Unexpected, p.21
Unexpected, page 21
Colin pressed their cheeks together. “And for the first time, I want to be held. I love you too, Walker. Don’t let me go.”
“I won’t. I promise.” He kissed Colin’s face and eyes, feeling the dampness of tears on his lashes. “No one will ever hurt you again.”
He trailed his lips down Colin’s jaw to the pounding pulse in his neck, and soon they were shedding their clothes and chasing each other to the bedroom. He grabbed Colin and they tumbled into bed, legs tangling. His hands roamed over Colin’s naked skin, and an intensely sweet ache swept over him at the push of Colin’s cock against his thigh.
“I want you inside me, Colin. Please.”
Every nerve ending flared as Colin took out the lube and condoms, and after slicking a finger, pushed it inside him. The confidence in his actions was strikingly different from the first time they were together, and Walker loved seeing Colin’s self-assurance grow. He slid a second in and splayed them wide, while licking his shaft and nuzzling into his groin. Lust, hunger, and desire washed over Walker, and he lay panting and writhing as Colin played inside him. All thoughts fled, other than getting Colin in him.
“Now, dammit. Come on.” He followed Colin’s every move as he rolled on the condom, but once again, that man decided he needed tormenting and played with him, rubbing only the head of his dick on the outside of his rim. “You bastard, you’re gonna kill me, aren’t you?” He trembled as Colin continued to tease and torment him, by slipping in an inch or two, then pulling out.
“No. I’m going to love you,” Colin murmured against his mouth. He kissed him hard as he pushed in to the hilt.
“Oh God,” he groaned. Colin rested for a moment, lips pressed to his cheek. When he began to move, Walker clung to his shoulders as his world splintered apart. He wrapped his hand around his length, and it only took a few rough strokes until he flew to the sky.
Faintly, he heard Colin’s harsh breath in his ear, “Walker, Walker.” Colin pinned his shoulders to the bed and thrust deep, eliciting a strangled cry from him as Colin swelled and filled the condom with heat.
Nothing compared or even came close to the passion and love pouring from Colin into him, and he embraced Colin, whispering over and over, “I love you. I love you.”
Colin pulled out, disposed of the condom, and returned to his arms, where his lips found Walker’s. “I love you too.”
He closed his eyes.
* * *
He awoke to an empty bed.
The sheets were cold, an indication Colin hadn’t been cuddled by his side, like they normally slept. He found Colin sitting on the couch, staring into the darkness, and slid in next to him.
“What’s wrong?”
“I was just thinking about my marriage and when I saw Brad at the event.” Haunted eyes met his. “He said it wouldn’t be long before you got tired of my old, sad ass. That I was boring, in bed and out. We’re so different. What if we’re fooling ourselves that this can really work?” Colin blinked rapidly. “I couldn’t bear it if you ended up hating me.”
Walker’s heart broke at how defeated he sounded.
“Not a moment with you has been wasted.” He took Colin’s hands in his. It had been years since he’d wanted something so desperately and with such a passion that it blinded him to everything else. That was when he was aiming for one of his home-run records in a season, and it was one of the greatest moments of his life.
Until tonight. Hearing Colin say “I love you,” he knew he’d never be the same.
“I’m not the type who craves the spotlight. I’ve told you, I’m happier at home.”
“I am too.” At Colin’s dubious expression, Walker hurried to explain. “No matter where we are, it’s you who makes me happy. You take the loneliness away.”
“And you’re lonely because of your parents.” Colin caressed his cheek. “You miss them.”
“I’m a fool. I shouldn’t, because how can I trust them after what they did?” Staring off into the darkness of the bedroom, he sighed. “And yet…now that you and I are together, I wish they could know you, because they’d love you.” His lips curved in a grin. “They’d say you’re the calm to my storm.”
“Accurate.” Colin’s lips twitched and his eyes danced, and Walker’s heart turned over. Damn, he loved seeing him happy, loved making him happy. He made even the conversation about his parents bearable. “Why did they really take the money, do you think?”
