Beyond Eden (5 page)

“Night, Evie Girl,” Danny whispered, still staring at her longingly as he walked over and tapped his cigarette against an ashtray on the dresser. “My bedroom is just down the hall if you need anything.”

Eve hummed in acknowledgement but didn’t say anything.

“If you start feeling sick, come wake one of us up. You’re not a bother,” Paul said in a tender voice. He turned to walk out the door, pulling at his tie and leaving it hanging loose in his collar. His suit jacket had been discarded the moment he walked into the house but his shirt and tie had stayed on when Paul became distracted with caring for Eve. He walked into the hallway with one final glance back at Eve and then he turned back to Danny, giving him a look that made it obvious he expected Danny to follow him. “We need to talk.”

Danny rolled his eyes and grabbed his ashtray as he walked out of the guest bedroom, leaving Eve behind despite his body’s protest against it. He smoked his cigarette as he followed behind Paul, who had un-tucked his shirt and unbuttoned it as he walked.

“How was work?” Danny asked in a light, casual manner, hoping to avoid any conversation more serious than the mundane.

“Work was work,” Paul said blandly, his voice barely above a whisper as he walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. He looked around at the dirty dishes still on the table with disdain, then lifted his gaze to Danny, his blue eyes pulsing furiously in the semidarkness of the kitchen. “Do you have a personal vendetta against me?”

“Yes, it’s all about you.” Danny sat across from Paul, setting his ashtray on the table amidst the dirty dishes and then tapping his cigarette against it. “I brought her home to torment you.”

“You succeeded,” Paul said as he started to gather up the dishes distractedly. “She does look good, real good, better than I remembered.”

“Mmm,” Danny hummed his agreement as he took a drag off his cigarette. He tilted his head back, blowing smoke toward the ceiling. “Did you say you wanted dinner?”

“I suppose,” Paul said as he continued to work at stacking the dishes in a methodical, precise manner, making it obvious he was hiding from what was really bothering him. “This was a really bad time for Eve to walk back into my life. I think you know what bad timing it is.”

“I don’t care if she’s in your life, bad timing or not.” Danny put out his cigarette and then stood. He picked up the neatly stacked dishes and placed them in the sink. “I invited her over because I wanted her back in
my
life. She was my friend too. I’ve missed her.”

“You should’ve called and warned me.”

“You would have panicked,” Danny said as he started work on heating up the leftovers from dinner. “I don’t know why. She’s still Evie. She’s not going to go psycho and start boiling bunnies because you’ve got a girlfriend. She sounded happy for you. Of course, she hasn’t
met
Trisha—”

“Don’t start,” Paul snapped defensively. “You’ve never given Trisha a fair chance.” “Paul Guy, the only gift I have in this world is my ability to read people and know

what they like,” Danny said as he put the
picadillo
back into a pan and turned on the

stove. “And I am telling you now, if you marry that bitch, she’ll make you miserable. Money, power, social standing, those are the only things that get Trisha off. You’ll be jacking off to the Sears catalog within a year.”

“Not all of us thrive off sex,” Paul said with a snort of laughter. “There is more to life than getting laid.”

Danny turned around from his spot at the stove and gave Paul a long look, his eyebrows raised as he studied him sitting there at the table defiantly with his arms folded over his chest like a petulant child. He could easily start a fight with him over that, but Danny was buzzing nicely off all the beer and wine and was too tired to bother. He just shook his head and went back to making Paul’s dinner.

“I’m putting Eve on my ‘to do’ list,” Danny said nonchalantly after a few minutes, hoping to God she was asleep and not listening to them.

“Jesus,” Paul growled. “Why do you have to go after the one girl besides Trisha who means something to me when you have dozens of others who will do whatever you want?”

“Please tell me you did not just put Eve and that bitch in the same category,” Danny said in a low voice as his body grew tense in defensiveness.

“I don’t want you messing with her,” Paul said seriously. “I’m asking you as a personal favor to me to leave her alone.”

Danny turned around and glared at Paul. “The last time I left Eve alone as a personal favor to you—you lost her.”

“She had a full scholarship waiting for her in New York. What the fuck was I supposed to do? Tell her to stay here?”

