Chapter Four

 

 

 

Alex fumed through the entire game. As much as he would have liked to ignore the fact that Kyle was even there, it was impossible with the man on the sidelines next to Travis and Sam. He seemed to be talking a lot and they seemed to be following his advice.

Alex sighed. Kyle would be more insufferable than ever now.

The game ended and he thought that Levi’s team, the Mustangs, had won. But it was hard to tell with no scorekeeping.

Travis’ parents brought Lilah back over to him. “Great game,” Dave said.

“Yeah.” Alex tried to sound enthused.

Kim smiled as she glanced at the field, then back at Alex. “Looks like you lost your date.”

“He’s not my date. Really.” He knew it sounded like he was protesting too much, but he wanted everyone to be clear.

She batted her eyelashes and lowered her voice. “Then what I’d like to know is, why the heck not?”

Alex lowered his voice accordingly. “Long story, but the bottom line is the guy’s not gay.”

She laughed out loud. “Seriously? With the looks he was giving you? Somebody is not telling the truth.”

Dave leaned in. “Let them work it out, dear.”

“But—”

“Sweetheart!” He pressed a finger to her lips. “It’s a personal and sensitive subject. Perhaps the man isn’t ready to admit what everyone else can see. Leave it to Alex. He can handle it.”

Alex rubbed his temples. “I can, thank you. And this conversation is just too weird, so if we could change the subject before everyone else gets here I’d be forever grateful.”

“Of course.” She added in a loud whisper, “But he’s really cute, Alex. And that accent, holy guacamole!”

“Hey!” Dave snapped teasingly.

She laughed and blushed.

They all watched as Travis and Levi approached with Sam and Kyle just behind.

“Grandpa! Grandma!” Levi hugged their legs. “Did you see my touchdown?”

“We did!” Dave hugged the boy and his wife, juggling a sleeping Lilah, ruffled Levi’s hair.

“What a great first game!” she enthused.

“Hey, Alex!” Levi tugged at his arm. “Are you guys coming for dinner with Grandma and Grandpa? I want to show Kyle my new Madden NFL video game.”

Kim shifted the baby over to her son’s shoulder. “Oh, honey, thanks for the invitation, but we won’t be able to make it. We already have dinner plans with our friends, the Andersons.”

Dave rolled his eyes. “I’d rather come over and play Madden.”

She clutched his arm. “Yeah, well it’s tough to be you.” She glanced at the men. “Great game, coaches. Levi, we’ll see you tomorrow afternoon. Grandpa and I will pick you up at two and take you and your sister to the fall festival.”

“See you, Grandma!” He waved.

“Bye all. Until tomorrow.” Dave and his wife sauntered off.

“Bye, guys. Thanks.” Travis watched them go then turned to Alex. “So you two are coming to eat? We’re grilling steaks and hot dogs.”

Alex shot Kyle a venom-filled glance.

Kyle smiled then cleared his throat. “You know what? That sounds great, but I really can’t. Thanks for lettin’ me hang out today. It was fun.”

Levi grabbed Kyle’s sleeve. “You’ll come next week, won’t you?”

“Uh, I’m not sure, kiddo.” He caught Alex’s eye. “I’ll hafta check my calendar.”

“You’ve got to come! You’re the only one who knows anything about football!”

Sam laughed. “He’s right, there. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I just felt bad that the Mustangs might not get to have a team.”

Alex spoke up. “Kyle’s job keeps him pretty busy. If he can’t make it, you’ll just have to figure it out.”

Travis glanced from Alex to Kyle and back again. “Of course we will. Thanks for your help today, Kyle. It was great to meet you.”

“It was a pleasure meetin’ all of you, too. You have a beautiful family.” He smiled at the kids and took a step toward Alex. “Want to walk me to my truck?”

Alex gazed at him with steely eyes. “Not particularly.”

“Ah’ite. I’ll talk to you soon.” He strolled away.

