Chapter 13

 

Ever since that day in the basement, Rico had been trying to wrap his mind around what happened. One minute it didn't seem real, more like a fever dream. The next moment the memory of it was so real and hot, like it was happening right now. That's when an intense arousal washed over him and he was instantly, achingly hard.

Oh, yeah, Mitch did a number on him. His head, his heart and his body were a roiling mess, but every time he saw Mitch, he acted like nothing was going on.

Maybe he didn't feel anything. Maybe gay guys were going down on him all the time. Actually that didn't seem farfetched at all.

Of course Mitch had insisted on going down on him first. That wasn't very straight of him. But his silence left Rico to wonder if Mitch was deep in denial, or if he just needed more time to come to terms with this.

 

That Saturday Rico arrived at the house to find Mitch in the kitchen frowning over his clipboard while lunch dishes were drying in the dish rack. Sammy was off somewhere with the kittens.

Mitch hadn't made definite plans for their work schedule that day. He told Rico his dilemma. "I wanted to start on repairing the leak around that window in the third bedroom upstairs. And if that goes well, I want to start on fixing the wall and the floor. But I'm worried there might be mold hiding underneath all that. I haven't seen any sign of it, but until I'm sure, I don't want Sammy here. I'd like your help with the work, and I have masks for both of us," he assured Rico. "But now I'm thinking of having you take Sammy somewhere while I pull everything up."

"So you want me in two places at once. How about if you send Sammy over to Lara's or to Wyatt and Sam's place," Rico suggested.

Mitch shook his head. "I can't impose like that."

"It's not imposing. You can have their kids over for a playdate too. You want me to check who's free to babysit?" Rico offered since he knew them better.

"I guess but don't push," Mitch said reluctantly.

"Those words mean nothing to me," Rico said and he started texting. He texted and texted then he lifted his head from his phone. "This is getting involved."

Hearing that, Mitch was ready to drop the whole thing. "Don't worry if they can't..."

"But they can. That's the problem," Rico said then looked back at his phone as two more texts came in. "OK. We have a plan. Everyone is now going on a fishing picnic by the river. They'll be heading to Mr. Jasper's cottage. He's this nice old guy who likes to fish. It's Gloria, Lara, Lara's sister, who arrived yesterday for a visit and Lara already wants to kill her. Wyatt and the boys are going. Sam is joining them after his shift, and we're invited to come over after we're done here."

Mitch blinked as he tried to grasp it all. "That does sound involved."

"Sounds like fun. Sammy will have a good time. So you want to send her over?" Rico asked.

"They're not going to gut the fish in front of her," Mitch asked worriedly.

"Oh, no," Rico assured him. "Sam told me Mr. Jasper is very discreet, and he's the only one who ever catches any fish."

"OK," Mitch said then he called Sammy to come and hear the good news.

She was up for some fishing, but she was really excited to get to hang out with the other kids. Sammy went to get ready and came back dressed in yellow shorts and a green top with straps that tied into bows at her shoulders. She also had on that big purple hat from Grandma.

Soon after that, Wyatt and the boys came by to pick her up. Seeing her off, Mitch gave her some final instructions. "You be careful around the water and listen to what you're told. OK?"

"OK," Sammy said while peering up at him from under her big hat. Then she rose on her tippy toes for a kiss, and Mitch leaned down and gave her a kiss and a hug.

Turning to Rico, Sammy said, "You too, Rico," and gave him a hug as well.

"We'll watch her," DJ promised Mitch and Rico solemnly. "And we'll make sure she doesn't fall in the water."

"Fall in?" Mitch said with a worried frown.

"We'll all make sure she doesn't fall in the water," Wyatt reassured him. "We'll keep a close eye on her."

"I'll hold her hand," Riley volunteered, but Sammy shook her head.

"No. I'll hold hands with Gloria," she decided.

"You can hold my hand," Wyatt told Riley, and he smiled up at his uncle.

"I won't let you fall in, Uncle Wyatt," Riley said then he giggled.

"Make sure to catch us some fish," Rico said to Sammy.

"I will," Sammy promised.

"Fishing is hard," DJ warned her, but she wasn't daunted.

"I'm gonna catch lots of fish for Daddy and for Rico," Sammy insisted then she was off.

 

Now that the coast was clear, Mitch and Rico could get to work. They both put on masks, and Rico hated it instantly. "In this heat, this thing is so ugh," he complained.

"The mask stays on until I say it's OK to remove it," Mitch told him sternly.

Rico saluted him. "Yes, sir."

Mitch groaned.

"Go ahead and be as strict with me as you want," Rico said then he noticed how Mitch eyed him sternly. "Boss, I've been bad."

