Chapter Eight | Chad

I was reading but also listening for the sound of Skylar's car on our driveway. When I heard it, I popped up and made my way to the front entry in time for him to open the door. As he strode toward me, I was struck by how gorgeous he was. My husband. The man I called mine.

I started by wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him.

Stepping back, Skylar's soft grey eyes told me he was pleased.

"I love how you welcome me home."

"I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too."

Skylar stripped off his coat. I was a little stunned by his outfit. It was one of his sexier ones. He looked a little like an erotic gothic cheerleader. I took his coat and hung it in the closet and waited for him to take off his boots. It wasn't often he wore his pink ones.

"Did you have a good evening?" I asked.

"Let's go to the living room and talk about it."

After tucking his boots in the closet, I followed him and sat beside him on the couch. He turned to face me and took my hand.

"I kissed Owen tonight."

I exhaled a long breath. "Okay. How was that?"

Skylar smiled. "Gave me all sorts of flutters."

"Good flutters? "

"Very good flutters. Then we cuddled for a while before I left."

"No sex?"

"No." Skylar wrinkled his brow. "The plan is to clear that with you first."

"Then why this outfit?" I tugged on the hem of his skirt.

"He sketched me tonight."

"He draws?"

"Yes, and he's very good. The sketch he created of me was stunning."

"You are stunning." My gaze wandered over every detail of his face. His angular face might appear stern if you didn't catch sight of his enchanting eyes and plump pink lips that could tear the earth off its axis when they upturned into a smile. He was the definition of gorgeous.

"Mm. Back on topic. How do you feel about the kiss with Owen?"

"I was thinking about the possibility all night. Imagining it."

"You need to tell me how it made you feel."

"Honestly." I smiled at him. "Horny."

Skylar laughed and kept his gaze on me. He had an uncanny way with the eye contact he held with me. "So do I have a green light to keep kissing him?"

"You have the green light to do more. Maybe blowjobs." That was the absolute truth. I wanted Skylar to take things further with Owen. My husband had woken up a little since he started with Owen. The man was filling a need in Skylar I couldn't. Not a need I was jealous of. Skylar and I had a unique bond. I had no doubt we were forever. He and Owen felt right.

"I'll take that into consideration. I'm still going to check with you first before acting."

"I appreciate that. "

Skylar bit his bottom lip and stroked my thigh. "All that kissing has churned up my arousal."

Yum.

My stomach did a flip, and my cock throbbed. Owen had fired Skylar up and I was going to be the beneficiary of that. My dick tented the sweatpants Skylar insisted I wear commando when at home. He liked the easy access of them. He caressed my thigh from my knee to my groin.

I tipped my head back and moaned as his hand jacked my shaft through the fabric. Imagining Skylar kissing and fucking Owen filled my mind. I clutched Skylar's face and sent him a desperate look. He received the message and led me upstairs where he proceeded to ravish me.

I took a seat across from my brother Harold in our favourite coffee shop. We met at least twice a month to catch up. We were each other's only connection when it came to family.

Harold was gay too. We'd both been abandoned by our parents and siblings when we came out in the living room together. We'd formed a pact when we were teenagers that we would come out at the same time. It hadn't happened until we were in our early twenties.

The ejection had been immediate.

I'd still been living in the family home. I was the eldest, so my dad had been grooming me to take over the farm. Three generations of growing canola and tending a small herd of beef cattle.

After they turned me out on my ass, I headed for Calgary and found a job as an interim manager for a cattle ranch. When my contract ended, they hadn't had any more work for me.

I was loose in the wind for a few weeks, my money running out .

Somehow, I stumbled into selling cars … and loved it. It was so much more fulfilling than running a farm. My parents kicking me out had turned out to be a blessing.

Then I met Skylar and the memory of every hardship I'd endured evaporated. He gave me the tools and encouragement to create my future. To reach for what I thought unattainable.

"How's life, big brother?" Harold opened.

"Interesting at the moment."

Harold's eyes widened. "Yeah? My life is so tedious. Entertain me."

Band-Aid off.

"Skylar has started seeing another man."

Harold's eyebrows almost reached his hairline. "What? Why? I know you guys are in an open relationship, but I thought that was purely for sex. He's started something more than that?"

"His name is Owen. I work with him and Skylar has taken a serious interest in him."

"Are they having sex?"

"Not yet. But it's in the wings. Skylar will check with me first."

Harold shifted in his seat. "Not sure I like this. What's it doing to your head?"

I laughed. "It turns me on."

My brother furrowed his brow. "So, this Owen is Skylar's boyfriend? Do I have that right?"

