Brian quirked a brow as he watched Ted's approach. He was more than anxious to read what had better contain precisely what he needed to acquire the exquisite blond. It almost alarmed him how important it was quickly becoming to have this one man. Nothing in his vast experience compared to the instant attraction he felt toward young Justin. He couldn't even fathom going to bed tonight without having touched him - exploring him intimately. Leaving Vegas without having the pleasure of that perfect body was unthinkable and utterly unworkable. There wasn't a doubt lingering in Brian's mind - he must and would have him. The fact that Justin was involved with another man, meant nothing to him.

He was Brian Kinney.

A multi-billionaire.

If the things he desired didn't fall into his hands, which they undoubtedly did more often than not - other means were applied if the results were wanted badly enough. Turning his head to the lounge where Justin had just disappeared, Brian knew with the utmost of certainty this would be one of those times. No matter what the cost, he would succeed. First, he would use his charm and seductive skills. Very few men could resist that. If that failed, he would use any weakness known to be found to take what he wanted. The end result would be the same - he would have the blond.

Brian looked inquiringly at Ted when he was finally upon him. "I trust you have some information for me."

Ted nodded, before replying dryly, "You know, I came with you thinking to have a weekend away from your machinations. I just don't get what's so special about this kid to go to all this trouble."

"It doesn't really matter, does it, Theodore? I pay you what equates to a small fortune to carry out what I need, and this project took you probably all of ten minutes to complete. Why don't you just run along and enjoy yourself? I'll call if I need you for anything else," Brian snapped, angered that Ted was bitching about a matter that only required him to make some phone calls and retrieve a fax.

"Fine," Ted replied crisply. "I will be over at the blackjack table should your highness feel he needs me to procure for him further."

"You are a son-of-a-bitch, Schmidt. Why I put up with you I'll never understand" Brian growled, forcing himself to hold back a grin, unwilling to admit how much he not only enjoyed but admired Ted's outspokenness. It hadn't always been that way. Ted used to cower in the midst of one of Brian's tirades, but they had formed an understanding of sorts, and it was the perfect working relationship. Brian considered Ted to be one of his closest friends, and most importantly, he could trust him with anything. He knew in today's world, that was nothing to take for granted.

"Because I'm the only one that will put up with your bullshit..." Ted retorted, smiling briefly reading Brian all too well.

Brian narrowed his eyes on him, answering shortly, "Maybe I just haven't been searching hard enough." He opened the folder, beginning to glance at it when he realized their party was missing a body and had been for a while. "Where has our little sidekick gone off to? Wait. Don't tell me. He's in the salon getting in touch with his feminine side."

Ted glared briefly, yet unable to hold back a laugh. "You're such an ass, Brian. No, Michael said he didn't come here to hang about while you hunt for tricks, further stating he did that well enough back in New York. He wanted to go home, so Blake is taking him now."

"Oh, it's just as well," Brian mused. "I don't have time for babysitting this weekend. God knows what kind of trouble he would have fallen into here, and expected me to save him."

"Well, you are his hero. Comes with the territory..." Ted needlessly reminded him.

"Uh-huh. Go enjoy yourself, Ted. I do appreciate your handling this for me so quickly. I shouldn't need to bother you for the remainder of the weekend. If all goes well, I will be extremely busy," Brian replied, returning his attention to the file in his hands.

Ted rolled his eyes. "Spare me the details, Casanova. Call me if you need me."

Brian nodded before taking himself into the lounge to review the contents of the file in private. He would decipher any weakness and use them in the quickest manner possible should it become necessary. Stepping into the bustling lounge, Brian ignored all the interested looks he received, seeking and finding the first empty table. When the overtly friendly barmaid arrived immediately to greet him, he ordered a double shot of Beam and returned his attention back to the task at hand. His eyes scanned over the first page quickly. He filed the vital statistics into his memory banks immediately. He found his occupation to be of interest. Junior art director in an advertising agency in Pittsburgh. Brian smiled to himself, thinking that information could become useful at some point. Currently, he didn't have any business dealings in Pittsburgh, but you never know when circumstances could change.

