Chapter 8
RALEIGH
Ugh, Christ on a cracker .
Despite my room being pitch black, I somehow knew the sun was up. It was the only explanation for the jackhammer slamming into my head. In reality, it was probably the long travel day and copious amount of alcohol in my system, but I liked my jackhammer metaphor, so I was sticking with it.
I sat up and rubbed my temples, looking over my shoulder to check on Angel. Catching him sleeping was about as rare as a Loch Ness sighting, so I wasn’t surprised to find him awake, scrolling on his phone. I had half a mind to glare at him. He must have had as much to drink as I did, and yet he looked unscathed. I didn’t know how he managed it. He had no dark circles under his eyes, no signs of a headache or queasy stomach, no pale tinge to his skin.
He tapped my shoulder, and in the light of his phone pointed to the lamp on the side of the bed. I flipped it on so I could read what he was trying to say.
“How are you feeling?” he signed.
I groaned, in part from the harsh bedside light, and scrubbed a hand through my hair. “Rough, but before you ask: No, you’re not taking over the bar today.”
Angel bit his lip, bashful. “I wouldn’t mind.”
“I know you wouldn’t, but it’s time for me to find my way back to normal. Besides, it’s your night off.”
Knowing he hated it, I leaned over and ruffled Angel’s hair. He scrambled to get away from me, but I was ready and circled his waist as he tried to get away, pulling him down to the mattress. We were both fit, but I was much more muscular—enough to pin him in place. He squirmed and tried to sign that I smelled like a brewery, but I pressed a kiss to his forehead in thanks for last night before releasing him from my grip and heading to the bathroom to shower.
Although the scalding water helped me feel clean, I was no more human when I descended the stairs to the bar. I was twenty minutes late which, frankly, wasn’t uncommon for me. And it wasn’t uncommon for Ryder to have beaten me there. I didn’t know whether he sensed I was too stressed or he caught on that I was too hungover, but he remained quiet—for once.
I kept him around for a reason.
Jack had the day off, so the two of us worked in silence as we set up the bar. I didn’t even put on any music.
Fuck, I was still in a tailspin, wasn’t I?
One by one, the other employees showed up. Thankfully, they were perceptive enough to see that I wasn’t in the mood for talking, and for a while the bar was quiet—until it wasn’t. As if on a timer, all of our phones went off at once. I didn’t bother checking mine.
Though when soft mutters filled the bar, my interest was piqued. Then Ryder caught my attention. “Raleigh…”
Brows furrowed, I met his eyes across the bar. He held his phone in his hand, and for once he had nothing sassy to say. The concern in his eyes convinced me to take my own phone out. Opening it, my blood ran cold. The notification was a breaking news alert, and the picture was…
Kali’s mugshot.
I couldn’t even read any of the words. My head spun and my vision blurred. Brown eyes stared back at me, ones that I’d trusted. Someone said something, but I couldn’t make out what it was, only Ryder telling people to put their phones away and get to work.
“Can you cover things for a minute?” I asked him.
I didn’t wait for his answer before hightailing it down the hallway for some privacy, not quite getting to the office door. I weighed my phone in my palm, considering hurling the device at the wall across from me. Deciding better of it, I pushed off the wall, scrubbing my hands over my face… so I didn’t see the person coming up behind me until I spun and collided into them.
Ryder swore, stumbling on his feet. I wrapped an arm around his waist, catching him. As my hands found his hips, a spark ignited in my belly, shooting through my veins.
“You okay?” he asked, breathless, stabilizing by clutching my shoulders.
All I saw was his mouth, the perfect shape of his cupid’s bow and the swollen bottom lip that he had a habit of biting. My thumb stroked his side, feeling the soft cotton of his T-shirt and the heat from his skin through the fabric. I squeezed, and he wiggled in response. My heart kicked into gear—and so did my cock.
