Most Likely to Succeed

by Shawn Lane

  “So, what do you want to do today?” Clark asked. He hesitated. “That is, if you want to spend today together.”

  Thomas smiled. “You know what I really want to do?”

  “What?”

  “I want to spend the day here with you. Just hanging out. Watching a movie or television or whatever. Maybe spending some extra time in bed.” Thomas blushed a little. “Is that okay?”

  “Are you kidding?” Clark shook his head. “That sounds great.” And it did. The idea of relaxing at home all day with Thomas for company was incredibly appealing.

  Thomas nodded and stuffed another bite of waffle in his mouth. “I’m glad,” he said around a mouthful. “Did you already eat?”

  “Yes, I’ve been up for hours. Hey, listen, what are you doing Wednesday night?”

  Thomas wrinkled his nose. “Wednesday? Nothing.”

  Clark hesitated, suddenly feeling unsure. He hated the insecurity. He’d not had that before.

  “Did you want to invite me somewhere?” Thomas prompted. He took another sip of his coffee and then thrust his now empty cup toward Clark. “More, please.”

  He laughed. “Okay. Yes, my sister invited me to dinner, and I wondered if you’d like to go with me.”

  “I’d be glad to go.”

  Clark smiled and went to the kitchen to pour Thomas and himself more coffee. Okay, he could try this relationship thing again. So far so good.

  When he returned to the bedroom, Thomas had finished his plate of waffles. Clark put down the coffee cups, grabbed the tray with the plate, and set it back on the dresser. He handed Thomas his cup and then took a large swallow of his own coffee.

  He let Thomas take several sips, then said, “About that extra time in bed…When would you like to start that?”

  Thomas laughed, turning just a little pink. “Now?”

  “Great answer.” Clark pulled off the T-shirt he’d thrown on when he got dressed hours ago. Next he removed his sweatpants and crawled into the bed next to a still-naked Thomas. “Better finish your coffee before you spill it.”

  Thomas gulped down the rest and quickly set his mug down on the nightstand. He turned to face Clark, snuggling up close to him. “How long have you been awake?”

  “A while,” Clark said, keeping it vague. “Hours. I have trouble sleeping.”

  “Maybe you’re not having enough sex,” Thomas teased. He stroked his thumbs across Clark’s nipples. “Ever think of getting nipple rings?”

  He laughed. “Um, no.”

  “Yeah, I guessed that would be your answer. You’re too conservative, huh?”

  Clark closed his eyes briefly, letting the pleasure of Thomas flicking his nipples wash over him. He loved that. “Conservative? You think I’m conservative?”

  “Definitely.”

  Clark nipped at Thomas’s full bottom lip. “You caught me watching porn. Do you call that stuffy?”

  “I never said you were stuffy.”

  “Hmm, that’s how I see conservative.” Clark roamed a hand across Thomas’s abdomen and then up to skate across the other man’s nipples. “How about you? Where are your nipple rings?”

  He grinned. “I’ve thought about it. I always chicken out when I think of the pain. Plus, you know when you’re trying to get a job in a law firm, you can’t be too careful. You don’t want anything turning off potential employers.”

  Clark rose up and over Thomas so he had easy access to the man’s very kissable lips. Thomas linked his arms behind his neck. They kissed for long minutes, their tongues dancing, mating. Thomas’s erection pressed against him, and he knew his did the same to Thomas. But he didn’t feel the need to rush. They had all day for love play.

  Deepening the kiss, he traced his thumb along Thomas’s jawline, feeling the hint of stubble. Clark enjoyed kissing, but usually he moved on quickly after a few languid kisses. Now he lingered over Thomas’s plump, sensual lips, sipping at them like a hummingbird to the nectar of a flower.

  Okay, if that metaphor didn’t make him gay, he didn’t know what did.

  But he couldn’t seem to get enough, didn’t want to stop kissing Thomas. Apparently Thomas had other plans, however, because he slipped his hand between their bodies to close over Clark’s hard cock. Clark pressed into the caress.

  “Should I get the lube and a condom?” Thomas gasped against his lips.

  “Eventually.”

