30. Evan
Chapter 30
Evan
I gripped my phone like a lifeline as I looked out the window as California passed below me. I’d been gone less than three hours and already missed Hudson and the kids. We’d been apart longer when he went to work, but my head knew this would be a long stretch. He wouldn’t be coming through my door late this afternoon. Jack and Erin wouldn’t be hanging out at the pool, and we wouldn’t be spending the evening watching movies on the sofa or hanging out. And I wouldn’t feel the familiar heat of his body next to mine.
Instead, I was going home to my quiet, empty home and bed. It might even be worse than when he and the kids left my house a month ago.
Tapping on the screen, I opened my messages app and started typing. But as I typed out my messages, one popped up on my screen.
Hudson: You forgot something.
I smiled, remembering our text thread from a month ago. I knew my shirt was still in his office at the Capitol.
Me: Yeah? What was that?
Hudson: My heart.
A stupid smile spread across my face.
Hudson: Delete this message.
Hudson: Goddamn it, Ellis. What have you done to me?
Me: Seems pretty simple, governor. Made you fall in love with me.
Hudson: Uh. I’ve never been a sappy person, and look at me now!
Me: I happen to love the sappy side of you, governor.
Hudson: Thank god, because I don’t think I can stop it.
Me: Good. I don’t want you to.
Me: And governor, in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve fallen head over heels for all of you.
I watched as the dots popped up, then stopped, only to start again.
Hudson: Good.
Hudson: We can do this.
Me: We can do this.
Hudson: Text me when you land.
Me: I will.
Hudson: Love you, Superstar.
Me: Love you more, governor.
When I walked out of San Diego International Airport, Lennox was waiting to pick me up in his Hummer this time.
Pulling open the back door, I put my bag in the back, then went for the passenger door.
“Hey, man. Thanks for picking me up.”
“No problem, man. Glad you’re back.”
I huffed out a laugh and took in the familiar surroundings. “Yeah, thanks. It’s good to be back.”
My lack of enthusiasm caught his attention. I was the cheerleader in our friendship, always seeing the bright side. And this demeanor was new for both of us.
“What’s up, Ellis? I thought you’d be giddy about your new man. Nice interview, by the way. Didn’t take you long to work your magic on him.”
The left side of my face inched up in a half smile. “I am giddy. Just not loving the separation.”
Lennox snorted. “You’ve been gone, what, four hours?”
It felt like four weeks, but I didn’t say that. “Something like that.”
I felt Lennox’s eyes on the side of my face, and I turned to look at him. “What?”
He laughed. “I knew you liked him, but didn’t think you’d fall in love with him. I expected you to come back and be all that shit isn’t for me . Damn, Clark. He’s the fucking governor. And straight.”
I smirked and looked at him. “Not anymore.”
Lennox’s eyes went wide, and immediately I knew I’d said too much.
“Wait. You really boned the governor?”
I laughed. “Didn’t you see the interview?”
“What interview?”
“Where have you been? Under a rock? And I’m not telling you anything.”
“The fuck you aren’t. You can’t just lay that shit down there and expect me to let it go. I’ve seen you when you’re in hookup mode, brother. And you never skim on the details whether I wanted them or not.”
I looked over at my friend. “Why do you want to know? You can watch porn. And you hook up with women all the time. Are you afraid you’re missing something, Sanders? Because I’m here to tell you, you are. There’s nothing like having…”
Lennox’s face flushed, and he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. He wasn’t telling me something.
I shifted in my seat to look at him. “What have you done? I leave you for three weeks and come back to this.”
Pointing at him, he laughed. He was uncomfortable. “Nothing. What do you mean?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Something’s off. Are you curious about how two men have sex, Lennox?”
He shrugged. “Sex is sex, right? No matter how you get off, all that matters is you blow your load. Doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman.”
I tilted my head to study him. I’d never heard him include men in his generalizations, but maybe it was his effort to be more inclusive. I couldn’t shake the feeling he wasn’t telling me something, but I wouldn’t press him.
I knew he’d never been in a relationship, much less hooked up with a guy. He was terrified of commitment.
“No, it’s not. Sex with someone you care about is completely different. You should try it sometime.”
He shivered, making me laugh. “I’m allergic to feelings, Clark. Football is my better half.”
I shook my head and changed the subject. “Have you heard any comments about me and Hudson?”
Lennox rubbed his jaw like he was thinking. “Nothing bad. Most everyone is chill, you know that.”
I did. That was one of the reasons I loved my teammates so much.
“But Carson told me he heard we’re getting a new defensive end. He’s some rugby star from Ireland or Scotland. Coach talked him into trying American football. Have you ever watched it? It’s brutal.”
I nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t understand it. Running and tackling, with no pads while wearing shorts, doesn’t make sense to me. Looks painful.”
“Looks hot,” Lennox added, making his way onto the interstate to head toward my house.
I shifted my gaze to him, not sure if he was referring to the temperature or the players. Whatever he meant, I let it go and pulled out my phone to text Hudson.
Me: In the car with Lennox. On the way home.
Hudson: Glad you made it safely.
Me: I’ll call you tonight.
