Forcing himself up, his muscles immediately argued with his brain’s decision, but he ignored them. He needed to get a wash cloth and dispose of the condom. Maybe after that he could return to the warmth of Beau’s arms.
When Beau abruptly shifted off of the bed as soon as Ethan was off of him, he wondered if maybe he was already in over his head.
And worse, he wondered if he was the only one.
Beau wasn’t sure whether he was going to be able to walk, but somehow he managed to drag himself to a sitting position. That had to count for something.
When Ethan had bolted for the edge of the bed, Beau knew he’d be looking at the front door within minutes, and the last thing he wanted to do was to appear overeager to stay. Because he wasn’t interested in waiting for Ethan to give him the boot, he figured he had better get his head on straight.
He was still reeling from the overwhelming feeling of Ethan inside of him. Holding him close, feeling his heartbeat against his chest, for a brief moment, Beau could actually imagine what it would be like to wake up every day to this man. To kiss him each morning and every night. To hold him in his arms and make love to him for the rest of his life.
And then, all too quickly, Ethan was gone.
“Hey,” Ethan said from where he stood beside the bed, his words unusually gentle. Maybe the guy didn’t want to let him down too hard. That was something at least.
Peering over his shoulder, he noticed Ethan standing beside the bed. Lifting one eyebrow was about all he could muster because that second orgasm had zapped every ounce of strength he had left, but he continued to stare at Ethan over his shoulder.
“How about a shower?”
Was it just him or did Ethan sound a little uncertain? Maybe Beau had read him wrong. Maybe he hadn’t been jumping out of the bed to get away from him after all.
Nodding, he forced himself to his feet and insisted that his legs carry him around to the other side of the bed. Since Ethan was still standing there staring at him, Beau stopped in front of him.
Ethan took one tentative step closer, the clearly cut muscles of his bicep flexing as he lifted his arm. The next thing Beau knew, his hand was in Ethan’s and much like earlier, he was following him. Only this time they were going to the bathroom.
Once inside the oversized room, Beau admired the black and silver décor while Ethan disappeared. The shower water came on, and that’s when Beau realized the shower was discreetly tucked away behind the wall. Making his way around, he found himself standing in what had to be a six-foot by six-foot room without a door. The walls, ceiling, and floor were tiled in large, gray slate squares, and there were two shower heads on adjacent walls and a rain-shower head in the ceiling.
“Nice,” he whispered.
He hadn’t meant to say anything at all.
“Come here.” Ethan beckoned him with a finger, and Beau obeyed.
Walking beneath the spray, he fully expected the water to be cold, but he was pleasantly surprised. Ethan must’ve noticed his reaction. “On-demand water heater,” he explained with a mischievous grin.
Beau smiled back, the uncertainty from earlier dissipating into thin air.
And when Ethan pulled him flush against his body, Beau groaned. God, the man felt so fucking good. Every hard plane of his body, every sinful angle, seemed to fit perfectly against Beau. Letting his hands roam, Beau wrapped his arms around Ethan and moved in for a kiss, his hands sliding over the smooth, wet skin of his back.
“I promise, I didn’t bring you in here to seduce you,” Ethan said with a smile when he pulled away long minutes later.
“I’m not complaining,” Beau answered with a rough chuckle.
Ethan reached for a bottle sitting on the shelf and proceeded to pour a handful of what appeared to be shampoo into his hand. “Turn around.”
Beau raised an eyebrow, bewildered. He’d never showered with a man before. Actually, he’d never showered with anyone before so, needless to say, he didn’t know what was expected of him. At the most, he lasted maybe five minutes in his own shower.
“Another first?” Ethan asked directly.
Beau’s only response was to nod his head.
“Not even I understand why I like being the first for you,” Ethan mumbled, the proclamation laced with what sounded like confusion.
Beau’s heart swelled, threatening to fill up his entire chest cavity. This was a side of Ethan he didn’t know existed. The other side of that carefully erected wall that Ethan presented to the world. And despite Ethan’s declaration, Beau had to remind himself not to get too close too fast. As it was, he knew he would easily fall in love with Ethan. Hell, he was more than a little bit there already.