7. Gregory
CHAPTER 7
GREGORY
Why he’d brought Oscar Montgomery to his empty offices on a Sunday was a mystery, but his instinct had carried him here.
“Spit it out, then,” he said, taking off his jacket.
“Will you look at me, Gregory?”
He turned around, and as their eyes met, the heat crackled between them. Fuck. Why did he have to be so gorgeous? He walked behind his desk, sitting down and gesturing for Oscar to do the same. He needed to calm down.
Oscar ignored him and walked round to Gregory’s side of the desk, dropping to his knees. His hands went to Gregory’s belt, but he paused, looking him directly in the eyes, pleading for permission. Gregory looked up at the ceiling, trying to get his brain to come back online, but it was no use – seeing Oscar on his knees was impossible to resist. He looked him in the eyes and nodded. There was no hesitation. In less than three seconds, Gregory felt the wet warmth of Oscar’s mouth around his cock. He couldn’t hold back the moan of pleasure. Oscar knew how to use his mouth. Last time they’d been outside in the dark, but now he could see Oscar’s mouth stretched wide around his girth, as his cock slid further down his throat. Oscar kept eye contact the whole time, making it even more intense.
“You take my cock so well,” said Gregory, stroking Oscar’s hair. “Take it all.” He arched his hips until he could feel Oscar’s lips against his trimmed pubes. “Such a good boy.” He patted his hair again.
Oscar’s eyes watered, but he held Gregory’s gaze. He felt a vibration through his cock as Gregory purred at the compliment. The eye contact was getting too intense for Gregory, and he was feeling things he shouldn’t be, especially with this man. He needed to get out of his head.
“Bend over the desk. I’m going to fuck you.”
This time, Oscar took off all his clothes, and Gregory could see all the muscles of his body, and a light dusting of hair on his chest, which had been clipped. It suited him. His cock was impressive – not as thick as Gregory’s, but he had a nice length.
Gregory gestured with his head for Oscar to get ready for him. He took his trousers off, but left his T-shirt on, then grabbed the lube and stood up, looking at the glorious arse presented to him. Oscar’s pink hole, so inviting. Gregory dropped to his knees, pulled Oscar’s cheeks apart, and licked across his entrance. Fuck, he tasted so good.
“Has anyone been in this hole since me?”
“Er... no, I mean... no, there hasn’t.”
Gregory chuckled against Oscar’s sensitive skin. It was such a turn on to have him unable to speak. Even though there could be nothing more than this between them, knowing nobody had fucked Oscar since their last encounter almost three months ago was making his cock even harder.
He used his tongue, probing and licking, to open Oscar up. Gregory gripped his cock hard, so it hurt and took the edge off his desperate need to come. That wouldn’t be happening until he was buried inside Oscar. He slicked a couple of fingers up with the lube, warming it before bringing them to Oscar’s hole. Oscar took his first finger with ease, so a second quickly joined it. He was tight, but his body was relaxing, eager to be fucked.
“Look at you, all needy to have my cock inside you. Do you want me to fuck you hard, Oscar?”
He groaned, mumbling something.
“I need to hear the words.”
“Yes, please fuck me, as hard as you can. I’m ready.”
Gregory scissored his fingers in and out a few more times as Oscar kept begging. He wasn’t one to keep a man waiting for his cock, so he slicked himself up and lined the head up with his hole. Instead of easing in, he wanted to test how much Oscar could take, so he thrust in hard.
The loud moan of pleasure had probably made the traffic at Piccadilly Circus stop for a second. Gregory didn’t give him a chance to adjust as he ploughed into him again. He’d never known someone to take his cock so well, with minimal prep; it was like they were made for each other.
Gregory had to get thoughts like that out of his head. He was being driven purely by testosterone right now as he thrust harder into Oscar. Nobody could hear them this time, and he was letting go, not stifling his pleasure.
“Noisy bottom, aren’t you? You love taking my fat cock in your hole, don’t you?”
“Yes, yes, yes. Fuck me harder... please. I can take it.”
