The Current Between Us (25 page)

“
Come on, this door will be unlocked,” Trent said, walking several steps ahead of Gage. His body still hadn’t calmed down and he wasn’t risking coming anywhere within reach of Trent until things changed inside him.

****

Making out on the couch was everything Trent remembered it to be from high school. After he checked on Em and Hunter, he and Gage took up residence on the sofa, necking like two schoolboys. Neither of them took it too far, but still, it was hot as hell. Trent loved lying on the sofa with Gage in his arms, kissing him like tomorrow didn’t matter. Trent barely heard Rhonny come through the living room, and with her ear buds in her ears, she apparently hadn’t heard them either. She let out a terrified scream, piercing the house.

“
Rhonny!
What
? It’s just me!” Trent said, bolting upright. He and Gage couldn’t untangle themselves fast enough before the overhead light on the ceiling fan brought the room to full glow.

“
What the hell
, you scared the crap out of me, Trent!” Rhonny yelled.

“
Daddy,” Hunter called from the bedroom, his voice scared.

“
It’s okay, Hunter. It was dark and Rhonny didn’t see me. I scared her,” Trent called out. Both he and Gage were up and off the sofa. Rhonny stood trembling, clearly terrified. He tried hard to diffuse the situation as Gage grinned like he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Gage stayed close to the sofa, tucking his shirt back inside his jeans.

“
Daddy, Em and I are scared,” Hunter called back with Em seconding his comment.

“
I’m coming,” Trent said, and he could see both their heads sticking out his door down the lit hall.

“
I need to go. You go take care of them,” Gage said.

Rhonny finally got her wits about her.
“I’ll get them back in bed, Trent. You say goodbye, but I think you need to leave the porch light on Mister! You scared me to death!” Rhonny said, grinning, and then turning back to the kids.

“
Your daddy scared me bad!” Rhonny said, shooing both the kids back into Trent’s bedroom.

“
Can you walk me out?” Gage asked, taking a step toward the front door. The moment created a slight awkwardness between them, and Trent smiled ducking his head. This felt very much like getting caught by your parents doing something you shouldn’t be doing. Trent got to the front door first and opened it for Gage. He stepped out onto the porch and Trent followed. The lights were off. Gage took a couple of steps forward before turning on his heel, startling Trent at the abruptness of the movement. Instead of walking down the steps, he grasped Trent by the hand and led him to the railing.

“
I have something to say… I should just leave. I have so much to do to get ready for Thursday. It’s just fucking hard. I want to spend all my time with you. You’ve become everything I think about. I can’t focus on this grand opening; I can’t focus on my report. Only you… You’re every one of my thoughts and I know we have forever. I don’t have to rush this, but it’s not my nature to
not
rush it.” Gage paused in his flow of words. Both Trent’s hands were now in his and Gage held on to them tightly.

Trent tried to sort out the words being
flung at him, to understand what Gage was really saying, and after a couple of moments of Gage standing there scanning his face, Trent narrowed his eyes, lowered his brow, and bit his lip. Trent wanted to say he understood. He’d experienced all those same things, but fear kept him quiet. Words like forever scared the crap out of him because he wanted those exact same things with Gage. At some point, Gage would get bored, everyone always did, and if Trent didn’t keep some perspective and rein these emotions in, it would hurt too badly when Gage left.

“
Give me something… Anything to let me know I’m not alone in this, Trent. I get you’re reserved, and extremely cautious, and I understand I’m balls-to-the-wall, but I need something… anything…” Gage pleaded.

He didn
’t know if he could say the right words, but he did lean in, slanting his mouth over Gage’s, and kissed him again. It wasn’t the soft romantic kisses on the sofa, but more like the hard kiss they’d shared in the backyard. Gage melted into Trent, and he wrapped his arms around Gage, threading his fingers in his hair. Several minutes passed before they broke to come up for air.

“
We’re so different,” Trent started, but Gage stopped him, placing his hands on Trent’s lips.

“
What’s in your heart, Trent? Am I alone in this?” Gage asked, and he wouldn’t release Trent’s gaze. Desperation poured off Gage as he waited for the answer.

“
You’re not alone, Gage.” Trent whispered the confession, and somehow, by saying it out loud, a few of the walls he’d built around his heart crumbled. Gage smiled and reached out to kiss his lips lightly.

“
Good, it’s enough for now,” Gage said and captured Trent’s lips with his.

Chapter 15

“
I think we’re good. I’ll go ahead and green tag you today,
if
those voltage changes were made out front. Where’s your electrician?” The inspector asked during the final walk through of the remodel. Gage, the inspector, and Roger McCall were upstairs in Gage’s living area, taking the last tour around. Tomorrow was Thursday, the big grand opening, and at this point, there was no time to get it wrong. They were down to the last few steps before Gage could declare victory.

“
I believe he’s in the bedroom, hanging the last ceiling fan,” McCall said, and in unison they all three turned toward the bedroom. Gage stayed through the entire walk-through, although he missed a scheduled call in from one of his guys, but he left nothing to chance. The foreman couldn’t be trusted to get anything right. It was truly a wonder they were on schedule at all, even with him and his father breathing down everyone’s neck.

As they entered the bedroom, Gage
’s eyes went immediately to the ladder in the middle of the room, where Trent stood, working. The bed was pushed aside. His tool belt hung on his hips bringing his jeans down low, almost showing a peek of that sexy butt crack. His hands were above his head, holding and mounting the heavy fan to the ceiling. The muscles in his arms and back strained under the exertion he used to hold it all in place. Gage forgot everything else going on around him and stood there watching Trent’s T-shirt stretch tight across his back. He prayed those jeans would magically fall to his ankles while he stood right here.

