26. Riley
Riley’s face hurt from laughing so much.
He had no idea that an Allen, who was tipsy on mimosas, could be so entertaining.
It didn’t matter that Allen refused to get up and sing, and it didn’t matter that the karaoke bar was empty except for a few giggling employees watching them from the shadows; he was having the time of his life.
Allen was a one-man army in the cheerleading department. His shouts echoed over the music, his laughter was infectious, and the times he sang along with Riley from the safety of his table were painful because he couldn’t carry a tune, but his energy was a bright star in the dark room.
In other words, Riley was down bad for the guy, and it was only their first date.
It made him wonder how Jake was doing with Kingston, but everyone had agreed to stay away from their phones to concentrate on their dates, which meant he would have to wait to hear how it went.
Allen chose the next song for him—a country duet that Riley knew too well—swiftly distracting him from his nosiness about the other guys in their relationship.
He was prepared to put on another solo show that would wow the pants off the grinning brunette sitting at the table, but he was surprised when Allen stood and came over to join him on the stage.
“I hate country, but I know the words to this one,” Allen said, nudging his arm into Riley’s side with a giggle. “I like your voice. Have you ever considered singing professionally?”
Riley didn’t have time to answer because the song was starting, and he was determined not to mess up after receiving such high praise.
The truth was, outside of hockey, singing was his next favourite thing to do. Riley had been using his voice to soothe Jake ever since they were kids, and while he assumed that meant he was a good singer, hearing it from Allen landed differently.
Allen was the kind of guy who didn’t sugarcoat his words. He had no problem telling others what was on his mind, so Riley knew the compliment came from a place of truth.
With his heart soaring, Riley put everything he had into the song, singing through laughter when Allen’s pitch went too high or when he forgot words and began cursing into the microphone.
It was different to have someone he could let loose and be silly with. He sometimes got that with Kingston, and Jake could relax if he was comfortable enough, but Riley liked to act wild now and then, and the others were too reserved for that.
And that was totally fine. Riley didn’t care if Jake and Kingston weren’t interested in going to karaoke bars or loud places like concerts, because now he had Allen. Maybe that was why the four of them worked together so well. The balance was…perfect.
“I’m not scared anymore,” Riley admitted once the song ended.
Allen was still red-faced and giggling, but he took Riley’s hand to lead them back to the table so they could catch their breath.
“Scared about what, Riles?” Allen plastered himself to Riley’s side the moment they were seated, blinking up at him through fluttering lashes.
“Us,” said Riley. “I was overthinking again and forgot to open my eyes and look at how amazing this is. The way we all care for each other and fit together so perfectly. I was worried it happened too fast, but what if it’s moving fast only because it was fate to begin with?”
The mirth in Allen’s eyes never faded, but he frowned as he touched a hand to Riley’s shoulder. His jaw. His cheek.
There was so much tenderness in the contact that tears threatened to blur Riley’s vision, but he held his shit together as Allen began to speak.
“I’m a logical thinker like you, so I know how you’re feeling.
I was adamant that I didn’t need a relationship, and then Jake literally stumbled his way into my life and refused to leave.
The truth was, I didn’t want him to leave.
I hated the idea of dating a younger guy until him.
I hated the idea of having a boyfriend until him.
I hated the idea of getting married until him.
We moved so fast that there were times when I wanted to back out and put space between us, but then I felt like an idiot because who says no to this much happiness? ”
Riley nuzzled his face into Allen’s hand, needing to ground himself before his mind began to spin from an overload of thoughts and feelings. He had known Allen shared his feelings to some extent, but he never expected them to be on the same damn page.
“I’ve come to the realization that life is too short,” Allen continued, softly brushing his thumb over Riley’s cheek. “I’m tired of holding back, and I think your comment about fate hit the nail on the head. Why be scared of something that was written in the stars?”
Riley turned his head and kissed Allen’s palm, smiling when it earned him a gasp from the pretty man. “And you think we’ll be okay with having separate marriages?”
“Mr. Evans!” Allen hissed, practically climbing into Riley’s lap so they could whisper. “Are you saying that you want to marry Kingston in the future?”
