The following is a complete work of fiction. Any resemblance between the characters and any real life person is completely coincidental. Please do not copy or distribute the story without the author's permission.
Disclaimer: The following story may contain erotic situations between consenting adults.
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If you enjoy this story please check out my other stories, City Of Dreams and The Fifth Power. City Of Dreams can be found under Adult Friends on Nifty, and The Fifth Power can be found under SciFi/Fantasy on Nifty or at my Yahoo! Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GryffindorCorner or you can send me an email at Gryffwriter@hotmail.com Please remember to include something about the story in the subject line.
Previously:
I walked Cameron around to the passenger side and opened the door for me. Before he climbed in I felt his arms wrap around me. We hung onto each other. What would I have done if I had lost Cameron? I didn't even want to think about it.
"I love you Zack. With all of my heart and soul I love you."
I gently kissed his lips.
"I love you too Cameron. You are everything to me."
Cameron gently got back in to the car and I closed to door. I made my way around to the driver's side. I stopped before getting in and looked back towards the graves again.
'Rest in peace Lucas.' I thought as I slide into the car and headed back towards the hospital. Lucas was one of the first people I ever cared deeply about. This was an end to a part of my life. Cameron's hand reached over laced his fingers through mine. I glanced over at him and smiled. Life may have given me one ending, but fate gave me another beginning. I gently squeezed Cameron's hand and thanked God for the millionth time today for allowing Cameron to stay with me. In just a few days he would be released from the hospital. We decided this morning that Cameron would move in with me. He couldn't go back to live in his apartment. Of course Madison would be coming along too. I was looking forward to that. I still can't believe that Madison decided to like me.
The past few days were hell. I did put to rest a part of my past, but I had a bright future to look forward to with the man that I love.
Chapter Seven
I stretched back on the couch and placed the bag of ice onto my knee. The relief was almost immediate as the ice chilled the pain. I sat back and watched Madison play with some of her toys on the living room floor. She was making a growling noise as she batted a ball around. She was too cute for words sometimes. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. My mind drifted for a bit, and then I began to think of places where I could hide Zack's body. I was definitely going to kill him when he got home.
Two months ago moving in with Zack sounded like a dream come true. I couldn't wait to get the fuck out of the hospital. When I first moved in everything was wonderful. Sure I had some problems moving around and I was still pretty heavily bandaged up, but I was with Zack and that made everything better.
It only took a few weeks before the rose colored glasses were ripped from my eyes. Zack was a slob. That explains why I was sprawled out on the couch. I tripped over a wet towel he had left in the hallway. Yes that's right. He dropped it in the fucking hallway. I could understand if he left it on the bathroom floor, or even the bedroom floor. Today is the fifth time I've fallen over some misplaced object.
Zack had a maid service that used to come in twice a week. He might have been a neat freak at some point in his life, but having someone clean up after him definitely made him lazy. I say he had a maid service because I cancelled it. He wasn't going to be happy when he found out, but Zack would just have to deal with it. I just was not comfortable with someone else going through my things or picking up after me.
I understood Zack's point that he could afford it, but just because you can afford it doesn't mean you have to do it. I shifted the bag of ice on my knee and sighed. There were other problems besides Zack being a slob. Zack hadn't made a move on me since Ariel tried to kill me. I tried to get him riled up and horny a few times, but he always brushed me off. I figured I would just give him some time, and hopefully he would come around.
I had a bad feeling that moving in with Zack may have been a mistake. Maybe we weren't ready for this big of a step yet. A tiny voice in the back of my head thought that maybe we could never be ready for this. I quickly tried to push that thought aside, but as the days went on I was having trouble not believing it. Things seemed to be getting worse instead of getting better.
My thoughts were interrupted as Madison suddenly sat up and looked down the hallway. She looked at me and barked once before running down the hall. Zack was home. This had become her normal routine. She would run ahead to greet him at the door and then stay close to his heels until she was given a treat. Zack entered the living room and grinned at me as he threw his suit jacket and tie over the back of a chair. I held back the sigh that threatened to hiss from my lips.
"How's my baby today?" Zack asked me as he leaned down to kiss my forehead.
He looked at the ice on my leg. "What happened to you?"
"I tripped over a towel that some mysterious person left in the middle of the hallway." I said with a grimace as I shifted the bag of ice again.
"You're getting really clumsy Cam. Are you sure you don't need glasses?" Zack said with a grin.
I knew he was teasing. Sure I did. That certainly didn't stop that anger that began to bubble up inside of me though. The fact that he didn't even try and apologize for it pissed me off. If I was normally a clumsy person I wouldn't be upset, but I'm not. And what was with the kiss on the forehead?
I grinned back at Zack and crossed my arms.
"I don't think I need glasses honey, but maybe I should get you a map. This way you can find the laundry basket. Which, by the way, is not located in the middle of the hallway."
Zack was still smiling, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm going to have to call the service. The maid should have had all of that taken care of before you even got out of bed. I didn't leave until 7:45 and they are supposed to be here at 8 a.m." Zack said as he reached for the phone.
