Chapter 8 - Nick #2
He had to put an end to things, not make them worse, yet here he was, digging a deeper hole for himself.
The burger was too good to be spoiled by any bad news. Reece was smiling way too much for Nick to just drop a bomb on him. He’d just wait until after dinner.
Whether that was a good idea or not, Nick wasn’t sure, but he preferred Reece’s lighter and playful mood over an argument or worse.
Reece’s happiness just kept reminding Nick of why he was even bothering to do this in the first place, when all he really wanted to do was grab Reece by his pretty face and fuck his mouth.
Bend him over the table and make him come until the only thing he knew was Nick’s name and Nick’s cock.
Nick was too easily distracted by Reece.
The way his tongue dragged across his lips after every bite.
The way his nose wrinkled every time he laughed.
How animated he was when he talked. Reece was really and truly having a great time and, as much as he hated to admit it, Nick was too.
He’d always wanted moments like these, when it was just him and Reece.
Not confronting the issue meant going through with this “date.” It meant not budging when Reece’s smaller hand reached for his, fingers subtly brushing along Nick’s.
The featherlight touch like a phantom stroke along his cock.
He’d never wanted anyone the way he wanted Reece.
Not being able to have him freely must’ve been making Nick want Reece even more. Whatever it was, it was infuriating.
So, the instant they were outside of the restaurant, Nick exploded.
“Whoa!” Reece shrieked as he was pushed off the sidewalk and between a couple of bushes. His back met the side of the building, Reece’s eyes looking up at Nick, wide with surprise. “Nicky! Here?”
Nick tsked, more so at himself and his dick for reacting to that with an interested twitch than at Reece for being so damn clueless. So perfectly fuckable.
“There are people,” Reece purred, but not like he was worried. He spoke as if he was excited and moved his arms around Nick’s neck. Nick grabbed his wrists and lowered them again.
“You’re crazy as hell,” Nick scoffed, turning his head to glare off at nothing, hating how hot his face got all of a sudden. “No. We need to talk. We’ve gotta quit doin’ this shit.”
“Doing what?” Reece asked, frown too deep, too directed at him for Nick to face it head on.
“This shit,” Nick repeated, but Reece’s furrowed brows demanded an explanation. So, with a frustrated sigh, Nick said, “I don’t date, Ree. Not anyone. Not even you.”
Reece was quiet for a moment, taking in his words and still appearing confused. “O-oh. Because I called it that? Don’t overthink. It was just dinner…”
He sounded uncertain. Like he was treading very carefully. Nick braced an arm on the building over Reece’s head and finally faced him, taking in the way Reece chewed on his lower lip—and how it made Nick want to be the one biting it.
“You think I don’t know how you really feel? You want hearts and flowers and all that shit. But I can’t give you that.”
“Well,” Reece started, pressing his body back against the building as if he might be able to put some distance between them. He couldn’t. “W-what do you want then?”
“No feelings. None of that settling down bullshit you’ve got your pretty little heart set on. I’ll never be able to give you that.”
“But I don’t want—There are no feelings! We’re just on a friend date, I go on those with Dec all the time, no big deal!”
As soon as he saw Declan, Nick was going to let him hear it.
“Honest!” Reece went on, expression turning from worried to determined. “I thought we were having a good time. You asked me to come eat and now you’re being mean. Why?”
“I asked you to come so I could tell you we can’t do this shit anymore. I don’t date. I just fuck. None of that honeymoon shit.”
Reece’s pale cheeks flushed pink and he averted his eyes for all of an instant before they were back on Nick, wet and narrowed.
“Who says people don’t fuck on their honeymoons?
I never asked for a date, Nicky. You asked me.
We were just having fun but now you’re suddenly accusing me of—what—being in love with you?
What even makes you think that? Just because I like your di—”
Reece’s words stopped short, the blond’s breath hitching as Nick dipped his head low, lips so close to Reece’s that they were nearly kissing.
Reece wasn’t breathing, but his lips parted in anticipation.
He even lifted himself onto the tips of his toes to get closer, attempting to meet Nick’s lips for the kiss he’d been tempted with and then denied. But Nick pulled back out of reach.
“We’ll never be more than this, Ree. And it’s damn clear you want more.”
“You don’t speak for me,” Reece said, words spoken so softly that only the quiet made it possible for Nick to hear them clearly.
Their eyes locked, and seeing Reece’s brimming with tears but full of determination set Nick on fire.
“I know we can’t… I know you don’t want that. I never expected—I mean, I just wanted to have fun together. You’re the one bringing up feelings, Nicky.”
Nick raised a brow. Reece wasn’t wrong, but Nick knew deep down that Reece was grasping at straws. “The longer we fuck around, the more you’ll expect from me. I know how this story goes. So let’s just skip the bullshit.”
“I wanted to fuck you, Nicky. But I never expected anything. We’ve been friends a long time but we can’t even go on a friend date that you invited me to without you making it out to be something it’s not.”
Nick wasn’t convinced, but Reece’s words did have him considering… Maybe he was overthinking—worrying for nothing.
“So you wanna get fucked and play around, but you’re not gonna cry when I walk away?”
Reece’s lip wobbled and he looked as if he’d not just tear up again but actually start full-on crying any second. He held it together though, and said, “We’ll always be friends.”
Friends…
“But we can be friends with benefits. What’s wrong with that?”
There was nothing wrong with it. It was perfect, actually. Exactly what Nick wanted, if it meant he could spare them both some heartache—but that was wishful thinking.
“If you don’t want to fuck…”
Nick didn’t let Reece finish that sentence, having a feeling it was about to involve the possibility of Reece fucking someone else, and Nick refused to hear it.
Nick did want to fuck Reece. So bad he could hardly stand it.
“I’ll fuck you, Ree. So hard you’ll be feeling me for days.” He leaned into Reece again, this time bringing his lips to Reece’s ear. “But the first time you start thinking it means more or expecting more, I’m walking away. Understand?”
Reece nodded shakily.
“Use your words.”
“O-okay,” Reece whispered. “I understand.”
“Then come on,” Nick said, pulling Reece along by his hand toward the parking lot and his waiting motorcycle. “I’ve got a theory I wanna test out.”
“A theory?” Reece asked, hurrying to keep up with Nick’s long strides, even with his own long legs—beautiful long legs that Nick wanted wrapped around him.
“Yeah,” Nick mused, “I think you like playing in public, so we’re gonna see if that’s the case.”
“Ooh! Nicky! You’ll fuck me in public?”
“Maybe. If you’re good.”
“I’ll be good for you,” he promised, and goddammit, Nick was hard.