Chapter 20
Caleb paced back and forth as he waited for Rhys to arrive.
He had way too much on his mind. No matter how hard he’d tried, he couldn’t let go of how much it had hurt for Rhys to pull away from him in front of Jonah.
He’d been prepared for it. He’d agreed not to tell anyone they were even working together, much less…
whatever they were doing. But it still hurt.
When he wasn’t worrying about where exactly their relationship was going and how deep his feelings for Rhys had become, he was trying to figure out what Rhys was reading.
He’d hadn’t gotten a good look at the book Jonah had brought out for him because Jonah bagged it quickly, but he’d seen enough of the cover to see a shirtless guy in a cowboy hat.
Was it a romance? He would never have thought Rhys would be reading something smutty.
Should he ask Rhys about his secret reading life?
Caleb was so lost in thought he didn’t even notice Rhys parking out front. Rhys’s knock startled him, and when he turned around, he saw that Rhys had a picnic basket, a wicker one lined with gingham like a fairy-tale princess.
“What’s this?” he asked as Rhys entered the shop.
Rhys winced. “I look ridiculous, don’t I?”
“No, I love this, though a cute little frolicking dress might set it off even better.”
Rhys glared at him.
“I’m serious. Do you know how hot that would be?”
Rhys narrowed his eyes, clearly trying to figure out if Caleb was joking or serious. “It’s just a picnic basket.”
“And what’s in your basket, Little Red Riding Hood?
Did you bring something for the Big Bad Wolf?
” Rhys didn’t say anything, but he also didn’t look away.
Caleb could see desire in his eyes. Would he enjoy some Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood role play?
Caleb could get into that if Rhys wanted it. “Tell me what’s in the basket.”
Rhys glanced down at the basket as if he needed a reminder. “It’s just dinner. I made dinner. I mean, I put it together. It’s charcuterie. I don’t cook much, but I thought… I’m sorry I pulled away from you at the bookstore like that.”
Caleb hadn’t realized how much he needed to talk about that moment. Rhys’s apology melted all his tension. “I understand. I know you didn’t want Jonah to see us holding hands. I wish we could be more open, but I’m okay with things for now.”
“That’s good. I wish it wasn’t like this either.”
Caleb didn’t think talking anymore now would help, so he changed the subject.
“Before you tell me more about dinner, why don’t you tell me what you’re reading.
” He loved the shock on Rhys’s face. Rhys clearly hadn’t been expecting that question.
He set the basket down on one of the tables and rubbed his hands up and down on his thighs, which Caleb knew was a sign that he was nervous.
“I’m not going to judge you. I’ve read all kinds of things. Smutty things. Things that made me question exactly why I liked them.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Rhys scrunched up this face. “It’s Jonah’s fault.”
“Jonah’s fault? Did he force you to read it, or did he read it aloud to you?”
“He challenged me. He likes to pick out books he knows I’d never choose for myself and challenge me to read them. Then I get to tell him if I actually like them or not.”
“And how often is he right?”
“He’s always right.”
“Always?”
Rhys sighed. “He’s had two misses in almost ten years.”
“Wow, that’s impressive. So have you read the book he gave you the other day yet?”
Rhys looked down at his hands. “It’s… um… It’s the third one in the series. I had him order it for me. He gave me the first one, and I swore I wouldn’t like it, but I did. It was hot.”
“Tell me about it.” Caleb took several steps toward Rhys, who backed up until he bumped into a table, nearly knocking the picnic basket off. Caleb steadied it, then caged Rhys in between his arms. “Talk to me.”
Rhys kept his gaze down. “I’m not very good at that.”
“You’re perfectly good at talking.”
“About certain things. Not about… those books.”
“It’s just me, Rhys. I’ve been inside you. It shouldn’t be that hard to tell me about what you like.”
His cheeks were bright pink now. “Oh my God, that just made it worse.”
“Do the cowboys in the book have a lot of sex?”
“Yes. It made me…”
Caleb smiled. “What did it make you do?”
“It made me think about you.”
“When did you read the first book?” Rhys bit his lip. “Come on. Tell me.”
“Before we started working together.”
Caleb liked hearing that more than he should. “Tell me what kind of things they do.”
“They get stuck in a cabin, and they fuck each other in all the rooms and even out by the hot tub.”
