by Christi Snow
“No!” He jerked out of Professor Graham’s hold.
His cock deflated and ice filled his veins. He’d do anything, but that. He’d never call in his family ties to do a favor for someone else. He’d been used for his family name too many times already in his twenty years of life.
“Excuse me?” Professor Graham’s expression grew hard and cruel. “I think maybe you forgot your place here.”
Daniel shook his head. “Oh, no. I’m perfectly clear on our agreement. I let you fuck and abuse me. You make sure I have passing grades in all my classes whether or not I make it to class.”
No matter that he’d gotten into the country’s most prestigious music school, his first priority had been and would always be his band, Veiled Lies. Their schedule of shows at night and partying until the wee hours of the morning made it kind of tough to make it to every class.
That became less of a priority when Daniel realized that he could skate through the musical program on his inborn musical talent and the knowledge that came from growing up as a Gresham. He was part of the fourth generation of musically talented savants. For his family, music was as natural as talking and usually happened even earlier than words. But that didn’t make up for his prolonged absences from class in favor of working with the band.
That was where his arrangement with Professor Graham came in. As the head of the musical department, he had final say on the posted grades. But their arrangement only extended to Daniel’s grades and his ass. There was no way in hell Daniel could allow the professor to call in family favors. And sure as hell not for the professor’s wife.
Daniel should probably be more offended about that particular aspect. But this arrangement between them wasn’t a love match. That fact had always been perfectly clear to both of them. It was a business exchange built around sex.
“I think you need a reminder about how much power I have.” Professor Graham sneered at Daniel like he was shit on the bottom of the professor’s shoe.
The professor stepped around to his desk and turned his monitor to Daniel. With a couple of clicks of his mouse, there was Daniel looking like the whore he was as he got railed over the same desk in front of him and obviously enjoying every minute of it. The video had been edited so there was no sign of Graham anywhere, not his body or anywhere around his immaculate desk that might reveal his identity.
Daniel glanced up around the room and suddenly spotted the placement of at least three hidden cameras. His fury boiled, but he refused to bow down to the demands of this asshole.
He shrugged. “So? You turn me in and your career goes down the tubes just along with my academics. I think it actually looks worse for you than me.”
He was a twenty-year-old college student. No one would blame him as a healthy, horny guy for taking what was offered. It would make him look like a whore, but who the fuck cared? That was a fact. He’d whored out his ass for good grades. He’d promised himself a long time ago that if he couldn’t own up to his actions, then he wouldn’t do them. He’d considered all these facts ages ago.
Professor Graham smirked and punched a couple more keys. Video came up where what he’d said had been carefully edited. “The Gresham name’s power. I’ll do whatever you want to get my degree. You scratch my back and I’ll suck your cock and whatever else you have in mind.” The Daniel on the screen winked suggestively as his gaze dropped.
The video cut and the professor crossed his arms. “You may not worry about your reputation, but what will it do to all that family standing when it gets out that one of the youngest members is pulling favors? Are you willing to put the reputation of the family name at risk? I’ve heard rumors that your father’s name is being bandied around for a Tony for best musical this year. Do you really want to mess with that?”
“That isn’t what I said and you know it.” Anger pulsed deep and red low under his gut. What he had cut from the video was the real statement, “I wouldn’t ever exploit the Gresham name’s power.” But the video looked bad, and they both knew it. In the entertainment business, this kind of bad PR could ruin all the family work for years.
Fucking hell.
Professor Graham had won, and that fucking sucked.
How had he let this happen?
Daniel couldn’t stand to look at his smug expression for another moment. He grabbed his backpack and started toward the door, but at the last moment before unlocking and exiting, he turned to the professor. “You may have won this round, but don’t flatter yourself. You were a mediocre lay at best. If it hadn’t been for my need for a good grade, I never would have let your flabby, balding self anywhere near my ass.”
