Rules of the Heart

Chapter 9

Justin returned his phone to his pocket and went back into the restaurant. He didn’t know what he was going to say to Eric when he got back to their table, but he hoped he came up with something plausible when the time came. At the moment, he could only concentrate on how he was going to keep Brian from realizing what restaurant they were in. Although it didn’t matter, all the restaurants in that area were too high-end for college students. Brian was going to know for sure it was a date. Fuck.

Earlier, when Justin, had suggested Koppa’s to Eric for dinner, he thought they were only going to grab a couple of sandwiches from the deli and then maybe go to a club. When Eric called later and suggested Valentino’s, the blond realized with a sickening twinge in his gut that Brian had been right. Eric thought there was more going on between them. Shit. Fuck.

"Everything alright?" Eric asked when Justin returned.

The blond took a sip of his water and focused on a patch of the red wallpaper over Eric’s shoulder. "Uh…no, that was…um, my mom. My sister, Molly, was babysitting for our neighbor and the kid had an allergic reaction to some-um, shrimp and they’re taking her to the ER. My mom wants me to go too. Molly’s a wreck and they’re trying to call the parents. They need me."

"Of course, I understand." Eric signaled for the waiter. "I’ll take you right now."

"No! I mean, uh, I just called a cab. I don’t want to ruin your night too."

"Justin, it’s not a problem," Eric said, covering the younger man’s hand with his own.

The blond tried not to visibly cringe. He gently pulled his hand away, mumbling, "I have to go, I’m sure it’s here now." He got up and dashed out before Eric could say anything else. He hoped the waiter dragged his feet a few minutes with the bill in case Eric was going to try to catch him.

Justin hurried to the corner and waited on the other side of the building so Eric wouldn’t see him when he came out. He didn’t know where that horrendous lie came from, it just seemed to pop out on its own! And he felt bad, but he couldn’t exactly tell the man the truth. First, there was the issue of sleeping with Eric’s boss. Then there was the issue of Justin losing his mentor after only the first week. Christ, Brian was right. He never should’ve gotten involved with the guy. Damn. Shit. Fuck.

But as he saw the jeep turn the corner a block ahead and drive toward him, Justin’s thoughts automatically shifted to the other man. What had changed Brian’s mind? He hadn’t seemed very receptive at all earlier. Justin had been kicking himself for losing focus like that, but it couldn’t be helped now, and it seemed to have turned out okay. Didn’t it? Or was this just another of Brian’s life lessons?

He wished he had time to call Emmett or Daphne since all their previous advice from a few hours ago was obviously moot, but he was on his own now. Hell, he shouldn’t be talking to them anyway. They were the ones who got him into this mess! Daphne’s brilliant advice to just be everywhere Brian was hadn’t gotten him anywhere. Sure, he could find Brian at Babylon, or Woody’s, or the diner, but that didn’t mean he even noticed Justin. And Emmett was even more helpful. ‘Just be yourself,’ he said. ‘Do what you do naturally.’ ‘He’s drawn to your aura.’ What a bunch of bullshit. He’d unknowingly hurt another person to get at Brian at work and then let his diarrhea of the mouth make him look like an idiot. Yeah, that made him seem so much more stable than Michael. Hell. Damn. Shit. Fuck.

Justin’s attention was pulled away from his mental flogging by the jeep stopping in front of him. He could hear the music pounding from the speakers before he even opened the door. When he got in, Brian didn’t make any move to turn it down and Justin was grateful for the temporary reprieve from conversation as they sped to the loft.

 

***
 

When they arrived, they were still silent as they rode up in the elevator, although they were communicating plenty. They stood just inches apart, able to feel each other’s body heat, and their eyes had been slowly undressing each other since they’d gotten out of the car. The elevator creaked to a stop on Brian’s floor and the older man jerked the gate up and ushered the teen out. Brian closed the gate and opened the loft, shoving the boy inside and moving them directly to the bedroom.

Justin was grateful there was no preamble like last time. Brian was already tossing his clothes aside and Justin took his cue and did the same. The brunet stopped to look at him for a moment, his eyes zeroing in on the small gold hoop in his nipple. Justin instinctively flinched when the older man touched it because it was still healing, but Brian was surprisingly gentle as he rubbed his thumb over the sensitive nub. Justin gasped at the little sparks that curled his toes and when Brian dipped his head, his breath hot against the teen’s neck, Justin literally swooned a bit.

"On your knees, Sunshine, I want to see that ass," the older man ordered huskily.

Justin was glad to comply before his legs gave way as the heat of Brian’s words burned through him. He crawled to the center of the bed, watching Brian to his right as the man rolled a condom onto his cock and slicked it with lube. As Brian moved behind him then, the blond lay his head on the pillow, balancing himself on his shoulder, and reached back to spread his cheeks in anticipation.

Justin heard Brian take a sharp breath and murmur, "good boy," as a lubed finger slid into his ass. The teen couldn’t stop the moan that escaped as the teasing digit moved in and out a few times. He cried out again when a second finger was added, twisting deeper. When they withdrew, Justin leaned back trying to keep contact. He was rewarded with a third finger and whimpered gratefully as they fucked the loosened opening.

