Collateral - 6. Chapter 6

They went straight to Klaus’s room once they were back. Jake didn’t even question why he was not yet allowed to go to his room. Actually, he was unnerved by his ability to just obey the man without putting too much of a fight. He wasn’t scared enough, apparently, and that was something Jake thought he was going to regret sooner or later.

This time, Jake tried to play the stoic and not look at the blond, as he undressed. Klaus left Jake to his own thoughts, while he took a short shower. It took all of Jake’s will power, but he managed.

When the blond came back, completely naked, though, the only thing he could think of was to stare. It wasn’t fair for men like Klaus to be born in the world and give poor fellows like Jake erotic dreams. Conscious of the attention he was getting, Klaus let his hands wander slowly over his perfect six pack and later grab the half sleeping organ to wake it to life.

It appeared as if Klaus didn’t need much of an incentive, either, as he attentively watched Jake follow his every move, with a rapt expression on his still boyish face.

“Are you enjoying it?” he asked, eyeing Jake with a sparkle of amusement in his icy blue eyes.

Jake shook his head as if awaken from a dream.

“What?” he snapped.

“The show I am putting on. All for you,” Klaus drawled out the words and moved to climb on the bed, next to Jake who was sitting on his knees, as if he was ready to jump off the bed. “Since you had so big concerns about my ability to get it up, as you put it, I want you to experience it firsthand.”

With that, Klaus literally took things in his own hands, as he seized one of Jake’s wrists to make the other man palm his manhood.

Jake almost had to bite back a moan. The snake Klaus had between his legs was silky to the touch, yet there was hardness of steel right under the skin, and Jake could only picture how it would have been like to have that impressive thing penetrate him. He had never dared even experimenting with something in that area, let alone something this big. It made him feel fearful and excited in the same time. Engrossed with the unique sensation of gliding his fingers over Klaus’s beautiful cock, he missed the look of wanton desire on the blond’s face.

“Jake,” Klaus whispered, bending slightly to touch their foreheads together. “Do you realize this is as tormenting for me as it is for you?”

He had tried to fight the unfamiliar sensation of having his erection restrained so painfully. He became even more aware of his own cock struggling to get up to no avail.

Klaus’s hands cupped his face gently, and forced him to look up. Blue eyes searched dark ones, on a quest for an answer. Jake let go of the organ he had been caressing so tenderly until then.

“I wanted this to be about seduction,” Klaus spoke softly. “I wanted to be all about me breaching your defenses. Yet, I do not think I have ever wanted someone the way I want you.”

“Maybe because I'm not going to give in,” Jake mumbled, although he felt as if he only had to cross the invisible few inches separating them, to collect the reward for his so long and fruitless resistance. At that moment, a sudden realization hit him; he was lying, he was just going to give in, and he was going to love it so much that it would hurt him never to have it again. Standing there, at the precipice of desire, all bets were off.

He crossed the line. His lips touched Klaus’s mouth feather-like and the blond just stood there, letting him explore without making a move, as if to avoid scaring him off. The kiss was chaste, slow, just lips pressing against lips. Klaus’s hands descended on his shoulders, caressing his arms in their wake, until he reached Jake’s hands. He intertwined their fingers together, and held them gently, as if Jake was something precious and everything about him was precious, too. It made the younger male feel as if the world was finally giving in, letting him live the way he truly wanted, to touch, feel and get close to another without anyone standing on some moral high ground, judging him for it.

Jake gave Klaus’s lips a small, tentative lick. The blond’s mouth parted ever so slightly, granting access. Jake grew bold and pushed his tongue inside. He tasted Klaus to the fullest; he was encouraged to move forward by small strokes against his tongue made by its skillful counterpart. He could swear his eyes were rolling in his head like a slot machine on a lucky Vegas trip. Nothing even remotely similar to what he was feeling now had ever felt this way. From his very few and in between times with girls, he could remember feeling something moist and warm against his mouth. It had been nothing like the scorching heat he felt radiating from Klaus, the strong tongue battling his own, the firm lips catching his and nibbling at them, as if the man was driven by some terrible hunger.

