecoming.”Tobehonest,Iwas positive he’dstoodmeup.
“TheUberdriverwenttwentymilesunderthespeedlimitthewholewayhere.Iswearitwouldhavebeenfastertowalk.” Ilaughed.“Maybethey’dgottenonetoomanyspeedingticketslately?”
“Well,whateveritwas,I’mhere.”Gibsonpickeduphismenuandburiedhisfaceinit.
Iwatchedcuriouslyasmydatemeticulouslystudiedtheofferings mostlysteak beforelookingupatme. “Theribeyesoundsgood.”
“Beststeakhouse intown Youcan’tgowrongwithanythingonthe menu” Iwas suchan idiot I’d alreadytold himthat It wasn’tlikemetobethisnervous.Iwaskingoftheboardroom,whichIwasquicklylearningdidn’ttranslateintoreallife.We orderedafewminuteslater,leavingmefreetowineanddineGibson.Figuratively,ofcourse.Ineededtokeepmywitsabout me Afterwhathappenedthenightbefore,alcoholwasthelastthingIneeded
“Whenwouldyouliketocome?”Gibsonasked,hiseyessparkling
Isnorted Myfacefeltlikeitwasonfire “Comewhere?”Iasked,soundingequallyasflirty Thepossibilitieswereendless Downhisthroat?Uphisass?Onhisface?Overhischest?
“Outtomydig.”Gibsondroppedasexywink.
Iheard and understood whathe’d said, butmydickwas still stuckonthe word come. “How aboutnextweek? For the site visit,”Iquicklyadded
“Okay,sothenwhenareyougoingto come?”Gibsonasked,soundinginnocent “Hopefullylater, ifIplaymycards right” One wayor the other, Iwas definitelycoming Mydickthrobbed inagreement, lettingme know there was no time like the present. Iwas aboutto askGibsonifhe wanted to come backto myplace after dinnerwhenthewaitressarrivedwithourmeals
Mymouthwatered,notfromthinkingaboutwhatwasgoingtohappenafterdinnerbutfromthesteakonmyplate Icutthefirst biteandmoanedoutloud.
Acrossthetable,Gibsondidthesamething.
“Areyouseeinganyone?”heaskedbeforetakingasipofhissoda.
Ishookmyhead. “No. Mylastrelationship ended abouteightmonths ago. How aboutyou?” Ifound myselfhopinghe was unattached.Iwouldn’tthinklessofhimifhehadaboyfriendbackhome,butitwouldcertainlystopthecrazytrainofthought barrelingthroughmymindatwarpspeed.
“Nope.Mylastboyfriend,Jim,cheatedonmewithoneoftheguysonmycrew.Kentwasagreatpaleontologistbutcouldn’t keephisdickinhispants.Hefuckedanythingwithadick,includinghalfoftheguysonmyteam.Apparently,KentandJimhad beencarryingonundermynose Itwaslikesomesortoftwistedjokebetweenthem How obvioustheycouldbewithoutme figuringitout.”
“Ihatetoask,but how didyoufindout?”Ididn’tknowwhothisboyfriendwas,butthatdidn’tstopmefromwantingtopunch himinthethroat
Gibsonshookhishead,asifhecouldseethatmomentinhismind’seye “Iwalkedinonmyboyfrienddownonhisknees,and hewasn’tpraying.WhenKentsawtheshockedlookonmyface,hewinkedatmeandkeptgoing.”
“Asshole!”Imuttered,loudenoughforGibsontohear.
“Ican’tbelieveyoudidn’thearaboutit.ItwasquitethepaleontologicalscandalwhenIfiredKentonthespotandreminded himofthenoncompeteclauseinhiscontract”
“Nope,Ididn’thearathing LikeIsaid,Ihirethebestpeoplepossible”Iwastoobusyrunningthecompanytobotherwith dinogossip.“Whatdidthenoncompeteclauseentail?”
“Bastardcan’tworkforanotherdigsiteorpaleontologistforninemonths.”Gibsonlaughed,butitwasfilledwithbitterness. “Doyoumisshim?”Iwashalf-afraidoftheanswer.
Gibsonshrugged.“Kentwasagreatpaleontologist.Hehadalmostasixthsensewhenitcametosniffingoutbones.But,no,I don’t miss himor myexone bit He was selfish, shortsighted, and used his teethwhenhe gave me blow jobs Felt like a piranhawasgoingdownonme.”
