Playing With Fire (Glasgow Lads Book 3) (19 page)

“Good.” He ruffled Robert’s hair and moved away to the sink. “When I asked how the game was, I didn’t mean our match against Shettleston. I know how that went.” He filled a glass of water at the tap and set it in front of Robert. “I meant, how was
Dragon Age
?”

“Oh. That game.” Robert took a sip of water to cover his embarrassment at the misunderstanding. “I’m barely half-finished. But it’s amazing. They’ve got this new tactical camera feature.”

“Like in football, where you can see the entire pitch?”

“Exactly. You can stop the action—say, if you and your companions are going into a battle—and tell each character where to go and what to do.”

“Fascinating. Tell me more.” Liam lifted the compress and towels and gave Robert’s shoulders an exploratory squeeze.

Robert listed examples of skirmishes in which he would’ve died without careful planning, seeing as he was playing in Difficult mode. He knew his friend wasn’t interested and just wanted to keep him talking so that at least one of them wasn’t focusing on the space—or lack thereof—between Liam’s hands and Robert’s flesh, or on the warm, slick massage oil working its way into his skin.

“Another cool thing,” Robert said, “is you can go on side quests for the other—och!” He felt a shooting pain down his arm as Liam’s right thumb dug into the trigger point inside his shoulder blade.

“Just breathe through it, mate.”

Robert focused on not tensing up. “That fucking hurts, ya wee bastard.”

“It’s your own fault. The human body’s not built to play video games. We evolved to hunt, gather, kick footballs, and masturbate.”

Robert chuckled. “Then why does that last one sometimes give me sore wrists?”

“Maybe you need to do it more often, strengthen the muscles.” His left hand joined the right one, swiping firm, two-thumbed strokes over the trigger point. “Or phone a friend to help.”

“Is that an offer?” Robert blurted without thinking. Before Things Got Weird, they would banter like this all the time. It was fun, plus it was a way Robert could show he was comfortable with Liam’s sexuality. In BTGW days, Liam would have parried with “Anytime” or “That’s why I’m number one on your speed dial.”

But now things were weird, maybe permanently so, judging by the sudden silence and by the fact that Liam’s hands had gone still on Robert’s shoulder.

“Sorry,” Robert said. “I wasn’t making a request.”

“Of course you weren’t.” Liam resumed his strokes, same as before. “Anyone who’d choose a hand job over one of my massages is certifiably insane.”

Robert smiled, letting himself truly relax for the first time since he’d arrived.

“That’s better,” Liam said. “Now just keep breathing and we’ll have this released in a jiffy. Then the fun can really begin.”

Robert drew in air through his nose, letting it out slowly through pursed lips as Liam smoothed out the knot. He considered suggesting again that Liam make a profession of this, but he was so grateful for their rediscovered harmony, however tenuous, that he decided to keep his gob shut.

Liam shifted to the right, moving one of his hands to the outside of Robert’s shoulder blade, just behind his armpit. “This might hurt a bit.”

“Ah! Christ…” Robert’s breath whistled out through his teeth. “Why is it so bad?”

“That’s your teres major. Gets tight from all those manly weapons you’re carrying in that game. What have you got, a battle ax? Broadsword? Mace?”

“No,” Robert scoffed. “Those are for dwarves or humans.”

“Ah, forgive me.”

“I play as an elf.”

“Of course you do,” Liam said.

“A rogue elf.”

“Dunno what that is, but sounds dead sexy.”

“A female rogue elf.”

Liam’s hands stopped for a moment. “Now, that’s interesting.” He spread his feet to brace himself. “Gonnae move your arm back and forth like you’re throwing a really slow punch. And for God’s sake, keep breathing.”

Robert did as he was told. With each forward movement, Liam dug his thumbs in deeper, breaking up the knots, until Robert was gnashing his teeth and whimpering into his other fist.

“Sorry, mate,” Liam said. “But better pain than tension, right?”

“Aye.” This sure as fuck beat the debilitating throb of three-day headache. “How is it interesting I play a female character?”

“I don’t know.” Liam let go and stepped back for a moment, shaking out his hands and flexing his fingers. “You tell me.”

“I like to see things from a different perspective. I want the games I make to appeal to all genders. Women are a growing part of the gaming community, but they’re still the minority. They’re an enormous untapped market.” Robert paused. “Also, there’s this kinda hot male elf character who’s a romance option only for female elf Inquisitors.”

