I know I don't know you
But I want you so bad
Everyone has a secret
But can they keep it
Oh no they can't
-Secret by Maroon 5-

July in New York City.

Hot and sweltering.

Air conditioners ran constantly.

Including the one in Blaine's loft.

But it didn't help.

Blaine was a walking inferno of lust and sexual desperation. His texts left Kurt guilty, on edge and turned on.

B – I need my cock in your ass, NOW

K- Don't type stuff like that

B- Y not. It's true. I wanna suck you hard and feel you cum down my throat

K- I'm at work

B – So am I

K – I miss you fucking me

B – I miss me fucking you. Come home.

K – Can't

B – Please 3

K – Maybe end of September

Blaine sighed and returned to the brief he'd been staring at for the past hour. In addition to his sexual frustration, work was depressing the hell out of him. Mike had not asked him to sit in on any more meetings since the Jamison case. As a matter of fact, Mike was on vacation and Samantha was with him. Blaine missed Samantha. She had turned into a good friend. In addition to their coffee dates, they had started going shopping and clubbing together. Blaine figured it didn't hurt to make nice with the boss's daughter, plus he really did like her. She had a great sense of humor and was fun to be with. If he were straight, he would totally date her.

Despite having friends to call and hang out with, Blaine was lonely. He missed Kurt desperately, and he was growing worried. He was now noticeably paler and for the first time in years, Blaine felt weak. Very weak. The darkness had stopped kicking his ass at night. Instead, it lay quietly, resigned to the fact that Kurt was not coming home. Both the darkness and Blaine were depressed.

To counter the weakness, the depression and the sexual frustration, Blaine started spending lots of time at the gym. He played racquet ball and occasionally he would find someone to play tennis with. He ran on the treadmill, worked out with the weights, and constantly turned down invitations for drinks or dinner from both men and women. Sometimes, he found it hard to turn down the invitations from men, especially the purely sexual ones. His body was begging to have sex. But, Blaine wanted Kurt. His body would just have to wait until September.

One hot Friday night, Blaine decided he couldn't stand it in his loft anymore. The walls were closing in on him. He grabbed his messenger bag, stuffed it with a few copies of law journals he hadn't had a chance to read, and headed out.

Blaine walked until he reached the coffeehouse. He went in, ordered an iced medium drip and sat down at a table. There was a guy playing guitar and singing, I'll Make a Man Out of You. There were several people sitting and listening, laughing and talking. Blaine opened one of the law journals and started flipping through aimlessly.

After a few minutes, he could feel someone watching him. He looked up.

His honey-amber eyes met green ones.

He was standing right in front of Blaine's table. He was a head taller than Blaine. His skin was smooth and had a dark olive undertone. His black hair was cut very short on the sides, longer on top. His eyes were an amazing deep green. His body was muscular, strong and sexy.

They stared at each other for about a minute before he pulled out the chair and sat down. Blaine felt the electricity run through him.

Attraction.

"Hello handsome."

"Where have you been?"

Shit! Blaine couldn't believe he'd just asked that. It sounded so desperate.

"I didn't go to NYU. I went to Columbia."

"Then how did you find me?"

"I saw you at one of those Law Society mixers."

They sat in silence for another minute, staring at each other.

"I'm Jace Harrington."

"Blaine Anderson."

They continued sitting in silence, staring at each other. Finally, Jace looked around.

"Where's your slave?"

Blaine frowned. It was strange to hear someone refer to Kurt that way. For some reason, he didn't want Jace to know he had let Kurt leave.

"Studying."

"In the summer?"

"Yes."

Jace gave him a hard stare. Blaine stared back. He was full of curiosity. What were Jace's powers? Were they the same as his? Would they work on him? Had he found a slave yet? Why was his cock so fucking hard?

Jace's eye color deepened. The electricity running through Blaine grew hotter as the darkness slowly swirled around. He was so hard, it was starting to hurt. What the hell was wrong with him?

"Did you find your slave?"

Jace sighed "No. It's difficult. I see plenty of beautiful boys all the time, but never...the...right...one." As he spoke the last three words, Jace's eye color deepened further. He leaned in closer to Blaine. Their eyes were locked on one another. Jace slowly and seductively licked his lips.

Blaine's eyes fluttered closed and then open.

What the fuck?

Blaine leaned back. "Why are you like me? Where did you get your darkness from?"