He could stay like this forever. He could just get lost in the sensation and care for nothing in the world. Klaus shifted a little, making Jake move along, and pushed the brunet on his back as he got on top, deepening the kiss.

Suddenly, Jake felt panicky. He was not supposed to let the man do that; if Diaz was to find out … He pushed against the man and Klaus stopped.

“Jake,” Klaus called, but the brunet kept his eyes shut. “Jake, listen to me. You are not a kid anymore. You can do whatever you want, do you understand?”

No matter how gently Klaus was speaking, Jake couldn’t shake off the feeling of dread he was experiencing under the man’s weight. Seeing his stubbornness, Klaus let go and moved away from him. His cheeks ablaze, he rose, but a firm hand caught his.

“I think you should at least show me the courtesy I showed you,” Klaus spoke, and this time, the warmth was partially gone from his voice.

“What do you want?” Jake looked sideways.

“A handjob, obviously,” Klaus sounded a bit annoyed.

Jake grabbed the man’s cock a bit too forcefully. If the blond had any intention to make him look bad, he was wrong. Jake could give him a handjob, no strings attached.

“Easy,” Klaus guided his hand and dragged him onto the bed. “Play with the balls a little, too.”

Jake kept his eyes down, at the task at hand. He frowned, trying to chase away the sudden urge to just bend and take the man’s organ in his mouth, to see how it tasted like.

“Do it how you would do it to yourself,” Klaus cooed and Jake’s moves became gentler, but firmer. He increased the speed slowly, building up the tension, making Klaus’s hips rise a tiny bit from the bed. “You are good, Jake,” Klaus encouraged him. “Yes, like this.”

When the organ grew harder and harder in his hand, Jake could barely refrain a sensation of complete and utter satisfaction. Klaus sat there, at his disposal, his eyes at half mast, his lips still moist from the kiss from earlier, his tiny nipples erect, and his entire body taut, strung and waiting for the anticipated release.

A small moan escaped perfect rosy lips, and Jake watched in fascination how the man was coming in long, powerful waves, ropes of white liquid hitting his chest and abdomen. He milked Klaus for what was worth, and gathered the last drops with his fingers. Unconsciously, he brought them to his mouth and tasted.

Klaus’s eyes grew wide, and Jake jumped from the bed, embarrassed.

“You little pervert,” Klaus laughed, still trying to regain his breath after coming down from his high. “You actually put it in your mouth! I cannot believe you are still playing the virginal role with me! Are you sure you have never been with a guy?”

“Never,” Jake shook his head while heading for the door and trying in vain to open it.

“You will have to ask me for the key,” Klaus stretched on the bed lazily, like a satisfied cat.

“Alright, you had your fun, now let me out,” Jake demanded. “And just for the record, it’s something I do when I jerk off, so I wasn’t really thinking,” he blurted out.

Klaus laughed wholeheartedly. “Do not worry. I will taste yours, too. Soon,” he promised.

“Let me out already,” Jake shook the door and eventually Klaus rose from the bed.

He waited impatiently for the blond to produce the key and open the door. Klaus grabbed his ass and kissed him roughly and quickly on the neck.

“Good night, Jake. I hope you will sleep well, too. But if you cannot, please do come knocking at my door. I would love a teddy bear to keep me warm at night.”

Jake stormed out of the room, without a glance back. He was afraid he was just going to take the man on his offer and send everything he worried about to the depths of hell.

***

Klaus was quite something as he paced his office all business like, while talking on his cell phone. He had been like that all morning, and Jake was beginning to grow bored. Not even on their way to Klaus’s office there had been any words exchanged between them. It looked as if Klaus was a bit preoccupied with something, and Jake was starting to question whether it had all been a dream and he had not really seen how the ice man in front of him truly looked in the throes of desire just the night before.

He rose from the chair, determined to move around a bit. It didn’t seem as if Klaus was paying any attention to him anyway, as he walked away and started wandering the hallways. It seemed as everyone was busy, so Jake decided to start conducting some exploring on his own.

