Order (Tattoos and Ties Duet #2)
Kindle Alexander
The idea of losing sleep while holding a man in his arms all night long was about as foreign an idea as falling hopelessly in love, but Alec Pierce had managed to do both in a relatively short time. The love part had happened months ago, but last night had been the first time he’d said the words aloud.
As for losing sleep and holding his biker through the long hours of the night, well honestly, he’d done quite a bit of that over the last several months too. Tonight, though, was different. His cup runneth over so to speak, and as Keyes Dixon slept like a baby in his arms, Alec lay awake, lost in the warmth of their great love story.
Alec smiled and angled his head, kissing the top of Key’s soft hair, certain if Shakespeare were alive today, he would want to write his next great masterpiece based on the Pierce and Dixon coupling. His grin turned a bit wicked at the mental image of Key wearing the tight-fitting men’s leggings so popular in the Elizabethan era. No matter how Alec loved their story, he did recognize the ridiculousness of his overactive imagination and rolled his eyes as a soft chuckle welled up from his chest while imagining the possibility of their bedroom sword play.
Key stirred. With Key stretched across his body, his face buried in the crook of Alec’s neck, both the rumble of Alec’s chest as well as the quiet noise of the soft chuckle would have woken his always-light-sleeping boyfriend.
“You good?” Key lifted his head, cracking open sleepy eyes as he scanned Alec’s face to find the answer to his question.
“I’m good. Go back to sleep. You still have a few hours before you have to leave.”
Key’s brows dropped into a solid V as he assessed Alec’s answer. He must have decided Alec was on the up-and-up when his eyes slid closed and he tilted his chin up. Alec obliged and granted him the kiss. Key turned, tucking an arm under Alec’s shoulder, bringing him to where they were face to face, intimately sharing a single pillow. Key fell back asleep almost instantly.
Funny, Alec had never slept in a bed with another person. Even during grade school sleepovers, Blaine would take the floor of Alec’s bedroom—or vice versa when he stayed at Blaine’s—but not now, hopefully never again. His oversized California king could have been a twin bed for all the space he and Key used when sleeping together.
Alec ran his fingertips over Key’s scraggly beard, marveling at the multitude of colors reflected there. Key’s hair had been darker when they’d first met, but with all the time they had spent in Alec’s secluded backyard, swimming, grilling, and just being together outside like Key enjoyed doing, his hair had turned different shades from honey to blond. Alec lifted a piece of Key’s long hair, letting it filter through his fingers. He loved the wild, silky strands. From the first minute he laid eyes on his biker man to right this second, Key just did it for Alec.
“You aren’t sleepin’,” Key mumbled, his eyes remaining closed.
“I’m admiring,” Alec answered, cupping Key’s cheek with his hand.
“Why’re you awake? You’re gonna be tired tomorrow,” Key grumbled, this time cracking his eyes open again. Alec noted even Key’s eyelashes had changed colors. It was an extraordinary thing for a man who had spent most of his life outdoors.
“I’m committing our love story to memory,” Alec teased. He leaned in to kiss Key’s soft lips. Key’s eyes opened wider, and he cocked a single brow as he scanned Alec’s face again.
Maybe as long as a minute passed before Key rolled his eyes and jostled Alec as he turned a hundred eighty degrees, giving him his back. “When you’re rememberin’ shit, remember it wasn’t my fault that those damn two by fours were in the road no matter what the fuck Blaine says.”
Alec laughed and kissed Key’s shoulder, coming in behind his biker who pressed lovingly against his chest. “I’m quite thankful for those two by fours.” Alec moved Key’s hair to lay his whiskered cheek along Key’s neck and upper back and tightened his hold.
“Go to sleep, Alec. You’ll be too tired tomorrow for your important case or whatever you said you had to do.”
Seconds later, Key’s soft snores returned in a comforting cadence. Key was right, he should sleep. He just didn’t want to miss any time he had with Key.
As much as Alec had decided to read Key’s loving actions, not go by his lack of words committing them together, they still had so many obstacles that could rip their relationship apart before they ever got fully started. From this point forward, there would be no more sticking his head in the sand, avoiding the destructive elements within his or Key’s lives.
If Key had five years before he could retire from the motorcycle club, then Alec had to prepare his own life. He had to get his affairs in order to distance himself from his employment at the Dallas County District Attorney’s office, and end his beyond stupid bid for a federal judge nomination. That last one had Alec’s gut twisting, and he settled back on his pillow, staring at Key’s strong muscular back.
Yeah, that was the wet blanket suffocating his fantasy. The constant worry swirling around their relationship remained no matter how many times he pretended their differences didn’t matter. He pushed the heel of his palm against the aching pressure growing in his head. What would Key’s motorcycle club—Alec rolled his eyes knowing most of the civilized world would definitely call that rough and rowdy bunch of men a biker gang no matter how many times Key denounced the idea—do to Key if they found out about Alec?