Wanna Bet?

“He wanted to wring Alex’s neck, and he refused to think about why the thought of getting his hands on him in a way that wasn’t just their normal firm handshake made him feel warm and distracted. He did not have a crush on his literal rival. He didn’t. That would be stupid”

Bets can be dangerous, especially ones you didn’t mean to make.

Rating: Explicit

John took a deep breath and glared at his reflection. Fucking Alex Jacobson was doing it again. That motherfucker thought he was hot shit, and unfortunately he had the talent to back it up. John had worked for years for this account. Sure, he would at least be soling it to someone talented, but he didn’t want to lose it at all. He wanted to wring Alex’s neck, and he refused to think about why the thought of getting his hands on him in a way that wasn’t just their normal firm handshake made him feel warm and distracted. He did not have a crush on his literal rival. He didn’t. That would be stupid. “You’re an idiot.”

“I thought calling you names was my role,” an amused voice came from near the door. Belatedly, John realized he vaguely heard it open. He turned his head and met steady brown eyes. More steady than he remembered.

“I’m an idiot for thinking I need to compete with you. This is my account. Clearly they only brought you in to try to worry me into dropping the price.” He walked towards the younger man, taking definite pleasure from seeing anger cross his face.

“You think so?” Alex casually looked him over, then made eye contact. “Care to bet on that?”

John laughed, “What are we going to bet, Amazon gift cards? I’m definitely not buying you dinner.”

Alex laughed, an unexpectedly genuine one. “I think we can do better than gift cards. Why not dinner? You afraid you will like me if you spend a few hours in my company?”

“I don’t want to have dinner with you,” John said, and almost made himself believe it.

“Guess you had better get the account,” he heard Alex say as he brushed past. Whatever, he had this in the bag, and once it was sealed he could go back to ignoring Alex Jacobson and his pretty brown eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John hung up the phone and stared at it. Charlie had been utterly genial as he fucked him over. Apparently Alex had sniped him at the last minute, like this was eBay, and not a design contract worth millions. It had to have been something about the proposal itself. He had seen Alex’s though, and while it was good, it wasn’t better than his. Charlie mentioned something about revisions though. What had Alex gone back with? He sighed. At least he hadn’t begged. Just asked why and tried not to let on how pissed he was. Just then his cell phone rang with an unfamiliar number. “John Michaels.”

“John, you owe me dinner,” the voice on the other end said, dry and a little amused.

“How did you get my number? You know what, nevermind. Just let me know what restaurant and where to send the gift certificate,” he got out, hoping it wasn’t obvious he was grinding his teeth. He did not expect the full-throated laugh that greeted this statement. Really, what in that was funny? Was Alex gloating? He wouldn’t have called that.

“You aren’t going to get off that easy,” Alex said, and John absolutely had to be imagining the double entendre he heard. “The deal was we would have dinner. Tomorrow at seven at La Marque?”

John sighed. “You really want to do this? We aren’t exactly friendly.”

“You have no idea,” Alex said, somehow sounding both sinful and smug, and wasn’t the way that made him feel a mindfuck. “Tomorrow at seven.” He hung up without waiting for John to respond. He really was a cocky motherfucker, and why did that make him smile? “I am such an idiot,” he said to the air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day he walked into La Marque promptly at seven, to find Alex waiting for him. “John,” the younger man exclaimed, and honest to god hugged him. John pulled back as soon as he could, completely off balance and hating Alex for it. That pretty much set the tone for the night. Alex pushed and was generally charming, and John felt his anger and resentment grow. What the fuck was Alex playing at? They weren’t friends. He was only here because he lost a stupid bet he never intended to make. Finally it was over, and they were standing outside in the parking lot.

“Goodbye, Alex,” he said, and turned towards his car.

Alex reached out and grabbed his arm. “Don’t I get a good night kiss?”

John had never understood what it meant when someone said their brain short-circuited, but now it was very clear. “What the actual fuck.” He glared at Alex, unable to process his rage, and found himself shoving him up against the wall, not really caring if he hurt him. Alex let out a little huff when his back hit the wall, then grinned. “Well?” John shoved him again, then shut him up in the only way that seemed appropriate, as the voice of reason died with a whimper. He slanted his mouth over Alex’s and kissed him as viciously as he knew how, hand fisting in this shirt, the other coming up to rest on the wall as he leaned in. His only intention was to shut the other man up and regain the upper hand, but it took one gasping moan from Alex to make him realize he had made a grave tactical error. Alex’s mouth was hot and greedy, his tongue stroking cleverly against John’s, and John was lost. It was only when Alex pulled his mouth away that he realized he was plastered against the other man from chest to thigh. He jerked back, pulling his head away from where Alex had sunk his fingers into his hair. He stared, resolutely ignoring how hard he was. Alex looked debauched, lids heavy and mouth red and a little swollen. “I really hate you,” John grated out, stepping back again.

