“He was nine,” his father says as he comes to my side. Ralph Brewer is a conservative man with salt-and-pepper hair, kind eyes, and a broad physique. He’s soft spoken, the perfect complement to his wife Elsa’s boisterous personality.
“We’d been out on the boat for hours, and the boys spent the afternoon swimming,” Ralph explained. “Brody was sitting across from Tris, telling him a story. Tris would listen to Brody’s stories night and day. Brody’s imagination has always run wild. Their mother will tell you that Tris has lived all of Brody’s adventures through the tales he shares. They’re two very different men. Tristan has never had a wandering spirit.”
“Tristan’s a great listener,” I say, thinking about earlier, after Tristan and I made love—and that’s what it was, so different from fucking. I told him about my visit to my grandmother’s grave, and how it opened a door for my future. When I shared that with Tristan, he listened. He didn’t try to offer advice or tell me I did the right thing. He knew exactly what I needed.
“I have never met anyone like Tristan,” I add as we walk out to the deck, where Tristan and Brody are leaning against the railing looking out at the water. “You’ve raised a great man.”
Ralph nods, looking thoughtfully at his sons. “I’m proud of them both.”
We don’t interrupt Tristan and Brody’s conversation. Instead, his father takes me on more trips down memory lane. He tells me stories about Tristan and Brody when they were younger, playing ball on the beach, sneaking the car out at night when they thought their parents were asleep, and how on Christmas, Brody would drag Tristan downstairs at four o’clock in the morning.
“Brody still calls him at four in the morning on Christmas, so be ready for that,” he warns.
“I think I can handle that.”
Their lives are weaved of memories and rituals. Thanksgiving dinners around the same table where we just finished eating, birthdays celebrated as a family with colorful cakes and silly cards. Being here makes me want to reassure Tristan’s family that I’ll do right by him, and doing right by him means stepping out from behind the walls of my past. It was wrong of me to ask Tristan not to talk about my injury or the award with the people he loves most. He’s such an open, loving person, and I don’t ever want that to change because of me. He’s my safe harbor, my dirty desire, and everything in between. Most importantly, I know with my whole heart he’s my future, and if I have a chance in hell of making a man like Tristan happy, I need to be as forthright and open as he is in all aspects of my life.
“Tristan’s life has been markedly different from mine,” I admit with no small amount of discomfort.
Ralph reaches for his wife’s hand as she joins us on the deck. “That’s probably why you two are so good together,” he says, and kisses his wife’s cheek. “This pretty lady grew up in a family of nine siblings, and I was an only child. Her family owned a hundred-acre farm in Illinois, they made their own clothes and grew their own food, while I grew up right here in Harborside, with a mother who worked full-time and didn’t even own a sewing needle.”
“I thought he was stodgy, and he thought I was free-spirited trouble.” Elsa touches his cheek. “He was right about me. I don’t like to follow all the rules.”
“Which is why the boys were allowed to sneak out with the car,” Ralph says with a lift of his brows. I see Tristan’s face in his expression.
“But we followed them.” Elsa touches my shoulder and smiles. Tristan definitely has her warm smile. “They got to rebel and we got to keep them safe without them knowing.”
Tristan turns, and there’s an instant gravitational pull in his direction. Brody swats Tristan’s arm, saying something I can’t hear, and Tristan blushes a blue streak. My heart tumbles in my chest. I want to be his naughty rebellion and his knight in shining armor.
“We know better than anyone that everyone dances to a different beat. All that matters is that you love each other enough to work through your differences and create one sustainable, happy life without either of you missing out on what matters most.”
“And that is?” I ask.
They exchange a look as Tristan comes to my side and takes my hand.
“Only you two can decide what matters most,” his mother answers.
Tristan is looking at me like I’ve hung the moon, and guilt tightens like a noose around my neck. If anything, I’m the storm that keeps the moon at bay. I have a big hurdle to jump over before I’m the man Tristan deserves, but with each passing day I get a little closer. Being the man Tristan deserves has become my bigger purpose.
I squeeze his hand and take another step toward redemption. “Did Tristan tell you we’re going to Washington, DC, in two weeks?”
His parents give him a curious look, and disbelief washes over Tristan’s face.
A sense of pride courses through me as I take what is probably a baby step but feels like a giant leap of faith. “I was injured in the line of duty and received a military discharge. I’m receiving the Silver Star at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.”
Their eyes widen in surprise. Tristan’s fill with what I hope is relief, pride, or full-on happiness—and I wonder what the hell took me so long.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Tristan
“ALEX,” I HOLLER as I come through the kitchen door Monday night after work. I set the box I’m carrying down on the table and hear him come in through the back door.
“T? I thought I saw your headlights.”
He comes into the kitchen wearing a pair of cargo shorts and a black hoodie, and I swallow my voice. It’s the first time I’ve seen him wear shorts, and he looks hot as hell.
“What’s that look on your face?”
Surprise? Pride? How do I answer? It’s been almost a week since we had lunch with Brody and dinner with my parents, and I still have moments of shock over his openly owning his military career and lifestyle to Colby, as well as his unexpected admission to my parents. It’s a little overwhelming to see him take so many steps all at once, and seeing him wearing shorts, even though we’re alone in the house, feels like another really big step. I’m not sure if I should mention it. Maybe it’s more supportive to take it in stride?
