Lost Love

by Nicole Casey

  ***

  Hours passed, during which time I wrote, browsed the Internet, tried desperately to keep my mind off Dylan Cross. However—when a knock came at the door around eight o’clock that evening, I was just about ready to give up hope.

  Is it, I thought, him?

  I stood and made my way toward the door before leaning forward and peering through the peephole.

  Dylan waited outside, hands in his pockets and face looking rather grim.

  He’s expecting the worst, I thought.

  I opened the door before the man could think anything worse and greeted him with a smile. “Hey,” I said.

  “Hey,” the man replied. “You wanted to see me?”

  I stepped aside and allowed him to enter the apartment without so much as another word. When I closed the door behind me, he turned to face me, his face still wearing the same grim look. “So,” he said, drawing the word out so I could explain in kind why he was here and at such an hour of the night. “What’s up?”

  “I wanted to talk to you in person,” I said, “rather than do it over the phone.”

  “Is this the part where you tell me we’re not right for each other?” he frowned.

  “What? No!” I cried. I stepped forward and took hold of his one hand. “Quite the contrary, actually.”

  “Pardon?”

  I smiled and reached up to press a hand against his chest. “The reason I wanted you to come over here,” I said, “was because I wanted to discuss our relationship—or, rather… what could be our relationship.”

  He waited—blinking, casually, the film of doubt from over his eyes. “Are you,” he started.

  “Asking if we could go steady?” I asked. “Yes, Dylan. I’m asking if we can go steady.”

  The smile he offered could’ve melted the sun and turned gold any object he set his eyes upon. “Chase,” he said, taking me into his arms. “I… don’t know what to say.”

  “I was hoping you’d say yes,” I replied. “Because otherwise, this is going to get a lot more awkward.”

  “Yes, Chase. I’ll go steady with you.”

  He took hold of my body, lifted me into his arms, and pressed a long, hard kiss against my lips.

  Behind us, Scottie buzzed and began to dance upon his perch.

  “So I guess it’s settled, then,” Dylan said as he set me back down on the floor. “You’re my boyfriend now.”

  “And you’re mine,” I replied. “My knight in shining armor.”

  He blushed, then smiled before wrapping his arms around me once more. “You sure you’re ok with doing this?” I asked. “So soon?”

  “A friend told me I need to take chances,” I said. “And right now, you’re the chance I want to take.”

  “Want want want want!” Scottie cried.

  “What does he want?” Dylan asked.

  “For us to kiss again,” I said.

  So we did.

  And as we held the kiss, I took hold of his hips, brought his body against mine, and melded seamlessly against him.

  I knew, regardless of whatever conventional approach dictated, that this was right.

  He was my firefighter, and I was the man who adored him so.

  This couldn’t feel any better if it tried.

  The End

  ###

  Bonus Story: Loving Mr. Kale - Book Description

  Jon Morris needs this job; it’s the only thing he’s ever really cared about. Working within the gaming industry and getting himself one step closer to creating his own game is all he’s ever wanted...

  What he didn’t expect was for his new job to leave him working under the guidance of Alex Kale – a man he met on a random night out a few weeks ago. The one he shared a hot, thrilling night of fun with, never to be repeated. How is he supposed to keep that dream alive whilst trying to navigate that complication?

  When Alex moved his whole life to take on this new job, he didn’t really know what he was getting himself in for. Now he has to run an incompetent team, whilst also dealing with the strong feelings he has for his new PA. It doesn’t help that he knows how strong their sexual chemistry is.

  Working closer together only increases the sizzling tension between them, leaving them both unable to resist. Will caving to their feelings for one another leave them with the happy ever after that they both want, or will it explode in their faces leaving both their dreams shattered?

  Loving Mr. Kale is a sweet stand-alone M/M romance with a satisfying HEA ending!

  Chapter One

  Jon

  “Okay then, Mr. Morris,” the kindly looking woman smiled at me, acting like she hadn’t just totally ripped my life to shreds with her terrible, endless interview questions. This was a position for the personal assistant to the CEO of the entire operation, so I understood they needed to be thorough, but really? Was all of that completely necessary? Did we have to discuss why I was fired from the pizza place at eighteen years old? Couldn’t she tell that I’d grown a lot since then? Well, sort of... “We will be in touch if your application is successful.”

  Will you? I wanted to scream. Will you really? Admittedly my emotions were a bit raw, and I felt like my brain had been pulled through the ringer, which may have been why I felt so crazy. With that in mind, I forced myself to put on a big, fake smile, shake her hand and get the hell out of there while I had at least some dignity left intact. “Thank you very much for your time,” I told her through gritted teeth. “I hope to hear from you soon.”

  It wasn’t until I clicked the door shut behind me, ending the interview once and for all, that I allowed myself to breathe properly. I hated that I felt like I’d done such a bad job in there. It made my stomach churn with nerves. I’d been flitting about from job to job my whole life, never really settling for anything. This was the first employment that I’d ever desperately wanted, and it had come at a time in my life when I needed it too. My roommate had finally moved out, taking up home with his girlfriend instead, so temp work would no longer cut it. If I really wanted to be a grown up and live by myself, then this was the sort of work that I needed to have.

