Friends, Sexcapades, And Love Affairs - 9. That Makes Two Of Us

Chapter Nine – That Makes Two Of Us

Adrian studied the expensive pen in his hand, seemingly fascinated with its craftsmanship. Edward had nothing to worry about. During the week, Adrian was mostly all work and no play, but, of course, that was not at all why he cared about keeping his promises. Just like the luxury item in his hand, Edward was intriguing him and very much pleased him, which was not something he could say about any partner he had ever shared fleeting moments of pleasure with.

If someone had asked what he liked so much about Edward, he would have been hard-pressed to define it. Maybe Adrian hadn't been challenged in a while, and that was all there was to it. But there was also something else. Despite the stern facade, despite the cool control Edward tried to project, Adrian felt he could read something else beneath the surface. That made him curious and want to learn more about Edward. In a nutshell, the man was a mystery, and Adrian found himself quite taken with that.

It didn't hurt, of course, that Edward had a fantastic body and knew what to do in bed. Adrian had decidedly felt rewarded when Edward had given in each time. The game of push and pull was enough to make him get a boner right that moment, and, seeing how he was at work, that wasn't such a great idea.

Maybe after fucking a different guy weekend after weekend, everyone had started blending into plastic faces that no longer meant anything to him. Things were different with Edward. Adrian could recall if he only closed his eyes, how Edward’s upper lip curved enticingly, how his skin felt smooth under hurried fingers, how his eyes flashed with reined-in emotions, giving away their owner and what he truly felt inside.

Adrian wasn't the betting type, but he was willing to believe that Edward must have had some rigid upbringing. He was operating within the borders of an existence someone else had drawn for him, and trying desperately, even at his age, to go beyond them. That must have been why Edward was part of some selective club of perverts, or it was all just speculation, and Adrian was getting a bit too interested in another man, more than he had been in years.

That didn't mean that his fingers didn't itch to call Edward. It was late, and while Adrian was putting in the hours, maybe Edward had finished his workday and didn't mind a bit of chatting before the usual time they held their conversations. Adrian didn't want to be trained like a puppy, to salivate once the clock struck the hour his owner chose.

He was about to call when his assistant, Rachel, rushed through the door. "Adrian, we are in trouble!"

"The prints look good," Adrian said as he browsed through the folder on his desk. "What's the trouble?"

"Antonio is just scared of dogs! We can't get a shot right! We might have to consider tying him up."

Adrian sighed. "He's scared of dogs? Didn't he know what the shoot was all about?"

"He thought he would deal with pugs or something cutesy like that," Rachel replied promptly.

Adrian began rubbing his forehead. "Someone should have notified him that we were using Rottweilers in the shoot."

Rachel moved nervously from one foot to another. "I'm sorry, chief. I guess it's my bad." Rachel was a great assistant, but she tended to apply her own set of values to the most surprising situations and circumstances. "I think Bane and Blaze are uber cute. But Antonio is afraid they might kill him."

Adrian knew the pair of Rottweilers came highly recommended, and their owner was present, so Antonio should have proven already that he was a pro and could shoot a damned commercial without pissing his pants. However, that was an unexpected drawback. It had been a bit of a hassle to book Antonio, as he was a model in high demand right now, and his brooding dark looks were an excellent match for what they had in mind.

Now, he would just have to postpone the shoot and find someone else, which was unfortunate, seeing how everyone worked so hard to meet deadlines and go beyond the call of duty for their clients. In this case, the company selling premium food for dogs, and an important one at that, couldn't be too happy with the delay.

"Rachel, please, comfort Antonio, while I try to solve this."

"Yes, boss," Rachel said, military style, and then ran out of Adrian's office.

He hesitated for a few moments, but then he grabbed his phone. Edward answered on the second ring. "Could it be that my watch no longer shows the time correctly? I thought you would still be at work."

"What can I say? I'm an unpredictable man," Adrian said. "Actually, I was wondering how good you really are with dogs."

"Are you gagging for your collar that much?" Edward teased.

"Gagging." Adrian chuckled. "Sometimes, Your Majesty, your vocabulary surprises me. No, I'm not gagging for anything. It's only that I'm shooting a commercial right now, and my first choice for a model is terribly afraid of the two Rottweilers that should star in the shoot with him. Or the dogs don’t like him. I’m not exactly sure, but this is messing up my schedule big time."

"That's terribly unfortunate. Is there anything you wanted to ask me?"

"Yeah. Do you know someone who's good looking, doesn't mind starring in a commercial that pays pretty well and also has a love for dogs?"

"Is this your trying to avoid to ask me the question directly? I am not interested in monetary compensation, but otherwise, I believe I fit the description."

"I thought you might be busy," Adrian said and smiled to himself. "Oh, so you consider yourself good looking?"

"I am a bit better than average; I like to think. Of course, if it's an Adonis you want for this commercial of yours, I will politely decline."

