Sasha, a closeted British celebrity, seeks out the help of a detective named Kiran who is known for discretion in order to find his missing ex-boyfriend, Oliver. Sasha is forced to share very personal information that reveals more about himself than he would have ever admitted to under any other circumstance, and despite rocky introductions, Sasha and Kiran become friends. Fortunately, Kiran is not only understanding of Sasha’s sexual preferences but encourages him to keep doing what he loves ... perhaps with Kiran himself.
The complicated nature of their relationship prevents them from being together until Kiran is able to complete the job he was hired for, but their patience wears thin and they grow close as the search for Oliver continues. The police get involved when Oliver is found, upending a secret that might ruin Kiran and Sasha’s new-found relationship. Will they stay together in spite of their formidable circumstances?
“What?” Kiran asked, tugging at his tie.
Sasha exhaled and smiled a little, unabashedly looking down at Kiran's forearms and hands, towards the leather harness that was fastened across his shirt. The soft bulge at the front of his hips made a gentle heat bloom in Sasha's chest, and he licked his lips as he met Kiran's gaze again.
“I haven’t got any photos of you, so I have to make the most of what I can get.”
“Photos ... for --?”
Sasha tried to repress his smile, and Kiran sucked a breath in between his teeth, shaking his head.
“You are ...” Kiran murmured, rolling down his sleeves with firm, pointed tugs. “Your mind is in the gutter.”
“Won’t you join me?”
Kiran let out a choked laugh as he fastened his cuff-links and pulled on his suit-jacket. He adjusted his tie as he went toward the door, running a thumb across the surface of his watch as he picked up his briefcase. Sasha reached for him, touching his elbow, and Kiran let out a deep breath as he met Sasha's gaze. Trailing his fingers down Kiran's arm, he pulled Kiran's hand forward and looked at the freshly healed scar on the palm of his hand, running his thumb across it.
“Does it hurt?”
“Not much,” Kiran said, and Sasha flipped his hand over to inspect his fingernails, but there was no trace of fingernail polish left on them.
“I like it better when you wear varnish and rings.”
“Why’s that?”
Sasha smiled to himself and then looked up at Kiran, still not budging from where he sat in his chair. “Better to choke me with, I think.”
Kiran's throat bobbed when he swallowed, and Sasha looked him in the eye as he brought Kiran's hand toward his neck, sighing when Kiran's fingers wrapped around the front of it easily.
“You like that?” Sasha asked, but he could tell from the clenching of Kiran's jaw muscles that he did.
Sasha's fingers brushed the front of Kiran's knee, gently up the inside of Kiran's thigh between his parted legs, and Kiran's briefcase slipped from the fingers of his other hand. Chills ran down Sasha's neck as Kiran's grip tightened on Sasha's throat, pushing him against the back of his chair with a too-gentle force that made him want more. The tendons in Kiran's neck strained as he inhaled, his body tensing as Sasha's hand slid higher between his legs.
“You are going to make it very difficult for me to focus in court,” Kiran sighed, and his thumb brushed the edge of Sasha's jaw, gliding underneath his lower lip.
“Best to hurry back then,” Sasha murmured, and Kiran's mouth pulled up at the corner as he shook his head.
“I’m too busy tracking down your boyfriend.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Sasha said, his hand moving to slide down the back of Kiran's thigh.
“I’d hope not,” Kiran sighed, taking his hand away from Sasha's face. “It would be most unfortunate to be murdered by the man I’ve spent most of the month looking for.”
Sasha huffed and stood, looking down at Kiran's darkened expression.
“Better find him soon. I don’t know how much longer I can contain myself.”
Kiran choked out a laugh. “This is you containing yourself?”
Sasha leaned closer, and Kiran's gaze dropped to his lips.
“Absolutely.”