“Raleigh,” he said, pulling my eyes back to his. There was very little to keep me from closing the distance between our mouths. Seconds seemed to pull into minutes as I stared at him, a silent question on my face. I pulled my lip ring between my teeth, and he tracked the motion, tongue darting out to wet his lips.
Good enough.
“Come with me.” Releasing his waist, I took him by the hand and yanked him into the office. I didn’t pause to turn on the lights, I simply pulled him into the dark space. He stumbled to keep up as I tugged him into the office’s bathroom and shut the door. We could only see by the dim plug-in light next to the sink. I slammed him against the closed door, ducking my head down. My mouth took his, forcing a surprised grunt from his chest. But Ryder being Ryder, he easily relaxed into the kiss. His right hand threaded into my hair, his left pulling me closer by my hip. The grunt became a satisfied hum. I eased up, and he tugged my lip ring as our mouths broke apart.
“What’s all this about?” he asked, voice quavering as I nuzzled into his neck.
My tongue darted out to lick a path to his ear. “I thought I should properly express my appreciation for everything you’ve done for me.”
And I dropped to my knees.
“Oh, shit,” he gasped, both hands locking into my hair. “Yes, please.”
“I just need you to do one more thing.”
He sighed, hips rocking against my mouth. “Anything.”
“Stay quiet,” I ordered, fingering the button on his jeans. “Someone could come in here at any second. Make a sound…” I cupped his erection in my hand, “and I stop. Understood?”
Ryder nodded frantically, curls bouncing around his face.
I set to work. Nimble fingers worked his button open, lowered the zipper, and tugged his jeans down his thighs in record time. My mouth watered when I noticed he wasn’t wearing underwear. Sweet, desperate pants came from above me, and the sounds spurred me on. I wasted no time, wrapping my lips around Ryder’s cock and pulling it into my mouth. He moaned a little too loudly, and I paused in admonishment. His best attempt at silence was sabotaged by a whimper, but it was hot enough that I continued, effortlessly swallowing him. Hands in my hair, he gave an experimental roll of his hips. I took it in stride, cupping his ass and guiding him farther down my throat.
As I suspected, Ryder couldn’t stay quiet if you paid him. His moaning got louder each time my throat constricted around his shaft, but I needed this release too badly to stop. His hands tightened in my hair. Letting go of his ass cheek with one hand, I snaked it up his stomach and chest until my fingers tapped against his lips. He eagerly took them into his mouth and sucked— hard . My cock punched against the fabric of my pants at his skilled move. My tongue swirled around his cockhead, and his mirrored mine around my fingers.
When we heard the office door open, Ryder sputtered in surprise and tried to release my fingers. But I didn’t waver: I doubled down, sucking harder and shoving my fingers further down his throat. He gagged but recovered.
My phone chimed in my pocket. Angel.
Are you in here?
I popped off Ryder’s cock but kept my fingers in his mouth. His eyes sparkled with mischief in the dim light. He slurped away, saliva dribbling down his chin and over my hand. Fuck , he was hot.
“In the bathroom,” I called.
Another chime.
In the dark? Are you okay?
“Fine,” I called back, trying not to sound out of breath. “I just, uh, really had to go. Go back to bed.”
Ryder snickered around my fingers, and I shot him a warning glare. His dick bobbed in front of my face, and my tongue darted out to swipe the drop of precome threatening to fall. Ryder squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to stay quiet.
Are you sure?
“I’m sure!”
Angel knew me too well to leave immediately, but as I hoped, he opted not to call me on my shit then and there. After a few moments during which I teased Ryder’s cock by dragging a light touch up his shaft and watched him squirm, we heard the office door click shut. Relieved, I dove back in and swallowed Ryder’s cock to the hilt.
With a groan that was muffled by my fingers in his mouth, his cock pulsed and his taste flooded my mouth. His hips rocked forward, abusing my mouth through his orgasm. Sounds of pleasure vibrated my fingers.
