Chapter Twenty-One

KYLE WAITED for Forrester to finish his phone call. They sat in his kitchen at the island, an unusually calm Jasper at their feet, like he sensed something serious had occurred.

“Okay, Amanda, thanks,” Forrester said into the phone. He’d asked his sister-in-law to check on his mother tomorrow because she “hurt her shoulder.” “And make sure you play it cool, Preggo. Don’t tell her I said anything…. Yeah, I’ll say hi…. Ciao, bella bambina, come stai?”

Kyle loved it when Forrester spoke Italian.

He heard the happy, high-pitched voice of a little girl on the other end of the phone. Probably the niece, Natalia, Forrester talked about. Just talking to her seemed to lighten his spirits. He’d done an admirable job of sharing Joey’s enthusiasm about the Shelby Fastback after they’d eaten. They let Kyle take a turn at the wheel, and in that moment, with a high-performance 289 between them and the road, they were able to forget some of the worries from the day. But as soon as they left, it all came flooding back, wearing on Forrester like a lead vest.

“You did?” Forrester said in an enthusiastic voice. “Really? That’s so awesome. I’m so proud of you, bambina.” He was quiet for a moment as the little girl chattered. He laughed. “Who says you should get a present for good grades, ya little twerp? Aren’t you supposed to get good grades?” He laughed again. “Okay, fine, I’ll buy you a present…. Of course you can come play at my store again. You had fun last time…. All right, put your daddy on the phone. Buonanotte, bambina. Ti voglio bene.” He gave Kyle a healthy eye roll and mouthed, “Sorry.”

Kyle smiled, rubbing his arm lightly to let him know he didn’t mind.

Forrester’s attention was again captured by the phone. “Hey, what’s up?” His expression returned to normal now that he was talking to an adult. They chatted for a minute about their dad’s car, then Forrester said, “Oh, by the way, I won’t be at practice Friday.”

“Why the hell not?” his brother said so loudly Kyle heard him.

“I gotta be at the bookstore. You’ll be fine.” They argued for a bit before he ended it with a “Whatever, Dino. I’m not always working…. Who cares if I sleep at my store? It saves gas money.”

Forrester caught Kyle’s gaze and rolled his eyes. Kyle forced a smile, thinking it would be so much easier if the Giordanos knew Forrester slept at Kyle’s, not his store. But that’s what Forrester had told them, so Kyle had no choice but to play along.

“Sure, Dino…. Look, I gotta go…. Yeah, I’ll be there for the game, just not practice…. Yeah, I know the playoffs are coming up…. Okay, fine. I love you too. Bye.” Forrester disconnected his cell and dropped his head, heaving a sigh. “I really hate lying to them about this.”

Kyle took Forrester’s hand in his. “She’ll tell them soon enough. She won’t be able to keep it a secret when she starts throwing up all day and her hair falls out.”

Forrester looked like Kyle had slapped him. “That’s what’ll happen?”

The pain in his eyes cut at Kyle’s heart. “Yes, hon, it will. She’s going to go through chemo and radiation. Then she’ll probably have a mastectomy too.”

Kyle cupped Forrester’s face in his hands. After worming a weak smile out of him, Kyle stroked his cheeks with his thumbs. “You know what would make you feel better?”

“A bullet in the head?”

“Don’t be morbid,” he scolded, though he knew Forrester had gone on a roller-coaster ride of emotions today. “Why don’t you take a long hot shower and get comfy. Then we can curl up in bed and watch TV.”

“Okay.” Forrester nodded and shuffled off to the bathroom.

“I have a few messages to check, and then I’ll come join you.” When he heard the shower, he called his voicemail. Annie had left him a few details about a new case, and he quickly checked his email. Looked like he would be working later Friday than he’d planned.

Kyle could still hear the water running, so he headed toward the bathroom to join Forrester in the shower.

My sweet one, Nonna had called him.

Yes, an apt description for sure. One he should probably tell Forrester about, but he was a little afraid of the consequences. Knowing that the matriarch of the Giordano clan knew Forrester was gay and had no apparent issues with it gave Kyle hope for the rest of them.

If Nonna approved, he doubted anyone else would be allowed to have a problem.

But he’d keep that tidbit to himself for now. He didn’t want to find out what an old Sicilian’s evil eye could really do. And Forrester deserved the joy of experiencing her support firsthand.

