With Abandon: With or Without, Book 3 (20 page)

“He does now.” Tara grinned, and it was downright mischievous. “He called me this morning after I had it towed to my house.” Leaning against the front of the car, she crossed her arms over her chest. Trying to look nonchalant Matt supposed, but he wasn’t buying it. “How was your lunch?”

Uh-huh, she was fishing. He’d known as soon as he’d gotten here that her curiosity would get the better of her. He was shocked that she’d made it through a tour of the house. “Good.” Actually, it had been more than good. It had felt like they were back to normal.

“Good? That’s it?” Tara motioned with her hand for him to continue. “Did he apologize?”

“Sort of. He said he was sorry for the way he said things but not for what he said.”

“From him? That’s akin to getting down on his knees and begging. He doesn’t apologize…ever. If he’s wrong, he might mumble out a
perhaps I was mistaken
, but that’s it.” She snorted. “I swear I wish he’d just stop with the denial and say I love you and be done with it.”

“What?” A frisson of excitement rushed through Matt at the prospect. Unfortunately, there was a little doubt too. He knew Aubrey liked him, cared for him even, but love? “You think he loves me?” Matt tried not to sound like her answer mattered to him, but he wanted to hear what she had to say. She was Aubrey’s best friend and knew him better than anyone.

A serene smile crossed her face, and she nodded. “Definitely.” In three steps she was across the garage. “I know he does. Trust me on this. I’ve never seen him the way he is with you.” She hugged him and pulled back without releasing him. “That scene before the party the other night? That was a big hint. He’s scared. When he gets scared or can’t control things he does one of two things. He either shuts down or lashes out. If he didn’t plan on keeping you, he wouldn’t care who you told what, but you threatened his safe little world. He got mad because if people know you’re gay, they’re going to eventually know he is too. He’s not in control, and he’s not used to that because Bree is always in control.”

What she said made sense. He’d already surmised Aubrey was different around him from things people said, but could it be because he was in love? What did Aubrey fighting it mean? Did he not want to love Matt? Matt’s excitement dissipated a little.

“Give him time, Matt. He’ll figure it out.” Tara kissed his cheek.

Matt smiled. Howard had said the same thing, so it must be true.

“You should see the way he looks at you.” Sighing, she shook her head and pulled away. As she went to the back of the garage, she said, “Wish someone would look at me like that.”

Before Matt could ask how Aubrey looked at him, she opened the door leading to the house. “I’m going to go get some water.” She jingled some keys and tossed them at him. “Pop the hood. I’ll be right back.”

Matt stared at the keys, still grinning. Aubrey loved him? Oh man, he hoped so because he definitely loved Aubrey. He turned toward the Mustang and stopped short. For the first time, he really looked at the garage. It was full of tools all neatly arranged on a pegboard along the right wall. On the opposite side of the garage sat two big Craftsman toolboxes, a heavy-duty floor jack, some ramps and a lawn mower. She’d said she had tools, but sheesh.

The door clicked shut, and footsteps echoed in the garage.

“I thought you were renting this place?”

“I am. Why?” She adjusted her stolen Falcons cap and took the keys out of his hand on her way out of the garage.

“Where’d you get all these tools?”

“So, I like tools, sue me.” She opened the car and popped the hood before shutting the car door. “Some of them belonged to my grandfather, and others I bought here and there. My sisters and Bree always give me tools or Home Depot gift certificates for birthdays and Christmas.”

Matt chuckled. Coming to stand at the front of the car, Tara bumped his hip. She handed him a bottle and took a long swig of her own.

Cars weren’t his favorite thing, admittedly, but he was feeling energized after that talk about his mate. Matt opened his water and swallowed a drink. The engine was pretty dirty. They were going to get messy. Good thing he was on the bike and not in one of the cars. “What’s first?” He took another swig.

“I don’t know. You’re the one fucking this chicken. I’m just holding its wings.”

He choked. Water shot out his nose and burned like hell. His eyes watered as he sputtered and gasped. Doubling over, he fought for breath. Choking and laughing did not go well together.

