CHAMELEON

 

New York City...

 

As the doors whispered shut, Jack nodded acknowledgement to the only other person in the elevator. He'd been staring at the guy all evening and felt a frisson of excitement now that he was alone with him.

 

"Hi," said the other man, smiling and returning Jack's greeting.

 

"Bored?"

 

"What?"

 

"Is that why you're leaving the party? Because you're bored?"

 

"Yup," said the other man, smiling again and holding Jack's gaze.

 

"You're not part of the French trade delegation and you're not part of the US one."

 

"No."

 

"You sound Canadian."

 

"Lived there for a while."

 

"So,.who are you exactly?" Jack asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. He continued to look at the other man, taking in his long, wavy red hair and deep brown eyes. The cream coloured shirt complimented his skin perfectly.

 

"I was part of the `service'," the younger man replied.

 

Jack raised his eyebrows in question. "Service?"

 

"Didn't you notice? Everyone at the party was male."

 

"And, so, but, therefore?"

 

"I and a few others were the entertainment."

 

"Huh?"

 

"Never mind, it doesn't matter."

 

"Entertainment? Like what?"

 

"Stress relief?"

 

"Yeah, right," Jack quipped, seeing the younger man in a completely different light.

 

They travelled in silence for a while, Jack wondering what kind of life style the other man could possibly have. He was certainly very attractive and Jack liked him, but a prostitute? He didn't think so.

 

Shifting, the younger man shoved his hands deep in his pockets and looked at Jack through his long, dark lashes. Blinking, Jack stared at the man and his fingers twitched. How stressed was he feeling?

 

Colorado Springs, six months later…

 

Jack watched the tiny carbonated bubbles dance through the beer in his glass, the amber liquid glowing in the lights above the bar. He idly ran an index finger and thumb down the glass, feeling the moist condensation that had formed in the few moments since he sat astride the remaining unclaimed stool at the bar counter.

 

It was Monday night and he was in O'Malley's. He just wanted a quiet drink before he headed home and what he got was the raucous noise of a group of younger men gathered to his left at the end of the bar.

 

Trying to block out the sounds of laughter and loud conversation, he stared at the long row of optics and wondered how many shots it would take before he passed out. Each one of those upside down bottles promised oblivion.

 

A cheer from the noisy group of men pierced his thoughts. Glancing down the bar he observed their antics. There were six of them, though judging by the volume of noise, he thought there should be more. They were obviously celebrating something or the achievement of somebody because one young man in particular seemed to be getting all the attention. He was young, very young and Jack guessed he was only just old enough to be out drinking legally. In fact, on closer inspection, he wondered if the law wasn't being broken after all. The man in question looked about eighteen. He had short, cropped hair and an open, almost baby face. What Jack wouldn't give to be that age again… Remembering the angst and uncertainty of youth, he changed his mind quickly and was glad he was older than Babyface, by a long way.

 

Looking past the optics, he caught a glimpse of his greying hair in the back wall mirror. He was old enough to be the kid's father! Jack surveyed the other young studs in the group. They all looked much the same, a couple with short, dark gelled spiky hair, another with hair so short, there was hardly any to speak of. Then one man caught Jack's eye in particular. He was the tallest of all of them, about six feet in height. He had very, very long shaggy blond hair and hazel brown eyes. He wore an open, light cotton shirt over a tight black t-shirt and even tighter black jeans; a pair of Doc Martins completed the ensemble. Jack's gaze settled on his eyes. It was rare to see a blond haired person with brown eyes and Jack found he couldn't help but stare at the other man. The closer he looked, the more detail he observed. This guy was built and how. Jack could make out well-developed pectoral muscles and a six-pack abdomen straining against the t-shirt fabric.

 

As the man tucked his long unruly hair behind his ears, Jack got a better look at his face. He was, indeed, very attractive and Jack stared at the man's full and kissable lips, thinking that perhaps he had seen him somewhere before, but he couldn't think where. Aware that he was staring, Jack pulled his gaze away and studied the beer mat next to his glass. It had a picture of the Budweiser chameleon.

 

After a few minutes, Jack risked another look at Blondie, to find he was at the bar by himself. Looking around, Jack wondered where his drinking pals had disappeared, and then he heard a whoop coming from the direction of the pool tables. Blondie was talking into his cell phone and writing something on a napkin. Stuffing the paper into his pocket and finishing his call, he glanced at his watch and seated himself on one the bar stools vacated by his companions.

 

Jack's body tensed, should he make a move and sit next to him? Maybe he could offer to buy him a drink. Perhaps he might get to know this man better. Maybe he was just a sad, aging man who should know better than to pursue a man considerably younger than himself.

"Hi."

Daniel's amusement at watching his friends was interrupted. Looking, he saw a tall, lean older man standing beside him. His chiselled features, brown eyes and silver hair made quite an impact. Daniel recognised him as the man who had been staring at him earlier; he hadn't been very good at hiding the fact.

 

"Hi," Daniel replied and went back to watching his friends.

 

"I'm new in town. Is it always this noisy in here?"

 

Daniel glanced at the man again. Somehow, he sensed that the older man was alone. He checked his judgement, no, not alone, more like lonely.

 

"Not usually, for a Monday night," Daniel said, turning his body to face the man. "I'm sorry; my friends are a little over excited. They're being a pain in the butt aren't they?"

"Not really," Jack went on, "they obviously have something to celebrate."

 

"Yeah, see Gary, over there? The young guy? The one with the blue shirt? He's lost something tonight and gained something."

 

Jack raised his eyebrows, waiting for an explanation. He didn't get one. Daniel was more intent on following the pool game. As Jack turned away to get the bartender's attention, Daniel took the opportunity for a surreptitious glance at this intriguing stranger. He smelled good, fresh with an exotic scent, a scent that generated a small ripple of interest in him. Daniel noticed he was wearing walking boots, faded jeans, threadbare at the knees and a red and black lumberjack shirt. His well-cut hair had a tousled appearance and he was at least 12 years older than Daniel. Mentally shaking himself, he returned his attention to his companions.

 

"My name's Jack, by the way, Jack O'Neill."

 

"Hi, pleased to meet you," Daniel smiled, offering his hand, which Jack took all too willingly.

 

"Come here often?" Jack grimaced as he asked the question, it sounded so lame.

 

"Yeah, at least once or twice a week. Why?"

 

"Just askin'," Jack replied just a little too quickly. "Buy you a drink?" he went on. He still didn't know this man's name.

 

"Um, I'm okay, thanks," Daniel smiled, putting his hand over the top of his glass.

 

Jack frowned again. Who was this guy and what the hell was his name?

 

"Do you have a name or shall I just call you Blondie?"

 

"What?" Daniel replied, his concentration on his friends.

 

"Your name?" Jack ploughed on.

 

"Daniel! You're up next," came a shout from the vicinity of the pool table.

 

"Excuse me," Daniel said, sliding off his bar stool. "Gotta go. Nice talking with you, Jack." He almost felt a pang of regret as he left the stranger at the bar.

 

Jack's eyes followed him, watching the way he moved gracefully round the pool table. He smiled. Daniel? His name was Daniel. Jack remained where he was, watching the younger man as he leaned on his pool cue. After a few moments he peeled off his shirt, revealing hard and well defined biceps.

 

Jack swallowed, then sighed. Daniel was seriously attractive and Jack was seriously attracted to him, but what chance would he have? He was a lot older, they probably had nothing in common and why would Daniel be the slightest bit interested in him?

 

Daniel was acutely aware of Jack at the bar. He knew the guy might be interested and well, he was interested in the guy. He wondered how he could get the message across and peeled off his shirt in the hope that Jack would notice. Daniel found his face hard to read, he wished he knew what was going through his mind.

 

"Hey, D, you're not concentrating on the game," one of his friends whined.

 

Daniel feigned an expression of deep involvement in the game and muttered under his breath. "Just watch out, Kyle, I can beat you with one hand tied behind my back."

 

"Oh yeah?" Kylie laughed, "Bet you'd like that wouldn't ya!"

 

The group of young men laughed and cheered, eliciting a grin from Daniel.

 

"Only with the right man," Daniel snorted, his eyes glancing up through his lashes and flicking a long look at Jack, and then he hit the white ball hard against the black one. "My game I think, Kyle."

 

Jack's jaw dropped open. Daniel's comment was more than Jack could have ever hoped to hear. With a man; the right man.

 

Jack continued to watch as the pool games progressed, never taking his eyes from Daniel. Daniel was conscious of the attention he was getting from Jack and it made him feel just a little too warm.

 

As the last game finished, the group of young men made ready to leave and Daniel with them. Jack became agitated, worried that he would lose track of the younger man and he stood, turning to grab his jacket from the stool next to him. When he turned back the men had left and so had Daniel. Jack couldn't believe it. He was smitten and he knew and the object of his desire had slipped through his fingers before he could even get his phone number. Feeling like he'd just received a dagger through the heart and with his stomach clenching, he left the bar.

 

-o-

 

Jack propped up the bar at O'Malley's for fourteen nights straight in the hope of seeing Daniel again. The man hadn't showed and Jack began to think he was just a figment of his imagination until the fifteenth night.

 

Jack was sitting on the same stool in the same place as he had done for the past two weeks. He virtually had his name printed on it, as well as the impression of his butt. Glancing at his watch, Jack was ready to call it a night when a wall of noise burst through the door and headed for the counter. It was the crowd of young men that were with Daniel last time. Jack eagerly studied each of the faces, but Daniel wasn't with them. Jack was crestfallen, more so when he realised how pathetic he must seem, an older man waiting every night in the same bar just in case a much younger man might turn up and glance his way.

 

Sighing, Jack drained his drink, ready to leave. As he set his glass down on the counter he took one last look, just in case. He spotted Babyface and was shocked at the state of his face. The kid was sporting a couple of large purple bruises and a cut lip. His looks weren't so good right now and Jack winced when he thought how much that beating must have hurt. By the looks of him, he had definitely not walked into a door. Jack felt sorry for him, no one deserved to get worked over like that.

 

An hour later, Jack decided to make a move and go home. As he got to the door he stood aside for someone coming through. A tall, dark haired, green-eyed man brushed by him as he entered the bar. Giving Jack a nod of acknowledgement for his courtesy, he hesitated slightly and then walked to the counter.

 

Jack also hesitated and turning, watched the raven-haired man order his drink, to Jack, the man looked different than Daniel and yet, felt familiar. The man was the same height and build as Daniel but with much shorter, straight black hair and those green eyes. Jack had only caught a quick glimpse at them as the man had walked through the door. He now had his back to Jack. As two other men came through the door, Jack realised he was blocking their way. He wasn't sure what to do. Should he go back to the bar? Should he leave and go home? Instead, he did neither, diving into the men's room to think. Was he seeing things? That guy was not Daniel and yet… Pursing his lips he thought again. No, the guy was definitely not Daniel. The object of his fixation was blond and informal. This other man had black hair and wore a suit, like a businessman or somebody, and he wore a pair of oblong shaped glasses, really small and neat. Nah, the guy couldn't be Daniel, besides his crowd of young men were nowhere to be seen, they'd already left.

