Keeping Sweets

by Cate Ashwood

  Bran smiled at him, fighting the urge to pull the cowboy into a bear hug.

  “Thanks,” he said as he headed toward his room, and to the boy waiting for him in his bed.

  Bran ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He suddenly felt like he was going to burst. He wanted Evan more than anything, and as long as he kept his mouth shut about his feelings, no one needed to get hurt.

  It was obvious that Evan’s body responded to Bran. Colt thought Evan was in love with him. He didn’t know if the feelings went deeper than lust, and frankly he didn’t much care. Of course it would be nice if there was more to it than a healthy sex drive, but in the long run, it would probably be for the best if he were the only one emotionally involved. He resolved that although he knew he had fallen in love with Evan, that information was better kept to himself. It would be easier to say good-bye if Evan didn’t know quite how deeply Bran cared for him.

  Bran wanted a happily ever after but was realistic enough to know that those didn’t come around all that often, and he wasn’t sure he deserved one. He loved Evan. He loved the way his breath hitched and his skin tingled whenever the other man was close. He liked the comfortable warmth that surged through him when they spent time together.

  He had never felt that sort of quiet belonging before, but he wasn’t going to give it up easily. Even if it was temporary, he intended to make the most of his time with him.

  He cracked the door open to the darkened room. The light from the hallway fell across Evan’s sleeping form. He was huddled up hugging Bran’s pillow to his chest.

  Bran sat on the edge of the bed, too tempted to climb in. He knew if he got under the covers with Evan it would be hours before either one of them came up for air. Right now it was more important to talk.

  “Hi,” Evan murmured, still soft and warm from sleep. His eyes were hooded and his hair was tousled, sticking up a little on one side. He looked fucking adorable. He hadn’t even opened his mouth yet and Bran was already worked up in knots over the man sitting in front of him.

  “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. It was kind of a strange day.”

  “Yeah, I feel good. A little sore I guess, and pretty exhausted, but today was good.”

  Bran frowned. With the fog of lust clouding his head, he had forgotten everything but the few minutes of sweaty bliss when it had become apparent to him that Evan was everything he wanted. He had forgotten about the brutality with which he had demonstrated those feelings. The memory of the event at the beach was pushed even further from his mind. He felt like the biggest asshole in the world. He was too concerned with his own needs and wants to worry about anything else.

  Doubt crept in, teasing at him with long cold fingers. His selfishness was just more proof that although Evan may be the best thing that ever happened to him, the opposite could not be further from the truth.

  “Are you okay? Did I hurt you? I feel like a total shit. I shoulda been more careful.”

  “No, Bran, I loved it. I’m fine, I swear. The soreness will fade; I just need to take it easy for a bit.”

  Evan reached out, hooked a finger through Bran’s belt loop, pulled him closer. Bran didn’t resist, but kept his hands to himself. As much as he wanted to touch, he needed to keep his priorities straight.

  Evan seemed to take Bran’s lack of renitency as a good sign and lifted the thin material of his shirt to expose the smooth skin beneath. He dropped gentle kisses along Bran’s abdomen. His muscles jumped with each brush of Evan’s smooth lips. Bran’s knuckles were white, balled into fists at his sides.

  “I don’t know if this is such a good idea.”

  Apparently Evan wasn’t easily deterred. He looked up at Bran through long lashes, pulling his lower lip between his teeth. “You don’t want me?” he asked quietly.

  “Trust me, Ev, wanting you is not the problem here. Well… it kind of is the problem. I want you more than I’ve wanted anybody in a long time. I just don’t want you getting hurt. We’re both leaving here at the end of next week and going our separate ways. There has to be an expiration date on whatever it is we’re doing here.”

  “I’m not going to lie to you, Bran. I don’t know how I’ll react to any of this. I’ve never done anything even remotely like this before. Everything is new to me, but I can promise you that I know what I want, and I will do my best to remember this is all temporary. I just want to spend time with you, see what happens. I don’t need promises or labels. Just want to go with my gut.”

  “I’m already in over my head on this. When I saw you with Ryan today, something in me snapped. I hated seeing someone else touching you. I know that’s completely irrational. I’m the one that scheduled the shoot, but it made me see red. I feel like I’m losing my mind. Never felt like this before. I just know this is going to get messy.”

