Young At Heart (13 page)

Abruptly, Jesse straightened in his chair, eyes darkening as they fixed on a point over Devon's shoulder. Devon twisted in his chair, heart sinking in his chest, as Antonio strode across the restaurant toward them. Without waiting to be invited, Antonio pulled a chair up to the table and sat down, his beady gaze flicking between Devon and Jesse.

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” he said, his tone indicating it was anything but. “How long has this been going on?”

“It's just lunch, Antonio,” Devon replied quietly.

“And I can guess what's on the menu.” Antonio's eyes narrowed as he leaned in close to Jesse. “Not that I blame you, darling. I know how good he is.”

The legs of Jesse's chair squealed in protest against the wooden floor as he shoved backward from the table and leapt to his feet, panic-stricken at the thought Antonio might touch him. He wheeled away, clutching at his stomach with both hands.

“I'm going to be sick.”

“Oh, come on, sweetie. Not much of an endorsement for this fine establishment, is it?” Antonio smirked as Jesse stumbled toward the restrooms, before spinning around to face Devon. “Are you fucking him again, darling? Only, if you're not, I wouldn't mind another go myself.”

“For God's sake, Antonio, why can't you leave him alone? Why do you have to be so vile?”

“Vile?” Antonio arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow and leaned back in his chair with a look of displeasure. “Darling, before Jesse Young happened along, we were good friends. You would never have dreamed of saying such terrible things to me. Didn't we vow never to let a man come between us?”

“That was before you had sex with my boyfriend against his will,” Devon snapped. “And before I realised what a bully you are. Antonio, if you care anything for me at all, stay out of my life. And stay away from Jesse.”

Leaving Antonio open-mouthed in shock, Devon went in search of Jesse. He paused outside the door to the gents' restroom, cursing his luck at being caught out. Antonio probably had Erica on speed dial and was already imparting the unwelcome news on who her not-so-loving son had back in his bed. Devon placed his hand on the door just as a young waiter hurried over.

“Come, come,” he muttered in a thick accent Devon couldn't place, although that detail was the least of his worries.

“No, you don't understand.” He stood firm, gesturing toward the restroom door. “The young man I'm with—”

“Yes, you come,” the waiter insisted, clearly not understanding what Devon was telling him.

“But he's in there. If I could just—”

“Come, come,” the waiter said again, and disappeared through a side door.

Devon hesitated. How had a perfectly innocent lunch date turned into such a nightmare? Glancing back toward the table, he saw Antonio deep in conversation on his phone. To Erica? Probably, but Devon was past caring. Jesse had locked himself in the toilet and God only knew what the waiter wanted with him.

The side door opened and the waiter appeared, beckoning frantically. With a shake of his head, Devon followed him into the restaurant kitchen. A small knot of staff looked at him curiously, but none of them spoke. The persistent waiter dragged him toward the rear of the kitchen and a dry-stores room. He raised one arm and pointed.

At the back of the storeroom, sitting on the floor with his back to the wall, knees drawn up to his chest, was Jesse. Pale and shaking, he looked up at Devon with red-rimmed eyes. Shit, it was like being back in Antonio's study again. This time, Devon knew Antonio hadn't touched him, but he may as well have done if the haunted expression on Jesse's face was anything to go by.

Devon knelt in front of him. “My poor baby.”

Jesse's bottom lip quivered. “He makes me feel thirteen again,” he said, his voice thick with tears.

Antonio wasn't the real problem, Devon realised. Inarguably, his actions made things worse, but mostly Antonio was a catalyst, his very presence dragging Jesse back to his past and that fateful night as a child when his foster brother had brutally attacked him. Jesse was messed long up before Antonio got hold of him. How could Devon not have seen it before?

“I want to go home,” Jesse murmured in a small voice.

“Okay, let's get you out of here.”

Devon straightened up and Jesse scrambled quickly to his feet, afraid of being left behind. Devon offered his hand and Jesse took it meekly, falling into step behind him as he led him from the storeroom. The goggle-eyed kitchen staff pretended not to watch as Devon marched toward the open back door of the restaurant. A thought occurred to him on the threshold and he turned, hoping at least one of the waiters had enough English to understand him.

