Chapter Fifteen

Andrew stood in Kyler's kitchen, trying to get in the right headspace for cooking. The thought of Kyler naked in the shower didn't help. Hearing the water running wasn't helping his cause either. He thought of all that wet olive skin, and damn.

He sighed and unpacked the groceries, setting everything on the counter except the beer, which he put into the refrigerator. The refrigerator didn't have much in it. A bottle of ketchup and mustard sat in the door. A package of bacon lay on the bottom shelf with a carton of eggs next to it. Not much else was inside. Kyler might not have much, but Andrew had enough to make breakfast tomorrow morning.

He shut the refrigerator and started on his mother's chicken enchiladas. The dish was good enough to impress a top chef, so he didn't have a doubt Kyler would like it.

By the time Andrew had the chicken cooking, Kyler had come out of the bathroom in a T-shirt and jeans. His feet were bare, and his long, dark hair lay in a shiny sheet down his back. He sat at the kitchen island and watched Andrew cook the chicken at the stove.

Andrew put down the fork and grabbed one of the beers from the refrigerator. After opening it, he set it in front of Kyler.

Kyler picked it up, tilting it to look at the label. "Why'd you get this kind?"

Andrew shrugged. "I noticed you didn't drink any at your housewarming and figured you might not like the taste of beer."

"Maybe I didn't want the chief to take me to jail for underage drinking." Kyler grinned. He put the bottle up to his nose and sniffed. "Smells chocolaty."

Andrew bought some crafty kind that masked the flavor of hops with other flavors having nothing to do with beer. Coffee and chocolate were two of them.

"You didn't care about my opinion, so don't give me that, carino." Andrew chuckled when Kyler did because the sound was as carefree as when they had first met. Andrew had missed Kyler's playful nature.

"True." Kyler took a drink and then nodded his head. "It's good."

"You like the fancy stuff. None of that cheap stuff for you."

"I guess so. It tastes like chocolate and coffee." Kyler took another drink and then put his bottle back on the counter. "Aren't you having one?"

"I'll wait until we eat. I could get a call, so I need to function at full capacity."

Kyler frowned. "I hope you don't. That would suck. The thought of someone else getting hurt gives me the chills."

Yeah, it wasn't a fun thought for Andrew either, and it was on him and his team to make it all stop.

"I'll get the guy."

"I know. You came to Pickleville at just the right time. The old chief wouldn't have been able to handle it. Or at least that's what Royce said."

"That's praise, coming from him." Andrew hadn't ever thought about how others viewed him or how his experience benefited Pickleville. He was too busy being pissed off that big city crime followed him to his new peaceful existence. He wanted to stop the rapes. Of course, he did. He didn't want anyone else to get hurt. But a part of him had been a selfish bastard.

"He forced the old chief to make changes. When Royce came into town, the old chief didn't know what hit him."

"How did that happen?"

"You've met Royce. You know how he is. His scowl inspires you to do everything he tells you. I mean, he deals with Luis and me every. Single. Day. And we manage to get work done. That's not a miracle, Andy. That's Royce." Kyler took another drink of his beer and shrugged. "Plus, he has money. Enough to buy up a bunch of empty buildings and failing businesses. He's managed to bring a little life back into the town when all it had was farming."

"So, he likes the job I'm doing."

Kyler nodded. "Seems to. He hasn't complained, but then he wouldn't because he knows."

"He knows what."

"That I like you." Kyler grinned again. "You know I do, so stop fishing."

"Maybe I just wanted to hear you say it." Andrew put a lid on the pan and turned the heat down to the stove burner. He came around the counter and held out his hand to Kyler, pulling him up until he stood.

Andrew pulled him down the hallway.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting you naked. You gotta problem with that?" Please, don't have one. Andrew would go back to the kitchen and continue to have whatever conversation felt natural, and maybe that was what they should do. He would rather show Kyler what making love felt like.

"Nope. Just know that this is time number two, and if you leave right after, there won't be a third." Kyler didn't hold anything back, which was good. Andrew already knew he had a lot to make up for, and he was okay with that even if he didn't like the lack of trust.

"I'll be here tomorrow, carino. Even if I get called away, I'll come back." Andrew led him into the bedroom and then pulled Kyler into his arms once they stood inside. "I'll call." Andrew kissed Kyler on the cheek. "I'll ask you out on another date." He placed a kiss on his other one. "I'll do whatever it takes to show you that I want to spend as much time with you as possible."

Kyler kissed him back, only on the lips. "I'd like that."

If they never had a relationship beyond one date, it would break Andrew's heart. He wasn't sure when the thought of a relationship had stopped scaring the shit out of him, but there it sat in the ache of his chest.

Kyler took a step back before pulling his shirt off. He stood with it in his hand, meeting Andrew's gaze.

Andrew threw his on the floor next to the bed.

His hands shook just thinking about getting them on Kyler again. He no longer had to rely on sleepy memories. Never in his life had he felt luckier. For the first time in his life, it had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with just being with the man in front of him.

Andrew took off his pants first, unbuttoning and unzipping them, before slowly pushing them down. He sat on the bed when the material bunched around his ankles. Kyler watched his every move until Andrew stood again.

"Now, you. I need to see you."

Kyler chuckled. "You need to, huh?"

Andrew stepped toward Kyler, gripping the nape of his neck. His silky hair made the hold slippery, but he could tell by Kyler's Adam's apple bobbing up and down that he understood his seriousness. "I need you more than I've ever needed anyone. You make me feel something good. So good, I forget about everything else. So, si, I need all of you."

Kyler's lips parted, and he seemed to breathe in, holding it. He let it out as he spoke. "That is just about the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Ever."

"It's the truth." Andrew stepped back, but not so far he couldn't touch if he wanted. "Now take them off, carino."

