With Love

by J. L. Langley

  “You owe me, Lainey!”

  “No way. That was a year ago. You have more than paid me back for the trunk incident.”

  “Nope, not even close, but if you take me with you we’ll call it even.”

  Dev leaned closer to the wall. He could hear them just fine but he had a sneaking suspicion they were about to start whispering. Sure enough, Laine’s next words were barely audible.

  “I’m doing this as a surprise for Dev. Besides, it’s a gay club. How in the hell do you expect me to get you in there?”

  Caroline snorted. “Well, duh, we’ll tell them I’m in drag.”

  Dev blinked, holding back his laughter. Oh this was getting interesting.

  “A pregnant drag queen?” Laine’s voice rose just above a whisper.

  “Why not?” Caroline hissed.

  Yeah, why not, Lainey? This ought to be good. Dev smiled. He should go in and put a stop to their scheme already, but he was dying to hear how Laine got out of this one.

  Laine groaned. “Okay, okay, here is what we’ll do. You can dress up as a guy. Maybe we can disguise the baby as a beer belly. But, what are you going to do about Cole? It’s Valentine’s Day, I think he’ll notice if you aren’t home.”

  “Ooh, Lainey, you’re a genius. Instead of pretending to go in drag, I really will go in drag. And don’t worry about Cole, I’ll think of something.” Caroline giggled.

  “I don’t think it’s called going in drag when it’s a woman dressing as a man.” Lainey sounded like he was really contemplating the situation.

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Dev grinned, he could actually picture Laine shrugging.

  As funny as it was, and as much as he hated ruining a surprise, he was going to have to put a stop to it, this had all the markings of trouble. He stepped into view, cleared his throat and strolled into the back.

  Both conspirators had their backs to the door. Caroline was leaning over Laine’s worktable watching him make a flower arrangement.

  “No way in hell are you two going to that club. Caroline, go home.”

  Caroline whirled around, her red hair flying into her eyes, her pregnant belly knocking over a large metal vase Laine was filling with flowers.

  When the vase fell, it landed right on Laine’s foot, before it hit the linoleum with a clank. Flower petals littered the floor.

  Laine’s big amber eyes widened and he bit his bottom lip.

  Dev had to give him credit, he stood there for a full ten seconds before he started howling like a banshee, hopping around on one foot. “Oww.”

  Caroline winced then looked at Dev and shrugged. “Oops.” She jogged past Dev and out the door. “Call you later, Lainey. Happy anniversary.”

  Laine sat down on the floor holding his foot. “God, I can’t wait until she has that baby. That is the third time today she’s knocked something over on me.”

  Dev leaned against the doorjamb, grinning like an idiot. Thank God Lainey couldn’t get pregnant. As clumsy as he was already, Dev would have to tie him up to keep him from killing himself.

  Laine looked up from under his overlong auburn bangs. “I wasn’t really going to take her, but—”

  “Sure you weren’t.” Dev shoved away from the wall, set the food and candy on the worktable and offered his mate a hand.

  Laine took his hand. “I wasn’t…really. I’ve only got one extra pass and it’s for you.”

  He pulled Laine to his feet. “We aren’t going to that club either.”

  “But…” Laine’s bottom lip pouted out just a tad, before he pulled it back in and scrunched up his face in confusion. “Hey, Dev?”

  Uh-oh. Dev recognized that tone. Lainey was up to something. “Yeah?”

  “Um…I love you.”

  Dev grinned. “Hey, Lainey?”

  “Yeah?” Laine wrapped his arms around Dev’s neck and pressed his cheek against Dev’s, nuzzling just a little.

  “I love you too, but the answer is still no. You’re not going to that club.”

  “Damn.” Laine’s long lashes fluttered over his pretty gold eyes. “But I have a Valentine’s surprise for you.”

  Dev groaned. “Can’t you give it to me here?”

  “Umm…” Laine kissed his temple and nuzzled his face against Dev’s again. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  Laine unwrapped his arms from Dev’s neck and caught Dev’s face in his palms. His bottom lip protruded again, but this time he didn’t try to conceal the pout. “But, Dev…”

  “Laine…”

  Dropping his forehead against Dev’s chest, Lainey grumbled, “They’re having amateur night tonight during their annual Lupercalia festival at Ganymede’s Grotto.”

