Ash was, for once, left momentarily speechless, but Chase had it covered with a low, pained, “Jesus fuckingChrist.”
With nothing else to say, Ash pulled Spencer’s arm tighter around himself and smirked pointedly at whoever happened to be looking.
“Possessive,” Ryder commented mildly.
Ash was, but it didn’t seem to bother Spencer any, so he’d stopped getting in his own head about it. For that matter, Spencer wasn’t only unbothered, but he got kinda giddy about it, like Ash wanting to claim him publicly was something amazing rather than obnoxious.
With that in mind, Ash stole a kiss before settling back in. He was rewarded with a beaming smile in return.
All of which happened to be in time for Noah’s arrival. “Boooo,” he hazed cheerfully as he took a seat next to Chase. “Is this what I’m gonna have to see every day?”
Ash gave him a look. “Yes, and if you make Spencer feel bad about it, I’ll tell Mom and Dad you were the one who dented their minivan in high school.”
Noah frowned. “But I didn’t.Youdid.”
“The threat stands.” Ash bared his teeth in a bitchy little grin. “We’re in love. Suck it.”
Spencer stiffened next to him, though he didn’t move his arm off Ash’s shoulder. “Um. We’re in love?”
Ash leaned back to look at him. What the fuck kind of question was that? “Obviously.”
Noah laughed loudly. “Oh fuck. Ash, tell me this isn’t your first declaration.” Ash shot a scowl his way, and Noah tsked. “Clearly, as your big brother, I failed to impart anything about romance. Jesus.”
Spencer kicked lightly at Noah’s chair. “Hey, he’s doing fine.”
Noah kicked him right back, and Ash zoned out in a daze as they battled in the background. His chest felt kind of tight and weird, and his cheeks were hot. Because yeah, he was probably supposed to say that shit in private the first time, wasn’t he? Not out in public while baiting his own brother.
Ash didn’t have any experience with all this, was the thing. He and Ryder had justknown, the whole love thing unspoken but obvious. And Ash had done his big declaration with Spencer, hadn’t he? Maybe he’d forgotten to slip the actual L-word in there, but he’d mentioned playing for keeps. Why would anyone play for keeps with someone who didn’t have their fucking heart already? That would be stupid.
But still. Maybe he should have mentioned it sometime in the past few weeks. “Here’s your breakfast burrito. I love you.” Or something like that.
Ash was lost in the self-recrimination until he felt a soft, warm pressure on the back of his hand. He looked up to find Spencer pressing a kiss to it, blue eyes shining. And then Ryder’s foot was hooking around Ash’s ankle, solid and reassuring.
Ash relaxed back under Spencer’s arm. Right. It only had to make sense to the three of them. To Ash and the two people who were now his world.
Everyone else could, as Ash had clearly stated, suck it.
25
SPENCER
Spencer squirmed as he clutched desperately at the blankets underneath him.
“Ryder,” he whined.
Ryder didn’t answer at first. Although, that was probably because he was too busy sticking his tongue in Spencer’s hole and licking around his own spread fingers. The man had his priorities straight.
Ryder’s strong, calloused digits were anything but small, and he was already up to three. He twisted them, stroking mercilessly against Spencer’s walls, and Spencer’s whole body went molten, his elbows threatening to give way and send him crashing down to the floor.
“Ryder.”
Ryder lifted his head with a grunt of reluctance, like Spencer’s desperation was a distraction from his task. His free hand was kneading at Spencer’s ass, turning the muscle there to butter.
Spencer sucked in air and tried to remember what he’d been going to ask.
And then there was hot breath on Spencer’s hole again, like Ryder was already planning to dive back in. Spencer hurried to plead his case. “You have to fuck me,” he begged in a breathless pant. “Like, right now.”
Ryder hummed doubtfully, twisting his fingers again, making Spencer’s overfull and aching cock buck uselessly in the air. “You said you hadn’t been knotted before.”
