by Tricia Owens
“Eyes on me,” Max ordered as he swept the soft sponge across Ethan’s collarbones. He smiled as Ethan released a shuddery breath.
“Doing this to my husband,” Max said as he slowly glided the sponge, “is an intimacy I hadn’t imagined I would ever experience. I hadn’t wanted a lover when you came to Vegas, and at no time in those early days had I wanted a committed relationship. And yet here I am, the most fortunate man in the world.”
Ethan licked his lips. “You’re not the only one.”
A cinnamon-colored nipple called to Max, so he lightly scrapped his thumbnail across it, dragging suds in its wake. Ethan twitched, so Max repeated the action, pinching the nub between his nails just sharply enough to cause Ethan’s chest to swell with a breath.
“Self-discipline and a certain degree of asceticism have long been my strong suits,” Max went on after releasing the nub to pinch Ethan’s other nipple. He pinched harder this time, bringing Ethan temporarily to the balls of his feet, before releasing the nipple. “However, my greatest assets were gained through letting go and taking a risk on you. There’s a lesson to be found in that. I’ve been in Las Vegas for years and never once considered myself to be a gambling man. Perhaps that should change.”
“It’s worth a shot,” Ethan breathed, chest heaving as Max dragged the sponge down his abdomen and between his legs, pushing down on his erection just to let it spring up again as the sponge soaped up his balls.
Max stepped closer to him, until their erect cocks slid, wet and velvety, together between their hips. “I’ll tell you a secret,” he murmured into Ethan’s ear.
Ethan held very still as Max grazed fingers down the seam of his buttocks.
“You're correct. I would like to one-up your friend and former lover. Call it jealousy or pettiness, but the truth remains: I won. You’re mine. But a little reinforcement wouldn’t hurt.”
He eased a finger between Ethan’s cheeks and found the warm, lubed entrance he had stretched with the vibrator earlier. His finger nestled inside smoothly, pulling a low moan from Ethan and a twitch from his cock.
Max pumped his finger while they stood, cheek to cheek, cock to cock.
“I am willing to speak with Merrick and look over his campaign proposal.”
Ethan’s eyes widened. “You-you are? Does that mean you’re open to it?”
“It means I’m willing to look at what he’s proposing. I will endeavor to keep an open mind. But make no mistake, Ethan: if he’s attempting to take advantage of you or the company in any way, I will kill this project.”
“That’s fair,” Ethan said quickly and then moaned as Max slid a second finger into him and began slowly thrusting them. “I—god—yeah, that’s more than fair. I’ll set up s-something with Merrick and we’ll talk it over. You can look at everything. And I’ll accept your decision, Max.”
“Of course you will.”
Max removed his finger and moved to stand behind Ethan, who remained in position, hands behind his neck and feet spread. The water jets hit Max from a new angle here, streaming down his balls as he took himself in hand and inserted the head of his cock between Ethan’s cheeks.
“Now, stand still and be good for me for once.”
Ethan groaned as Max eased inside him. There was just enough lube inside him to prevent pain, but Max hadn’t fully stretched him, so there had to be at least a burn. Ethan didn’t complain. If anything, he probably loved it more. Max drove the breath from him as he took hold of his hips and began a steady, thorough fucking.
“I’m very curious to see how he’s packaged you,” he said against Ethan’s entwined fingers. “I may end up buying a new suit.”
“You’ve seen me in a thousand suits,” Ethan gasped out, his back beginning to bow until Max smacked him sharply on one buttock. Hissing, he straightened up. “I doubt this campaign will influence you to buy more.”
“It’s a campaign featuring you. That changes things considerably.” Max leaned back and watched the length of his cock glide in and out of Ethan’s ass. His own balls tightened up with the need to spill. Only Ethan could undo him so quickly, Ethan with his tight ass and his trembling obedience. Max had to bite back a groan. “I’m confident you could sell me anything with this body.”
