Alibi

by Nicole Edwards

  There was one way for him to be sure though. He could take Magnus up on his offer. They could go for round two, see if it lived up to the hype. When it didn’t, Trey would know with certainty, and he could move on with his life.

  Son of a bitch.

  “Never mind, Mack,” he said quickly, standing up and pulling out his wallet. He slapped down a twenty to cover both his and Magnus’s beers.

  The bartender lifted an eyebrow, watching him closely.

  Trey started for the door. “You comin’ or what?” he called back to Magnus without turning around.

  When he stepped outside, the cool wind hit him in the face. Too bad it wasn’t cold enough to knock some sense into him.

  Because Magnus knew the way, Trey didn’t bother waiting. He hopped in his truck and headed out. The man would follow or he wouldn’t. Either way, it was out of Trey’s hands now.

  Fifteen minutes later, he was standing in his doorway watching Magnus’s SUV park in his driveway.

  This felt much too familiar. Just like the first time.

  And like that night, Trey felt the surge of adrenaline the instant Magnus stepped through the doorway.

  “God help me,” he muttered seconds before he slammed Magnus against the wall and kissed him.

  Magnus didn’t hold back, yanking Trey in close, hard hands roaming, desperate.

  “For the record, this was your idea,” Trey said, moving back, bringing Magnus with him as he headed for the bedroom. “I was content with one night.”

  “Shut up,” Magnus growled, crushing their lips together.

  Trey couldn’t take his mouth off the man. He tasted good, like beer and man. And maybe a little like mistakes and broken promises, but Trey pretended not to notice. He didn’t care. He wasn’t thinking about tomorrow or the next day. They were in the moment. Right here. Only here.

  When he made it to the bedroom, he pushed Magnus against the door again, pulled back enough so they could both shrug out of their coats, letting them fall to the floor. Trey ripped his shirt over his head, flung it behind him, then took the liberty of doing the same to Magnus.

  “Trey…”

  Oh, yeah. He loved the way Magnus said his name. He shouldn’t, of course, but he did.

  Next to come off were boots and jeans, and finally they were naked, falling into one another.

  Unlike last time, he wasted no time with foreplay. There’d be time for it later.

  “Where’re you goin’?” Magnus growled, reaching for Trey when he leaned over to grab the condoms from the nightstand.

  He snagged them as he fell back into Magnus. Their lips crushed together once more as he performed a magic trick, ripping open a condom with only one hand.

  It pained him to do so, but he pulled back long enough to roll on the condom. He took another moment for lube before he leaned over Magnus once more.

  Then there they were, face-to-face as he positioned himself against Magnus’s tight hole. He held the man’s gaze in the dimly lit room, trying to rein in the sparse remnants of his control as he guided himself home. He gritted his teeth, locked his muscles. Although he wanted this man more than his next breath, he didn’t want to cause undue pain, so he forced himself to slow down.

  “Don’t you dare hold back,” Magnus whispered, his hands cupping Trey’s neck, those intense hazel eyes pinned on his face.

  “You sure about that?”

  Magnus lifted his head, his breath fanning Trey’s mouth. “I’ve thought of this every single fucking day.” He nipped Trey’s lower lip. “Fuck me.”

  Ah, hell.

  Without preamble, he pushed inside the man, the blistering heat of Magnus’s body consuming him as it chased the air from his lungs. Trey closed his eyes for a moment and succumbed to the pleasure.

  When he opened his eyes, it was to find Magnus still staring at him, his mouth partially open.

  “Fuck me, Trey,” he whispered, a gravel-laced plea that triggered something deep inside him.

  Trey shifted so they were as close as they could be, then he pulled his hips back, slid out slowly, then drove his hips forward.

  Magnus’s deep grunt spurred him on.

  Trey retreated, slammed in again.

  And then all thought fled as he fucked Magnus with all the pent-up lust that had been coursing through his veins since their first and only time together.