Gregory was happy to oblige as he gripped Oscar’s hips and fucked him as hard as he could. The sound of their skin slapping together echoed around the office, Oscar moaning in pleasure as Gregory hammered his prostate.
He could hear Oscar’s breathing getting harder. He was close. Would he come untouched again? Gregory was doing all he could to hold back his own release, but he could already feel his balls tingling.
“Nobody takes my cock as well as you do. Such a good boy.”
Oscar screamed out his release, tightening around Gregory. It seemed like Oscar had a praise kink, and the thought was enough to send Gregory over the edge. He didn’t hold back either as he roared out his release, emptying inside Oscar. Gregory kept thrusting as his balls emptied, then rested against Oscar’s back as he regulated his breathing. His logical brain was coming back online, and he was flooded with regret. Of all the men he could be the most sexually compatible with, it had to be Oscar fucking Montgomery.
His softening cock slid out of Oscar, followed by a trickle of his come. It started running down those giant tree-trunk legs, and Gregory knew if he kept watching, he’d be hard again in seconds. All he could do was walk away, like last time, and lock himself in the bathroom.
After fifteen minutes of catastrophising in the shower, he dried himself off and threw a towel round his waist, and the T-shirt he’d been wearing. As he walked back into his office, he was shocked to see Oscar, fully dressed, sitting in his desk chair.
“What are you still doing here?”
“We needed to talk, remember?”
“Oh, right. Do you need to use the shower?”
“No. I want to spend the rest of the day with your come still inside me.”
Gregory’s body prickled with desire, his cock plumping under the towel. Did he have no self-control around this man?
“Can you look the other way while I get dressed?”
He thought Oscar would laugh at him given what they’d just done, but he smiled and swivelled the chair so he was looking out the window. Gregory had a wardrobe in the office with spare clothes. He often pulled all-nighters at work, so he needed to have things here, even if he only lived a five-minute walk away.
He pulled on a pair of trousers, as he wasn’t really a jeans person, and was going to put on a shirt so he looked respectable, but given what they’d just done he grabbed a clean superhero T-shirt instead. After he pulled it on, he straightened his hair as best as he could, and put on his glasses.
“All good now.”
Oscar turned round and eyed him up and down. “Cute!”
“Fuck off!”
“What? I’m being serious. I remember how much you loved superheroes when we were kids.”
And there it was – the reminder of why this could never happen again. Gregory’s childhood had been miserable, and in part it was down to the man sitting in his desk chair, acting like he owned the place.
“What did you want to talk about?” he said, his voice coming off harsher than he meant.
“Are you okay, Gregory?”
“Fine. Can you just say what you need to say and go? I’ve got work to do.”
“It’s Sunday.”
“And?”
“Have I upset you?”
Was this guy serious? Gregory couldn’t deal with this right now, but if he didn’t hear Oscar out, he’d only come back.
“Everything’s fine. I’m just tried.”
“Okay, well, shall we have a drink? You might need one when you hear my idea.”
Oh, God, what was he planning? This guy could be a little crazy at the best of times. Oscar Montgomery took risks in business, and they paid off. But Gregory knew this was not going to be a business conversation.
“What’s this about, Oscar? And can I have my chair back?”
“Let’s sit on the sofa,” he said, jumping up.
How did he have so much energy after being fucked like that? Gregory was shattered. He joined Oscar on the sofa, sitting at the opposite end, and Oscar smirked, knowing why Gregory was putting distance between them.
“This is about Barty.”
Gregory instantly prickled.
“I know his debt has been transferred to you.”
“How?” he croaked.
Oscar was looking at him with such compassion, it was hard not to get choked up. The fact his father had persuaded Grant Kincaid that Barty’s debt should be transferred to Gregory was bad enough, but he’d not even felt an ounce of guilt about doing it. Gregory had the money, and Barty was family, so it was his duty to clear the debt.
“My mother and yours were talking. I overheard. How much is it this time?”
“A million,” he mumbled.
“What?” he shouted, making Gregory jump. “Did you say a million quid?”
Gregory nodded.