“The food we ordered,” he said. “I'll come back and pay for it tomorrow, if that's okay.”

There was a brief discussion between the staff before one of the waiters stepped forward.

“Is okay,” he said with an encouraging smile. “You good customer. You pay next time.”

Devon nodded his gratitude before remembering something else. “The man at our table, if you could tell him we had to leave?”

“No problem,” the waiter agreed. He cast Jesse a sideways look. “But maybe later, yes? We very busy now.”

Next time he was there, Devon would do more than pay for the wasted food, he thought, as they left through the back door. He would make sure everyone working there was on the receiving end of an extremely generous tip.

JESSE moved in. It wasn't planned; it just happened. As usual after an encounter with Antonio, Jesse spent several days curled up in Devon's bed, withdrawn, tearful, and hating himself. Once he started to come out of his black mood, going home was never mentioned. Whatever clothes he needed, Devon picked up for him, until everything Jesse owned was at the apartment. He had his own space in Devon's wardrobe, his own chest of drawers, and more hair and skin products in the bathroom than Devon could ever dream of owning.

At first, unaware of the run-in with Antonio, Kenny complained bitterly at having to rearrange Jesse's schedule and made it clear he was furious at his top money-earner's disappearing act. That was until he dropped by the apartment one evening, fully prepared to read the riot act, and saw for himself Jesse's fragile state. Then his anger was redirected toward Antonio. He wanted to call the police, or go round to confront Antonio in person, but Devon managed to calm him down and persuade him neither thing was in Jesse's best interest.

The time for calling the police was long gone. It should have been done months ago when Antonio hurt Jesse the first time. They were unlikely to arrest a man for upsetting someone in a restaurant. And what would confronting him achieve? Devon had already told him to stay away. In the end it had been the mention of publicity that convinced Kenny retaliation was a bad idea. If the story reached the press it would be disastrous for all of them, and upsetting for Jesse.

Waking late one morning, Devon reached automatically for Jesse and sat up, surprised to find himself alone in bed—and more surprised to realize how quickly he had become accustomed to waking beside a warm body. Even though sex had gone out the window again since the unwelcome encounter in the restaurant, Devon liked the feel of Jesse's sculpted torso pressed against him as they lay in each other's arms. Liked hearing the steady thump-thump of Jesse's heart when he lay with his head on Jesse's chest. Liked the soft sounds of Jesse's breathing as he slept.

Worried, he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and padded barefoot through to the kitchen. Jesse was up and dressed, his hair damp from the shower. He was wearing a tight V-neck T-shirt and faded skinny jeans with designer rips in the knees. Damn, he looked
hot
! The jeans clung to the curve of his buttocks and accentuated his generous package, the denim moulding itself around his balls and the thick ridge of his penis. For a moment, Devon was tempted to forbid him to leave the apartment looking the way he did. But common sense prevailed and he said nothing, knowing any mention of him looking so completely...
fuckable
was more likely to shatter Jesse's fragile confidence than boost it.

“Going somewhere?” he asked lightly. Jesse turned to face him with a warm smile.

“I've got a job this afternoon. It was arranged ages ago,” he said. “Kenny said he'd cancel, but it's too important. It's for an anti-bullying campaign.”

“Are you sure you're up to it?”

“No, but....” Jesse shrugged, trying to appear more relaxed than he was feeling. “I can't hide away in here forever.” He saw Devon's concern and smiled again. “I'll be fine, Dev. Don't worry about me. You should go into the office for a bit.”

It wasn't a bad idea. The last week or so he had worked from home, taking care of Jesse. The office had been badly neglected. Maybe he should show his face for a few hours, to remind the staff he was alive and still in charge. Anyway, there was no point staying home if Jesse was going out.

In the end it was the right decision. Business had continued to run with smooth efficiency in his absence, but he had a list of messages as long as his arm that required his attention and a dozen meetings that needed setting up. Devon was soon back in the swing of things and the hours flew by with barely time to think about Jesse, Antonio, or anything else. Before he knew it, Emily was poking her head around the door to say it had gone seven and was it okay if she left for the night?

