10. Nick

Nick

On the wayback from Panorama Point, Nick drove across town and into North Boulder so Rayne could change his clothes. Nick had invited him for homemade dinner tonight and hadn't realized until he was driving how much he'd missed cooking for someone again, how much he loved taking care of a man of his own. Meeting Rayne had made feel like he had a reason again, someone to care for and who cared for him. How he'd thought he'd spend the rest of his life going through the motions alone, he didn't know.

"On the right here." Rayne indicated the entrance to a newer condominium complex painted in earthy shades of sandstone.

Nick turned in and parked. They rode the elevator to the top floor of the four-story building, sharing teasing glances and grins the whole way. There was a lightness to Nick's mood that he hadn't felt in a long time, and he knew it all had to do with the man currently eating him up with his expressive eyes. They walked hand-in-hand down the short hall until Rayne let go to open his door. He motioned for Nick to enter ahead of him. The apartment was a west-facing corner unit flooded with natural light, with a view of the Front Range.

"Make yourself at home," Rayne said with a wave of his arm to encompass the open living, dining, and kitchen area. "I'll just change real quick."

Rayne disappeared behind a door to the left of the dining area. Nick wandered the space, curious to gain a little more insight into Rayne, but while the condo looked lived in and comfortable, there was a surprising lack of personality to it. The condo was functional at best, with simple furnishings. The throw pillows on the couch added pops of deep yellow and bright blue to the otherwise muted color scheme. But other than a few framed hockey posters, a signed hockey stick on the wall, and a signed hockey puck in a glass case on the coffee table, there was nothing that said Rayne Hamilton Lives Here.

But then, Nick guessed it made sense, since Rayne had been moving his whole life. He'd never had a chance to dig in roots and truly express his personality. Which was far more alive and vibrant than this apartment.

Nick wandered over to a tall bookcase in the corner of the living room. He wasn't surprised to see all the sports and hockey themed books, but what caught his attention was the bottom shelf full of romance novels—some of which were gay romance books that Nick recognized immediately, because Geoff had been an avid reader of them. Did Rayne read those, too?

"Do you live alone?" Nick called out.

Rayne hadn't said, and Nick hadn't thought to ask before, assuming because he played professional hockey, he made a nice income and could afford to live on his own. But maybe that wasn't the case. Nick didn't know how hockey worked outside the NAPH, with their massive salaries.

"No," Rayne replied from the other side of the apartment. "I have a roommate, but he's gone home to spend the off-season with his family."

Rayne returned, pulling a blue Boulder Blitz T-shirt over his torso, and Nick instantly missed seeing all that beautiful skin on display. He'd had a taste last night, but one taste wasn't enough. A niggle in the back of his mind warned he'd never get enough of Rayne Hamilton.

He cleared his throat and motioned toward the bookshelf. "So, who's the romance fan?"

Rayne followed his line of sight and his cheeks pinked adorably.

"They're Lavoie's books. My roommate. He plays on the Blitz with me." Rayne rocked on his heels and shoved his hands into his pockets, not making eye contact when he said, "But . . . I might have read one or two."

"Did you like them?"

"Maybe." Rayne dragged the word out, shooting a flirtatious grin at Nick.

This man . . . Nick crossed the room and grabbed the hem of Rayne's shirt, lifting it over his head.

"Hey, I just put that on," Rayne complained, but the laughter in his voice said he wasn't all that upset about it. In fact, he sounded quite pleased.

Nick tossed the shirt over a chair at the four-person bar-height table and then began peppering kisses over Rayne's collarbones.

"Yeah," Nick said, his lips ghosting over Rayne's chest. "But it looks so much better off."

"Yours off too would be even better."

"We'll get to that."

But first, Nick was busy. He kissed a path across Rayne's smooth, muscular pecs, toying with his responsive nipples to see how hard he could get them. Rayne's head fell back, and he moaned as he slid his fingers into Nick's hair.

"I take it we're having dessert before dinner, then?" Rayne breathed.

"Dessert—" Nick tugged on the other nipple. "—before dinner—" He kissed the base of Rayne's neck, "—is the best—" the sexy column of his throat, "—kind—" the proud jut of his chin, "—of dessert." And ended with an open kiss on his mouth.

Rayne growled into the kiss and sparked a fluttering arousal in Nick's belly. His abdominals, not nearly as defined as Rayne's, tightened with want.

"I think we need to move this somewhere more comfortable," Nick gasped against Rayne's lips.

