Chapter 9 #2
“Yeah, I saw it. It was fucked up. And then the asshole yanked on his arm—”
“Wait, you were there?” Mason asked. “And you didn’t clock the fucker?”
“Mason, you can’t solve every problem with a fist,” Jett said. “Go on, Lucas.”
“Yeah.” I focused on my sneakers and bumped off the wall. “I waited in the restaurant bar. So, in case Tate started something, I could help Ezra. After I showed up at their table, Tate let him go.”
“Tate is the asshole boyfriend?” Mason asked.
“He is. He’s fucking maniacal, Mason. The asshole starts shit with Ezra and then showers him with apologies and gifts.” I paced along the plaza, peeking inside the convenience store at the end, and then twisted around.
“That’s how those guys are, Lucas. They try to control people and then guilt them into staying with them,” Jett spat out.
With a nod, I said, “Ezra slept at my apartment last night and when we got to his place this morning, roses and a cringy card waited for him at his door.” I breathed through the tightness in my gut.
It was a relief to get it off my chest. “Now we’re at Ezra’s studio and the fucker showed up again, yelling through the door, demanding to talk to him and apologizing.
I swear, it seemed like a demon possessed him one minute, and the next he spoke like an angel. ”
“Don’t fall for any of it and be very careful,” Jett said. “This guy sounds dangerous.”
“I hear ya.” I rubbed my sweaty palms on my shorts. Tate consumed too much space in my head. “Uh, I have other things to talk about.” Talking sex with my brother might be too cringy. “Jett, can I ask you some things?”
“What about me?” Mason snickered. “Oh, I know why.”
“Mason, go clean up the kitchen,” Jett said. “What do you want to know?”
I shrugged, walking by the Subway shop and glancing inside. The line was shorter now. “How do two guys, uh, you know?” I sounded stupid. Stopping, I rubbed my brow. “I mean, I know about anal. But what should I expect?”
“Sex will come naturally. I’m sure Ezra will be careful with you.”
“Careful? Why?” I was so out of my element. I continued my stroll along the plaza.
“Because he knows you’re new to this.” He puffed a breath. “Lucas, there are other concerns Ezra might have. Like if you’re experimenting with him, or at some point can’t handle the societal pressures of being in a gay relationship. There’s more to it than sex.”
I halted again, my mouth opening. “I’m not experimenting.” Or was I? I had feelings for Ezra. Why did I feel such a strong need to protect him if I didn’t?
“Okay, but are you ready for people to make negative comments or give you unpleasant looks? Are you ready to hide your feelings in certain places because you fear for your safety?”
Is that what my brother went through? He mentioned being bullied.
But he was such a cocky bastard, it never seemed to faze him.
“Like, where would I fear for my safety?” Oh…
My eyes popped open. During a nationally televised hockey game, a player nearly beat Jett to death because he was gay. “Are you talking about on the ice?”
“I’m talking about anywhere. There are places in America where the LGBTQ community isn’t welcome. Be prepared for that.”
“Shit.” Hadn’t Ezra dealt with prejudice from his own family, and didn’t he say Alabama wasn’t great for him?
I’d been living in a straight bubble of privilege my whole life.
But being with Ezra was worth it. I pressed my lips together.
Bring it on. “I’m ready.” Taking on Tate was only the beginning. I’d fight anyone for Ezra.
“Ezra must know you’re fully committed. He’ll need reassurance from you,” he said. “If you’re unsure at any point, tell him.”
“I’m sure, Jett.” There was so much more to it than sex. “What about the abuse he’s had? How do you think it’ll affect him?”
“He’ll probably guard his heart.” He sighed.
“I wasn’t abused, per se, but I was exposed to some of the rhetoric from the far-right Christians on top of the prejudice on my team, and if it wasn’t for your brother’s insane persistence, we wouldn’t be together now.
” He chuckled. “When your brother wants something, he doesn’t let up. ”
“And neither do I.” It was one thing we had in common, which made us both talented hockey players. I had some work ahead of me. I planted a hand on my hip. “What can I do to help Ezra?”
“Just be there for him. If he pulls away from you, yank him back.” His smile carried through the phone. “I wish you all the best, Lucas. You’re a Hopkins, and I know your parents raised you well.”