“Oh my God, I love you.”

Robert’s stomach went hot and cold at the same time, but he kept his voice light. “Why?” he asked without turning to look at Liam.

“Because you’re funny, is all. I love that you not only want to virtually fuck this elf bloke but also happily admit it.”

Robert grinned. He’d never hidden his geeky side from his best mate. “In my world, it makes total sense.”

“I’m sure.” Liam dabbed more oil onto his palm, then began broad, soothing, two-handed strokes down Robert’s upper arm. “So when you say ‘romance option,’ do you actually have sex with these other characters? Are they played by real people?”

“No, they’re NPCs—nonplayer characters. As to whether there’s sex, I don’t know. Haven’t got that far in the story yet.” Robert turned his head. “Why? You want me to record it?”

“Nah, my imagination will do a better job than a bunch of CGI images.”

Robert decided not to point out that
CGI images
was redundant, as Liam hated when he acted a know-it-all. Instead he said, “I hope the thought of inter-elf fucking gives you an enjoyable ten minutes with yourself.”

“Doubt it’ll take that long.” Liam continued past Robert’s elbow, massaging his forearm, paying extra attention to the muscles on top. Robert could feel the referral pain shoot forth to his first two fingers, the ones he used most in gaming.

Out in the living room, Liam’s phone dinged with what sounded like a text message. “Do you want to get that?” Robert asked.

“Why would I? You’re right here.”

“Yeah.” Robert’s insides melted a little. “I’m glad I am.”

“Me too. Free food and all.”

Robert watched Liam’s fair, freckled hands as they manipulated his sore wrist. His touch was gentle now on these smaller muscles and bones, no longer dispensing the punishing power it had wielded on his shoulder. Then he glanced up at Liam’s face to see the tip of his tongue protruding between his lips, as it always did when he was fully focused.

Robert caught his breath as the worst pain yet coursed through him. This one originated not from Liam’s fingers but from inside himself, from the sudden, overwhelming dread he felt toward the rest of his life, a life that now seemed incomplete if he didn’t have those hands and that mouth upon him every day.

If this was simply lust, it would eventually fade. The fingers and tongues of other men and women would replace these. One day he and Liam would look back at this epoch in their lives and laugh at the thought of being anything but mates.

Liam reached Robert’s right hand, where his touch softened further. He smoothed the thick, round muscle below the thumb, then the longer one on the outside of his palm. Then he clamped each finger by the tip and pulled to stretch it. A knuckle cracked in one, but it didn’t hurt.

Finally Liam just held Robert’s hand, squeezing it gently, warming it between his palms. It was the same finale as any other massage, yet tonight it felt different. That electric charge was still there, stronger than ever now that they were motionless.

When Liam whispered his name, Robert looked up to see his friend’s eyes as full of agony as his own felt. At that moment, he couldn’t remember any of the thousand-and-one reasons why they shouldn’t be together.

“Mate, what are we doing?” Liam asked, his voice cracking at the question mark.

Robert swallowed, bracing his feet against the floor. They wanted to push him upward, into Liam’s arms, then propel them the twenty steps it would take to reach the bedroom, or the two steps it would take to reach the wall.

A jingling sound came from his left, followed by a metallic rattle and a soft curse. Then Liam’s front door swung open, revealing his sister Marianne. As she stepped across the threshold, she spied them through the kitchen door.

“Oh.” She stopped short, her gaze flashing over Robert’s bare chest and shoulders, straight to his arm and the hand Liam was holding. Her eyes widened. “
Oh.
”

L
IAM
LURCHED
BACK
at the sight of his younger sister. He dropped Robert’s hand, his own fingers still tingling. “It’s not what it looks like.”

“It looks like you’re giving him a shoulder massage.” Marianne smiled at Robert. “New video game?”

“Aye.” Robert cleared his throat. “
Dragon Age: Inquisition.
”

“Cool,” she said as she dropped into the chair across from him, setting a McDonald’s bag on the table. “And by ‘cool,’ I mean ‘cool for you,’ not ‘cool, please tell me all about it.’”

“What are you doing here?” Liam asked her, his heart pounding from the thought of what she nearly walked in on. “You’re supposed to warn me.”

“I texted you, like, five minutes ago.”

