Lace-Covered Compromise

by Silvia Violet

  I pressed the intercom button. “Brad, are you still working on those files for the Interweave account?”

  “Yes, sir. Did you need something?”

  “No, I’ll handle it. You should head home.” I should’ve sent him home hours ago. I took advantage of him far too often.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? You seem especially tense, even for you.”

  “I’m fine, or no worse than usual. Now go get some rest.” I’d find Nate myself.

  I called Michelle, his assistant. I was expecting her voice mail to pick up when she finally answered.

  “Mr. Kingston, is something wrong?”

  It was clear how much she disliked me from her tone. What had Nate told her about me, that I experimented on kittens and babies?

  “I need to see Mr. Thomas immediately, and I’m hoping you know where he is.”

  “Sir, are you aware what time it is?”

  “Time for me to find him.”

  After a moment of silence, she said, “He was still at the office when I left. That’s all I know.”

  She knew where he was or could at least guess. I was sure of it.

  “If you hear from him, tell him to call me.”

  “Yes, sir, I will, but I doubt he’s going to contact me this late.”

  I hung up and called the front security desk. “Did you see Mr. Thomas leave the building tonight?”

  “Not by this entrance, sir, but I’ve only been on duty since eight.”

  Despite Nate’s status in the company, he often rode the train and then took a city bike to work. He could call a car to pick him up, but no, Mr. I-Refuse-To-Act-Privileged was determined to hold onto his “normal” life. Thus, the co-owner of one of the largest companies in the country rode a bike while wearing an off-the-rack suit. It was enough to make me shudder.

  If he’d ridden to work today, he might have gone out the side door in the lobby. It was closer to the bike rack.

  “Check the footage. See if he left by the Wells Street side door any time in the last hour.”

  “Is something wrong, sir?”

  “No, I just need to confirm if he’s here. Call me back when you’ve checked.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  It was good to be obeyed, even though I was fairly sure I’d lost my mind. A few moments later my phone rang and I answered. “This is Lawrence from security.”

  “I know who you are!”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Shit! I hadn’t meant to snap.

  “He left about an hour ago, sir.”

  “Thank you.”

  Where would he have gone? If only Michelle would talk to me instead of being so overprotective of him.

  Valerie wouldn’t be any help either. She’d just scold me for stalking him, tell me to let him blow off steam until the morning. I wasn’t going to do that. Nate and I were going to hash this out tonight.

  After college, I’d rarely used my hacking skills except to spy on Kingston business my father tried to hide from me, but when I did, breaking the intricate code still gave me a buzz, almost as much of one as I’d gotten from Nate’s kiss. Fuck. I needed to erase that memory.

  It didn’t me take long to track Nate down once I got access to his texts. He was at a gay club called Ass-some. I’d been there once or twice, though I’d never had Darryl drive me, but I had few secrets from him. He’d been my personal driver for years, and he’d proved himself loyal.

  When Darryl pulled up in front of the club, I took a deep breath. This was probably a really stupid idea. Usually when I went out, I took more precautions to keep from being recognized. But tonight, all I could think about was finding Nate. If someone saw me, I’d try to bluff my way out. I doubted the pretense of being there on business would hold, but I would think of something. I wasn’t turning back now.

  “Are you sure you want to go inside alone, Mr. Kingston?”

  “Thanks for the concern Darryl, but I’m fine.”

  He frowned. “You’d be better off with protection.”

  “Not this time.”

  “But sir, I don’t think—”

  “I don’t need a babysitter. All I plan to do is collect Mr. Thomas. Wait here for us.”

  “Yes, sir.” He gave me the impassive you’re-crazy-but-I’m-paid-to-do-what-you-say-anyway face.

  “I’ll have security on call in case you need assistance.”

  I shook my head and walked away. As I reached the door, I could feel the music inside. The line of hot young men waiting to get in had me wishing I had time to actually enjoy myself tonight. I could find someone to help me work off some stress if I weren’t so fucking pissed at Nate. Or if my fucking father hadn’t put me in this situation to begin with.

