Page 20 of See My Words

“By all means,” he said mockingly, making a sweeping “go on” gesture.

“Okay, yes. If Chris offered, I thought about going home with him tonight,” Rylan said, his tone blunt. “I like him.”

Scott gulped. “You mean you aren’t—fucking him yet? I thought—” The sudden relief blasting through him made him nauseous.

Rylan poked him again. “Nope. Well, we’ve made out a few times,” he allowed. “Enough for me to know sex with him will be amazing.”

Scott tensed again as a red haze descended before his eyes, and he growled, “No, it won’t.”

“Oh, yes, it will,” Rylan shot back. “I’m more than ready. He’s ready.”

He was so near now, Scott could count the freckles on his nose. A sudden desire to map them with his lips swept over him, the wave of pure longing making his nipples tingle, his cock thicken. “So are you telling me Chris is relationship material?” He thought he’d choke.

Rylan nodded. “Maybe not now. There’s a lot going on in both our lives, but someday? Definitely. He’s handsome and smart and funny. He makes me laugh. Why not see where it leads?”

Scott scowled. “Why not indeed?” he forced out. “I guess I should let you go back in there if that’s the case. So you can go dance with him. Have sex with him.” The images that invoked made him want to punch a wall.

“Yeah, I guess you should.” Rylan paused before taking yet another step closer. “Well, unless you have a really compelling reason”—another step—“for me not to go back in? Like a better offer, maybe?” He stood there, looking up at Scott, his blue eyes glowing with an unmistakable invitation.

“A better offer?” That made Scott hesitate, and just like that, the heat seeped out of Rylan’s eyes, replaced by resignation.

“Don’t even start with putting yourself down,” he said wearily. “I just thought—never mind.” He turned and started to walk back into the club. “See you later, Scott.”

Scott took two steps forward and grabbed Rylan’s arm. “What’s with the mind games here?” he snarled. “You’ve made it perfectly clear I’m to stay at arm’s length to keep from fucking up your precious career. I made my move, and you’ve shot me down more than once.” Scott let go of him, arranging his features into a mask of indifference. “But why wouldn’t you? You have everything in common with perfect Chris.” He gave a bitter snort. “While I just prance around in underwear.”

Rylan’s eyes widened. “Are you serious? How many guys can turn ‘prancing around in underwear’ into something like this? You’ve created a brand, made yourself into a business. That takes talent and savvy, along with sheer hard work. When we were kids, you told me you were gonna do it, and here you are.” His voice softened. “You know what I haven’t told you, something I should have long before now? That I’m really fucking proud of you, Scott.”

Scott blinked against the sudden rush of emotion, unable to speak.

“What you’ve accomplished here is amazing. You don’t have one single thing to be ashamed of. Not one.”

“Yeah? That’s where you’re wrong, Ry,” Scott said hoarsely. “Go back to Chris. I’m sorry for ruining your night.”

“You didn’t.” Rylan’s voice was firm. “Let me grab my stuff, and then we’ll go home.”

“What about Chris?” Scott waited for the answer, hating the renewed jealousy that surged in his blood and made him clench his fists.

“What about him? I never made him any promises.”

They were silent during the short drive to the condo. Rylan gazed out the window, the streetlights flashing rhythmically over his face as Scott navigated through the mostly deserted streets. When he’d at last parked and switched off the engine, neither one made a move to get out of the car.

“What did you mean, Ry? About a better offer,” Scott asked at last. “You said before you didn’t want to—”

“I know what I said.” Rylan flicked open his seat belt and turned to look at him. “And I was wrong.”

“Wrong about what?”

Rylan’s eyes didn’t waver from his. “Wrong to care what anyone else thinks. They don’t know me. They don’t know us.”

Scott lifted his hand and brushed his thumb over Rylan’s cheekbone, the tiny scar rough against the sensitive pad. “No,” he whispered. “They don’t know us.”

“We don’t owe anyone any explanations, and fuck ’em if they judge us.”

He looked so fierce, Scott couldn’t help but smile. “That’s right. Fuck ’em.”

“I don’t mean to play mind games. Let’s just be open to the possibilities, okay?”

Scott ached to take him in his arms and kiss him senseless, lose himself in him like he used to do so long ago. “These fucking wires,” he muttered, and Rylan chuckled.