by E. Davies
No wonder Charlie wanted to capitalize on that view. It wasn't quite as good from the bottom of the hill, but it would be good enough once it was built up a few stories high.
“Oh, I didn't think you were going to pick up.” Of course it was Charlie.
“Tell me why I did,” Hunter challenged.
“Because I have a deal for you. You're smart. You know what it is.”
“I can't take it.” Hunter watched the sun sinking slowly across one side of the sky, his gaze falling to the dip in the hill where he knew the public footpath was located, next to his house. Not many people used that path and staircase, except residents who lived up here and went jogging in the park down there. It made for convenient access.
“Why? You want to fuck that little tree-hugger?” Charlie's voice was clipped, his breathing harsh. Was he working out? Probably running on his idiotic treadmill. It still wouldn't give him any muscle definition, but Charlie had always ignored Hunter when he said that. Charlie had told Hunter that he could run and think, but he couldn't do pushups and think.
Frankly, Hunter was surprised Charlie could walk and think.
“Does that upset you? I'm not surprised,” Hunter told him, his tone smug. Of course Charlie was still lusting after him. A lot of men did. It didn't hurt Hunter's ego to know it. “So jealous you're jacking off to my voice?”
Charlie snorted. “Don't flatter yourself. You wanna fuck him, go fuck him. I'll call you back after they accept your bid.”
“Why?”
“You'll take what I'm offering. You like to think you'll charm him into bed and into your life, but it won't last as long as you're dreaming about,” Charlie told him, his tone still flat and deliberately cruel. His breathing had evened out now. “He hates you. I saw it at the meeting.”
Hunter laughed. “Gee, you'll make a guy feel insecure.” He was joking, of course; Charlie couldn't get to him like that anymore.
“Not an asshole like you,” Charlie answered. In public, even around their own families, they were perfectly charming to one another. In private... neither of them held back on what they thought. “So?”
Hunter hummed for a moment. “Call me. I don't care.” He hung up, then pressed his phone to his forehead for a moment.
He was thinking with his dick, not his upstairs brain. He made a rule of never thinking with his downstairs brain when his long-term wealth and lifestyle management strategy got involved, but...
Logan was different.
Or, he could be different.
But they'd never talked yet. Not truly, not the kind of talk that made Hunter ask a guy out. Two half-hearted conversations where Logan had caught every ounce of his attention and made him sit up straight for the first time in years... they didn't count.
Maybe Charlie was right. Maybe he just wanted the pretty face for a night, wanted to hear him out for fun and so he'd know what to expect in case his bid won. It was a long shot, since he was pretty certain the council would take his bid over Logan's in a heartbeat... but it was a possibility.
He crashed on his couch and closed his eyes, resting his phone against his stomach and gazing across the spacious, yet empty room into the late afternoon sky.
When was the last time he'd invited someone here for more than a fuck?
Not since him.
Fuck him.
He closed his eyes to try to focus on Logan and what he was going to do. Hunter's influence, his ability to offer cash on closing, the appealing amount he'd bid that could swell their coffers impressively for one little land sale... Logan didn't stand a chance.
But that didn't mean Logan had to lose to him. There was a way for them both to win.
If it meant screwing Charlie over, so much the better.
Chapter 5
Logan
Logan dressed nicely again for his meeting, as uncomfortable as he felt in anything that wasn't jeans. He added a light jacket in case it grew chilly or rainy while they were talking about the property. Just before he headed out the door, he pocketed a few brochures with information on permaculture and natural dwelling construction for added clout, though he had the feeling Hunter already saw him as an expert in the field if he knew about Green Thumbs, Green Hearts.
The trick was going to be to convince Hunter that he should live on the land. The zoning bylaws didn't recognize the kind of home he wanted to build: a cob home, a sustainable and zero-impact residence that was off-the-grid. He planned to build first, ask questions later.
