Chapter 22
Chapter twenty-two
Rhys
The Whole Package
Duncan is in my home. Duncan gave me the best, filthiest head of my life. I will never forget the way he looked as he hovered over me and dropped my seed on my chest from between his plump, swollen lips. Or the way pleasure made him weak when I sucked his finger clean.
I shouldn’t be having these thoughts while trying to chop vegetables.
Not even the Scottish artists playlist I spent way too much time creating for Duncan’s visit is helping me calm down.
"Careful with how well you feed me." Duncan points an olive at me from the charcuterie tray I prepared earlier before sliding it between his perfect lips. "I’m known for raiding my teammate’s pantries."
"Noted. Do you want something else?" I ask as I see he’s already eaten half of what I laid out. I hope he’s still hungry for the grilled steaks and vegetables I’m making.
"Got any dino nuggets?" He asks around a mouthful making his words sort of combine.
"What?"
"You know, those little chicken nuggets that are shaped like dinosaurs."
"I thought that's what you said, umm, no I do not have any of those."
"Darn. Then, this gourmet spread of cheese, meats, crackers, olives, vegetables, nuts, and dried fruits is fine." He makes himself a stack of cheese, salami, and crackers as he sighs. "I can slum it."
I chuckle. "Want to bring that out to the patio and we can hang out there while I grill?"
"Sure, I’ll grab drinks too." He lifts the board and pulls out a couple of beers from my drink fridge under the wet bar.
I lead the way to the patio, my hands full of what I need to make dinner, and behind me I see Duncan try to close the door with his elbow.
The charcuterie board tilts precariously but he rights it. "Close one, the salami was slipping!"
I huff a laugh. "I hate when that happens."
Duncan stands up straight for a beat before a cackle bursts out and crackles in the air. "Shit, I forgot how funny you were too."
My cheeks blaze with his compliment. "I’m the whole package."
"You’ve got a package for sure."
I roll my eyes as I light the grill, but bite back the smile tugging on my lips.
As it warms up I move over to the chaise lounge next to Duncan. He leans back and takes a drag from his beer bottle and I become transfixed with the workings of his mouth. The bob of his Adams apple.
"So, this big meal probably isn’t a smart move for us tonight." Duncan says as he looks out over the lawn towards the barn.
"What do you, oh." I cut myself off. He’s right. I’m an idiot. Neither of us is going to want to get up in the other’s ass after steak, potatoes, and vegetables.
"I bet we can find some other fun to have, Charming." Duncan says as he lifts another bite from the tray to his mouth. "I like that you feed me."
The image of my cock in his mouth flashes and my hand flexes around my bottle. When my muscles relax, I start to pick at the corner of the label.
"It’s nice having you here." I admit quietly after a few beats of silence.
"Yeah." He says like his mind is faraway.
I swallow past the thickness in my throat.
"Would you, umm, like to see each other more often?" I venture.
My focus stays on the label I’m surgically removing with my thumb nail. I shift a bit in my seat, my muscles feeling achey.
Without looking directly at him, I can see Duncan take a drink. I hear his throat working. I need a drink.
Oh wait, I have one.
I gulp it and wipe my lips against the back of my hand as Duncan speaks.
"We can make things work for the next month or so, but I’ve got to start getting back into shape and then training camp starts in September."
He’s open to it.
Holy shit.
He’s willing to see me more often.
He wants this too.
"What if I were to come to D.C.?" The words rush out in one single breath.
"What do you mean?" He turns to me and leans up on his elbow.
I take my time, almost slowing my words too much. "Well…I got a position as an artist in residence at The Elliston Academy."
"What does that mean?" Duncan asks with a little furrow of his brow barely visible under the frame of his glasses.
"I'll be leading some classes, mentoring, and collaborating. It's a way to give back to the next generation of artists."
"Aren't they your competition?"
I laugh but he doesn't crack. He's serious. "Not at all. Every artist has their own unique voice and people listen to music constantly these days so the more good music in the world the better."
