Chapter 25

 

Rio

 

“It was nice to meet you too,” he called out to Hunter as he left. Rake locked the door behind him and went to the kitchen for the Chinese food Hunter ordered. He made two plates and set them on the breakfast bar that separated the kitchen from the living room.

“Come and eat.”

Rio took a stool and glanced over at Rake. “You still have to pay him, don’t you? Corsetti? That’s why you’re not jumping with joy right now.”

Rake nodded with a mouthful of noodles.

Rio blew out a breath and kept eating. He’d been too upset earlier to eat. Hunter had been nice. A solid presence in Rake’s life.

Rake had been overwhelmed when Rio first arrived, but he’d calmed down. Fuck Corsetti for showing his face. Rio was glad Rake had someone else in his corner. His father and manager didn’t count.

What can I do? Besides his connection to the Marshals through Judge—and Rake had West’s number now—Rio didn’t have much to offer.

“Hey.” Rake put his chopsticks down, grabbed his chin and turned his face toward him. He kissed him, then let go. “It’s going to be okay, Duran Duran. If we keep talking to the Marshals, we’ll get through this.”

“I’m allowed to worry. And I don’t know how to help you.”

Rake’s soft smile comforted Rio. “Knowing that you’re out there thinking of me helps. If I disappeared, you’d notice.”

“Of course I would. So would Hunter.”

“He would, but he can’t go against Corsetti in this town. But you. You gave me the feds.” Rake cocked his head and grinned. “Just don’t give yourself an ulcer. It’ll work out.”

“I should be the one reassuring you.”

“We can reassure each other.” He kissed him again. “I’m actually kind of glad I came back. I want to get this over with.”

“Me too.” Rake returned to his food, and marks on his skin caught Rio’s eye. “What is this?” He pulled at the collar of Rake’s shirt. “You have bruises.”

“What? Oh.” Rake fingered his neck. “One of the thugs kind of threw me around a little. I’m fine.”

Rio’s heart raced. “You sure? They look bad.”

“I’m sure.” Amusement glittered in Rake’s eyes. “I can take hits.”

“I guess you can,” Rio conceded. “Do you have any balm?”

“Yeah. I should shower first, though. I’m all sweaty from my workout.”

Rio placed light kisses on the abused skin. “When did you have time to work out?” Rio asked as he followed him to the bathroom.

“Before Hunter got here. I was stressed out from Corsetti.”

Rio nodded. “I’ll put the food away. Meet me in the bedroom?”

Rake pulled him close and kissed his neck. “I’ll be the naked, wet one.”

“I’ll just be naked.”

Rio dealt with the leftovers and wiped the counters before he headed to the bedroom. He found Rake’s lube and condoms and took his clothes off. The comforter and sheet went on the floor, and Rio settled on the mattress. He gave himself slow, firm strokes until he fully hardened. He almost missed when the shower shut off.

Rake took a few minutes to come out. Rio made sure the condom was close by as Rake walked in. He’d been right; he was naked and wet.

“You are so fucking hot.” He sat up, reaching for all that glorious skin.

Rake leaned into his touch and smiled. “I still want your cock in me, babe.”

He stifled a groan. “Lie down.”

They switched places, and he smeared some lube on his fingers, going straight for Rake’s hole. “You got yourself ready?”

Rake nodded and licked his lips. “Some, but I probably need more lube. It’s been a long time since I bottomed.”

Rio eased one finger inside as Rake pushed out. It went in without much trouble, but the second finger caused Rake to wince, so Rio slowed down and massaged the inner walls. By the time he tried a third finger, Rake was panting and writhing on his hand.

“Come on. I want it.” He moaned when Rio quirked his fingers. “Wanna feel you inside me.”

Rio took his hand away and rolled the condom down his length. He lined the head of his cock with Rake’s stretched hole and moved forward. He stopped when he reached too much resistance, but Rake bore down, and the head popped in. He slid all the way home, seated to the hilt.

He moaned long and loud. “So tight, Rake.”

“Yesss,” Rake hissed as he gazed at Rio. “Move.”