"Nah, you're perfect. It would really help me if you came down here right now."

"You're as demanding as ever. How did you know I would say 'yes' to such a thing? After all, it's as remote as possible from my line of work, and I don't think I made myself as available as you believe me to be."

"I think, Your Majesty, that you have a hidden desire to do things that are out of your comfort zone just so that you can prove that you can, and nothing and no one could ever stand in your way."

"You shouldn't have worked in advertising, Adrian. I believe that it would have suited you better if you played the shrink, seeing how you have a knack for psychoanalysis."

"It helps, though, even where I am," Adrian said. "So, you're willing to work for nothing? That's not exactly possible."

"Just write down whatever you want. No, better, write a check for one dollar. I will make sure to collect from you the due payment."

"Hmm. Sounds promising. How long until you get here?"

"Not long. Just wait for me."

"I won't do anything else in the meantime," Adrian promised courteously. He called for his assistant as soon as he put the phone down. "Rachel, you can tell poor Antonio that he's free to go. Also, make sure to be tough about negotiating how much of the fee he's still paid."

"Oh, he said he just wanted out of here. I think I negotiated pretty well," Rachel said with a large smile.

"Ah. I see. Most probably, you played with the dogs and tried to convince him to do so, too."

"That must have had a role in how fast he wanted out of here. He'll be happy when I tell him he can go. So, did you solve the problem, chief?"

Adrian’s reply was a knowing smirk. Rachel showed him two thumbs up.

“Who’s the model? Don’t tell me you managed to get Bruno! OMG, I love Bruno! He’s just so my type!”

“And also very much married,” Adrian said.

Rachel’s face fell comically. “A girl can still fantasize, right?”

“Our model for the shoot will be here soon, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“Do I have to prepare him for meeting the dogs?”

“Like you did with Antonio?”

“Just take money off my pay,” Rachel moaned. “I know I screwed up.”

“Nah, torturing you is way more fun. Plus, if I were to punish you by cutting from your paycheck, I would have to complete way too much paperwork.”

“So, aren’t you going to tell me who this guy is?” Rachel asked again.

“It’s a surprise.”

“I can barely wait,” Rachel said and went out the door, most probably eager to play some more with the dogs.

***

“Is there a fountain of youth buried in your backyard, or you’re secretly out of work and get your beauty sleep in the afternoon?” Adrian asked the moment Edward was in his office, comfortably sitting on one of the chairs across his desk. Edward looked as if he had just walked off a catwalk, minus the scrawny, anorexic figure. The suit was new, Adrian could tell, and the dark green, which Edward appeared to prefer, made his eyes deeper and more magnetic than usual.

“One, a fountain can’t be buried. And two, did you just call me a slacker?”

“Actually, it was a compliment I was aiming at.” Adrian played with his pen while he looked at Edward.

He got up from his desk, with a sudden eagerness to examine Edward head to toes. Edward just turned imperceptibly in his chair. He had crossed his legs, and he was balancing one foot slowly as he watched Adrian in turn.

Adrian didn’t think himself the type to be into kinks. But there was something weirdly attractive in the curve of an ankle covered by a silk sock, the hem of the pant leg stopping just at the right length, and the expensive shoe moving hypnotically as if the person wearing it was trying to perform magic.

“I do care about these shoes. You’re staring as if you can’t wait to chew on them.”

Adrian cleared his throat, annoyed that he had been caught ogling his guest. “I’m just a fan of the brand,” he said in an irritated voice.

“Hmm,” Edward purred. “You know you can be honest with me, Adrian. Don’t tell me you crafted a lie just so that you could drag me here and stake your claim once more. Are you actually the misbehaved dog I’m supposed to take care of?” As he said those words, Edward leaned forward and examined Adrian with seductive eyes.

“No, and stop trying to give me a boner,” Adrian replied.

“Are you sure you’re not the one more at fault than me here? I’m not sure it’s practical to stare at me like you would like to strip me naked while I'm here to help you with a work-related task.”

“Right,” Adrian said dryly. He moved his eyes away from Edward. Staring too much was bound to become dangerous. Apparently, he couldn’t be in the same room with the other without instantly thinking about sex. “Let me see where the airhead I have as an assistant is so that we can get this show on the road.”

As if summoned by magic, Rachel burst through the door without knocking. For some reason, she had the dogs with her. “Chief, is the model here already? Mr. Rogers, their owner, got impatient and said he needed to leave.”

Ah, that explained the dogs. “So you kidnapped the dogs?” Adrian asked.

Rachel just nodded. Then she noticed Edward. Adrian observed, not without amusement, how her eyes grew as big as saucers. He had an inkling Bruno, Antonio, and all the other models Rachel had ever worked with had just been demoted one place to make room for the king. Rachel wasn’t Adrian’s assistant for nothing. She had an eye for beauty, but also for something deeper than that. As much as she was an airhead, she could tell things about people, things that weren’t visible to the naked eyes, and most people, and that was why Adrian wouldn’t have traded her for anyone else. Edward stood up, buttoning his jacket carefully.

