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tone Alexis had never heard from him before, "Are no longer to my taste."
There was a tense, breathless moment before he heard a nasty sound too much like a slap to have
been anything else and his face tightened into a stern frown. Irritated because Gage could have
avoided it, what with his martial arts reflexes, Alexis whirled to face them  Kazuhi calmly restraining
his lover when Ian moved to stop him.
She was beautiful. About his own age, slender and pale, long chocolate waves falling about her bare
slim shoulders, her strapless dress sparkly silver and embroidered with crystals, as shiny as her
dramatically moist blue eyes. Gage's face was still turned from the strike, he stood a little to one side
to Alexis' right, and so it was so easy to quickly extend his arm...
She shrieked as the arc of liquid descended upon her. "Why, you...!" Her pretty face twisted into a
horribly nasty expression, blue eyes suddenly cold and vicious. Her wet state made her look like an
irritated cat.
"Mine," Alexis hissed under his breath then snarled, "How dare you strike him?" He flashed a scowl
at Gage, "What the hell are you doing?"
"I could ask you the same thing," came the quietly and  damn him amused reply.
Alexis didn't have time to answer because Lavonia had snatched up a full glass from a passing waiter
and had drawn her back to toss it on him in return. But when she let fly it was with too much force,
the liquid a grouped mass in the air and easy enough to avoid  which Alexis did, flashing the woman
a wry smirk as he stepped closer to Gage's side.
A nervous floor manager came dashing into the centre of their little fight circle, and Alexis, rolling his
eyes, put his fingertips to Gage's red cheek and snapped at the poor man, "Kindly escort this woman
out." He spoke with such authority, the manager's eyes quickly glancing over the hand-shaped print
on Gage's face, that he was quickly obeyed.
"Get your hands off me!" shrieked the hussy, despite the fact the manager had only bent to speak
quietly to her. Her unreasonable exclamation prompted the two security guards to close imposingly
into her personal space.
Turning to his lover, Alexis glared so fiercely that Gage winced. "You. With me. Now."
And he marched off toward one of the private salons in the back hallway of the hotel. He did not
check behind him if his lover followed for if Gage hadn't then he would go home and that would be
the damn end of that. He glowered distantly. Why, if Gage didn't follow, he would never speak to the
man again!
He snatched open the door of the first unmarked meeting room he found and held it open before
turning around. Gage had followed, trailing meekly into the room. The sharp flash of relief startled
him. Had this... been a sort of test? Was he really so uncertain? He couldn't think much on it because
in the next moment he knew
Gage had seen it.
Andra Sashner 68
Alexis quietly shut the door but couldn't quite let go of the handle yet, eyes falling to the wood
panelled wall of the small meeting room. A hand snaked past him and locked it, and only then was he
able to look up.
"You thought I would let you march off on your own," Gage murmured, much too near and too clever
for Alexis' peace of mind. His tone seemed sad, "I promised you, you know. You can trust me."
Eyes dropping to Gage's collar, Alexis mutely nodded, the fight going out of him and sudden fear
making him lose grasp of his anger.
"Elfling."
Alexis looked up, heeding the quiet request in his lover's voice.
"Are you angry with me?" Gage's hazel eyes were shadowed with uncertainty and hard with
determination. He looked and sounded prepared to have to argue his innocence.
"No," Alexis whispered, letting go of the doorknob and leaning back on the door. He sighed, brows
furrowing with pensive agitation, requesting, "Tell me she was before me."
Gage probably hadn't missed the plaintive touch to his voice because he relaxed suddenly, moving
forward and pinning Alexis to the door with his body. A hand rose to cup a cheek, a smile curved his
lips, "She was long before you." He sighed too, "She wasn't anything special. Nothing like what you
are to me."
"I... know," and Alexis was surprised he did. The truth of Gage's words shone through in his eyes, it
wasn't difficult to discern now. "I'm sorry for thinking that she was."
"Elfling," Gage murmured, hand stroking over Alexis' cheek, "You're only human to doubt." He rolled
his eyes, "Believe me, for a moment there as I spoke with her I was wondering back there if I would
have to deal with any of your past lovers."
"Is that what sidetracked you?" Alexis wryly asked.
"Hm," Gage distractedly responded, leaning closer, "Let's go with that reason."
Scowling, he accused, "Trickster."
Gage responded to that by pinning him harder against the door, the wood making a soft sound as it
settled a little harder into its frame.
Alexis glowered as he reached up to twine his arms around his lover's neck. "I have a nickname for
you, then. Loki."
Gage only smiled and bent his head to kiss Alexis silly.
--
Tiredly surrendering his keys to his lover, Alexis yawned as he followed into the apartment foyer.
Gage helped him out of his coat, hanging it beside his own on the row of hooks. He toed off his shoes
and put them away, and since he was bent over already, he put Gage's away as well.
Of Suits & Swords 69
He padded down the hall to the bedroom, Gage splitting off to head toward the kitchen. He put his
cufflinks and pin away, hung up his tie and belt. Fetching his sleeping clothes, he set them on the foot
of the bed before ambling back to the kitchen when he heard the kettle whistle. Covering his mouth
again as another yawn overtook him, he plopped into a stool at the kitchen bar table, making a
thankful noise when Gage set a cup of decaf tea before him, and leaned into the kiss pressed to his
temple.
Taking his own seat, hands curled around his cup, Gage asked, "Well?"
"Disappointing," Alexis murmured, taking a drink then propping his chin up on a palm. "He wanted a
merger. I was so surprised I didn't know what to say at first. He tried to pitch a few ideas at me in
between subtly reminding me I'm supposed to owe him for ruining the family business." He gave a
quiet snort and gulped a huge swallow of tea, "I think I was almost disdainful."
"I'm sorry."
"Not your fault." He shrugged and took a swallow of tea, "I was rather disappointed with him,
actually. I told him what I told you, that I couldn't afford the merge. And then I... well I suddenly said I
hadn't thought he would show weakness to me since he thought me to be such an ungrateful son."
Gage tensed, brows furrowing.
Waving a dismissive hand, "I wasn't thinking before I spoke that last bit, the words sort of... popped
out. But then you know what he said? That family are about the only people you can be yourself
with." He took a thoughtful drink of his tea then slowly said, "He didn't say anything for the longest [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]