Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/8697394.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      F/M, M/M
  Fandom:
      One_Tree_Hill_RPF, Supernatural_RPF, Kane_(Band), Smallville_RPF
  Relationship:
      Jared_Padalecki/Other(s), Jensen_Ackles/Other(s), Jensen_Ackles/Jared
      Padalecki
  Character:
      Chad_Michael_Murray, Christian_Kane, Original_Male_Character(s), Jeffrey
      Dean_Morgan, Steve_Carlson, Original_Female_Character(s), Michael
      Rosenbaum, Tom_Welling, Sandra_McCoy, Sophia_Bush
  Additional Tags:
      Romance, Humor, Angst, First_Time, Alternate_Universe, Drama, Abuse,
      Hurt/Comfort, Dark, Gets_VERY_Dark_at_some_points
  Collections:
      Sinful_Desire
  Stats:
      Published: 2008-12-29 Completed: 2009-08-12 Chapters: 23/23 Words: 98137
****** The Billionaire's Reluctant Husband ******
by house_of_lantis
Summary
     Billionaire Jensen is a playboy and he needs a husband pronto if he
     wants to keep his company and his inheritance. After a chance meeting
     with quiet and hardworking Jared, Jensen decides that he’s found the
     perfect candidate. The arrogant Jensen thinks he’s got Jared in the
     bag, but when his new husband refuses to sleep with him and doesn’t
     really even seem to like him, Jensen convinces himself that he’s
     happy with his open marriage lifestyle. But Jensen becomes
     increasingly obsessed with his new husband and discovers the truth
     behind Jared’s dark past.
     The plot bunny and a number of plot points belong to imogen_lily who
     graciously and with her permission let me play in her sandbox.
      
     Additional Warnings: This has a lot of slut!Jensen where he makes it
     with a lot of other people. But if you OTPers can just get through
     it, you'll get to the love story of J2. Thanks!
     [http://i769.photobucket.com/albums/xx337/house_of_lantis/
     bilionairesreluctanthusband.jpg?t=1266540083]
 
Thanks to bloodyrosered for her wonderful banner!
Notes
     Note from the Sinful Desire archivists: this story was originally
     archived at Sinful-Desire.org. To preserve the archive, we began
     importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in
     November 2016. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted
     announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or
     know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on
     Sinful_Desire_collection_profile.
***** Chapter 1 *****
Part One: “Business as Usual”
 
There’s something dirty and cheap about getting off with a one night stand in
the last stall of the men’s room of Club Station4 in downtown Dallas, but
Jensen doesn’t give a shit and the ass he’s fucking is tight and hot. He grabs
onto the top of the metal stall wall with his hands, pressing his body hard
against the thin, young, and hopefully legal kid, his hips slick with sex
sweat, and thrusting his hard cock deep and fast in time to the techno beat of
the music pounding through the walls. Jensen closed his eyes and leaned his
head back, letting every fucking sensation wash through him.
 
“Fuck, yeah, fuck, yeah, yeah…” The blond twink moans in time to the music and
to the beat of Jensen’s hips.
 
Jensen ignores him, letting out a throaty groan, pressing hard into the willing
flesh against him. He just let his body shake from the tension of coming loose,
pleasure spiking down his spine and tightening his muscles. He could feel the
wetness of his come inside the condom, slicking against his sensitive skin as
he jerked his hips a few more times, chasing the last of the pleasure.
 
“Come on, man, don’t stop, don’t stop—“
 
“Shut up,” Jensen growled against the guy’s ear, pulling his right hand down to
grab the other man’s hard cock, fisting it hard and fast. He moaned against his
neck, feeling the inner muscles clench and clench around Jensen’s softening
cock. “Yeah, that’s good…”
 
The man struggled and pushed against Jensen, going after his own pleasure,
fucking Jensen’s hand with rabbity thrusts. Jensen smiled, smugly, as the other
man let out a loud gasp, coming against the wall of the stall divider. Jensen
finished him off, chuckling against the man’s ear. He wiped his wet hand on the
man’s stomach, then pulled gently away, holding the condom as his cock slipped
out. He tossed the condom in the toilet, flushing it with his foot.
 
Jensen tucked his half hard cock into his boxers, pulled up his black jeans
zipping up and straightened his clothing.
 
“That was fucking hot.” The other guy said, panting. He looked over his
shoulder, grinning widely at Jensen. “Everyone says you’re a good fuck.” He
moved to give Jensen a kiss.
 
Jensen held him at bay with his hand on the twink’s chest, smiling and shaking
his head. “It was a good fuck. See you around.”
 
He left the man to clean up after himself, going to the sink and washing his
hands. He grinned at his flushed appearance, his dilated green eyes, and self-
satisfied smirk in place. He checked his hair, patting it in place. When the
younger man came out of the stall, Jensen gave him a wink in the mirror and
flashed his best smile, then left the men’s room in search for his next drink,
his next dance, and his next fuck.
 
***
 
Jensen walked off the elevator on the 33rd floor of Ackles Corporation. He wore
dark sunglasses, trying to hide the fact that he was slightly hung over and
that his eyes were still light sensitive. He grinned, not really seeing the
people passing him in the halls, and made his way to his office. He sighed,
peering blearily at his Executive Assistant, Alona Tal, ever cool, blonde, and
efficient. She gave him a calculating look, shaking her head as he stepped
towards her desk.
 
“Well, at least you’re wearing a suit,” she said, snickering.
 
“Don’t be so disapproving, Alona. It’s too early in the morning for that now,”
he grumbled at her, pulling off his sunglasses and wincing from the light. He
rubbed the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. “Do I have anything
pressing this morning – better yet, can you please reschedule all of my morning
meetings? Chris and his M&A team can finalize the paperwork for the PDK
International takeover, right?”
 
Alona smiled at him, arching a slim eyebrow. “Sure, Jensen, let me just drop
everything and force people to rearrange everything for you at the drop of a
nickel.”
 
“Seriously, Al, sarcasm right now…and damn straight people will rearrange their
schedules for me.” He said, walking slowly towards the doors to his inner
office.
 
“Don’t call me Al.” She threw a crumpled up pink post-it note at his forehead.
“Oh, by the way, your mother is in your office with JD.”
 
Jensen froze, his hand on the doorknob. He turned to look at Alona, who was
smiling rather gleefully at him now.
 
“Why? What does she want?” He whispered, shaking his head. “Am I in trouble?
Did I forget her birthday? What?”
 
Alona shrugged, making a teasing face at him. “You’ll just have to go in and
find out, won’t you, boss?”
 
Jensen made a fake angry face at her, then took a deep breath, and turned the
doorknob to walk into his office. He smiled, seeing his mother, the Ackles
Matriarch, sitting primly on his black leather couch. Maybe he was biased, but
Jensen always thought his mother was the classic Texan woman: silvery blonde
hair perfectly coiffed, conservative pale green linen suit and matching heels,
make up subtle, jewelry pearls and gold. Even when she was casual in jeans or
riding pants, she always carried this air about her that wasn’t just a
reflection of money but real class. His daddy always said that she was a first
class broad – Jensen knew that Aaron Ackles meant it in the best possible way.
 
Beside her, their family estate lawyer, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, stood up with a
warm smile on his face. He was a weathered looking man, his dark hair going
gray at the temples, but handsome and rugged with the kindest brown eyes.
Jensen and his kid sister, Margaret, used to wonder if Jeffrey Dean wasn’t
romancing their mother. It’s been five years since their daddy passed on and
there was no reason for Diana to be alone. Jeffrey Dean was a widower and was
always such a close part of their family; Jensen wouldn’t begrudge either of
them any kind of happiness.
 
“Mother,” Jensen said, walking towards her and leaning down to kiss her cheek.
“I’m surprised to see you.”
 
“No doubt of that, darling. You do know that office hours at Ackles Corporation
start at 8 o’clock in the morning, Jensen,” Diana Ackles said, looking at
Jensen with a bit of reproach and amusement. “It is nearly ten. We’ve been
waiting for you for over an hour.”
 
“I do apologize for my tardiness,” Jensen said, winking at her. He shook
Jeffrey Dean’s hand. “Hello, JD, good to see you again.”
 
“Jensen, you’re looking well,” Jeffrey Dean said, smirking. Jensen grinned,
raising his eyebrow.
 
“So, what can I do for the both of you?” Jensen said, taking a seat across from
them.
 
Alona knocked on the door and stepped in, smiling. “Christian should be along
in just a few minutes.”
 
“Thank you, Alona, dear,” Diana called to her.
 
Alona nodded, closing the door as she stepped out. Jensen leaned forward,
looking at his mother.
 
“Okay, you have my attention if Jeffrey Dean is here and we’re waiting for my
Chief Legal Officer to attend this little shindig,” Jensen said, nodding. “What
is it?”
 
Diana exchanged glances with Jeffrey Dean and cleared her throat. “Jensen,
darling, now I don’t want you to panic. Everything is well. Before your daddy
retired and passed on, he gave you the full reins to Ackles Corporation…well,
Jeffrey Dean has made me aware of a stipulation in your Grand daddy’s will.”
 
“Now that you’re thirty years old, Jen, your trust that your Grand daddy set up
for you has fully matured. However, there is one stipulation in his will that
you must meet in order to access your trust and to keep controlling interest of
Ackles Corporation,” Jeffrey Dean said, sliding thick several file folders
across the smoky black glass coffee table between them. “It’s the same
stipulation that your daddy had to meet when he took over the company, too.”
 
“What’s the stipulation?” Jensen said, picking up one of the folders and
opening it.
 
The door opened and Christian Kane stepped in, nodding. “Thank you for waiting.
I had to finish my conference call with the New York office.” He walked across
the room and kissed Diana’s cheek. “Good morning, ma’am. You’re looking
radiant.” He shook Jeffrey Dean’s hand. “Jeff, hey, it’s been a long time.”
 
“Chris.”
 
“You’re still a silver tongued devil, Christian,” Diana said, smiling up at
him.
 
“Well, what more can I say when I’m in the presence of a lovely woman such as
you, ma’am,” Christian said, sitting down next to Jensen. He grinned as Diana
gave a throaty laugh. “Now, what can I do for you?”
 
“Seems like there’s a stipulation in Grand daddy’s will about my inheritance,”
Jensen said, looking through the thick document in his hands. He gave Christian
a meaningful look, wondering if and how long Chris knew about this.
 
“You have to marry before your 31st birthday,” Diana told him.
 
Jensen blinked and then looked over at his mother, meeting her green eyes. He
bit his lower lip and shook his head. “Pardon?”
 
“It’s true, Jen,” Christian said, taking a deep breath. “I only read it over
last night and it is ironclad. You are the legal beneficiary of the entire
trust – as long as you follow all of the stipulations of the will. If you’re
not married in the next four months, the funds in the trust are divided among
the Board of Trustees. They can take your voting shares and remove you as CEO
of Ackles Corporation.”
 
“What!” Jensen tossed the file on the table. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
 
Diana leaned towards him. “Jensen, I know this must come as a shock to you,
but—“
 
“Mother, this is a form of blackmail,” Jensen said, standing up. He walked
towards the bookcase at the far end of the office, shaking his head. “Why
wasn’t I told about this earlier? Did daddy—“ He stopped, flinching. There was
no proper way of asking your mother if your father married her for his
inheritance.
 
Diana smiled as she stood up and walked towards Jensen. “Your daddy didn’t
marry me for the money, darling, if that’s what you’re asking. In fact, we were
married long before he turned 30 so it wasn’t so much of an issue.”
 
“Mother…I—“
 
“Jensen, this is your life,” she said, softly. “I know how much you love Ackles
Corporation and I wouldn’t be any kind of mother if I didn’t also know how much
you loved your freedom.” Jensen managed not to blush under his mother’s knowing
gaze. “But this is the family’s company and this is what your Grand daddy
wanted for all of his family.” She rubbed his back and smiled at him. “But it
is your choice. Your daddy left the company for you to run—but it’s your
choice.”
 
Jensen sighed, staring at the ceiling. “I’m not so worried about the trust
fund; but I don’t want to lose the company.”
 
“That’s my boy,” she said, patting his shoulder. “Now, Christian and Jeffrey
Dean will work on finalizing the details to the will. I am going to be very
busy trying to help you find a suitable match. I think I should set up a dinner
for all the eligible young ladies—“
 
“Mother, really; please, don’t trot me out to every single girl in the state of
Texas,” Jensen said, protesting. He shook his head, ignoring the snickering
coming from Christian and Jeffrey Dean.
 
“So just around Dallas then?” Diana said, laughing softly.
 
“If I’m going to be saddled with a spouse, it’s certainly not going to be with
any romanticizing girl, I’ll marry a man who’ll know how things work.”
 
Christian coughed into his hand and Jensen threw him a narrowed look. He’d get
Chris for that later, out of earshot of his mother.
 
Diana sighed and kissed Jensen’s cheek. “Well, I’m sure you’ll find someone
worthy of you, son. Just make sure to choose a young man who’ll fit into the
Ackles family image. And remember, it has to be a legitimate marriage. There’s
been no divorce in the last 100 years of Ackles marriages.”
 
“Yes,” he murmured, closing his eyes and shaking his head. “I understand.”
 
“And Christian, you make sure that Jensen dots all his I’s and crosses his
T’s.”
 
“Yes, ma’am.” Christian drawled, winking at Jensen.
 
“We’ll leave these papers for you to review. Call me if you need anything,”
Jeffrey Dean said, picking up his briefcase. He shook hands with Christian and
then walked towards Jensen. “I mean it. Your daddy wanted you to have the trust
and the company, keep it in safe keeping for the family.”
 
“Yes, sir,” Jensen said, shaking his hand. “I’ll be in touch.”
 
“Darling.” Diana said, smiling. “You come over for dinner soon, Christian, and
bring Steven with you.”
 
“Yes, ma’am.”
 
Jeffrey Dean opened the door and waited as Diana stepped out. He gave Jensen a
nod and followed her out, closing the door softly behind him.
 
Jensen walked back to the leather couch and fell on the cushions, staring at
the ceiling. “Holy fucking shit, Chris. Who the fuck am I going to marry in
less than four months?”
 
Christian laughed hard, falling against the leather cushions.
 
“Shut the fuck up, man,” Jensen said, slamming a throw pillow at his face.
“Shut your country boy face!”
 
“Oh, man, Jenny,” Christian said, wiping his eyes. “You’re going to have to
make a list of all the guys that might be ‘worthy of you’. You got less than
four months to make this happen or you can say goodbye to your $10 billion
trust fund.” He snickered as Jensen glared at him. “All I’m saying, dude—“ He
laughed again, pitching his voice to imitate Jensen. “’I’m not so worried about
the trust fund; but I don’t want to lose the company.’ Yeah, good one.”
 
Jensen closed his eyes and pressed the palms of his hands hard against his
face. “Fuck me.”
 
“Look, Jen, it doesn’t have to be one of those love marriages,” Christian said,
softly. “It’ll be one of convenience. The will doesn’t say that you have to
marry for love; it just says that you need to be married and settled before
your 31st birthday. Now, I’m sure your mother will hope that you’ll find
someone worthy, but I don’t think she’ll hold it against you if you find
someone suitable, like she said; someone who won’t embarrass you and someone
who’ll know how this works.”
 
“Shit,” Jensen said, letting out a loud groan. “Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!”
 
“Yeah, you done with your little temper tantrum, son?”
 
Jensen turned to look at Christian. “Well, fuck, why don’t I just marry you and
be done with it.”
 
“What kind of girl do you think I am, Jensen Ross Ackles?” Christian drawled,
smirking. “Besides, Steve’ll gut you open with his guitar strings if you lay a
finger on me.”
 
***
 
Jensen stabbed at his salad, frowning into his plate.
 
“Goddamn, boy, I’ve never seen you like this,” Christian said, shaking his
head.
 
Jensen flicked his eyes across the table to him. “Yeah, well, I’ve never been
forced to make a choice between my life and my life.”
 
“All right, now look here,” Christian said, setting his fork down. “Let’s just
take your mind off this for now and focus on business.”
 
“The PDK takeover,” Jensen said, nodding. “What do you got?”
 
“Padalecki wants a meeting with you.”
 
“No deal,” Jensen said, shaking his head. “All they have to do is just sign the
paperwork and put it through to the stockholders for a vote.”
 
Christian sighed. “I’ve been singing the same damn song for five weeks now,
man, but Padalecki is not budging. He says that he wants to sit across a table
and look into the eyes of the man who bought out his company from under him.”
 
“It was a fair and square deal,” Jensen said, frowning. “They were losing money
by the truckload and their stock paper is worthless. I saved them the trouble
of having to declare bankruptcy. At least I can keep the company functioning
for about six months and unload it to the Asian markets.”
 
“He’s just going to drag this out until you agree to meet with him,” Christian
said, shrugging. “The man’s stubborn and he’s got his pride, Jen. Just meet him
for lunch, it’s not going to do you any harm and maybe we can settle the
business a little faster.”
 
Jensen pulled out his Blackberry and sent Alona an e-mail. Set up lunch with G
Padalecki for this week. Thx. JRA. “All right. Done. Anything else?”
 
“Tom Welling.”
 
Jensen picked up his fork, resuming his attack on his salad. “What about
Tommy?”
 
“You two have been good friends since your UT days, right?”
 
“Yeah.”
 
“You could marry him.” Christian said, snickering.
 
Jensen glared at him, shoving a forkful of salad into his mouth. He chewed
quickly, motioning an eloquent fuck you with his fork.
 
“It’ll be a good match – ‘course, you’ll have to marry Rosenbaum, too. I hear
they come as a set.”
 
“You’re really enjoying this too much,” Jensen hissed at him.
 
 
“Yeah, son, I kind of am.”
***** Chapter 1 *****
Jensen thoroughly approved of Alona’s choice to set up his lunch meeting with
George Padalecki at Nana in the Hilton Anatole Hotel. The modern Asian private
collection always made him want to start buying artwork again; and the view of
Dallas from the 27th floor was always electrifying. He walked into the
restaurant lobby and smiled at the tall, willowy brunette.
 
“Good afternoon, Jensen. It’s good to have you visit us again,” she said, her
voice reminding him of Texas cheerleaders.
 
“Hey Tessa,” he said, giving her his best smile. “You know me, I can’t stay
away.”
 
“The Padaleckis are waiting for you at your table.”
 
Jensen kept his smile and nodded, motioning for her to lead the way to his
usual spot, a corner table with the best view in the house. The Padaleckis –
that meant George and someone else. He sighed internally, wondering what kind
of battle he would have to endure through lunch, politely smiling and trying to
persuade George not to draw out the takeover.
 
Curious, he glanced past Tessa’s shoulder to see George Padalecki sitting with
a young man, probably just a few years younger than Jensen, and Jensen mentally
groaned, using every last bit of his self control not to walk through Nana with
a hard on.
 
Jesus…look at him. He’s fucking gorgeous. Jensen wondered if it would be in bad
taste to flirt with him during his business lunch – or try to communicate
meeting him in the men’s room for a quickie. Christian would probably kick his
ass – but holy mother earth, the guy was gorgeous. Broad shouldered, fitted
suit, longish hair – seriously, there was no way he was going to be able to sit
across from this guy and not think about fucking him.
 
“Here you are.” Tessa said, setting the menu on the table. “Gentlemen, enjoy
your lunch.”
 
“Thanks, Tessa.”
 
Jensen smiled as George and the young man – apparently, very tall young man –
stood up. Jensen shook hands with George first, trying not to stare so openly
at the handsome man.
 
“Hello, nice to see you again, sir.” Jensen said, looking at the older man. A
part of him felt slightly guilty, and then annoyed that he felt guilty, seeing
the exhaustion etched in George Padalecki’s face.
 
“Thank you for meeting us, Jensen,” George said, smiling. “This is my youngest,
Jared.”
 
Jensen kept his expression friendly and open. He didn’t know that George had a
son; and if he did, where the hell was George hiding him?
 
“Hey.” Jensen tried for easygoing. He looked at the nervous Jared and gave him
a shy grin, shaking the large hand firmly. Good grip – Jesus…I’d like to feel
that hand—
 
“Nice to meet you.”
 
“Okay,” Jensen said, sitting down across from George. “So…let’s see what’s good
today, shall we?”
 
He opened the menu and held it up, hoping that George and Jared would get the
hint. He heard them shuffling the menu book open, flipping the pages.
 
Jensen closed his eyes, clenching his jaw. His body was feeling a low and warm
buzz, his cock semi-hard like he was seventeen again. He cleared his throat,
thanked the waiter who came by to fill his water glass. He glanced over at
Jared to see him looking very hard at the menu, completely ignoring Jensen. Who
was he? Why hadn’t Jensen heard about Jared Padalecki? Jensen knew everyone, or
at least, he thought he did. He wouldn’t have missed Jared – that was certain.
 
The momentary distraction of the waiter coming to take their orders gave Jensen
a few minutes to just get his mind in order. This was business – he wasn’t here
to flirt with Jared, no matter how interested Jensen was in him. That would be
for later. He’d finish the lunch with George, wrap up their business, and maybe
slip Jared his business card on their way out.
 
He gave a quick glance at George and saw him looking across the table at him, a
rather contemplative look on his face.
 
“Jensen, we both know why we’re here,” George began, leaning forward slightly.
 
“Yes, sir,” Jensen said, setting the menu aside. He sat straight in his chair
and looked George in the eye. “You wanted to meet the man who was buying your
company.” Jensen settled in his seat. “Did you want an apology, Mr Padalecki?”
 
“Of course not,” George said, smiling slightly. “We’re both men of the world;
we know that survival in today’s business world means being the strongest
competitor.”
 
Jensen turned to see Jared staring at him, his face carefully neutral, but
Jensen knew how to read people. It was his discerning eye that gave him an edge
in face-to-face negotiations, at high stakes poker tables, and in sizing up
potential lovers in dark nightclubs. He could see the lines of tension on
Jared’s face; he knew that Jared was hiding his energy, that keeping still was
the price he had to pay for that neutrality. Why was Jared so nervous?
 
“Then you realize that by not letting the buyout go to a vote to the
stockholders, it’s costing not just you money, but also those who are
stakeholders in your business,” Jensen said, carefully.
 
“Tell me something, son,” George said, looking at him. “If it were your company
that was on the chopping block, how long would you fight to keep it?”
 
Jensen considered it for a long moment and knew that he’d fight with every last
cent he had and gave a small smile, nodding in acquiescence. “All right. Then
what can we do to make this a smooth transition?”
 
“PDK International isn’t without its own benefits and advantages,” George
began, leaning back in his chair. “Did you know that Jared is one semester from
completing his graduate work at University of Texas?”
 
“Which campus?”
 
“UT Dallas, at Richardson.”
 
Jensen grabbed on to the chance to actually speak to Jared. “That’s great. I
did my MBA there, too. What’re you studying?”
 
“MS in Economics.” Jared said, then picked up his water glass to drink, looking
away.
 
“Huh.” He had nothing.
 
“Sheryl and I are proud of him,” George said, chuckling. “Jared’s been working
on a project that may interest you, Jensen.”
 
“Oh? Sure, what is it?”
 
Jared cleared his throat, glancing at Jensen for a moment. “It’s a merger
proposal…between Ackles Corp and PDK International.”
 
Christian was going to seriously kick his ass for this.
 
“All right, I’ll bite,” Jensen said, turning towards Jared.
 
“The Ackles Corp buyout is basically just a temporary fix for PDK. We know that
once you’ve got the stockholders to vote on the buyout, you’ll buy out their
shares and then sell off the assets to overseas markets,” Jared said, looking
at George.
 
“The company is worth more in its individual pieces.”
 
“Yes, we estimate that you’ll make a profit of no less than $200 million and
you’ve spent $55 million. It’s a tidy profit for five weeks of work for a
company that took 45 years to build,” Jared told him, sighing. “The proposal
suggests a merger instead; where we get to buy back our shares at market value,
make you our partner, and then go after our competitors and infiltrate foreign
markets using our combined leverage. At the end of the year, we estimate that
we can double your profit with very little cost for Ackles Corp.”
 
Jensen already knew the numbers; Christian’s Mergers & Acquisitions team ran
them for him four times.
 
“Of course, we would restructure our company to be more compatible with yours,”
Jared added, softly. He looked at Jensen for a long moment. “But you already
know this and you’ve gone ahead with the buyout option instead.”
 
“Yeah, we ran the numbers, too.”
 
Jensen held it together as Jared met his eyes straight on, staring at him. “May
I ask why you opted to shut us down instead of work with us?”
 
“Jared—“ George said,
 
“No, it’s a relevant question,” Jensen said, looking at Jared. He mulled it
over for a minute. Go for the jugular or give him the PR version? “I didn’t
want the added responsibility of having to add PDK to our umbrella
organization. It would’ve drained our resources and we’ve already penetrated
foreign markets. Our business interests are in other technologies.”
 
Jensen sighed internally, the uncomfortable silence only broken when two
waiters brought out their dishes. Jensen ate distractedly, trying to figure out
how he would untangle himself from this disastrous lunch meeting. He just
wanted to persuade George to sign off on the paperwork. They’d call a
stockholder’s meeting and Jensen would do his sales pitch, buy out their
shares, and get to work dismantling PDK. This was why he hated doing face-to-
face meetings after the fact.
 
There was no way he was going to make it if they ordered dessert.
 
***
 
Fuck. Fuck it.
 
Jensen sipped his coffee, furtively watching as Jared made a dent in his
chocolate cake. He looked at George and gave him a small smile. “Mr Padalecki,
I think we need to find a way to conclude this business. If anything, let me
assure you that your employees will be taken care of during the transition
period. Ackles Corp will definitely be fair. We’ll salvage as much as we can of
your teams and merge them into our own. But the longer that you hold out, the
less time your people will have in the changeover.”
 
“I’ll consider it and give you my answer by the end of the week,” George said,
softly.
 
Jensen nodded. “I’d appreciate it, sir.” He looked up and gave a quick nod to
the waiter, then smiled at George and Jared. The waiter placed a discreet
leather folder beside Jensen and Jensen signed his name. He had a long standing
relationship with Nana where they would just send the bill to Alona and she’d
take care of it. He smiled at the waiter. “Thanks.”
 
“Well, Jensen, it was good to see you again. You’ll tell your mother that
Sheryl and I hope to see her at the club this weekend.”
 
Jensen stood when George did and shook his hand. “I will, sir.”
 
“Good, good,” George said, then looked past Jensen’s shoulder. “Why don’t you
boys get to know each other? I’m just going to say hello to the Senator. I’ll
meet you downstairs, Jared.”
 
“All right,” Jared said, stepping around Jensen towards the lobby doors.
 
Jensen took a moment to just watch Jared stalk across the room in front of him.
His jacket was long, but Jensen knew that there would be an amazing ass
underneath. He smirked to himself, following Jared out to the lobby. He gave
Tessa a warm kiss on the cheek and nearly had to run to catch up to Jared as he
stepped into the elevator car.
 
“So…” Jensen said, standing next to Jared. “You busy later? Want to watch the
game and have a beer?”
 
“No.”
 
Jensen made a face, taking the rejection like a man who wasn’t used to being
rejected. He barked out a laugh and looked up at Jared. “Just no, huh? No need
to explain or make up an excuse to—”
 
“You didn’t when you opted to ruin our company.”
 
“It’s just business, Jared,” Jensen said, wincing at how lame that sounded.
 
“Right,” Jared snorted, shaking his head. “Not personal, just business. Got
it.”
 
“Your proposal was sound, but it’s just not something that I’m interested in
pursuing,” Jensen said, trying to save any part of this.
 
“You don’t have to patronize me, Jensen,” he said, his voice tight.
 
“I’m not patronizing you. I’m just—“
 
The doors opened and Jared hurried out before Jensen could even finish his
sentence. Since Jensen had parked in the underground garage and Jared was
headed for the lobby, Jensen slammed the button for “G” and hit the door close
button repeatedly, glaring at Jared’s retreating back.
 
“What a dick,” Jensen murmured to himself, shaking his head. A hot dick, but
still a fucking dick.
 
***
 
Jensen nursed his third beer, stomping on the peanut shells on the floor.
Christian’s boyfriend, Steve Carlson, was playing a song about dying roses on
the bed and sheets smelling like you…Jensen wasn’t paying attention and
Christian was ignoring him in favor of listening to his boyfriend.
 
“I’m telling you that this isn’t going to work out, man,” Jensen said, tossing
a peanut on the floor and stomping on it.
 
“Dude, you keep wasting those peanuts and Steve’ll make you pay for your tab,”
Christian said, taking a drink from his beer bottle. “And your tab’s been
growing for about ten years so I’d play nice while you’re here.”
 
“Steve loves me more than he loves you,” Jensen said, then snickered.
 
“You are seriously not drunk on three beers, are you?”
 
“I had like six shots while I was waiting for your lazy ass to show up.” He
peeled off the label on his bottle. “Jared hates my guts.”
 
“Jared…Jared Padalecki?”
 
“You know him?”
 
“Yeah…he’s a good guy. His folks sent him to Choate to finish school and then
he went to Brown for his undergrad. He’s friends with Murray and he used to
date Sandy McCoy, you know that pretty Cowboys cheerleader – anyway, he pretty
much just keeps to himself.”
 
Jensen stared at him. “Well, ain’t you just full of information.”
 
“You should probably marry him,” Christian said, smirking. He gazed at Steve,
taking a sip of his beer. “Good family, smart, keeps out of trouble – he’s too
good for you.”
 
Jensen perked up for a moment, then slid his chair closer to Christian.
“Listen, I got a plan and I’m gonna need your help on this, Chris.”
 
Christian looked at him, shaking his head. “Hey, I was just kidding about
Padalecki—“
 
“No, no, it’s a fucking awesome idea,” Jensen said, smiling. “You see, he
doesn’t really like me all that much, but he loves his family and he loves his
company. I bet you that I can get George and Sheryl to support a marriage in
exchange for my support of their company.”
 
“A merger—“
 
“Fuck, yeah, a merger,” Jensen said, laughing. “It’s perfect – we go on with
our own lives, just live together like roommates, save their company, save my
company…this could work out, Chris.”
 
“You serious?”
 
“Tomorrow morning, I want you to put together the other numbers for merging the
company; and then call George Padalecki and tell him that I’d like to marry his
son.”
***** Chapter 3 *****
Part Two: “It’s Business, Not Personal”
 
Jensen fell on his back, panting as he stared up at his bedroom ceiling. He
wiped the sweat off his face with his hand and stretched out on his California
king.
 
“That was fantastic.”
 
Jensen jerked out of his post-come daze, frowning slightly at the dark haired
young man next to him. Jim…or Joe…curled against Jensen’s side and tried to
snuggle in for the night, but Jensen made a face, pushing up to his elbows to
stare at him.
 
“Yeah, listen, uh, Joe—“
 
“Jim.”
 
“Jim, yeah, sorry. So, I think it’s best if you didn’t stay the night,” Jensen
said, casually.
 
“You’re not going to just kick me out—“
 
“Yeah, I kind of am, bud.” Jensen moved so that he was standing on the floor
next to the bed, bending forward to pick up his boxers. He pulled them on,
giving Jim an expectant look. “You want me to call you a cab?”
 
Jim stared at Jensen for a long moment and Jensen seriously considered calling
security to have the guy escorted out when Jim sighed, moving off the bed
slowly. “You’re a dick, Jensen.”
 
Damn it, the guy knew his name. When the hell did he tell the guy his name?
 
“You came home with me,” Jensen said, shrugging. “But, I never asked you to
stay.”
 
“You’re seriously messed up,” Jim said, throwing on his clothes in a hurry.
 
Jensen wasn’t liking him very much anymore. When he saw him at Steve’s club, he
picked him because he was tall with wide shoulders. He forgave the reddish-
blonde hair; let it go because it was longish and wavy. He didn’t usually bring
his one night stands to his penthouse, but he wanted to spend a couple of hours
running his hands up and down that broad back, imagining that it was Jared
under him, begging for more, moaning like he couldn’t help himself. But, fuck,
he hated the morning after portion of his nights – his pick ups never usually
stayed to have a morning after.
 
“Listen, it was fun, but it was just for the night. Don’t read anything more
into it. You wanted to get fucked.”
 
Jim glared at him one last time, walking around the cream colored arm chair,
then towards the hallway. Jensen followed behind him, making sure that he was
headed for the main door. He paused at the kitchen island, watching as Jim
unlocked the door.
 
“Have a nice life, man.”
 
Jensen gave him a small salute and a wink. Jim slammed the door behind him,
rattling the artwork in the foyer. With a sigh, Jensen walked to the door,
locking it and setting the security alarm. He stretched, scratching his back,
and made his way back down the hallway to his bedroom. Seriously, he should
change the sheets before going to bed, but he just pushed the top sheet and
comforter to the floor and fell on the low bed, letting out a satisfied groan.
 
As far as the sex went, it was hot. He closed his eyes, curling against the
large white pillow. He couldn’t stop the smile as he imagined the expression on
Jared’s face when he presented the merger. He was sure Jared would narrow those
hazel cat eyes at him, his lips flat and thin in anger – a real bitch face.
Jensen chuckled softly, pressing his face into the pillows.
 
God, it was hot fucking Jim – bending him over against the bed, pressing him
down, thinking he was Jared the whole time…he could just imagine what it would
be like the first time he’d take Jared to bed. He could just imagine the sounds
Jared would make; how Jensen would make him beg for it, watch him take his
pleasure.
 
He moaned into the pillow, feeling his cock start to harden again. He slid his
hand under his boxers, squeezing his balls tight in his fist, hissing in pain
as he softened. He’d already come three times, too drained for another go, and
he needed the few hours of sleep before he faced the Padaleckis with his merger
proposal.
 
***
 
Jensen bounded down the hall towards his office. He caught Alona’s eye, a smirk
on her face as he walked to her desk. She quirked an eyebrow at him, shaking
her head.
 
“I really don’t want to know why you’re in such a good mood,” she said, rolling
her eyes.
 
“Can you ask Chris to meet me in my office and get George Padalecki on the line
for me?” He said, smiling widely, and then strolled into his office. He walked
to his desk, sat down, and booted up his laptop.
 
“Chris said that he’ll meet you in five minutes,” Alona said, her voice soft
and amused through the telephone intercom.
 
“Thank you, Al.”
 
He pulled up his office e-mail, scanning the list and frowning. His telephone
beeped twice.
 
“George Padalecki on the line, Jensen.”
 
He picked up the phone, pressing it against his ear. “Thanks, Alona.” He waited
for her to transfer the call.
 
“Jensen, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you,” George said, his voice curious
and pleased.
 
“Good morning, sir. I just wanted to say again that I’m glad we had the chance
to meet.” Jensen knew he could’ve just asked for Jared outright, but he wanted
to know if George would offer up his own son to salvage his company.
 
“Likewise, my boy. Now, what can I do for you?”
 
Jensen leaned in his chair, smiling. “Well, it’s more like what I can do for
you. I thought about Jared’s merger proposal and I have to say that I’m very
interested in some of his ideas. I’m reconsidering the merger option instead of
the buy out.”
 
Jensen heard George take a moment, the silence lengthening. “I see. Why the
sudden change?”
 
“I think there are many positive benefits in merging Ackles Corp with PDKI. I
think that there’s great strength in our two companies becoming…well…family, so
to speak,” Jensen said, meaningfully. There was a brief knock on his door and
he turned to see Christian in the doorway. He waved Christian into the office
and motioned for him to sit down. “And I have to say that I was very taken with
Jared.”
 
He watched as Christian’s eyes widened, shaking his head. Jensen waved him off.
 
“I’m looking to make a more permanent investment in your company, sir.”
 
“You understand that I will need to discuss this…merger proposal with Jared
first.”
 
Jensen chuckled. “Of course, sir. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
 
“I think you should come to dinner tonight,” George said, slowly.
 
“I think that would be a wonderful idea,” Jensen said, miming a homerun hit to
the outfield. He grinned cheekily at Christian.
 
“How does seven sound?”
 
“I’m looking forward to it.”
 
“All right, Jensen, good talking to you. We’ll see you tonight at the house,”
George said, chuckling softly.
 
“Yes, sir.” Jensen replied, disconnecting the call. He set the phone into the
cradle and grinned at Christian. “Looks like I’m one step closer to meeting
Grand daddy’s stipulations.”
 
“Did you just make an offer to marry Jared in exchange for saving their
company?”
 
“I did. In fact, I want you to get with JD and start drafting out our marriage
contract.” Jensen said, leaning into his chair. He smiled, gazing up at the
ceiling, feeling heady with pleasure and victory.
 
“You know, there’s easier ways of getting laid than going this route,”
Christian said, looking at him. “And I thought you said that Jared didn’t even
like you.”
 
“Well, that’s what makes him the best candidate,” Jensen said, stroking his
chin. “I don’t want to marry, Chris. I’m more than happy staying single.
Besides, James is married and he’s got three kids – they’ll carry on the Ackles
name. I’m sure Margaret will get married, too, and settle down with a family of
her own. Mother doesn’t want me to get married; but she doesn’t want me to lose
my inheritance or the company. Marrying Jared Padalecki is the best solution.”
 
“What if he doesn’t want to marry you?”
 
“I doubt George and Sheryl will give Jared the option of saying no.”
 
Christian barked out a laugh. “Come on, Jen, this is stupid. Not only that,
it’s blackmail. You can’t just marry Jared and expect that he’s going to play
along with this. What the hell is he going to do with his life—“
 
“Look, Chris, I appreciate you being my Devil’s Advocate, but I’m not joking
around here. This is what we’re going to do. I’m going to be my most charming
self tonight at the Padalecki’s noveau riche mansion. You’re going to write out
a marriage contract that doesn’t include the option of divorce and whatever
else Grand daddy’s will stipulate I need in order to make sure that I don’t
lose anything.”
 
“Obviously, because you’ve already lost your ever loving mind.”
 
“This was your idea,” Jensen said, pointing at him.
 
“I was joking!”
 
“Look, the Padaleckis are new money—or they were new money,” Jensen said,
moving forward to clasp his hands together on top of his desk. “They’d be
stupid to refuse this. They’re not like us; but they have a little more class
than the Hiltons. This buy out is going to break them and it’s going to be hard
for them to give up the lifestyle that they’re used to. No more country club,
no more polo club, no more yacht club, no summer home on Martha’s Vineyard, no
ostentatious house – they’ve invested everything into the company in order to
try and save it. The merger is their saving grace.”
 
“And you get to buy their son for $55 million and change.”
 
Jensen gave him a sly grin, shrugging. “Well, maybe he’ll be worth it.”
 
“Why him? Why Jared Padalecki, though? You could find a spouse that would be
just as suitable – if not more – so why are you suddenly so interested in him?
He doesn’t play your games. You really doing this so you can have a marriage of
convenience or you just stung because the boy doesn’t like you?”
 
“It’s just a business contract, don’t read anything more into it,” Jensen told
him, silkily. Jared…he was tricky and presented a delicious challenge; but
Jensen didn’t really think it would be all that hard to seduce him. Some of the
best fucks he’d had were with guys that he didn’t like all that much; it made
the passion rough and a little mean – a sexual contest of who would submit and
come first. Jared was a big boy, he could take it.
 
“All right,” Christian murmured, shaking his head. “JD and I will draft up the
contract for you by the morning. You want me to tell your mother that she
should hire a wedding planner?”
 
“No, Jesus, I’ll tell her myself,” Jensen said, glaring at Christian.
 
“You know, there’s a part of me that hopes this’ll work for you, Jen.”
 
Jensen looked up, surprised, and smiled at his closest friend. “Well, you big
romantic softie.”
 
“Shut up.”
 
***
 
Jensen pulled his silver Maserati into the long driveway up to the Padalecki
house. It was an American colonial with six massive columns on the front of the
house and lights on the sprawling front lawn to spotlight the house from space.
Seriously, he mocked people who made their money in only one or two
generations. The Ackles could trace their family to the 1850s and they built
their fortune on drilling oil, cattle ranching, technology, and shipping. They
were an old family; and their money was gold. The Ackles homestead was a
sprawling ranch style on 40 acres of prime Texas real estate. Jensen’s great-
great-great-great Grand daddy built the home and generations of Ackles
continued to live and expand the property. It wasn’t uncommon for tourists to
come up to the Ackles Manor; it had been a showcase house in a lot of house
magazines over the years.
 
Jensen stepped out of his car and took the stone walkway to the front of the
house. He carried a bunch of white orchids tied with a dark purple ribbon and
rang the doorbell. He knew that this “dinner” wasn’t just a normal dinner
invitation; it was going to be a dog and pony show for Jensen to prove that the
Padaleckis were united in offering Jared in marriage to save the company. If he
were a different kind of man, Jensen might’ve found it distasteful at how easy
it was to get George to agree to this; but for now, he was pleased that they
were going to put up or shut up, so to speak, and he wanted to see how far they
would go.
 
He decided to forego wearing a suit in favor of casual clothes – dark pants,
white shirt, tan colored cashmere sweater. December in Dallas was a cool 70
degrees Fahrenheit and Jensen didn’t want to be sweating it up. He didn’t think
that this would be a necktie kind of dinner. The Padaleckis wanted to welcome
him into the family; wanted to hide that this was going to be a contract
marriage.
 
The door opened and Jensen smiled at Jared, who scowled and stood in the
doorway, staring him down. When Jensen tried to step inside, Jared held his
place and forced Jensen to step back on the front stoop.
 
“I really can’t believe that you’ll go this far, Ackles,” he whisper-hissed at
Jensen.
 
Jensen wanted to laugh at Jared’s pink and white striped shirt, but the color
really did suit him. When they were married, Jensen would take Jared to his
best tailors and make sure that Jared was properly outfitted. There was no way
that he was going to let Jared show up in something stupid in public – they had
a reputation to uphold.
 
“I think you should call me Jensen; my friends call me Jen,” he said, smiling
widely.
 
“I don’t think we’re really going to be friends.”
 
“Ohhh, I don’t know…we could be good friends…with a helluva lot of benefits,”
he replied, winking. “Now, I think that you should invite me in and mind your
manners.”
 
“Go to hell,” Jared said, trying to loom over him.
 
“Jared, is that Jensen, sweetheart?”
 
Jensen grinned at Jared, looking past him to see Sheryl Padalecki walking
towards them. She was a pretty and petite woman; her dark brown hair was
coiffed in a way that only real Texan women wore and she wore a lot of sparkly
jewelry. She was dressed casually in a bold emerald green shirt and slacks.
“Good evening, Mrs Padalecki.”
 
“Good heavens, boy, what are you doing standing in the middle of the doorway?
Jared Tristan Padalecki, you let him in right this instant.”
 
Jared made a face at Jensen and moved away, stalking down the hallway.
 
Jensen offered up his best smile – white teeth and crinkles around the eyes –
and handed the orchids to Sheryl. “For you, ma’am.”
 
“Oh, you shouldn’t have! They’re lovely,” she said, giving him a kiss on the
cheek. She took his hand and pulled him inside, closing the door. “Now, don’t
mind Jared, he’s just grumpy because he’s working on his thesis and getting
ready for his exams before Christmas break.”
 
“It’s all right, I remember what it was like,” he said, oh so politely. Jensen
was a master at charming the ladies.
 
“Well, come in and let me introduce you to the rest of the family,” she said,
looping her arm into his and guiding him into the main living rooms of the
house.
 
Jensen looked around, taking in the various artwork – an odd mishmash of
contemporary abstract pieces and Asian sculptures, paintings that he recognized
as museum pieces. The house was decorated in French Renaissance style – god,
his back wasn’t going to survive a night of sitting on hard leather. It was
exactly everything he hated about new money people: everything was expensive
and bought by an interior decorator who followed pictures cut out of magazines.
 
He found it hysterical that they were trying to present themselves as a comfy
bunch of people who entertained in casual clothes at home. George was sitting
in a leather armchair that was oversized; Jared was sitting at an antique desk,
staring at his laptop screen.
 
“Jensen, my boy, glad you made it,” George said, standing up as Jensen crossed
the room to shake his hand.
 
“Thank you, sir,” he said, smiling.
 
“Why don’t you have a seat while I go put these beautiful orchids in some water
and check on dinner,” Sheryl said, patting Jensen’s arm and leaving the room.
 
“Care for a drink?” George asked, motioning to the bar.
 
Jensen shook his head. “No thanks, I’m all right.” He walked towards Jared,
looking over his shoulder at the screen. “Your momma said that you were working
on your thesis. What’s your topic? I did mine on reorganizing Ackles Corps’
shipping lines and when I took the job with the company, it was one of the
first things that I implemented.”
 
He tried to read the paragraph on the screen, but Jared minimized the document
and turned to look at him. “What makes you think I have any interest in what
you’re going to say?”
 
“Now, come on, son,” George said, his amused voice barely hiding his annoyance.
“I think you should give Jensen a chance here. He finished his MBA and he runs
an international company. He could give you some pointers on your thesis.
You’ve been saying how you need a fresh pair of eyes to review it.”
 
Jensen leaned down close to Jared’s shoulder, breathing against his neck.
“Yeah, Jared, I’d love to look it over for you.”
 
“That’s not necessary; I can finish it on my own,” Jared said, purposefully
moving backwards in his chair so that Jensen would have to back off.
 
Jensen placed his hand on Jared’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze, feeling warmth
and firm muscles. Jared was tense and he moved his chair away, turning to look
up at him.
 
“Do you mind not hovering over me?”
 
“Sure, sorry,” Jensen said, smirking.
 
“Come on, boys, dinner is ready,” Sheryl said, walking into the living room.
 
George chuckled at something Sheryl said, putting his arm around her shoulders
and escorting her out into the hallway. Jensen waited for Jared to stand,
giving him a long look. The boy was certainly pretty, his cheeks slightly
flushed, hazel eyes narrowed into even more catlike slits. Jensen was looking
forward to spending an hour sitting across the table from him, watching him put
food into his mouth, watching that mouth work. Maybe Jensen would stretch his
foot out under the table and engage Jared into a little game of footsie. Jensen
grinned to himself, feeling a sense of playfulness soak into him. He wondered
if Jared knew how easy he was to read, how he wore every feeling on his face.
The boy was going to have to learn to smile and wave when they were in public.
As much as Jensen enjoyed the sullen look, he didn’t want Jared to show
anything but smiles and blushes.
 
***
 
George and Sheryl were in true form during dinner. Jensen appreciated the
enthusiasm of selling Jared to him, trying their best to tempt Jared into
conversation. Jensen watched, greatly amused, as Jared ignored him throughout
the entire dinner, eating his food carefully, and overly indulging in his wine.
Jensen appreciated Jared’s table manners – no matter how annoyed he felt about
the situation, Jared was graceful. He couldn’t stop staring how Jared held his
fork and knife, how his large hands treated the fragile looking wineglass with
delicacy and ease. He chewed slowly, used his table napkin, and grudgingly
responded to only direct questions.
 
Jensen took a moment to watch George in action. He was a real showman, a true
snake charmer. He flirted with Sheryl across the table. He bragged about Jared
and watched Jensen carefully, trying to gauge how Jensen felt about Jared.
Sheryl was sweet and asked questions that Jared couldn’t ignore – he was a good
momma’s boy after all. All in all, Jensen appreciated the show. Their lawyers
would work out the details of the marriage and of the merger – Jensen knew it
was a done deal – but he wanted to see George sweat a little more, keep him
wondering how things would turn out. Jensen could easily tell George that the
deal was off – and who the hell wouldn’t with Jared acting like a stuck up
little prick – but Jensen had a lot more to lose than they had to gain if this
marriage didn’t work out. But for now, Jensen would just let them sweat; a part
of him kind of disliked George Padalecki for agreeing so easily to the whole
proposition.
 
Now, Jensen was sitting out on the back patio, watching as Jared played with
his coffee cup. George and Sheryl insisted that the two of them share some time
together with their dessert.
 
“How can you live with yourself knowing that you had to blackmail my family?”
Jared said, softly. “Do you like knowing that you forced my father to pimp me
out to you like some family whore?”
 
“It’s not going to so bad, Jared,” he said, sighing. “Look, the truth is, I
need to be married and your family needs my money. It’s a good match.”
 
Jared snorted, rolling his eyes. “You don’t even know me. Why would you want to
spend the rest of your life with someone – and I don’t even like you, let
alone…I don’t know…”
 
“What’s the big deal? We’ll both lead our separate lives.”
 
Jared turned his hazel eyes to stare at Jensen. “So you won’t do the merger
without the marriage.”
 
Jensen stood up, picking up his coffee cup and leaned on the iron railing of
the patio. “Package deal, Jared.”
 
“And what’s to stop you from destroying my family’s company even after the
marriage?”
 
“My lawyers are drawing up the contracts; the merger and the marriage will
ensure that I don’t go back on my word,” Jensen said, sipping his coffee. He
sat the cup down on the patio table. “And I don’t go back on my word anyway;
but I thought you’d all like it down on paper, too.”
 
Jared turned to look at him. “You don’t have to do this.”
 
“Yeah, I do,” Jensen said, huskily as he took a step towards Jared. He ran his
hand into Jared’s thick wavy hair and grabbed a handful, pulling his head back
and kissing him. Jensen moaned, licking Jared’s lips, nipping on the bottom
lip. Jared tried to move away, his hands pressing against Jensen’s shoulders,
but Jensen tugged sharply on his hair, making Jared gasp and Jensen swept his
tongue into Jared’s mouth, tasting coffee and chocolate.
 
Jared twisted and pushed Jensen away, standing up and walking around the table.
His face was flushed, his lips wet. Jensen wanted nothing more than to jump the
table and push Jared to the ground, fucking take him right there on the back of
his parent’s house. Jared glared at Jensen, hands clenched into fists. “Don’t
ever fucking do that again.”
 
“You know, when we’re married, I’m going to want to do that fairly routinely,”
Jensen said, licking his lip and grinning at him.
 
“I’m not going to fuck you as part of any kind of contract,” he said, pointing
a finger at him. “And you can forget about trying to blackmail me into sex
because I won’t do it. I’d rather see my family bankrupt first.”
 
“Come on, Jared, don’t be such a prude,” he said, laughing softly. “Like I
said, we could be good friends with benefits.”
 
“Fuck you, Ackles.”
 
Jensen’s grin widened and he lowered his eyelids, giving him his best bedroom
look. “I only top, baby.”
 
Jared took a deep breath and Jensen could see him struggling not to implode in
anger. Jensen couldn’t stop the smile, remembering the feel of Jared’s lips,
the taste of his mouth.
 
“Please leave,” Jared said, softly. He let out a deep breath and looked away,
shaking his head. “I think you need to go before I say something that I’m going
to regret.”
 
Jensen gave him a polite nod. “Please thank your parents for the lovely
dinner.”
 
Jared didn’t look at him, but nodded.
 
“Oh, I almost forgot, Jared,” he drawled, cocking his head to look up at him.
“I think a two month public romance is part of the deal.”
 
That made Jared turn to stare at Jensen, his expression one of disbelief.
“You’re kidding.”
 
“We’ll see each other real soon to review the provisions of the contract,”
Jensen said, casually. “But once you sign, you’ll go on a series of dates with
me.”
 
“How many?” Jared whispered, biting his lower lip. Jensen wanted to bite that
lower lip, too.
 
“As many as it takes.” Jensen said, turning to leave.
 
“I’ll never fall in love with you.”
 
“And that’s fine by me, in fact, that’ll probably be better – less
complicated,” he replied, shrugging. “Like I said, we can lead separate lives.
We can just be discreet about it. I really don’t care for marriage either,
Jared, but circumstances have forced me to get married; and your father wants
to save his company. So…”
 
“So it’s an open marriage then.”
 
Jensen chuckled, looking Jared over. Fuck, he was delicious. “The best kind.
See you in a couple of days.”
***** Chapter 4 *****
Part Three: “Business Contract Marriage”
 
“Marry me.” Jensen said, sitting across the conference table, watching Jared.
 
Jared glared at him for a long moment and then turned away, swallowing hard.
His hands clenched together on top of the table and he remained silent.
 
Jensen waited him out. He grinned, leaning back in his chair, enjoying the look
of anger on Jared’s face, the tension in that tall, strong body. All that
passion just waiting to get out. Jensen could work with that – he just needed
to refocus it in other directions that would be pleasurable for both of them.
 
George cleared his throat nervously. “Jared…we discussed this. Now is not the
time for cold feet, son.”
 
Jared remained silent.
 
“I don’t want to interfere, but we do require an official answer,” Jeffrey Dean
said, softly.
 
“Does the answer need to come directly from Jared?” George asked, looking at
Jeffrey Dean and Christian.
 
Jeffrey Dean and Christian exchanged glances. Jeffrey Dean leaned forward on
the table. “We just require an answer of acceptance.”
 
“Then as the Patriarch of the Padalecki family, I accept the proposal on his
behalf,” George said, quickly. Jensen hid his smirk. Well, Jensen thought,
Padalecki was known to take risks and jump on innovations in business, so why
not the same thing when it came this – this was still business.
 
“Great,” Jensen said, clapping his hands. “Now, we just need the signature and
we’re officially family.”
 
Christian stood up and slid the contract across the table in front of Jared. He
uncapped his Mont Blanc fountain pen and placed it on top of the document, then
sat down, tucking his necktie down. They waited.
 
Jared stared at the documents.
 
“Just sign it,” Jensen murmured, his voice low and mellow, with a hint of a
command. It wasn’t his usual negotiation voice – it didn’t need to be cold and
forceful – but he could see that Jared needed an extra push.
 
Jensen watched as Jared scrawled his name on the contract, throwing the
fountain pen down on top of the documents in disgust. He didn’t look at anyone
in the conference room. Jensen found it incredible that someone as tall as
Jared could literally shrink into half his size. He frowned, a little annoyed
that Jared wasn’t a little more grateful for this arrangement. Jensen could’ve
made the contract stipulations really, really tough; but being a good Texas-
born gentleman, he didn’t put into black and white all of his expectations from
his new husband.
 
“And this is your schedule,” Christian said, pushing a blue folder across the
table to Jared. “As you know, Jensen has requested a minimum of 25 public
appearances – dates, if you will – before the actual wedding on April 25th.
You’ll put your condo on the market and move into Jensen’s place within the
next two weeks. In all public appearances, Jensen will ensure that you’re
properly attired. All of your living and entertainment costs will be taken care
of. These are bank cards to your joint accounts. And anything else that you’d
need, you can always contact me at any time, day or night, and I’ll be
accessible to you.”
 
Jensen kept his face neutral as he examined Jared. He didn’t look at Christian,
but merely stared at the folder. Jared’s face flushed and he blinked rapidly as
if he was trying to shake himself out of a stupor.
 
“Do you have any questions, Jared?”
 
“Does it matter?” Jared said, softly.
 
Everyone sitting in the room knew the answer was ‘no’ but no one dared to voice
it.
 
Christian cleared his throat, keeping his voice warm and friendly. “All right,
well, if you do, you can always get in touch with me.”
 
It had taken six days of back and forth with the lawyers to hammer out a
marriage contract that they could all live with – well, that Jared could live
with. God only knew what kind of pressure George and Sheryl were putting on
Jared to get him to follow through on this, but Jensen didn’t really care and
he wanted this signed, sealed, and delivered with as little fuss as possible.
He couldn’t understand why Jared was even putting up such a stink. Marrying
into the Ackles family was a prize for most people – a lifetime lottery win
that was glamorous, luxurious, and perfect; and Jensen thought that marrying
him was a gift. But Jared treated them – especially Jensen – like he just
stepped into dog shit and Jensen wasn’t going to have none of that.
 
Jensen tuned out the lawyers as they discussed the other stipulations of the
contract. He watched as Jared pushed his chair from the conference table and
stood up to walk towards the large floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking
downtown Dallas. Jensen could see Jared’s expression on the glass – his eyes
were closed, his jaw clenched. He leaned in his chair, stroking his chin,
wondering what the hell was so bad about this situation? Frankly, he was kind
of sick of Jared’s brooding.
 
He let his lawyers finalize the last of the paperwork and he walked around the
table to stand next to Jared. “Hey, let’s go to lunch after this.”
 
“The ink isn’t even dried yet.”
 
“It wasn’t a request,” Jensen said, sighing. “Don’t forget that you’re required
to do two months of pre-wedding public engagements.”
 
Jared sighed. “I didn’t forget; I just wanted some time to—“
 
“Nah, why wait,” he said, smiling and patting Jared on the back. “Just jump
right in, you know?”
 
“Jensen, we’re done for now,” Christian said, as they all began to stand.
 
“Thanks, Chris,” he said, turning to smile at George. They shook hands. He
could see the relief on George’s face. “Thanks for coming by, sir.”
 
George laughed, patting Jensen on the back. “Well, I think it’ll be all right
if you started calling me George.”
 
“George,” Jensen said, chuckling. “I’ll ask mother to set up dinner for all of
us at the country club. I know she and Sheryl will want to get started on
planning the wedding.”
 
“Better them than us,” George said, then turned to see Jared. “I’ll see you
later, son.”
 
Jared didn’t even acknowledge his father.
 
“We’ll be fine,” Jensen said, wanting to reassure George.
 
Jensen shook hands with the Padalecki’s lawyer, Jim Beaver. “Good to see you
again, Jim.”
 
Jensen turned back to look at Jared, half listening to George and Jim shaking
hands and making chatter with Christian and Jeffrey Dean. He nodded to Jeffrey
Dean and Christian as they started to leave the office. Christian gave him a
look as he turned to close the door behind him.
 
“Hey, you all right?” Jensen said, leaning against the window, looking up at
his new fiancé.
 
“I know you don’t care,” he said, softly.
 
“Well, for the sake of argument, let’s just say that I want an answer.”
 
Jared turned deeply hurt hazel eyes at him. Jensen almost flinched, but he met
the gaze head on. Jensen never flinched. “I’m fine.”
 
“Huh…you’re going to have to be more convincing than that in public,” Jensen
murmured, arching his eyebrow. “All right. Let’s go to lunch; just need to stop
by my office for a minute and then we can go. What do you have planned for
later?”
 
“I’m working on my thesis.”
 
“Yeah, hey, I’m really interested in what you’re working on. You should let me
read your draft,” Jensen said, motioning Jared to follow him out of the
conference room. “When I had to do my defense, it was only supposed to be for
two hours. But I swear it went longer because of the Q&A session and it being
an open forum and all. I know I was leaving myself wide open when I did the
case study on Ackles Corp. Probably was the worst day of my life. As soon as my
defense was over, I went and got drunk.”
 
Jared followed him quietly as Jensen walked down the hallway to his office.
 
“Hey,” Jensen said, stopping right outside his office lobby. “You really need
to cooperate just a little bit, Jared. If this is going to be any kind of
bearable for you, a little conversation isn’t going to hurt either of us.”
 
“You didn’t write it in the contract that I had to talk to you,” Jared said,
sharply.
 
“I can have the lawyers put in an amendment, but then it would be a matter of
public record and I could sue you for breach of contract and cancel the
merger.”
 
“That’s so stupid.”
 
Jensen grinned, patting him on the back. “See? Conversation – doesn’t hurt.
Come on, I’ll introduce you to my gatekeeper.”
 
He was pleased when Alona stood and walked around her desk to meet them. She
wore a genuine smile, looking up at Jared.
 
“This is Alona Tal,” Jensen said, nodding. “Alona, this is Jared Padalecki, my
new fiancé.”
 
They shook hands and Jensen was pleased to see that Jared had broken out of his
funk and he was smiling at her. Jensen had to take a second look – were those
fucking dimples?
 
“Hi, Alona, nice to meet you.”
 
“Nice to meet you,” she said, huskily. Jensen had to look back at her when her
voice registered from friendly to inappropriate flirting.
 
Jared just grinned, and ducked his head. Jensen narrowed his eyes at her – and
then wondered where that sharp stab of…jealousy came from. He almost didn’t
recognize it as jealousy – when the hell was the last time he was jealous about
anything?
 
“Your mother is in your office, by the way,” Alona said to Jensen, but she was
still gazing up at Jared.
 
“Thank you.” Jensen said, his voice not all that happy. “Come on, let me
introduce you to my mother. You’ll really like her.”
 
He opened the door to see Diana standing in front of his bookcase, holding the
large picture frame of the family in her hands. She smiled, looking up to see
Jensen and Jared. “Mother, I’m glad you’re here.”
 
She gave him her cheek to kiss. “Yes, I figured it would be appropriate for
your mother to meet your fiancé.”
 
“This is Jared Padalecki,” he said, smiling. “Jared, my mother, Diana Ackles.”
 
Jared gave her a lovely smile, showing white teeth and dimples – Jesus, Jensen
found the dimples impossibly attractive – and a hug. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
 
“Your mother speaks highly of you,” she said, smiling. “I’m glad you’ll be part
of our family, Jared.”
 
“Thank you.”
 
“We were just going to have some lunch. Care to join us, mother?”
 
Jensen raised his eyebrow as Diana gave Jared a long glance and then her eyes
met his.
 
“Perhaps another day,” she said, patting Jensen’s cheek. “I’m going to give
Sheryl a call and see when she’d like to get together to discuss the wedding
arrangement. It’s not as if you gave us a lot of time to get everything in
order.”
 
“If you wouldn’t mind,” Jared said, hesitantly. “I…I would prefer something
small and intimate.”
 
Jensen raised his eyebrow again and shrugged at his mother. “Whatever you and
Sheryl think is best.”
 
She chuckled. “We’ll consider your wishes. Good bye, boys.”
 
“Well, let’s go to lunch, Jared,” he said, looking at Jared. “How do you feel
about sushi?”
 
“I hate sushi.”
 
“I know a great Japanese restaurant – the fish is fresh. You should give it
another try, Jared.”
 
“I’m allergic to tuna.”
 
“Well, we’ll just have to make sure that you get something besides tuna.”
 
***
 
Jensen’s Dallas penthouse was entirely white and cream, with subtle touches of
very light brown. He had a wonderful view of the city as his home was just
outside of downtown Dallas so that he felt like he could have a place beyond
Ackles Corp – in fact, he could see Ackles Corp from his balcony. He had asked
his interior decorator to come in and work with Jared to decorate his private
room on the west side of the penthouse; he tried not to flinch when Jared as
for a dark navy blue bedroom interior.
 
He liked the clean lines and the pale colors of his home. He was a little OCD
about keeping things minimalist and modern. His friends always complained that
his home felt impersonal, but Jensen liked its simplicity.
 
Jared’s bedroom had its own master bathroom, a small study, and a large
bedroom. He had balcony access as well. He could walk from his side of the
balcony to Jensen’s balcony on the east side or vice versa. He had given Jared
the tour of the place, programmed his biometric thumbprint into the security
lock, and introduced him to the 24-hour security staff.
 
Jensen turned on the flat screen to the local news. He puttered around the
kitchen, snacking on some appetizers that his part-time chef left for him in
the fridge. Jensen came out of the kitchen when he heard the bubbly theme song
of the local entertainment news.
 
“…and surprisingly, billionaire Dallas bachelor Jensen Ackles, created quite a
stir when it was confirmed that he is indeed getting married to Jared Padalecki
in late April. Sources close to both Jensen and Jared say that they are very
happy and very much devoted to each other…”
 
Jensen smirked, watching the coverage of paparazzi following them around, a
montage of photographs of Jensen and Jared out on the town: romantic dinner at
Nana’s; coming out of Steve’s bar; courtside seats at the home game for the
Mavericks; dressed in tuxedos at charity dinners; coming out of Morton’s with
Jensen’s mom and Jared’s parents; slow dancing at the Christmas Ball. It was
obvious that the two of them were true sons of Dallas. Everyone was charmed by
them, Jensen always smiling for the cameras and Jared ducking his head shyly,
blushing prettily with a dimpled smile. Perfect, fucking perfect. Jared had a
rocky start at first, but he could play the part with perfection now.
 
Jensen heard the front door opening and he walked towards the hallway to see
Jared walking inside, pulling his messenger bag off his shoulder.
 
“Hey.”
 
Jared looked at him. “Hey.”
 
“Want some dinner? I could grill.”
 
