Chapter 22

 

That night Rico was restless and it wasn't because the small sofa was uncomfortable. He slept in plenty of uncomfortable places, but that was back before he met Mitch, when his mind was clear, his heart free of this hopeless yearning, and his body wasn't being torn apart by this screaming need for a man that was only as far as a flight of stairs.

If only he didn't get a taste of Mitch, this would be a lot easier. This was a torture of his own making for getting it on with a self-professed straight guy.

 

His phone sounded with a text from Sam, but Rico decided he would rather hear a friendly voice so he called him. "Hey, Sam."

"I was just checking up on you," Sam said.

"I'm still alive and awake," Rico told him.

"It must be weird staying over there," Sam said.

Rico couldn't deny it. "Kind of. I'm sleeping in one of the rooms downstairs, and I have a two-by-four within easy reach."

"I'm sure you won't need it," Sam said a little worriedly.

"I hope not. Maybe it was Stella who broke in here trying to get at Mitch," he said with a groan.

"Aha. You're more than a match for her, you know. You just have to make your stand and not back down," Sam lectured him.

"I think I'll hold on to the last of my dignity instead."

Moving on to a more cheerful subject, Rico got an update on the wedding preparations, and then they said goodnight. Setting his phone aside, Rico had another go at falling asleep but failed.

Since he wasn't sleeping anyway, Rico got up and patrolled the downstairs. Nothing was going on until he heard footsteps on the stairs and saw that Mitch was coming down.

"Everything OK?" Mitch asked.

"Yeah. I was just checking around," Rico told him.

"Couldn't sleep?" Mitch said casually, but Rico heard it as an accusation. He was so on edge around him that anything he said might rub him the wrong way.

"I'm fine," Rico said defensively and tried to walk away.

"If you hate being here..." Mitch started to say, and Rico spun around to face him again.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" he asked. Mitch seemed glad to have him stay over, but maybe he changed his mind.

"No, but if you really don't want to be here..."

"You need backup. That's the only reason I'm here. Not because I want to be." Rico let out a loud, frustrated breath. He knew he was getting defensive again.

"For God's sake. It was raining like crazy. Sammy was already asleep so I couldn't drive anywhere unless I wanted to wake her," Mitch said in that harsh voice he used when he got fed-up with him.

"I get it," Rico said evenly. He had heard it before, and it didn't make him feel any better then either.

"No you don't or you wouldn't have that look on your face," Mitch said.

"What look?" Rico said but he made sure not to meet his eyes.

"That pissed off look," Mitch stated.

"You have a pissed off look," Rico accused him right back and raised his gaze off the floor to glare at him.

"That's because you won't believe me," Mitch said leaning forward into his space.

Rico watched his jaw clench under his beard, traced the outline of his lips as they pressed together. The more closely Rico looked at him, the more he lost his will to fight. "Does it matter?" he asked feeling hopeless. "I mean, whatever happened, this whole thing opened my eyes. I need to cut my losses."

"Do whatever you want," Mitch said to him.

"Sure thing," Rico said. He nodded curtly, but when Mitch tried to go back upstairs, Rico grabbed his arm and swung him around.

For a second he only stared into Mitch's blue eyes. Frozen, scared, not sure what he was going to do, Rico lost himself in those eyes. Then he reached up and grabbed Mitch by the back of the head. Standing right up against him, Rico pressed their foreheads together and closed his eyes tight.

Mitch grunted and closed his fists around handfuls of Rico's t-shirt. Rico felt his knuckles against his spine. As their faces tilted of their own accord, their lips aligned and opened. Mouths pressed together, chests heaving, they were kissing hard, like they were going to war. Rico felt the fierce, angry kiss burn through him and make him quake inside.

It was too much. He couldn't take it. Pushing away from Mitch, he shuddered and resisted the need to throw himself into his arms again. He was furious with himself.

"What the hell?" Mitch breathed. He looked angry too.

