Fic: Feelings Are Good And Other Lies pt.2
Title: Feelings Are Good And Other Lies pt.2
Please see Master Post for fic details.
Jensen sighed and pushed his fingers into his temples trying to force back the headache that had been threatening since about five minutes after walking through the front door of his father’s home. He sighed, letting his eyes fall closed, and yet the day had started so well.
Of course any day when he could wake up with Jared at his side started well, add getting laid into the mix and it was fantastic.
Grinning like an idiot, his eyes fluttered open and he stared, unseeing, down at his desk. It was hard to believe that not six months earlier that he didn’t even know who Jared Zajak was. Hell, he didn’t even know that Jared had been hired as head of security for the hotel when he first met him in one of the gay bars off the strip. At the time, he was just some good-looking guy that Jensen spotted and wanted.
Turned out Jared wasn’t that easy. He was at the bar but he wasn’t looking for a hook up, instead was simply out for the evening because he was new to Vegas and didn’t know anyone. Instead of dragging him home, which had been Jensen’s first intention, they had ended up at an all night dinner just down the block from the club, talking and laughing and getting to know each other.
It was the beginning of the end for Jensen.
They exchanged cell numbers as the sun was coming up both promising to call and Jensen had been hoping that that was what would happen. At the end of day two since he had first laid eyes on Jared, he had been fiddling with his cell trying to get up his courage to call Jared when Jared beat it to him. They went for dinner the next night and shared their first kiss.
They met the next evening and the next, Jensen taking Jared to different less known but just as good restaurants for dinner each time. And then the following Friday they had gone back to the club they had first met at. It was that night that he learned what Jared was doing for a living and where when he finally convinced him that Jared really needed to come home with him.
His first thought had been to call the whole thing off because Jensen was the boss and Jared was an employee but he hadn’t known that when they had started seeing each other. And he liked Jared. Jared was funny and sweet and considerate. Like the fact that he hadn’t pressed for any type of details about Jensen’s life when they had gone through the “getting to know each other” phase of things. When Jensen had told him that he ran one of the casinos, Jared has simply relied that he worked as security at one. When Jensen told him that it was just him and his father after his mother had died from complications due to ovarian cancer Jared had given a soft understanding smile and let him know that his parents had both died in a car accident when he was fourteen leaving him alone save for an uncle that raised him. Jared could have pressed for more because Jensen knew when he had mentioned his father that his whole attitude had changed, had seen the questions flashing through Jared’s multi-colored eyes but he had kept them to himself. He never pushed or pried, he simply took what Jensen was willing to give of himself and shared back, never expecting or asking for more.
It was the first time in a long time that Jensen felt that someone was interested in him for something other than what he might be able to do for him.
Jared even managed to get through meeting Jensen’s father without deciding that it was just too much work to stick around. That right there, watching Jared navigate the thinly veiled threats, out and out accusations and slights to his character without so much as batting an eye is what decided it for Jensen. He had finally found someone who was willing to go through hell to be with him, that Jensen was worth the work and Jensen was going to spend the rest of his life with Jared.
A spike of pain made his eyes water as the phone on his desk trilled.
“Yes?” He managed to keep the growl from his voice but he couldn’t be bothered with the usual niceties, he head hurt and all he really wanted to do was go upstairs and curl up on the bed with Jared and sleep until his headache went away.
“Mr. Ackles could you please come down to reception. We have a slight problem.”
Jensen groaned, not caring that it carried down the phone to Sophia’s ear. The only time Sophia called him Mr. Ackles was when there was a problem and after the whole fiasco with Steve he really, really didn’t want to deal with anymore shit.
“Slight as in security slight?”
He knew better than to ask anything that required more than a yes or no answer. She wouldn’t get into it on the phone with him and he really didn’t want her to. If things were bad enough that she had already called for security, chances were that the situation was already volatile and there was a good chance that the guest causing the problem would lose patience in the time it took her to explain everything over the phone to him in the first place. Best to just go down to hotel reception, take in the situation and learn everything with the guest before him.
“No sir.”
Well that was good. If security wasn’t involved it couldn’t be that much of a problem. Probably someone just wanting to complain about the total on their bill or house cleaning or something equally mundane, hoping for a discount.
“I’m on my way.”
Of course on the other hand, not needing security meant that chances were that Jared would be nowhere to be found. And even though they had agreed long ago when they first realized that Jared was technically one of Jensen’s employees that they wouldn’t act like anything more while working, it would go a long way to making Jensen feel better just by being able to be near Jared.
God, he was pathetic but he just couldn’t seem to raise any disgust with himself for it.
Jensen opened his door and stepped up behind Sophia forcing a smile for the disgruntled middle aged woman glaring across the counter at them, a throng of seniors milling around behind her.
Great, just what he needed. Someone gearing up to complain about God knew what just as the senior group was finally getting there. He had spent weeks on the phone with the events organizer for Spring Hills Retirement Home in Mesquite working out the details for them to stay at the hotel and promising that the residents would have a wonderful time only to have them have to see this. This was not what he meant when he promised there would be many interesting things to see and do without having to step foot into the casino proper.
“Hello.” He stepped around Sophia, letting his one hand drop underneath the counter and curled his fingers into hers giving a quick reassuring squeeze before shifting away. “My name is Jensen Ackles and I’m the General Manager of the Wild Aces. How can I help you?”
The woman huffed out a breath, “You’re Jensen Ackles? You sounded a lot older on the phone.” She stabbed an index finger down on a paper laying on the reception desk. “You promised us fifteen rooms and she’s telling us that we’re only booked for fourteen.”
Jensen felt his smile flicker; he was so tired of getting this kind of response from people he dealt with over the phone. Yes, he was only thirty-one but that didn’t change the fact that he knew his job, he knew how to run a casino and hotel, hell he had cut his teeth sitting on his father’s lap in the very office he now occupied. Forcing his smile steady, he reached across the desk to offer his hand, “Ms. Armand? It’s a pleasure to finally meet you and I must say you are just as beautiful as I thought you would be.”
The woman’s whole demeanor changed as she took his hand and gave it a lingering shake as a blush stained her plump cheeks. “Thank you.”
It wasn’t really a lie, for a middle-aged woman who maybe was carrying a few more pounds than was healthy she was beautiful. He could just image what she must have looked like in her prime, wavy auburn hair and dark brown eyes and from the laugh lines around her mouth she liked to smile and it did light up her whole face. Gay or not, he could appreciate beauty when he saw it and wasn’t above mentioning it, especially when it helped diffuse a situation. It might have been an underhanded, sneaky thing to do but if it got the guests to focus on something other than their anger then he was all for it. Of course in this particular situation it helped that she didn’t seem to have a companion with her, sometimes men didn’t take their wives or girlfriends being complimented well even if it was a backhanded compliment to them too. After all, if a beautiful woman was with him then he should appreciate it and be happy it was him the woman had chosen.
“So,” he stepped back and moved around Sophia so he could look at the computer screen. “A booking problem. Well that’s easy enough to take care of.”
He tapped a few keys until he could pull up the rooms register and quickly scanned the screen doing the calculations in his head. When Ms. Armand had first contacted him looking for a break on room fees because they were going to need so many, Jensen was more than happy to work out a deal with her because the group wouldn’t be showing up until a month after the summer rush was over. It wasn’t that the hotel needed the guests; they were never at a point when room vacancy was a problem but booking groups was much easier during the few months between seasons then during.
Between the retirement group and regular guests, they didn’t have an empty standard room to assign but they did have enough deluxe rooms to upgrade the group. They’d lose a little more money but it would be a show of wanting to work with their guests not just take their money and when it was all said and done, word of mouth was still the best or worse form of advertising a business had. Get it out there that the Wild Aces was an accommodating hotel that was more concerned about happy guests verses money and there would be more business, needed or not.
“Here’s what we’ll do.” He smiled up at her as he stepped away from the computer. “We don’t have another free standard room but I’d like to offer all of your group the opportunity to take a deluxe room instead. No extra charge of course.”
She nodded, smiling, “That’s very generous of you.”
“Well I couldn’t very well expect that only two of your group get a better room while the others don’t. It was, after all, our mistake and it’s only right that the solution is fair.” He lifted his hand, motioning to Sophia. “Unfortunately it will take a little longer to get you all booked in now because of switching rooms but Sophia’s the best manager we’ve had and she’ll get you straightened out as quickly as possible.”
“Thank you.” She pushed the original print out of the details Jensen had emailed her months ago, across the desk to Sophia. “This is such a wonderful hotel.”
Jensen smiled and backed away, moving towards the door that led back to his office. “Have a great stay and welcome to the Wild Aces.”
“Thank you.” She nodded towards him again, only this time it was a little distracted and he knew he could slip away without seeming rude.
Well that was easy. He thought as he opened the door and disappeared back into the relative quiet of his office. The problem was actually something Sophia could have taken care of herself, she was the manager for reception, had been working for Wild Aces in reception since she had turned twenty-one and Jensen had mentioned to her that the hotel was in need of a night receptionist. She had worked her way up to where she was now and knew all the ins and outs. But he couldn’t fault her for bringing him into it. He was the one that had made the deal with the retirement home and would know if Ms. Armand had been trying to scam them or not, it wouldn’t be the first time a group booking had tried. After all, emails could be changed and how would Sophia know without him telling her?