“Hello,” he said in a cool, measured voice. “Are these the two miscreants?”

The Rottweilers must have gone through a bit of excitement, as their tongues were lolling out, and they seemed to be interested in Edward, too. They were frolicking around Rachel’s legs that it was a wonder she could still stand on her two feet. That had to be one of those moments when Adrian was glad his assistant didn’t wear high heels and impractical clothes.

“Please, release them …” Edward hesitated for a moment and looked at Adrian.

“This is my assistant, Rachel. Rachel, this is Edward. He will help us with our shoot.”

Rachel smiled broadly. “Are you sure you want me to let them free? They tend to lick everything they see and is attached to a human being.”

“Of course,” Edward replied. “Please, Rachel, now.”

His voice was firm but not unpleasant. With a shrug, Rachel freed the dogs from their leashes, and the Rottweilers hurried to assault Edward, seemingly attracted to him and completely ignoring Adrian.

Edward put one hand in the air, opening the palm. “Sit.”

The two Rottweilers stopped and assumed the standard position immediately.

“Wow,” Adrian said, not afraid to express how impressed he was. He turned toward Rachel only to see her seated on a chair by the door. “Why are you sitting?” Rachel made just a vague gesture with one hand. Adrian shook his head in mirth. “Well, we don’t have all day. Rachel, control the dogs. Edward, please follow me.”

“I will take care of them,” Edward replied. “How are they called?” he asked Rachel.

“Bane and Blaze.”

“Which one is which?”

Rachel dutifully pointed out.

“Good. Do you have a dog at home?” Edward asked Rachel.

Rachel shook her head.

“Good. You don’t lack the passion, but you lack discipline. A dog would walk all over you. If you ever think of getting a dog, make sure you go through basic training first.”

“With the dog?” Rachel asked, listening fascinated to every word Edward said.

“With yourself,” Edward replied. “Shall we?”

Adrian shrugged. “Sure thing.” He wasn’t entirely sure what he had just witnessed and how come Rachel hadn’t felt insulted by Edward’s words. Apparently, within a couple of minutes, Edward had managed to have both the Rottweilers and Adrian’s assistant trained to dance to his tune.

***

“He’s gorgeous,” Rachel whispered. “Who is he?”

“An acquaintance,” Adrian replied, in a whisper, too.

“Ah, you’re sleeping with him,” Rachel said matter-of-factly.

“Aren’t you jumping to conclusions?” Adrian asked.

“Adrian, you don’t have acquaintances. You have your best friends whom I know, and guys you’re sleeping with.”

“That’s scandalous, to say the least. A lot of people in this industry are my acquaintances. Am I sleeping with them all?”

“Just with the hot ones,” Rachel replied promptly. “And, on any hot-o-meter in this world, this guy is smoking!”

Adrian just shook his head. For a few moments, he ignored Rachel so that he could observe what was happening with the shoot. Edward was now sitting in a lavish armchair, with a glass filled with supposedly expensive alcohol in one hand. The message was something along the lines of life’s finest pleasures for both pet owners and their pets, so in the other hand, Edward held a dog treat.

Too bad it was only an ad for dog food. Edward could obviously sell much more expensive items, but Adrian had a feeling Edward had replied positively to his request solely because it involved dogs, and not anything else.

One thing was true. Anyone seeing that commercial would fall in love with the distinguished model featured in it. Adrian pursed his lips; he needed to get a hold of himself. Even if Edward was sexy as hell, Adrian didn’t plan on losing the game.

As soon as the shoot was over, the dogs were all over Edward, which irritated Adrian, despite his better judgment. It appeared that Edward had decided to reward the two mutts for being still and well behaved during the shoot.

While everyone began fawning over Edward, Adrian started concocting a plan. Whether Edward would agree to it or not wasn’t in the cards. And it wasn’t exactly a plan, but his own blood boiling with desire for a man who could kindle his fire with just one look.

Rachel was right about one thing. Edward was smoking hot, without being as handsome as others, and what he had was more than skin deep. What was just as much more than skin deep was the depth of Adrian’s attraction.

And why on earth did he feel so hot under the collar while Edward ordered those stupid mongrels around? He was no dog!

***

“How can you be so insufferable sometimes, and yet so charming when surrounded by people?” Adrian questioned as he grabbed Edward by one arm and began walking with him out of the building. After the shoot, it appeared that everyone and their mother wanted a piece of Edward. And, much to Adrian’s surprise, Edward had been nothing but accommodating and beyond polite with each of his newly found fans. That, of course, had gotten on Adrian’s nerves much more than he wanted to admit, which was unimportant seeing how he was supposed to have Edward all to himself.

“Oh, but it’s all a façade. Couldn’t you tell? It takes a lot of effort on my part to be charming.”

