James blinked at the sudden change, but brushed it off, letting the pleasure of hearing from his lover take over. "Can't. I'm working late. There's a new client coming in. We all have to be on hand for the initial meet and greet. They're flying in this evening and then out to Brussels right after the meeting. This is the only opportunity to get together. It's a huge project."
"Damn. That nixes my plans for the evening. And I have a meeting all day in Chicago tomorrow and I won't be back until late." Bram blew out a deep, huffed breath in
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frustration. "So how about lunch Wednesday? Meet me at noon, at the corner of Fifth and Lyell."
"Fifth and Lyell? There isn't anything there but a couple of office buildings and a construction site."
"Right. It's my site. I'll bring lunch. You can meet a few of the boys and get to see what I'm working on firsthand. Mitch has been yanking my chain about you all day. I think it's only fair you get to share in the abuse, too."
James could hear the bright smile on Bram's face over the line. "Mitch? He was the one at the bar with you Friday night, wasn't he?"
"Yep. He's accusing me of robbing the cradle. Thinks you're too young and good-looking for me."
Snorting out a half-laugh, James grinned. "If what you say about Mitch's taste in women is true, I think I've just been insulted in some weird-ass, backhanded way."
Bram laughed, a contagious, deep, rolling sound that made James' ass flutter and clench, as sizzling sparks of want and desire gathered in his groin. The big man's voice was liquid sex, flowing around James like an electric current, snapping and sizzling at his nerve sensors.
A loud voice yelled for Bram in the background and James heard the other man cover the phone with his hand and yell an obscenity back then uncover the phone again.
"So we're meeting for lunch Wednesday." The casual, but businesslike tone dropped from Bram's voice, and became sultry and inviting. "I want to see you, Jamie. Two days is too long to go without my being able to touch you. Maybe we can make a little time for some one-on-one after lunch." His voice left no question about what sport Bram was thinking of, and it wasn't basketball.
"Sounds interesting and ambitious." James found his voice had gone raspy with desire.
Bram responded to it like bull to a red flag.
"Like I said Friday night, I like a challenge, baby." They shared a moment of heavy breathing in which James relived the moment in the bar when Bram had said that to him and then proceed to win the pool game, the bet, and James' body, followed closely by his heart and soul.
"Christ, Bram. I can't wait to see you." James ran a hand over the growing bulge in his pants and glanced at his closed office door. "Listening to your voice and not getting to touch you is torture."
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"I know, Jamie. I miss your sweet ass, too." Taking a deep breath, Bram promised, "We'll make plans for the whole weekend. Wednesday, too. I have tickets to something I think you'll like for Friday night." The voice in the background yelled again. "Listen, Jamie, I have to go. I'll call you after my meeting in Chicago. I'll even bring you home a present.
Good luck with your new client tonight. I love you. Miss you, baby. Stay safe for me, Jamie."
The line went dead before James could do more than stutter out a quick "I love you, too.
Be careful." James leaned back and let his half-hard erection slowly subside.
The day ended with another less anticipated phone call. The moment the line lit up, James knew who it was. He had been dreading the call all day. Overhearing Art and his secretary discussing the subject over lunch, he knew what to expect. James imagined as a junior architect and low man on the totem pole at work, his call would come at the end of the day.
Suppressing a heavy sigh, he answered the phone. "James Justin speaking."
"James, Philip Dunn here. Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon, sir."
"By now you've probably heard I've been following up on the dinner invitations at my home for this Friday night."
"I haven't forgotten, sir."
"I take it we can make room for two more at the table then, James?"
James imagined the look that would be on Mrs. Dunn's face if he showed up with another man to her formal, socialite's dinner party. "Can I get back to you on that, Mr. Dunn?"
James broke out in a cold sweat. His career was very important to him. Before Bram came along, it was all he had to depend on. But Bram had spent an entire afternoon introducing his 'boyfriend' to his neighbors and friends and had made it clear he wanted to be involved in James' day-to-day life.
"Of course, my boy. There's no rush."
"Thank you, sir."
