by T A. McKay
“You need to back the hell up, and don’t put your lips on me again.”
He kissed him? Quincy kissed what’s mine? I’m about to lose all control over my temper when Roman starts to push against Quincy again, attempting to get him to move, but he isn’t having much luck.
“Seriously, Quincy, back the fuck up.”
Quincy doesn’t look like he's about to pay any attention to what Roman is saying as he leans his face closer to him, his eyes closing slightly as that fucking tongue wets his lips again.
“I think you should do as he asks before I knock you the fuck out.” The words are out before Quincy has a chance to connect their lips. Both heads turn quickly towards me but both with very different expressions. Roman looks shocked that I'm here, and there is also a look of relief on his face but that soon disappears behind an angry glare. I would be more confused about the reaction, that maybe he was annoyed that I had interrupted him, but the guy trying to move away from me draws my attention. While my focus was on Roman, Quincy has tried to get past me and down the stairs. I know I should let him walk away but I just don’t have it in me anymore.
I grab him by the front of his shirt and pull him so my face is close to his. He has a look of fear on his face, almost like he realizes that he has just pushed me too far and nothing can protect him.
“You just can’t help yourself can you?”
His hands come up in front of him, gently stroking over my chest like he's trying to appease me. “I was messing around, Trey. Come on, you’ve kissed Roman, you know that it’s hard to resist.”
I like to pride myself on my control, on not letting things get under my skin when I don’t need to. I'm a pretty easygoing guy; I need to be in this profession when people want a reaction out of you, but this guy has just taken a step too far.
“Wrong answer, fucker.” I pull my hand back to punch him, to finally release some of the pent up anger that’s been building up inside me for days, but my wrist is caught before I can follow through.
I turn my head to look at Roman, his soft, kind eyes imploring me as he speaks. “Don’t do this, Trey. He isn’t worth the trouble you’ll get into. He's not worth anything.” I know he's right, but I need to show him that he put his hands on what’s mine and I don’t allow that. I go to throw the punch but Roman’s grip on my wrist tightens, like he's fully aware that I'm going to do it. I lower my hand, giving into Roman’s plea not to hit him, but pull Quincy closer, making sure he can see how deadly serious I am.
“You ever touch what’s mine again and it’s done. You won’t walk away from it no matter who pleads your case.” I push him away and he stumbles down a few stairs.
He nods his head before turning away and taking off. I don’t know what to do now because I'm sure that grabbing Roman and erasing Quincy from his mouth isn’t something I should do. Instead I turn and, without looking at Roman, I walk back into the building, prepared to take refuge in my office until the party ends. I just need some time on my own, time to let the anger fade before I take it out on someone else.
I just need to be alone.
Chapter 22
I stand there dumbly, watching as Trey walks away from me. I would go after him but I'm still trying to get my head around what just happened. One minute I have Quincy attempting to kiss me, and the next I have Trey trying to punch him before telling me I'm his. When did I fall into this alternative universe? I watch as Quincy hails a cab, not even going back inside for his jacket, and I know that I'm not imagining any of this. My head is such a jumble of thoughts, all of them confusing me further. Why did Trey turn on Quincy? Is it because they have a thing going on, or was it because he was kissing me? And why is it any of Trey’s business who I'm kissing? He doesn’t want me so I'm free for the taking. There’s only one way I'm going to get any answers and that’s to ask the man who is confusing the fuck out of me.
I walk inside just in time to see the elevator doors close, catching a glimpse of Trey leaning against the back wall. I’m torn about what to do. I should go and find Grey, let him know that I'm going to speak to Trey, but I don’t want to risk missing my opportunity to get him alone. I walk over and press the button to call the elevator back down. While I'm waiting I grab my cell and send a quick message to Grey explaining what’s happening.
‘Sorry I've bailed. I need to talk to Trey, will explain when I see you.’
I put my phone back in my pocket, not bothering to wait for a response. I don’t know how long it will take for Grey to notice my text; he has this way of finding someone to talk to no matter where he is. I watch the numbers above the door, getting anxious as they don’t come down quick enough. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I take it out, reading the response from Grey.
‘Actually, I was just chatting to someone. Do you mind if I take off? ;)’
Only Grey could come to my Christmas party and get lucky. I know how long it’s been since he has had some fun so I send him a message saying I will see him when he gets home. After I talk to Trey I'm just going to catch a cab back to my apartment and go to bed. I shouldn’t have gotten out of bed this morning, maybe then all this drama could’ve been avoided.
The elevator finally arrives on my floor and the doors are barely open when I push through them and press the button for our office. I keep pressing it, as if it will make it move faster. I don’t know why I'm in a rush to get to his office, it’s not like there’s another way out of here without going past me. I just can’t rid myself of the feeling that if I don’t get there soon I will miss my chance. After an anxious few minutes the doors finally open on our floor, and suddenly I'm not so sure about this any more. If Trey had wanted to talk to me he would have hung around after Quincy left but he didn’t. As soon as we were alone he walked away like he couldn’t face being alone with me. This visit might be like the one the other day, the one where he completely ignored me while I was standing right in front of him. There is one big difference this time though; I'm not going to let him ignore me.
