Blackmail

by John Charles

  Bennett moved down and gently nibbled Damien’s lips. Looking into his ocean blue eyes, he said, “If I thought I’d have a chance at it, I probably would have, but there were too many people around. I like a bit of kink, but that is too much for me.” As he nibbled Damien’s lips, he began to lift Damien’s shirt from his pants. Once it was over Damien’s head, Bennett slowly kissed his way down his lover’s smooth body, stopping to nibble each nipple as he moved. His tongue traced the solid muscles on Damien’s chest and abs as he moved further toward his ultimate goal. Damien had an 8 pack that drove everyone at the gym crazy. They wondered how a guy, his age, could maintain such a solid body. He moaned his approval and let Bennett take the lead.

  As he approached Damien’s hips, he undid the belt and pulled his pants and underwear off in one smooth motion. Before him lay the man he lusted over for two years, beautiful, strong, muscular, and hard.

  He quickly removed his own clothes and lay atop his lover. “Just lay there and allow me to take you on a trip around the world.” He began at Damien’s ears; gently nibbling then he moved down his face to his lips, to his neck, his nipples and his smooth muscular chest. When he reached Damien’s cock, he looked up to see his lover’s eyes staring at him and a smile on his face.

  He licked the head and opened his mouth to take him in. Damien’s hips bounced up from the ecstasy he received and moaned his pleasure. Bennett continued to pleasure his man with his lips, his mouth and his fingers. He touched, licked and caressed every sensual part of Damien’s body.

  Bennett had a foil packet and lube on the end table. When Damien couldn’t stand another second of the sensations he was receiving, Bennett rolled the condom onto Damien, applied some lube, straddled his lover, and gently guided Damien’s sensitive erection into himself. He sat down engulfing Damien completely and continued driving his man crazy again.

  Chapter 4

  As Damien woke, he found a warm body pressed tightly against his. After Bennett brought Damien to his first powerful climax, the two were like a dynamo in motion; they couldn’t stop. They had sex in just about every position known to each of them. They pleasured each other until neither could move. Exhausted, Bennett fell asleep in Damien’s arms. Damien fell asleep spooning him as close as two bodies could get.

  Now, hours later, both remained where they were when they had fallen asleep. Neither had moved during the night. Bennett used Damien’s right arm as a pillow and was hugging his left arm with both hands. It felt wonderful and Damien tried not to move, fearing he would wake the man who gave him so much pleasure the previous night.

  He lay there taking in the beauty of this man in his arms and thinking about times past. Could he allow it to happen again? Did Bennett want more or was this just a one off for him. Right now, it didn’t matter. He was happy, had spent a wonderful evening with his co-workers and ended up in bed with a wonderful man. This man gave him so much pleasure it was hard to allow any other thoughts to enter his mind.

  Deep in thought, he barely registered the movement in front of him. Bennett was waking and pulling Damien closer to him, as if that were possible. “Mmm, this feels good,” said Bennett as Damien gently stroked his chest. Damien’s hand moved up and caressed Bennett’s right nipple, receiving another moan from the man in his arms.

  Bennett could feel Damien’s morning erection nested in the crack of his ass. Reaching the end table, Bennett found a condom and handed it to his mate. Wasting no time, Damien rolled it on, used some lube and allowed Bennett to direct him to his entrance. Bennett gently pushed back impaling himself. This coupling was different. Damien took it slow, gently bringing Bennett to the peak of pleasure. Neither of them spoke, only the moans of appreciation filled their ears. As they reached the height of pleasure, Damien allowed his hand to move down Bennett’s body to find his hard leaking cock. Encircling it, he stroked Bennett to an amazing climax, just as he, himself reached his peak.

  The two stayed coupled as they came down from their sexual high. Neither spoke. Damien rubbed the wetness in his hand on Bennett’s chest and cuddled until the sound of the alarm on Bennett’s cell phone broke the silence. “I’m on duty today,” said Bennett as he reached for the phone. It’s the last day of the show, so I hope it’s slower. I’m not sure I can even think pharmaceuticals right now.”

