The Model

THE MODEL WORKPLACE ENCOUNTERS 6

Serena Yates

Published by Silver Publishing Publisher of Erotic Romance

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the South African Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer. WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated and is punishable by imprisonment and a fine." Cover Artist: Reese Dante Editor: Nicole Hicks The Model © 2011 Serena Yates ISBN # 9781920502294 Attention Readers: This book uses US English. All rights reserved. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. The Licensed Art Material is being used for illustrative purposes only; any person depicted in the Licensed Art Material, is a model.

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NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER Dear Reader, Thank you for your purchase of this title. The authors and staff of Silver Publishing hope you enjoy this read and that we will have a long and happy association together. Please remember that the only money authors make from writing comes from the sales of their books. If you like their work, spread the word and tell others about the books, but please refrain from sharing this book in any form. Authors depend on sales and sales only to support their families. If you see "free shares" offered or cut-rate sales of this title on pirate sites, you can report the offending entry to [email protected] Thank you for not pirating our titles. Lodewyk Deysel Publisher Silver Publishing http://www.spsilverpublishing.com

DEDICATION To those who don't hesitate to look for romance and love —even in the most unlikely places.

TRADEMARKS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: BlackBerry: Research In Motion Limited Botox: Allergan, Inc. X-Men Origins: Wolverine: 20th Century Fox and Marvel Characters, Inc. Google: Google, Inc. Facebook: Facebook, Inc. The Nile City Boat: Cairo, Egypt The Fish Market: Cairo, Egypt 5C Café & Cultural Center: New York City, New York, United States The Boathouse Restaurant: New York City, New York, United States

The Model

Serena Yates

CHAPTER ONE "What the fuck?" Fabio Bonardi stared at his image in abject horror. It may have been a fairly low quality hotel mirror and his eyes didn't quite want to open yet. But even at five in the morning he was awake enough to recognize a catastrophe when he saw it. There, just below his right eye, was unmistakable evidence that he was getting old. Shit! Of all the things that could go wrong just before an early morning shoot, finding his first wrinkle was… hell, it wasn't even on the damned list! He closed his eyes. Maybe this was a nightmare. Surely, at twenty-eight, with the careful, not to say paranoid, way he took care of his skin, there was no way wrinkles would have a chance. Seconds later, not able to wait any longer despite his fear, he opened them again. Damn! The thing hadn't disappeared. He bent forward and stretched his skin, hoping it might magically spring back into its previous un-wrinkled shape. Weren't Mediterranean genes supposed to help you look younger? Apparently, his luck had just run out. The wrinkle was still there and not even his otherwise blemishfree olive skin could hide it. "Double fuck!" He hit the marble basin with enough force that pain raced up his arm. "Ouch." Talk about adding 1

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injury to insult. Or was that the other way around? He shook his head as he looked for his special moisturizer. It would have to do until Adair could work his magic. He was the best damned make-up artist in the whole business and almost reason enough to like coming to New York for a shoot. Almost. Going through the motions of getting ready for a five-thirty pickup to the studio, he let his mind wander. He'd always known this day would come. Taking care of the money he made, carefully investing it so it would still be there once nobody wanted to hire him any longer, was second nature to him. He'd amassed a nice nest egg and it looked like it was time to use it to set Plan B into motion. With a last admiring look at the figure he cut with his broad shoulders, narrow hips and long legs, he left the hotel bathroom to get dressed in client-supplied underwear, blue jeans, and one of his oldest and most comfortable sweatshirts. Packing only took a few minutes, because he only needed to make sure his stuff was in his carry-on bag, not think about what to take. He hated traveling with a lot of baggage, and he didn't need a big wardrobe when he posed for fashion shoots all day, only to return to the hotel late at night for a quick salad before he dropped into bed. The

glamour

of

modeling?

A

total

myth.

Inexperienced guys might fall for it, but he'd been at this 2

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for ten years now and knew better. Paris, Milan, and New York were good places to have on his resume, sure, but they weren't any more fun on his sort of schedule than Timbuktu or Hicksville, Tennessee would have been. With the last shirt stuffed into the duffel, closely followed by his two bags of toiletries, he closed the luggage, picked it up, and left his room. He'd already checked his mail, updated his Facebook status, and sent a few tweets to fans who'd contacted him, so he was good to go. It was time to face today's music. He sighed as he waited for the elevator to make it to the twenty-second floor to pick him up. He was so hungry, but breakfast was out of the question. So were most other meals. He needed his figure to be perfect, now more than ever. He'd work out later in the day if he was lucky, and would allow himself some food, maybe a salad and some chicken, after that. Checking out of the hotel consisted of dropping off his key card, the agency that had organized the shoot would take care of the bill. The cute little guy working at reception gave him a radiant smile and he grinned back. There was little harm in being friendly to someone he'd never see again and who couldn't bother him with any requests for an autograph, or his picture to be taken next to the famous Alessandro, his working name. He walked away with a little wave of his hand that made the receptionist 3

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blush redder than the plush crimson carpet on the floor of the hotel's entrance hall. "Good morning, sir." The uniformed driver of the limo opened the door for him with the same cheerful efficiency as he'd shown the last two mornings. He was clearly more awake than Fabio. "Morning." God, he needed coffee so badly. His head was going to kill him if he didn't get his next ration of caffeine soon. The coffee in his hotel room had been good, but only a start as far as he was concerned. He entered the dark blue limo, sinking into the leather seats while the driver closed the door, slid behind the wheel, and made his way into the early morning traffic. At least Fabio was ranked high enough on the global list of top models to be given his own car, so he had another twenty minutes or so to close his eyes and doze. No sleep would come. He pulled his BlackBerry from his pocket and composed an e-mail to his personal assistant. Lisa lived in LA and hadn't come with him this time, since it was only a three-day shoot for an underwear manufacturer he'd worked for before. He hadn't expected to need her help during this trip. Now, he would put her in charge of researching financial and small business consultants. He knew what

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Plan B was, but he needed help with the details. Lisa was just the woman to find him what he needed. "We're here, sir." The driver's voice returned him to reality and he nodded his thanks before leaving the car. The chaos once he entered the huge open-space studio on the second floor was reassuringly familiar. He'd seen a few remodeled warehouses in his career, but this was one of the biggest. Instead of putting up separation walls to give different areas a separate identity and space, the architect had kept it all open, with only the occasional supporting wrought iron pillar to break up the space. There was a catering area to his right with tables stretching out along half the wall, the make-up and changing areas were in the back and included both corners, and there was a model rest area against the left wall. The corner to his left and most of the area in the center of the room was set up with various groupings of furniture, lighting screens, cameras, and assistants with notepads running around like headless chickens. Most of the other models were already there, gossiping in the back and providing the ever-present buzz any shoot worth its name would create over time. They waited for their turn in make-up, and those who weren't online using various types of smart phone to stay in touch with their fans were drinking what must be vegetable juices 5

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and herbal teas. Most of them were sipping water and looked famished as they glared at the tempting doughnuts and Danishes on the long buffet table. None of that was for them, but the equipment guys, lighting people, and various clothing assistants all wanted to eat. Nobody cared what sort of cravings it created for the models. Coffee was also available and Fabio made a beeline for it. At least it was good quality. Ian Cery, one of his favorite photographers, knew him and his preferences well and always made sure the juice of the gods was high quality. Never mind some health nuts said it was bad for the skin. He needed it almost more than to be wrinkle free, and that was saying something! Where was Ian, anyway? Fabio shook his head. He was sure to appear at some point, the man was nothing if not professional. Fabio took a small cup of coffee and sank into one of the easy chairs in the waiting area at the back, sitting as far away from the other models as possible. None of them were in his league, so there was nothing to be gained by pretending to be friendly. That was all it could ever be between rivals who'd fight each other to the death to get the better shoot, the more famous photographer, or the more up and coming client. He snorted, quickly covering up the sound with a cough. Everything in the business was so damned artificial, it wasn't funny. 6

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A few odd glances from the other models later, he had finished his coffee and started looking around to see where Adair might be lurking. After all, there was no point in facing Ian until Adair had seen to his newest disfigurement. That thought made him sit up. Disfigurement? A wrinkle? Now that he was fully awake and caffeinated it suddenly seemed a little dramatic to be thinking that way. It wasn't as if he had a damned scar like that kid had got a few years back. What was his name? Kyle something? The poor guy had only been eighteen when he was in a horrible accident and he'd vanished from the scene faster than a photographer could press the releaser. Rumor had it that the damage to his face was extensive and he'd certainly never appeared on the cover of another magazine. Fabio shuddered. Now, that was a real problem. He wasn't quite there yet, thank God, but the writing was on the wall since his horrible discovery this morning. He couldn't wait to hear from Lisa. Plan B had suddenly become a true priority. "Ah, there you are." Xavier, Ian's newest assistant, smiled and showed off a row of perfect white teeth. "Adair wants you in make-up straight away. Your first session isn't until eight, but they want to do some test shots with you at seven." 7

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"Sure." Fabio rose from his chair and followed the little guy into the back section. Where did Adair find these eager little college kids? He went through them at an alarming rate, none quite good enough to stay on, but there was always the next one to take the fired one's place. Maybe there was a nest of them somewhere around here. The thought made him chuckle just as he entered Adair's domain. "Someone is in a good mood today." Adair stood with his hands on his hips, his jean shorts barely protecting his modesty and the hole-y T-shirt giving everyone who cared to look a great view of lots of upper-body skin. His hair was as unkempt as ever, but his eyeliner, mascara, and foundation were immaculate. The dusky rouge accentuated his steel gray eyes and the lip gloss was outrageously shiny. The man looked good enough to be on a magazine cover himself. "Not really." Fabio shook his head as he took a seat in front of the mirror. "Just no longer a totally foul one." "Oh? Tell me more." Adair shook out a protective cape and placed it around Fabio's shoulders. "We haven't had any good gossip all morning." "Well, this one is highly confidential." Fabio frowned at Adair, quickly smoothing his face back into a

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bland non-expression when Adair tsked at him. Right, he didn't need even more wrinkles. "Top secret in fact!" "Classified enough so you'd have to shoot me if anything leaked?" Adair looked delighted, eyes bright with joy. "I've always wanted to know one of those." "I bet." Fabio sighed and sat back, trying to relax and failing abysmally. "So, tell me already." Adair bent forward until one ear was at Fabio's mouth. "Come on, I really want to know." Fabio shook his head. "What?" Adair stood back up and pouted. "Not fair." Fabio silently pointed to the area below his eye where he knew the offending wrinkle to be. He couldn't even bear to look at his face in the mirror. His looks were all he had. How the hell was he going to make significant money without them? He may have a plan for what to do next, but fuck if he knew whether it was going to work. He needed that appointment with the financial and business wizard as soon as possible. Yesterday would be good! "No!" Adair's gasp was loud enough for several of the assistants and other models to turn their head. Fabio hid his face in his hands. More attention. So not what he needed. Normally he craved it, but not with a 9

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weakness like that exposed for all to see. Ridicule and bullying were sure to follow. He remembered those awful days in kindergarten when he was fat and ugly. The other kids had been merciless. His parents had shrugged and told him the other kids were right, he was a disgrace to the family. He'd almost starved himself to lose weight, but all they'd said was he shouldn't have gotten fat in the first place. All of that had happened before he was ten, but he remembered it as if it had been yesterday. "Honey, I am so sorry." Adair had gone straight into his fluttering state. He rushed around the room to collect different products, some brushes and other tools of his trade, before he returned to Fabio. "I'll make it go away, don't you worry." "Permanently?" It was too much to hope for, but he suddenly wanted Adair to be a miracle worker. "Sorry, sweetie, no can do." Adair took Fabio's chin in one hand and tilted his head this way and that. "I can hide it very effectively for a few more months, maybe, but only Botox or laser therapy or something similar can completely remove it." "Shit!" His voice was way too loud and a few grins were sent his way before the two other models being powdered looked away. Man, people are nosy around here.

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"I agree." Adair picked some foundation and started applying it across Fabio's face. "It'll be expensive, but it can be done." "No. Can't do it." He couldn't even think about it without his stomach turning. "What do you mean 'no'?" Adair paused for a second before returning to his task. "They're getting very good at this stuff." "That's not what I'm worried about. Well, not entirely." He shook as goose bumps appeared across his body. Adair just looked at him with his 'come on, give it up' expression and Fabio had no choice but to tell him. After all, he might still need the man's advice to find a less invasive method for 'ironing out' this wrinkle. "Well?" Adair stopped working and leaned back, making Fabio decidedly uncomfortable. "I have a fear of needles…" Anything doctor or medical-related, in fact. He didn't know what had caused it, but it had been this way ever since he could remember, so it must be due to something that happened when he was extremely young. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry to hear that." Adair squeezed his shoulder. "Have you tried therapy?" Fabio nodded. 11

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"It didn't help?" Adair shook his head. "Must be really bad." Fabio nodded again. Even his wrinkle and its message about aging weren't scary enough to get him to revise his belief about the medical profession. He knew it was stupid, but he'd rather accept the wrinkles than subject himself to a doctor's care. **** The day had been exhausting. Fabio leaned back into the limo seat and closed his eyes. He was too tired to do anything other than follow the plan he'd set out for himself. He couldn't even be bothered to check his mail or the various social networking sites he used to stay in touch with so-called friends and fans alike. He hated having missed the workout because the shoot had taken longer than planned. The stupid client had decided to visit and had ended up interfering. Ian's carefully prepared schedule had gone out the window since the idiots now wanted a 'more youthful look' than the briefing had requested. Fabio snorted. It wasn't the 'younger look' that had made the middle-aged man request a change. Sergej, a model barely out of diapers, so to speak, had bewitched the client with his bay blue eyes and angelic appearance. Not a 12

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look Fabio had been able to pull off even in his much younger days. Of course, he'd still get paid, but that wasn't even the point. The loss of face in front of all the other models, the lighting and photographer's crew, and Ian was what had hurt most. Without food in his belly, he was beginning to feel the familiar dizziness crop up, but there was no time to give in. He swallowed and forced himself to sit upright. Time to man up and call Lisa, see what she'd found out. He had a couple of work-free days coming up, so there was time to focus on his future. He had three missed messages once he switched on his BlackBerry; two from Lisa and one from his LA agent, Cal Mayberry. That one would have to wait. He wasn't in the mood to face what was sure to be a demoralizing debriefing about what had gone wrong at the shoot. News traveled fast in this industry, and with Cal being exmilitary, some of the discussions they'd had in the past had felt more like interrogations. "Hey, Fabio." Lisa sounded upbeat as usual, even though it was almost as late in the workday in LA as it was here in New York. "Long day?" "Hi, Lisa." Fabio settled back, ready for a longer discussion. "Definitely. Don't want to talk about that right now. What have you got for me?" 13

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"Couple of leads, I sent you e-mails, which you haven't checked yet, I guess." Lisa sighed. "There are quite a few people and companies that claim to be great start-up business consultants, but if you check some of the details and their references it becomes clear that advising new businesses is an art in its own right. It seems to be quite a separate talent from strategic business consulting, which is big business. The most successful start-ups are those that worked with smaller consulting outfits that are more entrepreneurial." "Seems to make sense to me. The smaller the consultant the more familiar they'd be with the issues and opportunities a small business faces." Fabio rubbed his temple. A headache of major proportions was just waiting to break through. "Exactly. Just in case, I gave you the top five large consultants, each with a contact name and number to call, as well as links to their websites and portfolios. In my second e-mail I included the top five smaller companies who have good references and some pretty successful statistics." Lisa cleared her throat. "Actually, one of them stands out particularly well, so I kind of recommended him." "Lisa, you're perfect." He didn't have the patience to wade through a lot of information and Lisa was good at this 14

