Chapter 5
Five
S unlight filtering between closed blinds on the windows awakened Evan, and it took a moment to remember where he was. It wasn’t hard to figure out since he was still cuddled into Rico’s side, and the man’s scent filled Evan’s nose.
“Mmm. What time is it?” Rico muttered as he pulled Evan closer.
He noticed a clock on the nightstand. “Just after nine.”
Rico’s eyelids slowly opened. “I thought it was later than that. We were up pretty late.”
That was an understatement. After Rico fucked him senselessly, they took a shower together, which resulted in another orgasm for both of them as Rico wrapped his big hands tightly around both their cocks and jerked them off. Then they ambled into the kitchen, where Rico cooked them omelets. Once their stomachs were satisfied, Evan ended up on his knees, giving Rico a blowjob that had him practically yelling the building down. Rico then returned the favor. They finally dozed off around three-thirty, completely sated and exhausted.
“Do you have plans tonight?” Rico asked as he stretched. “I’d love to see you again.”
“Yeah, sorry. On Sunday evenings, I usually have dinner with Susan and the kids. I promised Brian we could eat tonight and then go to a movie he wants to see. But I don’t have to be there until around five.”
“I’ve got to open up the bar at ten thirty. It’s going to be a busy day with two back-to-back baby showers. We set them up on the second floor and still have room for the lunch crowds. And with the Giants-Yankees game at four in New York, we’ll be packed by the time it starts here at one. Mondays and Tuesdays are usually my nights off. It’s slow enough, and I trust my staff to handle things. It also helps that I live right across the street.”
“How about dinner tomorrow night, then?” Evan kissed the tattoo on Rico’s shoulder that extended down his arm. He finally got a good look at it last night in the shower. It was a stunning portrait of a Native American—a tribute to his mother’s grandfather, a Chinook tribesman. The tattoo on his other arm consisted of three intertwined flags, a testimony to his other Irish, Italian, and American heritages. He joked last night, saying he was a bit of a mutt. Out of curiosity, he did one of those DNA tests last year and found out that, besides Native American, Irish, and Italian, he also had some Swedish and a small percentage of Welsh ancestry. All combined, Rico was an attractive man—one Evan couldn’t wait to get to know even better.
“Sounds good. Why don’t you come here? We can eat at Sapphire’s.”
“I’ve never eaten there, but I’ve wanted to. I heard the food is amazing.”
Rico propped himself up on one arm and pushed Evan onto his back before kissing him soundly. “Is six thirty okay for you?”
“Perfect.”
A smile spread across Rico’s face, and he gyrated his hips, grinding his morning wood against Evan’s. “Shower with me before you go?”
“Absolutely.”
Two-and-a-half weeks later . . .
Rico was in better spirits than he’d been in a very long time. He and Evan had been on several dates and enjoyed talking and getting to know each other better. This past Monday, they went to Sapphire’s for dinner again, then took their dessert back to Rico’s place, but they never got around to eating it, feasting on each other instead. Rico was disappointed to awake alone the following morning, but Evan needed to be at work at the ass-crack of dawn. Tuesday, they hadn’t seen each other but talked over the phone that night, which turned into a round of phone sex, something Rico hadn’t done in ages. His new man had a filthy mouth on him when he got going, and Rico loved it.
Last night, Evan made his weekly Wednesday appearance at the bar, and at one point, Rico dragged him back to his private office, where he let Evan fuck his ass. When they reappeared a little while later, Austin, who was tending the bar, quietly winked and grinned at them, clearly figuring out what they’d been doing back there. Evan blushed at the teasing the man gave them, which caused Rico to fall a little more for the guy. Nothing about Evan bothered him—he was good-looking, kind, intelligent, and tidy without being a neat freak. He could hold his own in conversations on a variety of subjects and was as voracious about sex as Rico was. Rico could fuck him all day, every day, and still not grow tired of him.
Before he left the bar last night, Evan asked Rico to come with him for dinner at his ex-wife’s house on Sunday. Apparently, Susan told Evan to extend the invitation, and he also wanted to introduce Rico to his kids. While the thought of meeting Evan’s family should’ve scared him, Rico realized he was excited about it. Every day, his feelings for the man grew exponentially.
Right then, though, he looked forward to everything he would do to Evan tonight when he finally got him alone again. The images in his head made his cock twitch in his jeans.
It was just after three p.m., and he sat at the short end of the bar, going through the receipts for the first half of the week and sorting them for the bookkeeping he needed to do later. The lunch crowd had filtered out, and only three occupied tables were left while a handful of people sat at the bar. His daytime bartender, Ashley Beckham, and waiter, David Ripps, had everything covered. They had another hour and a half before their reliefs came on duty, just in time for the happy hour crowd.
Sitting on the bar beside his paperwork, his cell phone dinged with an incoming text message. Rico swiped the screen to read it.
