Kinnetik – Late Afternoon
"That's my sexy fiancé – hard at work as usual. Makes all my investment so much more worthwhile."
Brian winced as he heard the familiar but unwelcome voice at his door. The man never seemed to stop reminding him how bound he was to him financially, and how little choice he had regarding the farce of a wedding that would soon be taking place. He glanced up in aggravation at Robert's appearance.
"What would you expect me to be doing, Robert?" Brian asked testily as the other man walked into his office. How he hated the position he had put himself in, and how he wished, for at least the hundredth time, that he could find another solution out of his financial straits.
"Now, now, Baby, don't get so worked up. Save it for later tonight," Robert implored huskily, winking at Brian as he walked around the brunet's desk with the intention of placing a kiss on the other man's lips.
Before he could so, however, Brian placed his hand between the two of them and said angrily, "I told you NOT to call me Baby, damn it!"
Robert shook his head and smiled, pretending to pout as he shrugged and sat down instead in one of Brian's chairs opposite his desk. "Sorry, my love, just couldn't resist," he said. "I was just thinking about later at the loft. I've had a shit-for day and need a little TLC from my favorite stud."
Brian glared at him from behind his desk. "Let's get something straight right now, Robert," he said icily. "I don't want to be called Baby, Cutie, Love, Snowball, Peaches, Stud or any other inane pet name you might conjure up. My name is Brian, nothing more, nothing less. Just because I agreed to go along with this ridiculous sham of a wedding doesn't give you the right to call me any stupid, asshole nicknames, you got it?"
Robert huffed. "Well, you don't have to get your designer duds all in a fucking knot," he snapped. "I didn't have to finance your business, you know. You're getting something out of this, too. I think going along with this wedding is minor compared to the millions I've advanced you, or have you forgotten?"
Brian sighed in barely-controlled exasperation. "How could I?" he retorted. "You remind me of that fact every fucking day, Robert."
Robert's hackles were raised as he snapped, "Well, I don't see YOU complaining about having a ready-made fuck buddy each night, Brian."
Brian shook his head, wondering how in the world he had gotten himself into this seemingly inescapable situation. "There's more to life than having a convenient fuck buddy, Robert."
"Hah!" Robert snorted, his eyes flashing in irritation. "That's really rich, coming from you - the fucking champion of Pittsburgh!" He crossed his arms before adding, "Well, maybe you haven't noticed, Mr. Kinney, but the well-off big-wigs in town aren't exactly streaming over to you to offer you a bailout on your financial situation. At least I'M willing to do that."
Brian huffed out an angry breath and shook his head. "You're getting what you wanted out of this deal, Robert, or have YOU forgotten? You not only got me to agree to this fucking farce, but you will also be getting your precious money back with interest! So don't go playing the poor martyr act on me now!"
Robert sighed; he had meant to merely come into Brian's office to announce his return and set up a time to meet at the loft later for dinner and some "entertainment" afterward. Somehow, though, it had turned into yet another of their verbal sparring matches. It seemed like there were more and more of those lately, even though he knew he had Brian over a barrel when it came to needing money. He had hoped that the man might actually agree to stay married to him once he got used to the idea, but the closer they got to the actual ceremony, the more obstinate and combative Brian seemed to become. He needed to quickly put the kibosh on Brian's unhappiness if he hoped to have Brian put up an accurate pretense of really wanting to get married, or he would be the laughing stock of every influential man and woman he did business with; that was something he simply couldn't afford to do.
"Brian," he started over. "Let's not fight about this…..I agree – we're both getting benefits out of this little arrangement, so let's just call a truce, okay? I promise not to speak sweet nothings into your ear if you promise to at least pretend you like the idea of getting married. Have we got a deal?"
Brian exhaled a breath in irritation. He should never have agreed to this arrangement in the first place; but he had tried steadfastly to come up with some other type of financial backing that would allow him to comfortably operate his fledgling business, but so far he had come up empty. Until he could win over and secure some more powerful, lucrative clients, he was stuck with this terrible deal with the devil.
