Don't Read in the Closet: Volume Four (58 page)

his actions, no matter what feelings he had for the man.

The tingling fragrance of lavender assaulted Rylan’s nose when he

neared the mostly-closed bathroom door. He hesitated, the bedroom

was only a few feet away, and he silently willed himself to just walk

on past the alluring scent of flowers and warm steam that wrapped

around him and snuggled him close. He snuck a quick peek through

the gap, dipping his head and knowing this was a battle he wasn’t

going to win.

“Still mad?” Gage’s sultry voice echoed in the bathroom. “I’m

sure I can make it up to you, babe.”

Rylan pushed the door the rest of the way open and sucked his

bottom lip between his teeth to tamp down his amusement. Though

the haze of the steam, Gage grinned at him from the over-sized tub,

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his entire body covered in water and bubbles right up to his neck. One

arm rested on the edge of the tub, a beer bottle grasped between his

fingers while his other arm moved slowly over himself under the

water. His eyeliner was smeared in a well-fucked kind of way, his lips

red, used, inviting. The whole scene was sexual and heated, the image

straight out of a cheesy porn movie except for….

“What’s with the stupid hat?” Rylan asked. He moved closer to

the tub, stopping a few feet away and hoisting himself up onto the

countertop, pulling off his fingerless gloves and tossing them beside

him.

Gage grinned wider and tipped his head to the side. “How fucking

old are you, man? Don’t remember the birthday hats we all wore

when we were kids?”

“I know I never wore one like that. Is there a reason you’re

wearing it in the tub?” Gage was not going to get under his skin.

Rylan could be strong. He could do this. He could spill his guts to

Gage and handle whatever the outcome may be or… he could keep

things just the way they were and be happy with them.

“Because it’s your birthday, dude.”

“Gage…” Rylan hissed. He knew Gage prided himself on pulling

the wool over everyone’s eyes so they thought he was just some

addle-brained rocker, but Rylan knew the truth. Gage had an I.Q. that

could stun the brightest scientist. He’d been accepted into three major

universities after high school, full scholarships, full rides, but he’d

went with his dream of forming a band, traveling the world and

sharing his gifted voice and stage presence with everyone who was

willing to listen. Rylan was glad he chose the path he did, glad he

chose him to take that journey, but that did not mean he’d let Gage get

away with playing dumb with him.

“Come on, babe. You love the bubbles as much as I do. Come

on… take a dip.”

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 340

Rylan couldn’t control the lopsided grin that took over his face.

He shook his head and huffed out a chuckle. “If your fans could only

see their hot, manly, sex-on-legs leader covered in smelly lavender

bubbles, surrounded by romantic candles and wearing a pink birthday

tiara on his head.”

“Don’t forget the little surprise under the water,” Gage teased,

arching his body, the head of his dick grazing the top of the water.

“Bet they’d already be in the tub with me.”

Rylan dipped his head, swinging his legs back and forth under the

counter, fingertips gripping the marble countertop as he sought the

words he wanted to say.

“Uh oh. Something tells me this little fella’s gonna have to wait.

What’s going on, Ry?”

Rylan took a big breath and looked up at Gage. “You slept with a

teenager. You trying to get yourself arrested, man?”

“What? How can you even think that?” Gage’s voice was high

with disbelief but he quickly recovered, smiling gently at Rylan.

“Come on, Ry. Jump in here and we’ll talk. I promise.”

“No,” Rylan insisted, lowering his eyes to settle on his thighs.

“This is serious, Gage.”

“I didn’t fuck him.”

“Don’t lie to me. He’s totally your type and I saw how happy he

was when he left.”

“He used to be my type… with a few years added on.” Gage

smirked but continued. “But he was only a messenger, babe. Just a fan

doing me a favor.”

“Is that what you call it now?” Rylan hissed. He wanted to believe

Gage, he really did, but the facts just seemed to speak for themselves.

A sudden whoosh of water filled the uncomfortable silence of the

bathroom and Gage was standing in front of Rylan; soaking wet, suds

dripping off his body as he ran his soapy hands up Rylan’s thighs and

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 341

pressed his against his chest. “I. Didn’t. Fuck. Him,” Gage repeated.

“But, man, you were pissed before he even got here. Wanna tell me

what your problem was?”

Rylan tried to shove Gage away but the slippery body kept him

pinned to the counter and he didn’t try that hard anyhow. Gage

smelled so good, looked so good wet and smeared and wanting him.

They stood that way for what seemed like a lifetime, staring into each

other’s eyes, neither moving an inch, neither giving in to the other. It

was a common standoff in their relationship, a pissing contest,

something they often did just to see who would pussy-out first, who

would come out on top, so to speak.

Rylan blinked first, his primal instinct kicking in, not to mention

lust and need, and the fact Gage was butt fucking naked and smelled

good enough to eat. The whole situation was just too strong for him to

ignore. He wrapped a hand behind Gage’s head, fingers digging hard

into the back of his neck, pulling him forward and crushing their

mouths together. Gage tasted like beer and lavender and sweet

peppermint candies, the ones he wouldn’t admit he was hopelessly

addicted to, the ones he always kept a supply of in the pockets of all

his jackets and pants.

