The Exit Strategy Bundle

by Jocelynn Drake

  Gabriel released his lower lip and opened his mouth, but Justin was already swooping in. There was no way he was going to give Gabriel a chance to talk. The man was going to stupidly list any number of reasons why this was a bad idea, and Justin didn’t give a shit. The one thing that was important at that moment was that the kiss was really fucking good and he wanted more. They both did.

  Softer-than-expected lips met his and parted instantly, welcoming Justin’s tongue inside with a hungry groan. Oh God, Gabriel’s mouth was made for kissing. Fire roared through his veins, heating his body and hardening his cock until he was sure he was going to come in his goddamn sleep pants. His tongue slid along Gabriel’s, tangling, and then retreating only to have Gabriel’s follow him. The need built until they were both moving against each other, eating at their mouths as if they could devour each other. Justin had never kissed someone who fit him so perfectly. Gabriel matched him nibble for nibble, groan for groan.

  They were going to burn up just from kissing. But he knew it wasn’t enough. Fuck, more. He needed more.

  Reluctantly he broke off the kiss and stared down at Gabriel’s wet, puffy lips and glazed-over dark eyes. He’d love to see his cock sliding between those lips while those eyes stared up at him, but that wasn’t going to happen tonight. They needed something dirty and fast. Then maybe they could work up to more fun things.

  “We’ve got to stop,” Gabriel said breathlessly.

  Justin hesitated for only a second. He might be talking sense, but there was no missing the hunger in his eyes. Gabriel’s body didn’t want to stop. Grinning, Justin shifted his hips again, rocking his dick against Gabriel’s, hating the thin fabric that separated them. “Really? Stop?”

  “No,” Gabriel moaned. “Fuck no. I need to fucking come.”

  “Good.” Putting his weight on his left hand, Gabriel reached down with his right and shoved his sleep pants down below his hips. His cock sprang free and slapped against his stomach. He opened his mouth to tell Gabriel to do the same, but the man was already lifting his hips and shoving his briefs down. At the same time, Gabriel spread his legs so that Justin could fit more comfortably between them. Their leaking cocks touched for the first time, and they both moaned.

  Spitting on his hand, Justin wrapped his fingers around them both and gave one experimental stroke. In the relative darkness, he could barely make out Gabriel’s long, thick length and nearly moaned again. Fuck, he wanted to get on his knees and suck that down his throat until Gabriel lost his mind. But they were definitely gonna have to save that for another time. He was already so close to coming…and then Gabriel opened his mouth.

  “Yes, please,” he cried out, thrusting up into Justin’s hand. “Harder.” A tremor ran through the tense body beneath his, and Justin was pretty sure he could come just from listening to Gabriel fall apart.

  He stroked them both together while Gabriel continued to thrust beneath him. Hard hands wrapped around his ass, digging into the cheeks as if to pull them tighter together. Closing his eyes, Justin could so easily imagine those hands grasping his ass as he buried himself deep inside Gabriel. A couple more strokes and Gabriel came apart beneath him, shouting his name while ribbons of white semen coated Gabriel’s stomach and his hand.

  Releasing their cocks when Gabriel was thoroughly spent, Justin put his hands on either side of Gabriel’s head while thrusting his cock alongside Gabriel’s. The warm slide of semen had him moaning. Gabriel blinked slowly up at him and stretched his arms above his head like a cat. Fuck, he couldn’t remember ever looking down at something so damn seductive.

  “That’s it. Move against me. I want to see it. Hear it.”

  Gabriel’s low-spoken words burned away the last of Justin’s conscious brain. He did as Gabriel commanded and thrust against his cock, sliding through the jizz and the silken warmth of Gabriel’s skin until he followed him over on a loud shout. He came hard enough to make his goddamn toes tingle and his arms turn to cooked noodles.

  On a gasp, he dropped to his elbows, bumping his nose against Gabriel’s.

  “This was a mistake,” Gabriel said instantly.