  Thomas stroked the length of Clark’s cock, pumping it harder and faster. He closed his eyes, pulling Thomas back for another thorough kiss. He definitely wouldn’t last long if Thomas didn’t slow down.

  “Thomas, God, you’re making me crazy.”

  Thomas smiled. “Good. That’s the idea.” He scooted away, just far enough to reach into the nightstand drawer for the bottle of lube and a condom.

  Clark wondered if it were possible to be oversexed. Over the weekend he’d had more sex than he’d had in three months. He hadn’t considered himself insatiable before, but perhaps it was Thomas’s influence. He pulled Thomas back against him, his erection now pressed against the crease of Thomas’s ass.

  “Mmm,” Thomas moaned. He tilted his head, offering his throat to Clark.

  Clark sucked there, probably marking Thomas, branding him, but for some primal reason the idea thrilled him. Clark sought Thomas’s nipples, skating his hand over them, stroking the nubs, his whole body shaking with need from the gasping breaths coming from Thomas’s lips.

  “Clark!” Thomas yelled. He dropped the condom and lube on the bed, his fingers digging into the blankets.

  “Touch yourself, Thomas,” Clark said into his lover’s ear. “Make yourself come.”

  His breath hitching, Thomas leaned back, pressing farther into Clark, pushing his ass against Clark’s erection. He let loose of the covers and grasped his cock with one hand and his balls with the other.

  Clark watched him closely, not his hands working on his own cock but rather Thomas’s face, flushed pink with a mixture of excitement and embarrassment. Thomas’s lips parted, and tiny breaths blew out. Clark wanted to see his expression, wanted to watch his face as he came.

  “You’re so beautiful,” Clark whispered, unable to resist speaking the words in his head. He didn’t think he’d ever seen a man as gorgeous, as sexy as Thomas. His lover’s eyes closed even as his strokes grew more insistent, faster, harder still. “No, open your eyes, Thomas. I want to see your eyes.”

  Thomas complied instantly, his gaze meeting Clark’s. His green eyes were huge, his pupils dilated. Clark’s own balls tightened. He could come just watching this man.

  Pretty white teeth pulled at Thomas’s bottom lip. “Clark, I’m gonna come.”

  Clark swallowed. He felt a tingle up his own spine. He rubbed his cock against Thomas’s ass. “Me too.”

  He cupped Thomas’s jaw and turned Thomas’s face toward his enough to meld their mouths together. Thomas quivered, tensed, and then groaned into Clark’s mouth as cum spurted from his cock. Clark reacted almost instantly to the pleasured ecstasy on Thomas’s face, his balls tightening almost painfully. His own release slammed through him, creamy liquid covering the outside of Thomas’s ass.

  Clark wrapped his arms around Thomas’s middle, trying to pull him even closer, if that were possible.

  “Wow, that was…that was great,” Thomas said.

  “Yeah,” Clark agreed. “I haven’t come just by rubbing against a lover since I was a teenager.”

  Thomas yawned. “Now I’m sleepy again.”

  “Go to sleep. When you wake up we can have more sex.”

  Thomas groaned and closed his eyes. “I don’t know if I can take it.”

  “You can. Go to sleep.” Clark kissed the top of Thomas’s dark head and closed his eyes. He was pretty tired himself. And hopeful.

  Chapter 7

  “Your sister called while you were on your conference call,” Agnes announced midmorning on Wednesday. She handed Clark several messages.

  He looked up from the l
egal brief he’d been reviewing. It made his eyes cross, so he was sort of glad for the distraction, even though his pulse increased just a bit at the mention on his sister.

  “Was it urgent? How did she sound?”

  Agnes, an older woman of undetermined age—he wouldn’t dare ask—had been with him since he opened his firm. In fact, he’d taken her with him when he left his old firm to start his own. She was just under five feet tall with a thin, birdlike nose and white hair she kept properly coiffed in a neat bun. Always had, actually.

  “She just wanted to confirm that you and Mr. Harrigan were still coming for dinner tonight,” Agnes said in her cool, businesslike tone.

  Thomas. He hadn’t been able to get the younger man off his mind since their weekend together. Weekend. Who was he kidding? They’d spent Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights together too. He’d jumped feet first into another relationship, it seemed.

