by Rachel Reid
“Nah. Brooklyn. Born and raised.”
“Ah. I’m from upstate. Rochester.”
Kip smiled a little. “I know.”
“Right. I, uh, I guess my life is kind of public knowledge.”
“Kind of,” Kip said, and, feeling brave, added, “but I’ll bet you have some secrets.”
Scott turned pink. It was cute. He fiddled with the straw in his soda cup until it seemed to inspire his next question. “Have you worked at Straw Plus Berry long?”
“Um, actually,” Kip said, feigning offense, “it’s pronounced Straw and Berry, so...”
Scott put up his hands and grinned. “Sorry! Didn’t mean to insult you.”
“That’s okay.” Kip sighed dramatically. “I’m sure people get your team name wrong all the time.”
Scott shook his head, still smiling. “Do you like it? Working there, I mean?”
Kip actually laughed at that. “It’s all right. I mean...no. I don’t really like it.”
“Is there something else you would rather be doing?”
“Of course! I just don’t know what that is yet. I mean, I have a history degree.”
“No kidding? I never finished college.”
Kip gave him a gentle smirk again. “I know.”
“Right.”
“Did you want to? Finish college, I mean?”
Scott seemed surprised by the question. “I... Yes. I did. I wanted to finish. To graduate. My mom... She would have liked that. And I enjoyed the classes. I’ve always liked learning.”
“What were you studying?”
“A little bit of everything. I couldn’t commit to a major, and I didn’t need to. The school didn’t care what I took, just as long as I performed on the ice.”
Kip felt a little sad for him. “Must be weird,” he said. “Everyone’s wanted a piece of you since you were a teenager. Probably never felt like your life was your own.”
Scott looked stunned.
Kip turned red—he’d crossed a line. “Sorry. Jesus, forget I said that, all right? I don’t even know you—”
“No!” Scott said. “That’s... It did feel like that. I don’t want to complain, obviously, but. Yeah.”
“You’re allowed to complain.”
Scott smiled at him. “I’m really not. It would get me despised by everyone.”
“Well, you can complain to me.”
The way Scott looked at him then, Kip would never forget it. If they were alone, and if he were someone else and Scott were someone else, he would have expected Scott to lunge across the table and haul him into a hungry kiss.
Instead, burgers were placed in front of them by a server and the moment was gone.
As they ate, Scott’s eyes darted around the small restaurant, and it occurred to Kip that he had never taken his winter hat off.
“Worried you’ll get recognized?” Kip asked.
“Not worried. I’m just...hoping I won’t. Not right now.” Scott picked up his burger, then put it down without taking another bite. He fiddled with his straw again.
He finally sighed, and turned his eyes up to meet Kip’s. “It’s just nice. Doing this.”
“Hanging out with someone?”
“With you.”
Kip was speechless. And Scott looked absolutely tortured. His eyes were pleading with Kip to understand him. To not make him spell it out.
“Oh,” is what Kip finally said.
Scott’s face relaxed a bit. “Um, I’m not...good at this,” he said. “It’s important to me to keep my private life private, and that’s increasingly hard to do. So I don’t ever...”
“Pick up guys?”
Scott flushed a little. Kip loved it. “Yeah.”
Kip could not believe that this thing that he had been trying not to pretend was a date was actually a date. It was unreal. But suddenly he didn’t want to eat another bite of his stupid burger. He wanted to get Scott Hunter somewhere private and let him slam Kip against a wall.
He decided to be bold.
“Is there somewhere we can go?” he asked in a low voice.
“Yeah,” Scott said, his voice huskier than it had been a second ago. His eyes a little darker.
Kip wasn’t naive. He knew what this was. Hunter wasn’t out, and he had to get his action as discreetly as possible. Nothing serious or long-term; he just needed to get off, and Kip was more than happy to help him with that. He was honored that Scott felt he could trust him to keep a secret, really.
“Let’s go,” Kip said.
Chapter Five
They dumped the rest of their dinners into the garbage cans and walked out, saying nothing to each other. Scott pulled his phone out when they were outside, calling some sort of car service.
