Something in Common (Dreamspinner Press Bundles)

by Talia Carmichael

  “You bought me a surfboard.” Alex studied the boards, then glanced at him.

  “I know a guy who makes them, so I had him do one for you.” Leslie shrugged.

  The board was in dark blue, Alex’s favorite color, with his initials and a design behind them. Leslie’s own board was dark red with his initials. He’d used the same person to make Alex’s, since he did such great work. He had come through, making the board exactly how Leslie wanted it.

  “You had this made for me?” Alex seemed surprised.

  “You need a good tool to surf.”

  “You and this tool thing.” Alex touched the surfboard, tracing his initials. “I can’t believe you got me a surfboard. Suppose I hate surfing. It’ll just gather dust.”

  Although Alex hadn’t said he liked it, Leslie could tell he did. He’d learned how to read him. Alex was excited, which meant he would be very energetic later. Leslie shifted as his erection started to fill.

  “You’re going to love surfing, so I know it’ll be used. We’ll be going out often.” Leslie was sure Alex would love the thrill of gliding through the water.

  “We’re going dirt bike riding,” Alex said, referring to the bet.

  Leslie shook his head. Alex might believe they were, but Leslie was already looking forward to the fishing trip. Alex lifted the board and hefted it.

  “It’s heavier than I thought.” With a huge grin on his face, Alex walked around with it.

  He replaced the board against the wall. Alex turned to Leslie and kissed him. Opening his lips, Leslie placed his hands on Alex’s waist, moving their bodies together. Alex opened Leslie’s jeans and pulled out his cock. He rubbed his thumb over the head. Leslie pushed forward, moaning into his mouth. He tugged Alex’s sweats down and gripped his shaft. The silky hot flesh filled his hand. Squeezing, he jerked his erection. Alex stroked his tongue along Leslie’s. Leslie shifted his stance, rocking into his touch.

  Alex slid his hand into Leslie’s pants, cupping his balls and kneading them before returning to work his shaft. Leslie pulled out of his touch, pushed him against the wall, then dropped to his knees. He sucked in Alex’s cock, enjoying the taste of his precome in his mouth. Alex gripped Leslie’s head, pushing in and out. Leslie opened wide, pulling Alex’s hips to get him to move faster. Alex increased his thrusts.

  “Leslie… shit… yes….” Alex groaned.

  Leslie grabbed his erection and pulled in time with the motions of his mouth. Leslie swallowed, working Alex’s cock, then withdrew and ran his teeth back along the soft flesh before bringing it back into his mouth. Alex stiffened and filled his mouth. Leslie swallowed, taking in the sweet and salty taste of Alex. Leslie shuddered as he came, his seed coating his hand. He played with Alex’s cock until it softened, then released him.

  He stood, pressed against Alex, and kissed him. They parted and Alex pulled up his sweats. Leslie tugged up his jeans, leaving them unbuttoned.

  “Shower, then bed,” Alex said.

  Leslie followed him inside.

  ALEX STARED at the rolling waves in trepidation and then at the surfers who were crazy enough to be out there.

  “Maybe we can come back when it’s calmer,” Alex suggested.

  “It’ll be fine.” Leslie gripped his shoulder, squeezing it. “You can wait here and build up some courage, then join us.”

  Leslie ran toward the water, holding his board.

  “And to think I appreciated his gift when he gave it to me. I was so foolish. It wasn’t a gift but a weapon to kill me.” Alex glanced at the board in the sand behind him.

  Now that they were here, Alex wished the surfing had been postponed forever. Although Leslie had shown him by having him pretend to paddle and stand on his board in the sand, Alex wasn’t confident once he was in the water that he wouldn’t fall on his face. He returned his attention to the early morning August sun, which shone against the water.

  “He isn’t trying to kill you.” Ryan sounded amused.

  “That’s what you have to say since you’re in on it. Hunt too.” Alex gestured to the water.

  He couldn’t make out which of the surfers was Hunt. Ryan’s brother had deserted them as soon as they arrived.

  “You’re going to love it.” Ryan smirked.

