He fisted his hands so tight he felt his short nails dig into his palms. “Does that hurt?” he asked, hoping Ethan wouldn’t shut him out. Niko looked at the bright-pink line on Ethan’s pale thigh. He wasn’t sure if the wound stood out because Ethan’s skin was so milky or if it Ethan had just made the cut a couple of days ago. Either way, he wanted to erase the gash. The mark was going to leave a scar. It was going to match the others above and below it. Niko took the moment to count them. Seven. Every last fucking one.
“Not now.” Ethan reached down to cover the slash with his hand.
Niko didn’t want a girlfriend. There was no way he wanted a boyfriend either, but Ethan—he wasn’t a friend. He was, shit, he was more. Niko stood, reaching behind his neck, he pulled the T-shirt over his head. “You have scars. So do I. You chose to do that. I chose to do these.” He ran his palm over his chest. “Ethan, we’re not so different when it comes to some things.”
Ethan looked up. “We’re not so different in a lot of ways.”
Without giving Ethan’s words time to grip his neck like a noose, he unzipped his jeans, stepped out, and tossed them on the floor. “Are you going to stand there and look pretty or come here and let me suck your cock?”
With a cute smirk, Ethan sat on the edge of the bed. “I think I’d rather sit here so you’re on your knees.”
Niko spun around, “Really? Never gonna happen. I don’t get on my knees for anybody.”
Ethan teased the waistband of his underwear with his thumb. “Well, maybe I shouldn’t let you eat this.”
Niko growled. What kind of fucking game was this kid playing? “Get your little ass back on that bed, Ethan. I get what I want and right now your cock is mine, so I suggest you crawl up there or I’ll have to tie you down.”
Ethan pulled and the soft fabric slid. “Promises—” He tugged harder. “Promises.”
“Jesus, Ethan, you’re fucking nineteen.” Niko slipped his hand down the front of his underwear, teasing the slick head of his stiff cock. A few strokes and he was going to blow. “How in the hell did you learn to do this?”
“Fantasies,” Ethan said, this time more innocently, pulling the underwear to his ankles. “There’s no strings with us so I can be whoever I want.”
Niko didn’t like the matter-of-fact way Ethan pled his case. “Yeah.” Niko realized he was doing the same thing. Ethan’s long cock bobbed as he scooted up the mattress. “God, your dick is amazing.”
Ethan stretched his arms over his head lengthening his lean torso. Niko pulled his hand out of his underwear. “Yours is nice, too. Maybe one day you’ll let me put my lips on it.”
Niko definitely could get down with that idea. He tossed his underwear and crawled onto the bed. When Ethan looked up, he stopped. “Wanna do this together?”
“Suck cocks?” Damn, he’d thought about it more than once, okay a thousand times, but never imagined he’d be in this situation. “I’ve never done it, but I’ve always wanted to try it.”
Niko turned around and lay down on his side. Skimming the smooth skin on Ethan’s hip, he slipped his fingers to the thin nest of trimmed hair before curving the tip of his index finger down to caressed the angry cut on Ethan’s thigh.
Leaning down, he softly pressed his lips against the ridge. “Please never do this again.” He waited for a response, but none came. Exploring the firm skin at the juncture where one weighted sac touched a pale inner thigh, Niko trailed his kiss along the seam until his nose met the rough flesh. He opened his mouth and drew in the round globe and suckled.
Moans and sighs floated over his head, the perfect remedy for a pain he’d been holding onto for years. “Do you have a condom?” Niko asked, with lips moving up to feather the hair prickling his nose.
Hot breath brushed his thigh. “I’m clean. I haven’t had sex in over a year and I got tested three months ago. Charles had been out to the club without me and wanted to suck my cock. We used a condom, but I still went to the free clinic. If you want to stop, I understand.”
Niko had no interest in prolonging the torture racking his balls since the day Ethan wore those damn skinny jeans. “No, I don’t want to stop. I’ve used a condom every time. I’ve only been with women. I mean, to have sex. Do you want to stop?”
Niko gasped, pushing his hips when the inside of Ethan’s mouth drenched his cock. “Mmm…” Ethan groaned sending a maddening vibration through Niko’s balls.