“Oh, come on,” he muttered to himself as he checked his watch, rocking back and forth on his heels and squinting down the street. The bus was late – again – and that meant he would be late if it didn't hurry up.
There were times he wished he had a car, but it was so much less practical than biking, bussing, and walking. In the city, he didn't have trouble getting anywhere. It would be a short five- or ten-minute walk from the bus stop down to the Halton property, since bus service didn't go into the rich neighborhood of Halton Heights or the park and undeveloped land beneath it. He didn't want to arrive all sweaty from biking for such an important meeting, or he would have done that instead.
Logan's tight, white t-shirt showed off his body, his arms tanned and muscled from working in the garden since before spring properly began. A dark pink, collared shirt billowed in the breeze, as he wore it unbuttoned to show his body off a little more. His trousers were sturdy, his brown shoes practical enough for the woods but not too casual.
“Finally,” he groaned when the bus rounded the corner, one less stress on his mind now.
The ride didn't take too long, even with him constantly checking his watch and the street signs. Within minutes, he was walking towards the staircase to take the shortcut down to the Halton property--
--and then he stopped. Something was catching his eye. A name plaque was set into the wall by the steel gates of the mansion that stood next to the footpath. In burnished copper letters, it read Kenning.
Shit.
Hunter lived right above the property he was trying to buy.
He strode quickly down the alley, past Hunter's side wall, and trotted down the staircase and over to the rough driveway – more of a clearing. He glanced around in case Hunter had arrived, then shook his head. Hunter wasn't even there, and it was five minutes after seven. He'd wait ten minutes before heading out again, but he should have known. He leaned heavily against the fence for a moment, closing his eyes. I don't even have a shot, do I? If he's trying to expand his property, I'm fucked. Royally fucked.
Just as Logan was about to leave, he heard a familiar voice.
“I didn't bring the chains, so I hope you did,” Hunter greeted at last from behind him. The handsome billionaire, dressed in slacks with a white collared shirt unbuttoned a bit more than was appropriate for a business meeting, walked down the steps to join him.
Logan's initial reaction was elation that he hadn't been stood up, followed shortly by annoyance. Hunter was rumpled and his shirt was untucked. Had he been--?
“What, no witty comeback?”
“You were late,” Logan told him, accusation slipping into his voice. “I'm sorry buying land isn't as important as, you know, fucking your pool boy or whatever you were up to--”
“Whoa,” Hunter laughed, and Logan instantly regretted the words. He rarely lost his temper – why now, of all times? Why did this man invoke such reactions in him? Shit, back up. “His name is Edward, by the way. Why? Are you jealous?” Hunter grinned.
“That would imply I care who you sleep with,” Logan shook his head. “I think the matter of this land is a touch more important.”
“What do you have to tell me about it?”
Logan drew a breath, trying to remember his speech he'd prepared for the moment, then gave up. “Well, it's clearly an important site to preserve. Along with the other land along this valley, it now houses a lot of the wildlife that have been driven down from Halton Heights. We're talking deer, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, an
d at least a dozen species of birds nesting in the woods. That's not even counting rare and uncommon plant life.”
“So, what will you do if I resell the land to you or let you use it?”
“I'd like to build myself a house on it.” At Hunter's raised eyebrows, Logan drew a brochure out of his pocket and handed it over. The front of the page had a photo of a straw and clay house that looked like a cute forest dwelling, set into a hill. “Not a mansion like I'm sure you've got. A small home based on sustainable design principles.”
Hunter took the paper and glanced it over. “So, you'd live here? This is tiny. What about services?”
“Zero-impact. It would have plumbing, but well water. I've gotten site surveys, and there's a good spot for a well. The area receives enough sunlight for solar power if I construct the roof right. See, east is that direction, and the trees are short enough,” he gestured, “that light will hit the property from dawn 'til dusk. It's set against the hill perfectly if my building site is where I want it to be. That means I won't need need to hook up to town electricity.”
“You've thought this through.”
