Alluring Passion: A MM Contemporary Bundle

by Peter Styles

  “How are you making light of this?” Lincoln asked, amazed by Wyatt’s resilience. Lincoln helped him tilt his head back, holding the bridge of his nose to try and help ease the bleeding.

  “Because I really wouldn’t have ever stayed behind. I wanted to be with you, even if it was potentially dangerous. If I had skipped it, and then heard about what happened, I would have wanted to kick my own ass. That was amazing, Linc, the way you handled it. I thought you were going to be afraid of the tape getting out…”

  “It would have bothered me if I wouldn’t have gone public with our relationship. Or maybe if it had immediately after… but I honestly couldn’t care less. Even if it did damage my career, I wouldn’t care. You’re what’s important to me,” Lincoln breathed to him. “Anyone bothered by it can go to hell.”

  Wyatt smiled up at him, touched by the sentiment. Lincoln was putting Wyatt first, instead of his job. He knew that indicated just how much he cared about him. “I love you,” Wyatt earnestly purred.

  “I love you too,” Lincoln replied, his lips curling into a small smile.

  Sirens grew ever closer until flashing red and blue lights filled the parking lot, a cop car and ambulance pulling in. As soon as the vehicles approached, the first response people hurried over. They quickly applied a compress to his nose and started to guide him to the ambulance. “I’m going to talk to the cops, and then I’ll be right there, okay?” he called to Wyatt.

  Wyatt waved to him, as he climbed into the ambulance with the help of the paramedics.

  Chapter 16: New Beginnings

  Wyatt had been laid up in Lincoln’s apartment for two days. Lincoln actually took the day off work for the first day, wanting to take care of him and spend time together. Everything that had happened made them closer together. It knocked down the walls remaining between them, being open and honest with one another rather than quietly speculating. Even though Wyatt was sore from the minor surgery to fix his nose, the recovery process had been blissful thus far.

  The next morning, Wyatt was gently shaken awake by Lincoln. He let out a groan, “Whaaaaat?” Wyatt whined.

  “Get up and get ready,” Lincoln purred to him, leaning over Wyatt and peppering his cheek with kisses.

  “What for?” Wyatt asked, opening one eye by just a sliver.

  Lincoln offered a shrug, “To get you out of the apartment. You’ve been laying around for two days.”

  “Well, I do have a broken nose,” he grumbled, pulling the duvet up to his chin in defiance.

  “Life doesn’t stop just because you have an injury. Are you going to lay around until it’s all healed up?” Lincoln persisted, his tone holding a playful sound.

  “Maybe,” Wyatt mumbled.

  “Please come to the office with me? Just for a little while. Get out of the house, probably eat some gourmet food, hang out while I get some work done... Wouldn’t that be more fun than laying in bed alone all day?”

  Wyatt was quiet for a moment. Damn, Lincoln was already convincing him to come along. He glanced over to him, “If I come, no one can take my picture. Not Marcus or his assistant; no one.”

  “Really, that self-conscious about your busted nose?” Lincoln cooed.

  “I can break your nose and see how you feel about having your picture taken, if you like?” Wyatt offered.

  Lincoln let out a hearty laugh, “I don’t think you could hit me hard enough to do anything.”

  Wyatt lunged at him, playfully tackling him into the pillows. “Why don’t we just see, then? Hm?” he playfully called to him as they wrestled.

  It took almost no effort at all for Lincoln to flip them over and pin Wyatt down; his expression was amused and triumphant. “Maybe another time,” he teased, with a chuckle. “Okay, your picture won’t be taken without your expressed permission. Now, will you come with me?”

  “Fine,” Wyatt sighed, dramatically.

  Lincoln beamed, “You won’t regret it. Now get ready.”