Hudson: I’ll be waiting.
I darkened my screen and made a mental list of what I needed to do when I got home.
Later that evening, I climbed onto my bed and pulled out my phone. I’d distracted myself and killed time cleaning my house. I’d even unpacked and repacked my bag. I should have taken a later flight.
And when there was nothing left to do, I opened a book on my phone and started reading. When nothing held my attention, I popped on a replay of our Super Bowl win, hoping to get myself in the mindset.
Midway into the first quarter, my phone rang with Hudson’s ringtone. I ripped my shirt over my head and tossed it on the floor. Swiping to answer, I grinned into the camera.
“Hello, babe.”
My heart beat a little faster as Hudson reclined on his bed and looked at me.
“Are you naked, Superstar?”
I laughed. “No. Are you?”
“Not quite, but I thought I better call before it got too late. I know you have to be up early.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I have to be at the stadium at eight. We’re leaving to check in at the hotel at ten, then our big team meeting. How did Jack’s physical go?”
Hudson stared at me for a moment with a soft smile. “You really want to know all that?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, of course I do. He’s important to me, too. So is Erin. They’re our…”
I cut myself off before I said something stupid, like our kids or our family. But Hudson knew what I meant.
“Yeah, he’s great. Somehow, this kid grew a couple of inches this summer. He’s six-one at fifteen.”
“That’s good. It’ll help him on the field.”
He nodded. “I know. But he’s my child. Two more inches and he’ll be as tall as me.”
“He’s going to grow for a long time. I didn’t stop until I was twenty-three.”
“Great. I’m growing a giant.”
I laughed and tucked my arm behind my head to get comfortable. Hudson’s eyes roamed over me, then squinted at the camera.
“Is that…”
He squinted some more, then laughed. “You stole my pillowcase.”
I picked up the pillow with light gray stripes and hugged it to me. “Yes, I did. And I’m not ashamed one bit.”
I breathed in the scent of him on the pillow.
“You’re weird. And I like it.”
“I’m taking it with me to the hotel, too. Packing it in a plastic bag so it doesn’t air out.”
Hudson chuckled, but I could tell he loved the idea. “You do that, Superstar.”
I’d give anything to be there with him, but the next time we saw each other, it would be unforgettable.
“Did you wash your sheets today?” I asked, holding my pillow closer to me.
He looked into the phone and shook his head. “Not a chance. And I might have misted my bed with your cologne when you were in the shower.”
I hummed in delight. “We’re quite a pair, Governor Gatlin.”
“We are. And we’re perfect for each other. Who knew you’d be the ying to my yang?”
My cock was hardening just from looking at him and smelling his pillowcase.
“Is your door locked?”
Hudson stiffened and looked over at his door. “Uh, no. I’m not in the habit of doing that.”
“You might want to start locking it.”
He licked his bottom lip and nodded. “Hold on.”
Quietly, he got up and walked across the room. The faint sound of the lock engaging made my pulse speed up.
Climbing back on the bed, Hudson spoke into the camera, his voice a little huskier than normal.
“What did you have in mind?”
I licked my lips and looked at him. “Get naked. We’re gonna jerk off together.”
Hudson smiled. “What makes you think I’m hard?”
I threw my head back and laughed. “You’re always hard when you’re with me, governor.”
He raised one brow and tilted his head to the side. “True.”
I raised my hips and drug my shorts down to my knees. Hudson stared into the phone as he did the same.
“Show it to me.”
“You dirty boy,” I said, complying with his request. Angling my phone, I slowly titled my phone to give him a view of my torso, all the way down to my erect penis.
“There you go, sweetheart. Now show me how you stroke it when you think of me.”
Normally I would laugh at his dirty talk, but tonight, I needed to be close to him even though we were five hundred miles apart.
“I do it like this.”
Palming my pre-cum, I twisted my fist over the head, then smeared it down my shaft.
As I worked myself over, I held eye contact with him, even though I wanted to close my eyes and imagine it was his hand. I could see Hudson’s fist jerking his cock, and the labored rise and fall of his chest. His pants pushed me closer to the edge.
“You’re fucking noises turn me on so much.”
“Good, because I’m there.”
His phone shifted, obscuring my view. But I could see when his eyes closed and his head fell back against the pillow. His soft moans told me what was happening and pushed me over the edge.
My balls drew up and my eyes closed as my warm release coated my hand and chest. I lost track of my camera as I pumped until my limbs felt like jelly.
I laid back and caught my breath.
“Nice view of the ceiling.” Hudson’s laughter had me scrambling for my phone.
“Shit, sorry,” I said, looking into this smiling face.
“Guess we’re gonna need some practice with that,” he said. “And maybe a tripod for the phone.”
I bit my lip and nodded. “Yeah, we’ll do that.”
Hudson smiled into the camera. Words weren’t really necessary, but I’d never get tired of hearing him tell me how he felt.
“I love you. And I miss you like crazy, babe.”
I nodded. “Me too. All of it.”
“I better get cleaned up. Have a good day tomorrow.”
Nodding, I brought the phone to my lips and kissed the screen. “You too, babe. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
He smiled and ended the call.