Common Goal (Game Changers #4)- Rachel Reid Page 0,109
his heart raced at that. He’d thought about Eric constantly over the past two months with a mixture of anger, sadness, and regret. Looking at him now, so handsome in the suit he must have left the arena in, Kyle couldn’t deny that he still wanted him.
He spotted Aram lingering at the table of three very handsome men. “One sec,” he told Eric. He walked over to Aram and gently tapped his arm to get his attention.
“What’s up?” Aram asked.
“Can you watch the bar for a few minutes? Eric wants to talk to me about something in private.” Kyle knew how intriguing this sounded, but it was the best he could come up with.
“Sure,” Aram said, though he eyed him curiously.
Kyle walked away before there could be follow-up questions. He led Eric to the storeroom behind the bar. He closed the door firmly behind them, then stood facing Eric, unsure of what to expect.
Kyle folded his arms across his chest defensively. “I’ve only got a few minutes.”
“I’m sorry,” Eric said immediately. “I was wrong, and I’m so sorry. I ruined everything, and I wish I’d gone upstairs with you after that hike.”
Kyle frowned at him. “You regret not having sex two months ago?”
“No. I regret everything that could have come after having sex two months ago.”
Kyle’s heart stopped beating. Was this really happening? “What could have happened?”
Eric took a step toward him. “I could have told you how I really feel. That I have loved every moment we’ve spent together, whether it’s having sex or just talking. That I want to have more of those moments. Years of them.”
Kyle swallowed, his eyes burning. “Oh.” He let those words sink in, then recalled the opposite words Eric had said months ago. “What happened to people should only date people their own age? Because I haven’t magically aged fifteen years in the past two months.”
“I’m sorry I said that. I’m sorry for so many things.” Eric gazed imploringly at Kyle. “Do you hate me?”
Kyle relaxed his arms, and sighed. “I’ve tried to hate you.”
Eric’s lips curved up slightly. “Did it work?”
“No. Fuck, Eric. I can’t hate you. I want everything you just said. I’ve wanted it for months.”
Eric was so close now. His gaze kept darting away from Kyle, and he was making a meal of his bottom lip. Kyle would prefer to be the one doing that.
“I want to be with you, Kyle. I want to be your boyfriend. Partner. For as long as you’ll have me.”
Tears were flowing freely from Kyle’s eyes now. He didn’t care. He smiled wetly and said, “How dare you tell me this in the backroom at work.”
Eric chuckled and stepped toward him. “It wasn’t how I planned it.”
Kyle wrapped his arms around his neck. “You know I have to go back out there and serve customers after this, right?”
And then Eric’s lips were on his, and they were kissing wildly. Kyle’s body sang with relief after too many weeks of not having this. Eric gripped Kyle’s head, his fingers tangled in his hair, making a mess of it.
“We shouldn’t—” Kyle panted, breaking the kiss.
“I know,” Eric said, then kissed him again. His hand slipped under the hem of Kyle’s T-shirt, pushing it up to expose his stomach.
“Oh, fuck,” Kyle gasped. He thrust his hips forward so his crotch could make contact with Eric’s, and then went back to devouring him. He couldn’t believe this was really happening, and he was so overcome with desire that he was considering fucking Eric in this storeroom.
Eric suddenly stepped away. “Sorry,” he said, wiping his mouth with his forearm. His face was flush with arousal, and probably some embarrassment. “I shouldn’t have—I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s okay. I really don’t mind.”
Eric smiled at him like he couldn’t believe he was real. Kyle was sure he had the same expression on his own face.
“I want to go to Greece with you,” Eric blurted out.
“You do?”
“Yes. Soon. When can you go?”
“I—”
“And I was thinking...do you think Gus would sell this place? To me, I mean? And maybe to Scott too. I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him about it. But I think he’d love to co-own it with me, and you could be the manager and—”
Kyle cut him off with another kiss, but it was sloppy because he was laughing at Eric’s uncharacteristic babbling. “That all sounds incredible, but I need to finish my shift right now.”
“Okay. Right.” Eric kissed him again. “We should talk. After.”