Chapter Thirty-Seven
chapter THIRTY-SEVEN
B eau ran a towel through his wet hair as he headed to the kitchen. He was starving, but he doubted there’d be anything worthwhile in his refrigerator. When he pulled open the door, the entire fridge shook from standing on unbalanced legs, and he sighed. A quick look inside, and his suspicions were confirmed. Nothing except a bottle of ketchup, a carton of eggs that were no doubt expired, and a six-pack of water.
After spending two hours at the gym, Beau needed sustenance. Grabbing his cell phone, Beau checked the time and noticed that he had a text. Several actually.
Shit.
Fuck.
Shit.
Ethan was on his way over.
The sudden knock on the door confirmed it, and Beau jumped, looking around to see what type of shape his apartment was in. Not good. It wasn’t messy, more like desolate. And depressing.
He didn’t want Ethan to see it, but somehow he’d missed the texts and now he had no choice but to answer the door. With a shaking hand, he pulled the door open, cringing at the loud squeak from the hinges.
“Hey.”
Ethan smiled, and suddenly, Beau didn’t have a care in the world. It didn’t matter that he hardly had any furniture or that there wasn’t a single thing to eat in his house. Everything revolved around the handsome man now standing in his doorway.
“It’s a damn good thing my brother answered the phone or I would’ve been knocking on every door until I found the right one.” Ethan’s tone was light, and Beau just stood staring back at him. “Invite me in, Beau,” Ethan said with a gruff chuckle.
Beau peered behind him at his apartment and then opened the door wide.
“Sorry, it’s...” Shit, Beau didn’t even know what it was. Pathetic was one word. “I didn’t see your text. I would’ve met you at your house. I... There isn’t much here.”
Ethan silenced him by pulling him against him, his strong arm circling around, his hand cupping the back of Beau’s neck, scorching him with pleasant warmth. “It’s fine.”
No, it really wasn’t, but how was he supposed to argue with Ethan when he now had his tongue in his mouth? The only important thing on Beau’s mind was devouring him until he couldn’t stand on his own two feet.
Unfortunately, he didn’t get that opportunity before Ethan pulled away, smiling at him before turning to check out his apartment. Every room was visible from right where they were standing, including the tiny bathroom with the clear shower curtain, the secondhand table that sat in what was supposedly the dining area, and the two mismatched chairs that he’d found at a garage sale.
He didn’t have a couch, just a small love seat that had belonged to his grandmother and was handed down to him as the only housewarming gift his mother had been willing to get him. Then, of course, he could see his bedroom and the mattress and box spring with the white sheets and tan blanket that lay in a rumpled bunch hanging off the side.
Damn it.
“Your place is much nicer,” Beau said nervously.
“From where I stand, there’s only a couple of differences between my place and yours,” Ethan said sharply.
Beau snorted. A couple? Right. Still, he was curious to hear Ethan’s thought process. “What’s that?”
“You’ve done everything on your own. I had mine handed to me.”
Beau knew that to be only partly true. Lorrie and Curtis didn’t shower their kids with money or gifts. They ensured they were taken care of, but they made their boys work for what they wanted. But it wasn’t surprising that Ethan didn’t give himself nearly enough credit.
“That’s only one,” Beau stated, waiting to hear the rest.
Ethan looked back at him, his eyes serious. “The other difference is that I own mine outright. You’re renting this place.”
Okay, Beau felt as though he was seriously missing something. “That’s obvious,” Beau retorted.
“Which means...” Ethan paused, glanced down at his hands and then back up to meet Beau’s eyes once more. “Which means living with me would only make more sense.”
“Livi—” Beau nearly swallowed his tongue. “Wait, what?”
Ethan smiled, and again Beau felt a little off balance. No, wait. He felt a lot off balance.
Then, Ethan moved closer once again, sliding his hand up behind Beau’s head and holding him there. He wasn’t sure whether Ethan knew just how much he needed the touch at the moment.
“I want you to move in with me,” Ethan whispered roughly.
Beau wasn’t sure he could find his voice long enough to answer. And the answer was a resounding yes, but the one- syllable word just wouldn’t come forward. So rather than answer, Beau pulled Ethan forward, their bodies colliding as their mouths crashed together.
Ethan forced the kiss to end far too soon, but when their eyes met again, Beau said the only word that made sense. “Yes.”
“Yes?”
Beau laughed. “Did you think there was ever any other choice?”
This time Ethan instigated the kiss, and the place heated several degrees as they stood in Beau’s barren living room, hands groping, tongues dueling, bodies colliding. Thankfully Beau didn’t have much on because he wasn’t sure he could waste time removing his clothes and Ethan’s. And in that instant, nothing else mattered except for getting Ethan naked.
