by Zoe Piper
"Bring the hottest guy in the place over to our table with only a few words in his ear," teased Stuart. "No wait, let me guess, he's my birthday present, isn't he? Really, darling, you shouldn't have."
Jase groaned, shaking his head at his friend’s audacity. He really didn't want to turn around and see the horror in those gorgeous blue eyes.
The rest of the table had stopped talking and were now watching Sarah and her guest. "Really, Stuart, don't frighten the poor man off before I've even had a chance to introduce him," she chided. Jase breathed a sigh of relief, maybe this wasn't going to be as embarrassing as expected. And then Sarah spoke again. "Besides, if I'd got him for you as a birthday present, you could be sure he would be wearing a lot less and have a big bow on him."
Jase elbowed her husband. "Mike, muzzle your wife."
Mike turned to Jase. "Me? You've known her longest; you do it.” He gave Jase a little shove.
Sarah smacked the back of both their heads. "Boys. Behave. I'm trying to convince Kyle here to join us and you're making us look like a bunch of idiots.” She turned to the man next to her. "Kyle, I apologise. If I had I known they were going to behave like this, I would have left you in peace."
Jase watched as Kyle flushed slightly under the scrutiny of the table. He shuffled his feet and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Jeans, Jase noticed, that fit his arse just perfectly and stretched in all the right places down strong thighs. Paired with a dark blue button-down shirt under a well-worn leather jacket, Kyle looked totally fuckable. Jase shifted slightly in his chair to ease the sudden discomfort in his own jeans and quickly picked up his beer again.
"Hi everyone," the deep American accent drawled behind him.
"Sorry, where are my manners?" Sarah asked. She glanced at her husband as he muttered something under his breath, probably uncomplimentary. Oh, he was in trouble when got home, Jase mused.
Sarah started pointing out people around the table. "The loudmouth over there is the birthday boy, Stuart. Next to him is Charlie, then Louise, Rachel, Matt and Brett. This is Mike, the father of the Spawn I'm carrying, and of course, you met Jase earlier today."
Jase turned and watched as Kyle acknowledged each person at the table. He may have imagined it, but it felt like those blue eyes lingered on him for a few seconds longer than everyone else. "Forgive me if I don't remember your names right away.” Kyle nodded to Stuart, "Happy birthday, and sorry no, I'm not your birthday present," he said with a grin.
Jase laughed with the rest of the table as Stuart exclaimed, "Thank you and why the hell not? How could you not want to be my birthday present?” Kyle joined in the laughter.
"Oh, I'm pretty sure that a nice Kiwi guy like you couldn't handle a true-blue Texan like me," he drawled. Jase watched in amazement as, for once, Stuart was rendered speechless. However, it was not for long.
"Oh, honey, bring that fine, cowboy arse over here and let me show you how much I can handle."
Kyle paused and then grinned at the audacious Stuart. "How about I get everyone a drink and we toast to your birthday instead," he offered.
There were sounds of agreement from around the table. Mike stood up and slipped his arm around Sarah's shoulder. "Going to have to pass this time, thanks mate. Got to take Sarah home. She needs her rest.” Mike stuck his hand out. Kyle smiled as he shook the proffered hand, He then leaned over and kissed Sarah on the cheek.
"Thank you, Sarah, for introducing me. I'll see you on Monday." Jase noticed Sarah blushing slightly at the friendly overture.
Jase also stood up to hug his two best friends while the others at the table called out their farewells. Taking Sarah in his arms, he whispered in her ear, "Don't think this will be forgotten, witch. I will talk to you on Sunday.” Sarah squeezed him and leaned back to look into his eyes. She raised her eyebrows and tried to give him her best innocent smile.
Jase watched Mike carefully guide his wife through the now crowded bar and felt a touch on his arm. He turned and met Kyle’s gaze. "What can I get you to drink?" he was asked.
Pulling himself back from the depths of Kyle's eyes, he swallowed and stammered out, "Beer. I mean, a beer would be fine thanks." Kyle nodded and turned to the waitress he had been talking to earlier. Jase heard him ask the girl to open a tab and bring the table drinks in his deep Texas drawl.
