Chapter Thirty-One
Thirty-One
Reece
“What’s wrong?” Cyrus asked as I rolled over for what felt like the hundredth time.
His bed was comfortable, and obviously I enjoyed his company, but even after back-to-back orgasms, I just couldn’t get my thoughts to stop racing.
“I’m just—feeling a little anxious.”
Cyrus shimmied next to me so that my back was pressed against his chest, and he wrapped one of his arms around me. “Talk to me, darling,” he whispered.
“I just have a lot on my mind. The triathlon is coming up. The fact that Atlas saw us. My sister asking me to give her away.”
“Well,” he said, rubbing his thumb over my stomach with slow strokes, “you’ve been busting your ass in training and you’re going to do amazing in the triathlon.
While there are worse things than Atlas finding out, it’s okay to be upset that it wasn’t on your terms. And your sister asking you to give her away—that’s such a huge step forward in your relationship.
You’ve come so far in the last three months, Reece.
It’s normal to have mixed feelings about that or worry that you’re going to do something to screw it all up.
But you’re doing wonderful, darling. Sure, there might be setbacks, you might not place as well as you want to, and you might piss your sister off again at some point.
No, not might, will. But you’re out here giving it your all, regardless of what the final outcome is. I’m proud of you for that.”
Cyrus was right. This was all part of change, of growth. It was going to be uncomfortable. I was going to have moments when I doubted myself or doubted the process, but I was giving it my all. That’s what mattered.
And the fact that Cyrus was proud of me, that was an added bonus.
Cyrus pulled away from me and sat up. “Lie on your back. I want to try something.”
I snorted and rolled over. “Gods, Cy. You really want to fuck again? I don’t know if my ass can take any more.”
He laughed and pulled the sheet from my waist, revealing my soft cock. “No more fucking, at least not yet. Have you ever heard of cock warming?”
“I mean, yeah. I’ve heard of it. I’ve never done it or had it done to me.”
“Would you want to try it? I think it might help you relax a little bit. Just until you fall asleep, and you can still talk to me while I do it. If you don’t like it, we can stop.”
Having a—friend—with telepathic abilities had its advantages, and I did enjoy intimate touches when it came to Cyrus.
“Sure.” I put my arms behind my head. “But I swear if you fall asleep and chomp off my cock with those piranha teeth, I will be pissed.”
He laughed and slid down my body before slipping my cock between his soft lips. There wasn’t any head bobbing or lip and tongue action; he laid his head against my pelvis and held my limp cock in his mouth.
And it felt amazing.
Like a warm hug for my dick.
For the record, I’d never chomp off this absolute piece of perfection. Do you like it?
His sexy British accent echoed inside my head and I couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah. It’s different, but it feels good.”
I knew you’d like it. You’re always content when I’m touching your cock.
“Not just when you’re touching my cock,” I huffed. “I like it when you touch me in general.”
That makes me laugh, considering your reaction the first time I touched you.
“Well, I was an asshole.”
Was?
“Shut up,” I mumbled, and for a few minutes we were quiet before I spoke again. “Cy, can I touch you?”
Please. You never have to ask.
I pulled my hands from behind my head and let them rest on either side of Cyrus’s face.
“You’re fucking handsome, you know that?” I rubbed my fingertips over his fins.
Cyrus laughed around my cock, almost spitting it out.
I am not.
“You are. I stare at your stripes constantly. And that body. You’re fucking ripped. Even if you don’t see it, you’re sexy to me.”
I meant every word. I could look at the patterns covering Cyrus’s body for hours, and watching him jet through the water was hypnotic. He was a generous lover and a loyal friend. Him coming into my life had changed everything. Had changed me.
I’m glad you think so, darling.
My cheeks warmed like they did every time he called me that. I never wanted him to stop. I never wanted what this was between us to stop.
“I really care about you, Cy,” I said, fighting back a yawn. My eyelids felt heavy, and my fingers started to slow down.
I care about you, too, Reece. More than you could possibly fathom.
I didn’t need him to tell me, though. He showed me with his actions every day.
—
“Cyrus, I brought beignets!”
The bedroom door flew open, and Cyrus and I bolted upright.
Fallon was standing in the doorway staring at the two of us in bed together.
“Oh, holy gods!” Fallon screeched as I scrambled to cover my naked body with a blanket.
My heart raced and my chest felt so tight, I had to force myself to breathe.
Fallon had caught us.
The biggest loudmouth around knew that Cyrus and I were hooking up.
“Do you not knock anymore?” Cyrus hissed, his color shifting to a deep blue. “Get out.”
Fallon opened his mouth to protest but ultimately turned around and slammed the door shut behind him.
