by Hayes, Lane
“That works both ways.”
Eric let out a dramatic sigh and inclined his head in reluctant agreement. “We won’t sign anything we don’t both agree on, okay? Don’t be paranoid, Nick. Just concentrate on your part, and I’ll do mine.”
“Fine.”
“Fine,” he countered with a smile. “On a brighter note, you look good. When are we going to meet your boyfriend?”
“He’s not my boyfriend. We’re friends…with benefits.”
“Like we were?”
That stopped me. Eric didn’t sound hurt necessarily. More like wistful. “No. This is different. He’s older, a little wiser and—”
“And he doesn’t put up with your bullshit. He sounds perfect.”
I snorted in response. “Don’t get too excited and try marrying me off. It’s good the way it is.”
“I’m glad. I—” Eric paused at the soft knock on his door.
Miles sashayed into the room carrying a tray laden with coffee mugs, a carafe, and croissants. When Miles didn’t leave right away, I shot a suspicious look between my partner and his secretary. This was beginning to feel like an intervention. I’d been on the receiving end of too many of these pep talks to not notice the signs of one of Eric’s couch-talk therapist sessions. If I didn’t get the hell out soon, he’d start asking me about my feelings.
“Nick, you’re looking handsome as ever. Is that a new tie?” Miles gushed as he handed me a coffee mug.
“Uh…” I glanced down at my chest on cue. “I don’t think so. Is yours?”
Miles was wearing a Deadpool tie with some nasty script along the side. In typical Miles fashion, it was discreet enough that most people wouldn’t catch it unless they were inappropriately close or knew he had a thing for porny accoutrement.
“Yes, it was a Christmas gift. You like?” Miles pulled the garment flat for me to read the verbiage.
“ ‘Lick it then stick it.’ Nice. Is that from your boyfriend?” I asked conversationally before taking a sip of coffee.
“Yes. He’s such a romantic. What did yours get you?”
“Ah…so you have been talking about me.” I narrowed my gaze at Eric who shrugged in response and grinned.
“Of course,” Miles said, handing me a napkin. “I asked Barb why you were walking around with a dopey smile on your face. She didn’t know.” He huffed indignantly before continuing. “Months ago, I thought it might be the sexy Irishman, but he’s a pest around here now and if you were seeing him, we’d all know about it. Or hear it through the conference room walls,” he remarked with a lecherous sideways glance.
“Until a few minutes ago, I didn’t even know Finn was spending so much time here,” I said, glaring at Eric before glancing back at Miles. “We haven’t been blowing each other in the copy room. Sorry to disappoint.”
“I’ll get over it. His boyfriend wouldn’t approve anyway. So, tell me. What’s his name?”
“Who?” I blinked in an effort to keep up with all the little details he was throwing at me.
“Your boyfriend?”
“He’s not my—Wes, but…back up a sec—who’s Finn’s boyfriend?”
“No idea. They might not be boyfriends, but he was chummy with a cute boy with curly brown hair who literally clung to his arm and fluttered his lashes like he thought Finn was a god last weekend at the farmer’s market.”
I huffed derisively. “That definitely wouldn’t be me. And why on earth would you think I’d have anything to do with Finn in the first place?”
Sunlight streamed through the windows, bathing Miles in a halo of golden light that brought out the red in his auburn hair. He cocked his head curiously, obviously unimpressed by my serious expression.
“Oh, come now. He’s hot. I’d have everything to do with him!” He winked before adding, “If I was single of course. But that man is on a short leash, and between Norm and his boy toy, I doubt he gets out of bed much.”
Eric and I gaped at Miles in stunned disbelief.
“What are you saying? You think Finn and Norm are lovers too? No way! No chance!”
“He’s a married man. With grown kids. Norm isn’t messing around with Finn,” Eric stated firmly.
“I’ve been suspicious for a month, and though it’s really just a strong hunch, I think I’m on to something. It’s subtle. They stand too close, and their fingers touch every once in a while. Little things straight men never do,” Miles assured us as though he knew anything about straight guys. “I’ll bet twenty bucks I’m right. My phone’s ringing. I’ll be back to pick up the tray in a few. Ta!”