"Don't bother calling them. I called a few days ago and cancelled the service." I said before he could dial the number. "I told you I wasn't comfortable with strangers picking up after me."
"You what??" Zack growled at me.
"I'm sorry. I must have mumbled or stuttered." I shot back sarcastically. "I...cancelled...the...maid...service."
As I repeated myself I moved my hands as I spoke and used sign language to drive the point home. Zack's neck bulged a bit and started to turn red. I knew the move would piss him off, but I didn't care.
"You are such a fucking child." Zack said as he stood up from the couch. He shot me an evil look and headed towards the kitchen.
"I might be Zack, but at least a child cleans up after himself." I threw over my shoulder at him. "You spoiled fucking brat."
I heard his footsteps pause at my words, but it was only for a second. He knew that I was trying to get a rise out of him. That's why he didn't respond to me. Ever since I woke up in the hospital things had been a little different between us. I knew that Zack loved me. I could see it in his eyes. He was pulling away from me though, and I didn't know how to get through to him.
As I took the bag of ice off of my leg I could hear him slamming cupboard doors in the kitchen. He calls me a child, but he's the one slamming shit around. I grabbed my cigarettes off the table and lit one up. Madison came bounding over to me with a tennis ball clutched in her mouth. I took it off her and threw it down the hallway. The sounds of her paws scampering after it echoed through the apartment.
"You're really not supposed to be moving your shoulder around like that for a few more weeks." Zack said quietly.
"The bullet only grazed my shoulder Zack." I said as my hand rubbed gently against my wrapped up shoulder. "I started physical therapy last week. I'm supposed to be moving it around more now."
"I thought you didn't start therapy until next week." Zack replied.
"It's on the calendar in the kitchen." I said as I rolled my eyes. "I wrote it down on there just the way you asked me to."
"I guess I'm just used to you telling me day to day what's on the schedule."
Zack said with a small grin.
His attempt at being charming wasn't working on me this time.
"You're right." I said as I took a drag off of my cigarette. "You are used to me advising you of the schedule, BUT since you won't let me come back to work just yet it looks like you're on your own. Honestly Zack, if you can't even read the calendar on the fridge how the fuck are you managing your business calendar?"
Zack didn't respond to me. I glanced over my shoulder at him and he quickly looked away.
"What aren't you telling me Zack? You know I can tell when you're lying." I said to him. "So just fess up!"
"I'm not handling my calendar at work." Zack mumbled.
My gaze tightened on him and my eyes went ice cold.
"You just told me yesterday that you were handling everything fine on your own. Did you have a temp brought in?" I hissed. He shook his head. "Please tell me that you didn't hire someone else for the position."
Zack raised his head to meet my gaze. He nodded his head quickly. I jumped up off the couch. I was so fucking mad I was seeing red.
"Well I'll be a dirty mother fucker." I said, as I got right up in Zack's face. "YOU told me that everything was fine. YOU told me that you didn't need ME to come back right now." My finger poked him in the chest to accent my words. "And yet you hired SOMEONE else to take over my job. You could have at LEAST just brought a temp in. Then again I guess what you said was true. You did need someone there, but you just didn't need ME."
I spun around and headed towards the kitchen. I need a drink and goddamn it I needed it now! How the fuck could he do this to me? Didn't he realize that I would find out about this? I LOVED my job. It wasn't just dealing with Zack every day that made me love my job. Sure it was a great perk that I could see him all day long, but I actually enjoyed what I did. Well technically I guess that would be what I used to do.
"I wanted to tell you sooner, but I was afraid that you..." Zack's voice broke off as I began slamming through the cupboards.
"Afraid that I would what Zack?" I tossed over my shoulder at him. My voice was starting to rise with my anger. "Afraid that I would be irrational and upset? Afraid that I would freak out and start throwing things? Be pissed off because your dirty lying piece of shit ass lied to me?"
"Cam you need to calm down." Zack said as he put a hand on my shoulder.
"FUCK being calmed down." I shot back at him as I brushed his hand off of my shoulder. "You lied to me. You told me that you wanted me to come back, but you felt I should have some time to get over what happened. It's been over two months Zack. I was ready to go back to work after two weeks, but you wouldn't let me. YOU thought I should take some more time off. If you ever planned on having me come back then you wouldn't have hired someone to fill my position."
"I didn't know how you were going to react to what happened Cam." Zack said softly. "I can't imagine what it must have been like for you. I figured I would hire someone in your place that way you had all the time that you needed."
"You didn't know how I was going to react?" I threw back at him. "You haven't even ASKED ME HOW I FUCKING FELT! You haven't consulted me about anything. You're making all the decisions and not even bothering to fill me in on anything. Why should I expect you to even talk to me when you won't even fucking touch me." Zack's eyes flared at my words, but I continued on.
"Well that's not going to float around here anymore. We are going..."
"You're not going to tell me how to act in my own home." Zack shot back at me.
