Chapter 42 There’s Mood Lighting
Forty-Two
There’s Mood Lighting
Beck
I’m kind of drunk, and I never get drunk, so I’d forgotten how it makes the world feel squishy. Rigsy’s gone home already, and the Cougars have started leaving as well. They have morning skate tomorrow.
I’m almost too tired to peel myself off this wall and get a rideshare.
Meanwhile, there’s some hot guy from UC Boulder leaning over me, telling me about his favorite new gym routine.
He’s boring as hell, and I’ve already stopped listening.
He’s so close to me, I can see the flecks of gold in his hazel eyes.
And then suddenly he isn’t there anymore.
“S’cuse me,” says Forest’s gruff voice. “But Beck already knows how to maximize his glute engagement, thanks.”
Forest slides in beside me, his hand settling on the small of my back like it lives there. And I go from mildly buzzed to fully feral in under three seconds.
“Sweetheart,” he purrs. “You about ready to get out of here?”
I’m so stunned that it takes me a second to organize my brain cells into speech. “Did you just…” Call me sweetheart in public? It’s such an outrageous idea that I don’t say it out loud. “Did you just scare off a guy who was chatting me up?”
“Yes, I did,” he growls. “Something wrong with that?”
“No,” I say immediately. Then I suddenly remember I’m supposed to be holding a grudge. “Actually, I’m still mad at you. Even if that was kinda hot. Never thought I’d live to see the day.”
“Yeah, about that.” He studies me with his dark eyes. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a dumbass. Meeting you is the best thing that happened to me in a long time. And from here on out, I’m going to make sure you always know that.”
My mind is kind of blown, and the weird vodka Stoney poured me isn’t helping. “So… All I had to do was get called up by the Cougars, and now I’m your favorite?”
Forest groans. “No, Beck. It’s exactly the opposite. The fact that you have so much potential scares the hell out of me. I never wanted to feel like you settled for me, when you could have anyone.”
I run the backs of my knuckles through his beard and think that over.
“When did I ever give you the impression that I was settling? You’ve been, like, goals since the first time you ever poured me a beer.
You’re all I really need. Well, you, a lot of protein, and ten hours of sleep at night. But mostly you.”
His brown eyes soften. He catches my hand in his and kisses my knuckles. “I’ve been a moron. How can I make it up to you?”
This requires some thought. “Well, sexually?”
He laughs. “That’s not what I meant. But sure.”
“Hmm.” I lean in and whisper, “They let me keep the jersey. You could fuck me in it.”
I get a warm chuckle and a kiss on my jaw. “Want to get out of here? I’ll drive you home.”
“Oh, definitely. Not home, though. The Cougars got me a Denver hotel room and it’s…
Okay, listen. It’s at the Four Seasons, and it has a bed that takes up an entire zip code, and the shower has three heads and a bench.
There’s mood lighting I didn’t even set.
It just knew. So yeah. Take me there. Wreck me in a room with a really expensive mini bar. ”
His eyes flare. “You’re on. Say goodnight to your coach, okay? And then meet me outside in my truck.”
“Wow, this room,” Forest says as we enter my plush lair at the Four Seasons.
“I know, right?” I slur. It’s late, and I’m dead on my feet. But Forest is here, and my dick is suddenly very aware of that fact. I toss my suit jacket at a chair and lean over to untie my shoes.
As soon as they’re off, I look around for Forest, hoping to find him naked. Sadly, he’s still fully dressed. He’s sitting on the side of the bed, strong forearms propped onto his knees, and he’s watching me with a fond expression.
“What are you waiting for?” I demand, unbuttoning my shirt. “This bed must be tested. Explored. Put through its paces.”
A slow grin overtakes his face, and it reminds me that I can’t wait to feel his beard on my balls. “I missed you. The way you speak your mind. And your oddball commentary.”
“What about this?” I turn around and drop my trouser pants and briefs in one go, showing him my ass. “Did you miss this?”