“Should be here in a minute or two,” he said after he hung up.
Kip just nodded, buzzing with anticipation.
The car arrived, a black SUV, and they slid into the leather seats behind the partition. Scott sat straight upright with his hands on his knees, not looking at Kip at all. His fingers flexed and curled restlessly.
Kip placed his hand on one of Scott’s thighs, feeling the solid muscle under the smooth fabric of his suit pants. He didn’t move his hand, but let it rest there as a reassuring presence.
Scott glanced at Kip’s hand, then turned to meet his eyes.
“I can keep a secret,” Kip said, almost a whisper because he wasn’t sure if the driver could hear them. “And I promise I’ll make it good for you.”
“I know.” Scott placed his own hand over Kip’s and tangled their fingers. He pressed his lips together, like he was trying to suppress a smile. Like he was giddy about this. About Kip.
Fucking incredible.
The car took them to a newer building in the Lower East Side. Kip was surprised. He had expected something... Well, he knew it had to be near Straw+Berry, but...in a fancier neighborhood, maybe? But, he supposed, every neighborhood in Manhattan was getting fancy these days, and this looked like a brand-new building.
It was also, clearly, a very expensive building. The lobby reminded Kip of the room that housed the Egyptian temple at the Met—vast and serene, with marble everywhere. Scott led them to the elevator and typed in a code. When the doors opened, they were right in front of Scott’s door; there were no other units on the floor. Scott typed in another code and opened the door. They were met with a floor-to-ceiling view of the lights of Brooklyn across the East River.
“Holy shit,” Kip murmured, walking, trancelike, toward the windows.
Scott left the lights of the apartment off. He stood behind Kip and said, “The view was definitely a selling point.”
“Geez, yeah.”
Scott’s hand was on Kip’s shoulder. Kip waited a beat, then turned to face him. The lights of the city played against Scott’s face in the dark. His brow was furrowed, like he was arguing with himself, but his eyes kept landing on Kip’s mouth.
Kip decided to take the plunge.
Grabbing a handful of Scott’s hoodie, he pulled him down and pressed their lips together. Scott responded immediately with a hungry groan. He parted his lips, then placed his hands on Kip’s face as he pushed his tongue into his mouth, kissing him like a starving man. Like he hadn’t been with anyone in ages...
Kip kissed back, exploring Scott’s mouth. Tasting him for the first time. Kip’s head swam. I can’t believe this is happening.
Scott unzipped Kip’s parka and slid it off his arms, letting it fall to the floor. His hands fell to Kip’s waist and slipped up under his T-shirt. Kip shivered at the sensation of Scott’s large, callused hands brushing over his skin.
They kissed for what felt like forever in the dark apartment, until Kip finally asked, breathlessly, “You got a bedroom?”
“Yeah.” Scott laughed when he said
it. He sounded nervous, but he gestured for Kip to follow him.
He led him through a doorway that revealed a giant bedroom with an even better view of the Brooklyn Bridge than the living room. There was a California king-size bed against the far wall. Aside from that, the room was sparsely decorated, but masculine and impressive.
Scott kept the lighting dim in the room. He smiled shyly before he pulled the souvenir hoodie off over his head and tossed it onto a chair. The white T-shirt he still wore was stretched tight across his chest.
“Is this...okay?” Scott asked. “I’m sorry if I’m... I don’t do this very often.”
“It’s really fucking okay,” Kip said, stepping toward Scott and placing one hand on his ridiculous biceps. “Let me take care of you. You can just be Scott from Rochester tonight, all right?”
Scott looked at him with so much gratitude, it was heartbreaking. Then his gaze went to where Kip’s hand was on his arm, and his gratitude quickly turned to something else. Scott kissed him, hard, and lifted Kip’s T-shirt. Kip took the hint and stepped back to pull his shirt off. Scott did the same, and good god...
Kip had seen pictures of Scott. Had even seen some shirtless locker-room interviews. But seeing Scott standing in front of him, a wall of muscle and smooth, pale skin...
