by Nikki Soarde
Evan swallowed. “Tell me what you want.”
“I want you naked.”
“Okay. I’ll—”
“But I want to undress you. Slowly. At my leisure. And then I want you where and how I say. Got it?”
Evan nodded, thrilled beyond words and unable to explain why. “Where do you want me?”
“On soft, supple leather. I think you know what I have in mind.”
* * * * *
Jake hip-checked the office door closed and flipped the lock. He turned to find Evan leaning against the back of the couch they’d just dragged in from the lounge. Evan crossed his arms across his broad chest, drawing the material tight over his arms.
He gave Jake an appraising look. “You thought you had me, didn’t you?”
Jake swaggered across the room, the material of his trousers making soft rustling noises as he walked. He’d put them on out of deference to Evan’s need for discretion, but did not intend to leave them on long. “Oh I had you going, all right. You thought I wanted to fuck you right there—right there in the lounge where anybody could walk in on us.” He stopped just a few inches from Evan, their toes almost touching. He ran a finger along the seam of Evan’s platinum-toned vest. “And that scared you shitless.”
“Well, I do have an image to protect. In my business image is paramount.”
Jake’s hand cruised up over Evan’s chest to his throat where he fingered the piece of fine silver-toned silk knotted there. “Is that why you’ve kept the separation a secret?”
Evan shifted his gaze and for the first time Jake saw a hint of vulnerability—even embarrassment—behind the façade of power and control.
Evan said nothing as Jake tugged at the end of the tie and pulled the silk from his neck.
“It can’t be easy, a man in your position—a man accustomed to success—admitting to the failure of another marriage. Especially in front of the people who are supposed to look up to him.”
Evan met his gaze. “It’s not nearly that complex. I was an idiot for marrying her, and I’m ashamed of myself for getting sucked in.”
Jake undid the top button of the vest and then the next. “No. Being human doesn’t equate being an idiot.”
“You have no idea what—” Jake cut off his words with a kiss. He grabbed the lapels of the vest and dragged Evan against him, taking control of his mouth with as commanding a kiss as he could muster.
When he broke away he was pleased to see that Evan had to work at catching his breath and calming his pulse. He slid the vest from Evan’s shoulders and reached for the top button that held the shirt snugly to Evan’s throat. “Oh, I have an idea what I’m talking about.” He undid the second button and leaned in to sample the newly exposed skin. Even on a man, the skin at the base of the throat was particularly delicate—almost translucent—and when he put his lips there he could feel the thrum of Evan’s pulse against his lips. It quickened at his touch.
“I have plenty of ideas. About a lot of things.” He continued popping buttons.
“I have no doubt of that,” Evan said on a sigh when at last the shirt fell open and Jake put his hands on his skin. He ran his fingers across toned abs and up over a set of surprisingly buff pecs. But when he reached Evan’s shoulders and slid his hands under the material of the shirt to slip it off, Evan stopped him with a firm grip on his wrists.
“Wait.”
Jake frowned, met Evan’s gaze and saw something there that surprised—and troubled—him. “Why? What’s wrong?”
Evan didn’t reply. He urged Jake back a half a step and released his hands.
Jake waited, watching with interest as Evan pushed himself from the couch and turned around so his back faced Jake. Very slowly he allowed the shirt to slide from his shoulders and drop to the floor.
Jake sucked in his breath. “Oh. Christ.”
He stepped closer, ran his fingers over the long, lash-shaped scars. There were three of them, deep enough that it hurt Jake just to look at them.
Evan flinched at his touch.
“How?” asked Jake.
“I was young and stupid. I had just been dumped by a girl I thought I was going to marry, and got involved with an older man I met at the office where I worked that summer. It got…weird. I ended up doing things I didn’t really want to do, but didn’t know how to say no to. One night it went way too far, and he ignored me when I begged him to stop. I ended up with these scars and—”
Jake laid his hands on Evan’s shoulders but didn’t turn him around. He sensed that Evan didn’t want to be facing him at that moment. “And what?”
