Just Jack

by Meredith Russell

  Oh God. Jack closed his eyes and let his imagination run wild. As Leo leaned forward, Jack ran his hands through his hair. When Leo closed his mouth around him, he curled his fingers down, tightening his hold on the man in front of him. Leo applied pressure to Jack’s dick with his tongue, sucking and licking his length. Jack imagined the damp heat of his lover’s mouth, the warm touch of Leo’s hand as he cupped his balls. Opening his eyes, he focused on his fingers as he threaded them through Leo’s hair. Of the men he had been with since his time as a Frost, why was Leo so damn special? Why did he dare to believe he could feel something for this man?

  Damn. He looked up at the ceiling. Something was different, and he tried to make sense of what he knew was no longer just down to his imagination. The blowjob felt good, and he didn’t care what it might mean. Right here, right now, he wanted more. He wanted touching and kissing and fucking. He clenched his stomach muscles as Leo dragged his tongue along his length, taking his dick fully in his mouth. Christ. The head of his dick hit the back of Leo’s throat, and Jack relished the sound of the drawn out hum Leo made as he worked Jack’s length. Jack enjoyed the feel of pressure around his erection and the squeeze of Leo’s hand around his balls. He was so close to just letting go and losing it right there.

  He rested his hands on Leo’s shoulders and gently pushed him away. The sight of his dick falling from Leo’s plump, slick lips sent a shiver through him. Leo was looking at him, clearly questioning if he had done something wrong. Jack leaned down, gently pressing his fingers under Leo’s chin and tilting his head to kiss him.

  “Wanna be in you,” he stated. He stepped back and finished undressing. He kept his eyes on Leo as Leo removed his shirt at the same time. Kicking away his boxers, Jack stepped forward, nudging Leo to lie on the bed. He breathed in deeply as he ran his hands up Leo’s thighs. He let his touch linger, savoring something he’d been longing for. Was this real? Regaining his focus, he quickly aided Leo in removing his jeans.

  When they were both naked, Jack took a moment to appreciate Leo’s body. Leo wasn’t trim or toned. He wasn’t too skinny or too bulky. He was just… right. Normal. Perfect. Leo was perfect to Jack. He kneeled on the bed and pressed his lips to the curve of Leo’s stomach beneath his belly button. Kissing a path down the fine line of hair, he nuzzled his chin in Leo’s pubic hair before kissing his way back up and over Leo’s stomach and chest.

  “You’re amazing.” He lifted his head and met Leo’s eyes. “Really, you are.”

  Leo smiled and reached down, cupping Jack’s face and drawing him up his body and into a kiss. He didn’t say anything, but turned his head, indicating his bedside table.

  Jack understood perfectly. “Lie on your front,” he instructed. He quickly claimed a condom and the lube from Leo’s drawer, then returned his attention to Leo. Slowly, he ran his hand down Leo’s spine, smiling as Leo made a pleasurable sound and arched his back. Positioning himself between Leo’s legs, he continued his appraisal, stroking Leo’s skin and teasingly running his hand over his ass cheeks and into the space between them.

  More sounds and Jack moved to rest over Leo, and slicked his fingers with the lube. Gently, he teased and pushed against Leo’s entrance, tenderly working his finger to his knuckle, then adding a second.

  Leo made contented sounds as he pushed up against Jack. “Now,” he uttered. “Please.”

  Jack stroked his hand over Leo’s fleshy ass. Playfully, he slapped Leo’s ass cheek before withdrawing his hand. The moment came to a brief pause as he located the condom, tore open the packet, and sheathed himself. Leaning over Leo, he ran his hands down Leo’s arms, threaded his fingers in Leo’s, and pressed their hands into the mattress. Rotating his hips, he rocked back and forth, angling himself until he settled at the dip of Leo’s body. He found himself holding his breath as he eased inside, squeezing Leo’s hands tightly, until his thighs were flush to Leo’s.

  “Okay?” Jack whispered. He pressed a series of slow kisses to Leo’s back, brushing his lips over Leo’s skin, pursing his mouth as he blew cool air against Leo’s shoulders.

  “Uh-huh,” Leo said on a breath.

