Chapter Fifteen

 

 

Nic

 

THE alarm had gone off half an hour earlier, but Nic couldn’t find it in him to rise yet. Yesterday had been a roller coaster, starting off with a welcome dose of Sasha. Everything about that man was sunny, even the way he smelled. He was the sweetest yet most virile male Nic had ever met, an enticing contradiction.

On one hand, he was the ultimate caretaker, bending over backward to make things right for everyone around him, generous and thoughtful. On the other, he was solid muscle and athletic, with a body built to perform and endure. Nothing was more beautiful than making that body submit, bend to Nic’s will, and love every second of it. And Sasha did love it.

God, the way Sasha’s body had shaken all over, held on a knife’s edge of pleasure by Nic’s will alone, had been more intoxicating than any high on the planet. Poor baby had fought so hard to stay silent, nearly clawing the seats. No matter how many times Nic had fought with himself, he couldn’t cut himself off from Sasha. Every time he saw him, he wanted to get him naked and play with him all day long.

The other high of the day had been the kids. They’d never asked him to join in any family activities unless it was mandatory fun Nic had arranged, which was rare enough. It often seemed that Lucy and Ben were the family while Nic was some distant outlier, only there until the kids were old enough to move away, never to be seen again.

But they’d wanted him to join them last night. He’d had Sasha to thank for that. It had to be him inspiring them to pull together so much, to assemble all their broken pieces into a patchwork family. So it had been only fitting for Nic to reward him in the theater.

Unfortunately, it was now time to reward the kids by taking them to a mall to get some shopping done. Fuck, he hated crowded malls full of obnoxious people. The only positive aspects of this day would be having a driver so there’d be no parking frustrations and… and nothing. That was the only upside.

Nic prepared for retail battle, dressing in comfortable jeans and a pale green T-shirt with a crimson hoodie over it. For once, he threw on some tennis shoes. Who knew how many miles of mall he’d have to walk before Lucy and Ben were satisfied?

Swinging by his office, he ducked in to grab the wallet and cell phone he’d left on his desk. A flash of red caught his eye as he turned. Damned creepy elf. He looked over his shoulder at the spindly thing at the edge of his desk. Only its ass and legs showed, the top half diving inside a large open bag of holiday M&M’S. That now-familiar warmth invaded him while he imagined Sasha sneaking into his office early and staging the candy diving scene. His man would wear a smile, thinking about Nic in this moment of discovery. Fucking adorable.

He hadn’t imagined anyone would be ready before nine on a Sunday morning, but there they all were, sitting around the center island when he got to the kitchen. The sharp clatter of Sasha’s coffee mug brought his gaze right to the man of his dreams. Sasha’s bright blues were wide, his lips slightly parted, and his fingers frozen over where he’d dropped his cup.

Nic looked down his body and ran a hand down the front of him. “What? Do I have something on me?”

“Um.” Sasha cleared his throat. “Well, no. Yes. Not really, but yes. You have clothes. I mean, like, real clothes, not a button-down or something.”

Nic looked back up and grinned at Sasha. “Yeah, I’ve been known to wear clothes, Sasha.”

Lucy giggled. “He’s right, though, Uncle Nic. You never wear human clothes, only human-cloned android clothes.”

He lifted his arms out to the sides. “Come on, Sasha. You’ve seen me in pajamas.”

Sasha held up a palm. “I neither confirm nor deny. Okay, maybe one time.” He gestured from head to foot along Nic’s height. “This looks good on you. You should wear it more often.”

As much attention as his own attire was getting, Nic was just as approving of Sasha’s dark navy blue henley. The color made his eyes brighter and his hair blonder. A trim black leather jacket hung off the edge of the counter next to Sasha. Before he could make a fool of himself and demand Sasha put it on, he turned his eyes to the kids.

“Lucy, you’re going to freeze in that,” he said, nodding toward her. Her red dress wasn’t not conservative, but it also had a too-short hem, in his opinion. “You expecting to impress someone when we get there?”