“And a memory that turned me off anal play for many, many years after that.”
“Fuck.” Jake touched his lips to the most wicked-looking scar, then wrapped his arms around Evan’s waist, his chest pressed firmly to Evan’s back. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”
“Well, to be honest,” Evan turned to face him, “I’m not.”
“You’re not?”
He shook his head. “No. That experience taught me something valuable. It taught me to not let myself be put into a position where I was vulnerable. Where I lacked control. It made me realize that I wanted to be the one calling the shots, the one in the big chair. And I was just angry enough to make sure I came back and made it happen.”
Jake frowned. “Came back?”
Evan nodded. “Yes. I changed the name of the company after the takeover. But this is the same place I worked that summer.”
Jake smiled, tossed a knowing glance at the executive’s chair in front of the window. “And that chair?”
“Uh huh. That was his chair. And I strongly stress the was.”
Jake ran his fingers up Evan’s chest. “You’re a formidable man, Mr. Valerian. Remind me not to cross you.”
Evan chuckled but suddenly Jake hesitated. “Hold on. I was under the impression…” He shook his head and was about to step back when Evan caught him by the belt loops.
“What?”
“If you need to be in control, I’m cool with that. I don’t have to play both sides of the coin.”
Evan’s gaze held his, something intense and compelling about what Jake saw there. “No. I trust you. I trusted you enough to tell you that story, and I’ve never trusted anyone with that before.”
Jake was stunned, speechless. Touched beyond words.
“I want you to.” Evan leaned in, his lips next to Jake’s ear, and added, “I need you to.”
Jake’s eyes closed as a thrill of pleasure coursed through him. It made sense. It fit with everything he’d ever heard or read about men in positions of power and the BDSM community. Evan’s life was all about control and decision making. It consumed his days from morning to night. And for as much as he enjoyed the challenge and the satisfaction of running his own company and running it well, he longed for someone to take that control away from time to time. To relinquish his hold and allow someone else to take the responsibility. For his pleasure, at least, if not for his life and livelihood.
It was a small thing. And it was an enormous thing. For that moment—it was everything.
“Okay.” He grasped Evan’s face, bracketing his jaws between his hands, the touch insistent. “You want to do this? You really want to do this right?”
Evan swallowed, nodded, his skin already clammy beneath Jake’s fingers.
“Then forget this fucking office, we need to go somewhere else. A place with more space and more…options. We need room to explore.”
“My condo. It’s only two blocks from here and it has everything we need.”
It was torture, but Jake managed to drag himself away from Evan’s body and reach for his shirt. “I just need a few minutes to make things right with Rheanne.”
“And I need to put in an appearance at the party. But we can meet in the parking garage. I’m on level P1. Say half an hour?”
Jake had his shirt on and was doing up buttons when he had a moment’s hesitation. “Half an hour? That’
s fine for me, but are you sure that’s long enough for you? These people want to see you. You’re the man of the hour.”
Evan grabbed him by the shoulders. “No. It’s long enough. They see me every fucking day, and I’ve been waiting for this. I’ve been waiting too goddamn long.” The kiss Evan lavished on Jake’s lips was desperate and passionate. And it melted every bone in Jake’s body. His fingers curled into the material of Evan’s vest and he thought may have even scraped some of the skin beneath.
Evan groaned with pleasure, deepened the kiss.
Jake was the one to pull away first. “No. Don’t start that again. We have to go.”
Evan nodded, his hands fisted against Jake’s back. “Yes. We definitely have to go.”
Chapter Four
The elevator eased to a stop and the doors slid open.
“Holy shit.” Jake’s voice was hushed as he followed Evan across the threshold. “The penthouse? Are you kidding?”
Evan kept walking, leading Jake through the entryway with its ridiculous lamp posts and gurgling fountain, past the living room with its seven-foot-tall bronze sculpture of something completely indefinable, and its pristine white couches and black marble end tables.
