“Having never experienced such a thing, I could only guess at how it was for you all. But the show wrapped up last year. A lot of time has passed since then.”
“We had to sign NDAs and a bunch of other crap that prevented us from associating with any of the other contestants. We couldn’t tell anyone what had happened and we couldn’t reveal the ending. Not until the final episode aired.” He shook his head and grimaced. “It’s too much time. Lots can change.”
“You moved in together,” Ethan pointed out, unsure why Theo felt so insecure.
The other man laughed and pulled his sunglasses out of his shirt pocket. “Did we?”
Ethan watched him slide the glasses over his eyes, signaling an end to the conversation. Ethan still had questions, but if he were being truthful, he didn’t want to learn the answers.
~~~~~
Max answered his phone a few minutes before seven.
“Hey, I’m on my way home. Have you eaten? I can pick up something on the way.”
“I’m still at the office finishing up some paperwork. Pick up whatever you’d like and keep a portion warm for me. I’m uncertain when I will be finished.”
“I can do that, sure.”
The long hesitation on the other end of the line drew Max’s attention from his work. “Is there something else?”
“No, just...if you think you might be there for a while—how about I stop by and you can take me home when you’re done? We can eat in your office, if you don’t mind the company. I won’t bother you.”
Max drummed his fingers once on the desk blotter. “That will be fine. I’ll unlock the doors for you. Let yourself in.”
“Great! See you in a few.”
Max considered the amount of work he had left to do and deemed it manageable. He left his office to disarm the front door alarm and when he returned to his desk, he committed himself to his work. He was deep into reviewing an agent’s post-assignment report when he heard the alert for the front door and the follow-up chirp as it was manually re-armed from the lobby control panel. He didn’t look up when a knock sounded on his office door.
“Enter.”
The door opened and the fragrant smell of Thai food preceded Ethan into the room.
“Eating out of takeout containers sounded fun. I hope that’s alright.”
Max remained focused on his work. “Place the food on the table by the chairs, please.”
“Will you be awhile? I can put your portion in the refrig—”
“After you have done as I said, you will remove all of your clothing and kneel on the carpet in the middle of the room.”
The silence that fell was supremely satisfying. Max took a great deal of enjoyment out of shocking Ethan, especially sexually.
“Do you intend to disobey me?” Max asked as he signed off on the report and reached for the next in the pile.
“No. No, I just wasn’t—” Ethan released a shuddery breath. “Okay. I’ll do it now.”
Max heard the rustle of the plastic bag full of Thai food placed on the table in the client conversation area, and then listened as Ethan began stripping. He imagined he could hear the racing of Ethan’s heart and the quick rush of air in and out of his lungs as he draped his garments over the chairs before padding barefoot to the center of the room. He sank down to his knees with only a whisper of sound.
Five minutes later, Max, with his eyes on his work, murmured, “Arms behind your back, wrist to elbow. Spread your knees so every inch of you is available to me.”
“Yes, Max,” Ethan said, his voice soft. “Will you look at me?”
“When I feel like it.”
“Yes, Max.”
Though he yearned to reach down and palm himself through his dress slacks, Max teased himself by leaving the heavy length of his cock untouched while he completed his work. Ethan’s presence in the room was like a sun, searing Max’s skin and yet drawing him forward at the same time.
Another fifteen minutes passed. The office smelled of ginger, lemongrass, and coconut milk, but the food had probably gone cold. No matter. Max would order them something nice at home.
He took a break from his work to roll his head on his neck, stretching out tired muscles. Finally, he raised his eyes to his husband, who remained kneeling on the carpet. Ethan met his gaze, his green eyes wide with hope and longing. Max sensed the same thing from him in person that he’d sensed from his voice over the phone.
“Crawl to me,” he said curtly as he pushed his wheeled chair away from the edge of the desk. He rested his hands on the armrests and watched critically as Ethan lowered his hands to the carpet and crawled as requested. He was aware that Ethan didn’t find crawling to be humiliating, but the back of Ethan’s neck was stained lightly pink by the time he rounded Max’s enormous desk to stop beside his chair.
“I’d like to whip you,” Max commented mildly. He smiled to himself at the soft, sharp intake of breath he heard. “You look like a man who needs to be whipped and I would enjoy inflicting that pain on you. However, I’m too lazy for that at the moment. I’ve had a long day.”
“I could make you feel better,” Ethan murmured, raising his head to cast a beseeching look at Max. He was beautiful and submissive, and Max still marveled that he was his.
“You are going to do exactly that. Under the desk,” he ordered as he swiveled his seat to move his legs aside.
Ethan paused, eyes wide. They’d never done this before. Getting naked was already crossing the line of what they’d agreed could be done at work. But it was afterhours and the front door was locked. No one would find out, and Max knew this was needed.
“Did you not hear me?” he asked coolly.
A flush burst across Ethan’s cheeks. “I’m sorry. Of course.”
He squeezed past Max’s legs into the generous space beneath the large desk. Two people could have fit beneath it, but Max required just this one. He pushed his chair back into its usual position and picked up his Mont Blanc again.
“Take me out and hold me in your mouth,” he instructed calmly.
He tried to focus on work, but it was nearly impossible as Ethan’s trembling fingers coasted up the inside of his thighs. They paused to stroke the bulge of his scrotum through his trousers, testing its firmness and heat. Max allowed the detour, though it increased the ache. He sighed to himself with relief when Ethan eventually reached up to the fastening of his pants and opened it, spreading the placket wide. Reverent hands eased his erection through the slit in his boxer briefs. Ethan was wise enough not to touch the sensitive tip, but seemed unable to stop himself from lightly squeezing him.
“I’m waiting,” Max said coldly.
“Sorry,” he heard Ethan murmur, though he didn’t sound that remorseful.
Max held his breath, gaze unfocused, as warm, moist breath curled around the head of his cock. He gritted his teeth as lips grazed him. “I said—”
Wetness enveloped him. His knuckles went white around the pen he held as Ethan eased forward, letting Max’s thickness slide across his lips, going deeper and deeper. Goosebumps rose to his skin as Ethan hummed in evident pleasure and allowed Max’s cock to settle on the soft cradle of his tongue.
Max couldn’t control himself. He reached beneath the desk and combed his fingertips through Ethan’s hair.