C onnor dropped the basket of clean laundry on the floor and kicked the door shut. Noticing the light flashing on his phone, he picked it up and listened to the message Levi had left, then replayed it again. Whatever had happened in his meeting had left him rattled. Swallowing down his worry, he dialled Katy. “Cupcake, hey,” he greeted her when she picked up. Connor was relieved just hearing her voice. “I’m forwarding you a message from Lee then I’m coming to the shop. I need you to close it down and lock the doors. Make sure Ash and Dylan both stay there with you, okay?”
“What’s going on? What’s happening?” Katy asked, indignant. “I can’t just close.”
“Please, Cupcake,” he begged. Trying to keep his voice calm was an effort. He’d be lying if he said Levi’s message hadn’t freaked him out. “I’m not sure what’s going on. I don’t know any more than you do, but whatever is happening, Levi needs you safe.”
“Yeah, okay,” she relented. “But I’m just working out the back. No one needs to be here with me. I’m not gonna ask them to stay if we’re closing. I’ll just lock the front door when they leave.”
Connor scrubbed his hand over his face, anxiety and frustration welling up inside him. He wished she had the same sense of urgency he had. “Please, Katy, if you won’t do it for me, do it for Levi. He’s really fuckin’ worried.”
“How about I pack up and meet you at the studio? We can speak with Lee there, get an idea of what’s going on.”
“Good, yeah, that’ll work, but I want someone with you the whole time. Until I know what’s got Lee freaked out, I’m not taking any chances. I’ll swing by, then we’ll head on over together. Gimme ten and I’ll be there.”
Connor threw on a clean tee from the washing basket, laced up his boots and rushed out of the door. His phone pinged with an instant message. It was from his former commanding officer: Now I get why you’ve fallen off the face of the earth. Message me. It’s been too long since you checked in. I wanna know my brother’s still in one piece.
Connor smiled at the playful gruffness of his CO’s message, even if he was clueless on what he was talking about. Either way, it could wait. He needed to get to Katy first, then to Levi. Reversing out the drive, another message came in, then another. He didn’t check them, not while he was driving, but curiosity was a bitch. What was going on?
He’d barely pulled on the handbrake when his phone rang. “Holy shit, anyone’d think I’d won the lotto.” Fishing it out of his pocket, Levi’s grinning face lit up the screen. “Hey, Lee. I’m at Delectable now. Just about to head on in.”
The phone was quiet for so long that Connor pulled it away from his face to check the connection. “I need you, Con. And Katy.” His voice was soft, broken, and it shot a knife through Connor’s heart.
He nodded and clicked off his seatbelt. “We’re coming, Lee, we’ll be there soon. Sit tight, okay.”
“Yeah.” Another pause. “And, Con? Thanks.”
“Anything for you.” The line went dead, and with a sense of dread, he dropped his phone on the dash and ran over to the shop, banging on the front door. “Katy, it’s me.” Dylan opened up after a moment and Katy, Ash, and finally Dylan all emerged into the late afternoon sunshine. It’d started to cool, the clear skies providing no blanket to keep the day’s warmth in during the night. Autumn on the Gold Coast was like that—perfect days, clear nights, fresh breezes and a crispness that you just didn’t get in summer.
“Hey, Cupcake.” He took her into his arms and held tightly. Pulling back a little, he kissed her forehead gently and spoke just loud enough that only she could hear, “Lee needs us.”
“Let’s go.” Speaking to the other men, she added, “See you tomorrow, guys. Sorry about the schedule change. I’ll pay you for your normal hours.”
“Never mind that, Katy.” Ash waved her off. “Just call us if you need us, yeah?”
“Thanks, boys,” Connor murmured. “Catcha.”
They drove in silence, the peak hour traffic crawling slowly. Connor turned off the main road and hit the backstreets, winding through them until they could finally see the massive Green Lantern symbol on the roller coaster in the main park. Turning into the studio lot, Connor squeezed Katy’s hand and steered his car to the security checkpoint. Making it through easily enough, Connor continued on, following Katy’s directions until they reached the studio offices of the network. Connor’s heart constricted when he spotted Levi leaning against the wall of the office. His hands were in his pockets, his shoulders slumped. He was looking down, his gaze riveted to the ground. Misery rolled off him.
