Everything about this accident fucking sucked.

At least he could reach up now, if he did it slowly and carefully enough. Walk around, if he didn’t mind limping. That was an improvement, right?

He itched with restless frustration as he shifted on the porch swing. The cushion was flat—not quite thick enough to protect his ass from the wood boards. At least this was a nice, easy place to sit and watch the comings and goings of the dude ranch guests.

The place was a neat little idea. Josh had taken off for a few years before coming back to Knoxville when his dad died and left him the farm. He hadn’t wanted to run a ranch, but a small business development center loan and a summer of working his ass off had seen him convert it to a dude ranch. Now, instead of managing cattle, he managed honeymooners, bachelor parties, wannabe-cowboys, and the occasional family of bored teens and fake-enthusiastic parents.

Tyler admired his entrepreneurial spirit. He was easily as outgoing as Josh, but he would have gone crazy trying to run the business side of things. He just liked driving fast cars and doing what the PR people told him to.

Which reminded him—he’d been keeping his head down on social media for the last couple days, but he wasn’t gonna get away with that for long. According to Sarah, the threads on the internet were still… growing? Spinning? Whatever.

He and Alec hadn’t had time to meet up since that night at the bar with his buddies. He’d been waiting for Friday night, but they’d been texting every day lately.

Just little stuff. How was your day? and I saw this awesome Storage Wars episode and OMG I can’t believe you watch Storage Wars and Desperate times call for desperate measures kind of stuff.

Tyler’s phone, which was balanced in his lap as he gently swung, went off again. He picked it up quickly, grinning at the text preview on the screen.

I’d offer to help with the desperation, but I think you’re fishing for that.

Tyler typed back quickly.

So what if I am? We both still win ;)

The response made him catch his breath. I was gonna come over and talk if you wanted me to. Would your buddy mind?

He had no idea. He’d never brought hookups back to Josh’s place while staying with him. Mostly because he was usually injured if he was staying with his friend instead of in his own place.

But Alec wasn’t just a hookup. He was a friend. Kind of. For now.

And now I know why Facebook has that “it’s complicated” option, he thought with a rueful sigh.

He stared at the screen for a few more moments, then shook his head. “Fuck it.” If Josh didn’t like sharing space for an evening, Tyler could deal with it later. Send him a fruit basket or a hot guy from Grindr or something. Assuming Josh even came back to the cabin before it was late and Alec had left.

If he left tonight.

No getting your hopes up, he warned himself. It seemed like they had a hell of a lot to talk about before Alec would commit to anything… well… long-term.

On the other hand, whenever they were together, there was a magnetic attraction that made it damn hard to keep his hands off Alec. They’d better talk fast.

As long as we can talk fast ;) he answered.

Deal :) Be there in 30?

Tyler grinned. He was already stewing in that mix of nerves and eager anticipation that he recognized from his job, but not much else. Hookups rarely affected him this much. It was something about seeing Alec.

Damn, crushes were annoyingly inconvenient. No way could he focus on anything else until Alec arrived.

So he just sat on the swing, slowly rocking and watching people pass by as afternoon faded into evening, and the crickets started their relentless hum.

Once he got past his impatience and his frustration with himself, it was weirdly nice to slow down for a while. It often felt like life was passing in a blur: by the time he spotted something good, it was in his rearview mirror.

Not this time, though. Not with Alec.

He spotted the car pulling into the guest parking lot and Alec stepping out, raising his hand carefully to wave. He didn’t catch Alec’s eye, so he texted.

Straight ahead 400 feet and you’ll see me. Big log house behind the row of cabins.

The answer made him laugh: What’s 400 ft? Damn it Jim, I’m a physio not an engineer.

I’m watching you. I’ll let you know if you’ve gone too far ;)

Creepy but oddly arousing.

This time, Tyler did crack up. At least laughing was a little less painful now, even if it wasn’t exactly comfortable.

Alec spotted the path to the house and glanced up, then grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. He briefly disappeared around the side of the cabins before reappearing again as he headed up for the porch. “Hey!”

“You made it!” Tyler eased himself to his feet, careful to hide the exertion it took behind a broad grin.

Alec beamed back at him. “I’m coming up, so you better get this party started.” God, he was gorgeous when he smiled like this—like he only saw Tyler, and none of the rest of the world mattered. He bounded up the two porch stairs with an ease and grace that Tyler envied.

I’ll get back there soon, Tyler reminded himself. Injury was just a temporary setback. “Really?”

“You bet.”

Tyler laughed as he met Alec at the top of the steps. For a moment, he wanted to lean in and kiss him, but then he remembered where they were.

“Nice place,” Alec said, turning to look at the Main Street of the ranch. It ran from end to end, with small guest cabins dotted along it. A small store was set near the middle, which operated in limited hours to sell vacationers essentials like shampoo, penis and boob-shaped straws, and huge lube bottles.