"Best idea you've had all afternoon," Rayne teased as he slid a finger behind the waistband of Nick's pants and began walking backwards. "This way."

Nick would have let Rayne lead him anywhere, especially when he was looking at Nick with so much magnetic intensity that Nick couldn't look away. Until Rayne banged into the corner of the door frame, jolting him out of his seductive stare and into bright-eyed chuckles.

Rayne's bedroom was much the same as the rest of the apartment—muted colors, functional furniture, and walls bare of adornments—and unexpectedly clean. As in showroom, clean.

"What?" Rayne said when he sat down on his bed and tugged Nick close.

"I've never seen guys your age with such tidy and organized apartments," Nick marveled.

"I don't know anything about most guys my age," Rayne said absently as he lowered the zipper of Nick's jeans. "But living with billet families teaches you to pick up after yourself. And do you really want to talk about my housecleaning abilities right now?"

"Hmm." Nick pretended to think for a second before shaking his head. "Nope. Let's see how untidy we can make your room."

"Better yet." Rayne leveled a scorching stare at him, his voice gruff when he said, "How about I make a mess of you?"

He shoved Nick's pants down, letting them rest just below his glutes, Nick's straining erection springing free. The heat in Rayne's cool blue eyes had Nick shuddering with desire. How badly he wanted Rayne was a marvel, and one he desperately wanted to lose himself in.

"Beautiful," Rayne said before leaning forward and wrapping his lips around the head of Nick's length.

Nick's knees weakened, and he gripped onto Rayne's strong shoulders to keep his balance while Rayne worked him closer and closer to the edge. With a pained groan, he gently extracted himself from Rayne's gloriously hot and talented mouth.

"I want to come inside of you," he said, answering the unasked question in Rayne's eyes.

"Oh my god, yes." Rayne's expression morphed from confused to excited as he scrambled up onto the bed and made quick work of removing the rest of his clothes. "I've wanted this since the moment I saw you."

More than the words Rayne spoke, it was the conviction behind them that made Nick's heart swell. Somehow, in such a relatively short time, Rayne had made Nick feel not just alive again but desired, like he mattered . . . was needed.

"What you do to me . . ." Nick breathed.

Nick shucked his pants off the rest of the way and yanked his shirt over his head, careless of where it fell. He climbed up onto the bed and lowered the full length of his body over Rayne, nestling into the groove between his legs where he fit perfectly. It was as if they were pieces of a puzzle, where one had fallen under the couch, only to be found years later when the urge struck to rearrange the room.

"Good things?" Rayne asked, his voice a growly whisper.

"Nothing but."

Nick started slowly with lazy kisses and long swipes of his tongue as he worked his way down Rayne's body. He wanted to savor every second as he explored the man beneath him, who had awoken Nick from his deep fugue and brightened the world around him. He wanted to memorize every flavor, every smell, every sound, every curve and muscle that made up the masterpiece of human form that was Rayne.

Nicked kissed and licked and nipped a drunken path down Rayne's torso, nosed into the grooves of his groin and nuzzled his heavy cock, loving the way Rayne's hard length rested against his cheek like a caress. He took Rayne in hand and swirled his tongue around the tip as Rayne writhed and scrabbled at him with demanding hands, cursing at Nick to hurry up and slow down at the same time. When Rayne's breathing grew erratic, Nick slid off and squeezed his hand around the base, stalling the impending orgasm. Rayne's skin was as silky soft as down feathers and as searing hot as a fire.

"Hold on," Nick said. "We are a long way from done yet."

"Fucking biscuits." Rayne threw an arm over his eyes dramatically. "You're killing all my brain cells."

"As long as the rest of you still functions," Nick teased, and Rayne laughed.

"Where's the lube?" Nick asked, and Rayne pointed to the night table.

Nick opened the drawer and found an unopened box of condoms beside the bottle of lube, and a shiver of excitement raced through him. His heart pounded loud in his eardrums as he straddled Rayne, trapping his legs underneath him. "Roll over and lift your butt."

Rayne's eyes darkened as he flipped faster than a fish out of water.

"Eager, aren't we?" Nick chuckled, teasing Rayne with his own words from the day before, when Nick had finally called him after Capmany's barbecue.

"Eager for you." Rayne shot a glance over his shoulder so heated it could set a house on fire.

Or Nick.