He smacked Ethan on the ass again before picking up his pace. Ethan nearly lost his footing without his hands to save him, but Max gripped him firmly by the hips as he pistoned forward. In what seemed far too early considering he’d come once already, Max felt that familiar tingle rush through his body. He sheathed himself fully in Ethan’s clenching body and shuddered as he pulsed out his release.
Dropping his forehead to Ethan’s taut shoulder, Max murmured, “Are you still hard?”
“Yes, dammit!”
Max smiled. “Good.” He kissed wet skin. “I very much enjoy you when you’re held, suffering, on the brink of release.”
“At least one of us is happy,” Ethan gritted out.
Still smiling, Max leisurely reached around him, but not to take Ethan’s cock into his hand. Acknowledging to himself that he was quite evil and wholly unrepentant about it, he idly combed his fingernails through the trim hair around his husband’s straining erection. Occasionally he’d allow his knuckles to graze the shaft, causing it to jerk and Ethan to gasp.
“No—fair,” Ethan groaned. He twisted his hips, trying to coax Max into touching him.
“I told you to stand still.”
Max thought he could hear Ethan’s molars grinding together as he obeyed. Though he’d just found his own release, Max’s softening cock gave a happy twitch. He leaned up and whispered into Ethan’s ear, “I want you to come from the thought of me taking you in hand and stroking you as hard as I can. Feel my hand gripping you and fucking down from tip to root and back up again. Over and over.”
“Shit—that’s—” Ethan’s body shook as he struggled to obey Max’s order to remain still while his hips yearned to shove his cock into that imaginary grip.
“I’m squeezing you so hard,” Max whispered. He licked the outer whorl of Ethan’s ear. “So tight. Feel that squeeze, Ethan. Feel it.”
“I—I—”
Max lifted his head back just in time to avoid being headbutted as Ethan threw his own back and let out a hoarse cry. A few hot drops of ejaculate landed on the hand that Max kept at Ethan’s groin while the rest of his release hit the tiles and was instantly washed away. Max wrapped both arms around Ethan as the blond unlaced his fingers from behind his neck and tiredly slumped forward.
“Such a good boy,” Max praised, supporting his weight.
“I want to go to bed,” Ethan slurred, letting his head rest against Max’s shoulder. “You’ve worn me out. Like you always do. So good. I’d do anything for you.”
Max smiled, guiltily savoring that declaration of loyalty and love, though aloud he said, “I wouldn’t dream of asking more of you right now. But make no mistake, Ethan: you're soon about to owe me a great deal.”
~~~~~
At the breakfast table the next morning, Max used his phone to pull up the daily schedule that Merrick Felix had submitted at the beginning of the contract. He scanned the itinerary that he and Ethan were set to follow.
“He has a development meeting with this new client tonight?” Max asked.
“Um, possibly. I’m not sure if that’s still on.” Ethan winced as he spread orange marmalade on his toast.
Max predicted that an apology was poised on the horizon.
“Why not?” he asked, lowering the phone.
“Sorry,” Ethan said, “I was going to tell you at some point but there was a lot we needed to talk about last night and I sort of forgot."
Max arched his brow pointedly, making Ethan cringe further in his chair.
“The thing is, turns out that Merrick’s stalker isn’t really much of a thing. I mean, yes, she’s mad at him and was trying to start some career damaging rumors about him—maybe more—but Merrick says she’s been out of the picture f
or a while now. He thinks she’s moved on.”
Max set his phone on the table and ignored his breakfast as he listened to Ethan’s recitation of events according to Merrick Felix. When Ethan had finished, Max had to take a moment to remind himself why he was allowing Merrick to have any contact with his agent at all.
“In essence, his need for personal protection was a complete fabrication to ensure your company,” Max concluded. “He lied to me.”
“I would say it’s more like he stretched the truth a bit.”
At Max’s look, Ethan blurted, “Okay, he stretched it a lot. But he’s still paying! That’s what matters in the end, right? You’re not running a non-profit. And you should be relieved. I won’t be in any danger at all on this job. It’s free money, basically.”
“Is it?”
