Mischief Maker

by Andi Lee

  “Couldn’t hurt, I suppose.” Jamie looked back down at his curry.

  LIAM DROPPED Jamie off, expecting to go straight home. But Jamie hesitated, his hand on the door handle, reminiscent of that awful day in the car park. “Do you want to see the rats?”

  He wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Liam turned off the ignition and undid his seat belt. “I’d love to.”

  He’d only seen as far as the hallway when he was there earlier, but he’d already learned so much about Jamie, from the female cat called Stark to the superhero figures that lined the wall next to the living room door.

  Liam wanted to see more of Jamie’s house so he could learn more about him. He usually only wanted to see the bedroom, and then he never cared about getting to know more than what would drive them wild in bed.

  “Would you like a drink? Tea?” Jamie shifted awkwardly on the spot, hesitating in the hallway.

  “Please.” He didn’t really fancy a drink, but he could tell Jamie needed something to compose himself with. Liam followed him into the living room, sidetracked by the bookcase and the ukulele he’d seen him play at the Drunken Duck hanging on the wall beside it.

  “How do you take your tea?”

  “Milk and three sugars.” It was always interesting to see what was on another person’s bookcase. He could tell so much by what was there. The whole living room screamed Jamie. He glanced at a shelf full of graphic novels, most of which were Marvel.

  Jamie laughed. “Three sugars? Really?”

  “What can I say? It’s how I stay so sweet.” He gave a wink and turned back to feeling the book spines to find which ones Jamie had read the most. He pulled one out—Poppy Z. Brite’s Exquisite Corpse—and turned it in his hand. He slid it back and then came to a whole corner dedicated to an author called Lynn Flewelling.

  One shelf was entirely made up of environmental textbooks, which made him wonder what Jamie did for a living. He frowned. They hadn’t really talked much. Liam was there when Jamie had his heart broken, and he knew he was feeling down in the dumps, but he didn’t know the usual details. Liam wasn’t good at that side of dating. If he could just take Jamie to bed, he could guarantee he’d do better there.

  While Jamie was in the kitchen, he looked at another shelf and discovered a whole pile of gay romances. Smirking, he picked one up. The two men embracing on the cover were hot. He flicked through it for the naughty bits but ended up getting hooked on their story and jumped back to the beginning.

  Jamie gave a little cough, and Liam fumbled and looked up. “You found my guilty pleasures.” Jamie nodded at the book. He didn’t seem embarrassed about them, so Liam wasn’t worried about being caught snooping.

  “Oh yeah. I was looking for the rude bits.” He grinned and put the book back. “I got hooked onto their story instead. I didn’t even realise there were so many gay romance books.”

  “There are if you know where to find them. Kettle’s just boiled. I’ll make that tea.”

  The kitchen was a long galley that didn’t have much room, but everything was well placed and homey. Jamie fetched mugs from the cupboard above his head. One was the Doctor Who TARDIS, and the other said Kiss the Librarian and had fake blood splatters down the side. Liam should know what that was from, but it escaped him, and he didn’t want to ask, so he glanced around the kitchen instead.

  It wasn’t a show kitchen by any means, but it was bright, clean, and felt very much like home. There were photos attached to the fridge with tacky tourist magnets. They were curling slightly at the corner, and some of them had liquid or food splatters on them. He peered closer, interested in Jamie’s life more than he thought he would be.

  He recognised most of the people—Dane, of course, and the guy with the beard who was in Jamie’s band. There were also some of Tommy and another photo hidden behind the others. He parted them to see what it was and then wished he hadn’t.

  Jamie and Paul kissing. Jamie had his eyes closed, hands in Paul’s hair, and Paul was glancing sideways at the camera, shoulder at a funny angle, as though he were the one taking the picture.

  Liam’s chest felt tight, and he absently massaged it as he stared at the photo. He jumped a little when Jamie seemed to appear right beside him with a bottle of milk in his hand.

  “I didn’t even know that was still there.” He bit his lip, and the confidence from earlier disappeared. He reached around him and put the milk back. Then he took the photo off the fridge and shoved it in the rubbish bin.