Jared walked past him, shaking his head. “I already ate. I have a lot of
studying to do.”
 
Jensen watched as Jared walked down the hallway towards his bedroom. After
living in the penthouse for the past three weeks, Jensen was a little insulted
that Jared still locked his bedroom door. The click of the lock turning was
audible down the hall and Jensen made a face as he walked to his bedroom.
 
Three weeks, living as room mates, and Jared never shared the “community”
living spaces with him, let alone get within arm’s reach. It wasn’t like Jensen
was going to rape him in the middle of the night. He had easier conquests than
Jared Tristan Padalecki; and when the spirit moved him, Jensen could be found
carousing his favorite clubs and bars, getting blow jobs in back rooms and
quick fucks in men’s rooms. Jared could stay locked up in his bedroom all he
wanted.
***** Chapter 5 *****
Jensen groaned, rolling on his side and staring blearily at his digital clock.
It was 5:36 AM. He had rolled in from Station4 around 2 in the morning and
passed out on top of the covers. Slightly nauseous from the lingering stale
smell of smoke and sex, Jensen pushed off the bed and made his way into his
bathroom. He stripped, dropping his clothes on the floor, and started the water
in the shower. The smart shower’s readout showed the exact temperature that
Jensen loved and he waited for a few seconds as his water heated up. He was too
tired for a real shower, but he just wanted to scrub off some of his night time
activities and then roll back into bed.
 
He toweled off slowly and dropped his wet towel on top of his other clothes,
and pulled down another fluffy cream colored towel to wrap around his waist.
His part-time cleaning staff would take care of the rest.
 
He wandered out of his room towards the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.
Jensen twisted off the cap and took a long series of swallows, feeling slightly
more human, and recapped the bottle to bring it with him to his bedroom. He
paused, seeing a sliver of light coming into the hallway from the room that he
had converted into a home gym. Huh…was Jared awake?
 
He slipped along the hallway quietly and pushed the door open slightly to see
Jared running on the treadmill. Jensen took a long moment to appreciate the
sweat that clung to his body. Jared wore a pair of long red shorts and a white
tank. He had his iPod earphones in his ears so he didn’t hear Jensen open the
door.
 
For a long moment, Jensen let his eyes move over Jared – the boy was finely put
together, his muscles clearly defined but not so overly that he looked beefy.
He ran at a steady and concentrated pace, breathing hard but even. Jensen knew
that Jared was in his running zone, where everything just slipped away, there
was no physical pain or exertion, and he could drive his body even further.
 
Jensen licked his lips, feeling his cock harden, as he watched Jared run. The
stamina was gorgeous…Jesus, Jensen wanted him and he would have him. He closed
the door to where it was and he moved back into his bedroom, closing the door
behind him. He set the water bottle on his dresser and pulled off the towel,
tossing it on the edge of the bed.
 
Falling on his back on his lush bed, he licked his palm and wrapped it around
his hard cock, stroking quickly. He tucked his other arm under his head, eyes
closed and seeing Jared running on the treadmill, breathing hard. He ran his
thumb around the slick head, squeezing and rubbing his clenched hand right
under the head, drowning in pleasure. He imagined what could’ve happened if
Jared saw him standing in the doorway, watching him. He would’ve shut down the
treadmill and stepped off, walking towards him. He’d pull Jensen into the room,
holding the towel around his waist, and fall to his knees. Jensen watched in
his mind’s eye as Jared slowly pulled the towel from his waist, licking his
lips as he took Jensen’s cock into that wide, wet mouth, sucking him in tight
and hot and perfect.
 
“Fuck,” Jensen slurred, moaning as he came in his hand. He panted, opening his
eyes and staring at the darkened ceiling. He let out a sigh and sat up,
grabbing the towel and wiping himself clean.
 
Falling back on the bed and pulling his clean sheets and comforter up to his
shoulders, Jensen’s last thought was that he really needed to figure out a way
to seduce Jared.
 
***
 
The Dallas Hunt & Country Club was an exclusive member only club, located about
30 minutes outside Dallas-Fort Worth near the Red Oaks area. The club owned 135
acres of beautiful land. The Ackles family was one of the original three
families to pool together their funds to create it. The club was a little over
a hundred years old; their centennial anniversary party in 2001 was the social
event of the new millennia. The club hosted the state’s polo tournaments and
could hold 16 games at once; they also had a world-class equestrian arena. Only
a handful of the polo matches were opened to the public – four times a year –
but the rest were private matches or invitationals.
 
Jensen loved polo and started to play when he was about 9 years old – old
enough to ride a horse and swing a mallet. Now, he had a string of well trained
thoroughbreds – polo ponies – and he proudly wore the #2 shirt and played an
aggressive game of offensive scoring. Tom Welling played #1 and was the fastest
member of the team. He and Jensen spent a lot of time running the other teams
crazy with Tom’s speed and Jensen’s precision. Christian was their team captain
and sat #3. He was their tactical leader and had the best mallet arm in the
state. Jensen and Tom teased Christian for being the shortest man in the group,
but that he had the longest reach when he sat on the horse. Michael Rosenbaum
took the #4 shirt and played defense. He moved like a sleek predator on the
playing field and allowed them to play a more offensive game in scoring because
they knew Michael covered them if they lost the ball.
 
Jensen was surprised and slightly annoyed that Jared knew nothing about polo,
that he wasn’t a horseman, or that he spent a lot of time outdoors. Jensen
wanted to change that and invited Jared to the January New Year’s Tournament.
It would be opened to the public and would give Jared a good understanding of
the sport. Jensen called Danneel Harris and Steve to sit with Jared and to be
his guide into the world of polo.
 
Jensen hustled his thoroughbred racer down the field, raising the long mallet
in his right hand. He swung down, slapping the ball further down the field. He
could hear the horses snorting and panting behind him as the opposing team’s #3
and #4 tailed after him down the field.
 
He saw that he was close. He stood up in his saddle, keeping his knees pressed
tight. His horse, Baskar, moved forward down the field. Jensen saw the ball and
swung his mallet hard again, making a hard hit. He saw Tom catching up to him
from the corner of his eye and he passed the ball towards him on his next hit.
 
Jensen heard the two players curse behind him as they took off after Tom.
Jensen laughed to himself, running Baskar towards the field goals, knowing that
Tom would pass the ball towards him and Jensen would make the winning score in
the last chukkas.
 
Jensen saw Tom swing his mallet and he put himself in position, waiting for the
ball to settle on the field. He turned sharply and swung his mallet hard,
watching as the ball went through the goal. He slowed Baskar and turned to see
his teammates cheering. He raised his arms, pumping his fist into the air at
the spectators, who were shouting and whistling. He pulled off his helmet,
tucking it on his saddle. He waved to Tom, Christian and Mike; saluted the
members of the other team.
 
Jensen felt that whenever the polo matches were opened to the public, they were
always so obnoxious and noisy. Regular polo spectators applauded politely, but
they weren’t out of control. He rolled his eyes, giving a sigh, and looked to
the side of the field where the special VIP guests were seated on cushioned
bleachers. He saw Jared, smiling widely and talking animatedly with Danneel and
Steve. Jensen was glad that his friends liked Jared; that they treated him
well; and that Jared – at least in public – seemed to like them, too.
 
“Good game, Ackles.”
 
Jensen smirked, turning to look at Misha Collins. The older man was handsome,
tanned, his hair wavy and loose over his forehead. He sat #3 on the other team,
but he was no match for Jensen’s talents on the polo field. “Hey, Mish, how’s
it going?”
 
“Not bad,” Misha said, pacing his horse along side Jensen’s. “So I hear that
you’re getting married to Padalecki’s kid.”
 
“Late April,” he said, nodding. “You’re invited.”
 
“Gee…thanks. I’m sure I can find an appropriate wedding gift to the groom.”
Jensen laughed as Misha gave him an exaggerated leer. “He looks like a sweet
kid,” the older man said, winking at Jensen. Misha looked over at the bleachers
and they watched as Jared laughed, tossing back his head and clapping his hands
in amusement. Jensen swallowed, looking at that long neck. That is mine, he
thought. “I didn’t think you were the marrying type.”
 
Jensen grinned. “I’m full of surprises.”
 
“Yeah, I remember.” Misha smiled, his blue eyes sharp and knowing. “How about
having drinks with me later? You could always come over to my place…”
 
“I’ll let you know if I’m interested,” Jensen said, slyly. He nudged Baskar
with his knees, pacing ahead of Misha to catch up to his teammates.
 
“You’re always interested,” Misha called after him, laughing softly.
 
After showering and getting dressed, Jensen met his friends in the lounge. They
had ordered drinks and light appetizers. Jensen sat down next to Jared, running
his hand along his back in greeting. Jensen felt Jared tense under his hand,
but Jared never showed it on his face. Jensen knew it made him uncomfortable,
but Jensen was going to take full advantage of the fact that he could touch
Jared when they were in public and Jared couldn’t reject him.
 
“Good game,” Jared said, smiling. “I didn’t realize how fun it was.”
 
“You should learn to play,” Michael said, leaning in his seat. “With your long
arms, you could probably be a good offensive scorer.”
 
Jared gave a small laugh. “I don’t think I’d be able to stay on a horse long
enough to actually hit anything.”
 
“Jared was telling us that he’s not an outdoorsy kind of guy,” Danneel said,
teasing him gently. “But Steve and I are going to help him with that.”
 
“Oh?” Jensen said, raising his eyebrow.
 
“We were thinking of going up to Vail for the end of the ski season,” she said,
looking around at the group. There were interested nods all around.
 
“I…uh…don’t ski, guys,” Jared said, smiling.
 
“There are things called bunny slopes,” Steve said, laughing. He laughed even
harder when Jared gave him a mock dirty look. “What? We all started on the
bunny slope.”
 
“Yeah, when you were like in elementary school,” Jared said, then laughed at
himself.
 
“Come on, Jen, let’s all go up to Vail. It’ll be great fun. We promise not to
break Jared on the slopes,” Danneel said, reaching over to ruffle Jared’s hair.
“You’ll look so cute on the bunny hill with all those little kids.”
 
Jensen nodded, smiling. “Sounds good to me. I can have our winter home opened
and ready for next weekend if you all want to head up.”
 
“Jensen!”
 
Jensen turned to see Sabrina Dixon leaning very close to him. She was a
beautiful red head and Jensen had slept with her a few times, usually when he
was too drunk to care, and she was like a mannequin in bed anyway. It was too
bad that he could never really stand to be around her while he was sober. She
was one of those celebutantes made famous by the Hilton girls. Jensen couldn’t
stand her at all. He stood politely to greet her because his momma taught him
to always have good manner – even to little rich girls who lived like expensive
whores – and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. “Hey, Sabrina.”
 
The guys stood, greeting her politely. Danneel gave her a hug. Well, at least
Jensen never had to touch the girl.
 
“I can’t believe you’re getting married,” she said, making a face. “You’re such
a little boy slut!”
 
Her voice carried across the lounge, various people turning to look their way.
Jensen ignored it, giving Danneel a look to take the girl away.
 
“Come on—“ Danneel said, trying to pull Sabrina away.
 
Jensen smirked at her. “A little early to be so tipsy, Sabbie?”
 
“Honestly, Jen, I can’t believe you actually found someone who’d marry you and
agree to your open marriage policies.” Sabrina said, giggling.
 
“Ohhh…don’t be upset because I never asked you to marry me.” Jensen said,
snidely.
 
“Jensen, why are you so mean to me? After all, we’ve had some good fun, haven’t
we?” Sabrina slurred as Danneel was trying to pull her away and she smacked at
Danneel’s hand. “Really, what is wrong with you? I just wanted to congratulate
Jen.”
 
Jensen reached over and took Jared’s hand in his. “Have you met my fiancé? This
is Jared Padalecki.”
 
Sabrina looked from Jensen to Jared, her eyes widening. She flushed deeply,
giving Jared a coy smile. “Hello Jared.”
 
Jared just gave her a slight nod of acknowledgement. Then he sat down, giving
her his back. Jensen was so proud of him.
 
Sabrina made a face behind Jared’s back, muttering something about being “rude”
and “nouveau riche manners” as Danneel dragged her away, trying to salvage the
last of their peace.
 
“Well…” Tom said, looking around at everyone else. “Shall we order another
round of drinks?”
 
Everyone, grateful for the change in subject, agreed heartily. When Danneel
returned with Sabrina, the talk returned to going to Vail for the weekend.
Jensen turned to look at Jared, his jaw clenched tightly, but otherwise, his
expression normal. He wasn’t even flushed. Jensen wanted to lean over and
whisper assurances – she’s a fucking bitch, she doesn’t know what she’s talking
about, everything she said was a lie – but Jensen was realistic enough to know
that it would only manage to piss off Jared even more; and all of his friends
sitting at the table knew the truth of his engagement to Jared anyway.
 
But Jensen felt…really kind of bad for Jared. He meant what he said – they
could be discreet and Jensen would never publicly throw what he did in Jared’s
face. His friends wouldn’t throw it in Jared’s face. But to have it out there
like this…he kind of felt bad for Jared. But there was nothing he could do
about it. And Jared was a big boy…he’d learn to deal.
 
***
 
After weeks of trying to get Jared to introduce Jensen to his friends, Jared
finally relented and asked Jensen to meet him at Taverna Lounge, an intimate
and hip bar not too far from Ackles Corp. Jensen wondered what Jared told his
friends about him, his engagement, and he was curious to see how Jared’s
friends acted with Jensen.
 
He walked into the dimly lit bar and looked around to see Jared sitting with a
man and two women. He made his way towards them, smiling, his stroll loose and
fluid. He made a quick look around the club, saw a few interesting and
interested people, and came to a stop beside Jared.
 
“Hey.”
 
“Jensen,” Jared said, standing. “You made it.”
 
“You make it sound like I wouldn’t show up,” he said, reaching up to give Jared
a quick kiss on the cheek. Jared gave a practiced and embarrassed smile,
ducking his head and showing dimples. Jensen knew he’d probably pay for that
later.
 
“Um…these are my closest friends. Chad Michael Murray, Sophia Bush, and Sandy
McCoy. Guys, this is Jensen Ackles…my…uh, fiancé.”
 
Jensen snickered to himself, enjoying the fact that Jared had to say it. He
shook hands with everyone and sat down beside Jared. “It’s great to finally
meet you. Sorry for not getting together sooner but…well, I’ve wanted to keep
Jared to myself.”
 
“It doesn’t seem that way.” Sophia said, raising her eyebrow at him.
 
“Pardon?”
 
“I mean, you take Jared out everywhere – all these very ‘public’ dates with the
tabloids and reporters following you two around everywhere. I think your
definition of wanting to keep Jared to yourself is different than reality.”
 
“Sophia,” Jared said, softly. He shook his head at her.
 
Jensen gave her a slow grin. “I won’t apologize for wanting to be seen with
Jared. He is gorgeous.”
 
“Apparently, he’s a gorgeous trophy husband,” she shot back.
 
“Okay, come on, time out,” Chad said, stepping into the conversation. “Look,
Jensen, we’ve been Jared’s friends since we were all in diapers. We’ve been
there, you know, and this is kind of an unexpected surprise for us. It’s great
that we can finally meet and get to know each other. But we were—“
 
“You were what?” Jensen said, wanting to know how Chad was going to end that
sentence.
 
“We were wondering why Jared was so miserable,” Sandy finished, looking at him.
“Obviously, we haven’t heard about you until the engagement announcement. I
think it’s only fair that we get to know what’s going on.”
 
Jensen stared at them for a long moment. “The only thing that anyone has to
know about my relationship with Jared is that we are going to get married on
April 25th and that there is nothing else going on.”
 
Jared let out a small sigh. “Jensen, we should tell them. It’s only fair. All
of your friends know the truth and my friends won’t say anything.”
 
“It’s your call,” he said, frowning.
 
Jensen watched as Jared turned to look at his friends. “My parents asked me to
marry Jensen in order to save their company.”
 
“What!” All three of them yelled at the same time. Jensen would’ve laughed – if
it were any other situation.
 
“Contract marriage? Jared – serious…are you okay with this?” Chad said, looking
closely at his friend. “Is…everything okay with you?”
 
“I’m fine,” Jared said, nodding. “It’s all right. Jensen and I are like room
mates, but we have to put up a public show.”
 
“Can you get out of it?” Sophia said, glaring at Jensen. Jensen wanted to say
that he made the proposal, but the Padaleckis could have turned it down.
 
Jared shrugged, giving Jensen a quick look. “Not legally.”
 
“What about your life?” Sophia said, shaking her head. “What about your goals
and dreams…what if you fall in love with someone? You’ve just signed your life
away to…to him.”
 
Jensen really took offense to that.
 
“This is terrible, Jared,” Sandy said, her eyes big and brown. “It’s like what
happened with—“
 
“No, it’s not,” Jared said, quickly. Jensen wondered why he cut her off. “No.
Nothing like that.”
 
“Are you sure? You can tell us, we’re here for you, man.” Chad said, giving
Jensen a meaningful look.
 
“I just wanted you guys to know the truth,” Jared said, nodding. “Once things
calm down, it’ll be okay. It’s just that right now…we have do this show. We can
talk about it later. ”
 
Later, like when Jensen wasn’t around. Jensen leaned in his chair, listening
and watching them. He couldn’t deny that Jared was fair in how he described the
situation. He was a little curious with his friends’ reactions, though. They
seemed a tad bit more protective than usual friends. All three of them wore
matching expressions of horror and fear – they were scared for Jared.
 
“Look, it really is okay,” Jensen said, smiling at them. “I mean, the
circumstances kind of suck, yeah, but like he said, once this stage is over,
we’ll both settle into our separate lives and just go on with—“
 
“Why are you marrying him?” Sophia said, narrowing her eyes at him.
 
“Sophia, you don’t have to do this,” Jared said.
 
“You had to have had a reason, too. I mean, are you looking for sexual favors?
Show your family that you can settle down? What’s your reason for marrying
Jared?”
 
Jensen gave her a long, long look. He really didn’t feel that he needed to
justify his reasons for getting married to her – or to anyone else. It was a
done deal now; Jensen made the offer and it was accepted.
 
“Let’s just say that I needed to get married, too, and an opportunity presented
itself to both of us,” he said, slowly, keeping his voice even and low and
hard. He met her eyes, not giving her an inch. He waited for her to look away
and crowed inside when she dropped her eyes, looking away.
 
The five of them just sat at the table in silence. Jensen watched as they spoke
volumes in the looks that they gave each other, but in a language that Jensen
didn’t understand. He was a little annoyed and wondered how long he needed to
stay before he could politely leave.
 
***
 
The private jet touched down at Eagle County Airport. Christian and Danneel
flew in with him and Jared; Tom and Mike would fly in a few hours later; Steve
and two more friends would fly in the next day. Jensen had called the estate
caretakers the week before to make sure that the house would be opened and
prepared for guests.
 
They waited for Tom and Mike to arrive and they all wanted to hit the slopes
right away. Jensen drove the winterized SUV to Vail Ski Resort. He offered to
teach Jared how to ski and was pleased when Jared picked up the basics right
away. But the big slopes called him and Jensen handed him over to a private ski
instructor named Larsen while Jensen took the lift up to the best powder in the
US.
 
It was getting closer to early evening, the sunlight starting to fade on the
face of the mountain. Jensen came to a graceful stop near the beginners area
and saw Jared taking the small slope with ease, keeping his balance, and
shifting his weight properly. In a few more tries, Jared would be able to hit a
small part of the mountain. Jensen watched as Mike and Danneel cheered Jared
on, laughing as Jared lost his concentration and flailed his long limbs,
falling on his butt in the soft powder.
 
A bunch of little kids laughed, then fell on top of him. Jensen watched as
Jared snapped off the skis from his boots, picked up two of the kids in his
arms and raised them high, running around like a nutcase. The kids laughed,
clinging to him, jumping up and down for their turn with the giant snow bunny.
Jensen had never seen Jared like this before – and he suspected that this was
the real Jared: loud, happy, energetic, confident, and playful – and Jensen
wondered why he didn’t get to see this Jared all the time.
 
Jensen watched as Jared’s instructor, Larsen, made his way towards them, taking
Jared a little too comfortably by the arm, leading him away. Jared waved to the
children, laughing as he bent down to pick up his skis and poles. Jensen
frowned when he saw Larsen checking Jared out.
 
Mike and Danneel picked up their skis and poles, walking with Jared towards the
main lodge of the resort. He could hear Jared chattering away, interspersed
with loud laughter and snorts of amusement, and Mike cussing up a storm as
Jared pegged him with a snowball. Jensen followed at a slower pace, just
watching Jared from a distance. He found that he wanted to get to know him; his
friends were getting to know him. It wouldn’t be fair that Jensen didn’t know
his own future husband.
 
“Mr Ackles.”
 
Jensen turned to see Larsen walking towards him. “Hey.”
 
“Jared did great today,” he said, smiling widely. “He’s a real good student and
picked up all the basics. I’d be more than happy to take him to the public
slopes tomorrow. We could—“
 
“Thank you, but I think I will take my fiancé up to the public slopes, Larsen,”
Jensen said, giving him his best charming smile. “I think I can take care of
him.”
 
Larsen gave him a long look. “I’m sure you know how to handle him best, sir.
I’ve seen you on the expert slopes – you handle yourself pretty great.”
 
Jensen raised his eyebrow, his charming smile slithering into a seductive one.
“Really? Do you think you could handle me?”
 
“I think I’d like to try.”
 
***
 
Jensen walked into the main lounge to see Jared sitting with his friends. He
looked up, his expression happy and open.
 
“Hey! Where’ve you been? We thought you got lost or something and we were about
to call the ski patrol out on you,” he said, chuckling.
 
“I just had an extended lesson on night skiing,” Jensen said, smoothly. He sat
down beside Jared, taking his beer and swallowing it. Jared just gave him a
small grin, shaking his head in amusement.
 
“Jenny, I thought that was you.”
 
Jensen looked up to see David Boreanaz standing next to him. Jensen stood,
shaking his hand. “Davy, good to see you again.”
 
David smirked, leaning forward to kiss Jensen.
 
“Whoa, hey now,” Jensen said, chuckling. “I’m engaged.”
 
“Engaged?” David said, grinning. “Serious?”
 
“This is Jared Padalecki, my fiancé,” Jensen said, putting his hand on Jared’s
chest. “Jared, this is David Boreanaz, an old friend of mine.”
 
He watched as David stepped past Jensen and moved right into Jared’s personal
space, shaking his hand.
 
“Jared, very nice to meet you,” David crooned, smiling. “You know, you’re
probably way too good for this guy. How about we ditch him and go have a drink
together somewhere nice and quiet and private?”
 
Jared chuckled, showing his dimples at David. “I, uh, thanks for the
invitation, but I…don’t think so.”
 
“I’m a far better catch than Jensen,” David said, stepping closer to Jared.
“He’s pretty and has all the money, but I’m sure I can find something that
you’d like a whole lot better.”
 
“That’s enough, David,” Jensen said, frowning. “You’re about to cross a line,
man.”
 
David snickered. “Come on, Jenny, we’re just flirting. Nothing wrong with a
little harmless flirting.”
 
“Just remember I know what your intentions are behind your flirting,” Jensen
said, his voice low and warning.
 
“Listen, it’s not a big deal,” Jared said, trying for a casual laugh.
 
“I think you can fuck off now, David.”
 
David laughed, shaking his head. “Jensen, lighten the fuck up.”
 
“We’re leaving,” Jensen said, raising his hand to grab Jared’s shoulder. He
watched, horrified, as Jared flinched away. He saw David’s eyes widen as well,
turning to stare at Jensen.
 
“Maybe you ought to hang out here for a little while longer,” David said, his
voice low and tense.
 
“Fuck off,” Jensen said, making a face at him. “Jesus.”
 
Jared offered a tentative smile, shrugging. He cleared his throat. “No, it’s
all right. I am a little tired. It was nice meeting you, David.”
 
“Same here,” David said, smiling at Jared. He gave Jensen another long look,
but took a step back so that Jensen could lead Jared out of the main room.
 
“What the fuck was that?” Jensen hissed at Jared. “Seriously, you really think
I’d hit you or something?”
 
Jared sighed, shaking his head. “I just…sorry, I just flinched…you were pissed
off and you had something to drink so…never mind.”
 
“Never mind?” Jensen hissed again, stopping to stare at him. “I’m not a total
asshole, you know? I’ve done nothing to you that would make one of my friends
even think I’d do anything like hit you. And you know, you could be a little
more grateful for everything that I have given you.”
 
Jared blinked, turning to look at him. “Excuse me?”
 
“Yes, Jared, grateful. I’ve given you a home, I’ve given you access to my
fortune, I’ve introduced you to my friends – and all you do is lock yourself in
your room when you come home and you don’t communicate and you certainly don’t
let me touch you unless we’re in public—“
 
“Fuck you, Jensen,” Jared said, glaring at him. “I gave up my life so that my
parents can live in their country club world. I don’t give a shit about your
money or anything else you’ve given me. You don’t get to have me, Jensen, do
you understand? You can have the marriage, you can have the image of a happy
spouse, but you can never have me. So go fuck yourself with your gratitude.”
 
Jensen watched as Jared stalked away. He felt his head burn in anger, his face
was probably red as all hell, and his heart slammed into his chest under his
skin. He followed Jared through the lodge, stopping to grab his coat from the
coat check room, and met Jared outside at his SUV.
 
“Pack your shit when we get back to the cabin, we’re going back to Dallas.”
 
“Fine.”
 
Jensen unlocked his door, getting in behind the wheel, and for just one moment
thought about leaving Jared there to find his own way back.
 
“Unlock the door, Jensen.”
 
Jensen turned to look at Jared through the window. He held Jared’s angry gaze
with his own for a long moment, neither looking away. Jensen didn’t move to
unlock the door. He gave Jared a smirk that he knew would piss him off further.
 
“Unlock the fucking door now or I’ll going to make a fucking scene that will
make the Dallas tabloid news look like a Sunday morning kids show!”
 
Jensen narrowed his eyes and grudgingly reached over to unlock the power doors
in the SUV. Jared threw open the door and got in, slamming it so hard that the
SUV shook. He pulled on his seatbelt as Jensen started the engine, peeling out
of the parking lot towards the winter house.
 
***
 
Two weeks after they came back from their disastrous ski weekend at Vail and
Jensen had reached a stage of frustration that he never realized existed. This
was the reason why he didn’t do fucking relationships – even if the one he was
currently in was fake and based on a contract.
 
Goddamn it!
 
Jensen nearly fell inside his penthouse, clutching the door last minute as it
swung open. He really hated the fucking biometric door lock. Why the hell
didn’t he have keys like normal people?
 
He stumbled, drunk off his ass, shutting the door with his foot.
 
“Stupid fucking shit,” he mumbled, sauntering into the kitchen. He banged
around the cabinets and drawers, looking for more booze, and grabbed a bottle
of Jack. Taking a mouthful, he walked down the hall towards Jared’s bedroom
door.
 
“Hey!” Jensen shouted, banging on the door. “Fucking awake in there, huh?”
 
He pressed his ear against the door but didn’t hear anything.
 
“You know what you are, Jared! You’re a fucking cock tease! You’re a goddamn
prude!” Jensen shouted, laughing loudly. He took another mouthful of bourbon.
“I got something for you, baby!”
 
Jensen dropped the bottle on the floor, watching as the liquid spread out over
the wooden floor. He laughed to himself, unbuckling his belt and pulling open
his pants.
 
With a loud sigh, he held on to the edge of the door jam, wrapping his right
hand around his cock, groaning throatily against the door.
 
“Yeah, this is what I got for you, baby,” Jensen said, laughing as he stroked
his cock fast. He let out another loud groan, making a fist with his left hand
and slamming it against the door. “Yeah, you want this, don’t you? I’m going to
make you want this, you little cock teaser!”
 
With a loud gurgle, Jensen came, laughing as he sprayed his come against the
door.
 
“Let you a little present, Jared,” he said, giggling loudly. He wiped his hand
against the door and stepped back, tugging up his pants. “Yeah, you can have
that.”
 
Jensen tripped on the bottle, slipping along the wall to crash on the ground.
His jeans soaked up the spilled bourbon and Jensen let out a soft moan,
disoriented and sleepy. He looked around the hallway, then smiled when he saw
the door, and thought it was a fantastic idea to go to sleep right there.
 
***
 
Jensen hated being hung over. Why the fuck was his head wet? He yelled out
angrily as cold water was poured over his face and head.
 
“What the fuck is your problem, dickhead!” Jensen yelled, opening his eyes to
see Jared standing over him.
 
“I’ll let it go just this one time because you were drunk off your ass,” Jared
said, staring at him. “I’m going to Chad’s until you sober up. And clean up the
mess you made on my door. If you do this again, Jensen, I’m out. I’ll call
Christian and tell him that this is over – no marriage, no merger, no fucking
deal. You got that, Jensen?”
 
Jensen moaned, his head splitting in pain. He put his head back on the floor
and opened an eye, looking up at Jared. Why the hell was he on the floor
outside of Jared’s door? How drunk did he get last night?
 
“Dude, I’m so sorry…I have no idea what—“
 
“Save it,” Jared said, rolling his eyes. “It doesn’t happen again, Jensen.”
 
“Right.”
 
Jared nodded, picking up his backpack and walking away. Jensen stayed on the
floor, too in pain to move, and listened as Jared shut the front door as he
left. Jensen let out a sigh, feeling wet and disgusted. Why the fuck did Jared
want him to clean his door? He lifted his head to stare at the door, seeing
dried something in streaks down the bottom part of the door.
 
“What the—“
 
And then the night started to come back to him.
 
“Shit.”
***** Chapter 6 *****
Jensen sat in his Wednesday morning meeting with his eight executives at his
monthly senior staff meeting. Honestly, he didn’t need to meet with his
executives – Alona was tasked to gather weekly reports from all the senior
staff so Jensen was always apprised of what is going on with his company.
Jensen’s task was to keep leading the company into the 21st century with the
highest profit possible while staying under the radar of the Securities
Exchange Commission.
 
Not that Ackles Corporation was investigated or would ever be investigated; but
because it was worth billions of dollars, various federal regulation agencies
liked peeking into their business and Jensen made sure that his business was
transparent. He would never allow a black mark on the company on his watch.
 
Patiently, Jensen listened to each of his senior staff report in, some used
PowerPoint – god, Jensen really despised PowerPoint presentations – others used
a one-pager which listed out significant bullet points. Jensen already knew all
the numbers, had crunched them out with his Mergers & Acquisitions team, and
had already tasked the team to number crunch a dozen potential new business
opportunities that Jensen believed were viable for Ackles Corps’ growth. He
would meet with the Board of Directors in mid-April, a week before the wedding,
to discuss the first quarter numbers for the year – and Jensen had some
impressive gains to share.
 
He knew he should pay a little more attention – he would if his senior staff
would stop relying on PowerPoint to try and dazzle him with unrealistic
objectives under the guise of pretty text colors and animation – but Jensen had
more important things on his mind.
 
Jared.
 
Of course, all of his friends either heard about what happened in the ski lodge
or witnessed parts of it. David made it a point to meet with Christian and Tom
to talk about an “intervention” for him. Christian had called to ask what the
hell was going on; that David thought Jensen was beating up on Jared.
 
“That little fucker,” Jensen hissed into the phone. “I don’t know what the hell
David told you but nothing happened. I’m not beating up on Jared!”
 
“David said that Jared flinched away from you like you were about to hit him—“
 
“I swear to you, Chris, you know me. When have I ever crossed that line? I
can’t fucking believe you’d think that I’d ever do anything like that!”
 
Christian was silent on the other line for a long moment. “Yeah, man, I’m
sorry. It just freaked us all out. You and Jared just disappeared and then left
us in Vail without saying anything to us. We were just worried about both of
you.”
 
Jensen let it go at that. He knew Christian would clear things up with their
friends. But Jensen couldn’t shake the feeling that something did happen to
Jared in his past. A person doesn’t just flinch like that without a reason. But
Jared went back to locking himself in his room whenever Jensen was home; so
Jensen spent as much time out of the penthouse as possible. Some nights, he’d
come home late from work, only to see Jared scurry away out of the living room
or the kitchen when Jensen walked through the door.
 
And then, of course, Jensen didn’t really make things any better –that night
with the booze and the door.
 
It had been nine days since Jared left Jensen hung over, waterlogged, and
miserable on the floor. As far as Jensen knew, it didn’t take him nine days to
sober up. He had left numerous messages on Jared’s cell phone. He even called
Sheryl once and was stuck talking with her for over an hour on wedding plans –
he decided never again would he call Jared’s parents if he didn’t need to.
 
Frankly, Jensen was annoyed; he didn’t know why Jared kept avoiding him. He
totally owned up to the fact that he was an ass and he hadn’t meant to scare or
offend Jared that night. But enough was enough and Jared should be home. Jensen
was slightly suspicious about Jared’s friendship with Chad – it seemed like
they were a little too close for Chad to just be a buddy. Jensen wasn’t sure if
he liked that Jared was staying with Chad.
 
“…and finally, we wanted to congratulate you on your upcoming wedding in April,
Jensen.”
 
Jensen blinked and then pulled on his best smile, nodding his appreciation to
the senior staff as they applauded around the table.
 
“Thank you,” he said, standing and smoothing down his jacket. “Thank you, I
appreciate that. Jared and I are looking forward to our wedding on April 25th.
I’m sure my mother has already sent you the invitation, so you’re all welcomed
to join us in the celebration. Thank you.”
 
He shook hands as he smiled at his senior staff, putting his pen back into his
suit pocket. Alona was gathering up his portfolio and loose papers from the
meeting.
 
“Just a couple of months away. Are you feeling the stress?”
 
Jensen chuckled. “I suppose Jared and I are lucky that both of our mothers are
making all the plans. I think they appreciate the fact that neither Jared nor I
want any part of the planning. We’d be more than happy to just get married at
City Hall and take off for a long honeymoon instead.”
 
His senior staff laughed and winked.
 
“Do you plan to take any time off, Jensen?”
 
“That’s a good question. I’ll have to ask Al for permission,” Jensen said,
looking over his shoulder at Alona. She gave a harmless little smile; but
Jensen knew she was going to get him for calling her Al in public. “She has
control over my schedule.”
 
More laughter all around. Jensen made for the doors to the hallway.
 
“Please convey our congratulations to Jared as well.”
 
“Of course,” Jensen said, nodding at them. “Thank you, everyone.”
 
He paused for just a moment, watching as his senior staff disbursed towards
their own offices, and he gave Alona a smirk as they walked down the hallway.
 
He let out a hiss when he felt her flick his ear with her fingers. “Hey!”
 
“Stop calling me Al,” she hissed at him, keeping pace as he walked quickly down
the hallway. “It’s beginning to irritate me. And if you continue to irritate
me, I’ll make sure that there’s salt in your coffee every single morning.”
 
Jensen made a face at her. “That’s just unfriendly.”
 
She gave him a meaningful look and he just chuckled. “Exactly.”
 
“Come on, let’s make a detour. I need to talk to Chris about something and I
could use your help as well.”
 
Alona’s face cleared up immediately, all back to business again. “Is it about
the PDKI merger?”
 
“Well…it’s about Jared.”
 
“Your fiancé?”
 
“Do I know any other Jared?”
 
“I don’t know. Do you?” Alona raised her eyebrow. “Why are you in a snit mood?”
 
Jensen sighed and turned down the hall and stood outside the office lobby to
Christian’s office. His executive assistant, Lauren, smiled as they walked
inside.
 
“Hey, Lauren.”
 
“Good morning.” She hit her intercom. “Christian, Jensen and Alona are here to
see you.”
 
“Thanks, Lauren. Come on in, guys.”
 
Jensen opened the door, letting Alona walk inside first. He grinned at Lauren,
then stepped into Christian’s office and closed the door behind him. “Hey,
Chris.”
 
“Have a seat,” Christian said, moving away from his desk to the leather
armchairs set around the coffee table. “What’s up?”
 
Jensen looked at the two of them, wondering where to start. Christian wasn’t
just his Chief Legal Officer, he was one of Jensen’s oldest friends; and Jensen
trusted Alona with, well, everything.
 
“Jared and I had a misunderstanding and he’s staying with his friend, Chad.”
 
“Have you called Jared—“
 
“Yes, Christian, I’m not retarded. Of course I called him…he just wouldn’t pick
up so I left him voicemails.”
 
Christian rolled his eyes. “Have you tried to meet up with Jared, you know,
face-to-face?”
 
“That’s where I’ve hit a snag. I have no idea where Chad lives.”
 
Alona snorted, shaking her head. She looked at her Blackberry and started
scrolling down the screen, then turned it and showed Jensen the screen. “Here’s
his address, cell phone, and e-mail address. I also have contact information
for Sophia Bush and Sandy McCoy.”
 
Jensen and Christian exchanged glances. Jensen pulled out his Blackberry and
handed it to her so she could program it in.
 
“How do you know all of that? How do you even know that they’re Jared’s
friends?”
 
Alona smirked, looking at him as she efficiently downloaded the contact
information. “Well, it is my job to know everything…but Jared told me.”
 
“Jared told you?”
 
“I talk to Jared,” she said, giving Jensen a funny look. “And I know how
important it is that he stays reachable for you, so I asked him if he could
give me the names of his closest friends and how to get in touch with them.”
 
Jensen frowned, snatching his Blackberry from her. “When do you talk to Jared?”
 
“Ohhh…a couple times a week.” She said, then slapped Jensen’s arm. “Hey, are
you going to do anything special for him for Valentine’s Day next weekend or do
you want me to send the usual?”
 
Jensen did a double take, his mind still reeling over the fact that Alona
talked to Jared – that Jared talked to Jensen’s friends, but didn’t bother to
talk to him. “What? Send the usual? What the hell is the usual?”
 
Christian snorted, biting back his laughter. “Do you seriously outsource
everything in your personal life?”
 
“Yes, he does.” Alona said, smartly. “Well, in the past when you’d see someone
for more than one date, I’d find out their date of birth or some other
sentimental occasion and have the personal buyer send them a gift from you.”
 
“What the hell am I sending these people?”
 
“It depends. If you’re dating a woman at the time, usually fine jewelry; if
you’re dating a man, expensive electronics.”
 
Christian laughed, clapping his hand on Jensen’s back. “Oh, you big romantic
you.”
 
Jensen gave him a dirty look. He turned to Alona and shook his head.
“Seriously? You did all that? How did you pay for it? Do I owe you for your
expenses?
 
She snorted, laughing at him. “Jensen, you have a business expense account. You
sign receipts at restaurants all over the city. You have accounts at some of
the best boutique stores in the state. They send me your receipts and I pay
them out of your entertainment budget.”
 
“How come I don’t know about this?”
 
“You sign off on it every month.” She said, looking at Jensen. He could see
that she was trying her best not to spit out the ‘duh’.
 
“You really do own this company, don’t you?” He said, smiling widely at her.
 
“I could do your job,” she said, amused.
 
“I don’t doubt it,” Christian added, snickering softly. “So, back to your
misunderstanding with Jared—“
 
Jensen made a face and shook his head. “No, no…not that…it’s over…anyway, I was
drunk and…whatever…”
 
“Okay,” Christian said, looking at him.
 
Alona slapped Jensen on the arm. “Look, Jared is usually at the UT library now.
He goes there every day to work on his thesis. You could go meet him there.”
 
Jensen grinned, giving her a fond look. “You talk to Jared twice a week?”
 
“Of course,” she said, smiling. Then she gave him a stern look. “Don’t you?”
 
***
 
Jensen walked through the large, open rooms of the McDermott Library. He
remembered spending many days and a lot of nights in the “Derm”. During finals
week, it was opened 24-hours and it wasn’t unusual to find students passed out
on top of their books at the tables or in the study cubicles.
 
He walked through the library towards the economics area and saw Jared sitting
in the uncomfortable chair, stretching out his back and long arms. He smiled,
walking slowly towards Jared. He was wearing another weird patterned pink shirt
– well, Jensen couldn’t really make a fuss, they weren’t on a date – and he
enjoyed seeing the fabric stretch across Jared’s back.
 
Quietly, he pulled the empty chair from the desk and sat down, turning to look
at Jared. Jared wore his iPod earphones, chewed on a pencil, and stared at his
yellow legal notepad. His long hair fell over his eyes and Jensen was tempted
to just reach out and run his hand through Jared’s hair, grab hold and pull his
head back and suck on that mouth.
 
Jared turned to look at him, his eyebrows lifting in surprise.
 
“Hey,” Jensen said, smiling.
 
Jared pulled the earphones out and turned off his iPod. “Hey.”
 
“So…” Jensen started, then shrugged. “You been all right?”
 
“I’m fine, Jensen. What do you want?”
 
“How about some lunch and we could talk?” He said, smiling.
 
Jensen waited as Jared turned to look at him for a long moment. He could tell
that Jared was probably trying to figure him out. Unless Jared was a mind
reader, he wouldn’t get anything – all he had to do was ask.
 
“All right,” Jared said, slowly, stretching out the words hesitantly. “But I
don’t want to go to some fancy five-star restaurant.”
 
“Sure. Where do you want to go?”
 
“Downtown Diner.”
 
Jensen couldn’t hide his smile. “Yeah? You like that place?”
 
Jared smirked, picking up his messenger bag and filling it with his laptop,
notepads, and books. “You know that place? It’s not exactly listed in Zagat’s.”
 
“Shit, yeah, Jared, I love the Downtown Diner.” Jensen said, standing up. “Come
on, let’s go.”
 
Jared slung the bag around his shoulders and gave Jensen a look of disbelief.
“Right.”
 
“Come on, man, I went to school here. I spent more time drooling on these desks
during finals and hanging out at DD – just like anybody else,” Jensen said,
laughing softly. “I mean, that place always had the best coffee going and the
best steak—“
 
“Steak and eggs breakfast,” Jared said at the same time. He grinned shyly,
looking away from Jensen.
 
Jensen looked at him, nodding. “Yeah. Yeah. You want to walk or drive?”
 
“Walking is good,” Jared said, smiling. He blushed slightly, ducking his head,
and started walking down the stacks. Jensen followed for a moment, just looking
him over, and caught up with Jared’s long strides as they headed for the main
doors.
 
Well, Jensen thought, this was progress.
 
***
 
Downtown Diner was a favorite hang out for UT students. It had cheap for hearty
food, the best coffee, and pretty much stayed open 24-hours. It was owned and
run by UT alum Frederic Lehne who always wanted to start his own business and
give UT students a place that they could hang out and not have to spend a lot
of money. He employed a lot of UT students part-time and he was known to give
out free food to students who were broke towards the end of the semester.
 
Jensen walked in after Jared and grinned, suddenly filled with a sense of home.
There were only a handful of students in the diner, sitting scattered
throughout the open room on rickety tables and chairs. The interior wasn’t
anything to write home about, but Jensen never really cared. College music
filtered through the speakers on the walls, the kitchen in the back was rowdy
with loud chatter and laughter.
 
He followed Jared to a table that was set against the wall, away from the
others, and closer to the wide window that faced the street. Jensen took off
his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves; he couldn’t stop smiling. It had
been a couple of years since he was at the DD.
 
“Ackles!”
 
Jensen turned to see Frederic walking towards him. He was wiping his hands on
the towel tucked into his belted apron.
 
“Freddie,” he said, moving to give the older man a hug. “Hey, it’s good to see
you.”
 
“Too long, kid, too long,” Frederic said, thumping Jensen on the back.
 
“Freddie, this is Jared Padalecki, my fiancé.”
 
“Well, congratulations are in order,” Frederic said, laughing heartily.
 
Jared grinned, shaking Frederic’s hand. “We’ve met, Jensen, but thanks.”
 
“Good to see you, Jay, how’s your thesis coming along?”
 
Jensen forced down the surge of disappointment that Jared still hadn’t told him
about his master’s thesis yet.
 
“Yeah, I’ve finally gotten into the meat of it,” Jared said, laughing softly.
 
“It’s not the thesis that’ll get you, but the defense,” Frederic said, raising
his eyebrow at Jensen. “So you boys want your usual?”
 
Jensen and Jared exchanged looks. “Sure. Yeah.”
 
Frederic clapped Jensen on the back again. “You don’t be a stranger around
here, son. It’s been too long since you hung out in my shop.”
 
“Yes, sir,” Jensen said, grinning.
 
He sat down across from Jared, stretching out in his chair. He leaned back in
the hard wood and grinned to himself, shaking his head.
 
“You really did hang out here.”
 
Jensen flicked his eyes at Jared. “Yeah, all the time. Freddie used to listen
to all of my stupid problems; always gave me good advice, especially after my
dad passed. I used to just come down here to talk to him.”
 
“Yeah?”
 
“Yeah,” Jensen said, nodding.
 
“I never would’ve figured you for a Downtown Diner kind of guy,” Jared said,
softly.
 
Well, that’s as good as it gets in terms of a lead in.
 
“Look, Jared, I just want to apologize for what happened that night. I was
drunk, but I know that’s not any kind of excuse. I wasn’t any kind of gentleman
and my momma did raise me better than that…so…yeah…I’m sorry.”
 
Jared looked at him and then gave him a small nod. “Okay, Jensen, I accept your
apology. But it still stands – if you do anything like that again, I’m out.”
 
“All right, that’s fair,” he said, nodding. “And if it makes any kind of
difference, I won’t fight it either.”
 
“Okay.”
 
Jensen smiled in victory, but it wasn’t the usual kind of victory that he felt
when he won a round of negotiations. Usually, he felt like he could go out and
fuck all night long; but with Jared, he felt like he won, but in different way;
like he won.
 
“Okay,” Jensen said, letting out a small chuckle. “You, uh, you can move back
to the penthouse. It’s still your home.”
 
“Right. Okay.”
 
Frederic came by, putting their steak burgers and fries on the table. Jensen
had forgotten how much he loved the food there.
 
“Thanks, man,” Jensen said, looking at Frederic.
 
“Glad you boys could make it,” Frederic said, smirking. “Eat up.”
 
Jensen watched as Jared tucked into his food immediately. He took a bite of his
steak burger, chewing carefully, and drank some water to clear his throat.
 
“Jared…I just want to know why you’re so hard on me – don’t get pissed off, I
really do want to know. I think, after all this, we could be friends – or at
least civil to each other.”
 
Jared bit his lower lip and seemed to come to a decision. He nodded to himself
and then looked at Jensen. “You know I didn’t agree to this, right?” Jensen
nodded, waiting for more. “My parents have always used me like this in their
game of life. I wasn’t surprised when my dad asked me – well, he told me – to
do this marriage thing. I’m still pissed, Jensen. I’m mad at them, I’m mad at
you, I’m mad at the situation I’m in…it’s just…not what I wanted for myself,
you know, and I can’t think of a way to get out of it.”
 
“Yeah, I can get that,” Jensen said, nodding.
 
“Then…can you get us out of it?”
 
Jensen gave him the kindest smile he had. “Sorry, man, but I can’t get us out
of it.” He didn’t want to get them out of it.
 
Jared just stared at him. Jensen knew he wanted to say more, to argue – and
Jensen kind of wanted it to happen, get it all out in front of them – but Jared
just looked at his plate, eating French fries.
 
“But since we’re here, we can make the best of it. I mean, things could be
worse. I could be a total asshole.”
 
Jared gave him a pointed look; Jensen couldn’t help but laugh and watched as
Jared’s expressive face cracked and he laughed, too, throwing back his head.
Jesus…Jensen thought, that’s just gorgeous.
 
“Okay, okay, yeah, I am an asshole,” Jensen said, shrugging. He played with the
silverware on the table. “So what are your plans after your finish your
masters? Want to come work for Ackles Corp?”
 
Jared laughed, shaking his head. “Actually, I was planning to go work for PDKI.
Now that there’s a merger, I want to be a part of it, try to help PDKI
diversify their assets. I think like an economist, not a businessman, so I look
at a bigger picture than a CEO’s big picture. I mean, I look at the long-term
forecasts, I look at strong and upcoming investment opportunities, I think in
futures and where the economy will move in five years or ten years or twenty-
five years. I try to look at applying theory, you know, not just making some
off-the-wall hypothesis…” he trailed off, blushing. “Am I babbling? Sometimes I
start to babble about this stuff and people’s eyes just kind of glaze over.”
 
Jensen looked at him. “Do you see me glazing over, Jared?” He was pleased to
see Jared smile at him, tucking his head. “I swear Ackles Corp is going to pull
out all the stops to try and recruit you, man.”
 
“Thanks,” Jared said, chuckling. “It’s nice to know I’ll have some job security
once I graduate.”
 
Jensen laughed with him, leaning on the table. He saw a flash of something out
of the corner of his eye through the window. Looking down, he saw the three
paparazzi photographers standing across the street, the glare of the lens
flaring in the sunlight.
 
“Hey, don’t look, but there’s three photographers out there taking our
picture.”
 
Jared tensed quickly as Jensen moved his chair closer to Jared, putting his
back against the window. He placed his hand on Jared’s shoulder, leaning
towards him.
 
“What are you doing?” Jared whispered, not looking at him.
 
Jensen turned slightly to see the photographers trying to reposition
themselves. “Shhh…nothing bad is going to happen.” He turned and looked into
Jared’s eyes – they were hazel with more green than brown. “And why do you
tense up like that all the time? You think I’m really going to hurt you? I
thought we got past that. You know, my friends called me out on that – they all
thought I’d beat you up or something.”
 
Jared made a face, shaking his head. “Look, I’m just not comfortable about
this, right?”
 
Jensen moved closer to Jared, putting his arm across Jared’s broad back. He
pressed his face against Jared’s hair – hey, his hair was really soft for a guy
– and peeked over his own shoulder at the photographers.
 
“Can we please go? Now?” Jared said, tightly.
 
“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Jensen said, looking out the window. “I think they’re
done.”
 
Jared pulled away from Jensen, wiping his mouth and hands with the napkin. He
reached for his messenger bag as Jensen waved at Frederic.
 
Frederic walked over, clapping his hands. “Everything all right, boys?”
 
“Yeah, we’re just going to go out the back way, okay, Freddie?” Jensen said,
motioning to the paparazzi out front.
 
“No problem.”
 
“How much do we owe you, Fred?”
 
Frederic laughed, patting Jared on the shoulder. “Listen, Jensen here paid off
my mortgage to this place seven years ago. He’s my silent partner so he knows
his money isn’t good here – and neither is yours, by the way.”
 
Jared blinked and looked at Jensen. He just shrugged, pulling on his suit
jacket.
 
“Oh…well, thanks, Fred.” Jared said, softly. He gave Jensen a sidelong glance.
 
“Come on, I know a shortcut back to campus,” he said, grinning. “I’ll see you
soon, Freddie.”
 
Jensen led Jared through the kitchen to the back door that led to the alley.
They could cut through a couple of the alleys and reach the main entrance to
the campus without having to walk on the main part of the street. Traffic along
the alley was limited to emergency cars and vehicles strictly for business. The
paparazzi wouldn’t have access to the back doors and by the time they ran down
the street to access the alley, Jensen and Jared would be on campus.
 
***
 
Jensen stopped in from the Derm and looked at Jared. “So, I’ll see you
tonight?”
 
“Yeah,” he said, nodding.
 
“Hey, how about I grill us some steaks and set the Xbox in the living room. I
got a couple of new games that haven’t been released yet.”
 
Jared grinned, showing Jensen his dimples. “Sure, that sounds good…but how
about we just order pizza instead.”
 
“Yeah,” Jensen said, nodding. “See you at home.”
 
Jared gave a small wave as he turned to walk up the steps towards the main
doors for the library. Jensen watched him go, smiling slightly to himself. He
tucked his hands into his pant’s pockets, then strolled down the sidewalk
towards the parking lot.
 
Huh, he thought, that went pretty good. A few more days like this, some nights
hanging out, Jensen was sure that Jared would be putty in his hands.
***** Chapter 7 *****
Jensen ran his fingers through the long, wavy hair. He pressed his head back
against his executive chair, eyes lowered and staring at the wide mouth that
covered his cock.
 
“Yeah, come on,” Jensen whispered, encouragingly. He gave a small hip thrust,
asking for more without having to say it aloud. “It’s good…yeah…”
 
He caressed his fingertips in the hair – god, it was so soft – and when he took
a handful and pulled slightly, the muffled groan vibrated against the head of
his cock and Jensen nearly slipped off the chair, back arching hard.
 
“Suck just the head,” Jensen murmured, pulling his hips away slightly so that
just the tip of his cock was in the wet and tight mouth. “Suck hard…let me feel
it…yeah, just like that…don’t stop…” He grunted, sucking in his breath. “Oh
yeah…Jared…just like that…”
 
He came, shuddering in the chair, his body limp and loose. His hand curled
around the damp neck and he lifted the face, looking into dark blue eyes.
 
“My name’s Richard, man, not Jared.”
 
Jensen sighed, letting him go. He tucked his softening cock into his pants and
zipped up, resettling his clothing. “Right…Richard…sorry.”
 
Richard snickered at him, standing up. “Sure, whatever you say.”
 
Jensen watched as the young courier picked up his satchel and waved over his
shoulder at Jensen, opening the door and leaving. Jensen twirled in his chair,
looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him at the evening skyline of
buildings, lights, and moonlight.
 
Shit. He didn’t normally say Jared’s name when he otherwise engaged with his
one nighters. He’d have to be more careful the next time he picked up anyone.
Maybe it would be better if he picked up guys who didn’t look so much like
Jared.
 
***
 
“I’m home!”
 
Jensen walked into his penthouse, dropping his keys and picking up his mail
from the small hallway table near the door. Ever since that lunch with Jared a
few days ago, it seemed like Jared was finally becoming more comfortable around
Jensen and spending time with him in their shared living spaces. Last night,
Jensen had come home to find Jared making spaghetti and heating up garlic
bread.
 
“In here.”
 
He walked into the living room to see Jared sitting on the edge of the low
sofa, Xbox controller in hand, playing “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2”. It
hadn’t been released yet but Jensen had friends at Infinity Ward who gave him
an advanced copy.
 
“This game kicks ass,” Jared said in greeting. “Here, have a beer.”
 
He slid over to make room for Jensen on the sofa and Jensen picked up a chilled
bottle, popping the top and taking a long drink.
 
“How long have you been playing?” He said, amused. “Did you even get any
studying done?”
 
“You need a different couch, man,” Jared said, his attention on the flat
screen. “How the hell do you even sit here for any length of time?”
 
Jensen chuckled, leaning against the low back edge, looking at Jared’s bent
body. “You’re the tall freak; the rest of us actually can fit on our
furniture.”
 
Jared smirked, blowing up an enemy tank. “Did you bring dinner?”
 
“I can always order,” Jensen said, sliding his hand along the back of the
couch, absentmindedly brushing against Jared’s back. He watched to see if Jared
would tense away, but Jared didn’t move away.
 
“Let’s get Chinese,” Jared said, working his way through the next level. “I
want Kung Pao Chicken.”
 
Jensen set his beer on the coffee table and stood up, going to the phone. He
picked it up and pressed speed dial #4 for Hunan Dynasty. He walked into his
bedroom, pulling off his suit jacket and tie, placing his usual order with Mr
Yueng and adding Jared’s with a few other selections, knowing that Jared could
eat enough for a small army. Clicking off the phone, he undressed and walked
into his bathroom for a quick shower.
 
Wearing sweats and a UT Tee-shirt, Jensen came out into the living room to see
Jared pulling out familiar white boxes of food on the coffee table. He looked
up and smiled at Jensen.
 
“Plates, dude,” he said, happily arranging their foods. Jensen walked into the
kitchen and started opening cabinets and drawers, looking for large dinner
plates and utensils.
 
“Where the hell is everything?” He said, opening the fourth drawer. Granted,
everything was organized and neat – he just wanted to find the damn forks.
 
“Third drawer from the right,” Jared called from the living room.
 
Jensen sighed, opening the drawer. He stared at the neatly arranged silverware.
Seriously, he really needed to spend more time in his own house. He pulled out
two of everything and walked back into the living room.
 
“Thanks,” Jared said, taking the plate and his share of the utensils. He
started opening the boxes and heaping food on his plate. Jensen was glad he
ordered extras. “This game totally rocks. When it’s released, it’s going to
make a lot of people freakin’ happy.”
 
“Just wait until EA launches Madden 10.”
 
Jared chewed quickly, smiling at Jensen. “Shit, I don’t want to take advantage
but if you know anyone at EA who can give us an advanced copy, I would be
really, really grateful.”
 
Jensen caught himself before he could ask “how grateful” and just grinned back,
eating his dinner. “I’ll see what I can do.”
 
“Hey, I talked to my mom today. She wanted us to come over this weekend to
discuss the wedding plans,” Jared said, softly. His exuberance came down a
notch, but Jensen was glad that Jared didn’t regress to two word sentences.
 
“Yeah?” Jensen said, curling his leg under him. “What about?”
 
Jared rolled his eyes. “Tuxedo fittings and writing our…vows. She’s threatening
to write mine…and yours, too.”
 
“Oh shit,” Jensen murmured, nearly choking. He glanced at Jared and they both
broke out into laughter. “I am not letting your mother write my vows, no matter
what.”
 
“Thank God,” Jared said, taking a drink of beer. “I don’t think we should leave
everything for them to do. They’re going to go overboard and we’re going to end
up looking like a pair of pansies.”
 
Jensen picked up his beer bottle and tapped it against Jared’s. “Hell no to
that.”
 
He grinned, watching Jared drink his beer. He tucked it against his leg,
picking up his plate. This was perfect, Jensen thought, this was what it could
be like. They could be friends…they could have this and maybe more.
 
***
 
Jared was washing the dishes in the sink, taking his time on each plate, each
fork, and it was fucking hot to watch Jared’s large hands handling all the
delicate china and silverware. Jensen leaned on the counter to hide the
beginnings of his hardening cock, watching him, amused. Jared was tall, but he
just seemed to fit into whatever space he filled. Jensen let his eyes slide
down the back of Jared’s loose hair, the long neck, the obvious muscles under
the shirt, the firm ass hidden under the loose jeans. He had rolled up his
sleeves to reveal strong forearms.
 
“You do know that I have staff that does that,” Jensen said, drinking his beer,
enjoying the opportunity to just look Jared over without freaking him out.
 
“I know,” he replied, looking over his shoulder. Jensen made sure that his eyes
met Jared’s. “Loretta comes at 10 in the morning and Chuck comes by around 4 in
the afternoon. They think you’re a pretty nice guy; that you never complain
about anything.”
 
Jared would know his staff by name. “Of course I don’t complain. They take good
care of me.”
 
Jared gave him another grin over his shoulder.
 
“Are you almost finished with your thesis?”
 
Jared shrugged, placing the cleaned utensils in the dry rack. “It’s coming
along.”
 
“What is your thesis?”
 
“I’m working on the quantity theory of money,” he said, giving a shy smile over
his shoulder to Jensen. “It’s the theory that there’s a positive relationship
of prices to the quantity of money.”
 
Jensen scratched his chin. “You’re talking about price levels.”
 
“You…” Jared paused and then gave a small laugh. “Sorry, yeah, of course you’d
understand what it means.”
 
Jensen watched as Jared finished the dishes, turning as he wiped his hands dry
on the towel. “Let me read your draft – I can be a second pair of eyes.”
 
“Yeah?” Jared said, tentatively. “You don’t mind?”
 
“No, I don’t mind at all. I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t serious.”
 
Jared gave him a wide smile, nodding. “All right. Sure. I’ll print out a set
for you later.”
 
“Great,” Jensen said, taking another sip of his beer. “So…”
 
“Seriously, man, what is up with your all-white interior? Was your interior
decorator color blind or something? It’s not right for a guy to have a whole
house that’s completely white.”
 
Jensen walks around the counter to stand closer to Jared, grinning at him. He
was just an arm’s reach away now. He let his voice drop to a silky drawl. “I
like it – it always looks clean.”
 
“That’s because you never use it, except the bedroom, and you have ‘staff’
coming in to clean every day.” Jared said, grinning. “But really, who decorated
your place, man? It’s—“
 
Jensen leaned forward and pressed his lips against Jared’s mouth, feeling them
move under him, and then still. Jensen licked the bottom lip, just slid his
tongue along the rim of the lip.
 
Jared jerked back and took a side step away from Jensen. “Jensen, I—“
 
“Come here, it’s all right,” Jensen murmured softly to him, reaching out with
his hand slowly so he wouldn’t spook Jared. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
 
Jared stared at the kitchen floor and shook his head, stepping away again.
“It’s just…”
 
“Should I apologize for that?”
 
“It’s not going to happen, Jensen,” Jared said, softly. He looked at Jensen,
biting his upper lip. “It’s not something I’m interested in.”
 
“You’re not interested in sex?” Jensen said, puzzled. “Or you’re not interested
in sex with me?”
 
“Don’t get pissed off,” Jared said, frowning.
 
“I’m not pissed off,” Jensen said, keeping his voice level. “What the hell do
you do in your room all the time – do you just jerk off alone? I know you’re
not seeing anyone else to get off with—“
 
“You mean like the way you’re getting off with half of Dallas every night,”
Jared said, then looked away, pressing his lips closed.
 
“I did say that it would be an open marriage as long as we were discreet and it
can be a marriage with benefits,” Jensen told him. “I’m not going to deny that
I’m attracted to you, but—“
 
Jared sighed heavily and then walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway to
his bedroom before Jensen could even finish his sentence.
 
“For fuck’s sake…Jared,” Jensen said, exasperated and annoyed.
 
He heard the bedroom door lock.
 
Jensen slammed his hand on the counter. “Fuck this.”
 
He walked into his bedroom to change into slacks and a top; he’d go hit his
favorite clubs. He opened his bedside table drawer and took out a few condoms
and small individual packs of lube, putting them into his pocket.
 
Jared could stay in and jerk off behind his locked door, but Jensen was going
out to get fucking laid.
 
*****
 
A cute Asian kid who could deep throat like it was for porn. A blond twink with
a tight little ass and a tight little asshole – god, it was like fucking a
virgin who knew what to do with an ass like that. A gorgeous dark-skinned
English bloke whose accent and dark eyes made Jensen want to fuck him face-to-
face.
 
By the time he stumbled into the penthouse, he was exhausted and dried out. He
couldn’t get hard again even if it his life depended on it.
 
He dropped his keys on the small table by the door and sauntered into the
penthouse, hearing the silence, and walked towards his bedroom. He walked in,
turning on the light, and started stripping out of his sweat-sex-smoke scented
clothes. When he walked past the bed, he stopped, seeing the neatly printed out
document sitting on top of his white comforter.
 
Jensen dropped his shirt and picked up the inch-thick document held at the
corner with a thick clip. It was the draft for Jared’s thesis.
 
“Shit,” he whispered, dropping the thesis on the bed. He stood in the middle of
his room for a long moment, wondering what the hell was wrong with him.
 
***
 
Jensen and Christian walked back towards Jensen’s office. “Hey, don’t forget,
11 o’clock on the racquetball courts. Loser buys the first round.”
 
Christian smirked, raising his eyebrow.
 
Jensen walked into his outer office to see Alona glaring at him. “Hey…okay,
what did I do now?”
 
She handed him a stack of tabloid papers. “You really need to work on being a
little more discreet, Jensen.”
 
Jensen stared at the cover story for “The Dallas Rattler”. He groaned, closing
his eyes and shaking his head. “Oh, this is so bad.” He stared at the blurry
images – it was so obvious that it was him – of his night at Roxio Club a few
nights ago. Thankfully, parts of his body were blacked out but it was obvious
what Jensen was doing – or rather what was being done to Jensen.
 
“There’s more.”
 
He forced himself to look at the all of the tabloid articles – thankfully, no
other pictures came up, but that didn’t mean anything – to gauge just how bad
it was going to be.
 
Alona slapped another paper in his hands. “I especially liked this one.”
 
Jensen stared, horrified. “Padalecki Says: ‘Ackles is Sex Addict; I’m Not
Enough for Him.’”
 