Evan
Sorry, but I have to cancel tonight. Another sound tech called in sick so they asked me to cover his shift. I’ll be here until 10 and have to be back by 6.
He told Rico he didn’t get overtime often but picked it up whenever possible because the extra pay was good. Rico understood. Many of his jobs over the years were for hourly wages. When that time-and-a-half rolled around, it was like getting a bonus, so you grabbed it when you could.
Picking up the phone, he quickly typed in a reply.
No worries. Tomorrow then? You can come to the bar and when things die down, we can head out.
They’d only planned to have dinner at Evan’s. Rico looked forward to seeing where the man lived. They’d blessed every room in Rico’s condo, and he wanted to do the same at Evan’s apartment. Evan said it was a small two-bedroom unit in a quiet neighborhood. When he mentioned it was nowhere near as nice as Rico’s place, Rico explained how he could “afford” the expensive condo. Scout held the mortgage, which was far less than anyone else’s in the Paradox. Rico also paid the utilities for the unit, but he had free parking in the garage. When he spilled his guts about all that, he was surprised to see some relief in Evan’s eyes. It was as if he preferred Rico not to be as rich as his mailing address might indicate.
Evan
Sure. I miss you though. I’ll call you later when I get a break.
A warm feeling filled Rico. Now he understood why Scout had gotten that goofy look on his face when he’d been falling for Alex.
Miss you too. TTYL
As he set the phone on the bar, he heard the front door open and glanced over his shoulder to see who was coming in. A teenage boy wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers entered and glanced around. When his eyes fell on Rico, there was a flash of recognition ... and anger?
Rico eyed the kid as he closed the distance between them. He was tall and lanky, with light-brown hair that needed a trim and dark eyes. His mouth was taut, and his jaw tight. Rico noticed his clenched fists as he stopped next to him. “You Rico Demara?”
Yup, definitely anger there. Rico just didn’t know why. He never saw the kid before and had no idea who he was.
“Yeah, can I help you?”
“You can stay away from my father. That’s what you can do.”
Since the bar was quiet, sans a few low conversations and the music filtering through the sound system, the kid’s voice traveled, and several people turned to see what the problem was. As he studied the teen’s face, Rico realized who he reminded him of—this had to be one of Evan’s boys, Mark or Brian. Rico couldn’t remember which was older, but the one in front of him appeared to be around seventeen.
“I see. And you are?”
“Brian Calhoun.” Disgust filled his face. “What? You’re dating more than one guy who has kids?”
Rico spun the stool a little until he faced Brian. “No, I just wasn’t sure if you were you or your brother, Mark. Does Evan know you’re here?”
The kid’s shoulders stiffened at the mention of his father’s name. “Doesn’t matter,” he spat. “Just leave him alone. He deserves a lot better than you.”
When Brian turned to leave, Rico grabbed his arm, not letting the teen yank free. “Calm down. What the hell is this about?”
“Seriously?” The venom in his voice couldn’t be mistaken for anything but, and his eyes filled with fury. Fear crept into Rico’s gut. Suddenly, he knew what Brian was about to say, and there was nothing he could do to stop him. “It’s about you being a fucking rapist, asshole! Now let go of me!”
Great. Just what he needed—for the damn kid to announce Rico’s past in his place of business. At least the few regulars sitting at the bar knew Rico well enough that they would have difficulty believing what they just heard. But that didn’t stop everyone in the place from staring at them in shock.
He let go of the struggling teen. “I’m not?—”
“Bullshit! Stay away from my father!”
Brian stormed out the door before Rico could say anything more.
“Fuck,” he muttered, running a trembling hand down his face. He hadn’t yet gotten around to telling Evan that piece of his personal history. In fact, he hoped they would’ve been a lot farther into their relationship before he needed to confess his past. Now, he wondered if he’d ever get a chance. The last thing he wanted was to see the disgust in Evan’s eyes that he just saw in his son’s.
“Guess he found out about your arrest and didn’t dig further to find the truth.” Rico turned to face Jeremy Smith, a retired SFPD detective who witnessed one of the worst weeks in Rico’s life. The now gray-haired man hadn’t been involved in the rape case but learned about it after another horrible event Rico lived through. “I heard the yelling from the bathroom. Otherwise, I would’ve stepped in and set the kid straight.” His voice carried throughout the bar, letting everyone else know that Rico wasn’t what he’d just been accused of being.
“Thanks, Jer.”
“You’re dating his father?” When Rico nodded, Jeremy placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Talk to the guy—he’ll understand. And if he doesn’t, he’s an ass.”
Feeling numb, Rico nodded again, then returned to the receipts and began piling them up in random order. Just thinking about telling Evan what happened years ago had Rico’s stomach threatening to rebel against the sandwich he’d eaten for lunch. He was so afraid Evan wouldn’t give him a chance to explain or believe him when he did.