Chapter Seven
Wes
His mother? Wes was not expecting
that. It seemed odd to meet the parents in this scenario,
but if that was what it took, he would do it. Wes agreed and they
finalized the details for a Monday meetup. Wes then texted Luca to
re-book his flight and get his hotel stay extended for another few
days.
As he finished entering the meeting details
into his phone, Wes looked up to watch Ryker hug Mac and Cal
goodbye. Ryker turned his head at the last moment before leaving,
and the impact when those expansive blue eyes met his couldn’t be
denied. Fuck, if he wasn’t careful, he could lose himself in those
dark depths.
The sexual chemistry with Ryker was clear,
but it made Wes somewhat uneasy, which wasn’t like him. Normally,
he went after men he desired, and then he moved on after his need
was satisfied. But something about the way he reacted to Ryker at
first sight was different. It was stronger, sharper than anything
he’d felt before, and that scared the shit out of him. Maybe
working together was a bad idea. Maybe having a few days to think
it over was really for the best—for both of them. Or maybe he
should take Ryker’s advice and find someone else to work with.
It wasn’t like Wes to second guess himself.
The meeting was set, so he’d follow through. Shaking himself out of
his weird mood, Wes walked over to Cal, Mac, and Grey. It was half
past midnight, and all the other guests had left. And now that the
object of Wes’s distraction had gone, he was left feeling restless
again.
“Okay, people. Time to have some real fun!
Let’s hit a club.” Wes clapped his hands and rubbed them together,
and all three sets of eyes landed on him. “We’re young and single
and ready to mingle!”
“Fuck yeah,” Cal murmured, while Mac and
Grey rolled their eyes.
“Please tell me you don’t talk crap like
that when you’re trying to pick up men.” Grey laughed and nudged
Wes as they all made their way out Mac’s door.
Wes winked. “Nah, I don’t need to say
anything.”
They hopped in Cal’s limo and, thanks to
Mac’s connections, scored a VIP lounge at The Royale, a popular
Manhattan nightclub. With a view to the dance floor below, Wes felt
his mood lighten as he watched all the pretty people at play. Many
handsome men were writhing and grinding together on the dance
floor, the beat of the house music and the dark purple lighting
creating just the right seductive atmosphere. For a moment, he
wished Ryker had joined them. But that might’ve complicated things,
and Wes didn’t want to think about Ryker when he had other, less
troublesome options to choose from.
Determined to have some sexy fun, Wes
scanned the crowd for his man of the night. When no one in
particular caught his eye, he turned around to find Grey sitting
alone with his head down, reading his phone. Cal and Mac were
already heading down to the dance floor. Wes went over to sit
beside Grey, nudging his arm.
“We don’t have to stay long, Grey. I just
wanted to dance a bit and see if someone catches my eye. You okay
here, or do you want to leave?” As much as Wes wanted some fast,
sweaty sex, his friend came first.
“I’m okay, but it’s been a long time since I
set foot in a club. Even though it would probably do me good to let
loose and forget real life for a while, I don’t know if I have the
courage to go down there.” Grey sighed and rubbed a hand down his
face, then unbuttoned the top two buttons of his white shirt.
“Come on.” Wes smiled and urged his friend
to his feet. “Let’s dance.”
A short while later, all four men were at
the center of the dance floor. Grey and Cal were dancing and
laughing together. Mac had his arms wrapped around a slim guy with
pink hair, and Wes was rubbing up against a handsome
twenty-something man with long brown hair and lots of tattoos.
Wes couldn’t help but compare the sexual
pull he felt toward Ryker with the man he was now dancing
with—John? Joshua? Jared? Shit, what was his name? Jay. He’d stick
with that.
Jay was young and hot, but Wes wasn’t
totally into him, and he had no idea why. They’d groped each other
and grinded together in a bid to get as close as possible, and it
felt good, but nothing like the heat Wes felt from one single touch
from Ryker. Forget about him.
“Let’s get out of here and have some real
fun together,” Jay whispered in Wes’s ear.
Wes glanced around and noticed that Cal was
surrounded by a well-dressed blond man and a red-haired woman, and
that Grey had slid away and was now headed up the stairs. Cal
turned to follow Grey’s movement until the blond man wrapped his
big arms around Cal’s waist and whispered something in his ear that
made Cal laugh, and the new threesome continued dancing.
“Let me just check with my friend. I’ll meet
you out front in ten minutes,” Wes said to Jay, and then weaved his
way over to Mac. “I’m heading out. Thanks for tonight, Mac. I’ll
let you know how Monday goes with Ryker.” And with a handshake and
a nod, he was off.
He headed back to the VIP lounge and found
Grey sitting in a large leather chair in the corner of the room,
throwing back shots. Grey’s right hand shook slightly, but when he
looked up at Wes, his face was calm and smiling.
“Let’s head back to the hotel. I’ve got my
playdate for the night waiting out front, and you’re probably done
here, eh?” Grey nodded, and they headed for the exit.
Wes spotted Jay waiting just outside the
main doors, leaning against the wall and smoking a cigarette as he
chatted with another man. Under the streetlight, everything around
Wes was sharper, clearer. And while Wes was still horny, it seemed
that whatever minimal heat he’d felt when he looked at Jay on the
dance floor was already starting to dissipate. Wes just wanted to
get back to the hotel and go to sleep.
