by David Horne
“Yes, I did.”
Joe couldn’t move. He was essentially pinned in, and he didn’t want to move. Not when Alex was this close. God, he should be pushing Alex away and telling him to leave, but he couldn’t. The words stuck in his throat. Whatever feelings on his side that had manifested during the last twenty-four hours were stronger than he anticipated.
Was it even possible to feel so strongly about a person after just a few short hours? Evidently, it was.
Alex lowered his head, his mouth brushing over Joe’s. Joe didn’t pull away. He should be pushing Alex back and saying fuck off, but the moment Alex kissed him, all thoughts of keeping him at arm’s length disappeared. Joe closed his eyes and heard himself sighing as Alex kissed him again, this time a little firmer. It was the sweetest kiss Joe had received in a long time.
Of all the people to have feelings for, he couldn’t have picked the most awkward choice.
Joe broke the kiss and managed to get to his feet. Alex didn’t move back, causing Joe to bump into him. Joe groaned as Alex put his arms around Joe’s waist and drew him close.
“God, why do I keep doing this?”
Alex grinned.
“Maybe because I’m irresistible?”
“Cocky bastard.”
“Always.”
The kiss this time was deeper, a little more frantic. It was like Alex was starving for it. Joe cupped his head and returned the kiss, sinking into the embrace he had been craving for since that morning. He could feel Alex’s erection rubbing against his, hard and thick. It made Joe shiver at the memory of what that cock could do to his body.
Even with that barrier between them, Joe still wanted Alex. He didn’t want Alex to leave, even if that was the most common-sense thing to do. Alex had wormed his way into Joe’s life with very little effect, and Joe was reluctant to walk away.
You’re a damn fool.
I know. And I don’t really care right now.
“Fuck, Joe,” Alex buried his face into Joe’s neck, kissing up to his jaw and back down to his shoulder. “You drive me crazy; do you know that?”
His hand came between them and cupped Joe’s erection. Joe groaned, his hips thrusting as Alex gave him a firm squeeze. Alex’s teeth scraped against the soft flesh of his neck, which sent shivers up Joe’s spine. Fuck, the man knew just how to make Joe want him even more.
“We shouldn’t be doing this.” He panted, trying to keep his thoughts in check as Alex groped him while kissing his neck. “You need to leave.”
“In a moment.” Alex then sucked on Joe’s earlobe, which had Joe whimpering as more shivers were sprinkled across his body. “If it wasn’t so cold, I’d be on my knees right now tasting your cock again.”
“You mean the fact we might be observed doing this doesn’t bother you in the slightest?”
“Not as much.” Alex drew back, his eyes piercing into Joe’s. The serious look reminded Joe of Alex back in the conference room that morning. He was back in lawyer-mode, and damn, it was sexy. “Once this is over and your ex-wife isn’t on my practice’s client list anymore, we’re having this discussion again. And I’m not going to leave until I get a proper answer that time. Even if I have to tie you down to the bed to get that answer.”
Tie him down. Joe groaned. Why did that arouse him more than anything else? No, he couldn’t think about that. He needed to be rational. Alex handing Tracey over to someone else shouldn’t change anything. They should have nothing to do with each other, even if the sex was incredible and the chemistry between them was still burning hot.
But that would be easier to say when Alex wasn’t kissing him, his hand rubbing Joe’s erection. If it weren’t for the fact his mother was only a few feet away inside the house, Joe would have fucked Alex on the swing. They were secluded enough that they could get away without being seen.
Stop thinking up sexual scenarios and tell him to leave, for fuck’s sake!
In a moment. Just a little more.
Alex kissed him hard, biting down on Joe’s lower lip before swiping his tongue over the bite, and then he stepped back. Joe swayed and had to grab onto the chains to stop himself from buckling.
“Wh...why did you stop?”