Caleb used his tongue to trace the outer edge of Rhys’s ear. “Would you like to do that too?”
“I don’t know.”
“We could find out. I’m open to any ideas you have. If there’s something you want, just tell me.” Would he really rent a remote cabin just for Rhys? Hell yes, he would.
“Oh my God.”
“I was thinking maybe as long as dinner can wait for us we should have dessert first.”
“Dessert?”
“Yes.” Caleb started unbuttoning Rhys’s shirt as he kissed along his collarbone.
Rhys sucked in a breath. “You don’t mean real dessert, do you?”
Caleb just chuckled.
“You mean…”
“Do you want me to take you upstairs and give you a treat?
Rhys nodded. “Yes. I want dessert first.”
He was so damn adorable. Caleb didn’t want to stop touching him, but he needed to get them someplace more comfortable and less exposed. He didn’t want Rhys thinking about how someone could look in and see them. “If that’s what you want, you’d better head upstairs.”
Rhys practically ran up the stairs, and Caleb kept up with him, smacking his ass as they reached the top step. “Get inside and get naked.”
“Fuck.”
“Yes, I’ve been waiting all day.”
Rhys struggled to let go of how he might ruin this by being scared of exposure. This wasn’t the time to talk about it, but he’d never been good at picking the right time to say anything.
He tried to work his way out of his shirt as he moved toward the bed, but he hadn’t unbuttoned the cuffs, and he couldn’t get the sleeves over his wrists. Caleb grabbed him from behind. “This could be fun, you all tied up in your shirt, bent over the bed, at my mercy.”
“I… I don’t…” Rhys’s mind was screaming no as his body screamed yes.
Caleb pulled Rhys against him with Rhys’s arms trapped between them. “Let me know if you’re not all right, and I’ll stop.”
Rhys nodded frantically as Caleb reached for his belt. He undid the buckle, then unzipped Rhys’s pants. “You do seem to like this,” he said as he began stroking Rhys’s hard cock. “Are you okay?”
Rhys managed to form the word “Yes.”
“Good boy.”
“Oh, shit, that’s…”
“Hot?”
Rhys nodded.
“Then relax and have fun. That’s what we’re here for.”
Rhys wasn’t sure he’d thought of sex as fun before. Pleasurable, yes. Necessary because it was something his body craved, but never fun. But everything was different with Caleb. He could make Rhys laugh in the middle of fucking him. With Caleb, Rhys could relax, at least more than anyone else had.
“Step out of your shoes,” Caleb said. Rhys toed them off, and then Caleb pushed his pants down. Rhys pulled feet out and kicked his pants away.
“Good. Now, lay over the bed.” Caleb pushed gently at the center of his back, and Rhys folded over until his torso touched the mattress.
Caleb pulled on his shirt to bring his wrists more firmly behind his back. Rhys didn’t want to admit how much he liked being bound by Caleb. When Caleb dragged a finger down Rhys’s crack down to tease his hole, Rhys sucked in a breath. He was already so hard it hurt.
“Do you like this?” Caleb asked. “Do you liked being restrained, knowing I can do anything I want with you?”
“Y-yes.”
“Good. Because I like having you like this.”
Caleb knelt behind him and used a tight grip to pull Rhys’s ass cheeks apart. Rhys jumped when Caleb swiped his tongue over Rhys’s hole. “Oh, fuck. Are you…”
“I am,” Caleb said. “I told you I wanted dessert first.”
Caleb licked him again, loving the way it made him shudder.
He pressed his tongue against Rhys’s hole and pushed inside.
Rhys writhed under him, and Caleb had to grip his hip to keep him still while he worked him open, licking, biting, and enjoying himself until Rhys was a whimpering puddle on his bed.
Caleb sat up, pulled his shirt over his head, and shoved his way out of his jeans.
Rhys whimpered, lifting his ass toward Caleb. “What are you doing? I need more. Please.”
“I know what you need.” He grabbed the supplies from his nightstand, rolled on a condom, and slicked himself up. “Do you want your arms loose while I fuck you?”
“No.” Rhys shook his head.
Caleb wasn’t waiting any longer. He thrust inside, and Rhys arched his back, trying to take more.
He twisted side to side, struggling against his bound hands.
Caleb took hold of his wrists and pressed them against his back.
