Twin Ties 1: My Brother's Lover (6 page)

Luka stared at him. Presley looked like he just sucked on a lemon. “You have something against propagation of the species?”

Presley turned to face Luka, lowered his brow and widened his stance. “I do when propagation is spelled D-E-N-I-A-L. Look, I’m not judging you. You know I love you like family. I just think you’re a very confused person and, as your friend, I’m gonna just say one more thing. One.”

He held up one long digit. Presley, with his flawlessly perfected, lean and toned body, captivating hazel eyes and skin like coffee without the cream, was not someone you ignored when he demanded your attention.

“What?” Luka blinked, leaning toward him a little.

Presley promptly smacked him upside the head. “Use your head.”

“Ow!” Luka complained, rubbing the back of his skull. “Excuse me, I’m gonna go find someone less mean to hang out with.”

He made a big, dramatic show of turning his nose up at Presley, still leaning there like a handsomely chiseled statue decorating the gym rather than a person working in it. Instead, Luka headed over to the hallway that ran by the enormous exercise room he was currently in, connecting the locker rooms to the pool entrance and yoga studios.

All of a sudden, someone went past, moving across the doorway from right to left—someone blond, model-gorgeous, slim and toned, wearing only a pair of form-fitting black yoga shorts which hid absolutely nothing.

Luka stopped in mid-step, gobsmacked.

“Did you
see that
?!” he hissed over his shoulder before literally bolting after the blond like a big, gangly, shameless oaf.

“Luka!
What
did I just say to you?!” Presley shouted after him. “Hopeless.”

Luka caught up to the blond, getting a quick eyeful of honey-colored hair streaked with lighter bleached strands, longer at the top, shorter around his ears and in the back. But it was the guy’s face that wiped all sense and intelligible thought from Luka’s mind. Ridiculously defined cheekbones, cleft chin, strong jaw, lips so plump they almost didn’t make rational sense, but really it was the eyes—a bright, startling blue and framed with long eyelashes, eyes that were almost feminine and delicate despite the very masculine body accompanying them—that sealed Luka’s fate.

“Uh,” Luka said stupidly in greeting. He realized he had grabbed the guy’s arm and thought to himself,
I should let go
. But found he couldn’t. His brain and body were not communicating well enough to accomplish that. “Hi.”

“Hi.” The blond tossed his hair back out of his eyes and smiled with those plump lips, and it was such a breathtaking sight that Luka actually whimpered a little. Audibly.

“Jeez, I’m sorry. What’s the matter with me? I’m Luka. I work here, and damn. You’ve probably got a girlfriend and I’m probably an ass, but can I buy you a drink sometime?”

The blond chuckled; his smile got wider and more heartfelt. “You’re cute.”

A huge, dimpled grin of pure delight transformed Luka’s face and he straightened, recovering in an instant thanks to the compliment. “I can work with cute.”

“Brennan. I’m, um, I’m Brennan.” He extended a hand and Luka shook it with both of his, amazed at how comfortable Brennan seemed in his own skin even with such insignificant clothing on. He radiated calm confidence.

“Very nice to meet you, Brennan. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I mean, you probably just saw me run out here to catch you just to introduce myself, but it would just make my day. Hell, it’d make my
month
if you’d say yes to that drink. I swear I’m not a freak or desperate, but you are just... wow.”

The reply was simply, “I don’t drink. I’m eighteen.” Luka’s expression fell so drastically and so fast that Brennan quickly added, “But maybe coffee? Or dinner?”

“Wow. I’m an idiot. You do look young, but you don’t
seem
young, if that makes any sense. So I thought... but, awesome! Yeah! Dinner. Thank you. What do you like? I know this great French place. Or Thai? Maybe, um, Moroccan, or just steaks. I mean, I can cook an awesome steak but you probably would rather go out somewhere.”

Brennan pursed his lips in an indescribably hot expression, his lips framed with his own smaller dimples right at the corners. Luka actually leaned in slightly, and brazenly took a half-step farther into Brennan’s personal space. He made himself comfortable there, standing almost intimately close. Luka’s lips parted softly, and for a second Brennan gazed expectantly up at him, thinking perhaps Luka was going to kiss him, right there in the middle of the Sweat gym hallway, which reeked of chlorine and body odor.