Forrester’s long body created a beautiful silhouette behind the white shower curtain. He didn’t seem to notice Kyle entering the bathroom. As it did every time he saw Forrester, a visceral reaction shot through him. For so many years, he’d held himself in check for fear of being hurt again. The relief that he didn’t have to do that with Forrester stirred more than his libido.

It stirred his heart.

He set his processor on the counter, no longer afraid to be vulnerable with Forrester. After today, Kyle hoped Forrester was one step closer to letting his guard down too.

Without hesitation, he stripped, his cock semihard already. He pulled back the curtain and stepped inside the claw-foot tub.

Forrester’s sexy backside stuck out and his arm leaned on the tile wall above his head, water sluicing down his athletic body, slicking across his hair-dusted muscles, and dripping outside the tub. The whole bathroom was tiled, so a little water mess wouldn’t hurt anything.

Forrester turned, but his expression did not change. It remained blank as he ducked his head back under the spray, the faint movement the only thing alive about him.

Knowing how scared and confused he had to be, Kyle picked up the bar of soap. He lathered his hands and placed them on Forrester’s back. He didn’t move, didn’t flinch, as Kyle began washing him. Kyle loved the way the hairs on his arms and thighs lathered the suds and tickled Kyle’s palms. With slow, sensuous caresses over the supple flesh of his ass and the warm contours of his muscled back, Kyle did his best to take care of him.

Kyle shifted under the spray, and Forrester moved to make room for him, though he did so robotically. When he turned, it was no surprise Forrester had the start of an erection. Smiling, Kyle kissed him, savoring the lingering hint of garlic from dinner.

With a faint smile, Forrester placed his hands on Kyle’s shoulders, as if needing support. Not breaking eye contact, Kyle took hold of his cock. Allowing the slip of the soap to glide his hands, he slowly jacked him, running his fingers up the base to the crease in his crown, rubbing and stroking every little ridge and vein until he was fully hard. Kyle’s own dick hardened too. He lathered Forrester’s furry balls, eliciting a twitch out of him when he tugged.

Soon, as Kyle’s touch became more insistent, Forrester leaned forward, his forearms resting in the juncture of Kyle’s shoulder and neck until Kyle bore the brunt of his weight. Forrester pressed his cheek to his head as he fondled him. Kyle felt the vibration of Forrester’s moan against his cheek. Without releasing Forrester’s erection, he slid one hand to caress the globes of his ass, the tiny hairs prickling his palm, all the while stroking Forrester’s cock and supporting him. His fingers slipped down to the warm crevice between. Weak, pliable to Kyle’s ministrations, Forrester didn’t even clench as he probed his hole.

Their trust with each other was absolute.

He could hardly recall life before Forrester. Had he even been awake until they met?

From the moment they’d shared their first kiss, Kyle felt like the answer to all his needs and hopes had suddenly arrived, awakening his heart with a single touch, a look. He’d trusted him so easily and had been rewarded with only affection. His cock throbbed now as he thought about the intensity of their connection, their love. How much this man had come to mean to him in such a short period of time.

He massaged the dick in his hand more fervently, savoring every vein and curve. Eager for more, Kyle shifted to reach his hole easier, and Forrester moved his hips back. Kyle accepted the invitation, using the soapsuds to slide a finger deep inside.

Forrester shuddered. His hole was tight, but feeling the hot, wet interior of his body was empowering, erotic. Kyle twirled his finger, stroking Forrester’s tunnel until he could probe enough to reach that smooth orb of nerves. He circled it, loving the way Forrester’s hips began a gentle undulation as Kyle worked his prostate in rhythm with stroking his cock.

His entire body became involved in Kyle’s touch, as if he trusted Kyle to take care of him.

Kyle pressed his finger in deeper, and Forrester rolled his face across Kyle’s hair and forehead until wet lips pressed to his temple in a kiss. Steam surrounded them, cocooning them in sensual heat and blissful silence.

Working a second finger inside, Kyle felt Forrester’s ring clench on his fingers, the soap and warm water making Forrester slippery and loose. When Kyle pressed on that spot with both fingers and twisted his hand down the length of his cock, Forrester jerked.

“Don’t hold back, baby,” Kyle whispered as Forrester pressed his cheek hard against his own, his hands knotting together at the base of Kyle’s nape, clinging to him. “Just let it all go.”