There was no denying the truth because a future where he woke up to Kingston beside him in their bed, wearing a ring from Riley that he’d made a promise on, lit something dangerous and all-consuming inside of him.
The thought of not waking up with Kingston in his arms for the rest of his life didn’t make sense.
Neither did the idea of losing those quiet moments in the morning, when Kingston was still half asleep, and his walls had lowered enough for Riley to scale the top.
Those moments when he was soft and affectionate without realizing it, and when he tucked himself closer and sought out warmth without thinking.
Those moments belonged to Riley.
To all of them, really.
Because Riley didn’t want to keep them for himself. He wanted Allen and Jake to see that side of Kingston too. To experience the sleepy smiles and needy affection. To discover their own ways of making him feel safe enough to let his walls down.
To help him become softer.
Not because there was anything wrong with who Kingston was now, but because every time he relaxed enough to let himself be cared for, Riley felt like he’d been trusted with something precious.
“I’m going to marry him,” Riley declared, certain that it was the truth. “I think we need more time than you and Jake, but that’s what I want. Him with me, and us with you.”
He was shocked, but not disappointed, when Allen moved in fast and closed the gap until their bodies fit together snugly. He pressed his mouth to Riley’s, lips parting just enough to catch his lower lip between his teeth before sucking it in.
Riley’s hands found Allen’s hips instantly, fingers digging in hard enough to wrinkle the fabric of his shirt. He tilted his head, keeping in mind that they were in public as he angled the kiss just a little deeper, his tongue sliding past Allen’s lips to stroke against his.
Allen answered with a low sound in his throat and pushed closer, chest to chest, the heat of their bodies bleeding through thin cotton. Their mouths moved, wet and open, while Riley’s thumbs rubbed small circles over Allen’s hipbones.
Allen’s hands came up to frame Riley’s jaw, holding him steady as he licked into his mouth again, tasting every corner before pulling back just enough to bite Riley’s bottom lip and tug until he let go.
“Good boy,” Allen purred. His face was flushed from the alcohol and the kiss, but the confidence in his tone told Riley exactly who was in charge between them.
“Why am I a good boy?” Riley asked, unable to stop himself now that his brain was still rebooting from the hot makeout session.
Allen brushed their noses together and chuckled, gazing at Riley through heavy-lidded eyes. “You’re just so good for me, and I’m excited because now that I know we’re doing this, I know you’ll be so good for Jake too.”
Jake?
Riley didn’t know what Jake had to do with anything, but he didn’t like the way Allen was smiling at him. And it wasn’t until Allen had excused himself to pay the tab that Riley finally understood what the devious brat was hinting at.
He knew having sex with Jake was going to happen eventually, but he didn’t know it was something Allen was looking forward to. Kingston, he understood because the guy got off on the idea of Riley being dominated, but Allen’s teasing about the subject had seemed half-hearted at best.
“We still have time before we have to go back to the penthouse,” Allen said once he returned to the table. “Are you any good at arcade games? I saw there was a new place set up a block from where we are, and I want to try it out.”
Riley wouldn’t have taken Allen for an arcade guy, but it made sense with his competitive nature. He was still a little dazed as he stood and offered his arm to Allen, leading him out of the bar with a goodbye wave to the red-faced employees, who returned the gesture with giddy excitement.
Allen clung to him for the entirety of the short walk to the arcade, but the second they stepped through the doors, Riley was abandoned in favour of a racing game that came with a rideable motorcycle.
The arcade was loud in the way all arcades were.
Music blasted from a dozen different machines at once, lights flashed from every direction, and the air smelled faintly of popcorn, pizza, and overheated electronics.
Children darted between games with fistfuls of tickets while teenagers crowded around claw machines and air hockey tables, reacting loudly whenever someone scored a point.
Jake would have hated the place so much that he probably would have run outside and puked, but Allen looked completely at home amongst all the chaos and dizzying lights.
Chuckling, Riley sauntered over to Allen and hovered close by so he could watch his progress on the screen. He didn’t have lots of experience with arcades because he had never strayed far from Jake growing up, but he could admit that it looked fun.
“Jake would hate this place,” Allen said without taking his eyes off the screen.
