Page 5 of Party of Three

But he did understand. Jeff and Mateo had been more than friends. What hedidn’tunderstand was that in a moment when his rational brain told him he should be experiencing sharp pangs of jealousy, flames of arousal were heating up his spine and thighs instead.

“It was once or twice and it was…messy. I mean, we were never boyfriends really. But yeah, Jeff’s not into women,papi. Like at all.” Once he’d closed the distance between them, Mateo curved his arms around Buckley’s back, pulling his head into his chest. “Seriously, though, I can take the picture down if it weirds you out now. I just, it never felt like I was putting a photo of an ex up on the wall or anything because…”

“No, don’t.”

He’d answered too quickly—maybe because he was thinking of that time months ago when Mateo had been in a late class and Buckley had settled down onto the sofa with one of their favorite dildos and worked it into himself, his eyes landing on the photo in question while he imagined what it would be like to take both men inside of him at the same time. He’d come so hard and loud he’d been afraid the neighbors might knock angrily on the wall. And even though he’d still been a little raw from his self-love session, when Mateo had come home later that night, he’d been on him like a second set of clothes as soon as he walked through the front door, riding him hard and fast on the same sofa where he’d just done himself in.

Now, he returned his boyfriend’s embrace, trying to let him know he was okay, thattheywere okay. But he didn’t want to say anything to betray the strange torrent of desire unleashed in him by the news that Jeff Braxton, handsome phantom from Mateo’s Marine Corps days, was as gay as they were.

And that included keeping quiet about the surprise he’d tried to put together for Mateo’s party.

When the envelope had come back with a bright yellow label attached, he’d known how bad it would hurt the man he loved, and after what Mateo’s parents had done a few months before, Buckley wasn’t about to let someone else darken his boyfriend’s birthday.

Some internet sleuthing had turned up a new address for Jeff a little ways north of San Diego along with evidence he’d been reassigned from Pendleton to Miramar, which was probably why his Oceanside address had bounced. Thinking the whole thing might have the makings of an excellent birthday gift, he’d driven an hour and a half south to Jeff’s apartment in La Mesa. When no one had answered the bell at his townhouse, he’d stood for a while in the sun-drenched courtyard before slipping a handwritten note through the mail slot, a note letting him know how much Mateo missed him, how much he wanted to be back in touch, and—most importantly—inviting him to attend the party at Sapphire Cove in a week. He’d added his own cell phone number at the end and requested an RSVP.

That part was fine, he guessed. But he’d also added some embellishments along the way.

For one, he told Jeff the party started at six thirty, not seven, mainly so he could give the guy a piece of his mind before Mateo got there—let him know point-blank how much Mateo was hurt by his radio silence. A forgivable fib, he figured. Namely because his intentions were pure, and Jeff deserved a talking-to in that regard.

The second lie was a whopper, however.

He’d told Jeff the birthday party was also a good-bye party, that he’d gotten a job in Japan and they’d be moving there in a week, and this would be the last time Jeff could see the man whose life he’d saved before Buckley whisked him off to the other side of the planet.

Maybe not his best moment.

But it had been over a week ago now, and so far Jeff had made no effort to call, so he figured the repercussions would be slim to none.

Would he have jumped through several secret hoops to get the guy to the party if he’d known he and Mateo had a sexual history?

“So what happened?” Buckley finally asked. “I mean you said it was once or twice and it was messy but…”

“We weren’t a match in that area.”

Buckley lifted his head from Mateo’s chest and gave him a smile meant to defuse the tension. “So he wanted your sweet ass and you told him it was off limits?”

Mateo’s huff of laughter carried a hint of relief. “Basically, yeah.”

“So whatdidyou guys do? If not, you know, the full nasty.”

Mateo’s eyes met his, smile fading. “You sure you want to hear about this?”

“Very.”

The word, and Buckley’s jarringly confident tone, lit up Mateo’s eyes. He looked suddenly alert but also intrigued. Buckley could hear it himself; he hadn’t sounded like a boyfriend trying to clear the air after an uncomfortable disclosure. He’d sounded hungry.

There was something else Mateo seemed to notice, and the next thing he knew Buckley felt his boyfriend’s hand caressing him where he was once more spilling out of the part in the front of his boxers.

“Papi…” he whispered, seemingly dumbfounded that an uncomfortable disclosure had somehow left Buckley rock hard and throbbing in his hand.

Brow furrowed, Mateo studied him. “How’sthatgoing to make you less jealous?”

“Jealous was your word, baby. Not mine.” It slipped out before he could stop it.

Something seemed to catch fire behind Mateo’s gaze. The hungry look of a dog scenting a bone. Or maybe the relief of a man realizing he was being spared a fight with his boyfriend by a sudden, shocking display of that boyfriend’s previously hidden fantasy.

Mateo’s eyes glazed over. He reached up and smoothed Buckley’s blond curly bangs, still damp from the shower, off his forehead. “Looks like we’re finally doing one of your fantasies,” he whispered, but there was seriousness in his tone. The role-play they’d done so far had involved archetypes and stock porn scenarios. Not someone real. Not someone whose last name they knew, anyway. Someone one of them shared history with. Complicated history.

“Details, please.” Buckley was determined not to be swayed from his goal by the fact that Mateo was gently sliding his boxers down over his ass and caressing his ample cheeks. He always felt a little flicker of insecurity when Mateo undressed him. For most of his life, he’d been a husky boy. But apparently Mateo loved it.Thick and juicy and soft in all the right places, he’d often say in a hungry whisper as he revealed every inch of Buckley’s skin, as if it were a naughty, hypnotic lullaby that made his mouth water.

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