by Lane, Shawn;
“I’ve never been good at talking to hot guys.” Darrell felt his cheeks warm. Hell, he was embarrassed even now. Stupid. “I used to think me being with someone like you would be only in my dreams.”
“I guess we’re both kind of crazy,” Travis said with a laugh. He rubbed his thumb over Darrell’s bottom lip, giving him goose bumps. He rose up on his knees and pulled Darrell’s mouth down to his for a deep, sensual kiss.
When the kiss ended, Darrell felt a bit lightheaded. “Um, maybe we should go to my place to continue this. Or yours.”
Travis winked. “I’ve got a better idea.” He leaned back on his haunches and reached into his pocket. He handed two items to Darrell, a pre-lubed condom and a little tiny travel pack of lube.
Darrell’s gaze met his. Travis’s grin was downright decadent. “What? Here?”
“Most definitely.”
“But—”
“No one else is here. Just us. And pretty soon you won’t be working here. Where’s the harm?”
He grinned. “You’d make a good devil trying to buy people’s souls.”
“Not your soul, Darrell. Just your ass.”
He swallowed heavily, too aroused to say much else. His balls ached even as his cock rose in his briefs.
“I’ll lock the door,” Travis whispered. He stood and walked over to the door of the office and turned the lock.
Darrell stood and unfastened his belt and dress slacks. He lowered them slowly to the floor. When he went to loosen his tie, Travis stopped him.
“No, leave it.” Travis approached him and laid a hand on Darrell’s left ass cheek. He squeezed it gently and then slid his hand around to the front Darrell’s briefs. His hand dipped in and cupped his erection.
“Oh, God.”
Travis walked around to the front him, never removing his hand. He leaned forward and ran the tip of his tongue along the seam of Darrell’s lips. Darrell quaked, his fractured breath shimmying out.
The other man grabbed Darrell’s pale blue tie with his other hand, yanking it just a little until their shirt covered chests were plastered together. The heat radiating from Travis was enough to scorch him. He moaned low in his throat, the sound a cross between a growl and a gasp just as Travis covered his mouth with his own.
Travis shoved Darrell’s briefs down to his knees and then with another little pull on the tie, he maneuvered him so he was face down on the desk, his bare ass on display for Travis’s eyes.
“You have a great ass,” Travis murmured.
He heard a rustle of clothes and turned his head enough to see Travis lowering his pants and boxers. The sight of the man’s pale hard cock pointed in his direction made his ass clench in anticipation. He realized he still held the condom and lube, so leaning on one elbow, he offered them back to Travis, who snatched them out of his hand with a saucy wink.
“Face front,” Travis said softly.
Darrell turned his head away and had a view of Travis’s desk chair. He gripped the edge of the chair and waited for whatever Travis had in mind. Anticipation was killing him.
Hot fingers brushed the crack of his ass just before he felt the flick of a tongue across the right cheek. He closed his eyes, praying he wouldn’t come right then. The warm, wet tongue trailed from his cheek to where the fingers parted his entrance.
The tongue darted inside, teasing with almost delicate tiny strokes. A prodding, slicked finger joined the tongue, spreading and pleasuring as they went. The finger slipped past his ring of muscle.
“Oh. My. God.” A giddy warmth filled him at Travis’s rumbling chuckle. But then he breathed in sharply when another finger slipped inside him.
Almost abruptly Travis withdrew his tongue and fingers and straightened behind him. He heard the tear of the condom wrapper and spread his legs a little farther apart. He wiggled his ass just a bit, which earned him another chuckle and a playful swat on a cheek.
“Patience,” Travis whispered just before his hand grasped Darrell’s achingly hard cock.
Patience? With Travis’s hand now stroking up and down his shaft all he could think of was finding his release and preferably with Travis’s dick in his ass.
And then…Travis pushed inside. With very little hesitation, he slid in all the way. Darrell didn’t mind. He gripped the desk hard and thrust back against his lover, urging him deeper. He wanted a fast and furious pounding, too on the edge for a slow, gentle fuck.