  Amateur night? “For what?”

  Looking up at Dev, he batted his lashes and grinned seductively. “If I tell you it will ruin the surprise.”

  Laine was so damned sexy, it very nearly distracted him, but Dev knew the man too well. If he didn’t figure out what this was about now, he’d regret it later, when the shop closed and Lainey wrangled him into going at the last minute. “What is the amateur night for?”

  Laine bit his bottom lip and ran his hand up his chest tugging on one of his nipple rings through his shirt, an obvious ploy to divert if Dev had ever seen one. And it was working, his cock hardened right up. God, Laine was something. The little minx. “Lainey, spill it.”

  Laine’s hand slid down, brushing over jeans and his very evident erection. “Stripping.” He gripped his hard-on through his pants and slipped his other hand up under the green T-shirt, working his way towards the ring he’d just released.

  Dev’s cock jerked. Knowing Laine it would only be seconds before a nice wet cum stain appeared on the denim. It was extremely hot how easily Laine got off. Already the little whimpers were starting up, as Lainey rubbed harder on his cock and tugged on his ring underneath the shirt. Dev reached out towards him and—Wait. “You want to go watch regular people strip?”

  Laine kept his hands busy, his hips pushed forward into his own touch. “No. I want to strip…for you.”

  If he hadn’t known Laine so well, he’d have hit the roof. But this was his Lainey and Dev realized it wasn’t some harebrained idea. Well yes, it was harebrained, but Laine had actually put some thought into this. Conflicting feelings raced through him. The idea of Laine naked was…well Laine naked was always a good thing, but Dev wasn’t too keen on others seeing his mate without clothes. “This is my Valentine’s Day present?”

  Laine beamed at him. He dropped his hands, ceasing his groping, and nodded. “I’ve been taking lessons. You know Keegan? He works at Ganymede’s Grotto. He comes into the shop to pick up their weekly flower order sometimes. We got to talking one day about gifts and his partner really likes to watch him dance. Then I remembered you mentioning that you’d been watching the strip show at Ganymede’s Grotto last year before you went to meet Victor. So, since you got interrupted and didn’t get to enjoy your last Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d make it up to you. And Keegan offered to teach me to strip and I thought it would be the perfect gi—”

  The man had been helping Laine take his clothes off? The dancer had seen his Lainey half-naked. Dev growled, his eyes narrowing on the little spitfire. Grabbing Laine’s hand, Dev tugged him into his arms. He nestled Laine’s sweet little belly against his boner and wrapped his arms around his back. “Mine.”

  Giggling, Laine ground his stomach against Dev. “Uh-huh. All yours. Can we go?”

  “No.”

  Laine froze. “But—”

  “No.”

  Laine’s shoulders slumped.

  Dev kissed his cheek. “Lainey, I had the best Valentine’s Day ever last year. I met you. There is nothing to compensate for. But I won’t argue if you want to strip for me at home later.”

  Laine went up on tiptoes to kiss Dev’s chin. “It won’t be as spectacular at home.”

  “Sure it will. And then after you’re
done…”

  Jumping back, Laine turned towards him, his face once again radiant. “Oooh, I like that idea. Okay…” He looked around. “Music. We don’t have a stereo in here. Humph. I’ll just go get—”

  He caught Laine before he could leave. “Whoa, wait a minute. Did you forget where we are? You can’t do this here.”

  “Sure I can, this is where Keegan gave me lessons. I’ll just lock the door.”

  Dev’s eyes widened. Laine had been taking dancing lessons in the back of the shop?

  Laine locked the door and pulled out a chair from a desk near the back. “Sit right there. I’ll just hum.”

  Dev started to argue, but stopped himself. This ought to be interesting. “Okay.”

  “Ready?” One delicate red eyebrow arched at him.

  “I’m ready.”

  Laine started humming. It was supposed to be a sexy little song, instead it was a bit off key sounding more like circus music. Slinking around the chair, Laine tripped over the vase Caroline had knocked over. He grimaced but kept on humming.