Biting the inside of his cheek, Alex struggled to face forward and not watch the handsome hunk as he walked off. He couldn’t resist and took a quick glance over his shoulder.

Kyle did the same thing at the exact moment, and smiled when he caught Alex’s eye. He kept walking.

“Well, he was nice,” Sam offered.

“Nice. Yeah.” Irritation welled in Alex’s gut.

“Come on, guys, let’s go home.” Travis ushered them all out. “We’ll light the charcoal, pop open a beer and hear all about whatever problem Alex has with the long, tall Texan.”

Alex shook his head. “You sure you’ve got that much time?”

“We’ve got all night.” Sam put a hand on his shoulder and they walked out.

Alex drove, following their mid-sized SUV to the family’s comfortable ranch-style home not far away. He parked in the driveway and joined them in the house. Thirty minutes of flurry ensued as Travis got Lilah put down for a late nap and Sam fed Levi a small snack. Alex found the beer and settled on the patio, watching Levi run and play while Trav lit the charcoal.

“Gas is faster,” Alex commented.

“Faster is not synonymous with better,” Sam said. “Charcoal tastes good. You can’t argue that fact.”

“He can, and has on numerous occasions.” Travis grinned. “But he’s not getting away with that tonight. I want to know, what’s up with the Texan?”

Alex took a swig of his beer and glanced around. Levi was across the yard. He replied in hushed tones. “Fuck if I know. We were at a business dinner last night. I put it out there that I’m gay, you know how you do, kinda testing the waters. He didn’t say much. So I asked him if I freaked him out. He said no, he has gay friends. So I said, but not you? And he said no, I’m not gay.”

Sam smiled. “All the while speaking in that sexy Texas drawl.”

“Yeah, well, as far as I can tell he can’t turn that on and off. Not like he can being gay.”

Travis opened a beer. “Meaning?”

“I excused myself and went to the john. I was standing in front of the sink splashing water on my face because, well, I forgot to mention we did some shots.”

“Shots?” Sam laughed.

“Aw, shit.” Travis shook his head.

“Yeah. So anyway, he came in the men’s room and stood behind me. And fuck if he didn’t start kissing my neck!”

His friends were hooting now.

Alex went on. “I’m like, ‘What the fuck? You said you weren’t gay’. And he was like, ‘I’m not gay. I just like gay sex’. It went something like that, anyway.”

Sam leaned forward. “So what’s the problem? He doesn’t want to label himself, no big deal. He might come around. In the meantime, you like gay sex, too.”

Alex wagged a finger at them. “It’s not quite that simple. He informed me that he doesn’t ‘do’ relationships or houses or mornings or some shit like that. He only wants to hook up in men’s rooms. So I asked if he’s been hooking up since he’s been here and he admitted that he has.”

Travis blinked. “With strangers?”

“Hustlers, as far as I can tell.”

“Well, that’s not cool.”

“I know, right? Totally inadmissible behavior. I told him I’d need a new, negative blood test before anything could happen. He never said whether that was a possibility. When we texted later, he said that he still didn’t do relationships. But if I wanted to hook up, he’d be cool with that.”

“What a dick!” Sam muttered.

Travis shook his head. “Don’t judge, babe. We don’t know anything about the man.” He looked at Alex. “What do you know about his personal life?”

“Not much. He was married and has a grown daughter. His business partner steered me in his direction when she found out I was gay. So he’s not completely in the closet.”

Travis rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Some guys like the adventure of the hook-up, the excitement of doing something ‘naughty’. But from a medical standpoint there’s a huge difference between naughty and dangerous. You know you can’t be with him until he’s been tested. Even then you should take precautions.”

“Of course I know that. If I didn’t, we wouldn’t have worn matching outfits today because he’d have been getting dressed at my house this morning.” Alex remembered the other hurdle he had and shook his head. “Except for the fact that he wasn’t interested in going to my place or his. He seriously wanted to go into a stall in the men’s room at the restaurant.” He shuddered.

