Puzzle by Nora Phoenix
42
Ryder watched in horror as Levar dodged question after question, calmly answering those he could. “How the fuck does he do that?” he mumbled, then shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth.
They were sitting on the couch in their living room, watching a recording of the press conference. They already knew the highlights, of course, but they’d both wanted to see the whole thing.
“I especially admire his patience. I swear I would’ve knocked some heads together by now,” Branson said, sitting right next to him, dressed in a pair of shorts and nothing else.
Ryder had swallowed when he’d spotted him sitting there, all kinds of sexy and hot. Branson had just showered too, the smell of his shower gel drifting over to Ryder whenever he moved. The man oozed sexiness somehow. How had Ryder never noticed that before? Well, he had, but not to this degree, where he had trouble even concentrating, Branson distracting him too much.
Branson took the popcorn from Ryder’s hands. “Don’t hog the salty yumminess, chéri. Not nice.”
Ryder grinned with his mouth full. “‘m hungry.”
“So am I.”
Branson grabbed a massive hand of popcorn and showed he could fit even more into his mouth, making Ryder laugh harder. He’d better be careful he didn’t choke on it. That would be a sad death. He could picture his epitaph. “Here lies Ryder Treese. He choked on popcorn when celebrating the unleashing of hell.” Unleashing? Ryder frowned. Or was it unleashment? What did it matter? The result was the same.
They watched as Levar finally wrapped things up. “That was brutal.” Branson turned the volume low. “Levar deserves a danger bonus for doing that. You couldn’t pay me enough to volunteer.”
“I’d be way too scared of revealing classified information. Or saying something stupid.”
“Yeah, you gotta think on your feet for that job…and not have any kind of temper because if you do, if the press can somehow trigger you, you’re in trouble.”
As much as he’d felt pity for Levar, watching that press conference had been epic. Though he’d really, really wished he could’ve been there when Basil King had been arrested. That would’ve been even better. “They’re all in jail now, right?”
“Yes. The main suspects have been charged with domestic terrorism, which means they won’t be released on bail. They’re not going anywhere.”
“Good.”
“Coulson said they’re starting the interrogations tomorrow. All suspects have been assigned a lawyer in as far as they didn’t hire one themselves, which Basil King did, obviously.”
Ryder shuddered. “Can you imagine defending someone like that?”
“Yes and no. Yes, because I believe in a fair legal system, which means everyone needs a lawyer to make sure they’re getting a fair trial. Not that that always works out, especially with underpaid and overworked public defenders, but still. It’s the principle. But to be one of those thousand-dollars-an-hour lawyers who voluntarily defend scum like Basil King? No. I can’t imagine anyone feeling proud of themselves for that. I could never do it.”
“God, no.”
Branson laughed as he bumped his shoulder. “You’re way too honest, chéri. You’d probably tell the DA to ask the right questions during questioning.”
Ryder giggled. “I can totally see myself do that. I can’t lie. I hate it.”
“It’s one of the many things I love about you…”
Love. Ryder had noticed how easily Branson used that word. He tended to use superlatives anyway. Or at least to speak in terms that felt a little over the top. Cheesy, even.
Like what he’d said after they had showered, about how perfect they were together. At first, Ryder had thought Branson was serious, that he’d hinted at the two of them being more than friends with benefits, but then he’d thought about it and had reasoned Branson had just been using it as an expression. He probably wanted to make Ryder feel good about their friendship…and the benefits that came with it.
Ryder appreciated it, but Branson didn’t need to butter him up or affirm him. Maybe the man was still trying to compensate for crossing Ryder’s boundaries in the beginning? Funny how Ryder barely even recalled those incidents. They were in the past, and he didn’t waste any energy on them anymore. Branson had changed, and Ryder trusted him blindly now.
Who would’ve ever predicted that when they had just met? He’d considered Branson annoying, but that was a thing of the past as well. No, when he thought of Branson now, irritation was about the last thing he felt. It was more like…
He frowned. What did he feel?
“Chéri?” Branson shot him a worried look sideways as he placed the popcorn on the coffee table.