 

Daniel had things on his mind, big things. Taking care of Gary's hospital bills had taken a chunk out of his bank account. He couldn't afford that kind of loss too often. He waited his turn at the bar until George the bartender was free.

 

"Hey, George, any messages?"

 

"No, son but the silver fox has been in here every night for the last two weeks.

 

"He has? He's been here every night?"

 

"Don't you think you should put him out of his misery?"

 

Daniel blinked as the short, rotund, bald headed barkeep waited, a damp cloth in his hand, paused mid-wipe.

 

"Where is he now?"

 

"He was about to leave until you showed up. Then he went to the men's room."

 

"Okay, George. Give him a card if he asks anything."

 

"Will do."

 

"See ya."

 

"Later."

 

Still puzzled, Jack washed and dried his hands and shaking his head, made his way back to the bar. He just had to be absolutely sure.

 

Looking round, Jack saw that the bar was virtually empty and there was no sign of the dark haired man in the sharp suit. Attracting George's attention, Jack cleared his throat.

 

"Somethin' I can help you with?" asked George, quietly.

 

"That guy, the guy who was here just now." Jack's voice faltered, he could hear just how nervous he sounded and how pathetic he must seem. George nodded, waiting for him to confirm exactly whom it was he meant.

 

"The tall guy, dark hair, blue suit, glasses."

 

"What about him?" George asked guardedly.

 

"I thought I recognised him, but now I'm not sure."

 

George nodded and smiled, pulling out a crisp, pale blue business card from his back pocket. "Take this," the bartender said, enigmatically.

 

Jack studied the card and the words neatly printed on it.

 

The Stargate Escort Agency - Discretion assured

 

What the hell was this? Jack's expression said to George. George raised his eyebrows and grinned, saying nothing more. He moved away to serve someone else.

Jack sat in his car and looked at the card again. From the digits on the card he guessed it was a cell phone number. An escort agency? He thought about Daniel and the group of men he'd seen. Were they rent boys and the dark haired man, was he their pimp? Jack didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He'd never resorted to paying for sex, ever. On the other hand, his every waking thought was about Daniel. Was this card the bartender's way of giving him a lead on the man?

 

Starting the car, Jack smiled. He'd think about it.

 

-o-

 

Jack thought about it. A lot. With those thoughts came images of Daniel, filling his mind, stimulating his senses and driving his libido.

 

After a few days he could stand it no longer, his curiosity getting the better of him. Settling himself in his favourite, rangy brown leather armchair, he flipped open his cell-phone; caution being the better part of valour, he had decided not to use his landline; that was traceable.

 

"Stargate?" came a voice, clear and business-like.

 

"I'd like to speak with Daniel, please."

 

"He's not available at present. Can anyone else help you?"

 

"I'm not sure, I'm a first time caller."

 

"I understand, sir. What kind of escort did you have in mind?"

 

"Um, informal, long blond hair, brown eyes, and a few drinks maybe."

 

Jack thought he detected a slight hesitation from the man on the other end of the phone.

 

"I see. Kyle is available this afternoon."

 

Jack knew he was getting the run-around. The tone of the other man's smooth, even voice was still telling him Daniel was not available.

 

"What do I do?"

 

"That's entirely up to you, sir. Do you have any preferences?"

 

"Yeah, tall, blonde…"

 

"That's not what I mean, sir," the voice said, still smooth and controlled. "If you would like to give me a time and place, Kyle will meet you."

 

"Okay, how about the Pub in the Park, at an outside table? Three o'clock."

 

"Yes, sir. Kyle will be wearing a pin in the shape of a circle with Stargate written across the centre. How will he know you?"

 

Jack's brain was in overdrive as he tried to process the conversation.

 

"I'll be reading a copy of Hockey News."

 

"Your name, sir?"

 

"Charlie." What on earth possessed him to use his dead son's name Jack couldn't fathom, except for safety's sake maybe.

 

"Thank you, sir. Thank you for your patronage."

 

So, Daniel wasn't available. It didn't matter, he could find out more about him from Kyle. The only thing Jack had on his mind was talking, nothing else. Then he had a thought. Shit! What if Kyle recognised him from O'Malley's? Damn it! He didn't think of that.

 

An hour later Jack seated himself at a table in the sunshine and opened his paper. Leaning back, he held up the cover so that Kyle could see it. At least Jack had the advantage in this situation. He would be able to spot Kyle long before the young man spotted him.

 

On the dot of three, Jack saw a young man with dark gelled and spiked hair walking towards him.

 

"Charlie?"

 

"Kyle?"

 

The young man nodded and Jack took off his sunglasses, offering him a seat.

 

"Coffee?"

 

"Sure, whatever you want." Kyle's suggestive voice had a distinctly husky quality to it.

 

"How long have you got?"

 

"How long do you want?" Kyle asked, smiling.

 

"An hour?"

 

"Sure, fee in advance though."

 

"Oh, right. How much?"

 

"Two hundred dollars."

 

Jack reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet. Folding the bills, he put them on the table and Kyle, glancing around quickly, took them.

 

"Wanna receipt?"

 

"Huh?"

 

"For tax purposes."

 

"I don't think so." Jack kept his expression impassive, not sure what to make of Kyle. He was attractive enough, in a back-alley sort of way but Jack's real goal was information about Daniel.

 

After the waiter had brought coffee, Jack relaxed, the difficult part of meeting and paying now over.

 

"So, Kyle."

 

"Yeah?"

 

"The escort business, pays well does it?"

 

"Sure."

 

"This agency, Stargate, keep ya busy?"

 

"Sure, yeah. Look, what is it you want, cos your time is ticking by."

 

"That's okay, I just wanna talk."

 

"Dirty?"

 

"Excuse me?"

 

"Do you wanna talk dirty?"

 

"No. I want to talk about Daniel."

 

"Ah, we don't talk about our colleagues."

 

"So, Daniel is one of your colleagues?"

 

"I didn't say that."

 

"You didn't deny it either."

 

"Are you a cop?" Kyle asked with a flash of tension in his voice.

 

"No, I'm not; just an interested observer."

 

"A reporter then?"

 

Jack snorted, shaking his head.

 

"Nah, like I said, just interested."

 

"Look, maybe I should go. You can have your money back."

 

"I'm not bothered about the money. How can I contact Daniel?"

 

"Just call the agency number."

 

"I already did that. I was told he was unavailable."

 

"Can't help you then. Sorry."

 

"Okay, Kyle. Maybe I'll just have to get everyone in the agency to `escort' me, till I find him," Jack said, grinning.

 

Kyle shifted uncomfortably. He was rapidly coming to the conclusion that Jack was a little weird. He'd heard of clients becoming obsessive about their escorts. He remembered what had happened to Gary and shuddered involuntarily.

 

"What's up?" asked Jack, aware of the young man's discomfiture.

 

"Nothing, nothing at all," Kyle said, awkwardly.

 

"You don't have to stay any longer, Kyle, it's okay. Just do me one favour? Go back to school and get a safer life."

 

Kyle blinked at Jack, stunned by his words.

 

"I don't need to. This job pays well enough."

 

"And when your looks fade and your body won't take the punishment? Then what?"

 

"I don't need a lecture from you, Grandpa," the young man muttered venomously.

 

Jack just smiled, he'd hit a nerve and hopefully Kyle would think about it.

 

-o-

 

Later that evening, Jack settled himself in his usual seat at the bar of O'Malley's. He ordered his drink and waited for George to bring it.

 

"Haven't seen Daniel recently," Jack said nonchalantly, trying to make it seem as though he knew the younger man well.

 

"Really?" George was giving nothing away.

 

Jack just grimaced and took a sip of his drink. Flipping the lid to his cell-phone, Jack searched for the Stargate number and pressed the call key. He let the number ring for a long time and then he heard a voice.

 

"Stargate?"

 

Glancing round, Jack lowered the tone of his voice.

 

"Can I speak to Daniel?"

 

"I'm sorry, he's not available," came the reply.

 

Jack started, it sounded like the voice was coming across the airwaves in stereo.

 

Standing at the entrance to the bar he saw a tall, brown haired man talking into his cell-phone.

 

"Are you still there?"

 

Jack heard the voice through both ears, one from his phone and the other directly from the voice of the brown haired man.

 

"When will he be available?" Jack asked, getting off his stool and slowly walking away from the bar.

 

"I'm sorry, I can't say."

 

As Jack listened, he also looked at the man at the bar. He was the same height and build as Daniel and the green eyed man he'd seen a few days before, except this man had short brown hair, long sideburns and piercingly blue eyes. He wore glasses though but they were different from the pimp's, being larger and silver in colour. Slowly a broad smile grew on Jack's lips. This had to be Daniel. The voice was the same as the person he'd spoken to when he arranged to meet Kyle.

 

"I would really like to talk to Daniel," Jack went on. "I need an escort for a very important function."

 

"I'm sure we can accommodate you, sir."

 

"I'm sure you can," Jack said, his voice low and dangerous.

 

Jack watched for Daniel's reaction. The younger man swapped his cell-phone from one ear to the other.

 

"If you would give me some details, I will see if we have a suitable escort for you."

 

"I want Daniel," Jack persisted.

 

"I'm sorry, he's not available, but as I said…"

 

"It doesn't matter." Jack knew he'd pushed as far as he could. He ended the call quickly, still watching Daniel.

 

"Hello? Hello? Damn it!" cursed Daniel; he could not afford to lose a new client and how come this first timer asked for him by name? Odd though, the caller sounded familiar, he just couldn't quite place the voice. Was it Charlie? Quickly, Daniel brought up the menu on his cell-phone, checking the call-received option. Fuck! Number withheld. He'd been wondering since Charlie's call whether this `Charlie' was really Jack. George had already confirmed for Daniel that he'd given Jack a business card. Damn! This whole thing was getting just too complicated and letting his personal feelings get in the way was just clouding his judgement and blowing his grand plan off course.

 

"Daniel, hi."

 

"What? Oh, sorry. How did you know my name was Daniel?"

 

"The other night, well, a few weeks ago now. You were in here celebrating Gary's lost and found thing."

 

"Of course, yes. You're Jack aren't you?"

 

"That's me." Jack smiled as he seated himself next to the younger man. Studying his face closely, without trying to `look' like he was, Jack thought he noticed a softening around Daniel's blue eyes.

 

"You're looking a little different from the last time I saw you," Jack offered in a light conversational way.

 

"Um, yeah, guess I am."