Sam chuckled. “That’s just wrong, man. Why wouldn’t he want to go somewhere?” He looked at Travis.

Alex gazed at him, too, as if the doctor had the answers he needed.

Travis smiled and scooped Levi onto his lap when the boy ran over to him. “Hey, buddy.” He nuzzled his son’s head then glanced at Alex. “I don’t know, man. You might have to come right out and ask him.”

Nodding, Alex grumbled, “Pretty fuc—flipping strange, if you ask me.” He smiled sheepishly.

Travis snickered. “No one ever said love wasn’t going to be strange.” He glanced at his husband. “Isn’t that right, dear?”

“Oh, that’s for sure! Hey, Levi, want to help me get the food ready?” Sam stood and stretched.

“Sure.” The child hopped up and they went into the house.

“Wash your hands,” Sam called before the kitchen door closed.

Alex glanced at Travis. “Sorry to be such a downer tonight.”

“You aren’t. We’re sorry you’re going through this. Honestly, the guy is hot as hell and seems pretty cool. You think he might be worth a little extra effort?”

Alex sighed. “I don’t mind extra effort. It just pisses me off that I’m willing to compromise and he’s not.”

“Did you ask him that? Are you sure he isn’t willing to compromise?”

“Well…” Alex wasn’t sure if he had. He’d been all consumed about being angry. “I don’t know.”

Travis leaned in. “Think about giving him one more shot. Put it out there, exactly what you want, and what you’re willing to accept. He might be more flexible than you thought. If he’s not, then screw him. Cut your losses and move on. If there’s one hot Texan in Chicago, there has to be another.”

Alex smiled. “Ah’ite.”

Travis’ eyes twinkled. “That accent is pretty hard to resist.”

Placing a hand over his heart, Alex sighed again. “I know, damn it!”

He enjoyed a relaxing dinner with the family and was able to put Kyle out of his mind for the evening. But back at his house, alone once again, the task was tougher. He couldn’t stop thinking about the sexy, opinionated thorn in his side.

He stared at his phone for a good thirty minutes before composing and sending a text.

 

You’re a pain in the ass.

 

The reply took less than a minute and it had Alex laughing as he read it.

 

Not if I use lube.

 

You got me there. I appreciate your sense of humor. I believe you’re someone I’d like to get to know.

 

I feel the same way. What’s our hold up again?

 

No hold up. We both get negative blood tests and I’ll invite you over for dinner…and dessert.

 

Sounds suspiciously like a date.

 

You think? That’s what people who like each other do.

 

Or they get straight to the good part.

 

Why are you so afraid to call it a date?

 

Kyle didn’t respond to his last text. Alex stared at his phone for a moment, then got up and proceeded to tidy up the house and do some laundry. All the while he kept one eye on his phone.

By midnight his work was done and he’d stopped checking his phone. Kyle obviously had issues that had nothing to do with him. He needed to steer clear and avoid the aggravation.

If only the guy didn’t ooze sexuality from every pore.

The good news—or bad news, depending on his mood—was that their legal business had concluded. He wouldn’t need to see Kyle or Cinda again. The best thing he could do would be to put the handsome man from his mind.

Easier said than done.

Before he crawled into bed, Alex peeled off his clothes and grabbed a towel, anxious to relieve some of his frustration. His cock had been in a semi-erect state all damn day, and as much as he didn’t want to admit it, Kyle was the reason.

The handsome face came to mind as he stroked his shaft from base to tip. The brooding eyes that lit up when he laughed, framed by thick eyebrows. Full, lush lips that were always on the verge of a sarcastic smile. Merely thinking about him had Alex panting in a matter of minutes. A few more solid strokes of his shaft and he was gasping for breath.

“Ah’ite,” he whispered aloud, hearing the man’s slow, southern drawl in his head.

