Chapter Two

"Oh, my God. It was you." Damn. Those words rang through Carver's mind louder than church bells. One thing was for damn sure, he supposed. Ever wouldn't bother stalking them anymore. He knew now his fantasy man had been just that: a fantasy. Casper didn't know Ever existed and Carver wasn't who he believed him to be. It fucked with Carver's head to admit, but he was disappointed. How insane was that? It was a little flattering to think he had driven someone to this level of stupidity. Yet, in the end, he still wasn't enough.

Without a word, Carver stood. He moved behind Ever's chair and unlocked the handcuffs. "I need a drink. Do you need a drink? I damn sure do." Carver headed for the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Jack. With his back turned and his hostage freed, Carver didn't see the attack coming. Ever sprang from his seat. He was twice Carver's size. Between that and the element of surprise, he easily spun Carver in his arms. Carver's back hit the edge of the counter. Ever's mouth came down on his so hard, their teeth bumped. His hands were everywhere, groping and pulling him closer. He ate at Carver's mouth, taking the kiss he had obviously been thinking about for months.

Carver's palms pressed against Ever's chest.

"Please," Ever begged against his lips. "Just for a minute."

Something stirred in Carver's chest at the desperation he felt in Ever. This was a level of crazy he had never experienced, but it was directed at him. He couldn't push Ever away.

It had all started as just a random exchange at the bar. There was no way Carver could have foreseen them being trapped together for hours. Ever was such a big guy—tall and bearlike. It seemed odd for him to be so freaked out by the situation. Then again, maybe taking up so much space made the elevator seem twice as small.

"Let me see your phone."

In his barely sane state, Ever unlocked his phone and handed it over without question.

Carver opened the camera and switched it front facing. "Come here." He cuddled up close, forcing Ever to stoop to get both their faces in view. Carver grabbed Ever's chin and smiled as big as he could. "Say trick or treat."

Ever laughed.

Carver snapped a pic. They looked happy rather than terrified. He had to do anything to keep Ever's mind off the situation. The more Ever panicked, the more Carver wanted to join him. He wasn't exactly enjoying being trapped.

"Trick or treat is an odd one for June."

Carver shrugged. "It's my mom's thing. Old habits die hard, I guess. But now you have a souvenir for the night you survived a horror story."

Ever's green eyes moved from staring at the picture to Carver's face. "You're pretty amazing. Whoever you're dating probably feels like the luckiest man alive."

Carver laughed at the idea of anyone dating him. "Careful. You're starting to sound not so straight. But no one in their right mind would date me. I'm a mess."

"I doubt that, but single, huh?"

Carver nodded. "As the day is long. What about you? How many women are you juggling?"

Ever blushed.

Carver blinked. He hadn't expected such an innocent reaction to hit him so hard. But Ever Blake was hot and goddamn. Carver wasn't immune.

Ever cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, someone new and better is just a swipe away these days. I don't have much luck keeping anyone longer than a week or two."

Carver cocked his head. "Are the straights okay?"

A loud laugh burst from Ever. "No. No, we're not."

Damn. Carver had pushed that night from his mind. It had been just a slice out of time that meant nothing at all. He had been out of town and figured he would never see Ever again. It seemed that night hadn't been meaningless to Ever. Now Carver was on fire again—just like he had been before their night had ended in that elevator.

Ever's mouth moved to Carver's neck. He had Carver hard as hell. "Just give me one night, okay? I'll go away after that. You don't have to see me again. Just put me out of my misery. I can't get you out of my head."

Carver took Ever's hand and headed for the bedroom. He had slept with people out of pure boredom or fleeting attraction. Carver might as well get a taste of fatal attraction.

Ever held his breath. He didn't dare hope. It seemed like he should probably panic, but he couldn't. The past few months had been absolute hell. With nothing more than a name and description, he had tracked down the man who rocked his soul. In four hours trapped together, Carver had unleashed something in Ever. He had pulled back the curtains and forced Ever to admit something he didn't want to accept. Ever was—at the very least—bi-sexual. He hadn't been completely blind to that reality. Ever recognized he—occasionally—found other men attractive. But it had always been celebrities who didn't matter in the least. There were a few actors even straight men found sexy. In fact, it was a running joke online that at least two Hollywood stars were on every man's hall pass list. Ever hadn't thought that made him any less straight.

