Alluring Passion: A MM Contemporary Bundle

by Peter Styles

  “We can. I was hoping to see your work at some point. I’ve never seen any of it.”

  “Oh,” Wyatt blinked. “I never even thought about that.” Standing up from the couch, he walked over to his work area and grabbed his tablet. Going back to the couch, he unlocked the device and his eyes widened. He forgot he had been working on the piece for Lincoln. Wyatt clicked out of it quickly, but it was too late.

  “No, wait. What was that one? I want to see,” Lincoln urged with a smile, pulling Wyatt into his side.

  “I’m still working on it though…” he muttered, falling short of any viable excuses.

  “You don’t have to show me. The split second I saw it looked interesting is all.”

  Wyatt debated mentally for a moment. He was really excited to see what he thought of it but, at the same time, he wanted to surprise him as well. Wyatt caved though, clicking back to the project to show him. The image loaded. The two deities were made to look like they had been drawn with indigo ink, but they kept the same softness in the shading as they had in real life. The background was a granite texture in robin’s eggshell and cream. There were lines, dashes and arches skillfully placed around the statue. “I still have a while to go until it’s done…” Wyatt commented, as he handed it to Lincoln to look at.

  His green eyes took in every tiny detail on the screen, sitting silently as he studied it. “It’s gorgeous,” Lincoln breathed. “You’re remarkably talented… No wonder you don’t have to work much.”

  “This isn’t a piece for my job,” Wyatt admitted. Lincoln glanced over at him with an enquiring expression. “This is something I was working on to give you.”

  Lincoln’s jaw dropped, “This is for me?”

  “I told you, you need some actual art for your apartment. Not that shitty commercial décor,” Wyatt explained meekly, becoming a little bashful.

  He was speechless, staring down at it with extreme admiration. After gazing at it for a while longer, Lincoln began softly, “I don’t know what to say… I can’t wait to see when it’s done. It’s already so amazing. Thank you.”

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  “No, I love it,” Lincoln pressed. It wasn’t for another few moments before he finally ripped his eyes away from the screen. He looked deep into Wyatt’s lapis blue eyes. “I love you, Wyatt,” he breathed, sounding shocked by his own declaration.

  A gasp sounded from Wyatt, staring at him in sheer awe. Had… Had those words really just passed Lincoln’s lips? His heart pounded in his chest like never before. It had been so unexpected, but he could tell it wasn’t like Lincoln had planned to tell him. It was as though the moment Lincoln realized he felt that way about Wyatt he had announced it. Much to Wyatt’s surprise, it was remarkably easy for him to respond, “I love you too.”

  Filled with emotions and tears starting to brim their eyes, Lincoln pulled Wyatt into a tight embrace. Wyatt’s cheek was pressed to Lincoln’s chest, closing his eyes and trying to take in the moment. He couldn’t believe that they truly loved one another. It had been a no-brainer for Wyatt, but he really thought it would have taken Lincoln a while to realize how strong his emotions were. Perhaps Wyatt hadn’t been giving Lincoln enough credit. When they pulled back from the embrace, they shared a sweet, loving kiss.

  After the initial excitement had worn off, they relaxed once again and Wyatt showed Lincoln a few of his finished pieces. Lincoln was blown away by it all. “My li’l slacker is a prodigy,” Lincoln cooed, lovingly.

  “Not even close,” Wyatt said, shaking his head.

  “You are too. You’re remarkable at your trade, Wyatt,” Lincoln purred. “You should be making more money.”

  “I make plenty,” Wyatt shrugged.

  “No way. You should be able to do art pieces only, not advertisements. Don’t get me wrong, the advertisements you showed me were great. Just, they are commercial. The more abstract ones are definitely more… you,” Lincoln explained. His face lit up then, “We could market your art. Open you up a shop online and sell prints or something. Make your own business.”

  “You’re being absurd,” Wyatt meekly replied, turning the tablet off and placing it on the coffee table. “I would never sell enough prints to make the money I am right now. If I was concerned with getting paid more, I could take on more contracts.”

  “I think you’re selling yourself short. You could be making art you’re passionate about and selling it. Maybe you aren’t really a slacker but are uninspired by the work you are currently doing,” Lincoln hypothesized.

