Chapter Two - Gabe

It would be nice to know what had his PA so flustered this morning. Admittedly, he hadn't known Ev long—Xavier had coerced him into hiring the boy a little over two months ago—but it was clear something was off. Gabe eyed the bakery bag sitting on the corner of his desk. Ev had practically thrown it at him with a mumbled "Happy New Year, I guess," before retreating to his desk like Gabe might snap at him for the gift.

Gabe hoped it wasn't something he'd done. As much as he'd resisted hiring a PA, Ev had proven to be a needed addition. Gabe hadn't realized how much he'd relied on Xavier's assistant, Asher, until Xavier had fucked off to a little mountain town and taken his talented PA with him.

Speaking of Xavier, it was just about time for their weekly check-in. Right on schedule, a video conference notification popped up on his computer. He accepted it, and a moment later, Xavier's face appeared on the screen. In the background, the blue-tinted mountain landscape filled the window of his new home office. Gabe was still wrapping his mind around Xavier DeCain, farm owner.

"Happy New Year," Xavier said, a warm smile on his bearded face. Gabe had to admit, he looked good. He'd traded his neatly trimmed goatee and tailored suits for a more casual look now that he wasn't in the office on a regular basis. He'd never looked happier, but that was less to do with the mountains and more to do with the boy Xavier had left the city for.

"The same to you," Gabe replied. "How was the trip home?" Xavier and Finn, along with Finn's grandfather, had spent the week between Christmas and New Year's in New York. Gabe had seen them briefly, but Ev had seen them more. Ev and Finn were close friends, which was how Ev had landed his job.

"Smooth," Xavier said, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands in front of him. "We'll be back up there soon. Finn wants to visit for Ev's birthday."

"Is that before or after LA?" The firm was hosting a client party in the middle of the month. They held one each winter as a thank-you to their current clients and to network with potential new ones. It was timed in the lead-up to one of the large awards shows, when the majority of people would be in town. Asher was handling most of the logistics this year, along with their event planning team, though Ev had some responsibilities as well.

"After. Toward the end of the month. Speaking of LA, Remy changed his mind and says he'll attend."

Gabe's eyebrows went up. That was big news for them. Remy was one of Xavier's personal clients. A mainstay in Hollywood who'd been through a rough patch recently but had come out more sought-after than ever. Having him in attendance was a great reminder to other potential clients and agents of just what DeCain PR could do for them. "What made him reconsider?"

"You mean who." Xavier chuckled, his eyes creasing at the corners as he smiled past the computer screen. Gabe knew exactly who had caught his eye.

"Good morning, Finn," Gabe called, raising his voice a little. A laugh drifted through the laptop speakers, and a moment later, Xavier's boy peeked into the frame with a shy smile on his pretty face.

"Morning, Gabe," he said, then squeaked as Xavier caught him around the waist and tugged him into his lap. He curled into his Daddy with a happy sigh, and Xavier pressed a lingering kiss to his temple.

"So you're the miracle worker who changed Remy's mind?" Gabe asked, curious how that had come about. Remy hadn't been opposed to the party, but he hadn't shown much interest either.

Finn ducked his head and lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck. "Well, I had this business idea," Finn started hesitantly. "I told Remy, and he said he has people he wants me to meet. And Daddy—Xavi," Finn corrected, blushing, "said some of them will be at the party." Finn shrugged and gave Gabe a pleased smile. "So, I guess Remy's coming now?"

Xavier kissed the side of Finn's head again, in a movement that was filled with pride. "You should tell Gabe about your business too," Xavier said, his narrowed eyes telling Gabe he better be interested or at least play along.

Finn's shyness vanished as he explained his idea for a service that would use private aircraft to fly unwanted animals from shelters around the country to their new owners in other states. Gabe wasn't much of an animal person, but he could see how invested Finn was in the idea. And from a PR standpoint, it was an excellent move. People hated the wastefulness of private jets, but people loved their pets. It was actually brilliant, the more he thought about it. He could probably help Finn find some jet owners who would be interested in the social capital.

"Is that Finn?" Ev asked from the doorway. He was on his way in with a stack of mail.

Finn perked up on the screen, having heard his friend's voice. "Ev!" he called.

