Chapter 28 - Nick
Natalie’s birthday was on a Saturday. The nightclub of her choosing was packed. Nick wasn’t really into the whole club scene, but he went out occasionally to maintain appearances and didn’t mind when it was for Reece’s sisters.
He had a strong urge to leash Reece’s ass to him for the night though, especially thinking about all his fans swarming him.
He looked damn good too, wearing jean shorts and a thin, white linen shirt with a low V-neck and half sleeves.
His hair had gotten long enough for him to tuck his bangs behind his ears.
He wore the earrings Nick gifted him every day, never choosing any other pairs.
Reece looked good enough to eat. Somehow smelled even better.
And Nick had no idea how he managed to keep his hands off Reece long enough to get inside the club.
A house party would’ve been so much better.
Maybe then they could slip off and fuck around when they wanted.
But here? At the packed club? Impossible.
“What up, Nick?” Declan walked up, offering his hand as soon as Nick turned to face him, which Nick took for a quick dap.
Like Nick, Declan was dressed in baggy jeans and a button down shirt over a tee, his brown eyes were both impossibly dark and warm.
Alex was in skinny jeans next to him, and wearing an oversized black shirt that bared his collarbones and made his chest peekable.
“This long ass line is what’s up,” Nick grumbled, giving Alex a look over.
Alex used one hand to make Declan step aside so he could come forward and smirk at Nick, his dark eyes cool and cunning.
“Something you need to say to me, Nicholas?”
“Nope.” Not many people intimidated Nick, but there was something about Alex. So often stoic. Calculating. Manipulating even. So when his usually expressionless face was instead animated with that smugness, Nick didn’t know what to make of him.
It was Nick and Reece’s turn to pay the entrance fee, and soon enough, they walked into the club.
The music was so loud it had Nick’s whole body vibrating.
Reece held his hand and pulled him inside through the thick crowd.
Too many people. Too many bodies against his, though at least they were taller than most people there.
“Let’s get a drink first, Nicky!” Reece yelled over the music and dragged Nick with him to the bar.
“Don’t get so drunk that I have to carry your ass outta here,” Nick said into Reece’s ear as they waited for one of the bartenders.
Reece gasped. “I would never!”
“Ahh! Reece Keys!”
A group of three girls squeezed through the crowd to reach Reece and Nick.
“Oh, hi! Are you Natalie’s friends?”
“Who?” one of them blurted.
“Can we take a selfie?” the one in the middle interjected, phone already held up, camera app open.
“Yo, don’t put that camera in his face.”
“It’s okay, Nicky. Let’s take one.” Reece leaned in closer to Nick, who glared at the phone while Reece smiled wide.
“Thanks! I love your work.” She made a long gesture with her hand, waving from his face down and back up. “All of it.”
“I am obsessed with your entire shoot in Modern-Styles January edition,” the third girl spoke up, hearts in her eyes. “Well, I mean it’s one of my favorite features of you…”
“Alright, we gotta order our drinks now.” Nick turned Reece back to face the bar, effectively ending the conversation.
“Jeez, Nicky. So aggressive.” Reece nudged him in his ribs, then ordered a drink for both of them.
“I’m not sharing all night.”
“But you make me share all the time.” Reece pouted. “Almost every day with Declan. What are you trying to be, his next boyfriend?”
“Oh, don’t make me drag your ass to the bathroom already, Ree. We just got here.”
Reece stuck out his tongue but thanked the bartender with a flirtatious smile when he accepted the drinks.
“What did you get?” Alex popped up, stealing Reece’s drink before he even had a taste. “Oh—that’s good.” He gave it back and then stole Nick’s.
“It’s the same!” Nick swiped his drink back and glared at Declan as if this was his fault.
“Don’t be an ass. It’s taking forever to get a drink. He’s thirsty.”
“So, put your dick in his mouth and keep him off mine.”
“He’s in a mood, huh?” Alex said to Reece, who nodded, sipping on his drink through the straw. “Maybe he needs to be dragged to the bathroom.”
“You little—” Nick started, reaching for Alex to silence him, but Declan grabbed his hand to stop him, threading their fingers together with a taunting smile that had Nick scoffing and snatching his hand back.
There wouldn’t be a dull moment throughout the night.
* * *
Kitten: Omg, Nicky!! ?? You’re already here. I see you through the window hehe ?? You didn’t say you were picking me up on the bike ?? ??
Nick: yeah ur welcome ??
Kitten: ?? ?? You’re cute when you use emojis in your texts.
Nick: ??
Kitten: DON’T
Laughing, Nick got off his bike and slid his phone in his pocket, leaving the parking lot to head into the hotel where Reece’s photo shoot of the day was. By the time he walked in the lobby, Reece was stepping off an elevator and sprinting toward him.
“Nicky! You came inside?” Reece beamed, hands clutching the crossbody strap of the bag he wore.
“Don’t I always?”
“N—” Reece cut himself off, smacking Nick in the abs. “Nicky!”
“What?” He laughed, turning back toward the exit. “I was curious about this place. Why the hotel instead of the studio you work at most of the time?”
“Oh!” Reece walked with him, explaining happily, “We needed a bed. Bringing one in the studio is more of a hassle than renting a room, I guess. At least the bed was comfy. I got sleepy in there and wanted to take a nap.”
“That’s because you were up late riding my dick.”
“So!”
“The hell did you need a bed for anyway? What kinda pictures were you taking?”
Suddenly, Nick felt he didn’t know enough about Reece’s work…
“It was for a new sleepwear line! Had sleepy, sexy vibes, so I think me being sleepy honestly worked in my favor.”