As he pushed through a door, and turned on the light, he found himself in front of a city in miniature displayed on a large table with buildings, car parking slots, parks, and everything. Fascinated, he got closer. A few flags with names on them let him know that he was basically looking at a new and much improved version of his own town. Maybe that was why Klaus was so preoccupied. He really had his work cut out for him, if he wanted to turn the entire place around.

Hesitantly, he grabbed one tall building. It was not its place next to the park. Frowning, he started studying the panoramic view. Eventually, he saw where the building was going to look better. Satisfied, he placed it there. The park needed more trees, he decided next.

It felt better than any game he had ever played. His brother had often told him he could be a good construction worker. There was no DIY project inside their small apartment he was not taking on with enthusiasm. His natural inclination had found little fertile ground to manifest though.

Taking a step back, he looked with satisfaction at his handy work. The miniature town no longer looked straight-laced and conformist. The contrast of various shapes, the messy greenery he chose to spread around, created the illusion that the small cardboard toy town was bustling with life.

“Oh, no, what have you done?” he heard a feminine voice almost shrieking.

He turned to see Martha, her high cheeks ablaze, clutching a leather case in her hands, with an expression of disbelief and indignation painted all over her face.

“How am I going to repair this?” the woman continued as she frantically moved towards the table, taking in the proportions of the disaster.

Jake opened his mouth to apologize, but he realized he had no idea what to say. Why was she so upset, anyway?

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, seeing her so disturbed over his little play.

“Sorry? Really?” she almost yelled at him.

It was clear that she could barely maintain a resemblance of control. Jake could bet she was one breath away from digging her long perfectly manicured nails into his throat.

“What is going on?” Jake heard Klaus, who apparently was now joining the party.

“This happened,” Martha made a theatrical gesture towards the table. “I had no idea he was going to wander around the place and …” she started her tirade, but a small gesture from Klaus made her stop.

“Martha, please hurry back to the front desk. The investors should be here any minute now.”

She opened her mouth to add something, but Klaus had already moved to watch the display on the table with a deep frown on his forehead. Most probably she knew better as she walked quickly out of the room.

Jake could cut the tension in the room with a knife.

“I’m sorry, I just thought it was a … I don’t know, something that didn’t matter,” he spoke slowly, as if he was afraid Klaus was going to explode just like Martha had done earlier.

Klaus emitted a small grunt in response. His fingers moved over the table, caressed a few toy buildings in passing, but didn’t move anything.

“Could you put it back as it was?” Jake asked, feeling more and more out of place.

“I suppose I could, but the people interested in seeing the project will be here soon,” Klaus spoke, while straightening up and looking Jake in the eyes.

“Damn,” the brunet cast his eyes down. “I screwed up big time, didn’t I?”

“That is something we will see. Now, because you almost made Martha have a heart attack, you will be my assistant throughout the meeting.”

“Me? But …” Jake gestured towards his t-shirt and jeans.

“Yes, but …” Klaus let a ghostly smile hover over his lips for a brief second. “There are no actions without consequences, and sometimes you have to play the hand you are dealt. You do not agree?”

Jake didn’t have the chance to say anything as the door opened and Martha’s musical voice was heard, inviting the guests in. Too nervous to look at the newcomers, he stubbornly kept his eyes down.

A few pleasantries were exchanged, and soon everyone was seated. Jake felt even more out of place, sitting away from everyone else, and also inappropriately dressed for the occasion.

“I must admit, Mister Metzger, that I was expecting something else from you,” one of the older men seated at the table spoke. “I thought your style was … let’s say, more rigorous.”

“I decided to try something a bit different this time around,” Klaus let a secretive smile dance on his lips.

Jake felt like he was suddenly back in school, and he was about to be asked about homework. Maybe Klaus was just kidding about using him as an assistant. He had never felt more intimidated in his entire life. He preferred having to deal with a pack of dogs or a street gang, rather than speaking as much as a word in front of all those people dressed in impeccable suits that probably didn’t even know people like Jake breathed on the face of the planet.

