Page 71 of Hush

“Take you to dinner before the game?” Mike walked backward, smiling at Tom as they headed uptown for the next Metro stop. There was less chance of running into someone they knew at the next stop.

“I’m in the mood for Italian. Will that work before the game?”

“Big carb load up? Of course. Lemme take you to Sal’s. Little hole-in-the-wall off Dupont.”

“How is it you know more places to go out in this city than I do? I have decades on you in this town.”

“Because I didn’t live in the courthouse when I got here. I have it on good authority that you actually used to sleep in your office when you were a prosecutor.”

Tom grinned. “Nasty rumors. You shouldn’t believe them.”

“You totally did, didn’t you?”

“It was before Etta Mae. She helped me be more balanced.”

“I bet you know all the takeout places by the courthouse. Know which ones deliver on time.”

“Of course. How do you think I fed myself when I worked late?”

Mike laughed at him, and then they disappeared into the Metro. Sal’s was a tiny place with red and white checked vinyl tablecloths and white plastic plates. The food smelled divine. Mike got both lasagna and a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, and Tom ordered chicken piccata and linguine. They made it home in time to change and walk Etta Mae, tiring her out before they left again.

Kris looked like the cat that caught the canary when they walked up to the volleyball court. His head bobbed and weaved, chin jerking back and forth, and he wrapped one slender arm around Mike’s neck and dragged him away, talking fast and low as Mike grinned, blushed, and nodded. Tom waited, laughing, and waved to the few people he remembered from last week.

“Sorry about that.” Kris appeared by his side, smoothing one eyebrow. He smiled wickedly, eyeing Tom up and down. “So. You two finally figured it all out?”

“I think so.”

“He’s not too exhausted to play, is he? You haven’t been riding him too hard?”

Tom barked out a laugh and felt his cheeks warm. “I think he’s okay—”

“What?Whyis he okay? Why aren’t you sexing him unconscious? Jesus, Tom, you’re not doing it right.”

“There’s no correct answer, is there?” He was still laughing.

“Take him home after we go out and throw it on him. Sex him up until he blacks out. I want him texting me in disbelief, complaining his dick is about to fall off from all the lovin’ you’re giving him. I want him icing his nuts. I want him—”

At some point, Tom was sure he was going to spontaneously combust, burst into flames and turn to ash. He’d die of sheer embarrassment, thanks to Kris.

“What are you doing to my man, Kris?” Mike, thank God, saved him, sliding up alongside Tom and throwing an arm over his shoulder. “Why does he look like a tomato?”

Kris shrugged, holding both hands up by his face. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Mm-hmm.” Mike winked at Tom.

They were up first tonight, and Kris and Mike started stretching and warming up as the ref set up the game. Twenty minutes later, everything was ready to go.

They unzipped their hoodies together, and both watched Kris watching them. They saw his eyes go wide, practically fall out of his skull as he took in Tom wearing Mike’s spare team shirt.Multiple Scoregasms, in brilliant rainbow. Kris cursed, a breathless breeze of Spanish they couldn’t hear completely, and pointed his finger at them.

“Knock ‘em dead, babe.” Tom blew Mike a kiss as he jogged backward onto the sand.

The other team howled, catcalls that lasted well into the first set. He was called “daddy” again, but instead of knocking Mike off his game, he seemed more energized. By the end of the first match, he and Kris were well in the lead, and only had one more game to clinch their victory.

“You’re amazing.” Tom passed him his water bottle. “You guys both are killing it.”

“Whatever, you’re not even looking at me.” Kris smirked behind Mike’s back.

Mike shed his shirt, wiping down his sweat, and Tom didn’t hide how he checked Mike’s chest out, his muscles coated in sweat, and his wet fur. Mike stared back, and they eyeball fucked each other for the rest of the time-out, letting the game and the courts fade away.