“No worries,” Ricky replied. Ricky placed his hand on the small of Alex’s back and gave him a quick caress, melting Alex from the inside out. There was an unexpected comfort and affection in the small gesture.
The gut ache from the embarrassment of his father had begun to ease when Ty Colle—tall, blond, and obnoxious—sauntered across the lawn toward them. Ty was good-looking, smart, and ambitious. And a total jerk. His parents, both mother and father, were named partners at the largest law firm in the city. They had dated for six months during Alex’s sophomore year of his undergraduate degree, but Alex had ended their relationship. He couldn’t believe his parents invited him. They knew Alex was bringing a date, and it made him feel disrespected.
“Alex,” Ty said, but his attention was focused on Ricky.
“What are you doing here?”
“Don’t be rude.” He flashed Alex a dazzling smile. “Your mother invited me.” He turned back to Ricky. “If I had known the caterers had such delicious staff, I’d have said yes much quicker. Or organized my own private party.”
Groaning, Alex rolled his eyes, and wished he could disappear. Ricky was going to hate him after today.
A bubbly, female voice interrupted the tension. “Oh my god, you must be Ricky!” She put her hand on Ricky’s shoulder as she placed herself between Alex and Ty. “I’d know you anywhere from Alex’s description.”
Alex didn’t know which was worse, Ty accusing Ricky of being the help, or his best friend Catherine Lovette telling Ricky how much Alex talked about him. Ricky was a proud and private man.
Ricky smiled, but Alex could see the flex in his jaw where he gritted his teeth. Fuck!
“Cath,” Alex said, throwing as much caution into his expression as he could.
Her chestnut colored hair was pulled back in a soft ponytail. She brushed at a few loose strands the breeze blew softly around her face. “Lex,” she said, the twinkle of mischief in her blue eyes.
Ricky cleared his throat, and Alex—his nerves stretched tight—jumped. “I’m sorry. This is Catherine.” The only consolation in Catherine’s arrival and her subsequent humiliation of Alex was that Ty had wandered off somewhere else.
“Nice to meet you,” Ricky said charmingly, his expression warm and friendly.
Catherine grinned. “Oh that voice. Alex, you were not exaggerating.” She glanced down at the front of Ricky’s slacks and raised a brow. “Not one single inch…er, bit.”
He made a mental note to never tell Catherine anything ever again. “Ricky, would you like a drink?”
“I think I’d better,” he said with a tight smile. He pointed to a table that had three tubs of beer and wine on ice. “I’ll get it. Do you want beer or wine?”
“Beer,” Alex said, his mouth suddenly dry. He enjoyed wine, but knew Ricky preferred beer, and he didn’t want to come off as more pretentious than his friends and family.
When Ricky walked away, Catherine whistled low and long. “Wow, what a view.”
Alex nudged her. Hard. “Are you trying to make my life hell?”
“I saved you from the big, bad Ty, and this is the thanks I get.”
Catherine had been his best friend since middle school. She had been the first person Alex had come out to. Since then, they didn’t go more than a day or two without texting or talking on the phone. She knew his every secret, his every joy, and his every shame. He never kept anything from her, but he was rethinking the policy hard.
“Nice save. Not,” he finally said. “It was more like out of the frying pan and into the fire.”
He stared across the lawn at Ricky, vigorously chewing the nail on his left index finger.
Cath slapped his hand away from his mouth. “Jesus, Lex. You really have a thing for this guy.” She took his hand in hers, and he felt calmer when she gave it a squeeze. “I’m sorry. I just thought he was for fun. If I had known…”
“He is. I mean, I think that’s all he is. Or at least that’s what I am to him.” He paused, unable to formulate a coherent response that would connect his intellect with his feelings. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “However, I promise to be on my best behavior from now on.”
Alex, as he watched Ricky grab two bottles of ale, worried if Catherine’s promise came too late.
