Dirty Games

by Barbara Elsborg

  Quite an irony that if Max had come to him after he and Owen had broken up and asked if he could still work on the house, Thorne would likely have said yes. Though considering what Thorne had said about Max’s work, that hadn’t been likely.

  Linton looked ridiculously handsome in his tux. Thorne’s heart thumped hard. How lucky am I? If it hadn’t been for Linton, Thorne would still have been playing his dirty games, flirting, teasing, being a prick. Linton had made him see why he was behaving as he was and that there was a better way. Though without Linton, Thorne had no way.

  But the games had stopped, except in private. Linton’s gift of a whole box of leather belts had been put to good use. Shit. It had been a mistake thinking of those because he immediately thought of how Linton looked wearing them which caused his cock to swell. Almost as if Linton knew what Thorne was thinking, he turned and glanced at him, raising one eyebrow.

  Linton leaned to whisper in his ear. “You look like a wolf who wants to eat me.”

  “Oh fuck, is it that obvious?” Thorne grinned.

  “Want to nip out?”

  “No. You’re going to sit there and wait until they call your name.”

  Linton was touched Thorne had so much faith in him but he wasn’t going to win. These things were as much about who you were and who you knew as the actual design work. Well, unless he actually did win, and then it was all the design work obviously. He allowed himself a small smile.

  He was shocked by Thorne’s confession about the rape. He sounded so matter of fact about it. Why had he waited so long to tell him? Linton slid his hand to Thorne’s under the table and squeezed his fingers.

  “Why did you wait?” Linton asked knowing Thorne would understand what he meant.

  “I thought there was enough to deal with. It was my own stupid fault anyway.”

  “No, it wasn’t.” Linton pinned him with his gaze.

  “You’re my revenge. You’re going to win tonight.”

  Oh God. “And if I don’t?”

  “You’ve won anyway.” Thorne smiled at him. “You got me.”

  Linton laughed.

  After the meal was eaten and the award ceremony began, his pulse beat faster and the fluttering butterflies in his stomach began to multiply. Of course he wanted to win. Winning just one of the awards would considerably raise the company’s profile. But now he was keener that Max didn’t win. Damien had approached him about leaving DRA to join them and they wouldn’t need much more work coming in to make that possible. Linton could imagine Max’s fury if another member of his staff jumped ship. Every time the audience clapped, Linton clapped too. Even though he couldn’t stand the sight of Max and even Pascal, there was no way he’d let anyone see it.

  “Stop nudging me.” Linton glared at Thorne.

  “Get up on stage.”

  “What?”

  “You won, you pillock.” Thorne beamed at him.

  Linton pushed to his feet. I won? What the fuck did I win? Dirk slapped his back, and Linton made his way up onto the stage. Fortunately, what he’d won was written on the certificate he was given. It was an award for Thorne’s house that followed the flow of the land with its wing-like extensions. The guy who’d handed him the certificate, caught his arm as Linton was about to leave the stage.

  “You might as well stay up here,” he said into the mic. “Because the award for the Young Architect of the Year also goes to Linton Williams.”

  Linton knew his jaw had dropped to leave him gaping like a fish and he pressed his lips together. Thorne and Dirk were on their feet clapping and he managed to turn his expression into a smile. He took the mic when the guy offered it and waited until the applause died down.

  “Thank you,” Linton said. “I wasn’t going to say anything because firstly I had no expectation of winning and so have no speech prepared, but I would like to take this opportunity to say a few words.” He took a deep breath. “Architecture isn’t about individuals. No architect can stand alone. He or she needs the support of a whole raft of people, from demanding, insightful, imaginative clients to talented, hard-working, irritating colleagues. From craftsmen who teach us the nature and limitations of the materials we use to the guy whose job is to shift rubbish from the site. I’ve learned something from every person I’ve ever met in this business, even if it was how not to do something.”

  A ripple of amusement spread across the room.

  “I’d like to thank DRA, Max Devere and Pascal Rousseau, two hugely talented architects, for opening my eyes on so many levels.”

