Ethan (Alluring Indulgence)

by Edwards, Nicole

  “All right.”

  With that, Ethan watched Beau walk away. That’s when it dawned on him that he was starting to treat this like a relationship. The problem was… he couldn’t figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

  On Ethan’s way home, he had to pass by the main office and he noticed Jared’s truck out front. Shit. He truly needed to stop in and give him a heads up as to where he’d be. Not that he cared to explain his whereabouts with anyone, but he knew Jared would fly off the handle if he wasn’t made aware. Hell, he’d probably be in an uproar anyway, but that was out of Ethan’s control at the moment.

  The least he could do was warn the guy.

  Parking next to the Walker Demo truck that Kaleb had passed on to Jared, Ethan took his time getting out of the truck. The wind had died down somewhat, but the day hadn’t warmed up much at all. Which was a little surprising considering February in Texas was hit or miss, but it wasn’t usually this cold.

  He stepped into the Walker Demo office only to hear Jared arguing with someone. Not wanting to walk right in the line of fire, he peeked in the door and noticed Jared on the phone. At least he hadn’t walked into the middle of something.

  “Sable, I don’t have time for this shit,” Jared snapped, leaning back in his chair.

  Sable. Ex-wife.

  Ethan knew from the stories he had heard that the two of them didn’t get along. Based on the inflection in Jared’s voice, the rumor seemed to be true. Figuring Jared would see him sooner or later, Ethan made his appearance known and nodded when Jared glanced up at him.

  “I’ve got to go.” Clearly not waiting for a response, Jared slammed his finger on the phone screen and then tossed his cell on his desk. “What do you want?”

  “Well, good fucking afternoon to you too.”

  Seems as though Jared was the lucky bastard who had found the irritation that Beau had managed to fuck out of Ethan earlier.

  Jared grinned, a gesture Ethan hadn’t seen often. They were kinda like two peas in a pod, neither of them known much for their bubbly personality.

  “Sorry.”

  “No worries. I know exactly how you feel. It’s been one of those days.”

  “Yeah, it sure has.” Jared leaned forward, resting his forearms on his desk and staring at Ethan. The guy looked tired. And a little frazzled. Then again, he’d been on the phone with his ex-wife so that could explain some of it. Ethan had heard the story, but he’d never delved further because his cousin’s business wasn’t his concern. Considering Jared had never pushed Ethan to talk, he figured he’d return the favor.

  “I’m gonna be out of town for a couple of days,” Ethan blurted, unsure how to deliver the news. He prepared for Jared’s response by shoring up his spine and staring back at him, but nothing came.

  “Where’re you off to?”

  “Houston,” Ethan said promptly. He hadn’t planned on explaining himself, but he couldn’t seem to shut up.

  “Going with someone?”

  That question would’ve normally pissed Ethan off, hating when people tried to stick their nose in his business, but he found himself replying despite himself. “Yeah. I’m heading down there with Beau.”

  Watching for Jared’s reaction, Ethan took a deep breath when his cousin simply nodded his head.

  “Anything I can help with while you’re gone?”

  “Nah. Nothing pertinent. Brendon’s truck is almost done, but the boy can stand to hitch a ride for a few days. He’s fucking hard on that truck.”

  Jared laughed and leaned back in his chair. “I noticed that. When will you be back?”

  “Friday or Saturday. I’ll check on things then, but I doubt there’ll be anything pressing.” There never was. They had enough equipment and vehicles to handle one or two being out of commission for a week or so. Ethan wasn’t worried that his absence would hinder progress.

  “Cool,” Jared said, glancing down at his phone.

  “All right then,” Ethan mumbled, thrusting his hands in his pockets and turning for the door.

  “Hey, E?”

  “Yeah?” he asked, not turning around.

  “You need something, give me a call.”

  Ethan swallowed hard, but managed to force out a “sure”.

