by S. M. Shade
“I’m not worried about Carson. He’s as big as you, and he has a black belt. He spars with that sumo wrestler. He can take care of himself. I just don’t want you to fuck with his head.”
“Stop trying to keep me from him, and I won’t fill his head with shit no boy should know about his mother.” I really hope Airen and Joseph aren’t eavesdropping. Airen will kill him.
“Fine.”
“Good. Talk to Emma. Don’t give me any shit, and I won’t fuck things up for you.”
I sigh as he sinks the last bag.
“I win.” He smirks.
Chapter Four
Joseph
Jon has barely left the yard when a small truck towing a pop up camper pulls into the driveway. Shit on toast, what now? “Abby?” Joseph and Airen step out the front door just as the truck door pops open and Troy steps out. Christ, this must be the summer for reunions. First Joseph’s parents, then Jon, and now Troy.
“Oh my god,” Joseph gasps, his eyes widening with shock. He doesn’t hesitate before running to embrace him, burying his face in his neck. “You’re okay.” Troy hugs him back before waving at me and Airen. Airen’s expression is thunderous as he watches their heartfelt reunion.
“He was worried about him, Air. That’s all. You know that,” I murmur. I’m happy for them both. Joseph needed to know he was okay, and Troy should know how much Joseph agonized over his absence. Gradually, Airen relaxes and nods.
“How have you been? Where have you been?” Joseph babbles.
“It’s a long story. Listen, I’ve met someone. I hope it’s okay that I’ve brought him with me,” Troy says, glancing between the three of us.
“Of course,” Joseph replies with a soft smile. “I’d love to meet him.” The fact that Troy has a boyfriend will make revealing our relationship so much easier.
A dark haired man steps out of the truck, and all the breath flees my lungs with a squeak. He’s stunning. The thin T-shirt and shorts he’s wearing do nothing to conceal the ropes and slabs of hard muscle covering his body. He has a chiseled jaw covered in dark scruff, and full sensual lips. When he looks at me, I’m dazed by his luminous, ice blue eyes. “You must be Abby. Troy has told me all about you.” He reaches to shake my hand while I struggle to find my voice. “I’m Dominic, but you can call be Nic.”
“Nice…nice to meet…you,” I stammer, finally pulling my head out of my ass. He just grins. I expect he’s used to that reaction from women. I’m afraid Airen is going to be pissed, but he’s staring at Nic in disbelief.
“Nic? Nic Stark?” he whispers, awestruck. Whoa, they know each other?
“Oh my god. Airen Holder?”
“No fucking way!” Airen exclaims. No one else seems to notice the devastation on Troy’s face. My heart goes out to him. He lost Joseph to Airen and now his new boyfriend is smiling from ear to ear, hugging him and slapping him on the back.
“Troy told me about you. I mean, that you were a model, but I never would’ve guessed!”
“How do you know each other?” Troy asks quietly.
“We were roommates in college.” Nic grins.
Joseph face falls as all the pieces click together. It’s that Nic. The only other man Airen has been with sexually. What are the damn chances? Joseph walks confidently up to Airen and slides an arm around his waist. “Introduce me,” he demands. He’s staking his claim. He couldn’t have been clearer if he pissed on his leg.
“This is Joseph, my boyfriend, and you’ve met my wife, Abby.” Airen smiles at Nic, who laughs and shakes his head.
“Holder for the win.” He chuckles, those amazing eyes twinkling, and Airen laughs along. It’s obviously an old joke between them. Troy looks dazed with all the sudden heartrending information. Joseph’s in a relationship with Airen, and Nic has a history with him as well. I can’t stand it anymore.
“Troy,” I speak up, embracing him. “I’m so happy to see you.”
He responds, tightening his arms around me. “You look fantastic, Abby. How are the kids?”
“Growing like weeds. Lane is walking, and Walker is going to be so excited to see you. He never stops asking about you.”
“I’ve missed them terribly.”
“Well, come on in. Things have changed a bit since you left,” I explain, linking my arm with his and guiding him into the house. With all the ex-boyfriend drama, I decide to take the lead. No one is threatened by me at the moment.
“I can see that,” he murmurs.
