17
L awrence tightened his tie and tucked it under his vest, deciding to forgo a jacket. He was going to a charity event with Remy, and after the week of work he had, he was looking forward to it. It was something different from what the week brought; he would take it. Not to mention, if he played his cards right, he might be able to get his boyfriend to help him forget the events of the week afterward in bed.
Since meeting with Mr. Cross, the man had called his office at least twice a day for the past two weeks, asking questions that Lawrence had already answered at their initial meeting or ones he asked when he called earlier in the week.
The irritation of the first week was broken by helping Erin celebrate her opening event and then by spending the weekend binging old horror movies and eating junk food since Remy had been out of town.
Lawrence was looking forward to the charity event—a welcomed distraction from the end of his week. He knew it might not be as fun as he was hyping it up to be, but his boyfriend and his friends would be there.
He looked himself over one last time as a knock came on his front door. He grabbed his wallet and phone from his dresser, placed them in his back pocket, and went to the door. He didn’t bother to look through the peephole because he knew it was Remy.
Pulling the door open, Lawrence was greeted with the delicious sight of his boyfriend in a suit that fit him as if he’d been sewn into it, the black suit smooth against walnut skin. Lawrence was going to have fun undressing him later .
“You look incredible,” Remy stated in lieu of a greeting.
“I was just thinking the same thing about you?”
Remy leaned down and kissed him. “I’m going to enjoy taking it all off of you,” he spoke against his lips.
“Also, what I was thinking,” Lawrence agreed, giving him another peck. “I’m ready if you are.”
Lawrence grabbed his keys, stepped out the door, and locked it behind him. They got onto the elevator, and once in the car on the road, he turned to Remy.
“You said this was a silent auction where the proceeds go to charity, and several businesses donated things to be auctioned.”
“It is. All the proceeds go to a domestic violence prevention charity.”
“Did Cayman Industries donate something?”
Lawrence knew that the company had its hands in some of everything, so the possibilities of what they could donate were endless.
“Yes. I donated a night out on the town with myself.”
“You did what?” Lawrence’s entire body turned to Remy with a raised brow. His boyfriend was quiet for a few seconds. A few seconds longer than Lawrence appreciated. “Remy.”
“I’m joking, baby. It was a joke.”
“A joke that’s going to get you hurt,” Lawrence replied, turning his attention out of the window.
“You know I wouldn’t do that,” Remy told him, his hand resting on Lawrence’s leg. “We donated a new phone and a year’s worth of service. Alijah also donated a beautiful painting.”
He rolled his eyes. Usually, that wouldn’t have upset Lawrence, but he was still carrying some of the irritation of the week within him. He took a deep breath and placed his hand over his boyfriend’s.
“I can’t wait to see her painting then.”
L awrence excused himself, leaving Remy to talk business. They’d been at the event for less than an hour, and it was the third work conversation the other man had been dragged into. He’d expected as much to happen. The first two conversations hadn’t seemed like ones his boyfriend wanted to engage in, so he’d stayed as a buffer to help keep things short. The current one was a bit different since Remy was the one that started it.
He grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter as he walked over to where Chayse and Erin were standing. He’d seen and greeted all three women when they’d arrived.
“What are the two of you doing over here?” Lawrence asked.
They lifted their champagne flutes, but Erin answered, “Letting them talk business. I take it Remy is having a similar conversation.”
“He is.” Lawrence gazed out over the large crowd and spotted Alijah and Kieran. “Being his assistant means she can’t walk away when those conversations get boring.”
The women followed his gaze.
“She could if she wanted to. I think she doesn’t because there’s no telling what would happen if someone pissed Kieran off,” Chayse supplied.
They settled into conversation for the next few minutes, but Lawrence felt someone was watching him the entire time. His first instinct was to see if it was Remy, possibly trying to see where he was, or maybe he needed him to intervene in the current conversation and give him an out. When his eyes settled on his boyfriend, he found he wasn’t looking at him.
“Who’s that man that keeps staring over here?” Chayse asked.
“I don’t know, but the shit is getting creepy,” Erin stated.
Lawrence looked at the two women, and Erin, never being one to hold back on calling someone out, pointed to the man. He tried to keep himself from groaning when he looked but failed.
“I take it you know him,” Erin stated.
“He’s a potential client. I had a consultation with him, and he asked me out. I turned him down, but for the past two weeks, he’s been calling the office to ask questions I’ve answered as an excuse to flirt.”
“Well, he’s coming over,” Chayse spoke. “Want me to be your girlfriend?”
It was a nice thought, but it wouldn’t work. “He knows I’m gay.”
Lawrence was going to walk off and go back over to Remy. It was his intention, but it seemed that John knew he’d try to evade him because before Lawrence could blink, the other man was standing in front of him.
