The next few days passed in a blur. Nick’s brother brought him home and insisted on staying. The argument got a bit loud, and finally, Riley knocked on the door. After reassuring Jay he’d keep an eye on Nick, the man finally left, grumbling all the way to the elevator.
“Sorry.” Nick grinned at him. “He’s a bit protective. Hazard of his job, I think.”
“What does he do?” Riley asked as he followed Nick into his apartment. Settling on the couch, Nick leaned into Riley.
“He helps my dad run Martin Security. They mostly handle personal security for people.”
Riley nodded. “I’ve heard of them.” He wrapped an arm around Nick and squeezed him in a sideways hug before pressing a kiss to his temple. “Why don’t you get some rest? If you don’t mind, I’ll crash on your couch. I’d feel better if I was here tonight.”
“Why?” Nick’s furrowed brow sent a shot of apprehension through him.
“Finding you like that…” Riley paused, words catching in his throat. Nick’s unconscious body flashed through his mind. Closing his eyes, he drew in a deep breath and pushed the image away. “I just need to know your safe.”
Fingers brushed hair off his forehead. Riley opened his eyes and scanned Nick’s face. The man radiated calm. “Then stay.” Nick’s words got lost in a yawn. “Sorry.”
“Go to bed, sweetheart.” Riley wrapped his hand around Nick’s, drew it to his mouth, and pressed a kiss to the palm. The flush that spread over Nick’s cheeks sent his heart soaring. Nodding, Nick uncurled himself from the couch and headed to his room, stopping at the hall.
“Good night.”
“Good night,” Riley called back as he settled down on the couch, certain he’d never sleep
They needed to talk. Riley couldn’t get the sight of Nick and Gio out of his head. He didn’t want to upset Nick though, especially not just days after coming home.
“You’ve been kind of quiet.” Nick drew his attention back to the table where they ate. They shared dinner every night since Nick came home, but tonight, Riley only managed to push his food around. It didn’t help that Gio stopped by right before dinner to see how Nick was doing.
“I’m sorry.” He needed to have this talk, whether he wanted to or not, but he’d let Nick steer the conversation. He set down the fork he hadn’t yet used. “If you aren’t ready to talk about this I understand. You’re still healing from what happened. But I need to know.” Nick’s frown made him wish the conversation occurred already. His knee bounced as he tried to find a way to voice his question. “You and –”
“Stop,” Nick interrupted him.
Heart sinking, Riley picked his fork back up. So, they wouldn’t talk about it. No big deal.
“There is no me and Gio.”
The weight on Riley’s heart lifted as Nick’s hand closed around his. The silence stretched and finally, Riley met Nick’s gaze.
“There was never any me and Gio, Riley.”
“But –” Riley’s head spun. “You seemed–”
Nick held a hand up to stop him as he shook his head. “I’m sure you’re worried about my feelings for him, but you honestly have nothing to worry about. Gio’s fun. I liked spending time with him. As a friend.” Nick took hold of Riley’s hand again. “I tried. I wanted to feel something else, but I never did.”
Riley thought he might float away as he released the breath, he didn’t realize he held. His grin felt like it might break his face. “Then let me take you out.”
“What the fuck am I doing, Drew?” Riley asked as he stared at his reflection in the mirror on his bedroom door. He looked like a different man in slim black slacks, silver metallic button-down, and shiny black loafers. He dressed to impress, except for the tangled mass of short blond hair standing on end and the scared shitless expression on his face. A low growl of exasperation came from the other end of the cell phone being held to his ear.
“I swear to all the holy hells, if you do not go across that damn hallway and knock on the door of the guy you’ve been lusting after for months, I will personally come over there and lock you both in a closet until you’re screwing like bunnies,” Drew ground out.
A groan escaped as Riley’s brain took Drew’s words and ran with them. The images running through his mind had him at half-mast in nothing flat despite his partner growling in his ear.
“What you are doing,” Drew started after a minute of silence, “is going on a date with what seems to be a great guy. Now get over there and take your man out.”
“It’s just… Drew, do you realize that this is the first date I’ve been on since Brian broke up with me?” He was overthinking things, but he couldn’t seem to stop the worry and fears that assailed him. He felt way too invested in whatever happened between them already. Thankfully, Drew seemed to understand he needed a minute and stayed quiet. Hell, he probably went too far with the planned date as it was.
