Then

"Have no fear. Jace is here!" Jace came into Gareth's city office's abnormally large conference room with nonchalant strides, stopping just inside and scanning the room to see who had been called for Gareth's mystery home meeting. Under Gareth's private residence in the city, he had transformed an apartment into an office space in case he did not want to go to the mansion. Also, where his security team lived in private quarters when he needed them close.

Oleksander and Malachai stood at the service table at the end of the room, pouring coffee and snacking on some cake. Cracker lounged in an office chair next to the conference table, where Gareth sat at the other end, going over something on a laptop, surrounded by folders and office supplies like he had moved his workspace into the conference room. Rotha stood faithfully a few steps behind, waiting to be called into action if Gareth needed something. Vasili stood by the window, puffing on his cigar, and furiously cursed at his phone that he poked at to get to do whatever it was he needed.

"I need buttons on my phone, not this iPhone shit with wannabe keys behind the screen. If I try to hit an F, I randomly get the surrounding letters. It's not fair." He glared daggers at the phone like that would actually help him.

"Either you have fat fingers, or your coordination is off," Jace suggested with his usual cheeky smile, shrugging off his winter jacket. "Or you're just too old for new technology?"

Holding the phone in a crushing grip, Vasili resisted the urge to throw it at the wall or Jace. Either would give him some satisfaction. "I'm not old," he grumbled with warning.

"I'm not saying you're old. I'm just saying that out of all of us present, you're the only one who can tell us if the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park actually had that color in real life."

"You little..."

Hissing, Vasili left his spot to get to Jace, shaking his fists in the air, but stopped with a smug smile a second before a harsh slap got delivered to the back of Jace's head.

"Respect your elders," Phoenix said calmly to Jace, who spun around and tried to get his hair to fall back into place. It was evident to Phoenix Jace had not seen him behind him, but the slaps did not surprise him anymore. Phoenix leaned in with a crooked smile and whispered for only Jace to hear, "He might break a hip."

Jace lit up with a smile and beamed at Phoenix. Warmth filled him instantly. The slap had been warranted, but Phoenix making a joke afterward was new, and he just loved it. The way his heart picked up at that intimate moment and the change in Phoenix made him giddy inside, to the point where he shuddered slightly at the connection they had.

"Right," Vasili commented and dropped his phone in his pocket, unaware of the joke between Jace and Phoenix.

"Anybody care to tell me why I'm here in a tux at four pm on a Tuesday?" Phoenix grumbled, looking around at the others, who also wore their tuxedos. Not that he minded Jace being in one. That man looked gorgeous when dressed to impress.

"Yeah, why are we here, G-man?" Cracker asked when Jace and Phoenix had found their seats, Phoenix dumping his bag with a thud near his chair, and the rest made their way to the conference table too.

"Just waiting on a few more." Gareth did not look up from his laptop. He kept tapping away without concern. 

They had all noticed how he had seemed absentminded and antisocial for months, keeping to himself and not hounding them vigorously about their jobs. Not until Yarro, Yelfim, Vlad, and Rami had come in and found their seats did he bother to look up. He looked around and gave them all his usual nods of appreciation for their presence.

"Well, thanks for coming," he began and smiled thankfully at Yarro, who slid him a cup of coffee he had brought when he got some for himself. Gareth sipped his coffee to do something while he clicked around on his computer to activate the speakers and link.

"Horse, Roarke, are you there?"

"Yeah, Boss," Horse said in a cheery voice. "I'm hooking up Devil as we speak."

Roarke waited until Horse had finished speaking. "I'm here."

When Devil confirmed he was there, Gareth got down to business, putting on his work mask and serious tone, raking his fingers through his hair with a huff.

"Ok, we've got a few things to go through today. First up is a quick update from Jace on the Levi situation."

Slowly, Vlad raised his hand to get Gareth's attention, but did not speak until Gareth nodded in approval. "Do you want me here for this part? I don't mind waiting in one of the offices while you go over things I'm not involved with."

"It's fine, Vlad. It won't take long. Thanks for offering." Gareth gave a quick, tight smile, liking that Vlad was considerate enough to stay out of things that were none of his business. "It's not like it's a secret. It's just not part of your work area. That doesn't mean you can't know."

Gareth turned his attention to Jace, who took over from there.

After Gareth had eased up on Jace's house arrest and allowed him to roam more freely, he had gone back to being mission lead. Gareth still insisted on a security guard following him everywhere he went, unless trusted members accompanied him. He could not travel at all, not that it bothered Jace. That was a Gareth rule he was ok with. But one thing he was grateful for was that Gareth was not strict enough to keep Jace trapped at the mansion anymore.

The debriefing went over easily. There was not much new under the sun. The community festival thing Phoenix and Devil had gone to with all the undercover men had given a lot of information, some they still worked to follow up on.

