by John Charles
“No, not sore, but I definitely know we played for a lot longer then we normally do.”
After Damien finished washing Bennett, he allowed his lover to wash him. They finished in a wet kiss and embrace under the warm spray. “Let’s dry off. I have something to talk to you about,” said Damien to a worried face. “Don’t get all worked up, it’s all good.”
Coffee in hand, the two made their way to the small balcony. The view was breathtaking. The city was awash in morning sun, the temperature was cool and a slight breeze tickled their skin. “What are you thinking?” asked Damien
“I can’t help but think we let Karl down. We said we wouldn’t trade Karl for Waverley and yet that’s exactly what we did. All through the trial, I kept thinking about how Hal promised that Karl would not be incriminated. He assured everyone that Karl was okay. Now he’s on probation for 18 months for being a naïve guy who got duped not only by Waverley but by the FBI as well.”
“I know how you feel. At first, I thought this scheme would work out as Hal and Nicholle predicted, but then everything took off way too fast. When Ferris told me to get finished with the phony protocol, I knew something was wrong with the picture. I guess I should have done something back then, but I didn’t put the pieces together till it was too late.”
“So did you think he would go to jail or what?”
Damien rested his hand on Bennett’s shoulder and looked out at the beautiful cityscape before them. “I had no idea what the judge would do. Dana did a great job painting the picture that Karl was had by everyone, including you and me, but I had no idea what the judge thought of her plea for full exoneration.”
“I guess Oberts had a heart, but I still wish he agreed to the full exoneration the state agreed to. Do you know what Karl will do now?”
“No, he and Randy left the day after the ruling. Dana told Ferris they were going back to Randy’s apartment, but that’s all. I have a feeling she knows more then she is letting on to, though.”
They were quiet for several minutes, consuming the view in front of them, until Bennett asked, “You going to keep me in suspense all morning? What did you want to tell me in the shower?” asked Bennett as he turned to look at Damien.
“I am thinking of giving up this unit. The building manager said someone is interested in a unit this size and would make me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
“Wow, where would you go?”
Damien looked at his lover and said, “It’s not where will I go, it’s where will we go. We are together now, so any decision has to be a joint one, Bennett.”
Bennett slid his hand into Damien’s and clutched his fingers. “Thank you,” he said. “I like that a lot Damien. So do you have any place in mind?”
“Funny thing is how all this happened in the first place. The couple interested in my condo, first looked at a much larger unit and said they couldn’t afford that one. I looked at it and felt it would be great for us. It’s much bigger; has a bigger balcony, is on this side of the building, and would allow us to have an office or guest room, too. The crazy part is that if I sold this unit, the down payment I’d have from the sale would actually make our monthly payments less.”
Wow, that’s great, but you have to let me contribute something,” said Bennett as he looked out over the city. “While it might be nice for some guys, I really don’t want to be a kept man.”
“After all you’ve done for me; please don’t ever feel that way. I know you don’t have much money saved up right now, so let me do this. You and I can work out the money thing another time. We have an appointment for you to see the unit this afternoon.”
The unit was everything they both wanted. Damien made arrangements for the sale of his condo and the purchase of the new unit.
Back in their home, Damien pulled Bennett into an embrace and said, “I’m so glad you came into my life. I love you so much it hurts.”
Bennett rested his head on Damien’s broad shoulders, closed his eyes and whispered, “I’ve loved you from the very first day we met. I can’t imagine life without you.”
A personal message from the author:
Congratulations on finishing the first book of the Blackmail: Boardroom to Bedroom (Book 1: Extortion, Lust, Love) series. I sincerely hope you enjoyed the story. There is more to come, so stayed tuned for book 2.
Like most authors, I depend on feedback from my readers. In fact, I love hearing from you about my stories. Now that you finished reading this book, please post a review on the Blackmail: Boardroom to Bedroom page on the site where you purchased this e-book
Your Review and Comments give others, who may want to read this book, insight that only other readers can give.
Some questions I pose to you are:
What did you like about Blackmail: Boardroom to Bedroom?
Did the plot keep you interested and involved?
How did you relate to the characters and their journeys?
Will you read the next book in this series?
Feel free to add any other comments that you think might be pertinent to the next reader.
Thanks for your time,
John
