Ethan (Alluring Indulgence) (34 page)

Not
allowing Ben to say another word, Curtis placed the phone back in the cradle,
and then he turned to look at his wife. Just as he suspected, she was crying. Pulling
her into his arms, he held her against his chest as she sobbed silently. They
stood there for a minute or two before she pulled back to look up at him.

Wiping
the tears away with his thumbs, Curtis waited for her to speak.

“Call
him, Curtis. Call him now. Make sure he’s ok.”

Curtis
nodded his head in understanding.

“Ben
threw him out, told him to never come back,” she sobbed, more tears streaming
down her lovely face.

Grabbing
his cell phone, he flipped through his contacts until he found Beau’s number,
which he had gotten back when Zane had been in the hospital. Pushing a button,
he put the phone to his ear and listened to it ring.

“Yeah?”
Beau answered, sounding oddly calm.

“Where
are you, son?” Curtis questioned, not bothering to announce himself.

“On
my way home… uh, on my way to Ethan’s.”

Curtis
grinned. That was a true slip on Beau’s part, but Curtis was already well aware
of the fact that Beau was staying at Ethan’s. He had seen his truck there day
and night.

“You
mind stopping by here on your way over there? I think Lorrie has some furniture
upstairs that she needs you to move.” Curtis lied, remembering how Lorrie had
tricked Ethan and Beau into coming to the house back at Christmas. She was ever
the matchmaker that woman.

To
his surprise, Beau laughed and said, “Yes, sir. I’ll be there in just a few
minutes.”

When
Curtis hung up the phone, he flipped through the contacts to another familiar
number. “Where’re you at?” he asked Ethan when he answered.

“On
my way home. Why?” Ethan asked, obviously curious.

“Stop
by the house, would ya?”

“Sure.
But why? What’s up?”

Curtis
chuckled, but he tried to keep his voice rough as he said, “Don’t question me,
boy, just do what I ask.”

With
that, he hung up the phone and waited. It was only a matter of time now.

♂♂

Ethan
pulled into his parents’ driveway and noticed Beau’s truck was there. Once he
put the truck in Park, he paused before he got out. He was an emotional wreck
at the moment and wasn’t sure he was up for a confrontation with anyone, no
matter what the reason. Since his father had requested his presence, Ethan knew
there was something going on.

He’d
been driving back to Coyote Ridge when his father had called. The last hour and
a half had been spent talking, something that Ethan wasn’t keen on doing most
of the time anyway, but certainly not when the topics were quite so personal.

Tonight
had been his first counseling session. After the initial introductions, the soft
spoken, older man who informed him he was there to help, had gotten right down
to business, and Ethan found himself opening up about his reasons for being
there much faster than he anticipated. The man was obviously a master of
manipulation.

Thankfully,
their time had been limited, and as Ethan had walked out of the office, despite
his reluctance, he knew he would be back. Even if he was feeling slightly off-kilter,
he felt like another weight had been lifted.

Pushing
open the door, he climbed out of the truck and made his way to the back door
where he noticed his mother and father sitting at the kitchen table across from
Beau.

What
the hell was going on?

Making
his way inside, he smiled back when his mother grinned up at him, her eyes
lighting up the same way they did whenever he walked into the room. That was
one thing Ethan always looked forward to, something he knew he could depend on.
She immediately eased out of her chair and made her way over, hugging him
quickly and planting a kiss on his cheek.

“Sit,”
she instructed, patting him gently on the back.

Ethan
peered back and forth between the three of them and then sat down beside Beau.
“What’s going on?”

“We’re
just sitting here, chatting. Where’ve you been?” Curtis asked, his voice was
gruff, but his demeanor was calm.

“I
had a meeting to go to,” he explained, not planning to go into further detail.
Not yet. At least not until he had a chance to talk to Beau.

Ethan
studied Beau for a moment, realized he was staring down at the table, his hands
clasped together so tightly, his knuckles were white. Without thinking about
it, he put his hand on Beau’s shoulder and leaned toward him. “What’s wrong?”

He
didn’t even realize what he’d done until Beau glanced over at him suddenly, his
eyes darting to the hand on his arm. Ethan looked over and noticed his mother
smiling.

Crap.

“I
went to talk to my parents tonight,” Beau said quietly, drawing Ethan’s, and
hopefully everyone else’s, attention back to him.

“What
did…?” The question fizzled out as Ethan realized what Beau had just said.
Considering the man told him he didn’t have much interaction with his father,
Ethan figured things didn’t go well.

