Turning my head, I check it out in the rearview mirror and end up catching my brother’s proud eyes.
I might be embarking into a world of shit, but I’ve got the two men I love, my brother, a kick-ass brother-in-law … and my Godsdamn sunstar.
* * *
Atlanta
“I dunno, baby,” I say as I study my head in the mirror. I don’t want to hurt his feelings, but hair? I’m shaved right down to the scalp, except for the bit of hair Gem’s been insisting I keep for the past two months. It’s gotten long. He’s styled it to flip to the right. I like the way it looks and the way he tugs on it. It’s also a rad pairing with my new jaw scar on the left side of my face. I just don’t like the liability.
“One more month, then I’ll shave it right off, please?” he says.
As if I’m going to tell him no. “Fine, now c’mon. I think that’s enough hair styling for you.”
I smack his ass and drag him out of the small bathroom.
The motel room would reek of must if it weren’t for Gem’s essential oils, smoking through the air. Tonight, it’s lemongrass scent. He managed to make me a juicy burger for dinner, and I managed to talk him into letting me drink a beer.
There’s a loudcrashagainst the wall and the room shakes. Gem’s eyebrow raises. “Should we check on them?”
“Not after the last time. Seeing my brother getting his ass pounded by two dicks is something I’ll never unsee. If we find them dead in the morning, it’s their own fault.” I’m traumatized for life. “But you can get your ass undressed.”
Gem does a sassy saunter away from me, and lets the fluffy bathrobe fall away from his body, exposing his naked glory to the room.
And me.Only ever me.
The tale of my love for Gem is etched onto my body with scars, but the tale of who he belongs to is scorched into his with my dirty hands.
There’s no mistaking whose hands those are, either. Too bad no one will ever see them. Only I get to see Gem like this.
But if they could see, they’d read the story of how I love to paw down his torso. Of how I put my hands on his hips when I claim him like we’re nothing more than animals. They leave a loving trail of worship down his graceful legs, and I made sure to blaze one over his heart because that belongs to me too.
The raised pink handprints say “Atlanta was here”, all over his beautiful body.
His delicate feet patter across the carpet, and he jumps into my arms, squeezing his supple thighs around me, crossing them at the ankle behind me. He cups my face, smiling down, glowing for all he’s worth.
“Fuck me into oblivion, Orion,” he says.
“As you fucking wish, darlin’.”
* * *