Nick stared at that beautiful ass and gave it a little smack. Rayne groaned into the pillow and flexed his glutes. Smiling, Nick folded in half and kissed the spot where his hand pinked the supple skin. He sat back and caressed Rayne's butt cheeks before kneading the firm muscles and spreading his cheeks wide. He scooted back a little, leaning down again to lick a path through Rayne's crease that had Rayne writhing and begging for more.

"Quit teasing and fuck me already," Rayne barked, lifting his hips as though to make his point.

"All in good time," Nick teased, but he was so turned on and excited that he couldn't wait any longer to feel all of Rayne either.

Rayne growled, sending a shiver racing over Nick.

"Time is now," Rayne demanded.

Nick grabbed condoms and fumbled getting one on like it was his first time—though it was his first time with Rayne—and poured a healthy dollop of lube into his palms, rubbing his hands together to warm the viscous liquid before coating himself and then Rayne. He took a deep breath before slowly, deliberately, easing himself inside Rayne's body.

"Holyfuckingfuckfuck," Rayne exclaimed.

Nick agreed with that sentiment, but he froze, worried that he'd gone too fast, too hard, that he hadn't fully prepared Rayne.

"Are you okay?" he asked through gritted teeth. It had been so long, and Rayne felt so good that holding steady, fighting the urge to slam home, was testing every shred of restraint he could muster.

"Yes, yes, yes," Rayne hissed. "Don't stop, don't stop."

Nick began to move again, slowly rocking into Rayne as he sank deeper into the heat of his body with each pump of his hips until he was fully seated.

"Fuck," he gasped.

"Yes," Rayne panted. "More fuck."

Nick had thought Rayne's skin, his kisses, scorched like fire, but to be inside of him, to feel the true heat of him, was like being inside a blazing five-alarm inferno.

Rayne pushed back, bearing down on him, the heat of his body having the effect of a flashover, fully engulfing Nick and burning through the last of his self-control. He could explore more next time, because after this, there damn well was going to be a next time. And a time after that. And after that again. With his constraint snapped, Nick pounded into Rayne faster, harder, and Rayne cried out for more with every powerful stroke.

"Over," Nick ground out, his whole body quaking from the inside out.

Rayne turned, his cheeks and chest flushed and his were eyes bright and wild. He lifted his legs and draped his ankles over Nick's shoulders, pulling Nick down with his heels.

"Fuck," Rayne gasped. "You've ruined me."

Nick grunted. "Not even done yet."

He slammed back into Rayne, who met him stroke for stroke, perfectly synchronized and gloriously punishing, until they were both straining on the edge of control. Rayne came first with a shout so loud Nick was sure half of Boulder had heard it, and a second later, Nick was right there with him. He came so hard his vision blacked out.

He let go of Rayne's legs and collapsed half on him, his ears ringing and throat raw as his heart tried to beat its way out of his chest. Had it ever been like that with Geoff? He squeezed his eyes shut. Now wasn't the time to think of Geoff. He didn't want to dishonor either man, but a part of him, far back in his mind, wondered briefly if he and Geoff had just been so comfortable with each other that they'd never known this kind of fire existed.

"Where did you go?" Rayne asked, his voice low and more gruff than usual.

Nick pushed the intruding thoughts away and pressed a soft kiss on Rayne's mouth.

"You made a mess of me."

Rayne's guttural hum was full of pride and content.

"I can't move," Rayne said. "But this time we really need to get that cloth."

Nick chuckled. Yes, they were a sticky mess. "Is that the royal ‘we', or ‘we' as in me?"

Rayne nudged him gently, as though that was all he had the energy for. Nick planted a quick kiss on his cheek and groaned as he rolled out of bed.

"Who's the old man now?" Nick teased as he went into the ensuite bathroom.

"Ha-ha," Rayne intoned.

He dampened a cloth to wipe the worst of the sticky from himself and then wet another with warm water for Rayne.

"We should probably take a shower before heading back to your place, too," Rayne said as Nick tended to him, his voice gravely and words bleeding together.

Nick took the cloth back to the bathroom and crawled into bed when he returned, tucking Rayne into his side. He felt so perfect there, like he belonged.

"Sure," Nick said as he drifted.

Dinner could wait.

"I don't knowif this is a good idea," Nick hedged as he laced up his borrowed skates the following weekend. Apprehension made his hands shake. "I haven't skated since I was a kid."

And all he remembered about that was falling on his ass and bruising his elbow. Ice hurt.

But Rayne had invited him to a skate an hour before team hockey practice started, and there was no way he was going to miss seeing Rayne in his element. Nick just hadn't banked on being out there on the ice with him.

