High Test

by Elizabeth Noble

  “Good evening, Soames.” Neal put one hand on Hayden’s back. “This is Mr. Owens.”

  Soames nodded to Hayden and stepped aside so they could enter the large room. Hayden had been in these rooms. It wasn’t set up quite like the suites were. There was a sitting room separated by heavy oak double doors from a bedroom. The doors were extrawide, and there were handrails near the bed and in the bathroom. The closets had the same double doors and were large enough to get a wheelchair inside. The rails for hanging clothes were at two heights as were storage drawers and shoe cubbies. It was just as elegant but more condensed, with counters and dressers at multiple heights.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Kirchner will be another few minutes.” Soames walked to the double doors, opened one wide enough to step through, then closed it behind him.

  Neal leaned closer and whispered, “Remember, show no fear.”

  “Is Soames his last name or first?”

  Neal shrugged. “No clue. He’s been my parents’ butler for as long as I can remember. He really warmed up to you.”

  “How can you tell? I thought for sure he’d start quoting the laws of robotics.”

  Neal smiled and pulled Hayden in for a quick kiss. When he let go and they separated by a few inches he said, “Give it time.”

  The double doors opened and Soames stood in the middle, pushing them as far apart as possible. “Mr. Neal and his—” Soames faltered for a split second. “—his guest have arrived.”

  Hayden half expected music to play when Neal’s parents appeared. Soames moved to the side to let them in. Giving Hayden a sympathetic glance, Neal strode forward. “Mother. Father.” He took the woman’s hands and kissed her cheek, then shook his father’s hand once. “This is Hayden Owens. He’s—”

  The elder Kirchner slammed his fist down on the arm of his wheelchair. A wheelchair that likely cost more than many cars and had just as many amenities from what Hayden’s ultrafast appraisal revealed. He wondered what sort of engine powered it. “We know who and what he is.” He pointed one finger at Hayden. “Don’t get any half-baked idea that there will be any sort of marriage crap, and if you think you can live with my son and get his money, you’re wrong.”

  Both of Neal’s parents had thin white hair, but it was clear they were both of Asian Indian descent; Hayden guessed Neal’s father was the one with the British heritage as well. Hayden felt his insides wither under their scrutiny.

  “It’s… uh… a pleasure to meet you.” He barely got the words out.

  “Hayden is my guest, as are you both. Treat him as such,” Neal said in a firmer tone than Hayden had ever heard him use. “We should go. Our reservations are at eight sharp.” He took up a position behind his father’s wheelchair, and Hayden took the longest steps he could without breaking into a run to be beside Neal. As they headed out to the hall and toward the elevator all Hayden could think was dinner was going to be so much fun. Not.

  Hayden was probably more relieved than he should have been that their table was in a very private section of the hotel restaurant. There was a cheery fire burning, and the steady undertone of the sounds of conversations and food being served drifted around him. The soup and appetizers went smoothly, or at least Hayden wasn’t the center of conversation, which suited him perfectly fine. In fact for a little while, Neal’s parents showed a distinct lack of interest in Hayden.

  Neal, on the other hand, endured an inquisition worthy of the Spanish concerning his trips to Dubai. They wanted every tiny detail, from information about the other family members Neal had interacted with to what the board members said about this or that. Hayden sat quietly, smile plastered to his face and doing his best to be invisible. It was like listening to a soap opera, and not a very good one, unfold. Despite their appearance of ignoring Hayden, it still seemed to him that he was being judged on every move he made, even the meal he chose. What a difference from his own family, who would’ve been peppering Neal with questions about himself, his likes and dislikes, and making a general effort to get to know him and make him feel welcome.

  Hayden was almost beginning to relax when the main dish was served. Apparently Neal’s parents sensed this as weakness and moved in to trap and kill him.

  “Tell me again, what sort of trade school do you attend and what is it you’re studying?” Mrs. Kirchner delicately dabbed at the corner of her mouth with her napkin and turned her gaze to him. Her piercing dark eyes—the same color that on Neal was sexy as hell—made him want to shiver now. She almost made it sound as if he needed her approval to choose his life path. Clearly she wasn’t of the opinion Hayden’s doctorate program was worthwhile.

