Firewall (14 page)

“Do you mind?” Calder murmured as he teased the waistband.

“Go ahead,” Justin uttered as he slid his hands up to settle on Calder’s shoulders.

Calder slid his other hand down to undo Justin’s belt. He teasingly gave a jerk, making Justin’s hips thrust forward, and was rewarded with a sharp gasp and giggle from Justin.

A
giggle
. That was a rare sound coming from Justin.

Calder’s protectiveness and affection for Justin intensified tenfold in that moment.

Once the belt was undone, Calder undid the button and fly of Justin’s jeans and slid a hand inside the waistband. He closed his fingers around Justin’s cock and pulled him free from the material’s restraint.

Justin was hard in his hand.

“Jesus, that must’ve been uncomfortable,” Calder drawled as he slid a thumb over the tip of the cock to swipe the precum beading there.

“Nnh, it was starting to,” Justin admitted as he thrust into Calder’s hand. “Calder...”

“I won’t leave you hanging long,” Calder promised as he gripped Justin firmly and stroked, using what precome Justin had squirted as lubrication.

As soon as he started to stroke, Justin twitched and jerked in his hold. Justin wrapped his arms tightly around his shoulders and pressed his head hard into the nook of Calder’s neck. This closeness was incredible to Calder.

It only took a few strokes before Justin released. Calder had been expecting Justin to come fast but not quite that fast. “Oh!” he exclaimed as Justin came in his hand, squirting forth an impressive load as Calder continued stroking him.

Like before, Justin was beside himself with pleasure. He was almost thrashing, his hold on Calder becoming tight. The cries and whimpers of pleasure that escaped Justin were a symphony to Calder’s ears.

Since they were in a hotel room, it seemed as though Justin was biting back some of the sounds. It was a shame since Justin was wondrously vocal and Calder had enjoyed hearing it. It only served to reinforce that Calder should relax and let Justin hear more of his pleasure as well. If Justin felt even half as victorious and good as Calder did when he earned those sounds...

Then, Justin slumped.

Calder laughed and used an arm to catch Justin, pulling him in against him. “Hey, you all right?”

Justin moaned lowly against Calder’s neck, which made Calder’s hair pleasantly stand on end because of the hot breath and vibrations through the skin. “I’m fine.”

Calder chuckled and held Justin for a few moments, letting Justin recover. He didn’t mind the embrace at all. In fact, he had never felt closer to Justin than in this moment. He wanted to throw both of his arms around Justin and embrace him in return but one of his hands was holding quite a mess.

When Justin pulled back a few moments later, he seemed almost unable to look Calder in the eye. That difficulty maintaining eye contact was both endearing and frustrating to Calder. It was cute in moments like this but the lack of eye contact as a whole made it difficult to read Justin.

Right now, though, Calder chalked it down to bashfulness.

“I’m going to go wash up,” Justin murmured as he stepped back and stuffed his soft cock back into his jeans.

“Me, too.” Calder would normally have let Justin go ahead of him and have time to himself but Calder really needed to wash his hands.

“Oh, right. You go first, then,” Justin insisted as he waved to the bathroom.

Calder laughed and then slipped into the bathroom. He gave his hands and cock a wash, his mind wandering as he made himself presentable.

Oh, man, sleeping alongside of Justin was going to be even more difficult now after that. Really, what
were
they doing? This clearly wasn’t just a friends-with-benefits arrangement, was it? Was part of the appeal the workplace attraction—the relationship between them as boss and employee?

No, it went much deeper than that.

When Calder stepped out of the bathroom, Justin was quick to hurry by him and into the bathroom. So quick that Calder had to do a little twist to get out of the way. He blinked and stared at the bathroom door as it was promptly closed behind Justin.

Aw, I hope this hasn’t freaked him out too much.

Calder moved to his suitcase and changed for the night, then crawled into bed. He stayed as close to the edge on his side as possible to give Justin plenty of space. He was the one that seemed to need it more, and especially after emotional moments. He always got so easily overwhelmed. Meanwhile, it took a lot to drain Calder, although he appreciated quiet times as well.