“Ah, so you’re trying to say that, when you’re with me, you're actually yourself?”

“Adrian, I am not made of glass, but I have to warn you that dragging me around like this is a bit unpleasant. Are you mad that I helped you?”

“Of course not. I’m mad that you treat everyone else but me so well.”

“Ah, the green-eyed monster,” Edward said with a chuckle. “It’s evening already, and the only place we should both be is in bed.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Adrian said airily.

“What I meant, each of us in his bed,” Edward hurried to add.

“Too late. Now we’ll go where I want.”

“Why are you a brat?”

“Why do you like dogs more than people?”

Edward scoffed in disbelief. “Where do you get such ideas? Oh, you want me to train you. Pup, this is not the time, nor the place --”

“I have just the perfect spot in mind. And the time couldn’t be better,” Adrian said promptly. He hailed a cab without letting go of Edward.

“Where are we going?” Edward expressed his stupefaction.

“I’m not saying anything. But you don’t get to walk into my workplace, charm everyone out of their undies, and then walk away on me.”

Edward leaned into him as soon as they were on the backseat, and Adrian had said the address to the driver in an abrupt voice. “I could leave my shoes at your place, you know?”

Adrian grimaced a bit exaggeratedly. “Do you think I have a foot fetish or something?”

“Who knows? I am barely scratching the surface with you. You do intrigue me, Adrian, and I don’t hide it.”

“Then let me intrigue you some more.”

Adrian pulled Edward close and said, not another word. He cared only about one thing now, and he couldn’t focus on anything else.

***

Edward frowned a bit as he stared at the frontispiece of the building in front of them. “Did you take me to the old baths?”

Adrian’s only reply was a non-committal grunt. He pulled Edward after him.

“It is only a certain amount of weirdness I can accommodate, as open as I may be to various experiences,” Edward said. “And don’t you find it a bit unpleasant that there’s no one around? The building hasn’t been in use for a few years now. There may be squatters.”

“It’s locked. There’s a restoration project on someone’s table. Someone important, I heard.”

“And? Should I admire its architecture? Ah, could it be that you’ve been here when it was still in use? That might explain your behavior. But, still, Adrian, you’re too young to be nostalgic. You must have been … seventeen, eighteen? While it was open, I mean.”

“I know a way inside,” Adrian said.

“You and at least a few homeless people. I’d say that it would be a good idea not to disturb them. You wouldn’t like anyone getting inside your house when you least expect it, would you?”

“Let me just show you something.”

Edward sighed but didn’t protest anymore. “After you, then.”

Adrian took Edward around the building until they reached the back. He searched an old pot for a rusty key, and then he opened the back door. Edward shrugged and followed him as they went inside. Using his phone, Adrian made a bit of light. The place did bring memories. It was dusty, and everything seemed frozen in time, but he could still recall everything as if it had happened the day before.

He stopped abruptly when he reached the main room. If he closed his eyes, he would hear the languid laughter and the water splashing. And if he focused enough, he could still feel warm lips on his neck and arms holding him tightly.

“All right, Adrian. I have entertained you more than enough. I am not exactly fond of having my clothes sent to dry cleaning tomorrow, and I like this suit.” Edward’s voice interrupted his reverie.

“This is where I had sex the first time,” Adrian said abruptly.

Edward remained silent for a moment. “I see,” he said slowly. “How old were you?”

Adrian turned and waved the phone turned flashlight around, casting long shadows everywhere. “Eighteen, you were right.”

“Someone as sensual as you, I would have expected an earlier start.”

“I was a good kid.” Adrian snorted. “I haven’t always been this open and accepting of my sexuality.”

Edward appeared to look around with different eyes. “Who was he?”

“His name wouldn’t say anything important about him. It was him I was thinking of that night when you got pissed at me.”

“I wasn’t pissed. Just a little disappointed,” Edward explained. “Don’t tell me his name if that’s what you want. But tell me what matters.”

Adrian pointed his phone at Edward and looked at his face for a few seconds. Edward blinked and moved his eyes away, but his lips were curled in a fond smile. That was all Adrian wanted to know.

“Alexander. That was his name. He took me here on our first so-called date. I met him through a dating app.”

“And a good kid like you … how did you react?” Edward asked.

“I got a huge boner,” Adrian said and chuckled. “From there, it was easy for him to get me where he wanted.”

“Was it during that first date that he had sex with you?”

Adrian just nodded briefly, although aware that Edward was most likely to guess subtle cues from him than actually see them. “And I thought I was in love.”

“It’s natural to feel strongly about the person you were first intimate with.”

“That wasn’t it. I might have been a fool, but I wasn’t stupid. We were in a relationship for a while. I didn’t just fall in love with him like an idiot because he took me to see naked men.”

Edward moved around as if he was examining the place. “You said it was right here that he had sex with you. Were others watching?”

“I think so. At the time, I thought it was kinky, although a bit too kinky for me. What am I saying? I was shocked.”

