by Trina Lane
Malaki wrapped his arms around Javier, ostensibly to keep him warm, but really just to hold on to this moment of perfection for a while longer. They kept their eyes on the couple out in the field. Even to a casual observer, it was evident their love was as expansive as the lush fields throughout the hill county where Tyler’s ranch nestled.
“They came out here to be alone and here we are, spying on them.”
Javier angled his head back and smiled. “Well, we could give them a run for their money?”
Malaki spun Javier around and lifted him up on to the top rail of the fence. “Wrap your legs around me.”
He did tightly, making Malaki smile. Javier’s position might be one of submission, but the man was letting it be said without words that Malaki didn’t hold all the cards. Malaki unbuttoned Javier’s shirt and the moment the cold air hit his chest, Javier hissed. His nipples beaded and Malaki sucked one into his mouth. Spanish curses whispered over his head. He gripped Javier’s back to hold him in place while the man arched into his possession.
He lifted his head and saw Tyler and Brandon standing just a few feet away, unabashedly watching them. He smiled as he kissed Javier’s neck. He slid his hands up into Javier’s hair and held the man exactly where he wanted him.
He placed his lips against Javier’s ear and whispered, “We’re being watched.”
“Don’t stop.”
“Are you cold?”
“Never hotter.”
He’d never been one for public displays, but this wasn’t a display. It was a story. Javier the author and Malaki the narrator of a tale about a man who had traveled through the gates of hell and in doing so unlocked the truth of himself. Up until now, the words had only been shared between the two of them, but the time had come to release the work upon the world.
Their eyes met and it was as if Javier knew exactly what he was thinking, because he nodded, tightening his legs around Mal’s waist. Malaki adjusted Javier so that he had more support on his precarious perch. Still clutching the strands of his hair, he pulled Javier’s head back and slid his lips down the man’s taut neck. He nipped Javier’s Adam’s apple. Javier’s groan vibrated against his lips. He encircled Javier with his arms, surrounding the man with his love and passion. Their mouths met in a torrent of desire. He bit and licked at Javier’s mouth, groaning when the man opened up and let him inside. He knew that they were supposed to be following a script. He needed to slow down, but the wet heat of Javier’s mouth and the feel of his man’s hands overrode all higher thought process.
Malaki heard footsteps and looked at Brandon and Tyler over Javier’s shoulder. The men acted as though they were about to leave, but he met Brandon’s gaze and gave a slight shake of his head.
He wants you to see this. Listen to what he’s saying.
Tyler nodded and held Brandon close. Malaki pulled at Javier’s shirt, still tucked into his jeans, until he touched the hot, hard flesh of Javier’s slim waist with the tips of his fingers. The skin was tight and hot. He gripped the back of Javier’s shirt and ripped the covering away.
Malaki slid his hand over the curve of Javier’s backbone and pulled him in, tucking the man’s head against his shoulder. Soft panting breaths against his skin and Javier’s grip against his shoulders gave away the nerves strumming through his lover. The moonlight exposed crisscrossing scars from each lash of the whip and sear of the brand. Twin gasps cut across the field, sharper than the wind that blasted down from the Artic, threatening to freeze everything around them. But in his arms, Javier was warm and alive.
He stroked his hand down Javier’s back, feeling the shiver of awareness slide down Javier’s spine. He knew without asking that the reaction was a potent mixture of desire and acceptance. Malaki found Javier’s gaze again. His people had believed that humans’ courses in history had been set when the moon gave birth to the stars. He wasn’t so sure about absolute destiny, but something in the universe had led the four of them to this spot. Under the naked light of the moon, Javier revealed to the world the man he’d become.
Chapter Eleven
Javier took a look around his apartment. Outside, the freshly planted trees of the complex were sprouting the first green leaves of the spring. The new construction was a nice upgrade from the rundown assisted housing he’d been staying in, but not as flashy as his old place. Overall, it fit the revived him pretty well. The complex was equally distant to his work and Mal’s place, so that was a bonus too. The eight-hundred-and-fifty-square-foot space actually felt cavernous compared to his cell and the studio he’d been staying in since his return to Dallas.
“Where do you want me to put this dining room table?” Malaki asked as he walked in through the front door.
“How about the dining area?”
“Okay, smart ass. Where have you designated your dining area to be?”
His apartment had a combination living-dining room. There was an extended countertop that divided the kitchen from the living room, but Javier still wanted some kind of table where he could sit down.
“I was thinking over by the door to the balcony.”
The delivery people had brought in the big pieces from the rental place yesterday, but Javier had wanted to buy one piece of new furniture that was his alone. It just happened to have worked out that he was dating a man with a big truck to get it home.
“I still think this was a futastic idea of Brandon’s.”
The muscles bunched in Mal’s shoulders and arms as he carried the furniture across the room. The round table was made of wood and iron. Not exactly light, but his man made it seem as though it was as easy as the plastic set he’d used in his college apartment.
“Javi? Hello!”
“Sorry, what?
Mal smiled and posed against the glass wall leading to his balcony. “Were you staring at my ass?”
“Nope.”