“My assistant here will explain to you all about this new face of the project. I am known as a man who is not afraid to take chances, and I think that, in this case, my intuition serves well. Please, Jake,” he gestured towards the brunet.

Jake dug his short nails into his palms. Klaus wasn’t joking; he was going to force him to make a fool of himself. There was no way back. Something in the way blue eyes stared at him, challenging him, made him uneasy. There was no place for him in a nice conference room like this one. If that was what Klaus wanted to demonstrate, be it.

His voice sounded unsure at first. He got closer to the table and started explaining, about playgrounds for children, about the necessity to have a supermarket closer to the city, about more greenery that had to be added to compensate for the eternal pollution from cars. When he was finished, everyone was silent. He bit the inside of his cheek. Every moment now, they were going to start laughing.

The older man who had talked to Klaus first spoke. “A more community driven project?” he scrunched his nose. “I see some extra expenses being involved this way, and I would have preferred the initial plan where everything was the absolute expression of efficiency. I usually like to calculate my return on investment to the letter.”

“Some benefits are hardly calculated this way,” a woman in her 50s sitting next to the man talked. “I think this new perspective is quite interesting, and it is worth taking into consideration. Will there be extra expenses? Without a doubt, but keeping the community happy will create a friendlier atmosphere for tourists, as well. I personally think this would be good for business.”

Jake felt his chest expanding for some reason. He had not thought it that way but the lady was right; people would be happier if something was done for them, too.

The discussion around the table became animated, with everyone expressing their opinions. Jake withdrew, and eventually Klaus started to speak. The entire audience fell silent.

“I think there are plenty of ideas to move around. I would like to hear all your suggestions and then have a second meeting, to see where we can agree to disagree,” he said with a smile.

His offer was seemingly considered reasonable enough, as murmurs of agreement could be heard throughout the room. Klaus thanked them and guided them out.

Once the door was closed, Jake could sense something was different. The affable businessman was gone as Klaus turned. A small click let Jake know that the door was now locked with a key.

The blond moved around the table, with the look of a predatory feline written all over his face.

“So, my dear assistant, you managed to get everyone from what I had as a total consensus to the point where they all think they have the right to an opinion,” he said thinly.

Was Klaus angry? Jake could not really tell. Anger didn’t seem to be an emotion the blond could develop or show. Even when he had beaten Jake’s attackers that night, he hadn’t lost his cool for a second. He could be passionate, as Jake had seen, but now he was staring of a different face of the man, and it made him feel apprehensive and uneasy deeply into his gut.

“Sorry about that,” he eventually managed. “You could always turn back to the initial plan, right? This,” he gestured towards the table, “doesn’t matter.”

Klaus was now dangerously close. Jake knew it would be wise to take a step back, but he remained where he was. He had no reason to let Klaus put him down.

“Really?” Klaus crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you have the slightest idea what a setback could do for this project? Money, real money will be lost.”

Jake shrugged. “Then that’s too bad,” he said stubbornly. “I guess everyone is going to search for another fish to fry.”

Klaus frowned and Jake gulped. “And leave this town, right?” the blond asked. “Leave everyone as poor and hopeless as before?”

“Don’t sell me that crap,” Jake spoke passionately. “You only care about making money. Why am I supposed to care?”

“Maybe because me making money means your brother and the rest making money and getting a better life, too,” Klaus reminded him, and Jake’s resolve faltered a little.

He hated to admit, but he knew Klaus was right. Even if the man only cared about lining his pockets, that didn’t mean that there were many people with money interested in their shitty town. In a way, that was a premiere, and it looked like Jake had screwed big time. He bit his bottom lip in anger. This time, though, he was angry at himself.

Cool fingers tilted his chin. “Come on, do not look down. It was not that bad,” Klaus spoke softly, his earlier severity suddenly gone.

It was as if the man could read Jake’s mind and that was hard to bear.

“Yes, it was,” he spoke, while avoiding Klaus’s touch, who was trying to caress his cheek. “If this blows, it’s all my fault.”

“Good,” Klaus said. “You understand. Now, drop your pants and bend over there,” Klaus gestured towards the end of the table where there was a portion of empty space.

