Page 36 of The Road to Home Base
“Good.” He leaned and kissed me.
I stayed until sunset and beyond. We ordered out for dinner. Drank too many seltzers. Played enough video games to last a lifetime. We stayed half naked most of the time. He got me off one more time but I couldn’t stay away from touching his body. I jerked him off twice more as the evening went on, content in learning the movement of his body. He wasn’t even remotely shy of letting it all hang out, either.
I made it home after midnight, my body a mess of gelatin encased in smooth skin. I called him to say another goodnight and we ended up falling asleep as the call counted the minutes of our slumbering silence.
Chapter Eleven
Rome
MEDIACROWDEDTHEdiamond as the game was called for the Jacksonville Barracudas, two to nothing. I had trained my mind for years to never give in to baser reactions at the conclusion of the games, but this one proved more difficult than I thought. Not scoring a single run stung.
I stayed in the dugout to collect a few things when I saw a particularly tenacious reporter beeline it for me. He was followed by a cameraman as he shouted my name, then quickly transitioned into questioning why I was suddenly so camera shy. Brett ran interference before I could do anything, stepping in the reporter’s pathway to give an impromptu interview that the reporter took advantage of.
The cacophony of the stadium turned to sighing whispers as I walked briskly down the tunnel toward the clubhouse. I heard rumblings from teammates as I passed, others not as in control of their reactions as I was. I put a stoic look on my face and made haste to my locker. I knew there’d be a text from Alex waiting for me. Maybe he had sent me another one of those sexy pictures he had become fond of over the past couple of days. We had’t had a chance to meet since our pool day and Alex’s encouraging texts helped me get to sleep when other things wanted to stay awake.
Can’t wait to get home, I thought as I reached the locker room. I’d meet Alex at his car after the traffic cleared and together we’d head back to my place. My mind ran through possible scenarios: stripping naked the moment the door closed, or asking him to massage my shoulders to start, or just jerking him off right there in his car in the parking lot.
I didn’t know why he had been so shy at the pool. His body was amazing. Lithe, with just the right amount of muscle. I wanted his legs and arms wrapped around me every second we were together. And his dick was perfect, too. Something that my hand didn’t dwarf, and was the right length for whenever I would get the chance to put my mouth on it. Which was hopefully soon. Already at second base and I wanted to sprint past third and slide into home.
“Romo,” a familiar voice said.
I had been starting to grow stiff at the thought of Alex and half-turned, half-sat on the bench in front of my locker. “Oh, hey Devin,” I said. “What’s up?”
“Can we talk? In private?”
Whatever hard-on tented my pants went flaccid. I stood up. “Is Alex okay? Did something happen?”
“What? No. Alex is… look, let’s talk.”
I followed him on numb feet as we left the locker room, went down a narrow hall, and grabbed one of the private conference rooms with frosted glass walls. I stepped in first and Devin closed the door behind me and stood before it, as if he could stop me from leaving.
I had a moment to look him up and down. Alex was taller, but they shared the same square jaw and thin build, though Devin had considerably more muscle on his arms, given his job as a conditioning coach for the team.
“Is everything all right?” I asked.
“I’m stepping out of line here as support staff for the talent,but I’m setting that aside and strictly coming at this as a big brother.” He kept his eyes on me. I knew what this was. I would respect whatever Devin had to tell me about Alex. “You two are movingway, waytoo fast. It has only been a couple of weeks and I already see that Alex is head over heels for you.”
I blinked, confused at first, and said, “I know we lost tonight but I can assure you it isn’t impacting my game.”
Devin shook his head. “I know that. You’re a consummate professional and a hell of an athlete, Romo, but this is about my little brother, not you.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “He just got out of something. I’m not sure how much he’s told you about it and it isn’t my place to go and tell things that he’s probably withholding. But you need to know they’ve known each other for four years and were serious for three of them. That doesn’t just vanish. I hated that son of a bitch and I’d kill the asshole if society ever had a murder-free day.” I rocked back on my heels. I had never seen Devin speak so plainly. “You guys are probably getting hot and heavy. I get that. It’s new. It’s exciting. And,” he gestured up and down at me, “you’reyou. Alex mightseemconfident, but he’s dealing with shit upstairs.”
“I know his ex is an MMA fighter,” I told Devin. “I know he hit Alex and that was the last time he heard from him.”
Something in the way Devin blinked just then. A flinch, almost. I realized it a moment later.
The ex is still talking to Alex. Devin knows.
A fire in my heart formed words and demands that I wanted to shout. Burned up my chest, into my throat, seared my tongue… but I swallowed those nasty things down. This was neither the time, nor the place, to lose my temper. Absently, my hand clutched at the fabric covering the crucifix beneath.
“People don’t just suddenly snap,” Devin said. “And he… there were a lot of warning signs. So many. I’ll never forgive myself for not intervening. He mentally tortured Alex formonths before it finally became physical.” Devin uncrossed his arms and advanced a pace toward me. “I’m not condemning your relationship with my brother. I’m sorry that I came in hot just now. But you need to know thatAlex needs time. Please remember that.”
I opened my mouth to speak but the words evaporated. My chin bobbed up and down. My mind raced to find something to say. I knew with absolute certainty that I would continue to be around Alex, but would it have to be in a different capacity? Could I keep my hands off of him while we stayed at a friendly distance? Even after his fingers had traced my skin? Made me feel alive?
“I refuse to let him be hurt again,” Devin said. “Mentally or physically.”
I gasped, put my hands to my chest. “Devin, I wouldneverlay a hand on—”
He wiped the air with his hands. “No, no, no. Of course you wouldn’t.Thatdoesn’t worry me. Shit, Romo,this isn’t about you.” His hands fell and slapped against his thighs. “Not everything is aboutyou. I’m trying to tell you that my little brother needs time to process what he’s been through, and him putting that off to focus on a hot new thing is doing youbotha disservice.” He shook his head, scoffed. He turned and slapped his hands against the doorknob. “I’m not telling you to stay away from him. I’m not. I’m just telling you to…”