"Of course. How foolish of me. Your home. Not our home. Your home." I said softly in defeat. "I knew that this was going to be a problem. I shouldn't have agreed to move in here. This was a bad idea." I turned and headed towards the bedroom. "You're so concerned about what's yours and what you want that you never stopped to realize what you lost."
"And what's that Cameron?" Zack asked.
"Me."
"I really appreciate you letting me stay here Aiden." I said as I dropped my suitcase next to the bed. "It was nice of you to let me crash in your guest room on such short notice."
"Anything for a friend Cam." Aiden said with a smile. He reached up and scratched his belly. Aiden was in a pair of running shorts and a white, worn tank top. As his hand scratched at the invisible itch it showed off his rock hard ab muscles. "So what was with your grab and dash from Zack's place? You two seemed to be perfect for each other."
"Zack's place is the key part of what you just said Aid." I replied. I started to pull clothes out of my suitcase. This gave me the opportunity to look away from him. The man was a walking advertisement for sin if there ever was one. "It never was really our place. I think I was more of a guest actually."
"I'm sorry Cam." Aiden said with a sympathetic smile. "You're more than welcome to stay here as long as you want."
"Don't be sorry Aiden. It's not your fault." I replied with a small smile.
"You know what they say. Relationships based on intense experiences never work."
"Ok. We'll have to base it on sex then. You want to go grab a drink Jack?" Aiden said with a huge grin.
"Sure Annie." I laughed. I was glad he caught my movie reference. "But don't think you are going to get me all liquored up and take advantage of me." "Why not?" Aiden asked as I walked past him.
"Cause I'm a sure thing." I threw back over my shoulder with a wicked grin.
"You're a pain in the ass. That's for sure." Aiden threw back as he followed me.
"I'll give you a pain in the ass." I growled at him. I turned around and grabbed my crotch. "You'd definitely be walking funny the next day studly."
Aiden walked past me laughing his ass off. I followed him into the kitchen. It was difficult to keep my eyes off of his firm, muscular ass. Images of Zack's ass filtered into my head, but I firmly pushed them away.
"What's your poison this evening sir?" Aiden asked in a perfect bartender impersonation.
"Surprise me." I said with a grin.
"I expect a really huge tip by the end of the evening for serving you." Aiden said with a chuckle.
"First, I want to know who told you how big my tip was." I said with a wink. "And you can have whatever you want if you service me the right way."
"You are just too much sometimes you know that?" Aiden asked as he passed me a bottle of beer.
"Who told you I was too much?" I asked grabbing my crotch again.
"What has gotten into you tonight?" Aiden asked with a laugh. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining! You've just never been this sexual."
"I think the problem is what hasn't gotten into me in over two months." I mumbled. I quickly tilted the bottle back. The beer burned slightly as it rushed down my throat. I hadn't meant to get into this topic of conversation. My mouth always moves faster than my goddamn brain though.
"Are you fucking serious?" Aiden said as his eyebrows rose. "How could any gay man in his right mind keep his hands off of you that long?"
My face blushed hard from his compliment. It's been a long time since anyone complimented me like that. I was glad that I called Aiden before anyone else. I needed someone I could relax around and not have to worry about rehashing everything that happened to me. He was aware of the entire "Ariel-gate" situation.
"If I ever figure out the answer to that question Aid you'll be the first one I tell." I said with a sigh. "He was so affectionate at the hospital, but once we got home it was a different story. What could have happened?"
Aiden was just about to answer my question when the phone rang. He leaned over me to grab the wall extension. My head swam for a minute in his scent.
I'm not talking about body order. I'm talking about that special scent that every man has. I think it's a pheromone or something, but don't quote me on that. I sucked at biology in school.
"Hi Grandma!" Aiden said into the phone. "How are you?" Aiden started chuckling.
"Tell grandma I said hello." I whispered in his ear as I headed back towards the bathroom. On my way back from the bathroom I heard him talking quietly.
"Yes grandma he's the one I told you about. He's been having some problems and needed somewhere to crash." I heard Aiden murmur. "Yes I'm sure it's a good idea. They are just going through a rough patch right now...everything will be fine gram...yes I know you worry about me...I'm a big boy now."
I walked into the kitchen as the 'big boy' comment left his lips. I playfully grabbed at his crotch. He laughed and slapped my hands away.
"Grandma!" Aiden said loudly. His face turned bright red. "Yes you may have changed my diapers, but that doesn't give you the option to say things like that to me."
A giggle escaped from my lips. My hand shot up and covered my mouth, but it was too late. Aiden heard me. He shot me a death look. Of course that only made me giggle harder. Aiden turned his back to me. I turned and grabbed my beer. Just as I took a swig I looked back at Aiden. He jerked up the back of his tank top and mooned me! I would have admired the view, but the action caught me so off guard. I wasn't able to stop myself as beer shot out of my mouth and nose.
"I got to go gram." Aiden said into the phone. "It seems that Cameron is a pig. He just spit beer all over my kitchen...what...no I didn't moon him...yes ma'am I know I shouldn't lie...yes I mooned him. I love you too. Bye."
Aiden hung up the phone and turned to look at me. His hands shot back to pull up his shorts. Aiden came over and patted me on my back. I was still coughing up a storm from my beer fountain impersonation.