  Dev’s cock jerked. Why Laine’s clumsiness turned him on, he didn’t know, but it did. It was just part of his mate.

  Laine grabbed the hem of his T-shirt. The circus tune came to a halt and the hip rolling slowed, long enough to get the shirt over his head…well almost over his head. He got hung up in it, with one arm still in the shirt and one arm out. “Shoot!” Laine fought free of the shirt. When he finally got it off his red hair was sticking up on one side. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and resumed dancing.

  Dev barely held back a chuckle. Laine just wasn’t coordinated enough to do two things at once.

  Tossing his green shirt at Dev, Laine ran his hand down his sculpted belly. The twin nipple rings caught Dev’s attention and Laine grinned knowingly.

  Laine unbuttoned the snap on his jeans, doing a little hip thrust.

  Dev rubbed his cock through his pants, never taking his eyes from the lithe figure in front of him. If Laine didn’t hurry up, he was going to be the one coming with barely any stimulation. He had to be out of his mind contemplating having sex in the backroom of Lainey’s shop, but that was exactly what he was going to do, if Laine would hustle.

  A quick turn and a shake of Laine’s pretty ass had Dev moaning. “Hurry up, Lainey.”

  Laine turned back around and unzipped his pants. He shimmied them off and stepped out of them with surprising grace. Under his jeans he wore silky white boxer shorts with tiny red hearts. His cock tented the material, straining towards Dev. There was already a little wet spot on the silk where the head of Laine’s cock was. The smell of arousal made Dev’s canines lengthen.

  Dev groaned. Thank God he’d stopped Laine from doing this in public. He’d have a fight on his hands keeping all those pervy old men off his mate. Damn, Laine was something else.

  Laine closed his eyes and trailed his hands down his chest, all the while swaying back and forth, and hooked his thumbs in his waistband. Snapping his eyes open, Laine revealed his wolf eyes, then he shoved the boxers down. His prick bobbed free, slapping against his lower abdomen. Wiggling, Laine let go and the silk fell to the floor around his ankles.

  Fuck. Dev reached out a hand to his mate. “Come here, honey.”

  Laine stopped humming and stepped towards Dev. “Oof!” The metal vase skidded to a halt against the leg of the chair, breaking off more petals, and Laine hit the floor with a thud.

  Dev scrambled up, reaching for his mate.

  Big gold eyes peered up at him.

  “Oops.” Laine shrugged. “Forgot about the vase.”

  Laughter bubbled up inside him and he offered Laine a hand. “Lainey?”

  “Yeah?”

  Dev sat and pulled him onto his lap, kissing him on the lips. “I love you.”

  About the Author

  J.L. Langley writes M/M erotic romance, among other things, and is fortunate to live with four of the most gorgeous males to walk the earth…okay, so one of those males is canine, but he is quite beautiful for a German Shepherd. J.L. was born and raised in Texas. Which is a good thing considering that Texas is full of cowboys and there is nothing better than a man in a pair of tight Wranglers and a cowboy hat as far as she’s concerned.

  To learn more about J.L. Langley, please visit www.jllangley.com. Send an email to J.L. Langley at 10star@jllangley.com or join her Yahoo! group to join in the fun with other readers as well as J.L.! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/the_yellow_rose

  Look for these titles

  Now Available:

  Without Reservations

  Coming Soon:

  My Fair Captain

  With Caution

  A mask, imbued with Sint Holo’s mischief and magic,

  brings to life the past–which could destroy the future.

  Cafe Noctem

  © 2007 Willa Okati

  Available January 16, 2007 from Samhain Publishing

  Part of the Hearts from the Ashes collection.

  Sint Holo, the Snake Man of Cherokee legend, is up to his mischievous games again. He lives to cause trouble, and there’s no better time than Valentine’s Day to toy with a few hearts.

  Nicholas and Grey have been lovers for almost a year now, but all is not well in paradise. They have more than a few issues to work out around this time of year, and in their turmoil the Trickster sees his opportunity. Sint Holo has a game in mind for the two of them to play—whether they want to or not.

