Chapter Fourteen
How long can you have pins and needles before it causes permanent damage?
Nico’s foot was tingling where it was tucked underneath his knee as he lay on his back on the soft mattress. He’d move, but Jake was sprawled naked with his head in Nico’s lap, heavy arm thrown across his thighs.
There was plenty of room on the other side, but Jake seemed drawn to Nico like a magnet in his sleep. As he mumbled against Nico’s belly, breathing heavily, there was no place Nico would rather be. Pins and needles weren’t so bad.
Besides, a little cramping working its way up his calf was nothing compared to the glorious throb in his ass. He’d been well and truly fucked, and he felt it with every breath. He really would have trouble sitting on the bench. The thought brought a smile to his lips.
It’d be like feeling Jake still inside him in front of all those people. They wouldn’t have a clue, but Nico would feel so deliciously…queer. After all the years of denying it, after all the Jennys, it was real now. He was real.
And fuck, was he in love.
Last night had been incredible. The heat and pounding, the surrender. Nico had wanted to shout his love to Jake, but he’d nearly chewed through his own lip muzzling himself. He couldn’t get too far ahead. He couldn’t expect anything more from Jake than sex.
Right?
Unable to resist, he ran his hand through Jake’s mussed hair rhythmically.
It was still early, and they had a couple hours before they had to be at the stadium.
Nico could watch Jake on the field, knowing that no one else got to see him like this—loose and vulnerable.
Well, he supposed other men Jake had fucked had possibly woken like this too.
Shifting slightly, Nico winced, trying to shove away the thought. It didn’t matter who Jake had been with in the past. It was just the two of them now.
What about tomorrow? And the next day? What if Jake gets bored? What if he meets someone he likes better?
Flexing his cramped foot beneath him, Nico squeezed his eyes shut, trying to think about anything else. Tomorrow wasn’t there yet. Neither was the next day. He stretched out his right arm, flexing the muscles.
His next start wasn’t for five days since no teams would play Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday due to Tuesday’s all-star game. Loyola had talked to him about his splitter, giving him the go-ahead to try it up to a dozen times on Friday. Excitement mingled with fear, almost indistinguishable.
What if it doesn’t work? What if Boston gets a read on it? Shit, what if they get a bunch of runs? What if they win? What if—
“I can hear you thinking,” Jake mumbled, rubbing Nico’s thigh with his powerful hand.
Nico had to smile. “Sorry.” He shifted, wincing as he straightened his leg.
Suddenly wide awake, Jake’s head shot up. “Are you hurt?”
“No, no.” Nico wriggled his leg, shaking feeling back into it. “Just pins and needles.”
Grimacing, Jake pushed himself up to sitting. “Sorry. Elbow me next time.”
Next time. Nico nodded, his belly fluttering.
Jake ran his palm over Nico’s chest, playing with the hair there. “How’s your ass?”
“Fine,” he answered too quickly.
“Let me see.” Not waiting for an answer, Jake rolled Nico onto his side. Nico’s leg still prickled, but he ignored it as Jake’s fingers gently spread his cheeks and caressed his hole.
Nico’s breath stuttered, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the soreness or the imaginary weight of Jake’s gaze. “It’s fine, see?”
“It’s swollen. Was it too much? Did I hurt you?”
“No, I told you.”
A deep furrow between his eyes, Jake loomed over him. “I want you to tell me if I do. Armadillo, okay?”
He nodded. “Armadillo. But really, I’m fine. I like it. I like that it stings. Makes me think of you. Feels…” He couldn’t find the right words. “You know.”
Gently, Jake caressed Nico’s hole and leaned down for a kiss. He whispered against his lips. “You like having a cock inside you?”
“Yes.”
“Is it how you imagined?”
Nico’s half-hard morning wood swelled. “Better. Especially because it’s you.”
They kissed, breath stale, and Nico didn’t give a shit, because then Jake was rolling on top of him, Nico on his back again. He’d kiss Jake all day if he could.
He moaned discontentedly when Jake broke away, but pleasure flooded as Jake worked his way down, licking and sucking.
Jake spread Nico’s legs and lapped at his balls, teasing until his dick leaked. Then he swallowed the head, cheeks hollowing, reaching down with his finger to push just barely inside Nico’s hole. It was as though he was claiming his territory, and a sudden orgasm ripped through Nico.
Only choking a little, Jake swallowed, inching his finger in farther, the sting sending another pulse of pure pleasure through Nico and out his cock.
He groaned, mouth open. Then Jake pulled off, removing his finger.
Nico wanted it back, but Jake moved up over him, straddling his chest with long legs, his thick thighs pinning Nico’s arms.
“You want my cock?”
Nodding desperately, Nico gazed up at him eagerly.
