“All good. We can walk.”
He groaned, but let himself be pulled along. “We don’t really have time for this.”
“You absolutely do. Your meeting with Ms. Rollins got moved to Monday—”
“What?”
“—so you have breathing room.” Nolan cringed, but didn’t stop moving. “I knew you’d be pissed.”
“Damn right I’m pissed. We killed ourselves for her, and she’s not even here to get what she demanded out of us.”
Nolan gave his arm a quick squeeze before letting it go. “I know. But I have something you need to see that will change your mood. Okay?”
Nothing about this entire situation was okay. “I have nothing else to do, apparently. Fine.”
The streets were busy with morning commuters, shoppers, and people going about their day. By the time they reached the gym, Zack was more than ready to be done with all of them. “Okay, what was so important?”
He should have known something big was up simply from the look of excitement on Nolan’s face. The moment they stepped through the doors, the sounds of people working overwhelmed him.
Gone was the stench of mold and grime that used to hit him whenever he walked into the old building; in its place were the smell of cleaning supplies and the sounds of young voices.
“What the hell’s going on?”
Nolan’s grin brightened. “With you so busy the past week, I had a bit of time to work out the details with the contractor. We’re going to have him and the students every day for the next three weeks. When he found out what you were planning to do with the place, the youth programs, he was able to get some of his buddies on board as well. We still have to pay them for labor, but it’s cheap and they’re getting us all the materials at barely above cost.”
Zack didn’t know what to say. He’d dreamed for so long about finally making some headway with this project, but he had never been able to make any progress. It had taken Nolan only a week to accomplish more than what Zack and Max together had done in six months.
“I thought there was paperwork? Max said there was a shit-ton and it would take weeks.”
“Well, there is. I talked to the school, found out what we can and can’t do, what we need permission for, etc.” Nolan shrugged. “Still some things to finalize. Today was supposed to simply be a scouting session. But when they got here and saw the state of the place, they bought some cleaning supplies and got to work.”
“I could kiss you.”
The blush that exploded across Nolan’s cheeks was stunning. “Please don’t. Until later, I mean.”
Their moment of privacy evaporated when the contractor came over and introduced himself. Zack grilled him on a number of points before talking to some of the students. It seemed they were all interested in taking some lessons once the youth program was up and running. He answered as many questions as he could, all the while completely aware of Nolan. Like he normally did, Nolan had slid into the background, letting Zack take center stage.
Before he knew it, the boys went back to work, and he and Nolan were on their way to the office.
“Max will be blown away by what you’ve managed to do in such a short time. If you’re not careful, he’ll be after you to come run Frantic for him.”
“I have a boss, thanks.”
Zack stopped and took Nolan by the arm. “I’m more than that.”
“What?”
God, he was too cute when he was surprised. “I’d like to think I’m your friend.”
Nolan’s blush returned. “Of course.”
“And your lover.”
It was so easy to say the words, even standing in the middle of a crowded street. Here they were anonymous, two men in a city of millions. Two lonely, horny men who’d drifted along in their lives until they’d crashed together. Zack knew as soon as they returned to work they’d fall into their normal roles, and Nolan would fade into the background, doing all the dirty work that no one else would.
Nolan cared so deeply. He’d been hurt, yet somehow managed to continue helping others. For one day, Zack wanted to enjoy that man, to be with Nolan and not his assistant. He didn’t want clandestine sexual moments; he wanted a day to appreciate the company of a man he’d grown to admire and care for.
“Is everything ready for Monday’s meeting with Samantha?”
“As ready as it can be. We now have three extra days to confirm the details, but everything was in your inbox this morning when I arrived.”
“Good. Can the guys lock up the gym when they’re done?”
Nolan gaped at him before nodding. “Of course. I had to give them a key and the code―”
“Let’s go.” Zack didn’t give him time to react; he tugged Nolan along with him when he didn’t immediately move.
“Where . . . What are . . . Hey!”