Agitated, he let go of Colin and paced the room, pushing his hands through his hair. He hated that even after all this time, they still got to him. Jimmy told him maybe it was a sign that he should think about speaking with them, but that thought made him alternately hot with anger and cold with fear.
“I don’t know. I heard of a lot of players whose families expected to live off them, and that’s what it looked like they planned. Maybe it was because they were so arrogant about it. Like I owed them whatever they wanted, no questions asked. We weren’t hurting for money, yet even after I treated them with all those big-ticket items, they still stole from me.”
“I can’t imagine your sense of betrayal.”
He dropped to the couch again, next to Colin. “We’ve both been betrayed. Let’s talk about what happened here tonight because we have some shit to sort out. I know you don’t like to talk about your divorce because Brad cheated on you. But what’s this business about being too old? Plenty of couples have age gaps in their relationships.”
“He said I couldn’t satisfy him.” Shiny-eyed, face bright red, Colin blurted, “I was so infatuated with this good-looking guy who wanted me, I gave him everything he wanted. It didn’t matter if he worked full-time or not. I worked hard enough for both of us. When he wanted to work out all day at the gym and be a personal trainer, I said hell yeah. I benefited too. Then I brought him into my business because he wanted to learn. I thought I had the hottest husband.” A heartbreaking smile tipped the corner of his lips. “Unfortunately, so did everyone else.”
“Well, aren’t you lucky.” Walker pushed him down and straddled him, watched the glow of desire rise in Colin’s eyes. “Now you have the hottest boyfriend.”
Colin chuckled when Walker kissed him. “Is that so?” he murmured against his lips. “Modest too.”
“You love it.” Walker brushed their lips together. “And me.”
Heaving out a dramatic sigh, Colin laughed. “I suppose so. Although I’m still trying to figure out how this happened.”
“Don’t bother to question it. Life is better when you live it unexpected.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dustin chucked a few M&M’s into his mouth and crunched them as the three of them coordinated their notes for an upcoming wedding. “What did you do last night?”
“Nothing much.” At some point he’d tell them, but for the time being, he wanted to hug the memory of himself and Walker together. “What about you?”
“We stayed home.” Alan exchanged a look with Dustin, who busted out a giant grin. “Watched the game.”
“Oh, brother. Kill me now.” Face hot, he raised his gaze to the ceiling. “Okay.” He spun his hand. “Let’s get on with it. Fire away.”
Dustin cocked his head. “He looks like a great kisser. You were definitely into it.”
“Yes, he is. Satisfied?”
“Surely you jest.” Dustin finished his espresso. “Details, baby. We need the juicy, and I mean juicy details. I saw a little tongue.”
“Maybe you need to subscribe to Pornhub or OnlyFans. I’m not here for your sexual satisfaction.”
“Oh, trust me, I don’t need videos to be satisfied. Alan is more than enough for me.” Dustin winked at his husband.
“I don’t think anyone could keep up with you,” Alan answered drolly.
Colin replied, “Walker could.”
Shit. Did he just say that?
From Alan and Dustin’s delighted smiles, apparently he did.
“Do tell.” Alan cocked a brow. “Although from the kiss, it looked like you have no trouble on your end either.”
“And, by the way, how is your end? Feeling happy?” Dustin cackled. “Damn, I crack myself up.”
“You need a crack over your head.” He pretended to growl, but it was hard when your mouth wouldn’t agree and kept curving upward in a grin.
“Nuh-uh, I see that frown turned upside down. You’re smiling. You and Walker have worked everything out? Things are good? Throw us a bone. We’re dying over here.” Dustin nudged his foot with his own, then stood to make himself another espresso.
Alan picked up the refrain. “Besides, you owe us. If it wasn’t for us forcing you to go away that weekend, you never would’ve had that connection and things might’ve been totally different.”
“We’ve worked it all out, and we’re good.” His lips still tingled from their kiss over an hour ago.
“I’m thinking by the look in your eyes, better than good. You know Dustin and I are happy for you. Walker’s a great guy.”