“But he was bummed out about not being able to put the arcade on his list of date ideas because he wanted to win me a stuffed animal. That’s why I suggested coming here.
Now we can have fun and win him a stuffy together—and I don’t think Kingston would say no to one either. ”
Riley subtly folded his arms over his chest so he could apply pressure to his suddenly achy ribs. He wasn’t sure why love hurt so much when he was with his three guys, but he hoped it would never stop, even if it was painful.
“There’s a second bike here, Evans,” Allen said, pointing at the empty motorcycle beside him. “Sit your ass down. We have tickets to win.”
Riley quickly followed Allen’s order, not because he was happy to be dommed by him, but because they had a common goal in mind.
Allen still caught onto how easily he had complied, turning to shoot a wicked grin at Riley, which Riley then snorted at, but the exchange helped to fuel his determination.
That was how they ended up on a full tour of the arcade, moving from game to game to see which ones they were good at and which ones could win them the most tickets.
One look behind the counter told them exactly what they were playing for, and with the challenge set, it was only a matter of time before they got what they wanted.
Riley discovered that he was excellent at shooting basketballs into a hoop, and he ended up racking up a ton of tickets, while Allen stuck to the racing games and air hockey.
They reconvened at the claw machine because Allen wanted to test his luck on getting extra prizes, and Riley was happy to watch him.
“I have a plan—but it’s a crazy plan,” Allen said, keeping his eyes locked on the claw as it descended and picked up a wolf plushie.
Riley didn’t know what Allen justified as crazy when it came to arcade games, but he really hoped he wasn’t planning on robbing the place.
When Allen looked up from his task with his new stuffy in hand and saw Riley’s expression, his eyes widened, and he shook his head.
“No, not for winning the prizes,” Allen said, shoving the small wolf into Riley’s chest. “Here, I won this for you. Take care of him.”
Riley smirked as he took the wolf and held it up, already planning to treasure it forever.
“I have a crazy plan on how to help Jake,” Allen clarified, and Riley immediately caught onto the hint of nervousness in his voice.
“What do you mean?” Riley asked, ducking closer to Allen so they could hear each other over the clamouring noise surrounding them. “You mean for the wedding?”
Allen caught his bottom lip between his teeth and began chewing a little too hard for Riley’s tastes, but he wanted to hear what Allen had to say, and he didn’t want to distract him.
“I just want Jake to be happy,” said Allen. “And I think I know what to do, but it’s going to take a lot of balls.”
Riley didn’t doubt that Allen had balls. He also knew there was only one person who Allen was nervous around, and that was Jake’s father. He’d had a feeling after the Christmas dinner that Allen was planning on getting Everett to back off, but Riley understood how daunting the notion was.
Everett was not someone you could go toe-to-toe with lightly. Convincing him to do anything took a shit ton of leverage, and yes, balls.
“If you need backup,” Riley began, keeping his expression stern so Allen would know he wasn’t joking. “Call for me, and I’ll be there. I know you’re capable of handling yourself, but don’t be scared to ask.”
Allen groaned before bumping his head against Riley’s arm. “He’s basically your father. I’m not letting you put yourself between us, and you’re right, I can handle myself.”
Riley was confident that Allen could walk Everett like a dog if he really wanted to. The man made no effort to hide how much he had liked Allen during their conversation at the Valero residence.
“I’m planning on meeting him in a few days,” said Allen. “So, if I don’t come home after, you’ll probably find my body washed up on shore, bloated and unrecognizable.”
Riley blew out a breath. “Ally, I promise the Valeros are not mobsters.”
Allen hummed and pulled his head away, his frown suggesting he was unconvinced. “Come on, I think we only need a few more tickets. I want you to pull up your sleeves while you shoot some hoops. Let me ogle at those sexy biceps of yours.”
Riley had no complaints about being ogled, and he could tell that Allen was still anxious, so the least he could do was cheer him up by putting on a show.
And when they walked away from the arcade thirty minutes later carrying a huge black cat and an equally huge white cat for Jake and Kingston, Riley concluded that his first date with Allen had been a successful one—and he couldn’t wait to do it again.