Boss (5 page)

“Why were you drinking alone?”

He didn’t know why he wanted to ask that but he suddenly needed to know.

“I got some bad news today,” he said, “and some good news.”

He didn’t sound particularly happy about either but he didn’t sound sad either. He sounded detached, something Ezra knew all too well.

“It sounds like you need a distraction,” Ezra nodded, “because I know I do.”

Joshua followed Ezra out of the bar and into the light rain. The alcohol was helping numb his brain function, meaning he wasn’t over analysing things. There were things he didn’t want to think about and Ezra had offered him a distraction on a plate. He could have said no, but that would have left him to sit in the bar alone or to head back to Violet’s to face hours of questioning and forced-comforting.

Fuck that, this dude looks like a guy who knows how to have a good time.

“This is yours?” Joshua’s eyes popped out of his skull when he saw the car they were both standing in front of.

Joshua instantly recognised it as a
Lamborghini
, just from the angular structure of the sleek exterior. It sent his heart racing.

“She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” with a click of his key, the yellow sports car lit up, “
Lamborghini Huracan
. Fresh out of the factory this year.”

“Don’t you need to be on a list for these things?”

“List?” Ezra laughed as he swaggered towards to the door, “I’m Ezra Steele, which puts me at the top of every list.”

“You think you’re really something, dontcha?”

Ezra winked across the car before ducking inside. Part of Joshua didn’t want to follow him. Ezra was arrogant and he infuriated Joshua to the point where he wanted to punch him every time he smirked or winked. Underneath that infuriation there was something else he couldn’t put his finger on. That mystery feeling was what made him get into the car.

As he sat nervously on the yellow and black leather seats, he inhaled the new car smell, wondering where the night was going to take him.

“This is – something,” Joshua ran his hand across the dashboard.

“You like cars?” Ezra looked surprised, “You don’t look like the type.”

Joshua had no need for cars on the road but before he left, his
Audi R8
had been his most prized possession. It was the only one of his cars that he actively tried not to crash on a regular basis.

“I used to when I was a kid. I don’t really drive that much anymore. Should you even be driving? Haven’t you been drinking?”

“I had two glasses of champagne,” he jammed his keys into the ignition, “it takes more than that to get me drunk. You, on the other hand -,”

He glanced to Joshua out of the corner of his eye, an amused smirk pulling up his cheeks.

“I’m not even that drunk,” Joshua attempted to protest but he could hear the slight slur in his voice.

Ezra revved the engine and even from inside, Joshua could hear its growl echoing loudly around the busy London street. People turned to stare with envy in their judging eyes. That look was the reason men bought such expensive cars. It was usually an ego thing or to hide the fact they had a small cock –
But I doubt a guy with that much confidence has a small cock.

Ezra pulled away from the curb and spun around as Joshua tried not to think about Ezra’s cock. Rubbing his eyes, he started to feel the full effect of the alcohol he had downed and it was making it more difficult to stop his imagination wandering to those dangerous places.

“Where are we going? Shoreditch?”

“That’s your idea of fun?” Ezra snorted, “It’s full of hipsters and – never mind, you’ll fit right in.”

“I’m not a hipster!”

He looked down at his outfit and Ezra had a point. He usually dressed for comfort, which meant his clothes were usually loose and super worn.

“You’re Hipster 101.”

“I travel a lot. I don’t even know what qualifies as Hipster around here.”

“You’ve got the scruffy tramp thing down, so you qualify.”

Ezra tugged at his collar and yanked his tie out, unbuttoning the top buttons. He tossed it onto the backseat as he weaved in and out of traffic.

“God, you think you’re the shit, dontcha?” Joshua tossed his head back to laugh.

“I am,” Ezra nodded, “thank you for noticing.”

What happened to this guy to make him have such a cocky attitude?

“What do you need distracting from? You left your perfect friends to hang out with me,” Joshua asked.

Ezra’s hands clenched around the steering wheel, which was a reaction Joshua wasn’t expecting. Joshua had asked in a joking tone but he had obviously hit a sore spot.