“Rightfully,” Edward commented.

“I was horny, and I was barely discovering sex. What I didn’t know was that falling in love with a guy I met on a dating app and had no qualms about having sex in public wasn’t a good idea. Don’t think that I judge him for that. I had fun.”

“When did it stop being fun?”

Adrian looked around again, making the light dance over the walls. “When I told him what I felt. I’ve never seen anyone turning from hot to cold in an instant like that.”

“So that made you behave the same with your lovers?”

“They were never my lovers,” Adrian explained. “They were sex partners. And I never promised anyone anything. Actually, I was always careful to tell them I wasn’t relationship material. But that wasn’t all.”

“What happened?”

“He started behaving like an asshole, avoiding me, telling me stupid lies. And then, one day, when I came here, I found him with another boy, pretty much like me, and he was pulling all the same stops on him. Then I realized that I believed him to be a different person, someone better.”

“So this is a temple of lust and betrayal,” Edward said, his steps muffled by the dust. “Maybe it’s not too bad that it’s closed.”

“Maybe,” Adrian said and smiled. “I tolerated him being a cheater. For a while,” he added abruptly.

Edward stopped.

“Aren’t you going to ask me why?” Adrian broke the silence after a while.

“You’re showing me something real,” Edward said matter-of-factly. “You run the show.”

Adrian nodded pensively. “I thought I would never be able to be with someone else. I felt desperate. I guess you can’t easily imagine me being so pathetic.”

“Pathetic? No. Just young,” Edward replied. “So, how did you escape his clutches?”

“He began being a total asshole to me. He went as far as to humiliate me in front of his friends, describing in detail how he fucked me.”

Edward sighed, and it sounded heartfelt.

“So, as you can see, I’m not keen on letting anyone fuck me again. Or screw me over.”

“Point taken. Did you want me to understand this about you? It’s understood. How did you get rid of the asshole?”

“Maybe it was the straw that broke the camel’s back, but it was when one of his friends hit on me. And let’s just say that he didn’t do it kindly, but by calling me names and trying to put me down. I punched that man in the face. I could have beat him bloody, that upset I was. Luckily for me, he was a total coward and ran away after I landed the first punch.”

“That also happened here?”

“Yeah.”

“So, it is also a temple of blood and revenge,” Edward said.

“If you want to think about it in such grand words. But it wasn’t revenge because it wasn’t exacted against the one who deserved it.”

“Did you just leave then?”

“I did.”

“It was the smart thing to do. The wise one, too.”

For a few more moments, they remained silent. Edward was the first to walk toward Adrian. He placed one hand on Adrian’s shoulder and squeezed it in sympathy. “I appreciate your telling me this.”

“I didn’t bring you here just so that you could pity me,” Adrian said in a slightly amused voice.

He could tell Edward was smiling. Just to make sure, he moved the phone to see better. He was right.

“Do I get it that you want to write another chapter?” Edward asked flirtatiously. “After lust, love, betrayal, and revenge, what’s next?”

“Control,” Adrian said directly.

Edward chuckled. “Is it what you want?”

“Yeah,” Adrian said directly.

“That makes two of us, then,” Edward replied and pressed his lips against Adrian’s mouth.

Desire was a notion which Adrian had explored thoroughly throughout the years. After Alexander, he had vouched that he would take what he needed and give back only how much he deemed appropriate. The result had been a superficial desire, the type to leave behind more hunger, and a need to chase down the next thrill.

Now it wasn’t fleeting. Edward’s lips on him tasted of wanting similar to his own, and delving into it appeared the only smart thing to do. It was in the fragrance he could smell on Edward’s skin, in the air around them, the shift happening inside them both.

Adrian pulled Edward close and searched frantically for a way inside his clothes. “Feel free to send me the bill for the dry cleaning,” he whispered as he struggled with Edward’s belt.

“I will,” Edward said in a teasing voice. “I won’t ever cut you any slack, Adrian.”

“Face to the wall,” Adrian ordered curtly.

They were in total darkness now, save for what the small windows, nooks in the walls up above them, allowed them to see.

There was no need to see. Adrian liked to feel, and his hands moved to cup Edward’s buttocks, enjoy their firmness, and then snuck one finger between them.

“I know we exchanged that medical information you were talking about, but I still need to ask. Raw?”

Edward chuckled softly. “I hope you didn’t just get my hopes up for nothing. I would love to feel the real you, Adrian. No rubber.”

Adrian murmured something under his breath. That was one thing; the other proved his complete lack of preparation. He should have thought about details, such as lube, before dragging Edward to the old bathhouse to fuck him.

Therefore, he needed to get by with what he had at hand. He crouched and gave Edward’s crack a long lick with his tongue. The instant reaction was a hitched breath and a small laugh.

“You do not have to spend too much time there,” Edward suggested.