He threw them all into Alona’s recycle bin and walked into his office, closing
the door behind him firmly. “Perfect, fucking perfect.”
 
He pulled out is cell phone and pressed speed dial #2 for Jared’s cell phone.
He waited as it rang three times and he was surprised when it was picked up,
but Jared didn’t say anything.
 
“Jared?” He said into the phone.
 
“You’re a first class prick, Jensen,” the woman said, sharply.
 
Jensen groaned, covering his eyes with his hands. “Who is this?”
 
“It’s Sophia,” she hissed through the line. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
 
“Does Jared know?”
 
“What the hell do you think!” She yelled so loud that Jensen pulled the phone
from his ear, letting her rant for a long moment. He rolled his eyes, sighing.
This is why he didn’t date women anymore.
 
“…falls off, you STD carrier!”
 
“Let me talk to Jared, please.” Jensen said, keeping his voice controlled and
neutral.
 
“You’re not talking to him because you’re just going to try to weasel your way
out of this with your apologies and try to explain away that you were caught
with your pants down and—“
 
“You do realize that this isn’t a real marriage, right!”
 
“It doesn’t fucking matter!” She roared into his ear. “You fucking embarrassed
him in public, Jensen! Maybe that’s how things work with you and your fucking
elitist loser friends, but Jared isn’t one of your fucking tag-along jerk-offs!
He actually cares about what people think of him, you asshole. So just go fuck
yourself, Jensen!”
 
Jensen bit his lip and threw his cell phone across the room, shattering it
against the book case. A moment later, Alona knocked on the door, opening it.
 
“Are you all right?”
 
Jensen turned his back on her and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling windows.
He took a deep breath and pressed his hand against the glass. “Order me a new
Blackberry, Alona. Thank you.”
 
“Sure,” she said, softly, closing the door as she left.
 
Jensen walked to his desk and picked up his desk phone. He pressed the
extension for Christian and sighed.
 
“This is Kane.”
 
“I need to begin legal action against a dozen tabloid papers. Talk to Alona,
she’ll know which ones. I want you to find the photographer who took pictures
of me and I want you to sue them—“
 
“They’re protected under First Amendment, Jensen.”
 
“It’s an invasion of privacy if they followed me into a restroom to take those
photographs; not to mention slanderous – I’m not a sex addict and Jared would
never give an interview,” Jensen said, softly. “And every tabloid that
published those pictures of me is liable as well. I may not win any cases here,
but it’ll cost them to fight me on this.”
 
“We’ll work on it for you before close of business today.”
 
“Thank you, Chris.”
***** Chapter 8 *****
Jensen dreaded entering his penthouse.
 
He stood outside the door, thumb hovering over the biometric scanner. He didn’t
know what to expect. He didn’t even think Jared would still be living there at
the end of the day; or even worse, if Jared’s friends decided to come over and
confront Jensen. It was the last thing he needed. It was bad enough that Alona,
Chris, Tom, and the rest of Jensen’s friends thought he was a total fuck up; he
barely avoided speaking to his mother; and he was utterly grateful that Alona
was professional enough to keep everyone else at bay.
 
Fuck it, thought Jensen. He wasn’t the kind of man who couldn’t face up to what
he did. He lived a very public lifestyle and things like this came with the
package. Surely Jared understood how things worked – and if he didn’t, then
Jensen would apologize and explain it to him. He’d tell Jared that he took care
of the tabloids and the paparazzi, that he put the fear of the Ackles billions
into them, and that they would print retractions and public apologies in the
morning issues. He’d tell Jared that he had released a press statement speaking
highly of Jared and asking for privacy for Jared’s sake. It probably wouldn’t
make a difference, but it was the least Jensen could do.
 
He pressed his thumb on the scanner and waited for the door to click open. He
pushed it all the way and walked inside, then shut it quietly with a press of
his hand. He walked into the hallway, tossing his keys on the table, and turned
the corner into the living room.
 
He was surprised to see Jared sitting at the dining table, laptop open in front
of him, neat stack of books and papers on the table. Jared stopped typing and
looked up at Jensen, his face drawn and tired.
 
“Ohhh look, it’s my sex addict philandering fiancé. How was your day, dear,”
Jared said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
 
“I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” Jensen said, softly. He walked to the
kitchen and opened the fridge, pulling out two beers. He uncapped them and
tossed the tops into the sink, and walked back towards the table. He set one of
the bottles in front of Jared.
 
Jared sighed, pushing back from the table. He glanced up at Jensen, setting his
elbows on the table and rubbing his face with his hands.
 
“I had the most interesting day, thanks for asking,” he said, snorting. “First,
I went to the Derm to work on my paper. You know, usually, only a couple of the
paparazzi followed me around. They’re nice enough guys, you know, they have a
job to do and they always kept a polite distance, just asked me how the wedding
plans were coming along, that kind of stuff.”
 
Jensen swallowed down his beer, his hand gripping the top of the dining table
chair. He stood on the opposite side of the table, preparing for Jared to ream
him.
 
“But today,” Jared said, barking out a laugh. “It was different. I think about
a dozen or so paparazzi tagged along today. They were kind of rude, too, asking
me about your sex addiction and why I didn’t fuck you enough to keep you home.
They all gave me lots of helpful tips about how to get you off – I think they
watch too much porn. That was a little disturbing. I barely ditched them and
made it to Sophia’s house. I guess they didn’t know she was a friend of mine –
and now she’s kind of pissed off at me because I led them to her place. They
were camped out by the time I could figure out a way to leave.” Jared gave
Jensen a sidelong glance. “She’s really angry at you, by the way. You may want
to avoid her.”
 
Jensen nodded, looking away. What could he say? That he would crush the lives
of every paparazzi asshole who talked to Jared today? Well, he could do that…he
could sue all of them, make them shell out legal fees that they probably
couldn’t afford, bankrupt them out of their home, put them into homeless
shelters – Jensen had done a hell of a lot worse for a hell of a lot less.
 
“I barely got any work done,” Jared told him, taking a deep breath. “So I hope
you don’t mind that I sit out here and work on my thesis.”
 
Jensen cleared his throat, taking another sip of his beer. “No, I don’t mind at
all. I’ll…uh…I’ll be in my room.”
 
“Really? Not going out tonight, huh? Well then, did you have a chance to read
my draft?”
 
“I’m sorry, Jared.”
 
“Right, I’m sure you’ve been a very busy boy, going out every night, club-
hopping.” Jared gave him a long look, eyes narrowed and cheeks flushed. “Maybe
in the future, you’d use a little more discretion and not get caught getting a
blow job in the men’s room.”
 
“Jared—“
 
“Oh, and Alona sent me a gift – well, actually, she said that it was from you
for Valentine’s Day. I didn’t get you anything. Sorry.” Jared pulled out a
small black velvet ring box from his pocket. He tossed it on the table. “Nice
wedding band – titanium. Your personal buyer even got the size right. Thanks a
lot.”
 
Jensen couldn’t stop the flash of glee that went through his system. He had
visited ten jewelry stores before he found the right wedding bands for them. He
forgot that he had asked Alona to have them delivered to the penthouse – he
wanted to give it to Jared during their public Valentine’s Day dinner. And then
he did a reality check. Well, that was cancelled.
 
“Also, my mother wants to talk to you,” he said, smirking. “And Diana called me
today. It was really fun talking to both of our mothers about your sex life.
Yeah, that was great. I really don’t know how to pay you back for that one,
Jensen. So…how was your day?”
 
Jensen finished his beer and set the bottle on the counter and then crossed
down the living room into his bedroom. He closed the door and then fell against
the bed, putting his hand over his eyes. He was getting the biggest fucking
headache of the decade.
 
***
 
For the next week, Jensen concentrated on going to work and then going directly
to the penthouse. The tabloids retracted their stories, offered public
apologies to both Jensen and Jared, and the paparazzi eased off on following
Jared around the city out of fear of Jensen. He was grateful for small
miracles. The press statement that his Public Relations Director released for
him started to make its way around the various news channels, even hitting the
celebrity tabloids and entertainment news, and then the story started to die
down. There wasn’t must of a story when the “cheating dog of Dallas” didn’t go
out.
 
Michael sent him dozens of e-mails with nicknames that he and Tommy invented:
 
Jensen Does Dallas (not very imaginative).
 
The Dallas Dick (if he were a porn star, it might actually work).
 
Ackles Addiction Anonymous (if Jensen ever wanted to start his own support
group for sex addicts – Mike wanted to be President of his fan club).
 
Restroom Porn King (seriously, did Mike ever do any work?).
 
SexAckles – (nickname for all of Jensen’s one night stands).
 
As much as he loved Michael like a brother, Jensen deleted the e-mails and then
had one of his IT programmers send Michael an e-mail virus. Never let anyone
say that Jensen didn’t fight back – and he fought back dirty.
 
Jensen came home from work and went straight to his bedroom, watched television
on his bed, or checked the market reports on his laptop. He walked out onto his
balcony and sat outside in the cool air, drinking a glass of bourbon, looking
at the city skyline in the distance.
 
He finished reading Jared’s thesis – what an amazing mind, logical and creative
– and made neat notes on the margins, encouraging Jared to pursue the topic
more or to edit something down. With a sigh, he picked up the well thumbed
thesis and walked out of his bedroom, across the living room and down the
hallway to Jared’s bedroom suite.
 
Hesitantly, he knocked on the door and held his breath. A moment later, the
door opened and Jared peered out at him. Jensen tried not to notice that Jared
was shirtless and wearing just sweatpants slung low on his hips that Jensen
could see every single indention of bone and muscle. He really didn’t stare at
the way that Jared’s shoulders and pecs were so well defined, that the small
nipples were pebbled and tight, and that he could count every single one of
Jared’s abdominal muscles. Jesus…he was built like a fucking Greek statue under
his dorky clothes.
 
“Hey,” Jensen said, looking away quickly and then held up the thesis document.
“I, uh, finished reading your draft. It’s damn good, Jared, I’m real impressed.
I made a few notes – you can ignore them if you want.”
 
Jared took the document from him with a tight smile. “Thanks.”
 
Jensen grinned, looking up at him. “So…you up for a game?”
 
“Actually, I’m busy jerking off alone in my bedroom.”
 
Jensen forced his eyes not to drop down below Jared’s face. He cracked a smile
and ran a hand nervously through his short hair. “Yeah…did I mention that I’m a
total asshole?”
 
“Funny thing, this time, you really are a total asshole.” Jared said and then
sighed. He leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms and holding the
thesis against his chest. “Look, Jensen, let’s get this one thing straight,
okay? If you would just quit trying to hit on me and make me uncomfortable,
then yeah, I’ll come out and hang out with you, okay?”
 
Jensen nodded, giving him a small smile. “All right.”
 
“Be out in a second,” Jared said, waving the thesis document at Jensen and
pushing away from the door frame to close the door.
 
“Sure,” Jensen murmured, feeling relieved. He moved to step away but noticed
that Jared didn’t close the door all the way. He stood, facing the bed, with
his back to Jensen. A sliver remained open, giving Jensen a look inside Jared’s
bedroom suite. It really was dark navy blue, with a small bedside lamp – he was
going to go blind sitting in semi darkness in the bedroom. Jensen watched as
Jared picked up a tee-shirt, pulling it on. Jensen stared, feeling slightly
covetous, at the muscles in Jared’s broad back slide and pull in the movement.
Before Jared could turn away, Jensen hustled into the living room and sat down
on the couch, turning on the television set and Xbox as Jared stepped into the
hallway, pulling down his shirt.
 
“Put in Madden,” Jared said, sitting down on the couch. Jensen noticed that he
maintained a healthy distance from him, but Jensen didn’t complain. Jensen set
up the game disk and tossed the controller to Jared.
 
They set up their playing modes in silence, mumbling a few good humored digs at
each other now and then. Jensen hit the multi-player game verse and then they
were both talking smack at each other.
 
Jared scored first and Jensen laughed as Jared – and his on-screen player – did
a victory dance.
 
“You’re such a geek,” Jensen said, laughing.
 
Jared sat back down, chuckling softly. He cleared his throat and looked at the
flat screen. “So, are we going to ignore what happened?”
 
“I was waiting for you to ask,” Jensen replied, taking a deep breath. “I can’t
tell you how sorry I am that you got caught up in all the tabloid bullshit.”
 
Jared shrugged. “I should’ve expected it sooner…I’m surprised that it took them
this long, I guess.”
 
Jensen snorted, shaking his head. “You mean with my constant philandering...”
 
“Well, you said it, it’s an open marriage.”
 
He paused for a long time, not knowing if he should say it. What the hell did
he have to lose now? “But you don’t want it to be.” Well, if Jared didn’t want
it to be an open marriage, then maybe he could offer Jensen a better
alternative.
 
“I don’t want to be humiliated. How would you feel if I went out and got caught
with my pants down?” Jared said, turning to look at him. Jensen let him have
that one – he knew he’d probably feel pretty angry. “The rest I can handle.
That’s the deal that my dad made with you.”
 
Jensen nodded, setting the controller down on the coffee table. “You think
it’ll be that awful, being married to me?”
 
Jared paused the game and he fumbled nervously with the controller in his
hands. “I don’t know.”
 
“Our wedding is in five weeks…it’s not too late for you to back out.”
 
“Right,” Jared said, laughing harshly. “And be the one to bring ruin on my
family.”
 
Jensen nodded, picking at his couch. “I wanted to ask you something.” He
watched as Jared nodded for him to go on. “That night at the Taverna Lounge
when we told your friends about the contract marriage, they, uh, kind of
freaked out. You want to tell me why?”
 
Jared looked at him, his face carefully blank, but Jensen knew he was hiding
something. He stared at Jared, waiting for an answer, wondering if Jared would
tell him the truth – or if there was something that he was hiding…why?
 
“They’re just protective of me, you know, because of you.”
 
Jensen raised his eyebrow. “Because of me…what?”
 
“Don’t make me spell it out, man,” Jared said, shrugging. “I mean, we just went
through what everyone’s already suspected.”
 
“Suspected what - that I’m a cock slut.”
 
Jared made an embarrassed expression and then shrugged. He scratched the back
of his head, nervously, and made a funny kind of laugh. “Well, yeah…I mean…who
hasn’t heard of Jensen Ackles and his nightlife reputation, right?”
 
Not that Jensen could deny it, but if it was anyone else but Jared who actually
dared to talk about his so-called reputation, Jensen was pretty sure he
would’ve punched them in the face.
 
“Look, man, it’s over, okay,” Jared said, not looking at Jensen. “I can’t be
angry that this is who you are, right? Like the way you can’t be angry that
this is who I am. I mean, that’s why I didn’t leave when all that tabloid stuff
happened. I could’ve walked out and…shit.”
 
Now that got Jensen very curious. “Yeah…you didn’t leave…”
 
“Jensen,” Jared said and then sighed. “This is what you wanted…if you’re going
to give me an out, then give me a true out and don’t marry me and don’t ruin my
family’s business.”
 
Jensen shook his head. That was his answer.
 
“Yeah…so just drop it, okay? Why can’t we just…get along and…not fuck it up?”
Jared said, tapping the game controller on his knee.
 
“All right,” Jensen said, slowly. He watched as Jared put the game back into
play mode. He picked up his controller and focused on the game; but in the
morning, Jensen would set into motion a few things.
 
He wanted to know why Jared lied to him and what he was hiding. Jensen had a
feeling that it was something big – big enough to make Jared go through with
this marriage; big enough to keep Jared in Jensen’s life. He knew – after
something like this – no matter how much Jared’s parents depended on Jared to
go through with this marriage; Jensen knew that that tabloid incident was more
than enough for Jared to have the marriage contract voided and force Jensen to
protect PDKI assets during the merger.
 
Jensen had the resources to find the answers he needed to know; and if Jared
wouldn’t give him those answers, then Jensen would have to find them on his
own.
***** Chapter 9 *****
Part Four: “A Business Partnership”
 
Jensen was seriously intimidated by Samantha Ferris. She was an older, feisty
Texan woman who was once Miss Dallas in her 20s and then a Secret Service Agent
under President George H.W. Bush. She was pre-law at UT and then did her
Masters in Criminology at Georgetown University. Her resume boasted skills in
surveillance, weaponry, and hostage negotiations. She was everything that a
Director of Corporate Security should be. She ran a tight crew of 25 “security
consultants” in her department who all had “field ops” and technology
credentials. Jensen didn’t ask where she recruited her people, and she didn’t
let anyone talk about Ackles business outside these walls.
 
She often traveled with him when he went overseas on Ackles Corp business.
Under her watch, Jensen had approved the $1 billion Kidnap & Ransom insurance
fund. Jensen hated to think that global business required K&R insurance, but he
wasn’t going to open any of his people to chance. Luckily, they didn’t need to
use the fund; and that he and his executives, when they traveled overseas on
business, were protected by Samantha and her team.
 
He took a moment to look at Samantha. Today, she wore her hair long and wavy, a
smart and conservative suit, and heels that were high and stacked. He wondered
if she was able to run down corporate spies in those shoes – but knowing what
he knew about her, she’d probably just shoot them in the head without breaking
a sweat.
 
“Well, that is the best way of making sure that corporate secrets don’t leak,”
she once told him, smiling primly at him.
 
Jensen grinned at her, placing his hands on his desk. “Thank you for coming,
Samantha.”
 
“Of course, Mr Ackles. Now, what can Corporate Security do for you?” She
crossed her legs, placing her hands over her knees.
 
“I actually have a personal request that I think you’d be the best one to
handle. I need complete discretion and confidentiality on this, Samantha.”
 
She frowned slightly, but nodded. “I understand.”
 
Jensen took a deep breath. Once he set this in motion, there was no stopping
it. “I need for you to do a background check on Jared Padalecki.”
 
He watched as she raised her eyebrow. “Your fiancé?”
 
Jensen nodded. “I’d appreciate it if no one in your department knows about
this.”
 
“I’ll keep it off our books.” She cocked her head, looking thoughtful. “Do you
want the financial history as well?”
 
“Yes,” he said, leaning in his chair. It couldn’t hurt. Not that Jensen cared
how much Jared had in his accounts – after all, Jared would have access to
Jensen’s $10 billion trust once the marriage was official. He didn’t seem all
that in a hurry to tap it.
 
“How far do you want the investigation to go?”
 
Jensen considered it. Did he really need to know the name and current
whereabouts of Jared’s 3rd grade significant other? No. He cleared his throat.
“Let’s focus on the last ten years – from age 16 to present. If something
should come up earlier than that, definitely pursue it.”
 
“I’ll handle everything myself,” she said, looking at him evenly. Jensen was
always a little unnerved from the way she stared at him. It looked like she was
constantly doing a threat assessment.
 
“How long do you think it will take?”
 
“No more than a couple of weeks. Juvenile records can often be tricky – and
there may be other red tape that I need to cut through,” she said, softly. “It
depends on how detailed you want the report.”
 
“Detailed.”
 
***
 
With just three weeks left to go to the wedding, Jensen was pleased that Jared
was finally coming out of his shell. They started to go on public dates again,
but Jared didn’t want to go to the “frou frou” restaurants that Jensen
selected. He opted for out-of-the-way bistros and family-owned grills that
featured wonderfully homemade foods and excellent wines that Jensen didn’t
realize existed in the city. More often than not, these places were tucked away
so well that the paparazzi never hung around the establishments and Jensen
enjoyed a little bit of anonymity for the first time in years.
 
Jared, he discovered, had a love for movies. Jensen didn’t watch a lot of
films, unless he was on a date, and his television viewing was usually limited
to the news, business report, and porn.
 
“Come on, I’ll show you my DVD collection. You can pick something and we can
watch it,” Jared said, motioning Jensen towards his bedroom.
 
He invited Jensen into his bedroom suite – first time in the months they lived
together – and Jensen couldn’t help but notice that Jared actually decorated
his rooms. The bedroom was still dark and Jensen still frowned when he stood in
it.
 
“I actually like sleeping in as much total darkness as possible,” Jared
explained, shrugging.
 
“But you’re always up before dawn.”
 
“It’s cozy to me.”
 
Jensen walked into the second room and gazed at the black and white framed
photographs that took up one entire wall of the small room that Jared converted
into a study/library.
 
“Sophia is a freelance photographer,” Jared said, grinning. “She took all of
these pictures of us.”
 
Jensen stared at the happy, camera-mugging, goofballs in the pictures – they
were all of Jared, Chad, Sophia, and Sandy. Some were of Jared’s parents and
various family members. Jensen tried to examine each picture without giving off
the vibe that he was “examining” them.
 
“She’s really talented,” Jensen said, nodding. “Does she exhibit her work
anywhere?”
 
“Yeah…” Jared snorted. “Trust me; she’s still too angry at you. You really
don’t want to be at any kind of public event with her – especially not with any
press around.”
 
The rest of the study/library had wall-to-wall bookcases, filled to the edges
with books of all kinds, CD cases, and DVDs. There was a small flat screen TV
set up in a corner with a comfortable looking leather recliner. Jensen wondered
what Jared did with the rest of his stuff from when he moved out of his condo.
Did he actually put his condo up for sale? Jensen found that he wanted to know.
He wasn’t sure that he liked the idea of Jared having his own place. Even
though Jared wasn’t actively seeing anyone now, that didn’t mean that Jared
should have his own hideaway place to take his lovers. He frowned, staring at
the bookcase. He would ask Samantha to look into it for him.
 
“Pick something out,” Jared said, waving to the bookcase.
 
Jensen enjoyed looking at the titles of Jared’s book collections. Some were the
usual classics that Jensen recognized, others were foreign language editions
and Jensen wondered how many languages Jared spoke. He grinned at some of the
self-help books and wondered if Sophia or Sandy gave them to him. Jensen
flipped through the eclectic music, from country to world music. And his DVD
collection went from action to romantic comedies. Jensen also noted that
everything on the shelves was organized by genre or theme. He smiled to
himself, shaking his head.
 
“What are you in the mood for?” Jensen said, looking over his shoulder to see
Jared checking his e-mail on his laptop. He was glad that Jared trusted him to
just wander around his room.
 
“How about a comedy,” Jared said, absently. “It’s up to you; I’ve seen
everything there at least ten times each since I moved in.”
 
Well, that pretty much explained what Jared did when he locked himself in his
room for the past 3 months.
 
Jensen picked what looked like a comedy and tapped it on his leg. “I’ll meet
you in the living room.”
 
“Sure,” he said, grinning. “What did you pick?”
 
“You’ll just have to find out.”
 
Jensen walked out of Jared’s bedroom suite and down the hall to the living
room. His Blackberry was buzzing on the kitchen counter, so he picked it up and
saw that it was Rosey.
 
“Rosenbaum, what a pleasure,” Jensen said, walking to the DVD player.
 
“You are still a son-of-a-bitch,” Michael hissed into his ear.
 
“Don’t insult my mother.” Jensen laughed, propping his Blackberry against his
shoulder as he opened the DVD box and pushed opened the player. He settled the
disk inside, closing it and tossed the DVD box on the coffee table. “Are you
still pissed off at me for destroying your computer?”
 
“Fuck you!” Michael yelled; Jensen laughed. “I’ve had to rewrite all of my
fucking project reports because of you.”
 
“Man, it’s been like two weeks – and I bought you a new computer which is
better than the old piece of crap you used to have. You should thank me for
helping you destroy it and now you know that you should always back up your
hard drive.”
 
Jensen couldn’t make out the rest of Michael’s hoarse spluttering. It sounded
like there was a muffled argument and a fight for the phone and Jensen chuckled
as Tom got on the line. “Hey, Tommy.”
 
“Shit, he’s still pissed,” Tom said, laughing softly.
 
“You’re lucky I didn’t send you the virus, too.”
 
Tom giggled. “Yeah and I thank you again for not including me in your demented
techno revenge…even though it was overkill. You broke my boyfriend.”
 
Jensen laughed and then saw Jared walking towards him. “Well, you know how to
fix him. I’m about to watch a movie with Jared so fuck off.”
 
“All right,” Tom said, chuckling. “Mike really did have a reason to call you
and it wasn’t to bitch about the virus. You two should come over tomorrow night
to my place. We’ll grill, drink some good brandy, and play poker so bring your
cash. It’s five grand buy in, man.”
 
Jensen grinned and turned to Jared. “Up for steaks and poker with the boys at
Tom’s place tomorrow?”
 
“Sure, yeah,” Jared said, nodding.
 
“All right…oh, I’m in for Jared, too. We’ll see you two tomorrow around seven.”
Jensen said and then turned off his Blackberry. He set it on the coffee table
and turned on the flat screen and started the movie.
 
“What are you in for me?”
 
“Buy in is five grand – it’s on my tab.”
 
Jensen thought Jared would protest, but he just shrugged and smirked.
 
“You know I suck at poker, right?”
 
Jensen threw the remote at him and hit him in the chest. “Damn, then you buy in
yourself, man.”
 
Jared caught the remote and cued up the DVD. He snorted, shaking his head at
Jensen. They both turned to look at the screen and Jared cackled, falling
against the low back of the couch and nearly tumbling over backwards.
 
“Seriously, this is your idea of comedy?”
 
Jensen frowned, looking at the DVD box. “’The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.’
What? It was under the comedy section on the bookshelf.”
 
Jared hid the remote and grinned, still shaking his head. “Nothing, you have to
watch it now.”
 
***
 
Jensen set his digital clock to wake him up at 6 in the morning. He crawled out
of bed, blurry-eyed, and walked out of his room towards the kitchen. He flipped
on the lights and looked around the cabinets for a skillet. Loretta had stocked
the fridge and he found eggs, cheese, and a variety of vegetables. He could
whip up omelets for them after Jared finished his work out. He washed his hands
and the vegetables, setting up the cutting board.
 
“Hey,” Jared said, panting slightly. Jensen grinned at him over his shoulder.
“You’re up early.”
 
“I thought I’d make us some breakfast,” Jensen said, doing his best not to
stare at Jared – sweaty, buffed, and fucking gorgeous. “Omelets?”
 
“Sure,” Jared said, pulling his earphones out. Jensen watched as he set his
iPod on the counter, leaning on it. “Want me to help?”
 
“I can cook, you know.”
 
Jared snickered. “Right…because you knew where everything was in your own
kitchen and didn’t hire Chuck to do all of your cooking for you.”
 
“I used to cook for myself all the time, man,” Jensen said, slightly insulted.
He cracked the eggs and beat them in a bowl, then chopped the vegetables into
small pieces. He stirred everything up and made sure that the skillet was
properly heated before he poured in olive oil and then the mixture into it.
“So—“
 
He turned to catch Jared looking at him. Jensen had tumbled right out of bed in
nothing but his boxer briefs and he caught Jared looking him over.
 
“Uh…I’m going to take a quick shower,” Jared said, flushing. He looked
everywhere except at Jensen.
 
“Sure,” Jensen murmured, watching as Jared left the kitchen in a hurry. He
grinned to himself, feeling quite pleased. He wasn’t cut like Jared, but he
didn’t have anything to be ashamed of. He was surprised that Jared even looked;
a part of him hoped that Jared was going to jerk off thinking about him in the
shower.
 
***
 
The early morning breakfasts were interesting. Jensen would wake up early, cook
foods high in protein, and everything would be ready by the time Jared finished
his workout. They’d eat standing up at the counter. Every morning, Jensen wore
nothing but bottoms – boxers, boxer briefs, pajama bottoms – and pretended that
Jared wasn’t looking at him. He stabbed at his sausage with his fork, leaning
over the counter, and looked up as Jared walked into the kitchen. He waved
Jared over to his plate.
 
“It smells really good,” Jared said, eating quickly. “Thanks for making
breakfast. You really don’t have to do this every morning.”
 
“Well, I’m actually kind of getting used to waking up early now,” he said,
shrugging. He ran his hand over his shoulder, grinning slightly as Jared’s eyes
followed the movement of his hand. “I usually do a lot of work late at night,
but I get more done when I’m up early.”
 
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
 
“But why do you work out every morning? You’re in great shape.” Jensen said,
just stating a fact. He didn’t even look at Jared as he said it.
 
“I was always kind of tall and skinny,” Jared said, shrugging. “I mean, I
played basketball in high school and I played for two years at Brown. But I was
always kind of on the skinny side – fast metabolism, I guess – so I started
working out and tried to build some muscle mass.”
 
“Tall and skinny, huh?” Jensen said, grinning playfully. “So, what, did you get
beat up in school?”
 
“No, not in school – I mean – it’s just something that I started doing, you
know, to build up and bulk up a little. And since I work out every morning, I
figured that it was just my routine. I wake up early, work out, and start my
day. I’m not tired and I can eat twice my weight in food and not worry about
it.”
 
Jensen chewed his food thoughtfully, nodding at Jared. He caught the weird slip
that Jared made about getting beat up. He’d ask Samantha to look into his high
school records and see what happened to him at Choate.
 
***
 
Jensen stopped by Samantha’s office to check the progress of her investigation.
 
“Do you want it in bits and pieces or do you want the complete file?” She said,
gazing at him, coolly.
 
“Why? What are you finding?”
 
“Every person has his or her own secrets,” she said, sighing. “There are some
things that are better left unknown.”
 
Jensen frowned, rubbing his chin. “Did you find something in his past?”
 
“I’m just telling you that once you know something, you can’t ignore it,” she
replied, shrugging. “Let me know what you want to do, Mr Ackles.”
 
“I’ll wait for your full report.”
 
***
Jensen wasn’t as pretentious as Jared thought he was; it just happened that
Jensen loved French cuisine. He had spent the summer hanging out and traveling
through France after he graduated from high school. He and Christian had
decided that they would take a backpack of stuff and just take off for 30 days.
It was so reckless, but Jensen loved being in the French countryside. They were
both fluent in French and picked up some cool slang from the locals. They slept
in youth hostels or crashed with new friends. Since it was summer, it was so
unbelievably hot in Paris that they decided to hang out in Nice. Jensen’s
favorite place was the Calanque of Sugiton in Marseille – right on the jagged
coastline, these beautiful rock formations that burst right from the ocean.
So when Jensen suggested that they go to his favorite French restaurant, Bleu,
Jared rolled his eyes but agreed.
“Order dessert,” Jensen said, perusing the dessert menu. “And don’t pretend
that you don’t read or understand French. I saw the French edition of ‘Le Petit
Prince’ on your bookshelf.”
 
Jared chuckled, looking at the dessert menu. “I may have the Clafoutis aux
Abricots – but I’ll have to add another 30 minutes to my workout tomorrow.”
 
Jensen snorted, eyeing the Profieroles au Chocolat. “Give me a break, man. I
don’t want to hear you talk about gaining weight.”
 
“I’m just worried about your weight gain. You did try on your tuxedo, right?”
 
Jensen shot him a dirty look over his menu. “Don’t be a bitch, Jared.”
 
“You know, I used to say that to him all the time.”
 
They both looked up to see a tall, brown haired guy standing nearby. He was
good looking in that prep school way – a deceptively cloaked predator in argyle
sweater vests and bow ties. Jensen knew the type – hell, he was that type. He
narrowed his eyes at him. Chace was grinning at Jared, but his eyes were sly.
 
“Uh…Chace,” Jared said, clearing his throat. Jensen thought that Jared looked a
little nervous as he shook Chace’s hand. “Hey.”
 
“It’s been a long time,” Chace said, reaching out to shake Jared’s hand.
 
“Yeah,” Jared said and then turned to Jensen. “This is Chace Crawford. We went
to high school together. Chace, this is Jensen Ackles, my fiancé.”
 
“I heard,” Chace said, shaking Jensen’s hand. They shared a look of
understanding. “I suppose congrats are in order, then, huh?”
 
“So what are you doing here in Dallas?” Jared asked, looking at Chace, a
confused expression on his face.
 
“Filming ended for the season in New York City so I’m just back home, visiting
family and friends,” Chace said, then gave Jensen a wide grin.
 
“Filming?” Jensen inquired, raising his eyebrow.
 
“I’m on a show,” he said, breezily, like it was nothing. Jensen looked at
Jared, who was flushed, wiping his hands on his napkin in a nervous twitch.
“Hey, Jay, we should get together sometime. I’ll be in town for a few more
weeks.”
 
“Um, sure, Chace,” Jared said, slowly. He gave Jensen a quick look and then
offered Chace a polite smile.
 
Chace grinned at Jared again, and then raised his eyebrows at Jensen as he
walked away.
 
“Actor, huh?” Jensen said, giving Jared loose grin.
 
Jared rolled his eyes and sighed. “He was such a jerk to me at school. I can’t
imagine why he’d want to hang out now.”
 
Jensen could guess - anyone with eyes who looked at Jared – yeah, that was
motivation to get together with Jared. “Want me to get him fired from his
show?” Jensen whispered, leaning closer to Jared.
 
Jared barked out a loud laugh and then ducked his head, looking around to see
if anyone was staring at him. “Can you do that?”
 
Jensen pulled out his Blackberry, nodding. “All I need to do is text Alona and
she’ll find out all the names of the people I need to call.” Jensen wiggled his
eyebrows at him. “Just say the word.”
 
Jared chuckled, shaking his head.
 
Jensen would have Samantha check into Chace Crawford and what kind of trouble
he got into at Choate. And if she found something else in his life that Jensen
could use to keep Chace in check, then well, it was all a matter of protecting
Jensen’s business.
 
***
 
Jensen paced inside his bedroom. His skin crawled from being caged; no outlet
except his hand. It was a little over two weeks since he got laid; since the
night of the tabloids. It was all well and good to jerk off, imagining that it
was Jared making him come, but Jensen craved a good fuck or get his cock sucked
by an expert mouth. The wedding was just a couple of weeks away; Jensen was
stressed out about his meeting with the Board of Directors in less than a week;
and despite how smoothly his newfound friendship with Jared was coming along –
Jensen had fucking needs; he had an appetite that wasn’t used to being denied.
 
He’d just go out for a few hours, go to Club Station4, the safest place for
him. He was known there, no one bothered him, and no one talked about what went
on in the restrooms or backrooms. He could sneak in from the side doors that
were off limits to the paparazzi. No one would be the wiser that he had
visited. And Jared wouldn’t know.
 
Jensen felt like a tool, sneaking out of his own penthouse, but he took the
elevator to the underground garage, got into the least conspicuous car that he
owned – the black Benz – and headed for the club.
 
The club’s theme for the night was Greek orgy. Every pretty twink was dressed
in a tiny white toga with very little else on. Jensen leaned on the railing
from the second floor, overlooking the crowded dance floor. He caught the eye
of a few potential candidates, expertly deciding who Jensen would take into the
men’s stall for a quick bit of fun.
 
And there he was…Jared’s friend from the restaurant the other night, the New
York City actor come back to his hometown like a prodigal son: Chace Crawford.
Well, Jensen thought, licking his lips and smiling across the club at Chace.
Look who was eyefucking him. Jensen gave him his best smile and nodded, making
his way down the stairs towards the first floor bar where Chace was leaning,
watching the party; a predator out grazing for his prey.
 
“Where’s Jared?” Chace said, loud enough over the music for Jensen to hear.
 
“He couldn’t make it,” Jensen replied. “Buy you a drink?”
 
“Sure, cowboy, you can buy me a drink,” Chace said, giving Jensen a wink.
 
Jensen motioned to the bartender. “What do you want?”
 
“Whatever you’re having.”
 
Jensen leaned towards the bartender and ordered two shots of Tequila and placed
a twenty dollar bill on the bar. The bartender poured out two shots and passed
them along to him with a wink. He gave it to Chace and saluted him, both
throwing back the sharp liquid straight.
 
“So you went to Choate with Jared?”
 
Chace set the shot glass on the bar, wiping his mouth with the back of his
hand. “No, we were at St Stephens Episcopal.”
 
“I thought you guys went to Choate.” Jensen said, puzzled. Why would Jared lie
about his high school?
 
“Nah, he transferred out during his third year.” He smirked, leaning closer to
Jensen. “I always thought he was a hot piece of ass, but he was totally into
this other guy – older, but fucking hot.”
 
“Who was he?” Jensen made a note to tell Samantha to look into both schools.
 
“What?” Chace said, motioning to his ear. “Can barely hear you in this noise.
Come on, let’s go somewhere else.”
 
Jensen smirked, pushing off the bar and following Chace towards the restrooms.
Chace pushed the door in and Jensen followed and then checked the stalls to
make sure they were alone. Jensen turned the lock as Chace looked at him
through the mirror.
 
The pretty brunette gave Jensen a seductive grin, his eyes lowering slightly.
Jensen watched as he started unbuttoning his polo shirt, walking towards one of
the stalls.
 
***
 
Jensen walked into his penthouse, sighing deeply. Chace was a good fuck, but
Jensen actually regretted going out. When Chace suggested that they go back to
his place, Jensen actually agreed. He hadn’t expected to stay so long and it
was nearly five in the morning when Jensen walked into his penthouse.
 
“Coming in kind of late, even for you.”
 
Jensen cringed internally, but kept his face neutral as he turned to see Jared,
hip cocked against the edge of the counter, half empty bottle of water in his
hand.
 
“I guess you won’t be making breakfast for us this morning, then.”
 
“Jared—“
 
“Dude, I’m not…” Jared gave Jensen a small grin. “Get some sleep, Jensen, you
look awful.”
***** Chapter 10 *****
“…gathered here today to celebrate their union and to honor their commitment as
Jensen and Jared proclaim their unity to the world and we rejoice with and for
them…”
 
Jensen tuned out the humanist minister, Dr Elliott Donner, as he spoke; not
because he wasn’t listening, but because Jensen was distracted. Jared looked
gorgeous in his tuxedo. The young man filled out the black jacket well, his
bowtie slightly askew. There was a blush on his cheeks and he kept his gaze
lowered, long hair hiding his expression, but his gaze was planted somewhere
around Jensen’s right shoulder.
 
“…you are Jensen’s and Jared’s community, and each of you has played some part
in bringing them to this moment. This is why gathering as a community is such
an important part of a wedding ceremony. Because Jensen and Jared are now
taking a new form as a married couple, and in this form, they become part of
their community in a new way...”
 
Jensen gave him a small grin. Jared looked nervous, but he returned the grin
with a smile of his own. Eight hundred guests sat in the audience on white
satin covered lawn chairs; the country club had really outdone itself under the
strict guidelines of Diana Ackles and Sheryl Padalecki. The reception would
have a special performance by Michael Bublé, open bar, and six course dinner,
including four champagne toasts, the wedding cake, and later, in the private
lounge, port wine and cigars for selected members of the wedding. Jensen did
not roll his eyes.
 
“…recount with one another that it is love that guides us on our path, and to
celebrate as you begin this journey together, it is in this spirit that you
have come here today to exchange these vows.”
 
Jensen forced himself not to roll his eyes. He and Jared had cajoled and then
yelled at their mothers, adamant that they would find an agreeable set of vows
to recite. Sheryl had wanted to quote love poetry.
 
“Jensen,” Dr Donner said, catching his attention from Jared. Jensen smirked,
seeing the knowing look on the minister’s face. “Repeat after me…I, Jensen Ross
Ackles, take you, Jared Tristan Padalecki, to be my spouse. I promise above all
else to live in truth with you and to communicate fully and fearlessly. I give
you my hand and my heart as a sanctuary of warmth and peace; and I pledge
myself in love, faith, and honor as I join my life to yours.”
 
Jensen repeated the words, raising his eyebrow as he looked at Jared. Jared
returned with a barely there frown as he said his vows. Come on, Jensen
thought, Jared was taking this too seriously. Today should been fun; they
should be giving each other sidelong glances, sharing a smirk like they were
sharing a secret between the two of them.
 
“The wedding ring is an unbroken, never-ending circle, as your commitment to
each other is never-ending. These simple bands are made precious by what they
represent. They are a symbol of your union. Your rings say that you are two
individuals bound together. When you look at these rings, remember the
commitment that you have to each other today.”
 
Jensen picked up the Tungsten band from the minister’s small commitment book.
Jared gave him a nervous glance as he raised his hand.
 
“Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal. Just as it is
made of indestructible substance, my commitment will never fail. With this
ring, I take you to be my partner for life.”
 
Jensen watched as Jared bit his lip as he slowly slid the wedding band on
Jensen’s finger. He wanted to reassure Jared that everything would be fine. The
merger was being finalized; and whatever secrets Jared was hiding, Jensen
wouldn’t hold it against him. They could live together in friendship and maybe,
Jensen thought, something more.
 
“…gives me great pleasure to pronounce that you are and will continue to be
partners for life.”
 
Jensen winked at Jared and stepped forward. He leaned up, running his hand into
Jared’s thick hair, and pulled him closer for a kiss. He stroked the soft skin
behind Jared’s ear with his thumb, causing Jared to gasp slightly, and Jensen
deepened the kiss. He swept his tongue into Jared’s warm mouth, stroking it
against Jared’s teeth. He felt Jared starting to pull away, to break the kiss,
but Jensen lifted his other hand and placed it on Jared’s shoulder, holding him
in place.
 
Jared gave a soft moan from the back of his throat and Jensen tangled his
tongue with Jared’s, caressing softly, teasing, wanting Jared to play. The
first, tentative touch of Jared’s tongue against his, Jensen moaned this time,
and clutched Jared’s hair, pressing his lips harder against Jared.
 
“…gentlemen…” Dr Donner said and cleared his throat meaningfully.
 
Regretfully, Jensen let Jared pull away. He opened his eyes and saw a look of
stunned arousal on Jared’s face. He grinned; releasing him as Jared took a step
back, ducking his head shyly. Jensen didn’t hear the wedding guests clapping
and a few whistles – probably Chris, Tommy, and Mike. He watched Jared for a
long moment, pressing his lips together as he remembered the way Jared shivered
and responded to him.
 
***
 
Jensen made sure he was holding Jared’s hand or had his arm around Jared’s
waist as they walked to each of the 80 tables, greeting their guests. Jensen
could tell that everyone was charmed by Jared. He smiled widely, he sometimes
showed his dimples for people he recognized, and he was affectionate with his
older brother, James, and sister McKenna. Jensen was pleased to meet Jared’s
siblings and spoke with them for a long time. It was a shame that they lived so
far away, but Jensen promised to visit with Jared the next time they could
arrange it.
 
Jensen’s younger sister Margaret developed a crush on Jared and tagged along
for a long time or giggled with her friends. Jensen smirked and made a face at
her, taking Jared’s hand.
 
He was polite to Sophia, who still looked like she was pissed off at him, and
ignored Sandy’s laser stare. Leaving Jared in their hands, Jensen looked at the
guests, trying to find Samantha so that he could get an update to her
background investigation on Jared.
 
“Hey, Ackles.”
 
He turned to see Chad leaning against the hall table in the club lounge area.
“Chad. Thanks for coming. I know Jared’s really happy to have you guys here
on—“
 
“Why are you investigating Jared?”
 
Jensen kept his face neutral, raising his eyebrow. How the fuck did he find
out? “What do you mean?”
 
“Don’t play games with me, Jensen,” Chad said, pushing off the table and
walking towards him. “Do you know what I do?”
 
Jensen had no idea. He shook his head.
 
“I’m an investigator for the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission. Do you know
what my job entails?”
 
“I’m assuming you work with juvenile delinquents.”
 
Chad snorted, eyeing Jensen. “I’m sure you have experience being a juvenile
delinquent.”
 
“Actually, I don’t.” Jensen said, frowning. “What the hell does this have to do
with either Jared or me?”
 
“Someone’s tried to unseal Jared’s juvenile records and I know it has something
to do with you. Only someone with your money and your arrogance would try to
bribe your way into Jared’s records.”
 
“Why would Jared have a sealed juvenile record in the first place?”
 
Chad stared at him for a long moment and then tucked his hands into his
pockets. “When I started working at the Commission, I flagged Jared’s file so
that I’d be notified if anyone attempted to have a look at his file. I haven’t
told Jared – yet – that you’re looking into his past because I’m going to give
you a chance, Jensen. You see, Jared’s been kind of happy these last few
months. He’s not under the thumb of his asshole parents anymore, thanks to this
devil’s deal that you and George Padalecki made. And maybe there’s a part of me
that believes you’re a decent human being. Maybe you don’t love him, but he
keeps assuring me that you’re being a good guy. So I won’t say anything to
Jared for now. But the minute I find out that you’ve fucked up and hurt him,
I’m not your friend – remember that.”
 
Jensen didn’t have a chance to say anything as he watched Chad saunter away. He
frowned, staring at Chad’s back, wondering why the hell Jared had a sealed
juvenile record – what had he done as a kid – and Jensen knew that Jared’s
parents were hard on him but…it opened up a whole new can of worms.
 
He needed to find Samantha now.
 
***
 
“Jensen, my boy,” Jeffrey Dean said, putting his arm around Jensen. “I have to
say – this is probably one of the craziest things you’ve done.”
 
Jensen grinned, shrugging. “Come on, JD, I’m pretty sure I’ve done worse.”
 
Jeffrey Dean laughed, shaking his head. “Come by my office Monday. I’ll have
the paperwork prepared for you and release your $10 billion trust.”
 
“Yeah, sure, that’ll work,” Jensen said, nodding.
 
“I heard that your meeting with the Board of Directors went very well,” Jeffrey
Dean said, softly. “Talk was that they were real impressed with the way that
you’ve managed the company this last quarter – that the major stockholders are
pleased to have you helm the company.”
 
“We had a good year,” Jensen said, taking a sip of his drink. “A lot of people
worked hard to make it happen. I just got to the one to deliver the good news.”
 
Jeffrey Dean patted Jensen on the back. “Come on, don’t be modest, boy. Your
daddy would’ve been proud of you for all of your accomplishments – your Grand
daddy, too. In fact, you remind me a lot of your Grand daddy. Everything was
always business to him.”
 
Jensen gave him a small smile. “Thanks, JD, that means a lot to me.”
 
“Go on, go enjoy your day with your new husband,” Jeffrey Dean said, chuckling
affectionately. “He looks like he could use your rescuing right about now.”
 
Jensen looked over to where Jeffrey Dean was gesturing and saw Jared surrounded
by a group of women, clamoring to get his attention. Jared smiled a lot, kept
backing away from the more aggressive women, and looked like a trapped cat.
Jensen couldn’t help but grin – but his thoughts went to wondering what Jared
had done as a minor to have a sealed juvenile record.
 
“Hey, JD, I got a question for you.”
 
“Sure.”
 
“What kind of man is George Padalecki? I mean, not just a businessman, but what
have you heard about him?”
 
Jeffrey Dean raised his eyebrows and gave Jensen a curious look. “Huh. Well,
what do you mean?”
 
“What kind of skeletons are in his closet, so to speak?”
 
“Well, now, let’s see…there’s not much known about George Padalecki. I know
that they used to live in San Antonio for a time, but moved PDKI headquarters
to Dallas just a few years ago; got established in Dallas pretty quick…not much
to tell. He’s a family man – he probably has a mistress on the side somewhere…”
Jeffrey Dean shrugged. “Not much else to tell you, son. Why?”
 
Jensen grinned, shaking his head. “Just wondering about my new father-in-law.”
 
“Now, don’t you worry about him. With this merger in place, I doubt George
Padalecki is going to try anything fishy with the business. He may be a lot of
things, but he’s not stupid and he knows where his bread is buttered, if you
know what I mean.”
 
Jensen didn’t know…that was the problem. He suspected that George Padalecki
might have hurt Jared when he was a kid, but without knowing the contents of
Jared’s juvenile records, it was all speculation. It didn’t seem like Jared
hated his father or was afraid of him; just that they didn’t have that kind of
easy father-son relationship that Jensen had with his own dad.
 
“Hey, JD, if you see Samantha, could you let her know that I’m looking for
her?”
 
“Sure, son, sure.”
 
Jensen grinned, seeing his mother speaking with her guests. “And why don’t you
ask my mother for a dance, you sly dog. I know you’ve been eyeing her up all
day.”
 
Jensen thought that seeing JD blush like a schoolboy made his year.
 
***
 
Jensen was smoking a cigar in the private lounge, sitting with Jared and their
close friends. With just a few glasses of champagne, Sophia had stopped giving
him a death glare and managed to be civil and extremely witty. Chad continued
to look at Jensen, trying to figure him out, Jensen supposed. Good luck there,
Jensen though and chuckled to himself.
 
Tommy and Mike were regaling them of their favorite stories of Jensen doing
stupid things – falling out of their boat during an armada race; getting kicked
in the ribs and breaking four of them when Jensen thought he could break in a
new thoroughbred for polo; or the time when Jensen went on a blind date that
Christian set up and how Jensen ended up in a Mexican jail for an hour. Jensen
laughed, shaking his head.
 
“I can’t believe you guys remembered all of that,” he said, wiping his eyes.
 
“Mr Ackles.”
 
Jensen looked up to see Samantha standing nearby. He stood up, setting his
cigar in the ashtray. “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.”
 
He led Samantha into an empty area of the lounge. “I wanted to ask you about
the report that you’re working on.”
 
“It’s done. Alona was kind enough to deliver it to your penthouse. She said
that she left it on your dining room table – don’t worry, it’s in a sealed
enveloped addressed to you.”
 
“Give me the highlights – what the hell was in Jared’s sealed juvenile
records?”
 
Samantha shook her head. “I wasn’t able to have them opened; and I didn’t want
to push it. But I found corroborating information – I suspect that was the
reason why his juvenile record was sealed.”
 
“Well, tell me—“
 
She shook her head. “I’d rather now say anything, Mr Ackles. I think it’s best
if you read through the entire document, not take anything out of context.”
 
Jensen nodded, rubbing his hand over his face. “Thank you, Samantha. I
appreciate the time you put into this.”
 
She gave him a small smile, but he thought she looked rather sad. “Of course,
Mr Ackles.”
 
Now, all Jensen had to do was figure out a way to get himself home – how the
hell was he supposed to leave his own wedding reception and without Jared?
Shit.
 
“Something wrong?” Jared said, walking towards him.
 
Jensen smiled. “No, no…just business.” He patted Jared on the back. “So, you
want another glass of port wine?”
 
Jared snorted, already slightly buzzed. “Are you trying to get me drunk,
Jensen?”
 
No, I’m trying to figure out why you have a sealed juvenile record and if your
dad abused you – and if so, I’m going to have to fucking destroy him.
 
“Of course not,” Jensen said, smirking. “What kind of guy do you think I am?”
He saw Jared’s pointed look and rolled his eyes. “Don’t answer that if you know
what’s good for you.”
 
***
 
It was nearly 2 in the morning when Jensen dragged Jared back to the penthouse.
Even though he was tall, the boy could not handle his liquor.
 
“Come on, man, a little help. You weigh a ton.”
 
“I don’t – it’s muscle mass, muscles weighs more than fat,” Jared protested,
giggling against Jensen’s shoulder. “You’re just short and skinny. You don’t
have a lot of muscle mass.”
 
“Excuse me, I am neither short nor skinny and I have plenty of muscle mass,
thank you very much,” Jensen said, pushing Jared onto the living room couch.
“Jesus…okay, just stay there for a second, okay?”
 
“Hey,” Jared said, grabbing Jensen’s hand and pulling him closer. But Jared
pulled too hard and Jensen nearly fell over Jared, barely catching his weight
on the low back of the couch.
 
“Christ! Jared – man, you’re drunk and—“
 
“You kissed me—“
 
“It’s kind of the thing you do at the end of a ceremony.”
 
“You’re pretty for a guy.”
 
Jensen snorted, rolling his eyes. “Well, you’re…fucking gorgeous.”
 
Jared narrowed his hazel cat eyes, looking up at Jensen. “You kissed me like
you were going to throw me on the ground and fuck me in front of everyone.”
 
Jensen opened his mouth to deny it, but then just shrugged and gave Jared a
small grin. “Yeah, well…can’t blame a guy, huh?”
 
“You wanna kiss me now?”
 
Jensen’s grin turned into a wolfish smile. “Oh yeah…” He leaned down and saw
that Jared was still staring at him, but he was obviously anxious and nervous.
Jensen could feel him shaking again him. “What’s wrong?”
 
Jared sighed and turned his face away, closing his eyes. “Just do it, all
right.”
 
“Umm…that’s not exactly inviting, Jared.” Jensen said, trying to make light of
it. “And besides, you’re too drunk and you’ll probably try to kill me in the
morning for taking advantage. Come on, let’s go. I’ll walk you back to your
room.”
 
He pulled Jared into a sitting position and then helped him stand, holding him
as he swayed. He heard Jared sigh and grabbed unto Jensen’s shoulder as they
walked through the dining room area and down the hall to Jared’s suite.
 
Jensen saw the large document envelope sitting innocently on the dining room
table. He swallowed hard and ignored it.
 
Jared fumbled with the doorknob and twisted it. He pushed open the door and
giggled as Jensen helped him inside.
 
“Jesus, you really do weigh a ton,” Jensen complained, then put Jared on the
large bed. He took off Jared’s dress shoes and had to wrestle him in order to
take off the jacket and tie. “Come on…you can help me.”
 
“Sleep now,” Jared mumbled, his eyes closed.
 
Jensen tried to arrange him on the bed and gave him when Jared started to
breathe deeply, snoring softly. He dragged the comforter from underneath him
and covered him with it, then just stared down at his legal husband with part
amusement and part regret. Any other time, Jensen would’ve taken Jared up on
his offer, would’ve taken him right there on the couch – but he found that he
couldn’t. Not now. Not with all of these secrets between them.
 
“See you later,” Jensen whispered, reaching down to caress Jared’s head, his
fingers lingering to feel the soft hair.
 
He stood in the door way for a long moment, just watching Jared sleep. He
closed the door slightly, but left it ajar, and then made his way back into the
dining room. He stood beside the table for a long moment and just stared at the
envelope until his curiosity overcame any good sense to shred the whole damn
thing and he picked it up, walking towards his bedroom.
 
Well, it wasn’t how he wanted to spend his night as a married man, but now, he
would know whatever secrets Jared was keeping from him.
***** Chapter 11 *****
Part Five: “In Business, Transparency is Key”
 
Jensen took another long swallow of scotch straight from the near empty bottle.
He’d been reading the documents for hours now, the first light of dawn reaching
into his bedroom. He spread out the dozen black and white photographs on his
bed, pressing his hand over his mouth, back against the headboard. He had never
seen anything like this before.
 
They all featured Jared – at age 16, he was the epitome of tall, gangly, and
awkward teen who was just learning how to use his long limbs. He was skinny,
but healthy. His school yearbook picture showed a young man who was cheerful
and on the cusp of growing up to be a handsome man – the wide smile, the
dimples, the way his cat eyes tilted in happiness.
 
At age 16, Jared was a sophomore at St Stephens Episcopal, a prestigious
private day and boarding school in San Antonio. According to Jared’s high
school records, he was a straight A honor student, active in basketball and
student clubs, popular, a class clown, and well liked by his teachers.
Basically, he was the kind of person that was recruited by the Ivy League
schools.
 
But something happened in Jared’s junior year of high school. His high school
reports were flawless and then all of a sudden, his report card suddenly had
comments from his teachers such as “need to make-up midterm exam” and “have not
yet submitted two research papers for this class” and his straight A grades
went to Bs and Cs. He dropped out of his student clubs and he barely made it to
his basketball practices and games, going from starter to benchwarmer in one
season.
 
But it was the pictures that Jensen couldn’t stop staring at that told a
different story; a story that made Jensen want to vomit.
 
Jared at age 16 had two black eyes, split lips, reddened cheeks, various broken
bones, and more bruises on his body than Jensen could count – and not the kind
of bruises that occurred from playing sports. These were bruises put there by a
fist. Jesus, Jensen thought, he’d never seen anything like this. These were the
photographs that the hospital ER took on the four separate occasions that Jared
was brought in – once by his older sister McKenna, twice by Chad, and the last
time by someone named Josh Holloway.
 
Joshua Lee Holloway: rich, a self-made man, independent, free-thinking, a
hippie but corporate in his blood. One of George Padalecki’s business
associates. Of course Jensen knew the name of the maverick tech multi-
millionaire – he knew about how Josh had died from an accidental in his home.
It had made a small blip in the local news.
 
Samantha was able to put together the timeline from when Josh Holloway came
into contact with the Padalecki family and with Jared, and to him signing his
name on the hospital paperwork for Jared’s broken arm and bloody nose.
 
Jensen needed another swig of scotch, his eyes blurry. He wiped his face with
his hands and took a shuddering breath, flipping through Samantha’s orderly
notes.
 
Josh Holloway was 30-years old when he and George Padalecki met to discuss a
business venture that would profit both of their companies. Holloway Technology
was a growing tech firm with four major military contracts that put Holloway
Tech on the map. George Padalecki knew a good thing when he saw it.
 
“And he’s not above using Jared to seal a business deal,” Jensen murmured,
disgustedly.
 
But 16-year old Jared was in love with Josh. He was wooed by the older man and
persuaded his parents – no doubt to their financial advantage – to allow them
to marry. George was more than happy to make sure it happened at all costs.
 
“Jesus,” Jensen croaked, taking another long drink. “Fucking bastard.”
 
He continued reading Samantha’s notes – he read the contract that George and
Josh signed - $120 million negotiated: Jared’s fair market value at age 16.
 
Jensen didn’t want to think how cheaply Jared was bought this time around with
his $55 million merger deal. “Fuck.”
 
Jensen clenched his hand and closed his eyes for another moment, taking a deep
breath. He stared down at the page, biting his lip as he read more.
 
“…apparently funding the launch of The Padalecki Company to PDK International.
Holloway had completely wooed not just Jared but George and Sheryl. Holloway’s
generosity did not have limits at first; often using his wealth to barter for
Jared’s time, taking him out of school for several days at a time during his
junior year. Holloway and Jared were married in a very private civil ceremony
in the summer before Jared’s junior year with his parents’ full consent. They
spent four weeks traveling through Asia, Australia, and New Zealand; Holloway
didn’t skimp, first class accommodations everywhere they went. From my
interviews with witnesses during this time, it was reported that Jared was very
much in love with Holloway, despite the age difference. Unfortunately, after
they returned from the honeymoon, restrictions were put on Jared. Jared was not
allowed to visit his friends, he was not allowed to make any purchases without
permission, and he was rarely allowed to leave Holloway’s mansion without
Holloway’s approval or presence…taken from witness testimony of Jared’s three
close friends during the Holloway murder trial…”
 
“Jesus…murder.”
 
Jensen continued drinking, tilting the bottle until he caught the last of the
scotch. He made a disgusted face at the empty bottle and dropped it on the
floor beside the bed.
 
The police report on Josh’s death showed that Jared made the 911 call. He
admitted to pushing Josh out of self defense, that he did not intend to kill
him. He was charged as a juvenile and released into his parents’ custody.
 
“Jared’s sealed juvenile records,” Jensen murmured, staring at Samantha’s
report. He sighed, pressing his head against the headboard, staring up at the
ceiling. It was bright in his room now.
 
Samantha noted that while there was a trial, due to Jared being only 17-years
old and a minor, it was a closed courtroom trial and Jared was not convicted;
the hospital photos of continued spousal abuse and witness depositions by Chad,
Sophia, and Sandy – as well as George’s name and money – persuaded the
Prosecutor and the State to quietly close the case. His juvenile records were
sealed and Jared was quickly transferred to Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut
where he repeated his junior year and then graduated.
 
And the constant working out and muscle building – no, Jared wasn’t skinny
anymore. He wasn’t going to let anyone beat him up anymore.
 
“For fuck’s sake!”
 
That explained why Jared flinched away from him; explained why Jared was so
angry at his parents for doing this to him again; explained why Jared’s friends
were so protective of him, especially when it looked like it was happening all
over again; explained why Jared wouldn’t sleep with him – and that offer from
the night before on the couch – that wasn’t an invitation, that was something
Jared thought he had to give in trade, an obligation. Jensen groaned, bending
his legs and putting his feet on the bed. Jensen was a lot of things, but he
wasn’t a rapist. He dropped the neatly organized notes on the bed and just
stared at the blank wall across the room.
 
***
 
His head was knocking on wood and Jensen moaned, turning on his back. He
pressed his palms over his eyes, feeling dirty and sick. He fell off the bed
and made it into the bathroom, vomiting into the toilet. He dry heaved for a
few minutes, then sat down on the cool floor, panting. He reached up and
flushed the toilet, coughing to clear his throat.
 
He pulled himself to the sink and waved his hand to start the water, cupping it
in his hands and rinsing his mouth. He splashed water on his face and then took
a long, long drink. He stared at his face in the mirror.
 
Was he any better than Josh Holloway? They were the same age when they married
Jared. They both made deals with Jared’s father. Jensen had wanted to control
various parts of Jared’s life. Jensen hadn’t approved of some of the things
that Jared did. Jensen had wanted Jared for selfish reasons.
 
He sighed, looking away from his reflection. He walked back into his bedroom
and gasped, putting his hand over his mouth. Jared was standing by his bed,
looking down at the photographs and the documents strewn across his comforter.
 
“Jared.” Oh shit, oh fuck, oh God.
 
Jared picked up one of the hospital photographs, the one where he had welts on
his back. “I loved him so much, you know. I thought he was going to be the kind
of man that I always wanted. I would’ve done anything for him.” He sighed,
shaking his head. “Anything.”
 
Jensen stood in the doorway of the bathroom, staring at him.
 
Jared dropped the photograph on the bed and looked at the other ones. He bit
his lip and then looked at Jensen. “I did kill him. I pushed him down the
stairs in our house during a fight. I told him it was the last time, but he
just laughed at me and told me that he had paid my father a lot of money to
have me. He was going to punch me again, so I pushed him away. I watched as his
neck twisted and he was dead by the time he hit the floor. I just wanted him to
stop beating me.”
 
Jensen slid his hand down his face. “I’m so sorry, Jared. You were just a kid.”
 
“You know, I’ve been too afraid to date anyone since Josh,” Jared said,
coughing out a short laugh. “It’s been nine years and I haven’t let myself get
close to anyone…I thought I could try…with you.”
 
Jensen swallowed. “It’s not too late. Now that I know…it doesn’t matter to me
what happened in the past.”
 
“It matters to me. I would’ve told you, Jensen, if you had just waited until I
could trust you. I really wanted to trust you. I hope you found out everything
you wanted – it looks like whoever did the investigation did a pretty thorough
job,” Jared said, softly. He slid his hands around his waist and chest, trying
to figure out what to do with his hands. “I saw that your door was opened so I
just came in to see if you wanted to go have lunch…but I don’t think I feel
like eating now.”
 
“Jared, we can talk—“ Jensen said, moving in front of Jared. He saw Jared
inhale quickly, his body tensing, and Jensen shook his head, putting up his
hands to show that he wasn’t going to do anything, and stepped away quickly. “I
just…”
 
Jared walked out of Jensen’s bedroom and turned to look at him. “I think you’re
right, Jensen; I think if we kept our marriage open like you wanted, it would
be the best for both of us.”
 
Jensen watched as Jared walked down the hallway. He could hear Jared close his
door, the lock twisting and echoing across the silent rooms.
 
He leaned against the doorway of the bathroom. How the hell did he tell Jared
that he changed his mind, that he didn’t want an open marriage anymore?
 
And why would Jared believe him after everything?
 
***
 
“Chris! Christian!” Jensen yelled, banging his fist on Christian’s front door.
“Chris! Damn it! Open the door!”
 
Christian opened the door, glaring at him. “What the fuck is your problem, Jen?
Jesus!”
 
Jensen pushed past Christian as he walked inside, pacing in the hallway.
“Chris, I need to know if I can get my marriage annulled and how it will impact
my position as Ackles Corp CEO and my trust fund.”
 
Christian blinked, shaking his head. “What?”
 
“An annulment, Chris, that’s the answer – I can’t get divorced, but if I can
get my marriage annulled, like it never happened – I need to know how that will
affect my business.”
 
“Why the hell do you want to get your marriage annulled? You just got married
yesterday in front of half of Texas! What the hell is going on?”
 
Jensen kept pacing, his hands clenched in fists, shaking his head.
 
“I can’t help you, Jen, if you don’t tell me what’s wrong,” Christian said, in
his reasonable lawyer tone.
 
Jensen gave him a sharp look. “Don’t patronize me, boy. Just find out what I
need to know and give me a call later.”
 
