Page 1 of Beautifully Damaged

Prologue

Three years earlier…

With his phone propped against the wall, Ben fired up FaceTime. He missed his baby. Granted, they had only been apart since last night, but it got harder every day to keep going the way they were. Joey was the face of one of the biggest metal bands around Cosmic Nightmare. Ben was only a roadie. He shouldn’t have caught Joey’s eye. Ben still didn’t understand why he had. The problem was, Joey was the face of his band. No one could know he was gay. Every day that Ben stayed a secret, he got twenty-four hours closer to insanity. He loved Joey more than life. But loving Joey was starting to hurt more than it felt good, and Ben didn’t always know where to go with that.

Joey’s face appeared on the screen.

All of Ben’s worries disappeared. The way they always did. “Hey there, beautiful.” Damn, it was true. Joey was larger than life. He was mesmerizing and took Ben’s breath. Ben always expected he would feel less one day when he looked at Joey. It never happened. Loving him never got old.

“Hello, hottie. Goddamn. Look at you being all sweaty, mussed, and stuff. Mhmm. Why do you have to be so far away?”

Ben set his chin on his crossed arms on the desk and stared at the screen. Joey felt a lifetime away. “I’m where you sent me, remember?”

Joey released a long, loud groan. “I know. It fucking sucks, but you’re still part of the crew. People—”

“I know,” Ben said, cutting him off before they traveled back down a well-trod road. “We have to keep up appearances. I don’t mind the work. It’s just that I miss you.” Ben paused. “I miss our bed.”

Joey bit his bottom lip. “Are you alone? I mean, I know you must be if you called, but are you safe to play?”

A smile snapped up Ben’s lips. Joey had always been naughty and insatiable. Ben loved it. “Yeah. I’m sitting at the desk in my hotel room. We’re done setting up, so I stole my chance to be with you.”

“Cool. Cool. Strip.”

With a laugh, Ben leaned back and took off his shirt.

“Goddamn. Yum. Look at all that chest. I miss it. The pants too. I want to see that dick.”

Ben stood and peeled off his pants and underwear. Being with Joey like this was as familiar as breathing. They spent more time apart than Ben liked at certain times. Over the years, they had found ways to keep their relationship going however they could. Everyone wanted Joey. Ben had to give Joey a reason to want only him. He stood naked and waiting.

“Now what?” Even to his ears, Ben sounded breathless as his erection grew. He never had to fight to get hard for Joey.

“Stroke that fat cock. You know I like to watch.”

Ben didn’t give in right away. “Give me a reason.”

A wicked smile spread across Joey’s lips. “Do this for me now and I promise I’ll get on my knees the second you get home.”

There was nothing better than Joey on his knees. For a man who hid his sexuality, he didn’t pretend in the bedroom. Joey loved sucking dick, and it showed. Ben could already picture Joey staring up at him from his knees. His cock ached. Ben stroked.

“Yes. Just like that.” Joey sounded breathless, but only his face showed on the screen. Oddly, Ben liked that. The move left him guessing where Joey’s hands were. He enjoyed a bit of mystery.

A ragged breath escaped Ben as he rode his palm. “I want you to sit on my face when I get home.”

A breathless chuckle fell from Joey’s lips. “You’re such a tease.”

“It isn’t teasing if I plan to do it.”

“Fuck. I miss you.”

Ben nearly came at only Joey’s confession. “I miss you too.”

“I love you.”

A moan tore from Ben. “I love you too.”

“I could watch you all day. You’re my whole fucking world.”

There it was. That was why Ben couldn’t give up on Joey. No matter what, even if he spent the rest of his life as a secret, Ben heard those words and felt them in his chest. No one else on the planet had won Joey. Ben had done that.

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