Chapter 7
Ty is a Jerk
Ricky’s black shirt and pants absorbed the July heat and humidity like a sponge. The low hanging sun, nearly under the horizon, did nothing to cool the night off. He’d overdressed for the party. He’d known it the second he’d met Alex at the condo. Alex had dressed in a pair of crisp tan Bermuda shorts, camel colored boat shoes, and a pale pink polo shirt that set off his deep brown eyes. The only thing that had kept Ricky from running away had been the way Alex had looked at him—lustful and longing. Still he wondered, and not for the first time during the afternoon, what the hell had possessed him to come to this party. Two hours in, and other than the cold beer, the perfectly grilled Kansas City strip, and a tasty potato salad, the evening had turned out pretty much the way he had expected. Weird.
Between Alex’s parents snubbing him, Ty—who Ricky assumed Alex had dated at one time or another—thinking he was a waiter, and Alex’s friend Catherine assessing him like a piece of meat, Ricky didn’t think anything else could happen that would make him feel more out of place. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Alex blurting his “doctor” status as if it was an apology. Although, could he really be upset with Alex? After all, he’d picked a long sleeve shirt to hide his tattoos from Alex’s parents—something he never did—because he’d hadn’t wanted to make a bad impression. If he were being truthful, he’d hoped Alex’s parents would like him.
Why did he even care? He wasn’t a “take home to meet the parents” kind of guy. So, again, he wondered about Alex’s motives. Or his own, for that matter. After all, he’d said yes.
At one point, he’d rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and overheard someone talking about his ink. He’d stopped caring at some point what anyone thought about him. He’d spent his life with people making snap judgments of him for one thing or another, and he’d be damned if he’d let Alex’s family and friends make him feel like dirt beneath their designer shoes.
He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. Under it, he’d worn a white, chest-hugging tank, and the cut of it showed every tattoo from his shoulders down. Ricky thought he heard someone gasp, but over the music and the cacophony of talking guests, he couldn’t be sure.
He bunched the shirt up in his hand, and turned to Alex. “Bathroom.”
“It’s inside and down the first hall. Second door on the left.” Alex turned with him. “I’ll show you where.”
Ricky held up his hand. “I’ll find it.” If he didn’t know better, he’d have sniped, “unless you think I’m going to steal the silverware.”
“Okay,” Alex said. Ricky heard a nervous disappointment in Alex’s tone. “It’s no trouble, though.”
“I got it,” he said. He knew his own words were crisp, even angry, but he couldn’t help himself. Again, what the fuck had he been thinking?
He strolled away from Alex without looking back.
The house was just as grand on the inside as it was on the out. Highly polished hardwood floors created a base for a handcrafted kitchen island, high shelves, and forest-green marble counters. The appliances were mirrored. Ricky saw his reflection and paused. He really did look like “the help.” He walked past a few people talking around the center island and avoided eye contact with all of them.
“What a bunch of fucking assholes,” he muttered, opening the first door in the hall. It was a large walk-in coat closet, as deep—at least four feet—as it was wide. He closed it before moving to the next door. The guest bathroom was no less grand than anything else Ricky had seen. It had a smooth, stone floor, buttery-yellow walls, a large five-foot shower in the right corner, a frosted privacy sc
reen in front of the toilet, and a two sink vanity that had the same craftsmanship as the center island in the kitchen. A large mirror took up most of the wall above the sinks.
Ricky set his shirt down on the edge of the counter and turned on the faucet. He ran his fingers under the stream until it was nice and cool. He splashed his face, wishing he didn’t feel so awkward and irritated. On some level, he hoped to find more with Alex than just a physical connection. But this disaster proved that he didn’t have a damned thing in common with him.
Yes, Ricky was an educated man. In a couple of years, he’d even have his own practice. None of that seemed to matter. He’d grown up a poor Irish immigrant, and that was all Alex and his circle would ever see. Thinking he was a stop-gap for Alex and discovering it was true was two different things. He didn’t want to be a temporary solution to a long-term loneliness.
The knowledge made him ache.
After today, he wouldn’t see Alex anymore, even if that meant he had to find another part-time job somewhere. Would he really give up his job? Had Alex really slighted him or was he reading too much into the night? Maybe he’d just start seeing Alex less. He didn’t like the tightness in his chest when he thought about being without him.
