Billion Dollar Love: Manlove Edition

by 6 Author Anthology

  Pushing his chair back, he grabbed his coffee mug and headed for the breakroom. There was only a dribble of coffee in the carafe, so he started to make a fresh pot. He sat at the table and watched the dark liquid trickle down. His skin still felt hot, and he couldn’t help wondering what had happened after he’d left Adam’s office. Had the man simply gone back to work? Had he left?

  Or had he closed his door and jerked off?

  Ben turned his coffee cup in his hands, looking at the small cracks and chips all over it. Did Adam have a personal coffee cup, a favorite? Or was there a cabinet full of generic ones somewhere near the coffee station by his assistant’s desk?

  How the fuck am I supposed to get through the rest of this day? I just came harder than I have in years … into the CEO’s mouth.

  He drew the piece of paper from his pocket, gazing at the numbers until he had them practically memorized. He took out his cell phone and entered it, though he hesitated before saving it. At first, he’d put in AR for Adam Raymond, but he deleted that and put Mr. Billionaire. It felt good for some reason. But he sat there and stared at it for a moment. He didn’t think Adam was a bad man, but his chest grew tight at the memory of that moment Friday night. Every inch of his body had tingled when he’d spotted Adam, and the smile he’d received had seemed to be one of recognition. Every fantasy he’d ever indulged in had begun playing out in his head, but it had all come to a grinding halt when Adam had broken a heated kiss to ask what his name was. It had taken everything Ben had to keep himself from punching the other man. Something inside him had fractured, and it still ached.

  He pushed the memory away, but another one floated up. Adam, down on his knees greedily sucking and licking Ben’s cock. Nothing could’ve surprised Ben more. He imagined the roles were typically reversed. He could certainly imagine dozens of men willingly going down on their knees for Adam Raymond.

  He had definitely been ready to do that, and more, on Friday night.

  Had Adam done it to stop him from leaving? To grab his attention? To manipulate him? For all he knew about the wealthy man, Ben didn’t actually know him, despite what he’d said in anger. Was he lonely? Isolated? It seemed possible, given the way he’d practically begged Ben to have dinner with him. Something in his eyes had seemed so vulnerable, desperate even, and it certainly played havoc with his previous impressions of the man.

  Ben rose and fixed himself a cup of coffee once it finished brewing. As he stirred the sugar in, he found himself wondering if Adam would actually do what he had promised. Would he come to Ben’s little apartment and pick him up, then whisk him off to his mansion and cook him dinner? He found it hard to believe.

  As he walked back to his desk, he stopped short to avoid colliding with a man carrying some flowers. He turned to walk to his cubicle and stopped again when he realized it was Adam’s assistant, Eric. Ben watched him set the bouquet on his desk and then turn around and walk off, changing his route through the cubicles so he didn’t pass Ben again.

  Ben saw several heads pop up, and most of the people stared at him expectantly. He walked over to his desk, anger rising again. How dare Adam do this during working hours, mere minutes after their confrontation. Did the man have no patience at all?

  Ben strode over and looked down at the vase of blue hyacinths. They were actually very pretty, and the arrangement was simple and tasteful. He reached for the card and turned to the wall of his cubicle to read it.

  I’m sorry. I’m not perfect, far from it. I try to stay objective and distant, and obviously I can’t live every moment of my life that way. All I want is a chance to see if there’s more between us than just this spark. If I fuck up again, I’ll let you walk away, no matter how much I want you to stay.

  Adam hadn’t signed the card, but he had written it out by hand. At least it had been sealed. It was bad enough Eric had been sent to deliver the flowers personally, not to mention the fact he might’ve heard them in Adam’s office, without the other man getting a peek at this.

  “Hey, Ben, got some of your mail in my box again,” a voice said from the other side of the cubicle wall.

  Ben looked over and saw Chloe sorting her mail, her purse still on her shoulder, as if she’d just gotten there, and some other bags scattered around. She smiled as she leaned over to hand it to him, but she paused and leaned in more when she saw the flowers. “Wow, who messed up?” she asked.