  “You didn’t have to do that.” It was nothing to do with him if Jamie wanted to keep their photo on his fridge. He had no right to feel weird about it. They were just two blokes having a good time, nothing serious between them.

  Jamie picked up the two mugs of tea and handed one to Liam. “Here. Do you still want to see the rats?”

  “Of course I do.” He blew on his tea for something to do. “Lead the way,” he said, trying to lighten the mood.

  It was odd to be walking up the stairs of a man’s house, carrying a cup of tea, knowing they weren’t going to end up in bed together. Still, it didn’t prevent his cock from stirring with interest. It was either that or how Jamie’s arse looked in tight denim as he walked up the stairs in front of him. His tea wobbled, and he slowed down before he could spill it. Jamie opened a door to a small box room and turned the light on. He placed his mug on the sideboard, so Liam put his next to it, and then they stood side by side next to a small cage.

  Jamie picked up a bag of yoghurt drops and crinkled the plastic. “Hey, girl,” he said softly. “Do you want a treat?” A nose appeared out of the purple plastic house, and a small, thin rat gingerly came to the bars and took the treat.

  “She’s tiny.” Liam had seen the photos, but he hadn’t expected her to be so small.

  “She is, but she’s on a good diet now, and she’s being a great mom. Look, if you peer in here, you can see the kits.” Liam placed his head right next to Jamie’s, and their hair brushing against each other’s made him shiver. The nest was dark inside, but he could see squirming.

  “I see them.”

  He couldn’t contain his excitement, and he looked at Jamie, their faces so close he could feel Jamie’s breath on his cheek, and they shared a smile. All he had to do was tilt his face up, and they could be kissing. Liam licked his lips and wondered what Jamie would taste like. Arousal curled in his belly, telling him to turn it up a notch and kiss him, but his head said something else.

  He straightened up and looked back into the cage. “I definitely want two of those.”

  “You win. I’ll reserve two for you. Want to see the main rat room?”

  Liam’s eyes widened, and he nodded. A whole room full of rats? Of course he wanted to see.

  “Come on. Show me the rats.” He did an awful “show me the money” impression, making Jamie laugh, and when Jamie casually touched his arm, the small movement sent tingles down to his fingers.

  The rat room was impressive. There were rosettes pinned to a board, and each cage had hammocks, tubes, and toys. When Jamie turned on the light, he heard rustling, saw whiskers twitching, and lots of eyes peered at him through the bars. Some of the does climbed the bars closest to them, after attention.

  “They are so sweet.” He walked over to a cage, gently stroked a paw that was poking through the bars, and laughed softly when they tried to grab him. Another rat scurried over and pushed the first one out of the way to see what was happening.

  “Want to give them a yoghurt drop?” Jamie opened a tub full of treats and offered it to him. He took a handful and made sure each rat had one. “I know people say not to feed them through the bars, but I can never help myself. That’s Piper you’re feeding there, and her sisters Prue, Phoebe, and Paige.” Liam vaguely recognised the names but couldn’t quite think where they were from.

  “Want to hold one?” Jamie opened the doors without waiting for a reply. There was no hesitation as furry little bodies climbed up his arms and onto his shoul
ders. He didn’t end up with just one but had three running along his shoulders and diving down his T-shirt. He winced as their nails left scratches.

  Jamie murmured to the rats in the next cage but didn’t get them out.

  “Easy,” Liam murmured as he steadied him with a hand and one of the rats scrambled along it and up onto Jamie’s shoulder.

  Jamie was in his element, standing there with a rat on his shoulder, and Liam thought Paul was a fool to let go of him. He might not be looking for a happily ever after—didn’t really believe in them—but even he could tell Jamie was a catch.

  Jamie’s breath hitched, and his eyes widened and zeroed in on Liam’s lips. With any other man he would smile, smirk, and draw more attention to them, but it didn’t cross his mind to try that with Jamie—not here, not now.

  His heart beat so loudly that it echoed in his bad ear. He couldn’t let go of Jamie’s elbow, didn’t want to lose the connection, however small it was. The air was charged around them, so thick he could feel the weight of it on the back of his tongue. Could Jamie taste it too?

