Page 6 of Beach Bats

“I want to shift and jump into the pool one last time.”

Gem jerked back. That…that was not what he expected Luka to say.

Luka grinned. “You know how much my tiger loves the water. Come on! Shift with me.”

“My bat doesn’t do water,” Gem replied. He couldn’t help the disgust that snuck through.

“We’re going to Hawaii tomorrow,” Luka reminded him.

Gem rolled his eyes. “That was not my idea. I also don’t plan on getting into the water while in shifted form there either.”

“Fine. Although I don’t see why you agreed to a summer in Hawaii when you don’t even like swimming,” Luka said.

“Because my brothers need constant supervision.” It was true the last time the three of them had vacationed in Hawaii had been a disaster. He’d warned them not to mess around outside after recent mudslides but had they listened? No! And Aries had gotten hurt right before the season had started.

“Your brothers both have Daddies to watch over them.” Luka slid his hands down Gem’s ass and gave him a good squeeze. “I’m your boy now.”

“That you are.” Gem stepped back, allowing some much-needed space between them. If they were going to shift into their animals, then Gem needed to calm his body down.

“And you promised to look into putting in a pool for me,” Luka said.

Gem was a sucker. Pure and simple. That was the only reason he could think that he’d made that promise. He hated Luka going to one of the gyms with an indoor pool and that he could only swim in human form. “What are you going to do in the winter?”

“You do know that tigers, especially Siberians, still swim in the winter, right?”

Gem hadn’t known that. He groaned. Why would anyone want to do that? “I will not be joining you.” Not in human or shifted form.

“You can hold the towel when I run inside to avoid freezing to death,” Luka responded.

“Deal.”

“So…” Luka batted his eyelashes down at Gem. “Shift?”

“Fine.” Gem would do anything for his boy. And he did love to shift with him. With the privacy that their brownstone offered, it was nearly a nightly thing.

“You love it,” Luka teased before grabbing the bottom of his shirt and yanking it off.

Gem allowed himself to admire Luka’s wide muscular chest and arms. The boy had an amazing body. And getting to see how often Luka worked out those muscles had become one of Gem’s favorite pastimes. The boy was a beast. Gem’s beast. Gem’s tiger.

“Am I the only one getting naked?” Luka asked with his hands already on the button and zipper of his jeans.

“Go ahead, boy,” Gem ordered. “Why don’t you give me a little show while you’re at it.”

“But there’s no music, sir,” Luka replied with a pout.

Gem laughed. “Brat.” He tugged his own shirt over his head. “Better?”

“Much.” Luka shoved his jeans to his ankles.

The little tease wasn’t wearing underwear. Gem hummed and licked his lips. In the back of his mind he knew they had a flight to catch but having a little fun wouldn’t hurt anyone.

It became a race getting rid of shoes, socks, and pants.

Luka shifted first. The big, beautiful Siberian tiger weighed in at over four hundred pounds of pure muscle. The gorgeous reddish-rusty fur with narrow black transverse stripes was truly the most gorgeous sight that Gem had ever seen. Luka brushed against Gem’s hip and Gem sank his fingers into the dense, coarse fur.

The tiger turned his head, poking him with thick long whiskers.

His tiger.