21. Everest

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Everest

“Fuck, baby, just like that. I’m going to?—”

I hollow out my cheeks, slurping up the length of Rhys’s cock, making sure to drag my tongue along every inch. His taste alone is enough to have my eyes rolling to the back of my head while my hips furiously hump my mattress. The first hit of him on my tongue has me bucking down, spilling onto my comforter as I swallow every drop he’s giving me.

“Jesus,” he breathes out, throwing a hand over his face. “That’s a good way to wake up.”

I nod against his thigh, my throat a little sore as I let the bliss of my orgasm take over. I wasn’t expecting to wake up with Rhys running his fingers through my hair, urging me to open my mouth while still half asleep, but thank God he did. We both decided that it’s fair game between the two of us, which just makes the surprise dick first thing in the morning even hotter.

It’s been a few days of fucking around now and I can easily say it’s the most satisfied I’ve ever been in my entire life. We haven’t talked any more about exactly what we’re doing, both of us just opting to put on the blinders and ignore how monumentally bad this situation can get. Maybe I’ve thought of it briefly in passing that sleeping with my brother’s best friend might be crossing some line, but Rhys’s cock shuts those thoughts up quickly.

I groan when I turn my head and see that our spontaneous morning hookup has taken longer than I thought. I begrudgingly get up, knowing I have to take a quick shower to wash the sex off me before meeting Knox.

Rhys’s face is filled with searing heat as I stand, and I can feel the way his eyes track down my naked body. For someone who claims he’s straight, he does an awful lot of looking. Not that I mind, of course. He can look all he wants because the power in his stare is enough to boost my ego just a bit. He frowns when he sees me start to rifle through my drawers, picking out a pair of shorts and a T-shirt because it’s too hot out for jeans.

“What are you doing?” he asks, shifting in my bed so he can see me better.

“I have to get ready,” I call over my shoulder as I head into my ensuite bathroom. “I’m headed to Knox’s place for a bit.”

I set my clothes down on the counter and reach for my toothbrush. The electric whir sounds as I start brushing my teeth, too preoccupied in rooting through my drawers for some floss that I don’t realize Rhys has appeared right behind me. He places both arms on either side of me and my eyes flutter shut as his naked body drapes over mine. Fuck the effect he has on me.

“Knox?” He runs his nose up the back of my neck and I’m not fooled by his calm tone. I know Rhys well enough to tell when he’s angry.

I shrug, leaning forward to spit out the toothpaste. “Yeah. We’ll probably order some takeout and he’ll rewatch his current favorite horror movie while I study.”

“And what if he wants more?” he questions, fingers gripping the vanity so tightly his knuckles turn white. “What are you going to do about that, Everest?”

It’s not like Knox and I have been actively fucking. We haven’t in a while, and I hadn’t intended on doing anything else with him now that Rhys and I have started…whatever this is. Still, I’ve learned that I live to fuck with him, so I press my ass against his cock and meet his hard gaze in the mirror. “Jealous, Rhys?”

He clenches his jaw, looking like he wants to hold his tongue, but in the end, he can’t. “Extremely.”

“And why’s that?” I tease, enjoying how unhinged he looks, a snarl on his lips, his eyes deadly as steel.

“Don’t play the dumbass.” Brow furrowed, his hands find my bare hips. “You know why.”

Spinning in his hold, I lean back against the cool marble as I cock an eyebrow. “Maybe I don’t.”

“Bratty doesn’t look good on you, baby.”

“Then why is your dick hard, baby ?”

He growls low under his breath and, in a move I wasn’t expecting, palms my ass so he can lift me up off the floor. I’m a big guy and my dick takes notice of the way he manhandles me onto the counter, plopping me down so he can step between my spread legs. Leaning in close, his teeth graze against my jaw, and my breaths shudder involuntarily.

“I thought I made it clear you weren’t fucking around with anybody else,” he snarls against my skin, his hands digging indents into the tops of my thighs.

I shake my head, trying to fight the chuckle I want to let out. Fuck, he’s so hot like this. All growly and possessive, but I’m not going to back down from seeing Knox. “He’s just a friend, Rhys. That’s all. Believe it or not, I actually have one.”

“A friend you’ve fucked who I’m sure wants to get his cock back inside what doesn’t belong to him.” My head falls back as he starts placing open-mouthed kisses on my neck, teeth nipping right under my ear. “Who do you belong to, baby?”

