Chapter Thirty-two #2
She took a tentative step toward the bed, then another.
She sat down beside Jesse. Her eyes moved over his face, lingering for a long moment on his lips.
She reached toward him and brushed his cheek with the backs of her fingers.
Jesse didn’t move. She gently touched her fingertips to his lips, amazed at how soft and warm they were.
Jesse took a slightly deeper breath, his hips rolled in the smallest of motions.
Trish looked down to his hips. She saw movement behind the black leather, the material beginning to strain against Jesse’s organ expanding within its confines.
Her heartbeat quickened, heat flushed her skin.
She wanted to touch him, to feel the weight of his erection in her hand.
He had told her he’d been with women. She knew he could do it again.
Now with Evan out of the way, her path to Jesse was clear.
She understood he was still coping with the loss of him, but eventually he’d realize how bad Evan had been for him, that he had poisoned him every day with his obsessive, jealous, and possessive ways. But she could give Jesse the kind of relationship he deserved.
She rubbed her hand down his chest, over his firm abdomen, to the top of his pants.
“Ev,” Jesse groaned.
Trish jerked her hand back.
Jesse shifted on the bed. He started to open his eyes, closed them again, then finally opened them almost all the way and looked up at her. “Trish? Where’s Ev?”
Struggling to keep the irritation from her voice, Trish said, “He’s not here, Jess.”
“He’s not? I thought I felt him—”
“He’s not here,” she snapped. “He didn’t even bother to come to our show tonight. He didn’t even care enough to call you and say good luck, or happy birthday. He doesn’t give a shit. He only cares about himself and his career, remember?”
Jesse rolled onto his side away from her. “I thought he was here.”
Trish winced at the pain in Jesse’s voice. She leaned over him, resting both hands on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Jess. I’ll stay the night if you want me to so you don’t have to be alone.”
Jesse lay quiet and unmoving.
From the living room, Trish heard voices, and with the original three of Brandon, Kenny, and Julian, was a fourth she also knew well.
Before she could react, Evan walked into the bedroom with the others.
She tried to look at him in defiance, to tell him with her eyes that she had more right to be beside Jesse than he did, but at the simmering rage and fierce protectiveness in Evan’s gaze, she drew her hands away from Jesse, stood, and stepped back from the bed.
“He moved,” Brandon said. “Did he wake up?”
“He was mumbling in his sleep, then he rolled over,” Trish said flatly. “I couldn’t understand what he was saying.”
Kenny yawned and stretched his arms over his head. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready to go home since we’ve got a tour bus to catch in six hours.”
“I’m with you,” Julian said, and laid his hand on Evan’s back. “See you soon?”
Evan gave him a weak smile and small, single nod.
Trish walked toward the bedroom door, her eyes averted from Evan as she followed Kenny and Julian. Brandon left to show them out.
With soft footsteps, Evan walked to the edge of the bed. He gazed at Jesse, then sat beside him. He reached over Jesse’s shoulder and gently stroked his hair near his temple.
Jesse stirred. He turned his head toward Evan’s touch. He looked up at him, and his eyes opened wider. “Ev, you’re here. Trish said you weren’t, but I knew you were.”
A soft smile graced Evan’s lips. “I’ve been with you all night, you just didn’t see me. Happy birthday, gorgeous.”
Jesse’s face glowed with a smile. He rolled over to lie on his side facing Evan and curled his body around him.
He embraced Evan’s hips and laid his head on his thigh.
Evan put one hand on Jesse’s side and continued to stroke his hair with the other.
He looked up when Brandon stepped into the doorway.
Brandon folded his arms across his chest, disapproval written on his countenance.
After he had left Jesse in Kenny’s and Julian’s care, he managed to track Evan through the club and cornered him by the doors.
Never in his life had he seen anyone look so pained.
He knew then how desperately Evan wanted to be close to Jesse, but was afraid of upsetting him.
He told Evan he could come over to his apartment to see him, and even though Evan declined then, he knew the second his buzzer rang that he had changed his mind.
Now as he stood looking at them together, he wondered if he had done the right thing, or when Jesse came out of his alcoholic stupor, would he suffer greater hurt?
“Everyone’s gone,” Brandon said, his tone making it clear he felt Evan should do the same.
“I’d like to stay with him a little longer.”
“Yeah well, I’d like to win a Tony, but that isn’t gonna happen anytime soon.”
Evan lowered his gaze and nodded. He shifted to slide out from under him, but the movement roused Jesse. He tightened his hold and buried his face against Evan’s abdomen. Evan closed his eyes.
Brandon could see he was searching for the strength to push Jesse away. He looked at his brother clinging to Evan and let out a frustrated sigh. “You can stay a little longer.” He turned and closed the door halfway, squinting at Evan. “I’m leaving the door open.”
A grin slipped onto Evan’s lips at Brandon’s parental tone.
His attention moved back to Jesse when he felt one of Jesse’s hands slide up the back of his shirt to rest on his bare skin.
That single soft touch was enough to make his cock fill at a record rate.
He tried to adjust how he sat so Jesse wouldn’t notice, but he already had.
Jesse tipped his head toward Evan’s lap and nuzzled his crotch.
Evan exhaled a fast breath, need surged through his body in a heated wave.
Since their break-up, he had lived in celibacy.
His mind rejected the thought of another man, his heart quivered in fear at letting anyone else get close to him, he felt repulsed at the idea of someone’s touch other than Jesse’s.
He had known before, but now with even greater conviction, Jesse was the only one who would ever be able to fulfill him in body, mind, heart, and spirit.
But he knew he couldn’t do this, not while Jesse was in such a state, and scooted back on the bed to put some space between them.
Jesse sat up and climbed onto Evan’s lap, straddling him.
Evan put both hands on Jesse’s shoulders in a half-hearted attempt to keep him back. “Jess, stop. You don’t know what you’re doing.”