Tara started beating him on the back. “Oh my God. Are you okay?” She grabbed his hands, trying to heft them over his head. “Breathe.”

What did she think he was trying to do? Jerking his hands away, Matt glared at her, or tried to. It wasn’t an easy feat while hacking up a lung. Only Tara would say such a thing.

“Take a drink.”

Forcing himself to gulp in a deep breath, Matt stood up straight. His coughs slowed, allowing him to finally gasp in some air between fits. He could empathize with Jarred’s pain over having such a hellion for a daughter. Matt was torn between hugging her and strangling her. When he stopped coughing, he put his hands on his hips and stared at her, trying not to laugh. “What in the heck does that mean?”

A smirk teased at her lips. “I was just pointing out that you should take the lead because you know more than me. I’m still learning. I have to read the repair manuals.”

“And that was how you chose to say that? Couldn’t you’ve just said ‘It’s up to you, Matt?’ Anyone else would’ve said, ‘It’s your decision,’ but noooo…” Matt gave into his laughter, this time without the choking.

“What? You don’t like my saying?” Tara asked. “I thought it got the point across nicely.”

“Oh yeah, and it was so eloquent too.”

She cocked her head and scrunched her face. “Hmmm, now that you mention it, maybe that’s why Daddy always got so antsy before the interview portion of the pageants.” Placing one foot in front of the other with one hand by her side and the other on her hip, she straightened her posture and lifted her chin. Matt could just picture her in a ball gown with a sash and a crown. She smiled brilliantly. “World peace and legalized bestiality.”

“Gross.” Matt laughed harder. “All right, all right, stop, you’re killing me.”

Tara collapsed out of her pose into laughter. “Okay, no more fucking chickens, I promise.”

Still cackling, Matt shoved her shoulder. “Stop.”

“Spoilsport.” Tara braced her hands on the front of the car and looked down at the engine. “Okay, let’s do this.”

Matt set his phone on the flat space over the left headlight and took a better look under the hood. “Okay, since you’re holding the wings, get me a jack and some stands.”

“Now who’s cracking jokes?” She rolled the jack over and went to put chocks under the back tires.

Tara set the stands down, waiting for Matt to finish.

The chime indicating he had a text message went off just as he positioned the first stand.

“I got it.” Tara swiped his phone off the car.

Matt placed the second jack stand and stood. It was probably Aubrey. He’d said something about texting Matt to decide on dinner tonight. Brushing off his hands, Matt grasped the jack handle, but Tara’s expression made him pause.

She was gawking. There was just no other word for it. Her mouth hung open, and her eyes practically bugged out of her head.

What in the world was she looking at? A case of nerves hit Matt in the stomach. “What’s wrong? Is it from Aubrey? What did he say?” Matt reached for the phone, but she turned, keeping it away from him. “Tara?”

“Oh my.” Cocking her head, she tilted the phone. “Nice. Very nice. Not hard, I prefer hard, but nice.” A smile crept over her lips, and she giggled.

He needed to see what the text said. “What did Aubrey say?”

“Your brother has a nice dick.”

“What?” Matt yelled so loud he scared some birds off the tree by the driveway. Thank goodness he hadn’t been drinking his water. “Aubrey said my brother has what?” Matt scrambled for the phone, nearly tackling Tara in the process. It took a valiant effort, but he got a good grip on it finally.

“It’s not from Bree. It’s from Logan. Give it back.” She grabbed the phone before Matt could see what was on the screen. “I’m not done looking.”

Snatching it out of her hand again, Matt turned his back on her. “Ohmigod.” There was a picture of a dick with a piercing through the head. Ouch. He didn’t know whether to be fascinated or repulsed. Stunned, he read the text above the pic.
look what i did. cool, huh?
First, it was his nipples he’d gotten pierced, then the tattoo on his back and now this.

Matt groaned and dodged an attempt by Tara to confiscate the phone. He typed back,
u just flashed Tara via text message, idiot.
Shaking his head, he handed the phone back to Tara and went into the garage for a wrench.

“That’s kinda hot in a sadistic kinda way. Don’tcha think?”

