The Law of Attraction
Read The Law of Attraction Online
Authors: Jay Northcote
Tags: #Gay & Lesbian, #Literature & Fiction, #Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Gay Romance, #Lgbt
The Law of Attraction
by
Jay Northcote
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Blurb
When a professional relationship turns personal, it’s impossible to resist the law of attraction.
Alec Rowland is a high-flying lawyer in a London firm whose career is his life. He doesn’t have time for relationships and his sexuality is a closely guarded secret. After picking up a cute guy on a Friday night, Alec’s world is rocked to its foundations when his one night stand shows up in the office on Monday morning—as the new temp on his team.
Ed Piper is desperate to prove himself in his new job. The last thing he needs is to be distracted by a crush on his boss. It’s hard to ignore the attraction he feels, even though Alec’s a difficult bastard to work for.
Both men strive to maintain a professional relationship, but tempers fray, passions ignite, and soon they’re both falling hard and fast. If they’re ever going to find a way to be together, Alec needs to be honest about who he really is because Ed won’t go back in the closet for anyone.
Copyright
Cover artist: Garrett Leigh.
Editor: Sue Adams.
The Law of Attraction © 2016 Jay Northcote.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or business establishments, events or locales is coincidental.
The Licensed Art Material is being used for illustrative purposes only.
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Warning
This book contains material that is intended for a mature, adult audience. It contains graphic language, explicit sexual content, and adult situations.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to all the usual suspects: My pre-readers, Annabelle Jacobs and Justyna; my endlessly patient editor, Sue Adams; and my proof readers, Jen, N.R. Walker, and Posy Roberts. I couldn’t do this without you.
For this book I also have a particular thank you to Joanna Chambers, who beta read this manuscript for me to check my ‘legal shit’ (my term, not hers). I’m immensely grateful to her for her time and expert advice.
Finally, as always, thank you to every single one of my readers for buying, reading, and otherwise supporting me.
CHAPTER ONE
Alec Rowland leaned back against the wall of the bar, a drink in his hand. He rolled his shoulders to ease the tension that had accumulated in his muscles throughout the long working day. He’d put in another twelve-hour stint at the office, and he needed to be distracted. The usual drinks with his coworkers wouldn’t cut it this evening. Alec felt bad about lying to them, claiming he had a headache and pretending to go home. But it had been too long, and the pull was too strong to resist.
It was a very particular type of distraction he was looking for tonight.
Alec picked out the guy as he watched from his place in the shadows. He was average height and slimly built; his hair was an indeterminate colour in the dim lights at the edge of the still mostly empty dance floor—light brown, perhaps, or maybe blond? It was his smile that drew Alec’s attention. He was with a group of friends, who looked like they could be students—young, casual, carefree. They were talking and laughing, and when this guy grinned at something a girl said, his face lit up.
Alec watched them for a while, sipping at his whisky while he assessed his chances. As they were in a gay bar, it was likely that the object of his interest swung his way, but he didn’t look like he was here to hook up. He didn’t have the roving eye that Alec knew meant an easy target. He was focused on his friends, not eyeing up the talent.
Alec liked a challenge.
His opportunity came when the guy broke away from the group and headed to the bar. His arse was as beautiful as his smile, curving sweetly at the top of his slender legs. Alec followed him, draining the last of his whisky as he went. He stepped in behind his quarry, noting he was taller than the younger man by a good couple of inches. Alec’s gaze skated over the snug T-shirt that showed a lean frame and wide shoulders tapering to slim hips. A flash of skin above the waistband of his jeans made Alec long to touch, to run a fingertip along that smooth expanse and make him shiver.
Alec raised his eyes and found blue ones looking back at him from the mirror behind the bar. A smirk curved the guy’s full, pink lips as he met Alec’s eyes, then he turned slowly around to lean back against the bar. He folded his arms over his flat belly and looked Alec up and down appraisingly.
“Are you going to offer to buy me a drink, then?” He raised his eyebrows. “Or didn’t I pass muster?”
Cheeky
. Alec could handle cheeky.
“What are you having?”
“Rum and Coke, please.” His face remained expressionless.
Alec caught the eye of one of the guys behind the bar and leaned in to make himself heard over the background noise. “Double rum and Coke, and double scotch—neat, no ice.” He could smell the other man’s sweat, fresh and clean. Alec’s cock started to react. He put his hand in his pocket and made a subtle adjustment as he drew back. He was still in his suit, and the fabric didn’t do much to hide a hard-on. Good thing he was wearing snug boxer briefs to keep it in check.
His companion was still watching him, seemingly waiting for him to make his move. Alec felt irrationally irritated. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Even though he only did it occasionally, picking up men was easy for Alec. Buying a drink was more than he usually bothered to do for the twinks he hooked up with when he was in the mood for a warm body to fuck. Alec was well aware of his own attractiveness and used it to his advantage. A crook of a finger, a tilt of his head, or even just a look was usually enough to make them come running.
But this guy didn’t seem to know the rules of the game.
“Strong, silent type, huh?” He suddenly grinned at Alec, all neat white teeth and dimples. “You could start by telling me your name. Mine’s Ed.”
“Alec.” He handed a note to the barman as he came back with their drinks. “Keep the change.”
“Cheers, mate.” The barman winked as he pocketed the tip.
