Curious (The Finn Factor 1)

When he pulled him into his arms, Jeremy realized Owen must have taken the cuffs off. When he laid him on the bed—how had they gotten to the bedroom?—he rolled on his side and watched Owen disappear into the bathroom.

He came back with a cool, wet washcloth, lying beside Jeremy and gliding the cloth over his shoulders, his back, the tender cheeks of his ass.

“That’s nice,” he whispered, staring at the pulse beating at the base of Owen’s throat. He felt a bit like he did the one time he got high at Comic-Con. “When Tasha talked about it, I always thought aftercare sounded strange. But that’s what this is, right? You’re taking care of me.”

Owen’s lips tilted in amusement and he nodded. “Yes I am. You deserve to be taken care of, Jeremy. You never ask for it, but I don’t think I know anyone who deserves it more. You gave me a gift today. Gave me everything I asked for. It was so good I’m already planning on doing it again. But right now it’s all about you. See how nice it can be when you let someone stick around after?”

“I can’t believe we did that.”

“Which part?”

Any of it. Jeremy couldn’t believe any of it. Not one day since Owen’s birthday. A wave of vulnerability washed over him. Was Owen going to leave now that he’d made sure Jeremy would never be satisfied with anyone else? Was their friendship going to follow him out the door, too shattered by everything they’d done to ever be the same?

Will he break my heart? Does he want more than sex?

Calloused fingers gripped his chin and lifted until he was looking into Owen’s light blue eyes. “Where’d you go? Talk to me. I need to know how you’re feeling. The drop can be pretty steep after that adrenaline rush.”

Jeremy shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“You can’t fool me, Jeremy. I know there’s something going on up there.”

“Just a question.” He reached up and placed his hand on Owen’s bare hip, needing to touch him. Needing to distract him and desperate to lighten the mood. “Would it be gay if I asked you to hold me?”

Owen’s surprised laughter fell on him like drops of unadulterated sunshine. He pulled Jeremy into his arms, still chuckling. “I’ll hold you as long as you need me to, joker. I’m not going anywhere.”

God, he wished that were true.

Chapter Ten

It had been two days and Jeremy could still feel the fading marks on his ass as he walked toward his front door. Running errands today, it had taken all his concentration not to get an erection in public each time he was reminded of what they’d done. He wished Owen hadn’t phoned him at lunch to tell him he would be late. He wanted to thank him properly for his day of frustration. He wanted him home.

Home. Damned if he didn’t like the sound of that. He’d been thinking about offering a more long-term living arrangement. Maybe under the guise of helping him look for a better place to live. Owen could stay here with him until he found someplace better.

If it were up to Jeremy, he would realize there was no better place. He would stay. To the world outside they could be roommates and best friends. Inside the safety of their four walls? Owen would be his.

It was a good dream. One Jeremy found himself coming back to more and more often lately.

He heard Tasha crying an instant before he saw her leaning against his front door. “Natasha? Jesus, honey what’s wrong?”

She turned and fell into his arms, sobbing. Jeremy unlocked and opened the door, picking her up easily and carrying her inside before kicking it closed behind them. “Come on, Tash, talk to me. Are you hurt?”

He walked over to the couch and sat down with her in his lap, crooning and rocking her as if she were a child. He’d never seen her like this.

She lifted her head and his heart broke. Her beautiful green eyes were red and swollen. She’d been crying for a while. “I’m going to kill him.”

“I’ll get my shovel and a good lawyer,” he assured her solemnly without missing a beat. “Can you tell me about it? Who are we talking about?”

Tasha looked down at her hands, her dark velvet curls hiding half her face from view. “It’s all my fault. I still can’t believe it’s really happening. I mean, this is Lifetime movie bullshit, right? This isn’t real life.”

“Why don’t you start at the beginning of the movie, hon. I’m lost.”

She nodded. “Last night I went to the pub to talk to Jen about…well, it wasn’t a PG-rated topic.”

Jeremy nodded, caressing her back. “It never is.”

“I didn’t realize he was there, that he’d heard anything, but he must have, because he dragged Jen in the back and everyone could hear them shouting at each other until Seamus followed them to kick the bastard out and ban him from the pub.”