"I'm guessing I got you pretty well..." Aiden began. "Or you were just so excited about seeing my ass you couldn't help yourself."
"Don't flatter yourself buddy." I said once my coughing fit was done. "Your ass couldn't excite a inmate that's been in solitary for ten years without any human contact."
"Ouch! You're a bitch." Aiden said as he pinched my ass.
I lunged for him, but he darted around the table. He picked up his beer and laughed at me. The atmosphere was so relaxed, and under any other circumstances I would be probably making a huge play for Aiden. I knew where my heart was though. It belonged to that fuck head Zack.
A few hours later we were feeling pretty damn good. I haven't kicked back and had a guys night out like this in a long time. We had been joking around and laughing so much my stomach was actually hurting.
"Why do people drink?" Aiden said with a slight slur.
"I drink because I am a sensitive and highly strung person." I replied giggling.
"No." Aiden said with a grin. "That's why your co-stars drink."
"First Wives' Club!" We said at the same time cracking up.
Tonight was probably the best night I've had in months. There was no tension or arguing. There was no worrying about whether or not I would be restricted to sleeping on my side of the bed. I didn't have to worry about whether or not he would call me during the day. I was able to just relax. I was grateful to have Aiden as my friend.
Zack's Point Of View
I sigh escaped my lips as I sat up against the headboard. I couldn't sleep for shit. This was the third time tonight that my body rolled over to the other side of the bed. Which normally wasn't a problem, but tonight that side of the bed was cold. There was no warm body there. My eyes glanced over to where Cameron should be lying sound asleep right now.
God lord could I have let things get this bad? I knew that I was having issues, but I really wasn't ready to talk about them. So being the ass that I am I just acted like everything was fine. I should have talked to Cameron and let him know what I was feeling. I should have at least told him something, but instead I ended up losing him. Which is what caused this entire problem in the first place.
My past relationships haven't been the best. Lucas was a prime example of how my past relationships went. Sure I was with someone, but emotionally I really didn't let anyone in. Cameron changed all of that. Somehow he managed to get through every wall I had setup around myself. If I was honest with myself he didn't just get around the walls. That man blew them to apart.
The moment he walked in my office for his interview I knew that there would be trouble. The man was fucking gorgeous in my opinion. One of the best things about Cameron though is that he really doesn't have any idea about how attractive he is. The other thing I realized right off the bat was his wicked sense of humor. The man's tongue was sharper than barbed wire and faster than a pre-teen jerking off.
Things went pretty smoothly at first when Cam started. The last few assistants had things so disorganized most of Cameron's day was occupied with that. In fact I was impressed because he got everything under control by the end of his first day. It didn't take me long to figure out that I had gotten very lucky when Cam applied for this position. He was not only one of the smartest people I met, but every day he just seemed to become more and more attractive to me.
I couldn't tell you the number of times I called him into my office just to watch him walk away. Fate had bestowed a tight, firm, muscular bubble butt on the man. The dress pants he wore almost seemed to caress his ass when he walked. Just watching him walk was enough to excite me. There were a few times I couldn't even get up from my desk, otherwise my situation would have been clearly evident.
I thought at first that this was all purely physical and the attraction would pass. How wrong was I? The more time I spent with Cameron the more attracted I became. He was a phenomenal employee. After a few days he had memorized my routine. Cameron had my coffee ready for me in the mornings, had all the information I needed for the day laid out on my desk, and he was in the office before I was normally. Beneath all of that though I found out that Cam was a sensitive and compassionate person. He was concerned about other people's feelings. Underneath all of that sharp, sarcastic humor was a big ole puppy dog.
One of the first major mistakes I made, yes I can admit I make mistakes, is when I forced Cameron into going to that party with me. At the time it seemed like a fucking brilliant idea. Of course though I was thinking only in regards to myself. I had been pushing back on Cam at work more and more because my attraction for him wouldn't stop. It never occurred to me that I might be pushing him to dislike me.
I found out that night at the party that I really wasn't his favorite person. It certainly felt like he hated me. He wasn't right about the fact that I didn't know anything about him. I found out as much information as I could. I just didn't let him know that. I purposely distanced myself from him, but he didn't let that stop him. That night on his couch was a prime example of that. It was embarrassing to admit that I never really cuddled with someone before. When I felt his body press up against mine, and his arm snaked around my waist I thought I was going to go into orbit.
Of course I bolted. In those few quiet moments with him I could feel myself starting to slip. I could feel it in my heart. I knew I was falling in love with him, but I still wouldn't let myself admit it. It wasn't until he almost walked out of my life that following Monday that I let myself admit my feelings. I don't know if any of that matters now though.
When I found Cameron on his living room floor covered in blood it scared the hell out of me. I never thought for a second that once I had Cam that I would ever lose him. When he almost died I thought I was going to go insane. It was then I realized just how important Cameron was in my life. That scared me more than anything. I've never felt connected to someone like that before. I guess almost losing him made me do some stupid things.