“Those people weren’t my friends,” he looked almost offended that Joshua would assume that, “and perfection comes at a cost.”

“What cost?”

Ezra’s knuckles whitened as he sped through London. Joshua had no idea where they were going but he suddenly had the urge to know more about the stranger he had disappeared into the night with.

“If we start talking about our problems, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of a distraction?” Ezra said sternly.

“I guess.”

Joshua turned to look out of his window, into the dark of the night. The rain blurred by as they passed the bright lights of the city.
What am I doing in this douche’s car?

Just as he was considering his earlier decision to follow Ezra, they pulled away from the main road into the driveway of
The Dorchester
hotel. It was one of the most expensive hotels in London, which meant Joshua had naturally stayed there before.

“
The Dorchester
?” he looked up at the huge stone building, which was covered in an amber glow from the hidden lights in the lush greenery, “I thought we’d be going to a bar or something.”

“We’ve just come from a bar,” Ezra slowed the car outside the grand entrance.

Joshua suddenly felt uneasy about it. He didn’t understand why Ezra had brought them to a hotel. Following Ezra, knowing that Ezra was probably attracted to him was one thing but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to go into a room with a bed in it –
I don’t think I can trust myself.

“Look, I don’t know what this is but -,”

“You can come with me, or you can leave,” Ezra turned in his seat, his dark glossy eyes shining through the dark, “it’s your choice, Joshua.”

Ezra jumped out of the car to be greeted by a valet who knew him by name, leaving Joshua to sit in the car. He watched as Ezra swaggered towards the entrance, seemingly unbothered if Joshua was there or not.

“Sir?” the valet leaned into the car, “Is everything okay?”

Joshua gulped, clenching his hand around the door handle, “Everything’s fine.”

Running his hands awkwardly through his hair, he quickly caught up with Ezra.

I fucking hate this guy.

Ezra didn’t need to look over his shoulder to know that it was Joshua who was running towards him. It wasn’t because the sound of his tennis shoes were squeaking across the polished marble tiles, it was because he knew Joshua wouldn’t be able to resist following him down the rabbit hole.

He’s followed me this far and there’s no turning back now.

“If you’re trying to impress me with this place, you’re not,” Joshua mumbled into his ear as he joined his side, “My dad used to have a permanent suite here.”

“He must be almost as rich as me,” Ezra straightened up his jacket as he made his way to the reception desk, “Hi Sally. The usual room please.”

“Good to see you again, Mr. Steele,” she smiled, already booking him in without needing to ask any questions.

She quickly glanced over Ezra’s shoulder to Joshua, giving him a quick smile. When Ezra really wanted to show off to his fucks, he brought them to
The Dorchester
. He didn’t know why he had driven there because he didn’t feel the need to show off to Joshua in that way. They could have gone to another bar but he knew there was a chance Joshua would vanish on him and he didn’t want that to happen.

Sally handed him the key card, leaving them to head to the lift. Joshua stayed two steps behind until they were trapped in the grand lift together.

“Why are we here?”

“Why not?” Ezra checked out his reflection in the mirror, noticing how the open shirt was showing off his broad and smooth chest, “There’s nothing wrong with a little luxury every now and then.”

The suite of his choice was around the £2,000 a night mark but that was just a drop in the ocean of the money Bill had left him. It wouldn’t even dent the edges.

“You’re crazy,” Joshua clenched his jaw.

“Thanks,” the lift slowed to a halt, “it’s one of my best qualities.”

The doors slowly opened on the Regency style hallway. Stepping to the side, Ezra held his hand out for Joshua to exit first. After a suspicious glare, he stepped out of the lift, leaving Ezra to watch his backside. His tight white vest dipped into the small of his back, letting the bulky shorts push out and hang off his pert cheeks. Just from the light hair on the backs of Joshua’s thighs, he knew it would be covered in the same blonde fuzz.

Joshua cautiously walked forwards, scratching the back of his head. Taking over, Ezra bypassed the other rooms, leading him to the single door at the end of the hall.

After using his key card, he swung the door open and stepped to the side, letting Joshua in first. It was an old habit so he could watch the reaction of whomever he was about to fuck. Joshua didn’t react.

