Page 40 of Kitchen Gods: The Complete Series

His hands smoothed over the curve of the ass he’d been watching and worshipping for so many weeks. Evan made a low groan as Miles carefully circled his hole with a wet finger.

“Stop teasing,” Evan groaned as his body clutched around the digit Miles slid into him. “Goddamn it, Miles.”

“If you’re still talking,” Miles said with a grin, “I’m not doing it right.”

“Exactly,” Evan wrenched out, as Miles pulled his finger out, only to slide two back in.

Evan felt so incredible, tight and hot, around his fingers, his body greedily clutching to them as Miles finger fucked him. He had a sudden, horrifying thought that he wouldn’t be able to make it good. Make it last.

“Slow down a little,” Miles panted, which was embarrassing because he wasn’t even the one being fucked.

Evan pushed his body right back on Miles’ fingers at that particular demand. “No.”

Taking a deep breath, Miles knew they’d waited long enough. He knew he could please his man. Felt it in his bones. It was time to show him just how much he cared about him.

He made short work of the condom, and slid his fingers around Evan’s cock, circling it firmly as he began to push his dick into Evan. Pleasure short-circuited his brain, fierce and electric. He could only swear as he bottomed out, gripping Evan’s hip and his cock.

“Move,” Evan hissed and so Miles pushed back his own pleasure and focused on the man in front of him. The man he loved.

Maybe Evan couldn’t accept the words yet, but he could accept this.

Miles set as powerful of a rhythm as he dared, his gasps echoing Evan’s as he thrust. It was almost too much as Evan started to push back, to demand more, greedy and perfect, his cock thrusting into Evan’s curled hand, his ass taking everything Miles was giving and demanding more.

Evan let out a long, drawn-out moan, louder than Miles had even dreamt, and came into his hand. Miles barely had a moment to enjoy the clench of his body before he fell off the cliff too, fingers digging into Evan’s skin as he orgasmed.

For a half moment, Miles didn’t move. It was impossible, but he still wanted to stay like this forever. He’d never felt closer to Evan.

“Here,” Evan said in a small, hesitant voice, reaching over and handing his underwear to Miles, so he could clean up.

The very last thing Miles wanted was for Evan to decide this had also been a mistake. So he carefully pulled out, and smoothed a reassuring hand down Evan’s back.

“I’ll be right back,” he promised.

Evan was sitting on the edge of the bed when he returned, and he wordlessly took the warm, damp cloth Miles handed him.

“Thank you,” he said. “But I think I might just take a shower. Is that okay?”

Miles wasn’t going to stop him. He might have wanted to join him, but he also wasn’t sure he could keep standing another moment. The bed was calling to him. “Sure, of course. I’m just going to lie down.”

“Yeah, it’s been a long day,” Evan echoed.

The shower went on and on, and Miles lay in bed, wondering if everything really was okay. Was Evan going to come back to bed emotionally restrained again? Was he going to say, with his actions and not his words, that they’d made another mistake?

Miles squeezed his eyes shut and prayed that wouldn’t happen. He’d never really been in love before, but he was pretty sure being in love alone sucked. He didn’t want to know what that felt like.

Finally the shower shut off, and Miles watched as Evan came out of the bathroom, towel around his waist.

“This is a nice place,” he said as he rummaged in his bag. “The water pressure is excellent.”

Was this what they’d been reduced to? Talking about water pressure? Miles dreaded what subject Evan would bring up next; whatever it was probably making very clear to Miles that he needed space.

But instead, Evan climbed in bed after pulling on a pair of clean briefs, and to Miles’ shock, laid his head on his bare chest.

They were quiet for a while, Miles trying to absorb what was happening, Evan probably trying not to freak out.

Finally Evan spoke, in a quiet voice, just as hesitant as he’d been after sex. “Is this okay?”

“More than okay. I love it,” Miles said. I love you.

Evan took a deep, unsteady breath, and said, “I’m not good at this.”

“It’s okay. I’m not sure I am either,” Miles confessed.

“You’re better than you think,” Evan said wryly.

“It matters to me that you know I care about you,” Miles said carefully.

A sigh. “I know,” Evan said.

“This is probably the wrong time,” he continued.

“But I should tell you, so I’m going to.

” He took another deep breath. “My parents died when I was two. I don’t really remember them.

I lived in ten foster homes. The last one, I was there for three years.

I moved out when I turned eighteen. I didn’t look back. ”

Miles’ fingers gripped Evan’s damp skin. “I’m glad you told me.”

“I’m not good at letting other people control me,” Evan said, and the unspoken end of that sentence was, because too many people controlled me before.

“I’m not going to control you,” Miles promised. “And if I ever do, feel free to slap me.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Evan said, his voice was growing drowsy.

Miles realized that this was all part of letting down his emotional guard, and that staying the night was part of it.

That trusting Miles enough to touch him like this was another.

They had come so far from those first distrustful days, and Miles could only hope that when they returned to LA, he could convince Reed of that.