Imade a mental note notto use anyteethifIgotluckylater. NotthatIdid anyway, butIwanted to make sure Iwas doing everythingjustrightwhenIfinallywrappedmylipsaroundhiscock.Itookadeepbreath.“Ifyoudon’tmindmeasking,why didyoupushmeawaylastnight?”IhadafeelingIknewtheanswer,butIwantedtohearhimsaythewordsoutloud Gibsonsighed.Hesoundedweary,asifhe’dbeencarryingtheweightoftheworldonhisshoulders.Hell,maybehewas.After whatIhadseenlastnight,Icouldimaginewhataloaditwaskeepinghissecretforalltheseyears.
“Youknowwhy,”Gibsonsaidonawhisper.“Icouldfeelhimgettingreadytorevealhimself.”
“Him?”
“Mydinosaur myankylosaurus.”Gibsonpaused.Icouldseehewaswarringwithhimselfoverhowmuchheshouldrevealto me “Yousawhim Itwasyouwhomadehimshowhimself,”hewhispered “I didthat?”Icouldn’tbelievewhatGibsonwassaying Howwasthatpossible?
Gibsonnodded,lookingscaredandabitawedatthesametime.“Yeah,itwasallyou.Icouldn’tstopit.”
“Howdoesheusuallycomeout?”Iasked,curiousbeyondmeasure.
Gibson looked around the restaurant. No one seemed to be paying us any attention, but I understood his need for secrecy. “There are instances whenhe tells me it’s time to sethimfree. Sometimes a full mooncauses it. So cliché, Iknow, butthe moonismorepowerfulthanweknow Lastnightwasthefirsttimeiteverhappenedduring ah,youknow” “Sex?”Iaskedquietly,barelymovingmylips
Gibsonnodded “Thisisgoingtosoundcrazy” “CrazierthanwhatIsawlastnight?”Iaskedgently.
“Ithinkso,”Gibsonsaid,lookinggobsmacked.“I’vehadalotofsexinmylife.Notthatyouneedtoknowthat,”herambled, “butmypointisthatwhathappenedlastnighthasneverhappenedwithanyotherlover.”
Iknew exactlywhereGibsonwas goingwithhis trainofthought,butthatcouldn’tpossiblybereal.Itwas thestuffofmyth, legend,andtawdryromancenovels.“Areyousayingyouthinkwe’refatedmates?”Iwasbreathlessoveraskingthequestion. “Crazy,right?JustlikeIsaid.”Hisblueeyeswerewidewithwhatlookedlikehope. “I’vegotsomethingtoshowyou.”Iraisedmyhand,signalingforthecheck.
Gibsonwasn’ttheonlyonewithasecret Sincehe’dshownmehis,itwasonlyfairIshowedhimmine
Gibson
F
ifteenminutes later, we were flyingdownRoute 16, doingatleasttwentymiles per hour over the speed limit Cooper’s handsgrippedthesteeringwheelsotightlythatIwasafraidhe’dsnapitinhalf. Irecognizedwhereweweregoing.Backtotheout-of-the-wayplacewe’dgonetothenightbefore.Atthatpointintheevening, itwouldbedarkandhopefullyempty.
AswezippedoutofdowntownBillings,Istaredattheglowoftheheadlightstravelingintheoppositedirection.Mymindspun withthepossibilitiesofwhatheneededtoshow me Firstofall,I’dseenhismonster cock,sothatwasn’twhatthiswasall about.
So, whatcould itbe? Was he a vampire? Awerewolf? Analien? Were those creatures evenreal? Icertainlywasn’tinany positiontodisbelieveanything
Cooperwasquietaswedrove Hiseyeswereontheroad Hisusualsmilewasgone Thiswasobviouslyseriousbusiness “Areyousureyoucan’tgivemeahint?”Iasked “No,”Coopersaid “It’sbetterifIjustshowyou Trustme”
“Okay,”Iagreed,turningmyattentionbacktotheroad
WhenCooperflippedonhisblinkerandtooktheturnupMacArthurHill,myheartwaspoundinglikeajackhammer.Cooper askedme totrusthim,andGodhelpme,Idid.He knew mysecretandhadkeptittohimselffor nearlytwenty-four hours.I couldaffordtogivehimsomeleeway
Cooper brought the Jagto a stop near the exact spot we had parked inthe previous night Icould see the tire marks inthe gravel.