"Don't worry," Rayne said with all the confidence of the professional hockey player he was. "You'll love it, and I'll be right here to make sure you don't fall on your butt."

"Aww," Nick teased. "My hero."

"Oh, don't get me wrong." Rayne had a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I need to protect that ass at all costs. It's precious to me."

The laugh that burst from Nick loosened the tightness in his chest, helping him relax a little.

"Okay." He finished lacing up and sat back on the bench. "What do I do now?"

Rayne angled himself so he could double check that Nick's skates were on tight. Satisfied, he rose in one smooth motion, standing so perfectly balanced on those incredibly thin blades of steel he may as well have been barefoot. He held out his hand.

"Now we skate," Rayne said, flashing a wide, infectious grin.

Nick took a deep breath, grabbed onto Rayne's hand for dear life, and attempted to stand. His ankles rocked and his legs wobbled as he tried to find his own balance. If it weren't for Rayne, he'd already be on the ground. And not gracefully.

When he felt steady enough that he wasn't in imminent danger of tipping over, he looked at Rayne helplessly.

"Don't worry," Rayne assured. "It's much easier to balance when you're gliding on the ice."

Nick harrumphed. "If you say so."

Luckily, they'd laced up at the lowest row of bleachers, right across from the rink door. Nick gripped Rayne's hand tighter as he took a step, rocking back and forth before clamping onto the boards with his other hand for support.

After another deep breath to muster some ‘you can do this'courage, he stepped onto the ice and froze.

Rayne let go of his hand, but before Nick could panic, Rayne placed his hands on Nick's hips, holding him steady.

"I got you," Rayne said softly near Nick's ear. He shivered. "Bend your knees a little."

Nick did as he was told, gasping as Rayne gave him a little push. Just like that, he was gliding over the smooth surface. A little thrill snaked through him.

"See?" Rayne said. "Easy peasy."

Nick snorted. But yeah, so far, so good. As long as he was going in a straight line and Rayne was holding him.

After a few turns around the rink, Nick got the feel of skating again, enough that he could push off and propel himself. That didn't mean he didn't register when Rayne's touch grew lighter and then disappeared completely. He wobbled, arms pinwheeling for balance before losing the battle. He crashed to the ice in slow motion, landing on his hands and knees.

"Are you okay?" Rayne asked as he pulled Nick back to his feet, which took Nick a second or ten to stabilize himself again.

"All good," he said as he dusted off his gloves, and the proud smile Rayne bestowed on him lifted his confidence. "I'm ready to go again."

Rayne skated backwards as easy as walking while Nick tried to move with even a smidge of Rayne's grace. Which was laughable. Nothing about Nick on ice skates was graceful.

"Show me what you can do," Nick said when he was comfortable enough on the thin blades that he didn't need Rayne watching him like a hawk anymore.

With a two-fingered salute, Rayne skated over to the door with a sudden burst of speed that made Nick's heart quicken. Rayne slid to a stop just before the boards, his blades sending a spray of shaved ice into the air. He stepped out long enough to grab his hockey stick and the bag of pucks—no, biscuits, Nick chuckled to himself—that he'd brought. He dumped the pucks onto the ice, scattering them around. He plucked one from the pile with his stick and skated toward Nick, flicking the small black disc side-to-side from the front to the back of his stick.

He charged toward Nick with so much determination on his face that Nick held his breath and braced for impact, but at the last second, Rayne deked around him, the puck sliding between Nick's feet. Behind him, Rayne caught the puck on his stick again and shot it into the empty net at the end of the arena.

Rayne spun around the back of the net on one foot, just as chill as could be, and pumped his fist as though the goal had been scored in an actual game.

Nick laughed at Rayne's antics, but when Rayne skated back toward him, all elegant raw power and speed and skill, heat flashed through Nick and pooled in his groin.

"How was that?" Rayne asked as he skated close and cut a circle around Nick.

"Fucking hot," Nick breathed.

Rayne coasted right up to him, and just as he thought he'd gotten the hang of it Nick wobbled. Rayne snapped his free hand out and grasped Nick's elbow, his grip strong and sure until Nick steadied himself.

"Good?" Rayne asked.

Nick nodded. "Good."

Rayne kissed him, his lips moist and hot, before skating away with a wink.

Over the next hour, Rayne did drills while Nick got more and more comfortable skating. By the time Rayne was nearing the end of his solo practice, Nick was holding a stick and flicking pucks toward the net, where Rayne was defending as if Nick were a genuine threat. Not that anything Nick shot Rayne's way had a hope in hell at actually hitting the net, let alone even getting in the crease.

