Chapter 2

“Great. Give me ten minutes to shower and dress and we’ll get breakfast.”

Tris’s lips parted. The erotic image of Aiden standing naked under the shower’s spray left him weak with want. He tried to keep his thoughts from showing, but Aiden blushed and glanced at his bare, well-defined chest as if just realizing his scant clothing.

“Be right back,” he muttered and retreated, giving Tris a splendid view of his ass in the ragged shorts before he disappeared inside the apartment. Tris unconsciously licked his lips as he remembered the sweet taste of the skin at the small of Aiden’s back. He stared at the closed door while his body trembled with need, longing to join him in the shower as he had so many times in the past. It wasn’t right! Why wouldn’t Aiden forgive him?

Tris blinked as hot tears stung his eyes. He let them pool, then slide down his cheeks. He couldn’t forgive himself so why should Aiden?

Leaving his pack by the door, he crossed the parking lot to the stream that disappeared into the trees of the nearby park. He leaned on the metal railing and watched the ripple of sunlight on the quickly moving water. The sound of a siren in the distance recalled the terrible night he’d lost almost everything he loved; he remembered the icy road and darkness and blood on his parents’ faces.

A whimper of pain escaped him and he jerked upright, determined not to give in to the depression lurking on the fringes of his mind. Tris loosened his grip on the metal barrier and worked to slow his breathing the way the psych doctor had taught him. He hadn’t gone back to see the analyst after that initial, mandated visit, but he wondered if he should. Sometimes the nightmares of the crash were more than he could handle.

He tensed on hearing footsteps behind him, then his blood caught fire as he recognized Aiden’s familiar tread. He squeezed his eyes closed. Fuck! Why had he set himself up for this pain?

“Hey, Tris. Ready?”

Tris swiveled like a puppet to Aiden’s voice and took a second to admire him in black jeans and gray sweater that did nothing to hide the sexy build underneath. His dick took notice as well. Tris hurried to Aiden’s side to hide the quick bulge in his pants. “Let me grab my backpack,” he said as he trotted ahead, hoping he could discreetly adjust his cramped cock when he climbed into the car.

He grabbed his pack and joined Aiden in the sleek vehicle, keeping the bag firmly in his lap as he buckled in. Feeling Aiden’s eyes on him, he glanced up and drew a painful breath at the intensity of Aiden’s stare. Tris’s head swam with wild thoughts as Aiden’s gaze traveled over his body, and he almost cried out with disappointment when Aiden turned his head away and started the ignition.

Jesus! Tris stared unseeing out the side window, every nerve in his body intensely aware of the man at his side. He needed Aiden’s kiss while his cock ached for Aiden’s touch and the tight heat of his ass. He stole a glance at Aiden’s profile. Don’t you miss me at all?Aiden appeared relaxed at the wheel, and Tris swiveled back to the window to hide the pain in his eyes.

Hadn’t their years together meant anything to Aiden? Hadn’t Tris’s love? Unexpectedly, their first time together came to mind. It was Tris’s sixteenth birthday and Aiden had him pinned to the wall of his bedroom.

“You can’t tell me you don’t want this, Tristram Price,” Aiden had said. Tris had felt the hard press of Aiden’s cock against his own and had swallowed, his attention focusing on Aiden’s plump lips moving closer. He’d closed his eyes. God, he’d dreamed of this for months! But Aiden had always been dating some guy or other, never seeming interested in him.

A warm mouth had touched his, and he shivered at the swipe of a tongue. “Open your eyes,” Aiden had commanded, and Tris’s lids had flown up. An intense blue gaze had filled his sight as Aiden laid siege to his mouth. Tris hadn’t known what to expect but had opened willingly to Aiden’s sweet, hot tongue, moaning as every slide of it into his mouth seemed to reach straight to his dick. He’d never been with anyone before, but it had been easy to let Aiden push him on the bed, take his clothes off, nibble his way down Tris’s trembling body. Tris had never admitted it, but he could swear he fell in love the second Aiden licked his throbbing cock.

They’d dated, but it wasn’t until after graduation that they’d promised to be exclusive to each other. An easy promise since Tris hadn’t dated anyone else anyway. Had never wanted to.