Unbreak Him

by Sam E. Kraemer

  Grant grabbed a piece of paper to leave a note. Kyle walked over to see what he was writing, smiling.

  Lance: Someone drained and closed Kyle's checking account. Could you possibly look into it? Call him at the firm for details on Tuesday. Happy Birthday! Grant and Kyle

  They left it on the counter next to the coffee maker before they left the house, walking down to the road where they'd instructed the Uber to meet them. Once they were safely inside, they held hands the whole way home. Kyle had no idea what the next steps were, but they had a presentation the next day, and he was fired up about it. He hoped it was just the beginning of the two of them figuring out work and personal relationships. He had a feeling they'd be very good at both.

  "Everyone's on board?" Grant asked as they reviewed the final three concepts for the coffee presentation.

  Kyle saw the three other people, aside from himself and Grant, nod in agreement. "Perfect. Our car will be downstairs in fifteen minutes. We're meeting in a conference room at The Rittenhouse where the Velasquez brothers are staying," Kyle began.

  "Andres and Alejandro. They're twins," Grant further clarified.

  "Okay, so we'll be downstairs," Kyle finished. After everyone left the room, the two men were there alone, and Kyle could see Grant's nerves were spiking.

  "How's your back?" Grant asked. He'd insisted upon putting another large gauze over Kyle's back after his morning shower. Kyle wished the man had showered with him, but baby steps were what was needed for the two of them to get to the place Kyle wanted them to be.

  They kissed when they were at the row house alone, and Kyle intended for them to have many more dates after he figured out his financial situation. He'd already declared his love for the man.

  Kyle hoped and prayed when Grant told him he loved him in return, he meant it. He needed the man to mean it.

  Kyle was in awe as he watched Grant work his magic with Andres and Alejandro Velasquez—Alejandro the younger by eight minutes. They were quite handsome, almost mirror images of each other, but they played things very close to the vest.

  "Our father, Diego, is still in charge of the business, but he doesn't like to leave the property, so he sent us. How did you determine this was the best campaign?" Alejandro asked in perfect English. Hell, he sounded much more polished than Kyle.

  "Ah, well, when we found out you were looking, my artist set up a little taste test for us. Kyle, please explain what you did," Grant suggested. Kyle felt his body freeze for a moment, never having been pushed into the spotlight, but he felt Grant's hand on his thigh, squeezing hard.

  He shook off the nerves and smiled. "Well, sirs, it was an easy task. I simply bought your beans at the market on the corner of our block and ground them. I made a pot of your coffee and a pot of the coffee our firm uses from the vendor. When I put them before the team, it was unanimous. We all preferred your coffee to the other, and I found out when I spoke with accounting, we could contract with your U.S. vendor cheaper than the vendor we used for the lesser coffee," Kyle explained. Thankfully, he'd priced it out, so he wasn't lying.

  They both stood and examined the boards displayed around the room. One was a woman who had just sent her kids out the door to a waiting school bus. She was dressed in a business suit, and the tag line rang true… "Treat yourself to something special in the morning. Aren't you worth it?"

  They had two variations…one being the captain of a fishing vessel, and the other being a policewoman in full uniform. It could work for any demographic, and the team was proud of it. "We could target different professions, depending on where the commercials or print ads would be viewed. For instance, in South Florida, it could be an older couple on a back deck gazing out at the ocean, or a cab driver in New York. It could be a cowboy in Texas gazing out over a field of cattle, or a potter in New Mexico sitting at the wheel," Kyle suggested, seeing the team smile. They'd bounced the ideas in the van on the way to the hotel, and they were all happy about them.

  "And overseas?" Alejandro asked, surprising them. A fancy firm in Spain handled their advertising in Europe, and as far as Kyle knew, there wasn't a plan to go global with the campaign.

  He looked at Grant, who seemed stunned for a moment before he cleared his throat. "Well, our ideas are proprietary, but I'm sure we could adapt them in conjunction with your foreign firms for your European and Asian markets.