I started pulling back from him. I thought maybe if I wasn't so close to him then I wouldn't be afraid of losing him. I know what you're thinking. I never claimed to be the smartest person in the world when it came to love.
I realized pretty quickly that pulling away from him, and myself, hurt even more. I was just so afraid of losing him I didn't know what to do. I guess it doesn't matter all that much now since he has left me.
I didn't replace Cameron at CSP because I didn't want him there. That was the furthest thing from the truth. Once again I should have talked to him about it before I did it. I wanted Cam to come back more than anything in the world but not as my PA. I wanted him to be my partner. I wanted Cameron to help me run the company. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand and sighed. It was almost 2 o'clock in the morning. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.
Somehow I was able to get up and arrive at work on time this morning. How I did it I have no idea. I was running on autopilot for sure. I filled Madison's food and water bowl, but I didn't try and call her. Since Cam left last night she was staying far away from me. I caught a taxi down to the office and rode the elevator up to my floor. As I exited the elevator I saw Cam's replacement was already here. That's a good thing at least. She was an attractive woman.
"Good morning Mr. Grey." She said with a smile. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a twist at the back of her head this morning. "I've placed your messages on your desk and the files for your 9 a.m. appointment as well."
"Thank you Miss Sands." I said with a smile.
I headed back towards my office for the start of another long day. All of my days at work were long ones without Cameron here. I placed my jacket in the closet and tossed my briefcase down on my desk. I was just flipping through the messages on my desk when my assistant came back in. She was carrying two cups of coffee.
"Here you go sir." She said as she handed me one. She pulled some creamers and sugar packets out of her pocket. "I wasn't sure how you took your coffee so I figured I'd bring a handful of both for you."
"Thanks, but drop the sir stuff ok. We've been through this. You can call me Zack." I said with a smile.
"Ok Zack." She said with a grin. "But then you have to drop the Miss Sands stuff. Just call me Gina."
"Gina it is then." I said with a chuckle. "I'm surprised that you're such a morning person. I figured someone who used to work at a bar would be a night owl."
"I'm totally faking the happy routine." She said with a laugh. "It will take some time before I'm used to being up for work this early. Normally I'm just getting to bed."
"You never did mention why you left your job at Diversity." I said as I sat down behind my desk. "I've been there a few times. I thought that was the hottest club in town."
"Was is the key word." Gina said as she sat on the edge of my desk. "The owner ran into some financial problems and borrowed some money from the wrong people." She giggled and pushed at her nose with one of her fingers. "When he couldn't repay the loan he was forced to close the club and sell it."
"I guess everyone will be looking for a new hangout spot then." I said.
"Well the club is actually going to re-open." Gina said with a smile. "Austin's best friend ended up buying the club. There will be a new name and everything, but it will take a few months for them to be ready. They are going to completely remake the entire building. It should be pretty cool."
"Who is Austin?" I asked.
"I'm sorry." She replied. "Austin's my boyfriend. I'm so used to hanging around with the same group of people I forget that not everyone knows who I am talking about."
"Are you planning on going back to the club once it reopens?" I asked her curiously. Gina was turning out to be a good PA, and I wasn't looking forward to her leaving. "Besides I've been meaning to ask you something. How does a girl with a masters degree in business admin end up working at a bar?"
"Oh no. I wouldn't do that to you." Gina said with a big grin. "Austin is actually going to be managing the club, and I don't think it's the greatest idea for the two of us to work together. Don't get me wrong now. I love the man, but we would end up killing each other. To answer your other question, this is actually the first job opportunity I had that actually pays something. I tried looking for jobs when I got out of school, but no one was offering any good salaries. I started one place and had to bartend at night for more money. I started making more money bartending and ended up quitting my day job, so to speak."
"Sounds like you have a good thing going with Austin." I said with a smile. "And it sounds like I got lucky to get you hired here."
"Yeah I do, and yes you did." She replied with a laugh. Gina looked at me curiously. "This isn't any of my business, but I've heard through the grapevine that I got your boyfriend's old job. Do I have to worry about him coming back and bumping me out of the way?"
I couldn't help the sigh that escaped my lips at the mention of Cam. I still have no idea what I was going to do about that. I knew that I needed to get him back. The only problem I was having was trying to figure out how I was going to do that. I knew he was staying at Aiden's place, but I didn't think calling there would be the best solution.
"No you don't have to worry about that Gina." I said with a sad smile. "We're kind of not talking right now. I was a big asshole, and now I have to try and fix things."
"Gay guys are always dealing with drama." Gina said with an overly dramatic sigh. "You remind me of my future brother-in-law a lot."
"You're boyfriend's brother is gay?" I asked.
"No." Gina deadpanned. "But his boyfriend is." She laughed and rolled her eyes at me. "Of course he's gay. Why would I say that otherwise? So tell me all about what happened and we can figure out a plan to get things fixed.
I'm really, really good with plans."