  Jared had been at Moonshiners the night before, which meant he’d seen everything go down. For those who were close to the family, he figured they could put two and two together. He didn’t out and out talk about his sexual preferences, but he knew it was common knowledge who he spent his time with. Considering he’d never had a girlfriend in his life, Ethan wasn’t naïve enough to believe his family didn’t know. He just felt as though the less they knew, the better off they’d be.

  Not wanting to think about it anymore, Ethan rushed out the door and back to his truck. Yeah, it was definitely time to get out of a town for a bit.

  ♂♂

  After a quick shower, Beau grabbed the bag he’d brought back from Ethan’s, dumped its contents and replaced it with clean clothes. He kept his eye on the time, already anxious to get back to Ethan. For some reason, he didn’t want to give him time to change his mind.

  The tattoo had been an excuse, something Beau had really never given much thought to, but also something he was excited about. He’d come up with the idea after studying Ethan’s, wondering what had compelled him to put that quote on his back. So, along with being curious for the story behind it, Beau figured this was a way for them to get a little closer. He honestly hadn’t expected that Ethan would’ve gone out of town to get the skin art though.

  The idea of going to a city where they could be completely anonymous, no risk of being recognized, had thrilled Beau instantly. Obviously, Ethan hadn’t been opposed to the idea either. Once he gave it some thought, Beau considered it to be a stepping stone. A test of sorts. Just to see exactly how open to this relationship Ethan really was.

  Not that there had been any mention of a relationship.

  Yet.

  Once he was back in his truck, Beau grabbed his cell and called Zane. Figuring he should let someone know where they were headed, he left a voicemail when Zane didn’t pick up. He didn’t give too much information, but he offered just enough so that Zane wouldn’t worry and the rest of the Walker clan wouldn’t end up in a panic when they realized Ethan was gone. Knowing Ethan, he wouldn’t share his whereabouts with his family if he didn’t have to.

  Ten short minutes later he was pulling up to Ethan’s house. His nerves shot to astronomical levels as he stared out the front window. This was a monumental step for the two of them. The significance of what they were doing hadn’t affected him until now. They were going out of town. Together.

  Alone.

  Several days, just the two of them. No interruptions. No assholes like Jimmy or Ricky. Only them.

  Forcing his door open, he slid to the ground and headed up the front steps, smiling when Ethan opened the door to greet him, a duffel bag in one hand, his keys in the other.

  “Took you long enough,” Ethan teased and Beau’s heart did a somersault. Was the guy actually joking with him?

  After Ethan’s outburst that morning, Beau wasn’t sure how hard it would be to get him to smile. It hadn’t taken much apparently. Then again, throw in some intensely satisfying sex, and he could see why Ethan was smiling. He sure as hell was.

  “If I’m not wrong, I’m the one waiting on you right now,” Beau said on a laugh.

  Ethan tossed his bag at Beau, and he caught it easily before turning back to the truck while Ethan locked the front door.

  Once they were inside, Beau flipped the key and the powerful engine roared to life.

  “This piece of shit gonna make it to Houston?” Ethan asked, looking serious.

  Beau’s laugh rumbled through the truck, rivaling the sound of the engine. “Don’t doubt the mechanic in me,” he answered when he caught his breath.

  Glancing over before backing out of the driveway, Beau noticed Ethan’s smile was bright eno
ugh to rival the afternoon sun. Right then and there, he made a point to make Ethan smile as many times as he possibly could over the next couple of days. This laid-back version of Ethan was rare, and although he wasn’t willing to question the personality overhaul, he knew not to take it for granted.

  Neither of them spoke much until they hit the highway that would lead to their destination, but once they were on the open road, Beau glanced over at Ethan. Should he risk it? Asking questions? At the moment, he couldn’t see what he had to lose because Ethan didn’t have the choice of running. At least not until they stopped somewhere.

  “Is there a meaning behind the tattoo?” he asked, using the steering wheel controls to turn down the radio.

  Beau felt Ethan’s eyes on him momentarily, but there was no response. When he looked over, he noticed Ethan had returned to staring out the window as the trees passed by rapidly.

  “Yeah,” Ethan finally said but didn’t elaborate.