“Because I want to do a lot more to you, and I know your mother’s close by. Probably watching us.” Alex took a deep breath. He was shaking, his hands clenched into fists at his side. “It’s a bit of a mood killer.”
From the look of his cock outlined in his jeans, it wasn’t exactly a mood killer. But he was still taking a step back. Joe was somewhat glad about that; it he kept touching him, Joe was going to forget they may have an audience. Alex swallowed hard, rubbing his hands on his thighs.
“But we will be talking about this. I know what happened last night was special. I felt it, and I know you did. We still feel it now, and we have to get it out or it’s going to eat us up.”
He was right. And Joe didn’t want him to be right. But if they tried to go their separate ways, knowing that there was something between them from just a short encounter was going to hang in the air. Joe knew he wouldn’t be comfortable knowing that things were great and opened up to possibilities.
However, their current situation made it worse. Even if he weren’t Tracey’s lawyer, doing anything with him right now would be asking for trouble. Alex needed to keep his distance, which Joe respected. He just wished he didn’t have to.
Such a sudden turnaround for him after deciding he wanted nothing to do with the man standing before him a few hours ago. Just one kiss and Joe’s mind turned to mush. Alex was far too potent for him to cope with.
“I... I’d better go now.” Alex mumbled.
But he didn’t move. They just stared at each other. Joe could feel his heart pounding as he waited. If he reached for Alex again, the man certainly wouldn’t be leaving. He needed to get Alex out of here before they did something they shouldn’t.
Maybe that could wait until later. Maybe not. Joe didn’t know yet.
After what felt like an age, Alex turned and left the back yard, heading around the side of the house. He didn’t look back, and Joe felt an ache in his chest when Alex disappeared. It felt awful seeing him leave like that. He was in two minds about going after Alex and asking him to stay longer, but that was asking for trouble. And Joe knew his mother would make it very uncomfortable.
Leave it. Wait. See how you feel when you haven’t seen him for a few days. He’s letting you have space. Make the most of it.
“Just a one-night stand, was he?”
Joe looked up. Raina had come out onto the back porch, leaning on the railing with a knowing look at her son.
“How much did you see?”
“Most of it. I was watching from the kitchen window.”
“Mom!”
“What? I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Raina grinned. “And from the way you two were, I’d say you were more than okay.”
Joe groaned. God, that was embarrassing. It was like when his mother walked in on him having sex with his girlfriend at the time during high school. Raina had barely batted an eyelid and simply walked out again, treating it all like she had been talking about the weather.
“I wish you hadn’t been so nosy, Mom.”
“What? Can’t I watch out for my son.” Raina shook her head. “From what I saw, last night was something more than just a simple roll around in bed. You two could not keep your hands off each other.”
Joe wanted to sink into the ground. This was not a conversation he wanted with his own parent. He could only hope that Raina didn’t tell his father. There would be a lot of jokes about that if she did.
“If he weren’t Tracey’s lawyer, I’d say you two make a cute couple. And he’s certainly a handsome man.” Raina fanned herself. “If I was thirty years younger and single…”
“Mom!”
“What? I can appreciate a good-looking guy, can’t I?”
“Not one I’ve just been intimate with, mom.” Joe crossed the yard
and hopped up onto the porch. “That’s a little too creepy.”
“At least you can be sure you’ve got good taste.”
How was she able to talk about this like she just hadn’t seen Joe kissing another man? As far as Joe was aware, she didn’t even know he was bisexual. And yet she didn’t bat an eyelid that her son was intimate with a guy. Joe wasn’t sure what to think about that, but he was glad that Raina wasn’t making a big fuss about it.
He leaned on the railing beside his mother.
“He’s giving Tracey’s case to another lawyer. He won’t be representing her, just his firm.”
“I see.” Raina regarded him thoughtfully. “But you still can’t find happiness.”
“Who said Alex made me happy?”