  “You all can have a good time. I’m going to be dead after trying to surf these monster waves.”

  “They aren’t that big.” Ryan glanced at him, then toward the water. “You and Leslie look good together.”

  It wasn’t until they’d arrived that Alex found out Leslie knew the Bishop brothers. He’d trained the mechanics who handled their fleet of cars. Alex also recalled the conversation he’d had with Ryan in June. At the time, he hadn’t planned on getting involved with anyone. Leslie had maneuvered him into changing his mind.

  “I—”

  “You were right. We wouldn’t have suited each other. He pushes your buttons, and that’s what you need.” Ryan chuckled.

  “Come on, Alex! Time to get wet!” Leslie called.

  Alex lifted his board and walked toward him. Ryan picked up his own board and headed into the surf. Alex stopped by Leslie.

  “Surfing is fun.”

  “So you all keep saying. Well, let’s do this.” Alex strode determinedly toward the surf, muttering, “He’s definitely trying to kill me.”

  “Alex.”

  He glanced at Leslie.

  “If I wanted to get rid of you, there are so many ways I could think of, and surfing isn’t one of them.” Leslie cackled evilly.

  Alex’s lips twitched, and then he laughed. “Okay. I’m being stupid. So, teach me to surf.” He inhaled the salty air, and they entered the water together. When the first wave hit him, Alex laughed and decided to go with the experience.

  TWO HOURS later, Alex ran onto the sand, shaking his hair.

  “You liked it,” Leslie teased.

  Alex put down his board, retrieved his towel, and rubbed it in his hair before putting it over his shoulders. Leslie finished with his hair, holding the towel and waiting, a smug smile on his lips. Ryan and Hunt came out of the water. Alex waited until they had joined them.

  “So when are we going fishing?”

  “Hunt and I have already set aside the weekend of the twenty-fifth for our fishing trip.” Ryan laughed.

  “Being sure you would win is not good sportsmanship.”

  “We’re willing to go dirt biking with you too. See you soon, Alex.” Hunt turned to Leslie. “Nice seeing you as always, Leslie.”

  Hunt walked away. Ryan echoed his goodbyes and left too.

  “Thanks for teaching me about surfing.” Alex kissed Leslie.

  “Your lessons are only just beginning. Stick with me and I’ll teach you lots of things.” Leslie led him across the sand toward the boardwalk.

  Alex realized he already had. Leslie was making him learn to trust again.

  Chapter Six

  ALEX MADE notes on the file in front of him, frowning as he flipped the page, then looked again.

  “Are you ready?”

  He glanced up at Dustin. “In a minute. Come look at this.”

  Dustin came to stand beside him and studied where he had made a notation. He frowned, then shook his head. “That’s not the amount they agreed on to run the ad for Triumvirate Deuce. It’s inflated by two hundred percent. This must be a mistake.”

  “One that they’ll correct, or they won’t be getting any more business from our clients.” Alex glanced at his watch. “Go ahead to the meeting, and I’ll be right there.”

  “Eric’s already set up with the final details.” Dustin nodded, striding to the door.

  “He’s done a lot on this project.”

  “Yes, and our decision to reward him for the work is a good thing.” Dustin grinned.

  Alex snorted. “You just can’t wait to see what Eric’s reaction will be.”

  Dustin leaned against the doorjamb. “Nope. I want to see the aftermath. I’m sure he’ll hold it together until
after the meeting, and then I can imagine the babbling.”

  “Are you finally ready to admit that he’s grown on you?”

  “He has, now that you’ve guided him to refocus his eager energy into the work.” Dustin slid his hand into his pocket. “You’re better at training than I am. From now on, that’ll be your arena when we hire new associates.”

  “I think we might need to get one more associate and at least three more web specialists. Make our current designer in charge of that team.”

  “It was a brilliant idea to hire a web designer for the firm for this project. It’s a great we can offer web services in-house to our clients instead of hiring freelancers as we have been doing.” Dustin’s brow furrowed. “We can create a setup for them close to where our web designer currently has his office.”

