Chapter 30
Tai
When I wake up, the sun is high in the sky. It shines across my face and makes me squeeze my eyes shut again as I untangle myself from the cocoon of blankets I created during the night. A thump comes from my door, and I realize it was persistent banging that woke me.
I roll out of bed and stumble into the bathroom. “Give me a sec!” I grumble as I pull on some clothes and brush my teeth. The knocking starts again, and I head over to rip the door open.
Eric stands there with his fist raised. “There’s sleeping beauty!” he says, far too loud. The man has zero personal boundaries, pushing past me to drop onto my mattress.
I rub the sleep from my eyes. “Why are you here?”
“Because now that you’ve slept, I want to make sure we’re okay.” The playful edge has disappeared, and he stares at his shuffling feet.
I sigh and sit beside him, knocking my knee against his. “I’m really fucking pissed at you.”
“Yeah, I figured. Can you hear me out, at least?” He peeks at me from the corner of his eye, waiting for my nod.
“When Dante told me he saw you with a knife, my mind just went there, man. People talk about depression like it’s this neat, gradual process, but sometimes that shit hits you like a grenade.
I know what that’s like, man. I was terrified you had hurt yourself. ”
“But I hadn’t,” I argue.
“I didn’t know that. Until I found you, I had no way of knowing that.”
Something distant in his expression gives me pause, and I reach over to grab his wrist. “I appreciate you coming for me more than you could ever realize, Eric, really. But—”
“There’s that fucking word,” he mutters.
“But you blocked his number after we were at your house. You already knew I was alright.”
“Define alright,” he snaps.
“Eric.”
His shoulders sag even further. “Yeah, I know. You’ve just always had life by the balls, and seeing you like that? It fucking hurt, man.”
I rub the back of my neck, suddenly unsure how to answer. “Do you really think that about me?” I ask quietly.
Eric lets out a rough breath, eyes dropping to the floor for a second before meeting mine again. “I guess I just… I always figured you were the one who had it figured out. You make everything look easy, Tai. Even when shit gets hard, you keep going like it’s nothing.”
“Things aren’t always as straightforward as they seem. You know that.”
“Yeah,” he mutters. “I do.”
“People have to make their own mistakes.”
“They don’t have to,” he argues.
I swat his leg. “You’re living proof of it, man. Imagine the roles were reversed for a second. I saw how upset you were when Dmitri joined the band. What if I railroaded it? Made it so you never saw each other again?”
His throat moves in a rough swallow before he buries his head in his hands. “That would’ve really sucked.”
“Yeah,” I agree with a sigh. “It would have. Just like it really would’ve sucked if Connor and I hadn’t reconnected. We almost didn’t, Eric. The odds were beyond astronomical—they’re fucking impossible, but here we are.”
He bumps me with his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“And I’m sorry I slapped you.”
He huffs as he rubs his cheek. “Nah, I deserved it. Are we good?”
“We will be.”
A stretch of quiet passes before he says, “Yesterday I saw you smile for the first time in months. And not that fake shit you put on for everyone else. You think I don’t notice, but I do.”
“You never said anything.”
He shrugs. “If there’s anyone who understands what it’s like being pushed before you’re ready, it’s me. Point is, you were happy yesterday with him. As much as I busted his nuts—”
“That is not the phrase,” I mutter.
“—he brings out a side of you that usually stays hidden. You lose your cool around him.”
Unbidden, a smile spreads across my face. “I’m so tired of being cool.”
“Too bad, buddy,” he says, standing and clapping a hand on my shoulder. “You just can’t help it.”
Another knock taps on the door. It’s already cracked open, and the hinges creak as it swings in.
“Tai?” Connor peeks in and freezes when he spots me and Eric.
His weight shifts between his feet as he stands half inside the room.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I, uh…
I brought you a coffee, but I’ll just leave it on the table… ”
“Connor,” I scold. He closes his mouth, so beautifully submissive even in something as simple as this.
I shake my head before that line of thinking gets out of control.
“You aren’t interrupting. Put that down and come here.
” The door closes behind him as he sets the cup on the table and walks over, never taking his eyes from mine.
“Is that all I get?” I ask, nodding at the space between us.
His eyes dart to Eric. “I, uh, wasn’t sure what you were comfortable with right now. I didn’t want to assume.”
