When Ethan’s lips returned to his, Beau took two handfuls of Ethan’s shirt and lifted, breaking the kiss only long enough to remove the interfering garment. Once that was out of the way, they were pressed together, skin to skin, mouth to mouth, and Beau realized suddenly that control was no longer a word in his vocabulary.
As though Ethan could sense just how close to the edge he was, he broke the kiss as he took a step back, grabbing Beau’s hand as he moved to ascend what was left of the stairs leading up.
Once they made it to the second floor, Beau was momentarily distracted by the amazing space. Ethan’s master bedroom was actually a loft that was probably twice the size of Beau’s entire apartment. The glass and bamboo theme continued up there, and the furniture was more contemporary than what had been downstairs.
The posh, black, king-sized sleigh bed stood off to one side, positioned appropriately to overlook the back yard, the surrounding trees and the pool, which looked considerably bigger from the second floor. On the other side of the room was a set of double doors and beyond that, Beau could see what appeared to be a tiled shower. He didn’t even have time to consider what was on the other side of the sliding glass door that appeared to lead outside.
With Ethan still holding his hand, leading him closer and closer to the bed, Beau was still trying to remember to breathe.
Trying to take his mind off of what was about to happen, he admired Ethan’s sleek, muscular back and what appeared to be a quote tattooed between his shoulder blades. He wanted to get close enough to read the calligraphy scrolled neatly over his spine, but couldn’t find the strength to push himself in that direction. Shit. At this rate, Beau wasn’t sure he’d ever even make it to the bed.
His hands were shaking, his knees trembling. He felt like a teenager who’d never done this before. Granted, he hadn’t done this before because nothing compared to this. But it wasn’t like sex was new to him.
Then again, he had a sneaking suspicion that sex with Ethan Walker was going to take things to an entirely different level.
Chapter Fifteen
Ethan hadn’t been in a position like this one in… well, he wasn’t sure he’d ever been in a position like this one. Beau might not literally be a virgin, but Ethan knew what they were about to share would be a first for Beau. Hell, a first for both of them.
Ethan didn’t make it a point to be with inexperienced men. Didn’t serve his purpose. The encounters Ethan immersed himself in weren’t for the faint of heart. He didn’t have emotional sex, wasn’t interested in being with someone who wanted that. Yet here he was. And this was strangely the only place he wanted to be.
Only with Beau.
Learning that Beau had only been with one other man had struck a possessive chord inside of Ethan, one so deep, he’d had a single moment of uncertainty. What kind of man did it make him that Ethan wished he could erase that encounter so that he could be Beau’s first? And what did that say about him?
Could he actually go through with this? Would Beau understand how casual this was? Would Ethan be able to remember that point as well?
No matter what the answers to those questions were, his own selfishness had gotten the better of him. Ethan wanted to be with Beau. More than he wanted his next breath. So, once he made the decision, he vowed to put his own hunger on the back burner temporarily because his ultimate goal was to please Beau. To make this an experience he wouldn’t soon forget.
And yes, maybe that was selfish on Ethan’s part as well.
Although Ethan was trying to control his own need, he couldn’t deny how intensely satisfying Beau’s reactions were. The sensual way he moved, moaned, said his name. Every single response was fanning that flame that had ignited within him months ago when this very same man had originally tempted him. Now that they were upstairs in his bedroom, Ethan wanted to push Beau beyond the realm of ecstasy, just to see how much he could take.
Leading him to his bed, Ethan situated their positions so that Beau was forced to sit on the edge of the mattress while Ethan took his place standing between his legs. Like this, Ethan loomed over Beau, giving him a better advantage to control the kiss he wanted. Tilting Beau’s head back with his hands cupping his face, Ethan leaned over, aligning their mouths before thrusting his tongue deep into Beau’s awaiting mouth.
The guy could kiss.
And the way Beau’s hands gripped Ethan’s hips as though he needed something to hold him in place was profoundly satisfying. Ethan didn’t recall a lover who had been as reluctant to touch as Beau, as though putting his hands on Ethan meant so much more than mere physical gratification. But he liked the hell out of it.