I'd been tumbling that over in my mind obsessively since Skylar told me he kissed Owen. I was ninety-five percent there in making peace with the boyfriend aspect. The sexual side of things turned me on, but the non-sexual component made me a little uncomfortable.

I'd entertained the possibility I was losing Skylar to Owen. I knew my life wouldn't be over if that happened. Skylar had cultivated and inspired in me great independent confidence.

Were we at risk? I'd decided that wasn't where we were at. Skylar loved me.

"I trust him. He loves me. His having what amounts to a boyfriend has been good for him. And if I focus on that aspect of change, I can see how this is benefiting us both."

"How is it benefiting you?"

"Skylar has been more attentive … and happier."

"More attentive? Do you think that comes from guilt?"

I shook my head. "No. Skylar doesn't do guilt or jealousy. If I had to take a guess, I'd say his closeness with Owen has amplified how much he loves me."

"I hope he's not using Owen for that purpose."

God, no.

"Absolutely not. It's a bad habit of Skylar's but he tends to put other people first."

Harold exhaled. "As long as you're all right with it and you feel like it's making your and Skylar's relationship stronger, then I'll try to get the idea settled in my mind."

"What about you?"

"Carl is as steady as a rock."

"You have a good man there."

"I know." Harold tipped his head to one side. "He's just so incredibly boring. He never wants to do anything. He's such a homebody. And he's adamant he doesn't want to open the relationship."

"But you still love him."

Harold nodded. "So much it hurts. That's why my boredom is killing me."

"Maybe we can go out to a gay bar some night and ogle hot men."

"God, I'd love that. "

"Done. I'll text you. We can go on a night when Skylar is in Toronto."

Harold spun his coffee cup. "Is Agnes texting you still?"

I sighed. Our sister, who had once rejected us, had started texting us both a few months ago. She was looking to reconcile. She missed us. One of her children had come out as transgender and it had changed her perspective on the LGBTQ+ community. She still loved her child fiercely.

"She has been going on about how our parents were wrong to abandon us," I replied.

"She's sharing the same message with me. Do we believe her?"

"Agnes was pretty harsh on us when we came out. Cruel and vicious even."

"She didn't know any better. Our parents poisoned her mind."

"Yeah, I don't know. I'm still pretty burnt by what she screamed at us."

"I think we should at least consider meeting with her."

I nodded. "I do miss her. We were close as kids."

"I'll set up a meeting with her. She's willing to fly out here to Victoria."

Fuck.

"Yeah, okay. We should include her in our gay bar adventure. Suss out if she's serious."

Harold laughed. "You're evil."

I smiled. "Never said I wasn't."

We turned to talking about the last house I sold. Harold, as a dentist, was fascinated. His work life was routine. He made a lot of money. Not as much as me, but he was doing well.

I left the coffee shop feeling confident about Skylar and Owen .

I was secure in my decision to give my husband a string of green lights.

Back at the office, I felt like I needed more coffee. It fueled my intense drive and energy. Of course, when I entered the break room, Owen was in there. He lifted the lid of the donut box I had placed in the room this morning. I laughed as Owen muttered, "Fucking Chad."

The box was filled with raw broccoli.

He spun to stare me down. "You're an asshole."

I smirked. "Healthier than donuts."

"You could have at least included dip."

"I'll keep that in mind for next time."

He jammed his hands onto his hips. "And thanks for messing with my computer this morning."

"Thought you'd like having everything on your screen upside down."

Owen sighed. "You're exhausting."

"Just trying to keep the office energy light."

"You're pissing everyone off." Owen scowled at me. "Not sure what Skylar sees in you."

I took a step back, my muscles tensing. "Don't you dare bring him up with me."

"Why not?" Owen clenched his fists. "Does his kissing me bother you?"

Oh, hell no.

I surged toward him. "Fuck off. He'll always come home to me."

That statement appeared to wound Owen. His chest deflated and his shoulders relaxed.

Good.

Fuck. Now he looked miserable. We shouldn't have gone there. Thrown the attention Skylar gave each of us at one another. I took a few steps toward him. Close enough I could grip his forearm through his dress shirt. He didn't pull away from me when I did.

"I'm sorry," he said as he looked up at me. "I shouldn't have brought Skylar into the office."

"I shouldn't have spat our love back at you. That wasn't fair."

Owen closed his eyes. "This is so weird."

I placed my other hand on his chest. God, I wanted to kiss him.

"Let's not go there again, okay?" I suggested. "We don't talk about Skylar with one another."

Owen opened his eyes and nodded.

I took several steps back from him before I did something stupid.

My feelings for Owen were so damned complicated.