“
Cooper, when you get done, I need a minute,” the inspector said. Trent didn’t turn around and didn’t startle, he continued to work and replied back.

“
Almost done,” Trent said, turning the base plate, locking the fan into position. He released his tight hold, but stayed in the position, making sure the ceiling fan remained secure before he made his way down. The apprentice electrician standing under him closed the ladder and cleaned up the floor as Trent dropped his tools back in his belt and walked toward them.

“
Yes, sir,” he said, shaking the inspectors hand in greeting.

“
I need to check the sign voltage out front. They’re gonna have to raise the sign, but I’m passing it today on the contingency everything we’ve talked about today is done by the first of next week.” As the inspector spoke, Gage stood there silently watching Trent. All his attention focused on the man in front of him. He watched as Trent raised his arm to wipe the sweat from his brow onto the short sleeve of his T-shirt. Trent stood with his back straight, his hands on his hips, his legs spread apart and those jeans still riding low because of the tool belt. Gage loved this look Trent sported. Trent stunned him regularly with that ruggedly hard yet gorgeously-made male thing he had going on. Gage was completely lost in this man.

He forced his eyes down to his feet as he felt his body harden. He needed to gain perspective fast. Hell, his body still hadn
’t recovered from last night. Gage never went without sex when his body raged with such a need, but sex had never been about love before and now it seemed like the only thing that mattered.

“
Mr. Synclair, did you hear me?” the inspector asked.

“
No, I’m sorry, I didn’t,” Gage said, looking up at all three of them staring at him.

“
We’re going downstairs to talk to the sign people. I’ll release the building. Make sure that sign gets raised before next weekend, or I’ll have to shut it down again,” the inspector said.

“
Not a problem. Thank you,” Gage said, and turned to Roger McCall who stood beside him. He held out his hand as he watched the inspector and Trent leave the room together. “Thank you for your part in getting this done on time, it hasn’t been easy. Please make sure the sign gets moved. I’ll be out of town for a few days which will be most of next week.”

“
Yes, sir, we’ll do it Monday morning, first thing,” McCall said. Gage nodded, but didn’t really listen. Every part of him centered into every part of Trent, and he listened to Trent’s work boots stepping down the stairs. Trent led, the inspector followed. Then he heard the door to his private area open and close, taking Trent away from him. Gage felt the loss immediately. It became an almost tangible emotion as if he could reach out and touch it.
God, I have it bad!

“
I’m going downstairs to get some work done,” Gage said, and he didn’t wait for McCall to answer, just left, taking the stairs down two at a time. It shocked him at how much he liked seeing Trent in his bedroom even if it was work related. Possessiveness rushed over him as he realized how badly he wanted Trent with him all the time, not these few minutes here and there, but all day, every day. Gage was the quintessential free spirit, roaming as he pleased. He’d never needed to have someone with him all the time. As he hit the first step down, he pulled his phone from his pocket and sent the object of his desire a text.

T
here’s an outlet out in the bathroom connecting to my office. When you get done, can you come check it out?
Gage typed the message and hit send. By the time he made it inside his office, a text came back.

“
When I finish with the inspector. Give me a minute.”

A minute worked perfectly, Gage didn
’t need any more time. He darkened the windows in his office, blocking out the rest of the gallery and went into his personal restroom. The small room came with a sink, commode, and a full length mirror. He pulled off his dress shirt, leaving on his white undershirt. He unbuckled his belt, pulling it free, and hung it on the same hook as his dress shirt. He unfastened the button to his slacks and lowered the zipper some, leaving his pants open, but still up on his hips. Gage couldn’t resist the need coursing through him and reached low, bringing both the zipper and his underwear down as he gripped his raging hard-on and began to stroke.

The side drawer held several condom packets and a small bottle of oil. He placed them both on the counter, flipping the top open within easy reach. He tore the condom packet open, and decided to stop short of putting it on.
Desperation ran so deep in his soul, it kept his hand moving, sliding up and down on his own dick, praying Trent would hurry. The knock came on the end of his thought.

“
It’s Trent,” Gage heard through the door.

“
You alone?” Gage asked, moving to the door.

“
Yeah?” Trent replied, sounding more like a question. Gage opened the door, pulling Trent in by the T-shirt he wore.

“
You’re such a tease,” Gage growled, pulling Trent to him, reaching for those sexy lips with a demanding urgent thrust of his tongue. He kissed Trent like he did last night in the backyard. It conveyed everything held deeply in his heart. Trent startled, but reacted in kind, pulling Gage to him, opening wider for the kiss. Gage couldn’t move fast enough. He kept Trent in the kiss, but lowered his hands, working the buckle of his tool belt free. Trent lifted his hands to Gage’s face, holding him in place as he began to ravish his mouth. The force of the kiss caused Gage to stumble back and Trent dominated him as the tool belt hit the floor in a loud thump.

“
Your pants…” Gage pushed Trent back until he hit the sink, regaining the dominance of the moment.

“
I want you so fucking bad,” he said in a whispered growl as he took a predatory step forward. Trent worked the button of his own jeans, shoving them down, freeing his already hard cock. Gage gripped it and began to stroke, his own cock jutting out, begging to be touched. He leaned into Trent, reaching around with his free hand to grab the condom packet.

“
You’re driving me insane,” Gage said. “I can’t think of anything but you anymore.” Gage slid the condom on in one quick movement with his free hand, never stopping the stroke on Trent’s cock.

“
Gage,” Trent said in a breathless whisper while pushing his pants down further to his thighs.

“
Take off your shirt,” Gage said, flipping Trent around.