  Forcing himself from the bed, Wyatt went about his routine to get ready for the day. As he fixed his hair in the bathroom mirror, he couldn’t help but grimace at his own appearance. Heavy bruising covered his entire nose and part of his eyes. Lincoln walked into the bathroom, standing at the other sink to brush his teeth. “How could you want to take me out in public?” Wyatt grumbled. He wasn’t really all that bothered that his face was a little busted up, but he didn’t want to deal with the looks and accusations people would make.

  Lincoln smirked, “Don’t be so self-conscious, Wyatt. It makes your eyes pop.”

  Wyatt glared over at him before he erupted in laughter, “Does it? Maybe I’ll have to just keep it broken from now on. Can’t risk my eyes not standing out. How else will I get my second husband?” Wyatt joked.

  “Second husband?” Lincoln repeated. “Are you proposing to me?”

  He rolled his eyes, “Oh yes, Linc. Will you marry me?” he asked, unclipping a silver keyring from his keychain and holding it out to Lincoln.

  Lincoln scoffed, “That was incredibly disingenuous from someone who claims to be romantic.” He rinsed out his mouth before turning to Wyatt and giving him a peck on the lips, “Better luck next time,” he teased.

  “Can’t say I didn’t try,” Wyatt joked, following Lincoln out of the bathroom. Once they had everything they needed, they headed out the door.

  They rode to the office, Wyatt actually not minding the bustle of the early morning traffic. It didn’t take long for them to get there, only stopping to get some coffee before arriving at Lincoln’s work. “How long are we going to be here?” Wyatt asked as they walked toward the building, taking a swig of his coffee.

  “I’m not too sure. If you get tired and want to leave though, just let me know and I’ll take you home,” Lincoln replied, opening the door for him. “But if you hang around we’re getting that Chinese food again for lunch.”

  “Oh, I’ll definitely have to hang around for that.”

  Walking into the office space, Wyatt’s eyes scanned for people hanging around. He didn’t see anyone at all though. Lincoln led the way upstairs and down the hall. Wyatt assumed they were going to the conference room, noticing everyone was in there as they approached the door. However, Lincoln moved past it. “Looks like they are already busy. Let’s go check something else out,” he stated, suddenly. Wyatt raised a brow, growing suspicious of the intent of this trip to the office. They walked toward Lincoln’s office, but then stopped at the door right next to it. He dug into his pocket and produced a key as he spoke, “We’ve been doing some renovating in here. I thought you’d like to check it out.”

  He pushed open the door and gestured for Wyatt to go in. After giving Lincoln a pointed look, Wyatt stepped into the room. His eyes brightened as he took in the interior of the room. It was painted mint green with pure white stripes and, hung up all over the walls, was Wyatt’s work. On the far side of the room, there was a large L-shaped desk that had a twenty-seven-inch graphics tablet and a state-of-the-art desktop. All of the furnishings were urban and unique, like an egg armchair at the desk, and a rug with a graffiti print on it. “What… what is this?” Wyatt asked quietly, still taking in everything in the room.

  “Well, I was thinking maybe you could work from here. This could be your business address for your freelancing if you like. That way you can still do your own thing, and I can do mine, but we can see one another. You can come along to events whenever you like, and we can get meals together,” Lincoln explained meekly, as though he was afraid Wyatt was going to be upset about it.

  “This is… is… unreal,” Wyatt breathed, moving over to the desk. He went directly for the tablet. His at home was only a twelve-inch screen, so the one in front of him was massive in comparison. “How much did you spend on this thing?” Wyatt asked, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer to that.

  “That’s not important,” Lincoln rebutted, stepping behind him and hugging him to his side. “I wanted you to have the best equipment I
could get my hands on. You’re really remarkable at your job, Wyatt. I really think you could start your own business, or get even bigger clients if you continue to do commercial art. Either way, you can operate from here. I even got you a little something.” He reached to the other side of the desk, picked up a card from a little box and handed it to him.

