The Storm: Redemption
Chapter Fourteen
By Gayforkurt
Summary: Famous countertenor Kurt Hummel and billionaire entrepreneur Dave Karofsky must come to terms with the past but bitter feelings make a future for these two headstrong men highly unlikely. This fic is rated M.
Disclaimer: Messrs. Ryan, Falchuk, et al are the owners of my favorite boys. Only the OCs belong to me, alas.
KHDK
As Dave and Kurt were sinking into post-coital slumber, Emma, across town in her own townhouse flopped over onto her back, panting and laughing at the sweaty man beside her.
"My god, Ell, that was a workout!" She laughed again as she rubbed one languid hand down her companion's damp, muscular back. They continued to smile at each other as their breath evened out.
The two had met up the night before at dinner at a mutual friend's and, though they'd been on again, off again lovers, Emma had never been in love with him. Elliot Stanfield was simply not rich enough for her purposes but she did love what he could do with that lovely cock of his.
Elliott knew the situation and didn't really mind. Emma was just a bit too ambitious for his taste; he liked his partners to be more caught up with him than with their own problems. That probably sounded narcissistic as hell but he was very cognizant of his own shortcomings. Certainly that didn't stop him from being able to pull anything in skirt or trousers that he was attracted to.
Emma rolled over so her breasts were squashed up to his shoulders and looked at him calculatingly. "You know, if you'd only been a bit more flush, you and I could have made a go of it, really." She ran a long finger across one elegant eyebrow and watched the chocolate brown eye disappear as he lowered the lid.
They'd known each other for years, moving in pretty much the same circles, but both had known that they wouldn't end up with each other. Just as he'd always reminded her, he wasn't rich enough for her taste, being just comfortably well off, and he knew she was hanging out for at least a millionaire.
Now he smiled sleepily, enjoying the feel of her petting, and reminded her again: "Much as I'd have loved to help you and your father, sweet, my pocket will never be able to manage it. Maybe if the old man hadn't been stupid enough to lose almost everything he'd inherited…" and here he shrugged. It was a story she knew all too well; her own father, like so many who had dabbled in the stock market, had been dreadfully affected by the 2018 crash.
She hummed in agreement now and rolled back, running her hands through her damp hair and wondering how much time she'd have before she met up with Davey for lunch. That man was taking for ever to step up and make her 'an honest woman'. She smirked cynically at that, wondering what he would think if he could see her now.
The amusement fell away as she thought on how unromantic the young billionaire was. He'd never once been suspicious of all the times they'd made arrangements to meet and she'd turned up flushed, obviously having been with someone else. Or maybe he had been suspicious but just didn't care enough to ask. She frowned petulantly at the thought that she was the one doing all the chasing in this relationship and that hit her in her pride every time she thought about it.
Still, a part of her was happy that when they were married, she would apparently still have the freedom to continue her little liaisons. A disturbing thought occurred to her then; if she were to have that freedom, would he want the same consideration? And just who would be the main bit of fluff – the little singer, perhaps? That thought did not sit well with her and she leapt out of the bed and stalked into the en suite, not answering Elliot as he called out to her.
Emma was not one to share her toys, oh no, and something within her told her that she was on very shaky ground if she delayed getting that ring on her finger. Making up her mind, she drew a bath, making sure that everything about her appearance would be both flawless and seductive. This meant she had to remove all traces of Elliot's rather energetic attentions and even though her cunt was still a bit tender, she planned to give Davey an afternoon delight that would simply blow his mind.
She was quite confident in her ability to get and hold the man's attention, even though she had slipped up of late, but no man had been able to resist her once she'd set her mind to it. Having grown from a pretty but chunky child into a tall, curvy and busty blonde, she knew she was many men's walking wet dream. As she'd grown older, however, she'd started to realize that, though she was gorgeous, there were many equally lovely women coming on the scene who happened to be younger! She was not going to be forty and unwed, she was determined about that.
She heard Elliot shuffling about in the bedroom but paid him no heed. He knew the score and when she was in this kind of dark mood where she plotted and brooded, it was best if he just show himself out and then ring her up later.
