Three Part Harmony (The Road to Rocktoberfest 2024)

13. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Mike

It was the longest ride ever to get back to Griffin’s place. The entire drive, I couldn’t stop my head from spinning with what we’d talked about at the park. Surreal was putting it mildly. I was mystified as to how he even found me in the first place but hearing him talk about his feelings…that was a total shock. I just couldn’t wrap my brain around the fact Griffin felt as though we were already in a relationship. He was as certain as Fletcher was of the same thing. It made me wonder how many others thought that.

It was fucking crazy as hell but I didn’t want to question it too much for fear this wasn’t real. What if I was imagining this whole true confession experience? I was beyond tired from getting very little sleep last night in Dixon’s truck, so perhaps I was dreaming this? I had no idea, but I was going to roll with it as long as I could and hope my bubble didn’t burst any time soon.

I’d been to Griffin’s condo several times before today but walking through the front door behind him now felt a lot different than the previous times I’d visited. I was seeing this space as something entirely different. His presence was everywhere. I could see pieces of him all over, with a few discarded items of clothing draped over chairs, socks on the floor, photographs dotting the shelves of a wall unit holding books and other things, a stack of Ducati motorcycle magazines coupled with two or three periodicals about architectural design, and so on.

Architectural design? Was he actually interested in something like that? I’d have to remember to ask him more about that.

His scent lingered in these rooms; a delicious blend of citrus, woodlands, and something similar to leather. It wrapped around me like a warm embrace and centered me in a state of calmness that was totally Griffin. It’s what he did for me; steadied me when I felt off-balance and lifted me up when I felt lost—like he was doing for me today. Before he showed up at the park I did feel lost but not anymore. Griffin saw me for who I was and it didn’t make him turn away. Instead, it had him stepping closer to help me navigate me through my confusion .

I loved him for that. Maybe I just loved him period but it was way too soon to think like that. I probably should take the time to unpack those feelings because it was scary as fuck to feel that connected to a man like Griffin. He was so confident and secure with himself and his job, whereas I just felt scattered on my best days. In many ways, I was the embodiment of our band’s name. Chaos. It pretty much described me to a T. But somehow when I was with him I felt completely in control and, dare I say, even self-assured. He brought clarity to so many aspects of my life and the things that were important, like happiness, pride in my accomplishments, and…love. I wanted to hold on to that for a long time, if he let me.

“Want something to drink?” Griffin asked me.

His question pulled me out of my internal thoughts and back to the present—alone with him in his home, just down the hall from his bedroom. I watched as he tossed his keys onto a granite countertop and stepped into the kitchen. I followed and stopped at the entrance. Our eyes met and something powerful passed between us. I wanted to run and throw myself into his arms but for some reason my feet wouldn’t move me forward. When it came to sex I was always the confident one but with Griffin, the fear of him saying no held me rooted in place. To avoid any possible mixed signals, I had to let Griffin take the lead with this.

Griffin’s gaze dragged all over my body and finally lifted to my face then he slowly began to walk toward me with a little bit of hesitation, like he was warring with himself over what his next move should be. It made me wonder what he was thinking and whether it was good or bad. Did he really think I’d say no to anything he was offering? There was zero chance of that happening.

He stood silently assessing me then his hand lifted to cup the side of my face and I leaned into his soft touch like a preening cat seeking affection. His thumb stroked my cheek and I could feel the rough callused tips of his fingers scratch over my beard stubble. The sound of it made me shiver and Griffin wrapped his arms around my back and pulled me tight against him. The solid mass of him pressed to me was overwhelming. He was as hot as a furnace and the subtle scent of his bodywash took over all my senses. It was comforting as much as it gave me a bit of anxiety because it felt so damn good and I wasn’t used to feeling something this powerful—and we were only hugging.

Call it a fear of the unknown but there was so much of him surrounding me in this moment a small part of me wanted to pull away to create more space. In reality, I wanted the opposite and instead of stepping back, I leaned into him and truly allowed this feeling of bliss to consume me. I’d spent a long time running from the feelings I had for Griffin and I didn’t want to do that anymore.

