Rhythm of Us: Book 2 Of The Fated Hearts Series (18 page)

DID HE HAVE
the slightest inkling just how fucking much his question affected me? Did he know where my mind went the second I saw that silver ball poking through his tongue when he licked the mayo off his finger? I couldn’t be sure, because his expressive eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses. I reached over and pulled his disguise off, tossing them aside like I had my own. That was much better and I had the answers to my questions, he knew exactly where my mind went and how his question affected me.

“No, I’ve yet to experience the feel of a little ball sliding up and down my cock, teasing that sensitive spot just beneath the crown while a lover sucks me into his mouth. I can only imagine the act and only guess how amazing it feels.” I had to stifle a groan that threated to escape with the thought. “Mmm, what about kissing? Does it feeling amazing when a man kisses you with a pierced tongue?”

Xavier squirmed slightly in his seat and I didn’t need to look at his crotch to know he was just as affected as I was. I turned in my seat and faced him full on, but resisted the urge to reach for him. I needed to let him be in control of what happened between us, no matter how difficult it would be to wait. There was even a chance that Xavier would never want more from me than what had already transpired. I knew that and I would need to live with it, regardless of the physical attraction between us. I would never pressure him in to doing anything, especially after hearing about his abusive relationship with his former band manager. God, how I’d love to get my hands on that jerk.

“Yes.” Xavier took so long to answer that I almost forgot my question. Almost.

“I’ll add that to my sexual bucket list.” I was going for matter-of-fact, but my voice sounded too raspy to my own ears.

“Bucket list?” Xavier narrowed those eyes in speculation, as if he didn’t like the thought of me making a list of things I wanted to try with a man. “How long is the list?”

“Well, I just started it this week so it’s not very long. Oh, and you already helped me mark one item off the list. Thank you.” I shot him a playful wink.

Xavier also turned in his seat so he too was facing me. His eyes locked on my lips and I knew he wanted to help me scratch off another item. Did he like being my first as much as I did? Was goading him in to kissing me wrong when I could see how badly he wanted it?

“Ben.” The raw need in his voice clawed at my guts and sent shivers up and down my spine. His pink tongue slipped out to wet his lips at the same time he whet my appetite. “I . . .”

“Xavier.” I watched as his pupils dilated and nostrils flared. “You’re in control here. If you want something then take it.”

Xavier’s eyes closed slowly, his body swayed slightly forward, and the tiniest of whimpers escaped his closed lips. His eyes opened slowly and I saw determination to carry through what he started. My heart started to pound out a staccato rhythm in anticipation, as his body leaned closer and closer until his forehead was pressed to mine. Xavier’s hands crept up ever so slowly until they cupped my face, he traced my lower lip with his thumb as he bit his own lip in anticipation.

We both kept our eyes open when his lips first brushed against mine. His lips were warm and soft and it took every ounce of control for me not to press harder against him and deepen the kiss, so eager to have his tongue in my mouth again. After several soft kisses, Xavier angled his head and licked a path across my lips and I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.

“Open for me,” Xavier whispered and I happily obliged him.

His tongue slid over mine, so that the smaller ball on the bottom of his tongue raked across the top of mine. I wrapped my lips around his tongue and sucked it deeper into my mouth. Xavier slid his hands into my hair where his blunt nails scored my scalp, giving me a full-on body shiver.

I released his tongue with a sexy pop and let him proceed to kiss me however he wanted. He swirled his tongue around mine seductively slow, his piercing ramping up my lust tenfold. I kept my hands on the console between our bodies, not trusting them anywhere on his body.

“Touch me, Ben.” Xavier didn’t have to tell me twice.

I slid my hands up his torso, slowing to tug his nipples on my journey upward. I stopped when my hands reached his neck and lightly traced his pulse points with my thumbs. I angled my body closer to his, seeking out his body heat. I wanted to feel his body pressed so tight against mine until not even air could fit between us. Never had a kiss affected me so damn much and I never wanted it to end.

BAM. BAM. BAM
.

Xavier and I jerked apart when someone pounded on my driver side window. I clutched my chest in fear of a heart attack while my jackass brother laughed so hard he couldn’t catch his breath. The finger pointing and knee-slapping went on for a few minutes, which allowed my heart to return to a normal rhythm.

“Who the fuck is that?” Xavier leaned around me to get a better look at the idiot jackal.

“My asshole brother,” I answered dryly. “What the fuck is he doing here?”

Bevan gathered himself and walked to door behind mine and knocked on the window for me to unlock it and let him in. I shrugged at Xavier and clicked the unlock button. Xavier looked back and forth between Bevan and myself, probably noticing just how much we looked alike. We could pass for twins if not for the slight gray around Van’s temples and the hint of crow’s feet around his eyes.

“What are you doing, dickhead?” I asked as soon as he shut the door behind him.

“I knew you were going to be doing some sleuthing and wanted to make sure you didn’t jump the guy and go to jail because of your pregnant friend.” Xavier tensed beside me.

“Meet my pregnant friend’s brother,” I said sarcastically to Bevan. “Xavier, this is my older brother, Bevan, who usually shows more tact.”

Bevan at least had the decency to look chagrined when he leaned forward and offered Xavier a hand. “I didn’t mean any offense, Xavier.”

“None taken.” Xavier didn’t sound convincing.

“It’s a damn good thing I showed up, because you two amateurs missed the fair-haired prince picking up his nightly piece of side action.” Van nodded his head over to the black SUV a few rows up and over to the right. Van snickered when the vehicle began to rock with the rhythm of a frantic fuck. “Lucky lady, huh?”

