Bittersweet Irish Cream Ch. 07

"Ask him to marry you," Henrietta said definitively.

Jack laughed. "Were you not there on Thanksgiving? Ethan is not getting married again."

"But if he did, would you? If he asked you to marry him, would you marry him?" she asked him.

Jack said automatically, "Yes."

"Then ask him first," Henrietta said. "Let him know how serious you are and that you vow to spend the rest of your life making it up to him. Making it right."

"I'm going to do that whether he marries me or not. I owe it to him to make it right."

Henrietta said, "Good. Then ask him." Jack shook his head but didn't respond. They were quiet, then she said, "I'm going to marry Brayden. Like today if possible. Find us a courthouse and just do it."

"Mr. Traditional will never go for that," Mina sang.

Henrietta shrugged. "Either way, I'm going to marry him and have as many babies as he wants." She smiled to herself.

"I'm going to marry Liam," June said. She looked at Jack who looked back at her.

Even though she said did not ask for it, he gave it to her anyway. "Liam's been my best friend since I was 15 years old. He's already a brother to me. I'm good with him becoming my actual brother." He smiled at her. She beamed and hugged his midsection.

Mina said, "I'm going to end up in a polyamorous relationship, sharing wives and husbands." She giggled to herself.

Jack said, "You know, I can see that." They all laughed.

Mina then said, "Seriously Jack. Go big or go home. And if he doesn't take you back, well I always knew he was an idiot."