“How the fuck did he rack up a debt like that so quickly? You paid off the last one, didn’t you?”
He nodded again. Words weren’t coming easily. He looked down, trying not to get emotional. He was supposed to be the strong one here. Oscar put his arm around his shoulder, which startled him a bit. It was so easy to lean into his comfort. That muscular body, with so much strength, was comforting.
“I can give you the money.”
“What?” His head snapped up.
“I’ll pay the debt for you.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Well, I wouldn’t be doing it for nothing.”
Gregory moved back slightly, so he could look at Oscar, trying to get a read on him. He missed his touch, but that was something to unpack later.
“Is this some kind of sex contract?”
Oscar looked confused for a second and then cracked up laughing. Gregory felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment.
“Okay, calm down. It wasn’t that funny.”
“Sorry,” said Oscar, trying to get his breath back. “Nothing like that,”
“A business deal? I’m not really knowledgeable about your industry.”
“That’s crap and you know it. You could do what I do without getting out of bed.”
Gregory preened under the compliment. Maybe he had a praise kink as well.
“So, what –”
“Let me explain, instead of trying to guess.”
“Okay.”
“We get married!”
Gregory answered the door to the surveyor. Hopefully this wouldn’t take too long. He was supposed to have been here an hour ago but had called to say he was running late. They made quick introductions and Gregory gave him a tour of the place. He’d checked Jason’s room earlier to be sure nothing was lying out that could embarrass him, and he’d swept the whole place just to be safe, as you never knew with his friends. Paolo had reconnected with his lost love recently, so the flat had turned into a passion pit. Gregory wasn’t sure what a passion pit was, but it had been mentioned on an episode of The Golden Girls that he’d watched with Jason. The description seemed apt at the moment given all his brothers were loved up, except Jason, but he was happier being full up. He made a mental note to save that quip for one of their brunches. He knew Jason would find it hilarious.
It had been over a week since Oscar had made the ridiculous suggestion of a marriage of convenience. Did people still use that term? Ever since then, Gregory had been acting like a sensible adult and ignoring all his calls. Thankfully, Oscar hadn’t shown up at the flat or office, but it would only be a matter of time. That man didn’t understand the word no.
Once they’d done the rounds of the flat, he left the surveyor to look around. Gregory couldn’t believe he was going to mortgage the flat. It was something he never thought he’d do. When his business had made big money, he’d held off on buying somewhere as he wanted it to be his outright. Now the bank was going to own a chunk, but hopefully it wouldn’t be for long. His financial advisor had suggested he be cautious and get a twenty-year mortgage, but on a variable or tracker rate so there were no penalties for overpayment and early settlement. Gregory had no choice. His father had dropped him right in it this time. And where was Barty? At some fucking health spa, recovering from his trauma. He didn’t have to guess who’d be expected to pay for that.
The surveyor had finished with the guys’ bedrooms and gone up to Gregory’s suite. It was difficult not to pace around. Was he doing the right thing? He’d been through all his options, and this was all he had right now. He’d put his spare cash into the Knights Corner venture with Langdon and Sebastian, and there was no way he was pulling out of that. His business was doing well, but didn’t have a spare million pounds in it, and his investments were complex – he’d lose a lot if he pulled them early. This flat was his only option. Well, not the only one, but Oscar’s proposal was too ridiculous to even contemplate. What would happen if his brother got into more debt and there was now an expectation Gregory would pay it? Would this only end when he had nothing left? His family would probably want nothing to do with him after that, and yet here he was, fucking his own life up to save his worthless brother’s arse from getting killed. He may have gotten a beating last time, but it was obvious to anyone who watched film and TV that had just been a warning.
He was yanked out of his doom spiralling by the flat door opening, with Jason and Langdon walking in. Jason was laughing, and Langdon was scowling at him. It would be comical if Gregory weren’t panicking.
“What are you two doing here?”
They both looked surprised.
“We live here, honey,” said Jason.
“Are you okay?” asked Langdon.
“Mr Balfour,” shouted the surveyor from upstairs.
