Page 2 of Private Exhibit (Gentleman Hackers #4)

ANDY GERARD had to be out of his mind.

He huddled against the wall of the main exhibition room in The Dungeon, a popular nightclub in downtown New Haven.

This room used to be his playground. His domain.

Then it had become the only break he allowed himself.

Little moments snatched here and there over the years when his work got to be too much and he needed a chance to reset.

A chance to clear his head and get some relief.

Gods knew he hadn't been able to get any relief at home.

Technically, he'd never cheated on Lydia.

He'd never actually touched another person when he went to the club.

Not that it really would have mattered, considering their marriage had been over before it ever really began, but still.

Andy would merely sit in a chair and jerk himself off while any number of strangers watched.

And so many had watched. Andy hadn't even had to look to know that subs zeroed in on him like magnets.

He felt it. Hells, there had also been plenty of doms who stopped what they were doing and drooled over the sight of him pleasuring himself.

It had always been enough. Nothing had ever aroused him as much as having an audience, even if that audience was only one person. He'd wanted more, of course. So much more. And he'd had it, for a time, with Lydia.

Until he discovered her betrayal.

Andy winced. Twenty years, and it still hurt.

That was behind them now, though. It was all over. His marriage. His family. His work. Andy was free to move on. Had been for a few years.

But this was the first time since Junior died that he'd actually set foot in the club.

Gods. What am I doing here? Andy shook his head. He didn't deserve to move on. Didn't deserve to find someone new. He'd trusted and loved the wrong person, and then utterly failed to save his own son's life.

He deserved to be alone.

But his apartment was too quiet and empty. He'd felt like a caged animal, pacing the cavernous space and having nothing to do. So he'd come here on a whim, hoping.

Hoping for what? For true love to strike twice? Andy snorted a laugh. He wasn't that lucky. And it wasn't like Lydia had turned out to be true love, after all. True love didn't keep enormous secrets like she had done.

Andy started to turn away, thinking this was a mistake, then lurched to a stop as a group of people entered the exhibition room.

Holy hells . At the front of the group was a perfect little specimen.

Exactly Andy's type, when he was in the mood for a boy instead of a girl: slender body, platinum blond hair, makeup, skirt and high heels.

And the boy's tight shirt read, Yes, Daddy .

Fuck . Andy could so easily picture that stunning creature down on his knees.

The group arranged themselves at one side of the room.

In the midst of the group was Thomas Pennington, owner of Charter Bank.

Andy had never officially met the man but he knew him by reputation.

Pennington donated huge sums to University Hospital, where Andy worked.

Despite his charity, he'd been described as the coldest man on Agoran, and pictures of him certainly hadn't done justice to the marble rigidity of his features.

Andy flashed back to medical school, his mind conjuring up memories of text about comparative biology of different races around the world.

Though short for his kind, Pennington was clearly a Falsiner by birth.

The man blended in well—his hair was cut short instead of hanging down to his waist, and he wore a three-piece suit instead of furs—but his smooth face looked incapable of expression and that bone structure was unmistakable.

Speaking of bones . Andy frowned and took a step closer. Holy shit . Pennington had human finger bones tied into his hair. What the hells?

Andy watched as Pennington was positioned with his back against the wall while the sexy blond stood before him. The rest of the group arranged themselves in a semicircle, giving the pair a semblance of privacy in an otherwise very public space.

Several others moved closer to watch, Andy included. He peered over the heads of those in the semicircle and cursed as the blond got down on his knees, swallowing Pennington's enormous cock.

Fuck . Andy's own cock went hard at the sight while envy coursed through him. This was no mere one-off scene. Something about it spoke of deep connection. Commitment. The little blond belonged to Pennington, and that was all there was to it.

The people in the semicircle all shifted uncomfortably. Andy bit back a laugh. Some people just weren't cut out for voyeurism, but none of them looked away. They took the scene seriously, giving it their full attention.

Andy scanned the group. At one end stood a heterosexual couple, the two of them probably ten years older than Andy himself.

They looked the most awkward, like they wanted to bolt at any second.

Beside them stood a big, muscular man with his arm around a boy who looked identical to the sexy blond, except this boy's hair was black.

Next was a bearded man who had his arms around two boys.

Andy blinked, realizing one of the boys was a ghost.

Frankie! he thought, recognizing the young man.

Andy had done the boy's autopsy after Frankie had died in a structure fire.

It was one of the first autopsies Andy had done after taking over the morgue a few years ago.

Poor Frankie had been devastated at the time, discovering his lover was unable to see him.

By the looks of things, that had changed.

Andy couldn't help smiling a little at the sight.

At least someone was getting a happy ending, and that boy definitely deserved it.

That just left one observer who stood at the end of the semicircle, all alone.

Andy gave him a quick, dismissive glance and started to look away.

The boy was plain. Average. There was absolutely nothing remarkable about his features.

Brown hair. Brown eyes. A face that could generously be described as cute.

He was the kind of person who could be easily forgotten.

Compared to the sexy blond, he was utterly dull.

Except for one thing.

Andy whipped his head back around and stared at him. Holy shit . Of all the people watching the scene, this boy was the only one whose attention was absolutely riveted . There was no shame or embarrassment there. No discomfort.

This boy clearly loved to watch.

