“Yes, no, and no.” I’m aware that Reece mouths the wordagainat me, although to be honest, it’s hard not to be aware of him, full stop, when I’m only a few layers of fabric away from his penis.
I don’t rock in his lap again on purpose. It’s instinctive, but deliberate or not, his breath still stutters, which his brother interprets and relays to Sebastian.
“Remind me to work on a new conditioning programme for Reece, babe. He sounds out of breath, but I can hear Jack is with him, so he’s definitely safe.”
It’s weird to hear that in duplicate through two phones like this. Even weirder to nod as if Patrick can see me, but what he stated is true. Iamsafe, and Reece nods back as if in confirmation before saying, “See you soon,” to his brother.
He pulls me in for another kiss as my phone still eavesdrops on a housemate conversation about whether they should wait or start their meals without us. I break off for just long enough to gasp, “Don’t wait. Eat mine. Eat everything.” Then I gasp again because Reece gets a hand between us.
He unzips my fly, fingers finding my erection, his pause asking another silent question.
I’ve never nodded faster. And I’ve also never had more trouble threading words together when Sebastian asks, “How close are you?” He means to Penny’s restaurant. There’s no way he can know his question comes hot on the heels of Reece exploring where I’m so hard it’s almost painful. Even with my boxers still between us, his touch is amazing.
I scramble to sound coherent. What I actually do is yodel, “I’m almost there.”
Embarrassingly, I am.
I’m also slow to process what Sebastian says before his call cuts off.
“Thank fuck he hasn’t been trapped on the Tube again?—”
I’m dazzled by the lamp Reece abruptly turns on and by the speed he withdraws his other hand from my fly. That lamp sheds enough of a glow that the bulge of his own hard-on is obvious. I’d trace it if this lamplight didn’t also show something else in short supply in this city—Reece’s expression is as concerned as his question.
“What happened to you on the Tube, Jack?”
Lord knows what I look like at that switch of focus. Probably like a goldfish, the same way I did for far too long after realising Valentin was recording me mid-sorting session. I gawp again now before getting my shit together. “Nothing happened.”
Apparently, Rex isn’t the only one who can arch an eyebrow. Reece can too, as if there’s aristocratic blood in his veins, so I tell him, “It was just a drunk.”
“Who…?”
“Wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“And?”
“Wouldn’t let me off the train.” I swallow. “Cornered me so I missed my stop.”
“Cornered you?”
Forget what I said about Reece being a comfy, cosy version of his younger brothers. Now he’s anything but, and if this is what Patrick will look like in ten years’ time, Sebastian is a lucky duck. Reece could give any movie heroes a run for their box-office money. His jaw squares and clenches, and this comes out gravelly with feeling. “Jack, you’ve spent the last three years telling me how much you love it here.”
I blink.
“You have,” he insists. “You’ve told me in so many ways, morning after morning. If that drunk is why you want to leave all of a sudden, I’m not sure New York will be any safer. Just know… Just know I’dneverdo that if you chose to stay.”
Of course he wouldn’t. Right now, I can’t verbalise that. I also can’t explain how much I don’t want what Reece does next—he slides me from his lap to stand us both up just as I blurt, “I’m not scared of anything!”
I’m not.
Okay, maybe I am a little.
I’m pretty bloody terrified of people I love being unhappy.
Fuck.
I wilt, cornered all over again, only I’m the one who did it to myself by mentioning NYC to Gran without thinking. It’s where she spent her honeymoon with Gramps and is full of places she was happy that I can make her smile with, like I have for the last few years with photos of where she met her Prince Charming.
My phone buzzes with another plaintivei am starvingmessage. “Let me… Let me go grab those papers.” I quickly gather them from where they scattered across flooring I can’t believe I spun across to make Reece smile too.