Then Carver had made him smile and laugh before dropping to his knees. As Ever had stared down the line of his body, he had been one thousand percent in the moment. Instead of closing his eyes and picturing his dick in a man's mouth, the way he often did with women, he had the real thing. Ever had changed that night. His every thought became consumed. More times than he could count, he had savored the memory of Carver's kindness while he pleasured himself. He wasn't a head case. Ever knew he had gone over the edge for Carver. He had lost track of the line people didn't cross a long time ago. Ever left that shit in the dust, uncaring if he crossed every sane boundary. Now that he knew he had been pursuing the wrong twin, so many things that had driven him to this point made sense now. Ever had taken out a membership at Leather Bait and made sure he only approached Carver once his brother wasn't around. He hadn't wanted to embarrass the guy. Ever had been all smiles, certain Carver would take one look at him and be overjoyed at seeing him again. Except Carver had smiled with zero recognition in his eyes. Ever had been crushed, and the desperation got deeper each time Carver served him a drink without acknowledging their connection. Now it turned out he had been dealing with the wrong twin all along. He felt like an idiot. Doubly so since Carver obviously intended to give Ever exactly what he wanted even after Ever had practically accused him of being cold and called him selfish. This was the Carver he hadn't been able to forget.

When they reached the edge of the bed, Ever wondered if his heart would stop. The greedy organ beat so hard in his chest, he couldn't catch his breath.

"Take off your clothes."

His mind faltered a bit at the cold demand, but he wasn't stupid enough to say no. Ever went to work, stripping. Carver watched. He fought the urge to blush. Carver's expressionless face and uniquely beautiful eyes gave away nothing of his thoughts. Ever peeled off his shirt. Carver's gaze moved down his body as Ever reached for the button on his pants. His confidence returned when Carver's tongue shot out, wetting his lips. He remembered that tongue. Everything about it. Every emotion fled but lust. He was nude in no time.

Carver gave him an approving nod. "Good. On the bed."

Ever immediately climbed onto the mattress and settled on his back. Carver only wore pajama pants, as if he had been moments away from going to bed before confronting Ever. Ever studied his body. He was small—like a pixie. Ever imagined he was light as a feather compared to him. He could have easily overtaken him outside. Ever was glad he hadn't tried. His gaze moved down Carver's small chest and flat stomach. His pants were tented. Ever's erection twitched at the idea of Carver being aroused by him. He nervously licked his lips as Carver pushed his pants down his hips, exposing himself. Carver was hairless—like he kept himself completely maintained. Ever's stomach muscles clenched. He had a thousand insecurities running through his head. Ever didn't know what men expected from other men in these situations. His body definitely wasn't hairless. Ever's stomach for sure wasn't flat. But he would and could fuck Carver more enthusiastically than anyone ever had. He could easily promise no one else had ever wanted Carver as much.

Ever watched Carver open the bedside drawer. He grabbed a condom and tossed it Ever's way. "Put this on." He still didn't sound happy about the situation. Things were a little too clinical. For a second, he wondered if he should stop. If Carver didn't really want this, then Ever didn't know how he would feel about himself later. His hesitation lasted only as long as it took for Carver to make a show of lubing his asshole. Ever scrambled to get the condom on as ordered.

Then Carver crawled onto the bed. He moved Ever's way. Ever refused to blink as Carver straddled his body. His brain moved in slow motion, as if taking in everything for later inspection. He thought his heart might explode from his chest any second.

Carver ran his fingers through Ever's chest hair. "I've thought about that night too, and wondered how you are."

Ever felt like a kid. "Really?"

Carver nodded as he lowered his head and licked Ever's nipple. "I wondered how long it took you to find another man to explore."

Heat crawled up Ever's face. "I tried, but I couldn't get past sputtering my words. All I saw was your face. No other men I met in bars looked at me the way you did that night. I was comfortable with you." A wave of sadness hit from nowhere. "All I felt was judged everywhere else." Carver sat back on his heels and held Ever's stare, as if settling in to listen. Even as turned on as he was, he couldn't stop baring his heart. "I don't think I fit the gay scene, but I've never really fit the straight one either."

"The countless nudes from women in your text messages say otherwise."

Ever's hands rose and fell, settling on Carver's thighs. He stroked without thinking. "That's because I'm nice. Women aren't used to men being nice to them."

"Fair enough, but it still seems as if you have your choice. You're sexy and obviously a catch. I don't understand this questioning yourself. If you had come to me, rather than stalking my brother, I can't imagine I would have turned you down."

Damn. He really planned to hang on to Ever's mistakes. "I'm here now, throwing myself on your mercy."