“You were supposed to follow her,” Danny said, then turned back to cooking to avoid Paul’s gaze. “If she had been mine, I would have followed her.”

“Okay, fine,” Paul said. “I fucked up, but that was ten years ago and there’s nothing I can do about it now. Don’t hurt Eve because you’re mad at me. That’s not fair to her.”

“This is not about you,” Danny said bitterly as he grabbed a plate and put Paul’s dinner on it with tight, jerky actions that betrayed his anger. “This is about me. I loved Eve too. Just because I was stupid and young and willing to let you have her rather than hurt you doesn’t mean I loved her any less than you did. If I could do it over again, I would have told you to fucking bite me.”

Paul laughed in disbelief. “You can’t commit to her and she’s obviously recovering from a bad breakup. The last thing she needs is your bullshit. I can’t let you hurt her because you’re angry at me.”

“You have an awfully inflated opinion of yourself,” Danny said, looking at Paul in disbelief as he put his plate in front of him. “I already said this wasn’t about you or Trisha. Marry the bitch, have little yuppie children and be happy—I don’t give a fuck.”

“You do give a fuck! That’s what all this is about. You’re trying to ruin everything with Trisha by bringing Eve back.”

“I want Eve back in my life, and I think you do too. If your relationship with Trisha can’t withstand that, then maybe you need to rethink marrying her,” Danny said with narrowed eyes as he towered over Paul. “I’m done arguing with you. I’m going to take a shower.”

“Fine,” Paul said, turning around to look at his dinner morosely, a riot of emotions showing on his face.

Danny wasn’t the sort of guy to jerk off in the shower. Self-pleasure had never appealed to him, perhaps because he had been getting laid since he was thirteen years old. Why get himself off when there was always someone around the corner willing to do it for him?

His mother used to say God gave everyone a gift, something that made them special and unique. Danny wasn’t a brain like Paul, who was one of the youngest partners in his law firm. He wasn’t talented like Eve, who created beautiful works of art effortlessly. There was nothing extraordinary about Danny except for his ability to find bed partners whenever he wanted them and, often times, even when he didn’t.

Danny decided long ago that if sex was going to be his gift to the world, he would do his best with it. In his late teens, he started on a deliberate journey of sexual exploration with the intention of trying as many different things as possible. He had discovered that his only true kink was the high that came from getting his partner off and providing them with the most mind-blowing fuck they had ever had.

Like his mother, he had an inexplicable urge to care for the people around him and he did it the only way he knew how, by being what they desired most and doing it well. Never had someone slept with him once and not come back begging for more.

He had fucked many—but he loved only two.

Danny put his hands on the wall of the shower, dipping his head under the icy stream of water and willed the uncomfortable cold to break the sexual frustration and hurt. He had forgotten what jealousy felt like until he saw Paul fawning over Eve. As it was before, Danny couldn’t decide which of the two he was more jealous of.

It brought up uncomfortable feelings from his youth when he had ached for both Eve and Paul with an intensity that had overwhelmed him, all the while watching the

two of them wade through those brilliant inadequacies of first-time love together. He had wanted both of them and had neither. It was one of those cruel life jokes—Danny could have anyone except the ones he really wanted. Instead he had drowned himself in the attentions of teenage girls easily won over by good looks and charm.

And then Eve was gone, off to New York to chase a dream even love couldn’t compete with.

Paul was devastated in the wake of Eve’s departure from their lives, his heart shattered, his soul injured. Danny spent years being Paul’s support as he submerged himself in college and then work, doing both with a drive that would have drained a normal person’s body and soul. Danny did what he did best. He cared for his best friend and ignored the hurt caused from being constantly rejected.

Let Trisha have Paul. What did he care?

Paul getting married was probably a good thing. It would finally bring home to Danny that Paul was never really going to be his. Now was as good a time as any for reality to push Danny’s dreams away. His eyes were closed as he started to get into the punishment of an icy shower when he heard the bathroom door open. His head jerked up in surprise and he stared at Paul’s form through the frosted glass of the shower door.

Danny’s breath became trapped in his chest. His mouth went dry as a wave of unexpected lust washed over him. He reached over and turned up the hot water. When steam started billowing up around him, Danny pushed open the door and stood there watching Paul with a predatory gaze.

