Chapter Fourteen
Rory
Rory could tell by the gait that it was Nick who entered the kitchen. He peeked in the oven, shutting the door as Nick wrapped his arms around his waist. He nuzzled Rory’s neck, humming in appreciation as he pulled Rory closer.
“Enjoy your shower?”
“Mmm. Yes.” Nick kissed Rory’s neck.
“How’s Andrew? Is he adjusting okay? Today was a pretty big day for our boy.”
“He seems fine. I asked him if he needed time to adjust and he wasn’t exactly keen on that idea.” Nick nipped at Rory’s earlobe. “He likes you. I like that he likes you.” Nick purred his approval in Rory’s ear.
“I like that he likes me, too. I like him, too.”
Nick chuckled softly, his fingers brushing over Rory’s half hard cock. “I can tell.”
“That’s enough of that, Nicky.” Rory rolled his shoulder, shrugging out of Nick’s embrace. “I need to get dinner on the table.”
Any worry Rory had about Andrew and how well he was adjusting to the events of the day vanished when he sauntered into the room, freshly showered and dressed in Nick’s clothing. He went up to Nick and brushed a quick kiss against his lips. “Can you believe he wanted to dry me off?” Andrew sounded lighter and happier. He appeared to be more relaxed than he’d been earlier.
“Nicky wanted to take care of you, because you took care of him. You should’ve let him. He’d have liked it.”
“And who takes care of you?”
Perhaps the question wasn’t supposed to be loaded, but then again, Rory did see a glimmer of something in Andrew’s eyes that indicated that it might not have been meant all that innocently. He took the gamble. “Nicky does, when I allow it. I could let you, later, if you wanted. You were a good boy after all.”
Rory spent the better part of the day talking about limits and roles in BDSM relationships with Andrew, but on a general level. They hadn’t yet sat down and discussed in detail, between the three of them, how things were going to work. The conversation would have to happen sooner, rather than later, because the idea of having two boys on their knees was intoxicating. And not any two boys, these two men in particular, who looked at each other with passion and fondness and who let Rory have a little piece of that.
The conversation Rory intended to initiate didn’t happen after dinner, either. Curled up together on the couch, Andrew fell asleep nestled between them. He leaned against Nick, his head resting on Nick’s chest. Rory watched Nick glance down at Andrew and the obvious fondness there made him smile.
“He likes you,” he mused.
“He likes you, too.” Nick glanced down at Andrew and smiled. Then, he glanced back at Rory and he seemed suddenly apprehensive. “Do you like him? I mean, for reasons that have nothing to do with me?”
“I do.” Rory reached over and brushed his fingertips through Nick’s hair. “He’s a good man and a sweet boy. He’s easy to talk to and not hard to look at.” Rory shot Nick a wicked grin. “And he listens to me better than you do.”
Nick scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I listen to you perfectly fine.”
“No, you don’t. And that’s okay. I wouldn’t have you any other way. But yes, Andrew is appealing, in many ways.”
Nick rolled his eyes. “Rory, your attraction to him has been obvious from day one.”
“It has not.”
“You’re a barely contained hormone who wants to climb him like a tree.”
He feigned indignity. “That’s preposterous.”
Nick snorted. “You’re so full of shit. It’s adorable, really,” he paused. “He does like you, you know.”
Rory raked his gaze over the sleeping man and smiled.
“God, that’s hot.”
“What?” Rory could barely keep the laughter out of his voice.
“The way you look at him. The way you kissed him earlier, Roar. Fuck. Easily the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. The two of you are fucking sexy.”
“Funny, because I had thought the same thing about the two of you.” Rory smiled, and the conversation died off as Andrew stirred. After he woke Rory and Nick urged him to stay, but he made his excuses and went home.
After Andrew left, Nick and Rory climbed into bed together. They made slow, sweet love. Nick fell asleep shortly after, but Rory laid awake for a while wondering what it would be like to have both men in his bed.
***
Rory scanned the ocean of people in the park. “And you’re sure Everett said he was coming?” He searched for the telltale platinum hair, but so far hadn’t spotted his young friend. He glanced at Andrew in time to see Nick slide an arm around his waist.
