“Damn, we’ve only been away from each other a couple of days!” Chad chuckled as Xander let him up for air.
“Are you complaining?” Xander cocked a brow, his sardonic tone telling Chad he knew the answer to his question. “I got back here as soon as I could.” He picked up the suitcase that he had dropped as he reached for Chad and they walked into the bedroom together.
“Did it go well?” Chad asked, going back to sit on the edge of the bed and watching Xander undress.
“Better than I had hoped,” he said. “We’ll have a partner school in Amsterdam, and supplementary funding, by month’s end.”
As Xander stripped his clothing from his body, Chad stared in silent admiration. Xander was from Friesland, where it seemed everyone was tall. His gorgeous, blond-god good looks were also pretty typical of the region. Chad used to wonder why, and once even jokingly asked him what they had fed him as a child. Now, though, he didn’t care how his lover came to be this way. He was just happy to be the one Xander shared his hard, muscular body with, and his brilliant smile, and his devastating charm. He hoped that that last would work its magic on Lee. It always seemed to work on him.
“You act like you’ve never seen this before.” Xander’s amused voice broke into his thoughts, and Chad smiled.
“Just hoping Lee will fall for you as hard as I did, is all.”
“Did?” Xander quirked a brow.
Chad laughed. “You worried?”
Xander stripped his socks from his feet before answering, striding over to the bed as he did.
“Should I be?” His voice was quiet, his tone serious. Chad knew Xander still remembered how far and fast he had run when Xander first told him how he was coming to feel about him, and he had recognized his own response to the chemistry between them for what it was.
Chad reached for him, and pulled him down, stroking a hand over his lover’s package while they kissed, and Xander cradled him in his arms. They didn’t let each other up for air until both were hard and throbbing with renewed need.
“Does this answer your concern?” Chad squeezed Xander’s hard cock, and stroked it slowly, feeling it grow harder as he did. His blood heated, and when his lover reached between them to reciprocate, he groaned. More kissing, as they each strove to show the other how much they longed for that intimacy they loved to share. Impatient hands stripped Chad of his boxers and t-shirt and before long, the lovers were lost in the throes of passion. Chad wanted to be possessed tonight, and being the bottom would let him have that wish fulfilled. He liked to reassure his lover that he was never going to run away again, and submitting to him in this way, when they both knew he could be as dominant as Xander, was his way of doing so. Their hands and mouths led them along a fiery path that ended with Xander deep inside, filling him, riding him, pulling cries of raw hunger and completion from him, milking him even as Xander came apart inside him.
Slowly coming back to Earth, the lovers caressed and kissed and cradled each other, now lying back to front on the wide bed. Their breathing evened out, and they fell asleep wrapped around each other. When his cell phone rang, Chad heard it through a fog of sleep and erotic dreams. Xander slept like the dead, so he knew he was either going to have to escape the cocoon of his lover’s arms to answer it, or let it go to voice mail. He chose the latter option. Whoever was calling could wait till he had had another go at the man who was finally stirring behind him.
Later, when day was fully upon them, and the sunshine left warm swaths of light on their skin, Chad and Xander showered together, cleaning the sweat and semen from a third bout of homecoming sex off their bodies. Then, dried and dressed, they headed to the kitchen where Xander made stuffed French toast while Chad made coffee and checked his phone. The missed call had been from Lee, and his heart picked up speed as he looked at Xander plying the whisk to beat the eggs that would soak into the thick slices of bread he would be stuffing.
“Lee called...this morning, while we were still asleep,” he said. “She wants to talk, and wonders if we can meet for brunch at Manley’s today. In fact, in an hour.”
Xander turned to him, whisk in hand. “Do you think she would be willing to have brunch here, instead?”
Chad shook his head. “No. I’m afraid I fucked up with her.” When Xander kept looking at him silently, he continued, “I let her think I had a girlfriend way back when she was a senior in high school. She left home as soon as she graduated. I hardly ever see her. I knew how I felt about her even then. I just needed to keep myself away from her...she was my step-sister, and she was still in high school.”
“And now she wants nothing to do with you,” Xander said, clearly understanding Chad’s predicament.
“Oh, I hope to hell it’s not quite that bad,” Chad exclaimed. He looked at Xander, understanding how he must have felt all those years ago when Chad had run from him. The fear was eating him alive.
“Hey,” Xander’s voice broke into his musings, “I got you back, didn’t I?” He had put down the whisk and was standing in front of Chad. “Never give up.”
Chad smiled at him, thankful he had someone who could empathize with him in this situation. “So, are we abandoning your excellent French toast, or are we asking her to postpone the meeting till tomorrow?”
“We’re doing neither. We’re asking her to come and have home-made stuffed French toast, bacon, and good coffee with us, here,” Xander replied. “I’ll talk to her. As far as she knows, I’m neutral, and she’ll be coming to my home for brunch.”
Chad handed over his phone, but Xander used his own to make the call. The phone went to voice message, and as he had it on speaker, Chad heard her message. “This is Leona Wilding. I can’t take your call just now, but please leave me a message and a number where I may reach you when I can. Thank you.” Xander began to speak, introducing himself, but before he had got much beyond who he was, she picked up.