“Fuck!” I shouted, running my fingers through my hair.
“Reece, I am so sorry,” Cyrus said quietly. “He normally parties so hard that he’s hungover the next day. I didn’t think he’d make it back home, and he doesn’t typically barge in like this.”
Cyrus reached for me, but I pulled away. I couldn’t handle being touched right now. All of this was too much.
Without saying a word, I got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and collapsed on the cool tile floor.
This wasn’t Cyrus’s fault. I knew that. But I was angry and upset. I needed a few moments to process what had just happened.
“Reece,” Cyrus whispered from the other side of the door. “Please talk to me. Don’t shut me out.”
I brought my knees to my chest, wrapped my arms around them, and curled into a tight ball. “We should have just told everyone. Now they’re going to hear it from Fallon.”
“You don’t know that. He would never intentionally do something to hurt me, and now that extends to you. We should go talk to him. And I know you love beignets.”
I sat there for a few minutes, taking deep breaths and getting my emotions in check. The old me would have stormed off or threatened Fallon with bodily harm if he muttered even one word of this to anyone else.
But I didn’t want to be that person anymore.
And I did love beignets.
“Okay,” I huffed and rose to my feet.
When I opened the door, Cyrus was standing there with my clothes in his hands. His color was back to normal, but I could see the hurt in his eyes.
I’d pulled away from him, just like I did at the party. I hurt him, but he was still here, still waiting for me, just as kind and steady as always.
I stepped closer, threw my arms around him, and pulled him in for a tight hug. His heartbeats reverberated out of his chest and into mine, calming me with their steady rhythm.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured against his skin.
“It’s okay.” He ran his hands over my back, the soft touch making me shudder. “You’re still naked.”
“I am.”
We both vibrated with laughter, the tension of what just happened slipping away.
Cyrus waited patiently while I dressed, and once I was ready, we walked down the hall to the living area.
The box of beignets sat on the counter and the sliding door to the terrace was open.
“I am so, so sorry,” Fallon chirped the moment Cyrus and I joined him on the outdoor sofa.
“I’m not used to you having anyone over, and gods, Reece was the last person I expected.
I knew you guys were getting close, but I didn’t know it was like this.
” The words rushed out. It was obvious he was just as flustered as we were.
I worried my lip a second before reaching over and grabbing Cyrus’s hand. “We, uh, we’ve been seeing each other for a few months now. We—I was waiting for the right time to go public with our relationship.”
Fallon fluffed his feathers and nodded. “I respect that, man.”
“We’d appreciate it if you kept this quiet for now. Just until Reece is ready.” Cyrus gripped my hand tighter and gave me a soft smile.
“Whatever the two of you need. I freaking knew something was going on with you, Cy. All the paint—”
Cyrus cleared his throat, and Fallon clamped his beak shut.
All the paintings?
“Anyway.” Cyrus rose up on his tentacles. “Why don’t we dig into those beignets and I’ll make us some coffee, hmm?”
“Yeah, sure.” Fallon stood and started to follow Cyrus inside. “But just so you know, the image of Reece’s cock is, like, burned into my brain. You’re fucking hung, man,” he quipped to me over his shoulder.
Cyrus whipped around and glared at Fallon, his thin lips pulled back and his sharp white teeth bared. “If you value your life, stop it right now,” he hissed. His body was already darkening to that blackish-blue hue it took on when he was angry.
Fallon certainly knew how to push people to their limits.
“Hey, man. We’re cool, we’re cool. I was just trying to lighten the mood. It’ll never happen again.” He put his talons up, rearing back.
Cyrus blinked several times and took a deep breath, his color slowly fading to its familiar teal blue as he relaxed.
You would think I’d be afraid of Cyrus when he acted like that—the possessive, dominant version of himself—but it fucking turned me on. If Fallon wasn’t here, I’d beg him to spread me over the island and have his way with me.
It would have to wait for another day, though.
The three of us moved inside without another word, the tension in the room heavy.
Cyrus set to work starting the coffee, and Fallon sat down on one of the stools around the island. His feathers lay flat against his body, and his tail hung limply behind him.
I patted Fallon’s back and offered him some comfort before sitting down next to him at the counter. “It’s all right, bud. He didn’t mean it.”
Cyrus turned away from what he was doing and stared at Fallon. “I’m sorry I overreacted. But in the future, please don’t talk about the impressive size of Reece’s”—he thought for a moment—“equipment in front of him like that.”
My cheeks burned.
The impressive size of my equipment.
Holy gods.
I reached across the island and pulled the box of beignets closer to Fallon and me. “All right, then. Well, now that we’ve gotten that awkward conversation out of the way, let’s eat.”