  There was another round of applause and Linton knew only a few people would recognise what he’d not said. “I’d particularly like to thank Thorne Morrisey for trusting me to build him the house of his dreams—once I’d told him what he wanted.”

  More laughter at that.

  “Thank you to the judges for considering me worthy of these prizes. I’m truly honoured.” Linton smiled and returned to his seat.

  Thorne bent to whisper in Linton’s ear. “I’m so proud of you. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You can thank me properly later.”

  They managed to leave without bumping into either Max or Pascal and Linton was relieved about that. Linton didn’t want the evening spoiled by snide comments nor by him succumbing to the temptation to wrap his fingers around the pebble and landing a fist on Max’s chin. At least Pascal had given up trying to get him back. Linton had heard nothing from him in months, though the court case against Budak and his gang would bring them into contact. Linton didn’t even owe Max any money. Although Thorne had offered to pay him back, it was Owen who’d insisted Max wrote off the debt.

  Dirk phoned Matthew from the car and the guy was waiting in the hotel lobby where Thorne had got the pair a room when the three of them walked in. Linton saw how his brother’s face lit up when Matthew walked toward him and felt a jolt of happiness.

  Matthew held out his hand and Linton shook it.

  “Pleased to meet you,” Matthew said.

  He was a big guy with big rough hands but Linton instinctively felt they were safe ones. He just hoped Dirk didn’t do anything to fuck things up.

  “Pleased to meet you too,” Linton said. “Dirk’s a lucky guy.”

  “Hey.” Dirk put an indignant look on his face. “I’m a catch.”

  “Course you are.” Linton smiled.

  “He won.” Dirk turned to Matthew. “Two categories.”

  “Wow. Congratulations. Would…” Matthew hesitated. “Would you like to come up and stay with us sometime?”

  “That would be great,” Thorne said before Linton could answer.

  Linton nodded. He didn’t have to see his father.

  “Dad wants to see you again,” Dirk said.

  How the fuck did Dirk know what I was thinking?

  “He was nervous when you came to see him. He thought you’d be mad with him so he waffled on. Give him another chance.”

  Linton gave a brief nod, though he wasn’t sure he meant it.

  Thorne took Linton’s elbow. “Talk about it some other time. We need to be going.”

  Dirk wrapped his arms around Linton and hugged him. “Love you.”

  Linton squeezed his brother tight. “Look after yourself. Thanks for coming, both of you.”

  Thorne tugged him away back to the waiting car. Linton slumped in the back and unfastened his bow tie and the top button of his shirt.

  “Oh God, you shouldn’t have done that,” Thorne mumbled.

  Linton smiled and opened Thorne’s bow tie, then undid the top button. He leaned over and pressed his mouth against the hollow of Thorne’s throat, licking the soft skin before dragging his tongue up his throat, over his chin to his lips to kiss him.

  It was Thorne who eventually pulled away breathing heavily. He dragged Linton’s hand down to his groin where his cock tented his trousers, and shot him a look of warning.

  This wasn’t their usual driver, the one who either put up
the screen or ignored them, so Linton shuffled back to sit upright. Thorne threaded his fingers with Linton’s and stared at him.

  “Got a surprise for you too,” Linton said.

  “I should hope so.” Thorne stared at Linton’s groin.

  “I’m coming with you to Ireland on Monday for a week.”

  Thorne gaped at him.

  “I know you’ll be busy all day but I thought I could keep you busy all night.” Linton grinned.

  “You don’t want to stay here and watch all the requests for your services flood in now you’ve won those awards?”

  “There’s only one person who’ll be the lucky recipient of my services. The others will have to wait.”

  Linton’s phone pinged and he pulled it out. “Message from River. Brief and to the point.” He handed the phone to Thorne.

  “Congratulations,” Thorne read and laughed.

  “He’s out tonight at Marta’s. Josh is out too. We have the house to ourselves.”

  Even in the gloom of the car Linton saw Thorne’s eyes darken.