"Huh. I'm not sure I'll ever see a young, hot-shot rookie as anything but a threat."
The way Duncan says this is casual like it has just occurred to him.
I watch his face as it processes his new discovery.
And then, I can almost see the moment his mind moves on to something else, his face shifts, his eyes relax at the corners but the faint laugh lines are still there.
I don’t think I’ll ever tire of just looking at him.
I lift my drink to my lips and take a sip but being lounged on the chaise and turned towards Duncan spells disaster.
Or, spills disaster.
"Oh shit." Immediately my hands start to brush the beer off the white linen shirt but the slightly golden spot remains.
"You alright?" Duncan asks, turning his head to me.
"Yeah, I'm just going to go wash this out." I say as I stand.
Duncan chuckles under his breath.
"What?" I ask incredulously. Why is he laughing at me?
"Nothing."
"No, not nothing. What?" I insist. I never expected Duncan to care about a little spill. I’m having a hard time keeping my tone neutral and not defensive. I’m not even sure the derisive laugh I’m hearing is Duncan’s.
He swings his legs to the side of the chair and clasps his hands together while his elbows rest on his knees. I swallow thickly at the look of his large hands clasped together like that, the ridges of his knuckles like mountain peaks I could climb.
Of course he’s so fucking sexy I almost immediately abandon my fight.
Duncan takes a breath and smiles up at me, it is charming and more than a little disarming. "I was thinking to myself that I like you a little messy."
Oh.
"Oh." I shift a little in my stance. "Well, be that as it may, I still need to get this cleaned because it's not actually mine."
I turn to the patio door and hear Duncan following me. "You have another friend you're borrowing clothes from?"
"No." I laugh.
"Then what do you mean it isn't your shirt?"
"It's on loan. My stylist sends me a new wardrobe every few weeks and we swap out items so I'm always looking fresh and on-trend."
Duncan follows me to the sink where I splash a little water on the stain.
"And you can't get them dirty?"
"No, I can, I just," I pause because I don't really want to admit this out loud.
"Just what?" Duncan prods.
I sigh in resignation, "I don't like knowing people think I'm messy."
Duncan just blinks at me. The second is a little slower than the first. "Sorry, but that's insane."
I laugh. "No it isn't!"
"Are you expecting some department store assistant to post a video saying "oh em gee look at how disgusting Rhys Reid is, he has one drop of a beer on the chest of his shirt."
His whiny, affected voice makes me laugh. "No. It's just, well I’m just used to being put together when I’m with people."
"Even at home?" Duncan fills in the blank.
"When I have company, yeah." I shrug. I glance around my home, and when I’m here alone I relax, unwind, but I’ve grown used to being put together. I don’t think my last relationship helped.
I turn towards the sink to finish dabbing at the spot.
"Was your ex ever here?" Duncan asks as he glances around the open concept kitchen, dining, and living room space.
"Yeah, a few times." I admit as I lead the way back outside. I concentrate on the grill so I don’t have to face Duncan for this conversation.
"What rooms did you fuck in?" Duncan asks and I whip around to look at him because I was not expecting that question.
"The bedroom." Where else?
"No sofa sex? Or, barn sex?"
"No."
"Holy crackers." Duncan says and I shake my head to laugh at his non-cursing. "I know exactly how we’re going to spend the next two days."
"How’s that?"
"We’re going to fuck in every single room." I turn to him and he’s cracking his knuckles.
"You’re ridiculous." We can’t do that. Right?
"No, I’m a genius. Your house fucks Rhys. Like it’s hot. You own property, a lot of it, and you don’t have neighbors to hear you. Not that I’ve ever worried about my neighbors hearing me but still."
I continue concentrating on the food as I start to envision Duncan and I throughout my house.
"What’s your favorite room?" He asks as I hear him settle back into the chaise lounge on the edge of the pool.
"Probably the music room, or here, the patio by the pool."
"How do you feel about swimming after meals?"