“Keep walking. We’re going for breakfast.”
Nolan stumbled briefly before getting his footing and falling into step beside him. Zack held on to his hand to ensure he wouldn’t take off.
For his part, Nolan didn’t try to pull away. “You do realize that it’s almost noon.”
“Brunch, then. I’m hungry and tired and want to enjoy your company.”
Zack had worked for years trying to not be the man who gave in to every impulse, whether it was his anger, lust, or any other emotion. He failed some days, but he’d learned to keep moving forward after the occasional slip. He could allow himself this indulgence. Giving in to this urge to be with Nolan, to keep him all to himself for a few hours, was something that couldn’t have a downside.
Since he was acting on impulse, there was no reason not to throw all caution to the wind. Instead of going to a swanky restaurant, he marched them over to a street vendor. “Sausage with kraut, and a pretzel. What do you want?”
“Ah, same. I guess.” Nolan was staring at him, no doubt trying to determine whether he’d had a nervous breakdown.
“I’m fine.”
“If you say so.”
It was probably for the best that Nolan didn’t realize how close Zack was to kissing him right then. How much he wanted to take him home and spend the next several hours stripping him bare to fuck him into the mattress.
Now that he thought about it . . .
He waited until the vendor handed over their food. Then he paid with the twenty he kept in his wallet for emergencies and led Nolan to the street to flag down a cab.
“Where are you taking me now?” Nolan followed the question with a huge bite of his sausage. When he licked his lips, removing some of the greasy residue from his skin, Zack knew he wasn’t going to make it all the way to a private place before giving in to his next impulse.
Grabbing Nolan by the tie, he pulled him in for a hard kiss, drawing it out just long enough to lick some of the grease for himself. “Home. Now.”
He could have walked them back to the office so he could get his car and drive them to his condo, but that would have wasted precious time. Every minute they took to get back to his place was a minute he couldn’t take to seduce Nolan properly.
If Nolan had any issues with the plan, he didn’t voice them. When a cab finally stopped for them, they fell into the back, happily crowding one another. Zack held himself in check for the entire ride, eating his breakfast without really tasting it. The food had quickly become irrelevant; it was simply another thing in the way, delaying the acquisition of his prize.
The ride took too long. Paying the cabbie took too long. The elevator took too long and was also far too crowded for his liking. When they finally reached his floor, Zack grabbed Nolan’s arm and tugged him along once again.
Nolan did nothing to stop Zack, but when they reached his condo door and Zack threw it open, Nolan didn’t move immediately from the hall to follow him inside.
Zack finally stopped and really looked at him. “Are you okay?”
Nolan swallowed and looked down the hall toward the elevator. “Yup.”
Fuck, he’d screwed
up again. “You don’t have to come in. I want you to. I want to get you naked on my bed. I want to lick and touch every inch of you. But if you don’t want the same, you can say no. You can walk away and nothing will change.”
“If I come in, everything will change.” Nolan shook his head. “I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”
“How so? How could you being here, letting me treat you with the respect you deserve, be wrong in any way?”
Nolan chuckled. “Is this about me? You’ve barely looked at me since the gym. Just dragged me along behind you all the way here.”
“Of course it’s about you.” Zack held his arms open and tried to choose his words carefully, terrified that he’d mess this up, say the wrong thing, and lose his chance forever. “I . . . I know my faults. I know what others think of me, and until recently, I’d accepted that I was the office villain. My temper was my weakness, and no matter how much I tried to shove it deep down, I was destined to fail. It wasn’t until you showed up in my life that I found a way to keep things together. Your presence, you simply being near me has changed me, my perception of things.”
Nolan didn’t say anything, but Zack could see unshed tears building in his eyes.
