A cold, harsh wave of rejection hits me head on, and the feeling is like a million pinpricks attacking my skin, forcing me to sit back. Embarrassment follows, and I quickly scramble off the bed, my hands folded across my body as I try and make my escape.
“Sorry, I thought . . .” I mumble, not really knowing what to say, “I guess I was wrong.”
Kyler's arm reaches out as I walk past, and he grabs my arm gently, halting me in my tracks.
“Don’t go, please just let me explain?”
Sighing in defeat, I turn and face him, keeping my distance as I do so.
“Believe me. I want to. I’ve wanted you for so long. And tonight, it would have been so easy to take you on the stairs. But you’ve just come out of a long-term relationship, and I . . .” Pausing, he takes a deep breath and inhales before continuing. “I don’t want to be something you regret, Thea.”
“You won’t be.” I quickly reassure him, needing him to know that’s the last thing I would think.
“You say this now but think about it. This can’t be a rebound, not for me.”
“Kyler, it’s not for me either. I told you earlier, my relationship with Adam was over long before either of us cared to admit. I’m ready to move on.”
“Are you, though? This thing between us is the real deal for me. Ilikeyou. More than I should, given you’re my best friend’s sister. Hell, if I’m being honest, I’ve ‘more than liked you’ ever since you patched me up that night. But I also need to protect myself. You gotta understand, I don’t have a female figure in my life who really cares about me. My mom? All she wants from me is money. My sister? To her, I’m an on-call babysitter or someone to hook her up with my hockey buddies. And sure, I have a five-year-old niece who has me wrapped around her little finger. But then I met you and . . .” Kyler pauses, “Thea, you have the power to destroy me.”
Kyler’s words break my heart.
I know he and his mom don’t have the best relationship, but I didn’t realize just how much it hurt him that she pretty much only wants his money. And he does everything he can to make sure she has a place to live. Regardless of her feelings toward him, she’s his mother. He’ll always have a duty to look after her. I walk over to where he’s sitting on the bed and sit next to him, taking his hand in mine to give him the reassurance he needs.
“I won’t hurt you, Kyler, I promise. But I get it. Just know I like you too—a lot. So, when you’re ready, I’ll be here. We’ll take things at your pace. I’m not going anywhere.”
We sit side by side for what feels like hours, holding each other’s hand like a lifeline. Eventually, Ky leads me back up the bed, and we lie down on our sides, facing each other.
“Guess I killed the mood, huh?” he whispers, as his fingers lightly trace a line down the side of my face. I shrug with a smile.
“The night’s not over yet.”
“No, it’s not.”
Kyler leans in and places a gentle kiss on my lips. The sense of urgency from earlier may have gone, but a tenderness has replaced it. And with it comes a promise that whatever happens over the next few days or weeks, we’ll do everything we can to protect each other from whatever battles we may face.
Twenty-Two
Kyler
Every morningwhen my alarm sounds, I drag my ass out of bed, wishing I had gone to sleep earlier the night before. It’s an endless battle. Each day, I say I’m going to be in bed by eight or nine, but it ends up being midnight or one in the morning before I finally crawl into it. This is no fault of my own. I blame Thea.
It’s been a few weeks since our talk on New Year’s Eve when I told her my fears about being a rebound for her and we agreed to take things slowly. At first, it worked apart from the odd lingering glance and brush against each other in the kitchen. But I’m no saint, and soon my resolve slipped. The slightest touch turned into stolen kisses and frenzied making-out sessions, and I can’t get enough of her.
Since Thea and I are in this limbo stage of dating but not having sex and still keeping our relationship on the down-low, it’s not like we can cuddle on the couch or lock ourselves away in a bedroom without Jude or the others getting suspicious. So, Thea, being Thea, devised a plan requiring me to study, and if I’m a good boy and her brother isn’t home, she slowly tortures me by wearing the tiniest T-shirts and short shorts ever made. And sometimes, when I’m more focused on her, she makes sure to wear the tightest shirt she has and forgets to put a bra on. I swear, the sight of her taut nipples makes my mouth water, and she knows it.
This morning is no different, except a beautiful angel is sleeping next to me. I roll onto my side and move her hair away from her face and watch her sleep. The reason she’s in my bed is because her brother spent the night somewhere else. When he texted her and told her he wasn’t coming home, it was like a thundering herd moving down the stairs with how fast she came down them. Even though I suspected she was coming to my room, I still jumped when she burst through my door. She straddled me, wearing those flimsy pajamas of hers, and told me the good news. Well, partially good news. Devon and Nolan were home, and as much as I wanted to bury myself deep inside of her, we weren’t going to have sex for the first time with the guys in the other room. They would, indeed, say something in the morning, and I don’t want them to know just yet, and I don’t want Thea embarrassed.
I have about thirty minutes to get my ass to the rink for practice, but going outside in the cold, to a freezing facility where I have to sweat and be even colder when I leave, is far from appealing because I’d rather stay snuggled up next to Thea. She stirs, and her lips purse. I take advantage and kiss them. Thea is responsive to me. Anytime I touch her, she gravitates to wherever I’m showing her attention. Our kiss deepens, and she moans. She’s killing my resolve. Every day it gets harder and harder to say no to her.
Thea moves closer and puts her leg over my hip. My cock jumps at the chance to be near her core. I’m fucking hard and ready, and she’s willing. She grinds against me as we continue to make out. My hand finds a home on her ass, and my fingers dig into her flesh, moving her back and forth against me. Dry humping sucks, but it’s better than nothing. I move us slightly, putting her back onto her side. I do this in an attempt to keep the bed from rocking back and forth. Only Thea has other ideas and slips her hand into my boxers and grips my shaft.
I gasp and mutter, “Fuck,” as she starts to stroke my cock. “Jesus Christ, I’m going to hell,” I say, only to hear a laugh from her. She pulls her mouth away from mine, and I close my eyes. I know what’s coming. She’s a sneaky little minx and is determined to get us into trouble. “I really need to talk with Jude.”
“Stop thinking about my brother,” she says as she licks the head of my cock. “I’m about to give you a blow job, and you’re thinking about my brother. You’re going to give me a complex.”
“Sorry, please feel free to continue.”
“Gladly.” Thea makes good on her promise and takes care of my morning wood. As much as I want to return the favor, I can’t. I have to be at practice, and I can’t be late. When Thea has finished, she sits back and smiles. She’s mighty proud of herself. The first time she sucked me off, she gagged and told me my dick was too big. I told her she’d thank me later. She then made it her mission to be able to give me head without choking. She’s succeeded.