“Still afraid I’ll bite?” I tease.
He licks his lips with the most adorably bashful smile, shaking his head as he stares at the ground. “Maybe a little.”
“Come here.” His face lifts and he steps closer, cupping my jaw and pressing another of those maddeningly chaste kisses on the corner of my mouth. “Now, isn’t that better?”
He draws me into a hug. “Much better.”
“Whoa,” Eric mutters. “Daddy Dom Tai.”
I nuzzle into Connor before I pull away and cross my arms. “Eric has something he wants to say to you.”
Eric’s lips pull into a tight line as he challenges me with his eyes for a long, silent stretch. After our wordless standoff, he takes a deep breath and looks at Connor. “I’m sorry for blocking your number. It wasn’t my place.”
Connor dips his chin in a nod. “You were looking out for Tai.”
“I was, but that doesn’t excuse what I did.”
“No,” Connor agrees, wrapping his arms around my middle with quiet possessiveness. “No, it doesn’t, but I understand why you did it.”
Eric’s eyebrows raise. “That’s it? Just… poof, we’re cool?”
“He’s too nice for his own good,” I say.
Connor shrugs. “What’s done is done. I don’t want us to be constantly fighting because we’re stuck in the past. You’re his best friend, and I’m not going anywhere.
” The smooth, confident way he says it makes my scalp tingle, a barely-suppressed shudder traveling through my limbs.
“Butting heads will only hurt Tai, and that’s not an option. ”
Eric’s chin tilts, but he eventually nods. “Alright. Yeah, if you’re good, I’m good.”
“Maybe make sure Dmitri is on board with that,” Connor adds with a hint of dry humor in his tone. “Because he was ready to throw down on that plane yesterday.”
“You could take him,” I tease.
“Oh, trust me, there was never any question about that.” He leans in, dragging his nose along the shell of my ear. “I’ll fight anyone that gets between us.”
I twist in his arms until the front of our bodies are flush. His grunt is a soft, muted thing in the back of his throat. My demand we take things slow is already biting me in the ass, because right now, all I want to do is toss Eric into the hallway and make up for lost time.
“Not to interrupt, boys,” Eric drawls, absolutely dripping with delighted sarcasm, “but I just got a text that lunch is waiting for us downstairs.” He leaves with a salute and a catty grin, leaving the two of us alone.
I breathe a soft laugh and drop my head onto Connor’s shoulder, smiling to myself as he presses a kiss into my hair.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you fed.”
Lunch turns out to be a catered affair in one of the hotel’s conference rooms. It’s a delicious spread of local cuisine, and I’m starving.
Jet lag has left everyone groggy and disoriented, but spirits are high as we eat and chat.
Now that the bombshell of mine and Connor’s history has lost its initial shock, everything has returned to a semblance of normal.
The others stare at us more than what’s casual, but it’s a calmer curiosity than yesterday.
Dmitri is the exception. He keeps throwing nasty looks between Connor and me, narrowing his eyes and glaring as his fingers tap on the table.
I squeeze Connor’s hand. “There’s something I have to take care of really fast.”
He nods, watching me curiously as I walk over to Dmitri and drop into the chair beside him. His jaw tenses while his foot bounces.
“Hey, man. I know you’re pissed.”
“You slapped my husband,” he says, making each word sound like a curse while refusing to look at me.
“Because your husband is a busybody,” I argue. “He loves to meddle and can’t keep his nose out of other people’s business.”
Eric grunts from Dmitri’s other side, but doesn’t interrupt. Dmitri turns to face me, tilting his chin up and clenching his jaw. “Regardless of what he did, it’s not okay for you to put your hands on him.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “You’re right. But he can’t just do shit like that, D. He can’t cut someone out of my life without my permission.”
Dmitri sighs, refusing to say anything. As much as I want to throttle him for his stubbornness, I respect his loyalty to Eric.
“C’mon, man,” I hedge. “You know I’m right, even if you won’t admit it.”
Dmitri blows out a long breath. “He was, perhaps, maybe, wrong in this situation.”
“Perhaps? Maybe?” I swallow my laughter when he glares at me again. “Alright, I’ll take what I can get. I don’t want things to be weird between us, especially right now while we’re in the middle of this tour. Are we cool?”
