“I told you that we could work it out,” said Simon. They’d wound up back on the second floor, away from the hubbub of the conference room. He grabbed Evan by the lapels and pulled him in for another kiss. “Although wow, you really made a mess in here.”

Once he came up for air, Evan said, “I will never doubt you again.”

“You better not.”

“I promise you, though, I thought I was doing the right thing. I had it all planned out. You were going to have job security, you were going to be in charge of the whole project—”

“Oh, great,” laughed Simon, “so I’d be stuck in the records department while you took your place in a corner office in the sky.”

“But you! Mr. Responsibility, sneaking into computers, exposing crime, being all brave!”

“I know!” said Simon. “It’s so unlike me. Or, unlike the old me, at least. I really liked it, Evan. I was so mad at you, and what I really wanted to do was wreck your presentation, but then something struck me as strange about the timing of everything, and so I went snooping…and the rest is history.”

“Can you still love me even if I don’t have a trust fund?” asked Evan. “It looks like Archie took every bit of it.”

“I’m very disappointed not to have a millionaire boyfriend,” said Simon. “But who knows? Maybe there’s some magic left down in those records. A hidden million-dollar bill or something.”

“That would be nice. I still have to find a way to take care of Reg.”

Simon gave him a lopsided smile. “Evan Cray, Dad. What a weird idea.”

“I’m hoping Maura will let me tell people now. I’ve got to talk to her, I guess.”

“But not yet,” murmured Simon.

“No, not yet.”

“For a minute, just stay down here with me.”

“Yes, in the romantic records room.”

Simon looked around. “It’s not so bad down here. It’s not like the subbasement.”

But the time for conversation had passed. Simon had been working all night on how to save Evan. He wasn’t the boy who had stood by the side of the lake, unable to help his friend. This time, he had dived right in. He felt strange, and brave, and reckless.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep, but his defenses were way, way down, and Evan looked particularly sharp today.

“Did you get dressed up for your big meeting?” he asked Evan.

“Presentation is everything,” Evan said.

Simon pulled him close again. Evan tasted of coffee and spice, his lips soft. Simon touched his tongue-tip to them, and then kissed him deeply.

Evan gave him a drowsy but hungry look, and Simon felt his body responding. All the feelings of the past few days, all the tension, the stress, the hopelessness and the fear, had washed away, replaced by a need for closeness, a need to feel Evan’s skin against his own.

Simon didn’t care that they were at work. He didn’t care that this was the office. He needed Evan, now.

His fingers made short work of the buttons of Evan’s shirt, and he pushed it aside, kissing Evan’s chest. His lips met the warm skin, the soft hair, thickest in the center. He buried his face in it, inhaling Evan’s scent.

But Evan had no intention of taking things slowly. He was aroused now, obvious just by looking at him, and clearly had something in mind. He pushed Simon away from his chest, pushed him all the way back until Simon was lying on the desk he’d cleared last night.

No gentle unbuttoning here. Evan ripped Simon’s shirt, and Simon gasped at his strength and energy, glorying in the way Evan looked down at his body. Simon was proud of his swimmer’s build, the tight muscles of his torso, and it excited him to see Evan’s reaction, to see how much Evan desired his body.

Evan’s mouth was on him now. No gentle kisses. Hard kisses, to Simon’s throat, to his nipples; Evan’s tongue explored every inch of him, sending shudders of pleasure through him.

His belt, his pants, they were undone with the same speed and eagerness that had destroyed his shirt. Evan acted like he wanted to devour Simon, his passion was so strong. Simon felt it too, like they had to make up for lost time. He had to close his eyes, though, when Evan found his cock; the sensations were almost too much, he wanted to come right away.

Evan worked on his shaft, his mouth plunging quickly, his lips tight against it. Slow down or I’m going to erupt, thought Simon.

But Evan had no intention of just sucking on Simon. In fact, he came up off Simon’s cock, and began to bathe Simon’s balls with his tongue…and then worked further down.

Oh. OH.

Simon held on to the sides of the desk, as Evan explored him with his mouth. His eager tongue probed him, and Simon shook his head back and forth, as earthquakes of pleasure trembled through him. Oh god, what are you doing to me, I’ve never felt like this, like all my nerves are on fire!

Even back at the club, when everything had been charged with an illicit electricity, it hadn’t been like this. Even during that first long night together after they’d confessed their feelings, the sex that had lasted until dawn, it hadn’t felt like this.

This was different. This was incredible. The sensations were washing away all the pain, the lingering ache that the past few days had caused. As Evan stood up and undid his pants, Simon opened his eyes, lifting his head to look at his lover.

Evan entered him, and the world exploded. There would be time, later, a thousand years from now, for words and talks and gestures, but right now the need was more primal. Evan pushing into him was all he needed. Feeling Evan’s cock go deeper, wrapping his legs around Evan, everything else simply dissolved, until there was nothing in the world but this, the thrusting and the pleasure and the way his breath hitched. His hand found his cock, and he stroked himself in time with Evan’s thrusts, slowly at first, long languorous strokes, speeding as Evan began to lose himself in the motion.

When Evan came, he roared, and shoved himself deep into Simon. It was an act of possession, of taking over Simon’s entirety, and Simon gave himself up to it, finding himself coming too, coming hard, his entire body tightening in climax around that invading cock. He gasped and writhed beneath Evan, his hands slick with his own cum as he pounded himself through his orgasm, the edges of his vision growing sparkly and black, like he was going to pass out from the sheer force of it.

Maybe he did. When he blinked, he found Evan beside him on the wide desk, holding him. His cock still had not left Simon’s ass, but his arms were around Simon, their bodies pressed against one another.

“Oh, hello,” Simon whispered.

“I love you,” said Evan. “I’m going to show you I’m different, I promise.”

“Shhh, don’t say anything.”

“I’m going to earn your love.”

“You don’t have to. You have it. It’s free. It’s yours forever.”

“Say it again,” Evan whispered, his lips against Simon’s ear.

“Forever,” said Simon, curling into Evan’s strong arms.