"I am fully aware," Klaus talked on the phone, his lips pursed in displeasure.
Jake was eyeing him carefully, as he was getting ready for work, too. The construction site manager wanted him there, first thing in the morning, and Jake could barely wait to go. Klaus had woken him up with so slow and torturous kisses and, at first, he had wanted to just spend the entire day in bed.
Klaus slipped his phone back into his pocket and sighed.
"What is it?" Jake asked.
"Next week, I have to fly to Berlin. Important business," the man said with a grimace.
"Bad news or something?"
"Yes."
Jake just nodded. If the man didn't want to elaborate on that, he had no reason to insist.
"When will you be back?"
"It might take me a few days, a week, at best."
"Uhm, okay. You seem pretty pissed, though. Are you going to lose your company or something?"
Klaus stared at him and his eyes flickered with amusement.
"No, nothing of the kind. A mere nuisance."
Jake frowned, but said nothing.
"The reason I am so pissed, as you say," Klaus moved toward him, "is that I will have to leave you here."
"No shit," Jake murmured, trying to ignore the pleasant tingling sensation in his chest.
"Yes shit," Klaus chuckled. "I am just starting to see real progress and I find myself in the position of having to give up on pleasure for dull business problems."
"You can take me with you," Jake said quickly and he was going to regret it, but Klaus replied right away.
"I could. But it is too short a time for your passport to clear. Not even I can make things happen so fast. I am yet to build durable friendships at Customs."
"Oh, yeah, right," Jake murmured.
"Disappointed?" Klaus began to slowly caress his cheeks, looking him in the eyes.
"More like I have no idea what to do while you're away," Jake said, a bit defensively.
There was no point in showing how much he wanted the man. Maybe he sounded like a clingy girlfriend or something right now.
"You have plenty of work to do. Plus, you can do me a favor," Klaus said, letting his hands drop. "You can watch your brother for me."
"What? Do you want me to spy on him?" Jake looked at the other man, feeling a bit annoyed.
"For his own good," Klaus walked in front of the mirror and began adjusting his tie.
"Or yours?"
The blue eyes were scanning him now, like lasers.
"I don't want to be your pawn," Jake crossed his arms.
"Well, it is not like you have that much of a choice," Klaus commented, and returned to examining his perfect self in the mirror.
Jake opened his mouth to protest, and then chose to shut it.
"And before you go into a hissy fit, I am saying this only because I know how much you love your brother. I do not see you as a pawn. But you are my clever insider," Klaus chuckled at his own pun, "and I intend to make use of the information you can provide. I need these streets to be peaceful. Do not think your brother is the only wild card around. He is just one of the many gang leaders I need to pacify. It is not an easy task. You do not wish to help?"
Jake felt a bit manipulated. But the truth was that Diaz was kind of a dick. And his attitude could ruin a lot of things, not only Klaus's desire to make a profit.
"Okay. But you have to promise me. That you won't use whatever I tell you to have Diaz go to jail or worse."
Klaus looked at him with a mix of appreciation and surprise in his eyes.
"Done," the man agreed. "Now, give me a kiss. We are not going to see each other the entire day and I feel like I miss you already."
Jake rolled his eyes, but smiled and hurried to kiss the man on the lips. Klaus pulled him closer and deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue inside. Jake sucked at it, and ground his hips against the other. Klaus was the one to break their embrace.
"All right," Klaus said, licking his lips and frowning slightly. "Let's go down for a light breakfast, and then we should see to our day."
Jake wanted to laugh, but stopped. The guy was stiff as a board as he walked out of the room, with Jake on tow.
***
"Jake, you seem like a decent lad," the foreman said to him, patting his back. "You say you finished high-school?"
"Yes," Jake said, feeling a bit proud.
"And have you ever thought about learning more? Go to college?"
"I wish," Jake replied. "But who's got money for that, anyway?"
"Well, you should talk to Mr. Metzger. Seeing that he is determined to make a man out of you."
"Talk to him about what?" Jake could feel his young heart beating wildly for some reason.
"To help you through school. You're a smart young man. And Mr. Metzger can definitely afford the expense. You don't want to be just like one of these guys, right?" the foreman pointed at the construction team. "Not that it is anything wrong with that," he added. "Just that you're smarter than them."
"Do you think so, Mr. Harrison?" Jake mumbled.