A few minutes later, Justin emerged from the bathroom. Calder remained resting on his side and gazing toward the hotel windows, letting Justin do his own thing without feeling like he was being watched.

The zipper of a suitcase was undone and the rustling of clothes reached Calder’s ears. A few moments later, after more rustling, the light was turned out and the bed sunk down on the other side.

“Good night,” Justin murmured, and Calder was aware that Justin was keeping his distance.

“Good night,” Calder responded. He was still wide awake, waiting until Justin was good and settled before relaxing.

Calder’s world was changing all around him.

T
he night was filled
with odder dreams than normal. Justin was used to having odd dreams that he only remembered in snippets the next morning. When he was younger, he used to be able to remember entire storylines from his dreams—enough so that his parents used to tell him that he should write books. As he grew older, this ability faded, which Justin regretted.

Still, the snippets of weirdness were enough to make short stories, at least, if he ever wanted to go that way. That night’s snippets included a Navi from
Zelda
playing a baby grand piano and a trip to a bakery where he couldn’t tell if he worked there or if he was a customer.

When he cracked open his eyes the next morning, the world slowly swam into view. He was typically groggy upon waking up, needing those few extra minutes to become alert, although alarm clocks usually jolted him awake.

It was then that he realized his head was slowly rising and falling but not through his own doing.

His eyes flew open and he froze. Justin’s head was on Calder’s muscular chest, and Calder was still sleeping. Not only that but Calder had an arm wrapped around him, Justin’s body nestled beneath the arm and against Calder’s side.

When had
that
happened? He didn’t remember moving during the night.

Being there in Calder’s arms was exactly what he had wanted for years.

Of course, the morning before, Calder had woken up to Justin nuzzling into his back. Justin hadn’t been aware that he had done that either until Calder’s phone jolted him awake. It had taken him a few seconds to get his bearings, but Justin had quickly realized what he had done, too.

Justin didn’t budge, not wanting to wake Calder up. Instead, he tried to settle back to rest, letting Calder’s heartbeat and the steady rhythm of his chest soothe him. At any minute that phone was sure to go off and ruin the moment, anyway.

Then, Calder stirred with a sleepy moan.

Justin held his position, gazing up into Calder’s face. He was a little scruffier now since he hadn’t shaved the day before. Justin was envious of that stubble, wishing he could grow a half-decent beard himself.

Calder’s eyelids fluttered, his breathing changing. When he cracked open his dark eyes, Justin blushed and gave a sheepish smile. “Good morning.”

Calder furrowed his brow, clearly processing a train of thought, then smiled sleepily. “Good morning. Decided to use me as a pillow, huh?” His voice was rough from sleep.

“Apparently.”

Everything from the night before came rushing back to Justin. Not so much the blowjob part but all the words that had been exchanged between them. How was that going to change everything from that point on?

Calder wasn’t shoving him away that morning so that was a good sign. But there was still that job waiting for him back at home...

Calder reached over and grabbed his phone from the bedside table. “Let me just turn that off before it wakes the neighbors.”

Justin laughed. “Why do you have it so loud?”

“I can’t risk sleeping through alarms. I’ve done so only a handful of times in the past but, of course, it’s always during the most inconvenient times.”

“That’s always the case. You should at least change your alarm to something interesting. I have tons of ringtones for mine.”

Calder chuckled and Justin was pleased that he didn’t seem to be in a big rush to get up. A good few minutes of silent relaxation passed before Calder cleared his throat. “We should get up and at ‘‘em if you want to get to the convention.”

Justin was half-tempted to just skip the second half of the convention in favor of staying in bed with Calder but that really wasn’t practical. He had made so many good connections the day before and had to keep it up today. Plus there’d be even more panels for him to attend. He had learned so much the day before but there were tons more yet. With the numbers and emails he had gotten, Justin would be able to follow up with some of the leaders, too.

