After The Snap (27 page)

“What are you thinking?” Seth asked.

“What if I did just move in? Would you really be okay with that?”

The smile on Seth’s face spread from ear to ear and he rolled them over, straddling Colby. “Tell me you will.” Seth reached for the condom and lube. He opened the package and Colby thought he was going to roll the condom onto his own dick, but he rolled it onto Colby’s and lubed up the condom and his own ass.

Colby watched, fascinated by this man who was incredibly sexy and yet didn’t seem to know how desirable he was. Seth lined up and sat back. The feel of Seth’s ass against the tip of his cock made his breath catch. He gasped when he slid in to the amazing heat. Seth’s mouth hung open as he leaned back, forcing Colby’s cock deeper.

“Fuck, Seth, you’re so hot.

“So big,” Seth groaned.

“I’ll go slow.”

“Want you.”

Colby held his hips still as Seth sucked in air. After a short moment he met Colby’s gaze and smiled down at him.

“Better now.” Seth slowly rolled his hips, rocking back against Colby.

His cock slid in deeper and he fought to maintain some semblance of control. This was amazing, and more than anything he’d ever experienced before. Sweat rolled down his face, coating his brow and slicking his skin. His fingers dug into Seth’s hips as he met the set rhythm. The slow pace was driving him nuts. He needed to move fast and feel everything.

Colby slid his hands up Seth’s body to his chest, then over his shoulders and gripped his arms. He could feel the difference in Seth’s right arm. The muscles were bigger, his arm stronger. Colby reached down and wrapped his fingers around Seth’s cock but his hand was slapped away.

“No, I want this to last,” Seth growled.

“Fuck, you’re driving me crazy. I need more, faster.”

“Ugh, no.”

Seth slowed his movements. Colby’s balls pulled up tight, leaving him gasping for breath. He wasn’t sure he wouldn’t go crazy from Seth’s controlled movements. The soft whisper of a breath from Seth made him even harder. Then Seth groaned and Colby was sure he would lose it. Seth lowered and brushed his lips over Colby’s and it was almost enough for him to come right then.

Colby couldn’t take the torture and reached for Seth’s cock again, wrapping his fingers around Seth’s length. This time Seth let Colby stroke him. Their pace increased and Seth’s gaze locked with his. They both cried out as they clung to each other. Seth’s hot cum splashed on his chest and Colby came hard, his head swimming as his orgasm hit. They were both breathing hard when Seth lifted and Colby’s dick slid out.

“Come on, let’s shower. I’m starving.”

Colby sat up, his head still a little fuzzy. “That was freaking amazing.”

Seth held out his hand and he took it but he wasn’t expecting for Seth to tug him close so quickly. Their bodies were touching, their breaths mingling as Seth searched his eyes. Colby leaned in and lifted up on his toes, their lips meeting in a sweet brush. They both exhaled and then Colby sighed.

“Don’t leave me,” Colby begged. His heart twisted and he tugged Seth closer as fear wound through him.

“Hey, I’m not going anywhere.”

Colby leaned back and met Seth’s gaze. He saw love there, but could he trust Seth to stay with him? He wasn’t anything special and Seth was. Colby hung his head as dread and defeat twisted through him.

“Hey, look at me,” Seth said.

Colby glanced up, his emotions all over the place. He wanted to believe that he could keep a relationship, but with Neil cheating on him, how could he trust that someone as amazing as Seth would stick around?

“I’m not going anywhere. I don’t know how to explain how I feel, but Colby, I really like you, not someone else, but you.”

“I just…I’m afraid.”

“I’m scared too.”

“Of what?” Colby had no clue why Seth would be afraid of anything.

“That you’ll realize how crazy my life can be. Once it’s out, people will hate you. The hate will be hard to deal with. Your past will be dug through. People will make stuff up to get attention.”

“Why would they do that?”

“The straight guys deal with it all of the time. They take a woman out and suddenly everyone wants to know who she is. When the guys get married, it’s a little better, but they still have to put up with crap.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Yes, but my crap is going to be yours. And I’m afraid that you’ll figure out I’m not worth it.”

Colby cupped Seth’s cheek and shook his head. “Oh, but you’re wrong there. You’re worth it. You’re worth hiking through the desert, swimming the sea, climbing a mountain, because Seth, you’re something amazing. I—there’s something special between us. I don’t know if you can feel it, but it’s there. Don’t doubt that, ever. You are worth so much more than you think you are.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Tears filled Seth’s eyes. He didn’t want to talk about Channing, but knew eventually he would have to tell Colby about his past. He hadn’t planned on Colby finding out about football like this, but maybe it was best. The words had been hard to come by and he wasn’t sure he would have been able to explain everything. He probably would have gummed it up.

Before he turned on the water for the shower he called in an order at a burger delivery place that wasn’t far away. When he ordered a cheeseburger, Colby lifted his brows and nodded.

“Make that three cheeseburgers. Do you still have the brownies?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Brownies too.” He rattled off his address before hanging up.

“So you’re eating two burgers?” Colby asked

“It was a hard game.”

“That time you were at my hotel and ordered so much food, it was because of a game or practice?”