“No way. It’s going to be a wild ride.” Adrian pushed his tongue out as far as he could. Pulling Edward’s butt cheeks apart, he began to give his lover the attention he deserved.

It was all right to admit to himself that Edward was his lover. After all, seeing how his longest relationships after Alexander had been one-night-stands at best, this was a relationship, even if an unconventional one.

He adored Edward’s tight hole. As a top, he had met all types, and he wasn’t the kind to discriminate. But this, this was great all around, promising the squeeze and the pleasure. Adrian also knew he would be welcome into Edward’s body and that he would be able to take from it as much as could and wanted.

Edward’s breathing became a bit heavier. “You know your way around nerve endings; I get it.”

The scolding words didn’t put Adrian off. “You’re extremely sensitive, Your Majesty. It’s a pleasure to test and see how high you would go.”

“I’d say that you should stick your fingers inside if you want to prepare it as you should.”

Adrian laughed and began alternating between kissing and licking Edward’s hole and pushing two fingers in, helping the tight ring give in slowly. As unprepared as he had come here, he had no intention to enter unprepared.

He coated his cock with plenty of spit and then steadied Edward with one hand. “One day,” he thought out loud, “I’ll ask you to wait for me lubed and opened up. I’d like to enter you the moment I see you.”

“Your desire for me truly flatters me. But I must ask for you to get to work already.”

“So impatient.” Adrian laughed but obeyed.

His cock was welcomed by pleasant body heat, and his desire surged even higher. “For control,” he whispered in Edward’s ear as he pushed inside.

“For control,” Edward whispered back and turned slightly so that he could reach for Adrian with one hand.

Who needed romance and fairytales? Here he was, balls deep in the man he wanted like crazy, and they were both on the same page. Nothing they didn’t want could come from that.

Adrian moved, but this time chose to feel Edward’s desire completely, not wanting to miss a single moment. With one hand wrapped around Edward’s hard cock, he began moving amply. It was amazing without a rubber. Maybe it was mostly in the mind, but that was what he felt; skin on skin, no barriers between them.

This had the potential to become something extremely good. Adrian used his other hand to reach Edward’s mouth and offer a thumb. Greedily, his partner sucked on it, and Adrian cursed softly as his hips moved.

The sounds they made bounced off the walls, and Adrian felt a sense of freedom like he hadn’t experienced in years. The shadows of the past could stay there, as unmoved as the walls, and broken like the things around them. They meant nothing anymore.

“Inside? Please, tell me it’s okay to --”

“Inside,” Edward whispered. “Fill me up, Adrian.”

Adrian grunted, and his hand on Edward’s cock moved frantically. Yes, maybe they were both making a little more out of it, but it was all worth it. The orgasm that hit them both had the magnitude of an aftershock.

“Oh, damn, oh, damn,” Adrian chanted, his entire body loose, released.

Dazed and out of bounds, that was what he felt as he finally moved away, his cock coming out spent and still leaking. But it was all right. Edward used something to clean his cock, and most probably did the same for his ass, and Adrian just registered everything like it was happening to someone else.

“Well, history is rewritten, I believe,” Edward said in his usual cool and confident voice. “Or is it just complete, now?”

“You can tell me anything you want right now, Eddy,” Adrian said and laughed. “This was frigging amazing.”

“Eddy? That’s highly inappropriate.”

Adrian snorted. “I know. And I don’t think it fits you. I just wanted to annoy you a little. Don’t tell me now it wasn’t pleasant for you, as well.”

There was a short silence, and Adrian sobered up a little. Could it be that he was wrong, after all?

“It was delightful, Adrian,” Edward confirmed. “Really good.”

“How good, exactly? Like your top ten? Top twenty? Worthy of the greatest hits of all time?”

“Stop begging for compliments. This isn’t like you. But I appreciate your eagerness. And now, that we’re free to fuck bareback, I’m expecting more of you once we reach a bed.”

“Hmm. Then I’ll have to energize myself all week so that I can show you a marathon at the end of it.”

“This weekend, we’ll go where I promised I would take you. I want you to make a great impression on everyone, Adrian, and I should suggest that you do more than just energize yourself.”

“Like getting a haircut?”

Edward laughed and ran his fingers through Adrian’s hair. Then he pulled at it. “Maybe we should leave the hair alone. This Latino lover look truly suits you.”

“That must be the blood from my mother’s side. I’m lucky to have her genes.”

“And am I glad,” Edward said with a chuckle. “I will send you a suit and a pair of shoes.”

“I can dress up nicely on my own.”

“I know. But I want you to be perfect. I want everyone to either desire you, envy me for having you by my side or both.”

“Is this secretly some weird debutante ball? And I don’t really care about other people wanting me. I want you to want me.”

“I do want you. I’m not making a secret out of it. Is my coming all over these old walls with your cock deep in my ass, not enough proof? But I told you, Adrian. You are, for the time we spend together, my project. I want you to be a true Adonis, Casanova; you name it. I want you to be able to seduce anyone.”