  “Life is messy though, you know? Sometimes it’s worth it to jump in and get your hands dirty. Happiness and contentment don’t come along very often, so when they do, you need to hold on with everything you’ve got. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out, but at least you can say you tried.”

  “So you’re saying you want to get dirty?”

  Evan chuckled, the mood lightened by Bran’s comment. “Yeah, I do.” He grabbed a handful of Bran’s shirt, pulling him down on top of him. He attacked his mouth with a desperate ferocity that surprised both of them.

  Bran intertwined their fingers, then pinned Evan’s hands above his head as they kissed. He brought his knees up on either side of Bran’s narrow torso and hooked them around his body, granting him better access to the sweet spot between them. Bran ground down hard against him.

  Evan whimpered. Bran’s hips snapped back. “Sorry, Sweets. We should slow down a bit. Just got caught up for a sec.”

  “S’okay. I’m fine. Just a bit sore.”

  Bran lifted off him and pulled Evan up. He kissed him again, slow and sweet. They had time.

  “C’mon, I’ll run you a bath. The hot water’ll help.”

  Bran led Evan into the bathroom, mouth watering at the thought of getting Evan naked and slippery in the warm water. He bent to fill the tub. The water flowed in a surging cascade, filling the tub quickly. The water definitely looked inviting, but not as inviting as the man in front of him.

  “No need for this.” He reached for Evan, tugged his shirt over his head, then let his hands roam slowly along his skin.

  “Or these,” he said playfully, as he tugged at the elastic of Evan’s soft flannel pajama pants. He moaned as Bran’s fingers brushed past the hard ridge hidden underneath. Bran opened his hand, applying more pressure, rubbing him through the fabric.

  Evan helped push them, eager for skin on skin contact. Bran turned him around, giving him a light tap on the bum.

  “Climb in.”

  Evan huffed in defiance, but did as he was told, stepping into the tub and lowering himself into the warm water.

  “Oh, so good,” he purred. “Wanna get wet with me?”

  Bran licked his lips and shook his head. “If I get in there with you, I’m not going to be able to keep my hands to myself, and you’re supposed to be relaxing, not getting more worked up.”

  Evan stuck his bottom lip out as far as it would go.

  “Hey, none of that,” Bran admonished.

  He gave an exaggerated sigh and began unbuttoning his jeans. He couldn’t deny his beautiful boy, not when the pouting was so goddamn sweet.

  Evan made a little gleeful noise and slid forward in the tub, giving Bran room to climb in behind him. Bran held Evan snug against his chest. Evan let his head fall back as Bran’s arms supported him. Quietly enjoying one another, they both stretched out in the water.

  Bran reached up to the ledge next to the tub, picking up a clean washcloth and dipping it into the warm water. He drew it lazily over Evan’s chest, teasing a little at his nipples before dragging it lower in easy circles around his stomach.

  It felt nice to take care of him like this. Bran k
new Evan was fully capable of taking care of himself, but Bran hoped Evan would appreciate the attention. He gripped Evan’s shoulder lightly, nudging him to lean forward. He continued his careful washing up and down Evan’s back, small circles gently exfoliating as he moved.

  All too soon, the water had cooled and Evan had been worked into a near coma of pleasure.

  “C’mon, Sweets. Let’s get you to bed.”

  Evan waggled his eyebrows at Bran as he held out the fluffy white towel that had been heating on the warmer. He was enveloped in the warmth of the towel and Bran’s arms.

  They crawled into bed together, Evan resting his head in the hollow of Bran’s shoulder. Bran cuddled him close and, exhausted from the events of the day, fell swiftly to sleep.

  Chapter 19

  EVAN awoke sometime after 2:00 a.m. The house was still and quiet. The room was swathed in darkness. He was still wrapped in the comforting heat of Bran’s arms. They were spooned together in the center of the bed, and Evan couldn’t think of anywhere else in the world he would rather be, or a time when he had felt happier or more at peace.

