Page 68 of Boss and Brat

Chapter Twenty-Five

Carter leaned back, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’ll take it slow. We’ll be smart. And we’ll be careful. Really careful.”

Ethan nodded, heart pounding. “Okay.”

Carter’s voice softened. “And, Ethan… you will sleep in my bed every night.”

The words hit Ethan like a warm rush he didn’t see coming. His chest relaxed in the best way, ducking his head a little so Carter wouldn’t catch the stupid grin. He tried to play it cool, but his shoulders loosened, and he shifted his weight like he couldn’t sit still. He nodded, pretending it was no big deal, even though something bright and steady lit up inside him.

Every night.

“Hey, Ethan, take a shower,” Carter said, moving to the hallway then leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, as if he already knew Ethan would do exactly that. “I’ll use the other bathroom. Meet me in the bedroom after. We’ve got early plans tomorrow—surprise plans.”

A sudden, unexpected lightness filled Ethan, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

Surprise. Surprise plans.

The words bounced around in his stomach as he headed for the bathroom. Not in a bad way. Just… new. He wasn’t used to anything feeling like something to look forward to.

Ethan headed toward the bathroom, but the second Carter disappeared down the hall, his nerves kicked in. He paused in the living room, suddenly hyperaware of every window in the cabin. He moved from one to the next, pulling each blind down until it clicked into place. Then he tugged them again, just to be sure.

The windows were locked. The doors were locked. He rechecked them twice anyway. Only then did he step into the bathroom.

The shower helped—warm water, steam, and the kind of quiet that made his thoughts slow down. But the second he turned off the water, his nerves came back. He dried off fast, pulled on clean clothes, and practically rushed to Carter’s room.

He slipped under the covers and settled in the middle of the bed, heart thumping a little too hard. The sheets were cool, the room dim, and he felt… weirdly safe. Like he was waiting for something good, which wasn’t a feeling he got often.

A minute later, Carter walked in.

He stopped in the doorway, arms loose at his sides, his brown hair damp from his own shower. And he just grinned—wide, warm, like Ethan being in his bed was the best thing he’d seen all night.

Ethan opened his mouth to ask what that look meant, but Carter didn’t give him the chance. He launched himself onto the bed and tickled Ethan’s ribs without mercy.

Ethan yelped, twisted, tried to escape, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. “Stop—stop—Carter—!”

Carter relented, flopping down beside him with a smug little huff. Ethan snorted, trying to shove his shoulder, but Carteronly laughed harder. Their breaths slowly evened out, the room settling into a softer kind of quiet.

Ethan felt the warmth between them shift—still there, just calmer now. Carter’s knee brushed his, not by accident, and neither of them moved away. For a second, they just looked at each other, the kind of look that held onto the last bit of laughter before letting it fade.

Carter rolled onto his side, facing him fully. The playful spark in his eyes dimmed into something steadier, more serious.

“We’re taking a dangerous chance,” he said. “Being together like this.”

Ethan swallowed, the echo of their shared laugh still sitting warm in his chest. That lingering touch—Carter’s knee against his—felt like an anchor, something that made the seriousness easier to breathe through. He didn’t pull back. If anything, he leaned in a little, barely noticeable, but enough that Carter would feel it.

“Yeah. I know.”

Carter sat on the edge of his bed, shirt already discarded, his muscular chest illuminated by the soft glow of the bedside lamp. His smile was gentle but eager. Then he stepped out of his underwear.

Suddenly, it felt real. Terrifyingly, wonderfully real.

Ethan’s breath caught before he even realized he’d stopped breathing. His gaze stayed locked on Carter—too warm, too intense, like he couldn’t look away even if he tried. There was a pull in his chest, something tight and hopeful, something he wasn’t used to letting himself feel.

“Is this really going to happen?” he asked, his voice low, rougher than he meant it to be.

His eyes didn’t just land on Carter—they held him, like he was trying to memorize the moment before it slipped away. A little heat climbed up his neck, not embarrassment, just the shock ofwanting something this badly and letting it show. His fingers curled against the blanket, grounding himself, because part of him still couldn’t believe Carter was right there, choosing him.

Carter crawled into the bed and closed the distance between them. “I want you, and now I know you want me. It’s real.” His hands found Ethan’s hips, steadying him. “I’ve thought about it. About you. And us.”