While talking back and forth with Roarke and Devil, filling people in on their progress, Jace stood casually with a hand in his pocket, mainly thinking about Phoenix. The man's cologne wafted to him and sent shivers through him. They had managed to meet up a few times after the London event because Jace had laid the groundwork by spending evenings with the guys one-on-one, drinking and watching movies. That way, nobody had raised an eyebrow at him doing the same with Phoenix from time to time.

They had not seen each other since Jace's birthday some weeks earlier, and Phoenix had just come back from vacation at his parents' house, which was why Jace had to pinch himself through his pocket to keep focus every time Phoenix gazed at him while he talked shop. He was afraid he would say something wrong if he did not.

When he was finally done and able to sit down, his heart leaped into his throat at the deliberate brush of Phoenix's leg against his under the table. He tried not to look at him and felt the blush creep onto his face. Phoenix's light intake of breath did nothing to help the heat pooling in his lower half.

Gareth said goodbye to Roarke, Horse, and Devil and stood up again. "Ok, that was the business part. I've got..."

"Sorry, G-man, I need a minute," Phoenix interrupted and waited for Gareth to sit down again. He picked up his bag, put it on the table, and slid it toward Cracker. "Happy homecoming to me."

Sighing, Cracker caught the bag and grabbed his gloves from the table. Leather gloves would be just as good as rubber or latex. He fished out the, again, neatly wrapped present and put it on the table for all to see. "When did it arrive?"

Phoenix shrugged. "While I was on vacation." He sat with his usual stoic expression as if it bored him. "The day guard has been out sick, and the temp-guard didn't know about my package delivery issue, so he just received it and put it away for me, but he didn't register the time and date."

To that, Cracker nodded and began opening the gift.

"What's going on?" Vlad asked with confusion and stretched his neck to see what Cracker was doing.

"It's just my stalker," Phoenix said with indifference.

Gareth stood up so fast that his chair scooted back and away from him, clanging against the wall behind him, and poor Rotha had to jump to not get hit by it. "There's nothing 'just' about it, for fuck's sake!"

Vlad wisely kept his mouth shut at Gareth's outburst and sat back without antagonizing Gareth further with his questions, though he still looked confused and cast a glance at Phoenix for some info.

Like always, Phoenix just rolled his eyes and waited for Cracker to open the gift. He removed the paper and tipped out the content to find the card.

There was always a card.

It's been so long

I hope to see you at one of these places

Cracker read the card aloud and continued, "They're gift certificates for restaurants around town." He did not try to hide his disgust with the whole scenario.

Phoenix shot Gareth a glare. "If you even suggest that I can't go out to eat anymore..."

Throwing his hands in the air, Gareth backed away from the table. "No, I'm done putting you shits on lockdown." He sent Jace a soft smile, softer than anything he showed others. He then looked at Phoenix. "Just be careful, ok? Maybe stay clear of at least those places and try something new?"

"I will. Thank you." The nod between them was an understanding of Gareth not getting in the way of where they lived and what they did, but the security details were to stay in place for Jace's safety, and that was not something Phoenix wanted to fight him on because he agreed. He, too, wanted Jace safe.

"Hey, Phoenix," Vlad whisper-yelled from his seat. "If that stalker is a problem, just let me know. Rotha and I can come to your place for work. You don't have to go to the mansion."

"I appreciate that, Vlad. I'll let you know. It's been a bit hectic with the traveling and going to the mansion."

Vlad just smiled and did the hand signal for 'call me' and returned his focus to Gareth, who seemed pleased with the understanding between Vlad and Phoenix, as well as the protection for Jace. It had all worked out well, though that stalker thing annoyed him as much as Levi being at large.

"Ok, Cracker, you make sure that goes to be checked out." He gestured at the gift and cards with a toss of his hand. "And now, for the reason, I've called you here. I have a friend coming for a visit, and I've arranged for a small get-together at my apartment tonight."

"Who's coming? One from school or a business associate?" It was not uncommon for Gareth to have spontaneous get-togethers when people he knew came to town. Most of them just hoped it was not Gareth's mother. Gareth might be The Dragon, but Zariyah Adjenkov was a lot scarier. They did not call her The Kraken behind her back for noting.

For the first time in known history, Gareth's cheeks tinted pink, and he looked down as he squirmed on the spot. "It's a friend I met at a wedding this summer. She and I have spent a lot of time socializing and talking."

"Gareth's got a girlfriend. Gareth's got a girlfriend," Jace chanted in a sing-song voice, eyes gleaming and a bright smile on his face. As the one who had tagged along on Gareth's outings in Madrid and later in the capacity of best friend, Jace had some inside knowledge the others were not privy to. Gareth might not see where it possibly led, or maybe he could not admit it yet, but meeting the guys that was a girlfriend classification among them.