There was a half a beat where Luka paused to take a breath and Brennan laid a hand lightly on Luka’s defined chest, perfectly outlined by his skin-tight, black, sleeveless tank with the gym’s logo on the front. “Why don’t I just give you my number and we can work out all of the details later? I literally just moved here yesterday, so I’ll follow your lead.”

Luka’s hands went immediately to his pocket-less pants. “No pen. Damn. Wait here one second. I just need to grab a pen and one second, okay? My memory is like a sieve or else....”

Brennan nodded, grinning as Luka ran down the hall, through the door and came back seconds later, not even out of breath, but a little more flushed for his efforts. He scrawled Brennan’s number on his hand. “Are you sure you’re eighteen?”

“Yeah, fairly sure,” Brennan said, holding Luka’s gaze as he inched steadily back into Brennan’s space, not even completely realizing he was doing it.

“I really should get back to work and let you go. You’ll be around later? If I try your number?”

They were barely inches apart. A chestnut-hued tendril fell forward and Brennan reached up, pushing it back behind the shell of Luka’s ear. His hand lingered there, on the ridge of Luka’s jawbone and he tilted his head back a little, his full lips supple and parted. Luka exhaled, surged forward and closed his lips around Brennan’s.

“Mm,” Luka hummed, tilting his head and catching even more of Brennan’s lips on his second try. He forced himself to break contact, stepping back and clearing his throat.

“Later?” Brennan said, taking one more long look down and back up Luka’s body, turning toward the smaller studio spaces in which the yoga classes were held.

Luka’s gaze fell from mouth to shorts and everything they barely concealed. “Uh-huh.”

Then the angelic specimen was gone. Brennan pushed through a door and stepped out of sight. Luka fell back against the wall and moaned, clutching his heart.

Presley appeared back by the doorway to the exercise room. “What did you do?”

“Died a little, I think.”

Presley blinked at him. “That’s... I don’t know what to say to that. But, you know. Walk it off, son. You’ll poke someone’s eye out with that thing and there’s ladies present. Ladies with mustaches and Adam’s apples, but ladies all the same.”

“Hmm?” Luka looked down at himself. “Oh.”

Rolling his eyes, Presley left him there. Luka shuffled back to the locker room to do a lap or two to recover.

Evan stood on the dusty ground in front of the steps leading up to Jimmy’s door. The house was technically a mobile home, given foundation and rooted between a long, winding road leading back into the same open wilderness that was also beyond Evan’s home, and acres of grassy fields. If you were facing away from town, there was nothing but earth and sky for as far as the eye could see. It was one of Evan’s favorite places in the world, even more so than his own home. It was the only place where he could be himself and be completely honest about absolutely everything. Even the bad memories lent the spot a bittersweet, comfortable air.

He scuffed his toe over a patch of thin grass and cracked, dry earth. It looked so harmless, so much like every other patch of ground. But it wasn’t.

The door opened behind him; he heard it creak on the hinges. Jimmy stood there, watching Evan take a step, centering himself directly over the patch.

Evan took a deep, steadying breath and released it back out with a sigh.

“I died here,” he said with some awe.

“Just for a couple of minutes,” Jimmy added softly. “I’m glad you can say that aloud now. That’s a good sign. Kinda wish you didn’t sound so happy about it though.”

Evan shook his head. “It’s just weird. Sometimes it feels like that was another life, like I came back as someone else.”

“Maybe you did.” Jimmy stepped aside and waved Evan over. “Come on in. You hungry?”

“Yeah,” Evan smiled while brushing his dirty hands futilely over his grime-smeared arms. His second appointment of the evening came to mind. “And can I grab a shower too? Just, you know, while I’m here.”

“Sure.”

Once Evan had scrubbed off the engine grease and emerged from the bathroom both looking and smelling much cleaner, the two men sat down across from each other at Jimmy’s table. There was a big plate loaded with salad and a sandwich set out for Evan, so he dove in.

“What’s up? Why aren’t you at home, eating with Brennan?”