He peered over at the other man, whose eyebrows were raised in a silent request for a response. "All right, damn it," he finally said curtly. "Whatever. Just don't expect me to be your loving hubby once we're married, you got it? If you remember, we both agreed that whoever we fuck is our own business and we can do who we want when we want."
Robert nodded. "Yeah, I remember, Brian," he irritatingly told the other man. "That doesn't mean I necessarily like the idea, but I remember." He stood up, preparing to leave, when he abruptly thought of something. "Did Mr. Taylor stop by here today?"
Brian feigned disinterest. "Mr. Taylor?"
"Yeah, you know – the wedding planner. Did he stop by here earlier with the contract for you to sign?"
Brian pretended to give that some careful thought as if he were trying to remember, even though there would be no possible way he could ever forget the blue-eyed, blond, delectable little compact package that had strode into his office earlier today; he had been thinking of pretty much nothing else all day since the man had left, trying diligently to come up with a way to see him again. "Oh, yeah," he finally said nonchalantly. "He was here."
Robert pressed him; everything seemed to involve dragging the information out of the other man lately. "Well? Did you sign the papers? We need to get moving on the wedding arrangements and reception details right away."
Brian turned his head to roll his eyes secretly in disdain; just the mere thought of getting married to this overbearing, pushy man was almost more than he could stomach at the moment. But when you make deals with the devil, you have to lie down with the devil, too…He turned back to glance up at the other man and confirm somewhat wearily, "Yes…..I signed the papers, Robert. Are you happy now?" At least that should make ONE of them happy, anyway…..
Robert gazed at him, wondering why he felt like there was more behind that statement than he could ascertain. "Yeah," he finally said slowly. "I'm happy." He only wished he had a better feeling about this whole wedding; Brian's less than enthusiastic response did extremely little to encourage him.
When Brian remained silent, Robert finally responded as he stood up, "Well, I'll leave you to your work then. Will you be home later?"
Brian snorted. "Well, I DO live there, Robert. Of course I'll be home later." That doesn't mean I'll be STAYING there, though, he thought to himself silently as his fiancé nodded.
"Okay, then I'll see you at home later," Robert said. "You want me to pick up something for dinner or just fix us something?" He was hoping Brian would actually stay home for a change rather than gulping down his food and hurrying back out the door to Woody's or one of the dance clubs like he tended to do lately. Robert was normally content just to stay home with a movie, fix a gourmet meal for him and Brian, and then participate in a fucking session later before retiring to their bed to sleep.
Somehow, though, he got the distinct impression that while Brian participated in their sexual escapades with enough willingness, deep down he wasn't satisfied with their fucking arrangement and undoubtedly sought out other men to trick with before finally coming home for the night in the wee hours of the morning. Of course, he had agreed to that – why, he didn't know, except that he felt that despite Brian's agreement for him to provide funding, he had not really wanted to go along with it. Robert, on the other hand, really wanted this marriage of convenience to work, and eventually hoped Brian would come to appreciate it as well. For now, however, it was obvious that Brian's thoughts regarding their agreement were vastly different than his.
Brian shook his head. "Don't bother," he said flatly. "I'm not sure how late I'll be working tonight – just get yourself something if you want to. If I get hungry enough, I'll stop at the diner and grab a bite to eat before I come home."
Robert stared at him in disappointment for a few seconds before finally nodding and turning to go. "Okay...Do whatever you want, Mr. Kinney," he responded icily as he turned to leave.
As Brian watched his "mock fiancé" finally exit his private office, he breathed a sigh of relief as he tiredly placed his hands in his heads. As he took a few minutes to rest briefly with his elbows on his desk, he found his thoughts once more drifting to an attractive, slender man that had caused his heart to do flip flops just at the sight of him; he certainly didn't react anywhere near that way with his so-called fiancé. He was astounded how much the other man had affected him, even though he barely knew him.
Making a spontaneous decision that he had had enough drudgery work for the day, he decisively closed his laptop and crammed it into his briefcase. Just before he closed it shut, he tucked the manila folder and business card for Justin Taylor's business inside, along with some other information. I think it's time I give Mr. Taylor some input into my ideas for this wedding. As he slipped his jacket on and picked up his briefcase, he couldn't help thinking that was the best idea he had had all afternoon as he walked out the office door.