Jace sat back and looked around. His eyes returned to normal.

"Not here. Have dinner with me tomorrow night."

"Where?"

"My place."

Blaine was surprised. Not what he was expecting.

Should he do this? Go to this guy's apartment?

A guy he was attracted to who didn't have a slave?

The darkness was slithering. Blaine could have sworn it was moaning.

This could be dangerous. He wasn't sure why. It was just a feeling.

But...he was really curious. He'd never thought about the fact that there might be someone out there like him.

This could be very interesting.

And really dangerous.

"Where do you live?"

Late Saturday afternoon, Blaine took a shower. Before getting dressed, he stared at himself in the mirror. Still pale. Still weak.

Shit.

He put on a shirt Kurt had given him along with a pair of jeans Kurt loved. He put on a bracelet Kurt had designed and given him for Christmas and sprayed himself with Kurt's favorite cologne. All reminders of his boyfriend. His fiancee. He checked the clock. 6:00 pm. Midnight in Paris. He decided to take a chance.

"Bonjour!"

"Kurt?" Blaine could hear music and laughter in the background.

"Wait a minute! Let me go outside!"

Blaine heard Kurt say something in French. In a few moments, the background was quieter.

"Blaine?" Kurt sounded breathless.

"Where are you?"

"I'm at a party." Kurt was hyper.

Blaine's eye color deepened as the darkness started swirling around, anxiously.

"With who?"

"What?"

"Who are you at the party with?"

"A bunch of people! Is everything okay? What do you want?"

What the fuck?

"Blaine? Can we just talk tomorrow?"

"Yeah, Kurt. Tomorrow." He hung up.

What the hell was Kurt doing in Paris? Blaine stood there thinking. He could call Kurt back and order him home. Should he do it?

No. He was due at Jace's at 7:00 pm. He would deal with Kurt later.

Jace lived on the upper east side in a condo building called The Laurel. It was the type of building Blaine and Kurt planned to live in, once Blaine made partner. What the hell did Jace do for a living that he could afford such luxurious living at such a young age?

Jace lived on the 22nd floor. The doorman greeted Blaine.

"Good evening, sir. Who are you here for?"

"Jace Harrington."

"Ah, yes Mr. Anderson. Go right up."

"Thanks."

When Blaine stepped off the elevator and approached the door, it swung open automatically, just like O's.

He walked in and stopped in the hallway. An older, short, silver-haired man came around the corner. He wasn't the slightest bit surprised to see Blaine standing there.

"Welcome. I'm Frances, the family chef. Mr. Jace said for you to make yourself at home. May I offer you a glass of wine? We have a lovely Riesling to go with this evening's meal."

Wine. Yes. Definitely. But just one glass.

"That would be great. Thanks."

Blaine stood in the middle of the living room and looked around. The room was huge and decorated in a very minimalist style. There was a sleek, black leather couch near one wall, with a long, rectangular glass table in front of it. There were two black leather chairs that matched the couch and a huge flat screen on the wall. Another wall was almost completely windows, providing an amazing view of the city. There was a black and silver desk in the corner and one black bookshelf. Everything was clean, smooth and modern.

"Here you are." Frances handed Blaine the glass. "Mr. Jace will be right out. Please excuse me while I complete dinner."

"Sure. Thanks."

Blaine sipped the wine and allowed his mind to wander to Kurt. What was Kurt up to? Maybe it was time to put an end to this Paris nonsense. Things were getting out of...

Jace walked into the room. "Hello Blaine."

Damn.

Jace was wearing black pants and a silver-gray button down shirt. His hair was styled in a purposefully messy way. He looked sinfully sexy.

And Blaine was having trouble breathing.

"Thanks for coming tonight."

"Thanks for inviting me."

They stood there staring at each other, their eyes turning three shades darker. Blaine could sense Jace's darkness. Blaine wondered if he could sense his. Or, had it grown too weak.

Frances came in and broke their gaze.

"Gentlemen, dinner is served. Mr. Jace, I will be leaving now."

"Thank you Frances. I'll see you later." Jace turned to Blaine. "Hungry?"

So many answers to that question. Blaine just nodded.

Blaine followed him into the dining room. The table leaves had been removed to create a smaller table, suitable for Jace and Blaine to sit across from one another and not be too far apart for comfortable conversation.

"What are we having?"

"Steak, grilled vegetables, wild rice."