  “We’ll talk with him about the plan later. Let me make this call so I won’t be too late for the meeting.” Alex picked up the phone.

  Dustin turned to leave.

  “You forgot your shoes and jacket,” Alex said, listening to the ringing as he waited for his call to be answered.

  “He knows me by now, so I don’t need them.” Dustin moved out of view.

  The call was picked up. “Alex. It’s good to hear from you.”

  “Say that after you explain why you charged me two hundred percent more than we agreed on for the Triumvirate Deuce ad.”

  “What?” He heard typing. “Shit. It was an error, and we’ll refund the mone—”

  “Not good enough, Carver.”

  Carver groaned. “Oh no. Not that ‘I’m going to fleece you for even more, and you’re going to love it’ tone. You’re killing me, Alex.”

  “Stop your whining. We give you lots of business from our clients, so you can afford to give us some more breaks.” Alex leaned back in his chair, smiling.

  “What do you want?”

  Alex detailed what he was after. Twenty minutes later, he hurried toward the conference room. Alex opened the door quietly and slipped inside. His gaze was immediately drawn to Leslie, who sat at the conference table facing the door. A warm smile curled his lips and then he focused back on the information Eric was presenting. Alex moved and sat at the table. To his right, Terry glanced his way briefly, nodding in greeting. Dustin sat beside him. On his left, he felt a hand touch his under the table. Alex turned his palm up into the touch. Leslie held his hand firmly, moving his chair back until they sat next to each other. Leslie ran his thumb along the outside of Alex’s hand. Alex absently listened as Eric wrapped up his presentation. With a squeeze, Alex released Leslie’s hand, stood, and walked around Leslie’s chair to join Eric at the projector screen. Dustin stood on Eric’s other side.

  For the last few weeks, from the first presentation that was held—as per Leslie’s request, in his conference room with many of his employees in attendance—to the various meetings to get all the details worked out, they had coordinated with Leslie and his people to get the best marketing for Hannigan’s. It all led to today. The excitement Alex usually felt from the final presentation before the launch of the marketing campaign was hyped by it being for Leslie’s garage. Alex knew his fellow presenters were feeling it too.

  “The ad layouts will start appearing online and in papers and magazines starting tomorrow. Once the garage closes later today, the displays for your new merchandise will be set.” Alex glanced at Eric. “As we advised you prior to this meeting, going forward, Eric will be your point of contact for any future things you need for your marketing. All your website updates will go through him too.”

  Shock filled Eric’s face. Then he composed himself. Alex exchanged an amused glance with Dustin, then returned his attention to Leslie and Terry.

  “At midnight tonight, the new Hannigan’s website will be live. That’s everything. We’re all set, gentlemen.”

  “He’s so formal, Leslie.” Terry crossed his arms over his chest.

  “And sexy too.” Leslie stood and strolled toward them with that lazy gait.

  Alex was captivated by how he moved.

  When he stood before them, Leslie stopped and glanced down. “Cute toes, Dustin.” It was a familiar tease. He lifted his head. “You all do great work. Eric, Alex has filled me in about all the late nights and extra time you spent on my plan. I’m glad you’ll be the one handling my account. Terry will be the one you will be speaking with on anything we need.” Leslie gestured to Terry. “He’ll give you his contact information.”

  Leslie motioned to Alex, stepping back as Terry came forward. They moved away, closer to the window. Leslie shifted close and placed his hand on Alex’s hip.

  “I’m going by your house to work on the Hemi. Are you working late tonight?”

  “No. We’ve done everything for the Triumvirate Deuce opening. All that’s left is the opening party in a few days.” Alex feathered his fingers along Leslie’s arm. “I’ll be there about six o’clock.”

  “Good. We can go for a test drive.”

  “Really? I thought you were still looking for that last part we needed.”

  Alex was eager to get behind the wheel of the car. Leslie had rebuilt the engine completely. It still needed to be painted.

  “I got it.”

  “Did you install it?” Alex’s gaze narrowed.

  “No. I promised I would do it with you there.” Leslie rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why I was stupid enough to agree to such a stupid thing. You’ve been more of a hindrance than a help.”

