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Evernight Publishing ®

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2014 Erin M. Leaf

ISBN: 978-1-77233-017-5

Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

Editor: JS Cook

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No
part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission,
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual
events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

To my best friend: thank you for always having my back.

THE BILLIONAIRE’S BODYGUARD

Erin M. Leaf

Copyright © 2014

Chapter One

Alex Roman opened his front door, paused, then stepped back resignedly. His best friend Jesse

barreled past him and into the house with his military duffel over his shoulder. It bulged at the seams,
as if Jesse had stuffed every article of clothing he owned inside and then added an extra pair of pants
just for kicks. In his hands, a box overflowed with more belongings.

“I can’t do it anymore, Alex. I just can’t,” Jesse said, awkwardly shrugging the bag onto the

marble floor of the foyer while simultaneously trying to juggle the box.

Alex winced as his right shoulder twinged in sympathy. He didn’t know elbows could turn that

direction.

“She’s making me crazy,” Jesse continued, the box tilting dangerously. He frowned and set it

down next to the duffel. “She told me that I was ‘emotionally unavailable,’ but what does she care?
She dumped me six months ago. We’re not even dating anymore.” He grabbed his hair with both
hands and made a face that had Alex smiling despite the late hour, the weird luggage, and Jesse’s total
lack of consideration for the fact that other people sleep at three a.m.

“And really, who says that?” Jesse continued, oblivious to Alex’s amusement. “She probably

lifted that phrase from some chick flick. Or a romance novel, or something. She can’t even argue
without quoting from someone else!”

“Why didn’t you just use your key to let yourself into my house?” Alex asked mildly, cutting

Jesse off in mid-rant. He closed and locked the front door, then reset the alarm.

“Key?” Jesse blinked at him. “My hands were full. No way I could’ve gotten my keys out. I

could barely ring the doorbell.”

“It’s the middle of the night,” Alex pointed out.
Jesse shrugged. “So?”
“So, maybe I was asleep.”
“You never sleep.” Jesse made a face. “Well, not at night anyway. Aren’t the overseas markets

trading?”

Alex rolled his eyes and walked away, heading toward his study. Jesse was right. He’d been

trading, not that it mattered. He’d just finished up for the night when the doorbell rang.

“I can stay, right?” Jesse called. “You’re not going to kick me out, are you?”
Alex smiled to himself as he walked through the elaborate wooden doors that led into his

oversized and rather opulent office. He stared at the marble fireplace and shook his head. He hated it.
He’d always hated it. The pink stone made the stained walnut paneling look diseased, but it came

with the house, so he had to live with it, along with the pretentious vases and expensive rugs. He far
preferred the sleek modernity of his office in Manhattan, but he couldn’t destroy the house he’d
inherited just because he didn’t like a few things. His grandfather would roll in his grave if he
renovated too much. Hmm, but maybe a few things here and there would be okay. It’s my house
now, after all.

“Alex?”
“No, I’m not going to kick you out. You don’t even have to ask. You know that,” Alex replied,

dismissing memories of his grandfather. He’d loved that old man more than anyone, but maybe it was
time to get over his death. It had been six years, after all. He walked across a priceless Persian carpet
to his grandfather’s hand-carved desk. His laptop sat on top, sleek and metallic, looking like
something from outer space in comparison to the warm, gleaming wood. He leaned on the desk and
tapped a few commands into the computer, shutting it down.

“Um, well, I might be here longer than usual,” Jesse said.
Alex looked up from the screen. “Longer than a few days?” That would be nice, but definitely

unusual.

Jesse looked embarrassed. “There’s six months left on the lease of my apartment.”
“So?”
“So, I can’t kick her out. Do you know how hard it is to find housing in Manhattan?” Jesse

dropped into the leather sofa in front of Alex’s desk and swung a leg up over the arm insouciantly. He
looked like a cat marking his spot: all graceful muscle and lazy attitude.

Alex forced his eyes away from his friend’s toned arms. “Yes, I do know, but it’s your

apartment, not hers. You got it before you went into the Air Force.” He didn’t understand Jesse’s
dilemma. “You had it long before you met her. Plus, she’s not your girlfriend anymore. Ergo, not your
problem. Just tell her she has to go. Give her a week’s notice.”

“She begged me, Alex.”
“She also dumped you, remember?” Alex closed his laptop and rubbed his eyes. He really,

really, wished Jesse wouldn’t date losers. He invariably hated the women his best friend picked, and
when they broke up, as always, he hated the way Jesse moped around even more. A sad and defeated
Jesse made Alex want to do something drastic.

Like kiss him. Or bitch-slap his ex. Neither of those options would end well for anyone. He

sighed. “You know you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you like. Forever, even. I’ve told you
that before.” He frowned as he looked at his friend. Jesse’s blue eyes were bloodshot and tired. “You
need to get some rest.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, man. My relationships never work out.” Jesse craned his

head back, eyes flickering over the mural on the ceiling. “I mean, you don’t think I’m emotionally
unavailable, do you?”

Alex grimaced. “No, I don’t. Do we really have to talk about this? Why can’t we just drink

some booze and call it a night?”

“She said that I kept part of my heart locked away.” Jesse slumped further down the sofa.

“Where does she think I put it? In a jar? Ugh.”

Alex didn’t want to tell his best friend that he probably spent too much time with him and not

enough time with her. He’d never even met the woman, but he knew that’s what she thought. Any
woman would be angry about having to share her time with some unknown friend. He had no intention
of bringing it up, though. Because you’re a selfish bastard, and you don’t want him to stop hanging
out with you, especially now that he’s back home for good, he told himself. “Are we actually having

a relationship conversation?” He walked over to the sideboard and poured himself a shot of brandy.
“If so, I need fortification,” he muttered.

“I’m not emotionally unavailable,” Jesse repeated morosely. “I’m reserved. I’m not into big

scenes and all that crap.”

“You look pretty emotional to me right now,” Alex said, handing him a glass.
Jesse took it and sipped. “Gee, thanks.”
Alex ignored his friend’s sarcasm to sip his own drink. Maybe I’ll be able to sleep now. Truth

was, he always slept better when Jesse stayed over. He’d spent years worrying about his friend when
he’d been deployed overseas.

“So what if I don’t want to get married? Is that a crime?” Jesse continued to mutter.
Alex wondered if Jesse knew he was having the entire conversation all by himself.
“And her mother is crazy.” He looked at Alex and made a face. “I mean, C R A Z Y,” he

spelled the word out. “With all caps and bells on.”

“You wouldn’t be marrying her mother,” Alex said, shoving Jesse’s legs out of the way and

slumping down onto the sofa. Damn, he was tired. He should really just go to bed and let Alex ramble
on alone.

Jesse gave him a pitying look. “I know you don’t date much, and that statement proves it.

Women turn into their mothers, dude. Happens every time.”

“I don’t date at all,” Alex reminded him.
Jesse fell silent for a moment. “Huh. That’s true. I can’t remember the last time you went out.”
“Seven years ago,” Alex said, closing his eyes. “Rob. The stylist.”
Jesse chuckled. “He was a piece of work. When he broke your grandpa’s precious candelabra,

I thought the old man was going to commit murder.”

Alex grinned, remembering his grandpa’s face. “That was a good day.”
“The day your grandfather stabbed your boyfriend with his cane? That’s what you call a good

day?” Jesse was outright laughing now. “He had to get stitches!”

“He wasn’t my boyfriend. He was just a date.” Alex wrinkled his nose. “Before that it was the

girl from your kickboxing class in high school, what was her name…” He snapped his fingers, trying
to remember.

“Claire, holy shit. How can you forget her? She had boobs to die for,” Jesse said, snickering.

“She’s the whole reason I took that class.”

Alex opened his eyes. Jesse was curving his hands in front of him, trying to describe Claire’s

figure. He looked like a ten year old. “Jesse, Jesus. Get a grip on yourself.”

“They were impressive, Alex. I still can’t believe those two assets didn’t work out for you.”

He lifted his eyebrows up and down like an idiot.

“Let’s just say that she wasn’t the best conversationalist and leave it at that.” Alex remembered

her screeching in bed all too well. Awful.

“Well, I don’t know why you’re such a hermit. You’re bi. You have twice the number of

possible individuals to ask out.” Jesse finished off his brandy and set the glass on the side table, then
slouched down into the sofa even further. “How does that work again, exactly?”

Alex rolled his eyes. “I date the person, not their genitals. It’s not particularly complicated.”
Jesse snorted. “Uh huh. If I tried to date a guy, I would have no idea what to do.”
“Men are actually easier,” Alex said, smiling. At least the conversation had shifted away from

Jesse’s emotional deficiencies. He’d been afraid his friend was going to start crying. The horror.

“Easier? Are you kidding me? No way.”

“You already know how all the plumbing works,” Alex said, just to get his friend going. “No

user manual required.” He grinned evilly, making his own motions with his hands.

Jesse sat up and glared at him. “You are insane, you know that?” He pointed at Alex’s head.

“Totally nuts.”

“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.” Alex said, then lightly cupped his junk, just to be as

irritating as possible.

“Uh, no thank you.” Jesse made a face.
Alex laughed, not in the least fazed. “Whatever. I’m going to bed. You know the way to your

room.” He stood up and stretched, ignoring, once again, the way Jesse’s eyes followed his body. His
best friend had been looking at him that way for years and after so long, he knew it didn’t mean a
damn thing, no matter how much he’d like for it to mean more. “Coming? You need your beauty rest.”

“Ugh. Fine, fine. You’re such a nag.” Jesse got up, yawning.
“I’m not a nag. It’s four a.m. and I’m tired.” He walked into the foyer. “Get your bag and hit the

sack.”

“You really don’t sound like a normal rich boy, you know.” Jesse grabbed his duffel and trailed

him up the curving staircase. “You obviously spent too much time down in the servants quarters
growing up. How do you keep from scandalizing everyone with your low-brow sense of humor?”

“You mean, I spent too much time with you.” Alex led the way along the upstairs gallery,

pausing near the room that had been Jesse’s for years. “If I sound low-brow, it’s your fault.”

“Well, my dad was your grandpa’s butler. Who else were you going to play with?” Jesse

smirked, hand on the doorknob. “All those swanky assholes at your private school? They were the
meanest bunch of kids I ever met. Don’t try to deny it.”

“No denials from me.” Alex’s smile twisted into a grimace. “They were cruel when they were

kids, and now they’re all grown up.”

“Still mean, though,” Jesse pointed out.
“Cutthroat, actually.” Alex rubbed his face. “Well, you look better. See? There’s nothing a little

brandy can’t fix.”

Jesse rolled his eyes. “Making fun of you helped, too.”
Alex shook his head, amused. Jesse always had to get the last word in. “Whatever. Goodnight.”
“Night,” Jesse echoed.
Alex walked down the gallery to his room, firmly putting the image of his best friend’s lean

body from his mind.

Chapter Two

“Good morning, Mr. Emerson. It’s lovely to see you here again.”
Jesse smiled at Alex’s butler, Julia Wilson. She was in her late forties, married with children,

and neatly dressed in the traditional butler uniform: crisp pants, black jacket, and white shirt.
Somehow, even after knowing her for years, she still managed to make him feel like a misbehaving
child. Even when I haven’t done anything wrong.

“You can call me Jesse, Julia. I’ve told you that how many times now?” He leaned back in the

chair. They were in the kitchen, waiting for Alex to make his appearance. Jesse had slept like a rock
after they’d gone to bed, for the first time in months.

Probably because I know I’m safe where Samantha can’t find me, he mused, thinking about

his ex as he glanced around the cheerful room. Unlike the rest of the mansion, this space had been
redone about ten years ago and now sported gorgeous stainless steel appliances, creamy yellow
walls, and lovely white granite countertops that set off dark wood cabinets perfectly. It was his
favorite room in the house.

My favorite, except for my bedroom. That room had the most comfortable bed he’d ever slept

in, thanks to Alex. His friend had bought it for him when he’d finally come home from the military for
good, last summer. Years of sleeping on cots in dusty barracks and in random moving vehicles gave a
man a hefty appreciation for a fine mattress.

“It would be inappropriate to address you by your first name, Mr. Emerson.” She poured him

his coffee and added cream before handing it to him. “Mr. Roman will be down shortly.”

“My dad was a butler, Julia. I think it would be okay if you called me by my first name. You’ve

known me for seven years. No, eight. Seriously.” He sipped the hot drink. Delicious. No one made
coffee like her. Absolutely no one.

“Your father was a brilliant butler, and he taught me everything I know. And that is why I will

continue to call you Mr. Emerson, Mr. Emerson.” She smiled at him and turned back to the counter,
gathering two plates of steaming eggs.

Jesse sighed contentedly as the old argument rolled over him. “Ms. Wilson, you’re a woman.

And a butler, a traditionally male position. I don’t think you’re the best person to decide what’s
appropriate and what’s not.” He grinned, suddenly. “Maybe you should call yourself a butleress.”

She turned back to the table with the plates in her hands and a sour expression on her face.

“That is not funny, Mr. Emerson.” She placed steaming scrambled eggs in front of him.

“Butleria? Butlerai?” He tossed a few more suggestions her way as he unfolded his napkin.
She tried to glare at him, but her eyes twinkled. “If I recall correctly, you enjoy hot sauce on

your eggs.” From out of nowhere, she brandished a small red bottle directly over his plate, tipping it
dangerously.

Jesse hated hot sauce on his eggs. He covered his food with his hands, appalled. “Oh, that’s not

cool, Ms. Wilson.”

“She outflanked you, Jesse. Just give in gracefully and maybe you’ll live to fight another day,”

Alex teased as he walked into the room.

Jesse slumped down in his seat. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry, Ms. Wilson. You win.” He stuck his

tongue out at her.

She cracked a small smile and took away the sauce. “Very good, Mr. Emerson.” She turned to

Alex. “Coffee?”

“Yes, please, Julia,” Alex said, running his hands through his auburn hair. His grey eyes looked

tired.

“Hey, rough night?” Jesse asked.
Alex shrugged. “No more than usual.” He smiled. “I slept better after you showed up, believe it

or not.”

“Because I am awesome, of course.” Jesse took a bite of his eggs, eyes closing as the delicious

perfection of the dish hit his taste buds. Heaven. He chewed and swallowed, then opened his eyes to
find Jesse staring at him, a strange look on his face.

“You need to get more sleep. I’ll have to nag you about that while I’m here,” Jesse told him. He

shoveled more food into his mouth, barely able to keep his eyes from closing again in bliss. When he
swallowed and looked up, Alex was smirking at him. “What? Do I have something on my mouth?” He
swiped at his face with his napkin.

“Enjoying the eggs?”
Jesse gave him the finger, then hurriedly put more food in his mouth when he caught Julia

frowning at his antics. She set a plate of eggs in front of Alex and then, weirdly, sat down with them.
She never sat at the table with Alex. Both men stared at her, confused.

“Tell Mr. Emerson about your security issue, Mr. Roman,” she finally said, her voice

implacable. “It’s gone on long enough.”

Jesse swallowed his mouthful of awesomeness and sat up. “Security issue?” He looked at Alex.

His friend was scowling at his butler. “What security issue?”

Alex pushed his eggs away without taking a single bite. “It’s nothing.”
Anything that kept Alex from eating was definitely not nothing. Something was going on. Just as

he was about to ask, Ms. Wilson spoke again.

“Mr. Roman has been receiving threatening notes.”
Jesse’s stomach tightened, but he pushed his instinctive concern down. This was nothing new.

“Well, that’s not particularly unusual. He has enemies. No one in his position can be successful
without pissing someone off. And he’s had stalkers before.” He looked at his friend hopefully.

Alex’s face had closed down.
Shit, Jesse thought, starting to worry. This might actually be serious.
“My security chief is handling it,” Alex said, picking up his coffee and sipping the hot liquid.

“Mr. Somes knows what he’s doing.”

Jesse tapped a finger on the table. “He’s been in charge of your main building for what? Two

years?”

Alex nodded. “Since it opened after construction.”
“And he’s a retired cop?”
Alex gave him a look that said I know what you’re doing and I don’t like it.
“Mr. Somes is not equipped to handle a security issue of this magnitude,” Ms. Wilson said.
Alex abruptly stood and walked to the window. “It’s not a big deal, Julia.”
Jesse didn’t like this at all, oh no. All his instincts were suddenly screaming at him: shit, meet

fan. “Alex, what the hell is going on?”

His friend turned and leaned against the counter. “It’s nothing important.”
Ms. Wilson stood up and began to clear Jesse’s empty plates away. “You’ll see to him, won’t

you, Mr. Emerson?”

Jesse nodded tightly to her. “Of course.” He eyed his friend. Alex’s body language told him that

he did not want to talk about this, but that was too bad. “Alex, stop it. Just tell me. You’re being an
idiot.” He was probably the only person in the world who could get away with saying those words to
Mr. Rich and Powerful. “You’re going to end up telling me anyway, so why don’t you just save me
the trouble of dragging it out of you, hmm?”

Alex stared at him for a moment, then looked away, grey eyes shadowed. “I didn’t want you to

worry.”

Ms. Wilson quietly left the kitchen, but not before giving Jesse a significant look. He nodded to

her slightly, then focused on Alex again.

“You’re joking, right?” Jesse stood and walked over. “I’m your best friend. And I was in

security in the Air Force. Security is my job.” He got up in Alex’s space. “And I am going to kill you
if you don’t start talking. This isn’t funny.” He leaned in, using his extra two inches of height to
emphasize his words.

Alex sighed and pushed Jesse off. “Fine.” He started pacing.
Jesse crossed his arms and waited, leaning back against the counter.
“A few months ago, I started getting letters at work. Threatening letters, but nothing that I

haven’t received before. I get that kind of shit all the time. You know that,” he said, shrugging tiredly.

Jesse nodded. “Yeah, I remember. What makes this different?”
“The letters started coming to the house. Still nothing weird, not really.” Alex rolled his

shoulders. “Then, they started appearing in the car. On my desk at work. In my gym locker at the
building.”

“What? How? Those should be secure places.”
Alex grimaced. “I don’t know how. I had Somes run background checks on everyone who has

access to those spaces.”

Jesse glanced at the door where Julia had gone.
Alex nodded. “Yeah. When I say everyone, I mean everyone.”
“Did you run one on me?”
Alex rolled his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Jesse grinned at his friend.
Alex snorted. “We didn’t find anything. Not a damn thing. The letters kept coming, and then just

as suddenly, the letters stopped.”

“Stopped?” Jesse asked, confused.
“Yeah. A few weeks ago. End of story.” Alex walked back to the table and pulled his cooling

eggs toward him. He took a few bites and then leaned back in the chair. “So, there’s nothing to worry
about. I haven’t received a letter in over two weeks.”

Jesse didn’t like the sound of that. “I’m coming to work with you.”
Alex shook his head. “No, you’re not.”
Jesse smiled. “I’ve always wanted to see your new building. I only got to see the blueprints.

This is the perfect opportunity.”

“You could’ve come by and looked at it anytime this past year. You’ve been back for months,”

Alex said, glaring.

“I like to be low-key, you know that. I didn’t want people gawking at me because I’m Mr. Alex

Roman’s friend. Now? I just don’t care anymore.” He tapped a finger against the counter. “Did I
mention that I quit my job, too?”

“Tagging along with me to work isn’t low-key,” Alex argued. “And wait, what? You quit your

job? When did that happen?”

“Yesterday. Mid-level management is not my kind of thing. And I kind of suck at watching

someone else run a security business into the ground with stupid decisions. I decided to walk out
before I decked my boss in the face.”

“You fled your apartment and your job in the same day?” Alex shook his head.
Jesse laughed. “It was a tactical retreat, Alex.” He took a deep breath and just went for it. “So,

I need a job. Therefore, I’m starting my new career as your bodyguard in…” He slid his phone out of
his pocket. “Ten minutes.”

Alex stared at him. “You can’t be serious. And you don’t need to work, anyway. I invested the

money your dad left you. I know exactly how much is there. Maybe you should take some time off
instead of worrying about me.”

“Not gonna happen, Alex.” He punctuated his statement with his hands, ticking off points as he

spoke. “I’m trained for security. I’m licensed to carry concealed, and I know a hell of a lot more
about weird-ass psychos than you do.” The more he thought about it, the more Jesse liked this idea.
They hadn’t been able to spend a lot of time together in the past six years and he missed his buddy.

Alex half-smiled. “Um, not true. The people I deal with are all insane. Money tends to do that

to people.”

Alex had a point, but Jesse wasn’t going to admit that, oh no. “I need something to do so I don’t

go crazy with boredom. You need someone to watch your back. It’s the perfect solution.”

“I’m not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?” Alex stood up and began pacing again.
“Nope.” Jesse watched his friend walk to the table and back three times. “It’ll be fun,” he said,

just to goad him.

“Fun?” Alex stopped and rubbed his face. “Fun?” He took a deep breath.
Jesse waited, already knowing he’d won this round.
“Fine. Whatever,” Alex finally conceded.
Jesse refrained from doing the fist pump of joy. No need to rub my victory in. “Good. You

won’t regret it.”

“I already do,” Alex said, wryly. His eyes went to Jesse’s bare feet. “You need a suit.”
“I don’t need a suit,” Jesse said immediately, a funny feeling building in the pit of his stomach.

He knew Alex. His friend would try and take control of everything if he didn’t nip it in the bud.

“That’s okay. I own about a hundred and we’re the same size,” Alex said, straightening his

shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get you dressed before we’re late to my morning meeting.”

“I’m not going to wear your clothes, Alex.” Jesse followed him out of the kitchen. “I have

khakis. They’ll do just fine.”

Alex led the way upstairs to his master suite. “Oh no, no way. You are not wearing khakis to

this meeting.”

“I’m going to be your bodyguard, not your assistant,” Jesse argued. They walked past his room

and down the open hallway. He absently ran his fingers along the paneling. He’d always loved the
way the polished wood felt under his fingertips. “No one’s going to be looking at me, Alex.”

“My bodyguard will not wander around in wrinkled pants.” Alex pushed open the door to his

room and walked inside. “I have an image to maintain.”

“An image? Please,” Jesse said derisively, following him into the room. “You’re richer than

God. You could wear a swimsuit to the office and no one would blink.” Hardwood gave way to a
plush rug near the bed. He curled his toes into the pile, enjoying the softness under his bare feet. “I
can wear jeans,” he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Alex snorted as he opened the door to his dressing room. “No you can’t. Don’t be absurd.”

“Your suits aren’t going to fit me.” Jesse wrapped a hand around the wood post at the bottom of

Alex’s ridiculously large bed.

