8. Rishi
8
Rishi
B y the time we got back to Casimir’s apartment, he was getting tight around his eyes and mouth, and I wordlessly handed him one of his stronger pain pills. His amputation site was swollen when he allowed me to help remove the jeans and get into a pair of long shorts, and he transferred to the sofa and sighed as he stretched out, his limb up on some pillows.
“Do you need anything else?” I asked. I was hovering, which was a little odd, but I couldn’t help myself.
“My big water cup,” Cas replied, and I filled it with water and ice quickly and gave it to him. “Thank you.”
“It’s no problem,” I said quickly, sitting down in the stuffed chair nearby. “Your parents are very nice,” I said after a few minutes of silence.
“Yeah, most of the time. They’re pushy but they mean well.” He sighed. “She’s planning the damn wedding now,” he said.
I laughed. “Well, when she meets my mother, they’ll either claw each other’s eyes out in a fight for dominance, or they’ll be best friends for life.”
Cas laughed hard, then shook his head once he calmed and looked at me. “Look… what is this? I mean we’re not really engaged, but earlier, and at the brunch…”
I sighed softly. “I do not know,” I admitted. “I find that I am getting confused about how I feel about you, and about how you feel about me. At times you act as though you would prefer I be anywhere but here, but then earlier…” I sighed again. “It seems there is a certain level of mutual attraction.”
Cas was looking at a point on the far side of the room, and after a few long beats of silence he began to nod. “From the start. You’re sexy as all hell and I’m missing a leg, not my libido.” He tipped one side of his mouth up as his eyes swung over to me. “And then you’ve outdone my wildest expectation of not just a bodyguard, but of nearly everyone.”
“I was merely—” I started, but Cas cut me off.
“No. I know you like to make sure you’re doing your job well, but your dedication and care have been unparalleled. I’m fucking lucky to have you here. I’m fucking lucky to have met you, whether we’re just in a client relationship, or we’re friends, or we decide to see where that attraction takes us.”
I swallowed, overcome by what Cas had said to me. “I… thank you. I am honored by your high estimation of me and my character. I feel honored that you would be interested in me, as well. I have heard many things about you and I, too, feel that you are an exemplary person for your passion for helping those in our community.” I smiled at him. “I heard many stories about Officer Hallie from the children. They loved you.”
Cas ducked his head, and I was shocked to see him wipe his eyes before he lifted it again. “Thanks,” he said. “Thank you. That means a lot. I’m hoping I can be back out on the beat soon. I miss it.”
We both knew that would be some time in coming. “But what about this?” I asked.
Cas nibbled his lower lip. “I…” He frowned and glanced down at himself. “You’re hot as fuck, Rishi; I would have to be blind to not be interested, but I don’t have a lot to offer right now.”
I stood up and stalked over to him, crossing my arms over my chest and smiling a cocky little smile at him as I watched his eyes roam my chest and shoulders and dilate. “You have plenty,” I said, dropping my voice. “And I could eat up every bit of it.”
Cas moaned, and then I dropped to my knees and captured his mouth in a kiss.
***
“There isn’t room on this couch,” Cas panted when I allowed him to use his mouth for talking some time later. I thought that was an accurate assessment, so I scooped him up and carried him around the corner to his bedroom. He yelped and clung to my neck, then laughed while I joined in.
“Why, Casimir, do you think I’m carrying you off to ravish?” I asked as I carefully sat him on the bed. I didn’t want to jostle his limb, as tempting as falling upon him was.
Cas’s laugh turned to a rough groan. “Could I order that?”
I hummed thoughtfully. “Why don’t I make sure you like the sampler package first,” I said as I began to unbutton my shirt. When Cas realized what I was doing, his eyes zeroed in on my fingers on my buttons, and his tongue peeked out to run over his lower lip. I took a single step back and reached back to pull out my shirt tail while I finished unbuttoning, then did the cuffs before I pulled it from my body and watched his jaw drop as he breathed out a quiet, “Holy shit!”