  Trey drove into Magnus over and over, staring down at him. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to get lost in the sensations.

  “Oh, fuck,” Magnus moaned, his hands tightening behind Trey’s head.

  No words followed, but they weren’t necessary. When Magnus threw his head back and came with a low groan, Trey was quick to follow.

  Oddly enough, he had needed that. It had taken the edge off.

  Albeit only temporarily.

  Trey was still hard five minutes after he’d fallen off of Magnus, allowing the man to breathe while he fought to drag air into his own lungs.

  That was … he wanted to say unexpected, but he knew that was a lie. It was exactly as he’d thought it would be. He hadn’t been imagining their chemistry, and round two proved it.

  From the beginning, Trey had figured sex with Magnus would be mind-blowing because there was just something about him, something erotic, something that made Trey want to do dirty, dirty things. And he’d been right, although mind-blowing did seem like a slight understatement.

  Forcing himself up, Trey headed for the bathroom, took care of disposing of the condom. He splashed water on his face and purposely avoided his reflection. He did not need to see the satisfaction he knew he’d find there. Whatever that was … it had been perfect. No strings, no expectations. Fucking for the sake of fucking and a man who could give as good as he got.

  Yeah, Trey liked fucking Magnus. He liked it a lot.

  Needing more time, he turned on the shower and climbed in, not bothering to wait until it was hot. Lukewarm would have to do, because going back to that bed, to Magnus … it wasn’t an option right now. The only thing he wanted was to continue what they’d started. He wanted to spend the next few hours lost in the pleasure of it, lost in the man, and he wasn’t sure that was a wise idea.

  Sighing, he grabbed for the three-in-one soap, lathered his hair and his face before turning into the spray. It was while he was letting the water wash it all away that he heard Magnus come in. The shower curtain pulled back with a slight screech of metal rings on a metal bar, closed again, and then there were hands on him. Calloused hands. Steady hands.

  “Tryin’ to run already?” Magnus’s raspy voice was followed by warm lips across Trey’s shoulders. His nipples tightened from the sensation, skin prickling because it felt so fucking good.

  Trey was one who needed to be touched. He enjoyed it immensely, something he found wasn’t for everyone. His ex-husband, for example. Unless sex was involved, Paul hadn’t been interested.

  Magnus’s arms came around him, pulling him back. Trey didn’t resist, leaning into him, letting those hands roam over him while the water continued to heat, steaming up the bathroom. Reaching back, he placed his hands on Magnus’s thighs, moaned when Magnus began flicking Trey’s nipples with his thumbnails.

  “You like that.”

  Since it wasn’t a question, Trey didn’t confirm or deny. It was obvious he did and Magnus knew it.

  Gentle hands turned him, urged him back. Trey leaned against the wall, watched as Magnus leaned in and used his tongue and teeth to torment his nipples, making them harden more. When he bit down, Trey dropped his head back and groaned. Bliss. Pure, unadulterated bliss. That little bite of pain was what he needed, what he craved.

  Magnus didn’t stop. His hands continued to roam while his mouth followed suit, trailing over Trey’s chest, his shoulders, arms. He could hardly breathe for how good it felt. More than he bargained for. More than he deserved.

  As though his goal was to be thorough, Magnus had him turn again, his ministrations moving over Trey’s back, lower
. Completely blissed out, he had no choice but to let Magnus maneuver him this way and that until Trey ended up with his palms flat on the tiled wall, his hips back, and a talented tongue working him into a frenzy.

  This hadn’t been the agreement, he knew. Trey had intended to fuck Magnus, not the other way around. It was easier that way. Trey could keep his distance that way.

  But at some point, he’d lost his determination, given in, and now he was eager to feel Magnus inside him.

  When Magnus’s lips trailed up his spine once more, Trey didn’t move. He remained where he was when he said, “Fuck me. Fuck me now.”