Instead of swallowing, I held his release on my tongue until he was finished. Then, I jerked my hand free of his mouth and spun him around. He caught himself on the door, and on instinct, he pushed his ass toward me. I spread his cheeks, using his own come to slick him up for my wet fingers to follow behind. One wasn’t enough. My touch had him arching into me, silently begging for more. I rose to my feet, pulling a condom from my back pocket. With the foil between my teeth, I undid my jeans, tore the packet open, and rolled the condom on.
I leaned in close. “You ready?”
Ryder groaned, and I wasn’t sure if it was a conscious response to my question or a visceral one to my fingers bumping his prostate. Regardless, he nodded.
I buried myself balls-deep in one swift thrust. He bit down on his fist, trying his hardest to stay quiet. How cute.
One firm thrust threw that out the window.
Ryder’s shout reverberated off the bathroom walls. “Fuck, Raleigh,” he cried, rocking onto my dick.
I smiled, bracing myself with one hand on his hip and the other on his shoulder, finding a rhythm. If I didn’t wrap this up soon, someone would certainly come looking for us.
Ryder gave as good as he got. He fucked himself on my cock until I felt my orgasm simmering beneath the surface. I leaned into the feeling, easing myself into release. I muffled my cry in his shoulder, the cotton of his T-shirt drying my tongue out. Only once we were both gasping for air did I withdraw from him, tying off the condom and throwing it into the trash.
“Holy shit,” he muttered, collapsing against the door and gesturing my way. “Those piercings should come with a warning. Fuck, that was intense.”
I grinned, doing up my jeans. My… special piercings never failed to impress my partners, often leaving them writhing beneath me and begging for more.
Pants around his thighs, Ryder slipped past me to the sink and dampened a paper towel under the tap. I shuffled in place, unsure what to do. Typically, I’d clean my partner myself, spoiling them with kisses and cuddles and praising them for a job well done. Ryder didn’t seem like the type.
“I’m good, big guy,” he finally said with a smile over his shoulder, as if he could hear my inner turmoil.
“You sure?” In spite of everything, I felt guilty walking away from him after that.
Ryder nodded, still panting for air. “I can sort myself out. I’ll meet you out there in a minute. And before you ask, your secret’s safe with me. Don’t get me wrong: Everyone will know about those piercings.” He threw me a wink and a smarmy grin. “But they don’t have to know who they’re attached to.”
I had to admit, my spur of the moment decision to drag Ryder into that bathroom had me feeling much better about the Kali situation. Was that the trick? Fuck out my feelings?
I wasn’t going to complain.
True to his word, Ryder spent the rest of the shift pretending like nothing happened. I switched between bouncing and bartending all night. With each drink poured and every hot, sweaty body that pressed into the bar, the stress washed away.
Near the end of the night, I found a quiet moment to excuse myself to the bathroom. I darted up to our apartment to check on Angel. Though suspicious of my sudden mood change, he assured me he was fine and let me add another blanket to his fort on the couch before he returned to his eight thousandth rewatch of Friends.
Checking on Angel had taken slightly longer than expected, so I rushed back down the stairs to help Ryder, barely remembering to lock the door behind me. I’d made that mistake once or twice and it never failed to get Angel’s anxiety spinning. I checked to make sure the office door was locked as well, then bolted down the hall and past those fucking streamers. As I was trying to dislodge one from my dimple piercing, I grew careless of my surroundings and ran into someone. Again.
Wincing, I ripped the tissue off my cheek with one hand and caught the stranger with the other before they fell.
“I’m so sorry,” I muttered, rubbing my now sore piercing.
“It’s fine! I should pay more att—Raleigh!”
I glanced at the person in surprise. My arm still held them by their slender waist. Long, delicate fingers landed on my chest and our eyes met, bright and sparkling in the dim light. The flashing neon lights reflected off a familiar, striking green, eyes I hadn’t seen in a long time. The person brushed copper hair out of their eyes to get a better look at me, their lips curling into a grin.
Damn it, they were still as attractive now as they had been then.
I finally managed, “Billie?”