“You know I did. That was never my issue.”
I feel pretty good about that as I stumble out of the rest of my clothes.
Forest removes his own in about half the time, and peels back the covers on the aircraft-carrier-size bed.
Then he lays down, the white bedding pulled up to his slim hips, all his ink on display.
And that broad chest, with just the right amount of fur on it?
Honestly, it’s so distracting that I have trouble getting my last sock off.
But I manage it and then dive into bed with him.
He rolls and pulls me in. I find his mouth like a heat-seeking missile.
The kiss I get is slower than I’m expecting. More thorough than urgent. His beard against my neck. His hands in my hair. The heat of his body against mine, and the scent of his skin.
I love it all. I’m hard and happy about it, but I also love these deep, slow kisses. Kisses that make a different kind of promise than I’m used to from Forest.
I lean into him and cling to his wide shoulders. A pair of sexy brown eyes studies me from close range. “You’re exhausted,” he whispers.
“No’m not.”
He smiles, his thumb tracing my upper lip. “Sweetheart, it’s three in the morning, and your eyes are barely open.”
Sweetheart. “I’ll rally.”
“Yeah, you will.” He reaches over and presses the glowing button on the wall. Darkness covers us like a blanket, and strong arms pull me close. “You’ll rally in the morning.”
“But…” I yawn so hard my jaw cracks. “I want you to bang me.”
“Mmm,” he says, stroking my face. “Sometimes the things we say we want aren’t the things we really need. Ask me how I know.”
That’s kind of confusing, and I feel the need to ask a few clarifying questions.
I fall asleep instead.
In the morning, I wake up with my head on his chest, and his fingers combing gently through my hair.
My eyes spring open. I shift my body against his, running a hand down his taut stomach until I encounter the very thing I’m looking for. My fingers brush his erection, and he lets out a horny little sound.
“Oh, it’s on,” I say.
He chuckles and rubs my arm. “Do you need to get up and…”
“Nope.” I kiss his chest. Twice.
“You didn’t even hear what I was going to say.”
I lick his slightly fuzzy nipple. “Doesn’t matter. I let myself get talked out of sex last night. Not happening again.”
“Okay,” he says. “But just for the record, I was going to ask if you wanted to find your Cougars jersey for me to wear.”
I stop midlick. “Really? You’d do that for me?”
“Beck, there’s very little I wouldn’t do for you. And, yeah, it’s a little silly. But I’m okay with that.”
I roll off the bed instantly.
Twenty minutes later, I’m groaning up at Forest while he fucks me on my back, sweating onto the official Cougars jersey.
If I never get called up again, I’ll still have a multitude of positive memories of this blue piece of polyester.
“You’re gonna have to come soon,” he pants, the muscles straining in his powerful neck. “You look red-faced and properly fucked, and I can’t take much more.”
“Your fault,” I pant back at him. “You tied up my hands, and now I can’t get myself off.” The bed is a four-poster style, and Forest wasted no time using my game-day tie to secure my wrists to one corner.
I fucking love it, but I can’t stroke myself like this.
He stops thrusting and kisses me. “I don’t want this to end.”
“That’s pretty impractical,” I point out. “I thought the plan was that we’re going to do this more often?”
He rubs his beard across my neck, and I shiver. “That’s the plan, all right. So I guess I’ll let you finish. How about now?”
He drops one of his broad hands to my cock, and my eyes practically roll back in my head. “Yes, fuck. God. I…” He starts thrusting again, and it happens. The words just tumble out. “I love you, Forest.”
The moment the words are out of my mouth, I know I’ve fucked up again. He goes absolutely still above me.
“Oh hell. I just…”
“Beck,” he whispers, his brown eyes warm. “I love you too. Kinda wish I’d said it first. I’m always a step behind you. I guess that’s just the way it is between us. I’ll just try to keep up with my super smart boyfriend.”
I search my feeble mind for a reply that demonstrates my gratitude, but when Forest strokes me again, I come all over him instead.