Page 34 of The Fortunate Son

Rory came first, grunting and growling through his release. Ivan followed right after, not uttering a single sound as his facial features twisted and froze into a mask of pleasure and pain. God, it made Rory so fucking glad he was alive.

Ivan carefully set Rory down and firmly gripped his hips to make sure he was steady enough to stand on his own. “We won’t have much hot water left,” he said, steering Rory under the spray and reaching for the shampoo and conditioner. Ivan flipped the cap open and took a sniff. “This is how I imagine a billiard room would smell before I bent you over the table and fucked you.”

Rory let out a little whimper and braced an arm on the tile wall to keep him upright.

Ivan poured a generous circle of amber liquid into his palm. The color was nearly a dead ringer for his eyes. Instead of lathering his own hair, Ivan went to work on Rory’s, massaging his scalp and making him tingle in new and exciting ways. The wash ended much sooner than Rory wanted. Then he remembered the comment about limited hot water and tipped his head back to rinse the shampoo out while Ivan went to work on his own scalp.

“I like the amount of lather I get,” Ivan said. “Makes me think the product is doing something. That’s two checks in the pro column.” He gave Rory the dirtiest smile he’d ever seen. “Pretty sure you know how I felt about Splash Zone.”

Rory couldn’t help but smile. Their sexy shower had turned into a consumer survey. “Might need another test before we can render a true opinion. The liquid was perfect for jerking off or frotting in the water, but how well would it hold up during a rigorous fucking?”

Ivan moved under the spray to rinse his hair. Rory tried to move to give him space, but Ivan snagged him by the hip and held him there. It seemed Ivan was in no hurry to part ways either. They turned to the body wash next and had just enough time to soap up and rinse off before the water temperature cooled significantly.

Rory turned the faucet off with a hard shiver. “I’ll test out the face stuff tomorrow,” he said as he accepted the towel Ivan handed him. He dried off but got distracted watching the light blue terrycloth move over Ivan’s skin until a shiver racked his body.

Ivan snorted, threw his towel over the rack to dry, and gripped Rory’s towel. He scrubbed the material over damp skin while grinning. He looped the towel around Rory’s neck when he was done and gently tugged him forward for a quick kiss. Uncertainty settled in the pit of Rory’s stomach. Should he tell Ivan good night and go to his own bed? Should he just follow Ivan back to his room and see what happened? The internal debate must’ve shown in his expression because Ivan smoothed his fingers over Rory’s forehead. “Tell me what’s wrong,” he said.

“Do you want me to go downstairs now so you can sleep?”

“No, but I’ll understand if you need your own space.”

Rory shook his head. “I’d like to sprawl in your bed and feed you cookies.”

Ivan placed a hand over his heart and feigned a hard swoon. “How could I refuse a suggestion like that?”

Rory hung up his towel, and they hurried to Ivan’s room, where they could get warm under the covers. Once Rory was in bed, Ivan turned the overhead light off and flipped on a bedside lamp. True to his word, Rory fed Ivan two giant cookies and tucked the joyful sounds of the big man’s moans of delight next to his heart. Once they finished, Ivan turned off the lamp and spooned up behind him.

“I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt this relaxed,” Ivan murmured.

“Good,” Rory said. “Interview tip number one: Remember this feeling tomorrow. You’re just engaging in an intimate conversation about your business.”

“How intimate?” Ivan asked.

Rory rolled over in his embrace and kissed his lips. “What do you love most about raising bees?”

Ivan immediately tensed, so Rory rubbed his chest until he relaxed. “Roberto isn’t out to get you. He wants to know what makes your honey such a standout. I can tell you right now it comes from passion. I can feel it humming under your skin.”

“That’s what happens when you’re near.”

Rory chuckled. “Be serious.”

“I’m very serious about my bees,” Ivan replied.

“See how loose you are? Let’s keep it this way.” Rory repeated his original question and raptly listened to his reply. This was a man who loved his job, and that was something they shared. Doubts about Rory’s future tried to creep in, but he held them at bay to ask Ivan another question. They continued practicing until they spent more time yawning than talking.

“Rory?” Ivan whispered.

“Yeah.”

“You make me really glad I stopped hating myself.”

Rory’s breath caught in his chest. No one had ever said anything half as beautiful to him. He wanted to give Ivan a truth equally as powerful, and the dark made confessions so much easier. “This is the first time I haven’t felt lonely since my mom died.”

Ivan tightened his arms around him and pressed a kiss to Rory’s nape. “We’re in so much fucking trouble.”

“Yeah, but we’re in it together.” The significance of his words should’ve startled Rory and kept him awake, but the truth settled over him like a weighted blanket and lulled him to sleep.

The next thing Rory knew, early morning light filtered into the bedroom, and he noticed an erection pressed against his lower back. He stretched and pushed harder against Ivan’s hot body, earning a grateful groan.

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