“I take it that you like them?” I asked, referring to the tattoos that covered my torso with barely any room for more. I worked on my body art from the time I was old enough to get a tattoo, and it was intricate and elaborate. There were tattoos on my arms, too, but I hadn’t broken the habit of wearing long-sleeved button-up shirts, and Cas hadn’t seen me in a t-shirt more than a couple of times. Also, arm tattoos were pretty common, so most people didn’t necessarily expect this level of body art from the ink on my arms. Many people had arm tats and even sleeves, but few had the kind of work I did.
“Very much,” Cas assured me. “Not to mention the whole package.” He held out his hand, and when I took it, he pulled me down to kiss him. I hovered over him, bent at the waist and supporting myself on my hands on either side as he devoured my mouth. I hadn’t felt a kiss so full of desire in quite a long while, maybe ever, and I almost got distracted by that and how long it had been since my ex had truly wanted me, but I shook it off. That line of thought didn't serve either of us. I had a sexy, willing, incredibly hot man right in front of me. I wasn’t going to waste it by getting lost in my own head.
I slid his shirt up, eager to finally touch the perfect, smooth chest I had admired since I arrived, and a light pinch to one of his nipples earned a light bite to my lower lip. I pulled away and laughed roughly. “That is quite an interesting game of cause and effect. I would love to play with you sometime,” I said. “But for now, I need to open my pants. The pressure is killing me.”
“Blow job?” I asked, straightening to get my jeans off. Cas sat up and pushed my hands away, opening my button and zipper himself. He cupped me through the material and ground the heel of his hand against me until I moaned and then drew me out and stroked me several times, the smile on his face rather smug. “I meant to give you a blowjob,” I choked out, “but I’m liking this plan, too.”
“I do, too,” Cas said. “I think I'll keep you right here like this.” He leaned closer and blew his warm breath on my hard dick, and tingles of delight raced through me.
“I am clean.” I managed to get out through my clenched jaw. Cas hadn’t even actually put his mouth on me yet and I was already on edge. “I recently tested because I found out my partner was cheating. I can give you proof.”
Cas hummed. “I believe you…” he purred and closed his lips around the head of my dick.
The feel of his mouth around me, and his other hand teasing the skin of my inner thighs and balls was indescribable, and I gave up on the idea that I could last this time.
I fell to my knees next to the bed after I came. My knees actually went weak from the A-plus, Christ yes, where-the-fuck-did-you-learn-that?! blow job Cas had given me. I buried my head in the mattress next to his waist, and fought to recover my breath.
When I finally looked up, Cas was laid back on the bed looking unbearably smug. “I love it when people are cocky for good reason,” I said, still a little out of breath.
Cas laughed. “Watching you lose control like that is the best thing ever.”
“You are very adept. Now it’s my turn,” I said as I rose to my feet and leaned over him.
I slid my hand down his sides, and Cas lifted his hips so I could pull his basketball shorts down. I took his underwear with him, and his dick was hard enough to catch on the waistband and slap against his stomach as they came down. I tossed his clothes to the side and wrapped my hand around the velvet soft steel. “Tell me about your medical history, sexy.” I asked, deepening my voice as much as possible.
Cas shivered from head to toe, then chuckled, which made me chuckle too, glad he understood my humor. “Clean,” he finally said. “I do them routinely, and haven’t been with anyone since the last one.”
“Mmm, lucky me,” I hummed. Just lay back, I'll take care of you, I promise.”
I took his limb and hooked my hand at the bend of his knee, holding it out to protect it and, as a fun little benefit, hold his legs open as well. He moaned a little at the exposure, and I made a mental note for next time. I stroked him several more times, long and slow, then sank my mouth down onto his dick and began a suck-and-bob technique that he vocally approved of.
The noises he made and the way he clutched at my hair and shoulders convinced me that he was comfortable and enjoying himself, so I used everything I knew to draw out his pleasure. I varied my pressure, tongue action, and depth. He went from praising to begging, and when he ran out of patience with my teasing, he grabbed my head with both hands and pulled me all the way down, pumping into my mouth until he came down my throat with a loud groan of satisfaction. I was half hard again by the time Cas was done. The noise he made and the way he took control when he was done waiting both got me worked up again, but I was content to let the arousal fade in favor of holding Cas as he recovered.
