by AG Meiers
They spent most of the morning talking things through, and the discussions started all over again when Greg and Petrovic showed up for their lunch break. Jayden was eternally grateful that there seemed to be an unspoken agreement not to mention the scam or the money. He felt a twinge of guilt when Greg asked if Perfect Match could find him a girl. Luckily, that was completely out of the question.
Jayden’s mother had always been his only confidant, so listening to five people discussing his life left him slightly dazed. Everybody talked over each other, giving their opinion and advice. It gave him a warm feeling, and he wondered if this was what belonging felt like.
Orla kept repeating that she had known right away when she saw Jayden’s picture that he was perfect for Sven. This immediately reminded Greg that he still hadn’t seen the tattoo, and a whole new discussion started, with Sven jokingly threatening Greg bodily harm if he ever tried to get close to Jayden’s dragon. Jayden simply leaned into Sven and let all the talk swirl over his head.
Of course, they also talked about Sven’s new job. Sven had negotiated a deal with his new employer that he could work remotely when he was writing, so he’d be able to spend time back at Cold Creek. That brought a new round of tears from Orla and a growl of approval from Elliot. No words. Just a growl, but there was no doubt that Elliot was happy. But Orla’s emotional response and the threat of more tears seemed to push Sven over the edge. He jumped up, mumbled some flimsy excuse, and pulled Jayden out of the lodge.
They made the short trip back to the cabin in brilliant sunshine. Jayden soaked in the fresh mountain air and warmth of the midday sun, but Sven kept tugging him along every time he stopped to take in his surroundings.
Slightly out of breath, Jayden grabbed Sven’s arm. “Sven, stop running. What’s the matter?”
Sven picked him up in one swoop and threw him over his shoulder.
“Hey!” Jayden tried to wiggle himself free, but Sven had him in a tight grip with no intention of letting him go. “I can walk, you know,” Jayden said halfheartedly, but secretly he loved Sven’s possessiveness.
When they made it to the entrance of the cabin, Jayden’s feet touched the ground for two seconds, and then he was pushed hard against the back of the door. Sven’s mouth ravished his lips. Breathing was clearly overrated. Jayden wrapped his legs around Sven and held on for the ride.
Sven finally broke the kiss and settled his forehead against Jayden’s. “Mine,” he whispered breathlessly, his eyes dark and wild.
Happiness rushed through Jayden. He had never felt more wanted. For a moment they seemed frozen in time, but then, with a few swift moves, Sven manhandled Jayden to the bed and dropped him onto the mattress.
Sven’s hands fumbled with the button of his fly. Jayden couldn’t make out all the words, but they thrilled him just the same. “Off . . . too many clothes . . . damned things . . . fuck . . . off . . . now.”
A laugh bubbled up inside Jayden.
“Fuck!” Sven growled. “I want . . . now . . . buried inside of you.” Sven’s desire was frantic, and Jayden loved every second of it.
Sven reached over to the nightstand and got lube and a condom. “I want you like this. Want to watch you. Watch your face.” He crawled between Jayden’s legs and pushed his knees apart. Impatient. His gaze raked over Jayden’s body. Usually Jayden felt self-conscious sprawled out like this, but now, even vulnerable and exposed, he felt safe.
“You’re so fucking beautiful. Christ, just look at you.” Sven’s wet finger eased inside of Jayden and made him squirm a little under the intrusion. Then Sven added a second finger, stretching and scissoring, until he relaxed with a deep tremor. Sven twisted his wrist, finding the bundle of nerves inside Jayden, who arched off the bed.
“Stop! I’m gonna come,” Jayden gasped. “I need you.”
Sven abandoned his hasty prep and lifted one of Jayden’s legs over his arm. His cock pressed against Jayden’s ass.
“More. Need you. Now.” Jayden’s string of pleas turned into incoherent sounds when Sven entered him in one fluid stroke.
Jayden closed his eyes, concentrating on breathing. The first stretch was almost brutal, but then his body surrendered to the intrusion and every muscle in him seemed to align with Sven. He dug his hands into the sheets. “Fuck. Yes, Sven.”