  “When did you get it?” Beau was going for the easy questions first.

  “I had just turned twenty-one.”

  Beau chuckled, frustrated by Ethan’s lack of answers, but fully expecting them. He felt the full brunt of Ethan’s gaze on him a moment later, and Beau glanced over, shifting his attention between Ethan and the road repeatedly, waiting to see what he would say.

  “Give me some time, all right?” Ethan asked, his voice low and gravelly.

  “Time?” Beau was confused.

  “I’ll tell you the story, but not right now.”

  Beau nodded as he swallowed hard. He was strangely pleased by Ethan’s response. The fact that he intended to open up to him was more than he expected. It was proof that what was happening between them wasn’t just one-sided. Ethan was feeling it too.

  They drove in silence for about twenty miles, the radio the only sound apart from the road noise from the tires. Beau settled into his seat, propping his arm on the console. He brushed Ethan’s fingers on accident and looked down to see Ethan mirroring his posture, and he had the sudden urge to hold his hand.

  He refrained because he didn’t want to set Ethan off, but a minute later, the warmth of Ethan’s fingers as they linked with his had his heart thumping triple time in his chest.

  “Surprised?” Ethan asked as Beau white knuckled the steering wheel with one hand and focused on not squeezing Ethan’s fingers too hard.

  “A little, yeah,” he admitted.

  “I’m not making any promises for the future,” Ethan went on to say. “But for now, I’m good with this.”

  Beau was good with it too. More than good actually. It almost seemed too easy. Getting Ethan to break out of that steel lined shell hadn’t seemed like an easy task, but the more time they spent together, the easier it seemed to get.

  Too bad Beau knew that there wasn’t anything easy about Ethan. And this was probably too good to last.

  For now though, he’d take what he could get.

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  ♂♂

  So it would seem that Beau wasn’t the only one experiencing firsts these days.

  Ethan had never held a man’s hand like this when they weren’t intimately joined in other ways. He’d never taken a road trip with a lover, never cared to spend this much time alone with one guy in particular. There was just something about Beau that felt… right. Like this was meant to be.

  Was he going crazy? Maybe. Was he being stupid with his decisions? Probably.

  He seemed to be led by his emotions, not his dick at the moment, and for Ethan, that was a drastic change. No intimacy had always been his motto. He didn’t invite lovers to stay over, he didn’t stay over anywhere else. It wasn’t that he had many lovers because safety had always been his top priority, but the few he’d had didn’t hold a candle to what he was feeling when he was with Beau.

  As he watched the scenery fly by at seventy miles an hour, Ethan tried to remember the first time he noticed Beau. Had to have been shortly after Zane and V got together.

  Zane and Beau had always been close, the two of them spending most of their time together. For as long as he could remember, Beau had been a permanent fixture at his parents’ house. Since they were young even. He remembered Beau played football because they were always going to the football games to watch Zane, and sure enough, the star quarterback of the football team was none other than Beau Bennett.

  Ethan smiled at the memory. He was only a couple of years older than Beau, had graduated two years before him. And he remembered like it was yesterday when Beau had injured his throwing arm during his senior year. It had been headline news in their small town.

  It had also been when Beau started spending even more time at their house.

  “Tell me about your parents,” Ethan said, glancing over at Beau.

  “What?”

  It was clear he’d surprised Beau with his request, but he wondered whether Beau needed him to repeat himself or if he was stalling.

  “Tell me about your parents,” he repeated more slowly.

  “Nothing to tell.” Beau’s usual easiness was buried beneath something that sounded a lot like bitterness.

  “Sure there is.” He knew he was being pushy, but Ethan figured if he was gearing up to spill his guts, it was only fair that he get some of the difficult answers out of Beau. Clearly, talking about his family was a touchy subject.

  “They’re still in Coyote Ridge?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you see them often?”

  “No.”

