More Than My Words

by Ann Lister

  Tonight Mason silently watched him while he gently moved the cloth over his stomach and groin. No words were exchanged because what they were saying with their eyes and through touches was everything, and that had a lump of emotion clogging Tessler’s throat. Tessler’s eyes dropped to Mason’s damaged thigh.

  “You’re not bleeding,” Tessler said quietly.

  “The skin must be slowly getting stronger,” Mason answered.

  “That’s a really good thing,” Tessler said and smiled.

  Tessler finished his task and then tossed the cloth onto the floor before he curled up next to Mason’s stretched out form. He ran his hand over Mason’s firm chest and toyed with the thin piece of metal that pierced his nipple. He loved the sudden hitch in Mason’s breath when he tugged with his fingers. His reaction was even better when Tessler used his teeth, but they weren’t amping up right now. They were basking in the afterglow of another incredible round of orgasms, which had left them both depleted and thoroughly sated.

  “So, how was your day?” Tessler asked.

  “Pretty busy,” Mason answered. “I talked with my boss, Victor, and told him what’s going on with you.”

  “You told him about me?” Tessler asked and his entire body tensed.

  “I had to, and before you start worrying about your name being front page news, Victor works with complete confidentiality,” Mason explained. “The reputation of his company rides on him protecting the clients who have signed him for services. You’re one hundred percent safe with him and me, Tess. You don’t ever have to question that.”

  “I do trust you,” Tessler mumbled.

  “I’m happy to hear that,” Mason said. “Victor wants you to come to the office, and he’ll go over your options for security.”

  Tessler sat up on the bed and scooted back to lean against the headboard. “I don’t need security,” Mason. “I thought you were just going to do a quick background check on Barry and that’s it.”

  “Well, I did do that, but after I explained to Victor what was going on, he became concerned for your safety,” Mason said. “He wants written consent for us to have access to you and set up a security plan.”

  Tessler squeezed his eyes tight and let out a long breath. “I don’t want people sniffing around in my life.”

  Mason pushed himself up to sit next to Tessler at the headboard. “Tess, let me do my job and protect you at the level Ventura Security is capable of doing for you,” he said. “Nothing leaves that office, and your rights are always protected above all else.”

  “It’s not in my nature to trust in the way you’re suggesting, Mase, and you know that,” Tessler said. “I can’t allow myself to be exposed.”

  Mason touched the side of Tessler’s face and turned him so he could see his eyes. “I wouldn’t do anything or allow someone to hurt and expose you,” Mason promised. “I care too fucking much about you to ever let that happen. Why can’t you believe that?”

  “Mason, I see the sincerity in your eyes and I do believe you, but ...”

  “But what?” Mason argued. “This is what I do for a living, Tess.”

  Tessler sighed and dropped his head back to rest on the wall behind the headboard. Mason was picking at a scab with this subject, and Tessler wasn’t sure how to handle it. How invasive would Ventura Security dig into his life in order to protect him? Were Barry’s threats serious enough to warrant a security company watching out for him?

  “Did the background check on Barry turn up anything?” Tessler finally asked.

  “He’s done a good job of covering his tracks and glossing over any personal thumbprints his actions would leave out there in the cyber world, but we did find a couple of interesting pieces,” Mason said.

  “Like what?”

  “He owns two properties: one in LA and the other in Aspen,” Mason offered.

  “Yes, that’s correct,” Tessler added. “I think he also keeps an apartment in New York City, too.”

  “We found that listed under a realty trust,” Mason said. “His place in Aspen is in foreclosure, and his house in Los Angeles is behind two months in mortgage payments.”

  “No shit?”

  “Yep, and he’s no longer working with the literary agency you signed with,” Mason added. “He’s with another company that doesn’t have a very impressive list of current clients.”

  “So, he is desperate for cash,” Tessler stated. “It makes sense now why he’d be hunting me down to release another book.”

  “Barry working with another agency could mean he’s lost high-profile clients like yourself, which would mean a loss of income, too.”

  “Fuck him,” Tessler all but grunted. “I have no sympathy for him.”

  “Can I ask you something, Tess?”

  “I suppose so,” Tessler answered. He knew what was coming and was surprised Mason had been this patient not to ask before now.

  “Why’d you part ways with Barry?” Mason asked. “Was it because the personal side of your relationship frayed, and you no longer wanted to work with him professionally?”

  “First of all, there was no personal relationship between us, at least in the way you’re thinking,” Tessler explained. “Yes, we slept together, and he took me to the club, but there were never any dates, no meeting each others families, shared holidays, and emotions never, ever entered into what we did. I mean, not to be vulgar, but Barry and I fucked, and other than handling my book contracts, that was the extent of it.”

  Tessler saw Mason wince at his choice of words and regretted using such a harsh tone, but it was the truth, and he didn’t want to sugarcoat it or allow him to waste a single second wondering if he ever loved Barry.

  “You want to know something crazy?” Tessler asked after a few moments of silence.

  “Sure.”