  Ben took his mail and said, “Oh, a friend.”

  She smiled. “My mom’s a florist. Those are apology flowers. For when you effed up big time.”

  Ben eyed the flowers. “Yeah, he did.” He shoved the note into his pocket. “But it’ll be fine.”

  “Sweet of a friend to send flowers,” Chloe said, looking expectant.

  “Yeah, it was. Very sweet.” Ben shoved the flowers to the corner and sat at his desk, swiveling his chair so he faced his computer.

  Chloe hovered a moment, still looking over the top of the cubicle wall, but then she sat down and started humming to herself. He knew he heard whispering in the surrounding cubicles. Since she’d obviously just gotten into the office, she didn’t know about him going to Adam’s office, and she didn’t seem to have noticed Eric dropping the flowers off. Would someone tell Chloe who had brought them? How many people had heard what she said? And what kind of connections were they all going to make to Adam calling Ben to his office after the meeting?

  Ben signed off his computer and grabbed his stuff. He thought about leaving the flowers, but that might make the gossip worse. He grabbed them and bolted for the elevator. If Adam had a problem with him leaving early, that was on him.

  ****

  Friday Night

  Adam sat in his living room, alone. He’d opened a bottle of wine, but he hadn’t even poured himself a glass yet. He found himself looking around the room and wondering what Ben would think of it. Was it too spartan, or would Ben like the simplicity? Did Ben like contemporary furnishings or more classic designs? Adam found the room elegant, but what if Ben liked cozy functionality better?

  The couches were white, which wasn’t very practical. Adam eyed the bottle of wine he’d brought into the living room with him. He’d never spilled any, but what if he did? He shifted forward on the couch and finally poured himself a glass. I know where the cleaning supplies are and how to use them. He almost laughed at himself, as that wasn’t the kind of thing anyone typically bragged about. A cleaning service came in once a month, but lots of people did that. Did Ben think he had a live-in maid or other servants? A personal assistant who arranged everything? The house was pretty big, but a good scrub once a month was fine for most of it. He was more than capable of handling the kitchen and bathroom himself, and he did little besides sleep in his bedroom.

  Adam sipped his wine. There hadn’t been another person in that bedroom for nearly a year. If he’d just kept his mouth shut a bit longer, Ben would’ve said something to give away that they worked together. It would’ve clicked then, and at the right moment, Adam could’ve hidden his surprise and…

  He sighed and took a big gulp of the wine, a little running down his chin. He wiped at it and then set his class down on a marble coaster. The past couldn’t be undone, so there was no point in imagining how things could’ve gone. All he had now was the future.

  Drawing his phone out, he stared down at it a moment before tapping the screen. He went to his contacts and stared at the top of the list. His emergency contact was still his younger brother, but he’d put Ben in there with a number one in front of his name so the phone sorted him to the top. It felt a little silly, but no one else ever saw this phone anyway.

  Adam dropped the phone when a message came through, the sudden buzzing having startled him. He snagged it off the floor, and his heart thudded when he saw Ben’s name. He swiped to open the message and read it.

  I see you aren’t in the club tonight.

  Adam had thought about it but decided to stay home. I’m at home. I didn’t feel like going out.
>
  A reply came right away. Too bad. It’s packed tonight.

  Adam wrote back. I don’t like it when it’s too crazy.

  How do you like it?

  Adam exited the texting app and dialed Ben’s number, praying he would pick up. He did, after four rings.

  “Gonna be hard for me to talk,” Ben said, the sounds of the club blasting as he shouted into the phone.

  “I can wait. Go outside.”

  Ben didn’t reply, but he didn’t hang up either. The sounds varied for a few minutes before lessening. Adam heard what seemed to be a car door slamming.

  “Okay,” Ben said. “You gonna answer my question?”

  “You gonna explain your question?”

