Page 19 of Rico

“Just a warning—Ace has latched onto Anurak,” Gunner told me quietly. “And he will be sticking to him like glue.”

I shrugged. “Anurak needs someone like Ace, so I don’t mind.” The game ended, and another was already being announced. I looked at Gunner. “Looks like you’re here for a while. You up for another game?”

He nodded. “Always down to watch a game. You got beer?”

“Yeah,” I told him. Niran, who had been sitting in on the loveseat working on his tablet, silently set the device aside before standing and heading toward the kitchen. I grabbed Anurak’s throw blanket off the back of the couch and stood, draping it over the boys. Gunner kneeled beside them and gently tugged Ace’s shoes off his feet.

I pressed a kiss to the top of Anurak’s head, smiling at him. I was too selfish to take him places to possibly make his own friends, but I had a feeling Ace would be one of the best things to happen for him.

Ace would love and protect my boy with the same prejudice I did, and that was damn good enough in my book.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Anurak

Ace:You down for some shopping? Winter’s getting ready to roll in, and I need a new wardrobe.

Isnorted, shaking my head as I typed out a response. Anurakalwaysneeded something, whether it was makeup, hair color, clothes, shoes, or even new cologne.

Anurak:Don’t you already have winter clothes?

Ace:Oh, honey. My winter clothes from last year are no longer trendy.

I blinked at his message. Ace, while I adored him, was a total diva. But it was kind of fun. I liked that he wore makeup and colored his hair and liked dressing up in feminine clothes sometimes. He wasn’t afraid to behim, and he made me feel so comfortable in my own skin as I explored some of those things with his guidance.

Heels were decidedly off the table after I tried walking in a pair and almost broke my neck, but I did like crop tops and really short shorts.

Ricoreallyliked them, too. The first day he’d seen me in them after a shopping spree with Ace, he’d bent me over the nearest surface and proceeded to tongue fuck my hole so well, I was nothing but a sobbing, babbling mess by the time he’d finally got his cock inside me.

Anurak:Let me ask Rico if it’s okay if I go out.

Locking my phone, I got up from the couch, where I’d been watching TV and texting Ace, heading toward Rico’s office. When I entered, he immediately looked up, his eyes softening. Warmth spread through my veins, just like it always did when he looked at me like that. Like I was the brightest part of his day and seeing me immediately made him relax.

“What is it,perrito?” he asked.

“Ace wants to go shopping and asked if I could come. Is that okay?”

Rico rolled back from his desk just enough to reach into his pack pocket, pulling his wallet free. He held out a black card to me. Frowning in confusion, I stepped forward and took it from him. “Give this to Bento. You can go, but BentoandNiran are with you the entire time, clear? Buy whatever you want. Bento will know to use that card to pay for it.”

I beamed at him. “Really? I can go?” It wasn’t often Rico let me out of the house without him. But if he was, that meant his workload was pretty heavy, which made me worry a little.

He chuckled. “Yes,perrito. Have fun and shop to your heart’s content.”

I quickly rounded the desk and leaned down, planting a kiss on his lips with a loud smack. He was grinning at me when I pulled back. “Thank you, Papi. And please remember to eat,” I begged.

He cupped my cheek. “You’re welcome,perrito. And I will. I promise.”

When I’d metAce and Gunner at the mall, I truly had not expected to buy anything because I didn’t want to use Rico’s money for stuff that wasn’t a necessity. But just like always, Ace started shoving clothes into my arms and dragging me into the fitting rooms, both of us trying on clothes together, and well… I ended up buying stuff.

In my defense, I really liked how I looked in them.

“Okay, I’m starving,” Ace said, grabbing my hand in his. He tugged me toward the food court, and my pulse leaped into my throat at the crowds. I wanted to go somewhere else to eat, but I was afraid to voice my concerns, not wanting Ace to think I was weak. I could deal with this, couldn’t I? Ace wouldn’t put me in danger. And we had Gunner, Bento, and Niran with us. I was safe.

I was safe.

I clutched Ace’s hand a little tighter as he led us toward the Asian food spot on the edge of the food court. And while we ordered, he continued holding my hand, even tightening his hold when my palm began to sweat.

I thought everything would be okay. I really did. I was okay. We were near the end of the line, and Ace was telling the kind lady on the other side of the glass partition what else he wanted in his tray.