Page 23 of Deadly Hands

The two of them had been playing this exquisite torture for two weeks–Nikon’s hands sliding up Reuben’s inner thighs during late-night poker games until Reuben could barely focus on his cards, heated glances across the casino floor that left him hard and aching, moments stolen in dark corners where Nikon would touch him just enough to make him burn before pulling away.

Every encounter between them ended with Reuben desperate, wondering which game they werereallyplaying.

And now, with Nikon’s impressive arousal pressing against his hip, and those wicked lips marking a path of ownership across his collarbone, Reuben wondered if today would be different.

Nikon’s hands gripped his hips harder, sure to leave marks that Reuben would feel for days. The thought only heightened Reuben’s arousal, knowing he’d carry physical reminders of this moment.

Nikon’s fingers traced the waistband of Reuben’s trousers, a teasing touch that had Reuben pushing up with a long low moan.

“That sound,” Nikon breathed against his ear, voice rough with desire. “I love making you make that sound.” His teeth grazed Reuben’s earlobe as one hand slipped between them, palming the hard length of Reuben’s arousal through his trousers. “I’ve imagined how you’d feel, taste, sound.”

The friction between them felt incredible. Reuben’s hips bucked involuntarily, his cock seeking more pressure before Nikon could pull away. Even now, Reuben could feel the moment approaching when Nikon would step back, leaving him breathless and confused. “Then do it,” he challenged, voice breaking on a gasp as Nikon’s thumb found just the right spot. “Stop imagining and fuck me.”

Nikon’s voice was rough as he abruptly broke their kiss. “The bank manager meeting is in an hour.” The words hit Reuben like a splash of cold water, though Nikon’s hands still burned where they gripped his hips.

Reuben blinked, trying to clear his mind of the haze of desire that clouded his thoughts whenever Nikon was this close. “Wait, what? The bank manager?”

He searched Nikon’s intense gaze for answers, but as always, that chiseled face revealed nothing.

Over the past few weeks, Reuben had studied every subtle shift in Nikon’s expression, every tightening of those lips or crease in his brow. He’d also come to learn the signs of Nikon’s arousal—the way his pupils blew wide, the sharp inhalations when Reuben’s fingers grazed his neck. But he still couldn’t read the deeper tells, the ones that would explain why Nikon always pulled back before they crossed that final line.

“Yes.” Nikon’s thumb brushed Reuben’s lower lip. “My brother, Alexei, needs you to handle the account setup for one of his real estate deals. You’ll be meeting her at First National downtown.”

Confusion warred with a different kind of hunger low in Reuben’s belly. Playing poker in Nikon’s underground rooms, he understood. Using his skills to read potential threats at meetings... well, that made sense, too.

But banking? That one threw him for a loop.

He pushed off the wall, needing space to think. “Why me? I’m sure Alexei has people for that kind of thing.”

The words were out before Reuben could stop them. Nikon went still, the same dangerous stillness Reuben had seen Nikon project right before issuing an order no one dared disobey. Reuben braced himself for the bite of reprimand, the sting of being reminded how quickly his circumstances could change if he stepped out of line.

Instead, Nikon’s expression softened to a touch. “You’ve more than proved your loyalty to me these past weeks.” His gaze drifted down Reuben’s body, lingering in a way that raised goose-flesh along his arms. “There’s no one else I’d trust with this.”

The husky timbre of Nikon’s voice sent a shiver through Reuben’s groin. Two could play at this game. He closed the distance between them, trailing his fingers over the crisp shirt fabric stretching across Nikon’s chest as he leaned in with a grin.

“Is that all this is?” He pitched his voice low, lips brushing Nikon’s ear. “A bank errand?”

Nikon tensed, the barest catch of his breath giving him away. Reuben smirked. So the great crime boss did have weaknesses, after all.

“Be careful.” The words rumbled from Nikon’s chest. More command than caution. His hand caught Reuben’s wrist, stilling the playful touch. “This isn’t a game.”

But wasn’t it? Everything in Reuben’s world had become a complex match of strategy and tells since that first fateful night in Nikon’s poker room. He’d learned to read the shifting alliances between dealers and regulars like hole cards, and to track the ebb and flow of power through the room like betting patterns.

And Nikon... Nikon was the most fascinating player of all.

“You’re worried.” Reuben didn’t pull his wrist free, instead letting his fingers curl against Nikon’s chest. The rapid heartbeat beneath his palm betrayed what Nikon’s stern expression tried to hide. “About a simple bank meeting?”

Nikon’s jaw tightened. That subtle tell Reuben had cataloged over countless late nights. Something about this assignment had the usually unshakeable crime boss on edge.

“Focus on the task.” Nikon released Reuben’s wrist but didn’t step back, leaving them pressed together in the narrow space between Nikon’s desk and the wall behind it. “Ms. Simmons, the bank manager, will have the paperwork ready. You just need to sign where indicated and maintain a professional demeanor.”

Professional demeanor. Right. Because that explained why Nikon’s hands were back to bracketing his hips, thumbs stroking slow circles that made any coherent thought increasingly difficult.

“And here I was planning to juggle the pens and do card tricks across her desk.” The quip earned him a sharp look, butReuben caught the slight twitch at the corner of Nikon’s mouth. “I do know how to handle myself in legitimate business settings. Former finance major, remember?”

“I always remembereverythingabout you.” The intensity in Nikon’s voice made Reuben’s breath catch. Those steel-blue eyes traced his features like memorizing a map. “Including how quick you are to notice details others miss.”

Heat bloomed in Reuben’s chest at the praise, even as his mind latched onto the underlying message. He was meant to watch for something during this meeting.

---