  Wyatt actually took that to heart, staying quiet as he allowed himself to mull over what Lincoln had said. “I suppose you’re right about that,” Wyatt finally replied. “I mean, I can find enjoyment in all of my work, but it does lack that passion. Honestly, working on that piece for you is the most passionate I’ve been with my work in a long, long time.”

  “There’s your proof,” Lincoln beamed. “I believe there is real promise here. You should think about it.”

  It didn’t go unnoticed that Lincoln was reframing from telling Wyatt what to do, but rather suggesting it. Already, Lincoln was changing himself for the better of their relationship. Wyatt’s heart couldn’t have swelled anymore than it was in that moment. “I’ll definitely think about it,” he assured him, squeezing his hand. “Alright, let’s get back to the game. I can’t date a noob.”

  * * *

  They ended up playing for hours, polishing off the six pack before finally heading to bed. Slightly buzzed from the beer and tired from a long, productive day, they decided to go straight to sleep. Wyatt fell asleep hard and fast when he laid down, cuddled into Lincoln’s side.

  As always, it seemed, they were ripped from their sleep when Lincoln’s cell phone started to ring. Wyatt groaned, rubbing his tired eyes as Lincoln carefully pulled away from Wyatt to reach onto the floor to find his phone. “Why is your phone always waking us up?” he croaked, glancing over to the clock to see they had only been asleep for about an hour.

  “I’m sorry,” Lincoln muttered, finally fishing his phone from his pants’ pocket. Wyatt witnessed Lincoln’s face scrunch in confusion at the caller ID. “What’s Roland doing calling me this late?” he wondered aloud before answering the phone. “Hey, Roland. What’s going on?” There was silence; Lincoln staring at the foot of the bed as he listened to his associate. “Holy shit, seriously? Do I need to come down there?... Oh! Alright. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll stay up and wait to hear back... Alright, bye.” Lincoln hung up the call before reaching onto the nightstand and turning on the lamp. “Something just tripped the alarm at the office,” he told Wyatt.

  Wyatt’s eyes bugged, the news pulling him from his groggy haze. “Oh my God, really? Someone broke in?”

  “I don’t know… maybe…” Lincoln muttered, still trying to make sense of it. “The cops were called, of course. They are on their way there now to assess the situation. Roland’s going to call me back to let me know how it goes and to tell me if I need to go over there.”

  “I don’t understand… Why would someone break in there? I mean, yeah, you’re a marketing company, but it isn’t like you guys keep your money there.”

  “I truly have no idea. Maybe it’s just petty theft? Saw some movers carrying in furniture they liked?” Lincoln theorized. “I’d be alright with some furniture being gone… I just hope they didn’t vandalize the place, but I’m not going to hold my breath.”

  Wyatt frowned, standing from the bed, “Well, let’s get ready to head down there. I’m sure you’re going to want to talk to the cops and everything. We can get dessert or something after,” Wyatt suggested, walking over to his dresser to get a change of clothes.

  “You’re right about that,” Lincoln admitted, starting to dress as well. “There’s actually a diner near there that’s twenty-four-seven. They have great pie.”

  “That sounds perfect,” Wyatt smiled. He pulled on a pair of joggers, a t-shirt and a beanie, not really caring how he looked
since they were going out in the middle of the night. Once they were both dressed, they headed out into the main area of the apartment.

  While Wyatt collected his keys and wallet, Lincoln’s phone rang again. He answered it without looking, assuming it was Roland. “Hey, what’s up?” But then his face carved into a beguiled expression. “Earl? What the hell are you doing calling me in the middle of the night?” There was silence, Lincoln’s face still pinched by confusion and annoyance. Then his face drained of color, and his eyes widened. “A—alright. Fine. I’ll be there.” He ended the call, his trembling hands dropping it to the floor.

  Wyatt rushed to his side, “What’s going on? Are you alright?”

  Lincoln’s eyes searched all around, his chest heaving with panic. “Earl was behind the break in. A—and… He has something on me. I don’t know what he could have found there that’s incriminating, but supposedly he has something. I have to meet him at his warehouse in ten minutes. I—I… I gotta go.”

  Wyatt quickly grabbed hold of Lincoln’s wrist, “I’m coming with you.”