Fuck!
“Mr Balfour,” said Jason, waggling his eyebrows. “Kinky!”
Langdon snorted.
“Can you two disappear for a bit until he’s gone?”
“I just need to get changed,” said Langdon. “I’m meeting Eric in half an hour. I’ll keep out of your way, though.”
He clapped Gregory on the shoulder and gave him a smile before heading to his room. Jason had a shit-eating grin on his face, and it was clear he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Mr Balfour,” said the surveyor. This time, he was right behind them.
“Sorry, did you need me for something?” asked Gregory, trying to act calm.
Jason snorted, and was clearly fighting not to burst out laughing.
“I need something clarified about the dimensions upstairs, particularly with the office and games room.”
Gregory groaned. He thought this might come up, and luckily he was prepared.
“Be up in a second.”
The surveyor nodded and went back upstairs.
“Wow, he’s really committed to the scene, isn’t he?” said Jason, a smirk on his face. “I mean, no offence, but you could do a lot better. Perhaps someone this side of fifty. And I do like a bald guy, but you need to own it for it to be hot. Am I right?”
Gregory couldn’t help but laugh. He shook his head and walked away before Jason could ask any more questions. Hopefully, he would be in his room by the time the guy left.
He clarified the dimensions with the surveyor and showed him what he was missing. Thankfully, he’d expected this, so everything looked respectable. There were a few last questions regarding the original renovations, then Gregory walked him downstairs. There was no sign of Jason or Langdon, thankfully. He saw the surveyor to the door.
“I’ll have my report to the lender within forty-eight hours. They’ll come back to you quickly. I don’t foresee any issues with the valuation. You have a beautiful home here, Mr Balfour.”
“Thank you.”
He closed the door behind the surveyor and put his head against the door, breathing a sigh of relief.
“When were you gonna tell us?” It was Jason’s voice.
He turned to face him, not sure what reaction he was going to get, but he hadn’t been expecting a look of fear on Jason’s face.
“Langdon,” Jason shouted.
He came running out of his room, half dressed. His muscular physique reminded Gregory of Oscar – not what he should think about right now.
“What’s wrong?”
“Gregory’s selling the flat.”
“No, I’m not selling it. Just borrowing some money.”
“Why?” said Langdon. “Are you in trouble?”
“No. Nothing like that. I just need some cash for... for the business, and this asset is just sitting here. May as well let it work for me.”
“So why didn’t you say anything?” asked Jason. “If we hadn’t come home, would you have told us?”
Gregory hesitated. The last thing he would do was lie outright to his friends. He could be selective about the truth, but not this. The hesitation was all it took for Jason to snap.
“You promised we’d always have a home here. That’s what you said when we all moved in. No matter what happened, we’d always have somewhere to call home. Charlie’s gone. Langdon’s got Eric. We all know how it’s going to go with Paolo and Max. You’ve got enough money to do whatever you want. What about me? Tossed out again, unwanted. You promised, Gregory. You promised me when I came back here.”
“Jason, I promise you, I’m not selling the flat.”
“Please, can you move out of the way of the door?”
“Jason, just let me explain.”
He didn’t give Gregory a chance as he stormed past, wrenching open the door and running out in just a T-shirt.
“I’ll go after him,” said Gregory.
“Just leave him be,” said Langdon. “He just needs time to himself. You and I need to talk.”
“Not right now, Langdon.”
“Do you want me to send an SOS to the group chat?”
That’s the last thing he wanted. Charlie’s puppy-dog eyes, and Paolo’s soft-spoken and understanding voice. He felt guilty enough without those two as well.
“Right, fine, but promise me you won’t kick off and try to fix things and be all big brother.”
“What’s happened?”
“Promise me, Langdon.”
“Okay, I promise.”
“My brother owes a million quid to Grant Kincaid. If I don’t pay it by the end of the year, my brother’s going to die, and my parents will never speak to me again.”
“What the fuck? Let me call Grant.”
“No, Langdon, you promised.”
“Yeah, but this is Grant, and he’s fucking around with my family.”