“He’ll be here. He said it would be good for Puck to get used to being around different people.” Andrew leaned close to Rory to be heard above the music that flooded the park. The spicy scent of Andrew’s aftershave enticed Rory and made it hard for him to keep his hands to himself. A couple of weeks had passed since their first sizzling kiss, and Rory wanted more. When he was at work, running his jewelry store, or in his studio designing and creating new pieces, all he could think about were his boys and how strange and right and perfect that sounded.
“There they are.” Andrew pointed to the line of food trucks where Everett and Xavier stood. Puck stood next to Everett while Everett tugged on Xavier’s hand and pulled him toward Andrew.
Everett arrived and Rory wrapped his arms around his friend. “I see you had to drag Xavier away from the food trucks.”
Everett snorted. “He’d stand there all day and watch them make food if I let him. He’s obsessed.”
“I’m a chef, dude. Food is my life.”
Everett released Rory, and he watched as Everett embraced Andrew. It was a quick hug, but it wasn’t something Everett and Andrew normally did. Andrew’s eyes softened and Rory exhaled. Seeing Andrew relaxed and happy, knowing that his feelings for Everett had faded enough that he could hang out with him, and his brother, warmed Rory’s heart. He knew Everett had struggled with his feelings about Andrew’s reaction to his relationship with Xavier. He was happy for everyone that the rift seemed to be a temporary blip in their relationship that was easily repaired with time and understanding.
“I still think you could bring The Crock Cock to one of these events.” Xavier reached down and scratched behind Puck’s ears. According to Everett, Xavier was always trying to think of ways to expand Everett’s brand. Everett gently reined him in.
“I’d need to wear more than a skimpy apron. That would never fly in public.”
Xavier rolled his eyes and bumped his shoulder against Everett’s. “You ruin all my fun.”
“Because your idea of fun usually involves me being naked, and that’s not always practical.” Everett bent and scratched Puck’s head who sat quietly at Everett’s side.
Rory watched Xavier eye Nick and Andrew. He shot Andrew an amused look. “I can’t believe I’m out on a double date with my brother and his boyfriends.”
Everett narrowed his gaze at Xavier. “You promised.”
“It’s weird in a good way, I promise.” Xavier wound his arm around Everett’s waist and pulled him close. “I’m hungry, babe.” Xavier said, once again eying the food trucks. “You want anything?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
“What about you guys?”
Rory waved a hand at the line of trucks. “If you can find me something vegan, I’d eat it.”
“Challenge accepted.” Xavier beamed. “Come on, you two.” Xavier locked eyes with Andrew, who shrugged and followed, towing Nick with him.
Rory watched the three of them go, then looked at Everett. “Well, if that wasn’t too convenient? Something on your mind, Everett?”
Everett feigned innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You could’ve asked to talk to me alone. Or you know, used your phone if you wanted to talk to me.”
“Oh stop.” Everett rolled his eyes. “I wanted to see how you’re doing, you know, with the whole two boyfriend thing.”
Rory’s eyebrows raised, and he stared at Everett. “Are you worried about me?”
“I’m not worried about you, Rory. I’m not worried about any of you. From what Andrew says, it’s going well between the three of you.”
“So why the covert operation to get me alone? Well,” Rory swept a hand through the air, motioning at the park full of people around him. “As alone as we can get in a place like this.”
Everett looked embarrassed. Puck must’ve picked up on Everett’s unease, because he pushed his head against Everett’s leg, offering comfort. Everett reached down and scratched him. “I guess I want to make sure you know what you’re doing, Rory.” Everett met Rory’s gaze. “I want this to work out for the three of you.”
“You should.” He said as he slung an arm around Everett’s shoulder. “You’re the one who suggested it in the first place.”
Everett’s dark eyebrows shot up, his eyebrow ring glinted in the sunlight. “When?”
“Flick a penny in a kink club, ring a bell?”
Everett laughed. “I didn’t realize Andrew was kinky.”
Rory’s gaze fell on Andrew, who laughed and talked with his brother, while holding hands with Nick. “There’s probably a lot you don’t know about your friend.”
Everett snorted. “Please don’t elaborate.”
He kissed Everett on the cheek. “I wouldn’t dream of it. A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.”
That earned a hearty laugh from Everett. “The king of kink is now a gentleman?”
“First of all, the king of kink?” The nickname amused him a little. “Second of all, I don’t kiss and tell. Never have.”
