Henry POV

Numerous bottles of wine and pots of beer were emptied during the next few hours. I was one of the few who could drink at profusion without getting too drunk, which made me enjoy my close encounters with the hired ladies at my side. My friends, all intoxicated, were busy with their playmates as well, as I could guess the ongoing coitus by their rhythmic movements and positions; the moans and frenetic panting were good hints as well.

One of the girls, Giselle, was striding my lap, her dress folded up over her thighs. She was kissing me feverishly, her tongue searching for mine; her lower body was rubbing against my bulging crotch. What made me hard was not the whore herself, even though she was rather comely; my arousal was due to the presence of James right next to us. He had remained there, still as a stone, while he swallowed down bucket of wine; but I knew that he glanced my way from time to time. And I could feel his restlessness whenever our gazes met.

The girl on top of me brought her hands to my waist and started fiddling with the buttons of my trousers. She pressed her palms and fondled my manhood through the fabric. A loud sigh escaped my lips at the gesture, then I saw something move in my peripheral view. James had rose from his seat and rushed to the stairway of the parlor; he was staggering, barely able to stand on his feet, probably too drunk for his own good.

"Ja— humph!" I started. But the prostitute shut me up with her lips.

She had completely opened the front of my pantaloons by now, my hard phallus ready to be ridden. I was halfway inside the girl when James' face appeared in my head. The thought almost made me come right away, so I had to stop the girl and make her get down my lap.

"Is something wrong M'lord?" she whined, out of breath.

"Sorry, Miss! I really have to go relieve myself! I will be right back!" I said as an excuse.

I got up on my feet and followed James' tracks up the stairs.

The old building had two levels, and I reckoned that there was a balcony on the last floor. I knew that James liked to go breathe some fresh air when he was overworked or drunk, as was the case that evening. I opened the door to the balcony and stepped out to see James' silhouette in the dim-lit night. I could see some white mist coming out of him, hinting that it was quite chilly up here.

James was supporting himself on the guardrail of the balcony, but I could see that his poise was uncertain. His wavering made me nervous, so I grabbed him by the arm just before he could fall forward. He jolted and tried to push me off but tripped over.

"Woah, easy there, friend!" I said as I caught him.

I carried him closer to the door for safety, where there was a torch.

"Don't touch me!" James mumbled.

He lifted his face; I could see his big blue eyes gleaming with the effects of alcohol. The very eyes that made me hard just moments before. The cute frown and hazy stare between James' eyebrows brought a smile on my lips.

"You still can't hold you wine, can you?" I teased while I pushed my friend against the wall.

"Sh-shut up!" he pouted. "It's your fault I'm like this! I told you I did not want to come!"

"Alright, alright! I honestly thought you could have fun tonight, my bad!" I apologized with a hand gesture.

James continued complaining, but I could not hear his words. I watched his full lips move and had a sudden idea.

"Oh, that's right!"

James paused, puzzled by the outburst. "Wh-what?"

"We did not conclude our bet, did we?" I said.

"Our bet...?"

"We wagered which one of us would get engaged first, remember?"

James' eyes got even bigger. "Ah, that's... right."

He remained silent for a second and seemed deep in thought. I loved how his eyes blinked when he was thinking hard, batting those long eyelashes of his.

"What... do you want then?" James finally asked with apprehension.

"Mm..." I feigned thinking even though I had already decided on my reward.

I leaned closer to my friend with a playful smile. "A kiss." I spoke. "I want a kiss."

He gaped at me in shock. "C-can't it be something else?! Why—"

"I thought you were an honorable gentleman, lord Ashbrook..." I pouted.

"I—" he sighed and closed his eyes in resignation. "Fine..."

My heart skipped a beat at the word; I was a lot more nervous than I thought I would be. I had already kissed James before, but this was different; we were adults now, not teenagers driven by puberty.

James still had his eyes closed, waiting. I brought my face closer and shivered a little when his warm breath touched my chin. I hesitated; was this the right thing to do? Our friendship was already so tenuous, this could break it for good... Then, as my lips grazed his, James let out a short whimper. That broke my resolve.

I placed my hand at the back of his head and locked our lips together. I tried to be gentle at first, but the sweet taste of wine intoxicated my sanity. I slid the tip of my tongue between James' tight-locked lips and prone his mouth open. James pressed his hands on my chest in a meek try to push me off; but the moan that followed betrayed his stimulation. I crooked my neck and kissed him deeper; his tongue reached out to mine instinctively, and I could feel his fingers clenching on my shirt. Then he raised his hands, caught both side of my face and restrained me for a moment.

"W-wait!" James said with trembling lips. "H-how long do we have to do this?!"

Even in the dark I could see his cheeks were flushed, and that made me want to tease him more.

"Until I say so, little James." I replied.