  “Wyatt, no. It could be dangerous, or a trap or something. I need to go alone.”

  “That’s dumb as hell. How would that convince me to let you go alone? I’m going with you for back up, or at least to be a witness if he does try and do something sketchy,” Wyatt persisted. “I’m not backing down either.”

  Lincoln let out a frustrated groan, “Okay, fine. We just have to hurry to meet him on time.” They dashed out of the apartment, Lincoln hurrying ahead to press the elevator button while Wyatt locked his door. Wyatt’s heart was pounding in his chest. All of a sudden, they were thrown back into chaos—and dangerous chaos at that. What if it was a trap, and Earl was planning to hurt Lincoln as revenge? Earl had been livid with how his and Lincoln’s conversation had ended that morning, and he claimed Lincoln was defaming his company. Wyatt’s stomach knotted with worry, terrified that some sort of violence was actually going to break out.

  They hurried down to Lincoln’s car, Lincoln pulling off before even buckling himself in. Wyatt’s hand found Lincoln’s and squeezed it. “I know this is nerve-wracking… but don’t kill us in the process of getting us there,” he said, hoping to get through to him that he shouldn’t be so reckless in his driving.

  Lincoln didn’t say a word, locking inside his own thoughts as he sped down the city streets. Thankfully though, after a couple of seconds, he did decrease his speed. He weaved between the few cars that were out on the road and made sharp turns to change direction, not wanting to waste even a single minute. They made it out of Wyatt’s neighborhood and into the business park side of town. There weren’t many restaurants or shops, but warehouses and manufacturing plants. If I wasn’t worried about getting murdered before, Wyatt mused. He immediately tried to shake the thought, knowing that even if Earl was pissed, that he wouldn’t want to go to jail over something so petty. Then again, he had broken into the office…

  Lincoln pulled into a dimly lit parking lot, only two street lamps in the vast space. There was only one other car there, parked by the entrance of the building. Lincoln headed directly over to it. As they approached, Wyatt could make out the silhouette of a man standing on the sidewalk outside of the building. That had to be Earl. Wyatt swallowed the lump in his throat, clutching Lincoln’s hand with a death grip. Taking a deep breath, they stepped out of the car and stepped onto the sidewalk. Lincoln’s arm locked around Wyatt, holding tightly to his hip.

  “You had to bring along your little twink?” Earl called over in a disgusted tone, putting his cigarette out and standing straight. He had such a smug look on his face, even though he clearly wasn’t thrilled about Wyatt being there.

  Well, excuse you, Wyatt replied mentally, but fear gripped his throat.

  “Why does it matter? Let’s get this over with. What do you want and what do you have?” Lincoln firmly demanded. He wasn’t taking any shit from Earl. Wyatt knew Lincoln was scared, not knowing just how damaging what Earl had on him was.

  “Very well,” Earl grumbled, giving Wyatt one last look of disdain before his eyes fell to Lincoln. “I want you to terminate our contract, give me a reimbursement of twenty-five thousand dollars, and take down all posts that involve my company’s products.”

  “And if I don’t?” Lincoln questioned, wanting to know exactly what Earl had on him.

  “Or else I’ll sell this to the highest bidding news outlet,” Earl asserted. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he turned the screen toward Lincoln. A video was playing from inside Lincoln’s office. Wyatt’s eyes widened in horror at the video of himself bent over the desk as Lincoln roughly pounded into him from behind. The angle was from beside the desk, giving a full view of their actions. “Isn’t exactly family friendly, is it?” Earl tutted. “You happen to represent a whole lot of family-friendly companies. I don’t think they’ll like this very much.”

  Wyatt felt like he was going to faint. How had Earl even obtained that? How had he gotten a camera in Lincoln’s office? Then Wyatt gasped allowed. The assistant had come into the office to give Lincoln that business card, even though Wyatt already had the number. He must have left a recording device on the shelf when he tripped. Sly bastard. Did that guy just walk around with tiny cameras with him or something? They must have been planning this beforehand, wanting to blackmail Lincoln if he wouldn’t agree to their terms. Wyatt’s heart plummeted into his stomach, fear racing through his veins as he looked up to his boyfriend.