Relaxing back in the spacious tub and allowing her body to soak in the hot, fragrant water, she closed her eyes and thought about her glowing future, one where she was Mrs. David Karofsky and she would rule over his billions and help her father with his own, growing political ambitions. Yes, David Karofsky would be very useful indeed.
KHDK
Saying they would share the shower and, therefore, get out of the flat that much faster was an out and out lie, at least to Dave it was. Seriously, though, there was no way he could be standing thisclose to a wet, slippery Kurt and not help to 'wash' him.
Kurt's laughter rang high and clear as David seemed to have grown extra pairs of hands. They'd definitely needed a second shower each after their nap and while Kurt had changed the bed linens, David was supposed to have been having his shower. However, the larger man had complained that the shower was really just too large for him alone and he needed someone to keep him company. Riiiight!
Kurt had giggled at his playfulness and joined him, spending the next nearly thirty minutes kissing and rubbing their damp bodies together before deciding they really, really needed to get clean. Dave had retaliated by 'soaping up' Kurt everywhere he could reach, listening to the younger man laugh and watching him trying to squirm away from Dave's hand.
Dave couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so light-hearted. Looking at the water from the shower beading on Kurt's long lashes that framed sparkling, laughter-filled eyes, he felt his heart swell at his good fortune. He knew he'd been incredibly lucky to have Kurt forgive him and as he stroked his soapy hands down the singer's well-toned arms, he succeeded in capturing the laughing mouth beneath his.
Kurt subsided against Dave, his hands sliding around the man's waist and grasping his water-slippery back. They moaned into each other's mouth, enjoying the taste, the feel, the smell of each other and thinking of nothing else but that.
Eventually Kurt pulled away, reaching up a hand to move the damp curly hair off of David's broad forehead. They stood there just looking at each other and then Kurt smiled softly, planting one last peck on David's mouth.
"Come on, we really need to get going if we want to catch brunch at 360. You'll love it, I guarantee!" He giggled as Dave tried to hold onto him but he quickly completed his shower and slipped from the glass-enclosed stall.
Dave grumbled a bit but did as he was bid and hurried through the rest of his ablutions as well. He was glad that they were going out to eat as he was quite ravenous. He just couldn't seem to concentrate much when all that pale skin was his for the touching and the tasting. Kurt, like the old song, filled up all his senses and he felt almost drunk on his good fortune.
The two men touched and teased each other as they got dressed, Dave in the shirt and trousers from the night before – though he decided to forgo the jacket – and Kurt in a surprisingly simple, thick, creamy sweater and dark jeans. He looked so good in everything he wore, Dave privately thought that if the singing thing hadn't worked out, the man could have been a model. His erect carriage and snooty expression were perfect for the runway and his tall, slender body was built for the avant-garde styles favoured by some of the more outré fashion houses.
Now Dave hungrily eyed Kurt's bum encased in the tight jeans as he bent over to find his boots. Dave loved everything about Kurt's fabulous body but his shapely thighs that put many women's to shame were amongst his favourites… along with the long neck, tight arse and pretty pink lips.
He hadn't realized he'd been stood there gazing fixedly at the man who was now tapping his foot impatiently, clearly having spoken and not having received a reply from Dave.
Dave flushed as he smiled sheepishly at Kurt. "Sorry, sweetheart, I got just a little distracted."
Kurt smirked, understanding glinting in his eyes. "Distracted, huh? Well, it could be from hunger." He glided closer to Dave stopping well within the other man's personal space. "Do you think it's hunger, David?"
Dave glanced down helplessly into the intriguing blue-green eyes, getting lost as usual, and found himself leaning forward to kiss Kurt. One slender had came up between their lips, however, as Kurt smiled deviously back at him. Dave groaned at the little tease and straightened up.
"Yes, damnit, hunger has clearly befuddled my mind," he laughed as Kurt smiled sweetly up at him. "Or maybe it's just one, teasing, sexy little singer who doesn't know he's playing with fire!"
