13. Chapter 13
Chapter thirteen
Roman
Me:
I just had a meeting with Maven.
He’s super on edge today.
UIA:
I’d be on edge too if I had to run a prison.
He didn’t mention why?
Me:
Nah. Nothing in particular. We just had some business stuff to go over.
I was having my weekly security meeting, but it’s not like I can mention that to him, or he’d easily be able to figure out who I am.
Anything that even remotely hints at who we actually are is taboo, but aside from that, we talk about literally everything.
Nothing is off the table. From brussel sprouts to strip clubs, our conversations are never boring.
Talking to him about my day, my life, it’s second nature at this point.
UIA:
Please tell me that you asked him about the waterpark.
Pleaseeeee.
Me:
…
Maybe.
UIA:
God, I love you.
Me:
I love you too, but…
Don’t get too excited yet.
UIA:
Oh no…
What did he say?
Me:
He said that if I start earning money, then he’ll have an engineer come out and quote it.
UIA:
* Goes to look at the picture on your profile for the hundredth time. *
Yep. You got this.
When will the engineer be here?
Me:
…
You’re confidence in me warms my heart.
UIA:
I’ll fucking do it for a waterpark.
I’ll talk to Olli about starting it up. We’ll have a lazy river in no time, SYC.
Don’t you worry.
Me:
You are not posting videos of yourself online.
Over my dead body.
I have a contact that I can talk to about other ways to earn money.
Just give me some time to see what I can work out.
UIA:
You do know that I don’t actually expect you to earn enough money to build a water park, right?
I chuckle to myself, because if he thinks I won’t find a way to make this happen for him, then he’s crazy.
If I have to jerk off on camera, I will, but I can hack into literally anything run by a computer.
I’m sure there are other ways I can earn a few bucks, and hopefully they’re much faster.
I close out of the app and start scrolling through my contacts.
Once I find the person I’m looking for, I type out a message as I walk down the hallway.
Me:
134B
Now.
I’m still staring down at my phone, waiting on a reply, when I round the corner and nearly run slap into Lance.
“Hi…” He says bashfully as he takes a few steps back from the door.
My eyes are glued to him as I lock my phone and tuck it into my pocket.
His jeans are ripped five ways to Sunday, exposing parts of his sun-kissed skin all the way up his thighs.
If anyone really thought about it, they’d easily be able to figure out that he’s not wearing boxers under those pants.
I’m the only person that actually knows what’s underneath there though, and I fucking love that.
He has on a hoodie that’s been cut off above his belly button.
The edges of it are tattered, and the front has ‘On Wednesday we wear gay’ scrawled across it in some frilly pink cursive script.
It doesn’t really make any fucking sense, but he still looks hot as fuck.
As I take it all in, my skin starts to flush, heat and desire filling every inch of my body.
I glance over my shoulder as I start digging my key card from my pocket.
When I turn back around, I quickly swipe the card before grabbing Lance by the arm and dragging him inside my apartment.
I kick the door closed behind me before shoving him up against the wall.
He lets out a hushed gasp as his back hits the wall.
His breaths are coming out shaky as he watches me slip a hand under the hem of his hoodie to touch his chest. I can feel the warmth of his skin against mine drawing out every ounce of tension from my body.
There’s just something about Lance that grounds me, that calms me.
I lift my other hand to his face, tilting it toward mine.
My eyes can’t decide whether to stay locked with his or glance at his luscious lips.
I want to kiss him so bad that I can fucking taste it, but I don’t. I won’t.
Instead, I lean forward to trace his jawline with the tip of my nose, letting the sparse stubble scrape across my flesh.
I inch closer to him, our bodies pressing together until there’s barely any room left for our ribcages to expand.
Every breath I pull in is labored, feeling like I’m only surviving off of whatever this connection between us is.
I tilt his head to the side, continuing to trail my nose along his face until his hair is tickling my face.
I suck in another deep breath, the scent of him flooding my senses.
It’s a little spicy, but almost fruity. There’s a bitter note at the end that catches my attention, causing recognition to flicker in my mind. Dahlias.
“Mmm,” I hum as a mischievous smirk grows on my lips. “Tell me Lance, did you wear this for me?”
