Chapter 23
Kent
The drive home was pleasant, the feeling of James’s fingers laced through mine reassuring me that he wasn’t going anywhere.
That waiter had put me on edge. He was handsome, confident, and since he hadn’t bullied James as a teenager, he was already a hundred times better than I was.
James deserved someone that was good to him, which I was trying to be.
But sometimes I found myself thinking that I didn’t deserve him.
However, that feeling melted away as I held his hand. He was there beside me, solid and warm. He wasn’t going anywhere.
I pulled into the apartment complex and parked, but neither of us moved to get out of the car right away.
I turned to look at James, studying his profile in the late morning light that streamed through the windshield.
He must have felt my gaze because he turned to face me, one eyebrow raised in question.
“What?” he asked, a hint of a smile playing at his lips.
“Nothing. Just...” I hesitated, trying to find the right words. “Thanks for breakfast.”
“You’re thanking me for forcing you to eat pancakes?”
“No. I’m thanking you for being patient with me.” I squeezed his hand, still tangled with mine. “I know this isn’t easy. The sneaking around, the not being able to tell anyone. I appreciate you not pushing.”
James’s expression softened. “Kent, I told you. We go at your pace. I’m not going to force you into anything you’re not ready for.”
My throat tightened with an emotion I didn’t dare name. Before I could respond, I caught sight of someone walking toward the building entrance. Trevor. Fucking Trevor.
“Shit,” I muttered, dropping James’s hand instinctively.
James followed my gaze and tensed beside me. “Maybe he won’t see us.”
But it was too late. Trevor had spotted my truck and was now staring directly at us, his expression hardening into something ugly. He changed course, heading straight for us.
“Fuck,” James whispered. “Kent, just stay calm, okay?”
“I am calm,” I lied, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Trevor rapped his knuckles against my window, the sound sharp and demanding. I took a deep breath and rolled it down, forcing my face into what I hoped was a neutral expression.
“Can we help you?” I asked, my voice coming out steadier than I expected.
“Just wanted to see if you two gave it up yet,” Trevor said, his gaze flicking between James and me. “If you two were still... whatever the fuck this is.”
I felt James shift beside me, ready to intervene, but I put a hand on his knee to stop him.
“Not that it’s any of your business,” I said, “but James is mine. And that has nothing to do with you. Got it?”
Trevor’s laugh was harsh and humorless. “Right.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “You know what you’re doing is sick, right? It’s fucking disgusting. And I’m not scared of you.”
I felt something snap inside me, a surge of protective rage that blotted out everything else. Before I could think better of it, I was out of the truck, grabbing Trevor by the front of his shirt and shoving him back against the neighboring vehicle.
“Kent!” James was scrambling out of the passenger side, his voice sharp with alarm.
“I don’t give a flying fuck what you think,” I growled, my face inches from Trevor’s. “You don’t know me, you don’t know James, and you sure as hell don’t get to judge us.”
Trevor’s eyes widened with surprise, but he recovered quickly, his mouth twisting into a sneer. “What you’re doing doesn’t seem wrong to you?”
“What I’m doing is none of your fucking business,” I said, my grip tightening on his shirt. “But what you’re going to do is stay the hell away from both of us. If I ever see you near James again, if I hear you’ve been talking about us to anyone, I will make you regret it. Understand?”
“Kent, that’s enough,” James was beside me now, his hand on my arm. “He’s not worth it.”
Trevor’s gaze shifted to James, something like hurt flashing in his eyes before hardening again. “You can do better than him, you know. I know his type. He’s just using you to figure his shit out. Once he does, he’ll drop you like yesterday’s trash.”
I pulled back my fist, ready to wipe that smug look off his face, but James caught my arm.
“Don’t,” he said firmly. “He wants you to hit him. Then he can press charges and really make trouble for us.”
He was right, and I knew it. With enormous effort, I released Trevor’s shirt and stepped back, my hands shaking with adrenaline.
“Stay away from us,” I repeated, my voice low and dangerous. “I won’t warn you again.”
Trevor straightened his shirt, his expression contemptuous. “Whatever. You two deserve each other.” He turned and walked away, calling over his shoulder, “Hope it’s worth it when everyone finds out.”
I stood there, fists clenched at my sides, watching him go. James’s hand was on my back, steady and grounding.
“You okay?” he asked softly.
“No,” I admitted. “I wanted to punch his fucking teeth out.”
“I know. Thank you for not doing that.” He tugged at my arm gently. “Come on, let’s go inside before we attract anymore unwanted attention.”
I followed him into the building, my mind racing. Trevor’s words echoed in my head. Would he make good on his threat? Who would he know that would even care about us?
As we stepped into the elevator, James pushed the button for our floor and then turned to face me. “Kent, look at me.”
I dragged my gaze to his, still buzzing with anger and fear.
“He’s just trying to get under your skin,” James said, his voice calm and certain. “He’s hurt and lashing out. I don’t think he’s actually going to tell anyone.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because who would he even talk to? He doesn’t know any of my friends, my clients, or my family. He’s just a heartbroken ex with nothing better to do but cause trouble.”
The elevator doors opened, and we stepped out into the hallway. James unlocked our door, and we went inside, the familiar space immediately bringing a sense of calm. I felt the tension in my shoulders start to ease as James closed and locked the door behind us.
“I shouldn’t have lost it like that,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “I just... when he started talking about you—”
“You went all protective caveman on him,” James finished, a small smile playing at his lips. “It was kind of hot, actually.”
I stared at him incredulously. “Hot? I nearly punched your ex-boyfriend in broad daylight.”
