Chapter 3
Chapter three
Evan
Evan glanced at the clock again, frowning a little at the time. James had texted that he was on his way home from the restaurant nearly half an hour ago. It took twenty minutes to drive home if the traffic was light, or if you took the back ways that James knew like the back of his hand.
The fact that he was taking longer told Evan that he was thinking too much, and not paying attention. Not good.
He forced his attention to return to his computer, reviewing his course load for the coming semester.
Easy enough; mostly extracurriculars for "enrichment" credits and one or two business courses.
He'd already finished all his degree courses, and was dragging his feet on these last few classes that would give him enough credits to graduate.
It was worth it to make sure that James wasn't alone at the school, vulnerable to his father and anything that he decided that he wanted to do with James' life.
A car pulling into the driveway pulled Evan's attention, and he closed the laptop, setting it aside as he waited for James to appear in the doorway.
It took a moment longer than he expected, and Evan furrowed his brow as the front door finally opened, revealing James' tense figure as he entered the home.
James nodded curtly at Evan before turning towards the stairs, clearly intending to avoid the entire conversation and go to bed, but Evan clicked his tongue to get James' attention. "Hey."
James stopped, one foot already on the stairs, and he didn't say anything. His blonde hair was mussed at the top, as if he'd been running his hands through it and grabbing at the strands during dinner, and Evan frowned further. "Come here."
It wasn't a question, and after a moment James turned and made his way over to the couch with short, stilted steps. He sat next to Evan, avoiding his gaze, and Evan rolled his eyes a little as he wrapped his arm around Evan. "What happened?"
James didn't look at him, his hands twisting in his lap.
"He tried to pull me out of school again," he mumbled.
"Said that there's already a position available for me, and that I'll be working under him until I can run my own team, of course.
" He spit out the last words with disgust, and his entire frame shuddered as he shook his head. "Asshole."
The venom in his voice didn't deter Evan, but the pain that underscored every word did. He frowned further, reaching over and grasping James' chin, forcing him to look up and meet Evan’s gaze. "Will you please let me help you? For the love of God, James, you don't have to keep doing this."
James expression shuttered a little, and his gray eyes glinted the way they did every time Evan brought up the subject.
Evan's trust fund meant that he had more than enough money for himself and anything that he wanted for the rest of his life, even if he never wanted to work a day after he graduated.
He had tried to get James to accept his help multiple times over the years, assuring him that it wasn't a loan or a grant or anything that he needed to pay back.
Evan just hated to see what James went through with his dad, and the financial means to stay in school was the whip that he kept using to hurt James over and over again through the years.
James shook his head. "I can't ask you to do that, Ev. You know that." His voice broke a little, and he closed his eyes. He didn't try to pull away from Evan's grip, though. "I bought a little bit of time. I'll figure something out."
Evan cocked his head to the side, stroking his thumb over James’ jaw and watching the man's shoulders slump a little at the soothing touch. "What did you do?"
A smile touched the corners of James' mouth for a moment. "Told him I would be a lazy asshole who shamed him and the family with my lack of work ethic if he forced me to go work for his assassins now."
A hint of pride swelled in Evan's chest, and he shook his head, chuckling. "I'm surprised he didn't shoot you right then and there."
"Probably was a close call," James agreed. His voice was softer, and his face leaned a little more heavily into Evan's hand. He let out a shuddering breath, and Evan turned him, just enough that he could lean their forehead's together.
"What do you need?" he asked softly. "Talk to me."
For a moment, James didn't say anything. His gray eyes were squeezed shut again, and he finally let out a low, desperate sound as he said softly, "Too many thoughts, Ev. Please..."
Evan nodded, his grip on James' chin tightening. He didn't need to say more for Evan to know exactly what he needed. "On the floor. Kneel for me."
James shuddered, and he slid off the couch before he turned to kneel between Evan's spread knees. He ducked his head, and Evan smiled a little at the way his shoulders relaxed a little with the lack of control.
They didn't put a label on what it was that they had. Friends, always. Almost closer than brothers.
Lovers, occasionally. They both had such strong Alpha tendencies that when they fucked, it was usually hard and fast and gave them both a visceral satisfaction that they couldn't find with others.
But then there were times like this, times when James was wound so tight and his emotions had nowhere to go. And times like this is when he needed Evan the most; needed him to take control, to take him out of his head.
So Evan clicked his tongue softly again, reaching down and smoothing his hands over James' shoulders. "Let's get some of these clothes off you. Be a good boy for me."
James made a soft sound as Evan pushed his suit jacket off his shoulders, then slowly undid his dress shirt, one button at a time.
"Shh," Evan hushed him when James made a quiet, impatient sound. He brushed a thumb over one nipple, feeling it harden under his touch, and he smiled at the glare that James sent his way from underneath his pale eyelashes. "Let's get you out of your head."
He pushed the shirt off James' shoulders too, then slid one hand into his hair. He gripped the soft strands and tilted his head up, leaning down for a kiss that made Evan's cock twitch at the gasp that James let out.