A first for Gareth.

As an instinctive reaction, Gareth picked up the nearest item and threw it at Jace. The stapler sailed through the air just past Jace's head, and the smug smile Jace gave him when he ducked was no real surprise. Jace was used to things coming at him from time to time. A stapler being among the less dangerous items.

"Miiiiissed meeeee," Jace sang and stuck out his tongue at Gareth.

Gareth sighed and just waited for it. The slap came fast and hard from Phoenix, making Gareth return the smug smile. That was hilarious. For years, he had needed to reprimand Jace himself, but the slap routine was his new favorite thing.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Gareth boomed. "She's a friend, and she's important. I want her to meet you before I tell her who I am."

"Are you sure you want to expose that?" Vasili asked, knowing everybody in the room thought about it. He leaned back and studied Gareth. There had been a change in him, something he had not been able to put his finger on. If the boy was in love, then that would explain a lot.

"She's a friend, and friendship means honesty to me. She deserves to know." Gareth frowned. It meant a lot to him for people close to him to accept who he was, and Mackenzie was important to him in many ways. If she could not accept it, he had to let her go before it was too late. "She fell off the grid a few weeks ago, and I thought she had dumped me. When I finally got in contact with her again, I swore I would tell her about me. I'd rather she knows and decides than this not knowing if she'll disappear."

People gave nods of understanding. Jace smiled to himself. The way Gareth had said 'dumped' was very relationship-like. Gareth gave away more than he intended to, and it was very revealing of his feelings.

"I expect you all to be on your best behavior, or I'll be issuing tickets to Siberia tomorrow. Am I clear?"

Like the moron he was, Jace could not help but giggle, receiving another slap, though not as hard.

"What?" he said, blinking innocently at Phoenix. "My boss says I'm not allowed to travel. Going to Siberia is traveling. By default, I'm not included in the threat."

"Jace..." Gareth grumbled, already red in the face, veins popping everywhere. He was obviously about three seconds from exploding.

"Fine. Best behavior. Scout's honor." Jace threw up his hand and crossed his heart with the other. "I'm just thinking that if Mackenzie was your girlfriend, then the mother ship might ease up a bit."

The boiling kettle, ready to whistle, that Gareth imitated with impressive accuracy, seemed to lose steam, and he cooled down visibly. Sadness crossed his face, and pain shone in his eyes for a moment.

He sighed and shook his head to rid himself of whatever he felt. "Guys, please, this is important to me. She's a friend, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"We've got your back, G-man. But don't you think she'll get overwhelmed by so many of us?" Cracker politely asked.

"I told her a few friends and colleagues. We're only eleven." Gareth closed his laptop, looking around at everybody, his lips forming a smile. "Let's go upstairs and have a few drinks and just take it as it comes. She'll be here soon."

Phoenix, who had stayed quiet during that part of the meeting, smiled inwardly at the excitement in Gareth's voice. It was new and suited him in a way. Since the wedding, there had been a change in him, and Phoenix attributed that to Mackenzie's influence. If Gareth had caught feelings, or he nursed dramatic hormones, Phoenix was not entirely sure of. Either way, introducing her to them was a gameplay that Gareth had not sprung on them before, which made it very interesting.

People got up and left the conference room with low murmurs. He could see how the others held back their questions and took it in stride. Admittedly, he was curious too, much to his own surprise. Usually, he would not give two shits about other people's relationships, who they fucked, or what they did; he had enough trouble keeping track of his own chaotic life with Jace. However, when it concerned Gareth, Phoenix could not help but feel invested and wished for a successful outcome for Gareth.

Whatever outcome Gareth wanted it to be.

So far, Gareth claimed it to be friendship, and Phoenix had to respect that at face value until he had proof of something else. He was allowed to think and hold his own theories, but they were just theories for the time being.

About an hour later, he found himself standing by the window with a cigarette between his lips as he swirled the brown liquid in his glass. Gareth had politely asked them not to crowd Mackenzie and give her space to feel comfortable and mingle casually. That was the one part of the evening that Phoenix had no issues with. If it were up to him, he would give her space with half a city between them to avoid a social gathering of any kind.

In the window's reflection, Phoenix saw Jace standing with Yelfim and Rami. A huge grin on his face as he gestured wildly while the others laughed. A longing so strong it hit his heart like a sucker punch made him mentally double over from the pain of it. The longing sent jolts to his groin, where it throbbed with the need for Jace. A need that was only surpassed by the need in his aching heart.

"I think you're one of the few I've not said hello to yet?" a soft voice sounded from beside him. The accent was American, with a hint of something else. Quite beautiful, really.