  Ok, so Ethan was going to have to change his strategy if Beau was going to respond with one word each time. He was getting nowhere. Figuring Beau would eventually break, Ethan stopped questioning him, but he brushed his thumb over the back of Beau’s hand softly. He originally started to offer Beau comfort, hoping he’d open up, but Ethan soon found his body heating up as he enjoyed the rush that filled him just from the touch.

  Beau squeezed his hand, hard. As though he could read Ethan’s mind. He hated that the damned console was in the way. He was feeling a little reckless at the moment, and the idea of leaning over and freeing Beau’s beautiful cock was almost too tempting to resist.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Beau growled, his hand tightening even more.

  “Don’t think about what?” he asked, trying to sound innocent.

  “Whatever it is you’re thinking about.”

  Ethan laughed. “You don’t have a clue what I’m thinking.”

  “You’re right, I don’t. But I know exactly what I hope you’re thinking about.”

  Ethan’s head snapped as he stared at Beau, his breaths coming in short and clipped. Was it warming up inside the truck? Yeah, it certainly was, and it had nothing to do with the heater.

  “What were you hoping I’d do?”

  Beau was silent for a moment, and Ethan figured he wouldn’t respond so he turned back to admire the scenery. He noticed they were on a long stretch of highway with nothing in front of them or behind. Not a store, not a car. Nothing but trees for what looked like miles.

  “I want you to touch me,” Beau said gruffly, pulling Ethan’s attention back to him.

  Ethan’s stomach muscles tightened, and his cock swelled. He had to shift in his seat to get comfortable, his zipper threatening to strangle his dick if he didn’t.

  “Touch you how?” Ethan asked, inserting a fair amount of authority in his request. He wasn’t going to let Beau dominate him right now. He was all for a power play, but he was going to push Beau this time.

  Beau pulled his hand to his lap, effectively relocating Ethan’s since their fingers were still linked. “Touch me.”

  “Here?” he asked, rubbing the back of his knuckles over the hard ridge in Beau’s jeans.

  “Fuck yeah,” Beau moaned.

  Ethan released Beau’s hand, lifted the intruding console out of the way and then leaned over a little more, giving him perfect access to the buckle on Beau’s belt and the button on his jeans.

 
“Pay attention to the road,” Ethan demanded when Beau’s gaze tilted down to his lap.

  Beau nodded and Ethan continued, unhooking the button and slowly lowering the zipper before slipping his hand into Beau’s boxers and squeezing his cock.

  “Fuck,” Beau moaned.

  “Is that what you wanted? You wanted me to stroke you while you drive?”

  “I hadn’t thought that far,” Beau admitted, his breaths choppy and uneven.

  “No? Think you can drive while I jack you off?”

  “Fuck no,” Beau growled, both of his hands now on the steering wheel, his knuckles white from how hard he was gripping it.

  “Let’s see how much you can take.”

  Ethan eased his hands lower, freeing Beau’s big, beautiful cock from his jeans as he began to slowly stroke him. He was intensely focused on where his hand gripped him, hoping like hell Beau was paying attention to the road because he was too entranced by what he was doing to assist.

  “Nice,” he said as he used his thumb to caress the glistening drop that beaded on the top. Beau swallowed hard, but he didn’t try to stop Ethan. “Have I mentioned how much I like your cock?”

  “No, you haven’t,” Beau said, his words strangled as he kept his eyes on the road.

  “Fucking beautiful. And when you were fucking my ass…” Ethan let the statement hang, allowing Beau the opportunity to fill in the blanks.

  “Ethan.” His name passed Beau’s lips as a warning, but Ethan didn’t care. He was enjoying himself. This man, the one who always seemed in total control was entirely at his mercy as he jacked his cock right there in the cab of his truck.

  “That first night we were in here, I wanted you to fuck me,” Ethan admitted. “When you dropped me off at my house, I ended up jacking off as I thought about you. I imagined you sucking my dick into your mouth…” Shit. Ethan was getting his own self worked up at this point.

  “Continue,” Beau said forcefully.

  “But what I imagined was nothing compared to when I had your mouth on me.” Ethan glanced up to see Beau’s tongue darting out, sliding over his bottom lip.