“Jesus, Ethan.” Niko fisted the base of Ethan’s cock, sucking in his cheeks until the broad head tapped the back of his throat. He gagged, shoved the embarrassment down, and sank his mouth again. His body trembled. His fingers started to go numb. From panic or pleasure, he had no idea, but he wasn’t going to stop. He wanted everything about Ethan, his smell, his touch, the way he blushed when he was trying to be brave.
Niko wanted it all.
The weight of his sac lessened. He could feel the globes tighten, winding the coil at the base of his cock. The length was drenched from Ethan’s tongue lapping and sucking. Niko closed his eyes and welcomed the warmth of Ethan’s hand squeezing his ass. Every time Niko pulled his hips back and pushed his cock deeper into Ethan’s throat, the tension in his gut wound tighter.
“You taste so good,” Ethan muffled, still keeping the wet assault riding Niko’s shaft. “Come in my mouth. I want to taste you.”
Niko’s balls tucked high and his throat opened more with Ethan’s sweet words. He wasn’t sure if he could swallow semen, but he was damn going to try. When was he ever going to experience this again?
Crumbling down the barriers, he tightened his grip on Ethan’s cock and stroked, the dance, a rhythm so perfect he felt the pulse in the thick vein vibrate against his palm. Ethan groaned. Niko sucked harder. He tucked a finger under Ethan’s sac and rubbed.
“Fuck.” Ethan grumbled around a mouthful.
The coil was too tight. A wire strung tight from his head to his feet and every muscle stiffened. Relief blackened his vision as he stilled his lips around Ethan’s cock and let his sac empty into Ethan’s warm mouth. The waves of Ethan’s throat swallowing massaged his cock as it twitched and vibrated.
Just as his body went limp, a light touch fanned his lower back. “My turn.” Ethan rose onto an elbow. “Do you want to swallow?”
Niko, popped the wide head of Ethan’s cock out of his mouth. “I can’t breathe. My dick still feels heavy. Jesus, your mouth is addictive.” He had no clue if he could swallow or not, but he was going to max out everything he could from the experience.
Dipping his head, he caught air in his lungs and filled his mouth. Saliva ran down his chin each time the wide head bumped the back of his throat.
“God, Niko, are you sure you’re not gay? Oh God, you do that—” The moment Ethan’s body drew tight, Niko sucked, as hot liquid painted his tongue. He swallowed, started to cough, swallowed again. Thickness slid down his throat, coating every inch with the musky, savory taste. He pulled away to watch Ethan slam back on the bed.
Niko laughed, almost choked, coughed, then laughed again. “Well?”
“Well, what?” Ethan asked, his chest rising and falling in equal measure. “You want me to tell you that you suck like a pro? Niko Malikov, you suck cock like a pro.”
Niko’s lips split into a smile. The creamy skin on Ethan’s stomach, through the marred flesh, looked graceful. Even before Niko had all the ink put on, his skin had never been so delicate. He tucked his legs and scooted around, hand lifting to roll Ethan onto his side when the buzzer rang out downstairs.
Ethan sat up, scrambling off the bed. “He found me.”
Niko got up and slipped into his jeans. “By he I assume you mean Charles and, no, that’s not your fuck up ex. Pizza is here.”
Without a shirt, Niko walked down the short staircase and pulled the wallet out of his back pocket as he opened the door. “Hey.” The young guy standing on the small landing handed Niko a receipt. “Aren’t you—” Niko looked up with a fifty-dollar bill
in his hand. The delivery guy’s wide-eyed gaze rose over Niko’s head.
Niko looked over his shoulder, dropped his wallet, and grabbed the boxes. “Keep the change.” He shoved the bill into the man’s hand. Sure the slam of the door probably sent the delivery guy tumbling down the stairs onto the sidewalk, but, at the moment, he didn’t give two fucks. He looked up at the loft. “Get your damn underwear on and get your ass down here and eat.”
He didn’t wait for a reply before stalking into the kitchenette and grabbing two plates. His fists tingled, almost going numb with the need to punch the wall, but his stomach felt like a million jackhammers were chipping away at his insides.
A key had been fitted into a lock hidden deep somewhere inside—somewhere he didn’t know existed, but the key had turned. His muscles loosened. His shoulders lowered. The nauseated sway of his gut eased and he sighed.
