Just a Bit Twisted (13 page)

“God, get out,” Shawn groaned into the pillow, his voice still hoarse after the blowjob he’d given Rutledge earlier. “I have the night shift tonight. Need to be at work in less than two hours, and it’ll take ages to get there.” He grimaced at the thought. He hated the night shifts, he hated when he was sent to work at the restaurant on the other end of the city, and he hated leaving the twins with Mrs. Hawkins for the night.

Rutledge didn’t move, his big body still sprawled over Shawn’s back. He was too heavy and it was getting hard to breathe, but Shawn found that he didn’t mind that much.

“I need to get going, too,” Rutledge said against his neck, kissing him there. “I have hundreds of papers to grade.”

“Did you grade mine yet?”

“Yes.”

“And?” Shawn’s stomach tightened as he waited for Rutledge’s response. He had put so much effort into it.

“It was acceptable,” Rutledge said. “C.”

Shawn deflated. “Oh.”

Rutledge’s lips stilled against his nape.

Then he rolled Shawn over and propped himself on his elbows above him. His dark eyes studied Shawn’s face. “Are you…upset?”

“No,” Shawn said lightly with a soft chuckle, averting his gaze. “I just… I just wanted to do better. To shut up the people who spread the rumors about us.”

“If you got a better grade, it would have only made it worse.”

“Maybe. But—I just really wanted to do better.”

Rutledge gripped his chin with his fingers and forced Shawn to look at him.

He had a strange expression on his face: irritation mixed with something else. “You did do better,” he said gruffly. “I expected worse.”

Shawn snorted, shaking his head. “Thanks. I guess.”

Rutledge stared at him with the same vaguely irritated look before leaning down and kissing him.

Shawn wasn’t entirely sure how they went from kissing to Rutledge’s trying to push his cock into him—again.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Shawn said, with a half laugh, half groan. “I’m sore.”

“One more time,” Rutledge said, managing to sound resigned and desperate at the same time. “I’ll be gentle.”

“That’s what you said last time,” Shawn said, but truth be told, he didn’t mind at all. He was sore, but god, he wanted him.

“I was gentle,” Rutledge said, his hips rocking gently into him. “Until you begged me to fuck you harder.”

“I didn’t.”

Rutledge just snorted.

“Shut up,” Shawn said, trying to keep his hips still—trying to hide from Rutledge how much he was enjoying the sensation of his cock deep inside him. He bit his lip to swallow back his moans. It was really embarrassing: Rutledge’s cock wasn’t even brushing his prostate, but he was loving the incredible fullness and the intoxicating intimacy of having another person—Derek—in him, on him, around him, Derek’s heavy body pressing him down into the mattress, surrounding him…

“You don’t have to go,” Rutledge said into his ear, panting slightly as his hips rocked into him.

“What?” Shawn managed.

“You don’t need to work there.” A deep thrust. “I’ll pay—”

“Don’t even start.”

“You accepted money before,” Rutledge said, hitting his prostate, again and again.

“Don’t.” Shawn balled the sheets in his fists. It was too much. “Too sensitive.” He tried to remember what they were talking about. “You know it was different before.”

Rutledge’s hips went still, making Shawn whine in frustration.

“How was that different?” Rutledge said in a strange voice.

Shawn blinked dazedly. It was the first time they’d even remotely talked about this thing between them. “I gave you blowjobs because I needed money,” he said quietly. “I fuck you because I want it.”

“It?”

“Because I want you.”

Silence.

Shawn felt himself blush and told himself not to be silly. It wasn’t like he’d said something Rutledge couldn’t guess himself: it was blatantly obvious they wanted each other. But they had never actually said it.

“What?” he said, a bit defensively.

Making a low noise in his throat, Rutledge kissed him again and, changing the angle, set a steady, immensely satisfying rhythm.

“Good?” Rutledge asked hoarsely between his thrusts.

