40. Travis

FORTY

Six weeks later

"FOR ONCE I'VE got you on a red carpet instead of behind it," I said by Caleb's ear as several photographers behind the velvet rope snapped their shots of us and the other attendees heading into Ledger Gallery.

Tonight was a huge deal. Caleb had been selected as a featured artist, with a whole collection of his photographs being exhibited. I, for one, couldn't wait to see his work, since a) I knew he only took gorgeous pictures, and b) he'd been keeping the collection a secret.

Beside me, Caleb shifted uncomfortably, no doubt wishing he was back in jeans and a slouchy beanie instead of the suit Vera had encouraged him to wear. I'd stayed out of that discussion. If Caleb wanted fashion advice, he'd come to me for it, not the other way around.

Although seeing him rock a sexy see-through pantsuit would've been hot as fuck.

"This may be where you thrive," he said, "but I'm ready to cross back over to the other side."

"Not tonight you don't. You're the featured artist. So smile or smolder for the cameras, please."

He cracked a grin at that and glanced at me. I'd been working the line, eye-fucking the cameras, but one look at him and I forgot they were even there.

Not the smartest thing on a step-and-repeat.

"All right, all right, keep moving, ya lovebirds," West said from behind us as he shooed us away to take our spot with JT, who mouthed, Sorry, in our direction.

I could feel the relief coming off Caleb at just the mention of being done, and I chuckled, resting my hand on his lower back to lead him off the red carpet.

"Better?" I said as we stepped inside the gallery, where a huge crowd was already milling about.

Caleb stopped walking suddenly and pivoted to face me. "Oh shit."

I knew that look. Like he'd moved from one horror to another.

"You just realized people are gonna look at your work now," I said.

He nodded, and I held my hand out for him to take if he wanted it. No pressure. We were out to our friends and family, but I left it up to him how much PDA he wanted to show around others.

But Caleb didn't hesitate, taking my hand and linking our fingers, then giving me a grateful squeeze.

"I don't know why I'm so nervous," he said.

"Me either. I've stalked your stuff for years, and trust me, it's light-years better than whatever that is." I wrinkled my nose at the abstract painting on the wall.

Caleb's lips curved. "Thank you."

"What? I'm being serious. That's"—I leaned in a little closer to read the tiny price tag at the bottom then spun back to face him—"waaay overpriced."

Caleb chuckled and put a finger to my lips. "Shh—you never know where the artist might be."

I nipped at the pad of his finger and grinned. "I'm just saying, you've got nothing to worry about. Now where's your adoring fan club?"

"If by that you mean our parents…" Caleb scanned the crowd, looking at the guests milling around the different artwork, some hanging from the walls and several different vases set on podiums, which seemed like a risky idea, considering it was an open bar. "Ugh, over there, with some of the other parents. Geez, what'd they do, send out a bulletin to every Elysium member?"

"Probably. They want to show you off. They're proud of you. Plus, they know who has extra cash to spend."

The color drained a little from Caleb's face, so when a waiter walked by with a tray of fancy cocktails, I snagged a couple and handed one over.

He sniffed it and quickly shook his head. "Uh uh, no way am I drinking that. It practically singed my nostrils."

I wasn't nearly as concerned about the strength of the alcohol as I took a long sip. "Okay, you're right. That is strong. Let me find you a water."

As I went to go do just that, Caleb snagged my arm, halting me. "No, no. Don't go. I need you here."

My heart swelled at the confession. I loved that after all this time, I was now a source of comfort for him. "Moral support?"

"That and, um, well… Just come with me." Caleb put his full glass back on a waiter's tray as he started to lead me through the gallery, and I had to remind myself this might've been the first time I'd been here, but it definitely wasn't Caleb's. He'd been over the damn moon when Claudia, the curator of the gallery, called asking if he'd like to be the featured artist of this exhibit. Ledger Gallery was apparently one of his favorite haunts in Chelsea.So as we weaved through the crowds, I wasn't surprised to see him wave at a few of the people we passed by.

"Quite the celebrity here, aren't you?" I said.

