Work and Play Pt. 05

My hands shake, and I feel my breathing quicken while that uncomfortable knot forms in my chest. I can't lose my cool right now. It's best if I just go home. Plus, I feel as if Gabriel would read me like a book and know something was wrong somehow.

"Old friend?" Gabriel asks, confused.

"Sister," I say softly. I can tell he has a multitude of questions, but he keeps quiet. "Hey, I'm gonna go. You should come over if you feel like it."

"I'll let you know."

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At 7:30 on the dot when I'm pulling into my driveway; Beth calls my phone. "Hey. I'm supposed to be eating dinner but I called you instead."

"Don't get in any more trouble than you have to," I warn. "How's—well, everything? How's Michael?" Michael doesn't even know me, really. He's thirteen, and Lillian hasn't let me speak to him in six years, since I took the long trip to Harvard. I don't even have to ask why. Even when I briefly went to visit three years ago, Michael was kept in his room practically the whole time, away from me. There was no point in making it a big deal, because nothing could make Lillian back down.

"Looks just like you. Mom accidentally called him your name one time. I haven't seen her in such a bad mood since."

I sigh, "Glad to see things haven't changed. Anyway, work is good, there's a job opening for CEO, I'm fucking my boss, I finally settled into my new house—"

"Woah woah. You're screwing Grayson? You have a boyfriend?"

"No and no. So the chairman of OTech is here to make the decision for CEO and I'm... being an idiot. Chairman as in owner. Like, Ortega is his last name."

"You're screwing him for a job?" Beth asks excitedly. If she still goes to that all-girls school, this is probably ridiculous to her.

"No, I'm doing him because he's hot. Grayson IS gay, by the way. I didn't know until a month ago. Long story I don't want to go into. Enough about me. Tell me everything."

I'm on the phone with my sister for an hour and a half by the time my stomach growls. I want to kick myself for missing home, despite the way Lillian and Matthew treated me. Beth talks about a family reunion rumor, but I won't be going anyway. The last time I was in my house, which was only for a day, Lillian yelled at me the entire time and called me every degrading name she could about my sexuality. Yet some part of me still wants to go back and see how things are.

"Well, I have to go. The way it is right now, I'll be kicked out before graduation."

"Bethany, don't. I love you. Don't do anything crazy. Hey... let Michael know I didn't forget him. I don't know what lies Lillian has been feeding him, but I want him to know I care about him."

"Of course."

For the first time, I begin to think of how empty my house is. There's no noise, not from roommates, kids—even at my old apartment, there were the occasional bumps and knocks and footsteps from my neighbors. But there's nothing. I think I'll get a dog soon. The last thing I need is to be homesick.

I pass a mirror on my way to my room, and get another hard look at myself. Gabriel doesn't know if I'm attractive or not. I mean, I always thought I was above average. Not drop dead sexy or anything, but I seemed to get copious amounts of attention from both sexes at university, and when I lived in my apartment. Gabriel could have easily shoved me off of him, fired my ass, and blacklisted my name. Some part of him wanted me, but he's obviously questioning it.

If it had been Grayson who yanked Gabe into a corner at that party, would they be the ones sneaking around?

It makes me jealous to think about. I don't know why.

I decide to Google him. It may be creepy, but I don't know what he's about. After a second page, I finally see an article about him on a small news website. "Rookie in the Ranks: Gabriel Ortega is Taking His Uncle's Company by Storm". Well, this is exciting. The title makes me smile.

"The Ortega name may be gaining popularity in technology, but Gabriel Ortega is the one making it happen. The 30 year old bachelor is revitalizing technology as we know it."

I'm beaming embarrassingly as I read the words on screen, almost like I'm a real part of his life. It talks about Gabriel's successes with various merges and deals. "In only one year, Gabriel has increased OrtegaTech revenue by 25%. He's not playing around in his own funds either; the newly 30 year old reeled in a smooth $23 million for himself as Vice Chairman to his uncle, Maurice Ortega. Call it nepotism if you may; we call it hard work. Be on the lookout for this particular businessman."

$23 million.

Million. I'm fucking a millionaire. I mean, I knew it already; he practically owns the company. But since this article was written two years ago, I'm sure Gabriel has even doubled or tripled his earnings.

So it may seem shallow, but I don't think I want to fuck anything up with him.

Gabriel shoots me a text message at nine, saying he's on his way. By ten, he's knocking on my door. I feel tired, more tired than I have in a while, but bittersweet. I could worry about Beth and Clay and my job all day, but some things are out of my control. I doubt Clay is going to bother me again.

