9. Ethan

Chapter 9

Ethan

I don’t go to the hotel restaurant for dinner. After parting with Jake, the events of the day caught up to me and I found myself too embarrassed to face him until I’ve sorted out my feelings on… things.

The truth is, I’m still buzzing from the kisses we shared. I had so much fun in the cold and the snow and it’s all thanks to him. I came back soaking and with my teeth clattering, but I couldn’t stop grinning like an idiot even after I took a long hot bath.

In fact, it only got worse.

I click through the channels with the Christmas shows and movies, not paying attention to any of them. My heart rate is elevated. My hands feel a little clammy. I can’t stop thinking about the feel of his fingers when they roamed me, hot and calloused against my skin. I still have no idea when he took off the glove, but I don’t really care when it felt so amazing.

Groaning, I press on my hardening cock. It’s obvious that I want him. It’s equally obvious that he’s also interested. I should get it over with. There is no need for this dance we’ve been dancing. It’s just that… I can’t help it. He surprises me at every turn and I am here for it. He takes me out of my comfort zone, he challenges me. He’s like a twister, like a tornado, and it’s extremely difficult not to get swept up in his pace.

A ping on my phone snatches my attention. It’s the file he promised to send me, so I get comfortable on the luxurious sofa and open it. A quick look and I know he was underselling his idea to me. He’s done his research, and not just that. I expected his proposal to be like him—a little over the top, a little airheaded, perhaps even unrealistic.

It’s none of that.

But before I can break my promise fully and give this document the attention it deserves, there is a knock at my door.

Confused as I am not expecting anyone, I look up from my phone. The knock sounds again, this time firmer. I decide to ignore it, but then I double back, because what if it’s the reception? What if they have an update on the road situation or they’ve managed to get a helicopter in the air?

Chest tight and stomach queasy, I rush to the door and open it. My eyes go wide, followed by my mouth.

“You might want to close that or I can’t promise I’ll behave,” Jake says in a sexy rumble of a voice, licking his lips.

He’s wearing one of the hospitality uniforms. The black and white ensemble of tight pants, shirt and vest are doing an amazingly irritating job of showcasing just how fit he is. Unlike the chef’s uniform, which is made for comfort and to protect from kitchen dangers, the housekeeping staff’s clothes are elegant and meant to impress.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, unable to help my eyes as they drink him in from top to bottom.

He smiles knowingly. “I…” He clears his throat. “I’d like to invite you to dinner. I didn’t see you at the restaurant and I thought you might be hungry.”

I arch an eyebrow, waving my phone at him. “Are you sure that’s the only reason?”

He drums his fingers against the wooden frame, biting down a sly smile. “Okay, maybe I also wanted to make sure you didn’t get carried away reading my nonsense plan.” Nonsense is the last word I’d use to describe what that document is. “Plus, there’s this new dessert I came up with, and I need a guinea pig. If you are interested.”

I am more than interested. “Give me a sec.” I wave him in. “Make yourself comfortable.”

Once I’ve changed out of the hotel-supplied bathrobe and put on my suit, I go to the lounge where I left Jake. He’s sitting on the couch, intently watching some Christmas cartoon about a golden retriever and a hologram girl with a red hat. It takes him a few minutes to notice me observing him, and when he does, he aims a shy smile my way.

“It’s the holiday special. It came out last week, but I haven’t had the chance to watch it yet.”

I tip my chin at the TV screen, where the show is still on. “We can have dinner after it finishes, if you want?”

He hums, looking at me like a thief caught red-handed. “I might’ve taken the liberty of recording it so I could come back later and finish watching it.”

I saunter over, giving my hips an extra sway. Then I rake my hand through his lush curls and tilt his head back. His eyes immediately darken. “That’s a very creative excuse to come see me again, I’ll give you that.”

His smile transforms into a smirk, and next thing I know, I’m lying on the couch under him and staring at his beautiful face. It’s so close I can smell the hotel-provided shampoo on him, which tells me he must’ve taken a shower before coming here. Otherwise, he’d smell like herbs and food.

