by Wells, K. C.
“Mornin’. Was it you who pissed ’im off, then?” Typical Ed, no beating about the bush. “’Cos I tell ya, if it was, yer gonna answer to me.” Ed looked ready to lay into Will. In that instant Will could have hugged the man. Ed was staunchly loyal to Blake and would always have his back. Will knew from conversations with Blake that Ed had been the first member of staff that he’d taken on six years ago, and that the two of them had seen through the drastic changes Blake had seen fit to implement when he’d taken over the company.
Will looked across at Blake, who was watching the interaction between the two men with trepidation. Will decided to go with honesty.
“Yeah, Ed, some of it’s down to me, that’s true, but I’d say both parties are at fault here.” He met Blake’s eyes. Blake stared at him for a few seconds before nodding. Ed clearly noted Blake’s reaction. His hands, which had been clenched into fists, relaxed.
“Okay, then sort it out, the pair of ya.” Ed glared at both of them, waiting until both men acknowledged him before withdrawing from the room.
“Come in and close the door,” Blake told him. Will complied and then stood, mug in hand, feeling distinctly awkward. Blake gestured toward the sofa and Will walked across to sit down. Blake looked down at his desk and Will’s stomach churned. The silence was killing him.
Blake opened his mouth to speak and Will held up a hand to stop him. Blake’s brow furrowed.
“Look, before you say anything,” Will began, “I’m sorry for the abrupt way I left here last night. That was rude.” And it wasn’t Blake’s fault. His boss had no idea why his last remark was received so badly. “You apologized, after all.”
“Yeah, and then I went and said something else to upset you.” Blake spoke quietly. “I can’t tell you how that makes me feel, Will. I hurt you last night—not once but twice. I can only ask you to forgive me, and to accept my promise that I will try to make it up to you somehow. I don’t want to lose you.”
Will could see the pain in his eyes. Blake wasn’t angry with him—Blake was obviously unhappy about causing Will any pain. Okay, so he meant not losing Will from his company: Will wasn’t naive enough to think anything different. But it was clear to Will that Blake cared. Any residual ill feeling he might still have borne toward his boss melted in that instant. A memory of Richard flashed through Will’s mind. Here was another genuinely caring man who Will felt compelled to trust. For the second time in his life, Will wanted to share with another human being.
“Listen, there’s something I’d like you to do for me.”
Blake’s brow cleared. “What?”
Will got up and went back into his office to retrieve his briefcase. He pulled out a USB flash drive and handed it to Blake. Blake took it, looking puzzled.
“There’s a novel on this that I’d like you to read.”
Blake stared at the black metallic flash drive. The crease between his eyes deepened. “A novel?”
Will nodded. “Yeah. When you’ve read it, we can talk some more.” He gave Blake a feeble smile. “But right now I need to get on and organize your calendar so you know what you’re doing from one day to the next.” He turned to go to his office, but as he reached the door, Blake’s words stopped him.
“Aren’t you going to tell me who wrote it?”
Will turned back to him. “I did.” And without waiting to see Blake’s reaction, he left the room.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Will cuddled up to his pillow, inhaling the aroma of fresh, clean sheets. He always loved that just-washed smell. It was even better in the summer when he could take advantage of the weather to dry everything on the line which stretched out on the rooftop at the back of his apartment building. And of course there was another advantage to laundry days—laying down a towel on the ground behind the billowing sheets and stretching out on it on the nude, letting his body soak up the sun’s rays. Heaven. Sheer heaven.
He glanced at the clock. Nearly one in the morning and he still couldn’t sleep. He knew why, of course. Ever since he’d given Blake the novel that morning, he’d done nothing but think about it. The day seemed to crawl by. Throughout his meetings with Lizzie, Peter and Rick, during his lunch break—C’mon, let’s face it, he told himself, every fucking minute—his thoughts had never strayed far from Blake. Was he reading it right now? Did he love it? Hate it? Round and round his thoughts went, like a hamster on a wheel. He was really going out on a limb here. Entrusting Blake with the book was huge.
Beside him on the bedside table, his phone vibrated. Will frowned. Who the hell was texting him at this hour? He glanced at the screen—Blake.