Kurt simply laughed, slid his hands up Dave's broad chest and leaned up to kiss him, a sweet, chaste little kiss that was more of a promise. "Tease, am I? You're only a tease if you don't put out, yes?"
Dave's hands had slipped behind Kurt to rest lovingly on the pert arse and now he squeezed the cheeks one final time before stepping back. "Sorry, wrong word; I meant, beautiful, wonderful, maybe amazing… ow!"
He yelped as Kurt nipped his bottom lip quickly before dancing out of his arms and over to the front door, smiling back triumphantly. "Well, if you continue to choose those sorts of words, I might just reward you later, hmmm?"
Dave simply shook his head, grabbed his jacket and followed the slender singer out the door. They made it out to the car with a minimum of teasing and as Kurt settled in happily beside him, he couldn't help but smile.
He didn't much believe in God anymore but at this moment he felt pretty thankful to Him for bringing this gorgeous, talented, porcelain-skinned diva into his life. All was definitely right with his world and he was prepared to fight to keep it that way with all the considerable resources he owned.
KHDK
Emma Smythe-Heffley sauntered around the room, picking up an objet d'art here, flipping through a book there, and sighed impatiently. She'd been waiting a little over an hour for Davey to turn up. His housekeeper had let her in, of course, even though she'd been told Dave was away but she'd stalked past the woman and decided to wait for him in his library/home office.
In her wanderings she came over to his entertainment system and glanced idly through his musical selections. She honestly had never considered if they had similar tastes in anything at all so now her curiosity was somewhat piqued as she glanced at the disc cases. She picked up a handful of discs, admiring the artwork on some of the covers while skimming past others.
Suddenly her eyes stopped at a familiar face and her lips tightened. Double lines appeared between her well-plucked eyebrows and if anyone else had been present they would not have thought her quite so lovely then. She selected a couple of the offending cds and plopped herself into an armchair to wait. As she calmed a bit, she pondered what course of action she should take. She couldn't appear to be as furious as she felt but she did want David to know that she was a little unhappy with the status quo.
The housekeeper appeared at one point to ask if she wanted anything while she waited but she waved her off, too angry to keep up a pretense at civility with someone who didn't really matter in the scheme of things. The housekeeper withdrew, her face a polite mask that hid her glee at Emma's displeasure.
David's domestic staff, from the very proper housekeeper to the cooks, maids and outside staff, knew he'd been enamored with the beautiful singer, Kurt Hummel, for years. They'd often discussed it, respectfully, of course; they liked their boss. He was a generous man who never asked anything of them that he knew they couldn't deliver. He never threatened them with dismissal if they fouled up and they would, to the last man and woman, defend him and his.
This Smythe-Heffley woman was not right for their employer and they knew this, though they couldn't say anything. Puckerman was the only one who straddled that nebulous line between employer and friend and even to him they couldn't really voice their often virulent antipathy towards the woman who treated them as if they were serfs.
Now the housekeeper headed back to the kitchen to speak with the cook, knowing that she could have told Emma that David had not planned to be back soon but the woman's own nasty attitude worked entirely against her. The housekeeper wondered what had got stuck in the woman's craw between the time she'd let her into the house and when she'd come in to ask if she needed any refreshment. Ah well, let's hope it's something really bad, the housekeeper crowed to herself as she entered the kitchens.
Meanwhile, Dave, on the way back from a truly sumptuous brunch at the sky-high restaurant that Kurt apparently found divine, had completely forgotten that he'd set up a lunch date with Emma. He tooled along in his beloved Bentley, enjoying the memory of Kurt's flushed face as his talented pink tongue licked up the last bit of cream from his dessert spoon.
Dave's cock tightened again and he wondered if he'd ever reach a point when anything Kurt did would no longer turn him on. He laughed at the remembered look of mischief in Kurt's beautiful eyes as he'd almost made love to the spoon, knowing what he was doing to Dave.
He continued to smile as he headed into Totteridge and his home but the smile faded a bit as he realized belatedly that he recognized the façade of the building housing the restaurant. It was the same one outside of which the paparazzi had seen Puck and Kurt leaving last month. He didn't really believe any more that there was anything going on between the two but still, a little niggling doubt remained to cast a shadow over his happiness.
