Chapter 27
twenty-seven
. . .
Marco
Sweat dripped down my back as Wick and I pounded the pavement, our sneakers slapping against the sidewalk in a steady rhythm. Morning runs had become our thing; the first time I joined him, he bitched and moaned the entire time, telling me he preferred to run alone. Now, he was ready and waiting for me every morning at 6am sharp, complaining when I showed up late.
I glanced over at Wick, taking in the set of his jaw, the furrow of his brow. That was the look he wore when he was grappling with something he couldn’t quite put into words. “Penny for your thoughts?” I bumped my shoulder against his as we rounded the corner onto his street and slowed to a walk.
Wick grunted, shaking his head. “It’s nothing.”
“Bullshit. You’ve been brooding this entire run. Something’s eating at you. So, spill.”
He gave me a sidelong look. “You’re a pain in my ass, you know that?”
“You love me.”
His lips twitched, but he said nothing .
As we approached his building, he fished his keys out of his pocket and led the way inside. The cool air of the lobby was a welcome reprieve from the sticky heat outside.
The elevator ride up to his floor was weirdly tense. I watched Wick from the corner of my eye, taking in the hard set of his shoulders, the way his fingers drummed restlessly against his thigh.
Finally, as we stepped into his condo, I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed his arm, spinning him to face me. “Alright, enough with the strong, silent act. What’s going on, Wick? And don’t give me that ‘nothing’ bullshit again.”
He stared at me, his jaw working. Then, with a heavy sigh, he ran a hand through his sweat-damp hair. “I ran into Beth yesterday. At brunch with my mom and Liv.”
Beth. I didn’t know much, but I knew she still haunted him. Protective anger flared on his behalf and I tightened my grip on his arm. “Are you okay?”
Wick let out a humorless laugh. “I don’t know. Seeing her again, it brought up a lot of old shit, you know?”
I nodded, leading him over to the couch. We sank down onto the welcoming cushions, our knees brushing. “Tell me.” I held his hand, toying with his fingers.
And so he did. He told me about their history, about the years they’d spent building a life together. About the day he’d come home to find her in bed with another man, and it had broken something vital inside him.
He told me about the string of casual hookups that followed, the desperate attempt to numb the pain with fleeting pleasure. About the jealousy that consumed him every time he saw Meghan with another man .
Finally, he told me about the self-denial, the way he’d buried his feelings for Meghan and his attraction to men, convinced that he was better off alone.
By the time he finished, his voice was raw, his eyes swimming with tears. There was a lump in my throat too. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea,” I whispered, reaching out to squeeze his muscled thigh.
His eyes closed at the contact and he sucked in a breath. “I’ve never told anyone all of that before. Not even Meghan.”
I experienced a rush of warmth at his words, at the trust he was placing in me. “Thank you for telling me.”
He opened his eyes and held my gaze. The air between us smoldered with tension. And then he was on me, his mouth slanting over mine in a desperate, hungry kiss that made my stomach swoop and my toes curl. This wasn’t just a kiss—it was a promise, a vow to never let him feel that kind of pain again.
By the time we broke apart, we were panting, clinging to each other as we struggled to catch our breath. “Fuck, Marco,” Wick groaned, his voice wrecked. “What are you doing to me?”
I gasped out a breathless laugh and traced the sharp line of his jaw with my fingers. “Right back at you, stud.”
He leaned into the caress, goosebumps rising on his cheek. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you and Meg, but I’m sure as hell not going to question it.”
“Damn straight.” I dipped my head to capture his lips again.
“Get in the shower,” Wick mumbled against my lips, his hands already tugging at my shirt.
We shed our clothes in a frantic rush, leaving a trail of discarded garments in our wake as we made our way to the bathroom.
Wick turned on the shower. The steam billowed out as he stepped under the hot spray. He was a goddamn Renaissance sculpture come to life. His tanned skin glistened with beads of water, and his muscles rippled with every movement. I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly dry as a desert. “Fuck, Wick. You’re a work of art.”
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the steamy warmth, his eyes dark with promise. “If I recall correctly, I owe you two orgasms.”
I hummed, trailing my fingers down his chest. “Is that so?”
“Mhm. And I’d hate to be indebted to you in any way.” He wrapped his hand around my cock, stroking me with long, firm pulls.
“Fuck, Wick,” I panted, my hips rocking into his fist. “Just like that, baby.”
He worked me expertly, his thumb swirling over the sensitive head on every upstroke. I could feel my orgasm coiling tighter and tighter as my balls drew up. “Come for me, Marco.” Wick’s voice was a low, dominant growl. “I want to see you fall apart.”
I spilled over his fist with a hoarse cry, my release splattering against his abs. He stroked me through it, murmuring praise and encouragement until I was spent and trembling.
His hands came up to bracket my face as he kissed me senseless, grinding his hard cock against my hip. “Still owe you one more.”
“Fuck. I don’t think I can?—”
But before I could continue, he sank to his knees. I stared down at him, my mouth falling open. “Wick, what...?”
He rested his hands on my hips and peered up at me through his lashes, a flicker of uncertainty in his gaze. “I want to taste you, Marco. Want to make you feel good. ”
My spent cock twitched with renewed interest. “You don’t have to?—”
“I want to,” he insisted, his fingers tightening on my hips. “I just...I’ve never done this before. You might have to guide me.”
The vulnerability in his voice, sent a rush of tenderness through me. I reached down, cupping his face in my hands. “Hey,” I murmured, stroking my thumbs over his cheekbones. “We’ll go slow, okay? And if you want to stop at any point, just say the word.”