  Alex couldn’t dispute his statement. Leslie was particular, and Alex didn’t have a clue what he was doing. Every time he helped, Leslie eventually got frustrated and sent him to the task of searching online for the parts they needed, using the specifications Leslie provided.

  “You’re being a good boyfriend.”

  “I’m being a sucker.” Leslie snorted. “We can put in the part, then take a spin to see how it runs.”

  “Sounds great.”

  “I have to get back to the garage.” Leslie kissed him briefly, then went to the door.

  Alex trailed behind him, noting that the others had already left the conference room. Terry was leaning on the wall by Alex’s office, waiting. He lifted a hand to wave goodbye, then left with Leslie. Alex returned to his office and spotted Dustin. He flopped down on the couch beside him. Alex looked at Dustin’s bare feet propped on the center table.

  “Your toes really are cute.”

  “I know.” He wiggled them, leaning his head back against the couch. “I’m tired. Between the center—oh, what did Carver say?”

  “Apologized, refunded the difference they overcharged us, then extended the ad for the center another six months at no additional charge.” Alex put his feet up on the table and crossed his hands over his stomach. “He’s also offering us ad space for our clients on their website for a good price.”

  “Good job.”

  Eric hurried into the office, saying in a rush, “Alex and Dustin, I can’t believe you’re giving me my own account to handle.” Eric paced before them. “I’ll do a good job. I’m going to….”

  Alex glanced briefly at Dustin as Eric babbled about what he would do with the account. Dustin closed his eyes, a small smile on his lips. Alex relaxed, waiting for Eric to wind down.

  WEEKS LATER, Alex exited his car and saw Leslie’s truck was already parked in his driveway. He grabbed his briefcase, closed the door, and headed toward the garage. In the doorway, he stopped briefly to study Leslie sitting at one of the counters with his head bent, typing on the computer. He touched Leslie’s back when he was close enough. Leslie jerked, startled, then relaxed into his touch. Alex placed his briefcase on the counter and stood behind him, rubbing his tense shoulders.

  “You’re in knots.”

  “Mmmmm… you know we’ve been busy in the shop.”

  “And me at work. We haven’t been spending much time together.” Alex continued to rub his shoulders, then pushed his thumbs firmly into the tight muscles.

  �
��You’re going to put me to sleep if you keep doing that,” Leslie groaned.

  “Then let’s just go to bed. We can put the part in another day.”

  Leslie turned his head. “You’ve been looking forward to finally driving the car.”

  “I can wait. I care more about you being fatigued.”

  “It won’t take any time. Well, if you let me put it in without you getting in the way. Then we can take a quick drive. After that, I’d be agreeable to an early night.” Leslie stood, picking up the box beside him.

  “Are yo—”

  Leslie gave him what Alex had come to think of as his Maestro look. Alex put up his hands and moved out of his way. As Leslie went to the car, Alex sat on the stool. Leslie opened the box, took out the part, and went to work under the already open hood of the Hemi.

  “I stopped by Destinations and brought us some dinner,” Leslie said.

  “We’ve been eating out too much. Now that things are more manageable at work, I’m going to cook.”

  Leslie peeked around the hood. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

  “I’ll have you know I’m a great cook.”

  “I’m a decent one too.”

  “With all the gadgets in your kitchen, I would hope you’re better than decent.” Alex shifted on the stool. “Your kitchen is a chef’s dream.”

  “It’d better be, since Mackenzie designed it. He doesn’t get to do as much cooking as he’d like at Bacchus Sloan with all the management stuff that goes into running the place. He only gets to create new dishes instead of doing the day-to-day food preparation.” Leslie went back to working on the car. “Usually he works on new dishes at his house, then gets around to making them for me. I’m his main guinea pig, and he uses my kitchen when he makes a dish for me to test. He was always bitching and moaning about the lack of things he needs, so I told him to do something about it. The kitchen you saw was the result.”

  “I didn’t get as much time as I would have liked to explore it,” Alex said, “but there were some intriguing items that I don’t even have a clue what they’re for.”