He didn’t like the idea of doing something ordinary like a movie. No, instead he planned something nicer. He didn’t know the rules of dating—Brian planned every date they went on. He tried to remember their first date. Would Brian think… Riley’s breath caught in his throat as his thoughts registered.
“I’m still letting him control me,” Riley murmured as the realization hit. Six months away from Brian, and the man’s iron grip on Riley’s mind remained firm. Riley failed to even realize it.
“Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?” Guilt lay heavy in the deep bass that rumbled through the phone. The sudden question startled Riley, and he found no answer for Drew. A heavy sigh sounded in his ear before Drew went on, “That’s a conversation for another time. Stop worrying and get over there. Hell, didn’t you tell me you claimed the guy in front of his brother, and he didn’t even blink an eye? Pretty sure that means you can’t lose.” The gentle tease in Drew’s voice made Riley grin.
“I know. If I don’t go, we’re going to be late. Later.”
“Later. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re free all night.” Drew laughed as he hung up, and Riley rolled his eyes. No way would Drew be able to keep his promise, but he appreciated the thought. Riley checked to be sure he didn’t forget anything, then locked the door on his way out. His doubts still banged away at his confidence as he rapped on Nick’s door.
The door opened, and Riley forgot to breathe. Nick, cell phone pressed to one ear, beamed and waved him in. The murmur of a woman’s voice on the other end of the line reached his ears as he sat on the couch, waiting for Nick to finish his call.
“Mom, I have to go… No Mom, don’t put Dad on… Dad, hi… I’m fine… Dad, I have to go.” Nick shot an apologetic smile Riley’s way, and Riley grinned and shook his head, hoping Nick would know he understood.
It appeared Jay had called their parents. Riley took the opportunity to let his eyes roam over Nick’s sexy, toned body. Nick wore a pair of perfectly tailored black slacks and the same deep turquoise button-down Riley saw him in on his date with Gio. Nick looked delicious and not at all like a guy who recently got released from the hospital for a concussion and bullet graze. The memory of events not a week old made an odd, protective feeling rear up in him, and it buried his fear and doubt. He wanted to get up and back Nick against the wall in order to devour those pouty lips. Riley shifted on the couch, attempting to get his damn dick under control before Nick got off the phone.
“Yes… I know… I’ll be careful, Mom. I really need to go… Okay, I love you, too. Bye.” Nick sighed as he turned to Riley. “I’m so sorry. I guess Jay finally made good on his threat and called them. Let me grab my jacket, and we can go.”
Riley joined him at the small closet near the door, watching as he pulled a simple, well-worn leather jacket out of it and slipped it on. It hit about mid-hip, drawing Riley’s gaze down. Crap. It would be a miracle if he made it through the date without an erection. They made their way downstairs to the underground parking area and Riley’s Jeep. He rarely used it, but a date called for it. Nick smiled when Riley opened the door for him.
As Riley wound his way to the downtown area, Nick resumed their conversation. “So, I saw the news today.” Riley glanced over, wondering if Nick worried about the robbers coming back, but he seemed more distracted than anything else.
“Do you think it will help? Having their faces out there?” Yesterday Nick met with the station’s sketch artist, and now, the faces of the men who shot him circulated on all the local news channels.
“Yeah, I do. It might generate a lot of false leads, but there are going to be real ones in there as well. They can’t hide forever.” Not to mention that Riley would sleep easier when they were behind bars.
“Good,” Nick spat the word out. He stayed quiet for a moment, tension filling the air, then quickly dissipating. “So, where are we going? You never said.” Riley didn’t answer. He really wanted it to be a surprise. Instead, he smirked at Nick, who groaned. “You’re not going to tell me, are you? Oh man, the anticipation is going to kill me. I love it.”
Nick’s grin practically split his face in two. Conversation came as easily as it always did between them, and before long, Riley pulled into the small parking garage next to Angel Falls Theater. As they left the garage and Riley steered them toward the theater, Nick turned questioning, yet delighted, eyes on him.
“The theater? Riley, are we going to see a matinee? What are they performing?” Excitement filled Nick’s voice; eyes wide, he practically bolted out of the car. The fact that he put the glow on Nick’s face warmed him inside. Riley would do anything to keep the expression on his face. Riley placed a hand at the small of Nick’s back and pointed to the poster on the side of the streamlined, modern building as they approached the glass doors.