Evan kissed him slowly, surely; far more slowly than James likely wanted him to, but James wasn't in charge right now. The swell of power that Evan felt in his chest at having this man, this angry, powerful man willingly kneel for him...
It never got old.
James bit at Evan's lower lip, and Evan couldn't stop himself from smiling against his mouth. Their teeth clicked together as Evan returned the favor, and his grip in James' hair turned punishing as his free hand slid down James' bare torso.
"Ev..." James mumbled, breaking the kiss and gasping softly.
Evan clicked his tongue, his grip tight in James’ hair as his free hand finally reached his cock, hard and straining in his pants. "Shh. Be good for me, and I'll let you come, hmm?"
James whimpered, and Evan chuckled, knowing the sound got to James like nothing else. He wrapped his hand around James' cock and gave it a firm stroke, shaking his head as if disappointed as he mocked softly, "So hard for me already?"
James nodded, his eyes fluttering shut as the remaining tension drained from his shoulders. "Please..."
Evan's cock, already hard enough to ache, throbbed at the soft desperation in James' voice. He pressed his lips to James' ear as he stroked his cock slowly, teasing his thumb over the head through James' pants. "It's okay. Let go for me. I'll take care of you, James. You know you can trust me."
It was the most difficult part of their relationship, the trust. James didn't trust anyone, and it had taken years after they met before he had finally let Evan in, just a little. Even longer before he trusted him like this. Vulnerable and needy.
James nodded, a soft moan rumbling in his chest as his hips jerked against Evan's hand.
Evan pressed a kiss to James' jaw before dragging his teeth over his skin, relishing the shudder the other man gave him.
"Take your cock out for me," he said softly.
He squeezed again before letting James go, and James closed his eyes as he obeyed, his hands shaking slightly.
His cock was hard and swollen and weeping when he finally pulled it out, and Evan smirked down at him as he wrapped his hand around James' throbbing shaft. "Good boy."
James nodded, not saying anything as his head dropped again, and his hips jerked into Evan's touch as he slowly stroked him. Precome beaded at the tip, and Evan dragged his thumb through the sticky fluid before pulling James up for another kiss.
This kiss was aggressive, hard and almost violent. James gasped and returned the kiss in favor, nipping hard enough at Evan's bottom lip that he tasted copper as he started stroking faster. James was wound tight, so fucking tight after a night with the man he hated most in the world...
If Evan could help him, even a little bit...
"You like that?" Evan bit at James' neck, hard enough that his teeth left impressions in the skin when he pulled away. The strangled moan that James let out made Evan's cock pulse, and he didn't stop James when his hand flashed out to press hard against the outline of Evan’s erection.
"You know I do," James gritted out. His gray eyes were angry and hazy and so fucking desperate when he opened them again, and his hand stroking slowly along Evan's cock was nearly enough to break the iron bonds of his self-control. "Ev...you're so fucking hard...I want..."
Evan pulled on James' hair again, just hard enough to get his attention as he growled, "This isn't about what you want, pet. This is about what you need. Let me give you what you fucking need."
James continued stroking Evan's cock, slowly, but he nodded with another pathetic whimper as his cock twitched in Evan's hand.
Evan didn't like resorting to such degrading language, not with James, but sometimes.
..sometimes he needed it. And his cock really liked it, even if they both acknowledged that it was a rare need.
"Please, Ev...please..." James' voice broke, and he moaned as his cock hardened further with each punishing stroke of Evan's hand. His hips started to cant in time, thrusting to meet Evan's strokes, and Evan clicked his tongue softly, leaning to press his lips against James' ear again.
"That's right. Just give in to me. Let me take all those nasty thoughts out of your head, pet. Just focus on me and your desperate, slutty cock. You want to come, don't you? You want to come all over my fist right here on the floor because you can't fucking control yourself..."
James groaned at the filthy language, his cock leaking copiously over Evan's hand. "Please, yes, please..." he chanted softly under his breath. His eyes were half-lidded and his hand had stopped moving on Evan's cock, and Evan knew that he was about three seconds from losing control...
So he released James cock just as it twitched violently in his hand, pressing a soft kiss to James cheek as he let out a low, broken moan.
Evan watched carefully, satisfied when his cock didn't jerk and spill his load even absent of Evan's touch, and James' eyes were heated and wanting when he fully opened them again.
"Evan..." he growled.
Evan chuckled, gripping James' hair tightly again and yanking his head back.
His cock throbbed with the power he felt, and James' soft moan only made it worse.
"It's just a little edge, pet. You've endured worse for me.
Now let me take you upstairs and if you're good, I'll let you decide if I’m coming in your mouth or ass tonight. Sound good?"
Another soft moan and a vigorous nod was Evan's only response, and he smiled. At least for the moment, James' mind was far away from the events that had upset him so badly in the first place. And he intended to keep it that way.
"Good. Now move.”