Sven worked his way farther inside Jayden with small, steady movements. When he finally bottomed out and his hips hit Jayden’s ass, he stilled, giving Jayden time to adjust.
Oh God, yes. So good. Jayden reached for Sven and drew him down for a kiss. He would never get enough of this man.
“You okay?” Sven whispered against Jayden’s lips. When Jayden replied with a deep moan, Sven started to shake. Jayden could feel his effort to stay still. “Sorry, couldn’t go slower. Couldn’t wait. Okay? Sorry, I need to hear you say it.”
“I love you.” Jayden’s voice was raw.
“Christ. Jay. I didn’t mean . . .” With a shudder, Sven pulled out and with one long thrust slid back in.
Jayden lost himself in the deliberate, deep rhythm Sven dictated. “More. More.”
Sven slammed into him, shoving him hard into the mattress.
“Fuck. Oh God.” It felt like they’d moved the whole bed. Not that Jayden cared. He was close. So close. He had never felt anything like this. Tension built up inside him as tingles raced down his spine. He looked up at Sven. There was passion, but there was also so much love in his eyes. Jayden almost lost it right there. “Sven. Please.”
“Come with me, baby.” Sven shifted ever so slightly, and his next thrust hit Jayden’s perfect spot. Hot liquid pleasure shot through him as he whispered Sven’s name over and over. His nails dug into Sven’s arms, trying to hold on while the rest of his body shattered into a thousand pieces.
Minutes later, still slowly recovering, Jayden came back to Sven’s whispered kisses. “Jay, I worship you.” Sven’s voice was low, content, but he held Jayden tight as if he wanted to make sure he wouldn’t somehow slip away. As if. There was nowhere in the world he’d rather be right now.
Sven finally got up and came back with a wet towel from the bathroom. Jayden still couldn’t move, and Sven mocked him gently as he rubbed the cloth over Jayden’s body, washing his belly, cock, and between his cheeks. His large hands were tender, protective, making tears well up in Jayden’s eyes. Sven climbed back into bed and pulled him close.
“Sven, I meant what I said. I know it’s crazy, but . . .” Jayden took a deep breath. “I’m in love with you too.”
Sven turned to him and smiled. “I know. I can’t explain it, but I think we’ll be great together. It’ll be a wild ride to get us settled down in Vancouver in a few weeks. We’ll need to find a place to stay. A visa and a job for you.”
“Shirts . . . ties . . .” Jayden answered sleepily. He should make a list. Sven had a point—the next few weeks would be crazy and there was so much to do, but right now, curled up in bed against his lover, he couldn’t keep his eyes open. But falling asleep was okay, because Sven would be there in the morning, and the next day, and the day after that.
Two weeks later . . .
Jayden took a deep breath of crisp, cool mountain air. It was still early, but the sun was already on the rise and painting the sky orange and gold. The snow-covered peaks stood in sharp contrast to the dark, shadowy trees farther down the slopes. Wisps of clouds and morning mist were scattered across the treetops. There were a few clouds in the sky too, but no doubt it would be another gorgeous day. For the last two weeks, once the crazy rain had stopped, every day had been this beautiful. With his shoulder against the passenger door of Sven’s truck, Jayden soaked in the first rays of sunlight and enjoyed the quietness of the morning.
Sven locked up the cabin and came up behind him.
“Ready?” he asked as he slung his arms around Jayden, who leaned back into his broad chest and turned his head for a kiss. For a few minutes they got lost in each other.
“I think I’m going
to miss this.” Jayden took another long look around him.
“Cold Creek? Now that it’s not pouring buckets?” Sven joked, but his eyes also lingered on the mountaintops.
“Yeah, okay, it was pretty nasty when I got here, but the last week’s weather has been so much better, and it’s . . .” Lost for adjectives, Jayden settled on a simple one. “Beautiful. I don’t know . . . majestic? I think that’s the best word.”
“I hear you. I never regret coming here. I only bemoan the time I have to spend away from Cold Creek.” Sven must have seen the worry in Jayden’s eyes, because he immediately added, “Hey, no, not like this. I’m excited to start a new chapter. I got you by my side, a great job, and the rest will come together. It’s just—” Sven stopped abruptly, but Jayden knew what he was going to say, so he finished the sentence for him.