“Hmm, still not very interested in that. Did I manage to seduce you already?”

Edward laughed. “We’re honest with each other, right? And we both agreed we want control. So I guess you already know the answer to your question.”

Adrian tsked, but decided to let it slide. It could be whatever Edward wanted to call it. He had a different plan, and, as long as he was the one not to lose his self-control, he would be just fine.

***

“It was quite an interesting night, I believe.” A low chuckle followed Edward’s words.

The evening was calm and beautiful. Adrian inhaled, tasting the air. Everything seemed fresh and new like a beginning one had dreamed of for so long. He watched amused as Edward struggled with some invisible wrinkle on his suit. Given what they had been engaged in until a bit earlier, it was a wonder their clothes didn’t look much worse.

“Feel free to send me the bill,” Adrian said, as they waited on the sidewalk for their rides to arrive.

Edward threw him a quizzical look. In the streetlight, his face was a game of shadows, but Adrian knew how Edward looked at him. He had come to know his unconventional lover, over the course of their few encounters. The sense of familiarity wasn’t bothering him as he had feared before. Instead, it made him feel like he had the upper hand.

“For the dry cleaning,” he explained, without hiding his amusement.

“It was a joke.”

“I know. Is your chauffeur coming to get you?”

Edward confirmed and stepped down on the street, hands in his pockets. He looked into the distance, and Adrian admired his profile. “What does he think of you and your habits of meeting men late at night?”

“He’s a professional. He knows better than to think of anything.”

“That’s what you believe,” Adrian pointed out. “He must think of something.”

“And dutifully keeps it to himself. I do not explain myself to the help,” Edward said in a miffed voice.

The help. So, Edward was a bit of an aristocrat to use such expressions deliberately.

“Eddy doesn’t suit you at all. Your Majesty, on the other hand --”

“Yes. That’s suitable,” Edward replied. Then he burst into healthy laughter. “I am not as pretentious as you think.”

“Yes, you are. Just that you must have some pretty high standards when it comes to snobbery.”

Edward mimicked being in a state of rightful indignation. “Did you just call me a snob?”

“You just called your chauffeur the help. I mean, who does that? The queen of England?”

“All right. Point taken. I can barely wait for you to meet other people from my world on Saturday. I expect a full characterization for at least a few of the most prominent figures.”

“Is this like a secret society? Hey, can I get rich by snapping pictures and then selling them to tabloids? That sounds like a great plan for retiring early.”

“Don’t even think about it. Their lawyers would love to pick you apart.”

“All right. Understood. But it already sounds like a boring party.”

“I think you’ll be plenty entertained,” Edward said.

A black limousine pulled close to them.

“Can I get a goodnight kiss?” Adrian said. “Since you don’t care what your chauffeur thinks.”

“I’m not that coarse, Adrian. But if you can’t live without it --”

Adrian didn’t need another invitation. He pulled Edward close and pressed their lips together. He didn’t hesitate and pushed his tongue inside Edward’s mouth, teasingly, only to pull back and enjoy the slightly dazed expression on his lover’s face as he did that.

He squeezed Edward’s hand. “If you can’t wait until Saturday --”

“I will,” Edward said brusquely and climbed inside the vehicle. He kept the door open for a second. “Good night, Adrian.”

Adrian replied by bringing two straight fingers to his forehead into a lazy salute. The genuine smile on Edward’s lips he caught before the car door closed was enough for him to know that, so far, he had played his cards right.

***

“What am I going to do until the weekend?” Mike moaned, knowing that Jared was the only one in the whole world capable of not judging him right now. He wasn’t sure about Adrian, who could at any moment conjure scenarios involving scandals, paparazzi, lawsuits, and who knew what else.

“There, there,” Jared said soothingly and patting his head.

Mike leaned into his best friend’s shoulder and closed his eyes. It wasn’t that he didn’t usually like to mop around at home, but Jared’s apartment was much comfier, and Mike loved it. Jared had a way of making any place he lived in a small paradise. His cushions were the softest, and the cocoa he made was the sweetest, and not in a diabetic way or anything.

“As long as you feel so strongly, and your feelings are answered the same --” Jared started.

“I’m confused, J. If he doesn’t want us to be together, what does he want?”

“I think,” Jared said patiently, “that Ryan feels the same pull toward you as you feel toward him. In any romance novel, it should be enough. The rest are just obstacles. You two will surely find a way to one another.”

“When you say it like this, I believe it, too. But he’s still my boss, and this feels wrong,” Mike complained.

“Hey, so far, if we don’t count that first, um, thing you two did together, you haven’t done anything wrong. Yes, you drunk-texted, and he took you home, but --”

“He kissed me,” Mike said quickly.

Jared exhaled. “Are you trying to make my comforting you a difficult job, aren’t you?”

“Sorry, sorry,” Mike hurried to say.

