Mischief Maker

by Andi Lee

  They kissed again, and Jamie backed into the house. Liam fumbled behind himself to shut the door. When he heard it click, he followed Jamie upstairs, hand in hand.

  “I know we have things to talk about. I have so much to apologise for, but I just need to feel you against me for a while. Is that okay?” They ended up wrapped in the duvet, Stark purring next to them.

  “You’re the last person I ever want to hurt.” They talked and cleared the air, and Liam told Jamie about Rowan and Paul’s part in it. They agreed he was never allowed in Jamie’s house again, and they had the right to ignore him if they saw him out.

  “I told him to fuck off—no more keeping the peace, no more being nice. I can’t believe he trolled your channel and messaged that guy.”

  “It’s a tad stalkerish,” Liam said in total agreement.

  “There’s seriously something wrong with him. He split up with me.”

  “I remember.” Liam smiled and pressed a kiss to Jamie’s forehead. That had been a good day for him.

  “I couldn’t get rid of you.” He didn’t sound unhappy about that. “How are the girls, by the way?” He was cautious asking, but Liam’s anger and hurt had disappeared with the first “I love you.”

  “Dane probably told you that Mabel and Gertrude are expecting?” Jamie nodded and bit his bottom lip. Liam distracted him with a kiss. “They’re doing great, though. Better than me. I’m petrified.”

  “Don’t be. I’ll help.”

  Liam tightened his arm around him. “Good, because I don’t know what I’m doing.”

  Exhaustion finally caught up with them, and their conversations got slower and further apart until they finally drifted off.

  IT WAS dark when he woke with a start, terror choking him, making his limbs tense. He let out a breath and sank back into the mattress when he saw Jamie beside him.

  Jamie whimpered and stretched, blinked his eyes slowly, and smiled when he saw him. “Hey, Bowie.”

  Liam shuddered, and his cock stirred at Jamie’s gravelly sleep-filled voice. He moved his hands under the blanket and fiddled with the hem of Jamie’s T-shirt as he waited for permission. Jamie’s eyes darkened, and he pushed the duvet down. Liam pulled the plain green T-shirt over Jamie’s head and slung it across the room.

  He’d lost a little weight, but not enough to do much damage to his beautifully toned abs and rock-hard chest. His Superman pyjama bottoms rode low, and with featherlight touches, Liam pressed fingers to the sharp angles of his hip bones, loving the hitch in Jamie’s breath as he did so.

  “I missed this, missed how you’re ticklish, missed how your breath tickles my cheek when I touch you.” He kept his words light as he memorised the hard lines of Jamie’s body with his fingertips.

  Desire curled in his belly like smoke. It was hard to breathe, his vision blacking out around the edges as he tried to suck oxygen into his lungs.

  Jamie was everything he wanted in a man and more. He was real, honed from years of working outside rather than years dabbling in a gym. He had a broad chest and a tapered waist with just a hint of a six-pack. Liam placed his hand against the swirl of hair under his belly button, and the coarse hair brushed his palm and made him shiver.

  The house was silent. Only their gasps and groans filled the air. Jamie’s hands were clenched into fists at his side as though he were trying his hardest not to interrupt Liam’s exploration. He appreciated the sentiment. Leaning over to lick the tan line around his neck, groaning as the taste of salt burst across his tongue, he moved farther down and nibbled his way to one of Jamie’s nipples. He blew on it, making it tighten, and Jamie sucked in a breath and held it in as Liam scraped his nail along the other. Jamie bucked his hips and tangled his hands in Liam’s hair.

  “You okay?” Liam’s voice was all gravel and heat as he spoke around the small nub still in his mouth.

  Jamie licked his lips, his breath coming in small pants. “Do not stop.”

  Liam smiled, his heart warming, He swirled his tongue around the tight bud and looked up from beneath his lashes. “I won’t.” He couldn’t if he wanted to. He needed Jamie more than he needed air.