  Caught up in the magic of Celebration de la Vie, the two lover must outwit the trickster so they can celebrate their life… together.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Cafe Noctem:

  “Lover.”

  “What do you say we make that more of a reality and less of a statement?” Grey asked. His hand worked Nicholas’ ass harder, pulling him in tight. If his erection had gone down at all when disposing of the mask, he’d come right back up again. The feel of all that desire pressing at his lower belly brought a gasp to Nicholas’ lips, and an answering swell of heat to his groin.

  They kissed again, bringing their tongues into play, gliding them along one another in a slow, smooth tease. Nicholas twined his around Grey’s, tugging slightly, and grinning when Grey loosed a small groan.

  “Your suggestion,” he said, lowering his eyelids to half-mast, “sounds like the best thing I’ve ever heard.” He nudged Grey with his own growing cock. “Less talk, less clothes as well?”

  Nicholas helped raise Grey’s arms so he could pull the black turtleneck off him. He paused for a bit to lavish the bared, hairless bronze chest with kisses, stopping briefly over Grey’s left nipple to bite, then blow cool air over the flat brown circle, which rose and hardened into a nub. “A little less talk, and a little more action.”

  “There’s something I’ve been wanting to do,” Grey breathed. Nicholas felt the light wetness of a tongue tracing along the curve of his buttock. “What do you say, lover? You up for it?”

  “Oh, God. Yes. God, yes,” Nicholas whispered, hardly able to believe his good fortune. Grey almost never did this and Nicholas loved it. “Please, Grey. Do me.”

  “I plan on making you scream,” Grey warned. “Grab your ankles and hold on tight.”

  Nicholas felt his ass cheeks being spread apart. He got a firm grasp and squeezed his eyes shut as his world exploded with pleasure when Grey’s tongue began to rim in circles around his hole, quick and hot and fit to drive him insane. He moaned like a wanton, spreading his legs wider to give Grey better access, and heard a low, throaty chuckle in response. “Harder,” he begged. “More.”

  “Shameless,” Grey whispered against Nicholas’s entrance, the buzz of the words sending a shock wave of tingles along Nicholas’ spine. He cried out, gripping his ankles so tightly his knuckles turned white. “But then again, I love you shameless.”

  He applied his tongue again, this time stabbing into the small hole, fingers pressing in and out. Nicholas sobbed and rolled his hips, moving as Grey directed him, li
ps parting wide to pant every time Grey spoke a word against his sensitive entrance.

  Unable to help himself, Nicholas let go of one ankle and reached for his cock, full and heavy, hard enough to press up against his stomach. There was a small sticky spot decorating him already where he’d leaked a bit of pre-come from Grey’s attempts to drive him out of his mind.

  Scott and Keegan have both known their share of manipulation and abuse. Can they rise above the heartaches of their separate pasts

  and build a future together?

  Eros Rising

  © 2007 Ally Blue

  Available January 16, 2007 from Samhain Publishing

  Part of the Hearts from the Ashes collection

  Scott Jasper needs a change in his life. Stuck in a dead-end relationship with a man who manipulates and uses him, Scott wants out but hasn’t found the one thing to motivate him to leave. Until the night his partner takes him to local gay swinger’s club Ganymede’s Grotto, where Scott meets the man who might just be The One.

  Keegan Rourke—a.k.a. “Eros,” the most popular stripper at Ganymede’s Grotto—has been burned before. Determined never to let another man rip his heart out, Keegan doesn’t let anyone get close enough to love him. Until Scott comes along, offering Keegan the gentle, unconditional love he’s always needed but has never experienced.

  For Scott and Keegan, the road to lasting commitment isn’t a smooth one. A lot of roadblocks stand in their path—Scott’s trepidation about his own dominant tendencies, Keegan’s abusive past and resulting fear of intimacy. Can they can rise above past sorrows and find their happiness in each other’s arms?

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Eros Rising:

  Keegan took the stage that night with a rare gusto. He loved performing and it showed, but the possibility of being with Scott put an extra oomph in his movements. The crowd loved it. Keegan smiled and flirted, lapping up the whistles and applause like nectar.