Sleepy, sexy Reece was one of Nick’s favorite things lately. So he wanted to see it. “You’ll have to show me…”
“If you want to see, sure.” Reece grinned. “It’ll be next week though.”
“Don’t forget.”
“Never!” Reece walked ahead of him, reaching Nick’s bike first and grabbing his helmet. “You didn’t tell me where we’re going for lunch.”
“How about sushi?”
“That sounds perfect.”
There was a place close to the hotel where they wouldn’t have to rush too much considering Reece only had one hour for his lunch break. The booths were private, Reece and Nick sitting together on one side because Reece wanted to lean into him.
They ordered a variety to share and were eating before long.
“It’s been a while… I forgot how much I like sushi,” Reece said casually.
“Me too.”
“Perfect for me to feed you.” He held up a piece to Nick’s mouth and Nick ate it.
“That’s cute, but I can feed myself.”
“Are you blushing?”
Nick kissed Reece, and when their lips separated, Reece’s whole face was pink. “Are you?”
“You’re so mean, Nicky.” Reece set down his chopsticks to wrap both arms around Nick’s, burying his face against Nick’s shoulder.
“Yeah, you’re welcome.” Nick nudged him, so he lifted his head. “Don’t get too distracted. You gotta eat, or I won’t take you back to work.”
“Well… Maybe I could be convinced.”
Blue eyes settled on Nick’s lips, begging wordlessly.
So expressive—hungry in an insatiable way.
One look was enough to fuel Nick’s desire to satisfy all of Reece’s needs.
That look was all Nick needed to give him the kisses he sought.
Not one or two or even a handful, but enough for even Nick to forget where they were for a moment.
He savored the softness of Reece’s lips, the tentative swipes of his tongue, every shaky breath.
Until their server cleared his throat. “Is everything okay here?”
“What the fuck does it look—”
“Everything’s great. Perfect.” Reece rubbed Nick’s thigh, batting his lashes at the guy, who went from blanching at Nick’s snap to melting with a smile.
“Great. Perfect.” The server bowed and then scurried off.
Nick stole one more kiss because he wasn’t about to be interrupted. He’d end the kiss on his own terms, which he did after a few more kisses.
“Alright, now eat.”
“Yes sir, Nicky, you got it!”
There was no sushi left after lunch. Reece didn’t eat as much as Nick, but close to it. They were both stuffed as they got on Nick’s bike once more, Reece hugging Nick and resting his cheek on Nick’s back.
“Drive slow, ‘kay?”
“Long as you don’t fall asleep on me.”
“Won’t,” Reece promised with a sigh. His hold on Nick never loosened on their way back, but Nick still found himself laying a hand over Reece’s arms every now and then to make sure he wasn’t going anywhere.
“You don’t have to walk me in, Nicky,” Reece told him after Nick cut the bike’s engine. He handed over his helmet but Nick got off the bike too, putting both the helmets away.
“I know.”
He said nothing more than that, the two of them walking toward the entrance, Reece going from holding Nick’s pinky to lacing all their fingers together. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, so Nick held his hand instead of trying to pull away from him.
“The food really helped me get the energy I needed to finish work today. There’s supposed to be a swimwear shoot by the pool this afternoon.”
“The hell have you been keeping from me?” Nick snorted, mind wandering with all these thoughts of Reece modeling and how he’d never given his work proper appreciation.
“Nothing.” Reece laughed and hugged him as if he’d cling to Nick for the rest of the day just so they wouldn’t have to separate. That felt natural too. “It’s just not your thing.” He shrugged, not seeming disappointed about it.
But if it was Reece…
“Come, Nicky, since you came this far, you might as well walk me all the way in.”
Nick didn’t argue. They got in one of the elevators together and the privacy it awarded them was something neither of them took for granted.
Nick blamed Reece. For being so perfectly kissable.
For being so fucking pretty and fuckable that Nick would’ve stripped him right then and there, just enough to take him, if they had the time it’d take.
But he settled for pinning Reece to the wall instead, and kissing him senseless.
Nick kissed him until he was breathless and giggling, eyes hazy as the elevator came to a stop.
“I love you, Nicky.”
He said it so casually. As if those words held such little weight, when in reality, hearing them made it so Nick couldn’t even breathe. All he could do was blink as Reece slipped away from him and hurried off the elevator because someone was calling for him the instant the doors opened.
“Sorry, didn’t realize I was late!” Reece said to whoever it was, then waved back at Nick. “See you later, Nicky.”
The elevator closed and Nick rode it back down to the first floor, unmoving otherwise. His eyes were still open and staring ahead. Even his lips were parted.
I love you.
I love you, Nicky.
Nick had already known. Deep down he’d always known.
Ignoring feelings didn’t erase them, and Reece had given him everything he wanted for months.
He’d been there, no expectations, just willing to give himself to Nick—to be whatever Nick needed him to be—but no matter what he said or did, Nick had always known. This would be their reality.
And how could he accept Reece’s sincere affections when he was the last person that deserved them? How could he have been so selfish to get here? To let Reece love him.
To let himself feel the same damn way when he knew that it would never work out. Knew they could never last forever.
Outside, Nick reached his bike, the walk from the elevator not registering at all.
He was too caught up in his thoughts. Even when he sat on his bike, time seemed to still and Nick just sat there, eyes seeing nothing before him because his mind was playing over too many memories full of Reece.
Thoughts of their future and how unbearably bleak it looked.
Nick didn’t know what to think. What to do.
And before he could figure it out, his phone rang. It was Donovan, his agent. He answered despite his mind having no chance of focusing, and he’d been as unprepared for the news delivered to him on that phone call as he was Reece saying those three forbidden words.
The draft was only one month away, and it was time for him to be making his moves.