Blaine almost tripped. His favorite meal. He stared at Jace. Had he known that?

Once they were seated, Jace looked into Blaine's eyes.

"So, tell me everything about you. Everything."

Blaine smiled. Those words sounded very familiar, as did the tone. Not so fast, Jace.

"You first."

Jace was 21 and originally from Virginia. He graduated from Columbia with a degree in business. He worked for a consulting firm. His family was very wealthy. Old money. The condo was purchased for him by his parents. They owned a smaller one a few floors down, but were rarely there. They preferred Virginia to the city and only came to town on business.

Blaine gave Jace a similar rundown. 21, originally from Ohio. Starting law school in the fall. His family was wealthy, but nowhere near as wealthy as Jace's. He left out the specifics around the politics, but Jace had done his homework.

"You are the grandson of Jim Anderson, congressman from Ohio."

"Yeah, that's right."

"Your grandfather was powerful. And, I don't mean politically."

Blaine said nothing. He wasn't sharing anything until he heard Jace's story.

"Tell me where your darkness comes from?"

Jace took a sip of wine and rested his chin on his folded hands. He looked into Blaine's eyes and began to speak.

"Back in the 1800's, Virginia was a major slave state. Slaves were used to work the plantations. After the Civil War, the slaves were freed but of course, they had no where to go. Most ended up remaining on the plantations as sharecroppers which was nothing but legalized slavery. Former slave owners rented their land to freed slaves in exchange for a portion of the crops, but then charged them for the seeds, livestock, etc. Basically, they set up a system where freed slaves would never really be free. They would always be indebted to the white landowners.

At one time, my great-great grandfather owned almost half the plantation land in Virginia. Like other white landowners, he participated in the sharecropping system, but he was fair about it. He really did allow Blacks to eventually earn their land. He did it quietly so he didn't draw attention to himself or the Black families. He knew that if other white landowners found out what he was up to, they would have a fit. His son, my great-grandfather, Jessie Harrington, followed his father's example. He allowed Blacks to earn land, but he was even more generous. He gave Black families land for free.

One of my great-grandfather's closest friends, was a Black man named Brian Samuel. One summer, Brian met and married a young girl named Lee Lee from New Orleans. Lee Lee was beautiful, feisty and full of stories about voodoo, black magic and her magical powers. Of course no one took her seriously, but everyone humored her and respected her because...well...you never know, do you?

As a wedding gift, my great-grandfather Jessie gave Brian and Lee Lee, 800 acres of prime land. He had decided he didn't want our family's future to be in farming. Instead, he wanted to move into manufacturing. He started manufacturing farm equipment and then moved into manufacturing other types of machines which is the core of the family business today.

Anyway, once the papers were filed and the deed recorded for the 800 acres that now belonged to Brian and Lee Lee, whites in town were hot and pissed. My great-grandfather had just made a Black man one of the richest land owners in the county. They couldn't come after him because he was white, rich and quickly becoming a major employer thanks to the manufacturing plants. So instead, they decided to go after Brian and teach him a lesson about his so called, proper place as a Black man.

One night, they show up at Brian and Lee Lee's home. They dragged Brian out of the house and disappeared with him into the night. Lee Lee ran all the way to my great-grandfather's place for help. My great-grandfather grabbed his shotgun and him, his brother and his best friend, set out after them. They caught up with the racist assholes and managed to rescue Brian, but not before they had beaten him so bad, he almost died.

A few weeks later, Lee Lee came to my great-grandparent's house to thank Jessie for rescuing Brian. My great-grandmother Claire was pregnant at the time. Lee Lee placed her hands on Claire's stomach, closed her eyes, and said some strange words that no one understood. She claimed it was a voodoo blessing upon the child Claire was carrying. He would be blessed with the dark power of controlling others. The power would allow him to protect himself and bend others to his will. Claire and Jessie didn't believe any of it, but they smiled and nodded and didn't think about it again. After a difficult labor and delivery, Claire gave birth to a baby boy they named Jason.

When my grandfather Jason turned 16, he started feeling something inside him. He told his father about it. At first his father ignored him, but as time went on, it was obvious that something was different about Jason. Jessie and Claire remembered Lee Lee's claims of blessing their child with powers and decided to contact her. She was still living on the land Jessie had given her. Brian had died a few years earlier. My grandfather and his parents paid her a visit and she explained the darkness to Jason. My great-grandparent's still didn't believe it, but it seemed to give Jason peace, so they didn't dispute anything she said. Jason grew up and took over the company from his father. With the power, he grew the business ten-fold. He acquired other companies, executed hostile takeovers and basically built our family a fortune that will probably never run out. My dad runs things now. My grandfather is retired and lives in Virginia on the land his father originally gave Brian and Lee Lee. They never had children, so when Lee Lee died, the land reverted back to our family."