He was feeling a little like a social butterfly at the event, even if it was all still a bit much. Still, he was in his element. Until now the only times he did particularly well in crowds were during sci-fi conventions or gaming tournaments. Even then he wasn’t usually too social.

And if he didn’t go there today and Wallace did, Wallace might have taken it as some kind of victory. He’d be able to sabotage him that much more.

“Yeah, we should get up,” Justin reluctantly agreed as he eased himself out of the wonderful nook of Calder’s arm. He rolled out of bed, his feet touching the floor. He stretched and then grabbed his clothes.

“Not going to undress in front of me?” Calder teased from the bed.

“No because you undressing in front of me last night led to, y’know. We have a convention to go to.” Justin laughed as he padded to the bathroom. Since he was feeling lighthearted and on top of the world, he teased Calder with an extra sway of his hips to give him a good view of his backside.

D
ay
two at the convention was every bit as intense as day one, although Justin was at least more familiar with the territory. Again, Calder was a pro at helping him interact properly with the right people. This happened even more than the day before, as people knew of him and were interested in talking. Justin had no doubt that many of these people had got together the night before and talked about things over drinks. There was only mild regret on Justin’s behalf that he hadn’t gone out and done the same thing. No, he had enjoyed his evening with Calder far more.

But some of the connections he made that day seemed a bit off. Was it his imagination or were some people a bit more standoffish than they had been the day before?

Justin tried not to think about that and push on. He was getting into the groove and had more contacts in his phone than he’d ever had in his life. Considering the list, he was pleased as well. There were people on there that he had been secretly fanboying over. Knowing that he was just a simple text away from some of the biggest names in the tech industry was mind-blowing.

At around lunchtime, Justin’s stomach was starting to growl. “Should we get something to eat now, Calder?”

“Yeah, I think they’re all having a lunch break now, sir,” Calder said with a nod as he checked his phone. “I’ll bring up a list now. Is there anything you’re in the mood for?”

“Mm, maybe we should find something local to eat,” Justin suggested but then went rigid as he spotted a familiar shape nearby. Even seeing him from the back, Justin would have recognized that person anywhere: Wallace.

There was no missing that long hair in a ponytail. Justin had always thought the guy looked like a hipster with his ponytail, goatee, and dark glasses. Even the way he talked had that kind of hipster vibe to it.

Calder had spotted Wallace, too, and immediately and casually inserted himself between him and Justin.

But it was too late. Wallace had spotted him.

“Ah, hello, Justin!” Wallace said as he held up a hand.

Justin didn’t want anything to do with him but at the same time, he wanted to lay into him, too. He didn’t understand why Wallace kept trying to egg him on. What kind of joy did he get out of all of this?

“Cat’s got your tongue?”

“Wallace, back off,” Justin murmured.

Wallace raised an eyebrow. “Mm?”

“I know that it was you that breached security at Sybil Industries. I know it was you that got me framed.”

Wallace laughed sharply, his eyes narrowing. “Now, why would you say that?”

“I think I got in the way of your side business,” Justin continued. “Some of the vulnerabilities I patched in the past seemed like insider work. It was
you
, wasn’t it?”

Wallace’s expression started to darken but Justin held his ground.

“What’s wrong? Cat’s got your tongue?” Justin drawled as their eyes locked.

Wallace growled and stepped forward, although Calder was right there to block the way. Wallace eyed Calder, sizing him up, but clearly he knew he couldn’t take Calder on. He stepped back, brushing a hand back through his ponytail as though to calm himself.

“And now you’re going around sabotaging me to make me pay for getting in the way, aren’t you? And for not giving you the attention you wanted?” Justin continued.

Wallace growled. “I will make sure that you
never
work with anyone here again. I
will
become the best and people will forget about you.”

Justin was fuming, but doing his best to play it cool. With Calder there between them, it was easier to remain calm and feel protected at the same time.

