4. Kai
Kai
A fter a light knock, I shoved open the creaky wooden door of Yara and Casey's rustic ranch house, calling out Yara's name. She'd invited me for dinner, then disappeared into her studio. I followed the scent to the kitchen, where I found Casey standing at the stove, a picture of domestic bliss in a fitted t-shirt that hugged his muscular frame and jeans that showcased his perfect ass.
"Hey, Casey," I called out, leaning casually against the doorframe. He turned to face me, a smile lighting up his striking blue eyes.
"Hey, Kai! You're right on time for dinner."
I took a moment to appreciate the sight before me: Casey expertly flipping vegetables in a skillet, his biceps flexing with each movement. It was almost unfair how attractive he was. It was hard not to stare.
Over the years, I'd tried to make myself hate him, but it was tough. He was too damn wholesome and likeable.
"Why are you always cooking?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light and teasing.
Casey chuckled — a deep, warm sound that resonated through the kitchen. "I love to eat, so I learned to cook long before I met my wife. Good thing, too, because Yara is a terrible cook."
"She hasn't gotten any better since college?"
"If possible, she's gotten worse. I didn't even know it was possible to burn hard-boiled eggs. And she gets so caught up in her studio that she forgets about food until she's practically starving. It became a habit for me to start on dinner when I get home from work and make sure she eats."
Fuck, could he be more perfect for my best friend? I wanted to find a flaw, but he kept getting hotter. And nicer. My heart twisted. Seeing Yara married to someone as amazing as Casey should have made me happy for her, but it also brought back the painful unrequited feelings I thought I'd buried.
A clatter startled us both, and we whirled to find Bruce prancing into the room, chasing something round. It was glass, and bulbous at one end. Huh, it had a bit of the shape of…. Squinting at the object, I stepped closer, and Bruce batted it towards my feet.
"Oh shit," Casey yelped, losing his typical cool. He dove for the glass thing before I was able to examine it. "Bruce, have you been knocking Yara's art over again? Remember last time, when she threatened to evict you?" He picked up the cat, setting the orange ball of fluff on his shoulder as he pocketed whatever Bruce had been playing with.
Since when did Yara make art in the shape of a butt plug? I swallowed hard. As if I didn't have enough sexy fantasies about the couple.
"Speaking of work." Had he even mentioned work? I had no memory of what had happened before the butt plug, but I was forcing myself to change the subject. "What do you do again?"
Casey wiped his hands on a dish towel and leaned against the counter, giving me his full attention. "I'm a structural engineer. My firm handles the engineering for local projects — custom homes and buildings for small businesses, that sort of thing."
"So, like, you design houses?" I asked.
He shook his head. "More like I help architects figure out if their ideas will work. I calculate the size beams you need to support a roof, that kind of thing. Lots of math."
"Yay, math!" I did jazz hands, trying to act excited about math.
He saw right through me. "Yara doesn't get it, either. But I get to see the tangible results of my work every day. It's like solving a puzzle, making sure everything fits together and stands strong."
I nodded, trying to focus on his words rather than salivating over his wide, capable wrists and muscular forearms as he chopped celery. I didn't even know I found forearms attractive, but his were delicious. "That must be really… satisfying. So, what are you working on these days?"
"Mostly a few custom homes," Casey said, his tone casual at first. He blinked and his eyes lit up. "I recently finished a project at Echo Valley Hot Springs, though. Heard of it?"
"I haven't heard of anything that wasn't here back in my college days."
"It's incredible," Casey continued, his face animated. "It's a ranch out in the desert that had undeveloped hot springs on their property, so they wanted to allow visitors come to the property to use them. The architects we worked with designed guest cabins around the pools, so guests can enjoy them, and relax in a scenic high desert oasis." He shook his head. "Fuck, I sounded like a brochure."
"Nah, it sounds amazing."
"Hold on, let me show you some photos," Casey said, wiping his hands on a towel and reaching for his phone. He swiped through his gallery, then moved closer to me, our shoulders nearly touching. Warmth radiated from his body, and the woodsy scent of his soap filled my senses.
"Check this out," Casey said, leaning closer to me as he scrolled through the photos on his phone. His shoulder brushed against mine, and I suppressed a shiver at the contact.
The first image that popped up on the screen was stunning—a cozy room with a natural hot spring pool right inside it. The water looked inviting, steam rising gently to meet the rustic wooden beams of the ceiling.
"Wow," I breathed, genuinely impressed. "That's incredible. How did you keep the cabin from getting all steamy?"
He laughed. "There's a whole complicated ventilation system. That's part of the puzzle we had to solve. But it ended with a one-of-a-kind experience for the guests. But there's more." He swiped to the next photo, revealing a large window running down the middle of another pool.
I peered closer. "Is there a pool outside, too?"