“Did
you tell them?” Ethan asked, trying to keep his focus on Beau, but feeling the
way his parents’ eyes were glued to him.

“Yes.”

Ethan
simply nodded, unsure what to say after that. He wanted to get up and go home.
This was obviously a conversation he needed to have with Beau, but from the
looks of it, Ethan didn’t think his parents were going to let him go that
easily.

“Mind
if I talk to Beau for a minute?” Lorrie asked, interrupting the strained
silence. “Alone.”

Ethan
glanced over at his father, then back to Beau. To his surprise, Beau nodded his
head, obviously all right with being left to talk to his mother.

Rising
to his feet, Ethan followed his father out of the kitchen and into the living
room. He made his way over to the couch and flopped down, letting the
exhaustion consume him. This had been an emotionally trying day. And it didn’t
seem to be getting any better.

“Talk
to me, boy,” Curtis said with that rough grumble Ethan was used to.

“About?”
he asked, peering over at his father through one partially opened eye.

His
father stared back at him for a minute, and Ethan figured he was going to have
to spill his guts or endure the scrutiny of his father’s piercing gaze. Before
he could come up with a sentence, his father said, “How are things with you and
Beau?”

Ethan
was tempted to ask his father what he was talking about. He didn’t. Instead, he
sighed and sat up, resting his elbows on his knees. Clasping his hands together
in front of them, Ethan looked up at his father and… smiled. “It’s good, Dad.
Things are really good.”

He
waited to hear what Curtis would say, but he was pleasantly surprised to see
that his father just smiled back at him.

Was
that it? The conversation he’d been avoiding for most of his life? What was he
supposed to do now? Did he need to spell it out? Make sure they understood what
that would mean for them. It wasn’t going to be pretty, he knew.

“I’m
proud of you, E,” Curtis spoke, his eyes darting behind Ethan into the kitchen.
“The only thing we’ve ever wanted for you is for you to be happy. That’s all
that matters.”

Ethan’s
gaze dropped to the floor. “It won’t be easy,” he finally said.

“Nothing
that is worth it ever is. Doesn’t mean it isn’t worth fighting for.”

Ethan
didn’t need his father to clarify that statement. Since Beau came into his
life, Ethan fully understood. Beau was worth fighting for. What they had
between them was worth fighting for.

Glancing
behind him, Ethan noticed Beau appeared to be in a serious conversation with
his mother.

“Did
something happen?” he asked, turning to look at his father again.

“We
received a phone call from Beau’s father,” Curtis replied softly.

Ethan
didn’t even need to question how that went because he could see the tension in
his father’s face.

“Talk
to him,” Curtis said. “He’s a strong man, but no matter how strong he is,
something like that is bound to break him down. He’s lucky to have you, son.
And I know it’s none of my business, but he’s definitely going to need you
right now.”

Ethan’s
mouth was hanging open as he stared at his father, but he couldn’t get his
brain to function enough to force it closed. Rather than make a fool out of
himself, he just nodded, suddenly anxious to get to Beau.

Thankfully,
as though everyone in the house knew there was only so much Ethan could handle
in a day, Beau walked in and looked down at him. He smiled, but Ethan could
tell it was forced. Making his way to his feet, Ethan moved closer and linked
his fingers with Beau’s right there in the middle of his parents’ living room.

“Let’s
go home.”

Beau
nodded, the smile intensified, this time for real.

Turning
back to his father, Ethan nodded. “Thanks, Dad.”

“For
what? I didn’t do a damn thing,” he muttered, grinning from ear to ear. “If you
want to thank someone,” Curtis nodded toward his mother sitting on the arm of
the chair beside him, “she deserves it all.”

True,
Ethan thought to himself. Releasing Beau’s hand, Ethan made his way over to his
mother and wrapped his arms around her. “I love you, Mama.”

“I
love you too,” she whispered back. “And I’m so proud of you.”

Because
he knew he was going to break down if he didn’t get out of there, Ethan took a
step back, forced a smile and then reached for Beau again.

♂♂

Beau
felt… Hell, he didn’t even know what he felt.

Part
of him was numb, but even the slicing pain he still felt from his father’s
outburst wasn’t nearly as prevalent as the part of him that felt loved. Leave
it to Curtis and Lorrie to right his world in ways his own parents never had.

He’d
been appalled to learn that Ben had called them, and he could only imagine what
the man had to say. He would have to go on imagining because both Curtis and
Lorrie had been tight-lipped. The only thing they told him was that he was
welcome in their home anytime. And that they were proud to call him son.