  A deep groan echoed in the small space, and he could feel the air being displaced as Magnus moved around. He heard the ripping of foil, sent up a silent thank you for a man who was always prepared. Then the sound of a cap opening told Trey Magnus had found the lube he kept there for those times when his palms were just too damn rough to do any good.

  “Oh, fuck, yes,” he groaned, pushing back against the finger that slid inside him. He twitched and jerked as Magnus skillfully teased his prostate, drawing ragged breaths through his lungs as he fought to maintain his composure.

  Trey let it overwhelm him, the way Magnus fingered him, adding another, then another until Trey was breathing hard from the stimulation and the bite of pain.

  And when Magnus withdrew, replacing his fingers with his cock, Trey braced his hands firmly on the wall and accepted the brutal thrusts that shook him to his very core. The slap of their bodies, the rush of the water, their grunts, their groans, it all coalesced into sensory overload. And when Magnus came, Trey was quick to follow with Magnus’s name on his lips and a violent shudder that nearly swept him off his feet.

  After washing up, rinsing off, then shutting off the water, they returned to the queen-sized bed, bodies colliding all over again. This time, Trey took his time, used Magnus’s body in an effort to give and take pleasure in equal measure until they were both too tired, too wrung out to do anything but drift off.

  When Trey woke a few hours later, it was to find that regret had set in. Not because he was alone in the bed, Magnus having slipped out like a thief in the night for the second time. No, he was grateful for that. The regret came from knowing he’d allowed himself to feel too much once again. He’d promised himself he would stop this, stop letting himself be used, stop succumbing to his desire to not be alone.

  He feared he was exactly what his ex-husband had accused him of being: fucking needy.

  As he lay there in the darkened room, his thoughts drifting to Magnus, to what they’d done and how fucking good it had felt, Trey knew this wasn’t going to work. Not for him. Inevitably, he would push Magnus away. No, better yet, he would chase Magnus away, and Trey was sick and fucking tired of being the one left behind because of his absurd need to be wanted.

  Which meant the celibacy thing really was a good idea.

  Abstinence was his only real option.

  For real this time.

  And for the foreseeable future.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Tuesday, February 16, 2021

  Travis sat in his office listening to the meteorologist go on about the epic winter storm that was blowing through Texas. Admittedly, it was the first major storm Travis had seen like this. At least that he could remember. They’d actually gotten snow already, big, fluffy flakes, something that was rare for central Texas.

  But it wasn’t the four to six inches that the weatherman predicted that had everyone worried. No, that was the ice and the record low temps that were taking a significant toll on the power grid. As of now, they hadn’t lost power, but Brendon and Cheyenne had, which meant they probably would at some point. As for the water, well, it was spotty at best. The emails from the utility companies said the water treatment plants had lost power, affecting the water, so they were to expect to be without for some time.

  Oddly enough, it wasn’t Mother Nature or her wrath that had Travis so preoccupied. Everyone was settled in place, getting regular updates from family on the group text, so he was sure they would reach out if there was a problem. And if worse came to worst, they had the ability to move and shift people around to accommodate. For now they were hunkering down, hoping it wouldn’t last long.

  Which meant Travis was left to focus on the sealed envelope sitting on his desk. Nothing nefarious, just your standard number-ten white envelope. On the front was his and Gage’s names, scrawled in Kylie’s lovely cursive. Beside it, the gold-plated letter opener Kylie had bought him when she’d been updating his home office.

  The lawyer Kylie had hired to handle her will had delivered it a week ago, and Travis couldn’t bring himself to open it, much less read what it had to say.

  “Daddy-O! Daddy-O! Let’s make a snowman!”

  Like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Travis snatched the envelope, sliding it into his top drawer just as Kade was storming into his office. The little boy was bundled up in a coat, mittens, scarf, and earmuffs, only his little nose and eyes visible on his face. It was a wonder he could see.

  And the sight of him made Travis smile.

  “A snowman?”

  Kade nodded enthusiastically. “Daddy said we could.”

  “Well, you better get to it.”

  “With you, too. Daddy wants you to help.”