Jensen settled into his chair with a sigh and pulled a thick file towards him. End of the month meant going through expenses before he sent the whole mess to the accountant. And even if his head was still throbbing and as much as he’d rather just go hide out with Jared in their suite, he knew he couldn’t. Jared’s work ethic was too strong and Jensen’s was the same no matter how many times he threatened to just walk away and let his father scrabble to work it out on his own.
With another sigh, he flipped open the file and started in on the invoices before him. Only another four hours and he’d be done for the day, Jared too, and then they would be free to hide from the real world for the night.
Jared didn’t mind his job, in fact he liked it. Not for the power, he didn’t need to validate himself by ordering around a bunch of guys and yelling at them when he was having a shitty day or refusing to work with them when they came asking for the odd day off or to switch shifts. He liked it because he had paid his dues working for people who had no right to be in charge of anything other than managing to roll out of bed in the mornings and get themselves ready for the day and in one particular case of a security manager who couldn’t seem to get out of bed early enough to have a shower, ever, maybe not even then. Power hungry assholes who got their jollies making those who were unfortunate enough to work beneath them, miserable and he knew better than to be like that. He didn’t want his guys scared of him, worried that if they didn’t jump when he called that they’d get fired. He wanted them to come running when he called because it was the right thing to do and they knew that he wouldn’t ask them for something if he didn’t need to.
But there were times he missed being just another one of the guys. He missed walking the floor and being a seen presence in the hotel or casino, making guests feel safe and those that had it in their heads to cause trouble to rethink their actions.
It was what chased him from the Security Office almost daily right around the same time every day. It had gotten to the point that when three-thirty rolled around that Christian would just grin at him and watch silently as Jared got up and left the room. Only asking when he returned a half hour later if Jared had enjoyed his walkabout.
That was why he was currently strolling through the rows of slot machines, technically he had no reason to be on the casino side but Christian had never said anything to him about it and Jared never stepped in to assist unless specifically requested to. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the easy quiet of the hotel side, he always walked the ground floor of it first, but there was something about the human noise of the casino that drew him. He liked to watch people, liked watching them interact with the casino employees and each other, liked to let his eyes wander and pick out potential problems to report back to Christian about when he got back to their room. He never really had to bother doing it, nine out of ten times Christian had already seen what he had but there was always a chance that he missed it, only seeing things through a camera feed and Jared wanted things to run smoothly. Not just because he was married to the heir to the Wild Aces but because he was friends with Christian and just wanted to help out. It wasn’t like Christian didn’t do the same for him.
As he rounded the end of a row of nickel machines, his eyes caught a glimpse of short blonde hair and familiar shoulders and he stumbled to a stop.
It wasn’t possible, not after eight years of keeping his head down. Jared had been certain that after eight years of bouncing from place to place, only staying, at most, a year and a half in any town that he would be safe in Las Vegas. He wouldn’t come here, they, didn’t come to Vegas, it was an unwritten rule and just wasn’t done.
And yet, no matter how much he tried to get his frozen legs to move, to get him away and out of sight, a part of him wanted the guy to turn around so Jared could see his face. He couldn’t just assume and run like a scared child, he needed to know, not so much for him but for Jensen.
He watched, breath caught in his throat and fear turning his stomach sour, as the blonde stepped back from the marquee board he had been perusing and glanced around the casino.
No. Please God no.
“Chad.”
The name was barely more than a breath of air slipping between slightly parted lips but as he watched the guy’s eyes, Chad’s eyes, skip over him and then suddenly dart back and widen as if Jared had yelled to get his attention.
His life was over. At least his life with Jensen was over. He’d have to leave, make a run for it and hope that when Chad told his brother that he’d seen Jared that Jeff would be too busy trying to track him down to try to look into if Jared had left anything, anyone, behind in Vegas.
“Well fuck me.”
All around Jared, heads turned at the sudden outburst and Jared tried to remain like there was nothing out of the ordinary going on because he knew Christian would have caught the mass movement on one of his monitors and would be zeroing in on it. He would see Jared, standing there with Chad moving quickly across the short span of space between them and Jared had to make it look like nothing was wrong because he couldn’t raise guys, or worse, coming himself, to see if Jared needed assistance.
He could not risk it.
Forcing a smile that he didn’t feel, Jared took a couple steps forward to meet Chad. It really didn’t get them that far away from the guests playing the nickel slots but hopefully it would be enough that their games would keep them deaf to anything else and those passing them to and from the various games, wouldn’t get stuck trying to move around them and hear anything.
“Jesus Jay.” Chad gave him a friendly slap on the arm and Jared reinforced his smile. “Fuck I’d given up hope of ever seeing you again.”
Everything’s okay Christian. Just stay in the office. Just stay there.
“Hey Chad.” The words hurt his suddenly dry throat but they had come out friendly enough and that was what mattered. After all, it wasn’t just Christian he was fooling here. “How you been man?”
Both eyebrows rose, “How have I been? Christ Jay, you say you’re going to bug out for a week to clear your head and you never come back and all you have to say is to ask how I’ve been? What the fuck?”
It wasn’t so much that Jared had forgotten that Chad was the type of guy that didn’t care what he said, at what level and how many people overheard and were insulted by it but he had hoped that age had, if not mellowed Chad, then, at least, taught him to use his brain to mouth filter. Obviously that wasn’t the case as his voice had steadily risen and he had added flapping his arms around in his frustration, which only made matters worse. Christian had to be just about ready to send in the reinforcements and then everything, every little lie, every little omission Jared had made while trying to build a life with Jensen would come crashing down a lot faster than he cared to think about.
“Come on.” Jared hissed through his teeth, brittle smile starting to make his cheeks hurt. “Walk with me.”
“Where we going?” He asked but fell into step beside Jared as he started heading towards the exit of the building.
There was nothing for it, Chad may not have commented on it, yet, but he had to have noticed that Jared was wearing a uniform with a crest for the casino on his breast pocket. “Chad I work here and I don’t need you making a spectacle of yourself where I work.”
His eyes narrowed, “You mean you don’t want anyone overhearing anything that might make you look bad.”
Jared nodded to Riley who was standing at the entrance to the casino as they past. “Same fucking difference.” He growled as the stepped into the late afternoon sunshine and took the stairs down to the main drive two at a time.
He refused to speak until they were across the driveway and standing under the shade of one of the palm trees in the courtyard surrounded by the circular driveway of the hotel.
“Okay spill.” He hissed, letting the smile finally drop from his face and glared at the guy who used to be his best friend. “What are you doing here? Did Jeff send you and why?”
Chad took a step back and eyed him. “I’m here on my own.”
“Why?” He demanded, fighting down the urge to grab him by the shoulders and give him a good shake.
It wasn’t always like that. Once upon a time he and Chad had been tight, the best of friends, they had known each other practically their whole lives but that had been before. Before Jared had had enough, before looking at his older brother had made him want to shoot him, before he had decided to try to make something of himself other than what his father’s legacy had fated him to be. And now Chad was just a reminder of someone he wasn’t anymore from a life he couldn’t admit to and Jared just didn’t know where Chad’s loyalties laid.
“Can’t a guy take a vacation?” He snapped back, “Jesus Jared can’t you just be happy to see me? Fuck, we used to be friends.”
He sighed hard and ran a hand roughly through his hair. Chad sounded and looked genuinely hurt and as much as Jared rather forget about his past, it didn’t mean that he had to be an asshole. Even if Chad showing up had just ruined Jared’s life. Chad couldn’t know that and if he was telling the truth then it was just more proof that Jared wasn’t allowed to have anything good in his life, sins of the father after all.
“I know, I know.” He muttered, “I’m sorry okay. You just took me by surprise.”
“Yeah, well same here butt munch.”
That started a laugh out of him, “Butt munch? That’s mature.”
Chad waved a hand and took a step closer, “Whatever. Now you gonna answer my question? This where you’ve been hiding out for the last eight years? And is he worth it?”
Jared’s heart stopped, what did Chad know? What could he know? “Is who worth it?” He managed.
He gestured towards Jared’s hand and the wedding band that felt heavy on his finger for the first time. “Whoever Mr. Padalecki is.”
His chest ached as his heart lurched back into action, Chad didn’t know whom Jared was married to, only that he must be married because he saw his ring. That was good, he could work with that. “That,” he waved his left hand briefly, “Only just happened recently. Before that, I was traveling here and there. Never really stayed in one place for very long.”
He nodded and gave him a speculative look, “That would explain why Jeff only ever caught rumors about this guy or that guy seeing you. By the time one of us got to where you were supposed to be, you’d be gone.”
He shrugged, “Didn’t want to be found. I’m done with that shit Chad. I just want to live my life as my own but you know my brother.” He dug his toe into the soft grass not caring how it scuffed the leather of his shoe because he wouldn’t be needing them for much longer. “Jeff would have just dragged me back in. Used the family loyalty card and told me how it wasn’t safe on my own.”
“He’s kind of right.” Chad tilted his head and squinted up at him, “You gonna come home now that I’ve seen you? I kind of miss…” he grunted and shook his head. “Our lives are what they are and yeah there’s lots of shit involved…”
Jared snorted and Chad grinned, “Okay bucket loads of shit involved but you and me? It made things easier to face, at least for me.”
