Chapter Five

He heard Ben's laughter before he saw him. The alcohol had his black mood spiraling to something even darker as Ben came into view. He walked elbow to elbow with Matt. They were windblown. They looked happy together. Young. Rider's eye twitched. He fought the urge to lash out. Too much alcohol always made him dumb. That was why he didn't drink often.

Still, Rider lifted his glass to his lips as he watched Ben and Matt's approach. Ben's chin lifted. Rider saw the moment Ben realized he was there. His expression changed. Rider couldn't read him any longer. He exchanged some words with Matt Rider couldn't hear. Matt headed inside while Ben headed his way.

Rider's temper frayed with every step Ben took in his direction. "I'm not paying you to flirt with my brother."

Ben didn't flinch. "I didn't realize you were paying me at all."

That caught Rider off guard. "Of course I am. You work for me."

Ben nodded. "Okay. I'll remember that from now on. Not here as your supportive friend. Noted. Can I get you anything?"

Rider ground his back teeth. He was always one step forward and ten steps back with Ben. Rider was angry with himself, hurting, and pissed at Matt for making Ben laugh when he couldn't. Matt was younger and more personable. He possessed a charm Rider never would. Rider wanted to hurt someone because he hurt. "You're off the clock. Go back to Matt. He likely needs the comfort." Rider walked away, heading down a side path that led to the French doors of his bedroom.

Ben stayed hot on his heels. "No. Obviously, I came here to get as many overtime hours as I could. Tell me what I can do now, or was that your order? Am I being commanded to comfort your brother? He does seem to like me more than you do."

Rider's temper snapped. He chucked the glass he carried without bothering to see where it landed. One second, he was inches from making it inside the safety of his room. The next, Rider had Ben against the wall. Ben stared up at him with defiant eyes, daring Rider to hurt him. The fingers Rider had wrapped around Ben's neck didn't do what Rider expected. He stroked Ben's skin, savoring the moment. His hand moved upward until he held Ben's jaw, keeping him from looking away. Heat built between them, searing Rider's soul.

"You're so fucking blind." The whispered words came from the deep recesses of Rider's heart. He couldn't do this anymore. The dam broke inside him. He touched his lips to Ben's, expecting anything except what happened. Ben grabbed his hair and deepened their kiss—like he had waited a lifetime to taste Rider. A moan escaped him without warning. He had never been so instantly set ablaze. Until he squeezed, Rider didn't realize his hands had moved to Ben's ass, and he had grabbed two handfuls. He didn't stop. Everything about the moment was twice as amazing as he imagined.

"Please?" Even Rider didn't know what he begged Ben to do. Love him. Set him free from his pain. Fix him. Ben was the one who kept him glued together. He needed Ben to read his mind and make it better.

Ben's hands went for the zipper of Rider's pants. A whimper escaped Rider. He was so hard, and he knew it was Ben touching him. Rider couldn't think or function. Ben's hand dove inside his pants and set his erection free. Rider gasped when Ben squeezed him. His dick throbbed. Ben dropped to his knees on the cobblestone path, and Rider's knees nearly buckled. The way Ben's hot mouth suckled him made Rider whimper. Rider braced one hand on the wall and held Ben's hair with the other. He fucked Ben's mouth. Everything disappeared except the hot suction and the pleasure. Noises came from him he couldn't stop. His hips rolled, taking what he wanted. The maddening pressure built, keeping him thrusting. He didn't think about anything except reaching the edge. Rider held his breath. His muscles tensed. Ben took him to the back of his throat. A loud grunt escaped him as he blew. His hips kept pivoting as Ben sucked him dry. With each passing moment, his skin cooled and his mind cleared. Rider suddenly felt extremely sober. Ben was on his knees in what had to be a painful place. Rocks likely dug into his skin. Yet he kept licking and nuzzling Rider until Rider went soft.

Rider's mind raced at a million miles a minute. That had just happened. There was no taking it back. He couldn't leave Ben unsatisfied. Did Ben even want to be touched? Had this just been a matter of Ben being coerced into thinking Rider expected this of him to keep his job? His breathing hitched. Panic got deeper by the second. There was no air. Was he that guy? Had he become his parents, using employees like personal sex slaves?

Ben was on his feet in a second. He held Rider's face between his hands. "Breathe. It's okay. I've got you. Just take a breath. I'm here."