“Oh no, you got me. Whatever shall I do?” he teases, leaning closer as he drags his fingers up my flank.

“Feeding me is a good start. I’m dying to know what’s on the menu.”

His dark chuckle goes straight to my dick. Yeah, I don’t need him to even say it. He’s definitely on it.

Hopping up, he smooths out the hospitality uniform. I’m on my feet shortly after, discreetly adjusting myself as he leads me out of my room and up the stairwell. We ascend five floors and enter one of the function/conference suites. The furniture has been rearranged, so that the massive table is by the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the fields and the mountains. Light from cinnamon and rosemary-scented candles keeps the space dim and moody, and two chairs on two opposite sides of the table wait for us. There is a couch by the unlit fireplace, and on its side, an end table with a music player.

Jake approaches the player first and turns it on. Soft jazz music begins playing, quiet enough so it works as a background without getting in the way of any potential conversation.

“Please, take a seat, Mr. Ward.” Jake gestures at the table with a slight bow.

I nod and make myself comfortable. Silverware and a carafe of whiskey have been placed on the high-grade silk tablecloth, sparkling under the candlelight. He pours me a glass, then disappears behind a wall section. That must be where the kitchen corner is.

“Since I didn’t see you at dinner, I thought I’d make you my killer sushi with some edamame salad, daikon and handmade gyoza,” Jake says when he reappears, carrying a tray with food. “I promise, this is the best sushi you’ll ever have.”

“I’m pretty sure you have to be Japanese for that to be possible,” I counter, snatching some edamame while he pours us soy sauce and wasabi.

“Okay. Correction. This is the best sushi made by a non-Japanese you’ll ever have.”

“I don’t know,” I hum around a salmon and cucumber piece that just melts in my mouth. It’s so good I nearly moan. Despite how simple and easy sushi might seem to make, getting it right takes a lot of practice and mastery. “I like to visit this place near where I live. It’s reservation-only and nearly impossible to make a booking for. The guy who runs it is a friend. He lived in Japan for ten years before opening his own place in Miami.”

Jake’s mouth hangs. “Miami? Don’t tell me you’re talking about Ryan Negima! Holy shit, you are friends with him?”

Oh. I always forget how famous Ryan is. I’ve known him for years, since before he was a big name, so to me he’s just Ryan. “Yes. Are you a fan?”

He graces me with a row of white teeth. “Maybe.”

We keep the conversation light as we eat. Everything is so delicious I can’t help but wonder if Jake lied to me about being a chef-in-training. If I didn’t know already, I’d assume he was one of those pros that the media is yet to get its greedy hands on. With his attractive looks, they’d gobble him right up.

I place my chopsticks down and just appreciate the idyllic moment as he explains the ingredients of the dessert. It’s a sponge cake with matcha custard, fruit and his special ganache. The flavors are pleasantly intense, but not overwhelming. Kind of like him. They are novel, a little unexpected, but delicious and intriguing at the same time, which only makes you want to taste them more.

Yeah, Jake would be a star on TV. But too bad for the greedy media giants that I am the one who discovered him first.

Once we finish with the dessert, I help him clear the table away.

“That’s just weird!” he protests, but lets me do it. “Don’t rich people have servants for this kind of thing?”

“Believe it or not, I am fully capable of cleaning up after myself. Cooking too, putting on my own clothes, shopping.”

My words pull a laugh out of him. “I challenge you to cook me something then!”

“As long as you are happy with normal people food, I’m positive you will be impressed by my skills.”

“Deal. I love normal people food. In fact, it’s what I mostly eat unless I’m trying to leave a good impression,” he says, letting his voice take on that gravelly quality I find extremely hard to resist.

“Is that what is happening, then? Are you trying to leave a good impression on me?” I shoot back as I take the last plate over to the sink behind the protruding wall section.

When I reenter the lounge part of the room, Jake has started a fire. He’s lost the vest, which now lies tossed over the couch’s backrest, and undone a few of his shirt’s buttons. As I approach the fireplace and the heat from it envelops me like a cocoon, I can see why.