“Hang on, please. Give me a moment. I’m trying to… Just wait, please.”
A weird storm of feelings brewed inside him, too complex to disentangle. All he knew was that he wanted Branson, needed him. He ached to touch him and to be touched, but it wasn’t sex he wanted. Not the rough fuck he usually craved, the way Branson could make him feel alive with every thrust, every touch. No, he wanted something much softer, something tender and surprising.
He needed Branson’s comfort. His companionship, his cuddles. Ryder gave in to that urge and scooted over, begging Branson with a wordless plea to accept him. Branson’s smile was sweet as he lifted his arm and pulled Ryder close. Ryder rested his cheek on Branson’s naked chest, his heart beating steadily underneath his ear.
Branson stroked his hair. “You okay?”
“Mmm.”
Branson brushed his thumb over Ryder’s bottom lip. “You don’t look okay.”
“I feel…weird.”
“Weird how?”
He shouldn’t tell him. This was where his filter, malfunctioning as it was, needed to kick in and prevent him from blurting out things he’d regret later. The rules had been clear: sex only. Except Branson had hinted he wanted more as well—hints Ryder had dismissed until now as figments of his imagination—and now Ryder was feeling…feelings. Whatever that softness inside him was.
“My head is tired,” he finally said. “And I don’t want sex.”
He’d added the last part for the sake of clarity.
“We’re on the same page, then, because I’m not in the mood either.”
“No?”
Branson swiped a lock of hair off Ryder’s forehead. “No, not in the least. I just wanna hold you, if that’s okay.”
“Mmm.”
Branson wrapped his arms around him tighter, and the warmth and strength of his grip made Ryder feel safe and protected. He blew out a long breath, his mind finding a quiet peace.
“That’s better,” Branson said after a while.
“Huh?”
“You’re relaxing. You were super tense before.”
“Oh.” He hadn’t even noticed, but now that Branson mentioned it, he was feeling relaxed now. His cheek was parked against Branson’s chest, the calm rhythm of his heartbeat soothing.
God, he loved being held like this, Branson’s body so strong and comforting. Like a rock he could lean on. Branson would never cheat on him, would never ridicule him, would never make him feel like he wasn’t good enough. He…
Oh, shit. How the fuck had he been this blind? Why hadn’t he recognized it after being with Paul? Maybe because this felt so much bigger and scarier and at the same time so much more grounded and deeper.
“You’re tensing up again.” Branson blew softly over his head. “What’s going on, chéri? Talk to me.”
He should face him for this conversation, he really should, but Ryder couldn’t make himself move. Not when he felt safe and protected. He’d found his knight in shining armor, and it had been the last person he’d expected it to be.
“I just had a realization. A profound one, you could say,” he whispered.
Branson’s hand stilled for a moment, then continued its gentle caress of Ryder’s hair. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Did he? He should. He couldn’t hide this from Branson, if only because he sucked at pretending anyway, and besides, why should he? If he was right—and now that he thought about it a bit more, he couldn’t believe he’d missed all the signs and had misinterpreted the ones he had picked up on—Branson wouldn’t get upset with him…or reject him. If he was right, this could be his happily ever after.
And so he took a deep breath. “I realized I’ve fallen in love with you." He swallowed. "I’m in love with you.”
“Oh, chéri…” Branson’s voice broke, and then Ryder was rolled onto his side, and Branson did the same, facing him. “Are you serious?”
“I’d never joke about something like this.” Ryder was almost indignant until he noticed Branson’s wary eyes. “Yes, I’m serious.” He lifted his hand and stroked Branson’s cheek. “I love you.”
The full force of his feelings hit him as if saying it out loud had set them free, and he gasped. How had he been blind to the depth of his emotions?
“I’m so in love with you,” Branson said, choked up. “Je t’aime, mon chéri. Je t’aime beaucoup.”
Ryder beamed, recognizing those words even with his meager knowledge of the French language. “I guess you were right about us being perfect for each other.” Then something occurred to him. “Did you know you loved me when you asked me to be your roommate?”