He was used to carrying around guilt, no one could lie as much as he did just to become somebody else and not feel guilt, not of they had any kind of conscience. But this was a whole new layer because Chad was right. They had been best friends and when Jared decided to run he hadn’t even considered asking Chad if he would start over with him. A part of him wondered if he would have, given the choice to leave that life behind, if Chad would have given up the booze and the girls and the shady deals that he liked a little too damn much but Jared brushed the thought aside. It was a moot point and learning the answer wouldn’t change anything now.
“Besides you got someone else to think about now and it ain’t safe for him anymore than it is for you now.”
It was a close call by Jared managed not to grab Chad by his shirt and demand just what the hell he meant by that. Las Vegas may not be the size of somewhere like L.A. but it was safe enough since the families never came there. Or it had been until Chad had shown up. Still, he had to play this cool if he didn’t want to raise Chad’s suspicions, “Do me a favor?” He swallowed, knowing he was lying to the one person who used to be able to tell right away when Jared was trying to bullshit him. “I know that you’re going to call Jeff but give me a day first to consider my options okay?”
He crossed his arms over his chest, “What’s in it for me other than a world of hurt if your brother ever finds out that I held out on him?”
Nothing, there wasn’t a single damn thing that Jared could offer him but he had one chance, no matter how slim it was. “Because you’re my best friend.” He reached out and squeezed Chad’s arm, the warmth from his bare skin doing nothing to warm Jared’s cold blood up. “And hey, we’re the only two that know you’ve seen me.”
Chad opened his mouth, probably to protest but Jared hurried on. “And if I do decide to go back, I ain’t going to be the one to tell Jeff any different.”
He scratched through his short-cropped hair and chewed on his bottom lip for a long moment. Jared was almost sure Chad was going to deny him this one thing, resentment over losing his best friend by Jared’s own design, outweighing any loyalty he might still be harboring.
“One day.” He finally muttered, “But if I don’t see you at my motel by this time tomorrow I’m calling Jeff.”
Jared nodded quickly, he would agree to anything at that point. “Fair enough. Where are you staying?”
“Farley Motor Inn at the edge of town.”
He had a vague memory of seeing the place as he had driven into town almost seven months earlier. At the time he had briefly considered staying there but only briefly, even being on the run from his own family didn’t make him desperate enough to stay there. But it wasn’t surprising that Chad was there, he liked no tell motels, the perfect place for someone who wanted to get in and get out without being really seen as anything but a couple of dollars passed over a counter.
Hooking a thumb over his shoulder, Jared motioned back towards the casino, “I got to get back to work before they come looking for me.”
“Yeah.” Chad grinned, “Gotta keep the boss happy if you want to keep your job.”
A little jolt ran through him but he managed to keep the shock out of his face. Of course Chad didn’t know that he was head of security, to anyone other than the other employees he was just another guard wandering around the building. It was the way that Jensen, and before him Alan, had wanted it. Keep their managers anonymous that way if anything, God forbid an idiot with a gun, happened, they wouldn’t stand out as the perfect hostages or, worse, shields.
He was insanely pleased by the logic now, “Yeah.”
Jared stared backing up, still worried that Chad would follow and please when he seemed content to just stand and watch him go. “Remember twenty-four hours or I call Jeff.”
He forced a lopsided grin, “Got it.”
He wouldn’t need twenty-four hours and by the time Chad called Jeff, Jared would be long gone. His only hope was that there was no way that he could be connected with Jensen when he wouldn’t be around to protect him.
Jared wasn’t really surprised when he walked back through wide open doors welcoming one and all into the casino to find Christian leaning up against the wall just out of sight of the entrance. He’d been hoping that Christian’s curiosity hadn’t been peaked to the point where he would come looking, but wasn’t really all that surprised.
“Who’s covering the monitors?” He asked, pausing only long enough to make eye contact before he started weaving his way through the crowd of gamblers and onlookers.
Christian fell instep beside him, “Scott from your team.”
He nodded silently, mind racing wondering what Christian might have seen, or God forbid, gotten to the floor before he and Chad had left the casino and heard.
“So you going to make me ask?”
Jared shrugged, not bothering to look over at him. “Just a guy I used to know.”
“Know?”
And this time he did glance over, not liking the speculative tone of Christian’s voice. Christian was keeping one eye on him and one on where they were going and one eyebrow was raised over his narrowed eyes. “Or know know?”
His chest constricted and it hurt to draw a breath. What had Christian heard? In his head he could hear the echo of cracks starting to spider web out from the Chad shaped scar in his house of cards. “What?”
There was no choice, he was going to have to play dumb and find out what Christian knew or thought he knew and hope that whatever it was, Jared could gloss over it so he could get to Jensen. Get to Jensen without Christian on his heels.
“You know.” He huffed and then rolled his eyes when Jared remained silent. “Like you know Jensen.” He muttered, voice lower than before making Jared tilt his head down just to catch the words.
It took a second for what Christian was referring to, to sink in but when it did he burst out laughing, relief that that was what his friend was worried about making Jared giddy. “No.” He shook his head and swallowed down another spat of laughter as they walked behind the hotel reception desk and Sophia raised a questioning eyebrow at them while waiting for a new guest to hand over his credit card.
“Chad,” he started as he used his key card to unlock the employee door behind the desk and pulled it open. “Is as much of as tits and ass man as you are.” He waved Christian through the opening first before quickly following. “The only dick he has any interest in seeing or touching is his own.”
“So then he’s just someone you knew from school?”
It didn’t bother him that Christian seemed to be intent on interrogating him, the first rule he learnt when reinventing himself was to keep his story simple. No embellishing or adding wild tales of teenage stupidity or anything else that might come back to bite him in the ass later so he only ever related pertinent facts, some true, some not. Christian wanting to know more was a normal reaction when trying to fill the holes that Jared himself had left.
“Chad and I have known each other pretty much all our lives.” Truth. He shrugged and stood back while Christian unlocked and opened the Security office door. “When my parents were killed in that wreck and I moved to stay with my uncle, we lost touch.” Lie.
But that lie was okay, the part about losing touch with Chad was a new twist but about his parents being killed in a car crash was an ingrained part of the story he’d been telling for eight years.
“Huh.” Christian settled into his chair, “He didn’t look all that happy to see you.”
Jared shrugged again, “Pissed I wouldn’t go with him to catch up.” Sort of the truth and sort of not but it would do for now. “Guess he hasn’t really grown up,” which by the way it looked to Jared was the truth.
He sat back in his own chair but kept his eyes pinned to Christian. Second rule of lying; do not let your eyes wander. “Didn’t get that I just couldn’t brush off the rest of my shift.”
He nodded slowly, “You should bring him around, meet the husband and the new friends.”
Jared wasn’t sure if Christian was generally interested or if his suspicions had been raised because Jared had taken Chad outside to finish their conversation but it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be around long enough for Christian to keep pressing the issue.
“Yeah.” His lips twitched into a smile that hurt. “Saturday night sound good to you?”
“Don’t you think you should ask Jensen first?” He suddenly grinned, obviously accepting things at face value, finally. “Or you trying to see if you can fit on that couch upstairs.”
This was easy, normal. “Told you, Jensen won’t kick me out of bed. He likes my cock too much.”
“TMI!” Christian howled, “Jesus Christ Jared! What have I told you? TMI!”
Jared bent double, laughing at the scandalized look on his friend’s face but couldn’t help touching his cell, clipped to his belt at the same time, and ice slipped down his spine, his laugh becoming forced. Turned out he was going to have to take Alan up on his offer after all.
Jensen rolled his eyes as he reached out and snagged Jared’s discarded suit and dress shirt from the immaculately made bed. Obviously his husband had come into the suite, changed out of the suit he wore to breakfast and tossed on his work clothes, just leaving the pile on the bed heedless of the wrinkles that would mar the fabric. It should annoy Jensen, not that he was perfect but it seemed like he was always taking the time to either hang his clothes back up or set them in the hamper for the maid to take down to laundry. But that wasn’t Jared’s way, clothes to him were just that, clothes no matter the make or the material or the cost, he had to wear them and once he was done with whatever he had donned for the day, he just tossed them aside leaving Jensen to pick up after him. It should have gotten under his skin and maybe it would eventually but for now, to Jensen, it was just a little quirk of Jared’s and he kind of found it endearing.
Jesus, he was becoming a sap.
Stepping into their walk-in closet, Jensen let the clothes in his hand drop into the hamper before pulling off his own suit jacket and laying it across the top of it. His suit, other than the shirt, had survived the day so as long as he hung it up; it would be fine to wear again before he sent it out for dry cleaning.
Toeing off his shoes, Jensen doesn’t waste any time stripping off his pants and socks, socks left on the floor and pants added to the jacket on top of the hamper, before pulling at the buttons of his shirt. Sighing in relief as he slipped the material from his shoulders and let it drop to the floor.
Even this little thing, shucking his suit helps ease the tension that’s been riding his shoulders all day, the throbbing in his temples tapering off some. The day had been too long, first breakfast with his father then Steve’s mini-meltdown and Jensen consequently having to talk him down from committing murder one or, at the very least, being charged with uttering threats with a dangerous weapon. Then the fiasco with the retirement home and not enough rooms being booked and then finally wading through the sheer amount of expense reports had pretty much wiped him out. There were days when it seemed like anything that could go wrong would and it didn’t seem worth sticking around for anymore.