“Lawrence, what a pleasant surprise seeing you here,” John stated with a smile.
“Mr. Cross,” Lawrence greeted shortly, assuming this must have been the event he had invited him to.
He dealt with the man all week during work, and the last thing he wanted to do was deal with him on his personal time. At this point, he didn’t care if the other man switched and his company became John’s supplier. Not having to deal with him would be worth losing the contract.
“Could I speak to you in private?” John asked. “I have a few questions about the contract and would like to discuss them.”
“I was unaware the distribution of medical equipment was so secretive,” Erin stated before drinking her champagne.
John cut his eyes at her, and Lawrence could read the smile she gave him as, Please say something, so I have an excuse to snap on you.
“I like to keep my business between those I conduct it with,” John responded. His attention returned to Lawrence. “I’ll only take up a half hour of your time,” John smirked, then added. “Unless you want to give me more.”
Lawrence felt a body press against his back, and Remy’s cologne was unmistakable.
“He doesn’t,” Remy started. “He’s not going to give you any tonight.”
“We’re discussing business,” John retorted, his tone dismissive.
“No, you’re not,” Remy responded firmly.
“My contract with him will be substantial. You don’t want to be the reason he loses it. Or be the reason his job will be in jeopardy.”
Lawrence wanted to wipe that smug look off John’s face. The loss of his contract wouldn’t put his job in jeopardy. He was good at what he did and wouldn’t have been promoted otherwise. But Lawrence was able to read between the lines. John would lie if he had to. It seemed his boyfriend had, too.
“I love it when people make threats outside of their weight class,” Remy stated, and Lawrence could hear the amusement in his voice before he even looked at him .
“Outside of my…excuse me?” John questioned, offended.
“If you’re contracting with Global Technologies to be your supplier, then that likely means you own a medical supply company for hospitals and clinics, direct to patients through insurance companies, or both. Either way, you’re likely publicly traded.” Remy stepped around Lawrence, looking down at John. “And you want to know something I’m great at. Takeovers. Stripping someone of their livelihood. I’m usually the voice of reason in those situations. Typically, only doing so when the company is going under, but I know we can turn a profit.” Remy shrugged. “In your case, I’ll make an exception.”
John began to stammer, and Lawrence watched fear enter his eyes. As if karma was favoring them, Kieran and Alijah approached them at that moment.
“Kieran,” Remy started. “How do you feel about another hostile takeover?”
The mentioned man briefly looked between Remy and John. “Two in as many months. I like it.”
“Great. It’ll be easy,” Remy stated.
John did an immediate about-face and walked away quickly, nearly tripping on his feet in his haste. A second later, Chayse’s soft laughter filtered over the small group.
“What did we miss?” Alijah asked.
“Just some asshole that asked Lawrence out,” Erin responded.
“Do you want to do this takeover?” Kieran inquired.
“I just wanted to scare him. It’s medical equipment anyway.”
“So?” Kieran responded.
“So what would we do with it?” Remy countered.
“Donate it,” Alijah supplied. “There are plenty of people who need home care and have to have the equipment. Sometimes insurance doesn’t cover the equipment, and it can be expensive.”
“Are you giving me permission? I distinctly remember you telling me letting personal feelings drive the last takeover was unnecessary,” Kieran stated.
Alijah pursed her lips. “I’m making a suggestion if you decide you want to.”
“I say do it,” Chayse suggested. “He’s basically been phone stalking Lawrence for two weeks. ”
“What?” Remy questioned, and Lawrence could read the look in those brown eyes. His boyfriend was not happy.
R emy grabbed Lawrence’s wrist and excused them from the group as he pulled him out of the event hall and into the hallway. He led him down the hall until he thought they were far enough from prying ears.
When he’d seen the man speaking to Lawrence, Erin, and Chayse, he’d gotten a bad feeling, and when he was joining them and heard him ask to talk to Lawrence in private, he’d got the feeling it was the man he’d met with, the one that asked him out.
Remy wouldn’t have gotten so upset if the other man had taken no for an answer and walked away when dismissed, but he’d threatened Lawrence’s career, and Remy was not about to have that shit. On an average day, he wasn’t one to threaten to take someone’s company for the hell of it. That was Kieran’s domain. However, the other man had pissed him off. So, Remy decided to throw his weight around.
It had the desired effect, but the thought of ripping his company from him was still all too appealing, especially now since he knew that the man had been calling and harassing Lawrence, something his boyfriend had neglected to tell him, which didn’t help Remy’s irritation presently.
Lawrence placed his hand on the back of Remy’s neck and pulled him down, connecting their lips. Remy was no fool; he knew Lawrence was trying to calm him down to keep him from being upset with him about not telling him. He hated to admit it, but it was working. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t talk about it right then, and Remy pulled away from the kiss.
