Chapter 5 #3
“Hmm. Fine.” Silas raked his hand through his tousled hair.
“I played my final game last weekend. End of an era for me. Fifteen years in the league, but now I’m done.
No one plays forever. I get that, but this past year has just…
sucked. Personally and professionally. I could feel everything ending around me for months.
Like I was witnessing a slow death and I was the only one in mourning. ”
“That’s rough.”
“Yeah, but feel free to tell me to shut up ’cause I know how I must sound.
What could be more tone-deaf or pathetic than an athlete who made a fuckton of money to be crying in his”—he raised his glass—“wine? I was with the Devils for ten years. Five years with Seattle, ten in LA. Dream come true. Well, not quite. I was hoping to get traded to the Niners, but Los Angeles is a great city for athletes. They treat you like kings…especially if you win, and we were fucking amazing. Till we weren’t. ”
“What happened?”
“The usual. A couple of weak trades, injuries, age. You think you’re invincible and finding out you’re not kinda sucks.
I had two concussions within a month and spent half a season on the injured-reserve list. I hated not training with the guys, not contributing.
I was depressed. I wouldn’t have called it that at the time, but I felt bad.
Distant from my life. Nothing seemed to help.
And I think it killed my marriage. Must have.
I’m divorced, and my ex has moved on in a big way.
” His glib reply didn’t quite mask the flicker of pain in his expression.
“I’m sorry.”
“Meh. Don’t be. At least we didn’t have kids.
I was bummed that Alli wanted to wait, but now…
I’m grateful. My parents divorced when I was ten, and it was the worst. I can’t imagine dealing with confused, hurt little people on top of my own messy head.
I mean…fuck. That would be the—” He paused abruptly and widened his eyes. “Shit. You’re…”
“Divorced with kids,” I finished.
“Fuck. That was rude and…I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I squinted, staring into the fire. “Truth is…I’d rather be divorced than unhappily married. Not good for anyone—especially kids.”
“True.” He sipped his wine and added, “Still sucks.”
“Is the divorce recent?”
“It’s been a year. We’re on good terms, though. Alli’s a great friend, and I’m lucky, but…” Silas gesticulated wildly, rolling his wrists as if that might help dislodge the words he needed. “I think I’m a little…”
“Angry? Depressed?”
“Lost.” He wrinkled his nose and sighed. “That sounds dramatic, huh? Enough about me. I’m tired of my own bullshit. I’d rather hear about yours. Are you going through an existential crisis too?”
I chuckled lightly. “Not at the moment. No.”
“Good for you.”
“Is that what this is?” I motioned between us. “An existential crisis?”
“You mean…the grind session?”
“Yeah, that.” I topped off our glasses, then hiked my knee on the sofa, twisting to face him. “Have you been with other men?”
“Yeah, but…” Silas cleared his throat, darting a quick glance my way before fixating on the fire. “Only a couple of times. Nothing serious, and with guys who were deeper in the closet than I was. I haven’t done anything like this in…years. What about you?”
I shrugged. “I’m bisexual too.”
“Out?”
“Mostly.”
Silas furrowed his brows, head cocked quizzically. “What does that mean?”
“Some people know, some don’t. I don’t intentionally hide my sexuality, but unless it comes up, it’s not something I share. Folks can think what they want, and in my experience, they usually do.”
“Yeah. I guess so. Is it—do you—how do you—” He inhaled and released a humorless laugh. “Sorry. This is a new one for me. I’ve never had a conversation with anyone about…me. Or bisexual me. Not with somebody who could sort of relate.”
“I was a star football player in high school,” I bragged. “Had an arm like a cannon back in the day.”
“I bet. I meant that you were married to a woman and—”
“Silas.” I set a hand on his knee to stop his speech. “No offense, but I don’t know you and you don’t know me. Discussing my long-dead marriage isn’t my idea of a good time.”
“Mine either,” he huffed in frustration. “I was just wondering how you meet guys like us in a town the size of a postage stamp or if you even try.”
“Well, I haven’t done this in a while.”
“What’s a while?” Silas bumped my knee as if the gesture might encourage conversation.
I shrugged. “Last spring with a guy I met at a bar in Rutland.”
“A hookup.”
“Yeah. We each got what we needed and moved on. No muss, no fuss, no feelings involved. I don’t remember his name or if he offered it in the first place. I didn’t want to see him again. I wanted…”
“What?” Silas prodded.
