by A J Sherwood
“Fortunately, I’m surrounded by people who are. I’ll get right on it, assuming my bosses approve?”
Aleks immediately raised a hand. “Approved.”
Connie did likewise, smirking. “Approved. Pull Larry in if you need to.”
For the first time, Harris looked less like a lost child and more like a fighter getting ready to step into the ring. “Oh, I will.”
Harris
Harris had created the new security software for his company because he didn’t want them using VanTech-anything. He’d mostly coded it on the weekends—before Aleks started commandeering his weekends—or tinkered with it at work. It had been nice, really, to have a project without a deadline. Once he’d beta tested it and worked out the kinks, his bosses had been surprised and pleased to have something to replace the VanTech stuff with. Harris even got an unexpected bonus for it.
He’d not thought once to make it commercially available. In all honesty, as much as he loved coding, it left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. It might take years for him to disassociate creating software from his father. Even now, as he sat there in his office, working on the code, it felt like his father breathed down his neck. Tension built and knotted his shoulders, leaving him hunched in the chair and with an impending stress headache.
Re-working his coding wasn’t difficult, certainly not enough to incite this headache, but he might have to take some heavy-duty Tylenol to get through it.
The door clicked open and he looked up automatically to see who it was. Aleks strode through, a paper sack in his hands that held something yummy and possibly greasy inside. “I had a feeling you’d work through your lunch break.”
Harris guilty looked at the clock at the bottom of the monitor screen. Oops. “I honestly hadn’t noticed the time.”
“Had a feeling.” Aleks pulled up a chair from the corner, plopping the bag and a drink container at the edge of the desk. “Got you onion rings and a burger, all the toppings but no tomato.”
Harris startled. “You remember how I like my hamburger?”
“Sure. You always order the same way.” Aleks got comfortable, as if he hadn’t said anything remarkable.
To his knowledge, they’d only eaten burgers together maybe a dozen times. Aleks hadn’t always picked up the order, either. But he still remembered it? Harris felt beyond touched Aleks had paid that much attention to him. He accepted the offerings with a wide smile.
They split ketchup packets and salt, putting napkins down to protect the desk. Harris bit in with relish, feeling better already by having good food. Or maybe it was the company.
“How goes it?” Aleks asked, jerking his chin to indicate the computer in general.
“Ah, not bad, actually. I’ve got a list of what I want to change, and so far it’s been rather easy. I’m not sure how it’ll impact the program as a whole by trimming some of these options down. Programs can be finicky sometimes. I’ll have Larry and some of the guys test it for me for a week, see what’s broken and what’s okay.”
Aleks nodded, following, but his brows beetled together. “Then why did you look so stressed when I came in?”
He didn’t actually want to answer that question. Harris found himself staring at the onion rings as he explained. “Coding under a deadline reminds me too much of…before.”
With a roll of the chair, Aleks came in closer and wrapped an arm around Harris’s shoulders, pulling him into his chest. It felt a little awkward at this angle but Harris went with it, setting his burger down before he could drop it. He couldn’t ever imagine not wanting Aleks to hug him.
Against his hair, Aleks said in a low, soothing voice, “You don’t have to do this. If it’s too much, you can set this idea aside.”
“It’s a good idea, though.” Harris leaned in further, drawing in a deep breath. It was reflex, really. Aleks smelled enticingly good. His hands found a grip in Aleks’s shirt and he held on, trying not to make it a stranglehold. “Connie’s right, it would totally undermine his power base. All he has is money.”
“It is a good idea, but it’s not going to be worth it if it steals your peace of mind. We can block him from reaching you in other ways. I don’t want this to hurt you, bem.”
“It’s not, it’s just…” Harris sighed and struggled with words, trying to find the right ones to explain. “I love coding. I’m good at it, it’s something I enjoy doing. I’ve forgotten that due to my father. Creating this program for you, it reminded me how much I loved it. It’s just working under a tight deadline that is bringing back bad memories. I want to work through that feeling, overcome it. I don’t want to be ruled by it.”