  "I understand you've had trouble breaking into the Middle East, understandably, but I'm confident we could adjust the campaign for any market you should desire. Of course, it will take more than just my team to see it to fruition, but we can add international markets into the proposal should you desire to consolidate your marketing strategy and rely on one firm."

  The brothers looked at each other and smiled. "Rework the proposal, Mr. Cummings. We believe your ideas would suit our global marketing efforts better than our current advertising campaigns, as well as our North American aspirations. We'd like an updated proposal before we leave the States on the twenty-fifth of the month. We've never experienced an American Thanksgiving, so we're leaving the day after," Andres stated.

  They all shook hands before the team left the conference room. Once they were all on the elevator to the lobby, Kyle released a held breath. He turned to see Grant was staring straight ahead without moving an inch. "I, uh, I think we did well," Kyle stated for the benefit of the team, who seemed to be worried.

  After the doors of the elevator opened, Grant walked out with the four of them trailing behind. He went to the bar and pointed to a table for the team to take a seat. The place was empty, which wasn't a surprise at two in the afternoon, in Kyle's estimation.

  "So, um, did everyone have a good weekend?" he asked, trying to break the tension. Everyone was freaking out because Grant hadn't said a word, and Kyle was trying to put them all at ease until he could figure out what was going on.

  "I, uh, I babysat my niece this weekend. She's fifteen months, and I'm thinking about sterilization," Nancy offered, bring a laugh from Amy and Zach.

  "My parents are in town, and I'd like to plunge a dull knife into my temple. My mother is the most critical person I've ever met in my life," Amy added, bringing nods and laughs from those at the table.

  "I dumped my cheating girlfriend. I'm doing a personal housecleaning in preparation for the holidays. I think next year is my year to find my soul mate," Zach told them. They all nodded again.

  Suddenly, there were champagne glasses and a large silver bucket at the end of the table. There were three bottles in the ice, and when Grant sat down, he nodded to the bartender. The man popped the cork and poured everyone a drink. It was then Kyle noticed it was costly champagne, so he sighed in relief.

  Grant stood from his seat next to Kyle and smiled. "I apologize for my silence, but I'm still a bit gobsmacked by what happened up there. I knew we were a solid team, and I believe adding Kyle has only made us stronger. I want to thank all of you for weathering this year with me. You deserve a better leader than me, but you make me look good, so thank you.

  "Here's to the most successful team at T&A. Ladies and gentlemen, we just snagged ourselves a whale," Grant told them as he held up his glass.

  Everyone rose from the table and touched glasses. Kyle could see they didn't really understand what Grant meant any more than he, but they were all very, very happy. It was a resounding success in their estimation, and Kyle was delighted to be sharing it with Grant. He hoped it was only the first of many achievements the two could share. The future was shaping up to be a thing of beauty.

  Grant and Kyle arrived at Felicity's home on Wednesday evening. They'd been hard at work revamping their proposal to cover international markets, and they'd had to enlist about twelve other people to help out, but Kyle knew Grant's senior partnership was secure, and it made him happy.

  Grant had driven them in his new SUV, and when Kyle rang the bell, Felicity opened the door, looking none too happy. "You're late," she snapped.

  Usually, she came to Grant's home
to have the "come to Mistress" meetings, but Felicity had demanded the two of them show up at her house that Wednesday after Lance's birthday party, and both were a little afraid to deny her.

  "We've been working on a…" Kyle began the explanation, happy to share their news.

  She turned to him and slapped him across the face. "Did I say you could speak?"

  It was then he noticed she was dressed in leather pants and a black-lace, strapless bustier. Her long, dark hair was braided over her shoulder, and she had a leather choker around her neck with a large, sparking "L" pendant. Knowing Felicity, it wasn't made with glass crystals. The fact she seemed pissed had his full attention.

  Grant dropped to the floor slowly, bending at the waist. He actually tugged Kyle's trouser leg, but Kyle wasn't going to bow before her. He wasn't a submissive, regardless of the way he'd behaved at the party to assist Grant in saving face in the community.

