A Breath of Innocence

by K. A. Merikan

“I told you it was fine. Just trust me,” Mark said, gently tapping Griffith’s nape to make him lean in for a kiss.

  Griffith swallowed, thinking back to how much effort it cost him to have this Sunday off for Easter. He’d practically begged the manager to let him go and meet his new nonexistent nephew, whose imaginary parents had come over all the way from Scotland for the weekend only. Not being in control of his time was the worst aspect of having a job, especially one he didn’t care for.

  And while he was struggling with this, Mark never once suggested Griffith could stop stressing. He could be so weird sometimes. “You know, with all the exams approaching, I will have to put all my energy into training. I like working”—he did not—“but sometimes I’m left so exhausted that my focus isn’t the best.”

  Mark smirked. “Oh?” He knew exactly where this was going. So what? If Griff happened to accidentally land a rich boyfriend, was it so wrong to share that wealth?

  Griffith slowly moved his arms around Mark and put his chin on his shoulder, capturing his gaze on the leash of his blue eyes. “What if I reduced my hours?” he asked, so embarrassed he could hardly stand it, but his future was on the line.

  “Then you’d have to make me coffee every morning to pay your way.” Mark leaned down and gave him a kiss.

  Griffith gasped at the spark of electricity between their lips and pressed his knees against Mark’s thigh.

  He couldn’t wait to put his life on the right track. With Mark at his side, failure was not an option.

  Epilogue - Mark

  With Griffith having rehearsals for an amateur play he was dancing in, Mark visited Allen on his own. It was far from an ideal situation, since the wall between him and the Elswoods was still sky-high, but he’d long learnt how to deal with people who didn’t like him.

  Allen on the other hand was a bundle of joy, and dealing with the cold attitude from the grandparents was nothing if it meant Mark could interact with his kid. The need to be around him was an itch that he tried to scratch at least once a week. But it was a long drive so even now that his classes were finished for the summer and he’d passed all his exams, he couldn’t go all the time.

  It was hard to say what the future would be like, but he’d made plans with Griffith that at some point in August they’d stay at his parents’ for a week. Mark was already making a list of all the day trips they could do with Allen.

  He parked in his favorite spot, in the shadow of a large tree on the edge of the communal garden, and rushed past the gate, eager to speak with Griffith after an entire day without him. The play was premiering in less than a week, so he was curious of any gossip he could hear over dinner.

  So many months into the relationship, and Mark still got those fuzzy feelings that forced him to move quicker, just so he could kiss his boy and feel Griff’s arms around his neck that bit sooner.

  “Hey! I’m back!” he yelled once he stepped into the apartment they shared.

  He was surprised to hear only silence, even though the warm, meaty scent in the air was proof that Griffith had something in the oven. Mark was halfway through removing his sweatshirt and shoes when his ears picked up soft, languid footsteps. When he raised his gaze, Griffith stopped halfway down the hallway with an expression that couldn’t mean anything good.

  Mark instantly straightened up and walked over to Griff, ready to fight against all and any worries he might have. “Everything okay, sweetie? What’s up?”

  Griffith pulled his teeth over the plump bottom lip, looking so helpless Mark wanted to swipe him into his arms right away.

  “I got into ballet school.”

  “That’s amazing, baby!” Mark grinned and hugged him tight, his heart skipping a beat with joy. He would have hated to see Griffith agonize over his dreams getting crushed. He would have been there to pick up the pieces, but this was so, so much better. “Aren’t you happy?”

  Griffith licked his lips. “Yes, but it’s in London.”

  “Oh.” Mark’s brain started working at record speed. He’d barely found The One and now they’d have to… what? Have a long distance relationship? He swallowed and gave Griff a little kiss on the lips. “Is that the school you most want to get into?”

  Griffith exhaled loudly, as if he’d been holding his breath all this time. “Mark, this is the ballet school. I’ll have a shot at becoming a professional, dancer in Covent Garden, maybe. I didn’t think they would actually consider me at this age.” He rubbed his face and rested his forehead against Mark’s shoulder.

  As soon as those words were said, Mark stroked Griff’s head, knowing that they’d have to make it work somehow. No way in hell was Mark allowing his sweetie to not get everything he wanted. “You have to do it then.”

  Griffith gave a shuddery gasp and slid his arms around Mark, clinging to him even tighter. “But you’d be farther away from Allen.”

  How on earth could Mark deny those pretty blue eyes? He swallowed, calculating how many more hours it would take to drive there from London. Because he couldn’t bear a long-distance relationship. “Not that much. What? Forty minutes more if the traffic isn’t bad.” He gave Griffith another kiss.

  Griff hugged Mark tighter and finally looked at him again, pressing the tips of their noses together. “You mean that? Could we move? I promise I’ll be the best boyfriend you could ever have!”

  “Your coffee game is almost as strong as your blowjob game, so I’m not sure there’s much room for improvement.” Few things made Mark feel as good as seeing that awe for him burn in Griff’s eyes. “We’ve got the whole summer to work it out.”

  Griffith whined and got to his toes before lifting his feet off the floor and climbing Mark like a baby monkey. Mark grabbed his buttocks without thinking, and between one warm gasp on his lips and another, he knew already that he would move his entire life as long as it meant he could stay with Griffith.

  “I love you. You are the absolute best,” Griff whispered.