“Good morning, Mr. de Graaf. I apologize I was…” she paused, then went on “out of the room just now.”
Xander smiled, and said, “That’s okay, Ms. Wilding. Chad told me you called, but he didn’t receive the message till just now. I’m in the middle of making brunch for us. Would you care to join us here, in my home? I’m making stuffed French toast, with bacon. And there’ll be coffee, or tea, or whatever else you wish to drink. I can even have some fruit ready for you. What do you say, Ms. Wilding? I’m sure we’ll be more comfortable sitting at my kitchen table than we will be in a restaurant, even a friendly one like Manley’s.”
Chad had to admire the smooth coolness of Xander’s voice, and the persuasive yet professional tone he used. He crossed his fingers and waited for Lee’s response.
“I...it’s a rather unusual venue for a first business meeting, isn’t it, Mr. de Graaf? I don’t want to put you out…” Her voice trailed off, and Chad knew enough about her to know she was wavering, most likely because she didn’t want to be rude and refuse such a reasonable and polite invitation.
“Not at all, Ms. Wilding. I’d be delighted to share a home-cooked meal with you in my home. It will give you a different view of me, of who I am in a non-business forum. You can better determine what sort of person I am in an informal setting, and whether or not you would be comfortable doing business with me.” He paused again, as if to give her time to think about it, and then ended, “As you already know that you can trust Chad, I remain the only obstacle to your making a decision in our favor.”
Chad could have kissed him just then. He himself knew that Lee didn’t necessarily trust him, but Xander knew he loved Lee, so Chad understood Xander’s motive, and appreciated his lover’s concern. Lee’s voice brought his wandering mind back to the conversation.
“Well, if you’re sure it won’t be an inconvenience, I’d be delighted to have brunch with you. I’m assuming that Chad will be there?
“Yes, he will,” Xander replied. “Let me give you the address.”
Chad waited till the call ended, then wrapped his arms around th
e man standing before him. Xander hugged him tightly to his warm body, and they stayed like that for a minute, before Chad broke the embrace and said,
“I guess I’d better put something better on, then, eh?”
“Why?” Xander asked, looking him over. “You look fine.”
Chad hesitated, and Xander said,
“What’s the real concern, here, Chad? Don’t you want her to know about us? Are you ashamed of what we have?” His voice was hard, and Chad hastened to reassure him.
“No, no...but she’s the only member of the family who doesn’t know about you, and...well, I’d sooner she didn’t think I was trying to trap her into doing anything by using my lover to get to her.” He looked into Xander’s eyes. “You know what I mean, don’t you?”
Xander sighed. “I understand, Chad, but she’ll have to know, especially if we become an item. I know how much you want that, and I’ll do whatever will make you happy.”
Chad backed up, suddenly very serious. He didn’t want Xander to make any sacrifices for him. “Look, Xan, if you don’t fall in love with her, this won’t work, and I don’t want you to feel obliged to let a third person into our relationship just to make me happy.” When Xander reached for him, he backed away. “I’m serious. I love Lee, and I guess I always will. But I love you, too, and I have you at last. I won’t lose you because of her.”
“And I don’t want you to have to choose, Chad,” Xander said earnestly. “If this will become a problem, we need to cut her loose now, before things get more entangled.”
“No!” Chad quickly denied that request. “Let’s give it a chance first. You said you liked how she looked, that it made you think naughty thoughts. Let’s see if there’s even any chemistry between you. Then we can decide what to do. Okay?”
“Okay,” Xander agreed. “Now, slice the ham and the cheese, while I make the pockets in the bread.”
They worked quietly together, and while Xander set the slices in a shallow baking tray and put them in the preheated oven, Chad lay the table in the breakfast nook. They each had a cup of coffee while they waited, and once the oven timer dinged, Xander took the French toast out and put in a tray of bacon. She would be there in a few more minutes, and the house had that wonderful smell of bacon and maple syrup, because Xander was warming the syrup in the microwave. Chad brewed a second pot of coffee, and as the oven timer dinged again, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll go,” Chad said, walking out of the kitchen as Xander took the bacon from the oven. He could see Lee though the decorated double-paned glass front door, and his heart skipped a beat. He knew this was probably going to be the most important meeting of his life, and he didn’t want to mess it up. He looked at himself quickly one last time, and hoped Xander was right about his attire. Faded jeans and a Queen t-shirt and bare feet might not impress the schoolmarm Lee had turned herself into. Because of him. Plastering a smile on his face, he opened the door.
“Good morning, Lee,” he said, forcing cheerfulness into his voice. “Come in, come in!”
He stepped aside to let her pass him, admiring the way her wide hips filled out her black jeans, and her full breasts stretched the button-down red top she wore. Wedge-heeled sandals matched her top, and the hoops in her ears completed a sexy-as-hell outfit that made his body stir. He caught himself just before she caught him staring, and looked away, towards the kitchen.
“Come through, please. Xander is finishing up in the kitchen.”
