Alibi by Nicole Edwards

Chapter Ten

Trey could’ve kicked himself in his ownass.

What the hell was he thinking suggesting they utilize Magnus’s skills to assist in their investigation?

“Damn it,” he grumbled, steering his truck along the long, narrow dirt drive that led to Camp K-9, the facility owned and operated by the one man Trey had no business talking to right now.

In his defense, it had been an innocent request, one he’d thought might move them forward in their search. At the very least, it was a logical ask. Magnus trained canines as search and rescue, and since they were searching…

“Idiot,” he muttered.

He pulled the truck to a stop, put it in park, and stared up at the metal building with the sign announcing they were open for business.

Inside those walls was the man Trey hadn’t seen since New Year’s, when he’d accepted Magnus’s offer of a single night together. He still remembered the moment he’d given in. Standing outside of Moonshiners, the man so close Trey could smell Magnus’s cologne, see the challenge in those hazel eyes.

“You know there’s only one thing I want from you,” Trey told him, moving in close, keeping his voice low.

“Then you should take it.”

Magnus was so fucking cocky, so sure of himself, and damn it if that didn’t turn Trey on.

“I will shred you,” Trey promised. “It’s inevitable.”

“Maybe. Or maybe I’ll shred you.”

Unfortunately, Trey knew that was the more logical outcome, because he tended to get in over his head where men were concerned, but he was doing his best to warn Magnus off. It would save them both a hell of a lot of time and save Trey another round of heartache.

“Only one thing, Magnus,” he repeated

“I’m not expectin’ roses and wine here, cowboy.” Magnus leaned in, voice low and gruff. “I’m expectin’ you tofuck. Me.”

Even now, the memory of that moment when Magnus had all but given himself to Trey made his dick hard. Never mind the beyond-satisfying events that had happened after that.

Despite tremendous effort, Trey’s thoughts drifted to that night when he’d gone and done something completely out of character for him. And it’d taken place only fifteen minutes after he’d told Magnus to follow him back to his place, a few minutes after he’d tried to talk himself out of it and failed miserably. He remembered walking into his house…

Trey could hear Magnus’s SUV pulling into the short driveway, knew the man would be walking in any minute. He could easily shut the door, lock it, ignore him. Not like Magnus could do a damn thing about it.

But he wouldn’t because he was selfish like that, and this man … Magnus had already pushed him to the point of no return. Trey couldn’t remember a time he’d been turned on like this. With a heat that bordered on violence, a need that was all-consuming.

A soft rap on the door had him turning around, seeing the sexy man standing in his open doorway.

He wasn’t sure what it was about Magnus, but just looking at him made Trey want to sin.

“Shut the door,” he instructed.

Magnus stepped inside the house, shut the door behind him.

Trey didn’t let him take a single step beyond that. He was on him, slamming him into the door, their lips crashing together. He devoured him even as he yanked at his clothes, tugging his shirt up and over his head, tossing it to the floor. When Magnus tried to do the same, Trey gripped his wrists, held firm.

“No promises,” Trey told him. “No strings.”

“None,” Magnus agreed, hazel eyes glittering with heat.

Trey believed Magnus meant it. Then again, he meant it, too. No way was Trey opening himself up to anyone else. He’d had enough of that in his life. He’d never been the sort to fuck for the sake of it, but that was going to change. He didn’t have a long line of men he’d burned or a stockpile he kept for a later date. He tended to go all in.

Until now.

“Fuck me, Trey,” Magnus moaned against his mouth. “I know you want to.”

“I’ll get there,” he assured him. “In time.”

Gripping Magnus’s face, Trey owned the kiss, slowing things significantly but not cooling them off in the least.

The heat he’d felt back at the bar … it’d morphed into a conflagration that burned hotter, brighter with every swipe of that eager tongue. Made him want to do dirty, raunchy things to this man again and again. He wanted to know what sounds Magnus made when he had Trey’s cock lodged in his throat, how deep his groans were when he came.

Eager hands tugged at his jeans while Trey’s hands roamed over the smooth, sleek skin of Magnus’s back. Desperate to maintain control, Trey gripped Magnus’s wandering hands, stilling them for a moment as he pulled his lips free and stared down at him.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were in a hurry,” he said, letting his eyes graze Magnus’s deliciously muscled form. His chest was broad, with just the right amount of dark hair, his nipples small and dark, his pecs flexing as Trey’s eyes lingered. The narrow trail of fine, dark hair that bisected his abs and disappeared into his waistband beckoned to Trey, had him eager to start the exploration with his tongue.

