A/N: To those of you who have left me reviews, please know that each one brightens my day. Thank you for your encouragement.

Lost Boy

Chapter 7

Edward POV

"Bro, relax. Deep breaths, okay? In through your nose, out through your mouth."

I followed my friend's instructions, wishing he were here at the hotel with me to give me one of his big bear hugs before I went to this godforsaken luncheon.

"Emmett," I whined down the phone. "Why did I ever agree to this?"

"Cuz you're getting eight fucking thousand dollars for it! That's why. It'll be fine. This dude Liam's never met these people before either. He would probably feel just as nervous. They're gonna treat you with kid gloves anyway - they want what this Liam dude has."

"You're right, yeah," I agreed, willing myself to believe it. "I know you're right."

"There ya go."

Carlisle poked his head around the doorframe, motioning for me to hurry up.

"Hey, man, I gotta go now. Thanks for talking me down."

"Anytime, Ed-er-Liam."

"Haha."

"You better get used to it, Liam."

"Alright, alright! Bye."

Hanging up the phone, I took a moment to gather myself. My reflection in the mirror showed me a sharply dressed, dignified looking young man. But I felt nothing like him inside. I felt like a phony. But the more overpowering feeling was fear. I didn't want to let Carlisle down. There was something about the man that was different from the rest. He'd done so much for me, and who was I to him? I was some street trash to fuck and then toss out like garbage. Aro had certainly done that, and he wasn't the first by a long shot. No man had ever cared about what I felt while I serviced their needs. My needs were never noticed before Carlisle came along. And now, he had bought me expensive clothes, fed me expensive food, didn't demand sex from me, and was still going to pay me exorbitantly to commit a low-rent crime with him.

Yes, Carlisle was something different. And I liked him - he was self-assured, yet oddly reserved. It was fun to make the uptight exterior fall away and disappear. There was no denying he was handsome, his blond hair perfectly complementing those clear blue eyes, eyes you might fall into if you looked too deeply. I had almost kissed him last night. I'd forgotten myself, been swept up in the moment. His pleasure had been so great, and I actually enjoyed giving it to him. I never licked a john's asshole before, but I remembered how it felt when he'd done it to me, and I wanted to do it in return. He had a musky, earthy flavor that I wouldn't soon forget.

His blissed-out expression afterward was so endearing, I'd leaned in for the kiss, and he'd closed the gap before I could catch myself and pull back. It had only been a chaste kiss, but a nagging piece in the back of my mind wished it had been more. That part of me yearned for a deeper connection with him, but I pushed it aside as this whole strange situation manifesting in my head. I was straight, I liked girls, Carlisle was just… a curiosity.

"Come on, Edward! We don't want to be late."

Regarding myself one more time in the mirror, making sure my hair looked okay, I steeled myself and pushed those thoughts aside as I headed out the door.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Mr. MacAllister! What a pleasure to finally meet you!"

A little rat-like man was shaking my hand enthusiastically. Carlisle cringed not too subtly. This must be the conniving Jenks who Carlisle talked about with such contempt.

"Please, call me Liam."

The slick palm didn't let go, just kept pumping my hand up and down.

"I must confess," the man sniveled, "I was starting to think you didn't exist! Carlisle took so long to close the deal, I thought he'd made you up!"

A tall, fit older man with long grey hair pulled back into a ponytail practically shoved the little weasel out of his way. "Move off, Jenks!" he spat before smiling widely at me, only the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Liam, Alistair Cullen. My son has spoken many good things about you and your enterprise." I grasped his outstretched hand and tried to match the ridiculous firmness with which he shook. "Please, come inside the conference room. My secretary, Gianna, has taken great care over the menu."

Ridiculous. Who ever heard of a menu for an office lunch meeting? As I was ushered into the conference room, I glanced over my shoulder at Carlisle, who smiled and gave a slight shrug. When I entered the room, I saw a wide array of foods spread out over a long table, and I realized that when Alistair said menu, he meant that I could pick and choose what I wanted from the buffet, not a physical paper menu to order from.