“I bet my life savings on it,” Logan answered, meeting Hunter's eyes. Appeal to his heart, then his cock. “So, yes, I'm serious about it.”
Hunter rubbed his chin, glancing around the property. “I can understand you being annoyed, then. My apologies for arriving late.”
The unexpected apology made Logan smile slightly. “All right.” He hooked a thumb through his belt loop as he looked around the property, too.
“You're worried I won't want to fuck you if I was just in bed, aren't you?”
“I-- what?” Logan's hand dropped to his side from shock.
“You're not the first guy to try to get what he wants by seducing me,” Hunter told him. The handsome devil hooked a finger into the V of Logan's t-shirt, then pressed the palm of his hand to Logan's chest. “The first to try it in the woods, though. How rustic.”
Logan's cheeks flushed as his tactic was laid bare. “Well, why are you doing this, then?” he questioned hotly, his ire raising again. “Did you ever mean to give this property up? Or are you taking me for a ride?”
Hunter let his hand run slowly along Logan's chest to his shoulder. “Are you this mouthy in bed? I love a guy who doesn't know when to shut up.”
“Hunter,” Logan glared, but he tried not to imagine what circumstances Hunter meant. Like his body on a bed, Hunter over it, his mouth at work or his cock in him...
Oh, Jesus, don't get distracted.
Hunter grinned. “Our chemistry is good, and you know it. You're using that. You're trying to use me, and oddly enough, I don't mind.”
Logan shivered, not pushing away the hand yet. He took a half-step forward, meeting Hunter's gaze squarely. Hunter was shielding something by his insistence on coming across as a spoiled, entitled asshole. “Why me?”
Hunter knew what he meant. “You're attractive and you're smart – though I don't think I need to reassure you of that.”
“Attractive and smart guys are all around men like you,” Logan told him, his voice firm despite the hand that had wandered from Logan's upper chest to caressing his shoulder. Electric jolts were running through him. “I happen to be the one who wants to build his own house down the hill from yours. Doubling your property is damned attractive for you, and you'd have no hippies to put up with. So... why me?”
Hunter's lip quirked up into a half-smile. He cupped Logan's cheek for a moment in his warm, rough palm, then dropped his hand. “You're interesting.”
“Okay...” Logan frowned, disappointed by the sudden lack of contact. “You're not offended by me wanting to buy the land from you? Or my methods?”
Hunter shook his head. “I won't miss an acre or five of land. I don't need your money. I already own enough property. I do want to make sure that it goes to the right guy, and I want to preserve my view.”
Of course he owns enough property that he won't miss a bit more. I forget what it must be like to be rich. It would offend him to be offered the amount I can afford. Logan licked his lips. That left him with one good option.
“Well, we don't know who will win the bid yet, but I have a... suggestion,” Hunter followed up with, slipping a hand into his pocket.
“Oh?”
“Come to my house for a drink first. We have to wait to hear back from the committee anyway. Might as well wait it out together,” Hunter suggested.
“As long as you tell me what you're thinking once we get there.”
Hunter gazed at him and shook his head for a moment as if to admire Logan's tenacity. “Of course.”
Logan walked up the path towards the stairs. He led the way up the staircase, aware that Hunter had a great view. He took advantage of the fact that guys liked to ogle his body by climbing the stairs slowly.
What the hell was Hunter proposing? Splitting the land up? Selling it? What if he won? Logan abruptly realized that Hunter might want to buy it off him if he happened to win the bid. Oh, shit. This is a serious negotiation...
There was a side gate set into the wall about fifty feet from the stairs. “Take the shortcut,” Hunter said, overtaking him to enter a key code into the electronic security panel set into the wall.
The gate slid open and Logan walked through, falling back a little to let Hunter lead him through the lavish side yard. Gardens stretched along the wall, and he saw a pool in the back. There was a deck on the second floor of the house, and the path to the side door was neat and lined with flowerbeds on each side. Logan itched to replace those flowers with vegetables or useful herbs, at least. Flowers were such a waste of water. And all the lawn space... ugh.
