Antidote (Don't) (15 page)

The sex afterwards had been a great way to get into the holiday spirit. Gray had fucked hard, sweat lining his body, maybe needing to burn off work stress. Maybe. He’d been quiet, and I didn’t mind being his stress-release point when it came to work; the harder, the better, and all that shit. If it helped organize his head with a rough session with me, Jan sometimes taking to just watching, I didn’t mind. Christ knows I understood that more than most.

“Come on, Jack.”

I glanced back at Jan. He sat at the kitchen table, demanding breakfast, every relaxed smile going now Christmas was just under a week away and today was his last day at work for two weeks. It’s why I made damn sure I was up to get him and Gray coffees and some poached eggs on toast before they went off to work. Jan had done of all of his Christmas shopping, keeping all of his goods locked up and in his home, away from prying hands. I still hadn’t done too much, and that included the guys at work. Gray was pretty easy to buy for; I knew he had a love of Japanese swords, and my wage from the MC would cover what I had planned for him. Jan was something else. I know he liked his art, but unless it had a picture of car in it, I was useless at that sort of thing. I was hoping Gray would be able to help, at least enough to get Jan something he’d really go nuts over, well that he’d go nuts over my nuts for at least.

“You know I’m starving over here,” said Jan, and I grinned before taking his breakfast over to the table. Ed sat reading his paper and he eyed the toast and eggs I slipped in front of him.

“No coffee?” he asked, glancing at Jan’s as I brought that over next.

“You’ve got no manners,” I said, hiding a grin as I took my seat.

Ed flicked his paper at me, and Jan got up with a sigh and poured Ed a coffee.

“One thing,” I grouched to Jan as he sat back down, “You couldn’t give me this one small thing.” Jan only rolled his gaze at me.

“Thank you, Mr. Richards,” said Ed, finally folding his paper onto the table. I grumbled, seeing him put it casual compared to all the breakfast plates I’d arranged. I pushed it into place only to have Ed narrow his eyes at me.

“I’m baking today, Mr. Richards,” said Ed. “Would you like me to add Danish Pastries to the list?”

Now I scowled. “Danish Pastries? You never cook me any Danish Pastries.”

“You’re not Mr. Richards.”

“Bastard,” I mumbled, then, “That egg of yours is two days out of date.” I snorted satisfaction seeing Jan choke a little. “Teach you to butter up the butler and get my share of the DPs.”

Jan just growled at me, then carried on eating as Ed poked at his eggs with his knife. Hell, that made my Monday morning. “You booked Christmas day off?” I said to Ed, really hoping to fuck he had.

“Nope.”

Fuck. He hadn’t.

“Why?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Just wondering who was going to be around.”

Jan’s ears pricked up at that and he cocked his head like a puppy hearing food dished up. “Got some plans, have you, Jack?”

“Maybe.”

Gray padded through in a suit, looking shower fresh as he arranged his cufflinks. He took his seat, and I went over and served breakfast. Fresh coffee was put on too as Ed disappeared out into the corridor, no doubt to go and get Gray’s mail, either that or run screaming from the eggs.

“Hmph,” I snorted as I put Gray’s food on the table. “That old bastard does know I wouldn’t poison him, right?” Ed’s breakfast hadn’t been touched. “Fuck me. Try to do a good thing.”

Ed came back in as I said that, carrying the mail. As usual, Gray’s pile looked far bigger and far more interesting than mine and—

“Not yours, Jack,” said Gray, taking his. Ed threw mine on the table, then sat back down, occasionally throwing me a glare, chewing his food extra slow as if to pick up on any traces of arsenic. Prat. I knew Gray had access to shit that didn’t have any taste and that wasn’t traceable under autopsy. I’d opt for that.

Ed was sniffing at his plate now.

“Oh for... look.” I pinched a slice of toast off Ed’s plate. “See?” I said through a mouthful. “No laxative.”

“Now your germs are all over it.”

I choked, having to cover my mouth before I did myself some damage. “Are you taking the fucking piss, you old bas—”

“
Don’t
.” The sharpness in Gray’s voice silenced the breakfast table. “Show some fucking respect when you talk to him.”

I frowned down at Gray, Ed, then at the table, until Jan finally filled the silence around the table with a cough. “Jack,” he said softly, “those plans you were on about for Christmas day?” He had this gorgeous look about his face.