  My thoughts stopped when I stepped inside. Men moved on the dance floor, bodies sliding against each other. The air was hot, sticky, almost tangible. How could anyone help being turned on here? Men. Women. Whatever their preference, they had to react to the sex-charged air of the place. I wanted to find a willing man, drag him to a private spot, and fuck him mercilessly without worrying who saw me or what they thought.

  I moved around the edge of the dance floor looking for Nate. When I didn’t see him, I headed for the bar.

  “What can I get for you?” the bartender asked. He was hot in that surfer way, and he smiled at me as if he wanted to do a lot more than make me a drink. Of course, he probably made his tips by doing that to all customers.

  “Scotch on the rocks.”

  “That’s quite the Daddy drink.”

  Was I that old? It felt like it sometimes.

  I’d only taken one sip when I spotted Nate. He was wearing a black tank top, jeans that were impossibly tight, and holy-fuck-me-now pink lipstick. He bent forward as a man ground up on him from behind. The movement caused pink lace to peek above the waistband of his pants. I barely stifled a groan. His ass was fucking perfect and the thought of lace stretching over those firm cheeks had me instantly hard.

  You should leave. This is a mistake.

  But Nate turned and saw me before I could get the fuck out of there. He gave me a once-over and a slow smile. Those pink lips were so inviting, and the fucker knew what he was doing to me. But no matter how much I wanted him, I’d come here to confront him, not to fuck him, so that was what I was going to do.

  He pulled the man he was dancing with against him and whispered in his ear. Then Nate let him go and stalked toward me. His wide shoulders and bulging biceps contrasted wildly with the lipstick and what I now knew for certain he wore underneath those jeans. Nate Thomas, aspiring CEO, in manties should be ridiculous; he was anything but.

  Nate stepped close and glared at me. “What are you doing here?” he asked, a challenge in his voice.

  “Coming after you.”

  Nate’s eyes widened for a moment. Did he think . . .?

  I cleared my throat. “We need to hash through this fucking proposal. You’re leaving with me, and we’re going to make a new plan—or rather you’re going to approve the changes I made to your shitty one while you were out playing.”

  “Right, because you’re a paragon of virtue who always does what’s expected.”

  I swept my eyes up and down him, trying not to get distracted. “At least I look like someone who runs a company.” That was a stupid comeback. We were at a club, not the office, but I wasn’t about to apologize.

  Nate laughed, but the sound was bitter, mocking. “At least I do what I want and have no problem admitting what I like.”

  “Oh I know what I like, but I have more sense than to pursue it.”

  “Do you?”

  Did I?

  “How did you find me here?”

  Not a subject I wanted to deal with. “I have ways.”

  “What ways? The only people who know I’m here are a few friends. I don’t think you know any of them.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe I do.”

  “No, not these friends. And I didn’t text them from my corporate phone, so you
couldn’t have found out that way.” He studied me, his face growing redder. “You didn’t.”

  My face must have given me away.

  “Oh my God, you son of a bitch. You hacked my phone.”

  “Shhh!”

  He grabbed my upper arms and squeezed hard enough to leave bruises. “Don’t you shush me. How dare you—”

  I broke his hold and held up my hands in surrender. “I overstepped. It was a mistake. I won’t—”

  “I ought to fucking prosecute you.”

  “No, you ought—”

  He leaned closer until he was right in my face. “You do that again and I will make sure the board knows about it and that you suffer. You do not invade my privacy. You—”

  “I’m sorry, okay?” My tone was disgustingly conciliatory. “Can we just go?”

  “Did you just apologize?”

  I nodded. “Yes, I did.” And Valerie said I didn’t know how.

  He opened his mouth like he was going to say more and then shook his head.

  “Come on. Let’s go.” If we kept this up, people were going to notice and then we’d both regret it.

  “I’m not going home with you, Adam.”