  “I love you too. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I’ll even go watch your play.” He nipped on Griff’s cheek. He was only teasing, to not seem like a pushover, but in reality he’d go see Griff perform even if it was a four-hour experimental opera where the music was made by hitting trash cans.

  Griffith laughed and held on harder when Mark moved toward the living room. “I hope I’m not going to be the worst recruit. Everyone in class will be younger than me, or more experienced.”

  “You’ve gotta toughen up. But you know I’ll be there to massage out the bruises. I’m so proud of you.” Mark kissed Griff’s sweet lips, slowly adjusting to the idea that they’d be moving. He didn’t have that much time to find a college to transfer to, but he would work it out. He’d have to sell his current apartment, but judging by the rapid tempo in which the Bristol property market moved, it shouldn’t take all that long.

  “I’ll try. This whole thing makes me really nervous. But I’ll do my best so that you can see me perform in lead roles someday.”

  “But I’ve got to get front row seats.” Mark kissed him once more. “So after the play you’re doing now… could we have a nice long vacation in Buenos Aires?”

  Griffith groaned, rolling his eyes, but his face spread into a smile when Mark rolled him on the sofa. “You’re joking. I’d have to quit my job to get that much vacation in one piece.”

  Mark watched him for a moment. He knew Griff hated his job, so he’d likely only stuck with the part-time hours to not feel like a leech. Mark didn’t care. If it weren’t weird, he’d have showered him with gifts every single day. “I mean… you’ll have to quit anyway if we’re to move to London…”

  The blue eyes twinkled when Griffith nuzzled Mark’s nose. “You’re so smart.”

  Mark smiled at his prince. “How much time do we have until the food is ready?”

  “Enough.”

  Domenico and Seth’s story will be continued in book 9

  (Post-credits scene further on)

  PATREON
>
  Would you like more “Guns n’ Boys”? Like a scene of Domenico and Seth choosing Giulia as their nanny, the day Angelica was born, or Dom and Seth finding out about Miguel’s dark secret? Or photos of the place of Mark and Griffith’s first date?

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  About the author

  K.A. Merikan are a team of writers who try not to suck at adulting, with some success. Always eager to explore the murky waters of the weird and wonderful, K.A. Merikan don’t follow fixed formulas and want each of their books to be a surprise for those who choose to hop on for the ride.

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  Heart Ripper – Coffin Nails MC

  K.A. Merikan

  —- You always want what you can’t have. —-

  David. Catholic. Gay. Set on keeping his purity ring.

  Raja. Biker. Manwhore. Never refuses a bet.

  David has always tried to be the best son his parents could dream of.

  Always at church on Sunday.

  Always eager to help with the garden.

  Always trying his best at school.

  Prim, proper, innocent, and kind.

  But deep inside of him, there is a yearning planted by the devil himself, and when a cocky, foul-mouthed biker pulls him a step too far, David doesn’t fall into the abyss. He leaps.

  Raja is all he’s ever dreamed of, yet didn’t dare voice. Older, dangerous, a wall of muscle with a grip so strong David can’t resist him no matter how hard he tries.

  As a freshly appointed president of a motorcycle club on the verge of ruin, Raja has a lot to live up to. Being gay doesn’t do him any favors in terms of commanding the respect of his men. He has his way of compensating though.

  Always first in a fight.

  Always bragging about his sexual conquests.

  Always up for a bet.

  Daring, tattooed, sexy, and unapologetic.

  After he boasts he can have any man he wants, he gets challenged to hook up with the preppy guy wallflowering at a party. Raja can’t wait to pop the innocent cutie’s cherry. But when he finds out the guy is his friend’s younger brother, life gets a whole lot messier.

  Why is the one guy who should be off-limits always the most tempting?

  POSSIBLE SPOILERS:

  Themes: Outlaw motorcycle club, organized crime, religion, homophobia, bet, good boy meets bad boy, coming out

  Genre: M/M romance, suspense

  Length: ~100,000 words (Standalone novel)

  WARNING: This book contains steamy content and graphic violence.

  Post-credits Scene (Shaun)

  One year later.

  Shaun didn’t hate those kinds of jobs. Sure, they were kinda boring when the person you were tailing spent too much time in one place or didn’t have a fixed schedule, but he was here with his mates, so it was alright all in all. And since the assignment involved two rich bum-boys who needed to be transported from point A to point B, he was expecting it to be easy money. The two lovebirds wouldn’t even know what hit them. He hoped they wouldn’t have to break the dancer’s legs. His daughter liked ballet. Would have been a shame.

  “Can we take their car?” Dave asked, annoyingly flipping a lighter open in the back seat time and time again.

  Wayne opened another can of Monster Energy and gulped down half of it before looking Dave’s way. “What, for parts, or do you wanna keep it?”

  Shaun shrugged. “Maseratis might have those hidden tracking devices. So yeah, maybe take my Charly for a ride tonight, and then we could have it taken apart at Muhammad’s. You know he’s fast. The pigs won’t find nothing once he’s done.”

  Dave frowned but at least he stopped flicking the damn lighter. “What tracking devices?”

  Shaun rolled his eyes. Dave still had a lot to learn. “We’ll work it out later. I can see the car, so cut it off with the smoking, or you’ll get ash all over my new leather.”

  Shaun watched the Maserati lazily roll down the road, not using even half of it’s horsepower, but he understood why when it signalled a turn into a smaller road. He started the car, shaking his head. “I think they’re taking a short cut. Like stealing candy from a baby.”

 

 

 
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