“I… I— No,” he answers as he leans his head further to the side, inviting my lips to his throat. “I wore it for me.”
I smile as pride swells in my chest. There’s nothing I desire more than for Lance to grow into the person he deserves to be.
I want him to feel like he can drop all the weight he’s carrying from his past and forge a new path for himself.
Being with him the last few weeks has felt like a fucking dream, and if I get nothing out of this arrangement, then I will at least be able to walk away knowing that I was a part of this transformation.
That, for once, my presence in someone else’s life was positive. Even if it’s only for a blip in time.
I move my lips down, gently kissing along the vein that’s thrumming wildly.
Lance’s hands roam across my back, tracing along the muscles of my shoulders shamelessly.
Normally, hook-ups feel rushed and transactional.
I’ll give you an orgasm, then you give me one kind of thing.
Nothing more. With Lance, it’s never like that.
We’re both happy to drag out every single second were together, always desperate to soak up every sliver of time we have.
Every gasp, every touch, and every breath, they’re all sacred.
I feel feverish and desperate while also being so wholly satisfied in a way I’ve never felt with another person.
There’s still an urgency but it’s not to get my dick inside something damp and warm, it’s purely a bone deep need for him.
His touch, his resistance, his laughter, his breathy noises, his brilliant mind, all of it.
All of him. If it were possible, I would take a needle and thread, forcing it through our flesh until my fingers bled, stitching our bodies into one.
God, what it would be like to have this feeling forever.
If I can’t keep him, then I need to make damn sure I have all of him right now. That he’s nearly as needy and lost for me as I am for him. I sink my teeth into the base of his neck, hoping to leave a mark behind. His whole body tremors beneath me as a raspy groan escapes his lips.
“Roman…” He whines as he rolls his hips into mine. Our dicks rub together through the fabric, causing a spine-tingling buzz to ripple through me. “I need you.”
I run my tongue over the indentions that my teeth left behind before pulling back to admire my work. He’s definitely going to have a bruise.
“You know I’m going to take care of you, pretty boy.” I promise as I reach down to unbutton his pants.
A knock startles us, both of our faces snapping toward the door. Lance’s head plops back against the wall in exasperation as he shoves a hand down the front of his pants to readjust his dick.
“Jesus fucking Christ. Why do you have to be so damn popular?” He hisses.
I scowl at him as I push off the wall. I couldn’t care less if the person on the other side of the door sees my dick, so I turn around and yank open the door.
Aspen is standing there staring back at me, appearing to be just as confused as I am.
I can tell the moment he spots my hard on, because he immediately glances back to Lance before tearing his eyes away from both of us.
As he stares down at the floor, his cheeks turn bright pink.
I don’t know how this motherfucker posts naked videos online for money.
His online persona is nothing like the real him.
In his videos, he’s cocky and confident.
In real life he’s a bumbling, shy, nerdy kid.
“Why the fuck are you here?”
His brows pinch together as he looks back up at me. His mouth is opening and closing, but no fucking words are coming out, which just makes me even more irritated. He finally starts patting around at his pockets before pulling out his phone.
“I… Um. You— You messaged me. This is where you said to be.” He explains as he spins his phone around to show me.
“Oh, fuck. Right… Okay.” I exhale as I run a hand through my hair.
“I’m just gonna…” Lance squeezes up beside me and points to the door, trying to force his way out.
I grab him by the wrist and pull him back into the apartment. “I wasn’t fucking done with you yet. Go sit down.”
As I let go of him and gesture to the couch, a defiant flicker twinkles in his eyes. He crosses his arms as he glares back at me. “And if I don’t?”
“Are you really going to be a brat right now?” I challenge as I dart my eyes in the direction of Aspen.
Lance glances at him before narrowing his eyes at me.
He gets the message and relents, turning around and plopping down onto the couch.
I push Aspen back as I step outside the door and close it behind me.
I clear my throat before I begin. “It goes without saying that this stays between the two of us, Aspen.”
He glances at the closed door behind me as he restlessly shifts his weight back and forth on his feet. It takes me a few seconds to realize that he thinks I’m talking about Lance.