Eric and I stared at the closed door then at each other in shock. He recovered first. He pursed his lips and let out a ragged gush of air. “Holy shit. Do you think he’s right? I mean, in a way it explains a lot of things…like why Finn has been attached to this deal in some form from the start. He can screw a married man without conscience and blackmail him to get a piece of the action and to keep quiet. Maybe he’s had Norm by the nuts all this time.”
“And now we do too,” I said in a menacing tone.
“No. We don’t know anything for sure. Miles is extraordinarily intuitive, but that doesn’t mean he really knows anything. And it doesn’t change the fact that we’re in the business of creating new network solutions, not digging up salacious headlines to undercut our competition.”
“We can’t ignore this. If they’re playing us, we need to know. Don’t be naïve, Er. Norm takes great pleasure in telling anyone who will listen that I’m a coldhearted bastard of questionable character. We can’t ignore the possibility. We have to find out if—”
“No. I’ll handle it. Now more than ever, you need to concentrate on the project. We need something tangible and trendsetting to counteract any scandalous background noise. We need that patent. The sooner, the better.”
“You’re too nice, Er.”
“It’s not a matter of being nice, idiot. It’s a matter of not being emotionally invested. If you spin on this, you’ll convince yourself this is some kind of sign.”
“That’s exactly what it is!”
“No. It’s static. Don’t let yourself get sidetracked. That’s how they win. Go on. Work your magic.”
I nodded, though I didn’t feel the least bit magical. My phantom numbers were reduced to equations a kindergartner could work out on their fingers. I wasn’t sure how to process this new information. If Norm and Finn were involved in a personal relationship, it was a calculated affair. Eric was right. They were a complex problem I couldn’t solve without making a mess. It would be like pouring a bottle of wine into Wes’s customer’s glass all over again. I might have the moral high ground, but I lacked finesse. I had to finish this project first. Once it was complete, my head would clear, and I’d know what to do.
Chapter 9
My weekends with Wes dwindled to a Saturday evening spent having wild sex on any available surface before ordering pizza and spending the rest of the night in bed. We’d wake up, grab coffee then I’d make my excuses and head into the office. I didn’t know how to define who we were or what we were doing. Maybe it was a version of the “sort of” relationship I’d had with Eric years ago. A more mature version. Wes was demanding but surprisingly sensitive. He didn’t hesitate to call me out on my idiosyncrasies, but he knew when to leave me alone. I figured he sympathized with the pressure I was under. Perhaps he didn’t find it completely weird that I lost track of the days and ended up sleeping on the sofa in my office to avoid wasting time on the ten-minute commute to my condo.
In my mind, I was in a much healthier state than I’d ever been. So what if I wore the same suit a couple of days in a row and had started writing equations on napkins and mumbling to myself as I speed walked from my office to the lab? I was obsessed with work, but at least I wasn’t spinning on Norm and Finn. So I ignored my cell and forgot to eat. Coffee was fuel too. I was fine.
Sort of.
I toed off my shoes, slipped off my trousers, and made my w
ay to the sofa in my office. I reached for my phone to set the alarm for four a.m. and paused to scroll through my missed messages. Most of them were from Wes. I read the last few with a vague sense of confusion.
I’ll be at your place by 2. Be ready.
Where r u? I’m outside.
U must be in the lab. I’m at Geordie’s. Call me when u get this.
I scrolled ahead to the most recent texts and frowned.
I called your office to make sure ur alive. Call me.
Barb says she hasn’t seen u eat. I left u a sandwich when I stopped by earlier. Eat it.
Wes was here? He met Barb? I swiped my hand across my face and yawned. Weird. But not something I could worry about now. I was too fucking tired. I pulled a throw blanket over my shoulder, curled into a ball, and fell fast asleep.
* * *
Sunlight cascaded over the black leather sofa and reflected off the glass coffee table. The light was blinding. Moreover, it was disturbing. I hadn’t woken to sunlight in weeks. I closed my eyes for a moment and listened to the hushed conversation somewhere nearby.
