Page 26

CHAPTER 26

LATHAN

I zipped up my suitcase and lowered it to the floor. If I timed it correctly, I should be able to sneak out of the house without seeing my mother. The past two days had been hell, and I was past ready to get out of here. The only solace was my mother had been too busy entertaining to interrogate me. If I wanted that trend to continue, I needed to escape before she had time to get her claws into me today.

Knowing Miller would return to the same state as me today was also an incentive to get out of here.

Opening the door, I peeked out into the hallway. No one was lurking around, so I slipped out into the hallway. My feet were silent on the plush carpet as I padded down the stairs. The house was quiet. Too quiet. Living with Miller, I’d become accustomed to a lot of noises: the sound of the espresso maker, Miller tapping on any surface he could, and Alaska’s claws as they clicked on the floor.

The only sound here was the clock ticking on the wall. It was so empty. There was no life in this house. Something I never would have noticed before Miller. He’d changed my life in ways I hadn’t expected.

“Leaving so soon?”

“Fuck!” I spun around and barely kept my suitcase from sailing through the air. I clutched my chest and fought to slow my breathing. “Jesus! Mother.”

“Language, Lathan. Silvers don’t use such foul words.”

“Then don’t sneak up on me.” I lowered my hand and tried to regain my composure.

“I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t trying to sneak out like a dirty secret.”

“I wasn’t.”

Evangeline Silver raised her perfectly sculpted brow and sipped her coffee. I squirmed under the look. I was a six-foot hockey player, but my mother could still make me wither with one look.

“When are you going to introduce me to your boyfriend?”

I sputtered. If I’d been drinking something, it would be all over the floor. “What? Boyfriend? I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Lathan, these games are tiresome. Why didn’t you tell me you were gay? I don’t care what your sexuality is. In fact?—”

I held up a hand to stop her. “I’m not gay, and I know precisely what you would’ve done with the knowledge.”

“So this is just a phase? This teammate of yours?”

Fuck. I thought I’d been so careful. I knew using the private jet was a risk, but I hadn’t expected her to learn so much so quickly. That had been foolish.

“It’s nothing.” The words soured my stomach. It was a lie, but I couldn’t let her know that.

“I see.” She stepped forward and leaned toward me so I could kiss her cheek. I sighed in relief when she didn’t say anything else.

“Bye, Mother.”

I was almost out the door when she shot her parting words. “I’ll be in Austin next week for a gala. Your attendance is required, Lathan.”

“It’s during the season,” I protested.

“It’s not a game night; I already checked. You’ll want to be there, son. I’ve let you entertain this career of yours, so you will show up as a Silver when needed. I’ll have my assistant send you the details. Wear your navy suit.”

She didn’t wait for a response before she left. There wasn’t one needed. We both knew I’d be there. It was what a Silver did.

* * *

I spent the first hour at home deep cleaning until the smell of lemons and the silence overwhelmed me, and then I donned workout gear. I went for a run, but when that still didn’t quell the anxiety pumping through my veins, I headed to the rink. Dripping with sweat and my muscles sore, I prayed it had been long enough.

I used to love my alone time. The quiet was my haven. But now I missed the space a curly brown-haired man with the prettiest eyes took up. The quiet was now suffocating, and if I had to spend another second alone with myself, I would adopt a million more cats. Alaska might have accepted Miller into his domain, but he wouldn’t tolerate another feline friend. It was better that I convinced Miller to never leave than to go down that road.

The locker room was dark, but the message lighting up my phone was enough to propel me forward.

Bambi: I’m home.

Home . That was what Miller was for me.

The notion scared the fuck out of me, but it was scarier imagining my life without him. I’d already proved I couldn’t function alone anymore. Motivated by his arrival, I hurried through a shower and redressed. James awaited me when I emerged from the building and opened the door.

I smiled at him. “Thanks, James.”

His step faltered before he corrected his posture. “You’re welcome, sir.”

That was odd. He shut the door, and I shrugged. I didn’t have the bandwidth to ponder his strange behavior. In a few minutes, I’d get to touch Miller again. Images of what I wanted to do to him filled my mind, and I had to cover my lap as I climbed out of the car a few minutes later.

The doorman nodded in greeting, and I smiled in return. He stumbled and almost smashed the door in my face but caught it before it made contact. Frowning, I hurried past him to the elevator. What was going on with everyone today? I checked out my reflection in the mirrored surface, but I hadn’t grown horns, and there wasn’t anything on my face. Weird. The elevator chimed, and I forgot about everyone’s behavior and hurried to my door.

The second I stepped inside, I could feel the difference. The place no longer felt like a mausoleum but was alive with sound, smells, and a presence that was fully Miller.

Music played from the kitchen, so I headed there. I stopped abruptly at the sight before me. Miller was swaying back and forth to the song as he mixed something in a bowl. But it was the sight of his ass that stopped my heart. He had one of his frilly aprons on, but it did nothing to cover his taut backside.

Prowling toward him, I covered his back with my front and placed my hands on the counter, effectively trapping him. His singing stopped, and his breath hitched at my proximity.