  “We plan on it, yes.”

  Agnes nodded. “I already told her that. I spoke with Mr. Harrigan when you weren’t available.”

  “Excellent. Thank you, Agnes.” Clark sorted through the stack of messages quickly before glancing up to realize Agnes still stood in front of his big oak desk, her hands folded neatly in front of him. “Is there something else?”

  She appeared to be gathering her small frame. “Mr. Sterling, may I speak freely?”

  “Agnes, you’ve known me for years. Do you have to continue to call me that?”

  Agnes sniffed. “You are my boss, sir. It would be inappropriate to address you more familiarly.”

  Clark sighed and tossed down his pen. They’d had this argument before, and he wasn’t sure why he continued to bring it up. He supposed it bothered him in a way that she kept such a distance between them.

  “Yes, Agnes, what is it?”

  “It’s about you and Mr. Harrigan.”

  “Oh?” He could swear the woman blushed, but Clark found it hard to believe anything ever really got to Agnes.

  “I assume you know what you are doing, Mr. Sterling. I’m just concerned.”

  Now that did have Clark raising an eyebrow. “Concerned?”

  She shifted just a little. “For your welfare. Mr. Harrigan is a handsome and appealing young man, but we don’t really know much about him. Even though the additional background check I had done on him didn’t really find anything…untoward, I just want you to be cautious.”

  Clark blinked, bemused. “You had him checked out?”

  She nodded, not looking the least bit sorry. “The firm only looks for business sorts of things. When I realized you had a more personal interest in him, I took the liberty of having a more thorough search done.”

  “Liberty, indeed,” Clark commented. “Why would you do that?”

  “I know how hurt you were by Mr. Rush’s actions,” Agnes said.

  Clark’s heart melted. He could not help but smile. She was concerned for him because of Aaron. “Ah, Agnes, you do care.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Of course, Mr. Sterling. Do be careful. I’ll be going to the deli for lunch today. I assume you want your usual salad?”

  “Yes.” Clark pulled his wallet out, plucked money out for both their lunches, and handed it to her. “Also, could you let Thomas know I’d like to see him in my office around two?”

  “Yes, Mr. Sterling.”

  * * * *

  “Thomas Harrigan.”

  “The Thomas Harrigan?” Matt’s voice came across the phone line. “Wow, have I been dying to talk to you.”

  “Yeah, asshole.” He grinned.

  Matt chuckled. “You’ve become surprisingly hard to get hold of lately. In fact, it’s bringing back painful memories of our relationship.”

  “Funny.”

  “Bar results come out next week,” Matt said. “Nervous?”

  “Nah.” Yeah.

  “Yes, you are. Admit it.”

  Thomas sighed and hit Send on the e-mail he’d been writing. “Maybe a little. I mean I’m pretty sure I passed, but you never know until the results are out. You?”

  “Yeah, I’m nervous. I’m not as smart as you, Tommy.”

  “Sure, sure.”

  “So if you don’t pass, and of course you will, what do you think Clark Sterling will do?”

  Thomas shifted in his chair, glad Matt couldn’t see him. “I’m not really sure.”

  Matt snorted. “No doubt he’ll can your ass fast. Hard-Ass Sterling? Come on.”

  “Uh.”

  “Oh, hey, since you’ve been hard to get through to, I haven’t had a chance to apologize.”

  “For?”

  “Friday night. I ditched you to deal with Sterling. That wasn’t cool, man. I’m sorry. I told Josh about it later, and he said I shouldn’t have done it. Was it too awkward?”

  “Uh.” Okay, what’s awkward is when your ex-boyfriend is talking about your new boyfriend without knowing it.

  “Tommy?”

  “It wasn’t too bad,” he finally said, rather lamely in his opinion.

  “Oh, come on. I know he’s hot, but isn’t he kind of a stuck-on-himself prick?”

  “No,” Thomas protested, feeling his cheeks grow warm. “He’s not like that at all, Matt.”

  There was a long pause on the other end. “Just what is he like, Tommy?”

  He sighed. “He’s wonderful, actually. I’ve spent every night with him since Friday. Saturday we even went to Disneyland together.”