Jack looked at the three women around him. "The best thing to come from this tragedy is gaining two more sisters. I love all three of you so much. Thank you." They formed a bear hug around their brother.

~~~~~

Ethan was coming down the east wing when he heard her voice. She walked right past him, eyes only for one person in the vestibule. He couldn't take his eyes off her as his own heart began to pound.

"Liam," she said softly.

Liam lifted his head from the desk and his heart skipped a beat at the sight of her. "June," he barely whispered. He came around the desk, touched her face, then pulled her into his chest, and held her tight. He pulled back, kissed her gently on the lips, then hugged her again tightly.

Stacy said softly, "Liam, if you want to take your break now, you can." He turned to her without letting go of June.

"What room is open?" he asked.

Stacy checked system. "Room 8," she said, and handed him the key. They went toward the west wing without another word until June finally noticed Ethan, frozen, watching her, waiting.

"Wait," she told Liam and let him go. She walked over and gave Ethan a tight hug and he hugged her back. She said, "He's coming, Ethan. He's with Father O'Donnell now, but he's coming." She gave him a knowing look.

Ethan couldn't find words at first, but then said, "It's good to see you, June. I'm glad you're back home, safe and sound." She smiled at him and turned back to her love. June and Liam went upstairs to the west wing.

Ethan stayed frozen in place. Stacy watched him for a bit, then said softly, "You might want to change." He gave her a sharp look and she adverted her eyes upward. But then he looked down at his dusty jeans and went downstairs to change.

Ethan felt nervous, excited, horny, upset, relieved, all at the same time. He spent the last three weeks confident of his decision, especially since EJ asked about Jack every single day since he left. He told EJ that Jack went on a long trip and EJ accepted that until the next day when he asked again. It broke his heart daily. So no, he would not let Jack back waltz back into his life. Nope. Jack left him. Left EJ. He made his choice and now they all must live with it.

But now he wasn't so sure, with Jack being so close to him, in the same town, breathing the same air as him again. The thought of seeing Jack again was enough to melt him. He had no idea what he was going to do or say. He also had no idea how long he stood there after he changed to a clean set of jeans and a white long sleeved t-shirt when his phone rang.

Mrs. Rieger from the daycare was calling. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I thought you should know, Jack Frazier came to pick up Ethan Junior about five minutes ago. I know he is on the list, but we haven't seen him in a while and I wanted to make sure it was OK. It's what Mrs. Robbins should have done before she just let him go with Jack."

Mrs. Robbins in the background said, "Oh for God's sake, it's Jack! We know Jack."

Mrs. Rieger did a poor job of covering the mouth of the phone as she scolded Mrs. Robbins. "It doesn't matter, there is protocol!" She turned back to the phone. "We just wanted to...make sure that Jack still does have permission to pick up Ethan Junior."

"Jack always has permission," Ethan said. "Always. But I appreciate the call."

He hung up and thought, So the relationship deserter is going to use EJ to bait him huh? That little shit. Well he won't allow it. He went upstairs and stood outside with his arms crossed to wait for them. Ironically where Trish stood almost a year ago to the date, as their one year anniversary was in two days. It was less than a ten minute walk so he knew they would be coming around the corner any minute now. And he was right.

Jack walked slow, holding onto EJ's hand. The sight of him made his stomach do a butterfly flip and almost stopped Ethan's heart. He wore a dark green hooded zippered sweatshirt, black jeans, black Reebok running sneakers, which was unlike him, Jack is a Nike guy. EJ had a bag, probably of toys, and a lollipop in his mouth. The closer he got, the louder he heard his heart beating, but he refused to let his face betray what he what he was really feeling. He kept his arms crossed and his face stern.

Jack on the other hand walked like it was a normal Monday and he was picking EJ up from daycare. Although his heart was beating equally as fast and pumping so hard it felt like it was going to come out of his chest, he kept as calm as he could and his eye contact with Ethan.

When he was about six feet away, Ethan spoke first. "You know they called me. Mrs. Rieger thought you were trying to kidnap my son."

Jack smiled that sideways smile. Those damn dimples. Ethan's stomach did a butterfly flip again. Jack stopped walking when he was about two feet away from Ethan's face. "Guess I didn't follow protocol." He smiled again.

Ethan took a deep breath and exhaled all through his nose. He looked down at his son and said, "Come on EJ, let's go inside."

He reached for him but EJ clung to Jack's leg and said, "Jack!" Jack stifled a laugh.

Ethan said to EJ, "You're such a Benedict Arnold."

EJ laughed his infectious laugh, having no idea what that meant making them both smile. Jack reached down and picked him up, then handed him over to Ethan. He made sure to get inches from his face, touched his arms as he passed EJ between them, then stepped back, but only a little.

"So it's done?" Ethan asked. Jack nodded once. "Well. I'm glad your safe."

Then he turned to walk away until Jack called out, "Ethan!" Ethan rounded to face him.

Jack inhaled and exhaled. Then said, "Ethan, I am so incredibly sorry for leaving the way I did, for hurting you. And while I don't regret having to go and all that transpired, I have tremendous regret for not trusting you with all of me, my past and any future plans that did not involve you. Especially since we talked so much about our own future. Our family. And I know I'm about to sound incredibly selfish and inconsiderate again, but I want it all back. All of it. I want that future again of us, me, you and EJ. I want my family back."