“Oh, Levi,” Katy breathed from the passenger seat, her voice cracking on his name. She was out of the car sprinting to him as soon as Connor had rolled to a stop. Her hands on Levi’s face, she pulled him down into her arms. Levi clutched her, crushing her in his embrace. Connor spied the gym bag at Levi’s feet, the same one he always kept in his car, and his gut twisted. What happened? It took everything in Connor, every ounce of his strength, to hold himself back from taking them into his arms. But all hesitation fled when Levi looked up at him, absolute desperation clouding his face as he held out his hand. Connor slammed the car door shut and strode over to them, stopping close and bracing a hand on Levi’s shoulder. But Lee wasn’t having it. Apparently, the “no touching in public” rule was being shattered. Levi wrapped his hand around the back of Connor’s neck and pulled him close, kissing him like he was the oxygen he needed to breathe. Levi feasted on him, kissing him long and hard. Rough fingertips, sharp stubble, and Levi’s masculine scent overwhelmed him, and Connor melted into his touch. Any question of whether they were intimately familiar with each other was utterly decimated. Connor’s head spun, his legs went weak, and he held onto the two people dearest to him as Levi claimed him.
Clutching at Connor and breathing hard, Levi’s desperation radiated from him. Whatever had happened was making Levi crazy. Every protective instinct in Connor flared brightly. He needed to fix it, to stop Levi from hurting. Too soon, Levi broke away and kissed Katy, this time much slower and gentler. Connor couldn’t stop, couldn’t break away. He licked and kissed, nibbled on his man’s neck, loved on him the same way Katy was doing. Katy’s breathy moan and Levi’s much lower growl had Connor pulling back, watching them. They were beautiful together—big blond Levi, all smooth muscle and clean skin against Katy’s tanned complexion and even darker hair. Both blue-eyed and gorgeous, Connor loved them endlessly.
“Let’s go home,” Levi murmured. “I don’t wanna be here when the others arrive for their meeting.”
“What was it about?” Katy asked him gently, her arms wound around his waist.
“Pics of us are on social media from this morning. Me kissing you, and me and Con together.” They’d done so much more than kiss. Feeling adventurous and crazy horny, Connor had strutted into the garage starkers and tried to bait Levi, or at the very least, say goodbye before he’d left for work. And the other man had delivered in spades, making Connor see fireworks he’d come so hard. Pinned up against the wall, Levi had thoroughly dominated him, and Connor had loved every second of it. But some bastard had seen it, seen him riding Levi’s fingers? If there were pictures on social media and Levi had been called back, there was one obvious conclusion—they knew.
Connor blanched and stumbled back. They know. No, I can’t do it to him. The world was closing in on him, his head spinning. He struggled to take a breath. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have pushed Levi into risking so much? He would lose everything he’d worked for—Connor couldn’t let Levi ruin his career for him. He couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
“No, Lee, surely there’s a way.”
Levi looked at him, his eyes not holding their usual spark. But he reached out to Connor and pulled him back into their fold, holding him tightly. “They were trying to get the images pulled, trying to get me to say that it wasn’t me. They thought if I said we aren’t together and we distanced ourselves it might blow over.”
“So we do it. I’ll move out, get my own place. We can take a break. We can… we’ll work it out.” The words tasted bitter on his tongue, but if that’s what it took for Levi to keep the job he loved, he’d do it.
“No,” Levi replied quickly. “They wanted you to find a replacement boyfriend.” In a softer tone, but one that was still filled with steel, he added, “I already told them, no. I loved my job, loved the people I worked with. It made me happy, but it was just a job, a pay cheque. You’re everything to me, the two of you are my whole world. I love you both. Quitting wasn’t even a choice I needed to think about. I wouldn’t have changed this morning for anything, especially not a job that tells me I can’t love both of you.” Those final walls, the ones that caused the lingering self-doubt in Connor crumbled into dust. Right there, right then he fell in love with Levi all over again. His parents had left him, Rob had left him, but true to his word, Levi hadn’t.
“So what, that’s it? You’re done? You can’t do anything?” he asked, hopelessly disappointed and in love and hurting and happy all at the same time—a whirlwind of emotions buffeting him from all directions.
“I can take you out for dinner and we can celebrate?” Levi paused, clearly thinking something through. “I don’t have a ride anymore—they took the company car back.”
“Good, that piece of shit was awful,” Connor muttered.
“I’ve got a better idea than going out for dinner.” Katy smiled at him, her grin infectious. “Come on, we’ve got something to show you.” Connor smiled despite his inner turmoil.
“What?” Levi asked, curious.
“It’s a surprise. Let’s go.” Katy motioned to Connor’s car.
They headed straight to his father’s garage, Connor calling ahead to make sure the workshop was still open. Even if it hadn’t been, he would have done a detour, picking up the keys before heading on over. The bike was in pieces, but each part was primed and ready for painting. As much as Connor had wanted to assemble it and give Levi a completed bike, he hadn’t. It was something they’d wanted to do together since they were kids, and there was no way Connor was jumping the gun and finishing it without Levi’s involvement. The parts lay underneath a sheet, protecting them from the dust and grease in the workshop.
