Chapter 52
CHAPTER 52
Sunlight sliced through the gaps in the blinds, cutting across the hardwood floor, glinting on tangled jeans, a worn hoodie and a sock half-hidden beneath the bed.
The light hit Logan squarely in the face, stark and unrelenting, dragging him from the depths of sleep like an unwelcome alarm. “Aw, jeez,” he groaned, squinting against the brightness.
He rolled onto his side, his hand instinctively reaching out to where Ethan should have been, brushing the cool, now empty sheet. The absence was jarring, and his brow furrowed as he sat up and propped himself against the headboard, the quilt pooling around his waist.
At the foot of the bed, Ethan stood with his back to him, and Logan trailed his gaze over powerful shoulders that tapered to his waist.
His taut muscles shifted under sun-kissed skin as he tugged a gray t-shirt over his head, and Logan found himself momentarily mesmerized by the way the soft cotton slid down, covering his toned chest. The bruise, a faint purple watercolor like stain on his cheek and forehead, caught his attention. Devon’s handiwork.
Logan’s chest tightened at the thought. “Hey,” he rasped, his voice still rough from too-little sleep.
“Hey,” Ethan turned and smiled, smoothing the shirt over his stomach with both hands. “You sleep okay? There’s fresh juice and coffee in the kitchen if you want some.” He gestured toward the door as he grabbed a pair of socks from the dresser.
“Not bad.” Logan checked his phone. It was too damn early for anything resembling activity, and he tossed it back onto the nightstand with a frown. “Where are you going? Come back to bed. We don’t need to report to the base for another three hours.”
Ethan turned, one eyebrow quirking up in amusement. “Sorry, I figured I’d hit the gym early and get a workout in before training. Don’t wanna let my boss down by losing my stamina.” He punctuated the statement with a wink.
“Oh, trust me… your boss thinks your stamina’s just fine,” Logan shot back, a slow smile tugging at his lips.
After everything that happened last night, why was Ethan bolting? His smile faltered and confusion creased his brow. “You’re not seriously going to the gym now, are you? I mean... I thought we might have breakfast together before heading in for the briefing.”
“Oh, really?” Ethan replied as though considering it, then shook his head. “Sorry...” He again gestured to the door before turning away. “I wanna beat the rush. You know Lieutenant Thompson always takes forever in the weight room.”
Logan watched him searching the dresser drawers and couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. As Ethan pulled something out of the bottom drawer, Logan’s gaze wandered lower, to where Ethan’s bare legs stretched below the hem of his shirt. No boxers. Just skin, and that teasing sliver of thigh where sunlight met shadow.
“Wait, you’re serious?” He leaned forward as if catching him mid-act might change things.
“Um-hmm—yeah,” Ethan glanced over his shoulder, one corner of his mouth twitching upward into a smirk that bordered on mischievous.
Logan narrowed his eyes and bit back a grin of his own. “I kinda thought we might work up an appetite first.”
Ethan froze just long enough to betray himself before recovering quickly, though not quickly enough to hide how his breath hitched or how color crept into his cheeks.
“But I really should get those reps in. I gotta work on these abs.” With a flourish, he yanked his shirt up, exposing taut, sculpted muscles that flexed as he slapped his hand against his stomach—a playful gesture accompanied by a cheeky laugh.
Logan’s focus lingered elsewhere. The sight of Ethan’s semi-hard cock made his breath hitch. There was heat in Logan’s eyes, an unspoken intensity that begged to be acknowledged.
His hand moved with a deliberate slowness, sliding up Ethan’s thigh until it grazed the hardening bulge. “Seriously?” he continued, “You really want to go and leave me here all alone? What was the point of me staying over?” Disappointment colored Logan’s expression, darkening his usually warm gaze.
“Ohh...” Ethan dragged out the sound, the corners of his mouth curling into an impish smile. “You’re pissed with me?” He could barely contain his chuckle before it burst out of him. “You’re pouting, Master Chief,” he teased, dropping his rank into the conversation in a way that was both intimate and risky.
“Are you messing with me?” Irritation flickered, but then something shifted and Logan’s lips twitched. Before Ethan could respond, he reached for him, pushing up the fabric of his already half-removed shirt to reveal more of that smooth golden skin.
Ethan licked his lips in deliberate provocation and leaned closer. He then braced himself on the mattress with both hands and tilted his head just enough to press a soft kiss against Logan’s mouth. It was fleeting but charged with electricity, a spark waiting to ignite. “You didn’t really think I’d go to the gym, did you?” He pulled back just enough to lock eyes with Logan, a wide smile spreading across his face as if in challenge.