Still, it was beautiful; the construction of glass and steel made him pause for a moment to admire it. At least it wasn't the kind of stuffy house he usually thought of as a mansion. It was architecturally innovative.
He removed his shoes when Hunter did by toeing them off once they were inside, then took a moment to look around. The hallway was ornate, just like the yard.
Hunter led him past a bathroom sized for royalty, and into a living room with furniture that would cost his take-home pay for a year. The plush red couch he sat on molded itself to his form immediately, and Logan gave a sigh of comfortable relief as he sank into it.
“Wine? Whisky? A cocktail?” Hunter inquired, padding across thick carpet to the liquor cabinet and nudging it open.
“Whatever you're having.”
“A whisky, then,” Hunter murmured, setting two glasses onto the marble countertop of the bar.
Logan took that moment to glance around at the living room and its stunning view across the yard and out to the ocean beyond. Wow. A set of chrome bookshelves split the room into dining room and living room, but it was still open and airy even in the early evening.
“To whichever of us wins this bid,” Hunter proposed a toast as he sat next to Logan – very close to him, in fact – on the couch, and offered him the glass.
“And both of us for bidding.” Logan's heart thumped with desire as his fingers brushed Hunter's. He clinked his glass against Hunter's and sipped, the burn invigorating him. He didn't want to admit that he didn't usually drink whisky, but he at least managed to avoid tearing up from the sudden sharpness of the alcohol burning his taste buds.
“So,” Hunter murmured, gazing at Logan as he drank and waiting for him to look up. “You wondered why I have taken an interest in this, aside from the obvious unsightliness of a condo unit being built in my backyard. Truth is, it's because of the developer.”
Logan didn't follow. “What about him?”
“He's my ex.”
Oh. Shit. Logan couldn't imagine the lifestyle they might have had together. The guy looked every bit as rich and spoiled as Hunter. “I see.” He didn't yet. Was this spite?
“He was the perfect match for me sexually, but now that we've broken up, he... has something to prove, I believe,” Hunter told him. “A lot of people who... submit a
nd admit to their desires inside relationships... have something to prove once they break up. He hates feeling weak because I had him over my knee once, even if nobody's ever called him that, and I've never told anyone about it who didn't need to know.”
Logan's heart raced. If he believed Hunter, Hunter was already showing trust. “Why do I need to know, then? Why tell me?”
“You're not going to use it against him,” Hunter said calmly, nosing his glass as he watched Logan. He raised his head again to add, “And I wanted you to know what I'm into... when I'm in a relationship, of course.” He downed a sip of whisky.
“You talk like you're always spanking guys in celebrity parties, but I've never heard of the kinky billionaire in headlines,” Logan told him, half-smiling.
Hunter chuckled. “It's not a professional thing for me. Not a strict dom/sub relationship. Not a... lifestyle.”
“Ah.”
“My desires are a hobby that I pursue with boyfriends. It's intimate for me, which is why I told you I only do it in relationships. Not one-night-stands.”
“Why not?” Logan wished he weren't asking all of these questions out of a genuine eagerness to learn the answers.
Hunter hummed. “Don't you find it more intimate with someone you know better?”
“Too much work,” Logan told him simply. “I don't want romance, I want to--” Hardly appropriate.
“Go on,” Hunter encouraged, his tone softer and more meaningful. He drained the rest of his whisky, and then set aside his glass, running a hand up Logan's arm.
Logan could hardly focus as the fingers trailed up along his biceps until they brushed his neck. “I want to feel good tonight, not worry about mortgage payments in five years.” Every hair was standing on end, his body electrically charged with the desire he so tried to ignore.
“Romance isn't all long-term planning,” Hunter chuckled quietly. “I think you'll find it can be interesting with the right person. Obviously not someone who you despise for deep-seated moral reasons...”