I hear Gabe's car pull out in front and feel my body relax. I try to avoid actively waiting for him by the door like a puppy. "Smells nice in here," Gabe says as he ducks inside. "I heard it's going to snow here tonight. It's April."

"Don't be surprised," I chuckle, grabbing his hand and pulling him with me. "Hungry?"

"Not particularly." Gabriel leans down to kiss me quickly. I have a gorgeous man in my house, my boss, who drove in the cold for 45 minutes on a Monday to fuck me. I shouldn't even be complaining. "When did you move here?" he asks, keeping his big hands on my waist.

"This house? About three and a half months ago. It's small, but I like it. Used to live in an apartment downtown." I kiss Gabriel's bottom lip. "Are you sure you don't want to eat?" I think sitting down over food is the only way to get him to talk to me. "I have goulash and pie..."

The next thing I know, I'm heating up leftover food and Gabriel is making jokes at my expense, but I don't mind. Two weeks ago, I would've been defensive or scolded him, but it's a little part of his personality I'm picking up on. "Where are you from?" I question, retrieving two Bud Light from the fridge.

"Born in Mexico, moved to Arizona, then Texas. I was raised there until I went to college in California."

"And you stayed there?"

"I didn't want to at first. My father passed and left the company to my uncle. My uncle actually liked me, so he's leaving it to me." Gabe rolls his head around to get kinks out of his neck and relaxes in a kitchen chair. I wonder if he lives in an apartment.

"And you? You attended Harvard. That's a while away from here."

I shrug. "I was actually born in Scotland. It's funny actually; Lillian was visiting Scotland from Utah, she shouldn't have even been flying. I was premature or whatever."

"Lillian..."

"My mother," I clarify. Gabriel nods. I can see him thinking about how odd it might be that I call Lillian by her first name, so I change the subject. "So unfortunately, if I ever wanted to be president, I'm screwed," I laugh. "Um... so yeah, Lillian and Matthew are full Scottish: accent, red hair and everything. So we were back in Utah and I didn't even leave the state for vacations. I had no clue about anything."

"I know what that's like," Gabriel nods.

"Yeah really. I really... I'm just glad I got away and all. Harvard was so far away, farther than I anticipated. I never visited or anything. Maybe once a year for the first two, and then not at all. Then I moved here, mostly because I got a job here quickly, partially with my sister Beth in mind."

"And is she your only sibling?"

"No, no. I have seven. Five older, two younger," I say quietly. I don't really want to talk about my family. Michael, Beth, me, and Joshua were the ones who seemed to embrace the changes that needed to be made in our household. Abel, Laura, David and Esther were the oldest, David and Esther are about 33 now, married, of course. Each of them has two kids already. Traditional, conservative, all of that junk. They only live within twenty miles of home if I remember correctly. Everyone else stayed near except Josh and me.

"I only have two brothers," Gabriel says. "Bryan and Leo."

I stare at my hands and sip at my drink, not knowing what else to ask Gabriel about. This is as awkward as I've ever been. "So... what hobbies do you have?" I move to sit on the edge of my seat. Gabriel takes a couple bites of his food, sighing happily.

"I majored in engineering, minored in business."

"Boring. Also not what I asked," I reply, teasing the inside of his leg with my foot.

"I was minoring in photography and majoring in business," he says, moving his plate aside and sliding his chair close enough to exchange breaths with me. "But mi padre said I was underachieving and I'd amount to nothing. So I ditched the photography and made it a hobby."

"You any good?" I ask, pulling him close by his shirt and kissing him gently. Gabriel pulls me onto his lap. For a brief second, I feel bad for not letting him finish the last bite of his food, but he doesn't seem to mind.

Gabriel kisses my jawline up to my ear. "Maybe you can decide for yourself sometime."

I can't get enough of his mouth all over me. It's like nothing even happened this morning. Gabe bites my lip as I pull him into me, touching him every way I can. I think back to how he comforted me this weekend, not even prying into what I was upset about. I kiss him deeper at the thought of it, and wonder if other people are the same way, and I just don't know it. Either way, he has me transfixed on making him feel good, along with making myself feel good. His body, his voice, his words—

For once, I'm going to really take advantage of that.

Gabriel is unbuttoning my shirt when I ask, "What do you take pictures of?"

He grunts before looking up at me, confused. "Pretty things."

