Chapter Seventeen #2
“You have a funny way of treating your friends.”
Zayne snorted and grabbed a pillow to shove behind him against the rail. “You should talk.”
“I am talking. But let me get to the point, I don’t have friends. So I don’t treat them in any way.”
Zayne wasn’t sure why, but that stung. They’d been hanging out for a while now—ever since Ethan had told the senator he was an asshole—and he’d really thought they’d become friends despite Ethan’s weird ways.
Guess not.
“What’s wrong?”
Zayne looked up to see Ethan had spun his chair around to face him. “Nothing.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“And I don’t fucking care.”
Zayne wasn’t sure where that had come from—actually, that was a lie; he totally knew where that had come from—and he couldn’t curse his stupid dick enough.
What the hell had he been thinking? That Ethan might feel the same way as he did? That he might want the same things?
Ha! Ethan didn’t feel any -fucking-thing. So yeah, good job, moron.
“Zayne,” Ethan said, getting to his feet.
But as humiliation and a rejection he hadn’t expected washed over him, Zayne knew he had to get out of there. He had to get out while Ethan still had no clue he’d just gutted him like a fucking fish.
He swung his legs off the bed and jammed his feet back into his sneakers, sure to keep his eyes on the floor. He didn’t want to look at Ethan, didn’t want him to see something he couldn’t hide. But before Zayne could get both shoes on, Ethan stopped in front of him.
“What are you doing?”
Zayne swallowed, trying to think of something, anything , to say that wouldn’t make him sound like a desperate loser. But when nothing came out, Ethan reached out and— holy fuck —lifted Zayne’s face so he was staring up at him.
“I asked you something,” Ethan said, as though that meant Zayne should automatically answer. “What are you doing?”
Zayne swallowed, his cock now pounding as hard as his heart, and all he wanted to do was get the hell out of there before Ethan noticed.
“I’m leaving,” he finally managed, and shoved to his feet. He booked it for the door, determined to get the hell out of there. But as he reached for the handle, Ethan wrapped his fingers around Zayne’s wrist and spun him around.
“Why? We haven’t done our work yet.”
Was he kidding? Jesus. Zayne knew Ethan was new to the concept of having a friend and that he was being overly sensitive, but surely he wasn’t this fucking dense.
“ Why ? Maybe because you’re being a dick?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you fucking are.” He was about to turn and pull open the door when Ethan took a step forward. What the hell?
Not knowing what Ethan was doing, Zayne took an automatic step back until he hit the door, and his bag fell to the floor.
“You’re mad at me.”
“No shit.”
Ethan’s eyes glowed—fucking glowed —and Zayne’s breath caught in the back of his throat as he tried to think of something to say. This was as close as they’d been since that day Ethan had saved him, and he wasn’t sure what the hell was going on.
“Hmm… Interesting.”
Okay, that sounded real close to a fucking purr, and it did jack shit in helping Zayne’s hard-on.
“Interesting?”
“Yes.” Ethan took another step forward and placed a hand by Zayne’s head on the door. “You said you call me E because I don’t like it, and it gets a response.”
Okay, where the hell was he going with this?
“So I did the same thing.”
When Zayne just stood there, a smile that would forever be ingrained on his brain slowly curved Ethan’s lips. Fuck, that was hot.
“I don’t have friends,” Ethan whispered, and placed his other hand on the door, caging Zayne in. “I don’t know how. But I have you…Z.”
Zayne’s chest rose and fell as Ethan’s eyes dropped to his mouth. He had no idea what was going on, but that was the first time Ethan had ever called him Z, and he was pretty damn sure he’d beg him to keep calling him that for the rest of his life.
“I…” He swallowed and tried to focus, but with Ethan so close after months of wishing and wanting it, he was finding it difficult to think. “What does that mean?”
The intensity in Ethan’s eyes was unlike anything Zayne had ever seen before.
“It means you’re mine, and I’m yours.”
