Chapter 11
Chapter eleven
Duncan
First Lovers Quarrel
Christ he looks good down there. His posture says he's proud to be exactly where he is. The insignia on his fingers wrapped around my cock looks exactly as hot as I thought it would.
"Who's idea was hand jobs only?" I ask as he gets comfortable before me.
"You. And you're sticking to it." Rhys challenges me with an eyebrow raised and I laugh.
"Fair enough."
I lean back on my elbows and admire my sturdy erection and how it looks with Rhys behind it.
"But, what if you spit on it?" I ask. "That feels like a loophole I think we could agree on."
"Is that what you want?" Rhys’s words face as he slowly twists my length between his fists. Turning my cock all the harder, which I wasn’t sure was possible after straining the limits of my arousal watching him come for me.
I broke the skin on my lip biting down, grounding myself so I wouldn’t explode with him.
"Yeah." I admit breathlessly as he releases me and lightly runs his fingers down the inside of my thighs to my knees.
His fingers slide back up, driving me insane, and then he lifts off his haunches and spits on my cock. The hot saliva lands and starts to slide down my length.
I clench everything I can as his inked up fist sloppily strokes me. My head feels both light as air and heavy as fuck.
"Yes Rhys, fuck, that feels so good."
He leans forward and bites the inside of my thigh. "Fuck. Yes." I hiss as he soothes the bite with a lick of his tongue.
"You're chatty in bed aren't you?" Rhys asks as he continues to stroke my cock.
"You inspire me to share my thoughts." I say in one breath before sucking in another. My lungs can’t keep up with the way his hands feel so fucking good on me. My brain has no problem wishing his hands were everywhere.
Warmth floods my body as Rhys’s free hand travels up my abs to my pecs. Instinctively I slap my hand over his and hold it against the middle of my chest as my hips push me up into his grip even further.
"Yes, Rhys, twist it like that." I encourage as he rotates around my length.
My heart thunders in my chest under Rhys's palm. My fingers maintain their hold.
My body is desperate for the connection. I need his touch as I go barreling off this cliff.
"Shit, I'm close," I grit as I can feel everything in my body tense.
"Let me see you come." Rhys’s deep voice hums from his spot between my legs. I lift my head long enough to see his eyes devouring my cock and the admiration there sends me over the edge.
Electricity surges through my veins and channels itself into explosive ejaculation.
"Fuck, fuck." I grunt and when Rhys rises on his knees to catch my cum on his chest I nearly blackout. "Paint yourself Charming, yes, fucking cover yourself."
I become pure sensation as my filthy desires continue tumbling out. Rhys’s hopeful hand only pulls my cock harder to empty me completely.
Finally depleted, I sit up and his hand slides from my chest down to my thigh. I reach forward and swirl my cum around the artwork on his chest. A near purr escapes as I watch his green eyes flutter closed.
I’m mesmerized watching him absorb this moment. His face is serene and relaxed. Normally there’s satisfaction, and an almost taunting energy but never has a partner looked quite like this.
Almost like Rhys is savoring this.
Me.
Us.
We agreed to one night, to one hook up, hand jobs only. I can’t let him get attached. He’s vulnerable, he’s fresh off a break up. And I’m not boyfriend material.
He probably needs a friend more than anything right now. Someone to lighten the mood.
I stand and pull him up from his knees. "We should wash up."
"We should." He confirms.
"It's still not breaking any rules if we give each other hand jobs in the shower." I tell him.
"I suppose you're right."
"I am," I reach down for his hand and pull him behind me towards what I hope is the bathroom but actually I don't know where I'm going. Rhys lets me lead him so I assume I'm going the right way.
Until I pull open the door and find a closet.
"Nope, that's not where we want to go." I say in a clipped, efficient tone.
"Nope, I've been in there before, it's not great." Rhys says with a quick kiss to my shoulder. The spot warms and it radiates throughout my body.
"Agreed." I turn to him and grin. "Now it's your turn, try to find the bathroom Rhys!"
