Wood nodded firmly.
“If you hurt my son… and try to run, I’ll find you… then I’ll kill you. I got a tree-stump grinder, I know what to do with your body, Wood.” Mike slapped him hard on his shoulder, his grin going from evil to satisfied in a blink. “Nice talk. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Wood shivered as he stepped back inside his home, and it had nothing to do with the cold temperature.
“Hey. I decided to make you something hot. You’re probably not in the mood for cereal since it’s past lunchtime,” Trent said, flipping what looked like two grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches. “What’d Mike want? To talk about your job?”
“Something like that.” Wood sighed, removing his coat. He came up behind Trent just as he was sliding the last golden-brown sandwich onto a paper plate. “Thank you for the food.”
“You’re welcome.” Trent let Wood kiss the side of his neck before he stepped to the side so he could eat.
Wood was wiping his mouth clean by the time Trent returned the cheese and ham in the refrigerator and washed the few dirty dishes.
“I need to speak to you,” Wood said, leaning against the counter.
Trent dried his hands, giving Wood a weary look. “Uh-oh. Nothing good ever follows those words.”
“Depends on how you look at it.”
Trent tossed the paper towels he’d used to dry his hands in the trash and took the steps needed to put them chest to chest. He stared up at him, all passion and neediness in his gaze, and Wood struggled not to get distracted.
“Why haven’t you told Bishop yet?” Wood asked, hoping his voice didn’t reflect his worry. But he could admit to himself that he didn’t want to just be an experiment to Trent.
“Tell him what?” Trent feigned stupid.
“Don’t play with me,” Wood growled as he pushed off the counter and stood at his full height.
Trent was forced to take a half step back, his eyes widening a fraction as Wood towered over him. “Oh, you mean tell Bishop about us. I will… soon.”
Wood knew he was glaring hard enough for Trent to get his point.
“Very soon.” Trent stroked his chest, his voice lowering to a husky whisper. “I promise. I just need a little more time to sort this shit out in my head, that’s all. Me and you are still pretty new, y’know.”
Trent pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, not quite meeting his eyes and Wood knew he was lying. “Bullshit.”
Trent froze. “You never curse. Well, not like that anyway… Why are you talking like—?”
“Why are you lying to me?”
“I’m not,” Trent argued, turning away.
“You should know by now that you have to wake up pretty damn early to fool me, Trent.” Wood pressed into Trent’s back, but he didn’t make him face him. “Tell me the real reason. Because we’ve been in public several times, and you look almost proud to be with me. But at the first mention of Bishop, you start coming up with lies to hide us. To hide me.”
Trent let his head fall back on Wood’s shoulder. “I’m sorry for lying to you, but it’s better than telling you the truth.”
Wood kissed the side of Trent’s bed-tousled hair, needing him to be honest with him, always. “It’s all right,” he said as he began a deep massage against Trent’s lower back.
Trent groaned loudly, and Wood carefully worked the tight muscles, hoping to relax his lover enough that he’d be more forthcoming. “That feels good.” Trent moaned, pushing harder against Wood’s chest.
“Just tell me what the deal is, Trent, because I’m too damn old to be in anybody’s closet. Not after how long I’ve waited to call someone mine again. I know this is not the most conventional relationship, and I’m not even sure what to call us, but you have to admit that we have something here. And you don’t want anyone important to you to know about it. Why?”
Trent shook his head. “It’s not for the reasons you think.”
“Then enlighten me,” Wood told him. “Why won’t you tell your best friend about us? Having him find out on a misunderstanding is not going to go over well. Trust me.”
Trent spun around, his sweet brown eyes shimmering like fresh-mined axinite as he leveled Wood with an anguished expression. “Because I don’t want him to take you away from me, that’s why.”
That was the last thing Wood was expecting Trent to say. Why the hell would he be afraid of that?
“Wood. Since we were kids in juvie together, Bishop has had a front-row seat to my destructive behavior.” Trent shrugged. “He might have called it impulsive. Who knows, same thing. People get attached to me, and I usually fuck up their lives in some way. And Bishop’s always been the one that has to clean up the mess.”
Wood frowned. “Is that what you think Bishop will do? Warn me about your wild streak or your reckless past.”
“Hell yeah he will. B idolizes you, Wood. You’re the brother he always wanted.” Trent balled his fists at his sides, his tight body starting to tremor the more he put himself down. “He’ll remind you that you’re on parole and you’re supposed to keep your nose clean. And that getting involved—with someone like me—might not be a good idea. I’m not exactly known for thinking before I act. It wasn’t that long ago that I got me and Bishop tossed into twenty-four-hour lockup because I don’t know when to just fucking stop.”
“Trent, don’t—”
“So that’s why I say I’m probably not someone he’ll advise you to get attached to if you’re trying to get your shit together. I guess I was trying to enjoy this as long as I could.” Trent gestured to the empty trailer. “Why do you think it was only me here when you came?”
Wood smoothed his hands across Trent’s shoulders, then down his corded forearms to his clenched hands, and carefully wove their fingers together. “Because your friend moved in with his partner. People do that when they’re in love. They wanna be closer, together all the time. No one left you, Trent.”
Wood bent his head for a chaste kiss that ended up stretching far longer than a couple of seconds. He broke apart from those soft lips feeling breathless and eager to show Trent how misplaced his fear was. “I have no intentions of leaving you no matter what anyone says.”
Trent’s relief was visible, and Wood could only hope that meant what he thought it did. That Trent didn’t want this to be temporary. Wood walked them backward until Trent’s ass collided with the counter. He gasped into Trent’s mouth when their erections nudged eagerly against each other. He let go of Trent’s hands and gripped both cheeks as he slanted his mouth over his and pushed his tongue inside. Mmmm. Trent tasted like the sugary cereal he’d just eaten, and Wood eased back and sucked the sweetness off the tip of his tongue, feeling his cock get impossibly hard.
“Fuck I want you again,” Trent hissed, punching his hips forward.
Wood bent and hooked Trent under his thighs and hefted him onto the counter with ease, smiling at his pinched expression. “What’s wrong? You don’t like me picking you up?” Wood asked against Trent’s bared throat. “You don’t want me spreading your legs open like this either?”