“I need at least fifteen minutes.”

“All right.” She shrugged off her threadbare green jacket, then pulled a cheeseburger from the bag, looking completely unfazed. “I didn’t think you’d be here. Don’t you usually work Sunday nights?”

“I switched,” Liam said. “I do that sometimes, which means you wait for my okay before popping in. That was our agreement.”

“Our agreement was that I’d warn you, which I did.” She waved her paper-wrapped straw between the two of them, averting her eyes from Robert’s bare chest. “Don’t stop on my account.”

“We’re done.” Robert took his shirt from the back of his chair.

“Only half done.” Liam grabbed his sleeve, hoping they could finish in the other room, away from Marianne. “Still got your left shoulder and arm. You’ll be all unbalanced if we only work the one side.”

“I know, but I’m starving.” He tugged the shirt out of Liam’s clutches and pulled it over his head.

With a loud squonk, Marianne poked her straw through her Fanta’s plastic lid. “Can I be next for a massage, then? My feet are still pure loupin’ after work yesterday.”

“Maybe. After I eat.” Liam opened the curry takeaway bag and started dispensing his and Robert’s food. He knew he should be grateful for his sister’s arrival, as he’d been on the verge of saying and doing a whole range of stupid things to Robert. From the look in his mate’s eyes, all of them would’ve been welcome.

And then they’d be in the exact same place as a week ago. Nothing had changed. Liam was still afraid to fall for Robert, then lose him to a bright future and a more suitable man or woman. So unless Robert was suddenly happy to be Mates With Benefits, hooking up tonight would’ve only brought them more pain.

It’d been daft to invite him over in the first place—for a
massage
, of all things. But Liam had wanted to prove that everything could go back to normal, that they could still bond over their old rituals and traditions without dragging each other over the cliff of desire.

“So, how’s the new girlfriend?” Marianne asked.

Liam turned to see Robert looking caught out, like a dog rooting through the rubbish bin. “Erm…sorry?”

“A couple of weeks ago you said you were spoken for. Are you still with her?”

Robert shifted his feet beside his chair, then looked up at Liam for guidance. Liam just shrugged as he spooned the steaming rice into a bowl. He couldn’t begin to counsel his mate on how to get out of this one.

“I’m not seeing anyone just now.” Robert twisted his hands together on the table. “I’ve met a few people online, though.”

Marianne laughed. “What, like on OK Cupid? Someone like you shouldn’t need a dating site.”

“Not on OK Cupid.” Robert’s fidgeting ceased. “On Grindr.”

Liam’s hand slipped off the bowl. It crashed to the floor, where bits of white ceramic scattered among the rice grains. “Fuck. Sorry.”

Robert stood quickly. “I’ll get it.”

“No, don’t.” Liam bent over at the same time as Robert. Their heads knocked together.

“A couple of clowns, you are.” Marianne stood, shooing them back. “This kitchen’s too small for both of you. I’ll get the mess on this side. Liam, you get the rest. Robert…” She gave him a puzzled look. “You stand over there and tell me what the hell Grindr is.” She took the empty plastic takeaway bag and crouched down to get the pieces of broken bowl near the sink. “Is it an app like Tinder, where you see people’s locations?”

“Exactly,” Liam said, then gave Robert a warning glare. If Marianne didn’t know what Grindr was—which seemed unlikely, even at her age—maybe they could keep her in the dark.

Robert crossed his arms and leaned against the kitchen doorpost. “Tinder is basically Grindr for women and straight men.”

So much for keeping her in the dark.

“Okay, but then why don’t you use Tinder?” Marianne dropped another piece of bowl into the bag, making a clinking noise. Then she paused, her face suddenly smoothing as it lost its confusion. “Oh my God.” She looked up at Robert. “You’re not straight.”

He shook his head. “Sorry.”

She frowned. “Why are you apologizing?”

“For keeping it a secret all these years,” Robert said.

Marianne turned to Liam. “How long have you known?”

“A few weeks.”

“So, the night youse came for dinner, when we watched
Frozen
…” She stood quickly and set a fierce gaze on Liam. “You weren’t joking when you said he was yours. And there was never anything wrong with the shower head. You two are together, and you didn’t tell me?”

“I
was
joking. We’re not together. We’re just mates.” He looked at Robert. “Right?”