Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89053 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89053 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“We all keep gettin' pulled over by the cops. It pisses me off. They usually have two guys on me when I get pulled over.”
“I’m sure it’s your size. You’re huge. It would be intimidating, especially if their motive is just to mess with you guys,” Alec explained, knowing they had every member of the club identified. He was surprised not more officers were required when pulling Key over. He was intimidating as hell.
Key grunted, again making Alec smile as he reached for more lotion.
“Keep talking. I like your voice.” Alec started lower this time, moving his thumbs up and down Key’s spine, leaving a trail of the white lotion as he went.
“What do you want to know?”
“I don’t care. Tell me anything,” Alec said, running his palms over Key’s lower back. “Tell me why you got weird a few minutes ago in the pool.”
“When?” Key asked, glancing over his shoulder, eyebrow raised. He even leaned back, puckering his lips for a kiss. When Alec gave him one, he went back to his original position, chin to chest. Alec assumed that meant for him to continue.
“When I talked about why I liked the bar in the pool.”
“Oh.” Key didn’t say another word. After a long pregnant pause that had Alec deciding Key wasn’t going to say more, Key finally spoke. “I’m jealous.”
“Of what?” Alec asked, shocked. Key always managed to surprise him. Jealous hadn’t even been on Alec’s long list of reasons for those walls and barriers Key had dropped into place. He waited. When Key didn’t say anything more, Alec added, “I can’t fix it if I don’t know.”
Key still remained silent.
“Okay, well, I brought up the neighborhood. Is that it?” Alec asked, trying to remember the different components to the conversation.
“We can’t be seen together. I get it. I’m stayin’ over more. I don’t have to,” Key said in a rush of words, adjusting his body to look back at Alec.
“No, it’s not that. I haven’t connected with this neighborhood or the whole area really. I don’t fit in with the families like I had hoped, and in today’s world, all everyone’s talking about is politics. It’s hard to find common ground before you factor in I’m the only gay man in a two-mile radius.” That made Key chuckle.
After another minute or two of silence, Key blurted out, “Blaine makes me jealous.”
Concerned, he pulled Key back against his chest to get a better look at his face, trying to better understand. “Whatever for?”
Key stayed silent and bent forward, back out of his arms, showing the severity of his jealousy. His guy rarely left his hold—and never twice like this. Alec followed, wrapping both his arms around Key’s firm stomach.
“Babe, Blaine and I are friends by default. Neither of us had anyone who cared for us, not really. I at least had my grandparents. He has no one,” Alec explained, resting his cheek on Key’s warm back, hugging him to his body.
“I don’t like how he left you out there alone on the side of the road like he did.” It took a second to even remember what Key was talking about. Alec smiled, pressing his lips to Key’s shoulder. He didn’t believe that was the real reason, more likely because Blaine was good-looking guy.
Alec rested his head on Key’s shoulder and explained, “That’s Blaine. One of the many differences between us. Blaine prefers a faster life. He’s the typical spoiled rich kid. He’s never had to work, always been taken care of. I’m way too much for him to understand anymore. He keeps pushing me to go back to our college years, live that lifestyle. He’s never grown up, and if he has his way, he doesn’t plan to. He’s not talking to me right now.” Alec’s lips pressed against Key’s back as his hands lifted to graze those defined stomach muscles.
“Why?” Key asked. Alec smiled again into Key’s back when those strong arms came to settle on his, holding them together.
“He wanted me to go to Coachella with him this year. I stood him up. I’m thirty years old for God’s sake. I don’t feel like I fit in that world any longer,” he answered honestly. Alec’s goals were setting, his future becoming clear. He was driven to settle down and build a legacy for himself.
“When were you thirty?” Key asked, turning his body to better face Alec. There was an endearing concern on his handsome face.
“It’s coming. I’m still months out, but close,” Alec replied, lifting the pad of his thumb to run across Key’s lower lip.
“When?”
“December seventh. I’ll give you plenty of notice. Maybe we could sneak away somewhere.” Alec reached for the lotion and squirted a healthy portion on his hands. He rubbed them together this time before sliding the lotion over Key’s chest and belly. “I like us. I like this.”