“I’m going to fuck your mouth. That’s right, keep it open for me.”
He tried to relax his face as Jake fed him his cock, stretching his lips. Saliva gathered in Nico’s mouth, his nostrils flaring as Jake filled him completely, reaching up for leverage on the headboard as he rocked his hips.
“That’s it. You’re doing so good, baby. Let go.”
Absolutely pinned down, Nico gagged, Jake’s thick shaft hitting the back of his throat. His eyes watered and he bent his knees, kicking his heels into the mattress as he struggled to breathe.
“Look at me. You’re okay. I’m here. I’ve got you.”
Staring into Jake’s blue eyes, his cheeks flushed pink, lips parted as he fucked Nico’s mouth, Nico relaxed his throat as much as he could and let his legs fall to the mattress, still.
Jake’s balls slapped his chin, and the musky, sweaty taste of his cock overwhelmed Nico’s senses.
Pliant, he let Jake take control, tension draining away.
When Jake shook and shot down his throat, grunting like an animal, a wave of warmth washed over Nico, like another orgasm that had nothing to do with his dick.
Flopping down next to him on the mattress, Jake breathed heavily. “Jesus. I’ve never…”
Nico’s heart thumped, and he waited for him to say more, but Jake kissed him messily instead, stroking deep into Nico’s mouth with his tongue. When they caught their breath, Jake stretched out, eyes closed, smiling.
Nico smiled too, but soon his brain started whirling again. “Do you ever like being fucked?”
Jake opened his eyes, trailing his knuckles down Nico’s sternum. “Not really. I’m not vehemently opposed to it or anything. Just never felt as good as doing the fucking.”
“You don’t like other stuff either? Like last night?”
“Being spanked, you mean?”
“Uh-huh.”
“No. I like taking control. Why? Do you want to fuck me? Spank me?”
Nico thought about it. “It wouldn’t be bad, but no. I want you in charge. You call the signs, but with sex stuff. You know what I mean? That probably doesn’t make any sense.”
Smiling, Jake kissed his nose. “Baby, that makes perfect sense.”
Nico cuddled close on his side, his cheek on Jake’s shoulder. Unlike with the Jennys, he loved it when Jake called him that. He felt calm and cared for and…
Loved.
His stomach tightened. “Baby” was just a word. He shouldn’t read too much into it. Maybe it was just how Jake talked with guys he fucked. Maybe he’d had a dozen “babies.” As many babies as Nico had had Jennys.
“Stop thinking,” Jake said quietly.
“I can’t. I try, but…”
“What are you thinking about?” Jake trailed his fingers down Nico’s arm.
“Friday’s start,” he lied.
“Worry about it when it comes.”
Nico shifted restlessly in the arc of Jake’s arm. Of course now he was thinking about Friday. “I really want the win.”
Jake rolled onto his side and propped his head on his hand, his gaze even. “Naturally. We all want to win every time we step on the field.”
“Yeah, but I need to win. It’s like…breathing. You might want to win or whatever, but I don’t think it’s the same.”
“Right, because I’m not giving myself an ulcer.”
Annoyance rumbled through Nico. “It didn’t bug you?
All those years in San Francisco, being on such a shitty team?
” Jake pressed his lips together, and Nico added, “I know it was the owners being cheap and not getting enough talent. You couldn’t carry the whole team.
But didn’t it? Get to you? Playing all those seasons, knowing the odds of making it into October were practically zero? ”
Jake’s gaze skittered around, and he shrugged tensely. “At first. For a few years, and then…”
“What?”
Rolling onto his back, Jake stared at the ceiling, clenching and releasing his hands. “My best friend got traded and it just wasn’t the same.”
Nico seemed to have stumbled onto a sore spot, and he wondered if he should just drop it. But no, Jake pushed him to talk about his shit, so it was only fair. “Who?”
“Brandon Kennedy.”
“I don’t really know him. He got traded to Toronto, right? A few years back? I didn’t realize you were friends.”
“About five years, and we’re not. Not anymore.”
“Oh.” Nico was dying to ask why, but before he could, the alarm on Jake’s phone chimed on the nightstand.
“Shit. Time to get moving.”
“Right.” Nico wanted to know more—wanted to know everything—but he’d have to wait.
Neither of them moved, their skin pressing together, Jake sliding his knee between Nico’s legs. He said, “Wish we could stay here all day.”
Nico smiled. “Me too.”
“Are Val and your dad coming down again? Does Nonna ever come?”
“Just Dad today. And no, Nonna hates crowds.” His heart skipped, and he cleared his throat. “About Val, I was going to tell you last night, but I never got a chance.”
Jake grinned and nipped at Nico’s lips. “Sorry I distracted you. What’s up?”
There was no good way to say it, so he spit it out. “Val knows. About me. About us.”