Ethan (Alluring Indulgence) (12 page)

Zane
looked over at Ethan and then back to Beau. After nodding his head once, he
took off. It was clear by Zane’s reaction that he knew something was going on.
Beau wondered whether they’d been that obvious. Then he wondered whether the
fact that Zane sensed there was something between them would send Ethan back
into hiding.

There
were plenty of questions and not nearly enough answers, but the only thing Beau
knew for an absolute fact… he wasn’t about to let that happen.

♂
♀

“Sonuvabitch!”
Zane growled when he walked through his front door, slamming it behind him hard
enough to rattle the windows.

“What’s
wrong?” V questioned from her position on the couch, her laptop resting on her
lap.

Zane
didn’t answer her, he simply stalked to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer.
After wrestling with the cap, he finally managed to open it and downed half in
one gulp, never even tasting it.

“It’s
a little early for that, don’t you think?” V asked sweetly.

Zane
glanced over at the clock on the microwave. It was almost noon. That wasn’t too
early in his book. After another swallow, he looked over at V, wondering why
she wasn’t pushing to make him talk. After all, he’d dodged two of her
questions already.

When
he met her eyes, he saw that she was smiling. Oddly enough, he didn’t get angry
at her even though his mood had taken a serious downturn after his conversation
with Ethan a few minutes ago.

“So
why are you home so early?” V asked, setting her laptop on the coffee table and
repositioning herself on the couch.

“Not
happy to see me?” he retorted, downing the rest of his beer before tossing the
bottle in the trash can.

“Of
course I’m happy to see you.”

“Then
why aren’t you naked?” he asked sarcastically, an unavoidable grin forming on
his lips. The thought of V naked, that always made him smile. Hell, any thought
of V made him smile. She had a way about her that soothed his soul.

“Because
you’re spoiled enough already.”

Ok,
so this wasn’t getting him anywhere.

Zane
joined her on the couch, sitting at the opposite end and leaning his head back
on the cushion.

“What
happened?”

“Ethan’s
an asshole.” Zane peered over at her momentarily.

V
tilted her head to the side, watching him carefully. “What did he do this
time?”

Zane
returned his gaze to the ceiling and then closed his eyes, sighing heavily. “It
wasn’t what he
did
, it’s who he’s about to
do
.”

Apparently
that attracted V’s attention because she shifted suddenly and eased closer to
him. “Who is he with?”

Zane
opened his eyes and glanced over at her, not lifting his head from the cushion.
“You don’t even want to know.”

V’s
smile was so radiant, Zane thought he’d be blinded for a moment.

“Beau?”

Zane
jerked to a sitting position and turned to face her. “Why would you think that?
Why would Beau want to be with my brother? He’s not –”

“Zane
Walker,” V said, cutting him off. “You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed the
tension between them. It’s been going on for… for a long time.”

Zane
relaxed a little.

He
dropped his head, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared down at his
hands. Yes, he had noticed the tension between them. Yes, he had thought that
something might be going on between the two of them. And yes, he had pretended
not to notice.

“Does
it bother you that Beau is gay?”

Zane
felt like she’d slapped him upside the head. “Why in the fuck would that matter
to me?”

“Because
he’s your best friend.”

“It
doesn’t matter to me what someone’s sexual preference is, V. I’ve…”

He
paused, realization dawning. God, he was so fucking dense sometimes. Here he
had been wondering why Beau wouldn’t continue with their threesomes ever since
that
night
. And it had taken him all of this time to finally realize that Beau
wasn’t with them because he was gay? Not because he was confused. Or because of
what happened. Well, maybe a little because of what happened.

Looking
over at V, he found her smiling sadly back at him. “Why hasn’t he just come out
and told me?”

Zane
felt the rift that continued to develop between him and Beau. Originally, he
thought that they were growing apart because of V. Then he figured it had to do
with the fact that Zane had fucked him. It wasn’t something he thought about
often, but he knew the events of that night had changed Beau. Or maybe Beau
hadn’t changed at all, and Zane was just noticing for the first time.

He
frowned. Some friend he’d been.

V
moved closer, resting her hand on his arm. “I think Beau was confused, and
probably hung up on you for a long time. So much so that he denied himself any
kind of happiness and refused to believe that he wanted anything different than
you did.”

“But
he slept with women.”

“When
he was with you,” she told him.

“How
can he just give that up? How is it he hasn’t realized this before now?”

