Page 98 of Conquest

Both looked at him, confused, but nodded in assent.

Brandon watched Jesse stumble into the restroom with Kenny and Julian, then darted in the direction the Yankees cap had gone.

  

Brandon and Kenny half carried, half dragged Jesse into Brandon’s apartment with Trish and Julian following behind. They wrestled him to his bedroom, somehow managed not to step on Achilles dancing around them, and dropped Jesse on the bed.

“Whoever thought his skinny ass would be so damn heavy?” Kenny said, flexing his sore shoulder muscles.

“If he hadn’t gotten away from us after going to the restroom, he would’ve been able to walk in himself,” Julian said. “But he decided to start doing shots.”

Brandon looked down at his brother lying passed out on the bed and shook his head in a mix of pity and disappointment. The call buzzer dinged and he turned to answer it. Kenny and Julian followed him from the bedroom, Kenny asking if he could have a drink of water since he had overexerted himself carrying Jesse, and Julian asking to use his bathroom. Trish stood alone in the bedroom.

She took a tentative step toward the bed, then another. She sat down beside Jesse. Her eyes moved over his face, lingering for a long moment on his lips. She reached toward him and brushed his cheek with the backs of her fingers. Jesse didn’t move. She gently touched her fingertips to his lips, amazed at how soft and warm they were. Jesse took a slightly deeper breath, his hips rolled in the smallest of motions.

Trish looked down to his hips. She saw movement behind the black leather, the material beginning to strain against Jesse’s organ expanding within its confines. Her heartbeat quickened, heat flushed her skin. She wanted to touch him, to feel the weight of his erection in her hand. He had told her he’d been with women. She knew he could do it again. Now with Evan out of the way, her path to Jesse was clear.

She understood he was still coping with the loss of him, but eventually he’d realize how bad Evan had been for him, that he had poisoned him every day with his obsessive, jealous, and possessive ways. But she could give Jesse the kind of relationship he deserved.

She rubbed her hand down his chest, over his firm abdomen, to the top of his pants.

“Ev,” Jesse groaned.

Trish jerked her hand back.

Jesse shifted on the bed. He started to open his eyes, closed them again, then finally opened them almost all the way and looked up at her. “Trish? Where’s Ev?”

Struggling to keep the irritation from her voice, Trish said, “He’s not here, Jess.”

“He’s not? I thought I felt him—”

“He’s not here,” she snapped. “He didn’t even bother to come to our show tonight. He didn’t even care enough to call you and say good luck, or happy birthday. He doesn’t give a shit. He only cares about himself and his career, remember?”

Jesse rolled onto his side away from her. “I thought he was here.”

Trish winced at the pain in Jesse’s voice. She leaned over him, resting both hands on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Jess. I’ll stay the night if you want me to so you don’t have to be alone.”

Jesse lay quiet and unmoving.

From the living room, Trish heard voices, and with the original three of Brandon, Kenny, and Julian, was a fourth she also knew well. Before she could react, Evan walked into the bedroom with the others. She tried to look at him in defiance, to tell him with her eyes that she had more right to be beside Jesse than he did, but at the simmering rage and fierce protectiveness in Evan’s gaze, she drew her hands away from Jesse, stood, and stepped back from the bed.

“He moved,” Brandon said. “Did he wake up?”

“He was mumbling in his sleep, then he rolled over,” Trish said flatly. “I couldn’t understand what he was saying.”

Kenny yawned and stretched his arms over his head. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready to go home since we’ve got a tour bus to catch in six hours.”

“I’m with you,” Julian said, and laid his hand on Evan’s back. “See you soon?”

Evan gave him a weak smile and small, single nod.

Trish walked toward the bedroom door, her eyes averted from Evan as she followed Kenny and Julian. Brandon left to show them out.

With soft footsteps, Evan walked to the edge of the bed. He gazed at Jesse, then sat beside him. He reached over Jesse’s shoulder and gently stroked his hair near his temple.

Jesse stirred. He turned his head toward Evan’s touch. He looked up at him, and his eyes opened wider. “Ev, you’re here. Trish said you weren’t, but I knew you were.”

A soft smile graced Evan’s lips. “I’ve been with you all night, you just didn’t see me. Happy birthday, gorgeous.”