Two Man Advantage Read online

  “So when we leave for Cancun, you won’t touch me? We’ll be just two guys hanging out? Except behind closed doors?”

  “No, not at all,” Matty stressed, shaking his head. “You said we’re going to a private resort. It’ll be fine.”

  Wells laughed then, shaking his head. “Because no one will see us except for my family and the people that work there, huh?”

  “Well—”

  “How long do I have to wait, Matty?”

  “What? What do—”

  “How long do I have to wait to love you the way I’m yearning to? The way I so desperately want to?” he asked, his eyes burning into Matty’s. “Like, right now, I just want to kiss you because I love the way the sun is glowing against your hair. And how your eyes shine just as bright as that ocean.”

  Swallowing hard, Matty shook his head. “I want all that too, but, Wells, I can’t just make out with you and be with you—when no one in my family knows.”

  “Then tell them.”

  “I’m trying!” he yelled, not intentionally, but shit, it wasn’t like he was sitting on his ass. “You don’t know how hard this is for me. It was easy when you came out—”

  Wells laughed, cutting him off. “My dad dragged my boyfriend at the time out of my room, threw him in the front yard, screaming that he was a faggot before he came in and told me to stop this faggot shit.” Matty looked away, inhaling hard. He knew this story, but even so, it didn’t make it easier to hear. “He screamed, he yelled, and I just now am starting to have a relationship with my father again. Fucking fifteen years later. So don’t tell me that I don’t know how hard this is, I do. But fucking shit, Matty, unlike you, I didn’t have anyone. Jensen and Vaughn were scared shitless of my father, plus they don’t love me the same way I love you. Wren didn’t know what to do, and even though she stood by me, it still isn’t the same thing, I’m going to stand beside you. But you have to understand, I want you. All of you, and I hate waiting.”

  Matty closed his eyes, running his hands down his face as he shook his head. “Wells—”

  “But I will,” he said then, and Matty let out a sigh of relief when met Wells’s gaze. “But know I want it all.”

  “I do know that,” Matty stressed, squeezing his bicep. “I want it too, but give me time to patch this up with Avery and then tell my parents.” Taking a step forward, he took Wells by his wrists. He knew it was an intimate gesture, but he couldn’t care at that moment. He couldn’t lose this man. Not again. “And then you won’t be able to keep me off you.”

  Wells grinned as he shook his head. “You’re lucky I love you.”

  Matty nodded. “I am.”

  When a door slammed open, Wells took a step back as they both looked at a neighbor who was watching them. She eyed them suspiciously, and Matty froze. Shit, were they trespassing? “He’s Avery Sinclair’s brother,” Wells volunteered.

  Matty glanced at Wells as he just grinned, but when he looked back at the older lady, it must have worked because she smiled sweetly. “Oh! Hello!”

  “Hi,” Matty called, waving awkwardly as Wells beamed at him.

  “Do you happen to know where they are?”

  The woman paused, pressing her finger to her chin. “It’s Thursday, hmm. I think they are at Ashlyn’s toddler time at gymnastics. Don’t hold me to that, though. Those three are always so busy. I just watch that sweet girl whenever they need me to.”

  “How nice,” Wells said with a grin. “Thank you.”

  “Of course, hun,” she said with a wave, and then she started to sweep her patio.

  Looking back to Matty, Wells said, “Maybe we should come back.”

  But Matty shook his head. “Nah, let’s stay. Walk, just be together.”

  Wells smiled as he nodded. “Okay.”

  But before either of them could move, they heard, “Hey!”

  Turning, Wells had a smile on his face, but pure dread filled Matty’s features because up by the gate was his brother-in-law.

  Jace Sinclair.

  And Matty was pretty sure Jace hated him more than Avery did.

  Eleven

  It must have taken Jace a moment to realize that it was Matty standing on his stretch of beach because his face went from curious to pissed off in approximately two point five seconds. When Jace started to charge down the beach toward them, Wells pursed his lips.

  “Does he hate you?”

  “More than words could ever describe.”

  “Awesome,” he answered dryly, but when Matty glanced back at him, Wells was grinning like a fool. “Hey, right back at ya!” When Wells stepped into Jace’s path, which was probably a direct route to punch Matty square in the jaw, Jace looked up, a little taken aback. Wells towered over him and looked huge beside Jace’s smaller frame, yet the fire was still glowing in Jace’s gaze. “We aren’t trespassing, I swear. We are actually here to see your wife.”

  Jace’s face scrunched up as he shook his head. “He’s not coming anywhere near my wife.” Pointing at Matty, he glared. “What the fuck are you even doing here?”

  Matty cleared his throat, something he was realizing might be a nervous tic. “I wanted to see Avery.”

  “What the fuck for?”

  “To talk to her,” he somehow got out, his heart in his throat. On the ice, he wasn’t scared of Jace one bit, but here, he was nervous. Jace had every right to keep Avery from Matty. If the roles were reversed, he’d kill the person who did what he’d done to Avery. “I wanted to try to.” He paused, looking away as he took a deep breath. “I wanted to apologize.”

  “Nope.”

  He looked up. “Nope?”

  Jace nodded. “Yeah. Or better yet, fuck no. She’s fine without you. Great, even.”

  He knew that, but he wanted the chance to make things right. Was it too much to ask? Probably. But damn it, he had to do this. “I’m sure she is, but I want to apologize nonetheless.”

  “She doesn’t want it.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because she’s my fucking wife, the mother of my daughter. Because I love her, and she loves me. She doesn’t need you.”

  Matty nodded, holding Jace’s gaze. He knew Jace would never like him or welcome him, and he understood that, but Matty wouldn’t let Jace stand in his way. “I don’t doubt that, but I’d really like the chance to apologize.”

  Jace just laughed, his eyes fiery with anger. “Doesn’t matter what you’d like, asshole. Get off my property before I call the cops.”

  “Now, now. No need for that,” Wells said, holding his hands out calmly. His eyes were so inviting, that smile ruthless as he moved his hand between Matty and Jace. “He just wants to talk to his sister.”

  “He lost that right the day he urged her to kill herself,” Jace spat back, not looking at Wells, though. “I hate you, do you know that?” Matty looked away, his heart aching in his chest. He hated himself for what he had done to Avery, but that was why he was there. He had to alleviate some of this guilt that was suffocating him. “I never could have found my everything if you had succeeded in convincing her to kill herself. I wouldn’t have my daughter. I wouldn’t have anything.”

  “I was young and stupid—”

  “Yeah, but that doesn’t excuse what you did.”

  Matty nodded, but before he could reply, Wells said, “You’re absolutely right, but is it your place to decide for Avery?”

  Jace’s heated gaze snapped to Wells. “I’m her husband—”

  “I’m in no way trying to dispute that, and I apologize if it sounds like I am because Avery is a very lucky lady to have such a forceful husband who loves her and wants to protect her. But don’t you think she has the right to deny her brother herself?”

  Always the charmer. Matty couldn’t help but shake his head at Wells. He could charm the pants off a nun. Hell, he had done it to Matty many times. And like Jace was there for Avery, Matty couldn’t help but notice that Wells was doing the same for him, just in a calmer way. Jace look