“Why, yes, Uncle Nic, and his name is Santa. If we go another year without a picture, I’ll run away and join the circus. I’m almost too old to sit on Santa’s lap.”

“What do you mean almost?” Sasha asked.

Lucy threw a napkin at his head, which he caught without looking up. As if they did this often.

“It’s clear weather out, so I thought we’d take the helicopter over and then hit University Village before it gets crappy out. That means get warm clothes, people.”

Ben scoffed. “It’s Washington. When isn’t it crappy out?”

Nic hid his smile. “All right. The helo’s been here for half an hour already. Get your stuff and let’s go. Don’t forget your credit cards. I don’t want to deal with getting cash out for you kids, and I refuse to follow you around and wait in line to use my cards.”

“Hey, Sasha, you been to U Village yet?” Ben asked, watching Sasha shake his head. “You’re gonna like it there. There’s a Stonehenge fountain, and the holiday lights are up, so when it gets dark, it’ll be bright like the WildLights at the zoo.”

“Nice! I can’t wait to see it.”

Nic’s stomach flipped. He couldn’t wait to show Sasha either. His enthusiasm for going out today leaped about a hundredfold all at once at the thought of showing Sasha something new. Plus, the kids seemed more alive than ever, talking and laughing and shoving each other a little as they headed out to the helipad area beside the house.

“Tesla’s there, too, and Uncle Nic’s going to let me test drive one today.”

He looked over Ben’s head at Sasha, shook his head, and mouthed no. Soon, they were all in the helicopter and then landed on the Leighton Price building, where they rode down the elevator and caught the town car to the shopping center.

It was a bit crowded, even this early on a Sunday, but the parking was always the worst thing about this center, and Nic never had to deal with that pain in the ass. They started out with coffee and pastries since some of the stores weren’t open yet, but it didn’t take long before Lucy and Ben were ready to run ahead and go their own ways. Nic let them off their leash with the requirement to keep their phones on, watch their belongings, stick together even when it was boring, and meet at an appointed time and place, the Stonehenge fountain in their case.

Once abandoned, Nic walked with Sasha, and occasionally one of them would stop to browse, though not often. Nic only wanted to soak in the company, walking close to Sasha, their hands brushing together. Finally, he took Sasha’s hand in his and heard a contented sigh that made him smile. Sasha would never have taken his hand on his own—strong, smart, confident but often indecisive. It might have been their employer-employee relationship slowing Sasha down, not wanting to push too far, but part of Nic wanted to go too far with the golden boy.

They met up to have dinner at Din Tai Fung, where Sasha and Ben both swore they’d died and gone to dumpling heaven. Ben also spent a good twenty minutes complaining about having to stop at Sephora and Victoria’s Secret, the latter being where he insisted shoppers were looking at him as if he were a pervert. Lucy said it was because he was fondling the bra cups, and Ben explained that they were exceedingly soft.

If Nic had thought yesterday had been a good day, this one was topping the list for best ever. The kids left again, but this time Nic told them to pay attention to their phones because he’d text them when and where to meet. Then he led Sasha to Fran’s Chocolates where they selected some incredible artisan chocolates to take home, including jars of dark chocolate sauce and caramel sauce.

“I have ideas for these tonight,” he whispered in Sasha’s ear.

“Mm. You can’t talk like that in my ear when I’m standing up,” Sasha said. They found a seat on a bench near the big fountain, their thighs touching from hip to knee. “This feels good.”

“It does.” Nic tapped his foot against Sasha’s. “I’m glad you came. This would suck without you here.”

Sasha laughed. “You’d just sit in Starbucks on a laptop the whole time.”

“Wow. How’d you know?”

“You were gone in your office a long time yesterday. I thought the contracts were all done.”

“They are.” Nic slid lower in the seat and tipped his head back, enjoying the cool evening air. Then he turned his head to look at Sasha. “Anselmo asked me to leave Leighton Price to partner with an Italian-owned, multinational business that wants to branch into the US.”

Sasha’s eyes widened. “That’s incredible. Are you doing it?”

“No.” He sighed.