“He’s
questioned himself, Zane. Beau has enjoyed sex with women. But only when you
were there. See the connection?”

V
sounded as though she knew firsthand what Beau was feeling, which raised
another question. “How do you know all of this?” Zane felt like a total shit.
His best friend finally figures out who he is, and Zane had spent the last year
pretending that nothing had changed when
everything
had changed.

“Because
I asked him. After the night you were with him, I think something clicked for
Beau. You gave him something he’d been curious about, probably helped him
confirm what he had suspected all along. But you are his friend, not his lover.
He accepted that.”

“And
now he’s going to be with my brother?”

“What
if he is? Would that be such a horrible thing? Ethan’s a good guy.”

“So
you
say,” Zane argued.

Truthfully,
he knew Ethan wasn’t a bad guy. Unsociable, yes. A player, probably. But he had
a good heart beneath all that attitude. “What am I supposed to say to him?”
Zane didn’t bother to clarify which
him
he was referring to.

“You’re
going to support him. Both of them. It’s not your place to decide what is right
or wrong. If they manage to find happiness with each other, then we’re going to
be right there beside them, loving them the same as we do now.”

Zane
stared at his hands for a few minutes, his mind tossing around the information
he’d just learned. Finally, when he found his voice, he said, “Well, hopefully
E can forgive me for sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong.”

V
squeezed his arm and chuckled. “Honey, he’s forgiven you millions of other
times. I’m sure this one won’t be any different.”

♂♂

Ethan
tried to control his temper, but it wasn’t looking good for him. All of the
anger and stress that had dissipated with Beau’s kiss had returned tenfold,
working its way back into Ethan’s bones, making him hurt all over again.

He
was so pissed at Zane for making accusations he had no business making that now
he could hardly see past the red haze. It was a damn good thing that his
nosy-ass brother had decided to leave when he did. When his brothers made an
effort to interfere in his life, – which they did often for whatever reason –
Ethan felt as though he’d been stretched in multiple directions, like a rubber
band. This time was no different, only he was seconds away from snapping.

“Hey,”
Beau’s soothing voice interrupted his thoughts, causing him to stop pacing the
floor and look over at him.

Lifting
one eyebrow, he tried to give Beau a look that would deter the man from
interfering. He wanted Beau to believe that what happened between them earlier
hadn’t affected him, but either Beau wasn’t as adept at reading him as he
originally thought or Beau wasn’t giving him an out. Part of him hoped it was
the latter. He was tired of fighting himself and everyone else at the same
time.

He
didn’t move a muscle as he watched Beau walk to the control panel that would
lower the open bay door. Once that was done, Beau made his way over to him,
stopping within inches of his body. They stared at one another for what felt
like an eternity, but was probably only a few tense seconds.

“I
need to kiss you again,” Beau whispered before his lips eased over his.

God,
why did he just want to give in? Why did Beau speak his mind and why in the
hell did it have a calming effect on him?

When
Beau’s arms came around him, Ethan relaxed instantly, his arms snaking up and
around Beau’s neck, unable to resist despite his common sense screaming like
the blaring horns on a fire engine. Holding him close, Ethan reveled in Beau’s
taste. The kiss moved from tentative and gentle to wild and daring faster than
Ethan could inhale.

He
groaned, unable to hold back as Beau’s strong hands slid up his back, pulling
him close and holding him there. 

“Still
up for getting out of here for a while?” Beau asked gruffly after several intense
seconds, his expression solemn.

Ethan
couldn’t lie to him. There was no way he’d be able to tell him no. The only
thing he wanted at the moment was to get out of there, just the two of them.

“Sure.
You have somewhere in mind?”

Beau
nodded but didn’t offer his suggestion.

Ethan
grinned. “Come on.” Nodding his head toward the door, Ethan once again
retrieved his truck keys. This time, he prayed that no one would interrupt
their attempted departure because he wasn’t sure how much longer he could wait
to be alone with Beau.

Less
than five minutes later, Ethan was pulling up to his house. Bypassing his usual
space in the center of the driveway, Ethan kept his truck to the right,
allowing Beau a place to park that monstrous truck of his.

Without
waiting, he climbed out and headed to the porch, hoping like hell Beau would
follow. Seconds later, Beau was at his side, his big, warm hand coming down on
his shoulder as Ethan attempted to unlock the front door.