  Justin laughed right in his face before kissing him hard. He didn’t miss for a second that Gabriel parted his lips and kissed right the fuck back. Mistake or not, Gabriel had wanted this just as bad as he did.

  “That was amazing,” Justin said when he broke off the kiss. “And you’re gay.”

  Gabriel rolled his eyes but didn’t try to shove Justin off him, which was a little surprising. Justin’s entire body was loose and relaxed now. Gabriel could have tossed him across the hallway and he wouldn’t have put up a fight.

  “We’re not discussing that,” Gabriel said primly, which only made Justin laugh again. The man kissed like a damn dream, and they were both lying there with their dicks in a pool of their own spend. Gabriel didn’t have a damn leg to stand on.

  “You’re an ass,” Gabriel added on a sigh as if he could read Justin’s thoughts.

  “Sure, and I’ll let you have a go at mine if you let me at yours,” he offered. There was no missing the way Gabriel’s body gave a little jerk at his words, and Justin grinned at him.

  “Shut up.”

  “You’re right.” As if he couldn’t help himself, he dipped his head down again. He brushed his lips against Gabriel’s and felt the man tighten up as if he were fighting him, the kiss, or maybe his own desires. Justin brushed their lips together once, twice, until he felt Gabriel soften and then part for him. The kiss was slower, a lingering exploration. Almost what their first kiss should have been, but it still built back toward the fire they’d experienced earlier.

  Justin broke off the kiss and stared at Gabriel in confusion. He could feel the hunger nipping at him again. He’d just come, but there was a little voice nagging him to pull Gabriel to his feet and drag him into his bed to go all over again. Or even just lie there and keep kissing him for the rest of the night. That was…not normal for him.

  He didn’t want to think about it. It was late and they both needed sleep.

  “I think that’s enough fun for one night,” Justin murmured. Pushing up so he was kneeling between Gabriel’s legs, he pulled his pants up where they belonged and grinned as Gabriel tucked himself away in his briefs. “If that doesn’t help you get back to sleep, just crawl into my bed. I’ll help you.” With one last wink, he got up and walked back to his bedroom, leaving Gabriel to pick himself up off the floor. He felt kind of like a dick leaving the guy there, but he was afraid if he touched him again, he’d kiss him, and it was becoming harder and harder to stop.

  With his hand on the door, he stopped himself from closing it all the way. Would Gabriel crawl into his bed? Snowball’s chance in hell of that. But with the door open, the offer was there. Justin shook his head at his thoughts before peeling off his sleep pants. He stepped into the shower long enough to clean off again and then climbed into bed naked. He’d only started wearing the damn sleep pants because Gabriel was lurking in his house. Now there was no point.

  Justin was out almost the second his head hit the pillow, smiling to himself as he remembered the sound of Gabriel shouting his name as he came.

  Chapter Nine

  Dark green blurred past the car window as they wound down the narrow lane and up another, cutting through the exclusive neighborhood of Indian Hills. The homes he could spot were sprawling mansions set back from the road by lush, green lawns and large, mature trees. It was an older, established neighborhood, which made him think of old money. And to fit in, Justin was driving a sleek Mercedes that looked as if it was brand new. The man himself was also looking quite sleek in his pale tan suit and white shirt. The pastel bow tie was a surprise, but there was something about his cheeky grin and twinkling blue eyes that set it off just right.

  And those eyes were something that Gabriel was desperate to avoid.

  Last night never should have happened. He still couldn’t figure out how it had. One moment he’s in the middle of a n
ightmare and he just had to get the fuck out…and then next, he’s on his back in the hall with Justin on top of him. And then the first time their cocks brushed against each other, he was fucking lost. His damn eyes wanted to roll backward into his head just remembering it. After that it had been a desperate race to the finish line. There had been no getting enough of Justin’s mouth, the feel of his skin, the pressure of his cock, the soft grunts as he thrust against him, chasing his own orgasm.

  It would have been one thing if they’d just gotten off and walked away, but they’d kissed. And kissed again and again. There had been no stopping it. Gabriel hadn’t wanted to. It had felt as necessary as breathing. Justin’s mouth was so damn perfect.