  Turning in Damien’s arms caused their coupling to end. Bennett placed a warm kiss on Damien’s lips, got up and ran to the bathroom, leaving Damien alone with his thoughts.

  Finished with his shower, Bennett returned to the room, toweling his wet hair. “I desperately need a haircut. Didn’t have time before we left and now it’s getting out of control,” he said as he stood next to the bed. “I wish I didn’t have to work today, but I do. You can stay here, if you want, and we can pick up where we left off when I get through.”

  Standing in front of Damien was the most beautiful man he had ever set eyes on. Bennett was tall and muscular with brown eyes that looked as if they could see into your soul. A gentle dusting of light brown hair covered his chest. He had rock solid arms, strong legs and a butt that could be on any porn site. Just that thought brought a smile to his face.

  Damien sat up, reached out, and pulled Bennett in for a kiss. “I have to pack. My plane leaves at six. If I had known this would happen, I’d have booked a different flight.”

  Dressed for the workday ahead, Bennett said, as he approached the door, “I’m here till Sunday as part of the breakdown crew so I’ll see you back home, next week.” The door closed and Damien was alone.

  The following week was more hectic than anytime the staff at Valentech remembered. The entire science, engineering and sales staffs had been pulled from projects to man the booth at the show, putting every project behind schedule. Damien worked late every evening. By Friday, he felt as if he might catch up in a year or so, but decided to take the weekend off. “It will be here on Monday,” he said to his assistant and the other researchers on his team. “Let’s call it a day and enjoy our weekend.” They closed the lab and went home.

  Bennett texted Damien Friday afternoon, asking if he had plans for Saturday. Damien didn’t so the two planned to get together for burgers at Damien’s condo. Bennett brought a bottle of white and a six-pack, just in case. Casual conversation was a bit strained, at first, but the two men smiled and chatted about work until the burgers were done.

  Damien’s condo was on the 11th floor of a high-rise building. His balcony, though small, fit a grill, two chairs and a small table. “I love this view,” said Bennett. “You can see the entire cityscape from here. I bet it’s great at night with all the lights.”

  “That was one of the reasons I chose this unit. There was a bigger one on the other side of the building, but it didn’t have a view, unless looking at another high-rise is a view,” said Damien. “And being this far up, I can leave the sliders open at night. There’s always a comfortable breeze.” While the burgers cooked, Damien and Bennett brought plates and other condiments to the outside table.

  Bennett was visibly impressed with the view of the city. Even when talking to Damien, his eyes kept moving around, taking in the sites. “My apartment is on the second floor. I don’t have a balcony, or a view. I’ve been looking for a condo or better apartment, but most are just a bit out of my comfort zone right now.”

  Dinner finished, they cleaned up their dishes and moved inside. “So what do you think of the new guy on Jays team?” asked Bennett. “I think he started on Thursday. Kinda strange to start a guy mid week, don’t you think?”

  Damien knew nothing of the new guy Bennett mentioned. “I haven’t met him yet, but I know Jay’s team has fallen far behind on their project,” said Damien as he guided Bennett to the great room. “Do you know anything about him?”

  “No, just that Ferris hired him as an intern to help Jay get caught up. Don’t even know his name yet. I guess we’ll meet him at the staff meeting on Monday”

  Jay’s team was deeply involved in research for tre
ating or preventing immune deficiency diseases. Many drugs used to treat the affects of immune deficiency only masked the symptoms and had no long term affect on the cause of the disease. Jay, a genetic scientist for over 20 years, had ideas that could change that. He was on the verge of a drug regimen that would not only help with the symptoms, but would provide real long-term results as well.

  His regimen, already in clinical trials, was doing well, however the trials required extensive monitoring and record keeping, thus the need for an intern on the project.

  Damien moved closer to Bennett and pulled him in for a kiss. He found Bennett to be a very exciting lover. Not sure if Bennett wanted more than the friendly sex they had at the hotel, he asked, “I enjoyed what we did last week, but I have to know if you are looking for more than just some fun.”