"Stop that. We're supposed to be working," Mitch told him.

"See, I'm slacking off. I definitely need to be punished," Rico persisted.

"Is this the reason you arranged an outing for Sammy?" Mitch accused him.

Rico grew indignant. "I'm not some evil mastermind. I'm ready to get to work, for real."

Mitch cut into a section of wall and floor, and then checked over the pieces. He didn't say anything, so Rico looked for himself.

"The wood is messed up, but it's not damp and it did rain a few times," Rico said, glad they didn't have to worry about mold. "It's all dry."

"This window might only leak when it rains really hard and the rain hits the window at just the right angle. That would leave enough time for it to dry out after each time that water seeps in," Mitch said while he used a flashlight to check inside the space they made under the floorboards and inside the wall.

"That's good news," Rico said and admired the bulge in Mitch's biceps as he pushed up on one arm.

"It means I didn't really need to send Sammy away," Mitch said.

"Do you know how much fun she's having right now?" Rico said, but he could tell Mitch worried about her out there by the water. "I promise you everyone is taking good care of her."

"I know. Worrying about Sammy whenever she's out of my sight is an old habit," Mitch said.

"From the custody fight?" Rico guessed.

Mitch nodded and Rico could tell that what happened back then still haunted him. Rico went to the cooler and got them drinks. He handed the water to Mitch and a lime seltzer for himself. Mitch sat against the wall where it was still intact and tipped back his bottle of water.

Rico wanted to tell Mitch to talk to him and get some of it off his chest, but he didn't want to push him or pry. For once, Rico restrained himself. He just sat down next to him as they rested for a bit.

On his own, Mitch started telling him about it. "Back then, I lived in constant fear that I would lose Sammy, that Linda would run off with her."

Rico turned sideways to look at him. "Run off with her, really?"

Mitch's voice was tight as he continued. "She tried it once but didn't get far. I told you Ellie's mother was ill. Well, highway patrol found her on the side of the interstate slumped over the wheel, barely breathing. She was on her way to Canada with Sammy. Linda claimed she got disoriented and drove the wrong way. But the car was packed for her to never come back, and she had emptied her bank account. After that she only got supervised visits, but I was still terrified she might try it again."

"She didn't end up in jail?" Rico asked.

"She got a lot of sympathy because she was so ill," Mitch said. "She died a few months later, calling for Sammy and Ellie. It was heartbreaking."

"I'm sorry. Why did she have it in for you?" It seemed so crazy to Rico that she tried to take Sammy away from her dad.

"It was a difficult situation. I think her cancer and losing her daughter made her desperate to have Sammy for herself. I kept trying to come to a compromise, but Linda wouldn't hear it. She did love Sammy, but she couldn't see past her hatred of me," Mitch said sadly.

"But you did your best."

"She blamed me for getting Ellie pregnant and for her dying, for not marrying her. Those were things I couldn't change."

"But you offered to marry Sammy's mom. She's the one who said no," Rico pointed out.

"Linda didn't care about that," Mitch said and he shook his head.

"Do you think you would have been happy together if Ellie lived and you got married?" Rico asked and tried to keep a lid on his jealousy.

Mitch took a deep breath and frowned as he considered it. "I don't know, but I don't think Ellie would have been happy with me. I was willing to settle for someone I liked but didn't love, but she never was. I would have bored her, anyway."

"You. No way," Rico said. How could he even think that?

"Thanks," Mitch said and raised an eyebrow at him.

Rico got flustered. "I just mean... Whatever... Don't let it go to your head." He then got more serious. "Sorry about everything you had to go through."

Rico reached out and squeezed his shoulder. He wanted to do more but didn't. At a moment like this, he didn't want Mitch to think he was hitting on him.

Maybe Mitch knew that because he smiled at him as he said, "Let's get back to work."

 

Mitch fixed the leak around the window and then they worked on getting the wall and the floor back in order. As he helped him out, Rico admired Mitch's focus and his sure movements but tried not to be obvious about it.

Once Mitch was nailing down the last of the new boards, Rico started on cleanup. He already had some of the debris downstairs. Coming back in, he started to gather up the rest when he backed up without looking and stepped on a piece of wood Mitch had trimmed off.

As he lost the battle to regain his balance, Rico was sure that he was about to land on his ass when he felt strong hands grip his waist and his arm. With Mitch's help, Rico righted himself and looked over his shoulder at his savior. "You're my hero."

"You need to be more careful," Mitch told him as he let him go.

"Maybe I was faking so you would catch me," Rico claimed with a wiggle of his eyebrows, but Mitch wasn't buying it.