It was clearly not one of the guys. Phoenix turned and automatically looked down because he had seen Mackenzie was not very tall. He pulled the cigarette from his mouth and cursed himself for being so socially awkward that he had no proper way of avoiding the conversation without sounding rude. When out on the town, he could ask if the women wanted a drink and do casual flirting because that was what they expected. He could do neither to Gareth's 'not girlfriend'.

"I'm sorry. I'm not very good with gatherings like this," Phoenix answered politely, hoping he had not been too stand-off-ish and Gareth would rip his head off for it.

"Me neither. I never know what to say. If it had been a business thing, I would have been able to talk about that, but here..." She tossed out her arm at the room where people stood around and talked. "I have to be the center of attention, and I don't like that. Normally, people rarely notice me at parties. Even at family gatherings, I feel left out, though my dad tries to include me."

Feeling oddly connected at that moment, Phoenix understood from the blush on her cheeks and the painful shame displaying in her eyes as she fiddled with her black dress to stop it from hugging her curves, that Mackenzie did not like how she looked. Yes, she was curvaceous and a bit heavier set than magazine women, but were most women not? None could live up to that stick insect ideal.

"He noticed you," Phoenix said gently and let his eyes wander toward Gareth.

"He noticed me, but he didn't see me."

Phoenix could not help but huff at Gareth. And maybe a bit of himself too. "He's a man. He's made up of equal parts stupidity, ego, and insecurities. Give him time, and he will see you."

If Phoenix was trying to convince Mackenzie or himself, he was uncertain of. It felt like he was talking more to himself, forcing his heart to understand the wait and how the long game with Jace was his only chance.

With a sigh, he looked outside at the white flurries that fell from the darkened sky. The first snow of the year came down with promises of a long winter. White had already covered the roofs of the lower buildings, and the flurries danced across the pavement far below without settling yet. The cold of the droll November and the bleakness of his future crept into him, chilling him to the bone and making him shudder.

"Are you cold?"

"I'm not really a winter person. I don't like the cold."

"Tell me about it. I'm from the south." She pointed a thumb at Gareth, who was not far away, getting himself a drink. "Why couldn't that oaf have a nice job in the south of France?"

Phoenix took in her smile and the sparkle in her big, dark eyes, surely showing she was not genuinely complaining. Looking at her, he understood the attraction Gareth had. Her black hair was pinned in some twirly hairdo, her smile was warm and gentle, and intelligence was evident in her eyes. Maybe that was where the difference was. Many of Gareth's usual conquests had the IQ of a dishrag and the interest level of a slinky. They were fun to play with once, and all interest was lost.

Chuckling, Phoenix wished for a job in the south of France too. But only during the winter months. Ireland and England were beautiful countries from spring to fall.

"Gareth was born with ice in his veins." Phoenix gave her a small encouraging lift of the corners of his lips. "Not his heart."

"I'm Mackenzie, but I guess you know that." She put out her hand to him and smiled gratefully at what he had told her about Gareth.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Phoenix," Phoenix mumbled and shook her hand briefly.

"It's nice to meet you. Gareth talks a lot about you guys." Mackenzie smiled, again letting her eyes drift to Gareth. "I think he wanted to tell me about you all for me to like you before I met you."

"That sounds plausible." Phoenix agreed with her assessment. He did the same with his parents and Jace. Talked about him a lot, hoping they would like him when they met him at some point. "I'm glad you came to visit. Gareth panicked a bit when he couldn't get a hold of you a while back."

A shadow crossed Mackenzie's face for half a second, and something Phoenix could not identify, though he knew he had seen it before, flashed in her eyes. He had no time to analyze it because Mackenzie smiled and brushed it off.

"Yeah, I was away on a company retreat, and my phone got an acute case of pavement rash."

Not understanding what she was talking about, Phoenix raised a questioning eyebrow, hoping for more information.

"We had to be there for a week. My boss sprung it on me at the last second. And I was drunk after the first-night dinner and dropped my phone from my third-floor balcony. I had to wait until I got back home to get a new one and contact Gareth."

Phoenix just nodded. He remembered when some roadwork had cut up the wires for his parents' landline, and he had panicked from not being able to get in touch with them. He had given both cell phones after that.

"I'd better go back to the circus." Mackenzie put her hand on Phoenix's arm and squeezed it gently. "You don't have to make an effort on my account. I understand. If you want to stay here, you're not offending me by it."

Phoenix pulled his lips up into a smile, not one of the usual curls of his lips or a tightlipped, forced grimace. A smile, though without showing his teeth. Only Jace and Mackenzie had experienced that, and it was his stamp of approval.

"I'll join you. I might not talk much, but I'm not uncomfortable with you," Phoenix said with honesty.