Wow.

Damn.

Blaine felt jealous. Not only did Jace come by his dark power through a very noble act on the part of his great-grandfather, his grandfather had managed to stay alive. Jace had a guide to help him figure things out.

"I assume your grandfather had a slave?"

Jace nodded. "My grandmother, Jessica. Our family has a thing for J names. Obviously, I was named Jace after my grandfather Jason. He just happened to marry a girl with a J name. My father's name is Jack."

"Is your grandmother still alive?"

"Yes. And still his slave. They've been together over 50 years."

Blaine closed his eyes and exhaled. Hearing that made him happy. You could live to an old age and not kill yourself or your slave. He and Kurt would be fine.

He looked at Jace with envy.

"You were lucky to have a guide. I had to figure out stuff on my own."

Jace frowned. "Not exactly..."

"What do you mean?"

"My great-grandfather Jessie was a really good man. He loved and accepted all people and was very generous, as shown by his friendship and gift to Brian. My grandfather Jason is...not as kind. We had a good relationship for a long time, but he didn't tell me about the darkness. He was waiting for it to show up when I turned 16. He didn't want to get my hopes up in case nothing happened. Well, I realized I was gay when I was around 10 or 11. I came out to my family on my 16th birthday. My parents didn't care, but my grandfather was disgusted. He decided the darkness wouldn't show up because I was gay. When it did show up and I tried to talk to him, he didn't want to have anything to do with me. He said I was probably just imagining things. The darkness is a male power, for real men only. Not fags. My dad told me what he knew, but other than that, I had to piece it all together."

Blaine and Jace sat in silence. Blaine reviewed Jace's story in his mind while Jace watched him closely. When Blaine looked up, Jace smiled.

"Let's move to the living room. Would you like more wine?"

"Yes." So much for one glass. After that story, Blaine needed another drink.

They sat on the couch, facing each other.

"Okay. I've told you my story. Now, you tell me yours."

Blaine told Jace about his great-grandmother's visit to the voodoo priestess, asking for a blessing to get pregnant and being rewarded by her son being blessed with dark powers.

Jace listened carefully. "Your grandfather is dead, right?"

"Yeah."

"And your grandmother?"

"She's dead too."

Jace didn't ask anymore questions and Blaine was grateful. He didn't want to share his grandfather's failures.

"All right. Enough about the past. Let's talk present." Jace's mood suddenly changed. His eyes grew darker as he stared into Blaine's eyes.

"Where is your slave?"

Blaine stuck with his original answer. "He's studying."

Jace gave him a hard stare. He leaned forward, closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, breathing in Blaine's scent. He sat back.

"You obviously haven't had sex in a while. So, where is he?"

Blaine was completely taken aback. How could he smell that Blaine hadn't had sex? Were his powers different?

He decided to be honest.

"He's in Europe. Paris."

Jace looked surprised. "Really? You let him leave you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

How many times a day did Blaine ask himself that question.

"He's into fashion design, so he wanted to go to Paris to work at a French design house for experience and credibility. He wants his own design house one day."

Jace was looking at Blaine in complete confusion.

"So...how long is he gone for?"

Blaine looked at him. Could Jace force the truth from him?

"A year."

"A year?" Jace looked shocked.

"Yes. A year."

"But...how are you..." Jace was a bit speechless.

"Surviving? Well, how do you survive without a slave?"

"It's different for me. I've never enslaved anyone, so I'm not dependent. I can screw anybody I choose. But, you...don't you need him?"

Blaine decided not to answer that.

"Or..." Jace's eyes grew darker and a small, sexy smile played on his lips. "Are you screwing someone else?"

"No. Of course not." Not yet anyway.

"You can you know."

"Can what?"

"Sleep with other people."

"I can?"

"Of course. You are the master. He is the slave. You can do what you want and he has to accept it. As a matter of fact...you can..."

"What? I can what?"

"You can give him to others."

"What?"

"You can share him."