Devon bade her goodnight and followed her out soon after, eager to get home now he actually had someone to get home to. He let himself into the apartment, which felt strangely welcoming. Instead of walking into a dark hallway, there were lights on, the sound of music drifted out from the CD player and—most unusual of all—the smell of hot food wafted through the apartment. Devon found Jesse dishing up in the kitchen.

“Don't worry,” Jesse grinned, noting his dubious expression. He had changed into loose joggers that hung low on his hips and another V-neck shirt, this one cobalt blue. “It's takeaway.”

“I'd like to take you away,” Devon said impishly, stepping into his arms.

“Are you trying to seduce me, Mr. Alexander?” Jesse set the open cardboard container on the marble counter and pulled Devon close.

Sliding one hand into the waistband of the joggers, Devon smiled at the discovery Jesse was wearing no underwear. He arched an eyebrow, closing his hand around Jesse's growing arousal. Jesse expelled a sharp breath between his teeth.

“Seems to me, seducing is exactly what you want, Mr. Young.”

Lowering his head, Devon kissed him; chastely at first, the intensity increasing as he continued to stroke Jesse's cock with a firm grip. With his free hand, Devon eased Jesse's joggers down his thighs, freeing his rigid erection. Jesse moaned softly against Devon's lips, fingers fumbling with the button of Devon's trousers. The trousers dropped to the floor, quickly followed by Devon's boxers, and he stepped out of both, kicking off his shoes at the same time.

Jesse grasped Devon's hips and turned him, pushing him against the counter. Devon leaned forward and parted his legs, trembling in anticipation as Jesse's finger grazed the crevice of his ass. Jesse's lips brushed the back of his neck and Devon twisted his head, seeking Jesse's mouth. Jesse pinned him to the counter, one finger pushing into Devon's puckered entrance.

The doorbell rang. They both froze.

“Ignore it,” Jesse panted in Devon's ear. He pushed against him, his hands gripping Devon's hips, holding him in place with a sense of desperation as though he knew he had already lost him.

The doorbell chimed again.

“Dev, please....”

Devon could tell Jesse was hard and eager to fuck. A few seconds ago, he had felt exactly the same way, but his concentration was gone. Now it felt slightly shameful to be fucking in the kitchen with God knows who at the front door. It had to be one of the neighbours, or security would have called up to say he had a visitor. What if something was wrong? What if there was some sort of emergency and he ignored it for the sake of a quickie over the kitchen worktop?

The doorbell rang a third time and Jesse pulled away with a vehement curse. He pulled his joggers up to cover his still-rock-hard cock, glowering at Devon.

“I'll get it, shall I?” he said sulkily, leaving Devon to hurriedly tug on his trousers.

He heard Jesse open the door, heard the exchange of male voices, and his heart plummeted. He rushed through to the hallway and met Jesse coming back the other way, his face ashen. Behind him, Antonio walked calmly through the door and closed it behind him.

“Not interrupting anything, am I?” he asked evenly, his eyes glancing knowingly from one flushed face to the other. His gaze dropped to Jesse's hard-on, which tented the front of his joggers. Antonio's gaze lingered a little longer than was necessary. He licked his lips.

“Oh, fuck off!” Jesse snapped, flushing as he covered himself with both hands and retreated to the far side of the living room.

“Antonio, what do you want?” Devon said. “How did you get past security?”

“I told them you were expecting me. I was hoping we could talk.
All
of us.” He added with a pointed look toward Jesse.

Jesse glowered, careful to keep the sofa between him and Antonio, but at least he didn't run away and lock himself in the bedroom, which was what Devon expected him to do. He could imagine how upsetting it was for Jesse to have Antonio waltz into his home, his sanctuary, as though nothing had happened. The apartment was his safe haven. Devon didn't want that security to be taken from him by this unexpected visit.

“What do you want?” he asked again.

“I told you, I want to talk. Clear the air between us. What you said in the restaurant made me think about the way I've behaved, and you're right. I have treated Jesse very badly. I want to apologize for any bad feeling it may have caused.”