It was petty, and he’d definitely been striking out at Professor Graham’s known weak spots. The truth of the matter, the middle-aged guy was good-looking and had an impressive dick, but at this moment Daniel felt too exposed and vulnerable. He hated that.
He stumbled out of the office and across campus to the registrar’s office. He never should have accepted a spot here to begin with. It hadn’t been what he wanted. He’d bowed down to his father’s demands, too scared to strike out on his own and rely solely on his meager income from Veiled Lies since he wouldn’t come into his trust fund until he turned twenty-five. But this was the final straw. Never again would he grace this campus.
He was done. He would never allow anyone to fuck him over like this again.
IT MIGHT BE THE MIDDLE of a sunny day, but the inside of the dingy bar remained dark. That suited Daniel just fine as he threw back another shot of whisky. Then he eyed the calculating eyes of the guy sitting next to him. “I wish I could just forget this day ever happened,” Daniel said.
The guy nodded. “I hear you. Some days it’s just better to check out.”
“You get what I’m saying.” Daniel nodded with a hum, like they were just chatting, not actually making a drug deal as he slid a handful of bills into Victor’s jacket pocket. Not that anyone in this place paid them any attention. Victor had worked this bar ever since his latest stint in prison had ended early last year.
Victor made a surreptitious check of the cash.
“Sure do,” Victor said and slid a couple pills into Daniel’s palm where it rested just off the edge of the bar.
Daniel pretended to cough, flung the pills into his mouth as he covered it, and then took another shot. When the burn cleared he nodded his thanks to Victor who slunk off into the shadows of the bar.
Shifting on the barstool, Daniel winced at the pain in his ass. Fucking Professor Graham, all high and mighty in his little realm. Daniel didn’t know how he’d do it, but he’d make sure the asshole paid for this.
It was a while later—Daniel had no idea how long because the blood in his veins had started bubbling and the combination of drugs and alcohol were having the desired numbing effect—when his cell phone rang with his father’s special tone.
He debated not answering it, but figured this reaming would be easier through the haze of chemicals than it would be sober later.
“Hello, father figure,” Daniel enthused into the phone. “I knew you’d be calling soon.”
“So, it’s true. You withdrew.” His father’s disappointment echoed through the tinny cell service.
See, doing this drunk was so much better. That tone barely even bothered him.
“Yep.” Daniel popped the P of the word. “It turns out fucking the head of the music department was not the way to get my diploma. Who knew?” He wrinkled his nose in confusion at the noise of shock his father made and then remembered.
“Oh, yeah.” He frowned down at the empty shot glasses in front of him. Was he seeing double or had he really drunk that many? Wow. No wonder he was tripping. “You probably don’t know this, dear old dad, but it’s a day for truths. I’m gay and my professor has videos of me getting fucked that he promised to use to bring the family down. You may want to get the family lawyers on top of that before it hits the news.”
“Daniel.” His father sounded worried now a
s well as furious. “Where are you?” he growled.
Daniel glanced around. “Um, New York somewhere, I think.”
“Is anyone around? Is Brady with you?”
“Nooo,” Daniel drew the word out, wishing that Brady were here because then big, strong Luke would be here, too. That would make him feel better. He wouldn’t even need the drugs. “He’s in Jersey today working on that new arrangement for the Tony’s. Remember?”
“Dammit,” his dad cursed on the other end of the phone line. He reared back. His dad rarely cursed in front of him. His dad was seriously old school, which was a lot of the reason he didn’t understand Daniel’s enthusiasm for rock music and his band. Broadway and musicals had always been his father’s passion.
“I get it.” Daniel’s head hung low on his chest. “I’m sorry I’m a disappointment, but it will be okay. I can focus on Veiled Lies now. This is how it’s meant to be.”
“You will do no such thing. You have too much talent to waste it on that electric guitar sludge. Come home and I’ll take care of this.”
Daniel shook his head, even though his dad couldn’t see him. “That sludge is my future.” He giggled as he considered how the band would react to him calling their music sludge.