Ethan, with bare chest and flat belly, came bouncing down the stairs. “I’m starving. Will you please let me give you money for—”
Niko turned and gripped his slender arm so tight he was sure his mark was going to be left for everyone to see. “Don’t you ever do that again. I know that guy. His brother and I—” Ethan’s surprised expression, eyes moist and cheeks blushing, made Niko loosen this hand. “Christ, you’re gonna kill me. Is that your goal?”
The muscle in Ethan’s arm slackened. “No. I promised you I’d keep this a secret. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that, but I don’t want this. I mean, I want this.” He pressed his palm to Niko’s chest, the warmth seeping deep into this muscles making his grip slacken even more. Niko rolled the pad of his thumb back and forth, letting the smooth sensation of Ethan’s skin calm his nerves. “But, not when it’s going to cost me everything in the end. It took me a long time to recover from the last guy who didn’t want to been seen with me, then I screwed up and thought selling my soul wouldn’t be any big deal. I’ve been wrong about a lot, Niko, but I’m right about his.” He lifted his hand and Niko instantly knew what Ethan was going to say. “We’re both going to get hurt in the end.”
The key turned again and the lock closed. The jackhammers stopped and Niko let go of Ethan’s arm. “Get something to eat. The Professor wants to talk to you tomorrow. If you need anything, you’ve got my number.”
Niko headed back up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. He needed to get home to feed Casper. There were so many other places he needed to be instead of standing in his—whatever in the hell Ethan had become to him—apartment and waiting for a kiss that should never come again.
Ethan was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. “Please don’t go. You need to eat as much as I do.”
Niko snagged a slice off Ethan’s plate and took a bite. “I’m good.” He tossed the T-shirt over his shoulder. “Get some sleep.”
Ethan dropped his chin. “Thanks for everything.”
“No problem.” Niko fished in his pocket and dangling the glittery heart key chain. “You’re going to need this.”
“Thanks, I mean it. You’ve been really great.” Ethan took the key.
“Yeah, well,” Niko said as he opened the door. “I’m the guy who can get anything done.” He didn’t wait to hear another thank you. He wanted to spend the night. He wanted to wake up and fix Ethan pancakes tomorrow morning.
He wanted to stop being a pussy.
He wanted a damn drink.
*****
“Will that work for you?” The Professor sat in the chair across from the large desk. “If you want to keep your current job I understand and you can still keep the apartment. We could use the help, but you have to do what’s going to be best for you.”
Ethan ran his fingers through his hair. “So, you want me to clean up the rooms and help Scarlet with paperwork and stuff?”
The Professor leaned back in the worn leather chair, the cream-colored sleeves of his dress shirt neatly rolled up, revealing a faded mermaid tattoo on his forearm. “Yes, among some other duties. Deliveries come on Tuesdays and right now Scarlet is doing most of the work. The artists are booked and barely have time to eat during the day. I’ve got commitments. She’s wanting to enroll in some kind of salsa dance class and with your help she can do that. What do you say?”
Taking the offer would mean he’d have money for food and a phone. Charles had always covered his cell bill. The service was going to be shut off any day if he didn’t get online and pay. With The Professor only charging one hundred dollars a month for rent, he’d be able to afford next semester’s books. “What about school? I have three classes. Two are in the morning and one in the afternoon. I can skip a couple of the study sessions. Next semester starts in a few months. I can take online courses and that’ll free me up to work more.”
“School is important. We can certainly work around your classes. Niko said you don’t have a car so you can catch rides with me.” The lightbulb in Ethan’s brain flickered. Ah, The Professor! He’s a teacher at the university! Ethan sighed with relief. “You look a little more at ease. I assume that would really help you out.”
He had no idea. “That would be great. I’ll give you gas money.”
The Professor leaned his spider web tattooed elbows on the desk. “That won’t be necessary. Now, do you have everything you need up there?”
Ethan’s stomach was stretched full. He’d had three slices of cold pizza for breakfast. The memory of Niko’s withdrawn expression tugged at his lungs. “Yes, Niko has been great. He even got a microwave. I’ve never…I’ve never known anyone like him.”