  Flashbacks of the morning they started dating ran through Wyatt’s mind. Lincoln’s main condition had been centered around leaking inappropriate material of him; that it would ruin him if it got out. What if Earl did end up publishing it? What would happen to Lincoln and Wyatt? There was no way to be sure Earl wouldn’t sell it, even if Lincoln met Earl’s demands. Would Lincoln distance himself from Wyatt to try to let the scandal die out? He knew with the way they were, both hotheaded and stubborn, that there would be endless fighting surrounding it if it were published. Not only could Earl releasing the tape severely damage Lincoln’s career, but it could end their relationship as well. He really had no idea what Lincoln should do, but he was terrified of the outcome. Earl was an evil man. Wyatt couldn’t believe he was willing to ruin Lincoln’s life—all because they reviewed a product of his as a couple. How petty could someone be?

  Wyatt’s eyes nervously shifted to Lincoln, consumed with worry as to how he was going to react. Lincoln’s face was stoic, staring Earl down with intense eyes. Was he shutting down? Was he going to cave in? Did Lincoln personally have twenty-five thousand dollars just lying around? “Fuck off, Guthrie,” Lincoln finally spat, his upper lip snarling into a look of disgust.

  Earl scoffed, his brows scrunching together out of confusion, “Excuse me?”

  “I don’t know what I’m more pissed off about, you bugging my office, or you dragging me out here in the middle of the night. Do you think anyone is going to care that you have a tape of me having sex with my boyfriend? Maybe this would have been damaging a week ago, but now it’s irrelevant. You really must be the biggest bigot if you think anyone at all would care about that. Maybe a couple of companies will drop off because of the family-friendly angle, but I don’t really care. Being open about who I am has brought in more business than you could ever take away from me with that,” Lincoln sneered at him.

  Earl’s face puckered and twitched from all of his anger, though Wyatt’s brightened with pride and relief. He was so glad that Lincoln truly was comfortable with himself, knowing that, if he wasn’t, then it really would have bothered him that Earl had a sex tape of him. “Don’t be an idiot, Lincoln. No one is going to want you to represent their products if you’re known for a sex tape. It’d make you a porn star instead of a model.”

  “You must really find gay sex devious, huh?” Lincoln retorted. “I’m already rather well-known, so this would just be adding to the news surrounding me. Would people find it scandalous if a tape came out of you ha
ving sex with whatever poor woman married you? No, because who cares? It would be different if the tape were actually incriminating or scandalous, but it’s just a couple having sex. In no way would this defame me. If this proves anything, it’s that you’re a perverted bigot. Honestly, it’s a little gay of you,” Lincoln prodded, just trying to get under his skin then.

  Earl’s mouth fell open out of shock. Then he sprung a fist back and lurched toward them, punching Wyatt in the nose. Wyatt stumbled backward, his hand rushing to hold his nose as blood poured from it. “You pussy!” Wyatt shouted at him, even as tears stung his eyes. Earl had only hit him because he knew he couldn’t take Lincoln on.

  Really, he hadn’t thought it through at all. Lincoln lunged for Earl, grabbing him and punching him with all of his might repeatedly until Earl crumbled to the ground. Lincoln stood over him, swinging his foot into his side. “Don’t you ever touch him again!” Lincoln vociferated down at him, his tone dripping with venom. Earl went to reach for his phone that had dropped on the ground, but Lincoln stomped on his hand and then kicked the phone away.

  Turning his attention to Wyatt, Lincoln grabbed his shoulders and had him sit down on the hood of his car. “Are you okay?” he asked in a panic, trying to assess the damage but Wyatt’s hands were in the way.

  “I think he broke it,” Wyatt muttered, his voice nasally since he was pinching his nose closed.

  Lincoln’s head turned to the side, facing Earl, “You fucked yourself, Earl. I’m going to sue the shit out of you,” he called over to him as the man wreathed in pain on the ground. Acting quickly, Lincoln got his phone out of his pocket and dialed 911. He talked to the dispatcher briefly about the situation and then gave her their location. Once they were off the phone, he gave his full attention to trying to help Wyatt. “I’m so sorry you got into the middle of all this… I wish you would have stayed at the apartment,” he frowned.

  “And miss all that?” Wyatt remarked. “I would still do it over again. Though I definitely would have stayed a few steps back if I had a redo.”