“Van,” I warned. I couldn’t be sure, but Xavier might have been watching this scene in horror, picturing his sister being treated in a similar fashion. The thought was enough to make my stomach pitch and roll and I wasn’t a blood relative.

“What? I’m not putting his sister down,” Van said defensively. “I know nothing about her circumstances, but I’ve seen hundreds of douches just like Drake Anderson during my time as a private investigator. After he puts it to this woman, he’ll stop and get his wife a little gift, and then go home to her smelling like another woman. Fucking disgusting. What’s the point? I say we just keep playing the field, lil’ bro, that way no one can make us feel as shitty as his wife surely will be feeling later tonight.”

I glanced over at Xavier and found him watching me closely. I can’t say how I knew it at that moment, but I just knew that my answer would make or break this fledgling little
thing
– for lack of a better word – that we had going. I needed to answer honestly, but be certain not to paint myself in a bad light.

“That’s a pretty cold existence though, Bevan.” I kept my eyes trained on Xavier while I continued. “I used to be pretty happy going from one dude to the next, but not anymore.”

“Unh,” Van grunted. “That’s a pretty swift change of opinion, bro.”

“Not really. I’ve spent the last year watching two wonderful men fall head-over-heels in love with each other. It’s been the most enlightening experience, Van. I mean, it’s like they need each other to breathe. It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen,” I said shaking my head. “I realized that I want that for myself. Someday.” Xavier said nothing, but he kept those liquor-colored eyes on mine, searching for any signs that I wasn’t being sincere. I imagined he was mulling over every single word I spoke.

“Well, it sounds all romantic and nice, but I don’t believe that love lasts. I think too many times people confuse lust and hormones with love. People toss that L word out there so casually these days that it carries no weight with me. But, I hope your friends are the rare couple who make it work.” Van leaned up and slapped me on the shoulder. “I hope you find that kind of relationship too, Ben, if that is what you really want.” He sat back in his seat and then chuckled. “In the meantime, let’s follow this loser and see if I was right.”

We watched as Drake Anderson barely helped the lady out of the backseat of his SUV and didn’t even wait for her to safely get in her car before he peeled out of the parking lot.
What a dick!
I pulled out behind him, but didn’t follow too closely, of course. Van was the definition of a backseat driver as he instructed me on the proper way to tail a suspect.

“Stay two cars back.”

“I am, Van.”

“He’s turning, Ben.”

“I can clearly see the turn signal.”

“Don’t pull into the same parking lot as him, dip shit. You want to make it obvious? Go down to the sandwich shop next door and we’ll watch him discreetly from there.”

“Yes, Miss Daisy.”

This was not how I wanted my night to go, but Xavier appeared to be having a great time as he laughed at the bantering back and forth between Van and myself. We waited and watched as the cheating bastard went into the convenient store and returned a few minutes later with flowers and a bottle of wine.

“See? What the fuck did I tell you? I bet that wine tastes like panther piss.” Van leaned forward until his head was between the front seats. “Let’s finish this little stakeout to the very end, shall we? Let’s follow this pathetic loser home.”

I looked over at Xavier to see if he was okay with Van’s plan and he shrugged his shoulders in response, so I took that as an agreement. I casually pulled out behind our guy, because we all knew where he was going next and had the address. We parked down the street from his house and I was grateful for the darkness that had fallen when I saw the light from the street lamps bounce on the toys and bikes in the front yard, which indicated that this sleaze had already fathered children.

The front porch light came on when the asshole got out of his SUV and walked up the front walk to his door. His wife stepped onto the porch and I could plainly see the strain on her face, even from a few doors down. She accepted her gifts and let herself be hugged by her husband, who didn’t outwardly show anything when his wife went completely stiff in his arms. The wife remained on the porch for several moments after the cheating bastard went inside smiling, because he thought he got away with it again.

“She knows,” Van said, breaking the strained silence, “just like they always do.” He leaned back in the seat and let out a muffled groan that was full of frustration. “Take me back to my car, will ya punk?”

“Sure, Van.”

I put the car into gear and drove us all back to the bar where our night began. The ride there was so quiet you could’ve heard a pin drop. I parked next to Bevan’s car and was ready for him to get the hell out, but Xavier stopped him.

“Bevan, can I hire you to help me find a friend? I haven’t been able to get in touch with him for a long time and I’m worried.”

Bevan looked as surprised as I felt, but it didn’t stop him from pulling a business card out of his pocket and handing it to Xavier. “Call me and I’ll see what I can do for you,” he offered with a cool smile. “Ben, walk me to my car.” It wasn’t a question. I got out of the car and made sure to shut the door so Xavier wouldn’t overhear the conversation. “What the fuck are you doing,” Van whispered angrily. “Is that your idea of taking things slow?”

“Van, I got this under control.”

“It didn’t look like it to me. It looked like you were about five seconds from car sex in public. Ben, I just want you to be careful.”

“Van, he’s confided in me and I’m perfectly fine with everything I learned from him. I promise you that I’ve got this under control. The absolute worst thing that could happen would be that he doesn’t return my feelings. Yeah, it will hurt pretty fucking bad, but it won’t kill me.” I tried to convince Van, but I also wondered if I was also trying to convince myself.

Van gave me a tight hug and patted me on the back. “Call me anytime, Ben. Night or day.”

I agreed that I would and watched him get in his car and drive away. I smiled to myself as I walked back to Xavier, because I had a new item to add to the bucket list: car sex.