It’s not like Jensen had to work, years of exuberant allowances as a child and then squirreling away most of his paychecks had left him with one hell of a nest egg. But until recently, he had no reason to buck the status quo, work was pretty much all he had other than the occasional night out with friends and the even less occasional hook-up. But that was all changed now because of Jared. Jared was the one that managed to see past his reluctance, thanks to his father running or buying off all possible suitors, and had pulled him out of his self-induced shell. Jared made him stop and think about what he was doing, instead of just doing it because it was what was expected of him, by his father, by his friends.
Would it really be so bad if they just said, “screw this” and left?
His chest tightened at the thought, the ingrained need to keep things working, keep the hotel and casino making money, keep making his dad happy making his hands shake. What if his dad couldn’t handle things on his own anymore? Sure Jensen was pissed with the old man but that was pretty much his default setting since his dad had invited Marta into their home and into their lives when he was just a little kid and it hadn’t changed once she was gone. But that didn’t mean that he wanted his dad to fail or to lose all that he had worked for.
Still the thought of just leaving it all behind and starting over somewhere else, some small town, maybe back in Texas where Jared hailed from and Jensen still had family, and not have to deal with the madness of Las Vegas was a tempting thought. Just him and Jared, a little house, maybe a couple dogs and…well what the hell ever they wanted to do with the rest of their lives.
The elevator dinged out in the main room as Jensen slipped the pants over the bottom wire of the hanger, slapping the creases out of the folded over material before reaching for his jacket.
“Jen?”
“In the bedroom.” He called back as he settled the jacket on the hanger and hung it back over the metal bar. He was smiling as he walked out into the bedroom but it faltered when he caught sight of Jared standing in the door, his face pinched.
“Jared? What’s wrong?” He started across the room, fear warring with anger in his mind. “Don’t tell me my dad called you and spewed more of his shit did he?”
It was a valid question; it wouldn’t surprise Jensen if his old man had. It just seemed like something he was liable to do.
Jared met him halfway, cupped his face in his hands and pressed his lips against Jensen’s, hard and demanding.
There was something going on, something that he needed to know about, he damn well knew it but it was hard to pull away from Jared when he was plundering Jensen’s mouth like that. Wrapping his hands around Jared’s upper arms, he let Jared walk him backwards towards the bed and let out a surprised huff when he was pushed backwards, back hitting the bed and his whole body bouncing.
“What’s gotten into you?” He narrowed his eyes but it didn’t stop him from trying to wiggle farther up the bed.
“Where you going?” Jared demanded, taking him by the ankle and pulling back to the edge of the bed, not stopping until Jensen’s ass was balanced precariously on the edge.
Raising an eyebrow in amusement, he watched Jared pull off his blazer and tug at his tie until he could slip the loop over his head. “Nowhere apparently.”
“Bet your ass nowhere.” He growled as he worked on getting buttons on his shirt free, losing a couple in his haste before pulling it off his shoulders and shaking his arms until it worked free and dropped to the ground to join his jacket.
“Jay?” Jensen’s breath caught in his throat as Jared dropped between his knees and curled his fingers under the elastic band of his boxers. “Jared what is it?”
He wanted to wiggle away, the look in Jared’s eyes a little wild making warning flags pop up in his head. But the thought was brief, there and gone, as Jared tore Jensen’s boxers down his legs and tossed them over his shoulder, stretching up to breath moist, hot air across Jensen’s quickly hardening cock.
“Been thinking about this all day.” Jared husked and Jensen whimpered as his lips brushed across the head of his dick.
“Well what are you waiting for then?” He was trying for snarky but already his breath was labored and the words came out more of a plea.
Jared straightened up on his knees, smirk at him, slid his hands under Jensen’s thighs and without a warning, flipped Jensen onto his stomach.
“Oh God.” He moaned into the comforter, already knowing what was coming and his hips ground down into the mattress beneath him.
He chuckled again, the sound pressed into Jensen’s right ass cheek as he dragged his lips down it before Jensen felt Jared’s hands on his ass pulling him open.
The first touch of Jared’s tongue made his body jerk and he bit into the comforter beneath his mouth, trying to keep the sounds that wanted to pour out of his lips hidden.
Jared ran the flat of his tongue over the puckered skin before pulling back, “Come on Jen. I wanna hear you.”
Jensen lifted his head only far enough to clear it from the blankets and curled his hands into the thick material. “Jay, please.” He begged, “Please, please, please.”
“Better.” Jared huffed before lowering his head again.
He gasped as the slick muscle pushed past the tight ring of his entrance and humped his hips backwards; waiting more, waiting everything, everything that Jared would give him.
“Oh God,” he panted, shivers running up and down his spine as Jared worked his tongue in and out, alternating between shoving in and flicks with the tip against the quivering muscle.
“More.” He hissed, “Please Jay, more.”
He was rewarded with one of Jared’s long fingers sliding in alongside his tongue and Jensen shoved his ass backwards, wanting more.
“Fuck.” He groaned and humped his hips down, trying to get some relief for his aching cock. “Is good.”
His tongue slipped free but before he could protest Jared slipped two fingers into him and started mouthing along the curve of one ass cheek.
“You drive me crazy.” Jared voice was just loud enough to reach Jensen’s ears.
He whined and alternated between bucking back into Jared’s fingers and grinding down into the mattress.
“So fucking crazy all the time.” He lapped around his fingers, “Always gonna.”
Fingers pressed into Jensen’s prostate and a yell ripped from his throat. “More.” He wanted to still his hips, knew how desperate he must look but his body had other plans. He was so close, it wouldn’t take much more of Jared tormenting him with his fingers and tongue and he would come and that’s all that mattered at that moment.
“Nuh huh.” Jared’s fingers pulled free and cool air replaced the heat of his breath. “Not yet.” His body settled over Jensen’s and he could feel the head of Jared’s cock pressing against his hole.
Slowly he pressed in, Jensen’s body still loose from the morning, giving easily at the push. He went up on his toes, tilting his hips and ass higher, trying to get Jared in as far as possible. “Yes.” He hissed and wiggled his hips, “Come on Jared, fuck me. Come on.”
Whatever was driving Jared kept him from taking his time to drive Jensen crazy. Instead of pushing in slowly, his hips jerked sharply and he thrusted in in one long drive pushing the breath out of Jensen’s lungs.
It didn’t hurt, in fact felt damn good. Usually Jared was so concerned about making sure that Jensen was okay that by the time they got to this part he was ready to either strangle Jared or flip them and take his own pleasure out on his husband’s body.
He keened deep in his chest as Jared automatically pulled out before shoving back in, settling into a brutal pace.
“Yes, yes, yes.” The words were punched out of Jensen with every one of Jared’s thrusts in and he reached back to grip Jared’s hip. “Feel good Jay.”
“You feel good.” Jared groaned into his ear before licking a line down his neck.
Jensen let his forehead drop to the mattress beneath him and let the motion of Jared’s hips drive his own cock back and forth against the bed.
“Gonna remember this, always gonna remember this.” Jared pressed into the thin skin at the back of his neck. “How good you feel. How much I love you.”
Something about the words didn’t sound right but Jensen couldn’t follow the thought. His body sparking and his balls tingling as he raced towards his orgasm.
He keened again and the fingers around Jared’s hip tightened into a bruising grip as he slipped over the edge.
Vaguely he heard Jared groan his name as his body stilled above him before he jerked hard against him and Jensen felt wet heat fill him.
Jensen’s eyes slid shut as he rode out the aftershocks, jolting each time Jared’s cock inside him twitched sending an electric shock through Jensen.
It took a while but just as his heartbeat was returning to normal, Jared heaved himself up on his arms with a groan and pulled back, slipping free.
“I could sleep for a week.” He mumbled, dropping forward to lay beside Jensen.
Jensen forced his eyes open and turned his head so he could look over at Jared. “Feel better?”
Jared smiled, not his usual dimples on display post orgasmic grin but it was an improvement over the look of desperation that he had been sporting when Jensen had first seen him at the door. “’M tired.”
It wasn’t the answer Jensen was looking for, in fact it wasn’t an answer at all but before he could ask what was going on, he yawned.
“You too it seems.” Jared pushed closer and pressed their lips together. “After sex nap?”
He wanted to argue because he wanted to know what was wrong but Jared was right, he was tired and a nap sounded damn good. “Yeah.”
Forcing himself up on his hands and knees, Jensen crawled to the head of the bed and pulled at the covers. It was nice to have housekeeping come in and tidy up but there were times, like these, when he wished they would just leave the bed a mess. It would make crawling into it easier when his limbs were heavy and lassitude was pushing him down.
“Ha!” He crowed but the victory lacked any real heat when he was having problems keeping his eyes open. If the truth were to be told, he had spent most of the night awake worrying about what his father would say or do during their breakfast meeting and add Jared getting him up at the ungodly hour of six am and he was more than ready for a nice long nap.
Sliding between the sheets on his side, Jensen waited until Jared had curled around him from behind before settling the blankets over them.
His stomach gave a small rumble but it was easily ignored. They could have dinner later, there was no rush, wasn’t like there wasn’t a kitchen full of staff just a few floors down. There was also the added bonus that maybe once Jared had had a nap and his stomach was full, he’d be more inclined to tell Jensen what was wrong.
“Love you.”
Jared’s arm tightened around his waist, “Love you.”
Jensen smiled, he was warm and sated and had Jared curled around him. There wasn’t anything else he needed.