His climax beckoned and tingles zipped up his spine. Alex pictured Kyle naked, rising above him, settling between his legs. Pictured himself gazing into the deep-set eyes as the hunky stud rubbed their bodies together. He closed his eyes and let fantasy take over, milking his cock until he burst, shooting warm cum over his fist and the towel he’d placed on his belly.

A few more strokes to draw out the pleasure, then Alex grabbed the towel and cleaned himself up. Finally sated, he didn’t want to move so he tossed the towel on the floor and rolled onto his side to sleep.

His phone’s notification light was blinking. He reached for it and read the latest text from Kyle, which had arrived at twelve-fifteen.

 

Your friends seem to have a nice life, but I’m not interested in playing house. I am interested in you. Kissing you, touching you, exploring those tats before burying myself deep inside and fucking you until neither of us can see straight. Can you honestly tell me you don’t want that as much as I do?

 

Alex’s heart melted.

 

* * * *

 

Kyle hit send on his text and held his breath. It was late and he had no idea if Alex was even awake. He might have a long wait.

Not that he could sleep. He’d watched football on TV most of the evening and had ordered pizza delivery, but he’d been distracted all day. Alex’s texts had made him think, and he hadn’t been able to put them out of his mind.

He wouldn’t mind taking a blood test. Not an unreasonable request. He’d been diligent about using condoms but realized it was better to be safe than sorry.

The whole dating-relationship issue stuck in his craw. He couldn’t see himself as part of a gay couple, but going to Alex’s house didn’t sound so bad. It’d be private at least. Maybe he could agree to that.

I might have to, if I want to see Alex. He wanted to see Alex. He wanted to do more than ‘see’ the handsome lawyer. Much, much more.

His phone vibrated with a text notification.

 

I want to be with you, too. More than you could know. Part of my job involves initiating compromises. Are you open to bargaining?

 

Shoot.

 

Okay, here’s my starting point. We both take blood tests. Pending the outcome of course…you spend next weekend at my house.

 

Blood tests are fine. Dinner and sex at your house sounds good. Stroke of midnight I’m outta there. I turn into a pumpkin.

 

LOL. What if I’m not done stroking by midnight? You sleep over two nights. I’ll make breakfast one morning and you the next.

 

Breakfast I can do. Marathon sex? Not so sure. You gotta remember I’m old.

 

Aw, fuck, is that what’s bugging you? You are NOT old. And I never said marathon. Just more than wham, bam, thank you, man.

 

I’m forty-fucking-four years old.

 

Seriously? And you still get around without a walker? Damn.

 

What are you, like, twenty-five?

 

I’m almost thirty-three but thanks for the ego-boost.

 

Which means you’re thirty-two, or twelve years younger than me. In some countries I’m old enough to be your father.

 

Jesus Christ, Kyle, my fingers are getting tired of typing. I’d much rather be jacking off to your sexy accent.

 

Kyle grinned and pushed the call button on his phone.

“Who is this?” Alex answered teasingly.

“My fingers are tired, too.”

“I’m putting you on speaker so I can jerk off while I’m listening to you sweet-talk me in Texan.”

“I like the sounds of that.” Kyle did the same, and set his phone on the pillow. He shoved one hand down his boxers and stroked his aching shaft. “Aw, yeah.”

“I can’t believe you’re worried about our age difference.”

“I can’t believe you’re still fightin’ with me when I have my hand wrapped around my johnson.”

“Hmm, I guess we can put the fight on hold for now. Tell me what you’re doing to yourself, and I’ll do it, too.”

“I’m jackin’ my favorite plaything, of course! It’s hot and hard ’cause I’m thinkin’ about you.”

Alex groaned. “I’m thinking about you, too. I already jerked off once tonight fantasizing about you. Kissing you, touching you, fucking you—”

“All the things I said I wanted to do. I’m gonna do those things, Alex. That and more. Um, lots more.” His cock was hard as steel. He continued to pump it with his fist.