"Damn, Gabriel, you are something with your elaborate answers and—" Before I can finish teasing him, he pushes me off the chair, demanding quickly that I turn around. I do. "Do you do weddings?"

"No." Gabriel immediately places both big hands on my ass, squeezing through my jeans. "It's for art, not revenue."

"Ah," I tease. "Not art, Zeke: revenue."

"No. You're a pain, you know that?" Gabe chuckles, patting my butt. "But you're so fucking hot."

"Are you sure? I mean, sometimes I snort when I laugh, and I've got this weird freckle thing going—"

Gabriel interrupts me, "And you're driving me crazy."

I turn around, kissing him softly. I lead him to my living room again, briefly thinking about my bedroom again, but deciding against it. If I recall, it's a mess anyway. I'm just getting to last week's laundry.

"Did you know we switched wallets over the weekend?" I ask with a laugh while we sit down. "Grayson found yours in my office and I for sure thought we'd be caught."

"But we weren't," Gabriel says, tracing along my jawline slowly with this fingers. I close my eyes, thinking about how we could actually be together, and doing this all the time. I absorb every one of Gabriel's kisses into my memory. I think about how he could practically get anything and anyone he wants. And he's with me right now, at ten o'clock, grinding his body onto mine.

We're barely undressed before Gabriel dismisses himself to the bathroom. I run to my room and sit on my bed, thinking about the times we've been sneaking around. After five minutes, I'm sure Gabriel is showering. I have no problem waiting for him.

-----------

My eyes open quickly, and I glance about my room. Everything is tinted blue, as if I've been put inside a box. When I sit up, I notice Gabriel's arm slung around my waist. My bedside alarm reads 4:17 a.m.

I fucking fell asleep on him.

I'm surprised he didn't just go home. I must have been so exhausted, leaving him for five minutes in the shower made for the perfect opportunity to doze off.

"Zeke?" he whispers groggily, his voice impossibly low.

"Shit, shit—Gabe I'm so sorry—"

"Don't worry about it," he chuckles. I rub at my eyes and grab my glasses. "You were tired; that's alright," he yawns. No, it's not alright. Gabriel drove 45 minutes for one reason, and I fall asleep on him.

"I'll make up for it," I offer, rolling over to face him. He looks impossibly good for 4 a.m. I wonder if it's okay to kiss him. He beats me to it, gently pecking my lips.

"I have something in mind," he smiles.

Before I can even properly wake up, Gabriel and I are sharing the same shower space, doing less washing up and more making out than we initially planned. There's a tiny window in my bathroom providing a dawny light and casting beautiful, artsy shadows all over Gabriel's body. I wish I had my glasses on to see the full effect of it. I think of his photography hobby, and wonder what it'd be like to capture him right now, naked and steamy. I wonder if he's thinking the same about me.

I'm still leisurely making my way around the shower, not really wanting to wake up quite yet, but Gabriel isn't playing around. He urges me to use the soap, and when I whine about it, he chuckles into my neck with his Gabriel Laugh and takes care of me himself. And I fucking relish it. I purr like a damn cat at the feeling of his hands gently massaging a washcloth in circles onto my skin. This is as relaxed as I've ever been. I gently massage shampoo in Gabriel's hair with one hand, while the other reassures that I'm clean back there. I've never been fucked in a shower, but there's a first time for everything. And it hopefully won't be the last.

Gabriel shoves his locks of wet hair in front of his face, and every time I push them out of his face, he puts them back. "Gabe!" I finally say impatiently.

"What?"

"Stop, oh my god." With that, I rake his hair from his face, and he puts it right back, getting in my face and dripping water on me. "You're the worst," I groan.

"Turn around." I face the wall away from him despite my annoyance. "Your hair is impossibly red," he comments under his breath, running his fingers through my hair, not for the first time since we hopped in together.

"Yeah?" I say quietly, wriggling my ass backwards, trying to feel how hard he is. And he backs away from me. "Gabriel, really..." I reach behind to try and jerk him off, but he grabs my wrist. "Not funny. We have to work in four hours," I whine. "I want to touch you—"

Gabriel grabs my other wrist, keeping my hands tight behind my back, and then he gently smacks my ass. It's experimental, but I'm quiet in a millisecond. Oh, YES I want to be spanked again. Fuck yes. I'll be quiet if he's going to hit me again. I don't know if I'd ever let anyone handle me the way he does. Gabriel takes notice of my immediate silence and gives me another slap, a little harder this time.