Wick nodded, nuzzling my palm for a moment before turning his attention to my rapidly hardening cock. He licked his lips, his breath ghosting over the sensitive skin. “Talk me through it.”
I threaded my fingers through his hair, my pulse pounding. “Start with your hand. Stroke me, get me fully hard.”
Wick obeyed, his fist closing around my shaft. He pumped me slowly, his grip firm and sure. I groaned rocking my hips into his touch. “Good. Now, lick the head. Tease me with your tongue.” His tongue darted out to swirl around the crown. I hissed, my fingers tightening in his hair. “Fuck, yes. Just like that, cucciolo.”
Emboldened by my reaction, Wick used his tongue to trace the thick vein on the underside of my cock. He lapped at the pre-cum beading at the tip, humming in appreciation. “You taste so good,” he said, his lips brushing against my flesh. “I want more.”
“Take me in your mouth. Slowly. Wrap your lips around the head and suck.”
His mouth was hot and wet as he engulfed me. I cried out, my head slamming back against the wall as pleasure ripped through me. “Holy shit,” I gasped, my hips jerking forward of their own volition. “Easy, baby. Breathe through your nose.”
He relaxed his throat, taking me deeper. His hand came up to cup my balls, rolling them gently in his palm as he bobbed his head, setting a steady rhythm. He was clumsy, unpracticed, but what he lacked in finesse he more than made up for in enthusiasm. “You’re doing so well, Wick,” I praised, my voice thin and needy. “Fuck, your mouth feels incredible.”
He hummed around me, the vibrations sending static prickles skittering down my spine. “I’m close,” I warned him, tugging gently on his hair. “You can pull off if you want.”
But Wick just redoubled his efforts, his cheeks hollowing as he sucked harder, taking me impossibly deeper. I came with a strangled shout, spilling down his throat in hot, pulsing jets. He swallowed around me, working me through the aftershocks until I was spent and limp.
“Goddamn,” I rasped, sliding down the wall to join him on the floor. “That was fucking amazing.”
“Yeah?” Wick asked, a tentative grin tugging at his lips.
“Yeah.” I pulled him to me, leaning in to kiss him. I tasted myself on his tongue, salty and bitter, and it sent a fresh wave of desire crashing through me. “I love you. I love you so fucking much, Wick.”
He pulled back and looked at me. For a heart-stopping moment, I was terrified I’d pushed too far. The only I-love-yous we’d shared had been with Meghan between us. But then a slow, beautiful smile spread across his face. “I love you, too.”
Megha n
“Let it go! Let it go!”
This was definitely a new experience. Never in my life had I seen a six-foot-four-man twirl around with his arms outstretched while singing a Disney song.
I couldn’t help but giggle as I looked on, listening to Wick’s deep voice belting out the lyrics with unbridled enthusiasm. Marco was curled up next to me on the couch, his shoulders shaking with laughter. “What the actual fuck is happening right now?” he whispered.
“…I am one with the wind and sky!”
“He’s channeling his inner Elsa, obviously.”
“Oh my god, Meg. This is the best thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Wick is a secret Disney fanatic. He’s been that way since we were kids.”
Marco’s brows shot up. “No way. This stoic, brooding mountain of a man is a Disney nerd?”
“Yep. Don’t let his tough exterior fool you. Underneath it all, he’s a total softie.”
Wick spun around, his arms flung wide as he reached the crescendo of the song. “The cold never bothered me anyway!” he bellowed, his face alight with joy.
Marco dissolved into helpless laughter, doubling over and clutching his sides. I couldn’t help but join in. There was something so endearing about seeing Wick let his guard down, to embrace his inner child without a care for how he might look to the outside world.
When the song finally came to an end, he struck a dramatic pose, chest heaving, before collapsing onto the couch between us. He draped an arm around each of our shoulders, pulling us close. “Whew, that was a workout,” he panted .
Marco ruffled Wick’s sweat-damp hair. “You’re a goddamn lunatic, you know that?”
Wick chuckled, nuzzling into Marco’s touch. “Yeah, but you love me anyway.”
My heart swelled at the easy affection between them. I wasn’t sure what had happened, and I wasn’t going to ask, but when I showed up at Wick’s condo earlier that evening, it was obvious that something had shifted between them.
We settled in, Frozen playing softly in the background. Wick’s arm was draped around my shoulders while Marco’s hand rested comfortably on my thigh, his thumb sweeping back and forth in a soothing caress. Our bodies intertwined in a way that was natural, effortless.
I glanced up at Wick, marveling at the relaxed, almost boyish expression on his face. The habitual scowl was gone, replaced by a sense of ease and contentment that I’d never seen before. Reaching up, I stroked his jaw, marveling at the softness in his eyes as he gazed down at me. There was a vulnerability there that he reserved only for us, a side of himself that he kept hidden from the rest of the world. “You look happy,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Wick’s lips curved into a warm smile, and he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. “I am, Meg. Happier than I’ve been in a long time.”
I snuggled closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder. Marco shifted beside me, his hand sliding up to interlace our fingers. The three of us sat in comfortable silence, our bodies radiating an almost palpable aura of contentment and belonging.
I thought back to those early days, when we’d stumbled through the emotional minefield of our unconventional relationship. The pain, the confusion, the overwhelming sense of vulnerability had been almost crippling at times. But we’d weathered it all, leaning on each other, supporting one another, until we’d found our footing.
And now, as I sat here with the two men who held my heart, I knew that this was where I was meant to be.
Wick’s arm tightened around me and Marco squeezed my hand, as if they could sense the direction of my thoughts. I smiled, my eyes drifting closed as I allowed myself to bask in the warmth and security of our self-contained universe.