  They undressed each other without getting out of bed. Awkward pushes of fabric and tangled clothes around limbs were followed by breathless laughter. The room was stifling hot. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and Jamie leaned over and licked the droplet away.

  It would have been quicker to stand, but Liam didn’t want to leave the safe cocoon of blankets. As soon as they were freed from their clothes, they moved together as though they’d never been apart. Their cocks lined up as they faced each other.

  Each small touch was like touching a live wire, and Liam’s heart pounded with the intensity of it. He sucked in air, and it fed the fire. Each nerve ending crackled. Jamie reached between them, circled their cocks with his fingers, and pressed them together.

  His eyes rolled at the sensation, and he lost the ability of speech. All he could make were grunts, whimpers, and groans. They lay face-to-face, legs sliding together as Jamie tightened his hands around them.

  This was what making love was, Liam realised with clarity. Sex with Jamie was always more than just sex, even the very first time, when he tried to keep it impersonal. But what he felt right then was unexplainable.

  His toes curled, and he shuddered as he tried to slow his heart rate so his chest didn’t explode. He mashed his chest against Jamie’s and slipped a hand over the curve of his hip. Then he slid it around to the curve of his ass and pulled their groins closer, trapping Jamie’s hand between them.

  Their mouths clashed, all tongue and teeth full of want and relief, but most of all, love… and it wasn’t enough. Jamie smiled into the kiss, angled his head sideways, and widened his mouth to give Liam what he wanted. He tasted sweet—a touch of toothpaste and caramel coffee.

  His ears roared, and a crackling noise sounded in his deaf ear that made him dizzy. Vertigo made his stomach whoosh as though they were on a roller coaster. When Jamie moved his hand against his stomach, grasping his straining erection with the callused pads of his fingers, pressing their dicks together, Liam cried out, unable to keep the sound inside. Jamie swallowed the noise and tightened his grip on them, dragging his rough fingers against the sensitive skin of Liam’s erection.

  Without much thought, Liam rolled them over in a tangle of limbs until Jamie lay sprawled beneath him. He laughed, breaking their kiss, and rubbed one slightly furred thigh against Liam’s hip.

  “You’re crazy.” Jamie shook his head, his curls bouncing softly. Liam caught an errant lock in his hand, pulled it straight, and watched it bounce back when he let go.

  Liam kissed the smile on his lips with small biting nips that left them swollen and wet. “Remember how we first met?” Jamie asked. Of course he did. A car park in Digbeth, gravel at his back and a tangle of limbs? “Did you realise when we met that we would end up here?”

  “I wanted you from the moment my head hit the gravel and you kneed me in the balls,” Liam said.

  Jamie laughed and slapped his arm. “I did not.”

  “Close enough.” Liam trailed his hand down Jamie’s side. “What’s funny is, and what I didn’t realise at the time, was that small knee nudge from you was more explosive than the blowjob I got in the escape room.”

  “You sweet talker, you. I will definitely knee you more often.” Jamie winked and slid a leg beneath Liam’s and rubbed his ball with his knee.

  “Then I saw you at the rat show, and I was so happy that you were there.”

  “I wasn’t happy at the time, but I’m definitely happy you were there now.” Jamie captured his lips with his.

  They kissed again, and Liam ran his hand down Jamie’s side, skimmed the curve of his hip, and then hiked his leg up and over Liam’s thigh. Their cocks slid against each other, and fireworks exploded behind his eyes.

  “Shit,” Jamie said, his words shaky. He blinked up at Liam, eyes roaming over his face. Liam didn’t know what he co
uld see, but his expression was serious. “Your eyes….” Jamie ran a hesitant finger over his forehead and touched the corner of his eye with his thumb.

  Liam felt raw, exposed—emotions he hadn’t felt for anyone else bubbling to the surface. His lips trembled under Jamie’s gaze, and he had to look away before he did anything stupid.