The beaming smile she rewarded him with was worth all the effort it had taken him to talk with her. There was no doubt in his mind about Mackenzie being a good match for Gareth if the moron would wake up and admit he liked her. They might not have those powerful, all-consuming feelings, like the ones he felt for Jace, but there was attraction and compatibility. A bit of time and work could turn into something good, maybe.

Following silently behind Mackenzie, Phoenix noticed how Gareth smiled at him and moved closer to them and Yarro, who Mackenzie approached.

Damn, he was winning points all over the place. He would chalk that day up as a win if he could get a moment with Jace after the party.

"Mackenzie, it's a pleasure to meet you," Yarro said and shook her hand, smiling boyishly at her. "I'm Yarro."

"I love this." Mackenzie made small jumping motions and clapped her hands excitedly. "You all have the best names. I'm just Mackenzie. But you have interesting names. Is it Eastern European?"

"Russian," Yarro clarified.

Standing slightly to the side of Mackenzie, Phoenix side-glanced and saw how Mackenzie thought about the information. He could practically see the wheels in her head turn.

"Wait, Russian..." She tapped her chin and gave it a few more minutes to simmer in her mind. "Yarro, Yelfim, Vasili... Oleksander, Vlad, and Malachai. And you all work with Gareth?"

With a helpless expression, Yarro looked to Gareth for support. He had been muzzled by the orders given earlier, and it was up to Gareth to tell Mackenzie when he felt like it. Mackenzie noticed how Yarro sought Gareth's aid and turned to him with a stern expression, waiting for something, whatever it was.

Gareth cleared his throat, noticing how the room had gone quiet, and everyone's attention was on him. It was not the scenario he had pictured for the reveal, but from the expectant look Mackenzie gave him, he knew it was time to face the music.

"Eh, if we're being technical, they work for me, but I'd like to think they work with me," Gareth began like that would explain everything. The way Mackenzie rested her hands on her hips and glared at him with a 'move it along' expression while she tapped her foot impatiently had him racking his brain to find the softest way to breach the subject of his mafia involvement. "You know I work for Global AIG, but I have a few businesses of my own."

It was an absolute treat for the guys to see Gareth flustered for once. That was a rare sight, and he would have their balls for it later if any of them mentioned anything. Which was the only reason Jace kept his mouth shut. His mind probably flooded with things, his mouth would have spewed without a filter if it had not been for the respect and friendship he felt for Gareth.

"I'll let you know when any of this makes sense," Mackenzie stated. "But right now, I think a three-year-old, high on sugar, would have done a better job at it."

A choked sound from Jace was all that was heard in the pin-drop silent living room. Just the sound, nothing else. Everybody, except for Mackenzie, knew how much it took for Jace not to snatch that ball up and run with it to score the touchdown of his life. It was the mother of all build-ups for a joke, and he kept it in.

Gareth took a second from his worry about explaining things to Mackenzie, sending Jace an appreciative smile. Though he would have welcomed the distraction and lightening of the mood that Jace's jokes usually gave him, he was in a hole he had dug for himself, and it was his job to claw himself out.

"I told you I wanted to introduce you to a few colleagues and friends." Gareth chuckled nervously. "The truth is, they're all both. Every man here I consider a friend, and they all work for me."

He looked around to acknowledge them and let them know he was serious about what he said. Then he focused on Mackenzie. "They're Russian because I'm Russian. Well, half. My mother is Russian, and my father was British." He paused. "I wanted to tell you when we first met, but you were so hellbent on hating my type, and I didn't want that to come between us. My full name is Gareth Adjenkov Tempest, and my fam..."

"Adjenkov? The Dragon?" Mackenzie shrieked and stomped her feet. "Are you shitting me? You were supposed to be a suit like the rest of them, and you're The fucking Dragon."

"Yeah, I am," Gareth conceded with an apologetic nod. Then he frowned, glancing to see his guys standing there, gaping along with him. They, too, had questions. "Wait, what? How do you know that?"

"My father told me," Mackenzie retorted like it was the most normal thing for a father to tell his daughter the call name of a famous Russian mafia leader. "He didn't tell me it was you. He just informed me about ten years ago that The Mammoth of the Adjenkov house had given the reins to his grandson, The Dragon."

"Who exactly is your father?"

"Vittorio Sante."

If the tension had weighed on them before, it was crushing them after the bomb Mackenzie had dropped.

"The Angelmaker?" Gareth ground out through gritted teeth, pulling at his tie to stop the choking feeling. Surreal did not begin to cover the night's plunge into the Twilight Zone. "Mackenzie St. Angelo... Saint Angel... Angelmaker Sante."

Gareth's slow reasoning of the facts, he deducted while thinking aloud, settled in everybody. If Gareth made one wrong move, they would have the Italians so far up their asses they would be able to taste pasta for the rest of their lives. Lives that would be very short. They all stood in dead silence to absorb the information and pending doom that could hang over their heads very soon.