  I didn’t have time for this. “Yes, you are.” Nate turned to walk away but I grabbed his arm. “Kingston Corp. should be mine. I may not have a choice about sharing it with you, but I will not let you destroy it. We’re going to finish this tonight.”

  His eyes hardened. “Are we really?”

  “Yes.” We were still talking about business, weren’t we?

  Nate ran his tongue over his pink lips. “We could settle things here.”

  My heart hammered as Nate looked down at me. I let my gaze wander over his bare arms. They were amazing enough in dress shirts, but like this . . . And that fucking lipstick. Dear God. The thought drew my attention back to his mouth. I wanted it on me right fucking then.

  Pull yourself together.

  “Approve my revision, and we can be done with this.”

  “I’m not signing anything that doesn’t include better provisions for anyone who’s laid off and more of a focus on quality control.”

  “I could tell the board about all this,” I said, gesturing to his outfit and around at the club.

  Nate froze. Horror flashed across his face before anger replaced it.

  My throat constricted, and I forced myself to swallow. What had I done? No matter how angry I was, I’d never use his sexuality or his kinks against him.

  I expected him to walk away. I would’ve let him go, but he yanked me toward the door. “You want to go to your place. Fine, that’s what we’ll do. But I won’t roll over. I own half this company and I get a say, no matter what the hell I wear or who the hell I wear it for. And don’t forget, I know your secrets too.”

  My conscience had been right. I’d made a big mistake coming after him.

  Darryl’s eyes widened when he saw Nate. So much for Mr. Impassive Driver.

  “We’re going to my apartment,” I told him.

  “Yes, sir,” he said but didn’t move.

  “Now.”

  “Um . . . yes, sorry, sir.”

  Nate still hadn’t let go of me. Damn, I hoped no one was watching us, hoping for a story or their ten seconds of internet fame. They could get quite a shot of the two of us like this. At least it would be free publicity for Kingston.

  Nate didn’t say a word on the ride. He hardly even looked at me. Most of the time he stared out the window and fiddled with a string on the hem of his jeans.

  Darryl pulled the car into the garage where we could walk straight to the elevator and take it up to my penthouse apartment. That way few people would see us.

  “Should I wait here, sir?” Darryl asked.

  I glanced at Nate. “No, thank you,” he said. “I’ll get my own ride home.”

  “You can always call me or one of the other drivers, Mr. Thomas.”

  He smiled. “Thank you, Darryl.”

  My legs were shaky as we walked toward the elevator. I hated myself for it, but I was nervous as fuck about what would happen once we got upstairs. I sure as hell didn’t think it was going to be us coming to an amiable compromise on the future of the company and singing “Kumbaya” together.

  I unlocked my apartment, pushed the door open, and gestured for Nate to go inside.

  When I’d closed the door behind me. I crossed the room and poured myself a drink. “Scotch?”

  “No.” His tone was cold.

  “So what do you hippie types drink? Organic beer?”

  “I like Manhattans, but I prefer a clear head around you.” So he was going to try to take the high ground. Bastard.

  “Are you truly clear-headed now? Didn’t you have a drink at the club?”

  “Nothing but water.” He studied me for a moment. “Why am I here?”

  “To settle on a joint plan once and for all.”

  He gave me a once-over. Scorn or interest? I had no fucking idea.

  “Really?” he asked. “You had to come looking for me at the club? You couldn’t wait until first thing tomorrow?”

  “We only have until tomorrow night.”

  He wandered over to look out the floor-to-ceiling windows in my living room. “But if, as you said, I have no choice but to sign, I could easily do that in the morning.”

  “We both know that’s wishful thinking on my part. I often state what I want as though it were already absolute truth. Most people just go along with me.”

  “I’ve noticed, but we could’ve handled it tomorrow either way.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not a patient man.”

  “So you came after me because you were impatient.”

  I nodded.

  “Impatient for me to agree to your plan?” I had a feeling he knew exactly what I was impatient for.

  “Why did you kiss me?” I regretted the question as soon as I’d asked.