Without restraint, Beau slammed Ethan against the wall, pulling at his shirt, desperately wanting to get them skin to skin. Clearly Ethan was on board with the idea because less than a minute later, they were both naked.
Unwilling to take the time to do anything other than touch and taste, Beau dropped to his knees in front of Ethan and sucked him deep into his mouth in one powerful draw of his lips. When Ethan’s fingers twined in his hair, pulling sharply, Beau groaned. He wasn’t sure how much more he could take, but the pain mixed with the intense pleasure nearly had him coming in his own fucking hand.
“Fuck,” Ethan groaned. “Fuck yes. Suck me deeper, Beau.”
Beau did as instructed, letting Ethan fuck his face furiously as he held on to Ethan’s ass, pulling him closer with every driving thrust. The brutal lust racing through him was merging, twisting, uniting into a fireball of emotion that would detonate at any moment, and the only thing he wanted to do was lose himself in this man.
“Awww, fuck.”
Beau reveled in Ethan’s harsh moans and desperate pleas as he continued to suck him faster. Harder.
“I’m gonna come in your mouth,” Ethan warned, and Beau doubled his efforts. He wanted more. He wanted everything.
“Is that what you want? Me to come down your throat?” Ethan asked, his voice hoarse with need.
Beau didn’t answer, just used his hand to grip the base of Ethan’s cock, stroking him hard and fast while he let him drive his dick deep in his mouth.
“Fuck yes, baby! Fucking coming!”
Beau swallowed every last drop as Ethan shot into his mouth while Ethan still latched on to his hair tightly.
When Ethan’s cock was spent, his body relaxing into the wall, Beau made it to his feet. But that’s as far as he got. As soon as he was upright, he was being shoved, stumbling the few feet to the love seat. After knocking him down onto it, Ethan turned and eased himself into Beau’s lap, facing away from him.
“Fuck me, Beau. Now!”
“Lube,” Beau groaned as he reached around and gripped Ethan’s cock with his fist, wanting to get him hard again.
“No time,” Ethan growled, lifting up as he reached around him.
“Don’t want to hurt you,” Beau told him, although he was so desperate to bury his dick in Ethan’s ass, he could barely contain himself.
Forcing Ethan up so he could rise, Beau darted for the bathroom to retrieve the lube before returning to find Ethan hadn’t moved an inch.
“Lube it,” Ethan insisted as he stared intently back at him.
Beau flipped open the cap and squirted the cool liquid in his hand before stroking his own cock roughly. It was almost too much. The way Ethan’s gaze heated as he watched, combined with his own punishing grip, nearly had Beau coming before he was ready.
“Now sit down,” Ethan demanded, and Beau once again dropped to the couch, but this time he pulled Ethan down with him. He allowed just enough time for Ethan to align his dick with his ass before he was pulling Ethan down harder.
“Fuck!” Ethan growled.
Beau stilled, suddenly worried he’d hurt him.
“Don’t fucking stop,” Ethan moaned, stroking his dick as he began riding Beau’s cock. “Fuck me, Beau. Fuck me hard. Don’t you dare stop until you come in my ass.”
Shit. Beau didn’t think that was going to take long at all, especially when Ethan proceeded to give him a play-by-play of how it felt to be impaled on Beau’s cock. The man was driving him mad, the lust a raging inferno burning through him, sending him higher, higher still until he couldn’t control himself.
“I’m gonna come, E. Come right in your ass,” Beau informed him as he reached around and gripped Ethan’s cock.
“Hell yes,” Ethan groaned. “Make me come with you. Fuck yes, baby. Just like... Fuck!”
And that was all he could take. Beau’s muscles locked, his cock lodged as far inside of Ethan as he could go when he came, the brutal orgasm shattering him at the same time Ethan let go, his cock pulsing in Beau’s grip.
Several minutes later, they were still on the couch as Beau tried to come down from the most intense orgasm of his entire fucking life. With their fingers linked together, Beau let the cool air wash over his overheated skin until he felt like he was at least somewhat human.
“Now what?” Ethan asked, glancing over at him with a grin.
“I was just about to go out to get food when you got here,” Beau said.
Although, he wasn’t all that hungry anymore. Considering they’d just consummated taking their relationship to the next level, he was still riding a high that he wasn’t sure he’d ever come down from. And then Beau’s stomach called him a liar, giving a warning rumble, and he knew he had to find food or he’d be worthless for the night. He hadn’t eaten since lunch.
“I know you’re not big on fast food, so let me cook for you,” Ethan offered, looking somewhat shy.
Beau’s heart swelled. He loved this man.
Looking down at himself, he knew he needed to shower again. “I’d like that,” he said honestly. “I’ll meet you at your house in an hour.”
Ethan got to his feet, stumbled around as he gathered his clothes before yanking on his jeans then his shirt and sliding his feet into his boots. Beau followed him to the door.
