6:30 @ quill & fontaine

Alec had left the message after he had cleared out of the hotel suite, leaving JT on his own, startling from a fitful nap to find his lover gone. Calmed by Alec’s loopy handwriting on the notepad, JT had pocketed the note and departed.

Six-thirty couldn’t arrive fast enough.

JT tried working. Lucky for him, he didn’t have to explain to his bosses why he was aloof. Phoenix being co-owner of Sharpe & Steele Construction, and his other half Slade Sharpe gone to handle clubhouse business in Seattle at their west chapter, JT had no one to answer to. Good thing, too. He didn’t have a justifiable reason to be thinking about Alec while working a jackhammer.

Clocking out early seemed the best course of action with his mind muddled, and a warm shower calling him.

Parrot was M.I.A. once again when JT arrived home.

After his shower, and waiting on the pizza he’d called for, JT messaged Parrot. Staring at the text, he waited on Parrot. The pizza dropped first before the text had its response. In fact, JT cleared through four slices and still his inbox remained empty of new messages.

He was ignoring him. Parrot always answered his texts. His phone was glued to his hand.

“Whatever,” JT muttered, shoving his frustration down as he left the pizza box on the counter. Parrot had to eat, even if they weren’t on speaking terms. Apparently caring for him was not what he should have been doing.

Well, fuck that.

JT just sold himself to an adorable omega, and though he honestly had no complaints after going down on Alec, making him squirm and writhe, marking him with his cum later, he wouldn’t forget the prime objective: getting the twelve thousand Parrot needed to settle with the loan shark.

Seeing as he had an hour left before their meeting, JT grabbed his coat and headed out. He hadn’t taken the truck today as Parrot was working. It was public transportation for him, which was why he considered the delay in evening traffic. Everyone in a rush to go somewhere.

Not him though.

Quill & Fontaine was a block off the bus stop. JT’s boots navigated the snowy sidewalks, his gaze looking out for the store number. He was closer to Parrot’s workplace here, so it wasn’t too hard to navigate. Although he was in this part of the city for a whole different reason.

And that reason was already inside the store, perched on a stool, going over a notebook.

Despite the closed sign, the omega shopkeeper, a short, thin man with silver threading through his dark brown hair, opened the door with a friendly smile, and a friendlier, “Hello.”

“Bo Rochester,” he said, holding out a hand, his smile growing larger. He sized JT up, their hands still clasped. “A pleasure, Mister…?”

“JT,” he said.

“Does that stand for anything?” Bo asked, batting his lashes now.

It did, actually. He was used to the initials however. “It’s Jeremy Tucker.”

“Jeremy. Cute. I wouldn’t peg you as a ‘Jeremy.’” Bo’s smile dimmed at Alec’s approach. He released his grip on JT, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “He’s all yours then. I’ll see you in the change room when you’re ready.”

“Gee, thanks.” Alec rolled his eyes. Dropping his voice to a whisper, he said, “He’s a family friend who’s doing me a favor. Just go with it.”

“And what would this favor be?” JT had the sense that he would be finding out soon enough; he hadn’t thought to ask why they were meeting at a men’s clothing store. He had looked up Quinn & Fontaine, and from their sparse website, he understood the store catered to higher-end clients.

Feeling a little more than out of place, even at the fancy condo he shared with Parrot, he stared down at the large, laminated book in Alec’s hand. “It’s the latest designs they have for the coming season. Half of the stuff isn’t in here, but I’ve been assured we can order in advance.”

“I didn’t think our deal included dress-up and a baby.”

Alec hushed him, glancing over his shoulder at shopkeeper Bo who continued whistling, his back to them, his attention focused on a binder opened over his counter. “Say it a little louder, would you?”

“Sorry.”

Alec sighed. “It’s fine.” He smiled then, holding out the book. “Take a look and see what you like. I picked out some favorites.”

JT shook his head. “Nah. You look tired.” And he did. Fatigue reddened his eyes and there were bags circling them too.

Alec yawned, as if JT’s observation gave him permission to express his fatigue without worry of backlash. “I’m not,” he said, yawning again. Blinking blearily, he sighed once more. “Okay. Maybe I am. A bit.”

“Tell you what?” JT held out the book, gesturing to the plush armchair by the changing rooms. “Let’s take a seat and see what you’ve chosen for me.”

Leading the way to the chair, Alec clutched the seasonal catalogue to his chest, glancing over. “You take a seat.”

JT sat, but he tugged Alec down onto his lap.

“Whoa,” Alec breathed, tensing, ready to spring off if JT hadn’t secured his arms around his waist. Alec stiffened at first, but he relaxed gradually, his ass shifting slightly, brushing and rousing JT’s half-erect shaft from its slumber.

Leaning in, breathing over his shoulder, into his ear, JT asked, “What did you have in mind then?”

Shuddering noticeably, Alec turned slightly, his face closer now, his lips aching to be kissed. “Uh, here,” he said, redirecting JT’s focus to the male models working different suits. Shark suits, really. Not JT’s style, but Alec kept flipping pages, pointing out his favorites on each.

“Too much,” JT grumbled halfway, and Alec squeaked. Rubbing his hip bones, not meaning to have scared him into silence, he said, “Give me your three favorites.”

Alec flipped back for two of those three, before flipping near the end for the third suit.