Realising he was staring, Jase cleared his throat and moved back to his chair. Draining his beer, he caught Stuart staring at him with a raised eyebrow. Jase gave a small shake of his head, using years of friendship as communication to not push it any further. Fortunately, Stuart took the hint and turned to ask Kyle about himself as the man sat down in the seat vacated by Mike.
Jase leaned back in his chair and let the others lead the conversation. He learned Kyle was the only son of a New Zealand father and American mother, and he had a younger sister who also worked for Foster International in their marketing department.
"So, mate, what made you want to leave the States and come and work here in little ole New Zealand?" asked Charlie, his grin flashing white against his dark skin. His Maori heritage showed strongly in his black hair and dark brown eyes.
Kyle looked over at Charlie. "Well, I turned thirty-one and realised I was in a bit of a rut. It was always planned that I'd work for the family company in some capacity, and even though I've travelled a bit with work, I've never really put myself out of my comfort zone. When my dad said he was looking to buy Bernard’s, I jumped at the chance to head up the company here and do something a little different."
"Your family was okay with you leaving?" Brett asked.
"Dad was great. With him being a Kiwi himself, he was more than happy to let me come over. I do have some cousins here, but I haven't spoken to them in about twenty years. We came over for a brief vacation when I was around 15 years old. Mama, well, she was all worried about her only son leaving to live on the other side of the world, but she didn't kick up too much fuss. She met Dad when he was on an exchange in the States and followed him back here. They got married and had me, and then her father got sick, so they packed up and moved to Texas to help out. My father took over my granddaddy’s company and grew it to what it is today.” Kyle paused and took a drink of his beer. Jase's eyes were drawn to the long, strong column of his throat, and he had to push back an urge to lean over and nibble his way up it.
Shit, what was wrong with him? Jase decided he obviously needed to get laid, as he hadn't felt this attracted to someone in a long time, if ever, after such a brief acquaintance. Thing was, he wasn't in the habit of one-night hook-ups anymore. Oh, he'd had his fair share of fast and dirty flings when he was younger, and he didn't have anyone of the friends-with-benefits persuasion either. Jase sighed. He'd just have to avoid being near the man tonight, and then it would be a rare and distant chance that he would run into him again. He noticed Kyle had started talking again, responding to a question from, of course, Stuart.
"So, no Mrs Foster to convince to move?"
"Ah, no. No Mrs Foster, other than my mother, and um," Kyle paused and glanced around the table. "No Mr Foster either, other than my father."
Stuart grinned in triumph and glanced quickly at Jase. Jase glared at him and silently begged him to keep his mouth shut, but of course, no such luck.
"Sooo, you do play for our team then?" He asked cheekily, waving his hand at himself, Jase and Charlie.
Kyle glanced briefly at Jase. Jase glanced down quickly, not wanting to be seen as too interested in the reply. He nervously picked at a loose thread on the cuff of his long-sleeved t-shirt.
"Yes, I’m gay," Kyle admitted. Jase wasn't sure how to explain it, but he felt relief, excitement, and strangely nervous at the statement. At his age, he should not be acting like some horny teenager, but the way his mind and body were racing, he could easily be mistaken for someone in the throes of his first teenage crush.
Stuart cheered at Kyle's statement. "Excellent, you have come to the right place. We shall take you under ou
r wing and show you the delights of the Auckland nightlife and see if you can't land yourself a good Kiwi bloke like your mama did."
Kyle just shook his head, grinning as he pointed his beer bottle at Stuart. “I can see you’re gonna be trouble.”
The rest of the table chimed in with their agreement. Yes, Jase concurred, Stuart was definitely the ringleader of their little group and often dragging them off to party the night away. As he thought this, Stuart announced it was time to move on to somewhere with hot boys and dancing and that Kyle was coming with them.
Chapter 4
"So, what do you think? As good as what you have in Houston?" shouted Matt, Jase's brother. Kyle had to lean in to hear him over the sound of the pounding bass. Kyle looked around the crowded bar. There seemed to be people everywhere of all sexual orientations, drinking and dancing under the flashing lights, which pulsed in time to the beat pounding out of the speakers.
