“How about we continue this conversation somewhere a little warmer?”
Beau nodded, still staring at him as though Ethan had lost his mind.
Maybe he had.
Once inside, Ethan made his way to the living room. As much as he wanted to detour to the bedroom, bypass all of the talking and emotional bullshit, he knew this had to be done. They had to hash some things out.
Tonight Ethan had been slayed by Sawyer’s revelation. Knowing what Jimmy Reardon was capable of, yet hiding out all of these years, not owning up to who he was, Ethan couldn’t help but wonder if Jimmy had inflicted the same damage on someone else.
Or hell, it didn’t have to be Jimmy. He thought about Ricky Dillinger. Or what about Ricky’s brother, Ralph? Was he that way? Did they bully others besides him? Probably.
Ethan hated the idea of that.
Dropping onto the couch, Ethan leaned back into the soft, cushions and propped one leg up, opening his legs wide.
“Come here.” Gesturing for Beau to sit in front of him, Ethan held out his arms.
Beau hesitated only briefly, but then to Ethan’s relief, he moved toward him. Once he was seated, Ethan shifted until he was comfortable and pulled Beau back against him, lying nearly flat on the couch. Resting his hands on Beau’s chest, his forearms over Beau’s shoulders, Ethan leaned forward and kissed the top of Beau’s head.
“I remember your dad always being at the football games,” Ethan said a moment later, wanting to get back to his original subject.
“He was,” Beau said, his body tensing slightly.
“Relax,” Ethan insisted, gently massaging his fingertips into the hard planes of Beau’s chest then slowly moving up to try and ease the tension in his shoulders.
Beau sucked in a breath and released it with a huff, making Ethan laugh.
“Do you think he’ll accept the fact that you’re gay?” That had to be the hardest question of all time.
“No,” Beau said quickly.
“Do you plan on telling him?”
“I don’t plan on hiding it if that’s what you mean,” Beau explained. “The relationship I have with my parents is strained at best. We don’t talk.”
“They don’t call to check on you?” Ethan couldn’t imagine a world without his parents in it. Couldn’t fathom how he could go day after day without hearing from his mother or his father or both. The same with his brothers.
“No.”
Ethan’s heart ached for Beau. The man was so tough, so solid, yet he had endured part of his life with parents who had somehow shut him out along the way.
Ethan sat there, running his hands up and down Beau’s chest and shoulders, soaking up his warmth as Beau did the same to Ethan’s calf. This was nice. Perfect, despite the subject matter.
He could easily imagine them doing this day in and day out.
An unusual emotion filled his chest, like his heart was expanding, growing until it felt as though it would explode right out of his ribcage.
“I love you.”
Beau’s comfortable weight shifted slowly, gently, and Ethan was forced to let go of him as Beau turned himself so that he was kneeling on the couch in front of Ethan.
“Repeat that,” Beau demanded.
Ethan stared into rich, warm brown eyes, the same eyes he’d been dreaming about for so long. He felt the answering emotion even without Beau saying the words. Maybe that’s why repeating them seemed so easy. Lifting his hands, he cupped Beau’s face and smiled. “I love you.”
Beau growled, that possessive, sexy sound that made Ethan’s insides warm several degrees.
Before he knew it, he was flat on his back, Beau directly above him, holding himself up with one knee and one arm.
“I love you, too,” Beau answered. “I never thought you’d say the words.”
“I’m just full of surprises today, aren’t I?” Ethan said snidely.
Beau pressed his hips down, grinding his steely erection against Ethan’s as he leaned in and pressed their mouths together. Sweet and tender was how things started, and truthfully, that’s how Ethan saw this moment going.
Clearly, that was not what Beau had in mind.
Beau’s heart pounded so hard, he thought for a minute he might crack a rib. The thought made him smile. Ok, so maybe it wasn’t his overexcited heart that had him smiling. The fact that Ethan had just said “I love you” was likely the reason.
“Say it again,” Beau whispered against Ethan’s lips.
“I. Love. You.”
Beau plunged his tongue into Ethan’s mouth as though trying to consume the words right then and there. In all of his life, he’d never known what it felt like to hear them. Never mind the fact that he’d never said them to anyone until Ethan.