by Austin Bates
“So kind of you to show up,” I said, realizing how passive aggressive it sounded at the sight of his slight flinch. “I mean it. I’m happy to see you. I was worried you wouldn’t come.” I tried to amend my fumbling comments, but Aaron only watched me with a confused expression.
“When have I ever let you down, Logan? You know I come at the drop of a hat,” he said bluntly.
“I don’t know anything about your orgasm history--” I cut myself off, feeling queasy. My face felt hotter than it had ever felt, and I couldn’t explain why. It was just the usual banter with the programmer, yet I was terrified he would storm out at any given moment.
“I suppose I walked into that one,” he sighed, not pressing the issue any further. “You’ve already ordered wine? Your first glass, I hope?” His expression was serious, but there was an undertone of mischief in his voice.
“Well, it did get lonely waiting for you. I had to entertain myself somehow,” I said defensively, my mind a bit foggy. I wasn’t a lightweight by any means, but they called it liquid courage for a reason. If it loosened my lips and made the shame easier to bear, I could handle looking a little silly. I trusted the young man not to use my actions against me. I would trust Aaron with just about anything, I realized.
“Hm. I do apologize for my tardiness, but your client is going to have some explaining to do. Especially if I have to deal with my boss getting frisky after a few drinks,” he said teasingly, waving down the waiter for another wine glass. “Is it bold of me to assume that I’m welcome to have a drink with you?” His eyes twinkled, and he seemed at ease with himself. It was unfamiliar, as anyone who knew Aaron would confirm.
“Bold, but not too bold. Just right, I’d say,” I replied with a charming grin. I had to swallow my giddiness at the sight of his cheeks flushing prettily. In spite of how comfortable he seemed, it was obvious throughout our conversation that he was waiting for the third member of our party. A third person who was never going to arrive. He sighed somewhat grumpily, drumming his fingers on the tabletop as we drank in relative silence. I was content to watch his shifting expressions as he observed some of the other patrons, caught up in the way he drew his lower lip between his teeth. His lips looked so soft, so plush. They were the perfect shade of pink and--
“--Going to show up?” Aaron asked, though I’d only heard the latter half of his question. I blinked slowly, and he seemed to catch on with a smirk.
“Pardon?” I asked, unnecessarily.
“Do you think your client will be offended if we get some appetizers or something? If they’re even going to show up?” he repeated, pouring himself another glass. Soon I’d need to buy another bottle, but I had no qualms with the idea.
“I think appetizers should be fine. Do you like calamari?” I asked as I waved down the waiter. He made a face, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “What about… three cheese Italian cheese wedges?” I paused, leaning in to whisper. “Glorified mozzarella sticks.” He reddened at the proximity, but nodded with a slight smile. I ordered the appetizers as well as another bottle of wine-- something from their finer collection.
“Flaunting that cash, tonight?” Aaron asked with a sly smile, but before I could answer, we both heard the loud rumbling of his stomach. He looked embarrassed, averting his emerald green eyes and rubbing the back of his neck. “Didn’t have much of a lunch break today.” I felt somewhat guilty, and there didn’t seem to be any reason to put off ordering any longer.
“Well, if you’re hungry, I see no problem with ordering now,” I said, heart catching at his somewhat wary expression.
“Won’t your client be offended? I mean, that’s the whole reason we’re here--”
“There is no client,” I said in a rush, wincing at how haggard my voice sounded. Aaron raised a brow at me, mouth working wordlessly in confusion. “I just wanted to see you. There is no client. Just us.”
I couldn’t tell if his cheeks were more of a green shade or a red shade, all I knew was that he looked entirely uncomfortable as he lurched up out of his seat.
“I need to use the restroom,” he said, glancing towards the exit as if I wouldn’t notice. Before I could say anything, he strode off. At least he seemed to be heading in the direction of the restroom, but I was fairly certain that if I didn’t intervene, he would soon find an excuse to bolt. I quickly followed, worried I’d pushed him too far. Slamming the bathroom door open, I saw him jolt slightly from his position in front of the sinks. He had been splashing his face, the droplets of water making a tantalizing path down his cheek, his jawline, before dripping off of his chin. I tracked each droplet with my gaze, feeling a thirst unlike any I’d felt before. It wasn’t a thirst that would be so easily quenched.