“Except for all the stories you told me from back in the day when you used to train doms and subs.”
“That’s different. I wasn’t involved with any of them that way. And you never knew who I was talking about.”
“Wait.” Everett pulled out of Rory’s embrace and looked at him. “You trained them… I assumed you were sleeping with them, too.”
“The odd hand job here and there does not a relationship make. And most of the time it was part of the scene.”
“Wait. What? You weren’t…”
Rory shook his head. “No, I wasn’t.”
“So when Nick asked you to go exclusive, and you said no… you weren’t actually sleeping with anyone else? But you let him keep going to the club.”
Andrew and Nick were on their way back over with Xavier. He levelled his gaze at Everett. “Look, Everett. You’re my friend, but my relationship is none of your business.”
“You let him believe you weren’t exclusive. You let him keep going to the club and seeing other people, and he thought you were too, but you weren’t.”
Rory took a deep breath. “Everett, you’re family to me, and I love you like a brother, or a kid, or a favorite cousin, but you don’t get it. Nick is a switch, he’d never be happy with just me. He needs things that I can’t give him. And that used to suck a whole fucking bunch, but it doesn’t suck anymore because we both have Andrew. It killed me, that I couldn’t be everything Nick needs, but I can give him Andrew, and I can have them both, and they can have me, and you don’t get to be pissed off on someone else’s behalf about shit that’s none of your business.”
Everett paled and nodded, and Rory exhaled, then stepped closer and wrapped his arms around his friend. Everett returned the embrace. “I’m sorry, Rory.”
“Think nothing of it.” He pulled away and smiled at Everett. “I’m an old, cranky, queen who probably has brain damage from all the chemicals I dump on my scalp.” He pointed at Everett’s platinum hair. “You should stop that before you end up like me.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you should tell him.”
The trio returned and Andrew happily presented Rory with a burger that he promised was vegan. “According to Xavier, who talked to the guy, the patty is a mixture of beans and vegetables.” Andrew glanced down and Rory saw that he held a similar burger. “Thought I’d give it a try.”
Rory leaned in. He lifted himself on his tip toes and brushed a quick kiss against Andrew’s lips. “You’re sweet, but I promise I don’t mind kissing carnivores.”
Nick laughed. “I’m going to put that on a T-shirt.” He came up behind him and Rory leaned against him, biting into his burger and enjoying the attention from both of his men. If Everett was still unsettled about their exchange earlier, he hid it well.
As the afternoon wore on, Rory noticed that Andrew became more and more comfortable seeking Rory out for affection. Rory found his willingness to push his own limits intriguing, and hot. It gave him all kinds of ideas of what he’d like to do with Andrew in the future. Rory sipped a coffee and watched Nick gather Andrew into his arms. Andrew leaned against him and heat spread through Rory. He wondered what it would be like to watch Nick command Andrew, to command them both. Rory hadn’t done a scene with Nick where they were both the Dom. The idea of Andrew giving himself over to both of them was intoxicating.
Rory’s fantasy was broken by Xavier’s dark laugh.
Xavier sat on the grass, Puck next to him, with his arms wrapped around Everett. “If that look is anything to go by, I’d say my brother is definitely getting fucked later.”
Rory snorted as Everett swatted Xavier’s leg. “Dude.”
“What?” Xavier kissed Everett’s cheek. “I can tell when someone’s getting eye-fucked. You give me the same look all the time.”
“Well, you’re hot. I can’t help it.”
“And on that note.” Rory stood and brushed off the seat of his pants. “I’ll see you two later. Thanks for coming today.” Rory said. “Andrew needs both of you in his life. Today was important to him.”
“Hey, Rory.” Everett called as Rory started to walk away.
Rory turned, already guessing what Everett was going to say. “Yeah?”
“I think you should tell them.”
Rory nodded. He knew he should, but not yet. Their relationship was new and fragile and Rory didn’t want to do anything to upset the delicate balance. He approached his men, eye-fucking them again, as Xavier had so correctly accused him of earlier.
Nick looked at him and extended a hand. Rory took it and let Nick tug him in close to the pair, not caring who saw them. “We were just talking about you.”
“Yeah?”
“I think we should leave.” Nick’s voice was low and thick and Rory noted the fact that him and Andrew sported matching bulges.
Rory grinned. “I like the sound of that.”