“He was devastated when you left, Troy. He cried for weeks. We were all so worried about you.” My voice is low so the others can’t hear.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t stay.”
“You aren’t the one who needs to apologize. We all understood why you left, but we missed you. Now, I want to hear about how you met Nic. That man is a walking wet dream.”
Troy laughs aloud. “Isn’t he? It’s a long story. He loves me,” he boasts proudly.
“Do you love him?”
“More than anything.”
“I’m so happy for you. Promise we’ll have a long chat and you’ll tell me everything.”
“Only if you’ll do the same.”
“Deal.”
He studies me for a moment. “Are you happy, Abby?” I understand why he’s asking. As far as he knows I’ve been forced to share my husband with Joseph. He doesn’t know how things are between the three of us.
“Deliriously.”
“Good, that makes two of us.”
We spend the next few hours filling Troy in on the things he’s missed. He’s curled up on the loveseat with Nic while Walker monopolizes his lap. Laughter fills the house when Nic relays the story of how they met. “I found him sitting on a dead chicken.” Nic grins.
“Come again?” Joseph asks.
Troy rolls his eyes. “I was chasing chickens that had escaped their pen.”
“One got away, but fortunately he fell on the second one and squashed it,” Nic says, looking at Troy with a fond smile. “He was sitting in the dirt, cursing out a dead chicken. It was love at first sight.”
“Bullshit.” Troy chuckles.
“Well, it was for me. He took a little convincing.”
“You mean stalking.” Troy leans to kiss him, and Nic tucks him under his arm.
It’s obvious they’re very much in love. It shines from their eyes, and is reflected in the way they constantly touch one another.
The same cannot be said for Airen and Joseph, who have planted themselves at opposite ends of the couch. Two obstinate, jealous fools. Can’t they see what I see? Airen has nothing to fear from Troy. He couldn’t be more into Nic if he crawled inside him. Likewise, Joseph has nothing to fear from Nic. It was one encounter fifteen years ago.
“We should get some sleep,” Troy admits reluctantly. “We drove all day. There’s something I’d like to talk to all of you about when we’ve had some rest.”
“Of course. You’re welcome to stay in the guest room,” I offer.
“Thanks, but we have everything we need in the camper. Can we get together tomorrow?”
“Absolutely! We’ll have a welcome home party. Everyone’s going to be so happy to see you.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Troy admonishes. “We aren’t staying, Abby. Just visiting.”
“Then we definitely need to get together,” I insist.
“Resign yourself to it, Troy.” Airen chuckles when Troy opens his mouth to object again. “Once Abby finds a reason to have a party, it’s a done deal.”
Once everyone says their goodbyes, they depart, and I practically sleepwalk to our room. “Ugh, I’m going to smack you both,” I groan when I see Joseph and Airen perched on opposite sides of the bed. After crawling between them, I decide Joseph’s need is greater. His cheek is smooth beneath my palm. “Are you okay? I know it tormented you, not knowing if he was safe. He seems very happy.”
Joseph smiles sadly. “I’m thrilled it worked out for him, but I feel so guilty fo
r what I did. I hurt him.”
“We hurt him.”
“And he’d suffered enough.” Truer words were never spoken. Troy had been held for nearly a year by a cult that tortured him for being gay. His back is full of scars. It took months for him to trust Joseph enough to even accept his touch. When he left, Joseph’s worst fear was that he set him back, just when his wounds were healing.
Airen sighs when he hears the tremble in Joseph’s voice, and climbs between us, pulling Joseph against his chest. “You’ll have a chance to apologize now. We all will. He’s happy. Don’t beat yourself up.”
“I love you, beautiful,” Joseph whispers, burrowing into Airen’s body.
“I love you, too. Now, let’s talk about Abby’s reaction to Mr. GQ.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Damn it.
“Nice…nice…to meet you,” Joseph mocks, stammering, with an impish grin.
“She did the same thing when we met,” Airen brags.
“I’m going to sleep before I drown in the arrogance.”
“Good thing he only shook her hand,” Joseph taunts. “If he’d have kissed it, we’d have had to carry her inside.” They chuckle.