“Thanks, Jett.” Here I was, focusing on the wrong things. “I’ve got to grab some food now. Tell my brother I love him and…love you too.” Jett was my brother-in-law and God damn, was I thankful for it.
“Love you too. Bye now.” He ended the call. I stepped into the shop and ordered our subs.
When I approached the door to the studio, I scanned the area. Still no sign of Tate or his car. I fished my phone from the pocket of my jeans and texted Ezra.
Lucas
I’m here.
I waited, my gaze roaming the surrounding grounds, then focused on my phone.
No word from Ezra and the message hadn’t been read.
Was he so caught up in work, he didn’t notice my text?
With a huff, I shifted my weight. Or did fucking Tate manage to convince Ezra to let him in while I was away? “Fuck.” I texted again.
Lucas
Are you okay?
Maybe I should call him? I dialed his number and held the phone to my ear. It rang a few times, and his voicemail played. Ending the call, I glared at the door. Should I knock? I didn’t want to scare him.
The door burst open. “I’m sorry, Lucas.” Ezra wrinkled his forehead. “I was working on your photos, and I lost track of time.”
“My photos?” My heart bloomed with warmth. He enjoyed looking at me that much? With a grin, I stepped past him and into the dark studio.
He locked the door behind me and stepped toward me. “I printed some out for you. I had some frames—”
“Yeah?” Swinging the Subway bag at my side, I sauntered to his desk. Two framed photos of me rested in the corner, one holding a close-up of my face and the other showing my bare chest down to my navel. Damn, these might be the best photos anyone had ever taken of me.
He stood behind me. “I think your photos turned out the best. You have a face for the camera.” He rested his hand on my lower back. “You’re gorgeous, Lucas.”
Setting the bag on the desk, I turned to him.
“In your eyes, I am…” I leaned in, skimming my lips across his, tasting him, and then deepened the kiss, wrapping my arms around him, his body heat shivering over me.
I tangled my tongue with his, slanting my mouth.
Jett’s words rumbled through my head. I had to show Ezra more than lust. I had to show him how much I cared for him.
He whimpered and hooked his arms around my waist.
My cock sprang to life. How would he sound when he came? I wanted to hear it. Rocking my hips, I pressed my dick to his. Jett said sex would come naturally to me. Was this part of it? Wanting our cocks to touch?
He grabbed my ass and left my mouth to nibble on my chin and bite at my neck, his solid dick thrusting into mine. With a moan, he squeezed my ass cheek.
Pleasure shuddered through me and pulsed my cock. Precum dribbled into my briefs. Tipping my head back, I exposed more of my neck.
He sucked and bit to my earlobe and then flicked his tongue against the shell of my ear.
Goosebumps shivered down my side, and my cock tingled as the friction of his hips rubbed against me.
Holy fuck, this felt good. There was something about his masculinity, the hardness of his body, the sureness of his mouth and the thrusting of his hips that had me…
fuck, about to come. A wave of sensation surged through me, my balls tightening.
Panting, I stopped him. “Ezra, shit, you almost…”
With his eyes darkened and lids hooded, his gaze raised to mine. “Sorry, too much?” His tongue circled his already wet and swollen lips.
“Not too much in a bad way, too much in a good way.” Heat flooded my face. This was a little embarrassing. It wasn’t like I couldn’t control myself. But fuck, he was different.
“Oh.” He arched a brow and palmed my raging hard on.
My dick jerked at his fiery touch, and my breath hitched. “Fuck, Ezra…” I swallowed hard, my gaze locked on his. I was a blithering mess. What happened to my brain?
“What do you want, Lucas?” He raked his teeth over his lower lip. “I want to be careful with you.”
I wanted to fucking come right there, in my jeans, in his studio. But no…I had to show him this wasn’t about lust. “I want to explore with you sexually, but we should wait until after dinner, right?” Was I insane? I took a deep breath and held it.
“Yes, you’re right.” He removed his hand from my aching dick and pressed a soft kiss on my mouth. Facing his desk, he said, “We should do this properly, and it’s not right to make out in my studio when Tate could arrive any minute and ruin it.”
I adjusted my cock and rested a hand on his shoulder. In a ragged voice, I said, “Tonight, at my place, we won’t have that problem.”
His gaze snapped to mine, and his pupils flared. With a smirk, he said, “We have sandwiches to eat?”
“Oh, yeah.” With a faltering laugh, I opened the Subway bag.