Chapter Eight

Since it was so close to Christmas and it seemed Ever didn't see his parents often, they stayed two weeks. Since he knew Duncan and Asia needed the help, Carver threw himself on the mercy of one club member who worked as a bar-back floater between several nightclubs. He filled in for Carver on the condition that Carver allowed him to clean his house while dressed as a dog and getting called a good boy while he worked. People with kinks were the best.

Unfortunately, the moment Carver came back to town, the fear he felt sneaking from his duplex came back full force. Casper's place looked untouched, but Carver didn't doubt for a second Boris hadn't simply walked away after they left. He had been there for a reason. The offer Ever made for Carver to move in with him gnawed at the back of his mind. For all the tough front he showed, he didn't want to be home alone anymore. Carver couldn't let anyone see him as weak. It went back to his teenage years. He had been damned back then if he let Richard have the satisfaction of beating him down or seeing him scared. He couldn't break that pattern. Despite those things, he needed help.

Carver was nervous as hell, and he didn't know why. He showed up an hour early with the file Ever put together in his hand. Ever was at his side. At first, Carver had refused Ever's offer to join him. In true Ever fashion, he refused to let Carver shut him out. Together, they headed for Duncan's office as soon as they walked through the door. Duncan, Asia, and Major were inside. In unison, their faces turned his way when he appeared in the doorway.

Carver smiled. It felt strained. "Hey, guys. Is it okay if we come in and talk?"

Major groaned. "You're not quitting on me, are you?"

Carver's smile turned genuine. "No. You have nothing to worry about. It's nothing like that."

Relief filled Major's blue eyes. He waved them into the room. "Come. Sit." His gaze moved Ever's way. "Hey, Ever. What brings you by?"

A small smile touched Ever's lips. "I'm just here for moral support."

Every eye was back on Carver in an instant. Asia was the first one to break. "What's happened?"

He was such a scary guy. His monochromatic eyes changed colors depending upon which direction a person glimpsed them. It was eerie when paired with his terrifying vibe. Honestly, that was exactly what Carver needed right now, so he focused on him.

"I don't really know where to start except to jump right in. As you know, Casper had to go stay with London because everything escalated at his place. The day he found his place trashed, Ever offered to look into things." Carver set the file on the desk and pushed it Asia's way. "He found a lot of interesting and horrifying things. I didn't really know who to take this to back then. It's not like I know anyone who can help. Not to mention, we weren't even a hundred percent certain anything he found really had anything to do with Casper's issues. It was really just a theory." Carver cleared his throat. He didn't really want to admit to lying about having the flu, so chose to omit that part. "Then Ever ran into this guy trying to make his way into Casper's place and that's why I had to disappear for a while." He flipped open the file and tapped on Boris's picture.

Asia picked up the file. After each piece he inspected, he handed it to Major. Oddly, Duncan stayed out of it. He simply chewed on the side of his nail, as if overly nervous. That fascinated Carver for some reason he couldn't explain. It was like Duncan knew something Carver didn't, and he waited for the hammer to drop.

When Asia finished reading Ever's findings, he focused on Ever. "You found all this?"

Ever nodded.

Asia and Major exchanged a glance.

Major stood and pulled his phone from his pocket. "I'll call Ransom." He stepped out, leaving Carver even more confused. Carver knew Major's husband was a security expert, but he didn't know why Ransom needed to be involved.

Asia's intense stare locked on to Ever. He held up the picture of Boris. "This guy has been on the radar of major players who work to take down sex-trafficking rings for years. We're talking people who are the best of the best, and they have never been able to uncover who the head of the snake was. How long did it take you to find his financier?"

Ever shifted from foot to foot. "Once I had Boris's name, about fifteen minutes."

Asia went quiet. He was completely expressionless. It had never occurred to Carver to question what Asia did for a living, but now he had all the questions. Was he CIA or FBI? Something undercover? The guy definitely sounded like he had criminal information—like he could do something about the situation.

Finally, Asia shook his head. "I know someone who would love to give you the job of a lifetime."

Ever shrugged. "I'm freelance, so feel free to pass along my information."

Asia nodded and focused on Carver. "You were right to bring this to me. It'll be handled. You don't have to worry about a thing. I promise you'll be completely safe."