"You almost broke your neck."

Rico scoffed as he swept up some of the smaller litter into a pile. "I'm not that clumsy."

In all seriousness Mitch told him, "You could have gotten hurt. Be careful."

"Yes, boss." At that, Mitch made an unhappy noise, and Rico looked over at him. "What? You are my boss."

"Aha," Mitch said, sounding skeptical.

"You are. I'd do anything you tell me," Rico said, his voice full of all kinds of dirty possibilities.

Mitch took a deep breath, and Rico was sure that he would just tell him to can it and get back to work. But then his eyes flicked down Rico's body, and he thought that maybe there was something else Mitch had in mind.

"You have a job for me, boss?" Rico asked as he set aside the broom he was holding.

Mitch groaned again at being called that, but differently this time, more like a growl. Walking over to him slowly, Rico placed a hand on his chest and looked into his eyes.

"You worked hard. You deserve a reward, boss," Rico said in a husky voice. Leaning into him, Rico felt Mitch's breathing speed up just as his own pulse started to race and his breath hitched in his throat.

He was excited and also afraid that Mitch might push him away. He didn't. Mitch put his left hand at Rico's lower back and his right reached up to his face. His fingertips trailed over Rico's cheekbone then threaded through his hair.

As the palm of his hand rested against Rico's cheek, he leaned in. Gazing into Mitch's eyes, Rico wanted to say something more, offer himself again, but he couldn't. He got lost in Mitch's intensely blue eyes.

Rico's breathing was ragged and too loud in his ears, and his whole body ached for more of Mitch's touch. For now, all Mitch did was gaze at him, heightening Rico's need for him.

Slowly, Mitch moved his right hand to the back of Rico's head. His arm went around Rico's back more firmly, and Mitch pulled him closer so that their hips bumped. He made Rico feel the proof that he wanted him.

Locking his arms around his neck, Rico pressed up against him even harder. Dying to kiss him, he nuzzled Mitch's beard, rubbed the back of his neck. Mitch didn't wait for Rico to get up the courage to go for a kiss. Angling Rico's head, he kissed him deep and hard like a man who wasn't in the mood to be teased.

His tongue probed and Rico sucked on it and moaned, sending the vibration through both of them. Just from that much, he was already starting to lose it. He was grinding against Mitch, whose hand had moved from his lower back down to grope his ass.

Mitch was encouraging his grinding one minute, grunting against Rico's neck, and the next he was asking, "Is this how you want to get off?"

At first Rico only answered him with a groan. Then he was going to say that he just wanted to come, he didn't care how. He was too breathless to say anything, so he just went for it and decided to show Mitch what he wanted.

First Rico pulled Mitch's t-shirt up just enough to caress his chest, then he pulled his t-shirt all the way off. With his hands splayed over Mitch's magnificent chest, Rico slid down the length of his body, fondling him along the way until his fingers were hooked on Mitch's belt.

To the sound of Mitch deep moan, Rico fumbled with his belt buckle and zipper. Soon the base of Mitch's cock was in his fist as he licked the underside before swirling his tongue around the head.

Mitch panted then growled his name, "Enrico."

His eyes closed in ecstasy, Rico moaned around the head of his cock. He felt Mitch's hand go to the back of his head, not stopping him, not rushing him, not pushing, just stroking and playing with his hair. With that kind of encouragement, Rico could really get into what he was doing and he sucked deeper and harder.

Mitch was getting into it too, moaning while Rico slowed down to make him last. Rico was glad he was going first and could take his time with it. Though remembering how hard Mitch came last time made him feel like he could come even without touching himself.

But Rico didn't want to get there too soon. He wanted to savor the feel of Mitch in his mouth and every hot sound he made. He licked and sucked, taking Mitch's cock as far down as he could.

It was heaven. Then Mitch was coming and Rico licked up every drop. He was still panting when Mitch grabbed him and laid him out on the floor. With their fingers threaded together, he was holding Rico's arms high above his head while he kissed him breathless.

Their chests pressed together, heaving, Mitch just stared into his eyes wordlessly for a minute. He then groped his way down Rico's body and took his turn sucking him off. While Rico tried not to bring the house down with his loud moaning, Mitch held his hips pinned to the floor.

No matter how much he begged and writhed, Mitch kept control until the very end when he let Rico thrust down his throat. That did it. Rico was coming, calling Mitch's name in a guttural voice. He was silenced with Mitch's mouth on his and his weight pressing him down into the floorboards. Their tastes and their moans melding, they kissed rolling on the bare floor, and Rico loved every minute of it.