Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 199(@200wpm)___ 159(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 199(@200wpm)___ 159(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
“It is insane.”
“But I feel safe with you and your brother and your friends. And I’m excited to see if there really is an art collection. Not so much for the money but to see what my uncle has hidden away.”
“Okay,” Stephen said with a small sigh.
“Regretting sitting at my table yet?” Ehren asked with a cheeky grin.
“Not for a fucking second.” Stephen grabbed his mouth in a brutal, hungry kiss that had Ehren rethinking all his plans for a shower and sleep. There was something far more interesting he wanted now, and it started with Stephen naked.
Unfortunately, Stephen broke off the kiss before it went too far. “You grab a shower and get some rest. I want to talk to my brother for a minute, and then I’ll join you.”
Ehren snagged one more kiss. “I’ll save you a place in the bed.”
“Preferably one on top of you.”
On top of him, behind him, under him, inside of him. Stephen could have all the places.
Chapter Nine
Stephen wasn’t too surprised that when he returned to Charlie’s room, the other guys had disappeared; they’d probably relocated to the room Kairo and Ed were sharing. His brother was seated on the couch, waiting for him. A laptop was open on the small coffee table in front of him, but he didn’t seem to be actually using it. Just sort of staring off into space.
Charlie had always been the strangest conundrum to him. He’d entered Stephen’s life after his parents had already divorced and his father was talking about remarrying some woman on the other side of the country. Stephen had been only five or six at the time, but he’d felt the betrayal deeply. When his father wasn’t around to hate, he’d channeled a lot of his anger toward Charlie. As if he were living proof that his mother and father hadn’t a shot in the world at making their marriage last.
Despite the nearly twenty-year age difference, he and Charlie had always felt close. Even when he’d been an angry little snot.
As Stephen grew, Charlie’s gentleness and patience had turned to overbearing bossiness and stubbornness. But then, Stephen had developed his own mind and was less willing to blindly follow the wisdom of his older brother.
Now they spent the majority of their time arguing, which hurt. He didn’t want to argue with his brother. But he couldn’t stop worrying about how he was living his life. Was he truly happy? He looked lonely to Stephen.
“Since you landed, all I can hear ringing in my ears is every lecture you’ve ever hammered me with,” Charlie started in a low voice.
“I beg your pardon?” Stephen said on a shocked gasp. “How does your past behavior have anything to do with this situation?”
“Really? How long have you even known him, Stephen? Because to me it sounds like a matter of days. And you’re upending your life, putting yourself in danger for a stranger just because he let you stick your dick in him?” Charlie’s voice grew louder as he spoke. At the same time, he slowly rose to his feet. “Where the hell is all your highly touted common sense? Where the hell is your sense of self-preservation?”
“Fuck you! You don’t know him!”
“And neither do you! That’s the point!” Charlie roared back.
Stephen paced away from his brother to keep from slugging him. He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm down. He didn’t want to say something they’d both regret. “I get that you’re worried about my safety—”
“You’re damn right I’m worried about your safety. You’re too busy thinking with the head in your pants.”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I called Kairo for help before we jumped into bed.”
Charlie actually stopped and blinked at him for a second, as if the words weren’t computing in his brain. Stephen groaned and scrubbed his hands over his face, trying to get control of his emotions. He was better than this.
“Yes, I agree with you that it’s all happening fast, and that does scare me, but you know what?” He dropped his hands and glared at his brother. “I’m also really fucking happy when I’m with Ehren. I like Ehren. He makes me laugh. He makes me excited about each day. I look forward to seeing him, talking to him. I haven’t had that in a really long time. Can I just spend a little time enjoying it and not poking at it, waiting for it all to fall apart?”
Charlie dropped back down on the sofa, his shoulders slumped. It was one of the rare times that he actually appeared closer to his age. The man was incredibly fit and always active. If it weren’t for his snowy white hair, he probably could have passed for someone in their late thirties. But right now, he looked old and tired, and it scared Stephen. He didn’t want to think about a day when Charlie wasn’t vibrant and alive.