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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“Why weren’t we doing this years ago?” Ryden asked, breathless as he and Jay mauled each other’s mouths while simultaneously attempting to make their way to Ryden’s bedroom without injuring themselves. Good thing Ryden was a multitasker.

Thankfully, it hadn’t taken Jay long to pack back at his condo because he kept several bags ready since part of his job included traveling at a moment’s notice should the Kings need him.

The entire ride over, the heat and need growing between them had threatened to drive Ryden over the edge.

All he could think about was getting Jay naked.

“Because we were too busy avoiding our feelings,” Jay replied against Ryden’s mouth. “So all that pent-up sexual tension turned into frustration, and instead of having hot sex, we threw books at each other.”

“ You threw books at me,” Ryden reminded him. “I just kept them.”

Jay hummed, his lips wet and swollen from Ryden’s kisses.

“We can discuss it later.” He tossed Ryden’s shirt off to one side and ran his hands down his chest with a low moan that went straight to Ryden’s dick.

“Do you know how often I tried not to stare at this body when you were downstairs working out?”

“Is that so?” Ryden loved how desperate Jay was for him.

He was still trying to wrap his head around it.

But now was not the time. If Jay wanted to be fucked into the mattress, Ryden would happily oblige.

His best friend had settled into the guest bedroom with the door closed, where he wouldn’t hear Ryden making a mess out of Jay.

He had no doubt Saint was going to burst into gloating mode at some point, but that was tomorrow’s problem.

By the time they reached the bedroom, they were both naked and painfully hard. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous.”

Before Jay could say another word, Ryden shut the bedroom door, spun Jay around, bent him over the end of the mattress, and dropped to his knees behind Jay.

“What are you?—?”

Ryden parted Jay’s cheeks and speared his hole with his tongue, moaning when Jay jumped and let out a string of what sounded like curses.

Hard to tell since all his words came out jumbled together.

Ryden dug his fingers into the round globes of Jay’s ass as he took his fill, loving the way Jay pleaded for Ryden to fuck him.

He slid his hands over all that soft, smooth skin, up his back, and with his chest pressed to Jay’s back, he whispered in Jay’s ear.

“Tell me what you want, darlin’, and it’s yours.”

“That depends,” Jay said, breathless.

“On what?”

“On whether I’m the only one you’re going to have sex with.”

Ryden swallowed hard and nodded, even though Jay couldn’t see him do it. There was nothing he wanted more. “I’d like that.”

“Then I want you, all of you, and only you.”

Ryden was stupidly happy, and he couldn’t stop smiling. “You got me, darlin’. I’m all yours.”

“No condoms.”

Jay’s words surprised the hell out of him.

“You sure?”

“Is there a reason we shouldn’t? We just had our quarterly tests. I’m negative. I’ve never…I’ve never done this with anyone. No condoms, I mean.”

“Same on all accounts, sweetheart,” Ryden replied. Even during his most challenging years, he’d been careful. He placed a kiss just under Jay’s ear, loving the way he shivered. “Don’t move.”

“I thought I was the bossy one,” Jay teased as Ryden went to his nightstand and grabbed the lube.

“Baby, you can boss me around anytime, anywhere.” Ryden flicked open the cap to the lube. “Move up the bed and lie down on your back.”

Jay looked at him over his shoulder, his brows drawn together in confusion.

“I want to see your beautiful face when I wreck that sweet little hole of yours.”

With a whimper, Jay quickly moved up the bed and lay on his back, his knees bent and his hand stroking his gorgeous cock, precome glistening from the tip.

Damn, no one made Ryden as hard and desperate as Jay.

He got on the bed, spreading Jay’s knees to position himself between them.

Jay handed him a pillow and lifted his hips for Ryden to put it under his ass.

A part of him still couldn’t believe this was happening.

He poured lube onto his fingers, rubbed them together to warm it up, before he pressed a finger against Jay’s hole.

Jay moaned and threw his head back, eyes closed, as Ryden gently stretched him, using one finger at first, then two until Jay was writhing beneath him, ready to come apart.

“Please, Ry.”

“Please, what?” Ryden asked, his voice throaty and low from the intensity of his arousal.

“Please put your big dick inside me. I need to feel you inside me.” Jay’s brow was beaded with sweat, his cheeks flushed, his pink lips wet from running his tongue over them.

“Whatever you want,” Ryden promised, placing the tip of his cock against Jay’s hole and slowly pushing.

“Fuck,” Jay gasped. He grabbed fistfuls of the blanket and nodded. “More.”