I walk to his office door, which has been left open, and look around the doorframe. His blinds are closed and the only light that’s on is the small lamp on his desk, but it gives me enough light to see him pacing back and forth across the floor, his hands grabbing onto his hair as he mutters under his breath. I can’t make out anything he's saying, but he sounds angry so I don’t think it’s anything good. I knock on the door, watching as his head whips around instantly.
“Leave, Roman.”
I don’t listen to him and walk into the office. I don’t get too close, watching carefully as he backs up from where I’ve moved.
“I mean it, you need to leave right now. I'm not in the mood for this, so walk away.” Any other person would listen to the words and the tone he's using and hastily leave, but I know him better. I can see the pain he’s trying to hide under the mask of anger. It’s clearly there in his eyes. There’s something huge going on in his life and I refuse to be pushed away from him again. He might not want to be with me in a relationship, but I can be a friend to him and listen.
“Don’t think I will, Trey. You want me to leave then you're gonna have to make me.”
His face becomes like stone and I can see him trying to decide what to do. I move further into the office, almost daring him to remove me. I'm about four feet away from him when he finally makes a decision, and moves towards me with rage on his face. He grabs me by the shoulders and pushes me backwards until my back hits the glass wall behind me. I absently think that it’s mimicking the movements that Quincy made, but this time it’s welcomed. He gets close to my face, his breath brushing over my lips and it takes everything in me not to groan. I haven’t been this close to Trey in weeks, and my body is reacting without permission.
“I don’t want you here. Why don’t you do us both a favor and go back to your little boyfriend?”
It takes me a few heartbeats to understand his words. I know it’s that long because I can feel my heart trying to beat out of my che
st and give itself to Trey. No matter how he's treated me in the past, my heart knows who it belongs to and it’s the angry man that’s pressing up against me.
“I think you mean your boyfriend. I have to admit, I thought you had better taste than that.”
A look of confusion passes over Trey’s face and some of his anger seems to leave his body. “I don’t even know the guy you're with. It didn’t take you long to replace me, did it? I thought maybe I meant more to you than that.”
Now it’s my turn to be confused, but then it hits me that we are talking about different people. As much as I want to tell him that Grey is nothing more than my best friend, I'm pissed that he’s bitching at me about moving on quickly when he had Quincy in his office before I even knew I had to move on.
“That’s rich coming from you. I don’t even think my head print was gone from your pillow when you were fucking Quincy.” I expect my anger to be met with his own, or possibly excuses, but what I get is a look of shock and horror.
“What the fuck are you talking about? I didn’t have sex with Quincy, I wouldn’t touch him with someone else’s cock.” A shudder goes through his body and I can’t help but notice as it pushes against my still hard dick. I’m trying to let my anger make my hard-on fade, but it knows who it’s pressed against and it refuses to go down. I also can’t help the laugh that bursts out of me, even though I know it’s not appropriate at this time.
“You're confusing me. I thought I knew what happened the other day in your office, but now I'm not so sure. You ignored me, and then Quincy was in here for a long time. He left looking really happy with himself, and when he looked at me he licked his lips. I was so sure he had done something with you. He said …”
Angry Trey shows himself again, his hand coming up and wrapping gently around my throat. My head drops back against the wall behind me, a quiet sigh leaving my body. I shouldn’t give in so quickly, not until he explains what happened, but I love when he holds me like this, when he takes what he wants.
“What did he say?” His voice is deep and rough, just a touch of anger adding an edge to it, and it makes my cock twitch in my jeans. I know he must feel it, there’s no possible way for it to be hidden. I should feel ashamed, but I just can’t when it comes to Trey.
I raise my head and look him in the eye when I speak. “He said he knew what you tasted like.”
His grip tightens on my throat, not painfully but just enough pressure to know who’s in charge just now. “Is that why you went out and found someone else?”
I shake my head as much as his hold will allow. “I haven’t found someone else. The guy downstairs is my friend, nothing more than that.” I'm suddenly released and I stumble slightly with the surprise of it.
I watch as Trey takes a few steps away from me. “Your friend? So why didn’t you want to speak to me?” His voice has softened and I don’t know what’s happening between us.
“Because I thought you slept with Quincy. There was no coming back from that. Ignoring me and shutting me out hurt like fuck, but that was the final straw.”
He shakes his head, looking like he's having an internal battle with himself. I want to go to him, to hold him, but I think he’s better trying to work this out on his own. “I don’t cheat. I was with you so there was no one else.”
I brave a step closer to him, and when he doesn’t move I take another. “And I don’t cheat, Trey. There’s no one else but you.” He looks like he's having a hard time believing my words, the battle in his eyes tearing my heart in two. I make the final move to him, bringing my chest flush with his. I reach out and touch his hand, heat spreading through me as he entwines his fingers with mine. I feel that we are at an important moment, that what I say next will determine where we go after this.