  The rats expertly ran down his arm toward Jamie and he pulled him closer. A gasp of air left his mouth, and one of the rats ran around his neck, her tail hitting him in the nose.

  Liam chuckled, each movement sending waves of desire to his rapidly filling cock. “Cute,” he said, unsure if he meant Jamie or the rats. He hadn’t expected this level of attraction.

  Jamie’s arm was smooth beneath his touch, a light layer of dark hairs tickling his fingertips and the play of muscle tensing beneath. Gently he moved his hand up Jamie’s forearm until he was clutching his bicep, and as his fingers tightened, he leaned in, finally pressing his lips against Jamie’s.

  Chapter Ten

  THE BLOOD rushed through Jamie’s veins as Liam’s warm lips found his. The tender press of their mouths made Jamie gasp, sucking in air from Liam’s lungs and surrounding himself in the scent and feel of him.

  His head told him not to do it, but his heart, still broken and so sad from constantly hurting, wanted it more than he wanted air to breathe. Relief swept through him and made him giddy, and he had to grab hold of Liam’s waist to make sure he didn’t fall flat on his arse. He expected a hard kiss, one full of nothing but heat and the promise of sex. This was something else—something he didn’t have the words for.

  Liam nudged his lips open with his tongue and curled into his mouth until Jamie groaned and tightened his hands in Liam’s T-shirt. He could get lost there and never have to think about Paul again.

  Usually he’d close his eyes and let the sensations overtake him, but he didn’t trust that Liam wouldn’t disappear, so he kept them open, and his heart pounded when Liam did the same. Liam’s eyes were heavy lidded and bright, and Jamie could see that the left was a pale blue with a few hazel flecks and the right was hazel with a few blue flecks. He groaned again, and Liam swallowed the sound. His five o’clock shadow scraped against Jamie’s chin in a way that would mean he’d feel it afterwards. He wanted to feel it.

  Absently Jamie realised that the rats were still on their shoulders, but he was too far gone to pull back. He didn’t need Paul or Tommy. Liam dug his fingers into his arms, and the kiss deepened. Jamie could kiss Liam forever. His lips were soft and full, his tongue hot and heavy. When Liam wrenched his mouth away, Jamie gasped, lips glistening.

  “Wha—?”

  Liam gave a strangled cry, back bowing backwards, his face pinching in pain. He scrambled for the hem of his T-shirt. “They’re climbing up my back,” he said as he twisted around and tried to grab the rats out of the back of his T-shirt without hurting them.

  Jamie bit back a laugh—they’d all been there—and put Piper back in the cage. Then he rescued Liam from her sisters. He turned Liam around and shoved his hands up his T-shirt, feeling the hot, tight skin under his palms before he felt wriggling furry bodies. He scooped them up, gave them each a kiss, and put them in their cage. “Little witches,” he said affectionately.

  “It’s not funny,” Liam said, his swollen mouth pouting as he tried to rub the marks on his back.

  Jamie hadn’t even realised he was laughing, but Liam’s pout just made him laugh louder. It probably wasn’t that funny, but it had been so long since he’d laughed that he couldn’t help himself. “It really is. Let me look at your back.” He pulled Liam’s shirt up and winced at the bloody welts. That must hurt. “You’re fine. Come on, Bowie, let’s go to the bathroom, and I’ll get the disinfectant wipes.” The nickname fell off his lips so naturally he didn’t even notice he’d said it.

  “Bowie?” Liam asked, pleased.

  Jamie gave an awkward shrug of the shoulders and grabbed an old shoebox out of the cupboard under the sink to look for wipes. “Just slipped off the tongue. Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I like it. Though technically he didn’t have two different-coloured eyes, just one dilated pupil.” Liam grinned. Know-it-all, Jamie thought but couldn’t bring himself to be mad at him.

  “You’re taking it too literally. Come on. Take the shirt off.”

  Liam pulled the T-shirt over his head, revealing pale, toned skin and a six-pack that made Jamie’s mouth water. His fingers itched to touch.