The It's Not the Same Shop – Same Time
Daphne smiled at Justin as he beamed. "That is SO great, Justin!" she praised him upon learning of his latest client. "I've heard of Robert Chagall! He's in the Life Section of the newspaper all the time! He's always pictured in there either attending some fundraiser or providing the catering for it." She scrunched up her nose. "I wonder if his food's any good. You'd think HE'D be supplying the food for his own reception, wouldn't you? I wonder if he's secretly using someone else's food instead at his own restaurants..."
Daphne shrieked as one of the sofa's pillows went flying by her head. "Hey!" she cried out in mock protest as she grabbed onto the side of the soft to keep from falling off.
"You are such a freak, Daphne!" Justin quipped, chuckling.
His friend shrugged. "Just wondering, that's all…" She grinned back at him. "I've seen his picture in the paper a gazillion times – he's pretty attractive; does he look that good in person?"
Justin smirked. "Yeah…..I guess if you're into that unshaven, Clint Eastwood sort of look." Daphne looked at him in rapt fascination, hoping for some juicy gossip as he continued. "He's okay, I guess…..I can tell you THIS much – he certainly THINKS he's hot; he definitely doesn't have any self-esteem issues."
His eyes suddenly took on a faraway look as he murmured, almost to himself, "If you think he's attractive, you should see his fiancé." He felt his face flush just at the thought of his encounter earlier today with Brian Kinney. How God could have gifted that man with so much at one time was beyond him, but he certainly did: Kinney had to be the most gorgeous man he had ever laid eyes on. He sighed in resignation. What a shame he was already taken!
"Justin? Are in you in there? Hello?"
He abruptly came out of his musing to peer back at Daphne in embarrassment. "Sorry, Daph, what were you saying?" he asked sheepishly.
She looked at her friend in amusement and snorted. "That's funny – that's the same question I just asked you. I thought I heard you say something about Chagall's fiancé."
Daphne noticed with interest that her friend's face flushed at the mention of the other man. She eyed him curiously. "Justin?"
The blond licked his lips nervously before averting his gaze. "It's nothing, Daphne, really."
Daphne noticed with piqued interest how quiet her normally talkative friend had suddenly become at the mention of this other man; something was definitely up…
"Uh, huh," she quipped. "I don't buy it, Taylor. What about Chagall's fiancé? What's so special about him?"
She stared over at Justin intently until he finally met her gaze and sighed again; he knew the jig was up. "Well, I had to stop by the office of Chagall's fiancé earlier today to have him sign the representation agreement."
"And?" Daphne prodded him when he hesitated.
"And…he was probably the hottest guy I've ever seen," he admitted just a little dreamily, recalling the first time he laid eyes on the outrageously handsome and sexy man. Even now, just the thought of seeing Kinney for the first time made his pulse speed up. "He had the most perfect hair, and these unbelievable greenish brown eyes that seemed to change color as he talked. And his lips! They were so perfectly shaped. And when he stood up – Daph, he had the most unbelievable body, tall, lean and muscled but not overly so. He was just so…"
"Perfect," Daphne finished for him, grinning at her friend, who blushed in response. "Yeah, I'm beginning to get the picture." Even after all the years they had known each other, Daphne had never seen Justin so apparently enamored with another man; his voice was animated as he described him and his face was almost glowing. This fiancé of Chagall's must be really good-looking. "He must have really made quite the impression on you," she observed.
Justin twisted his lips wryly. "Yeah, I guess he did," he admitted, his voice rising in excitement as he continued. "You should have seen him, Daphne! I've never seen anyone like him…..he looked like some Greek god or something..."
Justin had his back to the door as the over-the-door-bell chime abruptly sounded, signaling that a potential client was entering his shop. Daphne, who was facing the door, took one look at the man entering the store and somehow instantly she knew. "Like him?" she asked quietly, nodding her head toward the door as her mouth hung open in admiration for the stunning Adonis that just entered the shop.