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stuff. She had incredible organizational skills, and sifting through lots of information to find out what was important was her strength. "Please tell me you made an appointment for me as well." "You haven't even asked where this guy is located." Lisa snorted. "Typical." "That's what I pay you for, right?" He knew it. "True." She giggled. "Okay, hold onto your hat, and be ready for some changes. The guy works in New York City, for a company called Aaron, Lester & Partners, or ALP. He's been there for seven years and has an impressive track record for businesses of a wide variety. I think he'd be great at helping you figure out what sort of a business you want to start. You have an appointment with him at ten tomorrow morning." "I what?" His headache was suddenly right there, making his eyeballs hurt with the unexpected pressure. "Lisa, I'm in a limo on my way to the airport." "Easily fixed." Lisa rustled with some papers. "I rebooked your flight to Friday night, details are in another e-mail, so that gives you two days if you need them. You're also booked into the Andaz Wall Street, which is a oneblock walk from ALP's office on Front Street." "Wow." It was a bit sudden, but he should have expected no less. "Thank you." 15

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"No problem. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Let me know how it all went." Lisa ended the call. Thank God she knew how much he hated long goodbyes and senseless small talk. He gave his driver the new destination and pulled up his e-mails to start reading some of the information. Boy, Lisa had been thorough. When he got to the point of checking out the guy he was going to meet, he was shocked. He stared at the name for a good minute. Edwin Zachary. Edwin? Who the fuck named their kid Edwin? According to his profile, the man was only thirty-three, which wasn't ancient. Fabio shook his head. His parents must have had a really strange sense of humor when they named him. With a name like that, he was bound to be great at what he did to have achieved the reputation he had. He wouldn't have had the choice of schmoozing himself through life. Half an hour later he'd arrived at his new hotel, checked in, and was on his way to the gym. His room was functional, if a bit stark and cold, but he liked the hardwood floors. It wasn't like he was going to spend a lot of time in there, well, not with his eyes open. He was looking forward to getting an uninterrupted eight hours sleep for once. He'd ordered a steak and salad for later, but his workout came first. 16

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The glances he received as he made his way through his exercises were as admiring as ever. There were few women but enough men to keep his interest, and he checked them out with a view to some mutual action later on. One guy, blond and buff the way Fabio liked them, was particularly interested and it took only a smile and a wink to have him follow into the locker room. The showers were big enough for two, and they couldn't get naked quickly enough. No words were spoken, since none were needed. Fabio soaped up his hands, held the guy's cock with a firm grip and made him moan before he was able to reciprocate. Once Mr. Eager had his hand on Fabio's erection, they took off. Tugging and stroking each other's cocks, they soon panted with desire as they reached for release. It was embarrassingly quick for him, his orgasm forceful but empty as usual. He made sure the other guy came then finished washing quickly before wrapping himself in his robe and making his way back to his room. Physically, he felt a lot better now. He'd exercised and gotten off, a great meal and some quality sleep were soon to follow. He should have felt great, but all he could think about was what a lonely existence he had. Shit, he really was getting old. He'd never been this sentimental before. Well, not since he'd figured out the facts of life when his parents had called him stupid and an 17

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airhead because he wasn't very good in school. He'd shown them, though. He made more money in a year now than they were likely to see in five times that long with their measly academic salaries. Sure, they were professors, but what good did that do them? He was lucky to have escaped their fate. His life, at least, was interesting. He earned good money, which he was about to invest in his first business venture, he traveled to interesting places, and he attracted very sexy men who fell at his feet if that was what he wanted. So, why the hell did he feel so miserable most of the time?

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CHAPTER TWO Edwin Zachary stared at his image in his bathroom and wondered, not for the first time, what other people saw when they looked at him. His blond hair was cut fashionably short; his big blue eyes and a full mouth made him look younger than his years. His high forehead and strong chin had been ridiculed by his family as long as he could remember. The rest of his family was somewhere between good looking and gorgeous and he'd stuck out like a sore thumb all his life. He could completely sympathize with the Ugly Duckling. Being handsome would have helped him fit in, but being intelligent, instead, had meant he'd had no issues getting an education and finding a good job. Not something many of his family members could relate to. Too bad he'd had to disappoint them. He took a step back and looked at the rest of him in the second mirror on the back of the door. God knew who'd thought there was a need for another mirror in the same room, and he usually ignored it, but today it came in handy. His muscles may be well toned, and his legs were okay thanks to all the running he did to keep fit, but he'd never stand out in a crowd. Thank God for well-tailored business suits that gave him the gravitas he so sorely lacked without them. 19

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He went to the tiny bedroom and pulled the most conservative suit he owned out for a final inspection before he put it on. The meeting with the famous fashion model Alessandro was later today and even though he was annoyed that his secretary had agreed to it at the last minute, only yesterday, for heaven's sake, he'd be stupid to turn it down. So he hadn't, despite the fact he felt ambushed and underprepared. He sighed as he finished dressing. He wasn't a complicated man; really, he wasn't. His idea of priorities usually proved to be right and he never hesitated to make them clear to everyone he worked with. He had a system on the job, just like there was a methodology behind the way he approached his clients' cases. Orderly, straightforward, and logical were his watchwords, and they'd gotten him to where he was today. And that, despite his family's disdain of his money-grabbing ways, was what really counted. His results were the best calling card he had, and, hopefully, they'd be enough to convince Alessandro, the hottest model there had ever been, to trust and work with him. The thought alone had him half hard. He shook his head and tried to think unsexy thoughts. He wasn't normally so out of control, but Alessandro just brought out the wild man in him. Unprofessional to the nth degree, he'd have to control these primitive urges by the time of the 20

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meeting, or he'd embarrass himself. There was a lot of money to be made by helping ex-models, actors now outof-favor, or other ex-celebrities figure out how to best invest their money. He had the knowledge, all he needed now was a few more connections, a couple of success stories, and he could finally start his own business. No more of the 'yes, boss' shit and following other people's directives. He had his own principles and ideas, and it was about time he got to show the world what he was made of. Alessandro—no, Fabio Bonardi, that was the way he had to start thinking of the man—was just the ticket for him to finally get his break. Okay, dark blue tie, nothing flashy, black shoes, shined to perfection, and a briefcase that had cost more than most blue collar workers made in a month, and he was ready to go. He hated taking the subway, but it was the only rational thing to do. The throng of people pushing him this way and that wasn't fun, but he got to the downtown office quickly, fairly cheaply, and usually on time. By the time he made it to his office, he had several mental to-do lists going and was more than ready to start working. "Good morning, boss." Petra wore another brightlycolored outfit today. It made his eyes hurt, but she was good at her job and that was such a rare talent that he was 21

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willing to put up with almost anything outside her capability to keep up with his pace. "Morning, Petra." He nodded briefly, intent on getting started. He had a ton of preparatory reading to do before ten came around, and it was already almost eight. "Is the coffee ready?" Her slightly irritated nod told him he needn't have asked, but he liked his little routines, and that was one of his favorites. Someone else making his coffee in the morning still thrilled him. He walked over to the coffee maker that lived on a corner of the small reception area in front of his corner office, poured himself a large mug full, and added a generous shot of milk and two sachets of sugar. It would get his blood circulating, and provide him with a minimal amount of calories while not making him fat. The next thing he knew was a deep voice wafting in from outside his office. The door was ajar, but not opened wide enough for him to be able to see anything or understand what was being said. He looked up and, to his shock, it was five to ten. His coffee was long gone, his desk looked like a disaster had struck, and he felt hungry enough to have his morning snack. The apple would have to wait, though, cleaning up the mess before his potential new client came inside was a priority. What sort of an impression 22

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would he make with all this paper cluttering his workspace? He heard Petra reply something as he hastily stacked the papers into one group, put all the brochures back into the filing cabinets where they'd come from and got his notes into some sort of order. Seconds later she knocked on the door and stuck her head in, her reading glasses riding low on her nose. "Mr. Bonardi is here for his ten a.m. appointment, boss." Petra tilted her head. "Would you like me to get you some more coffee as well as make him a cup?" "Yes, please, that would be nice, Petra." He made an effort to smile back. "And, please, show Mr. Bonardi in any time he's ready." Petra nodded and withdrew. "He's ready for you now, Mr. Bonardi." Her voice was a little muffled, but with the door more than half open, Edwin was able to understand her. "Thank you, Petra." The deep voice made shivers run down his spine. Shit, and he hadn't even met the man face-to-face yet! Another knock sounded, and the most amazing figure Edwin had ever seen walked right into his office. Striding was actually closer to what Fabio did. Like a 23

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panther stalking his prey, the man walked in and immediately dominated the room. He was tall, Edwin knew that from studying his profile online. But six-foot-four looked a lot more imposing when it stood right in front of his face. Fabio's shoulders were wide, and his chest filled out the light green shirt he wore under the chocolate brown suit extremely well. The pants fit like a second skin and didn't leave much to the imagination where the man's package or his very powerful thighs were concerned. Edwin made himself look up and was struck dumb. Fabio's face could have been chiseled in marble with that square jaw and strong chin. A classically elegant nose complemented high cheekbones. Dark brown eyes gazed back at Edwin and he felt himself pulled in to the man's beauty, helpless to resist. "Mr. Bonardi." Edwin got up, walked around his desk and reached out so they could shake hands. "It's good to meet you." "Thank you for making time for me so quickly." Fabio held on to his hand a little longer than necessary. "No problem." He'd never admit how much the large hand around his fingers made him feel, or how lost he was in those deep brown-black eyes. His earlier issues with making

such

an

unannounced

24

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notwithstanding, now that Fabio was here, he had no idea how he'd control the impulse to jump the man. Carefully taking his hand back under his own control, not wanting to move too quickly and seem impolite, Edwin took a step back and pointed at the small conference table in one of the corners of his office. Just then, Petra came in with their coffees on a tray, looking a question at him. Without hesitation, he pointed at the table. This wasn't a social call, they had work to do. Fabio frowned for the briefest moment, but smoothed his face quickly and followed Edwin's lead. "So, what can I do for you?" Edwin settled back in his seat, the file he'd prepared to his left, coffee and a notebook within easy reach. "I'd like to discuss some investment and business options with you." Fabio folded his hands and put them on the table, trying to look relaxed. "With the economy going the way it is, I want to develop a second pillar, so to speak, of income. I've looked at a few areas where my modeling background might be of help, or, at least, won't be a problem." "What are you thinking about so far?" Edwin hoped the man hadn't developed some harebrained scheme already and only wanted him to make it work.

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"Well, the usual types of business that models branch out into seem to be lines of clothing or fragrances. I've decided to go for something slightly different. I believe there's money to be made in owning a high profile restaurant, or two. Equally, hotels for the business traveler on a budget seem to have a future." "Interesting." Restaurants? Did the man have any idea how risky that was and how much it depended on having the right people? And business hotels demanded sums of money he didn't think Fabio had at his disposal. Now to try to bring the man back to reality. "I'll get some more in-depth information for you, and we can look at your options. But let me tell you right away, at first glance the hotel idea seems to hold more promise, especially if you consider smaller hotels or Bed & Breakfast establishments. A lot of them are looking for extra capital right now and, depending on their location and target groups, might be interested in your ability to pull guests in with your name." "I'd need to feel that my talents and image would fit, if not support, any venture I go into. So we can look at smaller hotels." Fabio steepled his hands in front of him. "How do you suggest we handle this?" "That depends how long you're planning to stay here and how much of this you'd want to do face-to-face versus teleconferences or e-mail?" Edwin wanted more 26

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face-to-face even if it was pure torture to be able to look but not touch. But he had to be realistic. First of all, the man wouldn't want to sit around waiting for business meetings, no matter how interested he was in finding ways to invest his money. Secondly, he wasn't about to get involved with a client. And, thirdly, there was no way Fabio would be interested in an almost middle aged nerd like him. Hell, the man had a different boy or girlfriend every other month, or so it seemed. He could get any of the beautiful people who inhabited his modeling world, what would he want with Edwin? "I wasn't planning on staying here at all. I was supposed to be on a flight back to LA tonight." Fabio grinned. "However, my personal assistant clearly thought differently because the return flight she arranged isn't until Friday. And I'd better do what she says." "You have one of those as well?" Wow, he wasn't the only one getting bossed around by the people who were supposed to make their lives easier? "Don't get me wrong, she's a treasure and I wouldn't know what to do without her. It's just the occasional situation that makes me wonder who's in charge of my life." Fabio winked.

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"I can work with Friday." Edwin almost drooled when Fabio winked, but managed to hold himself in check just in time. "Why don't you give me a couple of hours to ask you some questions, like how much you're thinking of investing. Then you're free to explore the city, or whatever, while I work out some top line proposals. We can meet again tomorrow morning to go over the details, and if you like what you see, we can discuss my fee and a contract. We can take it long distance from there for a while, see what comes up and meet only if necessary." "That sounds like a good plan. I'm glad Lisa picked you." Fabio smiled and Edwin's knees went weak. "But there's one very serious flaw." "There is?" Shit, what had he overlooked? Fabio was distracting, but still, he should be able to do this sort of set-up meeting and basic plan in his sleep. "Yes." Fabio leaned forward, looking deeply into Edwin's eyes. "You forgot dinner." "Dinner?" Edwin shook his head. "What does dinner have to do with anything?" "Dinner is everything." Fabio's eyes twinkled, so Edwin was pretty sure he was at least half joking. "It is?" He still wasn't sure what was going on. The words Fabio uttered all pointed in the same direction, and every instinct he had was telling him to go along with the 28

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man. His brain, however, told a totally different story. Fabio was a stranger, wouldn't stay around, and probably wanted a platonic dinner partner rather than someone who'd look at the meal as an appetizer for more fun to follow in the bedroom. God, when had his mind taken a turn and landed in the gutter? "Absolutely." Fabio tried to look serious, but his twitching lips gave him away. "And I want to take you out tonight, to thank you for the inconvenience of putting up with me on such short notice." Aha, a business dinner after all, his brain triumphed. "And because I'd enjoy your company." Fabio grinned. Ha! His cock wasn't given to using many words, but the message it gave was clear. It would also become all too visible in a moment, if he wasn't careful. "So, what do you say?" Fabio tilted his head and looked at him as if he was supposed to make a decision. How the hell was that going to work? His blood supply had left his brain and rushed southward at the thought of having dinner with Fabio. Even if nothing more than a good meal came of it, this was the opportunity of a lifetime to make one of his many fantasies about Fabio a reality.

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"That would be wonderful." Edwin's voice was a lot scratchier than usual and he desperately needed a glass of water. But he was too scared to get up and show Fabio, or anyone else he might run into, the state of desperate arousal he was in. "Great." Fabio rubbed his hands. "I'll just send an email to Lisa, so she can make reservations while we spend some time hammering out the basic framework of a plan. Then I'll be all yours." If only that were true! **** Edwin was in so far over his head that it was almost funny. When Fabio had insisted on picking him up from the office, since there was no time to go home and get changed, Edwin was pleasantly surprised. It was the logical thing to do, and as gorgeous as Fabio looked, logic wasn't one of the things Edwin would have suspected to be one of his strengths. When he realized they were going to The Boathouse in Central Park, he almost doubted his sanity. It was one of the most romantic spots in the city, usually booked out months in advance. While the food wasn't extravagantly

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expensive, the prices weren't exactly low either. What was Fabio thinking? The taxi dropped them off at the corner Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street, leaving them with the option of taking a short walk or waiting for one of the red and green little trolleys that ferried people back and forth between the streets and the inside of the park. Since there was one seemingly waiting for them, they went with it. Edwin wouldn't easily have admitted it aloud, but riding through the park like this was actually fun. The kind he hadn't had since he'd been a very young child. Seeing the park and its early evening visitors roll by as he looked out of the window felt oddly relaxing. When they got out and approached the restaurant itself, Edwin had second thoughts. He was out of his element because, while he was used to places like this in a business context, a date in this sort of environment was new. He snorted as he followed Fabio into the entrance hall. This wasn't a date. He hadn't had one in several years and he wasn't about to start now. They were going to discuss business, so he was fine. This was just another meeting, after all. Yeah, right, and if he kept telling himself that, maybe he'd start believing it.

