Liam

by Toni Griffin

  A little snore, not even ten seconds later, told Liam his mate had finally succumbed to his exhaustion. Liam couldn't help it, he stood and watched the other man sleeping for several minutes, still awed and amazed by his appearance in his life.

  He couldn't stand watch over Declan like a predator stalking his prey all night. Liam headed back to the dining room and kitchen to clean up the dinner dishes. After the excitement of the day, Liam was too keyed up to be able to relax just yet, so he finished putting everything away, pulled another beer from the fridge and headed for the living room.

  He sat on the couch where Declan had been lying earlier and pulled the rumpled blanket to his nose. The sweet scent of his mate still lingered in the fibres and Liam sighed in happiness. Something must have happened to Declan. Why else would he show up naked on Liam's doorstep? He would wait until the other man felt comfortable enough to confide in him. It might kill him in the meantime, but whatever Declan needed, Liam would try and provide.

  CHAPTER 5

  Declan came back to consciousness slowly,

  confused by the unfamiliar softness of the mattress underneath him. The sheets were wrong; a much higher quality than his own cheaply bought Kmart ones.

  He blinked at the bright light shining through the curtains, becoming more alert. Declan had a brief moment of panic he'd be late for work, but calmed down when something niggled at the back of his brain telling him everything would be okay. He hadn't slept so late in years; he usually woke up well before the sun rose, even on his rare days off.

  He looked around the room, positive he'd never stepped foot in it before. Fairly sparse and furnished with just the large queen sized bed, a set of bedside drawers with two lamps on top, and a tall boy against the wall opposite the bed.

  It looked like a typical guest room for someone who didn't get a great deal of visitors. Declan sat up slowly, the sheets pooling around his waist. Surprised to be naked down to his waist, Declan quickly lifted the covers. He sighed in relief, glad to be wearing sweats. He honestly didn't remember getting to bed last night or getting undressed.

  A knock on the bedroom door startled Declan. He breathed in deeply trying to get the scent of the person on the other side. The aroma seeped into his body, filling every pore and causing such a visceral reaction that memory came flooding back. Liam. His mate.

  Declan thumped his hand down on his hard cock, not wanting the bulge beneath the blankets to be obvious.

  After attempting to talk and having no sound come out, he cleared his throat. "Come in." He really needed his morning coffee.

  Declan watched as Liam opened the door and stepped inside the room. His eyes swept over every inch of Declan's naked skin before making their way to meet his eyes. Declan smiled shyly when their gazes connected.

  Declan didn't know what to do with the undisguised heat that shone out of Liam's stunning eyes. No one had ever looked at him like that before.

  "Morning," Liam said.

  Declan didn't think it was his imagination that Liam's voice sounded deeper than it did last night.

  "Good morning," Declan replied, silently begging his heart to stop trying to beat its way out of his chest.

  His wolf sat up and took notice. The creature wanted to reach out and touch its mate, Declan held back, barely, from giving in to its wants.

  "There's coffee, if you're interested," Liam said, his voice still low and sexy as hell.

  "Oh, yeah!" Declan exclaimed and jumped out of bed.

  Liam chuckled but Declan didn't care. His day didn't start right if it didn't begin with caffeine. Being a baker and having to get up at unimaginable hours of the morning, coffee had fast become a necessity in his life.

  Declan headed out of the room, wearing nothing but his sweats. Pausing for a moment when he passed Liam, he raised up so he could lay a quick, gentle kiss on Liam's cheek. "Thank you," he said quietly, unable, after all, to pass his mate without touching.

  "You're welcome," Liam smiled. "I don't know for what, but you're welcome anyway."

  His sweet smile turned into a cheeky grin and Declan laughed.

  Liam followed him through the house to the kitchen. Declan didn't stop, and even though the house didn't belong to him, he headed directly for the coffeemaker sitting on the bench. It took Declan looking in three cupboards before he found the coffee mugs. He didn't have to search for the coffee; the pods were hanging on the wall directly behind the coffee maker.