Jensen opened the door and left Christian’s house as quickly as he came.
 
***
 
Jensen pulled into the parking lot of Starbucks and sat in his car for a
moment. He clenched his hands on the steering wheel and closed his eyes, taking
a deep breath. He wanted to go back to the penthouse and talk to Jared, to
explain everything, to reassure him that he’d fix it or make it work. But he
also wanted to give Jared some space and give him time to adjust to Jensen
knowing what happened in his past.
 
He wanted to tell Jared that he was sorry he pried into his past, that he broke
Jared’s trust, but he was willing to do anything to get Jared to trust him.
 
He pushed open the door to his car and stepped out, heading into Starbucks.
He’d buy some coffee, sit outside for a little while, and just think things
through.
 
He wanted to drive to the Padalecki’s house and punch George in the face.
 
He ordered his usual venti coffee black and took it to one of the small café
tables outside. He sat down, staring morosely at the table, trying to figure
out how he would approach this – approach Jared. It was obvious that Jared was
hurt that Jensen dragged this out into the open between them. And fuck, there
was no way that Jensen was going to allow either of them to have an open
marriage. No fucking way. No one was going to touch Jared again. Well, Jensen
reconsidered, no one but maybe him – if Jared allowed it.
 
“Hey, cowboy.”
 
He looked up and stifled his groan, seeing Chace walking towards him.
 
“Chace.”
 
“Mind if I sit?”
 
“Actually, I do mind—“
 
Chace sat down, putting his sunglasses on the table. He gave Jensen a long look
and then grinned. “Why is it that every time I see you, Jared is nowhere to be
seen?”
 
“You’ve only seen me one time without Jared.”
 
Chace gave him a predatory grin. “Yeah, good times…though, you could always
invite me over and see if Jared wants to play.”
 
“Sorry, that’s never going to happen.”
 
Chace shrugged, grinning. “Suit yourself then.”
 
Jensen took a sip of his coffee and then glanced at Chace. “So you went to
school with him at St Stephens.”
 
“Yeah.”
 
“What was he like?”
 
Chace rolled his eyes. “Tall, geeky – Jared was a total klutz. He was always
banged up – black eye, broken bones, bruises – I guess it just comes with the
territory of being that tall as a teenager.”
 
“What about the older guy that Jared was dating?”
 
“All I remember is that he was this hot, hippy looking guy, about twice Jared’s
age, and Jared was like his little puppy dog, always following him around and
doing whatever he told him to do.” Chace cracked a laugh. “It was pretty funny,
really.”
 
Jensen wanted to pour his hot coffee on Chace’s lap. “Was it?”
 
“I don’t want to talk about Jared…I’d much rather talk about you,” Chace said,
leaning closer and caressing Jensen’s face. “Come back to my place.”
 
Jensen jerked away from him, scowling. “It was just a one night stand. I’m not
interested.”
 
“Whatever,” Chace said, shrugging. “It’s just sex, Jensen, you don’t have to
get all riled up and offended.”
 
Jensen stared at him for a long moment, seeing himself in Chace, and is
completely disgusted with himself and with Chace. “I think you ought to fuck
off, Crawford. Don’t come near me again.”
 
Jensen stood up to leave as Chace laughed softly.
 
***
 
The penthouse was quiet and dark when Jensen walked in. He spent the rest of
the night driving around Dallas, just sitting in his car, drinking cold coffee,
afraid to go home in case Jared had packed up and left. So when he saw the
strip of light under Jared’s door, he was relieved and grateful that Jared was
still there. That meant something to him. It meant that he had a chance to make
things right between them.
 
He walked down the hall to his bedroom, flipping on the lights. He stared at
the papers gathered on the chair near the bed. With a groan, he fell on the bed
and picked up the remote, turning on the flat screen. He scrolled through
various channels, not really looking for anything to watch.
 
He sat up and frowned when he saw a grainy videotape of him sitting at
Starbucks with Chace. “God damn it!”
 
“…young Hollywood actor, Chace Crawford, was seen relaxing back in his hometown
of Dallas, Texas. It looks likes Chace isn’t afraid of making the first move,
seen here with just married Jensen Ackles. If you remember, Jensen was
embroiled in another tabloid scandal – being caught with his pants down at a
local Dallas nightclub just weeks before his wedding. And now, it looks like
Jensen is still playing the field – no less than 24 hours since he said his
wedding vows. Trouble in paradise already for Jensen and Jared? Stay tuned…”
 
Jensen turned off the television and threw the remote on the bed. He covered
his face with his hands and rubbed over the top of his head. Things couldn’t
get any worse. His cell phone rang and he pulled it from his jacket pocket,
looking at the incoming call ID on the screen. Chad Michael Murray.
 
“Damn it.”
***** Chapter 12 *****
“Damn it.”
 
Jensen rolled his eyes, his thumb hovering over the call pick up button on his
Blackberry. He sighed, pressing it and putting the phone to his ear. “Yeah.”
 
“Goddamn it, Ackles,” Chad said, softly. “What the hell have you done?”
 
“Look, that tabloid bullshit is really getting on my nerves. It was completely
innocent! Fucking Crawford started to get a little too familiar with me and the
damn paparazzi caught it on film. That’s the end of the story, Murray, don’t
fucking give me any grief.”
 
Jensen paused, waiting for it. All he heard was Chad’s deep sigh.
 
“Jared doesn’t care about the tabloids. Jensen…he just called me about what you
did – the investigation, man. What the hell is your problem? I thought we
talked about this.“
 
“I think I deserved to know—“
 
“You don’t deserve anything,” Chad said, his voice even. “You weren’t there,
man. You can read your reports all you want or look at his hospital pictures,
but they don’t tell you the whole story. You didn’t have to see your best
friend abused by someone who supposedly loved him; you weren’t there to take
him to the hospital, bleeding everywhere, bones broken, and no one – no fucking
one – did anything to stop Holloway. Not even his parents.”
 
Jensen swallowed, rubbing his hand over his face. “Yeah…I know.”
 
“No, you don’t know,” Chad said. “Sometimes, I can’t believe that Jared can
function like a normal human being after what happened to him.”
 
Jensen couldn’t believe it either; he wondered if he should help Jared find a
counselor or something.
 
“Look, man, he’s – he’s still fucking defending you!” Chad hissed into the
phone. “Whatever you did to him – you just have to stop it. You’re messing with
his mind.”
 
“I’m not messing with his mind,” Jensen protested, hotly. “Now that I know what
happened, I can help him.”
 
“Oh really? What could you possibly do for him that we haven’t thought of in
the past nine years? Hmmm? I’d like to know what the great Jensen Ackles thinks
he can do better than we – Jared’s closest friends - haven’t already tried.”
 
“Shit. I didn’t mean it like that.”
 
Chad made a sound that was a cross between a snort and a gasp. “Yeah. Look,
he’s been hurt so bad, he really doesn’t need you to add to it. The best thing
you can do is…I don’t know. Even if you get a divorce – you really fucked it up
for him by making the wedding so goddamn public. It doesn’t matter where he
goes after this – everyone will know his business…and it’s only a matter of
time that people start putting two and two together.”
 
“I won’t let that happen.”
 
“Dude, you can’t even control the fucking tabloids and the paparazzi on your
ass, how the hell do you think you’ll be able to do anything to protect Jared’s
privacy?”
 
Jensen nodded to himself, pressing his hand over his eyes. “The good thing
about being the ‘great Jensen Ackles’ is that I have more money than God and
I’m not afraid to use it.”
 
Chad made a noise that sounded like a laugh. “Yeah, we’ll see.”
 
“Look, I appreciate that you’re his best friend, but he’s my husband and I’m
going to do whatever I can to make sure that he is protected,” Jensen said,
putting his hand on his stomach. He was feeling anxious and queasy, like there
was something hallowing out in his gut.
 
“Don’t end up being a bastard like Holloway, man,” Chad said, sharply. “Jared
lives in total guilt over Holloway’s accident – but I wouldn’t feel bad if I
knocked your sorry ass down the stairs.”
 
Jensen frowned, rolling his eyes. “I’ll make sure to notify security.”
 
“You’re a putz, Ackles. You better fix this.”
 
A part of Jensen wanted to retort ‘or what’ but he didn’t; he understood how
Chad felt, even though he was a prick for trying to tell Jensen what to do. If
he weren’t Jared’s fucking best friend…
 
Jensen sighed. “I will.”
 
“Tell me something,” Chad said, deliberately softly. “Why’s it so important to
you? Why do you even care? It’s not like you married him because you loved him.
You wanted a trophy husband. You go out and fuck everyone willing. Why do you
care about Jared’s past – why do you make the effort?”
 
Jensen stared at the floor, blinking. He…he really didn’t know how to answer
that. Anything he said would’ve sounded like it was pity or…or he was feeling
guilty about it. But that didn’t make any sense either. He took a deep breath
and shrugged to himself. “I don’t know…I don’t think I was very fair with him
about all this and…well, maybe I want to make amends.”
 
Chad snorted. “Make amends. Right, man, whatever you say.”
 
He hung up before Jensen could ask what the hell Chad was talking about.
Instead, he ended the call and threw his cell phone on his bed. He took a deep
breath and walked out of his bedroom, crossing the penthouse until he stood
outside Jared’s door.
 
He raised his hand to knock, but stopped, staring at the pale colored wood. He
closed his eyes – it was now or never – and he knocked softly.
 
Not a sound.
 
Jensen cleared his throat and knocked again. “Jared?”
 
Nothing.
 
“Jared…I’d like to talk. Would you come out for just a few minutes please?”
 
He heard the soft creak of Jared getting off the bed. The heavy footsteps came
to the door and stopped. He wondered if Jared was just standing there, trying
to make up his mind about opening the door.
 
“It’s all right,” Jensen said, soothingly. “I can just talk from here if you’re
listening.”
 
Silence. A soft sniffle.
 
“I always seem to be apologizing to you for one thing or another,” Jensen said,
sighing. He leaned against the door jam, staring at the floor. “But I am sorry.
For the record, that tabloid thing on TV, that was a total lie. I didn’t do
anything with Crawford.”
 
Jensen nearly missed the door opening softly. He stood up straight, taking a
step back from the opening door. He looked up to see Jared, his handsome face
pale and drawn. He had dark circles under his eyes, his hair unkempt and oily.
“Hey.”
 
“Did you sleep with him before or after the wedding ceremony?”
 
Jensen opened his mouth and closed it. He winced, shaking his head. “It was
before the wedding.”
 
Jared moved to close the door, but Jensen shook his head.
 
“Jared, wait. I…I only slept with him because I thought he’d tell me more about
you.”
 
“That’s lame, even for you, man.”
 
“I know it doesn’t mean anything but I don’t want anything more to do with him.
It wasn’t worth it,” Jensen said, looking into Jared’s hazel eyes. “I don’t
want to be with anyone else.”
 
Jared gave him a puzzled look. “That’s kind of convenient for you, isn’t it?
You’ve had your fill so now it’s all fine and good and I’m expected to just
fall in line, is that it?”
 
“No—“
 
“You know, I’ve been dreading the day when someone found out about Josh,” Jared
said, making a face. “I was always so worried that people would find out and
what they’d think of me. My parents moved us out to Dallas from San Antonio;
they sent me to school out of state where no one knew me; and I end up married
to the tabloid prince of the city.”
 
“I can—“
 
“You see, Jensen, I’ve hid for nine years, scared about living. Maybe it’s time
that I go out and meet people – see what I’ve been missing all this time.”
 
Jensen frowned at that, biting his lower lip. “Do you want to meet other
people…”
 
“That’s not the point,” Jared said, glaring at him.
 
“I really want to make this work…I’ve asked Chris to research if we could get
the marriage annulled. The provisions of the contract won’t allow us to divorce
and divorce is so ugly anyway but—“
 
Jared snorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “That’s great. So
you’ll just leave me to the wolves. That’ll be great tabloid fodder.”
 
Jensen sighed, nodding. “Yeah…I know it’s not going to be good but…I wanted you
to have an out if you really want it.”
 
Jared gave him a long look. “Jensen, why do you want to make this work? You
don’t love me. You might think I’m a challenge, but I’m really not.”
 
“I—“ Jensen gave him a small, perplexed smile. “That is…uh…I do like you.”
 
“I thought you just wanted to fuck me.”
 
“I won’t deny that I would like to be intimate with you,” Jensen said, softly.
He met Jared’s eyes. “And I’d never hurt you like the way Josh did.”
 
“Famous last words,” Jared replied, looking away.
 
“I do like you, Jared.”
 
“I don’t need your pity, Jensen.”
 
Jensen knew he wasn’t making any sense; but he couldn’t put into words why he
wanted the marriage to work. Jensen could make anything work. It was his
talent, his skill, his craft – he was innovative and bold, he had the qualities
to take something that no one expected would work – and make it work; but not
only that, he’d make it become something special.
 
He didn’t think Jared would be very understanding if he told Jared this.
 
Instead, he said, “it’s not pity. You deserve understanding.”
 
Jared looked at him, biting his lip. “Maybe you do like me, but that’s not
enough to make a marriage work.”
 
Even one where your husband nearly killed you? Something must’ve shown on
Jensen’s face when he looked at Jared, because Jared frowned, dropping his arms
to his sides, his hands clenching.
 
“I may have been young and insecure – I was fucking naïve – but I know what
it’s like to love someone. I loved Josh. I stayed with him because I believed
in my marriage vows. Yeah, he was a mean drunk and he was possessive and
jealous and he was cruel and hurtful – but I know what it feels to love
someone, even someone like him.” Jared said, sharply.
 
“I wasn’t trying to imply anything.”
 
“So you liking me just isn’t enough for me to ‘make it work’.” Jared sighed,
putting his hand on the door. “When have you ever loved anyone but yourself? Do
you even know how to love someone?”
 
“That’s not fair, Jared,” he said, looking up at him.
 
“No, it’s not. Let me know if the marriage can be annulled,” he said, closing
the door.
 
Jensen stared at the shut door and wanted to knock on the door again, find a
way to get Jared to open it so that they could talk. But he knew that he
couldn’t push it with Jared. He couldn’t make demands. He couldn’t say all the
things that he wanted to say.
 
***
 
Jensen signed his name on the transfer of funds and placed the fountain pen on
the desk. He looked at Jeffrey Dean who was smiling at him widely.
 
“Congratulations, Jen.”
 
“Thank you, JD.”
 
Jeffrey Dean gave his a curious look. “I thought you’d be a little more
ecstatic about finally having access to your $10 billion trust fund.”
 
Jensen gave a small grin. “I’m…I have a question.”
 
“Christian said you wanted to know how an annulment will impact your position
as CEO and your inheritance.”
 
Jensen looked at him, surprised.
 
“I’m your family’s estate executor,” Jeffrey Dean said, smiling kindly. “There
are no secrets in the Ackles family with me. Tell me, what is it? Why would you
want to annul your marriage to Jared? He’s a fine young man; good head on his
shoulders. I would think he’d be a strong partner for someone with your
personality and temperament.”
 
“It wasn’t a marriage of love, JD.”
 
Jeffrey Dean shrugged. “A lot of marriages aren’t always about love, son, but
that doesn’t mean it can’t become a marriage of love.”
 
“What about the annulment?”
 
Jeffrey Dean sighed, leaning in his chair. “Your Grand daddy wasn’t a fool when
he made those provisions – a marriage has to exist in order for you to keep
what you have; you can’t just get married one day, get your trust fund, and
then not be married anymore. Grand daddy Ackles believed in death till us part.
It was all about longevity for him – binding the Ackles bloodline for
generations.”
 
Jensen snorted. “Grand daddy always did have some pretty outdated opinions.”
 
“Well, yes and no,” Jeffrey Dean said, smiling. “He was an optimist, that man.
He knew that there was cowboy blood in Ackles men; he thought that if they had
to settle down, that it would make the men happy in the end. Your Grand daddy
was certainly happy after he married and that wasn’t a marriage of love either.
It was a marriage of oil and gold, but he fell in love with your Nanna and they
never regretted it.”
 
Jensen sighed, drumming his fingers on the table. So no way out for Jared; or
for him.
 
***
 
Christian took a large gulp of his water, staring at Jensen. “Shit.”
 
“Yeah.”
 
“His parents basically sold him to Holloway and then turned their backs on him
while Holloway was hurting him?”
 
Jensen nodded, pushing his plate away. He couldn’t stomach anymore food.
 
“And…” Christian cleared his throat, leaning towards him. “And you made the
same deal with his parents.”
 
“Aren’t I a fucking prince?”
 
“Jesus,” Christian said, sighing. He sat back in his chair and then glanced at
Jensen. “You’re an asshole.”
 
“Hey, I didn’t know.”
 
“Not about what happened in Jared’s past – just how you went about finding
out,” Christian said, scowling. “The kid deserved to keep his secrets, man.”
 
Jensen turned to him. “I know that, all right? I should’ve just shredded the
damn thing – but…I didn’t know it was going to be something like this! And I’m
nothing like fucking Josh Holloway. I’d never—“
 
“All right, calm down,” Christian said, sighing. “So what are you going to do?”
 
Jensen fiddled with the fork and looked up at him. “Hell if I know.”
 
“Can I ask you a question, Jen?”
 
“Yeah.”
 
“You like him, don’t you?”
 
Jensen blinked, looking at him. “Well…I…yeah.”
 
“You – you like him.” Christian said, chuckling. “Jen, I think you might
actually like this kid.”
 
“Fuck, don’t call him kid, all right?”
 
“Does he know?”
 
“Know what?”
 
“That you like him.”
 
Jensen rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure I made that clear.”
 
“Knowing you, he probably thinks you just want to fuck him,” Christian said,
snorting. Jensen stared at the table. Christian laughed softly. “Oh man, Jen, I
can’t…you really are a moron, you know that? You should tell him how you feel
about him.”
 
Jensen laughed this time. “How I feel about him? What are we? Fourteen year old
girls?”
 
“Listen to me, Jensen,” Christian said, clearing his throat. “I think you
should take some time and examine the reasons why you’ve acted so out of
character about Jared. Normally, you’d just fuck them and leave; or not fuck
them and leave. But Jared…you’re different with him.”
 
Jensen made a face at him. “Right. Okay.”
 
“You sure you’re not, you know, kind of falling for him?” Christian teased,
grinning at him.
 
“Give me a break, okay?” Jensen said, dismissing Christian’s question and
rolling his eyes.
 
***
 
Jensen walked into his office to see his mother standing by the windows,
looking out at the cityscape. “Mother.”
 
She turned, giving him a pretty smile. “Jensen, darling.”
 
He closed the door and crossed the room to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m
surprised to see you here.”
 
“Well, I feel that I need to say something about your public behavior,” she
said, taking his arm and leading him towards the couch.
 
Jensen blushed, ducking his head. “Umm…yes…”
 
“You’re being very unfair to Jared, dear.” She said, sitting down and crossing
her legs. Jensen nodded, looking away. If she only knew how unfair he was being
to Jared. “I’m not stupid, Jensen, and I wasn’t born yesterday. I’ve always
known about your dalliances with young men and women. I don’t condone your more
outrageous reputation, but you’re my son, and I adore you. I know you’re a good
man. But it’s time to draw the line.”
 
Jensen nodded. “I know.”
 
“You’re a grown man now, but you’ll never be too old for a reprimand,” she
said, lightly.
 
Jensen looked at her and grinned at her teasing tone.
 
“You’re a married man; it’s not just about you anymore,” Diana said, sighing.
“And the tabloids have been unkind to you…but you do know that you bring a lot
of it on yourself.”
 
“I know, mother,” he said, leaning on the couch.
 
“Jared’s mother is nearly frantic with worry.”
 
Jensen frowned, looking away. He boiled under his skin, feeling his heart start
to race. If only he could tell her exactly what miserable hypocrites Jared’s
parents were – but then, he would have to explain that he was no better, too.
He was a lot of things, but he couldn’t reveal just what kind of a bastard he
was to his mother.
 
“I didn’t think Sheryl and George could see beyond their own little world.”
 
Diana rolled her eyes. “Yes, well, Sheryl and George are lovely enough, but I
find them too ambitious. However, we’re all family now.”
 
Jensen snorted, looking away.
 
“I know you asked for an open marriage,” she said, gently. Jensen swallowed and
looked at her. Of course she’d know – she knew everything. “I don’t think you
are being fair to yourself. I know you only married so quickly because you
wanted to keep your position with the company and to access your inheritance –
but that doesn’t mean you can’t be happy with Jared. You’re an Ackles and
Ackles men prize what belongs to them. And you can try to convince yourself
that you’d be happy, taking other lovers; but the moment Jared takes his first
lover outside of your marriage, you’ll be filled with jealousy and anger. I
know your temperament. You’ve never had to share anything that you’ve truly
wanted for yourself.”
 
Jensen clasped his hands, closing his eyes. He nodded, leaning into her soft
touch on his cheek.
 
“Tell me about your husband.”
 
“He’s a good man,” he said, looking at her. He smiled to himself. “He’s smart
and he’ll make a name for himself. He’s not happy with me right now…but I’m
trying to make things right between us.”
 
Diana stroked his head. “I know you’ll do your best. I’d expect nothing less
from you, Jensen.”
 
“Thank you.”
 
She moved closer and kissed his cheek. “I do wish you’d let yourself be happy.”
 
***
 
Jensen crossed the UT campus slowly, hands in his pockets. He knew Jared would
be studying at the Derm and he wanted to see if Jared wanted to join him for an
early dinner at Downtown Diner.
 
He was walking towards the front of the library when he heard the echo of
Jared’s throaty laugh across the quad. He smiled, quickening his pace – and
stopped. His smile quickly became something else when he saw Jared laughing
with David.
 
Fucking Boreanaz…what the hell was he doing on the UT campus – and what the
hell was he doing with Jared? He took a step and stood behind the large stone
statue near the library, watching them. David was dressed in casual clothes and
he had his meaty hand on Jared’s shoulder, laughing as well. He watched as
Jared picked up his messenger bag and slung it around his shoulder. He and
David talked, but Jensen couldn’t hear what they said. He stood behind the
statue and watched David slide his hand across Jared’s back, grinning goofily.
Jared leaned his head closer to David and then laughed at something David said.
Jensen watched them as they walked past the library.
 
Jensen narrowed his eyes, hands clenching into a tight fist. What the fuck was
going on? Was Jared totally playing him?
 
***
 
Jensen sat in the plush armchair in the living room and stared at Jared when he
walked into the penthouse. “How was your day?”
 
“It was fine,” Jared said, taking his messenger bag off his shoulders and
putting it on the floor.
 
“I went to the Derm to see if you wanted to catch dinner.”
 
Jared gave Jensen a long look. “Why didn’t you—“
 
“I saw you with David.”
 
Jared blinked, frowning slightly. “And…”
 
“I didn’t know that the two of you were so close,” Jensen said, evenly. He
tapped his fingers against the arm of the chair, watching him. “I mean, the
only time I saw you two interact was at the ski lodge.”
 
Jared sighed, walking towards Jensen. “And you think what – that I’m fucking
him?”
 
“How long have you known him?”
 
“You’re out of your mind.”
 
Jensen scowled. “He really seemed to like you at the lodge. You certainly
flirted with him.”
 
Jared shook his head. “He was just on campus and I said hello because he’s one
of your friends.”
 
David Boreanaz was a notorious bad boy who liked his fuck games. Jensen was a
master of the game so he could handle it – but Jared, he didn’t have defenses
for a predator like Boreanaz.
 
“It just seemed so convenient that he would be on campus,” Jensen said, raising
his eyebrows. “He graduated from Princeton.”
 
“And he was on campus visiting the graduate school. I was just showing him how
to get to graduate admissions.”
 
Jensen sighed. “Look, David isn’t who you think he is. He saw you as an easy
mark and he’s putting together a game – he just wants to fuck you.”
 
Jared made a derisive snort and waved his hand. “You and David have so much in
common. I was just being friendly.”
 
“You said you wanted an open marriage.”
 
“Jensen, you can’t be angry with me when you’re the one who instituted that
into our marriage contract.”
 
Jensen stood up and walked towards Jared. “And I said that I didn’t want the
marriage to be open. I haven’t broken my vows.”
 
Jared snorted, rolling his eyes. “I’m sure, given enough time, you’ll find your
way to your clubs.”
 
“I said that I didn’t want that anymore!” He really didn’t want to raise his
voice at Jared, but this was such a stupid argument and Jensen didn’t know how
to stop before it escalated to something even more stupid.
 
“Do you even know what you want?” Jared said, coming closer until he was
standing in front of Jensen. He had to raise his face to look up at Jared.
“What you want from me?” Jared reached up and cupped Jensen’s face with one of
his large hands. “Is this what you want?”
 
Jensen was so surprised by the soft kiss. He just stood there like a teenager
getting his first kiss. His hand twitched and he held his breath, waiting to
see what Jared would do next.
 
“You want to fuck me,” Jared whispered against his lips, stepping closer until
he was pressed firmly against Jensen. His other hand moved to Jensen’s shoulder
and stroked slowly down his chest, plucking his hardening nipples with his
nails on his exploration. Jensen swallowed, feeling the tug right down to his
cock. He watched, fascinated, as Jared leaned down to kiss him again. He felt
Jared’s warm tongue pressing against Jensen’s lips and he let out a soft sigh,
opening his mouth. He reached up and stroked his hands up Jared’s side, feeling
the firmness of his muscles under his palms.
 
“What are you doing?” Jensen whispered, nipping Jared’s bottom lip.
 
“I’m giving you what you want,” he said, running his hand to Jensen’s hip. He
caressed his hip in gentle circles and then kissed Jensen hard as his hand
moved to the front of Jensen’s pants, stroking his cock in one firm movement.
 
Jensen groaned into Jared’s mouth, his hands clutching the back of Jared’s
shirt. He was so hard. He pressed his hips into Jared’s hand, rubbing against
him. He could feel Jared hard against his hip. Jensen throbbed, lust and
something unnamable slicing through him.
 
“You can have this,” Jared murmured, licking his mouth. “You can have whatever
you want…you don’t have to be angry at me, okay? I don’t want you to be angry.”
 
Jensen pulled away and then took a step away from Jared, looking at him.
“What—“
 
“Don’t be angry,” Jared said, softly. “I…I can make things okay.”
 
When Jared leaned forward to kiss him again, Jensen took a bigger step back,
shaking his head.
 
“What are you doing? Is this…is this what happened with Josh?” Jensen asked,
looking at Jared. He watched as Jared reddened, looking away. Holy fuck.
“Jared…look at me. Come on, look at me, please.” Jared turned his head and met
Jensen’s eyes. “Did you offer Josh sex whenever he was angry with you? Did you
have to appease him with…with sex?”
 
Jared wrapped his arms around his chest and sighed. “I don’t know what you want
from me. This is the second time I’ve offered you what you wanted and you turn
me down again. One minute, you want to have an open marriage and you try to
seduce me; and then the next, I try to give you what you want and you turn me
away like some worthless whore you wouldn’t even fuck. Why are you playing with
me? What did I do to – I’m so confused, okay? You want to make the marriage
work; and then you get jealous and possessive and – what do you want from me?
Just tell me what you want.”
 
“Jared.”
 
“I didn’t fuck David, okay? I haven’t been with anyone since Josh and – just
tell me.”
 
Jensen stared at him. He took a deep breath and bit his lip. “I think you
know…you know that I’m…”
 
Jared hunched his shoulders, shaking his head.
 
“Jared, look at me.”
 
He waited until Jared’s cat eyes looked at him.
 
“I’m falling in love with you.”
 
***
***** Chapter 13 *****
“I’m falling in love with you.”
 
Jensen watched as Jared’s mouth formed into an ‘o’ of surprise. He suppressed
every dirty thought that came into his head at seeing Jared’s lips curl into a
pretty circle of rosy flesh and tongue. Jared took a step away, shaking his
head.
 
“Jared?”
 
Jared gaped at him, his eyes wide, a flush crawling up his face. He bit his
lower lip, looking at the floor. Jensen thought he might be in shock. Well,
Jensen was pretty shocked at himself for saying it, but it was absolutely true
and he wasn’t going to be a coward and take it back.
 
“Say something. Please. Tell me to fuck off. Something.”
 
He shook his head, frowning. “What do you mean that you’re – are you messing
with my mind, Jensen? You said that you wouldn’t—“
 
“I’m not lying to you,” Jensen said, softly. “I wouldn’t lie about this.”
 
Jared curled his hand against his cheek, staring at the floor. “Okay…well…I…”
 
Jensen watched as Jared turned on his heel and zipped across the room and down
the hall to his bedroom. The door closed with a little force and Jensen winced
at the sound of the lock turning.
 
“Jared,” Jensen said, standing outside the door. “Come on, we can talk about
this. I know you’re a little surprised and…maybe you weren’t ready to hear me
say it, but…”
 
He tried knocking on the door softly. He pressed his ear against the wood,
trying to hear anything.
 
“At least just make some kind of noise so that I’ll know you’re alive in
there.” Jensen called, pressing his hands against the door frame.
 
“I’m sorry,” Jared called from behind the door.
 
“You don’t have anything to be sorry about,” Jensen said, sighing. “Just please
come out. I can’t talk about this through a door. Cut me a break, Jared.”
 
“I can’t—“
 
Jensen closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the door for just a
minute and then cleared his throat. “Are you okay?”
 
No response.
 
“Jared? Okay, that was a stupid question. Seriously, you’re really scaring me.”
 
Nothing.
 
Jensen knocked on the door, this time, a little louder. “Jared. Please!”
 
“Don’t.”
 
Jensen took a deep breath and then moved away from the door. He walked through
the penthouse to his bedroom, snatching his Blackberry from the bed. He
scrolled through the contacts and found the number he needed.
 
“Fuck,” he grumbled, pressing ‘send’ and putting the phone against his ear. He
heard the ring and the line connect.
 
“Ackles? What—“
 
“Get over here. Jared’s locked himself in his bedroom and won’t respond to me,”
Jensen said, sharply. He disconnected the call before he had to listen to Chad
yell at him. There would be time enough for that.
 
He walked back towards Jared’s bedroom, putting the Blackberry on the kitchen
island counter, and knocked on the door again.
 
“Come on, Jared, this is really freaking me out.”
 
Nothing.
 
“Jared?”
 
Silence.
 
Jensen slid to the floor, leaning on the wall next to the door. He propped up
his feet and ran his hand over his head, staring at the wall in front of him.
 
“You know, my dad died five years ago,” Jensen said, trying to start a
conversation. “I always admired him – still do, you know, one of the only men
that I truly looked up to and respected. He was the kind of man I always wanted
to be – I still want to be like him, have what he had. He loved his family. He
loved his company. It wasn’t just about making money for him. He loved being
able to create something new and help people; we’re all lucky that making money
is a bonus. My dad used to bring me to the company when I was a kid, let me sit
at his desk and draft memos and stuff like that. Mostly, I just drew pictures.”
Jensen grinned to himself. “I used to brag – I’m going to be CEO of Ackles
Corporation one day. My dad always said that I could do it; that I could do
anything I wanted.” He ducked his head and curled his hands over his neck. “I
know that he would be ashamed of me and of the way I conducted business with
your father…about you.”
 
He let out a deep breath. “I never told you why I wanted to marry you, did I?”
 
Jensen lifted his head when he heard movement in Jared’s room.
 
“I wish I could say something like I saw you one day and I just had to know you
or that I knew you were the person that I needed in my life,” Jensen said,
lowly. “But the truth is, I didn’t know who you were until I saw you in that
restaurant…I only saw you as a way for me to get what I wanted.”
 
Jensen closed his eyes, wondering if this would be the final thing to drive a
wedge even deeper between them.
 
“Just a few days before I met with you and your father at Nana’s that day, I
found out that I would lose my inheritance and my place at Ackles Corp if I
didn’t get married by my 31st birthday. It’s a pretty big deal, you know, my
inheritance. My Grand daddy set up a trust for all future Ackles heirs and mine
was just sitting there, earning interest by the day, and it’s worth $10
billion.” Jensen paused, leaning his head against the wall. “Did you hear me
Jared? I inherited $10 billion by marrying you. I get to keep my place as CEO
of Ackles Corp by marrying you. That’s the price tag I put on your freedom –
your life – and I’ll lose it all if I give you up. I’m a selfish bastard,
Jared, and I’m sorry for that.”
 
He felt goosebumps crawl up his arms and Jensen tucked his arms around his
knees. “But that’s not the reason why I want to stay in this marriage.”
 
Jensen’s heart was racing when he heard more muffled movement in the room. He
didn’t know what Jared was doing, but he knew Jared was listening.
 
“I can’t pinpoint when I started to fall in love with you,” he said, smiling
slightly. “Maybe it was when we were playing video games and you did your dorky
victory dances. It could’ve been when you would joke around with my sister; or
when you were being so sweet to my mother. I don’t know when it happened,
Jared; but I figured out what I was feeling when I saw you with David at
UT…when I started to feel so jealous – and I’ve never felt jealousy before in
my life. I never cared about anyone before the way I care about you.”
 
He toyed with the fabric of his pants. “You’re right…I’ve never been in love
with anyone.” Jensen shrugged. “Everything was just about sex…and I never had
to look beyond that.”
 
“It’s so funny – my mother told me today that an open marriage wouldn’t make me
happy and that I’d lose my mind when you decided that you’d play the game,
too.” Jensen snorted to himself. “She’s right, you—“
 
The doorbell sounded and Jensen moved gracelessly to his feet. “Be right back.”
 
He walked past the kitchen and went to the door, opening it. He was prepared
for maybe a punch from Chad – but he wasn’t prepared to see Chad standing in
the hallway with Sophia and Sandy. “Uhhh…hey.”
 
Sophia pushed past Jensen, walking into the penthouse. “What the hell did you
to do Jared? So help me, if you’ve hurt him, I will make sure you suffer before
you die a long and horrible death!”
 
“I didn’t do anything!” Jensen said, archly. God, that girl really got under
his skin.
 
“Did you hurt him?” Sophia screeched. “Did you touch him, you asshole?”
 
“No, I didn’t hurt him! Jesus!” Jensen yelled back.
 
“Then why did he lock himself in his room!” Sophia screamed at him.
 
“Guys! Not helping!” Sandy said, firmly. “Do you seriously want everyone in
this building to hear this?”
 
Jensen sighed as he stood back and opened the door further for Chad and Sandy.
“Come on in.”
 
“Ackles.”
 
Sandy gave him a worried smile. “Where is he?”
 
“He’s locked himself in his room,” Jensen said, leading them to the hallway and
to Jared’s door.
 
Sophia started knocking on the door frantically. “Jay! Jare, come on, it’s us!
Let us in!”
 
“Jared? What’s wrong?” Sandy called, her voice less frantic.
 
“Dude, open the door,” Chad said, his voice no nonsense.
 
The door unlocked – Sophia threw a dirty look over her shoulder at Jensen and
he rolled his eyes at her – and Jared opened the door just enough so that the
three of them could slip inside. Sophia glared at Jensen and slammed the door.
Jensen sighed and walked across the penthouse to his bedroom.
 
He slumped on the bed, tucking his hands under his head, and stared up at the
ceiling. Strangely, he wasn’t anxious about telling Jared that he was falling
in love with him. It was liberating, in a sense, like he had finally revealed
the one thing that he didn’t know he was keeping secret until he said it. But
he felt regret because he had just given Jared something else to carry. He
didn’t want Jared to feel…obligated.
 
Jensen was still having trouble trying to deal with the way Jared had tried to
seduce him – tried to pacify him. His blood boiled at the thought of 17-year
old Jared offering Josh sex to calm him down. He really wanted to help Jared
talk to someone – a counselor, a psychologist – someone. Even Jensen understood
that that left scars on a person; and Jensen wasn’t sure what he would do the
next time Jared tried a move like that on him. Jensen was a healthy young man
with a libido that he never tried to control – and Jared was far too attractive
and…for God’s sake, Jensen was in love with him! It wasn’t easy to pull away
and deny that attraction he felt – that he knew Jared felt for him as well. It
wasn’t just in his imagination when he felt Jared pressing his hard cock
against him.
 
“Shit,” Jensen muttered, closing his eyes. He hoped he did the right thing by
asking Chad - and the girls – to come over. He didn’t want Jared to feel
isolated, like he couldn’t invite his closest friends to the penthouse.
 
Jensen heard the sound of the main door opening and closing. He stood up and
walked into the living room to see Jared leaning against the long kitchen
island, spinning Jensen’s Blackberry on the smooth surface.
 
“Hey. They gone?”
 
“I gave them a summary of what happened.” Jared looked up and gave Jensen a
small grin. Jensen smiled back; he was glad that Jared told his friends how
Jensen felt about him. “I sent them home. You kind of went overboard – you
really freaked them out – but your heart was in the right place. I didn’t think
you’d call them.”
 
“I called Chad – the girls were a surprise. Sophia still hates my guts,” Jensen
said as Jared snickered. Jensen walked a little closer until he was leaning on
the counter next to the sink across from the large kitchen island. “You know
that your friends are more than welcomed to come by, whenever they want,
whenever you want them here. It’s not a problem. You never had to ask for
permission or anything like that.”
 
“They’ve been here before…while you were at work. They all hate your
furniture.” Jared said; Jensen couldn’t help the snicker.
 
Jared stared at the counter, spinning Jensen’s Blackberry. “I…accept how you
feel about me.”
 
Jensen gave him a smile, nodding encouragingly.
 
“But what now?” Jared said, looking up at him. “I…I’m not sure how I feel about
this situation…and about you. I mean, I like you, you’re a good guy when you’re
not acting like a pompous jerk.” He gave a wider smile when Jensen snorted,
rolling his eyes. “And…uh…the whole sex thing is…”
 
“No pressure, Jared,” Jensen said, clearing his throat. Jared liked him. Oh
God, he was a 14-year old girl.
 
“Okay,” Jared said, letting out a deep breath. “Okay.”
 
“May I ask you a question?” Jensen began as Jared nodded. “Are you afraid of
me?”
 
“No,” Jared said quickly, looking at him. He shook his head. “No. Not like…I
just know how Josh used to act – his moods – and I knew what to do…so it
wouldn’t get so bad. It wasn’t always bad with him…we had a lot of really great
days together. And then something would happen and it would set him off.” Jared
gave a pained smile. “I never knew what set him off, though. But I’m not afraid
of you, Jensen.”
 
“Okay,” Jensen said, smiling at him. “That’s a good place to start. How about
we just tell each other how we’re feeling so we don’t have to guess?”
 
“Yeah. I think that might work.”
 
Jensen walked closer still until he was standing on the opposite side of the
kitchen island. “There’s one more thing.”
 
“What is it?”
 
“Have you ever talked to someone about what happened?”
 
Jared snorted, nodding. “Chad and the girls tried to get me into therapy but I
just couldn’t connect with anyone or…I didn’t trust them.” He shook his head.
“I know I’m messed up…I should probably talk to someone but…” He sighed,
letting out a deep breath. “I don’t feel comfortable talking to a complete
stranger about everything that happened.”
 
“We could find someone together,” Jensen said, looking at him closely. Jared
was still flushed, but he didn’t look as tense. Whatever Chad, Sophia and Sandy
said to him, it seemed to have given Jared a sense of calm. Jensen wasn’t going
to feel jealous about that, even though he wanted to; Jensen knew what it was
like to have close friends love him.
 
Jared gave a half shrug. “Maybe.”
 
“You let me know when you’re ready and we’ll go together, okay?”
 
Jared sighed. He gave a funny laugh and stared at the ceiling. “You’re
serious?”
 
“Yeah,” Jensen said, chuckling. “At least you’ve been in a relationship; I’ve
never dated a person more than three times.”
 
“All right, let’s just agree that we’re both messed up and just leave it at
that,” Jared said, smiling. It wasn’t the kind with dimples, but it was
genuine. “Look, I’m pretty tired. I’m just going to go and get some sleep.”
 
“Yeah, me too.”
 
“Okay.”
 
Jensen watched as Jared stared at him for a long moment. He gave Jared a smile,
letting it crinkle around his eyes. Jared returned it, shyly.
 
“Okay.”
 
“Good night.”
 
Jared scratched the back of his head. “Good night, Jensen.”
 
Jensen watched as Jared gave the Blackberry another spin and he turned slowly
to walk down the hall to his room. Jensen leaned against the kitchen island,
watching the Blackberry spin and then come to a slow stop. He grinned, picking
it up and walking back towards his own bedroom. For just a minute, Jensen
thought that Jared didn’t really want to go, that he wanted to stay and talk
for a little bit more – that he wanted Jensen’s company.
 
***
 
Jensen was up early. He brought his laptop to the dining room table and checked
the foreign markets and the overnight numbers on the Ackles Corp stocks. He was
making breakfast and setting the kitchen island counter with the usual place
settings when Jared came out of the workout room.
 
“You’re up,” Jared said, pleased.
 
“I had some work that I needed to do,” Jensen said, setting the warmed plate in
front of Jared.
 
Jared chuckled. “Really, you don’t have to do this.”
 
“I like to do it.” Jensen brought his own plate to the counter and sat down
next to Jared instead of across from him. “So what are you doing today?”
 
“Library, of course, finishing my thesis. I have a 3 o’clock meeting with my
thesis advisor today. He’s been reviewing the first part of my thesis so I’ll
get feedback from him and give him the rest of it. I should be ready for my
oral defense in a few more weeks.”
 
Jensen winced, digging into his food. “Are you nervous?”
 
“Yeah…well…not really,” Jared said, laughing softly. “I’m ready for it to be
done.” He looked over his shoulder at the laptop. “What are you working on?”
 
“I’m reviewing a proposal about a new technology that Ackles Corp and PDKI
could pursue together,” he said, looking up at Jared. “It’s a new type of
environmentally friendly technology for oil recycling.”
 
Jared nodded, thoughtfully. “My dad is a big proponent of oil recycling, but we
just didn’t have the R&D funds to look into it for PDKI.”
 
“You know, the last oil refinery built in the US was in 1976; but with this new
way of recycling waste products and cutting down the chemicals in the refining
process, we may be able to build environmentally friendly oil refineries in the
US. We’ll be the first ones to do it in decades – bring back jobs to Americans,
keep down the cost of oil on the market.” Jensen said, looking at Jared to
gauge his reaction. “Good for Ackles Corp, good for PDKI.”
 
Jared sighed. “Well, at least you do get something from the merger besides one
emotionally messed up legal partner.”
 
“Husband.”
 
Jared nearly choked on his eggs. Jensen reached up and started to pat Jared on
the back. Jared wiped his eyes and took a drink of juice.
 
“You all right?” Jensen said, rubbing Jared’s back with the palm of his hand.
 
“Yes,” Jared whispered, ducking his head, long bangs covering his face.
 
Jensen realized what he was doing and pulled his hand away. “Um. Sorry.”
 
“No, it’s okay,” Jared said, tossing his hair off his face and looking at
Jensen. “We could just…you know…it’s okay if you touch me. I mean…I’m pretty
affectionate all the time. I just…didn’t know if you…wanted it.”
 
Jensen picked up his fork and smiled. “You can touch me at any time, Jared.
Seriously…at any time. You don’t even have to ask.”
 
Jared snorted, eyeing Jensen. “You really are just one big…”
 
“Slut?”
 
Jared made a face at him. “I was going to say flirt.”
 
“Thanks,” Jensen said, looking at him.
 
***
 
Jensen literally tore through his steak, eating heartily and happily. It was a
good series of weeks with Jared since Jensen told him that he was falling in
love with him. And Jared was being responsive to him now. Their mornings
together were back on track; Jensen enjoyed the time that they spent together
at home in the evenings. He sought out Jared at the Derm and got him out of the
stacks and to the Downtown Dinner to hang out with Fred.
 
Jensen thought that married life agreed with him.
 
“Jesus, you make me sick.”
 
He looked up at Christian. “What?”
 
“You’re so freakin’ happy that I can see the damn smiley face over your head.”
 
Jensen laughed, rolling his eyes. “What the hell are you talking about?”
 
“This,” Christian said, waving his fork at Jensen. “You. Jared.”
 
He set his fork and knife down and leaned in the booth, gazing at Christian.
“Don’t get me wrong – we still have a lot of issues that still need to be
resolved, but we’re trying to work through them, you know, one at a time.”
 
Christian made a face, rolling his eyes.
 
“Look, I just found out three weeks ago that I’m in love with my husband. Cut
me a break, okay?” Jensen said, grinning. “Let me enjoy it, man.”
 
“How is he?”
 
Jensen thought about it: there were still moments when Jared would revert to
some of his past behaviors. Sometimes, Jared would have some real lows and
would lock himself in his room. They were still getting comfortable just
touching each other, even accidentally brushing arms or knocking elbows or legs
on the couch playing video games. And Jensen brought up the idea of Jared going
to speak to a professional.
 
“He’s doing better,” Jensen said and then sighed. “And we’re trying to
understand each other. He says that he’ll try harder to find someone to talk to
once he gets through the oral defense prep. But I can’t push him about that – I
told him that I’d wait until he was ready.”
 
“What if he’s never ready, Jen? What if your marriage never progresses more
than just roommates? I know you love him, but is that going to be enough for
you? I know you, Jensen, I know you really well and for a really long
time…you’re not always the most patient of men. How are you going to deal with
it if Jared says that this is the best he can do?”
 
Jensen clenched his leg with his hand under the table, but he gave Christian
his most neutral expression.
 
“I can give Jared everything he could ever want in his life. I’ve got the
wealth of a small nation, but none of that is going to help Jared recover from
his past abusive relationship.” Jensen closed his eyes for a moment. “I don’t
know. Maybe it’s going to have to be enough. I can’t make him feel anything
more for me if he’s not ready – or if he never loves me. I’ll try to be a good
friend, a good partner…I don’t know. I’ll do what I can.”
 
Christian stared at him with his lawyer’s eyes. He could see Christian’s brain
moving from point to point. Jensen gave him a small smile, picking up his fork
and letting his hand unclench.
 
“I never thought I’d ever live the day to hear you talk like this, Jen.”
 
Jensen took a bite of his squash, raising his eyebrow at him.
 
“You should take Jared on a vacation, you know, a pseudo-honeymoon.”
 
“I don’t think he’s ready for something like that,” Jensen said, shaking his
head. “Plus, he’s really focused on getting his thesis done. His defense is
coming up.”
 
“After that, as a gift for his graduation.” Christian tapped his chin with his
thumb. “We could all head out to a resort or something – invite his friends,
too, if he gets tired of your boring ass.”
 
Jensen smirked and then he considered that. “Yeah, you know…I think that might
be a good idea. I’ll check with Jared so he can talk to his friends about
something for the summer.”
 
“You already have something in mind, don’t you?”
 
“I could rent out Necker Island for the week. Sir Richard owes me a favor,”
Jensen said, smiling widely. He pulled out his Blackberry and sent Alona a
message to call Richard Branson ASAP about renting Necker Island. “Well, maybe
I can’t help Jared with his ghosts…but if he wants Necker Island, I can always
buy it for him as a wedding gift.”
 
***
***** Chapter 14 *****
*****
 
Jensen sat in the back of the auditorium, listening avidly to Jared’s oral
defense of his thesis. He enjoyed the topic, but he enjoyed more the way that
Jared presented himself. He wore a suit and tie, kept his notes in a
professional leather portfolio, and his height and the width of his shoulders
offered him a presence that wasn’t threatening, but just charismatic.
 
Jensen realized that this Jared – confident, accessible, competent, and
inspired – this was the real Jared Padalecki. This was the Jared that was
hidden beneath the angst and hesitancy of living a fuller life. This was the
Jared that was meant to be the constant. How was Jensen going to help Jared
believe in himself all the time and move forward with his life?
 
Move on with his life with Jensen.
 
Jared was always hard to ignore; but right now, Jensen couldn’t take his eyes
off him. He knew his research, he knew his work. The thesis committee asked a
few hard hitting questions and Jared fielded them with facts and insightful
comments. Jensen could tell that the committee was really impressed with Jared;
Jensen didn’t have a doubt that Jared’s thesis would be accepted. The three
hour long review of his thesis was intimidating, but Jared didn’t show it, he
was a real showman at the podium, and Jensen couldn’t stop smirking to himself
– that man was his husband.
 
“Does the committee have any more questions?” The committee chair asked,
looking at the three men and the woman sitting beside him.
 
“I think we’ve completed our questions to Mr Padalecki.”
 
“Thank you.” Jared said, nodding to them with a smile.
 
The committee chair stood up, giving Jared a nod. “Mr Padalecki, I think I can
speak on behalf of the committee that we proudly accept your thesis and will
award you with a final grade in one week’s time.”
 
Jared’s smile grew and he nodded to the committee. “Thank you.”
 
There were about 50 people sitting in the auditorium and they broke out into
loud cheers and applause. Jared blushed, raising his hand in thanks to his
classmates and friends. He walked from the podium to the long table where he
shook hands with each of the committee members.
 
Jensen stood, joining in the applause. He watched as Chad, Sandy and Sophia
rushed towards Jared, hugging him and congratulating him. Jared laughed,
kissing the girls on their foreheads. He and Chad shared a long hug. Jensen
could see that Chad was saying something to him and Jared gave him a big smile,
nodding.
 
Three of Jared’s professors shook his hand and offered their congratulations.
Jared smiled at them, dimples visible, and Jensen watched as he spoke
animatedly with them.
 
Several of Jared’s classmates and school friends went to shake his hand. Jensen
watched as Jared talked quickly, gesturing wildly. He grabbed his messenger bag
and slung the strap over his shoulder. Jensen smiled as Jared turned and saw
him. Jared gave him a dazed grin and a nod to acknowledge that he saw Jensen.
But Jensen waited patiently until Jared’s classmates started to leave and then
walked down the steps towards Jared.
 
“Hey.” Jensen smiled, greeting Chad, Sophia, and Sandy. Jensen was surprised to
see Sophia actually give him a civil expression, kind of a smile.
 
“Jensen,” Jared said, taking a few steps up to join him. “I…I’m surprised to
see you here, but thanks, I’m glad you came. Thanks for being here.”
 
Jensen held out his hand and Jared grinned, shaking his hand. Jensen smiled
wider, feeling Jared’s large hand encompass his. “I wouldn’t miss this. I know
how hard you worked to get here.”
 
“Oh come on,” Sandy said, looking at Jared and then at Jensen. “Seriously,
you’re just going to shake hands?”
 
Jensen gave her a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”
 
“He’s your husband, Jensen, and he just earned his masters degree. All he gets
is a handshake?” Sandy said, nudging her elbow on Jensen’s side. She gave him
an encouraging smile, but Jensen wasn’t sure if he should.
 
Jared snorted, moving forward to give Jensen a hug. “Come on, man, she won’t
let it go unless we hug it out.”
 
Jensen chuckled, hugging him automatically. He patted Jared on the back and
then pulled back, smiling at him. “Congratulations, Jared. You make us all
proud.”
 
Jared laughed, warm breath against Jensen’s ear. Jensen suppressed his groan,
trying to look unaffected. He ignored Chad’s knowing smirk as he pulled away a
little too fast from Jared’s long arms in his attempt to hide his reaction.
 
“Look, I have to head back to the office for a minute, but I’ll meet you at the
penthouse in two hours,” Jensen said, grinning at Jared. “I’ve got something
special planned for you. Loretta and Chuck have been busy all day so don’t be
late.”
 
“Oh?” Jared said, raising his eyebrow. “What’s going on?”
 
“Just go home and I’ll meet you there later,” Jensen said, chuckling. He nodded
his goodbyes to Jared’s friends and headed out of the building towards his car.
 
***
 
By the time Jensen rushed home an hour late, Jared was already there, eating up
the food that Chuck made especially for him – all of Jared’s favorites, which
was quite a list, according to Sandy. Rockabilly country was playing on the
stereo and Jared was trying to show Loretta how to two-step Texas style.
 
Jensen chuckled, watching as the 6’4” Jared tried to promenade with the 5’2”
Loretta. He leaned against the counter, watching as Jared nearly tripped on
Loretta.
 
“Jensen!” Jared said, laughing, as he caught Loretta before she could fall on
the floor. “This is amazing!”
 
“I’m sorry for being late – some last minute stuff at work,” Jensen said,
shrugging out of his suit jacket and pulling off his necktie. He slung them
over the back of the dining room chair, ignoring Loretta’s look. She knew he
never mistreated his clothes. Jensen rolled up his sleeves and then unbuttoned
the top two buttons of his dress shirt. Jared smiled, watching him. Jensen bit
his lip and looked at the table, shaking his head in disbelief. “Thank you so
much. This is a spectacular spread. I think we’ll probably have lots of
leftovers for the next week.”
 
“I doubt it,” Chuck drawled, chuckling. “That boy has a limitless stomach. I’ll
be back here tomorrow night, cooking up a storm.”
 
Jared laughed, digging into the mashed potatoes and gravy. “God, Chuck, you
must’ve sold your soul to the devil to be able to make everything so
delicious.”
 
Chuck patted Jared on the back. “You eat up and let me know if you want
something special.”
 
“Actually,” Jensen said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out two linen
envelopes. He handed one to Chuck and the other to Loretta. Jensen was always
generous with them because they did take such good care of him – and Jared when
he started to live at the penthouse. Jensen always tried to show his
appreciation, but he thought that it was just perfect timing that he could do
something nice for Loretta and Chuck. “This is just my thanks for putting up
with me for the last few years…and I’d like for you and your families to take a
holiday for a week.”
 
“Good God, man…thanks Jensen.” Chuck said, whistling as he looked at his check.
He raised his eyebrow at Jensen. “I’m going to raise my rates.”
 
Jensen nodded, snorting. “You can try to get it past Alona.”
 
“A week?” Loretta said, chuckling softly. “What on earth are you going to do
without us for that long?” She gasped when she look inside the envelope.
“Jensen…this is…thank you.”
 
He leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek. “You know you deserve more.”
 
Loretta patted his cheek and smiled up at him. “Your momma raised you right,
Jensen Ross.”
 
“Ross?” Jared said, snickering.
 
“Better than Jared Tristan.” Jensen said and then laughed when Jared made a
face and nodded in agreement.
 
“I have something for you – well, it’s for us.” He pulled another envelope from
his pocket and handed it to Jared. “We’re going to take a little vacation,
too.”
 
“We are?” Jared said, opening the long envelope. He looked at the colorful
brochure tucked inside, opening it up. “Necker Island…wow, this is fabulous.”
 
“It’s a private island owned by a friend of mine. It’s actually a resort and I
asked to rent it for the week so we can have some privacy. We fly out tomorrow
morning from Dallas-Fort Worth International,” Jensen said, smiling at him.
“It’s a small congratulatory gift for finishing your degree…and maybe it’ll be
good to just get out of the city for a few days.”
 
“This is your idea of a small gift? What do you do when you give a big gift?”
Jared said, his eyes tearing into each of the page of the brochure. Jensen
grinned to himself – well, he could always buy the island for Jared. That would
qualify as a big gift. “Jensen…this is really wonderful.”
 
Jensen waited for the “but”.
 
“I can’t believe it – a whole private island…just for us?” Jared sounded a
little uncertain at the end. He looked at Jensen, waiting for…something.
 
“Well,” Jensen said, scratching his chin. “Not really just for us. I invited my
friends and Chad, Sophia and Sandy to come with us. I figured, why not, we all
deserve a break. Besides, you’d get bored with just me on the island for seven
days.”
 
Jared snorted, putting the brochure on the table. He took a few steps and gave
Jensen a hug. Jared’s large hands spanned Jensen’s back, rubbing gentle.
“Thanks, man. It’s really generous of you to invite my friends, too. I
appreciate that.”
 
Jensen patted him on the back. Two hugs in one day. “You’re welcome.” He closed
his eyes for a moment, just enjoying the heat of Jared’s body against his. He
enjoyed how Jared wasn’t afraid of being close to him like this; and that Jared
wasn’t doing it as an offering.
 
Jared laughed and then blushed when he saw that Loretta and Chuck were watching
them. He picked up an empty plate and handed it to Jensen. “Come on, you better
grab something before I eat it all.”
 
***
 
Jensen leaned against the kitchen counter, smirking as Jared rushed back and
forth out of his bedroom. “Come on, it’s an island, what could take you this
long to pack?”
 
“I’m just trying to figure out if I’m going to need anything specific.”
 
“Like what? They have everything we need there; and if we want something, they
can go the mainland and bring it to us,” Jensen called to him. “Look, the car’s
downstairs and everyone is on the plane by now.”
 
“I doubt that your private plane is going to leave without you,” Jared called
from inside his room.
 
“Come on, Jared,” Jensen said, chuckling. “All you need is your swim trunks and
a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt! And sunscreen!”
 
Jared finally came out of his room with a duffel bag. He stopped in his tracks,
frowning. “Maybe I should take my laptop—“
 
“You don’t need your laptop. Trust me, you’re not going to want to look at your
laptop when you get there.”
 
“Do you think I should take—“
 
“I’m leaving without you.” Jensen rolled his eyes and sighed, picking up his
small weekender bag.
 
“That’s all you’re taking?”
 
“It’s an island, man,” Jensen said, shaking his head. “It’s going to be hot and
balmy – it’s not like I’m taking my suits.”
 
Jared snorted, pulling a baseball cap on his head. “Right, because you’re not a
clothes horse who alphabetizes his suits by designer and color.”
 
“Don’t you and Loretta have anything better to talk about than my dry
cleaning?” Jensen said as he smiled, walking to the main door. “Did she tell
you how I organize my underwear drawer?”
 
“Oh? You wear underwear?”
 
Jensen wasn’t expecting such playfulness from Jared. He gave Jared such a
shocked look that he almost bumped into the doorway. Jared always told people
that Jensen did bump into the doorway, but Jared was laughing so hard that
Jensen didn’t think he actually saw him do it.
 
***
 
Jensen followed Jared up the stairs to the interior of the small private plane.
 
“Hey!” Everyone inside the plane cheered as Jared stepped inside first. Jared
waved at them to shut it, blushing slightly. Jensen looked at their friends,
all buckled in and drinking refreshments, looking very excited and ready to go.
 
Jared chuckled, handing his bag to the attendant. “Thank you.”
 
“Good morning, Mr Padalecki.”
 
“Good morning.”
 
“Please tell the pilot that we can take off,” Jensen said to the second
attendant, handing over his bag.
 
“Of course, Mr Ackles. Welcome on board again.”
 
“Thanks,” he said, smiling at her. “Are we all accounted for? Is everyone taken
care of?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“Fantastic.”
 
Jensen showed Jared to a pair of seats and waited for him to sit. Jared opted
for the window seat. He looked around, smiling at everyone.
 
Jensen sat down and waved at Christian. “Did you bring the guitars?”
 
“You know Steve doesn’t leave home without them.”
 
Jensen looked next to Christian to see Steve completely konked out. “What did
you do to him?”
 
“He took half a sleeping pill before we left the house.”
 
Jensen shook his head. “Still hates flying?”
 
Christian cracked a smile. “Better for me to molest him in this state.”
 
Danneel threw her crumpled up napkin at him. “You are such a perv, Chris. I
can’t believe you’re a lawyer.”
 
“Corporate law is the foundation of perversions you’ll never understand,
Danny.”
 
Jensen chuckled, leaning his head towards Jared as he moved closer to Jensen.
“I’m glad you invited Alona.”
 
“Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t leave her alone in the office for a week. She’d
take over the entire company,” Jensen said, giving her a stern look. Alona just
laughed and rolled her eyes at him. She gave a cheerful little wave to Jared
and Jensen scowled at her, shaking his head and shrugging. “Why are you nicer
to him than to me?”
 
“Do you really have to ask?” Alona called, laughing gently.
 
Jensen pointed his finger at her, shaking it in a ‘naughty naughty’ manner.
 
“Would you like a drink, Mr Ackles? Mr Padalecki?”
 
“No, thank you,” Jared said, and Jensen shook his head at her.
 
“Let us know if we can get anything for you two.”
 
“Thanks,” Jensen said, smiling.
 
“Welcome aboard. My name is Ryan and I’m your pilot to Beef Island, Tortola in
the British Virgin Islands. Today, your cabin attendants are Lola and
Francesca. Estimated flight time is approximately three hours and we are
expecting blue skies all the way. We’ll take off in about five minutes,” the
pilot said over the PA system.
 
Jensen buckled his belt and saw from the corner of his eye as Jared kissed his
fingertip and touched the cabin ceiling above them. He looked at him. “What’s
that for?”
 
“I’m a little superstitious about flying,” Jared said, giving him a small
shrug.
 
“It’s all right. You don’t have to be nervous.” Jensen said, looking around the
cabin to see their friends sitting together, talking with each other. He
sighed, sinking in the plush leather seat, and grinned for no reason.
 
He relaxed back, crossing his arms over his chest. Jensen was still a little
sleepy. He was up until about 3 in the morning, looking at foreign market stats
and leaving dozens of e-mails to his VPs. He debated taking his Blackberry for
at least two hours before he decided to leave it at home. He was feeling antsy
without it, almost naked and vulnerable. The island’s main house would have
satellite phones, but a part of Jensen really did not want to be accessible to
the outside world for the next seven days.
 
He turned and looked at Jared, who was tapping his hand on his thigh, leg
jiggling with the speed of a rabbit. Jared wore his iPod earphones and was
looking out the small oval window of the plane to the plane crew waving for the
pilot to begin his flight check, but his jitteriness wasn’t due to the music.
 
“Attendants, please have our guests buckle up. Engines are a go and the tower
has given us clearance to move to the runway.”
 
Jensen watched as the two flight attendants began their walk down the aisle,
picking up champagne flutes and glasses. Jensen could feel the vibrations of
the engines roaring to life and the plane starting to roll forward on the
ground. Jared’s leg started to thump even faster and Jensen just reached over,
putting his hand on Jared’s knee. He didn’t even think about it – an automatic
reflex in order to cease the shaking and to offer friendly comfort.
 
Oh shit. He just touched Jared without asking.
 
He turned to look at Jared to gauge his reaction – would Jared be nervous or
displeased by Jensen’s touch; he began to release Jared’s knee, but Jared just
gave him a small grin while he placed his hand over Jensen’s and held it on his
leg. Jared turned and looked out the window again.
 
Jensen stared at Jared’s hand over his, feeling the firmness of Jared’s thigh
and knee under his palm. He gently squeezed Jared’s leg, looking at him. Jared
turned his head slowly until he met Jensen’s gaze and held it. They just stared
at each other for a long moment. Jensen rubbed his knee in small circles, just
warming his palm against the fabric of his pants, feeling the muscles beneath
it. Jared’s fingers moved over Jensen’s hand until he clasped his fingers
between Jensen’s fingers; he was holding Jensen’s hand.
 
***
 
Beef Island Airport’s landing airstrip was just long enough to land the private
jet. The narrow strip was built on a tail end of the Tortorla island, the deep
blue of the bay just at the end. The jerkier than usual landing and quicker
full stop was enough to wake up Steve. Jensen watched as Christian gave his
disoriented boyfriend a quick kiss and reassuring words against Steve’s ear.
 
Jensen turned to see Jared’s head on the pillow, turned towards the window,
eyes closed. The landing hadn’t woken him and Jensen wondered what else could
Jared sleep through? The attendants opened the door and released the staircase
to the ground. Gently, he shook Jared awake.
 
“We’re here,” Jensen said, pulling one of the earbuds from Jared’s ear.
 
Jared blinked and then ran his hand over his eyes. “Oh wow…that was fast.”
Jared looked out the window to see the green mountains balanced by the bright
blue skies and the cerulean blue waters. “Oh my god, it’s gorgeous out there.”
 
“What are you waiting for?” Jensen chuckled as he unbuckled his belt and stood
slowly. He couldn’t wait to hit the tarmac and stretch out the kinks in his
back and legs. “Come on, watch your head.”
 
By the time Jensen and Jared stepped off the plane, the Necker Island
representative waved to the group. Jensen patted Jared on his back, guiding him
towards Chad and Tom, as Jensen went to meet the representative.
 