  Ringer Enterprises was the absolute top technology company in the country, possibly even the world. The story of the company was one of those that everyone knew, and it was honestly inspiring. A young entrepreneur used his hobby of gaming to create a small online business. With his knowledge of the industry and his business acumen, he’d exploded onto the marketplace and made a solid name for himself. A lot of money too. Raymond Ringer was practically world famous for what he’d achieved, and I yearned to be a cog in his machine, however small a role I had to play.

  Not only was I an avid gamer myself, I also harbored a very secret dream to create my own game. I’d never told anyone that. I’d never even really admitted it to myself, but the primary reason I was so desperate to organize someone’s schedule and set up their meetings was because I felt like it would be one step closer to making that unspoken desire a reality. I could have been wrong, but it felt to me like once I was in. I could really get in...

  Oh my God!

  Just as I was about to finally make my escape with the solid plan to sit by the phone until I finally got the call deciding my fate for me, I spotted a sight that made my heart stop dead in my chest. My veins literally froze over and my limbs became encased in lead, making it absolutely impossible to move.

  It couldn’t be... there was no way... was there?

  The man standing at the other end of the hallway, bossing around someone who appeared to be an intern, was someone I knew well. Okay, maybe not well, but intimately. I would recognize that tall, powerful stature anywhere, never mind his dark, curly hair, and those piercing green eyes. The ones that bore into my soul on that fateful night...

  Alex Kale.

  As I stared at him, flashes of that night railroaded through my mind, causing my whole body to heat up with embarrassment and shock. I was out at a bar just over a week ago, annoyed and upset because I’d only just fou
nd out that my roommate was moving out. When like a vision from a fantasy, he arrived to buy me a drink completely out of the blue, turning my entire night around.

  At first, I wanted to be pissed off at him for assuming I’d want to spend even one moment talking to him when I was so clearly in such a foul mood, but then our eyes connected and all of that just melted away. I fell into instant. Hard lust and that made all my issues just vanish. It was incredible. No one had ever had that effect on me before and I found it intoxicating.

  After that, things moved very quickly. We went from the bar to the bedroom in a heartbeat, barely even taking a moment to think. I never acted that way usually, but there was a magnetic chemistry between us that enticed me and made him utterly irresistible. The next memories in my brain were of us crashing into my apartment, his hands making their way all over my body, his mouth against mine... even the memory of it had me riled up all over again.

  He really was that good.

  But he couldn’t be here; that was too much. I’d done my research on the company. I knew everything about it, and I hadn’t seen anything about Alex on the website or anywhere online. The only thing I didn’t know was who I would be working for, and now I had the horrible sinking sensation that my not so distant past was about to affect my present and future. What the hell would I do if I had to work in the same building as this man, never mind close to him? I didn’t think I’d be able to cope with the tension for even a moment.

  Damn it! What was I going to do?

  The next morning after that night had been awkward as hell, and we’d gone our separate ways without exchanging any way of communicating, which I felt was for the best. He was incredibly hot, and we’d had a wonderful night, but that was all it’d ever be. We didn’t even know each other for crying out loud! I wanted him to be a crazy moment, one of those insane lapses of judgment that feel amazing. I never expected to see him again.

  Now he was here, in Ringer Enterprises, and there was no getting out without going past him. Panic rose inside of me as I realized that there really was no escape here. I was absolutely stuck. There was no getting out of this building without going past the man I never thought I’d have to see again. What would I do if he recognized me, if he wanted to talk about it? Oh God! What would I do if he had no idea who I was? How humiliating would that be!

  I considered running to the bathroom and hiding out until he went somewhere else, but I also didn’t want to be a wimp. It would be much better for me to hold my head up high, to stalk past him with some dignity intact. I would have to fake it of course, but it’d make me feel a little better about myself. Then, if by some miracle I did get this job, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to either of us.

  Well, I straightened my tie and took in a few deep breaths. Here goes nothing!

  Chapter Two

  Alex

  Urgh, what the hell was wrong with these people? Why couldn’t anyone just get it? It didn’t make any sense whatsoever. When Raymond hired me, he warned me that the market research department needed a strong leader, someone to bring everyone in line, but I didn’t realize it was such a mess. Maybe if I’d understood what it was going to take, I wouldn’t have allowed myself to be strong-armed into it. Even with the amazing salary it wasn’t totally worth it. The stress was too much.

  “What is this report?” I snapped at the totally incompetent intern. I didn’t mean to be so cruel, but this was just one thing after another today. Unfortunately, this guy was getting the brunt of it. “These numbers are totally shot. I can’t believe you even brought this... to me...”

  I became distracted by a sight that I never in a million years expected to see. A guy that I’d spent a random night of fun with; one that I knew I’d never have to face again. That was part of what attracted me to him. I liked the idea of having a one night stand that I wouldn’t ever have to suffer awkwardness with. I wanted to throw caution to the wind and to just enjoy myself.

  No... I shook my head rapidly, deciding that it couldn’t be. I was seeing things; stress was getting to me; my brain was simply looking for an escape. Yet... I’d recognize that unique strawberry blond hair anywhere. I’d know those incredible cheekbones, and that smile.