“Wow,” muttered Jake behind him. “I mean, I don’t mean to sound like a complete hick but…wow.”
“You’re not a hick,” said Evan, his tone more harsh than he intended. “But, in all honesty, this place is a bit of an embarrassment to me.” He headed to the refrigerator in search of a snack. He’d missed the dinner at the party and hadn’t really eaten anything since the egg and cheese bagel he’d had at ten that morning. He pulled open the double-sided stainless steel fridge and studied the contents.
“What? Why? It’s beautiful.”
“It’s beautiful, all right. The kind of beautiful you find in a pretentious home fashion magazine. It’s also sterile, untouchable and uncomfortable. It is not the kind of warm, welcoming environment I would prefer to come home to at night.”
Jake leaned that long, lean frame against the kitchen counter and watched him as he studied the fridge contents. “I take it this was Nadine’s doing.”
“Yes. Nadine was the consummate gold digger. Completely enamored with the image and the façade of power that went along with a six-figure income. She picked out this condo and decorated it from top to bottom with the help of the most coveted and—needless to say—overpriced decorator in the city.”
“Don’t you mean interior designer?” asked Jake with an irreverent grin.
Evan tossed an irritated glance over his shoulder. “At any rate…” He returned to his search, wondering why the hell there wasn’t anything the least bit appetizing in his fridge. “I live here because I need a place in town and I haven’t had time to sell it yet. But I’m much more comfortable at my cabin by the lake.”
He was surprised to feel Jake’s hand on his shoulder. “Get out of there.”
“Huh?”
“You’re hungry?”
“Starving. I haven’t eaten since—”
“Well then, get out of the fridge and let me.”
Evan stepped back. “Let you what?”
“Feed you.”
Evan’s eyebrows arched in surprise. “Oh really?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, I don’t know about that.”
Very slowly, Jake turned to gaze at him over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed. “Take off your tie.”
“What?”
Jake straightened, closed the refrigerator door and leaned against it. He crossed his arms as well. “You heard me. Take it off.”
There was a glint in Jake’s eye and a certain set to his shoulders that sent an odd thrill coursing through Evan’s gut. Without saying a word he tugged at the knot that held the silver bow tie in place. It slid out from beneath his collar and dangled from his fingers. He held it out to Jake.
Jake nodded toward the piece of fine silk. “Now tie it over your eyes.”
“You’re kidding.”
But Jake’s stance remained rigid, his eyes level. He was quite obviously not kidding.
Evan considered his options for all of three seconds before securing the tie snugly over his eyes.
“Can you see anything?”
“No.”
But apparently Jake didn’t trust him, because the next moment, Evan felt Jake’s hands on his face, checking the knot and making sure it fit snugly over his eyes. “That looks pretty good.” His fingers traced Evan’s jaw and Evan could feel Jake’s breath on his face. “How does it feel?”
“Good. It feels good.” He had the sense that Jake’s lips were hovering mere millimeters from his and when he moved forward in search of tasting them it was more reflex than free will.
But Jake evaded the kiss, pressing his hands against Evan’s chest and holding him back. “No, no. We’ll get to that. Right now we have other…business.”
“Right. You intend to feed me.”
“Indeed.” He heard Jake move away, heard the refrigerator door open and something rattling. It was an odd sensation, not being able to see what was going on around him. But at the moment it was a curiosity, nothing more.
“Take off your jacket and vest.” Jake’s words startled him. Jake was very close and Evan hadn’t heard his approach.
Frowning, but having no reason to refuse, Evan complied. Jake took the garments from him and, Evan assumed, laid them neatly aside.
The next moment he felt something pressed to his lips. One sniff told him it was a hunk of cheese. He opened his mouth and was rewarded with a bit of brie. The creamy texture and subtle nutty flavor making his mouth water with a need for more.
“Good, eh?” asked Jake when he’d swallowed.