“I’ve been doing it since I met you, Ethan. I thought it was obvious. The question is whether it’s working or not.”

“Is this you asking me then?” I unbutton my own shirt, loving the way he sucks in a sharp breath when his gaze travels over the exposed skin of my pecs.

He pokes the fire a bit more, leaving me hanging. It’s the most excruciating and exhilarating feeling waiting for his reply, every fiber of my body participating. But he takes his time, approaching me slowly like a predator who knows their prey has no way to escape. If I am being honest, I kind of like it.

“No,” he says when he is only a few inches away from me. I’ve taken a few steps in the opposite direction and now the backs of my knees are pressing against the couch. “I already know the answer.”

I bristle, adrenaline surging through me. “And what is it?”

“You are interested in me and where this is going,” he declares like the badass main character of some movie.

“That’s awfully confident,” I challenge back, trembling in anticipation as he places his palm flat on my chest.

The feel of his skin against mine is heavenly. He pushes me gently, and I flop onto the couch.

“Only because I’m set on seducing you.”

Not taking his eyes off where his hand is touching me, he lowers himself on top of me. Then we kiss, sparks flying under every inch of my skin. It’s like our first kiss and nothing like it, the intensity and the hunger ten times stronger. His tongue battles with mine, then subdues it, taking charge of the pace.

I yield control of the kiss voluntarily, arching up into him as he lets me feel his weight fully. It’s both grounding and arousing to be trapped under him, to be unable to slip free yet have all the power in the world to stop all of this. One word is all it would take for Jake to let me go. For us to pretend nothing happened so far and return to our worlds.

But that would be too boring. Too predictable. The easy, familiar way out. And since meeting Jake, I’ve come to enjoy a little bit of unexpectedness in my life.

“Who says I’m not the one seducing you?” I argue, licking around his mouth after a short pause for air.

“Because your mere existence is enough to make me want you?” he deadpans, looking me straight in the eyes.

I blink. Then I blink some more and let out the most inelegant snort I can muster. Jake’s entire face smiles, lips, muscles and eyes all part of it. He’s beautiful. The sound of his laugh touches my soul, imprinting it with something I just know I won’t ever be able to forget. Just like him.

For no reason, he barged into my life by chance and has been turning it upside down from the first moment we spoke. He breaks down the walls I put up as easily as if they were made from cardboard. His undemanding friendliness warms my cold soul. His open smiles are infectious and hard to ignore. And his never-ending energy… It just makes me want to try things. To go with the flow, to jump against the current, because I know that if he’s with me, everything will be fine.

“This was way too cheesy and ridiculous. Even for you.” I chuckle, nuzzling his nose before I plant a kiss on the tip. “But I’m equally at fault for actually loving it.”

“You can’t fool me, you know. You only pretend to be stuck-up and alphahole-y, when in truth you are a bit of a dork.”

Heat rushes to my cheeks. “Shut up and kiss me.”

Chuckling, he smooches me, then stands and picks me up in a princess hold. I gasp and automatically clutch him, coiling my arms around his neck.

“You’re heavier than I thought,” he comments as he carries me across the room into the suite on the other side of the corridor where a four-poster bed in dark silks awaits under dim candlelight and flower petals.

I swat him playfully. “You aren’t even that bigger compared to me.”

“True. But I still want to be able to carry my king to the bedroom, no matter his size. I don’t get nearly enough practice as is, so I’m not missing out on this opportunity.”

How can you not like someone like this? It’s just impossible.

Giddy, I enjoy being manhandled onto the huge bed with the flowers. I’ve no idea how Jake arranged all of this, but it couldn’t have been easy. It makes tonight even more special as I’ve never had anyone go to such lengths so that I could have a good time. Because this is what he is doing. From the romantic private dinner to the bed and the flowers, it’s like he’s peeked right into my most secret fantasies and decided to gift them to me. Not even my brother knows that I love stuff like this. To him and everyone else, I am the serious businessman who only cares about work and hasn’t had a partner since I took over dad’s company. And the truth is that I was fine with it. I’d even started to believe it myself. Only life decided to throw at me this unstoppable curveball that Jake is.