“Hi.”

“What are you making?”

“Cookies.”

“Mm. Can the batter keep?”

“Maybe. Why?”

“Because I promised to kiss, lick, and fuck you all night. I plan to keep that promise and I want to start right now.”

Miller shuddered against me, and my dick responded in kind. A steel force behind my athletic pants was begging to enter its favorite place.

“You’re so hot like this.” I kissed his neck and licked up the column.

“Fuuuudggeee,” he groaned.

I chuckled. “What will it take for you to say fuck, Mills?”

“I dunno. Total loss of my mind, I guess.”

“Challenge accepted.”

My hands roamed over him, eager to reacquaint themselves with his body. Need vibrated through my body, and I was close to losing my sanity.

“Bed. Now,” I grunted.

Miller picked up the bowl of batter, shoved it into the fridge, and ran down the hallway, laughing. Seeing him sprint from me ignited a primal part I hadn’t known existed. I gave him a few seconds head start before I took off after him.

Our feet slapped against the hardwood as I gave chase. His laughter floated down the hallway, spurring me on. He entered the bedroom first, and I shucked my clothes as I crossed the threshold. Miller smiled as he untied the apron and dropped it to the floor. I watched in a daze as he kneeled on the bed and presented his ass to me.

“Fuck.”

Hidden between his cheeks was a pink heart. Stalking to the bed, I spread his cheeks wider and gaped at the sight.

“You said to be ready,” he taunted.

Words didn’t exist any longer. I grunted my agreement as I smoothed my hands over the globes of his soft skin. He was perfect. With careful hands, I removed the plug and tossed it onto the floor. I’d deal with it later. His hole contracted now that it was empty, and Miller moaned at the loss.

“I got you.” I covered my cock in lube, grabbed his hips, and pressed in. His channel was warm and tight. Nothing had ever felt this good before. I didn’t care what anyone said, there was no way all sex felt this way. This thing between us was special. I didn’t need to have sex with anyone else to know it would only be this good with Miller.

“Yes,” he groaned. “Fill me up, baby.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I pressed the rest of the way in and didn’t let him adjust before pulling out and slamming back in. The sensations were overwhelming, and I was hopeless about slowing down. I pistoned in and out, thrusting as if our lives depended on it. Miller moaned and whimpered beneath me each time I brushed his prostate. I was lost to the feel of him, the sounds of our skin slapping, and the ecstasy of being inside of him again.

This was what I’d been missing—the feel of him, the way our souls connected and intertwined every time we came together. When we connected, it wasn’t just a physical thing but on a soul level. We’d become intertwined, and I wasn’t sure how to function without him anymore. If these past few days were anything to go by, it wasn’t pretty when I did.

Tingles spread over my body, and my orgasm barreled toward me before I could stop it. Gripping him harder, I held on as I came unglued. White sparks erupted behind my eyelids, and I came so hard that I blacked out for a second. When I came to, I was leaning over Miller on the bed. He was a solid mass beneath me.

“Fuck. Sorry.” I rolled off him and instantly missed my cock filling his ass. When did I become such a needy slut? The sight of my cum dripping out of his ass was too much, and I yearned to keep a part of me inside him.

“Squeeze your cheeks together,” I demanded.

“Huh?”

I didn’t answer as I hopped off the bed, grabbed the butt plug, and stepped into the bathroom. I rinsed it off with soap and water, grabbed a rag, and wet it before returning to bed. Miller hadn’t moved, and his cheeks were squeezed tight. The sight made my heart skip a beat, and warmth spread through my body.

Carefully, I slid the plug in and trapped my cum there. That primal part of me that had been unlocked growled in satisfaction. I didn’t understand it, but I was beyond questioning it at this point. I rolled him over and cleaned off his abs and the bed. Once we were both clean, I pulled him into my chest and ran my fingers through his hair.

“Never took you for the caveman type.”

“You bring out new sides of me, Bambi. Is it okay?” I asked.

“It’s hot, Lath. I like you being all possessive.”

His words made my heart race. I wanted to be possessive with him, but the thought of doing it outside of these walls still made my skin crawl. Would I ever be comfortable with people knowing about my personal life? It was hard to imagine based on my past history.

“Now it’s my turn to play,” Miller said, pulling me from my thoughts. He straddled my legs and kissed his way down my stomach. He covered every inch of my skin in kisses and love bites. I was a withering mess by the time he touched my dick. His fingers were heaven as he stretched me, and when he slid inside, it felt like home.

“Wow, that feels good. You got to try this next time,” he said as he slowly thrust. “My needy bottom can get his ass filled while he’s plowing mine.”

My brain tripped over the thought, and I moaned. Miller laughed and then cursed as the plug shifted and pressed against his prostate. His lips sealed to mine as his pace quickened. My legs wrapped around him, and I pulled him to my chest. I held him tightly to me as he thrust in and out. We were one as we found our orgasms in a tangle of arms and legs. I didn’t know where he ended, and I began. I was no longer sure it was just physical, either.

Miller had entwined himself in my heart, and I never wanted to let him go. Now, I just had to figure out how to keep him.