“You look disappointed. If you want to do it, what’s holding you back?”

“I don’t have time. I’ve devoted my life to my career, and Leighton Price takes everything, too much of everything. I can’t do both.” Nic shook his head. “Fuck. This deal is exciting, promising. And I genuinely liked the De Francos. You remember them?”

“Uh, yeah, actually. The Christmas cookies, right?” Sasha grinned. “I can’t get over those amaretti cookies Rossana made.”

“Damn. I should have tried one. Anyway, I’d be working with Rossana’s extended family, so Anselmo’s in-laws, Matteo Basile and Turi Navarro. I did my homework on these guys, and they have an outstanding reputation. Their numbers are looking so hot right now too.”

Sasha frowned. “Huh. So numbers get you off. Good to know.” Nic nudged him, making him smile. Then his humor subsided. “Would it be such a bad thing to start something new? You don’t seem particularly fulfilled where you are now.”

Jaw clenching, Nic turned away and tried his best not to get defensive. “It’s a family business.”

“With only one family member working there.”

“It’s Ben’s legacy.”

“Really, Nic?” Sasha sat up straight. “Seriously? First of all, what about Lucy? A woman can’t inherit the throne at Leighton Price, I take it? Second, have you met Ben? He’s the most right-brained kid you’ll ever meet. He’ll be an artist, designer, or musician. He likes to wear tights and dance on a stage in front of crowds. Good luck getting him into a suit every day of his life.”

“Fuck.” Nic sat up, too, and dropped his head in his hands. Then, he felt Sasha’s large hand on his shoulder, kneading into the muscle.

“You don’t have to figure things out right this second,” Sasha said. “There’s time. Besides, look at the lights. Aren’t they brilliant?”

That hand gave Nic’s shoulder a light tug, drawing him back against the bench where Sasha’s arm wrapped around him. With Sasha touching him, everything tended to feel right with the world.

“Hey, speaking of stages, the kids had some important things to say to you. After the retail coma they’ll be in when we collect them, I doubt they’ll think of it.”

“Okay. What are they?”

“Well, first, Lucy has a holiday dance next week she’d like to go to. A boy she likes asked her. She seems to think you’d say no.”

“She’d be right. No boys.”

“Hmm. I wasn’t expecting that. But she’s sixteen, responsible, and has pretty damn good judgment. Are you sure you’re not thinking of her as a little girl still?”

Nic hesitated. Had he been? How long did one beat the boys away? If only Josephine had shared any insights or even her own input on how she wanted her kids raised. He didn’t want to make any more mistakes with them.

“Okay. We’ll try it. With a curfew, of course.”

“Of course. And Ben’s doing his last musical on Tuesday night. Last chance to see him shine onstage. He’s dying for you to come and watch his show before you never have another chance.”

“Aw, fuck me,” Nic said. “How do you do this? I hate musicals.”

“Yeeeaah, they kind of make one feel uncomfortable sometimes, don’t they? But you’re not going to watch a musical. You’re going to watch Ben.”

He clapped his hand over his face. “All right. Sold. You should be a salesman.”

“I kind of am. I sell learning opportunities to children who despise the education system. Gotta be a salesman or a magician to swing that.”

Nic gazed at Sasha a long while as he people watched, making a few comments here and there. He was beautiful, unbelievably beautiful, right down to his center, and there was no way in hell Nic wasn’t going to make love to him tonight.

“Hey, I think Santa’s about to close up,” Sasha said, frowning slightly as he caught Nic watching him. “Um, maybe we should call the kids.”

“Oh yes. It’s getting late.” He checked his phone, but it was dead. “Damn. They might have been calling a while. I have no idea when my phone died.”

“I got it.” He texted Lucy, and within a few minutes, they met her and Ben and headed toward Santa’s shop. Lucy was nearly running and had to keep coming back to rush everyone else along. Nic couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so animated.

“C’mon, Uncle Nic. You are not getting out of this. Get in here.” Lucy, the bully, waved him over like he was a mile away instead of a few feet. “There’s a reason these are called family photos.”