"You know, James, alone or with a friend, I look forward to seeing you there. Dunn & Piper is a close knit company, son. I like to get to know my most promising junior associates."
"Ah, well, thank you, Mr. Dunn. I don't know what to say."
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"Just say you'll be there."
"Yes, sir. I'll be there."
"Fine, fine. My wife will be pleased to hear it, too, James."
"I-I'll have to get back to you about whether I'll be bringing someone or not."
"You do that, James. I'll see you at tonight's client meeting. Good afternoon."
"Yes, sir. Good afternoon, sir."
Staring at the now silent receiver, James replaced the phone and slowly dropped his head to the draftsman desk in front of him and repeatedly banged his forehead on the tilted surface.
The specter of Friday night’s formal with his co-workers and his boss had suddenly become so much more than just an office dinner party.
Greeted by Williams’ bruised and sneering face watching from the doorway to the man’s apartment when he arrive home, Monday night was spent tossing and turning, looking for a familiar warm body. Only four days of knowing Bram and James was already missing the man.
***
Tuesday morning lumbered by at an extraordinarily slow pace. James’ e-mail had contained a surprise message from Bram detailing the big man’s meeting schedule and flight plan in Chicago. James didn’t know how Bram had got his e-mail address, but he was delighted to see the message when he checked his mail in the morning. He devoted his morning break to fantasizing about being in a lavish hotel suite with his assertive new lover.
By midmorning, James was tempted to escape to the bathroom and relieve the growing ache in his neglected groin with a little personal attention, but the thought of satisfying his needs by himself left him feeling frustrated and lonely. Thankfully, his workload and visits from needy colleagues refocused his mind on his work and out of his pants.
By lunchtime, James finally admitted to himself he was craving his absent partner. Less than a week into this unexpected relationship and James was lost. Bram had claimed him, heart, soul, and body. He didn’t want to think about a day when he wouldn’t see or talk to this man. He realized how happy he’d felt after Bram’s call yesterday.
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The big man’s voice had the power to make James feel protected and secure, just like his massive presence did. James found it all confusing and frightening, as well as deeply thrilling. He had never felt this attached to someone so quickly before.
James thought about Bram’s work-roughened hands and demanding mouth touching, taking, claiming him, again and again. The dull, yearning ache returned to his groin and his cock stirred.
Tempted again to take care of the growing problem, James made the decision to visit the men’s room just as the phone rang. He hesitated, considering ignoring it just this once, then gave in and answered the call. The honey-laced deep voice on the other end of the line caused his partial erection to immediately harden.
"Hey, Jamie."
"Bram, hi! You read my mind. I was just thinking about you."
"That’s encouraging."
James cleared his throat and twisted in his seat. "Kind of missing you." He gnawed on his lower lip and fought the urge to slip his hand under the waistband of his pants. The deep, seductive voice on the other end of the line was doing interesting things to his libido and his anatomy.
The voice dropped an octave lower, turning sultry and provocative. "Miss you too, baby.
Been thinking about you since I left your place Sunday. The weekend was too short. Way too short. You need to pack a bag and leave a few things at my place so we don’t have to separate so early on work days."
Nodding, James played with the button above his fly. "Yeah, yeah, I think I’ll do that. It would have been nice to have had another night together."
"It’d be nice to have all my nights with you, baby, even if we just slept. I love waking up with your sweet little ass pressed against me." The sound of cloth rustling came over the line. "Your skin is so warm and smooth, nestled up against my chest and pressing back on my cock. I can hardly keep myself from ramming it home before you’re even awake."
The distinctive noise a zipper makes came over the phone next.
"God, Bram." James squirmed a little more in his chair, his pants tenting, his cock straining against the soft fabric of his boxers. "You’re making it impossible for me to sit here and keep my hands off myself."
"Then don’t." The reply was simple and direct.
"What?" James’ voice rose along with his eyebrows.
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"Touch yourself, Jamie." The Voice was silky smooth and deep. "Pretend it’s my hand holding your cock, stroking you."
"Christ, Bram. You’re going to make me crazy." James looked desperately at the open office door to be sure no one was near it. A note of panic tinged his voice. "I’m at work!"