The smile lingered long after he had fallen to sleep.
Part Three
Please see Master Post for fic details.
Jensen sighed and pushed his fingers into his temples trying to force back the headache that had been threatening since about five minutes after walking through the front door of his father’s home. He sighed, letting his eyes fall closed, and yet the day had started so well.
Of course any day when he could wake up with Jared at his side started well, add getting laid into the mix and it was fantastic.
Grinning like an idiot, his eyes fluttered open and he stared, unseeing, down at his desk. It was hard to believe that not six months earlier that he didn’t even know who Jared Zajak was. Hell, he didn’t even know that Jared had been hired as head of security for the hotel when he first met him in one of the gay bars off the strip. At the time, he was just some good-looking guy that Jensen spotted and wanted.
Turned out Jared wasn’t that easy. He was at the bar but he wasn’t looking for a hook up, instead was simply out for the evening because he was new to Vegas and didn’t know anyone. Instead of dragging him home, which had been Jensen’s first intention, they had ended up at an all night dinner just down the block from the club, talking and laughing and getting to know each other.
It was the beginning of the end for Jensen.
They exchanged cell numbers as the sun was coming up both promising to call and Jensen had been hoping that that was what would happen. At the end of day two since he had first laid eyes on Jared, he had been fiddling with his cell trying to get up his courage to call Jared when Jared beat it to him. They went for dinner the next night and shared their first kiss.
They met the next evening and the next, Jensen taking Jared to different less known but just as good restaurants for dinner each time. And then the following Friday they had gone back to the club they had first met at. It was that night that he learned what Jared was doing for a living and where when he finally convinced him that Jared really needed to come home with him.
His first thought had been to call the whole thing off because Jensen was the boss and Jared was an employee but he hadn’t known that when they had started seeing each other. And he liked Jared. Jared was funny and sweet and considerate. Like the fact that he hadn’t pressed for any type of details about Jensen’s life when they had gone through the “getting to know each other” phase of things. When Jensen had told him that he ran one of the casinos, Jared has simply relied that he worked as security at one. When Jensen told him that it was just him and his father after his mother had died from complications due to ovarian cancer Jared had given a soft understanding smile and let him know that his parents had both died in a car accident when he was fourteen leaving him alone save for an uncle that raised him. Jared could have pressed for more because Jensen knew when he had mentioned his father that his whole attitude had changed, had seen the questions flashing through Jared’s multi-colored eyes but he had kept them to himself. He never pushed or pried, he simply took what Jensen was willing to give of himself and shared back, never expecting or asking for more.
It was the first time in a long time that Jensen felt that someone was interested in him for something other than what he might be able to do for him.
Jared even managed to get through meeting Jensen’s father without deciding that it was just too much work to stick around. That right there, watching Jared navigate the thinly veiled threats, out and out accusations and slights to his character without so much as batting an eye is what decided it for Jensen. He had finally found someone who was willing to go through hell to be with him, that Jensen was worth the work and Jensen was going to spend the rest of his life with Jared.
A spike of pain made his eyes water as the phone on his desk trilled.
“Yes?” He managed to keep the growl from his voice but he couldn’t be bothered with the usual niceties, he head hurt and all he really wanted to do was go upstairs and curl up on the bed with Jared and sleep until his headache went away.
“Mr. Ackles could you please come down to reception. We have a slight problem.”
Jensen groaned, not caring that it carried down the phone to Sophia’s ear. The only time Sophia called him Mr. Ackles was when there was a problem and after the whole fiasco with Steve he really, really didn’t want to deal with anymore shit.
“Slight as in security slight?”
He knew better than to ask anything that required more than a yes or no answer. She wouldn’t get into it on the phone with him and he really didn’t want her to. If things were bad enough that she had already called for security, chances were that the situation was already volatile and there was a good chance that the guest causing the problem would lose patience in the time it took her to explain everything over the phone to him in the first place. Best to just go down to hotel reception, take in the situation and learn everything with the guest before him.
“No sir.”
Well that was good. If security wasn’t involved it couldn’t be that much of a problem. Probably someone just wanting to complain about the total on their bill or house cleaning or something equally mundane, hoping for a discount.
“I’m on my way.”
Of course on the other hand, not needing security meant that chances were that Jared would be nowhere to be found. And even though they had agreed long ago when they first realized that Jared was technically one of Jensen’s employees that they wouldn’t act like anything more while working, it would go a long way to making Jensen feel better just by being able to be near Jared.
God, he was pathetic but he just couldn’t seem to raise any disgust with himself for it.
Jensen opened his door and stepped up behind Sophia forcing a smile for the disgruntled middle aged woman glaring across the counter at them, a throng of seniors milling around behind her.
Great, just what he needed. Someone gearing up to complain about God knew what just as the senior group was finally getting there. He had spent weeks on the phone with the events organizer for Spring Hills Retirement Home in Mesquite working out the details for them to stay at the hotel and promising that the residents would have a wonderful time only to have them have to see this. This was not what he meant when he promised there would be many interesting things to see and do without having to step foot into the casino proper.
“Hello.” He stepped around Sophia, letting his one hand drop underneath the counter and curled his fingers into hers giving a quick reassuring squeeze before shifting away. “My name is Jensen Ackles and I’m the General Manager of the Wild Aces. How can I help you?”
The woman huffed out a breath, “You’re Jensen Ackles? You sounded a lot older on the phone.” She stabbed an index finger down on a paper laying on the reception desk. “You promised us fifteen rooms and she’s telling us that we’re only booked for fourteen.”
Jensen felt his smile flicker; he was so tired of getting this kind of response from people he dealt with over the phone. Yes, he was only thirty-one but that didn’t change the fact that he knew his job, he knew how to run a casino and hotel, hell he had cut his teeth sitting on his father’s lap in the very office he now occupied. Forcing his smile steady, he reached across the desk to offer his hand, “Ms. Armand? It’s a pleasure to finally meet you and I must say you are just as beautiful as I thought you would be.”
The woman’s whole demeanor changed as she took his hand and gave it a lingering shake as a blush stained her plump cheeks. “Thank you.”
It wasn’t really a lie, for a middle-aged woman who maybe was carrying a few more pounds than was healthy she was beautiful. He could just image what she must have looked like in her prime, wavy auburn hair and dark brown eyes and from the laugh lines around her mouth she liked to smile and it did light up her whole face. Gay or not, he could appreciate beauty when he saw it and wasn’t above mentioning it, especially when it helped diffuse a situation. It might have been an underhanded, sneaky thing to do but if it got the guests to focus on something other than their anger then he was all for it. Of course in this particular situation it helped that she didn’t seem to have a companion with her, sometimes men didn’t take their wives or girlfriends being complimented well even if it was a backhanded compliment to them too. After all, if a beautiful woman was with him then he should appreciate it and be happy it was him the woman had chosen.
“So,” he stepped back and moved around Sophia so he could look at the computer screen. “A booking problem. Well that’s easy enough to take care of.”
He tapped a few keys until he could pull up the rooms register and quickly scanned the screen doing the calculations in his head. When Ms. Armand had first contacted him looking for a break on room fees because they were going to need so many, Jensen was more than happy to work out a deal with her because the group wouldn’t be showing up until a month after the summer rush was over. It wasn’t that the hotel needed the guests; they were never at a point when room vacancy was a problem but booking groups was much easier during the few months between seasons then during.
Between the retirement group and regular guests, they didn’t have an empty standard room to assign but they did have enough deluxe rooms to upgrade the group. They’d lose a little more money but it would be a show of wanting to work with their guests not just take their money and when it was all said and done, word of mouth was still the best or worse form of advertising a business had. Get it out there that the Wild Aces was an accommodating hotel that was more concerned about happy guests verses money and there would be more business, needed or not.
“Here’s what we’ll do.” He smiled up at her as he stepped away from the computer. “We don’t have another free standard room but I’d like to offer all of your group the opportunity to take a deluxe room instead. No extra charge of course.”
She nodded, smiling, “That’s very generous of you.”
“Well I couldn’t very well expect that only two of your group get a better room while the others don’t. It was, after all, our mistake and it’s only right that the solution is fair.” He lifted his hand, motioning to Sophia. “Unfortunately it will take a little longer to get you all booked in now because of switching rooms but Sophia’s the best manager we’ve had and she’ll get you straightened out as quickly as possible.”
“Thank you.” She pushed the original print out of the details Jensen had emailed her months ago, across the desk to Sophia. “This is such a wonderful hotel.”
Jensen smiled and backed away, moving towards the door that led back to his office. “Have a great stay and welcome to the Wild Aces.”
“Thank you.” She nodded towards him again, only this time it was a little distracted and he knew he could slip away without seeming rude.
Well that was easy. He thought as he opened the door and disappeared back into the relative quiet of his office. The problem was actually something Sophia could have taken care of herself, she was the manager for reception, had been working for Wild Aces in reception since she had turned twenty-one and Jensen had mentioned to her that the hotel was in need of a night receptionist. She had worked her way up to where she was now and knew all the ins and outs. But he couldn’t fault her for bringing him into it. He was the one that had made the deal with the retirement home and would know if Ms. Armand had been trying to scam them or not, it wouldn’t be the first time a group booking had tried. After all, emails could be changed and how would Sophia know without him telling her?