  The phone pinged again. “Congratulations from Orlando,” Thorne said.

  “That’s nice of him.”

  “He’ll be figuring out a way to make it sound like you won the Nobel Prize.”

  Linton laughed. He and Orlando actually liked each other. They both liked bringing Thorne back to earth when he forgot who and what he owed for where he was. He guessed Orlando had seen the levelling influence Linton provided.

  He took the pebble from his pocket and handed it to Thorne. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  The car double-parked to drop them off and Thorne took Linton’s hand as they walked to the door. Large flakes of snow were drifting down from the sky, already settling on the ground, and Thorne licked one from Linton’s face.

  “Can you ski?” Thorne asked.

  “I’ve never tried. Is that something else you’re better at than me? The list is getting longer and longer.”

  Thorne unlocked the door, tugged Linton inside and pushed him back against it.

  “You cycle faster,” Linton said. “Run faster, drive faster…er come faster.”

  Thorne growled. Linton yanked free of his grip, ducked under his arm and made for the stairs, Thorne on his heels.

  “You cheeky fucker.” Thorne caught him at the bedroom door and spun him around.

  “You don’t agree?” Linton put a shocked look on his face.

  “No, I bloody don’t.”

  “Prove it.” Linton opened the bedroom door and flicked on the light. He’d been the last the leave the room and he’d arranged a surprise on the bed.

  When Thorne saw what he’d done, he let out a loud groan. “You bastard.”

  Linton laughed and stripped off. He hung his suit on the hanger and went to put his dirty clothes into the hamper. Thorne was already naked by the time Linton came back from the bathroom, but then he had just tossed his clothes all over the room. Sometimes he was tidy, other times not and this was a not time.

  Linton had put several leather belts on the bed arranged in a heart shape. He picked one up and handed it to Thorne, a sign that he was to be in charge.

  “Sure you want to play?”

  Linton nodded. They’d discovered they liked a bit of kink in their games. Linton knelt on the rug facing away from Thorne and put his arms at his sides. Thorne came up close behind him and leaned over his back, his cock nudging the seam of Linton’s arse.

  “I love you,” Thorne whispered and fastened a belt around Linton’s chest, fastening his arms against his sides.

  “You’re all right,” Linton replied.

  Thorne laughed. His warmth disappeared from Linton’s back and a moment later, a pillow appeared in front of Linton. They’d learned they had a tendency to face plant and Linton had once had a nose bleed that took ages to stop. Then Thorne was behind him again, his face against Linton’s arse and Linton dropped his head to the pillow. Thorne pulled back Linton’s dick and licked along it all the way to the entrance to his body, then did it again and again until Linton was gasping.

  Linton slipped into an almost fugue state where sensation held sway. Every touch primed his lust, Thorne’s skin, mouth, tongue, fingers. The whispers in his ear made Linton tremble. Thorne was whispering, “I love you, I love you,” over and over again. Linton had no breath to speak. Lube-coated fingers slipped inside him, finding the spot that made him arch his back in pleasure.

  “Okay?” Thorne whispered.

  “You’ll come first.”

  He shook as Thorne laughed against him. “Yeah, maybe.”

  Thorne threaded a belt around his neck, and slipped the prong through a hole. Tight enough for Linton to feel the pressure but not tight enough to restrict his breathing. Neither of them were into that. Thorne pulled on the belt, bringing Linton toward him as he pressed his cock against his body, then inside him. They both gave a loud groan.

  Linton groaned even louder when Thorne’s fingers wrapped around his cock, jerking him off as he fucked him.

  “Oh God…have you been…practicing…patting your head and rubbing your stomach…at the same time?” Linton gasped out.

  “Yeah, I can’t talk at the same time though.”

  Linton smiled as Thorne let him drop until his head was on the pillow. Sometimes it felt good not to be in charge, to let someone else determine everything, even when he came. Linton was responsible for so much, not for Dirk now, but for those he employed, his clients, his contractors and while that was what he’d always wanted, to be able to come home to someone who’d take that all from him with a few words or by touching him had turned Linton’s life into something he could never have dreamed of.

