by Jaime Reese
“That was a really nice thing you did,” Vann said. “Li’s still in shock.”
Drayton signed the last of the contracts and closed the file. “It was something she created on her own initiative. I wasn’t going to take that from her.” Screw traditional employment policies. Li had created the hologram system and re-engineered the prototype process to streamline things. This was her creation, birthed from her mind. And Drayton was going to make sure she retained the rights to it.
Vann walked over to him, resting his hip on the edge of Drayton’s desk. “Most companies would have taken it because she’s an employee. But you footed the bill for all the expenses and got everything going for the patent filing in her name. She’s bragging to everyone who’ll listen. Telling them how amazing you are.”
He bit his lip to hide a smile. It was nice getting to know the team personally, and finally seeing how their employment file translated into the traits of the real person.
“She even got a call from an airplane engineering company. They wanted to hire her.”
That got his attention. His jaw locked, biting back the tension starting to spike in his body. “Did she say what they offered her?”
Vann raised a stopping hand. “Don’t worry. She said she wouldn’t leave us. But she would license the use of the technology for a fee if that’s what they really wanted.” Vann cocked his head. “I had a feeling she was channeling you. She started talking numbers and terms and lost me along the way.”
Drayton stacked the folders, tapping them on the desk to square them off, and set them aside. He had suggested a business plan with a licensing model she could use to allow others to use the technology for a fee. In the end, with a conservative number of licensing agreements from different industries, she could supplement her regular salary with fees totaling mid six figures.
“I have Detective Calloway here to see you,” Mia said through the speakerphone.
“Send him in,” Drayton said. He looked to Vann and chuckled just as Aidan pushed through the door holding a file in his hand. He didn’t think Vann would ever recover from their last encounter in this office.
“Hey, guys,” Aidan said, approaching them, not waiting for a response. “Here’s the info you asked me to look into.”
Drayton took the file and skimmed through each page.
“What’s going on?” Vann asked, with a slight hint of worry in his tone.
“I asked Aidan to find Ben’s sister.”
Vann’s focus snapped to the detective. “Did…you?”
“Find her? Yes.” A slow twisted grin curled Aidan’s lips. “Don’t worry. She’s a really nice person. She’s alive and kicking.”
“So you met her?” Drayton asked. He hadn’t expected Aidan to do that. All he had asked was to find her.
“I wanted to make sure she was good people. She was looking for him but couldn’t get any info from the state since the records were sealed. She’s anxious to see him again but I told her that was up to Ben. Her number’s in the file. I figured you guys would want to break the news to him.”
“Wow. That was…nice,” Vann said.
Aidan raised an eyebrow. “Hey. I can do nice.” He leaned in closer to Vann. “If I try really, really hard.”
Drayton chuckled. “Thanks, Aidan.”
“No problem.” Aidan looked down at his phone when it chirped. “I’ve got to go. If you have any questions about anything that’s in there, just give me a call.”
They quickly said a goodbye as he left the office.
“Let’s go. It’s time to do the social rounds.”
Drayton sighed, steeling himself. Every day, Vann would pull him away from the office and introduce him to a new department within the company. It was great to finally match the real person to the name, but he still hesitated. After a lifetime of feeling like an outsider, it was a little tough adjusting to chitchat type conversations with people who were initially intimidated by him.
“C’mon. Don’t freak out. We’ve been doing this for a few weeks. You should be getting used to this by now.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to this. But I’m trying.” He glanced up at Vann, fighting the anxiousness bubbling in his belly.
“It’ll be fine. First, we’re going to stop by the mailroom. I can’t wait to tell Ben about his sister. Then we’re going to go by Connor’s division today. So that should be easier since you’ve already met them. I need to check if he needs anything else from me for his presentation.”
He nodded. “He also mentioned wanting to gauge interest and securing a few orders before the reveal. So I need to make sure he has the latest specs on the motor. I also want to ask Rachel if her husband made it through the surgery.”
Vann’s eyes rounded. “Don’t…ask her like that.”
He had already learned how blunt questions didn’t often sit well with people. He certainly didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. “I know. You taught me well.” He slid his hand up Vann’s thigh as his focus trailed up to the stretched sleeves on Vann’s crossed arms. The man was all tight muscle and oozed sex with each casual flex.
“Stop looking at me like that,” Vann said, his voice hoarse.
“Like what?”
Vann slowly raised an eyebrow. “Like you want to grab me and throw me over your desk and fuck my brains out.”
Drayton dug his fingers in Vann’s muscled thigh. “You always said I was transparent.”
“You’re not making it easy for me to walk out that door.” Vann stood from his perch and narrowed his eyes.
Drayton casually leaned back in his chair. He might not be the best at figuring out other people, but he certainly knew how to read that heated look in those amber eyes. “And why would I want to make that easy for you?”
Vann groaned. “Stop distracting me. We’re doing this and we’ve both got business we need to discuss with Connor before the reveal if we’re going to stay on schedule. So get your ass up out of that chair.”
He slowly stood in front of Vann. “Anything else you’d like me to do?” His mouth twitched, fighting a grin.