“Practice. I remember that day. It was tough.”

“Let’s shower before the food gets here,” Colby said.

He pulled Colby close and kissed the tip of his nose. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

Seth led Colby into the bathroom. “I had these weird dreams that you would freak out and dump me once you knew.”

Colby laughed and rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t make that big of a difference. I mean, you’re still you.”

“I am. I just have to be careful who knows.”

“So no kissing in public. I doubt there would be many times we would kiss in public anyway. We’re friends if anyone asks, because you know, we are friends.”

“Eventually someone will figure it out,” Seth said.

Colby placed his hand on Seth’s arm and stopped him from stepping into the shower. “Are you okay with that?”

“I am now. No, I don’t want to be obvious, and we’ll have to just be satisfied with doing stuff at home, but I’m not going to let fear rule my life and not be with you.”

Seth reached in and turned the water to warm. The post game exhaustion was starting to hit him. They washed quickly and though he wanted to take extra time exploring Colby, there were a lot of emotions flowing through him. He needed time to process it all. It didn’t take long for them to wash, and were out before the food arrived. Colby headed to the bedroom when the delivery guy arrived but Seth stopped him.

“Don’t hide.”

Colby bit his lower lip and shook his head. “Next time.”

Seth held his gaze for a moment and the delivery guy knocked again. He hated that they had to hide everything, but his life was on display, and that wasn’t going to change anytime soon. “Fine, but next time you’ll stay out here with me.”

Colby gave a quick nod of his head and disappeared into the bedroom. Seth paid for the meal and shut the door, leaning against the solid wood. Colby came out of the bedroom, his brows raised.

Excitement burned through him. “I just can’t believe that you’re here. You know, it’s nice.”

Colby’s lips turned up in a sweet smile. “It is.”

Seth carried the bag into the kitchen and Colby stepped into the room. He stared at the cabinets for a short moment before turning to Seth. “Where are your plates?”

“By the microwave.”

“Okay.” Colby opened the cabinets and pulled out two plates. Seth grabbed utensils and some condiments from the refrigerator. They set the table and Seth sat on the side closest to the window. Colby settled in the chair opposite him.

“I know we’re new to each other, but this just feels right.” Seth sorted out the food. Two cheeseburgers for him, a huge order of fries to split between them, and a cheeseburger for Colby.

Colby nodded and opened his burger, taking the salt and sprinkling on a little. “I really enjoyed talking with you on the phone over the last few weeks.”

“So your parents, do they know you’re gay?”

“Yes. My biological mom died before I was one. The couple who raised me know. I think they knew before I did. Anyway, they’re great about it. They didn’t really like Neil, but I know why now.”

“He cheated on you, right?”

“Yeah, I was devastated.”

Thoughts of Channing hit him full force and he had to put down his burger. “When I was in school—college, not high school, my coach—God, how do I say this.” He picked up his burger and took a bite.

“We haven’t known each other for long, but you really can tell me anything. Like really, anything,” Colby encouraged.

Seth chewed and knew it would sound bad. He had been with a married man. Not that he’d known Channing was married, but it didn’t change the facts. “Can we eat first? It’s a long story and I’ve never told all of it.”

“Sure.” Colby looked around his place, then turned back to him. “You have a nice view. How about after we finish eating we sit on your couch with the lights low and I’ll hold you while you tell me the story.”

Seth nodded, knowing that he’d been right about Colby. He was a good man. They finished their meal and he used the restroom before moving to the couch. Colby joined him and sat in the corner. Seth laid down and placed his head in Colby’s lap. It felt good, almost too good to be real. Being with Colby was like finding home—a real home, not just a place to live, but a place where he would be cared for and he could be himself. His heart squeezed and for a moment he just laid there staring up at Colby.

“My last year in college I knew I had to play hard to get a spot on a team. I was busting my ass, staying late, doing extra workouts. My coach came in and found me. He was surprised I was there, at least that’s what he said. Anyway, he was surprised to find me and I was naked. I guess I didn’t say that, did I?”

Colby stroked Seth’s hair, his fingers moving slowly. “No, you didn’t.”

“I’d just finished my shower and was totally naked and coach came in. We ended up having sex. He was my first.”

“Was he gentle?” Colby asked.

Seth shivered and shook his head. “No. I think he might have planned it. It was rough and he—it’s embarrassing to talk about.”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“I need to tell you this part. This is the worst.” Seth looked out the window at the now dark sky.

“It’s okay,” Colby soothed.

“He was married.” Colby stilled and Seth looked up, catching the hard expression on his face. Seth sat up, turning to face Colby. “I asked and he said he was divorced, but he wasn’t. Maybe if I’d investigated deeper I could have figured it out, but I didn’t.”

“You thought he was divorced?”

“Until the end. When I found out he was still married. I confronted him and I ended it.”

“So you didn’t know you were cheating?”

Seth knew this moment was the most important point in their relationship so far. Colby had been cheated on, and it was obvious he’d been hurt. If he thought Seth would callously enter into a relationship with a married man, everything would be done and over.

“If I had known Channing and his wife were still a couple, I would have ended it. Once I knew, there was no question that whatever Channing and I had was over.”