 

"Change of hair colour, eye colour. How come?"

 

Daniel blinked. "I like to make changes; keep up with fashion."

 

"Including black hair and green eyes?"

 

Daniel broke eye contact with the older man. This guy was observant. He hoped the fashion comment would satisfy the other man's curiosity. It didn't.

 

"So, Daniel, how come you have these different persona and different looks? It's very confusing trying to keep up with them."

 

Daniel virtually choked on his drink. Recovering quickly, Daniel eyed the other man suspiciously. "What makes you so interested in how I look?"

 

"Juss sayin'," Jack said, sipping his drink.

 

"You're not the fashion police are you?" Daniel grinned, blatantly staring at Jack's pale green, short-sleeved, untucked baggy shirt.

 

"Hey! Whatcha lookin' at?" Jack laughed, nudging Daniel's arm with his elbow.

 

Daniel found he was staring at him and dropping his eyes quickly, averted his gaze. He could not afford to let his personal, emotional feelings get in the way. He had his life's plan mapped out and even this older, very handsome man was not going to distract him.

 

"Nice to meet you again, Jack but I need to go. Y'know, things to do, places to yadda."

 

"You can't go just yet," complained Jack, "we're just getting to know each other." Jack was trying very hard to keep things light but he really, really wanted to know this man better. Jack had already admitted to himself that this man, Daniel, was just too interesting to lose now.

 

"I'm sorry, Jack, I really do have some work and it won't wait." Daniel's stomach clenched with regret.

 

"How about coffee?" Jack offered.

 

Shaking his head, Daniel got off his barstool. "Just one?" Jack persisted.

 

"I'm sorry, I can't," Daniel said, straightening his jacket.

 

"A very quick one, then I'll let you go," Jack pushed, getting up with the younger man and not taking his eyes off him.

 

Daniel shook his head slowly and knowing he would regret it, smiled at the older man.

 

"Just one," he said, raising his index finger to illustrate his point.

 

Jack grinned broadly, looking like a kid who had just got one over on an otherwise indulgent parent.

 

Together the men left O'Malley's and walked the block to a small coffee shop. The place was crowded and they were lucky to find a table near the window. Two cups of coffee later, Daniel was talking animatedly about his love of archaeology. Jack wasn't listening. At least he wasn't listening to the content of Daniel's discourse, more the tone and inflection of his voice.

 

The shop emptied over the next hour and as a surprise to the both of them they found themselves the only customers.

 

"Excuse me, gentlemen, we'd like to close up now," the headwaiter said patiently.

 

Daniel glanced at his watch and jumped to his feet. "My god, I didn't realise the time. I really need to go, Jack."

 

"Wait. My place is just round the corner. How about a night cap?"

 

"No, I'm sorry, I have to go. Now."

 

"Daniel? I'd really like to see you again."

 

"Sure, okay. That would be good. Bye, Jack."

 

"Daniel? When?"

 

By now the men were out of the café and standing on the sidewalk.

 

"Um, I'll call you," said Daniel absently as he started to walk away.

 

"Hey!" Jack snapped, grabbing the other man's sleeve. "You don't have my number."

 

"Oh."

"Meet me tomorrow, for dinner."

 

"Jaaaack! I can't. I have too much to do."

 

"C'mon, Daniel, you have to eat sometime. Make it dinner, with me. Please?" Looking at Jack, Daniel could see the sincerity behind his eyes, those deep brown warm eyes. Torn between his desire to be with Jack and his desire to achieve his goals, Daniel didn't know what to do. Jack ran his hand up Daniel's arm and the younger man felt a shock of electricity lance through his body.

 

"Daniel, whaddya say? My treat. I'll meet you at O'Malley's at eight thirty and we'll go on from there, all right?"

 

"Well, I don't know…"

 

"Just dinner, okay? Nothing else...unless you want to."

 

Daniel's eyes widened at Jack's comment. The older man smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

 

"I'll see ya tomorrow night. Okay? And don't forget."

 

The men parted company, each wondering if they were actually dating.

 

-o-

 

"George, what time do you have?"

 

"Five minutes later than when you asked me the last time," retorted the bartender.

 

"It's nine twenty. Daniel was supposed to be here at eight thirty."

 

"He's probably busy and forgotten the time."

 

"He promised he wouldn't forget. I don't understand what could be keeping him. I mean, it's me for crying out loud!"

 

Twenty minutes later found George watching Jack panic, except that Jack didn't. Raising his eyebrows, George was surprised at how calm Jack seemed to be.

 

"His cell-phone is switched off. Where would be the most likely place he'd be?"

 

George shook his head. "At this time of night?" He paused for a moment, trying to judge the man's intentions. The man must be really keen on Daniel. "The library."

 

"What?"

 

"The university library. Daniel spends as much time as he can on his studies. It's what he does."

 

"The library. Are you sure?"

 

George nodded as Jack left the bar.

 

-o-

 

"Daniel? What the hell are you doing here?"

 

"Jack? Oh my god, Jack! I didn't know it was so late, I'm sorry."

 

"Just grab your books and let's go," hissed Jack, trying to suppress his irritation.

 

"Ssshhh, Jack, this is a library," Daniel whispered as he gathered his notes, books, journals and other papers.

 

"I noticed that," muttered Jack, helping Daniel to pack his brief case. "Have you eaten at all today?"

 

"I had a sandwich about eleven this morning," Daniel returned sheepishly.

 

"Well, we've missed our reservation for dinner. Come back to my place and I'll fix us something."

 

"No, it's all right, really. I can heat some soup when I get home."

 

"Ah-huh, no you don't. I'm gonna make sure to you eat somethin' decent. No more argument, please. Oh, and I promise the only thing I'll offer will be food, okay?"

 

Daniel found Jack's constant promises of not wanting sex with him just as suggestive as if he'd asked outright. It was a kind of non-flirtatious flirtation and it was working.

Jack opened the car door and Daniel bundled himself and his overloaded briefcase into the sporty two-seater.

 

"Nice car," Daniel breathed, smelling and feeling the leather interior.

 

"Thanks, it serves its purpose," Jack said in a matter of fact way as he slipped the stick into gear.

 

Thirty minutes later, Jack was leading Daniel through the foyer of a very expensive apartment complex. The entrance hall had acres of dark red carpet and the walls were decorated with huge mirrors and soft lighting. As the men walked to the elevator, Daniel noted that their footfalls were silent; the carpet so thick it seemed to dampen all sound.

Jack pulled a card from his inside pocket and held it up to an electronic reader on the side of the elevator door. Within moments it had arrived and the two stepped into a well-lit, plush car.

 

Daniel smiled; this was very classy indeed. Having made their way to the penthouse, Jack swiped his card again and the apartment door swished open.

 

"This is…um…very…" murmured Daniel as he stared at the huge split-level lounge furnished in subtle reds and browns.

 

"Yeah, it is," smiled Jack as he headed for the kitchen.

 

Daniel wandered through the lounge, aghast at the paintings on the walls and the objects d'art scattered on shelves and occasional tables. Lastly he made his way to the windows, except they were more like glass walls, giving an uninterrupted vista of the city below. It was past ten o'clock now and the night sky was clear, cloudless and bejewelled by ancient constellations. Daniel could see the moving red and white lights of traffic and the stationary lights of buildings. He whistled a breath through pursed lips as he took in the wealth and opulence that this place represented.

 

Hearing the sounds of cooking, Daniel made his way to the kitchen to find Jack. As he entered he stopped dead in his tracks, taking in the high-tech, stainless steel units and the soft defused lighting. The counters were made of black marble, as were the walls. He watched as Jack moved from cupboard, to fridge to stove, his movements a kind of graceful choreography. Daniel was stunned by the man's environment and he realised that he'd made assumptions about the version of Jack in his faded, threadbare jeans that were patently untrue. The man was obviously not what or who he seemed, and Daniel felt a pang of guilt knowing that Jack may well be thinking the same about him.

 

"Here," Jack said, offering Daniel a glass of red wine. "Steak all right? How d'ya like it? Rare, medium, well done?"

 

"On the cooked side of it getting off the plate and running away, please."

 

Jack snorted and touched Daniel's arm. Holding up the glass to salute the chef, Daniel found a stool and sat, watching Jack work. Dressed in his lumberjack shirt and jeans, Daniel had thought Jack a working class blue collar type, lonely and looking for a cheap thrill on a Saturday night. How wrong could he have been? Shaking his head he took another sip of wine, taking in Jack's concentrated expression of culinary creativity. He really liked this man, much more than he cared to admit and he could get used to being wined and dined like this, in an expensive apartment touching the sky and with all the other accoutrements accompanying it. Then his brain flashed a warning signal. If he got involved with Jack would there be some expectation of ownership? The escort agency had a rule, all services to be paid for. It was supposed to be a fair trade. Would a relationship with Jack be based on the same thing? Could it be that Jack would give him class and Daniel would give Jack sex?

 

Just as his brain was telling him to run, the clink of plates on marble pulled his thoughts back to the food in front of him. Pulling up a stool opposite, Jack settled to eat.

 

"What?"

 

"Nothing."

 

"Still got your head in those books?" Jack asked, pouring them both another glass of wine.

 

Daniel smiled weakly and felt guiltier yet. Jack had asked nothing of him except a date, which Daniel had fouled up by forgetting.

 

The wine relaxed Daniel and he tucked into his food with gusto.

 

"Y’don't eat that often do ya?" Jack drawled.

 

"What? Oh, I do, but it isn't often this good. Where did you learn to cook like this?"

 

"My mother. She believed I should be self-reliant so I taught myself. What about you? What did your mother teach you?"

 

"I only have a vague recollection of my mother and my father too. They died when I was young. I spent my childhood with a sorry collection of foster parents."

 

"I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?"

 

"They were killed while on a dig."

 

"A dig?"

 

"They were archaeologists."

 

"So, that's where you get your interest from?"

 

"Yes, I just want to spend my time on digs, studying relics and ruins," Daniel smiled, noticing that Jack's eyes seemed a darker shade of brown than they were earlier.

 

"So, why don't you?"

 

"It's complicated. I'd have to be permanently on the staff of a university archaeology department, go on digs, write up the results, get published, then look for grants to pay for the next dig."

 

"And, so, but, therefore?"

 

"It's really hard to get a job like that, especially for someone like me."

 

"Like you?"

 

"I have some theories that the academic establishment doesn't like, so I get frozen out of the job market and the funding."

 

"Don't tell me these theories are that Earth was visited by aliens and the pyramids were built by Martians?"

 

Daniel rolled his eyes but said nothing, except a smile as his eyes flashed a dark ice blue.

 

"No aliens then?"

 

"I've been working on this theory of the cross pollination of cultures, but I really need to visit the sites for confirmation. Most digs are in just one place, my theory means I have to travel between continents and that's expensive."