  “I see. Are you sure about this?”

  “I think so. I don’t know. I mean it’s still early so it’s hard to say, but…I really like him.”

  “I’m glad. But do you think you should work for him? That could get strange with you guys being a couple.”

  It had never occurred to Thomas he’d be with Clark or any boss for that matter. Years ago he remembered his dad telling his mom a story about an ill-fated office romance and how it had been a disaster that eventually brought down the company. He couldn’t remember all the details, and he figured it was something of an exaggeration. Still, he could handle it. Couldn’t he?

  “Hello,” Matt was saying in a singsong voice.

  Thomas cleared his throat. “I’m still here. I’m just…do…do you really think working for Clark will be a problem?”

  “Beats me. But it could be. What happens if you have a lovers’ spat?”

  The term amused Thomas. “A lovers’ spat?”

  “You know what I mean. You guys argue or whatever. You’re still fighting and he’s pissed, so he decides to heap extra work on you.”

  “I don’t think he’d do that.”

  “Do you know for sure, Tommy? Or say you have a fight and then you are so distracted by it you majorly screw up a case. I mean big-time. The kind of screw up that should get you fired.”

  “What kind of an asshole am I?”

  Matt laughed. “This is just a what-if scenario. Anyway, does he fire you like everyone in the firm expects—no, clamors for—or does he let it slide?”

  Thomas scowled at the phone. “Why does everyone want me fired?”

  “I told you, just supposing. And if he does fire you, because he has to, what does that do to your relationship? Are you going to be, ‘Oh yes, baby, fuck me,’ right after he fired your ass?”

  “You’re definitely on a roll today, wise guy.” Thomas rubbed the bridge of his nose. The problem was, of course, Matt brought up good points. Somewhere in the back of his mind he’d sort of thought about it, but not really.

  “It could even get Clark in trouble.”

  “What?”

  “Name another guy from the firm,” Matt said.

  “Um, Peter.”

  “Okay, so Peter sees you getting special treatment from the boss.”

  “I’m not,” Thomas interrupted.

  “Peter thinks you are. He finds out the reason is because you’re boinking Clark.”

  Thomas groaned.

  His friend chuckled. “He reports Clark to the Bar Association for inap
propriate behavior. Maybe even reports him to the state labor board, claiming Clark sexually harasses his employees. See where I’m going?”

  “Well, I—”

  “You have to be careful, Tommy.”

  “Look, I’m not even completely positive I’ll get the associate job if I pass. I mean, yeah, I’m pretty sure, but you never really know.”

  Matt paused. “Which really is the reason I called.”

  Thomas frowned, getting more irritated by the minute with the conversation. “Okay, now you really have lost me, Matt.”

  “I’ve been telling my bosses about you at the firm I’m working at. They’re really impressed with your school background and internships.”

  Thomas straightened. “They are?”

  “Very. I’ve also been telling them how well you did in mock court and about all your awards in debate throughout school. They’d like to talk to you, Tommy.”

  “About?”

  “Don’t be obtuse. About a job. I’m pretty sure they’d offer you more than you’re making for Sterling, which is why I thought to mention it, but you’d have to talk to them. They want you to fax them your résumé.”

  “My résumé?”

  Matt sighed. “Yes. You know, that thing everyone has that tells possible employers all about you?”

  “I don’t know, Matt.”

  “Listen, what would it hurt to fax it over? You don’t have to take any job they offer you, if they even offer. Here, let me get the fax number for you. Hang on.”

  Thomas automatically wrote down the number Matt said, along with the name of Matt’s firm. He supposed Matt had a point. It wouldn’t hurt to fax his résumé. He didn’t want to leave Clark’s firm, not really, but it couldn’t hurt to keep an open mind. If Clark someday got tired of him and dumped him, he might not want to work there anymore. He hated that idea. Really hated it. The part where Clark dumped him.

  “Thanks, Matt.” Thomas glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly two. “I have a meeting in a few minutes, so I should go.”

  “Sure. Think about what I said. Oh, and let me know when you can come over. Josh has some new chicken dish he wants to try out on you.”

  “I will. Bye.”

  * * * *