Aiden padded out and sat on the edge of his wingback. So similar to the one in the library. I wondered if he liked it as much. I had plans for it. I took my time replying to Adam, letting Aiden sit there and wait.
Jensen: I’ll be home sometime tomorrow. We hanging or you got family shit to do?
Text bubbles appeared the second I hit send. Had he been waiting with my message open? It had been hours since he’d text me.
Adam: Nadda. Day after. We can chill and have a few beers. Maybe go to the bar.
Jensen: It’s only going to be open if you open it.
Since it was a small town that fed a ski resort, not much was open when it snowed this much. Even with as packed as the resort probably was for Christmas, the town would be quiet. I preferred it that way.
I glanced up at him. His gaze was sharp and his cheekbones even more so. He had his fingers tented and forearms on his thighs leaning forward. Displeasure oozed from him.
“I was replying to your brother.”
“My brother!” He was on his feet again.
I sighed and sat back. “Chill out. He’s going to my place.”
“He’s back in town!”
I knew Aiden was high energy but I’d forgotten what it was like to spend days around him. My lips twitched, trying to pull into a smile but kept it off my face.
“He’s not here yet, and he’s going to my place. I told him I’d see him tomorrow. Will you calm your tits?”
He hugged his chest, putting his hands over his nipples. “Stop objectifying me!”
I laughed and he joined me. It felt good. One of the first things that drew me to Aiden was his humor. I got up and closed the space between us. “Let me look at the wound you’re sporting.”
“Here?”
“Is there anyone else here you don’t want to see you naked?” I had to laugh. “I’m the only one here.”
“Are you suggesting you want me to strip down in front of you?”
“I had your ass out in the bedroom twenty minutes ago.”
He colored and my cock stirred. The rose hint his flesh turned had been one of my favorite things about him since the first time I’d noticed him looking at me. He’d been fourteen and I’d been almost eighteen. I’d come home with Adam after school to hang on a day we’d not had practice and he’d been there. Nose in a book and delicate in ways I couldn’t have dreamed possible because of how his brother was. They were opposites and yet still close. He’d ridden in the car with us before, and I’d seen him around, but that was the first time I noticed him noticed him. Realized the way he looked at me. It was intoxicating. Aiden was intoxicating.
I learned soon after that Adam didn’t let anyone pick on Aiden, not after Avery left. He was a fierce protector. They had the type of family that would do anything for each other. I’d always been envious of it.
“Fine.”
“Fine?” I asked, already dropping to a knee next to him to tug his sweats down, exposing the stitches.
“Am I going to die?” His tone was dripping with sarcasm.
“Probably.”
Aiden narrowed his eyes at me. “What?”
“But not from this.” I flashed my teeth in a grin.
He rolled his eyes and started to pull his sweats back up.
I shoved his hand away. “Will you stop?”
“Why do you need to keep looking at it?” Again he was pushing my hands away, pulling up his pants.
I picked up my belt from the side table. “If you insist on fighting me so I can’t make sure you’re okay…”
He swallowed but pulled his sweats up the rest of the way anyway, crossing his arms over his chest. I folded the belt in half and his pupils grew. There was no other tell, but that was enough. I sat in the chair.
He stayed where he was. I pointed at the space between my feet. He stayed for a long moment, a final protest before making his way over to me.
“Over my knee.”
“Like this?”
“How else would you like me to do it?” I asked, unfazed by his complaint. I expected us to have some hiccups.
“With my mask.”
“No, we are doing things without the mask for a little while. I’m not giving you something to hide behind anymore.”
He flushed from his cheeks all the way to his throat. I resisted the urge to stir in my seat because it would let him know how horny I was.
“Fine.” There was an edge to his tone.
I knew it well. It was more protest to save face. We both knew he wanted this. I took him over my lap and tore down his sweats, exposing his bare ass to me. He clenched as the cool air hit him. I massaged his cheek, pulling beautiful whimpers from his lips. He was pushing my buttons to get what he wanted. I would give him care to a limit, but he wasn’t getting my cock until he gave me what I wanted.
I warmed his cheeks with a few light slaps, not overdoing. I took the belt in hand again, folding it and lifting it over him. Aiden pressed his face into my thigh, breath catching.
I brought the belt down, once, twice, leaving two angry strips over his welted pink skin.
He whimpered, body shaking. I set the belt aside and returned to the gentle massage. I’d coat the welts with aloe later, but for now he was going to have to sit with them. I checked his wound again and then pulled up his sweats.
“Is that all?” There was a catch to his voice that gave away how much more he wanted.
“For now, yes. If you’d like to sit in my lap awhile before we talk, you can.”
He rearranged himself, climbing into my lap, laying his head on my shoulder. We stayed that way for a few minutes, barely getting in any care before Aiden was moving again.
“Where are you going?” I asked when he was on his feet.
“I’m going to go take a nap.” He lifted his chin and turned on his heel.
He stalked off without a backward glance. I stroked over my scruff, sighing. He’d feel better if he talked to me. But getting him there was going to be difficult. He was fighting me at every turn. I was going to have to get creative to lure him out.
But how?
Four
AIDEN
I’d retreated to the bedroom after the spanking. I wasn’t sure how I was feeling about any of this. What the hell was I doing? I was screwed. I wanted to date Jensen but there was a lot to think about. I wasn’t sure if it was worth losing my brother over. But every time I thought about telling Jensen I couldn’t see him any more, my chest started to ache. I told myself I wanted everything to go back to the way it was before we’d woken up together but that was a lie. This would be better and I knew it, but how was I going to look my brother in the eyes ever again?
I doubly betrayed him. First talking to Avery and now this. There was no way our relationship was going to survive it. I expected Adam to move out the minute he found out and leave me up in this cabin all alone. Again.
I had resting guilty face. I looked it even when I’d done nothing, and it was multiplied when guilty. There was no way I would get through the holidays without drunkenly confessing I’d seen his best friend’s cock. Probably about as tactfully as that, too.
Bang.
I jumped, spinning around at the noise. I darted out of my bedroom seeking out the source of it. Jensen was half gone, leaning into my overstuffed closet with a heap of junk on top of him.