 

"You seem pretty determined though, how will you pay for it?"

 

"I'm saving up, I take work when I can get it, live like a monk that's taken a vow of poverty and study when I get the chance."

 

"But you can afford these different looks? What's the point of that?"

 

Daniel froze at Jack's questions. He'd just spent a couple of hours as a `normal' person and he didn't want Jack knowing about his alternate lifestyle.

 

"I told you, I'm a fashion victim."

 

"Which is costly. How can you afford it?"

 

"Why the inquisition?" Daniel retorted, his irritation showing.

 

"Hey, I was just askin'. I didn't mean anything by it," Jack replied, lying through his teeth. He was very interested and wanted to find answers to the questions that had been plaguing him ever since he'd first clapped eyes on the man.

 

"If you must know, I run a business with a distinctly cosmopolitan customer base. I try to appeal to a range of people. Is that so bad?"

 

"Depends," Jack mused, "on whether your customers like it with the light on or the light off."

 

Daniel's look of surprise was quickly masked by a smile.

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

"Do I need to spell it out?"

 

"Look, I run an import and export business and I don't like what you're inferring."

 

Jack sat back, holding up his hands.

 

"Sorry, I apologise," he said, his face serious. His expression might have appeared serious but he was feeling very self satisfied on the inside. Judging by Daniel's reaction he'd hit on something very near the truth. Import and export my ass. I can imagine how `that' works.

 

"So, business doin' okay?"

 

"Up and down," Daniel mumbled, feeling disconcerted by Jack's directness.

 

Jack's internal thought processes were laughing hysterically at Daniel's seemingly innocent comment as he struggled to keep a straight face.

 

"Wanna tell me about it?"

 

"What?"

 

"Your business. Do you want to tell me about it, how it's doin', y'know, the up and down stuff? I'm only asking because I'm in business too and I'm interested."

 

Daniel looked at Jack with a steady gaze. Could he trust this man to give him all the details or should he censor himself. He chose the latter.

"My business is sort of part time."

 

"Part time?"

 

"Yes. I'm holding down two jobs and studying at the university.

 

Jack's eyebrows climbed and he sat forward, intrigued by what the younger man was telling him.

 

"I run this business on a part time basis. I work at the university as a teaching assistant and I'm studying for a doctorate, my third actually."

 

"Three doctorates? That makes you very smart, way smarter than me for a start!"

 

"I'm determined to prove my theories, so I have to put the work in."

 

"So, what do you import and export?"

 

"Leisure goods."

 

Trying very hard not to laugh out loud, Jack topped up their wine. "Pays well?"

 

"It's okay, I survive."

 

"How about overheads?"

 

"Overheads?"

 

"Staff?"

 

"Staff?" repeated Daniel, trying to think of a clever enough response to satisfy Jack and terminate this part of the conversation. "Sometimes. How about you? What business are you in?"

 

"This and that," Jack replied, not wanting too close an inquisition.

 

At that precise moment, as Jack held the wine glass to his lips, Daniel went to ask another question and waving his hand, knocked Jack's drink from his hand. Jumping back off his stool as if he'd been stung, Daniel managed to catch the highflying wine all over his cream coloured sweater and beige cotton trousers. He looked as though he'd been standing too close to an exploding paint can.

 

“I'm sorry," both men said in unison.

 

"You'd better take those clothes off and I'll put them in the washer."

 

"What?" exclaimed Daniel, trying to dab the wine from his sweater with a brilliantly white napkin, turning it a subtle shade of pink. "Here, don't rub it, you'll make it worse. You need to get those clothes washed now, otherwise that wine will stain."

 

"But..."

 

"C'mon, I'll find you a change of clothes," Jack laughed and took Daniel by the hand, leading him to a bedroom.

 

Daniel was annoyed at being led like a child, but he also enjoyed the grasp of Jack's warm, strong fingers.

 

Jack pushed open a door and pulled Daniel in behind him. Standing for a moment, Daniel looked around him. The bedroom was completely white; the different textures and shades of white in the furnishings, carpet, bedding and ornaments gave a stunning effect.

 

"Put this on," Jack said quietly, handing Daniel a white satin robe. "Give me those clothes, for crying out loud!"

 

Daniel glared at Jack, hesitating for a moment and waiting for the older man to leave the room. Jack took the hint and shaking his head, left Daniel to strip. Peeling off his sweater and trousers Daniel realised that the wine had seeped through to his boxers as well. Sighing, he pulled them off too. Moments later, Jack tapped on the door.

 

"Ready for me to wash your stuff?"

 

"Sure," Daniel said, handing Jack his collection of rapidly pinking clothes. Jack disappeared to the utility room. Daniel ran his hand along the sleeve of his robe, the satin felt soft and sensuous and he quickly became aware of the fabric against his skin; it made his nipples harden under the gentle friction and he noticed how good it felt against his cock. If he hadn't been so sure that it was an accident he could almost believe that Jack had orchestrated his nakedness. Smiling, he realised he didn't really care if it wasn't an accident; he liked the way the evening was panning out. Then that little devil on his shoulder whispered in his ear. What if Jack was expecting sex as payment for the meal? What if Jack demanded sex as payment? Would that be such a bad thing? After all, they could be doing each other a favour.

 

Just then, Jack put his head around the door.

 

"You okay? You should be fully clothed again in about an hour and a half."

 

"I'm fine, thanks, I'm just sorry to be such a pain in the butt."

 

"I'm sure you could never be a pain in the butt, Daniel," Jack said, his voice highly suggestive.

 

Swallowing, Daniel tried to ignore that last remark.

 

"Um, don't suppose there's any chance of coffee?"

 

"Sure, Brazilian, Colombian, Kenyan?"

 

"However it comes thanks, Jack."

 

The men went back to the kitchen and Daniel resumed his seat as Jack opened a large packet of coffee beans.

 

"You grind your own?" Daniel asked, again surprised by Jack's culinary taste.

 

"I grind a lot of things," Jack laughed, waggling his eyebrows like Groucho Marx.

 

"What are you hinting at, Jack?" Daniel had decided it was time to lay his cards on the table.

 

"Me?" Jack said, taking a step back and putting his hand on his heart as if he had been mortally wounded.

 

"Do you want sex with me?"

 

It was Jack's turn to blink at Daniel's direct question.

 

"Do you want me to want sex with you?"

 

"Do you always answer a question with another question?"

 

"What are you askin'?"

 

The men stared at each other solemnly and then burst into laughter.

 

Touching Daniel's hand, Jack was still giggling.

 

"What was the question again?"

 

Daniel couldn't help laughing all over again. He really did like Jack. A lot.

 

"Now, what was it you asked me?" said Jack, still laughing.

 

Slowly standing, Daniel's expression turned from levity to brevity as he stepped away from the high-backed counter stool. He fixed his gaze on Jack and keeping eye contact, Daniel unfastened the tie around his waist, letting the satin robe fall open.

 

Jack's mouth dropped open and he stopped laughing immediately. His eyes roamed over Daniel's body, or at least as much of it as he could see between the gaps in the robe. He could make out the curve of pectoral muscles, the firm, well-defined abdominal muscles and his naked groin. Jack's eyes rested on Daniel's thick and semi erect cock as it followed the curve of his balls. Reluctantly, Jack's eyes pulled away and travelled up Daniel's pale, smooth skin to his face and those captivating blue eyes.

Daniel shifted his position, widening his stance slightly, pulling back the robe to rest his hands on his hips. Jack had full sight of the younger man's muscular and toned body and his breath hitched at the promise of sexual satisfaction being offered. "Damn it, Daniel, cover yourself up!"

 

"Jack? I thought you wanted me?"

 

"Not like this."

 

"Why not? It's what you want isn't it?"

 

"Oh, I don't deny it, Daniel, but I'm not sure what your motives are."

 

"What?"

 

"You spend some of your time as a prostitute, don't you? Selling your 'services' and as a pimp, selling other people's?" There was a tone of revulsion in Jack's voice.

"It's a fair trade, Jack, no different from buying or selling any commodity," Daniel retorted.

 

"Except when it gets dangerous. What happened to Gary?"

 

Shaking his head, Daniel wrapped the robe around his body as he re-seated himself.

 

"Gary was new to the agency. The night you saw him was a celebration for him, he'd had his first client. He's a good kid, Jack."

 

"How did he get so badly beaten? A client?"

 

"No, his father."

 

"What?"

 

"His father found out he was gay and kicked the crap out of him. I covered his medical bills and helped him move out. He's sharing with Kyle now, and Kyle looks out for him. I should mention, Jack, that I haven't been sexually active for a while now, not for nearly eighteen months."

 

"So, you're a pimp?"

 

"I don't make the guys do anything they don't want to. I try to look after them if they're sick or need help. They keep the bulk of their earnings and they give me what they think I'm worth. They look after me in return. I'm just the one with the cell-phone, Jack."

 

The older man sat back in his seat for a moment, considering what Daniel had told him. Things weren't quite as seedy as he'd imagined, though if Daniel had given up selling his own body, why was he still playing the chameleon?

 

"I think it's bedtime," he announced, picking up the now empty plates and stacking them in the dishwasher.

 

"Does this mean you've changed your mind, Jack?"

 

"Huh?"

 

"About having sex with me?"

 

"No, I haven't changed my mind, and I'll tell you for why. I like you very much, but something doesn't feel right. I don't want sex with you, Daniel. I'd rather I...we made love. There's still something in the way. Don't get me wrong, you're very attractive...but I need to get over the idea of you allowing some stranger to fuck you for no other reason than for money."

"I did the fucking sometimes, Jack. I was never a passive recipient y'know."

 

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

 

"Of course, really."

 

"Didja...enjoy it?"

 

"Most of the time. I was getting something out of it besides money. Sometimes it wasn't so good."

 

"Oh? How?"

 

"Sometimes a client wanted more than I was prepared to allow. S and M doesn't do a lot for me, as the initiator or the recipient. Clients have the idea they can do whatever the hell they like, and that their partner doesn't have any feelings. I'm afraid humiliation and degradation aren't part my bag of tricks."

Nodding, Jack began to wonder exactly what might be in Daniel's bag of tricks.

 

"You sure you're not interested?" Daniel asked, his voice low, quiet and suggestive. As he asked the question, he took a few steps toward Jack, still holding the robe across his chest.

 

Jack watched Daniel close the distance between them and his eyes widened like saucers as he saw the satin robe slip from the other man's shoulders. He still held the garment to his chest but now his upper body was naked to Jack's gaze. Closing his eyes involuntarily, Jack breathed out heavily. He was facing the temptation of Adam. Should he take the ripe sweet red apple being offered him and lose himself in and to this younger man? Or should he refuse, rejecting the offer and take the self-righteous high moral ground? He liked this younger man a lot. He could see himself in a relationship with him; the possibility of not being alone, being with someone as bright and sensuous as Daniel was very, very tempting. However, it could be that Daniel would love him and leave him, his ambition to prove his archaeological theories strong enough to make him leave. Oh fuck!