  Jamie reached for the condom and lube on the bedside table and handed them to him. Liam took them with shaking hands and stared at them. He licked his lips and looked back into Jamie’s eyes.

  “Do you?” He held the condom up, unable to finish the sentence.

  “Have you?” It looked like Jamie couldn’t finish one either.

  He shook his head. Of course he hadn’t been with anyone else. “No.”

  They’d taken the test and both come back clean, but it was never the right time. Now it was. Jamie cupped his hand over Liam’s and then slowly took the condom from his fingers and chucked it across the room.

  Liam groaned, his whole body shuddering at the thought of sinking into Jamie with nothing surrounding him. He poured lube onto his shaking fingers and reached for Jamie, bypassing his cock. He massaged his balls and then slowly trailed below and circled his hole.

  Jamie whined, eyes rolling back into his head, and dug his heels into the bed as he pushed his hips upwards to give him more room. Liam was gentler than he ever remembered being as he loosened Jamie with his fingers until he was cursing with need and urging Liam to do more.

  Liam coated himself and bit his lip at the sensation of his hand. He guided himself with one hand, pushing against Jamie’s small ring of muscle, and slowly sank into him. He’d never done this bare before, and it was so much more than he thought it would be. He felt the tight muscle as he pushed through, felt every clench as Jamie squeezed around him and every vibration from every moan or grunt he made.

  Jamie’s nails bit into his shoulders, and his eyes were wide. “Oh my fucking God.” Was it as intense for him? Liam slowly pulled out and thrust back in, Jamie’s cries urging him on.

  Jamie dug his heels into the small of Liam’s back and raked his nails across Liam’s shoulders. Liam’s body trembled, unable to keep upright, and he fell against Jamie, his weight heavy and his thrusts erratic as their lips claimed each other.

  Liam’s throat swelled with so much emotion, and his eyes burned with tears. It was stupid; he shouldn’t cry because of this. He gave a strangled grunt and ripped his lips from Jamie’s to bite at the tender skin of his neck.

  He set a brutal pace, slamming into Jamie as hard and as far as he could. Jamie tightened around his cock with the most intimate of caresses, so gentle and then fast and urgent.

  Rhythm and expertise disappeared and pure instinct took over. Liam gave a breathless scream and pushed Jamie back into the bed, thrusting into him.

  Knowing he was bare inside, Jamie spurred him on. He couldn’t be gentle, but luckily Jamie wasn’t expecting him to be. Jamie gave as good as he got, and when Liam thought he couldn’t take much more, he came mere seconds after Jamie coated their stomachs. Liam collapsed on top of Jamie their chests heaving, skin sweaty, in a tangle of limbs. It was his favourite place to be.

  It was as if they were always destined for this. It took a long time for Liam’s heart to go back to normal, and hearing Jamie’s laugh made him open one eye to stare at him.

  Jamie’s laugh made Liam’s cock twitch with sensory overload as it slipped from Jamie’s body.

  “You really are the perfect rebound.” Jamie tightened his arms around him, and he kissed the side of Liam’s head. “I really love you.”

  “And you’re my perfect fake boyfriend. Hey, maybe we could get married at Zombie Brum City.” He was sure they’d lift his ban for a wedding.

  Jamie burst out laughing. “You asking me to marry you, Bowie?”

  Liam nuzzled into him with a smile. “Maybe one day.”

  He snorted and threw a leg over Liam’s hip. “Maybe we can go on our stag do there.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  IT HAD been weeks since they’d gotten back together, and their relationship was better than ever. Liam had utterly and completely won over Jamie’s mom, Jan adored him, and blessedly, they hadn’t seen Paul or Tommy.

  Jamie was nestled in their bed, curled around Liam’s pillow when Liam tried to wake him up. He didn’t want to open his eyes or get out of bed. He was warm and comfy. “Come back to bed,” he mumbled without opening his eyes.

  “It’s time,” Liam said.