Oh hells . Andy's cock throbbed painfully behind his zipper as he continued staring at the boy, the scene forgotten. Gods . Had anyone ever looked at him that way? Had Lydia? Andy shook his head. Not even his supposed soulmate had ever given him that much rapt attention.

More than anything in the world, Andy suddenly wanted those eyes on himself.

A shiver ran up his spine. Andy tensed, feeling goosebumps rise all over his skin. Someone was watching him.

But not in the way he liked.

Andy slowly turned, scanning the room both with his eyes and his mind. He felt a presence there. Something dark and fiercely protective. Andy followed the sense and caught a fleeting glimpse of long, dark hair and a hooded sweatshirt.

Before he could get a better look, the figure vanished.

Andy blinked. The hells?

He quickly searched the room, but with all the movement and activity going on, Andy couldn't spot the guy. There was still a presence. Something Andy could only sense with his mind. But the guy was simply invisible.

Andy turned away with a shudder and went back to watching the boy.

The end of the scene caught him by surprise. A sudden cheer rose up, both from the semicircle and the room in general. Andy glanced at Pennington and saw the tiniest hint of a smile on his rigid face, while the sexy blond stood up and gave the man a kiss.

Andy looked for the other boy.

The whole room seemed to move at once, blocking his view.

Andy stepped forward, frantically searching.

He had to have that riveted gaze on himself.

Just once. Even if only for a few moments.

He had to know how it felt. There was no way he deserved it, but he simply couldn't resist. Every fiber of his being craved it.

Andy spotted Pennington, then searched immediately around the man. The rest of the group were near the hallway, leaving the room, but Pennington stood with his sexy blond, talking to the boy with the riveted gaze. Andy inched closer.

“You're welcome to join us,” the blond said.

The boy's face lit up with a smile, but he paused, tilting his head as though listening to something. A frown started to crease his brow. “Um. I'll catch up.”

“Alright.” The blond beamed at him and took Pennington's arm. “See you upstairs!”

The couple left, and Andy waited, watching the boy. The little thing stayed right where he was, slowly searching the room. Could he feel Andy watching him? Hells . Could he hear Andy's thoughts?

The boy moved. Slowly. Andy followed his gaze. At the same moment, the boy suddenly stopped and Andy caught another glimpse of long, dark hair.

Once again, the hooded figure simply vanished from sight. There one moment and gone the next.

The boy frowned, and Andy studied him. Had the boy felt that dark presence the same way Andy had? Could he sense things beyond what was visible?

Look at me , Andy mentally begged. Please, look at me.

The boy didn't react. If anything, it looked like he was still searching for the man who'd disappeared. Finally, the boy shook his head. He turned away, only to stop with a gasp, looking straight at Andy.

Andy sucked in a breath. My gods. Those eyes. He could live in that gaze. Drown in it. He could die right then, in that very moment, and feel like it had all been worth it.

But still he wanted more. He had to have more.

Andy crooked a finger, beckoning the little thing closer.

The boy swallowed hard, then glanced over his shoulder before pointing at himself. “Me?” he mouthed.

Andy gave him a single, slow nod.

The boy took a step forward, never breaking eye-contact.

Andy smiled. He quickly checked their surroundings and spotted an empty armchair. Andy snatched up a cushion from a pile nearby, then set it carefully and deliberately on the floor, an invitation rather than an order. He sat down in the chair, planting his feet and resting his arms at his sides.

The boy inched his way closer, eyes wide and chest heaving. He slowly lowered himself to the cushion, hesitating between kneeling and sitting. The boy finally settled on the latter, drawing up his knees and hugging them to his chest.

Andy held the boy's intense gaze as he reached for his belt.

The boy gasped, breaking eye-contact to look down. He never blinked as Andy slowly freed his cock, holding it out so the boy could see every inch of it. The boy licked his lips, then glanced up at Andy's face, his gaze begging.

Andy grinned and began to stroke himself.

The boy fixated on every movement of Andy's hand, looking utterly mesmerized. It was like he'd entirely forgotten the room around him. The mass of bodies. All the various cries of pleasure and pain that filled the air.

Nothing existed beyond the two of them.

Andy shuddered. My gods. This . This was what he'd been missing for his entire life. Hells . Had he really thought he'd never know a more profound connection than the one he'd felt with Lydia? This blew that one right out of the water. And he didn't even know this boy!

But he wanted to. For the first time in decades, he wanted to know someone. Wanted to risk his fragile, broken heart and see if there was a chance it could be healed.

He didn't deserve it. But— Gods! —he wanted it!

Andy felt his orgasm coming way too fast. He tried to slow down. To hold it off. He wanted to live in this moment as long as possible. Forever, even.

But the boy's worshipful gaze made everything feel so much more intense. The pleasure rushed through him. Not even the gods could stop it.

With his free hand, Andy yanked his shirt up to his chest, then threw his head back with a cry as he came. He felt seemingly endless jets of cum striking his skin, dripping down his torso. It went on and on and on. He came like he'd never come before.

Andy slumped into the chair, chest heaving. He tried opening his eyes, but his vision was blotched and hazy. Andy took a moment to catch his breath, reveling in the sheer intensity of the experience. Holy shit . Nothing in the world could top that.

A lazy smile took over as he slowly opened his eyes. Andy looked down, eager to see the rapture on the boy's face. Desperate to know if the boy had enjoyed what he'd seen.

Andy jerked upright in the chair, frantically searching the room. But it was no use.

The boy was gone.