After laying quietly for a few minutes as Cas’s breathing settled down, Cas finally spoke. “Would you come lay up here with me?”
I helped him under the covers and slid in next to him, choosing the side opposite his limb. We took a minute to negotiate positions, and wound up with Cas cuddling into my side. He tentatively bent his knee and laid his limb over my legs. “I'll let you know if I have to move,” I promised.
“So…” Cas said after a few minutes. “We did that.”
“We did. I had a fantastic time. I hope you did, too?”
“Yeah, I did.” He sighed and relaxed against me. “How do you feel about post-blowie naps?”
I chuckled. “I feel good about them.”
“Good? Good.”
***
My phone woke me from my “post-blowie nap,” as Cas had put it. I checked the screen and fumbled to answer it. “Rio,” I said. “What’s happening?”
“Rishi, man, I got the scoop from my cousin Eddie. Did you hear about him?”
“No…” I said slowly and listened as Rio filled me in how Eddie had tipped him off on some insider gang intel.
“So I guess he’s thinking of getting out,” Rio finished. “But he’s been keeping an ear to the ground for news about all of this since he heard about the shelter and everything. Turns out there’s a BOLO out on Cas. Julio wants him personally. There was a UC cop who got roughed up and let it slip that Cas was the one who paid for Elena to get out of town.”
“I heard about that, he’s a friend of Cas’,” I said. “Did you hear about the kidnapping attempt a couple of days ago?”
“Yeah, Eddie told me. The plan to get his attention off the shelter worked, but Julio is going hard after Cas now. Eddie said that there’s also strict orders for whoever grabs Cas to make sure they don’t knock him out or harm him in any way that could potentially damage his memory or kill him.”
“I suppose that’s good, at least in the short term…” I wouldn’t have to worry about Cas getting caught in another drive-by.
“Yeah, but you better be packing, man, because it sounds like whoever brings Cas to Julio is gonna get a fat promotion.”
“Okay, that is not good,” I said.
“No,” Rio agreed.
“What’s good and not good?” Cas asked sleepily from his place on my chest. Rio started to laugh in my ear, and I rolled my eyes as Cas lifted his head and looked at the phone. “Rio?” Cas asked. “Why is he laughing like Saint’s wearing feathered underwear?”
Rio laughed even harder. “Fuck me, I wondered if you’d wind up doing it too; Cas is kinda hot. So, I guess you’re taking really good care of him?”
I sighed exaggeratedly as Cas looked at me with big eyes, then laughed too. “You think I’m cute, Rio?” he asked loudly enough for Rio to hear.
“Well not as cute as Saint, but, you know,” Rio said a little louder so Cas could hear him. I switched it onto speakerphone and listened to the “Hey!” in the background that had to have come from Saint, which sent Rio and Cas into more laughter.
“Was that all Eddie said?” I asked, attempting to steer the conversation back to where it should be.
“Yeah, that was it, but he said he would keep me in the loop if he heard anything else. I thought I should let you know.”“I appreciate it, Rio,” I said.
“How are the kids?” Cas asked. “Is Clay doing okay?”
Cas had brought Clay Greene to True Colors and kicked off a chain of events that brought Rio and, after a short time, me to southern California to protect Saint and the kids at Saint’s homeless teen center.
“He seems to be,” Rio said. “You’re on speaker. Cas wondered how Clay is.”
“He’s hanging in there. I think he’s trying to bury it instead of dealing with it, but I can’t make him process things any faster than he’s willing to.” Saint sounded sad, and I knew why. We all wished that we could spare the kids at the shelter the kind of trauma they dealt with. I also knew Saint would give Clay as much help as Clay would accept. Saint took care of those kids like they were his own. When he wasn’t in earshot the kids talked about him like he was their hero.
“No, you can’t,” Cas agreed. “If you need anything, or there’s anything I can do, you have my number.”
“I do,” Saint agreed. “Thanks. I’ll text you.”
We all said goodbye, and I hung up the call. Cas looked at me and sighed quietly. “D’you regret it?”
I frowned. “Regret what?”
He made a small gesture at where we were laying together.
I frowned. “Not in the least. Do you?”
Cas sighed and my stomach clenched.