“I’m Jensen Ackles.”
 
“Welcome, Mr Ackles,” the young woman said, shaking his hand vigorously. “My
name is Julia Langdon and I’ll be taking your party on the catamaran ride to
Necker Island. My brother, Ferris, is waiting for you and Mr Padalecki at the
heliport.”
 
“You’ll take good care of my friends,” Jensen said, smiling at her. It really
wasn’t a threat.
 
“Of course, sir,” she said without a blink. “It’s our custom to take very good
care of all of our guests.”
 
“Then we’ll meet you on the island,” Jensen said, smiling at her. “They’re all
yours. Good luck.”
 
She laughed softly and then walked towards the group. Jensen caught Jared’s eye
and waved him for him as Julia began her spiel.
 
“What is it?”
 
“Come on,” Jensen said, smiling. He pulled on his dark sunglasses to cut the
glare of the sun. “I have something to show you.”
 
Jensen waved at Ferris who was waiting for him by a red helicopter. He opened
the back door, taking Jensen’s bag and then Jared’s bag, tying them down on the
floor under the seats.
 
Jensen shook his hand. “Ferris.”
 
“Mr Ackles,” he said, smiling. He turned and shook Jared’s hand. “Mr Padalecki.
Welcome on board the Necker One.”
 
“Thanks,” Jensen said, stepping into the helicopter and sitting down. He turned
to look at Jared, picking up his headphones. “Jared?”
 
“We’re going in that?” Jared eyed the helicopter, warily.
 
Jensen caught his nervous look. “Oh hell, Jared, I didn’t consider your fear of
flying.”
 
“I’m not afraid of flying…but never been on a helicopter before.” Jared said,
taking a deep breath. “Do you know that there are statistics for helicopter
related deaths—“
 
Jensen moved towards the door, intending to get off. “Look, we can get a
private boat chartered to take us to Necker. I just thought you might want to
see it from the air. It’s a gorgeous view of the island.”
 
Jared bit his lip, eyebrows pressed together. Jensen knew Jared was torn –
there was a part of him that wanted to take the helicopter ride; and the other
part of him didn’t want to be caught inside the flying death trap.
 
“Either way is okay with me,” Jensen said, softly.
 
“No, no…let’s do it. I mean, take the helicopter ride,” Jared said, smiling. He
blushed slightly and then put his foot on the edge of the helicopter. Jensen
slid back on the seat to make room as Jared ducked into the cabin. He sat down
next to Jensen and then kissed his fingertips to touch the roof of the
helicopter.
 
“You sure?” Jensen said, as Ferris closed and locked the door.
 
Jared nodded, looking at the seatbelt buckle. Jensen buckled himself in and saw
that Jared’s hands were shaking slight. He took the seatbelt and clasped it in
place, settling it on Jared’s lap.
 
“We don’t have to do this.”
 
Jared sighed and then gave Jensen a short glance. “Maybe it’s time I start
facing some of my fears.”
 
“Okay,” Jensen said, patting Jared on the leg. He pulled down the other headset
and handed it to Jared. He settled into his seat, looking out the window on his
side of the helicopter. He didn’t want to put too much hope on Jared’s comment.
It could’ve just been about conquering his fear of flying; but Jensen wished
that it meant something more.
 
***
 
Jensen watched as Jared nearly plastered his face against the window of the
helicopter, staring down at the blue-blue waters, and the green island just in
the distance.
 
“Have you been there before?” Jared said into his microphone.
 
“My father used to bring us here every winter for a family holiday,” Jensen
said, grinning. “I’ve always loved coming here. I haven’t been here in years.”
 
“It’s breathtaking,” Jared murmured, smiling to himself.
 
“Definitely,” Jensen said, gazing at Jared.
 
“How long will it take the others to join us?”
 
“It’s a 30 minute boat ride from Beef Island,” Jensen said, sitting back in the
seat. “We’ll take the boat ride back when we leave.”
 
Jared chuckled. “I don’t know…maybe I’m a little spoiled, but nothing could
beat this view.”
 
Jensen leaned forward. “Ferris, if you’d give us a tour of the island before we
land, we’d appreciate it.”
 
“Of course, Mr Ackles,” Ferris said, chuckling. “It would be my pleasure.”
 
“Thank you.”
 
Jensen saw that the island was very near and Ferris took them around the island
slowly, giving Jared a chance to take in the sights. “That’s the Great House,
where we’ll be staying.”
 
Jared looked at the Asian structure, pressing his hand on the window. “Hey,
that’s Balinese-style architecture,” he said, pointing to the low thatched
looking roof.
 
“Yeah. Good eye, Jared.”
 
“I’ve traveled through Asia before,” Jared said, softly.
 
Jensen nodded. During his month-long honeymoon with Josh.
 
“I always loved Asian designs,” Jared said, turning to smile at Jensen. “I
seriously considered doing my masters program overseas.”
 
Jensen nodded to him; grateful that Jared went to UT instead. Otherwise, he may
never had met Jared. He tried not to think about how different Jared’s life
would’ve been if he hadn’t met Jensen that day at Nana’s.
 
“But I’m glad I stayed at UT,” Jared said, turning to look out the window
again.
 
Ferris was bringing the helicopter in slow and gentle to the heliport on the
island. Jensen could see some of the staff waiting for them, waving up at the
helicopter. Jared waved back, smiling. Even from here, Jensen knew there would
be dimples flashing.
 
When they landed, Jared nearly bounced out of the helicopter, turning around to
take in all the views of the island and of the waters. The porters took their
bags and Jensen led Jared towards the golf carts that they used to transport
guests to the Great House. They could’ve easily walked, but Jensen wanted to
give Jared time to adjust and to enjoy the island’s natural beauty without
having to think about the winding walk up the perfectly smooth walk up the side
of the island mountain.
 
“We’ll have refreshments available for you when we reach the Great House,” the
porter said, happily. “And we’ve received word from the Captain of the
catamaran bringing your friends that they’ll be at the docks in ten minutes.”
 
Jensen nodded his thanks, leaning in the golf cart seat, his arm outstretched
along the back, fingers brushing casually against Jared. “So what do you want
to do today?”
 
“I don’t know…everything!”
 
Jensen laughed. “We have the next six days to ourselves. You can take your
time.”
 
“I know that the girls will want to the hit beach as soon as they land,” Jared
said, smiling. He looked down the island mountainside towards the white sands
and the dark blue waters. “It’s incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that
shade of blue in my life.”
 
“It’s a lot to take in,” Jensen said, smiling.
 
“Did I thank you for this?”
 
“More than enough,” Jensen said, patting Jared’s back and then rubbing in
soothing circles.
 
“Okay, just checking.”
 
The Great House main staff stood outside the front steps, smiling at them as
the golf cart came to a stop. Jensen and Jared slid out of the cart and
introductions were made all around.
 
“Mr Ackles. Welcome back, sir. Hello, Mr Padalecki, it’s a pleasure to have you
visit us. My name is Maggie Theron and welcome to Necker Island,” the woman
said, sunnily. She made a casual motion to the rest of the staff and Jensen
watched as they dispersed quickly and quietly back to their duties. “Your bags
will be situated; we have cool refreshments in the main room as you wait for
your friends.”
 
Jared looked around the large room, touched the professional sized pool table,
and walked to the wooden railing to gaze out at the waters. They could see the
large white sails of the catamaran approaching the island.
 
“Is this your first visit to Necker?” Maggie asked Jared, grinning up at him.
 
Jared nodded. “Yes. It’s amazing.”
 
“If there is anything you require, please let us know. The whole staff is at
your disposal this week,” Maggie said, grinning. Jensen gave her a nod and
walked to stand next to Jared.
 
“I’ve never known such a paradise,” Jared murmured, taking a deep breath and
closing his eyes. “It’s too bad we can’t just stay here forever.”
 
Jensen shrugged. “I don’t know…they have satellite access…I could probably run
Ackles Corp here; hold my monthly meetings here. I doubt any of my VPs will
mind the trip.”
 
Jared chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t buy the island for me, Jensen. I can
see where your mind is going.”
 
“Well, you know, if you ever change your mind…”
 
***
 
Jensen laughed, sitting back in the patio chair, nearly choking on his dessert.
He swallowed quickly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
 
“It was so comical,” Sandy said, chuckling. “He was holding on to the wall, his
feet spinning around and around like in a cartoon; and then he fell so hard on
his rear. But because he was flailing his arms and legs, he had this momentum
and he just slid across the rink on his butt to the center of the rink. And
then—“
 
“Sandy!” Jared shouted, shaking his head. “No, no, no, no, no! You made a pinky
promise to never, ever, ever tell that story for as long as we shall live!”
 
Jensen looked around the table to see his friends enjoying the food, laughing
softly, or just leaning in their chairs with small, satisfied smiles on their
faces. Steve was already showing signs of a red flush on his fair skin from
being out in the waters earlier in the afternoon. Jensen knew he’d go back with
his freckles even more vivid, but somehow he didn’t mind. Alona, Sophia, Sandy,
and Danneel had bonded in the fresh water swimming pool, all quite lovely in
their colorful bikinis. Steve, Chad, and Christian were throwing back whiskey
shots. Tom and Mike were whispering to each other at the other end of the table
– Jensen hoped that his room wasn’t next to theirs. He hoped that Tom brought
the gag for Mike or they would all be an unwilling audience to their nightly
romps. Jensen had no doubt that there would be a lot of sex while they were on
the island.
 
And he wasn’t really bothered by the fact that he wouldn’t have his share.
 
Sophia stared at the last piece of chocolate cake on the table. “If anyone
wants that last piece, say your peace or it is mine.”
 
“We can always get more,” Jensen said, chuckling. “But I don’t know…I think I
can still eat another—“
 
“Bring it, Ackles,” she said, putting the piece on her plate. “I am totally
motivated on winning.”
 
“Dude, don’t fight Sophia about food. She’ll eat your arm off,” Chad said and
then laughed when Sophia poked his hand with her fork. “Hey! Look,” he
complained, showing her his hand. “You broke the skin!”
 
“Don’t be such a baby, Chad.”
 
Jensen snickered, sipping his citrus cocktail.
 
“But Jared, it’s such a funny story,” Sandy said, her voice high-pitched and
playful. Jensen turned to see Jared give her a mock scowl and Jensen couldn’t
help but chuckled at Jared’s expression.
 
“A pinky promise is a pinky promise,” Jared announced, giving her an evil eye.
 
Sandy sighed heavily and then looked over at Jensen. “Sorry, Jensen.”
 
Jensen sipped his coffee and grinned at her. “Tell me next time.”
 
“My parents got the whole thing on videotape so I’ll show it you when we get
back to Dallas.”
 
“You better not,” Jared said, smirking at her. “Or I’ll tell the story of your
first cheerleader try-outs and the dirty pants story.”
 
“I remember this!” Chad said, laughing loudly.
 
“I want to hear this,” Mike said, leering at Sandy.
 
Sandy’s eyes widened and she reached over to punch Jared in the arm. “You
promised you wouldn’t tell anyone! I’ll tell Jensen about the time you peed in
your pants!”
 
“I was seven years old!”
 
Jensen laughed, looking up at them. He grinned at Jared, watching him with his
friends, seeing him so free and loose. Jensen leaned back in the chair, sighing
happily as Jared and Sandy had a mock punching contest. He put her into a
gentle headlock and Sandy squirmed against him, poking him in his belly. Jensen
tried not to watch too closely, afraid that his envy would show on his face.
 
“So what’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” Chad said, looking around the table.
 
“Snorkeling,” Danneel said.
 
“Oh, I want to go,” Sandy said, her voice muffled against Jared’s shirt.
 
“Alona, you in?” Sophia said, turning to look at the blonde.
 
“Looks like the girls are going snorkeling.” Alona said, opening up the
brochure. She showed everyone the picture of the coral reefs. “It looks
gorgeous.”
 
Chad gave a low whistle. “Ladies, put on your bikinis…actually, you don’t need
your bikinis.”
 
Sophia reached up and flicked Chad’s forehead with her fingers.
 
Jensen looked across the table at Jared, who was laughing at something
Christian said to him. He threw back his head and clapped his hands, then
leaned back in his chair and said something to Steve. Then everyone laughed
when Steve put Christian into a headlock.
 
“…sleeping alone tonight, buddy!” Steve said as Christian laughed a throaty,
dirty sounding laugh.
 
Jensen sighed to himself. He really should’ve just gotten a room in the Bali Hi
house instead.
 
***
 
Jensen waited for everyone else to find their rooms, making sure that they were
all settled in for the night. He walked to the room at the end of the hallway –
it was his usual room for when he came to Necker – and opened the door to find
Jared standing next to the bed, pulling off his shirt.
 
“Hey, sorry…I thought this was my room.”
 
“It is your room – it’s our room,” Jared said, tossing the shirt on the white
bed. “Your bag is there.”
 
Jensen licked his lips and frowned. “I think the staff got something wrong. I
didn’t planned to share a room with you. I can always get my own room at—“
 
“Don’t be stupid,” Jared said, rolling his eyes. “I know that there’s only 8
rooms in the Great House – if you got your own room, you’d be all alone. That’s
stupid. This is your vacation, too, Jensen. I think I can share the bed with
you for a week. I’m not afraid of my virtue or something.”
 
Jensen gave him a small smile. “Okay…I’ll just, you know, stay on my side of
the bed.”
 
“Dude, it’s bigger than a California king; five people could sleep in the bed
comfortably.” Jared said, sighing. “Besides, it’s okay.”
 
“All right,” Jensen said, closing the door and walking to his bag and picking
it up.
 
He stepped into the small bathroom – just sink and toilet; the shower was
actually this privately enclosed outdoor spa just past their part of the
balcony. The island was environmentally friendly and guests were asked to use
all of the eco-products while they were there. He washed his face and brushed
his teeth, gargling with mouthwash for a few minutes. He wiped his face with a
soft towel and sighed, turning off the light.
 
He tried not to stare as Jared undressed, turning his back to give Jared his
privacy to finish changing. Jensen quickly slid out of his shirt and pants. He
pulled on his soft cotton sleep pants and turned to see Jared pulling the white
comforter down the bed and pulling the sheets free. Jared sank under the
covers, sighing deeply.
 
“This is a fantastic bed,” Jared said, giving a little moan and squirming
around to find a comfy spot.
 
“Yeah.” Jensen slipped under the covers and settled in, closing his eyes. It
was a long day and he hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before. He made sure
to stay on his side of the bed.
 
“This was such a great idea,” Jared said, softly. “Good night, Jensen.”
 
“Good night,” he said, taking a deep breath. He nearly jumped out of his skin
when he felt Jared’s large and warm hand stroke against his shoulder. He stared
at the arched ceiling of the room in the darkness, missing the touch as Jared
pulled his hand back.
 
***
 
Jensen woke slowly. He felt the warm breeze of the Caribbean air flow over his
bared skin. He floated into consciousness; he felt the brightness of the
morning light on his face as it came into the room. He loved this room because
it was hit with the morning light last, giving him a few more minutes to sleep.
 
But his eyes opened quickly when he felt Jared’s arm slide across his stomach,
heard the soft murmur of Jared’s voice in sleep. Jensen tensed, turning his
head to see Jared’s head pressing against his arm. The pillows were strewn
behind him on his side of the bed and it looked like Jared was a cuddler.
 
This was so unfair.
 
Jensen controlled his breathing, trying to relax his body. He was already hard;
throbbing now with the sensation of Jared’s body heat against him. He tried to
slide out from under Jared’s arm, but as soon as he started to move, Jared’s
arm curled around him, keeping him trapped on the bed. Jared let out a muffled
mumble of words that didn’t make any sense to him. Jensen nearly gulped when he
felt Jared’s hand caress Jensen’s hip.
 
Jensen closed his eyes, biting his lip. All Jared had to do was just move just
an inch lower and he’d feel Jensen’s hard cock.
 
He really needed to go to the bathroom. And jerk off. Twice.
 
Jared turned his face and pressed it against Jensen’s arm. He was so hyper
aware of Jared against him, he thought he felt every single stubble in Jared’s
morning beard. Jared mumbled again and then licked his lips, which moved
against Jensen’s skin.
 
Fuck. Fuck! Unfair!
 
Jensen cleared his throat and then swallowed thickly. “Jared?”
 
Jared grumbled something and then moved his hand in the opposite direction,
crawling up his side to stroke over his chest. Jared’s fingers brushed over
Jensen’s nipple, tightening it. Jensen swallowed his groan, hands clenching
into fists.
 
He couldn’t take more. Jensen was only human. Any other time, he’d push Jared
on his back, tear off his boxers, and suck him down, tease him until he begged
to come, and then fuck him into the bed until everyone on the island knew Jared
belonged to him.
 
This was such a bad idea. He was definitely going to take a private room in the
Bali Hi House.
 
“Jared!”
 
Jared woke abruptly, his head shooting up, eyes focusing to look at Jensen.
“Jensen? Why did you wake me up?”
 
“Um…have to get up so, you know.”
 
Jared noticed that he was pressed up against Jensen and slowly moved along the
bed, giving Jensen his space. Jensen almost didn’t catch the involuntary moan
when Jared’s fingers slid against his nipple again. If Jensen didn’t know any
better, he’d think that Jared was doing it on purpose.
 
Jensen fled the bed and to the small bathroom, closing the door behind him. He
stood against the other side of the door, eyes closed, panting slightly. He
slid his hand down the front of his sleep pants, palming his hardness and
rubbing gently. Jesus. Fuck!
 
Goddamn it, he wasn’t going to make it the rest of the week with a sleepy-eyed,
cuddly, seductive husband who was afraid of sex.
 
*****
***** Chapter 15 *****

Author's notes: Song lyrics by Steve Carlson "I Learned to Love".
===============================================================================
There was a small manmade lagoon in the center of the island, just a few
minutes from the main house. It was private and a wonderful place to go for a
moment of total peace and quiet. The brick pathway looped around the island,
but the long walk was worth it at the end. Jensen could hear the sound of the
waterfall splashing against the surface of the lagoon. He peered through the
trees to see someone swimming in the lagoon. It was plenty big enough to share,
but Jensen understood if someone wanted privacy. He was just about to turn
around and make his way back to the main house when he saw Jared step out of
the lagoon waters, naked and dripping with water.
 
Fabulous, Jensen thought, standing behind the trees and peeking at Jared as he
sauntered towards the waterfall and stepped under the spray. Jensen placed his
hand against the tree, leaning on it as he watched his young husband turn
around under the shower of water, enjoying the sensation of the cool fluidity
of the waterfall. Jensen could see his smile from across the lagoon.
 
He stared for a long moment, just watching and taking in the sight of Jared’s
long and lean body. He could see the beginnings of tan lines where his long
swim trunks bisected his hips and mid thighs. Jensen wanted to run his hands
down that broad back, touching warm skin and firm muscles underneath. He knew
how Jared felt like from being the recipient of his hugs, but it was different
when it was just skin between two bodies. Jensen could press himself naked
against Jared’s body and still have more skin to explore.
 
Jesus. He was getting hard just watching Jared skinny dipping.
 
“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?”
 
Jensen jumped out of his skin, flushing as he turned to see Sandy standing
nearby, whispering to him. “I was just…yeah, he is.”
 
She gave him a small smile and ducked behind him, peeking out at Jared. Jensen
wanted to cover her eyes with his hands and drag her away – but then he
remembered that Jared and Sandy dated. She probably knew first hand what it was
like to touch Jared.
 
“You know, he’s one of the most beautiful people I know,” she murmured to
Jensen. “It’s not possible that someone that beautiful is also the nicest
person in the world, but he is.”
 
“Can I ask you a question?” Jensen said and then turned to watch as Jared
jumped into the lagoon, giving a loud yahoo. He grinned as Jared splashed down.
 
“Sure.”
 
“Why did you and Jared break up? I mean…you guys are such good friends now
and…I couldn’t imagine why you’d not be together.”
 
Sandy chuckled at him. “When I was a Cowboys cheerleader, there was a player
who really liked me. He would ask me out all the time and I told him that I
didn’t date players – football or any other kind. He was harmless, but it was
annoying. I asked Jared if he’d be my fake boyfriend so that I could say that I
was already seeing someone and I wouldn’t have to go through the whole thing.”
She took a deep breath. “And it was convenient for him, too. He could tell his
parents and other people that he was seeing someone as well. It just kind of
worked out that way.”
 
“And you two never…”
 
“Nope.” She said, shaking her head. Jensen wanted to believe her; that Jared
wouldn’t hit on Sandy and that she wouldn’t try to tempt Jared. “It wasn’t like
that, Jensen.”
 
Jensen frowned to himself, wondering how lonely Jared must’ve felt after Josh.
 
“Don’t get me wrong,” she said, softly. “If I could date Jared for real, I
wouldn’t say no. But we’re much better off as friends, so you don’t have to
worry about our friendship.” Jensen gave her a long look, wondering if she was
a mind reader. “We’ve all tried to get Jared to date…after Josh. He wouldn’t –
not even a first date, not even if it was for coffee. Jared was always kind of
shy, but after Josh…he just went into this shell and it’s taken a few years for
him to start coming out again.”
 
Jensen nodded. “I know…I see glimpses of Jared…where I can see that he’s…how do
I explain it…that he’s more than just…this. You know?”
 
“I know,” she said, giggling softly. She patted Jensen on the arm and gave a
sigh. “He’s still new at relationships, Jensen. I know you love him…just be
patient with him, he’ll come around. Jared is easy to love – ask anyone – and
he knows how to love. We think that he’s falling in love with you, too. He’s
different around you – he’s happy and I can tell that he feels safe.”
 
“Yeah,” Jensen said, nodding to her. “I think he’s starting to feel safe, too.”
 
Safe enough to cuddle him in the same bed without freaking out.
 
Sandy stood up on her tiptoes and gave Jensen a quick peck on his cheek. She
grinned at him as he flushed slightly. “I won’t tell him that you get hard just
from watching him.”
 
“For god’s sake, Sandy!” Jensen hissed at her as she turned away, smirking at
him. He watched her walk down the brick pathway and grinned to himself. With a
sigh, he turned to see Jared playing near the cascade, sluicing his hand
through the falling waters. He gave a last look and then started walking down
the brick path to the main house.
 
***
 
Jensen really had to stop imagining Jared naked – and now that he knew exactly
what Jared looked like under his clothes…it wasn’t doing anything for his sense
of peace. He walked towards the side of the main house when he heard boisterous
heckling and the hallow sound of a tennis ball hitting the court. He saw Tom
and Mike on the tennis court, shirtless and wearing sunglasses, knocking the
hell out of the ball with an aggressive edge. This wasn’t a friendly game, but
when it came to Tom and Mike - who were ultra competitive to begin with and
probably had some kind of sexual bet at the end of the match - it wasn’t
anything out of the ordinary.
 
Christian and Steve sat on the second floor balcony with their feet propped up
on the wooden railing, overlooking the tennis court, and cheering and jeering
the two of them. Jensen took the stairs and sat down in the plush cushioned
chairs beside Steve.
 
“Where is everyone?”
 
“The girls took Chad to the beach,” Steve said, laughing as Christian pelted
Mike with cherries. “And we thought Jared was with you.”
 
“He was at the lagoon, so I came back.”
 
“What? You didn’t stare at him naked in the waters, huh?” Christian teased,
throwing another cherry at Mike. Jensen ducked his head, scratching at the back
of his neck. He caught Steve’s knowing grin and ignored it.
 
“Hey!” Mike protested, shaking his tennis racket at Christian. “Come on, man!
I’m trying to win a bet here! You know, some of us would like to top now and
again!”
 
Jensen chuckled as Tom jumped over the net and pulled Mike in close to claim a
kiss. Mike let the kiss go on for a few seconds and then pulled away, making a
face at Tom. Jensen could guess who won the match.
 
“Come on, we’ll play doubles,” Christian said, nudging Steve.
 
“No…I hate tennis,” Steve said, frowning. “Take Jensen.”
 
“Forget it, I’m here to relax, not get my ass kicked by Tom and Mike,” Jensen
said, chuckling.
 
“Come on, Steve, no chickening out,” Christian said, winking at Steve and going
down the stairs. Mike chased him around the court with the racket in his hand,
threatening to beat him up for distracting him. Tom caught Mike, laughing hard.
 
“Hey, I talked to the staff and asked if we could have a luau tonight. They’ll
set up something for us on the north side beach at six tonight.”
 
Jensen brightened, nodding. “That’s a great idea. Bring the guitars. We’ll get
a bonfire going afterwards.”
 
“Sure,” Steve said, standing up. “Now, I have to go keep Christian out of
trouble.”
 
“When isn’t Chris in trouble?”
 
***
 
Jensen was about to sink the eight ball into the left corner pocket when Jared
walked into the main house common room, hair slicked back and body glistening
everywhere. He was wearing just long shorts, his shirt and towel rolled up in
his hand. Jensen stood and gave him a smile, trying not to stare at the way the
muscles of Jared’s upper body stood out in detail. He was wonderfully tanned
and flushed from his walk from the lagoon. Jensen chewed on the inside of his
mouth to prevent public drooling.
 
Holy shit!
 
“Hey!”
 
“Hi,” Jensen called back, leaning against the edge of the pool table. “Want to
play a game?”
 
Jesus! What the hell was he thinking? That’s right, ask your half naked
gorgeous husband to play a shirtless game of pool. Smart, Jensen, really smart.
 
“Actually, I was going to head to the gym and work out. I haven’t slept in like
today in ages so I kind of feel out of synch. And then I have a massage after
the workout – it’s the kind that has the heated rocks? I think that’ll feel
amazing on my back.”
 
Jensen nodded, smiling. “Sounds like a full morning.”
 
“What about you?”
 
Jensen shrugged. “Just taking it easy.”
 
“Hey,” Jared called as he started walking away. “You should head out to the
lagoon for a swim. It’s a great private spot.”
 
Jensen watched as Jared gave him a wink before he turned and walked down the
hallway to the health center. He wondered if Jared knew that Jensen was
watching him. There was something going on with Jared…and he couldn’t quite
figure it out. He was glad that Jared was happy; that Jared felt safe with him.
Jensen was really pleased that Jared was enjoying his time on Necker. But there
was something…off. He couldn’t explain what it was – but it felt like Jared was
hitting on him.
 
***
 
Jensen sank into the hammock, feeling it sway to and fro. He pulled a straw hat
over his face, his hand just a swing away from the small ice bucket holding
four beers. He loved the Necker staff – they knew exactly what he wanted
without even asking.
 
He could hear giggles and water splashing on the beach. The girls were in the
waters, tossing a large beach ball to each other. Chad and Alona were taking a
horseback ride together – Jensen really didn’t see that coming, but he wasn’t
against it. He peeked over to see Tom and Mike lazing on the white sands.
Christian and Steve were sailing a small boat around the island. Jensen heard
their moans reverberating across the waters and Tom yelling at Christian to at
least wait until they were on the other side of the island before fucking
around.
 
“Room for one more?”
 
Jensen squinted up at Jared and gave him a slow grin. “Think you can fit?”
 
“Oh yeah,” Jared said, snorting. Jensen wiggled to make room for Jared, both of
them fitting their bodies and legs together, settling down. Jared gave a long
sigh, tucking the arm on the end of the hammock under his head.
 
“Don’t tip us over.”
 
“Hold on to the side of the hammock for a sec,” Jared said, taking Jensen’s
upper body in his hands. Jensen gripped the side, not wanting to fall out.
 
Jared maneuvered them so that Jared was on his back and pulled Jensen against
him so that he was curled over Jared. Jared grabbed Jensen’s leg and tucked it
between his own, holding Jensen close. Jensen tried to come out of his sleepy
daze to protest the manhandling, but figured that it was perfectly all right
and just pressed against Jared’s warmth, closing his eyes again. He drowsed
comfortably, feeling Jared’s large hand caress his back in slow circles,
fingertips grazing his neck and the back of his hair. It gave him chills and he
shivered against Jared. Jensen made an embarrassing sound that resembled a
purr, but for once, he didn’t care. He was glad for the closeness. He
understood that Jared wasn’t ready for more, that he couldn’t heal overnight –
but at times like this, Jensen really wished that he could share pleasure with
Jared.
 
Jared gave the hammock a gentle push with his foot on the tree and the two of
them sank into an afternoon nap, listening to their friends in the background,
warm in the shade of the island’s Caribbean sun.
 
***
 
All of them lingered around the low table with a warm sense of camaraderie, far
too stuffed to do anything more than just lounge around on the warm beach.
There were dozens of tiki torches lit around them and leading up the pathway to
the main house. Steve and Christian were already regaling them with songs, the
Necker staff cleaning up their table and laying out desserts and coffees.
Jensen sank back on the sand; hands tucked under his head, and stared up at the
night sky, looking at stars.
 
“Come on, Jen,” Christian called, smiling.
 
Jensen lifted his head to regard his friend. “What?”
 
“It’s your turn.” Steve said, strumming random chords on his guitar.
 
“No way, come on, guys.”
 
“Jensen, please,” Danneel said, smiling at him. “It’s been so long since you
sang.”
 
“You can sing?” Jared said, sitting up. “Do it, play something. Are you going
to play ‘Kumbaya’?”
 
Jensen gave him a dirty look as Jared laughed. “Just for that, I’m not going to
do it.”
 
“Come on, Jen, don’t be a chicken,” Christian said, snickering.
“Jensen…Jensen…Jen-sen…Jen-sen…”
 
Everyone else started chanting his name and Jensen groaned, covering his face
with his hands. He sat up and everyone gave a loud cheer, clapping their hands.
 
“Give it to me,” he growled at Christian, taking his guitar. He slid the pick
from under the strings at the neck and began to tune the guitar, clearing his
throat. “All right, I’ll sing one of my favorite songs that Steve wrote.”
 
Jensen gave Jared a nervous glance and then stared at the guitar string,
playing the intro.
 
“Can you please listen to me
I’ve only got a few moments of time
before my ride takes me somewhere new
I just called to let you know that everything’s ok
I tried before a thousand times
but I could never say…hello
 
”But it’s fall
and a new guy’s probably calling you each day
Might of lost all I had in you
but I know I found my way
I’ve Learned to Love
 
”I wonder what you’re doing
I wonder if you’re far
and if you sometimes listen to my songs
and wonder where you are
and can you hear a voice beside you
at night inside your room
saying it’s ok dream away
I promise I’ll be coming home soon
 
”So now it’s spring
and I am bringing all I got
might not be much
but one thing that I’ve learned a lot
I’ve Learned to Love.”
 
Jensen looked up to see Jared staring at him, his hazel eyes glittering from
the low lights of the tiki torches and the small bonfire nearby. Jared gave him
a small smile, nodding to him. Jensen cleared his throat, feeling warmth spread
down his spine to settle somewhere in the lowest parts of his stomach.
 
Tom and Mike whistled loudly as the girls cheered. Jensen smiled, shaking his
head, giving the guitar back to Christian.
 
“Good job, man,” Steve said, grinning widely. “I don’t think I’ve heard you
sing that well before.”
 
“Shut up,” Jensen said, sitting down and running his hands into the sand. He
looked up to see Jared watching him.
 
“That was great,” Jared said, moving around the low table to sit closer to
Jensen. “Do you sing a lot?”
 
“I used to sing a lot more with Steve and Christian at Steve’s bar,” Jensen
said, looking up at Jared. His throat was suddenly dry and tight.
 
“I’d like to go with you the next time you go there.”
 
Jensen picked up his beer, taking a long drink. “Yeah, sure. I’d be more than
happy to take you. They’d really like it, too. In fact, Steve’s told me several
times that I should bring you.”
 
“Good,” Jared said, softly. He leaned closer to Jensen, nearly whispering right
into his ear. “You should sing more when we get home.”
 
Home.
 
Jensen gave him a small smile, nodding quickly, and drinking down the rest of
his beer.
 
***
 
Jensen woke up with Jared sprawled over him, his meaty thigh pressed between
Jensen’s legs. There was no doubt that Jared could feel his hard on against
him, so he tried to squirm out from under Jared. After a few moments, Jensen
stopped, panting slightly. Jared had him pinned to the mattress pretty
effectively.
 
Jared moaned his complaint and snuggled closer against Jensen, moving his thigh
slightly higher over Jensen. He shut his eyes and clenched his teeth, keeping
the groan of pleasure between his lips. He wriggled around again, trying to get
free.
 
“Why are you so intent on shaking the entire bed every morning? Is this
something that you do at home?” Jared mumbled against Jensen’s shoulder.
 
“Come on, man, this isn’t fair,” Jensen said, softly.
 
“You feel so good, Jensen,” Jared husked, his breath moving against his ear.
Jensen swallowed, opening his eyes, and grabbing Jared’s leg and moving him
away.
 
He basically ran into the bathroom, closing the door. Jesus, he was only
fucking human!
 
He took advantage of whatever privacy he could get and when he felt calm enough
to leave the bathroom to get dressed – maybe go for a run around the island and
burn off some of the goddamned sexual tension – he’d be better able to face
Jared and deal with the rest of the day.
 
Jensen opened the door and stepped back into the room. Jared wasn’t in bed
anymore. He looked around the room to see Jared under the spray in the outdoor
shower adjacent to their room. There was a large picture window dividing the
room and the outdoor stone shower. Jensen stood for a moment, just watching as
the water sluiced down Jared’s very fine back. His eyes traced the firm muscles
of his buttocks, the curve of which Jensen wanted to tattoo his name.
 
Before his body could have the chance to react to the visual of Jared taking a
shower, Jensen threw on his running clothes and picked up his socks and shoes
as he left the room in a hurry.
 
***
 
Jensen loved the running trails around the island. There were two – easy or
hard. Jensen took the hard trail and he was huffing as he walked into the room,
covered with sweat, and all of his muscles burning from exertion. He was
grateful that he was alone and toed off his running shoes and socks, then threw
his clothes on the floor as he made his way to the outdoor shower.
 
The water was a warm-cool temperature and he got under the spray, closing his
eyes and running his hands over his hair. He grabbed the eco-friendly herbal
shampoo and gave it a good lather, washing his hair quickly. He turned the
knobs and made the water just a little hotter and turned so that the spray was
hitting his back and neck. He ducked his head and kept his eyes closed,
enjoying the feel of the hot water against his skin. Maybe he’d go for a
massage later, work out some of the soreness.
 
He grabbed the natural soap and a clean hand towel, lathering it up and moving
it briskly over his skin. He placed the soap on the soap dish and braces his
hand against the stone wall, letting the water spray into his face. He moved
the hand towel over his body, down his legs, between his toes, and scrubbed
every place that needed a good wash. He wrung out the hand towel and hung it on
the small hook. He stood under the water again, eyes closed, imagining Jared in
the shower from this morning.
 
He wanted more than anything to strip and join Jared in the shower, rub his
hands all over every inch of Jared’s skin, and press him against the stone
walls and kiss him. He’d look at the way the water clung to his eyelashes,
licked the taste of the water on his neck. Jensen would claim the collarbones
as his own. He’d run his hands down Jared’s chest, circle his thumbs over the
nipples to test how sensitive they were. He’d watch as Jared moaned, hands
braced against the stone walls, and head flung back.
 
Jensen moaned, running his hand down his own stomach to circle his hardening
cock. He gave it several strokes, firming it, running his thumb over the
sensitive tip. Jensen let himself go, feeling the rush of pleasure move through
his body like lava. He imagined that it was Jared’s sure hand, moving on him
like a lover who wanted him, wanted to make him come.
 
He let out another groan, shuddering as the pleasure worked out of him. He
stroked himself through each of the pulses, going under the hot spray and
feeling the water flow over his hand. He placed both hands on the wall in front
of him and ducked under the shower head, letting the water clean him off.
 
He pushed away, turning off the shower. He stepped carefully out of the shower
area and reached for a towel.
 
Jared.
 
Jensen blinked, looking through the window at Jared who was standing in the
middle of the room, watching him. Jared’s face flushed red and he gave Jensen a
shy smile and turned to leave the room. Jensen watched him go, stunned, knowing
that Jared just watched him jerk off. It didn’t bother him; he wished Jared
would’ve joined him in the shower.
 
With a sigh, Jensen picked up the towel and dried off slowly, letting the soft
fleece soak up the water. He kept seeing Jared’s expression in his mind. Jared
liked what he saw, desired Jensen. But just because Jared found him attractive
and wanted him, that didn’t mean that Jared wanted it now.
 
He really didn’t want to get hard again. He was frustrated and in love.
 
Jensen didn’t think he could actually take much more.
 
***
 
He knew that the best way to keep his mind off Jared and sex was to indulge in
vacation sports. Jensen was in a crazy water volleyball game with Christian and
Alona on his team. They were playing against Tom, Sophia, and Mike. There was
yelling, a little non-sporting verbal abuse, and continued splashing around.
Heckling both teams from the sidelines were Steve, Danneel, and Chad – they
would play the winning team.
 
“Come on, Jensen!”
 
“Loser!”
 
Jensen and Christian dove for the water volleyball together, nearly crashing
into each other in the swimming pool. Alona was laughing too hard to play any
kind of defense. The winning point went to Mike. Jensen grinned, watching as
Tom and Mike raised Sophia on their shoulders, smug in their win.
 
Sophia squealed when Chad splashed her in the face with the water volleyball.
She tipped over, taking Mike with her as Tom let go and laughed uproariously.
 
“All right, show them what you got, Chad!” Alona cheered. They all stopped and
looked at her, everyone smirking at her. “What? I was just cheering.”
 
“Sure,” Steve murmured, tossing the water volleyball in the air and slapping it
over the net.
 
Tom smacked it back and returned it smoothly. Chad played a strong game of
defense, smacking the ball back and nearly hitting Mike on the head.
 
“Come on!” Mike yelled, pointing at everyone. “This is not ‘try to get Mike for
bonus points’!”
 
“I don’t know, Rosie, makes the game a little more fun that way,” Danneel
called, sticking her tongue at him.
 
“Bring it!” Mike screeched.
 
Jensen laughed, clapping as he, Christian, and Alona took up the heckling,
splashing the other team with their feet.
 
“Hey, Jensen?” Alona said, tapping him on the arm.
 
“Yeah?” He said, turning to look at her.
 
Jensen laughed as Alona pushed him into the pool.
 
“No more playing fair!” Jensen screamed as he and Christian took her hands and
pulled her in.
 
There was a lot of under water friskiness as water volleyball turned into
“steal the bathing suit”. By the time Jensen was able to escape with a towel
around his waist, he had taken off victoriously with Danneel’s bikini top,
Christian’s trunks, and Mike’s skimpy little Speedo in his hands.
 
***
 
After lunch, Jensen took Sandy and Sophia around the island on the small
sailboat, teaching them about rigging and tacking angles. He was pleased to
note that the girls caught on fast and Jensen enjoyed the leisurely trip around
Necker. He taught them the easy “Can This Boat Sail Correctly” mnemonic phrase
for course, trim balance, sail trim, and centerboard.
 
The guys were on jet skis and zooming around, doing tricks on the waves. Others
were scattered over the island, either lounging on hammocks or sunning on the
beach’s gorgeous white sands.
 
Jensen leaned back in his seat, sunglasses covering his eyes from the brilliant
reflections off the blue-blue waters. Sophia sat on the seats across from him
as Sandy took point at the fore, sitting over the edge with her feet dangling
and giggling to herself.
 
Sophia turned to him and gave Jensen a long look. “He was right about you.”
 
Jensen pushed up his sunglasses. “Pardon?”
 
“Jared…he was right about you,” she told him, smiling slightly. “He said that
you were worth knowing.”
 
Jensen gave her a small grin. “He’s worth knowing.”
 
Sophia nodded, accepting that. “How are you doing?”
 
Jensen just gave her a laugh, shaking his head. “Hanging in there.”
 
“I’ve never seen Jared so happy…and it’s not because you brought us here
together…he’s been happy for a while now…with you.”
 
“I’m glad,” Jensen said, sighing deeply. “He makes me happy – actually, he
makes me frustrated as all hell…but he makes me happy to be frustrated.”
 
“Jesus, you really are in love with him,” she said, snickering.
 
“Yeah, pretty much,” Jensen said, pulling down his sunglasses.
 
“Jared wants us to be friends,” she told him, leaning forward on her seat. She
gave him a pretty smile. “I suppose if he’s forgiven you for your past
mistakes, the rest of us can, too.” She reached out with her hand. “Friends?”
 
Jensen gave her a smile, reached out and shook her hand. “Friends.”
 
“Are we all friends now?” Sandy mocked, laughing.
 
“Hey, come on, let’s have some fun. Get up there with Sandy and I’ll teach you
how to run the boat downwind.”
 
***
 
They started the evening off playing a rousing game of Monopoly. Jensen frowned
and glared often, complaining loudly that Alona was cheating.
 
She smacked the back of his head. “I do not cheat, Jensen Ackles!”
 
“There is no way that I can lose at Monopoly!” Jensen said, growling at them.
 
“It’s just a game,” Sandy said, chuckling.
 
“For Jensen, it’s never just a game,” Danneel murmured, raising her eyebrow.
 
Jensen growled at them, rolling his dice. He moved his game piece – the car –
and ended up on the “Go to Jail” space.
 
“I don’t believe this!” He groused, slamming his game piece in the jail square.
Jensen sat back, glaring unhappily at the board. “I never go to jail!”
 
Jared laughed, rubbing his head with his hand. “Don’t pout, Jensen.”
 
Slowly, various couples began to pair off and leave the game, wishing everyone
a good night. Jensen watched as Christian and Steve disappeared first; then Tom
and Mike slunked out of the common room; Chad and Alona decided to go for a
night stroll on the beach; and the girls made their excuses to turn in. Jensen
was alone with Jared, cleaning up the game pieces and gathering up the paper
money.
 
Jared put the cover on the box and smiled at Jensen. “I’m going to turn in,
too. Are you coming to bed?”
 
Jensen swallowed, licking his lips. “I’ll be there in just a few minutes.”
 
“All right,” Jared said, standing. He gave Jensen another funny look and Jensen
smiled up at him so that Jared would know nothing was wrong. He drank the last
of his beer to hide his nervousness. He wasn’t nearly sleepy enough to go to
bed with Jared at the same time and he wasn’t nearly in enough control over his
libido to just lay there and let Jared touch him all night long.
 
He played three games of pool alone and eventually made his way to the room.
Jared was sound asleep in bed. Jensen washed his face and brushed his teeth. He
changed into his loose pajama pants and slid under the cool sheets without
trying to disturb the bed. He sighed, setting his head on the pillow, his body
relaxing in increments.
 
He closed his eyes and nearly jumped out of his skin when Jared rolled over,
arms and legs tangling around him. Jensen let out a sigh, not fighting for
personal space. He sighed deeply, feeling Jared’s familiar weight and warmth
lull him to sleep.
 
Of course, on an island this size, it wasn’t difficult to hear various couples
moaning out their pleasure to the night air. Jensen groaned softly, pulling the
pillow from under him and stuffing it against his face – anything to keep the
sound of moans echoing in his head.
 
Seriously, this was unfair. Jensen knew that Jared was doing this on purpose,
but what was he going to do? What could he do about it without freaking out
Jared?
 
***
 
Jensen woke up slowly, the sunlight coming into the room in a soft glow. He
took a deep breath and opened his eyes slowly, blinking the sleep from them. He
felt Jared’s hand on his stomach, caressing him in slow circles. He turned to
see that Jared was awake this time, propping up his head with his hand, elbow
firmly trenched on the bed.
 
“Morning,” Jensen murmured to him, intending to slip out of bed.
 
He stopped when he felt Jared’s hand on his arm, stopping him. Jensen turned to
look at him, eyes widening as Jared pulled him closer, kissing him softly on
the mouth.
 
TBC…
***** Chapter 16 *****
He stopped when he felt Jared’s hand on his arm, stopping him. Jensen turned to
look at him, eyes widening as Jared pulled him closer, kissing him softly on
the mouth.
 
Jensen moaned unabashedly, feeling Jared’s tongue stroke on his lower lip. He
opened his mouth and invited Jared inside to explore, moving back on the bed.
Jensen wiggled until he was on his back, pulling Jared closer, pulling him over
him. He loved the feel of Jared’s warm skin against his; loved the weight of
Jared’s body over his.
 
Jared’s long fingers slid through his short hair, fingernails scraping gently
on his scalp. Jensen shuddered, wrapping his arms around his back, trailing his
own fingernails down Jared’s sensitive back.
 
The kiss deepened and Jensen tasted Jared’s tongue, stroking and caressing
against each other. Jensen bit at Jared’s lip, tugging on it with his teeth
until Jared gave a soft moan of his own.
 
This is what Jensen wanted – just lounging on the bed together, kissing and
touching. Jared was firm to the touch, silky skin covering all of the hard
muscles under the skin. Jensen let his hands and fingers feel up and down the
back that Jensen fantasized about. He let Jared take over the kiss, letting him
taste Jensen in return. Jared’s lips were soft and wet against his. He could
tell that Jared missed this – missed kissing – from his fervent and somewhat
hurried manner.
 
Jensen finally pulled away, both panting softly. He looked into Jared’s hazel
cat eyes, his eyelids sleepy and low, face flushed, lips wet and swollen. He
smiled at Jared, running his hand over Jared’s face and into his bed tousled
hair.
 
“Good morning,” Jensen murmured, raising his eyebrow. “What brought this on?”
 
“I wanted to do this…with you,” he replied, shyly. “I don’t know if I’m ready
for more…”
 
“Don’t worry,” Jensen said, kissing his lips. He ran his lips over Jared’s
stubbly cheek and along his jawline, nipping at his neck, and then sucking
Jared’s earlobe into his mouth. Jared gasped, trembling against him. “We don’t
have to rush into anything else.”
 
Jared gave a huffed out chuckle. “I want to, but…I’m not sure if I can.”
 
“What do you mean?” Jensen said, moving them so that Jared was curled on his
side. He turned on his side, facing Jared.
 
“Sex wasn’t always…good.” Jared said, his brow furrowing slightly. “I mean…some
of it was good, but…I never liked it…it never did anything for me. I liked the
closeness but…
 
Jensen ran his hand down Jared’s neck, stroking him slowly. “So when Josh
penetrated you…you never came?”
 
“It was…okay,” Jared said, sighing deeply. He fell on his back on the bed and
closed his eyes, rubbing his hand over his eyes.
 
“Just okay? Jared…when it’s done right, it’s beyond any kind of pleasure you’ve
ever known,” Jensen said, looking at him. He watched as Jared closed his eyes,
shrugging slightly. Jensen seriously wanted to show him just how much more than
“okay” it could be between them.
 
“That’s what everyone says,” Jared said, staring at the ceiling. “Jensen…I want
you, I do. I’ve wanted you for a long time. But…”
 
Jensen kissed him gently and then looked into his eyes. “Like I said, it
doesn’t have to be today. We can learn together. I can show you how it can be
like, but it doesn’t have to be right now.”
 
Jared gave him a grin, turning on his side. He stroked his large hand down
Jensen’s side, fingers brushing lightly over his skin. Jensen grinned at him,
shivering slightly.
 
“You are such a tease,” Jensen murmured at him.
 
“You watched me in the lagoon.”
 
Jensen smirked. “You watched me jerk off in the shower.”
 
Jared blushed, lowering his eyes and smiling. “I wanted to join you…touch you
the way you were touching yourself.”
 
Jensen stretched, falling on the bed and kicking down his side of the covers.
“Like I said before, you can touch me any time you want.”
 
“You’re such a gorgeous…arrogant bastard,” Jared said, laughing. He tucked his
arm under his chin, looking at him. He stroked Jensen’s belly, running his
fingertips around Jensen’s belly button, making him laugh. “I’m so glad we came
here.”
 
“Me, too. I like spending time with you…I like spending time with our friends,”
Jensen said, grinning. He reached up and ran his fingers over Jared’s face,
touching the slope of his nose, the little mole on his cheek.
 
“Your friends have been pretty great,” he replied, smiling. Jensen liked the
way Jared’s eyes crinkled at the ends, making a little sloe eyed look. “The
longer we stay here, the more I want to just stay here.”
 
“I could always buy the island.”
 
“Stop,” Jared said, laughing. “You don’t have to buy the island; you already
have me.”
 
“Yeah, I do.”
 
He watched as Jared blushed again, hiding his face in the crook of his arm.
 
“You have me, too. You know that, right?”
 
Jared peeked up at him. “I know.”
 
Jensen ran his fingers through Jared’s soft hair, petting him. He took a
handful of Jared’s hair, gently pulling his head back. Jared gasped, eyes
closing as Jensen kissed him, starting slow and easy, and then using his teeth
to nip and bite at Jared’s lips, tongue moving into his mouth easily and taking
control of the kiss, licking across his tongue and tickling the roof of his
mouth. He tightened his hold, arching Jared’s neck slightly. He felt Jared’s
moan vibrate inside his mouth.
 
Slowly, he pushed Jared on his back and moved over him, kissing down the sharp
jawline and finding a sensitive spot right below his ear. He licked it firmly
and felt Jared move his head into the pillow. Oh yes, that’s the spot. He
nipped it playfully and Jared clutched him, sucking in air between his teeth.
Jensen grinned to himself as he licked down Jared’s neck. Ohhhh, it was going
to be so much fun to teach Jared where all of his sensitive spots were on his
body.
 
He didn’t want to bring Josh into their bed, but Jensen wanted to kill him all
over again for never giving Jared pleasure. It was obvious that Jared didn’t
even know what turned him on physically – didn’t know all the secret places
that only lovers knew about each other.
 
Jared wasn’t ready for much more and Jensen was more than happy to let him set
the pace. But he was going to spend every moment that they had together to give
Jared pleasure and to map out every single place on his body that would make
him moan aloud.
 
Jensen continued kissing down Jared’s long neck, nipping and licking here and
there. He let go of Jared’s hair and trailed his fingers down the other side of
his neck. Jared twitched and arched against him, head rolling on the pillow in
want. So sensitive and touch starved. Jensen trailed his teeth along the sharp
outline of his collarbones, dipping his tongue in the little dent between them.
And when Jared raised his chin to give Jensen more space, he took the nub of
his Adam’s apple in his mouth and sucked. When Jared whimpered, he could feel
the sound throb against his lips.
 
“I could spend the whole day making out with you,” Jensen murmured against his
skin, rubbing his lips down Jared’s neck and kissing across his shoulders.
 
“Oh God, I’m so fucking turned on right now.”
 
Jensen smirked to himself – ohhh, baby, this is nothing compared to what else I
can do to you.
 
“Are you hard?”
 
“Jesus, do you have to even ask?”
 
Jensen moved closer to him and sucked his earlobe back into his mouth. He
licked the shell and whispered, “touch yourself. Make yourself come.” He took
one of Jared’s large hands and placed the palm over his chest, pushing his
wrist slowly down and under the sheets until Jared moved his own hand further.
Jensen ran his fingers up Jared’s arm, wrapping his hand around Jared’s
shoulder and feeling the muscles bunch and tense as Jared slipped his hand
under the elastic of his boxers. “Kiss me and touch yourself.”
 
Jared moaned, turning his face so that Jensen could kiss him hard and long.
Jensen licked his bottom lip and turned to see Jared’s hand moving under the
sheets. He could tell from the movement that Jared was working his cock hard,
stroking fast and without finesse. Later, Jensen would teach him how to draw it
out, tease him, listen to him beg for it.
 
“God, you’re so fucking gorgeous like this,” Jensen said, softly. He swallowed,
looking at Jared’s face. His eyes were closed tight and his jaw clenched. His
face was sweaty and flushed. He panted roughly, letting out soft groans from
his throat. “I want to make you feel so good, Jared.”
 
“Oh fuck.”
 
“I want to put my mouth on your cock and lick you slowly, tease with you with
my tongue until you ask me to suck you,” Jensen said, kissing his cheek and
licking the salty skin at his temple. “I want to know the way that you taste
and feel inside my mouth. I’ll take you deep…so deep, Jared. You’ll want to
thrust into my mouth and I’ll let you. You can fuck my mouth as hard as you
want.”
 
He kissed across Jared’s chest, wetting his lips and rubbing them against the
smooth skin. Jared clenched his muscles as Jensen kissed his pecs, running the
tip of his tongue down to circle one of the perky nipples.
 
“Jen—“ Jared gulped, not even finishing his name. Jensen grinned, taking the
nipple gently between his teeth and adding pressure as he flicked it with his
tongue. Jared groaned louder, pressing his shoulders against the bed. When
Jensen released the nipple and then placed his lips around it and began sucking
it, Jared’s upper body nearly curled over him as he let out a whimper.
 
Jensen pulled his lips away from the nipple and looked up at Jared. He licked
his lips, meeting Jared’s wide eyes and mouth open from panting. Jensen kept
looking at Jared as he moved to give the other nipple the same kind of
attention. Jared’s eyes closed and he groaned, dropping his head back on the
pillow.
 
“One day,” Jensen began, licking the nipple with the flat of his tongue. “I’m
going to hold you down and just play with your nipples and see if I can make
you come.”
 
“Oh fuck,” Jared mumbled, swallowing hard.
 
“Don’t stop,” Jensen said to him, wrapping his hand around Jared’s arm, feeling
the hard rhythm that Jared used on his cock.
 
Jared’s legs pressed apart, his heels digging into the mattress. Jensen could
see Jared pushing his hips off the bed, thrusting into his stroking hand.
Jensen grabbed the pillow with his hand, clenched tight. He closed his eyes,
feeling Jared writhing against him, imagining what it would feel like to have
Jared under him, those long legs of his wrapped around his hips, undulating
under him, face tensed with pleasure. Jensen pressed his own hard cock into the
mattress, keeping his hips still and biting his lip for control.
 
“I’ll keep sucking and sucking your cock, just at the tip, right where it’s
sensitive, suck the come out of you,” Jensen said, groaning with Jared. He
grabbed Jared’s hair and pulled his face towards him, kissing his opened mouth.
Jensen shivered as Jared groaned loudly into his mouth, hand working his cock
faster and faster. Jensen sucked on his tongue, milking it with his mouth as
Jared shuddered, his entire body on edge, muscles alive under all that damp
skin, and Jensen grabbed him by the shoulders, holding him down on the mattress
and felt Jared jerk against him, coming hard and long.
 
Jared broke the kiss, panting hard as he grunted deeply. “Jensen…oh fuck…”
 
Jensen moaned, pressing his face against the side of Jared’s neck, rubbing his
cock against the bed, coming wetly in his boxers. Jared’s other hand clutched
at Jensen’s arm, both shuddering through a wave of pleasure. Jensen blinked
slowly, trying to control his breathing. He looked up to see Jared’s eyes shut
tight.
 
Jensen held his head between his hands. “Look at me. Jared, look at me.”
 
Jared’s eyelids flickered, opening. His pupils were dilated, so black that
there was only a slight ring of color. He stared blindly up at Jensen, teeth
clenched on his bottom lip. He gave a final sigh of pleasure, sinking into the
bed and letting out a long breath.
 
Jensen smiled, kissing him gently with his lips. “I love you.”
 
“Ohmygod,” Jared said, letting out a shuddering breath. He blinked rapidly,
staring at the high ceiling of their room. At Jensen’s declaration, Jared
licked his lips and turned to look at him. He smiled shyly. “I—“
 
“Now that’s a good morning,” Jensen said, chuckling softly. He stroked Jared’s
hair, pressing his forehead against Jared’s. Jared let out a laugh, wiping his
hand on the sheets.
 
“Yeah.”
 
Jensen took his hand and pulled it from under the sheets. He met Jared’s eyes
and then licked the palm of Jared’s hand from his wrist to his fingers, sucking
them and tasted the briny flavor of his come. Jensen sucked on the loose web of
skin between his thumb and index finger, his tongue searching for any remaining
taste of him. Jared took a deep breath and smiled at him, showing his dimples.
 
“Jensen…”
 
He licked his lips, grinning slyly, and moved up to place a soft kiss on
Jared’s lips. “I’ll always make you feel so good, Jared.”
 
“Okay.”
 
Jensen sank to his side, smirking at his adorably flushed husband. “So…you want
to go again?”
 
***
 
“I can’t believe we have to leave tomorrow,” Jared said, propping his arms over
the edge of the infinity pool.
 
Jensen ran his hand over Jared’s back. “We can always come back again.”
 
“Yeah, I’d like that,” he said, smiling.
 
Jensen tangled his fingers into Jared’s wet hair and he pulled him closer for a
long, slow kiss.
 
“Get a room,” Chad said, snickering at them.
 
Jensen pulled away and raised his eyebrow, looking up at Chad. “You know, if
you’re going to start seeing Alona, we’re going to have a talk about it. I
think it’s my turn now to threaten you. She’s like a sister to me and I can be
a pretty overprotective and overbearing brother.”
 
Alona strolled towards them wearing a long sarong over her bikini. She dipped
her toes into the water and playfully splashed Jensen.
 
“Hey!”
 
She chuckled and took Chad’s hand, leading him away. “Don’t worry about Jensen,
he’s all bark.”
 
Jensen watched them walk past the pool, Chad’s arm tucking around Alona’s small
waist. He grinned to himself, thinking that he liked the match.
 
“You know, he’s a good man,” Jared said, softly.
 
Jensen turned to look at him. “I know.”
 
“He’ll treat her right,” he replied, smiling slightly. “And maybe he’ll finally
stop worrying so much about me and find someone for himself.”
 
Jensen stroked his back again, moving closer against Jared and placing a kiss
on his shoulder. Jared looked over at Jensen and gave him a quick peck on the
cheek and then laughed delightedly when he saw a platter of fruits and
champagne flutes floating towards them on an inflatable water table.
 
“Seriously, this place rocks,” Jared said, plucking a perfectly cut strawberry
and popping it into his mouth. “Does the staff here read minds or something?”
 
“They’re just good at knowing what people need.”
 
***
 
Jensen couldn’t remember the number of toasts that they made during dinner, but
he was just a little drunk. Actually, all of them were just a little drunk.
Now, they were sitting at the open bar. Jensen leaned against the bar, looking
up at Jared, who wore a little paper umbrella behind his ear. He was grinning,
twirling another paper umbrella between his fingers. Jensen snickered as he
watched Jared, a little drunk and a lot happy.
 
“Hey,” Jensen said, running his hand down Jared’s leg. “I know this might be
kind of soon but…I was thinking, when we got back home, you might consider
moving into my room. I, uh, I’ve gotten a little spoiled having you next to
me.”
 
Jared cracked a grin, raising a sleepy eye at him. “Really? You? A little
spoiled?”
 
“Come on,” Jensen said, pinching Jared’s leg playfully.
 
“Ow!” Jared said, laughing. He tucked the paper umbrella behind Jensen’s ear.
“Now, you’re really pretty.”
 
Jensen snorted. “I was already pretty to begin with.”
 
“Such arrogance!” Jared howled, slapping the bar with his hand.
 
“I’ll even paint my bedroom dark blue so you can sleep in a cave.”
 
“You know,” Jared murmured, leaning close to him. “I have a secret to tell
you.”
 
“Okay.”
 
“I only painted my room dark blue because I knew it would drive you crazy.” He
said, giggling.
 
Jensen stared at him, making a face. “Huh. Well, it worked.”
 
“I didn’t know if you would want to, once we got back to the city,” Jared said,
softly.
 
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Jensen said, looking at him. He moved off the bar
to press a soft kiss on Jared’s cheek. “How could I stay away? I would’ve faked
nightmares or something so that you’d stay close.”
 
Jared snorted, chuckling. “That’s so lame.”
 
“Yeah,” Jensen said, moving sinuously into a sitting position. He grabbed
Jared’s large hand and stood up, pulling Jared off the bar stool. “Come on,
let’s go for a walk on the beach. Last time before we leave.”
 
“Oh…okay,” Jared said, listing slightly to the left. Jensen caught him and
wrapped his arms around him, holding him close.
 
“Can you walk?”
 
“Sure,” Jared said, giggling. He wrapped long arms around Jensen, nearly
towering over him, tucking his head on top of Jensen’s and patting his ass with
a large palm.
 
Jensen grinned, grabbing Jared’s wandering hand by the wrist. He ignored all
the knowing grins pasted on their friends’ faces as he led an overly
affectionate Jared out of the bar and towards the tiki torches lighting the
pathway to the beach.
 
Jensen listened to the sound of the waters lapping up to the beach. The sand
was still so warm from the sun. Jared pulled away and giggled, long arms waving
around as Jared kicked off his sandals and stepped into the water, splashing
the foam with his bare feet. Jensen laughed, watching Jared kick the water
around. Jensen leaned against a thick palm tree, settling in. He leaned his
head back and took a deep sigh, crossing his arms across his chest. The sky was
so dark and the stars so bright. He could hear the sound of laughter and music
floating down to them from the outdoor bar above.
 
Jensen licked his lips, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He
opened his eyes when he felt Jared press against him.
 
Jared kissed him, just little presses of his lips against Jensen’s skin, little
licks against his lips. Jensen murmured something and wrapped his arms around
Jared’s neck, pulling him closer.
 
“You feel so good,” Jared whispered, sucking on Jensen’s ear.
 
Oh yeah…nice…
 
Jensen chuckled, letting his hands slide down Jared’s back, caressing him at
the small of his back.
 
Jared swirled his hips, pressing his hardening cock against Jensen’s pelvis,
rubbing himself slowly. Jensen groaned, clutching Jared closer, twisting his
hips so that he could grind against Jared.
 
Jensen leaned his head against the palm tree as Jared took over the kissing,
moving so that he could press his cock over Jensen’s, circling his hips so that
Jensen could almost feel the shape of Jared’s cock through their loose shorts.
 
“Jesus,” he groaned, running his hands into the thickness of Jared’s hair.
“Don’t stop.”
 
Jared’s hands clutched the palm tree, one hand fisting into Jensen’s shorts,
tightening the fabric against his cock. Jensen arched against him, letting out
a loud moan, and wrapped his leg behind Jared’s lower leg. They both rubbed
against each other in tandem. When Jared thrust against Jensen, he would arch
into the thrust and twist his hips to get the best stroke. His shorts were
damp, his balls drawing tight against his belly. He could feel Jared hard, so
hard, against him.
 
“I’m going to come,” Jared hissed urgently into Jensen’s ear, grinding harder
against him.
 
“Oh God, Jared.” Jensen moved frantically against Jared, loving the feel of him
against his body, the weight of Jared warming him.
 
Jensen gasped and then sucked in a deep breath, holding it in his lungs as he
held his hips tight against Jared as he rubbed them off. Jared pressed his face
against Jensen’s neck, both of them breathless, and Jared gripped Jensen’s hip
so tight, Jensen knew that Jared was coming.
 
He clenched his teeth, biting back the loud groans, and came, pleasure flooding
him in waves. He tucked Jared closer against him and then let out the breath he
was holding so that he could gulp in a lungful of air, hitting the last of his
pleasure.
 
“Wow,” Jared mumbled against Jensen’s neck.
 
Jensen let out a soft giggle, biting his lip to suppress it. Jared lifted his
head and looked at Jensen. He wore a huge grin on his face. Jensen reached up
and stroked his cheeks, feeling the dimples. They giggled together, kissing now
and then, giggling like little boys with secrets.
 
“Jesus,” Jensen murmured, looking up at him. “You’re seriously going to be the
death of me.”
 
***
 
Jensen pressed his thumb against the biometric door key and sighed with longing
as the door opened with a soft click. He pushed opened the door and flipped on
the lights. He dropped his car keys on the hall table.
 
“God, as much as I loved being on Necker, it’s really good to be home,” Jensen
said, sighing deeply.
 
Jared closed the door, smiling at him. “So what do you want to do first?”
 
“Shower. Eat. Take a nap.”
 
Jared nuzzled his neck. Jensen could feel him smile against his skin. “Or we
could…you know…”
 
“We could…” Jensen murmured, chuckling. He turned and gave Jared a kiss, just a
press of lips and a little tongue. “Come on, let’s get settled in. We’ll see if
Chuck made us some food.”
 
Jared licked his neck. “Want to meet in the kitchen…or in your bedroom?”
 
