The Fall (Rules of Play Book 4) Page 10

“Back to my side of the car,” I say.

  The smile widens. He shakes his head.

  I copy the motion. “No, you don’t want me to go back to the other side of the car?”

  “No.” He pulls me toward him over the center console.

  Right before our lips touch his, I catch sight of the camera attached to the gate. It’s pointed right at us. “Um. Mav?” I point, and he turns to see the small black camera with the red blinking light. “Someone’s watching us.”

  He shakes his head. “No one’s watching us right now. Henry is too busy setting up the party to watch the cameras.” At my looks of confusion, he explains, “Henry is my parents’ butler. Now.” He jerks me closer and slips his tongue into my mouth before I know what’s happening. In the split second of me trying to catch up, Maverick takes total control of the kiss, and I’m lost.

  He bunches his hands into the crisp cotton of my button-down shirt. The tightness of his body radiates through his hands, transferring to my chest and lower. My thighs bunch and my ass flexes. I’m lifting out of my seat, trying to move closer, but the seatbelt prevents me from going very far. Growling into his mouth, I attack the seatbelt until I hear that beautiful click, then crawl practically fall into his lap, our mouths still fused, his tongue penetrating so deeply it reminds me of something different, long and hard, but in my ass, or his.

  Cupping the back of his head, I hold it steady while nipping at his lower lip. Mav’s groan rents the air, and I shudder when he tweaks my nipples.

  I wrench away. I want him. Day and night. All the damn time. “Any more of this and you’re going to show up to your brother’s birthday mauled.”

  “Yeah, and?” He, too, gulps in air. “I’d rather be kissing you anyway.”

  I laugh and gently remove his fingers, kissing each one individually before adjusting my shirt and gesturing to the steering wheel. “We don’t want to be late.”

  His eyes practically glow. “This isn’t over.”

  Oh, I’m well aware. “You’re depraved.” But I’m grinning. “I love it.”

  Maverick’s expression blasts me in the face with heat. He doesn’t speak as he inputs the number code on the pad and drives through the opening gates. The driveway winds through trees and tops a hill, where his parents’ house sits below. Wow. It’s huge. Expensive. I get a brief glimpse of the backyard and some white tents before Mav parks among the other thirty or forty cars on the front lawn.

  “Swanky,” I say, getting out.

  Mav leads us to the front door carrying a gift for his brother. He wouldn’t tell me what it was, claiming it was a surprise. A portly fellow lets us in with a polite, “Good afternoon, Maverick.”

  “Henry. This is my roommate, August.”

  I shake hands with the butler. He’s all business leading us through the vast rooms and into the backyard, where the party is already in full swing.

  I’ve never attended this nice of a party. Catered food sits in gleaming silver trays under one of the white tents. Another tent holds the bar, where an older woman mixes and pours drinks for the line of guests. I can tell the difference between his brother’s friends and who I guess are his parents’ guests. The people our age are dressed more casually. The older folks drip with jewels, and a few of the men wear suits and, dare I say, top hats. The grass is clipped short, the lawn clean, the bushes pruned, laden with brightly colored blossoms.

  After Mav sets his gift on the table with the others, he says, “Let me introduce you to Sebastian.” He peers around. “If I can find him.”

  I spot a guy our age with a scary likeness to Maverick and his brother, Kellan. “That him?” He’s speaking to a slender guy with shaggy hair and hunched shoulders.

  “Good eye.” He gestures me nearer, and that’s when his oldest brother, Sebastian, looks up.

  The Dumont brothers, I decide, are God’s gift to men. All of them—at least, all the ones I’ve seen—are painfully beautiful. Sebastian is like an older version of Maverick, except with squarer features. Mav’s are more pointed, delicate. Both brothers share the same hazel eyes.

  It’s fascinating to watch Mav’s brother’s face transform. I don’t have siblings, so I don’t know what it feels like to be reunited with one, but watching the joy unfold makes me feel like I’m missing out.

  “Mav,” Sebastian says, grinning from ear to ear. They embrace tightly, Sebastian slapping his younger brother on the back. “You look prettier every time I see you.”