“Wicked!” Nick spun and launched himself at Riley, who caught him as he wound his arms around Riley’s neck, hugging him tight. A warm breath caressed his ear. “If you were hoping to get laid, I’ll practically guarantee it.”
As Nick pulled away, Riley caught the shine of lust in his gaze. Thank goodness he possessed a good memory. When planning their date, Riley recalled how a couple of months ago, Nick mentioned wanting desperately to see this musical, having read all the books and heard the incredible reviews on the musical. Nick gushed about the musical, eyes lighting up and making him look more incredible than normal. Riley wanted to see him light up that way again.
He stumbled upon the theater’s website, noticed Wicked was on the touring schedule this week, and immediately went online hoping to find seats. He couldn’t believe his luck to find decent ones. While it might be a bit of an extravagant expense for a first date, the sheer joy radiating from Nick’s face made it worth every dime.
Riley enjoyed a good play, but he’d never been a fan of The Wizard of Oz. He expected to be bored, so it came as a surprise to find the show captivated him. The music soared around him, settling in his mind. The story held him spellbound, and Riley found himself on his feet, clapping as hard as everyone else at the end.
Nick’s hand slid into Riley’s as Nick leaned up to whisper in his ear, “Thank you for this.”
When Nick pressed a kiss to Riley’s cheek, he knew he would remember this night forever.
Riley guided them around the corner to his favorite downtown eatery, The Spot. What started as a hole-in-the-wall eventually took its name on as its identity, decorating around the spot theme in a modern, tasteful way that gave it the air of hip and trendy. Along with their standard fare, they featured a seasonal menu that needed to be tried to be believed.
Riley loved the seasonal menu. He enjoyed the opportunity to try new, inventive dishes, and The Spot provided it nicely. It turned out to be Nick’s favorite downtown diner as well. Halfway through their meal, Nick put his fork down and gave Riley a half-hearted glare.
“Okay, I can’t take it anymore. What’s in the bag?” He pointed to the bag next to Riley. Riley grinned as he reached in and pulled out the present he managed to slip away long enough to grab after he watched Nick eyeing them at intermission. Nick stared, wide-eyed and speechless as Riley set the small stuffed flying monkey on the table in front of him.
“How did you…? Never mind. Thank you.” He gave the stuffed toy a loving pat as his eyes found Riley’s. Riley’s tongue ran over his lips as his heated gaze met Nick’s.
“Who would have thought a stuffed monkey would do it for you?” He teased, reaching across the table to run his thumb over Nick’s lips. Nick tried to catch the thumb in his mouth, but Riley proved quicker and pulled it away. “Eat, sweetheart.” Nick cursed under his breath as he went back to his food.
Nick floated on clouds by the time they made their way upstairs in their building. A more perfect first date never existed in his opinion. Certainly, no date knew him as well as Riley. Of all the surprises tonight, nothing surprised him more than when Riley stuck that flying monkey on the table at dinner. It felt a bit silly, a grown man wanting a stuffed toy, but the darn thing was so adorable.
Nick ran his suddenly sweaty palms down his jeans as they approached his place, well, their places really. He didn’t know where the evening would take them, but he knew what he wanted. Ever since Riley kissed him in the hospital, he wanted more of the man, but Riley seemed to be determined to take things slow. They barely shared more than a few kisses in the week since he left the hospital.
“I’m glad you had fun tonight,” Riley said as they came to a halt in front of Nick’s door.
When Riley leaned toward him, aiming for his cheek, Nick saw his intentions in his eyes. Riley planned to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek and go into his own apartment. It hadn’t escaped Nick’s notice how Riley kept shifting from confident and protective—almost Alpha—too nervous, unsure, and desperately trying to not fuck things up. He thought it strange but oddly sweet at the same time. Nick found himself barely able to keep his hands to himself all night, and it was time to put Riley’s fears to rest.
He grabbed Riley’s face in his hands, halting his forward momentum and turning Riley toward him, bringing their mouths together in a hard kiss. Soft lips moved with his as Riley kissed him back like a starving man. One hand slid around, tangling in thick hair, holding them joined at the mouth, while the other fumbled for the door handle. A grip firm enough to leave bruises clutched onto Nick’s hips, pressing them together as they stumbled through the door. With one hand sliding around to Nick’s ass, Riley grabbed the door, slammed it closed, and spun them, pressing Nick into the back of the door.