He pulled into his driveway, once again admiring the beautiful color of the bricks in the afternoon light and then winced when he saw the car parked outside the door. Emma, oh crap! He pulled up the Bentley beside her car and when he got out he tossed the keys over to one of the young drivers who had come out of the detached garage housing his other babies.
When he entered the house, the housekeeper came from the kitchen to inform him that Miss Smythe-Heffley was waiting for him in the library. He handed his jacket over to the woman as he thanked her and then headed to his waiting visitor. Kurt had taken over both his mind and body quite deliciously and so completely that nothing of the outside world had encroached. Explaining to Emma that he'd forgotten their date, though, was never going to be a good thing, however.
He stepped into the room, glancing around as he didn't see her at first, and then he noticed her lounging in one of the overstuffed armchairs, a strange expression on her face.
"Emma, uh, I'm so sorry. Really, I got caught up with some things." He prayed she wouldn't notice that he was wearing dress pants that differed from his usual work attire. The way her eyes were running up and down his body, though, he guessed that wish was pretty futile. Nevertheless, she gave him a charming smile and rose to greet him, kissing him full on the lips.
"Mmmm, Davey, you went and ate without me? Darling, we had a date, you absent-minded boy!" Her laughter was so brittle and false, Dave knew something was wrong.
"Well, yes, I ran into a friend and we decided to go get something to eat. I was at the revolving restaurant, 360 I think it's called. Know it?" He knew he was rambling but he pretended not to realize and moved over to his desk, picking up and putting back down random documents and hoping she would just drop the subject.
"Really, a mutual friend?"
Dave stared at her, frozen for a second or two, before he cleared his throat nervously. Truly, he didn't know exactly where he stood with Kurt so he didn't know if he should just come right out and admit to things. He hated acting oblivious but until he and Kurt actually discussed their relationship, if indeed there was one, he felt it better to keep things as close to his chest as possible.
"You know, I can't remember if you two have met," he smiled blandly and sat behind his desk as he watched her stroll around the room until she was back at the armchair in which she had previously been sitting.
She turned and smiled just as blandly back at him, sat down and then took up the cd cases that had been lying beside her. "Oh, I was just looking through your rather eclectic collection of music and guess what I found? Really, Davey, I had no idea you were so into counter tenors." She laughed gaily as if she'd said something vastly amusing.
Dave blanched as she waved the two cd cases at him. Kurt's beautiful face stared back at him from the one on top and Dave wondered briefly if his own face showed how startled he was. A funny little chill went through him as he looked up at Emma, noticing for maybe the first time how her smile in no way reached her eyes. He felt, strangely, as if he were looking at one of his business rivals but then, the next second, there was just the same old Emma smiling brightly back at him. He shook his head; maybe he'd just been imagining that look of antipathy.
Dave decided to go with at least part of the truth. "Ha ha, isn't that odd; that's who I had brunch with. You remember, you met him at the Palladium, uh, was it just last week? Wow, what a coincidence."
They continued to smile falsely at each other and the silence stretched thin between them. He was startled again when the door opened and his wonderful housekeeper stepped in to inquire if there were anything they needed. Dave glanced questioningly at Emma who nodded and smiled tightly.
"Well, as you've just eaten apparently, I will have just a sandwich and a salad, thank you." She nodded haughtily at the housekeeper who nevertheless nodded politely back at her before looking at her boss.
He smiled kindly and shook his head, explaining that he'd really just eaten but maybe he'd join his guest in a cup of coffee. The woman smiled warmly back at him, nodded and left as discreetly as she'd entered.
Once again the silence stretched between them but David pretended he was studying some of the documents lying on his desk and at one point, to further the pretence of working, picked up his phone and called one of his business managers. Just as he hung up, the phone rang and when he looked at the display, saw that it was Kurt. Now, the dilemma facing him was how to speak to Kurt in a business-like tone without both alerting Emma and pissing off Kurt. Really, the man was a prickly as a Siamese cat and just as dictatorial. And David loved it!