Rio obeyed the command. He thrust forward and sprung back as if his hips were made of coils. Rio fucked him, and Rake scoured his skin with blunt nails and bit Rio’s forearm. He grunted, and Rake licked and kissed the love bite in apology.

Rio wanted it hard and dirty. Skin slapping skin. The squelch of lube. But the closer he came to orgasm, the slower he went. Rake tried to speed him up. He clenched his hole around Rio’s cock and bounced his hips, but Rio wouldn’t give in.

Rio stopped altogether and lay on top of Rake. He wrapped his legs around Rio when he clued into what Rio wanted. Rake kissed Rio hard. He licked Rio’s tongue and sucked on it while he flexed and released his ass muscles with Rio’s cock as far inside him as it could go.

Slow movements made with purpose, every touch of their hands and every kiss made breathing harder, and the tightening of their balls more apparent. He kissed Rake with all he had, not able to hold off any longer. He stared into Rake’s eyes and fucked deep. He threw his head back as Rake shouted and shuddered. Rio’s orgasm chased Rake’s, and he came hard, eyesight dimming before the pleasure loosened its hold on him. He fell on top of Rake and didn’t move.

“I don’t want you in danger, but I’m so glad you’re here,” Rake said between puffs of air.

Rio smiled into Rake’s skin. “Me, too.” He pried himself off Rake to get rid of the condom.

“Are we…I mean is this crazy?” Rake glanced at Rio, then away. “I’ve never felt this way before. Is it the same for you?”

Rio took too long to answer, and Rake sat up and stared.

Finally, he said, “It is the same for me. I like you, Rake. A lot. But I have been in a relationship before. I was in love with a guy named Makay once.” He paused to gauge Rake’s expression. “This is different. You’re different,” he hurried to say.

Rake’s eyes softened, and he lay down with his head propped on one hand. “Babe, it’s okay. I’m not upset. What happened?”

Rio rubbed the heels of his hands in his eyes to stop the memories, but they barreled in anyway. “We were in love. Well, I was,” he corrected. “We lived together, got engaged, sort of.” Rio took his time, and Rake didn’t push. He cleared his throat. “We met and started to fuck right away. Before dating. I’ve had one-night stands before and since, but we kept getting together and having sex. It wasn’t a relationship…until it was, and we were living together. Only he didn’t agree. He apparently considered us roommates who fucked.”

“That had to hurt.” He ran a hand up Rio’s chest and rubbed the skin over this heart.

“It did.”

“What about the engaged thing?”

Rio huffed an unamused laugh. “When we finally talked about it, and he figured out I was in deeper than he was, I think he panicked because he was living rent-free and didn’t want to get kicked out. He proposed, said he loved me. He’d always said that though, so I was really confused.”

“I bet.” Rake lowered his head and kissed his jaw.

Chasing his lips, he said, “I shouldn’t have said yes. It was a knee-jerk reaction.” He took in a careful breath. “He left in the middle of the night with all my cash and anything else he could carry.”

“What? That piece of shit! Is he still in Riverbend?” Rake jumped off the bed as if he were going to charge all the way to Utah.

“Easy there, Slayer. He’s long gone.”

Rake’s chest puffed out; then he exhaled and fell onto the bed. “The police didn’t catch him?”

“No. But there’s a warrant for his arrest.” They threaded their fingers together.

Rake scrunched his brow. “I get the no sex without dating now, but is that why you have so little stuff in your house?”

Rio’s mouth flattened. “I didn’t want to replace it. In some ways, it’s like a reminder.”

“I’m so damn sorry he did that to you. I will beat his chickenshit ass if I ever meet him.”

Rio sat up and caught Rake’s face in both hands. The kiss that followed was the sweetest he could make it.

Rake hummed as he pulled away. “Babe?”

“Yeah?” Rio asked as he chased his lips once again. Why was the man so damn elusive?

“Did you call me Slayer?”

“You called me Duran Duran earlier!”

Rake tackled him to the bed with a laugh and continued the kiss where Rio left off.