Ethan snapped, "And what makes you think I want it back? Do you know how hurt EJ was? He asked about you every day. Every damn day. You broke his heart."

"Don't hide behind EJ," Jack said. "He's fine and I know this because we talked. We are OK. Now tell me how you really feel."

"Pissed off," Ethan growled through his teeth.

"Okay," Jack said. "Keep talking."

Ethan snapped again, "No I don't want to talk! I wanted to talk for the last six months and you shut me out every time. I said what I needed to say that last time and I meant it. I won't let you walk back in and out of our lives like that, ever again."

Jack said amusingly, "Do you think I have some other earth shattering family secret that would compel me to leave again? Because I'm pretty sure most families only get one of those."

Ethan was not amused. "I don't know, Jack. All I know is that I don't trust you. Not with my family. Not with my heart. And I don't know if there is anything you could say or do to make up for that." He turned toward the Inn again and walked away.

Jack took a deep breath and said loudly, "I know that, Ethan. And believe me when I say I am prepared to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Making it right between us. If you will have me for the rest of yours."

Ethan stopped at the door. Somehow he knew what Jack was going to do before he turned around. And when he did, Jack was sure enough down on one knee in the middle of the sidewalk in broad daylight. His mouth formed a small o. 50% of him was embarrassed, as people were watching, Stacy from the window, Mrs. Mullens from across the street, other people who just happened to be walking by. The other 50% was completely touched that Jack would do this to show how serious he was about him.

"Ethan Thomas Starling. I love you with every fiber of my being. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I would be an idiot to fuck it up again. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you and EJ. Will you please, please marry me, Ethan?" He opened his fist and produced a gold wedding band.

All of Ethan's walls came down and his heart exploded with love for Jack. No one has ever confessed their love for him like this, embarrassed him like this, all for him. But again, he refused to let his face betray his feelings, just yet.

He put EJ down and walked over to Jack, said stone faced, "Jack, get off the sidewalk."

Jack said, "Not until you say yes."

EJ walked over took the ring from his palm and hugged Jack. Jack laughed. "I think EJ wants this to happen."

"Christ, get up Jack!"

"Will you marry me?"

"No Jack, I'm not going to marry you!"

Jack looked up at Ethan but didn't say anything. Ethan sighed, turned around and walked over to the door of the Inn, and EJ followed him. He opened the door and EJ walked through. Ethan turned back to Jack still looking at him from the same spot where he left him.

Ethan held the door open wide. "Jack, what the fuck are you still doing down there? Get your ass inside! Embarrassing me and shit."

He tried to keep his face neutral but Jack's wide grin was too much. He found his smile tugging hard at each corner of his face as well. Jack got up quickly and walked to the door.

As he passed, Ethan looked right into his emeralds and said, "Jesus, Jackie Bear, I missed the shit out of you." Jack smiled widely at him again.

When they entered Stacy had EJ in her arms. "You guys can go talk. I got EJ and Liam's around here somewhere. I'll stay as long as you need me here."

"Thanks Stacy," Ethan said.

He reminded himself to give her a raise and probably upgrade her title again as he walked to the door of the basement apartment. Jack followed and they went downstairs with Ethan leading. Ethan walked to the other side of the foyer and leaned on the wall outside the kitchen. Jack closed the door and leaned on it. They looked at each other.

Jack started walking toward Ethan, saying, "I want to tell you everything. From the beginning, what I remembered about that night, what I had discovered at age 10, what I had decided again at age 15, and why, and everything that happened these last three and a half weeks. And I want you to ask all the questions you want because I'm going to tell you everything you want to know. I want you to trust me again and love me deeper than you've loved me before because now you know all of me, the real me.

"And I want to hear how you feel about everything, tell me if I'm scaring you with what I've done, or surprising you with what I'm capable of. I want to talk and I want you to talk to me." Jack stopped walking when he reached the center of the room.

"But I don't want all my talking to be for nothing. So I need to know. Will you give me the chance to talk to you? Will you talk to me? Can we just hold hands and...talk?"

Ethan did not overthink it. "Yes," he said. "But not right now."

He crossed the room in two strides and kissed Jack fervently, grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him again. Jack got over the surprise of Ethan's initial kisses quickly, reached up and took Ethan's head in two hands and returned the urgent kisses. They parted for a second, looked into each other's eyes and kissed again, just as passionately. Ethan reached down and grabbed Jack by his waist, turned his body toward the hallway and walked him backwards to their bedroom, not breaking their lips apart.              

Once there he zipped down Jack's sweater, then started unbuttoning Jack's shirt but after three buttons he pulled it over his head, buttons popping off in the process. He pulled off Jack's tank top as well and kissed and licked his neck, then started biting him, hard. He bit him on the neck, the collar bone, his shoulders, bit his nipples, and kissed him in between the bites. Jack let out little yelps every time Ethan bit him but he did not tell him to stop. It hurt and excited him and made his dick swell.