"You said I could do whatever I wanted," Rico reminded him, but that wasn't his reason. He didn't know what the hell he was doing or why. Maybe he kissed Mitch to teach him some stupid lesson, or to make him react. Whatever his reason, he was now kicking himself hard for what he did.

Why didn't Mitch stop him or push him away if he didn't want him? Would he kiss anyone like that?

"I'm going to sleep," Rico lied and walked away.

There was no chance in hell he could get any sleep. Rico was still a wreck, still stuck on a man who would never feel the same way about him. Now on top of that, he was turned on and aching for him more than ever before.

It didn't have to be that way though. Mitch had all this power because he gave it to him. Rico could take it back just as easily. All he had to do was make up his mind to not give a damn.

That kiss still made Rico's lips tingle, but what they just did was nothing, just a dumb, spur of the moment thing. Something Rico would forget as soon as he started playing a game on his phone or watching something.

Rico walked into the sitting room, shut the door behind him, ready to prove that he could resist Mitch, that he didn't need him. But all he did was pace that little room and relive that kiss. The only thing he proved was that he couldn't keep his mind or hands off Mitch.

Running his fingers through his hair, taking another turn across the room, he thought he heard a knock. "Yeah?" he called out but then thought he hadn't really heard it after all. It was just wishful thinking.

Then he heard the door open and he turned. With a shock, he saw Mitch, his big body filling the doorway.

Closing the door behind him then locking it, Mitch didn't say a word. He only stood and stared at Rico while looking angry.

"What do you want?" Rico asked him, his voice sounding too loud in the quiet of the house and way calmer than he felt.

"I guess you thought we were done," Mitch said. His voice didn't sound calm at all. It shook and it was low and dangerous.

His brow deeply furrowed, fists clenched at his sides, Mitch took a step toward him looking ready for a fight. Shivers traveled Rico's body as he matched him, taking a step forward and glaring at him too. He wasn't going to back down even as he lusted for Mitch with a need so deep that it hurt.

Mitch was staring him down like he owned him while Rico stood perfectly still, trying to prove he didn't want him, not one bit. This time he wouldn't be making the first move.

Mitch wasn't making a move either and Rico was sure he was just going to tell him to leave him alone or maybe to get the hell out. As they stared and breathed, Rico felt the heat rising, the air between them getting thick.

Then it was like something inside Mitch shattered and his blue eyes melted. His lips formed Rico's name, but the sound of it could barely be heard. His resistance crumbling, Rico moaned low in his throat. Remembering how Mitch's mouth felt against him for that one brief moment at the foot of the stairs, Rico shivered with excitement at what might happen next.

In the next second, Mitch was on him, grabbing him by the shoulders and kissing him hard. All Rico could do was moan into that kiss and let his hands claw at his back. As he gave himself over to his deep kiss, Rico was helpless to this feeling. Was this anything more than anger and lust? He didn't know, but it felt so good.

Rico swayed like he couldn't stand on his own two feet and Mitch pulled back. No. Rico couldn't let him get away now. That man pissed him off and turned him on. Ready to tear all his clothes off, he lunged for Mitch, angry but needing him like he needed to breathe.

They kissed again, a straggle of lips and tongues and groping hands until Rico lost his balance. He steadied himself against Mitch, but then he decided they didn't need to stay upright.

He pulled Mitch down to the floor. With a rush of air as Mitch landed on top of him heavy and hard, Rico groaned. Now that Mitch was exactly where he wanted him, Rico started kissing him again.

Mitch's lips moved over from Rico's mouth to his throat then over to his ear. His body was tightly muscled, his breath hot as his lips brushed Rico's earlobe.

"Did you think I could be satisfied with just one taste of you?" Mitch said in that gravelly voice, and Rico knew he would do anything this man asked, give him anything he wanted.

Rico moaned and shivered with need.

"Enrico." He spoke softly so his voice wouldn't carry and his breath felt like it would burn Rico. "I want to fuck you," Mitch said.

