“Have you seen Sam?” Tony Bianchi asked.

Charlie looked towards Tony and shook his head, “So not funny.”

“Sorry,” Tony walked into the common room at BK House and sat on the couch. “Liam said he might be interested in a part-time job.”

“He’s in the computer room, I think.” Charlie said, munching on another handful of popcorn.

“What’s wrong with the one in his room?” Tony asked. He tried to sneak a few kernels from Charlie’s bowl but he got his hand slapped.

“Ask.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Can I please have some of your popcorn?”

Charlie grinned and passed the bowl over. “See that wasn’t so hard. And there’s nothing wrong with Sam’s computer. His roommate, Lark Wilsher, is meditating. He does it every evening at this time. Something about cleansing the negativity he gathers during the day.” Charlie shrugged like he didn’t believe in any of it.

“Whatever floats his boat,” Tony said, handing the bowl back.

“Thanks, I’ll stick my head back in before I take off,” Tony said as he rose off the couch.

Tony found Sam right where Charlie said he’d be. He knocked on the glass door before entering. “Okay if I interrupt?”

“Mr. Bianchi,” Sam said. He saved his work to a jump drive and turned in his chair to face Tony.

“I won’t take up much of your time. I was talking to Liam earlier and he said you might be interested in a part-time job.”

“Sure, would I be doing the same thing Liam does for you?”

“Not exactly. I need someone on site for a few hours a day. I’ve acquired a new company and their files are a mess. I need someone to go through and scan the appropriate documents into the computer. Sorry to say it’s a boring job, but it’ll pay more than you can make working part-time anywhere else.”

Sam seemed to hesitate momentarily. “Who would I be working for?”

“Me,” Tony replied.

“I’m out of classes by two. Would that give me enough time?”

“Yeah, it should. If you can get there by two-thirty it’ll give you three and a half hours a day. So can I count on you?” Tony stuck his hand out. Standing, Sam nodded and shook Tony’s hand. “Thanks, Mr Bianchi. I won’t let you down.”

“Tony, please. Can you start this week?”

“Yeah, that would be perfect. We’re out of class this week for Spring Break.”

Shaking his head, Tony chuckled. “I should know that. Hell, I live with a teacher. But in my own defence, Daniel works five days a week regardless if class is in session or not. Why aren’t you taking off like most of the college kids?”

Sam grinned and pulled out his empty pockets. “It’s the reason I need a job.”

“Come in any time. You can work as many hours as you have time for until classes start up again.”

“Thank you, Mr…Tony.”

Tony shook Sam’s hand again and thumped him on the back. “Good to have you on board. Come see me when you get there.”

“I will,” Sam said, with a wide grin plastered to his face.

The next morning, Sam took extra time with his hair, but his unruly curls refused to be tamed. He wondered if he should get it cut. Giving up, he found an elastic band and pulled it back at the nape of his neck. At least from the front he’d look somewhat professional.

Looking at his shirt, he tried to smooth out the wrinkles. “Who am I kidding? I’ll never fit in.”

“Who’re you talking to?” Bear asked walking into the communal bathroom.

“Myself,” Sam answered. “I start at Bianchi Bytes in an hour. I couldn’t look any less like a corporate employee if I tried.”

Bear smiled and pulled the end of Sam’s short ponytail. “You’ll be fine. Tony wouldn’t have offered you the job if he was worried about you fitting in.”

Sam shrugged. “I guess so.” He took one last look at himself and dug some gunk out of the corner of his eye. “Wish me luck.”

“You don’t need it,” Bear replied, dropping his towel and stepping into the shower.

Blushing, Sam quickly looked away. “I’ll see you later at dinner.”

“Bye,” Bear called out.

Sam ran down the steps and down to the corner. He hoped the busses were running on time. He had to transfer at Jacobs Street, but it shouldn’t be that long of a ride. He’d plotted it all out on the computer after Tony had left the previous evening.

He still couldn’t believe he would be working in the same building with Jace Rawlings. Hopefully they wouldn’t run into each other much. He doubted he’d ever feel comfortable around Jace again.

The bus pulled up to the curb and Sam hopped on, depositing his money before finding a seat. He knew he hadn’t been crazy. Jace had definitely been giving off attraction vibes in the car the day they went to find Bear.

While they waited for Liam to retrieve his wayward boyfriend, they’d finally started talking. Then he did it. He had actually asked Jace out. The reaction he received had been like a slap in the face.

Sam still remembered Jace’s words exactly. “I don’t date kids.”

Hell, Sam hadn’t thought of himself as a kid since he was thirteen. Being the man of the family, he’d gotten a job at the age of fourteen. It may have been back breaking manual labour working at the grain mill, but it helped pay the bills.

Jace was what, around thirty-six, thirty-seven? Older yes, but in no way was he too old for Sam. Thoughts of that day had Sam completely depressed as he pushed open the door of the glass office building.

Walking up to the information counter, Sam gave the woman his name and asked for Tony. She smiled and pointed towards the bank of elevators. “Mr. Bianchi is expecting you. His office is on the fourth floor. Turn to your right and you’ll find him.”

A Biker's Vow

As Kade lay in bed, he touched his lips. The kiss earlier in the day from Lark had stunned him. He’d been surprised to say the least.

After he’d helped Sam bring Lark back from a hypoglycaemic attack, Lark had pressed his lips to Kade’s. Whether Lark meant it as an intimate gesture or not, it was the closest Kade had come in years.