“We’re still the same size, Jesse,” Alex said, walking back out with a charcoal grey Armani.

He tossed it onto the unmade bed and went back for a shirt. “Here.” He threw a dark blue shirt across
the suit. “Put those on.”

“Alex—”
“No suit, no tagging along.” Alex’s voice was firm.
Jesse stared at his friend. Alex’s grey eyes glittered with triumph. Jesse sighed. He knew when

he’d lost a skirmish.

Chapter Three

“I can’t believe your suit actually fit me,” Jesse muttered for the third time.
Alex smiled as he stared across the limo at his friend. Jesse looked fantastic in his clothes. The

blue silk shirt brought out the blue in his eyes and the neat lines of the suit flattered his lean
musculature. He’d somehow managed to hide his pistol in an underarm holster. All in all, he looked
sharp and professional, not at all like your typical bodyguard.

“You look good,” he said mildly, not saying aloud what he was really thinking, which was, you

look good enough to eat. His friend would probably run away screaming if Alex let on how hot and
bothered he got over him at times.

Jesse gave him a look. “You enjoy my misery.” He ran a finger around the collar of his shirt as

if it was uncomfortable.

It wasn’t. Alex had made sure of that. He laughed. “Yes. Yes, I do. I’ve been wanting to dress

you up for years and I finally have a good reason to do it. Stop pouting. You agreed to this.”

“I agreed to protect you, not let you dress me up like a runway model.” Jesse smoothed the

material of his slacks, a bemused quirk to his lips.

“Trust me, you don’t look at all like a model, Jesse,” Alex said, his voice going low. He truly

didn’t. Models didn’t walk around with Jesse’s aura of controlled violence or honed intelligence.
And they certainly didn’t tote around an M9 Beretta.

“At least it’s mostly comfortable, for a monkey suit,” Jesse said.
Alex shrugged. “You get what you pay for.”
“You fashion snob,” Jesse teased, cracking a smile.
Alex inclined his head. “If the shoe fits…”
Jesse looked like he was about to argue, but the privacy screen slid back, interrupting their

conversation. “Twenty minutes, Mr. Roman,” his driver, Prajesh said.

“Thank you,” Alex replied. He lifted an eyebrow at Jesse. “You ready to rock and roll?”
“Rock and roll?” Jesse repeated skeptically. “How can you be such a dork? You’re supposed

to be suave and sophisticated.” Jesse shifted in his seat, checking his holster and the small knife he’d
attached to the leather straps. “Rich swanks like you don’t walk around saying stupid shit like that.”

“I’m not that wealthy. I don’t own Dubai, you know.” Alex watched Jesse give him an

exasperated look with amusement, then explained his reasoning. “I say stupid shit on purpose. It tends
to put people off balance when I do and I like to see how they react.” He lifted a hand. “Sometimes it
reveals things about them that helps me deal with them.” He turned his hand over. “Sometimes it
doesn’t.”

“You collect stupid sayings just so you can see how people react?”
“Yup.” Alex screwed the top back onto his bottled water and put it in the cup holder.
“You’re a manipulative bastard.” Jesse said.
“Manipulative, yes.” The car went into the Lincoln Tunnel and Alex watched the lights flicker

across Jesse’s face. “Bastard, no.”

Jesse snorted.
****
Fifteen minutes later, the car dropped them off in front of Alex’s building in midtown

Manhattan. It had taken five years for construction to be completed. His grandfather had begun the

work ten years ago, buying property, convincing officials, and dealing with zoning and other issues,
but it was really Alex’s baby. He’d worked with the architects and designers. He was the one who’d
watched the steel and glass go up in the middle of the city. It wasn’t the tallest building, but it was
beautiful and his. The curve of the tower made him smile every time he walked inside.

“You know, I’ve walked past this place a dozen times,” Jesse said, looking around like a

tourist as they headed inside.

Alex rolled his eyes. “Why didn’t you come in?”
Jesse shrugged. “I wanted the first time to be special.”
At those words, Alex stopped right in the center of the giant foyer, ignoring the crowds of

people milling around, and stared at his friend. Jesse had tipped his head up to look through the open
central spire.

“And this is special? Seeing it with me?” Alex asked, ignoring the startled looks they were

getting. Everyone recognized him, of course, but no one knew Jesse. It amused him that the person
closest to him in his life was virtually unknown to all the people he interacted with on a daily basis.

“It is, because we’re together,” Jesse murmured quietly, with unashamed affection.
Alex blinked. When Jesse looked at him, blue eyes warm, Alex’s heart stuttered. He couldn’t

prevent the smile that stretched across his face. “So we are,” he replied. “Finally. I’m glad you’re
finally home for good, now.”

Jesse grinned, then glanced around. Alex watched him take it all in. Small trees and tropical

plants decorated the ground floor space, giving the foyer the feel of an arboretum.

“I’m glad you took my suggestions about the plants and stuff,” Jesse finally said.
Plants and stuff, Alex thought, laughing internally. Leave it to Jesse to dismiss millions of

dollars of expensive greenery as simply stuff.

“Glad you like it,” he replied. Jesse winked at him, and Alex laughed out loud, something he

didn’t do often, and never in public. Jesse wasn’t stupid, he just liked to pretend he was to tease
Alex. He knew exactly how much all of this cost. He watched his friend inspect the space, eyes going
sharp as he took in the entire ground floor, scanning for threats as well as absorbing the architecture.
When the glass elevator that led to the top floor slid down the center of the tower like a crystal ship,
he watched it for a moment.

“Huh. That’s fancy,” he mused, with epic understatement.
Alex nodded, swallowing back more laughter. If he guffawed any more his people would

probably call a doctor to come examine his head. “Yes. I like it.”

Jesse grinned at him. “No consideration for the people who might be afraid of heights? Three of

the elevator’s walls are glass.”

“There are some enclosed elevators at the back of the building,” Alex said primly. “I’m not a

monster.”

“Ah. Of course there are,” Jesse said, looking slightly disappointed.
“I can’t have my employees throwing up in the elevator every day,” Alex told him. “It’s

unprofessional. Plus, imagine the smell.”

Jesse smirked and opened his mouth to respond when a cluster of people emerged from the

elevator and hurried toward them. Alex sighed as he recognized his assistant, his security chief, and
his assistant’s assistant.

Jesse stepped back, letting Alex take center stage. “Looks like it’s showtime,” he whispered

conspiratorially to Alex. “Break a leg.”

Alex resisted the urge to pinch his best friend and pasted on his professional mask instead.

“Good morning, Jonathan. Hannah. Somes,” he said, mentally shoving his brain into gear. He had
work to do.

“Mr. Roman, your ten o’clock is waiting in the conference room. I have the eleven o’clock

gathering in the lounge, no problems there, but your lunchtime meeting is a disaster.” Jonathan Driver,
Alex’s assistant, looked disgusted. “Mr. Freeman apparently bought the company we were looking at
over the weekend and is on his way to gloat about it over canapés.”

Alex digested this news silently. It wasn’t completely unexpected, but he would have to adjust

his strategy for the electronic module start-up division he’d planned on funding. He nodded
acknowledgement of the news, then smiled grimly when his assistant belatedly noticed Jesse standing
very close to Alex. The look that slid over Jonathan’s face was a mixture of confusion, jealousy, and
irritation—not a good combination. He’d have to head off any rancor immediately. Jonathan’s
increasingly proprietary attitude towards him had begun to grate on his nerves.

When Alex shifted his attention to James Somes, the security chief for the building, he

wondered if he’d have to begin firing people. Somes had been eyeing Jesse suspiciously since he’d
walked over, but now the expression on his face bordered on hostile. Alex wondered if the man had
any idea that Jesse could probably kill him without breaking a sweat. Hannah Farlo, Jonathan’s timid
assistant, looked like she wanted to sink into the ground and disappear. She had good instincts about
dangerous situations. Alex liked that about her.

“Um, Mr. Roman? Did I miss a meeting with someone?” Jonathan asked, glancing away from

Jesse and checking his smartphone officiously.

Alex smiled, all teeth. “I’d like to introduce you to my new bodyguard, Jesse Emerson.”
Jesse stepped forward slightly. “Nice to meet you.” He didn’t offer his hand.
Somes looked at Jesse, then turned to Alex. “A bodyguard? You should really run all security

issues through me, Mr. Roman, for your own safety,” he said curtly, ignoring Jesse. He was a big man
with a buzz cut and he could probably intimidate pretty much anyone he wanted to.

Anyone except me, Alex thought, not backing down when Somes moved closer, looming over

him. And Jesse. His friend didn’t step back either. In fact, Jesse was doing his usual threat assessment
thing, eyes flicking here and there. He’d clearly already decided the security chief wasn’t a threat, so
the testosterone-fueled display was completely lost on him. And if Alex wasn’t mistaken, Somes had
no idea that Jesse had just dismissed him. Which doesn’t really give me confidence in his ability to
handle security for the building, Alex mused thoughtfully.

Alex walked around Somes toward the elevators. “Jesse has top level access to everything.”

He ignored Jonathan’s gasp and pressed the button to call the elevator down. “In fact, he has the same
access as I do to all Roman interests, not just this building.” He got on the empty elevator when it
opened and turned around just in time to enjoy the shock that rushed across his employees’ faces. He
quirked a half-smile at Jesse’s disapproving frown. He wasn’t going to let his friend ruin this
moment. He’d been looking forward to it for a very long time. He’d been wanting to show Jesse off to
his people for years.

“Mr. Roman, do you mean that your bodyguard has the authority to make business decisions?”

Jonathan asked, sounding confused as he followed Alex onto the elevator.

“That is correct, Jonathan.” Alex pushed the button for the top floor and leaned back against the

railing near the rear doors. Jesse took up a position to his right while the others milled uncomfortably
in the center of the box. The elevator slowly sped upwards and Alex looked out the glass, enjoying
the view. “He’s always had access, but he’s been unavailable until now.” He shifted his gaze to
Jesse. “I’m glad you stopped traveling all over the place.”

Jesse sighed. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Oh definitely,” Alex replied, smirking.
“But Mr. Roman, how can you give a bodyguard that kind of access? I don’t understand,”

Jonathan asked, sounding deeply disturbed. He kept shooting irritated looks at Jesse who ignored him
completely.

Alex wanted to grin, but kept his amusement contained. It wouldn’t be professional to laugh in

his assistant’s face, and he was more than a little concerned that someone he worked with so closely
could be this unperceptive. None of them have a clue of how important Jesse is to me, despite our
obvious body language. He glanced at Hannah. She was tapping intently into her smart phone. Except
maybe her, perhaps.

“And without allowing me to do a full background check on him?” Somes added gruffly. “With

everything that’s going on, it’s just not safe to let an unknown into your inner circle, Mr. Roman.” He
gave Jesse a very unfriendly glare. “No offense, Mr. Emerson.”

Jesse smiled back at the man like an empty-headed idiot. If it wouldn’t have ruined the moment,

Alex would’ve hugged him for playing along so nicely. The only one who didn’t look horrified was
timid little Hannah. She’d put her phone away and stared at Jesse with slowly dawning speculation.
Alex had a feeling that she’d just done her homework on them and knew who Jesse really was.

She deserves a promotion, he thought, smiling at her. He liked that kind of initiative in his

assistants and Jonathan had been growing increasingly annoying for the past six months. The man had
made one too many irritating comments about other workers for Alex to ignore. He’d let it go because
Jonathan was good at his job, but if Hannah was smart enough to realize that Jesse was more than a
bodyguard and Jonathan wasn’t, well…

The elevator dinged.
Alex smiled at his people. “None of you quite understand the situation.” He stood up straight

when the elevator stopped and waited until the rear doors opened to explain. “Jesse is the man who
did all the background checks on you.”

****
Jesse followed Alex and his cluster of minions onto the top floor of his corporate headquarters

and down the curved hallway. The gallery ran around the entire top floor of the building. Offices
lined outside of the structure and the light that came in through the glass roof lit the entire length of the
skyscraper at noon. As they walked, he looked over the railing down into the foyer far below,
marveling at the open space.

Glass and steel walkways crisscrossed the central space, like a delicate spider’s web. The

other floors didn’t have a gallery, but the offices had windows, taking advantage of natural light both
inside and outside the central tower. In the winter, the sun warmed the building and in the summer,
special reflective blinds reflected the light away, keeping it cool. Jesse approved of the design. When
he’d first seen the blueprints he’d been excited, but seeing it from the inside was even more of a thrill
than he’d expected.

Alex led the way to the far end of the gallery and opened a pair of polished black doors. The

office that stretched beyond them took up an entire section of the building. The view from the
windows along one wall encompassed the southern half of the city. Jesse shook his head. Alex
probably had the best office in all of midtown. His desk sat near the windows with two oversized
leather chairs arranged in front of it. To the right, a bar nestled into a wall paneled with dark wood.
To the left of the desk, a seating area with a sofa and two more leather chairs clustered around a low
table. Fresh apples sat in a bowl in the center, their green skins providing a pop of color in the

otherwise monochromatic room.

“You like it?” Alex asked Jesse, meandering around to his desk. The glass and steel crouched

like a metal beast on gleaming black tile, as different as one could get from the old wood of the desk
in his mansion.

Jesse liked everything about the place. “Yeah,” he said, walking over. He ran a finger down the

glass. “Nice.”

Alex sat down and steepled his fingers. “Well, you picked it out.”
He had. He’d been in Iraq at the time, but he remembered clicking through hundreds of high-end

furniture sites on the internet during his downtime, trying to find the perfect desk for his friend. When
he’d found it, he’d bought it and had it shipped directly to the construction site with precise
instructions. Jesse lifted a shoulder. “It looks good on you.”

That made Alex grin. “Thanks.”
“Mr. Roman, I don’t know what you’re trying to prove here,” the security chief said, stomping

over. “But we have serious issues to discuss.”

Jesse’s eyebrows went up. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen a man stomp in real life before. He

glanced at Alex. His friend didn’t look amused, he looked irritated.

“Mr. Somes, I assure you, I’m not playing games. This is Jesse Emerson. He has full access to

everything and the authority to make any and all decisions on my behalf. I’m not trying to prove a
damn thing, because I have nothing to prove.” Alex leaned back in his chair and frowned. “Did you
have something new to report?”

The security guy stopped short of the desk and slid his hand into his jacket. Jesse tensed, but the

man merely pulled out an envelope. “This is the latest.” He tossed it on the desk.

Alex made no move to pick it up. Jesse walked over and opened the envelope, sliding out a thin

sheet of paper. Even the Roman Empire fell eventually. The text was typed in the middle of the paper
with no identifying marks or notations.

“That’s it?” he showed Alex.
His friend shrugged, not even glancing at the paper. “That’s all they ever say. Now you know

why I wasn’t worried?”

Jesse didn’t like it. Non-specific threats were sometimes more credible than the ones that

spelled everything out. “This is serious, Alex. No joke.”

His friend sighed. “I don’t have time for this.”
“I do.” Jesse slid the paper into his inside jacket pocket. Jonathan, Alex’s weaselly little

assistant’s eyes bugged when he caught sight of his weapon. Jesse smiled at him, and the man backed
up. Good, he thought. Last thing I need is him interfering with keeping Alex safe.

“All right, send in my ten o’clock,” Alex said.
Jonathan nodded and hurriedly left the office.
“I don’t think he likes me,” Jesse said, leaning on the edge of the desk.
Alex shrugged, already reading something on his computer. “Whatever.”
“Mr. Roman, I sent your notes to your email,” Hanna said.
Alex nodded. “Yes. I’m reading them now.”
Jesse looked her over. She was the only one who seemed to take him seriously. “Ms. Farlo, can

you forward a copy of Alex’s itinerary for the day to my email?”

“Of course.” She looked down at her phone and tapped in a few commands. “Done.”
He lifted his eyebrows.
She blushed slightly. “I had your details on file.”

Time for a promotion, Jesse thought. He looked at Alex, who nodded, smiling wryly. “Hannah,

schedule Jonathan for a three o’clock meeting with me.”

Jesse knew he and Alex were on the same page, as always. Mr. Jonathan Driver would soon be

looking for a new job.

“Mr. Roman, I must protest,” Somes said.
Okay, this is ridiculous, Jesse thought, pursing his lips. “Somes, did you happen to look over

the organization chart for Roman enterprises when you started working here? Ever?”

Somes frowned. “Of course.”
Jesse sighed. “Then I’m sure you saw the entry next to Alex’s name.”
“It said, ‘silent partner,’“ Somes replied, as if Jesse were a particularly stupid recruit. “So

what?”

“Mr. Somes, Mr. Emerson is the silent partner,” Hannah jumped in, clearly trying to smooth

over the security chief’s lack of observation. “He went through security at the door and didn’t have to
check his weapon. And he knows the layout of the building, even though he’s never been here before.”

Jesse liked this woman more and more. He glanced at her left ring finger. Ah, married. Just as

well. I’m not in the mood for dating right now anyway.

“That’s impossible.” Somes shook his head.
“I’d like a report on all the threats made against this building, and specifically against Alex for

the past two months in two hours, Mr. Somes,” Jesse said, interrupting Hannah’s attempts to save the
man from his own stupidity. “Think you can do that?”

Somes bristled. “Look, I don’t know who you are, but—”
“Mr. Somes. If you can’t do as asked, you can pack up and leave,” Alex said mildly, still

scrolling down something on his computer. He looked up, his grey eyes piercing. “Is that
understood?”

Jesse enjoyed it when Alex got all cranky and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it. The crackling

energy that Alex carried around with him was one of the things he liked most about his friend, but
when he let it out, whoa. Look out. A flash of heat sparked through him, similar to the adrenaline
spike he felt when going into battle, or during sex, but he absently suppressed it with the ease of long
practice.

“Understood,” Somes bit out, glaring at his boss. He pivoted and walked out of the office, not

bothering to close the door. Hannah followed him and shut the doors quietly, but didn’t leave.

“Now I know why your security wasn’t able to stop the notes,” Jesse said. From the corner of

his eye, he saw Hannah nod in agreement.

Alex grunted. “I’m too busy to fuss over it.”
Jesse frowned. “I’m going to stick to you like glue from now on. You take too many chances

with your safety.”

At that, Alex looked up, eyes twinkling. “That could get a tad bit uncomfortable.”
Jesse chuckled. “Too bad.”
“Mr. Roman, your ten o’clock is here,” Hannah said.
Alex smiled wryly. “Saved by the bell. Send them in, please.”
Jesse took up a position behind Alex, slipping on a pair of sunglasses to hide his eyes. He

wasn’t kidding about sticking close. And Alex could suck it if he didn’t like it.

Chapter Four

“You didn’t tell me you had to do a press conference at six,” Jesse said, slumping down in the

leather sofa. He picked up an apple and bit into it, savoring the fresh crunch of sweetness.

“That’s why I put you in a suit,” Alex said, sitting next to him and loosening his grey tie. He

unbuttoned his collar and slouched against Jesse’s arm.

“There’s a whole other chair over there,” Jesse said, gesturing to the other side of the coffee

table. “You don’t actually have to sit on top of me, you know.”

“I’m good here,” Alex replied, letting more weight fall along Jesse’s left side.
Jesse gave up, biting into the apple again. After chewing and swallowing, he sighed. “I can’t

believe what a dick that guy Freeman was at lunch.” His friend’s warmth against him felt oddly
comforting.

Alex shrugged. “I expected it.”
“I wanted to pop him in the nose.”
Alex laughed. “I know. That’s why I put you on the opposite side of the table.”
Jesse didn’t understand the whole corporate shark culture. “Give me someone to shoot, and I’m

happy. I don’t know how you do this stuff every day. Stocks and start-ups and short sales, oh my.”

“Oh please, don’t give me that. If something happened to me, you could run this company with

your arms tied around your back,” Alex murmured.

Jesse sat up, dislodging his friend. “Don’t say that. Don’t even think it.”
Alex blinked at him. “It’s true.”
Jesse frowned. “Doesn’t matter. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”
Alex’s grey eyes were warm. “Now you know how I felt with you off on secret missions for

five years.”

Jesse looked away, suddenly uncomfortable. “I had to go.”
“I know, but it sucked.” Alex tugged him back down, settling in as Jesse let him arrange him the

way he wanted.

“You had work to keep you occupied,” he said, thinking back to the first year he’d been in the

Air Force. His father was dead and so was Alex’s grandfather. That was why he’d gone. He couldn’t
stand walking around the place where all the memories haunted him, day in and day out.

“I did, but it wasn’t enough.” Alex sighed. “We were never able to prove the car crash wasn’t

an accident.”

Jesse tensed. “You know it wasn’t an accident. My father would never have driven in that kind

of weather without a good damn reason. Someone had to have set them up.” He thought back to the
crash scene, remembering the shape of the car wrapped around the tree. The roads had been icy and
no one should have been driving at that hour, during a blizzard. His father would never have agreed to
take Alex’s grandfather out in those conditions.

“You and I know that, but we’ve never been able to prove it. We were both too young back then

to investigate properly. And then I had to deal with the company.” Alex rubbed his eyes. “I barely had
time to sleep, let alone fight with the cops about a supposed accident.”

“And I went off to war,” Jesse murmured, remorse eating at him. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t. Just… don’t.” Alex poked him in the arm. “You did what you had to. I knew it then, and

I know it even better now.”

Jesse closed his eyes. “I shouldn’t have left you here to deal all by yourself.”
Alex sat up. “What could you have done? I was the sole heir to my grandfather’s estate. You

had a little bit of money, and that’s it.”

“Which you turned into a fortune for me,” Jesse said, thinking back to those grim weeks just

after his father’s death. “Thanks, by the way.”

Alex snorted. “Well, you didn’t know a damn thing about investing back then.”
“I don’t know much more now,” Jesse said.
Alex shook his head, then stood up and stretched. Jesse’s eyes ran over his friend’s body. He’s

been working out, he thought, not surprised. He looks good. Strong and graceful. He frowned,
disconcerted by the direction of his thoughts.

“The false modesty is amusing when you do it in front of other people, but not so much when

it’s just us, Jesse. You know a lot more than the average person. More than the average investor,
even. I know, because I taught you,” Alex said, striding over to his desk. He checked his computer.
“Shit. We’ve got to go.”

“Already?” Jesse slumped further down into the couch. He wasn’t looking forward to dealing

with a large crowd of people. Alex’s safety would be difficult to guarantee in those conditions.

