Page 68 of Mysteries, Menace, and Mates

The guy lowered Jamie to the ground, then leaned in and nuzzled his neck. “Fuck, you smell good. Like apple pie and curry, rolled into one.”

The younger man was at Jamie’s back in a heartbeat, inhaling deeply. “No, he’s more like a cinnamon roll. All sugary and warm spiciness.”

“You both sound as if you’re about to eat me,” Jamie quipped.

The older guy’s eyes gleamed. “Well, I know whereIwanna start.”

Despite his eagerness to have at least one of them plowing him, there was something much more important to address first.

Mates?

One way to find out.

Jamie took a deep breath.Whoa there. Slow the fuck down, okay?

They both froze, and there it was, the confirmation Jamie needed.

You really are my mates, aren’t you? Because you can hear this.

Buzz Cut Guy gaped at him. “How the fuck did you do that?”

Jamie rolled his eyes. “I just told you. Mates can do this. I know, it messes with your head. The first time I heard about it, I didn’t believe it,but—”

He pressed two fingers to Jamie’s lips. “Let’s start again, what do you say?”

Jamie grinned. “Works for me. Can we get to the part where you tell me who you are?” He took stock of his surroundings. They were standing in a room that served as both living area and bedroom. There was a large couch that took up most of the wall space on the window side, and the bed was a king.

“Biggest we could squeeze in here,” the younger man informed him.

Jamie took stock of him too. His dark brown hair was short at the sides and full and wavy on top, his eyes an equally dark brown. His neat beard made Jamie’s fingers itch to stroke it.

Well, one of us needs to get this ball rolling.

“I’m Jamie, Jamie Matheson.”

Buzz Cut Guy stared at him. “The guy we just got a call about? The one who’s going to be working with us?”

No. Fucking. Way.These were the counselors Ms. Payton had spoken about? The ones he’d be working under.

Literally, it seemed.

Jamie’s mouth fell open. “You’re Shawn.” His beard was thick and full, reaching his chest, and the way his biceps bulged made Jamie’s mouth water and his tongue ache to lick the firm flesh.

Jamie imagined he was a magnificent grizzly.

“How did you work that out?”

He smiled. “You called him B, which makes him Brandon. Process of elimination.” Which also made him a North American mountain lion.

Yeah, Jamie could see that too.

Shawn grinned. “Hey, looks like we got ourselves a smart one, B.” He gestured to the couch. “Wanna sit while we talk?”

Jamie chuckled. “So you do actually plan on talking to me?”

“Well….” Brandon shrugged. “For a couple of minutes. Then the clothes are coming off.”

“What he said,” Shawn added.

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