Ethan pushed him down on the bed and unbuckled Jack's jeans, pulled them all the way off, then his underwear and socks. He put his face in Jack's crotch, and breathed deep, missing the smell of his musk. He ignored Jack's erection at first, and bit the inside of Jack's thighs leaving little red marks. Jack yelped again, then moaned loudly "haaaaaaa!" as Ethan covered his dick with his whole mouth down to his groin, sucking so hard it was the line between pleasure and pain.

Ethan lifted up both of Jack's legs and stuck his tongue right through the opening of his anus and licked around. Jack moaned "hhhooooo!" and Ethan almost cried with how much he missed hearing Jack's moan again. No one moans like his Jackie Bear.

After a couple of minutes of tongue kissing Jack's hairy hole, he licked two fingers and put them inside of Jack, found that sweet spot that brings Jack to ecstasy and got him there pretty quickly. Jack "hooooo'ed" out his first orgasm, leaked fluid from his front end. Then Ethan leaned back up and deep throated Jack again. Then he used one hand to finger him while the other held the base of his penis firmly stroking upward, and circle Jack's head with his tongue.

Jack got louder and louder, hands digging in and yanking Ethan's hair, the pressure and intensity too much as his second orgasm shut down his mind, his body convulsing and in ways he didn't know he could shake. Tears rolling down his eyes as he erupted moments later, thick milky cum like an Irish cream pastry bursted in Ethan's mouth and kept oozing out, sending shock waves through his body. It was probably the longest Jack had ever climaxed in one sitting, and he had been meaning to ask Ethan to teach him how he holds his orgasm longer while withholding ejaculation.

Ethan didn't let one drop of Jack get away, he swallowed what was in his mouth and sucked the rest up, gently, softly, like Irish cream was what he had been craving for his whole life. Jack continued to moan and moan with his eyes closed; he barely noticed when Ethan stopped. He opened his teary eyes to see Ethan watching him. Ethan then stood up and started taking off his clothes.

When done, he silently crawled on top of Jack, kissing him softly along the way, starting with his feet, his legs, his thighs, passed his semi erect penis again, kissed his abs and the side of his body, his chest, his arms, his neck, his ears, ran his hands through Jack's hair, kissed his cheek and forehead, all this making a fresh set of tears fall from Jack's eyes for a different reason than the first time. Jack held onto Ethan and closed his eyes as Ethan continued to kiss his body over and over again, love on him, touch him everywhere his hands could go. Ethan made his way back down to his chest and put his head on Jack's beating heart and just laid there as Jack continued to silently sob, body shaking slightly, running his hands through Ethan's hair.              

When Jack's sobbing subsided, Ethan leaned over to the nightstand and pulled out the lube. Jack sat up and held out his hand for the lube, sniffling. Ethan gave it to him and wiped Jack's tears away as Jack poured the lube on his hands and started stroking Ethan's very hard, thick and veiny dick. They sat there in facing each other, legs over each other as Jack stroked him and Ethan provided more lube. Ethan hadn't made a sound since he last spoke but Jack's stroking Ethan was making it harder to stay quiet. Then Jack let go and laid back down. He knew what Ethan needed and needed it too.

Ethan lubed up Jack's pucker, got on his knees and opened Jack's legs as far apart as they would go. He found the entrance with the tip of his penis and looked at Jack whose quickened breath and eyes pleaded to be fucked mercilessly. Ethan grabbed both of Jack's cheeks and pushed all the way inside head to base, making his first sexual moan "uuuuuuuuugh!" to Jack's "hoooooooooo!" Ethan's dick hurt and healed him at the same time. Jack lifted his legs all the way up and crossed them behind Ethan's back, then wrapped his hands around Ethan's back as well, pulling Ethan closer to him. His message was clear: I'll never let you go again.

Ethan moving slowly at first, long deep strokes, moaning in Jack's ear, then with the pace of a steady jog. They moved together but Ethan was definitely leading this dance, as he changed up speeds and strokes and Jack let go completely and let him, finally feeling safe again. Their bodies grew hot and sweaty together as Jack held on, as one flesh, moaning liberally and loudly. Then Ethan started talking.              

"Jack...don't you...ever...leave me...ever....ever again..."

Jack moaned out his answer, "I wooooont ...I woooooont... I woooooont...everrrrrr...leave yoooooou...leave yoooooou...I woooooon't...neveeeer....neveeeeer...Ethaaaan...neveeeeer...."

Jack moaning in Ethan's ear was the emotional push he needed. He came hard, poured his cream, his heart, his mind, his body, his soul into Jack filling him up and Jack felt all of it. Ethan's moan came out like a sigh, like he had been holding his breath until this very moment as Jack came between them. Jack continued to hold on as Ethan slowed down and stopped moving. They created something right then and there, an unbreakable bond that would last a lifetime, and they both knew it.

Jack did not let go right away. They held each other a little longer, then slowly Jack released his legs first, giving Ethan a chance to remove himself from Jack and stretch his legs. Then Jack unclasped his hands from around Ethan's back and rubbed his back a bit until Ethan lifted himself up off him. He rolled over to his back and looked up at the ceiling. Jack looked over and smiled. His left hand found Ethan's right hand and held it. They laid together, holding hands, looking at each other for a while.

Then Ethan said, "Tell me everything." And Jack did.

~~~Epilogue~~~

Jack used the master key to open up the front door of the twin home across the street from the Inn. Jack turned around and looked at the new sign. They named it together: Inn Love at the B&B. He smiled. He was still surprised that Ethan agreed to buy it, although they had to do something, their family had grown tremendously. But still, right next door to Mrs. Mullens?