“No matter what, this is home, right?”
“Yes. I’ve some great memories growing up here, and whenever I come back, the mountains lock out the craziness of the rest of the world. I guess this time I kind of got stuck here. This probably sounds stupid, but a part of me felt like it wouldn’t be the same if I turned my back again.”
“You lost your dad, who was a big part of this place, so it does make sense to me.” Jayden pulled Sven a little closer to give him silent comfort.
“Still, doesn’t work that way. Can’t stop time,” Sven said, and then he mumbled, “Thank God for Orla.”
“For crowding your happy place with strangers?”
That made Sven laugh. “Yeah, something like that.”
Jayden chuckled. Orla was a force of nature. “I have to admit I’m glad she pulled out all the stops to give you a kick in the butt.”
Sven kissed him again, and whispered gently, “So am I,” against Jayden’s lips.
“Sven, if you keep kissing me like this, I’ll drag you back to bed. If you want us to get on the road, get in the car and—” With a slow stutter, Jayden remembered the last time Sven had taken him to a secluded spot along the river, checking on the roads as he’d called it, and hadn’t stayed on his side of the truck.
Sven caught up with him immediately and gave him a wicked grin. “Come to think of it,” he said, “I made a whole other set of memories and none of them PG-13. Maybe change isn’t all bad.”
Jayden gave his boyfriend a shove. The last few days, they’d been packing and planning . . . and fucking like bunnies. Jayden suspected Sven was determined to break some kind of record. Most sex in Cold Creek or something. And now they were an hour behind schedule, because again a quick blowjob hadn’t been enough.
Luckily, they had said goodbye to Orla and the rest of Sven’s family last night. All they had left to do this morning was to lock up the place and leave.
“Come on. Let’s go. Otherwise, I’ll take you up on your offer to drag me back into bed,” Sven said.
“What offer? I wasn’t offering. I was threatening.” Jayden rolled his eyes at a laughing Sven as he opened the passenger door of the truck. The seat was pushed way to the front to make room for suitcases and boxes in the back. Jayden had made Sven pack, unpack, and repack the truck three times yesterday. Still, in the end, it hadn’t mattered; they simply had a few boxes too many to make it fit. Sven—patient and kind—hadn’t complained when Jayden had to try just one more time again this morning.
Jayden folded his legs into the tight space. Sven would have to drive the whole time, as his bulk wouldn’t fit into the passenger seat. Leaning forward, Jayden took another look at the mountains.
“You know, we’ll come back soon enough. I can pretty much work from anywhere,” Sven said. “Yes, there will be times I need to be in the office for meetings and stuff, but there will also be days, weeks, when I need to produce words, and then we come back here for a stretch of time. Cold Creek is a beautiful place in the summer.”
He reads me like an open book. They had only been together for a few weeks, but ever since they’d gotten the lies and deception out of the way, their relationship had been simple, easy. Like a long friendship turned into more.
“Well, we can’t be sure that my job will have a flexible schedule. If I get a job at a bakery, then I’m gonna have to be there.” Jayden had spent the last few days sending out résumés to different job opportunities in Vancouver. He had mostly gotten quick rejections, because he didn’t have any work experience, but despite that he felt good about putting himself out there. He was taking control. In addition, he’d been able to give Sven and Orla half of his first pay check from the website consultancy job. It was only a drop in the bucket, but it was a start.
“You’re still worried?” Sven had pushed his key into the ignition, but hadn’t started the engine. His head was tilted to the side, and he narrowed his eyes slightly as if he wanted to make sure he wasn’t missing any expression in Jayden’s face.
“No, I admit ever since we talked to your HR team and their immigration lawyer, I feel a lot better. It was really awesome that they offered their support.”
“Yeah, I was a bit surprised too. I expected at least some raised eyebrows.”
At first, Jayden hadn’t been sure if coming out at work had been the right move for Sven. However, Sven hadn’t given him much say in the decision. Once he’d made up his mind, he’d simply charged forward, and he’d been right.
Sven seemed to be reading his thoughts, because he said, “Vancouver is a completely different world. I’ll definitely have to add that to my list of reasons to move.”