“He’s been doing this for days. I’m so worried about him. He’s too thin. He hardly speaks and when he does, it’s gibberish. Miles and I have kept Eric updated. He’s been in Dallas for business. Josh is supposed to come by but I don’t know when and—honestly, I was tempted to call Lisa. They aren’t together anymore but she loved him. I know she’d look after him and—”
“I’ll look after him. He’s fine now.”
I heard sniffling, retreating footsteps and then nothing. It was probably a dream, I mused, as I drifted off again.
When I awoke a second time, I knew I wasn’t alone. My un-caffeinated brain couldn’t decide what to panic about first. The time of day or why Wes Conrad was sitting in the chair across from me. He glanced over the rim of his reading glasses…and damn, those looked sexier than they should have…then set his phone on the coffee table and gave me a wan smile.
“Good morning. Or almost afternoon.”
I bolted upright. “After—oh shit. What time is it? Why did you let me sleep? I have things to do. God, I missed you. You look good. Hot actually, but I can’t stay. I have to—”
“No. You’re not going anywhere. You’re taking the day off. Barb told your lead engineer not to expect you today. Miles said Eric will take your two o’clock call with your product manager in New York. You’re free. And now…you’re mine.”
“But I have to work.”
“You don’t understand, Nicky.” Wes slid his glasses off then came to sit next to me on the sofa. I leaned into him when he pulled me against his chest and threaded his fingers through my hair like I was a child. “I’m here to keep you sane. Sleeping on your office sofa and wearing the same suit for days on end is a sure sign you need a break. I’m going to have to insist you do exactly what I say. No arguments. First stop…breakfast.”
I should have bristled at his sheer audacity. No one told me what to do. I hadn’t been beholden to anyone since I left home at eighteen. I’d never worked for anyone but myself, and while I appreciated occasional tidbits of advice from trusted friends or colleagues, I always did as I pleased. No one expected anything else. I had to wonder why Wes did. Why did he bother at all? As the fog of exhaustion began to clear, I had a fleeting memory of Lisa’s disappointment when I canceled on her at the last minute or forgot dinner dates altogether. No doubt, her friends had warned her I was a bad bet. They probably didn’t know I was crazy too. Wes knew. And he came for me anyway.
“Or what?”
“Or you’ll be over my knee,” he replied with a serious expression.
“That sounds hot,” I admitted in a deadpan tone as I palmed my cock through my boxer briefs.
“Hands off, bad boy. You’re not getting anything yet. Get dressed. We’re outta here.”
Wes chuckled then leaned over to smack my hand. It was nothing more than a tap but since my hand was attached to my dick at the moment, it sent a jolt of awareness through my body. My semi-hard cock became painfully hard. I peeled the cotton down to release the pressure and gave him a pleading look. When he held my stare, I resorted to begging.
“Please.”
“Please what?”
“Lie down with me for a minute.”
Wes gave me a searching look before moving to sit on the edge of the sofa. Then he reached over to caress my cheek. “I wish I knew what was going through your head sometimes.”
“You’re better off not knowing,” I said, tugging at his sleeve. “But there’s no mystery. I promise. Food is good but I think I missed you and I’d rather just…be with you for a minute.”
Wes stood quickly to lock my door. Then he shrugged off his leather jacket and draped it over the Barcelona chair before moving back to the sofa. I leaned into his side and breathed him in, loving the musky scent of his cologne and the feel of his toned muscles through his oxford shirt.
“Are you telling me you want to cuddle?” he asked as he bent to remove his shoes.
I chuckled softly and kissed his shoulder. “We can start there and see what happens. There are supplies in the top drawer of my desk…just in case.”
Wes smirked and raised his brow. “I’ll be right back. Just in case.”
I lay back on the sofa, cradling my head in my arms and stared up at the ceiling. I listened to him move around my office. The clink of his belt buckle, the sound of a drawer opening and closing, the shuffle of feet. He was a beautiful soundtrack or part of a dream. I had to be in a trance. It was the only thing that explained why I wasn’t panicking about my current state of undress at noon on a regular weekday with my secretary and my employees on the other side of a closed door. I should be racing off to the lab but instead, I was working on the buttons of my shirt with one hand and stroking my impossibly hard dick with the other while I waited for Wes to join me.