Nick helped Rayne gather up the pucks scattered all over the rink, as in, he held the bag while Rayne gathered them. Then he stepped off the ice and his legs felt rubbery, like they would give out at any second. A whoosh escaped his lungs when he plopped down on the bench. Rayne stepped off the ice and kissed him. Quick and playful, and Nick loved it. He loved every one of Rayne's kisses, from sweet and chaste to deliciously dirty and all-consuming.

"How are you feeling?" Rayne asked as he dug in the hockey bag they'd left on the bench and retrieved a bottle of water.

Nick watched Rayne's Adam's apple bob with rapt attention as he drank, a light sheen of sweat on Rayne's skin.

"Good." Nick pointed at his skates as he reached for his own water. "I'll feel better once these are off my feet."

"I'll massage them tonight," Rayne said, his voice low and seductive.

"Yes, please." Nick hoped that would lead to a full body massage. "Thank you for bringing me here. I had more fun than I thought." He took a swig of water. "And you. You were amazing out there. I, uh, might have gotten a little turned on."

"Oh, yeah?" Rayne leaned closer and kissed him again, this time slower, with tongue and heat.

A door banged somewhere in the arena and Nick jerked back.

Rayne straightened to his full height—plus skates—and his eyes glittered.

"Now the real practice starts."

A few minutes later, Nick watched in awe as hockey players filed out from the locker room. When Rayne had invited him to come to practice this morning and watch him skate, he'd expected to see Rayne and his team. But these players were half Rayne's height.

"You look surprised," he said.

"Completely." Nick couldn't pull his eyes from the kids, mostly boys but a few girls too, as they made their way onto the ice. "When you said practice, I thought you meant with the Blitz."

"Nah. The Blitz doesn't start mandatory training until late August or early September, and most of my team is out of town right now, anyway." Rayne said. "But I've been helping show these kids some hockey tricks and techniques after I finish my own training on Saturdays."

"Morning, Rayne," the kids greeted one by one, high-fiving him as they passed.

Two adults were bringing up the rear, which Nick guessed were the team's coaches.

One kid stopped and studied Nick for a second, his little eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you on the Blitz with Rayne?" the boy asked.

Nick laughed. "Not even close."

"Hey, Brian. This is Nick." Rayne dropped a hand to Nick's shoulder, sliding it around to cup the back of his neck. "He's my boyfriend and a firefighter."

"No way!" Brian exclaimed with all the innocent enthusiasm of a child. "I want to be a fireman when I grow up, too."

"Hey!" Rayne rocked back in mock affront. "I thought you wanted to be a hockey player."

"I can do both," Brian replied like it was obvious, with a very clear look on his face that said duh.

Nick and Rayne both laughed as one of the coaches told Brian to get on the ice and warm up.

Nick looked up at Rayne, who was smiling at him. The corners of his eyes were soft, and the emotion rolling off him warmed Nick in a way he hadn't expected. They hadn't discussed what they were to each other, but Rayne claiming him as his boyfriend like that was everything.

"Morning, Rayne," the older of the coaches greeted, and Rayne introduced the both of them to Nick before he too took to the ice again.

The kids' hockey practice was over an hour, but it may as well have been fifteen minutes as enthralled as Nick was watching Rayne as he skated around the ice, helping the kids with skills when the coaches asked and showing them tricks and tips. They all looked up at him with such adoration and awe—feelings Nick shared with them. One kid was struggling to keep the puck on his stick while skating, and from Nick's brief attempt at doing the two together, he knew it wasn't as easy as it looked. Which was why when Nick was shooting the puck he was standing still. Rayne took the small skater aside and showed him how to do both, and before long the little guy was handling the puck like an almost pro. Definitely better than before.

Nick didn't know why, but he hadn't expected Rayne to be so good with the kids, which was ridiculous because Rayne was good with everyone.

"Do you want kids?" Nick asked later, out of the blue, when they were driving back to Nick's house.

Rayne turned in his seat to look at him and shrugged. "I never thought about it before. Also, my parents weren't exactly outstanding role models."

"No, but sounds like your billet families were."

Rayne leaned back, his grin growing wider and wider until it was a full-toothed smile.

"What?"

"Are you asking me to have kids with you, Nick Seavers?"

"What? No." Nick choked out a laugh and faced forward, deliberately focusing on the road.

At least not yet, anyway.