As he ground their hardened lengths against each other, Nick reveled in the return of Riley’s confidence. Riley’s hands roamed down his chest, pulling his shirt from the waistband of his slacks as their tongues tangled and explored. Nick moaned as he thrust his engorged dick against the man. With furious movements, Riley tore at his shirt and jacket, both landing in a pile on the floor. Riley’s rough tongue ran across Nick’s nipple, his teeth gently scraping it, before drawing the nipple into his mouth and giving it a hard suck. His hands fought to undo Nick’s pants even as his mouth moved its attentions to the other nipple. Nick squirmed against the door, his hips thrusting forward, his dick begging for attention.
Nick’s pants and boxers fell to the floor with a hard shove. His head slammed back against the door as Riley grasped him, giving a long, slow stroke. His eyes drifted closed, a loud moan escaping him. Riley continued the slow, torturous stroke of his dick as his mouth worked its way down Nick’s sparse treasure trail heading straight for the trimmed curls at its base. Nick lost himself in the hot, wet mouth exploring every plane of his body. He dreamed of this, fantasized about it, and jerked off in the shower more than he cared to admit imagining this. The reality far exceeded anything his horny brain ever came up with. The stroking stopped as Riley reached his mass of curls.
“No,” Nick moaned, wiggling and thrusting as Riley’s mouth moved off his body. “No. No. No. No. No.” His hands reached out to grab at Riley, desperate to bring him closer, needing skin on skin. Riley caught his hands as he slid to his knees.
Nick moaned in relief and pleasure when Riley’s hot, moist mouth closed around the swollen head of his dick, his tongue swirling around the head, tasting, teasing, driving Nick insane with need. His hips instinctively thrust forward, but Riley’s hand closed around the base of his cock and he pulled back, his tongue teasing at Nick’s slit.
“God, please,” Nick begged. “Fuck! Riley, please!” The soft teasing touches drove Nick out of his mind. With a hard suck, Riley drew him in deeper. He ran his tongue along the vein and a shiver of pleasure ran down Nick’s spine. The moist warmth wrapped around Nick’s dick, pulling pure pleasure out of him with every hollow-cheeked suck. Riley moved back up his now leaking cock, capturing the drops, his tongue poking at Nick’s slit for more before taking him in deeper again. Nick’s dick hit the back of Riley’s throat, and Riley swallowed around him, drinking down the leaking pre-cum.
Nick whimpered as Riley’s hands moved in searing paths over his hips to tug gently on his balls. His hands flew to Riley’s head, tugging at his hair, holding tight as he thrust deep into Riley’s mouth.
“Fuck, Riley,” Nick groaned, “so good. Damn, I love your mouth.”
Nick thrust over and over, fucking Riley’s mouth as Riley continued to tug and roll his balls. Nick’s balls drew up tight, his muscles tensed.
“Riley! Shit, I’m going to come if you don’t stop,” he warned, trying to pull out of Riley’s mouth despite the strong desire to continue fucking his sweet, hot mouth.
Riley grabbed his hips hard and sucked him down again. He moaned as streams of hot cum shot down Riley’s throat. Riley swallowed, tongue swirling around Nick’s cock to lick up every trace of cum before popping off and standing to capture his mouth.
Nick’s hands slid to Riley’s neck as their tongues dueled, thrusting against each other and fighting for dominance. Nick whimpered as he gave in to Riley. He tasted himself on Riley and his already steel cock hardened more. He needed Riley, and he needed Riley inside him, now.
Nick broke their kiss to whisper into Riley’s ear, “Fuck me, Riley, please.”
Riley froze.
“Riley?” Nick pulled back a fraction, his brow furrowing.
A shiver of worry ran down Nick’s spine as he took in Riley’s wide eyes and stiff stance. Nick always suspected something bad occurred in Riley’s past, but he never expected it to manifest itself at the worst possible time. Riley shuddered and closed his eyes, sucking in a deep breath. When they opened, they revealed pain but behind the pain, Nick saw determination.
“You don’t know how much I want to do that.” Riley’s hand moved up to caress Nick’s cheek. Nick leaned into the touch, concern warring with arousal. He reached down and stroked Riley’s hardened cock through his slacks, delighting in the answering groan.
“Pretty sure I have some idea,” Nick teased, trying to ease some of the tension that sprang up between them. Riley sighed and rested his forehead against Nick’s. Unable to help himself, his hands undid Riley’s pants and slid into his briefs. He grasped the hot, hard cock and tugged. Riley thrust into his hand, moaning.