  Travis swallowed hard, a ray of hope igniting in his chest even as he wondered if Gage had actually said that. Things weren’t exactly kosher between him and Gage these days. In fact, they rarely spent any time together, and when they were under the same roof, it was usually without conversation.

  Oh, but their interactions weren’t completely hindered. Every night Gage would come into the guest room Travis had moved into. And every single night they would fuck like two men who hated each other but secretly craved what the other could offer. It was only during those hours that Travis felt any sense of calm, though he wasn’t sure he was supposed to.

  “Come on,” Kade whined.

  Knowing it would only disappoint his kids if he didn’t join them, Travis pushed up from his chair.

  “All right, all right. Let’s do this.”

  “Yay!” Kade took off, waddling back the way he’d come.

  Travis pulled on his wool-lined Carhartt, also something Kylie had bought for him, and walked out onto the back porch. Gage was holding Maddox in his arms while Kate, Avery, and Haden were smacking their hands on what appeared to be a snowball. It wasn’t much of one, certainly not what most people expected would turn into a man of any sort, but it was a start.

  Kade raced over to them, squealing with excitement.

  “You better scoop more snow,” Gage told them, his gaze swinging around to Travis.

  For a moment, they stood there staring at one another.

  Like every time their eyes met these days, something clenched deep inside Travis. It was true—whenever he looked at his husband, it reminded him of what they’d lost. He would immediately think of Kylie, wishing she was there with them.

  At the same time, he was reminded of what he had to lose if they couldn’t keep it together. Although he still couldn’t sleep and he’d lost nearly ten pounds from not eating because he missed Kylie, he also missed Gage. The man had been his rock for so long, and not having him there … well, it was killing him slowly.

  “I want a giant snowman,” Kade yelled, swinging a purple shovel—one they’d bought to make sandcastles at the beach—around. “The biggest one ever. Bigger than a building,” he exclaimed, hopping to reach as high as he could.

  “Me, too,” Avery said, her voice not as loud but equally enthusiastic. “Bigger than a tree.”

  “Buildings are bigger than trees,” Kade argued.

  “No, they’re not.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “What about you, Kate?” Gage asked, politely breaking them up.

  Travis’s attention shifted to Kate, who was slowly gathering up snow into a little yellow bucket. She didn’t answer, so Travis
walked down the steps to join them.

  “Kate?”

  She turned her head, clearly not having realized Travis was there. Her brown eyes glistened with what he knew were tears.

  “What’s the matter?”

  Kate looked at him, then looked at Gage. “I wanna make a snowmommy.”

  Travis’s chest tightened and he had to swallow the knot that formed in his throat. He looked at Gage, saw his eyes were glassy, too.

  “Then let’s do that. Let’s make a snowmommy,” Travis told her. “What does she look like?”

  There was a hitch in her voice when Kate said, “Like Mommy.”

  For a second, he thought he might be having a heart attack, his chest constricted so tight, and it was painful to breathe. But Travis pushed through, wanting to support Kate. The therapist she was still seeing had told them the best thing they could do right now was to be supportive, to show her they were there for her.

  “What should I do?” Travis offered, hoping to distract her.

  “We need more snow,” she decided.

  “Here!” Kade hopped over to him, passing off his purple shovel. “You can use mine.”

  “You can use mine, too, Daddy-O!” Avery said, giving him her blue shovel.

  With one in each hand, Travis squatted down, scooped snow into a pile. Kade and Avery transferred it over, forming it into a ball.

  It took some time, but they managed to scrape enough snow from the grass to build a decent-sized snowmommy. And by decent, it topped out at maybe two feet, not quite the building or the tree they’d been going for. When they were finishing up, Kate took off inside, leaving Travis and Gage to stare after her.

  “You think she’s all right?” Gage whispered.

  “I hope so.” He looked at Gage. “You want to talk to her? Or me?”

  Gage passed Maddox over to Travis. “I’ll do—”