Twin Ties 2: Twin Affairs (21 page)

“We were careful,” he whispered in promise.

“I know,” Luka sighed. Not once was he able to look Evan in the eye.

Alek pulled out with effort. Evan made a startled, slightly pained cry, then growled through it as Alek slid completely free. Shifting his legs, adjusting the angle of his hips, Brennan slipped wet from Evan, too. He held tightly to his brother when Evan wavered, until Luka braced Evan for him, rolling him onto his back next to Brennan.

Breathless, Evan winced as he straightened his legs. He was drenched in sweat and still hard, hiding the acute pain in his ribs from everyone, even himself.

Alek crawled up Brennan’s body and shifted them both so he was lying underneath Brennan, draping Brennan, who was almost as delirious as Evan, over his chest. Alek cuddled Brennan, tenderly brushing honey-blond, sweat-damp hair from Brennan’s face and resting a hand in the dipping curve of Brennan’s lower back. This surreal sight was what broke the spell. Luka began to react more instinctively and in a less guarded way toward Evan.

Luka stood beside the bed, hovering. Alek, while holding Brennan so lovingly, said softly in encouragement, “Go ahead.”

Nodding once, Luka leaned over Evan, who reached up for him, begging with a glance. After a moment, Luka pulled off his shirt and slipped down his shorts. Lying down between Evan’s spread legs, Luka braced an arm beside Evan’s head and said quietly to him, “I’m so sorry for earlier.”

Evan shook his head and tilted his chin up, wrapping a leg behind Luka’s thighs. “It’s okay.”

“Want me to help you into the shower? You look really tired.” Evan shook his head again. Reaching down under Evan’s drawn-up leg, Luka lightly touched the slightly swollen tissue of his opening. He scanned Evan’s face, searching for any sign of pain, then carefully inserted two fingers, rubbed around and pulled them out, glancing down at them. Thankfully, there was no blood
.

Alek and Brennan were watching him, Luka could feel it. Afraid there still might be more accusation behind his eyes than love, he focused only on Evan. Self-conscious with the rapt attention of the two people who loved Evan first, Luka held back.

Utterly lust-drunk, writhing under Luka, rocking slightly up against him, Evan hooked his hands over Luka’s shoulders and slung his other leg around him, too.

“Luka,” he pleaded.

But Luka didn’t want to use Evan like that, or prove his love with sex in front of the others. What he felt for Evan was too precious to allow it. Evan wasn’t backing down, though. He was determined.

“Let’s do this later,” Luka suggested in a whisper over Evan’s parted lips. “How’s your side?”

“
Please,
” Evan begged.

“Why?” Luka ached.

“I need you. I need you to be a part of this and not stay away this time. You
always
stay away.”

The soft sound of kissing made Luka turn. Brennan and Alek were tangled in a passionate embrace. Brennan led the kiss, licking into Alek’s mouth one minute, pulling back to tease the tip of his tongue over Alek’s top lip the next. He held Alek’s face in both of his hands as Alek palmed Brennan’s bare ass.

Something loosened in Luka’s chest. He could breathe. It was okay.

Evan’s eyebrows lifted in a sweetly beseeching expression. With trepidation, he searched Luka’s face. Smiling slightly, Luka caressed over Evan’s cheek. “I love you so damn much.”

The worry lines disappeared. Evan’s lips parted for Luka when he began to kiss him. Simultaneously, Luka angled his hips as he drew back, lined up and pushed, breaching Evan’s overtaxed body. Groaning into Luka’s mouth, Evan arched, pushing down against Luka as he was filled once more. Grabbing a fistful of Luka’s soft cascade of hair, Evan exhaled with a sigh as Luka’s lips slid down to his neck. Luka’s hand folded up around Evan’s straining erection, tugging it firmly in a steady rhythm. Groaning quietly against Evan’s neck, Luka shuddered and moved in easy, rolling thrusts, unhurriedly riding the clenched, wet heat of Evan hugged around him.

Fingered brushed against Luka’s cheek.

He spared one quick glance. It was Brennan—looking on with love shining warmly in his eyes and something else, too; something like gratitude.

