Page 32

THIRTY-ONE

ETHAN

The staircase creaked softly under our feet, each step building the anticipation. Andre’s grip was steady and sure on my hand.

Electricity charged the air, a palpable mix of excitement and nervous energy pulsing between us.

He’d slept here already, and we’d made out in my bed and in the shower.

What was about to happen was more, it was making up and a celebration.

Did Andre feel it too, like we were about to cement something?

His eyes widened as we entered the bedroom, taking in my personal touches that hadn’t been here just two days ago. I’d added artwork from my other house. There were even knickknacks arranged on the dresser.

“How on earth did you get so much unpacking done and do the drawings?” He ran his fingers across a collection of hockey action figures, pausing at one in particular. “Oh wow. This one is a tiny you.” He held it up, comparing it to me with a playful smirk.

“Seattle made figures as part of a giveaway last season.” My miniature in his hands made my heart flutter.

“Hmmm. I like the life-size version better.” He squinted against the harsh sunlight flooding the room.

I crossed to the windows and dropped the blinds. “That’s better.” The shades created a soft, intimate glow.

Our eyes met as I joined him at the foot of the bed. The air shifted, heavy with unspoken promise. I leaned in, pressing my lips to his in a perfect, gentle kiss. His hands found my waist, drawing me closer. My fingers traced across his shoulders and down his spine.

The urgent need to experience more of him overwhelmed me. I continued unbuttoning his shirt where I’d left off downstairs. Each unfastened button revealed more of his smooth chest. My fingers explored his warm skin, taking in every contour.

He hummed approval against my mouth, his hands venturing under my T-shirt. “You feel so good,” he murmured, his touch raising goose bumps across my skin. He gripped the shirt’s hem and slowly drew it upward.

“And you’re driving me crazy,” I admitted, lifting my arms to help him. He took his time, his knuckles grazing my skin in deliberate paths that quickened my breath.

When he removed my shirt and tossed it aside, his eyes locked with mine. My skin burned under his gaze, heat radiating between us.

He traced patterns across my chest. As his hands moved lower, he paused at a faint bruise along my ribs. His touch turned gentle, questioning.

“What’s this from?” Concern softened his voice. “I didn’t see this the other night.”

“Last game of the season. A puck hit just below my pads. It’s nothing. It happens sometimes.”

Andre’s fingers delicately explored around the bruise. “Does it still hurt?”

I shook my head. “Not anymore. It just takes time to fade away.”

He kissed his fingers and delicately touched the spot. I shuddered at the gentleness of it.

“I think you need more padding.” He peppered my lips with featherlight kisses.

“What I need is to get you out of this.” I hastily finished unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders.

It fell to the floor, leaving his chest bare. I paused to appreciate him—the subtly defined muscles and smooth skin I’d been yearning to explore again.

We stood before each other, breathing deeply.

“I could look at you all day,” he said, voice just above a whisper. His gaze roamed over me like I was something precious.

I leaned in, pressing a kiss to his shoulder, then his collarbone, then the center of his chest. Each contact drew a soft gasp, his breath catching as I moved lower, my lips mapping a path to his waist.

“You’re teasing me,” he murmured.

Dropping to my knees, I looked up at him, waiting for his consent. He nodded, desire darkening his eyes.

“Do it. Please.” Huskiness roughened his voice.

I worked to undo the button and slowly unzipped. His erection strained against his boxers, even more impressive than I remembered. I slid his pants down, my fingers tracing from his hips, down his quads, and then to his calves. He stepped out of the pants, kicking them forcefully to the side.

Then I pulled down his boxers to get to his hard and ready cock. Wrapping my hand around the base, I gave a gentle squeeze before taking him in my mouth. This time, my need kept me from more teasing.

“I love how much I make your cock twitch.” I darted my tongue across his head between words.

His body tensed, his hips moving in rhythm with my movements. “Ethan,” he gasped, fingers tangling in my hair. “Feels so good.”

“Ethan…” My name became a mantra on his lips, each repetition filled with urgency. Every time he said it, the fire in me grew exponentially.