“I should have kept track of all the things you added to the pro-move column and framed it,” Jayden said with a teasing grin.
Sven turned the key, and the truck came on with a low rumble.
“Ready, City Boy?”
“Ready!” Looking over to Sven sitting next to him, Jayden smiled. Yes, he was ready. Leaning over, he stole another kiss from his lover. Their new life wouldn’t be all sunshine, but that was okay. His future was looking bright at last, now that he had Sven by his side.
Nicolas Carter – Perfect Match
“‘Attached is a check to cover the outstanding balance’ . . . ‘expect no further demands’ . . . ‘very happy with the outcome but’ . . .” Phil repeated the word with emphasis. “‘But would not hesitate to testify to whom it may concern’ . . . What the fuck?”
Nicolas Carter couldn’t help a smirk at the outrage in Phil’s voice as he reread the letter they’d received along with a check.
The late morning sun streamed through the window, shining onto a chaos of boxes and moving crates. Nicolas leaned against Phil’s desk in the new office of Perfect Match. They were just barely operational again after the move. Jackson, who was in charge of their equipment, was still setting up computers.
Jayden Calver had already contacted Alex a few days ago and told him that he’d found a way to cover his debts and wouldn’t be coming back. This wasn’t the first time they’d lost one early, but Phil had clearly taken offense to the words that accompanied the money.
“Testify— That skimpy, little asshole is threatening us!” Phil slammed the offending piece of paper onto his desk. He usually didn’t get this worked up, but their move from Wyoming to Texas had him on edge. He didn’t like change. Nicolas knew Phil thought he’d lost his goddamn mind to have moved the whole operation within a few weeks. He heard it from him daily, sometimes more than once.
“Well, does it?” Nicolas interrupted Phil’s rant. “Does it cover Calver’s outstanding balance?”
“No, of course not!” Phil spat out. “It covers what we fucking paid for him, yeah, but none of the recent expenses like the flight to Canada and other travel expenses. He’s about two thousand short. The fucker shouldn’t get away with that.”
And that was why Nicolas had put Phil in charge of Perfect Match’s finances. Phil never needed to consult a file or spreadsheet. He knew his numbers. And both of them knew that they were short on funds as they had just financed the whole move. Two thousand wasn’t a major hit, but it
was still money they could ill afford to lose right now.
Phil looked at him like he was expecting Nicolas to send out the cavalry to bring down one man. Jackson, who was crawling under Phil’s desk to plug in monitors and printers, edged close to Phil clearly sensing his frustration. He came to a halt in front of Phil’s chair and put a hand on his knee. “Listen, I think it’s a good thing. The kid wasn’t cut out for this. I’m surprised he managed to handle an assignment at all.”
Jackson on his knees was a sight to behold. He had a perfect physique with broad shoulders and narrow hips, and hooded golden-brown bedroom eyes. Bi or gay, he was any man’s walking, talking wet dream. Most of the time, he seemed to have no idea of his impact on Phil, whose eyes had widened when Jackson had knelt in front of him. No doubt his dick was straining his pants right now. Hopefully, Phil’s patient wait for Jackson to acknowledge that they were more than fuckbuddies would pay off. Nicolas wasn’t sure Phil would survive if Jackson ever left.
Alex, who’d been focused on his emails chimed in, “I agree. That kid needed a keeper.”
“If you ask me, Jayden was a few marbles short of a full set. I mean, c’mon. He had ‘crazy’ written all over him.” Riley made a good point—despite his pretty face, Jayden hadn’t been a sound investment.
“Well said by a dude in a freaking poncho!” Phil countered.
“It’s fabulous,” Riley replied with a huff. He did a little twirl around the room. The blue material with Aztec prints flowed around him. Somehow that broke the grim mood. Between Phil popping a boner for Jackson crawling under the desk, and Riley dancing around the room, showing off his latest crazy online purchase, Nicolas’s world tilted back to normal.
“We made a match!” Alex said quietly into the silence. “A real match! Maybe I should put it on the website.” A huge grin appeared on his face. The jagged scar on his right cheek turned his face into an ugly mask. Like a reflex, Alex quickly pulled his hair over his face to hide the scar as well as the smile.
