Chapter 12
TWELVE
GREY (GREYSON)
Damnit. Why the hell did he have to call right now?
I answered the call, flicking a peek at Malik, his cheeks flushed and solid cock tenting his shorts.
“Hi, Dad.” I paced toward the hallway. Malik shouldn’t hear this conversation if it involved Ella.
He’d suffered enough when we’d last discussed that situation.
“Greyson, I hear you’re back from football camp. How did it go?” Papers shuffled in the background.
He was likely still working, even though it was late there, maybe seven?
“It went very well. There’s a good chance the coach will play me when we’re winning.
” What would he say about it? He’d been sure this move would mean I’d be nothing but a bench warmer.
I strode into my bedroom and shut the door behind me.
Wait, how the hell did he know about camp? Ella?
“Okay, and how are your classes? Today was your first day, correct?” He huffed a sigh. “You got the professors you wanted, right? No changes after we’d set up your schedule?”
“No changes.” Dad had spoken with the dean to be sure I had the best professors at the school. I had to maintain my GPA for Harvard, according to him.
“Don’t let the football program impede your grades.” He drew a deep inhale. “A Harvard degree is more important than—”
“I know, Dad.” Fuck, I’d cut him off. He wouldn’t be happy about that. I clenched my jaw as I stood at the patio doors, facing the sunny backyard.
Under his breath, he said, “Be respectful, Greyson.”
“I-I’m sorry, Dad.” I gritted my teeth. If knowing about camp had come from Ella, he must have communicated with her father. What would she have said about me?
“How are things with Ella? She’s coming to visit you over Thanksgiving, isn’t she?” he asked.
Lifting my chin as a knot formed in my gut, I said, “She had planned to do so. Yes.” Why was he so invested in our families merging? I should have paid more attention when I’d gone to the functions with Dad.
“Listen, I want you to take care of her while she’s there. Spare no expense and take her to the best restaurants. Make sure she’s pampered, wined and dined,” he said. “Buy her something special and don’t worry about the money. I’ll take care of it.”
What the fuck? I wasn’t privy to the best restaurants around here. Hell, I couldn’t ask Malik for help to figure out where to take her on a fucking date. I paced along the patio doors, the grip on my phone tightening.
“Greyson, did you hear me?”
“Yes, Dad, I heard you. I’ll do my best.” I’d have to research more places on Yelp. Would Malik understand? I had to do this. I didn’t have a choice. “Is there anything else?”
“Call her more. Her father said you ignored her the entire time you were at camp. We can’t have that.”
“I ignored her?” Fuck! “Dad, there was no cell phone reception. We didn’t have the internet.
We’re supposed to unplug while we’re there, so we can bond as a team.
” As I muted my phone, I scowled and said, “Fucking hell. The bitch went off and complained to her father about me?” How could I have any feelings for her at all?
“Just do what I requested and reach out to her more. Make her feel wanted and appreciated.”
How could I manage that when I didn’t desire or appreciate her? I’d have to pull off an Emmy-worthy performance. “Sure, Dad. I’ll call her right after we get off the phone.” Which would end this phone call, so I could go back to Malik.
“Please do. I’ll let you go then.” The call ended.
I stared at my phone. “Did he hang up on me?” The fucker hadn’t even said goodbye.
But what else should I expect? He was unhappy with me and hadn’t enjoyed hearing about my success in football or the fact Ella had whined about me.
I peered at my phone. Should I call her now?
No, fuck that. With a scoff, I strode into the main room.
I needed Malik. Only he could quiet my distress.
Clomping into the room, I found Malik grabbing a Greek yogurt from the refrigerator. His brows furrowed. “You okay? You don’t look so good.” He set the yogurt on the counter as I approached, opening his arms wide.
I fell into his arms, melting against his chest, his warmth surrounding me. “My dad’s an asshole.” I hooked my arms around his waist. I wasn’t sure I wanted to bring up Thanksgiving with Ella again.
“What happened?” Kissing my head, he swayed me.
“For one, he’s way more concerned about my grades than football.” I sighed. Malik knew that.
“And two?” He tightened his hold on me.
“Two, Ella complained about me to her father, and it got back to him.” I huffed a ragged breath. “She’s proving to be just like all the others.”
His body tensed. “Did you explain to your dad about the lack of—”
“Yes. He…wants me to call her more.” I’d leave out the rest. I lifted my head, my gaze meeting his. Would that upset him?
