Rough [02] - Roughhousing

Torquere Press
www.torquerepress.com

Copyright ©2006 by Laura Baumbach

First published in www.torquerepress.com, 2007

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Chapter One

"You've got great architectural structure, but I don't see you as the drafting board type. I know
I
haven't seen you around Dunn and Piper. I'm new, but not that unobservant. I'd have remembered those shoulders of yours."

Bram Lord turned away from the fresh-faced, flirtatious bartender mixing drinks behind the portable mirrored bar. Taking a sip of his drink, he glanced down and to his left in the direction the sharp, slightly mocking, feminine voice had come from. At six foot six plus, Bram had to look down at most people and the petite, rail thin brunette was no exception. He raised one eyebrow and gave the smirking, green-eyed woman a sultry smile of his own.

Wrapped in a skin tight, black cocktail dress with a single strand of white pearls nestled into the tiny valley of her barely there cleavage, the woman stared up at Bram and ran the tip of her tongue over her upper lip in a brazen gesture of seduction.

Holding her stare with his own icy blue gaze, Bram winked at her and said, “Actually, I love drafting boards. They can take a lot of weight and you can adjust them to get the best angle and height when you're working on a special project.” Bram's could feel one corner of his mouth quirk slightly. “And having the right angle is so important, wouldn't you say, Ms...?"

"Harper. Stella Harper, newest and only female architect to join Dunn and Piper.” The woman was attractive in a crisp, predatory way. Her dark brown hair reflected her manners, sharp-edged with a dangerous cut to it. She ran a suggestive finger over the thick muscles prominent under the layers of Bram's dress shirt and dinner jacket. “And you would be...?"

"Unavailable, but flattered.” He winked at her again and took a sip of his drink, cool gaze never leaving her sultry one.

Stella's smirking lips pursed for a moment before relaxing into something closer to a real smile. A playful twinkle replaced the predatory gleam in her eyes and she dropped her hand from his arm.

"I knew you were too great a catch to be single. I'm always a couple years late or two drinks ahead of everyone else in the room.” She turned to face the mingling crowd, leaning against the bar with a dramatic sigh. “All the good ones are taken."

Bram smiled and settled next to her, studying the people talking and laughing in small groups around the Dunn's spacious, elegant living room. He automatically picked out a familiar head of dark curly hair in a group of people surrounding a frail, older, but still beautiful woman in a wheelchair. He sipped his drink and admired the way the man's well-cut trousers clung to lean thighs.

A small light of budding desire warmed him as the man crouched down in front of the wheelchair bound woman to talk with her at her eye level. The thin fabric of his trousers stretched enticingly over the curve of the man's small, firm buttocks. Bram's lover was a shy, attractive young man.

Glancing around at the people surrounding his lover, Bram noticed several other people, both men and women, admiring the same view he was. A burst of possessive pride shot through him and landed in his cock. It stirred and grew, pressing lightly against the silk fabric of his black boxers. Everyone in the room could look at the man, but he knew who James Justin, favored junior architect of Dunn and Piper, was going home with. Tonight and every other night of his life, if Bram had any say in the matter.

Bram grinned, privately enjoying the hot flush of anticipation and desire that heated his groin. Glancing at Stella, he found her savoring the sight of James’ tight ass as well.

Stella sighed again, this time it sounded real. Shaking her head, she took a large drink from the martini glass in her hand. Stella jutted her chin out to indicate James where he still crouched beside Mrs. Dunn.

"The man I brought with me is married, you're ‘unavailable', whatever the hell that means these days, and the only other heart-stopping, attractive man in the room,” she nodded at James, “is gay. Or so they say."

She cocked her head and tried to get a better view of James’ backside. “Personally, I think he just hasn't been shown the ropes by a woman with enough experience to change his world view on the subject."

Managing not to snort out the mouthful of alcohol he had just sipped, Bram swallowed, then set his drink down on the bar behind him. “You think you're woman enough to convert him? The way I hear it, gay men are born gay. It isn't a matter of choice. If another woman offered to show you a good time in bed, would you take it?"

Stella snorted and finished off her drink in one quick gulp. “Only if she looked like him,” she ran her gaze appreciatively over James’ lean form then looked at Bram's broad-shouldered, handsome frame. “Or you.” She smiled and wiggled her eyebrows. “And came equipped with the right drilling tools."

Stella shifted her hungry gaze to James again and licked her lips. “I'd sure be willing to try and convince him of the error of his ways."

Bram smothered a chuckle, feeling slightly sorry for the woman. “What if he's already happy with someone?” Bram looked from Stella to James and back again. He slipped his hands into his pants pockets and let his fingers covertly graze over the tip of his half-hard cock. He thought about what his shy but passionate lover looked like without pants on and his cock jumped. He winked at Stella again. “You know, in love, committed?"

"With another
man
?” Stella gave Bram a smirking grimace filled with biting disbelief. “No man knows how to be any of those things at the same time. And frankly, unless his lover looks like you, which I doubt seeing as you're ‘unavailable', it wouldn't be doing justice to the man. James,” she pointed at the crouching man with one long, red tipped finger, “is one hot, little architect. Too hot to waste on another man."

Bram followed Stella's longing gaze to admire his lover.

James was smiling, his smooth, young face animated in conversation. The cut of his dinner jacket nicely accented his trim, lean build. Pulled tight by how he crouched by the wheelchair, James’ trousers fit snug over his tight, little ass. His dark curls and deep blue eyes both caught facets of the bright lights in the room so that James appeared almost radiant.

Suddenly looking up, Mrs. Dunn caught Bram's eye. She nodded a greeting and then leaned over to whisper something in James’ ear.