  “High-performance automotive design. I’m focusing on engines. As part of the program, I’m deeply involved in developing a concept car.”

  “That’s a bit of a fluctuating industry,” Mr. Kirchner said and snorted.

  Mrs. Kirchner asked, “Do you expect to make a living at this?” Even her slight, very pleasant accent didn’t temper her tone.

  “Engineers in that line of work generally earn a good living,” Neal cut in before Hayden could answer. “It’s an interesting field with a low number of experts, so they’re in demand.”

  “What sort of financial backing do you expect to receive while building cars?” Mrs. Kirchner said. Somehow it sounded more like an accusation and not a question from someone interested in what Hayden planned to do with his life.

  Neal put his fork down and sat straighter in his chair. A harsh expression clouded his features, cluing Hayden in to the fact he was correct in feeling Mrs. Kirchner’s words were not intended to be kind.

  “Actually companies like Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Rolls-Royce are already setting up interviews with those of us set to graduate. I’ll have my PhD.” Hayden didn’t often trot out his education or what sort of degree he’d have, but this time he felt it was needed.

  “So are you saying you’ll be leaving this area?” Mr. Kirchner asked. It seemed like a challenge. He turned to his wife and mumbled, “Nothing more than a passing fad.”

  “Maybe you’ll get a nice set of wrenches, or whatever is used to build cars, as a graduation gift,” Mrs. Kirchner added.

  “Stop it,” Neal hissed. “Whether or not either of you like it or agree with it, I am gay. Hayden is very important to me, and he’s a large part of my life and I hope will continue to be. You can accept that we’re together and continue to be included in my personal life—it’s up to you. What you may not do, however, is ridicule him.” He leveled a stern glare on first his mother, then his father. “And for the record, like Grandma, I’m Hindu and don’t celebrate Christmas.”

  They all fell into an uncomfortable silence. Hayden had lost the little appetite he’d had. He pushed his food around and picked at it while Neal thankfully steered the conversation back to the family business. Trying to be casual, Hayden rested his forearm on the table and tried to inconspicuously check his watch for the time. It seemed as if many hours had passed, but in reality it had only been two. Even so, Hayden was beginning to become concerned he’d be late for his shift that was due to start at eleven that evening.

  “Are we keeping you from something?” Mrs. Kirchner snapped.

  Hayden swallowed thickly and took a deep breath. “I do have somewhere to be. I have a job that helps me pay for school. I’m due to start in an hour and don’t want to be late.” He stuck his hands under the table so no one could see how they shook. His gaze shifted to Neal. “I should get changed and….” He shuffled his chair back and stood up. “It was nice meeting you.”

  Neal quickly grabbed his hand and gave a squeeze. “See you later?” Worry was written all over his face, and his eyes were filled with sadness.

  Nodding, Hayden gave him a small smile. “You bet. I’m only scheduled until three this morning.” He turned to leave, but Neal tightened his grip on Hayden’s hand and pulled him in to kiss him on the lips. Hayden nearly laughed from the huffing and grumbling from Neal’s parents.

 
Walking calmly instead of bolting from the hotel restaurant took every bit of self-control Hayden possessed. Once he was changed into his work clothes, Hayden went back down to the hotel laundry for his shift. As he went about his assigned tasks, he replayed the last few hours over in his mind and wondered, not for the first time, if maybe Neal’s parents were right. Possibly his and Neal’s worlds were too far apart and they shouldn’t be together. Though neither of the elder Kirchners had come out and said it, clearly that’s what they thought.

  Any doubts Hayden had were dashed when he entered the suite. He was tired and had the beginnings of a headache. He’d only worked four hours, but his arms were tired from moving wet sheets from the washer to the dryer all night. The whole day had been mentally exhausting, and it was finally over.

  Hayden was surprised to see Neal stretched out on the couch, not only awake but reading. On the dining table was a fruit platter with cheese and shrimp. Wine was chilling in a bucket, and lit candles dotted the table’s surface. Soft, romantic music played in the background. Dropping his book to the floor, Neal smiled and stood up. He was barefoot and had changed to lounge pants and a T-shirt.