That
part had nearly leveled Beau. His own father had disowned him, yet Curtis and
Lorrie had ensured he knew he was wanted.

However,
he hadn’t anticipated Ethan showing up. And when Ethan had touched him, right
there in front of his parents, his world had literally turned upside down. He
wasn’t sure he’d ever feel like that again.

Now
as he walked through Ethan’s front door, he no longer felt the brutal
disappointment that had lodged in his chest after leaving his parents’ house. 

Ethan
stepped up beside him, wrapped his arm around his waist and pulled him close.
“Why don’t you go take a shower while I cook dinner?”

“Why
don’t you join me?” Beau asked, not wanting to be alone. “We’ll make sandwiches
when we’re done.”

Ethan
smiled, and Beau’s body hardened instantly. Just the way Ethan looked at him
made everything better.

They
made their way upstairs quickly, neither of them hesitating before stripping
and getting into the shower together. Everything past that point was a blur. As
soon as their bodies collided, Beau knew nothing except for the heat generating
between them, the glorious friction of Ethan’s tongue against his, the warmth
of his hands as they slid over his body.

“I
need you, E,” Beau murmured against his lips.

“You’ve
got me,” Ethan responded, pulling back slightly.

Pressing
his mouth back to Ethan’s, Beau took Ethan’s hand and guided it around his
hips, showing him exactly what he needed. When Ethan pulled him closer, his
fingers searching, prodding, Beau moaned against his mouth.

“Fuck
me, E,” he begged. “Help me forget for just a little while.”

Beau
was grateful for the water because he didn’t know if he could stop the tears
that threatened. No matter what he told himself, his heart ached for the loss
of his parents. Denial had been much easier to bear than the bitter truth.

When
Ethan cupped his face with one hand, Beau leaned into his palm, their lips
brushing softly together. With the fingers of his other hand, Ethan began to
thrust inside of his ass, their mouths fused, their tongues melding together
until Beau’s body was strung tight, his control reaching the breaking point.

Ethan.
The
man was his everything. All he needed. All he wanted. The very thing that
completed him and right there in his arms was the only place Beau wanted to be.

Pulling
back completely, Beau grabbed the lube that they’d stored on the shelf in the shower
and handed it over to Ethan. He was rewarded with a knowing grin and that gesture
alone infused him with an emotional strength he’d been lacking for the last hour.

“Turn
around,” Ethan demanded, his tone firm, just the way Beau hoped it would be.

Arm
on the wall, Beau bent at the waist and rested his forehead on his forearm,
closing his eyes as he prayed Ethan would hurry. He wanted to take him inside
of his body, to feel that connection that continued to grow stronger and
stronger every day.

With
the first thrust of Ethan’s hips, Beau growled, the sensation overwhelming him,
his skin tingling as the initial bite of pain morphed into glorious friction, sending
him racing toward the precipice in an instant.

“Slow,”
Ethan said, leaning over Beau, pressing his chest to his back. “Don’t you dare
come without me.”

Beau
smiled. He wasn’t sure he was capable of making that promise at the moment, but
he would damn sure try as long as Ethan continued to move.

“Oh,
God, yes,” Beau groaned when Ethan gripped his hair firmly, pulling him so that
he had no choice but to stand straight. Ethan’s other hand gripped his
shoulder, holding him firmly as Ethan began pounding into him from behind.

Between
the stinging in his scalp and the delicious feeling of Ethan’s cock filling him,
Beau was quickly forgetting he’d agreed to hold off.

“E,
it’s too good,” Beau warned. “Too fucking good.”

“You
wanna come? Is that what you’re telling me?” Ethan asked, his guttural tone a
reflection of how close he must be as well.

“Yes,”
Beau told him. “Fuck me harder.”

Ethan
released Beau’s hair and grabbed his other shoulder as he began slamming into
him, over and over. Fast. Hard. Amazing. Beau’s body lit up from the inside,
that telltale sign sparking in the base of his spine.

“That’s
it, baby,” Ethan growled. “Come for me.”

Beau
didn’t hold back, his dick jerking, spasming as his orgasm tore through him.

“Fuck
yes!” Ethan groaned from behind him as his body stilled, his hands still
digging into his shoulders as he held him there.

As
they settled, the steam still billowing around them, Beau pressed his forehead
against the wall. Right there, at that moment, he let the past go. There was nothing
he could do to change it.