“Okay.” Aleks’s voice came out husky and he cleared it before speaking again. “Okay, if that’s what you want. But if you need to stop, just stop. No one’s holding you to this, alright? You can drop it if you need to.”
Under his ear, Harris could hear Aleks’s heartbeat. It sounded fast and hard, too fast for a normal heartbeat. Aleks was reacting to him? Harris drew back, just enough to turn his face upwards, trying to read Aleks’s expression. He knew Aleks was bi, that wasn’t news. What was news to Harris was that Aleks found him attractive.
Those dark brown eyes had turned nearly black, and Aleks’s lips parted invitingly. Harris tilted his head just so on instinct, leaning up even as Aleks met him halfway. The first brush of lips was a soft caress and sent the nerves in Harris tingling. He’d not kissed anyone before, and he’d been nervous as hell about screwing it up, but this was lovely. Aleks didn’t demand the techniques of an experienced person, just brushed their lips together lightly, taking it a little deeper each time. Harris gripped Aleks around the neck, needing more, something deeper than this semi-chaste contact.
“Hey Harris—whoops.”
They broke apart like a snapped rubber band, and Harris wanted to murder Gary on the spot. The former Marine looked at them sheepishly, the hand over his mouth poorly disguising a smile. “Sorry, sorry. The PI is here for the meeting.”
Aleks passed a hand over his face, visibly pulling himself together. “Right. We’ll come. What’s your take on him, Gary?”
“Seems a nice enough guy. Not interested in stirring up trouble, at least. Was real polite coming in.”
“So what you’re saying is, none of the guys were hanging around the front door, flexing muscles, obviously checking weapons or doing any other show of force?” Aleks stared at Gary, eyebrow arched in challenge.
Gary’s smile didn’t waver one whit. “Might have been, boss.”
“Uh-huh.” Shaking his head, Aleks stood, then caught Harris’s hand and brought him up as well.
Harris didn’t want to feel disconnected from Aleks after that sweet kiss, so he kept hold of the hand. They didn’t have time to talk about it now, but by god, they’d talk about it later. That kiss had opened a door Harris hadn’t been sure existed. He’d not pass it up by just letting the subject drop.
They walked down the hall and into the sole conference room in the whole building. One wall was pure glass, fishbowl style. To the PI sitting at the table, he likely felt it was more shooting gallery style. The man wasn’t armed—not visibly, at least. Harris had no doubt that if he’d tried to walk in with a gun, it had been taken from him before he’d even stepped out of his vehicle.
Connie was already there, looking impeccable in a powder blue suit, her hair done up in an attractive sweep. She could probably kill the PI with her stiletto heels and not get a drop of blood on her. The way the PI watched her from the corner of his eye said he knew it, too.
Well. This might not be that bad after all. The PI wasn’t blustering about taking Harris out of there, at least.
The man stood as they entered, tugging at the edges of his sleeves, and wisely not offering a hand. “Gentlemen. I’m Rick Knopf. Mr. Vanlandingham hired me to find you, Elliott.”
“Harris,” he corrected instantly. “I’m not legally Elliott Vanlandingham anymore.”
“Yeah, I know. You cove
red your tracks very well. Took me for-freaking-ever to figure out what you did.” The PI’s eyes dropped to the clasped hands, then back up, studying them both carefully. “You, ah, together?”
“Married,” Aleks answered in a clipped voice.
“Huh. No kidding. Well, Mr. De Sousa, let me tell you what I just told your partner. Vanlandingham hired me to find his son, not retrieve him. I’m sure he thought I’d drag him right back to his waiting arms, but that’s not what my contract said I’m to do. So let’s make this easy on all parties, yeah? If you’ll let me take a picture of you, Harris, and put you on a conference call with your dad and tell him I found you? And what city you’re in, we can call this good. I’ll walk right back out and you’ll never need to see me again.”