"Huh?" Justin responded, wondering what in the hell his friend was talking about. As he slowly turned around, however, his heart almost stopped at the sight of the man he had just been describing standing just inside the shop, his lips curled under in a bemused sort of way at Justin's shocked reaction.
"Oh, my God," Daphne whispered as the man walked toward them. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell slightly open at the sight of this extremely sexy man approaching. If this wasn't the man Justin had just described, she would shuck the rest of her pre-med training right out the door now...
Somewhere between the office and here, Brian had managed to ditch his suit jacket and tie; he was still wearing the same, charcoal-colored dress shirt he had been wearing earlier, but it was now open at the neck and had the cuffs rolled up casually, exposing some of his tanned, lean flesh to Justin's admiring gaze.
Justin fought to try and not openly ogle this other man, but it was extremely difficult; he had never believed in love at first sight, or being attracted to someone else based on pheromones, but this man could quite possibly get him to change his mind. Everything about him – his looks, his somewhat smug smile, his walk, even his smell – just screamed one thing in his mind: I really, really want this man…
The logical part of his head, however, was telling him to back off; this man and his fiancé could quite possibly successfully cement his business permanently in Pittsburgh if he did a good job for them. Was it worth fucking up this unbelievable opportunity just to fuck with this man instead? No matter how attracted he might be to him, he HAD to listen to reason here…didn't he?
The side of Brian's mouth rose in a smirk; he had seen the look Taylor had on his face so often before that he knew the other man wanted him – badly. Well, if that was what he wanted, he was more than willing to accommodate him. He would never want anyone to accuse him of being uncharitable…..The blond's blue eyes were wide with desire and a little surprise as he walked over toward the man and a young, brunette woman sitting by him on the couch; he was still wearing those totally off-the-rack, K-Mart type "chic" clothes he had had on earlier, but Brian still thought he was the sexiest little creature he had ever seen. He couldn't help thinking that if the man looked this tasty with those clothes on, he could only imagine how incredible he would look with them OFF…..
Daphne watched the reactions of both men with extreme fascination; from her vantage point, she couldn't decide if Justin was more attracted to this gorgeous man, or if the other man was more mesmerized by Justin. In her view, at the moment she would call it a draw, not able to determine which one was more enamored of the other. She smiled slightly as the man approached them. This should be very interesting, she decided…..
Justin swallowed a nervous lump and cleared his throat to buy time before managing to say somewhat calmly, "Mr. Kinney…..This is a surprise." He stood up to greet the other man and extended his hand, finding that it was shaking slightly at the anticipation of touching that warm piece of flesh again….
"Brian," the man promptly corrected him, saying his own name as if it were a prayer. Well, Justin decided that if this man was praying, he was more than willing to join his church…He readily reached his hand out to grasp Brian's as he gasped softly at the contact. At the initial contact of Brian's hand, Justin sucked in an intake of breath at the feelings coursing through him. As he tried earnestly to steady his heartbeat, he realized immediately that conducting business with this man – and keeping it as only business – was going to be one of the most difficult things he had ever done in his life. This man simply made him feel things he never even knew he could feel before – it was like a euphoric, floating-on-air-type of feeling that almost made him dizzy with its intensity.
Brian held onto Justin's hand longer than necessary, relishing in the feel of the other man's long but slender fingers and wondering just what sort of pleasures those fingers could bring him. He was amazed at the feeling of outright lust and desire that rushed through every pore of his body at just the simple touch of the other man's hand in his as he reluctantly let it go finally. He felt a sense of smugness at the other man's reaction to their handshake. Hopefully before the night was over, he would be experiencing the glory of fucking this man senseless, all night long – where, he didn't care. He just knew he had to have him. To hell with Robert and his dinner plans.