  “I was with Barry for a couple of years and never shared the kind of real intimacy I’ve already shared with you after just a few weeks’ time,” Tessler said and grinned shyly. “You and I connect on a level I’ve never had with anyone, Mase. I know I’ve said that before, but I really want you to understand it and know that what I have with you truly is special.”

  Mason draped an arm around Tessler’s shoulders and pulled him closer. He pressed a quick kiss to his forehead and another at his temple. “I really like what we have, Tess, and I appreciate your honesty,” Mason said. “You also have my word that I’ll always give you complete honesty as well.”

  “Sounds good, Mase, and the simple answer to why I cut ties with Barry is because I got tired of him controlling every fucking thing I did,” Tessler confessed. “The things that intrigued me in the beginning turned sour after a while, and I was no longer drawn to anything that involved him—and that included business.”

  “That makes sense,” Mason said.

  “After him, I went out of my way to keep my personal life private,” Tessler added.

  “Did you talk to your lawyer today about Barry’s threat?” Mason asked.

  “I did, and he’s looking into whether or not Barry has any legal connection to royalties earned off of the Black Key books,” Tessler explained. “I’m hoping he’ll get back to me tomorrow.”

  “Barry gave you a little over a week to make your decision on writing another book,” Mason said.

  “I have no intention of writing another book, Mase. You know that.”

  “Correct, but Barry doesn’t know that,” Mason said. “Right now, he believes you’re contemplating his ultimatum. We can use that to our advantage and figure out how we’re going to neutralize him once and for all.”

  Tessler lifted one brow and studied Mason’s face. “I’m not interested in any ‘murder for hire’ kind of deals,” Tessler stated. “I’ve got enough trouble in my life as it is without a murder rap to deal with.”

  Mason started to chuckle. “I’m not suggesting or even implying murder on any level.”

  “Then, where are you going with this?” Tessler questioned.

  �
��Barry has to have a chink in his armor,” Mason said. “Everybody does, and if we can find that soft spot, we aim at it and hit him with a threat even worse then the one he gave to you. We’ll give him the proverbial ‘offer he can’t refuse.’”

  “And he walks away and leaves me alone?” Tessler asked.

  “Yeah, something like that,” Mason said. “We just need to find the something in Barry’s life we can target to get what we want from him.”

  Tessler leaned against Mason and sighed loudly. “Why can’t anything be easy?” he asked sarcastically.

  “I’m going to do my best to keep things simple, Tess. I promise,” Mason said.

  Tessler yawned and pressed a kiss to Mason’s shoulder. “You’re going to stay the night, right?” he asked.

  “Yeah, if that’s okay,” Mason replied.

  “You know it is,” Tessler said as he began to slide down under the sheets and comforter. “I’ve got more orgasms planned for you.”

  “I better start taking vitamins or load up on energy supplements if I’m going to keep up with you,” Mason said and laughed.

  Tessler spooned against Mason’s side and pulled the thick blanket up to cover their chests. “That’s probably not a bad idea,” Tessler said. “Rest up. You’re going to need your energy in the morning.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  He woke up with the warm suction of Tessler’s eager mouth wrapped around his shaft and moaned out his appreciation. Mason’s fingers combed through the longer hair at the top of Tessler’s head and smirked while he watched him work his tongue up and down his cock.

  “I could get used to this,” Mason said.

  “That’s the plan,” Tessler replied. “You can wake me up like this tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, why?” Tessler asked. “Do you already have plans?”

  “Well, no, but you’re implying I’ll be sleeping with you again tonight,” Mason countered.

  “I sure do like the sound of that,” Tessler said around Mason’s aching cock.

  Tessler’s tongue swirled over Mason’s tip again and he moaned loudly, then spread his legs wider to expose more of himself. He’d never been this needy—or slutty in bed, but he felt so comfortable with Tessler and that made him act a lot differently. It also made him willing to do and try new things and feel the pleasure that came from it all.

  “You enjoying yourself?” Tessler asked.

  “Fucking bliss,” Mason mumbled almost incoherently.

  “It’s not polite for me to speak with my mouth full, so let me finish you off,” Tessler said.

  Tessler made a humming sound when Mason’s cock hit the back of his throat. His suction increased and the tongue action around his shaft did, too. Once Tessler had Mason’s dick slick with his spit, he wrapped his fingers around the thickness and added a twisting stroke of his hand.

  “Fucking Jesus,” Mason cried out. “I’m gonna unload if you keep that up.”

  “That’s my goal,” Tessler confirmed.

  His words were music to Mason’s ears. A few seconds later, he arched up into Tessler’s hot mouth and emptied himself in his throat. The release was so powerful Mason saw white spots in his vision and started to laugh.

  Tessler crawled up Mason’s sweat-dampened body and grinned at him with satisfaction. “Something funny?”

  “I can’t believe how hard you make me come,” Mason said with panting breaths. “I swear I almost blacked out that time.”

  “Breakfast of champions,” Tessler said and then winked at Mason.

  “Your turn,” Mason said and gave Tessler a gentle shove onto his back.

  “If you insist,” Tessler said and laughed.

  “Oh, hell yeah.”

