Chapter 11 #2
Silence descends on the interior of the car except for the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. When I twist my head to face my brother, Blaine’s blinking rapidly, trying to clear his wet eyes.
“El.” His voice sounds like broken glass when he speaks. “I’ll always need you. No one could ever replace you. Fuck.” He wipes his eyes. “I’m so sorry I made you feel this way. I had no idea.”
I shake my head. “You don’t need to be sorry.”
“But I do,” he insists, turning in his seat to face me. “I knew something was up, and I should have pushed to find out what was wrong.” He cards his fingers through his hair and glances up at the roof of the car. “Fuck, El. I’m so fucking sorry.”
I chew on the inside of my lip, my own eyes beginning to dampen with tears.
“It’s okay,” I whisper.
“No, it’s not.” He shakes his head. “You and Alex are the most important people to me, and I couldn’t live without either of you.
I’ve been so wrapped up in my own life that I didn’t even think about how this change would impact you.
And I should have known that. I’m your brother, for fuck’s sake.
I know you don’t like change.” He tugs at his hair again in frustration, and I reach out to grab his arm.
“Hey, don’t pull your hair out. Alex won’t be happy with me if you do that.”
He lets out a wet laugh and drops his hands before wrapping them around my shoulders. He hugs me so tight. I let out a squeak, and hug him back.
“I love you, you know that, right?” he says into the side of my head.
“Yeah, I do. And I love you too. And Alex. And Ernie.” I grin at the thought of his dog. “Can I steal him again soon?”
“You know you’d steal him anyway, even if I said no.”
“Yeah, I would,” I agree.
We hug for another thirty seconds before we get our stuff out of the back of the car and head toward the elevator. Blaine swipes his key card and presses the buttons to our floors. I wait until the car is moving before I drop another nugget of news.
“Um, so, you don’t have to worry about me being lonely now, though, because I’m dating Hunter.”
Blaine’s head snaps up. “Hunter? As in firefighter Hunter?”
I nod, unable to stop the wide grin from spreading across my face. “Yep. The one and only.”
“How… When… What.” He cuts himself off with a shake of his head. “No, wait. Don’t tell me yet because Alex will want to know. Come to our place?”
“I can’t, ’cause he’s on his way over.” A bubble of laughter escapes my throat. “But—” I hold up a finger as his jaw drops. “You can’t come over because I want to make out on the couch before my nap, and I deserve to make out on the couch with a hot man because I’ve been sad for ages, okay?”
His mouth clamps shut, and then his lips purse with a smirk. “Okay, I won’t use my key to break in. But only this once. Next time, I’m going to break in, and I won’t care if you’re about to get acquainted with his fireman’s pole. I’ll be giving him the talk.”
I press my lips together to stop myself from laughing. “The talk? Like the awkward birds-and-the-bees talk Mom and Dad gave us?”
“No, not that bad. The talk, as in if he hurts you, I’ll end him,” he says sternly.
The seriousness of his tone has me slapping my palm over my mouth and trying so hard not to laugh. He might only be two minutes older than me, but he’s always been coming to my defense. I let go of my mouth and give his shoulder a loving pat.
“I appreciate the sentiment, and it’s cute you think you could win a fight against him.”
He rears back like I’ve slapped him. “Hey! I could take him in a fight.”
I give him a pointed look. “Blaine, he’s an ex SEAL and as tall as a tree. I plan to be the koala.” I wiggle my brows.
He screws up his nose, and I burst into laughter as the car reaches my floor.
I step out into the hall and turn to say, “I’ll see you in a few hours. And if you think about interrupting my couch make-out nap time, I will break into your apartment and steal the left of every shoe you own.” The doors begin to close, so I quickly wave and shout, “Bye, twinny!”
My mouth is on Hunter’s the second we walk through the door of my apartment. The door slams closed behind him, and we both stumble as we try to kick off our shoes without tearing our lips apart. I know it’s only been a few hours since my tongue was in his mouth, but I feel starved of him.
We beat Winnipeg, winning the game 4-1. It strengthened our position as the leaders in our division and increased our chances at a spot in the playoffs.
I saved thirty-two out of thirty-three shots on goal, and the one rogue goal was a shitty rebound slipped past me.
But it’s okay. We still won, and I’m buzzing.
And now I’m winning again because Hunter’s shrugging out of his sexy leather jacket. He’s wearing a faded Alice in Chains T-shirt and worn jeans that hug his strong legs.