“He is. Despite everything I initially thought about him, we’re actually pretty similar. He understands me.” Unexpectedly, he suddenly wanted to open up and talk about it with them. “Even when I was married to Brad, I never felt this kind of connection. We talk about everything.”
Alan hugged him tight. “I’m thrilled for you. This is what I always wanted you to have. A loving, equal relationship.”
Standing at the espresso machine, Dustin nodded vigorously. “That’s the main thing. Walker is a huge personality in his own right and doesn’t need anything from you but yourself. Which is pretty damn good. Are you in love with him?”
The heat rose in his cheeks, but he had nothing to hide. “Yeah. And it seems he loves me too.”
Dustin did the unthinkable and left his espresso to run across the conference room with a whoop and hug him. “Fucking fantastic.” His blue eyes creased with laughter. “How about some good tickets to the game?”
“Idiot.”
His heart had never been fuller.
Finished with their meeting, the three of them left the conference room to split up and go to their offices. A couple entered the reception area, the woman capturing him with a nervous, tear-filled gaze. Colin froze.
“I’ll take care of them,” he murmured to Alan and Dustin, and walked over to greet them.
“Hello. You’re Walker’s parents, am I right?”
Unsmiling, Walker’s father faced him. “Yes. I’m Carson Scanlon, and this is my wife, Ilene.”
Up close, Colin could see Walker was a carbon copy of his father, except for those heavy-lidded, smoky blue eyes, which were a gift from his mother.
“How can I help you?”
Ilene shifted her purse on her shoulder. “Is there somewhere we can talk privately?”
Aware that Alan and Dustin, as well as Iris, were all pretending not to listen, Colin nodded. “Come with me to my office. Iris, hold my calls, please.”
Once inside, he waited for them to sit. “Can I get you water or coffee?”
“I’m fine,” Carson answered. “Ilene?”
“Water, please.”
He took a bottle from the refrigerator in the corner of his office and handed it to her, then sat behind his desk. “I’m assuming you saw Walker and me last night at the game.”
Carson shifted in the chair. He possessed the same muscular build as Walker, and Colin could see he kept himself in shape.
“We were at the game. But yes, we saw you on the jumbotron, and later, we watched the interview with you and Walker on ESPN. We try and keep up with our son.”
“I see. But I’m still not sure why you’re here.” Actually, he had a pretty good idea, but wanted to hear it from them.
“If you and Walker are serious, you’re probably aware of our estrangement.” Carson darted a quick glance at Ilene, who sat with tears threatening again.
“We were so happy to see he’s met someone, but it’s just another terrible reminder that we’re cut off. We love and miss him so much.”
“I’m not sure what you expect me to do.”
Ilene wiped her eyes. “You can understand how devastated we are not to be able to be in his life. You have parents. Do you have a good relationship?”
His heart stuttered. “My mother is dead, and I never knew my father. So I don’t think I’m the best judge of what an ideal parent-child relationship is, but that’s not the point.” He laced his fingers together on the desk. “Walker explained to me what happened, and as I said before, I’m not sure what you want from me.”
“I miss him so much.” Tears streamed down Ilene’s face, and as much as Colin hated what they’d done to Walker, he couldn’t help but feel sympathy. “I’ll do anything to be able to see him.”
Feeling helpless, Colin huffed out a sigh. “He’s very hurt and angry still, even after all these years. And I can’t push him, because I’m not sure it’s in his best interests.” Both Carson and Ilene’s faces reddened, and Colin knew he’d hit a nerve. “You have to understand how your actions devastated and almost destroyed him. Don’t you?”
Ilene sniffled and dug a tissue out of her purse. “I never thought it would be like this. We were wrong, I know. We saw all that money, and it went to our heads.”
Carson cleared his throat. “It was a terrible thing what we did, and we were lucky Walker didn’t want to prosecute us. Instead he chose to sweep it out of the public eye to avoid a protracted, ugly trial, and cut us out of his life completely. Losing my son for good has been worse than any prison sentence I might’ve had to endure, and I’m begging you. Please. Please try to talk him into seeing us.” He buried his face in his hands.