She ended up having to drag him in, but not because he was refusing. He simply couldn’t move his feet at first, overwhelmed that they would want him there with them. Then he glanced at Sasha, whose wide grin lit him up inside even further as he nodded to Nic, urging him to join in. But he couldn’t imagine this without Sasha—the entire reason this day existed.

He held out his hand. “Sasha.”

“Nic.” A tremor shook Sasha’s voice. When the kids added their demands for him to jump into the shot, he jogged over. The second Sasha stood next to him, tucked against his side, Nic forgot the shoppers around them. Nothing existed but this time of laughing and photobombing and funny faces.

He never thought in a million years he’d end up getting pictures taken with Santa. There weren’t many people left in line, so they had several poses, and Nic paid for all of them to be printed. Lucy did sit in Santa’s lap, and Nic had to lay a restraining arm on Sasha, who insisted the guy had copped a feel of Lucy’s butt.

When they heard about his decision to go to Ben’s musical and to let Lucy go to her holiday dance, they went euphoric, throwing hugs around like they were free or something. Lucy said there was nothing left to ask Santa for, which made everyone laugh because she was always asking for more clothes or makeup or books. In fact, her room had more books than some people’s libraries.

After cramming the bags that barely fit into the trunk of the town car, they made it back to the Leighton Price building at last and then flew back home. It had been a long, long day, and part of Nic was exhausted, mentally and physically. Another part of him rode the climbing anticipation of something momentous ahead of him.

The kids had begun to crash as soon as they’d gotten into the town car, so they said their good nights and went to their rooms almost immediately once they arrived. Nic wanted to go to bed, too, but not alone this time. No more unplanned, spontaneous interludes with Sasha. He was ready to bring him to his bed, to feel Sasha’s skin from head to toe, to hold him in his arms and make love to him.

Leaving the shopping bags in the den, Nic took Sasha’s hand and led him back along the first floor to his master suite, the largest bedroom in the house. As soon as they cleared the doors, Nic shut and locked them and backed Sasha to the prominent king-size bed, then pushed him onto it. Sasha’s dazzling blue eyes never stopped tracking Nic as he grabbed lube and condoms and tossed them onto the bed.

“Seems like you have plans for me.” Sasha practically quaked, lifting his head as he watched Nic and gripping the bedding beneath him in his fists. His voice had gone deep and raspy, and it inflamed Nic as intensely as it had that night in the movie theater.

“So many plans.” Nic ran his hands from Sasha’s hips to his abs and then to his shoulders, only to trace them slowly back down Sasha’s body. “Now take off those clothes.”

Sasha started to sit up, but Nic pressed him back down.

“No. Stay right where I put you and get naked.”

“Jesus.” Sasha’s breathless reply and the excitement flaring in his expression sent a rush of exhilaration through Nic. It took every ounce of his restraint not to rip the clothes off both of them and pounce on Sasha.

Instead, Nic methodically stripped out of his own clothing a piece at a time, gradually revealing himself. He tried not to smile as Sasha fumbled every bit of his own undressing in his eagerness to please, lifting his hips and shimmying to wiggle his jeans down his legs. Sasha was already visibly trembling, but Nic wasn’t far off from doing the same. This was the first time they would be naked together, free to touch and explore. Bare, Sasha was a work of art worthy of a museum exhibit. His muscles were defined, sleek, bunching and releasing with every movement, and Nic couldn’t wait any longer.

Bending forward, Nic braced one arm on the bed and cupped Sasha’s jaw with the other hand. One day’s worth of stubble prickled his palm as he stroked down to Sasha’s nape. Holding him in place, Nic lowered his lips to Sasha. Their kiss began tender, as it often did. It also never lasted before the fire between them consumed them, driving them deeper and harder, desperate for more.

Within minutes, Nic was already short of breath and abandoning all thought of planning a seduction. Impulse alone drove him.

“I need you on me,” Sasha rasped. “Please, Nic. I need to feel you.”