“Can we…” My words trail off as he kisses down my throat, and I let out a gasp. Fuck, who knew I was so sensitive there? “Can we go to my room?”
“Mhm,” he hums, then takes me by surprise when he reaches down and hooks his hands beneath my ass and lifts me up. I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist, looping my arms around his neck. Looking down at his handsome face, there’s no way of hiding my face-splitting grin.
“Is this okay?” he asks.
I nod firmly. “Very okay.”
He flashes me the same lopsided smile from the first day we met, only this time, his eyes are burning with heat.
He carries me down the hall to my room like I weigh nothing.
I guess it’s his job to carry people out of buildings, but having him carry me like this makes me feel so safe. Like he could protect me from anything.
Hunter places me down on the bed, and I make quick work of removing my socks and jacket. My blackout blinds are already down, and my bedside lamps are on a timer so I don’t come home in the dark. It’s cozy, just the way I like it, and the perfect setting for something.
I don’t know what exactly I’m ready for, but I know I’m ready for something with him. Only I don’t know how to bring it up.
How do I say, hey, I kinda want to see you naked, but I don’t know if I’m ready for full-on, shake-the-bed sex? Even giving a blow job sounds kinda out of my depth. I wouldn’t know what to do, and what if I do it wrong and Hunter doesn’t enjoy it?
“Hey,” he says softly, tipping my chin up to look at him. “I can hear your brain going a million miles an hour. There’s no expectation here. We can do whatever you want. If you want to sleep, we can do that. Or if you want to do something more, I’m up for that too. I’ll follow your lead.”
He runs his thumb over my bottom lip, an action he’s done a few times now, and I’ve loved it every single time. I keep my eyes locked on his, and I swallow hard before jumping into the deep end.
I can do this. I want this.
I part my lips and suck the tip of his thumb into my mouth. His eyes flash with an emotion I’m not sure I can pinpoint, but it only encourages me to continue.
“Fuck, El. Your lips drive me wild,” he rasps.
I smile around his thumb, then let him go with a pop. I stand and quickly shed the rest of my clothes except for my boxer briefs, leaving them in a heap on the floor, before jumping onto the bed. I settle between the pillows and pat the mattress beside me.
Hunter’s eyes trail down the length of my body, his tongue peeking out to wet his lips. Every second of his obvious perusal of me is fueling the spark of confidence he’s ignited inside me.
“Hurry up and take your clothes off, Hunter.”
He flicks his eyes up to mine and smirks. “Impatient, are we?”
I lean my head back against the pillow. “Very. I have had a very busy day, and I won a hockey game. If anything, you should already be in your underwear, kissing me already and telling me what a good job I did tonight.”
His smile turns wicked, and his voice takes on a deeper, smoother tone when he says, “You did play very well tonight.”
A rush of warmth spreads through my veins, beaming under his praise. “I know. Now, if you don’t mind…” I wave my hand in his direction. “I wanna see my reward.”
With an arch of his brow, he reaches for the hem of his shirt.
He pulls it over his head, revealing a dusting of dark hair over his sculpted pecs and a strong core.
He’s not all bulging muscles and a rippling six-pack.
He’s solid and strong. And I want to nuzzle my face into the trail of dark hair that travels from his navel and disappears into the waistband of his briefs.
His long, rough fingers pop the buttons of his fly, and then he pushes the denim down his legs.
I don’t realize I’m staring until Hunter clears his throat. My gaze slowly travels up the length of his incredible body until they reach his face.
“Well? What are you waiting for? Kiss me already,” I dare.
He all but pounces onto the bed, covering me within an instant. His kiss is hard and hungry, and my fingers find their way into his hair.
“I love when you don’t hold back,” he murmurs against my mouth. “When you just say what’s on your mind, I fucking love that.”
He gently lowers his weight on top of me, and the moment I feel the length of his dick through his briefs press against mine, I moan. My hips buck involuntarily, seeking more friction.
I think this is what was missing the two times I tried to have sex.
The sense of safety. The emotional connection between us. It’s not only a physical attraction, but something greater.
And it makes me more confident than I’ve ever been before.
“Will you show me how you like it?” he asks, and the gravelly tone to his voice has goose bumps erupting over my skin.
“Like what?” I ask dumbly.
“How do you like to be touched?”
I peer up at him under hooded eyes, realization dawning on me. He wants me to show him how I like to touch myself? As in, he wants to watch me touch myself?