Zayne nodded, not even caring what that meant to Ethan in that moment. He knew what it meant to him.
“Yes?” Ethan asked, and then leaned a little closer. Zayne balled his hands into fists by his side, not knowing what to do with them.
“Fuck yes.” He wasn’t sure what he expected to happen next, but when Ethan gently brushed his lips over the top of his, Zayne’s knees almost gave out.
Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit.
Ethan slipped his tongue out and slowly traced it along Zayne’s lower lip.
Zayne’s heart hammered as he stood paralyzed by the door, trying to work out if this was really happening, or if he’d slipped into some kind of dream. But when Ethan moved a hand to the back of his neck and dug his fingers in, Zayne decided he didn’t care.
Dream or no dream, if this was the only chance he got to get his hands and mouth on Ethan Holt, then he was going to take it.
He reached for Ethan’s waist and pulled him in the final few inches. Ethan wedged a leg between his, and Zayne punched his hips forward in automatic response.
Fuck. How long had he thought about this? How long had he wished this would happen? And now here he was with his hands on Ethan’s ass and his tongue in his mouth. Ethan rocked against him a little harder, and when he felt the erection grind up against his, Zayne groaned.
Ethan smiled against his lips. “My boy, Z.”
Zayne blinked—was he serious? “Your boy? Z?”
“I like it.” Ethan rolled his hips against Zayne’s. “You do too.”
Okay, so Zayne couldn’t exactly hide that. “Don’t think I won’t come up with something for you.”
Ethan nipped at his bottom lip and took a step back, tugging Zayne with him. “Whatever. But come up with it later—we have homework to do now.”
“Yes, sir.” Zayne pushed off the door to head back to the bed, and on that day, very little homework was done…
* * *
“YOUR BOY Z…” Chloé whispered, looking up at him, and Ethan kissed her softly on the lips.
“Mhmm. He’s always been my boy. Isn’t that right, Z?” He glanced over at the gorgeous man that young, rebellious boy had become.
Zayne winked at him. “From the second I laid eyes on you.”
“Aww, that’s so swoony.” Chloé sighed and wrapped her arms over the top of his, squeezing them around her tight. “You were meant to be. Right from the very beginning.”
“We were, yes,” Ethan said by her temple. “And so were you.”
“Me?”
Zayne got to his feet and made his way around the table to hold his hand out to her. “Yeah, Red. You. The second we laid eyes on you, we knew you were meant to be ours.”
Chloé slipped her hand into Zayne’s, and he drew her off Ethan’s lap, wound an arm around her waist, and brushed a kiss across her lips.
“Time for bed now. Let’s go inside.
Ethan nodded and followed the two of them into their bedroom, switching on the bedside lamp. Zayne pulled the covers back, and Chloé slipped out of her robe and climbed in.
Zayne was next, removing his jeans and shirt, and as he curled in around Chloé, Ethan moved in behind him.
“Can I tell you both a secret?” Chloé whispered as they settled in for the night.
“Anything, petite fille .”
There was a pause, and then she confessed, “I don’t ever want this to end.” The mattress shifted as she rolled to face both of them.
“This?” Ethan said.
“Yes. This feeling I’m having, like…I’m really yours.”
Zayne chuckled and reached out to stroke a finger down her cheek. “You are ours, Red.”
“But I mean forever,” she said wistfully as she closed her eyes. “I want to be yours forever…”
Ethan pushed the covers back and climbed out of bed. He came around to the other side, then he and Zayne shifted in under the covers until she was nestled in between them.
Ethan stroked her beautiful hair. Her glazed eyes fluttered open, and he could see she was somewhere between reality and dreams.
“Sleep now, beautiful girl . ”
Zayne leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “We’ll talk about forevers in the morning.”
“Promis?”
Ethan nodded. “Je te le promets.”
He wanted them to talk about this, but not now, not when she was tipsy and slipping into sleep. As her eyes drifted shut, Ethan mouthed to Zayne, Forever?
Zayne whispered, “From the very beginning.”