You awake?
Smiling, Will hit speed dial. “No, I was asleep. Your text woke me up.” He heard the hitch in Blake’s breath and snorted. “I’m kidding. Why aren’t you asleep? You’re not still working, are you?” His boss badly needed to get some work-life balance going.
There was a pause before Blake spoke. “I couldn’t put it down.”
Oh. Oh wow. Will was momentarily stunned.
“Bloody hell, Will, it’s… it’s…” Silence. “Will, it’s damn good.”
Will suddenly felt about ten feet tall. Warmth flooded through him. He’d poured so much into the book.
“I have to ask. Is this all your imagination, or is it based on a real person? Because the main character, Terry…” Will swallowed. “Oh my God, Will, the life he led. It had me crying into my pillow. And when Donald found him, and took him in….” Will heard something that sounded suspiciously like a sob. Oh fuck. Blake was crying.
Will waited until Blake’s breathing was more controlled before he spoke. “Yes, it’s based on a real person.” He swallowed heavily, unable to believe what he was about to say. “Terry is me, Blake.” Silence. Will waited anxiously. “Blake?” Long seconds ticked by.
At last he heard noise at the other end. A sniffle. Deep breathing.
“Now I understand. It all makes sense. Will, thank you. Thank you for trusting me enough to let me read it.”
Will’s heart soared to hear those words. No condemnation. No disgust. Just acceptance.
“Can you tell me some more? I want to hear it.”
Fuck. Will froze, unsure of how to react. It had been a long time since he’d told his tale. Writing the book had been hard enough. It opened up wounds he’d thought long since healed, making everything fresh and raw once more. Blake said nothing but Will could hear his breathing, steadier now. Will came to a decision. He switched the phone to speaker phone, cuddled the pillow tighter and began to speak.
“When I was fifteen, I made a huge mistake. I came out to my parents. If I’d known how they would react, I would have kept my mouth shut.” He closed his eyes. The pain never left him.
“They took it badly?”
“They threw me out.” He couldn’t miss Blake’s sharp intake of breath. Will clamped down on the surge of grief which flowed through him. “So there I was, homeless, no relatives to speak of. I quit going to school—I mean, what was the point?—and I found myself living on the streets, faced with the task of surviving.”
“You really were a rent boy?”
Will nodded, until he remembered that Blake couldn’t see him. “Yes. I used to hang out by the adult bookstore. It wasn’t that difficult to get picked up there, especially looking as young as I did.” His chest tightened as he remembered. No, there’d been no shortage of men eager to fuck an underage boy. He shivered. “I used to try to find guys who’d take me home for the night. And if that wasn’t possible, I used to sleep in an abandoned warehouse on the docks. Well, me and a few other derelicts.”
“Were… were you safe?”
Will could have kissed the man for his concern. “Always. No condom, no fuck. Not even a blow-job.” He still couldn’t believe he was telling Blake all this. The strange thing was it felt right to share it with him.
“How long did you live like that?”
Will shivered. “For about a year. By t
hen I’d found a shelter for homeless gay kids, run by this older guy, Richard.” An iron band tightened around his chest. “Richard’s son was gay, but he ran away from home when Richard reacted badly to his coming out. Richard never saw him again.” Will could still hear Richard sobbing, late into the night in his room, his sorrow and guilt for what he’d done never leaving him. “He started up the shelter for kids who were in the same situation.”
“And then you came along.” Will could hear the warmth in Blake’s voice.
“Richard said once that he could always spot potential. I think a lot of it was that I reminded him of his son.” Will had seen the photos. He and Philip could have been twins. “Anyway, Richard took me in, gave me a home.” For which Will would forever be grateful. He’d been suspicious at first—come on, an older guy taking in a sixteen year old rent boy—but Richard had soon allayed his fears. He’d been horrified to hear Will’s story, and had wanted to make things better for him. Will had come to care deeply for him.
“You moved in with him?”
