Chapter Eight

Alec

Hours into the party, Alec stood on the periphery with one hand in the pocket of his slacks, the other holding a cocktail glass that had seen better times. The ice had melted long ago. The watered-down cocktail held no interest. Honestly, neither did the party.

This was unlike him. Why did he feel disconnected?

Shame replaced all other emotions. Why was he wallowing in self-pity as the picture of a life he’d always wanted played out before him? For months, he’d worked hard to make this a joyous evening. To give his adopted family all the love, peace, and joy of the season. Based on the laughter and conversation, he’d achieved his goals. So why were his thoughts spiraling lower and lower?

He glanced directly at Keyes, the only other person in the room to be faking a good time. The worry lines around his eyes and the corners of his lips grew more pronounced with each passing hour. Alec had given him those wrinkles. It wasn’t fair. Keyes showed Alec love daily, at least as much as Keyes had learned to share. Alec had taken on a partner who had been badly abused by the world. Keyes’s mental health was a shaky, turbulent battle every day.

Alec noticed Arik, his employer, scan the room as if searching for something. Then their gazes locked. He lifted the watery drink in a toasting gesture before taking the tiniest sip. He fought to keep his face neutral at the awful taste. He seriously needed to rethink his drinking choices.

Arik went to where Keyes sat and bent to whisper in his ear. They both glanced at Alec. Keyes’s shielded expression made his thoughts unreadable. That bothered Alec too. Why was Keyes hiding? Arik left Keyes to take determined steps toward Alec. Whatever pushed Arik was sure to be annoying.

Luckily, the front doorbell rang. Never had “saved by the bell” been a truer statement. Since Alec was the closest, he swiveled around, looking above the door at the large wall clock. Ten thirty. Quitting time for the teen working the cocoa machine for holiday revelers, offering the perfect diversion to get out of Arik’s path.

Alec discarded the glass on a nearby table and reached inside his pocket for cash. He opened the door to see the young man, surprised to see him holding the heavy drink machine. Keyes had carried the heavy piece of equipment in and out for the last few nights. The money he’d doled out from his clip was forgotten. There was no way Alec could reasonably hold the machine.

“Why don’t you guide him to the garage?” Arik suggested as he snagged the money from Alec’s hand and tucked it in the young man’s pocket. Arik clamped a hand on Alec’s shoulder as if it were perfectly natural for him to give directions, even outside the workplace and not in his own house.

Alec glanced back at Arik to say that very thing when he noticed all eyes from the living room were on him. Hmm . Maybe his adopted family needed to be unadopted for sticking their noses in a place they shouldn’t. Alec mashed his lips together, holding the thought inside, and looked at the neighbor.

“Can you carry it to the back garage for me?”

The kid smirked as if the machine weighed nothing and nodded. Smartass .

“Maybe we should show him the way?” Arik suggested, reaffirming Alec’s decision to never invite him to a party again.

Except he hadn’t invited Arik. Arik had invited himself. And with more force than necessary, Arik pushed him through the door and started down the walkway toward the driveway.

“The garage is in the other direction,” Alec said, poking a thumb over his other shoulder toward the main garage.

“Hear that, guy?” Arik called over his shoulder. The kid did a one-eighty and headed in the opposite direction, but Arik didn’t change course.

“I’ll place it by the door.”

“Perfect,” Arik answered as they continued toward the driveway. Maybe he had overdone the lights with the way they twinkled off a silver bumper parked on the side of the house.

“You’re close to the airport,” Arik said. “Had any problems with them over the sheer volume of lights on the house?”

“Ha. Ha. Not an original joke,” Alec said dryly. “Where’re you walking me to?”

“Like normal, I’m taking matters into my own hands,” Arik said. “It’s painful to learn how dense my head of legal is. I might’ve paid too much to get you on my team.”

“What?” Alec paused, confused. “What’re you talking about?”

“You tell me,” Arik said, using a hand on Alec’s shoulder to shove him toward the driveway. From this angle, he saw a shiny open motorcycle trailer with a partial gleam from a bike strapped on top.

Alec’s mind glitched. The bike was stunning.

It had to be a Keyes and Dev creation, but it was different than any other motorcycle he’d ever seen before. The image before him was magical. Something unseen pulled him closer to the trailer, lost to the beauty of design and color.