“Did she know?”

“About me? I doubt it. She might have known he was messing around on her, but she didn’t know who with.”

“I’m sure it’s been hard for her.”

Seth sucked in a quick breath. “I wasn’t the only one.”

Colby stilled, his eyes narrowing a bit. “What do you mean?”

“I was at a game in Florida and we do that interview thing after the game. After I finished saying what I had to say, I moved away from the cameras to a quiet area of the locker room. I thought I was alone, but a reporter came over. His name is Scott Wester. He used to play for Florida, where I was in school. Anyway, he warned me away from Channing. Said that he’d been there at Christmas last year and someone showed up. That someone who showed up was me. The guy watched Channing and me having sex—actually, he watched Channing strip me and then fuck me up against the front door.” Seth shivered and Colby wrapped him in a tight hug.

“Did this Scott guy threaten you?”

“No, he just told me that Channing was bad for me and to get away.”

“Do you think he’ll use it against you later?”

Fear twisted so tight inside of him that dizziness flashed quickly, almost dropping him to the ground. Seth tried to remember to breathe. “No, I don’t think so. He might, but he could have done it already. It was more like he was concerned, not trying to harm me.”

“Has Channing tried to contact you since you moved here?”

Seth nodded and blew out a breath. “He showed up at a game.”

Colby stiffened. “Did you…”

“No. We went to eat dinner together but I made sure he knew it was over. I didn’t kiss him or anything. Actually, since I met you I haven’t kissed anyone. Kristen kissed me on the cheek. Justin, my agent hugged me. I slap the guys on the back and they hug me when we score, but no, Colby, there isn’t anyone but you.”

Colby’s lips smoothed over his cheek, then sat back. “You’re too big to sit in my lap, but I want to hold you.”

“Why are you being so nice?”

“You cared for him and he lied. It must have been devastating.”

“At one point he told me he was in love with me.”

“Were you in love with him?” Colby asked.

“I don’t think so. I mean, I cared, but it’s weird. Like we only got together a few times. I know now it was because he was still married and he was trying to confuse me. We met in a hotel a couple of times, at his house a few, and I saw him at practice but he wouldn’t talk to me then. The second time we got together he told me he loved me.”

“The second time?”

“Yeah.”

“I care a lot about you, but I’m not really sure I’m in love yet,” Colby whispered.

“Yet?”

Colby leaned his forehead against Seth’s, his hands grasped onto Seth’s shirt and held him tight. “It’s close.”

His heart squeezed. “I’m close too.” Seth drew in a long slow breath. He was very close to falling in love with Colby. He could imagine spending his life with this man.

“Seth,” Colby whispered.

Their lips met in a passionate kiss and he was being pushed back to the couch. They were stretched out together, Colby on top, kissing him like there was no tomorrow. Colby rolled his hips, their cocks grazed against each other, sending heat throughout Seth’s body.

The friction felt good. Having Colby take control, kissing him and touching him, was amazing. He spread his legs a little and Colby rose up, tugging at the button on Seth’s jeans. Seth tugged at Colby’s pants, opening them and pulling out his cock. They were both jacking each other, their gazes locked as their breaths grew more shallow.

He stared at Colby’s trim waist and sexy shoulders. He wasn’t as fit as some of the guys on the team, but Colby looked amazing. Staring at Colby while he jacked the guy off heated Seth. He was close, and he wanted to come so bad, but he also wanted it to last. Then he had to suck Colby. There wasn’t any other option. He needed the taste of Colby’s cock on his tongue. Seth moved quickly, sucking down on Colby’s dick, not giving him any warning. He pushed at Colby’s pants, getting a better angle.

“Oh fuck,” Colby gasped as he pumped his hips.

Seth licked up Colby’s cock, then sucked him down again. He was in heaven as he ran his tongue over the smooth glans at the tip. Colby clutched Seth’s head as he stilled. Salty cum sprayed into his mouth, initiating Seth’s orgasm.

After he was able to move again, Seth lifted up, feeling smug as he stared down at Colby. He had exactly what he wanted and he sure as hell didn’t want to lose it.

“You sure look satisfied,” Colby said.

“I am.”

“That felt so good having your lips around me.”

Seth chuckled and sat up. “Let’s go to bed.”

“You had a tough day. How do you feel?”

“Tired, but good. I’ve never had this.”

“What have you never had?” Colby asked as he followed him to the bathroom.

“Someone like you. I like it.”

Colby bumped his hip. “Same here.”

After brushing teeth and using the restroom, they settled under the sheets. Colby lay on his right side and he tucked his arm under Colby’s head, but after a few minutes the ache was too much and he shifted. Colby sat up and Seth could just make out his form in the dim light.

“What?” Seth asked.

“I’m on your right side.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re sore aren’t you?”

“A little.”

“Let me try sleeping on your other side.”

Seth swallowed down his emotions. Having Colby care so much about him was different, nice, but different. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Colby straddled him and before he could move to the other side, Seth pulled him down, delivering a kiss that started to make him hard again. He was too tired to have sex, but he liked this. Liked having a man in his bed and in his arms. If he could keep Colby with him forever that would be fine with him.