“What have you done, Con?” Levi asked as they stopped in front of the covered-up mound. The sound of rattle guns and clinking metal from the other mechanics stopped, the heavy thud of their work boots surrounding them.
“Katy and I decided for your birthday that we needed to do something with the boxes of parts in the garage. So here it is. It’s ready for us to paint and assemble. Happy birthday, Lee.” Connor swallowed. He hoped like hell that Levi liked what he’d done. Tugging on the thick sheet, he pulled it away and balled it up, haphazardly tossing it to the side. He couldn’t take his gaze of Levi, watching, hoping that he’d show some sign that he liked what he saw. The other man’s eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed a couple of times. A nervous laugh and a hand scrubbing through his hair followed. Connor’s stomach was in knots, his heart in his throat. Then Levi stepped forward. Reverently, the touch almost sensual, he ran his fingertips over the gleaming chrome of the engine block that was resting on a trolley. Levi’s head fell forward, and as he turned away, Connor saw him touch the heel of his hand to his cheeks. Connor stepped forward, watching as Levi’s chest rose and fell. He didn’t really know what to do—he hadn’t expected Levi to be so subdued. He thought the other man would whoop and scoop Katy up in his arms, laughing, his excitement bubbling over. But this quiet contemplation was scaring him.
Connor placed a hand on Levi’s shoulder, and it seemed to kick-start something within Levi, his friend and lover turning in Connor’s arms and burying his face in the crook of Connor’s neck. Trembling, shaking like a leaf, Levi took one heaving breath then another. His arms around Connor’s waist were crushing him, so Connor held Levi tighter too. Running his fingers through the short spikes on his head, their prickle soft against his palm, Connor breathed Levi in, laying a gentle kiss on his temple. Orange and cedar and something uniquely Levi filled his senses. He squeezed tighter, burying his nose in Levi’s hair.
“You didn’t finish it without me,” Levi whispered, his voice thick with unshed tears. “Wait, what’s in our garage? It’s still full of boxes and parts.”
“Boxes are empty and half of the parts aren’t even from bikes.” Connor shrugged. Massaging his shoulders, he added, “You kept it, you waited for me, didn’t you?” It was a question, but not really one at the same time. Levi loved bikes, and when they were growing up—starry eyed kids—they’d made a pact that they’d both get their dream car and bike and do them up together. It hadn’t quite happened like that, at least not with Connor’s car, but there was no way he was finishing Levi’s bike without him.
Levi nodded. “It’s always been you and Katy, Con. Even though I was too blind to see it, it’s always been you.”
“I love you too,” he whispered. Levi pulled Connor’s face to his and kissed him. Slow and sweet, Connor poured his heart and soul into their connection. Not even the clearing throats and muttered comments put a dampener on his ride on cloud nine, but Katy’s snarky, “You got a problem?” had Connor laughing.
“Chill, Cupcake. These boys had no idea I’m bi.”
“Screw ‘em. If Lee kissed me, they would’ve wolf whistled, but with the two of you, they get all uncomfortable. It’s attitudes like that,” Katy muttered, frustrated, while pointing around the workshop, “that have me getting two hundred messages in the last fifteen minutes—most from complete strangers—telling me what dogs you and Lee are.”
“Babe.” Levi pulled Katy into their circle until she stood between the two of them. “I don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks. I love the both of you. That’s all that matters.” He kissed her and Connor stared open mouthed at his boyfriend. He swore. He actually cursed. It was something small, but Levi never would have done it before. He was filled with guilt over Levi having lost his job—hell, if he’d kept his dick in his pants… well, if he’d had any on, Levi would still have the job he loved—but at the same time, he couldn’t be too sad about it either. Not when he was standing in a workshop full of guys, openly and intimately holding the two most important people in his world.
*****
Connor stretched, lazily waking up, his muscles pleasantly aching. The warm hard body pressed against his didn’t budge, but that didn’t surprise him. Levi had gone through the ringer the day before. The four hours of driving up to the Sunshine Coast and back and a full day at work would take it out of anyone, but to have lost his job and have their world turned upside down by all the craziness was exhausting. And that wasn’t mentioning the two-hour detour they’d made to Levi’s parents’ house. It hadn’t been at all bad though. Levi’s father admitted he’d seen the longing between them years before, but had dismissed it when Levi began dating Katy. Levi’s mum had hugged him tightly and whispered, “Now both my boys are happy. I’m so glad you came home to them.” It’d shocked the hell out of him, but it shouldn’t have—Levi’s parents were pretty fucking awesome.