“I hope carrying is not the only thing you’d like to do to your king,” I drawl when I realize that Jake is just gazing at me and hasn’t started undressing yet. I’m dying to see him naked. To taste him. To make him feel good so he can experience even a fraction of what he does to me.

“Who’d have thought you’d be so bossy in bed?” he chirps, slowly unzipping his pants.

I hold my breath, heat pooling to my core. My stomach flutters and I swallow hard as his pants and shirt drop to the floor and leave him just in his black briefs. The V of his hips looks delicious. It’s clean-shaven, smooth and as prominent as his sexy abs. I can’t wait to lick them.

“I take it you are enjoying the view?”

I smile, giving my hardening cock a stroke through my pants. “You could say that. But I’m also wondering why you aren’t naked yet, so I can suck your dick.”

His nostrils flare. A slow, wolfish smile stretches his lips, giving him a wild edge. He looks ready to jump me. That’s good. I’m at my limit.

Slowly, he slips his fingers under the waistband of his underwear and pushes it down an inch. It hangs just below his hip bones, tempting me to reach out and rip it off him. I somehow resist, but only because I am enjoying the way he’s teasing me. I’ve never really taken the time to build things up like this; I usually get straight down to business.

Jake finally rids himself of his briefs. I inhale sharply, my mouth watering. His cock is gorgeous, thick and long and already leaking. It’s a hundred times better than how I imagined it. I bet it tastes and feels amazing, too.

“God, if you keep looking at me like this, I’ll explode before we even get to the good part.”

“I’m fine with that. Just do it in my mouth. I’m confident my skills will make you hard again afterwards.”

He groans, throwing his head back on a laugh. “Fuck. I love the filth you say. Why did I ever think that you might be one of those shy and clueless cuties in bed? You’re nothing short of a devil.”

I’d say I get this a lot, but the truth is that I don’t. Talking isn’t usually part of my encounters. Now that I think about it, they are very clinical. Which fits me just right. I meet up with someone, release the tension or scratch an itch, and I go back to my life.

Jake is the exception. The wildcard I didn’t account for because there wasn’t supposed to be one.

Still smiling, Jake bends down and begins fumbling with my pants. His fingers brush against my erection, rubbing the shaft. I bite down a couple of moans, but his chuckle tells me he didn’t miss them.

“I want to suck you, too,” he says, licking his lips as he shoves his hand inside my underwear and grabs me.

I shiver, stars dancing across my vision. It’s just his hand, but it feels amazing. Being hard throughout the day on multiple occasions has made me extra sensitive. “Get on the bed, then. I’m pretty sure we can make it work for both of us.”

Jake complies, helping me lose the rest of my clothing in the process. He rolls under me with his head at the foot of the bed and takes my dick in his mouth without a warning. My knees buckle from the sudden surge of pleasure, and I almost collapse on top of him.

“You taste divine,” he mumbles around my crown, licking and sucking with greed.

I love it. So much so I can feel pressure building at the base of my spine. I’m pretty sure he can make me come screaming just with his mouth, but I’m better than that. I have to show him that I have game, too.

Turned on like I’ve never been before, I focus on his dick. I trace a line from the tip to the base with my tongue, tasting him. There is an underlying sweetness to the musk that’s just so Jake. It spurs me on, so I take his entire cock in my mouth. In no time I am blowing him eagerly as he does the same. Our moans and gasps intermix, loud in the quiet bedroom where only a hint of the jazz music from the conference lounge can reach.

“Any kinks I should know about?” he asks, kneading my ass while he takes a breather.

I contemplate my answer and how much to divulge. “No, but I usually…”

“You usually?” he prompts, kissing my slit, then licking the pre-cum off it.

My eyes roll back from pleasure. “I get tested after every encounter. And I require the other party to provide health check results before we have sex. I don’t like condoms.”

He freezes, his fingers digging into my ass. “Oh fuck.”

