Appassionato (17 page)

Samantha nodded and took the paper. Jonathan got out his cell phone and programmed the number into his contacts list. “What now?”

Emma sighed and stood up. “I don’t know. Just hang in there. And please, don’t tell anyone about my bonding, okay?”

“Why not?” Samantha asked.

“I don’t know how people are going to react to a teacher bonding to two men. It’s not exactly the traditional route into a relationship, you know.” Emma smiled and walked towards the front of the office. Just as she was about to pull up the shades Jonathan spoke.

“You bonded to Duncan and Jake, didn’t you?”

Emma froze and turned around. She was about to deny it, but then saw the looks on their faces. She nodded shortly.

“Damn,” Jonathan said, quietly. “That’s how you know all this.”

“Oh my God, you’re bonded to Duncan Green?” Samantha said, the first hint of excitement Emma had felt since they came into her office coloring the girl’s voice. She had to grin at the girl’s awe.

“Please don’t mention it to anyone. We haven’t figured out what we’re going to do yet,” Emma asked them.

Both students nodded. “We won’t, Ms. Bell,” Samantha said. “Still. Duncan Green! And Jake Mackenzie! I love his music. And he’s hot.”

“Samantha!” Jonathan protested, but she just grinned at him.

“What?”

Emma shook her head, smiling too. “Try not to upset your parents, okay? Maybe they’ll let you spend more time with each other if you can fly under the radar a bit.” Jonathan nodded but Samantha avoided Emma’s gaze as they filed out of her office. Emma knew the girl was worried, with good reason. She remembered meeting with the girl’s father. He was a big man and not particularly happy about his daughter dating, let alone bonding. She sighed and wished she were anywhere but here.

Chapter 8

“We have to go back to Emma tonight. I don’t think we’ll be able to stand it if we stay in Brooklyn.” Jake shifted in the car, dropping his head against the soft leather of the seat. Duncan nodded, sensing his lover’s weariness. He looked at the long line of Jake’s jaw, wishing he could kiss him.

You can, you know
, Jake thought to him, opening his eyes. They were so green, Duncan’s breath caught. He closed his eyes, trying to resist temptation, only to find Jake laughing at him in his head.
Don’t be such an idiot
, Jake thought.
We just came out in front of a dozen video cameras. You think this isn’t all over the world by now?

Duncan laughed. “You’re right.” He caught the knowing look Lisa shot him as he unbuckled his seatbelt and shimmied over to Jake’s side and flushed slightly. He ignored the eye roll from their bodyguard, Charlie, who sat facing the rear of the vehicle. The big man wasn’t impressed or upset about the bonding, thank God. Dave, Lisa’s bond-mate, sat in front with the driver.
Good thing we’re in a limo again today
, Duncan thought.
At least there’s enough room to maneuver.

“Yeah, that’s more like it,” Jake sighed as Duncan pressed against him, the long line of Jake’s thigh snug up against his own. Duncan let his head fall to Jake’s shoulder, inhaling the other man’s clean scent—cologne, soap, a hint of the cinnamon bun he’d eaten for breakfast. Jake smiled and put his hand on Duncan’s thigh. Duncan tensed, his cock leaping to attention as Jake kneaded the muscle.

“Are you trying to kill me?” Duncan murmured into Jake’s sleeve.

Yup
, Jake thought, slipping his hand up further. Duncan gasped as his erection throbbed in his jeans. A quick look showed that Jake wasn’t faring much better. He noticed Lisa eyeing the two of them from her seat next to Charlie, who made gagging motions. Jake snorted, amused.

“Guys, seriously?” Lisa said, a hint of laughter in her voice.

Duncan smiled and snuggled closer to Jake as the car lurched forward again. “At least we’re almost at the venue.”

“Mmmm,” Jake replied.

How do you expect us to sneak into the Nokia like this?
Duncan thought, his mental voice expressing his exasperation.

