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It was a night like many others, Betsey singing on the stage, Adil preparing cocktails and Toby watching.
He couldn’t stop it.
It started accidentally, in a time Toby was far from suspecting the reason why his look drifted often to the barman of his family’s hotel lounge. It became a seduction game, ever since he started to have an idea.
And now, it was part of their relationship. Adil knew it could be dangerous, sometimes, Toby’s look was so easy to read…but, as Toby couldn’t tear his eyes off his beautiful man, Adil too enjoyed the feeling of being watched that way a lot…
They were having one of their “formal” conversation when Adil turned his look at the door and he held his breath. Toby turned immediately to see what caught his man’s attention: standing at the entrance of the lounge, Emma on his side, there was an unquestionably beautiful man. Tall, perfectly fit, impeccable in his evening outfit, blond hair and stunning blue eyes, he looked like a god.
The stranger took a look around, then his gaze stopped by the bar, on Adil actually, and a smirk appeared on his face.
Toby didn’t like it a bit.
He turned to Adil and saw him biting his lower lip and turn his eyes away from the man.
What the hell was happening?
Before he got the time to ask Adil if he knew the stranger, Emma reached them and introduced him as Phillip Van Der Hoolen, a Dutch noble man who left his country following Hitler’s invasion. Emma left him in “good hands” with Toby who had to act like the master of the house.
“Do you want something to drink? Mr. Joshi is the best barman in town” Toby underlined his statement addressing a wide smile to Adil, who blushed surprisingly.
“Oh, I don’t have any doubt about it…I’d like to try something new, surprise me, Mr. Joshi”
He leaned on the bar, with the look of a predator that’s studying how to capture his prey.
Toby stiffed on his chair.
Phillip went on in telling his story and his projects for the future while Adil was preparing his drink, and Toby tried to seem interested, but his mind was like dizzy. The way this man was interacting with Adil was making him mad. And the worst part of it, was that who was supposed to be HIS man, seemed to enjoy it.
“Here you are. Enjoy your drink, sir”
For a second, Toby hoped Adil hasn’t made one of his famous cocktails, so that the stranger didn’t like it and dropped whatever thing he was doing with HIS man. But he knew it couldn’t be….
“Wow, you really are the best barman in town, Mr. Joshi”
Adil smiled and Toby almost lost it: he was about to punch Phillip when he saw his mother entering the lounge. He could finally drag the man away from Adil to meet Lady Priscilla.
He was about to call for her so that Phillip would turn his attention away, when he heard him whispering to Adil “I wonder what else you can do so well…”
He wasn’t supposed to hear it…he shouldn’t have heard it…but he did, and his blood was boiling in his veins. How could he dare? And why Adil isn’t putting him in place?
Luckily, before Toby could do or say something, Lady Priscilla arrived and after introducing Phillip to her, he excused himself and run to his room.
******
The following days had been troubled for both Toby and Adil.
After three sleepless nights, trying to interprete this new feeling born inside him, Toby had come to the conclusion that he was jealous. Not only jealous, he was terrified to lose Adil. And the reason of this was that he loved him.
He’s never got the time to really think about it, he has never considered this option, but now he couldn’t explain the way he was feeling in any other way.
He didn’t open the door to Adil when he came to his room, he didn’t go to the lounge after dinner.
He needed time to himself to decide what to do.
As to Adil, he felt like he was on a rollercoaster. After a year of waiting for Toby Hamilton, now that they’re finally together, this new man came and messed the cards on the table.
At first, Adil couldn’t explain the reason why this man affected him that much. Was it because he was openly flirting with him, while Toby has never done it? Was it because every person would be pleased to receive compliments?
No, none of these. The problem was of a completely different kind.
Toby and Adil had been together for almost a month, and they still haven’t made love. Adil wanted it to happen so badly, but, being deeply an madly in love with Toby, he swear he would give him all the time he needed, until he was ready.
It was hard, really, really hard…having Toby in his arms almost every night and doing nothing more than kissing and touching.
He didn’t want to feel attracted to Phillip, he didn’t want to have dirty thoughts about him…but he was there, every evening, being more and more explicit on what he wanted to do with him…and Toby seemed to have disappeared.
He was deep in his thoughts in the wine cellar, the same wine cellar where he kissed Toby the first time, when a pair of strong hands held his hips, bringing him back to lean on a muscular body. Adil closed his eyes and titled his head on the side, enjoying a bit too much the touch of Phillip’s lips on his neck.
“Finally, I can meet you alone” he moved his mouth to Adil’s earlobe and licked it, making the man moan softly while his hands have come dangerously close to Adil’s cock “I can’t wait anymore, I want you”
Adil didn’t know what to say, he was completely upside down. This was wrong, totally wrong. He couldn’t do this to Toby, he loved Toby.
