Common Goal (Game Changers #4)- Rachel Reid Page 0,29
Scott’s engagement party. He hated it.
“So,” Kyle said brightly, refusing to acknowledge the fact that his feelings for Kip were so fucking obvious that even this near-stranger noticed them. “Can I get you another drink?”
Eric’s face shifted into the quietly amused expression that Kyle greatly preferred. “Sure.”
Chapter Eight
The party went on for hours. Long past Eric’s usual bedtime. He tried to mingle with everyone, drifting between the basement and the living room upstairs, but like magnets he and Kyle kept being drawn together.
He wasn’t sure if Kyle was doing it on purpose, or if he didn’t know enough people at the party, but almost every time Eric spotted him, he was standing alone. Sometimes he would be admiring a piece of art, sometimes just watching the party. A couple of times he’d had his phone out. Eric had been unable to resist checking in on him every time.
The guests were finally starting to clear out, and Eric thought maybe Kyle had left while he’d been upstairs, but when Eric returned to the basement he found him collecting empty beer bottles.
“You don’t have to do that,” Eric said.
Kyle glanced up from where he was bent over a side table and grinned. “Habit. And someone needs to do this. Your friends are animals.” Kyle had removed his scarf, and now Eric could admire the long lines of his neck.
“They’re not the most considerate bunch,” Eric agreed as he helped Kyle gather up the bottles.
He heard the front door open and close a couple of times above them as they worked, and soon he couldn’t hear evidence of anyone else in the house besides the two of them.
“Where’s Maria?” Eric asked.
“She left over an hour ago. One of the couples offered to drop her off at home. I can’t remember their names, but the wife is pregnant.”
“That’s Breezy and Martine.”
“Decent, non-murderous people, I assume?”
“They’re great. And they’re from Montreal, so they have no problem driving in Manhattan.”
“Good to know. Should these go to the kitchen?” Kyle had his arms full of about a dozen empty bottles. He was obviously well practiced in the art of carrying large numbers of glass containers.
“Yeah. We can rinse them out up there. Or I can. You can go home.” Eric laughed nervously. “You are under no obligation to help me clean up.”
“I really don’t mind.” Kyle headed for the stairs, then paused and looked back over his shoulder. “You’re the birthday boy. You shouldn’t have to clean.” He winked, and Eric really wished he’d stop doing that.
“I have cleaners coming tomorrow,” Eric said as he followed him up the stairs, trying but failing to not admire Kyle’s ass as it swayed in front of his face.
“So you were just planning to go to bed with this mess of bottles everywhere?” It was a question, but it sounded like Kyle already knew the answer.
“No,” Eric admitted. He would have at least rinsed out the empties like Kyle was doing. He hated mess. It was something his teammates had been teasing him about for years, but Eric wondered why Kyle had been able to guess it so quickly about him. Probably from seeing his kitchen. Or maybe Eric obviously presented as the fussy neat freak he was.
“By the way,” Kyle said as they entered the kitchen, “if I haven’t mentioned it already, your house is incredible.”
“Thank you. I’m very happy with it.”
“Is there a rooftop terrace?”
“Yes.”
“Goddamn you.”
Eric laughed. “Sorry. You’re welcome to use it any time.” He mentally kicked himself for saying something so weird, but Kyle smiled.
“Maybe I’ll wait until spring.”
“Right. Yeah.”
Kyle pushed up his sleeves and began rinsing the bottles out in Eric’s sink, which Eric could not allow. “Really,” he said, placing a hand on Kyle’s arm. “I can do this later.”
Kyle looked at Eric’s hand, and then met Eric’s eyes. “Later when? It’s almost two in the morning.”
“Exactly. You should go home to bed.”
“I’m at work past two most nights,” Kyle said. “This is nothing. Let me help.”
Eric surrendered and stood there awkwardly, watching Kyle work with his head full of thoughts that he knew he shouldn’t say out loud. He chose one of the safest ones. “It was nice spending time with you tonight. I’m glad you came.”
Kyle didn’t look up from the sink. “I almost didn’t.”
“Why?”
He saw Kyle’s shoulders tense, and he thought he wouldn’t answer, but he said, “I think you know why.”
Eric did have some idea, though he was surprised Kyle was bringing it up. “Because of Kip. And Scott.”