I laugh as I flip the steaks.
"I feel fine about it."
"Perfect." Duncan says and I glance over to see his feet crossed at the ankles, his fingers interlocked behind his head. He looks comfortable, and satisfied. And I like having him in my space.
"Where are you going to live in D.C.?" He asks after a few beats.
"I haven’t decided yet. Zara was pulling together some places for me to pick from."
He’s quiet and I notice one of his feet start to bounce a bit.
"And you’re going to be busy during the day?"
I furrow my eyebrows at him, why is he asking? "Yeah, mid-morning until early evenings Monday through Friday. I’ll be running a few classes and then working with students after school."
"That works."
"What works?" I laugh.
"For my schedule. Practice starts at ten and I can take my time getting back since you’ll be busy in the afternoon."
"We’re not seeing each other every day." Right? People in relationships see each other every day. And we’re not that.
Duncan tilts his head to the side like a dog trying to understand the words I’m saying. "We’re not?"
"No, I mean, we’re friends-with-benefits, we’re not dating."
"I hang out with my buddies every day during the season. How would this be different?"
"They’re your teammates, you see them at practice or at games. For work. Not for, well, you know."
His smile spreads slowly across his face and he knows he has me cornered.
"For what Charming?"
"Don’t." I warn him with a snap of the tongs in his direction before I turn back to the grill.
"Oh I think I will. What do you and I do that makes it different from me and my teammates hanging out?"
I hate his teasing, I feel so exposed. But the warmth in my cheeks isn’t embarrassment alone. I’m thinking about what we do and that makes me blush too.
"You know, sex." I shrug like it isn’t difficult to get the words past my lips.
"I do know sex." Duncan says from right behind me. He slides his body against mine and I instinctively lean back into his strong hold. "This isn’t a big deal. I travel half the time once the season starts. I’ll just swing by when I can and you can come to my place too.
Oh." He snaps his fingers as he stands up taller.
"You could come to my games! I’ve never had anyone besides my family in the stands for me. "
"I don’t think that’s a good idea." I stay focused on the food so I don’t disappoint him.
"Right, I’m your dirty little secret. Well fine then, you can just be waiting for me at my place after games." He slides his arms around my waist and hugs my back to his front. "We can celebrate wins together and you can give me blow jobs after losses. Vlad says it’s the best cure for feeling sad."
"Vlad?"
"My teammate. His wife, Ivanna, has a whole line of lip balms she’s launching made specifically for protecting lips for BJs. Something about beeswax I think."
"Won’t your teammates find out?"
"Nah, they rarely come to my place anymore." I feel his shoulder shrug. "I usually head to their places to pop-in. And now I get to pop-in at your place too!"
Duncan rests his chin on my shoulder and I can feel his excitement. Fuck it. I’m excited too. "Pop-ins? What else?"
"Oh, I’ll be borrowing your clothes. Especially these sweats. They are so fucking comfortable." He steps to the side before using his palms to flatten the fabric, making the outline of his cock even more prominent. "And I look fucking stacked in them."
"Priorities."
"Of course."
"Shit man, this is going to be so fun!"
I laugh at his enthusiasm. This is what I wanted. I asked to get the gig just so I’d be closer to him. "I can’t wait." I agree with a bite to my lip.
Suddenly my feet are off the ground as Duncan wraps his arms around my waist and twirls me around. "Fuck yes!"
A deep laugh rumbles out of my chest as he sets me down. I turn to him and his smile matches mine, except his cheeks are pushing his glasses even higher up his face.
Fucking adorable.
I lean into him for a peck to accentuate the moment when he wraps a strong arm around my body and keeps me pressed up against him. The kiss is chaste, no tongue, but my toes tingle against the concrete patio all the same. He pulls back and grins at me.
His proximity blurring the already soft boundaries of this friends-with-benefits arrangement.
A closed lipped kiss while cooking dinner is boyfriend behavior.
But Duncan won’t.
And, I can’t.
Right?