“Aaron,” I said quietly, approaching him and reaching out to cup his cheek. His eyes were the size of dinner plates, and sweat began to gather in addition to the moisture that was already dotting his brow. Unthinkingly, I leaned in and swiped my tongue along his jaw-- I had to taste him. Surprisingly, he didn’t draw away. He met my gaze, and his eyes were almost fully dilated with desire. His scent was faint then, but growing all the more pungent the longer we stood locked in our awkward embrace. Unwilling to wait any longer, I closed the distance between us, capturing his lips with my own. He shuddered against me, parting his lips to welcome my tongue. The enclosed room, the overwhelming scent, and his sweet lips all worked together to drive me crazy. It wasn’t something I’d felt since--
I recognized that scent. I drew away from the kiss, my lips just a breath away from his.
“It’s you. It was you the whole time, wasn’t it?” I said huskily, moving to kiss him again. He seemed alarmed by the comment, and where time had previously seemed to be moving slowly, everything resumed at a pace that was all-too-quick. He lurched away from me, slipping out of the bathroom just as someone else entered. I considered giving chase, but realized how bad it would look. The other man who had walked into the bathroom looked at me rather strangely before stepping into one of the stalls. I didn’t hesitate a moment longer, rushing out of the room and looking back towards my table.
Aaron was gone. Of course he was.
7
Aaron
Oh God. Oh God, oh God, oh God. I knew it was a bad idea to meet Logan at the restaurant, but I hadn’t realized just how bad an idea it was. I thought I could play it cool, keep up the small talk and meet Logan’s usual banter with equally sharp retorts. It should have been simple to keep things casual until the client arrived. However, I was caught entirely off guard when Logan became flustered; something that was entirely unlike him, and his expression, so soft and tender. It felt like he was interested in me. Just me. For once I felt appreciated, but it wasn’t just that-- I felt attractive, something I’d not felt for some time. Until his confession that he’d wanted to get me alone, then it all changed. Terrified, I knew it would look obvious if I got straight up and bolted to the door, but I’d hoped he would leave me to take a piss in peace and then I could make an excuse to leave. Of course, that didn’t happen. I had been stupid to think it might.
All I’d needed was a moment to cool off, but everything moved so quickly. He was at my side seemingly in an instant, and his tongue… It felt impossibly hot as it swiped across my skin, and the kiss just seemed like the logical next step. Things would have been fine, except this wasn’t some blind date where I was looking to have a bit of fun. It was supposed to be a meeting with my boss, my frustratingly handsome boss who seemed intent upon tasting every inch of my mouth. I fought the arousal as much as I could, but anyone could tell you that trying to contain your pheromones was a losing battle. I shuddered as he inhaled so deeply, an expression of bliss softening his features all the more. Soon after the bliss, however, came the recognition. Perhaps it was from the way his lips met my own, or maybe it was just the heady scent of my arousal, but somehow… somehow, he knew.
I wasn’t even entirely sure why I should deny him. He’d been good, so good the first time I’d s
lept with him. I could only imagine his passion would burn all the hotter upon knowing who he was swapping spit with. Was it a dirty thrill to be kissing his best friend’s son? From the surge in his scent, it was obvious he was recalling the moment we’d shared in a random closet. He wanted me, and I wanted him more desperately than I wanted anything in my life. It was Logan, wonderful handsome Logan, the occasionally insufferable but generally kind alpha who would take a bullet for his loved ones. Logan, the man I’d had the hugest crush on when I was younger. Logan… my father’s best friend and my boss. Reality had a way of crashing all around a person at the least opportune moment, and as much as I wanted to remain in his arms, I knew I couldn’t make the same mistake twice. Not with the knowledge of who it was, and the potential consequences of our actions. I could have been kinder in pulling away, but manners were rather low on my list of priorities at the time. I just needed to leave and get as far away from the older man as possible.
