Chapter 8
Having the apartment to himself for the first time in a week felt so great.
Since waking up, Gadiel had taken pleasure in walking around half-naked, just because he could. He fondled his half-hard cock all over the apartment, just because he could. Will wasn’t there. He could touch his cock whenever and wherever he wanted again. Even in the guest room. It didn’t matter that it was Will’s room for now—it was Gadiel’s guest room. So he could lie down in the bed there and touch himself. So he did, with great pleasure, deeply inhaling the faint masculine scent on the pillow. He was in a great mood. For once, everything was going right. Scott had invited him on a date. Even his infuriatingly perfect bodyguard was now no obstacle. Will’s loyalty was now his . The thought made Gadiel giddy, and he gripped his erection harder. Gadiel hadn’t expected how much he would actually start liking his unflappable bodyguard once he’d stopped antagonizing him. He had been stupid to think that he could scare Will off—he clearly was made of sterner stuff than that. Will was tough, unyielding… so firm…
Gadiel gasped, stroking himself faster. He must have forgotten how good jerking off outside his bedroom felt. Everything felt so much sharper, better… Gadiel fondled his tits, tweaking his nipples, while his right hand worked between his legs furiously, tugging on his aching cock. God, he wished the hands touching him belonged to someone else, not him. How long had it been since a big, firm hand touched his skin and pleasured him? Since he felt a man’s wide shoulders between his legs? Since he felt another man’s cock inside him?
Moaning, Gadiel turned his head to bury his face in the pillow, stroking himself faster. He was so close…so close… He tried to imagine Scott’s face to give himself a push, but he couldn’t seem able to conjure it in his mind. Only his gray-blue eyes and dark hair. But that seemed to be enough. Light eyes, dark hair, strong hands… His balls tightened, his orgasm so close he could nearly taste it—
The door opened, but Gadiel couldn’t stop—he was too close. He could only stare at Will dazedly as his orgasm ripped out of him. He whimpered, coming into his hand.
Silence.
Will cleared his throat, averting his gaze. There was some color on his cheekbones. “Have you forgotten that this is my room?”
Blushing, Gadiel fixed his clothes, wiping his hand on his pants. “You’re back already!” he said, stating the obvious. He searched for something to say, something that would distract Will from the fact that Gadiel had been jerking off in his bed. Nothing. His mind was blank. He didn’t even remember why he’d thought it was okay to jerk off here. “Fuck, this is awkward.”
Will snorted softly. “You don’t say.” Was that amusement in his eyes? “Are you planning to get out of my bed anytime soon?”
Flushing, Gadiel rolled off the bed. “I was just—I was waiting for you to come back. So I could talk to you.”
“Right,” Will said. “And naturally, you had to kill time.”
Gadiel laughed a little. “Exactly! Don’t you make fun of me. Everyone does that!”
“Usually people do it in their own rooms, in their own beds,” Will said, very dryly. “But be my guest. It’s your apartment. By the way, why is the bodyguard outside the apartment?”
Gadiel scrunched up his nose. “That’s where the bodyguards always are. You’re the exception.” It was annoying enough that the substitute bodyguard came to check on him from time to time, as if Gadiel would somehow disappear despite the bodyguard being stationed right outside the private elevator Gadiel would have to use in order to leave—unless he felt like taking the stairs from the penthouse, which… yeah, not likely; he wasn’t a masochist.
“He’s supposed to be guarding you.”
“He is guarding me,” Gadiel said, stretching languidly. “He can do it outside the apartment. I don’t like having unfamiliar people around. I don’t mind you anymore, but others… I can never relax around strangers, you know?”
Something flickered in Will’s eyes. “I understand,” he said. He looked at Gadiel for a moment without saying anything. “So what did you want to talk about?”
“I’m going out tonight,” Gadiel said.
Will raised his eyebrows slightly and leaned against the wall, pushing his hands into the pockets of his dark pants. The fabric stretched, snugly hugging the outline of Will’s dick.
Will cleared his throat.
“My face is up here,” he said wryly.
Gadiel nearly groaned, unable to believe he’d been caught. Again. This wasn’t his day. “Sorry, don’t take it personally. A horny, sexually frustrated teenager here.”
“Yes, I saw that,” Will said, his lips twisting.