Unfortunately, it ended too soon, but Brian was quickly pressed against him. The older man bent over and kissed Justin’s shoulder before pushing inside. "Christ, you’re tight," he groaned as the head of his dick pushed through the rings of muscle.

Justin gasped at the intrusion and tried to relax as his muscles convulsed in an attempt to reject the other man. He pushed back a little, needing to make sure Brian stayed inside where he belonged.

Brian groaned again in surprise, letting himself be encased. Slowly they slid together until his balls nestled against the creamy globes. Brian folded over Justin again, panting against his ear. "I’m going to fuck you all night."

 

***
 

"Ahh, that’s it, baby…come for me," Brian grunted as the teen slid back down on his shaft. Justin was straddling him this round, riding the older man’s cock hard as he jerked himself off while Brian lay beneath him enjoying the show.

"Brian…" the boy mewled as he settled on the dick impaling him. He circled his hips the way Brian had taught him and moaned louder when the thick shaft grazed his prostate.

The older man felt Justin tighten around him and chuckled. "Like that?"

Justin’s smoldering eyes locked on his as the teen constricted his muscles again and he rose back up. Brian’s own eyes rolled back in his head as he was milked and the blond asked cockily, "Do you?"

The fingers that had been lazily stroking the boy’s thighs dug into the trembling muscle, urging him back down. "Fuck," Brian hissed as he was engulfed in the hot tunnel again. His hand slid up higher and wrapped around Justin’s on his cock. "Do it," he demanded as his thumb rubbed over the leaking slit. "I want to feel you come."

"Oh, god," the teen whimpered as he ground himself against the older man. He started thrusting in short jabs, pushing his cock through their hands and then rocking back onto Brian. "Yeah, ohh…" he breathed harshly as he threw his head back and let go.

Brian felt the spasms begin and braced himself as he was squeezed mercilessly. He continued to stroke the teen’s erupting cock until the last shot and Justin finally collapsed on him. He gave the boy a moment to catch his breath before deftly rolling them over, his steel shaft still lodged inside.

Justin gasped sharply and his eyes flew open as Brian settled over him. The older man withdrew and plunged deep again. The teen clawed at him, torn between pushing him away and pulling him closer. He wanted more, but it was too much. Too soon.

But Brian didn’t stop. He put the boy’s legs over his shoulders and slowly thrust in and out in a steady rhythm. "Just breath, baby…you can take it…" It wasn’t long before he felt the teen stop struggling and match his tempo. "Yeah, you want it…tell me," he growled.

"Yes…fuck me…" Justin clung to him tighter, needing more as his renewed erection was crushed between them. "Don’t stop…never stop..."

 

***
 

Eventually exhaustion overtook them and they fell into a deep sleep. Justin woke first a few hours later, the warm sun moving across the room letting him know it was late morning before he even looked at the clock. He glanced at Brian who was still sleeping deeply. Although he wanted nothing more than to stay put, he was afraid Brian wouldn’t be happy to see him still there when he woke up. Justin had gotten the man to fuck him again, but he wasn’t about to push for anymore too soon. Besides, who knew when Michael would show up. He didn’t want to jeopardize their new—whatever this was—by getting caught together. The teen carefully slid out from under the sheet and sat up when he felt Brian’s arm snake around his waist.

"What are you doing?" the exec asked groggily. He’d rolled on to his side, his face buried in the pillow. Justin could barely see one eye cracked open.

"Um…I just--"

"Shut up. Go back to sleep." The arm fell away just as suddenly as it had grabbed the teen.

Justin blinked at his lover, then did as he was told. He lay on his back beside the other man who’d seemingly gone right back to sleep. But just as the blond was drifting off again, he felt Brian’s hand close around his wrist.

 

***
 

When Brian woke again later, he found himself curled around the younger man. He moved away, careful not to disturb him, but even though Justin still slept he intuitively rolled with the other man to stay in contact with his warm body. Now Brian was on his back with Justin burrowed into his side. He looked down at the boy’s peaceful face, rubbing his thumb along the plump red lips, and for a moment he thought—

Justin’s eyes slowly fluttered open, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. "Hey," he said dryly, automatically licking his lips. His tongue grazed Brian’s thumb and he wrapped his lips around the digit, nipping gently. "Whatcha doin’?" he asked sleepily.

Brian’s eyes blazed, his previous thoughts lost as a current of pleasure coursed straight to his cock. "Waiting for you to suck my dick," he rumbled back.

"Hmm," the boy sighed and lazily spread himself over the older man.

"Hmm," Brian echoed as their cocks rubbed together.

Justin nuzzled Brian’s neck, slowly kissing his way down the man’s torso. When he flicked his tongue over a smooth nipple it hardened to a stiff peak. He rolled it between his teeth and Brian’s hands dove into Justin’s hair, holding him there as the brunet arched into his mouth. Justin teased a moan from the older man before moving on and trailing feather light kisses over his taut belly.