No more running. I want to be caught.

Griffin kissed the side of my head and ran his hands down my back in such a soothing way, goosebumps skittered across my flesh. Our clothes were no longer sopping wet but we were still damp. I wasn’t going to complain about that when Griffin was wrapped so perfectly around me and my face was nestled into his neck. I felt safe with him, special, and now that I realized I could have this with him, I never wanted to leave the sanctuary of his embrace .

“How about I get us some dry clothing to put on and I’ll wash these?” Griffin suggested. I was too exhausted to answer and let him continue to talk but the angry growl of my stomach interrupted even that. “Slight change of plans. After I get you warm, I’m going to feed you because if I know you, you haven’t eaten since sometime yesterday. Am I right?”

I nodded in agreement and grinned against the perfect heat of his throat. His Adam’s apple bobbed just a few scant inches away from my lips and I wanted to lick it, maybe suck on it until I bruised the skin. But Griffin tipped my head back to meet his eyes. I saw so many emotions reflected in his gaze. It was beautiful to see him like this, like the veil we’d been forced to hide behind had finally been lifted. We didn’t have to be a secret anymore and it was freeing on so many levels.

I can see all of you now, and you are so beautiful to me.

Griffin stepped back and took my hand. “Come with me,” he instructed and led me from the kitchen and down a hall. I saw two rooms on the right side that appeared to be spare bedrooms; one of which was being used as a weight room and the second appeared to be an office. A bathroom was at the very end of the hall. To the left, Griffin pushed open a door to reveal the primary bedroom. He dropped my hand and approached his dresser.

“I think I have some sweats that will fit you,” he said as he pulled open a drawer toward the bottom of the dresser. I watched him remove a pair of navy blue sweatpants and a gray sweatshirt and hand them to me. “Bathroom is in there if you want privacy to change. ”

I lifted one brow while smirking at him. Really? Did he think I wouldn’t be bold enough to strip down in front of him? Maybe he didn’t know me that well after all. I kept my eyes on him while I shouldered out of my jean jacket and dropped it onto the floor. Griffin stood about ten feet away, silent but watching my every move. My long-sleeved, black Henley came off next and I tossed that on top of my damp coat. I was shirtless and I loved how Griffin’s face had flushed and his eyes tracked every move I made like he was absolutely captivated. I loved the power behind this and toed off my untied boots before my fingers went to my belt buckle and the top button of my jeans.

By the time I stepped out of my pants, Griffin had started to undress, too. He’d already removed his shoes and a lightweight jacket near the front door when we came in and was now tugging off his t-shirt. He took a second pair of sweats from his dresser and a dry t-shirt. I saw the expanse of his bare back as he bent down with so many layers of muscles and a light dusting of dark hair on his lower back. I desperately wanted to slide my hands all over him, feel his warmth, and explore every ridge and plain of his body. My hands grew itchy while I watched him adjust his clothing into place. When he was done I caved to my needs and set my hands on his hips, letting them slowly glide up his gorgeous backside.

Griffin straightened and moaned when I reached his shoulders and squeezed the nape of his neck. I leaned in and pressed my lips to the warm skin just below his hairline and Griffin turned around to face me .

“Michael, there’s nothing I want more than to spread you out across my bed and take my time discovering how many ways I can get you off, but this isn’t something I want to rush,” he whispered. “Besides, you’re hungry and you need to eat. Let’s do that first because once we hit that bed, we’re going to be there for a while.”

His words alone were almost enough to get me off. I bit my bottom lip and sighed loudly. I knew he was right, though. I didn’t want to hurry through this either and I knew he was worth the wait. I mean, we’d already waited months to cross this line, what was another few minutes?

“I’ll admit you’re annoyingly correct in your thinking but that doesn’t mean I’m happy about my delayed gratification,” I mocked in fake indignation.