“I want you,” Riley whispered and panted. “There’s something about you, Nick… I’ve watched you, talked to you on those damn balconies for months, and every damn second, all I thought about was how much I wanted you, wanted to feel you against me, wrapped around me.” He thrust into Nick’s fist again. Nick’s breath caught at Riley’s words, at the lust in his eyes. Lust and something else, something more. Then what Riley didn’t say broke through the heady fog of lust. Reluctantly, he let go of Riley’s throbbing cock and pulled his hand out of Riley’s briefs. He brought it back up to wrap around Riley’s neck.
“There’s a but here, isn’t there?” he whispered, leaning his forehead against Riley’s. Riley nodded.
“My ex…” Part of Nick wanted to groan at those words, but Riley wouldn’t bring it up unless he believed he needed to. “He was a very… controlling man, very dominant. And my first. My first everything, actually.”
Riley’s soft hesitance sent alarm bells ringing in Nick’s head, but lust still clouded his thoughts. It took a few seconds for Riley’s meaning to sink in.
“Oh… Oh!” Nick’s eyes widened as Riley’s meaning hit home.
He only ever was with one man, and that man controlled everything they did in the bedroom. Riley likely didn’t get a say at all in what happened between them. He never was able to explore his own desires. Nick didn’t know how to respond. He feared saying the wrong thing and upsetting him. Grabbing Riley’s hand, he pulled the man close, catching his gaze.
“Riley, I don’t know what happened to you in your past and if you don’t want me to tell me, then it’s okay. It’s your past to talk about.” The way Riley stumbled over his words earlier made it clear he might not be ready to talk about his ex in detail. “But I need you to know that whatever you want, you can tell me. You don’t need to be shy with me or worried about upsetting me.”
Nick worried his bottom lip as Riley stayed quiet. He seriously hoped the other man would want to continue where they left off because he needed Riley badly. Riley closed his eyes and breathed deeply for a moment, then opened them, heat and determination flaring in their depths. Riley crashed their mouths together, briefly but with enough passion to make Nick nearly come.
“Bedroom. Now.” The command in Riley’s voice made Nick weak with need. As he stood, his gaze landed on the flying monkey Riley gave him, dropped at some point during their passions and kicked to the side. Poor thing. He would give it a proper home, later.
Nick led Riley to his room. They barely crossed the threshold when a hand wrapped around his wrist and yanked him back against a strong chest. Nick melted into Riley as the other man’s hand drifted down to grip Nick’s erection. A couple of firm, swift tugs and the steel rod pressed into the crack of his ass was all it took for Nick to near the edge again.
“Riley,” he said in a breathy moan as he pressed back. Riley kissed his neck and released him.
“Supplies?” Riley asked as he tore his clothes off.
Nick stumbled to the side table and dug around for the lube and condoms. Riley’s bare body pressed against his back as the other man took the items from his hand and set them aside. He turned Nick and pressed him into the mattress with his rock-hard body. Riley ground against him, steel sliding against steel, as Riley devoured his mouth, tongue thrusting in, exploring every inch of Nick’s mouth.
Nick whimpered, thrusting his hips against Riley in a desperate need for more. His hands clutched Riley’s hips, attempting to yank them together tighter. Riley tore his mouth away to grab Nick’s hands. He pulled them up over his head, wrapping his hands around the smooth wood slats of the headboard.
“Don’t let go,” Riley ordered, reaching for the lube and a condom.
Nick panted and whimpered. His rock-hard dick wept with need. Riley’s hands burned paths over his abs, fingers swirling in the pre-cum that pooled on Nick’s belly and slicking it down over him. His firm grasp yanked at Nick, making him moan and squirm, and his balls drew up tight.
“Oh God, please. Yes, please. Fuck… fuck…” Nick babbled and squirmed, fingers digging into the headboard. His dick swelled as his body stiffened. Fingers grasped tightly at the base of his cock, cutting off his impending release.
“Not yet. You come when I tell you to come,” Riley growled. Nick let out a low, desperate moan. He needed to come. He sent pleading looks at his lover. Riley’s fingers moved over his balls, tugging on them once gently, before seeking out Nick’s greedy, fluttering entrance. A finger circled, teasing Nick’s hole and pressing against it until he dissolved into incoherent mutters and thrust himself against Riley’s finger.