Ev bit the inside of his cheek, hesitating, but Gabe could see Finn's excitement and Xavier's indulgent smile. Gabe waved Ev over, accepting that he had lost control of the meeting and Xavier would be no help getting it back on track.

Once Ev was in view of the cameras, the boys grinned at each other. "Happy New Year," Ev said to Finn and Xavier, leaning in with one hand on Gabe's desk so he could see better. Gabe pushed back a little to give him space, and his eyes caught on his PA's perky ass. He made a note of how well his pants fit him, then removed his gaze before he got called out for it.

"Why was your phone off all weekend?" Finn was asking Ev. "I called and texted. I was getting worried."

Ev's shoulders hunched, and the back of his neck went red. He threw Gabe a look that he couldn't decipher, then refocused on the laptop screen. "Sorry, man. I was recovering from that party I told you about. I wasn't up for phone calls."

Finn wrinkled his nose. "For two days? Maybe you had a little too much fun."

Ev made a choked sound and shook his head. Gabe couldn't see his face, but Finn's eyes flicked to Gabe, and he winced then looked contrite. Most likely, Ev didn't want to talk about his hangover in front of his boss.

"Okay, fine," Finn said finally. "But next time, you need to at least text me first. Don't make me drive up there," he threatened.

Ev lost his tension. "Like Xavier would ever let you drive. He'd just call the airport and have the jet standing by."

Xavier looked amused at their banter. "He's not wrong, sweetheart," he told Finn, arms tightening around his waist. "But I think we should let Ev get back to work and let Gabe have his computer back. Besides, you and I have plans."

Finn ducked his head, his cheeks pinking. "Yes, Daddy," he whispered as he shot a glance at the laptop. "But are you sure you aren't too busy?"

Gabe bit back a snarky comment about their meeting being overrun. Finn was too much of a sweetheart to tease very hard, and Gabe wasn't that much of an asshole. "Don't worry about it. We were done here," he said, getting a grateful look from Xavier. Xavier was working on his boy's confidence, but they had a ways to go.

"Bye, Finny," Ev said, straightening up. "I'll call you tonight, okay?"

"Bye, Ev. Have a good day," Finn replied sweetly.

Gabe gave Xavier a nod. They could finish up anything else later.

Xavier signed off, but not before Gabe caught sight of him turning Finn for another kiss.

A pang of want took Gabe by surprise, but he shrugged it off. He might enjoy picking up a boy—like the sexy little thing from New Year's—at the club from time to time, but relationships were too much work. At nearly forty, Gabe was satisfied with his life. Xavier settling down wasn't a sign that Gabe should be looking. Despite some kinks in common, he and his business partner were very different people.

From beside him, Ev cleared his throat. His eyes, which Gabe had yet to figure out the color of behind his dark-framed glasses, looked everywhere but at Gabe. "Um. Lunch?"

Back to the flustered avoidance, were they? Gabe glanced at the clock, then arched an eyebrow. "It's a little early, don't you think?"

Everett lifted a hand like he was going to run it through his hair, then stopped, lightly smoothing the reddish strands instead before dropping his hand back to his side. "I mean for your eleven o'clock with Robert. Do you want me to order, or are you planning to go out?"

The question was directed at Gabe's Persian rug, and he wondered again what the hell had Ev so out of sorts. In two months, he'd never struck Gabe as someone capable of being shy or even hesitant. The way he let difficult situations roll off him was one of the things Gabe appreciated about his new PA.

Gabe didn't have time to ponder it. "No telling how long that will run. Order from Cosmo's. You know what I like. Robbie will take the Cobb salad. Get yourself something as well. I doubt we'll get much of a lunch break."

Ev agreed, then nearly tripped over the rug he'd been staring at so intently as he rushed out of the room.

Strange, but a mystery for another day.

Gabe checked his calendar. He had back-to-back meetings until five and then a client dinner. Busy, just the way he liked it. It would keep his mind from drifting to other things. Things like New Year's Eve.

The evening had gone so well, right up until it hadn't. The boy had caught his eye early on. They'd met, had some frankly outstanding sex, and Gabe had been ready to see where they might go next. Then, in an obnoxiously Cinderella-like twist, the boy had disappeared before Gabe could get his name or ask if he wanted to meet up again.