“Fuck,” Kip muttered.
Mesmerized, he watched the rise and fall of Scott’s massive chest as he breathed. Then he saw that Scott was staring at Kip’s naked chest the same way. As if Kip was even in the same league. Sure, Kip kept in shape. He went to the gym whenever he had time. But Scott was...
“You are gorgeous,” Scott said.
Scott was impressed, apparently.
Kip grinned and bit his bottom lip as he walked backward toward the bed. Scott returned the grin and followed, stopping at the end of the bed as Kip fell back onto the mattress. Kip propped himself up on his elbows and gazed up at Scott in a manner that he hoped was seductive.
“What do you want to do with me?” Kip drawled.
“I don’t know. I’ve... There are a lot of things I’ve thought about.”
Kip’s mouth dropped open and his cock got uncomfortably harder in his pants. Scott has been thinking about this. With me!
He instructed himself to keep his cool. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and he’d be damned if he was going to fuck it up.
“Pick your favorite,” he said. “Or, hell, pick your top ten. I’ve got plenty of time.”
Scott moved quickly, covering Kip’s body with his own as he took his mouth again. Kip kissed him back eagerly. He couldn’t get enough of Scott’s mouth, and he wanted Scott to know how much he wanted this. He wanted him to feel confident to do whatever he’d been fantasizing about.
When Scott placed a firm hand on Kip’s crotch, gripping his erection through the denim, Kip groaned into his mouth. He jerked his hips up and pressed into Scott’s palm. Yes. Please. Touch me everywhere.
Scott broke their kiss and looked down at him with wild eyes.
“Do it,” Kip breathed. “Whatever you’re thinking. Please.”
Kip leaned forward to kiss him again, but Scott was already moving down his body. His big hands quickly unfastened Kip’s jeans and hauled them down to his thighs. Kip didn’t even have a chance to react before Scott was mouthing him through his underwear.
“God! Fuck!” Kip cried out, partly out of surprise and partly because Scott Hunter’s beautiful mouth felt so fucking good. He stayed propped on his elbows so he could watch, because holy shit.
Perhaps encouraged by Kip’s enthusiasm, Scott tugged the waistband of his briefs down, freeing Kip’s erection. He lowered his lips to the head, then glanced up at Kip as if he was asking permission. Kip nodded, and murmured, “Yes, please.”
When Scott wrapped those plush lips around him, enveloping his cock in delicious wet heat, it was all Kip could do to stop himself from thrusting up into his mouth. The only thing that stopped him was his assumption that Scott probably didn’t have a whole lot of experience sucking cock. Not that he was bad at it. He was just a bit frantic, working his mouth on Kip’s cock like they were in an alley instead of Scott’s home—like he was worried someone might walk in on them at any moment and stop them.
“Hey,” Kip said, a little choked, “it’s all right. No need to hurry—you, fuck, you might wanna slow down if you want me to last.”
The tension seemed to leave Scott’s shoulders as he slowed his tongue. He was making gorgeous noises, as if he was the one being sucked off instead of the other way around, but he would have to stop soon or Kip would be done. The whole scene was too fucking much.
Kip placed a hand on the side of Scott’s face, and Scott looked up, lips still stretched wide around him.
“What do you want?” Kip asked.
Scott’s mouth slid off Kip’s cock with a long, obscene drag of his tongue, and Kip’s eyes rolled back. Jesus. Scott could say literally anything right now and Kip would be down with it.
“I want you to fuck me,” Scott said.
“You do?” Kip was certainly down for whatever, but he’d just sort of assumed that the captain of an NHL team might be kind of...toppy.
“Yeah,” Scott said with a shy smile. “Is that okay? It’s...it’s what I’ve been thinking about the most.”
Kip made a mental note to stop making assumptions about the preferred sexual positions of giant, muscular star athletes. “Fuck yes, it’s definitely okay.”
Scott grinned.
“Get those pants off.” Kip could not wait to see all of Scott.