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Fabio didn't bat an eye at the spectacle of liveried doormen. He walked inside with a grace and poise as if this place belonged to him. The exchange with the hostess was short, but friendly, and she led them toward their table before he could blink. Men and women alike turned their heads to follow the elegant figure Fabio cut as he moved through the big room. The man clearly belonged here and Edwin caught himself basking in his presence. Fuck, but it made him hot. The view from their table, which sat right next to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the lake, was magnificent. The lake seemed still, only a gentle evening breeze ruffling the water into motion here and there. A few ducks swam in leisurely circles, not perturbed at all by the odd rowboat making its way across. The setting sun colored everything a dusky pink with orange overtones, making the darkening blue summer sky seem almost sinister. "You like it?" Fabio's voice interrupted his musings and he turned his head to look at the amazing guy sitting across from him. "It's beautiful." He almost bit his tongue off with how sappy that sounded. Not his thing at all. He'd have to make sure this gorgeous man didn't seduce him into a

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situation where he was out of his depth in more ways than one. "Glad you like it." Fabio dropped the menu he'd been studying and leaned back in his chair as he cast an almost longing gaze across the lake. "It's one of my favorite spots in all of New York City." Edwin wasn't sure how to deal with that revelation. It almost sounded as if Fabio was a romantic. He smiled and turned his attention to his menu, trying to figure out what he felt like eating. Nothing too heavy, he gained weight far too easily these days. Running every morning helped, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Mixed greens as an appetizer, from the looks of it, followed by a steak. He licked his lips at the thought of sinking his teeth into the doubtlessly tender meat. He hadn't had a decent evening meal in forever. He usually worked late and had sandwiches or a quick salad when he made it home. When he looked up, his choice made, the heat in Fabio's eyes was scorching. Where had that come from? The man looked at him as if he were about to eat him whole. It was almost flattering, except it couldn't be real. What the hell was Fabio up to? The mood remained like that throughout their meal. Every time he attempted to steer the discussion back to business, Fabio very cleverly deflected his questions or 33

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worked around his comments to bring them back to lighter topics. They discussed favorite movies, music and books, talked about their work. Nothing too emotional or personal, and it was more Fabio talking than him, but by the end of the evening Edwin had to admit they had more in common, at least on a fairly superficial level, than he'd thought. "I had a really good time tonight." Fabio leaned forward and put a warm hand on Edwin's. "Thank you." He nodded, too shocked to speak. That tingly feeling he'd had when he shook Fabio's hand this morning was back and he didn't dare breathe for fear the spell might break. He stared at the long-fingered, well-manicured hand that looked so tantalizingly different from his own, much paler one. He wanted to reach out and caress the soft looking skin with his free hand but before he could do so, Fabio withdrew. "I-I had a good time as well." Edwin cleared his throat. Shit, he couldn't let Fabio get to him like this. The man was a client and he needed to work with him, not fall in lust with him. "I should be thanking you, since you picked this amazing spot." "It was my pleasure." Fabio's smile lit up the room. It would have melted Edwin if he hadn't put all his energy into resisting the man's charms. It was a close call

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as it was. The sultry sexiness that oozed out of Fabio's pores was almost overwhelming. When the waiter approached to collect their empty coffee cups, Fabio pulled back his hand. Edwin almost whimpered at the loss of the contact, but managed to keep the embarrassing sound inside. Just. "It's late. We should probably go and get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." Fabio turned to the waiter to ask for the check. Edwin just sat there, trying to come up with an excuse for keeping Fabio around. He couldn't come up with a single idea, the man had him so turned around. Turned on was more like it. He hadn't suffered from so many erections while in public since he was a horny teenager. What was it they always did in the movies? "Ready?" Fabio pocketed his wallet. "Sure." Damn, the idea was gone again. He blindly followed Fabio outside, walking quietly beside him toward the road where several taxis were already waiting. He couldn't think of a single thing to say. Way not to impress Mr. Gorgeous! The one who walked like a god, had the sexiest little smile, and a voice to make Edwin melt. Not to mention his drool-worthy body that was extremely arousing to look at.

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When they arrived at his apartment building in North Manhattan and Fabio sent the taxi away, he wondered what was going on. "May I walk you to your door?" Fabio took his hand and had them marching inside before Edwin knew what had happened. He nodded at the doorman on autopilot, too confused to do anything else. Fabio stood extremely close to him in the elevator, and moved up right behind him as he was trying to open his apartment door. His hands shook so much it took him three tries, all the while being distracted by Fabio's heat at his back. The second he had the door open, he was pushed inside, the door falling closed as his back ended up against the wall, Fabio's hot, hard body pressing into his. "Tell me you don't want this." Fabio's heated breath caressed his cheek. He moaned, entirely incapable of speech. Fabio moved his head so their lips touched and the world vanished as he closed his eyes and saw stars. Edwin leaned into the embrace of his muscled, sexy partner-for-the night and gave himself up to his first real kiss in years.

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CHAPTER THREE Fabio couldn't believe how electrifying the kiss felt as he plundered Edwin's lush lips. He pushed his tongue inside the welcoming mouth to get to a deeper taste of the guy. Suddenly, that need to know all about him became his only goal. Their tongues touched and caressed each other as the rest of their bodies slowly caught up. He started a grinding action with his hips that brought their cocks into contact, unfortunately hindered by too many clothes. Edwin's initial hesitancy was gone within seconds. Fabio had wondered about the undeniably sexy man all day. Their first handshake had jolted him into unexpected alertness and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about him the rest of the day. Even though Edwin was all prim and proper on the surface, there was just something that made Fabio want to dig a little deeper. Okay, a lot deeper. Dinner had been delicious torture and now that he held the lithe form of the clever man in his arms, feeling him melt against his body, he wasn't disappointed. What a spitfire! The kiss quickly went from passionate to utterly consuming as they ground their bodies together in a slow, sensual rhythm that had Fabio panting for breath and Edwin whimpering for more. He tightened his embrace and

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Edwin brought his hands around Fabio's middle, as if holding on for dear life. When he pulled back to get some air, Edwin's eyes were glazed with lust. Sliding his hand up to cup the back of Edwin's head, he held onto the much too short hair and pulled him closer. Edwin started squirming, so he bent his head for another kiss. But Edwin wasn't with him anymore, the man's hands trying to shove him away. At least, he tried to push them apart. Fabio was too intent on staying close to let that happen. "No." Edwin's voice was soft, but had a definite edge of urgency to it. "No?" Shit, what was going on? "Please, I can't do this." Edwin lowered his head, hiding his eyes. "Do what?" Fabio stepped back, too shocked to know what to do. "This." Edwin pointed back and forth between the two of them, looking miserable. "What's the problem?" He wanted to fight this, argue with him, but the man's slumped shoulders weren't encouraging. "I don't… I just…" Edwin lifted a hand and rubbed his eyes, still not looking at Fabio. "I can't do this. I'm sorry. Could you please leave?" 38

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"Okay." He felt as if someone had pulled the rug from under his feet, but he wasn't going to push where he clearly wasn't welcome. He'd never been rejected before, and it hurt like hell. It shouldn't have, since he didn't really know Edwin that well. "I'll see you tomorrow?" "Sure, no problem." Edwin nodded, but he didn't look as if he was really here. His eyes darted restlessly around the entrance hall and he wrung his hands. The man stayed with his back pressed to the wall, unmoving as Fabio opened the door, stepped outside, and quietly closed it behind him. What the hell had just happened?

He still didn't understand it the next morning, even though he'd spent most of the night tossing and turning, replaying the entire evening in his mind over and over. The kiss had felt so good, they'd both been into it, he was sure of it. Hell, he'd practically asked the guy for permission. And things had been pretty hot and heavy for a while there. He'd been close to coming in his pants. So, what had gone wrong? He packed his stuff, taking the carry-on with him since he wanted to go straight to the airport once their meeting was done. He couldn't wait to get home, into his 39

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own house, with nobody who needed to be impressed or wowed. He was tired of being 'on' all the time. But he needed to talk to Edwin first, to find out what the problem was so he could fix it. There was just something utterly appealing about Edwin, and despite the physical distance with them living at opposite ends of the country, he wanted to get to know him better. A lot better. Not something that was normally on his list of things he liked to do, but Edwin was so different from his usual hook ups. Different from his fans as well. Some of them were downright scary in how pushy they became, how much they said they wanted to meet him. Facebook and all the other social networks were all well and good, and he couldn't really afford not to be on them, but they did make him a lot more accessible than he wanted to be. With Edwin he had a feeling that none of that 'stardom stuff' or 'hero worship' played a role. He'd been able to be himself for once, not the 'model persona' most people wanted to see. That was a new experience for him and he wanted more. Edwin's sudden withdrawal worried him to no end and he needed to find out what had happened. It felt as if he'd overlooked something important, some clue to the man's behavior. He couldn't stand not knowing what it was.

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As soon as he entered Edwin's office and had received his coffee, he was ready to start talking. Edwin had a different point of view, he was all business and a lot more distanced than yesterday. Okay, maybe they'd get to it over lunch. No such luck. They worked through it without any sort of break. Edwin was good, had come up with some very interesting ideas, and was extremely convincing. It was a major turn-on to see him in action. Fabio decided to sign a contract with him anyway, personal issues or not, because the man was the right guy to be in charge of Fabio's investment strategy. By the time they'd dealt with all the details, had signed the contract and agreed the next steps, he had to leave for the airport. They exchanged business numbers and e-mails, but no mention was made of personal data. Fabio decided not to rush it. He didn't want to ruin his chances. Besides, maybe a little distance would do them both good. **** "No, really, I'm fine." Fabio almost threw up at the thought of having another Black Russian or some similar ridiculously named high-alcohol cocktail. 41

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Why had he never noticed how much everyone drank at these clubs? Why had it never bothered him how superficial it all was? And how the hell had he managed to deal with the enormous alcohol intake? All of this had never been an issue before that damned shoot in NYC two weeks ago. Meeting Edwin and talking to him about strategies for the future and the priority he gave to ethical considerations when putting together an investment portfolio had made him think about a lot more than his financial future. The man had challenged some of his assumptions and added perspective to situations he'd never thought about. When Edwin had withdrawn completely, limiting their e-mail exchanges and the few phone calls they'd shared entirely to business, he'd been disappointed. Now, he was angry. He was stuck here with these morons, just because, out of habit, he'd agreed to meet them here. He didn't even like most of his so-called friends and was convinced they didn't really like him either. The fact that he'd been an unquestioning member of this group until about two weeks ago was neither here nor there. He'd done some growing up and if that meant never seeing these guys again? So be it. Never seeing Edwin again, on the other hand, was unthinkable.

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"What's wrong with you, dude?" Tony stared at Fabio with an irritated smirk on his face. "You never used to be this boring." "What's boring about not wanting another drink?" He looked at the guy standing next to him at the bar then at the men looking for fresh meat, or other potential amusements, on the dance floor and along the walls of the club. It was busy tonight, but not overly so. Most people had to go to work tomorrow, but he'd just come back from a shoot in Paris and didn't have another job scheduled for a few days. Tony raised his eyebrows as if it was obvious. Fabio shook his head and returned his attention to the dance floor. He'd only had his right hand as a companion for too long now. Time to end the dry spell. What better place to look than at a gay club? Surely one of the men here would be interested in some quick and easy mutual satisfaction? It didn't take him long to find a cute blond guy with blue eyes who was dancing his heart out but seemed unaccompanied. His face lit up when Fabio made eye contact, winking at him for good measure. He wore black leather pants, combat boots, and a mesh shirt that looked two sizes too small. His hairless chest was adorned with two nipple rings visible through the tight shirt and he 43

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looked very young. Not really Fabio's type, well, not beyond the hair and eye color, but that was a good thing. He didn't want to admit to himself who it was he really wanted. The guy slunk over with a noticeable sway in his hips and a provocative smile on his face. It was almost too much, but Fabio wanted to feel another man's hand on his body badly enough to be willing to ignore how overeager the guy had turned out to be. "Hi, handsome." The twink put his hand on Fabio's arm and stepped right into his personal space. "I'm very pleased to meet you." "Hey." Not even an exchange of names. He could live with that. "Would you like a drink?" "Nah, thanks, I'm fine. Maybe afterwards." Mr. Nameless wiggled his eyebrows. It almost made Fabio laugh. But when Nameless stepped even closer and rubbed his groin against Fabio's thigh, all conscious thought flew out the window. He grabbed the man by his arm and pulled him in the direction of the closest dark corner. As soon as they were half hidden by shadows, Nameless turned him with his back to the wall and put his hands on Fabio's belt. "Allow me."

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"Sure." Fabio leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Just feeling was good, not having to do everything himself even better. The hands opened his belt, button, and zipper within seconds. They were too small, but he scrunched his eyes shut more tightly and held on. Warm fingers enclosed his half hard cock and started stroking. "You're

gorgeous."

Nameless

stepped

closer,

pressing his entire body against Fabio's, starting to hump his leg as he jerked Fabio's cock. The scent of cheap aftershave wafted into Fabio's nose and reminded him that this wasn't who he wanted. His movements were all wrong as well, to self-assured and without any sort of tenderness or emotion. Wrong! This was all wrong. His cock wilted. A wave of loneliness engulfed him and the need for this man to be Edwin became overpowering. What the fuck was he going to do now? Edwin wasn't here and, worse, didn't seem to want anything to do with Fabio. All this thinking did nothing to bring back his libido. "What the fuck?" Nameless pulled back his hand. "Do you have some disease or something?" "What?" Fabio opened his eyes, still in a daze from his revelation.

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"That's just not natural." Nameless lifted his hands and stepped back. "You're weird." And with that he vanished into the crowd. Good riddance. Fabio put his flaccid cock back into his pants and zipped up. It was strange, but not for the reasons Nameless suspected. The fact that the mere thought of being with the 'wrong' man had made his erection dwindle was a major problem, though. Did he have to add impotence to his list of issues? He groaned at the mess his life was beginning to look like. **** "Listen, Cal, there's got to be some shoot in NYC that I'm the right model for." Fabio sat at his desk, head in one hand as his other held the receiver. If his agent couldn't find him an assignment that gave him an excuse to go back and see Edwin, he'd go on his own time. But it would be so much more believable if he had a 'cover', so to speak. "Sorry, man, it seems they're looking for blond and youthful right now. Must be the Christmas angel theme or something." Cal sighed. "I'd help you if I could." "Right, thanks anyway." Fabio ended the call and sat back in his comfortable desk chair. It wasn't that he really needed a home office. But the mansion he bought 46

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because he was fed up with living in hotels all the time, only to come home to a condo, had too many rooms to know what to do with. Adding an extra work space made sense. Now, he was glad he had a separate place to start building his future. He'd already dedicated an entire filing cabinet to the B&B project, adding all the stuff Edwin had sent as well as his own research. The concept of people opening their homes, as most establishments called B&B were privately run, was completely foreign to him. He liked his privacy. After all, he didn't really have any unless he was in his house, safely hidden away from the world's nosy tabloid journalists, fans, and whoever else claimed to be interested in him or his life. But he could see the appeal for home owners who were more open to meeting new people, and from a guest's point of view, a smaller space and more personal service would be extremely pleasant. He'd never known there were so many different types of establishment. From a basic Homestay, to B&Bs in single family residences, and county inns to B&B Cottages, everything was possible. There were over eighteen thousand in the US alone, and many more internationally. And there didn't seem to be general agreement about what constituted a B&B either. It would take a while, and possibly many phone calls with Edwin, to clarify what 47

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involvement exactly was the best fit for his investment strategy. Fabio sighed and got up, suddenly restless. Pacing up and down the length of his study, he tried to ignore the little voice at the back of his head that was trying to tell him he should just go and see Edwin. It was pretty persistent, though, and getting louder by the day. The simple fact was that he missed Edwin like crazy. His smile, his way of looking at everything so logically, and the fact that he saw Fabio as a human being. The only problem was his rejection of physical intimacy. What was up with that? It bothered him to no end. Not just because he wasn't used to rejection, but because it was Edwin of all people who'd rejected him. The first man in years who was interesting, and he didn't want to get closer? Other than solving that riddle, he just wanted to be back at his side. Whether or not they got to the kissing stage and beyond was somehow less important. He missed the man's presence. And how crazy is that? How could he miss someone he barely knew? **** Edwin tightened his hold on the bar, trying to stay upright as the train slowed down. A Friday night in rush 48

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hour was really no time to be taking public transportation, since everyone tried to get home before going out. A car wouldn't have been much better, though. The roads were notoriously congested any time of the week, but more so at the end of it. Everyone and their brother wanted to get going with their weekend plans, whether it was Friday and Saturday nights going out to meet friends, make new ones, or just to escape the city for the weekend. He was looking forward to a quiet time at home. He did more than enough socializing, the way he defined it, during the work week. Not seeing anyone other than maybe his family, unless he found a way to avoid them with a credible excuse, and a couple of neighbors on his way to his morning runs in the park was his idea of a great weekend. Besides, the only man he really wanted to see was thousands of miles away. And even if he were here, who said he'd still be interested? God, he'd been so stupid to push Fabio away. He'd never been so tempted to give in, and hated that his brain had won the battle. Just because two of his exes, the only two relationships he'd ever had, actually, had been assholes didn't mean that Fabio would have turned out to be the same way. Granted, the probability was high, but still. Shouldn't he have enjoyed the moment and not worried so

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much about the long term? Weren't gay men supposed to be incapable of being monogamous? Edwin snorted as he left the train at his stop, making a few other passengers throw him odd looks. He turned his head and walked toward his block at a brisk pace. Everyone he knew had told him often enough that he wasn't average, nor what was considered to be 'normal'. Why should it surprise him that his ideas about relationships were different from those of the men in his social group? Why were things never easy or straightforward for him? With that, he had arrived at his apartment building. Enough with the self-pity. Tonight was a 'take-a-quick-runthen-get-a-Chinese-takeout'

night.

