Page 99 of Boss and Brat

Carter’s lips pressed against his, another sweet morning kiss. “I looked around last night when you fell asleep.”

“How romantic,” Ethan said.

Ethan sank deeper into the oversized tub, the warm water lapping at his chest and the thick layer of bubbles shifting around him. The lavender scent from the bath bombs clung to the steam, filling every breath with a soft, calming sweetness.He let his head rest against the smooth rim, eyes half-closed, feeling the tension from the night before slowly dissolve. Carter’s presence alone had lifted the weight he carried, even if Ethan still kept the darkest parts of his past locked away, too afraid to speak them out loud.

Ethan could have stayed there for hours. Carter reached for his phone and started a soft playlist, the music drifting low and intimate through the bathroom. Ethan closed his eyes, letting the melody blend with the lavender scent and the gentle lapping of water against his skin. Carter picked up a soft cloth, dipped it, and began washing him with careful attention—running the fabric over Ethan’s shoulders, down his chest, along his arms, then lower, cleaning every inch with the same tender focus.

“You’re beautiful,” Carter murmured, smiling as Ethan’s cock rose again above the bubbles, flushed and slick.

“I feel like a prince in here,” Ethan said, voice thick with emotion.

“You’re my prince,” Carter answered, leaning in to press a kiss to Ethan’s temple. “I’m happy you’re with me.”

Carter’s hand slipped beneath the water and found Ethan’s cock, fingers wrapping around the thickening shaft with slow, deliberate strokes. He worked him steadily, thumb brushing over the sensitive head each time it surfaced through the bubbles. Ethan’s breathing grew heavier, his hips twitching upward into Carter’s grip. Pleasure built fast and sharp until his cock pulsed hard in Carter’s fist, thick ropes of cum jetting into the water and mixing with the foam.

Ethan leaned forward and captured Carter’s mouth in a slow, lingering kiss, tasting the warmth and affection there. Carter’s arms came around him, pulling him close even though water splashed over the edge. “You better be nice to me today,” Carter said against his lips, holding him like he never wanted to let go.

“You can ask me to do anything for you,” Ethan replied, licking his lower lip as his mind flashed with images of Carter taking him again and again—on the bed, against the wall, on the kitchen counter—every hour, every position he could imagine.

“I’ll think of a few things for tonight,” Carter promised, voice low and full of heat.

Carter reached for the shower head. “Stand up.”

Ethan stood.

Carter sprayed Ethan down, then wet his hair. He set the shower head on the hook while he washed his hair. “Beautiful hair.”

“Thanks.”

When he finished, Carter helped Ethan out and wrapped a thick towel around him, drying him with gentle pats before stepping into the shower himself. Once they were both dressed, they headed into town.

The little café by the harbor was filled with the rich aroma of coffee and warm, flaky pastries. The windows were propped open, allowing the salty sea breeze to drift in. Ethan ordered pancakes; Carter got eggs and toast, but kept stealing bites from Ethan’s plate like he wasn’t even trying to hide it.

Ethan didn’t mind.

Not today. Not ever.

After breakfast, they walked back to the truck, the sun already warming the sand. The ocean looked impossibly blue, the kind of blue that made Ethan’s chest expand with something bright.

“Still want to swim?” Carter asked, nudging Ethan’s shoulder.

“Yeah.”

They changed into their swim trunks at the house and headed down the narrow path that led to the beach. The sand was cool under their feet at first, then warmer as they got closer to the water. The waves rolled in, foamy and inviting.

Ethan ran ahead, splashing into the surf with a laugh he hadn’t heard from himself in a long time. The cold water hit him like a shock, but a good one—clean, bracing, alive.

Carter followed, slower at first, then diving under a wave with the kind of ease that made Ethan grin. When Carter surfaced, shaking water from his hair, Ethan swam toward him and bumped their shoulders together.

“This is perfect,” Ethan said.

Carter nodded, eyes soft. “Yeah. It is.”

They floated for a while, letting the waves lift and lower them. The sun warmed their faces; the salt clung to their skin. Now and then, Carter reached out and brushed his fingers against Ethan’s arm—small touches, but steady.

Ethan’s fear about his father still lingered somewhere deep. But it lessened with Carter beside him, the ocean stretching wide and open around them.

For the first time in a long time, Ethan could breathe.