  Orgasm was on the rise in his body, the back of his head beginning to throb as Thorne fucked him hard and fast. He was pretty sure he did love Thorne but he hadn’t said it yet. Not pretty sure, he was sure. He was waiting for the perfect moment to say it. When Thorne least expected it.

  Linton cried out as he spurted into Thorne’s hand and a moment later, Thorne stiffened at his back and let out a shuddering exhale. As he withdrew from Linton’s body, he pulled Linton over so they were lying on their sides facing each other. Thorne wiped the handful of come all over Linton’s chest. Linton was too far wrapped in post-orgasmic pleasure to complain. They’d both shower in a moment anyway.

  “I’m so proud of you,” Thorne said.

  “I can’t believe I won one award, let alone two. At my age?”

  “Not for that,” Thorne said. “For coming first.”

  Linton chuckled and shuffled closer so that he could wipe his chest on Thorne’s.

  “For that, you can stay in those belts.” Thorne pushed to his feet.

  Linton dragged his arms in front of him, unfastened the belt and stood before removing the one around his neck.

  Thorne gaped at him. “How long have you been able to do that?”

  “All the time.”

  Thorne tugged him into his arms. “Next time, I’m making them tighter. You’re not getting away that easily.”

  “I don’t want to. I never want to.”

  Thorne took a long look at him. “Never ever?”

  Linton shook his head.

  “Is that because you love me?” Thorne didn’t blink.

  “I really like you. That’s a step up from liking you a lot.”

  “So you’re getting there?”

  Linton nodded. “I’m getting there because you’re not pushing. Thank you for not pushing.”

  “I am in my head.” Thorne gave him a rueful smile. “I only want you. I’ll wait because there can only be you.”

  Say something. “Shower,” Linton blurted.

  “Because you need to be clean to talk about love? I don’t.”

  But Thorne let Linton tug him into the bathroom, into the shower and they stood under the hot water together, lips joined until Thorne pushed Linton back against the tiles to wash him.

 
; “Know what I love about you?” Thorne asked.

  “My arse?”

  Thorne rubbed shampoo into Linton’s hair. “That’s near the top of the list along with your wonky smile.”

  “It’s wonky?”

  “Oh yeah and I love it. I love that your eyes light up when you laugh at me. I love that you are the most loyal person I’ve ever met. I love that you’ll wear eyeliner when I ask you to. I love that you have a pencil fetish. And a belt fetish.”

  Linton laughed.

  “I love that you can make me laugh in a thousand different ways and turn me on in a million.” He rubbed shower gel over Linton’s chest and shoulders. “I love that you’re the one I want to see or speak to before I go to sleep. I love that you’re making me wait to hear you tell me that you love me because I know that when you do say it, you’ll mean it.”

  They dried each other and padded naked back into the bedroom. Thorne pulled back the cover on the bed, found Linton’s other surprise and laughed. Linton had heaped up a pile of shiny white pebbles. Thorne brushed them onto the floor.

  “Hey, I spent ages making that nest.”

  “It wasn’t good enough. You’ll have to try harder or I’ll have to look for another penguin.”

  “What happened to everything you loved about me?”

  “I still love you, but when you get the nest right, well, then I’ll adore you.”

  Linton pulled Thorne into his arms and clung on tight. “Can we go to Antarctica and see penguins in the wild?”

  “It’d be easier to go to the zoo.”

  “Oh God, has the romance gone already?”

  Thorne laughed. “We can do anything you like. You are the most important person in the world to me. I’d do anything for you.”

  Linton felt his heart clench. “I love you,” he whispered.

  “What?”

  “Don’t make me say it again.”

  “You have to be joking. Say it again right now.”

  Linton took a deep breath. “I love you.”

  Thorne frowned. “Am I imagining this?”

  “No, you’re fucking not. I love you.”

  “Third time’s a charm.” Thorne kissed him. “I love you too. Now we have to work on the M word.”