Page 50 of Binding Their Hearts

“Never,” Jay echoed. His cock thumped Henry’s thigh. He shifted restless hips. “Can I still, uh…”

“Have a taste first,” Henry suggested, spreading his legs beneath the sheet. Forcing himself not to thrust and make ripples in the bed that might wake Alice would be a pleasant, prickly challenge. “And then we’ll try our hand at making a mess.”

Jay’s eyes gleamed in the glow of the bedside clock before he disappeared beneath the sheet with all the agile stealth contained in his lithe, muscular form. Henry permitted himself a nearly silent growl. They’d do this again soon in the daylight, minus the covers. Watching the muscles at play only made the pleasure more exquisite. Then Jay closed his mouth over the head of Henry’s cock, and all thoughts beyond the here and now sank silently away.

Chapter twenty-four

Jay

The door chimed its cheery greeting as Jay walked into the diner. Nobody at their table yet; he was a few minutes early. He tried to be first to lunch every week, part of showing Alice respect as her subby stud, but between traffic and Mrs. Eickhoff’s stories about her grandkids, he didn’t always manage.

As he yanked his windbreaker over his head, his shorts rang. Or the phone in them did, anyway. A bit of quick juggling, and Alice’s photo beamed back at him. He swiped up.

“Running late? It’s okay, I just got here.” He scooted back against the wall to let a couple of older dudes exit. Blocking the door, not cool. “Securing our usual table now.”

“Don’t.”

He’d only gotten two steps down the aisle toward their table. “Don’t?”

“I mean, do, you should eat lunch, but don’t wait for me. I’m…”

Not coming. They both knew the end to that sentence without making her say it. She was practically whispering already, and still the signals carried her unhappiness to his ear.

“Skipping lunch, huh?” His voice bounced above the heaviness in his gut. He was a grown-up; she had work to get done. Breaking their date didn’t mean she didn’t value him or want to spend time together. No matter how it felt. He forced a teasing tone. “Henry’s not gonna like that diet.”

“I’m sorry, Jay. It’s more than lunch; I know that. It means more to me, too.”

Lunch had become part of their ritual, every bit as much as the weekly room checks, even if it didn’t have a line in the contract. But him feeling slighted and her feeling guilty wouldn’t change anything. “Putting out fires?”

“Something like that. The firm’s gotten super aggressive about chasing contracts. I think last quarter looked light, which means next year’s revenues will be light, and—never mind, it’s not important.” Her blown-out breath crackled in the speaker. “What is important is that I love you, and I’m sorry. I ducked out of a meeting to call.”

“I get it. We’re good, promise.” And they would be, after he rode off the disappointment souring his stomach. “You’re gonna eat, though, right?”

“I will. The vending machine has noodle cups and granola bars. It’ll be fine. Delicious. Just missing my favorite conversation partner.” She dropped her voice and wrapped him in warmth. “And the eye candy up in here has nothing on you, stud.” The background noise picked up. “Gotta go. I love you.”

“Love you too.” He rushed out the words as the screen went blank. Hopefully she’d heard him.

“Two iced teas today, hun?” Bonnie, their regular server, stopped on her way past him, a customer’s ticket in her hand. “Go on and get your table, and I’ll bring ’em out lickety-split.”

“Hold that thought. Sorry.” He could sit and eat, sure. Or he could do his mistress a service now and grab food for himself near his office after. “I’m gonna need a lunch to go. Just one today.”

No way would Henry be happy with Alice’s vending snacks plan. Jay loaded her up on comfort food—a full serving of homestyle mac and cheese and a basket of pulled pork nachos would let her know that a bucket of microwaved noodles didn’t count as lunch. Bonnie promised to have it ready in a few minutes, silverware and all, so he stepped outside to make a call.

Not to Henry—he wasn’t tattling on his co-sub. He would do that before dinner, so Henry could sneakily interrogate Alice about how much work her bosses were wringing out of her. She didn’t try masking her exhaustion when she got home at night. Smart, because Henry would see through it anyway. Jay knew exhaustion—the physical kind, the bone-deep weariness a hot shower eased and a night relaxing with his lovers erased. But Alice’s came from her head, her wheels spinning all day and all night, too. She never got to stop pedaling and just coast.

“Jay, how unexpected and delightful.” Cultured and smooth, Emma had a voice like Henry’s mom. He’d never asked, but she’d probably grown up around money and gone to a fancy school like Henry did. “What can I do for you? Is something wrong?”

“Nothing wrong. Sorry to startle you.” He arched his back and stretched his shoulders, keeping to the thin strip of sidewalk beside his bike and out of the way of midday shoppers. “I know Henry talked to you Saturday about the ceremony—”

“Yes, and congratulations! I’m thrilled for the three of you. You deserve every happiness, Jay.”

She sounded honest, rich and gooey like a fudge brownie, and a tightness in his chest unknotted. Emma and Master William were Henry’s oldest friends. Not that he needed them to think he was good enough for Henry. Henry thought he was, and his was the only opinion that mattered. But having their approval and support didn’t hurt. Especially when he needed their help.

“I was hoping we could get together this week. I’m in charge of the stuff, and I wanted to talk to you about ideas.”

“I’m free now. Do you have a lunch meeting?”

His tongue almost got yes out before he corralled it. Not today, he didn’t. “No, I can meet you. That would be awesome, thanks.”

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