“Yeah.” Shawn couldn’t stop small moans from escaping his lips. “So good.”

His moans grew progressively louder with every thrust, his balls tightening as he approached orgasm.

“Yes, that’s it,” Rutledge said into his ear, kissing it. “Want you.” He pressed wet, hot kisses all over Shawn’s neck, his thrusts losing their rhythm but not losing any of their power.

“Want you,” he said again, his tone different somehow.

A rush of pleasure hit Shawn hard, and he came with a groan, shaking with his entire body. God.

He was only vaguely aware of Rutledge thrusting into him for a while before he finally went still on top of him. Then, to his disappointment and relief, Rutledge pulled out and rolled off him.

Opening his eyes, Shawn turned his head.

Rutledge lay on his back, his eyes wide open. His face was flushed a bit, his chest heaving, but he was far from being relaxed. There was a small frown on his face, his lips pressed into a thin line.

At last, Rutledge got out of the bed, got rid of the condom, and started dressing.

Shawn sat up, eyeing Rutledge’s tense shoulders. “Can you give me a ride to work?”

Rutledge’s hands stilled on the buttons of his shirt.

Shawn wasn’t sure why he’d asked. He knew Rutledge’s house was in a completely different part of the city. It just wasn’t practical for him to give Shawn a ride if he had a lot of work waiting for him at home—he would waste hours if he did that.

Seriously, why had he asked? It was silly.

Shawn stretched out his aching muscles, working out the kinks in his neck.

“Yes,” Rutledge said tersely, looking away again. “Get dressed.”

Shawn got out of the bed and padded to him, shivering a bit; the room was chilly.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” he said, awkwardly, buttoning the rest of the buttons on Rutledge’s shirt.

Rutledge looked down at Shawn’s fingers. He had a grim expression on his face. “I want to.”

Chapter 19

Professor Bates was a dick.

At least that was what Shawn thought as the man ignored Shawn and continued walking.

“There’s nothing to discuss, Wyatt,” Bates said sharply, walking faster. “The assignment was due yesterday. I won’t make an exception for you. It’s your own fault. You’re irresponsible! Thermodynamics is the most important branch of the science and you don’t understand it. If you fail my class, which is looking increasingly likely, it will be deserved.”

Shawn grimaced. Yeah, it was really his own fault. He shouldn’t have spent so much time studying for his Fluid Mechanics paper, trying to impress Rutledge. He hadn’t exactly impressed him.

“But—”

“Stop trying my patience, Wyatt,” Bates snapped, shaking his head. “What’s wrong with students these days?” And Bates started ranting about students’ sense of self-entitlement, lack of focus, and lack of humility, looking more annoyed by the minute, and Shawn realized there was no way Bates would give him extra time to complete the assignment.

“Eric,” came a familiar voice from behind them.

Shawn tensed and didn’t look his way. Dammit. Rutledge was the last person he wanted to witness this.

“Is something the matter?” Rutledge said.

“This boy is lazy and irresponsible!” Bates said. “He doesn’t do his assignments on time and now he asks me to give him a few more days! How is he going to be an engineer when he cannot even manage to pass the core courses?”

Shawn wanted the ground to swallow him up. Rutledge was the most intelligent man he’d ever met. He probably thought Shawn was dumb as a rock. Not that it mattered what he thought. Except it kind of did. It mattered. Too much.

“I was of the same opinion as you, Eric,” Rutledge said, his voice indifferent. “But Wyatt has shown some improvement over the past few weeks. Give him a day. If he’s late again, fail him.”

Shawn’s gaze snapped to him. There was no way in hell he could do it in one day.

“Good idea,” Bates said. “One day, Wyatt.”

“But—”

Bates glared at him. “One day.”

Pursing his lips, Shawn nodded and left.

His feet brought him to Rutledge’s office. The door was unlocked, and he let himself in.

Shawn leaned his hip against the desk and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

He didn’t have to wait for long.