"Well, Jack? Do you want me? Do you want what I can give you?" Daniel asked again, his voice husky and erotic.

 

Jack knew Daniel was caressing his senses, stroking his sexuality and pulling at his baser instincts. Daniel was a siren, singing to Jack's deep-seated desires and his need to feel wanted, to be loved, to feel the satisfaction of intimate contact with another human being. As he hesitated, Daniel took another step toward him and stood motionless, inches away from Jack's body. It took every fibre he had, to step to one side and turn away, shutting the dishwasher door and pressing the start button.

"Take the guest room, Daniel. It's late. I'll drive you home in the morning."

 

Daniel's shoulders slumped as he accepted Jack's decision. Regretfully, Daniel nodded and made his way to the white bedroom, distraught that Jack didn't want him. It wasn't the fact that the older man had refused his sexual advances that upset him; it was the notion that the real possibility of a lifelong partnership had been refused. Sighing, Daniel flopped onto the bed. Jack had said he liked him a lot and yet, he was rejecting Daniel's offer. Maybe Jack didn't see that in his offer of sex, Daniel was offering himself, totally. He pulled back the crisp white sheets, let the satin robe fall from his body and got into bed. Sleep was going to be hard to achieve, when his body and his mind ached for Jack's embrace.

Jack sat on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands. He knew what and whom he'd turned down, and he hated himself for it.

 

A little demon sat on his shoulder. What would be so bad about taking Daniel into his bed? He might, after all, regret not taking the opportunity when it was so patently offered.

His opposing angel waded in. “Jack? You don't know what you might be walking into.”

 

The little demon replied. “You'll never know what you'll be walking into if you don't take the first step and find out!”

 

Jack tossed and turned for the next hour. He couldn't sleep and his internal conversation wasn't helping.

 

Meanwhile Daniel had managed to fall into a fitful sleep but only for an hour or so. Stirring, he woke completely and sitting up, pulled on the satin robe and padded to the kitchen. Opening and closing cupboard doors one after the other, he looked for a cup or glass. Maybe some cool, soothing water would help him get back to sleep.

Jack heard sounds coming from the kitchen and guessed it was Daniel. He looked down at himself; a pair of sweats and a t-shirt was okay, he thought; nothing suggestive about that, right?

 

"Hey, having trouble sleeping?"

 

"Yeah. Hi. I thought some water might help."

 

Jack just nodded, trying really hard not to focus on Daniel's bare and exposed chest. Daniel had looped the tie of his robe in a loose knot around his waist but it wasn't tight enough to cover his body entirely.

 

Jack rolled his eyes, the man was sex on a stick and as he swiped his tongue over his lips he groaned quietly. Just the thought of sex with this man was making his mouth water.

"You okay?" Daniel asked quietly, picking up on Jack's awkwardness.

 

"Sure, I couldn't sleep either. Think the heat's up too high? It's really warm in here," Jack said pulling at the collar of his tee.

 

Smiling, Daniel found a glass and filled it with water. Offering it to Jack he asked, "Want some?"

 

Jack could only sigh, the double entendre he read into Daniel's comment, discomfiting him.

 

"Maybe a massage might help?" offered the younger man.

 

"What?"

 

"A massage, it might help you relax."

 

Jack wanted to say, 'You're kidding right?' But instead, nodded.

 

"Where?"

 

"My room?"

 

"Have you any oil?"

 

"There's some in my bathroom I think. Might be a bit old though. Haven't used any of that in a long time."

 

"Really?"

 

Yeah, not since I was married."

 

"You were married?"

 

"It happens."

 

"Right."

 

With the small, opaque bottle of perfumed oil in his hand Daniel smiled at Jack.

 

"Um, Jack? You'll have to take off your shirt first."

 

"I will? Oh, of course. Sure, just a sec." Pulling off the garment, Jack faced Daniel.

 

Daniel thought Jack looked a little nervous, self-conscious maybe.

 

"Nothing else, Jack, just a massage." Jack grinned; Daniel was getting his own back for the older man's earlier comments.

 

"On your front I think. Chances are your neck and shoulders are probably stiff."

 

Stiff? Jack thought. Noooo, it's not my neck that's stiff. Oh fuck!

 

"God, you're so tense. Try and relax!"

 

Jack took a deep breath and exhaled, consciously trying to relax. What he really wanted to do was let his cock get as tense as possible, and relax Daniel's ass. Oh fuck!

They both knew that the massage was a teenager's euphemism for foreplay. Daniel hoped his change of tack from a direct invitation to an interim strategy might help win over Jack.

After a few minutes of kneading Jack's shoulders, Daniel stopped.

 

"This isn't working. Jack, I can't do it like this. I mean standing beside the bed. It's giving me backache. I need to straddle you to do this properly. Do you mind?"

 

Do I mind, he asks, do I mind? Oh fuck!

 

"No, that's okay; just do what you need to do. Why don't I move?" Jack asked as he shifted to the centre of the bed, answering his own question.

Letting his robe fall to the floor, the naked Daniel placed a knee on either side of Jack's torso and leaned into his shoulders. Jack turned his head to see the robe on the floor and took in a sharp breath.

 

That means the man is naked. Oh fuck!

 

"You need to put your arms by your sides, palms up, just out from your body. Take some deep breaths and let your spine drop towards the mattress and relax your lower back."

 

"Wow, now it aches."

 

"It will for a little while. Your spine needs to stretch a bit. It'll be fine in a minute or so."

 

Daniel poured a little of the oil onto his hands and rubbing them together started to massage Jack's shoulders again.

 

"You are very, very stiff, Jack. What have you been doing to get like this?"

 

Oh fuck!

 

"Waiting for an unpunctual archaeologist," he puffed as Daniel rubbed his neck.

 

Smiling, Daniel continued to work on Jack's upper body, his hands and fingers teasing out the knots.

 

"Oh yeah, that's good," purred Jack in response.

 

As Daniel moved further down his body Jack relaxed completely.

 

After a while Daniel stopped and stared at Jack's reclining body. Cocking his head to listen, Daniel could hear the muffled sounds of gentle snoring. Jack was asleep. Daniel moved carefully off his body and the bed and stooped to check him. The older man was definitely asleep. Well damn! I'm too good at this.

 

Pulling up the dark red sheet to cover him, Daniel crept out of Jack's bedroom and made for his own bed. He could have just slipped in beside Jack, slept with him at least. He could have taken the opportunity to feel the heat and form of the man, that would have given him some comfort; but it would have been an imposition and he couldn't take advantage of a sleeping man. Daniel didn't fall asleep right away, but thought long and hard about his situation and an hour later he had made a momentous decision.

 

-o-

 

Jack woke late that morning and as he lay there he thought about Daniel and how and why he had turned him down the night before. Was he completely out of his mind? The younger man had offered him sex on a plate and it was a feast he had chosen to reject.

 

Taking two cups of coffee to Daniel's bedroom, Jack found the door ajar. Pushing it open with his foot, Jack could see that the bed was empty. There was no sign of Daniel anywhere in the apartment. He was gone.

 

That night Jack went to O'Malley's specifically to speak to George.

 

"Sorry, son, haven't seen him. Maybe Gary or Kyle might know where he is. I could ask them for you."

 

"Thanks, George, I'd appreciate it."

 

George thought that Jack looked sad, but somewhere under the surface he detected a tone of desperation in his voice. It's a shame, he thought; Jack and Daniel would have been good for each other. Watching Jack leave the bar, George hoped that Daniel knew what he was doing. The younger man had come into the bar earlier agitated and out of breath.

"I need to do this, George. You mustn't tell Jack. I have something to prove to him and to myself, and I don't want him knowing anything until I'm ready to tell him. You have to promise me, George, not a word. Please?"

 

What could he do? Daniel pleaded with him to say nothing to Jack and now that the older man was here making enquiries, he felt guilty. Shaking his head the bartender watched as Jack left with that look; a look of sadness that George could do nothing about.

 

-o-

 

The River Nile, eight months later...

 

"This is great, Jack. What a good idea to come to Egypt."

 

"Sure, Harry, just don't let it go to your head. We have some business to conclude, remember?"

 

"I know, I know, but come on, Jack. You can't help but notice the beauty of this place. This river trip is definitely one of your better ideas."

 

Jack just rolled his eyes and walked to the bow end of the yacht. The sun was high in the sky and it was hot. His other companions were stretched out on loungers under the brightly striped canopy.

 

"I've arranged for us to take a trip ashore this afternoon, folks. Thought it might be interesting to go have a look at an archaeological site as it happens, y'know all that digging, holes and dirt. Whaddya say?"

 

His companions nodded and underlined their affirmation with polite noises.

 

Since Daniel's disappearance Jack had taken a close interest in the archaeological community, partly in the hope of running across him, and partly because he wanted to know what it was that interested Daniel so much. After the younger man had left Jack asleep in his bed, he'd wondered what could have happened to him, where he'd gone, and more to the point, why he'd gone.

 

Jack had been hoping to spend a couple of weeks with Daniel, to get to know him better, to have the chance to learn to trust him, to find out more about him and to date him. He'd wanted to wine and dine the guy and, of course, take him into his bed. During the intervening months Daniel consumed Jack's mind and heart. At night when he was alone in his bed, Jack's body was also consumed with the memory of Daniel.

 

One night when the weather was hot, Jack threw off the bed covers and lay naked on his bed. What would have happened if he'd taken up Daniel's offer of sex? Maybe he would have stayed instead of leaving. Jack tried to recall every detail of Daniel's body, the broad shoulders, pale smooth skin, the dark thatch of hair at his groin. Groaning, Jack lay on his side, drawing up his knee. Grasping his semi erect cock, he stroked slowly, running through a scenario of Daniel spooning up against his back, his arm wrapped around his waist, and his hand mirroring the actions of Jack's own hand. He could imagine the feel of the younger man's body against his own and the touch of Daniel's hard cock against the cleft of his buttocks. Daniel would press against him, rocking his hips, and rubbing himself against his skin.

 

Pulling at his cock, Jack cupped his balls and massaging hard, gasped at the thought of Daniel exploring his ass with those long, expressive fingers. Jack sucked his fingers and when they were properly moist he probed his ass, imagining them to be Daniel's fingers. Increasing his stroke rate Jack masturbated hard and fast, chanting Daniel's name as he came.

 

Jack had felt bereft after Daniel had left and it took him a while to pick up his life again. He'd tried to find him. He'd made enquiries at the university and the only thing he'd discovered was that Daniel had turned up, packed his books and his bags, muttering something about finishing his thesis and proving the cross pollenisation of cultures.