  Maverick pulls away with a roll of his eyes. “I wish I could say the same thing for you, but it’s more like you get more annoying every time I see you.” He looks to me. I sense the uncertainty in him, but it’s faint. Is he worried about his brother discovering our relationship?

  “Seb, this is August, my roommate. He’s on the soccer team with Kellan.”

  “Nice to meet you, bro. Hopefully Mav isn’t too hard on you about keeping the place clean.”

  “He’s not too bad,” I tease, catching Mav’s eye and sharing a smile. “He cooks for me from time to time, too, so I lucked out.”

  “Seriously?” Sebastian scowls. “He never did that for me.”

  “That’s because we never lived together, jackass.”

  “Hmph. Baby, how come you never cook for me?” Sebastian pouts to the disheveled man next to him. He wraps an arm around his waist and presses a smacking kiss to his cheek.

  The man makes a face. “Because I can barely boil a pot of water without burning the apartment down?”

  “Oh. Right.” Sebastian sighs. “This is Aidan, my boyfriend. Good for a lot of things, just not cooking.” Obvious affection lightens his tone.

  Mav explains to me, “Aidan’s a math professor. Way smarter than my brother.”

  Sebastian snorts, but doesn’t deny it. “One of us needs to run fast if there’s a murdering chasing us down. That would be me.”

  Aidan continues to look out of sorts. He scans the party, dabs at the sweat on his temple. His right hand goes into his pocket. He takes it out and curls it into a fist.

  Sebastian doesn’t notice. He waves his arm. “Anyway, have you seen Noah? He said he’d be here, but maybe his flight was delayed. Do whatever. Eat. Be merry. There’s a bounce house, a slip n’ slide... the American dream, right?” He chuckles and grabs Aidan’s hand. “See you in a bit. Nice meeting you, August.” Then he’s off.

  Maverick asks, “Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?”

  Thank you, Jesus. “Starving.” I jerk my chin in the direction of the food, since I’m sure Maverick doesn’t want me taking his hand with all these people around.

  The next few hours are spent jumping in the bounce house—and almost breaking my neck—stripping down to our underwear and having a go on the slip n’ slide, and stuffing my face with the most delicious food I’ve ever tasted. I literally have three whole meals there. It’s as I’m going back for my fourth helping that Maverick starts laughing. My plate is piled so high I’m afraid it’s going to topple.

  “What?” I say, chuckling.

  “You’re insatiable.”

  “This shit is fucking phenomenal. You think you could make this for us sometime?” I lift my fork with the pasta dangling from it. Not sure of what kind it is, but I know there’s basil in the sauce.

  His eyes crinkle. I love when his eyes crinkle. That’s how I know he’s not just smiling on the outside. He’s smiling on the inside too. It’s been happening more often of late. “Maybe,” he says. “If you make it worth my while.”

  Oh ho ho. Okay. I see where he’s going with this.

  I quickly look around. No one’s paying any attention to us. Most of Sebastian’s friends are either stuffed in the bounce house or swimming in the pool. Now’s my chance. I bring the fork to his lips. Maverick’s eyes flare with heat, and his mouth parts, accepting the offered food. The scrape of his teeth a
gainst the metal fork vibrates all the way to my hand.

  “Good?” I murmur.

  He nods, quiet, still looking at me.

  My plan is to feed him another bite, but the music blaring from the speakers abruptly cuts off. The only sounds are chirping birds and the hum of conversation, which quickly dies as people search for the reason the music cut off.

  About twenty feet away, in the middle of the green lawn, Aidan shuffles his feet. Sebastian stands beside him, deep puzzlement contorting his otherwise serene features.

  “What’s happening?” Maverick whispers in my ear.

  “Dunno.”

  “Sebastian,” Aidan begins in a wavering voice. “I...” He looks around in fright, his skin deathly pale. He sways, and for half a second, I’m afraid he’s going to faint, even as a part of me realizes what’s happening. This isn’t a normal speech. This is one of those life-changing ones.

  “Oh shit,” Mav whispers.