“It’s time to meet the press, Mr. Emerson.”
****
Jesse looked out over the sea of people, glad he’d remembered his sunglasses. The flashes of

cameras and the late afternoon sun slanting down between the buildings would have blinded him,
otherwise. He glanced over at Somes, watching the man coordinate the security for the press
conference. Alex was at the podium, talking about emerging markets and some other tech stuff, but
Jesse wasn’t really listening. He was too busy scanning the area for threats.

“Mr. Emerson, everything on the ground floor is clear,” Somes said into his earpiece. He’d

finally come around, after Alex had made it clear that while Somes could continue to coordinate
security for the building and Roman events, Jesse was responsible for Alex’s personal safety.

Jesse nodded slightly, eyes still busy. Somes would see his movement. The reporters were

shouting questions again and he winced at the noise level. He’d forgotten how much they tended to
yell during these things. He hadn’t been to one since he was a kid, when he’d tagged along with his
father and Alex’s grandfather.

I don’t know how Alex does this all the time, he wondered, still scanning the crowd. He

wouldn’t be happy until Alex was done talking and no longer the focus of so much attention.

“And that, my friends, is why Roman Enterprises will be your leader in the technical sector for

many years into the twenty-first century,” Alex said, smiling.

Everyone clapped. Jesse breathed a silent sigh of relief. He’s done. Thank God.
When Alex turned to him, Jesse nodded curtly, keeping his bodyguard face on until they were

back inside the building. They’d held the press conference on the front steps, in front of the small
square that led to the street.

“That went well,” Alex said, speaking to Hannah as they walked. “Make sure you get those

numbers for me.”

She nodded, tapping notes into her phone. “You’re all set for the gala tomorrow night, too, Mr.

Roman.”

Gala? Jesse frowned.
“You got the tux for Jesse, right?” Alex asked her, still moving toward the elevators.
“Yes.” She grinned. “It’s lucky that you’re the same size.”

“Wait, what gala?” Jesse asked. He followed them onto the elevator and pushed the close

button before anyone else could get on.

“We’re having a charity gala here tomorrow,” Hannah said absently, still typing onto her phone.

“On the ground floor, in the arboretum space.”

“Oh no. No way,” Jesse muttered, thinking about it. “That’s too big a security risk.” The

greenery would make it all too easy to conceal multiple threats. And also, a tux? He shuddered.

“In other words, you don’t want to wear a tux,” Alex countered, grinning as he crossed his

arms. He looked like a kid who’d just managed to sneak ice cream into his bedroom.

“I mean, it’s too risky. I don’t want you that exposed,” Jesse replied, knowing he was lying. He

really didn’t want to wear a tux and security wouldn’t be any worse at a gala than it had been at the
press conference. In fact, it would be better because they’d be inside with invited guests that could be
screened at the entrance.

“It’s too late. The tux is on the way to the house.” Alex made a show of checking his non-

existent watch. “Oh, look! It should be there by now. You can try it on when we get home.”

“I can go back to my apartment. Even dealing with Samantha can’t be as bad as trying on formal

clothes you picked out for me,” Jesse said, giving up the security angle.

Alex chuckled. “Oh no, too late. It’s happening and you can’t back out now. You’re my

bodyguard, remember?”

“You’re staying at the mansion?” Hannah asked Jesse, forehead wrinkled.
Before Jesse could answer her, Alex chimed in. “Yes, he is. His ex-girlfriend scared him out of

his apartment. He came to my place to hide.”

Jesse growled. “I’m going to kill you. I’ll start by pulling out your toenails, Alex.” He cocked

his head as if thinking. “Then, I’ll move onto your eyebrows.”

His best friend ignored him. “And then he got bored, so I put him in charge of my security so

he’d have something to do.”

“You’re getting threats that are totally credible,” Jesse argued. “I’m not protecting you because

I’m bored.” The elevator door opened.

Hannah smiled at them both, eyes dancing with amusement. “Okay.”
“I like you,” Jesse told her, charmed when she blushed. “I like her, Alex, don’t fire this one.”

He exited the elevator first, then waited for Alex. “Do I really have to wear a tux?”

Alex nodded, walking past him towards his office. “Yes. You really do.”
“Dammit. You’re going to owe me for this.” Jesse pretended not to notice the scandalized looks

coming from Alex’s employees as they neared his office.

“No I won’t. You never paid me back for that time when I hid your, uh, favorite magazine for

you,” Alex said, glancing at Hannah.

It was Jesse’s turn to flush. “Dammit,” he repeated.
Alex stopped, hands on his office doors. “Payback is a bitch.”
****
“I hate wearing these things,” Jesse muttered, adjusting his bow tie.
“It’s not that bad,” Alex said, lounging on his bed. “It fits you perfectly.”
Jesse didn’t care what Alex thought. The damn thing felt like he’d wrapped a noose around his

neck. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” He ignored the way Alex looked lying on his bed.
So what if his best friend had been working out more? What did it matter to him? All it meant was
that his clothes fit Jesse better now, and that was a bad thing. The tux proved it. “When did you start
going to the damn gym so much?”

Alex laughed. “Pissed off that my clothes fit you, hmm?”
Jesse scowled. “Okay, it fits. I’m done prancing around.” He ripped off the bow tie and tossed

it over Alex’s face. “A gala, Jesus.”

“It won’t be that bad.”
“I bet I’m the first person you’ve ever taken to a gala,” Jesse said. He knew Alex. The man was

a loner.

“So?”
Jesse gave him a look as he stripped off the jacket and began to unbutton the shirt. “So, I can’t

protect you if everyone’s staring at me, wondering who Mr. Roman’s new friend is.”

Alex lifted a shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll manage.” He was staring at Jesse’s chest.
Jesse looked down, wondering if he had something on his skin. Nope. He took off the shirt and

hung it back on the hanger so it wouldn’t get wrinkled. Alex would bitch at him if that happened and
he wasn’t in the mood to listen to a lecture about fabric.

“So, what’s the gala for?” he asked, putting the cuff links Alex gave him on the dresser. He

padded barefoot to the bed and rummaged through his duffel. When he found his sweats, he undid the
pants and let them fall to the floor.

Alex abruptly rolled away, getting up and going to the window. “It’s for cancer research,” he

said, looking outside.

Jesse grunted and pulled on his sweats. He picked up the trousers and hung them carefully, too.

“That’s good, I guess. Your grandfather always did stuff like that, too.”

Alex turned around, his face weirdly tense. Jesse frowned. What was his problem? “You’re

okay that I’m hanging around with you, right? I mean, now that I know about the notes, you’re stuck
with me whether you like it or not, but I’d rather not have you angry with me.”

Alex frowned, then shook his head. “No, I’m not angry. I’m looking forward to spending more

time with you.” He twitched the curtains so that they hung open. Outside, the summer breeze rustled
the leaves in the trees.

Jesse stared at him, then shook his head. They were both tired. Maybe that’s why Alex was

acting so strange. “Okay.”

Alex nodded and walked to the door. “Sleep tight.”
“You too,” Jesse said, but Alex was already gone. What the hell?
****
Jesse woke up in the middle of the night with a raging hard-on. He shivered, sliding restlessly

under the sheets as the central air conditioning whirred to life again. He welcomed the cool air on his
sweaty skin, grateful that Alex’s grandfather had conceded to that much renovation before he died.
Summer could get very sticky here.

Absently, he slid a hand down, stroking his cock. What had he been dreaming about? He was so

turned on he couldn’t think straight. His fingers slipped inside his boxers and teased the crown of his
shaft. God, he was close. He pushed his shorts down to his knees and gripped his erection firmly,
moaning softly as pleasure sparked through him. What the hell kind of dream could get him this hot
and bothered?

Oh Jesus, he thought suddenly, his fist tightening around his dick. It was Alex. He’d been

dreaming about his best friend, of all people. Which is crazy. I’m not gay, he told himself, confused.
Even so, he couldn’t help going over the images in his mind.

In the dream, they were in his room again, trying on clothes for Friday night’s gala. Alex had

taken off his shirt and he’d smiled at Jesse, eyes bright with affection. Jesse’d looked at the tattoo on

his friend’s shoulder, remembering when they’d gone together to get inked. Alex’s chest had rippled
with muscle as he’d picked up the tux he’d bought and held it out. Jesse had moved closer, grabbing
the hanger until their fingers tangled. The heat that had shot through him as their skin touched in the
dream made his breath catch.

In the dark, Jesse gripped his prick tighter, trying to stave off his orgasm, but it was no use.

With a strangled groan, he climaxed. Hot streams of spunk spattered over his hand and abdomen as
the image of Alex half-naked danced across his closed eyelids.

Shit, he thought, stroking himself gently until all the pleasure finally faded. Shit.
He lay there for a moment, then he rolled to his feet and padded to the bathroom. When he

flicked on the light, he stared at himself in the mirror as if that would help. Blue eyes glared back at
him even as his seed dried on his skin. He rubbed at the itch, wondering what the hell had just
happened. Since when did the sight of Alex’s bare chest arouse him?

Since forever, he told himself reluctantly, remembering his surreptitious glances when they

were growing up together. He’d always had the feeling that his sexuality wasn’t exactly straight,
but… You don’t have time for this. You didn’t back then, and you don’t now, either. You need to
keep Alex safe and you can’t do that if you let yourself get distracted.

“You don’t have time to lose your cool right now,” he told himself quietly. “Seriously.” His

reflection shook his head. Jesse reached down and turned on the faucet, rising himself off. Then, he
splashed some water on his face, not bothering to dry off.

When he went back to bed, it took him a very long time to fall back to sleep.

Chapter Five

“Okay, what gives, Jesse?” Alex finally asked. He couldn’t take it anymore. His best friend had

been giving him weird looks all day long. Now that they were in the car on the way to the gala, he
figured it was a good time to get to the bottom of Jesse’s strange behavior. And he can’t run away
from the conversation, not unless he wants to jump out of a moving car onto the highway, he
thought, half-amused and half-irritated as the car eased into the Lincoln Tunnel.

“What are you talking about?” Jesse fidgeted with his cufflinks.
“Is it the security at the gala? I thought you worked all that out with Somes today. You were on

the phone a lot.” Alex stared at his friend. Absurdly, Jesse gazed out the window as if they weren’t
having a conversation at all. And there’s nothing to see out there except dirty tunnel tile, so I’m not
buying it, he mused. “Jesse?”

“No, security is fine,” Jesse answered, still not looking at him.
“Then what? Do I have something on my face?” Alex touched his lips. Jesse’s eyes flicked to

his mouth, then down his body, then back to the window. The car was stopped in traffic, adding to his
frustration. Alex frowned. “You’re driving me crazy.”

Jesse snorted as the car started moving again.
Alex pursed his lips. Following a hunch, he opened his legs, leaning back on the seat and letting

his hand fall casually to the inside of his thigh. Jesse glanced at him and then froze, eyes going to
Alex’s crotch. He stared for a moment before turning back to the window.

Okay, what the fuck? Alex thought, watching his friend. Jesse’s cheeks were pink.

Unfortunately, the car left the tunnel before he could pursue the idea tickling the back of his mind. The
building was only a few minutes away. Whatever was going on with Jesse would have to wait.

“Almost there,” Jesse murmured suddenly, smoothing his tux over his torso. The bulge of his

pistol was barely noticeable.

“Show time,” Alex replied agreeably, hiding his thoughts.
Jesse glanced at him, a wry smile twisting his lips. “This should be interesting.”
****
Alex smiled professionally as one of his board members walked up to him. “Mr. Chambers, so

nice to see you here,” he said, holding out his hand.

The shorter man smiled, teeth white against his tanned skin. “I’m always happy to donate to a

good cause.”

Alex nodded. “Allow me to introduce my partner, Jesse Emerson.” When Jesse’s shoulders

tightened, Alex allowed himself a small, triumphant grin. Let’s see how you handle this, hmm? he
mused to himself. “He’s finally agreed to let me take him out.”

“Ah, so you’ve finally decided to settle down? It’s about time,” Mr. Chambers told Alex, still

smiling as he turned to Jesse. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Emerson. Call me Arnold.”

Jesse shook hands with him, and managed a polite greeting, though his voice sounded strained.

“Hello, Arnold. Glad you could make it.”

“Glad to be here. I won’t keep you. I know Alex has to mingle.” Arnold nodded at the crowd

swirling around them.

Alex touched Jesse’s arm lightly, as if they were dates. Jesse tensed under his fingers, but he

didn’t care. He was loving every minute of this. “I’ll talk to you about the tech initiative later this

week, Arnold.”

“I look forward to it.”
Alex smiled and gently tugged Jesse away.
“Are you insane?” Jesse hissed under his breath.
Alex glanced at him. His friend had pasted a social smile on his face, but beneath his jovial

exterior, he sensed Jesse’s consternation. Smiling, he kept them moving toward the bar. “Insane?
Nope. Just having fun.”

“They think we’re lovers, Alex,” Jesse muttered, teeth clenched. “I’m going to have to kill you

for this, which is a damn shame. You’ve been a good best friend.”

Alex smiled at the bartender and ordered two whiskeys. “I thought you wanted an excuse to stay

close and guard my back?” he asked Jesse. His friend fidgeted as the bartender placed two crystal
tumblers in front of them and filled them. Alex slid one glass down to Jesse, amused when his friend
snatched it up and drank half of it in one gulp. He sipped at his drink, enjoying the smoothness of the
liquor.

“This was not what I meant about staying close,” Jesse said, giving Alex a disgusted look.
Alex smiled mildly at him. “It’s the perfect cover.”
“Except for the part where I’m not gay.”
“I’m not gay either,” Alex replied, amused. He touched Jesse again, chuckling when his friend

glared at him. “Settle down.” He smoothed his hand down Jesse’s arm.

Jesse sighed, long and loud. “You’re doing this on purpose to aggravate me, aren’t you?”
Alex laughed out loud. “You bet. And it’s awesome.”
“You’re going to owe me big time,” Jesse said, lips finally quirking. “I’m thinking I need a

Ferrari. A red one.”

“Red. Of course you’d want a red one,” Alex said dryly, then stroked back up Jesse’s arm,

enjoying it more now that his friend had relaxed a little. “And no, I won’t owe you. You’re already
living in my house, eating my food.”

“Breathing your air?” Jesse huffed. “That doesn’t count.”
“What’s this? You’ve finally brought someone special to one of your shindigs, Alexander?” a

woman asked. Her voice carried, and quite a few of the other patrons at the bar turned to look at
them. Jesse’s arm went rigid again and Alex swallowed a grin as he turned to face the older woman.
Of course the biggest gossip at the gala would overhear their conversation.

“Mrs. Trickshaw, how lovely to see you,” he said. He inclined his head to her husband. “Mr.

Trickshaw. I’m glad you came.”

The man nodded, but didn’t speak. He rarely did. Probably because his wife talks enough for

both of them, Alex mused, waiting for her next outburst.

“Don’t give me that formal tone, Mr. Roman,” she admonished him, shaking her head. “I’ve

known you since you were just a baby.” The blue jewels in her hair sparkled under the lights,
clashing with her sequined green dress. Alex wondered why her husband let her out of the house
looking like that. Some women should not be allowed to shop without a fashion chaperone.

“My apologies, Mrs. Trickshaw,” he said smoothly, smiling. “I know you and my mother were

close, but alas, I don’t remember since I was so young when she passed away.” There. That should
annoy her enough to shut her up before Jesse does something we’ll both regret.

Undaunted, she wrinkled her nose at him. “You’re not going to get out of talking to me so easily,

Alexander. I’m old and I know it, and I simply don’t care about it anymore.” She lifted an eyebrow.
“Now, who is this delectable young man you’ve found?”

Alex smothered a laugh when he saw Jesse’s face. He looked like he’d swallowed a lemon.

“My apologies, Mrs. Trickshaw. I should remember not to underestimate you,” he said smoothly,
knowing when to concede defeat. “This is Jesse Emerson, my partner.”

She turned to Jesse and looked him up and down. “Hmm, not bad. I’m glad you’ve finally

settled down, my dear.”

Jesse made a strangled noise and Alex knew he had to get him out of there before he lost it.

“Thank you, Mrs. Trickshaw. We’re very happy together, but we only had a short time for
refreshments before duty called us away. Please, enjoy the gala.” With that, he grabbed Jesse’s arm
and dragged him off.

“I am going to kill you,” Jesse said from between clenched teeth, once they were out of earshot.
“You already said that.” Alex pulled him behind a cluster of palm trees into a semi-private

alcove. He knew his friend wasn’t really angry with him. Frustrated, maybe. Angry? Nope, he
thought, grinning at Jesse. “Don’t worry about Mrs. Trickshaw. She’s harmless.”

“I don’t know her and I can already tell she’s one of those women who likes to gossip,” Jesse

protested, shaking off Alex’s arm. “What have you gotten me into?”

“We’re going to have to do a photo op, too, just so you know,” Alex told him, enjoying the look

of horror that passed over Jesse’s face.

“What? No.”
Alex grinned. “Oh, yes.”
Jesse stared at him, clearly struggling to find words.
“It’ll be in all the newspapers,” Alex said, twisting the knife.
“Alex…” Jesse started to say, but the gala photographers Alex’s organizer had hired appeared

out of nowhere, cutting his words off.

“Mr. Roman! This is the perfect spot for a photo. How clever of you to find it,” the woman

said, pulling her assistant closer and pointing to the corner. The man was carrying a light with a
diffuser already attached to the end. He obediently set up the equipment, hunting behind vegetation for
an outlet as they all watched him.

Alex glanced at Jesse who looked back at him bemusedly. Alex shrugged minutely as the

assistant found a power outlet and unraveled the cord to the light. The photographer bustled around
with a light meter, taking readings.

“Just let me get Gary set up correctly and we can shoot the scene,” she said, then gestured to her

assistant. He flicked on the light. The woman cocked her head, considering the space, then smiled
professionally. “This shouldn’t take long. Your assistant, Hannah, told me she saw you heading this
way. I’m Sarah Coleman.”

“How do you get me into these things, Alex?” Jesse muttered. “You are so dead.”
Alex laughed. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“Oh? How? Are you going to buy me a Maserati?” Jesse asked, poking him in the arm.
Alex grinned at him, letting his glee fill his expression. “I think I can do better than that.” If only

he’d let me give him a blow job, he’d never complain again, he mused, amusement coloring his
thoughts.

“Perfect!” the photographer said, snapping several shots in a row. “Don’t move. Keep those

happy looks on your faces.”

Jesse frowned as Alex smiled wider.
“Oh, no, no, no. I said smile! What did you say to him?” she asked Alex, moving closer and

turning his body slightly, before stepping back again.

He shook his head. “Nothing important, Ms. Coleman. Jesse just gets cranky when people take

his picture.”

“Well, we can’t have that,” she said, folding her arms. She tapped her elbow. “I know. Move

closer together. Put your arm around him, Mr. Roman.”

Alex did as she asked, leaning into Jesse the way he’d been doing for years. Despite his

exasperation, Jesse automatically shifted, balancing their weight together. “I’m going to kill you,” he
said under his breath.

“You sound like a parrot, repeating the same thing over and over again,” Alex replied through

his smile.

“Oh, you guys must have been together a long time,” the photographer said, snapping more

shots. She gestured to her assistant again, and he adjusted the light slightly.

“Why would you think that? We’re just friends,” Jesse told her. His hand tightened around

Alex’s waist, pulling him closer. “We’ve been friends for a long time.”

Alex tried not to read too much into his friend’s sudden public display of affection. He’s going

to pull something, he decided. He wouldn’t be snuggling with me like this if he wasn’t planning on
payback.

“Because you’re so comfortable with each other. It shows,” she replied, snapping more

pictures. “That’s excellent. Almost done.”

“I see,” Jesse murmured. “No, just friends,” he said louder, sliding his hand down to Alex’s

hip. Alex stiffened, reading the signs of Jesse’s fraying patience. He knew his best friend and he knew
that tone of voice. He knew Jesse could feel him tensing, but he couldn’t help it. He glanced over,
worried.

Jesse looked back at him, blue eyes crackling with energy.
The photographer smirked at them. “Mmm-hmm. Just friends.”
Alex barely heard her. He was too busy staring at Jesse’s face. He recognized that expression.

That’s what he looks like just before he does something completely insane, like jumping out of an
airplane. Or running across hot coals barefoot.

“Be afraid. Be very afraid,” Jesse murmured, leaning closer.
Alex licked his lips, but he didn’t back off. He could take whatever Jesse thought he could give

out. “Bring it,” he taunted, not about to back down. The heat coming off Jesse had him flushing. The
feel of his muscular torso pressed into his own had him wanting more. But the look on Jesse’s face…

Alex’s cock twitched, then hardened.
Jesse’s lips quirked into a sexy half smile, and then he grabbed Alex’s arms and moved in,

kissing him under the flashing lights of Roman Enterprises’ press photographer.

Who says dreams can’t come true? Alex thought, too stunned to move.
****
As soon as his lips touched Alex’s, Jesse knew he’d just taken a giant leap of faith. Or maybe

you’ve jumped off of a cliff with no parachute, some sane part of his brain admonished him, but then
Alex opened his mouth and all rational thought fled. He kissed Jesse like a man starving, all lips and
teeth and heat. Jesse moved his hips closer, enough so that he could feel Alex’s cock against him.
Jesus, he thought, shuddering, even as he opened his mouth wider and let Alex inside. What the fuck
am I doing? he wondered. He slid his hands up to his best friend’s hair, tilting his head just so.

“Holy shit,” someone said, but then Alex nibbled on Jesse’s lip and he forgot that there was a

photographer not five feet away. His dick was so hard it hurt and he wanted nothing more than to get
as close as possible to his best friend. Closer than close.

“I heard that they came in together, but Mr. Roman never shows up in public with a date. I was

just joking around.” The photographer sounded shocked.

“They’re a helluva lot more than just friends,” the photographer’s assistant muttered, turning off

his light.

“No kidding,” she said.
Alex finally let Jesse go. Jesse just stood there, staring at his friend’s mouth as his lips buzzed

and his groin ached.

“Um, we’ve got everything we need, Mr. Roman,” the photographer said, backing away.
Alex glanced at her. His smile was strained. “Thanks Ms. Coleman.”
“My pleasure,” she replied, grabbing her bag and fleeing.
Alex snorted as he watched her go. “I bet that kiss makes front page news,” he said wryly.
Jesse swallowed hard, and took a step back. “That didn’t go quite the way I planned.”
Alex gave him a look that said, no kidding.
“It’s your fault,” Jesse said, trying to preserve his dignity. Though that’s kind of hard to do

when I’m this fucking hard, he thought, distractedly.