Deep in thought, he startled when the door opened unexpectedly. Alex’s friend Ty filled up the frame with his large build. He had short blond hair, a chiseled face, blue eyes, and a muscular build. All American. Much like Tucker Thompson. The revelation made Ricky rigid with anger. This was the kind of guy Alex went for—his ideal man.
Had Ty broke Alex’s heart? Why was he at the party? Did he want Alex back? Ricky wanted to punch his smug face.
“Occupied,” Ricky said, barely glancing Ty’s way.
“Most people would lock the door,” Ty said without any indication he planned to leave.
“That’s why it was shut,” Ricky replied.
Ty stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “Like this,” he said.
Ricky raised a brow, but not his voice. He shook his head at Ty. “Get the fuck out.”
The athletic blond dragged his polo shirt over his head, exposing his well-defined chest and abs. “It’s getting hot, huh?” He moved closer to Ricky.
Ricky froze. His grip on the edge of the sink bleached his knuckles. “Just what do you think is going to happen here?”
Ty closed the short distance between them. He was nearly as tall as Alex, so he leaned down to put his lips near Ricky’s ear. “I’m dying to know what you taste like.” The larger man took that moment to put his hand on Ricky’s crotch. “Wow,” he said, giving Ricky a squeeze. “There is a lot of you to taste. I wondered why Alex was so fascinated with you, but I think I’ve found my answer.”
Ricky felt his ears burn—not from embarrassment, but from sheer fury. He pushed Ty against the wall, pressing his elbow into the guy’s throat. “Keep your hands off me, you dirty fucker,” he said through gritted teeth.
Ty raised his hands in a “no harm, no foul” surrender, and Ricky wanted to wipe the arrogant smirk off his face. This was the kind of man Alex wanted? Well, he could have him. They could have each other.
He grabbed his shirt off the counter and shoved his way past Ty. As he rounded the corner to the kitchen, he could hear Alex and his friend Catherine talking. It made him stop. He wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but he needed a moment to gather his composure. He would insist Alex take him home, and then be done with him.
“Oh, Alex,” he heard Catherine say. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking it was a big mistake to bring him here.”
Ricky’s heart began to race. Alex’s regrets matched his own, and while he’d planned to stop seeing Alex, it still hurt to find out his lover felt the same way.
“How did you think your parents would react?” Cath said.
“I…I don’t know,” Alex replied, defeat in his words. “I guess I hoped they’d both see how important…” His words choked off.
Cath’s voice softened. “You really like this guy?”
Ricky held his breath, bracing for rejection.
“Yes, I do.” Alex’s answer confused Ricky. He kept silent as Alex continued. “Although, he probably thinks I don’t. Especially after the way everyone has behaved.”
“You don’t bring someone you like here, for fuck-sake. It’s like bringing a lion into a clan of hyenas.” Catherine laughed. “And that’s what we are, Alex. Hyenas.”
Ricky understood that she used the “we” inclusively.
Alex’s voice grew low. “He’s going to hate me after this, isn’t he?”
Ricky heard Alex’s mother next. “There you are,” she said. “Where’s your…friend?” The word dropped from her lips like an epitaph.
“I’m not sure,” Alex told her. “I followed him inside…”
She must have seen something in Alex’s expression that Ricky couldn’t from his perch around the corner, because her tone gentled. “What were you thinking?” He question echoed Catherine’s.
Alex’s voice was thick with an emotion. “I guess I thought…Oh, I don’t know what I thought.”
A lump formed in Ricky’s gut. What had Alex thought? Did he believe Ricky would suddenly fit in with his posh crowd? Was it a deal breaker if he couldn’t? The whole thing was fucked up. But Ricky had known. On some level, he’d always known that Alex was out of his league. Still, he’d played along. He’d never had such a physical chemistry with anyone else. Alex, without trying, was everything Ricky could ask for in a lover.