  Aidan removes a tissue from his pocket and wipes his brow with a shaky hand. “Sebastian. When we first met, I’m not going to lie, I despised you. I thought you were cocky, arrogant, selfish.” His chest swells on a gasp. My throat tightens. “But somehow, you gave me your heart, and it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, being with you.”

  The murmur starts up again, the air expectant. From the corner of my eye, I notice Maverick’s parents standing together, his mother covering her mouth with her hand.

  Sebastian’s eyes widen. They’re wet.

  “I know we haven’t been together very long,” Aidan continues, “but I want you to know that I will follow you anywhere. To any state, any country. To the top of a mountain or the bottom of the ocean. To the ends of the earth, if it comes to that. I’ll follow you because what I feel for you is so much more than love. It’s a partnership. An unbreakable bond. And I want to share that with you for the rest of our lives.”

  Lowering himself onto one knee, Aidan takes a small velvet box from his pocket and opens it to reveal a simple gold band. “Sebastian Dumont, I love you more than anything, and I’d be the luckiest man in the world if you would do me the honor of being my husband.”

  I feel Maverick’s lips on the back of my neck, his hand seeking mine. Our fingers twine under the table. I watch Sebastian lower himself to his knees with tears tracking down his cheeks, pure love shining from his eyes as he stares into Aidan’s terrified face.

  “Yes,” he cries, bursting into ugly tears. “I love you. Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”

  They kiss, and damn, I’m tearing up too. I look at Mav, whose face is so grave, so serious and earnest. I cup his cheek. No one’s looking at us anyway. “You okay?” I ask.

  “Come with me.”

  Chapter 17

  Maverick

  Across the lawn, into the house, down a hall, up the stairs, turn left, down another hall, to the last room on the right. My bedroom. The place I slept the first three months following Kaylie’s death. When I step into it though, I’m not bombarded by painful memories. I’m needy. My body aches to fill, and to be filled in turn. My lips hunger for August’s.

  As soon as the door’s closed, I shove him against the back and crush my lips against his, sucking at them until his growl reverberates against my tongue. I feel... confused. I could have had what Sebastian and Aidan have with Kaylie, but then I wouldn’t have met Aidan. I wouldn’t feel what I feel now, my body plastered to his and his engorged cock nestled next to mine.

  The thoughts fly out of my mind once August takes control. I love his dominance. I love how he makes my body sing for him. He kneads my lower back and moves down to my ass, squeezing the globes, pulling them apart so air creeps into my crease. My dick gushes precum.

  “Lift your legs,” he murmurs into my mouth, licking heavily against my tongue and suckling it like it’s a popsicle.

  I lift one and hook it above his hip, pushing onto my toes with the other foot. This allows him to grab my other leg and curl it around his waist on the other side. I’m folded around him like a pretzel. My turgid cock pushes against his stomach, and the friction is so good it hurts. I bump and grind against his taut abdomen, my blood buzzing for relief. He catches my whimper in his mouth.

  “That’s good. So good, baby.” With my legs wrapped around his waist, it gives him better access to my ass. He plays with it, slowly stroking my flank, the tips of his fingers diving into the top of my crease. My cheeks clench as pleasure sharpens to a point.

  “I love this ass. Not too big and not too small. The perfect size for my hands.” He hums as he pries my cheeks apart. I feel my hole clench in undeniable anticipation. I’ve never watched gay porn. I know some men like giving anal sex, while other like receiving. And others I’m sure don’t care one way or another. Is that what August wants—to shove his dick in my ass? It sounds uncomfortable.

  I’m not, however, entirely opposed to the idea. I think he would be gentle.

  Or maybe he’d let me try it on him?

  Look at me. Thinking about anal sex. August jerks his mouth away and starts biting my neck. Down, down, down. He latches onto my nipple through the shirt and dampens the fabric as the thread connecting my nipple to my dick snaps taut. A gasp flies from my mouth, and my hips start moving.

  “You like that, do you?” August says around my nipple. He leans back far enough to tug my shirt over my head. “Such beautiful smooth skin.” His hands span my chest. They run around to my back, tracing every vertebra of my spine.