I nibbled his lower lip and resumed the kiss. I could not get enough of his soft lips; even the long list of women I seduced did not compare, not even my bride-to-be, if I dared be honest.

I embraced James' slim body with my arms and brought our bodies closer. James' arms were now tight around my shoulders, his nails digging in my flesh. I could feel the warmth of his skin through the fabric of our clothes, and it stirred something within me. I unconsciously grinded my pelvis against his lower body and moved one of my hands to his lower back. The wet sounds of the kiss and our breath were the only thing breaking the silence of the night, which only heightened our arousal. I was about to grab James' buttocks when a loud noise woke us from our trance.

We jumped apart and tried to catch our breath. And without a word, we started heading back downstairs to our friends; but James was still too drunk and could not walk straight. I passed my arm under his armpits and half-carried him.

When we arrived in the lounge room, we were explained that one of the girls had broken a whole tray of bottles, hence the noise. The news upset me; I would probably never get an opportunity like this again, and it was wasted by someone's clumsiness... I glanced sideways and saw that James had collapsed on a chair in a corner. I sighed at my friend's lack of awareness when he was drunk; then turned to Charles.

"I think it's best if we go back home..." I announced.

"What?!" the man said. "But the party has barely started!"

"I know... but I cannot leave James like this." I explained, pointing behind me.

"Let him sleep and come with us! He has always been a boring sissy anyway!"

I scowled at him. "What did you say?"

"Just look at him! He would be better off spending time with the ladies instead of men's parlors with that face of his!" Charles continued with a smirk. "I have always wondered what he would look like under me, if you know what I mean."

He mimed a hip thrust and my fist was at his face before I could think otherwise. The punch sent Charles flying above the low table and he landed on a sofa. I felt enraged for the first time in a long time.

"Don't you dare insult James!" I growled. "You are not half of the man he is, so go back to your ugly wife and shut your fucking mouth!"

I swirled around, caught James by the waist and left the parlor.

***

James POV

I heard Henry call for his carriage and felt him carry me in. He made me sit on one of the benches and sat next to me. I heard him sigh. The fight had sobered me up, but I did not dare open my eyes and speak to him. I remained still, my head leaning on Henry's shoulder, and recounted the events of the evening with dread. I should have stopped him, stop the kiss... But my uninhibited body had moved on its own. Just thinking about it made my skin tingle with arousal.

The car arrived at my house after what seemed like an eternity. I was going to open my eyes before I felt two hands lift me from my seat. Henry carried me in his arms to my bedroom and tucked me under the covers. His hand lingered on my face, and something wet pressed on my lips.

"Sweet night, Jamie."

I heard Henry walk out and leave. I finally opened my eyes and sat up in the bed. I felt hot; the kind of heat I had not felt for years; the kind of heat that only Henry had ever made me feel...

I will not go back there, ever again! I thought.

I rubbed my face and tried to go to sleep, but the night was filled with dreams and memories of Henry and I.

I was working with Henry the next day, and my hangover was crushing me. I could feel Henry's intense glances throughout the day, but I tried to avoid him.

"Tough day, is it?" Henry joked as he heard me groan for the hundredth time.

He approached me and poked my cheek. I scowled at him and shook my head.

"I told you it was your fault last night..." I said.

"You sure di—" He paused and stared at me. "How much do you remember about last night?"

My eyes got wide, I tried to avoid his suspicious gaze.

"Um, well... Not much actually. Just that part and you being with that girl." I said.

"So, you remember saying that precisely, but not what occurred right before or after...?" Henry pondered, cocking his head to the side.

"That's right... Why? D-Did something happen?"

My eyes were anywhere but on Henry the whole time, which he obviously noticed. He chuckled and leaned over my desk.

"You have always been a terrible liar, Jamie!" he said. "If you want people to believe you, you must look them straight in the eyes. Like this!"

He grabbed my ponytail and pull on it to make me look at him. His misty gaze plunged into mine and felt my lips quiver.

"Now tell me that you don't remember last night." Henry ordered. "Go on."

I swallowed hard and opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I bit my lip in frustration.

"Too bad..." Henry said, shaking his head. "I am a little hurt, James."

He started to walk to the door, grabbed the knob then stopped. He turned around and moved back to my desk. He gripped the front of my shirt and pulled me up towards him. His lips crashed on mine in a fleeting kiss, then he put me back down.

"Just in case." he said with a grin. "It would be too bad to forget such an amazing kiss, don't you think?"

This time Henry left the room. I could hear him whistle as he walked down the corridor; he was proud of himself. I, on the contrary, was shaking. I put a hand over my mouth and shut my eyes.

"Is everything a game to you...?" I whispered.

I looked outside my window and felt very tired. How were we supposed to get married in a few weeks when one of the grooms was acting like a teenager in heat? I watched the cloudy sky and prayed that everything would go as planned.