He looked up when the flirtatious barmaid placed his drink before him. He smiled and thanked her, before dismissing her with his eyes, having no interest in feeding into her impossible fantasy. Before returning his attention back to his report, Brian's eyes scanned the room, his eyes boring into him. He wasn't certain why he felt them, he only knew he wanted to identify them. It only took a few moments to see who was staring at him so intently. Justin was alternating between his argument with his boyfriend and staring at Brian almost angrily. Only a mere five tables away from him, Brian's eyes openly caressed all he could view of the blond, before finishing his perusal with a bold wink. Brian laughed at Justin's look of angry embarrassment at both being caught, and Brian's brazen stare.

Uncaring about the report in front of him, Brian returned his stare with one of his own as he allowed the outraged blond to clearly see the lust in his eyes. Brian took it a step further when he silently mouthed words that he knew Justin would clearly intercept. Moving his lips slowly, his eyes hungry on the blond, they spoke, "I - want - you."

"Justin! Are you even listening to me?" Ethan demanded of his more than slightly distracted fiancé.

Shaking his head, unable to believe what his eyes had read falling from that arrogant man's lips, his gaze returned to meet Ethan's annoyed face, as he guiltily looked at him knowing he hadn't heard a word spoken. "No. I'm sorry, Ethan. Just trying to figure out what to do next."

"I've just told you, if you had been listening. I said let's not risk how much we've already won and go home now. Maybe we'll lose the new house, but there will be another. We have enough to pay the rent and probably enough for most of our wedding expenses," Ethan implored, obviously wanting to get out of Vegas, sooner rather than later.

Justin looked at his boyfriend incredulously while ignoring the ‘we've already won' reference. "Ethan, why would we do that? We are winning. Now isn't the time to quit. We can have it all, I know we can."

"And if you lose it all, then what?" Ethan asked him, as he took a long drink of his wine, looking down his nose in disdain at everyone coming and going in the busy lounge.

"Then we do what other people do. We pick up the pieces and move on. How about I make a compromise with you?" Justin asked.

Ethan looked at him dubiously, before asking, "What kind?"

"Okay. We don't dip below what we came with. I will give you what we've gained and you can lock it up for safekeeping," Justin suggested, reaching into his pockets to retrieve the money in chips that were the amount he had won so far.

"I guess that's okay, as long as you can stick to it," Ethan responded doubtfully. Pocketing the heavy chips, he told Justin, "I'll cash them in and secure a safe."

"That's not a problem for me. I'm doing this to help us. I don't intend on setting us back."

Ethan nodded. "I know that, baby." Looking at Justin yearningly, Ethan whispered, "I was hoping for a lie down with my gorgeous fiancé before you hit the tables again. How about I go cash these in and we go try out that luxurious bed upstairs..."

"Mmm, sounds great. I'm going to mingle down here for a bit and see what I want to get into next," Justin told him, eyes glancing over to the obnoxious man that was still alternating between his reading and stabbing into Justin with his penetrating eyes. He didn't want to mingle, he wanted to give that man another piece of his mind.

Ethan stood up, leaning down to kiss Justin softly on the lips, seemingly oblivious to Justin's lukewarm response. "I'll be waiting."

Justin smiled, watching as Ethan departed, pausing to take a deep breath before standing to approach the man that had been all but summoning him with his eyes. Gritting his teeth, Justin moved toward him, stopping at the other side of the table, looking down on him in irritation. "Mr. Kinney, this has to stop."

Brian closed the folder, looking up at the object of his newfound obsession with molten pools of need. "What might that be, Justin?"

"You are blatantly stalking me. I think I've made my position very clear. I am engaged to be married. I love him, meaning, I am not interested in pursuing anything with you," Justin hissed under his breath.

Brian's voice became husky and deep. "I never thought myself to become so cliché, but damn, if you're not the hottest thing when you release that anger. How I'd love to have it unleashed on me in private."

"That will never happen. I assume you are accustomed to having everything you want, but it stops here with me. You are never going to have me. Not ever!" Justin continued to rage.

Brian laughed aloud, charmed, and aroused more than he ever had been in his life. "Oh but you are so wrong, little boy. I already have you, and we both know it."

"You're crazy. Absolutely insane..."

"On the contrary, Justin. You want me, and we both know it," Brian rasped, restraining the urge to reach out and drag the tempestuous blond away from here. If they were alone, he would kiss the boy into submission.