 

"D'ya think they'll sign up by the end of the trip, Sam?"

 

"I'm sure they will, sir. Haskins, Benjamin, and Riley are already in the bag. We just need Maybourne and Kinsey."

 

"Kinsey is going to be a problem. He's holding out for additional rights. I don't trust him though. He's the kind of guy who will renege on any agreement the minute he gets a chance."

"Maybourne's influence could be the key to Kinsey caving."

 

Patting the tall blonde woman on the shoulder, Jack moved back to the stern of the yacht to talk to Maybourne some more. This business deal was important, that's why he'd flown them all to Egypt, in the hope of closing the deal somewhere they didn't have any other distractions or competitors to put them off their negotiations.

 

Sam Carter had been his ace in the hole. She was a top-notch scientist and understood the research and development side of the business. Jack's part was pulling the deal together, not in making the doohickeys work; that was Sam's job. The proverbial fly in the ointment was Kinsey. He had political influence as well as the predatory instinct of a snake. Jack needed him on board, but he had to make sure his involvement was airtight, otherwise he could see himself losing the business to Kinsey's nasty scheming, two-timing, slimy, sonuvabitch, double dealing, freakin'...

 

"O'Neill, luncheon is almost ready to be served. Do you wish to move to the stateroom?

 

"Nah, T-man, it's better on deck, it's cooler. Thanks."

 

"As you wish, O'Neill."

 

"T?" Jack whispered, "Keep an eye on Kinsey and his goon. I wouldn't put it past either of them to try and get access to my computer."

 

Teal'c said nothing but bowed his head and left Jack's side to stand silently and observe. God, Jack loved the man. He was huge, quiet, graceful and deadly.

 

After lunch, the party boarded the yacht's launch that took them ashore. Once there, a luxury minibus took them to the dig site. Jack had arranged to meet the head of the dig, Doctor Matthew Fielding. Jack's company was sponsoring this particular dig so Fielding was more than happy to co-operate with the visit.

 

"Welcome, Mr. O'Neill, I'm very pleased to host your visit." The elderly Fielding then proceeded to blind Jack and his party with science. Standing at the back of group, Jack's concentration lapsed around Fielding's third sentence and he took the opportunity to survey the site. It was a small dig with about two-dozen local diggers and porters. There were a few large white tents located in the centre of the site, at the back of which was a large spoil heap. Jack noticed a tall man talking to a shorter, slightly bedraggled man, a digger by the look of it. The tall man was clad in a similar getup to the Egyptian workers, with long brown cotton robes, a cream muslin scarf round his neck and a sunhat on his head. The hat was a boonie and the brim cast a dark shadow over the man's face. They seemed to be having a heated discussion, although Jack had learned on his worldwide travels, that what looked and sounded like a shouting match could be nothing more than loving terms of endearment. His attention returned to the task at hand when Fielding announced that the group would have a tour of the site and an introduction to some of the finds.

 

Bringing up the rear, Jack's eyes bore into the back of Kinsey's neck. He hated this man with a passion, but needed his backing for his latest business venture. The man was greedy and heartless but he had influence in the White House, something Jack needed for the successful completion of the deal.

 

The party stopped and gathered around a large trestle table and the tall man with the robes and the boonie launched into a lecture about the finds spread out on the tabletop. Jack's ears picked up, he recognised the voice. It was Daniel.

 

Slowly Jack made his way to one side of the group where he could get a better look at the man. Yep, it was Daniel all right. Well, sonuvagun.

 

After Daniel had finished his short talk, Fielding led a cursory round of applause and invited Jack to say a few words. Jack chose to stay where he was and dropping his sunglasses to hang by the loop around his neck he cleared his throat and smiled.

 

"Well, folks, you enjoyed Doctor Jackson's talk, I know I did. O'Neill Industries is very proud and pleased to be sponsoring this dig. If we don't find out about our past how will we find the path to our future? I believe that's what you said a while back, Daniel, in a little coffee shop in Colorado Springs."

 

Daniel shifted, embarrassed by Jack's recollection of their conversation and his very public announcement of it.

 

Kinsey shot a look between them, suddenly very intrigued about their relationship. Was there some dirt he could turn up about them? The White House didn't like homosexuality. Was this something that he could use against Jack? He had to know and what better way to do that than to engage Jackson in a little conversation. Maybe he could offer him a dig of his own; Kinsey could certainly afford to sponsor a little history, especially if it would give him a history of Jack O'Neill and any pertinent indiscretions.

 

As the party followed Fielding around the site, Kinsey sought out Daniel, using the excuse of an overwhelming interest in some of the finds on the table. Jack watched Kinsey as he swarmed his way around the archaeologist. Jack just wanted to punch Kinsey on the nose. Hard. He made his way to where the men were talking but was stopped by Teal'c.

 

"O'Neill, your computer was compromised before we left the yacht. I took measures to deal with Kinsey's assistant. He is now on a plane to London without the information he was seeking."

 

"Good work, T. Did he get anything at all?"

 

"A bloody nose, O'Neill."

 

"Way to go! Thanks, Teal'c."

 

"It was my pleasure."

 

Jack looked at the big man's solemn expression and he knew that the twinkle in those black eyes meant the guy was laughing heartily on the inside.

 

Now that Kinsey's sidekick was out of the way, Jack could move in and clinch the deal. He had something on the snake that would be highly embarrassing for him if it got back to his political friends and business acquaintances.

 

"So, Kinsey, fourth century B.C. earrings take your fancy?"

 

"Well, yes, as a matter of fact they do. I've just been hearing about Doctor Jackson's theory on the cross pollination of cultures. I've offered him the means to complete his thesis. He'll fly to Caracas next week."

 

Jack's mouth opened to say something and then he shut it again and thinking, draped his arm around Daniel's shoulders.

 

"Doctor Jackson, a word?"

 

Leading Daniel away from the smug looking Kinsey, Jack gripped his arm tightly. Daniel, on the other hand, didn't want to leave his new patron.

 

"Jack, what are you doing?"

 

"Saving you from a fate worse than death. Oh, nice to see you again by the way. Where the hell did you disappear to when you left my apartment?"

 

"You didn't trust me or my motives for wanting you. Remember? I decided I would drop the escort agency and do what I should have done a long time ago; complete the work on my thesis and prove my theory. So that's what I tried to do, but I ran out of money and ended up here. Kinsey's offer is more than I could have dreamed of, Jack, and I'm taking it."

"Don't, please. He's a snake and he's not to be trusted."

 

"I'm not interested in any petty squabble you might have with him, he's made me a good offer."

 

"He's got an ulterior motive, he doesn't' do anything on the basis of altruism."

 

"He seems like a nice man, Jack, and he's genuinely interested in my work."

 

"Daniel! Wake up and smell the coffee will ya?"

 

"I don't know what your beef is with the guy and I don't care. So let me go, I've got arrangements to make."

 

"What about us?" Jack blurted.

 

"Us? There was never an us. You turned me down or have you forgotten that as well."

 

"There might have been an us if you hadn't taken off like that. I was hoping, but you'd gone before I had a chance to...to..."

 

"Forget it, Jack. You had your chance and you blew it."

 

Jack opened his mouth again, but Daniel was in full flow now.

 

"And how is your company any better than Kinsey's? You're both in the same business, Jack; military hardware that kills. How are your morals superior to his? I'm not interested in what you're doing; I just want to prove my theory." Daniel's voice hardened as the passion flared in his eyes.

 

"You seem happy to have the profits from that hardware pay for your jaunts though. How d'ya square that one, Daniel?"

 

Staring at each other, the men were just inches apart at this point, chins jutting and mouths thin and tense, neither prepared to give way. Eventually Daniel walked away and joined the party that was gathering for supper and few drinks. Jack stayed rooted to the spot, hands on hips and as angry as hell.

 

Throughout this exchange Kinsey hung back, one arm across his chest and cupping the other elbow, his hand resting against his ear. He smiled; the little listening device he attached to Daniel's robe when he clapped him on the back at their agreement for his latest project would pay dividends, especially as the device also had a recording facility in the chip.

 

Meanwhile, Sam dug into her shoulder bag and pulled out a gold compact. Flipping it open she checked her lipstick in the mirror. A small red light flashed near the clasp. Someone had an electronic bug nearby, but she couldn't tell whom. Lifting the mirror she looked at the directional receiver underneath it. The dot in the middle of what looked like a spider's web was the receiver. A green dot was travelling straight towards her.

 

As the party settled around the open fire, Fielding was holding court and relating his past glories. Daniel stood on the outside of the circle of visitors, his arms across his body in a self-hug. Jack sat down next to Sam, still fuming.

 

"We need to talk," Sam whispered. "This involves Teal'c as well."

 

Slowly they got up and moved away from the circle. Jack gave Teal'c a subtle nod and the big man followed them to the minibus. Standing behind it and out of sight of the others, they moved close together in a huddle.

 

"Someone has an electronic listening device and I think I know who it is," Sam said, opening up her compact to show the men.

 

"Who?" Jack asked, his mind and concentration firmly on the problem at hand. "I think its Doctor Jackson."

 

"What?" Jack hissed, trying hard not to shout. "So if he's got a receiver and a transmitter. Who else could be listening in?"

 

Sam just raised her eyebrows, inferring Kinsey or Maybourne.

 

"First, we've got to neutralise the transmitter. After that the other receiver will be useless. I need to get Daniel away from the rest of them, try and find it. Are you sure it's Daniel?"

 

"Pretty much, sir. When I picked up the signal he was the only one in the confines of the web map. It could only be him."

 

"D'ya think he knows?"

 

"Hard to say, sir. I could try to find out. I am the only woman here. Maybe I could get him to shed some of those clothes."

 

"No, I think I'd better be the one to talk to him. He knows me."

 

"Are you sure? I have done my share of liaison work before."

 

"Doctor Jackson's compass points the other way, if you catch my drift. I'll deal with him. Meanwhile, you and Teal'c see what you can find on Kinsey. Will your doohickey work on him, Sam?"

 

"I'll have to reconfigure the wave amplitude, but yeah, I think I can scan him."

 

"What's the range of Kinsey's receiver?"

 

"Hard to say, sir. Could be as much as a mile."

 

"Fuck. If I can't get Daniel that far away from the camp, I'll have to think of something else. You two go and do what you need to and be careful. Oh, and Teal'c? No bloody noses. Got it?"

 

"As you wish, O'Neill" Teal'c nodded, clasping his hands behind his back and following Sam's return to the camp fire.

 

Jack needed to get Daniel on his own, in private. He couldn't risk telling the younger man what was going on in case Kinsey got wind of it. He would have to use his charm and guile. Smiling, he was confident that this would be a piece of cake.

 

Kinsey was watching Jack's threesome behind the bus, but couldn't quite figure out what was going on. All he could hear in his earpiece was Fielding droning on about sarcophagi. If only Daniel would move away from him he could at least get some relief.