  Ben was silent for almost a minute. “You said you don’t like the club when it’s crazy. You mean you like it quiet?”

  “I only go there a few times a year. When there’s no live music. When it’s more mellow.”

  “You mean you aren’t out every night, dragging men into your arms?”

  “We’ve already talked about that. Did you text me just to tease me? After ignoring me all week?”

  “No. When you weren’t in the club, I wondered if you were home.”

  “I am. Sitting here on my own with a bottle of wine.”

  “Sounds cozy.”

  “You mean lonely?”

  Ben chuckled. “No, I mean cozy.”

  “I guess it is. Maybe.” He paused before he said, “But it’s also lonely.”

  “Can’t help you there.”

  “You can. Come over. I can’t wait until Monday to see you again.”

  Ben hesitated. “I can hardly get into my apartment, you know. All the damned flowers.”

  “I’m not apologizing for them.”

  “Didn’t expect you to.”

  “Please come over. I don’t like talking without being able to see your face. Tell what you’re thinking.”

  “So sure you can tell what I’m thinking by looking at me?”

  “No, but it’s better than guessing. Than waiting through the silences.”

  Ben laughed again. “But isn’t the tension nice? The anticipation?”

  “If you’re serious and not just messing with me, I’ll endure anything.”

  Another silence fell. “I don’t know what to make of you.”

  “Come find out. I’m sure I’m lots of the things you think I am, but how can I change if you aren’t here to tell me what’s so terrible about me?”

  “Never said anything about you was terrible,” Ben said right away.

  “I’ll text my address. And the gate code.”

  “Hmmm. Last time we were alone, you assaulted me.”

  “You wouldn’t even be talking to me if you really saw it that way.”

  In a low voice, Ben said, “Maybe I was trying to be kinky and now you’ve ruined it.”

  Adam groaned, his body responding as those whispered words replayed in his head. “I’m hanging up to text you. Please say you’ll come.”

  “You think you can make me come?”

  Adam’s cock ached as he palmed it. “Hanging up now.”

  Ben’s soft laughter came through before Adam ended the call. He texted his details with shaking fingers.

  Save me a glass of wine was Ben’s reply.

  Adam mentally calculated the distance to Club Status and rubbed his shaft again, knowing he’d be ready to explode by the time Ben arrived. He went to the kitchen for another wine glass, then filled it up before topping his off.

  He moved to the window, his gaze fixed on the dark, winding driveway.

  ****

  Ben punched in the gate code and then pulled in, pausing to make sure the gate closed behind him. He couldn’t see the house at all. The only lights anywhere near were the ones flanking the gate. He turned his high beams on and drove slowly through the woods, wondering how far back the house was.

  At least the driveway is paved. It was steep and hilly in places, some trees very close to the edge. When he finally emerged from the dense trees, he stopped to look at the house. The exterior was brick and rather simple, but the house was still massive. Ben guessed it had at least twenty rooms, if not more. He pulled up to the front door, figuring it didn’t matter where he parked. A three-car garage sat off to one side, one of the company cars parked in front of the middle door.

  Ben got out and looked up at the house again. The door swung open as he stood there, and Adam stepped out. The dark-haired man was barefoot but still wore dress slacks and a white button down.

  Ben pocketed his keys and walked over. “I’m here.”

  “You are. And I’m feeling better already.”

  Ben stepped inside and looked around. Again, everything was simple but much bigger than it needed to be. Everything was painted cream, and the foyer held a coatrack, a marble-top table, and an umbrella stand. A large mirror hung over the table.

  “I’d feel lonely too if I had to ramble around in this place,” Ben said as Adam closed the door. “Any pets?”

  “No. You?”

  “A cat. Latte. She’s cream with brown patches.”

  Adam frowned. “I should’ve found that out before sending flowers.”

  “Oh, she doesn’t knock things over.”

  “No, I mean, some are poisonous, aren’t they? To cats?”