I choose my words carefully, making sure he hears me this time. “I don’t cheat, Trey. If I'm with someone, I’m with them one hundred percent. And there is no one else but you. I haven’t looked at anyone since I saw you walking out of the elevator on my first day here. I know you don’t realize it, but I was yours before you even knew me.” I use my other hand to reach up and stroke over his cheek. He leans into me slightly, almost like he can’t help himself when we’re connected.
“I am yours.”
He closes his eyes and a single tear falls down his cheek. I use my thumb to wipe it away and he leans his head forward onto mine. We just stand there, our breath mingling as we enjoy being close again.
“My brother is missing.” The words come out quietly but I feel as though he's just shouted them at me. I want to pull away, to look at his face, but I'm scared to break our connection.
“How?” I don’t know what else to say, so I think this will let him decide how much he wants me to know.
“He was on a mission and he went MIA. That’s why those men were here, they came to tell me.”
I hold onto his hand tighter like I'm scared that he will disappear again. He's finally letting me in and I want him to keep him right here with me. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I can’t help but ask him. He should have known that I would be there for him. I could have given him the support he so obviously needed.
He leans back, separating our bodies and leaving me feeling a little lost. I just want to touch him, make up for the time I was apart from him.
“You just don’t understand. I don’t trust anyone, Roman. Every time I've let someone in they have cheated and hurt me, so I just find it easier to keep everyone out. I wanted so bad to let you in, to let you hold me together when my world was falling apart but I couldn’t. But … I think I need you.” This is the most honest Trey has ever been with me, and it leaves me confused. I can understand him not trusting anyone, but I don’t know what my role is when he says he needs me. Do I hang around until he decides he can let me in? Because I don’t know if I can do that. But I also don’t think I can walk away from him either.
“I don’t know what to do, Trey. I'm here for you, but you have to tell me what you need.”
His eyes become pleading, tears shining in them as he looks at me. “Please, Roman. Make me trust.”
I drop his hand instantly and wrap my arms around him, pulling him into my body. The pain those words held are more than I can bear. I hold onto him as though my life depends on it, and when he folds his arms around me I feel as though the world falls into place.
This is where I belong. This is where he belongs.
“I'm right here, Trey, and I'm not going anywhere. I need you to let me in, it’s the only way for me to show you that you can trust me.”
His hands grip the back of my shirt and I run my fingers through his hair, grabbing it in my fist as I breathe deeply into his neck. I forgot how amazing he smells, how good he feels.
His voice is soft as he speaks against my neck and I wish that I couldn’t hear them clearly, because when he speaks my heart breaks for him. “Please prove me wrong. Let me be able to trust you, because I don’t think I could survive you leaving me.”
I look over to the passenger seat of my car and still can’t believe that Roman’s sitting there. So much has changed over the past hour and I'm a little in shock still. When I arrived at the party I never imagined that by the time I left I would have nearly punched a coworker, spilled my heart to the guy I was trying to stay away from, and cried like a little kid. Yeah, that wasn’t my finest moment but once Roman started talking I just couldn’t hold it back any longer. Every word that came out his mouth felt like it was repairing a piece of my heart. Being held by him felt right, like I was meant to be there and nowhere else.
“So where am I taking you?”
Roman bites his bottom lip and it makes me want to soothe it for him. He can’t seem to make up his mind so I take the decision out of his hands. I start the car and start to drive towards my house. Roman raises his eyebrows at me when he sees what direction we’re going in, but he doesn’t say anything to stop me.
When we arrive at my place Roman looks a bit uncomfortable and I
don’t blame him. Even though we have spoken through some things we haven’t really sorted anything out. We have barely broken the surface of our problems but I'm hoping that we might soon. I know most of our misunderstandings are down to me, and if I could just open up a bit more it would take our relationship a long way. My heart stutters a bit when I say the word relationship, because that is the thing I'm trying to avoid the most … or at least I was.
I walk up behind Roman where he’s standing in the middle of the hall.
“Do you want a drink?”
I see a shudder going through his body as I brush my hand over his back when I walk past him, and I smile that I can still cause that reaction from him. I would have thought that after everything I've put him through he wouldn’t want to be touched by me at all. I walk into the kitchen and I hear him follow behind me. I open the fridge and look inside as he walks in and leans against the unit across from me.
“Yeah, that would be great. Anything will do. All I keep thinking about is the fact that the last thing that was in my mouth was Quincy's tongue.”
My grip on the fridge handle tightens as the memory of finding them together comes back to me. I slam the door not even thinking as I make my next move. I push my body against Roman’s and attack his lips, determined to erase the memory of Quincy. I expect a little bit of a fight from Roman but he melts into my body, opening for me like he wants the feeling gone as well. After taking a few minutes to dominate him, I slow my attack down, simply enjoying the feeling of having my lips on him again. I missed his taste, the feel of his lips, and the way he nips my lips as he allows me to take what I want from him.
The last thing I want to do is pull away from him but I have no option when breathing becomes a problem. I look over Roman’s face, loving the glazed look in his eyes and the shine on his puffy lips. He looks like he always did when I fucked him, and even though I didn’t think it was possible, my cock gets even harder. I need him to stay with me. I can’t face the idea of watching him walk away from me even if it’s just to go home.