His thighs trembled beneath my touch as I continued sucking him down. But I didn’t want him to come this way. Not yet. I wanted to stretch this moment out, discover everything there was about him.

Pulling back, I looked up, a smirk playing on my lips.

He chuckled, the sound intimate in our private space. “You’re evil.”

“Maybe,” I conceded, pushing myself to my feet, my heart racing. “But I think you’ll love it.”

His smile stole my breath. Those brown eyes I’d been falling into for days held something new—something that thrilled me. “I do. I love you.” He added extra emphasis on the “you.”

The words hit me with physical force, making my heart soar. I’d circled this truth for days, so many times when the words had almost escaped. In this perfect moment, everything clicked into place.

“I love you too.” Raw emotion roughened my words. “So much.”

I closed the small distance between us, drawn to him like a magnet. Our kiss was transformed—different from all we’d shared before. Love poured out, honest and raw.

When we separated, I searched his face, committing this moment to memory—his eyes filled with the same emotion thundering through me. “You realize that’s the first time we’ve said that?”

“I do,” he murmured, cupping my face. “And I’ll say it again and again. I love you.”

We stumbled toward the bed, hands exploring everywhere, lips locked. As we fell onto the mattress, his hands were all over me, learning every curve of my body. I vibrated with all the stimulation, unable to contain my moans.

Breaking the kiss, he moved lower, his lips blazing a trail down my neck, chest, stomach. He paused at my hips, his fingers hooking into my shorts. His eyes asked the question. I nodded, lifting my hips so he could slide them off. He didn’t think twice about tossing them to the floor.

Andre took me in his mouth, tongue swirling around the sensitive tip. A gasp escaped me, my hips bucking at the sensation. He sucked me deeper, finding a rhythm that unraveled me.

My fingers clutched the comforter as ecstasy built. I had no words—only guttural sounds escaped as tension coiled throughout my body.

But like I’d done to him, he pulled back before release.

“Payback,” he murmured, a teasing smile on his lips.

I chuckled. “I suppose I deserve that.”

“Mm-hmm.” He crawled back up my body, claiming my mouth in a fierce kiss. Tasting myself on his tongue was electrifying.

Once Andre shifted to my side, I propped myself up on one elbow to face him. “Can we talk for a second?” We should’ve talked about this already, but before we continued, we needed to be on the same page.

He nodded. “Of course. What’s on your mind?”

I caressed along his bicep, unable to stop touching him. “What is your opinion on protection? I haven’t been with anyone since my last test. I’m negative and I’m on PrEP.”

A slight smile curved his lips. “It’s the same for me.”

I leaned in to kiss him. “I trust you. Given our status, do you want to use a condom? I’m good either way.”

Andre reached down and stroked my still very hard cock. His touch sent electricity through me, causing me to shudder. “I want all of you, all the time. No need for a barrier.”

“That’s the best answer. Give me everything.”

I moved on top of him and pressed another kiss to his lips. Our erections pushed against each other, need building between us.

“I want you,” I whispered, desire roughening my voice.

“Whatever you want. I’m yours.” Andre’s words vibrated against my lips.

I pulled back to see his face. “Fuck me?” There was no need to be indirect about what I wanted.

His eyes widened with surprise and excitement. “Are you sure?” His voice remained steady despite his rapid breathing. His cock pulsed against mine.

I nodded, offering a small smile. “Very.” I pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. “It’s been a while, but I want this. If I need you to stop, I’ll tell you.”

Sitting up, I positioned myself so my ass hovered over his cock. I slid gently back and forth, feeling his girth push between my cheeks. He quaked beneath me, eyes falling closed.

“Oh, Ethan.” His fingers dug into my thighs.

When the head of his cock brushed my entrance, a loud moan poured out of me, making me grateful for my secluded woodland home.

“Please tell me you’ve got lube.” Andre’s eyes burned with urgency.

“Oh yes. I wouldn’t have suggested this if I didn’t.” I rolled off him and crawled across the bed to the nightstand. “Unpacked that necessary item last night too.”

When I retrieved it from the drawer and held it up, his gaze ignited with desire. His cock stood proudly, waiting.

And I couldn’t wait to take him deep inside me.