His hands circle my waist and his blue eyes heat up. “Spit it out, T, before you burst.”
“You’re wearing shorts,” comes rushing out, revealing the awe I feel. “You look amazing. Now that I know what you look like in shorts, there’s no going back. You’re going to be wearing them all summer, every summer.”
“You’re just excited because it means you get to buy more clothes.”
I smile as he kisses me. “Well, there is that fun tidbit.” I step back and eye him up. “Damn, Alex. I’m glad we’re alone tonight.” I take his hand and drag him toward the living room. “I bet those shorts will look even better on the floor.”
He tugs me back to him, eyeing the box on the table. “What’s in the box?”
“The guy from Quick Print came by the Taproom to drop off the brochures we ordered.” The website is up and running, the store is stocked and organized, and the planning for the grand opening is taking shape. We’re hoping to open the last week of October, and I’ll cut my hours back at the Taproom two weeks before to help Alex with last-minute details.
“Come on.” I pull him toward the living room again, and he removes something from his pocket.
“I’m not going anywhere with you unless you put this on.” He dangles a black eye mask between his fingers and thumb.
“You’re into kink and decided to withhold that info until now?” I grab the blindfold and run my fingers over the silky material. “What else should I know?”
He takes it from my hands and slips it over my head and into place over my eyes.
“Dude,” I say with a laugh. “Not that I’m complaining, but there’s nothing I wouldn’t do with you without the blindfold.”
His lips press against my neck, and my whole body shudders. He nips at the b
ase of my neck, then slicks his tongue over my skin. The blindfold definitely brings this to a whole new enticing level.
“I’ve never been into kink,” he says in a rough voice beside my ear. “But seeing you blindfolded turns me on.”
“Then why are we standing here?” I reach for him, and my hand finds his waist. I follow the curve of his body and cup his balls. In the next breath he’s hard against my palm. “Bedroom.”
“Damn it.” He grips my wrist and pulls my hand away. “We can’t. Not yet.”
What? He never denies me.
He gives me a chaste kiss, and I grab his head before he can pull too far away and kiss him again. He overpowers me, clutching my hands as I hold his face, and holy hell he feels so good as he presses his body against mine. I stumble backward and slam against the wall with an oomph.
“Love kissing you,” he says as his hands move through my hair, down my arms, and he clutches my ass.
I arch toward him, giving him better access to anything he wants. I want his strong, rough hands all over me. I can’t see a damn thing, but I can smell him, feel him, and taste him. I push his shirt up, struggling to get it off, but he’s resisting.
“T,” he pants out. “We can’t do this. Not now.”
At first I think it’s a game, like he’s teasing me about the first time we kissed, right here against this wall, and I keep trying to push his shirt up his body.
“T,” he says sternly.
I tear the blindfold off. “What the he—” My words are silenced by the tortured look in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong is your idiot boyfriend thought it would be a good idea to plan a big surprise for you, but if we go out there like this, we’ll be known as the boner boys. I don’t know what made me think I could blindfold you and not want to feast on every inch of your body.”
We both laugh.
“A surprise?” I look around, but we’re still alone, and it’s dark outside. “Why would you plan something for me?”
“Why?” He runs his hand down my shirt and takes a step away, sending ripples of heat down the length of my body. “Because I love you, and you’ve supported me and been here for me, and you’re willing to put up with my military bullshit, and I want to give you everything.”
“Alex…” I reach for his hand.
“The problem is, I also want to give you everything.” He eyes the bulge in my pants, and we both laugh again. “All your friends are outside waiting, and we don’t have time for cold showers.”
“First of all, thank you.” I kiss him softly. “Second of all, I’ll proudly be the boy to your boner.”
He smiles and shakes his head.
“And third of all, my friends saw you in shorts?”
“I’m trying, T. I also told them about the award, and the trip next week, and I apologized to them for asking you to keep those things from them. I want transparency in all aspects of our lives. I was wrong to ask you not to talk about my injury or my award. I want you to be proud of me, not feel like you have to worry about what you say around your friends.”
“I am proud of you, Alex.”
“I know you are, but I need to do better by you. I needed to overcome my feelings of being less of a man, and I need to overcome the biggest hurdle of all…”
He doesn’t need to say the military mind fuck. We both know what we’re facing. I love this man so much more than I ever thought possible, and I know that next week when I’m watching him accept his award, it won’t feel wrong to act like his proud friend rather than his lover, because he has truly become my very best friend.
I put on the blindfold again and he takes my hand. “Let’s go get surprised.”
“We are definitely going to put this to good use later.”
