Shifters of Grrr 1 (3 page)

He heard footsteps fast approaching as Lyle's words entered before he did, "Sorry! I told Elsa to stock it. She must have forgotten."

Lyle handed him a plush tan towel as Gunnar stepped from the shower. Underneath his own robe he could feel his body respond to the tight and toned intern. He watched a water drop fall from his hair, splashing onto his shoulder and trickle down his chest.
That's who I want
, he thought,
that's who I'm destined to be with.

He went over to Gunnar as he dried himself off, taking the towel from him. He held the fabric in both hands and toweled Gunnar's shoulder blades, down his back, and across his hips. Bringing the towel back up, he flipped it to Gunnar's front and toweled off his chest as he brought himself closer.

"Mr. Harris...." Gunnar began before remembering. "Lyle...."

Gunnar spun around and met Lyle's eyes again, felt the heat that radiated off him, and saw his own body responding to the man before he had the words to finish his sentence. His mouth was on his, exploring it with his tongue as he sought out every crevice.

There he pressed him against the thick glass walls of the shower. His hand went to his boss's cock as he squeezed and worked it to an even more rigid state. It was harder than any man's Gunnar had been with and Gunnar knew he wanted it; needed to taste it and feel it twitch and grow in him.

The young intern sunk to his knees and took his boss in his mouth. His hand pulled and stroked him as Lyle entered the warm wetness. Softly he eased every inch inside and Lyle could feel him sucking and swirling his tongue around, giving him sensations that he'd forgotten.

"Oh god, boy, your mouth is like heaven." Lyle told him as he worked his hands around Gunnar's head. Thrusting harder and harder into his mouth, he was in a fight of control. His silverback wanted to cum. He wanted to cum over and over again and then take the boy hard and fast right then and there, but Lyle knew he couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to Gunnar to do so before they'd really talk about how things could be. While his silverback would have to wait to mate, Lyle as a human could and would let this boy suck him until he begged for release.

He was so close he could feel him on the edge, fixing to fall over into bliss. He opened his eyes just in time to see that Gunnar had been stroking himself through his expert sucking. The sight of this beautiful man holding on to himself and near his own orgasm sent Lyle over the edge, grunting hard against Gunnar's mouth as he filled it. He shot his cum deep into his throat as Gunnar fought to swallow it all as his own orgasm flew from him and stained the shower door.

"Looks like Elsa is going to have some extra work tomorrow," Lyle said through ragged breaths. He pulled Gunnar up from his knees and kissed him deeply, tasting his own essence in his mouth.

"I so wanted to stop and fuck you here and now," he whispered, unsure of where they stood with each other.
 

"I know you did Gunnar, as did I, but..." and he hesitated only briefly before saying, "there is still much we need to discuss first."

Scene Six

It had been nearly a week since Lyle and Gunnar had their shower encounter and other than a few lingering looks at the office and more than an occasional touch, they hadn't spoke of it. Lyle didn't know why it was so strained or why he was walking on eggshells around this particular man, but it was what it was. Lyle, usually the dominant take-charge one of the relationship, was careful and taking it slower than it seemed Gunnar wanted to. Gunnar was getting frustrated and Lyle couldn't blame him. He was going to invite him over and go ahead and get everything out on the table this weekend, and let the chips fall where they may.

"Message arrived for you, Sir." Talia broke the silence that filled the office.

"Thank you, Talia."

Lyle looked at the envelop. Crisp white with a scrawled black "Mr. Harris, SoftShift" across it. He took his letter opened and thrust it inside, ripping the seal and forced the stiff card out of it.

Secrets aren't good Mr. Harris. You may have kept them hidden for ages, but I know them now. You've so much money, it's time to share with those who need it more. $250,000. Or everyone will know about your silverback gorilla shifter ways.

Lyle read it twice. He looked over to Gunnar's desk through his own glass office doors and saw a head nod. It sickened and chilled Lyle to his core. Lyle had fell for someone who took his secret and would make it public if the price wasn't right.
 

He marched through the door, slamming it shut on his way out, and came right up to the desk where Gunnar was filing paperwork. Lyle towered over him and his eyes flashed from black to blue several times as he tried to keep his silverback calmed during this exchange.

"Mr. Gray, pack your items and leave the premises. Now. Do not come back, do not come to my residence, and do not think this is over."
 

As Lyle walked away, Gunnar looked around the room as all eyes were on him.
Was this from the other day?
He wondered,
did I do something wrong?

He didn't know what he and his mother would do without the income that he was getting as both an intern there and his side gig at the Harris household. He tried to make that his main thought focus, but it was difficult not to let his emotions come into play as well. He had real feelings for Lyle, and somehow he was kicked to the curb for reasons he didn't know.

He quietly assembled his box of belongings, checked in with Talia and turned in his keycard, and walked out into the afternoon air.

Lyle sat at his desk and stared at the card. He still couldn't quite believe that the only person who had ever known, the only person he'd ever been careless with, was turning on him. He remembered back to nursing his wounds as he laid there still in shock, how even through that shock and fear the connection they felt was still so very strong within them.
 

He shook it off and tried to make it through the rest of the day, knowing that there was a bar calling him as soon as the work day ended.

Gunnar had already went home and changed before hitting the closest bar to his apartment. Once there, he downed shot after shot until he wasn't able to focus on work or his boss and his impromptu firing. He hadn't drank in ages, and was realizing this after the fourth person had turned him down for "a nightcap at my place".
 

As soon as the clock struck five, Lyle was out the door. There would be no late night tonight. He didn't even go home and went to the bar around the corner.
 