Maybe

he'd

be

adventurous and watch a movie instead of a documentary. He dropped his briefcase in the study, went to the bedroom to change and was back outside, power walking in the direction of the park, within minutes. A few other people as well as the usual dog walkers kept him company, but he was back and showered within the hour. He was just about to pick up the phone to call in his order at Lee's Garden when the landline rang. How annoying. Probably some family member wanting to confirm Sunday's lunch time. As if that ever changed. All 50

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they wanted to do was to make sure he didn't forget, so they took turns because they thought it would be less obvious. Ha, they won't fool me! "Edwin Zachary." He kept his vice neutral, but the blaring noise she called music in the background had already told him it was Marietta calling. "Hey, Edwin." Marietta turned down the volume. "I didn't expect you to pick up." "Guess you got lucky." Edwin smiled at the coincidence. "I was just about to order take out." "You and your junk food. It's a good thing you get at least one home cooked meal each Sunday." Marietta sighed. "When are you going to accept our standing invitation and come to dinner with Rob and me?" "It isn't junk food. It's just like home cooked, except it's been cooked in someone else's home instead of mine. What does it matter anyway?" Edwin almost sighed. It was an ongoing battle between them, and it didn't look like it was going to end soon. "You matter to me." Marietta huffed. "Why don't you come over right now? I'll ask Rob to pick you up on his way home from the lab. He practically drives by your street anyway. I've made your favorite apple cinnamon pie for dessert."

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God, that was tempting. But he had plans, and he wasn't given to impulsiveness. Besides, he'd never be able to really relax with his crazy sister and her crazier boyfriend around. She may be a professor at the Graduate School of Journalism, a career their parents barely accepted, but she didn't believe in growing up. Her boyfriend of four years was a medical researcher at some big hospital, Edwin always forgot which one, and the man brought some stability to Marietta's life, but on weekends he was as crazy as the best of them. Bungee jumping was just a way to have fun, according to him. "Oh, come on, it'll be fun." Marietta wasn't one to give up easily. "Sorry, but I already have plans." He really didn't want to spend more time than absolutely necessary with his family. His sister and brother weren't so bad, but his parents still hadn't accepted his choice of profession. God knew what they'd say if they ever found out he was gay. He needed to conserve his energy and patience until Sunday, when the encounter with his parents was unavoidable. "Do those plans involve another human being?" Marietta stirred something in a pot, from the sound of it. "I really do worry sometimes that you'll become a complete hermit."

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"And what would be wrong with that?" He cringed, knowing it was the wrong answer the moment the words had left his mouth. "Don't get me started. We've had this argument before, so I'll let you get away with it for once. But we're going to have a really serious talk as soon as possible." Marietta banged the spoon or whatever she was using as a cooking implement onto the kitchen table for emphasis. "Okay." As soon as possible, at least, wasn't now. "Listen, I really do have to get going. It was nice talking to you and I'll see you on Sunday." "Sure, brush me off." Marietta laughed. "Okay, I'll let you get to whatever it is you're planning for tonight and see you on Sunday." Edwin ended the call and sighed. Barely escaped that one. Now, as for the food… He dialed, got his order in, and turned his attention to selecting a movie. None of the ones he had in his neatly alphabetized collection appealed. He was just about to decide to read a book instead, when sudden inspiration hit as he stared at the DVD cover of Wolverine. It may not be his favorite movie, but geez, Hugh Jackman was hot. Almost as hot as Fabio. And now he was in real trouble. Just the thought of the sexy model made him half hard. He went to the neat stack of magazines and pulled out his favorite copy. The 53

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one with Fabio's interview in it. He stared at the picture and thought back to the magical dinner they'd shared. That memory was all he'd need, so he put the magazine back where it belonged. After finishing his food while watching the news, he took a quick shower and crawled into bed. It was a little earlier than normal, but he was tired enough to go straight to sleep. Well, almost. He closed his eyes and imagined Fabio in bed with him. That thought alone increased his arousal to the point that he couldn't resist wrapping his hand around his hardening cock. He started a slow stroking action with a little twist on the upstroke and stronger pressure on the down stroke, just the way he liked it. It took only minutes for his erection to come to full arousal, and he stroked faster, remembering the kiss that had haunted his dreams for the last two weeks. His hips started snapping as he fucked his fist, desperately wishing it was Fabio's hand on his aching cock. He slid his left hand down to squeeze his balls, and that was all it took. His body jerked, pleasure racing up and down his spine as he spurted hot semen across his hand. "Fabio!" His voice was rougher than normal and his heart hurt with the knowledge that the man he wanted so much to be in his bed wasn't here. Shit! 54

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CHAPTER FOUR Edwin still felt guilty the next morning when he woke to brilliant sunshine streaming into the open bedroom window. It wasn't like him to fantasize about strangers, or almost-strangers. Not that he fantasized about men he knew, either. The activity hadn't even remotely appealed to him until recently. But now he had to admit it felt really intrusive and he wanted to apologize to Fabio. Not that the man would understand or, most likely, care. But still. Edwin felt as though he'd intruded on Fabio's privacy, and he hated that. He didn't want his own personal space violated, so what gave him the right to do it to someone else? An hour later he came back from his run only to see a tall, dark-haired stranger standing at the doorman's desk. There was a duffel bag at his feet and he was quietly talking to Miguel. Looking at the stranger from the back, noticing the way he held himself and moved, Edwin's first instinct screamed 'Fabio'. He shook his head as he entered the hallway. His imagination projecting his wishful thinking onto reality was a really bad sign. He better stop this soon, or he was going to end up in therapy. Not a place he wanted to go.

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"Good run, sir?" Miguel looked around the stranger to make eye contact. "I'm sorry to bother you, but this gentleman says he knows you. I explained that I still can't just let him go to your apartment." At that moment, the stranger turned around and Edwin's jaw dropped. It was Fabio who suddenly stood before him, a hesitant smile on his lips. Why was he here? "Hi." Fabio didn't move a muscle. "H-hi." His throat was dry, he started to sweat, and felt utterly idiotic. "I'm sorry to come unannounced, but I kind of made an impromptu decision to visit New York again. This time on my own devices. There wasn't much time for preparation, or calling to let you know." Fabio shrugged. "You can kick me out if you want, but I'd much rather talk. We didn't do enough of that last time, at least not after, you know…" Boy, do I! "So, is there any chance of you letting me past this very nice gentleman so we can have some privacy?" Fabio close to begging was extremely hot. "Of course." He nodded at Miguel who stepped back and waved them toward the elevators. "Sorry about the hold up, but I didn't expect you."

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"I probably shouldn't have just turned up, but I couldn't stop myself." Fabio followed him into the elevator. Edwin stood at a respectable distance. He reeked, and he wasn't willing to get closer until he'd taken a shower. A shadow of disappointment flitted across Fabio's face before the man got his features back under control. No further words were exchanged until they'd made it into his apartment. Fabio deposited the duffel and his light jacket in the hallway, on a chair next to the closet, and followed Edwin into the living room. He looked around as if to acquaint himself with the layout, having only seen part of the hallway on his last visit. "Would you like a drink?" Edwin tried very hard not to stare. Fabio sat on the sofa, his thigh muscles bunching as he stretched his long legs. With one arm across the back of the sofa, he looked as if he planned to stay for a while. "Yes, please, anything non-alcoholic is fine." Fabio smiled. Edwin fled to the kitchen, breath coming in great big gulps as he tried to control his excitement at having Fabio on his living room sofa. What were the chances? He found some orange juice in the fridge, poured it into a glass, and returned to the living room. 57

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"There you go." He put the glass onto the low coffee table right in front of Fabio. "I'll make coffee in a little bit, but I need to take a shower first." "Why don't you join me like you are?" Fabio took a sip of the juice and nodded approvingly before returning the now half-empty glass back onto the table. "No, I really do need to take a shower." Whether it was purely to get clean, or to do something about the sudden tension in his groin, he wasn't sure. "Okay."

Fabio

turned

down

his

lips

in

disappointment. "Can I check out your books?" "Feel free." Two of the living room walls were covered in bookshelves, and still couldn't hold all the volumes he owned. "I'll be quick." And he was. He made sure he was clean, but satisfying his curiosity had become a priority. His arousal didn't go away, so he'd try hiding it by wearing sweats. He got another orange juice, some freshly made cafetière coffee, and added some blueberry muffins he'd unthawed in the microwave. They sat down at the little table in his kitchen and had breakfast. It felt strange and wonderful at the same time. He'd never shared his space with anyone. His last relationship had been over by the time he moved to this apartment, and his previous lover had never stayed overnight. He hadn't 58

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felt the need to invite friends, or even his siblings, and he wouldn't have had breakfast with them in any case. "I like it here." Fabio kept staring out of the window to the cityscape below. "It's very different from my house in LA." "I bet it is." He was dying to find out more, but maybe now wasn't the right time? He wanted to know why Fabio had come back, so he wasn't going to ask any questions that would distract Fabio from getting to the point. "Just like you and I are very different, I guess." Fabio looked right at him and tilted his head. "At least on the surface." "I think it's much more than that." He sighed and put down his empty coffee cup. "I'm not even in the same league as you." "Really?" Fabio raised his eyebrows. "How do you figure that?" "Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Edwin pointed to Fabio then back at himself. "You're a model of international fame, with the looks to match, and have more friends than I will ever have acquaintances. I won't even get started on how much you have seen of the world, whereas my travels don't go farther than Florida for the odd summer holiday and Maine for a couple of retreats from work." 59

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you've

said

refers

to

external

differences. None of it is about who we really are inside, is it?" Fabio's eyebrows remained raised. "Well, yes, but don't you think those are pretty serious?" How could Fabio not get this? They might as well live on different planets. "No." Fabio smiled. "No?" The man looked far too smug for his own good. It made Edwin feel stupid for missing whatever point Fabio wanted to make. He hated feeling like that. It was infuriating. "Care to elaborate?" "Look, I'm used to people judging me based only on what they can see. After all, the modeling business is all about looks and image. But you and I both know there's more to life than what meets the eye." Fabio leaned forward as if to emphasize his point. "There's more to people than what you can see on the outside." "I know." He blushed, ashamed that he'd fallen into the trap of looking no farther than the surface. His only excuse was that he didn't feel comfortable with people's emotions, but was that any excuse not to try to understand them? "I'm sorry." ****

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Fabio watched the emotions flicker across Edwin's face. The realization, shame, hope, and curiosity he saw on the other man's face made him feel more at ease. The man would be an awful poker player, but that made it easy for Fabio to guess what was going on. He was relieved that Edwin seemed open to talk about what he was beginning to understand were some major misconceptions. If he could only convince the man that all of them were only superficial and could be dealt with easily. More than ever, he was sure that their similarities deeper down were much more significant than the differences Edwin had pointed out. For the first time he felt as if there was the potential for a real connection. "There's nothing to be sorry about." He smiled to make sure Edwin knew he was serious. "You're not the first person to look at me and see only my body." "But that's not true!" The blush on Edwin's cheeks deepened. "You didn't look at my body?" That would be a first! Even straight men told him he held a certain attraction for them. "Of course I did. It's an amazing—" Edwin slapped his hand across his mouth as his eyes widened. Fabio grinned but stayed quiet.

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"Oh God, I can't believe I just said that." Edwin closed his eyes for a second and dropped his head before he looked back up again. "I have no idea what's wrong with me, but it seems you're scrambling my brain cells." "Good." Fabio leaned forward. "How is that good?" Edwin frowned. "I believe you think too much and it's good for you to start feeling more instead." Hopefully, it would mean the man was more relaxed and they could finally get to the exploration of this insanely strong physical attraction. "Really?" Edwin shook his head. "I have a hard time seeing how that will help. What the world needs is more logic, not more emotions." "The world as a whole, maybe. But you as a man?" Fabio reached across the table and took Edwin's hand in his. "You as a man need to start letting yourself feel. I know you've got it in you; that one kiss we shared proved that beyond the shadow of a doubt. I have no idea what made you stop, but I wish you'd tell me so we can fix it." "Why?" Edwin started to pull back, but Fabio didn't let go of his hand. "Because I want to kiss you again." And then some! "You do? "Very much."

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"But why?" Edwin pointed at himself with his free hand. "I'm nothing special and you're so gorgeous. You can have anyone you want, why would you settle for me?" "Because you look perfect to me. You're slim and well-toned, your legs have amazing muscle structure, and your ass is so tempting I have trouble not grabbing it every time I walk behind you. I love your blue eyes that are more expressive than most people's and your smile makes me feel warm inside. I want to explore your skin and learn what makes you moan like you did when we kissed." He took a deep breath, not daring to think about what the stunned look on Edwin's face might mean. "I just want to touch you all the time, and I've missed you in the last two weeks. I know it sounds crazy, but I can't seem to help myself around you." "Wow." Edwin blinked. "Yeah." He felt kind of embarrassed now. He'd never lost it like that but deep down he knew that only total honesty would get Edwin to believe him, and maybe open up as well. Hell, he'd pretty much handed himself over on a silver platter. "O-okay." Edwin swallowed, his Adam's apple bouncing in the most delightful way. "Even if I have a hard time seeing me the same way you just described, I think you believe what you said." 63

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Thank God for that! He nodded, trying to encourage Edwin to go on. He could sense the 'but' loud and clear and wanted all of it out of the way. "That doesn't take away the other differences between us, though. I can't see how we can overcome them. Which is what we'd need to do if there's going to be more between us. Than a fling, I mean. I-I want more than that." Edwin blushed again, but didn't look away despite the fact he was now fidgeting, clearly uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have said that." "I'm glad you did. I've had enough of those to last me a lifetime. Of course, neither of us knows where this will go, but I don't want short term with you. I think we have a shot at something more, and I'd like to try." He forced himself to stop and held his breath, waiting for Edwin's reaction. "All right, that seems to make sense." Edwin frowned. "But what about all the other stuff, all your friends and exciting lifestyle? That'll never fit with my boring life." "None of that means anything to me." He suddenly realized, on an emotional level, how true that was and how sick it had made him to pretend all these years. He'd known something was wrong, but he'd never let it sink in fully.