“Yep. His spare room became my room. He left Philip’s room exactly as it was. I guess he always hoped Philip would return one day.” His heart stuttered briefly. Maybe things might have been different then. There was no doubt losing his son took its toll on Richard’s health. “Richard gave me a roof over my head and fed and clothed me. He sent me to a school to take my exams. I’d always been a bright kid, and boy, was I thankful for that. I had some serious catching-up to do.” Encouraged by Will’s academic success, Richard had encouraged him to get a degree, and had offered to pay for his studies, but there was no way Will would accept that. He’d gone down the route of student loans instead, which wasn’t nearly enough, so he’d got a job working in a fast food restaurant. He wanted to pay Richard back in some way, but the older man was bloody stubborn.
“I’ll bet Richard was really proud of you.”
Will stifled a sob. “Two years into my degree, Richard died of a heart attack. He never got to see me graduate.” It was no use. The tears started to flow.
“Will, it’s okay.” Blake spoke softly. “Let it out, babe.”
Will caught his breath at the endearment. It felt good. No, it felt better than good.
“I’m okay,” he said shakily. He wiped his tears on the sheet and took a breath. “So suddenly I was homeless again. I moved into student accommodation, but that meant more expense. I needed more money to live on, so I made the decision—I went back to being a rent boy.” Will didn’t want to think about those years. Life got scary. “When I graduated, I got a job with Willetts, a small publishing house. It was a fair salary, I suppose, but it barely made a dent in my debts. Until one night about five months ago, when this guy who picked me up got talking about J’s. He thought I’d be perfect for them. And the rest, you know.”
Will listened to Blake breathing steadily. “My God, Will, what a story. Never mind that—what a book! You’re an exceptional writer.” Will glowed at these words. “Let me publish it.”
Will became still. He hadn’t shown Blake the book for that reason. And now he couldn’t believe Blake’s reaction. He was kidding—right? “Are you serious?” The words crept out.
“Of course I’m serious!” Will could hear the note of excitement in Blake’s voice. “It’ll be a hit, mark my words.” There was a pause. “You could dedicate it to Richard’s memory. And you might also consider donating some of your royalties to that shelter where you go once a week. I’m sure they’d appreciate any extra funding.”
Will loved that. What he loved even more was that Blake had come up with the idea in the first place. A quick glance at the clock shocked him. It was already gone two.
“I think we both need to sleep.” He chuckled. “We can discuss this in the morning.”
“Will, how can you expect me to sleep now? I’m way too keyed to sleep.” Will could hear it. A wicked thought crossed his mind.
“What're you wearing?” He grinned to himself.
“What?” He could hear Blake’s puzzlement.
“What are you wearing? Pajamas? Boxers? Briefs?” Will lowered his voice, making it husky. “Nothing?”
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” Will snickered. Come on, Blake, play along… “Okay... briefs.” Yeah, now they were in business. Will rolled onto his back and stuffed pillows under his head, the phone resting on the empty pillow next to his head. He was definitely going to need to be hands free for what he had in mind.
“Tighty whiteys? Kind of old fashioned but still damn sexy.” He tried to picture Blake in his underwear. His cock hardened. Will slipped his hand below the sheet and palmed his dick.
“Black. Tight.” Will could hear Blake’s breathing speed up slightly. “And getting tighter.” Yes. Time to have some fun.
“Ohhh...you turned on, big boy? You ever done anything like this. Phone sex?”
“Never.” There was a pause. “Fuck, Will….” The words were whispered. Will loved the edge of anticipation that was evident in Blake’s voice. He reached into his drawer for the lube and slicked up his palm. And then he reached for his Fleshjack.
“But you want to do this, don't you, Blake? This and more?”
“Fuck, yeah.” Blake whimpered. “Keep going.” That whimper went straight to Will’s dick. He pushed his dick through his slick, tight fist, his breathing growing more erratic.
“I'm totally nude. Don't have a stitch of clothing on. And hard. Very hard.” And getting harder by the second.
“Oh fuck, I can picture you.... Where are you? How hard, baby?” Will liked that. Baby.
“I'm stretched out on my bed. Silk sheets feel so nice on my bare arse. Lights turned low. I'm totally erect. Eight inches and standing straight up. A tiny puddle of pre-come at the tip.” Will watched the slender thread of pre-come glisten in the lamplight.