He clenched his jaw for a beat. “Well, I guess you’ll have to do what he asks.” He breathed in deeply.
“I don’t want to. If it were up to me, I’d ghost her.” I didn’t like hurting him, but I had no other choice. I had to be upfront with him as much as possible. My gaze darted between his eyes.
His gaze softened. “I know you would. Do what you have to do.” After giving me a quick squeeze, he released me. “Anyhow, do you want a yogurt?” He plucked his yogurt off the counter and peeled the lid off.
“Yeah.” Sighing a huff, I grabbed one for myself from the refrigerator. I wouldn’t try to restart our make-out session. He apparently needed some time. I didn’t blame him.
After studying and dinner with Tex, we readied for bed. I strolled into his bathroom as he rinsed toothpaste from his mouth. We hadn’t fooled around all night. Was he still upset about Ella? But he’d said he understood.
As he straightened at the sink, I wrapped my arms around him from behind and kissed the back of his neck.
“Miss you.” We hadn’t fooled around for twenty-four hours.
It was the longest we’d gone since this started between us at camp.
As I slipped my hand down and into his shorts, my cock tingled and lengthened against his ass. “Are you up for—”
“Hell yes.” He twisted in my hold and cupped my cheeks. “Sleep in my bed tonight?” Pressing a deep kiss on my lips, he skimmed his tongue across mine. “I want to try a plug on you.”
“You do?” My cock jerked against his as it stretched into the band of my underwear. “Great, let’s do it.” And once our test results came back, we’d be fucking.
“Great.” With a wicked grin, he snatched my hand and led me into his room.
I scanned the honey-colored wood of his dresser and nightstands that didn’t match the chestnut wood on his headboard.
Where I had top of the line furniture, Malik had gotten his things secondhand.
It didn’t matter, though. What mattered was being alone with him. Was being connected to him.
He peeked his head out the doorway. “What?”
Tex stepped to him. “Nothing. Change of venue?” With a snort, he waved at me. “I’ll go put my headphones on since you’ll be right next to me tonight.”
Arching a brow, Malik said, “We can move into Grey’s room if that’s better for you.”
With a shake of his head, Tex said, “Nah, I can still hear you from there.” He patted Malik’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about me.”
As pink bloomed across Malik’s cheeks, he said, “Okay.” He shut the door and shrugged. “We should try to keep it down.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” But the orgasms were so intense with him, how could I be quiet? I slipped my shorts and underwear off my legs, my cock standing at attention under my t-shirt.
He stepped toward me, focusing on my groin. “Damn, Grey, look at you.” As he reached me, he lifted my shirt at the hem and tossed it on the ground. “I’m going to fuck you with the plug while I suck that fine cock of yours.” His pupils flared.
“Yeah?” I rasped. He always had a plan. As I backed onto the bed, he undressed and followed me, crawling between my legs and then opening his nightstand drawer. “I’ll start small.” His dick stood tall between his legs as he gave it lazy strokes.
“Kiss me first?” I craved the feel of him against me, the hard muscle and his body heat.
“Sure.” He lay on top of me, chest to chest and hip to hip, our solid cocks pressed together.
Skimming his knuckles across my cheek, he looked deeply into my eyes.
“I understand the pressure you’re under, Grey.
I want you to know that.” Brushing his lips against mine, he kissed me softly, unhurried, like the outside world could wait and couldn’t touch us.
Running my fingers along his back, I grabbed his ass and thrust against him, sensation pooling in my gut. Slanting my mouth over his, I continued the slow kisses, gliding my tongue along his. We’d had so many rushed hookups in the last week or so. This was nice.
He groaned and skimmed his hand between us, finding my nipple and giving it a light pinch while nipping my lower lip. “I hope you know how special this is to me.” He nibbled my chin and to my neck, quickening the pace of his rocking hips.
Tipping my head back as he teased my nipple, I said, “I know. It’s special to me too.
” Hell, I didn’t know what I’d do without it, without him.
He tethered me to a dream future where I could be whoever I wanted and find my place in the NFL.
A shock of pleasure erupted up my spine, and I gasped as precum dribbled from my cock. “More, I need more.”
Crawling down my body, he kissed and nipped his way to my dick and then flicked his tongue at the tip.
“Damn it, if we had the test results back…” With a quick shake of his head, he sat on tucked legs, opened the drawer on his nightstand and pulled out a black plug with a flared end and a bottle of lube.
“Do you want me to finger you first?” He flashed his dark eyes at me as he spread the lube on his fingers.