Rutledge didn’t look surprised to see him, but he seemed busy, carrying a stack of papers.

“You shouldn’t have done it,” Shawn said. “There’s no way I can get it done by tomorrow.”

“Why?” Rutledge put the papers on the desk and took his seat.

Shawn shrugged, looking at his boots. “I’m dumb.”

“You’re a scholarship student.”

Shawn’s lips twisted. “Yeah. I used to think I’m pretty smart, but… but I’m not. Most of the stuff Bates and you teach goes right over my head. One minute I think I understand thermodynamics, the next, I have no fucking clue what’s happening. I really must be dumb.” Shawn gripped the edge of the desk. “I feel like such a loser sometimes, you know? I can’t find a decent-paying job, I can’t buy the girls the things they need, and now this. I feel so useless and stupid, and—I just—I just… Never mind.”

There was a long silence.

He felt Rutledge’s gaze on the back of his head.

“I’m no good at comforting people,” Rutledge said, irritably.

Shawn turned to him and forced a small smile out. “It’s okay. I’m surprised you haven’t kicked me out yet.”

Rutledge’s lips thinned. He had a very sour expression on his face. “Come here.”

Shawn had never moved so fast in his life.

He climbed into Rutledge’s lap, put his head on his shoulder and closed his eyes. Rutledge’s strong arms tightened around him, and Shawn sighed in pleasure. It felt so good. Just what he needed. It scared him—that he needed this—but he did. It almost felt better than sex.

“You’re going soft, Professor,” he murmured with a smile, breathing his scent in. It was familiar and oddly comforting.

“Shut up, Wyatt,” Rutledge said, sounding even more annoyed, if that was possible.

Shawn brushed his lips against his neck. “Fine. You’re very evil and nasty.” He nuzzled into Derek’s neck. “Five minutes. Then you can kick me out and we’ll pretend it never happened.”

Rutledge sighed. “Show me the assignment.”

Shawn’s mouth fell open. He lifted his head and stared at Rutledge. “Really?”

“I won’t do it for you,” Rutledge said, fixing him with a glare. “But I’ll explain what you don’t understand.”

Shawn beamed and kissed him.

Chapter 20

Usually Shawn was a light sleeper.

But when the door to his room creaked open that night, Shawn had trouble waking up, his mind groggy. He burrowed deeper into Rutledge’s warm shoulder, his hands tightening around Rutledge’s arm.

The voices seemed to be coming from far away.

“Your brother is asleep,” Rutledge said. “Go back to bed.”

“But I had a bad dream! I’m scared. Shawn always hugs me when I’m scared!” It was Emily.

Shawn tried to open his eyes. It didn’t work.

“Emily,” Rutledge said sternly. “You’re a smart little girl. You can’t sleep with Shawn because the bed is too small for the three of us.”

“I’ll sleep with Shawn. You can go sleep with Bee!”

Rutledge chuckled. “I don’t think I’ll fit in your bed, midget.”

Emily pondered it. “I can sleep on you. You’re big, and Shawn likes to sleep on you.”

Shawn certainly did, though he was disturbed that Emily knew that.

“You can’t sleep on me.”

“Why?”

“Because—because… Fine,” Rutledge bit out at last, to Shawn’s surprise.

Squealing in delight, Emily climbed onto the bed and onto Rutledge’s chest.

“You’re very warm,” she said, yawning.

He really was. The room was very cold, but Derek was very warm. So warm.

“Sleep. And don’t pee on me,” Rutledge grumbled.

“I’m not a baby. I’m big. I don’t pee in bed!”

“Good. Now sleep.”

“You have funny hair on your chest. Shawn doesn’t have funny hair on his chest. Why?”

That gave Rutledge pause. “Sleep.”

“You don’t like me,” Emily mumbled. “You like Bee better.”

A heavy sigh. “Why do you think I like her better?”

“You gave her chocolate yesterday!”