  Declan had no worries working the De'Longhi Nespresso machine; he had one just like it at home. The milk had been topped up and Declan placed his cup under the spout then looked at the different varieties of coffee pods. Letting out a very unmanly squeal when he saw his favourite flavour, he quickly reached out and pulled the pod from its box and placed it in the machine. He closed the lid, pressed the buttons, and waited.

  The machine whirred to life and Declan bounced on the balls of his feet impatient for the damn thing to finish.

  The rich smell drove him crazy. He wished it would hurry up already, he wanted his coffee now! When the cappuccino finally finished, Declan grabbed the chocolate shaker sitting next to the machine and sprinkled a generous amount on top of the foamy milk.

  Picking up the cup, Declan took his first sip and sighed. Heaven. God, he loved the first coffee of the day.

  He took several more sips of his drink before the chuckling behind him registered. Declan turned around to find Liam leaning against the bench opposite him, his eyes filled with mirth and something Declan couldn't put a name to. The man looked drop dead sexy when he relaxed and laughed.

  "So…" Liam said.

  Declan waited but Liam didn't seem to want to follow on after that one word.

  "So?" Declan asked finally not able to help himself.

  "Like your coffee, do you?" Liam laughed again.

  Declan blushed. He must look like a right idiot with the way he acted about a silly drink but Declan really did like his coffee. Not wanting to say anything, he simply lifted his cup and took another sip after nodding quickly.

  Liam truly did have a beautiful smile. Declan hoped that smile would always be directed towards him. At the thought, he shook his head. On the one hand, he barely knew the man, on the other, they were mates. Declan had grown up in a loving family, his parents had been a fated pairing and he had been taught all about mates. He never imagined the bonding pull would be so strong after such little time.

  Wanting to change the subject before he jumped the unsuspecting man, Declan blurted. "What day is it?"

  Liam studied him for a moment before he answered.

  "It's Monday morning." He looked down at his watch and winced. "If I don't leave right now I'm going to be late for work, and it never looks good when the boss is late." He smiled lightly.

  Declan wondered what Liam did for a living. He had a feeling it included some sort of manual labour. The man looked magnificent in work-roughened, faded jeans that he thought were probably as soft as silk. Declan desperately wanted to touch and find out. The shirt Liam wore hugged his abdominals perfectly and made Declan's mouth fill with saliva at the thought of pushing it up and licking the tight muscles underneath.

  An open flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up Liam's powerful arms and scuffed steel toed boots completed the outfit. Oh yeah, his mate definitely worked with his hands. Declan really wanted Liam to work him with his hands; he could just about imagine the rough, calloused fingers moving over his body, bringing nothing but pleasure. Declan closed his eyes as his mind wandered.

  A small whimper escaped as he thought about Liam grasping his cock in his tight fist.

  A strong hand in his hair gripping tightly and tilting his head back surprised him. He hadn't even heard Liam move. He blinked his eyes open, staring up at a silver gaze that radiated heat.

  "Stop it!" Liam's voice had gone low and guttural as if he struggled to keep control.

  "Huh?" Declan had no idea what Liam referred to, he hadn't done anything.

/>   "Whatever it is you're thinking, stop it now, or I won't be going to work today. I'll be bending you over every surface in this house I can find."

  Declan's cock jumped and pulsed at the idea, he tried to bite back another moan, he really did.

  "Fuck, you're beautiful," Liam whispered before his lips descended in a punishing kiss that stole Declan's breath and made his heart rate elevate to dangerous levels.

  Just when Declan thought he would pass out from lack of oxygen, Liam pulled back. He placed one last, gentler kiss against his lips before he stepped back.

  "Hang around the house today. I'll be home at four this afternoon." Liam gently swiped his thumb over Declan's swollen bottom lip. "If you need me at all, my number is by the house phone. Feel free to call your brother again if you wish."

  Declan opened his mouth, wanting to suck on Liam's thumb, but he removed his hand entirely.

  "Tonight, I'll take you so you can talk with Ben, followed by poker with the guys." Liam slowly walked backwards towards the entrance to the kitchen as he spoke.