  Looking down at the card, Wyatt instantly smiled. Lincoln had printed business cards with Wyatt’s name, a phone number and extension, and the address of the building with a suite number, that he assumed was designated to his new office. He put the card down and gave Lincoln a deep kiss, looping his arms around his neck. When he pulled back from the kiss, he avowed, “You’re incredible.”

  “So you’re okay working here?” Lincoln asked curiously, a smile spreading across his face.

  “Of course. How could I say no? This is perfect,” Wyatt gushed before giving Lincoln another kiss.

  “I love you,” Lincoln purred.

  “I love you too,” Wyatt replied, his cerulean blues gleaming with admiration.

  Lincoln nibbled on his own lip excitedly before asking Wyatt, “Could I take a picture of the two of us?”

  “What? Linc, no. I look terrible,” Wyatt groaned.

  “No you don’t,” Lincoln assured him. “Just because your nose is bruised up doesn’t make you any less beautiful. I want to share this moment. No product placement or branding, just the two of us being happy and in love.”

  “Softy,” Wyatt teased, even if he was melting over his words. Lincoln had won Wyatt over so easily. He was flattered that Lincoln basically wanted to show the world how he felt about him. “Okay, fine.”

  Lincoln pulled out his phone happily and turned on the front facing camera. He lined up the shot before leaning into Wyatt and kissing his cheek; Wyatt smiling with one eye closed. Snapping the picture, Lincoln pulled back and looked down to the image. “Perfect,” he grinned. “And one of you at the desk? This one is just for me.”

  Wyatt rolled his eyes dramatically and walked over to the chair. Sitting down, he crossed his legs and relaxed. Looking up to Lincoln, he gave a small smile to pose for the picture. He heard the camera shutter, then stood back up.

  Lincoln stepped to Wyatt and looped his arms around him, “I’m so glad to have found you, Wyatt. I know I was an ass before. Stubborn and so resistant to all of this. I know now that, if I had walked away, it would have been the greatest mistake of my life. Before you, I couldn’t imagine letting anyone into my life… and now I can’t picture it without you. You’re under my skin for good, it seems.”

  Giving a lopsided grin, Wyatt cheekily replied, “I tend to have that effect on men.” After a short chuckle, Wyatt continued, “I knew from the night we met that there was something between us. So glad I was right about that.”

  “Me too,” Lincoln chuckled. “Now, let’s go see where we’re going for breakfast. Then we can come back, and you can play with your new toys if you like.”

  “I can’t wait,” Wyatt beamed, his eyes fondly gazing over the tablet and computer. “I still can’t believe you bought me all that.”

  “I’m happy to do it,” Lincoln affirmed.

  They held hands then and headed out of the office. Wyatt’s eyes took in the room one last time before the door closed behind them. He could tell that it was a new beginning for the two of them. Everything felt so perfect, as naïve as that was. They knew exactly where the other stood regarding their jobs, and their relationship. It had been a bumpy road to get to where they were, but Wyatt could sense calm waters coming. Wyatt was sure they would fight again one day, say things they didn’t mean, scream, cry, etc. It was inevitable that they would; it would be unrealistic to think that they wouldn’t. He knew they would be okay though. The trials they had been through proved that, even though they could drive one another to the edge, they would always come back together. Lincoln was Wyatt’s partner, his future and his family. For the first time ever, Wyatt could see himself growing old and gray with someone. He couldn’t be happier that it was with Lincoln.

  Undercover Lover

  Peter Styles

  © 2017

  Disclaimer

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and events are all fictitious for the reader’s pleasure. Any similarities to real people, places, events, living or dead are all coincidental.

  This book contains sexually explicit content that is intended for ADULTS ONLY (+18).

  Chapter 1

  Jeremiah Bird lay in bed, waiting for his boyfriend to get off the phone and come join him so they could have sex, as they did most nights, and then go to sleep. It seemed like, for the past three years, their entire relationship had been composed of him waiting on his boyfriend. Markus was a busy man, and Jeremiah counted himself lucky. There were any number of men and women who would kill for the spot he was in, and a few of them had gone so far as to try.