Carver fell forward, bracing his weight on his palms on either side of Ever's head. "Then take what you want." His mouth covered Ever's. Ever didn't need to be told twice. He fumbled around, reaching behind Carver and leading his cock to Carver's asshole. His crown met a lot of resistance. He didn't want to hurt Carver. Carver moaned against his lips as Ever shoved his way inside. His worries eased. Lust won. His hips rose, moving at a rhythm without any need for his brain. With Carver's hips squeezed between his hands, he chased the pleasure, easily lifting and lowering Carver's small body. He used Carver like a toy. His dick sawed inside Carver's tight little hole. He raced to blow. Then a second of reality returned. This was Carver. Finally, after months of desperate moves to catch his attention, it was Carver.

Ever held him and rolled. With Carver pinned beneath him, he reclaimed Carver's lips. Their tongues played. With Carver's leg draped over the crook of his arm, Ever rocked inside him. He made love to Carver. If this was all he would ever get, he wanted to savor it. He also wanted Carver to remember him fondly—not as the psycho stalker. Ever whisked his lips across Carver's, wanting him to feel cherished, because he was.

"Thank you," Ever whispered, getting into his feelings. His eyes stung. There had been a piece of him missing since Carver left him behind in that Daytona elevator.

"Don't thank me. Make me come." Carver matched his whisper. The moment felt intimate as hell.

His pride demanded he do exactly as Carver expected. He subtly changed angles until Carver's breathing changed. At the first moan, he held that rhythm and angle. He watched Carver. Ever had to see him blow. He had to know what Carver looked like when in the throes of ecstasy. Carver's features hardened. His muscles tensed and his short fingernails dug into Ever's skin. Ever thrust faster. Carver's every nuance got him hotter by the second. He raced toward the edge. Then Carver cried out and Ever saw stars. Carver's hole convulsed. Ugly sounds escaped him as he pounded Carver's ass. His dick had his full attention. The pressure turned to waves of soul-stealing pleasure. He couldn't breathe as he felt the cum jet from him. His gaze never wavered from Carver as he blew. Ever's insane obsession needed feeding. His brain had to hold on to the fact that it was Carver's ass that made his dick twitch. Even when the last pulsating jerk of goodness passed, he couldn't move away. He reclaimed Carver's mouth. Ever savored the way their tongues felt moving together. He knew pure happiness for a moment. Ever didn't want to lose it. Finally, he rolled to the side but kept his hold on Carver. Ever couldn't let him get away yet. They held each other's stare. Neither of them rushed to put an end to the moment. Time ticked by without them.

"Where do you actually live?"

A laugh burst from Ever at the question. It felt like he knew everything about Carver. He forgot Carver knew next to nothing about him. "South Beach."

A smile exploded across Carver's face. "What are the odds of us living thirty minutes apart but getting trapped in an elevator together four hours away?"

"Feels like fate." Even Ever heard how serious he turned in an instant.

Carver's gaze moved over his face, but he didn't respond. Another minute passed. Carver turned his head and smothered a yawn. "Sorry."

Ever stroked his stomach, needing to touch him. "It's okay. I know you had a long night. You can go to sleep."

Carver closed his eyes and nodded. "Do you mind pulling the blackout shades? Once the sun is up, I will be too if I leave them open."

Ever immediately rolled from the bed. He kept hold of the full condom as he headed for the window. With the shades pulled tight, he fumbled through the dark until he found the bathroom. After shutting himself inside, he turned on the light, blinding himself. He caught sight of himself in the mirror. Ever froze. His dark hair stood in every direction. There was a light in his eyes he hadn't seen in a long time. He looked like he had finally gotten exactly what he wanted. Ever shook his head and tossed the condom in the trash. He knew he was crazy. Somewhere along the way of desperately trying to find himself, he had truly lost himself. Being with Carver again brought a realization to the forefront. It was Carver. Ever felt so goddamn good in his company. Comfortable in a way he never had been with anyone else. He had to find a way to keep him. Ever had sworn he would go away if Carver gave him one night. He found a stack of washcloths and waited for the water to warm. While he soaked the cloth, he plotted. He would stop the stalking. Ever needed to look a little saner than he was if he wanted this. Carver knew he existed and wanted him. Ever could work with that.

After washing his skin, he grabbed a fresh washcloth for Carver. He went through the process again. With his warm washcloth in hand, he killed the lights and headed back to bed. Carver made a sweet sound as Ever climbed beneath the covers, as if he was already more asleep than awake. Ever urged his knees apart. "You can sleep in a minute, baby. Just let me clean you up first." Ever kept his voice soft and soothing. His eyes burned as Carver let him have his way. Ever made a terrible discovery. This whole thing had never been about struggling to figure out his sexuality. It was Carver. Ever wanted this life. That night, in that tiny fucking elevator, Ever had connected with someone in a way he never had before or since. He was positive Carver was his person. Ever was every bit as positive Carver would never feel the same.