Luka’s breath came out in a rush and he savored Brennan’s touch. Pumping Evan faster, Luka locked up his other arm, braced on the bed, keeping him from crushing Evan under him.

Moments later, Evan was keening, bucking into Luka’s hand. Some of his cries sounded familiar to Luka. They reminded him of when Evan was running and he strained his injured side, when the pain would flare. Evan was trying to bear it, to push past it. Luka could see it, and there was nothing he could do.

Luka locked eyes briefly with Alek, biting down on his lip and pumping his fist. Evan’s cry choked off and he came all over himself and Luka’s hand. Releasing Evan, burying his face in the crook of Evan’s neck, Luka thrust hard and fast, chasing release. Evan moaned low and long, his eyes fluttering closed. Luka climaxed with a swallowed whimper, rocking gently into Evan as the aftershocks faded gradually back.

Brennan was lightly caressing Luka’s neck and shoulder. Then someone else—Alek—was combing his fingers through Luka’s hair, over his scalp, making him shiver. Without even knowing why, Luka sobbed softly. A few tears chased down his cheeks, dampening Evan’s skin. Unable to pull his face away and meet their searching gazes, Luka waited, fighting through his swarming emotions.

“Luka,” Brennan sighed tenderly, sounding exactly like Evan, a perfect echo.

Luka looked up with red eyes and a bruised heart.

“We’ll be okay if we stick together. You don’t have to choose.”

The words wrung the last of the guilt, regret, and fear from him. He wanted Brennan to be right, but suspected it wouldn’t be nearly that easy.

Brennan’s head was pillowed on Alek’s chest. Alek’s hand was cupped around the nape of Brennan’s neck holding him, and Brennan’s arm was curled around Alek’s shoulder. They were so comfortable together, so connected—it was the only thing that allowed Luka to regain control.

Brennan smiled. It was beautiful.

“I love Alek, too.”

Luka looked at his brother. Alek curled forward and kissed the top of Brennan’s head, embracing him possessively. “He’s asleep,” Alek said, indicating Evan.

Surprised, Luka gazed down to see Evan’s softly opened mouth. He heard his light snore, felt the way all of his muscles had relaxed.

Brennan climbed off the bed. Alek followed. Luka rolled to his side, curling up around Evan.

“I’ll go,” Luka murmured without looking away from Evan. “Just… can I have a sec?”

“Luka, you can stay with him,” Alek said.

“No, you should. He’ll be expecting to see you when he wakes up.”

The backs of Alek’s fingers brushed down Luka’s tear-stained cheek. “I’ll bring you a couple of washcloths before we use the shower.”

“Thanks,” Luka said with pure gratitude.

Luka cleaned Evan with the damp cloths as well as he could, then wiped himself down. As the low, steady sound of water beating against the shower walls lulled him, Luka cuddled close to Evan’s relaxed form and felt sleep pulling at the edges of his consciousness. He still intended to get up and leave, but when he next opened his eyes, the sun was shining and Evan was smirking shyly up at him from inside the inescapable, miraculous, comforting cocoon of Luka’s strong arms.

“Mornin’ sleepyhead,” Evan smiled.

Brennan sat cross-legged in front of his meditation altar. The scent of burning sage lingered in the air. Birdsong filtered in through the thin windowpanes. On the surface, everything was incredibly peaceful. Every so often he heard the tap of Evan’s razor on the edge of the sink as he shaved off his morning scruff. He could even hear Luka snoring in the other bedroom. Alek was long gone, but had left behind a handful of wildflowers from the yard, picked just for Brennan, because Alek knew exactly how Brennan was feeling that morning, underneath his calm façade.

Staring at the fragile purple and gold blossoms laid on the altar top, Brennan had a nearly overpowering desire to touch them and hold them in his hand, to lift them to his nose to catch the fragrance of their light perfume more clearly. The sage clouded it out. He didn’t dare, though. It was better to leave them alone. They might be crushed, or wilt more quickly. They were dying even now, ripped from their roots. There was such little time left.