“To get off. And…well, let’s just say, the dynamics weren’t gentle.”
“Rough sex?” He widened his eyes and grinned like a wolf. “Interesting.”
I snorted. “No, it’s not. I’m not sharing past sex-ploits to entertain you, either.”
“Why not? It’s fucking snowing outside. What else are we gonna do?”
I tipped the empty wine bottle and stood abruptly. “I’ll grab a couple of waters. Want anything else to eat?”
“Oh, come on. Don’t shut me down now. This is just getting good,” he grumbled. “Take a seat and tell me all your filthy lumberjack secrets. My imagination is running wild with hot guys in plaid flannel shirts swinging their dicks—I mean, their axes. Don’t leave me hangin’.”
I barked a laugh, allowing him to pull me onto the sofa. “I’m afraid I’ll have to. I don’t kiss and tell, and you should be happy I’m discreet.”
“I am, but I’m a bisexually curious guy with limited experience, remember? I want to know things.”
I regarded Silas thoughtfully, searching his handsome features for clues.
Everything about our encounter was a freak accident of sorts.
A product of the weather and circumstance.
If today had gone as planned, I’d be making dinner for the kids while they did homework or fought over what show we should watch afterward.
But they were at their mom’s, and I was here…
with a man I’d known for less than twenty-four hours.
Still, I let the silence gather. One night with a stranger, no strings and no expectations, sounded pretty damn nice. Silas was passing through. He’d be gone in a week, maybe less.
But tonight…
“Why don’t I just show you instead?” My voice rumbled, low and huskier than usual.
His Adam’s apple slid in his throat as his gaze dipped to my mouth. “Yeah.”
I wordlessly slipped to my knees and tugged at the elastic of his long johns.
The second Silas lifted his hips, I dove for his cock and swallowed him whole.
He moaned aloud, raking his fingers in my hair.
I played with him—deep-throating him while I fondled his balls, then licking his tip like a kitten till he growled in frustration.
I pulled away with a taunting half grin, jacking him slowly. “Want more?”
“Ungh! Yes.”
I winked, still stroking him. “Take it.”
Fire burned in his eyes as understanding dawned. Silas grabbed my head in his hands, thrust his cock between my lips, and fucked my mouth. I scratched at his upper thigh and sucked like a hoover, humming on the downstroke.
Silas muttered unintelligibly, tightening his grip and losing his rhythm. He was close. I redoubled my efforts and was almost immediately rewarded with a panicky grunt followed by sweet surrender. He cried out a warning I didn’t heed.
I swallowed every drop and sucked him dry.
“Holy…fuck,” Silas panted, flopping onto the cushions. “That was…”
I licked my lips, stroking myself as I straddled his thighs. “Too much?”
“No, it was…” He blinked wildly, his gaze fixed on my cock.
“Mmm. Fuck.” I gasped as my balls tightened and a telltale tingle of pleasure skittered along my spine.
My body tensed, and there was really no point in pretending I could last another second. I painted his stomach in cum, trembling through a wave of aftershocks.
Silas ran a finger through the mess and sucked the digit clean. The bold move surprised me.
“I think I like you,” he said in a silky, self-satisfied tone.
I fisted a handful of his thick hair, pulled his head back, and licked the column of his neck, loving his low, greedy growl.
“Good. You can return the favor.”
And that was how we spent the rest of the night and the early morning hours.
We didn’t bother with clothes or unnecessary niceties.
I didn’t care about his former career, his divorce, or his sexual prowess with other men.
All that mattered was now. His skin was warm, his mind sharp and curious.
The only side effect of his brush with hypothermia seemed to be a voracious appetite for carnal exploration. I could live with that.
Touching, licking, twisting, writhing, hungry kisses, and soft sighs. I barely noticed the storm raging through the living room window. It was a whiteout with howling winds and never-ending snow. But inside…it was heaven.
Our conversations post-orgasms were a mix of meandering non sequiturs and halfhearted debates about popular music or movies from the early 2000s. We were passing time in a bubble where nothing and no one could reach us. This was a fragile thing, and yet it felt safe.
Eventually, we headed upstairs to shower and fell into my bed. I thought about sending Silas home, but he didn’t know his way around his friend’s house and circumstances being what they were, he was better off with me.
Just for the night.
Only tonight.