  The evening might have started rushed and heavy, but Jack wanted to experience every moment, map every line of Leo’s body, file it all away for when he needed reminding what it was to be human and to have another person in his life. He set a steady rhythm, hoping he remembered what it was to be tender and loving, despite not truly feeling it within himself.

  The moment was building, and Jack wanted nothing more than for Leo to be right there with him, just like he had been last night. “Touch yourself.” He freed Leo’s hand and shifted his weight, pleased when Leo reached beneath himself. Jack rocked back on his knees and held Leo’s waist, pulling him higher as he quickened his pace.

  Tension surged through his body like a wave, every muscle tightening and relaxing until he could stand no more. He gripped Leo’s hips as his body shuddered. With a muted cry, he came, before burying his face in Leo’s back. He breathed in deeply, feeling the tremble of Leo’s body as he brought himself off moments later. Jack kissed Leo’s back and gently brushed the tip of his nose and lips over Leo’s skin.

  Slowly, he withdrew and rolled off Leo onto the other side of the bed. He closed his eyes, remembering every touch. He should be freaking out right about now. And yet, he wasn’t. He just wanted to hold on to the moment a little longer. That was okay, right? Because it felt so right, so perfect, and he didn’t want to let that go. Not yet. He lay on his back, waiting as Leo turned over. He opened his eyes, screwing up his nose and laughing as Leo held his coated hand over his stomach.

  “Do you want to go first?” he said of the bathroom and raised his eyebrows to indicate toward the door.

  “Are you going to be here when I get back?” Leo asked with a smirk.

  Jack studied the ceiling before turning to look at Leo. “Do you want me to be?”

  Lifting his head from the pillow, Leo leaned over and kissed Jack. “Yeah. I do.” He sat up.

  Jack smiled as Leo left the bedroom. “I’ll be here.”

  Chapter 15

  Leo jolted awake. Blinking, he rolled onto his back and, with a yawn, pushed himself up. Resting on his arms, he smacked his lips together, tasting stale alcohol. He squinted as he eyed the window and the light filtering through his thin curtains.

  What the hell day is it? He rubbed his brow and leaned forward. Sunday. It was Sunday and— He glanced at the empty space beside him. Jack. Where the hell was Jack?

  A sinking feeling ached in the pit of his stomach. Really? The man had done it to him again. He traced a line with his fingers over his eyebrow, soothing the slight pain that throbbed beneath the surface. He didn’t think he had drunk so much in so few days since he’d graduated. Tapping his fingers against the dull pain, his mind drifted to what had woken him. Had it been the door? Had he just missed Jack making his escape?

  Leo pulled his knees toward his chest and folded his arms on top of them. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and rested his brow on his forearm. He breathed in deeply as he remembered how good things had been last night compared to how he felt now. Disappointed? Angry? Used? Foolish, he decided. Jack had fooled him. The truth was, Jack was just like every other man in Leo’s life—a liar.

  A light knocking sound made Leo lift his head. He stared at his bedroom door.

  “Are you awake?” Jack pushed open the door. He smiled when he saw Leo was indeed awake and sitting upright on the bed. “How’s your head?”

  “It’s, erm…” Leo shook his head. Jack was still here. “It’s fine,” he finished. “I thought you’d gone.” The admission was out before he could stop himself.

  Jack looked apologetically at Leo as he sat down on the bed. “I felt bad about rummaging through your cupboards so…” He held out the store-bought coffee and brown paper bag. “Black with lots of sugar, and pastries. I wasn’t sure what you liked, but dibs on the cinnamon roll.” He smiled when Leo took the co
ffee.

  “Thanks.” Leo focused on the drink as he removed the lid. “Have you any plans for the day?” He sipped at the hot coffee, licking his lips before blowing over the surface of the liquid.

  “I have some work to catch up on at the club, as Abe has kindly informed me via three texts and a voicemail.” He laughed as he opened the bag of pastries to claim his roll. “So I’m going to take this and run.”

  Though disappointed Jack had to leave so soon, Leo brightened when Jack leaned in and kissed him.

  Jack shyly looked away. “Maybe we could catch up later in the week. I mean, if you want to.”

  When had Jack become so cute? He seemed different, but Leo wasn’t sure what it was that had changed. He looked at Jack. In a way he seemed lighter, brighter, like he’d relaxed or something.