“The look on your face when you were kissing each other like your lives depended on it. And Alex clearly feels something strong for you.” Raina sighed. “I think there’s a lot going on between you two that needs to be worked on. But from what I saw just now, I’d say you wouldn’t need much to get that man to admit he’s got more than a thing for you.”
“Are you saying that he’s in love with me?” Joe snorted. “We only had one night. A few hours.”
“Much as I love you, Joe, I don’t want to know that much about your sex life.” Raina pushed off the railing and turned toward the house, patting Joe on the shoulder. “But sometimes, one night is all it takes.”
Joe was left watching her go instead, closing the door behind her. She had taken that remarkably well, even more so than her own son. But also, as an outsider, she had a different perspective on it. She could see things Joe was blinded to.
If only Joe could look at this in a different perspective. But he couldn’t. Alex had seeped too much into him in just a short space of time, and Joe didn’t think he could be objective about Alex anymore.
One-night stands were more trouble than they were worth.
Chapter Five
“Alex!”
Alex slowed as he crossed the reception area of his office. Mary was striding toward him with an unhappy expression. She was dressed ready for court, her purple hair smoothed down and done up in a French twist. That just made her look even more angry. Alex sighed.
“What have I done now?”
“I haven’t said anything yet.”
“You didn’t need to, Mary. The tone of your voice said it all.”
Mary huffed, coming to stand before him with her arms folded.
“God, you’re as annoying as my kids. And they’re barely out of high school.”
“Glad to know I’m doing something right if you’re comparing me to teenagers.” Alex could see Sharon the receptionist giving them curious looks and beckoned Mary to follow him. “Shall we discuss this in my office?”
If this was what Alex thought it was about, he wasn’t about to share it in Sharon’s earshot. She was a big gossip and liked to exaggerate things to the point everything got blown out of proportion. She was big trouble for the other lawyers, who kept their distance in case they ended up at the end of a flamboyant discussion. If she weren’t the girlfriend of one of the senior partners, she would have been gone a long time ago.
Mary followed Alex to his office and Alex checked Sharon was nowhere near before closing the door. Even knowing she was at her desk, Alex lowered his voice.
“What’s the matter?”
“I just saw my schedule for this morning, and who I’m with in court first thing.” Mary didn’t look happy. “Why have I ended up with Tracey Banfield?”
“You said if I had any trouble, then you could take over for me as you’re not afraid to tell her no.” Alex pointed out. “That’s what you said on Thursday.”
“I haven’t forgotten that, but a little bit of a heads-up might be nice, Alex!” Mary shot back. “We’re supposed to be friends. You talk to me about these things instead of having her dumped on me.”
“I’m sorry, I forgot.”
Alex had forgotten. He had called the most senior partner in the law firm and explained that he was unable to represent Tracey Banfield. Alex felt bad having to lie and say that he had come down with a cold and was waiting for the doctor to check up on him, but it was better than telling him the truth. On Saturday, it was waiting for the doctor, on Sunday it was to confirm that he had a chest infection and he needed a couple of weeks off. That was the only thing Alex could think of that could wash with his boss. He knew that Alex was prone to pneumonia, and he had suffered with it several times since Alex started with the firm. It wasn’t a stretch to think he had come down with something again with it getting colder.
Luckily, his boss bought it and had moved Tracey onto Mary’s schedule at Alex’s suggestion. He had just forgotten to give her a heads-up about it. Alex just had to stay out of the office, once he had collected a few files he needed to work on at home. At this time, it was safe to know that his boss wouldn’t be in; the man was not a morning person. Hopefully, Sharon would shut up about it.
Staying at home with more time to think about Joe probably wasn’t the best idea, but it was better than moping around the office wondering how the court session was going. At least he could agonize at home in private.
“What’s Tracey done to you in a short period of time?” Mary demanded. She tilted her head to the side as she regarded him. “Has she scared you already?”
“She hasn’t done anything, surprisingly.”
“You mean apart from being a nasty bitch.”
Alex spluttered.