Leaning over the side of the car, Matt unhooked the battery cables. As he started loosening bolts, a chuckle bubbled up and spilled over. His brother was crazy. “I guess if you’re into that sort of thing. I’m just fine with unadorned penises, thank you.”

“Good to know” came the reply, but it wasn’t from Tara.

Matt bolted upright and hit his head. “Ow.” Wincing, he rubbed the sore spot.

Aubrey stood by the passenger side door of the car just a few feet away. He wore the same dark gray suit he’d had on earlier, but his jacket and tie were gone and his sleeves were rolled up.

“Where’d you come from?” It was only around two o’clock. Aubrey always worked until five. Excitement raced through Matt. The conversation he and Tara had earlier played back through his mind, making him giddy. Speaking of Tara…

She hadn’t even noticed Aubrey. With her back turned to them, she was still engrossed in the picture.

Aubrey raised a brow and glanced around. “Who has an adorned cock?” He scanned the street both ways.

“Logan got a Prince Albert. Or at least I think that’s what it’s called.”

“What?” Aubrey turned back toward him. “A Prince Albert, huh?” His eyebrows shot up and he blinked. “Should look interesting in wolf form.”

The thought had never occurred to Matt. “Eww…”

Aubrey chuckled but didn’t stop studying his surroundings. “To each their own.”

“What’re you doing here? And what are you looking for?” Not that Matt minded, but something told him it wasn’t a social visit. Aubrey was uneasy. Matt wasn’t sure why he thought that because his mate’s scent was normal, but something about how distracted he was seemed odd.

Aubrey shrugged. “Just seeing how the neighborhood has changed.” Smiling, he cuffed Matt’s arm, rubbing a little. “I came to hang out with my two favorite people.” He squeezed Matt’s arm, seeming reluctant to let go, and winked.

The playfulness and affection was genuine and shot straight to Matt’s heart. How cool was it that his mate took off from work to spend time with him? What more could a man ask for? Matt grinned, wanting more than anything to kiss his mate. “We can use the help. Will you start by doing me a favor?”

For a split second Matt thought Aubrey might lean forward for a kiss, but he didn’t. Darn it.
He cleared his throat and raised a brow. “What’s that?”

“Wrestle the phone away from Tara.”

Checking the time on the computer screen, Aubrey leaned back in his office chair and stretched. It was two in the morning, and he’d finally caught up on all the work he’d missed today due to leaving the office early. And still there was no word on Boskie. Jarred and a few other trusted pack members hadn’t seen hide nor hair of the man, and they’d started looking fifteen minutes after Aubrey opened that envelope. A chill raced up Aubrey’s spine thinking about the pictures.

Boskie had just up and disappeared after the party the other night. His wife didn’t know where to find him nor did his secretary. As Martha would say, it made Aubrey as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. He wasn’t sure if the older wolf was threatening Matt because he was in Aubrey’s care or if he’d somehow found out they were mates. Had Aubrey given them away? It didn’t matter. It was his word against Boskie’s and Boskie had to be found regardless. This was now a pack problem. Matt was a pack guest.
And the Alpha’s mate.
Aubrey scoffed at himself, rested his head on the chair and closed his eyes. “Yeah, right.” Like he could tell the pack that. Geez, his head throbbed.

He’d been worried about Matt all day, even after he’d left his office to watch over him. It had been pure hell being outside in the open at Tee’s house. Aubrey hadn’t been able to relax and let his guard down for an instant.

When he and Matt came home, Aubrey spent several hours trying to stop constantly touching Matt. He’d done good though. He didn’t think Matt had any idea there was something wrong, and that was how Aubrey wanted to keep it. Matt had enough to brood over with the problems in his family lately. Besides, it was Aubrey’s job to keep him happy and safe.

Sniffing, Aubrey located Matt. He’d caught himself doing that off and on tonight when Matt was out of his sight. Aubrey took his glasses off and ran his hands down his face. His eyes hurt from staring at the computer for too long. He should get some aspirin for his headache. It was time to check on Matt as well.