  Kyle saw Felicity roll her eyes. "Get up, Grant. I was just testing the two of you to see how far you've really come. This will be our last session," she stated, brooking no argument.

  She then looked at Kyle with a deathly glare. "I would never have approved of your behavior on Sunday because I believe Grant should have been honest with those assholes, but I think it was one of the kindest gestures I've ever witnessed in my life. Don't you ever beat yourself again, or I'll beat the two of you on your asses, and you won't sit down for days," she ordered as she kept them in the entryway of her home.

  Kyle helped Grant from the floor and held his hand. He could feel the man trembling, and it matched his own concern. "Yes, Ma'am," Grant responded, squeezing Kyle's hand.

  "Yes, Ma'am," he answered as well.

  Felicity then softened her face and smiled. "Okay. Now, I'm not going to invite you to the Christmas Munch I'm having, no offense, but I really want to keep the two of you out of that business. Instead, I'd like to invite you to spend Christmas Eve with Lance and me. It'll be an intimate affair, but we'd like to have you both join us. Will you?" she asked.

  As Kyle was about to respond, he heard feet hammering down the stairs, turning to see Lance. "Got it. Sorry to keep you waiting, guys. Kyle, man, you're a victim, like about three thousand people at your bank. Some asshole hacked into their mainframe and drained accounts, closing them after they had the money wire-transferred to a bank in another country. It's sad because it's the small account holders they went after instead of the big fish, but I've been working with their IT guy all afternoon, and we got to the bottom of it. Your bank will contact you next week, probably, regarding a suitable solution.

  "Just to be sure, I grabbed their mailing list while I was in their system, and I sent a message to all the account holders to alert them to the hack so the bank can't try to cover it up or deny it. I also encouraged them to explore filing a class action suit, so you have that going in your favor if you wish to get involved. In the meantime, I'd suggest you stop your direct deposits from your job and open a new account," Lance suggested.

  Kyle was actually relieved. "So, it's not someone with an ax to grind?"

  Lance chuckled as he pulled Felicity into his arms. "Not unless you know someone in North Korea. Now, get out. My woman needs me to get her head straight, and I'm damn sure gonna be useful. We'll reschedule lunch, okay?" he asked Kyle.

  "Yep. Call me," Kyle responded as he and Grant showed themselves out.

  Grant chuckled the whole way, but once they were outside, Kyle took him into his arms. "How do you feel about what she said?" he asked.

  "I think I need my man. You ready to make yourself useful?" Grant asked with a cocky smile on his face. Kyle leaned forward and kissed him with all the passion he'd been holding inside himself. Grant returned it, and they actually stood in front of Felicity's large home for thirty minutes, kissing and grinding against each other. The ride home was going to be too long, but Kyle was willing to wait for Grant to make the second move. He'd made the first one well enough.

  Chapter 16

  As they were driving home, Kyle felt he needed to ask a few questions. He was pretty sure how things would proceed once they arrived at Grant's house, and he wanted to leave no room for misunderstandings. There needed to be a frank discussion of a sexual nature, and he was a bit nervous about having it, but it was necessary.

  They were sitting at a stoplight when Grant cleared his throat. "I'm a bottom, in case it wasn't glaringly apparent."

  Kyle nodded. "Is that your preference or is it just what your other partners demanded?" he responded. He refused to refer to them as Master or Dom because the way he saw it, acknowledging them in such fashion gave them a hold over Grant, which Kyle wouldn't accept. They were in his past, just where they were going to stay.

  "Well, um, I was never given a choice, but I don't dislike it. What about you?" Grant asked.

  "I like both," Kyle responded honestly. The guard he used to fuck around with at Allenwood refused to bottom, and since opportunities for consensual sex were nearly nil in prison, he adapted and came to enjoy it.

  The car swerved a bit, catching Kyle's attention. He turned to see Grant with a small smile on his face, and he couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, it could happen if you want it to," he responded as he took Grant's hand resting on the console, squeezing it gently. Yes, he'd be more than happy to have Grant Cummings top him.

