before Patrick finally pulled away.
He slipped his hand out from under Ken’s shirt and pulled him upright, tugging him against his chest where his lips found Ken’s salty neck and tender earlobe. “You okay?” he whispered between soft licks and kisses.
Ken’s head rolled to the side and he smiled up at Patrick. “I’m better than I’ve been for a long time.”
“I’m glad.” Patrick took the towel and wiped Ken off gently. “I know that shouldn’t have happened, especially in the back of Corbin’s shithole of an office, but that was amazing. I know it’s going to make things weird for you, working with Jay.”
Ken managed to get his pants sorted out on his own, and Patrick finally put on his new T-shirt.
Ken swayed again. He squeezed his eyes shut and held one hand to his forehead. “Do you want to…?” His eyes focused through the alcohol. “Oh God, you’re right. That shouldn’t have happened. You’re the father of one of my kids and I was trying to figure out how to invite you back to my place. How fucked up is that?”
Patrick caught him as he tried to step away from the desk. Ken tried to wrap his arms around his neck, and Patrick pulled him closer so he could. “I’m exhausted. I want to, but….”
Ken leaned back a little. “You up for flipping roles?”
“Oh, hell yes. I’m versatile.”
“You’d let me fuck you?”
Patrick grinned. “Do you have another condom?”
“We really can’t,” Ken said. He glared at Patrick, but didn’t let him out of his grip. “That was what I was trying to say. In case you’ve forgotten, your son has community service tomorrow morning. And coincidentally,” Ken said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes, “I’ve got to work. Of course, I’d have to work anyway, but that’s not the point.”
Patrick nodded and bumped his nose against Ken’s. “It’s all right.” Patrick tightened his arms around Ken’s waist and pulled him up into a quick kiss.
Ken laughed against his lips.
“How much have you had to drink?”
“Maybe too much. I’m not about to black out on you, I swear. But we really shouldn’t have done that.”
“I know.” And he did. He knew this was a mistake before it began, but he couldn’t force himself to utter an apology. The quick release, combined with the memory of Ken’s body and voice, would fuel his imagination for a long time. But he felt bile rise in his throat as he realized he would still have to face Ken Atkins in the morning, and he’d have to do it with his son in tow. Without Ken pressed up against him, hard as steel, Patrick wasn’t so sure the awkward confrontation that was sure to happen when Ken was sober would be worth it.
“Why don’t I get you a cab?” Patrick asked quietly.
Ken stumbled a little, plastering himself to Patrick’s chest. He helped Ken navigate the mess of boxes and the still-pulsating crowd. For a moment he let himself pretend they were here together. He imagined he wasn’t working and Ken was his, not just for a few stolen moments in the back of the bar, but just plain his .
“Come home with me anyway,” Ken whispered, clinging to his shoulders as they finally made it out to the sidewalk. “Just for tonight? I know it’s a mistake, but it’s not like more sex could make things worse than they already are.”
“It would make things so much worse,” Patrick said, thinking about how right it felt walking through Corbin’s Attic with Ken in his arms. But the happy illusion wouldn’t last beyond the effects of the alcohol. He thought about Jay’s exhausted voice the last time he’d called, hours ago. He didn’t want to wake him up calling again, but he also knew better than to trust Jay wouldn’t sneak out if he didn’t get home. “Jay knows I’m supposed to be back around three. He answered when I called, but I’ve got to be there.”
He ran his thumb over Ken’s bottom lip, wishing he could kiss him and climb into a taxi with him. He knew damn
He slipped his hand out from under Ken’s shirt and pulled him upright, tugging him against his chest where his lips found Ken’s salty neck and tender earlobe. “You okay?” he whispered between soft licks and kisses.
Ken’s head rolled to the side and he smiled up at Patrick. “I’m better than I’ve been for a long time.”
“I’m glad.” Patrick took the towel and wiped Ken off gently. “I know that shouldn’t have happened, especially in the back of Corbin’s shithole of an office, but that was amazing. I know it’s going to make things weird for you, working with Jay.”
Ken managed to get his pants sorted out on his own, and Patrick finally put on his new T-shirt.
Ken swayed again. He squeezed his eyes shut and held one hand to his forehead. “Do you want to…?” His eyes focused through the alcohol. “Oh God, you’re right. That shouldn’t have happened. You’re the father of one of my kids and I was trying to figure out how to invite you back to my place. How fucked up is that?”
Patrick caught him as he tried to step away from the desk. Ken tried to wrap his arms around his neck, and Patrick pulled him closer so he could. “I’m exhausted. I want to, but….”
Ken leaned back a little. “You up for flipping roles?”
“Oh, hell yes. I’m versatile.”
“You’d let me fuck you?”
Patrick grinned. “Do you have another condom?”
“We really can’t,” Ken said. He glared at Patrick, but didn’t let him out of his grip. “That was what I was trying to say. In case you’ve forgotten, your son has community service tomorrow morning. And coincidentally,” Ken said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes, “I’ve got to work. Of course, I’d have to work anyway, but that’s not the point.”
Patrick nodded and bumped his nose against Ken’s. “It’s all right.” Patrick tightened his arms around Ken’s waist and pulled him up into a quick kiss.
Ken laughed against his lips.
“How much have you had to drink?”
“Maybe too much. I’m not about to black out on you, I swear. But we really shouldn’t have done that.”
“I know.” And he did. He knew this was a mistake before it began, but he couldn’t force himself to utter an apology. The quick release, combined with the memory of Ken’s body and voice, would fuel his imagination for a long time. But he felt bile rise in his throat as he realized he would still have to face Ken Atkins in the morning, and he’d have to do it with his son in tow. Without Ken pressed up against him, hard as steel, Patrick wasn’t so sure the awkward confrontation that was sure to happen when Ken was sober would be worth it.
“Why don’t I get you a cab?” Patrick asked quietly.
Ken stumbled a little, plastering himself to Patrick’s chest. He helped Ken navigate the mess of boxes and the still-pulsating crowd. For a moment he let himself pretend they were here together. He imagined he wasn’t working and Ken was his, not just for a few stolen moments in the back of the bar, but just plain his .
“Come home with me anyway,” Ken whispered, clinging to his shoulders as they finally made it out to the sidewalk. “Just for tonight? I know it’s a mistake, but it’s not like more sex could make things worse than they already are.”
“It would make things so much worse,” Patrick said, thinking about how right it felt walking through Corbin’s Attic with Ken in his arms. But the happy illusion wouldn’t last beyond the effects of the alcohol. He thought about Jay’s exhausted voice the last time he’d called, hours ago. He didn’t want to wake him up calling again, but he also knew better than to trust Jay wouldn’t sneak out if he didn’t get home. “Jay knows I’m supposed to be back around three. He answered when I called, but I’ve got to be there.”
He ran his thumb over Ken’s bottom lip, wishing he could kiss him and climb into a taxi with him. He knew damn
Similar Books