  "Um, Ben? Poker?" Declan's brain still wasn't firing on all cylinders and he had a little trouble understanding why he would want to talk to this Ben person.

  "Monday nights is poker night; it's the only night all the guys have off. And Ben is my Alpha; technically he's your Alpha as well, seeing as how he's the Panneath Alpha of all the packs in Australia," Liam answered.

  "Holy shit," Declan whispered. How the hell had he been so lucky as to end up here?

  Liam laughed and waggled his brows. "Be safe, my mate. I'll see you when I get home. Oh, and keep your hands to yourself today."

  Declan must have looked as confused at the last statement. Liam's gaze dropped down to the tented front of his sweats and Declan blushed deeply.

  Declan didn't say anything and Liam raised his left brow in question. Declan's face burned but he nodded anyway. Liam shoved his wallet and phone in his pocket and picked up his keys.

  "Bye." Declan stood in the kitchen still holding his now empty coffee cup and watched Liam walk out of the room.

  A few seconds later, the front door closed and a truck started. Declan released the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding and collapsed back against the kitchen bench. He needed to get it together. Was he nervous about meeting with the Panneath Alpha later today? Hell, yes.

  But that didn't even compare with the butterflies doing dive bombs in his stomach at the prospect of meeting Liam's friends for poker.

  What if they didn't like him? He and Liam weren't even mated yet. Hadn't done anything more than kiss.

  Would Liam send him away if his friends found him lacking? Declan hoped not, he had nowhere else to go but back to an Alpha who probably wanted to kill him to keep him quiet about what the man had been up to. Hell, Declan didn't even have a job anymore. He had his brother and his mate. At least he hoped so. Surely the Panneath would be able to help him out of his current situation. Ben would want to know about Wallis, wouldn't he? Worrying about it wouldn't help. Declan quickly washed the few dishes in the sink from Liam's breakfast and set them aside to dry. He then decided to explore the house. Declan had a good eight hours to fill, he had no idea what he would do, but he hoped to find something.

  Hot and sweaty, and in desperate need of a shower, Liam drove home. All day his thoughts had not been on the job, instead they'd been hijacked by his handsome mate and the way Declan looked when Liam walked out of the kitchen that morning.

  He had no idea what Declan had been thinking about, but Liam had been spellbound, standing there and watching Declan close his eyes, his face flushed and his sweats noticeably tented. What really caught Liam's attention though, had been the strong scent of lust hanging heavy in the air. Liam thought it almost thick enough to choke on. He'd had to hightail it out, otherwise he would have done what he told Declan and spent the entire day fucking his mate over every surface in his house. As fun as it sounded, he didn't know if Declan would be ready for the kind of hot sex Liam craved with his mate or not. He didn't want to rush Declan into anything as he still had no idea what had caused his mate's sudden appearance on his doorstep.

  Even with his mind not being focused solely on what it should have been, Liam had a great day and managed to get a lot of work done. He didn't even yell at the men who delivered the wrong bathroom and tap supplies to three different houses. Liam was just thankful he had picked up the mistake before they had started drilling holes in the shower tiles. It would have been a huge pain in the ass to have to re-tile part of the shower.

  He knew he'd walked around all day with a stupid grin on his face. Even though Liam had yet to claim Declan, the fact he'd met his mate and had already fallen for the beautiful man made him happy beyond belief. He even caught himself whistling a couple of times. Liam also didn't miss the curious looks from his employees when they watched him move about the various worksites.

  The day finally ended and he headed back to his house and his mate. He couldn't believe how excited he felt just to get to see his Declan again. Pulling into the driveway Liam shut of the car and walked to his front door.

  The most heavenly scent surrounded Liam and hugged him close. The appealing aroma seemed to be a mixture of his mate mixed with chocolate and rich caramel.

  He loved the fact that it seemed his Declan's scent had started to permeate his home. Liam had no concerns about being heard when he closed the door as music blasted from the direction of the kitchen. He kicked his boots off and headed towards the noise.