Brian watched through glazed slits as the blond head swept over him. His hands smoothed over the teen’s warm skin, kneading his shoulders and neck and Justin purred contently. The soft hum reverberated against Brian’s skin as Justin nestled his face in the older man’s crotch, eagerly inhaling him.

Christ, what was it about this kid that made him just fucking…ahhh…

 

***
 

A few hours later, after they’d fucked again and showered, Justin finished dressing and joined Brian in the kitchen. He assumed now he would be told to leave, but instead Brian handed him a take-out menu. "What do you want? I’ll give you the money if you go around the corner and pick it up," he offered as he went to his desk and turned on the computer.

Justin hoped his surprise and glee didn’t show on his face as he took the sheet and scanned the sandwiches. Brian had already written his order in the margin. Justin read his very specific directions and swore under his breath. Jesus, talk about high-maintenance.

"You must be starving since I interrupted your dinner last night," the older man tossed over his shoulder casually.

Justin looked up warily. The son of a bitch just had to rub it in. "I got enough."

"Are you a big meat-eater, Sunshine?" Brian smirked. "I know Valentino’s has a fantastic steak."

Asshole! Hell! Damn! Shit! Fuck!

The teen glared at the older man. "Don’t look so smug, you prick. Fine, you were right, I screwed up with Eric, but you have NO right to point fingers since you’re fucking your best friend!" the boy railed defensively. "How fucked up is that? What happened to your rules then?"

"Michael is none of your fucking business," Brian snarled. Who the fuck did he think he was?

"Then what I do with Eric is none of yours so butt the fuck out! Quit shoving your goddamn rules down my throat when you can’t swallow them yourself," Justin warned. Sanctimonious bastard.

"You little shit--"

"But you know what I think is really unfair," the teen continued, ignoring the interruption. "In all these great teachings of yours, you failed to mention the Cardinal Rule: Any rule can be broken if it’s in the way of what you really want."

"Bullshit," Brian spat before realizing it was ridiculous to deny at this point.

"You wanted Michael, so you broke the rules," Justin said. He knew he’d stepped way out of bounds, especially by mentioning Michael, but he needed to finish saying this before Brian threw him out for good. "You wanted me, so you broke the rules. I wanted you, so I broke the rules… and used Eric. Don’t you see how fucked up this is? Your whole rational for having the rules was to keep your life from becoming complicated with feelings and relationships, but that’s exactly what’s happened. Despite your best efforts, you can’t completely separate sex from emotion. You can’t control your heart with rules."

Brian coolly raised an eyebrow. "Haven’t you been paying attention, Sunshine? Ask anyone, I don’t have a heart or feelings."

Justin shook his head and he hesitantly moved closer to the other man. "I’m onto you, Brian. You may have everyone else fooled, but I’m not buying it."

Brian’s face was an emotionless mask even though his insides were a knot of nerves. He should’ve known the kid would try to turn a fuck into a queer Lifetime Movie of the Week. "Is this where you tell me we can live happily ever after?" he sneered.

"Justin gave him a lopsided grin. "Like a queer Cinderella and his fella? No, that’s Emmett’s fantasy, not mine. I meant what I said before. I don’t expect anything from you, I just want to be with you if you want me to."

"You know what I want?" Brian snarked. "I want my fucking sandwich." He went to the bedroom and got his wallet. He pulled out a twenty and handed it to the teen. But as Justin reached for it, Brian snatched it back, his other arm whipping out and grabbing the boy around the waist. He jerked Justin to him so they were pressed together, faces inches apart. "What do you really want, Sunshine?" he asked suspiciously. His better judgement told him to just kick the twat out, but he…wanted to know.

Justin held Brian’s gaze so the other man knew he wasn’t hiding anything. "Kiss me."

Brian blinked at him. When he didn’t respond, Justin thought he was angry again. But then Brian leaned down and kissed him lightly on the lips. It was over before the blond registered it happened.

Brian saw Justin’s face cloud over unhappily and for some unfathomable reason he didn’t want the boy to be upset. He just couldn’t deal with this shit right now. The older man pressed their foreheads together and promised, "Later."

Later? Justin didn’t dare hope that meant… but he couldn’t stop himself from smiling a little.

Brian pulled away and handed Justin the money. "Go, I need to get working on this project. By the time you get back I should have the boards laid out and I want to know what you think."

Justin’s smile brightened. "Really?" he asked excitedly. "You want me to help?"

"I just want your opinion," Brian replied gruffly, moving back to the desk. Christ, give the kid and inch…

"Why are you working on a Saturday?" Justin suddenly asked, frowning at the thought.

Brian raked his hand through his hair. He didn’t really want to rehash the disastrous meeting from the day before, but when Justin was around it didn’t really seem to matter what he wanted. "Because Ryder is yanking my chain about making me a partner," he huffed, clipping the story to the bare facts. "I want this ready to go Monday so I can shove it down his fucking throat. Then he’s going to make me an offer, or he’s going to choke to death. Either way I’m getting a new office."

"I’m sure you will," Justin replied positively. He pocketed the money and grabbed the take-out menu with their orders. "I’ll be back in a—later."

"Later," Brian replied absently, already concentrating on the account in front of him as the door slid shut.