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.
Chapter Thirty Nine
♂♂
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 stro
ng 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.
“I love you,” Ethan whispered against his ear. “I love you with all that I am.”
And that right there was Beau’s future. The only thing he needed. “I love you, too.”
Chapter Forty
♂♂
By the time Friday night rolled around, Beau was looking forward to a couple of hours out of the house. It had actually been Ethan’s idea, much to Beau’s surprise. And when he told him they were going to Moonshiners to meet up with his brothers, Beau hadn’t questioned him. He didn’t care where they went, he just wanted a beer.
With that prospect in sight, Beau pulled into the parking lot of Moonshiners with Ethan right there beside him. The night had been flawless, dinner phenomenal as always. They had even shared a shower before they got dressed and headed out. And now, as Beau pulled the truck to a stop, he glanced around the parking lot, hoping like hell there wouldn’t be anything to fuck up their night out together.
Making his way around the front of the truck, Beau met up with Ethan on the porch and his body hardened the instant Ethan put his hand on his back, herding him toward the door. He suddenly felt too big for his own skin, elated from the fact that Ethan touched him in public.<
br />
Beau opened the door to Moonshiners, and he walked inside, Ethan right behind him. Noticing Travis, Zane and Gage immediately, Beau considered heading to the back where they were, but Ethan once again directed him, this time toward the bar.
“Two beers, Mack,” Ethan ordered as the bartender glanced up with a tentative grin.
Beau did his best to hide his surprise. He wasn’t quite sure what he was expecting for their first night out as a real couple, but this certainly hadn’t been it.
“Sure thing, E.”
A minute later, they were in the back with Ethan’s brothers and his brother-in-law. The men were talking – although arguing was probably a more apt description – about the resort.
“Just wait till Sawyer gets here,” Zane protested. “He’ll agree with me.”
“Not likely. If they have to choose, they won’t pick your club,” Gage laughed, his beer bottle halfway to his lips, an amused smirk on his face.
Beau didn’t even try to follow the conversation because he knew it would change soon enough. As he stood listening to the rough grumble of the three large males, he glanced around the bar. The first thing he noticed was Kylie and V weren’t there. He didn’t even have time to wonder about that when his gaze landed on a group of guys sitting at a table near the front.
Jimmy Reardon must’ve brought a fucking army tonight. There were seven guys with him, and not one of them was Ricky Dillinger. That was about the only positive in the situation. Doing the math in his head, Beau figured between the five of them, they stood a pretty damn good chance. Even against eight.
Ethan must’ve noticed what had captured Beau’s attention because he moved up beside him, his arm brushing against his. “We’re not gonna let them get to us tonight.”
Beau noticed the way Ethan stressed the word not. When Beau glanced over to his lover, he noticed his expression was deadly serious.
“He’s done enough damage.”
Wasn’t that the truth?
Didn’t mean Beau wasn’t interested in a little payback. Rather than tell Ethan that, he simply nodded.
Ethan (Alluring Indulgence) Page 33