He nodded and shouted back, "It's good.” It was pointless trying to have a conversation, but it was nice that Matt was trying to be friendly and not leave Kyle on his own. Kyle had worked out that Matt was straight, along with Brett, who appeared to be with Louise. Rachel, Louise's cousin, had disappeared with a guy onto the dance floor the minute they had walked through the door. Charlie, Stuart and Jase were also currently lost in the melee of moving, sweating bodies.
Kyle saw a pretty Maori girl approach Matt and tap him on the shoulder. Matt turned, and a bright grin spread across his features. He leaned in and gave her a big hug. They shouted something to each other, which Kyle couldn’t hear, but he quickly gathered she wanted to dance with Matt. He turned to Kyle and Kyle nodded in a 'go ahead' gesture. He wasn't going to stop Matt from having some fun tonight.
He watched them make their way onto the dance floor and decided he would finish his beer and head out. He was sure the guys would understand, and he would get Sarah to give him their numbers on Monday so he could call and thank them for letting him join in their night out. His eyes did another sweep of the dance floor. He tried to convince himself he wasn't looking for Jase, but his eyes were drawn to tall, dark-haired guys as he slowly eliminated them from being the man he wanted to see. He was about to give up, he saw a flash of Jase’s red shirt.
Kyle had noticed at the restaurant that the Kiwi was wearing a deep red, long-sleeved t-shirt that fit his toned body just right. Not too tight, but snug enough to show off his broad shoulders and tapered waist. Jase also had on a pair of sinfully tight jeans. Obviously favourites looking soft and worn in all the right places.
He tried not to stare as he watched Jase laugh with the girl he was dancing with. She had purple hair and a black t-shirt and jeans, and he guessed they must have known each other from the way they moved together. As he watched, he saw a long, dark and decidedly masculine arm snake its way around Jase's waist from behind. Jase moved his hips back seductively and dropped his head onto the guy’s shoulder. A twinge of jealousy went through him as he watched the stranger place his mouth on the skin below Jase's ear and plant a soft kiss right where Kyle would love to put his own.
Disgusted with himself for feeling jealous over someone he had only just met, he quickly drained his beer and put the bottle back on the table. With a final glance towards the dance floor, vaguely aware that he had lost sight of Jase, he moved towards the entrance, squeezing through the tightly packed bodies. He had almost reached the door when a hand on his arm stopped him. He turned to look straight into the dark green eyes of the guy he was trying to escape.
"Leaving so soon?" Jase asked. Kyle nodded. "Were you not going to say goodbye?" Jase pushed, moving closer as the crowd around them swelled. Kyle could smell his spicy cologne and it sent a shiver down his spine.
"You looked busy and I couldn't find the others," Kyle responded as he continued to try and move to the door. He noticed Jase had not let go of his arm and was following him out. Finally, they were outside in the decidedly much cooler air. Kyle shivered at the sudden drop in temperature. Jase stepped closer as if to offer his body warmth.
"Um, look. Sorry we sort of just left you in there,” Jase apologised, running his hand through his dark hair.
"No, that's fine. I understand. You weren't planning on babysitting a new guy and I didn't mind. Your brother hung around for a while, and really, I need to be getting home. I have stuff to do tomorrow,” Kyle said shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. It really was much colder now. Jase was starting to look cold too.
"Thanks again for letting me crash the party. Your friends are nice, and I enjoyed myself.” He pulled his jacket a little closer. "It's cold. I'll head off and let you get back inside. I'll, um, maybe see you around sometime."
Jase didn't turn away though; he stepped closer to Kyle. His eyes flicked down to Kyle's mouth and quickly back up to his eyes. "Yeah," he said with a husky voice, "It is cold. Maybe you could, you know, warm me up?"
Kyle stared at him. He saw Jase's eyes flick to his mouth again and then watched the tip of his tongue come out to swipe his full bottom lip. Kyle took a step towards Jase and reached out for his hand. "Any suggestions on how I could do that?" his voice low as he gently pulled him forward. Jase nodded. To Kyle's confusion though, he took a step back and then turned away. He felt a quick tug on his hand as Jase started walking towards the darkened doorway of a business a few feet away.
Kyle followed, then found himself being pushed up against a wall to the side of the building, the lights of the nearby bar not quite reaching into the shadows, but still giving enough glow to see the handsome features of the man leaning into him.
