“So do I,” Sean said indulgently, taking a sip of his wine. “I think Janice’s guest list included couples. Where’s your guy?” His voice was as smooth as his looks, stirring Alec’s traitorous dick.
“Working.” Alec gave his prepared explanation then took a long drink of water. Luckily, the guy’s dark piercing stare released him, and he was able to take a literal as well as a figurative step backward. Juggling both glasses in his hand, Alec downed the vodka then slipped the empty glass on the bar. He kept the water, looking around for a clock. He found a small one hanging on the wall behind the bar. It was a little after eleven and his fun evening out had come to a crashing halt. Alec’s gaze again connected with Sean’s, and it held. He had enjoyed the simple gathering, more than he probably should have, and that was mostly likely due to the way he limited his surroundings to his home and that awful job.
The guy smirked as he looked Alec up and down. “You’re new at this—the relationship thing?”
“I guess so,” Alec answered truthfully.
“We’re open. We’ve found it’s the best of both worlds. My place is close. Wanna get out of here?” Sean had absolutely no shame in his game. He said the words like they were the most normal suggestion in the world, something Alec should take pleasure in accepting.
The old Alec wouldn’t have let this much time pass before heading out the door. The new Alec was glad he and Key had defined their relationship rules early on. Many men had no problem sharing. Alec apparently wasn’t one of them.
“No,” he said flatly and stepped aside again, setting the water glass on the bar top. “We’re exclusive, and I was just about to hit the road.”
“Too bad,” Sean said in what sounded like true disappointment. “That changes, you know where to find me.”
The guy was unfazed and in control, much like the old Alec. It would be so easy to take this guy up on his offer. Easier to have someone like Sean in his life. Instead, he left the guy standing there and motioned for the bartender to cash him out. Alec pulled his wallet, pocketed his credit card, and quickly scribbled out a tip and his name across the bottom. The bartender had stored the removed portions of his costume behind the bar and slid those to him.
When he turned away, Sean was still standing there. “This isn’t part of the pickup? You’re serious?”
“Absolutely serious and exclusive.” Alec found power in those words. One thing he learned about Sean, the man knew exactly where to stand to be in Alec’s way, forcing Alec to move around him again to leave.
“Lucky guy.”
He wasn’t sure Key felt that way, but he did.
“I am.” When he was sober, he’d have to examine all this uncertainty. Until then, well, he guessed he was going home to an empty house. At the door, he looked back, and Sean was standing there, watching him. He must have sensed Alec’s hesitation and lifted his glass, giving him a sexy grin. Man, Alec could have gone to town using that hard body. Instead, he pushed through the door without seeking out Janice for a proper goodbye, walking to the valet.
“Do you have your ticket?”
“I think I’ve had too much to drink. Is the car secure if I leave it overnight?” Alec asked, looking around for the parking lot.
“It’s in the private parking lot behind the building. We don’t normally have any problems. We have a security guard here overnight.”
“Cool,” he said and palmed his phone to pull up his Uber app. Luckily, there was one nearby. Once he was in the backseat of the car, he sent a quick message to Janice. It was lame, but he didn’t want to have to explain his sudden departure.
“I had a lovely time. Thank you for inviting us.”
There. That seemed like enough. He pushed send.
Alec looked around the car then out into the night.
Alone again.
He’d been having a good time and bolted because he got freaked out over some guy hitting on him. No, he got freaked out because he saw his past in front of him. What he’d now be if he hadn’t met Key. He was ridiculous. Maybe these prickly feelings were the need to run. Alec had his new course. He was a new man and needed to figure himself out as this man. Alec leaned his head back on the rest and ignored the slight spin as he let the motion of the car lull him into sleep.
Keyes blew through the open gate, squeezing the brakes as he trailed behind a car taking the circle drive to the front door of Alec’s place. He pulled alongside the car, got a good look inside as Alec opened the backdoor with a giant grin plastered on his face. Alec’s mouth was moving, but Keyes couldn’t hear a single word until he cut the bike’s engine, and by then Alec’s arms had snaked around his neck. Between the intense smell of alcohol on his breath and his eyelids drooping to half-mast, Keyes figured his tights-wearing superhero was drunk. He absorbed Alec’s body weight as he let the bike rest on its stand and the car left them both standing there in the driveway.