“I…”
“Come to my room tonight, when you’ll finish your shift. I’ll give you the best night of your life”
And Phillip left, leaving Adil almost shaking. He couldn’t breath, he needed air…he run outside one of the back doors and the cold, fresh air helped him to calm. When he regained his self control, he felt something in one of his pockets: Adil hadn’t realised it at the moment, but Phillip slid a banknote in his pocket when he invited him in his room for the night.
He couldn’t believe it…
**********
Betsey has just arrived at The Halcyon, walking her way to the changing room, when she saw Adil in the staff sitting room.
He looked awful, she’d never seen him like this and she immediately worried. She liked Adil, he has always been kind with her and respected her job, never saying a word against her life style. They got along very well, she could say they were friends, and, most of all, she’s the only one amongst the staff who knows about him.
“Adil? What happened?”
She seated beside him, placing a hand on his knee. He just shook his head, eyes red for the crying.
“Did something happen to your family?”
Another shake of head.
“Problems at work?”
“No”
“Then what?”
“Nothing, really, you don’t have to worry about me. Go prepare for the show”
“Adil Joshi, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me why are you crying”
“God, you’re persistent…”
“You have no idea!”
“Fine. Do you remember the new guest, Phillip Van Der Hoolen?”
“The beautiful, tall, blond man?” Adil nodded “How can’t I remember him? Every woman in the hotel knows who he is”
“He wants me to go to his room, tonight”
“Wow, that’s a surprise! And you’re going, I hope”
“Betsey! I’m not that kind of person!”
“Oh, come on, saying yes to a night of good sex doesn’t make you an easy boy!”
“He gave me this” and he passed the banknote.
“Not very elegant from him but…anyway, you can always go and tell him you don’t accept the money”
“Betsey, you don’t understand the point: money or not, I don’t want to have sex with him”
“Because…”
“Because I have someone in my life, right now” at least, he hoped he still had Toby.
“And you’re in love with this someone?” Betsey was smiling and Adil was starting to feel a little better.
“Yes, yes I do. For quite a long time, actually”
“Than, I take back everything I said about the Dutch. You don’t have to go”
“I’ve been tempted…for a moment, I really have been tempted to go…does this make me a bad person?”
Betsey took a minute to ponder her answer. That was her friend’s problem, not the other man’s proposal, but the fact that he has considered to accept it, and sees this as a sort of betrayal. Adil was too honest and fair, almost innocent in his feelings.
“Absolutely not. People fall in temptation ever since the beginning of ages…it’s in our nature. There must be a reason if you have been tempted, but you have decided not to go on this path, and that makes you a good person, Adil, not a bad one”
Of course he had a reason, that for sure he didn’t want to share with Betsey. Her words had a good effect on Adil, he knew what to do: he’ll give the money back to Mr. Van Der Hoolen, declining his offer and he’ll go to Toby to tell him what happened. He wanted his man to know the truth.
**********
Toby came to the lounge that night, to ask Adil to come to his room after work.
When he got inside his room, Toby was seated at the end of his bed, wearing only his shirt and his trousers, he looked tired, liked he didn’t sleep enough.
Adil stood in front of him, lifting his chin up with a finger, because he wanted to look in Toby’s eyes when he’d tell him.
He then took the banknote out of his pocket.
“Phillip Van Der Hoolen gave this, to go to his room tonight and have sex with him”
Toby turned his head, looking away from Adil, eyes full of tears and hands shaking.
Adil let the banknote fall on the ground, and gently made Toby turn to him again.
“Toby, look at me, please”
He did it, tears falling from his eyes.
“I’m here”
“I…don’t want to lose you”
“You won’t”
Adil smiled softly to him, taking his face with both his hands, and placing a kiss on his forehead, then holding firmly against him.
“When I saw the way he looked at you…I was out of my mind, and the way he talked to you and you…you seemed to be so pleased by his avances. I felt lost, and angry, and jealous and I didn’t know what to do”
“I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry to have put you through something like this! I know is not an excuse for my behaviour but…I’m human. I’m made of CARNE like every other man and I have been tempted. I stopped before making the biggest mistake of my life”
“You don’t have to apologise. It’s my fault…he offered you what I haven’t been able to give you in a month”
“Oh, no, no, no. Toby, Toby look at me: I wouldn’t change what we have with anything in this world, not even for what would have probably been one the best sex I’ve got until now. A night of sex with him can’t be compared with the joy I feel when we’re together, just talking, or kissing, or cuddling”
“But I made you wait too much”
“I could wait for you forever”
“You won’t have to…I’m ready”
Adil smiled softly to Toby, his thumbs caressing his cheeks. Toby was so nervous, and Adil understood.
“No, you’re not” when Toby tried to reply, he shushed him placing a finger on his mouth “and it’s completely fine. There are other things we can do, if you think you’re ready to let me discover your body. We’ll take it slowly, one step a time, like we’ve done until now. And when the moment will come, it will be wonderful, I swear”
Toby nodded and pulled him down for a kiss, full of everything he had inside his heart and wasn’t able to tell in words. He won’t let anyone to tempt Adil again, he was HIS, he would give himself completely to this wonderful man. He would be his one and only temptation.