Page 16 of Forbidden Lust

“Parked downstairs.”

“You’re no fun,” she pouted. “My brother bags a dirty weekend with a millionaire, and I don’t get to meet him.”

“He’s not a millionaire.”

“Daniel Harper, managing partner of Harper and Co?”

“Yes.”

“You need to do better research, big brother. He’s a self-made millionaire.”

“What?”

She had to be wrong. Daniel couldn’t be that rich. He came across as just so... normal. What would a millionaire want with him? Josh was living in a shitty ex-council flat and having to sleep on the sofa because they couldn’t afford two bedrooms.

“Stop that,” said Carly.

“What?”

“You’re in your head. ‘I’m not worthy. What could he see in me?’ And all that bullshit.”

Josh laughed. She knew him better than anyone.

“Don’t keep that sexy man waiting. Get your bag packed and get back downstairs.”

He smiled and took her advice. It only took him a couple of minutes to get all his stuff. Daniel had told him to bring something warm for Sunday, but wouldn’t explain why. He grabbed his spare suit for Monday and some fresh underwear – the sexy kind – and quickly changed, because he was still wearing his Friday work clothes. Josh was zipping up his bag when the phone rang. It was Daniel.

“Hello.”

“I’m parked up. What number is yours?”

“I’m just coming. Don’t leave your car around here.”

Daniel chuckled.

“I don’t mind waiting in yours if you need more time.”

Panicking about Daniel seeing his flat, he threw the bag over his shoulder and headed to the door. “I’m walking out the door now.”

“Okay, I’ll just wait down here.”

They said goodbye and Josh hung up. He gave Carly a hug, and she made a crass comment about spending some time over the weekend outside the bedroom. He shot her a glare as he barrelled out the door and down the four flights of stairs. The lift was temperamental at the best of times and always stank of piss. He wasn’t taking the risk.

By the time he got to the bottom, he was out of breath, and Daniel was waiting just outside the main door, looking completely out of place in this neighbourhood. Even in jeans and a jumper he looked immaculate, the blue in his jumper complementing his eyes, and the jeans doing nothing to conceal the python he was packing. Josh hadn’t had it in his mouth yet, but that was definitely on the agenda before the weekend was over.

Daniel turned as Josh walked out, and smiled when he saw him. He took Josh’s bag off him and put his arm around his shoulder, pulling him in for a quick kiss. Was this what it was like to have a boyfriend? Josh didn’t have a reference, but to have someone genuinely happy to see him, who was outside his family, was a wonderful feeling.

Once back at Daniel’s flat, he insisted on Josh hanging up his clothes and putting his bag away. He was here for another two nights, so may as well be comfortable had been Daniel’s argument. Josh could see why he was successful as a lawyer–he wasn’t someone you disagreed with. There was nothing aggressive about him, it was just his presence. You felt compelled to follow his orders.

“I’ll make us a snack before we go to the theatre. We can go for dinner after if that works for you?”

Josh nodded, licking his lips. There was a snack he wanted alright.

“What?” asked Daniel with a smirk.

Josh dropped to his knees and looked up at Daniel, giving his best puppy dog eyes. His mother had described them that way, saying he’d be able to use them to get any man to do whatever he wanted. Probably not the proper time to be thinking about his mother, when he was kneeling at eye level of Daniel’s bulge.

“I can never say no to a gorgeous man on his knees,” said Daniel, stroking his cheek.

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