He didn’t want Rhys to hurt himself. He needed those wrists nice and strong to pull espresso and make the world’s best pour-overs.
Rhys struggled against his hold, and Caleb growled. “Keep your hands where they are, or I’ll stop.”
“No. Please don’t.”
“Then be a good boy.” Caleb took hold of Rhys’s hips. nearly lifting him off the mattress as he drove into him harder. In no time, Rhys was whimpering, panting, begging Caleb to keep going.
Rhys was holding his arms still, but Caleb could tell it was killing him. They needed a better restraint than his shirt. He’d remember to plan for that later.
He pulled out and slapped Rhys’s ass. “It’s time to free your arms, but we can do this again soon.”
Rhys nodded as Caleb worked at the cuffs of Rhys shirt until he got the buttons loose and was able to pull it off and toss it on the ground with the rest of their clothes.
“Was it torture not to be able to touch yourself or do anything but take what I gave you?”
Rhys turned to look at him, eyes wide. “Yes. So much.”
“Good. Now, get up on the bed and turn over on your back. I want to see you.”
“I don’t—”
“Rhys, I want to watch you come, then pull out and come all over you. I want to make you messy for me.”
“I don’t know if I can let you watch.”
Caleb ran a hand up and down his spine. “Would you try? If it’s too much, we’ll stop.”
“Okay.” Rhys positioned himself, and Caleb let his gaze run all the way down Rhys’s body. He loved how much precum was dripping from his cock. “You’re leaking for me.”
Rhys smiled up at him, looking completely blissed-out again. He’d really loved having his arms pinned behind him. What else would he let Caleb do?
He settled between Rhys’s legs and pushed back inside him. Rhys’s mouth dropped open, and he drew in a ragged breath. “You okay?”
“Yes. Don’t stop.”
Caleb didn’t. “Touch yourself. I want to watch.”
Rhys wrapped hand around his cock. His precum worked like lube as he moved his hand up and down, faster and faster.
He closed his eyes and let himself just feel Caleb stretching him, driving inside him.
He wasn’t sure he could look into Caleb’s eyes, but he could let him watch.
He felt so full. Caleb knew just what he needed.
He shifted position so his cock rubbed right over Rhys’s prostate. He was almost there.
“Look at me.”
Rhys shook his head, and Caleb slowed his rhythm. The slow strokes felt delicious, but they weren’t what Rhys needed. “Please. Need more.”
“Can you look at me? I want to see your eyes when you come.”
“I don’t know if…”
Caleb put his hand over Rhys’s, forcing him to jerk himself off faster. Rhys gasped when Caleb picked up his own pace, driving into Rhys harder. Caleb groaned, and Rhys wanted to see him. He opened his eyes and met Caleb’s gaze.
“That’s it,” Caleb said. “Show me how much you need this. Come for me.” Seconds later, Rhys did, his gaze locked with Caleb’s. He’d done it, and he didn’t even feel scared.
As Caleb had promised, he pulled out and stroked his cock until he came all over Rhys’s abdomen.
When they were both done, Caleb collapsed beside him.
Rhys felt like he was floating. The only thing in his world seemed to be Caleb’s warm body and the sound of his rapid breaths.
Caleb had truly taken him out of himself.
He’d been able to relax, to quiet his mind.
He wasn’t analyzing; he wasn’t worrying.
He was just enjoying the moment. “Thank you.”
Caleb rose up on one elbow and smiled down at him. “No thanks needed. I promise you it was my pleasure.”
“I mean for…” Rhys wasn’t sure if Caleb would understand.
Caleb brushed the backs of his fingers over Rhys’s cheek, and Rhys leaned into the touch, wanting to simply melt into Caleb. “For what?”
“For helping me relax, helping me have fun. I’m usually thinking of so many things, second-guessing everything, and tonight, I didn’t. I couldn’t.”
Caleb’s soft smile made Rhys feel warm all over. “You’re welcome.” He gave Rhys a gentle kiss, and then his stomach growled loudly, and they both laughed.
“I’m starving,” he admitted.
“Me too,” Rhys said. “Do you want me to bring the dinner upstairs?”
Caleb glanced around his tiny apartment and frowned. “We’ll have a lot more space downstairs. Why don’t you shower first, then you can go down and set things out while I shower.”
“That sounds perfect.”