A Walk Through Fire

by Felice Stevens

  Drew faced his friend and saw actual fear in Jordan’s eyes. “Because, and don’t get mad at me, for a few seconds earlier when we were talking about Ash getting the blowjob, you got a look on your face, like, I don’t know.” Drew froze and continued to listen. “It looked like you were imagining what it might be like.”

  His face flamed, and denial sprang to his lips. “Come on, you guys, that’s ridiculous. Peter Dent is my friend and Ash’s as well. He’s also going to be there, so there’s nothing for you to worry about.” Silence reigned for a few moments.

  “Okay, look. If you don’t have any plans, why don’t you come to dinner tomorrow night too? That way you can see how wrong you are about everything.”

  Jordan agreed and with that, his friends relaxed, but Drew’s mind continued to whirl. Jordan’s comment had hit too close to home; Drew had been imagining Asher Davis having sex. He’d better learn to hide his thoughts from everyone.

  Chapter Three

  “Christ, Asher, what’s your problem?” Peter tossed his car keys to the valet outside the restaurant. “Slow down and relax.”

  Ash flipped his friend off and strode into the bar, his eyes adjusting to the dimness. A smile teased his lips, but quickly faded. “Ouch.” He rubbed his side where Peter had poked him from behind. “What’s wrong with you?”

  With a surprisingly firm hand and an equally surprising stern face, Peter pushed him into a chair at a nearby table in the front lounge. “Now listen to me. I know you better than anyone, and that’s still not a whole lot. But you like to play games—you chew guys up and spit them out once you’ve had your fun.”

  “Hey, thanks for the high opinion, friend,” Ash protested, albeit not that strongly. It wouldn’t be the first time Peter had called him out on his bullshit. And he happened to be right.

  “Shut up and listen, Ash. Drew’s a friend, and he’s been fucked over badly. He’s at his most vulnerable right now, and I won’t allow you to do to him whatever’s in that sex-crazed mind of yours.”

  Peter’s uncharacteristically harsh tone and expression outraged Ash. “Who the fuck are you?” Furious, he spat out his words in angry bullets. “What the hell are you thinking talking to me this way? You ask me to do a favor, and here I am. Other than that, you don’t run my fucking life, so back off.” Unwilling to meet Peter’s eyes, Ash stared at the door, knowing deep down his friend was right.

  After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Ash raked his hand through his hair and faced Peter with a sheepish grin. “Okay, look, even if I was maybe thinking of something like that, out of deference to you, I’ll pull back.” He didn’t mind conceding the argument to Peter; Ash knew he could find an easy lay anywhere in the city. He couldn’t find another friend like Peter, and it wasn’t worth risking their friendship. Besides, Klein most likely was a boring straight guy who wouldn’t think of stepping outside his comfort zone.

  Vanilla. And vanilla was his least favorite flavor, unless some interesting special mix-ins were added to spice it up.

  Peter grinned, his good humor restored. “I’m glad I can count on you. Ah, there he is.” He waved at the man standing by the entrance to the room, searching the crowd.

  Ash paid little attention to Peter as he focused on the lean form of Dr. Klein crossing the room. If Ash thought Drew good-looking when they first met, tonight he was nothing short of mouthwatering. Seeing Drew Klein in a green shirt that brought out the glow in his eyes and tailored black trousers that hugged a fine-looking tight ass, Ash couldn’t hold back his admiration. “Damn.”

  Peter squeezed his shoulder hard and shot him a warning glare. “Behave.” He left to meet Klein halfway. When Ash saw who was with him, both his grin and good thoughts fled. Shit. Jordan Peterson. Ash remembered the handsome man from their first meeting years earlier. Peterson had been a medical resident; Ash had been working a malpractice case and sat in on the depositions, assisting Mr. Frank. He’d been instantly attracted to the self-assured blond-haired, blue-eyed doctor giving his testimony, and tried everything he could to get the man in his bed, but got rebuffed at each turn. It was the first time he could remember not being able to seduce the man he wanted.

  As he watched the three men, he recalled that not only had Dr. Peterson not reciprocated, he’d made it a point to tell Ash how he felt about him.