Fuck. His veins felt like sludge right now.
For a moment, his dad was quiet. In fact, Daniel had to check to make sure the call hadn’t dropped.
“That future won’t look quite so appealing if you have to rely only on that income to live,” his dad said, sounding older than he had just five minutes ago. “If you do this, consider yourself cut off.”
Daniel scoffed like it wouldn’t matter. He’d been expecting this, and that was why when he left campus he got wasted off his ass. Reality was a bitch today.
He had one more weapon in his arsenal...guilt. “Really, Dad? I never thought you would be the one to kick me out over being gay.” Honestly, he’d never thought for a moment that the gay thing would be an issue, but that hadn’t meant he’d looked forward to testing the premise that his parents would be cool with it.
But his dad knew him better than Daniel had expected. He snorted. “Daniel, I’ve known since you were seven years old that you were gay. You may have thought it was some big secret, but you forget, your mother and I were around when you insisted on dressing as Beyoncé for your second grade talent show...heels, bodysuit, makeup, and over the top hair, all completed with head to toe body glitter. And that was just the start of your diva years.”
Daniel wrinkled his nose at the memory. Yeah, he’d forgotten that year he’d spent emulating the divas...Beyoncé, Brittney, Lady Gaga. He could see how that might have provided a small clue.
“No. My issue is that you refuse to take responsibility for your life and your future. Screwing your professor?” His dad sounded so indignant...and so fucking disappointed.
Daniel’s chest hurt, but his father wasn’t through, yet. “It’s real easy to do that when you have me over here paying your rent and credit card bills. But if you insist on doing this, you will do so on your own. You want to be an adult and choose your own way? More power to you, but you will do it without my millions backing you up. Welcome to adulthood, Daniel. You have twenty-four hours to vacate your apartment before they change the locks.”
Then the line abruptly cut.
He lifted his phone from his ear and stared at it in shock. His fucking father had just hung up on him. What the hell?
That called for another drink. He flagged down the bartender. “I think you should just leave the bottle this time.”
The bartender raised a brow and looked ready to argue, but he knew Daniel and Daniel’s black card. And Daniel had always been willing to tip generously since he’d been coming here for the last two years and the guy never questioned his underage status. The guy hesitantly nodded. “Okay, but if you want the bottle, I’ll need to run your card up front.”
“No problem.” Daniel passed the card over to him. “Do it.”
As the bartender turned away to run the charge, Daniel took it upon himself to refill all the empty shot glasses in front of him, ignoring the liquid spilling all over the already sticky bar top.
He’d flung back three of them when the bartender came back, a weird look on his face. He handed the card over. “It was declined. You need to pay some other way.”
“Fucking dammit,” Daniel cursed and stood, stumbling against the bar as he reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. His dad worked fast. He removed the remaining hundred-dollar bill and flung it onto the wooden top. “There you go. I’m taking the bottle and am out of here.”
Then he stumbled out the door, wondering when it had gotten dark and why the ground wouldn’t stop rolling underneath his feet.
Chapter Three
FIVE YEARS AGO – LATER that same night
LUKE
Pounding on his door awoke Luke. He squinted at the clock on his phone... two twenty-four AM. He shot out of bed, his immediate worry that something had happened to Brady on his trip. Normally, Luke accompanied him to assure his safety, but Luke had been fighting off a nasty case of bronchitis, so the company working with Brady had hired outside security to allow Luke a few more days recovery time at home.
If it wasn’t Brady, the doorman should have called up to alert him that someone was here. Warning prickled at the back of his neck. Something wasn’t right.
Luke grabbed his gun out of the table by the door and then looked through the peephole. He couldn’t see anyone.
He released the safety on his gun and began slowly opened the door, but the weight of the person leaning against it on the floor shoved it open with a whoosh.
Luke raised his gun, ready to fire when he realized who lay in his hall.
Daniel.
Daniel with an extremely goofy grin on his face.