Nic directed Sasha farther onto the bed and lowered on top of him at last, pushing between Sasha’s legs. At last, Nic had Sasha’s hard body beneath him with his hot skin, breathy sighs of pleasure, and hands gliding down Nic’s back, fingertips pressing into skin. Wrapping his arms around Sasha, Nic took his mouth again until he was dizzy with need. He broke away and kissed a path down Sasha’s throat, along his collarbone, over his pecs. He freed one hand to trace his fingers through the golden hair on Sasha’s chest until he stopped at Sasha’s nipples. His mouth sucking and licking one, he attended to the other with his fingers, gently pinching and caressing.

Sasha ground his hips against Nic, his breath coming in pants. Pleasure exploded through Nic as their cocks glided together. He rose up to more fully align with Sasha’s length and then gripped them both with one hand, stroking them together.

“Oh fuck.” Sasha lifted his legs around Nic’s hips, the thick muscles flexing and quivering. Suddenly, Nic wanted those legs higher, over his shoulders, while he sank inside of Sasha. Then Sasha’s eyes opened, and everything shrank in on him and Sasha until there was nothing else in the world that mattered. Those ocean eyes sucked Nic in and drowned him in possibilities and long-lost hopes discovered.

Nic kissed him like the world was going to end tomorrow. While he did, he patted the bed beside him until he found the lube he’d thrown there earlier, and then he sat up.

“Hey, where are you going?”

Nic laughed. “Nowhere. There’s no way in hell I’d want to walk away from this.” He dragged his fingers through the sprinkle of golden chest hair over Sasha’s pecs and traced the line down his happy trail.

A smile crossed Sasha’s face, but there was a vulnerability to it that tightened the center of Nic’s chest. It fired up a powerful desire to protect Sasha, to care for him and make up for all the times no one else had. They might not be ready for that yet in their relationship, but Nic was damn sure going to take care of him physically.

He pushed at Sasha’s inner thighs. “Wider. Now, Sasha.”

Instantly following the command, Sasha complied, wonderfully responsive as always, like his only pleasure was to give pleasure. Nic coated his fingertips and enjoyed Sasha’s hiss of delight as he explored and probed Sasha before carefully sliding his finger into him. He bent down and sucked the head of Sasha’s cock into his mouth, making Sasha’s ab muscles jump.

After a few strokes, he backed off. “Look at you,” Nic said. “You are perfectly groomed down here.”

He played with Sasha’s sac while gradually stretching Sasha with his finger. As he slowly worked a second one in, he lowered his mouth and sucked Sasha’s delicate skin, working his tongue and lips all over Sasha’s balls and then moving up to his cock again. He smelled good, tasted good, clean and musky and all man.

Sasha’s grip tightened in Nic’s hair, and ragged moans burst from above Nic’s head. “I can’t,” he panted. “I’m ready. I can’t wait anymore. Please, Nic.”

But Nic loved drawing it out for Sasha. He loved the beauty of his anticipation, the tension, of the quivering mess of him waiting for release and his wild abandon when it was granted.

It was the desperate chant that broke him, though.

“Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me.” Sasha’s eyes were squeezed shut, his breath racing, and his hips thrusting onto Nic’s fingers.

A dam burst in him, a volcanic clawing low in his groin, and it unleashed his restraint. He sat up to lube his condom-covered cock and then replaced his fingers with it. It took every ounce of willpower to keep from slamming right into Sasha.

Nic lifted Sasha’s legs higher, opening him more, and rocked slowly into him. Sasha let out a long groan as Nic sank deeper with each movement.

“Sasha.” He waited for Sasha’s eyes to open. “Tell me you’re okay.”

Sasha’s hands slid up Nic’s forearms to hold on to his biceps. “I’m—ah, that’s so good—I’m fucking amazing. Don’t stop, Nic.”

The house would have to collapse before he stopped now. He was beyond stopping. Finally, he was fully inside Sasha’s hot, tight channel. Nic leaned forward, covering Sasha, bracing with one arm and tucking his other arm beneath Sasha’s trembling thigh, pressing him deep into the mattress.