  “Sleeping.” He screwed his eyes shut and pulled the duvet over his head.

  “It’s time, Mr Grumpy,” Liam teased. “It’s time.” He pulled the duvet away.

  “Wha?” Didn’t Liam know he needed sleep by now? And lots of it.

  “Gert is having her babies.”

  “What?” Fully awake now, Jamie shoved the covers down the rest of the way, sat up, and rubbed the heel of his hand into his eyes. “Really?”

  Gert and Mabel were due any time now. He gave him a large smile, slipped out of bed and into a pair of boxer shorts, and they padded barefoot to the small box room where they’d set up small cages for the expectant mothers.

  The box room now had more cages just waiting for Gert and Mabel’s babies. Liam’s newly received silver YouTube plaque had pride of place on the wall above them. Jamie’s rendition of “Old Memories of my New Love” had catapulted Liam’s channel to the heights it now was. His own channel had gotten some subscriptions, even though he hadn’t posted anything since. Liam did try to persuade him to start a ratty channel, but he wasn’t sure if he was brave enough.

  He grinned at Liam, relieved that everything looked good. They watched a little longer, and when Jamie was sure Gert wasn’t in any danger, he motioned for Liam to leave the room.

  “We’re going to be rat fathers. I think I’m going to faint. How can you be so calm?” Liam’s eyes were wide with panic, and he had a death grip on Jamie’s hand.

  “This isn’t my first rodeo,” he drawled. “Come on, let’s have breakfast. We’ll check on them later.”

  They went downstairs to make coffee, and Liam paced back and forth. “Do I need to boil water and fetch towels?”

  Jamie laughed and hugged him, effectively stopping the pacing. “Only if they were human babies in Victorian times. She’s doing fine.”

  “But these aren’t your fancy pedigree rats. Shouldn’t we be in there?”

  Jamie tightened his grip on him and ruffled his blond hair. “They have childbearing hips,” he joked. “Remember, you’re the one who told me that Maud and Gert’s mom did fine. Mabel’s too. They’re healthy, and we had Dane check them just a few days ago.”

  Liam snorted. “Childbearing hips? Your mom said the exact same thing to Ellen when we went around for dinner.” Jamie smiled. His mom, dad, and sister loved Liam as much as Jamie did. He didn’t even get embarrassed by her like he used to, and they’d become much closer because of Liam.

  He and Liam sat in the kitchen, hands cupping steaming mugs of coffee in comfortable silence. They both flinched when the letterbox clacked, followed shortly by the drop of letters on the doormat.

  Jamie went to retrieve the mail, flipped through them, and handed one to Liam. It was addressed to both of them using their full names, which was strange and a bit formal.

  “Wonder what this is?” Liam ripped it open and pulled out the cream card with gold edging.

  Mr Liam Donnelly and Mr James Hewett.

  Miss Alison Thorn and Mr Frank Hamilton

  request the pleasure of your company at their marriage

  A slow smile spread across Liam’s face, and he glanced up at Jamie, love shining in his eyes. He knew he’d get that bloody plus-one.

  ANDI LEE lives in the UK, close enough to Birmingham city to be considered a ‘Brummie’, but far enough away to enjoy the Staffordshire countryside. She enjoys writing in many different genres as long as they contain a large dose of cute guys falling in love. She’s a sucker for a
happy ending.

  When she’s not writing, she enjoys making junk journals, and also jewellery out of polymer clay and resin. She has kept pet rats on and off for twenty years and fell in love with her first ferret when she found him on her way to work one day. She’s kept them ever since.

  (And she apparently has an obsession with Vans—the shoes not the vehicles!)

  You can find her at www.andileewrites.com

  Twitter: @andileewrites

  By Andi Lee

  ANIMAL LARK

  Mischief Maker

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Published by

  DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Mischief Maker

  © 2019 Andi Lee

  Cover Art

  © 2019 Reece Notley

  reece@vitaenoir.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.