Page 59 of A Matter of Fact

He wasn’t talking about the suit, and he knew in that moment the only reason he would go back to Mallardsville was to get the rest of his belongings. Or if Beckett were to ever leave him, which considering how new and tenuous their relationship was, was a very real threat. But he knew, and he didn’t know how to explain it. Rhys just knew, in his gut and his chest, and his heart, that Beckett Thatcher was itfor him.

“Beckett,” he exhaled, and Beckett made a quiet noise that Rhys felt in his bones. “Please can I kiss you?”

“Your brother is watching,” Beckett murmured.

“Let him.” Rhys closed the space between them, slanting his lips over Beckett’s parted mouth. He slid his tongue over Beckett’s, drawing an indecent moan out of his throat. Beckett reached for him, grabbing the front of Rhys’s jacket to hold himself up, while Rhys kissed him until his brain was soft and his cock was hard.

“That’s enough, yeah?” Sebastian said from behind them.

Rhys ignored him and kissed Beckett again.

“We have to stop,” Beckett whispered against his mouth, but he was smiling as he said it, and he didn’t take his mouth away.

“I don’t want to.”

“And we know how well you do with being told no.”

Reluctantly, Rhys stepped back, letting the suit fall away from his fingers. He gave Beckett another look, from the tips of his shoes to the corners of his collar. His face was still flushed, but no longer with embarrassment.

“The suit’s yours,” Sebastian groaned. “I don’t think I can ever wear it again and not feel like I need to take a shower.”

Beckett’s stare darted over Rhys’s shoulder. “Sebastian, no.”

“He doesn’t like hearing it either,” Rhys said.

“I don’t,” Sebastian agreed. “And if you don’t take it, I’m burning it.”

“I’ll take it,” Beckett said.

Rhys scoffed. “Why will you take things from him and not me?”

Beckett licked his lips, his nostrils flaring.

“I know why,” Sebastian said, and Beckett looked down, severing the moment.

It was like the room filled with air, and Rhys didn’t realize he hadn’t been breathing. He sucked in a breath, getting dizzy from the rush, and he took another step back. He didn’t feel like himself, but in a way he couldn’t describe. He wasn’t sure he liked it, but Beckett reached out and took his hand again, bringing it up to his mouth and kissing Rhys’s knuckles. He was glad his back was to his brother because he knew his face was telling.

“What are you doing to me?” he whispered the plea under his breath, hoping that it would go unheard.

“Thank you, Sebastian,” Beckett said, taking a step closer. He bumped Rhys’s shoulder and spun him around, and Rhys would rather the floor had swallowed him up instead of having to face his brother with the tangle of emotions in his head.

“You’re welcome,” Sebastian said, tone knowing. Rhys avoided his eyes. “I’m on a budget these days, though, so you’ll have to let my brother spring for the next one.”

“We’ll see,” Beckett said. “Do we need to get going?”

Rhys nodded, clearing his head and taking another desperate breath. “Yeah. We need to get going.”

“It’s a good color on you, Beckett.” Sebastian gave him a smile. “And I have to say, it was really nice to meet you. We should go out soon. Double date.”

“That’s horribly pedestrian,” Rhys protested weakly.

“I’d like that,” Beckett said, and Rhys’s shoulders deflated.

“Then it’s a date,” Sebastian said. “Isn’t it?”

“Yes,” he agreed. “It’s a date.”

Sebastian held his arms out for a hug, which Rhys begrudgingly accepted. His brother wrapped him up, slapping him a couple times on the back.