The next thing I know I am spilling my guts to her. I'm not quite sure how it happened to be honest, but once I started talking I couldn't stop. Gina quietly listened and only talked to prompt me to continue. As I finished up telling her everything that happened I couldn't help the tears that formed in my eyes. She walked over to me and handed me a tissue. Then she hit me in the back of my head.
"OUCH!" I yelled as I rubbed the back of my head. "What the fuck was that for?"
"You know what that was for." Gina said. "You were a big asshole. You made the poor guy jump through hoops before you gave in to him. Then your crazy sister almost kills him, and to top it all off you pushed him away and replaced him. How the hell are you going to fix this?"
"Are you always this fucking blunt with people?" I asked her.
"No. This is sweet." She said with a grin. "You don't want to see me blunt. Luckily for you though I have a plan. And my plans always work."
I don't know why, but I felt a bit uneasy as she grinned at me. I was willing to try anything at this point though. I have to get Cam back.
- * * * * * * * * * * Cameron's Point Of View
Daytime television sucks. I have never been so fucking bored out of my mind. I remember the good old days when there were like a thousand game shows on in the mornings. Now the only choices I had were between talk shows and infomercials. I glanced over at the clock on Aiden's wall. He left to get breakfast over a half hour ago. I was starving. Thank god I didn't have a hangover. I hadn't drank the much in a long time.
I finally heard Aiden's keys unlocking the door. I jumped up and went to see if he needed any help. We unloaded the bags in the kitchen and went back into the living room to eat. As we were finishing up our leisurely breakfast his phone started ringing.
"Hello..." Aiden said as he picked up his cordless. "Yes he is. One moment please." Aiden put his hand over the mouthpiece. He looked confused. "It's for you. She says her name is Miss Sands and that she's from CSP."
I raised an eyebrow at him and reached out to take the phone. Who the hell was this person, and why the fuck was she calling me here?
"Hello." I said into the phone.
"Good Morning. Is this Cameron Prince?" A light, female voice came over the line.
"Yes it is." I replied.
"Hi Mr. Prince. My name is Gina Sands. I'm part of the legal team here at CSP. We were just recently informed that you would not be returning to work and have encountered some problems."
"What type of problems?" I asked with a sigh.
"When someone normally leaves the company we have them sign non-disclosure contracts regarding the company information. I've looked over your personal file and no one ever got you to sign those forms. I hate to bother you, but I really need you to come down here as soon as possible. Today would be perfect if you could."
"Is this really necessary Miss Sands?" I asked. I really did not want to go anywhere near CSP, if only for the fact that I didn't want to run into Zack.
"Please don't take this they way it sounds Mr. Prince, but without having signed these forms it puts our company and its clients at risk. The contract also protects you from any type of insider trading investigations, client confidentially lawsuits, and a list that just goes on and on."
"What?" I practically yelled into the phone. This conversation was getting weirder by the second. I had no clue what this woman was referring to. Obviously company polices had changed since I was there. We never had to have any employees sign any type of contacts.
"This is really difficult to explain over the phone. This would be so much easier in person. I'm free at about 2 p.m. today. Could you possibly stop down?" She asked very politely.
"Sure. I may as well get this out of the way. I'll be down at 2 p.m. Should I meet you on the fourth floor?" I asked.
"I need you to go to Mr. Grey's office if you don't mind. I have a 2:15 meeting with him today, and it will only take a second for you to fill out the necessary paperwork. Thank you so much Mr. Prince. I'll be seeing you at 2 p.m."
Before I had a chance to respond the phone line went dead. I sighed and dropped the phone on the couch. Aiden looked at me questioningly.
"Problems buddy?" He asked.
"You have no fucking clue Aid. This couldn't possibly get any worse." I replied. I quickly explained everything to Aiden.
"If you went down there that would take care of everything wouldn't it?" He asked. "You wouldn't have a reason to go back. Unless of course you wanted to talk to Zack." I started to give Aiden a death glare. I opened my mouth to talk, but he quickly continued. "Look you told me what happened and I understand you being pissed off. You have every right to be, but we both know that you still love him. You're going to have to talk to him again eventually. Do you really want things to be over between the two of you?"
I sat back for a minute and didn't say anything. That thought had been running through my mind for hours. Shit I woke up this morning with that question echoing through my head. Did I really want things to be over between us? I almost thought yes, but then one moment entered my thoughts, that night on the couch. The complete innocence of that moment still tugged on my heartstrings.
"No." I answered him with a sigh. "I don't want things to be over, but things can't stay the same damn it. I'm tired of being held at arm's length. I'm not some porcelain doll that will break if you touch me."
"I know that Cam." Aiden said with a grin. "Shouldn't you be telling all of this to Zack?"
"Not in those exact words." I replied with a grin. "He'll hear a much dirtier version."
"Oh I see how it is." Aiden said with a mock frown. "You'll talk dirty to him, but not to me."
"I would Aid, but I don't want to have to explain it all to you later." I replied sticking my tongue out.
"That's if you were still able to even talk after I got done with you." Aiden replied as he flashed his hot, muscular chest at me.
I got up and headed towards the bathroom to take a shower. I pulled down the back of my shorts, exposing my ass.