There were two other men and a very tall woman already in there and we all formed a line to get food. They chit chatted with one another, and Carlisle, who stood behind me, gave my arm a brief squeeze. "How was your flight, Liam?" he asked, loudly enough that the tall woman and almost equally tall man turned to look at me.

"Really long." The two of them chuckled politely, and I joined them. "No, really, it was fine."

The woman nodded. "I heard first class on transcontinental flights is incredibly comfortable."

"Oh, yeah, the seats are great." I smiled wanly at my pathetic response before adding, "So roomy."

Extending her hand to me, I took it as she introduced herself. "I'm Senna, Chief Financial Officer of The Cullen Group."

The blond man behind her shook my hand next. "And I'm Peter, Chief Operating Officer."

"And I'm Liam, Chief of Nothing Anymore," I retorted, and immediately regretted my joke when I saw the strained look on Carlisle's face.

"Oh, come now," Senna cooed, playfully swatting my arm. "You'll be Chief of a Pile of Cash when you're done here."

I couldn't help but smile. Trust a CFO to only think about the money. Still, I let her think she'd appeased me. The line had moved and the buffet was before me. I grabbed a variety of things, from meats to cheeses to bread rolls and little cakes. Sitting down at the table to the right of Alistair, Carlisle on my other side, I glanced around the table at the other plates. They weren't piled nearly as high as mine, and I looked down at my own plate, filled to the rim, with embarrassment.

"Eat! You've just been on an airplane for hours," Carlisle prodded. Glancing around the table, everyone was nodding, unperturbed by my little mountain, so I started in, taking care to eat delicately and not embarrass Carlisle further.

Carlisle's father went around the table, making introductions. The other member of the board I hadn't met in the buffet line was Amun, a hard-nosed looking man of Arabian descent who was the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Knowing he was trying to take Carlisle's place in the company, I frowned at Jenks when he was introduced and he narrowed his eyes in return.

Finally, Alistair turned to me. "Liam, I know how difficult it must be to give up something you've worked so hard for. Please know that the company will be in good hands and its reputation will not be tarnished in any way. I trust the payout will be sufficient for you and your family?"

Nodding, I fed him a line Carlisle had coached me with. "I'm glad my family will be able to live comfortably without me having to work all the time."

"That's the spirit!" Alistair boomed as he slapped me on the shoulder a little too hard. Then, he leaned over and pressed a button on the intercom in the middle of the table.

"Yes, Mr. Cullen?" a feminine voice crackled though.

"Gianna, please bring us some coffee."

"Right away, Mr. Cullen."

Alistair resumed talking and a few minutes later, what can only be described as a buxom blonde entered, opening the door with her hip as she carried a tray with coffee supplies in one hand and a large carafe in the other. She put the sugar and creamer packets on the table, along with a paper cup holding thin red stirrers, and proceeded around the table, pouring coffee for everyone. I couldn't take my eyes off of her cleavage as she made her way toward me. Her large breasts swung gently as she moved, and my cock was hardening uncomfortably. When she got to me, I could smell her light, floral perfume mixed with her sweat, and her breasts brushed against my arm with enough force to ensure I knew it was purposeful, causing her to spill some coffee on the table.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she breathed as she reached for a napkin and dabbed at my lap, focusing her attention on my straining cock.

Nothing had spilt onto my pants, and we both knew it, so she couldn't really keep touching me. Our eyes met and she squeezed the head of my cock through my pants before drawing her hand back and mopping at the edge of the table before cleaning up the surface.

"It's okay," I managed to get out without my voice breaking. She moved on to the head of the table to pour Alistair his coffee. Her ass bent far too close to me and I couldn't help but look. A swift kick at my feet under the table tore my attention away. Carlisle was frowning at me, and I tried to look contrite. Staring down at my food, I willed my cock to settle down and filed Gianna under 'fox' in my spank bank for another time.