“Ready, Sasha? Want my dick?”

“So ready,” he whispered against Nic’s throat. “I want all of it.”

It was all Nic needed. He withdrew to his tip and thrust back in hard, making Sasha grunt. Again he thrust and again, faster and faster, his heart racing and his breath heaving. His balls began to tighten up, and the burning pleasure began at the base of his spine. He wasn’t going to last long. He shoved his left hand farther under Sasha’s ass to lift him more, changing the angle.

“Yessss,” Sasha hissed, and then he cried out, his movements going jerky. “Oh fuck, I love that. Right there, Nic. Harder.”

Nic spread his own legs wider and then pushed harder until he was practically pounding against Sasha’s asscheeks in a rapid rhythm, the slap of skin on skin driving him wild. Sweat slicked his body, heat flushing every inch. Never had he felt so alive, everything sizzling with sensation.

“Fuck!” His fingers were slipping on Sasha’s damp skin. He took a firmer grip and dropped his head to nip Sasha’s inner thigh near his knee. “Come now, Sasha. I need you to come all over me.”

Nic slid his hand from Sasha’s ass to his hard cock, squeezing and stroking his velvety flesh. Another nip and lick and Sasha went off with a long, deep cry, and thick come painted his belly.

“Goddamn, Sasha,” he gasped. Sasha’s ass tightened around Nic, shoving him headfirst over the edge of bliss. He dropped onto Sasha, clutching that sweet body to him as his own body seized, overtaken with penetrating pulses of ecstasy. A moment later, he withdrew from inside Sasha and rolled them to the side, their arms still around each other.

A tired laugh escaped Sasha. “Is it cheesy if I say that was transcendental?”

Nic’s arms tightened around him. “Yeah, it is, but it was.”

As he came down from the high of his orgasm, he leaned his head against the side of Sasha’s. This was the hardest part, the sex being the easiest. Should they sleep in their separate rooms? Did he want Sasha to spend the night with him? Was this a one-time thing, or should they continue their affair?

No simple answers came to him. To his surprise, he did want Sasha to stay here in his arms, very much so. He shouldn’t, though, and the fact remained, he couldn’t invite him to.

He kissed Sasha’s temple. “I’ll be right back.”

Nic went to the attached master bathroom to rid himself of the condom and take care of business, all the while trying to find a painless way to send Sasha to his own room. When he came out, Sasha was already half-dressed, sitting on the bed to pull his shoes on.

Smiling at Nic, he nodded toward Nic’s groin. “I didn’t expect that.”

He laughed. Yes, he had a semi already. “It’s standard when you’re around.”

Joking aside, there was longing in Sasha’s eyes. Sasha wanted to stay overnight. He just knew better than to ask, and as usual, he made this easier for everyone because that’s what he always had to do.

Nic’s heart lurched in his chest. He strode over to kneel on the bed, straddling Sasha’s lap, cradling his head, and kissed the fuck out of him. Sasha opened up like a blossom under Nic’s mouth. They were both breathless at the end, leaning their foreheads together.

“Don’t start something we can’t finish,” Sasha murmured. Nic chuffed out a laugh.

“Yeah.” He backed off Sasha’s lap so he could finish dressing and then climbed onto the middle of the bed, drawing the bedspread partly over him. “It’s sad to cover all that up.”

“Meh. I could be bulkier. Maybe Percy has a good tip or two.”

Nic smacked Sasha’s back lightly with a pillow. “Don’t you dare talk to Percy about his tip.”

It worked to lighten the mood a little. Sasha finished dressing and leaned in to kiss Nic one more time. “Parting is such sweet sorrow,” he said with a sassy grin.

Nic snorted and gave him a little shove. “Teachers.”

Sasha was laughing as he went out the door to head to his own room, but his words weren’t far off. Really, Nic couldn’t put a finger on why any shred of melancholy had darkened their night. It had been earth-shattering sex after a fantastic day. They should both be happy, and Nic was. How could this not be enough for him? And why the fuck did this feel so much like an ending?