AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His mate’s laughter was music to Pisces’s ears.
Chapter Eight
Peering around the back deck, Peter watched his friends interact with each other, Pisces, and Ryley. All his buddies were of a similar age as himself—twenty-eight, give or take—but they were welcoming and friendly with his coworker. It wasn’t the first time they’d met the man, but the instances were definitely few and far between.
Peter decided he needed to change that. Especially since it seemed the man was going through some sort of mid-life crisis. So far, as he listened to his buddies, he was certain that Jake was giving Ryley the best advice. His dark-haired friend wrote paranormal romance for a living, so it made sense.
“Look, Ryley.” Jake leaned forward with his elbows resting on his thighs. “It’s not about whether you like dick or like tits. It’s about the person attached to the appendages.” His smile appeared understanding and warm. “Sure, you can be attracted to them, but you need to talk to them and find out if you have common interests.” With a shrug, Jake added, “Everything else is dynamics.”
“Okay, I get what you mean about needing to have things in common, regardless of sex,” Ryley responded, nodding slowly. “But dynamics? I don’t get it.”
“Motion,” Jake replied slowly. “What motions you use. The action taken in the circumstance.” His cheeks actually turned a little pink as he cleared his throat. “Now, I don’t know shit about pleasing a woman, but I figure it takes different motions to get her goin’ than it does a man.” After taking a swig of his beer, Jake finished with, “As you do things, you listen to their body language and learn what they like and don’t like. Same with a guy.”
Ryley actually nibbled his bottom lip, his expression turning pensive, as if he were trying to process what Jake meant.
Fortunately, Link jumped in before Peter had to. Their group’s fourth childhood friend was also bisexual. Tapping his beer bottle against Ryley’s, Link drew the other paramedic’s attention.
“So you start slowly exploring your lady’s body, and you discover she doesn’t like her nipples pinched, so you don’t do it, but she loves to have her tits massaged, so you do that instead.” Link’s redheaded features started to darken, betraying his slight embarrassment at stating something so bluntly. “Same with a guy,” he continued gamely. “Some guys like their nipples pinched. Some like their ass squeezed. Some like their balls fondled, and others are too sensitive and it turns ‘em off.” Focusing on his beer bottle, Link finished, “It’s about exploration. The journey, not necessarily the destination of getting off.”
“Although getting off is nice,” Colton stated with a chuckle.
“Colt,” Waylon rumbled, tossing his beer bottle cap at his partner good-naturedly. “We’re tryin’ to help here.”
Colton caught the cap with ease and tossed it aside. “Just sayin’,” he countered, lifting his hands in placation. Then he sobered and focused on Ryley. “But the guys are right. If you’re actually interested in a relationship with someone you’re attracted to, male or female, you have to care about what pleases them, too, just as much as you have to find things in common.”
“God, I feel like I’ve been such an asshole all my life,” Ryley muttered, shaking his head. Before taking a deep swig of beer, he admitted, “The biggest complaint I get from women I’ve dated is that I don’t listen, and I don’t make time for them.”
“Ryley,” Pisces cut in. “If you were interested in making something work with any of those women, you would have made the time.” He carried the burgers and brats to the grill he’d started before heading into the house. “That’s the real difference. Whoever you’re attracted to, you have to decide if you’re invested enough to put them first sometimes.” Then Pisces pointed his spatula at him. “But not all the time because then you’re a doormat, and that ain’t good for either one of you.”
Ryley nodded, looking serious.
Trying to lighten the mood, Peter rose to his feet. “Hell, maybe you just need a different prospect pool.” He crossed his deck and paused at his coworker’s side. “We’ll put our heads together and make a list of places you haven’t been...or haven’t been to in a few years.” With a scoff, Peter added, “If you really want a relationship, anyway. If you just want to get your dick sucked, we can take you to a gay club.” He watched the way Ryley’s eyes widened as he smirked at him. “There are plenty of young twinks who’d be happy to drop to their knees for a muscular guy like you.”
“Uh, thanks?” Ryley glanced around at the group, looking decidedly uncomfortable.
Peter chuckled again and started toward the house. “I’m gonna hit the head, then start bringin’ out the fixin’s for our burgers and brats.” He paused at the grill beside where Pisces was placing everything on the racks. “How long?” Then Peter tipped his chin up in a silent request.
Pisces didn’t disappoint. He immediately dipped his head and pecked a kiss to Peter’s lips. As Pisces straightened, a warm smile curved his lips.
“Ten minutes,” Pisces told him. “Maybe a bit longer.”
Peter nodded. “Plenty of time.”
“Want me to give you a hand?” Waylon offered, starting to rise from his chair. “Slice a tomato or something?”
With a nod, Peter told him, “Grab the package of cheese slices from the fridge. Pisces will need them in a few. Everything else is prepped.” Eyeing the outdoor coffee table, Peter added, “Maybe grab another couple of bags of chips, so no one has to wait for me.”
“Will do.”
Peter led the way inside with Waylon following him. As soon as the sliding door was closed, his buddy asked, “Things going well with Pisces?” He stared pointedly at Peter’s shifter’s mark on his shoulder. “I see he claimed you.”
Smiling, happiness flooding him, Peter told him, “Yep. Things are going real well.” Then he hurried down the hall toward the bathroom.
After Peter relieved himself and washed his hands, he opened the door and stepped back into the hall. A shadow to his right caught his attention, and he froze. From out of his front sitting room appeared a familiar disheveled appearance.
The rogue is in my house.
“How?” The word was out of Peter’s mouth before he could think better of it.