Gabe wasn't going to dwell on it. They'd had fun, and no promises had been exchanged past midnight. It didn't matter how sweetly the boy had begged or how good he'd felt wrapped around Gabe's cock. Gabe wasn't in it for more than a good time. The uncomfortable twinge in his chest could be ignored by staying busy. Best-case scenario, they ran into each other again. Worst, he remained a sexy little memory that Gabe could dust off from time to time when he was too busy to hunt down the real thing.

Gabe's feet pounded against the belt of the treadmill as he settled into his preferred speed. He liked this gym with its second-floor vantage point of the avenue outside. It gave him something interesting to look at that wasn't the TVs mounted around the open space. It was a decent compromise when the weather was too much. Even he wasn't running in the city with an inch of slush on the ground.

Gabe's podcast was just starting to get interesting when the guy on the treadmill next to him finished his slow jog and a familiar figure took his place. Gabe hit pause and pulled out his earbud.

Jack reached over for a fist bump that Gabe grudgingly returned. "Hey, buddy," he said with a grin that was somehow both boyish and wicked. "Long time no see."

Three whole days. They'd been together New Year's Eve before Gabe had ditched his friend for his boy, and Jack got busy behind the bar—one of the drawbacks of being part owner of the club.

"You're here early. You have some holiday indulgences to work off?" Jack asked with a saucy wink.

Gabe refrained from rolling his eyes, figuring that would end badly on a treadmill. "No more than you. Grant showed me the photos from Cabo, remember?"

Jack laughed. "Fucking worth it," he said and tapped the button to start his treadmill. "Did he show you the spicy ones? Holy shit, that boy was bendy."

Gabe huffed a laugh and increased his speed to match Jack's. The guy had been a cross-country star in high school, and he hadn't lost any of his stamina. "We're still talking about your husband, right?" Grant wasn't the exhibitionist that Jack was.

Jack made a dismissive sound. "I'll show you later. Grant won't mind. They're too good to keep to ourselves." Gabe wouldn't turn down that opportunity. Jack had an eye for photography and excellent taste in hookups.

They ran in companionable silence for several miles before Gabe, in a moment of weakness, asked, "Did you see the boy I was with the other night?"

Jack glanced over, then slowed his treadmill. Gabe did the same, breathing hard. He'd been slacking off over the holidays. "How could I miss him, all those tattoos?" He whistled. "I would have made a play but Grant wasn't feeling it, and I was lucky he agreed to come out at all. I wasn't going to push things."

"Any chance you know his name?"

Jack's eyebrows went up.

"Don't give me that look," Gabe grumbled. He stopped the treadmill and grabbed a towel to wipe his face. "I planned to ask at midnight, but his friend was having a meltdown and I didn't get a chance." He gave Jack a dirty look when he laughed.

"Sorry, man. He must be new. I didn't recognize him. Any chance he left a glass slipper behind? Or something more to theme, like a custom cock ring?"

Fucking asshole. Gabe gritted his teeth, a muscle twitching in his jaw. He should have waited and asked their other friend Max.

Jack clapped him on the shoulder as they headed for the free weights. "I guess Twinkerella made an impression."

Gabe swatted at him and missed when Jack dodged out of the way. He couldn't deny it, though. He'd barely gotten a glimpse of the boy after their masks came off and would struggle to pick him from a lineup, but he couldn't get the feel of him, the way he submitted so beautifully, and the sound of his throaty voice begging "Daddy" out of his head.

Gabe relaxed back into the soft leather of his sofa and kicked his feet up onto the coffee table. He and Jack had gone hard, and he was going to be sore tomorrow. Still, it was worth it. There was no better way to unwind after a long day. Okay, there was one better way, but, barring a willing boy, working out was the next best thing.

After the gym, they'd gone to dinner with Spencer and Max, the other two co-owners of the Edge, for their monthly planning meeting and to go over the results of the New Year's Eve party. They were good friends, and Gabe had known them before they'd opened the club. He handled their PR in exchange for a VIP membership that came with some additional perks. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Gabe did what he was good at and kept the club's publicity positive, and in exchange, he got first dibs on tickets to both public and private events, reserved seating in the club, and, best of all, access to the more private areas that were typically reserved for the most VIP of their VIP clientele.