Jake shifted as he caught Duncan’s mental image of the two of them trying to duck into a side entrance, paparazzi everywhere. He removed his hand and took a shaky breath.
Yes, exactly
, Duncan thought at his friend as he unsuccessfully tried to will his erection away. The two men’s eyes met and then they felt Emma’s presence in their mind, her frustration with them evident. She was standing in front of a class of students trying not to let on how aroused she was. The both winced as they felt her mental slap. Then, thankfully, the car pulled to a stop and the driver rapped on the window dividing the front of the car from the back. Jake and Duncan looked at the driver.

“I’ll get out first. There’s a ton of people out there, probably because of your impromptu interview from earlier,” the big man said, opening his door and getting out. Dave followed him out the passenger side. The four people in back waited until the two men made their way to the back door. He opened it, and Charlie stepped out, holding back the paparazzi.

Lisa flinched as Jake peered at the crowd waiting outside. “Shit!” He ran his hands through his hair. He looked down at his wrists and Duncan knew he was thinking about how easily the bonding tattoos had been discovered.

“It’s okay.” Duncan reached over and placed his hands over Jake’s, stopping their fidgeting. “We weren’t going to keep it a secret forever.” Jake looked up and, not for the first time, Duncan cursed the bond that heightened their desire for each other. Jake’s eyes showed everything he felt and Duncan’s cock jerked behind the zipper of his jeans. Both men winced, then laughed.

“Let’s get this over with,” Jake said. Duncan took a deep breath and stepped into the chaos, then reached in to give Jake a hand out. He was grateful for Dave and Charlie’s protection as they held the crowd clear so the two men and Lisa could step onto the sidewalk.

“Duncan! Duncan! Is it true? Can you confirm the rumors of your bonding?” Duncan paused and held up a hand. The crowd quieted.

“Yes, it’s true. We’ll release more information later, but right now we’ve got to get ready for the show.” Duncan dropped his hand and made his way to the back door of the Nokia theatre, pulling Jake behind him. He knew it was a mistake to touch the other man as the physical contact only made him want to get closer, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted to touch Jake. He wanted to hold his hand where everyone could see. He imagined himself ripping off Jake’s clothes and his lover moaned as they stepped into the dark hallway. Lisa and Charlie slipped away as Dave wrestled the door shut.

“I’m going to make sure the other entrances are secure,” Dave said, rubbing his eyes. The man looked tired, but Duncan was too aware of Jake’s hand on his to say anything to his head of security. He had to get them out of here.

“Do you know where my dressing room is?” Duncan asked before Dave could leave, shoving his free hand in his jeans pocket to hide his obvious erection. Jake plastered himself to Duncan’s side and they both shuddered. What the hell was going on? Their bond was complete. Why were they suddenly feeling so desperate? Duncan noted that Dave and Lisa didn’t seem to be having such a hard time.

I think it’s because I’m so far away
, Emma thought to them. Duncan knew she’d left the school. He could feel her driving. How could her thoughts come through so clearly? They’d been trying all day to talk telepathically, but the most they’d managed to do was exchange mental images and emotions. What was happening to their bond?

He looked at Jake who shook his head.
I don’t know either
, Jake thought to him.

Be careful!
Duncan thought to Emma, worried the changes in their bond would affect her driving. He felt her nod as Jake snaked his hand around his waist, turning and pressing his thick cock against Duncan’s hip. Duncan barely choked back a groan as his own arousal ramped higher.

“At this rate, I don’t think I’m going to care if we can’t find somewhere private,” Jake rasped in Duncan’s ear.

Duncan nodded shortly.
It wasn’t this bad this morning
, he thought.
We’re probably okay for a while, then the longer we’re apart the worse it gets.
He felt Emma’s agreement and hoped she’d make it home okay. It couldn’t be easy to drive if she was feeling the effects of this as strongly as they were.

Maybe we can talk now because the bond thinks it’s an emergency. Like, maybe we aren’t supposed to be this far apart, so the bond thinks there’s something wrong and ramps up
, Emma thought to the men.

There
is
something wrong. We’re too fucking far apart
, Jake thought irritably and Duncan winced.