Scott stood and seemed to take him in. Sprawled out on the bed, pants pulled down to mid-thigh, and erect cock wet with Scott’s spit, Kip imagined he was quite the picture.
“You too,” Scott said finally, voice strained. “Get your clothes off.”
Kip quickly removed his sneakers, pants, underwear, and socks, and lay back on the bed, watching Scott.
Scott turned away from Kip as he bent to rid himself of the last of his clothing, giving Kip a great view of his incredible ass. He watched the muscles ripple as Scott tugged his socks off. His eyes trailed down Scott’s solid thighs, pale as the rest of him but covered in dark blond hair. He was so strong, so masculine. He was everything Kip had ever dreamed about, almost too perfect to be real.
When he was completely undressed, Scott turned to face the bed.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Kip breathed.
Scott huffed a laugh, as if he was relieved that Kip liked what he saw. Which was ridiculous.
He stretched himself out on the bed beside Kip and brought their mouths together again. Kip had been expecting more of the same urgency, but the way Scott was kissing him now was so tender, like he was savoring him, and Kip lost himself in it.
“God, your mouth,” Scott murmured.
Kip smiled against Scott’s lips. “I can do other things with it too.”
He needed to taste every inch of Scott. He might not get another chance.
Scott caught Kip’s bottom lip between his teeth, then released him and whispered, “Show me.”
Kip did not need to be told twice. He rolled Scott onto his back and straddled his massive thighs.
“Fuck, you’re enormous,” Kip said.
“Well, I’m very turned on right now.”
Kip laughed. “I meant all of you, but yeah. That thing is impressive too.”
He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Scott’s collarbone. Scott gasped and arched up, so Kip let his mouth travel down his body, licking the curves of his muscles on his chest and stomach, and along the line of his absurdly defined obliques. The path led him to Scott’s cock, which was swollen and begging for attention. Kip ignored it and moved back up to Scott’s mouth.
“Bastard,” Scott growled, but he kissed Kip wildly.
As an apology, Ki
p moved his hips so their cocks slid against each other. Scott moaned his approval. “Christ, yes.”
Kip repeated the motion a few more times, then pressed a hand on Scott’s chest, and sat up. “Lube?”
“Yeah. Just a sec.”
Kip dismounted so Scott could roll and reach into the nightstand drawer. He handed the small bottle to Kip.
“Top shelf,” Kip commented, examining the label.
“I like to spend big on important things,” Scott said dryly.
Kip reached for Scott’s cock, stroking it slowly and getting it slick and shiny. Scott’s abdominal muscles flexed as he writhed on the bed while Kip caressed his balls and tugged at them gently. Scott swore quietly and arched his back. Kip smiled.
He stroked two slick fingers over Scott’s hole, and the NHL all-star whimpered.
“Yes, fuck... God, it’s been too long. Too fucking long...”
Kip stroked Scott’s cock with one hand as he teased his rim with the other. “No one else,” he murmured. “Just you and me in this room. Nothing outside that door. Nothing matters but making each other feel good, all right?”
“Yes.” Scott didn’t so much say it as exhale it. All of his muscles seemed to loosen a bit. His eyes closed, his beautiful long lashes resting against his cheekbones. “Gonna make you feel so good, Kip. Can’t wait until you’re inside me.”
“Me neither. Gonna fuck you like this, I think. You on your back. I wanna see you. Wanna make you come all over that gorgeous body of yours.”
“God, yes.” Scott sounded a million miles away.
By the time Kip had worked a third finger into him, Scott was breathing hard and his cock was leaking.
“You’re so fucking stunning,” Kip told him.
“Then fuck me,” Scott growled.
“Condom?”
Scott answered by reaching into the drawer again and tossing a condom at him. Kip rolled it on as fast as fucking possible before lining himself up.
He pushed in slowly, and kept a hand on Scott’s cock, gently stroking as he entered him. Scott’s face gave no indication of pain. Of course not. He was a tough guy. An athlete. A guy who got stitches on the bench and was back on the ice next shift. He could take it.