  He wiggled back against the warm body, trying to get impossibly closer to the man that held his body and his heart. Even in sleep Bran reacted to him, his hips canting slightly beside Evan and his cock hardening as he moved against Evan’s ass.

  Evan could feel his cock begin to fill too. He was heavy-eyed from sleep, but he could be in a coma and still react to Bran. He rubbed his ass back harder, trying to turn him on and wake him up at the same time. Bran moaned softly, but his breathing was still coming in slow, even breaths and Evan knew he was still asleep.

  He wiggled out of Bran’s grasp, happily sighing when Bran rolled onto his back, one arm flung above his head. It was exactly what Evan wanted. It was dark in the room, but enough light spilled in from the window. He had all the time in the world to look, explore, and memorize.

  He sat there for a few moments, just taking in the sight of Bran. He was staggeringly handsome. Evan wanted to lick every curve of the corded muscles covering his body. His skin was perfect, smooth and tanned. Evan’s chest constricted thinking about how lucky he was to get to be with Bran, to be able to see him like this. Vulnerable. Real. He couldn’t be sure if it were true, but he liked to at least pretend he was one of very few people who could.

  He carefully pulled back the sheets, trying not to wake him. They slipped lower, revealing more skin and more muscle until he was completely uncovered. His half-hard cock rose out of neatly trimmed hair and curved against his left hip, thick and perfect. He wanted to taste, to feel the slide it against his tongue, but he hesitated. What if he was bad at it? He had never done it before. Never thought to, but thinking about it now had his erection straining painfully against the blankets.

  He remembered how it had felt to have Bran’s mouth on him, the slick heat surrounding him, pulsing around him in time with his heartbeats. Desire to make Bran feel good, and to touch him intimately, overrode any doubts Evan had about his abilities. He nestled himself between Bran’s legs and took him gently in hand. Bran stirred above him, opening his legs a little wider, but remained asleep.

  Evan leaned forward, overwhelmed by the intoxicatingly clean scent of male, and licked tentatively at the sensitive tip. It was smooth under his tongue and a little spongy. He swirled his tongue around the tip, sucking gently on the end. It felt good, right to taste him like this. He was perfect, salty and smooth, and Evan was drunk with the sensation of connection and power this created in him.

  He licked along the hardening shaft, tracing the thick veins, feeling the pulse beneath his tongue. He licked lower, slowly rolling Bran’s balls back and forth in his palm. He loved the softness and the delicateness of the skin there. They were smooth and so velvety, a beautiful contrast to how steel-hard his cock had become.

  Evan’s mouth watered as he pulled the head into his mouth, sucking a little. He dipped lower, pulling more and more into his mouth, slicking the shaft with spit as he moved up and down. He moved slowly, taking his time, exploring and savoring. If this was what giving head was like, he thought he might like it almost as much as getting head.

  He was dizzy with desire for the man underneath him. He hollowed his cheeks, sucking harder now as Bran awoke, moaning and writhing beneath him.

  “Evan? What’re you—oh, God! Fuck… that’s good. So good, Evan. Don’t stop….”

  There was no way Evan was going to stop. He liked this way too much. Bran was trembling beneath him and Evan’s knowing that he was the cause almost made him come in his pants. Bran tangled his fingers distractedly in Evan’s hair. He didn’t push. It was as if he just wanted to hang onto something, to make sure what was happening to him was real. Evan liked it.

  He slowed down his pace a little, hoping to make this last as long as he could. He didn’t want it to end too soon.

  He pushed lower still, the head of Bran’s cock nudging the back of his throat. He gagged.

  “Easy, Sweets. Not too much.”

  But Evan was nothing if not determined. He wanted Bran to feel good. He wanted him mindless with pleasure. He reached just behind Bran’s balls, stroking the sensitive flesh there, massaging gently. He went slow, angling further and further down until he could feel him at the back of his throat again. He breathed in and held it, relaxing his throat as much as he could and pushed further still. Evan slid down until his nose was buried in the soft curls at the base of his cock.

