Page 13 of Drift

Light.

Martin.

Himself.

“Nearly three-hundred pounds for a hundred mil?” Jan winced and carefully took the cologne out of its box. Because to Jack, in order to help control his world, cologne came in boxes, so they stayed in boxes, ordered by size and colour no matter who they belonged to.

“Hmm,” said Gray as Jan dampened his throat. “Not a bad choice for work.”

Jan snorted. “Not bad for work… Jesus. Most where I come from couldn’t afford to spend three-hundred on a shopping bill let alone buy cologne. That’s the director of Counterterrorism who also oversees the Russian and Mandarin Language Talent Program at MI5 talking. Not to mention who also holds a DPhil in Physical and Theoretical Chemistry from Oxford University… and three exceedingly expensive homes in the UK, one of which used to be mine, and god knows how many abroad.”

There it was: Jan’s subtle way to bite. “That you putting me in elitism as a bastard?”

“Why? Is calling you a few names all it takes to get under your skin and….” Jan stopped that there. “Jesus, sorry.” He frowned. “Nerves.” He offered a hopeless shrug, but Gray really didn’t mind. He needed to let some of the stress go beyond gentle playing around under the bedcovers. Jan looked at the bottle he held. “A few years back, my most expensive cologne was a bottle ofArmani,at seventy pounds… and that was on special. At Amazon.”

Gray winced, then dropped it as Jan’s smirk came his way. Yeah. So maybe he was right over elitism. He preferred the finer things in life sometimes, but Jan was top of the list there. Gray put theAventusback in its box and offered a soft smile.“It’s never about the scent, just the man and his choice behind it.”

“Hmm.” Jan slipped his jacket on, and Gray pulled him close with a touch on his waist. The sophistication of the rich, woody base of oakmoss, cedarwood, and birch all blended with a softer jasmine and patchouli to give a slight sheen to his throat, and yeah—he smelled good. Damn good, but the whole refined scent merely seasoned Jan’s softer, so much more damn sensual allure and infused quiet confidence with it.

He was out to impress Shaun despite how Gray would know Jan would leave before Shaun got here, burying all his shyness and need to only play with numbers beneath the fine blend.

Gray kissed at his throat.Always about the man, the choice behind the scent.

“Hm. I said I was sorry, right?” Jan breathed, sounding a little out of it, contentedly so. Gray nodded. This… this way worked too with Jan. But he could be a livewire when it came to finding out which wire to touch in order to get him running normally with that softer head of his. Sex anger, work, love, Jack was all heat and fire at the flick of a switch. Jan simmered internally, almost unnoticed until the rogue spark burned under the skin past endurance levels, but it took such a damn long time to surface. Something had been bothering him over the past few weeks that didn’t match the usual stress over a promotion, but that was okay. Gray had his secrets too.

“Yeah… fuck work.” Jan pulled back a second later and shifted the cuff of Gray’s sleeve to get at his watch. “Shit, I’m gonna be late.”

Gray didn’t let him go. “You’re the boss’s lover. It gives you certain—”

“Piss-takes and looks ofteacher’s petamongst the lads at work?” Jan snorted again.

Was that it? When Jan tried to pull away, Gray kept him close. “Someone giving you a rough time over the offer of Assistant Manager?”

Jan shook his head and pulled away. “Not really. And it’s just that at the moment: an offer.” He shut the unit door, then put his towel in the wash basket as he snorted a smile. “Still can’t believe me and Monique got the offer along with Ben and Chris.” He gave a rough sigh. “Chris is bloody talented and has been there longer than me, so I understand why he’s being an asshole.”

SoChriswas giving him grief. “You’ve been there over four years. The average is five to start looking at moving up. And an asshole.” Gray flicked him a look. “How much exactly?”

Jan narrowed his eyes. “He’s an accountant, Gray. The worst I get is a cold coffee and my mail diverted to the toilets after he’s been in there.” He pointed at him. “They’re all good at their jobs. Leave them alone.”

Gray started to fasten his tie, so Jan took over and flicked him a look.

“I mean it.” Despite the worry over the FRC, Jan fought a small smile. “He’s just pissed off I got offered it too because he knows who I come home to. Monique’s getting it rough as well because we’re friends. Chris doesn’t need a midnight visit.”

“You’ve both put in the overtime, more than enough to qualify you for the five-year period. You’re also better at your job than all three of them.”

Jan blushed, and the humility behind it was all… him. “You’re biased,” Jan said softly, too softly, and Gray kissed him before Jan eased back and avoided Gray’s look. “You’re also a bastard, a boss at the MC staff table with it, and Chris, more so than Ben, catcalls that out with his look my way.”

This theyhaddiscussed: Gray being behind the promotion. Gray had rolled with it, understanding the doubt, the frustrations if he had. “I’m a consultant with the MC, no longer a boss there, certainly not yours or Chris’s.” He pulled back. “Bias is my bed partner, not theirs. And like I keep saying: there were no threats or backstreet threats involved to get you on that shortlist.”

Jan stopped straightening Gray’s tie a moment, eyes narrowed. He went to say something, that look of his knowing full well Gray would herd people into position for those he held close. “You sure?”

“Scout’s honour, and all that.”

Jan pulled a face. “Your father told me you burned the Scout Master’s tent and—”

Gray stopped that there and pulled him back into a kiss, only for Jan to eye him up.

“You…. Are you absolutely sure there was no word in Brennan’s ear on your part? No threat to skin his young if I didn’t make the list? Because Iamgood at my job, and even though you got me into the MC accounts department, I just want the possibility to move up the ladder on my own merit. So those threats of yours…?”

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