“As long as you’re not making press headlines, I’ll even invite you two home to family dinners when you’re available.”
“Can’t wait.”
It’s the best outcome I could ask for, even though I’d love nothing more than to not have to deal with the man ever again. If Matt can still support his parents, I can placate my father.
Look at me being the bigger man.
I blame Matt for it. The adorably nice bastard.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. “We done now?” I ask Dad. “My boyfriend is calling me.”
“Hope the move to Chicago is smooth.” Dad’s glare doesn’t match his pleasant words.
I purposefully answer my phone loudly before stepping out of the office. “Hey, babe.”
“I’m dying.” His voice comes with a grunt of pain.
I laugh. He said training was grueling, and I’d never heard him complain about working out before, so it must be bad. “Dying is inconvenient for me. I’m all packed and ready to move. Told my father and everything.” I continue through the reception area of Dad’s offices and out onto the street, feeling lighter than I have in years when it comes to that man.
“How did that go?”
“As well as I expected it to. Why are you dying?”
“I might’ve pulled the macho card yesterday and challenged one of my teammates. Good news is I kicked his ass. Bad news is suicide sprints are called suicides for a reason. I’m sore all over and you’re not here to massage me better.”
“I will be soon. By the time you head back to Chicago, I’ll be all settled in. Then I’ll massage whatever you want.”
He swears under his breath.
“What?”
“Now I’m turned on and I can’t even lift my hand to jerk off. I’m lucky to be able to hold my phone.”
“It’s not right how hard they push you guys.”
Even Matt’s laugh is strained. “This is my own fault. But the good thing is, I think I earned my place. So now if anyone questions me, it’ll purely be about something I can’t change.”
“No one’s brought up the F word yet?”
“No. Unless we’re talking about the word fuck. That comes out of someone’s mouth every two seconds.”
“As expected. I can’t wait until you’re home.”
Matt sighs. “Me too. I still can’t believe you’re moving for me.”
“I’ll do anything for you. Always.”
“Ditto.”
The line goes quiet, and for a second, I think the call has dropped out, but then I realize this is my normal reaction to hearing any form of admission from Matt. Like part of me still doesn’t believe it’s happening or I heard wrong. It’s hard to believe that someone like Matt could fall for someone like me, a guy who’s only cared about himself for a really long time. Matt makes me a better man—someone I never thought I could be.
“What are your plans for your last night in New York?” he asks.
I clear my throat. “I’m, umm, actually going out with Aron. Well, Damon and Maddox and my other friends will be there too, but I need to apologize to Aron again. I handled that situation all wrong.”
“You’ve already apologized countless times.”
“Yeah, but they were all bullshit. I felt bad about it, but I didn’t understand how much he hurt until you left me. I was an asshole to him and shutting him out cold was an even bigger asshole thing to do.”
“Do what you gotta do.”
“You too. Try not to challenge anyone else to a duel like some old-time cowboy.” Mmm, Matt in a cowboy hat. We may have to explore that. I must make some sort of noise in the back of my throat, because Matt laughs.
“You’re picturing me in a cowboy hat, aren’t you?”
“Able to read my mind? We’re that couple already?”
“Do you care if we are?”
I grin. “Not at all.”
“I gotta go—another day of torture ahead of me—but I’ll see you in a few weeks.”
“I’ll be waiting naked for you.”
“Our new apartment doesn’t have curtains.”
“There’s one way to introduce myself to the neighbors.”
“You would too.”
“Jackson,” a voice barks in the background. “Just because you were all ass-kicking motherfucker yesterday, doesn’t mean you can slack off today.”
“I’m up, I’m up. I’ll be down in five. Gotta go, babe. Love you.”
The phone disconnects, and my heart does that stuttering thing again and gets stuck on the words babe and love you.
Even though he’s already gone, I can’t stop myself from saying, “Love you too.”
Matt’s still inside me when I come out of my orgasmic trance and take in my surroundings. With carpet beneath my knees, cum all over my hand and stomach, Matt panting above me, and my own breath stilted, I come to the conclusion I attacked Matt as soon as he walked in the front door.
Not my original plan for his welcome back, but it works.
“That’s one way to welcome me home,” Matt says and slides out of me.