"Hey Aid." I called out. He turned and looked at me. His face immediately turned a bit red. "Don't make promises you couldn't keep buddy." I laughed and continued back into the bathroom. I wasn't looking forward to this afternoon. I wasn't afraid of seeing Zack. I was afraid at what the outcome might be.
A few hours later I found myself outside the CSP building. It was weird standing here. I haven't been in here in months, but it felt like I never left. I strode through the lobby and onto an elevator. I pushed the floor button out of reflex. As I felt the elevator rise I could feel my heart beat rise with it. Suddenly I wasn't very sure if this was a good idea, but I really didn't have a choice in the matter. With a melodic bing the elevator doors slide open.
I strode down the hallway and into my old office. Zack's office. As I entered I immediately noticed the woman that was sitting at my desk. I took a long, deep calming breath. I had to remember that it wasn't my desk anymore. As I approached the desk her face lit up in a brilliant smile.
"Based on your rugged good looks I would have to guess that you're Cameron."
She said as she stood and reached out her hand.
"And based on the sound of your voice I would have to guess that you were Gina." I shook her hand briefly, but I could feel anger already bubbling up inside of me. Why would someone from legal be manning the PA's desk? I smelled a rat. A really big, evil one. "CSP must be short staffed to have someone from legal up here covering. Didn't Zack's new PA work out?" I kept my voice as genuine as possible.
Our eyes locked for a second and then her grin actually got bigger.
"Ok. You've got me." She giggled as she sat back down. "I'm not really from legal. I'm the new PA. I should have known you would catch on. I heard you were a smart one. They weren't kidding about your looks either. You're hot enough that I could probably fry an egg on your ass."
"Look Princess Pelvis..." I said as I looked at her short cut dress. "Do you want to tell me what's going on here? You can start with that dress. Couldn't you buy a whole one? Or was Baby Gap running a sale?"
"Lookie here queer bait." Gina said as she stood up. "You better calm down before I take the brick out of my desk and beat you upside your head with it."
"You expect me to believe you got a brick in the desk?" I laughed her insane comment. My laughter quickly died though as she reached into the desk and did indeed pull out a brick. She dropped it on the desk with a resounding thud. "I wish I had that when I worked here. It would have made dealing with Zack so much easier. Do I even want to ask why you have that?"
"No you don't." She said with a giggle. "But don't tell anyone I have it either. It will be our little secret."
"Speaking of secrets," I said to her with my head tilted to the side. "You want to fill me in on what's going on here? I'm sorry by the way about the whole princess pelvis comment before too."
"Don't worry about it." Gina said with a wave of her hand. "When I tell my boyfriend and roommates about it later I am sure they will be howling. They'll just be pissed that they didn't get to say it. I'm pretty sure you know why you're here Cameron. Someone wants to see you."
I nodded my head. My gaze drifted down the hallway to the closed double doors. Things would change once I went through those doors, but would it be for the better or for the worst?
"Give him a chance." Gina said interrupting my thoughts. I gave her a questioning look. "I'm not saying he's right. I've hit him once today for being such an ass. Just hear him out. The answers you're looking for are there. I just hope things can work out for you two."
"Did he tell you what's been happening?" I asked her quietly.
"Yes." She said with a nod of her head. "To be honest I kind of dragged it out him. Once he got started though he wouldn't stop. I should have been an FBI interrogator. I knew I missed my true calling."
It was an impulsive move, but I reached out and hugged her. Gina wrapped her arms around me in return. I don't know why I did it, but it felt like the right thing to do.
"What was that for?" Gina asked. "Don't get me wrong, I don't have any problems with an attractive guy hugging me."
"It was to thank you." I replied with a laugh. "This whole scheme couldn't have been Zack's idea. He's more of a sit back and wait for things to happen type of guy. So I'm assuming this was all your doing."
"Yes it was my idea." She said with a huge grin. "I can't wait to tell the boys at home. They are not going to believe that one finally worked!"
"We are going to have to do dinner or something soon. I owe you one." I said with a grin. She nodded her head in agreement. "I better get my ass back there."
I gave Gina one last parting smile and I headed back towards the office doors. It's now or never I guess. I quietly opened one of the doors and peaked my head inside. Zack was standing and gazing out the windows. His back was to the door. I eased myself into the office and gently closed the door behind me.
The afternoon sun shone through the window and lit up his face. For a moment I couldn't breath. Zack truly was beautiful. I could make out the perpetual shadow that was spread over his chin. His normally bright blue eyes looked dull and tired. I heard a deep, drawn out sigh slide from his lips.
"Penny for your thoughts." I said quietly.
Zack's head snapped in my direction. His eyes bugled a bit with shock.
"Cam..." His voice was low and unsteady. "I wasn't sure if you would come."
"You've got a sneaky new PA." I replied with a small smile. "Otherwise I probably wouldn't be here."
"You wouldn't have come looking for me?" Zack asked.
"Zack," I said with a sigh. "I'm the one that left. If anything you should be the one to come looking for me."
"I wasn't sure if you wanted to be found" Zack said in a near whisper.