  My breath hitches as the tingles from his gentle touch work their way beneath my skin. I think to lean back against the door, but August walks toward the bed with me wrapped around him, supporting me by the ass. Without breaking contact, he lifts one knee onto the bed and slowly leans forward until my back hits the plush duvet. His weight settles atop mine. A wall of warm heat, soft clothing. His mouth tastes like basil, pineapple from the fruity drink he had a few hours earlier. My legs spread, trying to bring him as close as possible. Our cocks bump and nudge. A shudder claims me.

  “August.” I dig my nails into his shoulders, humping against his lower body. Too many layers of clothing separate us. “Take off your shirt.”

  His laugh is breathless. It’s torture. Everywhere where he touches me is torture. Exquisite pleasure. “You take it off.”

  Ugh. My synapses are misfiring. I yank his shirt up and over, tossing it to the floor. Then my hands find the smoothest, palest, hottest skin. My palms throb at the contact. Freckles darken it at the shoulders and dot up the lean muscle of his arms and torso. August is every inch the athlete.

  “Pants,” I manage to squeeze out.

  “Can’t. Too busy.” He sucks at my lips, then his teeth clash against mine. The kiss rages out of control, like a fire ripping through dry brush and dead leaves. August eats at my mouth in huge bites, like he’s trying to consume me, claim me. Heat pours off his skin. The energy gobbles all the air in the room, even sucking it from my lungs so the only air that’s available to me is what I steal from his mouth.

  A muffled curse sounds as I start undoing his pants by touch alone. Once they’re off, I touch his chest, his waist, the sharp protrusions of his hip bones, the swells of his backside. My fingers crawl into his boxers and cup both his ass cheeks. They’re so firm. Solid. They’re curves, but there’s nothing soft about them. They’re steel. Solid steel.

  “Like what you feel?” he whispers into my ear.

  Argh. His breath is so hot. It tingles. “Yes,” I pant. Without thinking about what I’m doing, I slip a finger into his crease until I touch his hole.

  August stiffens, then a groan erupts from his throat. His cock swells, hardening even more, if that’s possible. He bucks, which in turn makes me thrust into him. Then his hand grasps both of our cocks in one hand, starts rubbing. His fingers barely reach around all of them. The tips of his fingers rest right on my cock vein.
Each rub sends sparks shattering behind my closed eyelids.

  He mumbles something unintelligible and shoves my boxers down, freeing my cock. He does the same to himself. He grabs both of us again, flesh on flesh. The calluses of his fingers scrape and slide and stir my lust like a freaking hurricane. At first it’s slow brushes. Moving down, moving up, swiping his thumb across my cockhead and transferring my precum to his shaft so he can slip and slide both of us. It’s so good. It’s so fucking good and I can’t take it. My jaw pops from how hard I’m clenching my teeth, my body bowing toward his hand like it’s the sun.

  “Harder,” I grit out, biting into his shoulder.

  A soft click. The sound of turned handle. I freeze as the door opens and Kellan sticks his head inside the room.

  His eyes widen as he catches sight of August’s and my compromising position. A beat of silence passes. My heart is pounding. I’m not even sure what to do.

  “Um...” Kellan waggles his fingers. “Hi?” He clears his throat, and I feel my face heat. I fight to need to hide it against August’s throat. If he has to face this embarrassment, then I will too.

  “Sebastian was wondering where you went. I’ll tell him you’re busy.” His eyes drop to August’s boxers. “Nice undies.” Then he shuts the door.

  I groan and press my forehead to August’s shoulder. Why does Kellan always ruin the best moments?

  Sometimes I wish I didn’t have brothers.

  Needless to say, the moment Kellan walked in on us was the moment he let all the air out of the balloon. Cold descends in the wake of his departure. Where’s my shirt? I look around, spot it on the ground a few feet away. Too far away to grab. August avoids my eye.

  “Sorry about that,” he says.

  “What are you sorry for? It’s not your fault he walked in. It’s my fault I forgot to lock the door.” I assumed the news of Sebastian and Aidan’s engagement would distract everyone for a while, allowing August and I to spend some time together. If I were a smarter man, I’d have waited until August and I returned home, but I’m not a smart man when it comes to him. Not even close.