Order (Tattoos and Ties Duet #2)(79)

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“We don’t talk like that to one another and never about club business. I’m surprised you said this much to me,” Alec explained, lifting on his elbow.

For the first time since Key had spoken in detail about his club’s business, he looked shocked he’d let so much out and went immediately on the defensive. “I’m not talkin’ about the club. I was trying to explain what they’d do if they find out I’m with you. I regularly plan for the moment I learn they know…”

“Babe, stop putting all that between us. Stop. Let me love you. Let me take care of you. Whether you believe it or not, it’s true, love will take care of everything else. It already has. We’ll keep to ourselves, tucked away. No one will know.” He cupped Key’s neck, drawing him in for a kiss. “Just let this happen. Be in this with me. We’ll figure out the rest, just like we’ve been doing.”

Nash attacked Alec’s shirt sleeve as he leaned in for another quick kiss, drawing their attention his way. They both looked down when their tiny puppy growled. “He’s precious.”

“He’s a fighter.”

“Like his new daddy,” Alec teased, lifting his chin again to seal the tentative agreement with a kiss. This kiss lingered, and he felt Key give in even as Nash set his sights on a new target, the tattoo on his lover’s chest. Key’s genuine laugh, the one that melted his heart, broke the kiss as he looked down at the dog, scooping him up. At the same time, his biker rolled to his back, lifting the puppy high in the air. Nash barked several times, seeming to say he wanted back down on Key’s level.

Alec watched the scene, loving the raw emotion pouring from Key. It was these little moments that neither of them had ever truly experienced before that were now tying them so closely together. Key lowered Nash who instantly attacked the tattoos on his chest again.

“Hey!” Key yelped, covering his nipple where Nash had set his sights. “He fits us.”

“There was no question to me. I saw him, he saw me, and that was it. I didn’t know if he was male or female. I didn’t care. I knew instantly he was ours,” he explained, stretching back out on the bed, loving the idea of lounging and watching his lover play with Nash.

“He’s got papers?” Key asked, glancing over.

“Yes, and he’s had his first shots. Olivia’s been taking him outside to potty train him every thirty minutes. We kept that up until right before you arrived,” he explained, reaching over to pet the little guy.

“He seems awful young to potty train,” Key stated while letting Nash bounce around on his chest.

“That’s what I thought, but apparently that’s not the case.”

Key executed a fluid body roll, lifting off the bed with the squirming pup in his grasp. “Let’s take him out then.”

Alec followed, then accepted the puppy as Key grabbed his T-shirt. He pulled the shirt over his head before taking the dog back. Alec was seemingly forgotten and forced to trail behind Key who murmured sweetly to Nash as he headed to the back door.

“Does it matter where?” he asked, looking back over his shoulder and stopped before opening the back door.

“We took him to the patch of grass by the back door,” he said. Key pulled open the door, his hands protectively cupping Nash to keep the chill off him.

“Did he go?”

“No, not for me, but he did for Olivia.” Alec called out to Alexa to turn on the porch lights before going to stand beside Key who put the dog down and stood directly over him, staring down, waiting right there with Nash.

“Go potty,” Key urged.

But that didn’t happen. Nash was so full of personality. He attacked the grass with such a force that his body rolled over his head, landing him on his back, causing Key to burst out in a hearty laugh as he tucked his fingers into his jeans pocket.

“Do you think it’s too chilly for him?” Alec had no real idea, but reasoned the temperature had warmed back up today, and the ground shouldn’t be cold at all.

“I think he’s okay until he goes.”

Alec slipped a hand between Key’s arm and body until he could wrap himself around his waist. Key caught on nicely, opening to hold Alec there against his side. Nash on the other hand quickly shook off his fall, getting back on his feet, and attacked the grass again.

“Thank you,” Key said quietly.

“Thank you,” he replied and squeezed Key a little tighter. Seconds later, Nash squatted. “He’s doing it.”

“Just luck,” Key announced, but Alec heard the pride in his voice.

“It’s a start. That’s how I got you.” He rested his head on his man’s shoulder, content to stay like this forever.





“I got a dog,” Keyes mumbled, chin to his chest, his eyes screwed shut, trying to think of anything other than motherfucking Devilman hitting the bones of his fucking shoulder as he etched the wings across his back.

“Yeah?” Dev said, distracted as he focused on his work.

“Yeah.”

Maybe as much as fifteen minutes passed with the buzzing of the gun drowning out the hard metal music playing overhead—at least for Keyes. The volume had been turned up, Dev liked it loud when he worked, but for some reason this tattoo hurt worse than any of the others he’d had.