It warmed Gregory whenever Langdon referred to him as family. He had his own history with Grant, going back years. They’d made their peace, but things were still a challenge between them. The last thing Gregory wanted to do was to destroy all that.
“Look, I can get the money out of the flat and that’ll be the end.”
“Will it, though?”
“What do you mean?”
“I know Grant, and once Barty pays up, he’ll have no problem lending him money again. Then what will happen next time? You’ll have to sell the flat then. Why are you doing this for a brother who hates you?”
“It’s not that simple, Langdon.”
“It is Gregory. They abandoned you when you came out and left you to fend for yourself, when you’d grown up in a life of privilege so had no idea what the real world was like. And look what you did. You built this amazing company that helps people, and made a shit ton of money. They lose their own money and want yours, and out of some warped sense of duty, you’re willing to lose everything just so they’ll speak to you.”
“That’s not fair.”
“I’m just being honest. This is your flat, Gregory, so you can do what you want with it, but don’t kid yourself that this will be the end. They won’t stop until they’ve taken everything from you. Just think about that before you do anything you’ll regret.”
Langdon walked away towards his room, and then turned back and pulled Gregory into a hug. Neither of them were huggers like their brothers were, but it felt comforting in this moment, even if Langdon was still shirtless. Langdon smiled at him before going to his room, leaving Gregory to contemplate the two choices he had in front of him.
“This is unexpected,” said Oscar, opening the door of his townhouse.
Gregory had never been here before, and as he followed Oscar, he was surprised. He thought Oscar’s home would look a little ostentatious, but he was wrong. It was all tastefully decorated, with splashes of dark colours here and there, offset against neutrals. The period features were front and centre, and hadn’t been ripped out, which was a regret he had from when the flat was renovated. It didn’t feel as homely as the flat he shared with his brothers, but it was a nice place.
“Would you like a drink?” asked Oscar, as they walked into an open-plan kitchen diner.
“Just water, thanks.”
Oscar grabbed two bottles out of his American-style fridge freezer. As he passed it over, his biceps on display, Gregory realised he wasn’t in his usual suit. Oscar was in a vest and grey tracksuit bottoms which left little to the imagination. That gorgeous arse was on display, and he had to look away so he didn’t start drooling. He took a swig of water to calm down. Gregory was nervous enough, he didn’t need to add horniness to the mix.
“I’ve been thinking about your offer,” said Gregory.
“And?” asked Oscar with a smile.
“How do you see it working?”
“We let people know we’re together, appear to have a whirlwind romance, and get married by end of January. Then I give you your money.”
“How long do we need to stay married?”
“A year.”
“Do I need to live here?”
“I think it might look odd if you didn’t, but given how close your flat is to your office, how about I only get you on weekends?”
Gregory smiled at that. This was a business deal, that’s all it was, and he had to see it that way so he could go through with it.
“Questions?”
“No... wait... did you say January?”
“Yes. I know it’s quick but –”
“Not quick enough. Grant wants the money by the end of December.”
“I’m all for being quick, but you have to wait fourteen days after you register to get married, so even if we did it tomorrow, we’d never make that deadline. I’ll talk to Grant.”
“What? No, you can’t. He’s dangerous.”
“I’m sure he’ll be amenable.”
“Have you met him before?”
“He’s been at some functions I’ve attended. We’ve never spoken, but if he’s mixed in those circles, I’m sure he’ll agree to something if I make an upfront payment. He’s obviously a reasonable man.”
“Not what I’ve heard.”
“If he wasn’t reasonable, Barty would already be dead.”
Gregory felt sick. He was right. His brother had gotten himself into this mess, and what was to say that he wouldn’t do it again? Would Gregory feel obligated to bail him out for a third time?
“So, are we doing this?” asked Oscar.
Gregory looked him in the eyes, and the heat between them felt like a wildfire. He knew he could only do this if Oscar agreed to his terms.
“I have one request.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“I’ll marry you and go along with whatever you say to make it look as believable as possible, but behind closed doors, nothing can ever happen between us again.”