Gage returned the pressure, flicking his tongue over the crease of

Rylan’s lips then pushing roughly inside. Rylan groaned when Gage

palmed the bulge between his legs, his cock rising to the occasion,

filling quickly beneath Gage’s teasing, expert touch. Gage’s other

hand skimmed up Rylan’s torso, pausing in the center of his chest,

fingers moving to circle and flirt with his peaked nipples.

Rylan suddenly couldn’t breathe. He pulled away, gripping the

sides of Gage’s head, thumbs caressing the sensitive spots behind his

ears. “Why do you do this to me?” he hissed between gulps of much-

needed air.

Gage smirked and pressed harder against Rylan’s crotch, short

fingernails scratching over the top of Rylan’s briefs. “Make you

horny?” his voice rumbled.

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 342

“Make me crazy,” Rylan answered.

“You’re the one who’s teasing,” Gage said, leaning in for a quick

kiss and brushing their noses together. “I didn’t have sex with the kid.

His mother was waiting in the car for Christ’s sake.”

“Then what….”

Gage mouth dropped open and his eyes grew wide. He planted a

firm hand on Rylan’s chest and stepped back. “Wait there. Don’t

move a muscle or you’ll be totally punished.”

“What if I want to be punished?” Rylan called after him as he

watched Gage’s beautiful naked ass leave the bathroom. Yeah, he

really wanted to fuck that ass before the night was over. But the

situation hadn’t, and wouldn’t, resolve itself, would it?

He knew he wasn’t doing a bang-up job of explaining himself, his

actions and his reaction to Hunter but maybe, just maybe, he could

just drop it for now. The last thing he wanted to do was lose Gage

because then the whole point of being in love with him… oh God,

there he’d said it, or at least admitted it to himself. He was in love

with Gage, pretty sure it had been that way for a while, probably

throughout most of their relationship but for some reason it seemed

more real to him now, more demanding and important to get out in the

open. He didn’t think Gage felt the same way, at least not in the I’m-

in-love-with-you-and-don’t-want-to-fuck-anyone-else-anymore way.

No, they had something good going, something good together and

with the band, something that could be destroyed if Rylan made the

wrong choice in admitting his love for his best friend. He reached for

the key card that he’d set on the counter beside him and wondered

again what the red lipsticked heart that had been scrawled on the card

meant. Just another one of Gage’s teases, one of his sneaky tricks to

get Rylan to forgive him, to come back to the room and have his way

with him. The reasoning wasn’t really that important anyway since it

had obviously worked.

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 343

“Close your eyes!” Gage called out from the other room. “Don’t

peek or I’ll kick your birthday boy ass!”

“I’d really prefer you spank it.” Rylan chuckled to himself, the

key card forgotten in his hand as he closed his eyes and leaned his

head back to rest on the mirror. “You better not have any more jailbait

hidden in here, Gage, or it’s your ass that’ll be getting whooped.”

He heard Gage’s throaty laugh, the soft padding of feet on the

bathroom floor, then by Gage joined him on the counter. A strange

hissing sound filled the room and Rylan’s face was suddenly hot.

“Open ‘em,” Gage whispered inches from Rylan’s face.

Rylan gasped a little when he saw the lit sparkler staring him in

the face, not only because it was fucking hot, but because it was

attached to what he hoped was the most beautiful food known to man.

“Is that…”

“A red velvet cupcake flown in from your favorite place in L.A.

and specially designed by moi.” Gage grinned from ear to ear.

Rylan returned the grin, looking adoringly into Gage’s excited

eyes. “You had one cupcake sent from L.A.? That’s what the kid

brought?”

Gage nodded, moving the sparkler away from Rylan’s face and

plucking it out of the cake. “Unfortunately, you can’t blow this sucker

out but you can still make a wish. Do it, man!”

Rylan studied Gage as he whisked the sparkler through the air,

making intricate designs with it then tossing it into the sink. He closed

his eyes and paused a moment. He knew what he wanted to wish for,

but this, this right here, was just about as perfect as anything he could

ask for.

“Done?” Gage asked. “You didn’t check out my superior design

work yet.”

Opening his eyes again, Rylan smiled at his lover. He looked

down at the cupcake, surprised to find something simple drawn in the

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 344

icing. “A heart? That’s your big designer career move?” He chuckled

and lifted a hand to ruffle Gage’s blond spikes, the ones that were still

accessible behind the pretty tinfoil tiara. “I think you can take this off

now.”

Gage made a disgruntled sound and jumped from the counter,

returning seconds later with a matching pink crown in his hands. “I

forgot to give you yours.”

Rylan shook his head and ducked away from Gage’s intended

crowning. “I’m thirty-five years old, Gage. I’m not wearing a fucking

princess tiara.”

The grin never left Gage’s face as he reached up and secured the

glittery tiara on Rylan’s head. “That’s why you should wear it, man.

You’re not getting any younger. You gotta enjoy your childishness

while it lasts.” He laughed out loud, obviously enjoying his little quips

way more than Rylan was.

“You keep forgetting that eventually you’re gonna be my age, too.

Then you better watch out.”

Gage stopped laughing, cocked his head to the side, and made a

dramatic show of counting on his fingers. Rylan gave him a little

shove to his smooth chest. “I’ve got…” Gage said, tongue sticking

between his lips in concentration. “Five, no six years until I catch up

but then, of course, you’ll still be way older.”