Vann jabbed his finger into Drayton’s chest. “You’re a tease.” He recrossed his arms and pouted. “I’m trying to work and get all this stuff wrapped up before we go out of town in a week and all you want to do is play. Who’s the bad influence now?”
“Fine.” Drayton grabbed the stack of folders from his desk. “We’ll do the social thing but you owe me a blow job when we get home.”
Vann chuckled, flattening a palm against his chest, mocking a dramatic tone. “Such a sacrifice.”
∞ ♥ ∞
Vann shifted in bed again, snuggling closer to Drayton, enjoying his almost-quiet, soothing snore. He couldn’t sleep, thinking about the events that would follow in the next few days. He had never flown or stayed in a fancy hotel, both new experiences he would share with Drayton on their way to the convention center tomorrow. Once they arrived on site, they had to hit the ground running to have everything in place before the reveal later on that week.
He wanted everything to be perfect. He needed everything to be perfect.
He rested his cheek against the back of Drayton’s head, shutting his eyes and thinking about how much his life had changed.
All because of the man in his arms.
This man had given him a second chance at life. He’d given him endless love and support. He’d taught him how to dream.
And dream big.
He had given him holidays filled with all the customary fanfare and chaos, and they’d created a few new Shaw traditions for the holidays as well. For them, standing under the mistletoe meant a blow job. He smiled thinking back on the holidays and how Dray had hung dozens of mistletoe branches throughout the entire penthouse. Not an inch of their home had been spared. The man’s obsession with blow jobs was undeniable.
And Vann certainly hadn’t complained.
He tightened his arms around Drayton and snuggled closer.
There were so many things he was thankful for and had received from Drayton, but there was one gift he thought he’d never have again, one he’d cherish until his last waking breath.
Hope.
The one thing Vann had lost before ever walking into their secret spot on the day they’d met. He had almost given up on humanity until that day when Drayton had planted a seed of hope in his barren, empty soul and showed him there was more in this world than hate, pain, and resentment.
He’d never tell Drayton the truth. But his Dray resided on a virtual pedestal, to be admired and appreciated. There was something about him, an alluring air that sparked and crackled around him that drew Vann in, but so few took the time to see.
Those people had no idea. They couldn’t see the fire that glowed around him. But Vann did. He always had. He had a knack for finding Drayton in a room as if he were the only source of light in a pitch-black space, regardless of how he tried to disguise his presence. He would get this odd tickle on the back of his neck, alerting him to turn a certain direction. And when he did, there would be Drayton, pushing up his glasses with his nose buried in some book or science magazine.
That day they’d met, fear had driven Vann to follow those bullies. He couldn’t risk something happening to extinguish Drayton’s fire, and he knew those jerks were monsters in their own way.
He still remembered the look in Drayton’s eyes when he’d appeared. Something had sparked between them, as if a lick of Drayton’s flame had reached out to Vann and pulled him close, granting him exclusive access through a secret gate.
That fire still burned between them after all these years. And he’d do everything in his power to always make sure Drayton’s fire burned mightier than the sun.
Vann pressed a kiss to Drayton’s shoulder and nudged his body forward. “Dray?”
“Hmm,” Drayton mumbled, sleep thick in his tone.
“Turn around.”
Drayton immediately shifted on the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “What time is it?”
“It’s still really early.” He pressed a tender kiss to Drayton’s lips and rested his head on Drayton’s chest. He draped his arm and leg across Drayton, caging him.
Drayton chuckled and rubbed his fingertips along Vann’s arm. “Don’t tease me later about my snoring if I fall asleep like this.”
Vann closed his eyes, reveling in the comfort of Drayton’s presence. “Oh, c’mon. You know I will.” He held him tight, absorbing the warmth from Drayton’s body.
He took a deep breath, feeling the tiredness begin to weigh on him. He nestled into the embrace and finally let sleep pull him into the darkness, grinning at the peaceful sound of Drayton’s snore echoing against his ear.
Vann peeked out from behind the curtain, in awe at the sea of people hanging on the words of each of the speakers as they took center stage. The lights flashed as another car manufacturer introduced their new model, one they hoped would become their brand’s new flagship car. The circle of flickering lights timed with the video and audio playing on the large screen set the mood as smoke rose from the platform edges and the car rolled on stage to make its grand appearance.
These people were fricken geniuses at how they presented their models. One brought a herd of cattle to introduce their new pickup trucks while another showcased their new models with dancing crews jumping across the stage. The crowd applauded with each reveal and cameras flashed.
He sighed.
He didn’t know shit about this part or what was involved. He had worked tirelessly with the team on the line while Drayton worked on the development and business end of things. But they had both entrusted Connor with overseeing the marketing and sales of the new line.
“What are you worried about?” Drayton asked, sidling up next to him to watch the crowd.
Vann pressed his hand against his forehead and kneaded away the building tension, trying to stave off the start of a headache. “Dray…a lot’s riding on this. What if it’s not good? What happens to the company?”