“Don’t get in my way,” Wallace concluded as he backed up a pace or two.

“That’s a threat,” Calder stated. “I’m going to get security.”

Wallace eyed Calder with contempt. “And who are you supposed to be, anyway? His PA? Of course Justin would have one to make himself seem bigger than he really is.”

“I think it’s time you leave now.”

“But it’s more than that, isn’t it?” Wallace drawled as he glanced between the pair. “You two are together, aren’t you? I’m surprised Justin’s even capable of giving you the time of day.”

There it was—that jealousy. Justin knew he wasn’t the best at reading people, but Wallace had to be difficult to deal with, even for other people.

Wallace made direct eye contact with Justin. Justin tried to hold it as long as possible, not wanting to give in and let Wallace win. He couldn’t help it, though, and looked away from Wallace first. As soon as he did, Wallace drew away. He moved through the crowd, then pointedly stopped to talk with someone. Not just anyone but Alan Twain, who was the CEO of a very successful IT security firm Justin admired. As Wallace did so, he cast a look back to Justin.

He was making it clear that he had power over Justin.

Justin shook, clenching his fists at his sides. In that moment, he snapped and strode forward with fury in his eyes, but was jerked back by Calder.

“Don’t give him that satisfaction,” Calder hissed under his breath. “He
wants
you to lose it. It’d only help make spreading rumors easier.”

Justin saw red as he glared after Wallace, his lips drawn back and his teeth bare. With Calder’s strong grip on his arm, Justin eventually deflated and looked away once Wallace disappeared from sight.

Justin was nervous as hell now. He had been working
so hard
at getting on good terms with this group of people and now Wallace was going to go and try to undo everything he did. It almost brought tears of frustration to his eyes but he bit them back.

Justin drew in a big breath then let it out. “He’s definitely been doing inside work, based on that reaction he had. The latest security breach couldn’t have been the only time.”

“It seemed to make sense when you said it,” Calder murmured back, keeping his voice low. “If you’ve been thwarting him, you could’ve been stopping him from selling those vulnerabilities to other parties.”

“He probably does just enough with Sybil to earn their trust and collect a good paycheck but then makes himself even richer by selling other vulnerabilities off,” Justin muttered. “It’s ingenious, really, but still terrible.”

It made Justin sick but he suddenly understood Wallace much more.

“Come on, let’s grab lunch,” Calder insisted as he pressed his hand to the small of Justin’s back to direct him.

Justin dreaded how the rest of the day was going to go but he had to press onwards.

After dinner was had and Justin got back into the fray, he pushed on, attending panels and talking to everyone he could. Once or twice, he saw Wallace in passing.

At one point late in the afternoon, Alan Twain approached Justin. Justin’s heart raced as the CEO approached him, trying to keep calm. This had been the man Wallace had spoken with after their confrontation earlier. What was Alan going to say to him now?

“Good afternoon,” Alan Twain said. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Yes,” Justin responded, trying to contain his excitement. “And you?”

“Oh, certainly. Say, I heard from some of the others that you’re trying to start your own firm?”

“Yes, that’s my plan. I’m here to try and learn as much as I can.”

“It sounds like you’re a very successful individual.”

Justin’s eyes widened. Alan wasn’t saying it in any sort of suspicious way. He seemed to be genuinely impressed. “I try my best. It’s been a bit harder getting work lately since Sybil Industries let me go.”

“I heard about that. In fact, Wallace Greyson’s been keen on letting everyone around here know. It’s very unbecoming.”

Justin straightened up. “I-It is?”

“He’s been around these parts before. He’s notorious for gossiping. We all like a bit of gossip, but he takes it too far.”

“So, you don’t think I was in the wrong?”

“I don’t know if you were or not, and I can’t hardly say, but I still think you’ve got what it takes to recover. I’ve been hearing nothing but good things from everyone else this convention.” Alan reached into his pocket and produced a business card, handing it to Justin. “When you’re serious about getting your company started, give me a shout. I’d be glad to help.”