  Liam stopped in the doorway to the kitchen and caught his breath, his cock instantly perking up. Declan had Liam's iPod and docking station from his bedroom and he'd plugged it into the wall. Currently listening to Gym Class Heroes' "The Fighter", Declan sang along with the music, his ass bopping along to the beat. Liam's chest tightened at the sight before him and his cock hardened within its tight confines. God, the man was sexy as hell.

  Declan moved and swayed while piping cream into what looked like éclair shells. Liam didn't even know he owned a piping bag. Declan placed the cream-filled pastries on a tray and covered the tops in rich melted chocolate. The kitchen, which he would have assumed to be a disaster area, at least it would have been if he had been the one cooking, was spotless.

  The music changed and Nickleback's "Lullaby"

  came on. Declan never stopped moving or singing.

  Halfway through a turn, Declan noticed Liam standing in the doorway. Declan stood still, bare-chested, with pink tinting his cheeks at being caught dancing and singing, and had what looked like a smudge of chocolate in the corner of his mouth.

  Liam prowled across the room, his eyes never straying very far from Declan's delicious looking lips.

  Declan swallowed audibly when Liam rounded the kitchen bench and reached out. Wrapping his hand around the back of Declan's neck, Liam pulled the man close, leaning in and licking at the smudge along the edge of his lips. The taste of chocolate and his mate burst across Liam's tongue and he moaned, his cock hardening further.

  Lips met, tongues duelled, and Liam felt like his body would burst into flames. His dick ached in his suddenly too tight jeans. Liam forcefully pulled back, breaking the kiss. Panting, trying to regain his breath, Liam stared at the lust filled eyes of his mate.

  "Please." The whispered word had so much want and longing, Liam would have been a fool to ignore it.

  He looked down and noticed Declan still held the piping bag. He carefully removed it from his fingers and placed it on the bench.

  "Will this be okay here for a little while or do you need to put it away?" He might be horny, but he didn't want to ruin anything his mate had been working on.

  Declan smiled. "Thank you. I'll leave the chocolate but the rest really should go in the fridge."

  Liam gave Declan room to quickly pack everything up. The second the fridge door closed, Liam stepped up and bent down a little. He picked Declan up and placed him over his shoulder and took off for his bedroom. To finally c
laim his mate, he would do it properly in a bed.

  Declan laughed. "You know I could have walked?"

  Liam smacked his ass. "Hush." He didn't miss Declan's moan or the way he squirmed and seemed to stick his butt out further.

  CHAPTER 6

  Declan cried out again as Liam's large, calloused hand came down once more on his behind. Who would have thought he'd like getting spanked? Certainly not him.

  Reaching out, Declan lifted the tail of Liam's shirt giving him a perfect view of Liam's ass encased in denim. He'd just reached out to cup one fine cheek when he went sailing through the air. He landed softly on the mattress of Liam's bed.

  Scooting back, Declan propped himself up against the pillows at the head of the bed and watched Liam make short work of the clothes he wore.

  "You know you could slow down and make that a whole hell of a lot sexier," Declan stated.

  Liam paused but for a moment then smiled. "Next time."

  His grin turned entirely too wicked. Declan's cock grew and throbbed in the sweat pants.

  Liam's muscles bunched and tightened when he lifted his shirt off over his head. Declan moaned at the sight before him. Liam stood in his jeans and socks, the afternoon light through the curtains giving him a golden glow. Declan practically salivated and wanted to run his tongue over every inch of the large tattoo covering his mate's right side.

  Liam reached for the opening on his jeans then looked up, lust shining in his eyes. "You know it usually helps if you get naked, too."

  Declan nodded quickly before hastily shucking the sweats down his body and off the side of the bed. He got back in his position against the pillows before Liam had even had a chance to pull down his fly.

  A growl rumbled from deep in Liam's chest. He stood frozen, his eyes trained on Declan's hard length.

  Declan shuddered in anticipation, his cock bobbing happily under Liam's attentive gaze.