He'd just crossed the street and walked beside Jason's Deli when he saw a familiar soul pressed against someone he'd never met in the alley beside the bar.

"Gunnar?" he whispered.

Glassy eyes and a wavering stare met Lyle's eyes as his mouth never left the unnamed man.

It was too much for Lyle. He walked past the bar and turned around to get back to his car as he sped home. Between the blackmailing letter and firing the best intern he'd ever had, it was the loss of Gunnar that struck him hardest.

Scene Seven

"Sir, you've a message that's been delivered."

Talia's voice came through the intercom before she buzzed her way in to deliver the envelop.
 

He handled the crisp white paper, turning it over again and again in his hand.

"Thank you, Talia."

The same size and shape as the last, the same "Mr. Harris" scrawl on the front. Lyle opened it carefully, hoping there would be contact information in this one.

It's time to do your part, Mr. Harris. Or should I say, gorilla-man? $250,000. Text the number below to set up our meet. Be alone.

Lyle couldn't get out his phone fast enough to text a meeting the following night.
 

He went to several banks to get the cash and placed it in a duffle bag that he once used for a local gym before expanding onto the cabin and having his own private gym built. It only took one slip when the adrenaline of the workout nearly made his silverback come to the surface for Lyle to realize it was a worthwhile investment.

The next day, he drove to Meadowbrook Park and took a seat on the bench nearest the gazebo as instructed. It wasn't long before a tall man in a hoodie and skinny jeans approached him; an outfit he'd never see on Gunnar. By the time the man got to Lyle, he knew it wasn't him.

"Did Gunnar send you?" he asked, wondering if the man would lie.

"Gunnar? No, sorry, all Gunnar managed to do was spill your secrets after loading up one night at the bar and blacking out. I'm sure he doesn't even know he said anything, especially to me." He said, holding out his hand.

Lyle handed over the money. It'd pinch, but he would make it back much quicker than it'd be worth the hassle to jump through the hoops and answer the questions the police would have for him should he have reported the blackmail.

"This ends it, right?"

"Of course, Mr. Harris. Until the next time." He muttered under his breath as he turned to walk away. He turns to go to the only place he needs to be.

Lyle keys in Gunnar's number; not having spoken to him since he fired him. He briefly saw Gunnar kissing the faceless man in the alley, and then pushed it from his mind.

"Gunnar?"

"What do you want, Mr. Harris." He sounded sleepy, or tired. Not the man that laughed with him only weeks earlier.

"Can you buzz me in, I'm standing at the entrance to your apartment."

After a shorter wait than he expected, Lyle enters the apartment, and rushes to say everything he's practiced on the way there.

"Gunnar I want to apologize and ask you an important question. First off, I'm sorry I fired you. I had received a message threatening to expose my shifter status if I didn't give them a quarter-million dollars."

"A quarter million..." Gunnar was stunned, but continued to listen.

"I thought it was you. You were the only one, I thought, that knew. Apparently you got drunk and it slipped, but I didn't know that."

"Tucker! Goddamn Tucker!" Gunnar was seething as he explained that foggy night when he ran into an old friend and the events that occurred afterwards that he could recall.

"He said I just passed out at the counter and nothing happened. He neglected to mention me talking about you. I'm so sorry, Lyle."

Lyle waved off the apology and continued. "Do you know where that man is?"

"Haven't seen him in years, didn't really get much information out of him. I know his name and some of his past, but that's it."

"Would you be willing to tell all that to a private detective?"

"Of course."

"Lastly, Gunnar I saw you with that man outside the bar in the alley the night you were fired. I know it isn't my place to ask, but..." Lyle's eyes clouded when he spoke.

"I can assure you nothing happened. I was very drunk, very angry, and lashing out. I hit on women and men that evening, he was the only one that took the bait. Kissing is as far as it went. There was too much alcohol in me for anything else to work."

"I would love for you to come back to work," Lyle began as Gunnar tried to interject a 'yes' before hearing, "and I'd like for you to come live with me and us give this a real chance with no more secrets and no more miscommunications."

Lyle's hand was outstretched as the silence in the room was deafening.

Gunnar took his hand, nodded, and fell into Lyle's strong chest as they embraced.

Scene Eight

"Mr. Gray, this is Charlotte Ledbetter at Mercy University Hospital and Hospice. We were just calling to let you know that your outstanding bill has been paid by a donor and we will be rescinding all collection notices. Have a good day, Sir."

The call surprised Gunnar, but there could be only one way his bill was paid in full and it was by no anonymous donor. Since the days had past, he no longer thought of Lyle as his boss. While he still worked at the company along side him, after the work day was completed, they were more often together than not. He quickly dialed Lyle's number.

"I know what you did, Lyle."

"What did I do?" There were so many surprises he'd begun for his new lover, he didn't want to guess and spoil the rest of them.

"The hospital bill? Lyle, you didn't have to do that."

"I know I didn't have to do it; I wanted to do it. Ease some of your stress, isn't that what two people do when they're together?"

"But still, that was a lot of money and..."

"And, nothing. It's done. You don't have to worry about things like that."

"But you already have lost so much lately, what with Tucker..." Gunnar couldn't help but feel guilt over his drunken behavior that resulted in the blackmail.

"Tucker will eventually get his, don't worry. I've one of the finest private investigators in the city on the case."

"Have dinner with me tonight?" Gunnar asked, hoping to steer the conversation out of money and bills and blackmail back to something positive.

"I'd love to. Pick you up about eight?"

"I'll be ready to go."

"And Gunnar?"

"Yea?"