Ethan (Alluring Indulgence) Read Online Free Page B

Ethan had wanted anything to do with running the family business.
He had more than enough to do in the mechanic shop, and that’s actually where
he wanted to stay. He liked being out of the limelight, staying in the shadows
and not having to deal with any of the political bullshit. Jared seemed to be
suited perfectly for the job, although Ethan knew for a fact that if he needed
his cousin to get his hands dirty and help out in the shop, he’d be capable of
doing that as well.
    Hmm…
he certainly wasn’t going to tell Jared that Blake quit, that was for damn
sure. The last thing he needed was some nosy family member getting all up in
his business.

Chapter Two
    ♂♂
     
    Beau
stood in the background, watching as the Walker family rejoiced in the newest
addition to their family. Being in the midst of all of their excitement, Beau
couldn’t help but feel it too. Having grown up as an only child, he had found
himself drawn to the Walker household because there was always something going
on, and he had fit in from day one.
    The
Walker family was the exact opposite of his own family. Curtis and Lorrie doted
on their children, spent time with them, and encouraged them in everything they
did – even now, when they were all full grown.
    In
Beau’s house growing up, encouragement came when it benefited his father and
only then. Not that it was necessarily a terrible thing because growing up Beau
had worked his ass off to please his father. It hadn’t done much good, but the
best memories he had were those rare times his father looked at him as though
he hung the moon. Never mind the fact that it all came crashing down during his
senior year of high school.
    It
wasn’t that his parents didn’t love him, he knew they did. They just didn’t
have much time for him. Growing up, his father had been right there rooting him
on in all his football glory, but, maybe because of that, their relationship
had always been tense. At times, Beau felt like his father was more his coach
than his actual parent. And, when the day came that his football dreams crashed
and burned, an even bigger gap formed between them. Beau had never questioned
it. Having felt as though he let his father down, he never even thought to ask
why their relationship had dwindled as fast as his future had.
    Since
he’d had the welcoming arms of the Walker family, Beau had simply continued to
put one foot in front of the other, finding himself spending less and less time
at home and more time at Zane’s. At first it was strange because growing up,
Zane was as much a part of Beau’s family as he was Zane’s. Surprisingly, Zane
hadn’t questioned the rift between him and his father, but that’s probably
because Zane hadn’t understood it either. After all, Curtis Walker was the opposite
of Ben Bennett.
    Where
Curtis was supportive, Ben was critical. Where Curtis laughed with his boys,
Ben frowned, never understanding the joke or the reason for so much happiness.
And Beau’s mother, Arlene, was very much like her husband.
    And
now, considering the direction that Beau’s life had taken, the revelation he’d
made about himself, he couldn’t imagine sharing his innermost secrets with his
parents. He knew how they would react if he ever had the guts to tell them he
was gay. After having spent a lifetime not caring what people thought of him,
for some reason, Beau cared what they thought. Which meant their relationship
would continue to be strained because Beau had no intention of letting them
down again.
    So,
as long as they accepted him, Beau would continue to find comfort within the
Walker family, celebrating their triumphs, mourning their losses and everything
in between.
    Beau
turned and smiled like a fool as Zane approached. He refused to bring down the
celebration, and he knew the first person who would suspect he was dwelling on
thoughts better left alone was Zane.
    “What’s
up?” he asked casually, readjusting his stance, but not moving from