“Oh yeah, I’m close. Gonna come all over myself.”

“Right there with ya.” His breath grew stilted and he forced himself to keep talking. “It’s ah’ite. Let’s do this thing together. You tell me when.”

“Shit. Tell me it’s all right again.”

“’s ah’ite.”

“Hell yes! I’m coming.” Alex’s groan was intense and guttural. There was no faking the sounds he made.

“Fuck yeah, me too.” Kyle pumped his shaft, seed spraying over his stomach and hand. He tugged it until his tremors stopped and he could think coherently again. “Fuck yeah,” he repeated.

“Shit, Kyle,” Alex panted. “That was good, but it would have been so much better if we were together.”

Kyle chuckled. “There’s always next time.”

“There damn well better be. I want you, Kyle Harbor. I’m tired of dicking around. Take the goddamn test and let me know when you get the results back.”

“You too, then.”

“Oh, I plan on it. First thing Monday.”

“I guess we’ll talk next week.”

“We damn sure will.”

Kyle smiled at the irritation in his voice. He’d gotten under Alex’s skin as much as Alex had done to him. “Sleep tight.”

“As if that could happen. I’ll be thinking about you all damn night.”

“I could come on over now.”

“Take the test, Kyle.”

“Goodnight, Alex.”

“Night.”

Kyle ended the call and tossed his phone onto the nightstand. He grabbed a T-shirt to wipe up the mess then sauntered into the shower. It’s gonna be a long fucking night.

 

* * * *

 

Kyle had no idea what time he fell asleep, but when his phone rang at ten the next morning he knew it was too early. His face burrowed into the pillow, he realized the call could be Alex and instantly perked up and grabbed his phone. The caller ID said Kelly.

Groaning, he reluctantly pushed the talk button. “Hello.” Kyle scrubbed a hand over his face.

“Hey, Kyle. Have you talked to Kassi lately? I have some concerns about this new boyfriend of hers.”

“What boyfriend?” He opened his eyes and tried to focus. “She didn’t tell me about anybody.”

Kelly sighed into the phone. “Apparently she’s been seeing him for a month. I just found out about it. And the fact that he’s older.”

“What do you mean ‘older’? How much older?”

“I don’t know. He’s at least thirty.”

Kyle thought before he spoke. “Six years isn’t much in the scheme of things. Now if he’s much older than thirty, that’s a different story.”

“You know she’s not a very mature twenty-four.”

“Oh, I know. She called me the other day because her brakes were squealin’ when she drove through Starbucks.”

“Did you tell her to stop driving through Starbucks?”

Kyle shook his head. “Women seem to think that line is hilarious.”

“Is that so? With what other women are you discussing our daughter?”

“She’s part of my life, Kel. I’ll discuss her with whoever the fuck I want.”

“Is that your way of avoiding the question?”

“Christ. It was Cinda, okay?”

“So you’re not seeing anyone?”

“Did I say that? And the more important question, how is that any of your business?”

“Touchy, touchy! What’s wrong with you? Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”

Kyle’s words had come out sharper than he’d intended. It was a slightly sore subject, but she didn’t need to know that. He figured a lie would be less painful than the truth, for both of them. “Had a little too much to drink last night. Actually, I’m not even out of bed yet.”

“I hope you aren’t making a habit of that.”

“Again, none of your business.”

“It is, as long as we share a daughter. Kassi needs her father, not some drunken absentee dad.”

“Well aren’t you just a bright ray of sunshine today? I’m not a drunk and I’m not an absentee father. Kassi knows she can call me any time night or day, and if she needs me to be there, I’ll hop on a plane.”

Kelly sighed again. “I know, Kyle. I’m sorry. This single parent thing is just harder than I expected it to be.”

A pang of guilt stabbed him but he brushed it away. “She’s an adult, Kel. It’s not like she’s a little kid. At some point you have to let go and allow her to make her own choices and mistakes.”

