Powerless (26 page)
“Still prefer salty over sweet,” Poe replied.
Isaac blushed and only then did Poe grasp the double entendre.
Isaac unwrapped the candy bar and took a bite, his tongue darting out to lick the chocolate off his lips. “It’s actually been a really long time since I had one of these.”
Poe swallowed reflexively. Watching Isaac eat that candy bar was one of the most erotic things Poe had ever seen in his life. He imagined his cock between Isaac’s lips and shivered when he realised how real that possibility was. He tried to concentrate on the things he needed to know from Isaac, instead of the fantasies that bombarded him.
When he wrestled his thoughts back under control, he found himself pinned by the heated sweep of Isaac’s gaze. His skin itched with the need to know his best friend’s touch.
It was a desire ingrained in his very being at this point. Like an unquenchable thirst—the water always remaining on the distant horizon, never moving closer no matter how many steps he took.
Isaac shook his head. “Why didn’t we ever talk about it, Artie?”
Of course he knew exactly what Isaac was asking him
—
about the mutual attraction they’d had as teenagers but never acted on. The reality that it had been more than attraction for him was more than his younger self had been willing to admit. And now? He knew that he loved Isaac. Wanted nothing besides Isaac. He’d always known that, but had been too scared and unsure to ever act on it. Poe replied as honestly as he could. “Because we were eighteen years old. And best friends.”
The reason was bullshit and, unfortunately for him, Isaac knew that. Poe saw that fierce internal drive of Isaac’s kick in and couldn’t stop Isaac before he said the next words out loud, leaving no question of what they both wanted, but had never admitted. “I’ve been waiting for thirteen years to kiss you, Arthur Poe.”
Poe drew in a ragged breath. Now there was nowhere left to hide, and no going back for either of them. The traitorous tightening of Poe’s jeans showed just how affected he was by Isaac’s confession.
Poe gave a nervous laugh. “No pressure, right?” He knew he had to look as scared as he felt.
Isaac chuckled. “Never. Because it doesn’t matter how bumbling this first one is
—
it will be you and me. The way it always should have been.” Isaac’s voice was calm, but his knee slowly bounced, subtly rocking the cab of the truck.
Poe was wide-eyed. “Oh. My. God. You’re nervous.”
Isaac reddened and ran his fingers through his blond hair. He waved his hand up and down Poe like Vanna White presenting the grand prize. “It’s…you!”
Isaac’s nervousness made Poe calmer. They’d always been able to balance each other out in that way. Two worlds spinning out of control, seeking the gravitational force that would orbit them safely around each other. He reached for Isaac’s hand again, resolute. “We have time, Isaac. We don’t have to rush anything.”
Isaac rolled his eyes, some of his usual easy demeanour returning as soon as he could hide behind sarcasm. “Rush this? Us? We’ve known each other for almost three decades. We’re definitely rushing this.”
Poe beamed. “Then kiss me, you idiot.”
Isaac leaned over the console and brushed his fingers over Poe’s jaw, resting his forehead against his friend’s. Desire thrummed through Poe, like an electric charge, setting his entire body on edge. Isaac tipped his head and kissed at Poe’s cheek, his nose then the edges of his lips. One hand slid behind Poe’s neck, the other pressed on his collarbone, trapping him in place.
Poe’s breathing sped and his eyes closed as Isaac explored him with his mouth, but never touched his lips directly to his. Each second was maddening, Isaac teasing at his need to be touched. He tried to force their mouths together, but Isaac kept him locked in place, desperate for a touch he’d never thought he would know.
When Poe couldn’t take the teasing anymore, impatient to feel Isaac’s body against his, he pushed Isaac back into the seat, climbed over the console, and straddled Isaac’s lap. Isaac moaned his name and thrust up, forcing himself against Poe. Poe braced his hands on the back of the driver’s seat, grinding into Isaac and bringing their lips together before Isaac could think to protest or tease.