  “You’re a player, Davis. I spotted you a mile away. I’m not interested in a quick fuck, and I’m not easy. I value myself too much.”

  Ash rubbed his chin, that conversation still rankling after so many years. So this was one of Klein’s friends who’d be working with him on the project. Interesting. He wondered if the sanctimonious doctor would even remember him. As they approached him, he stood, an easygoing smile on his face, never alerting anyone to the turmoil of his inner thoughts.

  “Dr. Klein, good to see you again outside the confines of the conference room.”

  “Yes, I’m glad to have put that behind me and don’t hold any grudges against you, Davis. You were doing what you were paid to do.” He turned to his friend. “I’d like to introduce you to one of my best friends, Dr. Jordan Peterson, who’ll also be working with us on the clinic project.”

  The obvious look of distaste on Peterson’s handsome face left no doubt in Ash’s mind that the good doctor remembered him all too well. “Dr. Peterson.”

  “Davis. It’s been years, hasn’t it?” Their gazes met, and Ash couldn’t tell what the man had going on behind his sneer. Had he mentioned their brief acquaintance to Klein? Did he tell Klein how Ash tried to seduce him?

  Why the fuck did Ash even care?

  Before he could answer, the hostess came to seat them and they followed her into the dining area of the restaurant, where they were shown to a round table in the corner.

  Once they all took their menus, Ash, brushing aside his annoyance, plastered a wide smile on his face. “It has been quite a few years, yes. Good to see you.”

  “I was surprised to hear you were involved with this project. Didn’t really seem like your speed.”

  He caught the warning look that passed between the two men, and yep, Peterson had spoken to Klein about him and that pissed him off.

  “Peterson, you know nothing about me and let’s keep it that way. Suffice it to say I have my own reasons and motivation for becoming involved here, and I don’t owe any explanation to you. If you have a problem with me working at the clinic, that’s too fucking bad. Get over it. I’m not pulling out because you’re carrying a years-old grudge.” He called the waiter over and ordered a vodka on the rocks. Ordinarily he would flirt with the handsome, slim-hipped young man, but he was too pissed at the moment. “Now, are we ready to talk business or is everyone at this table going to continue to obsess about my sex life?”

  Peter laughed out loud, Peterson rolled his eyes, and Klein merely looked confused for a moment before giving the blushing waiter his drink order. They sat in uncomfortable silence until their drinks arrived.

  Klein took a sip of his beer and then pulled some papers out of the thin leather portfolio he’d laid on the table. “So here is my vision. Obviously I’m not up on the legal ramifications, so that’s what you and Davis are here for, Peter.” He passed out several typed sheets of paper for them to look over. “We need to make sure we have all the legalities in place, as well as having you both on board to help these kids in case they want to press charges for abuse, discrimination, or sexual harassment.”

  Ash studied the papers. It looked like a solid proposal—one that had taken a tremendous amount of thought. If only he, Luke, and Brandon had someone who cared, and a place to run to when it all turned to shit.

  Taking another gulp of his drink, he waited for the burning in his chest to subside before he continued. “Can I ask why you’re doing this? I mean, you’re a successful plastic surgeon who could make tons of money doing face-lifts and boob jobs. What made you want to help these kids?” Genuinely curious, he wanted to know why someone like Dr. Klein—young, obvi
ously wealthy, and seemingly untouched by any of the ugliness the world had to offer—cared about the unwanted kids society had no trouble throwing in the trash heap.

  “Because everyone matters, that’s why. And everyone’s life should have some kind of meaning; otherwise what’s the point in getting up in the morning? When my parents were killed, I didn’t want to live, but after a while I realized I was only punishing myself.” Klein rubbed his thumb over the rim of his glass, and Ash couldn’t take his eyes off that sensuous stroking motion. “They would have been horrified if I gave up my life to mourn their deaths. I was lucky enough to have my grandmother to look after both my sister and myself. These kids have no one to make sure they get up in the morning and have something to look forward to.”

  Ash’s gaze remained transfixed on Klein’s long fingers as they gripped the glass and brought it to his lips. Yeah, these kids were lucky to have someone, even a stranger, care about them. Most of them didn’t have that reason to want to get up in the morning.

