Two very different men with a tumultuous history must overcome challenges from all sides and see past their society's rules to realize they are destined for one another.
Raised to become Alpha of the Yafenack pack, Samuel Goodwin dedicates his life to studying shifter laws, strengthening his body, and learning from his father. But despite his best efforts, Samuel can’t relate to people, including those he's supposed to lead.
When Samuel meets Korban Keller, the son of a neighboring pack's Alpha, he reacts with emotion instead of intellect for the first time in his life. Resenting the other shifter for throwing him off-balance, Samuel first tries to intimidate Korban and then desperately avoids him. What he can't do is forget Korban's warm eyes, easy smile, and happy personality.
When a battle between their fathers ends tragically, Samuel struggles to lead his pack while Korban works to break through Samuel’s emotional barriers. Two very different men with a tumultuous history must overcome challenges from all sides and see past their society’s rules to realize they are destined for one another.
EXCERPT –
“You look like you’re
about to fall over,” he said. He sounded
concerned, not like he was mocking or judging
me, so I didn’t argue. “You haven’t slept in days, have you?”
I
shook my head and focused
on keeping myself upright.
“Well, that explains why all that
tightly held control finally snapped.”
Wincing at the reminder of what I’d done to him when I lost my control, I lowered
my gaze and started stepping
away so I wouldn’t crowd him.
“No.” He grasped my shoulder
and then eased his hand onto my
back. “That wasn’t a complaint.” He sighed. “We need to talk, but first
we need to get you operating on all cylinders, which means sleep.
Where’s your room?”
Pride should have kept me from letting him decide what I needed
and when. Instinct should have prevented me from leading him to the place where I slept and was most vulnerable.
Self-respect should have
stopped me from giving in to my exhaustion
by slumping my shoulders
and shuffling my feet as I neared the bedroom. And yet I did all of those
things without a second thought
or a hint of hesitation.
When we got to the bed, he dropped his hand from my back and
waited for me to get in. I shivered,
suddenly cold in my core. I looked
at him, not sure what I wanted, but certain he could provide it.
“I’m filthy,” he said, gesturing to his blood-
and dirt-covered body. “You
lie down and I’ll go wash up.”
He was right. I could only imagine how he felt, coated
in filth and grime. “I’m sorry.
I should have thought to… I shouldn’t have put you… I—”
“Shhh.” He cupped the back of my head and massaged my scalp. “You need sleep. You can’t complete a thought or think straight.”
He tilted his chin toward the door at the end of my room. “That’s the bathroom, right?”
I
nodded.
“Take your clothes off and get in bed. I’ll be right back.”
It wasn’t until my shoes and pants were pooled
around my ankles and I was stripping my shirt off that I realized
what I was doing. Why
on earth was I listening to what he said? Why was I putting myself in an exposed and vulnerable position?
Why was I letting him bathe in my shower when I normally couldn’t stand anyone in my personal
space?
“You
know why, Samuel.”
I darted my gaze up and saw Korban standing
in the bathroom doorway,
looking at me.
“Did
I say that out loud?” I asked. “No.” He shook his head.
“Then how did
you—”
He smiled at me, his expression
soft. “Sleep, Samuel. You know all
of this in here.” He tapped his hand against
his chest. “You just need to
let go of the things you’ve learned in here”—he
tapped the side of
his head—“to realize it.”
Whether I would have argued or demanded more answers,
I’d never know because Korban walked into the bathroom and I heard the
shower turn on. It would have been mean to prevent him from washing, so instead of pushing him for an explanation, I padded into the bathroom, retrieved a toothbrush from the drawer where I kept extra
toiletries, and set it on the
counter.
“There’s a toothbrush next to the sink,” I said, trying not to look at his form behind the steamy glass enclosure. “Everything else you need
should be in the shower.”
“Thanks, Samuel.” When I didn’t move, he chuckled and spoke
again. “I promise I won’t be long. Go to bed before you fall over where you’re standing.”
I was tired beyond belief, but I doubted I’d be able to sleep with everything going on. I was far too anxious.
Still, I did what Korban asked and slid between
the sheets.
Though I remained awake, the sounds of him in the adjoining
room lulled me into a relaxed state instead of making me tense. Even the
water turning off, his bare feet slapping
on the tile floor, and him
brushing his teeth melted tension from me. By the time Korban walked into the bedroom, I was breathing easier
and no longer felt ice-cold inside.
“You look better,” he said
quietly, pressing his palm to my
forehead and then brushing my hair back. “Still tired,
but better.”
I blinked my eyes open and watched him, trying to figure out
what he was doing. He was being nice, tender.
It didn’t make sense. And I liked it, which also didn’t make sense.
“A
good night’s sleep and you’ll be back to yourself.”
“Why are you doing this?” I said quietly.
“I hurt you and you’re taking care of me. Why?”
“For the same reason I’m going
to get in bed with you and you’re
going to let me.”
“There are lots of other bedrooms in this house,”
I said. “The beds are just as comfortable. The doors have locks.”
Not that I couldn’t
break through a locked door,
but at least it would be some barrier
to keep him safe from me.
“I know.” He picked up the blanket and sat down. The man had
no self-preservation instinct.
I looked at him for a second and then slid over, making room for him
to lie next to me.
Immediately, he reached over, wrapped his arms around me, and tugged me close until we were pressed together. It was then I remembered he was nude. It made
sense because he hadn’t been wearing clothes
before the shower and he didn’t have any at my house. But
still, he was nude.
In my bed.
“What?” he asked.
“I didn’t say
anything.”
“Your entire body tensed and you’re
barely breathing.” He smiled and
combed his fingers through my hair. I had never let anyone touch
me
that way, not even my parents.
But I let him. I liked it. “That’s saying something with your
body. What freaked you out?”
“You’re
not wearing any clothes.”
“I know.”
“Oh.”
I swallowed hard, thinking about his nonresponse. “Why aren’t you
wearing any clothes?”
“For
the same reason you’re glad I’m not wearing
any clothes.”
Loving, tender,
swoon-worthy, all words to describe In
Your Eyes by Cardeno C.- the
second book in the Mates series.
Korban has always known the very rigid-very little fun Samuel was his mate.
But, in order to deter and avoid prejudices from his father and the pack,
Korban bid his time until the right moment presented itself to reveal the truth
to Samuel. Caught in a downward spiral, the two men finally come together
through tragedy yet find each other and comfort on the other side.
Cardeno
C.
created a beautiful love story with two well-developed characters, both of
which exuded confidence and charisma throughout the tale. Cardeno C.’s portrayal of the emotionally stifled Samuel was
executed with dignity and grace, allowing for the man to grow with sensitivity and
sensuality. Korban and Samuel were the true meeting and twinning of souls, each
complimenting the other and elevating his partner.
In
Your Eyes was the complete package—love, great sex and hot
men who weren’t afraid to show their inner beauty.
Book
provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review
Definite S.E.X.
2015 ©Evelise Archer All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.