"Yep! it's all connected, to help let out some of the steam. The window slides up, allowing people to duck under and swim outside. This one was tricky. We had to figure out the window design and make sure the structure could handle the constant humidity. But it's already made a splash on their social media."
"And you helped build it. That's really impressive."
Casey thanked me with a hint of pride in his voice. "It wasn't easy, but seeing it come together made all the challenges worth it."
"Yeah, I can see why." I was awestruck by the beauty of the design. "It's like something out of a dream."
"I can't wait to stay there. It's so much fun. The owners are kind of free-spirited hippies, and they've decided that the whole resort is clothing optional, and adults only."
I raised an eyebrow, trying to keep my expression neutral despite the sudden rush of arousal. "Oh."
"That's how I reacted." Casey had a mischievous glint in his eye now. "All I could think about was getting frisky with Yara in that outside pool, then swimming straight back in to shower and go to bed."
The image of Casey and Yara fucking in that steaming pool was like a movie reel playing on repeat inside my brain, and I couldn't stop it.
My mind conjured every detail—the way Yara's fingers would trace the lines of his muscles, the sound of their laughter turning into moans as they moved together in the water. Her soft breasts would be crushed against his muscular chest as he lifted her onto the edge of the pool and drove into her, their bodies glistening with moisture from the pool, his cock thick, glistening with their combined moisture.
This was clearly a sign that I was losing it. I'd been horny as hell since the damn popsicle incident from the other day.
How did a straight man make eating a popsicle look so... sensual? He'd sucked it with an enthusiasm that bordered on obscene, his tongue swirling around the tip, lips closing over the length—I stopped that train of thought before my libido took complete control of my rational mind.
"Looks like fun." I hoped I'd managed to sound remotely normal. "I'd love to check it out."
"You should." Casey stood up and stretched. His shirt rode up just enough to reveal a sliver of tanned, taut skin above his waistband. His stomach was flat and sexy, though not crazy cut, with a narrow trail of hair leading the eye lower. "Hey, you want a popsicle? We've got a bunch in the freezer."
"Uh, no thanks," I blurted out, my heartbeat kicking into overdrive. The last thing I needed was another session of watching Casey deep-throat a popsicle while I tried to act normal. "I should get going, actually. Just stopped by to say hello. Classes start at the end of August, and I have so much to prepare."
"Are you sure? It's no trouble," Casey offered, already halfway to the freezer. "I've been on a popsicle kick lately. They're just so refreshing in the summer heat."
"Yeah, positive." I waved to him, bolting out of the kitchen. "See you later, Casey."
"Alright, take care, Kai!" he called after me, his tone friendly and unsuspecting. I was out the door before he could say more, speed-walking towards my cute little cabin. I'd spent a lot of the week getting settled in, and I hadn't been lying when I'd said I was behind on preparing for classes, but that was not what was on my mind as I entered the cabin. The only thing on my mind was his mouth. Her curves. His tight, thick muscles. Her smooth, glowing brown skin.
With a curse, I collapsed onto my bed. My hand instinctively slid down to my cock, palming the bulge that strained against my jeans. I squeezed my eyes shut, letting the fantasy take over.
In my mind's eye, Yara and Casey were in one of those beautiful pools at the hot springs pool, their bodies glistening with water and steam. Yara's raven hair clung to her wet skin as she straddled Casey, her breasts pressing against his muscular chest. They kissed hungrily, tongues tangling, hands roaming.
I groaned, unzipping my jeans and wrapping my fingers around my shaft. I stroked slowly at first, savoring the burn of arousal that spread through me. I imagined what they might look like as Casey lifted Yara effortlessly, positioning her so that his thick cock lined up with her slick entrance. She'd sink down on him with a pleased sound, her head tilting back in ecstasy. Their rhythm would be primal, raw, and utterly mesmerizing.
In a flash, the scene in my mind shifted. Casey turned his head, catching my eye. His gaze was smoldering. Would he take me in his mouth? Suck me like he sucked that goddamn popsicle? I couldn't hold back any longer. I pumped my cock furiously, imagining the three of us tangled together in a steamy mess of limbs. In my mind, Yara's cries mixed with Casey's deep grunts, creating a delicious vision that sent me over the edge.
"Fuck, I'm gonna—" I gasped, my body tensing as I reached the peak. With a choked moan, I came hard, hot ropes of cum spilling over my hand and stomach. My vision blurred, and for a moment, everything felt blissfully right.
But as the high faded, guilt crept in, gnawing at the edges of my satisfaction. I lay there, panting, staring at the ceiling. What the hell was I doing? Fantasizing about a married couple would only end in disaster. If they found out about my dirty thoughts, they'd be horrified. Rolling over, I buried my face in the pillow, trying to drown out the complicated feelings swirling inside me.