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Now that he had, he knew things would change for the better. "It doesn't?" Edwin looked skeptical again and his fingers tensed in Fabio's hand. "I know it sounds strange, but all of that is really just window dressing. All the travel is exhausting, and I'd be more than happy if I didn't see another plane or hotel from the inside for the next year. My so-called 'friends' would drop me like a hot potato as soon as my career stalls or if there was a real problem. I've seen it happen to other models. It's not a pretty picture. And you know what?" He hesitated. Was he really going to tell Edwin? "What?" Edwin still hadn't looked away for a single second. "I've discovered my first wrinkle." He cringed with the admission. "So I know the end is near." "The end is near?" Edwin's lips twitched as he clearly tried not to laugh. "The end of my career." He sighed. "It's already started. Right after I discovered the problem, I got rejected for a job." "You? You got rejected?" Edwin's eyebrows were trying to crawl up his head. "Are they stupid?" "Thanks for making me feel better." And, funnily enough, he did. Apparently, shared shame was half the 65

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shame, or however that saying went. "The client came to the shoot, saw Sergej, one of the other models there, and suddenly decided they wanted a more 'innocent' look for the campaign. They'd changed their minds and now wanted more of a 'blond and blue-eyed theme'." "That was probably all they wanted. I can see where they're coming from, too. You could never do innocent convincingly." Edwin grinned. "What?" He had a hard time suppressing his own grin. "Yeah. And what that means is that it wasn't really rejection, either." Edwin leaned forward. "I know this is probably hard for you to come to grips with. I get that. But how can it be rejection if it's based on something you could never be? Or never look like, in this case? It would only qualify as rejection if you'd had it once and lost it due to 'old age', or whatever it is you think that wrinkle means. If you've never had it, it's not rejection." His jaw dropped. That made so much sense it was embarrassing. Why had he never thought of that? "What? You think I'm wrong?" Edwin looked ready to launch into an argument. "No, not at all. I'm just floored that I never thought of that." God, Edwin was sexy when he was riled. On

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Fabio's behalf, no less. "It seems that using logic to approach a problem has some advantages." Edwin laughed. It was an honest-to-God deep belly laugh and the sound was amazing. Edwin's face as all the tension left him was absolutely stunning. All the hard angles were gone, and the pure male beauty underneath gripped Fabio by the balls and made his cock sit up and take notice. Man, Edwin was spectacular like that! "Glad we got that solved." Edwin was still laughing a little, small snorts escaping his nose as he tried to calm down again. "Does that mean we can get to the good part now?" He waggled his eyebrows to make sure there was no misunderstanding about what he meant. "The-the good part?" Edwin looked like a boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Yeah, let me show you." Fabio rose, pulling Edwin with him using the hand he still hadn't let go of. He stepped closer and took the unresisting man into his arms, sliding one hand around his middle, the other one to the back of his neck. As soon as he touched the skin on Edwin's nape, a shudder went through his hopefully soonto-be lover's body. He slowly made little circles with his thumb. Edwin sighed and closed his eyes, leaning into the touch as he molded himself against Fabio's body. 67

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Aha, a hot spot. Fabio grinned and kept caressing Edwin there as he lowered his head so he could touch his lips as well. Leaving his mouth closed for now, he focused on the little whimpers that Edwin made. God, that was sexy. Edwin moaned and opened his mouth, the hot softness of his lips making Fabio crazy. He granted Edwin's tongue access and stroked it as best he could while Edwin left no area unexplored. He used his other hand to push their groins more closely together and started to grind his erection into Edwin's equally hard bulge. The moaning was soon nonstop and he had to pull back to get some air. "Bedroom?" Edwin looked so damned cute when he was vulnerable and insecure. He'd never tell him, he was clearly shy enough as it was, but he'd treasure that look forever. So he just nodded and followed Edwin through the living room, along a small corridor and into the master bedroom at the end of it. There was a vague impression of brown and beige tones, a door to their left into the bathroom, and some windows ahead. He zoomed in on the king size bed and imagined all the things they could do with that space. Edwin didn't stop walking until they were right next to it and promptly leaned in for another kiss.

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It was as passionate as the first, and quickly followed by more as they frantically tried to get each other undressed at the same time. Frustrated with the lack of success he finally took a step back, intending to get the job done more quickly. Edwin followed, clinging to him as if he intended to leave. "Hold on, baby." His breath came faster, as if he'd been running. "Just want to get us naked." Edwin's eyes were glazed with arousal, pupils dilated into large, black seas of infinity. If the eyes really were the portals to the soul, he liked what he saw. Pure, unadulterated lust paired with something he was too afraid to name in case it was an error. It made him even harder than he'd already been and his hips bucked in helpless need. He'd come in his pants if they didn't get this show on the road. "Want you." His voice sounded raspy. "Me too." Edwin was finally completely naked, his cock beautiful as it strained toward the ceiling. It was long and thick, with a broad head that dripped pre-cum. "Want to be inside you." Or the other way around, he didn't care, as long as they managed to join their bodies before he came. "Will you let me?" "Anything." Edwin moaned and pressed himself up against Fabio's now naked body. "I'm yours." 69

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How he loved hearing those words! He'd do everything to make them true beyond this moment of passion. But first, he needed supplies. Before he could open his mouth to ask, Edwin reached behind him, pulled open the top drawer of the nightstand and handed a foil packet to him. Faster than he could blink, Edwin kneeled on the bed, ass up and thighs spread. His heavy balls swung between his legs as he opened the lube, drizzled some on his fingers, and reached around to push one inside the tiny hole with surprising speed and force. Much faster than Fabio would have dared. Edwin hissed, but wiggled his ass to get his finger deeper. Fabio had to grab his cock at the base and squeeze—hard—to stop himself from coming on the spot. Man, that was hot. Next time he wanted to do the honors, but watching Edwin finger fucking himself with one, then two, fingers was almost unbearably hot as well. When he pushed in a third and started spreading them, Fabio woke from his trance, sheathed himself, and crawled up on the bed behind his panting lover. He pushed in a forth finger, to test the waters, and Edwin yelped. He froze, afraid he'd gone too far. "Don't stop." Edwin's voice was an octave deeper than normal. "Want it to be your cock, though." 70

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"Now?" Was he stretched enough? "Now." Edwin pulled his fingers out of his twitching hole and pushed his ass back toward Fabio. "Please!" Not one to refuse such a heartfelt plea, Fabio placed his cockhead at the tempting opening and started pushing inside. The heat was incredible. The tightness made him grit his teeth to stop from coming. He wanted to go slow, but Edwin surprised him by pushing all the way back until their balls slapped together, adding a delicious little sting to the unbelievable pleasure of being inside the tightest, hottest ass he'd ever had the pleasure of fucking. This was where he needed to be. "Move!" Edwin pulled away and pushed back before Fabio knew what hit him. The undeniable note of command, and Edwin taking control like that, even from the so-called bottom, ratcheted up his libido even more. His lover was a lot bossier in bed than he'd expected, and he loved it. Gathering his last few functioning brain cells to figure out what to do other than pound mindlessly into the more than willing body in front of him, he set up a counter-rhythm to Edwin's movements and started thrusting with all he had. "Fuck, yes," Edwin came up on his hands and matched him thrust for thrust. 71

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He gripped the man's hips and gave in to what his body craved. The pleasure raced up his spine as he plunged inside the clenching hole again and again until he thought the top of his head would come off. The pressure and friction on his cock had him groaning way before he reached his peak. Not one to usually make a single sound, he let go completely, and pistoned in and out of Edwin's ass as he pushed for his orgasm almost desperately. Not wanting to leave Edwin behind, he reached around with one hand and started stroking the dripping organ, giving Edwin a tight tunnel to fuck as he closed his fist around him. "Fuuuuuck!" Edwin spasmed around him as he shot streams of hot cum onto the sheets below them. "Shit." He stiffened as the pleasure took over and he came into the condom, shaking with the strongest orgasm he could remember having. When it was finally over he pulled out, disposed of the condom, and took a still trembling Edwin into his arms. He kissed him and stroked his back, moved beyond words at the emotions that were swirling around inside him. For a while the only sound was their breathing trying to return to normal and the occasional rustling of the sheets as they adjusted their bodies to make sure they stayed as close together as possible.

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He'd never understood what people meant when they talked about a life-changing event. Now he knew. He'd just had one—and it left him exhilarated and scared shitless at the same time.

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CHAPTER FIVE Edwin awoke to bright daylight streaming in through the wide open window. He blinked, trying to remember the day of the week and why he was in bed in the middle of what was clearly the afternoon. A soft snoring sounded behind him and he realized he lay with his back to an incredibly well developed chest. Strong arms held him close and a decidedly hard cock nudged his buttocks. A light soreness when he flexed reminded him of what had happened. Fabio came back! The thought filled him with enough happiness to want to scream it from the rooftops, and only the desire to let his lover—his lover!—sleep stopped him from doing just that. He didn't even try to hold back the gigantic smile spreading his face to what felt like double its size. It was totally ridiculous, sappier than a chick flick, and he'd never, ever, felt like this in his entire life. Wonderful and exhilarated didn't even begin to describe it. He snuggled more deeply into Fabio's embrace and closed his eyes. This was too good to be true, and normally, he would have started to prepare himself for the worst. He'd learned that disappointment was easier to bear if he told himself ahead of time that something wouldn't end well. 74

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The feeling of being right, of having outguessed destiny, was usually strong enough to let him forget his hurt. Somehow, the way Fabio had talked to him and what he'd said had changed Edwin's outlook a little. At least where they were concerned. The man had said he wasn't interested in a short term affair. Did that mean what he hoped it would? How could they make it work with Fabio constantly on the road and living all the way over in California? Would he have to uproot himself and move to LA? What about his career? Was that even important in the light of this new prospect of having a lover and building a lasting relationship? Hadn't he considered going into business by himself anyway? Too many questions. He sighed, realizing it would take a while to answer them. As long as Fabio was there, supporting him in some way, he'd get through it. "What's wrong?" Fabio's voice sounded rough from sleep. "Nothing, don't worry. I was just thinking." He'd been accused of overthinking stuff. Was he doing that now? Would it turn Fabio off? "That was a big sigh." Fabio nuzzled his neck, placing a flurry of small kisses on his sensitive skin. "Yeah, I have lots to think about." He grinned. The feeling of the bigger man holding him like this, possibly 75

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wanting another round of mind blowing sex, was so worth it, though. "I hope you're not reconsidering, you know, us." Fabio stopped moving. "I-I didn't think I had to." He turned around, making sure he didn't dislodge Fabio's arms, and looked into his lover's face. This was too important to miss any clue Fabio might give while they spoke. "Good." Fabio looked serious. "Whatever else you were thinking about, you should never doubt that I want there to be an 'us'. If you want that as well, we can figure out the rest of it together." "I can live with that." The relief he felt almost made him lightheaded. "What I can't live with, though, is this sticky feeling that seems to have attached itself to me while I was sleeping." "Snuck up on you, so to speak?" Fabio's eyes twinkled. "Luckily, I know just the right cure for it." "You do?" God, this light-hearted banter was fun. He'd never seen the use of it before, had never been tempted to try it out, but with Fabio it seemed to be part of the way they related to each other. "Yep, it's called a shower." Fabio's lips twitched.

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"Really?" He did his best to keep a straight face, but failed miserably. The laughter bubbled up from deep inside and there was nothing he could do to stop it. "You're such a goof." Fabio grinned and started pushing away so he could get up. That was one thing he'd never been called in his entire life. He couldn't believe he actually liked it coming from Fabio. But then, he was beginning to suspect that lots of things would change with this man around. A hot shower and a lot of playful splashing in the water later, they were ready to go out for a walk, when Fabio suddenly smacked his head. "I should check my messages, just in case there's a job for me next week after all. Not to mention update my Facebook status. My fans might think I've died otherwise." Fabio walked over to the hallway where he'd discarded his jacket earlier this morning. He pulled out a BlackBerry, switched it on and walked over to the sofa to wait for the machine to boot up and show him what he'd missed. "I'll go check my e-mail as well." He waited for a nod to make sure Fabio had heard him then walked into his study to check what was going on in the outside world. Thank God he didn't have to be as visible as Fabio. The constant attention would drive him crazy in no time. He was curious about Fabio's public persona, though, so he 77

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Googled him. He'd barely started to check out all the entries, most of them connected to Facebook, when a sound like a fist hitting a table startled him. "Fuck!" Fabio's voice carried through the half-open door. "What?" That didn't sound at all good, and when it was followed by an ominous silence, Edwin decided to go check on his lover. Fabio sat on the sofa, BlackBerry in one hand, with his eyes riveted on the small screen but otherwise unmoving. He'd gone white as a sheet and was starting to shake. "What's wrong?" He stepped closer. It must be really bad news to have that sort of an effect on the normally even-tempered Fabio. Well, even tempered in Edwin's experience, which didn't say all that much. Fabio just shook his head and pressed his lips into a thin, angry line. Being excluded like that hurt a little, but they really hadn't known each other that long. Feeling comfortable about sharing personal details might take a while. He was about to retreat back to his study when Fabio looked up. His gaze was haunted and he still hadn't gained back much of his facial color. "What?" He really wanted to know now.

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"It's just… I don't even know what to say to this." Fabio looked down at his BlackBerry and back up. "Bad news?" Edwin took another few steps closer and carefully sat on the opposite end of the sofa from Fabio. What he really wanted to do was sit as close as possible so he'd be ready to take his lover into his arms to comfort him, should it become necessary. "Yes and no. It isn't really news, but I certainly didn't expect it." Fabio held out the BlackBerry for him to see what was going on. "Here, read those for yourself. Then please tell me I'm dreaming." "That bad, huh?" Edwin glanced at the screen. There were five messages with the same subject line, sent within ten minutes of each other, by someone called lover69. The name was weird enough but the text of the subject line had him widening his eyes. "Stop seeing the idiot accountant. I am the right man for you. What the hell?" "Yeah, it gets worse." Fabio dropped his head in his hands and sighed. "I have no idea what I do to attract these crackpots." "You get these sorts of messages on a regular basis?" He hadn't read the rest of the e-mails yet, but the first one had given him a very bad feeling.

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"Not as bad as that, no. And never from this person before. But I've got some very weird fans, at least that's what they call themselves. Some of them go a little overboard in thinking they're my personal friends and try to tell me what to do or how to behave. A lot of them just comment on my life." Fabio looked up and shrugged. His eyes were huge in his still-pale face; he definitely looked a little lost. "Do you think this lover69 is a fan?" God, if that is what it was like to be famous, or a celebrity, he sure didn't want anything to do with it. "I don't know. He's sent me messages before, but they were nice. Supportive. Nothing like this. It's worse than the messages I usually get from the 'jealous' ones." Fabio pointed at the BlackBerry. "Have you read the rest of it?" "No, not yet." He lifted the little device again, clicked on the first message to open it and felt nauseous from the very start. "Unbelievable. How does he get from being a fan to thinking he can run your life? And why does he think just because I'm an accountant, which isn't even correct, it makes me a bad choice for you?" "I don't know. While I haven't lived like a monk, these comments about needing to settle down, with him, of course, are ridiculous." Fabio shook his head again. 80

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"Don't you think you should call the police? Someone

upset

enough

about

some

imagined

infringement… to send a message like this, might be capable of more." He didn't like this one bit. "They won't do anything. The e-mail address is probably untraceable, if my past experience is any indication. From what I've heard from other people who've had stalkers, the threats also need to get a lot more specific before they'll take them seriously. This could, after all, just be some idiot with fantasies of being my boyfriend." Fabio sighed. "These threats seem plenty specific to me. He doesn't only say that he's watching you. He's added my address, at least the street name, to make sure you know he's serious. He also says that you're his, and wants you to stop seeing me." What if Fabio was going to give in? It was the logical thing to do, at least until they could figure out whether this idiot was truly dangerous, or just playing some sick game. "Not going to happen." Fabio snorted. "Well, maybe on a pretend basis until we find out who he is. You know, just to make sure…?" "That would be sensible." He hated the idea of it. How dare this total stranger take away the most beautiful thing he'd had in years? The prospect of being Fabio's 81

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boyfriend, if that's what they decided to be to each other, had him all excited. But was it worth the risk of bodily harm or worse? "Then I guess I should warn you that I've never been known to do what everyone else thought to be rational." Fabio grimaced. "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted out of this, but as far as I'm concerned, we need to deal with this together. We can't give in to every idiot who thinks he has a right to my time or attention. Whoever is out there and thinks they can control me needs to understand that the only person deciding on what I do with my time is me and my boyfriend." "Your boyfriend?" He held his breath, hoping for the answer he wanted so desperately to hear. "Yeah." Fabio's smile was radiant. "If you want the position?" "Fuck, yes, I want the position!" He felt like doing a victory dance. "Thank God." Fabio looked relieved, as if he'd truly been afraid Edwin would turn him down. "So you're not rejecting me?" He put the BlackBerry down onto the coffee table and moved closer to Fabio. Suddenly, reassuring himself that they were still okay became really important.