"Now, are you going to tell me what to do, or can I just fuck you?" he asks. I nod vigorously at his proposition. I close my eyes and lean into him as he kisses my neck, trailing down to my freckled shoulders, down my spine. He takes each ass cheek in his hands, alternating back and forth with kisses. I just have to wonder...

Before I even say anything, I feel him kissing deeper and deeper. I feel his hot tongue gently tease at my crack before he delves in. I've never had my ass eaten before, and I know for a fact Gabriel hasn't eaten ass before, so this is going to be an exhilarating experience both ways. He doesn't seem to hold back with me, despite me being the only guy he's been with. Maybe he lied to Jiao.

At the feeling of his tongue flicking over my tight hole, I'm trembling. I don't even care much about my leaking dick when I'm with him. He's an ass guy, and I'm perfectly okay with providing that source of ass. Gabriel swirls his tongue around my hole, licking at me until I'm reduced to a moaning mess above him. If I had known how fucking good this would feel, I would've done this a long time ago. Gabriel absolutely shoves his face in between my ass cheeks, kissing and licking. I'm not a particularly hairy guy, so I'm glad he's enjoying himself. I certainly am.

He doesn't hesitate to slip two fingers into me when he feels like it. Before I can stop myself, I open my mouth and out comes, "Ass kisser."

"You love it," Gabriel says, exaggeratedly and sloppily sucking kisses into my butt cheeks. The last place I expected to get a hickey. I won't even be able to sleep after this. Gabriel inserts a third finger, and starts feeling around for my sweet spot. I just can't believe he's never been with a man before. I refuse to believe it.

I reach behind, feeling my fingers slip through Gabriel's long hair and feeling his fingers inside me and his tongue exploring my ass in ways I never thought possible. I twitch excitedly when he brushes over my prostate. "Gabe! Oh, fuck, Baby."

"You're so fucking hot," he responds, and I stick my ass in his face. He removes his fingers, delving face first into eating my ass again, taking each round, firm cheek in his hands.

"Mmmf, hit me," I say quietly.

"What was that?" Gabriel asks playfully. He heard me, for sure.

"Don't make me feel bad," I whine, almost out of breath already. "I want it."

"What do you want?" Gabriel asks smugly, rubbing circles into my ass. God, I just want him to spank me; he makes it a big deal every time. "Baby?"

I groan. "You're so annoying."

"I guess I didn't hear you correctly, Mr. Hartigan."

"Gabriel FUCK you I just want you to spank me fucking damn," I explode desperately. "I want it so bad, Christ. Please... please..." Gabriel laughs affectionately at my desperation, of course, and stands up to kiss at my neck and bite my ear gently. I shiver at his tenderness.

Gabriel takes me in his arms after turning the heat up in the shower. The bathroom is full of steam now. His cock teases me, brushing over my ass every so often. I feel a whine in my throat as Gabriel sucks a hickey in the soft spot right behind my ear. It's barely quarter til 5 a.m., and I'm in complete bliss. "I want your cock," I groan. I don't know why he won't give me what I want.

Gabe finally gives me a hard, wet smack on my ass and slides his cock into me at the same time. We move together as a silent song, bodies soundless besides the synchronization of our breaths and the occasional sensual reassurance. Every time he smacks my ass, I gasp his name and pull him even closer to me. Every time I feel the length of his marble-hard member effortlessly hit that sensitive bundle of nerves, I practically praise him for it.

Gabriel tells me to prop my leg up on the side of the tub for an easier position, and we're sloppily tongue-kissing over my shoulder. He's gripping my hips just as hard as he did the first time we fucked, so I'm sure I'll have bruises. All worth it.

"Fuck, you're so tight every time," Gabriel growls, pulling me into him with every thrust.

"You like my ass?"

"Oh fuck yeah," Gabe replies, smacking me twice. "You look so fucking pretty like this." I practically purr like a cat as he touches me. I think of how I'm not supposed to enjoy him. According to how I grew up, I'm being selfish and disgusting. I'm supposed to throw things like this aside. But I stand here, eyes closed, gasping and relishing every time Gabriel grunts filthy things in my ear and hits me.

And I love every minute of it.

"I'm close," I whisper. "I wanna kiss you." I turn around, stroking myself fast while we share what seems like endless sloppy kisses until I gasp into his mouth, white spurts disappearing in the streams of water. Gabriel kisses me until my pulse is almost back to normal. I'm starting to get on my knees to finish him off, but he stops me. "You need to rest," he says. "I'll be fine."