Ryden sank himself in at a torturously slow pace, but he wasn’t about to hurt Jay. As soon as his groin was up against Jay’s ass, he started moving.

“Oooh, f-f-fuck yes.” Jay arched his back, and Ryden lifted Jay’s legs, putting them over his shoulders so he could lean over Jay and hold him in place. He drove himself into Jay’s ass deep and hard, the noises Jay made urging him on.

“You feel so fuckin’ good,” Ryden growled, his body on fire as the room filled with the sounds of their bodies coming together, their curses, moans, and groans.

He slipped his fingers into Jay’s hair, grabbing fistfuls of it as he covered Jay’s lush mouth with his and kissed the ever-loving fuck out of him until they both gasped for air.

Jay reached between them to get himself off as Ryden lost any rhythm he’d had, his orgasm building inside him.

“Ry!” Jay dug his nails into Ryden’s shoulders, the sting and feel of hot come between their stomachs sent Ryden’s orgasm roaring through him, and he buried his face in Jay’s neck as he slammed his hips against Jay’s ass, coming into that tight heat, claiming Jay as his own.

Fuck, Jay was his now. His body trembled, and he lay on Jay for a heartbeat, their bodies locked together in a tangle of legs, sweat, and come.

When he was in danger of falling asleep, he carefully pulled out of Jay. Jay was pouting.

“What’s wrong?”

“We’re both assholes,” Jay muttered. “We could have been doing this years ago. Years .”

Ryden chuckled. He moved Jay’s plastered hair away from his face. “The wait makes it all the sweeter.” Jay arched an eyebrow at him, as if he were full of shit, and Ryden laughed. “Okay, yeah. But we’re here now.” He brushed his lips over Jay’s. “And, baby, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Jay’s smile did what it always did: steal his breath. “Same.”

Ryden shook his head and popped a quick kiss on Jay’s lips. “Let’s go shower before I say somethin’ that has you runnin’ for the door.” He made to get up when Jay cupped his cheek. Ryden moved his gaze to meet Jay’s, and what he saw had him both hopeful and terrified.

“You mean something like, I think I’m falling in love with you?”

Had he just heard what he thought he heard? Ryden could pretend that wasn’t the case or deny it until the cows came home, but his heart was done with his bullshit.

Ryden’s breath hitched, and he nodded. “Yeah, somethin’ like that.

Fuck, Jay. I know we kinda did all this in the wrong order, but it’s us, so no big surprise there.

Fuck it. I love you. At some point in the last six years, I fell in love with you and convinced myself it was somethin’ else.

The reason I was such a dick that night at the tavern was because I was jealous. ”

Jay stared at him. “What?”

“I was jealous you were gonna go home with one of those guys, so I went all caveman, marchin’ over to you and makin’ an ass out of myself. I wanted to punch every one of those asshats.”

Jay’s expression softened. “We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” He brushed his fingers through Ryden’s hair. “And in case you need to hear it. I love you, too.” He pulled Ryden down and kissed him until the air conditioner made him shiver. “Come on. Let’s take a warm shower.”

Ryden rolled off Jay and sat up, smiling when Jay wrapped his arms around Ryden’s neck from behind and kissed his cheek. “You realize we’re gonna walk into a whole lot of smug when we leave this room.”

“This room? Try the whole office. Trust me, I know,” Jay grumbled. “Joshua’s going to be singing ‘I told you so’ for years to come.”

Ryden chuckled and stood, allowing Jay to get up. He couldn’t help himself, and he drew Jay into his arms. “We might have a problem.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m strugglin’ real hard to keep my hands and mouth off you.”

Jay hummed, and he stood on his toes and brushed his lips over Ryden’s. “Doesn’t sound like a problem to me.”

“Come on, Trouble.” Ryden pulled Jay along with him into his bathroom. His heart had never been so whole. They took their time, kissing and caressing each other as they washed up.

When they were done, Ryden lent Jay some pajamas and ordered everyone food.

Saint thanked them for the food and the offer to stay in the living room with them, and then went to his room.

The twinkle in his eyes told Ryden that his best friend was giving them their space so they could be all ridiculously lovey-dovey without an audience, and Ryden appreciated that.

They curled up on the couch together while eating and watching TV.

Afterward, Jay sat with his bare feet up on the footrest and Ryden stretched out on the sofa, his head in Jay’s lap as Jay ran his fingers through Ryden’s hair.

He’d never been more at ease. So, of course, his past bubbled up looking for fuckery. He sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Jay asked softly as he continued to run his fingers through Ryden’s hair.

“The reason I have a prepper’s pantry isn’t ’cause we live in Florida.”

“Oh?”