“We’re both grown men with our own lives. I don’t begrudge you having to get back to your job. That’s why I said I’d come to you. Yes, I still have a life back home, but my schedule is more flexible than yours. We’ll get through this, Nix, so quit trying to come up with all the reasons we’re making a huge mistake.”
“I wish I had your confidence,” I told him. Lincoln followed me into the house. As I pulled vegetables out of the fridge to make a salad, Linc rummaged through the drawers. “If you’re looking for a cutting board, it’s behind the toaster.”
He grabbed it and started working on the salad while I seasoned our steaks and unwrapped the potatoes. Yes, I’d cheated on the twice-baked potatoes from the deli, but I did so telling myself it was the thought that counted. These were a splurge I didn’t allow myself often because I tried adhering to the same standards I held for my players. I’d lose credibility if I waddled into the weight room with a big ol’ gut, chomping on a candy bar.
“I take it you were finally able to sit down with Hunter?” I asked, hoping to get the least pleasant part of the night out of the way early. I hated that Hunter was so pissed off about me being there Monday morning.
“Yeah, he came home this morning,” he told me. We went back to the balcony so I could put the steaks on the grill and Lincoln gave me a quick rundown on how their discussion had gone. I felt better, but not at ease, by the time he finished. Hunter obviously had some sort of hang-up with his old man being gay and I was a constant reminder of that to him. Lincoln squeezed my hand. “It’ll be fine, trust me. I know him. He’s a stubborn kid who doesn’t like change, and you have to admit this is a huge adjustment for him. But I truly believe he’ll come around eventually.”
“Okay.”
We didn’t talk much through dinner; that was my fault. I was still trying to convince myself that Hunter wouldn’t always hate me, and that Linc and I would work out the logistical nightmares. When I’d asked how long he was staying, he said he wasn’t sure, but he could stay until he wore out his welcome as long as he flew home for Hunter’s games. It seemed like a ridiculous amount of money to shell out to fly so often, but Linc was trying to make everyone happy, just like he always did.
“You’re tense tonight,” Linc observed once we’d settled onto the couch for some TV time. His strong fingers dug into my flesh, hard enough that I squirmed under the pressure. It hurt like hell, but within a minute, I felt my muscles beginning to loosen. A groan of pain turned into a sigh of pleasure as Linc found the spot between my shoulders where I tended to carry most of my stress. “Let’s go upstairs. It’ll be easier for me to work on you if you’re lying down.”
“Have to load the dishwasher,” I protested. If it was just me, I’d have let them sit until morning, but Linc had a thing about making sure the house was spotless at all times. I knew this, because Isabella always used to give him a hard time about the fact he wouldn’t kick back and relax with their friends until he’d shut down the kitchen.
“That can wait,” he told me, helping me off the couch and leading me to the stairs.
When we reached the top floor, he stared blankly at the doors. I chuckled, because he’d never been up here and didn’t know which door led to his desired conclusion for the evening. Now that he’d mentioned how tense I was, my entire body ached and I wanted him to work his magic.
Hopefully, this massage came with a happy ending. I stepped around him and opened the door in front of us.
Lincoln dragged me into the room, barely stopping long enough to flip on the lights. He took a moment to scan the interior of the room and I found myself trying to see the space through his eyes. The walls were still the same boring beige they’d been when I moved in, mostly because I didn’t see a reason to waste money on paint when it was a perfectly suitable shade. Nothing loud, and most definitely not the standard beachy serenity that was so popular so close to the coast.
To offset the somewhat boring paint color, I’d chosen navy blue and white bedding. The only splurge was my king-size pillow-top mattress. While I was frugal, to the point of being called a tightwad more than once, I wasn’t about to sacrifice a good night’s rest. The furniture was simple, but again, why break the bank decorating a room that until this moment had only ever been used for me to collapse and sleep after a hard day at the training complex?
“No blinds?” he asked, pointing to the window. Before I could answer, Linc buried his face in the crook of my neck, nibbling his way from my shoulder to my ear. My eyes closed and I cocked my head to the side, allowing him room to do whatever he wanted to me. When he spoke again, the baritone timbre of his voice shot straight to my already aching cock. “Answer me, Nix. Why don’t you have blinds on the windows? You want someone to see what you’re doing in here?”