‘Don’t just sit in here, thinking about this shit. It’s not good for you.’

Brennan tilted his head. A warm breeze tickled his neck. If he concentrated hard enough, he could imagine it to be the silken texture of Alek’s dark hair as it whispered against Brennan’s skin hours earlier. But no, it was Alek’s voice instead—heavy and rich, invisible but full of everything that mattered: air, life, strength, vitality.

‘How do you know what’s good for me?’
Brennan had retorted. Alek’s eyes shone golden in the growing amber light of dawn.

‘I’m older,’
Alek said slowly, adding with the smallest grin,
‘and wiser.’

‘Maybe,’
he had allowed.
‘But you don’t know me.’
Brennan shivered at the memory of how Alek had touched him then, and where, and with what intent. His lips had parted around a sigh. They’d sealed again with the eager press of Alek’s mouth to his.

‘I know you.’

‘That’s not what I meant.’

Alek had looked at him then, and Brennan felt it even more keenly than he had the actual touch. It was as if Alek had peered inside Brennan’s soul and left something behind before pulling back. Sometimes it was easy to forget how they were kindred spirits, Brennan and Alek. With unwanted roles, burdensome responsibilities foisted upon them at such young ages, living forever after with the resentment, struggling with the concept of freedom once those difficult jobs were done. In one look, Alek shared his most personal, most secret sorts of turmoil with him. They were both the worriers, the determined carriers-on. Only when they were together, commiserating, could they find a modicum of peace.

Yes, Alek did know him. Brennan felt it. It was a spark, a warm ember of understanding ignited within him with nothing but love by the strong, incredible man in whose arms he lay.

‘You don’t owe him a thing. You don’t have to prove anything to that man.’

Those words actually hurt, because of how badly Brennan needed to hear them, spoken aloud by someone who cared. They sifted through his skin, gathered in Brennan’s chest and hardened there, a weight. When Brennan flinched away, Alek drew him immediately back.

‘Hey. Hey….’
His voice was smooth—molasses dripping in strings, sweet as sin.
‘He owes
you.
Remember that. He doesn’t even get to know you if you don’t want to let him. Because that’s a gift—the greatest one you have to give.’

“Alek,” Brennan breathed.

Did Alek sense Brennan there, on that precipice, unable to go backward but afraid to take that last leap into the unknown?

It had been the morning after Maggie passed away when Brennan had last been this terrified. Who was this man, their father? What exactly was it about him that made their mother leave and do such a thing as separate her babies? How unbearable must Charlie have been to warrant such action? But if he was really so bad, she wouldn’t have left Evan with him. She wouldn’t have dared. So, then why did he never come? Why did Charlie never seek out his other son?

The answers might never come either.

The wind shifted and Brennan could smell the flowers. His lips formed a small, fond smile before he bit at the inside of his cheek. If only he could stay in this room and hide. It was his sanctuary, where he discovered the depth of his feelings for both Luka and Alek, and Evan as well. It was where they made love and shared secrets. It was his space. The only one he had left. And, as soon as Charlie arrived, Brennan would most likely be asked to give it up, for a little while at least.

Brennan groaned loudly to expel his stress, curling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his shins with his arms.

‘What if he doesn’t like me? I’m just a stranger, living in his house, with his
real
son.’

‘You’re his real son, too. And he loves you. He’s loved you since you were just a glimmer of promise in your mother’s eye.’

‘You don’t know that.’

‘He’s your
father,
Brennan. The only one you’ve got. Of course he loves you. And besides, how could he
not
love you? You’re amazing.’

The jittery feeling that had been with him for hours was becoming more intense and shrill. Shimmying out of his loose cotton pants, Brennan lay down on the purple yoga mat and stretched out with his arms, reaching outward above his head, his toes pointed. Then, he breathed.

“Hey. I’m heading out. Wanted to catch you before you started, so….”

Somehow Brennan wasn’t startled, even though he hadn’t heard Evan approach. Brennan looked around and saw him there, a few feet away by the foot of the bed. The honest smile in Evan’s eyes lifted some of the burden from Brennan’s heart.