  Neal padded across the room, wrapped both arms around Hayden, and pulled him in for a kiss. As his tongue slipped between Hayden’s lips, Hayden melted against Neal’s firm torso. Winding his arms around Neal’s back, he inched closer and ran his hands over the firm muscle of Neal’s back.

  Their kiss ended, and Hayden sighed deeply and leaned back a bit. “Hi.” He motioned to the table. “This looks great.”

  Neal chuckled. “Hi, yourself.” Letting go, Neal walked to the table and poured the wine into glasses. He handed one off to Hayden. “I have to admit I was a little worried you wouldn’t come home tonight.”

  “They weren’t that bad.”

  Neal snorted. “Yes, they were. I wish I had rented them. That way I could get my money back.” Hayden burst out laughing, and Neal continued. “I’m so sorry.” He let go of Hayden, then held out a slice of mango for him.

  Hayden shrugged. “You can’t control how other people think and act. I don’t ever have to do that again, do I?” He ate the mango and swiped a shrimp through some sauce. After offering it to Neal, Hayden licked off sauce that stuck to Neal’s lower lip.

  Neal shook his head. “No.” He set his glass down and took Hayden’s, placing it beside his. Picking up a long, narrow box he held it out to Hayden. “I know we said no gifts, but there was something I had to get for you.”

  “Neal, I—”

  “I really want to do this for you.”

  Hayden looked at the box, then took it in both hands. “Thank you.”

  “You should probably open it first.”

  Neal rocked on the balls of his feet with a silly grin on his face and munched on some of the cheese while Hayden lifted the top and peeked into the box. Inside was a neatly folded piece of paper. Hayden took it out and had to set the box on the table to open it and read what it said. He stared at the paper for a few seconds before looking at Neal. “You did this?”

  “Your whole family should be here for your graduation. When I told your mother I wanted to buy their plane tickets and that they’d be staying here in the Riverfront, she cried. I know you can’t get away to go home now, and that the holidays are important to you.”

  “I… I don’t know….” Hayden felt tears prick and burn at the corners of his eyes. He folded the paper and carefully replaced it in the box, then closed the lid and set it on the table. “Thank you,” he said softly. “I didn’t get—”

  “I have you. That’s more than plenty,” Neal whispered hoarsely.

  Not knowing what to say, but certainly knowing what to do, Hayden threw both arms around Neal’s neck and hugged him tightly. He kissed Neal’s cheek then put his mouth to Neal’s ear. After nibbling his earlobe a few times, he murmured, “I love you.”

  “I do love you,” Neal whispered then captured Hayden’s mouth in a long, passionate kiss. Their tongues slipped and danced over each other’s, and they pressed and rubbed their heated bodies together.

  “Your parents not so much, though,” Hayden said when they’d broken their kiss, panting and breathing hard in each other’s arms.

  Neal laughed lightly. “Take a number. I loved my grandmother and cherished every moment with her. My parents were always too interested in traveling and their business to take much notice of my brother and me. However, I really don’t want to talk about them right now.” He was peeling Hayden’s shirt off, and after that was accomplished, he undid the button of Hayden’s pants and tugged the zipper down.

  “The food.” Hayden pointed at the tray.

  Neal let go of him and held up one finger. “Don’t move.”

  Laughing, Hayden nodded and stood still, watching while Neal covered the dishes and made fast work of shoving it all into the little refrigerator behind the bar. Yanking his T-shirt off as he crossed the room to Hayden, he slid one arm around Hayden’s waist and ran his fingers through Hayden’s hair, dragging him close. Their lips brushed together lightly at first, but within seconds their lust took over. Hayden’s tongue skimmed over the roof of Neal’s mouth, making him shiver. Neal’s tongue teased the soft tissue along the bottom of Hayden’s mouth while their hands roamed each other’s bodies.

  Hayden shoved his jeans down and stepped out of them, then used both hands on Neal’s hips to turn him and guide him backward toward the bed. The second the backs of Neal’s legs touched the mattress Hayden nudged him onto the bed. Neal stretched, groaned, and arched his back. It was glorious the way the muscles of his chest and abs bunched and rolled. Neal reached over his head with both hands and grabbed the bedspread in both fists.