Alex raised an eyebrow. “You’re joking, right?”
Jesse shook his head slowly. Alex stared at him, grey eyes looking almost green beneath the

muted light shining through the palm trees.

“Nope. No joke. You’re the one who came up with the whole ‘dating’ scenario. This is totally

your fault.” His hands shook as he flicked his fingers in the air quotes motion. Damn. I just want to
kiss him again, he thought, shoving his fists in his pockets. He took them right back out when he
realized he was supposed to be Alex’s bodyguard. He couldn’t walk around like a kid on his first
date. He had to calm the hell down.

“Dating and kissing are two entirely different things,” Alex replied, his voice simmering with

amusement.

“Still your fault.”
Alex grinned. “And we still have to go out there and mingle. And I have to give a speech.” He

paused, then looked Jesse up and down. “Even though what I really want to do is drag you home and
fuck you senseless.”

“Ah hell.” Jesse’s cock was still mostly hard. Not even the fear of having his picture pasted on

every news site on the internet could dissipate the heat Alex had roused in him.

Alex cocked his head. “Think about football.”
“What?” Jesse had no idea what the hell his friend was talking about. The image of Alex

fucking had derailed all his higher though processes.

“Whenever I get an inconvenient erection, I think about football.” Alex’s eyes flicked down to

Jesse’s groin. He didn’t look put off at all.

Jesse flushed. “Shut the hell up, Alex. And stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?” Alex slowly let his gaze move upwards until his eyes met Jesse’s.
It was all Jesse could do not to gasp. His dick twitched and he swore he felt some pre-come

ease from the tip, all because Alex was looking at him with heat in his eyes. Jesus, fuck, what the
hell is wrong with me?

“Football, Jesse.” Alex pursed his lips.
Jesse stared at his friend’s mouth, mesmerized. “You hate football.”
“That’s the point.”
Jesse blinked, then tore his eyes away and stared at the green fronds above his head. Alex was

making no sense at all. “The point of football is that… you hate it?”

Alex snickered. “No, you moron. It’s boring and stupid.”
“Football is not boring and stupid,” Jesse argued, breathing slowly in and out. In and out.

There, that was working, thank God.

“Yes, it is. The only good thing about it is the tight pants,” Alex replied.
Jesse stopped staring at the plants and gave his best friend his best glare. “I am going to kill

you. Slowly.”

Alex laughed out loud. “You said that already. Five or six times.” Then, his expression

sobered. “Anyway, you’ve been killing me for years now, and I’m still here, aren’t I?” With that, he
spun on his heel and walked away, leaving Jesse to scramble after him, wondering what the hell had
just happened.

Chapter Six

Alex tapped on the microphone. “Thank you for coming, ladies and gentlemen.” He smiled at

the crowd of people, masking his impatience. He wanted to go home and see what else he could do to
make Jesse tremble the way he had during the photo op, but first he had to make a speech. The crowd
stared up at him expectantly: women glittering with jewels and makeup, and the men in suits that cost
more than some cars. He suppressed a sigh. They came for the food and the prestige of attending the
Roman gala, but as long as they coughed up money for his charity, Alex didn’t care. At least I have
Jesse to keep me company this year, he thought, looking at his friend. Jesse gave him a tiny nod
before scanning the crowd with his bodyguard face. He looked professional and dangerous.

Alex took a calming breath and began. “Every year, we hold a party and raise money for a good

cause. This year is no exception. I’m not going to make this speech very long, but it’s important to
thank our sponsors for making this gala possible.” He kept talking, listing the companies who had
donated money and people to help with the event. Every so often, he glanced to the side where Jesse
stood, silent and watchful.

He looks so calm and collected now, and I’m anything but, he mused to himself, even as he

continued his speech. That kiss knocked me on my ass, figuratively speaking. It had been a shock, no
doubt about it. He’d been in love with Jesse for years, but he’d had no plans to do anything about it,
because Jesse claimed he was straight. Only, not so much, eh? he told himself, suppressing a smile
as he recalled the kiss under the trees. He’d been shocked, then desperate with heat, then amused as
he realized that his best friend had done it as a joke. Jesse had never expected to enjoy the kiss as
much as he did.

But he did enjoy it. A lot. He savored the memory of Jesse’s shocked expression, and the heat

in his eyes after Alex had broken the embrace. He hadn’t wanted to. He’d much rather have pushed
Jesse up against the wall and ravished him then and there, but sadly, performing in public had never
been one of his kinks.

Oh well. Maybe I can talk him into making out once we get home, he mused. Or possibly, in

the car. He glanced at Jesse one last time. His friend was frowning, staring intently into the crowd.
Alex wrapped up his speech, wanting to be done and gone five minutes ago. “That’s all folks. Please
enjoy the music and the drinks. Thanks and goodnight.”

Whew. Another gala, another speech done. Time to go home and have my way with my best

friend. He smiled at Jesse, but his friend was still staring elsewhere. When glass shattered behind
him, Jesse looked right at him, eyes wide and angry. The next thing Alex knew, he was on the ground
staring up into the central spire of his building. Broken glass sprayed them as a woman screamed
from somewhere on the left. When the crowd surged forward, he rolled, trying to get out from under
the muscled weight of his best friend before they were trampled.

“Jesse! What the hell?” he said, wincing as his right hip hit the edge of the platform, hard. His

left elbow throbbed and he hoped nothing was broken. He couldn’t see a damn thing from here and he
shoved at Alex impatiently.

“Keep your head down,” Jesse hissed, gun out and pointing. “Someone shot at you.”
Shot at me? Alex thought, confused for a second. When Jesse squeezed the trigger of his pistol,

aiming for someone he couldn’t see, he grimaced. The shot was way too damn close to his right ear
for comfort. More glass shattered. Adrenaline surged through him. “What the fuck, Jesse?” he

muttered, tucking his head into Jesse’s shoulder. “I didn’t even hear anything.” The sound in his right
ear was muffled, disorienting him further.

“Shit. He got away,” Jesse said, going to a crouch.
Alex tried to get up, but Jesse put a hand on his chest. “No, stay down.”
“Jesse—”
“Stay down!”
Alex stopped trying to sit up. “I didn’t hear anything,” he muttered to himself, trying to force his

brain into gear. Jesse was looking around them, eyes sharp. Even in the midst of disaster, Alex
couldn’t help admiring the line of his friend’s body. Jesse looked like exactly what he was: a strong,
ex-military warrior. And someone just pissed him off, Alex thought, struggling with a combination of
anger, arousal, and the intense need to get them both out of there. “Why didn’t I hear the shot?”

“Silencer,” was all Jesse said, still searching the room.
Alex followed his friend’s gaze. His security was trying to get everyone out safely, but many of

the people weren’t cooperating. He snorted to himself. Most of the guests were the heads of industry.
They weren’t used to being told what to do. And it was obvious that the shooter had disappeared, or
there would be more panicking. “Let me up.”

Jesse frowned.
“He’s long gone, and you know it,” Alex said, frustrated. He couldn’t do anything while he was

lying on the floor. And he didn’t want Jesse taking any stupid risks for him. He didn’t know what he’d
do if Jesse got hurt.

“Fine. Stay behind me.” Jesse helped him to his feet, gun still drawn. “I can’t tell where he left.

Too many people in here. Dammit.”

“Did you hit him?” Alex said, eyes going to the shattered glass near the bar. Blood smeared the

shards scattered on the marble floor. There were stools overturned. The bartender was nowhere to be
seen.

Jesse shrugged. “Nicked him, I think.”
Alex took a deep breath. “We can get DNA samples from that.”
Jesse gave him a look, then dragged him over to the side of the bar, where the long counter met

the only solid wall in the center of the large space. “We need to get out of here. It’s too exposed.”

Alex nodded, absently watching the people finally rushing to the doors. Everything felt

remarkably calm inside his head. To his eyes, the guests looked like they were moving in slow
motion. His mind was going too fast for his body to keep up. “What about the police?” he asked,
mentally going over the list of people he’d invited to the gala. Which one of them betrayed him?

“Let Somes deal with them. It’s not safe here.” Jesse frowned. “Isn’t that what you pay him

for?”

“Yeah, but this isn’t right,” Alex said, thinking faster. “Why here? Why now?” Shooting him at

a public event was stupid. He rubbed his jaw, absently scratching at the stubble on his skin. The
threatening notes he’d been sent hadn’t been particularly direct. No demands had been made. Nothing
to indicate incipient violence, not really.

“Something wasn’t right from the moment you began getting those notes,” Jesse said harshly. He

holstered his gun and scrubbed his hand through his hair. “Shit. Why would anyone try to kill you? It
makes no sense. You have no family left to inherit. If you die, it all goes to charity.”

“It doesn’t all go to charity. Some of it goes to you,” Alex murmured.
Jesse gave him a look. “You changed your will? I told you not to do that.”
“Too bad,” Alex said, not the least bit sorry. The only person in his will was Jesse, and he

trusted him implicitly. “Here comes Somes. Give me a minute with him,” he said, changing the
subject.

“We’ll talk about this later,” Jesse said. “I’m calling for your car.” His cell phone was already

in his hand.

Talking wasn’t what I had in mind once we got home, Alex thought, frustrated. “Fine,” he said

aloud, suddenly exhausted. He didn’t want to argue with Jesse. The last of his adrenaline had drained
away, leaving him tired and worried. What did I miss about those notes?

“Mr. Roman! No one saw the shooter. Are you okay?” Somes asked as he walked up, sounding

worried.

“I’m fine,” Alex replied.
“Hell, the only reason we even know that there was a shooter is because Mr. Emerson shoved

you onto the floor.” He glanced at Jesse, looking a bit apprehensive. “I’m sorry. I have no idea how
someone got in here with a weapon.” He looked like he didn’t know what to do with his hands and
finally shoved them into his pants pockets.

“They got in here because someone on the inside let them in,” Jesse said, his voice hard.

“You’re going to find that person and deal with him. Or her.”

Alex agreed with Jesse. It’s always someone on the inside. But who?
Somes nodded, shoulders slumping. “The police are on their way. I had the rest of the guests

evacuated to the outside courtyard.”

Alex could hear the sirens. “We’ll give a short statement, then we’re leaving.”
“Alex…” Jesse began to argue, but Alex cut him off.
“They’ll be more difficult to work with later if I don’t give a statement, and you know it,” he

said, putting a hand on Jesse’s arm.

Jesse pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers, then gave a short, sharp nod. “Fine,

but we’re not moving from this spot until I see Prajesh with the limo. This is the most protected spot.”

“That’s fine.” Alex straightened his shoulders, turning to face the detective weaving through the

remaining partygoers. From the look on the cop’s face, their conversation wouldn’t be pleasant.

****
“You are not going to talk to the police again,” Jesse said firmly. “You’re going to let your

lawyers deal with them.”

“Not a problem.” Alex laughed shortly and tipped his head back against the back of the seat.

The limo slowly weaved between traffic, much later than he’d wanted to be getting home. The lights
of the other cars flashed against his eyes, making him feel like he was stuck in an endless film noir.
Across from him, Jesse checked his weapons, again, settling his underarm holster more firmly against
his side. “I gave them a statement. That’s enough,” Alex murmured tiredly.

“That detective was such a dick.” Jesse rubbed his eyes. “What the hell was his problem?”
“He thought we were lovers.”
“That does not make me any less angry, Alex,” Jesse said, glaring out the window.
Alex shook his head. “You know how people are. I’m wealthy. He thinks that makes me a jerk.

And he doesn’t like the idea that maybe I like taking it up the ass.” He rolled his shoulders, trying to
ease the tension that had taken up residence in his spine. “It doesn’t matter. The police won’t find
anything, anyway.”

“Jesus.” Jesse sighed and slumped down in the leather seat. “What the hell is going on, Alex?

Those notes aren’t as innocuous as they seem.”

Alex watched Jesse, knowing he was right. He nudged Jesse’s foot with his toe. “Hey. You did

all you could. You saved my life. Thank you.”

Jesse gave him a look.
“Don’t do that.” Alex leaned forward. “I would be dead if you hadn’t been there.”
Jesse clenched his fists. “Yeah. That’s why I’m so fucking upset, Alex. What if I hadn’t been

there? It’s pure luck that I showed up at your door.” He shook his head. “I’m not leaving your side
until this is resolved.”

Alex couldn’t control the tiny surge of joy that welled up inside him. “Um, that might get a bit

awkward. Especially when I have to use the toilet.”

Jesse glared at him. “Someone’s trying to kill you and you’re making jokes.”
“What else can I do right now?” Alex asked, reasonably.
Jesse’s face tightened. “Shut up. Please, just… Be quiet for a minute, Alex.”
Alex watched his friend for a long moment. He knew Jesse better than anyone else in his life,

and his friend was not happy right now. “I’m okay, Jesse. I’m alive.”

“Yeah.”
Alex pursed his lips, then he slid to his knees on the floor. He put a hand on Jesse’s right knee.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jesse asked, going rigid.
“What I should have done years ago,” Alex murmured, sliding his fingers up to his friend’s

crotch. Jesse’s cock was hard.

“Fuck!” The word exploded out of Jesse as Alex cupped his erection.
“Relax. I’m not going to hurt you,” Alex murmured, running a finger along the firm length.
Jesse gave a strangled groan. “This is crazy.”
Alex looked up at him, hand going still. “That kiss was crazy.”
Jesse didn’t look away. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. I don’t know what the fuck

you’re doing.”

Alex liked the way his friend didn’t deny what had happened. “I know. I don’t either,” he

finally whispered, leaning closer. He put his cheek on Jesse’s thigh. It was warm and hard and shook
just the tiniest bit. He wanted to bite it.

“Alex, I’m not gay. I’m not even bi,” Jesse ground out.
Alex had to laugh at that one. “Aren’t you?” He leaned back, then deliberately cupped Jesse’s

prick, holding his friend’s gaze the entire time. Jesse’s blue eyes were dilated. “Then why are you so
hard?”

Jesse swallowed. “I don’t know.”
Alex deliberately undid the button of Jesse’s pants, then slid the zipper down. Jesse’s cock

pushed against his boxer-briefs, hot and sure. “Tell me to stop, and I will.”

Jesse’s entire body shuddered. “God, Alex…” he trailed off when Alex leaned closer and put

his mouth over the head of his dick, breathing through the cotton. “Fuck!”

Alex grinned against the fabric, enjoying the musky scent of his friend. He rubbed his face

against the hard length, then slowly peeled the fabric down until Jesse’s prick was exposed. As he
stared at the deep ruby crown, moisture slid from the tiny slit. He licked his lips. Jesse’s thighs were
iron-hard beneath his forearms.

“Do it,” Jesse said roughly. “Put me in your mouth.”
Alex glanced up. Jesse’s eyes glittered in the low light of the car. When the car drove over a

pothole, Jesse’s erection bumped his chin.

“Jesus, Alex,” Jesse muttered, head going back as his eyes closed.
Alex couldn’t resist any longer. He didn’t want to resist. He leaned in and sucked the tip

between his lips, playing his tongue across the smooth skin. Jesse moaned and Alex slid his hand
around the hard length, holding it steady. He put his other hand on his own erection, pressing hard
enough to hurt. He didn’t want to come in his pants like a teenager, but the sight of Jesse so messed up
had him closer to orgasm than he’d realized. Jesse moaned again and Alex swirled his tongue faster,
then sank down, opening wide. He stopped and sucked, then lightly scraped his teeth over the
sensitive skin. He wanted to blow Jesse’s mind.

****
Jesse clenched his fists, trying his damnedest not to thrust, but it was hard. So very fucking

hard, he thought, staring at his cock disappearing into Alex’s mouth. His best friend’s lips were red
and wet, and the look in his eyes was so intense the inside of his skull went white-hot every time their
gazes met.

“Fuck,” he said again, hips jerking. He was close. He was too close and he didn’t even know

how he’d gotten here in the first place. “Alex, Jesus.” He sucked in air, feeling like he’d just ran a
marathon. “Don’t stop,” he whispered, desperate. For some reason, this moment felt more fraught
with emotion than any other sex he’d had in his entire life. Just him, and Alex, and his bare dick going
into that mouth…

“Fuck! That’s it, Alex,” he groaned, then the pleasure took him. His prick jerked as he

climaxed, panting hard as he tried to keep himself under control and not choke his best friend.

Alex, damn his eyes, looked right at him as he sucked Jesse in further, swallowing everything.

Jesse shuddered, unable to keep still. His hands were in Alex’s hair and he bit his lip, trying to be
quiet. Alex swirled his tongue around him again, drawing out another burst of pleasure. Jesse grunted,
almost too sensitive now, and Alex leaned back, sliding him out of his mouth with a thick, wet, pop.
The sound made Jesse shiver with his cock twitching and still mostly erect.

“Mmm,” Alex said, licking his lips. He let go of Jesse and wiped his mouth with his fingers.
Jesse stared.
Alex smiled at him, then got up and sat down on the seat next to Jesse. He leaned against Jesse,

hands at his own crotch. “I can’t wait. I’m sorry,” he said, undoing his pants.

Wait for what? Jesse wondered vaguely as he watched him take out his cock, thick and red and

slightly longer than his own. The arousal that slid through him surprised him. Since when do I like
guys? he thought, but as he stared at his friend’s increasingly flushed cheeks, he slowly understood.
Since I finally figured out that I might have a thing for my best friend.

Alex jacked himself deliberately, then faster as his eyes closed. The crown of his erection

disappeared into his palm, then reappeared again as his fist moved up and down. He didn’t make a
sound.

Suddenly, Jesse couldn’t stand it anymore. He reached over and put his hands over Alex’s,

stopping his motions. The shocking heat of his best friend’s dick branded his fingers. Alex’s eyes
flew open, the cool grey irises electric and more alive than he’d ever seen them before.

“Let me,” Jesse croaked, pushing Alex’s hand away.
Alex trembled, but let Jesse take him in hand. “You’re sure?”
Jesse didn’t answer. He couldn’t. He was totally consumed with the sensation of another man’s

dick in his fingers. Experimentally he slid his hand up, then down, smiling grimly when Alex
shuddered.

“Harder,” Alex said.
Jesse nodded, then did as Jesse asked. He didn’t like how dry everything felt, so he slid off the

seat and took Alex into his mouth before he could think about what he was doing. The moment his

tongue touched Alex’s prick, he closed his eyes, savoring the smooth heat. How did I not know I’d
like this?

“Oh my God,” Alex breathed, hips moving slightly. “Fuck, Jesse. Fuck.”
Jesse sucked lightly, remembering how good it’d felt when Alex had done this to him. Alex

went rigid under his arms. Jesse slid off, working his hand into the wet he’d left behind. Alex’s cock
was bigger now. Pre-cum coated the tip and Jesse licked it off, trying to get used to the taste.

“You don’t have to do this,” Alex muttered.
Jesse glared at him. “Shut up.” Alex’s mouth snapped shut. His hair was mussed. For some

reason, Jesse found him ridiculously hot like this. “Don’t move.”

He bent down again, playing with the tip. When he traced his tongue down the veins underneath

the shaft, Alex moaned. Jesse smiled against the dick in his hand, then sucked the tip back in as he
wrestled his fingers down into Alex’s pants. He cupped his best friend’s balls. They tightened, and
Jesse sucked harder, rolling them gently. When Alex’s hips snapped up, he pulled back, jacking his
friend with his hands as he climaxed. Spunk coated Jesse’s face and wrist before he could duck.
Some spattered against his jacket, but he didn’t care. He’d do anything to see that look of shock and
pleasure on Alex’s face again. He swiped at his cheek with the back of his hand.

“Oh my God, what just happened?” Alex asked, mouth open.
Despite the hint of unease trickling down his spine, Jesse couldn’t help smiling. “You, uh, made

a mess.”

Alex grinned, then mock frowned. “Here.” He wiggled his hand into his pocket and pulled out

an honest-to-God monogrammed handkerchief. He dropped it in Jesse’s hand.

Jesse stared at the linen. “Are you kidding me? You carry this around with you?”
“Shut up. It was my grandfather’s.” Alex let his head loll against the back of the seat. “I’m

enjoying the afterglow, so don’t start bitching.”

“I’m not the one who mentioned a family member right after sex. Talk about killing the

afterglow.” Jesse shook his head and dabbed at the mess on his face, then wiped at his sleeve. “This
suit is trashed.” He couldn’t suppress a smile. “Oops.”

Alex laughed. “I’ll have it cleaned. It’s no big deal.” He yawned, then. “I can’t wait to go to

bed. I’m exhausted.”

Jesse glanced outside, wondering how far they were from the house. When he saw where they

were, he cursed. “We’re almost home, Alex.” He hurriedly swiped at his pants, then stuffed his dick
back inside, almost nicking the sensitive skin on his zipper. For some reason, now that the car was
pulling up the long driveway to Alex’s mansion, everything they’d just done felt more real.

Alex blinked. “Huh. So we are.” Languidly, he pulled himself together, zipping and buttoning

with far more grace than Jesse.

“How do you do that? You look like you just walked out of your house and I look like I’ve been

through a skirmish.” He sighed, fidgeting with his jacket. At least my weapon didn’t get splattered.
He still couldn’t believe what they’d done.

“It’s a gift,” Alex said, smirking at him.
Jesse poked him as the car came to a stop. “Stay here. I want to look around before you get out

of the car.” Tension crawled up his neck as he remembered the muzzle pointed at Alex’s head at the
gala. If he hadn’t seen it, Alex would be dead right now. That was too close for comfort.

Alex sat up, losing his pose of relaxation. “Surely you don’t think anyone will be shooting at me

here? I have a security gate and cameras.”

“I don’t know anything for sure,” Jesse said, rolling his shoulders. “And I’m not taking your

safety for granted.” He opened the door before Prajesh could, and eased out, checking the shadows.
The three-story mansion was artfully lit, and the landscaped grounds were quiet except for the sound
of cicadas. He waved Prajesh back into the car, not wanting to risk him. A hand on his back made him
stiffen. Alex, dammit, he thought, frustrated. “I told you to stay in the car.”

“Since when do I listen to anyone, Jesse?” Alex said, sounding so reasonable Jesse abruptly

wanted to wring his best friend’s neck.

“This isn’t a joke, Alex.” Jesse did another quick scan. “Looks clear. Let’s get inside.” He

nodded to Prajesh and the man drove away as they walked to the huge front door. He’d park the car in
the detached garage to the rear of the mansion and head home for the night.

“I don’t think they’re going to try again tonight,” Alex said quietly, using his key to unlock the

front door. He pushed it open. Jesse followed him in, watching as his friend carefully locked the door
behind him, then reset the alarm.