Ed’s eyebrows lifted. “Change from a twenty? You must have money to burn.”
“Something like that.” Alec let his gaze rake deliberately down Ed, examining him from the front this time. His arms were still folded over his chest and his T-shirt had ridden up enough to expose a feathered line of hair on his belly, leading down to a nice-looking package in obscenely tight skinny jeans. “I hope you bottom?”
Ed blinked and choked on his mouthful of rum and Coke. Alec suppressed the urge to grin, enjoying the fact that Ed had momentarily lost his cool.
“I’ve been known to,” Ed replied, rallying. He licked his lips.
“Good.” Alec held his gaze, noting with satisfaction that Ed’s pupils had blown wide and his lips parted as Alec looked at them. God, he had a pretty mouth. Alec lifted his glass and downed his drink. The burn of the whisky tore through him and made his nerves tingle with anticipation. He needed a good fuck; it had been too long. “Drink up, then.”
“You’re an arrogant bastard, aren’t you?” Ed frowned, looking at Alec as though he were a puzzle to be solved.
“But you want me anyway.” Alec stepped close, right into Ed’s space. He reached out and cupped the bulge in Ed’s jeans, tracing the shape of his cock through the material with his fingertips.
Ed sucked in a breath and his hips arched into the touch. He hesitated, a small frown marring his brow. Then he seemed to reach a decision. “Fuck… okay. But I need to go and tell my friends I’m leaving so they won’t worry about me.”
“Okay.” Alec squeezed his dick again before releasing it. “I’ll wait by the exit. Don’t be long.”
They sat in the taxi in awkward silence. Alec wasn’t one for public displays, but with Ed wriggling in his seat and adjusting his erection approximately every minute, his self-control was sorely tried.
“I know it’s a cliché,” Ed said, “but I don’t normally do this.” He didn’t turn to look at Alec as he spoke. He watched the traffic out of the taxi window as they sped through the dark London streets.
It was past eleven on a Friday night, and people were spilling out of pubs and heading into clubs, ready to party into Saturday morning and start the weekend with a bang. Alec was planning on starting his with a whole different type of bang. He imagined Ed spread out for him, that gorgeous arse open and ready. The damn taxi couldn’t move fast enough.
“I don’t care what you normally do.” Alec put his hand on Ed’s thigh, feeling the tension of fight or flight simmering there. He stroked, trying to make him relax. He didn’t want Ed to change his mind.
“I take it this isn’t your first time to pick up a random in a club, then?” Ed turned to look at him.
Alec held his gaze for a moment but didn’t reply. He wasn’t about to justify his lifestyle to a stranger. He leaned forward, speaking loudly to the driver through the glass. “It’s the next left.”
The driver waved his hand to acknowledge that he’d heard.
“They have to take a test.” Ed said, amused. “I’m sure he knows where he’s going.”
“It cuts off a corner,” Alec snapped back. “And they usually miss it. I should know.”
“Impatient, are we?” Ed teased.
Alec ignored him. He’d wipe that sly smile away soon enough; it was hard to grin knowingly with your lips stretched round a dick.
“I should have known you’d live somewhere posh,” Ed commented as they climbed the steps to Alec’s building. The facade was beautiful: classic Georgian architecture. It had originally been one house but was now converted into three flats. “The rent on this must be astronomical.” He held his thin jacket tightly around him, shivering in the freezing January air. His breath made vapour clouds as he spoke.
“I own it.”
“Of course you do.”
Alec unlocked the front door and led Ed inside. Ed pushed the door shut behind him, but Alec paused to check he’d closed it properly.
“I do know how to close a door.”
Alec could practically hear the eye-roll. “Good.” He crossed the hallway to the door to his flat and unlocked it. “Do you know how to suck cock as well?”
Ed stepped up behind him, his feet echoing on the tiled floor, and when he replied, his voice was close enough to raise the hairs on the back of Alec’s neck. “Oh yeah, I think you’ll find I’m rather good at that.”
Ed got his hands on Alec as soon as they’d passed through the door of his flat. Ed reached under Alec’s suit jacket, untucking his shirt and going for his fly while Alec was still closing the door and turning on the light switch.
“Fuck,” Alec gasped as Ed got his hand inside his underwear and gripped his erection. He hadn’t been expecting Ed to make the first move, but maybe he should have been. Ed had managed to surprise him at nearly every turn already, so why would this be any different?
“You’re all sticky already.” Ed’s breath was hot on his neck. “That’s so hot.”
Alec turned and looked into Ed’s face. Ed’s blue eyes were dark and hungry, and his lips pink and wet as though he’d been biting them. Alec almost leaned in to kiss him, but he held himself back, trying to stay in control of the situation. He put his hands on Ed’s shoulders and pushed him down.
“Get down there and taste it, then.” His voice was rough, unfamiliar in his throat. Something about Ed was really getting to him. He had rarely wanted anyone as intensely as he wanted Ed. He needed that mouth on him. He needed to come.
Ed went willingly as Alec fumbled with his trousers and underwear, pushing them down below his balls. When his cock sprang free, Ed was waiting. He looked up at Alec with a wicked gleam in his eyes and slid his slightly parted lips over the head, smearing precome like lip gloss and making Alec grit his teeth with the effort not to moan.