They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, neither seemingly wanting to make the first move. Kyle rested his left hand on Jase's hip and brought his right hand up to slide around his neck and curl into the hair lying at the nape. He slowly moved forward until their warm breaths were mingling. With their lips only millimetres apart, Jase relaxed into him, chest touching his. Kyle closed the distance and let his mouth slowly brush against the softness of Jase's.
They slowly and tentatively explored each other's mouths. Their bodies shuffling together, Jase leaned heavily into Kyle, and Kyle found himself wrapping both arms around the trim waist and pulling Jase closer. Gradually, the kiss got deeper. Kyle tore his mouth away to place soft nibbles along the stubble-lined jaw and down Jase's neck to the spot just under his left ear, where, earlier, he had watched another man put his mouth. He gave a gentle suck, tasting the salty tang of sweat on the smooth skin and felt Jase groan in response, and if possible, push to get even closer. Kyle could feel the heat coming from the body pressed against his and let out his own moan, hips connecting and the evidence of both their arousals brushing against each other.
"God, Jase," he breathed, moving back to take the other man's mouth, tongues duelling.
Jase made an unintelligible noise. Kyle didn't think he could stop; he wanted this man so badly. All he could think about was getting closer. He slid a hand up under Jase's shirt. He felt Jase start and pull his mouth away. "Ticklish?" He questioned, running his fingers lightly along the warm skin.
Jase huffed a laugh. "No, your hands are fucking freezing!"
Kyle grinned against Jase's mouth. "Well, let me warm them up, then," he murmured huskily before diving back into the kiss.
✽✽✽
Jase was drowning in a sea of sensation. The hot mouth on his, the strong, warm chest he was leaning against, the hand moving sensually across his abs, the scent of some nameless soap that just added to the whole package. He wanted more. He needed to get inside this man. Bury himself deep and lose himself. Taste every inch.
He shuffled his leg between Kyle's slightly parted ones. Felt his erection press against Kyle's hip. Felt Kyle's responding hardness against his own hip. They were going to have to make a move from here before things got out of control. But, just one minute more. He needed just one more minute of this mouth on his. He pressed closer, groaning softly as he felt a vibration
against his thigh.
He pulled his mouth away and frowned as he looked down to where their bodies were pressed together. He looked back up into eyes so dark they appeared black in the dim light, pupils blown and glassy. "Um, is that your phone in your pocket vibrating, or does your dick do weird things when it’s hard?"
Kyle looked confused, as if his brain wasn't online at all. Awareness slowly crept back into his face, as the sound of "Hail to the Chief" rang out. Suddenly, Jase was being pushed away as Kyle reached into his pocket to pull out his phone.
"Fuck!" He looked at Jase. "It's my mother. I have to take this." Jase watched in amazement as Kyle tried to steady his breath out enough to answer his phone. Before he could though, the ringing stopped. "Double fuck!"
"You have "Hail to the Chief" as your ringtone for your mother?" he asked. He felt he had been dropped into the Twilight Zone or something. One second he was getting hot and heavy with the sexiest man he'd met in a long time, and the next he was being interrupted by a phone call from the guy's mother.
"Ah, yeah. Family joke. My sister and I have it, since she's the real boss of the family," Kyle explained, a flush on his high cheekbones. Jase wasn't sure if it was from their make-out session or the embarrassment of his mother calling.
"She's calling rather late, isn't she? What time would it be there now?"
Looking up from the screen of his phone, Kyle glanced at Jase. "Ah, about nineteen hours behind, so it would be, what, six-thirty Friday morning there? Look, I'm really sorry," he said reaching a hand out to Jase. "We could, um, head up to my place if you like. I'm just across the way in the apartments up there." Jase let himself be pulled forward. He was just about to lean in and pick up where they’d left off when the strident tones of "Hail to the Chief" struck up again. Kyle looked between his phone and Jase.
Jase gave a rueful grin and leaned across to press a gentle kiss to the swollen mouth he had been devouring only minutes before. "How about we take a rain check? Isn't that what you Yanks say?” Kyle looked as if he was going to argue, but Jase stopped him with a nod towards his phone. "Answer your mother before she worries. I'll see you later."