  At the next stoplight, Grant turned to Kyle and smiled. "While we're talking about things that might be a bit uncomfortable, why don't you contact your building management and give up your apartment? I'll gladly pay the three months' rent to get you out of your lease. I'd like you to stay here with me. It's nice to come home to someone."

  Kyle decided he didn't want to cloud the issue… which was sex… with practical things like whether it was a good idea to move in with his boss who he'd only really known for about three months, or whether his ego could take the hit if he had to borrow rent money from Grant until he could get his banking situation figured out. He was thrilled he'd never applied for a credit card, in light of the shit that happened with his checking account.

  Instead of repeating the babbling in his head, he chuckled. "Let's see how this goes first." Thankfully, Grant laughed with him.

  They pulled into the garage and made their way into the house, Grant turning on lights as they went. Kyle looked around the luxurious kitchen and thought about coming home every night with Grant. Helping him fix dinner while they listened to music and talked about things that happened during the day, which brought up another point. How much time together was too much? Could they work together and then live together and not get sick of each other?

  He felt a touch on his shoulder and turned to see Grant with a smile. "Damn, I didn't mean to make you speechless. Let's go up and change. We can relax a little. Should we order a pizza?" Kyle turned to look at him, and in that one moment, he knew in his heart he'd been gifted with meeting a truly extraordinary man.

  "How about we have something in a little while?" Kyle extended his hand, and when Grant took it, Kyle pulled him closer, gently kissing his lips. He leaned down a bit and gathered the shorter man into his arms as he backed them toward the stairs.

  They broke apart and raced up the stairs, Grant heading into his bedroom as Kyle followed, stopping at the door. "Would you prefer my room?" Kyle asked.

  "What's wrong with this room?" Grant asked as he stood at the foot of the large, California king.

  Kyle felt a little embarrassed, but he decided to press on. "How many other guys have slept in that bed with you? Cooper?"

  Grant smiled shyly before he walked over to where Kyle was fidgeting with the change in his pocket. Grant put his arms around the taller man's neck and smirked. "Oh, is my big, bad boyfriend jealous? Well, for your information, I never brought Cooper here, and he never took me to his place. We stayed in a hotel near the firm because any sex we had didn't last more than thirty minutes, and I never actually got off. He was, uh, well, not to speak unkindly, but he was a quick shot, and then he was
gone. Sometimes, we'd go for dinner, but mostly, it was a quickie at the Marriott up the block from the firm," Grant explained.

  Kyle nodded as he placed his hands on Grant's hips. "Okay, but if I sleep here with you, then I'll be the guy other guys will be jealous of."

  Grant chuckled. "Who says I won't tie you to my bed and keep you here forever? I've learned a few tricks of the trade, you know."

  It was Kyle's turn to laugh as he backed the blond up to the side of the bed. "Maybe not tie me up the first time? I'm more of a lover than a fighter." He released Grant, who began removing his tie and unbuttoning his dress shirt.

  Before Kyle knew it, they were naked on the bed, and Grant was kissing up and down his body, driving him crazy with building desire. When Grant took him into his mouth, Kyle nearly shot off the bed. After several minutes of the best blowjob he'd ever experienced in his life, he pulled Grant off. "That's going to take me out, babe. Please… I want to feel you inside me. It's been a long time," Kyle told him, seeing the surprise on Grant's face.

  "I was sure you'd want…" Grant began as Kyle looked at his cock. It was definitely a noteworthy specimen, thick and long. It wouldn't be a walk in the park, but oh, it would be worth it.

  "You've never topped, and I'd like to be your first something," Kyle assured him.

  Grant straddled his waist and leaned down, kissing him again as Kyle wrapped his arms around his soon-to-be lover's neck. When the beautiful man pulled away, he smiled. "You're already a first, Kyle… a first in several ways, as a matter of fact.

  "You're the first person I've ever met with whom I could share my dark secrets and not feel judged. You're the first person I've ever wanted to live with and try to make a life with, and you're the first man I've ever loved who's loved me back. And now, if we make love, that's another first because I've never done that before," Grant whispered to him between soft kisses on his face, neck, and chest.