“Jesus Christ.” Van looked ready to fly into a rage and do battle on Benji’s behalf.
“I couldn’t hear much besides birds, and I couldn’t move, didn’t know where I was. Eventually a jogger came by, saw me, and called the police. We were out on some remote country road, so if not for that jogger I could have been out there all night. I was kind of incoherent when they put me in an ambulance. By the time my dad got to the ER, I’d calmed down enough to assure them I hadn’t been raped, only beaten up and terrorized. But I was too scared to name names, so I lied and said I didn’t see who grabbed me.
“Dad let me skip school the next day, but on Tuesday I was so terrified to face the bullies I made myself sick so I could stay home. On Wednesday, Dad was so worried for me that he nearly dragged me back to the hospital. And my dad and I have always been close. He worked from home, and it was just him andme for two years when my mom was deployed to Afghanistan. Before that incident, I used to tell him everything, and I couldn’t lie anymore, so I told the truth about Ritchie and his friends. And since it was my word against his that I’d even been at his house that day, much less that he assaulted me, I said I didn’t want to press charges. I wanted to make it all stop. He didn’t like the idea, but he knew that emotionally I couldn’t stand everything getting out in the public like it would if Ritchie and his friends were arrested.
“After talking to Mom about it, they agreed Dad would homeschool me from then on. No more bullies. No more fake friends. Mom retired a year later, and we moved to Philly, which was a way to start over. I had nightmares for a while, and don’t like being surprised, not even in fun.” He reached behind to squeeze Joshua’s wrist. “I tend to have bad reactions.”
“Fuck,” Van said. “I want to squeeze that prick by the throat until his head pops off his neck. Goddammit.”
“I had about the same reaction when he first told me,” Joshua said. “Even went so far as to get online and try to find the asshole, but Benji caught on and told me to stop.”
“I didn’t want revenge.” Benji sighed, exhausted by this trip down memory lane. “And they didn’t totally get away with it. When my parents withdrew me, they sent a formal complaint to the principal, vice-principal, and every member of the school board, naming Ritchie and a few other people as bullies and threats to innocent children. They cited dozens of examples of my being harassed. Apparently the JV football coach’s son is gay, so he kicked Ritchie and two other guys off the team.”
“That’s something, I guess.” Van still looked like he wanted to rip Ritchie apart with his bare hands.
“Anyway, that’s why I broke Joshua’s nose when he tried to kiss me.”
“Come here.” Van stood and tugged Benji to his feet, then wrapped strong, lean arms around his neck and shoulders. Benji sagged into the warmth of Van’s embrace, enjoying the feel and scent of the man all around him. He tucked his head beneath Van’s chin and rested there, the perfect fit. More pressure from behind completed the amazing hug sandwich, as Joshua held them both.
With Van at his front and Joshua at his back, Benji had never felt more safe. More treasured.
More loved.
Fingers skimmed across his ribs, a ghost of a touch he guessed to be Joshua’s. Then Joshua’s lips skated over the back of his neck, sending prickles of awareness down Benji’s spine. He wasn’t much in the mood to participate in anything terribly sexy, but he wouldn’t mind watching again.
“What do you need, babe?” Joshua whispered.
“You two.” Benji reached behind to find and clasp Joshua’s hand. “I want to watch you two.”
Joshua shifted his weight, which pressed his growing erection into Benji’s backside. “Like yesterday?”
“Yeah.” He raised his head to ask Van. “Are you okay with that?”
A sexy, feral smile spread across Van’s face. “I’m am definitely okay with that. You okay if I kissyoufirst?”
Benji answered that silly question with his mouth. He loved kissing Van, almost more than he loved kissing Joshua—which didn’t seem strange or disloyal at all. There were still many lines he wasn’t ready to cross with Van, maybe ever, but kissing was good. Van knew how to tease and entice with his lips and tongue, and he put his whole body into it. Hands and arms and torso, everything working together to wind them both up, twist them both around, almost like they were dancing.
Benji was panting when they finally broke apart, his dick perking up and getting into things. Van’s erection pressed firmly into his hip. Finding a bit of boldness in himself, Benji rubbed Van through his jeans. Van’s eyes narrowed slightly and his lips parted.
“Do you want to fuck Joshua with this?” Benji asked.
Van’s nostrils flared. “If he’s up for it, yes.”
“Oh, he’s up for it,” Joshua said. “Christ, watching you two do nothing but kiss is the best kind of porn.”
Benji glanced at the two closed doors off the living room. “Bedroom?”
Van tilted his head. “I don’t know, I was kind of picturing me fucking him over the arm of the couch.”
“Fuck,” Joshua said, turning the single word into a long sigh.
“Works for me.” Benji squeezed Van’s dick once more, then let go. “Supplies?”
“Be right back.” Van dashed into the left door, giving Benji a brief view of a bed.
Familiar arms slipped around Benji’s waist, pulling him against a broad chest he knew so well. “Knowing you want to watch turns me on so much,” Joshua whispered, licking the shell of his ear. Small tingles wormed down Benji’s spine. “Love you.”
“Love you back.” He twisted around to face Joshua, and then palmed his ass. “This feels right.”
