Havoc (Tattoos and Ties 1)

Keyes didn’t want to. Not at all. Alec waited. So did he, until he finally swallowed a lump in his throat, and spoke, “My life’s not what anyone would choose, but it’s mine. I’m me, and I’m good with that. It’s enough. Even with my old man’s constant beatdown, I never felt less than before.”

“Do you still feel that way?” Alec questioned.

“Oh yeah,” he answered honestly.

“Did I make you feel that way?”

“No, not at all. It’s all me. It’s why I’m here right now. I figured out it was my fuckin’ hang-up. You’re a good guy, and you asked me back,” Keyes explained.

“How can we dispel all of those feelings?” Alec asked. He was so damn smart and sincere, always looking for the whys and how he could help. Keyes tightened his hold on Alec. He really liked this man and had never known anyone else like him before.

“I don’t know. What you said in the livin’ room is what I’ve been goin’ through. It’s weird. This connection between us is different than just fuckin’ someone,” he answered, not even worried about revealing such an intimate truth. Alec was like magic. He held special powers. Not only was Keyes talking, he was also being honest while expressing feelings of all things.

“I agree. Unexpected,” Alec said. “I don’t want to resist or fight it.”

“Where were you tonight?” Keyes asked. Alec’s face changed. Keyes wasn’t as keen at reading moods as Alec and lost his chance when Alec lowered his head to Keyes’s chest, kissing him on the heart.

“I swiped right.”

Keyes’s whole body tensed as a rush of jealousy threatened to suffocate him. He’d been going through hell, and Alec was out hooking up with other guys? Two palms landed on his pecs as Keyes started to rise. The anger surging through him was different than anything before. He was red-hot mad and wanted out of this fucking bed. Had Alec just fucked another guy and crawled into bed with him? His brain exploded, shooting stars sprinkling his vision.

“No, stay here. I went on one date with one guy who I bailed on. I left him sitting at dinner and came home. I wanted him to be you. He wasn’t.”

That didn’t fucking help. Keyes drew in a long breath, needing calm. As much as he wanted out of this bed was as much as he wanted to tie Alec to this bed and fuck him so well he never wanted to leave again.

“I was trying to process all this, and you weren’t calling me or making any contact. I felt that was your way of blowing me off. I didn’t like it. I told myself I needed to move on. That’s it. Hell, he might still be sitting at the table waiting for me to come back.”

Keyes dropped his head back on the pillow. He was such a stupid dumbass. He scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to process the residual anger, but it was hard. “God, that made me jealous.”

“Thank you for saying that.” Alec pulled from his arms, and he didn’t like that one bit. Alec wasn’t going anywhere. Keyes grabbed hold of the guy as Alec started laughing at him, fighting him as he scooted off the mattress. “You haven’t eaten. Come on. Let me see what I have. I’ve fancied myself a chef. Bought all the best equipment for my kitchen, took some lessons, but I have to confess, I’m not as good as I hoped to be.”

He stared after Alec, watching that perfect, naked ass disappear behind the bathroom wall. Alec came back into the room with a robe and laid it on the bed. Another crack of thunder boomed outside, shaking the house. The lights dimmed before plunging the room into darkness.

“Great, we lost power. Guess that saves you from anything I might try to prepare for dinner.”

“We could sleep. I haven’t done much of that,” Keyes suggested, not moving more than necessary to hook an arm under his head. He was too comfortable.

“We can sleep when we aren’t together,” Alec said from the end of the bed, running a finger up Keyes’s foot from heel to toe. The move was effective, unexpectedly tickling, sending a shiver through his body before he had a chance to control his reaction.

“Hey!” Keyes quickly rolled from bed, placing his feet on the cold hardwood floors.

“I know I have the components for a sandwich. My refrigerator’s full. My housekeeper spends a mint on groceries to feed just one person.”

“You have a housekeeper?” Keyes said, reaching for his jeans instead of the robe. Alec didn’t seem to have a problem going nude. Keyes wasn’t of the same mindset. Hell, before he met Alec, the only time he was ever completely undressed was in the shower.

“I have two. And a yard crew and a pool boy. You’ll like him. He’s not really a pool boy as much a pool bear, but he’s hot regardless.”