Travis didn’t hold back, he snapped his hips with quick, penetrating thrusts that hit Darrell in just the right spot. His eyes drifted closed. With each thrust forward, he pushed back, riding the cock inside him hard. His forehead beaded with sweat, his body felt ready to burst into flames, even as his release licked up his spine.
“Travis.” He gasped, his face smashing onto papers on Travis’s desk as he shot all over his lover’s hand.
Travis tensed behind him, his movements speeding up to a frantic pace. With a guttural groan, his fingers dug into Darrell’s hip as he, too, orgasmed.
A short time later, his lover eased out of him and then sank down into the chair in front of the desk. His big hand gave a squeeze to Darrell’s ass.
“Need help?”
Darrell grinned and shook his head. He scooted down the desk and then turned around. He pulled up his pants, stuffed himself back inside, and sat on the edge of the desk, looking down at Travis in the chair. The man was rumpled and disheveled, his blond hair mussed, his pale cheeks pinked, and his deflated cock still bare with his pants around his knees.
Definitely the stuff of his dreams.
“What are you smiling at?” Travis asked, but he was smiling, too.
“I was just thinking how I never would have imagined having sex with my boss in his office. Not in a million years.”
Travis’s lips twitched. “An interesting perk, wouldn’t you say?”
“Oh, yeah.” He grinned. “Makes me think maybe I shouldn’t quit after all.”
“Yeah, see.”
Darrell laughed. “We should probably get you dressed and close up the office before someone sends security in here to see why the lights are still on.”
“To hell with them.” But Travis stood and leaned over for a very thorough kiss. “I have to say, you certainly weren’t shy just then.”
He shook his head. “No, I wasn’t. Shameful is what I was.”
“Definitely. Or is that shameless?” Travis laughed, a warm, rich laugh that washed over him from the top of his head all the way to his toes. Darrell didn’t think he’d ever get enough of that laugh.
He grabbed Travis’s tie and pulled the man’s lips toward his. Yeah, he had to be dreaming.
THE END
Only for Him
Chapter 1
Barnaby Lassiter thought perhaps if he squinted his left eye and tilted his head a bit to the right the guy leering at him from the other end of the bar could pass for him. The man at the other end had dark hair and glasses like him. Maybe if he had another drink or two or three he could pretend.
The man, apparently feeling encouraged by Barnaby looking at him, got up, and made his way toward him. Barnaby shook his head and took a sip of his chocolate martini. Nope, not even close to looking like Nathan.
“Hey, gorgeous,” the man said as he reached Barnaby. His hand smoothed over Barnaby’s jean-covered knee. “Can I buy you another one?”
Barnaby smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. I’m meeting someone here.” Which was not a lie, actually. And he was glad of that.
The guy’s smile turned brittle. “Sure, whatever.” He moved away, but not before digging his fingers painfully in Barnaby’s leg.
Dickhead.
He sighed and glanced at his digital watch. Calvin was already thirty minutes late. Stood up by his older brother had to be the height of patheticness. Um…that probably wasn’t even a damn word.
The bell above the door jangled and Barnaby once more turned to look hopefully.
At last.
Ca
lvin Lassiter, his older brother by seven years, was an emergency room doctor. Barnaby had dyed his hair bleached blond whereas Calvin’s was still sandy blond. His brother, dressed in dress slacks, shirt and a tie, was the picture of conservative. No hair out of place, no earrings, no nose stud.
All more than he could say for himself, of course. He had gone home from his work as an admin assistant at the Law Offices of Anderson, Llewellyn, and Stevens, and changed into jeans, a blue tank top, and a leather jacket. He had three diamond studs in his left ear and another one in his left nostril. He’d also applied eyeliner, mauve blush, and mauve lip gloss.
Calvin noticed him at the bar and walked over. He was already frowning. Not a good sign. His brother slid onto the stool next to him.
“Hey, I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.”