  As he cleared his throat, Peterson’s harsh voice broke Ash’s internal musing. “Can you make time in your schedule, Davis, or is this going to cut into your busy social life? We need people who are dedicated to these kids and willing to give of their time. Peter’s generously giving us legal advice, but he also said you have knowledge of family court and the intricacies of the system?” He cocked a blond brow as if challenging that statement.

  “I do, yes.” Without any need to further that conversation, he turned his attention back to Klein. “Dr. Klein, I commend you on this project. I’m more than willing to help in any way possible. Have you thought about setting up a help line for the kids to call? Sometimes knowing there’s a person who cares, even if it’s an anonymous person on the other side of the telephone might be the lifeline they need.”

  “Please call me Drew. And yes. My sister is finishing up her PhD in child psychology and has arranged for volunteers to man phones on a twenty-four-hour basis. She’s trying to get it hooked into the school’s counseling system for us.” He scribbled down some notes, then smiled at Ash. “That was a great question, Davis.”

  “If I’m calling you Drew, then call me Ash, please.” He smiled back at the man, ignoring the disgusted “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me” from Peterson. “Where’s the clinic going to be located? I’m not familiar with Brooklyn.”

  “It’s in Red Hook. A family court operates nearby so we can work with the kids who come through the system there. The construction on the clinic is scheduled for completion very soon. We’ll have two examining rooms, an outpatient operating facility for simple procedures, and a room set aside for counseling. Our other friend, Mike, is a dentist, and he’ll have a mobile dental van set up to take care of any oral problems that may present.”

  Ash knew only too well how teeth could be loosened or knocked out and jaws broken. Not to mention the infections and other diseases the kids might pick up from lack of oral hygiene or other, more troubling situations. His hand tightened on his glass as unbidden memories, ones he thought he’d managed to bury, stormed to the surface. A wave of dizziness and nausea hit him, and his vision wavered.

  Shit.

  “You all right?” Peter murmured in his ear. “Maybe you want to take a minute.”

  Sweat beaded on his brow. “Yeah.” He managed to grit that one word out as he stood and pushed his chair back. Without any explanation, Ash fled to the back, managing to lock himself into a stall before he further humiliated himself in public. He slid down to the floor, heedless of the fact that it was a bathroom, and pressed his head against the coolness of the tile wall.

  After several moments the nausea and trembling passed; he wiped his face with some tissue and stood on shaking knees. It had been months since he’d experienced panic such as this. Mortified at what the others at the table must think of him, he unlocked the stall door and came face-to-face with Peter.

  “Better now?” Peter handed him a bottle of cold water, which he gratefully accepted. After drinking down half of it, Ash placed it on the shelf and braced his hands on the sink.

  “Yeah. Thanks.” He closed his eyes for a moment, then met Peter’s somber reflection in the mirror. “What are they saying out there? You can tell me.” His bitter laugh rang loud within the confines of the small restroom. “I’m sure Peterson’s having a field day bashing me.”

  Peter looked uncomfortable. “He isn’t your biggest fan, but I don’t think Drew is paying him too much attention. I suggest you go back and pretend like nothing happened.”

  After another drink of water and a few deep breaths, Ash felt steady enough to return. He squeezed Peter’s shoulder. “Thanks. At least I know I have one friend.”

  “Always, man.”

  After they returned to the table, Drew simply handed him a fresh drink and picked up the conversation as if it was perfectly natural for a man to break out in a sweat and bolt from the table, only to reappear after several minutes with no explanation.

  “I took the liberty of ordering some food.” Drew handed him a menu, meeting his eyes over the top of the heavy booklet. “We haven’t ordered our main courses yet.”

  No damage done, and with confidence running warm through his blood once again, Ash resorted once more to his cocky, self-assured persona. “Thanks, Drew. Guess I forgot to eat lunch today, and it all got to me suddenly.”

  “No worries. Happens to all of us.”

  The same cute waiter returned with the appetizers previously ordered, and Ash’s interest perked up for more than the food. When it was Ash’s turn to order dinner, he chose the house chili, extra spicy. The waiter’s eyes widened.

  “Ah, sir, just to let you know, our chef already makes his chili quite hot.”