“You don’t know that for sure,” Jesse said, following him upstairs. He still felt tense. The

woods were thick enough around the house to hide an intruder or two even from his sharp vision.

Alex shook his head. “No, I don’t know anything for sure, but what else can we do?” He sighed,

pushing open his bedroom door.

Jesse followed him in, checking the closet as Alex toed off his shoes. He wasn’t taking any

chances. He looked in the bathroom, then finally let his shoulders unknot a little. The rooms were
empty. Safe. For now, at least, he reasoned.

“The notes are weird, yes, but there’s been nothing in them that would make me think they’re

from any sort of big organization. This is just one guy with a vendetta,” Alex said.

“Why would someone want to kill you? Vendetta or not, it makes more sense to kidnap you and

ask for a ransom,” Jesse argued, closing the drapes. He didn’t want anyone able to see inside. He
eyed the bed, considering going to his room. Yeah, no. There’s no way I’m going to be able to sleep
unless I’m in here with Alex.

“Why would someone want to kill my grandfather?” Alex asked pointedly, leaning on his

dresser.

Jesse froze, considering the implications of Alex’s statement. “Wait. Are you serious? You

think someone killed him?”

Alex looked at Jesse, grey eyes tired. “I’ve always thought it was weird that they went out late

at night, in a blizzard, you know?” He shrugged off his jacket and tossed it on the chair beside him.
“Your dad would never have agreed to that, and you know it, if someone hadn’t coerced them.”

Jesse couldn’t move. He stared as his friend undid the cufflinks at his wrists, then watched as

Alex tossed them on top of the polished wood surface and rubbed his face.

“Someone killed them, Jesse. I know it.” Alex unbuttoned his shirt slowly.
Jesse’s gut churned. Alex was undressing in front of him, and his body wanted nothing more

than to go over there and pull him close. Unfortunately, his mind kept running over what Alex had
said. Someone had just tried to shoot his best friend. Someone tried to kill the man I love. And hell,
I’ve probably been in love with him for years, but I was too stupid to realize it. He could hardly
wrap his brain around the idea that Alex believed the shooter was somehow connected to his
grandfather’s death. And my Dad’s.

“Jesse?”
Jesse startled as Alex said his name again. “Yeah. I hear you.” He rubbed his eyes. “Sorry. I

just… “ He broke off and looked at Alex. Truly looked at him. “You really think the shooter, the
notes, and your grandfather and my dad’s deaths are all connected?”

“Yeah,” Alex said, simply.
Instead of replying, Jesse walked over and pulled Alex tightly up against his body into a rough

hug. “I’m never leaving you again.” He shoved his unease over his newfound attraction for his best
friend way the hell down inside, where, hopefully, it would stay buried.

Chapter Seven

Alex woke with the sheets twisted around his legs. He looked around, but it was still dark, and

he couldn’t see a damn thing. Next to him, Jesse slept, a dark lump under the blanket he’d stolen. Alex
shivered. Had he been dreaming? He looked to the windows, but Jesse had drawn the curtains before
they’d gone to bed. He had no idea what time it was.

“Alex?” Jesse mumbled, rolling over.
“Go back to sleep,” Alex murmured, reaching for his phone on the nightstand. Four-thirty, still

too early to get up, he thought, dimming the display so it wouldn’t wake Jesse. He closed his eyes,
almost able to convince himself that he’d simply had a bad dream. The windows shattering a scant
second later disabused him of that notion. He sat up in bed, heart pounding.

“Fuck!” Jesse exclaimed, suddenly awake. His hand clamped around Alex’s arm. With a single

heave, he dragged Alex down to the floor on the far side of the bed.

Alex fell onto the carpet, confused and still half-asleep. “What the hell?”
“Keep your head down,” Jesse hissed, right against his ear. Sharp pop-pop-pops hit the

mattress, and Alex’s heart tripped. Gunshots! Shit.

“Helluva way to wake up,” he muttered under his breath. Jesse pulled him closer to the wall,

then squeezed off a shot of his own. His had no silencer and the sound nearly deafened him. “Now I
know why you stuck your gun under your pillow before we went to sleep. It’s your damn security
blanket. Maybe I should get one, too, the way things are going.”

“Shh,” Jesse ordered, shoving him back.
Alex grimaced, then slid his hand under his nightstand. When his fingers closed around his

knife, he smiled grimly. He wasn’t totally helpless. Maybe he didn’t sleep with a gun in bed, but that
didn’t mean he couldn’t protect himself. Of course, you know what they say about bringing a knife
to a gunfight…

Jesse shot at someone again, and then the curtains came down, as if someone had yanked on

them. Three black figures headed into the room past the fluttering fabric, quiet as death. They wore
ski masks. Jesse aimed and fired a third time. The man in the lead went down, cursing.

“We need to get out of here,” Jesse said.
Alex nodded, already thinking about what to do. “Get us to the closet.” He ducked when one of

the men aimed and fired again. A bullet ripped through his nightstand, sprinkling him with wood
chips. “Fuck.” He plucked out a splinter by feel since it was too dark to see a damn thing.

Jesse pushed his head lower, shooting again. Another one of the men went down. “I can keep

this up all night,” he called out, shooting again. This time he missed.

The last intruder didn’t speak, just kept heading forward, gun out. Alex saw him tap his ear, and

then he aimed and squeezed the trigger again. Nothing happened.

“He’s out. Time to go,” Jesse said. He got to his feet and tackled the man as Alex moved to the

door of his closet.

“Jesse!”
Jesse viciously punched the man in the face and he fell to the ground, unmoving.
“Get dressed. Fast,” Jesse said urgently, moving back. “I think there are more of them outside.”
“This makes no sense,” Alex muttered, hurriedly shoving his legs into jeans. He grabbed a

leather sheath and strapped his knife to his forearm, then shoved his feet into his hiking boots. He

picked up his wallet and stuffed it into his pocket, thankful he carried enough cash to see them through
whatever they needed to do. “This is too organized.” He pulled a shirt over his head.

“Something’s changed,” Jesse agreed, dressing just as quickly. Alex could barely see him in the

dark.

“If you ever want to see your father again, you’ll come out with your hands up,” a man yelled.
Alex froze. Jesse put a hand on his arm in warning. Alex knew exactly what he was thinking:

whose father? Alex’s dad had died when he was young and Jesse’s had died six years ago in the car
crash with Alex’s grandfather. None of this made any sense.

“Drop your weapons, and we’ll stop shooting,” the man called, sounding closer.
Alex ran his fingers down the paneling until he found the hidden lever. He tapped Jesse on the

shoulder. His friend nodded. Alex pulled the lever and the wall slid silently back. A puff of cool air
brushed his face.

“It’s been a long time since you saw your father, Mr. Roman,” the man yelled again. “He’s been

gone since you were little, right?”

Alex frowned. What the hell were they talking about?
“Don’t listen. Just go,” Jesse said, giving him a little shove.
Alex moved into the space, pulling Jesse after him. “They can’t be serious,” he muttered.
Jesse flicked the button on the wall and the hidden door slid shut in front of them. The nearly

silent electric elevator began to descend. “They’re were just trying to get you to come out so they
could shoot you.”

Alex shivered. “Probably.”
“We need somewhere safe to figure this out,” Jesse said, jamming a spare magazine down his

front pocket.

He must have grabbed it on the way down to the floor, Alex thought, amazed all over again at

his best friend’s excellence with violence.

The elevator came to a stop and Alex slid the old wooden door in front of them to the side. This

section of the basement smelled slightly musty. “We could go to my place in the Hamptons,” he
suggested, stepping out of the small elevator shaft. He blinked when the motion detector flicked on the
light. After being so long in the dark, even the dim bulb set in the corner of the long room hurt his
eyes.

Jesse shook his head, heading forward to the far door. “Too far.” He had to step past a bunch of

old trunks, boxes filled with rusty car parts, and an old wooden mantle. Alex followed him. This
corner had been his father’s workshop, but since his dad had died when he was little, he hadn’t spent
much time down here.

“Where should we go, then? Assuming we manage to get out of here intact, that is,” he said,

rubbing his thigh where he’d bumped it against an old table corner.

“We’ll go to my place,” Jesse said matter-of-factly.
Alex stopped, astonished. “What? Are you serious? What about your ex? And that’s not exactly

a hidden spot to lay low in.”

“Samantha will just have to deal. It’s time she left, anyway. I was just using her as an excuse to

come crash at your place.” Before Alex could process that interesting statement, Jesse grabbed him
and pulled him by the wrist, towing him closer to the door. “And no one will find us there without a
lot of digging. No one knows who I am, remember?”

“They do now,” Alex said, following him to the door. “The gala? The photo op?”
“Yeah, but they don’t know I own a place in midtown. It’ll take them a few days to track us

down.” Jesse swung open the door and tugged Alex through and up the stairs. At the top, the old metal
doors squeaked as Jesse shoved them up and open, and Alex held his breath, hoping no one heard.

“It’s clear,” Jesse whispered, moving out into the woods along this side of the property.
Alex stopped and closed the doors behind him, wincing as they squeaked again, then caught up

with Jesse. “They’ll find out about your apartment easily enough,” he said quietly, following him.
“It’s not like we tried to hide anything. You’re on all my legal documents.” He pointed to the big tree
that marked the trail to the road. They’d have to hike through the woods a bit to get off his property.

Jesse nodded and headed that direction. “It’ll buy us some time, and that’s all we need.”
“Time for what?”
“Time to figure out what the hell’s going on, Alex,” Jesse said tersely. “Come on. We’re still

going to have to walk five miles to get to the bus stop in town. We need to hurry.”

Alex sighed and followed him. It wasn’t like he had any better ideas. It was going to be a long

walk. But at least you’re both still alive. And together.

****
Several hours later they arrived at Jesse’s apartment building, both of them tired and irritable.

Alex hadn’t complained even once about walking, but Jesse could tell his friend was exhausted.
They’d made it into the city without any problem, thank God, but the sooner they got some rest, the
better. Jesse wanted to get inside and go back to bed, if possible, but he had the feeling it wasn’t
going to be that easy. He unlocked his door, but stopped short just as it swung open. The living room
beyond the hallway looked like a tornado had hit it.

Damn her, he thought, anger surging through him.
“Jesse. What the hell are you doing back here? You said I could have the place to myself,”

Samantha said, stepping out of nowhere to stubbornly block the doorway. “I don’t appreciate being
woken up this early. I was still sleeping, you know.”

Jesse pushed past her, not in the mood for her sullen attitude, not after the night and early

morning he’d had. “Stuff it, Sam. I can tell you were already awake.” He looked around his
apartment, disgusted when he saw the mess she’d made of the kitchen and living area. Magazines
were strewn all over the sofa and the sink was piled high with dirty dishes.

“You can’t just barge in here,” she protested, following him down the hall to the living room.

“And who’s your friend?”

Alex had stopped near the kitchen island, looking around the space curiously. “It doesn’t look

like I remember,” he said, mildly.

“That’s because it looks like a scene from a disaster movie,” Jesse muttered, narrowing his

eyes at his favorite painting, a serene landscape. Alex had bought it for him back when they were still
in high school. It hung crookedly, as if someone had knocked it down and put it back up haphazardly.

Samantha scowled at Alex. “And how would you know, whoever you are? This is Jesse’s

apartment, not yours.”

Alex gave Jesse a look.
Jesse sighed, loudly. “He knows because he’s the one who found it for me before I went into

the Air Force, Sam. He bought it for me. He maintained it for me when I was gone.”

She frowned. “What are you talking about? This is your apartment.”
“Sam, Alex. Alex, Samantha, my ex,” Jesse said brusquely. “I told you about my friend Alex,

Sam. Multiple times.” Exasperated, he strode across the living room and yanked open the door to the
bedroom, stopping abruptly when he saw the man in the bed. “Get out,” he barked.

The man rolled over, blinking sleepily. “Who are you? Did Samantha let you in?”

“I’m the guy who owns this place. Go home.” He left the door open and prowled to the kitchen.

God, I need coffee. They’d better not have messed around with my gear. He glanced at the closed
door to the spare room.

“Jesse, what the hell are you doing?” Samantha asked. She glanced at Alex, then dismissed him,

turning the full weight of her anger on Jesse. “You said I could stay until I found a new place. Don’t
be an asshole.” She scowled at him. “And I can tell what you’re thinking, but I haven’t gone into your
precious office. You locked it when you left, remember? So give me a break. Why are you back
here?”

“I changed my mind. Sorry,” Jesse said, finally unearthing his coffee pot. He waved the empty

carafe towards Alex. “Want some?” he asked.

Alex nodded, looking supremely unruffled. He’d pulled out one of the stools and was sitting at

the only clear space in the kitchen. “That’d be great, thanks.”

“Jesse, what the hell?” Samantha grabbed his arm. “Answer me.”
Jesse whirled on her. “Don’t, Sam. You haven’t even been looking for a new apartment, have

you?” He looked around. “And you’ve trashed the place. Which hasn’t put me in the best of moods, in
case you haven’t noticed.”

She glared at him.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. I know you, and I know you were going to try and drag this out

until I finally caved and let you stay.” He turned back to the counter, measured the coffee into the
filter, then closed the cover.

“That’s not true,” Samantha protested.
He snorted. “Uh-huh. Well, too bad for you, but I need my apartment back sooner than I

expected, so it’s time for you to go.”

She glanced at Alex and narrowed her eyes. Jesse could see the wheels in her head turning. He

wondered what conclusions she was putting together. Probably none that make any damn sense.

“Just like that?” she asked finally, clenching her fists. She was definitely angry.
“Just like that,” Jesse agreed, leaning back against the counter. “Don’t forget, I gave you three

months six months ago. Then three more weeks. Then more time, when you told me you couldn’t find
anywhere to stay. Don’t try and act like you’re the injured party here. There are plenty of spaces for
rent in Hoboken and you know it.” She looked at him, horrified when he mentioned New Jersey. Alex
lifted an eyebrow at him. Jesse shrugged. He didn’t have the luxury of screwing around with her
anymore. Alex’s life was more important to him than anything else. He needed his apartment back,
yesterday.

When the man Sam was screwing around with shuffled out of the bedroom and into the

bathroom half-dressed, he shook his head. It wasn’t even the same guy he’d caught her in bed with
months ago. Samantha went through men like some women went through pantyhose.

“We don’t have anywhere else to go,” Samantha argued. She shrugged, letting her nightshirt fall

down her shoulder, clearly trying to tempt him. It wasn’t going to work, not that she knew that.

“You can stay with your flavor of the month. Or your mother,” Jesse suggested, ignoring the

skin she was flashing. What did I ever see in her? he wondered. When she licked her lips and
glanced at Alex, as if to try her wiles on him, Jesse almost laughed out loud. “That’s not gonna work
on us, Sam,” he said, meeting Alex’s amused gaze.

“What, are you suddenly gay or something?” She let the shirt fall open, exposing her breasts.

She wore tiny crimson panties that barely covered her mound. Oddly, Jesse didn’t feel even the
slightest bit of interest, despite her admittedly excellent assets.

Samantha trailed her fingers down the curve of her waist. “I don’t think you are. Remember

how eager you used to be when we first got together? It could be like that again, you know.”

Jesse looked away, suddenly embarrassed for the both of them. Why had he ever dated her?

Because when you got out of the military you’d have fucked any warm body you could find, the
first few months, he told himself, remembering how aimless he’d felt. Alex had kept his distance for
the first month or two, probably sensing Jesse’s desperate need to reconfigure his life, now that he
was back home. He glanced at Sam, suddenly noticing the calculating gleam in her eyes, even as she
preened for them. She’s a cold one, he mused uncomfortably, fiddling with the coffee pot. She pursed
her lips.

“Button your shirt, Sam,” he said tiredly, looking away. She didn’t even know Alex, yet here

she was, exposing herself, with her boyfriend in the next room.

“Oh my God, are you kidding me? You’re gay? Is that why you broke up with me? Jesus,” she

abruptly said, sounding shocked.

Jesse risked another glance at her. She still hadn’t covered up. He turned away and fished out

two semi-clean coffee cups. He turned on the tap to rinse them, not sure how to answer her. Maybe
don’t answer her at all. Safer that way.

“Not exactly,” Alex said, surprisingly. Behind Samantha, the door to the bathroom opened and

her guy scurried back into the bedroom.

Jesse looked at Alex. His friend had slipped off the stool and ambled closer to the counter

where he was making the coffee, his face a study in calm indifference to the tension of the moment.
Jesse admired Alex’s ability to handle volatile situations. It’s probably because he’s used to dealing
with sharks in the boardroom, he thought, wrestling with a collection of emotions he didn’t really
want to face right now. Whatever had happened in the car, well, he wasn’t ready to think about it, yet.
And the shootings had put him on edge, more than he’d realized until just now. He’d hoped the
apartment would feel safe, but Samantha had him wanting to punch a wall. He should never have let
her stay as long as he had.

“Who are you?” Samantha asked Alex, crossing her arms under her breasts. The pose pushed up

her nipples.

Alex’s eyes flicked down at them, then back up. “I’m the person Jesse chose, over you. Over

everyone. And it happened years ago, long before you ever met him.” He smiled at Samantha. “You
might want to pack up some clothes. You can get the rest of your stuff later in the week.”

Jesse almost dropped the cup he’d just rinsed. Alex hadn’t lied, not really, but his words could

be taken so many different ways. And aren’t all of them correct? Especially after what we did
together in the car? he told himself, flushing slightly.

“Well, fuck,” Samantha said, her voice hard. “He’s not kidding, is he, Jesse?”
Jesse shook his head, not trusting himself to speak.
She frowned, then hurriedly buttoned the shirt. “Fine. I know when I’m not welcome.” She

flounced off to the bedroom.

That went… better than I expected, he thought, watching her go. He put the cup in his hand on

the counter and rubbed his face. “Alex, what the hell was that all about?”

His friend lifted a shoulder. “She’s leaving. Be grateful.” He pulled out the coffee pot and

poured two cups of steaming nirvana. “Here. Drink your coffee. You’ll feel better.”

Jesse blinked. “You’re crazy.” He picked up the cup and promptly burned his tongue. “Ow,

fuck.”

Alex laughed. “You need sleep.”

Jesse cursed again, almost spilling his drink as he hurriedly put it down. “I need more than

sleep, Alex.” He went to the freezer for an ice cube. Just as he slipped one into his mouth, Samantha
burst out of the bedroom with a suitcase and her guy in tow. She crashed the luggage into the coffee
table, upending a pile of books. After struggling with the bag for a moment, her lover finally took pity
on her and righted it. She glared at him, then stomped across the living space. She paused at the
entrance to the hall.

“I hope you enjoy taking it up the ass, Jesse,” she hissed, then banged down the hall and out the

door. Her guy shrugged apologetically, then followed her out of the apartment.

“I can’t believe you actually slept with that woman,” Alex said, staring at the mess she’d made

on her way out.

Jesse sighed and shut the freezer door. “She didn’t seem that bad at first.” His brain was still

stuck on her taking it up the ass. He wondered what that would feel like, then shoved the thought
down. Way down. I’m not gay. No matter how good Alex makes me feel.

“She’s bitchy,” Alex replied, walking down the hall. He closed the front door and locked it,

then meandered back to the kitchen.

“Huh. That’s one way of putting it,” Jesse laughed, thinking of the past few months with her.

Bitchy isn’t a strong enough word.

Alex walked over and put his coffee on the counter. “No more women, Jesse.”
Jesse frowned. “Alex—”
“No. I’m done,” Alex interrupted him. He boxed Jesse against the counter with his arms and

leaned in. “And so are you,” he breathed into Jesse’s ear.

Jesse shuddered. Alex’s thighs pressed in tightly and Jesse licked his lips. “What do you

mean?” he asked, voice hoarse.

Alex opened his mouth and bit down on Jesse’s earlobe. “No more lying to yourself, Jesse.”

Chapter Eight

His best friend tried to move away, but Alex put his hands on his wrists, trapping them against

the kitchen counter. Time for truth, he thought, hoping Jesse didn’t run away again. The way he ran
all those years ago, right into the hands of the Air Force.

Jesse’s movements stilled. “Alex, what are you doing?” he asked, sounding wrecked.
“What I should have done six years ago,” Alex replied, nibbling along his jaw. His best friend

smelled like soap and gun oil. Like home. When he reached Jesse’s mouth, he kissed him lightly,
teasing him until Jesse couldn’t help but respond, then he leaned back and looked him directly in the
eyes. “I love you. I always have. Always will.”

Jesse stopped breathing.
Alex waited. This was it: the moment he’d alternately dreaded and wanted for years. If Jesse

ran now, it would be the end of their friendship. The end of everything. But he won’t run. He didn’t
run in the car. He didn’t run when those men were shooting at me, Alex told himself.

Finally, Jesse drew in a shaky breath. “Hell, you don’t do things halfway, do you Alex?”
“Never.” Alex smiled.
Jesse leaned his head on Alex’s shoulder. “I’m not gay.”
“Neither am I.”
Jesse lifted his head and looked at him in disbelief.
Alex laughed. “I’m bisexual. So are you.” He nudged his erection against Jesse’s for emphasis.
Jesse swallowed. “I’ve never been bi before.”
Alex rolled his eyes. “You’ve always been bi. You just didn’t want to think about it. It was

easier not to.”

“This is all because of the shooting,” Jesse said, idiotically. “Adrenaline makes people do

weird shit.”

“Oh, please.” Alex let go of Jesse’s wrists and brought his hands up to cup Jesse’s face. “This

has been going on between us for years.”

Jesse frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“When my grandfather and your dad died, remember after the funerals?”
Jesse tried to look away, but Alex wouldn’t let him. “We sat on the sofa together, holding

hands.” He sighed and ran a thumb over Jesse’s lips. “The next day you joined the military.”

“What are you saying?” Jesse asked, his voice hushed.
“You ran, Jesse. I knew it, but I couldn’t make you stay where you didn’t want to be.” Alex

leaned in and kissed him, slow and filthy. “But now, you’re back. For good, this time. You said so.
And you never say what you don’t mean.”

“Fuck,” Jesse breathed, hands like iron around Alex’s waist.
“No more running. You’re mine and I’m not letting you go again.” He kissed Jesse again,

sliding his tongue into his mouth until the other man groaned, hips moving.

“What do you want me to say, Alex? That I’m sorry?” Jesse growled. “I am. So fucking sorry I

left.”