As his mind rapidly churned with possibilities of where to take this man for a mind-blowing, marathon session of fucking, sucking, ramming and rimming – not necessarily in that order – he glanced down at the young woman peering up at him curiously, one manicured eyebrow arched in a sort of silent question of who are you and what do you intend to do with my friend? At least, he HOPED she was either a client or merely a friend; surely his gaydar couldn't be THAT far off…..He had seen the way Justin had looked at him in his office – he couldn't have mistaken the looks of admiration and lust that were being broadcast back at him, loud and clear….
"I'm Brian," he said to Daphne, smiling his most appealing smile as Daphne stared back up at him in curiosity; the look on her face was a half-mixture of part drooling and studious analysis as he reached down to take her hand. As he clasped it, instead of shaking it, he lifted the small hand to his lips and gave it a kiss. "And you are?"
Brian smiled broadly as Daphne actually giggled at his gesture. "Uh…..I'm Daphne," she replied in a girlish voice, as Brian gently let go of her hand.
Justin rolled his eyes at her school-girl response as he cleared his throat once more to explain, "Daphne's a friend of mine."
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Daphne," Brian purred, pouring on the charm. You don't know HOW much of a pleasure it is…..meeting one of Justin's "friends." Yes, everything was looking very promising indeed…
"I don't mean to intrude," Brian said politely, his voice imbued with the smooth drawl that always made any man – or woman – practically swoon at his feet. "But after looking through the materials you left, I had some suggestions for the wedding and reception and didn't want to waste any time. I know how much under the gun you are." He motioned toward the couch, noticing to his delight that it was just large enough to accommodate three people – just barely… "May I sit down?"
Daphne smiled and patted the space directly next to her. "You sure can," she said, enjoying the situation immensely. "Have a seat. You too, Justin," she said, grinning.
Justin narrowed his eyes at her in a sort of are you CRAZY look? But Daphne simply ignored him as Brian smiled and sat down next to her, gazing up expectantly at Justin as he waited with immense anticipation for him to join them. "Justin?" he asked.
I am so fucked, was the blond's immediate thought. If he sat down at the chair, it would look like he was obviously trying to avoid the man, but if he DID sit down next to him, there was no guarantee his body wouldn't betray him by instantly broadcasting his intense desire for this gorgeously-dangerous, sensual man. Daphne – I am so going to KILL you, he thought, as sighing, he slowly walked over and lowered himself down gingerly onto the couch, trying without success to move as far toward the end of the couch as he could. He noticed, however, that Brian seemed to actually scoot even farther toward his side of the couch until the two of them were touching, thigh to thigh.
He bit back a moan as he felt his body brush up against the lean, corded flesh of Brian's leg. The part of his leg where it was touching Brian's felt like it was on fire and his face felt even more ablaze. He didn't dare look over into the other man's eyes because he knew the man would immediately know how he felt. Did he realize what he was doing to him? And was he just enjoying his evil game of playing with him, like a cat plays with a timid little mouse? He kept telling himself that he had to concentrate on the business he would generate as a result of successfully planning this man's wedding and reception. Concentrate, Justin, concentrate…. The man is engaged to be married…..This is BUSINESS, nothing more…..
Daphne curled her lips under, fascinated by the sexual tension and heat being generated by the two men practically sitting in each other's laps. Kinney may be engaged to someone else, but there was no mistaking the attraction that was practically oozing out of both of them. Brian was actively staring over at Justin, his desire written all over his face, while Justin was keeping his head down and his gaze averted purposely in a blatantly obvious attempt to not look at the other man. Thinking it was time her friend loosened up just a little, she quickly decided she had worn out her welcome here…..
She jumped up from the couch and clapped her hand over her mouth as if she had just thought of something. Thinking her performance was worthy of an Academy Award, she looked down at Justin apologetically and said, "Oh, my God, Justin! I just remembered! I was supposed to meet my mom and dad tonight for dinner thirty minutes ago!" She walked the few steps over to a nearby chair and picked up her jacket. "I've got to go – I'll have to take a rain check on dinner!"
Justin was almost in a panic; she was going to leave him here – with him? "Daphne…..Can't you call them and reschedule?" he asked her almost desperately.