“I’ll get dinner started as soon as I get there,” Ethan informed him.
Beau nodded, pulling the door open for Ethan.
“Oh, and Beau?”
Beau was still trying to catch his breath, so rather than waste words, he merely cocked his eyebrow in question.
“Pack whatever you need because you’ve spent your last night here already. From here on out, you belong in my bed.”
And with that Ethan walked out the door, and Beau’s heart swelled in his chest and exploded into bright, gleaming pieces.
Yeah, he was definitely a goner.
WHEN ETHAN PULLED up in his driveway, he was already mapping out what ingredients he would need to get dinner started. He had opted for pizza. Homemade pizza. With everything he needed already in the pantry, it was just a matter of ensuring he didn’t miss a step. Considering his excitement, he worried whether or not he’d be able to remember his own name, much less his favorite recipe.
It was the only thing he could do to keep from exploding. Beau had agreed to move in with him.
They were going to live together.
Ethan never thought he’d be at a place in his life where that seemed like the right thing to do, but for him, right now, it was the only thing that made sense. He needed Beau in his life. He loved him with everything that he was.
ETHAN WAS IN the kitchen, rolling out the dough he’d just prepared, when there was a knock on the door. With his hands covered in flour, he merely stuck his head in the entryway and hollered for Beau to come in.
Back at the island, Ethan continued to work and smiled up at Beau when he joined him a minute later. His eyes were drawn to the black polo Beau had on and the two buttons that were open near his throat. He wanted to put his mouth there and suck on Beau’s skin until he was begging for mercy.
As though he knew just what Ethan was thinking, Beau’s brown eyes darkened and he swallowed, the bob of his Adam’s apple mesmerizing Ethan. At this rate he was never going to get dinner finished.
“Sit.” Ethan nodded toward the bar stool. “Hope you like cheese.”
“At this point, I’m willing to eat that dough just like it is.”
“Well, good thing I thought ahead, isn’t it?” Ethan nodded toward a plate of ham, cheese, and crackers. He knew it wasn’t much, but he hoped it would tide Beau over for twenty minutes while the pizza cooked.
Focusing on his task, Ethan prepared the pizza as quickly and efficiently as he could and only when it was baking in the oven did he turn back to look at Beau.
“Beer?”
“Sure.”
Ethan grabbed two beers from the fridge, popped the caps off, and handed one to Beau.
“I never did get to ask. How’d it go with Mason?” Beau asked, grabbing a handful of cheese slices.
“Perfect,” he said, remembering spending time with his nephew. “He slept, ate, and listened to me ramble for two hours straight. I’d say he did a great job at keeping an eye on me.”
Beau laughed, and the deep, thunderous rumble awakened something inside of Ethan. He could get used to this. He would get used to this: standing in the kitchen, talking about what their day had been like while dinner cooked.
Granted, since they were working together, they’d find other things to chat about, but Ethan didn’t think they’d ever have an issue with finding something.
“How about you? You go to the gym?”
Beau nodded, chewing before speaking. “Yeah. Forced myself to leave. Trying to make up for the last couple of days I missed.”
“Are you trying to tell me I’m not giving you enough of a workout? If that’s the case, I’ll have to double my efforts.”
Ethan remembered the last encounter an hour ago and he was suddenly looking forward to a replay. Immediately.
“Well, in that case, no, you’re not working me nearly hard enough.” Beau’s brown eyes glittered with humor and desire.
Ethan set his beer on the counter and moved around to stand behind Beau. Placing his hands on Beau’s bulky shoulders, he dug his fingers in and his dick rose to the occasion when Beau groaned.
“Feel good?”
“You have no idea,” Beau grumbled, his head falling forward on his shoulders.
Ethan stared at Beau’s neck. His hair was a little long, just the right length in Ethan’s opinion because he loved driving his fingers into all of that blond silk and holding him close. He massaged Beau’s shoulders then up to his neck and back down until he couldn’t resist the urge to lean in and press his lips against Beau’s strong neck.
Beau groaned, louder this time, his hand coming back behind him to clasp onto Ethan’s thigh. The physical contact was such a rush, the way Beau always touched him back as though being close to him was as important to him as it was to Ethan.
“You taste good,” Ethan mumbled against his skin, using his tongue to lick softly, sliding up to Beau’s ear. “I plan to taste the rest of you later.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Beau said gruffly.
Before they could get carried away, the timer on the oven dinged, and in answer, Beau’s stomach growled loudly, making Ethan laugh.
“I think I’m gonna have to feed you more,” Ethan said absently.
“Wow. A promise of more food and more sex all in one night. I’m pretty sure it’s not my birthday.”
Ethan laughed, feeling unusually light for the first time in a long time.