“Yes. I forgot I had it.”
He was about to ask if there was any more when Jake said, “Now take off your shirt.”
“But—”
“You’ll get more when I say you get more. Now take off your shirt.”
Evan tamped down his irritation at being denied something he so desperately wanted, and reached for the top button. He was on the third when Jake interrupted him with a hand on his. “Slow down.” He drew his tongue along Evan’s exposed collarbone. “I want to enjoy this.”
Evan nodded and when Jake had moved away he resumed what he was doing, opening one button after another but doing so with slow, methodical precision.
“Very good,” encouraged Jake, his voice slightly muffled as if he were chewing something. “Fuck, you’re hot.”
Evan’s irritation over Jake enjoying food when he was being denied it was overshadowed by his reaction to Jake’s attentions. There was something surprisingly erotic about knowing he was being watched so intently. And knowing how much pleasure Jake was deriving from watching him.
The last button was undone and the shirt fell open.
“Very nice.” He was still chewing. “Now undo the cuffs, slip it off and drop it to the floor.”
Evan did so, the cool air a mild shock to his skin.
But he didn’t have time to shiver because the next moment, Jake’s hot hands were on him. “Mmm.” They ran up and down his chest, around his waist and up his back.
Jake pulled him close, the silk of his vest rubbing sensuously against Evan’s bare skin, and the hard ridge of his erection an enticing temptation that he could feel through the lightweight wool of their trousers.
“I think that deserves a reward,” said Jake and then his mouth was on Evan’s.
Evan tasted heat and sex—and the sugar-coated strawberry Jake had thrust into his mouth. They shared the succulent fruit, the juice coating both of their tongues as they indulged in a decadent, deeply voracious kiss. It left him breathless and when Jake asked if he’d like another, he nodded with enthusiasm.
“What do you say?” asked Jake, the teasing evident in his voice.
“Please,” breathed Evan without hesitation. “More please.”
And Jake fed him another one in exactly the same way. The he
at built quickly this time, the desire grew more intense. But when Evan brought up his hands to wrap them around Jake’s waist he was stopped cold.
“Oh no.” Jake grasped his wrists and pressed them back to his sides. “You don’t get to touch me. Not until I say.”
Evan swallowed, his senses confused by the sudden interruption of a building need.
“Now undo your belt and remove your pants.”
Evan was suddenly and disproportionately irritated. “I need more food. I’m way too hungry for this shit.”
“I see.” There was something low and deadly about Jake’s response, and Evan wished he could take back his words. Instead he remained silent.
Evan heard the fridge door open and close, and he thought, finally, he would get a taste of something truly satisfying.
Instead he felt an intense shock of cold as an ice cube touched his nipple. “Hey!” he exclaimed, his hands flying up to ward off the attack.
But Jake caught his wrists. “Fight me and I won’t give you anything else to eat.”
Evan swallowed, forced his hands to relax at his sides, and nodded.
“Good.” The ice cube touched his nipple again, ran across his chest and circled the other nipple. “Very good.”
The cold was shocking yet stimulating at the same time. It stole his breath, and the sensuous movement of the cube across his skin made his cock throb. The water droplets began to slip down toward his belly and Jake caught one on his tongue.
Evan sucked in a breath in renewed surprise.
“Mmm.” Jake’s voice reverberated through his gut. He sank in his teeth and Evan’s groan of pleasure joined his. “I can’t seem to keep my mouth off you.”
Evan concentrated on breathing and savoring the way Jake’s mouth cruised over his chest and belly, lapping up the water and making his blood hum with desire.
His lips stopped just shy of Evan’s belt. And then he moved away.
“Fuck.” Jake’s breathing was as labored as Evan’s, and that pleased Evan no end. “Okay, now take off your trousers. And the Jockeys. Everything.”
Although his desire screamed for him to rush, he forced himself to take his time. Because he sensed it would torture Jake and he savored that.