“I’m busy, Barnaby. I had a meeting at the hospital this afternoon and it ran late.” Calvin ordered a red wine from the bartender and then turned to Barnaby. “Did we have to meet at a gay bar?”
“You’re gay, too.”
“I don’t hang out at bars,” Calvin said, with that note of superiority he usually had when speaking to Barnaby. “And neither should you.”
“I feel comfortable here.”
Calvin glanced around the bar. “I don’t see why. All these guys want is to get laid. None of them are looking for anything serious. And you have no idea if they have diseases or are serial killers.”
Barnaby felt the muscle in his jaw tick, but he said nothing and took another sip of his drink.
“If you’re looking for someone, why don’t you try one of those online dating services?”
“Oh, yeah, right.”
“They have some for gay men, you know.” Calvin looked at him critically. “I can see how some of them might find you attractive.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Calvin sighed. “I just don’t like you in places like this. You aren’t careful, Barnaby.”
He drummed his fingers on the bar. “Look, I didn’t ask you to meet me to get a lecture on how I am going to be murdered by a serial killer.”
His brother flushed. “Why did you want to meet?”
“Well, I need some advice actually.” Barnaby couldn’t look at his brother. He’d begun to realize this whole thing was probably a huge mistake. He scowled. “I want to know how to get someone interested in me who is like you.”
“Like me? What do you mean?”
“Like you but not stuffy and pompous. I mean, he’s straitlaced like you.” He finished his drink. “And doesn’t know I exist.”
The look Calvin gave him told him his brother could understand why someone would view Barnaby as invisible. Which, of course, depressed him further.
“You know what? Forget it,” he muttered.
Calvin’s hand on his arm stopped him from rising. “Don’t go all dramatic on me. I didn’t say I wouldn’t help. But let’s start by getting out of here. I’m hungry and I can see you could stand to eat a meal or two, so let’s go find a restaurant and have dinner.”
* * * *
“First, don’t expect me to start to dress like you,” Barnaby told his brother a short time later.
His brother had chosen a hoity-toity steakhouse for dinner. Since Barnaby had been a vegetarian for years and he was pretty sure his brother knew that, he was not amused.
He glared at the menu. Barnaby was very close to telling Calvin he was an asshole. Wouldn’t be the first time. Though they had been close as kids, now they were hardly the closest of brothers. Calvin was always busy and the last time he’d seen his brother was months ago. Calvin had come by the law firm under the pretense of taking him to lunch, but Barnaby suspected it had been to see if Calvin deemed it worthy of him working there. Like he needed his brother’s approval.
“I’m going to have the filet, what about you?” Calvin asked.
“I guess I’ll have a salad.”
“That’s it?”
He sighed. “I don’t eat meat.”
Calvin lowered his menu and set it on the table. “You’re still doing that?”
“Yes.”
“They have chicken and a fish dish,” Calvin offered.
“Uh-huh. Which of those would be a vegetable?”
Calvin shrugged. “Sorry, didn’t think about it. I guess I thought it was a phase you were going through.”
“It’s not.” Barnaby studied his brother, scowling.
“Apparently.”
“Aren’t you a doctor?”
“So?”
“Well, what about ‘all red meat is bad for you’ stuff?”
“Moderation, B. Everything in moderation.” Calvin smiled. “As for dressing like me, most of the time I wear scrubs. But it wouldn’t hurt for you to wear a nice suit once in a while. You work at a law firm.”
“I’m not a lawyer and most of the staff dresses casual unless there’s a trial or something.”
His brother studied him without speaking for quite some time. Just as Barnaby wondered if he would wilt under his brother’s withering regard, the waitress came to take their order. As he’d indicated, Calvin ordered a steak, rare, and he ordered a green salad.
“Why don’t you tell me about the man you’re interested in,” Calvin said shortly after the waitress walked away.
Barnaby shrugged. “Not much to tell. He works at the law firm.”
“Wait. Is he one of the lawyers?”
Barnaby felt himself blush, which he hated, damn fair skin. “Yes.”
