Ethan (Alluring Indulgence #5)(41)
Author: Nicole Edwards

“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.