Justin's eyes perceptively widened as he denied, "No, it's not true. I love Ethan. I don't want you. I abhor all you stand for, Mr. Kinney. You think you can buy anything that takes your fancy, maybe you can in your circles, but not in my world. You will never buy me."

Brian stood up, towering over Justin, smiling as he watched the blond retreat to maintain a safe distance. He moved closer, his eyes moving up and down Justin's tense body. His voice dropped to a guttural pitch born out of his desire that he knew only this boy could satisfy.

"You would be surprised how resourceful I can be, Justin. It may not be tonight or even tomorrow, but I will find where you are weakest and I will act. Mark my words, Justin, you will be mine."

Justin's eyes became dizzy as he fell into the lust-filled ones before him. He felt himself moving forward almost as if magnetized. It wasn't until he focused on the self-satisfied smirk on the predator's face that he could shake his head to clear it.

"Never," Justin softly whispered, willing his mind back on his fiancé that awaited him upstairs.

Brian reached out, trailing his hand down Justin's cheek before telling him, "Never is a long time, Justin. Think about it, and what you want. Once you do that, come to me. I will give you an experience you will never forget."

"I can't do that. I won't betray my fiancé. Goodbye, Mr. Kinney," Justin said, moving to rush away before he did something stupid like kiss the most beautiful, albeit aggravating man he'd ever met.

Brian opened his phone, more than pleased with the timing of the next phase of his plan. "This is Brian Kinney. I want the package delivered to Mr. Taylor immediately." Brian smiled as he ended the call, uncaring of how calculating he was being, only knowing this was a battle he fully intended to win - fair play or not. Brian picked up his folder, taking the elevator up to his suite, instinctively knowing an irate Justin would visit him soon, and when he did, Brian would have him precisely where he wanted him most. Alone, and learning first-hand what it meant to be hunted by Brian Kinney.

Justin slipped into the room quietly, part of him hoping that Ethan had fallen asleep during his wait. His hopes were immediately dashed when Ethan stood glaring at him in undisguised fury. He stepped forward, his eyes widening in shock as Ethan jerked his arm back when Justin moved to touch him.

"Ethan, what's wrong?"

"Lies, Justin. All of it. Has anything you've been telling me been the truth?" Ethan demanded, his face red in rage.

"What are you talking about?" Justin demanded in his confusion.

"You said you had never met that man before coming here."

Justin groaned, thinking he must have doubled back and seen them together.

"We were just talking, Ethan. I don't know him."

"Talking? What kind of a fool do you take me for, Justin? Tell me why he would send you such a gift if you hadn't given him something in return?!" Ethan yelled, motioning toward the opened box on the table.

"He sent me a gift?" Justin asked, moving toward the box, immediately recognizing the suit he had been admiring when they had first met. "It doesn't mean anything, Ethan. Yes, he's been hitting on me, but I've turned him down at every turn. He's just trying to cause problems between us. Don't let him."

"Well, he's succeeding admirably, but you know what? I don't believe you. That's an Armani suit. Do you know how much that costs?" Ethan continued on in anger.

Justin nodded. "I know very well. I was trying it on when I met him. He admired it and said I should have it. I told him I couldn't afford it, and then I left the gift shop. I don't plan to accept it."

"I'm going out. I can't deal with this right now. I told you I didn't want to come here. It's been nothing but trouble since we arrived. You can fix this, Justin. We can leave now and put this behind us."

Justin closed the lid on the box, seething inside at the constant interference of Brian Kinney.

"I need to return this. I swear this ends now, Ethan."

"I'm leaving in the morning, Justin. With or without you. Make your choice," Ethan spat out, heading toward the door.

"That sounds like an ultimatum..."

Ethan gave Justin one fleeting glance. "Maybe it is. Perhaps you'd better think about it."

Justin pocketed his key card and grabbed the box, his destination more than certain. He would throw this package directly at the arrogant Mr. Kinney's head, and then it would be over. There was no place in his life for the Brian Kinney's of this world, and he would make that clear once and for all. Now, if only he could still his rapidly beating heart that raced in erratic fashion at the mere thought of being near that man again. It had to be nerves and outrage. It couldn't be anything else. He believed that. Didn't he?

TBC