  He smirked as if I’d just confessed what he’d suspected all along. “Because as much as I find you arrogant, selfish, and possibly unstable, there’s something about you that fucking turns me on.”

  Any chance of me not being hard for the rest of the conversation died then. “That’s ridiculous. You can’t stand me.”

  “True, and you don’t like me either, but you sure as hell kissed me back.”

  “You’re hot as fuck. I think you know that.”

  He gave a Cheshire cat smile. “How have you managed to hide the fact that you’re gay all this time? I’ve never even heard rumors.”

  My heart rate sped up. I could hear it whooshing in my ears. “I’m not gay.”

  “Um . . . what just happened would say otherwise.”

  “I’m bisexual.” There. I’d said it, even if my hands were shaking.

  “So all those women weren’t a cover.”

  “No.”

  “But all your men were dirty secrets.”

  My face felt like it was on fire. I looked away.

  “What? No comeback?”

  A wave of nausea and dizziness hit me. A full-blown panic attack was a possibility if I didn’t get out of there. I ran to the bathroom and shut the door, barely resisting slamming it. Would he leave if I stayed there long enough?

  A few seconds later, Nate knocked. “Adam, come out of there so we can talk.”

  I held on to the counter as the room whirled around me. “No.”

  “Come out, or I’m coming in.”

  “I . . .” My words died, because I had no idea what I wanted: his arms around me, or to disappear and never have to confront him.

  Nate opened the door, and I just stood there, hands shaking, watching him in the mirror, wondering if I should kiss him or shove him away and lock him out.

  “I want you too if that helps.”

  I didn’t respond.

  “Turn around and look at me, Adam.”

  I didn’t mean to obey him. My body simply moved without my permission.

  He took a few steps until he
was right in front of me. “I’m calling a truce.”

  I had to swallow before I could speak. “For how long?”

  “Until we finish with this.” He gazed pointedly at my cock.

  “So I’m just supposed to ignore the fact that Kingston is falling apart and I can’t work with you?”

  “That’s right.”

  “How?”

  He sank to his knees in front of me. “Because I’m gong to suck your cock.”

  Fuck. “That’s a good reason.”

  “Yes,” he said as he unbuttoned my pants. “It is.”

  Nate opened my fly, but he didn’t pull my cock out, instead he leaned in and nuzzled it. I tensed. He hadn’t even touched bare skin yet and it was already clear I wouldn’t be able to hold anything back from him.

  “Relax,” he said, his voice low and rough, his breath warm against me.

  “I used to imagine you were Satan in hippie guise. Maybe I was right. You’re absurdly good at this seduction thing.”

  He chuckled. “Stop thinking.”

  “I can’t. That’s one of the reason why I never—” He mouthed my cock though my briefs. “Holy fuck!”

  “Like that, do you?” he looked up, his pink lips slightly parted, eyes dark.

  “I . . . um . . . yes.”

  This time his smile was completely genuine. “Now I know what to do to make the sass stop.”

  “I . . .” Never finished. He shoved my pants and my briefs down and my cock sprang free and reached for his mouth.

  “Mmm, you certainly do want this.”

  I groaned. “Shut up and get on with it.”

  “No talking. No moving either. Hold the counter and do nothing.”

  “You can’t tell me—”

  He raised a brow and my hands went to the edge of the counter. “Much better.”

  I didn’t do obedient or submissive or . . . Nate. Yet here I was taking all his commands. He had me mesmerized as I watched his hand slide up and down my cock.

  When he licked the tip, I jerked, unprepared for just how good that would feel. It had been a damn long while, at least based on my usual standards. I’d burned out on paying for sex—yeah, I did that and so do a lot of other people, don’t judge—and gold diggers and hookups I regretted before I even got off. But Nate was different, not just because this wasn’t sex-for-hire, but because he made me feel so much with just the touch of his hand. Being with him was already better than the last dozen rounds of sex I’d had and we’d hardly started.