“No,” Alex replied. “I know we were too young. We didn’t know a damn thing about how to

live or love.” He rolled his hips against his friend, grinding their cocks together. “But that was
then…”

“…and this is now,” Jesse finished for him, hands in Alex’s hair. “I’m not going anywhere. I

already told you that. When that shooter came out of nowhere at the gala, well—” He broke off and
shook his head. “I felt like my whole life flashed before my eyes.” He took a deep breath. “I may not
know what the hell I’m doing, but I’m here, Alex. And I fucking love you too.”

Alex smiled fiercely. “Good. Because I want to fuck you until you can’t remember your own

name.”

****
Jesse shivered. The look on his face… he thought, aroused to the point of pain. What are we

doing? This is crazy.

“Yeah,” Alex murmured, as if Jesse had asked him a question. He licked across Jesse’s lower

lip.

Jesse tightened his fists, using his grip in Alex’s hair to hold him still. “Crazy,” he murmured,

opening his mouth.

Alex took control of the kiss and Jesse let him. He shuddered as Alex pushed him harder into

the counter.

“I’m going to blow right here if you keep that up, Alex,” he muttered, breathing hard.
“Christ,” Alex said, going to his knees. “Talk about blowing.” He undid Jesse’s jeans and

peeled them back, then eased down his underwear. When Jesse’s cock sprang out, Alex immediately
took him into his mouth.

“Oh Jesus,” Jesse said brokenly. Alex looked like he loved giving head and watching his cock

go into that mouth had him on the edge in seconds.

“Mmm.” Alex slid off, then stood up. He pulled off his t-shirt, but left his knife strapped to his

forearm. He looked strong and focused.

Fucking hot, too. Jesse clutched the counter, gripping so hard his knuckles ached. Alex’s grey

eyes glittered and Jesse couldn’t help staring. The abstract tattoo on Alex’s shoulder matched the one
on Jesse’s, still hidden under his shirt. He reached out a shaky finger and traced his fingers over it.

“My grandfather almost killed me when he saw this,” Alex murmured.
Jesse nodded. “I remember.”
Alex stepped back, undoing his jeans as he moved. Jesse followed him, stripping off his

shoulder holster, and then his shirt as he walked. When Alex stopped at the sofa, Jesse moved in,
wanting to feel skin. He dropped his weapon on the coffee table, knocking more books off the surface.

“Yeah, not bi at all, hmm?” Alex chuckled, running a palm down Jesse’s hip.
“Shut. Up.” Jesse bit Alex’s shoulder, then slid his hands down his friend’s back. When Alex

sank into the cushions, he followed, landing on top. Alex tried to open his legs, but the jeans around
his thighs trapped him. Jesse took advantage of Alex’s inability to move, sucking bites along his neck.

“Let me up,” Alex murmured raggedly, shoving at Jesse.
Jesse barely heard him. His dick was slotted right into the curve of Alex’s hip and the heat of

all that bare skin felt like heaven. In contrast, the leather of the sofa was cool and slick.

“Jesse,” Alex said again, right before he flipped them both onto the floor. The coffee table

rattled, but then Alex was yanking Jesse’s boots off. He tossed them across the room and pulled
Jesse’s jeans down and off. “You’re so fucking gorgeous, Jesse, and you have no clue.” He stood up
and took off his pants the rest of the way. When he was done, he stood nude over Jesse. His erection
curved up over his abdomen. The tip was wet.

Jesse bit his lip, remembering how his friend tasted. “What now?” he asked. Alex smiled

wickedly and urged him back onto the sofa, legs open. He went to his knees again and moved in,

mouth hovering over Jesse’s balls. “Fuck, don’t tease me, Alex.”

Alex flashed him a smile, then licked his testicles, shoving his legs up and open even more.
Jesse almost came off the sofa. What the hell is he doing to me? he wondered, then Alex slid a

wet finger down to his asshole. “Oh my fucking God, Alex,” he panted, mouth open.

“Yeah, feels good, doesn’t it?” Alex asked him.
Jesse couldn’t speak. He slid a hand down to jack his cock, but Alex grabbed him and held on

while his mouth wandered down. When his tongue began to lick around his hole, Jesse almost
orgasmed just from that. “Fuck!”

“Hang on, Jesse,” Alex said, then he slid a wet finger in, tonguing back up and over Jesse’s

balls. When his mouth closed over the tip of his cock again, Jesse writhed. Alex didn’t suck him long.
Just as Jesse was about to come, he moved away. “Do you have any lube?”

It took a moment for Alex’s words to make sense. “In the drawer,” Jesse said roughly, pointing

to the coffee table.

Alex pulled it open and rummaged through it until he came back with a condom and a small

tube. He flipped open the cap and squirted a generous amount onto his fingers. “Last chance to say no,
Jesse.”

Jesse looked at his best friend. He thought about all the years he’d spent continents away,

protecting other people. He thought about all the years they’d spent together as kids, playing in the
mansion. And he kept his mouth deliberately closed. To emphasize his choice, he even tilted his hips
up slightly.

Yeah, that’s right. No more hiding, he thought.
Alex’s eyes went dark as he slowly brought his fingers to Jesse’s cock, rubbing the lube around

and around until Jesse gasped. He poured more on his fingers and worked it into Jesse’s ass.

“Why does that feel so damn good?” Jesse croaked.
Alex snorted, ripping open the condom and rolling it down over his prick. “You haven’t felt

anything yet.” He climbed up onto the sofa, rearranging Jesse until one leg hung off the side and the
other was draped over the back. “Hang on to your britches.”

Jesse was about to make a sarcastic retort, but then Alex grabbed his dick began to rub the head

around and around Jesse’s asshole. Jesse arched his back as sparks of heat shot up his spine. He
ached.

“Yeah, that’s it,” Alex murmured, using his other hand to tease Jesse’s erection. He kept his fist

loose, never giving Jesse enough pressure to climax.

“Alex, come on. I’m not made of glass,” Jesse groaned, grabbing his friend’s hips and trying to

get closer. Trying to fuck himself down on the cock teasing at his ass.

“Patience,” Alex said, not sounding nearly as calm as he’d been just a minute earlier. He

started to rock, pressing his cockhead against Jesse’s hole with each thrust. Just when Jesse thought
he might loose his mind, Alex pushed harder and the crown sank inside.

Jesse froze as the burn spread through his body. “Oh, fuck. Ow.”
“Deep breaths,” Alex encouraged, biting his lip.
Jesse closed his eyes and tried. His erection flagged. “Just… Move, Alex. For fuck’s sake.” He

felt like he was being impaled. But I asked for it, so I’m not going to back out now. Besides, the
look in Alex’s eyes…

He gasped when Alex took him at his word and slowly began to rock. With each push, his cock

slid a little further inside. Jesse grabbed the back of the sofa, wondering why the hell he’d agreed to
this. He felt like he was being split apart. In more ways than one, he mused, looking up at his best

friend.

“Trust me,” Alex murmured, face tight.
Jesse nodded. “I do, it’s just—” he broke off when Alex ran a thumb over the tip of his dick. He

moaned, his cock going suddenly hard again. Then Alex’s dick slid over something inside him that
made him see stars and he cried out, spine bowing. What the fuck was that?

“Yeah, that’s it,” Alex said, rocking out and then back again, right over that spot inside. And

again.

“Fuck, fuck, don’t fucking stop,” Jesse said, head whipping back and forth.
“I’m not stopping.” Alex gripped Jesse’s dick more firmly, then began to thrust in earnest.
Jesse managed to open his eyes. Alex moved over him, muscles taut, one foot on the floor. The

sofa creaked, but he didn’t give a shit. “Alex,” he breathed, incoherent with the pleasure running
through his body.

“Yeah, I’m here.” Alex leaned down, hips moving faster.
Jesse grabbed him, kissing him harshly. Alex groaned, his thighs digging into Jesse’s. Jesse

sucked in a ragged breath, and then Alex moved his hand, sliding it over Jesse’s dick as he thrust with
a rolling motion, hitting that spot inside Jesse that made everything go white. Jesse’s body took over,
pleasure moving through him like a wave. His dick jerked, and spunk coated his stomach as Alex
moved his hand away to hold himself up. Jesse shuddered. Alex fucked inside him one last time.
Jesse grabbed Alex’s hips, hard, and then he felt the cock inside him swell. Alex grunted his release
into Jesse’s neck as his thighs shoved Jesse’s wider.

A long moment later, Alex slid down, his softened cock easing from Jesse’s ass. Jesse winced

slightly, but wrapped his legs around his friend. His body wanted to sink deeper into the sofa and take
a nap, but his mind was running circles in his head. What the hell just happened? he mused vaguely,
shocked at how much he’d enjoyed that.

“Next time, you can fuck me,” Alex murmured into Jesse’s skin.
Jesse’s dick gave a half-hearted twitch against Alex’s leg at the thought. Alex chuckled.
“Yeah, well, I’m not fifteen any more. We’ll have to wait a few hours for me to recover,” Jesse

tried to say lightly. His voice came out more like a croak.

Alex went still. “You’re freaking out, aren’t you?”
Jesse licked his lips, considering what to say. He felt like laughing. Or crying. He wasn’t sure

which would be more appropriate. I really did just take it up the ass, he thought, trying to figure out
why he wasn’t freaking out. “I’m not freaking out, Alex.”

Alex snorted and lifted his head. “You’re an idiot.”
Jesse frowned at him. “Give me a break. I’m having an existential crisis here and you’re calling

me names.”

“If the shoe fits,” Alex said, rolling off him.
Jesse watched as he stripped off the condom and padded naked to the kitchen to throw it away.

Maybe he’s right. Maybe I am an idiot, he thought, taking a breath. He sat up, making a face as his
well-lubed ass slid along the leather.

“That’s the best sex you ever had,” Alex said, walking back over. He prodded at Jesse until he

moved over, then sat down and leaned against him as if he had every right to Jesse’s personal space.

Of course, he does have every right, Jesse told himself wryly. He always has, and he knows

it.

“Stop tormenting yourself. It was going to happen eventually.”
“What was? Me taking it up the rear?” Jesse asked, half irritated, half amused.

“Yeah,” Alex replied seriously, running a hand down Jesse’s arm.
Jesse sighed and let himself lean against his friend. “Maybe.”
“Maybe, my ass,” Alex snorted.
“It wasn’t your ass, it was mine,” Jesse reminded him.
Alex snorted.
“And there’s no maybe about it. You promised me I could fuck you next, remember?” Jesse told

him. “It’s only fair.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Alex replied, smiling.
Jesse shifted. “So maybe I was bi and didn’t tell anyone.”
“How did that work out for you?” Alex asked, twining his fingers with Jesse’s. “I bet it was fun

in the military.”

“I was too busy to worry about it,” Jesse said, hardly able to believe he was talking about this.

“I really didn’t think I was bisexual.”

“I’ve seen you checking guys out, Jesse.” Alex leaned back and gave him a look. “I’ve watched

you do it for years.”

Jesse rubbed his face. “Yeah, well. I didn’t think about it consciously.”
Alex was silent for a long moment. “Maybe you didn’t. That’s why I didn’t push you until

now.”

Jesse closed his eyes, unutterably grateful to have this man as his best friend. “I know. Thanks.”

He shifted his weight again, making a face as the drying lube stuck to the sofa. “We need to get
cleaned up.”

Alex nodded. “Yeah. And we need to do some research about the shooting at the gala. Maybe

we’ll get lucky and there will be a clue the cops overlooked.”

“And maybe pigs will fly.” Jesse stood up, ignoring the itch starting on his skin.
“We have to start somewhere, Jesse.”
Jesse sighed. Alex was right. “Your office in the city is the best place for that.” He laughed,

then, giving Alex a hand up. “Good thing my clothes will fit you. We didn’t have time to pack this
morning. You’ll be wearing jeans and leather, my friend. No more designer threads for you.”

Alex rolled his eyes at Jesse’s teasing, then his expression sobered. “Won’t the shooters be

looking for us there?”

Jesse lifted a shoulder. “They might be, but we’ve gotta start somewhere. You still have your

carry license?”

“Yes.”
“Good. I’ve got a Beretta with your name on it,” Jesse said.
“I don’t like guns,” Alex told him. “You know that.”
Jesse gave him a long look. “You do now.”

Chapter Nine

A few hours later, Jesse opened the door to Alex’s building and looked around, amazed once

again at what money could do. The entry foyer looked strangely sanitized. All remnants of the gala
and shooting were gone, as if none of it had ever happened. The bar had turned back into a coffee
kiosk. The tables and small platform were safely tucked in storage until the next party called them out
again.

“There won’t be that many people here, not on a Saturday,” Alex said, pushing past him. In

Jesse’s jeans, a t-shirt, and a light leather jacket, he didn’t look like Mr. Alex Roman, investor
billionaire. He looked almost ordinary, yet strangely more dangerous.

Though that could be the gun, Jesse mused, following him into the building. “Is that going to

be a problem?” he asked. He adjusted his own weapon, wishing he could find a shoulder holster that
was more comfortable. He shifted the straps, then smoothed the plackets of his canvas jacket down.
Thank goodness it’s a cool day or we’d be sweltering trying to hide our hardware.

“We won’t know until we get to my office and start poking around,” Alex replied, heading

towards the back of the space. “It might be better to have less people around, wondering what I’m
doing. Or asking me business questions when we’re trying to focus on the gala’s guest list.”

“Makes sense.” Jesse followed him across the marble floor.
“I’m sorry, but we need to see some ID, sirs,” the security guard said, stepping out from behind

the desk near the elevator. His partner stayed seated, looking at something on the computer screen.
Neither man seemed particularly alert.

Jesse didn’t like that, but then again, it was a Saturday, and he had stopped them. There was no

reason the guards would be hyper-vigilant on a weekend, especially when the boss wasn’t in the
building.

Alex nodded. “Of course.” When he pulled out his card and held it so security could see it, the

guard took a step back, face paling under his dark hair.

“Mr. Roman. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you,” he stuttered.
“That’s all right, Joe.” Alex smiled. “I’m just here to check on a few things.”
“I’ll let Mr. Somes know you’re in the building. He’s working today too,” the guard said, eyes

going to the gun at Alex’s waist. Alex had borrowed one of Jesse’s holsters and while the gun wasn’t
obvious under his jacket, it wasn’t exactly hidden, either.

“No, don’t,” Jesse said, interrupting as the guard’s hand went to his radio. Why was Somes

here on a weekend?

Alex glanced at him, then nodded. “No need to alert anyone, Joe. We won’t be here long.”
The guard looked from Alex to Jesse, then back again. “Uh, okay.” He smiled awkwardly.

“You’re the boss.”

Alex grinned. “Don’t worry, Joe. It’s Saturday. And you’re off at one, right?”
Joe smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. But after last night, you can’t be too careful, Mr. Roman.”
“We will be, Joe. Thanks.” Alex headed for the elevators.
Jesse nodded at the guards and followed his friend. “They didn’t recognize you?”
“I haven’t set foot in public in jeans in over five years, Jesse. He probably didn’t even look at

my face until I showed him my ID,” Alex said dryly. He pushed the button for the elevator. “People
tend to notice the suit, first.”

“Huh,” Jesse said absently, scanning the area for threats. His eyes narrowed as he watched the

guard pick up the phone at the desk and make a call. “Did you ever get in touch with Julie? I wouldn’t
want her to worry about us when she finds the mess at your house.”

“I called her when you were in the shower. She’s going to take care of cleanup and talk to the

cops for us. I told her to let them know I’d be unavailable, and if they wanted more information, to
call my lawyer.” The elevator arrived and Alex stepped inside. “They already have an open case
with me because of the notes.” He leaned back against the railing. “And from last night, too.”

Jesse followed him. “We might run into trouble upstairs.” He pushed the button for the top floor

and the glass doors slid shut.

Alex frowned. “What kind of trouble.”
Jesse jerked his head towards to the guard’s desk.
Alex looked through the glass even as the elevator began to ascend. “He called Somes, didn’t

he? Dammit. I specifically told him not to.”

“Probably.” Jesse hoped they weren’t heading into a trap. “He didn’t use his radio,” he noted.

“Maybe he’s just calling his girlfriend. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”

“I’m not in the mood for this,” Alex replied, unsnapping the safety strap on his holster. Both

security guards watched them through the glass as the elevator picked up speed.

“How much do you trust Julie?” Jesse asked him, drawing his weapon and holding it down by

his thigh. He was tempted to tap it on the glass and put on a show for the guards, but at this point, they
were probably too high up for the guards to see them clearly.

“With my life,” Alex replied, sighing. “She has nothing to do with this, Jesse.”
“I hope you’re right.” Jesse paused. “What about Somes? If he is involved…” He trailed off.
“His ass is toast.” Alex smiled grimly. “He is so fired.”
“I might have to shoot him,” Jesse said, anger beginning to trickle through him.
Alex pursed his lips. “Let’s wait and see what happens when the door opens. I want to know

what’s going on. Shooting minions is amusing, but not particularly informative.”

He has a point, Jesse thought as the elevator came to a stop. He turned to the back and waited

for the rear doors to open. As the polished brass slid to the side, he frowned. The corridor was
empty. He stepped out, looking left and right, before motioning to Alex. “Looks deserted.”

Alex followed him onto the gallery corridor. “It’s Saturday. I’m not surprised.”
Jesse moved down the walkway, heading for the black doors of Alex’s office. “I thought

someone was always working.”

“There’s this cool invention called a laptop,” Alex teased. “A lot of my people work from

home when they need to.”

Jesse rolled his eyes. “You think you’re so funny.” He stopped before the doors and put a hand

to the knob. He waited until Alex was just behind him, then motioned for silence.

Alex nodded, waiting for Jesse to open the door.
Jesse took a deep breath, then turned the knob and let the door open. He scanned the room. Late

afternoon sunlight slanted across the gleaming floor through the northern windows. Alex’s desk stood
silent, like a sentry at the far end. For a moment, he thought the room was empty, but then a voice
called from the bar on the right.

“Come on inside, Mr. Emerson. No sense loitering over there.”
Jesse frowned, then edged partway through the door. “Somes. What a surprise. Not.”
James Somes stood with a glass of whiskey in his left hand. His other held a gun with a silencer

screwed onto the end. “Now, now, Mr. Emerson. No way you could’ve known.” He smiled and

waved his gun. “Come on in. That’s it.”

Jesse stepped inside, praying that Alex would stay out of sight. “You’re a shitty security chief,

Somes.”

The man frowned. “No need to be rude, Emerson. That shithead Roman doesn’t pay me enough

to deal with all the crap I’ve had to shovel the past few years.”

Jesse knew that Alex paid his employees generously. “We all have our burdens,” he replied,

hand still down by his thigh. He hadn’t flicked off the safety on his gun, but he’d only need a fraction
of a second.

“None of that, Emerson. Drop it,” Somes said, putting down his drink and using both hands to

point his weapon at Jesse’s head.

Jesse knew Alex had his six. And Somes seems pretty talkative, he mused, easing his finger off

the safety. “Okay, Somes. Why don’t you tell me what’s got your panties in such a twist?” He held his
hand out, gun pointed down. “Alex is a nice guy and you’re in his office, drinking his booze like a kid
raiding his parents’ bar.”

“Drop it,” Somes said, voice hard.
Jesse let go. His weapon clattered onto the tiles. “I didn’t peg you for a traitor.” He inched to

the left a bit more. Now Alex should have a clear shot through the edge of the door, near the
hinges.

Somes laughed. “A traitor? Come on, now. I haven’t done a damn thing to my country.”
“You’ve betrayed a good man,” Jesse said, trying to keep him talking. “And for what? He’s the

best employer you’ll ever have.”

“For more money than you’ll ever see in your lifetime, Emerson.” Somes shook his head.

“You’re so naive. You think your friend, Alex, is being straight with you? You’re an idiot. That fag
has been hoarding money for years. I’m just trying to get my fair cut.”

Jesse had no idea what the man was talking about. “Fairness isn’t pointing a gun at someone.”

He took a careful step forward. “You set up that shoot last night. Only you could have given them
access to the gala. Every guest was checked. Why would you do it?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Somes glared. “Did you really think Roman’s father died all those years

ago?”

Jesse froze. “What are you talking about? He died in a skiing accident. This is old news. What

does that have to do with the gala?”

“No, he didn’t die.” Somes leaned on the bar, but the muzzle of his weapon stayed pointed at

Jesse’s chest. “His father, your friend’s grandpa, disinherited him. Kicked him out. And that, my dear
Mr. Emerson, is why all empires eventually fall. Internal strife.”

Jesse swallowed, wondering when the hell Alex was going to shoot this asshole. “You’ve been

planting those notes?”

“Piece of cake,” Somes said. “The Roman empire will destroy itself, from the inside out. When

the cops find you dead on his office floor, all the money in the world won’t keep this company from
imploding. Roman goes to jail, the board sells their shares to keep from losing everything, and I walk
away a rich man.”

“Who’s pulling your strings, Somes?” Jesse asked, knowing he wasn’t getting this propaganda

bullshit from his tiny little mind. An ex-cop working building security didn’t have the brains for this
kind of setup. “You keep dancing around like a vaudeville puppet, eventually someone drops a cue.”

Somes narrowed his eyes. “You’re not too bright, are you?” He squeezed his finger on the

trigger.

Jesse threw himself to the right, diving to the floor. Two shots rang out. A burning line of fire

along his right arm told him that he hadn’t gone down quickly enough. In front of him, Somes fell, his
face frozen in an expression of shock. Didn’t expect to eat metal, did you, asshole? he thought
grimly.

“Jesse!” Alex ran into the room.
“I’m okay,” Jesse said, hand on his arm. His fingers were slick with blood. “Shit. Hurts like a

motherfucker, but it’s just a scratch.”

“Let me see,” Alex said, prying Jesse’s fingers loose. “There’s a lot of bleeding.” He pressed

on the wound tightly.

Jesse grimaced. “Careful. I’m right handed. I need that arm to jack off with.”
Alex snorted. “If you’re cracking bad jokes, you’re definitely not hurt too bad.”
“Oh my God! Mr. Roman, are you okay?” Alex’s assistant, Hannah, ran into the office. She

rushed over, face pinched. She had her phone in her right hand. As soon as she saw the blood, she
detoured to the bar to grab a towel, then hurried closer.

“I’m fine, Hannah. It’s Jesse who needs help,” Alex said as she went to her knees beside them.

He took the towel from her.

“Hannah? You’re here on a Saturday?” Jesse asked, confused.
She grimaced. “After last night, I wanted to go over the guest list again and see if I could find

anything.” She glanced down at his arm, then at Somes’ body. “What happened?”