"Yes. I'll tell Mr. Metzger about it, but I need to hear from you that you want it. And you have to tell him, too. Take advantage of having such a prominent businessman as a friend at the moment. Mr. Metzger won't stay here forever. Ask him. Get an education for yourself. Don't let it be just a summer job."
"Thanks a lot, sir," Jake said. "I will. If that is what you think."
"Sure thing. Thank you for all the hard work today. Young men like you usually walk with their heads up in the clouds. They only think about having fun or girls. But you're a serious young man. That's rare."
Jake hoped his blush wasn't visible. At least ten or fifteen or twenty times he had thought about Klaus today, about how the man liked to touch him and kiss him. He was not that much of a serious young man.
***
He had to dine alone since Klaus was not yet back, and it had been a pretty awkward experience to be tended to, like he was an aristocrat or something. Back to his room, he was still feeling out of place. The thing was he liked Klaus's room much better. He had not felt alone in there.
After returning from the shower, he noticed the small package on the stand and took it gingerly. Maybe it was again one of Klaus's strange ideas about entertainment. He sighed in relief when he saw it was only a phone. Brand new and obviously expensive, but nothing weird. He opened it, and immediately there was an incoming message.
I hope you like your new phone.
Yeah, of course he liked it. Only that it was way too expensive. Klaus could afford it, but that was not the most important thing. How much of what he was doing was because of what was offered to him? Klaus had mentioned that he wasn't paying him, when talking to Diaz, but Jake would have preferred an honest paycheck instead of expensive gifts.
He wondered whether he should send a reply. And what to say? Klaus was most probably still caught in some important meeting.
Yes, I do. When you're coming home?
He hit send. Did that sound too clingy or something? On more than one occasion, Diaz had told him to stop being such a kid and quit depending on others. But he could not help it if he was bored.
Soon. Wait for me in my room.
He read the message with unhidden glee. Why did it feel so nice to converse with someone over short messages? He wondered what to say next. Maybe he could just obey and do nothing else. Temptation was too strong, though.
Naked?
He was grinning as he walked in the master bedroom and sank on the nice smelling sheets.
Someone is in for a bit of spanking. I will be home in 10.
Now, he was laughing like crazy. Maybe it was not such a good idea to egg on a guy who was clearly bent on making his ass feel the consequences, but he just couldn't stop.
I'd rather have you undress me.
All right. It looks like I have to risk a few fines for overspeeding.
Jake was holding the phone to his chest, trying to cool down his beating heart. His thoughts wandered to the stern looking man, the perfect businessman who always seemed so in control, and imagined him now, telling Thompson that it was 'kay to ignore a few red lights.
Or maybe, maybe it was all a game. Klaus played it with him, because he was probably bored. In a town like theirs, Jake couldn't really blame him. And it was not like he was overconfident in his looks, but the prospects for a guy like Klaus, were almost null. Plus, as far as he knew, no one was gay around. Well, at least, no one could afford being like that in the open.
All right, that managed to chill his rapid heartbeat a little. He needed to stop dreaming like an idiot. So, the guy was going to pop his cherry sometime. The thought made him feel uneasy. But a promise was a promise.
His phone let him know of another incoming message.
Your medical tests came through. You surely know what this means.
Jake straightened up. Fuck. He hadn't expected this so soon. Where could he go? Maybe pretend that he was going for a walk, and make a run for it. Klaus was going to bring him back, but at least, he could postpone having his ass destroyed, if for a little while.
He got up from the bed, determined. The door opened in front of him, and Klaus entered. The man had a strange fire in his eyes, as he pushed Jake back, until the back of his calves hit the bed.
Jake chose a method he hadn't used in a very long time. He made puppy eyes at Klaus and linked his hands together.
"Please don't ruin my ass," he said in one go.
"Oh, but now I have every intention to do that," Klaus grinned. "There is no doubt that it is the only way to make you behave. I had to leave in a hurry because of your shenanigans."
"What? Really? But you said ..."
"I do not care," Klaus shushed him by placing one finger on his lips. "Now, while I take a short shower, you better undress and assume the good boy position on the bed. Do not even think about running."
"Or else?" Jake dared.
"Or else, I will consider using my belt instead of my hand," Klaus said, and Jake froze.
Damn his rebellious streak. That shit was going to burn for sure. Not that Klaus had a light hand.
"I am just joking," Klaus ruffled his hair and began undressing with short, efficient moves.
