Page 101 of Bonus Game
“I don’t want to sleep around with no strings attached. I want you to be my boyfriend.”
Riley held his breath, resisting the urge to pin Kingston’s arms to keep him from attacking, and allowed him to respond in any way he wished.
Kingston didn’t hit him or growl at him. The only shift in his movement was his heaving shoulders when Kingston’s breathing turned fast and laboured.
“What are you—boyfriends? What the fuck, Evans?!” Kingston turned his head and glared at Riley from over his shoulder. “What about the other two? You’re not making sense—we can’t work. We hate each other.”
“I’m not talking about them until you tell me your answer,” Riley said firmly. “And what do you mean we can’t work? Do we not have chemistry? Do we not enjoy doing the same things outside of playing hockey?”
“I—” Kingston let out a short, angry growl and tucked his knees into his chest. “Why the frig did you start the conversationlike you were about to dump my ass after getting a good fuck? I’m reeling here, and I feel like an idiot.”
Riley could admit that it wasn’t the smoothest lead into the conversation, but it was too late to take it back now.
“You don’t want to be mine, then?” he asked, kissing the back of Kingston’s neck. “Because I really want you, Sloan. Even if you think the idea is crazy.”
“What’s crazy is how long it’s taking me to turn around and knock your goddamn teeth out?—”
“And for the record!” Riley said, raising his voice enough to stop Kingston before he could ramble about wanting to beat him up. “We don’t hate each other, and you know it. I think you’re only mad because you hate how much fun we have, and you’re too stubborn to admit that we’re compatible.”
Kingston was still breathing heavily, but he didn’t deny what Riley said or shoot a rejection at him.
Baby steps.
While he waited for Kingston to calm down enough to give him an answer, Riley distracted himself by showering Kingston with love bites and soft kisses to his neck and ear. Asking the boyfriend question was a bold first step, but even if the uncertainty of being with Sloan scared the shit out of him, he knew he wanted it.
He might not be experienced when it came to men, but there was no denying how right it felt to hold Kingston like this. Knowing it could be a permanent, everyday thing made Riley ache and burn at the same time.
Ached because he yearned for a life where he was on equal footing with a partner who wanted him, and burned because the thought of being Kingston’s first and last in every way made him want to etch his claim onto his skin with his teeth.
And it wasn’t until he had been in Allen in Jake’s bed while fucking Kingston, that his life hadfinallymade sense. The truthwas, Riley didn’t want to be an extra person between Allen and Jake. He loved what they had, but he knew it wouldn’t be the same if they offered him a place in their lives. The three of them would throw off the perfect balance, which is why it would never work.
But four…
Four was perfect, and Riley had been thinking about it since he’d seen Allen fawning over Kingston and how Jake had comforted him with his firm touches.Thatwas what he wanted. The four of them in Jake’s penthouse, sweating to death when Allen kept turning the fireplace on, and eating amazing food whenever they were back for a home game.
Riley knew they could get there, buthehad to be the one to extend the offer. Kingston wasn’t the type of person who would ask for something like this, and that was okay because Riley was the one dumb enough to try.
“We don’t know anything about each other,” Kingston murmured finally, and Riley pulled away from the kisses to give him space.
“I know, but that’s why I asked,” said Riley. “If you agree, then we can both take that as permission to learn things about each other as we go along. Sometimes I feel like you’re so closed off that I wouldn’t be able to get the information from youunlesswe were boyfriends, if that makes sense.”
Kingston looked over his shoulder again, and Riley’s heart skipped when he brushed their lips together in a way that was barely a kiss, but it felt like victory.
“You’re not wrong,” said Kingston. “But I don’t know how to be any other way, and you’ll get tired of that eventually.”
The skipping in his heart switched into a sharp tug, and Riley quickly cupped Kingston’s cheek to keep him from looking away. “I don’t care if you believe that’s true—let me try.”
Kingston’s blond brows drew together, but Riley had never seen his gaze look so soft—so vulnerable. His jaw was trembling in his hand, and even if no tears were dampening his cornflower blue eyes, Riley could tell that he had won.
Against all odds, Kingston relinquished his control and submitted to him.
“The wordboyfriendis cringy as fuck, but I’ll agree to your offer,” said Kingston. “But I’m setting some ground rules, Evans. Don’t think I’ll let you walk all over me.”
Riley laughed and kissed him, keeping it chaste to avoid getting his tongue bitten by his boyfriend.
Kingston was his boyfriend.
Riley kept laughing even when Kingston squirmed in his arms until he was forced to let go, and then switched their positions so that he was facing him on his lap instead.