The way they made love—Ricky consciously changed the words in his mind—the way they fucked had given Ricky a small glimmer that there might be more between them. But the blond motherfucker who’d copped a feel in the bathroom was more Alex’s type. Much like Tucker Thompson, Ty “looked” like the kind of guy who would eventually fit in Alex’s life.
Was he really worried Alex would break his heart? The idea astounded him. He’d kept his defenses up. The wall he used to keep people away was firmly in place, but the geeky biologist had managed find a way over it.
“Goddamnit.” He muttered. They had nothing in common. It was supposed to be fun. A way to blow off steam after a crazy schedule. But then, here he was at Alex’s parents. You didn’t meet the parents in a “no strings attached” relationship.
“Why in the world did you invite Ty Colle?” he heard Alex finally say.
“Your father is thinking about switching lawyers.”
“And?”
“And I worry about you. I don’t want you to be alone.”
“Ty is a jerk. Now and then. I broke up with him for a reason.”
“You broke up with him?” Milly sounded surprised. “But why? He’s gorgeous. Did he cheat on you? He didn’t hurt you did he?”
“Jesus, Mom.” Alex’s voice went low. “No, he didn’t cheat on me. He didn’t hurt me either. I couldn’t take the way he treated people. A couple of months around him made me realize how ugly he could be. Did you think he was the one that got away? He wasn’t. I got away from him and never looked back.”
Ty came up behind Ricky and put his hands on his shoulders. “That Alex. Such a flatterer.”
Ricky stepped forward and out of the hall to put space between himself and Ty. The blond moved with him, pressing against Ricky’s back when he entered the kitchen. The look on Alex’s face made Ricky look back at Ty. The guy hadn’t put his shirt back on. Son of a bitch! He knew what it must look like to Alex. With Ricky’s face still damp from the water splashes, and he was still stripped down to his tank top, Alex would certainly think the worst.
He met Alex’s shocked gaze with a carefully blanked expression. He shook his head once at Alex, and then purposefully removed Ty’s hand’s from his shoulders and glanced back at Alex’s ex long enough to say, “Fuck off.” They had a lot to sort out, for good or ill, but it wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have in the middle of Milly’s kitchen with a half do
zen spectators.
Shoulders set, Ricky casually strolled across the floor to Alex, ignoring the look from Alex’s mom. He held out his hand in silent demand and waited for Alex to accept.
He experienced a flash of relief when he felt Alex’s cool fingers slide across his palm.
“We should talk,” Ricky said.
“I think you’re right,” Alex agreed nervously, but he didn’t remove his hand.
Chapter 8
Always
Alex let Ricky lead him around the corner. He refused to even glance at Ty as they passed by the asshole. When Ricky opened the first door, Alex jerked to a stop. “Not the closet,” he said.
Ricky’s mouth tugged into a sinful smile, but he nodded.
The first time they’d had sex had been in a closet, and while it had been hot enough to set off the fire alarms, Alex’s fear of tight spaces hadn’t improved since the encounter.
“I know a place where we can have some privacy.”
Alex led Ricky up two flights of stairs into a hall. He opened the door at the end. The room had white carpet and gray walls that darkened as they graduated into a midnight blue ceiling. The decor was simple. A desk, two dressers, an armoire, and two nightstands, along with a queen size bed against the right interior wall—all of them in various whites and light grays. As a teenager, he’d designed the room himself. An homage to his geeked-out youth.
If Ricky didn’t already know what a nerd Alex was, the bedroom would leave no doubt.
Alex gulped when Ricky’s gaze settled on him.
“Nothing happened between me and that shit head.”
“I know,” Alex replied, much to his own surprise. For whatever reason, he hadn’t doubted Ricky.
Ricky interpreted his words differently. “You don’t think someone like that would hit on someone like me?”
“That’s not what I meant.” Alex shook his head. “Of course, Ty would hit on you. You’re sexy as hell. I just don’t believe you’d go for someone like him. At least I hope not.”
“Oh.” Ricky moved closer to Alex. “Why did you invite me here to your parents? I don’t understand what you were trying to accomplish.”
The Sparkler - Gin Rickey 2 Page 3