“I know that sounds like it’s about me. I’m not saying it well. You . . . you’ve been through so much in the past few years. You’ve had to rebuild your life, changing the things that made you who you were. It didn’t stop you. I don’t think I’d have been able to rebuild my life the way you’ve had to, and still stay caring of others. It’s . . . inspiring. You make me want to be better. But I’m not good at saying it. If you come in, I can show you what I think of you, how much I’ve come to respect you. How much I want to make love to you.”
Nolan choked out a half sob, half laugh. “You suck at seduction.”
“I know.” He held out his hand. “I’ve always been a man of action.”
It took a moment, but Nolan finally slipped his hand into Zack’s. “Okay, then.”
Nolan’s heart pounded so hard in his chest he was terrified he’d have a heart attack before he saw this—whatever this was with Zack—through to its conclusion. Sex? Yeah, they were totally going to have proper naked sex, possibly even in a bed. If it were simply that, Nolan knew he wouldn’t be freaking out the way he currently was.
Nolan hadn’t felt so overwhelmed since his last visit to Frantic, and that hadn’t ended the way he’d hoped. If he wanted to avoid the descent into a full-blown panic attack, then he needed to catch his breath and go through his anxiety-reduction techniques.
If Zack was bothered by his damp hands, he didn’t say anything. Zack led him into the living room; big windows flanked by long gray curtains filled the far wall. Light spilled across the hardwood floor, creating beautiful patterns while bits of dust sparkled in the beams. Aside from that, the condo was clean and hardly looked lived in. Nolan turned around and took in as much as he could. There was a lingering scent of furniture polish or some other cleaning supply. Having seen how messy Zack’s office got, Nolan had no doubt he paid for a cleaning service here.
There wasn’t a lot of personality, nothing that screamed out Zack Anderson lives here, see! But the generic look of the space had a calming effect on Nolan; it seemed like neutral territory. He felt some tension drain from his shoulders, and realized his breathing had already slowed down. His heart still raced, but not from panic.
The honk of cars on the streets below easily reached him, as did the click and whir of the fridge compressor coming on.
He felt Zack move behind him, noted the smell of his aftershave and the lingering scent of the sausage they’d eaten.
“Let me take your coat.”
Warm hands slid Nolan’s suit coat from his shoulders, fingers grazing his arms as Zack freed him from the material. The heat that had encased him since they’d climbed into the cab dissipated, leaving his nipples hard from the change. Hot breath tickled the back of his neck, making it nearly impossible for him to concentrate on anything beyond Zack.
He was only vaguely aware of Zack tossing the jacket somewhere behind them. He was more focused on the press of Zack’s body against his back, the gentle caress of fingertips along his sides, and the subtle thrust of a hard cock against his ass.
“Can I get you anything?” Zack’s voice was a rumble beside his ear. His fingers ghosted to Nolan’s stomach to tease the skin hiding beneath his shirt. “A drink?”
“No.”
Zack moved both hands to Nolan’s waistband. “Do you need me to stop?”
“God, no.” He didn’t know what might happen beyond this day, past this moment. He wasn’t willing to stop or even pause, for fear that they’d never have another chance.
Sure fingers began to work the front of his pants open. Hands brushed across the fabric of his briefs, sending chills through Nolan and making his cock impossibly hard. Unlike their previous times together, there was no sense of urgency or danger. There was no risk of them getting caught, or running out of time.
His anxiety didn’t threaten to rear up and ruin what could possibly be the best moment of his recent life. He gave himself permission to relax and simply be with Zack, enjoy their stolen time together in the middle of the day. He leaned against Zack’s chest and let his head fall back until it rested on Zack’s shoulder.
A soft groan was punctuated by a roll of Zack’s hips. “I haven’t been able to get you out of my head. I’ve jerked off nightly remembering what we’ve done together. I want more. Always more.”
Briefly, Nolan thought he might pass out. No one had ever said these things to him before, had wanted him for anything more than a few dates. He felt special, and the fact that these words were being spoken by a man like Zack made it all the more special.
Fingers at his throat, working his tie open, had Nolan swallowing hard. When Zack began to work open his shirt buttons, he held his breath and tried to memorize each brush against his throat.