Gadiel tried not to blush. He smiled, batting his eyelashes in an exaggerated manner. “I could look at your face instead, if that makes you more comfortable. It’s not exactly an eyesore.”That was the understatement of the century. Looking at Will’s chiseled face was certainly no hardship. Had he not had feelings for Scott, he would’ve wanted to lick that firm jawline and sharp cheekbones. It was a good thing he had feelings for Scott.
“Are you flirting with me?” Will said with a pinched expression, but there was an amused glint in his eyes.
Gadiel grinned, holding his gaze. “Of course. Don’t worry, it’s harmless.”
“Right,” Will said, the corner of his mouth twitching.
“Anyway,” Gadiel said, glancing away before looking back at Will. “I’m going out because I have a date tonight.”
“Are you,” Will said, no inflection in his tone.
Gadiel nodded. “Scott invited me.”
“Congratulations. You must be happy.”
“Obviously,” Gadiel said. “It’s everything I wanted.”
Will’s gaze was difficult to read as he peered at Gadiel intently.He had such unusual eyes. Light blue that shifted to gray in certain lights. Framed by those long dark eyelashes, the effect was rather striking.
“And why are you telling me that? I’m not the bodyguard on duty.”
It took Gadiel a moment to remember what they were talking about. Right. His date with Scott. The substitute bodyguard.
Gadiel pulled a face. “Yeah, about that. We’ll obviously have to get rid of the guy before the evening. I need you, not him.”
Will cocked his head slightly, his gaze attentive. “Need me for what?”
“Scott invited me to a movie,” Gadiel said. “I want you to come with us, to make it look less like two guys on a date.”
A wrinkle appeared between Will’s brows. “Fine,” he said after a moment. “What time?”
“Eight.” Gadiel found himself smiling. The excitement he’d expected to feel when Scott had invited him was hitting him just now.Well, better late than never.
“By the way,” Gadiel said, walking over to his bodyguard. He touched the lapel of his suit jacket, stroking it with his fingertips. “Why are you still wearing a suit? It’s your day off. You’d better get out of this suit for my date. You can’t look like a bodyguard.”
“Why?” Will said, piercing him with his eyes.This close, they looked incredibly intense.
Gadiel wet his lips with his tongue.“We need to look like three dudes hanging out together and deciding to see a movie, nothing to see here.” He ran his fingers down Will’s firm chest. “Wear something casual.”
“You can tell me that without groping me, you know.”
Gadiel grinned. “Where would the fun be in that? And this is not groping.” He stroked his fingers down the older man’s hard abs, slipping them under his shirt. He could feel the warm skin, hard muscle, and a hint of a happy trail. “ This is groping.”
Will gave him a tight look. “I thought you stopped attempting to drive me away?” His stern voice made Gadiel want to be even naughtier, to ruffle his feathers further.
“Lighten up, you grumpy old man,” Gadiel said with a laugh, pecking him on his cheek. The rough stubble felt good against his soft lips. “You know I’m not being serious. I’m practically in love. With Scott.”
“Practically,” Will said, his voice so flat he somehow managed to convey his skepticism without changing his expression.
“You’ll see!” Gadiel said with a grin, moving closer to him—before realizing that if he got any closer, he’d press their bodies together.
Clearing his throat, he stepped away. “By the way, I’m starved. How about some Chinese?”
“We had this conversation already. I’m your bodyguard.”
“That’s right—you’re my bodyguard, so I make the rules.” Fuck, saying that was weirdly gratifying. Something about Will made him want to slap a sticker on him. Gadiel’s property, do not touch .
“If you say so,” Will said, his lips twitching.
That half-smile made Gadiel want to grin. There was something immensely satisfying about making Will smile at him. He wanted more.He wanted to force Will to smile at him all the time.He wanted...
He wanted Will to like him. As a person.
The thought was completely foreign. Gadiel was self-aware enough to admit that he was a bit of an attention whore. He liked being admired. Being wanted. But it was usually about his looks rather than his personality. He’d never craved being liked by men he wasn’t romantically interested in.And he wasn’t interested in Will that way.He wanted Scott. But... he wanted Will to like him. To keep smiling at him. He wanted Will to think that he was funny, amusing, and interesting.
There was nothing wrong with it. He could totally be in love with one manand crave the approval and attention of another.
It didn’t mean anything.
It couldn’t.