“I think you’d look good in all of them,” he shyly surmised, lowering his head, his blond lashes fluttering nearer to his cheeks. The dark tan couldn’t hide the color blooming there. Neither could the shift in his hips, his body working over JT without his putting much effort in it.

“Getting cozy?” Bo wandered over to them, his green eyes flicking from Alec to JT. “Should I get a room set up then?”

Alec pointed out three of his favorites, and the ones JT approved of most, with half a mind truthfully. He hadn’t thought out the repercussions of having Alec on his lap. The idea had been spontaneous, and though still not regrettable, he only wondered how he’d pass undetected to the change room when his jeans had to be tenting with his lust.

Bo directed him into a room. “Need me to help?” he asked.

“No,” JT said.

Bo’s gaze trailed down and he smiled, clearly seeing the boner JT was sporting. “Ah, okay. I’ll leave you to it then.” He closed the door to the changing room.

It felt like forever to get the first suit on. Who actually enjoyed wearing these things day in and day out? Sadist fucks. Feeling like a stuffed sausage, JT stepped out, careful to keep his arms stiff. He had barely got the suit jacket on, and he had the feeling it’d tear if he moved. And the last thing he wanted was to be billed the cost of it, on top of having to worry about helping Parrot with his crushing debt.

Alec had been loitering by the antique desk in the back where Bo conducted his elite business. Tape measure in hands, Bo approached with Alec gawking at JT.

“What?” he asked, a bit gruffly, feeling more subconscious than ever before in his life.

“Nothing,” Alec said, smiling more genuinely now. The weariness that had been clinging to his youthful features cleared. “It’s nothing. You look good. That’s all.”

“It’s tight,” was all JT managed, not risking the urge to puff his chest at Alec’s comment. He wasn’t a peacock, even though he wanted to preen desperately, strut around like a rooster, and claim Alec again.

“Hold still,” Bo warned, taking JT’s measurements with confident hands. Then he said, “Hold your arms straight out.”

“I’ll tear your jacket.”

“All right. Take the jacket off then.” Bo held out his arm to grab it and pass it off to Alec who draped it over his arms.

“And the dress shirt?” JT started unbuttoning it anyways. Bare-chested, he stood before both omegas. Bo smiled, that twinkle in his eyes back again, an appreciative stare taking in JT’s body.

“Yes,” he said, “we wouldn’t want to tear the shirt either.”

But it was Alec who JT looked to for a reaction. And he wasn’t disappointed.

“Lots of tattoos,” Bo piped up, indicating for JT to raise his arms.

His gaze glued to Alec, JT nodded. “Yeah.” He wasn’t the only one whose brain turned to mush.

Alec swallowed visibly, his throat convulsing with the action. He wore a V-neck, and his jacket was open. JT imagined Alec’s pulse going crazy at the base of his throat. His lips ached to press his mouth there, feel for himself the same effect Alec had on him.

“Do they mean anything?” Bo asked.

“They do,” JT said, clinging onto the conversation, his voice rough with his arousal. Bo’s omega scent paled in comparison to the strong fruity sweet aroma wafting from Alec. The sex pheromones worked on both levels. Alec had to be hard for JT as well; he had to be aware of how badly the alpha wanted him right now.

Concentrating on Bo’s question, knowing it would be a while before he had a chance to get Alec alone and in his arms and under him again. “The sword piercing the skull reminds me that life always trumps death. It’s my YOLO tattoo.”

“YOLO?” Bo echoed.

“You only live once,” Alec said, his voice soft, his tongue darting out to swipe at his bottom lip.

JT fanned his nostrils. “The naked woman is Aphrodite.”

“I wouldn’t take you for a Greek mythology fan.” Bo gave JT a wry smile.

“It’s named after a bar I used to work at,” JT said. He didn’t add that it was his lifeline after he’d left home at eighteen, tired of his father’s drunk rowdiness and his mother’s belligerent moods. Being an only child meant he could cut off all ties and never look back.

“That explains it,” Bo said.

“And the dragons?” Alec asked, breaking over their conversation, reminding JT of where his attention had been.

Cock throbbing, his body flushed with need, his nipple pebbling and his arms rising with gooseflesh, JT said, “I like dragons.” It was a simple response…with a more loaded answer he’d concealed. There was some history better left buried and forgotten.

“All done,” Bo chirped. “As much as I hate to say it, you can try on the next suit, see how the color and cut works.”

JT stepped off the pedestal. Inside the change room, he slipped off the suit pants and groped at his shaft, his teeth grinding down. Two suits later, he was back in his clothes.

“We’ll take all three,” Alec was saying as JT exited the changing room.

He frowned. “I thought we were going for one.” These suits were so expensive they didn’t have price tags, so he didn’t imagine he could even afford one—let alone all three. So obviously Alec planned to foot the purchase.

Nodding at Bo, Alec grabbed JT’s arms and steered him to the door.

Bo waved them off, closing his fancy store’s door behind them.

“I can’t let you buy them all,” JT said.

Alec stopped him, their arms entwined, his head tilted up at the perfect angle for a kiss. The light snowfall clung to Alec’s fair lashes and his bottled dyed black fringe. “You have to look the part of your role. It’s all a part of the plan. I’m not doing you favors.”

That brought JT down to Earth. Centered once again, his head cleared by the brisk winter air and Alec’s cooler words, he said, “Like what happened at the hotel, with my sucking you off, and nutting on you. Yeah. I get it. All a part of the plan.”