Swallowing, I give a small nod. He rolls off me, lying on his side and propping his head up on his hand.
I hook my thumbs into the waistband of my boxers and tug them down.
My hard cock springs free, slapping my abdomen.
I toss my boxers onto the floor, then risk a glance over at Hunter.
The intensity of his heated stare has me shivering.
“You’re beautiful, El. You know that?” he says, those dark eyes fixed on me.
I shake my head, feeling both vulnerable and empowered at the same time.
“You are. You’re breathtakingly beautiful. I thought it the first time I laid eyes on you. I was like, damn, he’s fucking gorgeous,” he admits.
“I thought the same about you.”
He gives me a slow smile and reaches up to take hold of my chin. “I am one lucky motherfucker,” he whispers and leans forward to kiss me again.
I open for him, welcoming his needy tongue. When he sucks my bottom lip into his mouth, I whimper and instinctively reach for my aching cock.
“Show me,” he murmurs, releasing my lip with a pop. He settles back against the pillows next to me, our shoulders bumping together.
“Will you…” I clear my throat and drop my eyes to his cotton-covered cock. He seems to read my ask without me saying the words, because he quickly discards his boxers too. His cock is thick and long with a slight curve.
With my free hand, I reach into my bedside table and grab the bottle of lube. I squirt some into my palm and take myself in hand again.
It’s nothing unusual. My hand and I have regular meet-ups. I might not be the kind of person who can do hookups and find sex easy, but jerking off has become more of a stress relief than anything. An aid to help me sleep when my mind gets too busy.
But tonight is different.
Tonight, I can feel Hunter’s heated gaze on my skin. I can feel the weight of it with every stroke of my hand. I twist my palm over the head, letting out a sharp hiss at how sensitive it is. I want to be good for him. To please him, more than I want pleasure for myself.
“You like it slow and gentle, El?”
His voice is all husky, and it causes my toes to curl into the comforter.
“Yeah,” I breathe. “I don’t like it rough.”
“Mhm. Good to know.”
Hunter wraps his fingers around his own cock and strokes from root to tip. I’m unable to tear my eyes away from him as he plays with his sac with his other hand and continues to stroke himself in earnest.
My face heats when our gazes lock. His lips parted as his breath comes out in short bursts. I’m trembling with the sheer amount of sensations going through my veins right now. Arousal. Excitement. Anticipation. Lust. Adrenaline.
My breath hitches as Hunter leans forward. He nips my lips before his tongue dives into my mouth. I moan, my balls tightening as I edge closer to the brink of my orgasm.
“Are you close?” he asks.
I give a small nod.
“Are you gonna come for me? Like this?”
I let out a shaky breath, my toes curling into the comforter again. “Yes,” I gasp.
“Mhm. Good boy,” he murmurs, nipping my earlobe.
The sharp pain ignites a spark of heat and rushes down my spine. My muscles tense, and my mouth drops open. My entire body shudders as I come on a silent moan, coating my stomach with my release.
“Fuck,” Hunter grunts.
I open my eyes in time to watch him cover his fist with his come. A whimper leaves my throat at the sight of his release dripping onto his happy trail, and my spent cock gives an appreciative throb.
Wow. Fucking wow.
We lie there, both staring at each other, gasping for breath for a few minutes. Then my brain registers the come still on my skin, and I bare my teeth in a cringe.
“I need to get this off,” I tell Hunter, sitting up and swinging my legs over the edge of the bed.
I head butt-ass naked into the bathroom and fill the sink with warm water.
I get as much off with a tissue first before I use soap and a few washcloths to clean myself up.
Once I feel settled and know I’m not going to be sticky, I warm up another washcloth and take it to Hunter.
“Thanks.” He smiles softly, cleaning himself up. He takes it into the bathroom, then slips under the covers when he returns.
He lies on his back, then holds one arm open for me. I scoot closer, resting my head on his shoulder. He wraps his arm around me. Deft fingers playing with my hair, and the sensation instantly makes me sleepy.
“Do you like that?” he asks quietly. “When I call you a good boy?”
I give a sleepy nod, unable to keep my eyes open. They feel so heavy.
His chest vibrates as he hums, and then he kisses my forehead. “Good night, El.”
“G’night, Hunter,” I murmur.
I’m drifting in and out of consciousness when I hear him whisper, “Never change, Elliot. Don’t let anyone ever dull your shine.”