“You
sure this is all right?” Beau asked.

Ethan
turned to face him, not understanding the question. Beau simply glanced over at
the two trucks parked in the driveway. Taking a deep breath, he held it. Let it
out.

“I
should’ve let you ride with me,” Ethan said hurriedly, unsure what to make of
Beau’s statement. Did he not want anyone to know he was there? Or was he trying
to protect Ethan? After what had happened with Ricky yesterday morning, Ethan
knew he should’ve had Beau ride with him, but this was his family’s land.
Private property. And they were far enough back, no one other than his brothers
would ever see Beau’s truck. Sure, it might raise some questions, but he’d
become a pro at evading them whenever they popped up.

That
didn’t mean Beau hadn’t wanted to be more discreet about their interaction.

“If
you’re worried about someone finding out, I promise, no one will see your
truck. And if they do, they won’t say anything.”

Beau’s
face fell as he took a step back, his hand dropping from his shoulder, but he
didn’t look away. “I don’t have anything to hide, E.”

Rather
than having that conversation outside in the cold, Ethan pushed open the front
door, reminding his feet that this wasn’t a race, and he wasn’t supposed to be
running. He’d shown enough lack of decorum so far, he wasn’t about to let
Beau’s off-handed comment get to him.

After
waiting for Beau to enter the house, Ethan followed, then closed and locked the
door behind them, dropping his truck keys on the small table in the entryway.

“Nice
place,” Beau stated.

“Thanks.”
Ethan observed the interior of his home as though seeing it for the first time.
Large, open rooms. A lot of glass, steel beams and bamboo flooring tied
everything together. Aside from that, the walls were carefully decorated, the
appliances were sleek stainless steel, and the furniture was all modern with a
hint of contemporary. Just the way Ethan liked it.

It
wasn’t anything like his brothers’ houses, but given he had been provided the
opportunity to do as he wanted, he had designed it to suit his tastes. In his
opinion, they already lived in the country, he didn’t need the interior décor
to remind him of that. Instead, he’d opted for modern and sleek. He liked clean
lines and no clutter and his house suited him.

If
he had to describe it in one word, Ethan would say his taste was… simple.

Ethan
watched as Beau moved slowly, glancing back at him once before moving forward.

“Want
something to drink?” As though the question triggered Beau’s hunger response,
Ethan heard Beau’s stomach growl. “How about I make us some lunch?”

Beau’s
smile was so bright, Ethan’s heart thudded double time in his chest. God, the
man was beautiful. And when he smiled, he was magnificent.

“I’ll
help,” Beau offered. “Which way is the kitchen?”

Ethan
chuckled and then moved around Beau so he could give him a brief tour of the
downstairs. “Living room,” he said, pointing to the large den. The entire front
and rear walls of the house were made up entirely of glass; therefore, the den
was brightly lit, highlighting the bamboo floors, the stainless steel accents,
and even the leather furniture.

“Dining
room.” Ethan motioned to the small breakfast nook that was tucked away behind
the kitchen, once again overlooking the back of the house, the windows offering
a stunning view of his swimming pool. Although he liked the view from that
room, he rarely used it because sitting at the table by himself just felt
awkward.

“Kitchen,”
he told Beau as they went through the arched entryway that led to the kitchen
which sat on the southwest corner, facing the front of the house. Each and
every time he saw the kitchen, Ethan’s breath would stutter in his chest. It
was by far his favorite room and the one he spent most of his time in. It
wasn’t a known fact, but Ethan loved to cook. Even if he only cooked for one.
His mother swore he’d inherited that trait from her.

Remembering
Beau was behind him, he turned, nodding his head toward a hallway on the far
side of the living room. “And there’s a bathroom and one guest room down that
hall.”

He
couldn’t bring himself to mention that his bedroom was upstairs. If he was
lucky, he’d give Beau the hands on tour of that room soon enough.

Once
in the kitchen, Ethan rummaged through the refrigerator, looking for something
to make. He’d gone to the store a couple of days ago, so there were plenty of
options. He just wasn’t sure what to prepare for Beau. Ethan was tempted to
cook for him, but then again, it would require more time and patience than he
felt they had at the moment.

“Any
requests?” he asked, glancing over the top of the refrigerator door at Beau who
was leaning against the wall in the doorway, watching him. His sexy arms were
again crossed over his bulky chest.

Ethan’s
mouth watered and suddenly he was starving… but not for anything he would find
in the refrigerator.

