Page 14 of Scout

“Well, well, well. Who do we have here?” a male voice inquired just behind Alex’s right ear, causing him to startle. Gino’s eyes narrowed as he frowned and stared at the person behind Alex.

Turning slightly, Alex eyed the man. He didn’t recognize the blue-eyed blond, who was about five feet ten with a medium build, but the guy seemed to know Alex. He was good-looking—a pretty boy—but too much so for Alex’s taste. With his perfectly coifed hair, flawless skin, starched designer clothes, andmanicured nails, the guy was undoubtedly high maintenance.

“Erik, what the hell are you doing here?” Gino asked.

Erik. Alex had heard that name several times since working at the Paradox. From the obnoxious sneer on the man’s face, as he stared at Alex, it was a fair bet he was Scout’s former assistant. The one who had an unrequited obsession with his employer and messed with Scout’s personal life, causing him to fire the guy.

Ignoring Gino, Erik glared at Alex. “I hear you’ve been fucking Scout. Don’t get too comfortable, though, bitch. He’ll use you and then kick you out when you want more from him. He’s done it before.”

Anger coursed through Alex, and he got to his feet to square off with the other man. While he usually tried to avoid office gossip, he had heard quite a bit about Erik from other Paradox employees and Gino and Austin since he started working for Scout. None of it had been good.

It also appeared the rumor mill had Alex and Scout shagging each other, even though that hadn’t happened yet.

“Look, I know who you are, and I honestly don’t give a shit about anything you have to say about Scout.”

“Oh, but you should, skank. You see?—”

Alex made a slashing motion with his hand and narrowed his eyes. “Did you seriously just call me a skank? What are you? Fifteen? Grow the fuck up.”

“That, right there ...” Scout interrupted as he sidled in next to Alex, who glanced around to see they had acquired a rather large and rapt audience. The taut expression on Scout’s face said he barely kept his ire in check. “That juvenile attitude of yours, Erik, is one of the many reasons I was never attracted to you.”

Alex gritted his teeth when Erik took a seductive step toward Scout, lust filling his eyes. “But, Scout, I was willing to give you everything. Ididgive you everything. I took care of you for years. He doesn’t love you like I do—he’s probably just chasing after you for your money.” He set a hand on Scout’s crossed forearms, and Alex almost decked him. “Don’t let him come between us.”

Scout dropped his arms, breaking the contact with the other man. His eyes narrowed in disgust. “First of all, there is nous, Erik—there never was and never will be. Second, not that it’s any business of yours or anyone else’s, but I’m the one who pursued Alex into a relationship. He was reluctant to give in because he works for me. And he’s the only man I ever worked with that I’ve dated. That I everwantedto date. He’s not greedy—he’s not after my money or what I can buy him. He doesn’t ask for anything other than my honesty and respect and for me to be his equal when we’re not in the office. In fact ...” He pivoted to face Alex, gazing into his surprised eyes. “It’s time for me to be honest about something else. I’m in love with you, Alex. Completely and utterly in love with you.”

Stunned, Alex stood there, staring at Scout, for several moments before he took two steps forward, set his hands on the man’s shoulders, and leaned in and rested his forehead against Scout’s. Paying no attention to everyone watching them, he swallowed hard, then softly said, “I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to wait until we’re alone for me to say those words back to you. The first time I say them to you, I want it to be just you and me and because the moment is right. I don’t want to say it to satisfy anyone else’s curiosity or prove to some asshole who can’t take a fucking hint that you’re mine.”

“That’s not why I said it, Alex.” Scout’s voice was just as low. “I meant every word.”

“I know you did.”

He tilted his head and brushed his lips against Scout’s. The other man groaned and lifted his hands to clutch the sides of Alex’s head before deepening the kiss. Around them, there was a roar of applause, whistles, and catcalls for them to get a room, but Alex ignored everyone except Scout. He was the only one who mattered, and later that night, Alex would show and tell Scout exactly how much he loved him too.

Nine

As soon as the elevator door shut them in, Scout pinned Alex against the back wall and crushed their mouths together. They went from zero to ninety in seconds. Hands grasped and roamed, tongues danced, and hearts pounded as the elevator headed skyward. Alex knew nothing would stop them tonight. It wouldn’t be long before they were in Scout’s bed, naked and pleasuring each other. They would make love for the first time, and Alex wanted to savor every moment.

He knew he’d fallen hard for Scout but was so afraid to voice those three little words. Afraid Scout didn’t feel the same way. Afraid others would think he was only after Scout’s money—like Erik announced to everyone. The jealous bastard was not-so-quietly escorted out of the Cock & Bull by two big bouncersafter Rico advised him he was permanently banned from the establishment.

However, all of Alex’s fears disappeared the moment Scout announced to everyone in the pub that he was in love with Alex. The same words almost slipped from Alex’s mouth in response, but he held them back and told Scout the next best thing he could think of instead.

He wanted to say “I love you” to Scout for the first time when it was just the two of them, with no eager gazes staring at them. While it wouldn’t be the first time he told a guy he loved them, it was different with Scout. More meaningful. More absolute. He realized while he may have loved a few old boyfriends, he’d never beeninlove with them. It hadn’t been the forever kind of love he felt for Scout. Alex doubted he would ever love another man as much as he loved the one he was making out with in a hotel elevator.

A thought penetrated his mind, and he opened his eyes, searching where the walls met the car’s ceiling. He wrenched his mouth from Scout’s, gasping for air. “W-wait ... the security cameras, Scout.” The last thing he wanted was for their intimate moment to be broadcast for someone else to see.

Scout kissed along Alex’s smooth jawline, which he’d shaved again before they went out earlier. His teeth nipped Alex’s earlobe, sending a shiver of delight down his spine. The man drove him crazy with barelya touch. Thanks to the sensual assault, Alex was on the brink of utter insanity.

In between tonguing Alex’s ear, Scout whispered, “Before we got in here ... I disabled the camera through my phone ... because I knew ... I wouldn’t be able to wait until we got upstairs ... I also made sure we wouldn’t stop on any other floors on the way up.”

Grasping the sides of his boyfriend’s shirt, Scout yanked it out from under the waistband of Alex’s jeans and delved his hands under the fabric. When Scout’s palms made contact with bare skin, Alex swore jolts of electricity coursed through him. His cock throbbed with want and need.

The elevator car halted, and the doors slid open. The two men didn’t have to worry about running into Magnus since the actor was in Los Angeles for the next week or so.

Scout stuck his hand under Alex’s belt buckle, made a fist, and practically dragged him out of the elevator toward the door to his apartment. Alex was more than happy to follow along. Within seconds, they were inside and behind a closed door, attacking each other again. Shirts, shoes, socks, jeans, and briefs were disposed of as they kissed, stumbled, bumped into things and each other, and thudded against the walls leading from the front door, through the living room, down the hall, and into Scout’s bedroom.

When the back of Alex’s legs hit the side of the bed, Scout gently pushed on his chest, sending him fallingonto his back, breathing heavily. Letting his gaze roam Scout’s naked body, Alex tried to memorize every delicious contour. The man was hot with clothes on, but without? Holy shit, he was scorching. Scout’s cock was a thing of beauty too—long and thick. Alex’s ass clenched as he imagined what that cock would feel like inside him.

He forced his gaze upward, and his cheeks burned when he saw Scout eyeing him just as hungrily. Scout smiled. “I love it when you blush. Never thought that would be a turn-on for me, but it is.”

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