He set the lube and a condom on the coffee table and set his hand over mine. “Leave the shirt on and sit up. You look like a naughty businessman.”
“I am,” I replied in a raspy voice as I obeyed, scooting to the edge of the sofa. Wes stood over me and nudged my thighs open as he unbuttoned his plaid shirt. I licked my lips and stared up at him longingly. I loved the light smattering of hair on his toned chest. Fuck, he was beautiful.
“Take my dick out.”
I grinned, surprised but pleased by the bold command. I kept my eyes on his as I pushed his jeans down his legs then pulled his briefs down and released his thick cock. I gripped his shaft and sighed. I wanted this every day. Not on the weekends and stolen random free days in the city. This seemed a hell of a lot more important than any business deal. At the moment, it seemed like a matter of life or death.
I leaned forward and rubbed my nose along his length then replaced it with my tongue and licked him from base to tip. Then I stuck my tongue out and licked his slit, sucking the wide mushroom head like a lollipop. I swallowed greedily, gripping him with my left hand and jacking myself with my right. Wes traced my cheekbones and jaw then ran his thumb along my bottom lip before lowering his fingers to tweak my nipples. Hard. I flinched, though it was the perfect twist of pleasure and pain.
“More,” I groaned.
Wes chuckled then pushed his fingers through my hair and bucked his hips, fucking my mouth as he reached back for the lube. I opened wide and took as much of his length as I could without gagging. Then I pulled back and tried again, licking, sucking and humming while I worked him over. He smoothed one hand down my spine and spoke in a low, sweet voice, praising me one second and then demanding more. Precum gathered at my slit. I used it as lube and stroked myself to the rhythmic tilt of his hips.
“Turn around, knees on the sofa. Spread them wide and bend over.”
Holy fuck. The timbre of his voice made commands like, “brush your teeth” sound kind of nasty. A no-nonsense “bend over” could be enough to get me halfway there. I scrambled to my knees, arched my back then wiggled my hips in invitation
.
“Fuck me, Wes.”
“Shh. We’ll get there, baby. Don’t worry,” he purred as he massaged a single digit over my hole.
I laid my forehead against the cool leather upholstery and pushed my ass backward looking for more friction. His cool, slick digit sliding up along my sensitive skin was a tease. It was like he wanted me to beg.
“Wes, I—” He pushed his finger inside before I could continue. I winced at the intrusion and went completely still until he twisted his finger and hit my prostate. The instant wave of pleasure was intense. I bucked backward and lost myself in the steady rhythm he set. He slowed again when he added another digit then masterfully reset the pace until I was literally holding on to the back of the sofa, whimpering for more.
I glanced over my shoulder when he pulled away and opened the condom wrapper. His jeans were still around his thighs and his shirt was half undone. He gave me a lopsided cocky grin as he rolled on the latex then lined himself at my hole and gently pushed.
“Oh, fuck.” I tried to relax around the sting of pain. When it receded, I wiggled my hips experimentally.
“Feel good?” Wes asked as he slowly made his way inside me.
I bit my bottom lip. It didn’t feel good yet, but I knew the pain would fade as soon as I let go and rode the first wave of pleasure. There. Fuck, that felt amazing.
“Yes, so good,” I choked.
He unbuttoned his shirt and then tossed it toward me. “You may need this to muffle your moans. I’m sure you don’t want Barb to think we’re up to no good.”
I snickered at the thought but gasped when he surged forward then gently pulled out again. I knelt up and laid my head back against his shoulder and licked his cheek as he made his way back inside. We groaned in unison as he finally began to move.
The buildup was sensuous and steady. Languid, even strokes became something more primal when he grabbed my shoulders then locked his arms around mine and pumped his hips. I was suspended against my lover. He filled me and surrounded me and controlled me. My arms were bound, and my cock bounced against the sofa in front of me while he pistoned his hips and fucked me just the way I liked it. Hard and a little rough.