An awkward silence spread in the room until Jace pointed at the far end and exclaimed with mock excitement, "Oh, look, is that a dining room? I've heard of them but never seen one before. Find your phones. This needs to be documented." Jace grabbed Yarro and Rami, who stood close to him, dragging them toward the dining room at the end of the living room. He turned his head and called over his shoulder, "Please join us. I'm not sure these two have enough information on such a fascinating room to satisfy my curiosity."

People shuffled after the trio and shut the sliding doors to the living room after themselves, leaving behind Mackenzie and Gareth to duke it out and Vasili to referee between them. Rami took his place, standing by the doors to the living room to keep the guys from entering. It was unnecessary; none of them had any inclination to go in there and witness the beginning of the end.

When the yelling in the living room became too much for the awkward silence in the dining room, Phoenix pointed at the floor and ushered people out to go down to the offices below and wait. Rami nodded and would come to get them when the results of the verbal mafia war between Italy and Russia came in.

"Dining room?" Malachai chuckled and ruffled Jace's hair. "That was the best you could come up with?"

Jace laughed. "Sorry, my mind was still on the three-year-old, and my powers were being used to stop those from spilling."

"Well, we're all alive for now. It's a win," Oleksander said with a shrug.

They entered the offices below and sat down at the conference table, fiddling with their phones while they did their best to empty Gareth's office supply of whiskey.

"Is this normal for you guys?" Vlad sat in his chair, looking even paler than usual. He rubbed his chin with confusion.

Yarro smiled. "Sorry about that. Aren't you glad you were a part of this?"

Nudging Vlad with his elbow from his seat, Yarro grinned. "You handled your initiation from pencil pusher and boring corporate events attendee to honorary member of the Gareth shitshow."

"You should come out with us more often. This might be the best one to date, but we have a lot of weird stuff happen when we're out with the guys."

"I'll keep that in mind, though I think I need clearance from Gareth's doctors. I'm not sure my heart can take this much excitement," Vlad said with a smile. "Though, I'll admit, I think I've been missing out."

"That you have, Vlad," Jace agreed and got up. "I have to use the can. Somebody yell at me if those two work it out within the next ten minutes, ok? I have to be there."

"If you're taking a shit, use the bathroom farthest away." Cracker yelled at Jace's back and wafted his nose for the others to see. "That sugar and meat diet of yours makes you rotten inside."

"You could always just stop breathing," Jace cheekily retorted and disappeared down the hall toward the security guard's apartment and the bathroom there.

Phoenix looked to where Jace went and picked out his phone from his pocket, clicking about for a moment. "Give me five. I just need to use the computer to check some work and call the States. Stateside business sucks. It's evening here, and I'm off the clock, but they're still happily sending me shit to do." He rolled his eyes dramatically and left the room with his usual grumble.

He passed the office he usually used and checked that the door was locked. If anybody came looking for him, they would assume he was working and did not want to be disturbed. And then he continued to where he hoped Jace had gone. The door was unlocked, and he peeked around the living room section of the guard's apartment to make sure nobody was there.

A sneaky smile tugged at his lips when he flicked the lock to the apartment.

"Jace?" Phoenix walked through the second living room and into the small hall that divided into the kitchen and bedrooms. "Jace?"

"In here."

Phoenix followed to where he heard Jace call from, the room farthest away from the entrance. The door was open, and Jace stood in the middle of the room, smiling nervously. His eyes lifted to meet Phoenix's. A small sigh got released, and it sent shivers through Phoenix. A sound so tiny and innocent did things to his body that only Jace could handle the result of.

"I was afraid you wouldn't get the hint."

"So, this is..." The meaning of Jace's words was there. Still, Phoenix was bound by his honor and promises to respect Jace at all times.

"Permission granted." Jace shuddered visibly, waiting for his Dom to make his move. He had missed Phoenix terribly. His heart ached to be recharged with everything Phoenix brought out in him, and his body needed to reconnect with that bliss it gained when leaving itself in that wonderful man's capable hands.

In three long and fast steps, Phoenix was in front of Jace, his hand wrapped around his throat. Not tightly or to scare Jace, just a show of power and appreciation of the recognition of his role. He backed Jace up to the wall next to the bathroom with his heart pounding in his chest. The familiar smell of coconut hit his nostrils; it was there just under the notes of Jace's cologne. That was the gift of being so close to Jace. That smell was the welcome wagon for Phoenix. It was safety, love, and acceptance.

The smell was: home.

Jace did not feel the harsh impact with the wall, he did nothing to acknowledge the glimpse of fear that ran through him when he felt something around his neck, and he did not even let it bother him they were in Gareth's office apartment not too far from where their friends and colleagues waited for them to return. Only two things registered in him. The burn in his body as his heart worked overtime to push blood through his veins that screamed for mercy at the strain. And the way his body accepted Phoenix and relaxed the doubts in his mind.