Josh had been complaining lately about slow business, and it occurred to Tyler right then what the problem is. “Identity crisis.”

“A good place to come when you have one?” Alec grinned. “I noticed the red convertible in the parking lot. Oh—I hope that’s not yours.”

Tyler laughed. “No way, man. Gimme ten years before I hit that phase.”

“Can’t wait to see what you pick,” Alec teased. His gaze was searching, though. It was clear as daylight to Tyler what he meant: I want to be around in ten years. Will you let me?

“Yeah,” Tyler murmured. He gave Alec a warm smile. “If you’re not bored by then.”

“Trust me. This is the most excitement I’ve had in… years.” Alec nodded at the porch swing. “Wanna sit?”

“Nah,” Tyler gestured inside instead. “We can get drinks.” Plus, inside would be more private. He didn’t want listening ears getting in on this.

Alec raised his brows, then nodded. “Is your buddy home?”

“He runs this place. He’s usually out late. Sometimes he comes back at supper.” Tyler checked his watch, then pushed the porch door open and led Alec inside. “But it’s past suppertime now.”

Alec hummed. “So, all alone. However will we entertain ourselves?” His eyes sparkled as he closed the door after himself, then kicked his shoes off.

“I can think of a few ways,” Tyler told him, smirking at the way Alec immediately blushed. “I’ll put a sock on the knob.”

Alec shielded his junk with a hand and grinned. “No, sir. Remember what we said?”

Tyler searched his memory. “Which one? The one where I warned you about being so goddamn hot?”

“Where we agreed that this is a bad idea.” Alec’s smile was wistful. “But I…”

He what? Tyler thought. He wants me anyway? He can’t wait and he’s found someone else? He isn’t into guys with my kind of lifestyle?

“God, I need a beer.”

Tyler was startled into a laugh. “Yeah. Me, too.” He headed for the fridge and grabbed a couple cans, prying his open and sliding the other across the kitchen island to Alec.

For now, he kept the island between them. Maybe it would be enough distance to keep him from climbing Alec like a tree. A sexy little tree. Taller than him, but much less broad. The perfect size for an inner spoon.

Alec was snapping his fingers, grinning. “Earth to Tyler.”

“Uh.” Tyler’s cheeks burned as he gulped beer. Good job, genius.

“I was about to admit that I can’t keep my hands off you, but I think your brain got there first.” Alec grinned, fidgeting with his beer can as he leaned on the other side of the island.

Tyler nodded. “Yeah. So, what do we do?”

Alec blinked. “Do?”

“I mean, do we keep pretending we’re not crazy into each other?” Tyler smiled when that made Alec momentarily shy. It was that adorable expression when he stared at the ground instead of Tyler, his cheeks dimpling. “I’m serious, though. And it’s not just sex, is it?”

“If it were, I wouldn’t be here.” Alec shook his head. “I’ve never not been able to walk away from a guy before.” Then he looked sheepish. “Well, that’s not strictly true. I fall over myself for sex. But then I walk away.”

“The sex was that good, huh?” Tyler’s ego swelled.

Alec laughed, and those brown eyes sparkled beautifully as he tipped head back for a moment, exposing this throat. The sexy lump bobbed as he swallowed, and Tyler’s gaze lingered at the base of his throat. He wished he could kiss it. “Oh, shut up,” Alec finally told him, meeting his gaze again.

Tyler waggled his brows. “I’m taking it as a compliment, whatever you say.”

“Take it however you want.”

“Bent over the counter?” Tyler hummed. “I could be into that.”

Alec blindly groped the counter for something to throw at him as he laughed. He found a packet of tissues and tossed it at Tyler, but it didn’t even clear the counter surface.

Tyler laughed even harder. “Oh my God. That better not be your throwing arm. Aren’t you a sporty guy?”

“I’m not sporty,” Alec grumbled. “I deal with sporty guys. That doesn’t automatically make me sporty. Like you’re not a car.”

“But I am fun to ride…” Tyler started, then saw Alec eyeing him sternly and raised his hands. “Okay! Serious talk. Let’s get it over with.” He surrendered to it. It was about damn time they got everything on the table anyway.

“When we were talking with your friends the other night,” Alec said, “you sounded kind of like…” He drummed his nails on the counter in a staccato, rapid rhythm, like he was nervous. “You want to come out. And I’d already been thinking of… well, us.”

“Spit it out,” Tyler said, waiting for Alec to finish dancing around the point.

Alec said something that sounded a lot like “Wanna GoPro me but I’m in only if yawn we could chestnut and sex,” and then grabbed his beer can so hard it crumpled.