“Dunno. Breakfast with my old man and lady. Dinner here?” I shook myself out of my mood. “Night time’s pretty free. You?”

“Same. Well, breakfast with my mother, not your folks.”

I grinned, then eyed Gray. “You?”

He was reading through his mail. “Don’t know yet.” He glanced at me. “Dinner. Here.”

At least that confirmed it, although the semi-monosyllabic exchange was starting to piss me off. I smiled over at Jan. “What time are you finishing tonight?”

Jan shrugged. “I’m in a meeting until seven, but after that...” His gaze said
I’m all yours, baby
.

“You?” I said carefully to Gray.

“MC’s Christmas dinner.”

“Tonight?” I frowned. “Since when?”

“Since the MC has been in business, Jack.”

“No, I meant I hadn’t heard anything.”

“You don’t do social.”

“Yeah, all the same. I usually get an invite I can go native with and burn outside as I dance around the campfire.”

Gray glanced over before taking a sip of coffee. “And that’s my problem, because?”

Christ, was he in bastard mode today.

“Why? What have you got planned?” chuckled Jan, still munching through his breakfast.

I kept my face as innocent as possible. “
Un po’ di istruzione orale, con enfasi sull’orale, lascia perdere l’italiano
.”

Ed choked on his toast as Jan’s food failed to find his mouth. “M—mmm?” Jan stuttered. “What?”

“Italian language tuition, well... learning.”

“That is
not
what you said, Jack,” choked Ed and I was tempted to pat his back, but I’d have probably broken a few thin bones in the process. And—“Fuck,” I muttered, forgetting just how much Ed had travelled. “Well, there was
some
mention of Italian oral lessons—”

“Oral, you mentioned
oral
tuition, with less emphasis on the Italian, more on the oral. Period.”

“Ah?” Jan turned a deeper shade of red as I chuckled. Ed was as sharp as Gray sometimes. “Well, hmmmm.” Jan found his watch, even made a point of staring at the time. “Look at that, I’m, well, gonna be late for work.”

I bit back a smile. “Come on, soft lad, I’ll see you out,” I said, getting to my feet and heading out. I saw Jan to the front door, and with a kiss, he was gone. Scratching at my head, I padded back through to the kitchen. The clock touched seven, letting me know that I was running a little late too, but I needed food. Gray sipped at his coffee, sliding some mail under his pile as I took my seat. “Anything interesting?” I asked.

“Do you live here?”

“No, but—”

“What?” Gray focused on me.

“Nothing.” I flicked a look at Ed. “Can you give us a minute alone, please?”

After a moment, Ed nodded, then pushed back and left without a word as I went over to Gray. Pushing the table back enough to hear it scrape protest on the tile, I heard Gray’s hard sigh. A gentle touch at his shoulder kept him there, and I went in close, straddling his legs, and gently asking him to look up with a light brush along his jaw. He did, eventually, and I kissed his lips.

Something settled into his return kiss, and it was enough to ease any gripes and groans that I was feeling.

“You okay?” I said quietly. Gray let his hands dust my hips, gripping gently, then pulling me into his lap.

“Just tired,” he mumbled.

I briefly caught his bottom lip between my teeth. “Tired? You sure... sir?”

Blue eyes held mine, hands now running down my outer thighs, then back up to my hips. I shifted into Gray’s touch, loving the feel of my body up against his. “Define respect for me, Jack,” he said quietly.

Giving a frown, I kissed at his jaw. “What I’m holding. You.”

His touch traced up my sides, coming to rest at the zip to my coveralls. As he leaned forward, kissing at my neck, he pulled the zip down and let his touch trace under my T-shirt, now digging fingers into my sides.

Something was mumbled so quietly against my neck, then, “Do I scare you that much, Jack?”

The light breeze of his lips against my neck stopped and I lifted Gray’s gaze to mine. The look there gave nothing away, and I traced the soft curve of his bottom lip with my thumb. Something played in his eyes, I couldn’t tell what; he looked away from me far too quickly. “What the hell’s going on?” I said quietly, kissing at his cheek. “What th’fuck have I got to be scared of around you?”

He mumbled something else I couldn’t catch, and I eased off him, kissing my way down until I knelt between his legs. Through the material of his suit trousers, he was already hard. I traced over it, breath and light play of teeth over his shaft earning me a soft sigh. After unbuckling his belt, I teased him free, closing my eyes and letting my hands run up the inside of his thighs, knowing the image well: white shirt, tie, clasp on his trousers undone. “Fear I’ve known,” I mumbled, kissing his cock gently. “I’ve forced enough into people in the past. But you? Me?”