“Comewithme.”Coopershutofftheignitionandgotoutofthecar.Hecametothepassengersideandopenedthedoorforme, holdingouthishandtoassistmeoutofmyseat
WhenItookhishandinmine,myentirebodytingled Morethanthat,IfeltlikeIwashome TheonlyothertimeI’deverfelt like this was when I came to Montana and visited Hell Creek for the first time. This was different. Deeper. Forever. My forever
IfeltlikeIwaswalkingonair I’dverybrieflythoughtCoopercouldbemyfatedmate,butIdidn’twanttogetmyhopesup I didn’twanttoseemneedy.Ordesperate.Likethiswasn’tthemostimportantmomentofmylife.
SinceitwasCooperwho’dbroughtuptheidea,Icouldletmyimaginationrunwild.Myfatherhadtoldmeaboutfatedmates alongwithhisbirds-and-beesconversation.Itsoundedlikeafairytalethen.Hell,itsoundedlikeafairytale now,onlyIcould feelitdeepinmybones
ThebuzzyenergyIwasexperiencingfeltalmostsolid,likeIcouldreachoutandtouchit.I’donlyknownCooperfortwentyfourhours,butitfeltmuchlonger.
Cooperdroppedmyhandandturnedtofaceme.Helookednervousashell.“Areyouokay?”Iasked.
“I’venever toldanyonewhatI’mabouttotell you.Tobehonest,Inever imaginedtherewouldbesomeoneinmylifeclose
enoughtorevealthisto.”
Afrissonofworryshotthroughmysystem.Whatifhewasn’tavampirebutwasacancerpatientorneededahearttransplant?I wouldn’tmakeitifIfoundmyforeverloveonlytolosehimtragically.“Whateveritis,I’mhere.I’mnotgoinganywhere.”My handsshookwhilemystomachflipped.Ihadneverbeenthisscaredinmyentirelife.
Cooperwalkedtome,settinghishandsonthesidesofmyface.“Thankyoufortrustingme.”
BeforeIcouldanswer,heleanedinandkissedme.Atfirst,itwasjustagentlepressofhislipstomine,butsecondslater,his tonguewaslickingacrosstheclosedseamofmylips,beggingfor entry.Iopenedmyselfuptohimeagerly.We’dkissedlast night,butwe’dbothbeendrunkandsloppy Thiskissfeltlikeapromise Iwrappedmyarmsaroundhisbroadbackandheld onfortheride.Hishearthammeredagainstmychest,andmyownheartmatchedhisfranticbeat.
Alltooquickly,thekissended.Cooperpulledbackandofferedmeanervoussmile.“Stayrighthere.Don’tmove.”Heturned andwalkedahundredfeetorsoaway Icouldjustbarelymakeouthissilhouetteinthedarkness Hisshouldersroseandfell withthedeepbreathhetook.
Thiswasit.Whateverthismysterioussecretwaswouldberevealedanysecondnow.
ItwasjustdarkenoughthatIcouldmakeoutCooper’sshapebutcouldn’tseethelookonhisface.Hisbodylanguagetoldme hewasnervous,buttherewassomethingelectricabouthim AnenergyIcouldsomehowperceiveinthenear-totaldarkness
“Heregoes,”Coopersaid,amerewhisperonthewind
Mystomachdropped withanxious energythe wayithad whenI’d riddenroller coasters as a kid Before myeyes, Copper shimmeredlikeadesertmirageandbegantochangeshape,morphinginto…astyracosaurus.
Holyshit!Cooper wasadinosaur shifter too.Eyeswide,Istaredathisincrediblespikedneckfrill.Nextwasthelongfront horn, whichlooked a bit like a rhinoceros, and his body, whichresembled a triceratops Mymind was completelyblown “Cooper,”Iwhispered,holdingmyhandouttohimlikeIwouldtoastrangerdog.
Cooperlumberedtowardme.Iwatchedinfascinationatthewayhismusclesmoved.Hestoppedafewfeetinfrontofme,asif hewantedmetoclosethegapbetweenus.Ididn’thesitate,raisingmyrighthandandsteppingforward.Cooper bumpedhis beakagainst it As I ranmyhand up his face, he grunted, whichalmost sounded like a purr, if styracosauruses could purr “You’remagnificent.”Balancingonmytiptoes,Itouchedhisneckfrill,myhandsmovingtothespikes,whichweresmoothand sharp “You’resobeautiful,”Isaid,steppingbacksohecouldseeme Shimmeringagain,Coopershiftedbacktohishumanform Irushedintohisarms “Ican’tbelieveit Ijustcan’tbelieveyou’re adinosaurtoo.”