***
After we shower, and simultaneously jerk each other off in rough, quick fashion, I get redressed and Rhys throws on some flannel pajama pants and a sweater.
"Very highland chic." I say when he sits down next to the fire and pulls on a pair of socks.
"Laugh all you want but I'm warm." He says as he slides his palms up and down his thighs.
"I'm not laughing, I'm admiring, I wish I had the laird's wardrobe."
"You're ridiculous." He scoffs.
"You like it."
"Are you fishing for compliments Mr. One-Night-Stand-No-Feelings?" Rhys teases.
"Not at all, just making it easier for you to admit the truth." I shrug off the part of me that wants him to like me.
"Hardly."
Liar.
I follow him out the door and down the staircase to the first floor where we walk back through the kitchen and out to the car in the back.
We get in and Rhys starts the car, a rock and roll song I vaguely recognize is on. It's fast and bluesy, and I watch Rhys's head tilt towards the speaker.
I've never noticed the little things about a bedmate before. But Rhys’s micro movements are compelling.
There's a lightness and a darkness to him.
A willingness to take a step forward by an immediate two step back retreat.
It is fascinating to observe how both forces swirl together but never really mix.
I sit quietly in the front seat as Rhys listens to the music. He knows how to get to Granny's so I don't even need to give him directions.
This is also one of the first times, maybe the first time ever, I've been driven home from a hookup. I believe in a home ice advantage so when everyone is done, I order them rideshares and send them on their way.
The song fades and we're just a few turns from Granny's so I clear my throat. "How long are you in Scotland?"
"Not sure," he admits. "My team has me back home to nurse my broken heart."
"Was hand jobs with the hot hockey player part of your rehabilitation plan?"
His deep rumble of a chuckle fills the car. I can almost feel the vibration of the sound waves. "Not originally but it didn't hurt."
"Darn, I'll have to be rougher next time."
"Next time?" Rhys asks with a brow raised in my direction even as he keeps his eyes on the road.
Shit.
"Turn of phrase, Charming." I wave off my comment and am grateful for the dark of night to cover the blush I didn’t ask for. "Unless…"
Rhys glances my way quickly before returning his eyes to the road. "I can't start dating anyone right now. My PR team has a very specific plan around this." His flat tone reminds me of a kid delivering lines in a school play.
"I wasn't asking to date you. I don't date anyway."
"Well, I can't." He counters.
"Right, so you've said." I confirm.
Are we fighting? Or is this normal post-sex conversation? I usually just find out where I need to send the rideshare. I've never started a conversation about seeing each other again.
I’m in totally uncharted territory here. The road is flat but tell that to my guy. He’s on a super-coaster, one that is trying to break all land-speed records.
Can a joke get me out of this?
"But," Rhys slowly lifts a shoulder and a feeling similar to hope rises in my chest with it. "I could probably swing a friends-with-benefits thing."
Well, isn’t this an interesting development.
I shift in my seat towards him and run my tongue along my teeth. "Oh really? And with who would you do this friends-with-benefits thing?"
"Whom." Rhys corrects.
"Don't be that guy." I chastise.
"Then don't pretend you didn't know I was talking about you."
"Fine."
"Fine."
There's a pause as tension fills the car.
"Was that our first lovers quarrel?" I ask and Rhys just shakes his head.
"I'm serious Duncan."
"Well you should know that's the quickest way to scare off your new friend-with-benefits but I'll play, what do you have in mind?"
"I dunno, just, like, meetups like tonight."
"In D.C. or Nashville? Because logistically it could get tricky to hide our relationship if we're flying to each other's cities all the time."
"Well you come to Nashville for games right?"
"Three or four times a season." I confirm. "How often are you in D.C.?"
"Never really. Unless there's a concert but I don't have a tour on the schedule yet, I gotta write my sad heartbroken album first."
"So we're hookup buddies every few months?"
Rhy's shoulders sink. "I guess so, yeah."
