Page 24 of Joey

Ethan finished making his drink and cradled the mug in both hands despite it scalding his palms. He needed something to focus on as his heart broke. He leaned back against the counter and stared out of the small window in his kitchen, blinking rapidly as his thoughts highlighted how deep he’d already fallen.Holy fuck!

The mug was lifted out of his hands, and his attention snapped to Joey as he stepped in front of him. Joey slid his hands across Ethan’s jaw, and Ethan’s eyelids fluttered.

“You’re not one to throw a tantrum, I know. But you’re also not one to let your feelings stop other people from doing what they want to do.” Joey’s eyes transfixed Ethan as his voice lowered to a rumble. “I don’t want to leave because I’ll be leaving behind the one person who understands me. I’ve let no one else as close as you’ve burrowed inside me. Andthatis why I’m leaving.You don’t deserve your life being turned upside down by me. You deserve a life of freedom, the chance to make mistakes that won’t be publicised for the world to see, the opportunity to love without giving up the anonymity. If you’re with me, you’ll get none of that.” Joey’s mouth came closer, and his voice lowered further, breathing across Ethan’s skin. “I care about you too much to allow you to forfeit everything for me when I don’t deserve it,” he whispered.

Joey brushed his lips across Ethan’s, and Ethan automatically opened for him. The spell Joey had cast over him had him lightheaded with need. Ethan grasped at Joey’s back, gripping handfuls of his T-shirt as Joey slowly explored Ethan’s warm cavern, their mouths never sealing completely. Ethan’s chest lifted and dropped in sharp movements as he sucked air in and breathed it out in between the licks and nips Joey gave him.

Finally, Joey sealed their mouths, and Ethan’s knees gave out. Joey tightened his hold, sliding one hand behind Ethan’s back to support him while his other hand slid into Ethan’s hair. A hint of coffee remained on Joey’s tongue as they tangled, taking everything the other gave.

Joey’s hands skimmed over Ethan’s clothed body to squeeze his ass, and Ethan groaned, bucking forward. Joey responded by grabbing Ethan’s thighs and lifting him to sit on the counter. It made Ethan taller than Joey, and he lowered his head to join their mouths again. He couldn’t get enough, needed more.

“Joey,” he breathed, his head dropping back against the wall cupboards while Joey fumbled with the button and zip of Ethan’s trousers.

One second, the cool air bathed his cock; the next, Joey’s mouth surrounded him with wet heat. Ethan’s hand rested against the back of Joey’s head as his tongue did amazing things to his dick.

“Fuck!” He gasped, the fire-like sensations bombarding him. He couldn’t buck his hips, precariously positioned as he was, but he could encourage with his words. “Yes, Joey! Fuck, yes. That’s so good.”

His free hand gripped Joey’s shoulder while Joey swallowed around Ethan’s tip. Ethan licked his lips and opened his eyes, peering down at Joey a second before something caught his eye. He glanced at the window and cursed, pushing at Joey.

“What the fuck!” Ethan shouted, covering his groin when Joey stood.

Joey glanced over his shoulder, swore and raced to the back door, flinging it open and disappearing, though Ethan heard his words. “Get your ass back here, or you’ll find yourself in jail!” he shouted at the person who had been either taking photos or filming them through Ethan’s back window.

Ethan jumped off the counter and shoved his dick back in his trousers. When he was decent, he stepped into his back garden. Joey was in a standoff with a young-ish man with dark hair and eyes, though his mouth was curled in what Ethan thought looked like satisfaction.

“If any of those photos or videos, whatever you were taking, find their way online, you will be arrested for trespassing,” Joey said.

“It’s a free alley,” the man said, waving his hand towards the alley that ran the length of the back of the houses.

“Yes, that alley might be,” Ethan said, “but my back garden is not a public right of way.”

“I want to watch you delete them,” Joey said. “Now!” he added when the man shook his head.

The man huffed. “It’s just a fucking job, man.” He brought his camera up, and Joey stepped closer, watching as the man did something—hopefully deleting those photos. Then he stepped back to Ethan’s side.

“What’s your name?”

“Devlin Cooper, Whitby Chronicles. Nice to meet you.” The man had the audacity to hold out his hand with a smile.

Ethan and Joey ignored the outstretched hand, and Devlin huffed again. “Who told you where I was?” Joey asked.

Devlin shrugged. “An anonymous tip to the paper. The moment it came through, my editor told me to check it out.”

“So you thought gaining unlawful entry into someone’s back garden was the way to do it?” Ethan said.

“Hey, man. I need this job. I need something to keep it, especially with how things are now.”

“Not at the expense of our privacy,” Joey said.

Devlin laughed loudly. “Privacy? You’re a celebrity in your own right, Mr Reynolds. You forfeited your privacy years ago, I’m afraid to say.”

Joey glanced at Ethan as if to say, “I told you so,” but Ethan was having none of it. “But I didn’t. You have no right.”

“No one plays by the rules anymore, man. Get a life.” Devlin turned and exited the garden, stopping in the alley and facing them again. Ethan heard the click of the camera, and Devlin held up his hands. “Can’t say I can’t keep that one.”

“Get lost, Mr Cooper,” Joey said, closing and locking the back gate.

“Fucki—”

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