“He’s a very special man, Ethan. Don’t let the muscles fool you,” he said, chuckling. “The talent Niko has is in another stratosphere. Sometimes he doesn’t see it. Maybe, you can help him realize how special he is.” Ethan stopped fingering the loose thread on his hoodie and shot a glance at The Professor. When The Professor rubbed the pad of his forefinger and thumb alone the point the left point of his handlebar mustache, Ethan held his breath. “No worries, young man. You’re not the first to try to snag him. He tends to be a little clueless when it comes to matters of the heart.”
Ethan swallowed, trying not to choke on saliva. “No, Professor, it’s not like that. He’s not…he’s not gay. I am, but he’s not…he’s not into…”
When The Professor pushed the chair back and stood, Ethan knew his legs wouldn’t hold his weight if he stood also. “Do you have class today? I have to leave a little early, but we can start with those rides now if you’re ready.”
Ethan rubbed his thighs, no pain because the scabs weren’t raw anymore. “I have a nine o’clock.”
“That’s perfect. I have a meeting at ten. Get your things and meet me down here. Your key will open the door in the back by the restroom. When the club is open, you’re welcome to use that door.”
Ethan nodded. The thought of being so close to Niko made his hands tingle. That always happened when he was getting ready to have a panic attack. What if The Professor said something giving Niko the impression their secret was out in the open? Sure, he didn’t want to be hidden in Niko’s gay closet, but he wanted—needed—to be friends with the guy. The attraction was enough to make his zipper pop, but there was more. So much more Ethan shook his hands trying to squelch the idea of how much he wanted Niko in his life.
When The Professor patted his shoulder, Ethan snapped his thoughts. “Come on, son. Don’t sweat this stuff. When I was seventeen, I thought my father was going to throttle me because I’d started boxing in a hole-in-the-wall gym. Come to find out he’d done the same thing, just like his father. It wasn’t about the money, and I have a feeling it’s not about the money for Niko, either. His blood needs to create like your blood needs to love him.”
Ethan sat on his hands to keep from fidgeting. Jesus, he was sweating so much he was going to have to take a quick shower again. The Professor squeezed and Ethan appreciated the support. Relief flooded his veins. He’d never betray Niko’s trust, but the way his chest tightened and his stomach fluttered wh
en Niko was around made him lightheaded. He’d never experienced anything like it before.
“I swear it’s not like that. He’s just a friend,” Ethan said, trying to convince himself more than cover up Niko’s pride.
“None of my business. Let’s head out.”
Ethan stood on weak legs.
“When you get back, I’ll have Scarlet show you around.”
Ethan followed The Professor out of the office and down the hall. A guy with short, spikey hair, either due to just getting out of bed, or a perfectly applied gel job, stopped in front of cigar lounge door. He tilted an energy drink can to his lips. “Hey.” He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, coughed, then took another drink. “So, yeah, I might need to head out for the weekend. I have some stuff to get straightened out.”
The Professor tilted his head and smiled. “We’ll hold things down here, Knox. Be careful, right?”
Ethan noticed the purple and grey splotches on Knox’s forearms. The tipped his full lips, full because one had a nasty cut obviously in a state of healing, into a cheesy grin. “Always.” He pointed at Ethan making him want to shrink back into The Professor’s office. Something about the man was off, made Ethan nervous, like one of those clowns in the circus pictures. Always smiling, but something so wrong under the paint. “This Niko’s kid?”
Ethan stuffed his hands in his pockets so he wouldn’t flip the guy off and get his ass kicked for sure. First, he wasn’t anyone’s kid. He was turning twenty next week. Diapers and bottles got thrown out a long time ago.
The Professor peered in Ethan’s direction. “This is Niko’s friend. From the look on his face, I would suggest you keep your distance. I think he could give you a run for your money. I mean what I said, Knox. You have my number. Call if you need me.”
Knox nodded, keeping the corner of his eye on Ethan. “Will do, boss man. Ethan, right? Prince Charming said you were moving in upstairs. Welcome to the club.” Again with the sinister clown grin, but this time one of his ice-blue irises disappeared with a wink.
Savior: A Tattered Club Story (Tattered Social Club Series Book 1) Page 11