  Mason joined Tessler for a hot shower before they finally made it downstairs for breakfast, which turned out to be more of a brunch since it had gotten so late. Tessler was scrambling eggs while Mason toasted a few English muffins and then set them onto plates. Tessler was adding strips of cooked bacon to their plates when his phone began to ring.

  “It’s my lawyer,” Tessler announced. “I’ve got to take this. Finish plating everything and go ahead and start eating. I can reheat my plate when after this call.”

  Tessler took his phone out into the living room and answered it. “Hey, Will. I hope you’ve got good news for me,” Tessler said.

  “Not particularly,” William answered.

  Tessler sat down on the end of his leather couch and closed his eyes. His attorney never bothered to soften the blow for him. He just simply got to the point and ripped that band-aid right the fuck off the wound without any foreplay at all. It was probably the best way to do it, but this right now wasn’t what Tessler wanted to hear at all.

  “What did you find out?” Tessler asked.

  “I went through all the contracts you had with Barry Edleman,” William stated. “He had the documents you signed worded in such a way that it gave him lifetime royalty rights to any of the books you may write in the Black Key Trilogy and also anything else published that has a connection to the books, including but not limited to notes or story timelines, or even if you were to write a spin-off series that uses any of the characters from the Black Key Trilogy. There’s even a provision in these contracts which includes a percentage of earnings from merchandise you might sell with the Black Key Trilogy logo on it. Worst of all, you’ve given him permission to publish any notes or promotional pieces you may have written that could be used as part of an advertisement campaign to support the books.”

  “But I don’t have any merchandise or even a logo for the trilogy,” Tessler explained.

  “The language in the docs has these points listed as potential future royalty ventures,” William stated. “It’s a pretty savvy way to keep himself invested in your highest-grossing series, regardless of whether or not he’s currently working for you.”

  “Is that even legal?” Tessler asked.

  “It is if your signature at the bottom of the page says you agreed to it,” William answered. “I can tell you, this isn’t common practice, that’s for sure. Who was the lawyer on this deal?”

  “An attorney from the legal department at the agency Barry was working for at the time,” Tessler explained.

  “Well, that explains a lot,” William stated. “If these documents had come across my desk, I would have advised you not to sign them.”

  “Hindsight, Will. That doesn’t exactly help me now, does it?”

  “You were young and didn’t know any better,” William replied and added, “but that doesn’t explain why you never had me renegotiate the terms in these contracts once you put me on retainer.”

  Tessler rubbed at his forehead. The afterglow from waking up beside Mason was now long gone and replaced with a low-grade headache which undoubtedly would end up becoming a migraine by the time he ended this call.

  “So what now?” Tessler asked.

  “That’s up to you,” William replied. “At least the mystery of why Barry is doing all this is solved. He’d serve to gain a lot of money if you wrote another story for that series or even decided to release a line of merchandise.”

  “What about renegotiating the contract now?” Tessler asked.

  “Not a chance in hell he’d agree to that now,” William said.

  “What are you advising I do?”

  “Follow through and refuse to write another story for the series and let him have his last fifteen minutes of fame when he releases all your names,” William said. “In the end, I don’t believe this ‘big reveal’ will hinder your book sales at all. If anything, I see this as great publicity to get the name of the series back on the front page of the newspapers, and your sales will spike.”

  “Barry still profits from that, too, judging from what you just explained to me,” Tessler said. “So for him, this will end up being a win no matter what I decide.”

  “That’s true. However, a new release for that series would mean millions for
Barry,” William stated. “A spike in sales for books already a few years old will pale in comparison.”

  “I suppose so, but my family doesn’t know that trilogy is based on my own experiences,” Tessler countered using a softer voice. “They’ll be horrified to learn that side of me existed.”

  “Secrets like that never stay buried forever,” William added. “This was bound to happen eventually, and once the dust settles from Barry’s press conference, you’ll look back and be glad it’s behind you. Think of it this way. You’ll no longer have to hide who you are, and you can always tell your family the trilogy is ‘loosely based’ on your real life.”

  Tessler leaned forward over his knees. He felt nauseous and a little bit dizzy. “I can’t believe this is happening,” he said.

  “This could be so much worse,” William countered. “I’ve handled several clients who definitely had more severe circumstances, Tessler, so count your blessings. I’ll tell you what though, once this situation is resolved, we are going to take a hard look at all of your contracts and see if we can renegotiate any of them to give you better terms. Does that sound like a plan?”

  “Yes, absolutely,” Tessler said. “It’s time I get a better handle on managing all of my books.”

  “Maybe the timing of this is perfect,” William added. “The world learns who you really are at the same time you officially take full control of your book empire.”

  “I do like the sound of that,” Tessler admitted, “but it’s terrifying as hell.”

  “How so?”

  “There is the distinct possibility I will lose readers once they find out I wrote such a dark and erotic series as the Black Key Trilogy,” Tessler said.

  “True, but I predict for every reader you might lose, you’re going to pick up three new readers who want to read an erotic series. Plain and simple. Sex sells.”