No,dammit, he wasn’t. Beau wasnothis.
Neverwould be.
Ethanswallowed hard, then turned to look at Beau. Before he knew what he was doing,he was storming across the room toward him, his hands balled into fists at hissides.
“Thisdoesn’t change a fucking thing,” Ethan bit out through clenched teeth.
Beaustared back at him, his original derisive expression morphing into whatappeared to be determination. And that only pissed Ethan off more. He didn’twant Beau reading something into this when it meant nothing.
Fora moment, he thought Beau was going to touch him, to pull him close and, in about of lunacy, Ethan could envision falling into Beau’s arms, grabbing ontohim for all he was worth. That’s when Ethan realized he was losing his mind. HewantedBeau to touch him. To pull him up against his hard body, to kisshim the way he had on Christmas, his touch so tender, so warm that Ethan hadtemporarily forgotten how to breathe.
Beforehe could reprimand himself for even considering something that was an absoluteimpossibility, Beau spoke. “It changes everything, E.Everything.”
Sonuvabitch.
Damnit all to fucking hell. Ethan knew right then and there that Beau was right.Thingshadchanged. He’d never been possessive of anyone, never wantedto protect someone else, but seeing Blake goading Beau had awakened somethingprimitive within him.
Somethinghe didn’t even know how to handle.
Turning,Ethan headed toward the door, wanting to forget about BlakeandBeau,but before he could reach the security that came from getting as far away fromBeau as possible, he stopped in his tracks.
Witha backward glance, Ethan took a deep breath and then told the biggest lie ofhis adult life. “Nothing’s changed, Beau. I don’t want this,” he paused,swallowed. “And I don’t want you.”
Chapter One
??
February
“Sonof a –” Ethan bit off the last word, the sound of his wrench hitting thecorrugated metal wall satisfying what was left of his curse.
“Whoa,”Zane’s voice echoed through the large, open space and Ethan turned to face hisyounger brother. “Someone piss in your Wheaties this morning?”
“Fuckoff,” Ethan growled, keeping his voice low enough for Zane not to hear him, butit gave him the satisfaction of saying the words.
“Iheard that,” Zane said with a grin. “You got any coffee in this place?”
“Youdon’t drink coffee,” Ethan retorted as he went to pick up the wrench he’dlaunched across the room.
“No,but you could use a cup,” Zane declared. “Or ten.”
Zanemuttered the last two words, but Ethan heard them loud and clear. He clampedhis jaw shut to keep from saying anything. His mood was bad enough, he didn’tneed to let Zane get to him right now. And truth be told, he really could usesome coffee.
Andmaybe a personality transplant.
“Where’sBlake?” Zane asked as Ethan followed him into the small office that Ethanoccupied from time to time. Zane previously used the office as well when he hadworked for Walker Demolition. Since he had moved on to run one of the clubs atAlluring Indulgence Resort, Ethan was the only one who spent any time in thereand even that was limited.
“Hequit this morning.” One of the main reasons Ethan had resorted to throwingtools so early in the day.
“Whatthe fuck, man?”
Ethanlooked up at Zane, pausing in his pursuit of coffee. As he slid the pot outfrom the coffee maker, he rolled his eyes. “Sorry, didn’t realize you needed atranslator.”
“Shutit. Why’d he quit?” Zane asked, dropping into the chair and leaning far enoughback that it looked like he would tip over backward at any second. Maybe hewould and then Ethan could laugh for the first time that day.
“He’smoving on,” Ethan answered, trying to be politically correct. He’d rather say “Becausehe’s an asshole”but that would sound personal.
“Whatare you going to do now?”
