His hands moved lower, finding new muscle knots Calix hadn't even been aware of. Were they caused by his neck as well? His massage therapist had commented once or twice that some of Calix's issues might be stress related and not be caused by his neck injury. He'd always brushed those words aside. How could he possibly have back issues because of stress when he was so physically active? Maybe she'd been onto something after all.
Rhett traveled lower and lower, and Calix couldn't hold back the moans of contentment as his whole body lost its tension. God, this was amazing. The man had golden hands. He shifted a little to get more comfortable, then froze.
What the fuck? He was hard. He had one hell of an erection, trapped under his body. How had he missed it?
He swallowed, forcing his body to relax again while at the same time keeping still. It would subside. It had to. It was a physical reaction, caused by someone else touching him. This had never happened with his massage therapist, but she was a woman. He was gay, and her touch wouldn't have the same effect on him as Rhett's. Right? Right. That made sense.
The only strange thing was that it was the second time this had happened with Rhett. First when they had cuddled on the couch and now during this massage. Maybe it meant his body was ready again for sex? Ever since Matthew had died, he'd been celibate, simply lacking even the desire to be with anyone else. His right hand had sufficed, but maybe that was changing?
Rhett couldn't know. It would make him uncomfortable, and that was the last thing Calix wanted, especially now that they'd become friends. Or whatever the hell it was they were.
He frowned. Where had that come from? Of course they were friends. What else could they be?
"I think that's all I can do for now. Make sure to drink plenty of water," Rhett said, removing his hands from Calix's back.
Calix smiled despite his predicament. "That's what my massage therapist always says as well."
"I read that a thorough massage like this releases a lot of things in your body, like waste, I suppose. You have to flush that with water. And ice the tender spots if necessary."
He'd read that? Had he done a little research? Calix was strangely touched by the idea. "I'll make sure. Thank you."
"Do you need help getting up?"
Even if he did, he'd never admit it. Not when his treacherous cock was still rock hard, and his sweat pants would show that particular detail in a way Rhett couldn't miss. He cleared his throat. "Why don't you wash your hands in the kitchen and wait for me in the living room? I need a minute or two to recover."
He had no idea if it even sounded remotely plausible, but what choice did he have?
"Oh. Okay. I hope I wasn't too hard on you."
Calix closed his eyes. Too hard. God, he was killing him. "No, sweetheart. You were perfect. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Rhett's voice was laced with happiness. So. Fucking. Sweet.
Luckily, he shut the bedroom door after him, and Calix let out a breath of relief. Getting up quietly was a bit of a challenge. He'd been lying a long time, but he managed, and then it was only a few steps to his bathroom. He closed the door without a sound, and his hand was on his cock at the same time. If the damn thing wouldn't surrender on its own, he'd have to help it.
He shoved his sweat pants and underwear down, already fisting himself with his other hand. Why was he so aroused? He'd jacked off that morning. Usually, that was enough to last him a day or two, maybe three. And Rhett's touch hadn't been sexual, not even close.
He refused to think about it anymore. Instead, he focused on the rapidly building tension in his balls and cock. As usual, he was fast and hard, the roughness adding to his pleasure. A few tugs more and he came all over his hand, muffling his moan of pleasure against the back of his other hand. Holy fuck, that had felt good. Maybe it had just been another stress relief?
He looked at himself in the mirror as he washed his hands. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes a little darker than normal. Would Rhett notice? If he did, he would contribute it to the massage. The man was too innocent to suspect anything else. Thank fuck for that.
He waited until he was certain he had himself under control, and then he strolled back into the living room, where Rhett sat on the couch, his feet pulled up. He looked like he belonged there, and a deep sense of longing filled Calix. He'd been alone for so long that the sight of someone else in his house brought a deep joy.
"I feel so much better," he said as he sank into a reading chair.
Rhett's smile held pride. "I'm so glad."
Calix's stomach rumbled. He checked the time, then frowned. "Oh fuck, you haven't even had dinner yet, have you?"
Rhett shook his head. "It's fine. This was more important. I can heat up something when I get home."
"Are you in a hurry? I mean, is Levar expecting you home by a certain time?"
"No. I told him I might be back late."
"Did you tell him where you were going?"
"Uh, I did. I hope that was okay?"
"Of course it is. I told you, we don't need to keep our friendship secret. And he's your best friend, so you should tell him. But in that case, why don't I order us some food?"
Rhett's face lit up. "Okay."
I'm in the mood for Chinese. That okay with you? A restaurant close-by delivers, and their food is amazing. They have a kung pao chicken that is to die for, and so is their sesame chicken."
"I'm easy. I like everything."
"Awesome. Let me order."
They chatted while they waited for the food to arrive, and once the order had been delivered, they installed themselves back on the couch and swapped the little cartons back and forth until they'd both had enough. No formal dinner this time, and it felt wonderfully intimate.
"How did Levar respond when you told him you had spent Thanksgiving with me?" Calix asked.
Rhett rolled his eyes. "With lots of questions. But he was glad I hadn't been alone."
"I'm so happy for you that you have such a good friend in him."
"He's been… I don't even know how to explain it. My lifeline, I guess. But I've relied on him way too much, have leaned on him too heavily. I told him I was ready to change that. Maybe I'm not ready to spread my wings just yet, but I want to see how it feels to flap them. I know it's silly. But at my age, I should—"
"There is no should," Calix said firmly. "Sweetheart, you survived something traumatic. Nobody, and I mean nobody, including yourself, should judge you for how you did that, how you got through the last five years. So you take as much time as you need to take the next step. And I'm sure Levar feels the same."
Rhett's face softened. "He does. He told me he was willing to be my safety net for as long as I needed one."
"You have one hell of an amazing friend. And I'm sure he feels the same about you."
"I've so often felt guilty about the imbalance in our friendship. I've needed him so much, and while he has never complained, it just… It doesn't seem fair to me. He needs his own life, especially now that he's with Henley, and so do I. I need to take those steps toward independence."
"You mentioned that on Thanksgiving. How are you going to do that? What's your next step?"