Jensen settled into his chair with a sigh and pulled a thick file towards him. End of the month meant going through expenses before he sent the whole mess to the accountant. And even if his head was still throbbing and as much as he’d rather just go hide out with Jared in their suite, he knew he couldn’t. Jared’s work ethic was too strong and Jensen’s was the same no matter how many times he threatened to just walk away and let his father scrabble to work it out on his own.
With another sigh, he flipped open the file and started in on the invoices before him. Only another four hours and he’d be done for the day, Jared too, and then they would be free to hide from the real world for the night.
Jared didn’t mind his job, in fact he liked it. Not for the power, he didn’t need to validate himself by ordering around a bunch of guys and yelling at them when he was having a shitty day or refusing to work with them when they came asking for the odd day off or to switch shifts. He liked it because he had paid his dues working for people who had no right to be in charge of anything other than managing to roll out of bed in the mornings and get themselves ready for the day and in one particular case of a security manager who couldn’t seem to get out of bed early enough to have a shower, ever, maybe not even then. Power hungry assholes who got their jollies making those who were unfortunate enough to work beneath them, miserable and he knew better than to be like that. He didn’t want his guys scared of him, worried that if they didn’t jump when he called that they’d get fired. He wanted them to come running when he called because it was the right thing to do and they knew that he wouldn’t ask them for something if he didn’t need to.
But there were times he missed being just another one of the guys. He missed walking the floor and being a seen presence in the hotel or casino, making guests feel safe and those that had it in their heads to cause trouble to rethink their actions.
It was what chased him from the Security Office almost daily right around the same time every day. It had gotten to the point that when three-thirty rolled around that Christian would just grin at him and watch silently as Jared got up and left the room. Only asking when he returned a half hour later if Jared had enjoyed his walkabout.
That was why he was currently strolling through the rows of slot machines, technically he had no reason to be on the casino side but Christian had never said anything to him about it and Jared never stepped in to assist unless specifically requested to. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the easy quiet of the hotel side, he always walked the ground floor of it first, but there was something about the human noise of the casino that drew him. He liked to watch people, liked watching them interact with the casino employees and each other, liked to let his eyes wander and pick out potential problems to report back to Christian about when he got back to their room. He never really had to bother doing it, nine out of ten times Christian had already seen what he had but there was always a chance that he missed it, only seeing things through a camera feed and Jared wanted things to run smoothly. Not just because he was married to the heir to the Wild Aces but because he was friends with Christian and just wanted to help out. It wasn’t like Christian didn’t do the same for him.
As he rounded the end of a row of nickel machines, his eyes caught a glimpse of short blonde hair and familiar shoulders and he stumbled to a stop.
It wasn’t possible, not after eight years of keeping his head down. Jared had been certain that after eight years of bouncing from place to place, only staying, at most, a year and a half in any town that he would be safe in Las Vegas. He wouldn’t come here, they, didn’t come to Vegas, it was an unwritten rule and just wasn’t done.
And yet, no matter how much he tried to get his frozen legs to move, to get him away and out of sight, a part of him wanted the guy to turn around so Jared could see his face. He couldn’t just assume and run like a scared child, he needed to know, not so much for him but for Jensen.
He watched, breath caught in his throat and fear turning his stomach sour, as the blonde stepped back from the marquee board he had been perusing and glanced around the casino.
No. Please God no.
“Chad.”
The name was barely more than a breath of air slipping between slightly parted lips but as he watched the guy’s eyes, Chad’s eyes, skip over him and then suddenly dart back and widen as if Jared had yelled to get his attention.
His life was over. At least his life with Jensen was over. He’d have to leave, make a run for it and hope that when Chad told his brother that he’d seen Jared that Jeff would be too busy trying to track him down to try to look into if Jared had left anything, anyone, behind in Vegas.
“Well fuck me.”
All around Jared, heads turned at the sudden outburst and Jared tried to remain like there was nothing out of the ordinary going on because he knew Christian would have caught the mass movement on one of his monitors and would be zeroing in on it. He would see Jared, standing there with Chad moving quickly across the short span of space between them and Jared had to make it look like nothing was wrong because he couldn’t raise guys, or worse, coming himself, to see if Jared needed assistance.
He could not risk it.
Forcing a smile that he didn’t feel, Jared took a couple steps forward to meet Chad. It really didn’t get them that far away from the guests playing the nickel slots but hopefully it would be enough that their games would keep them deaf to anything else and those passing them to and from the various games, wouldn’t get stuck trying to move around them and hear anything.
“Jesus Jay.” Chad gave him a friendly slap on the arm and Jared reinforced his smile. “Fuck I’d given up hope of ever seeing you again.”
Everything’s okay Christian. Just stay in the office. Just stay there.
“Hey Chad.” The words hurt his suddenly dry throat but they had come out friendly enough and that was what mattered. After all, it wasn’t just Christian he was fooling here. “How you been man?”
Both eyebrows rose, “How have I been? Christ Jay, you say you’re going to bug out for a week to clear your head and you never come back and all you have to say is to ask how I’ve been? What the fuck?”
It wasn’t so much that Jared had forgotten that Chad was the type of guy that didn’t care what he said, at what level and how many people overheard and were insulted by it but he had hoped that age had, if not mellowed Chad, then, at least, taught him to use his brain to mouth filter. Obviously that wasn’t the case as his voice had steadily risen and he had added flapping his arms around in his frustration, which only made matters worse. Christian had to be just about ready to send in the reinforcements and then everything, every little lie, every little omission Jared had made while trying to build a life with Jensen would come crashing down a lot faster than he cared to think about.
“Come on.” Jared hissed through his teeth, brittle smile starting to make his cheeks hurt. “Walk with me.”
“Where we going?” He asked but fell into step beside Jared as he started heading towards the exit of the building.
There was nothing for it, Chad may not have commented on it, yet, but he had to have noticed that Jared was wearing a uniform with a crest for the casino on his breast pocket. “Chad I work here and I don’t need you making a spectacle of yourself where I work.”
His eyes narrowed, “You mean you don’t want anyone overhearing anything that might make you look bad.”
Jared nodded to Riley who was standing at the entrance to the casino as they past. “Same fucking difference.” He growled as the stepped into the late afternoon sunshine and took the stairs down to the main drive two at a time.
He refused to speak until they were across the driveway and standing under the shade of one of the palm trees in the courtyard surrounded by the circular driveway of the hotel.
“Okay spill.” He hissed, letting the smile finally drop from his face and glared at the guy who used to be his best friend. “What are you doing here? Did Jeff send you and why?”
Chad took a step back and eyed him. “I’m here on my own.”
“Why?” He demanded, fighting down the urge to grab him by the shoulders and give him a good shake.
It wasn’t always like that. Once upon a time he and Chad had been tight, the best of friends, they had known each other practically their whole lives but that had been before. Before Jared had had enough, before looking at his older brother had made him want to shoot him, before he had decided to try to make something of himself other than what his father’s legacy had fated him to be. And now Chad was just a reminder of someone he wasn’t anymore from a life he couldn’t admit to and Jared just didn’t know where Chad’s loyalties laid.
“Can’t a guy take a vacation?” He snapped back, “Jesus Jared can’t you just be happy to see me? Fuck, we used to be friends.”
He sighed hard and ran a hand roughly through his hair. Chad sounded and looked genuinely hurt and as much as Jared rather forget about his past, it didn’t mean that he had to be an asshole. Even if Chad showing up had just ruined Jared’s life. Chad couldn’t know that and if he was telling the truth then it was just more proof that Jared wasn’t allowed to have anything good in his life, sins of the father after all.
“I know, I know.” He muttered, “I’m sorry okay. You just took me by surprise.”
“Yeah, well same here butt munch.”
That started a laugh out of him, “Butt munch? That’s mature.”
Chad waved a hand and took a step closer, “Whatever. Now you gonna answer my question? This where you’ve been hiding out for the last eight years? And is he worth it?”
Jared’s heart stopped, what did Chad know? What could he know? “Is who worth it?” He managed.
He gestured towards Jared’s hand and the wedding band that felt heavy on his finger for the first time. “Whoever Mr. Padalecki is.”
His chest ached as his heart lurched back into action, Chad didn’t know whom Jared was married to, only that he must be married because he saw his ring. That was good, he could work with that. “That,” he waved his left hand briefly, “Only just happened recently. Before that, I was traveling here and there. Never really stayed in one place for very long.”
He nodded and gave him a speculative look, “That would explain why Jeff only ever caught rumors about this guy or that guy seeing you. By the time one of us got to where you were supposed to be, you’d be gone.”
He shrugged, “Didn’t want to be found. I’m done with that shit Chad. I just want to live my life as my own but you know my brother.” He dug his toe into the soft grass not caring how it scuffed the leather of his shoe because he wouldn’t be needing them for much longer. “Jeff would have just dragged me back in. Used the family loyalty card and told me how it wasn’t safe on my own.”
“He’s kind of right.” Chad tilted his head and squinted up at him, “You gonna come home now that I’ve seen you? I kind of miss…” he grunted and shook his head. “Our lives are what they are and yeah there’s lots of shit involved…”
Jared snorted and Chad grinned, “Okay bucket loads of shit involved but you and me? It made things easier to face, at least for me.”