Griffin chuckled and brushed his lips lightly over mine. “Slip into those sweats and meet me in the kitchen,” he said. “I’m going to prepare a feast of eggs, bacon, and toast for us.”

“Is sausage also on the menu?” I teased.

“Smartass,” Griffin chuckled. “Meet me in the kitchen in five.”

“And…the sausage?”

“Unbelievable,” he said and smirked. “We’ll talk about me feeding you my sausage later.”

He collected our wet clothing from the floor and walked toward the doorway. I cleared my throat to get his attention and he glanced over his shoulder at me. I was still in the same spot he’d left me and wearing nothing but a pair of tight gray boxer briefs that left nothing to the imagination. The outline of my rock-hard erection obscenely tented the fabric in the front and there was likely a wet spot at my tip too from the leaking I knew was happening.

“Are you sure you want to leave me to go cook right now?” I asked with a devious grin on my face and my hands set on my hips which only emphasized my predicament further. I saw the moment his eyes dropped to my groin and the prominent bulge I was sporting caught his eye.

“Fucking hell,” he sighed.

“Impressed?” I asked.

“I’m definitely…intrigued. That’s for damn sure.”

I smiled at his comment and I honestly could see how torn he was now in which task he did next. I also liked knowing he was conflicted about this, too. But his choices weren’t complicated. He could either come back and do me or he could continue to the kitchen and make us breakfast. I already knew what his choice would be, though, because I knew he was a man of honor and enjoyed caring for me. He’d already expressed an interest in taking things slow, which was fine and understandable. I also knew he was as turned on as I was, and as soon as we finished filling our stomachs we’d be having dessert in his bedroom.

I could hardly fucking wait!

I joined Griffin in the kitchen and leaned against the counter next to the stove to watch him prepare our breakfast. I loved seeing him like this, loose and comfortable enough with me that he’d occasionally glance my way and offer me a wistful smile. The blush in his cheeks kept my dick hard the entire time he cooked. He was so damn beautiful with long, thick fingers and clean, blunt nails on both hands. I had trouble concentrating on anything other than the movements of his hands and the expression on his handsome face.

When everything was done, he plated our food and set them on the kitchen island behind us. I hopped up on a stool and he joined me a minute later carrying two mugs of black coffee.

“Black, right?” he questioned.

“Either you know me too well or you have a good memory,” I teased, sounding far more seductive than I was intending.

“Maybe a little bit of both,” he replied.

Breakfast was absolutely delicious and I managed to completely clean my plate. I could tell this pleased Griffin. It was obvious he really enjoyed taking care of me and I sure as hell loved the way he pampered and doted on me, too.

I carried my plate over to the sink and rinsed it off before opening the dishwasher to place it inside. Then I grabbed Griffin’s plate and did the same. He emptied his mug of coffee and then met me in the kitchen.

“Did you have enough to eat?” Griffin asked me as he wrapped me up in his arms again.

“I am so full I might burst but it was really good,” I complimented. “Thank you for cooking.”

His hands lifted to my neck and he pressed his forehead to mine. “And you said you didn’t want to eat,” he teased me. “Always in such a rush when some things are meant to be savored.”

I tilted my head to better notch our faces together and dragged my lips across his. Griffin released a low rumble of a groan as I covered his mouth and licked my way inside. He easily opened for me, tongue flicking against mine, it made me dizzy in seconds. He tasted like coffee and just a hint of bacon mixed with high octane lust. I leaned harder into the kiss, hell-bent on owning Griffin’s mouth like it was a vital resource I needed to conquer in order to survive. To my surprise, Griffin gave as good as he got and my body was already thrumming with need, and we hadn’t even gotten out of the kitchen.

I may have been the one who walked us backward while we kissed our way down the hall to his bedroom, but once we slipped over the threshold it was all Griffin. Any remnants of hesitation he may have had earlier were long gone and I was more than thrilled to let him lead me all the way to one gloriously happy ending.