"I didn't know until I met you." Mitch then tried to explain himself. "My life was Sammy and worrying about money, struggling to raise her by myself. I guess I didn't leave any room for asking myself what I wanted or needed." And not in a million years would he guess that it was Enrico.
He never thought he could be so wrapped up in anyone, but now he knew what Ellie was talking about when she refused to marry him and told him about all the things they didn't feel for each other. She knew what kind of depths and heights waited for him, but until now Mitch had no idea. All the things he felt for Enrico right now, that's what Ellie wanted.
Mitch never imagined how frightening it would be. This terrible need for Enrico was growing stronger all the time. It was like he couldn't be away from him and be happy.
Mitch could almost see Ellie smirking at him knowingly and hear her gloating. "What did I tell you? Packs a mean punch, doesn't it?"
As the evening wore on and the world around them grew dark, Mitch and Enrico found themselves in a pool of dim light. Mitch wondered what was next, maybe a drive in the moonlight.
Their level of the deck had a wooden stairway down to the river. After they were done with their dinner, Enrico pointed to it. "Let's go down there and see where those stairs will take us."
They went down together and the stairway led to the water's edge where a skiff bobbed gently on the small waves. From there a wooden walkway ran alongside the river.
As they strolled over it, Enrico bounced on the wood planks. "This was laid down just for us." A few steps later he pronounced, "Everything here is ours. The moon, the river, the other moon in the river."
Mitch laughed at him. "Anyone would think you're drunk."
"I kind of feel that way," Enrico said. "I never thought this could happen. A date with you. A real date. I love every minute of this and I want you to know it." He threw his arms around Mitch and kissed him.
They kissed for a while then Mitch held him, breathed him in and warned him, "Just don't try to take me skinny dipping again."
"You loved it."
"I did," he admitted and took Enrico's hand as they continued their stroll.
Walking under the pine trees that grew along the river's edge, they sometimes found themselves in total darkness. In just such a spot, Mitch pulled Enrico to a stop so he could kiss him again and make him feel all the things he couldn't put into words.
Chapter 33
By the time they ended their walk, it was late and Rico couldn't wait to be alone with Mitch. Rico could hardly keep his hands off him as he drove.
As soon as they were in front of the house, Rico was all over him. They kissed in the car, in the driveway, on the porch and crashed through the front door in each other's arms.
Too deep into the kiss to stop or even to take a breath, they couldn't make it up the stairs. Finally they pulled apart so they could rush upstairs and to Mitch's bedroom.
Kissing again, they pushed the bedroom door closed with their bodies. For a while they stayed there with Mitch pressing him into the door as Rico groped his gorgeous physique.
For a long moment, Mitch stared at him wordlessly and his blue eyes raked Rico's body. Pinning him with his fierce gaze, Mitch dragged his hand down Rico's throat and started undoing the buttons of his shirt.
Too impatient to let Mitch strip him in peace, Rico wanted more of him right now. A fistful of his t-shirt in one hand, Rico pulled him closer so he could keep kissing Mitch while he was stripping him.
Mitch yanked the shirt off him then gripped the back of his neck to bring him in for a deeper kids. Pushing his other hand down the back of his jeans, rubbing up and down the crack of his ass, Mitch teased him. At the sensation, Rico moaned around Mitch's tongue and pushed into him, grinding, needing him.
Mitch swung him around them pushed him toward the bed. Rico toed off his shoes and saw Mitch do the same. Mitch's shirt was off in a flash and then he lifted Rico by the backs of his thighs and threw him on the bed.
Rico laughed and got even harder than he already was. Hurriedly he unbuttoned and unzipped his fly. He was going to get out of his jeans, but Mitch was faster and ripped then down his legs.
"Yours too," Rico demanded as he started to take his own boxers off.
"You're wearing red boxers," Mitch noticed as he unzipped.
In the throes of arousal, Rico kind of forgot that. "Oh, yeah."
"Don't touch them," Mitch ordered him. "I'm taking then off you."
"Yes, sir," Rico said and pulled his hands away.
"Now you're just being bad," Mitch told him.