Kyler grinned and looked at Andrew through his lashes. His tongue darted out, wetting his lips. As Kyler lowered the zipper, the anticipation built. The underwear came down with the pants. His hard length jetted out toward Andrew, begging him to touch.

Andrew went to his knees, taking his long cock in hand before kissing the tip. Pre-come coated his lips, so he licked it off.

Kyler moaned. His cock jumped forward, pressing against Andrew's mouth. When Andrew took the hint and wrapped his lips around the head, slowly taking more in, Kyler's fingers laced through the stands of Andrew's hair.

When Kyler's cock hit the back of his throat, he pulled off partway, sinking again. Kyler followed the rhythm he set, his hips pumping into Andrew's mouth with a single-minded purpose to come, but he couldn't let that happen.

It wasn't until Andrew rubbed a circle around Kyler's pucker that he stilled. Kyler shifted and stretched when he reached over to the nightstand. The drawer, dragging across its wooden frame, sounded foreign.

Andrew wanted Kyler's sex noises back. The little moans and airy breaths would feed Andrew's soul. He sucked Kyler down again and wasn't disappointed when he cursed. The sexiest sound in the world was Kyler's responsiveness.

Andrew didn't stop sucking until Kyler fisted his hair, holding him still. "I'm gonna come if you don't stop." Every word came out as if he ran a marathon right before speaking.

Andrew pulled off, grabbing up the lube. A condom sat next to it, but he ignored that. He didn't need it yet. He planned on taking his time, drawing out Kyler's pleasure.

The slick was cold even to his fingers, so he rubbed it around, warming it.

"Andy, hurry." Kyler ran his fingers through Andrew's hair. It seemed, the more frustrated he got, the more his petting grew aggressive.

"I want to take my time with you, carino." Andrew pressed a slick finger against Kyler's opening and pressed inside. Just the tip entered at first.

Kyler's mouth fell open. When Andrew sat up, Kyler released his hair, gripping the sheets instead.

Andrew pressed inside. He curled his finger as he dragged it across Kyler's prostate.

Kyler nearly came off the bed. Their gazes met. Kyler's desperation spurred Andrew on, making him focus on the task of loosening his tight hole.

He couldn't go as slowly as he wanted, but maybe they were past that anyway.

Andrew leaned down, kissing those soft lips. It didn't take long before Kyler took over. The desperate sounds broke something loose inside Andrew, snapping the resolve in place. He would do whatever it took to make Kyler happy.

Kyler gripped the nape of Andrew's neck, controlling his movements. There wasn't anything Andrew could do but go along for the ride. It wasn't about that anymore. It wasn't even about pleasure so much as their connection to each other. Whatever invisible threads that wove around them the first day they met had pulled them tighter until the only thing Andrew saw anymore was Kyler.

He set a rhythm with his finger that got to the point instead of teasing. Andrew added another at about the same time Kyler let out a moan.

Andrew's cock was impossibly hard. He tried to end the kiss so he could put on the condom, but Kyler refused to let him go. Instead, he stopped fucking Kyler with his fingers long enough to fumble around for the package. Once he found it, he held it in his hand.

He managed to stop kissing long enough to get words out. "Need to put the condom on."

The second Kyler let him go, Andrew did his thing, not wasting time.

Kyler had closed his eyes when Andrew came back to him again. The second Andrew settled himself back in place, Kyler took over the kiss again. It wasn't until he lined up his cock and pressed inside that Kyler ended the assault.

His mouth fell open, and he moaned.

Andrew couldn't tell if the sounds were pain or pleasure, so he stopped about halfway inside. "You okay, carino?"

Kyler shut his eyes again, nodding.

"I'm not hurting you?" God, Andrew could barely think. It felt too good.

Kyler shook his head. "Defin-definitely not."

Okay, that sounded like a green light. Andrew pressed in again, going as slowly as possible. Andrew rested his forehead on Kyler's and shut his eyes. The pace might kill him, but he'd go out a very happy man.

"More. Please." Those two words were the best thing Andrew had ever heard.

As soon as he bottomed out, he stilled, trying to give Kyler time to adjust, but he couldn't hold out for very long.

Kyler lifted his legs, opening himself for whatever Andrew gave.

"Shit." Andrew pulled out partway and then sank in again.

"Andy."

Andrew couldn't take it anymore. He had to do what came naturally. "I'm sorry, carino. I can't…can't hold back."

Kyler gripped his nape again. "I've got you."

He set a rhythm that wasn't punishing, but it didn't have any finesse either. As much as he wanted to think about Kyler's needs, his own screamed at him.

"Oh God. Andy." Kyler's grip tightened to the point of pain. Fingers tried to fist the skin on his back.

Andrew hadn't ever been into pain before, but it turned him on, knowing Kyler lost control. He'd done that.

Kyler's muscles tightened around Andrew's cock right before he moaned loud enough for the neighbors to hear. Warm wetness coated both of their bodies.

Andrew buried his face in the croak of Kyler's neck and picked up his pace. It only took him a couple of pushes and pulls to come, and when he did, it felt better than anything Andrew had ever experienced in his entire life.

He stilled and shuddered, before all the tension in his body left in its entirety. He felt like a wet noodle.

He kissed Kyler's neck and settled in for a cuddle. "Are you good, carino?"

Kyler chuckled. "I'm fabulous. You?"

"Same." Andrew placed a kiss on Kyler's collarbone.

"So that's what it's like, huh?" Kyler tightened his arms around Andrew as if he were afraid he'd disappear.

Andrew lifted so he could meet Kyler's gaze.

His confusion must have shown on his face because Kyler answered the silent question. "Making love."

Andrew had never understood the expression heart-melting, but for the first time in his life, he got it. His heart felt full all at the same time. "Si, carino. I've never felt it before now, but it must be."