Drayton pulled away Vann’s hand. “Nothing. It continues to run the way it has for the last year.”
“Give me a worst-case scenario. I mean…what if we don’t sell anything? What if people think it sucks and we don’t hit the numbers?” He stopped when Drayton planted a quieting kiss on his lips.
“How many do you think we need to sell?”
Vann gripped the back of his own neck and blew out a heavy breath. “Fuck if I know. Numbers are your thing. What…like…a hundred thousand?”
Drayton chuckled. “Now you’re just making up stuff as you go along.”
“Dray, c’mon. Be serious.” Vann harshly rubbed his eyes. “Bottom line it for me.”
“We’ve already secured enough orders to break even. So stop stressing.”
“But…” Vann stilled. “We haven’t even revealed the line. How…”
A huge grin spread across Drayton’s face. “This is the part where Connor and the sales and marketing team work their magic. He’s already strategically leaked a few motor specs to the media to tease buyers who have been waiting for the new version. He said he thought it would ease everyone’s stress if he could gauge interest. He gave me an update a few minutes ago and that’s why I came over to find you. It’s far better than his projections, so we’ll be fine.”
Vann exhaled a relieved breath. At least, if the models royally sucked, he wouldn’t cause the company to nose dive. While that did ease some of his stress, a cloud of doubt still hovered in his mind.
“This…” He peeked back out from behind the curtain. “This is bigger than us. Everyone worked so hard.” He pushed back against the wall. His heart was pounding so damn fast he thought his chest was going to crack open. “Shit.”
Drayton pursed his lips and repeatedly nodded as if mulling over a thought in his mind. He bit his lower lip as his eyes scanned Vann from head to toe and back again.
“Are you seriously checking me out in the middle of my freak-out?”
“I can’t help it. You’re hot in that all-black look.”
Under any other set of circumstances, he’d jump Drayton right then and there. Instead, he ran his palms against his thighs. He was too damn edgy and wanted to make a great impression. He didn’t even know what the hell he was supposed to wear to an event like this, and wearing a suit would just compound his anxiety and make him sweat more than a cow at a butcher’s convention. Thankfully, Mia had a hell of a lot more style than he did and had chosen black slacks and a fitted black dress shirt he could “stylishly roll up to his elbows.” Drayton, on the other hand, looked sharp as hell in his dark blue suit and pale gray tie that seemed to match his eyes.
“Dray…I’m…” He exhaled a shaky breath. The pounding in his chest was starting to pain him. This was important to the company, to Drayton, and the team. But in the back of his mind, this was about him finally figuring out who he was and what he was capable of doing when not held back and showcasing that to the world for them to judge.
Drayton reached out and gently held his face, brushing his thumb along Vann’s cheek. “You and the team have poured your heart and soul into this and that will show. Trust me.” He leaned in and pressed a comforting kiss to Vann’s lips.
Vann tightened his grip on Drayton’s forearms. “I should probably have a better idea of what the hell Connor planned for the presentation. Dammit.”
“It’ll be fine. He did the presentation for the launch of the company. He knows what he’s doing. After the reveal, we’ve got a press conference, which shouldn’t take long. Then we can veg out in the room we’ve booked for the weekend. We just need to get through the next couple of hours.”
Vann swallowed heavily. “Press…conference?”
Drayton pressed a chaste kiss to Vann’s lips before releasing him. “Connor will be there to control the questions so they stay on point, but we’ll be there to discuss the models and technology.”
He bobbed his head, trying not to let the
worry overpower the range of emotions ebbing and flowing in his system. He would worry about the press conference later. He could only focus on one stressor at a time.
“Want to hear something that might put a smile on your face?”
“Anything. Please.”
“Taylor’s…thrilled.” Drayton crinkled his nose. “Actually, I don’t think that sums up the right feeling. But his face is hurting from all the smiling and he’s a little hoarse from all the yelling.”
Vann straightened. That got his attention. “What happened?”
“Sean lost his job and his now former employer is suing him as well. They didn’t know he had designed those sketches while employed with us.” Drayton craned his neck, sneaking a peek into the crowd as he spoke. “Taylor received a formal letter from the company. They’re worried about the bad publicity if we keep pursuing this so they’re pulling the line and want to reach some sort of settlement.”
“Sean screwed over two employers. I can’t imagine anyone would hire him after all this.” Talk about creating a “challenging environment” for himself.
“I think that’s the part Taylor’s excited about most. Even Mia’s…happy. She did this weird possessed cackle sound. She swore it was a laugh, but I didn’t think a sound like that could come from her.”
He hid a smile. He wouldn’t deny that sweetened the victory and eased some of the tension of the moment. Now he just needed to get through this presentation.
With each minute that passed, Vann’s stress level rose, watching as each automobile manufacturer unveiled their new models. The theatrics, the light shows, the music…each one grander than the one before.
His stomach churned. He glanced over to Drayton, standing stoic at his side, his eyes scanning every detail of the competitors’ presentations. Right now, all Vann could focus on was the announcer introducing the next speaker and paying special attention to each of the model specs and how they compared to the new models they were revealing today.