  There was a small covering of blond fuzz over Liam’s chest and down to his belly button, and it was difficult to drag his gaze away. When he did, he expected Liam to be giving him a knowing smirk, but his face was tense, nostrils flaring.

  Jamie touched his side with a shaking hand and pushed Liam to turn around so he could see his back. He winced at the bloody rake marks and dabbed them with disinfectant wipes. Then he ran his fingers gently down Liam’s spine, needing to touch. His skin was covered in goosebumps, and Jamie almost pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades, but Liam twisted around and grabbed his T-shirt.

  The easy flirting from before was gone, and Liam’s eyes were guarded, his mouth tense. Jamie didn’t know what had happened.

  “I had fun tonight. We’ll get together soon?”

  Jamie nodded, unsure what to say. Liam’s words were confusing after the intimate moment of before. He needed to remember that they were just meant to be having fun—no feelings involved. So he took a deep breath and pasted on a smile, now in control of his own emotions and feeling better.

  IT TOOK a long time to stop feeling Jamie’s hands on his bare skin. He knew he’d given Jamie mixed messages, but he underestimated how much such a simple touch would affect him.

  Jamie was an unexpected find, and the more he thought about him, the more excitement and nerves battled inside him. Jamie was all contradictions—one part snark, one part sensitivity. That kiss…. It had left him reeling. Even thinking about it made his lips tingle and his cock stir. He’d expected to feel the same emotions he had with his usual hookups, which was why it scared him when Jamie’s touch got to him so much.

  He lay on his bed in just his boxers, trying to drift off to sleep, but his mind was too busy—and even after brushing his teeth, he could taste Jamie in his mouth. Lazily he scratched the hair below his belly button and gently slipped his hands beneath the waistband. His cock was hard, and he groaned when he grasped the root. Images of Jamie danced over his closed eyelids, and as he tightened his grip, he pictured it was Jamie stroking him. For once, he wasn’t in a rush to get off, and he moved his hand slowly, gripping his length, pressing his thumb against the tip with each upward motion.

  Heat coiled in his balls and drew them up, his legs fell open, and he thrust slowly into his fist. The orgasm was unexpected, slow, and sweet. His breath hitched and stuttered, his hand froze, and then his limbs turned to liquid. It took a while before he was able to clean up and pull himself under the covers, but he fell asleep easily, and Jamie’s awkwardly sweet smile was the last thing he pictured before he drifted off.

  LIAM YAWNED and his jaw clicked as he read through the comments on his computer. His views had gone down slightly, which was worrying. He wasn’t sure what to do to bring them back. Well, he did, bu
t he was concentrating on just Jamie right then, so he wasn’t looking for new dates.

  “You’re feeling guilt.” Selena sat cross-legged on the floor in the middle of the living room.

  “Don’t be stupid. I don’t have anything to feel guilty about.”

  “Of course not. So… does Jamie know about the vlog? The wedding? What exactly did you say when you put your idea forward?”

  Jamie shrugged. “It’s not important. I just said I wanted something more serious than a one-night stand, but nothing too serious. He agreed—it benefits him too. Did you know that he has to put up with the ex whenever he and his friends go out?” Liam couldn’t think of anything worse than having to hang around with people he didn’t like.

  “It sucks. I don’t envy him. But I still don’t get how this casual-dating thing really benefits him.”

  Was she being obtuse on purpose? How could she not see it? Both he and Jamie understood it perfectly. “He gets to look as though he’s over Paul. It’s mutually beneficial.”

  “I’d feel better if he knew all of the details.”

  It really wasn’t that difficult. It was a win-win situation, and no one needed to know the ins and outs.

  “It’s not about how you feel.” She opened her mouth to argue, and he held out his hand. “Forget it. We’re already going on our first official nondate, and nothing you say will change it.”

  “Where are you off to on this nondate?”

  “Just to his mate’s—you know, the singer? Dane?” She nodded but didn’t seem very impressed. “It’s more of a casual get-together. You and Dawni should come too.”

  “You’re inviting me along on your date?”

  “It’s a get-together—shindig, party, whatever you want to call it. You don’t have to come if you don’t want.” He folded his arms and stared until she lowered her gaze in guilt.