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"Never." Fabio opened his arms and he scooted right in. **** A few hours later Edwin wasn't sure what to do next. He'd done his best to distract both of them from the disquieting e-mails all afternoon. They'd made out on the sofa forever before taking things back to bed. He'd been so aroused from all the kissing and caressing that he came as soon as Fabio entered him. He'd been mortified for all of a few seconds when Fabio followed him over the edge, shaking hard enough with the force of his release to topple both of them to their sides. The laughter that had followed had been as irrepressible as it was therapeutic. He'd never had that much fun in bed before. "We can stay in if you want." The decision about what to do with their evening had suddenly taken on an importance he wasn't used to. He had no personal experience of what to do when in a relationship, but he suspected going out might be involved. "Would you prefer that?" Fabio looked up from getting dressed after their latest romp between the sheets. "No. Well, yes. Heck, I don't know." He felt embarrassed about not knowing the 'good spots', the kind 83

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Fabio would be used to. And he was scared about this stalker. What if he followed and embarrassed them? "Well, that was clear." Fabio smiled, zipped up, and opened his arms. "Come here." "I'm sorry I'm such an idiot." He stepped into his lover's embrace and put his head on the man's chest. Listening to his heartbeat was very soothing. "You're not an idiot!" Fabio lifted his hand and stroked the back of his head, making sure he stayed close. "You have different preferences, and that's fine. But I suspect staying in has more to do with not knowing how to deal with this stalker than anything else." Edwin nodded. He was a coward. "Stop it." Fabio sounded serious. "What?" He looked up. "I know what you're thinking." Fabio frowned. "I don't agree; you're not a coward." "How did you know?" He wanted to step away, but Fabio wouldn't let him. "No running." Fabio kissed him on the nose, making him laugh. "I'm beginning to understand how your brain works. And anyway, most people have that reaction, of wanting to hide when some unknown person intrudes in their life."

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"You don't?" Boy, Fabio was courageous as well as handsome. "Not anymore." Fabio shook his head. "If I ran every time someone got involved in my life, I'd be in hiding all the damn time." "I guess so. It's still scary." He put his head back onto Fabio's chest and sighed. "I know, sweetheart." Fabio tightened his embrace. Edwin almost melted at the endearment. It was the first time anyone other than his mother had called him something that nice. And even she'd stopped when he was a teenager. "We can stay in if that's what you really want, but I'd rather take you out. Show the world my new boyfriend." Fabio's voice was a little rough on the last few words. "Yeah?" How could he say no to that? "Just try and stop me." Fabio slid his hand up Edwin's spine, causing delighted goose bumps all over his body. "I think I'll take you to one of my favorite underground performance cafés tonight. You'll probably enjoy it." Underground

performance?

A

café,

not

a

restaurant? He smiled and decided to go with the flow for once. Fabio wouldn't lead him astray, that was the one thing he already felt sure of, even if they'd only just met. 85

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An hour later they stood in front of the 5C Café & Cultural Center on the corner of East 5th Street and Avenue C. It was one of the more interesting places Edwin had ever considered entering, but, apparently, it was also one of the best rated health food restaurants in the city. And with Fabio at his side, he'd quickly discovered a new sense of adventure. The décor was a little homey, but the smells wafting across from the kitchen were good enough to forget what the place looked like. Live entertainment promised to keep them, well, entertained, and the menu was full of homemade dishes that sounded mouthwatering. The vegetarian choices alone made his stomach growl. When they'd given the waitress their orders and had received their drinks, Fabio leaned back. "I have a question for you, that I can't stop myself from asking. And now that we're boyfriends, I definitely need to know." A small smile played around his lover's lips making him look very naughty. "Okay." He had a few questions as well, so it was only fair. "I'm dying to know the story behind your name." Fabio leaned forward as if to make sure he wouldn't miss

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anything. "I mean, no disrespect to your parents, but who the hell names their kid Edwin these days?" "Well, more people than you might think." And why did he suddenly feel defensive? He'd never really liked the name himself, after all. "Don't you remember Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin? The second man to land on the moon?" "I'll be… you're right! Is that who you're named after?" Fabio's eyes had widened. "No, actually, my dad is a physicist and an Edwin Hubble fan." God, the stories he'd had to endure as a child. "He was an American astronomer of the early twentieth century who confirmed the existence of galaxies other than our own Milky Way." "Oh, he's the space telescope guy, right?" Fabio seemed fascinated. "That was a lot later, but yeah, the space telescope was named after him, since its mission was, or rather, still is, to explore the far reaches of the universe." Remembering the stories his parents had told turned out to be a lot more fun than living through them at the time. If only his parents had been as interested in listening to him and his issues as they were in their science. "Wow, that's so fascinating. I think we've just found the topic for tonight's conversation." Fabio sat back again and took a sip of his sangria. 87

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"We have?" He was game. "As long as I get to ask some questions as well." "Sure, twenty questions it is." Fabio grinned and that set the tone for the evening. Hours later he realized how late it was as Fabio got the check and they made their way back to North Manhattan. Strange how time passed much more quickly when he had fun, because the guy he was talking to was not just interesting himself, but interested in what Edwin had to say as well. He smiled as they walked from the subway station back to his apartment building. It was late for him to be out on a Saturday night, but he had a feeling that returning around midnight or later would become the norm for him soon. Fabio knew the most interesting restaurants, and going out seemed to be a way of life with the man; even if he never ate much more than a salad and some lean chicken. He was perpetually scared of gaining weight and looking bad. As if! He'd felt bad even thinking about eating a full meal. From now on, he'd be on the same diet as Fabio. At least while he was here. Which reminded him of the fact that he didn't even know how long Fabio could stay. He was trying to decide how best to bring that up when they'd arrived at his apartment building. Miguel 88

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waved at him, looking tired since it was almost the end of his shift. He'd never seen the normally perky man this late. "Delivery for you, sir." The doorman smiled. "I'll get it for you." Who would send him anything? He only got packages for Christmas and his birthday, and neither was even close. Miguel returned from the little storage room just off reception with a shoebox-size package, wrapped in red silk with a dark blue ribbon. A little golden envelope, presumably containing some sort of message, was attached to it. What the hell? "Thanks, Miguel." He took the box, looked at it, and shrugged. He couldn't wait to find out what was inside, so he rushed upstairs, deposited it on the kitchen table, and opened the envelope to pull out the card. "Huh?" He stared at the name, not sure what to think. "What's wrong?" Fabio walked into the kitchen after putting their light overcoats away in the hallway closet. "This-this is for you." He stared at the flowing letters some more, but they still said For my beloved Fabio. "For me?" Fabio stepped closer and looked at the name tag. "That's scary." 89

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"You think it's from that stalker-y fan of yours?" He felt weak in the knees. This was the stuff you read about in thrillers or saw in movies. Things like that didn't happen to him. Except now they did. "I'm afraid it might be." Fabio looked almost as pale as he had when that weird e-mail had arrived. "Let me check my e-mail, maybe he's left an electronic greeting card as well. And while I think of it: do you have gloves anywhere in the house?" "Gloves?" Maybe he had some old rubber gloves somewhere—no, hold on, he'd kicked those out a while ago. "Leather. I have my leather gloves in the hallway closet." "Great." Fabio nodded and pointed at the box. "Get the gloves, will you? The police may have an interest in this after all, depending on what's inside, and we don't want our fingerprints all over." "I should have thought of that!" But then, he didn't watch many crime shows. Minutes later he'd found the gloves that, of course, had been hiding at the very back of the closet. He put them on and helped Fabio open the box. They found dried flowers, chocolates and little silver coin-sized love tokens in a gauze bag, each good for one kiss. He found a heartshaped key ring and, at the bottom, a letter. 90

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"This is so sick." Fabio looked disgusted, but opened the letter and glanced at the bottom before starting to read it. "Yep, it's from lover69, whoever that is. Says here he is very disappointed I'm shacked up with 'that accountant'.

Apparently,

there

is

a

good

match

professionally; he thinks we'd make an ideal team. All that's missing is the fulfillment of our 'romantic potential'. The gifts in the box are, supposedly, just the beginning." "Shit." That sounded like the guy really was a total nutcase. "You can say that again." Fabio frowned. "He ends the letter with a request to let him know I've 'heard' him and will open my heart to him. He'll keep watching me until I do, he says he's persistent." "Not good." He sat down in one of the chairs, trying deep breathing to help him calm down. It didn't really work. "I agree." Fabio sat next to him and put a hand on his thigh, as if to ground him. "There's nothing in here to convince the police he's dangerous, and yet, I feel threatened. We've got to find out who this is and stop him." "But he could be anyone." As well-known as Fabio was he might not even be someone Fabio would recognize. "I know." Fabio frowned. "Somehow I think it's someone closer to me, rather than some fan. That comment 91

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about us being a good match professionally, makes me think we work together. Which is good because it narrows down the group of suspects, at least." "I don't know. I'm more worried about how easy it'll be for him to get to you." Edwin took Fabio's hand. "This isn't how I imagined people would react to us being together." "No, me neither, sweetheart." Fabio lifted his hand and caressed Edwin's cheek. "But don't worry, we'll find a way to deal with this—together!"

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CHAPTER SIX Fabio sat back in the wide business class seat of the New York to Paris flight and closed his eyes. Sunday night with Edwin, he still had to smile at the name, had been as magical as Saturday. They'd stayed home, something he'd never believed could be so entertaining. They'd interrupted making and eating dinner several times for kisses, caresses, and bringing each other off in a variety of very creative ways. He'd never, ever, had sex that amazing, nor had he had that much fun with another partner. Edwin was a true firecracker once let lose, and they'd both loved every minute of exploring each other's bodies and learning how to make each other moan. Not thinking about the e-mails or the box had been easy amidst all that distraction and focus on the nicer things in life. But when the phone call from his agent on Monday morning let him know he had a new assignment, everything came rushing back. The phrase 'professionally work well together' kept haunting him as Cal Mayberry took him through the requirements for the eveningwear shoot in Paris. He hadn't even thought to ask about the crew he'd work with, assuming it would be a local French one. Once Cal sent him the details he was surprised to see Ian Cery

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listed as the photographer. Didn't the man usually only work in New York? He'd shrugged it off and concentrated on making the last few hours with Edwin memorable. His boyfriend had even been able to take Monday afternoon off so they could spend more time together. And, boy, had they had fun. Everything was more enjoyable with Edwin around, even activities as mundane as eating or doing laundry. They'd focused on enjoying each other's company and nothing had been settled, but they had agreed they needed to talk about their future and how to manage the details, so Fabio wanted to return to New York as soon as his job would allow. Once the stewardess had served the meal, he was ready to fall asleep. The next thing he knew someone was shaking his shoulder, asking him to get ready for their landing at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. The midday sun in Paris glared down at him as soon as his taxi escaped the ugly monstrosity that passed for an airport in this otherwise beautiful city. As they drove toward the center of the city, he watched all the famous and less famous buildings pass by. God, he wished Edwin was with him. It would be so much more fun. Instead, he spent the next three days working hard, eating almost nothing, and calling Edwin whenever 94

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possible. The stalker's e-mails didn't stop, and there were fresh flowers in his hotel every evening, always with a small golden envelope and the same message on the card inside. He was beginning to hate the words For my beloved Fabio. How the hell did this lover69 know where he was? That job in Paris wasn't the end of it either. Over the next two weeks he got assignments in London, Rome, Athens, and even Cairo. The flowers and chocolates kept coming as did the e-mails. They were less aggressive now, as if the stalker had calmed down, but they were still damned intrusive. For three out of the four of the shoots Ian was the photographer. Fabio was suspicious; this was highly unusual. But his internal alarm flared dark crimson when Ian suggested they meet for dinner on their last night in Cairo to discuss a business proposition the photographer wanted Fabio's feedback on. That was just too far beyond usual to be a coincidence. His suspicion that Ian was actually lover69 looked pretty solid now. Unfortunately, there was no time to call and discuss it with Edwin. Fabio would have liked to have his lover's perspective on all of this, but his curiosity to find out whether he was right outweighed his fear of being in the presence of someone who was potentially not quite one hundred percent. Anyway, they'd be in a public place, so the likelihood of something going wrong was pretty low. 95

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Ian took him to one of the most unusual restaurants in Cairo. The Nile City was actually a boat, right on the river, with an amazing nighttime view of the city. Ian had chosen The Fish Market out of the five available restaurants, and they had barely ordered their food when the photographer leaned forward. He was clearly eager to get to the business part of the evening, if that was what he was truly after. "I know that what I'm about to say may sound crazy. I promise you that it isn't, and I have the materials to back it up. What I'd like us to do tonight is discuss the basics, then follow up with some more detailed meetings." Ian smiled, making his laugh lines appear more dominant in his still young face. The man was in his mid-thirties, which wasn't exactly old. His blond, slightly too long hair contributed to the impression of youth. "All I ask is that you hear me out, please." "Okay, I can do that." In fact, he wasn't going to say a single thing, if he could possibly get away with it. All he was here for was to listen to what the man was planning and to find any evidence, if possible, of him being the creepy stalker who had started to make Fabio's life a lot less pleasant. "We've worked together now for, what, five years?" Ian barely waited for Fabio's nod before he launched into 96

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an enthusiastic description of exactly how good their professional relationship supposedly was. When he was done, he looked triumphant, as if he'd passed a major milestone. "So, you see, it only makes sense for us to work even more closely together." "What did you have in mind?" Fabio wasn't going to mention that he worked well with almost any photographer a client threw at him. The style, and the results, he achieved with Ian weren't all that different from what he could do with anyone else. "I've been thinking that we should start our own agency. With your looks and experience combined with my talent, we'll have clients running down our doors." Ian grinned. "Of course, we should go exclusive to ensure that you'll always look your best on the few occasions that we'll accept an outside assignment." What the hell? That would never work. The business

was

already very

competitive,

and

even

experienced agencies were finding it difficult to find enough work in this economy. It was a completely overcrowded marketplace and even a non-accountant like him could see that starting another agency would only lead to disaster. He briefly wondered what Edwin might say about his assessment, but Ian was still staring at him, expecting an answer, so he better say something. 97

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"It's an interesting proposal." God, he hoped he sounded convincing. It didn't interest him in the least, but a confrontation wouldn't get him anywhere either. He had to find an easy way to let Ian down. "Really?" Ian's eyes widened. "That's great. I'll send you the details tomorrow." "Hold on. I said it was interesting, but I don't think it'll work." He wanted to eat in peace, but it didn't look like that was going to happen now. The grilled fish had looked awfully attractive and some of the salads being carried past their table looked positively delicious. God, he was hungry. "What do you mean it won't work?" Ian frowned. "I think it's too risky in today's economy." He took a sip of water and tried to marshal his thoughts. What other reasons could he give without coming right out and telling Ian he'd never do it? He was thinking about retiring, for heaven's sake. Starting up his own business in the highly competitive world of modeling and high fashion was so not in his plans. "There's nothing risky about us going into business together." Ian sat up straight and balled his fist. He looked as if he was about to hit something. What a temper! "I'm sorry, but I happen to see it differently. And anyway, I won't stay young and in demand forever, which makes it even riskier." He'd hate to have to tell Ian he didn't 98

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know him well enough to do something like that with him. Hell, he didn't even want to explore the possibility. There was absolutely no vibe between them. "But you could teach others a lot. And you have lots of connections…" Ian looked helpless, as if he'd run out of his prepared arguments. "Look, Ian, I don't like being blunt, but don't know how else to say this." He took a deep breath, not liking the dark expression that crossed Ian's face. "I'm simply not interested in a venture like that. Now—or ever." "How can you be so short-sighted?" Ian's face got red. "You have no idea what you're turning down here, we could be great together. Won't you please reconsider?" "I'm sorry, Ian, but I won't." There was no point in giving the man hope, only to have to squash it later. "You're such an idiot." Ian jumped up, tore his napkin from his lap, and threw in onto his plate. "Mark my words, you'll regret this!" With that, he turned on his heel and stomped out of the restaurant. The other patrons stared at Fabio as if he'd been the offender. He shrugged and turned his attention to the waiter. The man stood there with two plates of food, his mouth gaping open as he stared after Ian. "I'm sorry, I'll only be eating one portion. My dinner companion seems to have lost his appetite." Had he 99