“Hmmm…kitchen first and then bedroom.”
 
“You don’t have some weird policy against eating food in your bedroom, do you?”
 
Jensen raised his eyebrow at Jared. “What do you think?”
 
“I think,” Jared began, snickering. “The penthouse is way too white.”
 
Jensen rolled his eyes, reaching down to give Jared a playful slap on his hip.
“Kitchen…in ten minutes.”
 
“Ohhh…bossy.”
 
Jensen gave him a mock glare. Ohhh…he would show Jared “bossy.” He watched as
Jared dragged his big duffel bag down the hall towards his bedroom…well, not
Jared’s bedroom anymore. They could convert it to an office space or a guest
room later. He’d ask Jared what he wanted to do with the spare rooms.
 
Jensen sighed, feeling happier for the first time in months. He wandered over
to his desk and hit the answering machine.
 
“You have eight new messages.”
 
Jensen flipped through the mail that Loretta left for him in neat piles. He
separated his letters and Jared’s letters into two piles.
 
With a deep sigh, he skipped through four messages – all related to business.
That could wait until the next time he went into the office.
 
“Jensen, darling, I hope you and Jared returned safely from your trip. Did you
have a wonderful time together? I hope you did, son. Give me a call when you
and Jared return. You both must come over for dinner soon.”
 
Jensen grinned at the machine, listening to his mother’s voice. He’d call her
later and arrange to visit her for dinner in the next day or so.
 
“Jared, it’s David Boreanaz. I was just wondering if we could get together and
talk about the UT MBA program. You can reach me at 214-555-1962.”
 
Jensen stared at the machine for a long moment, wondering what in the fuck
David Boreanaz needed to talk to Jared about. He frowned, nearly missing the
next message.
 
“…should meet for dinner. And bring your cute husband.”
 
Jensen rewound the message to the beginning.
 
“Jen, it’s Misha. It’s been a few months since we saw each other. We should
meet for dinner. And bring your cute husband.”
 
He stopped the machine. Jensen frowned even more, tapping his fingers on the
desk surface. Really, he didn’t want to have dinner with Misha – and he wasn’t
entirely pleased with the way that Misha referenced Jared in the message.
 
“Hey! I thought we were meeting in the kitchen? What’re you doing all the way
over there?” Jared said, grinning.
 
Jensen looked up to see that Jared had changed into a pair of clean pajama
bottoms and faded burgundy Henley. He tried to wipe the frown off his face, but
Jared caught his expression.
 
“Something wrong?”
 
“I’m not sure,” Jensen said, pressing the buttons on the machine to go back two
messages. He hit play and looked at Jared, watching for his reaction.
 
“Jared, it’s David Boreanaz. I was just wondering if we could get together and
talk about the UT MBA program. You can reach me at 214-555-1962.”
 
Jared shrugged. “Huh. All right. Let me just get a pen and—“
 
“You can’t be serious.”
 
Jared blinked and looked at Jensen. “What do you mean?”
 
“I’m not…I think it’s a bad idea to meet him.”
 
Jared bit his lip and sighed. “Jensen, I don’t know what kind of relationship
you had with David – and I don’t want to know – but he’s been nothing but
friendly to me.”
 
“He’s just playing you.”
 
“I think I know when someone is playing me,” Jared said, his voice firm.
 
Jensen winced. “Look, I’m just saying that David is a predator and he sees you
as easy prey.”
 
“Excuse me, but I am married, and I think you know how I feel about sex. I
don’t think he’ll make a move on me, but if it should ever happen, I can handle
it.”
 
“I’m not saying that you can’t,” he said, then took a deep breath. “Jared, I
don’t want to fight about this.”
 
“I don’t want to fight about this either, but this is something that we both
have to deal with,” Jared said, putting his hand on Jensen’s arm. “Look, you’re
my husband; please trust me to make my decisions. I’m not a kid anymore,
Jensen. I know how not to be put into a situation where someone can take
advantage of me.”
 
Jensen couldn’t help but raise his eyebrow.
 
“Low blow,” Jared said, crossing his arms.
 
“I’m sorry,” Jensen said, flinching. “It’s just that…there are people who are
still in the peripherals of my life…from my past…that I wish you wouldn’t have
anything to do with. I know how it sounds, but it’s not because I don’t want to
make your own decisions…it’s just…they’re dicks and I know what kinds of games
they play and I don’t want to see you get caught up in them.”
 
Jared gave him a small smile. “I’m really not that naïve, Jensen. You don’t
have to protect me.”
 
“I do regret a lot of what happened,” he said, shrugging. “But I can’t change
my past…I don’t want to see you hurt.”
 
Jared pulled him into a hug. “They can’t ever hurt me; they don’t have the
leverage to hurt me.” He pressed his forehead against Jensen’s. “You have to
trust me, okay?”
 
Jensen sighed, knowing that Jared was right. “All right. I trust you; I don’t
trust anyone of them.”
 
Jared let out a soft laugh and then pulled away. “Well, that’s a start.” He
looked at the machine. “You still have another unheard message.”
 
Jensen hit the ‘play’ button on the machine.
 
“Jen, it’s Misha. It’s been a few months since we saw each other. We should
meet for dinner. And bring your cute husband.”
 
“Misha?” Jared said, raising an eyebrow. “Cute husband?”
 
Jensen rolled his eyes. “Polo friend.”
 
“Sure,” Jared said, shaking his head. Jensen hoped that he would drop it.
Jensen had no intention of meeting Misha, with or without Jared.
 
“You—“
 
“Hi Jensen, it’s Chace. Are you back from your little honeymoon trip with
Jared? Give me a call sometime if you want to hook up. I remember how
insatiable you were and Jared can’t be keeping you properly satisfied. Later.”
 
Jensen gritted his teeth, moving to delete the message all together. “That
little fucker.”
 
“Wow,” Jared said, taking a deep breath. “He really has zero class.”
 
Jensen was glad that Jared wasn’t angry about it. “I’m sorry…I never thought
he’d actually call. The last time I saw him, I told him to fuck off and that I
wasn’t interested.”
 
“And I’m sure that his little message was supposed to create a rift between us
or something,” Jared said and then laughed. “He wasn’t all that smart in
school…it’s a wonder that he’s actually got a career in acting.”
 
“You know…one phone call and I can get him kicked off his show,” Jensen said,
grinning up at him.
 
“I might consider that.”
 
“God,” Jensen said, groaning. “I can’t believe that we come home to this
bullshit. I really just wanted to curl up in bed with you and watch a movie or
something.”
 
“You know…I, uh…I think that’s a good idea,” Jared said, shyly. “I’m…maybe we
could just relax tonight and…fool around tomorrow or something.”
 
Jensen smirked. “You telling me that you have a headache?”
 
Jared leaned his arms over Jensen’s shoulders, kissing him on the lips. “You’re
the pretty one so that makes you the wife.”
 
“Trust me, I never get headaches.”
 
***
***** Chapter 17 *****
Jensen moved to his side and stared at Jared. This was the third morning that
they started to sleep in Jensen’s bed since returning from Necker Island.
Jensen couldn’t think of any other person he’d rather wake up beside. His
sleeping husband looked rather adorable – messy hair curled over his forehead,
long eyelashes touching the top part of his cheek, a warm blush on his face,
lips slightly parted. Jensen reached out and placed his palm over Jared’s neck,
very gently stroking his hand along the strong shoulder. He reached behind
Jared and ran his hand down the warm stretch of smooth and soft skin of his
back.
 
“Seriously, how many mornings will you wake me up like this?” Jared murmured, a
smile on his lips even though his eyes were closed.
 
“Every morning for the next, ohhhh, fifty or sixty years,” Jensen said, running
his palm firmly over the dip of Jared’s side and then lower to playfully pat
his ass. “Very nice.”
 
Jared opened his eyes and chuckled. “Do you see me complaining?”
 
“Oh? That wasn’t a complaint?”
 
“Nope,” Jared said, reaching out to touch Jensen’s chest, a fingernail
scratching over a nipple. Jensen hissed, looking at Jared. “Sensitive?”
 
“Don’t tease me,” Jensen said, growling slightly. “I have to get up and go to
work. We don’t have time to play—“
 
“We always have time to play,” Jared said, smirking at him.
 
Jensen caught Jared’s roving hand before he could reach parts of his body that
were enthusiastic about play time with Jared. “So…what are you going to do
today, now that you’ve finished your thesis defense and graduation is next
month.”
 
Jared sighed theatrically and batted his eyes. “Ohhh, I don’t know, get a job.”
He stared at the ceiling. “I should go see my dad.”
 
“I was serious about recruiting you to work at Ackles Corp,” Jensen said,
looking at him. They faced each other on their respective pillows, tucked on
their sides. Jensen smiled when Jared’s toes started to wiggle against Jensen’s
foot. “The benefits package would be very, very generous.”
 
“Really? Can I get that in writing?”
 
“Yeah. I know people,” Jensen murmured, licking his lips and moving forward to
give Jared a slow kiss.
 
“I heard that the boss is kind of a hard ass.”
 
“Nah, he’s just misunderstood.” Jensen said, chuckling. “I totally have an in
with him. I know he’d hire you in a second. He knows a good thing when he sees
it. That’s how he got to be CEO of a multi-billionaire dollar company.”
 
“Wow,” Jared said, grinning. “I’m really impressed. Maybe I should try to find
employment at Ackles Corp. I mean, since you have an in and all.”
 
“What would you want to do?”
 
Jared tucked his hand under his pillow. “Corporate governance.”
 
“Hmmm…you’re interested in the economic health of the company,” Jensen nodded,
seriously. He was enjoying this game. “That’ll really impress the CEO.”
 
“I think my talents would be best used there,” Jared said, reaching out to run
his fingertips along Jensen’s collarbone.
 
“Tell me more about your talents,” Jensen said, closing his eyes as Jared’s
fingers slipped up his neck. “So I can give the CEO a head’s up.”
 
“Planning to see him, are you?” Jared husked, sliding closer so that he could
press himself against Jensen. Jensen smiled, tucking his leg between Jared’s
thighs and feeling his hardness against him.
 
“Sure. I have direct access.”
 
“Well, I’m a wiz with numbers, of course,” Jared said, palming the back of
Jensen’s head and gently pulling his head back. He pressed a kiss on the base
of Jensen’s neck. “One.” He kissed a little higher on his neck. “Two.” Jensen
grinned as Jared found a new place to kiss. “Three.” Jared giggled slightly,
nipping on Jensen’s earlobe. “Four.”
 
“Yeah, a true genius,” Jensen murmured, pulling Jared over him as he moved to
his back. “What else?”
 
“I’m a real hands-on kind of worker,” he said, kissing Jensen’s mouth,
lingering on his bottom lip. Jensen moaned softly when he felt Jared’s large
hand move slowly down the side of his body to grasp his hip. “I always complete
projects on time. I like working with others.”
 
“What a team player,” Jensen said, shifting his legs so that Jared could tangle
his legs around Jensen’s legs. “God, I’m going to be late.”
 
“I’m sure the boss will excuse your tardiness,” Jared said, kissing across
Jensen’s bared chest. “I mean, since you have an in with him.”
 
Jensen licked his lips, pressing his head into the pillows as Jared’s hand
curled over his boxers to palm his hard cock. “Yeah…”
 
“Your boss is probably the type of guy who appreciates the kind of care that a
husband requires.”
 
Jensen panted as Jared started to rub his hand up and down the length of
Jensen’s cock. The friction of his silk boxers and the heat of Jared’s hand
spiked his pleasure to a new level. He started to thrust his hips into Jared’s
hand, needing a firmer pressure.
 
“On second thought, maybe you should call in sick and stay in bed…all day long.
You’re feeling hot all over…and parts of you really need my special attention.”
 
“Oh God,” Jensen said, grunting. He covered Jared’s hand with his own and began
to thrust and rub, panting harshly. “Close…”
 
Jared kissed him and Jensen groaned into his mouth, sucking on Jared’s tongue
as soon as it entered into his mouth. He arched against Jared and froze, his
toes curling as he came. Jared kept up the pressure and the rubbing, pushing
him through his pleasure until he felt raw. He shuddered a final time and
collapsed on the bed, letting out a deep sigh.
 
“Good morning,” Jared murmured against Jensen’s lips.
 
“Yeah…fuck yeah…”
 
Jared laughed softly, peering down at Jensen. “You’re going to be late.”
 
Jensen laughed, rubbing his hands over his face. He turned to Jared, whatever
words he was going to say lost as he watched Jared push the sheets off of him
and pull down his boxers to his thighs. Jensen’s eyes traced down Jared’s body,
memorizing every muscle and every hair follicle on his body, until he saw
Jared’s hand wrap around his own hard and wet cock.
 
“Do it,” Jensen whispered, turning on his side to watch. “Make yourself come.
Show me.”
 
Jared met his eyes, a blush crossing his cheeks, as he started to stroke hard
and fast, working just the tip of his cock. Jensen knew he wasn’t going to
last, that he’d come with just a few more strokes.
 
“Let me suck you,” Jensen said, stroking his hand down the center of Jared’s
chest to his stomach, fingertips brushing the head of his cock. He kept Jared’s
gaze, the hazel of his eyes barely noticeable, and licked the taste of him off
his fingers.
 
“Fuck…do it, please…I’m going to come—“
 
Jensen slipped down the bed and grabbed Jared’s hips, pushing him on his back.
He licked his lips and looking up at Jared, he sucked the tip of Jared’s cock
into his mouth, sucking and pulling hard. Jared whimpered, eyes closing in
pleasure. Jensen thought he would never forget the look on Jared’s face and the
unabashed sounds he made. He was velvety soft against his tongue and tasted
like pennies. He looked up and kept his eyes on Jared, watching as his husband
shivered and grabbed the edge of the mattress.
 
Jared kept stroking his cock with his hand. Jensen held his hips and thighs
down with his hands and chest. He kept his eyes on Jared, seeing the way he
would squeeze his eyes shut, exhaling harshly from his nose. Jared stared at
the ceiling and then lifted his head to watch Jensen. His mouth opened, panting
air, and he let out a strangled whimper as he came in Jensen’s mouth – thick
globs of briny liquid on his tongue. Jensen swallowed, looking up at Jared,
pupils blown and mouth in a pornographic ‘O’ of his own.
 
Jared slipped his hand off his cock and sank on his back, smiling crookedly at
the ceiling. He blinked and then let out another loud grunt when Jensen gave
his cock a particularly strong suck.
 
“Jensen…” Jared murmured, running his hands over Jensen’s head and face.
“Please…” he gave a hiss as Jensen pulled off the head, rubbing his lips firmly
along the sensitive flesh. “God…”
 
Jensen kissed his hip and then moved up to lie down beside Jared. He propped
himself up on his elbow, hand stroking down Jared’s flushed and sweaty chest.
“Good?”
 
“Yes!” Jared said, chuckling. He turned and looked at Jensen. “That was…yeah.”
 
Jensen raised his eyebrow at Jared and smirked, oddly proud and smug.
 
Jared laughed softly, rolling his eyes. He kissed Jensen, pushing his tongue
into Jensen’s mouth and tasting himself. Jensen let out a little noise of
pleasure, wrapping his arms around Jared.
 
“Now I’m really late for work.” Jensen said. Jared turned to him, his
expression incredulous and silly and kind of zoned out, and they laughed.
 
***
 
Jensen smiled, remembering the look on Jared’s face and the sounds Jared made
in pleasure.
 
He should be paying attention and reading his departmental reports, but
Jensen’s imagination would return him to their bed and to the way Jared slipped
his boxers down, stroking his cock for Jensen.
 
Beautiful.
 
Jensen tossed the report on his desk and sighed, leaning back on his chair. He
closed his eyes, leaning his head back, and just languished in the memories of
the morning.
 
They were getting closer now; the week at Necker was like a miracle, giving
Jensen and Jared the opportunity to just get to know each other – get to like
each other. Jensen swiveled his executive chair, feeling his cock stir with
remembered pleasure.
 
There was such sensuality in Jared…and Jensen was going to enjoy every single
moment helping Jared tap into it.
 
“Jensen.”
 
He sighed, hearing Alona’s voice on the speaker phone. He reached over and
pressed the connection button. “Yes?”
 
“Misha Collins of Collins Armory is here for an unscheduled appointment.”
 
Jensen smirked, hearing Alona’s disapproval in her tone. “It’s all right,
Alona. Please show Misha in.”
 
He pushed away from his desk and stood up, walking across the room as Alona
opened the door, motioning for Misha to enter. Jensen grinned at the older man,
holding out his hand.
 
“Mish – good to see you again.”
 
Misha’s smile was warm and familiar. “Jensen.” He gave Alona a generous smile.
“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”
 
Jensen looked at Alona, but he spoke to Misha. “She keeps me on a very tight
schedule.” He grinned as Alona rolled her eyes behind Misha and closed the
door. Jensen motioned for him towards the black leather couches. “Can I fix you
a drink?”
 
“Sure. Whatever you’re having is fine,” Misha said, sitting down on the couch.
 
Jensen went to the bar and poured them both scotch neat. He carried the glasses
and handed one to Misha. He tapped his glass against Misha’s and took a sip.
 
“So what can I do for you, Mish?”
 
Jensen watched as Misha gave him a long look over, a small smile on his lips.
Jensen remembered what it was like to be scrutinized by Misha – in the past, it
always gave him a thrill.
 
“Married life is treating you well.”
 
Jensen smiled, nodding. “Best thing to ever happen to me. You should give it a
try. You can’t be a bachelor forever.”
 
“Ahhh…but all the best ones are taken now,” Misha said, taking another sip of
his scotch.
 
Jensen grinned, shrugging. “Yes…well…you did have your chance.”
 
“You know what they say – when one door closes, a window opens.” Misha reached
out and cupped the back of Jensen’s neck with a warm, soft hand. “It’s good to
see you again…the last time was in January during the polo match. You never got
back to me about that drink.”
 
Jensen pulled away slowly and then raised his glass.
 
“I see,” Misha said and then grinned. “The reason for my visit was to tell you
that George Padalecki’s group contacted me about a military tech bid.”
 
“The Ackles Corp bid?”
 
Misha shook his head. “PDKI made a counter bid of your offer.”
 
Jensen kept his face neutral, raising only his eyebrow. What the fuck was
Padalecki up to? “Really?”
 
“Don’t worry, Jensen, Ackles Corp won the bid,” Misha said, sitting back on the
couch. “Collins Armory doesn’t have a reason to end our long and profitable
relationship with Ackles Corp.” He looked at his scotch for a moment. “It’s
just that I found it odd that PDKI would put in a counter offer. I thought they
merged with Ackles Corp a few months ago.”
 
“They did,” Jensen said, nodding.
 
“This is news to you?”
 
“I have been away from the office for a week. I’m just getting caught up.”
 
“You should know that PDKI has put in counter bids to a number of your other
contracts,” Misha said, looking at Jensen. “It looks like they’re trying to be
your competition.”
 
“I doubt PDKI has the capital to be real competition for Ackles Corp,” Jensen
began, setting his glass on the coffee table. “But my father taught me to never
underestimate the other players in the game. Thank you for bringing this to my
attention, Misha.”
 
Misha gave him a nod and took another sip of his scotch. “You know, I’m not
surprised that married life makes you so happy. I can see the changes in you.
Jensen Ackles was a notoriously playboy…but it’s that Ackles blood in you to
want to settle down.”
 
Jensen raised his eyebrow. “Funny, that’s what my mother said about me, too.”
 
“Donna is a very smart woman,” Misha said, raising his glass to Jensen. “Tell
me about your husband.”
 
Jensen gazed at him for a long moment and then cleared his throat. “Misha…I
don’t feel comfortable discussing Jared with you. Can you understand that?”
 
“I can,” Misha said, smiling at him. He moved closer towards Jensen, stroking
his hand through Jensen’s hair. “You’ve always been a hedonist of the highest
order, Jen. Has your husband been taking good care of you?”
 
Jensen closed his eyes, his body remembering the familiar touch. Misha’s hands
always knew how to give Jensen pleasure. He opened his eyes and took Misha’s
hand and pulled it away from him. Those days of Misha touching him so freely
were over.
 
“Misha…it was a long time ago. You’re the one that ended things with me because
you thought I was getting too serious,” Jensen said, earnestly. “I accepted
that…and moved on. I’m married now…and I’m not going to play games. I’m in love
with Jared and I’m not interested in anyone else but my husband.”
 
“Ask me if I ever regretted letting you go.”
 
“No.”
 
Misha leaned closer to him, wrapping his hand behind Jensen’s neck. “How about
a last night together, for old time’s sake?”
 
There was a quick knock on the door. Jensen and Misha both turned to see the
door open and Jared step into the office.
 
“Jensen, you ready for—“ Jared said, eyes narrowing slightly. “You ready for
lunch?”
 
Jensen gave him a smile, moving away from Misha and standing. “I’m ready when
you are.”
 
Jared recovered and gave Jensen a smile, but then turned to look at Misha.
 
“Jared, this is Misha Collins of Collins Armory; Misha, this is my husband,
Jared Padalecki.”
 
Misha stood up as Jared walked towards them. Jensen watched as they shook
hands.
 
“Finally glad to meet you,” Misha said, grinning unapologetically up at Jared.
Jensen groaned internally – Misha was always unapologetic.
 
“Nice to meet you,” Jared said, his voice low and polite. He gave Jensen a
look. “Ready? We have reservations…”
 
“Yes,” Jensen said, clapping Misha on the back. “Thanks for coming by. I’ll
give what you said my attention.”
 
“Good. Do that,” Misha said, smiling. He gave Jensen a wink when Jared wasn’t
looking. “Jared. You two should come over for dinner soon.”
 
“Thank you,” Jared said; Jensen knew he didn’t mean it and he was unapologetic
about it as well.
 
Jensen watched as Misha walked to the door, closing it behind him when he left.
He turned to look at Jared. “It’s not what it looked like.”
 
“Okay, then, what was it?” Jared said, evenly. “He’s the Misha that left you
the telephone message a few nights ago – the polo friend.”
 
“Misha is an old friend…we were lovers for a while, but we’re nothing more than
business partners and polo rivals now,” Jensen said, leaning against the back
of the couch. “Look, I’m not going to keep apologizing for my life before I met
you. Just know, Jared, I’m not cheating on you. I don’t have any kind of
interest in anyone else. I mean…this morning, we were…I really hope you don’t
think that I’d go from being intimate with you this morning to doing something
with someone else just a few hours later.”
 
Jensen carefully gauged Jared’s expression. If Jared didn’t believe him about
this, then they would go back to day one in their relationship.
 
Jared took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, Jensen, I believe you. I trust you.
I won’t hold your past against you – I’d be a hypocrite if I did…knowing what
you know of my past.”
 
“Okay,” Jensen said, nodding. “Okay.”
 
Jared reached out and placed his hand on Jensen’s neck – the same way that
Misha had touched him. “Come on, I’ll buy you lunch.”
 
***
 
Hibiscus Restaurant in downtown Dallas was another one of Jensen’s favorite
places and he was pleased to discover that it was a favorite of Jared’s as
well. It was this cozy little place, tucked between members-only clubs and
eclectic antique stores. The restaurant didn’t look like the trendiest place in
the city, but it had a reputation for being the place to be seen and the best
chef in the city to make the 18 table restaurant the hottest hang out for young
billionaires.
 
Jensen watched as Jared made a dent in his 18 oz prime “brick”, moaning in
delight as he chewed his meat, much like the way Jared was moaning his delight
this morning when Jensen had his mouth full.
 
He grinned to himself, glancing at his Kurobata Pork Milanese.
 
“How did your meeting go with your dad?”
 
Jared chewed slowly and swallowed. He cleared his throat and picked up his
water glass, taking a sip. “The usual: he didn’t think I was ready to take on
any PDKI responsibilities.”
 
“God, Jared, just come to work for Ackles Corp,” Jensen said, frowning
slightly. “I know you want to make your own way, but there are plenty of
opportunities for you at Ackles Corp. And just because you’re my husband won’t
mean a whole heck of a lot there – you’re going to be watched like a hawk until
you prove your worth. They put me through the wringer when I took over as CEO.
It wasn’t a cake walk and that’s how things work at Ackles Corp. You earn your
place there, just like any other organization.”
 
Jared grinned at him, setting his glass on the table. “All right.” He bit his
lip and looked at Jensen. “I also have a meeting with the Ackles Corp Risk
Management Group in three days.”
 
“Good,” Jensen said, nodding. “That’s great. It’ll be good to have you on
board.”
 
“You think this is a good idea – working together?”
 
Jensen smiled, looking at Jared. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”
 
“Aren’t you worried about a conflict of interest?”
 
“No. I’m not your direct supervisor.”
 
“But you pay my salary.”
 
Jensen grinned. “I’m sure you’ll more than earn it.”
 
“That’s sexual harassment.”
 
“God, I hope so.”
 
Jensen chuckled as Jared rolled his eyes and tucked into his steak. He looked
up to see Chace walking towards them. “Damn it.”
 
Jared looked at Jensen and Jensen flicked his eyes to Chace. Jared looked up
and frowned. “Chace.”
 
“Jensen. Jared. It’s good to see you guys back – looking very tanned and
rested.” Chace said, smiling at them.
 
“What do you want, Crawford?” Jensen said, narrowing his eyes.
 
“So how’s married life?” Chace said, looking at Jared. “You know, marriage is a
funny thing…not all of them last. You’d know about that, wouldn’t you, Jay,
death do us part?”
 
Jensen watched as Jared paled. He swallowed and glanced at Jensen. Jensen
looked up at Chace. “You’re tiresome, Chace.”
 
“We should all go out. I still haven’t had a chance to toast the groom,” Chace
said, grinning widely at Jensen. He slid his eyes to look at Jared, cocking his
head. “We could talk about old times…I’m sure that between the two of us, we
could really amuse Jensen about the past.”
 
“I’m sure there’s nothing that you can tell me about the past that I’d find the
least bit amusing,” Jensen told him, his voice icy.
 
Chace gave him a nervous look, the smug charm starting to crack. Jensen kept
his eyes on him, daring him to continue. He leaned back in his chair, wrists on
the edge of the table.
 
“I see you two are in the middle of something. I’ll call you again, set up a
time for a play date,” Chace said, winking at Jensen.
 
Jensen exhaled out of his nose in disgust, shaking his head. “That guy really
gets on my nerves.”
 
“He knows, Jensen. He knows about Josh.”
 
Jensen considered it. Chace could’ve found the information. “If he says
anything, I’ll make sure to sue him into bankruptcy.”
 
“You can’t just sue everyone who finds out about my past,” Jared said, taking a
deep breath. “I shouldn’t have come back to Texas.”
 
“You think it would’ve been easier to live somewhere else? With the kind of
secret that you carried?”
 
Jared stared at the fork in his hand. “No, probably not. At least I have
friends here…my family.” He looked up at Jensen. “You.”
 
“That’s right. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you ever again, Jared,” he
said, looking at his husband. “I swear to you now, I’ll do everything in my
power to make sure that nothing about your past is ever made public.”
 
“Jensen…you can’t just erase my past.”
 
Jensen couldn’t help the smirk that formed on his lips. “I have access to $10
billion dollars. I think I could finance a total black out on your past.”
 
“I don’t know if that scares me or turns me on,” Jared said, smiling slightly
at Jensen.
 
Jensen arched his eyebrow at him.
 
***
 
Jensen walked into the marble lobby of Ackles Corp and watched as Jared gave
him a wave from his car and drove off. He pulled out his Blackberry and dialed
Christian’s number.
 
“Kane.”
 
“Chris, it’s me.”
 
“Jen. What can I do for you?”
 
“I want you to look into George Padalecki’s and PDKI’s activities on counter
offering on contracts that Ackles Corp normally bids on,” Jensen said, walking
to the bank of elevators. “Misha Collins came to visit me today and told me
that PDKI made them a counter offer on our Middle East contract.”
 
“We closed the Collins Armory deal yesterday,” Christian told him.
 
“I know that, but he said that PDKI was talking to all of our partners and
offering them lower bids.”
 
“I’ll look into it,” Christian told him.
 
Jensen pressed the down button. “Let me know what you find out. I’m going to
visit George Padalecki now.”
 
“All right. I’ll have information for you by close of business.”
 
“Thanks, man.” He said, ending the call.
 
The elevator doors opened and Jensen waited for people to exit off before he
got on. He pressed “G” for the garage.
 
***
 
George’s secretary showed Jensen into George’s office.
 
“Jensen, son, good to see you,” George said, shaking Jensen’s hand. “Come on
in. This is a nice surprise. Jared said that you and he had a wonderful time on
Necker Island.”
 
Jensen gave him a tight smile. “George, this isn’t social call.”
 
“I see,” George said, giving Jensen a cool look. “Well, then, it must be
business.”
 
“I spoke with Misha Collins earlier today. He related to me that PDKI made a
counter bid on Ackles Corp contract offer.” Jensen said, watching George
carefully. The older man was wily, but Jensen knew all the tricks of the trade,
too.
 
“It’s simply about reallocating resources, Jensen,” George said, patting Jensen
on the back and leading him to the four armchairs arranged in a sitting area.
“Ackles Corp and PDKI do make good business sense; but why should Ackles Corp
use all of its financial resources when you can pass along some of the
contracts to PDKI to pick up the slack. Then you can start to pursue new
investments and business partnerships without having to worry about being
spread too thin with old friends.”
 
“Ackles Corp can handle multiple contracts,” Jensen said, looking at him.
 
“Of course, son, of course. I wasn’t implying anything of the sort,” George
said, then sighed. “But if you are the visionary that everyone believes you to
be, you have to consider that Ackles Corp needs fresh business. PDKI can offer
you the chance to penetrate new markets – we can take some of your financial
burdens and allow Ackles Corp to take on new contracts, make new deals.”
 
All sound business ideas.
 
“But you never came to me. Our merger deal says that Ackles Corp is the primary
in this partnership; that all new PDKI deals go through our Mergers &
Acquisitions Division.”
 
George gave Jensen a wide smile. “Well, you have to strike when the iron is
hot.”
 
“I’ll consider your ideas, George, but I don’t appreciate PDKI going behind our
backs like this,” Jensen told him, narrowing his eyes. “It’s a bad way to start
off a new business partnership, especially one that isn’t dependent anymore on
my marriage.”
 
George regarded Jensen for a long moment, tapping his fingers on the arm of the
chair. “And how is your marriage, Jensen?”
 
“I know everything. I know what you did to Jared. I know about Holloway.”
 
“Do you?” George said, nodding thoughtfully. He took a deep breath and sighed.
“When Jared met Josh, he was so very much in love. He was too young to be in
such a serious relationship – older man, sophisticated, worldly – but Jared is
a stubborn cuss. He was just a boy, but love is powerful, maybe more so at that
age. He didn’t know how to handle Josh…” George looked at Jensen and cocked his
head. “But it seems like he’s doing a much better job handling you.”
 
“What does that mean?”
 
“Jared was young when he married Josh, but he was no lamb by any means,” George
said, leaning towards Jensen. “He could give it back just as much as Josh
could. The two of them – it was always tumultuous. Dramatic. But Jared lived
for that; it got him all riled up. And my boy, I love him, but he’s got a
temper.”
 
Jensen narrowed his eyes at George.
 
George ran his hand on the chair. “I do believe that Josh’s death was an
accident. There’s no doubt of that. But Jared’s temper often got out of
control. Josh spent a lot of time having to defend himself from Jared, had to
restrain him. Jared went to the ER a few times for broken bones—“
 
“What are you trying to say?” Jensen said, sharply. “Are you saying that Jared
asked to be beaten up?”
 
“Beaten up?” George said, frowning. “Josh never put a hand on Jared. He went to
the ER because Josh had to hold him down – and Jared’s a fighter. When he’s in
a rage, he doesn’t feel pain.”
 
“You’re lying.”
 
“Am I?” George said, looking at him. “Jensen, you can believe what you want
about what happened between Jared and Josh. But you weren’t there; you didn’t
see what it was like between them.”
 
“I have a hard time believing that a 16-year old boy could be so abusive that a
man twice his age and size couldn’t restrain him without breaking his arm.”
Jensen said, standing up.
 
“My son isn’t who you think he is, Jensen,” George said, softly.
 
“That’s enough,” Jensen said, disgusted. “I know what happened; I saw the
pictures – Jared told me everything. What I can’t understand is why you’d
perpetrate these lies about him. He’s your son, man! What kind of father can
say these things about his own son?”
 
George stood slowly and met Jensen’s gaze. “A father who knows his son better
than anyone else.”
 
Jensen clenched his hands into fists and glared at George. “Stay away from
Jared, he’s my husband now and that makes him my business, my family. And the
next time PDKI makes a move on an Ackles Corp contract, I’ll hit you with a
breach of contract lawsuit without a second’s thought.”
 
He was boiling under his skin as he left the George’s office. He drove around
the city, aimlessly looping block after block, hands clutching the steering
wheel as he made his way towards the penthouse. He was at a red light and he
pressed the palm of his hand against his eyes, pushing against the headache
that was starting, right at his temples. He sent Christian a text message
asking him to leave the research with Alona and that Jensen would review it in
the morning. He wasn’t in any kind of frame of mind to think about business.
 
It wasn’t true – Jensen saw the ER pictures, read the reports. Samantha was a
thorough investigator. She would’ve made a discovery that would somehow
corroborate what George told him. There was no way – no fucking way – that
Jared was how George described him.
 
Jensen wouldn’t ever believe it as anything but lies.
 
***
 
It was nearly 7 o’clock at night when Jensen walked into the penthouse. He
heard Jared’s loose and throaty laugh in the living room. He smiled, thinking
that it would be great to just order in some food, play some video games, and
snuggle his husband in bed.
 
When he stepped into the living room, tossing his keys on the hallway table, he
stopped.
 
Jared threw back his head and laughed again as David Boreanaz leaned closer to
him, his hand covering Jared’s forearm on the back of the couch.
 
“What the fuck is going on here?” Jensen said, glaring at them.
 
*****
 
TBC...
***** Chapter 18 *****
“What the fuck is going on here?” Jensen said, glaring at them.
 
Jared pulled his arm from under David’s hand and stood up, smiling tentatively
at Jensen. “Hey, you’re home. I was getting worried.”
 
Jensen stared at David and then flicked his eyes at Jared. “Apparently not that
worried.”
 
David stood up. “Jensen, look, it really isn’t what you think—“
 
“I think you should leave, David.”
 
“Jensen, don’t be rude,” Jared said, laughing nervously. “Dave was just keeping
me company and we were just—“
 
Jensen dropped his briefcase bag on the floor, walking further into the living
room. He didn’t give a shit about what they were just doing. “Listen, Dave, my
husband and I have some important things to discuss – family issues, you know,
so I think it’s time you left.”
 
“Jensen!” Jared protested, frowning. “What the hell?”
 
David looked at Jared, who was just standing there, arms crossed in front of
his chest, staring at Jensen. David cleared his throat, picking up his jacket
from the back of the couch. “Yeah, I think I should go.”
 
“No, Dave, come on. It’s just a misunderstanding.”
 
“It was good to see you again, Jared,” David said, moving around him and
heading for the door. “Jen. Goodnight.”
 
Jensen watched as Jared gave him a “what the fuck” look, then followed David to
the main door. Jensen unbuttoned his suit jacket, slipping out of it and
throwing the jacket hard on the back of the couch. He heard the door close and
Jared walking back into the living room.
 
“Jensen! What the hell was that about?”
 
Jensen faced him, keeping his face perfectly blank. “Did I or did I not ask you
to not see David Boreanaz?”
 
Jared drew himself to his full height. “I am allowed to have friends.”
 
Jensen snorted, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, friends with one of my ex-lovers. Good
choice.”
 
“Jensen, come on,” Jared said, sighing. “I’d never cheat on you. He is more
than aware that I’m married to you and Dave won’t cross that line with me.”
 
“I told you that he’s just playing you.”
 
“I’m a big boy. I don’t need you to protect me from Dave. I can handle him.”
 
“Handle. Right.” Jensen snapped, shaking his head. “Yeah, let’s talk about your
talent in handling people.”
 
“What does that mean?” Jared said, narrowing his eyes at Jensen.
 
“Boy, you sure had me fooled.” Jensen said, laughing derisively. “I guess you
learned how to handle me so Boreanaz probably isn’t a real hardship.”
 
“What?” Jared said, softly.
 
“Am I just a joke, Jared? Do you hang out with your friends and laugh about
what a total ass I am?”
 
Jared shook his head. “No. No! Why would you even think that?”
 
He wanted to believe Jared, but he had to be sure. He had to know if there was
even an iota of truth in what George told him.
 
Jensen leaned against the back of the couch, crossing his arms. He gazed at
Jared, wondering how much of it was just an act; how much it would take to push
Jared to see what was underneath that vulnerable façade. “You tell me.”
 
Jared let out a deep breath, staring at the floor. “I don’t want to fight about
this, Jensen. It’s stupid. I’d never cheat on you. I—I just needed a little
more time to get used to…everything. Why are you so angry? I thought things
were good between us…this morning, we…”
 
“You know, I’ve been more patient with you than I’ve ever been with anyone
else. I’ve been nothing but good to you, but…”
 
Jared looked at him. “But what? Now I’m supposed to just bend over so you can
fuck me and I’m supposed to feel grateful?”
 
Jensen smirked.
 
“You son-of-a-bitch!” Jared yelled, taking a step towards him. “It’s always
about sex! Well, you know what, Jensen, not everything in life is about your
dick! Some of us aren’t so insecure that we let our libidos control our lives.”
 
“Fuck you.”
 
Jared glared at him. “Fuck you.”
 
Jensen chuckled nastily at him. “Puppy has claws.”
 
“Shut up!” Jared said, taking another step closer to him. “Just shut up! You
don’t know anything! You don’t know what I went through—“
 
Jensen didn’t even blink when Jared’s hand flung out, his knuckles hitting the
nearby lamp and knocking it to the floor.
 
“Damn it!” Jared said, jerking his hand back and grasping his fist with his
other hand, wincing.
 
Jensen could see a little bit of blood.
 
“I was wondering when your temper would show itself,” Jensen said, raising his
eyebrow. “So I guess this is where I take you to the ER and you can get your
hand checked over; maybe tell the ER doctor that you were having an argument
with your husband. And maybe I’d get pushed down a set of stairs by accident.”
 
Jared pressed his hand close to his chest, staring at Jensen. His mouth opened
as if he was going to say something, but then he clenched his jaw, frowning.
Jensen watched him closely. Jared was either an excellent actor or this was
real; and that meant that Jensen was wrong.
 
“I mean, you stand to inherit everything - $10 billion isn’t small change; I
know I’m worth a hell of a lot more than Josh Holloway. By the way, how much
did you get of Holloway’s estate when he died?”
 
“Ohmygod,” Jared whispered, his bottom lip trembling. “Ohmygod.”
 
Jensen regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth. He stood up
straight, looking at Jared’s pale face. His eyes were wide and tearing up. He
watched as Jared turned away, wiping his arm over his eyes, and hurrying into
their bedroom.
 
“Jay—“
 
“Go to Hell, Jensen.” Jared muttered, throatily.
 
Jensen pinched the bridge of his nose. He went too far; he didn’t want to use
that against Jared. But…
 
“Damn it,” Jensen whispered, following Jared into their bedroom.
 
He found Jared in the master bathroom suite, running cold water over his
knuckles, cleaning off the blood. Jensen stood in the doorway, watching him,
and seeing his hand turn slightly blue and red.
 
“Is your hand okay?”
 
“Yeah, it’s just bruised,” Jared said, quietly. He flexed his hand, frowning
slightly.
 
“Do you need me to take you to the hospital?”
 
“No.”
 
Jensen sighed. “If you’re in pain and if your hand is hurt, we should go to the
hospital.”
 
“It’s fine, Jensen.” Jared said, sharply. He didn’t look at Jensen. “After all
this time…how could you say that to me? How could you even think something like
that? I never lied to you about Josh…is this how you really think of me?”
 
Jensen flinched. “I’m sorry. I was out of line.”
 
Jared turned off the water, reaching for one of the small towels hung nearby.
He blotted his knuckles, seeing that the bleeding was minimal, and held the
towel over his hand, pressing tight. He raised his head and looked at Jensen
into the mirror.
 
“I am sorry.”
 
“What do you want from me?” Jared said, softly.
 
Jensen leaned against the doorway, rubbing his face with his hand. “I saw
George today.”
 
Jared turned to look at him. “My father…why?”
 
“I went to confront him about PDKI’s breach of contract with Ackles Corp. He’s
been going behind our back and bidding on Ackles Corp contracts.”
 
“Breach of contract?” Jared frowned. “What does that have to do with you
accusing me of trying to kill you?”
 
“I don’t know…”
 
“You don’t know?”
 
“Nothing.” Jensen said, shaking his head. “God…I never…your father told me that
I didn’t know the whole story and that you were responsible for what happened
to you; that Josh was just defending himself from you and that’s how you got
hurt. He said that I was a fool to believe you and then I saw you with David
and…”
 
Jared snorted, shaking his head. “And you’d believe my father over me? I told
you everything.”
 
Jensen looked at him for a long moment. Jared’s face was open, his eyes
widening with surprise when Jensen didn’t reply right away. He saw Jared’s eyes
tense, his lips turning down in disappointment.
 
“Did you tell me everything or did you tell me everything you wanted me to
know?”
 
“Why don’t you trust me?”
 
“I do trust you.”
 
“No. I don’t think you do,” he said, leaning his hip against the bathroom
counter. He checked his hand, flexing it slightly. “If you trusted me, then
whatever my father told you wouldn’t have set this off.”
 
Jensen flinched, knowing that it was true. He took a deep breath and met
Jared’s steady gaze. “You’re right.”
 
Jared nodded, sighing.
 
“I want to trust you, Jared,” Jensen said, looking at him. “But you haven’t
given me what I want from you.”
 
“Sex,” Jared said, rolling his eyes.
 
“Love.”
 
“What?”
 
“You don’t love me; you’re only here because you’ve been pressured to save your
family’s company. How can I give you my full trust if I don’t even know what
makes you stay with me?” Jensen said, giving him a small smile. Jared just
stared back at him but remained silent. Jensen nodded and then left the
bathroom, walking towards the large walk-in closet, turning on the lights. “You
give me hope of becoming closer to you every time we’re intimate; but why are
you here with me?”
 
He kicked off his shoes and started pulling off his necktie, hanging it on his
tie rack. He pulled his shirt tails from his pants and began unbuttoning it. He
pulled out the cufflinks and moved towards the standing cabinet, opening the
door and setting them on the velvet holder.
 
“I want to be here with you,” Jared said, standing in the doorway of the
closet.
 
Jensen nodded, closing the cabinet door. He shook off his shirt, tossing it on
top of the butler stand. He worked on his belt, pulling it from the belt loops
and placing it on his belt rack.
 
“Jensen, you have to know how I feel about you.”
 
Jensen raised his eyebrow, glancing at Jared. “You know what, never mind.”
 
He slipped out of his pants, still not looking at Jared. A part of him stung
from Jared’s rejection. Ever since he told Jared that he loved him, he hadn’t
allowed himself to think about how much it hurt that Jared didn’t feel the
same. He wanted to believe that, with time, Jared would come to feel something
for him. But it didn’t seem likely.
 
“Jensen.”
 
Jensen sighed, tossing his slacks over the stand on top of his shirt.
 
“Jensen, please look at me.”
 
He toed off his socks, wrapping them into a ball and tossing them into his
laundry basket. He stood in just his boxers and he turned to look at Jared.
 
“I do have feelings for you,” he said, softly. Jensen watched as Jared blushed
slightly, ducking his head and scratching the back of his neck.
 
“Don’t do me any favors by lying to me.”
 
“This isn’t easy for me,” Jared said, his voice husky and strained. He looked
at Jensen and gave him a trembling smile. “I haven’t allowed myself to get
close to anyone in a long time and…I’m a little scared that if I give myself to
you, the challenge would be over and you’d push me aside like the other guys in
your life.”
 
Jensen narrowed his eyes at him. “It’s always good to know that you think I’m
an insecure and shallow slut whose libido is out of control.”
 
“Jensen—“
 
Jensen pushed past Jared, hitting the light switch to the closet. He walked
into the bathroom and began his usual ablutions – washing his face and neck,
brushing his teeth, combing out his hair. He wiped his hands on a towel,
tossing it on the floor.
 
Jared was sitting on the end of the bed and looked up when Jensen walked into
the bedroom. He watched as Jensen moved around him to his side of the bed,
pulling down the soft comforter and getting under the sheets.
 
“I know that you’re angry and confused and hurt,” Jared said, moving closer to
Jensen. “I know you love me and…you don’t know how much that means to me.”
 
“I don’t want to talk about it, Jared,” Jensen murmured, closing his eyes and
moving on his side, giving Jared his back. He wondered when Jared was going to
use how he felt about his younger husband against him. “It’s been a long day
and I have an early meeting in the morning.”
 
“I don’t want to go to bed with both of us feeling like this.”
 
Jensen snorted and clenched his teeth, turning to glare at Jared. “I’ve been
going to bed and feeling like this for months, Jared. Months. But out of
consideration for you, I haven’t done anything to push it. I lost my head today
because some of the things that George said really got to me. I’m sorry for
what I said about Josh – I’ll never do that to you again – but honestly, Jared,
our marriage has turned out to be the biggest joke of the year and maybe it’s
time that I stopped pretending that things between us would get better.”
 
“Things have been good between us,” Jared said, softly. “Ever since we came
back from our honeymoon, I thought that we were doing better.”
 
Jensen stared at him, frowning slightly. He didn’t really think of their week
on Necker Island to be a honeymoon and he was, frankly, surprised that Jared
thought that it was.
 
Jared moved closer, reaching out to place his hand on Jensen’s head, rubbing it
gently. Jensen closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of his large hand on him.
 
“I do want us to get closer,” Jared whispered, lying on his side. “I know we
had a rocky start, but I want to make our marriage work.”
 
Jensen looked at him. “Why? What do we have that’s worth making work?”
 
Jared swallowed, biting his lower lip.
 
“That’s what I thought,” Jensen said, letting out his breath. He shifted under
the covers and turned on his side again.
 
“Jensen, I don’t want to fight anymore,” Jared said, pressing his forehead
against the back of Jensen’s neck.
 
Jensen breathed out gently, pressing his face into the pillow. “Just go to
sleep, Jared. We can deal with it in the morning.”
 
It was bittersweet that Jared stayed with him in bed, pressed close but not
suffocating him. He didn’t know how much he enjoyed having Jared in bed with
him until now; just knowing that he was there. Jensen remained on his side for
most of the night, tense and restless. He could feel the tension coming from
Jared. Neither of them got any sleep.
 
***
 
Jensen woke to the sensation of pleasure running through his body. He inhaled
quickly and opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling. A few rays of sunlight
crept into the room. Jensen raised his head to see Jared between his legs,
mouth wet and busy on his hard cock, tonguing right under the head.
 
“Jared,” Jensen said, moaning.
 
Jared raised his eyes and looked up at Jensen, breathing out his nose and
sucking hard, cheekbones sharp under his skin.
 
“Oh God, Jared,” he murmured, dropping his head on the pillow, his hands
grasping the sheets.
 
He closed his eyes and just let his body feel the hot edge of pleasure blushing
over his skin. He shuddered, feeling Jared’s wide hands caressing his hips,
fingers gliding over his damp skin, nails scratching up his chest and then
scratching down over his nipples.
 
Jensen arched against the bed, head burrowing into the pillow below him. He let
out another loud moan. He opened his eyes when Jared pulled off his cock, loud
slurping noise making him look down. He would never, ever get tired of seeing
his husband sucking him.
 
“Jared, you don’t have to—“
 
“Shhh…” Jared said, crawling up to his knees, straddling Jensen’s hips. “I’m
prepped and ready for you, Jen; just waiting for you to wake up and enjoy it.”
 
“What—“ Jensen choked as he watched Jared squeeze a large dollop of lube into
his palm and then wrapped his large hand around Jensen’s cock. He hissed at the
coolness of the gel and pushed his hips into Jared’s hand, stroking him and
covering him with the lube. “Just slow down and—“
 
Jensen bit back his cry of pleasure as Jared shifted on his knees, holding
Jensen’s cock steady in his hand as he pressed the head of his cock to his
opening.
 
“Shit!” Jared hissed, eyes closing and head falling back. “Oh fuck, Jen, it’s
been so long since I’ve had this.”
 
Jensen’s hands smoothed up his thighs, reaching up to run his hand up and down
Jared’s half hard cock. “Take it slow.”
 
He bit his lip, feeling Jared opening around him, tight and hot, pulling him in
and squeezing tight as he slipped inside, inch by inch. Jensen reached up with
one hand, pressing it against the low headboard, trying not to thrust his hips
up, trying not to push his cock inside of Jared.
 
Jesus.
 
“Oh God, you feel so good,” Jared whispered, circling his hips slightly and
moving back to sink even more on Jensen’s cock.
 
Jensen couldn’t take his eyes off of Jared – the long bangs stuck against his
wet forehead, eyes closed by eyelashes trembling, and his sleek and defined
chest, abs, and thighs. My God, he’s beautiful like this, Jensen thought,
helpless in his admiration.
 
“Ahhhhh…” Jared gave a heartfelt groan, lowering himself firmly so that Jensen
was inside of him, pressed deeply inside.
 
Jensen groaned with him, hands clutching Jared’s hips now, eyes focused on
Jared’s face. He could see the strain, the muscles of his neck moving tightly
as he swallowed. This was everything that he wanted with Jared; this was his
fantasy come true. Every single dirty thought he had of seeing Jared like this,
so exposed and vulnerable, just for Jensen.
 
Jared panted, hands flat on the bed between Jensen’s shoulders. He leaned
forward, grinning down at him. “I’ve wanted this for a long time.”
 
“Yeah,” Jensen whispered up to him, nodding. “Kiss me.”
 
Jared let out a soft chuckle and then moved down so that he covered Jensen with
his body, trailing kisses up Jensen’s neck until he reached his mouth. Jensen
wrapped his hands into Jared’s messy hair, keeping him close, mouths opening
and tongues wrapping around each other. Jared tasted like mint and cock and
Jensen groaned into the kiss, hips moving involuntarily as Jared clenched his
muscles around Jensen’s cock.
 
“Come on, move, please,” Jensen said, breathing against his lips.
 
Jared gazed down at him, mouth parted. His hands fisted the sheets and he
raised his hips, moving slowly off of Jensen’s cock. He clenched his teeth and
then slammed down on him, using his weight to press Jensen down on the
mattress.
 
Jensen’s eyes squeezed shut, hands gripping Jared’s hips so tight that he knew
that there would be bruises later. The white-blue flash of pleasure was like a
bullet to his brain and he let out a hoarse yell, trying to thrust into Jared,
hips moving up and up and up and up, trying to push up against Jared’s weight.
 
“This is going to be so good,” Jared whispered, throatily.
 
Jensen looked up at him, too stunned to talk. He swallowed and then nodded, his
hand moving to wrap around Jared’s cock, stroking him back to full hardness.
His other hand palmed his balls, squeezing him gently. Jared’s eyes closed and
he moaned, starting to shift above him so that he was balanced over Jensen now.
 
Jared rode him gently, moving his hips up and then pushing his hips down,
clenching around him now and then. Jensen tightened his hand, thumb swiping
over the tip of Jared’s cock, feeling him dribble pre-come. Jensen watched as
Jared worked himself on Jensen’s cock, moving faster now, hips slamming down on
Jensen harder, arching into Jensen’s expert hands, and grunting as he started
quickening his pace.
 
Jensen couldn’t stop watching him. He loved seeing Jared’s face change,
absorbing pleasure, and giving Jensen everything.
 
“Look at me,” Jensen said, giving Jared’s balls another firm squeeze. He felt
Jared shudder, the muscles clenching over the top of his head as he moved up on
his cock. Jensen let out a grunt, catching his breath.
 
He looked into Jared’s eyes, nearly all black with just a sliver of hazel
surrounding it. Jensen thought that Jared existed on instinct now, his body
pushing closer to pleasure.
 
“Come on, Jay. I want to see you come; I want to feel you come on my cock,”
Jensen said, roughly. His hand tightened on Jared’s cock, pumping him harder
and faster.
 
Jared gasped, his arms locked, and his hips moving faster. Jensen dug his heels
into the bed and started to thrust his hips, pacing Jared. He gave a series of
hard thrusts, knowing that he was sliding over Jared’s prostate from the way
that Jared keened noisily and falling to his elbows.
 
“Yeah, that’s it,” Jensen crooned, looking up at him. “You’re so close, aren’t
you?”
 
“Yes! Jen! Close! Need…need a little more…”
 
Jensen stroked faster and faster, concentrating on just the head of Jared’s
cock, pre-come smoothing the warm friction of his hand. Jared was trembling and
losing his rhythm, feet pressing against the outside of Jensen’s calves.
 
He felt that Jared was close. He released Jared’s cock, heard him groaning in
protest, and grabbed Jared by the shoulders as he rolled them so that Jared was
on his back on the bed and Jensen sliding on top of him.
 
Jensen grabbed Jared’s legs, pushing them back and holding him down with his
hands tucked behind Jared’s knees. He watched as Jared’s hands moved over his
head, grabbing the headboard.
 
“Please, Jensen! Please!”
 
Jensen tucked his knees under Jared’s hips and began thrusting, hard and fast,
nearly brutal. His eyes moved down Jared’s sweat slick body, muscles tense and
standing out from under the rosy skin, hard cock wet and pressed tight against
his belly.
 
“I’m going to come,” Jared moaned, arching into Jensen’s thrusts. “I’m going to
come, I’m going to come, I’m going to---ahhh! Jensen!”
 
Jensen watched, completely enthralled, as Jared’s cock spurted come on his
belly. Jared’s body was arched under him, hips moving frantically and nearly
bucking Jensen off of him. Jared’s mouth was opened and he panted loudly, the
sound of him groaning his pleasure echoing in Jensen’s head.
 
Jensen released Jared’s legs and moved over him, hands tucking down to grab his
ass, and kissed him hard as he gave another few thrusts, coming hard inside of
his husband until he was a shuddering and trembling mess. He broke the kiss,
sucking in air, and then let out a loud grunt.
 
Jared sighed, falling limp on the bed, arms and legs trembling tight around
him. Jensen dropped his forehead against Jared’s neck, catching his breath. He
closed his eyes and took a moment to savor Jared – the scent of sex and musk
and…Jared all around him.
 
Gently, he untangled Jared’s arms and legs from him, and slipped his cock
slowly out of Jared. Jared gave a small hiss of discomfort and Jensen looked at
Jared’s well used hole but didn’t see any blood or damage. He fell on his side,
hands caressing Jared, and then collapsed on his back, staring up at the
ceiling.
 
“Oh God, that was so good,” Jared said, his voice husky and amused. “I don’t
know why I waited so long to do that with you. Can you go again?”
 
Jensen closed his eyes, running his hand over his face. Jesus…this was going to
kill him. He sighed, dropping his hand over his head. “You didn’t have to do
that.”
 
Jared chuckled. “What are you talking about?”
 
“You didn’t have to appease me,” Jensen said, softly. “I’m not angry anymore.”
 
He felt Jared move on his elbow, looking at him. “I didn’t do this to appease
you.”
 
Jensen didn’t believe him. He gave another sigh and sat up on the bed, turning
so that his feet were on the floor by the bed. “Jared…this is everything that
I’ve wanted with you…but I know you don’t love me; you don’t have to give me a
pity fuck. I promised to take care of you and to take care of your family’s
business. I won’t go back on my word to either of my duties.”
 
“Pity fuck?” Jared said, his voice pitched high. “You think this was a pity
fuck?”
 
Jensen glanced at him over his shoulder. “Wasn’t it?”
 
“No! I wanted to do this!”
 
Jensen took a deep breath and bit his lip. He wanted to believe him…so much. He
stood up and walked around the bed, heading for the bathroom.
 
“Jensen!”
 
“I need to get going,” he said, softly. “I’m going to be late for my morning
meeting and—“
 
“Damn it, Jensen! Please don’t do this to me – to us!”
 
Jensen shook his head, choking up and feeling the muscles in his throat and
face clenching. He walked into the bathroom and closed the door. He stood in
the dark bathroom for a moment…and then locked the door.
 
*****
 
TBC…
***** Chapter 19 *****
*****
 
“I’m going to come,” Jared moaned, arching into Jensen’s thrusts. “I’m going to
come, I’m going to come, I’m going to---ahhh! Jensen!”
 
“Jensen.”
 
Jensen breathed out deeply, feeling the way that Jared clenched around him, the
beautiful body shuddering in pleasure, the way Jared’s legs held his hips
tightly. He held back his own pleasure, wanting to watch Jared’s face as he
came, mouth open and eyes squeezed shut and--
 
“Jensen!”
 
Jensen blinked, looking across the conference table at Christian. “Sorry. I’m a
little distracted.”
 
Christian sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Jen, it’s been eight days since
you moved out of the penthouse. Don’t you think it’s time that you went back
home and talked to your husband?”
 
Jensen ran a hand down his face, shaking his head. “I can’t right now, Chris.
Every time I see him, I—“ He wanted to kiss him, tell him he was sorry, tell
him that he could make Jared happy, beg for forgiveness, ask him why he didn’t
love Jensen.
 
“Whatever happened between you and Jared…you need to go home, Jensen.”
 
“Can you just leave it, Christian? I can’t think about it right now.” Jensen
picked up the thick legal documents, flipping back a few pages, having
forgotten what the hell it was that he read fifteen minutes ago.
 
Christian exhaled noisily, but nodded. He flipped the document in front of him
and tapped his pen against the desk. “PDKI made two documented breaches to our
contract. We’ve started contacting our other business partners to see just how
many of them that George Padalecki approached – and what kind of offer he was
making them.”
 
“If Ackles Corp continues our takeover of PDKI, how does it impact my marriage
to Jared?”
 
Christian frowned for a moment. “Well, the marriage was brokered so that Ackles
Corp would cease all takeover activities on PDKI. You would only be liable for
breach of contract if after marrying Jared in good faith, you went after PDKI
anyway. However, because PDKI legally violated the contract first, Ackles
Corp’s takeover bid would not have an impact on your marriage to Jared. But if
Jared were to seek a divorce now, he would be entitled to half of your estate
and half of your ownership of Ackles Corp, per your marriage contract
statutes.”
 
Jensen drummed his fingers on the table and nodded. “Thank you, Christian.”
 
“Jensen, he’s not going to seek a divorce. Jared just wants to know—“
 
“Have you talked to him?” Jensen said, raising his voice.
 
Christian tossed his pen on the table. “Jesus, Jen, yeah, I’ve talked to him
because his dumb ass knuckleheaded husband won’t talk to him; and not only
that, I am his point of contact on anything to do with your contract,
remember!”
 
Jensen swore under his breath and then looked at his best friend. “Yeah. Sorry,
I—“
 
“Fuck, can you please go home to your husband and just deal with…with whatever
the hell is wrong with you? You’re worthless to the company like this. You’re
completely distracted; you’re off your game, Jen, and you’re going to leave
yourself open to being blindsided by George Padalecki.”
 
Jensen knew that Christian was right. He wasn’t just his best friend, but he
was Chief Legal Counsel for Ackles Corp. Christian’s primary function was to
protect Ackles Corp – even from the asshole President and CEO.
 
Jensen stared at the table and bit his lip, then nodded to himself. “How soon
can the M&A team start purchasing blocks of Padalecki stock?”
 
“Today.”
 
“How long will it take us to purchase two million shares?”
 
Jensen could see Christian calculating the numbers in his head. “End of the
week, but that’ll throw up a red flag at the SEC.”
 
“Be conservative. Talk to our friends at the SEC to give them a heads up.”
Jensen swiveled in the chair, looking up at the ceiling. “Get the M&A team on
it now. I want to start liquidating a few of our assets so that we can be cash
ready to start buying out the stockholders. I’ll have Alona send the team the
buy-out memo in one hour.” Jensen picked up his Blackberry and sent Alona an
email with his instructions. He stared at the documents in front of him in
disgust. “I’m going to bring down PDKI to the foundation. After we own them, I
want you to spearhead the merger of their viable departments into Ackles Corp
and I want George Padalecki stripped of everything. I don’t want him to be able
to live in that big fancy monstrosity he calls his home.”
 
“Jensen—“
 
“No matter what happens, I want to make sure that Jared’s assets are protected.
Create a trust for him and put $5 billion into a special account; a third in
cash and the rest in bearer bonds and Ackles Corp stocks.”
 
“Are you sure about this, Jensen? This – this is going to get dirty and ugly
real fast.”
 
“No, you’re right; I’m sick of George Padalecki using my marriage to his son as
a means to try and steal my company through the side door.” Jensen stood up,
smoothing down his tie and buttoning his suit jacket.
 
“Are you going to go talk to Jared about this?”
 
Jensen tapped the conference table with his fingertips. “Well, he’ll have to be
at the table—“
 
“Damn it, Jensen!” Christian said, pushing his chair from the table and getting
to his feet. “You can’t just let him walk into that without knowing what the
hell’s going to happen.”
 
“Jared is the dutiful son,” he murmured, softly. “George will demand that Jared
divorces me, but I won’t give a single penny to George Padalecki. Everything
that Jared would be entitled to will already be in his name.”
 
“That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.”
 
“I’m going to give Jared a chance to live his life and be happy, okay? It’s the
least that I can do for him after…after everything.”
 
“What the hell happened between you two?”
 
Jensen closed his eyes, shaking his head. “I accused him of being part of his
father’s schemes; and he—I was angry after my meeting with George and I took it
out on Jared. We dealt with it but in the morning, he…”
 
“Did something happen?”
 
“No, nothing like what you think,” Jensen said, shaking his head. “It’s just
that Jared used sex with Josh whenever he got angry at Jared and…well…”
 
“Jared slept with you because he thought it would make you, what, less angry at
him?”
 
“Yeah.”
 
“Well, hell, man…”
 
Jensen swallowed and flicked his eyes at his best friend. He cracked a small
smile and then started walking towards the double doors. “I love him, Chris,
but I don’t want him like this…I’ve done nothing but make him unhappy—“
 
“Listen, man, he loves you. It’s so obvious. If you can’t see it – after
everything that he’s been through -- and you don’t know that, then…” Christian
shook his head, staring at Jensen. “Man, you’re more fucked up than I ever
really knew.”
 
“Get the M&A team ready; it’s going to be a very busy time for them.”
 
Jensen stepped out of the conference room and turned down the hallway towards
his office. He walked into his office suite to see Alona putting together the
buy-out memos.
 
“And I’ve sent the Mergers and Acquisitions team a list of assets that can be
liquidated for the stock purchases,” she told him, handing him the packets.
 
“Thanks,” he said, smiling at her.
 
“And you have a visitor inside.”
 
Jensen glanced at her. “Is it a scheduled meeting?”
 
Alona sighed. “It’s your husband, Jensen. I don’t think I need to schedule him
for anything.”
 
Jensen took a deep breath, his hand on the door to his inner office. He looked
at Alona and then nodded. “Please hold all of my calls until Jared leaves.”
 
“I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed.”
 
“Thank you,” he said and then opened the door to step into his office. He
looked around to see Jared standing by the window, looking out at the view of
the city. He looked tired, circles under his eyes. His hair was even more out
of control than usual. It worried him to see Jared looking so haggard. Jensen
closed the door behind him and walked towards his desk, setting the documents
near his laptop. “Hi.”
 
“I got the job in Governance,” Jared told him, softly. “The offer came
yesterday and I accepted.”
 
“Congratulations, Jared. It’s great to have you on board.”
 
“Thanks.” Jared smiled, watching him from the reflection in the glass. “I
wasn’t sure if you told Alona not to let me in to see you.”
 
“I would never…” Jensen frowned and then walked towards Jared. “I wouldn’t do
that to you.”
 