“N-No o-one,” I stutter out, gasping when he bites down in a way that makes my dick twitch. The hot suction of his mouth on me is going to make me rally, and I suddenly wish I had condoms in my bathroom. “Rhys…”

“You know you want to say it,” he taunts, licking at the spot he’s abused. As he raises his head to meet my stare, a smirk lifts the corner of his lips. “Who owns every inch of you?”

When his hand finds my dick, I’m a goner. I shudder in his hold and drape my arms around his neck, giving in to this tortuous game he’s playing. “You.”

“That’s right,” he praises and peppers my face with kisses. “So, if that Knox asshole tries anything, who’s going to be a good boy and keep this ass solely for me?”

He twists his wrist at my head, pooling the precum at the tip to wipe it away with his thumb. “Me, Rhys— Hey!”

He lets go of me quickly and steps back. “Music to my fucking ears.”

“Finish what you started, jackass.”

“I got shit to do too,” he tells me, brushing his thumb down my neck, causing me to involuntarily shiver. “Have fun, baby. Try not to miss me too much.”

I flip him off as he exits the bathroom with a laugh. I’m flustered, hard as hell, and late now, thanks to him. Hopping off the counter, I turn to finish brushing my teeth when I see it. A combination of lust and belonging and fury strike me when I see what that fucker did.

He goddamn marked me.

“So, are we gonna talk about it?”

“Hmm?” I mumble distractedly, trying to memorize these historical facts that don’t seem to be sticking.

“Everest,” Knox says as he snaps his fingers in front of my face. “What’s with that big-ass hickey on your neck?”

I groan, rolling over on his floor until I’m on my back and staring up at him from his position on the couch. “I’d rather not.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening.” With a snort, he slinks down the couch until he’s sitting beside me. “Spill.”

I nibble on my bottom lip. I tell Knox everything and this should be no different. Still, there’s something that makes me hesitate. Like voicing out loud what Rhys and I are doing will just highlight how wrong it is.

He raises his eyebrow expectantly, and I sigh, turning over again so he can’t see my flaming cheeks. “We’re… kind of messing around.”

There’s a moment of silence as Knox digests the information. I hear a sharp intake of breath before he speaks. “The same asshole who punched me?”

“Yeah…” I mutter sheepishly. I’ll never admit to either Knox or Rhys just how spectacularly hot I found that.

“The same guy you hate?”

“Yup.”

“The same guy who hates you?”

I flip over, narrowing my eyes. “Are you going to come to a point?”

He furrows his brow and shakes his head. “You realize what a terrible idea this is, right?”

Oh, I’m absolutely aware that what Rhys and I are doing will lead to nothing but disaster. I get that it’s fucked up in more ways than one but, fuck me, I can’t stop.

“It’ll be fine,” I tell him, hoping if I say it enough times, it’ll be true.

He pauses, picking at one of the holes in his jeans, trying to appear unfazed, but I know him better than that. “Are you dating?”

I scoff. “Fuck no.”

“So you’re just messing around,” he states. There’s a flash of something unrecognizable in his eyes. “What if Elton finds out?”

“He won’t,” I snap, mostly because the idea of my brother knowing terrifies me. “It’s just a fling.”

“Hate-fuck buddies?”

“Exactly.”

He worries the inside of his cheek. “He’s going to hurt you, babe.”

No. I won’t give him the chance. I have to remember that he’s not the guy I used to know who treated me like I was something special. We’re far beyond that. It’s going to stay purely physical until we get tired of each other. After that… Well, we’ll just part ways and pretend like it never happened.

I appreciate that Knox is worried, though. He’s looking out for me like he always has. “That won’t happen.”

He nods, but it’s obvious he doesn’t believe me. After a moment, he raises a pierced eyebrow. “I guess this means we’re not fucking around anymore.”

“Yeah,” I chuckle, scratching the back of my neck. “Probably not a good idea.”

Not like it would be a hardship. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve done with him, but now that I’ve had Rhys, nothing else compares. He said he would ruin me for anyone else, and he has, because I have no interest in having Knox’s hands anywhere near me.

Looking at me with a mixture of concern and something else I can’t place, he reaches out to brush his thumb against my cheek. “Just be careful.”

“I will,” I promise him, smiling against his hand. I turn to my textbook and sigh. “This isn’t working. Want to go to the library with me? Maybe you can find some people to sell Adderall to?”

“Yeah, that works,” he says, helping me up. “Then do you want to grab some hot pot?”

My stomach growls at the mention of it, and I smile. “Fuck yeah.”

We gather our things quickly, and he slings an arm across my shoulder as we exit the apartment, joking about nothing in particular. I try to stay in the moment with him and my studies, but I’m screwed.

Because all I can think about are the ticking hours until I can see Rhys again.