Dinner was fantastic, as it always was when Spencer chose the restaurant. They'd gotten the work out of the way first, then caught up with one another, talking until the server started nudging them toward the exit. Now Gabe was home, changed into comfortable clothes, and in something of a food coma.

He was sipping an old-fashioned and contemplating dragging himself to bed for an early night when his phone buzzed with an app notification.

It was an Exchange message. Gabe mainly used the kinky app to connect with people from the club when he'd rather not share his personal information. He still got DMs from people looking for a hookup, but more often, it was friends and past partners sending him links to things they thought he'd appreciate.

The message was from a boy Gabe had hooked up with about six months ago. Felix was a firecracker, both in bed and out of it. His message was short, wondering if Gabe would be at the club that weekend. Since Gabe wasn't sure, he sent a vague "we'll see" and got a praying emoji in reply that made him chuckle.

With the app still open, he flicked over to the Connections feature. It was more hookup-oriented and what the app had started as before expanding into private social groups with messaging and event management, as well as subscription accounts that offered things like photography and camming. It was practically a one-stop shop for all things kinky.

Gabe wasn't looking for anything in particular. He had his search set to the local area, casual encounters, and boys looking for kinks that he enjoyed. He had no plans to contact anyone—he was too tired for that—but sometimes it was fun to imagine the person beyond the list of likes and don't-likes. This boy, for example, who said he was into primal play and CNC. What would it be like to chase a willing partner through some abandoned area, catch them, and have his way with them? The concept got him hard, but in reality, Gabe would be too concerned with their safety and well-being to follow through. You could only check for consent so many times before primal prey was going to get fed up with you.

Gabe worked his pants off his hips and flicked to another profile. This young man listed Shibari and exhibitionism as his main interests. That was more up Max's alley than Gabe's. Though he could appreciate the beauty of intricate rope work, he didn't always have the patience for it. Still, the profile pictures were stunning, with a variety of colorful ropes setting off the sub's flawless brown skin.

The next profile sent a pulse of desire through him. The image was of a boy on his knees, nude, and leaning against the leg of a man dressed in suit pants and nothing else. It was the profile of a couple looking for play partners, not something Gabe wanted at the moment, but the images were excellent fantasy fodder.

He took himself in hand with a groan, his eyes falling shut as he imagined that sweet boy looking up at him. In Gabe's mind, all he could see were green eyes that deepened in color when they caught the light and full lips that wrapped around his cock so perfectly, the labret piercing making him want to rub his thumb along the lower one.

Gabe huffed a laugh that turned into a groan when he tightened his grip and sped up his strokes. No surprise that his thoughts had drifted to the stunning boy he hadn't gotten enough of on New Year's Eve. It was always the ones who got away, wasn't it? He'd been eye-catching in his tuxedo pants and vest, his bare arms adorned with intricate black and gray tattoos that ended just before his wrists. And when Gabe had discovered the nipple piercings, he'd wanted to lay the boy out on a table right there in the club and see just how long he could play before the boy was begging to be allowed to come. Pleasure coiled tighter at the memory of that tight little ass opening up for his cock, the heat of him through the condom, the breathy little pleas leaving his parted lips. Daddy. Gabe cursed as his orgasm snuck up and shuddered through him, leaving him panting.

He let his head fall back against the leather of the sofa while he caught his breath and ignored the mess dripping over his fingers. Fuck, he wanted that boy again. Damn unlucky that he'd escaped the way he had. Gabe let out a breathless chuckle. Jack was right when he'd called him Twinkerella. And Gabe didn't even have a fucking slipper to track him down with. He was going to have to keep an eye out and hope that one of his friends who was at the club much more often than Gabe himself would remember and give him a heads-up the next time they saw the boy.

In the meantime, Gabe would carry on as usual. There was no point in waiting around for something that might never happen. Even if Jack or one of the others ran into Gabe's boy again, Gabe had no guarantee he'd be interested in a repeat. Gabe knew better than to assume his continued interest was mutual.