“I know you’re upset, but I didn’t tell you because it didn’t seem like a big deal. It was more irritating than anything else,” Lawrence spoke quickly.
“He’s been calling your office for two weeks, and you want me to believe it wasn’t a big deal.”
“It wasn’t. At least not to me. It was annoying, sure, but what would telling you have done besides get you upset? ”
“Telling me would have stopped it,” Remy informed him.
Had Lawrence told Remy when it started happening, it wouldn’t have continued because he would have found the man and put him in his place. It wouldn’t have been hard to do so.
“Well, you put a stop to it tonight. It’s criminal how attractive that was.” Lawrence grabbed the front of his suit jacket and pulled him closer. “We could leave.”
“I know what you’re trying to do.”
“Is it working?”
Remy huffed out a laugh. “Maybe.” He slotted his knee between Lawrence’s legs. “But we aren’t leaving.” He added more pressure, and Lawrence gasped. “You’ll just have to wait.”
“Remy,” Lawrence stated, exasperated.
“Think of it as punishment for not telling me. Remember it the next time you’re tempted not to.”
Remy took a step back, holding his hand out, which Lawrence took with a huff, and they headed back to the event room. They would stay another couple of hours, Remy would bid on Alijah’s painting, and then he’d take Lawrence home and delve out some punishment.
“R emy, please.”
He liked that, enjoyed the way it sounded tumbling from Lawrence’s lips. The hypnotic sounds of him begging. Remy would never get enough of it, would never tire of hearing it, and would get his fill of it before the night was over.
“That’s it. Keep begging.”
They’d gotten to his condo an hour ago, and Remy had been playing a game of tug-a-war with Lawrence from the moment he’d undressed him. He’d pull him to the brink, build his orgasm, and then back off, allowing it to subside and not spill over.
Remy reveled in the control he could exude over Lawrence’s body, how he could dictate the other man’s pleasure and release. It was invigorating to watch his journey towards the orgasm they both knew he wanted and then force it back down. At any moment, he could rip it from Lawrence, make him cum for him, and then in his sensitivity, make him cum again .
However, that was not what Remy had planned for the night. No, he would only allow Lawrence to cum once, and only when he was satisfied with teasing him when he was sure the other man had learned his lesson about hiding things from him.
Remy rolled his hips slowly, brushing against Lawrence’s prostate, abusing it the same way he’d been doing since sliding into him.
“Baby, please. I want to cum for you. Let me cum for you.”
Fuck . He always managed to say the right things. If Remy was a man with less patience, he might have given in, folded to his boyfriend’s words, and given him what he wanted, but he wasn’t. He didn’t want Lawrence voluntarily cumming for him. He wanted to take it when he least expected it.
Remy leaned over, hips still a slow roll as he entered and retreated, his lips brushing Lawrence’s.
“How badly do you want to cum for me?” He bit Lawrence’s bottom lip briefly. “Tell me.”
“I…so bad, Remy, please. Please, don’t stop. Let me show you how good you make me feel.”
Remy wrapped his hand around Lawrence’s dick. Stroked it once. “Are you going to cum for me now?”
Lawrence moved to meet his thrust and nodded, bottom lip caught between his teeth as his eyes fluttered closed.
Remy smirked against his lips and gripped the base of Lawrence’s dick as he stilled his hips. “No, you’re not.”
Lawrence’s eyes snapped open as Remy sat up. “Damn it, Remy, I swear if you don’t let me cum—”
“What are you going to do?” Remy cut him off, grinding into him, hand still firm on the base of his dick. “Beg me until I do?”
Lawrence glared at him, and then he shrugged. “Fine.”
Remy pulled out and pushed back in slowly. He watched Lawrence bite his bottom lip. He gave him a couple more strokes in the same fashion with the same result. So, he pulled almost entirely out and snapped his hips, pushing back in with a slap of skin on skin, and Lawrence bit down harder on his lip.
“Don’t do that. You know I don’t like it,” Remy stated.
“And I don’t like not getting to cum, but you’ve proven we can’t always get what we want. ”
Remy chuckled as he pulled out, hips then surging forward as his free hand wrapped around Lawrence’s neck. “Okay. You want to play. I’ll play, baby.” Another hard thrust. “But I won’t be the one losing.”
“I don’t plan to either.”
Remy fucked into him harder, and the coil in Lawrence’s stomach, an indication that he’d tempered down a gasp, was undeniable.
“We’ll see about that,” Remy responded, and he almost felt bad for the way he was going to fuck him, make Lawrence give him those moans, gasps, pleas. Because even when he caved, even when he got them, he still wasn’t going to allow him to cum.