He grabbed the phone before it could ring again. "Hello, David Karofsky here… Yes, yes, I see… Well, yes, I think that can be arranged. Oh no, I will have to check my planner, obviously. What? No-no-no, I'm just a little busy at present… Yes, I do too. Ha ha ha, until then, yes, good day."
He hung up and shrugged as he felt Emma's eyes boring suspiciously into him. "Business. Some of these foreigners can be very pushy." He cringed inside; playing on Emma's xenophobia this way was really quite sickening but if he could head off her suspicions, things would be so much better for both him and Kurt.
Dave's hands clenched, unseen by Emma, of course, because he was picturing Kurt's face as the phone conversation unfolded. His lover had wanted him to come with him to dinner at his agent's house Wednesday evening and even if Dave had had a business meeting abroad, he would have canceled just to be with Kurt. God, he really had it bad!
Emma watched him surreptitiously, not believing for a second that call had been business. She glanced at the singer's glowing face on the cover of the cd case and frowned again. Flinging the offending item aside, she rose from the armchair, a falsely cheerful smile on her face.
"Darling, you know what? I think maybe we need a little vacation – get away from the city, maybe even the country for a while. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
He'd got up when she had and now she glided over to him, the very picture of all that was feminine and sweet. Her well-manicured hand slid up his chest as she leaned her body against his, making certain that her breasts were pressing distractingly against his bicep. At least it would have been distracting to anyone besides Dave. He was so bloody oblivious at times she could scream. Really, if she didn't need his money she would never ever have given him the time of day all those years ago. It was just her luck that the richest man she knew was some jumped-up American with no background or breeding. Uh!
She smiled up into his hazel eyes, noticing for the first time how cool they could be and she fluttered her lashes coyly at him, hoping to get a smile, at least.
He eased her away from him, turning back to take up some papers from his desk. He shrugged even as she looked at him. "I'm sorry, I really am quite busy these days. You know how it is, Em, business comes first."
She was livid, she was so mad. She absolutely hated when he called her Em; it was so low and vulgar. She also knew that he was finding time to have brunch with that singer of his and that blasted call just now was probably from that little bitch, too! She struggled to keep her composure, knowing that when she got angry her skin mottled quite unattractively and she said things she often later regretted. She tried again.
"But, Davey, darling, you've been working so hard recently and you've just got back from that dreadful Arab place. Don't you want a break from it all? You can afford to take some time away, you know," she shrugged as if she was being, oh, so reasonable and he was not. "You are quite wealthy so you can just take off and go whenever and wherever you want; I mean, isn't that the point of it all?"
She came closer and hoisted one shapely buttock onto the corner of his huge desk. She had fond memories of this particular piece of furniture for they had once had quite a steamy little interlude on it. Goodness, had it been three years already? She certainly had thought by this time they would have been married and she would have been spending his wonderful money on clothes and jewelry and horses and apartments and houses. Her eyes almost glazed over as she drooled mentally over all the lovely things she would be able to buy.
Her gaze sharpened as she noticed she was being very closely observed. Dave had sat back in his chair when she had perched on his desk and he would bet his last dollar that she was thinking about his money. He smiled grimly as he answered her.
"It isn't the point at all, my dear." His condescending tone set her teeth on edge but she just smiled as if curious, tilting her head in what she thought was an attractive way, waiting for him to continue. "All this, everything that I have is a legacy from my father; my parents entrusted me with their wealth and I've been lucky enough to grow on that."
He looked down and away from her, wondering for a moment how Kurt really felt about his wealth. If there ever came a moment when he thought the singer was being blinded by his money, that would be the end.
Over the years he had kept as low a profile as ever, preferring to meet people and get to know them, hopefully long before they found out he was THE David Karofsky who, according to one wag, was "richer than Croesus". He used his wealth for good as much as possible and really didn't live the life of a playboy as people seemed to expect. Maybe it was because his dad had never been one to sit on his hands and just spend money. His entire empire was based on building things, making things or improving them, and investing in the future of students and artists.