When they walked in together, Xander had just put the maple syrup on the table, and he turned to smile at them both. He extended his hand as Lee approached, and said,
“Welcome to my home away from home!”
Lee smiled back at him, and it was all he could do not to react to the buzz that shocked him at her touch. She looked absolutely beautiful, and he looked behind her to Chad, whose eyes showed the same appreciation that his did.
“Please have a seat. Anywhere,” he added, when she hesitated. “Food’s ready, and it’ll be much nicer if we have it while it’s still warm.”
Both men waited until she had chosen her spot, and noted that she chose the one with her back to the window, casting her face in shadow. They sat and Xander invited her to help herself to whatever she wanted.
“Are you a chef, as well, Mr. de Graaf?” she wanted to know after taking her first bite of the food.
Xander laughed and shook his head. “Not at all. I just love to cook. And please, call me Xander.”
“Where did you learn to cook?” she wanted to know next.
“My mother was an excellent cook,” he answered, “and always let me help her in the kitchen. Then in college, I realized I didn’t much care for the food I was being fed, so after Chad and I met, we became housemates, and I practiced all the skills I had learned at home.”
Her eyes opened a bit wider, as she turned to look at her stepbrother, who had been a silent witness to the exchange.
“Oh. So you’ve known each other for a while, then.” Her tone was neutral, carefully so.
“Yes, nine years,” Chad said. “Since before you left home for London.”
“So, tell me how you came up with this plan,” she said, looking at Chad, who recognized that she was putting the brakes on personal conversations. She didn’t want to reveal anything personal herself. He followed her lead, and Xander chimed in, also playing her game.
CHAPTER THREE
Lee did not want to be charmed by either of the men sitting with her at the table, but it was proving difficult to remain aloof. She had come there already tingling with anticipation, knowing she would be seeing Chad again, and recalling how his friend had made her shiver. She ought to have known that she would not be able to stay distant from Chad. And if she were honest, the idea of working with him was exciting to her, though she refused to examine the reasons for her excitement. And even as she refused to consider why she was so thrilled at the prospect of more time with Chad, she skirted around the attraction she was feeling for his hot Dutch friend, who was watching her like she imagined a hawk watches prey. She had been watching the dynamic between him and Chad since they sat down to eat, and they seemed really comfortable with each other, almost like a couple. If she hadn’t already discovered that Chad liked women, she might almost have thought they were a couple. But she discounted it out of hand, and when Xander suggested that they adjourn to his office for the meeting, she willingly agreed. An office seemed a more fitting venue for business discussions of any kind. It would help to keep things impersonal. She felt grateful to him, yet again, for seeming to understand what she needed.
She found she couldn’t read Chad, though, and that bothered her. He was cool with her, though with his friend he was the opposite. She knew she had probably pushed him away for good, and a part of her regretted it, especially now that they might be working closely together. The other, admittedly smaller, part saw that it might be better all round if there were no feelings between them. So she felt like a skittish colt as she settled herself in the wide chair that Xander led her to in his opulent office. She wondered vaguely how much he was worth, and looked around the room for clues. Although it was clearly a man’s space, with its heavy furniture and dark colors, it was also a warm space, comfortable, welcoming. She could imagine sitting here after dinner, sipping wine and looking out the elegant French doors to the garden that she could see, complete with fountain and statuary. And the accessories on the walls and tables added to that feeling of home. Her eyes stopped on a picture of her host and Chad, and the way they looked at each other brought her eyes over to her stepbrother, who was watching her as keenly as his friend had been before.
“That’s a great shot,” she said, and then was immediately horrified at herself for the impertinence. She had no business commenting on anything but the business she was there to discuss. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Chad forestalled her.
“It is, isn’t it?” He looked at Xander as he spoke, and the smiles that lit their faces was the mos
t intimate thing Lee had ever witnessed between two people other than her parents. “That was taken four years ago, in Barbados.”
Lee remembered the time, because it had been one of the few holidays when Chad had not been at home. Now she knew where he had been, and whom he had been with, and the enormity of the knowledge he was sharing with her bowled her over completely, even as it broke her heart. Because if Chad was gay, then there was no chance in hell for her. Feeling like she had just been blindsided by an eighteen-wheeler, she closed her eyes for a moment, to steady herself, and breathed away the pain that bloomed in her chest. Something must have shown on her face, though, because Chad was immediately at her side, his voice full of concern.
“Are you all right, Lee? You look a little pale.”
Forcing herself to relax, she opened her eyes, and was surprised to find tears pooling in them. She lowered them immediately, and said,
“Yes, I’m fine. Just a bit of indigestion. Maybe I had one too many slices of that delicious French toast.”
Knowing she needed more than a moment to recover, she asked to be shown to the powder room, and was relieved when Chad escorted her to it without any further questions. She dried her eyes, smoothed a bit of powder over her cheeks, re-applied lip gloss, and washed her hands. Time to focus on what she had come there for. Discovering Chad’s secret was all fine and dandy, but it had nothing to do with why she was there. Best she remembered that, she admonished herself. As she neared the door, she could hear the men speaking, and instinctively she slowed her steps.
Game of Throbs Complete Series (Books 1-3) Page 85