"Yes," Rico told him to make it perfectly clear that he wanted this man deep and hard inside him.

Mitch groaned then he kissed him a deep exploring kiss that curled his toes and made him moan. Pushing up the t-shirt Rico was wearing, Mitch ended the kiss as he pulled it off. Rico took the opportunity to peel off his t-shirt as well then he let his hands roam over Mitch's beautiful chest.

Mitch didn't let that go on for too long. Firmly taking hold of his wrists, Mitch crossed them over his head. He then leaned down and licked Rico's left nipple, teasing him. Next he sucked on it before taking it between his teeth and making Rico writhe and groan. His teeth almost painful then easing off, Mitch tortured and teased his other nipple for a while.

Once he had Rico panting his name, Mitch moved on. His beard rubbed down the center of Rico's chest as he kissed his way to his navel, sending shivers all the way down to his toes. Mitch gripped the waistband of his pajama bottoms firmly in both hands and started pulling them down. Arching up, Rico was encouraging Mitch to free him, to take him.

Mitch was ready to go down on him, but Rico didn't let him until he was naked too. As soon as that was accomplished, Rico started to grope him until Mitch pushed him back down.

For a while Mitch sucked him and tongued his balls, but he stopped before Rico could come. His eyes hooded, his voice thick, Mitch looked up at him and asked, "How are we doing this?"

Rico didn't say anything, just crawled away to get his backpack. From there he got lube and condoms and handed them to Mitch.

"You think you can figure out what to do with these?" he said to Mitch as he handed them over.

Not saying anything, Mitch glared at him then he placed a hand on Rico's chest. "You're hell," Mitch rasped as he hovered above him, his eyes dark with arousal. He swooped down and kissed Rico then he started to lube him.

As he lay there being fingered, Rico was completely in his power. He lost every shred of self-control and begged Mitch to fuck him. He was shameless, saying, "Please, Mitch. I need you."

"I don't know if you're being good or bad right now," Mitch growled and twisted his fingers in Rico's hole.

Rico moaned pitifully and pleaded with him, "Mitch, fuck me, please."

Finally giving in, Mitch leaned back and rolled on a condom. He lubed it then got into position. His hands slid from Rico's hips to the backs of his knees, lifting him easily until he was folded up with his knees tight against his chest.

Forgetting to breathe, Rico clutched at him, feeling his muscles ripple under his hands. In the next moment, his body went still going into overload as Mitch entered him. He wanted to scream and thank him and beg him some more, but Mitch shut him up with a kiss. Rico whimpered into his mouth then felt him push in again.

He felt every inch like he had never been fucked before. Mitch kissed him and filled him up then he started pumping hard. Rico tried to brace himself, but that was impossible. Mitch was an irresistible force of nature. All his stoic reserve wiped away, Mitch was taking what he wanted and Rico was going insane with how amazing it felt. He couldn't get enough of the fullness inside him, the incredible feeling of getting fucked by Mitch.

He raked his fingers over Mitch's ass, felt him clench as he crashed into him. For a long time, his cock pounded inside Rico so hard. Moans built inside him, but Mitch's kisses swallowed them up.

He left Rico breathless and insane with the need to come. Then it hit him and his whole body twisted and arched as his come shot up high. Rico shuddered through such a powerful orgasm, like an earthquake, and he couldn't help but take Mitch right down with him to share his bliss.

 

The hard floor was under him, Mitch on top of him, and Rico felt calmer, like the raging inferno inside him was down to just a regular, smoldering fire. His ears still echoed with the smack and thump of their bodies colliding in ecstasy, but the room was quiet now filled only with their slow, deep breathing.

Afraid to move, or even to open his eyes, Rico lay still until Mitch shifted to make him more comfortable and buried his face in the crook of his neck. Rico moaned and wrapped himself around him. He knew Mitch wouldn't stay, but for now he got to hold him and hear him say his name.