  Except when it was open and words were spilling out.

  But this morning, there were no teasing, mocking words. Or what Gabriel dreaded more…questions. He didn’t want this man asking questions. There was something about Justin’s gaze that he was sure the man would be able to tell he was lying when Gabriel answered, and he knew that any answer he gave Justin would be a lie.

  So far, no questions. Over coffee, Justin had lain out what he knew about the garden party and its attendees as well as the expected dress code and time. After coffee and toast, Gabriel retreated to his laptop while Justin went to the basement to work for a few hours. While the man never said a word about the night before, he could see the amusement in his eyes. It was like he could feel Justin silently chuckling at him.

  “We should get our story straight,” Gabriel said suddenly, breaking the extended silence. He nearly winced at how hard his tone sounded, but Justin simply grinned at him.

  “What story?” Justin asked. His words sounded teasing and light.

  “Our dating,” Gabriel snapped.

  “Oh! That!” Justin said and then laughed. “I thought you might be talking about something else.”

  “Don’t.”

  Justin shook his head, relaxing in his seat. “Well, the people who will know me from this shindig think that I’m a software developer. I had a company, but sold it a few years ago, making me independently wealthy. Now I dabble in a variety of projects.”

  “And to them you’re still Justin Mallory?”

  “Yes. I would say that we’ve been dating only a few months, so we don’t have to remember a lot of details about each other. You travel a lot for work as…” Justin paused and looked over at Gabriel, his eyes sweeping up and down his light gray suit. “As an accountant.”

  “I don’t look like an accountant,” Gabriel said sharply.

  “Fine. Lawyer.”

  “That’s the best you can do?”

  “Sure…okay…what’s your cover?”

  Gabriel reached inside his suit jacket and pulled out a black business card with sharp silver writing. He held it up so Justin could still see it while he was driving. “Gabriel Prescott, dealer of fine art and antiquities.” The card even had a London address and phone number.

  Justin rolled his eyes. “So original,” he groaned, then continued before Gabriel could reply. “But that will work. It will explain why we don’t see each other often. But you’re currently in town for an extended visit.”

  Gabriel slipped the business card back into his pocket. “How did we meet?”

  “In Paris. Our eyes met across a crowded room. It was love at first sight,” he said breathlessly.

  “You’re a pain in the ass.”

  “No, but I can be,” he said. He glanced over at Gabriel and waggled his eyebrows. It was all he could do not to laugh. Justin slowed the car and pulled into a long driveway. There were several other cars lined up in front of them, waiting for their turn with the valet. “Are you going to be able to do this? You do have to pretend to like me in front of a lot of other people.”

  Justin’s grim tone had Gabriel looking over at him. His expression was serious for the first time that day. He could almost bet that Justin would come up with an alternative cover for him right there on the spot if he couldn’t fake it, but he wasn’t going to back out now because a growing sense of panic was creeping up his spine and accelerating his heart. If the never serious Justin could pretend to enjoy Gabriel’s company for a few hours, then Gabriel could do the same.

  “Of course I can do this.”

  Justin’s grin returned, and he winked at Gabriel. “I know.” Throwing the car into park, he smiled up at the valet opening the driver’s side door. Gabriel sucked in a steady breath and climbed out of the car.

  For the first time, he looked up at the massive home they’d pulled up to. He couldn’t remember a time in his life when he’d been so unaware of his surroundings. Justin had a way of distracting him from everything that he was supposed to be paying attention to. It would be stunning if he survived this job if he didn’t get his head back in the game.

  The two-story home was made of gray stone and had tall floor-to-ceiling windows that reflected back the early afternoon sunlight. He walked around to the front of the car, eyes skimming over the other people who were moving toward the entrance of the home.

  Fingers grazed his, and Gabriel nearly jerked his hand away but stopped himself at the last second. Justin smirked at him before threading his fingers slowly through Gabriel’s. Keeping his fingers stiff, he stared down in wonder at their joined hands for a second. He’d never held a man’s hand, not even in private. But the thought of doing it in public, where anyone could see them…his heart raced, and a weight settled on his chest, threatening to cut off his supply of air. A panicked voice was screaming in his brain to pull Justin close, to shield him from the reach of others.

