Love & Loyalty by Tere Michaels

shoulders, the strength of being held down setting Jim's body aflame again.
    Griffin sped up, muttering and moaning as he rushed to his own completion.
    He fell down onto Jim's back.
    “Hmmmph,” he murmured against Jim's shoulder.
    “Huh?” His brain didn't seem to have engaged just yet.
    “Happy fucking birthday.” Griffin laughed, rubbing his forehead against the sweaty skin on the back of Jim's neck.
    “You're not getting a thank-you note.”
    “Rude.”
    Jim settled into the bed. He thought about the stickiness on the sheets and on his body. He thought about the clothes scattered around. He was very much aware of Griffin sprawled over him, only moving enough to pull out and take care of the condom.
    “Garbage?”
    “Next to the nightstand.”
    Griffin didn't get up. Jim heard the tossed condom hit the empty garbage can, followed by a few clicks of plastic. The nightstand drawer opened and closed…and Jim realized that Griffin was cleaning up.
    “Stop—I'll do that later,” Jim said, finally moving his head from the pillow and turning to the other man.
    “Yeah, I know. When you get the vacuum out.” Griffin lay on his side, running his hand over Jim's back. His smile was dorky, his hair now completely rumpled and sideways on his head. He squinted, then rubbed at his eyes carefully.
    “Contacts bugging you?”
    “Yeah. I'm gonna run down to the bathroom. You need something?” 70
    Tere Michaels

    “No, I got it.” Jim still didn't move, however. That blissful, fucked-out feeling gave him no immediacy at all.
    “No, you lie here. I'll be right back.” Griffin rolled off the bed and fumbled for a second for his jeans, throwing them over his shoulder as he jogged down the stairs. He whistled, and Jim could see he was clearly pleased with himself.
    His face got warm as he smiled into the pillow.

    Love & Loyalty
    71

    Chapter Eleven

    “You need help down there?” Jim called, listening carefully to get a hint of what Griffin was doing. Definitely in the kitchen and rooting around. Well, it wasn't like he was going to find much beyond some crackers, protein bars, and leftover pad thai.
    The trip to the bathroom had produced Griffin in jeans, his glasses, and bearing a warm, wet washcloth. He'd tidied their clothes up as Jim cleaned up, then stripped off the top coverlet and sheet, quickly replacing them with
    “military efficiency,” as Griffin named it. Then he'd snapped his fingers and declared he had another surprise.
    “Nope. And no peeking!”
    “Not peeking! Mostly because if I lean over the railing, I might end up on my head. Emergency room isn't how I want to spend the rest of the night.” From down below, Griffin cackled.
    “Okay, coming up. Close your eyes.”
    “This isn't a weird food kinky thing, because…you know, crumbs and stuff on the bed…” Jim shivered at the thought.
    Griffin didn't say anything, but Jim could hear him coming up the stairs.
    Then he saw the little light.
    A candle, coming up the stairs, and Jim didn't quite understand until he heard the off-key rendition of “Happy Birthday.” He sat up, tenting the sheet under his knees, trying to form an expression and a response.
    He was…touched. Embarrassed. Overwhelmed.

    72
    Tere Michaels

    His face formed into a smile as he watched Griffin approach with two Hostess cupcakes on a plate, a small emergency tea light candle on each.
    “Make a wish,” Griffin said shyly, sitting on the bed and offering the plate to Jim.
    Jim took a deep breath and thought—I really can't think of anything at the moment except maybe for this moment to last—and blew the two little candles out.
    “I hope this is okay…” Griffin's voice sounded pleased, but the note of uncertainty was something Jim understood quite well. It was a gesture, a big one. He wanted it to go over well.
    “Thank you,” Jim broke in, reaching to run his hand over Griffin's bare arm. “This might be the nicest thing anyone's done for me in a few dozen