Caleb grinned but said nothing as we continued on toward our parents and some of the guys who were milling about nearby.

"Ah, there he is," Richard said as we approached. "The man of the hour. We were wondering if we'd have to send out a search party."

"Not a chance," I said, squeezing Caleb's fingers in support. "I wasn't about to let him miss the biggest night of his life."

"Way to not make me stress even more."

The first dinner back at our parents' had been an interesting one. Having to break it to them that their sons preferred to be lovers? No big, incestuous deal at all. Thank fuck they were more open-minded than I'd given them credit for—well, Dick, anyway. Mom had always been a little outside the box. It seemed like even as strange as the situation was, they'd been so frustrated by our fighting over the years that if we wanted to be together, they weren't going to stand in the way. I was actually pretty impressed by that, considering the crowd at the Elysium was a bunch of gossipy rich bitches who would find the whole thing too scandalous.

Even more surprising? They hadn't even noticed we'd replaced their table.

"Darling," Mom said, moving forward to kiss Caleb's cheek. "You have nothing to be stressed about. Your work is magnificent."

"On my laptop," Caleb said with a sigh. "This is totally different. No one's ever seen my work quite like this."

"You mean printed, framed, and fucking fabulous?"

"Travis," Mom admonished, but her small smile softened the blow.

"I'm sorry. You mean printed, framed, and fabulous."

"Much better."

I rolled my eyes, and Caleb shrugged."Well, yeah, but what if no one likes them?"

"Would you stop that?" I bumped into his shoulder. "Everyone is going to love them. And if they don't, fu—" I glanced at my mom. "Forget them."

"Travis is right." Richard clapped his son on the shoulder. "No matter what happens tonight, you should be proud that you were asked."

I could tell by the halfhearted smile Caleb forced that unless he sold every single photo tonight he would be nothing but disappointed, so of course I had my credit card on hand in case I had to make that happen.

"Caleb." A willowy woman in a pencil skirt, sky-high stilettos, and prim Victorian blouse stopped beside our group, flashing a confident smile in Caleb's direction. "Well, don't you scrub up just fine."

Better than fine, if you asked me. But since I was minding my Ps and Qs tonight, I decided not to correct her.

"Hey, Claudia. Is everything ready to go?"

"It sure is. So I'm glad I could track you down. We're just about to unveil your feature."

"Oh God." Caleb put a hand to his stomach, and I quickly looked around for some kind of bucket in case he tossed his cookies. Hell, maybe I could just use one of those vases we'd passed on the way in.

"Don't be like that. Everyone is going to love your work."

He blew out a long breath and then nodded. "Okay, let's get this over with."

We followed Claudia to one of the closed-off rooms with a crowd gathered by the doors already. Caleb's hand bumped against mine, and I squeezed his fingers before letting go so he could join Claudia.

"Ledger Gallery is proud to present the first collection by a new, incredible, and talented photographer, Caleb Reeves." It wasn't just applause that met my ears as she opened the doors to the exhibit, but also whoops and shouts from our friends somewhere in the crowd.

As a steady stream of bodies entered the room, I lost sight of Caleb. But I could hear the oohs and aahs from those who were getting the first look, and jealousy at not being in the front had me pushing my way forward.

I could see Daire's head above the crowd and headed in his direction. He had his arms crossed and was frowning at the photograph on the wall while Gavin tugged on the belt loop of his jeans to get him to move on.

"Have a thing for lions?" I said, moving in beside him to get a good look. This one must've been taken on Caleb's South African trip last summer, and he'd caught a particularly vicious shot. A lion in full attack mode, leaping through the air and about to land on an unsuspecting wildebeest.

I hoped like hell the aftermath of that encounter wasn't posted anywhere, but I couldn't deny how impactful the photo was.

"Looks like me in the ring," Daire said, nodding. "I'll take it."

Gavin's eyes went wide. "Don't you wanna look at some others first?"

"No."

"There might be one you like even better. That maybe doesn't scare people when they walk in our place."

"I'll put it in my room."

Gavin looked past his boyfriend, eyes silently pleading for me to help Daire move on to something that wouldn't give him nightmares.