“Trey…”

When Magnus leaned forward, reached for Trey’s cock, Trey gripped his wrist again. “You’re too fucking impatient.”

There was something about seeing such a sexy man like that: chest heaving, muscles bunching, lips swollen from his kiss. Eager, anxious.

“I don’t have time for games, Trey.”

Pinning him with a hard stare, Trey smirked. “If I wanna play games, we’ll play games.”

Stepping forward, he brought his hands up and cupped Magnus’s neck, firmly, roughly, his thumb sliding along the hard line of his jaw. Damn, but the man was hot.

“Unbutton my shirt,” he whispered, curious as to whether Magnus would comply since Trey had stopped him once already.

He didn’t. Not immediately, anyway. But when Trey tilted his head to the side, then leaned in and fused their lips once more, he drew in a raspy breath when Magnus’s fingers began deftly freeing the small discs. By the time cool air caressed his overheated skin, the kiss had ramped up a few degrees. He hated to do it, but he released Magnus’s face so he could shrug out of his shirt, letting it fall to the floor, forgotten.

With Magnus still backed against the wall, Trey leaned into him, rested his forehead to Magnus’s, hissing in a sharp breath when those hands made contact, sliding over his shoulders, down his back. When those wandering hands returned to his chest, Trey focused on breathing while he covered Magnus’s hands with his own, holding them tightly against him, gliding them higher, lower, over and over. He groaned low in his throat, desperate for his touch.

How the fuck had he gotten here? He had no business taking what this man was offering. Perhaps Magnus wasn’t a kid at twenty-four, but he was still far too young for Trey. Twelve years younger, in fact, which should’ve meant he was off-limits.

But there was something about him. Something Trey couldn’t quite pinpoint. Perhaps it was because it was wrong on so many levels, and at this very moment, wrong felt so fucking right.

“You think too much,” Magnus whispered, his hand sliding up behind his neck again, kneading the tense muscles.

“You’re right. I do.” Trey gripped his hips, pulled him closer. “That stops now.”

Then he was leading the way, urging Magnus backward, through the sparsely furnished living room, down the long, narrow hall. He turned to the left, into the darkened guest room, then over to the queen-sized bed. Not that he was opposed to taking a man in his own bed, but Trey had stopped sleeping in there as of late. It reminded him too much of the past, of the mistakes he’d made, of the men who had hurt him.

He followed Magnus down, careful not to crush him but maintaining the kiss.

As he covered Magnus’s body fully, Trey dropped his hips, grinding his aching cock against the hard ridge tenting those damn jeans Magnus still wore. His breath lodged in his throat when Magnus moaned, a sinfully rough rasp against his senses.

“Once won’t be enough,” he warned, his lips never leaving Magnus’s.

There was a soft chuckle, followed by an amused, “Maybe. Maybe not.”

“Is that a dare?” he taunted, lifting his head and meeting those intense hazel eyes. “Because I’m game if you are.”

The smile he earned was unexpected.

And most definitely a dare.

A knock on his window drew Trey out of the memory, brought him back to the present. That was when he realized Magnus was standing outside the truck, watching him intently with a satisfied smirk on his face.

No way could Magnus know what Trey had been thinking.

No fucking way.

Because he couldn’t very well drive off and pretend he hadn’t shown up at his damn doorstep, Trey opened the door, got out of the truck. It was slow going as he attempted to hide the hard-on he was sporting. His shirt was untucked, which helped. Not that it was doing a damn bit of good if the gleam in Magnus’s eyes was anything to go by

“Shut up,” Trey grumbled irritably.

Magnus chuckled softly. “I didn’t say nothin’.”

“You were thinkin’ it.”

“Oh, I was thinkin’ somethin’, all right.”

Trey’s gaze shot back to Magnus, and he wondered briefly if Magnus had relived that night, too. Based on the heat he saw in those hazel eyes, he figured the answer was yes.

Question was: had he relived it every fucking day the way Trey had?

*

When Magnus realized who was behind thewheel of the truck that had pulled down his driveway, he wouldn’t say he’d been disappointed.

In fact, the opposite.

As for why Trey Walker was gracing him with his presence, he had yet to find out, but based on the frown on Trey’s handsome face, the man wasn’t happy to be there. Which meant he hadn’t stopped by for a repeat of the night they’d spent together two weeks ago.