Calvin rolled his eyes. “Please tell me you aren’t in love with your boss.”
“Travis? No. Don’t get me wrong, he’s nice enough to look at, but I don’t do the boss-secretary thing.” Barnaby stuck the straw of his Diet Coke in his mouth and took a sip. “Besides, he’s in a relationship with someone else from work.”
His brother grimaced. “I can’t imagine how inappropriate that place must be. And they work in the legal field.” He shook his head. “Let me tell you, not in a million years would I get involved with someone else from the hospital.”
Barnaby wanted to say he doubted his brother would get involved with anyone considering Calvin likely had a hollow chest, but he sort of did want his brother’s help, and he definitely did not want Calvin to get pissed and leave him with the restaurant bill. Insulting Calvin, no matter how much the asshole might deserve it, wasn’t the mature thing to do.
“Okay, so who is the guy you’re in love with?” Calvin asked after ending his tirade.
“I’m not in love with him. I find him attractive and wanted to maybe see where it could go, if he might be interested in me.” Shit, how pathetically lame had that sounded?
“Who?”
“Nathan Llewellyn.”
“So it’s one of the other partners, huh? Is that the African American guy or the nerd?”
Barnaby bristled. “He is not a nerd.”
Calvin smirked. “Doesn’t he wear big thick Buddy Holly kind of glasses?”
“So what? Are you going to help me or insult me and my choice of a guy?”
“Okay, don’t overdramatize. I think it’s cute.”
“I swear to fucking—”
Calvin held up his hands. “Calm down, B.”
The waitress came by with their dinners and set them down. She asked them about refills and then once more disappeared from their table.
His brother cut a big piece of bloody red steak and popped it into his mouth. Barnaby fought the queasiness in his stomach. And the urge to punch his stupid brother in the smug face.
“You aren’t going to want to hear this, but I think if you want to get that guy, you’re going to have to resort to being more like him,” Calvin said. “The makeup is…interesting, but your nerd strikes me as the type who wouldn’t find it particularly appealing. He might even find it embarrassing.”
“What? What’s embarrassing about a little eyeliner, blush, and lip gloss?”
“Nothing if it’s on a woman. But lo
ts of gay men don’t like it.”
Of course Calvin didn’t say it, but Barnaby heard the including me in his brother’s tone.
“Anyway, I suspect your nerd is one of those who don’t.”
“He’s not a nerd,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Eat your rabbit food,” Calvin said, waving his fork. “I’m telling you that you need to ditch the makeup. Flatten down your hair, too. Spiky hair is so video game character. I’d dye it back to its original color also.”
Barnaby’s jaw dropped open. “If I change my hair, stop wearing makeup, and wear dress pants and a tie, I won’t look like me anymore. In fact, I’ll look like you.”
Calvin smiled. “Exactly.” He shrugged. “What have you got to lose? If it doesn’t work to get your nerd’s attention, you can go back to the way you usually are. If you have to.”
“Well—”
“Look, you asked my advice. If you don’t want to take it, don’t. But if you really want to get this guy to notice you, isn’t it worth it?”
Barnaby pushed aside the depression threatening at the idea of having to change so much about himself. But maybe Calvin was right. He certainly hadn’t interested Nathan the way he was. “All right, I’ll do it. But only for him.”
Chapter 2
Nathan Llewellyn was dying. He just knew he was.
His head throbbed, his skin burned, and his stomach roiled. He’d been poisoned. Someone had tried to murder him. Someone who had lost a lawsuit against him or something. Sweat beaded his forehead as he struggled against the queasiness.
He seemed to recall a Dennis Quaid movie from years ago where the whole premise of the movie was that his character had been fatally poisoned and before Dennis took his last breath he was determined to learn the identity of his killer.
Nathan doubted he could be so heroic. How had Dennis even managed to move being so close to death’s door as he was? Nathan couldn’t figure it out, because even lifting his hand to dial the phone had been torture.
“Travis Anderson.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was something close to a squawk.