Page 25 of Pursuing the Egoist
Yugo turned to the bedroom. Blinds shut tight, the room drowned in inky darkness. At first, Yugo couldn’t see anything but the giant bed, crumpled sheets, and a white basin standing on the floor next to it. The longer he looked, the more the bedding resembled a sleeping form. He made out a mop of blond, short hair and the silhouette of a slack, muscular arm. A male arm.
He took a step toward the bedroom when a door on his right swung open. Wiping his hair with a black towel, Greg stumbled out; another towel was draped around his hips. He took a few steps toward the bedroom but froze and slowly turned around as if sensing Yugo’s presence. Eyes flashing alarm, he shifted, shielding the bedroom from Yugo’s view with his massive torso.
What the fuck?The small, instinctive gesture sent anger jolting through Yugo’s body.
“Boss?”
Yugo tilted his head, trying to win the internal war with his temper. He didn’t like secrets, and Greg’s overprotective behavior over his lover rubbed him the wrong way.
Trying to maintain a calm, amused tone, Yugo asserted, “It’s one p.m.”
“Sorry, Boss.” Greg dropped his gaze; his hands balled into fists. “Something came up.”
“Your cock?”
“No.” Greg scowled and now watched Yugo with a sliver of disapproval. “I had an emergency.”
“I can certainly see that. A man, huh?”
A weird look crossed Greg’s face. He licked his lips and stole a glance back at the bedroom, looking more nervous than Yugo had ever seen him. Droplets of water flared on Greg’s buff chest and arms as his whole body came to attention.
When Greg didn’t deny it, Yugo hummed. “Who would have guessed…”
Somehow, Yugo had been sure Greg’s lover was a woman. Yugo brought many men home, rent boys too. He’d invited Greg to enjoy them countless times, but the man had never shown any interest. Whenever he’d looked at Yugo’s lovers, he always wore a blank expression as if he wasn’t looking at them but through them. Even the most gorgeous ones.
Shuffling his thoughts around his skull for another minute, Yugo smirked, then said, “Care to introduce us?”
“It’s not what you think it is. And it’s not a good time right now.” Greg’s voice wavered, but his borderline hostility thickened the air.
“You are pissing me off,” Yugo snapped. “What do you think I’m going to do, fuck him or something? Do you think I fuck every hole I see?”
“No. It’s really just a bad time.” Throwing a glance at the massive clock on the wall, Greg added, “Weren’t you going to meet Gustavo today?”
“Yeah, an hour ago,” Yugo said, watching Greg’s hands fumble over the towel on his waist.
“Shit… I’ll be ready in a minute. I’ll drive you.” Greg turned toward the bedroom, but as soon as his gaze fell on the open door, he hesitated. His shoulders drooped, and he stole a guilty glance over his shoulder as if begging Yugo to give him privacy.
“Fuck you.” Yugo hissed and stomped downstairs, every blood vessel burning with wrath.
“Yugo, wait…”
Heavy steps followed him to the door. Yugo turned around, his cheek twitching in a poorly controlled rage. “I told you to take personal time to sort out your issues. Instead, you ditched me because you were balls-deep in a hole, you motherfucker.”
“It’s not…”
“Don’t fucking interrupt me!” Yugo raised his voice, and Greg’s mouth thinned out to a white slice. “I don’t want to see you until you get your shit together. Take all the fucking time you need, but when you are back, I want you to prioritize your job or find yourself another one.”
Greg nodded, but his shoulders relaxed a fraction. A shy smile touched the corners of his lips; an unfamiliar, happy expression. “Thank you, Boss.”
For a second, Yugo stared, then shook his head and stormed out of the penthouse, his anger disappearing.
THE FOLLOWING DAYSdrowned in snow and preparation. Working without Greg was uncomfortable, and Yugo found it easier to do things himself than asking his security team for help. Realizing how heavily he depended on Greg, Yugo considered hiring a personal assistant. Still, he couldn’t imagine anyone ever substituting for Greg or being at least half as efficient.
Despite the chilly days, his nights were stuffy and reeked of sex. After having another wet dream about Leiris, Yugo turned to the paid embraces of rent boys. He still found himself checking the daily updates on Leiris’ life, but with every sultry night, his interest in the detective diminished. It didn’t look like Leiris had any trump cards up his sleeve, so by delivery day, Yugo had completely lost all interest in him.
Mio’s calls stopped two days ago. It had happened before, but Yugo knew he must be angry and hurt. He’d considered calling him a few times, but meeting when his emotions were wired with the upcoming delivery might have irreversible consequences. Also, Mio had probably returned to England.
Better do it later.He reached for the phone to schedule a meeting with Mio for next week when the screen flashed blue. He swiped the green icon up, receiving the call.