He was used to carrying around guilt, no one could lie as much as he did just to become somebody else and not feel guilt, not of they had any kind of conscience. But this was a whole new layer because Chad was right. They had been best friends and when Jared decided to run he hadn’t even considered asking Chad if he would start over with him. A part of him wondered if he would have, given the choice to leave that life behind, if Chad would have given up the booze and the girls and the shady deals that he liked a little too damn much but Jared brushed the thought aside. It was a moot point and learning the answer wouldn’t change anything now.
“Besides you got someone else to think about now and it ain’t safe for him anymore than it is for you now.”
It was a close call by Jared managed not to grab Chad by his shirt and demand just what the hell he meant by that. Las Vegas may not be the size of somewhere like L.A. but it was safe enough since the families never came there. Or it had been until Chad had shown up. Still, he had to play this cool if he didn’t want to raise Chad’s suspicions, “Do me a favor?” He swallowed, knowing he was lying to the one person who used to be able to tell right away when Jared was trying to bullshit him. “I know that you’re going to call Jeff but give me a day first to consider my options okay?”
He crossed his arms over his chest, “What’s in it for me other than a world of hurt if your brother ever finds out that I held out on him?”
Nothing, there wasn’t a single damn thing that Jared could offer him but he had one chance, no matter how slim it was. “Because you’re my best friend.” He reached out and squeezed Chad’s arm, the warmth from his bare skin doing nothing to warm Jared’s cold blood up. “And hey, we’re the only two that know you’ve seen me.”
Chad opened his mouth, probably to protest but Jared hurried on. “And if I do decide to go back, I ain’t going to be the one to tell Jeff any different.”
He scratched through his short-cropped hair and chewed on his bottom lip for a long moment. Jared was almost sure Chad was going to deny him this one thing, resentment over losing his best friend by Jared’s own design, outweighing any loyalty he might still be harboring.
“One day.” He finally muttered, “But if I don’t see you at my motel by this time tomorrow I’m calling Jeff.”
Jared nodded quickly, he would agree to anything at that point. “Fair enough. Where are you staying?”
“Farley Motor Inn at the edge of town.”
He had a vague memory of seeing the place as he had driven into town almost seven months earlier. At the time he had briefly considered staying there but only briefly, even being on the run from his own family didn’t make him desperate enough to stay there. But it wasn’t surprising that Chad was there, he liked no tell motels, the perfect place for someone who wanted to get in and get out without being really seen as anything but a couple of dollars passed over a counter.
Hooking a thumb over his shoulder, Jared motioned back towards the casino, “I got to get back to work before they come looking for me.”
“Yeah.” Chad grinned, “Gotta keep the boss happy if you want to keep your job.”
A little jolt ran through him but he managed to keep the shock out of his face. Of course Chad didn’t know that he was head of security, to anyone other than the other employees he was just another guard wandering around the building. It was the way that Jensen, and before him Alan, had wanted it. Keep their managers anonymous that way if anything, God forbid an idiot with a gun, happened, they wouldn’t stand out as the perfect hostages or, worse, shields.
He was insanely pleased by the logic now, “Yeah.”
Jared stared backing up, still worried that Chad would follow and please when he seemed content to just stand and watch him go. “Remember twenty-four hours or I call Jeff.”
He forced a lopsided grin, “Got it.”
He wouldn’t need twenty-four hours and by the time Chad called Jeff, Jared would be long gone. His only hope was that there was no way that he could be connected with Jensen when he wouldn’t be around to protect him.
Jared wasn’t really surprised when he walked back through wide open doors welcoming one and all into the casino to find Christian leaning up against the wall just out of sight of the entrance. He’d been hoping that Christian’s curiosity hadn’t been peaked to the point where he would come looking, but wasn’t really all that surprised.
“Who’s covering the monitors?” He asked, pausing only long enough to make eye contact before he started weaving his way through the crowd of gamblers and onlookers.
Christian fell instep beside him, “Scott from your team.”
He nodded silently, mind racing wondering what Christian might have seen, or God forbid, gotten to the floor before he and Chad had left the casino and heard.
“So you going to make me ask?”
Jared shrugged, not bothering to look over at him. “Just a guy I used to know.”
“Know?”
And this time he did glance over, not liking the speculative tone of Christian’s voice. Christian was keeping one eye on him and one on where they were going and one eyebrow was raised over his narrowed eyes. “Or know know?”
His chest constricted and it hurt to draw a breath. What had Christian heard? In his head he could hear the echo of cracks starting to spider web out from the Chad shaped scar in his house of cards. “What?”
There was no choice, he was going to have to play dumb and find out what Christian knew or thought he knew and hope that whatever it was, Jared could gloss over it so he could get to Jensen. Get to Jensen without Christian on his heels.
“You know.” He huffed and then rolled his eyes when Jared remained silent. “Like you know Jensen.” He muttered, voice lower than before making Jared tilt his head down just to catch the words.
It took a second for what Christian was referring to, to sink in but when it did he burst out laughing, relief that that was what his friend was worried about making Jared giddy. “No.” He shook his head and swallowed down another spat of laughter as they walked behind the hotel reception desk and Sophia raised a questioning eyebrow at them while waiting for a new guest to hand over his credit card.
“Chad,” he started as he used his key card to unlock the employee door behind the desk and pulled it open. “Is as much of as tits and ass man as you are.” He waved Christian through the opening first before quickly following. “The only dick he has any interest in seeing or touching is his own.”
“So then he’s just someone you knew from school?”
It didn’t bother him that Christian seemed to be intent on interrogating him, the first rule he learnt when reinventing himself was to keep his story simple. No embellishing or adding wild tales of teenage stupidity or anything else that might come back to bite him in the ass later so he only ever related pertinent facts, some true, some not. Christian wanting to know more was a normal reaction when trying to fill the holes that Jared himself had left.
“Chad and I have known each other pretty much all our lives.” Truth. He shrugged and stood back while Christian unlocked and opened the Security office door. “When my parents were killed in that wreck and I moved to stay with my uncle, we lost touch.” Lie.
But that lie was okay, the part about losing touch with Chad was a new twist but about his parents being killed in a car crash was an ingrained part of the story he’d been telling for eight years.
“Huh.” Christian settled into his chair, “He didn’t look all that happy to see you.”
Jared shrugged again, “Pissed I wouldn’t go with him to catch up.” Sort of the truth and sort of not but it would do for now. “Guess he hasn’t really grown up,” which by the way it looked to Jared was the truth.
He sat back in his own chair but kept his eyes pinned to Christian. Second rule of lying; do not let your eyes wander. “Didn’t get that I just couldn’t brush off the rest of my shift.”
He nodded slowly, “You should bring him around, meet the husband and the new friends.”
Jared wasn’t sure if Christian was generally interested or if his suspicions had been raised because Jared had taken Chad outside to finish their conversation but it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be around long enough for Christian to keep pressing the issue.
“Yeah.” His lips twitched into a smile that hurt. “Saturday night sound good to you?”
“Don’t you think you should ask Jensen first?” He suddenly grinned, obviously accepting things at face value, finally. “Or you trying to see if you can fit on that couch upstairs.”
This was easy, normal. “Told you, Jensen won’t kick me out of bed. He likes my cock too much.”
“TMI!” Christian howled, “Jesus Christ Jared! What have I told you? TMI!”
Jared bent double, laughing at the scandalized look on his friend’s face but couldn’t help touching his cell, clipped to his belt at the same time, and ice slipped down his spine, his laugh becoming forced. Turned out he was going to have to take Alan up on his offer after all.
Jensen rolled his eyes as he reached out and snagged Jared’s discarded suit and dress shirt from the immaculately made bed. Obviously his husband had come into the suite, changed out of the suit he wore to breakfast and tossed on his work clothes, just leaving the pile on the bed heedless of the wrinkles that would mar the fabric. It should annoy Jensen, not that he was perfect but it seemed like he was always taking the time to either hang his clothes back up or set them in the hamper for the maid to take down to laundry. But that wasn’t Jared’s way, clothes to him were just that, clothes no matter the make or the material or the cost, he had to wear them and once he was done with whatever he had donned for the day, he just tossed them aside leaving Jensen to pick up after him. It should have gotten under his skin and maybe it would eventually but for now, to Jensen, it was just a little quirk of Jared’s and he kind of found it endearing.
Jesus, he was becoming a sap.
Stepping into their walk-in closet, Jensen let the clothes in his hand drop into the hamper before pulling off his own suit jacket and laying it across the top of it. His suit, other than the shirt, had survived the day so as long as he hung it up; it would be fine to wear again before he sent it out for dry cleaning.
Toeing off his shoes, Jensen doesn’t waste any time stripping off his pants and socks, socks left on the floor and pants added to the jacket on top of the hamper, before pulling at the buttons of his shirt. Sighing in relief as he slipped the material from his shoulders and let it drop to the floor.
Even this little thing, shucking his suit helps ease the tension that’s been riding his shoulders all day, the throbbing in his temples tapering off some. The day had been too long, first breakfast with his father then Steve’s mini-meltdown and Jensen consequently having to talk him down from committing murder one or, at the very least, being charged with uttering threats with a dangerous weapon. Then the fiasco with the retirement home and not enough rooms being booked and then finally wading through the sheer amount of expense reports had pretty much wiped him out. There were days when it seemed like anything that could go wrong would and it didn’t seem worth sticking around for anymore.
