Page 17 of Unscripted Love
The next day we gathered at Josh and Gabe’s for our weekly family dinner. We mowed through the delicious food like normal, but we didn’t play cornhole afterward like usual. Instead, I brought up something that had been bothering me lately.
“I can’t believe that none of us planned a bachelor party for the two of you,” I said. “I feel like we failed you as friends.”
“It wasn’t something that we wanted. Was it?” Josh asked Gabe, sounding a little unsure. “Did you want a proper send-off?”
“Not really,” Gabe said with a shrug.
Josh narrowed his eyes speculatively and said, “I don’t think ‘not really’ is the same thing as saying no. Babe, if this is something you want to do then…”
“I don’t mind celebrating our upcoming marriage with our friends, but I don’t want to see a stripper grinding his ass against your dick. I. Do. Not. Share,” Gabe said vehemently.
“Who said anything about strippers?” I asked. “There are many ways we can celebrate.”
Everyone started tossing around ideas on how we could celebrate the pending nuptials as a group. We started suggesting ideas like golf, a trip to a day spa, dinner and theater, or a Reds game, but no one could agree on one event.
“Why does it have to be one or the other?” Kyle asked, sounding like the voice of reason. “Why can’t we start out with two separate outings then meet up later to celebrate as one large group?” No one said anything right away, so he continued. “One group plays golf in the morning then goes to a Reds game afterward. The other group does the day spa, dinner, and theater thing. All of us meet later at Vibe to dance and celebrate. We’ll stay at a hotel and use a cab or a car service, so we don’t have to worry about driving.”
Sexy, kind, and a genius. I wanted Kyle more and more every time he was near, but couldn’t bring myself to do something about it. I couldn’t give in to my feelings and the heat I saw burning in his brilliant eyes. I couldn’t answer the hunger clawing at my guts without him knowing the truth, or the guilt would eat me alive. Fear of losing what we’d started to build paralyzed me and kept my lips sealed when all I wanted to do was use them all over his luscious body.
Kyle must’ve felt my intense regard because he looked over and winked playfully. It amazed me that such a small gesture could rev me up so much, but I was ready to throw myself into his lap. The only thing that stopped me, other than my conscience, was the fact that all our friends were there. I wasn’t keen on an audience if, or when, the time came for me to grind my erection against Kyle’s.
The beautiful thing about being a creative person was how easily the images of us locked together sprung to my mind. I’d never seen his bare chest, but that didn’t stop me from imagining my hands gliding over his hard pecs while he kissed my neck or his large hands gripping my ass and pulling me tighter against him. I could almost hear the hungry growls he’d make when he would push me to my back and slide inside me. If I weren’t careful, something else would spring up. Kyle’s eyes darkened like he could read my dirty thoughts and he licked his lips like he was anticipating the moment too.
“That’s pure genius, Kyle,” Gabe said.
Kyle reluctantly looked away from me to reply to Gabe. “I think it’s a great compromise.”
I could see the grooms were skeptical that we could pull something off on short notice. The wedding was two weeks away, which meant we had to make plans for the following weekend. Everyone decided which outing they wanted to go on, then whipped out their phones and started making reservations and buying tickets.
“I guess we’re going to have a bachelors’ weekend then,” Josh said once the final plan was locked in place.
Once upon a time, us whipping out our phones and making plans for him would’ve made him crazy. I wouldn’t say his control freak tendencies disappeared when he fell in love with Gabe, but he did become more flexible in his habits. The Josh I grew up with needed reliable routines and ironclad control to keep balance in his life. The new Josh realized that the greatest things in life came to us out of the blue and didn’t include instructions or a clear path. It was hard, and often messy, but worth every second of it.Wait, am I still talking about life or has my mind wandered back to the gutter?
It was my turn to wink at Kyle when I caught him watching me. “I need to get home to Sadie and Otis. Walk me out?” Kyle asked.
Feeling everyone’s eyes on me as they waited for my response was unnerving, to say the least. It wasn’t like I could flat-out refuse Kyle without looking like a complete douche. “Sure.” I rose to my feet and gave a small wave to our audience. “See you all next week.”
“Night,” they all said in unison.
“I bet they’re all going to be looking out the window to see if you kiss me or something,” I said to Kyle once we walked out the front door.
Kyle stopped when we reached my car and faced me. “Is the ‘or something’ a viable option?”
“Um, I’m not much of an exhibitionist,” I replied.
Kyle backed me up flush against my car door and pressed his body against mine. He slid a hand up to cup the back of my head and placed the other against my neck. Kyle stroked his thumb over my pulse point and smiled when he felt my heartbeat racing under my skin. Could he also hear the way my heart pounded in my chest from his proximity and touch? “There are so many things I want to do to you, but I won’t until you trust me. I can see—and feel—how much you want me too but something holds you back. I’m a great listener, Chaz.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I already knew that Kyle was a great listener because of his late-night chat sessions with my alter ego. As Drew, I had shyly told him about my dreams of publishing books, and he encouraged me to follow my dreams.“You’ll never know unless you try.”Kyle was a big reason why I found the courage to hit the publish button. I wanted to make him proud of me; I wanted him to see me as a man worthy of him. Then I let things go past the point of no return, and I doubted a best-seller banner would help me once he found out that I lied to him.
“Kyle, I…” My words died in my throat.
“I can see you’re not ready yet,” he said in a tender voice he used on his patients. Kyle lowered his head until his lips hovered above mine. “I’m going to give you something to think about in the meantime.”
Kyle closed the distance and pressed his firm lips against mine and took his time learning the shape of my lips. Pleasure hummed through my veins and I needed more of him. I parted my lips invitingly and teased the tip of his tongue with mine before I sucked it into my mouth. Kyle let out a gutteral moan that let me know he was right there with me. Then he slid his tongue inside my mouth and masterfully took charge of the kiss. I slid my hands under the hem of his shirt and dug my fingers into the small of his back just like I would if he was fucking me. Kyle slowly twisted his tongue around mine, and it felt like he was making love to my mouth. My body burned with want and lust; it drove me to push my erection against his to seek the friction I desperately craved. I was happy to see he was as turned on as me.
Kyle broke our kiss and took a step back. “That ought to do it. Goodnight, Chaz.”
I stayed leaning against my car for support while I watched him leave because my legs felt like wet noodles and I was lightheaded from my blood rushing south of my belly button.