“Are you going to move back home any time soon?” Jared said, turning to look at
him. “I don’t even know why you moved into the hotel in the first place. If it
was something that I did, I just want to—“
 
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Jensen said, hurriedly. “I—after what
happened that morning…after our fight…I couldn’t…”
 
“You couldn’t stand to be in the same room with me, let alone in the same
home?”
 
Jensen raised his hand and placed it on Jared’s arm. “I’m sorry for the things
I said; I do realize how wrong I was to say those things to you. And I’m sorry
if I gave you the impression that you had to have sex with me to make things
better between us. You must think I’m a dirt bag of a human being if you felt
that was the only way to…to deal with what happened between us.”
 
“I don’t—“
 
“Please, let me finish,” Jensen said, softly. He looked up at Jared and smiled.
“I know that this marriage wasn’t a choice for you; and I pushed to make it
happen. Your father and I both used you to put ourselves in the most
advantageous position. I didn’t know that I was going to fall in love with you,
Jared, but that’s not an excuse. I can’t keep doing this, not to you and not to
myself. You can be happy, Jared; I promised to take care of you and I won’t
break that promise. I want you to know that in the next couple of days, Ackles
Corp is going after PDKI for breach of contract. I’ve started buying shares in
PDKI and I mean to bankrupt your father and consolidate the company into mine.”
He paused, watching for Jared’s reaction. He was a little surprised to see that
Jared just nodded. “There’s one more thing…when the takeover goes through, your
father is going to want you to divorce me and I want you to do it, Jared.”
 
“I see.” Jared frowned, staring at him. “That means you lose half of your
inheritance.”
 
“It’s already yours,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Christian’s drawing up
your trustee documents to ensure that your father won’t be able to touch a dime
of what belongs to you.”
 
“I don’t want your money, Jensen, I never did.”
 
“I know, but that’s what you’re owed—“
 
Jared snorted, moving away from him. “Like the highest paid whore, right? Dude,
if you’re giving me $5 billion, you got gypped.”
 
“Shit, that’s not what I meant!” Jensen said, watching Jared walk away, pacing
the room. “Never that—“
 
“Right, because my father doesn’t just pimp me out whenever I might be able to
help make him a better business deal.”
 
Jensen dropped his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Jared—“
 
“Damn you, Jensen,” he said, hoarsely. “I can’t believe this. Things don’t work
out as easy as you want so you give me $5 billion as a divorce settlement to
deal with this? Christ, Jensen…” Jared stared at the ceiling and clenched his
jaw. “God, what the hell is wrong with you?”
 
“I want you to seek the divorce. I want you to be happy, Jared. And I want to
protect you from being used by your father again.”
 
“I’m not completely helpless—“
 
“No, but you are blinded by your loyalty to your family and—“
 
“I thought that you’re my family now, Jensen.”
 
Jensen gazed at him, wanting nothing more than to believe that was true. “I’ll
always be here if you ever need me.”
 
“As an ex-husband.”
 
“As my friend.”
 
“I think I’m a lot more than just a friend!”
 
Jensen leaned against the edge of his desk. “Of course you are – you always
will be.”
 
“Heartwarming,” Jared said, sarcastically.
 
“You know what I mean!” Jensen said, loudly. “God, Jared, you have to be able
to recognize that this is your only way out of this marriage!”
 
“Did you once consider that I might not want a divorce?”
 
Jensen made a face, puzzled. “Why wouldn’t you take the opportunity when it’s
right here?”
 
“Jensen…if you don’t know why I don’t want a divorce then—what can I say?”
Jared murmured, shaking his head sadly. He took a deep breath, hands pressed
against his face. “All right…whatever…I’ll do whatever you want me to do. I
can’t…I don’t want to fight about this anymore, we just keep going in circles.”
 
A part of Jensen was relieved, even though he felt like screaming and breaking
every single piece of furniture in his office. Instead, he just gave Jared a
small smile and nodded. “Christian will make sure that everything is squared
away for you.”
 
“Fine,” Jared said, hands in his pockets. “I’ll…I’ll be at the penthouse. I’ll
move back into the guest room – my room again. You don’t have to stay at the
hotel anymore, Jensen.”
 
Jensen nodded. “Yeah, all right. I’ll check out tonight and come back. Maybe we
could talk about it some more and—“
 
“No, I think we’ve said enough on the subject. I know where you stand and
that’s all I need to know.” Jared said, walking towards the doors. “I’ll see
you later.”
 
“See you tonight,” Jensen called, walking towards Jared. They stared at each
for a long moment and Jared nodded again, opening the door and leaving. He
closed the door quietly behind him as Jensen reached the closed doors. He
placed his hand against the door and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes,
pressing the palm of one hand against his forehead. “Fuck.”
 
***
 
Jensen checked his Outlook messages on his laptop, reading the status reports
on the stock buy-out. He sent back long messages to the M&A team for the
morning. He sighed, stretching out his back and closing the laptop. He walked
to the bar and poured himself a glass of scotch and took a sip, feeling it burn
down his throat.
 
He took his glass and walked into the bedroom suite of his hotel room, looking
at the opened suitcase on the bed, clothes folded neatly inside. He set the
glass down on the dresser and began to unbutton his dress shirt, pulling the
tails out from his slacks. He was working the cufflinks out of his sleeves when
the room bell rang.
 
Jensen walked to the door and opened it, surprised. “Misha.”
 
“Jensen.” Misha said, smiling warmly at him. “May I come in?”
 
“How did you know that I was here?” Jensen said, stepping aside and pulling the
door opened wider, motioning for Misha to come inside.
 
“I was downstairs having a drink and I heard that you were staying here,” Misha
murmured, shrugging out of his jacket and folding it over the back of an
armchair.
 
Jensen snorted, shaking his head. “I guess the paparazzi’s got the story now
and warped it into something completely stupid.”
 
“Marriage troubles?”
 
Jensen narrowed his eyes at him. “It’s none of your business, Misha.”
 
“Hey, it’s me, Jen. You know me better than that.”
 
“Yeah and you’re here,” Jensen said, raising his eyebrow. “Come to gloat?”
 
Misha grabbed Jensen’s shoulder, his hand warm. He slid the palm of his hand to
his neck, fingers pushing away the edges of his shirt. “You know me better than
that.” Jensen stood still, watching Misha as his hand moved slowly down his
chest, palm dragging over the nipple.
 
“Come to fuck.”
 
Misha took a step closer, his other hand moving under the shirt, caressing
Jensen’s back. “We never actually got to say goodbye.”
 
“Maybe because you didn’t think that our relationship warranted anything so
formal,” Jensen said, pointedly.
 
“Which makes it so easy to just pick things up from where they ended, don’t
you?”
 
Jensen smirked. “You could always rationalize everything. I always admired that
about you.”
 
Misha grinned, his pretty eyes crinkling at the corners. He moved closer to
Jensen, intending to kiss him. Jensen leaned back, looking at Misha. “Come on,
Jen, you always liked to play in the past.”
 
“I’m not that man anymore, Misha. I’ve grown tired of playing your games.”
 
“Our games, Jen.” Misha murmured, leaning closer again.
 
“Come on, man, I’m married.” Jensen said, pulling away from Misha completely.
 
Misha chuckled and then grabbed him around the waist, pulling him back against
him. “It doesn’t have to be so complicated. You married him for your
inheritance; whatever attraction you feel for Jared is nothing compared to what
you felt for me.”
 
“I did love you, Misha, but that was a long time ago.”
 
“Are you telling me that Jared makes you happy?” Misha said and then laughed.
“You moved out of your home to live in a hotel. I don’t see a lot of marital
bliss there, Jensen.”
 
“Like I said, it’s none of your business,” Jensen said and put his hands around
Misha’s wrists, pulling his arms away. “And I’m moving back to the penthouse
tonight so I don’t have time for—“
 
Misha kissed Jensen. It was so familiar and comforting. Jensen didn’t want
this, but he was so lonely. Misha was right, it was easy with him. Jensen could
have a brief moment of something easy. He knew exactly where things stood with
Misha. There was no tomorrow with him; just now, this moment was enough. Misha
deepened the kiss, his tongue licking into Jensen’s mouth, lips sucking on his
tongue. Jensen moaned, his hands moving over Misha’s strong back and into his
brown hair. But he didn’t want Misha, not like this, no matter how great the
sex would be, no matter how much he wanted to be touched like this.
 
He broke away, wiping his mouth. “It’s over, Misha. I’m not going to cheat on
Jared.”
 
Misha licked his lips, giving Jensen a steady look. He sighed, picking up his
jacket. “All right, Jen; but you know where I am when Jared can’t give you what
you need.”
 
Jensen wished that Misha didn’t know him so well; that he felt he had the right
to take him at his most vulnerable. The whole time that he was with Misha, he
never knew what Misha would do. That was part of the excitement and passion.
But as his feelings for Misha strengthened and deepened, he knew he had to hide
it; that Misha would take it for weakness and use it against him. It was the
greatest illusion – Misha gave him love, but never loved him. Misha gave him
passion, but not intimacy. And Jensen decided that he would never allow himself
to be so vulnerable again; that he would take what he could and enjoyed it,
always in the moment.
 
Until Jared.
 
“I think it’s best that you leave,” Jensen told him.
 
Misha nodded, walking towards the door. “I’ll see you soon.”
 
Jensen watched as Misha closed the door behind him. “Shit,” he muttered, taking
a deep breath.
 
***
 
Jensen pressed his thumb on the bio scan and heard the snick of the lock
opening. He pushed through the doorway, pulling his suitcase behind him. He
dropped his car keys on the hallway table and shrugged off days of tension from
his shoulders.
 
“Hey,” Jared called, standing from the kitchen area.
 
“Hi.”
 
“I, uh, wasn’t sure that you would be coming home tonight,” Jared said, smiling
slightly. “I moved my stuff out of your room and I—“
 
“It’s all right, Jared, this is still your home, too.”
 
“Do you want something to eat? There’s a lot of leftovers.”
 
“I’ll just throw my stuff in the room and I’ll be right out.”
 
Jared looked at him and then nodded. “Sure. I’ll get some plates and stuff. We
could just do it buffet style or whatever.”
 
“That’ll work.”
 
If Jensen had to describe awkward, then this would be it. He took his bag into
the bedroom and left it by the closet. He changed out of his wrinkled suit and
shirt and pulled on a pair of soft sweats and a tee-shirt. In the bathroom, he
washed his face and looked at his reflection, wondering if Jared would notice
anything different. He wiped his face with the soft towel and left the
bathroom, hitting the light switch on his way out. He stared at the bed – it
was tucked in and made like no one had slept in it for days. How many days did
it take for Jared to move out of their bedroom?
 
Jensen dragged his fingers through his hair as he walked down the hallway into
the living room and crossed the open space towards the kitchen. Jared was
laying out containers of food; two places were set up at the counter.
 
“Can I help with anything?”
 
“Nah, I got it,” he said, handing Jensen his fork and knife.
 
“Thanks.”
 
They both sat down, speaking only to ask to pass the salt or please hand me a
napkin; polite and stilted, then silence. Jensen tucked into the food, not even
tasting it, shoulders drawn in tight, the air tense between them. This was
actually worse than those first months together when Jared couldn’t stand to be
in the same room with him.
 
Jensen hurried through his dinner, trying not to look over at Jared every five
minutes. He cleared his own plate, putting everything into the dishwasher. He
saw that Jared was done and offered to take his plate as well. They both put
the container lids back on and tucked them into the refrigerator. Jared took
out a beer and held one up for Jensen.
 
“Um…actually, with the takeover and everything, I have a lot of work that I
need to do tonight, so I better not,” Jensen said, running a hand through his
hair.
 
“All right,” Jared replied, nodding. “Well, I’ll just turn in then.”
 
“Good night.”
 
Jared gave him a long look and then cleared his throat. “Good night, Jensen.”
 
Jensen watched as Jared shut the refrigerator door and took his beer towards
the hallway to the guest room. “Hey, Jared, just one thing: you’ll need to be
at the negotiations meeting after the buy-out. I’ll make sure that you know
when and what time.”
 
“Sure.” Jared said, standing in front of his door. “I’m sure I can be
available.”
 
“Okay. Good. Thanks,” Jensen said, trying for a friendly smile. He was sure
that it looked as strained as it felt.
 
***
 
Jensen Ackles was known as the Black Knight of corporate takeovers. His father
once explained the concept of the three Knights to him when he was thirteen
years old. The Black Knight would begin the hostile takeover of the target
company by circumventing the Board’s rejection of the bid by going straight to
the stockholders with a tender offer higher than the market share. A White
Knight would be a friendly acquirer of the target company during a hostile
takeover. A White Knight would come in during the battle and block the
unfriendly acquisition of the target company. The Gray Knight would enter the
fray with the intention to help the target company fight off the Black Knight’s
attack with financial assistance, but without the intention of taking over the
company after the acquisition attempt.
 
Jensen learned the strategies from his father, a master player, and proved that
he was the heir apparent to Ackles Corp by proposing a number of takeover
strategies that would strengthen and grow Ackles Corp. He was eighteen and
working as an intern in the M&A department when he helped bring in his first
takeover of a small digital technology company with a cutting edge Research &
Development department and paved the way for Ackles Corp to become a leader in
military science and technology.
 
So sitting across a red-faced George Padalecki at the negotiations table was
nothing.
 
In two days, the buy-out memos had made their way to the PDKI Board, who
refused the initial offer. And then Jensen started to offer to buy shares over
the market share price. The New York Exchange lit up like a Christmas tree and
for three straight days, Ackles Corp had put the screws to PDKI.
 
The major problem for PDKI was that there was no Gray Knight waiting to step in
on their behalf. George Padalecki had spent too much time creating enemies than
business allies. When he started to leverage his own personal assets to try and
meet Jensen’s offer and hold on to his stocks, Jensen knew that he had him on
the ropes.
 
With the SEC representative monitoring Ackles Corps takeover of PDKI, Jensen
was assured that the buy-out was all above board and that he had the cash to
stay in the fight for the long haul.
 
After nearly two weeks of negotiations back and forth, Jensen relented and
finally agreed to a deal. George Padalecki was bankrupt and PDKI would be a
profitable acquisition for Ackles Corp.
 
Jensen let the lawyers figure out the rest. He trusted Christian and the M&A
team to finish the job. The seven of them sat at the end of the long conference
table, hashing it out on paper. George stared at Jensen for a long time.
 
“You do know that the marriage contract is null and void.”
 
Jensen glanced at Jared and then turned to look at George. “It was your breach
of contract that was the catalyst to my offer on PDKI.”
 
“There was no breach, Jensen. I was simply trying to help you manage your
capital investments by—“
 
“Nonsense. You thought that if Jared kept me distracted enough, I wouldn’t see
what you were trying to do.” Jensen said, coolly.
 
“Nevertheless, the marriage is over. Jared will file for divorce; and according
to the statutes of the marriage contract, he is entitled to half of your
inheritance.”
 
Jensen grinned. “Jared already holds half of my inheritance in a trust,
George.”
 
George glared at Jensen, but when he turned his eyes to Jared, his face
reddened even more and his eyes narrowed in rage. “You little fuck.”
 
Jensen frowned, glaring at George. No one fucking talked to Jared like that.
The chatter in the room died down to total silence. Jared stared across the
table at his father, his face neutral but his jaw was clenched and tight under
the skin.
 
“Don’t ever talk to him like that again,” Jensen snarled at him.
 
“You mind your manners,” George snapped at him. He turned back to Jared,
pointing a meaty finger at his son. “I told you what the stakes were here and
you couldn’t even fucking handle it,” George hissed at him. “Get your fucking
ass out of that chair and get out of this room. This marriage is over and you
will file for divorce immediately. Jim! Get the divorce papers signed and filed
before close of business today.”
 
James Beaver shook his head. “George, we don’t—“
 
“Actually, dad, I’m not going to file for divorce.”
 
Jensen turned to look at Jared, watching as the younger man leaned forward in
his chair, looking at his father. Jensen was shocked, of course, because he had
expected Jared to be the dutiful son; but he was also kind of proud and a
little bit turned on watching Jared stand up to George.
 
“Don’t disobey me on this, Jared.”
 
“You lost the right to tell me what to do when I married Jensen,” he said,
looking over at Jensen. He gave him a smile and a nod in support. “You’ve
always used me as a front for your dirtiest deeds, but not anymore.”
 
“You better shut your mouth, boy!”
 
“George, I think that—“
 
“Shut up, Jim,” George snarled at his lawyer. “This is your fault. You couldn’t
just lose a paper trail like I told you and—“
 
“I think that you’ve said enough,” Jensen said, standing up. He placed his hand
on Jared’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “My husband and I are finished with the
negotiations.” He gazed down at George. “I expect your resignation by the end
of the day and your things taken out of PDKI’s offices.”
 
“You bankrupted me, Jensen!” George yelled, moving to his feet. He came around
the table, rushing at Jensen. The people in the room moved to stop him,
blocking his path to Jensen and Jared. “I’m going to fucking kill you for this,
boy! You think that this is over? It’s not over!”
 
Jensen turned to Alona. “Please call security and have Mr. Padalecki escorted
out of this building immediately. He is furthermore banned from ever entering
the premises again.”
 
Alona nodded, already putting the phone against her ear and dialing the
extension. “Security to conference room 32-B immediately.”
 
“Jensen! You’ll pay for this, do you hear me?” George shouted as Jensen placed
his hand on Jared’s back, leading him towards the doors out of the conference
room. “And you, boy, you’re finished. You can forget about ever being part of
this family again!”
 
Jared stopped and turned around to look at his father. “I’m ashamed of being
your son.”
 
“You little bastard!”
 
Jensen closed the door behind him, muffling the sound of George’s tirade. He
sighed and looked up at Jared. “Sooo…you want to get out of here?”
 
“Yeah,” Jared said, visibly shaking now. He blinked and then shook his head.
“Oh God…I can’t believe that I said those things to him.”
 
“I think you would’ve been in your rights to shoot him, but…” Jensen said and
then shrugged. He patted Jared on the back. “Come on, man, let’s go home and
have a drink. I think we both could use one.”
 
“All right.”
 
They walked down the hallway towards the elevators. Jensen pressed the down
button and turned to look at Jared.
 
“This is your chance now, Jared; a clean slate.” Jensen said, seeing Jared’s
puzzled look. “The divorce. I had Christian file it this morning.”
 
*****
***** Chapter 20 *****
*****
Jensen watched as Jared stormed into the penthouse, tossing his briefcase on
the low couch. He turned and unbuttoned his suit jacket, placing his hands on
his waist, glaring at Jensen.
 
“What gave you the right to go behind my back and file for a divorce?”
 
Jensen took a deep breath and looked at him. He liked that Jared was so tall
and so strong, that he looked like he could take on the world. “Believe me, I
don’t want to divorce you, Jared, but considering the circumstances, I thought
what I did was the best for you.”
 
“Best for me? I’m an adult, Jensen! I’m your partner! You don’t go behind my
back, even if you think you’re right, and do something like this without
talking about it with me first!” Jared shouted, narrowing his eyes. “This is
the same bullshit that my father pulls on me. All my life, people have made
decisions for me, and I’m done with that now.”
 
Jensen sighed, shrugging out of his jacket and setting it over the back of the
couch. “It was with the best of intentions, Jared—“
 
He snorted. “Well, they say that the road to Hell is paved with the best of
intentions.” Jared took a deep breath and ran his hands over his face and into
his hair. “Jensen, I’m not going to agree to the divorce.”
 
“It’s already filed.”
 
“Just because it’s filed doesn’t mean anything,” Jared said, cocking his head
to the side. “Christian has to serve the papers to me and I’m not going to sign
them.”
 
Jensen frowned, shaking his head. “Why not? Why on earth would you want to stay
in this marriage?”
 
“Don’t you know?” Jared said, looking at him.
 
“You’re not under any obligation to stay with me,” Jensen insisted.
 
“God, I can’t believe—“ Jared took a deep breath and clenched his jaw. “I love
you, Jensen.”
 
Jensen swallowed, staring dumbly at him. His hand twitched and a chill ran up
his spine, his stomach plummeting to his knees. He turned his head slightly,
trying to figure out where Jared was going with this.
 
“You’re not going to say anything?”
 
“I’m…not sure—“
 
“I’ve been in love with you for months,” Jared said, softly. “It’s just taken
me a little while to tell you, but I’ve felt it for awhile now. I didn’t think
that you wouldn’t…that you didn’t know.”
 
Jensen watched as Jared dropped his hands off his waist and started walking
towards him. He watched as Jared placed his hands on his face, thumb caressing
the dip just below his bottom lip. Jensen stared at him, his eyes wide.
 
“You love me?” He whispered, looking into Jared’s hazel eyes. He wanted to
believe him; that it was true.
 
Jared gave him a timid smile. “Yeah.”
 
“How—“ Jensen lost his train of thought as Jared kissed him, his long fingers
stroking the his cheeks. His eyes fluttered close as Jared’s lips brushed
against his. He trembled when one of Jared’s hands slid behind his head,
cupping the back of his neck and tilting his head back slightly as Jared licked
across his top lip.
 
Jensen moaned, his hands moving up to clutch at Jared’s back, hands fisting his
suit jacket. Jared deepened the kiss, taking a step closer so that they were
pressed against each other. He could feel Jared’s heat through their clothes,
his hardness pressing on Jensen’s hip.
Jared kissed his way to Jensen’s ear, sucking on the little lobe. “I love you.”
 
“I’m so fucking stupid,” Jensen said, moaning. He shivered, feeling Jared’s
tongue stroking his sensitive ear.
 
“I forgive you,” he said, chuckling softly. Jared sucked gentle kisses along
his jaw line, his hand tipping Jensen’s head back so that he could lick along
his neck.
 
Jensen let out a laugh-moan, running his hands into Jared’s hair and pulling
his head up so that he could kiss that wide mouth. He bit at Jared’s lip and
slid his tongue into Jared’s mouth, tickling the roof of his mouth, tasting
him. He tangled against Jared’s tongue and lured it into his own mouth, sucking
on it until Jared whimpered.
 
“Take this off,” Jensen said, pushing his jacket from his shoulders. He ripped
at Jared’s dress shirt, buttons popping off in his haste. He pulled it free
from Jared’s pants, dragging the shirt off his shoulders as Jared tried to undo
the sleeve cuffs behind his back. Jensen grabbed him by the side and mouthed
his way down whatever bared flesh he could get to.
 
“Can’t get…cufflinks not…” Jared said, snickering as Jensen pulled him to his
knees, pushing him on his back on the bare floor. He laughed when Jensen didn’t
even bother to undo his necktie, opting to just toss it out of the way over one
of Jared’s shoulders so that he could wrap his lips around the small nipple,
sucking and licking it. Jared bucked and hissed in pleasure when Jensen cupped
him through his pants, pressing against the hard cock underneath. That’ll teach
him to laugh. “Oh God…Jensen…”
 
Jensen kissed his way down his abs to his stomach, lapping at the soft skin as
he attacked Jared’s belt buckle. He jerked it out of the belt hoops and tossed
it on the floor and nearly ripped the stupid hidden button off in his haste to
get to Jared’s cock. He finally managed to unzip him and reached into his
boxers, pulling out the hard flesh. Jared wriggled on the floor under him,
still trying to free his hands from the shirt cuffs. He held Jared’s hips to
the floor and looked up the length of him, flushed and debauched. Jared lifted
his head and watched him with wide eyes as Jensen wrapped his lips around the
spongy head of his cock and slid right down.
 
“Fuck. Oh fuck!” Jared jerked and then shuddered, his head falling on the
floor, eyes closing. His mouth opened and he let out a throaty sound that made
Jensen smirk. He kept his eyes on Jared’s face as he moved his mouth up and
down on his length, opening his throat so that he could slide Jared in all the
way. He licked up the long vein to the head of his cock and then just sucked on
the head, tonguing his way around the edge and to lick across the slit, tasting
his pre-come. “Jen…Jen…come here…please…”
 
Jared’s hands reached for Jensen, trying to pull him up. Jensen sucked him one
last time, taking his time, pulling out more of the briny flavor from his cock.
He kissed slowly up his stomach and to his chest, Jared’s hands pulling at his
shoulders and arms until Jensen was half covering him. Jared kissed him,
licking into his mouth and groaning.
 
He flipped Jensen on his back and smiled down at Jensen. “I got you now.”
 
Boy, did he ever. Jensen grinned back, nodding up at him. “Yeah…from the
beginning, man.”
 
Jared grinned widely, his dimples showing. “I love you.”
 
“I love you, too.”
 
“Don’t sound so surprised, all right?”
 
“Come on, let me just enjoy being happy.” Jensen said, touching his face, his
fingers stroking along the smooth skin, fingertips brushing against the little
mole on his cheek.
 
Jared kissed him again as he slid his leg over Jensen, straddling him. He
watched as Jared moved back, sitting down on Jensen’s cock. He groaned softly
as Jared wiggled.
 
“Tease,” Jensen said, laughing.
 
Jared pulled out the knot on his necktie and slid it from his collar. He
dropped it on the floor and then reached for the buttons of his dress shirt,
undoing them slowly, one by one. Jensen watched him work, absolutely gorgeous
with his long hair falling over his eyes as he bent over, undressing Jensen. He
tilted his hips up against Jared and he looked up at Jensen, giving him a long
and appreciative look.
 
“I just want you to know that I’m not doing this to appease you or anything
like that,” Jared said, smirking. “Just so there’s no misunderstanding.”
 
Jensen ran his hands up Jared’s thick thighs, one hand moving to stroke his
cock, the other cupping the heavy balls. He watched as Jared thrust his hips,
eyes closing in pleasure. “Well, seems kind of pointless if you aren’t going to
appease me in some manner.”
 
“I just thought we should get that straight so you won’t get all freaked out,”
Jared said, teasingly.
 
Jensen grabbed his hips suddenly and then raised his own hips, nearly throwing
Jared off of him. He bit his lip and grounded his cock against Jared’s ass.
 
“Jesus…” Jared muttered, lowering his body so that he covered Jensen. They
kissed again, wet and messy. He pulled away and then sat up again, undoing
Jensen’s pants and pulling down the zipper.
 
Jensen rolled his hips when he felt Jared’s large hand wrap around his cock. He
closed his eyes and arched his neck when Jared’s thumb rubbed over the head.
His hands tightened on Jared’s thighs, moaning when Jared started stroking him,
his grip loose and dry. “Come on, Jay.”
 
He watched Jared through slitted eyes as he licked and spitted in his hand,
adjusting his position over Jensen as he lined up their cocks together and
wrapped his large hand around them both, squeezing and stroking slowly.
 
Jensen arched under him, letting out a choked cry. He reached down between them
and palmed Jared’s balls again, rolling them gently in his hand. He reached up
with his other hand, wrapping it in Jared’s hair, and pulling him down for a
kiss that was wet, hard, and messy. They both moaned against each other’s lips,
Jared’s hand slick and hot around them, the feel of Jared’s cock against his
own sending a heady shock of ecstasy through him.
 
“Jay…come on…please,” Jensen husked, licking Jared’s mouth. “Ah God, yeah…come
on…”
 
“Yeah,” Jared murmured, tucking his face against Jensen’s neck. He panted into
Jensen’s ear, hot and damp breath making him shiver. “Close, baby, so close…”
 
“Come on!” Jensen urged, thrusting up into Jared’s hard and fast strokes. He
could feel the pleasure curling at the base of his spine, his balls tightening
up. He turned his face, pressing it against Jared, breathing in the scent of
his hair. They were both breathing hard and fast; Jared undulating above him.
 
Jared gasped and shuddered, crying out against Jensen’s ear. He had to close
his eyes, his mouth opened as he listened to Jared come. He felt Jared’s hand
squeezing harder around them both, jerking faster and faster. Jensen felt
Jared’s cock throbbing and wetness covering them.
 
“Oh fuck, Jay,” Jensen groaned loudly, digging his heels into the floor. He
clutched Jared closer, feeling the wave of bliss hitting him in his cock and
surging through the rest of his body in a flood of white hot rapture. “Jay!
Jesus! Jay!”
 
Jared’s hand stroked them a final time. Jensen sank on the floor, limp and
satisfied by a simple hand job. He felt Jared lift his head and Jensen smiled
at the feel of Jared’s lips brushing against his.
 
“God,” Jared whispered as Jensen opened his eyes.
 
“Yeah,” he agreed.
 
Jared slipped off of Jensen, cocks rubbing as he moved away. Jensen sighed,
wrapping his arms around Jared’s shoulder and tucking his face against Jared’s
neck, his eyes closed. He started trembling, feeling so out of control.
 
“Hey,” Jared murmured, stroking a hand over Jensen’s head. “I’m right here.”
 
Jensen nodded, swallowing thickly. So close to losing this, losing Jared. He
took a deep breath and grinned at Jared.
 
***
 
Jensen turned on his tummy on the bed, propped up on his elbow, admiring
Jared’s naked body. Jared smirked, leaning back on a mountain of pillows, an
arm folded behind his head on the low headboard. Jensen smiled, running his
fingers over Jared’s stomach, looking up at his husband and laughing softly as
Jared’s stomach muscles fluttered under his light touch.
 
He had never felt as sated as he did at this moment. Jensen moved to his side,
propped on the side of his arm as he continued to gaze at Jared.
 
“Are you going to just stare at me all night long?”
 
“Maybe.” Jensen said, tartly.
 
Jared chuckled. “I’m starving.”
 
“We can order in.”
 
“Let’s go out to dinner,” Jared said, moving on his side and wriggling down the
bed so that he was facing Jensen. “Come on, Jen, we haven’t been out together
in a long time.”
 
Jensen made a face, but nodded. “All right.”
 
Neither of them moved.
 
Jared reached out and stroked Jensen’s head. “I’m still not signing the divorce
papers.”
 
“God, I hope not,” Jensen said, groaning into his arm.
 
“I know we can be happy together,” Jared told him, peering at him with bright
hazel eyes. “I know I can be a good husband.”
 
“I know that, too.” He said, nodding. “I hope that I’ll be a good husband to
you.”
 
Jared grinned. “Yeah, you have a lot of promise.”
 
Jensen reached over and tweaked one of Jared’s nipples, making him hiss in pain
and pleasure. Jared pulled his hand away and kissed his palm, moving closer
with the intention to snuggle.
 
“God, I married a big teddy bear, didn’t I?”
 
“Yep.”
 
Jensen sighed and then closed his eyes, shaking his head. “I…I have to tell you
something.”
 
“That sounds serious,” Jared said, looking at him. “What is it, Jen?”
 
“The night that I moved back to the penthouse…Misha came to visit me at the
hotel. He kissed me.” Jensen said, looking at Jared’s blank face. “I told him
no, that I wasn’t interested in him, that I was married. Nothing else
happened.” He met Jared’s eyes. “Do you believe me?”
 
Jared chewed his upper lip and then let out a deep breath. “I believe you,
Jensen…but—“ He closed his eyes and sighed. “Every time I think that we’re back
on track, something happens and—yes, I’m upset, but…“
 
“No one means more to me than you,” Jensen said, putting his hand on Jared’s
chest and stroking up to his neck. “I love you, Jay. I don’t want to fuck
things up between us again, but I don’t want to hide what happened either.”
 
Jared turned on his side to look at Jensen again. “Make me a promise, right
here and right now, that we start on a clean slate between us. From this moment
on, we’re married, and we made vows to each other that we’ll keep.”
 
“I promise.”
 
Jared nodded, licking his lips. “I promise, too.” He fell on his back and
stared at the ceiling. “What’s the story between you and Misha anyway?”
 
“I loved him, but he never loved me,” Jensen told him, softly. “My relationship
with him wasn’t healthy. I was so in love with him that I let him manipulate
me. I started to play his games…and then I got good at it. And then one day, I
walked out on him and he never said anything. We’d hook up for sex. We’d become
business partners. And he didn’t think that there was anything different in our
relationship.”
 
Jared nodded, giving him a small smile. “We’re both kind of messed up, aren’t
we?”
 
“Understatement,” Jensen said, laughing.
 
“Well, now it’s just us. Just you and me.”
 
Jensen smiled, liking how that sounded. “That’s what I’ve wanted for a long
time.”
 
He reached over and kissed Jared softly, a kiss of forgiveness, a kiss of a new
beginning. Jensen pulled the bed sheets down the rest of Jared’s body, pressing
him on his back and moving over to feel Jared under him.
 
***
 
Jensen laughed, taking Jared’s hand as they left Omega Bar & Grill in downtown
Dallas. He flinched from the flashbulbs of the cameras, shielding his eyes.
“Dude, you’re blinding us here.”
 
“Hey Jensen. Jared. How’re you doing?” One of the paparazzi called out to them.
 
Jensen grinned, looking at Jared. “We’re good.”
 
“Very happy together,” Jared added, smirking.
 
“We heard that you had moved out, but you guys look like you’re back together.”
 
Jensen rolled his eyes, walking towards his SUV. “Dude, that’s personal. My
husband and I are doing fine and we’re very happy.”
 
Jensen unlocked the door and Jared gave him a kiss before releasing his hand
and moving around to the passenger side to get in. Jensen squinted as the
cameras clicked around them.
 
“Yeah, that’s not going to be on the Internet in like an hour,” he mumbled,
shaking his head at them. “Have a good night, guys. The husband and I are going
home.”
 
Jensen waved to the paparazzi, giving them a moment to take their last
pictures, and he slipped into the driver’s seat, closing the door. He turned
and looked at Jared, both of them smiling widely at each other. “You good?”
 
“Yep,” Jared murmured, leaning back on his seat, eyeing Jensen.
 
Jensen snickered as he started the engine.
 
***
 
Jensen pulled the SUV into his reserved space in the underground parking garage
at the penthouse. He yawned as he came out of the car, smiling as Jared wrapped
his arm around Jensen’s shoulders as they crossed the lot towards the elevator.
 
“Hmmm…I’m beat,” Jensen said, tucking his face against Jared’s neck. He loved
this freedom, this luxury to touch Jared whenever he wanted and as much as he
wanted.
 
“Too tired for another round of…” Jared murmured into his ear.
 
“God, you’re insatiable,” Jensen said, smirking. “You came like three times.”
 
“I can’t help it, you’re so hot, I get hard just looking at you.”
 
“God, Jay…”
 
“Love you,” Jared whispered, pulling him closer.
 
“Love—“
 
“Jared.”
 
Jensen stopped, turning to see George standing nearby.
 
“Dad, what’re you doing here?” Jared said, standing up to his full height.
 
George walked towards them, his face drawn into contempt. He glared at both of
them, but he showed his anger to Jared. “I warned you, boy, didn’t I?”
 
Jared shook his head, his hand tightening on Jensen’s shoulder. “No, dad, don’t
do this. Please.”
 
“What the hell is going on here, George?” Jensen said, pulling away from Jared
to stand in front of him.
 
George looked at Jensen, a sneer on his lips. He turned to look at his son. “I
thought you learned your lesson with Josh. You stupid little fuck. I told you
what would happen if you disobeyed me again. You think he’s going to save you,
Jared? No one saved Josh.”
 
“Dad, please don’t do this.”
 
“What is it?” Jensen said, looking at Jared, who had turned pale, his lips
trembling. “What happened?”
 
“Why don’t you tell Jensen what happened to your first husband?” George said,
scornfully. “Tell Jensen how Josh had to pay for your disobedience.”
 
Jensen had enough. He stepped towards George. “Get out of here, George. First
thing in the morning, I’m going to have a restraining order slapped on you so
fast that—“
 
George laughed, pulling a gun from his coat pocket. He pointed it at Jensen. He
raised his hands and stepped back, trying to stay in front of Jared. “Stay
right there, Jensen. I’m going to talk to my boy for a minute and then you and
I can square away our business.”
 
“No…no, please,” Jared said, shaking his head.
 
“I thought you would’ve learned from what happened before, Jared. I gave you
Josh; you could’ve had everything but you didn’t obey. I told you what would
happen. And I would’ve let you have Jensen, too, but after that fucking public
spectacle, what kind of choice did you leave me! Now I have to fix another one
of your fucking mistakes – consequences, boy! We always talk about
consequences! Why don’t you listen?”
 
“Dad!” Jared grabbed Jensen, pulling him away. “Please! Not again!”
 
“Not again?” Jensen said and then looked at George. “You killed Josh Holloway.”
 
“Boy has to learn to obey his father,” George said, narrowing his eyes at
Jared. “No one betrays the Padalecki family and gets away with it.”
 
“I never betrayed the family. I’ve always done everything you ever asked me to
do!” Jared said, trying to push Jensen behind him. “Don’t do this, dad. I’m
begging you not to do this again. I’ll do anything. I’ll do anything! I can’t—I
can’t live through that again.”
 
“You made it through fine the first time,” George said, callously. He kept the
gun pointed at Jensen. “This time, you’ll say that it was a robbery. Two guys
followed your car into the garage, shot your husband, beat the shit out of you,
and left you both for dead.”
 
“No. I won’t do it. I’m not going to lie for you this time, dad.”
 
Jensen snarled. “Don’t you touch him! I’ll kill you myself if you—“
 
“You stay put!” George yelled, raising the gun to Jensen’s face. “You fucking
ruined my life, Ackles. You couldn’t just let it go. I gave you Jared like you
wanted. All you had to do was let me run my business. We would’ve made a lot of
money together.”
 
“You’re fucking crazy,” Jensen said, shaking his head.
 
“A man has to protect his family,” George told him. “But what do you know about
that? You’re just like your old man—greedy and selfish. It was all about money
to him; always looking down your high and mighty noses at the rest of us.
This,” he waved the gun at him. “This evens the field now, doesn’t it, boy?” He
laughed at Jensen. “And with you dead, it all goes to Jared. The Padalecki name
will go on. When the boy takes over control of Ackles Corp, we’ll give it a
name change to better reflect the new leadership.”
 
He was fucking insane. He looked at Jared, seeing the silent tear tracks on his
face. He could feel Jared shaking against him. Jensen wasn’t going to let this
happen. He wasn’t going to let George Padalecki live another day to hurt Jared
again.
 
George pulled back the safety on the gun.
 
“No—“ Jared moaned, shaking his head. “Dad, please.”
 
“Say goodbye now, Jared. It’s more than what you had with Josh.”
 
“Oh God.”
 
Jensen looked at Jared, reaching down to squeeze his hand. Jared looked at him,
grimacing. Get ready, Jared. Get ready. Jensen squeezed his hand again and
released his grip, turning to George.
 
Jensen growled, grabbing for the gun. George roared at him, both of them
fighting for the gun. Jensen grabbed for George’s wrist, trying to twist it. He
jerked George’s arm down and they both bent over, struggling for control.
George was a hundred pounds more than Jensen and he used brute strength to try
and push Jensen off. But Jensen was determined not to let George hurt Jared.
 
Jensen stared into George’s eyes, narrowing them. He saw only death and hatred
in the other man’s eyes as they glared at him. George twisted his wrist and
Jensen grabbed the gun near the barrel.
 
There were two loud cracks. Jensen felt a sharp prickle in his side. They both
pulled away, dropping the gun to the cement floor.
 
“Jensen!” Jared yelled, his arms moving to catch him as Jensen fell to his
knees. “Oh God, no!”
 
Jensen looked at George – the fucker shot him – as his legs just seemed to give
out and he collapsed against Jared. He thought that there would be more pain,
but he was just cold and numb everywhere.
 
“Jensen! Jen! God, Jen, no,” Jared said, pressing his wet face against Jensen’s
neck. “Jen, please!”
 
Jensen took a breath and felt a dull ache in his chest. He looked up at Jared,
feeling so tired and so cold.
 
“Jay…love you…”
 
“Jensen!”
 
“Jensen, please don’t leave me!”
 
“Jensen!”
 
*****
***** Chapter 21 *****
*****
 
Part Six: Winner Takes All in Business, War, and Love
 
 
Jensen came back to consciousness in a series of wakefulness. He could feel the
sunlight coming into the room. He could hear the soft beeping of monitors. His
body felt heavy and a dull ache pulsed on his side. He took a deep breath and
made a face at the scent of roses. Slowly, he opened his eyes and found himself
in his old bedroom in Ackles Manor – neutral browns and beiges and blues
colored his room. There were dozens of floral arrangements all over the room.
He turned his head to see Jared’s long body twisted and slumped on the
oversized armchair right next to the bed.
 
“Jay,” Jensen said, hoarsely, coughing softly. “Jared.”
 
He watched as Jared’s eyes blinked open and they stared at each for a long
moment. Jared flew off the armchair, kneeling by the bed, taking Jensen’s hand.
“Oh God, I thought I lost you. I thought he killed you.” He moved closer and
pressed his lips against Jensen’s temple. “I’m so glad you’re okay. Thank God
you’re okay.”
 
“Can I have some water?”
 
Jared immediately moved away and poured a glass of water from the pitcher on
the bedside table. He dropped a straw inside the glass and helped Jensen sit up
a little, holding the glass for him. Jensen sipped the cool water and then
sighed, feeling human again. Jared set him back on the bed and put the glass on
the small tray. He turned to Jensen, leaning closer to him, pressing his
forehead against Jensen’s shoulder.
 
“I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m so sorry for everything.”
 
Jensen smiled, reaching up to touch Jared’s head, stroking his hair.
“Shhhh…it’s all right. It’s all over. What happened?”
 
Jared moved back, looking at Jensen, his eyes wet. “My father…he shot you. He
was going to kill you and make it look like we were mugged.”
 
Jensen considered it for a moment, trying to remember the last thing that
happened. He turned his head and gazed at Jared. “Why would he do this? Was it
because of the takeover?”
 
Jared shook his head, biting his lip. “He was punishing me.”
 
“He killed Josh and you took the blame for it,” Jensen said, softly, the memory
of the night in the parking garage coming back to him. “Tell me about what
happened to Josh.”
 
“I came home a little late from school,” Jared said, trembling. “They were
arguing about me. Josh told my father that if he ever hit me again, Josh would
go to the police and have him arrested. The last time my father beat me, he
broke my arm and my nose. Josh took me to the hospital and he told me that he’d
make sure my father never hit me again.” He looked up at Jensen, tears on his
cheek. “I saw him push Josh down the stairs. I tried to help him, but when he
landed, his neck was already broken and he died right in front of me.” Jared
wiped his face with his hands. “My father told me that he did it to teach me a
lesson; that our family always came first. He said that I was disloyal and that
if I ever stepped out of line again…”
 
“He’s insane,” Jensen whispered, shaking his head. “You were just a kid.”
 
“He beat me again and told me to call the police, to tell them that…I did it –
pushed Josh away, that it was an accident. He said that because I was still
considered a minor, nothing would happen to me. He told me that if I ever told
anyone the truth, he’d make me sorry that I ever lived, that he’d do the same
thing to McKenna.” Jared swallowed, running a shaking hand through his hair.
“She’s my sister. I couldn’t let him do something like that to her.”
 
“So you told the police that Josh was abusing you, that all of the hospital
records would show a pattern of abuse, and that you were only defending
yourself,” Jensen said, looking at him. Jared nodded, wincing. “God, Jay, I’m
so sorry. I’m sorry that you went through that.”
 
Jared nodded, sniffling. “I wanted to tell you the truth. When you found out
what happened, I wanted to tell you…but I didn’t know if I could trust you. I
didn’t know how far your association went with my father. Everything that I
knew about you…I didn’t know if you’d try to help. And then later, I was always
afraid that if I told you, my father would find out and hurt McKenna.” Jared
looked at Jensen. “I’m sorry, Jensen. I’m really sorry for lying to you and not
telling you the truth. I just wanted to put it behind me and move on with my
life. I just wanted to stop being so afraid all the time.”
 
Jensen pulled him closer and hugged him, shifting awkwardly on the bed to turn
on his side. He gasped in pain and fell on his back as Jared moved back, his
face worried.
 
“Are you okay? Do you want me to get the nurse?”
 
“No. Just stay here with me,” Jensen said, reaching for Jared again. Jared
moved against him gently and Jensen wrapped his arms around Jared’s back,
caressing his back, soothing him. “Where is George now?”
 
He felt Jared tense against him and looked at Jared, seeing the regret in his
eyes. “The parking garage security found us before dad could runaway. Dad was
arrested. He was taken to the police station, but he was released on bail.”
Jared reached down and stroked Jensen’s face. “Your mother hired security for
us for the penthouse, but I asked if we could come here. When you were in the
hospital, they secured the entire wing. We brought you home yesterday when the
doctors said that you were recovering.”
 
“He’s still alive then,” Jensen said, narrowing his eyes and staring up at the
ceiling. “He deserves to die for what he did to you and Josh.”
 
“And for what he did to you,” Jared said, softly. He took a deep breath and
pressed his forehead against Jensen’s arm. “Please, just let it end now. My
father can’t hurt us anymore. He’s not going to get away with it this time. I
just want my life back.”
 
“We have to clear your name for what he did to Josh,” Jensen said, touching his
face and moving it towards him. He looked at the pain on Jared’s face and
rubbed his thumb under Jared’s eye. “That’s the only way that you can get your
life back.”
 
Jared closed his eyes and shuddered. “I don’t know if I can do this, Jensen. I
just want you to get better and we can just live our lives now…”
 
“What is it?”
 
“Do you…do you still even want to be with me after this?” Jared said, trying to
move away. But Jensen held on to his arm, pulling him closer.
 
“I love you,” he said, looking at him. “You’re mine, Jay, and I’m not going to
walk away from you now.”
 
Jared looked at him for a long moment and he leaned forward, hands moving into
Jensen’s hair, kissing him deeply. Jensen moaned, turning towards Jared,
ignoring the sharp pinch of pain on his side, and sucked on Jared’s tongue.
 
“I love you,” Jared murmured, kissing Jensen’s face. “I love you. I love you.”
He kissed Jensen’s ear, long arms curled around whatever part of Jensen he
could touch.
 
“Jay, come on,” Jensen said, chuckling. “I’m getting hard here and if you’re
not going to finish what you start—“
 
“Who says I’m not going to finish?” Jared husked, his hand slipping under the
sheets and caressing Jensen’s hip. He gave Jensen a knowing grin, the warm hand
curling over Jensen’s semi-hard cock. Jensen sighed, closing his eyes and
arching into Jared’s touch. “You know, sex is a natural pain inhibitor.”
 
“Charming.”
 
They both turned to see Diana and Jeffrey Dean standing at the other side of
Jensen’s bedroom. Diana watched them, a grin on her lips. Jeffrey Dean ducked
his head, his hand pressed against his mouth, hiding his laughter. Jared
blushed hotly, pulling his hand away. Jensen sighed, raising his eyebrow at the
two of them, completely put out at being interrupted.
 
“Really, mother, you should knock.”
 
Diana chuckled, softly. “I’m sure that the two of you can wait another couple
of days before resuming your intimacy.”
 
Jensen groaned, rolling his eyes. Any discussion of intimacy with his husband
was not exactly something he wanted to talk to her about, even as an adult.
 
“Cut it out, mother, you’re making Jared blush,” he said, saucily. Jared
grinned shyly at him.
 
“Well, at least we know that you are on the road to recovery,” she said,
amused.
 
“Help me sit up, Jared,” Jensen said, bunching the covers over him as Jared
propped the pillows against the headboard. Jared grabbed him gently under the
arms and raised him slowly, moving him on the pillows so that Jensen was
sitting back comfortably. “Thanks, Jay.”
 
Jared smiled. He kissed Jensen’s cheek, close to his ear. “Later.”
 
Jensen motioned for his mother and Jeffrey Dean to come closer. Diana kissed
his cheek and caressed his face.
 
“I’m so glad you’re awake,” she said, looking at him. “We were all terribly
worried, Jensen.”
 
“Strong Ackles constitution,” Jeffrey Dean said, taking his hand and smiling
warmly at him. “It would take more than a bullet to take you down, boy.”
 
“Thanks, JD.”
 
“Let’s not test that theory, Jeffrey,” Diana said, raising her eyebrow at him.
But she smiled and she sat on the side of the bed. “Jared, dear, you should get
some rest.”
 
“I’m okay,” he said, sitting down on the armchair.
 
Diana held Jensen’s hand and looked at him. “Darling, I know you’re still
recovering but the police would like to speak to you soon and take your
statement.”
 
Jensen looked at Jared, watching him pale.
 
“The police have the parking garage security camera footage and Jared has
already made a statement to what happened,” Diana said, softly. “That alone is
enough evidence against George; however, JD and Christian both believe that
your statement will make the case against him that much stronger.”
 
Jensen waited, gazing at Jared. He watched his husband bite his lower lip and
he closed his eyes for a moment and then looked at Jensen, nodding.
 
“Before I make my statement, there’s something that Jared and I would like to
tell you,” Jensen said, holding out his hand to Jared. He reached over and took
it, giving Jensen a small smile. “It’s a long story…I’m not quite sure where to
start.”
 
Diana and Jeffrey Dean exchanged glances. Diana smiled at Jensen. “Well, son,
why not at the beginning?”
 
***
 
Jensen walked towards the stables and saw Jared brushing down the grey
stallion. He loved the smell of the stables: masculine, wild, and earthy. He
leaned on the doorway, watching as Jared murmured softly to the horse, running
the wide brush down the horse’s flanks. The horse breathed out a contented
sounding nicker as Jared brushed him down, the muscles shifting under his tee-
shirt, tanned arms moving with skill and confidence. Jensen smirked to himself,
thinking of ways that Jared could brush him down.
 
Jared chuckled. “Yeah, I know you like getting brushed down. I think the guys
spoil you.”
 
The horse squealed softly, bouncing his large head up and down in agreement.
Jared patted the horse firmly and moved around to face him. He ran his large
hand down the nose of the horse and then unhooked the ties on his bridle. The
horse nosed Jared’s hip twice and Jared laughed again, reaching into his pocket
to pull out the small apple.
 
“All right, all right, here you go,” Jared murmured, stroking the horse and
holding the apple out for him to take. “Come on, you can finish your treat in
your stall.”
 
Jensen watched as he led the horse into the wide stall, taking off the rest of
the harnesses, and closed the gate securely as he stepped out. He hung up the
leathers and turned, seeing Jensen.
 
“Hey,” Jared said, walking towards him. “Should you be out of bed?”
 
“I’m fine.” Jensen raised his eyebrow. “It’s been a week, Jay, I’m getting
bored being in bed alone.”
 
Jensen grabbed hold of Jared’s jeans by the belt loops and pulled him back into
the stables. He moved closer, kissing him firmly on the mouth, sighing as
Jared’s arms circled him.
 
“Jen,” Jared murmured, looking at him. “Are you sure? I don’t want to do
anything that’ll—“
 
“Get your ass over there,” Jensen said, giving Jared a firm slap on the ass and
herding him inside one of the empty stalls. He pressed Jared against the wall,
hands moving down Jared’s chest. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
 
“I’m all sweaty and stinky—“
 
“I like it,” Jensen said, licking up the bitter-earthy taste of his neck. He
efficiently unbuttoned Jared’s jeans, reaching in to pull out his hardening
cock and heavy balls, rolling them in his hand and grinning up at his husband.
Jared tried to undo Jensen’s jeans, but he pushed Jared’s hands away,
unbuttoning and unzipping his own jeans. He hadn’t bothered with boxers so he
was already hard and ready, pressing his cock against Jared’s.
 
Jared gasped into Jensen’s mouth, kissing frantically. They were still carrying
so much pent up emotion: nearly losing each other after everything that they
went through; secrets no longer creating a distance between them. Jensen loved
the feel of Jared against him, the firm press of strong thighs trembling
against his own. He inhaled the scent of Jared, hands reaching between them to
grab both of their cocks in his hand.
 
“Jensen—“
 
“Yeah,” Jensen husked, licking his mouth and squeezing his hand tightly around
their cocks. The pleasure drummed through him. He loved Jared, loved the way
that Jared gasped and groaned, loved the way that Jared moved against him, like
this was all new to him and every second of pleasure was a surprise that he
couldn’t get enough of. Jensen sometimes thought that maybe it was all new to
Jared; it was new to him. He had never wanted anyone like this before, with the
full force of love and possession and passion driving him. “Just wait, Jay,
until I’m back to full strength. I’m going to tie you to our bed and fuck you
for hours.” He swiveled his hips, feeling the drag of his balls against
Jared’s. “Lick you everywhere, suck your cock, make you beg to come—“
 
“I’m gonna come,” Jared whispered into his mouth. Jensen grinned as he kissed
him, moving his hand around them faster, feeling the friction of his dry hand
edging him on. Jensen hooked his arm around Jared’s neck, keeping him close,
sucking on his chin as Jared flung his head back, opened mouth gasping for air.
 
Jared groaned, shaking against him. Jensen felt the wetness of his come pooling
on his fingers and Jensen used it as lube, stroking them both, concentrating on
Jared’s pleasure and making it good for him. Better than good. Jensen let out a
throaty moan as he thrust his hips harder, his forehead against Jared’s neck as
he shuddered through his own pleasure, coming against Jared.
 
“God, I missed you,” he said and then nipped Jared’s neck. He inhaled deeply,
loving the smell of their come and sweat and horse mixed together. He knew that
whenever he walked through the stables again, he’d get hard, remembering this.
 
Jared’s hands held Jensen’s face as he pulled Jensen’s face up, kissing deeply.
Jensen loved the way that Jared’s tongue slipped into his mouth, knowing all
the places that Jensen liked to be licked. He closed his eyes and just enjoyed
the feel of Jared against him, both of them hot and damp. He opened his eyes to
see Jared smiling widely, dimples digging into his cheeks, hazel eyes bright
with life. He knew he wore the same goofy expression on his own face.
 
For the first time, Jensen realized that they were both happy.
 
***
 
Jensen walked out of the courtroom, holding Jared’s hand, surrounded by their
security. George had wanted a trial by jury and Jensen wasn’t going to just sit
by and do nothing. He took the stand and gave his statement, withstood the
cross-examination, and walked out of the courtroom knowing that George
Padalecki would not have a day of freedom after this day.
 
Jensen ignored the reporters yelling questions at him. Jared stayed close by as
they were taken to the limo waiting for them outside. Jensen would make a
public statement later, in a more controlled environment.
 
Jared didn’t want to reopen old wounds and asked Jensen to keep his secret
about Josh. They talked about it as a family, Jeffrey Dean and their family
lawyers protecting Jared legally if anyone ever thought to dredge up Jared’s
past. With George Padalecki in the headlines, there was a chance that Jared
would be thrown into the spotlight, too.
 
Jensen waited for Jared to get into the limo and Jensen followed, closing the
door behind them. They both let out a sigh and Jensen sank back in the leather
seat, pressing his hands over his eyes.
 
“I’m glad this is over,” Jensen muttered, turning to look at Jared. “Hey, you
okay? How are you holding up?”
 
Jared clenched his hands. “He’s my father…”
 
Jensen turned to him, putting his hand on Jared’s shoulder. “I know. I’m
sorry.”
 
“I don’t know what to feel,” he said, sighing. “I feel like I betrayed him.”
 
“No. He betrayed you and your family,” Jensen said, running his hand through
Jared’s thick hair. “He betrayed you, Jay, not the other way around. No father
should ever do what he did to you. I know he’s your father and that you love
your family, but none of this is your fault.”
 
Jared looked at him. “What am I going to do, Jen?”
 
“What are we going to do?” Jensen said and smiled. “You’re not alone anymore,
Jay. I’m here with you. We’ll figure it out together.”
 
Jared took his hand and they were quiet the rest of the ride to the penthouse.
 
For the past few weeks, Jensen was doing what he could to shield Jared from the
worst of the fall-out of the trial. They stayed at Ackles Manor, inviting Chad,
Sandy, and Sophia to spend time with them. Jared’s brother, James, and sister,
McKenna, came by often. Jared told them what happened to Josh and James nearly
had a breakdown, never knowing that their father had hurt Jared. Diana became a
second mother to Jared as Sheryl never came to the house, never spoke to Jared.
In the courtroom, she never looked at Jared.
 
Jensen felt better, his surgery scar healing nicely. He resumed his day to day
duties at Ackles Corp; Alona was a godsend and Christian kept him abreast of
everything that he missed. They discussed what to do with PDKI. Christian
wanted it absorbed completely into Ackles Corp, but Jensen wanted to offer the
CEO position to Jared.
 
“I never wanted the company, Jensen,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s not what
I want to do with my professional career.”
 
“Are you sure? It’s your family legacy.”
 
Jared smiled at him. “I’m sure I’ll be able to create a family legacy at Ackles
Corp.”
 
“I have no doubt of that, but—“
 
“Jen, I’m sure. I don’t want it. And I won’t regret not taking it,” he said,
moving over Jensen and pulling the bed sheets away. “But thank you for asking
me first.”
 
Jensen smiled to himself. Yes, the rest of that night was very interesting. He
rather enjoyed negotiating in bed with his husband. Jared was creative and
imaginative. Jensen wondered if he’d be able to keep up with him.
 
The limo pulled into the parking garage and Jensen took a deep breath, his
heart slamming in his chest. He knew that the parking garage had doubled its
security since the shooting, but he wasn’t sure if he would ever feel
comfortable walking from his car to the garage elevator again.
 
Jared opened the door and stepped out, then turned and looked at Jensen when he
didn’t move. “Hey, you okay?”
 
“Just give me a minute.” Jensen said, taking slow and deep breaths. He gave
Jared a sardonic grin. “I guess that I’m still a little freaked out being back
here.”
 
“Yeah, I know. I feel the same way whenever I walk through here,” Jared said
and then came back into the limo. “I, uh, I’ve got a suggestion?”
 
“Sure.”
 
“Why don’t we get a house together? You know, start fresh, something that would
be ours?”
 
Jensen grinned, raising his eyebrow. “A house? Yeah…yeah, that would be
perfect. I mean, I love the penthouse but a home…we could buy something that
would have a lot of land—“
 
“Stables,” Jared said, wiggling his eyebrows. “You serious? Because I’ve, uh,
well, Diana and I have been kind of house hunting.”
 
Jensen laughed, leaning his head back on the seat. “You’ve been house hunting
with my mother?”
 
“She’s a lot of fun,” Jared said, shrugging. “And she really likes me.”
 
“Don’t be silly, she loves you, Jay.” Jensen took a deep breath and nodded.
“Come on, I think we need to celebrate and you need to show me which properties
you’ve been looking at. Did you find any with a big heart-shaped bathtub by any
chance?”
 
***
 
Jensen pulled up the real time stock information for Ackles Corp on his laptop.
Ackles Corp had a normal trading volume of 5.5 million shares, but the price
per share went down a total of 19 points – and it was only half the day of
trade.
 
“Damn it.” Jensen frowned. At the rate that they were going, Ackles Corp would
be losing close to $12 million by the close of business.
 
“Jensen, Christian would like to speak to you,” Alona’s voice came through the
intercom.
 
Jensen sighed, reaching out to press the button. “Send him in, Al.”
 
He watched as Christian walked into the room, raising his eyebrow. “Hey, Chris.
What can I do for you?”
 
“Jen.” Christian sat down in one of the armchairs across from Jensen. “You
know, the senior VPs weren’t wrong to suggest that your marriage to Jared
Padalecki was turning out to be a detriment to the company’s welfare. You might
want to consider getting a quiet divorce – just until everything settles down.”
 
Jensen made a face, rolling his eyes in response to the morning’s meeting with
Jensen and his senior staff. “Give me a break, Chris. My marriage to Jared is
not up for discussion.”
 
“Publicly, I’d never say a word against you or Jared,” he said and then leaned
forward in his chair. “But when the company takes a $12 million hit because of
what’s going on in your personal life, then it is my job to say something about
it.”
 
“I’m still majority stockholder in Ackles Corp and I say that my marriage is
not up for discussion by the senior staff,” Jensen said, his tone cold and
warning. He knew Christian well enough to know that he was playing Devil’s
Advocate, but Jensen wasn’t in any kind of mood to play along.
 
“But I know you, Jen,” Christian said, unafraid. “I know you’ve thought it,
too. You know the margins; you know how this works out. If anyone understands
how leadership impacts business, it’s you. I’m not saying that you be a bastard
and leave Jared out in the cold alone; I’m saying that Ackles Corps can’t
handle anymore bad publicity like this. It shakes up the confidence of our
conservative stockholders – the majority of which living in Texas. They’ve
forgiven your dalliances in the past because you’ve always made Ackles Corp
your number one priority; but it’s different when you’re married, Jen. Your
number one priority isn’t the company; it’s your husband and family.”
 
Jensen tapped his fingers on his desk. “We’ll weather this through like
everything else, Chris. Don’t ask me to give up my husband or to choose between
Jared and my company.”
 
“I used to think that I knew what you’d choose, but I realized that I don’t
know which way you’ll jump now. You being unpredictable like that – it’s a
little unnerving for our investors.”
 
“Chris, I know you mean well and you’re looking out for the welfare of the
company; but this is my private life and there is no way that I’m going to
allow anyone to dictate how I run my private life. I’m not ever going to give
up on Jared – especially not now. If the senior staff and the stockholders
don’t have confidence in Ackles Corps, they can quit or sell their shares.
Ackles Corps has been around for over a century and it’ll still be around after
we’re all gone.”
 
Christian leaned his elbow on the arm of the chair and gazed at Jensen
steadily. He wore a small smile on his lips, blue eyes glittering. “Jay said
that you two are house hunting.”
 
Jensen rolled his eyes, grinning. “Can I tell you how much I hate house
hunting? This is why I hired a realtor to find the penthouse. But Jared loves
the idea of visiting every single property – and my mother is in cahoots with
him. They’re determined to make my evenings and weekends as crazy as possible,
visiting these properties.”
 
Christian laughed, quirking his eyebrow at Jensen. There was a knock at the
door and before Jensen could call for whoever to enter, Alona burst into the
office, walking towards the flat screen television.
 
“Al, what is it?” Jensen said, getting up from behind his desk and moving
towards her. Christian followed, looking quite concerned.
 
Alona turned on the television and pressed in the number of the channel. “One
of my friends told me that there was breaking news on Jared.”
 
Jensen stared at the screen: ATTEMPTED MURDER RUNS IN THE FAMILY.
 
“Oh my God,” Alona said, dropping the remote control on the sofa.
 
“…apparently, runs in the family. Over a decade ago, Jared Padalecki, son of
George Padalecki, was married to IT titan, Joshua Holloway. After a year of a
history of physical abuse, Jared pushed Josh down a set of stairs, killing his
husband. The then sixteen-year old claimed that it was self-defense and—“
 
Jensen turned off the television set. He was seething. He turned to Christian
and Alona. “I want to know who leaked this story. I want to know why. I want to
know how much fucking money exchanged hands to get this in the public. And I
want to know before the end of the day.”
 
Jensen watched as Alona hurried out of the office, closing the door quietly
behind her. He let out a deep breath, worried for Jared.
 
“You knew that it might come out,” Christian said, softly.
 
Jensen nodded. “I wanted to keep it buried for as long as I could. But I want
to know who sold the story. It wasn’t any of us and it wasn’t our friends; but
it was someone who knew about Jared’s past. That’s a very small circle of
people, Chris.”
 
Christian patted Jensen on the shoulder. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
 
The door to the office swung open and Jared rushed in, looking around the room.
He turned to see Jensen and gave a scared and tentative smile. He looked calm,
but Jensen knew that Jared was about to break down and fall over.
 
“Jay?” Jensen said, walking towards his husband. “You all right?”
 
Jared looked at Christian, who gave him a smile and a reassuring pat on the
back.
 
“I was just headed back to my office,” Christian said, nodding to them. “Call
me if you need anything.”
 
“I will,” Jensen said, waiting as Christian left, closing the door behind him.
He turned to look at Jared, putting his hands on Jared’s neck. “Hey. Come on,
tell me what’s going through your head.”
 
Jared was nearly hyperventilating. “Chad said that someone accessed my juvenile
records. He said that the seal was broken and someone put another seal over
it.” Jensen pulled him towards the sofa, making Jared sit down. “Damn it, Jen,
someone’s got my full file – they got everything.”
 