Colin tensed at the broken sound of Walker’s father crying. This was unexpected, to say the least. God help him, he was out of his depth here.
“I…I’ll try to see what I can do,” he heard himself saying, though he didn’t really know what the hell that could be.
“Anything. Anything at all that could give us a chance to talk without him getting angry with us and walking away.”
After they left, he sat in his office the rest of the morning, unable to concentrate on his work. How could he figure it out? While he was firmly behind Walker and anything he chose to do, deep in his heart he believed Walker would be happier if he could come to some kind of resolution with his parents. An idea sprang to mind, and he picked up the phone.
“Jimmy? It’s Colin.”
“Yeah? What’s goin’ on?”
“I was wondering if I could talk to you about something. Could I meet you somewhere besides the bar? It needs to be private.”
“I guess. There’s a coffee shop a few blocks away on Livingston—New Apollo. We can meet there.”
“How’s two o’clock?”
“Good. See you then.”
He ended the call and stared off in the distance, drumming his fingers on the desk.
* * *
At a minute past two, he walked into the coffee shop and spotted Jimmy sitting in a booth with a cup of coffee in front of him. As he sat, a server approached.
“What can I get you?”
“Tea, please, and a corn muffin.”
She left them, and Jimmy took a sip of his coffee. “Must be something important for you to call me. Anything to do with what happened at last night’s game?” He gazed at him expectantly, with a hint of a smile, and Colin knew his cheeks were on fire.
“No, not really…well, maybe, but in a roundabout way.” The tea and muffin were deposited in front of him, and he steeped the tea bag in the cup for a moment, stalling for time. “This morning I got a visit from Walker’s parents. They’re desperate to see him and asked me to arrange a meeting between them.”
“You’re kiddin’ me. Wait, Walk-Off told you what happened?” At his nod, Jimmy rubbed his chin and cast him a frank look. “Huh, that’s something I never thought would happen. But you know? I’m glad. I think you’re good for him. You seem like a levelheaded, trustworthy kinda guy.” He pushed aside the coffee cup to brace his elbows on the table. “Look. I gotta tell you. What his parents did was terrible, not only for taking the money, but for what it did to Walk-Off. There was a guy who had everything—good friends, amazing start to his career, and a great relationship with his parents. I met them. They were nice, ya know? Regular people. And I ain’t never seen a father so proud of his son. So when Walk-Off told me what they did…it knocked him out flat, like he was sucker-punched, know what I’m sayin’?”
“I do. Believe me, I’m on Walker’s side in all this. I wouldn’t even consider bringing them together if I didn’t think that maybe there was a tiny bit of hope that Walker might want it too.”
“Ya think?” Jimmy sounded dubious. “I always wanted him to have a sit-down with them, but he always brushed it off. I thought, even if nothing gets accomplished, you hash it all out and boom. If it works, it works, and if not, you walk away, but at least you tried.”
“Exactly.” He found himself nodding to everything Jimmy said. “That’s what I think too.”
“Yeah, but Walk-Off don’t. They crushed him bad. And he’s the king of snap decisions. If you screw him, he don’t give second chances. You’re gone.”
Contemplative, Colin broke off a piece of his muffin and chewed. “What do you think about me trying to get them together? Do you think I’d be taking a risk?”
Before answering, Jimmy finished his coffee, but Colin could see he was searching for what to say. He knew it wasn’t an easy decision.
“Well, you and he are close. I saw that last night. Walk-Off ain’t never looked as happy, so I believe he’ll know you did it with the right intentions. I think you should give it a try.”
“Even though you said if you screw him, you don’t get a second chance?”
Jimmy adjusted the Mets cap on his head. “Sometimes you gotta take the risk, kid. You might go up in flames, but you never know when you’re gonna hit that grand slam outta the park.” With that, Jimmy squeezed his shoulder in support and left.