Jesse looked at Alex. His friend nodded, understanding Jesse’s unspoken thought. Hannah was

going to get a fantastic mid-year bonus. Even the body on the floor hasn’t rattled her calm
competence.

“Hannah, I’m glad you’re here. Call the cops for me, would you? Somes just tried to kill

Jesse,” Alex said, putting more pressure on Jesse’s arm. Thankfully, the bleeding had slowed.

“No need to call, Ms. Farlo,” a man said. “We’re already here.” He walked over to them from

the open door. He wore good shoes with faded dress pants. His button-down shirt had a small stain
near his belt. He looked like he was in his mid-fifties.

Cop, Jesse’s brain informed him as he watched. Behind the officer walked a younger woman.

Her long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she stared at him and Alex as if they were
specimens in a zoo. She didn’t seem hostile, just awestruck. Jesse suppressed a snort. No one except
Alex would understand him laughing right now. He struggled to sit up, using Alex’s arm to haul
himself up. No way was he facing this interrogation flat on the floor.

The cop gave Somes’ body a quick look, then nodded to his companion. She made a face, but

turned away to tap something into her cell phone.

Alex twisted to face the newcomers, hand still on Jesse’s arm. “Who are you?”
“Detective Lozza, Mr. Roman. Call me Tony,” he said, going down on one knee and giving

Jesse a look he hadn’t had directed at him since he quit the military. A look that said: the shit has hit
the fan and you’re right in the middle of it.

Jesse narrowed his eyes at the man. None of this was his fault. And he wouldn’t be bleeding all

over Alex’s pretty tiles if the cops had been doing their jobs correctly in the first place. At least this
isn’t the same cop as the one who questioned us last night, he thought, remembering that unpleasant
conversation.

The cop nodded slightly, accepting Jesse’s look and everything that lay behind it. He shifted

slightly, jerking his chin at the woman. “That’s my partner, Detective Braczyk,” he said. “She’s
calling in forensics and some medics.”

She nodded at them briefly, then went back to tapping into her phone. The older policeman gave

Jesse a flat stare. “What happened?”

“What do you think happened?” Jesse held his gaze steadily, not giving an inch. If this man

wanted to know anything, he’d have to ask. Because I’m done playing games. His arm might hurt, but
he was in no way incapacitated. “Alex, give me a hand up.”

Alex glared at him. “Will you just stay down? You’ve been shot, for God’s sake.”
Jesse shook his head. “I’m okay. The bleeding’s already stopped.”
“Jesus, you’re stubborn,” Alex grumbled, but he did as Jesse asked.
Once he was standing, Jesse leaned on Alex. His friend shifted to accommodate him, one arm

going around Jesse’s waist. Jesse didn’t give a shit if their obvious intimacy made everyone
uncomfortable. He was done hiding. “What are you doing in Alex’s office, Detective?” he asked.

The man got to his feet and ran a hand over his balding head tiredly. “We’ve been tailing you

for two weeks now, Mr. Roman. Well, at least when you’re in the city. We don’t have any
jurisdiction in New Jersey.” He grimaced, glancing at Somes’ body. “Sorry I didn’t get here in time
to prevent your guy from going postal. We had no idea your security chief was in on it until today.”

“In on what?” Alex asked, steel in his tone.
The cop sighed. “I don’t know if you know this, but we were able to trace those threats you’ve

been getting to a small cult based upstate. We sent an update to your assistant.”

“No, we didn’t know that. I haven’t checked my email since last night. Someone broke into my

house and shot at us,” Alex said. “My butler handled the details with the local police. Jesse and I
went… elsewhere to get some sleep.”

The cop raised his eyebrows. “Elsewhere?”
“Somewhere safe,” Alex said, dismissively.
“A cult is sending Alex death threats? That’s ridiculous,” Jesse interrupted, not wanting the cop

to ask about where they’d been. The fewer people who knew about his apartment right now, the
better. “What the hell do they want?”

The cop made a face. “We thought it was crazy too, but then Mr. Roman’s new assistant sent us

this.” He held up a piece of paper to Alex. “She said she found it on your computer this morning, in
your business email.”

“I was just about to tell you about it, Mr. Roman,” Hannah said, a worried look on her face.
Jesse watched as Alex took it and read it. “It says, ‘Caesar came back from the dead.’“ He

looked at the detective. “What does that mean? That doesn’t make any sense.”

The cop jerked his head at his partner, and she stepped forward, but not before sending an

unfriendly look his way. “This was the first note that was sent to you electronically. We were able to
trace it to a small commune based in Sugar Loaf, NY.”

Alex looked at Hannah. “You didn’t call me?”
She flushed. “I did. I left a voice mail on your phone, but you didn’t get back to me. And last

night you told me to send anything suspicious to the police. I’m sorry, Mr. Roman—”

“That’s all right, Hannah,” Alex reassured her. He tightened his fingers around Jesse’s waist.

“We had our phones off. We were trying to get some sleep after everything that happened last night.”

Detective Lozza eyed them speculatively. Jesse looked back at him, daring him to make an issue

of it. The cop looked away, obviously uncomfortable. His partner didn’t seem bothered in the least,
and even went so far as to step away from Lozza, as if she didn’t want to be too close to him. She
nodded professionally and continued her explanation. “We traced the email to a house and got a
warrant to do a search. When we got there, it was empty, but they’d left a few things behind.” She dug

in her pocket, then pulled out an evidence bag with a ring inside it. “Have you seen this before?” she
asked Alex.

Jesse stared at the ring. He recognized it. Before Alex could say anything, he answered the

detective. “That was my father’s ring. I haven’t seen it in years.” His stomach twisted.

Her eyes flicked from Alex to Jesse, then back again. “We found it in the commune’s house.”
“He wore it all the time. It was a gift from your grandfather, Alex. But it was missing that night.

Remember?” Jesse trailed off.

Alex pulled him closer. “The night of the blizzard. I know.”
“Caesar came back from the dead,” Jesse murmured, taking a deep breath. “We saw their

bodies. My dad and your grandfather are gone.”

Alex nodded. “I know. But what about my father?”
Jesse swallowed. “He can’t be alive. That’s impossible.” Alex’s entire body was tense against

Jesse’s. “And your grandfather wouldn’t lie about something like that.”

“To them, we were just kids when they died, Jesse. Who knows what my grandfather knew that

he wasn’t telling me?”

Jesse didn’t think anyone but he would be able to detect the faint hint of worry threading

through Alex’s voice. He stroked a finger down Alex’s wrist, offering support. “What would be the
point of threatening you, even if he were alive? You own everything. If you died, he still wouldn’t get
any money, would he?”

Alex’s face closed down. “Inheritance laws are tricky.”
Jesse frowned.
Detective Braczyk coughed. “We’re still investigating, of course.”
“The EMT’s are here,” Hannah said, glancing at the door.
Alex nodded, easing his grip on Jesse slightly. “Good. Let them in.”
“My people will need to deal with the body. And we need a statement,” Detective Lozza said.
Alex sighed. “I understand.”
Jesse squeezed him, ignoring the twinge in his arm. “We’ll figure it out,” he murmured.
Alex turned his head. This close, Jesse could see the tiny flecks of darker grey in his irises.
“We’ll figure it out together, I promise,” Jesse said, wanting to make sure Alex knew he wasn’t

going to run this time. When Alex smiled, Jesse knew there was no going back. He’d given his word.
And he knew that Alex understood what he hadn’t said out loud yet: I love you.

Chapter Ten

Back at Jesse’s apartment, Alex paced through the living room, trying to wrap his mind around

the past few hours. He’d shot a man. The ring his grandfather had given Jesse’s father, missing for six
years, had suddenly appeared in a house in New York. The latest note suggested that his father might
not be dead, after all. And I don’t know what the hell to do about any of it, he thought, beyond
frustrated.

“You’re going to wear a hole in my carpet if you keep that up, Alex,” Jesse said.
Alex pivoted, glaring at his lover where he sat on the coffee table, hands clasped. Jesse had his

shirt off and a white bandage covered the scratch on his right arm. His weapon lay in a jumble of
leather straps next to him. Jesse had been right when he’d said the wound was only a graze, but Alex
had been so fucking scared when Somes pulled the trigger. If anything had happened to Jesse… He
stopped pacing and rubbed his face. “I’m going crazy. I can’t focus.”

Jesse stood up. “You’re not going crazy. You’re just overwhelmed.” He drew Alex close,

hugging him.

Alex resisted for a moment, then relaxed. Jesse’s bandage crinkled against his shoulder and he

shuddered. “I’m so fucking glad you’re alive. God.” He sucked in a harsh breath. “I don’t know what
I’d do if something happened to you. You’re the last family I’ve got.”

“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere,” Jesse murmured.
He sounded way too calm after all that had happened, so Alex kissed him, desperate to prove to

himself that they were both okay. That they were both alive. Jesse kissed him back, growling. Alex bit
his lip, and then sucked it into his mouth to soothe the sting. When they broke for air, gasping, he
blurted out what he’d been too afraid to say at the office.

“What if my father is still alive, Jesse?”
His friend shook his head. “What does it matter if he is? He’s a stranger. He didn’t raise you. If

I remember correctly, your grandfather said he cheated on your mother while she was dying of cancer.
He’s not your father, even if you happen to share DNA.”

Alex forced himself to consider Jesse’s words. He thought about how his grandfather had been

there for him when his mom got sick. His grandpa had been more his parent than his own father ever
had. He’d been a kid, only six years old when she’d died, and then his father had gone skiing not long
afterward, never to be seen again.

“You’re right. I remember how upset my grandfather was when my dad took off for

Switzerland. I was too little to understand what was going on. All I knew was that my mom was gone
and then so was my dad.” Alex shook his head, shoving his anger away. He’d worked through that
loss a long time ago and he had no desire to dredge it all up again. “If he’s alive, though, he must be
thinking he can inherit. Why else would he want me dead?” He ran a hand through his hair. “Jesus.
My own father wants me dead. How fucked up is that?”

Jesse grabbed him by the arms. “He’s not your father. The person trying to kill you is a sick,

twisted individual obsessed with money. And we don’t know if he’s alive for sure, anyway.” He
kissed Alex firmly.

Jesse’s slightly chapped lips felt more real than the mess inside Alex’s head. Alex sighed into

the embrace, then pulled back. “We shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”

“No, we shouldn’t,” Jesse insisted. “How can a father inherit your property anyway? That’s

backwards.”

“Next-of-kin,” Alex muttered. “Though it won’t work. I have a will and you’re the only person

in it.” He rubbed his eyes. God, he was tired. “Maybe he just wants me dead because he’s crazy. I
remember him yelling at my grandfather. He wasn’t very stable.”

“Revenge makes people do horrible things.” Jesse’s voice was hard. “But you’re not dead. And

I’m going to make sure you stay alive.”

“Jesse—” Alex began, but his lover cut him off.
“No. No more arguing. I’m not letting you go just when I found you.” Jesse punctuated his

words with another kiss.

Alex sank into him, relishing Jesse’s warmth. “Okay,” he said, licking his lips. “Okay.”
Jesse groaned, pulling him closer. “Hell. I had no idea how hot you were. Repression is a

powerful thing.”

Alex smiled and carefully slid his arms around Jesse’s waist, not wanting to put pressure on his

wound. “Fuck me,” he murmured, shoving his hips closer. His cock pressed into Jesse’s hip almost
painfully.

“Jesus, Alex,” Jesse muttered, hands going to Alex’s ass.
“I’m not kidding,” Alex said, leaning back and unbuckling his belt. He undid the holster and set

it on the coffee table, then slid his belt out of his pant loops.

“Fuck,” Jesse breathed, eyes on Alex’s groin.
Alex smiled faintly, then popped the button of his jeans. His dick pressed up and out, so hard

the zip began to slide open. “Fuck me,” he said again, enjoying the look on Jesse’s face. “You know
you want to. You’ve wanted to for years, haven’t you? Even if you didn’t admit it to yourself.” He
moved his hands down his hips to his cock, touching himself. It felt good. It would feel even better
when Jesse did it. He rubbed a bead of pre-come around the tip. Heat shot through him when he saw
the look on Jesse’s face and his prick leaped in his hand. He unzipped his jeans the rest of the way
and pushed down his underwear.

“Alex, you’re killing me.” Jesse’s voice broke.
“What are you waiting for?” Alex took off his t-shirt, then slid his jeans down his hips until he

stood naked in Jesse’s living room. “You still have the lube?”

Jesse swallowed and nodded, reaching for his pants. “Someday we’re going to have to try

doing this on a bed.”

“But not today,” Alex said, grinning. “Beds are boring.” He turned around and leaned over the

leather sofa, making sure his ass was on full display.

“Christ, Alex. You’re going to give me a heart attack.” Jesse sounded strained.
Alex looked over his shoulders at him. “Come on, Jesse. I’m getting cold.”
“Well, we can’t have that.” Jesse popped the cap on the lube and spread some on his fingers.

His eyes had gone dark with heat.

Alex reached around and held himself open. “I don’t need much.”
Jesse cursed, then moved closer. When he touched the curve of Alex’s hip, his hand shook,

sliding off. Alex liked that he could unbalance Jesse so badly. On the second try, Jesse’s fingers
found his anus, teasing so gently Alex could barely feel anything. “I’m not made of glass, Jesse.” He
pushed back, wanting more than the gentle pressure Jesse was offering. His erection was so full and
hard it ached.

“So bossy,” Jesse replied, one hand suddenly holding him firmly by the hip. “Be patient.”
“I can’t,” Alex said, clenching his teeth. One of Jesse’s fingers breached his hole and he sucked

in air. “I’ve wanted this for too long.”

Jesse stilled, holding his hand steady. Alex moaned in protest. “Don’t stop now.”
“How long did you wait for me?” Jesse asked.
“Jesus. Forever, Jesse. I would have waited longer than that, you know,” Alex murmured,

sighing when Jesse finally slid two fingers inside. He couldn’t stand it anymore, and he cupped his
own balls with his hand, rolling them around as Jesse scissored his fingers, stretching the muscles.
Pleasure spread through him in a warm wave.

Jesse leaned down over his back, kissing his spine. “I want to see your face.”
Alex nodded. Jesse pulled out and stepped back. When Alex turned over, his dick bobbed and

he touched it, trailing his fingers along his length. Jesse had somehow managed to put on a condom
and stood there, staring. When Alex put his heels on the sofa, tipping back so that Jesse could see
everything, his friend’s muscles rippled as he clenched his fists.

“I want you so bad, I don’t know if I can be gentle.”
Alex laughed. “You think I want you to be gentle?” He grasped his cock and squeezed, enjoying

the pain his tight grip sent through him. “I like it hard, Jesse.”

Jesse surged forward, going to his knees on the edge of the cushions. His prick slapped against

Alex’s knuckles, then he pushed away Alex’s hand and stretched his thighs open wider, forcing him
up against the back of the couch. “This might hurt.”

Alex hoped so. He needed something to stop his mind from running in pointless circles. “Fuck.

Me.” He licked his lips. “Now.”

Jesse pressed forward, holding his cock steady. Alex breathed out, relaxing. His lover didn’t

pause, didn’t stop to readjust his stance, didn’t slow down. Alex grimaced as the burn spread through
him. “That’s good, Jesse.” He panted when the head popped in. “Perfect.” He didn’t want Jesse
stopping again.

Jesse grunted, then gripped Alex’s cock, slicking it with the extra lube on his hand. “No going

back now.” He punctuated his words with a snap of his hips.

The head of Jesse’s cock grazed Alex’s prostate and he arched his spine, moaning.
“Fuck, you look…” Jesse broke off, thrusting again.
Alex moaned again. “What do I look like?”
“Like everything I never knew I wanted,” Jesse said, moving his hips.
Alex grinned, then gasped. Jesse was perfectly in control of their lovemaking, hammering into

him with precise jabs. Heat shot down his spine and into his feet. When Jesse squeezed his cock,
hard, he went crazy. His orgasm rocketed through him like a tsunami and there wasn’t a damn thing he
could do about it. He scrabbled at the sofa, but the smooth leather had nothing to hold onto.

“Fuck, yeah, that’s it. Give it to me, baby,” Jesse muttered.
Alex’s lungs seized up as his dick jerked in Jesse’s hand, spurting all over them both. When

Jesse grunted and rolled his hips, Alex’s entire body went boneless. He relaxed just in time to feel
Jesse’s cock swell inside him, hot and thick and so damn perfect he never wanted to let go of this
moment.

“Love you,” he gasped, and Jesse tucked his face in his neck, shuddering as he thrust harder and

faster, then froze.

“Love you too,” Jesse ground out.
Alex’s dick gave a half-hearted twitch as his lover’s body went taut with pleasure. When Jesse

finally collapsed, exhausted, they hung onto each other for a long, long time.

****

Jesse didn’t think he’d be able to move after that, but when Alex’s cell phone rang, he

reluctantly rolled off of his friend. “Let it go to voice mail, Alex. Please, for the love of God, don’t
pick up.” He really didn’t want to face the real world so soon.

Alex sighed reluctantly. “I can’t. What if Hannah discovered something?” He shoved up from

the sofa, wobbling a bit as he stood, and then padded to the kitchen where he’d left his phone on the
island.

Jesse grimaced, looking down at himself. He was a sticky mess. Alex must be even stickier

than I am, he thought, sliding off the condom and tying it closed. He joined Alex in the kitchen,
tossing the used rubber in the trash and washing his hands. He wet a couple of paper towels and
sponged the worst of the mess off his groin.

“Hannah? Are you okay?” Alex said, holding his cell phone to his ear.
Jesse dampened a few more towels for him, but Alex waved him away, his face tense.
Who is it? Jesse mouthed, worry sliding through him.
Alex held up a hand, motioning him to be quiet. “Who are you? What did you do with Hannah?”

he said into the phone.

Oh, shit, Jesse thought as dread congealed in his gut.
Alex glanced at him, face tense, then switched his phone to speaker and put it on the counter.
“—you have five hours to bring the money to the trail head. If you don’t, she dies.” A click

signaled the end of the connection.

“Shit!” Alex ran his hands through his hair.
“It’s a trap,” Jesse said, not even needing to hear the rest of the conversation to know what was

going on.

“They’ve got Hannah.” Alex snorted. “Or rather, some man claiming to be my long-lost father

has her.” He shook his head. “The voice sounded familiar, but if that’s my father, I’ll eat my socks.”

“How much do they want?”
Alex shrugged. “Fifty grand. Whatever. I’ve got that much in my safe. It’s not the money that

worries me.”

Jesse understood. “You don’t think it’s your father, do you?”
“Not a chance in hell.” Alex looked at him, his eyes bleak. “I think my father’s dead and

someone else is using his memory against me. I was too young to really miss him when he went off
skiing, especially since he was mostly absent, most of the time. He wasn’t the ideal parent. However,
I like this scenario even less. I almost wish it were my father behind the threats. We’d at least have a
motive.”

Jesse mulled it over. “If it’s your father, and he is trying to have you killed so he can inherit,

kidnapping Hannah makes no sense, except to draw you out, and maybe kill you when you show up
with the ransom.” He rubbed his chin. “But, if it’s not him and whoever set this all up got impatient
because their plans went to shit…”

“Exactly. They’re desperate. They probably grabbed Hannah so they can salvage something

from all of this,” Alex said bitterly. “Fuck it. I’m done trying to figure out motive. Let’s just get
cleaned up.” He stalked to the bathroom.

Jesse followed him inside and closed the door behind him. His shower was a large, walk-in

designer space: no shower curtain or doors, just a glass wall in front of slate tile. Still nude, Alex
turned on the shower and tested the water temperature. His golden skin gleamed against the dark tile.

“Maybe your father was never alive to begin with,” Jesse said, staring at Alex’s perfect ass. It

was hard to believe that he’d had his hands all over it just a short time ago. When Alex shrugged,

Jesse wrenched his mind away from sex. Now was not the time. “Maybe he’s truly been gone all this
time, just like your grandfather said,” he offered.

Alex stepped into the spray and leaned back against the tiled wall, letting the water wash down

his face. “Then what were the threats for?” He shook his head. “They went on for months.”

Jesse stepped into the shower with him. The heat felt good on his tired muscles. “This is all

speculation. We don’t have enough information to make sense of it.” He grabbed his soap and
lathered his hands, then began to slowly wash Alex. He let his fingers linger over the knotted tension
in Alex’s shoulders, gently soothing until he sensed his friend begin to relax, even if just a little.

Alex stood quietly, letting Jesse soap his body. When, Jesse began to rinse him off, he finally

stirred. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”

Jesse washed the last of the bubbles from Alex’s muscled form and began to clean himself. He

washed quickly, and not nearly as gently. He just wanted to get clean so they could plan what to do
next.

“Here, let me,” Alex said, pushing his hands down when the water soaked his bandage. He

carefully peeled away the adhesive edges, then tossed it in the trash near the sink. “It already looks
better.”

Jesse winced as the water hit his wound. “We call the cops and let them deal with it.”
“No.” Alex straightened up. “No cops. I don’t trust them. They were supposed to be

investigating the threats, but they haven’t managed to find out anything. They’ve had months to do
something. Hannah doesn’t deserve that kind of incompetence. No, I’ll just grab the cash and do the
exchange.”

Jesse sighed, frustrated because he knew Alex was right. “That’s their job.”
Alex snorted. “What? To screw everything up?” He shook his head. “No. We’ll go in together,

you and I. I’ll be the bait. You shadow me. We take them down.”

Jesse cocked his head, ignoring the water pouring over his face. “Take them down? The police

aren’t going to like us killing people. You’ve been watching too many action movies.”

Alex suddenly grinned. “Who said anything about killing people? There are other options, you

know. Especially when you have an ex-Security Forces Specialist for your lover.”

Chapter Eleven

Jesse cursed under his breath as he moved through the woods, heading for the north side of the

trail head’s parking lot. There was a ridge that ran through the trees with a rocky outcropping that
should give him enough cover and a good view of the lot, though he had no idea what the situation
would be when he got there. He and Alex were hoping only a few men, maybe three tops, showed up
with Hannah. If there were more than that, they were both screwed.

Dammit, this had better go smoothly, Alex, he thought, checking his rifle again. Of all the hair-

brained ideas his best friend had come up with in their lives, —and I’m including the under-the-
bleachers blind date with Missy Jenkins in middle school, he thought— this had to be the most
insane. Alex planned to meet the guys with the ransom, get Hannah, and hope that Jesse’s shooting
skills were up to the task of taking out a bunch of guys, with no other backup.