Alex
I GAZE UP at the starry sky and remember far too many nights when the sky was illuminated by the evils of war. It seems like a lifetime ago when I carried weapons like schoolchildren carry pencils. I look down at my hands, rough and calloused from woodworking instead of war, and it’s hard to believe how much my life has changed over the past year. Tristan stands at the water’s edge with our friends. Everyone helped me get this party ready for Tristan. I know how important they are to him and how important they’ve become to me, and when I thought about surprising Tristan, I knew it would be selfish of me not to include the people who loved him. They helped me put up six twelve-foot wooden poles and string lights over tables I rented from a local party store. We brought grills down to the beach, and everyone pitched in to help make a fabulous dinner. Cassidy has been taking pictures all night. I’ve never had a photo album, and with cell phones, I’m not sure anyone does anymore. But it’s something I feel like I missed out on when I was growing up—collecting memories in a book that will be around forever. I look forward to having that with Tristan.
As I take in my boyfriend and all my new friends, my feelings toward my injuries and scars morph into something different. It’s a horrible thought to be thankful for an injury, but mine led me to Tristan. How can I not be thankful for that?
Tristan hands me a sparkler. “Time to light up my life, big guy.”
Brandon and Brent begin singing “You Light Up My Life” while they play their guitars. Tristan and I both laugh, but inside, I’m loving every second of their impromptu serenade.
We light our sparklers, and Charley, Livi, Cassidy, and Wyatt join us, lighting their own sparklers.
“Write your name!” Cassidy calls out.
“Hell no,” Wyatt says as he swats Cassidy’s butt. “I’ll write your name.”
Jesse, Brooke, Delilah, and Ashley were sitting on a blanket by the bonfire roasting marshmallows. Now they’re heading down to the water’s edge to join us.
“Does it bother you that we’re as ridiculous as twelve-year-olds?” Tristan asks as we spell out I love you with our sparklers.
“No, because I never had this at twelve. I never had this at fifteen, or twenty-five.” My thoughts turn to my mother, who called yesterday to say she’d met a man, an artist, and they were on their way to his ranch in Colorado. She’s going to miss my award ceremony, which came as no surprise. I never understood why my mother uprooted us so often, but I think I finally understand. She’s spent her life searching for what I’ve finally found. Maybe this time she’ll get lucky.
I take Tristan’s hand, unable to remember ever feeling happier than this very second. “Are you ready to see your surprise?”
His eyes widen. “There’s more?”
“You didn’t think your man would do things half-assed did you?” Brandon asks. He and Brent play their guitars as we all walk in a group toward the house.
“I want an Alex,” Charley says in a loud whisper.
“You find the guy and we’ll share him,” Brandon answers.
Charley slaps his arm and they both laugh.
“We’re going inside? But the party’s out here.” Tristan hikes a thumb over his shoulder.
“We’re coming back down.” Wyatt did me a huge favor by asking Tristan to come into work early today to do inventory. I spent all day working on this surprise, and as we reach the bottom of the stairs, I withdraw the blindfold for the second—but definitely not the last—time this evening.
“Again?” Tristan complains. “Okay, but I’m pretty sure no one else wants to see what we have planned.”
Everyone laughs and begins to whisper.
“Don’t worry, T,” I say as I guide him up the steps. “What I have planned for this blindfold requires no audience.”
“Now we’re talking,” Brandon says. “Remember, I’m available for threesomes.”
“Shut up and play,” Wyatt reminds him.
When we reach the back of the house, Delilah stands ready to flip on the porch light, and everyone quiets. I turn Tristan so he’s facing the water and remove the blindfold. He blinks a few times in confusion. When he tries to turn around, I hold him in place.
“T, you said when
you figured out where you wanted to settle down, you wanted rock gardens of your own. I think it’s time we make this official and move you into the house.” I turn him around, and Delilah flips on the lights, illuminating the rock garden I spent all day creating.
“Metty and your mother helped me choose the plants, to ensure they’d thrive in our yard.”
Tristan’s eyes widen as he takes in the river of rocks that flow into a sea of colorful flowers and leafy plants. I built a knee-high wall on the far side and inlaid a wooden sign that says ALPHA AND TANGO, connected at the A’s. Beside the garden is a newly tilled plot waiting for Tristan’s creation.
His eyes glass over and he tugs me against him, holding me so tight I can’t breathe.
“Is that a yes?” Brooke asks.
“Yes, it’s yes!” Tristan pulls back and searches my eyes. “You made me a rock garden. You freaking made me an amazing rock garden.”
The look on his face is worth the dull ache in my leg from spending so much time on my knees. “Mine will pale in comparison to yours, but you said to fall for you like I mean it. I mean it, T, and I’ll do everything within my power to give you everything you ever want.”
He yanks me into another hug. “I love you, Alex. I hope you know I would have moved in even if you didn’t make me an exceptionally awesome rock garden.”
He’s so serious my throat clogs with emotion. “Because of my listening skills and giant cock?”
“Ha! Now I really want an Alex,” Charley says with a loud laugh, which makes everyone crack up.
“Yeah, something like that,” Tristan says, and claims me in a scorching-hot kiss.
I love this man from the surface of my skin to the marrow in my bones, and as we kiss beneath the stars, with our friends whistling and hollering around us, I feel drunk with it.
When our mouths finally part, I keep him against me. “I can’t imagine ever wanting to leave this place, T. I know things will change, that years will pass. We’ll all get older and our priorities will change, but you and your friends are proof that what I spent my whole life wishing for is attainable.”
Tempting Tristan Page 19