“Wish I was there to taste you. Taste yourself for me.” Oh, Blake was definitely getting into this.
“What would you do? Slide between my legs and kiss my prick? Or pull out your cock and make me suck it?” The memory of Blake’s dick in his mouth, the taste of him, was suddenly so vivid that Will caught his breath.
“I want to be between your legs. Want to kiss all along the length of your cock.” Blake gave out a low moan. “Oh God, I want you in my mouth so bad.”
Will whimpered as an image flashed through his mind. Blake on his bed, lying on his belly, Will’s hard shaft sliding into that beautiful mouth, watching those soft lips around it.
“I can feel your mouth on my balls. Your warm breath blowing against them. Then your tongue sliding up the underside of my dick. Your lips on the head.”
“Yes!” The sibilant sound was harsh.
“Can you taste my pre-come?” Will’s hips started to rock up from the bed.
“Yeah, it’s almost sweet. More, baby.” Blake’s plaintive whine made Will grin.
“Swallow my shaft. Wrap your lips around it. I can feel your tongue caressing it. I'm stroking myself, Blake. Touching myself, imagining it's your mouth sucking me off.” Will’s hips sped up as he listened to the breathless sounds at the other end of the phone. “Feels amazing. You suck my cock so good. Your tongue is amazing. God, I am so turned on. I'm leaking so much. I'm close to shooting. So close.” Will struggled to hold on.
“Don't want you to come in my mouth.” Brief silence, save for the sound of Blake’s harsh breathing. “I want....” Whispered.
“Tell me what you want. Don’t be afraid. Tell me.”
“Want you... want you... to fuck me.”
Will had to pull hard on his balls not to come on the spot. “You want to ride me?”
“Fuck, yes. God, Will, I'm so fucking hard right now.” Blake moaned, the sound low and full of urgent need.
“I want that too. Can’t promise I'll last long once I'm inside. Get yourself ready, Blake.” Will grabbed the Fleshjack and dribbled lube into it.
“Yes...fuck, wait!” Will heard a drawer opening and closing.
Blake’s eager voice had him ready to shoot his load right now. Will breathed deeply, trying to stave off his imminent climax.
“What? I can't wait much longer.” Never a truer word spoken.
“My fingers are in my arse.” Oh, and wasn’t that something to picture? Will could see Blake, legs spread, fingers wedged inside that tight hole. This was going to be over so quickly.
“Yeah, stretch yourself good.”
“Oh fuck, three now... that, that burns.... feels so good.”
Will whimpered at the thought. “My cock is lubed up for you. Ready and waiting.” Along with his Fleshjack.
“Yes, Will. Ready.”
“I can picture you climbing on the bed. Squatting over me, my cock aimed at your hole.” Yeah, Will could picture it, all right.
Blake whimpered. “Keep going, baby.”
“Lower yourself over me, keep going… lower. Feel my cock pushing at your hole. Relax. Relax. Let me in.” Will pushed his cock into the Fleshjack, his hips rocking up almost immediately. He was so close.
“You feel so big. Fuck, yes, Will... Don't stop, don’t you dare stop.” Blake was panting.
Will thrust up into the Fleshjack. “I’m driving up into you. Arching my hips to impale myself in your arse. All. The. Way.” Hips pumped. Faster.
“Oh fuck!” Blake cried out. “Fuck me, oh Christ, fuck me!”
“Feel my cock pulsating against your gland? Feel me fucking you hard? Slamming into you again and again? Christ, Blake, I'm gonna come.” Will’s hips pistoned as he fucked up into the Fleshjack, feeling that familiar tingle at the base of his spine. Not long now.
“Right there! Oh!”
The long, drawn-out sound of pure ecstasy was too much. Will started to come, back arching up from the bed. “Fuck yeah! I'm shooting. Fuck, Blake, fuckfuckfuck…”
“Oh God, coming, coming so fucking hard! Will!” Will lay there, the only sounds Blake’s labored breathing, blending with his own. He listened as Blake gained control of himself once more. “Oh my God. That was....”