I fake a snore and they laugh again. If it means they’re getting along, I’m more than willing to be the butt of the joke tonight.
Throwing a party for fourteen people at the last minute takes some quick planning and delegating. Julie, Lexi, Jayla, and I manage to put together enough food to feed our small army. Airen and Eric are tasked with obtaining the booze, and Joseph spends the day rigging up speakers so we can have music outdoors. By six o’clock our backyard is filled with family, demolishing the pans of lasagna and enjoying one another’s company. Troy has been met with an outpouring of love and joy. He’s sitting at the picnic table, sandwiched between Nic and Eric, a wide smile plastered on his face.
Joseph’s eyes narrow as he gazes past me. When I turn to find Jon standing behind me with an unopened whiskey bottle in hand, I’m torn on how to react. Should I cause a scene and throw him out?
Joseph isn’t plagued by such ambivalence. “What the hell are you doing here?” he demands.
“I invited him.” Carson intervenes, glaring at Joseph. “Come on. I’ll beat you at horseshoes,” he says, leading Jon away from the rest of the group.
There’s a sudden silence, and all eyes are on me. “It’s fine. Ignore him,” I mumble. He’s not ruining our night. Despite his interruption, everyone has a great time. After a few hours, the kids go home with Julie and Jayla for a sleepover, and the alcohol begins to flow.
I pull Airen to his feet to dance with me. It’s such a rare opportunity that I have to take advantage of it. I’m folded into his arms, and all is right with the world. My hands travel the smooth expanse of his back, and I press my cheek to his chest, inhaling his scent. He chuckles lightly when I squeeze him tighter and nuzzle his neck.
“I don’t think you can get any closer, darlin’. I’m wearing you like a suit.” I can’t help it. I spend so much time afraid, fearing for my loss of all this. His warm, hard body is such a comfort. Strong arms around me, the smell of citrus combined with his unique scent, and his smooth, soothing voice in my ear. All the things I associate with love and safety. Just being held by Airen lulls me into a sense of security.
“Sorry,” I murmur.
“Don’t be. It’s good to know you need me, too.” Soft lips trail down my neck while a firm hand cups my ass.
“I’ve always needed you. Before we ever met, I needed you.”
“My sweet girl.”
“This reminds me of our first dance.”
“Do you remember our first kiss?” he asks, onyx eyes twinkling.
“Of course. It was the same night as our first dance, and not our last milestone that night.”
“Nope, sorry. That wasn’t our first kiss.”
“You must be mixing me up with some other girl,” I tease.
“No one compares to you, sweetheart. The first time I kissed you we were sitting on a log at our picnic spot. I kissed your cheek, and Jayla took our picture. It made you blush.” He runs the pad of his finger down my cheek. “I loved you, then,” he confesses softly. My heart swells and a lump forms in my throat. “That picture has been in my drawer ever since, but I think I’ll frame it, and hang it over our bed.”
My fingers stroke the fine hair on the nape of his neck as I reply in a husky voice. “I love you so much, but if you make me cry in front of everyone, you better protect your balls.”
He throws back his head, laughing in genuine surprise before kissing my lips. Gathering me in his arms, he grins down at me. “You’re an irresistible handful.”
Joseph has been dancing with Lexi, and when the song changes, he glances in our direction. “Swap partners?”
“We’ll meet you in the bedroom.” Lexi laughs, glancing at Eric to be sure he’s out of earshot.
“And we get a sudden peek into why you and Abby are such good friends,” Joseph remarks sarcastically, shaking his head. “Switch dance partners.”
“Sure.” I laugh, releasing Airen. “Hands above the waist, Lex,” I tease.
“You’re no fun,” she replies with an exaggerated pout. Eric watches from his seat at the table, shaking his head and grinning at his girlfriend’s antics. There isn’t a jealous bone in that man’s body. He watches Lexi with a heated gaze while she dances with Airen, her svelte body keeping perfect rhythm with the music. He may hate to dance, but he sure loves watching her.
Emma and Gary join the fun, and I watch out of the corner of my eye as Nic offers a hand to Troy. He accepts, and rests his head on Nic’s shoulder. They’re so sweet together. My eyes stray for a moment to Nic’s firm, round ass flexing as he moves. Damn, Troy’s a lucky man.