Blaine felt like he'd been punched. Was this asshole asking to share Kurt? Blaine's eyes turned black.

"I would never share Kurt! He's mine and mine alone. I own him. He belongs to me. I would never share him with someone!"

Jace smiled. "He's yours, you own him and yet...he's in Paris. And you're here."

"That was my decision! I allowed him to go! That doesn't mean I don't care about him or would share him with someone."

"Relax Blaine. I wasn't suggesting you share him with anybody. I was just letting you know your options."

"Well, that's not an option for me. Kurt's mine."

They sat in silence. Blaine was silently fuming. The idea of sharing Kurt with anyone sickened him. Jace watched him in amusement. Why would someone so possessive allow his slave to leave him for a year? Jace studied Blaine closely. He couldn't be at full strength with his slave gone and yet...he still looked powerful and dark as hell. Jace reached over and took Blaine's hand.

The touch caused the attraction electricity in Blaine to grow hot again. He felt himself getting hard. Shit. What the fuck was his problem?

Jace spoke quietly.

"I'm sorry Blaine. I didn't mean to upset you. I wasn't suggesting anything." Blaine relaxed.

"How are you going to find a slave?"

"I don't know. I guess I will eventually meet the right guy."

"But...the likelihood of finding a guy who is still a virgin...that's going to get harder the older you get."

"I know. I've decided he doesn't have to be a virgin. As long as he can take direction and do what I like, it will be fine."

Blaine suddenly felt intensely grateful for Kurt. Grateful he had met him in high school. Grateful no one else would ever have the privilege of fucking Kurt's beautiful ass. Kurt really was perfect. And all his.

Jace was staring at him, his eyes dark and...lustful. Blaine wanted to pull his hand away, but didn't. Instead, Jace released his hand and slowly caressed the hair across Blaine's forehead. He ran a finger down Blaine's cheek.

"You really are magnificent Blaine. I think you are the most handsome man I've ever seen. And, you are powerful. Very dark and powerful. You really are exquisite."

Blaine's eyes fluttered closed and then open.

Fuck. He had to stop doing that. Jace slowly leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He sat back and watched Blaine's eyes grow dark with lust of his own. Blaine forced himself to break the dark spell that was starting to form around them.

"I should go."

"Don't leave. We haven't had dessert yet. Let's go get ice cream. There's an ice cream shop and a cupcake place two blocks down."

"Okay." As long as they were outside and not sitting this close to a bedroom.

Blaine was thankful for the night air. The coolness cleared his head and made it harder for him to smell Jace's scent. The scent had been driving him crazy since he first stepped into the apartment. It was a masculine mixture of apples and leaves and rain and...power. It was intoxicating and sexually arousing. Blaine felt like he couldn't get enough of it. That was a problem.

As they walked, Jace pointed out a few stores and cafes he liked. "Maybe we can have brunch here tomorrow."

Blaine said nothing. They passed a sports equipment store.

"I need to come here and get a few of my racquets restrung."

Blaine stopped walking. "You play tennis?"

"Yes. Very well, as a matter of fact. Do you?"

"Yes. Very, very well."

Jace smiled. "We'll have to play one day."

They kept walking.

Jace got ice cream while Blaine went next door to the cupcake place. He chose four cupcakes. He was reaching for his wallet when Jace stopped him.

"I got it."

Blaine looked at him. This was different.

They sat outside. Blaine munched on a cupcake. He hadn't had a cupcake since Kurt left.

Kurt.

Blaine cast a sideways glance at Jace. He really was gorgeous, but he wasn't beautiful like Kurt. He was...something different.

And Blaine found him attractive as hell.

Blaine walked Jace back to his building.

"It's late. Do you want me to drive you home?"

"You have a car?"

"Yeah. Naturally it stays parked most of the time, but its nice to have."

Blaine nodded. Despite all the transportation options in New York, he missed his car. It was parked at his mom's in Ohio.

"No. That's okay. Thanks for dinner."

"You're welcome."

They stood there staring at each other, their eyes three shades deeper. Jace leaned over and kissed Blaine on the cheek.

"Goodnight handsome."

"Goodnight."

X-X-X-X

When he went to bed, Blaine kept on the shirt he'd been wearing.

It smelled like Jace.

X-X-X-X

Jace closed his eyes and pictured Blaine's face.

That magnificent, gorgeous face.

Attached to that incredible body.

With that amazing, firm ass.

Maybe his search was over...