“Yeah, no. Of course. I wouldn’t say anything to anyone. I mean you’re one of the only people who know about… Well, you know. So, I— I wouldn’t. It’s not my place anywa—”
“I’m not talking about Lance. I’m talking about this conversation. It stays between the two of us, understood?”
“Oh. Oh. Right Of course.“ He replies as he stands up a little straighter. He’s turned on his business persona, and I’m thankful, because that’s the Aspen I need right now.
“I need money. A lot of it,“ I explain as I lean against the wall and cross my legs. “And I need you to find me clients as fast as possible.”
“Money? For what? Wait, wait, wait… I didn’t mean to ask that.“ He says as he holds his hands up defensively, even though I didn’t say anything. “It doesn’t matter why you need it. That’s none of my business. I know that you’re technically my boss—”
“Not technically. I am.“ I correct as I cross my arms over my chest.
He scowls at me before continuing. “But… I’m going to have to verify that you’ve run this by Maven and that you’ve been given the clearance to do this before I can proceed.
You know better than anyone that security is the most important aspect of Blightridge, and without it, we’re all at risk.
I’ll have to get a signed approval letter from Maven, and a list of all the jobs he’s given you permission to—”
I reach into the pocket with my keycard and pull out a piece of paper, unfolding it before handing it over to him. He glances down at it and then back up at me.
“Oh. Of course. You already know the protocols.“ He says as he folds it back up and puts it into his pocket. “What jobs do you prefer? I’m going to assume that it’s not… not what I do.”
“Prioritize hacking jobs. I have the highest level of clearance obtainable. There’s nothing I can’t get into, and I’m sure there are some high-profile clients that would be willing to pay top dollar. Nothing is off the table though. If you find a job that pays well, send me the information.”
He nods. “Alright. Got it. And videos?“ He asks with a curious brow raise.
“How much money are we talking?”
“How much do you need?”
“Not sure. Couple hundred grand. Maybe a mil.”
“Jesus fuck,” he hisses as he pulls out his phone.
He starts scrolling and typing in some shit before glancing up at me.
His eyes wander along my body hungrily, obviously checking me out before tucking his phone back in his pocket.
“It varies depending on the content you’re willing to give.
I could probably swing a decent amount for a good collab, but that would only be around half a million at most. That’s only if we got enough content for multiple videos at once. ”
My eye dart toward the front door as I contemplate. If I touch anyone else, even for money, my arrangement with Lance would probably crash and burn in the fiery pits of hell, and there’s no way in fuck I’m letting that happen.
“No collaborations,” I clarify.
He gives me a pitying look before glancing at the door thoughtfully. “You could collab with whoever you want. New faces are always appreciated.”
It takes a second for my brain to even realize what he’s insinuating. “No. Absolutely not. No collabs.“ I growl.
“Fine,” he says as he raises his hands in innocence again. What? We start talking business and all of a sudden, he’s a cocky little shit with me? Get the fuck out of here.
“It would be a lot less for solo videos. Maybe a little over a hundred for good content. And that’s pushing it.”
“Focus on other jobs,” I say as I push off the wall. “We’ll circle back to this conversation if necessary.”
“Suit yourself,” he replies with a shrug.
I roll my eyes in annoyance as I push the door open.
If I didn’t need his help right now, I’d probably wring his neck.
Who the fuck does he think he is? When I close the door behind me and turn around, Lance’s head is barely peeking over the back of the couch like a child trying to eavesdrop on their parents.
I can’t help but chuckle as I shake my head at him.
How is he both the hottest mother fucker I’ve ever laid eyes on and so fucking adorable that my heart feels like it could explode right out of my chest.
“Bed,” I demand with a playful smirk.
He doesn’t even pause to think about it. He’s off the couch and bolting toward the hallway in the blink of an eye. He nearly slips and falls as he tries to round the couch with socked feet. “Last one there is cooking dinner!” He yells over his shoulder.
We both know that he’s going to make it there first.
We both know that I’d cook dinner for him, even if I did win.
And I know that this is really, really bad…
Because I’m royally fucked when it comes to Lance Owens.