Story #1 of "Across the Divide: Stories of Gay Romance Between Rivals"
Julian Clarke lived for the fight. The sharper the cross-examination, the better. Today had been particularly brutal, twelve hours of back-and-forth in a corporate merger case that would make or break his career at Morrison & Webb. And standing across the courtroom, looking infuriatingly confident in his charcoal suit, was Elias Grant.
Elias freaking Grant. The man who could dismantle an argument with a smile and make objections sound like poetry. Julian hated how good he was. Hated the way he loosened his tie just slightly when he was about to deliver a knockout blow. Hated how those dark eyes seemed to see right through every defense Julian constructed.
Okay, "hate" might be too strong a word. But Julian definitely didn't like him.
When the Power Goes Out
The courthouse elevator was mercifully empty when Julian stepped in at 8 PM, briefcase in hand, ready to go home and drown his frustrations in whiskey. He jabbed the lobby button with more force than necessary.
"Hold it!"
Of course. Of course it would be him.
Elias slipped through the closing doors, his own briefcase looking significantly lighter than Julian's overloaded one. They stood in pointed silence as the elevator lurched downward. Julian counted floors. Fifteen. Fourteen. Thirteen.
Then the lights flickered.
And died.
The elevator jerked to a sudden stop, throwing Julian forward. Strong hands caught his shoulders, steadying him in the darkness. Elias's hands. Julian could smell his cologne: something woodsy and expensive that had been distracting him all day in court.
"You okay?" Elias's voice was closer than expected.
"Fine," Julian said, stepping back quickly. Too quickly. His back hit the elevator wall. "Just great. Stuck in an elevator with opposing counsel. This is literally my nightmare."
A low chuckle came from the darkness. "Your nightmare? I was planning to celebrate tonight. Had a date with a very expensive bottle of wine."
"Celebrating what? You didn't win anything today."
"Neither did you, Clarke."
The emergency lights flickered on, bathing them in a dim amber glow. They were close: too close: in the small space. Julian could see the five o'clock shadow on Elias's jaw, the way his shirt had come slightly untucked, the exhaustion around his eyes that probably mirrored Julian's own.
"How long do you think: " Julian started.
"Could be hours. The whole building lost power."
Enemies to… Something Else
They tried the emergency phone. Dead. Cell service? Non-existent in the metal box. Julian sank to the floor, loosening his tie. After a moment's hesitation, Elias did the same, sitting across from him with his back against the opposite wall.
"So," Elias said eventually. "We're doing this."
"Doing what?"
"The forced proximity thing. It's very MM romance of us."
Julian's head snapped up. "You read MM romance?"
Elias's smile was dangerous. "You say that like you don't."
Heat crept up Julian's neck. He absolutely did read MM romance books: late at night, downloaded discreetly to his Kindle, especially the enemies-to-lovers ones that hit a little too close to home. But Elias Grant wasn't supposed to know that. Elias Grant wasn't supposed to read them too.
"I might have a… passing familiarity with the genre," Julian admitted.
"Right. And I might have noticed you watching me during the Morrison deposition last month."
The elevator suddenly felt smaller. Warmer.
"I was studying your technique," Julian said defensively.
"My technique." Elias's voice had dropped half an octave. "Is that what we're calling it?"
"What are you: "
"Come on, Clarke. You think I haven't felt it? Every time we're in the same room, there's this… charge. Like the air right before a thunderstorm." Elias leaned forward slightly. "And I'm not just talking about legal tension."
Julian's mouth went dry. He should deny it. Should laugh it off. Should definitely not be staring at Elias's lips in the amber emergency lighting.
"This is insane," Julian said. "We're opposing counsel. We're rivals. You're literally trying to destroy my client's case."
"True." Elias stood, crossing the small space in two steps. He extended a hand. "But right now, we're just two guys stuck in an elevator. No case. No clients. Just us."
The Moment Everything Changes
Julian took his hand. Let Elias pull him to his feet. They were inches apart now, and Julian could feel the heat radiating off Elias's body. The way Elias's thumb brushed across his knuckles was definitely not professional.
"This is a terrible idea," Julian whispered.
"The worst," Elias agreed. His free hand came up to Julian's jaw, tilting his face up slightly. "For the record, I don't hate arguing with you. I think it's the highlight of my week. You're brilliant when you're building a case. Relentless. It's…"
"It's what?"
"Incredibly hot."
Julian's laugh came out shaky. "You realize this is probably an ethical violation of some kind."
"We're not discussing the case." Elias's lips were so close now. "We're just… talking."
"Is that what this is?"
"Would you rather I stop talking?"
Julian answered by closing the distance between them.
The kiss was nothing like their courtroom battles: no strategy, no calculated moves. Just heat and want and months of suppressed tension finally breaking free. Elias tasted like coffee and mint, and his hands were everywhere: Julian's hair, his waist, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Elias rested his forehead against Julian's.
"We should probably talk about this," Elias murmured.
"Later," Julian said. "After we get out of here. After the case wraps. But right now…" He pulled Elias back in for another kiss.
The elevator lights flickered back on twenty minutes later. By the time the doors opened to reveal concerned building security, Julian and Elias were sitting on opposite sides of the elevator again, ties straightened, professional masks back in place.
But Julian's lips were swollen, his hair slightly messed, and he was pretty sure security noticed the way Elias's hand lingered on his back as they exited.
In his pocket, Julian's phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.
Dinner? After the verdict. Win or lose.
He looked back to see Elias smirking at him from across the lobby, phone in hand.
Julian typed back: You're on, Grant.
Maybe rivals could become something more after all.
Looking for more enemies-to-lovers MM romance? This is just the first story in our "Across the Divide" series! For more gay romance novels featuring rivals who can't resist each other, check out our collection at Readwithpride.com.
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