  “Jesus Christ! Ev… you gotta—I’m gonna—”

  Evan knew Bran was warning him so he could pull off, but Evan wanted everything. He wanted to taste Bran, swallow down everything he could, be a part of him. He hummed happily around the rigid shaft. Before he knew it, Bran was shooting in convulsion after convulsion, down Evan’s throat. The noises that came from him drove Evan right to the edge. He wouldn’t last long.

  Bran pulled him up, Evan releasing Bran reluctantly, but before Evan could be too disappointed, Bran had preoccupied his mouth once more. He kissed him hard, swept his tongue into Evan, exploring every part of his mouth. Evan knew he could taste himself on his lips, so Evan kissed back until they were both breathless.

  Bran looked at him wickedly. “Your turn,” he whispered.

  Evan shook his head no.

  “No?”

  “Wanna keep you here,” he said simply and moved Bran’s hand to his neglected cock before kissing him again. It wasn’t going to take much, and Evan wanted the kisses. Bran took the hint, fisting his hand around Evan’s aching erection, and began stroking him off.

  Seconds later, Evan moaned against Bran’s mouth, milky ropes of come shooting between them. They continued kissing, lazily now, easy, for a while before Bran rolled Evan onto his back, kissing down his body and licking him clean.

  He bathed Evan’s spent cock with a soft tongue, sucking it in gently, licking him clean. When he was finished, he pulled Evan into his arms and molded their lips together once again, tasting Evan as they kissed. Evan could feel his cock trying to get hard again, but he was too tired, too satisfied, and too content to move.

  They fell asleep in each other’s arms and only awoke once more to rub off against one another before morning.

  IT WAS nearing the end of the project. There were only three days left and the guys were getting restless. Bran and Evan had filmed a couple of scenes together, but with Bran declaring exclusivity on him, the other guys had had to pick up the slack a little to make up for the scenes that were cut.

  Bran declared their last three days “down days” and everyone was supposed to get out of the house and have a good time.

  “Anywhere in particular you wanna go, Sweets?” Bran asked him over the banana walnut pancakes they had made together.

  Evan shrugged. “Not really? The beach?” he offered noncommittally.

  “I’ve got a better idea,” Bran grinned wickedly. “I’m going to whip your ass at Skee-Ball!”

  Evan laughed. “Seriously? Skee-Ball? At the b
each?”

  “We’ll head into Seaside. There’s an arcade on the boardwalk. You’ll love it.”

  “Okay,” Evan said, excited now about the outing. He’d never been to the sea, so he’d never been to a boardwalk. An arcade sounded like fun.

  “Go get ready and I’ll clean up breakfast. Meet you at the truck in half an hour, okay?”

  “’Kay,” he yelled as he ran up the stairs to shower and change.

  THIRTY minutes later, they climbed into Bran’s truck.

  Evan slid into his seat and buckled up his seatbelt. Bran did the same before throwing the truck into gear and heading out up the highway. Seaside was a long drive from Newport—about three hours—but they weren’t in any rush. It was still pretty early in the morning and they had the whole day to do whatever they wanted.

  They passed through Lincoln City on their way up the 101, and Evan could see the sky over the water filled with colorful kites. He’d never seen so many dotted against the wispy clouds like brightly colored birds. Evan leaned across to look out of Bran’s open window. The air smelled salty and fresh.

  Bran offered to stop so Evan could take a closer look but Evan said no. There was too much to see and Evan wanted to make sure he didn’t miss anything.

  Once they had passed through Lincoln City, the highway followed along the ocean for a while. It was such a beautiful drive. Both sides of the road offered sights that Evan wasn’t used to. The ocean was breathtakingly beautiful, with small inlets and little cutaways. Evan could spend a year there and never get to see everything.

  Eventually, the highway cut away from the shore, moving farther inland and weaving through forests and open farmlands.

  “We’re almost in Tillamook. You wanna stop and get some of the best ice cream you’ll ever taste?”

  Evan glanced at the backlit clock on the dashboard. 10:23 a.m. “Isn’t it a little early for dessert? It’s not even noon….”

  “Oh, come on, Evan. Live a little. Dessert for breakfast is like a rite of passage of moving away from home. Besides, we’ve already had breakfast, so it’s not nearly as wicked,” he goaded as he pulled the truck into a parking lot in front of a large white building.