“Mary! She’s a client! Your client!”
“What? I’m allowed to have an opinion. Provided it doesn’t go outside of this office.” There it was. Very few fucks to give. Mary frowned. “So why have you passed her to me? That has to be a record for you.”
Alex had debated on what to tell other colleagues if they asked. Some he could trust to keep it quiet, but others...it was best to shut up about it. A couple of them knew Alex’s sexual orientation, but it was rarely discussed. Alex wasn’t in the closet, but he didn’t broadcast. His boss knew that much, and he was fine with it as long as Alex did his job. Suited him fine.
Mary was one of the few who didn’t know he was gay. Alex knew she was a slightly old-fashioned woman and she might not have approved. She was a good person, and Alex liked her company, but he wasn’t about to tell her in case that flipped. It had happened before.
“It...it’s complicated, Mary.”
Mary snorted.
“Don’t give me that, Alexander. You called in sick, and I can tell you’re not, so something definitely happened that you didn’t tell Jeremy. Oh, God,” She shuddered, “please don’t tell me you slept with her!”
“No! God, you sound like Craig when I went to him for advice on this. He knows where my desires lie and even he asked me that.”
That was as close as Alex was going to go without actually saying it. He braced himself, waiting for Mary’s outburst. He saw the moment Mary’s mind clicked with what he had said. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. He might have stood before her naked and would not have gotten the same reaction.
“Oh.” Mary murmured. “Now I get it.”
“You shocked?”
“More surprised. That I wasn’t expecting.” Mary nodded slowly. She was looking less stunned. “I put your lack of a girlfriend down to constantly working. Now it makes sense.”
Not quite what he was expecting. But Alex found himself tensing, expecting something to jump out at him.
“And you’re not bothered about it?”
“You thought I would?”
“Well, I know you’re a bit strict on a few things, and I…”
Mary threw back her head and laughed.
“You silly idiot, Alex! Why would I be bothered who you prefer to date? We’ve worked together for years and I thought we were friends. I think you would know me by now.”
“It’s backfired for me with a few friends before. I wasn’t so sure.” Alex could feel the weight shif
ting off his shoulders, just a little. “The relevant people know, but I don’t broadcast. It’s not really anyone’s business and it doesn’t affect my work, so why should they need to know?”
“Agreed.” Mary chuckled. “Sounds like this made you the perfect person to tackle Ms. Banfield. I take it she tried to flirt with you as well. From what I’ve heard, she attempted it with other male attorneys.”
“First meeting. I told her to cut her bullshit or I would make sure she couldn’t hire a lawyer in the area. That worked.” Thank God; Alex got very uncomfortable whenever a woman flirted with him. He had no idea how to tell them not to do it without offending anyone. And all women got offended when he said to cut it out; Alex had never understood that. “She’s more focused on making her ex-husband hurt, anyway.”
Mary sighed.
“Well, you’re not scared of her, and you didn’t sleep with her because...don’t tell me you slept with the ex!”
Alex stared.
“How did you…?”
“What, you really did?” Mary groaned. “Jesus, Alex!”
“I didn’t know!” Alex realized his voice had risen and lowered it again. “Not then, I didn’t! It was just a one-night stand.”
“More than that if you’re giving it to me.”
“You sound like my mom.”
Mary huffed.
“Well, I wish I were your mom, then I could smack you upside the head. God, Alex, you’ve made a mess here. You’re going to be lucky if you have a job at the end of this. If Mr. Swarbrick opts to report you…”
“I was not working at the time it happened. It was just a mutual thing between consenting adults.” Alex paused. “And he’s not going to report me.”
Not after the way Joe kissed him the night before. He was still struggling between wanting Alex and wanting nothing to do with him, Alex could tell that much. But he was weakening. Hopefully, he would understand soon that things were going to be okay.
Alex had done a lot of thinking over the weekend. And he knew what he wanted. He just needed to get Joe on the same page.