Chapter 31
Hank
I rubbed Jamie’s feet while we sat on his loveseat, take-out Chinese food containers littering the coffee table. Bruno had curled up in Jamie’s nap, snoring quietly, while Lady and Tramp both zonked out on the dog couch.
I dug my thumb into the arch of Jamie’s foot, and he moaned. “God, that’s good. Don’t stop.”
I chuckled. “Never. Though I’m going to get a complex if you don’t moan and beg the next time I take you to bed.”
“Oh, bed.” He dropped his head back and closed his eyes. “That sounds good.”
“Hm. Something tells me you’re thinking of your soft pillow, not my hard body.”
He laughed quietly. “Sorry, the wedding reception wore me out. That woman is a total bridezilla. She actually rejected something right before the reception. Can you believe that? Just suddenly demanded a different dish because that one didn’t look pretty enough!”
Jamie was getting all worked up again. He’d vented long and hard when he first got home. I redoubled my efforts on his sore feet, and he slumped back against the cushions. “Sorry. Cranky.”
“It was a long day,” I said. “I hope Corey did okay?”
“Mm-hmm. He was great.” He sighed. “At least that’ll make it easier to quit when the time comes.”
“Yeah?” My hands stilled. “You going to finally launch your dog biscuit business?”
“Once I can save enough for a retail space. I can only go so far with the online orders, you know? But I’ve got to cover my bills and my overhead, so…”
“You don’t think your parents would help?”
“Well, you saw how they were at dinner,” Jamie said. “They love the idea of a bakery or something traditional like that. But even if they would loan me money for this, I’d feel so much pressure to prove myself worthy.”
“Of course you’re worthy,” I said. “You’re amazing.”
“Thanks. But I want to run a business that brings me joy, not worry about hitting financial goals my parents think I should. I don’t want the weight of their expectations. Does that make sense?”
“It does.” I hesitated, heart thumping at the thoughts playing through my mind. “Maybe I could help.”
“How? I don’t want to take your money.”
I chuckled. “If only I had some to give. No, I can’t help financially, but maybe…” I licked my lips, nervous. “Well, what if we lived together? You could save on rent and bills. Put it toward those startup costs.”
Jamie straightened, eyes wide, as he looked at me. “But you live with Corey.”
That wasn’t the answer I wanted. Wasn’t an answer at all. But I’d caught him by surprise. Caught myself by surprise, really. But as soon the words came out, I knew they were right.
I wanted Jamie with me. We slept together almost every night, anyway, going back and forth between our houses. Taking the dogs back and forth.
But of course Jamie would worry about Corey. He had a big heart like that.
“I only moved in with my brother because he couldn’t pay the rent. He’s got a good job now, and after the breakup with Rachel, I don’t think he’ll be flaking out on this one.”
“I guess not,” Jamie murmured.
He’d filled me in on the argument he’d witnessed, and I’d taken Corey out for a beer and a long chat to make sure he was doing okay.
He was heartbroken over Rachel—they’d dated for over two years, practically a lifetime for a twenty-year-old—but it was the same kind of heartbreak I’d experienced with my ex.
The kind where it sucked, and you were full of recriminations, but you also knew it was the best decision for you both.
“I’m not worried about Corey for the first time in years,” I went on. “He’s a little sad about Rachel, but he’s getting his life together. I want to do the same.”
“Get your life together?”
“Yeah, Jamie. My life with you. Please say yes, and let me take care of you.”
Jamie sat forward and put a hand to my cheek. “That’s sweet, but I can take care of myself. I know you’re used to being the reliable guy for Corey, but I don’t want you to replace him with me now that he’s outgrowing it.”
I frowned. “That’s not what I’m doing. I love you. I just want to show it.”
“And I love you.” He kissed me, then turned my words around on me. “But what if I want to take care of you? Why do you get all the glory?”
I chuckled. “Okay, I’ll make you a deal. How about we take care of each other?”
Jamie moved toward me, spurring Bruno to jump to the floor with an annoyed grunt, and climbed into my lap. He wrapped his arms around my neck and gave me a smile that made my heart take flight. “Now that’s a deal I could live with.”
My pulse raced. I felt like a man standing on the precipice of a steep cliff and only Jamie’s words could stop me from shattering on the rocks below.
“So you’ll move in with me?” I asked. “For good?”
“You can move in with me,” he countered, eyes sparkling. “But I have one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You move in because you want to, not so you can pay my bills. We’ll split them, like equal partners who take care of each other.”
My heart swelled, and I pulled him closer, relishing in his solid weight against me. “Whatever gets me in your bed every night.”
He laughed, voice throaty. “I think you mean our bed. And on that note…”
He climbed out of my lap and held out his hand. “Take me to our bed, Hank, and show me just how happy you are to be doing this.”
My blood rushed south. “Really? I thought you were tired.”
He shrugged, smile turning flirty. “I got a second wind. Not sure how long it’ll last…”
I jumped up, making him laugh, and threw him over my shoulder. He squealed as I jogged toward the bedroom, one hand held possessively over his ass.
“Hank!”
“What? I’m just trying to make sure you don’t tire out on the walk to the bedroom.”
I tossed him down onto the bed, watching him bounce. Jamie’s face was red from the blood rush of being held upside down—and not helped by the laughter twisting his features—but he’d never looked more beautiful to me.
I dived into the bed and kissed the sweet sounds spilling from his mouth. Soon, they changed into quiet moans of appreciation.
I undressed him slowly, Jamie’s eyes growing heavy once more now that he was in bed. Yeah, my poor guy was exhausted. I got him naked, then flipped him onto his stomach.
“And they say romance is dead,” he mumbled into his pillow.
I laughed softly. It probably wouldn’t be the most romantic move if I whipped out my dick and started fucking him right now.
I had other plans, though.
I put my hands on his shoulders, rubbing gently.
“Oh god, I love you so much,” he blurted as I worked my hands over sore muscles. “Are we gonna still…”
“Nah,” I said. “You’re tired. Let me just take care of you.”
He sighed, sinking into the mattress. “Best boyfriend ever.”
I smiled, and bent to whisper into his ear, “Best live-in boyfriend ever. We’ll have plenty more chances to fuck around. Every night, in fact. Because we’ll be living together.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” he teased. “Are we going to live together?”
“Long and hard, baby. Long and hard.”
He turned his face on the pillow, grinning up at me. “Can’t wait to tell Maverick and Silas they have to help us move your stuff.”
I laughed. “That’ll be fun. Now close your eyes and relax, babe. Let me do my work.”
“Gladly.” He closed his eyes again, body going lax as I worked my hands down his lats, molding muscle and tissue with my hands, exploring the shape of his body, and slowly turning him into a puddle of sleepy boyfriend goo.
When soft snores started echoing through the room, I got up and stripped down so I could curl up with him.
All three dogs padded into the room and joined us in the bed. I’d given up on trying to shut any of them out. It would only result in whining and scratching at the door.
Lady and Bruno curled up together at the foot of the bed like good pets, and Tramp worked his way between us, snuggling against Jamie’s back.
I just smiled and wrapped my arms around them both, secure in the knowledge that this would be the way I went to bed for the rest of my life.