  His eyes jerked back to Justin’s face and there was no missing the concern there. Justin slowly reached up and placed his other hand on Gabriel’s cheek. “No one is paying attention to us,” he whispered. With his eyes locked on Gabriel’s, he slowly lifted their joined hands to his lips and brushed a kiss across their knuckles. Just a light touch and Gabriel felt like he could suddenly breath again. “No one is going to hurt us here because of this.”

  Gabriel gave a jerky nod. His heart thudded painfully, but for an entirely new reason. There was no escaping Justin’s eyes or the knowledge he saw there. The man could very easily guess some dark parts of his past, and he didn’t want Justin to know anything from those horrible days.

  “We should get inside,” Gabriel said, forcing the words past the lump in his throat.

  “Definitely. I could use a drink.”

  A drink didn’t begin to cover it. Justin forced himself to slowly sip the white wine spritzer he was holding when he really wanted a damn beer. A single drink wasn’t going to cut it, but he couldn’t get buzzed while in the middle of a job. There was no shaking the memory of the terror that streaked through Gabriel’s eyes when he’d taken the man’s hand. His skin had almost instantly taken on a cold, clammy feeling and his face had become frighteningly pale. It was as if he’d expected to be struck down that instant for holding a man’s hand. Justin hadn’t been sure if Gabriel would run or tuck Justin behind him while drawing the gun secreted on his body. By the tension humming through his lean frame, Justin had been willing to bet that it was more the latter than the former.

  A part of him wanted to say fuck the damn garden party and take Gabriel straight home where he could demand some answers about what the hell had happened to him to create such a response. Not that Justin needed too many answers. Judging on what he could surmise about the man’s origins, Justin could make some damn good educated guesses.

  But getting the truth out of Gabriel wouldn’t fix their current problem, and he knew that talking was the last thing Gabriel wanted. And then there was the other question of why the fuck was he feeling so protective of Gabriel? The man clearly didn’t like him, and Justin wasn’t even sure if he liked the guy either. Why would he care what he’d suffered through in his past? They had to get through the present.

  So, he stood there with a fake-ass smile while holding a drink in one hand and Gabriel’s hand in the
other because there was no way in hell he was letting go just yet. And he wasn’t even sure which of them needed the contact more in that moment.

  “Justin?” called a feminine voice.

  Tightening his hand on Gabriel’s, Justin turned in the direction of the voice. He forced himself to relax his body and open up his smile when he caught sight of the young woman in the breezy white dress and wide brimmed straw hat. Lucy Kennedy was an absolute sweetheart. Since they’d first met, she’d made it her mission in life to take him under her wing and introduce him to all the illustrious monied of Cincinnati, as well as keep her eye out for a perfect match for him. She hadn’t even blinked an eye when he’d made it clear that the match would need to be a man rather than a woman.

  She engulfed him in a tight hug, forcing him to release Gabriel. A delicate cloud of perfume wrapped around him. Lucy reminded him of sunshine and kittens, but he had a feeling she had a hidden side that was much sterner. The woman had four sons and they were all attending prestigious schools. There was no wrangling four boys like that if you weren’t made of stronger stuff than cotton and rose petals.

  “I just knew you’d be here,” she announced with her soft southern drawl, which only endeared her to him more. She pulled back and smiled up at Gabriel.

  “Lucy, I’d like to introduce you to my boyfriend, Gabriel Prescott,” Justin said, motioning toward the stiff Gabriel.

  Gabriel extended his hand to her, but she just batted it away.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, sugar, but that’s just not going to work with me.” She stepped right into Gabriel and hugged him tightly, her head barely reaching his shoulder even in her tall heels. Gabriel sent a slightly panicked look over her head to Justin, and he suppressed a laugh. Lucy was also a bit forward, but it was all in kindness, so it was hard to fault her for it.