Logan arched a brow, unable to suppress the amusement creeping into his expression. “Asshole,” he muttered before yanking Ethan down onto the bed with surprising force.
A startled gasp escaped Ethan’s lips as he landed on top of him—a tangled mess of limbs and laughter. “Shit!” he exclaimed between giggles as Logan rolled them both over, pinning Ethan on his back with one arm while playfully punching him in the shoulder with the other. He was careful to avoid the bruises from Devon’s attack, his touch gentling as it neared the discolored skin.
He leaned forward until their faces were inches apart, and Ethan instinctively threaded his fingers through Logan’s hair as their lips met again.
This time, the kiss was slower, but no less hungry. Lips trailing down his neck, breath hot against his skin. “There’s no way I’m leaving,” Ethan said, sealing that promise with a kiss.
Logan groaned, then yanked Ethan’s T-shirt completely off and tossed it carelessly onto the floor. He propped himself up on one elbow and a lazy smile played on his lips as his hands trailed lower, finding purchase on bare skin warmed by their shared heat. “I want you for breakfast,” he said bluntly.
The mattress creaked softly as Logan’s strong hands roamed over Ethan’s chest until his fingers found his nipples. Tugging one sharply between his thumb and forefinger, the sensitive skin pebbled under his touch.
“Fuck.” Ethan groaned, his voice breaking into a low moan as the heat of Logan’s mouth followed, tongue tracing dizzying patterns across his skin. “Ugh...” he moaned, unrestrained and needy, his hands clawing at the sheets as waves of pleasure rippled through him.
Logan’s other hand slid lower, gliding over Ethan’s abs with a teasing slowness that bordered on maddening before he cupped his cock. The heat between them grew unbearable.
“You’re fucking gorgeous,” he murmured before his lips returned to meet Ethan’s in a searing, insatiable kiss.
Their tongues tangled in a frantic rhythm that matched the tension building between their bodies. Ethan arched as Logan’s skilled fingers began massaging his balls. “Mmm… oh God, that feels good...” Ethan’s voice was caught between moans and gasps for air. His head fell back against the pillow, and once more, Logan silenced him with a tongue that demanded surrender.
The intensity between them was almost too much and when they finally broke apart, their eyes met.
Instinctively, Ethan grasped Logan’s ass with both hands, kneading the firm muscle like he couldn’t get enough of him. His nails dug in slightly, claiming what he wanted without hesitation. “I want to fuck you,” he rasped, resolute as he bit Logan’s ear. “I want to be inside you.”
Logan froze, his body tensing as if someone had doused him with a bucket of cold water. He pulled back and stared, his brows furrowing. “You wanna fuck me?” His voice was edged with uncertainty, but it also carried an undertone of curiosity. It was written all over him, the way his jaw clenched and how his throat bobbed as he swallowed, but it wasn’t just about sex—it was about trust. And trust wasn’t something Logan gave easily. Hell, it was something most people had never earned from him.
Ethan gripped his hips, afraid he might pull away. “I wanna be close to you. Closer than this.” His gaze remained steady yet vulnerable as he searched Logan’s expression for signs of agreement.
“I don’t know,” Logan muttered before he sat back. One hand raked through his hair while the other rested on his thigh. “It’s been... it’s been years since...” He trailed off, unable or unwilling, to finish.
“Hey,” Ethan sat up, propping himself on one elbow so their faces were level. “I don’t want to hurt you but...” he said with conviction. “I just want you so much.”
The warmth of his touch seemed to ground Logan, and he let out a shaky breath, as if trying to exhale all the doubt suffocating him. His fingers found their way into Ethan’s curls, twisting them while he wrestled with himself—control warring against this new vulnerability that both terrified and tempted him. “I don’t think I— I can’t, not yet,” he admitted, putting more space between them.
Ethan frowned, but didn’t push. Instead, he reached out and cupped both sides of Logan’s face. “It’s okay,” he said after a beat. “It’s okay—I’ll wait. I’ll wait until you’re ready. And when you are... I’ll be right here.”
Logan exhaled deeply this time and let himself be pulled into another kiss.
When they parted moments later, something had shifted between them.
“You’re such a fuckin’ tease,” Logan growled against Ethan’s lips before biting gently on his bottom one.
“Oh...” Ethan grinned like he’d won some invisible battle. “And what are you gonna do about it?”
Logan smirked, then ground himself harder against Ethan’s body until they both groaned in unison. “I’m gonna give you the fuck of your life for teasing me like this,” he growled before capturing Ethan’s mouth in another bruising kiss that left no room for discussion.
