Chapter 42 - Nick
Nick’s first task after arriving in L.A. and meeting the team was to bond with his teammates. They had dinner, played around on the court, and welcomed Nick like he’d always been one of them.
Leaving didn’t come easy. The team wanted an explanation, so Nick told them simply that someone had threatened what was his and he had business to handle. They all supported his decision and not only encouraged him to go, but helped him get a quick flight.
Less than twelve hours later, Nick was back in Miami.
His first stop was by the gym Harrison frequented because Nick saw him posting a selfie at the gym not even an hour earlier. It was late, after ten, but Nick saw Harrison as soon as he walked through the door. He was running on a treadmill, which Nick walked up behind.
“Hey.”
Harrison glanced over his shoulder, and when he saw Nick, all the color drained from his face. He killed the treadmill and stepped off it, and onto the one next to him in a laughable attempt to put some distance between them.
“What the fuck?” Harrison hissed, rushing off the treadmill and backing up a few steps.
“Damn. You scared?”
“The fuck are you doing here, Nick?”
“I think you know.” Nick tilted his head, seeing the fierce glare directed at him from Harrison for what it was—a front, something to mask his fear even if only a little. “You can step outside so we can talk about it, or I can drag your ass out.”
“You wouldn’t…” Nick took a step toward him, and Harrison backed up another step. “Alright, chill! I’m going.”
When they were outside, Harrison keeping himself facing Nick, he started stammering.
“L-listen, I don’t know what Reece told you—”
Nick grabbed him by the throat and slammed him back against the wall of the gym. “I know what you did. Not surprised coming from a bitch like you.”
Harrison couldn’t speak with Nick choking him. There was nothing Nick needed to hear from him anyway. He just needed Harrison to listen.
“Don’t think for one second that I’ll ever be too busy to pull up on your ass. You really thought you were safe to touch him again just because I was in a different state…”
Nick released his throat, and Harrison’s hands replaced them, the bastard gasping for air and coughing violently.
Nick yanked him by his shirt away from the wall so he had to straighten himself, but Harrison did so on wobbly legs, a pleading look in his eyes.
He held up a hand as if he’d be able to wave Nick down.
“Reece will never be yours, no matter how bad you fuckin’ want him,” Nick said, spitting at Harrison’s feet. “He’s mine. Whether I’m here in Miami, in L.A., or anywhere fuckin’ else. So you keep your ass away from him. You see him, you walk the other goddamn way. Do you understand me?”
“I got it,” Harrison said, body and voice trembling. “I’ll never touch him again.”
“And?”
“And… What? I won’t do anything! I won’t even talk to him.”
“Or look at him.”
“Whatever! Just fuck off already. I don’t know why you even care!”
Nick took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and smiled. “Because I love him.”
One punch and Harrison was slumped on the sidewalk, out cold. Nick didn’t even hit him as hard as he could. He’d never be able to let out all his pent-up rage on Harrison without doing more damage than it was worth.
Because he wouldn’t go to jail and fuck up his NBA career.
He wouldn’t go to jail and have Reece out of his reach.
He didn’t want to hear Declan’s ass either.
Nick bent down next to Harrison, arms resting on his spread knees as he balanced on his feet. By the time Harrison started coming to, Nick felt calm and worry-free. He was thinking about Reece and finally having the time he needed to talk to him privately and make things right.
Harrison’s lip and nose were bleeding, his face already swelling. Scrambling away pathetically was his first instinct, which Nick found amusing.
“Wait—please don’t hit me again. I swear I won’t fuck with Reece anymore.”
“You sure?” Nick rubbed his chin and jaw, brows cocked.
“Yes. Fuck, yes. I’m sure, okay? Shit.”
“Good. Don’t let there be a next time because I won’t hold back.”
Satisfied that he got his point across, Nick left Harrison behind and made his way to Reece’s apartment by cab. He hoped Reece wasn’t already in bed, but if he was, Nick wouldn’t feel bad about waking him up. Not even a little.
He knocked on the locked door and waited for a couple of moments before it was pulled open, and there stood Reece, wide-eyed with surprise, skin flushed, his citrusy-sweet scent hitting Nick hard.
He must’ve just gotten out of the bath because his hair was still damp and he was wearing a white cotton robe and slippers.
Nick didn’t give him the time he needed to process, to speak, before he let himself in and pinned Reece to the wall with his body.
And he kissed him, lips coaxing Reece’s apart with a single motion.
There was nothing soft about that kiss because Nick needed it too badly.
He thought about getting to Reece every minute since he heard about what happened.
He thought about his mistakes and how he could make everything right again.
It started with that kiss, with letting everything else go so he could focus solely on Reece and that ache inside him that had always been there because he’d always been holding back.
Not anymore.
No more restraints. Nick would never hold back when it came to Reece again, because this was a second chance he truly didn’t deserve. Not after the way he hurt Reece.
Reece, who opened up to him without hesitation.
Who kissed him back with just as much passion as Nick gave.
Who wrapped his arms and long legs around him so tightly Nick couldn’t help but press against him.
Into him. He needed to be closer. Closer.
Needed his hands all over Reece. His mouth.
Everywhere. His dick inside, feeling him after what felt like forever without him.
He tasted like heaven. So receptive that Nick could kiss him all night long.
Maybe he would. It wouldn’t be easy to stop with Reece’s slick tongue gliding over his own, swiping and flicking and exploring.
Fever moans between their lips, Nick swallowing every one down between kisses.
His hips kept Reece pinned to the wall, his hands between them, sliding up Reece’s chest, his neck, his face, his hair.
Nick cradled the back of Reece’s head with his left hand, gripping his hair and tipping his head to the side, lips leaving Reece’s to trail open-mouthed kisses across his jaw, down his throat.
Then Nick pushed at Reece’s robe so it fell over his shoulders, and he kissed those too, taking his time over his collarbones before lifting Reece higher to get to his chest.
He looked up into Reece’s eyes, gleaming near-white flecks shining bright alongside the vivid blue peeking under heavy lids, tongue laving over his right nipple once before he kissed and suckled it.
Those pretty eyes rolled back under fluttering lids, and Nick had to suppress a groan as Reece grinded his hard cock against Nick’s abs.
Reece’s moans grew louder, slower, his arms hanging loosely around Nick’s shoulders, fingertips digging into his back, gripping his shirt.
Nick switched nipples, biting the one he’d yet to tease, and Reece keened, hips grinding harder once, twice, again, firmer each time.
His moans grew louder and louder, and then he was coming.
Nick kissed Reece all over his chest and neck and then his lips, taking his time, allowing Reece to ride out his orgasm before kissing him deeper—all the way to Reece’s bedroom.
After depositing Reece on the bed, Nick untied his robe and opened it completely, baring Reece’s perfect, pale skin.
His pink nipples were hardened into peaks Nick dragged his fingers across, enjoying the way Reece writhed and whimpered in response.
Nick laid over him to kiss him more, only stopping to help Reece remove his shirt.
It wasn’t soon enough before Nick was settled between his legs, two lubed fingers sliding into a very neglected and needy hole. Reece was even tighter than he remembered, because Nick hadn’t been fucking him regularly anymore. Hell, Reece probably hadn’t even played with himself all this time.
Nick liked that. Reece was his. All his. All of him. Body and heart.
They were falling together, forgetting everything else but each other and this moment, having not spoken a single word, until Nick was sliding into him, until the need to give himself to Reece in the same way Reece had given himself to Nick overwhelmed him, and the words just spilled over.
“I love you, Kitten.”
And when Reece cried, Nick kissed away every tear, rocking into Reece until they came together not long after.