His body took over. Even if he had wanted to be gentle, they were way past that line of control. Their tongues tangled together greedily. Isaac’s teeth nipped at Poe’s full lips. Isaac tasted of chocolate, caramel and a sweetness which was familiar even though it shouldn’t have been. All the while their bodies moved in a desperate rhythm. He slid his hands under Isaac’s shirt, hissing at the first touch of skin against skin. His body ached to be pressed against Isaac’s, naked, where he could take his time learning the hard muscles he felt shifting under his hands and thighs. A body he’d secretly studied and craved for years that was now his to touch.
But it was him who pulled them apart. Poe sat back against the steering wheel, rasping for breath, his hands planted on Isaac’s chest. “Jesus Christ, Isaac, not like this.”
Isaac’s face turned stony and his eyes narrowed. Poe recognised that look
—
pure frustration with a twinge of disbelief
—
and knew he could only combat it one way. He smirked and wagged a finger at Isaac, just like Isaac’s mom had always done when she discovered the two of them doing something without thinking it through first.
Isaac threw his head back against the seat and laughed in wordless agreement.
Poe climbed back into his seat and readjusted the painful erection pressing against his jeans. They each fought for breath, fogging the windows of the truck. Neither could look away, as if they were really seeing each other for the first time.
Poe had been waiting for this kiss for so many years, anticipating it, hoping for Isaac to return the desire he felt for him, that he felt lost in time. He wanted to take hold of this reality and keep them frozen here, in this moment, before the life that had never been fair to him came crashing down around them again. Because, even now, he couldn’t believe life would be that generous as to just let him be.
Poe lost track of time as he studied Isaac’s face. His hands. The place where Isaac’s shirt was untucked, rumpled, from Poe’s exploration of his skin. He didn’t know how long they sat there, but the mist began to clear off the windows.
Isaac was the first to come back to himself and turn away. He swiped his palm in a circle over the windowpane to study the falling snow outside. “Do you trust me?” Isaac finally said.
Poe nodded then said, “Yes.” Isaac was the only person he would ever trust.
Isaac took Poe’s palm into his hand and traced his finger down the deep crease that ran around the pad of his thumb. “I was noticing this earlier. Your lifeline. It’s deep, which is good. That means your life will be long and meaningful.”
Poe chuffed. “You don’t really believe this crap do you?”
Isaac laughed. “Sorta.” He kissed down the line. Poe shivered under the warm graze of Isaac’s lips. “But this”—Isaac pointed at a spot on Poe’s palm—“could be a complication.”
He tilted his head suspiciously. “It could, huh?”
“You have a shadow line, a companion to the lifeline. See where it splits off? This won’t be the only life you live.”
Poe pulled his hand back and slapped Isaac on the shoulder. “Fuck off. Now I know you’re just blowing smoke up my ass.”
And, just like that, the ease returned between them. The possibilities for the future outweighed the pain of the years they’d spent apart. So much had changed. But this—his connection to Isaac—couldn’t be erased by time.
Isaac shrugged, a mischievous smile lit across his face. “Maybe. Maybe not. Someday you’ll find out.”
Poe stilled. Isaac knew and experienced things Poe couldn’t begin to explain. That his best friend was different, gifted with a power that some would have called supernatural, was something Poe wasn’t ready to begin exploring again when everything between them was still so unsettled.
Poe snorted, dismissing Isaac’s words. “Yeah, yeah. Someday…”
About the Author
I sleep little, read a lot. Happiest in a foreign country. Twitchy when not mentally in motion. My name is Sam, not Sammy, definitely not Samantha. I’m a pretty dark/cynical/jaded person, but I hide that darkness well behind my obsession(s) for shiny objects. I’m the macabre wrapped in irresistible bubble wrap and a glittery pink bow, I suppose.
Email:
[email protected]
Sam
loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at
http://www.totallybound.com
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Also by S.A. McAuley
The Borders War: One Breath, One Bullet
The Borders War: Dominant Predator
Totally Bound Publishing