It was odd. Asia was just some guy who married the owner of Leather Bait. What could he do? Yet Carver had come to him for a reason, and he believed every word Asia spoke. His shoulders relaxed.

Carver nodded. "Okay. Yeah. Thanks. I don't know why I knew you would know what to do."

Asia smiled. It was terrifying. "Maybe I give off a vibe."

God. He really did, and it was a scary as hell one. Carver motioned Ever's way. "I'm staying with Ever, so it's whatever with my place anyway. I get the feeling Casper has no intention of leaving London's home. My stay at Ever's is permanent too, so maybe none of this mattered anyhow."

Asia picked up the file, obviously intent on keeping it. "It matters. It matters more than you can know. This one piece of information will save countless people from an existence so horrific you cannot possibly imagine it. Thank you."

Duncan took Asia's hand and squeezed, as if offering him comfort.

It hit Carver. Asia sounded as if he spoke from experience and so much finally made sense about Asia's dark and aloof personality. His chest hurt. Carver flashed the pair a smile. He knew it looked as sad as it felt. "Okay. Well. Thanks for giving me a place to go with this, if that makes sense?"

He stood, avoiding Ever's gaze. Carver couldn't explain it, but he felt exposed. When they left the office, Major was nowhere to be seen.

Ever bumped shoulders with him. "So? This move is permanent, huh?"

Carver forced his expression to stay innocent. "What? Is that not what we decided?"

Ever snagged his waist and hauled Carver against him. Then he backed Carver against the bar. "Don't be coy. You know you've still been considering going back to the duplex. What finally convinced you to accept my offer?"

Carver wanted to tease him, but his mood was a bit shitty at the moment. He needed the love Ever freely gave him without pressure or strings. "For one thing, I can't imagine sleeping without you. I've gotten used to being cuddled in your arms every night. For another, I love you and I'm not dumb enough to let such a rarity escape my clutches."

Ever lifted Carver onto the nearest barstool and stood between his knees. With his hands braced on the bar on either side of Carver, he kept him boxed in. "I want to ask if you really mean it, but I know you wouldn't have said it if you didn't." Ever swallowed. He blinked as if he fought some overwhelming emotion. Ever cleared his throat. Still, when he spoke, his voice sounded strained. "You can't know how hard I dreamed of this. I don't deserve it."

Carver cupped Ever's face. "You're the only person who deserves me. There's no way you know how badly I need your intensity in my life. You can't know how empty I am without you filling me with all the things I have spent my life without. I know I'm hard to love, but you make it look easy."

Ever shuffled even closer. He swept his lips across Carver's. "I waited my whole life to get stuck in that elevator with you. Being trapped with you set me free. You're the greatest thing to ever happen to me." He whisked his lips across Carver's again, teasing him. "I will never let you regret me."

God. Carver really was in love with him. Until Ever had broken into his life, Carver hadn't known how badly he needed someone wholly obsessed with him. There was a needy child inside him who craved the sole, crazed focus. He prayed he never lost him.

"I just hope you don't regret me," Carver admitted, baring his biggest fear. "It's not like I'm exactly sane."

A sexy chuckle rumbled from Ever. "I guess two psychopaths do make the perfect pair." He covered Carver's mouth with his before Carver could respond. Carver deepened their kiss while holding on as tightly as he could. He was scared as hell of where they were headed, but he was equally excited. It was time for his next chapter.

Ever's mouth moved from Carver's lips to his cheek before traveling to his neck. The longer he touched Carver, the more he wanted. There were things he hadn't tried with Carver. Not because he had spent his life trying to be straight, but because he doubted his abilities. Carver was a very sexual person to Ever's joy. But that meant Ever might be a disappointment in certain areas and he didn't want to fail Carver. All that knowledge and insecurity didn't stop Ever from popping the button on Carver's jeans. When he had Carver's hard dick in his hand, Ever kissed down Carver's body.

Halfway to his goal, Carver cupped his face and forced Ever to meet his stare. "You never have to do anything you're not comfortable doing."

Ever licked his lips. "Let me try. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That means I want to explore everything with you."

Carver's gaze moved over Ever's face, as if he searched for something only he could see.

"Go home, guys. My husband is sending a crew to run the place tonight and review the club's security."