Branson pressed a kiss on the tip of Ryder’s nose in a casual, intimate gesture that sent Ryder’s heart in a gallop. “Consciously, no. But in hindsight, I fell for you a while ago, chéri.”
“Well, I suppose us already living together only make things easy now that we’re…whatever complicated level we’ve reached now.”
Branson grinned. “Boyfriends, chéri. We’re boyfriends. Nothing complicated about it.”
Ryder stilled his hand on Branson’s cheek. “Dorian knew it."
“What?”
“Dorian. He said something about… I don’t remember what he said exactly, but I’m pretty sure he’d picked up on my feelings for you. Not that that’s hard. I can’t act worth shit, as we’ve already established…”
Branson chuckled. “Now that I’ve been promoted to boyfriend, what are my chances of seeing that tape of you in Macbeth?”
Ryder groaned. “Can’t really refuse anymore, can I?”
“Nope. I’ll exercise my rights as your boyfriend to the fullest. But no worries, it comes with perks as well.”
“It does?”
Branson nodded. “Like being allowed to kiss me whenever you feel the urge.”
“Oh, that’s good to know. So if I’d feel a desire to kiss you, like, right now, I could act on it?”
“You totally can. Fully within your rights as my boyfriend.”
Ryder kissed him. How could he not after that exchange? The kiss felt different. Oh, Branson’s lips were as soft as always, and they tasted just as perfect. But the kiss was so much softer, sweet and tender, with none of the franticness they usually experienced. Ryder slipped his tongue into Branson’s mouth, where it encountered Branson’s. Their tempo was lazy and unhurried as they roamed each other’s mouths, licking and sliding, nibbling and sucking. Ryder wanted to kiss him forever.
“Chéri…” Branson whispered against his lips.
“Mmm?”
“I’d like to make love to you…”
Branson’s eyes were so full of love warmth spread through Ryder. How had he missed that before? And where before, he hadn’t been in the mood for sex—or at least, not for their usual rough fuck—this proposal made his heart sing and his body heat up already. Making love for the first time…
“Yes, please. In the bedroom.”
Branson smiled. “Yes. No sex on the couch.”
See? They were totally on the same page.
Hand in hand, they made their way to the bedroom, where they both stripped and found each other again on Branson’s bed. Their bed. “I’m moving into your bedroom,” Ryder said. “Your bed is much more comfortable than mine.”
“And that’s the only reason?”
Ryder rolled his eyes. “If I have to explain that to you, we may need to explore the meaning of the words ‘I love you.’ Not sure you’ve fully grasped the concept.”
He’d barely finished when Branson had covered his mouth with his own and was kissing him again. “I understood just fine, chéri. You’re mine now, and I want you in my bed every night.”
Possessiveness was hot. Really hot.
“For now, just let me show you how much I love you…” Branson started a trail of kisses downward. He nuzzled Ryder’s neck, following the path with his lips and tongue.
He smoothed his hand down Ryder’s chest, his mouth agape with a look of awe that meant more to Ryder than any words would have, though he doubted he’d grow tired of hearing Branson tell him he loved him anytime soon. When Branson reached his left nipple, he flicked it, then rubbed and pinched until it was all red and swollen. The other one got the same treatment.
Branson leaned in and lapped on a nipple, making it all wet and shiny. Ryder, propped up on some pillows, couldn’t look away. Branson kept licking, then sucked his nipple, and shoots of electricity coursed through Ryder’s body. Fuck, Branson was killing him.
Featherlight kisses traveled down his chest until he hit his belly button, which he sucked and kissed, then flat out tongued. Who the fuck knew a belly button could be an erogenous zone? Branson Grove, that was who. Ryder almost felt like a virgin, discovering things about himself he’d never known.
More kisses, a whole shower of them down his happy trail, straight to his cock. He couldn’t help but think of Paul, who had so rarely taken the time to appreciate Ryder’s body, to show him he loved him…but then again, he hadn’t. Not really. No, Ryder didn’t want to waste any more energy on Paul. He’d taken enough from Ryder. Ryder had found his forever man, and he was going to enjoy every second with him.