He stares at me for a long minute, and from his other side, Eric places a gentle hand on his thigh. Dmitri’s eyes roll up into his head, but eventually, he caves. “Yeah,” he says as he weaves his fingers with Eric’s. “We’re cool.”
I stand and squeeze his shoulder. “Good. Thanks for listening, man.”
Connor watches as I return, tilting his head as I get closer. “Get everything worked out?”
“For now,” I say, glancing over my shoulder at the two of them. “It’s just a matter of time before Dmitri gets jealous about something else, though.”
“Why’s he jealous?”
“He’s jealous of a fruit if it spends too much time beside Eric.” I move to drop into my seat, but Connor grabs my hips and steers me into his lap. I squeak in surprise before twisting to gawk at him.
“What?” he asks with a sly grin. “You look so pretty in my lap.”
My forehead leans against Connor’s. “You’re trouble.”
“Never claimed to be otherwise.”
I hum, pleased, and press a kiss to his cheek. “My trouble?”
“All yours, sweetheart,” he agrees.
Theo fans himself from across the table before leaning in to stage-whisper to Dante. “This is so fucking hot.”
I attempt to move into my seat, but Connor’s fingers flex around my hipbones. His palm slides up my front and presses against my sternum, holding me flush against his chest. My body—and every single person in this room—takes immediate notice of the way he manhandles me.
“What did I just say?” he murmurs, planting a kiss on the base of my neck. “Mine.”
He keeps me perched in his lap. His lips and teeth occasionally graze my shoulders and neck, while his hands squeeze my hips or drag slowly up the sides of my thighs. Public affection has never been my thing, but there’s a certain thrill from his shameless affection in front of everyone.
“What’s the agenda for the rest of today?” Theo asks once lunch is done.
“You haven’t come up with any schemes?” Eric asks, leaning into Dmitri’s side. “We all remember the last time you made grand plans for us. Although, I appreciate that monokini from time to time, if you catch my drift.” Dmitri blushes as the rest of us burst into laughter.
“Don’t blame me for that,” Theo says, shaking his head. “I simply suggested renting a boat. Tai’s the one that put our dicks on display.”
“No, absolutely not,” I cut in. “I came up with the idea for the game, but I can’t be blamed for the swimsuits you chose. If you remember, the one I picked for Theo was full coverage.”
“I still haven’t forgiven you for that,” Theo says with a glare. Connor is visibly confused, and Theo shifts his attention to him. “Your boyfriend forced me to wear swim trunks that made it look like I had really hairy legs and a tiny dick.”
I wag my finger in Dante’s direction. “And your boyfriend bought me a speedo that I could barely stuff myself into.”
“It was really hot,” Eric adds as Dmitri glares at him.
“Fucking hell,” I groan. “Dmitri and I just cleared the air. Can you not trigger him yet?” Dmitri looks properly abashed, while Eric’s grin morphs into a fiendish smirk.
Connor’s arms circle around my waist, and he leans forward to rest his chin on my shoulder. “I seem to remember you mentioning that tiny pink speedo at the resort.”
“Never did wear it for you, though.”
“No, you didn’t,” he agrees. His thumb swipes underneath my shirt, brushing against the bare skin of my stomach as his teeth graze my neck.
My breathing picks up as heat races down my spine. “We’ll have to fix that.”
He shifts and the unmistakable flex of his cock presses against me. He freezes, his forehead dropping against my shoulder as he mumbles, “Fuck, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” I whisper, twisting toward him right as he lifts his head. He licks his lips, raw vulnerability clear in his eyes. For a moment I forget we’re supposed to be taking things slow. I lean in, drawn by the warmth of him and the way my body still remembers exactly how good we fit together.
“As luck would have it,” Theo announces cheerfully, “I found something cool for us to do.”
The words cut through the moment like a bucket of cold water. Both of us are breathing a little too fast. We separate, exchanging sheepish glances that say we know exactly how close we just came to breaking our own rules.
Connor rubs the back of his neck, looking equal parts amused and embarrassed. “Saved by Theo,” he mutters under his breath, the corner of his mouth twitching.
I huff a quiet laugh, still feeling the ghost of his breath on my lips. “Yeah… lucky us.”