But where was the fun in that?

"Enjoy," I said, clapping Daire on the shoulder. "I'll let Caleb know he made his first sale."

"Thanks a lot," Gavin mumbled as I passed, and I couldn't help but laugh.

I was here to make sure none of Caleb's photos went unclaimed, and this was a hell of a start.

I found my guy standing in front of a landscape-sized picture of a herd of elephants walking a dusty trail, their massive bodies enclosed around a little calf protectively.

"Gorgeous," I said, resting my chin on his shoulder.

He grinned. "Me or the elephants?"

"Gotta admit, it's a hard call." I straightened and moved to his side but stayed close enough that our arms touched. "So this is what you did all summer while I tanned in Ibiza."

"And you blame Dad for saying you have no direction." He arched a teasing brow.

"I don't think my outfits are safari-proof. Can you see me wearing khaki?"

"Not even if someone paid you."

Grinning, I looked over all of the work showcased on this wall. Claudia was right—it was incredible. I didn't know shit about photography, but even I could see that the contrast of color and the close-ups he'd captured were out of this world. It made my heart swell with pride.

Before I could say just that, he bit down on his lower lip and inclined his head for me to follow him.

"Taking me to a dark corner to have your way with me?" I whispered in his ear, hoping I wasn't far off.

But as we rounded the corner, there were no dark hiding places in sight. There was, however, a room full of Travis fuckin' McKinney.

My jaw hit the floor so hard it probably cracked the tile.

On every wall, photographs of all sizes showcased me. Several from when we were younger, when I'd make him take pictures of me modeling my outfits. Some at red carpet events, catching me at just the perfect time when I wasn't looking his way. Which, to be honest, was rare, so that made it all the more impressive.

My feet began to move before I made the conscious decision to, taking me farther into the room. The one of me he'd taken in the shower, wet jeans and all, looking down at the camera from above, was the biggest feature on the far wall. It was positioned so that it looked like I was staring down at anyone standing in front of it.

Holy shit. I looked hot.

I turned back to Caleb, who seemed to be holding his breath, waiting for my reaction, and a massive smile curved my lips.

"You really are a stalker."

Caleb's brow arched. "Seriously? That's all you're gonna say?"

I sauntered back over to where he was clearly waiting for my real reaction.

"Oh my fucking God."

My eyes shifted past Caleb's shoulder to West walking into the space, and as his eyes took in the splendor that was me, he started to shake his head.

"As if Travis's ego wasn't big enough already."

Donovan and Kelly were next through the door, the two of them much more appreciative of my form than West ever could be. They stepped up closer to the shower image and took in the shot.

"Damn, Caleb. This is some kind of hot." Donovan cocked his head, looking up my body like he would if he were, say, kneeling on the ground in front of me. "Was this before…or after?"

No one standing in that room need clarification on what Donovan was referring to with the hungry look smoldering in my eyes. But that didn't stop Caleb from shocking the shit out of me and saying, "Both, if my memory serves me right."

Everyone's head whipped in his direction.

"Which proves that you"—East pointed in my direction with his martini glass—"are a total traitor. This stalker exhibit proves that. You two were hooking up for months before you told us."

"Um, no." I looked at Caleb for permission to speak, and he nodded. "It just proves Caleb knew a beautiful fucking thing when he saw it and couldn't resist capturing it in the wild."

JT moved over to one of the photos of me standing on the red carpet at the Elysium, then glanced back at his BFF, disbelief stamped all over his face."You were taking these all that time? But you hated him."

East rolled his eyes. "Hate is such a strong word, Golden Boy. This was more like a sibling rivalry turned sexual situationship, right, boys?"

"Damn right," I said, a proud grin on my face as I moved back to Caleb. Not even East could put me in a bad mood tonight.

"This is fuckin' great." I raised my voice and called out, "Everyone, feel free to put me on your wall. I'll even sign it. So will Caleb."

"You've created a monster," Daire muttered to Caleb, and shook his head. "Count me out of one of these."

Gavin nodded. "Yeah we'll stick to the lions. We don't need Travis's ass over our couch."