“Is it just going to be you and me?” Joshua marched confidently into the suite.

“Not if you don’t want. I can get some girls, or some boys, if you want. Just say the word.”

Joshua sat himself on one of the luxurious sofas, kicking his shoes off as he did. The regency theme continued from the hallway through the suite. The huge living space was filled with classic furniture and antiques. A separate bedroom housed the four-poster bed and there was a huge bathroom with a Jacuzzi bath.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in a hotel this nice,” Joshua looked around the room, “it’s usually hostels when we’re on the road. We try to get the nice ones but some corners of the world haven’t discovered luxury yet.”

Ezra found himself wanting to get to know the blonde better. In the space of an hour they had gone from arguing at the bar to being in a hotel room with each other.
Even by my standards, that’s a fast turnaround.

“You travel?” Ezra plugged his phone into the speaker dock and pressed ‘
shuffle
’.

“That’s all I do,” he sighed, “I’m only back in London for my cousin’s wedding. I hate this place.”

That explained so much. It explained why Ezra had never seen him before, explained why the guy had never heard of him and it explained the tan, the hair and the clothes. Hearing that he was only in town for a couple of weeks made Ezra’s stomach knot in a way he didn’t recognise.

“London’s not so bad,” Ezra pulled a bottle of champagne from the mini bar, “it has its perks.”

He popped the cork across the length of the room and let the foam spray over the patterned carpet.

“Let me guess,” Joshua narrowed his eyes, “lawyer.”

“Do I look like a lawyer?” he pulled open his jacket.

Ignoring the rest of the chairs and sofas, Ezra pushed Joshua’s feet off the tiny sofa and crammed himself next to him. Drinking from the bottle, he chugged the smooth champagne before offering it to Joshua. He accepted it gladly.

“Not really,” Joshua wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before passing the bottle back, “you look like a dickhead.”

“Is that your way of telling me you think I’m handsome?”

Ezra snatched the champagne bottle back, enjoying the sudden awkwardness in Joshua’s eyes.

“You know you’re good looking, that’s why you’re so annoying,” he snatched the bottle back, “you think you’re the dog’s bollocks.”

Somewhere in there, there was a compliment. Leaning his arm against the back of the sofa, Ezra gazed at Joshua as he drank the champagne. If he was still as drunk as he had been in the bar, he was hiding it well.

“Why do you hate London?”

Joshua stopped drinking to lower the bottle into his lap. He stared at the ground for a moment before tossing his head back to stare at the ceiling. The soft light from the glass chandelier made his tanned skin glow in a way that made Ezra want to reach out and touch it.

“London is full of ghosts,” he said, “memories I’d rather forget. What about you?”

“I don’t hate London,” Ezra said quickly, “it’s my home.”

“No, but you hate something,” he dropped his head, “I can sense it.”

“Look at you, getting all deep,” Ezra shifted uncomfortably, “let’s not go there.”

Joshua’s blue eyes connected with Ezra’s for the first time since they had left the bathroom. He sipped the champagne as he stared and Ezra could feel him trying to figure him out. Ezra hated it when people did that.
I’ve built my walls too high for this.

“Okay,” Joshua nodded, “I get that.”

Ezra took the bottle back and jammed it in his mouth. Knowing that Joshua’s lips had just been around it made something stir deep within. Part of him wanted to bend Joshua over the nearest piece of furniture but another part of him wanted to leave and go straight home.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had a conversation with somebody in the suite. They were usually naked before the door had even been closed.

The song faded out and another started.

“
Nickleback
?” Joshua laughed as ‘
Rockstar
’ started to play, “God, I used to love this song.”

“I still do.”

They sat listening as the song kicked in. Joshua closed his eyes and his head started to bob as his hands formed into an air guitar.

Damn, he’s so cute.

“You have good taste,” he peeked through one eye.

“A real compliment,” Ezra was taken aback, “I was beginning to think you didn’t like me.”

“I don’t,” he peeked again, “you’re a dickhead, remember?”