Now he looked at this woman whose motives he was beginning to question and realized she was just the sort of person he'd been avoiding over the years since he'd inherited all this. If it hadn't been for his friendship with her brothers, Rob and Jeff, he probably wouldn't have taken up with her at all. So, now, because of that friendship, he decided he needed to make one thing clear.
"Emma, let's go and sit. Mrs. Edwards (whom he called Eddy) will probably soon be in with your salad and sandwich." He took her elbow and she glowed up at him, thinking he was going to come around to her way of thinking, and they went over to the overstuffed couch. As they sat, the door opened and one of the maids came in with a tea tray laden with Emma's lunch. He thanked the young girl who threw him a shy little grin and scampered back out.
Emma smirked a little before lifting one of the delicious little sandwiches to examine it. Davey really was rather charming, mostly because he didn't seem to realize it but she was going to have to change the staff out to mostly older, less attractive women when they got married. She bit into the sandwich with relish and felt satisfied with her plans.
Dave watched as she ate and when she had finished the last of her salad, he cleared his throat. "I've been thinking that maybe we ought to step back a little."
Emma had been about to sip her water but froze with the glass almost to her mouth. Her mind actually felt as if it had been wiped blank for a second there. Next she thought she hadn't really heard him clearly but as she stared, she realized his face had an uncharacteristically stern cast. Oh my god, he was actually serious. She put her glass back down, struggling for composure, and eventually she looked up at him.
"I don't understand, darling, what are you talking about?"
Dave got up from beside her and started pacing, as if he were trying to gather his thoughts. "Em, I don't think you and I will work, it is as simple as that… I can't marry you."
Nausea and fury battled within the woman as she stared unseeing at this man, the thought of all her plans and her father's plans crashing and burning almost too much for her rational mind to handle, so she just gave in to her emotions.
She screamed, just opened her mouth and screamed out all her anger, disappointment and frustration, only stopping when she realized he had turned to stare, horrified, at her and then she burst into tears. Her loss of control was mortifying; she had been so close, so very close to seeing all her plans come to fruition and now, because of some skinny little music hall boy, she was going to lose everything!
She had no doubt that Kurt was the one to blame for David's change of heart. She conveniently forgot that they had been almost engaged for so long her friends were beginning to question David's commitment to her. She conveniently forgot that she didn't love David, only growing starry-eyed when she contemplated her imminent access to his billions. She also conveniently forgot the man who'd just ridden her to two glorious orgasms last night and this morning. After all, men like Elliot were not husband material but David was.
Emma stared at the square of linen that David was holding out to her and she grabbed the handkerchief from him ungraciously, hoping that the staff hadn't heard her dreadful caterwauling. She mopped her dripping face as well as she could, trying to control her breathing and hating David for having seen her in such a state.
Finally she rose, a bit unsteadily but as he moved to help she flinched away from him. Her face, stony and blotchy and proud, would be something he remembered for a long time. Dave had not expected such a dreadful reaction; really, they had not been all that close, he thought. However, now she was pulling off a wounded air that she would no doubt carry like a banner, knowing her penchant for drama. She would soon be gathering allies left and right and making certain that he would be seen as a villain by all who knew them and thought their wedding was a foregone conclusion.
Dave sighed as he watched her stalk to the door. He waited to hear her parting shot and when she spoke, he wished she'd left silently. Her eyes and words were venomous when she looked back at him. "I will not be made to look a fool, David Karofsky. You and your little whore singer will understand that I am not to be thrown over like this, I swear!"
She slammed the door shut behind her but all Dave could think about was the fear that coursed through him. He could take care of himself but his fear was for Kurt. What would Emma do while she was in this state? Could she really go so far as to hurt Kurt? Dave collapsed onto the couch and dropped his face into his hands.
After a few minutes he rubbed his face and got up, moving over to his desk. Given the threat implied in Emma's words, there was only one thing he could do and only one person he trusted to do it. He dialed and waited for the other to pick up.
"Puck…"
TBC
A/N: Please don't hate me, folks, but it just felt as if this chapter should end right here. Coming up: Dave moves to protect Kurt.