Forrester’s forearms squeezed Kyle’s neck. When Forrester shuddered, Kyle felt cum firing up his shaft. His own balls tightened in anticipation. Kyle pulsed his fingers on Forrester’s prostate, milking him as the cock in his hands released its load of heat and passion.

Mouth gaping, Forrester pulled back and pressed their foreheads together. Looking down between their bodies, they both watched the thick white cum rinse off Kyle’s fingers and thigh, washing away in a swirl of suds and water. Kyle’s erection throbbed in want between them.

Still clinging to Kyle for support, Forrester knelt and pressed Kyle against the cold tile. He hissed in shock, cold on his back, hot water on his front, the dual sensations electric. Forrester did not hesitate in his destination, but gripped Kyle’s cock and opened wide. He sucked him inside his mouth, cranking his jaw and taking him deep.

Forrester’s hot, wet mouth engulfed his shaft, the pressure of the back of his throat stimulating his cock, the suction so smooth and even. Kyle’s hands shot out, grasping for purchase on Forrester’s shoulders.

That tingle began at the base of his spine, and Kyle watched Forrester sucking him. Water trickled down the slope of his back, over the contours of muscles, funneling between his cheeks to where his feet peeked out beneath his ass. The water dripped off his black curls as he bobbed up and down.

Closing his eyes, Kyle enjoyed the increased and heightened pleasure, bathed in silence. The stolen part of his life had now been returned. He could once more savor the stillness. Relish the intensity.

All because of Forrester.

Kyle cupped his head, holding him close, telling him with a touch not to pull off too much. Then his cock slid down his throat, and Forrester’s nose pressed to his pubes. His balls seized up, and with a groan, Kyle’s hips twitched and orgasm hit hard, draining deep into Forrester’s throat. His entire body went weak with euphoria as Forrester swallowed everything.

Forrester embraced his thighs then, lowering his face so the shower spray hit the back of his head, running rivulets down his neck and shoulders.

Blinking water from his eyes, Kyle felt Forrester shaking. He touched his head in question.

Then Kyle realized Forrester was crying.

“Oh babe,” he crooned, pulling him to his feet.

He’d been wondering when Forrester would crack.

Forrester wrapped his arms around Kyle, and their eyes met. “I can’t lose her.”

“You won’t lose her, honey. She has a great doctor.”

“But she let it go. It could be too late.” He shook his head and buried it in Kyle’s neck.

Kyle forcibly, but kindly, made Forrester look at him. With both hands, he wiped the tears from his face. “You can’t think like that. I know how you feel, believe me, I do. But you gotta remain positive, you understand?”

Pursing his lips, his face scrunched, Forrester nodded like a small boy. Kyle kissed him, tasting his own cum and wishing sex had been a better remedy for Forrester’s pain.

“Let’s get dried off and curl up in bed and watch TV, okay?” Kyle said.

He agreed with a nod, brushing at his face with both hands as if he could wipe away the day’s trials.

Kyle quickly washed, and they both exited the shower. They took their time drying each other while Jasper lounged in the doorway, waiting for bedtime. There were two toothbrushes in the cup on the sink, and Kyle picked up his with a smile.

Nothing better than being on toothbrush terms.

He squirted toothpaste on his brush while Forrester pulled on his underwear. Their eyes met in the mirror, and Kyle gave him a blue foamy smile. The smile Forrester returned seemed forced, but he came up behind Kyle and embraced him.

“Wha id dis fur?” Kyle asked around his brush.

Still holding him from behind, Forrester shifted so Kyle could read his lips. “For being there for me today. I don’t know how I could’ve done it without you.”

Kyle leaned forward, hesitating to see if Forrester would lean with him. As he expected, Forrester clung to him, moving with him as he spit out toothpaste. “You’re welcome, but you don’t have to thank me. It’s what couples do.”

Forrester met his eyes, his gaze serious. Kyle enjoyed the damp feel of his warm fresh-from-the-shower skin sticking to his. “Know what else couples do, bello?”

“What?” He loved it when Forrester called him handsome.

“They watch their partners play baseball. Come to my game this weekend?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I want you to meet the rest of the yahoos. Then we can all go grab a slice.”

“I’d love to meet the rest of your family,” he said, choking up despite himself.

“Cool.” Forrester wiped toothpaste from Kyle’s chin. “You look like you blew a Smurf.”