Rider followed Ben's lead, breathing in and out. "I didn't…" Rider lost his breath again. He swore everything darkened around the edges. "I would've never…"

Ben kissed him. It was sweet and life-giving. Rider chased his mouth. He forgot to panic. All Rider needed was Ben's lips to survive. In seconds, Rider could breathe again. He had to know. Rider's hand moved south. He cupped Ben through his pants, shaping the erection that was for him. Relief poured through him. Ben wanted him too. Rider could make things even. Ben didn't have to feel exploited.

Rider slid Ben's zipper down as their tongues played. The taste of his cum turned him on more than he cared to admit. He nearly purred the second he held Ben's cock. For such a small guy, he was seriously packing. Rider couldn't stop stroking his length, enjoying the weight of Ben in his hand. He was thick and long. Rider squeezed, fantasizing about what he could do with so much real estate. Rider needed to know more.

He two-handed Ben, exploring his balls too. Damn. He was delicious. Ben moaned. The sound vibrated through their kiss. Rider worked even harder to make Ben come. He needed more of those noises. Rider stroked and squeezed. He pumped faster as Ben's kiss turned frantic. Ben held Rider's shirt in a death grip. Rider turned his head and sucked air, as if he would be the one who blew any second. Ben's mouth moved to his neck. He licked, sucked, and bit.

Rider couldn't be quiet. "Fuck. Give it to me, Ben. Let me finally hear the way you sound as you come. I need to know if my fantasies hold up to the real thing. Let me watch."

A tiny cry, muffled against his skin, broke through the night. Ben's cock jerked in his hand. Cum ran down his fingers. Happiness soared through Rider. That was what he needed. That was what he had been missing. Rider wanted more.

"Come to bed with me."

He didn't want the moment to end. Ben meant everything to him. Rider had to have more.

Ben couldn't say what happened. One second, he gave Rider the argument he obviously wanted. The next, Ben was nude beneath Rider in his bed. His senses were alive. He felt every place they touched. Rider's body was perfection, and it felt damn good against Ben's skin. Their fingers linked as their tongues brushed. Ben refused to think about the consequences. Whatever happened would happen soon enough. For now, he lived his dream.

Rider's mouth moved to his cheek. He kissed a path to Ben's ear. "I'm sorry about earlier. I don't know why I say some of the things I say."

"You're a porcupine."

Rider rolled to the side, keeping one leg pinning Ben to bed—like he expected Ben to run. He went up on one elbow and held Ben's stare. "What?" Ben heard the laughter in his voice.

Ben couldn't stop trying to keep him happy. "You're a porcupine. You know, you're all cute and people want to pet you. But you're also prickly, which keeps people away, but you were born that way. So." Ben shrugged.

Rider's eyes shone bright with happiness. "You just made that up."

"So what if I did?" Ben couldn't hide the laughter in his voice. He had never been happier.

Rider kissed his shoulder. Ben felt the way Rider smiled against his skin. "I'm sending you home tomorrow." It was like getting punched in the gut. Rider kept talking like Ben could still breathe. "You've been here too long without a break, dealing with my family. I still have a few days' worth of loose ends to wrap up here. You probably have a pile of work a mile high on your desk. No one at that arena knows how to survive without you."

Ben swallowed. "Okay."

Rider's expression shifted. Ben obviously wasn't hiding his thoughts as well as he hoped. "I'm not sending you away. I regret nothing. You don't deserve the wringer my family has sent you through. I shouldn't have depended on you so hard these last few days. You deserve better than you get from me ninety percent of the time."

Ben wanted to believe. The timing just felt odd. Still, Ben had never dreamed he would have even this much from Rider. If Rider wanted to breathe and forget this happened, that was what Ben would do. No matter how much it wrecked him. "Just ninety?" Fuck, his throat hurt.

Rider's smile was everything. "Okay. Maybe ninety-five percent. But that five percent I give is golden."

Goddamn. It really was. "Agreed."

Rider's gaze moved over Ben's face. The air changed. Rider stroked Ben's stomach. Ben couldn't look away as Rider lowered his head. When their lips met, Ben's breath caught. He wouldn't regret him. Ben made the vow, praying he could keep it. He didn't want to taint a single second of this memory. Rider was a fleeting dream come true.