At Major's shout, a huge smile spread across their lips. No doubt Ever's looked as wicked as Carver's. "Let's take this home where you can fuck me properly."

Carver nodded. "Let's take it home."

Ever scrambled to help Carver fix his clothes before they rushed to his truck. They were like two kids skipping out on school. The thirty-minute drive to his place felt like forever, especially with the heated looks they kept tossing each other's way. When his small, two-bedroom house came into view, Carver nearly sighed in relief. Soon. He would have Ever beneath him in no time. On the way to the door, Ever lost his patience. He scooped Carver from the ground and tossed him over his shoulder. Carver didn't make a sound of protest. Ever used his fingerprint to unlock the door before killing the alarm. Finally, he made it to the bedroom.

Ever gently laid Carver on the bed like the treasure he was. Carver stared up at him with love while Ever unwrapped him like a beautiful package. For all his earlier impatience, Ever took his time. He didn't climb onto the mattress with Carver until he had them both nude.

"You're beautiful." Carver whispered the words as if they came from his soul.

Ever kissed Carver's stomach to hide the way the claim punched him in the chest. His eyes burned, and he didn't understand why. He had planned to savor Carver's mouth before moving on to pleasuring him, but his heart got in the way. Ever couldn't let Carver see how deep over the edge he truly was. He knew Carver thought he understood the depths of Ever's insanity. Carver really had no clue. Ever lived and breathed for him. His infatuation couldn't be quenched. His lips lingered on Carver's stomach until he heard Carver's breath hitch. The sound made him realize how aroused Carver was and how deep Ever had fallen into his thoughts.

He tongued Carver's stomach, licking downward. Ever had no qualms about tasting Carver's cock. He wanted to know the flavor of every inch of Carver. Once again, his only fear was failing. Carver worked at a fetish club. Sex was his forte. If Ever bored him, maybe he wouldn't want Ever forever. Those concerns fell away the first second he dragged his tongue down Carver's erection. Carver buried his fingers in Ever's hair. A sound like a dying man rumbled from him, making Ever recognize his power. Then Carver's dick was in his mouth and the world disappeared. His inner addict took over. His psychotic soul purred with satisfaction over having the object of its desire. He didn't think. Ever devoured. Carver was a writhing mess beneath his mouth and Ever's every heartbeat kept him alive for just this purpose. When he realized he humped the bed, looking for relief, Ever reached down and tugged his cock. He wouldn't make it until he was inside Carver.

A loud moan vibrated from him. The combination of Carver's dick stroking his tongue and his palm on his cock, Ever was in heaven.

"Jesus, Ever. You're a fucking natural."

No. He wasn't. Ever simply savored his favorite meal. He didn't doubt for a second it wouldn't be this way with anyone else. In fact, he cringed at the thought of any other dick in his mouth.

Carver tapped his back. "Roll over. I'm going to sit on your face and suck your dick."

Ever never moved so fast in his life. "Yes. Do that."

Carver scrambled into position, as if he couldn't stand a second away from Ever's mouth. Ever wasted no time getting back to work. The angle was a little awkward for him, but Carver was lightweight and easily maneuvered. Ever rocked him on his tongue. The sudden hot suction on his cock nearly took him out. Carver was too good. Then he found himself mimicking Carver's moves. His lust doubled. He fingered Carver's ass and mindlessly sucked. Ever let Carver fuck his face while his entire being stayed focused on the way Carver bobbed on his dick. Sounds vibrated around his cock. He was so close. Too close. The pressure climbing his shaft wouldn't be denied. Carver's suction was too fucking good. He couldn't stop moaning and lifting his hips. Carver squeezed his balls. Ever blew. A massive wave of ecstasy rocked his soul. Then hot cum filled his mouth. It was so unexpected, he almost choked. He hadn't really considered if he would spit or swallow. Ever simply instinctively swallowed. He was Carver's caretaker. This was an extension of that. He sucked and swallowed, while satisfaction and pride roared through him. Ever had made his man come. All was right in his world. Then Carver was in his arms and the sweat cooled on their skin. His gaze wouldn't waver from Carver's face.

"I love you." Even Ever heard how moved he was by their lovemaking.

"I love you too."

Damn, he loved those words on Carver's lips. No matter what it took, Ever would spend the rest of his life with this man. No other future for them would do.