Havoc (Tattoos and Ties 1)

He pulled back, studying Alec’s handsome face.

“Twenty-seven,” he said, almost losing himself in those mesmerizing eyes. They were fascinating, jewel-like in their depth and sparkle.

“Age?” Alec asked, his brow crinkled and eyes narrowed as he stared back at him.

Keyes nodded, moving his hands up Alec’s smooth skin, resting his palms on the dimples right above Alec’s ass. “You?”

“Twenty-nine.”

“Mmm…an older man.” Keyes growled.

“Don’t get too excited. I’m not that much older,” Alec said and gave him a quick peck before ducking to the side. “I have something to show you. Stay here.”

Alec padded across the floor, and Keyes watched that bare ass flex until he disappeared down the hall to his bedroom. He waited there, looking around the kitchen as if seeing it all for the first time. It had everything. A built-in refrigerator that matched a built-in oven that matched a huge stovetop. Two sinks. Why anyone needed two, he had no idea.

Keyes gave in to curiosity and walked toward the doorway on the other side of the kitchen. He’d never ventured to this side of the house. There was a very formal dining room with a long, elegant table. The room was big, almost as big as church at the club. His uncle’s house had a formal dining room, but it had become an office to give Keyes the extra bedroom when he was younger and needed a place to stay.

The kitchen now seemed small by comparison to this room. He kept going, walking through the dining room which sat directly off the large foyer where a big sweeping staircase led to the upstairs. Why did Alec need all this room? Luckily, before curiosity got the best of him, Alec came from the back of the house, robe on, and a pair of slide-on sandals on his feet. He held a second pair of sandals in his hand before dropping them at Keyes’s feet. “See if these fit.”

“We’re goin’ outside?”

Alec nodded and held out his hand for support. Keyes didn’t give it a second thought and automatically clasped the offering. He toed on his shoes, thinking about the warm gentle caress Alec gave as his fingers touched Keyes’s skin, adjusting the grasp to better hold his hand. Like everything else between them, there was a moment of figuring out what was their best way, something that pacified them both. The intertwining of fingers worked best.

When the shoes were on, Alec gave a firm tug, drawing Keyes through the house to the garage through another side door. They skirted a large swimming pool and cabana then followed a path to another part of the property. Alec retrieved a key from his robe’s pocket and unlocked the door. Once inside, they had another door that had a security pad. Alec entered a code. The door opened and the lights flashed on automatically. The detached building was huge and climate controlled, based on the cool air hitting him as they stepped inside. The spectacular part was the two vehicles sitting side by side.

“A Shelby Cobra?” Keyes asked, instantly releasing Alec’s fingers as he went straight for the car.

“A ’65 427. Only so many of this model built.”

“I’ve never seen one up close,” Keyes said, hearing the wonder in his own voice as he circled the vintage sports car. “My God.”

“My sentiment too.”

Keyes shifted his gaze to Alec who came to a stop at the hood of the car while Keyes stood closer to the trunk. “How do you have this?”

“My grandfather gave it to me after a particularly ugly family struggle. He had bought it new when they first came out,” Alec explained. Keyes was in utter awe. He scanned the vehicle again. The thing looked brand new, clearly not driven much at all.

“They can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, Alec,” Keyes said. Alec had no idea how much Keyes loved this car. He loved the back story on this model. Some in this 427 series had been discontinued shortly after production due to poor sales. Yet, all these years later, they were coveted by most automobile enthusiasts. Keyes carefully placed a palm on the side door panel. It was almost too much, the reverence too steep, and Keyes removed his hand, balling his fist to keep from touching again.

“I know. I’ve heard. I was the only grandchild that ever got to ride in it. My grandfather would take me to the coast, and we’d spend the day riding around having fun. Those were very freeing moments for me. Good memories. It was an incredibly generous gift,” he said, beaming at Keyes.

Keyes focused on Alec. The car fit Alec—the owner as shiny as this car’s well-preserved finish. They were very well suited for one another. Of course, he didn’t know Alec’s grandfather, but the man had done stunningly well at matching automobile to person.