  It had to be him, even if it didn’t make any sense. It just had to be.

  I met him when I first moved to the city to take this job. I didn’t know anyone here, having moved three hundred miles with the promise of a much better income, and I’d felt a bit sad about the fact that I had no one to celebrate such an amazing life change with. I wanted to go out, to get to know my new home, to meet some people, so I’d taken the bull by the horns and gone out alone, staggering into the first bar I came across.

  And that was when I saw him, hunched over the bar, somehow looking like something from my dreams. He had that cute, preppy look that lured me in without even trying, and a saddened expression that I just wanted to alter. I wasn’t sure why, but I instantly knew that I needed to talk to him, and the rest, as they say, was history. We had an incredible night of fun and laughter, and one thing led to another.

  We had our fun, and parted without any method of contacting each other again, and that was the way it was supposed to stay. It was awesome. I enjoyed my time, but he certainly wasn’t ever supposed to turn up at my place of work. I assumed we’d never run in the same circles, and that would be the end of it.

  “So, erm... will that be okay?”

  Oh God. The intern, whose name escaped me, was still talking to me and I hadn’t even been listening. I nodded, indicating for him to leave, and he scurried away in a heartbeat. I couldn’t focus on that right now. I couldn’t concentrate on work, not with him here. And now he was walking towards me, slowly, somehow seductively even though he definitely wasn’t trying, and my pulse rate kicked up about ten notches.

  I liked him. I didn’t want to admit it to myself until now, but I really liked Jon. I was drawn to him at first because of his looks, but his personality kept me by his side. He was fun and witty. I found him incredibly exciting. Now he was here, and I could feel that powerful chemistry buzzing between us once more.

  “H... hi.” he stammered, sounding about as anxious as I felt as he got so near that we had to talk. “You... erm, you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” my voice had gone raspy and weird. I felt like I was floating on air, like none of this was real. It was the weirdest thing ever. “What are you doing here?” Shit, did that sound rude? I didn’t mean to come across like a dick but I wasn’t sure it panned out right.

  “Oh, I just had an interview,” he indicated behind him, seemingly totally unaware of the effect those words had on me. Raymond had finally succumbed to my demand for a personal assistant, and I knew that they were interviewing this position today. Not only was I seeing Jon again, I could potentially have to work with him too. Very closely! I wasn’t sure how I felt about that at all. “Do you work here?”

  “I do,” I nodded slowly, trying to get any images of us working together out of my mind. If we both worked for the same company, so closely, we’d have to keep apart. It’d be incredibly difficult, especially if I had to suffer this warm, butterfly like feeling in my stomach the whole time. “It’s... well, it’s an adventure, that’s for sure!”

  “Okay,” he chuckled awkwardly, clearly feeling as weird as I did. “I didn’t see you on the website, that’s all. I thought I’d done my research...”

  “Oh no, I haven’t been here long enough. I’m sure the photographer will catch me soon enough though, and get my picture up on the website.” I chuckled at my lame joke, humiliating myself even further. What could Jon even say to that? Why did I even bother speaking, it was awful!

  “Well, it was good to see you again.”

  He left it hanging in the air, waiting for me to suggest meeting up again, but I couldn’t. It was all just too strange. “Yeah, it was.” I sensed him wrapping things up, slowly pulling away so some words blurted out before I could even think about it. “The job is to work wi
th me!”

  The air stilled, and a sick feeling overcame me. Did I really just say that aloud? I couldn’t believe that I’d just announced that, and judging by Jon’s wide eyes, he certainly wasn’t expecting it either. “Oh... right, is it? Okay, well that’s something I didn’t know. So, it’d make me your PA?”

  “Yeah,” I felt like an idiot now. I should have turned the other way the second I laid eyes on Jon. We should not be having this conversation right now, not when it could’ve so easily been avoided. “So anyway, maybe I’ll see you soon.” I needed to shut this down before I humiliated myself even further.

  As I turned away, and I heard Jon’s shoes moving towards the exit, I allowed my eyes to slide shut for a second, a cold shame overcoming me. I was normally such a calm and confident man. I was known here for being a total badass, but around Jon I turned into a quivering mess. He altered me and turned me into a schoolboy with a crush. It was totally insane. I couldn’t work with him. There was no way I’d be able to stand this every single day. It would be awful. I’d end up a complete and utter emotional wreck.

  But...

  Could I really give up the chance to spend more time with Jon? A man I really did like. I felt attracted to him in a way that I had never done before. He brought something out inside of me that nothing else had ever measured up to. I guessed that I could just go into the office and get his phone number. I could have called him up and asked him out like a normal person, but for some reason hiring him seemed like a much easier option.

  Somehow, without even realizing it, I’d managed to completely change my mind, and now I needed him to work by my side! It wasn’t even an option anymore.

  Chapter Three

  Jon

  I paced my room, terror coursing through my veins, sickness swirling in my stomach, my mind all over the place. That was the most surreal situation I’d ever been in, and I had no idea what to do about it. My dream job was now a nightmare. I didn’t even know if I wanted it anymore. How the hell could I cope with working alongside Alex day in and day out?