All those thoughts of 'what if' that had tortured him lately went away when he saw the fire in Phoenix's eyes. His lips pressed together tightly, as if he deliberately stopped himself from saying something.

"You've missed this, haven't you, Baby boy?" Phoenix pressed up against Jace and relished in how Jace melted into him, and his eyes fluttered closed. Though he loved looking into those baby blues, the instinctive reaction to pleasure and how Jace's mouth fell open in a breathy moan compensated enough not to feel deprived of seeing them.

"Yes, Sir," Jace agreed with a nod of his head.

Hating the pathetic need in himself, Phoenix knew he had to ask the one thing on his mind. He just felt lucky he could hide his intimate question behind the Dom/sub relationship roles between them. He held Jace's throat without squeezing at all and let his other hand trickle down Jace's sleeve to reach his hand. Their fingers interlaced to perfection, like pieces of a puzzle that were meant to fit, and he lifted their hands to pin them above Jace's head against the wall. His leg lifted and rubbed slowly and provocatively against Jace's groin.

"And you've missed me?"

"Oh God, yes, Phoenix!"

The fact that Jace had used his name and not the usual 'Sir' made Phoenix's heart soar. It beat only for Jace and would continue to do so until he could have Jace fully. His heart understood the wait. It simply needed a tiny recharge of hope to keep going strong and not beat painfully in doubt and need. He crashed his lips against Jace's, ravished his mouth, and drank the uniqueness of his boy in.

Soft moans delivered with warm breaths sounded loud in the quiet room as their tongues danced together. They kept at it until Jace let out a small whine of impatience. His need for more, whatever the more would be, drove him to beg Phoenix the only way he knew how.

Phoenix's hands let go of Jace, and both made their way to his head, where his fingers raked through the silky locks until he could get a solid and non-too-gentle grip. He pulled Jace's head from his mouth and breathed heavily for a moment. Their breaths mingled, and their heartbeats thumped in unison. Time ticked away with the indecisiveness of what to do. Both wanted more and needed to connect, but neither knew what to do with the need they felt against the timeframe Gareth's explanation to Mackenzie granted them.

Phoenix held his grip on Jace's hair and pulled him from the wall; he guided him in front of himself into the bathroom and pushed him against the counter where the sink was. Their eyes met in the mirror, Jace's wide with question, and Phoenix's dark with lustful intent. His free hand went down Jace's back to his ass, where it delivered a hard smack that was softened in pain and muffled in sound by the pants Jace wore.

"I would have loved to fuck you senseless while pinning you here so I could see your face distorted in exquisite pain and blissful pleasure. I would have kept going until you begged me to stop because you could not cum anymore, and your legs were too spent to carry you." The words got whispered in a gentle caress near Jace's ear, though the impact of them was as harsh as a whip's bite. "I don't have any lube or condoms with me, and we don't have the time, but you will submit to me right here and right now."

A croak was all Jace could muster. His knees shook violently, threatening to buckle under him without all the fucking Phoenix had suggested.

"Pants around your ankles, now!"

Jace reacted instantly to Phoenix's command. He pushed back with the leeway Phoenix allowed him by taking a step back himself, though the grip in his hair did not lessen. He undid his pants and pushed them and his boxers down, waiting with a lump in his throat for what Phoenix had planned. Time was of the essence, and he would take what he could get.

Cupping Jace's balls and securing his already hard cock to be free of the counter by the sink, Phoenix lifted both above the counter and pushed Jace back against it. Jace's balls rested on the cold, marble counter, and his cock protruded proudly above them, pulsating with need in Phoenix's hand.

Letting go of Jace's hair, Phoenix found his phone. He searched for the timer and set it before placing it on the counter for Jace to see. Then he met Jace's eyes dead-on in the mirror.

"You will cum for me before the timer goes off in three minutes, or I will leave that cock unsatisfied until we meet again. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Jace yelped with the firm grip Phoenix made on his cock. He noticed Phoenix reached out and clicked on the timer. The numbers began their rush to count down, and his heart rate picked up. He braced his hands on the counter, knowing it would be a race against time.

Holding his free arm around Jace's stomach to keep the tuxedo jacket aside and Jace's dress shirt up, Phoenix began jerking Jace off at a violent pace. Strong strides up and down with his hand, clutching a bit tighter when he had the head inside his palm and again when he got to the base. Jace fell forward in his arm, but the firm grip pinned him against Phoenix's hard body.

Moan after moan tumbled from Jace's mouth. His eyes rolled and shut with the sensation in him. It felt like there were strings in him from every nerve ending throughout his body, and with each pump of his cock, Phoenix pulled at those strings. Tugging at them to collect a ball of strings in the pit of his stomach. The nerve endings where they had been attached lit aflame when the strings got pulled from their tether.