“Please! God, Riley! Now! Please!” Nick begged.
His arms shook from the need to reach out and touch his lover. The snick of the lube nearly made him weep in relief. He drew his knees up, letting them fall wide and open himself up more for Riley’s questing fingers. A single finger, slick with lube, probed gently, sinking into the first knuckle slowly.
Unable to take the torture, need overriding everything else, Nick pressed down, driving Riley’s finger deeper. He winced at the initial burn, but it soon gave way to waves of pleasure. Whimpering and moaning, Nick lost himself to the thrusting fingers. A second finger entered him and made circles, stretching his hole.
“Mmm… So warm, so eager,” Riley murmured. Riley’s fingers thrust into Nick and he slammed his hips down to meet them. Nick needed more and began fucking himself on Riley’s thick fingers. They curled inside him, and Nick cried out as they nailed his prostate.
“Riley! Please! Now!” Riley’s fingers retreated.
“Not until I tell you, sweetheart,” Riley murmured.
Nick whimpered at the sound of tearing foil. He drew his legs up, watching as Riley rolled the condom down his cock. Riley’s hands caressed his thighs, roaming over his legs, and bringing them to rest on his shoulders. Riley’s generous cock pressed against Nick’s entrance. He relaxed his muscles, bearing down as Riley slid into him in one long, smooth stroke. The sting and burn drove Nick back to the edge as Riley finally buried himself balls deep into Nick’s warm, tight channel.
“Fuck!” Riley’s eyes rolled, his hands clutched at Nick’s shoulders as he panted, “You feel so damn good—tight and hot. God, sweetheart.” Riley stayed still, letting Nick adjust to his girth. After a moment, the sting faded, leaving Nick deliciously full and squirming.
“Move, now. God, please.” Nick thrust his hips up, desperate for more. Riley obliged, pulling out slowly—nearly entirely—before slamming back into him, nailing Nick’s spot. Riley kept the pace, pulling out slowly and slamming back in, nailing Nick’s prostate over and over. Nick lost himself in a haze of pure pleasure, hips slamming up to meet Riley’s on every thrust. Heat and need and passion raced through him as Riley laid claim to his ass. Riley drove him to the edge again and again until his thrusts grew erratic.
“Come for me, baby,” Riley growled. “Come for me, now.”
Riley’s words sent Nick reeling over the edge and crying out as streams of warm cum shot over his chest and abs without either of them touching his cock. Riley groaned and shook, and Nick felt him release into the condom.
Riley dropped his head to Nick’s lips, meeting in a soft, tender kiss. He pulled out, slowly, caressing Nick’s quivering legs as he lowered them to the bed. Tugging off the condom, he tied it and tossed it into the trash can near the bed.
Nick’s arms shook, from pleasure rather than pain. He closed his eyes as Riley’s strong hands kneaded their way up his arms and wrapped around Nick’s fists, freeing his grip from the headboard slats. Words failed him as Nick lay there, still quivering everywhere with the aftershocks of his release.
Riley kissed his temple and padded to the bathroom, leaving Nick in a blissed-out stupor. Nick admired Riley’s toned ass as he went. A part of him still struggled to believe Riley was actually here. But even still, Nick knew one thing for sure—he would do whatever it took to keep Riley in his life because, after tonight, there wasn’t any doubt in his mind that he was in love.
Riley came back with a warm, wet washcloth and wiped the drying cum off Nick’s chest and stomach, then tossed the cloth toward the laundry bin and climbed into bed to pull Nick close. Nick nuzzled against Riley’s neck, then chuckled a little.
“What’s so funny, sweetheart?” Riley asked, his fingers running a light caress down Nick’s back.
“Apparently, we were both in such a hurry, I didn’t even get the chance to admire your incredible body.” Nick rolled off the bed and pulled open a dresser drawer. Pulling out a pair of pajama pants, he held them up in question to Riley. Riley nodded, and Nick tossed them at him before pulling another pair out and slipping into them. Nick turned and tried to hold in the laugh. The sleep pants were several inches too short and more form-fitting than they should have been. Riley shrugged as he glanced down at himself.
“Next time we’ll take it slower,” Riley assured him before sipping from the water bottle on the nightstand and laying back down.
Nick returned to him, took a sip of the water, then curled into Riley, drifting off to sleep, happy in the knowledge that Riley expected there to be a next time.