"Gianna here will contact the bank and get the check drawn up for you. I think we can have the papers ready to sign tomorrow afternoon. Would that be suitable for you, Liam?" Senna asked me.

Swallowing hard, thankful for the distraction from the luscious female form beside me, I nodded and smiled tightly.

"So," Jenks began, "Where in Ireland are you from?"

Caught off guard, I said the first city that came to mind. "Edinburgh."

Jenks' brow creased in confusion and he snorted. "That's in Scotland."

SHIT. Mortified on the inside, I forced out a laugh. "Just kidding around, heh. Trying to catch you out," I teased, trying not to think about the fact that catching me out was exactly what Jenks was trying to do. The rest of the table tittered at the joke, but Jenks didn't let things lie.

"You got me," he said with false mirth. "So, where did you really grow up."

Praying I was in the right country this time, I replied, "Dublin."

He clapped his little hands together. "Oh, I've been there! City boy, eh? Don't you just love St. Stephen's Green?"

Geez, this guy didn't give up. Sweat started to form from my nervousness at being caught. At all cost, I avoided looking at Carlisle as I played along. "Oh, yes. The rolling green hills, and the smell of the peat, second to none."

Carlisle made a little involuntary strangled noise and I knew I'd fucked up.

Jenks mad-dogged me. "I don't remember seeing any hills or peat in St. Stephen's Green."

I shrugged. "Well, you must not have looked in the right place."

The sniveling man narrowed his eyes so they were little slits in his fat round face. "Funny, I don't detect an accent."

"I'm originally from Chicago," I said quickly, injecting a little bit of truth into the lies. "My parents moved us to Ireland when I was eight." Frankly, I was impressed I came up with that so fast.

Peter cut in, looking uncomfortable with Jenks' line of questioning, effectively saving my ass.

"So, Liam, I'm curious. What will you do now that you'll have more free time?" he asked cordially, moving away from the topic of my supposed upbringing.

I shrugged and said offhandedly, "Travel. Renovate my house."

"Humph, I thought you lived in the city. Mostly apartment blocks there, isn't it," Jenks scoffed.

I sighed in annoyance. "I live in a suburb of Dublin. I'm sure you've not heard of it. I figured Dublin was sufficient enough information for you."

Jenks threw his hands up in a defensive posture. "Hey, just trying to make conversation. But now I'm curious. What is your town called?"

Carlisle cut in then, the fact he was barely reigning in his anger evident in his tone. "Jenks, leave the poor man alone. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to flirt with him."

Jenks and I both turned bright red as Alistair guffawed. "My son is right, back off, Jasper. Carlisle, why don't you take Liam to his hotel." Addressing me, he continued, "I'm sure you're exhausted and could use some rest."

"Thank you," I said, shaking his hand. Glancing around the table, I smiled. "It was nice meeting you all."

The rest chorused some goodbyes as Carlisle and I rose. Quickly, Carlisle ushered me into the hall and down toward the exit. Gianna gave me a coy look from behind the front desk as we passed and I shot her a wink behind Carlisle's back.

Once we were back in his car, Carlisle gripped the steering wheel so tight I thought it might crack from the pressure. "Fucking Jenks," he seethed.

Nibbling my lower lip, I asked, "Do you think he suspects?"

"I don't know. He's hard to read. He might have just been needling you for fun. Asshole."

"Well, your dad didn't seem to pay much attention to him. I think he believes I am Liam."

"Me too." Recovering himself, he smiled brightly at me. "Nice save in there, telling him you moved to Dublin as a boy." His hand made its way to the back of my neck, and he stroked his fingers along the hair at the nape, which tickled, but also sent a wave of warmth through my body.

"Well done, Edward," he murmured. Then he seemed to realize he was touching me kind of intimately, and his hand dropped away.

I just smiled and he put the car in gear, driving away. The warmth of his hand remained burned into my skin for the rest of the drive back to the hotel.