What would it feel like to hold Lark in his arms? He’d been attracted to the small, five-foot-three man since he’d first set eyes on him. Usually he was attracted to other Alphas like himself. Tattoos on another man made him hot, and he’d never fucked anyone who wasn’t proportional in size to his own six-four frame.

Lark was different, with his small wire-framed glasses perched on the end of his nose and his face always buried in a book. He was about the cutest thing Kade had ever laid eyes on. Just thinking about Lark’s tight little body had Kade’s cock hard. He plucked at the small silver hoops in his nipples.

Pushing the covers down, Kade wrapped his long fingers around his cock. He rarely indulged any more. Getting himself off had become old and lonely. Now though, just closing his eyes and thinking about the soft kiss Lark had given him was enough to fuel his lust.

He released his cock and spit into his palm before fisting himself once again. Oh, yeah, that’s it. He pictured the jewel he’d seen embedded in Lark’s belly button. Fuck that was hot. He’d never known a man to wear a jewel there.

Grabbing his balls with his other hand, he applied just enough pressure to receive that bite of pain he enjoyed. The more he thought of Lark, the faster he pumped, drawing his legs up to insert a finger into his puckered hole.

He could easily picture running his tongue across all that smooth hairless skin. Dipping his tongue into that cute little belly button before travelling north to what he was sure were a pair of pierced light brown pebbled nipples.

The first shot of cum landed on his tattooed chest, the stream so hot it was like a brand on his skin. Thumb up over the crown to push once again against the slit, and another spurt landed next to the first. He continued the action until his cock was milked dry.

Closing his eyes, he fought to catch his breath. He hadn’t had an orgasm like that in four years, eight months, three weeks and two days. His mind drifted to the day in the doctor’s office when he was told he was HIV positive. In some ways, a part of him had died that day.

Trying to shake off the maudlin thoughts, he rose and found a dirty bath towel in his laundry bag and cleaned himself up. Tossing it back when he was dry, Kade stumbled back to bed.

As he tried to sleep his mind kept going back to Lark. What would it have been like if he’d never contracted the stupid virus? Would he still find Lark attractive? Unfortunately the answer, he concluded, was no. He wouldn’t have given Lark the time of day. Not because the smaller man wasn’t sexy, because god knew Lark was one sexy sonofabitch. Nope, he wouldn’t have given a staid bookish sort of person his attention.

The Kade of the past was a wild man who liked hot sweaty sex in public restrooms. He loved the smell of a man, the funkier the better. Back then, he drank hard and fucked even harder. Night after night, one or two partners, whatever and whoever he could get his hands on.

Though he generally tried to practice safe sex, it wasn’t a priority when his body was full of alcohol and his balls full of cum.

Kade shook his head. Yeah, fun times that he’d be paying for, for the rest of his life.

* * * *

The alarm woke Kade the next morning. When he couldn’t find the off button, he yanked the cord out of the wall and threw the clock across the room. After realising what he’d done, he grinned. Perhaps that was a bit extreme.

Jace barged into the room, still naked. “What the hell was that?”

Kade pointed towards the clock that had come to rest in the corner. “Sorry.”

Eyebrows lifted, Jace shook his head and sat on the bed next to Kade. “Bad night?”

Falling back onto his pillow, Kade threw his arm over his face. “Yeah, something like that.”

He received a poke to the ribs from his best friend. “Get up. Sam’s making pancakes.” Jace stood and pulled the covers off Kade.

“Do you mind?” He asked and quickly covered his cock.

Jace chuckled. “Although I’ve seen every square inch of your body in detail, I can see you wanting to hide that horrible tattoo. ‘Free Rides’, seriously? If I were going to let someone that close to my cock, I’d at least have something a little more clever.”

“Shut up and go put some damn clothes on. Waving that thing around a celibate man is very dangerous.” Kade threw the covers back over his exposed lower half.

Laughing, Jace walked out of the room. “You could get some if you really wanted. Not mine of course, but I know a guy,” Jace threw over his shoulder as he went into the master bedroom.

Kade’s first thought after Jace left was of Lark. With a groan, he felt himself harden and rolled over. Burying his head under the pillow, he willed his cock to get itself under control. Why couldn’t he get that little pixy out of his head?

He knew he could fantasise and dream about Lark all day, but that was as far as it could go. Not only was Lark too innocent for someone like him, but spreading the virus stopped any thoughts of a physical relationship in its tracks.

Kade felt himself slipping back into the depression he’d fought so hard against the past several weeks. Turning back over, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and looked down at his now flaccid cock.

Standing, he made sure the hallway was clear before making his way to the bathroom. Kade made a mental list of things he had to do that day. It was the only way he could keep himself out of the rut of depression.

As he started the shower, he began to count things down. Breakfast, go to work, finish up the installation of the marketing department’s new computers, eat lunch with Sam and Jace, think of Lark. Kade stopped with the shampoo bottle in his hand. No, he would not think of Lark today, or the fact there was no future for them.

After rinsing his hair, he turned off the shower and dried off. Wrapping the towel around his waist, Kade quickly made his way back to his bedroom and dressed in his usual uniform of faded jeans and a black sleeveless T. He was damn lucky Tony didn’t care what he wore. His nicest pair of jeans still had a hole in them, and he didn’t think Tony would care for his collection of tight leather pants.