"Close the door. You’re by yourself, aren’t you?" The Voice made it sound like the most reasonable thing in the world.
"Yeah, but --" The panic was replaced with uncertainty and a touch of interest.
"Close the door, baby." The persuasive Voice was thick with desire. "Do it now." Bram’s words had a commanding, biting edge to them that made James’ cock quiver.
"Okay." James’ own voice was shaky and feathery light. "Hang on a minute." He awkwardly walked across the room to the office door and closed and locked it. "’Kay,"
came the breathy reply, "it’s closed."
"All alone, now?"
James returned to his chair and glanced nervously around the small office. "Yeah, it’s just you, me and the phone company."
Bram laughed. "An audience, that’s something new." The rich, throaty sound sparked bursts of excitement in James’ groin, and his chest tightened when a tingling sensation shot up his spine.
"Don’t get excited, caveman." James chuckled but put a note of seriousness into his words. "This is as public as I get."
A rumbling growl carried through the phone. "Don’t worry, baby, I don’t share. You’re mine. All mine. Just mine." The voice was playfully threatening and dark. "I think we established that over the weekend."
James lightly rubbed over the tender, deep purple area on his shoulder. "Your teeth marks are still there, if that’s what you mean."
"Actually, I meant the come I put up your tight, sweet ass, baby. Buried my cock next to your heart and wrote on it with my juice. You’re mine now." The voice purred, satisfied and smug. "Take your cock out and stroke it for me, baby."
James’ engorged cock jerked and strained against his shorts. He could feel the warm wetness on the tip as it began to leak.
"Jesus, Bram."
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James’ hands popped the button of his waistband and his zipper was down before he consciously thought about what he was doing. James pulled his cock free and began stroking the hot flesh, eyes closed, phone pressed so hard against his ear he could hear cartilage creak. A vision of Bram, the way he looked in the shower on Sunday, bloomed behind James’ closed eyes and he groaned. He blocked out the rest of the world and concentrated on listening to his lover’s hypnotic voice.
"That’s it. Stroke yourself, baby. Run your hand up that hot, hard rod and jerk it back down, hard." James groaned again and his sharp, needy gasp made the Voice chuckle.
"Again and again." James gulped and licked at his dry lips, panting. "Now take it to the top and swirl your thumb over the head." The voice rumbled again, saturated with undeniable lust. "I wish I could taste you, baby. Lick that come right off that shiny cock head and swallow you whole."
James moaned and then whimpered as bright flashes of desire shot through his cock and sizzled up his spine to set off a series of mini fireworks in his brain.
The voice never stopped, relentless in its goal to bring him off over the phone. "Rub that thick, delicious cream over it. Are you doing it, baby? Can you feel me touching you with my big, rough hands?"
James gasped and muttered, "Oh, fuck!"
"I’ll take that as a yes." The humor faded from the voice. It was throaty and rough, like honey on sandpaper, excitement and need clear in Bram’s commanding tone. "I have big hands, so big I can reach right down there between your legs and cup your balls," James automatically leaned back in his chair and spread his legs at the unspoken command,
"and still reach that sweet, tight, little hole of yours with my fingers. I love to push right into that cherry ass, love to feel you squeezing and clinging to me, trying to pull me right inside of you."
James hunched lower in his seat and fingered his sac with his other hand, his breath coming in sharp little gasps.
The voice purred and panted. "You are so fucking hot just touching you makes my blood boil and my brain fry. All I can think about is having you, burying my cock so deep I can feel your heart beating." The voice was getting strained and more labored.
James could hear the sound of flesh sliding over flesh from Bram’s end of the line. Just imagining the big man jerking off to the music of his grunts and groans nearly made James come all on its own.
"I can, you know," the Voice whispered, "feel your heartbeat when I’m deep inside of you, baby. Feels like your heart’s stroking me, pulsing against me, pounding back at me in that gentle way you have. Making me love you, fuck you, making me want to fucking stay inside you forever." Both men groaned. "You and your hot, tight ass, clinging and
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