The thought was preposterous. There were no homes behind this row of condos and we were high enough up that someone would really have to strain to see anything. Linc moved me closer to the window, staring out into the darkness. He gripped the hem of my shirt, lifting it over my head as I watched cars pass in the distance, imagining one of the drivers looking up just in time to see what we were doing.
As much as I guarded my privacy, the thought thrilled me in a way I’d never expected. Probably because it was the illusion of exposure without the risk. I was safe here—no one could hurt me in my own home. Lincoln clamped his teeth down over the tender flesh of my earlobe, reminding me that he’d asked a question.
Did I play along with his line of fantasy thinking or did I answer him honestly? Linc had to know I’d never, when thinking clearly, go out of my way to be exposed this way. I desperately wanted to see where he’d go if I answered the way he hoped, but I couldn’t get my mind wrapped around the dirty play.
I pressed my hips back, grinding my ass against his dick. He was already hard as steel and answered my unspoken request by pressing himself against the crease of my ass, rocking back and forth, giving me just the slightest glimpse of what was to come.
“I…oh, God, Linc…” his hands were teasing their way under the waistband of my shorts, making it almost impossible to think. I knew there was something he wanted me to say, but I’d be damned if I could remember once his fingers slid beneath both layers of fabric, curling around my dick. A jolt zapped through my body, worrying me that this was all going to be over before he’d removed a single piece of clothing.
“I love the way you fall apart for me,” Linc whispered. He moved slightly to the left and I tried to sidestep around him to the bed. But his arms tightened, holding me there, fully exposed to the outside world. “I know you’re freaked out right now, but let go. No one cares that I’m loving on you in full view of anyone who might look up here. And if they do, they’ll wish they were me. You’re beautiful.”
I got the impression Lincoln wasn’t only talking about this moment. He was trying to push me outside my comfort zone, force me to see that the world wouldn’t come to an end if we people knew we were together. As he continued stroking my length, my head fell back against his shoulder and I tried to push away the thoughts and fears invading my mind. Linc was the only person I ever wanted to be with this way, and as my body relaxed, I realized I didn’t care if someone saw us. The way he worked my body, I almost hoped we’d be caught.
My legs began to feel boneless. Linc noticed and finally, thank whatever powers that be, moved us to the bed. He pulled back the comforter before guiding me down to the mattress. I gazed up at him, and my heart skipped a beat at the look on his face. I was not the type of man who needed to be worshipped, but that was exactly what Lincoln did as his thumb brushed against my cheek, his hand tenderly cradling my head.
“Lie down.” I did as I was told, feeling exposed as he finished stripping me out of my shorts. “On your stomach. I promised you I was going to finish what I started.”
I didn’t need a damn massage at this point; I just needed him. Every nerve awoke under his touch and there was no way I’d ever get enough. I opened my mouth to tell him as much, tell him I wanted him to fuck me and let the endorphins do the relaxing.
Lincoln pushed me back, lying on top of me as he took my mouth with his. One of us moaned, although I couldn’t be sure who it was. I reached up, curling my fingers around the back of his neck, capturing him so he couldn’t break the kiss. He ground his dick against mine, the zipper scratching against my sensitive skin. That was nearly a deal breaker, but even the pain couldn’t deter me from going after what I wanted.
Linc pulled back, looking down between us. “Damn, I’m sorry. I promise I’m usually much more suave than this.”
The apology bristled. I didn’t want to think about who else he’d been with and how those encounters compared to this. I wanted to be the only man he’d been with, the one consuming his mind. Before he could say anything else, I reached down, quickly flicking the button on his shorts before yanking the fabric down his hips.
His cock sprang free, slapping against my stomach. I wanted that in me, wanted him, but my ass clenched at the size of it. He was not a small man, and his dick was proportional to everything else about him.
Lincoln got up long enough for me to reposition myself with my head on the pillows. I expected him to resume his earlier position, but instead, he lay next to me, casually stroking a hand down my stomach. He leaned in, kissing me chastely. “In case I haven’t said it, thank you.”