  Ash chuckled and winked at the waiter, bringing a blush to his fair cheeks. How adorable. A ripple of lust flowed through Ash. “I like things extra hot and spicy.” He licked his lips and watched the eyes of the man widen, then grow dark with unmistakable desire. Perfect. His evening entertainment was now guaranteed. “Thank you for your concern, however.”

  When it came time for the waiter to take his menu, Ash made sure to brush his fingers over the waiter’s hand and watched him bite his lip, imagining that full mouth wrapped around his cock. If he had anything to say about it, he wouldn’t be leaving the restaurant until he paid the waiter a personal visit to show him appreciation for a job well done.

  Dinner progressed without further incident, and Ash remained impressed with how quickly Drew had set up the clinic. Peterson continued to be a thorn in his side making snide comments or simply shooting him glowering looks, all of which Ash ignored completely.

  Before he knew it, it was past midnight and the restaurant had emptied out. Peter had made his farewells about an hour earlier, needing to get home to his wife and kids. Ash caught the eyes of the sweet-faced waiter, hovering near the bar, and grinned to himself.

  Showtime.

  “Well, gentlemen, it’s been fun, and I look forward to working with you both and meeting your other friend.” He shook their hands. “I’d better get going as I have an early morning client.”

  Peterson nodded, distracted by a text he was responding to, while Drew shook his hand. Once again, Ash enjoyed the strength and warmth of the man’s hand in his, but he’d moved on to his planned rendezvous with the adorable waiter, who’d given him a signal with his pretty eyes to follow him down the darkened hallway leading to the restrooms. “Good night, Drew. Talk to you soon.”

  He pushed open the swinging doors, then walked down the dimly lit corridor. Upon turning the corner, he spied the young man. “Why, hello there. Waiting for me?” In two long strides, Ash pinned him against the wall, loving the feel of the man’s slim body curving to fit his. The soft exhalation of breath in his ear stoked his fire.

  “Yes. I don’t even know your name, though.”

  Ash clasped the waiter around the waist, listening to his groan of desire. Their erections rubbed through their pant
s as Ash rocked his hips. The waiter tried to kiss Ash on the lips.

  “You don’t need to know anything except how to unzip my pants and suck me.” Ash pulled away, placing his hands hard on the man’s shoulders. He never kissed anyone. Ever. “Are you up for that?” Trading places with the waiter, Ash flattened out against the wall and pulled the young man close, rolling his hips again. The waiter’s eyes glazed over with undisguised lust and his hands reached for Ash’s pants.

  “Oh God, yeah.”

  With shaking fingers, the waiter undid Ash’s belt, popped open the pants button and pulled down his fly. His erection tented his boxers out, hard and hot.

  “This is what you kiss. Not my mouth. This.” He palmed his cock and stroked it as his pants sagged to his ankles. Ash leaned against the wall, legs spread, and waited.

  The waiter sank to the floor before him and with impatient, fumbling fingers, pulled down Ash’s boxers. The rush of heat, the fact that they were out in the open only added to the excitement and spurred Ash on. The man had zero gag reflex and he swallowed Ash’s cock to the root.

  Shit. Nothing felt as good as someone’s mouth on him. Ash leaned his head against the wall, hips pumping as the eager mouth swirled, licked, and sucked at him like he was a fucking ice-cream cone. Gasping for air, he clutched the man’s hair. “Fuuuck me, man. You were made for this.”

  Too long, too long. Ash couldn’t remember the last time he’d had sex, with all the work he’d piled on. But now, with the wet warmth of a talented mouth on his cock, he wondered how he’d ever lived without it. He fucked the waiter’s mouth harder. “Oh God, yes, that’s it.” The words of encouragement were a precursor to one hell of an orgasm he sensed building within his body. “Right there, don’t stop.” Fascinated, he watched his dick slide in and out of the waiter’s mouth.

  The man on his knees before him moaned as he sucked Ash deeper while stroking his own cock. Within moments, Ash knew he was there, coming with a blinding intensity that had him stifling his own shout of ecstasy by shoving his fist in his mouth. Shuddering with the aftereffects, he pulsed a few more times before slipping out of the man’s mouth. The waiter stiffened, then groaned, coming in spurts on the floor in front of Ash, narrowly missing his shoes.