  Dropping to his knees, Hayden then shimmied between Neal’s thighs and pulled Neal’s lounge pants off, then flung them over his shoulder. He lifted his head enough to make eye contact with Neal and offered a wicked grin, to which Neal responded with a throaty chuckle.

  The second Hayden’s mouth covered Neal’s hard, moist cock Neal flopped flat onto the bed again, moaning and dragging in deep, desperate breaths, then panting them out again. Moving one hand to the base of Neal’s swollen cock, Hayden encircled it with his fingers and applied pressure until Neal was squirming and thrusting his hips up and deeper into Hayden’s mouth. Hayden swiped his tongue as slowly as possible through Neal’s slit, then lazily caressed the underside of his crown. Neal’s whole body was shuddering, and his pelvis was jerking from side to side in no time. Leaning back, Hayden repositioned himself so he had only the velvety head of Neal’s cock in his mouth. He sucked gently at first, increasing his intensity as he began stroking Neal’s shaft. Moving his hand up, Hayden squeezed and twisted, then pushed his fist back to the base.

  When Neal sat up far enough to grab Hayden’s shoulder in a powerful grip and shouted, Hayden pumped faster. He pulled his mouth away and nibbled the inside of Neal’s thigh, inhaling deeply to catch his scent of soap and sweat. With a yelp, Neal got one foot between Hayden’s legs and used his toes to press against Hayden’s cock. Hayden’s hips twitched and jerked, and he leaned against Neal’s foot to get more pressure where he needed it most.

  It didn’t take much longer until Neal was coming apart, shaking and groaning through clenched teeth as his cock throbbed in Hayden’s hand. Thick, white, hot fluid spurted over Hayden’s hand and Neal’s abdomen, puddling in his navel.

  Hayden let go of Neal and moved far enough to the side to yank the night-table drawer open and fish out the bottle of lube and condoms. He made fast work of getting a condom on and lube spread over his cock and was back between Neal’s legs in no time. Rolling Neal’s pelvis up, Hayden put one of Neal’s legs over his shoulder. At the same time, he used two well-lubed fingers to open and slick up Neal’s entrance.

  “Come on.” Neal panted out the words and used one hand on the back of Hayden’s neck to pull him closer. He arched his back and blew out a loud groan when Hayden pressed into Neal’s tight heat.


  Moving in a slow, steady motion, Hayden eased only the head of his cock into Neal. He stopped, taking a few seconds to allow Neal to relax and to enjoy the pressure Neal’s ring of muscle provided. Hayden took in a few deep breaths, loving the heady scent their bodies gave off. He leaned forward and dropped more of his weight onto Neal.

  Hayden rolled his hips in a steady rhythm, the light scratch from the hair along Neal’s groin sending sparks flying through Hayden. His head spun, and he increased his speed and intensity until his breathing came in harsh gasps and he was pumping inside Neal. His body shuddered again and again as he came, and he curled down until he could rest his forehead on Neal’s chest, all the while gasping and panting.

  Neal took a few deep breaths and sighed. “Wow, that felt good.”

  Hayden eased free of Neal’s body and shifted so he could turn his head and look at Neal. “Yeah. We’ve got to make a point of doing this more than every few months.” Neal curled his fingers around Hayden’s arm and tugged lightly. He shimmied farther up Neal’s body until he was tucked under his shoulder with his head beneath Neal’s chin. “From now on I’ll stay away from the back end of tow trucks.”

  “Once you’re finished with exams, come to Dubai with me. The city is amazing, and you’ll love it. There won’t be much time for traveling the first few years after you sign on with whatever company you decide upon. It’ll be my graduation gift to you.”

  Hayden smiled and nodded. He wound one arm around Neal’s chest and hugged him. “I’d love that.”

  They were silent for a few more minutes before Neal murmured, “Shower before we get to sleep?”

  Twenty minutes later they were damp, warm, and clean when they snuggled together under the blankets. Holding one another close, they fell asleep.

  Chapter Twelve

  “WHATCHA think?” Hayden handed the sketch pad he’d had resting on his knees while he worked across the bed to Neal.

  Neal leaned to the side and took the pad, taking a minute to examine the drawing. “I like this.”