“Easy to say from a thousand miles away. Not so simple when I’m here watching her.”

“I get that. She’ll always be our baby. But, Kel, to save your sanity, you pro’lly need to back the fuck off.”

“You’re right. Talking to you always did calm me down. I guess it still does.”

Another shot of guilt. “You can call me any time you need to. Like you said, we’ll always have a connection.”

“Thanks, Kyle. I’m sorry I woke you.”

“Ah’ite. See you, Kel.” He ended the call and shoved the phone back on the nightstand.

When he finally dragged himself out of bed, he didn’t have a whole lot of energy. The only thing he really wanted to do was text or call Alex, but Kyle knew he couldn’t do that. He was the one arguing against a relationship. He needed to abide by the rules he, himself, had laid out.

He ended up going to work and spent most of the afternoon there. When he returned to the office Monday morning, it felt as if he’d never left.

“Good morning.” Cinda sipped a steaming mug of coffee. “You’re a little late—for you, that is.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Kyle grumbled as he poured himself a cup. “That’s because I was here yesterday and found some issues with some of the footings. So I went there first thing to meet the crew and make sure it got corrected.”

“Oh, good catch. But why were you here yesterday? We agreed a while back not to work this job seven days a week.”

“I know. I just couldn’t get settled on anything. At loose ends, I guess.”

She stood in front of him, folding her arms across her chest. “I know what you need.”

Kyle raised his palm in her direction. “And I don’t want to know, so drop it.”

“Well.” She snorted and made a face, then eventually tired of teasing him like she always did. “Okay, how about this? I got a phone call from Scott Webster, owner and proprietor of Webster’s Bar and Grill on Madison. He’s interested in another location and thinks our center might be a good fit.”

Kyle raised his eyebrows. “Now that is interestin’. What are you gonna do about it?”

“Well, he suggested we have dinner with him and his wife at their place, see what it’s like. I told him that sounded good but I needed to run it past you first.”

“Go for it. The more tenants we line up, the better.”

“I pulled out one of our standard contracts. It needs updated a bit with the Chicago regulations added in. I thought I’d call McElroy back in Dallas to take care of that for us.”

Kyle’s mind raced. “Seems like it’d be easier to use someone local for the Chicago contracts. A lawyer who’s familiar with city codes and all that.”

Cinda smirked. “Have anyone in mind?”

Kyle made his face blank. “That last guy was okay. What was his name? Allen?”

She laughed. “You know damn good and well his name is Alex. It’s only been a couple days since we saw him. Well, me, anyway. Lord knows how long it’s been for you.”

He plastered on a fake smile. “Whatever do you mean, sweetheart?”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay. We’ll play this thing your way. How about this? I’ll take care of calling Scott Webster, if you’ll take care of getting the contract to Alex and asking him to update it. Sound like a plan?”

He finally allowed a small smile. “It does. I’ll do it this morning.”

“Thank you.” She returned to her desk.

“No, Cinda, thank you.” Kyle glanced at his watch. The clinic opened at eight and Alex’s office at nine. He’d leave in time to get to the clinic about eight-thirty, then head over to the law office.

He pretended to bury his nose in blueprints, but his mind continued to race. Asking Alex to do additional legal work meant he’d be seeing more of the handsome attorney. At this point Kyle figured that was what he needed. Try as he might to deny it, he was hot for the sexy stud and couldn’t wait to do something about it.

Glancing at Cinda, he bit back a smile. She suspected how he felt, but he wasn’t ready to discuss it. Too soon. Hell, nothing had happened yet. A whole lot of things could foul up between now and Friday. He didn’t anticipate problems with either of their blood tests, but he knew better than to count his chickens.

At that moment, the only thing he had to count were the minutes until he could leave. He savored the anticipation of seeing Alex again. Damn, I’m whipped.