Daphne shook her head in mock regret. You'll thank me later…. "Oh, no," she said. "I stood them up accidentally the last time," she explained, silently congratulating herself on her ability to think on her feet. "I don't dare not show up this time. We'll do dinner some other time, okay?" she said, rushing toward the door before Justin had time to stop her. "It was nice meeting you!" she called over to Brian, who looked positively ecstatic at this turn of events. Justin, on the hand, looked like he might faint any minute now, but Daphne knew it was for his own good. Her friend had been working so hard lately, he rarely went out and enjoyed himself. And she figured if anyone could help Justin "enjoy himself," it would definitely be THIS man…
"I'll call you!" she chirped brightly at her friend just before she opened the shop's door and hurried out.
Justin groaned inwardly at the predicament his friend had just left him in. As the shop was bathed in unexpected silence, Justin closed his eyes and looked down at his lap, terrified to look over at the man who hadn't budged an inch since Daphne left, even though there was plenty of room on the couch now. He breathed in oxygen, telling himself to breathe, breathe…..He started a little when he heard Brian's voice calling his name. The other man was sitting so close to him, he felt the whisper of the man's breath on his face as he spoke into his ear.
"Justin…."
Oh, God…..why couldn't I be on the OTHER end of the couch? Justin thought, his heart pounding in his chest at the sound of the other man's voice whispering his name. He swore silently to himself as he felt his body tremble slightly in response. This man no doubt was toying with him, relishing the reactions he was receiving. He meant nothing to him – he was simply a convenient outlet for this man's sexual urges.
Thankfully finding his composure at last, he exhaled a breath to calm himself before saying, "You wanted to run some ideas by me, Brian?" he asked politely. He still couldn't look the other man in the face, though – while his voice had sounded surprisingly calm, his breathing and churning stomach were far from passive.
Brian curled his lips under in triumph, pleased at the response he was having on this other man. Yeah, I have all KINDS of "ideas" to run by you, Mr. Taylor. Starting with ripping your clothes off and kissing those lips until they're raw with bruises and those eyes stare back at me with shattering desire…..
He cleared his throat to try and push those erotic thoughts to the back of his mind momentarily. If Justin wanted to play this teasing game, he could play along…..at least for a little while. It would make their dalliance later tonight that much more exquisite….. "Yes," he said smoothly. "I had some ideas for the reception, for example." He reached over to pick up a folder he had carried in with him from the coffee table and opened it up to take out some photos of possible venues. As much as he despised even the idea of discussing his mock wedding and reception, he knew he had to play along until he could figure out some other way to escape his deal with the devil. In the meantime, however, he could definitely pursue some much more pleasurable activities…..
He looked over at Justin, who, to his amusement, was trying to push his body as far against the end of the couch as he could. He couldn't get far, however. Brian had made sure that he was pressed up against him so snugly, the man had nowhere else to go, unless he fell off the couch. He was glad that Justin had furnished his shop with a traditional couch that had large, rolled armrests. That made it almost impossible to escape from his close quarters at the moment…..
"Uh, you need to take a close look at these," Brian told him authoritatively. "I need your input – after all, you're the expert," he added innocently, finally being rewarded by the blond staring back at him in aggravation. "Justin…..the photos?" he said, glancing down at the stack in his lap.
Brian watched in fascination as the tip of the blond's pink tongue nervously darted out momentarily to wet the plump, full lips. Fuck, how he ached to kiss that flesh! But he held back, deciding to take the time to study the amazing creature sitting so close to him as Justin somewhat shakily picked up the photos to study them.
Justin tried hard to concentrate on his work, finding it almost impossible with this man pushed up against him. He viewed each photo carefully, recognizing the first five as prominent banquet halls located throughout the city. He had already thought of the same ones; unfortunately, each one he had contacted today had told him they were already booked for the same night as the Chagall-Kinney nuptials. "I know about all these," he told Brian, still refusing to look him in the eye. "Unfortunately, I called all of them and they're already booked for the day of your wedding." He frowned, however, as he came to the sixth photo in the group. His curiosity overrode his intense desire for the other man momentarily as he dared to look over at Brian and ask, "What's this?" It appeared to be a deck of some type; he could see a view of water in the background, but he didn't recognize the location.
