Chapter 36
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SIX
ANGEL
It took us a while to find a Saturday that worked for everyone. Rhys had his brunch with the boys one week. Then Nico and Ariana had to take their kids to Jersey to visit her side of the family. But eventually, we found a day that everyone was free.
And now I’m on my hands and knees in Nico and Ariana’s living room, pretending to be a horse. The two Gallo kids have put Jonah on my back and I’m currently “galloping” across the Wild West.
“He’s really good with them, isn’t he?” I overhear Rhys saying from his spot on the couch next to Ariana.
“Yeah, he is. Would you…?” Ariana trails off.
“Want kids?” Rhys finishes the question for her. He sighs. “I don’t know. I mean, I kinda just assumed I never would. But… I do want to see Angel be a dad.”
“Gurl, you can have my kids whenever you want.”
Rhys laughs softly. “I’m sure Angel will be thrilled.”
“Drinks!” Sabrina announces as she comes in from the kitchen. “Bloody Marys, sangria, and lemonade for the little humans. Nico says brunch will be ready in ten.”
The kids abandon Jonah on my back to grab their lemonades and Sabrina plucks him off me.
“Thanks, sis.” I straighten, rolling my shoulders and bending side to side to work out the kinks.
It’s nice seeing Rhys with our siblings like this. He’s not quite as flamboyant as he is when he’s with his boys or at The Bronzed Rail, but he isn’t tense either. He doesn’t have his guard up, isn’t eyeing everyone with suspicion.
Since the wedding, Nico and Ariana have made a point of reaching out to Rhys. He went to their place for dinner once, then he stayed with me that night. There’s been discussions about them visiting The Bronzed Rail to see him perform, but I’m not sure anyone is ready for Nico to watch his kid brother on stage, practically naked, humping a pole.
Sabrina got a job at a nail salon, so she’s been leaving Jonah with me more often. It means I can’t get out to Brooklyn as much as I’d like, but Rhys has been great about coming down so we can babysit together.
I join Rhys on the couch, taking the sangria he holds out to me, and he snuggles right into my arms. Sabrina asks him about some new foundation that’s gone viral on social media and Rhys immediately gives her the rundown on whether it’s worth buying.
“Time to eat!” Nico calls out from the kitchen.
The kids race out of the living room while the adults follow a little more slowly. They’ve got their own kiddie table that Nico has set up for them, while the rest of us take seats around the kitchen table.
Brunch is waffles with all the fixings, including bacon and fruit. Rhys is quick to pile my plate high before grabbing a couple things for himself. He’s still not much of a breakfast person, even though I try to feed him as much as I can when we’re together in the mornings.
“How’s work going, Angel?” Nico asks.
I shrug. “It’s fine. Maybe another month before this project wraps up.”
“Mario still being an asshole?”
I grimace. “He’s not that bad.”
“Don’t defend him!” Rhys jumps in. “Yes, Mario is still being an asshole.”
The truth is, we try to avoid each other on the jobsite. He’s never said anything rude or offensive, and as far as I know, he hasn’t been talking about me behind my back. But we don’t eat lunch together anymore or carpool to and from work. I’m sad about losing the friendship, but having Rhys more than makes up for it.
“Screw Mario,” Sabrina says as she bounces Jonah on her knee. “He can go suck it.”
“Sabrina!” I hiss, looking pointedly at my nephew.
“What? He’s too young to understand.”
“But the other kids aren’t.” I nod toward the kiddie table.
“Don’t worry about it.” Ariana waves away my concern. “They’ve heard so much worse.”
Under the table, Rhys squeezes my thigh. “You don’t need Mario. You’ve got us.”
I gaze into his eyes, lightly lined today, with shimmering pink makeup on the lids. “Yeah, I do.”
After brunch, Sabrina stays a bit longer to do mom stuff with Ariana while Rhys and I drive back to my place .
It’s not a long drive and Rhys takes the few minutes to check the notifications on his phone.
“Oh my god.” Rhys shakes his head with a laugh. “Sebastian’s trying to get a sponsorship deal with the shoe brand. You know, the boots I wore for our second video? Apparently, fans have been tagging the brand when posting about the video and now they want to discuss things with us.”
I only understood about half of that, but from the way Rhys is smiling, I assume it’s good news. “That’s great!”
“Sebastian’s always doing these business-y things.” Rhys rolls his eyes.
“He’s good at them.” I would know, considering the money he keeps sending me from the two videos we’ve done. Sebastian wants to make more with me and Rhys. I haven’t decided yet, but if I do, I’ll have the second mortgage paid off in no time.
I pull into the driveway and shut off the engine. “Hold on.”
I jump out of the truck and rush around to open Rhys’s door for him.
“You know you don’t have to do that every time, right?” he says, turning to face me.
“I know.”
He smiles at me, eyes dancing in the bright winter sun, then leans in to give me a kiss. He tastes like tomatoes and honey, and a whimper escapes me as our tongues tangle together.
Behind me, a door opens and we both jump apart. Mama’s standing there, glaring at us. Rhys and I freeze.
Even though he’s been coming over a lot, Rhys has managed to avoid Mama when coming and going. He hasn’t been to another Sunday dinner yet—I don’t want to put him through that again. This is the first time they’re seeing each other since the wedding.
“What are you doing standing out in the cold?” she snaps at us. “At least go inside before you start taking off your clothes.” Then she slams the door shut.
Rhys and I exchange a look.
“Was that… did she just…?”
I glance back at the door, but it doesn’t have any answers. “I’ve got no clue. But I think she’s right.”
I help Rhys out of the truck and we rush upstairs, giggling like kids. We don’t stop until we’re tumbling onto the bed, leaving a trail of clothes behind us.
“If you get a sponsorship deal with the shoe company, does that mean you’ll get all the shoes you want?” I ask breathlessly between kisses.
Rhys pulls back with a questioning look in his eyes. His hands are on either side of my face and I’m sure he can feel the heat in my ears.
“Probably,” he answers, voice husky with a note of teasing. “Why do you ask?”
I feign innocence. “They have cool shoes.”
His elegant eyebrow arches. “That’s it? No other reason?”
“Nope.” I press my lips together, trying to hold back my grin. But I’m awful at lying, even when it’s just for fun, and finally break out in giggles.
Rhys flips us over so I’m on my back and he’s straddling me. Our favorite position. He leans down and whispers in my ear. “I’m going to make sure this sponsorship happens.”
My dick hardens against Rhys’s bum .
“And I’ll get them to send me every style they have. I’ll wear a different pair every day.”
I grip his thighs and whine.
“You get to test them out, of course. We’ll need to know which ones look the best with your cum smeared all over them.”
My hips come off the bed and Rhys grinds down on me.
“You’re gonna have to build me a separate shoe closet.”
I nod frantically. “Yes, yes, I can do that. A really big one.”
He gasps, hips tilting forward to rub his erection against my stomach. Then he lets out a breathy laugh. “Jesus Christ, why is it so hot when you say things like that?”
“Things like what?”
Rhys braces himself above me with elbows on either side of my face. His gaze grows soft and his lips curl into a gentle smile. The love pouring out of him fills me with warmth.
“Teddy bear, you’re amazing.”
“No, you’re amazing.”
Rhys’s smile widens and he plants a hard kiss on my mouth. “We’re both amazing.”