Ethan (Alluring Indulgence #5)(30)
Author: Nicole Edwards

Ethan’s eyebrow cocked in that sexy way that Beau liked. He was obviously interested in the story. “Were you planning to sleep with him?”

Beau laughed, glancing back out the front window as his face heated with embarrassment. He had never been the type to openly talk about sex – at least not when he wasn’t having it. “No. I hadn’t considered it at that point.” Glancing back at Ethan, Beau noticed the skeptical look. “What?”

“You went on a date but hadn’t considered sleeping with the guy?”

“First date,” Beau reminded him, as though that should explain everything.

“Go on.”

“So, halfway through dinner, Joe started talking about sex. He wanted to know whether I was a top or a bottom.”

“Clearly a top,” Ethan murmured, his eyes opening substantially as though he didn’t mean to say the words.

“And you would know this how?”

Ethan laughed, the sound making Beau’s entire body hum to life. He loved the sound of Ethan’s laugh. Maybe because it was so rare, but the few times he’d heard it over the years, Beau had always noted it.

“You’re not a top?”

“I don’t have a preference,” Beau said honestly. Considering he’d never been a top, and had only been with one man – a man who clearly wasn’t gay – Beau didn’t know which he would enjoy more. “Anyway…,” he continued with a smile, “Joe was convinced that I couldn’t be the top because there was no way I’d fit.”

Ethan laughed again, the warm, rich sound filling the truck and eliminating every ounce of tension that had been there since he put the truck in Park.

“That’s what he wanted to talk about? Over dinner?”

“Yup,” Beau responded, laughing. “Needless to say, if that’s what you’re supposed to do on a date, I think I’m going to need some time to adjust before I do it again.”

Neither of them said anything for a minute or two, and when Ethan grabbed a third beer, Beau shifted again to face him more fully. “What about you? What was your first date like?”

Beau didn’t think Ethan was going to answer when he focused his attention on draining the beer bottle in his hand, but he waited him out. He was nothing if not patient. After all, he’d spent his entire life tagging along with Zane, the guy had the attention span of a gnat and Beau had learned to sit back and wait because likely things would change in an instant with him.

“I don’t date.”

Beau found that hard to believe. Sure, he got that Ethan didn’t intentionally form relationships, but the guy was unquestionably monogamous. Over the years, there hadn’t been many that Beau had noticed, but Ethan had lovers. Admitting it or not, it didn’t change the fact that he got close to people.

“How’d you meet Blake?” Beau knew Blake wasn’t from Coyote Ridge.

“By accident.”

Beau wasn’t impressed with Ethan’s half ass response and considering he had opened up, he was going to insist Ethan do the same.

“Work?”

“You could say that.”

Being that Blake was a mechanic, it was logical that Ethan met him that way. He didn’t honestly care for the logistics. The less Blake interfered in their day to day, the better off Beau would be. And that included in conversation.

“Mind if I ask you something personal?” Beau figured he would warn Ethan before he asked his next question. It didn’t matter what Ethan said, he was still going to ask it.

Ethan glanced over, a sexy grin on his lips. “If I say no, you’re gonna ask anyway, aren’t you?”

“Yup,” he said easily and paused only briefly. “When did you realize you were gay?” He knew the question was personal, but Beau didn’t have anyone to talk to about his thoughts and fears. He didn’t think Zane would understand, and he knew without a doubt that Zane was uncomfortable with the situation as a whole. Or maybe he wasn’t, and Beau was. Either way, Ethan seemed like the ideal person to ask.

“I think I’ve always known,” Ethan said solemnly, his tone low and serious, his attention focused on the blackness just outside the truck window.

“Have you been with a woman?”

Ethan didn’t look at him when he said, “No.”

Beau hadn’t thought he had, but he was curious.

Not wanting to push too far, he let the subject drop, figuring they could pick that conversation up at a later date.

Still staring at Ethan, Beau had the sudden longing to get closer to him.

And he was fucking tired of waiting.