Once they’d finally managed to get out of there, they’d had to fight the news vans and intrusive reporters camping outside Levi’s childhood home to get to the car. It was crazy—it’d only taken a few hours after the photos were leaked to go viral. Social media had exploded and the network’s press release didn’t help, subtly making out that Levi had been fired because of his indiscretions, rather than having quit. The worst of it was that the whole show had been put on an indefinite hiatus. Every one of the crew was effectively out of work, a situation that the network’s administrators were probably ecstatic about. What better way to save money and stop the company getting into deeper financial difficulty, than have the star’s relationship exposed and the whole show canned? The weight of the knowledge that his friends were soon going to be lining up for the dole crushed Levi.
The mainstream media had quickly jumped on the “blame Levi” bandwagon, making him look like an angel fallen from grace, screwing up in the worst possible way. Katy was the innocent victim—Connor was kind of glad she’d been portrayed as that, rather than as a whore. It was the one saving grace of the whole damn debacle. They’d laid the worst of it on Connor—he was the drifter, the homeless ex-soldier who’d done the dirty on his best mate and screwed up his relationship, not by sleeping with his Mrs, but by leading him astray. It would have been comedic had it not been playing out on a worldwide stage. Especially because none of the news outlets had voiced the obvious question—why were the three of them still being seen together?
By the time they’d made it home and Levi flicked on the tele, Katy’s brother was being interviewed by some late night current affairs “alternative fact” type program. Watching him accuse Connor of bringing sin into Levi and Katy’s happy home and ruining their relationship had been a lesson in self-restraint. Connor had wanted to beat the shit out of him, but he’d held it together.
Barely.
Jonathan wasn’t religious at all, but was clearly happy to pull out the God-card when it suited him. But the Church had lapped it up, the hypocritical bastards getting their say in too. It made sense, Connor supposed. Their misfortune gave the Church an excuse to focus on something other than the fact that their highest-ranking official was facing child sex charges. They’d turned their relationship into a political issue too, the Church using the platform as another reason why marriage equality shouldn’t be allowed in Australia—you let “the gays” marry, and they’ll corrupt everyone, tempting them into sin and ruining the sanctity of marriage. Hell, some dumbarse was saying that you allow marriage equality, people would be able to marry the Harbour Bridge, so nothing really surprised him. How there was a link between the three of them and the marriage debate, Connor had no idea, but the church were good at fire and brimstone—they’d had centuries of practice.
Like masochists, the three of them had stayed up most of the night watching TV and seeing the updates scrolling across the bottom of the screen. Their phones had gone into meltdown, notifications completely out of control. All three of them had been analyzed and commentated on like they were in a damn goldfish bowl, every Tom, Dick, and Harry having an opinion on them. But they’d had an incredible amount of support too. As soon as they’d heard, Ford and Reef had headed over, Katy’s friend Sarah too. Nick and Emma were on the phone for half the night, and Mike had visited at four in the morning, when Katy was ready to head to work, to help them navigate through the circus gathered just off the front lawn.
They were on strict instructions from Nick and Emma not to say a word, and being lawyers, Connor figured they knew best. He and Emma had penned a press release, and Levi—with Reef’s help—had written a statement. His boyfriend was still tossing up whether to read it out, but whatever he decided, Connor and Katy would be there beside him. Even though they were quiet, the rest of their friends and family weren’t. Neither were the complete strangers—thousands of people on the web and every LGBT+ organization around—who’d all stood by them, commenting and tweeting their support and trying hard to turn the hate around.
But all that was too heavy for Connor to think about on a quiet Tuesday morning. After they’d followed Katy to work, he and Levi had made sure she was safely ensconced in the shop with Dylan and Ashton. Given that none of them wanted Connor and Levi to stick around—the news crews following them were a little distracting—they’d headed home, to get some much-needed sleep.
Connor slipped out of bed and smiled at the Post-it note Katy had left: Don’t let him be too hard on himself. I’ll be home early—think up something fun we can do for him. Connor pondered the idea as he padded out to the kitchen to make a coffee.
Steaming mug in hand, he turned to look out the window, resting his elbows on the kitchen bench. The sky was a brilliant blue already with no clouds in the sky. And still too—there wasn’t a breath of wind. It’d be the perfect day for the beach. Still a little chilly, but beautiful.
He startled when Levi’s warm hands touched his skin, the other man pressed against his back as he nuzzled Connor. “Mornin’,” Connor murmured, twisting in Levi’s hold so he could hug him. Levi hummed and snuggled in closer while Connor ran his hands up and down his boyfriend’s broad shirtless back.