James’ cheeks flared pink. He turned his head and glanced in Bram's direction, a bashful grin on his full lips. A hungry, uncertain gleam invaded his gaze when he locked eyes with Bram, his open expression full of unchecked longing and desire.

A sudden gasp from beside him told Bram that even tipsy, Stella had seen and understood the look on James’ face.

James rose up from his crouch, murmured to Mrs. Dunn, and cut a direct path through the crowd toward Bram and Stella, smoldering gaze locked on Bram.

Smothering a small choking sound, Stella moaned, “Oh, Christ! Don't tell me, let me guess. It'll be less painful that way.” She groaned and closed her eyes for a moment and then proclaimed, “You're Abraham Lord, owner of Eclipse Construction, and hottie James’ new boyfriend."

Stella's voice held just enough resigned, self-mocking embarrassment to amuse to Bram. “Damn. I should listen to the water cooler gossip better. I thought for sure Lord was that forty-something bald guy that's been following James around the room most of the night. Damn!"

Bram noticed the bald guy as well, but brushed the man's interest in his lover off as someone trying to bask in the glow of James’ quiet charm. Now he wasn't so sure.

Smiling indulgently, Bram chuckled and admitted, “Guilty as charged.” He patted her sagging shoulder and took her empty glass from her unresisting hand to set it on the bar. “Don't feel too bad, Stella. I'm sure if anyone could change a gay man's ‘world view’ it would be you."

"Oh, yeah, let me make a fool of myself and then throw the broken woman a bone.” Stella scoffed and grabbed another drink from a passing waiter's full tray. She took a sip and grimaced. As James approached, she pulled herself up to her full height of five foot three, in three-inch heels, and stepped away from the bar.

She primly announced to Bram, “You'll excuse me if I slip away before you share my stunning humiliation with your lover and my co-worker."

She glanced at James, whose eyes were trained solely on Bram, and mumbled, “I prefer to wait to start hiding my face behind blueprints and drafting boards until Monday morning, when I'll be sober enough to appreciate the full effect of his smirking grin."

"I wouldn't worry if I were you. Jamie isn't the vindictive type. If anything, he'd be embarrassed for you. Which is why I'm not going to tell him you have the hots for him. It'll make
him
feel uncomfortable.” Bram frowned at Stella, a serious, firm tone to his suddenly commanding voice. “You should probably keep it to yourself, as well. I'd hate to see him pushed into an uncomfortable situation with a new co-worker."

Stella blinked at the sudden change in Bram's demeanor and gave a jerky, startled nod of agreement. “Sure, fine, okay. I can do that. We never had this conversation. I'll just go to the powder room and try and get my foot out of my mouth now."

She huffed out a disgruntled snort and straightened her shoulders before moving off. “Save me from getting run over while he makes a beeline to you, anyway.” Stella scurried off, throwing a small, wry smile at James as she passed him.

James glanced at Stella's retreating back as she melted into the nearest group of dinner guests then raised his eyebrows questioningly at Bram. “Making new friends?"

The slight shadow of jealousy in his lover's eyes surprised him. “Just barely exchanged names.” Bram took in the slight lingering flush on James’ cheeks that Mrs. Dunn had put there and felt his cock stir impatiently.

James moved closer to Bram until their arms touched. “You mean she didn't get your phone number, address, and jock strap size? She's collected everyone else's in the company since she arrived."

When Bram chuckled and shook his head, James dropped his voice to a low, sultry but nervous drawl and added, “Good. I wouldn't want to have to wrestle it from her in a room full of witnesses.” He boldly ran one hand up Bram's lower arm in a light caress, but glanced hesitantly around at the people closest to them as he did it.

Bram smiled tolerantly at James’ small attempt to be more open around his friends and co-workers. He snagged the other man's hand before James could pull it free and held on to it. “It's interesting how many of your co-workers have the hots for you. I may have to start objecting to those late night and weekend hours you put in at the office."

Raising James’ hand to his lips, Bram softly kissed James’ knuckles and then lowered their hands, still keeping a tight hold.

James blushed and squirmed, glancing self-consciously around him again, but he remained in Bram's personal space, his intense blue eyes finally captured and locked in Bram's commanding gaze.

"Don't be crazy, Bram. If people are looking at anyone, it's you.” James shook his head, chewing nervously at his full lower lip, instantly drawing Bram's interested gaze to his mouth. “I've overheard at least two conversations where women were fantasizing about you to each other. And some bald-headed guy keeps following me. I think he wants me to introduce you to him."

"There's only one person here I have the desire to get up close and personal with, Jamie.” Bram tightened his hold on James’ fingers. “Guess who that is."

James’ expression clouded and his gaze flitted uncertainly around the room. “Seeing the number of people here trying to catch your eye, it could be hard to decide."

Bram whispered a soft, insistent, “Hey,” and drew James’ eyes back up to his own. He brushed their joined hands over his groin, letting James felt his stirring cock as it jumped and hardened at the touch. “There isn't any question in my mind who I want. There shouldn't be any question in yours, Jamie. Ever.” Bram's let himself leer as the pink spots on his lover's cheeks deepened.

Nervously clearing his throat, James shuffled his feet. One corner of his mouth tugged upward, but his voice still sounded unsure to Bram. “Stella seemed to question it."

A young woman chose that moment to move past them on her way to the other side of the room. Her hand touched Bram's brawny upper arm and stroked over the fabric-clad muscles for several seconds before she moved on, an inviting gleam in her eyes. Bram smiled cordially at her, but he remained uninterested.

James sighed and mumbled, “Lots of people seem to question it."

"As long as you don't, other people don't matter, Jamie.” Bram shrugged off the unwanted attention. “Stella is well on her way to being drunk, but she still understood not to get between us. That's why she left. She was afraid you'd do her bodily harm for being next to me."