Javier couldn’t help but laugh at the hang-dog expression on his lover’s face. It was such fun to tease the big man. “Your bulging biceps may have caught my attention, though.” Malaki flexed and Javier rolled his eyes. “Please. There’s no need to troll for compliments.”
Mal’s eyes darkened and Javier found himself backing up until he hit the breakfast bar. He could have escaped when Malaki’s arms imprisoned him against the granite, but they both knew he wanted to be there.
“So you didn’t hear what I said earlier?”
“When?”
“As I labored arduously to get your furniture in place?”
“Uh-uh.”
“I said I still think this was a futastic idea of Brandon’s. I—”
“A fu-what?”
“Futastic. Fucking fantastic. See, I combined the two words, like Bennifer. It works. No?”
Javier shook his head. “No. Not to mention it kinda shows your age, since they haven’t been together since like decades ago.”
“Well, the classics never die. Now, as I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me… I never would have thought about using a house staging company to lease furniture from. Filling a house is expensive and this way you get to save up to buy one quality piece at a time instead of filling your new place with cheap fake wood furniture from discount stores.”
“Mm-hm. He has lots of moments of brilliance. We’re just careful about letting him know it. Speaking of my new furniture, how about we break in that new bed of mine?”
“We could.” Malaki leaned down and buried his face in Javier’s neck. “Or I could fuck you right here against the counter.”
His breath caught and his muscles tightened. They’d breached a lot of the walls in Javier’s mind that had sealed him off from experiencing the connection two people shared together. But this was the first time Malaki had brought up plans to storm the fortress. Javier truly didn’t know where his reluctance came from. Each time he and Malaki were together blew his mind. Javier slid his hands up Malaki’s chest and massaged his shoulders. The big man moaned and turned to jelly under Javier’s s
killed hands.
“We could.” He kissed the jugular notch at the base of Mal’s throat. “Or I can strip you down and massage your entire body as a thank you for helping me move. You know how good I am. I bet I can turn you into a pile of goo. Really reach the deepest…muscles to give you the greatest pleasure.”
Malaki grabbed Javier’s hand and had started to drag him to the bedroom when there was a knock on the door. If looks could have killed, whoever stood behind that door would have been vaporized.
“Sorry. Guess you’ll have to take a rain check.” He pulled Malaki down and sealed their lips together. Javier’s awareness of the world narrowed to the existence of Malaki’s touch. Their connection consumed him in a way that would have been terrifying had he not trusted Mal with the security of his soul.
The door rattled with the force of another knock. “Come on, guys. Get your clothes on—this stuff is heavy!”
Malaki snickered and Javier rolled his eyes. Leave it to Brandon to be ever so tactful. Javier sauntered over to the door and opened it with a deliberate slowness.
“Finally!”
“Serves you right for being such a drama queen,” Tyler said as he entered behind his partner.
Brandon set down the bag of stuff from the home store they’d raided earlier that day. “I am not a drama queen.”
“Normally I would agree with you, but when the mood hits, you can rival the greatest Cher had to offer.”
“Well, at least that means I look amazing in leather. Now, where would you like us to put all this stuff?”
“Counter is fine for now. I’ll sort and figure out where to put everything later.”
Javier had tried to rein in the shopping frenzy, wanting to keep his clutter to only the basics. Initially he’d told Brandon he planned on shopping for kitchen stuff at the dollar store and the man had nearly had an aneurysm. They’d reached a compromise, but even with only buying the essentials Javier had nearly had a heart attack at the register. And while the balance in his bank account might be significantly less, he regretted nothing. His life had revolved around imprisonment, torture and recovery for so long. Ultimately, he’d found his way back to life and learned how to love for the first time. He deserved a few treats.
“You look a little far away. Everything all right?” Malaki asked softly as he wrapped his arms around Javier from behind.
He leaned back and accepted Malaki’s support. Accepting someone else’s strength was still new, but each time he grew to appreciate the offer a little more.
“Right now, I’m the luckiest person in the world. You know I talk a big game, but there were days when I was moments away from breaking. Where seconds stretched into eons of hell, and my heart shattered from the explosions of hate.”
He turned in Mal’s arms and looked up at him. He cupped Malaki’s cheek and stared into his eyes. Everyone wore masks to survive in today’s world, but Mal’s mask was off and Javier saw the rawness of his soul. Everything was exposed and Javier shook with the enormity of the offering. It was his to accept or reject. If he accepted, then there was no going back. Their lives would be united forever on a molecular level. If he rejected, then Malaki would survive, but his heart would carry scars deeper than the ones that marred Javier’s body.
“I survived, but I’m alive become of you. You healed my heart and allowed me to find my soul. I love you, Malaki Taupo.”
Malaki’s eyes glistened. He swallowed a couple of times, as though the words that were desperate to break free were barricaded.
“Until I met you, I was a nomad. My life was full but my spirit empty, triggering a restlessness that kept me moving. I didn’t even know what I was searching for until you walked into my life, full of resolve and a soul carved by experience beyond your years. You faced the devil, but didn’t allow his fires to consume you. The moment our eyes met, I knew I’d found my home. You are my heart, Javier.”