Tyler tried to parse that into English. “Wanna go…”

Alec clapped a hand over his mouth, looking mortified. “Oh, Jesus. I haven’t done this in so long. You wanna… go to the opera?” he repeated, slower this time. “With me. If you want. I mean. We could just… not. We could just have sex. And be sex… partners…” he trailed off, his voice a mumble.

“And you said the sex wasn’t good,” Tyler smirked.

“I never said that! Dude. If you keep making fun of me, I will throw that tissue packet again. And I’ll get it right between the eyes.” Alec looked embarrassed as hell, but he was squarely meeting Tyler’s gaze.

Tyler grinned at him. “Good. Better than getting it in the eye. That stings.”

This time, Alec did come around the counter after him, and Tyler found the surprisingly strong guy’s hands tickling his sides.

“Oh, fuck!” It was Tyler’s turn to be embarrassed as his voice squeaked and he tried to squirm away. Sensation danced and jumped across his skin, making him thrash in Alec’s hold. “Okay okay okay stop dude, I’ll stop!” he begged.

When Alec stopped tickling him, he kept his arms around Tyler’s waist, holding him upright until he had his balance again. Which was just enough time to notice that Alec was half-hard, even if he seemed to be trying to keep his hips angled away from Tyler’s ass.

Too late. Tyler smirked and pressed back into Alec, grinding against him slowly. He pressed his hands over Alec’s on his waist, making sure Alec kept holding him. “Hello, there,” he murmured.

Alec cut his moan off, but he didn’t let go of Tyler. His breathing was close now, his mouth next to Tyler’s ear. It was quick and shallow now. “Hey.”

Did Alec feel the same way that Tyler did every time they touched? The same electric shocks of desire and need, mixed with something stranger and less familiar? Rightness. That was it.

“You feel that too, huh?” Tyler murmured.

Alec chuckled quietly, propping his chin on Tyler’s shoulder. “Wanting to fuck you? Obviously.”

Tyler closed his eyes for a moment, just breathing in the scent of him. He was always fresh and breezy. Like he’d just been hung on a laundry line. The mental image made him fight back a laugh.

“What?” Alec murmured.

Tyler shook his head. “I just… yeah. Yeah, I want to go to the opera with you. But I’m totally the wrong guy to choose.”

“Why’s that?”

Tyler had expected Alec to reject the idea and reassure him that he was going to be just fine there, not ask why. He fumbled for a moment, trying to explain it. “I… I’m not that guy. I mean, I don’t know anything about it.”

“So? I don’t know anything about racing. Well, hardly anything. All I know is the physical problems it tends to encourage in drivers’ bodies, and what muscles you need to strengthen to manage it.”

“That’s work, though,” Tyler shook his head. He felt strangely vulnerable all of a sudden, but Alec’s hold around him was firm and soothing. “I’m not… I’m just a dumbass who drives fast cars and sometimes crashes them. That’s not boyfriend material.”

“I think,” Alec murmured, shifting his chin off Tyler’s shoulder and leaning around to kiss his cheek, “that you’re caught up in the image of what a driver should be. Which keeps you wanting to get back to the track early. Keeps you thinking you’re supposed to act straight. Keeps you thinking you’re stupid. You’re really not.”

Tyler’s cheeks burned, and he turned his face away from Alec’s, his jaw tightening.

Footsteps echoed on the porch outside.

They jumped apart like an electric car off the start line. In a second, they were a friendly distance apart, Alec striding around the other side of the counter.

And Tyler felt a weird ache that he never had before at the idea that they needed to hide this.

Shit. Oh, shit. He’s right.

“Hey, Ty—Oh.” Josh looked startled for a moment at the sight of Alec. “Oh, you must be Alec.” He was starting to grin now.

Tyler’s cheeks flushed defensively. “Yeah,” he answered. “What’s up?”

“Just making sure you didn’t fall over and break a hip, old man.” Josh punched Tyler’s shoulder lightly on the way to the fridge, then reached out to shake Alec’s hand. “Hey, I’m Josh.”

“Hey. Alec.”

“Good to meet you at last. The guys mentioned you,” Josh added, grinning again at Tyler.

Oh, come on. Fuck off. Josh couldn’t have known he was interrupting an important moment, but Tyler was no less pissed off about it. He gave Josh a pointed look.

“Okaaay, I’ll be out late tonight. Got a bunch of stuff to take care of down at the office.” Josh grabbed a sandwich, a bag of grapes, and a couple cans of beer. “See you.”

He breezed out of there a minute later, and stillness settled again over them both.

Alec laughed lightly. “He seems a lot like you.”

“A whirlwind of optimistic joy?” Tyler snorted with amusement. “Yeah. We’re pretty much best buddies. Have been for a long time. The other guys are all good friends, too, but I spend the most time around him, and this place.”

“Yeah. I can tell.”