 

Then Kinsey heard Jack's voice. "Hey, Daniel. I'm sorry about earlier. I was out of order. I apologise."

 

Kinsey could only hear Daniel growl.

 

"Wanna talk?"

 

"Only if you promise not to talk about my new project. I don't want to fight with you, and I'm sorry too."

 

"Okay, let's walk and talk for a while," suggested Jack, keeping the tone of his voice light and matter of fact. "I'd like to know what you've been doing since we last saw each other."

 

As they walked Jack just let Daniel talk. In the small amount of time he had shared with him, Jack knew that given the invitation, Daniel could talk the hind leg off a donkey, or in this case, drive a snake crazy.

 

Kinsey now faced a dilemma. If he left the group to follow Jack and Daniel he would be missed. If he didn't follow he might lose them out of range of his receiver. He also couldn't figure out what had happened to his sidekick, Jansen. He didn't want to ask in case his disappearance was connected with the little job he'd given him to access Jack's computer. He was on his own. Maybourne was no help; he'd switched his allegiance to O'Neill. Not surprising really, Maybourne being a fag. With any luck Daniel wouldn't want to stray too far from the centre of the camp. The outer edges of the site were littered with deep trenches and with no lighting in those areas it would be too dangerous.

 

He could still hear the conversation between the men quite clearly, and Jackson was still going on about pyramids and the need to revaluate their provenance. God this man was boring. He'd said nothing about his possible relationship with O'Neill since that first encounter.

 

"Jack? I need to ask you something, about that massage."

 

Jack's nerves suddenly twanged. He couldn't afford Daniel saying anything incriminating. Kinsey would surely pick up on it and use it if he could, the bastard.

 

"Daniel, let's not drag up stuff now. How long d'ya think it will take to finish your thesis?"

 

Frowning, Daniel thought it odd that he didn't want to talk about their time in the Springs. It was he that brought up Daniel's leaving after all.

 

Daniel stopped walking and looked straight at Jack.

 

"What's going on?"

 

"Nothin'," Jack said quietly. "Except this."

 

Placing his hands gently on Daniel's face, Jack looked into his eyes, dark as they were in the moonlight. Jack brushed his lips against Daniel's, testing him, inviting him to reciprocate. In one smooth movement Daniel's hands travelled around Jack's waist, down his back, and pressed against his buttocks. This had the effect of drawing them close together. Jack ran his fingers through Daniel's hair and cupping the nape of his neck, kissed him. As they embraced, they kissed, carefully at first, tentatively, each seeking the permission of the other to go further. The touch of Daniel's muscular body under his hands gave Jack an electric thrill of excitement as he turned him where they stood.

 

While kissing Daniel's neck, Jack could now see the path they had travelled from the camp. He could also see the shadowy figure of Kinsey approaching. Sam had been right about the range of the listening device. As Jack kept one eye on Kinsey, he roamed his hands over Daniel's upper arms, shoulders, and back and as he suspected, he found the bug, in the shape of a small metal square, hooked on the underside so that it could be attached. Carefully removing it, he dropped it into the sand.

 

Daniel's hands kneaded Jack's backside as he started to rub his groin against him.

 

"Whoa, Danny, let's take this somewhere else," Jack breathed.

 

"Where else do we need to be, Jack? There's only us here."

 

"Not quite," Jack hissed as he swung Daniel to one side of him and lunged at Kinsey, who by now had crept up right behind them.

 

"Problem with your hearing, Kinsey?" Jack grunted as he wrestled him to the ground.

 

"Jack? What the hell are you doing?" yelled Daniel, pulling at his shirt and trying to lift him off the prostrate Kinsey.

 

"Not now, Daniel," Jack growled, straddling Kinsey's chest and pinning his arms with his knees and thighs.

 

"I don't believe this. You're like a kid who can't get his own way." Daniel threw his arms up and walked back to camp, leaving Jack and Kinsey struggling with each other in the sand.

 

"You must have a problem, you’re wearing a hearing aid," Jack said as he ripped the small clear plastic device from Kinsey's ear. "Now why would you need this? Oh, I know, to record anything you missed. Well I guess you're just gonna have to rely on your memory from now on." Jack held the device close to Kinsey's face and smiling, threw it as far as he could to land it somewhere in a sand dune. "Think you'd better take the next boat outta here. The bus is suddenly too full to take you back to the yacht. I'll send your stuff on to you."

 

With that Jack released the struggling man and brushed the sand off his clothes.

 

"You won't get away with this, O'Neill. You're a fucking homo. I saw you two kissing."

 

"Really? I didn't see anything. Anyway, it's your word against mine, Kinsey. You don't have any evidence."

 

"Jackson will corroborate what I say. He wants that trip too much to turn it down now."

 

"Oh, Daniel will get his trip all right, but he'll be going via O'Neill Airways."

 

When Jack got back to the camp the party was making ready to return to the yacht. He looked around but couldn't see the younger man anywhere.

 

"Sam, you seen Daniel?"

 

"Yeah, he went off in a jeep across the desert. Told Fielding he had to go back to Cairo for supplies or something."

 

"Didn't anyone try to stop him?" Jack yelled, a tone of exasperation in his voice.

 

"Why would they?"

 

"Never mind. Let's get back to the yacht and find out what flight he took."

 

"He did not say he was flying anywhere, O'Neill," Teal'c cut in.

 

"Oh, he's flying somewhere all right. He's on the run again."

 

-o-

 

Two months later, Colorado Springs...

 

"Evening, Jack. How goes it? Haven't seen you in a long while."

 

"Hey, George, I'm fine thanks. Been busy."

 

"Daniel hasn't been in," George said, his voice softening.

 

Jack raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders. He hadn't been able to find any trace of Daniel at all. Since the incident with Kinsey Daniel had disappeared again. Jack had dedicated a lot of resources to trying to find him, but had not turned up a single clue. He'd sent out enquiries to all the major universities with archaeology departments, called Fielding for every possible detail he could get of Daniel's departure from the dig. He'd put his staff on trawling all the archaeology and anthropology journals and had even tracked down Gary and Kyle.

 

Jack had visited the two young men at their apartment.

 

"Where is he?" Jack had demanded.

 

"Who?" Kyle asked, protectively pulling Gary to stand behind him.

 

"I'm looking for Daniel. Have you seen him, heard from him?"

 

Both Gary and Kyle just shook their heads.

 

"Haven't seen him for months," muttered Kyle. Jack's attitude softened. He could see he'd frightened the young men; they look liked a pair of scared rabbits.

 

"I'm sorry, guys. I didn't mean to scare ya. I just need to find Daniel, he's disappeared off the face of the earth and no one knows where."

 

"Have you tried George?" Gary asked, peering over Kyle's shoulder.

 

"Not yet, tonight maybe."

 

"You know George was Daniel's last foster father? They're very close," Kyle added.

 

Jack blinked at this piece of information. Daniel had never said anything about George.

 

"What's with all the books?" Jack asked, trying to deflect his surprise at Kyle's comment.

 

"We took your advice and went back to school," Gary offered as he came out from behind Kyle. "I'm studying medicine and Kyle's gonna be an engineer."

 

Jack smiled broadly. "That's great. How can you afford it though?" He was worried they were still working as prostitutes.

 

"We got scholarships from the O'Neill Foundation," grinned Kyle.

 

-o-

 

Jack sighed as he ran his fingers down the moist condensation of the cold glass of beer. There were those optics again. Maybe tonight was as good a time as any to see if he could work his way along the line of alcohol.

 

"Hi, Jack."

 

Jack spun around on his barstool to find Daniel Jackson standing behind him.

 

"What the...?"

 

Daniel folded his arms across his chest and rocked back on his heels.

 

"Where the hell have you been? I've tried everything to find you."

 

"I've been working on a building site in Kansas."

 

"What the fuck for?" Jack raised his voice, not sure whether he wanted to kiss the man or punch him for the anxiety he'd caused.

 

"I needed money, I guessed you would try to find me, and I didn't want to be found. Anyway, what's it to you? You've never really cared."

 

"That's not true, Daniel, and you know it."

 

"How would I know it, Jack? The last time I saw you, you were kissing me into the middle of next week and far be it for me to think that was an expression of your feelings. You used me to get at Kinsey. I was the patsy in your little feud."

 

"No, it wasn't like that. Please, Daniel, let me explain."

 

"I don't think so. Every time I've had dealings with you something's happened to make me think I was just a convenience."

 

"Fuck, Daniel!" Jack yelled, angry, upset and frustrated.

 

"Hold it, guys," interrupted George, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave if you don't quiet down."

 

"You knew didn't you? You fucking knew where Daniel was all the time." Jack's anger threatened to boil over as his emotions focused on the bartender.

 

"Hey! You can't speak to him like that," Daniel waded in.

 

"He lied to me, Daniel. I asked him if he'd seen you and he denied it."

 

"Because I asked him not to say anything," Daniel said quietly, his hand on Jack's arm. "Don't blame him for something I asked him to do."

 

Breathing heavily, Jack said nothing but his was anger clear to see.

 

"Why are you so upset?" Daniel asked, trying to sooth Jack's temper.

 

"Because I care."

 

"Care about what?"

 

"About you. Because I care about you and you ran out on me. Twice!"

 

"You never gave me a reason to stay," Daniel said sadly, glancing at George.

 

George raised his eyebrows to encourage Daniel to try and make peace with Jack.

 

"Look, we've both made mistakes and we haven't been entirely honest with each other. Can't we start again?" Jack pleaded. "Give me another chance and I promise you won't regret it."

 

Still feeling a little unsure, Daniel gave Jack a tight smile. He still needed answers about why Jack had refused his offer the first time and why he had kissed him under a desert moon, only to sweep him aside in favour of a fight with Kinsey. On the other hand, Jack probably needed to know that he hadn't turned to prostitution when he was out of money, and why he had changed his appearance several times.

 

"Will you two go and fix whatever it is you need to fix and leave the bar in one piece?" George laughed.

 

"I've just got one question for you," Jack announced, studying the bartender. "As Daniel's foster father, why did you let him get into the escort business?"

 

George looked at Daniel and then at Jack.

 

"Daniel is a grown man, Jack. He makes his own decisions. I wasn't happy about it either but he can be very determined. He knows I'll always be here for him, no matter what he gets himself into."

 

Nodding, Jack turned to Daniel. "Wanna get coffee or something?"

 

"What's the something?" Daniel asked.

 

Leaning into him, Jack whispered something in Daniel's ear.

 

Blushing, Daniel smiled knowingly and stepping aside, waving his arm expansively. "After you."

 

-o-

 

"Red or white?"

 

"The last time I had red wine in your apartment, I ended up with no clothes on."