"I wasn't sure of that myself to be honest." I replied. "But I'm here. So obviously I want to at least talk things out."
"Are you just going to hear what I have to say and then leave?" Zack turned his head to gaze out the window again as he spoke.
I guess he was afraid of my answer. This was probably totally selfish on my part, but I was glad to see that he was hurting. The way he's been for the past weeks made me feel like he forgot what feelings were.
"My leaving depends on what you have to say Zack." I said as I walked across the office.
I sat down at one of the chairs in front of his desk. We were both silent for a few moments. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence though. I expected Zack to either sit behind his desk or take the chair next to me. I should have known by this point to expect the unexpected from him. He walked over and crotched down right in front of me. Zack reached to take my hands, but stopped himself.
"You really gave me a lot to thing about last night." Zack began. "To be honest it feels like it's been a lot longer than just last night. I was up almost the whole night thinking about what happened, and how I let things get so fucked up. I've never really been close with people before. Let me rephrase that actually. I've never been close with the people that I've been involved with, but you already know that. The fact that you were the first person I ever cuddled with proves that."
We both smiled at the shared memory of that night. No matter what happens now between us I know that Zack and I will always cherish that memory.
"I was starting to freak out about how close we were getting even before the entire incident with the psycho." Zack never did make reference to her name ever since I was hurt. "I knew I had to talk to you, but then all that craziness started. You were already upset and freaking out, and I didn't want to add to that. That night I found you unconscious on your living room still haunts me. I thought I had lost you."
Zack's voice choked up for a second. He paused and cleared his throat. When his voice cracked I could feel my chest tighten. Zack was always very reserved with his emotions. Don't get me wrong; he is a very loving person.
He just normally doesn't allow people to see him get upset. I wanted to stop him and ease his pain, but I knew he had to continue on.
"When I had you cradled to my chest I wanted to die with you right there. It was in that moment that I realized that I couldn't live without you. You have no idea how much that scared me. I've never had to depend on anyone, and to suddenly find myself needing someone threw me for a major loop. Once you got out of the hospital the reality of the situation finally had sunk in. I finally knew what it was to love someone. That's when things turned a bit selfish on my part."
Zack's gaze locked onto my own. I had the feeling I didn't want to hear what he was about to say. Zack's eyes clearly told me that he wasn't comfortable with saying it either. I gave him a small smile and nodded to encourage him to continue.
"I pulled away from you because I didn't want to need someone that much. I didn't want to have to depend on someone like that. Like I said before, losing you almost killed me, and selfishly I didn't want to have to go through that again. I didn't want to ever feel a sense of loss like that ever again in my life. Then when you left last night I realized how selfish I was being. That in all of this I never even bothered to think about you or what you were feeling. I was being a prick and I don't know if I can even ask you to forgive me."
I couldn't take it anymore. This man was breaking my heart. I reached out and cupped the side of his face. Zack's eyes closed and he pushed his face against my hand. I felt him tremble and saw a few tears slide out from under his closed lids. My thumb reached out and gently wiped them away. I leaned forward and gently pressed my lips against his.
"I love you." I whispered to him.
I heard a soft cry erupt from his mouth and then suddenly his arms were around me. I was pulled off the chair onto my knees with him. He buried his face in my neck. I felt his body shake from his sobs. I ran my hand through his arm and murmured against his ear.
"This is my fault too baby." I said quietly "I shouldn't have stayed quiet for so long. I should have said something to you sooner and maybe we would have never gotten to this point. It looks like we both made some mistakes."
Zack's head pulled away from my neck. Our eyes locked again.
"I love you so much Cameron."
His leaned in and captured my lips with his. I felt his arms tighten around my body. I involuntarily groaned. As my mouth opened his tongue darted in and claimed possession of me. It wasn't just my mouth that Zack had reclaimed. He reclaimed my heart again.
"Zack..." I said quietly. "Why don't I have a job here anymore?"
Zack's eyes searched mine and he smiled.
"You do have a job here. I should have explained that better as well." He said with a teary eyed grin. "I don't want you as my PA. I want you as my partner. I want you by my side in running the company, not running around like my slave."
His words warmed my heart. I couldn't believe it thought. CSP was his baby, and to let me be such a huge part of that blew me away. I ran my hands down his back and cupped his ass. My fingers massaged the firm, hard muscles there.
"What if I like being your slave?" I growled at him.
"You sexy beast!" Zack said as laughter bubbled from his throat. "Is it me or does this office make us horny?"
I grinned at him and started to unbutton his shirt.
"I locked the door when I came in. So why don't we find out."
That's it for chapter seven everyone!!! I'm really sorry for the long, overdue wait on this chapter. I hope it was worth the wait. If you enjoy this story please check out my other stories, City Of Dreams and The Fifth Power. City Of Dreams can be found under Adult Friends on Nifty, and The Fifth Power can be found under SciFi/Fantasy on Nifty or at my Yahoo! Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GryffindorCorner or you can send me an email at Gryffwriter@hotmail.com Please remember to include something about the story in the subject line.