Arsen swore as his wrench slipped, pain shooting up his arm as he drove his finger into the filthy screw sticking out of the motor mount he worked on. He shook his hand out as if that might shoo away the throbbing ache left in its wake, then checked to see if he was bleeding.
He wasn’t.
This was his second injury of the morning. He was too distracted. Distracted by Ever. Sweet, pretty Ever with his big, doe eyes and his perpetually pouty lips, and who smelled like Arsen’s detergent and lavender-scented soap. Arsen shouldn’t find it sexy that Ever preferred Arsen’s hoodies to his own and Arsen’s bed to his own…but he did. He found everything about Ever sexy, and it was driving him insane.
It wasn’t Ever’s fault he got cuter every day. He smiled more—revealing those adorable bunny teeth—and when he did, it did something to Arsen’s heart. He was still painfully shy. When they went out, he rarely spoke, often making Arsen order for him while he hid behind him, his headphones firmly in place. Arsen would be lying if he said he didn’t like being the shield between Ever and the world. He needed one.
Arsen wasn’t the only one bewitched by Ever. Everywhere they went, people went out of their way to smile at him, give him things for free, try to coax a smile from him. Teen girls and boys went out of their way to flirt with him. Even Arsen’s online fans seemed to prefer Ever to him, demanding in the comments section to see him. Asking if they broke up. Begging for even a glimpse. But Ever kept his distance. Arsen just didn’t know if it was because of the audience…or him.
Despite that, Arsen was still doing his best to introduce Ever to new experiences. He went along without complaint, even when it was obvious he was humoring Arsen. Ever never said no, even when he wanted to. Even if it pained him. Even when Arsen gave him an out. Every time, he’d paint a smile on his face, shake his head, and take Arsen’s hand, threading their fingers together like it was them against the world. And when he did, Arsen fell for him all over again.
Still, Arsen never lost sight of Ever’s need to please him. He did his best to try to gauge what Ever really wanted from barely-there context clues. He was an expert at masking his feelings; years of beatings would do that, Arsen knew from experience. Even at the doctor’s office, Ever had never once complained. He’d sat quietly through every test and procedure, every needle stick, a distant smile on his face.
That was how Ever got through anything unpleasant. He just forced a smile on his face, no matter how miserable he was. Even when it was something he clearly hated. Like pickles. Or coleslaw. Both foods Arsen had added to his mental do-not-buy list, even though Ever insisted they were fine. Great, even.
But that was Ever. He would suffer for the pleasure of others. He wanted to please Arsen, even if it caused him personal distress. Even when it was clear he was upset with him. No, upset wasn’t the right word. Leery? Confused? After the kiss, something had changed, and after Ever’s conversation with Noah, it had changed again. Arsen couldn’t keep up with their ever morphing relationship.
Ever still wanted to make Arsen happy, that much was obvious. The only silver lining Arsen could see was that Ever’s need to make him happy no longer stemmed from fear but just a need towantto please him.
He didn’t know how to tell Ever that just being near him was all he needed. Even if it sometimes felt like torture—like at night when he was tucked up under Arsen’s chin, his breath puffing against his chest as he made these little half moans and whimpers in his sleep. Arsen had learned to sleep with a permanent hard-on. But his dreams were x-rated and starred Ever every time.
In his dreams, he gave in to every dirty thought he had about Ever. In his dreams, he stripped him naked, spent hours exploring his body, didn’t stop kissing and licking and stroking until he was crying and begging beneath him. He shook his head. The last thing he needed was those thoughts creeping in during his work hours. He was already a mess.
Arsen glanced up into the loft, already knowing when he did, Ever would be there, peeking over the sofa or the rim of his book, watching him. Four days ago, he would have ducked out of sight like a groundhog if Arsen had risked a glance, but now, he stared back. Hard. If anyone else had looked at Arsen like that, he’d think they were plotting his murder...or maybe his seduction. Either way, Arsen would fear for his safety.
But not with Ever. No, when Ever looked at him like that, Arsen feared for Ever’s safety. Because it made Arsen think those very dirty thoughts that were never far from his mind when he should be changing out the motor mount on a 2008 Toyota Camry. It made him think about what noises Ever would make the first time Arsen kissed him with intent, the first time he touched his naked body, the first time he pushed inside him.
Fuck.
Arsen was half-hard just knowing Ever watched him. He sat on the sofa, his cheek resting on his folded arms as he watched Arsen with an almost dreamy expression. What was he thinking about? Did he want Arsen, too? Did it even matter?
When they locked eyes, Ever didn’t look away. He just sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and chewed thoughtfully. Arsen would be a liar if he said he didn’t like knowing Ever watched him. But the intensity of his gaze made Arsen…nervous?
No, that wasn’t the right word. Anxious, maybe? Not in a scary way but in the way he felt when he played survival horror games. With every level, the intensity would rise and the anticipation would grow. Waiting for the attack was half the fun. And when it came, it was cathartic. This expulsion of energy that had been building since level one.
And that was what this felt like. It felt like…foreplay. No, even that didn’t seem right. There was no English word for the feeling. But in Russia, they would say it waspredvkushenie.That anticipation that came just before you tasted something you’ve been craving. And he craved a taste of Ever. Did Ever want that, too?
Arsen groaned out loud even as he waved at Ever, smiling like an idiot when Ever raised his hand and wiggled his fingers in return. Yeah, he was fucked. He wanted to play with Ever in every conceivable way.
“Arsen.”
Arsen’s head jerked towards the sound of his name. Jericho stood in the office doorway. He cocked his head, indicating he wanted Arsen to step inside. If it had been anybody else, Arsen would have thought he was in trouble, but not with Jericho.
Arsen set down the wrench and wiped his hands uselessly on the dirty rag that hung half out of his pocket. He followed Jericho inside, sparing a glance upwards at Ever, who still watched him like a hunter stalking his prey.
The world’s most adorable predator.
Arsen fought the urge to smile.
Once inside, Jericho fell heavily into his chair, fixing Arsen with a look that set his teeth on edge.
Arsen dropped onto the other chair across from him. “What’s wrong?”
Jericho’s mouth formed a grim line. “When Charon took blood from Ever, I had her run a DNA test on him. We figured, if he was a missing person, maybe we could track him through familial DNA, like they did with Noah.”
Arsen’s stomach dipped like he was on a roller coaster. Had they found Ever’s family? Were they taking him away? “And?”
Jericho shook his head. “Nothing. Not a single genetic match. No cousins, no siblings. Nobody in his family has ever had their DNA collected in the US.”