  The two men got closer, wrapped their arms around each other and cuddled into another kiss. With his lips only an inch away from Damien’s, Bennett said, “I know I want to find the right guy for a relationship and I do enjoy what we have, but I’m not sure this is anything more than two guys having fun. Is that okay with you right now?”

  “Yeah, it is. I definitely don’t want a relationship right now, so if you’re good with this then so am I,” said Damien as he moved in for another long wet kiss. “Let’s take this to my bedroom.” Damien stood holding his hand out and pulled Bennett down the hall.

  It was Damien’s turn to bring Bennett on a trip around the world, which he did for almost three hours. Unbelievably satisfied and totally wiped out, the two fell asleep in each other’s arms again.

  Waking several hours later to a chill, Damien eased himself out of Bennett’s arms and closed the slider, lights and curtains in the great room. When he returned to his bed, Bennett had already pulled up the blankets and was waiting for him. He threw the blanket aside and held his arms out suggesting Damien should slide in, in front of him. They fell asleep with Bennett spooning his lover.

  Sunday morning brought another round of hot, steamy sex in the shower. Damien paid extra, when he renovated the condo, for a large two-person shower, in lieu of a tub shower combination. Today proved its worth. A normal ten minutes shower lasted over an hour as the two men found numerous ways to ‘wash’ each other. Fully satiated, they dressed and went for breakfast.

  “I haven’t had time for the gym in two weeks. The hotel had a good one, but there was never time for it. This week has been nonstop. Working out has become an integral part of my daily routine. Not being in the gym for weeks has me feeling like I’m going through withdrawal or something,” said Bennett at the restaurant around the corner from Damien’s condo. “Want to join me and give that hot body a different kind of workout?”

  They split up after breakfast agreeing to meet at the gym later that morning for a long overdue workout.

  On his way home, Bennett wondered why Damien had asked that question last night. I certainly do enjoy being with Damien. He is the best I’ve ever had in bed. Is he the right one?

  Bennett had several short-term flings with guys since he came out in college. His parents were not happy with his “Lifestyle Choice” as they put it. No amount of discussion would convince them that it was not a choice. He felt betrayed by their lack of understanding and decided it was his life to live, and they would eventually come around.

  Now almost ten years later, they still had not willingly embraced his way of life. His mother frequently asked when he was going to find the right girl and give her grandchildren. The pressure caused a huge blowup last Christmas resulting in a split between him and his parents.

  Could Damien be the right guy?

  Sunday was not a good day to be at the gym. All the overweight people who failed to get their bodies out of bed during the week tried to overcompensate by working out on Sunday. There were lines at the equipment and the mats and benches were wet from the sweat of inconsiderate people who failed to wipe them when finished with their sets. Both Damien and Bennett were less than happy. “This sucks. I’m not going to waste my time here all day. How about a run, then we come back for a sauna. Maybe these people will have worn themselves out by then,” said Bennett.

  Changed into their running clothes, the two friends made their way to the running trail at the adjacent park. “I come here whenever I need to think,” said Damien. “Running makes me feel good and allows me to work out the stress.”

  They ran in silence for several miles around the winding path. When they returned to their starting point, they sat on the grass to cool off. “This was great. Thanks for the suggestion,” said Damien. “What now? Think the sauna will be free?”

  “Only one way to find out.”

  The gym was still crowded and the sauna was not appealing to either of them, so they showered, dressed and left the gym. Neither of them wanted to part company, but both had personal things to accomplish before the start of the workweek. “See you tomorrow at the company meeting. I guess we’ll meet the new guy on Jay’s team. I hope he is good enough to help Jay. He has put so much into this project he deserves someone good right about now,” said Damien.

  A simple hug and they parted ways, each with his own thoughts about the days just finished and those ahead of them.