Joshua dropped the air guitar as the song faded out. He snatched the champagne bottle back from Ezra but there was a difference. This time, he had a smile on his face.

“Say ‘
dick
’ again,” Ezra whispered.

“Fuck off.”

“I love it when you talk dirty.”

Joshua laughed again, clearly taking it as intended.

“What’s your deal?” Joshua stood up and walked over to the window.

Ezra stayed on the sofa, knowing the view by memory. He had fucked enough guys against that window to know at this time of night you could see the London Eye slowly turning in the distance.

“My deal?”

“Are you gay?” Joshua said with his back to him.

“Is that a problem?”

There was a long and stuffy silence as Joshua thought of his reply. The conversation was heading in the direction Ezra wanted it to. It had been so long since Ezra had pulled a straight guy, he had almost forgotten how stubborn and confused they could be.

“If it was a problem, I wouldn’t be here,” he finally broke the silence, “I had an idea.”

Ezra screwed up his face, almost offended. He wasn’t ashamed of being gay but he had enough straight girls hit on him to know that it wasn’t so obvious.

“Have you got a super gaydar?”

“A what?” Joshua spun around.

“Gaydar. It’s like a radar for picking up gays.”

Joshua arched a brow, a childlike grin on his tanned and slim face. It was the same kind of grin teenagers got when they talked about sex.

“Maybe I do,” he stuffed his hands into his pockets, amused.

“They only usually install them in gays,” Ezra leaned back into the corner of the sofa, opening his arms across the back and crossing his left leg over his right knee.

Joshua’s eyes darted straight down to Ezra’s cock and even though it was flaccid, Ezra could feel how big it looked through his trousers.

“Are you gay, Joshua?”

“No.”

So why did you just check me out?

“Sexuality is overrated,” Ezra smirked, half closing his eyes, “it’s just sex. I don’t see why people have to make such a big deal about it.”

Joshua turned around and leaned against the window frame. Ezra could sense how uncomfortable he was feeling, which only turned him on more.

“I’ve seen it all,” Joshua said, “you don’t see the world and not do things.”

“Have you kissed a guy?”

Joshua’s silence said it all.

“Have you fucked a guy?” Ezra pushed it.

“No.”

“Have you let a guy fuck you?”

“No!”

“But you’ve kissed one?”

Silence.

“Have you sucked a dick?”

“Fuck off,” he bit, “do I look like I’ve sucked a dick?”

“I don’t know. I can only see the back of your head, which is what I usually see when a guy is sucking my dick.”

Joshua turned around to face him again, his jaw clenched. He stared at Ezra from the window as he crossed his arms. A twitch in Joshua’s shorts made Ezra’s eyes dart down there, which in turn, made Joshua yank his shirt over it.

“Where’s the toilet?” Joshua coughed and stretched out, as if trying to prove how masculine he was.

“Over there,” Ezra jerked his head to the door next to the fireplace, “on the other side of the bedroom.”

Without saying another word he dropped his head and hair, hurrying off to the bedroom door. Ezra laughed to himself, unsure of where things were going. He could usually tell if he was going to fuck somebody but Joshua had been confusing him since he had met him in the bar.

He’s the perfect distraction.

After a couple of minutes of sipping champagne and listening to a song by
The Arctic Monkeys
, Ezra heard the toilet flush. He stared at the bedroom door, expecting Joshua to remerge any second. After a couple of minutes and another song change, he walked over to the bedroom.

The bathroom door was still closed.

He was about to leave him to it but he heard a banging on the other side of the door, “Joshua, are you okay?”

He heard Joshua grunt and sigh before calling out, “This bastard door is stuck. It won’t unlock.”

Ezra tried the handle and the door was still locked.

“You’ve got to twist it,” Ezra pressed his face against the wood as he tried the handle.

“What do you think I’m doing!” he cried, as the door rattled, “It won’t budge! I’ve been trying for five minutes.”

“And you didn’t think to call me?”

Joshua cried out and Ezra heard a fist colliding with the wood. It wasn’t the first time that day that he had been on the other side of a door with an angry person behind it.