That actually sounded fine to Harris. His father would know that much information shortly, as they were filing a case against him, and the location of his lawyer at least would be disclosed. He glanced at Aleks, leaning in to confer with him in a lower tone. “I think that’s alright.”
Aleks nodded slowly. “Yes, it should be. But let’s confer with our lawyer first. There might be something we don’t know.”
That wasn’t a bad idea. Harris pulled out his phone and called up John. The man answered with amazing quickness, leading him to believe he was sitting right next to the phone. “Hi, John? It’s Harris.”
“Hello, Harris. Trouble?”
“I’m hoping not. The PI my father hired is here. He says he has no intention of taking me anywhere. He just wants to take a picture, have me on a conference call with my father, and to tell him my general location to prove he’s done the job. Is that all okay?”
“Not…really. I’d prefer you to not have any direct contact with your father at this point. Is the PI nearby?”
“Right in front of me. Want me to put the call on speaker?”
“Please.”
Harris promptly did so and then made the introductions. “Mr. Knopf, this is my attorney, John Fryne.”
“Mr. Knopf, hello. Look, I’m not really keen on your client having any contact with mine. We’re suing him not just for the contract but for abuse as well. I also would rather he not have a current picture or even a city to place Harris in. I understand you need something in order to show him and get paid, however.”
“I’d sure appreciate it,” Knopf answered bluntly. “What do you suggest?”
“I have no problem giving you a certified affidavit stating you did indeed find my client, but due to the nature of the impending lawsuit, his location is not to be disclosed. Will that work for you?”
“Yes, sir, I think it will. It’ll stand up in a court of law if I have to take him to a small claims court, won’t it?”
“That it will. And I’ll happily testify that you located Harris. Give me your number, I’ll text you my office address. Come straight here and I’ll hand you the affidavit personally.”
“That I can do. Thanks.”
It took a few more minutes to get things settled enough the PI was willing to leave. Harris found himself shifting from foot to foot, dying to get Aleks alone again. He had a kiss to talk about. Maybe a kiss to repeat. Assuming Aleks kissing him wasn’t some fluke thing, and he really hoped it wasn’t. A small eternity dragged its feet slowly by before the PI finally left and Harris basically dragged Aleks back to his office.
Aleks kicked the door shut behind him, caught Harris by the hips, and flipped him about, backing him against the door. Harris went, the door cool against his shoulders, mouth turning dry at the intense look in Aleks’s eyes. He’d never had a man look at him with such intense want before, and it sent honest to god shivers up and down his spine. “Aleks—”
“Bem. If you kiss me like that, so sweetly, you’re going to give me ideas. Let’s clear the air, right now. Do you want me?”
Words were beyond Harris. His tongue was tied into origami knots. He nodded fervently instead.
Aleks liked that answer. He stepped in a little closer, voice dropping into a low purr. “Good. I want you, too. I am enchanted by you.”
Hearing those words gave Harris courage. “Then…can we try?”
“Being in a relationship, you mean?”
“I don’t know if we can call it dating, not with us married, but…can we try to make it real?”
“I’d love to have the chance.” Aleks closed all the way in, their hips pressed together, his hands cradling Harris’s face. The words were a smoky, rasping purr. “Let’s take a chance, bem.”
Harris was not really a risk taker. Running away from home had been the riskiest thing he’d ever done. He never thought he had it in him to gamble like that again. Right now, looking at the gorgeous man he called a husband, he found the courage with surprising ease. Some risks were well worth taking.
Once again, Aleks kissed him, just as sweetly but with more intensity. He wasn’t asking this time, but taking. His own pleasure, as well as Harris’s. Harris wrapped both arms around his neck and kissed him back as fervently as he could. For all that it was just a kiss, it felt like his world changed with it.
Aleks
Aleks made very firm plans after he finally made it back to his own office. It was beyond tempting to stay with Harris and make out for the rest of the day, but unfortunately they both had things needing to be done.
But tonight, when they were both home and away from people who might interrupt them, he had every intention of seducing his young husband. Now that Harris had given him a green light, he wasn’t going to waste any time. Aleks wanted a real relationship with Harris. Harris wanted the same. By god, he’d make it happen, through sheer willpower if that’s what it took.