"Yes you do," I said. "Everyone does. Look at it." I pointed at the full-length shot of me lying on my stomach with my ass in the background. "That's a perfect pair of cheeks right there."

"Sweet Jesus." Preston walked into the room, took one look around, and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Aw, don't be shy." I threw my arm around his shoulders. "I'll help you pick one out for you and Archer."

Preston groaned, I laughed, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Caleb watching me. There was a small smile playing on his lips and what looked like relief in his eyes, and it hit me then that he'd been worried about my reaction.

"So, Mr. Photographer." I wandered over to him and took hold of his lapel, drawing him in close. "Which one of these is your personal favorite?"

Caleb cradled my face as he leaned in and brushed his lips across mine. "This one."

I melted into his embrace right there in the middle of everyone, the sweet taste of his tongue lingering on my own as he swept it inside my mouth. How had I gone years without knowing him like this? Let a stupid miscommunication keep us apart the way it had? It was incomprehensible to me now, all that wasted time…

But I wasn't going to think about that anymore, not when I finally had him in my arms, where he belonged.

"I meant of the photos." I smoothed a hand down his chest and slipped it in under his jacket, pulling him to me. "You must have a favorite."

"I do." Caleb reached for my hand and then led me over to where the collection of me in the bedroom was displayed.

I had, of course, been drawn to my naked ass on full display at first, but as he tugged me in front of the framed images and moved behind me, I spotted the one in the middle. The one where I was laid out flat on my stomach, my chin propped up on my crossed arms and my gaze focused on the gorgeous photographer. My eyes had a blissed-out expression as I lounged in the bed, the sheet slung around my hips.

Caleb wound his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder."This is my favorite photo."

The sure way he said those words had a shiver racing up my spine. There was no indecision, no sexual undertone to his voice, just one hundred percent conviction. As though the second he'd seen this photo, he knew.

I swallowed, my heart thudding a little harder as the world seemed to fall away. "Why is it your favorite?"

Caleb grazed his lips across my temple as he tightened his arms around me then whispered by my ear, "Because I captured lightning in a bottle. The way you were looking at me matched exactly the way I feel."

"And how's that?"

"Like I love you."

I stilled in his arms, positive I'd heard him wrong. That I was projecting all my wishful thinking onto him.

"You…" I tried to get the rest of my words out, but even my brain wasn't on board at the moment.

Caleb turned me in his arms to face him, and this time I could see his lips move when he said, "I love you, Travis."

"You do?" I didn't know why that was all that wanted to come out, not when my insides were screaming and throwing a fucking party in there.

His arms around my waist tightened. "You're the wilder, crazier half of me I can't live without. Of course I do."

"Thank God," I said, my head falling back as I broke into a huge grin. "Because I love you too, and honestly, the idea of ever going back to just being brothers?—"

"Stepbrothers," Caleb said, making me chuckle.

"That wasn't going to work for me."

"Good thing we're on the same page, then."

I leaned up to press a kiss to his lips. "I mean, who wouldn't love me?"

"Love?" East's disgusted outburst was a jarring reminder that we weren't alone, and before I could even begin to defend the two of us, he flipped us the finger and turned on the heels of his shiny leather loafers. "I'm out."

I smirked as I watched him go. "He's just jealous he's not plastered all over these walls."

"More like pissed he lost his wingman," Caleb teased. "You weren't supposed to fall in love, remember?"

"Well, I wasn't about to let you get away again." I ran my hands up over his biceps and pulled him in even closer. "You do know there's no running from me now. I know where you live."

"And if I try, I seem to remember you showing off a pair of handcuffs…"

A groan escaped me. "How long do you have to stay at this thing?"

"Pretty sure I've done my duty. Feeling antsy?"

I brushed my mouth over the top of his. "You have no fucking idea." Then I leaned back, still wrapped in Caleb's arms, and announced, "I expect all of you to make a purchase and sell out my boyfriend's first show. Thank you, come again."

I grabbed Caleb's hand, and as we walked out of the showroom, I added, "Because we're sure gonna."