The outside floodlights popped on, giving him a better view of the beautiful build. He only turned away from the vision in front of him when he sensed Keyes nearby. His guy took a couple of steps toward him, stopping at the passenger side door of the truck towing the trailer. The TDTK logo ran from where Keyes stood down the length of the bed, then onto the trailer. Their friends stood behind Keyes, close enough to take part but also giving them space. All eyes were on Alec.

“It’s beautiful,” Alec said. “Is this the carbon fiber you used to talk about?”

Keyes huffed a nod, sticking his fingers into his front jeans pocket. “I knew you’d know that. Merry Christmas.”

Alec jerked his head from the bike back to Keyes. His confused gaze searched Keyes’s face for the lie as his brain tripped in understanding. He glanced back at the motorcycle, taking in the subtle nuances that he hadn’t immediately noticed. The bike was blue. Not any blue either. The color of Keyes’s eyes. Alec’s favorite color. The rest was gray/silver. Both colors wove through every part of the sleek build.

Only then did he recognize the art. The same design as the tattoo on Keyes’s back. The winged angel that represented Alec.

“Key, what’ve you done?” Alec’s heart slammed against his rib cage. Keyes stayed rooted to his spot, making it clear he had no idea of Alec’s thoughts. Hell, he had no idea of his thoughts as something akin to fireworks shot through his vision. His heart pounded in his chest.

Alec covered his hands over his face, then dropped down into a squat on the balls of his feet. If he passed out, he’d be closer to the ground.

“Alec,” Keyes said unsteadily.

Screw passing out. He shot up, sprinting the seven or eight steps separating them. He didn’t stop as he leaped forward, wrapping his arms and legs around his beautiful mister. Keyes absorbed Alec’s body weight with a small step backward, remarkably staying on his feet. Keyes gripped Alec’s thighs, holding him in place.

It wasn’t often Alec’s face was above Keyes’s. He relished the way he looked down at his guy. “It’s the color of your eyes.”

“Seems silly now,” Keyes murmured, searching Alec’s face. The uncertainty still worrying Keyes was all Alec’s doing. He’d make it right though. Nothing could stop the joy running through him.

“No, not silly at all. It’s for me, right?” Alec asked, inches above Keyes. “Not just here to show me your work, you built the bike for me.”

“’Course. It’s the first one I built, but I’ve been tinkerin’ with—”

Alec mashed his lips against Keyes, giving him a hard, solid kiss.

When his tear-filled gaze met Keyes’s again, he stared down at his love and said, “Thank you.” Alec kissed Keyes again. “Thank you.” And again. “Take me to the motorcycle,” Alec whispered against Keyes’s mouth and kissed him again.

Keyes started toward the trailer.

Alec looked over Keyes’s shoulder to their friends. “I’m sorry I’ve been so down. It never occurred to me that the best husband in the world was building me a motorcycle. The best Christmas present ever.” Alec wrapped his arms tighter around Keyes’s neck, pulling his head closer, whispering into Keyes’s hair. “I love you.”

“Alec was getting to be a lot to handle,” Arik said irritably. “Something had to be done. Keyes wanted to give you the present tomorrow morning, but you were such a brat.”

“Right on,” Dev seconded, his tone not even close to teasing. “I thought he was gonna divorce Keyes.”

“Don’t listen to them. Take me to the bike,” Alec said and kissed Keyes’s lips again.

Alec kept hold of Keyes’s neck and glanced over his shoulder. The bike was perfect. Keyes took a giant step onto the trailer. “You’re heavier than you look.”

“You’re stronger than you look. Tell me about the motorcycle,” Alec repeated as Keyes put him on the seat. It was the only way he was willing to let go of his mister. He hiked a leg over and reached for the handlebars.

“It’s built for speed but handles well on the road. You nailed it when you said I used carbon fiber. I like workin’ with it. I use it on all the bikes,” Keyes said. His voice lost the concern from earlier, building in confidence with each syllable spoken. “Every part of the bike’s designed to be lighter.”

“Remember the helmet,” Uncle Clyde said, coming up on the other side of the trailer with a helmet and leathers for riding. Alec took the offering, smiling bigger than before. The helmet matched the exact shade of blue of the bike. Alec eagerly placed it on his head and lifted the face shield to better see the leathers. The same color combination and design were woven through the pants and jacket. The TDTK logo was on the back of the jacket. His tears were back.