What the hell is wrong with me tonight? Ugh.
I must be overtired.
“Hold on, Grey. I’ll be right back.”
He sauntered over to Jay and nodded. “Hey.
I’m wiped out, so let’s just call it a night right here. I had fun.
Take care.” He reached out to shake Jay’s hand, but Jay just
stared.
“No worries. I had fun, too,” he replied
with a shrug, then returned to his conversation with the other man.
With that, Wes and Grey hopped in their rideshare.
“So, no action tonight?” Grey asked. “I
thought you had a sure thing with that guy?”
“Yeah. I was enjoying myself for a bit, but
then once I headed outside, I don’t know. I guess I’m overtired,”
Wes murmured, staring out the window. He didn’t know what else to
say. For the second time tonight, he was at a loss for words, and
it made him really fucking uncomfortable.
Grey was kind enough not to ask any more
questions, and the rest of the ride passed in silence until they
got to the hotel.
“I’m going to have a nightcap. You want to
join me?” Grey asked, pointing to the lobby bar, but Wes shook his
head. “Okay. We’ve got brunch and an interview tomorrow, so stop by
my room around eleven?”
“Sounds good, Grey. Night.” And with a wave,
Wes found himself staring at his tired reflection in the hotel
elevator. A few minutes later, he was back in his suite on the
twenty-third floor.
Shrugging off his suit jacket, Wes headed
into the bathroom and took off the rest of his clothes. A hot
shower was just what he needed to wash off the sweat from the club.
Once he was inside the large glass enclosure, the steam began to
rise and Wes’s body relaxed.
His mind kept going back to the rooftop
patio earlier this evening. Ryker had stepped into his personal
space and touched him unexpectedly, and combined with the effect of
those big blue eyes, it had been all Wes could do to stop himself
from reaching out and kissing him. Fuck.
Wes soaped up his heavy balls and stroked
himself, tugging his now rock-hard cock with increasing urgency. A
vision of Ryker kneeling before him was so clear, his dark hair wet
and slick, his lush, sexy lips surrounding the swollen length of
Wes’s thick cock. He could hear Ryker’s moan of satisfaction while
he licked and sucked, could feel the coarse stubble of Ryker’s
cheek rubbing against his thigh, the roughness adding to the
sensations pulsing through him.
Those eyes would look up at him, dark and
sultry with lust. Ryker would take him deeper down his throat,
moaning and sucking so hard, so good. Then he would tug on Wes’s
balls and slowly slide a finger up, up into his ass. Wes could no
longer hold his orgasm at bay.
“Ah, fuck, Ryker! Yes!” Wes yelled as jet
after jet of his hot cum covered the black tiles in the shower.
Bracing a shaky hand on the wall, Wes took
several deep breaths to get his heart rate and breathing under
control. Jesus, I haven’t come that hard or that quick in a
while. Once he had washed away the remains of his orgasm, Wes
dried off and padded out to the bedroom, slipping under the covers
of his king-sized bed.
He checked his phone. There was one text at
two fifteen AM. Speaking of the dark angel.
Ryker: Don’t forget to bring bagels on
Monday. Sadie’s, 463 W Broadway in SoHo. And I hope you aren’t
allergic to dogs or cats. I have both.
It was sent ten minutes ago. Should he
reply?
Wes smiled to himself and started typing:
So demanding. Are you going to be this bossy for our whole
collaboration? If bagels keep you happy, I’ll get a daily delivery.
And I have a dog myself so pets are NP.
Ryker: I haven’t agreed to the book deal
yet. And you really have a dog? How come he/she isn’t in any of
your social media posts? Afraid they’ll steal your
spotlight?
Wes: Yup, Peanut’s way cuter than me. I
can’t let him have all the attention. And you said “yet.” You’ll be
so happy working with me you’ll wonder why you said no in the first
place.
Ryker: Your ego is so big, I’m
surprised Peanut has room to live with you.
Wes: He loves me. I’m
irresistible
Shit, stop flirting, he
reprimanded himself.
Ryker: See you Monday. Lots to
discuss.
Wes: I’ll be there, Ry. Can I call you
Ry?
Ryker: Sure, easier for you to remember
in that BIG head of yours Also, when you wake up
tomorrow (or I guess today, given the time), write a short story,
500 words, and e-mail it to me. Mac has my details. Night.
Wes: Homework? r u joking?
Ryker: Nope. Don’t disobey the teacher.
Sweet dreams, Wes.
Wes couldn’t help the huge grin on his face.
He could think of so many naughty replies to Ryker’s last text, but
he left it at that. Ryker was smart and sarcastic, and sparring
with him was stimulating in more ways than one. Controlling his
flirting tendencies around him might prove difficult, though, since
Wes enjoyed their teasing banter more than he should. He hoped the
same stimulation would apply to their potential collaboration. If
they played off their differences, it could result in something
truly special.
Wes finally placed his phone on the
nightstand and turned off the bedside lamp. Despite the blackout
curtains, some of the light from the city filtered in through the
edges, casting a soft glow over the cream-colored bedspread. Wes
slowly drifted off, hoping his writing muse would once again start
to whisper to him in his dreams.
He had a feeling his muse was now a hot,
grumpy New Yorker with long, black hair and blue eyes. He could
work with that.