"That's Robert's yacht," Brian told him. "Big fucker, too – the ship, I mean," he said, finally evoking a slight smile from Justin which made his heart speed up. He could only imagine what a full-blown smile would do to him as he added, "I thought that might be a possibility for both the wedding AND the reception, especially since we're so close to the actual wedding date."
Justin pondered that possibility; he had never organized a wedding and reception onboard a ship before, but he supposed it was possible, providing, of course, that there was enough room and he could coordinate the logistics of making sure all the reception supplies were on board. "How big IS it? Your fiancé told me you might have as many as 500 guests for the event. You'd need a lot of room to accommodate that many people."
Brian snorted. "Believe me, it would fit all of them and THEN some – there are three decks on that monstrosity; it's enormous. Way too big for what Robert would ever need, but he inherited it from Dear Old Dad, who had money oozing out of him instead of blood."
Justin bit his lip in thought as his eyes lit up at the possibilities; it would certainly make for an interesting challenge. He tilted his head as he said, "It just might work. Actually, I kind of LIKE the idea of using it. It would be kind of neat working with that sort of venue."
Brian reassured him, "Trust me – it's MORE than big enough." Plenty of private bedrooms, too, he thought…..Suddenly, an intriguing idea popped into his head…...
"Why don't I take you over there? You can judge for yourself, then."
Justin's eyes widened at that – was he serious? "I don't know, Brian….maybe we should ask Robert – your fiancé," he said meaningfully, trying fervently to stress that this was a business deal…..He knew, though, that he was kidding himself. From the second he had first laid eyes on this man, his thoughts had been anything BUT businesslike…..
Brian recognized the other man trying frantically to backpedal as he thought, Oh, no, Mr. Taylor….you're not getting away from me THAT easily….
"He won't mind…..I have a key to get onboard and he wanted me to be involved with the wedding plans. He's busy tonight, and we're really pressed for time here….every day is important, Justin, and you yourself said you're having trouble finding a good location for the event. This could solve all our problems – but you're the expert, so I need your opinion as to whether or not it's feasible to use. My car is outside – it will only an hour or so." It will take only an hour to tour the ship and then we can begin our fuck fest…..the REST of the time will be spent discovering what must be your considerable talents in OTHER areas…
Brian continued his persuasive tactics. "What do you say? Robert and I are fully prepared to pay whatever it takes to make this wedding and reception the event of the year." At least ROBERT is….I could care less….. "I'm sure he would be very appreciative if you would go with me tonight to give us your opinion."
Justin barely could breathe as the man stared back at him intently, his body still pressed firmly against his. Could he do this? Could he honestly keep his and Brian's relationship all business? Surely this man was merely toying with him, hoping to use him as some momentary indiscretion before he was forced to settle down with his fiancé. Justin really needed their business – if his volume didn't pick up, he ran the risk of going completely under, along with his reputation AND his property. He would have to start all over again, and he had come too far to do that. Could he somehow resist this utterly drop-dead gorgeous man's not-so-subtle invitation? He HAD to – too much was riding on it.
Finally making a decision, even though he wondered if he was out of his mind, he softly responded, "Okay. But just for a little while. I've got some other clients' weddings I need to work on, also."
Brian smiled, his heart beating rapidly in anticipation of what was to come. Knowing the other man didn't realize what he had just agreed to, and sure of what the mind-blowing outcome would be, he stood up at last to thankfully free Justin from his confining position on the couch. He momentarily mourned the loss of the other man's body pressed up against him, but mollified himself that soon, very soon, he would be experiencing a much more up close and personal encounter with this wonderfully adorable, slender little dynamo.
"Let's go, then," Brian told him, as he eagerly scooped up the folder and waited for Justin to follow.
Feeling like he was about to take a journey that was fraught with landmines, he nodded and slowly stood up to join the other man. As they left the shop and Justin locked it behind him, he thought he heard his conscience trying to warn him, Beware, Justin…..heart roadblocks ahead…..