  Chapter 5

  “One more thought before I introduce our newest intern. We had a wonderful week at the conference, my thanks to all who helped. Orders are flying in for just about every product we make, so keep up the good work. Accounting is tallying up sales for this month against the same month last year. Based on the increase I expect, every one of you will see a bonus next month as an expression of my appreciation,” said Ferris Valente at the regular Monday morning staff meeting.

  Ferris was a firm believer in staff meetings. To him, having the staff in one room every Monday was his chance to voice concerns, listen to issues, and express his appreciation for a job well done. Further, it allowed everyone to listen to progress reports of each research team. Many times a team encountered a problem or issue that had been overcome by another team. At those times, staff meetings turned into collaborative workshops. Everyone wins when something like that happens.

  At first, many employees felt the staff meetings were a waste of time. Nevertheless, Ferris insisted that all employees attend, from department heads down to the janitors. In time, the meetings became an enjoyable ritual for people to connect and compare notes. You didn’t miss the Monday morning staff meetings unless you were in the hospital, away on a business trip or on vacation. Many people who were off premises connected via the teleconference system so they could participate.

  “And lastly please welcome our new intern Karl Matthius. Karl has a degree in Micro Biology and is on schedule to start his masters in Clinical Research when this internship completes. I met Karl at the conference and was impressed by his knowledge of our company and desire to learn. He will be working on Jay’s team to assist with the overwhelming amount of tracking paperwork in the clinical trial of his new immune system drug regimen.” Karl stood and waved to the group in the auditorium.

  “What the hell is he doing here?” said Andrea. “Isn’t he the one who propositioned you last week, at the conference, Damien?”

  “He’s the one alright. He tried to get into my pants and now it seems he got into Ferris’ instead,” said Damien in reply. “He had better be very good or Jay’s team will suffer from Ferris’ misjudgment.”

  “Well I’m not happy right now. In all the years I’ve worked here, Ferris has never hired anyone without my input. I hope we’re wrong about him, Damien, but I have some very bad feelings right now.”

  The meeting broke with everyone talking at the same time. Many welcomed Karl, others discussed their projects, and others yet, talked about the crowds at the conference. Another Monday staff meeting was finished. Ferris was a happy man until he saw Andrea and Damien approaching.

  “May we speak with you in private, please?” asked Andrea. Ferris knew something was very wrong by the faces he saw and the ton
e of Andrea’s voice. “Sure, let’s go to my office,” he said. Once there, he asked, “so what can I do for the two of you?”

  “For one, you can tell me why you hired Karl without my input. I know you’re the boss, but you’ve never done that in all the years I’ve worked here. So why now?”

  “Well it was very simple Andrea; you were not available when I needed input, so I did it on my own. I met Karl at the conference and thought he’d be a good intern for Jay. He has extremely good credentials and is very knowledgeable about our products.”

  Damien was not sure why he felt insulted, but he did. “Before I pass judgment, I want to see how he works out. Jay needs the help. If he’s not as good as you suggest he will hurt Jay’s project more than you understand, Ferris. I have to get back to work. We are still behind.” He left Andrea and Ferris wondering if they would shed blood.

  Andrea and Ferris did have it out, not because Ferris hired Karl without talking to her, but because she had a bad feeling about him and Ferris wouldn’t listen to her. “You’ve always accepted my input, now you trash it as if I’m being foolish. Fine, but I stand my ground, he is not right for this company,” she said and walked out of Ferris’ office. What a way to start the week she thought as she walked down the hall.

  A clinical trial usually involved hundreds to thousands of test subjects. A double blind trial, such as the one being conducted on Jay’s drugs, prevented anyone but the top administrators of the trial knowing who was taking the real drug or a placebo. Trials such as this, had forms, surveys, and medical reports for each subject. Unfortunately, they were on paper, not computerized. Thus, each piece of paper required input into the trial database.

  Karl, as it turned out, was a wiz at scanning and data basing the forms. He worked with engineering to establish an interface that would allow the forms to be scanned and based on a code system; the data was input to the correct subject’s file. Once done, data could be culled and manipulated easily. Jay was more than pleased reporting his pleasure directly to Ferris.