A hand ran through my hair, slow strokes as I took him in my mouth. As much as I knew my own body, I knew Gray’s better, how he liked to be touched, to be tasted. The grip in my hair tightened, and I allowed Gray to pull me away slightly, then rest my head on his thigh. Again that stroke came through my hair, enough for me to relax and push Gray’s shirt up a touch to expose his hip. As I nipped and licked at the toned skin there, the tip of Gray’s cock played down my neck with each gentle stroke he gave to his shaft.

“Like seeing you calmed, Jack.”

He kept my head turned slightly to the side, not allowing or wanting me to move and take control or to touch, just stay. And I was content not to take control, just to stay, bites and kisses now getting a little rougher on his hip knowing he was getting close, his brush of tip against my neck matching my need to see him come. The grip moved from my hair, now resting on my jaw and forcing me to expose every inch of my neck. His slight change of breath was the only indicator that he had come hard as I bruised a bite at his side, staking my claim at his hip, albeit a very discreet one.

Fingers stroked alongside the line of come on my neck and I closed my eyes, loving the touch. “Forget the party tonight,” I mumbled quietly, denying my need to wipe the come off for a few seconds more. I needed just a few seconds more of this, maybe needed a lifetime of this. “Stay with me tonight, with Jan. If you’re tired, we’ll get some kip, nothing more.”

He said nothing and I looked up, flashing my eyes. “Or I have ways of keeping you up all... night... long.”

A thumb traced my jaw line. “I’m peachy, stunner.” He looked so sad. “Real fucking peachy.” Then he smiled a little. “You want to do something for me?” He gave a slight smile again. “Fuck Jan hard tonight. I like fucking you when you’re exhausted from touching him.” There was a hard sigh. “It’ll help me get through the formal bollocks of the MC Christmas Dinner, if nothing else.”

Jan

I fought a yawn as I pulled up to Gray’s manor and let a security guy check over the inside of my car. As he waved me on, Gray’s Merc wasn’t in the driveway; no doubt signalling he’d left for the MC’s party. Jack’s black Merc wasn’t curled up on the court either. Either he’d had to work late, or he’d decided to go to the ball after all. Damn, please let it be the former. Alone time with Jack was rare.

Keys in hand, I pushed on through to the reception hall after kicking off the snow, half expecting Ed to be there. He wasn’t, and unable to bury the grumble in my stomach, I headed on through to the lounge, intent on finding the dining room. Sometimes Ed left something on the table, a sandwich, something light. Mainly for me and mostly done to annoy Jack. But the only thing keeping the mahogany dining table company today was a bucket full of ice. Peering inside, I didn’t even see any wine.

Spoilt, Jan. You’re getting too bloody spoilt.

Arms snaked my waist from behind and a kiss feathered my neck.

“So, Mr. Richards.” Jack murmured. “You promised your soul to me for a few hours.”

Christ. He’d said that the first day we’d slept together and I loved how he remembered these things when others seemed to pass him by so easily. I turned around, slipping my arms around his neck as he traced my waist. He smelled good, he
felt
even better. He wore a white shirt, black tie loosened at the throat, hair tousled, wild, and black suit trousers shaped his ass so perfectly. All of him just looked as though he’d been caught mid-heat, and he’d given the V to finalizing his look, knowing his clothes wouldn’t stay on that long anyway.

I grunted as he shifted, backing me up against the wall, forcing me into it. Hands were all over me: hair, chest, sides—one forcing my neck up so he could bite at it, the other digging down into my trousers and rubbing hard over my shaft. Giving a groan, arching into his touch, away from the wall, I let the heat play out for a moment, then managed to breathe, “What’s got into you tonight? Gray play you up before he left for the Christmas party, or something?”

“Mmmmmm, said he likes knowing I’m fucking you,” mumbled Jack, then something slipped around my throat and was tugged into place before being fastened.

“Collar?” Christ, yes...

Jack kissed along the collar, body grinding in hard as he pinned my hands to the wall. “Fucking love Gray, how he marks,” I heard him murmur.

“Jack... Fuck me...”

“Don’t,” snarled Jack against my lips, and a thumb brushed my jaw. “You keep that sweet mouth shut.”

I smiled, then gave a lick at his thumb. “Screw you, sir.”