  “Sure,” Leo said, realizing he’d hesitated. “Would love to.” He reached out and rested his hand over Jack’s. He was surprised when Jack seemed to tense and go to pull away. “You okay?” He squeezed Jack’s hand.

  Jack blinked and gave a short nod. “Yeah. Yeah. Sorry, I’d best go, but I will call you in a couple of days and we’ll fix a date, yeah?” He kissed Leo on the cheek, then stood up. “See ya.”

  “Yeah, bye.” Leo hugged his coffee in his lap and waited for the inevitable click of the front door shutting as Jack left.

  With a sigh, he stared at his drink. Though he had only known Jack for a few days, he couldn’t ignore the feelings he had for the man. Jack was special.

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Leo,” he told himself. His mother’s words resonated through him. Too quick to fall in love. Too quick to want to be loved. Pushing back his bedsheet, he took his coffee and breakfast through to the kitchen. He should probably do something useful with his day, even if useful actually turned out to be him sitting on the couch all day watching crappy horror movies.

  He eyed the shelves of DVDs as he passed. A bit of escapism sounded exactly like what he needed.

  * * * * *

  Leo slid his cell phone across the couch. He had received a couple of messages from Ruby, apologizing for getting drunk and cutting the previous evening short, one from Jack also apologizing, but this time for leaving in such a hurry that morning, then there were the ones from Mac. Leo eyed his phone. The last message from Mac had been short but far from sweet. They needed to talk. Apparently.

  On the television, Leo watched as Michael Myers stalked across the neighborhood in search of Jamie Lee Curtis. He flinched when someone banged loudly on the condo door. Grabbing the remote, he paused the movie and flung the cushion from off his lap. What now? He jumped to his feet and pulled his T-shirt to meet his sweatpants. He looked like a slob, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now. Whoever it was would just have to handle the messy post-Saturday-drinking-session look he was rocking.

  There was another knock as Leo made his way down the hall. Removing the chain, he pulled open the door, quickly regretting not having taken a look through the peephole first.

  “Mac,” he said. He tightened his grip on the door, using it as some kind of barrier to keep space between him and his ex. “What are you doing here?”

  “You didn’t reply to my messages.”

  Leo shrugged. “I hadn’t figured out what to say.” He ran a hand back through his hair, aware it hadn’t seen a brush or a mirror yet that morning.

  Mac stood in Leo’s doorway expectantly.

  Relenting, Leo stepped back. “Fine. Whatever. Guess you better come in.” He moved so his body was tight to the wall, putting as much space between himself and Mac as he could while letting Mac inside. Mac didn’t say anything, just walked through to the main room in silence.

  With a huffed breath, Leo closed the door and followed him. He folded his arms across his chest and studied Mac curiously. Should he be feeling something for Mac right now? Because he didn’t. He just felt weird, and being in the same room as Mac seemed more wrong than he thought possible.

  “What do you want, Mac?”

  “I’ve missed you.” Mac crammed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He didn’t look at Leo as he talked, instead he opted to stare at the television. “Jason, right?” he guessed incorrectly.

  Leo smirked. Mac had never taken an interest in horror movies. “Yeah, sure.”

  “I got your email by the way.” Mac tensed his jaw. “I can’t agree to it.”

  “Why?” Leo couldn’t believe Mac would turn down his request to move off the team.

  “Because I need you.”

  “Need me?” Leo shook his head. “There are people better suited to this kind of project, and you know it. As much as I appreciate the opportunity, I just think with things as they are, maybe you should focus on what’s best for the company and not the personal stuff.”

  “You think this is about us?” Mac’s upper lip twitched.

  “Isn’t it?”

  “No,” Mac insisted. He gave a sharp shake of his head. “No. Of course not. This is about having the right team around me, and that includes you.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair and looked toward the window. “I’ve been an idiot. I know that. We both do. But you’re not leaving the project. I need you.”

  What was Leo supposed to do? Keep arguing? He didn’t have the energy to keep going round in circles. He pursed his lips. He might not know much about computer game design, but he knew how to budget and how to market.

  “If you’re sure it’s what you want.”

  Mac turned to Leo. He smiled. “It is.” He stepped toward Leo. “We’re both professionals.”

  Leo folded his arms across his chest. He shifted his footing, feeling uncomfortable as Mac moved into his space.