Ethan took an enormous bite out of his toast, conveniently preventing him from responding. Max tsked beneath his breath but he couldn’t fully fault Ethan for this. The blond thought he was doing The Elite Poole a favor by continuing this sham of a job and bringing in full payment. Max, however, didn’t need such favors, and neither did his business.
He could make an argument out of this easily. Yet after last night, he was reluctant to do so. He could see himself from Ethan’s point of view: rigid, conservative, unwilling to take a chance. Last night, Max had indeed bent like the reed Ethan had suggested he emulate. He couldn’t sabotage that effort now by picking another fight.
He picked up his espresso and sipped it as he stared at Ethan, who was suddenly very interested in cutting his pineapple into increasingly smaller pieces.
“Please don’t say you don’t run an escort service,” Ethan mumbled.
“I don’t run an escort service.”
Ethan gaped at him but then huffed a laugh after studying Max’s face for a few seconds.
“You’re not really upset. But you’re annoyed, and I understand why you’d feel that way. Merrick should have told you the truth. I said as much to him and he seemed contrite about it, but I know you don’t care about that. What you should care about, though, is that this is an easy assignment for easy money and if you pull me off it I’ll be stuck in my office twiddling my thumbs for the rest of the week.”
“Or you’ll be catching up on expense reports,” Max drawled. “You’re behind on those, or had you forgotten?”
“Of course I haven’t.”
“Hmm.”
Max took pity on him and finished off his espresso before shifting his attention to his sliced gravlax. Ethan quietly worked to consume his multitude of fruit chunks.
Letting Ethan get away with yet another headstrong decision that had been made without his input seemed like a mistake to Max. It was setting a dangerous precedent. However, Ethan was an intelligent man and a more than capable agent. Though he was too trusting at times, he could at least take care of himself physically. It was only his heart that Max feared was too vulnerable.
He picked up his phone again and brought up Merrick Felix’s so-called schedule.
“He’s blocked out most of the afternoon for location scouting at the Cosmopolitan. Allegedly,” Max added with an arch of the brow.
Ethan smiled down at his plate. “That’s right. Should be a safe and lucrative couple of hours.”
Max didn’t bother wasting a glare on him. Ethan wasn’t looking, anyway.
“You’ll inform your friend Merrick that I will be joining you both for lunch.”
Ethan regarded him warily. “Only lunch?”
“I’m a working professional, Ethan. My time is limited and valuable.”
Ethan battled to hide a smile. “What about the ad campaign? When do you want to look at it?”
“That will be determined by how lunch goes,” Max replied ominously.
Ethan winced, but didn’t argue or ask for more specificity. He had to know that Max was all too willing to nix this ad campaign if Merrick Felix rubbed him the wrong way, continued to lie to him, or even looked at Ethan with the tiniest sliver of yearning. The power was Max’s and though he savored its possession as he always did, he reminded himself that he had given Ethan a tentative yes. Therefore, he would be as open-minded as he could be considering the highly unpleasant situation.
Unpleasant, at least, for Max. Ethan must be looking forward to working behind the camera again, even if he hadn’t outright said so. He’d modeled for years. It would be unsurprising to Max if he missed at least some aspects of the job.
Max imagined him on a shoot, wrapped around other attractive models, wearing next to nothing. His body began to warm until he pictured Merrick Felix standing beside the cameraman, calling the shots and looking his fill…
“Yes, we’re all going to meet and then I’m going to decide what to do about this,” Max stated.
“I’m optimistic,” Ethan said.
Max smirked. “Of course you are.”
But if he searched his heart of hearts, he realized that, although he wasn’t exactly optimistic, he was curious to see Ethan in his element. Max was married to a former male model. There would be an upside there and a part of Max was looking forward to discovering it.
Chapter Eight
“Now this is my kind of casino,” Merrick enthused as he turned in a slow circle, his forefingers and thumbs raised above his face to form a frame through which he looked at his surroundings. “Hip and chic are exactly what we need. This place is perfect.”
“Cosmopolitan is one of my favorite casinos,” Ethan agreed as he watched his friend nearly bump into two different groups of tourists as he wandered aimlessly in search of the perfect shot. “You don’t think it’s too, I don’t know, flashy?”