Their foreheads touched and Javier inhaled Malaki’s breaths. He absorbed the words of love and let them fill the cavities within him till happiness emanated from his pores.
“Seeing you smile is what I live for each day.”
“That’s a large expectation to live up to. What if I’m having the world’s shittiest day?”
“Then, on those days, it’ll be my job to help you find it again. That’s what being a partner is about.”
“Well, that and making sure the people who help him move get free drinks, because God knows Javier doesn’t have enough social tact to remember.”
Javier looked over at Brandon, who stood there grinning from ear to ear. “You carried two bags up from the car, most of which you made me buy in the first place.”
He scoffed. “Please. If I’d left you to your own devices, you’d be eating off paper plates and with plastic utensils.”
Tyler put his arm around Brandon and placed his lips next to his ear. “At least Javier knows how to cook food to put on his plates.”
“Hey, I’m getting better!”
“Yes, love. You managed to successfully craft an excellent turkey and cheese sandwich the other day.”
“I’m sorry, weren’t you the one who said the toasted bread made all the difference?”
“Guys! I swear I think the two of you use bickering as a form of foreplay.”
Tyler winked and Malaki chuckled behind Javier. Brandon walked over and gave Javier a hug.
“It’s a nice place, and I’m really happy for you,” he whispered.
Clearly his friends had overheard his and Mal’s confessions a few moments ago.
“Thanks. Do you want to stay and eat dinner off my new plates? I have nothing edible here, but I did manage to bring the amaretto sour mixers from my old place.”
“Now that’s a man who’s thinking! Forget the food and bring on the booze.”
Tyler cleared his throat and Brandon sighed.
“Thank you, but we can’t. I have to actually be a grown-up. There are covers due tomorrow and you know Tyler can’t go more than a few hours without talking to his babies.”
He gave Brandon a hug. “Have a safe drive and text when you guys get home.”
“Yes, Mom.”
Javier saw them out of the door after receiving a hug from Tyler. Then it was just him and Mal. He turned and met his lover’s gaze. “Now, how about that massage?”
Chapter Twelve
“Today is my alive day.”
Malaki grasped the bowl of popcorn, two beers and the movie he’d picked up from Redbox. Javier had said he wanted a quiet night at home when they’d texted at lunchtime.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a thing that I’ve heard some of the people in my trauma support group talk about. Mainly vets. For one guy, he celebrates the day his got his leg blown off by an IED but he lived.”
Mal stopped walking and did a quick mental assessment of the calendar. “Today’s the anniversary of the day you escaped.”
Javier nodded. “One year ago, my life started over. I thought about celebrating in October, on the day he took me, but that didn’t feel right.”
Mal set the stuff down on the coffee table and sat on the sofa. He took Javier’s hand.
“Why not?”
“Well, that day was really the start of the darkest part of my life and the whole point of alive day is to celebrate the day you stared death in the eye and came out the other side. So today seemed much more appropriate.”
“If it’s something we’re celebrating, why don’t we get dressed and go out for a nice dinner?”
“Really?”
“Sure. Why not?” He stood and held out his hand. “Come on, sexy. Let’s go.”
Javier smiled and stood. Malaki led them into his bedroom. They’d started keeping a few changes of clothes at each other’s places. It wasn’t long before they’d both shed their comfy after-work clothes and slid into suits.
Malaki secured his watch and looked over at Javier. It had required months of hard work, but the man was final
ly back up to a decent fighting weight. Malaki had taken great pleasure in constructing nutrition and workout plans to maximize Javier building muscle mass again. His knee was as strong as possible after reconstruction. His mind was in a good place since he continued to work sporadically with a therapist, and Malaki had the health of his heart well in hand. Had he known about alive day, he would have made the occasion much more significant.
“You ready?” Javier asked
“Always. Where do you want to go?”
“I don’t really know. It’s not like I dine in upscale restaurants on a regular basis.”
“Me, neither.” He snapped his fingers. “Let’s call in a solid.”
Javier smiled and whipped out his phone. “Hey, Tyler, I have a question. If we wanted to hit up a really nice place to have a celebration dinner without having made advance reservations, where would we go?”
“Well, my family traditionally goes to The Mansion for special nights out, but it’s impossible to get in without a reservation. Unless….”
“Unless what?”
“Leave it to me. Head to Turtle Creek Boulevard. The restaurant is located in the old Rosewood mansion. Now, since I’m about to call in a favor of my own, what exactly are you celebrating?”
“My alive day.”
“Consider it done. Have a nice night, guys.”
Javier disconnected the call and scooped up his keys. “I’m driving!”
They jumped into Javier’s car. Well, he jumped and Malaki squeezed. He’d purchased a used coupe once he’d trusted himself to be fit enough to drive again. But his shopping considerations had not included a towering boyfriend with hulking muscles. Mal slid the seat all the way back and wedged his body into the car. Javier heard a soft grunt and clearly hadn’t rid himself of all his assholishness, because a tiny grin escaped when he glanced over and saw how ridiculous Mal looked.