“Surprised?”Cooperaskedshyly,hiseyesgluedtomyshoes.
“Icouldn’thavebeenmoresurprised.Whydidn’tyoutellmesooner?”Mymindspunwiththewonderofitall.
Coopershrugged.“Youdidn’tgivemeachancetomentionitlastnight.Youranoffwhenyoushifted,andIwastoostunnedto chaseafteryou IthoughtI’dneverseeyouagain”
“Iwas ashamed and terrified Myfather always told me no one could ever know aboutus, thatour discoverywould be our downfall.Ididn’tknowwhoyouwere,couldn’trememberyourname.Ispenttherestofthenightprayingyouweretoodrunk torememberwhathappened Whatyou’dseen”
“Icanonlyimaginewhatyouweregoingthrough”Cooperpressedachastekisstomyforehead
“Whendidyourfathertellyouaboutthisgift?”Icouldn’twaittohearwhatwisdomhadbeenpassedfromfathertoson Maybe therewasanuggetinthosewordsthatcouldhelpmetoo.
“Myfatherdidn’ttellmeanything.”SadnessfilledCooper’sdarkeyes.
“What? Idon’tunderstand. Whatkind ofmonster would lethis child grow up notknowingwhatwas happeningor whatto expect?”
“IshiftedforthefirsttimewhenIwasoutmountainbiking Iwasaloneandhadabsolutelynoideawhatwasgoingon AfterI caught a lookat myself ina stream, I figured it out prettyquickly. I was somehow able to shift backto myhumanform. I remember sittingonafallenlog,tryingtodiscernwhatcouldhavecausedthis.Iwonderedifitwasahallucinationor ifI’d
eatenaweirdwildmushroom.Butdeepdown,Iknewthatwasn’tthecase.”Coopersighed. Icouldn’timaginehowterrifyingitmusthavebeenforhimtoshiftallalone.
“Afterdinnerthatnight,Iknockedonthedoorofmyfather’soffice.IaskedhimiftherewasanythingIneededtoknowabout pubertyandbecomingaman.Iwasintentionallyvague.MydadthoughtIwasaskingaboutsex.Heneversaidanythingabout beinga dinoshifter,notevenonhis deathbedwhenhe apologizedfor beinga selfish,emotionallyunavailable father.Tothe bestofmyknowledge,hewasn’tashifteratall.”
Mylipsturnedintoastunnedfrown.“I’dalwaysthoughtthisraninfamilies youknow,likedarkhairorblueeyes.Dideither ofyourgrandfathersoruncleshavethisgift?”Inmyfamily,therewasmyfather,anuncle,andthreecousinsthatIknewof
Coopershookhishead “Notthatanyonetoldme Whatdidyourfathertellyouasyouweregrowingup?” “Onlythebarebones,howmyentirebodywoulditchbeforeIshifted Whathemostlytoldmewastheimportanceofkeeping thisgiftasecret.Noonecouldeverknow.NotthekidsatschoolorthemanImarried.IalwaysthoughtI’dlivethislonelylife withanenormoussecretIcouldn’tspeakabout”
“Howdoesitfeelthatsomeoneknowsthissecretatlonglast?”
“LikeI’montopoftheworld”Ilaughed Icouldn’thelpit Iwasstandinginthedarkwiththemanofmydreamsholdingme closer.Heknewmydeepest,darkestsecret,andithadn’tsenthimrunningawayfromme.Infact,itsenthimintomyarms.
“Whydon’tweheadbacktomyplace?IbelieveIoweyouone,”Coopersaid,soundingsaucy.
“Youowemetwo,”Ishotbackwithagiggle.
“Oh,really?”CoopergrabbedmyhandandledmebacktotheJag.“We’reinthisforthelonghaul,right?”Hesoundedunsure ofhimself,asifhethoughttherewasapossibilityIwouldsayno “Yeah,we’redefinitelygoingtobetogetherforever,”Iagreed,brushingmylipsagainsthis
Cooperkissedmeback,grippingmyhipspossessively “ImakeameanDenveromelet” “Ican’twaittotasteit”Myentirebodytingledoverthethoughtofspendingtherestofthenight no,therestofmylife with Cooper.
Smiling,Iletmyfatedmateopenthecardoorandushermeinside.Happiness,thelikesofwhichI’dneverexperiencedbefore, filledmetothebrim
I’dfoundmyonetruelove Finally,mylifecouldbegin
Foreverstartednow