Jake’s eyes widened. Looking at Klaus, he could tell the man wasn’t joking.

“What? Are you going to fuck me now?” he demanded.

The aggressive stance he took didn’t seem able to impress Klaus.

“Fuck you?” the blond chuckled. “That would be a reward, and I have no reward in store for doing something bad. No, Jake, what I need you to do right now is to do as told, and receive your punishment like a big boy.”

Punishment? Jake’s heart grew smaller. Klaus’s blue eyes were glued to him.

“Disappointed that I said I would not fuck you?” the blond teased. “That will come later, at the right time. Now, I want your lovely ass up in the air.”

“If I don’t do it, I won’t see the end of it, right?” he asked.

Jake knew he was not supposed to listen to some guy just because he said so. But the imperious look in Klaus’s eyes, and a little voice inside telling him that he was going to spend the entire day locked in there if he wasn’t going to do what he was told, eventually made him move.

He dropped his pants and bent over the table. “Hurry up and do whatever you want to do. But no fucking,” he warned, although the idea of being taken by the man like that was making his cock strain against the contraption device he was wearing.

The first slap across his buttocks came without warning. He yelped, too surprised to keep it inside.

“That will teach you to do whatever crosses your mind,” Klaus spoke tenderly, in contrast with the viciousness of his slaps.

Jake bit his bottom lip. He wasn’t going to give the guy the satisfaction to know about the strange sensation coursing through his veins, pooling into his groin, with each slap.

Klaus caressed the reddened butt cheeks and chuckled softly. “Enough?” he asked, and Jake shuddered.

“You’re one fucked up dude,” Jake eventually spoke. “You should know whether you got your rocks off or not.”

He felt his pants hiked up and pushed against the table to get on his feet. It was like he was only a child as Klaus was helping him get dressed. He turned, overly conscious his cheeks were on fire. He didn’t have the nerve to look Klaus in the eyes. The man tilted his chin, making him look up.

“You took a gamble earlier. You proved yourself worthy of my interest once more. And the best thing is that they liked what you told them.”

“I messed up, that’s what I did,” Jake said stubbornly, trying to look down.

Klaus’s hand moved and touched his lips, a curious thumb pressing against his bottom lip.

“You are too young to play this self-defeating act,” the blond chided him affectionately.

“It’s no act.”

“Really?” Klaus seemed unconvinced. “Tonight I am throwing a party at my house,” he suddenly changed the subject. “I bought some new clothes for you.”

Jake opened his mouth to protest, but the man silenced him. “Hush, I will have none of it. You will like them. They are nothing fancy.”

The brunet straightened up.

“Now, I hope you learned your lesson and you will avoid touching anything you are not allowed to.”

“I am bored out of my head,” Jake murmured.

“Seeing that you are so anxious to do something, I’ll have something for you to do.”

“I don’t want to play secretary,” Jake complained right away.

“I have nothing of the kind in store for you. I will take you to work to one of the construction sites. This way, I will make sure you will spend your energy on something productive.”

“Alright,” Jake nodded.

“But tonight,” Klaus caressed his cheeks slowly, “I want you to look your best. I would like to show you off a little.”

A small flutter in his stomach encouraged him to shut it. But he spoke nonetheless. “Why don’t you show off your friend? He’s much better looking and he’s into you, unlike me.”

“Jake, Jake,” Klaus cooed, “why are you being so stubborn? Do you realize you are making me aroused beyond measure? I am already fighting myself to not touch you more,” Klaus’s voice dropped to a whisper, as his lips hovered close to Jake’s ear.

“That’s your problem,” Jake retorted, although he could tell his breathing was growing shallow, as he waited for the blond to get closer and kiss him.

Klaus seemed to be the master of restraint, though; he let go of Jake and took a step back.

“After you,” he smiled and pointed to the door.

Jake could hardly hide his disappointment as he moved to exit the room. If it hadn’t have been for his fear of consequences, he would have been in Klaus’s open arms in no time. But that was a luxury he could not afford.