It hadn’t always been that way. Josh had barely had Tyler over when he was a kid. A working farm wasn’t a great place to hang out as a teen, and Tyler had always assumed Josh thought it was uncool. They’d spent way more hours hanging out in the basement of Tyler’s parents’ house, playing video games and swapping tales about the guys they’d bang if they had the chance.

Now, though, the farm was Josh’s own. It was very different here. It felt like a cozy little refuge from the world. Tyler worried that Josh was using it as exactly that—shutting out relationships—but he’d never had a leg to stand on in telling him that.

Not until now, anyway.

He drew a breath and looked back at Alec, then offered a smile. “So, yeah. I have a bunch of bullshit ideas about who I am, and… well. Some of them are kinda true. I mean, dating me—I’m gone ten months out of the year. I only get back for a weekend here and there, especially in the summer. Even is race day is Saturday, a lot of the time, I’ll get there on Tuesday while they’re building the car. You know?”

Alec nodded seriously. “Beats a boyfriend who’s gone three hundred and sixty-five days a year.” When Tyler gave him a puzzled look, he grinned and added, “Who doesn’t exist.”

“Oh.” Tyler snorted with amusement. “I’m glad I beat nobody. Or the six-foot-tall invisible boyfriend.”

“No. That’s not what I meant,” Alec said, stepping around the counter again and approaching him. “I mean… I’d rather be alone than with someone for the sake of it, or I would have started dating losers years ago. I wanted to wait until I found someone I can be me with.” He gripped Tyler’s hands. “We don’t know if this will work out, but we don’t have to know that to give it a shot.”

Tyler couldn’t deflect that one with a joke. His cheeks flushed, and then he slowly nodded. “What about your job?”

Alec scoffed. “Yeah. I’ve let that hold me back until now. But I also know I don’t want a life where all I do is go to work in the morning, and come home, and eat supper alone, and watch TV for an hour or two, and then repeat that… for the rest of my life.” His voice choked up, and he cleared his throat.

God. Tyler had always thought of office jobs as boring, but with the tight-knit circle of friends who had surrounded him since high school, he’d never thought about what life would be like without them.

He was always surrounded by a team of world-class experts in mechanics, engineering, marketing, and driving. Even in the car, he had a spotter there in his ear the whole time.

Alec’s loneliness was impossible for him to mask, and it tugged at something within Tyler that he hadn’t really noticed before.

Yeah, he was lonely, too. In his own way. Maybe not as alone, physically, but when he watched Deen with Nico, or Blane with Falcon, or Roman with Oscar, and now even Dustin with Leo… well, he and Josh were the only ones left.

He could joke around with Josh, but there was nobody who held him and told him exactly what was wrong like Alec did, and loved him anyway.

And just like he believed his body could heal when Alec told him so, he was starting to think that he could become the boyfriend Alec deserved. Maybe not with the perfect schedule like all his friends seemed to have now, but someone who was enough for Alec.

“I… I wanna try. If you won’t get in trouble with your professional… thingies,” Tyler gestured. “Organization, or whatever.”

“I have favors to call in here and there.” Alec looked serious. “I’ll refer you to someone else who specializes in the field. With a high-profile case and my personal recommendation, it’s no problem.”

Tyler’s chest ached for a moment at the thought of giving up Alec’s care—but Alec was right. It was for the best. And he could always tell Alec what the other guy said, and get a second unofficial opinion from him.

Before this, he’d been to a dozen physios in his career. He’d turned out fine after each one. This wasn’t an obscure specialty or anything. And Alec’s career would be safe.

“I’ll miss you,” Tyler murmured, his gaze dropping.

Alec laughed. “Oh, don’t give me those eyes. This means we can see each other more, Ty.”

“Fine, fine,” Tyler grumbled, picking up his nearly-empty can. He swigged the last few gulps of beer and set it aside, then poked Alec in the chest. “But I’m just about healed anyway. I wanna show you.”

“How—” Alec started, and then his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “It better not be wall sex.”

“Damn.” Tyler pulled an even sadder face.

“Oh, God help me,” Alec grumbled. “Able to drive doesn’t equal should lift one-sixty, even with a wall for support!”

Just seeing that grumpy expression made Tyler crack up. “Joking. Get your sexy ass to the bedroom before I make good on that countertop idea.”

For a second, Alec looked like he was considering it. Then he finished his own beer and grinned, sauntering past Tyler to the bedroom. “I guess we’ll have to save that for my place, where privacy is guaranteed.”

“Something to look forward to,” Tyler growled, swatting Alec’s sexy little ass.

His boyfriend? No, not quite. Not officially, right? He wasn’t gonna ruin the mood by asking just yet.

One more forbidden fling and they could bring this into broad daylight.

The thought was kind of hot. Being able to hold Alec’s hand in public, or talk about him to the team, or see him in the VIP section after a race…

This might not be the worst thing ever.