Alibi (Brantley Walker Off the Books #5) - Nicole Edwards Page 0,29

retreated. Over and over, again and again. He took his time, getting lost in the man because it was his only safe place. Right here, right now, with Gage he could almost block out everything else.

“Harder,” Gage snapped, dragging Travis from his erotic trance.

In all the time he’d been with Gage, never had he heard such a dark command. It shocked him briefly, but Travis damn sure wouldn’t hold back if that was what his husband needed. Shifting so he was over Gage, his upper body balanced on his arms, he slammed his hips down, impaling him.

“Is that what you want?” he growled, the emotional turmoil roiling, writhing, turning what had been slow and sweet into an inferno of need and lust.

“Yes,” Gage hissed, his head falling back. “More.”

Travis slammed into him again, enjoying Gage’s hard, eager grunts.

Again and again, he didn’t hold back, driving in rough and deep, delivering that erotic bite of pain that would allow Gage to escape everything else for a while. It was what Gage needed. Hell, it was what Travis needed more than anything.

“Faster… Fuck me.” Gage exhaled harshly. “God, just fuck me.”

Realizing Gage was still attempting to escape it all, including their connection, Travis stopped, pulling out of Gage’s body long enough for them to shift positions, Gage rolling onto his stomach. For whatever reason, this was a position that worked so much better for them, with Travis lying atop him, arms sliding under, fingers curling over Gage’s shoulders. They were touching from chest to knee while Travis rocked, fucking him from behind. And this way, Gage couldn’t escape. He would be overwhelmed by Travis, feel him everywhere.

Gage’s hands gripped Travis’s wrists as they were lost in the sensations together, this time the emotions were a tidal wave that took them both under. When Gage cried out, his orgasm triggered Travis’s, dragging another ragged moan from him.

And when it was over, the only thing Travis could do was roll to his side, holding the man he loved as the tears broke free once again.

It would never be the same. They both knew it. What they had … without Kylie … even that was different. And they would have to figure out how to make it work for them.

Travis considered mentioning it to Gage, but he didn’t get the chance. A few minutes later, Gage pulled away, then got out of the bed. Without a word, he picked up his discarded clothes, pulled them on, then slipped out of the room, leaving Travis staring after him.

Travis hadn’t thought the hole in his chest could get any bigger, but right then it did. With Gage pulling away, the chasm widened, making him feel empty and cold.

As he lay there, he prayed that Gage would find a way to forgive him, because Travis wasn’t sure he could go on without him. He knew one thing for sure: he damn sure didn’t want to find out.

*

Brantley stood on the upper deck that extended off the back of his house, hands in his pockets as he observed his surroundings. To his left, above the barn, he could see the lights of downtown Austin in the far distance. To the right, his cousins’ house. A few months back, Kaden and Keegan had bought the ranch and had been working to fix it up.

He found he enjoyed coming out here, listening to the wind rustle through the trees. Every now and then, a donkey would make his presence known. Sometimes a cow. But tonight he didn’t hear any of that. Tonight, his thoughts were far too loud for him to enjoy the solitude.

“You okay out here?”

Brantley glanced back briefly, silently acknowledging Reese. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be okay again.”

He exhaled when Reese came to stand behind him, those strong arms sliding around, his palms flattening on his chest. In return, Brantley pressed his hands to the backs of Reese’s, relishing the warmth and the strength.

“I know I’m not responsible for Kylie’s death,” he told Reese. “Rationally, I’m well aware that Juliet is to blame. She was the one behind the wheel. She’s the one who made a conscious effort to hurt an innocent woman.”

Reese’s arms tightened.

“Doesn’t mean I don’t feel like I could’ve done somethin’ to stop it.”

Reese’s chin rested on his shoulder as he leaned in. “Maybe we could’ve,” he said softly. “In hindsight, it’s always easy to see a better way of doin’ things.”

True.

“But if that’s the case,” Reese continued, “how did she manage to vanish? If