Merrick paused long enough to give him a look of disbelief. “Are you kidding me? I could shoot you here for a week and wouldn’t come up with a single unusable frame. Flash equals sexy if you do it right, and I’m gonna do it right. We’ve got this in the bag, kiddo.”
Merrick only called him that when he got swept up in the excitement of a new shoot. It was a nice reminder of the fun times they’d had working together and Ethan was doubly glad that Max had caved in and given the tentative thumbs up to this project.
For the first hour that he’d spent waiting inside Merrick’s hotel room while the man talked business on the phone, Ethan had been hounded by a feeling of guilt. Even though no one could bully Maxmillian Poole, Ethan had tried his best to last night, albeit in his own way. Max had seemed fine with everything during breakfast, but the dark-haired man was the classic example of still waters running deep. For as well as Ethan knew him—which was probably better than anyone—he couldn’t say with one hundred percent certainty that Max was fully on board with this project. And for that reason, Ethan had regretted fighting so hard for this. Nothing was worth upsetting the man he loved.
The feeling had faded as the morning passed, though. Max could never be forced into any course of action no matter how much sugar Ethan plied him with, which meant he’d approved this because he’d seen the benefits that Ethan had laid out. Now, as Merrick’s excitement began to grow on him, Ethan could embrace what was about to happen. He was eager to prove to Max that he’d made the right call. It didn’t hurt that Ethan would enjoy the process, too.
Who am I kidding? I can’t wait to get started.
“Careful,” he called out as Merrick ran into a structural beam that was covered on four sides with video screens showing psychedelic patterns.
The older man chuckled and lowered his makeshift camera viewer. “Thanks for the heads up. Maybe I should let you hold my leash.”
“I doubt that will control you in any way, Merr.”
“I don’t know. We never played with those kinds of toys.” Merrick winked at him.
Ethan smiled innocently. “An opportunity missed.”
“I know, I know. Zip it.” Merrick shot him a rueful look before drifting forward again, moving past the Bond bar and onto the casino floor. “Gorgeous. Spectacular.” He glanced over his shoulde
r at Ethan, grinning devilishly. “The casino, not you. I swear.”
Ethan playfully rolled his eyes, but he wished his old friend wasn’t in such a flirty mood today. Merrick was back in his groove, feeling king of his domain, so his confident behavior wasn’t a surprise. Ethan had hoped, however, that he’d rein it in considering how adamant Ethan had been that the past was the past and impossible to resurrect.
The casino floor was relatively quiet, with many tourists still sleeping off the fun they’d had last night. Merrick wasn’t distracted by the few who were at the tables. His attention passed over them quickly. Apparently he didn’t anticipate using the gaming pits as a backdrop for his shoots.
“I never once heard you mention gambling,” he said as he wandered further through the casino. “You and Maxmillian ever hit the tables?”
“It’s not wise to live in Las Vegas if you enjoy gambling. That’s how a gorgeous casino like this one is built.”
“Oh, come on. Not even once? Everything on black?”
Ethan shrugged, unwilling to share his moments with Max with a former lover. “On my first visit here, I did gamble a little. I learned a big lesson.” Not only had he lost money, he’d made the acquaintance of Jonathan Wilder. “I’m not a gambler and never will be.”
“Lucky in love, unlucky at cards, obviously. Guess that means I should hit up the craps table before I head home.”
“I don’t advise it.”
Merrick chuckled.
He drifted deeper inside, Ethan trailing behind and occasionally tugging him out of the way of furniture or people. When they reached the bottom floor of the Chandelier Bar, with its voluminous ropes of crystals, Merrick whistled.
“This is where I’m getting married, Eth. Quick, find me a guy who wants a Daddy.”
Uncomfortable, Ethan ignored the comment and watched his friend circle through the bar, testing angles with his hands and using a meter to check the lighting.
“I love it,” he declared once he’d returned to Ethan’s side. “But not for this campaign. Too much bling gives it a feminine vibe for a shoot that’s supposed to be pushing the masculinity.”