"Look at me!" Phoenix growled. His hand never lost the pace it had set.

Jace's eyes snapped up and focused on Phoenix with difficulty. They kept rolling, but came back to focus when he pulled himself together to obey the command that was imperative for him to follow. It did not help his concentration when Phoenix latched his lips to his neck just below the collar of his shirt and jacket. Not even knowing the possessive mark it would leave could stop the need building in him.

"What do you need to cum?" Phoenix mumbled when he let go of Jace's sensitive skin. He got no response from Jace. That was the perfect state of his lovely boy. Fighting to obey his command to cum and losing focus from his pleasure by keeping eye contact and answering questions. He wanted to know which part of Jace would win. The one that wanted to obey his command to cum, or the one willing to sacrifice the orgasm to comply with the other commands, at the risk of punishment.

Mewling, unable to reply, Jace floated helplessly in Phoenix's vortex of commands and pleasure. His mind could not handle the battle in him. He wanted to obey Phoenix to the fullest, but the orders conflicted and ruined the last step to explode.

"Do you need some incentive?" The question was a low, husky whisper.

"Please..."

"You have a minute, Baby boy. I want you to cum. I want to give you pleasure, and I want to bask in the glory of seeing you explode and hear those beautiful sounds you make because I made you cum. But if you can't do that for me, maybe it's because you enjoy being a bit frustrated?"

"No," Jace whimpered.

"Then cum for me, Baby. Make me proud. Let yourself go." He quickened his pace, if that was possible. The copious amounts of pre-cum Jace leaked that coated Phoenix's fingers, made the gliding motions easier and produced lewd, sloppy sounds that filled the bathroom along with Jace's moans and gasps for air. Not to mention Phoenix's ragged breathing.

"Ten seconds. Cum now!"

With a desperate cry, Jace's head fell back on Phoenix's shoulder, and his hips jerked with each shot Phoenix milked from him just as the timer signaled the time had run out. With each jerk, he rubbed against Phoenix's hard-on, assured that they were both equally affected by the situation. Phoenix allowed him no reprieve. He kept pumping him hard and steady until Jace twitched in his arms and his breathing nearly stopped from the short-circuit in his brain.

"So beautiful," Phoenix murmured and kissed Jace's cheek and temple over and over. "Absolutely exquisite. And all fucking mine!"

As carefully as possible, he let go of Jace's hypersensitive cock to stop the timer with his pinkie which was the least messy of his fingers. He dared not release his other arm for several reasons. One, Jace would stumble to the floor, and second, Jace's clothes would get stained.

"Come back to me, Baby," Phoenix cooed into Jace's ear. "Thank you for trusting me with your release. And thank you for never failing me in your submission."

"Thank you, Sir." Jace's mumble was a tad slurred, his eyes dazed and unable to focus fully, but a proud smile tugged at his lips.

"Let's get cleaned up. We need to get back before they notice."

Slowly landing from his high, Jace helped clean Phoenix's hand and his own cock. When Phoenix had made sure he had his balance, he was left to dress while Phoenix cleaned the sink and mirror, leaving no evidence of their decadent moment.

"Phoenix?"

A hum was his reply. Phoenix was busy drying the sink with some paper towels. He did not lift his head or turn to look. Everything he did was done with his usual meticulous attention to detail, and he seemed preoccupied.

"Do you think we could find time soon to do, eh, what you said earlier you wanted to do?"

At that time, Phoenix froze mid-movement and turned to Jace. The burning gaze was back, and it took Jace's breath away. His heart fluttered with the want and need he saw, something he hoped Phoenix saw in him as well, because he felt the same.

"Next Friday at the club. Come hell or high water, I'll be there at eight, and if you come, trust me on this, you will cum."

Hi dear Wattlings.

Thank you for reading.

First of all, I'm sorry I've been gone for so long. It's been a rough start to the new year, but hopefully that means the rest will be smooth sailing. Better get all the shit over with in one go, right? I'll try to update once a week while I get back on my feet after my run in with Covid on top of having been sick for a month. But more updates will come.

And, the boys are back. Gareth let them meet Mackenzie, and well, that went downhill fast, eh? But it gave our boys a chance for a bit of bathroom fun-time. How did you like it? 

You know we're getting closer to where the mayhem will begin. Soon, very soon...

If you like it, then pop a vote and please leave comments. The comments are important for me to know how the story is progressing and the characters are developing. And I'd love to know what you think and interact with y'all.

Give me a follow too for updates on other work and put this book in your library. I'd appreciate that.

Love, Alix

Published: February 21st, 2022. ©Alix Davenport, Copenhagen