“This bike fits me. I feel like it’s an extension of my body. I love it so much.”

Keyes grinned, looking over at Dev, giving a thumbs-up. “That’s exactly the point of a custom sled. Now you’re gonna have to learn to ride…”

“He doesn’t know how to ride a motorcycle?” Dev hollered and tossed his hands in the air. “Goddamn, Keyes. Don’t you think you should’ve been teachin’ him this whole time?”

“No,” Keyes argued as if Dev were the dumbest person on the planet. “I didn’t want to give it away.”

“I don’t want to ride it,” Alec said, tossing in his own attitude. “It’ll go in the garage with my other cars. I can go in and enjoy it while keeping the miles low.”

“Oh my God, he’s not gonna fuckin’ drive it?” Dev asked Keyes. “I bet you fuckin’ knew that too.” He threw his hands in the air again and started for the back door. Alec was too absorbed in the moment to care about anything else.

“We’re leaving. We have a family obligation,” Arik said.

“It’s beautiful,” Kellus offered with a critical eye. “Keyes and Dev have true talent. The three-dimensional effect with the wings popping off is absolutely stunning.”

He was proud of Keyes, who smiled brightly. Kellus was a successful artist by trade with international notoriety. The admiration in his voice meant a lot.

“It’s a play on a tattoo Dev gave Keyes. I feel like this is only the beginning. Keyes and Dev will be an unstoppable team.” Alec beamed his praise at his guy.

Love made the moment perfect even though his manners continued to fail as he ignored whether Arik and Kellus actually left. He kept his focus on his present and his husband.

“I botched your presents. Nothing’s as perfect as this bike. You’re so talented,” Alec said, sitting back on the seat, the helmet still on his head.

“Your presence is enough for me.” Keyes bent and adjusted to place a chaste kiss on his lips through the helmet’s opening. “Should I have shown you earlier? I wanted to. We share so much that it was hard not to get your opinion. Did I mess anything up between us?”

“Oh no. This is perfect. I’m sorry for my behavior.”

Keyes reached a finger into the helmet to stop his words. Alec grinned and removed the helmet from his head.

“Don’t ever apologize to me. I feel lucky every day that you’re in my life. I don’t make it easy, but I try.” Keyes leaned in again and kissed Alec before saying, “Merry Christmas.”

This time, the tears built enough to fall down his cheeks. He reached his arm around Keyes’s neck, keeping him close.

“Don’t cry,” Keyes whispered. “I can’t take it.”

Alec couldn’t physically make himself let go of Keyes. It was more than just the present. Their marriage was solid. They were still on the same page, even if Alec had been pushy and impatient. He shoved the helmet toward Keyes then quickly swiped the tears away.

Reality finally settled in, making Alec hike a leg off the bike. “We should go inside. Can we bring the bike in for the night, so I don’t have to be separated from it? Can we place it near the tree? We can move it out tomorrow or never. Having it in the living room would make every day perfect.”

Keyes gave a huffed approval. “I hoped you’d want to take it in tonight. It’s ready to go inside. Let me get it off the trailer, and I’ll bring it in,” Keyes said, going to the back to let the ramp down.

Alec watched his love work, giving an oath from this day forward that he’d never doubt Keyes’s again. “You know you’re gonna have to do me on this bike, right?”

Keyes didn’t look up from his task but gave a groan. “You gave my fuckin’ thunder thighs a workout with all the questions you had.”

Alec grinned. Their sex might have been the only reason he had survived the last few months. Now, he better understood and owed his mister some payback. “Okay, I’ll fuck you on the back of the bike.”

“I don’t know if it would survive one of our sessions.” Keyes chuckled. He wasn’t wrong.

“We need to get some quality pictures and videos of the bike next to the tree for marketing next year.” Alec pivoted, watching Keyes work the straps. Maybe use those straps in their bedroom. His mind raced over the possibilities.

“Whatever you think.” Keyes nodded, not looking at him. “Drop the kickstand before I release any more straps.”

Alec did as requested and stayed close to the bike. It was going into their bedroom. He never wanted to be separated from it or Keyes ever again.

Alec’s breath shuddered as he said a prayer to never lose this man. He was so in love.