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not been starving from three days of minimal food intake, he might have turned down his food as well. He felt awful, embarrassed, and wanted to sink into the ground. Since no hole was likely to open up to swallow him, though, he'd bluff his way through the situation. It had worked for him so far. "What-what about the second dinner?" The waiter blinked. "I'll pay for it, of course." And he'd expense it, too. "I hope someone in the kitchen will be interested." "Okay." The waiter put down Fabio's plate and walked back to the kitchen, clearly too dazed to put up an argument. Fabio sighed. This wasn't how he'd imagined the evening to go. He started to eat, and although the food was delicious, there was no joy in it. He hadn't known what to expect, but Ian running off in a huff after a confrontation hadn't been one of the scenarios he'd come up with. God, he wished Edwin was around so they could talk about it. He desperately needed his lover's level-headed perspective. Even their phone call later that night wasn't sufficient to calm him down. Edwin listened like he always did, and confirmed that Fabio had made the right decision from a business point of view. The problem of having to work with Ian the next day, and probably having to share 100

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the return flight with the slightly deluded man, weighed heavily on him, though. As it turned out, his worrying had been for nothing. Ian didn't even bother to turn up, leaving the rest of the shoot to his assistant, Xavier. The younger man was a competent enough photographer, or he wouldn't have made it to his position as second in command, but it wasn't fair to the client. How unprofessional of Ian to act this way! It just confirmed Fabio's instincts about the man. He'd definitely made the right decision when he'd turned down the crazy offer. He somehow got through the rest of the day, and had never been happier than when he got on his flight to London, where he spent the night since there wasn't a direct connecting flight. By the time he arrived at LAX in the early evening on Friday, just as the sun was about to set, he was as jetlagged as usual, totally exhausted and couldn't wait to drop into his own bed. At least his house in the mountains near Monte Nido would be quiet, with the view onto Stuart Ranch National Park as relaxing as usual. He didn't really watch where he was going, just blindly followed his usual driver who had his name on a small white eraser board. Not having expected anyone to pick him up, he was touched that Edwin would have thought to arrange it for him, even from that much of a 101

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distance. He'd really wanted to spend the weekend with his lover, but he had another shoot on Monday, in LA, and as exhausted as he already was, he needed all the rest he could get. Fabio sank back into the leather seats of the limo and closed his eyes. A short nap during the hour or so drive to his home would do him good. He grinned. Staying awake wasn't really a choice anyway. He was already half asleep when the car suddenly swerved violently. Brakes squealed and the car fishtailed as he blinked himself awake. The blinding headlights of a huge truck were right in front of them and he screamed as the car turned sideways, the monstrous vehicle barreling down on them. The bang and resulting backlash when the truck hit them threw his head against the window. The car started sliding toward the edge of the mountain road, dragged along by the still braking truck. For a moment it looked as if they were going to be okay. Then the limo hit the guard rail and broke straight through. There was nothing below them. The limo seemed stuck on the edge of the rock for an endless moment before tipping over and tumbling into what looked like a ravine. Fuck! He tried to hold on to the door handle as the car careened downward, but he wasn't strong enough and soon had to let go or risk breaking his 102

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fingers. His last thought was of Edwin and how disappointed his lover would be when Fabio didn't call him once he was safely home. Then everything went black. **** Edwin frantically paced his hotel room from one end to the other. Not one of his normal mannerisms, and the room was too small to give him any real relief, but the current situation seemed to call for movement. Activity. Something. In fact, he was so tense and had so much nervous energy to spare that he didn't seem able to avoid it. He just had to walk around, no matter how pointless it all was. Fight or flight at its best. Ironic, how part of his brain was still functioning normally, making these informative little comments. It just didn't seem to be the dominant part right now. Not daring to go for a run, for fear of missing a phone call or not being where he should be if one came in, he had no other outlet for the feelings of anger, helplessness, and growing desperation that almost overwhelmed him. He wasn't built for high stress situations, and he knew that, but there was nothing he could do about this one. 103

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It had been three days, three whole days, since Fabio had mysteriously disappeared after landing at LAX on Friday evening. Edwin knew, because his man had briefly called him as soon as he'd been allowed to after leaving the plane. The police hadn't even started to look into the case until twenty-four hours after the flight had arrived. By Sunday lunchtime, after finally starting to work on the case in the morning, they had established that Fabio had arrived safely. They also knew, based on CCTV footage, that he'd gotten into the limo Edwin had arranged for him. Tracing that limo and finding out where it had gone seemed to take forever. By Saturday evening, Edwin had made his way to LA, wanting to be near Fabio's last known location. The police had told him there wasn't anything he could do, that they had everything well in hand, but he hadn't felt like listening. Something was very wrong, and he needed to be as close to Fabio as possible. Edwin's first suspicion was that Ian Cery was behind the vanishing act. He'd told the officers at the Malibu Court police station, the closest one to Fabio's home in Monte Nido, where he'd made his missing person's report. Based on the details Fabio had given him about the strange dinner in Cairo, Edwin had been able to convince the police to call the photographer in for questioning. The 104

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man had been interviewed, but had supposedly known nothing and admitted less. Since he hadn't behaved suspiciously and could account for all his movements since returning from Cairo, there was no reason to hold him in custody. Not even the fact that he'd left early was helpful. He'd quoted 'creative differences' between him and his client and had insisted that his assistant was a competent replacement. The police were helpless. Edwin was angrier than he'd ever been. The rational part of his brain agreed that the police had to have evidence before they did something drastic, like arrest the bastard. But his instincts screamed at him that Ian had something to do with Fabio's disappearance. He just couldn't figure out what. Any motive he could think of would have required a call for ransom money or Ian being with Fabio. It was Monday afternoon and they still hadn't received any demands. He was so deep in thought that he jumped when the hotel room's phone rang. "Shit." He picked it up and tried to calm his rapid heartbeat by breathing deeply. "Edwin Zachary." "Hello, Mr. Zachary. It's Detective Jennifer Perkerson here." She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry it took so long, but we've been very busy. I just wanted to give you an update on the search efforts so far." 105

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"Oh God." He had to sit down and took a deep breath. It couldn't be all bad, though. Didn't they have to come around in person when the news was awful? "Unfortunately there is still no trace of Mr. Bonardi, or the limo and the driver he was last recorded with by the closed circuit TV cameras." The detective sounded harried. "We are retracing the most likely route the limo would have taken from the airport toward his home, as you know. But, to be honest, with several miles of lonely, winding mountain road to search, I'm afraid it may take a while. I'm sorry I can't give you better news." "Okay. Right." God, why didn't his brain-to-mouth connection work anymore? "What about the kidnapping hypothesis?" "With no further suspects and no evidence whatsoever that Mr. Cery was involved, we've had to drop that line of investigation." She sounded as tired as he felt. "I know you won't like this, but our hands are tied. We feel our efforts and resources are better focused on a search." "So you're just ignoring the possibility of a kidnapping attempt?" What the hell? "We have to follow procedure and what seems, based on our current information, the most logical course of action." She sighed. "I know this is difficult for you, but you have to leave it to the experts." 106

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The experts, my ass! They hadn't found Fabio so far, so why should he think that would change? His one visit to the police station, which had been overcrowded with waiting visitors and stressed out police personnel in equal measure, had not impressed him. He was sure they were doing their best, but their resources were limited. He'd spent half his time there sitting in one of the cheap little plastic chairs, waiting for someone to come see him. His ass still hurt almost two days later. How did they manage to make them so uncomfortable? Did they run special tests to make sure nobody actually wanted to sit in them? Fuck! I just want Fabio to be okay and back in my arms where he belongs. "Sure." There was no point in arguing with the woman. "Thanks for letting me know what's going on." "No problem." She ended the call. Well, that was abrupt. He stared at the receiver for a moment before he realized he wasn't getting his ass into gear like he should. He put the receiver down with enough force to make the nightstand the phone sat on shake. He may not be able to help with the kidnapping idea, especially since he had nothing at all to go on now that Ian seemed to be innocent, but he could do other things. Half an hour later he'd made arrangements for an upgraded rental car. He'd requested one with top-notch 107

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GPS and four-wheel drive. His current cheap-and-cheerful model wouldn't be up to the task of facing potentially dangerous mountain roads. Provisions were next on his list, and he got enough bottled water and granola bars to fill half the trunk, and added some blankets, flashlights, a long rope, and a deluxe first aid kit. The police were looking from the airport northward, he was going to start from Fabio's home and move south east. He couldn't shake the feeling that Fabio might have almost made it home and the police were missing something by ignoring that possibility. Edwin needed to find his man. He stopped short, looking up from packing some food into a cooler. That was new. He'd admitted that he really liked Fabio, both to himself and, by implication of being boyfriends, to the other man. But this new feeling, this absolute need of knowing Fabio was safe and wanting to have him around all the time, preferably within touching distance, that was new. Oh my God, am I falling in love? He could hardly wait to get started with his own search, but he'd have to wait for daylight the next morning. There was no point in trying to find the limo, or Fabio, in the darkness of unlit mountain roads. He kept telling himself that it was all going to be okay as he prepared for bed but it still took him forever to fall asleep. 108

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He was up at the crack of dawn, picked up the new rental car and had driven all the way to Monte Nido by about nine in the morning. There was no time for a break, so he pushed himself on. Fabio was probably suffering some real deprivation, whether he'd been kidnapped after all or whether something had happened to the limo, so how could be even think about taking a break? Tuesday was spent driving slowly along the sometimes perilously curved mountain roads closest to Fabio's home, then farther away as time progressed. The slow pace as he peered over the many dangerous drop-offs, calling out for Fabio almost made him lose his mind, but there was no point in going too fast and missing a sign, visual or audible, from his man. There had been nothing all day. Fabio had now been missing for four days and desperate fear took hold in Edwin's heart. It was getting dark, but how could he go back to his comfortable hotel room with Fabio out here, probably injured and hungry? His brain told him there wasn't any point in searching in the dark; that Fabio, if he was still alive, would have looked for shelter and be asleep. His heart wouldn't let him stop. He marked the spot he was at before it got too dark on the map he'd brought as backup and kept going. If he didn't find Fabio during the 109

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night, he'd return here tomorrow morning, and do the same stretch again, in daylight. Anything was better than giving up. He slowed down even more and kept going. Fabio had to be okay. He just had to.

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CHAPTER SEVEN Fabio returned to consciousness much slower than what he thought was normal. He wasn't sure, but everything felt wrong. He was disoriented and dizzy. The surface he lay on was hard as rock and there was something poking into his back and side. His head was about to explode with pain, his mouth was drier than a desert, and he couldn't even remember what day it was. He frowned when his eyes wouldn't open immediately. Or after trying a few times. Something is very wrong. He tried to lift his right arm to rub his eyes only to feel a stab of pain so intense he feared he was going to faint again. When he tried to use his left instead, he did a little better, but his ribcage hurt like hell. It was too cold to stay wherever it was he'd ended up, so he forced his eyes open. Maybe if he could see he'd find out where he was and get back on track. Wasn't he supposed to have slept at home last night? Fuck! There wasn't a lot of light, but what little came from far above him made him realize it must be early Saturday morning. He also lay at the bottom of a ravine. Made of sheer rock at the bottom, with only a few bushes and some low trees as vegetation, the walls were at least two-hundred 111

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feet high. Even if he didn't suspect his arm and possibly his ribs were broken, he would have been hard pressed to make it back up to the road. A few feet from him he could see the limo on its side, banged up, scratched beyond recognition and with the driver's arm dangling out of the window. It now looked more like a toy car that some child had dashed against a wall in anger. As far as he could see, he was lucky the car hadn't exploded. Okay, first things first. If he could find his cell phone, and hopefully get reception, he could simply call for help and be done with it. He had no idea where he was exactly since he'd dozed during the entire trip, but from the looks of the environment they must have made it into the mountains and couldn't be too far from Monte Nido and his house. With what he was sure was a super-human effort he raised himself and took a step toward the car, intending to start his search there then move farther out. He almost fell straight back down onto his ass when his ankle gave. It must be sprained. He gritted his teeth and hobbled toward the limo. As hard as it was, he needed to find out if the driver was dead or alive. As soon as he saw the odd angle of the man's head, he knew that he was beyond help.

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He started the search for his phone. Half an hour later he acknowledged defeat. While it was still his best option for rescue, he was too exhausted to continue the search. He needed water, rest, and food, probably in that order. Having made inventory of his injuries, he was pretty sure his right arm was broken, the ribs on the left side of his ribcage were at the very least cracked, he had a sprained ankle, and his back hurt. He'd have to try to keep up his strength, what little there was left, and hope someone would come for him when they realized he wasn't at home. Edwin had probably already concluded that something was off since Fabio had never called him last night. But what could his lover do from all the way across the country? A small stream gurgled not too far away, so he was in luck on that front. Rest or even sleep he could manage, he was sure, and the blanket he'd found in the back of the wrecked limo would go a fair bit toward making him feel comfortable and protecting him from the worst of the cold. As for food? There had been absolutely nothing resembling an edible substance in the limo. He shuddered as he realized he might need to find berries, roots, or worse. He'd put that off until he was much closer to starving than right now.

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He hobbled his way over to the stream and drank his fill. Washing his face a little was next, although having to do it with his left hand felt awkward. He almost fell asleep on the spot but he needed to get away from the car and the dead driver. He managed to pick himself up to make his way to a small tree where he lay down and closed his eyes, just for a little while. By the time he woke up the sun was straight overhead, he felt hot and all of his aches and pains had gotten worse. More water and some meager berries he'd found close to the stream later, he continued the search for his phone. Nothing. The alternative, finding a flare to use to get someone attention, was his next option. It was risky, because he had to guess if someone was even close enough to see the flare, and he could barely hear the traffic from far above. Once he'd found what he was looking for, he collapsed in disappointment. The flare had expired. So much for getting help that way! Was he going to die here? Refusing to accept that option, he drank more water, found some berries, and by the time the sun set, he was hungry enough to start considering ants or worms as a potential meal. Yuck! 114

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His sleep was restless. Hard rock was not what he was used to, but he didn't have a choice. The car lay on its side, so he couldn't stretch out on the seats. And anyway, the driver's body was still inside. The blanket staved off the worst of the cold, but it was freezing, and his chattering teeth woke him from his nightmares about starving to death and being eaten by wild animals more than once. There weren't any large predators in the area as far as he knew, but in the moonlight with only his imagination to keep him company, the idea didn't seem so crazy all of a sudden. And a mountain lion or wild dog, if they existed around here, could probably do a lot of damage in his weakened state. He was so not the type for roughing it! The next morning he was hungry enough to eye the leaves. There were no berries left, he had no idea how to find edible roots and worms still seemed a step too far. The pain in his arm, ribs, and ankle was getting worse. He felt demotivated because he'd realized that search parties, if someone knew to send them out, would most likely not find him. He raged and ranted about his fate during most of Sunday and, by sunset, was ready to eat a couple of worms he found by digging in the soft earth close to the stream. He almost threw them right back up, they tasted so disgusting. He took some deep breaths and forced himself to keep them 115

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down. He needed the protein to help him heal. He had no hope doing that from just what his body had to offer. He didn't have that many reserves to start with! No longer sure anyone would be able to find him, he took a sharp stone and scratched a short message into the side of the crumpled car. Edwin at least deserved to know how Fabio felt about him. Having said goodbye to the only person who mattered to him, he sank into a drowsy half-sleep that carried him through the rest of Monday and most of Tuesday. He was so hungry now that eating worms was no longer an issue. A few ants were far less tasty and since he didn't think they were very nutritious, he didn't bother. Not too long after dark on Tuesday night he thought he heard a noise from above. It wasn't a car, of which he'd heard quite a few pass in the last few days, instead, it sounded like a voice. "Help." His voice was rough from disuse. "Help me, I'm down here." A faint light shone from above, probably a flashlight. Someone was looking for him after all! "Help!" He rose to his feet, hoping to be heard better if he was closer to the top of the cliffs. His brain knew that was grasping at straws, but he couldn't help it.