TBC…
 
*****
***** Chapter 22 *****
Jensen’s penthouse complex was completely surrounded by the media. He stood
outside on his balcony, looking down to the street below and what looked like
over a hundred people and several dozen news vans parked along the street.
Several police vehicles with flashing lights were parked on the sidewalk,
police officers trying to cordon off the street so that cars could get through
the traffic jam. He wouldn’t be surprised if they had to finally block off the
entire street and only allow residents or business owners pass through.
Luckily, there weren’t any high rise buildings facing Jensen’s side of the
penthouse so at least they had a little privacy from paparazzi with telephoto
lenses.
 
“I think it was Chace Crawford,” Sophia said, crossly. “He’s always had it in
for Jared.”
 
“No, he’s not stupid to go up against Jensen,” Jared said, taking a deep
breath.
 
Steve ended his call and looked at Jensen. “Tommy and Mike are at the airport
in Honolulu and they’ll be here by morning.”
 
“Thanks, Steve.”
 
“Mike said to let you know that he’d be more than happy to, I quote, ‘kick
someone’s ass’, unquote.”
 
Jensen couldn’t help the smile.
 
Chad shook his head. “I’m sorry, man, I thought I could keep your records
protected.”
 
“If you hadn’t flagged it, we never would’ve known that it was unsealed,” Jared
told him. “You know I don’t blame you, Chad.”
 
“Did someone bribe the Juvenile Courts to get his records?” Sophia asked Chad.
 
Chad shook his head. “No. I checked. And Samantha ran a financial background
check on all of the employees who had access to Jared’s records and none of
them have received any suspicious money. I don’t know how the leak happened. I
wasn’t able to determine how they were unsealed.”
 
“Who would do this?” Sandy said, looking at Jared. “Who could possibly want to
hurt you like this?”
 
“You mean besides the obvious?” Jared said, shaking his head.
 
“Your father?” Sophia murmured, softly. “He’s already lost everything.”
 
“That’s when people are at their most dangerous – he doesn’t have anything more
to lose,” Jeffrey Dean said, keeping his hand on Jared’s shoulder.
 
“I have to keep some semblance of faith that no matter what happens, my father
wouldn’t…” Jared stopped, biting his bottom lip. “I have to believe that he
wouldn’t go this far.”
 
“My God, Jay, it’s not like he had any honor left after what he did to you and
to Josh and to Jensen,” McKenna said, her voice shaking. “He’s nearly ruined
our family.”
 
Jensen walked into the living room to look at the people sitting down next to
Jared or pacing the room, cell phones glued against their ears. Christian was
shouting into his cell phone, his fist hitting the top of the marble counter.
 
“…run that story and we will sue you for defamation; believe me when I say that
my clients have the financial resources to bankrupt you within a day and keep
your entire organization in litigation for years! Jared Padalecki’s juvenile
records were sealed; if you release the information that you received, legal
proceedings will begin immediately from our office. That information is
sensitive and protected by the Texas Juvenile Court System.” Christian said,
his voice tense and low. “I expect you to retract your story tonight.” He
paused, his face heating up. “I said tonight! No exceptions!”
 
Christian was corporate law now, but he started as an Assistant District
Attorney right out of law school, a rising star prosecutor before Jensen
recruited him into contracts. He was fearless in the courtroom and fearless in
the board room.
 
Jensen watched as Jared turned to look at him, his face still pale and drawn.
 
The doorbell chimed and Jeffrey Dean walked to the security screen. He turned
to Jensen, opening the door. “It’s Sam.”
 
Samantha Ferris walked into the penthouse, nodding at everyone. Jensen waved
her into the room. She reached into her briefcase and pulled out a file,
handing it to him.
 
“The police are monitoring access into and out of this building complex and
I’ve already called our private security to be on the premises,” she said,
shrugging out of her trench coat.
 
“Were you able to find anything?” Jensen said, opening the folder in his hands.
He was too frazzled to make heads or tails out of the documents in it.
 
“Yes. I found the person who leaked the information to the press,” she said,
turning to look at Jared. “It was your mother.”
 
“What!” McKenna said, taking Jared’s hand. “She wouldn’t! She couldn’t do such
a thing—“
 
“Damn it,” James shouted, pulling out his cell phone. Jensen watched as Jared’s
brother quickly punched in a series of numbers, pulling down his necktie as his
face became red and tense. “I’m getting her voicemail.” He muttered and then
took a deep breath. “Mother, you have to return my call immediately. This
concerns Jared.”
 
“She submitted a falsified request to have your records copied,” Samantha said
to Jared and then looked at Jensen. “She forged his signature; that’s why no
one was able to catch it. No one would think twice about turning over records
to the record owner.”
 
Jensen looked at Samantha’s precise handwriting, detailing her investigation.
There was a copy of a cancelled bank check in the amount of $500,000. He looked
up at Jared and silently passed the folder to him.
 
“My God,” Jared whispered, shaking his head. “I can’t believe that she’d do
this.”
 
McKenna and James took the folder and flipped through the papers. His sister
shook her head, looking at the copy of the check. “Jay…she cashed it today.”
 
Jared pressed his hands against his eyes and ran his hands through his hair,
breathing quickly – too quickly. “Jesus…I can’t take this…I can’t take…”
 
“Jared!” Jensen shouted, rushing to catch Jared as he began to fall off the
couch. “Jay!”
 
“Call for an ambulance!”
 
“No,” Jared husked, trembling against Jensen. “Please, don’t…don’t call—“
 
“What is it?” Jensen said, brushing his hair off his forehead. “Are you in any
pain?”
 
“I just can’t…seem to catch my breath,” Jared murmured, panting loudly. Jensen
helped Jared sit upright, undoing his necktie and pulling it off. He unbuttoned
the top three buttons of Jared’s dress shirt.
 
“Can someone bring him some water, please?” Jensen called out.
 
“Here,” Alona said, handing him a chilled bottle. Jensen nodded his thanks to
her as she patted Jared’s shoulder. Jensen took off the top and handed it to
Jared, watching him take a long drink. He took the bottle from him and set it
on the table. “You okay?”
 
Jared gave him a pleading look and shook his head.
 
“I’m going to call Dr Kripke,” Jeffrey Dean said, flipping open his cell phone.
Jensen looked at Jared, who nodded.
 
“Hey, look at me,” Jensen said, soothingly, waiting for Jared to meet his eyes.
“It’s going to be all right. Come on, stretch out.” McKenna and Sophia moved
off as he helped Jared turn on the couch so that he was lying on his back.
Jensen tucked a cushion under his head. “I think you’re having a panic attack.
Just try to breathe deeply.”
 
Jared nodded, closing his eyes. “I feel so stupid.”
 
“Why?”
 
Jared opened his eyes and looked at him. They were red and wet. “I don’t know
why they would want to hurt me.” He turned his head and stared at the ceiling.
“She sold me out for half a million dollars. I would’ve given her anything if
she needed money that desperately. I wouldn’t have let her starve or anything
like that. She’s my mom.”
 
“We’ll take care of it,” Jensen told him. “I want you to just breathe slowly.”
 
“Jensen,” Jeffrey Dean called him. Jensen looked up at the older man, seeing
that he was drawn and tense around the eyes as well. “Samantha and I will go
and get Dr Kripke. The whole city block is closed down and he might not be able
to get through the secured areas.”
 
“Thank you, JD.” Jensen nodded. He sat on the edge of the couch, feeling
Jared’s hand clammy and cold in his.
 
“Jen,” Christian said, walking towards them. “I got all the major news stations
to pull the story; but the tabloids have already started running them. I’ve got
Legal working overtime at the office, waking up Judges, and sending out
defamation suits.”
 
“Thanks, Chris,” Jensen said, smiling at his best friend. “You look exhausted.
Why don’t you and Steve head on home? In fact, everyone can start heading on
home. Thank you for being here for us but—“
 
“If it’s all the same, Jen, I’d like to stay.” Christian said, softly. He
looked across the room at Steve who nodded. “In fact, I don’t think anyone is
going to leave you two alone tonight.”
 
Jensen looked at Jared who had his eyes closed and was breathing quietly. He
cracked a smile, looking around at their friends – his family. “All right.
Thank you.”
 
“God, this has to end,” Jared murmured, reaching out to touch Jensen’s face.
 
“We’ll put a media blackout on—“
 
“I don’t want to hide anymore,” Jared said, softly. “I’ve been hiding for ten
years and I don’t want it to follow me. I have a clean slate with you. You
don’t need this either. I know it’s going to hurt your business—“
 
“That doesn’t mean anything to me, Jay. It’s just business, this is…this is
about us,” Jensen told him.
 
“I’ll never be free of my past…or my parents…if I don’t come forward and just
tell them what really happened,” Jared said, taking a deep breath. “This
impacts McKenna and James, too. They have to go out there as a Padalecki and
have this thrown in their faces.”
 
“Don’t worry about us, buddy,” James said, reaching over to pat Jared on the
leg. “You’re our little brother—McKenna and I can take whatever the public
throws at us. We stand by you, Jay.”
 
Jared sat up slowly and smiled at them. “Thanks. That means a lot to me;
knowing that you’re here with us. I wish I had told you what was going on…I was
afraid that if you knew…”
 
“Don’t,” McKenna said, nearly in tears. “James and I talked about it – we
didn’t know; we didn’t see it. Maybe we didn’t want to see it. I’m so sorry,
Jay—“
 
Jared hugged her and kissed the top of her head. “It’s all right. I know. I
don’t blame anyone except them.”
 
McKenna kissed his cheek and gave him another long hug before sitting up. “But
you’re right, Jay, you should have control over what you want to say. We’ll
support what you decide to do.”
 
“I agree,” Jensen said, smiling at him. “If you want to do this, then we’ll
have a controlled press conference. All of us will be there with you; a show of
unity by our family and friends.”
 
He looked up at Christian who merely nodded and started texting on his
Blackberry.
 
“I can set up a press conference for the morning,” Christian said, standing up
and pacing again. “We can get our PR folks to host it; maybe get a ballroom at
the Regency downtown.”
 
“The Ackles Corp lobby,” Jensen said, looking at Jared, who nodded his
agreement. “It’s our home turf; we have control over the area.”
 
“Got it,” Christian said, walking into the kitchen.
 
“Alona can help you with the press release,” Jensen said to Jared.
 
Jared sighed and nodded. “I feel like I’m underwater, Jen; but I know this is
the right thing to do.”
 
Jared’s cell phone started to vibrate and Jensen picked it up. He frowned,
seeing David Boreanaz’s name on the screen. “Hello.”
 
“Jared?”
 
“This is Jensen. What do you want, David.”
 
There was a short pause. “Jensen, how is he doing? I’ve been hearing what the
media is airing and I just wanted to offer—“
 
“David, what do you want?”
 
“I’m his friend, damn it!” David shouted. Jensen was sure that everyone in the
room could hear him.
 
Jared looked at Jensen. “He is my friend, Jen. Cut him a break.”
 
Jensen didn’t want to; he still believed that David was after Jared for
something. He just couldn’t figure out the angle. He pressed the phone against
his ear. “Jared is fine. We appreciate your concern.”
 
“Jensen, damn it, let it go. I’m just concerned about Jared and I wanted to
know if there was something – anything – that I could do,” David said, his
voice sincere and soft. “I’m downstairs, but they’re not going to let me come
up.”
 
Jensen closed his eyes, wanting to believe him. “All right. I’ll let security
know that they can let you come up.”
 
“Thank you, Jensen.”
 
Jensen ended the call and then took a moment for himself. He glanced up at
Jared to see him watching Jensen.
 
“Jen…”
 
He nodded and dialed the number to the security director in the lobby. “It’s
Jensen Ackles. You can allow David Boreanaz to come up to the penthouse. Thank
you.”
 
“Thank you, Jen,” Jared said, giving him a small smile.
 
“If he ever betrays you, I’m allowed to kill him.”
 
Jared gave him a lopsided grin and raised his eyebrow.
 
“Well…just bankrupt him and ruin his advertising agency then.” Jensen said,
standing up. “I’m going to order some food. Al, grab all the delivery menus.”
 
Alona rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Like they’re going to be able to get
the food here while it’s still hot.”
 
“Make it happen, Al.”
 
“Call me Al again and I’ll make sure your order gets lost,” she said, walking
to the kitchen.
 
“I’ll help,” Sophia said, following her.
 
Chad followed her. “Wait, me, too.”
 
Jared reached out and took Jensen’s hand. “I know you and David have a history,
but he’s really not the jerk you think he is. He’s a good guy, Jen. There was a
time when you liked his company.” He whispered into Jensen’s ear. “You don’t
have to be jealous; he’s not even close to being as awesome as you.”
 
Jensen couldn’t hide his smirk and when the doorbell chimed, he walked to the
door and opened it. “David.”
 
“Jensen,” David said, standing in the hallway.
 
“Come on in, Davy.”
 
David gave him a small grin. “Thanks, man.” Jensen waved David into the room
and closed the door. He followed David into the living room. “Hey, Jared, I’m
so sorry for everything that’s going on.”
 
“Thanks, I’m glad you’re here,” Jared said, shaking his hand and waving him
towards one of the unoccupied arm chairs. “Jesus…what’s it like out there? I
won’t let them turn on the television and we disconnected the house phone.”
 
David took off his jacket and began rolling up his sleeves. “It’s kind of
crazy. The media – they’re saying a lot of…unbelievable things about you. I had
to, uh, fake my way in and say that I was there on business.”
 
Jensen snorted, shaking his head. “I’m going to need better security in the
future.” He held up his hand, grinning. “I’m just kidding. It’s good. Thank you
for coming.”
 
“I don’t know what I can do, but I’m here if you need anything,” David said,
looking at them.
 
“I want to give a press conference in the morning. Christian’s setting it up in
the lobby of Ackles Corp,” Jared told him.
 
David nodded. “That’s smart. Controlled environment. And it’ll show that Jensen
and the family are behind you.”
 
Jensen sighed and leaned back on the couch. “Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.”
He gave David a long look, wondering if Jared was right, that he was there
because he was a friend. “Listen, if you have any ideas, Christian’s going to
meet with the PR guys later and Alona’s going to help Jared write it up. I’d
like for you to be a part of that; I know you’ll have Jared’s interests at
heart.”
 
“Thanks. I can work with your team,” David said, nodding.
 
“Good,” Jensen said, feeling just a little better. The doorbell chimed again
and Jensen groaned. “It really is Grand Central here tonight. That better be my
food, Al!”
 
“We’re just getting the order together!” Alona shouted from the kitchen.
 
Steve walked to the door and opened it. Jeffrey Dean and Samantha walked in
with the doctor.
 
Jensen stood up, shaking Kripke’s hand. “Hey, Eric, thank you for coming.”
 
“Of course, Jensen,” he said and then walked to Jared. “I’m Eric Kripke.”
 
“Jared,” Jared said, shaking his hand.
 
“How are you feeling?” Eric said, putting his fingers against Jared’s wrist,
concentrating on his pulse.
 
“I had shortness of breath and my chest was tight,” Jared told him.
 
Eric nodded. “Is there somewhere we can go?”
 
“Bedroom,” Jensen said, taking Jared’s hand and leading them to the bedroom.
 
He closed the door as Jared sat on the edge of the bed and Eric pulled out his
stethoscope from his briefcase. Jensen sat down on the armchair, watching
intently as Eric checked over Jared. They spoke softly and Jared answered his
questions.
 
“I’ll administer a mild sedative so that you can get some rest,” Eric said,
pulling on his disposable latex gloves. Jensen watched as Jared pulled up his
shirt sleeve and as Eric swabbed the area clean and then pulled out a small
syringe and a bottle of clear fluid. “It won’t make you sleepy, but it’ll just
give you a sense of calmness for a couple of hours. I recommend that you stay
here, where it’s quiet, in case you have another panic attack.”
 
Jared nodded, breathing deeply as Eric administered the shot. He wiped the area
clean and Jared rolled down his sleeve.
 
“Thank you, Eric, for coming out this way,” Jensen said as Eric pulled off his
gloves, putting everything back into his briefcase.
 
Eric smiled at him. “Of course, Jensen. I realize that this is a very difficult
time for your husband. You should get some rest with him, too – doctor’s
orders.”
 
“I’ll take you up on that,” Jensen said and then looked at Jared. “I’ll be
right back.”
 
“All right,” Jared said, kicking off his shoes and getting on the bed.
 
Jensen showed Eric back to the living room and Jeffrey Dean looked at him,
raising his eyebrows. “Jared’s just going to rest for a few hours. Let’s not
try to disturb him.”
 
“Samantha had to leave to check on her daughter. I’ll drive the good doctor
back,” Jeffrey Dean said, patting Eric on the back.
 
“Thanks, JD.”
 
“You go be with your husband,” Jeffrey Dean said, pointing to the bedroom door.
 
“I plan to,” Jensen said, walking them out of the penthouse. He closed the door
and took a deep breath. He felt like maybe he could’ve done with a shot of the
sedative as well, but he wanted to be alert for Jared. He rubbed his forehead
as he walked back into the living room. “You guys feel free to stay for as long
as you want; I’m going to be with Jay for a little while.”
 
“Good idea,” Steve said, rubbing his hand on Jensen’s back. “We’ll bring you
food when it gets here.”
 
“Thanks, Steve,” Jensen told him.
 
Jensen walked into the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him. He kicked
off his shoes and pulled out his shirt tails and walked to the bed. Jared was
stretched out and snuggled on his side, face against the pillow. He wasn’t
asleep, but just quiet and still.
 
“Hey,” Jensen said, getting on the bed, facing him. “You really doing okay?”
 
“No.” Jared gave him a sleepy grin. “I think so.” When Jensen wrapped his arm
around Jared’s waist, Jared gave a sigh, moving closer towards Jensen and
snuggling close. “I’m so glad you’re here. I wouldn’t be able to do this by
myself.”
 
“I’m not going anywhere,” Jensen whispered, kissing Jared’s lips. “Where else
would I be but here with you?”
 
“I know I should’ve talked to you first about the press conference thing—“
 
“Shhh…I totally support you and agree with you. I think it’s the right thing to
do, too.”
 
Jared gazed at him. “Yeah?”
 
“Yeah,” Jensen said, stroking Jared’s hair. “You know I love you.”
 
“I love you, too.” Jared said and then smiled. “Thank you, Jensen.”
 
Jensen made a funny face and snorted. “For what?”
 
Jared kissed him, moving closer so that Jensen rolled on his back. Jared
slipped his tongue into his mouth, caressing his tongue. Jensen let out a soft
moan, pulling Jared closer, tangling their legs together. He broke the kiss and
grinned down at Jensen, his hand stroking Jensen’s chest.
 
“For everything.”
 
***
 
It was nearly three in the morning when everyone left Jensen’s penthouse.
Jensen was pleased and grateful to see that they had cleaned up all of the
delivery food containers, that everything was organized. Jensen locked up the
door, connected his Blackberry and Jared’s cell phone to the recharger, and
started turning off the lights.
 
He walked into the bedroom to find that Jared had taken off his clothes, the
sheets pushed to the bottom of the bed, and he was sprawled naked on his
stomach, leg bent against the sheets. He grinned at Jensen over his shoulder,
sleepy-eyed and seductive at the same time.
 
Damn, Jensen thought, closing the bedroom door.
 
He undressed slowly, walking towards the bed, dropping clothes on the floor. He
tugged off his socks. He walked to the dresser and unlatched his watch, putting
it on its valet tray. He was already hard; Jared turned his head, his eyes
tracking Jensen’s every move, his plump ass shifting as he rocked his hips into
the mattress.
 
Jensen moved to the bottom of the bed and crawled up the length of Jared’s
body, dropping butterfly kisses on the back of his calves, licking the bend of
his knee and making Jared chuckle softly. He pressed his hands against the back
of Jared’s thighs, feeling the firm muscles against his hands. Jensen inhaled
deeply, banking his deep lust so that he could focus on his husband’s pleasure.
He licked a stripe right under the meaty part of Jared’s ass and gave it a soft
bite.
 
“Like a fucking peach,” Jensen murmured, both of them chuckling as Jensen
dropped kisses up his spine, hands caressing all of that wonderful skin.
“You’re so gorgeous, Jay.”
 
“Hmmm…”
 
“I’m going to fuck you slow and deep tonight,” Jensen said, his voice deep and
husky.
 
“Yeah.” Jared said, reaching under the pillow and handing Jensen three packets
of small lube.
 
Jensen grinned. “Bareback…”
 
“I want to feel you.”
 
“You won’t even have to beg for it,” Jensen told him. He flicked his eyes up
Jared’s back, meeting his eyes, both of them smiling widely. “Not tonight.”
 
“Ohhhhhh,” Jared teased, snickering.
 
Jensen covered him, pinning him to the bed. He kissed Jared’s neck, nipping
slightly, and then attacked Jared’s earlobe with licks and nibbles. He sucked
on the lobe, feeling Jared shiver under him.
 
“Come on, Jen,” Jared whispered, turning his head so that they could kiss. It
was an awkward position so the kiss was just all lips and tongue and sensation.
 
Jensen tucked his knees between Jared’s thighs and slid his knees open against
the mattress, moving Jared’s legs apart. He kissed Jared’s shoulder and then
sat back, picking up one of the lube packets. He snapped the tip and squirted
it on Jared’s lower back, laughing gently as Jared hissed at the coldness of
the gel. He flashed Jensen a mock-angry look, cat eyes narrowing at him.
 
“I’ll get you back for that,” Jared said, smirking.
 
“God, I hope so,” Jensen said, dipping his fingers into the gel, swirling it
around. He pressed Jared open, slipping both fingers into him gently, both of
them sighing at the feel. Jared was tight, the muscles fluttering around his
fingers, and Jensen pushed deeper, making Jared gasp. He avoided the prostate,
wanting Jared to be primed, wanting to give him pleasure only with his cock.
 
Jared swiveled his hips, arching his back and moving his legs even further
apart. He scooted down the bed a little so that his hips were raised and Jensen
gave him a harder thrust with his fingers, biting his bottom lip as he watched
Jared take it, hips moving back against his hand, hissing out the sound of his
pleasure.
 
“Come on,” Jared said, groaning softly. “I’m ready. Jesus, just fuck me,
Jensen, please.”
 
“Fuck,” Jensen said, clenching his jaw. He shuddered from the way that the
pleasure just shot through his cock and into his brain. At this rate, he wasn’t
going to make it inside of Jared without coming.
 
He slipped his fingers gently out of Jared and picked up another packet of
lube, biting off the tip and squirting it directly onto his cock. He threw back
his head at the coolness of the gel and bit his lip as he stroked the lube on
his cock.
 
Slowly, he leaned over Jared and pressed the head of his cock against Jared and
pushed inside gently, taking his time. He closed his eyes and groaned, feeling
Jared hot and tight around him. He nearly came when Jared’s muscles clenched
around the head of his cock. He grabbed for Jared’s hips, holding him still,
head flung back.
 
“Fuck, Jay, don’t…just let me in,” Jensen muttered, letting out a soft grunt.
 
Jared chuckled and Jensen moaned again at the feel of the vibrations. The
muscles loosened and Jensen slipped all the way inside. He dropped his hands on
the bed and just held himself still, eyes closed as he enjoyed the feeling of
being inside of Jared. This was what he wanted. He felt Jared raise and adjust
his hips and Jensen gave a shallow thrust. Jared groaned, head buried against
the pillow.
 
“Jen, ohhhhh God, yeah, right there,” Jared said, groaning deeply.
 
“Slow and deep,” Jensen said, pulling out and pushing inside of Jared, letting
Jared feel him.
 
Jared tossed his hips back, urging Jensen, wanting more. Jensen panted through
the pleasure and then grabbed Jared’s hips, pushing him flat against the bed.
They both groaned loudly at the feel of Jared clenching and spasming around his
cock.
 
“Jen, please…”
 
“Slow and deep, Jay.”
 
Jared gave some sort of whimpered protest against the pillow and Jensen smiled,
looking down at Jared. His hands were gripping the pillow, body trembling as he
tried to keep still. Jensen slipped his legs on the outer side of Jared’s
thighs and pushed Jared’s legs together slightly.
 
“Oh fuck!”
 
Jensen pulled out slowly and then slid into Jared again, keeping it at the
slowest pace that he could manage, when all he wanted to do was pull out, flip
Jared on his back, and fuck him hard and fast, watch Jared spurt and come on
just his cock alone. But no, that would be later, but for now, they both needed
the slow and steady pace that Jensen was setting for them. He wanted to feel
close to Jared; he wanted to just revel in the feel of being inside of his
husband.
 
“Jen…I need more…”
 
“Shhhh…just wait,” Jensen said, moving gently in and out of Jared.
 
“Please…”
 
“I love you.”
 
“Yesssssssss,” Jared said, sighing deeply. “Love you…”
 
“You belong to me.”
 
In and out, so slowly, so gently. It wasn’t like they were fucking at all now.
 
“Yeah…”
 
“So gorgeous like this.” Jensen arched his neck, trying to keep in control. He
was going to lose it.
 
Jared let out a soft moan, his hips jerking. “Jen…”
 
“I’ve never loved anyone like this before.” Jensen closed his eyes, trying to
hold back for just another stroke.
 
“Please…Jensen…”
 
“Oh Jesus…” Jensen moaned, cracking. He slipped his knees back between Jared’s
thighs and pushed his legs apart, grabbing Jared’s hips and pulling him back
and up as he moved to his knees.
 
“Yes! Jensen!” Jared shouted, pushing his hips back against Jensen, moving
roughly, demanding more.
 
Jensen wrapped both of his arms around Jared’s waist, his hand wrapping around
Jared’s wet and hard cock, engorged in his hand, and he started to thrust, his
hips like a piston, part of him wondering if he was hurting Jared, but so out
of control now that he couldn’t stop. Jared was moving against him, thrusting
into Jensen’s hand, and thrusting back on Jensen’s cock. Jensen grunted,
pressing his forehead against Jared’s sweaty back, feeling like a dog, pumping
his hips, his cock sliding and sliding inside of Jared’s heat.
 
He let out a sound that was part-scream and part-grunt, animalistic, hitting
his peak of pleasure so fast and hard, his entire body shuddered against Jared.
His hand tightened around Jared’s cock, feeling him come undone against him,
spurting against his fingers, and Jensen fucked him through it, forcing the
sound of Jared’s own animalistic part-scream and part-grunt out of him. He felt
wrecked as the pleasure screamed through his nerves, he could feel Jared’s
crazy heartbeat against his cock, and he let out a long whimper, collapsing
against Jared and holding him tight.
 
Jensen gasped, trying to catch his breath and trying to hold up Jared, who was
nearly dead weight in his arms. They both fell against the bed, incoherent,
their bodies reverberating from the feeling of shared ecstasy. His last thought
was how much he loved Jared; that he’d kill anyone who hurt him.
 
***
 
The Ackles Corp lobby was closed to the public; reporters and paparazzi alike
elbowing each other as they jockeyed for space. Jensen watched as Alona took
the podium, giving such a look that even the seasoned reporter quieted down
until it was silent in the lobby. He smirked to himself, thinking that he ought
to promote her and give her a small division to run to see how she’d do –
probably make it one of the most profitable in the whole company.
 
He stroked his hand down Jared’s tense back, offering him support and love.
Jared turned his head and grinned at Jensen, his face flushed with nervousness.
He watched as Jared looked around, seeing the faces of his brother and sister
standing next to him; Jensen’s mother and his kid sister, Margaret, stood
nearby; all of Ackles Corp senior staff lined the wall, a united front behind
Jensen and Jared; and all of their closest friends – Jeffrey Dean, Christian,
Steve, Sophia, Sandy, Chad, Mike, Tommy, and David – stood quietly in
attendance. These people were here for Jared, to show their love for him;
respect and dignity etched on their faces. Jensen was proud to see them; proud
of his company and the people that made up his family. They would be Jared’s
family now.
 
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us this morning. Jared Padalecki
will make a statement; he will not take questions at this time,” Alona said to
them, raising her eyebrow. “We’ve provided informational packets to every
member of the press today. Please remember to refrain from interrupting Mr
Padalecki during his statement. Thank you.”
 
Alona stepped away from the podium and stood next to Jensen. He turned to look
at Jared, giving him a smile as he took the podium. Television cameras and what
felt like a thousand flashbulbs whirred to life as Jared took a moment, looking
at his notes. He took a deep breath and looked out at the sea of reporters.
 
“Thank you for coming,” Jared began and then took a deep breath. “Recently, my
family has been in the news due to the conviction of my father, George
Padalecki, for shooting my husband, Jensen Ackles. Yesterday, several media
outlets released very sensitive information taken from my sealed juvenile
records. I wanted to be the one to tell you the truth of the events from ten
years ago and put the rumors to rest.
 
“I was married to Joshua Holloway. I was sixteen and in love. My father made
the decision to use my marriage to Josh to further his business investments
with Holloway Technology. My father was…he was abusive to me for a number of
years; and he threatened me in order to keep me in line. He told me that if I
didn’t help him with his business dealings with Josh, he would kill Josh. I
lived in fear for both of our lives and I never thought anyone would believe me
if I told the truth.
 
“Yesterday, it was revealed that I was tried for manslaughter when I was a
juvenile; that I had reported to the police that I killed my husband in self-
defense; but this was a lie that my father forced me to tell…and living in
fear, I’ve told it for ten years.
 
There were gasps throughout the lobby. Jensen kept a careful eye on Jared,
seeing his hands shake on the podium.
 
“The truth is I came home to find my father and Josh arguing. Josh knew that my
father was abusing me and he told him that he would go to the police and report
him. I watched my father push Josh down the stairs. He died instantly.
 
Jared cleared his throat and swallowed. “For ten years, I kept this secret
because I was afraid of my father. Almost a year ago, he forced me into another
contract marriage, this time with Jensen Ackles. He threatened me again that if
I didn’t go along with his business dealings with Ackles Corp, that he would
kill Jensen. And he tried to kill Jensen; and he tried to make me lie to cover
it up.
 
“Many of you have speculated about and reported on my marriage to Jensen; I’m
here to tell you that I love my husband and that our marriage is real and
stronger than ever, despite how it started.
 
He turned to look at Jensen and Jensen gave him a small smile, nodding to him.
 
“I just…I just want to ask for a little privacy, for the sake of my marriage
and our families and friends. We want to be able to live our lives in relative
quiet. My husband and I agreed to hold this press conference today to tell the
truth about what happened in the past – but it is something that happened in
the past and we want to move forward with our lives.
 
“This is a difficult time for our family so all we ask for is a little
decency…and respect for our privacy. Thank you.”
 
As soon as Jared stepped away from the podium, the silence became a cacophony
of shouts as reporters screamed questions to him. Jensen took his hand and the
line of security guards kept the reporters at bay as they hurried to the
private elevator. Jared stared at the floor as the elevator doors closed. He
was trembling and Jensen hugged him, keeping him close.
 
“I know that was hard, but you did great,” Jensen whispered to him, pressing
kisses against Jared’s cheek and neck.
 
“I just hope that it’s over now.”
 
For the first time in a long time, Jensen prayed.
 
***
 
It was late – near dusk. Tommy and Mike had collected Jared and took him back
to the penthouse. Jared had reported earlier that Mike was burning down their
kitchen and that Tommy would order them food and Jared wanted to know what to
get for Jensen.
 
He stood in front of his windows, looking out at the city spread out below him.
The last rays of the sun bent at the will of the glass buildings, spreading out
a deep orange glow over the other buildings, like a phoenix getting ready to
rise, whole and new again. Like Jared.
 
There was one last piece of business that Jensen had to take care of before he
could go home to his husband.
 
The soft knock at the door pulled him out of his thoughts and Jensen turned,
watching as Samantha stepped into the room. Behind her, Sheryl Padalecki
strolled in, looking slightly annoyed and a little afraid.
 
“Thank you for coming, Mrs Padalecki.” Jensen said, keeping his voice
impersonal and polite.
 
“Well, it wasn’t as if I had much of a choice,” she said, throwing Samantha a
dirty look. “It’s not very polite to drag a person out of her home in the
middle of the night.”
 
“I’m afraid that was my fault,” Jensen said, casually. “I was merely trying to
protect your privacy. After all, we do have business.”
 
Sheryl took a seat in the armchair, crossing her legs daintily as she looked up
at him. “Business? What kind of business?”
 
“I know you’re broke; George left you with nothing when he was trying to rescue
his company,” Jensen said, sitting on the edge of his desk and looking at her.
“In fact, you’re more than just broke, your creditors are lining up with their
hands out and you don’t have anything left to pay your debts.”
 
“This is very unbecoming—“
 
“I’m offering you a chance to live in the lifestyle that you are accustomed to,
Mrs Padalecki,” Jensen said, softly. “In fact, I’m offering you a lifestyle
that will keep you quite occupied for the rest of your life.”
 
He slid the piece of paper towards her. He pulled out his pen and placed it
beside the paper.
 
“This is a contract, just between you and me. I’m offering you $50 million to
leave quietly. You will never contact Jared again; you will never ask for a
cent from either of us again. And you will never talk about Jared’s past.” He
leaned towards her, letting her see his cold anger. “I know you sold Jared to
the tabloids. I know that you used him for a mere $500,000 – cheaper than what
George normally sells him for.”
 
Sheryl glared at him. “You impudent—“
 
“No need for name calling, ma’am, not when I’m about to make you a very wealthy
woman. All you have to do is just leave Jared alone for the rest of your life.”
 
Jensen sat back and stared down at her.
 
He watched as Sheryl gingerly pulled the sheet of paper towards her, her eyes
skimming over the short paragraphs, lingering at the amount that he would give
her. He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.
 
“This is a bank check in your name, cashable anywhere in the world – if you
sign the contract and keep to the terms.”
 
Sheryl raised her eyebrow, looking up at Jensen. She picked up the pen and
twisted it open. “And what if I decide that I want to see my son?”
 
“Don’t.”
 
He watched as she signed her name and Jensen smirked, handing her the envelope.
He watched as she opened it, pulling the check out to read it carefully.
 
“I think our business is finished,” Jensen said, standing up. He tucked his
hands behind his back and nodded to Samantha. “Ms Ferris will take you to the
airport. My private jet is fueled and ready to take you anywhere in the world.”
 
“I cannot possibly leave now—“
 
“You will. Tonight. What do you need that you can’t afford to buy?”
 
Sheryl stood, tucking the envelope into her purse. “Well, Jensen, I hope you’re
happy with what you’ve done to our family.”
 
Jensen bit back the urge to tell her exactly how he felt, but his momma did
raise him better than that. “Good bye, Mrs Padalecki.”
 
She arched her eyebrow as she smiled at him.
 
***
 
Jensen laughed as Mike finished his ribald story of his latest adventure with
Tom in Hawaii. He looked across the table at Jared, seeing his face turn red
from snorting his beer up his nose, laughing loudly and coughing at the same
time, Tom thumping him on his back. Jensen smiled, taking a sip of his beer,
happy to see Jared so carefree and loose. It was a good look for him, those
tempting dimples teasing him with each flash of his smile.
 
“I swear, you have to come with us the next time we go to Hawaii,” Mike said,
giggling. “Tommy, you’re a beautiful man, but you’re a gorilla on the
surfboard. Funniest damn thing I’ve ever seen.”
 
“Shut up!” Tom said, putting Mike into a headlock. “No more sex for you!”
 
“Oh God! Jenny! Help me!”
 
“Dude, you’re on your own,” Jensen said, snickering.
 
His Blackberry vibrated across the table and he picked it up, seeing Samantha’s
name flash on the screen. “Business never waits. Excuse me.”
 
Jared rubbed his hand along Jensen’s back as he stood up, doing a quick grab of
Jensen’s ass. Jensen turned and winked at Jared as he stepped towards the
balcony.
 
“Hello.”
 
“Mr Ackles, I’m afraid that your private jet went down off the Gulf of Mexico
earlier this evening. However, the pilot and two crew members were rescued
immediately and returned to their families without incident. There were no
other survivors.”
 
Jensen swallowed, closing his eyes, feeling his heart race. “Thank you,
Samantha, for notifying me.”
 
“As this was a routine maintenance flight, there is no manifest of the plane’s
destination. Of course I will report its loss to our legal offices in the
morning.”
 
“Yes, thank you,” Jensen said, biting his lip. He ended the call on his
Blackberry and took a moment, nearly breathless with crushing fear and
guilt…and elation and satisfaction and revenge served cold.
 
His hand trembled and he gripped the balcony railing, breathing slowly to quiet
his racing heart. It was done; the circle closed.
 
And Jensen would hold this secret to his death; and Jared would never know. He
would let Jared believe that his mother was gallivanting around the world,
spending the $50 million that Jensen gave her.
 
***
 
TBC…
***** Chapter 23 - Final Post *****
*****
 
Jensen woke up to Jared moving around on the bed, pulling the bed sheets off of
them. He knew it was early yet – too early – and he wondered why the hell Jared
was awake already. The touch of his warm, firm hand on his thigh sent shivers
down Jensen’s body. He faked a sleepy sounding murmur and turned his face so
that it was pressed against the pillow. He stifled his grin as he felt Jared’s
hands slide up his hips to grasp the waistband of his boxers, slipping them
slowly down his legs.
 
Okay, now he had a pretty good idea why Jared was awake so early. Jensen loved
it when Jared woke him up like this; loved it when his husband took control and
sought him out for pleasure. He knew that their intimate relationship had come
a long way from the first time to now. Jared had become confident as a lover;
passionately seeking out ways to express his desire for Jensen.
 
He kept his breathing even and deep, feeling Jared shifting his legs gently and
moving them apart so that Jared could lean down between them. He trembled when
he felt Jared’s warm lips press against his semi-hard cock, hardening quickly
as he felt Jared’s lips and mouth and tongue start to tease him, taste him.
 
Jensen sank into the bed and just enjoyed the way that Jared gave him pleasure.
He let out a deep sigh and began to thrust his hips, pushing his cock into
Jared’s hot, wet mouth. He groaned when he felt the head of his cock pressing
further into Jared’s mouth, brushing against the back of his throat. Jared’s
moan vibrated up his shaft and Jensen shuddered. He wanted to complain when
Jared slipped his mouth off of him, the tip of his tongue tickling against the
head of his cock. Jared gently nipped the inside of Jensen’s thigh making him
twitch and moan.
 
Jared gave a throaty chuckle. “I know you’re awake, Jensen. You’re a terrible
faker.”
 
Jensen grinned, turning his face so that he could look at Jared. “You’re a
terrible cock tease.”
 
Jared licked hard over the tip of his cock and Jensen hissed out a moan.
 
“Cruel husband,” Jensen said, reaching down with one hand to curl his fingers
through Jared’s messy hair. “Come here.”
 
Jared shimmied out of his boxers and then began kissing his way up Jensen’s
body and moved over him. Jensen tangled his legs around Jared’s thighs,
thrusting his hips so that his cock rubbed against Jared’s sharp hipbone.
 
“Good morning.”
 
Jensen smirked up at him. “Not yet.”
 
Jared chuckled, kissing along Jensen’s neck, nibbling along the sharp outlines
of his collarbones. He pressed warm lips against his chest and licked roughly
on one pebbled nipple, enclosing it with his lips and sucking hard. Jensen ran
his fingers into Jared’s hair and arched into his mouth, sighing loudly.
 
“Come on, Jay, fuck me.”
 
“Yeah?” Jared murmured against his skin, licking in random places.
 
“Yeah,” he agreed, smiling down at Jared.
 
Jared moved up and reached for the bedside drawer, opening it quickly to pull
out the well used tube of lubricant. “We’re going to need to buy more.”
 
“Shit, I’ll make sure that there’s a case of lube in the drawer,” Jensen said,
shifting his legs and moving them apart. He placed his feet on the bed and gave
Jared his best ‘come hither’ look.
 
“Sexy,” Jared said, spreading lube on his fingers and reaching between Jensen’s
legs to press gently against his opening. His fingers slipped inside smoothly
and Jensen grabbed on to the bed sheets, adjusting his hips so that Jared’s
fingers slid right against his prostate.
 
Jensen kept his eyes on Jared, watching him as Jared prepped him slowly and
carefully. He grinned, meeting his eyes, no longer seeing a shy young man but
someone whose eyes were dark with lust and want. A part of Jensen missed the
tentative shyness, but the greater part of him loved the man who was quickly
becoming an expert – no, a master – at touching him just the right way.
 
Jared slipped his fingers out and lubed his own cock, stroking slowly as he
gazed down at Jensen. “Ready for me, Jensen?”
 
Jensen smiled, moving his hips and holding his legs apart with his hands. “What
do you think?”
 
“I think you’re a dirty cock slut.”
 
“You love it,” Jensen said, snickering up at him.
 
“Yeah, I do,” Jared murmured, moving over him and holding himself up with one
hand, his other hand curled around his cock, pressing the tip against him and
pushing in with a smooth movement until he was pressed flush against Jensen.
 
“Damn, that’s good.”
 
Jared placed his other hand on the bed and Jensen curled his legs around his
waist, moving his hands along Jared’s body. He smiled and began to move,
thrusting his hips slowly.
 
“Yeah, come on—“
 
“You feel so good—“
 
“Fuck me harder—“
 
“Jerk yourself off for me—“
 
Jensen curled his hand around his hard cock, skin damp and tight. He began
jerking off fast, thrusting up as Jared moved in, speeding him up. Sometimes,
they both wanted it to be slow, a real seduction of the senses. But right now,
Jensen wanted a hard fuck and he wanted to see Jared lose it. He curled his
legs tighter around Jared, pulling him in close, his hand trapped between their
bellies.
 
“Fucking do it, baby—“
 
“Fuck, oh God, Jensen, fuck—“
 
Jared lurched his hips, keeping close, thrusting shallowly into him, not
pulling out all the way. Jensen released his hold on his cock and grabbed his
hips, pulling Jared closer down on him.
 
“Shit, yeah, right there, come on—“
 
“Jensen—“
 
“Don’t fucking hold back, come on, Jared—“
 
Jared moaned, panting harshly. Jensen stared up at him, both of them keeping
their eyes open and on each other, moving quickly. They were completely out of
rhythm but Jensen didn’t care. He rubbed his cock against Jared’s stomach and
he clenched around Jared’s cock, shivering when Jared moaned and fell to his
elbows, his face tucked against Jensen’s neck.
 
Jared babbled incoherently against him, saying things like “love you” and
“feels fucking good” and “going to come”—
 
“Yeah, come on,” Jensen whispered against his ear, arms curled around Jared’s
back. He was thrusting his hips up and up, feeling Jared starting to put his
back into his thrusts, feeling that hard cock drilling him now. Jensen squeezed
around Jared, arms and legs bracing for it. He was going to come. He just
needed a little more. “Come on, Jared, come on…fuck me…fuck me…make me come…”
 
Jared groaned thickly, slipping his hands under Jensen’s ass and holding him up
against him, knees braced on the bed as he reared up and started moving hot and
heavy on him, pushing them both to pleasure.
 
Jensen came first, throwing back his head on the pillow and letting out a
throaty moan. He felt his entire body flush hot and intense, goosebumps rising
on his skin all over. He grunted, eyes squeezed shut, mouth parting as he held
Jared to him. Jared whimpered into his ear, thrusting once and then again, and
shuddering wildly against Jensen.
 
“Oh God, I think I’m dead,” Jared mumbled against his neck, sinking into Jensen
completely. “Hmmm…you make a nice bed.”
 
Jensen chuckled, kissing Jared’s head. “If you lay on me like this, I’m going
to die from asphyxiation and you can explain how you killed me to my mother.”
 
Jared popped up his head and made a face. “Ugh…dude.”
 
Jensen laughed at him and sighed as Jared slipped out of him, tumbling on the
bed beside him. Jared buried his face into Jensen’s pillow and a large hand
patted Jensen’s hip.
 
“I love it when you start my morning off right,” Jensen murmured, amused.
 
Jared snickered, his shoulders shaking as he stifled his laughter against
Jensen’s neck.
 
***
 
Jensen slammed the ball down the racquetball court and watched as Christian
twisted his wrist, sending the ball back against the front wall with a wicked
backhand. Jensen growled, jumping into the air to catch the ball with his
racquet, whipping it low to the ground and making it bounce off one side wall
to the other. Christian went for it and it smashed past him, hitting the back
wall and moving past him, bouncing twice.
 
“Damn it, didn’t see that one coming,” Christian said, taking the ball and
giving it a gently slap with his racquet to Jensen.
 
“It’s because I’m awesome at this game.” Jensen served the ball against the
front wall and watched as Christian hustled for it towards his side of the
court. Jensen moved out of the way, changing court sides with Christian as he
went to slam the ball against the front wall again.
 
“The M&A team started selling off parts of PDKI,” Christian told him, playing a
strong game of defense. “We’ll keep all the military contracts and the weapons
technology, as well as the medical research divisions, but the rest are on the
auction block.”
 
“How long will the re-org take?” Jensen said, returning Christian’s volley with
a powerful slam that caused the ball to hit the front wall and slap against the
back wall.
 
Christian let it bounce once and backhanded the ball down court. “Five weeks,
tops; but three months to get everything settled.”
 
“I want you to extend the severance package for all employees that we’re not
keeping from three months to six months,” Jensen said, moving in front of
Christian to go for the ball.
 
“Yeah, I figured as much and started working that out with both of our HR
divisions,” Christian said, smirking over his shoulder at Jensen.
 
“Good man,” Jensen said, returning the volley quickly and watching as Christian
moved down court to hit the ball on the fly. It bounced and zoomed past Jensen
before he could return it.
 
“Point,” Christian said, breathlessly.
 
“You’re out of shape, old man,” Jensen said, catching the ball and bouncing it
on the floor with his racquet.
 
“Eat dirt, Ackles,” Christian muttered, pointing his racquet at him. “Serve,
brother.”
 
“Don’t forget that we’re having our housewarming party in two weeks.
Apparently, Jared has my mother wrapped around his finger so she’s going to
have the whole thing catered.”
 
“He’s pretty much got all the Ackles wrapped around his finger,” Christian
said, smiling widely at Jensen. “Steve and I will definitely be there. It’s not
every day that we get to celebrate your one year anniversary. I’m amazed that
the kid stayed with your ass for so long.”
 
Jensen grinned, feeling warm from his morning with Jared. He twirled his
racquet in his hands. “So are we going to talk or are we going to play? I think
I’m still ahead by five points, right?”
 
Christian rolled his eyes and twirled the racquet in his hands, waiting for
Jensen’s serve. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about losing the jet a few
weeks ago. We should file an NTSB report to the Arlington regional office so
that—“
 
“Samantha said that they were doing a routine maintenance flight when it went
down. No one was injured.” Jensen cut in, serving the ball hard. “I’m sure
she’ll handle the appropriate paperwork.”
 
“Okay…well…salvage operations—“
 
“No, don’t bother,” Jensen said, cutting him off on his court so that Christian
missed his shot.
 
“Hindrance. Fault,” Christian said, looking at Jensen. He caught the ball with
his hand and turned towards Jensen. “You don’t want to salvage the plane?”
 
“No, the crew said that it was clean. It’s not worth it, Christian, just let it
go.” Jensen told him, trying to keep it light. The last thing he needed was for
Christian to get suspicious over it. “Besides, Procurement has already placed
an order with Boeing for a new jet. It was time to upgrade anyway and I think
that I can handle the financial loss. Come on, serve, dude.”
 
Christian gave him another glance and then bounced the ball, looking down the
court floor. “Jensen, I sent out a salvage operation a week ago.”
 
Jensen turned and stared at him. “What?”
 
“It’s our standard protocol,” Christian told him, frowning. He took a deep
breath and looked at Jensen. “There was a body found in the plane—“
 
“FUCK!” Jensen threw down his racquet and stormed across the court, pushing
Christian against the wall. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
 
“Who was it, Jensen?”
 
Jensen slammed his arm against Christian’s throat. “Where is she?”
 
“She?” Christian growled, struggling to push Jensen off. But Jensen was angrier
and far more scared. He kept Christian pinned to the wall. “How did you know
that—Jensen, what the hell is going on?”
 
“Where is the body now, Chris? Don’t fuck with me on this.”
 
Christian shoved Jensen off and glared at him. “Don’t fuck with you? Jensen, I
just told you about a person we found dead on your plane and you apparently
already knew that she was on board! I need you to tell me everything. I’m your
best friend and I’m your legal advisor. I need to know if I need to…”
 
“To what? Cover for me? Hide my criminal activities?” Jensen said, softly,
stepping away from Christian and leaning against the wall. He closed his eyes.
“You sure you want to cross that line for me; once you cross it, there’s no
going back.”
 
Christian ran his free hand through his hair, shaking his head. He pulled the
strap off his wrist and threw his racquet across the court, breaking it against
the wall. “Damn it, Jensen!”
 
Jensen didn’t flinch. He met Christian’s eyes and took a deep breath. “It’s
Jared’s mother, Sheryl Padalecki.”
 
“Sheryl…but…we should tell Jared that she’s dead. He’s going to want to give
her a proper burial. There’s going to be questions – an investigation why she
was on an Ackles private jet when it went down and—“
 
Jensen shook his head, looking at Christian carefully. He trusted his best
friend; he knew that if Christian couldn’t deal with something this big, he
would do the right thing. And he would make sure Jensen had the best damn
defense attorneys his money could buy.
 
“What aren’t you telling me? There’s more to this than an accident, is there.”
 
“I told Samantha to put her on the plane and to send it into the ocean.”
 
Christian blinked, his mouth parting slightly. “You had her killed?”
 
“Yeah.”
 
“Why!”
 
“Because she deserved it!” Jensen yelled at him, pushing away from the wall and
pacing the court.
 
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Christian yelled back. He pushed Jensen,
wrapping his hand into Jensen’s polo shirt. “You fucking idiot! How could you
do this? Do you want to go to jail? Better yet, do you want to fry because last
time I checked, Texas still has capital punishment on the law books and we like
to use our electric chairs! What the hell were you thinking?” He took a deep
breath. “And what the hell do you think Jared is going to do when he finds out?
You’re going to make him live out his life knowing that you did this! You’re no
better than his father!”
 
Jensen closed his eyes, turning his face away. He knew Christian was right; but
a part of him just didn’t care. And maybe that’s what made him as much of as
bastard as George Padalecki. Who was he to decide Jared’s life like this? When
did he think he could use love for Jared to justify destroying his family?
 
“God, Chris, I know what I did was wrong. I know it! But I did it anyway. I
wanted her out of the way because of what she and George put Jared through. I
didn’t want her to have an opportunity to hurt him one more time.” Jensen took
a deep breath. “And I’d do it again.”
 
“And you thought that having her killed would be the answer.” Christian
murmured, closing his eyes. “Jensen, if Jared ever found out…”
 
“Jared is never going to find out,” Jensen said to him, staring into his eyes.
“He will never know.”
 
“At some point, he’s going to want to talk to her, to see her! He’s not stupid,
Jen. He has resources at his fingertips to find her…and when he doesn’t find
her, he’s going to ask questions. He’s going to ask you questions. What are you
going to tell him? Are you going to lie to him?”
 
Jensen clenched his teeth and glared at Christian. “Yes, I will lie to him. I
will do anything to protect him.”
 
“Damn it, Jensen—“
 
“What would you do if it was Steve? How far would you go!”
 
“I fucking wouldn’t have killed someone!” Christian screamed at him, his face
reddening.
 
“You don’t know that! You don’t know what you’re capable of doing in order to
protect Steve! You’d do anything for him!”
 
“Fuck,” Christian muttered, pulling away from Jensen and breathing hard. “Fuck.
I don’t—“ He closed his eyes and sighed. “Fuck.” Jensen watched him, waited him
out. “What’s your plan here, Jen?”
 
“How much do you trust the salvage team?”
 
“They’re Samantha’s people.”
 
Jensen nodded. “Then they won’t talk. We can pay them off if we need to.”
 
“Or maybe you can just have Samantha kill them, too.”
 
“Please, Chris, I need your help on this.”
 
“The NTSB accident report still needs to be filed. I’ll make sure that we get
it in if Samantha hasn’t already done so,” Christian said, staring at the
floor. Jensen could practically see the wheels turning in Christian’s head.
“I’ll speak to Samantha about disposing…disposing the body found on the plane.
She’ll know what to do. But Sheryl Padalecki can’t just disappear off the
radar, not someone like her.”
 
“I told Jared that I gave her $50 million to leave.”
 
“And he accepted that?”
 
“Yes.”
 
Christian nodded. “Then there’s going to be some kind of a money trail. We’re
going to have to…damn it Jensen, you fucking bastard…you’ll turn us all into
accomplices…”
 
“You don’t have to do this. You can walk away. I never wanted you to get
involved.”
 
“Too late now, isn’t it, Jen?” Christian said, his voice bitter. “I love you,
Jensen, you’re a brother to me. But…you and me…we will never be the same after
this. You’re not the man that I thought I knew.”
 
“As long as I can protect Jared, then I can accept that.” He said, tightly. He
felt something hard crash inside his body, feeling the loss of Christian’s
respect and friendship. But not hard enough compared to what it would feel like
to lose Jared.
 
Christian cracked a grin. “Making hard sacrifices was always your strength; I
just never thought that our friendship would be one.”
 
“Believe me, I don’t want to lose you as my friend, Chris. I’ve always loved
you, you’re family; but I’d do anything for Jared. Anything.”
 
“It better have been worth it, Jen. Remember that.” Christian told him, giving
him one long look and stalking out of the racquetball court.
 
Jensen watched him go and took a long, deep breath, exhaling loudly. He sank
against the wall and slid to the floor, just staring at the court floor. He
could remember the first time he met Christian, the long nights working side by
side, the thousands of times that they’d sit and drink beer and laugh, the way
that Christian always stood up for Jensen – or was the only one in the room who
had the balls to stand up to Jensen. Jensen covered his eyes with the heels of
his hands, the hot burn of tears welling in his eyes; his throat tightening.
 
Oh fuck, he had just lost his best friend.
 
***
 
Jensen smiled, sitting back in his chair, looking at the invitation in his
hand. Jared and his mother had left him a copy that had gone out to about
twenty of their closest friends, inviting them to their new home to celebrate
their one year wedding anniversary.
 
One year…and what a hell of a year. Jensen didn’t know how they made it – and
he refused to think about Sheryl Padalecki – but he was glad that they did. He
looked forward to many more years with Jared.
 
There was a quick knock on his door.
 
“Come in.”
 
Jensen nodded to Alona as he set down the invitation, looking up at her. “I
thought you’d left by now.”
 
“Samantha came by to drop this off for you,” Alona said, handing him a large
manila envelope.
 
“Thanks,” he said, taking it from her and setting it on the desk in front of
him. He watched as Alona picked up the invitation, smiling. “You did get one,
right?”
 
“Yeah, Jared delivered it personally,” she said, sitting on the edge of his
desk. “I’m really happy for you, Jensen. I’m glad that you finally have someone
like Jared in your life.”
 
“Me, too,” Jensen murmured, smiling softly. “I can say with all honesty that I
never thought I’d find anyone like him. He’s good for me.”
 
Alona snorted, rolling her eyes. “Ohmygod, he should be sainted, Jensen.”
 
They both laughed and Jensen felt a spark of warmth move through him.
 
“Congratulations,” she said, standing and smoothing down her skirt. “I already
told Jared that I would be there.”
 
“Thanks, Alona,” he told her, nodding. “For everything.”
 
Alona raised her eyebrow, turning to leave. “If you really feel that way, then
I think it’s time to renegotiate my salary.”
 
“Done,” he said, smirking. “Ten percent on your annual gross.”
 
“Twenty percent.”
 
Jensen grinned. “Fifteen.”
 
Alona narrowed her eyes. “Seventeen percent.”
 
“Deal.” He said, holding out his hand.
 
Alona shook it and flicked her hair off her shoulder. “I’ll make sure you sign
my HR paperwork in the morning.”
 
Jensen laughed. “Good night, Alona.”
 
“Night,” she called, walking to the door and leaving quietly.
 
Jensen took a deep breath and sat back on his chair, looking down at the manila
envelope. He picked it up and opened it, pulling out a stack of large black and
white pictures. There was a handwritten note on top.
 
Jensen. Mrs Padalecki was seen in Buenos Aires.
 
The photos are of a woman who didn’t just resemble Sheryl Padalecki, but would
be able to fool her children. Jensen thanked Christian for his attention to
detail. He and Samantha had put together a plan that would answer any question
that Jared had about his mother. Jensen would be able to reassure Jared that
she was alive and enjoying her millions. It had been two weeks since his
argument with Christian on the racquetball court. He would be forever indebted
to Christian and Samantha for their thoroughness and discretion. Jensen
couldn’t linger on how much he missed his best friend, not when his husband
lived in joy and contentment.
 
He sighed, standing up and walking across his office to the large wall-to-wall
bookshelf. He stood at the end and pushed in the leather bound spines of the
row of books, shifting as they revealed a false wall, his private safe embedded
into the wall. He pressed in the ten digit code and his thumb on the bio-
scanner. The mechanism clicked softly and Jensen opened the door, tucking the
stack of photos on top of the other ones. Inside would be a folder full of
Sheryl Padalecki’s receipts at hotels, fashion houses, restaurants, and private
jet reservations. There was a full history of a woman who was no longer alive.
Jensen wondered who the mysterious woman was, but knew better than to ask
Samantha about her.
 
Jensen closed the safe door and set the books back in place. He kept the note
in his hand and walked back to his desk. He pulled open a drawer and found a
lighter. He touched the flame against the note and watched it burn. He dropped
the paper into his metal trash bin and watched as a long curl of smoke escaped
from the burning paper, a small lump of black ash on the bottom.
 
It was done.
 
***
 
Jensen loved the house that Jared and his mother found. It was an old fashioned
ranch house, not too far from the Ackles family homestead. There was more than
enough land around the house. He was planning to give surprise Jared in the
spring with a stable and to bring his stallions from the Ackles house.
 
He smiled, looking across the back lawn, holding a paper plate in one hand and
a bottle of beer in the other. He drank slowly, happy to have their family and
friends having a good time. Jeffrey Dean was at the grill, flipping burgers and
hot dogs. His mom was sitting on a lounge chaise, sipping a martini and smiling
up at Jeffrey and his antics. Jensen hoped that his mother would make an honest
man out of Jeffrey and marry the man.
 
At the other side of the lawn, he saw Christian and Steve laughing at Michael’s
wild hand gestures as he told one of his infamous stories about Tom. Christian
took a sip of his beer and he turned slightly, gazing at Jensen. For just a
split second, it looked like Christian was going to acknowledge him with a wink
or a smile, maybe hold up his beer bottle at him, but the moment passed and
Christian merely turned away to look at Michael, a genuine smile forming on his
lips. Jensen watched as Christian wrapped his arm behind Steve’s back, holding
his close. A part of him knew that there would be a reckoning, that he would
have to face what he did and answer for everything; but until that time, Jensen
was going to put it behind him and enjoy his life with his husband.
 
All around them, Jensen saw family. He knew that they would be family to Jared,
too. He watched as his younger sister, Margaret, jumped on Jared’s back and
laughed as Jared ran around the lawn with her. Donna shook her head and called
for her to stop rough-housing, but Margaret ignored her and Jared was more than
happy to hold her up. He watched as Jared’s older brother, James, and his wife,
Beverly, and their four year old daughter laughed as Jared threatened to drop
Margaret into the swimming pool – both of them nearly falling in as she
struggled to escape. Jared’s booming laughter echoed across the lawn and Jensen
smiled, watching as he swooped down and picked up his niece, Lily, holding her
up in the air and spinning her around.
 
This is what Jensen wanted more than anything in the world. He wanted a husband
who made him happy; he wanted the closeness of family and friends. For one
moment, nothing else mattered, and Jensen was never happier in his life. This
was what he would always remember.
 
“Hey,” Chad said, standing next to him and tapping the neck of his beer against
Jensen’s bottle.
 
“Enjoying the party?”
 
“Sure,” he said, looking across the lawn and watching Jared. “Man, I’ve never
seen him so happy…and so free.”
 
“I’m glad.”
 
Chad took a sip of beer and sighed. “You guys have a really rough year, man,
what with George going to prison and Sheryl out there…God knows where. But
Jay’s so happy. You make him happy.”
 
Jensen froze for a moment, wondering if Chad knew something. But he let out the
breath he was holding and turned, grinning at Chad. “Thanks, man, that means a
lot to me.”
 
“I just wanted to say that I was wrong about you,” Chad told him, looking into
his eyes. “I can see how much you love him, too.”
 
Jensen nodded, looking at Jared. “You wouldn’t believe just how much I love
him.”
 
“Jensen!” Jared called, waving his arms and hurrying over towards him. “Why are
you being so anti-social?”
 
“Dude, I’m eating.”
 
Jared grabbed the potato wedges off his plate, shoving them into his mouth and
chewing quickly. “Let’s go inside for a minute.”
 
“All right,” Jensen said, setting his plate and beer on a nearby table. “Excuse
us, Chad.”
 
“Sure.” Chad said, smirking at them.
 
Jared wrapped his arm around Jensen’s shoulders, leading him back into the
house.
 
“What’s up?”
 
“I just need a few minutes of your time, dude,” Jared murmured into his ear.
 
“Okay,” Jensen said, quizzically. “Is something wrong?”
 
“Nope,” Jared said, smiling happily. He led them to Jensen’s den and pulled him
into the room. He looked around to make sure that they were alone and then
turned to Jensen.
 
“What is it?”
 
Jared closed the door, flicking the lock and pushing Jensen against the closed
door. He grinned wildly, his cat eyes lowered seductively. “I’m fucking horny
for you.”
 
“Dude, we have guests—“
 
“Right, like you care,” Jared said, snorting softly. He wrapped a large hand
around Jensen’s face and dove in for a deep, wet kiss. Jensen moaned, his body
going from semi-hard to fucking brilliant idea in just seconds.
 
“Jesus…” Jensen moaned when Jared slipped away, dropping to his knees and
undoing Jensen’s jeans. He was hard immediately and sank against the door,
watching as Jared licked his lips and then pulled his cock into his mouth.
 
Jensen moaned, closing his eyes. He pushed his hands through Jared’s hair,
grunting at the hard pulls to his cock. God, he wasn’t going to even last;
Jared was determined to make him come quick. Every expert flick of his tongue,
every long and hard suck was designed to bring him off quickly.
 
“Yes, baby, yes…”
 
He looked down to see Jared watching him, dark hazel eyes meeting his eyes,
wide mouth wrapped tight around his cock, moving on him fast, his cockhead
stroking the roof of his mouth and nudging his throat.
 
“Jesus…Jay…Jay!”
 
Jensen grunted and came, shivering as he watched and felt Jared swallowing him
down, sucking more out of him, the pleasure just blooming across his skin.
 
Jared gave him a final lick and then stood. They both undid Jared’s long
shorts, pulling down his boxers, and Jensen wrapped his hand around Jared’s
leaking cock and started to jerk and pull him. Jensen knew all the ways to
touch him, all the ways to bring him off fast and make him come and spurt. He
reached up with his free hand and dragged Jared closer, kissing him, tasting
himself in Jared’s mouth.
 
“Come on,” Jared whined, pressing hot kisses against Jensen’s neck. “Come on,
Jen, come on…I’m so close…right there…yeah, Jensen, yeah…”
 
“Frisky husband,” Jensen said, chuckling softly. “I love you, Jared.”
 
“Oh God, yes! Yes! Love you too, fucking love you so much!” Jared said,
grunting out a throaty groan when Jensen twisted his hand in just the right
way, his thumb rubbing over the opening of his cock.
 
They panted into the kiss and Jared let out a muffled, choked off groan as he
came wetly in Jensen’s hand, drizzling over the back of his fingers and to the
floor. They fell against each other and caught their breath.
 
Jared started to giggle and Jensen laughed, holding each other close. “God, I
totally needed that.”
 
Jensen kissed his cheek. “Anytime.”
 
Jared looked at Jensen, his hand stroking across Jensen’s cheek. Jensen grinned
up at him, looking into sleepy and sated cat eyes. “I love you so much,
Jensen.”
 
“I love you.”
 
“Happy one year anniversary.”
 
Jensen hugged him, smiling up at him. “May we have many, many more.”
 
 
The End.
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