Fucking crazy, he thought, checking the action on the gun again. He hadn’t used a rifle in a

while, and it wasn’t his best weapon, but for Alex’s plan to succeed, he had to work with the tools at
hand. Like so many other times in his military career, the mission wasn’t ideal, but it was doable. He
could take down as many as six men with the tranquilizer darts, but more than that and they were up
shit creek without a paddle. He ducked beneath a low-hanging maple branch and smiled grimly when
he spotted a deer trail he could follow to the rocks.

Can you hear me? Alex asked, again.
Jesse sighed. “I can hear you just fine. I could hear you five minutes ago, too. That’s what these

little earpieces do, Alex. They make it so we can hear each other.”

You don’t have to be a dick about it, Alex retorted.
“I’m not happy with this plan, Alex,” Jesse replied, cursing as his foot slid down the side of the

incline. Rocks scattered, some of them skittering through leaves down into the ravine. He froze,
hoping no one saw him. He was wearing camo-gear, but that wouldn’t keep him from being spotted if
he kept kicking at rocks like an idiot newbie just out of Basic Training.

You okay? Alex whispered. And I know you hate the plan. You told me, several times. Loudly.
“I’m fine. Concentrate on your end of things,” Jesse said, moving more slowly. He could see

the parking lot below him through the trees, now. He looked around, then wedged himself between the
rocks he’d spotted from further up the ridge. “I’m in position.”

He set up the rifle, then looked through the scope. Alex leaned back against his most

nondescript car, an Audi. The silver paint still gleamed, and anyone who knew something about cars
would realize that the sedan Alex rested his lovely ass against cost something like a hundred thousand
bucks, but at least it wasn’t a fire-red Ferrari.

Stop ogling my groin, Alex said.
Jesse flushed and immediately began scanning the perimeter of the lot. There was one other car

parked at the far end, but it looked empty. A hitch for bikes hung from the back. “Who says I’m
looking at your cock?” he asked quietly.

I can feel you looking, Alex murmured, still leaning against his car. He looked calm and cool.

He’d dressed in black slacks and a crisp button down shirt.

“Stop thinking about me and start paying attention to your surroundings,” Jesse admonished.
Alex smirked. You’re one to talk.
Jesse sighed. They’d had to call a car service to get them back to Alex’s mansion in time to

change and gather the cash for the ransom. Putting Alex back in his own clothes seemed to have
restored his sense of self-assurance, and he was back to being the worldly Alex Roman. Jesse
couldn’t really complain. That was the man he’d fallen in love with, after all.

I hear cars, Alex said.
Jesse scanned the lot again, then stopped as a battered old Chevrolet Cavalier pulled in. “Ugh.

That’s one of the ugliest vehicles ever made,” he muttered.

I don’t think the bad guy cares, Jesse, Alex said, sounding quietly amused. He held his hand

over his lips to hide his mouth so no one would see him talking.

“Yeah, you’re probably right about that. Stay sharp.” Jesse shifted his gaze to the men getting

out of the car, then drew in a sharp breath. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t your asshole ex-assistant
Jonathan. He’s definitely not your father. I’ll be honest with you, Alex. I didn’t see this coming.”

Alex flicked a glance up at the ridge and Jesse could see the agreement on his face before he

turned to face the men.

Jesse watched as Jonathan and his guy walked over to Alex. He had a bad feeling that more

was going down here than a simple ransom demand.

****
Damn. I didn’t see this coming either, Alex thought as he watched Jonathan get out of the car.

He couldn’t reply aloud to Jesse—he didn’t want anyone to know he wasn’t here alone.

“Huh, it was almost worth watching all my plans go down the toilet just to see the shock on

your face, Alex,” Jonathan said, walking over.

“Jonathan, what a surprise. What brings you here? Going hiking? I didn’t think you were into

physical exertion,” he replied. He glanced at the trail as if he didn’t understand why his ex-assistant
was here. I shouldn’t be so taken aback, he thought, anger gnawing at his gut. Betrayed by my
security chief, and now by my assistant.

“Still not connecting the dots, Alex, hmm?” Jonathan said, insultingly. “I always wondered how

the hell you ran the Roman Empire when you clearly don’t have enough brains to fill a thimble.” He
shook his head. “I certainly hope you remembered to bring my money. Hannah’s life depends on it.”

Alex dropped the pretense of ignorance. “Did you remember to bring Hannah, Jonathan?” he

countered. “And also, why would you set up Somes to take a shot at me? Not willing to do the dirty
work yourself?” He shook his head insultingly. “And then sending men to my house to kill me? That
didn’t go so well for you, did it? Talk about a failure to follow through with an assignment.” He
tsked.

Jonathan flushed. “Hannah’s here and safe, though I’ll admit, I was tempted to pop her for

stealing my job,” he said, gesturing vaguely at his car. His companion stood a few feet away, hand on
the gun strapped to his waist. He looked vaguely familiar, but he wore a baseball cap low enough to
obscure his features, so Alex couldn’t place him.

“And Somes was more than happy to help out, especially when I hacked into one of your

accounts and started funneling money into a nice little pile for him. You have so much cash you can’t
even keep track of it all, Alex. It’s disgusting.” Jonathan sighed. “Of course, then the money ran out. It
always does.”

“What is the point of this, Jonathan? Pretending to be my father, threatening me for months?”

Alex asked abruptly, tired of the games. He’d noticed money disappearing from that account two
months ago and had alerted the police. They hadn’t been able to track the cash flow. Apparently, he
couldn’t trust anyone to do their jobs correctly.

Well, except for Jesse. Alex knew his friend had his back, and always would. “I paid you

excellently, when you worked for me. There was no reason for you to turn into one of those
disgruntled employees everyone reads about on the Internet.” He raised his eyebrows. “Were you
planning on posting a video about how badly you were treated, too?”

“Oh, sure, you paid me well, for an assistant,” Jonathan hissed, flushing. “And then you fired

me, like so much trash.”

Alex frowned, wondering how much goading it would take before Jonathan spilled everything.

“You know why I had to let you go.”

Jonathan laughed, throwing his head back. “Sure, keep telling yourself that, Alex. Meanwhile,

you still have no idea what I was doing there in the first place, brother dear.”

Alex went still. Brother? “Are you on drugs? Is that why you need the money?” He struggled to

keep from fidgeting, but the wire on his torso had begun to itch. I’m never taping anything to my
chest ever again, he vowed.

“Drugs? That’s what you think this is about?” Jonathan scoffed. “You’re so fucking stupid.”
Alex took a deep breath. Now was not the time to lose his temper. “Let’s cut to the chase,

Jonathan. Show me proof that Hannah is okay and you can have your money.” He snapped his fingers
to hurry him up, hoping to provoke the younger man.

Jonathan’s face closed down. “You’re not even curious, are you? Fine.” He gestured to the man

at his side. “Get the woman.”

The man walked to the car and opened the trunk. Hannah lay inside, eyes closed.
Alex glared. “Is she alive?”
Jonathan raised his eyebrows. “I’m not a monster, brother dear. I only want you dead, not

anyone else.”

“Why do you want me dead? That’s the one thing I can’t figure out, Jonathan,” Alex said,

watching as Jonathan’s lackey lifted Hannah out of the car. She moaned, then began to struggle,
knocking off his cap. The man put her down roughly, and Alex was happy to see that she was able to
stand, but then the man viciously yanked on her bound hands, making her stumble. Alex stared at the
man. It was the weekend security guard from his building.

“Mr. Roman?” Hannah said thickly, coughing to clear her throat.
Alex tore his attention away from her captor. “It’s all right Hannah,” he soothed, moving

toward her, only to stop abruptly when a gun appeared right in front of him. He glanced at Jonathan.

He stood with the pistol in a two-handed grip. Alex clenched his fists. Jonathan’s hands were

steady, but his eyes flicked around the clearing nervously as if as if he expected wild dogs to attack
him at any moment. “Don’t fucking move one more step, Alex.”

Now would be a good time to shoot him, Jesse, Alex thought, but nothing happened. Jesse was

probably waiting for Jonathan to spill more incriminating information. Which means I have to keep
him talking.

“Why do I want you dead? Because I’m the one who should be running Roman Enterprises, not

you, Alex,” Jonathan said harshly. His glanced at his hired thug. “Hold her there.”

The man grunted. Alex risked a glance at him and Hannah. “Joe? Why would you get yourself

involved in this?”

The guard didn’t respond, looking to Jonathan for orders.
“You don’t have to do this, Joe. Let her go now and the police will go easy on you. I promise.

All you have to do is walk away,” Alex cajoled.

Joe ignored him.
“Shut up, Alex, and listen for once in your life.” Jonathan waved his gun. “Move, over there.”

He pointed to a spot closer to the brush that lined the edge of the parking lot. It was further from
Hannah.

After a moment’s hesitation, Alex began walking. “If you shoot me, you’ll never get your

money.” He had to twist his head to see Hannah now. That wasn’t good.

“I know how you work, Alex. It’s probably in your car,” Jonathan sneered. “And to answer

your earlier question, I’m doing this because it was our father’s dying wish that his true son inherit the
family business.”

Alex frowned. “What the hell are you talking about? My father died a long time ago.”
Jonathan laughed. “Yeah, that’s what dear grandpa wanted you to think. The reality is our father

was kicked out. Disinherited. Told to get lost.”

Alex’s heart gave a hard thump. He and Jesse suspected his father might be alive, but he’d

never imagined having a brother. Especially one as twisted as Jonathan. “Is he still alive?” He had to
ask.

“No. He died last year, a bitter old man.” Jonathan’s nostrils flared. “It was up to me to reclaim

our inheritance.”

“You say you’re my brother. How?”
“Oh, come on now. You know how babies are made.” Jonathan smiled derisively. “I grew up in

a crappy little town. My mom was an artist.” He spat the word out. “Basically, she was a hick
waitress. She got knocked up. Died when I was a kid. Then it was just me and the old man.” He
smirked. “Boy, did he hate you, Alexander.”

Alex swallowed, trying to process all the information. His father had been alive all these

years? He shook his head, wondering what kind of man would abandon his child. His grandfather
wouldn’t have prevented Alex from seeing his father if his dad had wanted contact. That was one
thing he was sure about.

“So you thought you’d kill me at the gala?” Alex asked Jonathan. He glanced at Hannah. She

seemed more awake now, thank goodness. Joe still held her arms tight enough to hurt her, though. He
hoped that Jesse shot him first. Hannah didn’t deserve this kind of treatment.

Jonathan shrugged. “Seemed like a good idea. You die. Everyone freaks out thinking your long-

lost father had you killed for revenge. The notes I planted would’ve seen to that. They were a nice
touch, don’t you think?” He grinned fiercely, then continued. “I appear out of nowhere, the prodigal
younger brother, come to save the Roman empire from ruin. Except, fuck it all to hell, you had your
old military pal show up to play bodyguard.” He spat to the side.

Alex glanced at Hannah again, trying to shift his body so he could see her more easily. She was

staring at Jonathan, eyes wide.

Jonathan kept talking. “So I did a little more digging and found out that I wouldn’t inherit

anyway. What the fuck were you thinking, leaving the entire company and all your assets to your
buddy in your will? Who does that?” He shifted his weapon to one hand, shaking out the other. He
looked tired and stressed.

“Now would be a good time, Jesse,” Alex murmured under his breath, not sure how much

longer he could keep Jonathan talking.

His brother narrowed his eyes. “That’s when Somes went off the rails, too, demanding more

money. I was actually happy when he got shot. Saved me the trouble of popping him myself.”

“Jesse,” Alex said, more loudly, staring right at Jonathan.
“Calling out for your absent bodyguard isn’t going to do you much good, dear brother,”

Jonathan said sardonically.

Grab him! Jesse suddenly ordered him, sounding breathless. He cursed, and the sounds of a

fight came through the earpiece loud and clear.

The shit’s hitting the fan, dammit, Alex thought tensely, watching for an opening. When the

barrel of Jonathan’s gun began to sag slightly, he lunged for it, shoving the weapon toward the sky just
as his brother squeezed the trigger. He winced as the shot reverberated near his ear, but he ignored
the pain, struggling to hang onto Jonathan’s arm. He twisted the smaller man’s elbow up and around,
pushing his arm back and down until he could force Jonathan’s hand open. The pistol dropped to the
ground.

Abruptly, Jonathan’s body went limp. The dead weight almost tipped Alex off balance and he

struggled to keep his feet. Breathing hard, he let him slide down to the ground, unsurprised when the
feathered end of a dart sticking out of his neck popped into view. He drew in a shaky breath.

“Fuck, that was close. “You okay, Jesse?” he asked. There was no answer, but he could hear

his lover breathing, so he was alive. And hopefully uninjured.

“Mr. Roman!” Hannah called out.
He turned, happy to see Joe on the ground with a dart protruding from his limp form, too.

Hannah looked shaken, but intact.

“Hannah, are you okay?” he asked, hurrying over. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, Mr. Roman,” she said, trying to get the tape off of her bound wrists.
“Hannah, after all this, I think you can call me Alex,” he said, calming her frantic movements

with his hands. “Jesse, what’s going on? Are you coming down?” he asked as he hunted for the end of
the tape. Up close, he could see the beginnings of a nasty bruise on Hannah’s face. He frowned,
frustrated that he hadn’t been able to see Jonathan’s duplicity earlier. Before anyone got hurt. “Jesse,
I swear, if you don’t answer me…” he muttered.

Ran into a bit of a difficulty, Jesse finally replied, still breathing heavy. But I’m okay.
Relief washed through Alex as he picked at the tape around Hannah’s arms. “Hold still, I’ve

almost got it,” he told her. He finally found an edge, then began to unwind it. “Sorry, this is going to
take a bit of patience. I don’t have a knife on me.”

“It’s okay, Mr. Roman,” she said.
Alex glanced at her face. She was pale. The bruise on her cheekbone looked like someone had

slapped her. “I’m sorry,” he began, but she cut him off.

“I’m fine. Just shook up a bit.”
Alex pressed his lips together and hurriedly unwound the tape. “You need to see a doctor for

that bruise. You might have a concussion.” The sound of branches snapping had them both looking up.
“Jesse, thank God,” he muttered, pulling the last of the tape away from her wrists and balling it up. He
plucked out his earpiece and turned it off, dropping it into his pocket as he watched Jesse drag a body
out of the brush. Jesse looked fine, thankfully. The man he was dragging? Not so much. He was fairly
large and clothed in browns and greens, probably so he could blend in with the foliage. A dart stuck
up out of his ass. “What the hell? Who is that?”

Jesse smiled grimly. “Found this delightful guy wandering around the woods.” He dragged him

across the lot and dropped him right in front of Alex. “Look familiar?”

“Oh my God, that’s Detective Lozza!” Hannah exclaimed.
Alex stared down at the man’s short grey hair and sighed. “Well. That explains a lot.”
“Like how the police didn’t get anywhere with their investigation?” Jesse asked dryly,

adjusting the straps of the rifle he wore across his chest.

“And why they never found anything when you reported the funds missing from that account a

few months ago, Mr. Roman,” Hannah added, sounding more angry and less frightened than before.

“Missing funds, huh?” Jesse raised an eyebrow.
Alex rubbed his eyes. “I’m sure you heard. Jonathan used my own money to bankroll the threats

against me.”

“Don’t forget the part where he tried to have you killed. I have zero sympathy for him. I don’t

care if he’s your brother or not,” Jesse remarked, voice going hard.

Alex smiled tiredly. “I’m not going to forget that, don’t worry.” He unbuttoned his shirt and

turned off the recorder. “I have to get this tape off of me before the itch drives me insane.”

“You were wearing a wire?” Hannah grinned. “Excellent.”
“It was Jesse’s idea.” Alex jabbed a thumb at his lover who was crouched down, zip-tying

their unconscious prisoners. He picked at the tape on his chest, wincing when he pulled hair out with
it as he peeled it off.

“Who are we going to call now?” Hannah asked, politely looking away from his open shirt.

“Detective Lozza was the one in charge of the investigation.”

“What about his partner, Officer Braczyk?” Jesse asked, standing back up. He tucked the extra

ties back in his pocket. “She didn’t like Lozza. I remember that.”

Alex nodded. “All right.” He pulled out his cell phone.
Hannah walked closer to where Jonathan lay passed out. “I can’t believe he would do this,” she

said quietly. “He seemed like a nice enough guy.” She glanced up at Jesse. “Well, sort of. I mean, he
kind of excelled at back-stabbing in the office, but a lot of people are like that.” She shrugged
sheepishly.

Jesse laughed. “I’m glad Alex promoted you, Hannah.”
She smiled back. “Me too. And I’m glad Mr. Roman finally made his move on you. He’s been

moping around ever since you got discharged.”

Alex blinked, still holding his phone. “Are the two of you done talking about me as if I’m not

here?”

Jesse slung an arm around his shoulders. “Who? Us? Would we do that?” He winked at

Hannah. She blushed, then giggled. “Call the cops, Alex. The sooner we take out the trash, the sooner
we can go home.” He nudged Jonathan with his foot. The younger man was beginning to wake up.
“Just stay down there and you won’t get hurt,” Jesse growled.

Alex shivered at the threat in his lover’s voice. Sexy, he mused, half-smiling. And he’s all

mine. He slid his finger across his phone’s display and made the call.

Epilogue

One Year Later

“Are you crazy?” Jesse hissed, trying unsuccessfully to extricate his arm from Alex’s sure grip.

“You can’t grope me in public like that and expect me to pretend like I’m not all hot and bothered.”
He clenched his teeth, trying to ignore the hard-on currently taking up residence in his pants. “Your
speech is in fifteen minutes, Alex.” He mimed looking at a watch. “We don’t have time for fucking.”

“Think about football,” his lover drawled, licking his lips. The luscious, full, amazing lips that

had just been attached to Jesse’s mouth, behind the potted palms.

Jesse stared at his lover, then swallowed hard. God, I’ve got it bad, he thought, unconsciously

swaying closer to Alex. “I have a massive erection, and it’s totally your fault,” he hissed under his
breath.

“I’m perfectly willing to take care of that for you, Jesse,” Alex replied, towing him toward his

office. “You know that. I can be very quick when I want to.”

“I am going to kill you,” Jesse replied, letting himself be dragged down the hall. He hoped to

God no one was on the floors beneath them, looking up through their windows at them.

Alex grinned wickedly. “You’ve been saying that for years now.” He made a show of looking

at himself. “I seem to be alive and kicking.” He tugged harder, making Jesse stumble.

He put a hand out and caught himself against Alex’s black office doors. The cool lacquer felt

good against his sweaty palms. He took a deep breath, once again trying to regain control of his
libido. When he caught Alex staring at his mouth, he knew he’d failed.

“Hmm, I’m not normally one for public exhibition, but you look positively decadent against

those doors,” Alex said mildly, pressing Jesse into the shiny wood with his body.

“Alex!” Jesse’s voice came out strangled because his lover already had a hand in his pants. He

stroked Jesse’s cock with the familiarity of long practice. Jesse panted, head thunking back against the
doors. Alex knew exactly how to push him from zero to sixty in three seconds.

“Yeah, that’s it, baby. Relax. Let me drive,” Alex murmured in his ear as his fingers danced

along Jesse’s prick.

“Fuck.” Jesse banged his head against the doors again.
“Hmm, unfortunately not fucking. We really don’t have time for that,” Alex said regretfully.
Jesse scrabbled against the wood behind him until his hand seized on a handle. He pushed, and

the doors opened. The two of them tumbled through in a rush, landing on the tile floor. In a move that
he’d be proud of later, Jesse flipped Alex under him and kicked the doors shut with one swift,
coordinated motion. “Ha. Looks like you’re the one going faster than the speed limit now,” he taunted,
grinding his hips into Alex’s hand.

Alex bared his teeth and twisted his wrist. Jesse groaned as his lover’s palm slid across the tip

of his dick. “Fuck!” He reached for Alex’s pants and unbuttoned them, shoving them down as fast as
he could.

“You’re going to wrinkle them,” Alex complained, helping him push them off.
“I don’t give a flying fuck and a half,” Jesse muttered, shoving at his own pants. He could not

get his skin close enough to Alex’s fast enough. Damned clothes...

“Here,” Alex said, helping with the zipper.

Finally, he’s getting with the program, Jesse thought incoherently.
Suddenly, their dicks slotted up against each other and Alex somehow managed to get them both

in his hand at the same time. Jesse’s cock rubbed against Alex’s, hot and hard and fucking perfect.

“Jesus Christ,” Jesse said, with feeling. The top of his head prickled.
Alex chuckled, but then he did something with his fingers and Jesse lost his mind. His hips

bucked once, then again, and the next thing he knew it was all over. He spurted his load right on top of
Alex’s zillion dollar designer tux. Alex didn’t last much longer. With a short groan and twist of his
hips, he climaxed too, drenching them with more spunk and sweat.

A long minute later Jesse couldn’t help himself. He started laughing. Alex glared at him. He

laughed harder.

“Shut up,” Alex said irritably, eyes sparkling. “I have to give a speech in five minutes.”
Jesse snorted. “I think that speech was five minutes ago, Alex.”
His lover shoved at him, pushing until Jesse rolled over onto his back. He glanced down at

himself: his groin was a wreck of spunk and crushed fabric. I feel fucking awesome, though.

“Well, damn. You’re right,” Alex said, staring at his phone. “We’re late.”
Jesse closed his eyes and grinned. “Screw the speech, Alex. Let’s just go home.”
Alex put a hand on his arm. “I always give a speech.”
Jesse pulled Alex into a hug. “They all know where we went and what we were doing, Alex.

Hannah saw us make our escape to the elevators,” he muttered into his lover’s ear.

“This was a thousand dollar tuxedo. Designer.” Alex didn’t sound the least bit put out. “So was

yours.”

“I’ll buy us both new threads,” Jesse offered.
Alex sighed. Loudly. Then his shoulders began to shake.
Jesse let him go and propped himself on an elbow to watch. Alex laughed until tears poured out

of his eyes.

“Mrs. Trickshaw winked at us as the elevator doors closed,” he said, trying to breathe through

his laughter. “Winked, Jesse. Did you see her face? Oh my God, it was awesome.”

Jesse grinned. “Told you they know what we were doing up here.”
Alex chuckled as he leaned back and stretched out. He looked like sex on a stick.
“Fuck it. Let’s go home,” he said.
Jesse had no arguments with that.

The End

www.erinmleaf.com

Other Books by Erin M. Leaf:

www.evernightpublishing.com/erin-m-leaf

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