  The fact Adam even had that thought made Ben’s eyebrows pop up. “Well, yeah, but I check before bringing them into the apartment. I took out the lilies, and I had to throw out the hyacinths, too. I don’t think she’d have tried to chew on them, but you never know.”

  “I’m so sorry. I won’t send any more.”

  Ben walked over to Adam and looked up into his eyes. “The hyacinths were nice. Someone told me they mean you’re sorry for fucking up in a major way.”

  “That’s what the florist said.”

  “Is the prince really so lonely in his castle?”

  Adam looked disappointed as he said, “Can’t I be a regular person to you for even five seconds?”

  “You can only be who you are.” Ben glanced around. “Point me to my glass of wine.”

  Adam hesitated a moment before leading him down a hall and into a large living room. White couches were arranged in a square in the middle of the room, and a large glass coffee table sat in the middle, a bottle of wine and two full glasses sitting on it. Adam picked up both glasses and handed one to Ben. Gazing around, Ben finally noticed a splash of color in the form of a few large watercolor paintings. The house was beautiful, in a way, but it didn’t seem very lived in.

  Adam said, “I’m glad you came, though I’m not sure I can keep up with the banter all night.”

  Ben held his gaze as he said, “You said you’d endure anything.”

  Adam actually smiled at that. “I did. Guess I should stop complaining.”

  “You should. You seem to have very little to complain about.”

  Adam gestured for him to sit, and Ben did. Adam sat as well, leaving one couch cushion between them. “On the phone, you were pretty quick to say you didn’t think there was anything terrible about me.”

  “Yes. I don’t think you’re a bad person. Not at all. You’re assuming the worst simply because I challenge you.”

  “You sound like you hate people with wealth and power outright. Without knowing anything about them.”

  “I have issues with people who are simply given things. Who don’t work for them.”

  “You see me at work. The fact I’m not tied to a computer doesn’t mean I don’t work. And having a driver saves time. I drive myself everywhere except work.” He set his wine down. “Would you be this hostile if I’d recognized you last Friday?”

  Ben sipped his wine, which was very good and probably very expensive. “Honestly? No. It would still come up, though. I wouldn’t be won over with a little wining and dining. Fancy gifts.”

  “That’s not how I operate. Yes, I would buy you things, but…” He sighed.

  “You�
��re doing fine. Don’t give up yet.” Ben set his wine down.

  “Is this all some kind of test?”

  Ben shook his head. “No. We’re getting to know each other.”

  “Tell me about you.”

  Ben inched a bit closer. “Well, I have corporate job. A cat named Latte. I drive a black car. I wear glasses most of the time.” He pushed them up his nose as Adam frowned. “And based on your reaction Monday, my cum tastes pretty good.”

  “And you’re a tease who likes to mock people.” Adam came forward on the couch and picked up his glass, taking a long sip before setting it down.

  Ben put his down as well and closed the gap between them. “You aren’t kicking me out, though.”

  Adam rested his arm on the back of the couch, almost but not quite touching Ben. “No. I’m not.”

  Ben looked down and then ran his hand over Adam’s cock, which strained against his pants and grew harder under Ben’s touch. “You been alone a long time, or is there something special about me?”

  “Both, but the look in your eyes last week more than anything. The way you kissed me.” Adam arched up a little as Ben stroked him again.

  “Did you jerk off after I left Monday?”

  “Yes. I wrote that card and sent Eric for the flowers. Then I locked the door and took care of things.”

  “How good was it?”

  “Not as good as it could’ve been.” Adam leaned in to kiss Ben.

  Ben stopped stroking Adam and pulled back, resting two fingers over Adam’s lips. “When I first saw you three years ago, my cock jerked in my pants. I actually avoided you because you made me nervous. But you were nice every time I said something to you at a party or event. I was actually nervous, though, about being on your team. I thought I’d just be torturing myself every day. Wanting the boss.” He withdrew his hand. “That’s the reason for the look in my eyes last week. The way I kissed you.” He moved off the couch to the floor. “And the way I’m about to suck your cock.”