Flagging down a cab was easy in the busiest part of town, and though Logan knew my address, I was confident he wouldn’t be crazy enough to show up at my apartment complex. It would have been humiliating for him-- not that his pride seemed particularly important judging from the increasingly frantic text messages I received. Scrambled apologies with good intentions but poor execution.
I knew the logical thing would be answering the phone and discussing the situation like the adults we were. Instead, I turned my mobile phone off altogether and stuffed it into my pocket as the cab driver pulled up in front of my apartment building. Fortunately, I had brought some cash in case of emergencies, and I slapped the bills into his waiting palm before getting out of the taxi as quickly as possible. I needed a moment to myself, a split second where I could actually relax before facing the impending storm on the horizon. I hurried into my apartment, double and triple checking my locks in spite of how irrational I knew I was being. For one thing, if anyone really wanted to bust into my apartment, those piddly locks wouldn’t have stopped them. Logan was a large man in every sense of the word, his muscles enough to make lesser omegas swoon. A simple door lock wouldn’t keep him from his goal. My panic may have made sense if I had entertained the faintest thought of him hurting me, but that’s not the kind of man Logan was. I took comfort in that, at least. He would never force me into anything, but I knew he would expect some kind of explanation
I could only guess at the whirlwind of questions spinning through his mind, sure he was primarily wondering why I’d never told him about the Christmas party. I knew he wasn’t cocky enough to brag about taking the virginity of his best friend’s son, but it seemed both of us were doing things we never expected to. I owed him some sort of explanation, that much was undeniable. I just couldn’t bring myself to answer his messages. Before I’d even turned my phone off, he’d already started getting desperate. I couldn’t bear the guilt, and this was more than I felt confident dealing with at the time. Although I knew I couldn’t blow him off for long, I wanted a moment of peace to assess things. If I ignored him for too long, I had no doubt he would fire me. It would certainly be a setback for them, but decent programmers were a dime a dozen-- at least, if my father was to be believed. I didn’t try to fool myself into thinking I would be difficult to replace. There was no sense in it, and a tiny voice in the back of my head suggested that I just let things fall into place. Going back to working at my father’s firm wouldn’t have been the end of world, no matter how miserable it may have felt.
I was just so close to achieving my dream. I didn’t want to prove my father right after all the shit I’d taken from him. I didn’t even want to deal with Cieran’s smug expression once he caught wind of what happened. It seemed the best thing for me to do at the time was get some rest. I undressed as I staggered through my apartment, collapsing on my bed without bothering to draw back the covers. It felt too hot, anyway, like my skin was on fire. All I needed to do was catch a few hours of sleep, then I could logically decide how to approach things.
My attempts to keep from thinking about the elder alpha were fruitless. I knew the touch of his lips on my own would be impossible to forget. In spite of the carefully cultivated dislike I’d felt for Logan after the Christmas party, it hadn’t been easy to forget his ministrations then, either. Now, I wasn’t alone with the sick secret that I’d been carrying for what felt like an eternity. I had no idea how I would explain this whole mess to my father, wondering what dad would think of a fledgling relationship between his long-time friend and his son. I was almost positive he wouldn’t take it well. There was almost no doubt that he’d flip his lid, something I tried to forget as I drifted into a restless slumber, more than happy to be dead to the world at that point.
When I opened my eyes, I was faced with a sight that had occupied my dreams for a long time. Logan’s erect cock bobbed tantalizingly in front of my face, and in spite of knowing how wrong the was in reality, in the inner sanctum of my own mind, I could be as filthy as I wanted. I didn’t hesitate to grab dream-Logan’s cock, the throbbing in my hand feeling impossibly real. His groans had been unforgettable, even when I’d tried to push the thoughts of our encounter as far from my mind as possible. Every night, I could hear those desperate grunts and the slapping of skin on skin. Though I knew how wrong it was, I decided to simply enjoy the dream for what it was. A nice fantasy, or in this case more of a memory, not like some of my outlandish fantasies, like when I’d dreamed of Logan sweeping me away to some sort of castle or of him fucking me in the middle of the ocean.