“Want to keep hating me at my place,” Alex asked, probably trying to sound light, but just sounding like sin. John stared. Alex pulled out his phone. “I’ll text you my address,” he said, then walked away. “I hope you use it,” he called back over his shoulder. John watched him go. Eventually he pulled himself together enough to walk to his car. When he got in, he stared out the windshield. Was he really considering this? It would definitely be smartest to just go home and forget about Alex until the next time they came up against each other for work. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about kissing him before though, and those fantasies paled in comparison to the reality. He took a breath and reached for his phone. This was already such a mess, might as well see where it led.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a short drive spent berating himself for making poor choices, John pulled up in front of a small house with a garden overrun with flowers. In fact, there seemed to be no grass. It was unexpected. If he had ever thought about it, he would have assumed Alex lived somewhere very new and shiny. Not somewhere homey with a big porch and fucking wildflowers for a lawn. He got out of the car and took another deep breath. He would probably regret this, but that kiss had been so good and far be it from him to make wise decisions. He just needed to get Alex out of his system, then he could go back to disliking him from a distance. He rang the bell. Alex opened the door, looking more casual than John had ever seen him, barefoot, shirt untucked. He was grinning broadly.

“Oh shut up, I don’t even know why I am here,” John snapped as Alex stepped back and waved him in.

“I didn’t say anything,” he said, still grinning as John pushed him against the door.

“Stop talking,” John ground out, then brought their mouths together. He could reel the other man still grinning, and that really wouldn’t do. He bit Alex’s lip, a little vicious, then just plundered, hand holding his hair so he was at just the right angle, body pressing him against the door. He felt him groan as much as heard it, then Alex’s hands were in his hair, on his arms, on his back, and finally landing on his ass, pulling them impossibly closer together. He could feel how hard they both were, and it was his turn to moan. He pulled his mouth away to bite down on the tendon of Alex’s neck.

“Fuck,” the other man gasped, head falling back. “Want you.”

John growled and bit down again. “Do you seriously never stop talking?” He felt Alex laugh, and that really wouldn’t do. He pulled back. “Suck my dick.”

Alex grinned again, seriously did he ever stop, and pushed John’s chest until he straightened and allowed himself to be crowded up against the wall. Alex started to kiss him again, but he pulled his head away. “Get on with it.” Alex ran his hand all the way down his torso, gracefully sliding to his knees and undoing Johns belt and pants, before pulling them down, underwear and all. He grasped the root of John’s cock, and John moaned and let his head fall back, eyes closed.

“Look at me.” What the hell? He stared down at Alex. “I’ll let you shut me up with your cock, but only if you watch. I am not going to let you pretend for a second it isn’t me taking you apart, and I am going to wreck you.” John just nodded. There really wasn’t anything else he could think to do.

Alex leaned forward and almost delicately licked the tip of John’s dick. When John glared he winked, then slid his mouth all the way down. John gasped, in spite of his best efforts to not, and Alex looked smug as fuck, which was a trick for someone with their mouth stretched around a dick. Soon he developed a pattern of sliding up to flick his tongue around the head, then swallowing him again. John pressed his hands resolutely against the wall and tried to keep breathing and standing. He could hear and feel himself panting, but he didn’t look away. He couldn’t have broken that eye contact if he tried. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t imagined Alex on his knees, but he had always been the dominant one in that scenario and tonight he…wasn’t. He stared as he barreled towards orgasm. He felt his balls getting tighter. “I’m going to come,” he panted, reaching for Alex, but Alex reached out and caught his wrist, and that was it. He felt his head hit the wall, and he shouted he didn’t even know what as he came in Alex’s mouth. He slid weakly down the wall, landing gracelessly. Alex was still on his knees, cock out. John watched as his hand flew over it. He threw his head back and moaned as he came all over his hand.

Alex sat back on his heels, wiped his hand on his shirt, then started laughing. John glared. “What the fuck is so funny?”

“This. Us.” He gestured between them. “I mean, I have wanted you forever, but I should have known the best way to get you was by pissing you off.”

“Oh, fuck you,” John said, leaning his head back against the wall.

“We should definitely do that next,” Alex said, and John could hear him fucking grin.