“Ex-hookup,” he corrected. “And yes, hot. Though I’m glad you didn’t actually hit him.”
I sank down onto the couch, the adrenaline leaving my system and making me feel suddenly exhausted. “What if he does tell someone? What if he finds out who my dad is, or where I work?”
James sat beside me, his thigh pressed against mine. “He won’t. How could he?”
“I meant what I said, you know,” I said quietly, looking down at my hands. “You’re mine, James. I don’t care what anyone thinks about that.”
James reached over and tilted my face toward him. His eyes were soft, full of an emotion that made my chest ache. “I know. And you’re mine too.”
Without warning, he leaned in and kissed me, hard and possessive. I responded immediately, my hand coming up to cup the back of his neck, pulling him closer. The kiss deepened, became hungrier, all teeth and tongue and desperate need.
I pushed him back against the couch, my body covering his as we continued to kiss. His hands slid under my shirt, palms hot against my skin, and I groaned into his mouth.
“Fuck me,” he gasped when we broke apart for air. “Now.”
In a flash he was standing, stripping his clothes off in a flash.
I barely had time to unbutton my own jeans before he reached down and practically tore them off, my already hard cock springing free.
He turned away only for a moment to grab a bottle of lube before he was climbing into my lap, his ass warm and soft against my cock.
“You’re so fucking sexy, James,” I murmured against his throat as I pulled him in, nipping at the sensitive skin there. “I need you.”
James ground his ass against my dick, his hands laced behind my neck. “Then take me.”
I growled like an animal and claimed his mouth again. The encounter with the waiter and then Trevor had awakened something in me, a need to mark James as mine, to erase any doubt about who he belonged with.
Grabbing the lube, I poured a generous amount into my hand. I reached around James, my fingers finding his hole instantly. He moaned and leaned against me, his chest pressed against mine as I slipped a finger easily inside him.
“Oh fuck…” he groaned against my ear. “Fuck Kent… just like that. Make me yours.”
I worked another finger inside him, watching his face contort with pleasure as I stretched him open.
The way he moved against me, desperate and needy, made my cock throb with anticipation.
I’d never wanted anyone the way I wanted James.
It was like a hunger that couldn’t be satisfied no matter how many times I had him.
“You ready for me?” I asked, my voice rough with desire.
“Yes,” he hissed, his eyes half-lidded as he gazed down at me. “I need you inside me now.”
I removed my fingers and positioned my cock at his entrance, gripping his hips with both hands.
James reached between us to guide me, and then he was sinking down, taking me inch by inch until I was fully sheathed inside him.
We both groaned at the sensation. The tight heat of him around me was almost too much to bear.
“Ride me,” I commanded, my fingers digging into his hips.
James didn’t need to be told twice. He began to move, lifting himself up before dropping back down, setting a pace that had us both panting.
I watched his face as he rode me, mesmerized by every expression of pleasure that crossed his features.
His cock bounced between us, hard and leaking, but neither of us reached for it.
I wanted to see if he could cum just from my cock inside him.
“You feel so fucking good,” I murmured, leaning forward to capture his mouth in another kiss. “So tight and warm.”
“Kent,” he gasped, his movements becoming more frantic. “Oh god, right there. That feels so fucking good…”
I shifted my hips, thrusting up to meet him as he came down, hitting that spot inside him that made him cry out with pleasure. His head fell back, exposing the long line of his throat, and I couldn’t resist leaning in to bite at the sensitive skin there, marking him as mine.
“Everyone should know,” I growled against his skin. “Everyone should see that you’re mine.”
“Yes,” he moaned, his fingers tangling in my hair. “Yours, Kent. Only yours.”
The possessiveness that surged through me was overwhelming. I wrapped my arms around him and flipped our positions, pressing him into the couch as I took control, driving into him with renewed purpose. James cried out, his legs wrapping around my waist, pulling me in deeper.
“Look at me,” I demanded, needing to see his eyes. “I want to see you when you cum.”
His eyes locked with mine, dark and filled with the same desperate need I felt coursing through my veins. I reached between us, wrapping my hand around his cock, but he shook his head.
“Don’t need it,” he gasped. “Just keep—fuck—just like that. I’m going to cum just from your cock.”
The words sent a jolt of pure lust through me. I angled my hips, making sure to hit his prostate with each thrust, watching his face for every reaction. His breathing grew more ragged, his body tensing beneath me.
“That’s it,” I encouraged, not slowing my pace. “Let go for me, James. Show me how good I make you feel.”
His eyes never left mine as he came undone, his body arching off the couch as he reached his climax untouched.
The sight of him orgasming beneath me, combined with the feeling of him clenching around my cock, pushed me over the edge.
I buried myself deep inside him as bliss tore through me, his name falling from my lips without a thought.
For a long moment, we stayed like that, breathing hard, our bodies still joined. Then I carefully pulled out and collapsed beside him on the couch, pulling him against my chest.
“Holy shit,” James murmured, his voice muffled against my skin.
“Fuck yes…” I agreed, unable to form a more coherent response. My heart was still racing, my body humming with satisfaction.
We lay in comfortable silence, my fingers tracing lazy patterns on his back. I felt strangely calm now, the anger and fear from earlier replaced by a bone-deep contentment. Trevor’s threats seemed less important in the aftermath of what we’d just shared.
“I meant what I said,” I finally spoke, my voice quiet in the stillness of the apartment. “You’re mine, James.”
He just smiled at me, snuggling in closer. “Good. Because that’s right where I want to be.”