“Guess you’d better get on with it then,” Ethan teased, his smile infectious. “We don’t have all day. We have a briefing at 0900, remember?”
Logan shoved Ethan’s knees to his chest. “Hold,” he commanded, his voice carrying the same authority he used on missions.
Ethan gripped both knees, exposing himself fully as Logan snatched the lube and a condom from the nightstand, and then watched as he rolled the condom down his length.
“Mmm... make me cum,” he pleaded, rocking against the intrusion as Logan massaged lube around his entrance.
“You okay?”
Ethan’s face was answer enough. “Fuck, that feels good.” He moved on instinct, driven by desire and the need to maintain the connection they’d created.
Logan backed away slightly, his movements becoming powerful thrusts that sent shockwaves through them both. Each breath led to a groan, the tension rising until it reached an almost unbearable peak. Finally, he couldn’t hold back. His hips jerked forward and his release flooded the condom—the wave of warmth spreading inside him and radiating outward.
“Ahhh…” he exhaled, collapsing forward, his forehead brushing against Ethan’s as he lay sprawled beneath him.
A trail of white streaked Ethan’s abdomen—the evidence of his own climax spilling over, hot and slick against his skin. He relaxed his legs and the tension eased in his thighs as Logan’s hands smoothed over them, massaging the muscles. “Mmm,” he sighed, eyes half-lidded as he basked in the afterglow. “That was one hell of a workout. Certainly better than anything the gym offers.”
Logan eased out with deliberate care, earning a soft hiss from Ethan at the loss of contact. He tied off the condom and tossed it into the nearby trash can before scooting back onto the pillows. “You’re a mess,” he chuckled, almost breathlessly, still recovering.
Ethan curled against Logan’s side with an easy familiarity that spoke of comfort and trust. His fingers traced idle patterns over his shoulder, circles that grew smaller and smaller before starting anew.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke; they simply existed together in the quiet intimacy of their shared space.
“What’s wrong?” Logan finally asked, his brow furrowing as he tilted his head to get a better look at Ethan’s face.
“Nothing,” Ethan said with a small shrug that didn’t quite match the seriousness in his eyes. “I was just... I was wondering if you’ll ever let me fuck you?”
Logan smiled and brushed his thumb across Ethan’s cheek in a gesture that managed to be both tender and reassuring. “Maybe,” he admitted after a pause. “Just give me some time.” He kissed Ethan lightly on the lips and ruffled the younger man’s curls. “Let’s take things slow,” he added, as though reminding them both that what they had was worth protecting. “We’ve already broken enough regulations. Let’s not rush anything else.”
Ethan nodded, accepting Logan’s words even if part of him was yearning for more. “Okay,” he said simply before leaning into another kiss—this one deeper and more lingering than the last. “C’mon, let’s clean up. I need to eat, I’m famished.”
Logan glanced at the time on his phone before raising a brow. “Sure, why not. We still have plenty of time.” He tightened his hold on Ethan, dragging him back down for another kiss. “You know,” he murmured between each kiss, his fingers tangling in Ethan’s curls while his other hand cupped his jaw. “I will give you what you want. I just need to get my head around all of this... around us.” He paused briefly before he continued, “What we’ve got is complicated and we have to navigate this carefully because if anyone finds out?—“
“No-one will find out,” Ethan interrupted before offering another kiss—this one meant to reassure rather than ignite. “So does that mean we’re going to do this again?” he asked with a smile that lit up his entire face.
“I guess it does,” Logan admitted as he finally let go.
Ethan stood up and grabbed his discarded shirt from the floor, using it to wipe himself clean before tossing it into the growing pile of dirty laundry by the door.
As he turned for the bathroom, Logan reached out and smacked him on the ass, enough to leave a faint red mark.
“Ouch!” Ethan yelped with mock indignation as he spun around. “What was that for?”
“Just because,” Logan replied with an unapologetic laugh as he sat up, his hands smoothing the flesh they’d just struck, offering comfort. “That ass should be classified as a damn weapon,” he added appreciatively while giving it another gentle squeeze. “How about I grab some coffee while you warm up the shower.”
Ethan rolled his eyes but didn’t bother trying to hide how much he enjoyed Logan’s attention.
He stepped into the tiny bathroom, but paused briefly when a missed call from Brick flashed across the screen of his phone like an unwelcome intruder in their carefully constructed bubble. “Sorry, dude, you’ll have to wait,” he muttered with an almost defiant grin, setting the phone aside on the dresser without responding.
Right now was about him and Logan and everything else... it didn’t matter so much anymore.