It’s not like Jensen had to work, years of exuberant allowances as a child and then squirreling away most of his paychecks had left him with one hell of a nest egg. But until recently, he had no reason to buck the status quo, work was pretty much all he had other than the occasional night out with friends and the even less occasional hook-up. But that was all changed now because of Jared. Jared was the one that managed to see past his reluctance, thanks to his father running or buying off all possible suitors, and had pulled him out of his self-induced shell. Jared made him stop and think about what he was doing, instead of just doing it because it was what was expected of him, by his father, by his friends.
Would it really be so bad if they just said, “screw this” and left?
His chest tightened at the thought, the ingrained need to keep things working, keep the hotel and casino making money, keep making his dad happy making his hands shake. What if his dad couldn’t handle things on his own anymore? Sure Jensen was pissed with the old man but that was pretty much his default setting since his dad had invited Marta into their home and into their lives when he was just a little kid and it hadn’t changed once she was gone. But that didn’t mean that he wanted his dad to fail or to lose all that he had worked for.
Still the thought of just leaving it all behind and starting over somewhere else, some small town, maybe back in Texas where Jared hailed from and Jensen still had family, and not have to deal with the madness of Las Vegas was a tempting thought. Just him and Jared, a little house, maybe a couple dogs and…well what the hell ever they wanted to do with the rest of their lives.
The elevator dinged out in the main room as Jensen slipped the pants over the bottom wire of the hanger, slapping the creases out of the folded over material before reaching for his jacket.
“Jen?”
“In the bedroom.” He called back as he settled the jacket on the hanger and hung it back over the metal bar. He was smiling as he walked out into the bedroom but it faltered when he caught sight of Jared standing in the door, his face pinched.
“Jared? What’s wrong?” He started across the room, fear warring with anger in his mind. “Don’t tell me my dad called you and spewed more of his shit did he?”
It was a valid question; it wouldn’t surprise Jensen if his old man had. It just seemed like something he was liable to do.
Jared met him halfway, cupped his face in his hands and pressed his lips against Jensen’s, hard and demanding.
There was something going on, something that he needed to know about, he damn well knew it but it was hard to pull away from Jared when he was plundering Jensen’s mouth like that. Wrapping his hands around Jared’s upper arms, he let Jared walk him backwards towards the bed and let out a surprised huff when he was pushed backwards, back hitting the bed and his whole body bouncing.
“What’s gotten into you?” He narrowed his eyes but it didn’t stop him from trying to wiggle farther up the bed.
“Where you going?” Jared demanded, taking him by the ankle and pulling back to the edge of the bed, not stopping until Jensen’s ass was balanced precariously on the edge.
Raising an eyebrow in amusement, he watched Jared pull off his blazer and tug at his tie until he could slip the loop over his head. “Nowhere apparently.”
“Bet your ass nowhere.” He growled as he worked on getting buttons on his shirt free, losing a couple in his haste before pulling it off his shoulders and shaking his arms until it worked free and dropped to the ground to join his jacket.
“Jay?” Jensen’s breath caught in his throat as Jared dropped between his knees and curled his fingers under the elastic band of his boxers. “Jared what is it?”
He wanted to wiggle away, the look in Jared’s eyes a little wild making warning flags pop up in his head. But the thought was brief, there and gone, as Jared tore Jensen’s boxers down his legs and tossed them over his shoulder, stretching up to breath moist, hot air across Jensen’s quickly hardening cock.
“Been thinking about this all day.” Jared husked and Jensen whimpered as his lips brushed across the head of his dick.
“Well what are you waiting for then?” He was trying for snarky but already his breath was labored and the words came out more of a plea.
Jared straightened up on his knees, smirk at him, slid his hands under Jensen’s thighs and without a warning, flipped Jensen onto his stomach.
“Oh God.” He moaned into the comforter, already knowing what was coming and his hips ground down into the mattress beneath him.
He chuckled again, the sound pressed into Jensen’s right ass cheek as he dragged his lips down it before Jensen felt Jared’s hands on his ass pulling him open.
The first touch of Jared’s tongue made his body jerk and he bit into the comforter beneath his mouth, trying to keep the sounds that wanted to pour out of his lips hidden.
Jared ran the flat of his tongue over the puckered skin before pulling back, “Come on Jen. I wanna hear you.”
Jensen lifted his head only far enough to clear it from the blankets and curled his hands into the thick material. “Jay, please.” He begged, “Please, please, please.”
“Better.” Jared huffed before lowering his head again.
He gasped as the slick muscle pushed past the tight ring of his entrance and humped his hips backwards; waiting more, waiting everything, everything that Jared would give him.
“Oh God,” he panted, shivers running up and down his spine as Jared worked his tongue in and out, alternating between shoving in and flicks with the tip against the quivering muscle.
“More.” He hissed, “Please Jay, more.”
He was rewarded with one of Jared’s long fingers sliding in alongside his tongue and Jensen shoved his ass backwards, wanting more.
“Fuck.” He groaned and humped his hips down, trying to get some relief for his aching cock. “Is good.”
His tongue slipped free but before he could protest Jared slipped two fingers into him and started mouthing along the curve of one ass cheek.
“You drive me crazy.” Jared voice was just loud enough to reach Jensen’s ears.
He whined and alternated between bucking back into Jared’s fingers and grinding down into the mattress.
“So fucking crazy all the time.” He lapped around his fingers, “Always gonna.”
Fingers pressed into Jensen’s prostate and a yell ripped from his throat. “More.” He wanted to still his hips, knew how desperate he must look but his body had other plans. He was so close, it wouldn’t take much more of Jared tormenting him with his fingers and tongue and he would come and that’s all that mattered at that moment.
“Nuh huh.” Jared’s fingers pulled free and cool air replaced the heat of his breath. “Not yet.” His body settled over Jensen’s and he could feel the head of Jared’s cock pressing against his hole.
Slowly he pressed in, Jensen’s body still loose from the morning, giving easily at the push. He went up on his toes, tilting his hips and ass higher, trying to get Jared in as far as possible. “Yes.” He hissed and wiggled his hips, “Come on Jared, fuck me. Come on.”
Whatever was driving Jared kept him from taking his time to drive Jensen crazy. Instead of pushing in slowly, his hips jerked sharply and he thrusted in in one long drive pushing the breath out of Jensen’s lungs.
It didn’t hurt, in fact felt damn good. Usually Jared was so concerned about making sure that Jensen was okay that by the time they got to this part he was ready to either strangle Jared or flip them and take his own pleasure out on his husband’s body.
He keened deep in his chest as Jared automatically pulled out before shoving back in, settling into a brutal pace.
“Yes, yes, yes.” The words were punched out of Jensen with every one of Jared’s thrusts in and he reached back to grip Jared’s hip. “Feel good Jay.”
“You feel good.” Jared groaned into his ear before licking a line down his neck.
Jensen let his forehead drop to the mattress beneath him and let the motion of Jared’s hips drive his own cock back and forth against the bed.
“Gonna remember this, always gonna remember this.” Jared pressed into the thin skin at the back of his neck. “How good you feel. How much I love you.”
Something about the words didn’t sound right but Jensen couldn’t follow the thought. His body sparking and his balls tingling as he raced towards his orgasm.
He keened again and the fingers around Jared’s hip tightened into a bruising grip as he slipped over the edge.
Vaguely he heard Jared groan his name as his body stilled above him before he jerked hard against him and Jensen felt wet heat fill him.
Jensen’s eyes slid shut as he rode out the aftershocks, jolting each time Jared’s cock inside him twitched sending an electric shock through Jensen.
It took a while but just as his heartbeat was returning to normal, Jared heaved himself up on his arms with a groan and pulled back, slipping free.
“I could sleep for a week.” He mumbled, dropping forward to lay beside Jensen.
Jensen forced his eyes open and turned his head so he could look over at Jared. “Feel better?”
Jared smiled, not his usual dimples on display post orgasmic grin but it was an improvement over the look of desperation that he had been sporting when Jensen had first seen him at the door. “’M tired.”
It wasn’t the answer Jensen was looking for, in fact it wasn’t an answer at all but before he could ask what was going on, he yawned.
“You too it seems.” Jared pushed closer and pressed their lips together. “After sex nap?”
He wanted to argue because he wanted to know what was wrong but Jared was right, he was tired and a nap sounded damn good. “Yeah.”
Forcing himself up on his hands and knees, Jensen crawled to the head of the bed and pulled at the covers. It was nice to have housekeeping come in and tidy up but there were times, like these, when he wished they would just leave the bed a mess. It would make crawling into it easier when his limbs were heavy and lassitude was pushing him down.
“Ha!” He crowed but the victory lacked any real heat when he was having problems keeping his eyes open. If the truth were to be told, he had spent most of the night awake worrying about what his father would say or do during their breakfast meeting and add Jared getting him up at the ungodly hour of six am and he was more than ready for a nice long nap.
Sliding between the sheets on his side, Jensen waited until Jared had curled around him from behind before settling the blankets over them.
His stomach gave a small rumble but it was easily ignored. They could have dinner later, there was no rush, wasn’t like there wasn’t a kitchen full of staff just a few floors down. There was also the added bonus that maybe once Jared had had a nap and his stomach was full, he’d be more inclined to tell Jensen what was wrong.
“Love you.”
Jared’s arm tightened around his waist, “Love you.”
Jensen smiled, he was warm and sated and had Jared curled around him. There wasn’t anything else he needed.
The smile lingered long after he had fallen to sleep.
Part Three