EPILOGUE
In a casual exodus, the young men of the house drifted out of the rec room and made their way to bed until only Derek and Patrick remained. Derek hopped up and sat on the pool table.
“You’re not going up?” Patrick walked over and leaned against the table.
“I think I’ll give it a bit.” He smiled. “The way Jack and Garrett were going on down here, they’re gonna be going at it hot and heavy upstairs.” He sighed heavily and lay back on the pool table, arms tucked under his head. “And their room is way too close to mine. Sometimes they go at it half the night.” He laughed quietly. “I might just sleep right here.”
“That wouldn’t be very comfortable.”
Derek shifted back and forth. “It’s not so bad.” He didn’t say what he was really thinking—that it would be even more uncomfortable lying in bed, hard as a rock, while his two friends fucked their brains out a couple of rooms down. He hadn’t had sex in the three weeks since Patrick came to live at the house—that was the longestsexlessstretch of his life. There were no regrets in the commitment he’d made to Patrick, though he had to be honest and admit he was thankful the boy intended toeventuallymake love to him. No sex ever again would have likely killed him.
Patrick walked around to the other side of the table and rested his elbows on the edge, on either side of Derek’s head. Derek looked up at him, smiling. “You can go to bed if you want. You’re not obligated to sit up with me.”
Sighing, Patrick lowered his head until he touched Derek’s brow. “I don’t want to listen to them, either,” he whispered with a soft,painedlaugh.
That littlecatchin his voice had an unexpectedlypowerfuleffect on Derek’s nether regions. It also informed Derek that he wasn’t the only one suffering from thesexual atmospherein the house—which added fuel to the fire down below. He felt himself “growing” and tried to mentally ward it off. No use—not while Patrick was literally touching him.
Lifting his head, Patrick stared down into his eyes then dipped forward a bit and kissed his mouth. Theupside-downkiss… so fuckingsexy.This was not the time for Patrick to be doing “sexy” things.
A whimpering moan stuck in Derek’s throat as Patrick’s soft lips sucked kiss after kiss from his mouth.Oh God, you need to stop now.Derek shivered, his skin beginning to sizzle and burn.No, don’t— don’t stop.
Patrick stopped, slowly lifting away. Tremors coursed through Derek, accumulating in his loins. He didn’t look down to see how much he was showing—he couldfeelit. There was no way Patrick wasn’t aware of it as well.
Breathing deep and labored, Derek closed his eyes, struggling for control. If Patrick kissed him like that again—Derek would soil his shorts.
Patrick moved away, circling the pool table. Derek opened his eyes and stared above him, watching the boy in his peripheral vision as he returned to the opposite side of the table, faltered, then stepped between Derek’s legs and tentatively rested his palms on Derek’s thighs.
Oh fuck—this ain’t helping.
Swallowing hard, Derek sat forward and gripped the edge of the pool table, gazing into Patrick’s warm—heated?—eyes. Neither spoke as they leaned into another kiss.
Kissing had become a regular thing with them since that day at the fundraiser, which Derek had surmised was maybenota good thing while attempting to show restraint. Each kiss weakened his resolve just a little more. Andthiskiss… right here and now… was ripping it down.
. . .
He was playing with fire—especiallynow,after witnessing Jack and Garrett’s sexual play. And fully aware that, right this second, they were upstairs… in bed… makingvery heatedlove.
Knowing all of this… Patrick continued to pushintothe kiss, rather than draw away and leave the room. He seemed to have little control of himself as his palms glided up Derek’s thighs, gripping the firm muscles, and he pushed a little closer—a little deeper between his legs.
A shaky gasp puffed through their kiss, coming from Derek, when their crotches brushed together, equallyaroused.
“Patrick…”Derek shuddered and gripped Patrick’s waist with unsteady hands, moving him back a fraction. Heat flushed his face and reached into his dark eyes. “Maybe…” His voice rasped. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea right now. I always want to be honest with you, and right now—I honestly don’t think I’ll be able to show you the properrespectif we keep this up.”
Letting out a quavering breath, Patrick nodded. “Okay.” He cleared his throat and stepped back. “It… it’s getting late,” he whispered with a thick rasp of his own. “We should probably go to bed.” He took another step back and paused. “Or were you serious about sleeping down here?”
Derek smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. “I kind of was, but…” He shrugged and slid off the table, landing on weak legs. “I guess I can deal with my…” He laughed short, nervous. “… noisy neighbors.”
Offering no comment, Patrick took Derek’s hand walked with him out of the rec room. Derek made a valiant effort to walk normally but couldn’t quite mask his stiff gait as he practically hobbled up the stairs.
Patrick couldn’t help but pity the man. For a porn star whose entire life revolved around sex, Derek had done a remarkably admirable job “behaving” himself over the last three weeks.
Derek walked him to his door and leaned against the frame, a pained smile stretching his lips. “Pray for me?” He chuckled.
Laughing softly, Patrick cupped his face and kissed him with a strong dose of warm passion.
Derek groaned. “That didn’t help… not one little bit.” He smiled and dropped his brow against Patrick’s shoulder. “Seriously, baby…prayfor me.”
Sliding his fingers through Derek’s soft strands, Patrick brushed his lips over his ear.