  Still, he couldn’t help but wish that Markus would just let his phone die once in a while. In three years, his business had grown to more than just two people. There was an entire building full of employees, assistants, interns and senior staff members now. Surely, just every now and again, one of them could handle a call?

  Don’t be so ungrateful, he reminded himself once again. He was the trophy wife in this relationship and he could only be that way because of how dedicated Markus was to his work. Everything he had, everything he owned, from these silk pajamas to those textbooks laying over there on the desk, was because of Markus.

  “Maybe when he finally gets in here, I’ll show him just how grateful I am,” Jeremiah murmured softly to himself. His long fingers plucking at the soft bedsheets, which lay like captured clouds against his skin. A mirror took up most of the wall on the other side of the room, their compromise since Jeremiah wouldn’t allow Markus to record them having sex. It wasn’t that he was worried about a scandal, but a smart man made sure that a scandal never even had a chance of existing.

  He looked at himself in the mirror now, rubbing the stubble on his chin and frowning slightly. It itched terribly but Markus liked the rugged look on him. Jeremiah supposed he should be thankful that he had American genes in his blood since most full Asians didn’t develop an affinity for facial hair until they were much older. All those sensei-types with flowing white beards and meticulously-crafted mustaches paid so much attention to their facial hair because of just how long it had taken to grow.

  His eyes and hair were both dark, owing to his Japanese heritage, but there was nothing else about him that really stood out. He was a little too tall for his people; a little too thin to be truly attractive. His reading glasses, which he wore most of the day for school, made him look like a bug. In his pajamas, his reflection seemed to him reminiscent of a pauper in prince clothing, all gangliness and no grace.

  Oh yes, he was very lucky to have Markus.

  Speaking of Markus, he turned his head as he heard footsteps outside in the hallway. His hopes rose but were quickly dashed as he heard his boyfriend raise his voice, shouting into his phone. “I don’t care what you have to do, just get it done!”

  There was a brief silence as Markus gave whoever it was his customary few seconds to respond. Then, “Forget it. Your incompetence is impeding this company’s path to success. You’re fired, Mr. Jackson.”

  Mr. Jackson. His assistant. Great.

  That was the fourth one this year, and it wasn’t even May yet. Markus went through assistants like popcorn, consuming bowls of them every year. Of course, it always started out so perfectly. Markus would hire some idealist young guy or girl with secretary experience, touting their worth up
and down the entire city… until the moment when he overloaded them to the point that they couldn’t finish their work in a single day. That signaled the beginning of the end, a rapid downward spiral of mood and confidence until they were ultimately fired and replaced.

  But, just like popcorn, Markus would refill his bowl again in only a few days.

  Maybe a better analogy would be replacing dead fish, Jeremiah thought, pondering for a moment as he plucked loose strands from the blankets.

  Suddenly, the footsteps down the hallway resumed and Markus threw the door out of the way as he made his grand entrance. Every entrance he made was a grand one, Jeremiah thought, and not the least because he had a flair for drama and a love for making himself known. Those helped, but an entrance was nothing without the person entering and Markus… he was something else.

  Over six feet tall and nearly as broad, he was the son of a high school football star who went on to break every record his father ever made. His skin was as dark and rich as the night, as bitter as the blackest coffee, sliced through with a milky white splash of teeth that grinned fiercely. He was bald and had been that way ever since he started prematurely thinning just after graduating with his diploma. He soared through business school in three years then established a company in only one more.

  Jeremiah had no doubt that his boyfriend could become President of the United States if he so desired.

  “Everything okay?” he asked softly, watching as Markus pounded across the room and shed his clothes in the process. He bore an erection, as he usually did whenever he argued with someone.

  “Whatever that bastard’s doing, it has to be illegal!” Markus snarled, climbing up naked into bed. The lights gleamed across his perfect skin. He moved like an oil slick, rapid and slithering, and the mattress tilted under his weight.