Aleks reminded himself—several times—that he was an experienced adult and could be patient about getting what he wanted. Then he repeated it mentally a few more times. Fine, it was more like a mantra. (Harris did not understand his appeal. That sweetly voiced ‘Can we try?’ just about laid Aleks flat out.)
By the time they did make it through the door of their apartment, Aleks’s normal shore of patience threw up empty tank lights. If he didn’t get his hands on Harris soon, he might well collapse on the spot from an overload of frustration.
The door was still swinging closed behind them when Aleks caught Harris’s arm, spun him around, and caught him up in a searing kiss. Harris gave an oomph of surprise, not expecting the abrupt attack, then slowly melted in his arms, kissing back with equal fervor. Wanting more, needing a taste of skin, Aleks trailed down to his neck, just under an ear, and worried the skin there lightly with his teeth.
Harris sighed in pleasure, tilting his head to give him more room. “I’ve been dying to kiss you since lunch.”
Basically purring in pleasure, Aleks smiled against his skin. “I almost nailed you in the car. If Gary hadn’t been following us, I would have.”
“Gary’s not here now….” Harris trailed off suggestively.
“If you’re suggesting I can take you to bed right now, then you’re correct, I absolutely can. You’re a genius for suggesting it.”
Laughing, Harris pulled free, but caught Aleks’s hand to tug him along. His expression was an interesting clash of eagerness with a trace of a shy blush on his cheeks. He wanted it—that was written all over him—but perhaps a bit of first-time nerves were duking it out in his stomach.
The last time Aleks had been with a virgin…actually, he never had, come to think of it. He’d definitely have to up his game tonight, make sure he gave Harris the best experience ever. Everyone’s introduction into sex should be all about pleasure.
Aleks couldn’t seem to go more than eight feet without getting his hands and mouth on Harris. He backed him up against the bedroom door, kissing him again, sliding his hands under Harris’s shirt to get at warm skin. Aleks didn’t normally assert this much dominance over a man, but something about Harris made him want to pin his lover against a wall, cage him in place. Was it fear that if he didn’t, Harris would leave?
The que
stion flittered away unanswered as Harris lifted his arms, helping him take the shirt off completely. It was the first unfettered view he had of bare skin and Aleks felt a heated rise of anticipation. Yes, that was lovely, he could definitely spend a long while getting to know every inch of that.
A barked-out shout caught Aleks’s attention and brought his head snapping around. It was immediately chased with sounds of a scuffle, a car alarm going off, and several more shouts. He knew the voice.
“That sounded like Gary,” Harris said, worried, and he dove for the discarded shirt.
Training kicked in and Aleks went for the gun holster hanging near the front door even as he waved Harris back. “Stay there.”
Thumbing the gun off safety, he eased the front door open to get an idea of the situation outside. His apartment was on the second floor, with an open hallway looking out over the parking lot, so it didn’t take much for him to get a good view. Gary was locked into a wrestling match with someone who encapsulated ‘mean thug.’ As Aleks watched, Gary got him into a hold, pinning him against the pavement. But that left him open to another attack from behind. The thug had not come alone, apparently. His friend was sneaking up behind Gary, a tire iron in his hands.
Aleks didn’t see anyone else—although that white SUV with the tinted windows could be harboring others—and Gary was dead meat if he didn’t move quick. He stepped out of the apartment entirely and raised his voice. “HEY! Stop and drop it.”
Tire iron guy stopped comically short, his head whipping around and up to find Aleks training a gun on him. Gary looked around sharply too, only then realizing he’d been in danger, and swore. “Dammit.”
Aleks had never been so glad he’d checked out a situation and didn’t just assume his guys could handle it. The thug had moved so quietly Gary likely hadn’t had a prayer of detecting someone else was nearby until he got a dent in his skull.
Cautiously, Harris poked his head out. “Is it safe?”