“Hey, Luke,” he drawled slowly as he looked Luke up and down like he was a steak and Daniel was a starving man. Daniel licked his lips and raised an eyebrow. “I like your gun.” But his unfocused eyes weren’t looking at Luke’s sidearm. No, they were feasting on Luke’s quickly hardening cock, barely contained by his boxer briefs.
That was all it took to get Luke worked up. Put Daniel Gresham within arm’s reach and his body went on high alert, in tune with the man on a visceral level, even after all this time.
“Daniel, what the hell are you doing here?” Luke let all his irritation at being awoken from a dead sleep echo into his words. Even now, Luke could feel the leftover adrenaline shooting through his veins.
Daniel was a regular guest in the building since he spent half his life upstairs in Brady’s penthouse, so that explained why the doorman hadn’t called up to warn him.
Luke wanted to curse heavily. It was bad enough that he had to constantly deal with the temptation that Daniel presented because he and Brady were best friends. It wasn’t fair to have to deal with the man when Brady was out of town, too.
“Luke. Fuck, you look shexy.” Daniel struggled to stand, failing at least twice before he staggered his way upright. “You should...” Daniel reached toward Luke’s bare chest, tripped over his feet, and fell into it.
Luke caught him and hissed out a breath of shocked air where his bare skin electrified under Daniel’s touch. He deflected his reaction. “Daniel, how much have you had to drink?”
Daniel blew out a big breath. “Was s’posed to be enough to forget,” he licked his lips, “but... didn’t work. Today was a disashter. Dad cut me off and I have no place to live and...” He pulled his wallet out of his pocket. “Fuck, only eleven dollarsh to my name.” He broke into raucous laughter. “That won’t even get me on the subway. Where’s Brady? I need to sleep on his couch.” He looked around Luke’s apartment like Brady might be there.
While Luke’s apartment sat directly below Brady’s penthouse in the building for security and noise issues, they didn’t do sleepovers with one another. Brady was straight, and his safety was Luke’s job. Enough said.
&nbs
p; That should be enough to make Daniel off-limits, too, but unfortunately Luke’s dick had never gotten on board with that plan.
Daniel’s whole posture seemed to be melting into the floor.
Luke had a feeling he was minutes or even seconds from passing out.
“Brady’s in New Jersey, remember?” He would regret this next part, but he couldn’t let Daniel wander the streets of New York City in this condition. “Come in. You can stay here for tonight.”
Daniel’s expression crumpled in dismay. “Noooo. My assish hurts.”
Luke froze. There was only one reason his ass would hurt. Someone had fucked him hard.
Luke studied Daniel. His clothes were rumpled, and he reeked of alcohol, but he didn’t look like anyone had assaulted him. But god, he was a mess, stumbling and losing his balance when standing still. What had happened to him tonight?
“You can’t want me now,” Daniel continued to whine. “I can’t take anymore.”
Luke laughed even as it felt like he’d taken a knife to the gut knowing that someone had fucked Daniel roughly recently. He lifted Daniel up by his armpits. “I won’t have sex with you when you’re drunk off your ass. What kind of jerk do you think I am?”
“The best kind.” Daniel blew out a big sigh and then he nuzzled his nose into Luke’s neck as he carried the drunken man back to his bedroom.
That light touch at his neck shouldn’t make Luke feel good, but it did. He suppressed a shiver at being this close to Daniel. God, he was so fucked when it came to this man.
“Are you taking me to bed now?” Daniel asked. He leaned back and acted as if he planned to leer at Luke, but then his face went sheet-white. “I think I’m gonna hurl.” The words choked out.
Luke forcibly picked up Daniel and ran with him to the bathroom, shoving him down in front of the toilet just in time.
It took forever for Daniel to purge all the rancid liquid from his system. Sweat soaked through the back of his shirt where Luke ran his hand, using the other one to keep him steady. His vomit was pure liquid. And hell, there had been a lot.