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When the flash of light vanished he almost cried with disappointment. He slumped back against the rock and closed his eyes. Fuck! Minutes later he heard a soft scratching noise and looked up. A dark lump that could be a man crawled down the sheer walls, attached to what must be a rope. Fabio stared at the apparition, expecting it to pop out of existence any moment. The man continued to climb downward, though, and when he'd finally made it to the bottom of the ravine, he switched the flashlight back on and started moving it in a searching pattern. Fabio was paralyzed and unable to utter a single sound. The man moved closer to the car and took a deep breath when the flashlight revealed Fabio's message. "Fabio?" The man turned around, squinting into the darkness. "Are you here? Please be here? I need you so much." A strangled sob was all the sound Fabio was able to bring forth, but it was enough. Edwin turned toward him and stood motionless for a few seconds before he ran toward Fabio. His boyfriend wore jeans, a rumpled shirt, his hair was totally askew, and his red-rimmed eyes were wide with shock and worry. He was the most beautiful man Fabio had ever laid eyes on.

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"Fabio!" Edwin raced the rest of the way, fell to his knees, and embraced Fabio tightly enough to squeeze all the air out of his lungs. Not to mention make the pain in his ribs flare up. He couldn't have cared less. "Edwin. You came for me." He dropped his head onto Edwin's shoulders as tears of relief sprang from his eyes. "Of course I did!" Edwin looked up with tenderness in his eyes as he lifted a hand to cup Fabio's cheek. "I love you!" "You do?" Fabio's eyes widened as his heart did a few somersaults for joy. That look and those words cut right through any shreds of self-defense he might still have imagined around his heart. "More than anything." Edwin bent down for a much too brief kiss. "I was so worried I'd never find you." "I'll be okay. Now that you're here, I'll be fine." He smiled and tried to put every ounce of feeling into his gaze as he looked straight into his lover's eyes. "I love you too, more than I can say." "God, I thought I'd lost you." Edwin clung to him with enough force to strangle him. It made his ribs hurt again, but who cared? Not him! "Let me call the sheriff so they can organize a helicopter or whatever they need to get you out of here." 118

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"Please!" He needed a doctor badly. "Can you order some coffee while you're at it?" "Now I know you're going to be all right." Edwin cupped his cheeks and smiled though his tears. "If you can ask for coffee, I bet you're going to be okay." **** The helicopter ride to the hospital should have been more fun, but Fabio was so out of it that he didn't really pay attention. They wouldn't even feed him anything because no doctor had signed off on it. He already missed Edwin, but had been assured he'd be allowed in to see him just as soon as he could make it to the hospital by car. The doctor confirmed the broken arm, cracked ribs, and suspected he'd had a concussion as well. But Fabio wasn't interested. He wanted coffee and some food in that order. By the time they'd x-rayed him, put a cast on his arm, and given him a prescription for a ton of pain medication, he was ready to scream if it would get him food. "Hang in there, I'll be right back." Edwin had been told his room number but the nurses insisted on doing the transfer of their newest patient themselves and without Edwin around. Fuck knew why! 119

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By the time he was settled in his bed, Edwin walked into the room, a promising looking brown paper bag in one hand. When he pulled out a container of soup from the Asian takeaway chain Fabio preferred, he moaned. "Gotta start you easy, so I'm sorry not to be bringing you something more substantial, but I'd rather you keep it down than send it right back." Edwin opened the canister, set it on the table, and swung it toward Fabio. Soup had never smelled so good. Fabio shut up, took his spoon from Edwin's hand, and started eating. A few days later Fabio finally unlocked the front door of his mansion. He already felt better than he had in weeks. And that was before he'd even taken a much-needed shower at home rather than the awkward one they'd allowed him to take in the hospital yesterday. He walked inside without letting go of Edwin's hand for even a second. While the stay at the hospital had been necessary until he'd achieved a minimum level of recovery and rehydration, he'd hated every minute of it. The shocking discovery that his driver had been the stalker had hit him hard. The police told him they'd found a whole 'shrine' of pictures and memorabilia, plus several unsent letters at the driver's home. Who knew? He was certainly glad that stalker episode was over. There would always be people 120

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who fooled him, some fans more avid than others, but he never wanted anybody as enthusiastic, if you could call it that, as that driver after him again. "Wow, this place is something else." Edwin looked around, eyes big with exhaustion and surprise. "Much too big for just one man, though." He dropped the keys on the table in the hallway once he'd locked the door securely. "You'll see when I give you the tour, but I'm a little tired now, so I was hoping we can do that tomorrow?" "Of course." Edwin stepped closer and slid his arms around Fabio's middle. "All I want right now is for you to settle in and get some sleep. Preferably with me right next to you." "Great minds and all that." Fabio grinned and leaned down for a quick kiss. He was planning to follow up in the shower. "Let's go conserve some water." Edwin frowned for a moment, then understanding lit his face, and he laughed. Fabio took the lead, making a beeline for the master bedroom. Now that the worst was over, he was looking forward to relaxing and getting back to deciding how to make the relationship with Edwin work. The fact they loved each other was a minor miracle, and one he was extremely grateful for. Everything else would surely fall into place. 121

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With his arm in a cast as the last reminder of his ordeal, he was sure he could recover quickly now that he was at home. Edwin finding him despite all odds was more than he'd dared hope for. Thank God that was all over now! He focused on getting undressed, watching Edwin from the corner of his eye. His lover was as gorgeous as he remembered, all lean muscle and gracious movement. Once the water was warm enough and he'd put a large trash bag around his arm to protect his cast, he stepped into the shower cabin. The steam quickly filled their space and he leaned against the wall to let the water beat down on his neck and back. The tension slowly dissolved and when Edwin's hands started stroking and massaging him as his lover washed his back, his legs, and then his front, he sighed and let it all go. One body part that definitely wasn't relaxed after an extremely thorough soaping was his cock. Enjoying the tension and the knowledge it would soon be taken care of, he returned the favor and washed Edwin with as much care and tenderness as his tired mind would allow. He was getting quite used to doing everything with his left hand. It forced him to pay more attention to what he was doing which, in this case, was a blessing. Once he was done, he turned Edwin so they were face-to-face, took him into his

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one functional arm, and bent down for the first real kiss since their enthusiastic greeting in the damned ravine. Edwin fell into the kiss with flattering enthusiasm. Their tongues touched and Fabio moaned. He loved kissing Edwin. Doing it knowing that this amazing man saw him, all the parts of him that he hid from the world when he became Alessandro, and returned his feelings, turned him on to the point he was ready to come. It would work for now, and after some sleep, he had plans. He pulled back enough to warn Edwin. "I'm gonna come, baby." "Fuck!" Edwin's hips bucked against him and heat spread between their bodies as Edwin came all over them. "Edwin!" He stilled and felt his cock spurt more heat as the pleasure racing through him made him dizzy. "God, you're so hot." "You're the hot one." Edwin took a deep breath and stepped back to let the water cleanse them while he looked up. "Sorry for coming so soon. But when you called me baby, in that rough voice you get when you're so excited you're ready to blow, I couldn't stop myself." "We're both hot, okay?" He didn't want an argument, he needed to sleep.

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"Yeah, I'm tired too." Edwin grinned, turned off the water, and stepped out before Fabio was able to close his mouth. Hot damn, his lover was clever. Minutes later they'd dried themselves, brushed their teeth, and dropped into bed. "Night, sweetheart." Fabio yawned and pulled his lover even closer. "Love you, honey." Edwin snuggled in. "Sweet dreams." With his lover in his arms, what other kind was there? Fabio simply loved this dream. He was in bed with Edwin in his arms, bodies snuggled so tightly together not even air would have fit between them. The soft snuffles of a man still sleeping sounded so real that he opened his eyes. Wow, it is real! Fabio looked at Edwin's face and smiled. He wanted him inside his body so badly, but they both needed their sleep even more. Their time in the hospital, with Edwin not moving from his side for even a minute, had exhausted them both. Fabio didn't want to take away even a second's worth of rest. There would be time enough to make love when the man woke up. And hopefully for the rest of their lives. He'd even move to New York, if that was what it 124

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took, even though he much preferred LA. Well, where he lived, at least. "Morning." Edwin blinked up at him. "You're still here." "Morning, baby." He smiled and scooted closer to make sure Edwin was as aware of his erection as he was. "Did you sleep well?" "Yeah, I did." Edwin reached up to rub the sleep from his eyes then rested his hand on Fabio's chest. "Much better than in New York, actually. It's kinda quiet here." "Hm." He'd noticed the excessive noise levels when he'd stayed at Edwin's apartment. And he knew an opportunity when he saw one. "Would you like to enjoy that on a permanent basis?" "Are you asking me to move in with you?" Edwin tried to look innocent. "If that makes you happy…" He held his breath. Edwin nodded emphatically. "Yes, then I'm asking." He smiled. "Then I'm saying yes, yes, yes!" Edwin threw his arms around Fabio's neck and kissed him wildly. The kiss quickly escalated, and he couldn't stop himself from grinding into Edwin's hard bulge. It would have been easy to come within minutes, but it wasn't what

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he wanted. He pulled back a little and Edwin whimpered, trying to follow and maintain contact. "Want you in me this time." They hadn't done it yet, but he longed for Edwin to make him his, just like he'd already done with Edwin a few times. "Oh God." Edwin closed his eyes and stopped moving. "What?" He briefly worried Edwin might not be comfortable with the idea. "We're going to have to be fast." Edwin opened his eyes and they shone with emotion. "I almost came now, just thinking about it." "Yes!" He felt like doing a victory dance, but pointed at the nightstand. "Supplies." Edwin took his time to prepare Fabio. He turned onto his stomach, carefully putting his injured arm to the side, using a few pillows as additional support. Edwin kissed, licked, and caressed every inch of his back, then his legs before he asked him to pull up his knees. By the time he was convinced there was more lube in his ass than left in the bottle, Edwin had three fingers sawing in and out of his aching hole. Fabio was so ready to come that he was begging for Edwin to get on with it and fuck him. "Shhhhh. I have you." Edwin finally pulled his fingers out, tore the foil package open, and seconds later 126

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placed his sheathed cockhead against Fabio's waiting opening. "No, this won't work." "What?" His heart almost stopped. "Turn onto your back, baby." Edwin gave his hip a light push, which was a good thing. He was still trying to recover from the shocking possibility of not getting Edwin inside him right now. "Want to see you when I make love to you." He melted onto his back, spread his legs, and Edwin, thoughtful man that he was, pushed a pillow under his ass as well as his broken arm before moving into position between his legs. "Ready?" Edwin grabbed his thighs. "Please!" He was so ready it wasn't funny. Edwin slid right in. The stretch and slight burn were just right. He moaned and nodded to let Edwin know it was okay to move. Edwin put his hands next to Fabio's chest and started thrusting. He never looked away from him, and the experience was more intimate and moving than anything they'd done so far. Edwin kept his strokes long and deep, even when both of them started to sweat and he wanted nothing more than his lover to speed up. The slow build was amazing, and when he felt his orgasm come close enough to touch, Edwin somehow knew and started pegging his gland every 127

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time. When Edwin bent down for a long, deep kiss, it was all over. "Fuck!" Ecstasy raced from his balls out of his cock, the pleasure too much to contain. He shook and bucked as he came all over himself, but Edwin fucked him right through it, prolonging his orgasm until he saw stars. Only then did his lover give in to his own pleasure and came, shouting Fabio's name as he emptied himself into the condom. "God, I love you." Edwin kissed him again before pulling out, disposing of the condom and finding some tissues to clean him up a little. Fabio was too boneless for a reply. But when Edwin moved back into his one-armed embrace, he tightened it as much as possible and kissed him deeply. "Love you too, baby." He smiled at Edwin's small shudder of delight. Whatever the future would bring, he was ready for it now. He had a man he loved, who loved him right back, they were going to live in one of his favorite places on Earth and build a life together. All his previous worries, even the dratted wrinkle, seemed insignificant now. Love was all that really mattered, and he'd gladly accept a lot more wrinkles in exchange for the happiness Edwin made him feel. 128

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THE END

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR I'm a night owl who starts writing when everyone else in my time zone is asleep. I've loved reading all my life and spent most of my childhood with my nose buried in a book. Although I always wanted to be a writer, financial independence came first. Twenty-some years and a successful business career later I took some online writing classes and never looked back. Living and working in seven countries has taught me that there's more than one way to get things done. It has instilled tremendous respect for the many different cultures, beliefs, attitudes and preferences that exist on our planet. I like exploring those differences in my stories, most of which happen to be romances. My characters have a tendency to want to do their own thing, so I often have to rein them back in. The one thing we all agree on is the desire for a happy ending. I currently live in the United Kingdom, sharing my house with a vast collection of books. I like reading, travelling, spending time with my nieces and listening to classical music. I have a passion for science and learning new languages. Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.serenayates.com/ Facebook: Serena Equality Yates Twitter: @SerenaYates

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show2964333.Serena_Yates

ALSO BY SERENA YATES

Available at Silver Publishing: WORKPLACE ENCOUNTERS The Elevator Mechanic The Chauffeur The Ship Engineer The Carpenter The Truck Driver The Model CELESTIAL JUSTICE Araton's Destiny Zuriel's Fate Israfil's Future Taharial's Struggle Sachael's Test (Coming soon) KEEPING YOU To Find and to Keep (print) Available at Dreamspinner Press: DÁLRIATA Eye of Scota: Cináed MISTLETOE SCIENCE The Mistletoe Phenomenon The Solstice Mistletoe Effect The Mistletoe Experiment Mistletoe Science (print) KEEPING YOU To Find and To Keep To Keep and To Love

Available at Total E-Bound: ELEMENTAL SUPERPOWERS (with A.J. Llewellyn) The Cake The Blancmange THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS Summer Escape Autumn Quest Winter Challenge (Coming soon) NEW HORIZONS Rescuing the Librarian Discovering the Actor Encouraging the Writer Supporting the Director Saving the Bodyguard Noticing the Finance Manager Developing the Counsellor Liberating the Security Specialist MEN OF RIVERSIDE Finding Elliot Rediscovering Adrian Understanding Mark Saving Zeke Forgiving Jason Loving Vicente Convincing Landon Helping Harry (Coming soon) Max's Italian Romance SCROLLS OF VENGEANCE The Magic Thieves (novel) The Magic Thieves (audio book)

"The Magic Thieves" novella in the Stealing My Heart anthology "The Magic Thieves" novella version as audio book Available at Torquere Press: Sam's New Family

AWARD WINNING TITLES: The Elevator Mechanic Best GLBT Book 2010 Siren Book Reviews Best GBLTQ Author 2010 Love Romance Café — Nomination

REVIEWS: The Elevator Mechanic "Serena Yates has the ability to make her charming characters believable and multidimensional. Even during this short tale, the men evolved. Their mutual respect was clear and enhances their relationship." —Scandalous Minx, Literary Nymphs Reviews The Chauffeur "I enjoyed this read and would recommend it to my friends as top notch!" —Cia, Siren Book Reviews The Ship Engineer "I enjoyed 'The Ship Engineer' a great deal. It was passionate, exciting, emotional and intense. It's a great story to read especially when your spirit needs uplifting and your heart needs to be reassured of the special beauty which can be found in a loving relationship." —Lena, Queer Magazine Online The Carpenter "It's scripted with Serena's distinct touch — well written, great characters, lots of angst, passion, a moral and, of course, a happy ending." —Lena, Queer Magazine Online Araton's Destiny "Araton's Destiny is an enjoyable, sweet Christmas story with passionate, wonderfully written love scenes and a great happy ending. It's a marvellous tale about justice, passion and setting things right. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and out and if you are a romantic like me, it will have the same effect on you." —Lena, Queer Magazine Online

Zuriel's Fate "Zuriel's Fate is an awesome book with a character to die for. Luke. He says it how it is, and I loved him for it. If something's not fair, he says so—and stands up and fights for what's right." —Miz Love, Miz Love Loves Books Israfil's Future "As with the other Celestial Justice series installments, 'Israfil's Future' strongly supports the principles proclaimed by their dedication: "To those who believe there is more to justice than the strict interpretation of the law—whether in Heaven or on Earth." Bravo Serena!" —Lena, Queer Magazine Online