Not that Magnus thought he had. Sure, he’d wished the man would make a move, but Magnus was fully aware of the tragedy that had rocked the Coyote Ridge community as well as the Walker family. It was the main reason he hadn’t reached out to Trey, sought a repeat of that incredible night.

“What brings you by?” he finally asked, motioning for Trey to come inside.

“Business.”

Of course it was. “Reese send you?”

“I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t,” Trey grumbled.

Magnus found it impossible not to smile. He happened to find Trey’s ornery side rather appealing. And the banter they shared between them was a unique form of foreplay that, honestly, Magnus wished he had more of in his life.

Opening the door to the building, Magnus led the way inside. He partly expected Trey to stay outside, to refuse to be in a confined space with him. It sure as hell wouldn’t have surprised him if he had.

But he was happy to see Trey had stepped inside, let the door close behind him.

“What can I help you with?” Magnus turned around to see Trey’s tense form near the door, his eyes fixed on the dogs currently watching him with curiosity. “They won’t hurt you, I promise.”

“I wasn’t worried about that,” he muttered.

“Sarge, Aurora, meet Trey. These two belong to me.” Magnus looked at the black Laborador retrievers currently relaxing as they’d been instructed to do. “Heel.”

Instantly both were on their feet. A second later, they were heeling at Magnus’s feet, one on each side. He took one step forward. They did, too, remaining right at his side, eagerly watching him for another command, just as they’d been trained.

“Did you have a reason for bein’ here?” he asked Trey. “Or did you come to ogle me and my dogs?”

That doom-and-gloom look was back on Trey’s face as he glowered.

“You’ve heard about what’s goin’ on?”

Magnus sobered. “I did, yes. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Trey’s gaze cut to the floor as he nodded. “Thanks.”

“I take it your team’s lookin’ for the woman responsible? The one who kidnapped the little girl and murdered that girl’s mother.”

Trey nodded, eyes lifting. “We’ve got an active team tryin’ to determine where she is. We know she’s in the area, just don’t have an exact location.”

“By in the area, you mean what? Central Texas? Coyote Ridge? Taylor? Embers Ridge? What?”

Trey’s expression remained neutral when he said, “Yes.”

Magnus chuckled. “Not exactly helpful. And unfortunately, unless I have a vicinity in which to work, I can’t be of much help.” He canted his head. “I assume that’s why you’re here? My services?”

He watched as heat flashed in Trey’s eyes, and Magnus fought back a grin. Yeah, it was safe to say Trey hadn’t forgotten that night they’d shared.

“Yeah. Your … uh”—Trey cleared his throat, motioned toward the long counter with the Camp K-9 sign behind it—“services. I…” More throat clearing. “We thought you might be able to… I just … I wanted to ask.”

Magnus opted for serious for a moment. “If you’re askin’ whether or not I’ll help with the search when and if it comes to that, absolutely. I’m there in a second, just say the word. I’ve got enough dogs and handlers, we can work a decent-size area. I just prefer to know we’re in the right spot before we go that route.”

“Understood.”

Magnus watched Trey. He could see the uncertainty in the man’s eyes. He suspected it didn’t have much to do with his case and more to do with being near Magnus.

What they’d shared that night … it’d been by far the best sex of Magnus’s entire life. It had surprised him, actually, being that he’d had some pretty phenomenal sex with no shortage of partners.

But it was more than that. There was something about Trey that he connected with. A similar vulnerability, maybe. Whatever it was, Magnus had thought about it numerous times over the past couple of weeks, ever since that one fantastic night.

Realizing he was about to venture down a road he’d promised Trey he wouldn’t, Magnus reined in his thoughts. “What else can I help you with, Trey?”

Those steel-blue eyes pierced him, and for a brief second, he saw the same heat he’d seen on New Year’s.

Yeah, it was safe to say Trey was thinking about that night, too.

“Just say the word,” he teased. “That’s all you’ve got to do.”

Trey frowned as though he didn’t understand. Magnus knew better, so he kept his mouth shut.

“I’ll … uh … let Reese know you’re willin’,” Trey said, clearing his throat and turning toward the door.

Magnus chuckled at the double entendre he knew Trey hadn’t intended.

And then he was staring at the man as he walked out the door.

Peering down at Aurora and Sarge, Magnus grinned. “That’s not the last we’ll see of him, I promise.”