  “But we’re not in the office now,” Mac pointed out.

  “Mac, I’m not interested.” He really wasn’t.

  “You’re going to throw us away, just like that? It’s that easy?”

  Leo tensed. The urge to shout and scream at Mac was there, bubbling beneath the surface. “It was for you.”

  “I was an idiot.”

  “So was I.”

  Mac narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “For forgiving you.” Things had never really been the same between them since that first time he found out about Mac’s cheating. He had managed to fool himself into thinking everything was okay, that Mac had made a mistake, that despite it all they loved each other.

  “We can work this out.”

  “Mac, I don’t…” Leo pressed his finger to his temple, soothing the lingering headache. “I can’t be with you. Not anymore.” He swallowed uncomfortably as Mac touched his shoulder. “Don’t.”

  “I love you,” Mac claimed. He stroked Leo’s shoulder, moving his thumb in circles over Leo’s T-shirt.

  Shaking his head, Leo pushed Mac’s hand away. If Mac really loved him, things wouldn’t be like they were between them. “Get out.” He looked firmly at Mac, but Mac didn’t leave.

  Mac took a deep breath, seeming to brace himself for an argument. Why was Mac still standing there? What did he think he could possibly say to make a difference?

  “Get out,” Leo snapped. He wasn’t interested.

  Mac raised his hands. “Fine. Okay.” He stepped around Leo and headed toward the door. “I’ll see you in my office tomorrow.”

  Leo closed his eyes as the door clicked shut. Maybe he’d get lucky and the zombie apocalypse would start before tomorrow. Well, it couldn’t be any worse than the prospect of working one on one with an ex.

  * * * * *

  “Earth to Jack.”

  Jack glanced at Abe. “What?”

  “What’s up with you today?” Abe quirked an eyebrow as he looked Jack up and down. “You feelin’ okay?” Concern quickly creased his brow as he rubbed his hand over his head. “Has somethin’ happened?”

  His mind was elsewhere, had been all day. Jack pushed away from the doorjamb and headed for the back room. “Nothing has happened, and I’m fine.” He looked back over
his shoulder when he realized Abe was following him. “I’m fine,” he said again. “Honestly.”

  “Yeah, right. You might want to try that again.”

  Jack stopped, then slowly turned around. “It’s nothing.”

  Shaking his head, Abe pushed the door closed behind them. “Is it your powers?”

  With a smile, Jack met Abe’s eyes. When Abe shivered, Jack looked away.

  “Leo, then?” Abe’s breath clouded in the air, and he rolled the sleeves of his sweater down over his arms.

  “Leo is… Leo’s great.”

  Chewing on his lip, Abe looked at him thoughtfully. “Are you seeing him again?”

  “Yeah.”

  Abe laughed. “Enthusiastic much?”

  “No, I am. I am.” Just the thought of Leo made his day seem brighter. But could it really last? “I just don’t want to see him getting hurt because I’m…” He shrugged.

  “Because you’re emotionally stunted? Because you’re as much use as a stick for a boyfriend when it comes to all that touchy-feely stuff?” Abe cracked a smile.

  “Thanks for that.” Maybe he needed to stop and think about where the hell he and Leo were heading. Was a future even possible?

  “Well, how does he feel about everything?”

  Jack tensed. Feel. He remembered back to that morning. To when he’d brought Leo breakfast in bed. To when Leo had rested his hand over his. He had thought about their night together, about everything he had felt. He’d done his best to dismiss it as nothing more than a fluke, a one-off. He’d been caught up in the moment, had never wanted someone like he had wanted Leo. But then in the quiet and calm of the following day, to still feel Leo’s touch? It scared him. “Give me your hand.”

  “Uh, why?” Abe looked uncomfortable as he curled his hands into fists.

  “What do you think I’m going to do?” Jack pursed his lips.

  Abe rolled his eyes and held out his hand. “This isn’t going to hurt, is it?”

  “I’d never hurt you.” Jack stared at Abe’s hand. He had been so sure about what he’d felt that morning. Tentatively, he reached out and took Abe’s hand in his. He held Abe’s hand between both of his. Well, damn. Slowly, he slid his palm up over the back of Abe’s hand and circled his friend’s wrist. Abe was warm.