“I don’t think your dressing room is ready yet,” Dave said, oblivious to their internal conversation. He eyed the two men with sympathy before he turned and walked down the hall. Jake groaned and shoved his head into Duncan’s neck.

“Jesus.” Duncan ground his teeth.
This is ridiculous
, he thought, then gasped as Jake grabbed him and shoved him against the wall.

“I can’t wait. That’s it,” Jake said, pressing one of his thighs between Duncan’s legs. They both moaned at the friction and some of Duncan’s iron control broke. He grabbed Jake’s hair, pulling his head back. He mouthed a kiss against Jake’s jaw, enjoying the way the other man’s stubble rasped against his lips, then he slid his mouth up and they were kissing wildly. Duncan groaned and shoved back, flipping their positions. He pushed Jake up against the wall, using his height to lift the other man so that they could rub against each other better. Dimly he felt Emma stumbling up her walkway and he had a moment to think,
thank God she’s safe
, then Jake bit his lip and Duncan lost it completely. He sucked Jake’s tongue and started unbuckling the other man’s jeans, cursing under his breath when he couldn’t get the zipper down. Jake’s cock was so hard it made it impossible to open his pants and Duncan tugged at the catch ineffectually for a minute until Jake put his hands over his, stopping Duncan’s useless attempt to get at bare skin.

“We can’t do this here,” Jake gasped.

Duncan moaned and batted at Jake’s hands. “Are you insane? I’m going to lose my mind.” Duncan pressed his hand against Jake’s cock, hard enough to make the other man flinch. “If I don’t get my mouth on you in the next thirty seconds I’m going to come in my fucking pants.”

Jake shuddered and Duncan started to slide to his knees, thinking,
Jake will give in, he has to be just as desperate as I am
—he could feel Jake’s arousal as acutely as his own, but Jake caught him under his arms and dragged him down the hall. Jake tried one door only to find it locked, then two more before he found one that was open. They stumbled inside a supply closet and shoved the door shut behind them. The only light was the eerie green of an emergency exit sign but Duncan didn’t care. He pushed Jake against the door and dropped down, slipping his hand into the other man’s jeans. Jake’s cock jerked and Duncan’s mouth watered. He could feel Emma suddenly, right there with him in his mind as he tugged Jake’s pants down.
Fuck the zipper
, he thought as he shoved aside the other man’s boxers and sucked the head of Jake’s cock into his mouth. He closed his eyes, savoring the silky skin and sweet tang of Jake’s pre-cum. A hundred miles away Emma gasped and fell back on her bed. She scrabbled at her panties, ripping the elastic and Duncan grinned around the cock on his tongue as Jake stuffed the heel of his hand into his own mouth the muffle his shout.

Duncan sucked hard, too aroused for finesse. Jake’s dick throbbed as he scraped his teeth against the rim. He pulled off with a pop and shoved Jake’s pants down more, manhandling the other man until his legs were spread more. He shoved two fingers up against Jake’s mouth. “Lick.”

Jake gasped and obeyed, licking and nipping at his fingers until Duncan pulled them away. He sucked Jake’s cock back in and slid his wet fingers down behind the other man’s balls and into his opening, fucking the other man with them as he tongued around the slit of his cock. Jake shuddered and froze and then he was coming as Duncan deep-throated him and swallowed. Both of them moaned as they felt Emma orgasm on her own fingers, hair messy and back arched off the bed. Jake slid down the door, cock still pulsing weakly as Duncan scrabbled for his own zipper, barely pulling his erection out in time to come on the floor instead of in his pants.

“Holy fucking fuck,” Jake gasped, still shuddering.

Duncan laughed weakly then jumped as someone tried to open the door. “Fuck!” The door shoved against Jake’s back and both men pushed back on it.

“Just a minute!” Jake yelled as he tried to pull his jeans up and press against the door at the same time. Duncan buttoned his pants with his left hand and looked around for something to wipe the spunk off his right hand. He could hear Emma snickering in his head as he finally gave up and wiped it off on his T-shirt. He hoped that the jacket he wore would cover the stains as someone banged on the door.