“I need coffee,” Levi mumbled. “Gotta make some decisions.”
Connor slipped his hands into Levi’s boxers and gripped his arse, pulling him closer. “Not today. Today I’m gonna find some way to outrun the cameras and the three of us are goin’ to the beach, even if we have to go to Straddie to do it. Katy’ll be home any minute now. We can pack a picnic and then go.” Levi smiled and leaned in to kiss him, nodding after they eventually pulled apart. “Actually, there was another beach I found down south a while back too—no one there, super quiet. We could go there—swim, lie in the sun, rub sunscreen on each other, run around naked for a while—you know, the usual.”
“As long as it’s just the three of us, I’m in,” Katy spoke from the doorway, startling both of them. He hadn’t heard her come in. “I like the naked bit too.”
“Yeah, sugar? You’d be up for that?” Levi asked. Connor smiled. His man wouldn’t deny Katy—neither would he if he were honest—so if she wanted it, that’s what they’d be doing.
It didn’t take long for them to get organized and on the road. The lack of news vans sitting outside the house gave Connor hope that they’d already found something more interesting to report on. It was almost too good to be true, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Twenty minutes later, as Connor was turning onto a dirt track which led to the tiny bay, he looked in the rear-view mirror, checking again that no one was following them. Relief washed over him. It looked like their luck was holding out. Maybe the three of them could have a few moments of peace.
The trees opened up and the sight before him instantly calmed Connor’s frayed nerves. A strip of perfect white sand framed by gentle waves and tall palm trees greeted them. He’d found it by chance, looking for an entirely different road, but he was glad he’d stumbled on it, visiting the quiet spot a few times over his months living back on the Coast.
The weight lifted off Connor’s shoulders the minute their bare feet hit the sand, letting him take a breath for the first time since the shit had hit the fan. Levi looked calmer too, staring out at the water with a small smile lifting his lips. Katy laid out their towels, and Connor ripped off his tee, tossing it onto the soft sand. The salt in the air and warm sun had Connor stretching his arms above his head, looking up at the bright blue sky. They really did live in paradise. But even though it was perfect there, he could have been in Siberia or the Sahara and he still would have felt the same. As long as Levi and Katy were with him, his life would be perfection.
“Last one in!” Katy yelled out as she dropped her jean shorts on the towel and sprinted towards the water. He smiled, watching Levi chase after her, whooping when Katy pulled on the string of her bikini, sending it sailing from her body. There was no way he was going to sit this one out. Connor dropped his shorts, running naked into the ocean after them.
The water was like ice on his skin when he first hit it, taking his breath away and making Connor squeak embarrassingly. The cold didn’t last long though, especially when he was tackled by both Levi and Katy, being dragged underwater and coming up laughing.
The sun rose higher in the sky, the time passing quickly as they laughed and kissed, splashing and swimming together. Connor’s stomach rumbled while they floated and body surfed in the small waves. “Come on, mate. Let’s get some food in ya.” Levi kissed his throat, and Connor moaned softly, it coming out as a pained gasp when Katy closed her hand around his hard-as-fuck shaft. The teasing bastards left him there though, cackling as they walked out of the water to their towels.
Levi sat between them and rested his elbows on bent knees, watching the water and taking a swig from the bottle of water he’d uncapped. Katy plucked the sunscreen out of her bag and rubbed down his arms, crawling in front of Levi to get his chest. Connor looked after his back, and when he’d finished, he held Levi tightly, kissing a line down his throat and along his shoulder. The three of them sat there like that—Connor hugging Levi, Levi holding Katy until she shifted, getting out her phone and snapping a selfie of them. He looked at the shot. They were wet, Katy’s hair still slicked back. Her bright bikini top—which she’d slipped back on once they were out of the water—was a contrast against Katy’s darker skin. He was smiling, a serene, goofy grin on his face. If he didn’t already know it in his heart, it’d be obvious from the shot that Connor was head over heels in love. Levi too. The other man was looking at him in the photo with such adoration it took Connor’s breath away. Levi’s lips whispered over Connor’s bearded cheek, while he held Katy close, her back against his chest, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. Connor had held one of her hands, but he couldn’t see it in the photo.
“This one’s a keeper.” Katy smiled at Connor before leaning up to kiss him.
“He is,” Levi murmured. “Same with the pic. We can keep that too.” Connor couldn’t help his happy laugh as he held them tighter. Whatever happened from there on out, it was the three of them. They were the perfect match, an unbreakable trio, and despite all the craziness going down, life was fucking good.