 

"That can be arranged," grinned Jack, opening a drawer to find the corkscrew.

 

Settling themselves at opposite sides of the kitchen counter, Jack poured the wine into the giant sized, long stemmed glasses.

 

"I'm sorry I ran; I was upset."

 

"The first or the second time?" Jack asked, staring into the deep red liquid in his glass.

 

"I was upset that you didn't trust my motives for wanting to sleep with you. But it turned out to be a good thing because I decided to concentrate on my thesis. That's why I left. I wanted to prove to you that I had more in me than being a part time pimp and a part time academic. The second time was different. When you kissed me like that I thought you'd changed you mind, I thought that all the work I'd done was enough to prove to you that I was sincere. When it seemed you only kissed me as a cover to get at Kinsey I couldn't believe it. I felt liked I'd been used, far more and much worse than I'd ever been when I was an escort. That's what really hurt, Jack. I thought you were genuine and that you wanted me for me."

 

Jack covered Daniel's hand with his own and looked into those beautiful blue eyes with as much seriousness and sincerity as he could muster.

 

"Kinsey's a business rival, but someone I needed on my side for a deal I was trying to close. He's a snake, Danny, and not to be trusted. He used you to get to me. He planted an electronic bug on your clothes and was listening in to our conversation. He would have used my feelings for you to gain an advantage in the market place; and that project he offered you? That was to buy your loyalty so that he could use you. I couldn't allow him to do that. I kissed you to stop you from talking. I knew he was watching and I had to be ready for him. I watched him creep up on us when we were in that clinch. I was going to explain but you'd gone before I had a chance. When we kissed, I...it meant a lot to me, honest."

Daniel sat quietly, letting Jack talk. Fixing his gaze on Jack's brown eyes, he thought he would melt.

 

Lifting the wine glass to his lips, Daniel had an idea. He stood up from the high backed stool and smiled. Holding up the glass he saluted Jack and then proceeded to pour the wine over his shirt.

 

"Oh dear, Jack. Look what I've done. I've spilled my wine. I think I should take my shirt off and get it laundered before it stains. I am so sorry for my clumsiness." Daniel delivered his commentary in a stilted fashion, feigning contrition for the 'accident' and sporting a suggestive grin.

 

Wide eyed and spraying a mouthful of wine onto the black marble counter, Jack threw his head back and laughed loudly. Trying to reclaim his composure, he stared at the younger man and reached out to pull him around the end of the counter, spread his legs and pulled Daniel in between them to close to close the gap.

 

"You're very wet," he growled, slipping his hand up underneath Daniel's shirt and stroking his damp skin.

 

"I'm so embarrassed, Jack. Perhaps you could help me get this shirt off."

 

Jack growled again as he felt his cock thicken. Oh fuck, please...

 

Slowly, a button at a time, Jack unfastened Daniel's wet shirt, literally peeling it from his body. Holding the younger man at the waist, Jack leaned into his chest and licked the wine from his skin. Daniel's breath hitched at the sensation as Jack's tongue flicked rapidly over his nipples. He ran the backs of his fingers around Daniel's waist letting his finger tips nestle inside the waistband of the younger man's jeans and brushing the tip of Daniel's engorged length, feeling the soft malleable foreskin.

 

Daniel thrust his hips forward against Jack's touch and draping his arms over his shoulders, drew Jack's lips to his. Their kiss was sweet and passionate. Tongues penetrated mouths and lips sucked and teased lips.

 

"I am so stiff, Daniel. Any chance of a massage?"

 

Daniel's hand slipped between them and felt Jack's hard dick. Stroking, he smiled. "What kind of massage would you like, Jack? Full frontal?"

 

Sucking in a lung full of air, Jack stood up, still holding Daniel.

 

"Oh, fuck!"

 

-o-

 

"On your front, Jack, in the centre of the bed," Daniel said as he rubbed the oil into his hands. "Oh, and take that shirt off."

 

"What about my chinos?"

 

"Just undo the button and take your belt off. It's important that your clothes don't restrict your body. I'm going to have to straddle you; I can't do a good job otherwise."

 

Even the word 'straddle' was erotic to Jack's ears, especially the way Daniel said it."

 

"I thought you said full frontal?"

 

"All in good time, just relax Jack," crooned Daniel. "I want this to be really good."

 

"Daniel? I need to know. Didja do this with your...customers?"

 

"No, I didn't. Everything we've done so far has just been between us."

 

"What about the kissing?"

 

"I never kissed, Jack. It's too personal, too intimate. It's hard to kiss passionately and not mean it."

 

"So in Egypt, when we kissed? That was..."

 

"You and I and definitely not the standard package, if that's what you're asking."

 

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Jack relaxed into the mattress.

 

"So that's what it was all about. You were worried, no, change that, you were jealous of the possibility that what we might do together meant no more than what I would have done with a client? Is that it?"

 

"Maybe," Jack murmured into his pillow.

 

"You were wrong, on all counts. Feel better now that you know the truth?"

 

"Yes, I do, and Daniel? I'm sorry."

 

Spreading his body over Jack's, Daniel leaned into his neck and blew a gentle, hot breath over Jack's ear.

 

"You were always going to be special. I knew that when we met in the elevator in New York."

 

"Huh?" Jack raised his body to turn and look at the younger man. "That was you?"

 

"Sure. My hair was a different colour, but it was my hair."

 

"And the eyes?"

 

"Contacts," Daniel conceded.

 

"So, how come you turned up in the Springs? Were you following me?"

 

"No, that was co-incidental. I needed to get away for a while, take a break, so I went back to George. You just happened to be in O'Malley's that night but I recognised you straight away."

 

"Well shoot, Daniel. Why didn't you say something at the time?"

 

"I liked the idea of being someone different and I didn't know you were gay."

 

"I'm not," Jack stated, as he rolled over onto his back.

 

"What?" Daniel suddenly felt very insecure and his self-preservation mode kicked in, his body tensing and the flight or fight response surfacing.

 

"Hey, I'm bi-sexual, always have been. When Sarah and I split up I'd promised myself I wouldn't get emotionally involved with anyone again. Then I met you. I can be exclusive y'know, with the right person."

 

It was Daniel's turn to breathe a sigh of relief. Jack wove his arms around Daniel's neck and pulled him in for a reassuring kiss. Quickly their kisses became passionate and hungry as their desires spiralled. As they embraced, Daniel rocked his hips and rubbed hard against Jack's groin, eliciting a lustful growl.

 

"God, I want you, Daniel. I want you with me all the time, body and soul."

 

"You've got me for as long as you want me," panted Daniel, his cock so hard it hurt.

 

Turning and counter-turning, they rubbed against each other, drawing closer and closer to climax.

 

"I want to...I want to make love to you, Daniel. Let me pleasure you," whispered Jack, his breathing already ragged.

 

Jack rolled Daniel onto his back and kissed his mouth, sucking at his bottom lip. Kissing and laving his jaw line and neck, Jack moved to Daniel's chest, grazing his nipples with his teeth. He suckled them to small hard points, and with his fingers, squeezed and pulled at them as he looked into Daniel's bright blue eyes and at his red, kiss-swollen lips. The thought of those lips around his cock made Jack twitch with anticipation. Roaming his hands across Daniel's body, Jack worked his way down his abdomen and groin, unzipping and pulling off his jeans and boxers. Breathing in the musky scent of Daniel's groin, Jack kissed and trailed his hot wet tongue up and down the younger man's shaft and sliding back his foreskin just a little, pressed the tip of his tongue against his slit, spreading the pearl of seminal fluid around the confines of his cockhead.

 

Daniel groaned loudly, the sensations Jack was creating lancing through his body in heated spikes of pleasure. Cupping Daniel's balls, Jack sucked one testicle at a time into his hot, moist mouth, running the flat of his tongue against the tight skin. Daniel propped himself up on his elbows to watch him. Their eyes met and they knew that their chameleon days were over; that from now on, their words, actions and feelings would be the truth of their lives together, there would be no more subterfuge, no more self-protection. Everything they felt for each other would be nothing if not totally honest.

 

Moving his thighs against Jack, the reality that Jack was still dressed hit Daniel.

 

"Clothes," panted Daniel. "Lose the clothes."

 

Stripping in double quick time, Jack settled himself between Daniel's legs to kiss and lave his cock again. This time Jack had used the massage oil and pouring it liberally over his fingers, slicked his cock at the same time. Reaching up to kiss Daniel yet again, Jack explored the younger man's perineum and stretching out his long middle finger, probed Daniel's anus.

 

"You want this?" Jack gasped, pressing firmly and running his fingertip in small circles against Daniel's tight ring.

 

"Oh god, yes, Jack. Make...make love to me."

 

Jack pushed at Daniel's entrance, feeling the velvety heat of his ass. Daniel moaned, pleasure washing over his body as Jack penetrated him. Rubbing the heel of his hand against the sensitive skin behind his balls, he worked Daniel at a leisurely pace, drawing out the pleasure for both of them. Slipping in a second finger to join the first, stimulating and stretching, Jack prepared Daniel to take his hard and aching cock. Raising himself up on his hands, Jack pushed against his lover and glided in to fill him. Resting for a moment, Jack struggled to regain some control over his breathing. Hyperventilating would not be a good thing right now.

 

Daniel moved his hips, urging Jack on as he lifted his legs to rest on the older man's shoulders. Jack moved with long, slow thrusts as Daniel gripped his cock and began to stroke firmly. Circling his hips, Jack pushed against Daniel's prostate, making him suck in a breath at each contact. As their bodies moved together, their skin glistened with perspiration, slicking their connection with each other.

 

"Jack? Jack! Ohmigodohmigodohmigod," Daniel chanted, feeling his orgasm rising.

 

"Come for me, Danny," Jack groaned as he changed his thrusts from long and slow to short and quick.

 

Closing his eyes, Daniel masturbated as Jack fucked his ass. After a few moments, his eyes flew open and holding his breath, his hand squeezed and pulled on his dick, his masturbating rhythm broken. His eyelids hooded as he came, his semen cascading over his hand and abdomen.

 

Jack watched Daniel's every gesture, expression, and breath as he pistoned repeatedly into Daniel's willing body. At the sight of Daniel's half closed eyes at the point of climax, Jack gave one more penetrating thrust as the crawling sensation of orgasm raced and gathered in his balls, exploding into and filling his lover. His mind and senses spun as his body sank against Daniel's. Quivering, his breathing was shallow and fast as he gasped for air. Opening his eyes, Jack kissed Daniel with love, lust, desire and need and with the love of his emotions, the lust of his body, his desire for companionship and his need for the man in his arms.

 

As they lay in each other's arms, Daniel was already dozing and as Jack closed his eyes and sighed with contentment as thought trickled through his mind. Idly he wondered if chameleons ever fucked like this.

 

-o-

 

The End