♂♂

Beau
tried to appear casual.

He
was pretty sure he failed.

Leaning
against the wall, he watched Ethan move through the immaculately designed
kitchen. He wondered if the guy knew how intensely sexy he was. Even more so when
he was comfortable in his own surroundings. He doubted Ethan even tried, but
the powerful way he moved could almost be considered erotic. He lacked the
grace that some men had, but he exerted an underlying self-assurance that was a
total turn on.

Damn.

“I’m
not picky,” Beau answered Ethan’s question. “At least not when it comes to
food.”

When
Ethan’s eyebrow lifted in that smooth, confident way, Beau smiled. Yes, he was
certainly picky about the partners he chose to be with. In fact, Ethan was the
first man that Beau found himself openly attracted to. Well, aside from Zane,
but even Beau could admit that was different.

Very
different.

His
attraction to Zane had been laced with confusion, uncertainty. Almost like an
experiment. A way to confirm that he wasn’t whom he had been pretending to be.
With Ethan, he knew exactly what he wanted, and he wanted so much more than
mere minutes rolling in the sheets.
This
was what he wanted, the easy
conversation, the interaction that made his heart burst with excitement.

Beau
cared for Zane. They were friends. But that’s all they were. Zane was a man
that Beau could rely on when times were tough or when he needed someone to talk
to. A man who would have his back when things got tough and high five him when
there was something to celebrate.

However,
when it came to Ethan…

With
Ethan, Beau felt entirely different.

Sure,
there was an attraction. Intense and exquisite. Confusing in its own right, but
not in the same way. Beau knew what he wanted with Ethan. He’d known it for a
while. And the opportunity to get to know him better was right here in front of
him. Beau only hoped he didn’t blow it.

“Sandwich?”
Ethan asked.

Beau
nodded. “Sounds perfect.” And quick, something Beau was certainly in the mood
for. “What can I do to help?” he asked as he pushed off the wall and took two
steps across the kitchen until he was practically pressing against the
breakfast bar facing Ethan.

Ethan
nodded toward a door as he said, “Grab the bread out of there.”

Beau
didn’t hesitate before he was opening the oversized pantry, instantly taking
stock of the food selection. Everything was organized neatly on each shelf, and
there was more food in Ethan’s pantry than Beau had bought in probably three
months. There were boxes and jars and cans, all of which were lined up in what
appeared to be some sort of order that must’ve made sense to Ethan.

As
he reached for the bread, – having to choose between white and wheat – he
skimmed the cans. Mostly vegetables, beans, and even a couple of cans of
ravioli. It was odd how personal it felt to be perusing Ethan’s food supply. He
liked the feeling, strangely enough.

“Do
you like to cook?” he asked Ethan, pulling the loaf of bread out of the small
box it was kept in.

Ethan
looked up at him, pausing as he sliced a fresh tomato on a cutting board.
“Yeah.”

Beau
noticed the uncertainty on Ethan’s face, as though admitting that he enjoyed
cooking was a part of himself he didn’t like to reveal.

“Well,
we’ll get along nicely, then,” Beau said easily, setting the wheat bread down
in front of Ethan before turning to the built-in refrigerator that took up the
majority of one wall.

“Why’s
that?” Ethan asked.

“Because
I like to eat.”

Ethan
laughed, the sound rusty but soothing at the same time.

Beau
searched the refrigerator for longer than he probably should have. It was
stocked just as well, if not more so, than the pantry. Tons of fresh food,
including vegetables and fruit, more meat and cheese. A gallon of milk, a six
pack of Heineken – Ethan’s beer of choice. Several jars of applesauce. And an
enormous jug of chocolate syrup.

Pretending
that he wasn’t checking out what type of food Ethan opted for, Beau grabbed a
jar of mayo and a bottle of spicy mustard. When he turned back, he noticed
Ethan watching him, a subtle grin on his delectable lips.

“Sorry,”
Beau said shyly as he took the items and set them alongside the abundance of
fresh meat and cheese that were decorating the counter beside Ethan.

Opting
not to retreat, which was something he would’ve done in the past, Beau decided
he was going to embrace this moment. He still wasn’t sure how they’d gotten to
this point, but he wasn’t about to ruin it. Being here, doing something as
mundane as making sandwiches, Beau felt closer to Ethan than when they’d been
making out at the shop just a short while ago.