Joseph smirks when my gaze returns to his. “And here I thought it was Airen I had to worry about.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“My mistake. I could’ve sworn you were checking out Nic’s ass.” Shit. Busted. “Relax, ladybug, you’d have to be blind to miss it, it’s spectacular. We should probably keep it between us, though. Your husband seems like the jealous type,” he teases with an impish grin.
“Funny, I heard the same about your boyfriend.”
“Small world.” He spins me around and ends with an exaggerated dip, cutting off my giggle with a scorching kiss. I assume it’s Jon’s return that’s earned me all this attention. They both want to make it clear who I belong to, and I’m certainly not complaining. Isn’t it every woman’s dream to have an unappreciative ex see them with a gorgeous guy that worships the ground they walk on? I have that times two.
I throw an apologetic glance at Joseph when Emma claims the next dance. “Save me a dance, Abs,” Gary calls. “I gotta go water the flowers.”
“With an invitation like that, how can I say no?” I laugh. I’m exhausted when I plop down at the patio table and pour myself a drink.
“Well, if it isn’t Cinderella,” Jon grumbles. What the hell is he still doing here? Carson went in hours ago. “What do you do for all these guys, Abby?” Fortunately, Gary returns to the table before I respond. I’ve had a few drinks, and I’m liable to invite him to go fuck himself. It’s eating him up that they’re paying such attention to me. I love every second of it, but in the long run I know I’ll pay for it.
After Joseph and Airen return to the table, Troy plops down beside me. “Dance with my man, Abby. I’m done in.” What?
Joseph and Airen wear identical shit eating grins when Nic holds out his hand. “May I?” he asks in a deep sultry voice.
“Sure she will,” Airen chirps.
“It’d be rude not to,” Joseph adds with a smile. Bastards.
“I’d love to.” I smile and take his hand, allowing him to lead me into the yard. His palm is hard and smooth when his hand closes over mine, and I can feel the heat emanating from him as he rests his other hand on my hip.
“
I’m not stepping on any toes here, am I?” he asks, moving with the music.
“What?” I look down at my feet. “No.” He chuckles softly, and I realize his meaning. Could I be any more dense? He must think I’m an idiot. “I mean, no, it’s fine.”
“Relax, Abby. I won’t bite.” Christ, that smile could stop traffic. “Troy speaks so highly of you. I wanted to get to know you a bit.”
“Of course, Troy’s a great guy.”
“I think so, too.” When I glance back at the table, Airen and Joseph are watching me. Airen smirks and gives a little wave. They think I can’t pull it together around this super hot guy, well, they can kiss my ass. It’s time to teach them a lesson. I step closer and smile softly, draping my arms around his neck. Joseph’s eyes narrow and the grin drops from his face. “So, do you love him?”
“Oh, yes.”
I relax, and we find our rhythm. As long as I don’t get caught up in those unnaturally blue eyes, I think I can do this without making a total fool of myself. “He’s been through a lot.”
“I know. He told me about the cult, and what they did to him.”
“I’m afraid we didn’t help things,” I murmur.
“You’re wrong there. He says coming here was what saved him. The love and acceptance he found with your family gave him confidence and hope. I know things were complicated with Joseph, and the reason is clear now, but he doesn’t regret it or blame anyone.”
“Joseph was in love with Airen from the get go, but he really did care deeply for Troy. He still does.”
“That’s obvious. He’s doing well, Abby. There’s no need to worry. I love him, and I’ll take care of him.”
“Thank you, that makes me feel so much better.”
He smiles, and places a soft kiss on my cheek. “Troy’s right. You are a sweetheart.”
Blushing to my roots, I feel Airen and Joseph staring at me when I return the kiss, while Jon glares hatefully in my direction. “Troy’s a lucky man.”
He beams, stealing my breath with his killer smile. “Thanks for the dance.”
Joseph just shakes his head in amusement when Airen grabs my hand and pulls me into his lap. They put me on the spot and tried to embarrass me, but I came out on top. “You found a keeper, Troy,” I chirp, as Nic settles beside him.