A frisson of fear crosses through me. This is usually something that’s been preliminary agreed, but I realize I never mentioned it. Plus, maybe Jake prefers not to do it bareback. Or maybe he hasn’t tested recently.

I give his shaft a firm stroke and let out a tense exhale. “Sorry. This is a bit awkward and I should’ve told you earlier. I just… got carried away and then—”

“You misunderstand,” he breathes out, his voice shaky. “This is— Fuck .” He takes a few more gulps of air and cranes his head to the side so he can meet my gaze. “I’m just a little overwhelmed, in the best way possible. North Hut doesn’t exactly have a thriving dating scene. And hooking up with the guests or staff at the hotel is typically not worth it. So, uh, I haven’t been with anyone for a long time… Besides, as kitchen staff I have to do health checks-ups every quarter and I…” He nuzzles his nose against my inner thigh, grazing the skin with his teeth. “I am in nominal health.”

I shiver. Oh . He got excited, not put off or spooked. This is good. Yes, this is definitely very good.

“With this out of the way and now that I know your preference,” he drawls, pushing off the bed with one elbow. “How about I make you feel really good?”

I stroke his shaft roughly and lave at the tip, my eyes drinking in the flexing and unflexing of his abs. “Are you sure you are up to the task?”

A surge of pleasure ripples through me as I feel his smile against my entrance. “You’ve no idea, baby.”

He dives right in, flattening his tongue against my hole. I buck, arching my back and pushing against him. His hands grab my ass cheeks and spread them, which gives him better access. His hot and slick tongue pushes past my rim, greedy and determined.

I moan and swallow him down to the root. His taste fills my mouth as he fucks my hole, the combination mind-blowing.

“Swo gwood,” he pants, pushing deeper into me with both his tongue and cock.

I can barely keep up, shaking and groaning from how good it all feels. It’s like my every nerve ending is part of it. Before long, I’m a blabbering mess, begging for more as I fuck myself on Jake’s tongue. He adds a finger, but that’s still not enough, the burn and the stretch nowhere near what they could be.

“More, please,” I whine when he slips out.

He rubs my rim with two fingers, dipping the tips in just barely. “Yeah? Is my tongue not enough for you, Ethan?”

I take a deep breath and swallow him again. His tip hits the back of my throat, which makes me gag a little. But I relax and let myself get used to the feeling before I slide back up and take him out of my mouth. “No. Jake, please. Need to feel you inside me.”

“Fuck, you are so hot. How do you like it?”

“Riding.”

He groans. “Bossy. Shit. Okay.”

We reposition, shuffling up the bed until he’s sitting under me with his back propped on the stack of silk pillows. I slick his cock with lube, then he presses it hot and hard against my crease, sliding up and down in torturously delicious friction. The bulbous head catches on my entrance now and then, teasing me with what’s to come.

Wrapping his arms around me, he pulls me closer. His mouth finds my left nipple, nipping and pulling on it. He does the same to the right, then alternates between the two. It feels so amazing to have his body pressed against mine with no clothes getting in the way. His skin is smooth and warm, his scent is everywhere. The noises he makes envelop me, tangible like the rest of him as they keep adding to my arousal.

“Kiss me, Ethan,” he half-demands, half-pleads, tilting his head back.

I cradle his face and descend my mouth upon his. He opens for me, and I plunge inside, exploring him with my tongue. Goosebumps cover my arms as his sweet taste hits me, so I quicken the pace, ravenous to etch into memory the all-encompassing sensation of being with Jake.

As we settle into the deepening but still gentle kiss, slicked fingers find my hole. Two enter me easily, Jake’s tongue having done most of the work. The third one I can feel a little more, but even then it’s far from the intensity I am craving. I need more. To feel full, to be unable to think from pleasure. Shaking my hips, I show that to Jake with my body.

He smiles into the kiss, tightening his hold around my torso with one hand. The other one grasps his cock. “You are maddeningly shameless, you know that?”

“I’m unbearably horny, and it’s all your fault. So, you better take responsibility and make me scream your name, Jake.”