“She’s drunk,” Paul started, not meeting Danny’s eyes as he pulled his shirt off and then set it neatly on the counter by the sink. “And she’s sleeping, I checked. I don’t want you bothering her if she’s sleeping. I want her to sleep off the wine. She’ll be sick if she doesn’t.”

Danny stood there quietly, his eyes still on Paul. He studied the lines of his broad, well-built back as he leaned over and tugged off his shoes and socks. Paul was more muscular than him, with wide shoulders, strong arms and a large, powerful chest. His eyes fell to the lines of a firm six-pack as Paul unbuttoned his suit pants and pushed them down past his hips, taking his underwear with them.

Danny was silent as his best friend since childhood stood there naked in front of him. He let his eyes take in all of Paul once more, admiring such a tempting display of masculine flesh. Paul worked hard on his body and it showed. He was exceptionally handsome and Danny never got tired of looking at him.

Paul reached out, handing Danny a gold-foiled packet he had obviously taken out of his pocket before he pushed his pants off. Danny took it and tapped his finger against it as his eyes fell lower. He eyed Paul’s cock that grew long and thick as he stared at it.

“So, you’re sacrificing yourself for Eve?” Danny asked, still standing at the open shower door, heedless of the water splashing out onto the bathroom tiles.

Paul avoided his eyes again and ran a hand through his thick hair rather than look at Danny. “I don’t want you to bother her.”

“Because I always make a habit of taking advantage of drunk women,” Danny said, his voice razor sharp and icy. “How long have you known me?”

Paul winced and closed his eyes as he took a shuddering breath of frustration. “Are you going to let me into the shower or not?”

“I want to know why you want in first,” Danny growled at him, his eyes narrowed reprovingly. “Give me an honest reason and I
might
let you in.”

Paul’s chest rose and fell as he took short pants of breath that betrayed him far more effectively than his hard cock. “S-seeing Eve has me frustrated.”

“Then jerk yourself off,” Danny snapped, his eyes still narrowed menacingly. “What happened to breaking the addiction? According to you this isn’t healthy or normal, so what are you doing here?”

“You want me to admit I’ve fallen off the wagon?” Paul asked in a soft voice as he looked up at Danny, his blue eyes a storm of arousal. “You want me to beg?”

“Yes,” Danny said slowly, his eyes running over Paul once more. He licked his lips and then pushed his wet hair away from his face. He tilted his head and looked pointedly at Paul’s cock, now fully hard and standing at attention. “I want you to beg.”

Paul squeezed his eyes shut and Danny noticed the little things, like the fine sheen of goose bumps that spread over Paul’s body, making all the thin blond hair on his arms stand on end. The tautness in his shoulders was obvious, the anticipation pounding off him palatable. It was those nuances that sent blinding lust spiraling through Danny so forcefully he barely kept his casual composure. He reached up, gripping the bar on the top of the shower to hide his reaction that had his body tensing in arousal, his muscles tightening in anticipation of pouncing.

“Please.” Paul swallowed hard and tilted his head back to stare at Danny unwaveringly. “It’s been three weeks. I’m getting better.”

“It is a record,” Danny admitted reluctantly, because he wanted no part in this ridiculous game Paul had been playing with their lives. “Do you want a gold star for it?”

“No, I want you to fuck me.”

Now it was Danny’s turn to suck in a sharp breath of arousal as icy-hot desire poured over his body, making every nerve stand on end. He reached out and grabbed Paul, jerking him into the shower. He dropped the condom, pulled the shower door closed and then fisted one hand tightly in Paul’s hair. Danny forced Paul’s head back and looked down at him, seeing the way his pupils had dilated in desire. Paul didn’t fight him. He stood there stoically, his breathing rapid with Danny’s fingers tangled painfully in his hair. The thrum of the shower beating against the tiles, the raspy breathing of both of them, the way Paul’s eyes showed his emotions so clearly, making it obvious he had suffered as badly as Danny had over the past many weeks, it all

collided together inside him and his gut clenched with the force of his lust. He needed a clear head when he was with Paul but it was impossible right then.