Zack took his time, teasing Nolan’s chest as he nipped and licked at his neck. His cock stiffened more at the sound of Zack’s clothing against his, the occasional catch of Zack’s breath, the press of Zack’s erection against his ass.
Shit, this was really going to happen.
“What do you like? What do you want?” Zack rubbed his thumb across Nolan’s nipple. “Do you want me to tease you?”
He chuckled. “I think any teasing you’d do is likely to kill me.”
“That sounds like a challenge.”
“It so wasn’t.”
“Fairly certain it was.” Zack nipped the side of his neck. “A chance to see if I can make my resourceful, sexy assistant come apart before I fuck him senseless. That’s a challenge I’ll happily take.”
God, he was so screwed.
Still pressed against his back, Zack directed him toward a hallway. “Bedroom is that way.”
A bed was a good idea. “That’s the best plan you’ve had all week.” Nolan reached back awkwardly and squeezed Zack’s ass.
If Zack had another smart-ass comeback, he didn’t manage to get it out before he moaned against Nolan. The gentle prodding to move quickly became commanding shoves. There was only so much either of them could take, and apparently Zack was close to his limit.
Which was a good thing because Nolan didn’t know how long he’d last with all of this stimulation.
The walk to Zack’s bedroom was made challenging by his loosened pants. They shuffled along as they stole kisses and touches until Zack pushed open the bedroom door. This was the one room Nolan had assumed would contain something of Zack, but it was much the same as the rest of his place: neat and slightly impersonal. Maybe he didn’t spend much time here and simply never got around to decorating it to his liking. Still, something about it broke Nolan’s heart.
“What is going on in that brain of yours?” Zack turned him around and looked right into his eyes. “You stiffened up. Do you want me to stop?”
“No!” He laughed and shook his head. “Not
at all. I was surprised at how . . . how . . .” He waved his hand around the room. “Doesn’t scream Zack.”
Zack responded with an eye roll and shoved him onto the bed. “Please criticize my home after sex. I promise you’ll see it in a better light when we’re done.” He started on his clothing, holding Nolan’s gaze as he did.
There was no way Nolan could have looked away, even if he’d wanted to.
As far as he was concerned, there was nothing more intimate than watching a man get undressed. It didn’t matter if they were putting on a show or not; for Nolan, the act of stripping off the layers, leaving no barriers between them, showed a level of trust he cherished. Zack, more than any other person he knew, constantly lived behind a wall. He’d caught glimpses of the man hidden beneath the fortifications in their previous stolen moments. But here and now, watching Zack undo each button as he revealed inch after inch of his firm chest, Nolan knew everything would be on display.
The soft whoosh of cotton falling to the floor registered somewhere in Nolan’s head, but most of his attention was trained on his first sight of a half-naked Zack. Dark chest hair covered firm pecs, trailing down to dust a six-pack. Shit, Nolan had known Zack was fit, had felt as much before, but sitting in front of him—eyes to abs—was a nearly religious experience.
The vision also severely contrasted with Nolan’s broken body.
“I’ve never had sex with someone as hot as you.” Nolan hesitated, but finally reached out and trailed his fingers across Zack’s stomach. “How are you even real?”
“I’m very real and far from perfect.” Zack cupped Nolan’s cheek, caressing the skin with his thumb. “You of all people should know that.”
Turning his face into Zack’s hand, Nolan kissed his palm. “I think we’re talking too much.”
“I think you’re right.” Zack gently pushed Nolan’s shoulders until he was lying on his back. “Now, where was I?”
Nolan grinned. “Getting naked?”
“You first.”
His pants were already undone, so when Zack reached down to slide them off his legs, there was little he could do to slow the process. It didn’t matter that Zack had already seen his scars; the moment the cool air brushed across the exposed skin, Nolan’s heart pounded and his throat tightened.
Working It Page 16