“Holy shit. What have I gotten myself into?” he laughs and lines up his dick.

I expect him to ram into me, that’s why I was riling him up. But just like everything so far, he enters me slowly and deliberately. Like it really is his mission to make me feel like an actual king. I experience every inch, first the crown as it pushes past my rim, then his thick and hot shaft. He’s bigger than he looked, stretching me to the point of delicious burn.

It takes ages until he’s fully inside me, the torturous pleasure blinding. Yet, there is no rush again. He lets me get used to his girth before he pulls almost all the way out and slides back in. It’s almost too much, every sensation ten times stronger. This isn’t just sex. It’s something else, I can tell. Something novel and scary and unexpected, but even so I want to dive into it headfirst.

Jake starts pumping a little faster. I move with him, controlling the pace. My body likes it hard and fast, but I stifle down the urge to turn this into a dirty fuck. I simply enjoy the way my body molds to his, the way we slot together like it’s the most natural thing. There is a lot of touching involved, too.

His hands roam all over me, stroking and caressing every part they can get to. My ass, my thighs, my shoulder blades, my arms. Every touch is electric, setting off zaps down my spine that heighten my pleasure. I can’t get enough of him either, worshiping his toned back and muscular arms, his silky hair. I pull on it from time to time, tipping his head back so I have access to his lean neck. My kisses leave him trembling, stuttering the pace of his thrusts.

Eventually, I am the one fully dictating our rhythm, bouncing on top of him just how I like it. We lock in a kiss again, my cock trapped between us. Jake is moaning and panting, a mess of my own making. His face sports a beautiful flush and his eyes are glassed over when he opens them as we part of a gulp of air.

“I’m very close,” he rasps, raining wet kisses down my jaw and neck.

“I want to feel you come.”

He gapes at me. “Fuck. Are you sure?”

I chuckle, bringing our foreheads against each other. “Yes. Give it to me hard and fast. I want to know how good I make you feel.”

“Oh, baby. Good is not the word for it.” He smooches my nose. “Try amazing.”

Before I can give him a snarky reply, he rolls us over so I am lying on my back under him. Looping my legs over his shoulders, he begins pumping. As promised, he lets go, fucking me with abandon as he chases the edge. Every thrust has him tagging my prostate and making me see stars. I have no idea how he’s so good; it’s like he knows my body better than I do.

The thought derails me further. Our compatibility is off the charts. It’s like he was made for me and I was made for him, however cheesy and stupid that might sound. Maybe it’s the Christmas Spirit getting to me, or maybe it’s been too long since I’ve felt truly wanted. I don’t care. At this moment, this just feels right. Like I was always supposed to end up here, being held by Jake as the snow keeps falling outside.

It’s not long before sparks slide down my spine. I’m so close. Tension is building inside me, and when he wraps his rough hand around my dick, I’m done for. I come moaning his name, spilling all over my stomach and his. He growls like a wild beast, his hips stuttering and his thrusts turning chaotic. Within seconds, his orgasm hits him. He roars, railing me even harder as he pumps me full of his cum.

This feeling is everything. It drags out my own climax, making me even more ravenous for him. I find his mouth and own it, fucking it like he fucks me as he keeps spilling inside me. Breathing is hard, thinking is hard. I am diminished to only tingling pleasure as he collapses next to me and clutches me to his chest. His hot, labored breaths crash into my damp neck, unleashing little waves of goosebumps.

He hasn’t slipped out of me either. His cock is starting to soften, but I like how it feels, so when he attempts to take it out, I stop him.

“Are you sure?” he asks, prodding the area under my ear with his nose. “I should probably clean us up.”

I push my ass out and get comfortable. “Just for a bit.”

“Okay then.” He kisses my temple and snuggles into me.

I watch the snow for a while as candlelight reflects in the window and the scent of flowers and musk surrounds me. I haven’t been this relaxed in ages, my mind empty of everything but how good it is to be held by Jake. It catches me off-guard, and before I realize it, I’ve drift off.