I’d never dreamed about the closet. The waking memory of what had actually happened was nearly impossible to cope with as it stood, and I’d been fortunate not to repeat the exact scenario every single night. That I was reliving the scene now wasn’t all that strange considering the happenings of the day before, and as was my custom, I allowed myself to roll with the punches. What happened in dreamland stayed in dreamland, and I didn’t want to waste any more time before taking the alpha’s member between my lips. Bobbing my head, I worked as hard to please my dream partner as I had when I first laid eyes upon Logan’s glorious staff. There was something soothing about the dream, though I probably should have been more put off by the fact that my mind immediately turned to this when I fell asleep.
How I’d longed to give into Logan in the bathroom. How I’d wanted to do just what I was doing in my dream world. There was no longer a question of my desire for the alpha male, it was simply that I couldn’t act upon it. At least, not in reality. As such, I was determined to make as much of the fantasy as I could. Looking up to meet dream Logan’s eyes, I nearly came unraveled on the spot. It wasn’t just lust his eyes. It was something deeper, something I dared not name. He caressed my scalp as I sucked him off, my eyes rolling back at the pleasurable sensation. From the erratic jerking of his hips, I could tell he was getting close and I wanted to watch his expression as he came. He gasped my name, his cries growing more and more demanding. He thrust between my lips one final time before emptying himself into my eager mouth.
“I love you!” he screamed, which was a new twist to the dream that I wasn’t sure what to make of. Even in the scope of the dream I felt awkward, lips moving wordlessly as I tried to answer this dream version of my boss. Before I could get any words out, the door to the closet slammed open. What!? My father? What was going on?! His face shone with disgust and fury, causing shame to curl in my stomach like a lazy cat.
“Logan? Of all people?! I won’t have a whore for a son!”
Jolting awake, I clutched my chest as I tried to slow the rapid beating of my heart. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes but I hurriedly wiped them away. I’d had my share of dreams about Logan, but never had they been so emotional… and of course, they’d never ended on such a sour note either. The shame. Frowning, I shifted uncomfortably in bed, settling in before closing my eyes once more. I could only hope that the rest of the night would be dreamless.
8
Logan
It should have be
en impossible, yet his scent and taste had been unmistakable. I’d not felt that thrill since the Christmas party, but as soon as it struck me it was easy to identify. Perhaps the extent to which I committed those details to memory was embarrassing, but I didn’t have it in me to feel bad at the moment. I might have been frustrated by the scenario if it wasn’t so laughably perfect. I’d been chasing my dream omega for what felt an eternity, and he’d been under my nose the whole time. Once I caught his scent, it seemed so obvious, but I’d never exactly been around Aaron when he was aroused expect for the romp in the closet. I couldn’t blame myself too terribly, an omega’s mating musk is much more distinct than their general scent. My attraction to Aaron in spite of our prior relationship made more sense than ever, but I dreaded the thought of broaching the subject with his father. Thompson was already sour about Aaron’s commitment to the app, and I was confident he’d blow his top if he knew our secret. I wasn’t afraid of the other alpha-- if a fight arose, it would pass just as they already had.
We didn’t seem to have the ability to remain angry at one another, though I had no idea why. Sure, I knew that people considered me an insufferable prick, but Thompson took things to the next level. It was beyond the drive for success, he was outright vicious. Tom was the last man I wanted to think of at that time however, and I paced my home office frantically as I tried to come up with a suitable plan for approaching Aaron. I had no idea why he was so skittish around me, and a part of me was frustrated that he’d never told me the truth, but that didn’t matter. Not when there were much more enjoyable emotions to feel. Lust swirled in my brain alongside a desire I didn’t want to give a name to. I cared about Aaron. My staff may have considered me aloof and unconcerned with their lives, but I kept an eye on things at all times. I was just less obvious than others.