Evan shrugged, taking a large bite of bread to avoid having to verbally answer.

“What’s he like?”

“Hmm, well....” He thought about it for a long moment. “He’s a twink. Bleached hair, dainty little glasses. The whole nine. One of the first things he told me was that he’s gay. He asked if it was gonna be a
problem
.” Evan huffed out a laugh and took another bite when the chuckle twisted and turned cold.

Jimmy sighed, his face a picture of concern. “I’m sorry.”

Evan’s brow furrowed and he bowed his head, chest heaving with emotion.

“Does he know?” But it only took one look at Evan’s face to make the answer clear. Jimmy answered his own question, saying, “Of course not. Maybe you should tell him. He’s going to find out anyway.”

Defensively, Evan barked out, “Says who?”

“He’s your twin brother, Evan. I understand having a sibling is a new concept for you, but Brennan will be able to read you, especially living together in such close quarters. It could help you two get closer.”

“I don’t want to be closer. I didn’t ask for this. I opened my home to him because he had nowhere else to go, but it doesn’t mean anything. He’s a stranger.”

“You don’t think that he could
possibly
understand where you’re coming from? Hmm?” Jimmy suggested, glaring at Evan.

“He’s nothing like me,” Evan spat. “He likes who he is. He’s proud of it.”

“Do you resent him? For being proud of himself? For getting to be with Maggie?” Evan set down the sandwich, shutting down, turning off. “He didn’t ask for this either. He’s just trying to survive and grieve, same as you.”

“Whatever.”

“Hey, if you wanna try again, I’m sure there are enough pills in the medicine cabinet to do the job. I won’t interfere this time.”

Evan sat back in the chair, hugging himself and scowling, gazing blankly out the window.

“Go on. What’re you waiting for? You still wish I’d left you alone?”

Breathing shallowly, watching a flock of sparrows take flight over the swaying grass, Evan didn’t answer right away. Then, reluctantly, he grunted, “Sometimes.”

“Then why are you here? Why are you telling me all of this stuff about Brennan?” There was a pause as Evan answered Jimmy’s questions silently, to himself, only. “Have you talked to Charlie?”

“No.”

“You should. He loves you.”

Evan scoffed. “Sure.” Standing, grabbing the sandwich to finish off on the walk to Cedar Mill Road, Evan mumbled, “Thanks for the food and the shower. I’ve gotta go. Got a hot date.”

Jimmy stood with him, walking Evan to the door. “Use protection.”

Evan laughed, hastening down the steps and hurrying away. “Why bother?”

Jimmy grunted with frustration, his hands balling up into fists. “Evan!”

“’Bye, Jimmy.”

Alek’s truck rolled to a stop at Cedar Mill Road. His tires crunched over loose gravel, leaving the asphalt behind. Awaiting him on the edge of the woods, Evan was laid out on a blanket and gazing up at the fading daylight.

Reclined on his side, Evan sipped a beer, propped up on an elbow with a faraway look in his eyes as his thoughts went to places his body couldn’t. Cutting the engine and hopping down from the truck, Alek headed right for Evan. Pulling his shirt off as he fell to his knees, Alek lowered himself down on top of Evan, who grinned slyly and set his beer down in the grass.

At least he’s not expecting a talk first,
Evan was glad to see.

He let Alek guide him onto his back and ran his fingers up into Alek’s soft, dark brown hair. Growling with lust, Alek started kissing. He latched onto Evan’s jaw, sucking bruises along it and down the column of his neck. He began grinding his pelvis down against Evan’s, their stiffening cocks rubbing together through the coarse fabric. Evan pushed up into Alek’s slow thrusts and let his head fall back to expose more of his neck. Reaching down, Evan popped the button on his fly to give Alek the hint.

Just keep going. Get off and get gone. No questions, no explanations, just take what you want and go.

It worked. Alek’s lips left Evan’s neck, the new trail of bruises nestled among smatterings of faint freckles. He tugged down Evan’s fly, and pushed at his pants. They shimmied down over Evan’s hips, taking his boxers with them, exposing a bare swath of skin, the cradle of his hips and the long, swelling length of his cock.