"I've never done anything like this before." I muse. It might be nice. And Rhys was the one to suggest it so he probably needs this more than I do.
"Listen, forget it, it was a wild idea, I'm still hopped up on the post hand job high." Rhys back pedals.
"No, wait, hold your horses, Charming. Just because I haven't done it doesn't mean I don't want to. I just never considered it. Shit, it would be easier to have a guaranteed hook up every once in a while." I watch Rhys's jaw flex. "Is it only sex or are we friends too?"
"I’d like to be friends." Rhys admits quietly and I sit a little taller in my seat.
"Alright then what are you doing tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah, or I guess today since it’s the middle of the night but don’t be that guy Rhys, no one likes a know it all."
"Sorry."
"Don’t be sorry. What are you doing after the next sunrise?"
He chuffs a quiet laugh. "I’m working on music."
"Your sad heartbreak songs?"
"Yes."
I make the sound a toddler does when trying a nasty food. "No you’re not."
"What?"
"Have you ever had a Yes Day?"
"No."
"I have so much to teach you." I shift in my seat to turn towards him. "A Yes Day is when one person gets to set the itinerary and the other person has to say yes and make it happen. And I think you need one."
"I’m an adult with free will, I can do whatever I want."
"Says the guy who is doing what his team told him to."
Rhys’s eyes narrow. "Alright, fine. What would you do on a Yes Day?"
"See, it defeats the purpose if I tell you ahead of time. Since you’re new to this let’s start with something easy. Rhys Reid, will you be my Yes Day partner tomorrow?"
He pauses and I watch his tongue run around his mouth. "Yes."
"See! Easy." I lift my fist for a bump and Rhys just stares it down.
I reach over and pry his hand from the steering wheel he’s clutching, ball it into a fist with W-I-L-D front and center, and then connect it with mine.
"So, I guess, can I get your number?" Rhys asks bashfully as we pull up Granny's drive.
"Gasp! He wants my number!" I fan my face.
"Fuck off." After a chuckle I rattle off my digits and watch him put my name in his contacts.
"No." I say as I pull the phone from his hands.
"Hey!" He reaches out but I pivot towards my window blocking him with my shoulder like I’m protecting a puck against the boards.
“There’s no way the best hook up of your life can be in your phone under his real name." I say as I type.
"What are you changing it to?" He asks as he gives up trying to get his phone back.
My tongue darts out to wet my smiling lips as I type. With satisfaction settling into my chest I hand the phone back to him.
"You Know You Want It?" He reads.
The idea of our texts appearing on his phone under this header makes me smile. Rhys shakes his head with humor as he types something.
My phone vibrates in my front pocket and I fish it out.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
Hi.
He even used punctuation.
Adorable.
"What are you saving my number under?" He asks.
"Charming of course." I say as I type.
"Oh no, that’s not good enough." Rhys surprises me by snatching my phone out of my hand.
"Hey!" I protest.
"Now you know how it feels." He dishes back and I fucking love that he gives as good as he takes.
And that’s a dangerous thought to follow.
With his chin held high he hands the phone back to me.
"Remember, You Started This." I read. "Not bad."
I click the side button and lock my phone, trying to detach myself from the vision of texting Rhys under this title when I’m alone at home.
"Thanks for the ride home." I say after clearing my throat. More feelings are surfacing than I am willing to address.
"What time tomorrow?" Rhys asks.
"Pick me up at ten." I shrug. "Make sure you have a full tank, a change of clothes, comfortable shoes, and a pair of goggles."
"Goggles?"
"You never know with Yes Day."
"I’d like to make two requests." Rhys says as he pushes his hands around the wheel. "One, nothing that requires goggles."
"Fine." I roll my eyes, boring.
"And two, not everything tomorrow is about sex."
"Do you really think I’m that slutty?"
"Yes."
"I see you understand the concept already." I grumble. "See you at ten."
"Bye Duncan."
"Night, Charming."