“Look, Mike. He’s not pressuring you into anything. He’s conflicted over this, but he wants you, too. So he asked you for a dance.”

“I’ll die,” Mike said dramatically. “The moment he touches me, I will combust. I will turn into ashes right there on the floor. You will have to use a broom to pick me up.”

“Ah, and have you already thought about where you want me to spread your ashes?” Jared asked, obviously amused. “Please don’t say the Himalaya. Go for something exotic and warm, like a tropical island.”

Mike snickered. “I’m a worrier, right?”

Jared shrugged. “It’s okay. That’s who you are. And Ryan must be falling in love with you --”

Mike straightened up. “Do you think that?”

Jared smiled and patted his head. “It’s not so unusual to believe, regardless of what might go right now through your head. Ryan sees you, really sees you. That must be why he can’t let go of you. I know, for a fact, that you’re charming and smart --”

Mike groaned. “You’re such a mom, J. Only you could see me like this.”

“Mike, you’re not the ugly duckling you think you see when you look in the mirror. Yes, you’re not some skin magazine fantasy, but you’re interesting. And looks aren’t everything. You’re the smartest guy in our group. And you’re caring, and just awesome. Are you going to stop me yet? I can go on like this through the night if need be.”

With another snicker, Mike shook his head. “How am I going to look in a suit? Will I even be able to pick one that doesn’t look like it’s hanging from a tree or something?”

“I’ll come shopping with you,” Jared promised. “You will make a good impression on Ryan, don’t worry. Although I have a feeling that he won’t be too busy staring at your clothes. Most probably, he will imagine you without them.”

“Like there’s a whole lot to imagine,” Mike said.

“Ryan likes your type, so there’s nothing to worry about. And be a little more confident about yourself. You have a lot to offer.”

Mike sighed and cuddled next to Jared. “Hey, J, how are things with Chris?”

“Good, I guess.”

“Are you two talking over the phone all the time like Adrian does with his boyfriend?”

Jared laughed. “I’m sure Adrian would have something to say about the word ‘boyfriend’. But it’s not like that with Chris. I mean, I wouldn’t mind long conversations over the phone, but he’s busy all the time. I guess I have to live with that.”

“You like him a lot, don’t you?”

Jared sighed. “I’ve never met anyone like him. You know, mature, sophisticated. I feel a little like I’m getting into something that’s going to go way over my head. I don’t have Adrian’s confidence. Our mutual and dear friend wouldn’t have qualms about seducing a prince in a ballroom during an event broadcast live, but I’m nothing like that. I feel that Chris is out of my league.”

“Seriously, J? Is he like your boss or something?” Mike joked.

Jared pulled at his hair until he made him protest. “You and Ryan must feel the same, from what you’re telling me. Chris is a bit … slippery, I guess? I say something, he says something, and it’s like, even if we don’t have an argument, he’s the one who decides who’s right.”

“Is he manipulative, then?” Mike asked.

He sensed the moment of hesitation in Jared. “Maybe I’m just trying to see the negative too much. Any relationship needs work. So I’ll have to work on mine, too. It’s not like I’m a child who allows being guided. Chris may be older than me, but he’s not my dad or anything. I’ll find a way to get on the same level as him. If he weren’t so sexy,” Jared added with a sigh.

“It does make everything more complicated, right?” Mike said. “I forget if I had breakfast if I see Ryan once. And then I find myself eating again. Yesterday, I must have eaten three lunches.”

“You mean three sandwiches,” Jared said, a bit reproachfully.

“Something like that. Do you think being in love with someone could make you fat?”

“Only if you overeat,” Jared replied matter-of-factly.

They both burst into laughter. “I’m glad I’m sharing all this with you. Adrian means well, but he would put me to work out, get muscles, and get confident starting right now.”

“He’s a man of action. Let’s not hold it against him. I’m just wondering why he is working so late tonight.”

Jared’s phone pinged. Mike grabbed it from the table and handed it to its owner. Jared chuckled. “Go figure. Here is what kept him.”

“Sorry, boys. Got laid tonight. Edward is amazing. Kiss you both.” Mike read the message out loud.

“Will Adrian marry into some royal family if he gets hitched with this guy?” Mike wondered out loud.

“Hmm, then we will really have a problem with dressing up. You know, for the wedding.”

Mike and Jared shared a look, and then they both burst into laughter.

“Let’s not tease Adrian too much,” Jared suggested, as soon as they both regained their breath. “He might get pissed and forget to send us the invitations.”

“We can’t have that,” Mike said, just as determined. “My lips are sealed until that fateful day. Then I’ll laugh at him hard.”

“That’s my plan exactly,” Jared confirmed.

“Is it okay if I sleep here tonight?” Mike asked.

“Of course, it’s okay. At least I’ll know you don’t lose half a night playing video games.”

Mike smiled contently. Sleeping early for a change, and in Jared’s super comfy bed, sounded like a great idea.

TBC