“Ow! Jesus, fuck, what?” Linc jerked away, more pissed off that his almost-wet-dream was interrupted than he was over the stabbing pain in his side.
“I asked if you were sleeping down here.” Gabe stared up at him, eyes squinted as if the pixie were trying to read his mind.
Sighing, Linc rolled his shoulders and downed the last of his beer before standing and stretching. “Probably,” The farther away from Chris he was right now, the better.
“Oh good, we can pull out the sofa bed, then.” Gabe hopped up, moving quickly to the large closet built under the stairs where Mattie kept a stock of sheets, blankets, and pillows for just such occasions.
Resigning himself to the equivalent of a big-boy slumber party, since Kory and Dusty were already passed out in the large recliners, Linc shuffled into the kitchen in search of a snack and another beer. “Whatever you’re making in there, make it two,” Gabe whispered, tossing couch cushions into the corner so he could pull out the hideaway bed.
Linc chuckled and shook his head. Shoving his dirty thoughts aside, he microwaved some pizza rolls and taquitos, grabbed a couple of Coronas, and joined Gabe in the den to finish the movie. There were far worse places he could be.
Chapter Eight
Partners
Breakfast the next morning was as chaotic as dinner had been the night before, except this meal was spread along the length of the dining room table. All the guys Chris had met the previous day were scattered around the kitchen, holding plates full of eggs, bacon, fruit, and toast; some had bowls of oatmeal. There was coffee, orange juice, and milk on the counter, and of course, Chris made a beeline for the coffeepot. Victor looked his way and smiled as Chris pulled out the chair next to him and took a seat. He almost choked on the spoonful of eggs he’d shoved into his mouth when the back door flew open, an alien obviously invading the kitchen, the voice quite loud and liken to nails on a chalkboard.
“Honeys, I’m home!”
Victor stood and stepped away from the table just as a blond streak jumped into his arms, wrapping long slender legs around his waist, the small waiflike creature attacking the vampire’s mouth with his tongue. Chris blinked a couple of times, then looked over to where Andrew sat at the other end of the table, smiling at them. Wait, what? Victor set the perky little blond on his feet, turning to Chris with the most genuine, loving smile Chris thought he’d ever seen on another person plastered on his face.
“Chris, I would like you to meet my other partner, Matthew.” Victor tucked the smaller man under his arm protectively. Chris tried to work the semantics out in his head—eyes darting between Victor and Matthew, then over to Andrew and back to Dracula.
Andrew took mercy on him finally, standing and wrapping an arm around Matthew, he and Victor becoming bookends for the kid…no…guy. Chris didn’t know how young he was, but Matthew didn’t look to be much older than twenty-one. “Victor, Mattie, and I are partners in business and in life, Chris. We live and work together. We share a home, a room, and a love no different than any couple that is committed to one another. The difference is, there are three of us.” Andrew smiled at Matthew as he spoke.
“But you’re not a couple, more like a throuple?” Chris asked.
Everyone in the room started laughing. “Pretty much. Nice to meet you. You must be Just Chris.” Matthew smirked as he stuck his hand out to Chris. He was a little surprised at how firm Matthew’s grip was when they shook. “Call me Mattie, please. Vic here is the only person that calls me Matthew.” He turned and followed Andrew over to his seat, climbing into his lap and laying his head on Andrew’s shoulder. Chris stared for a few minutes until Victor drew his attention by waving his hand in front of his face.
“Sorry, this is…well, it’s different. But, to each his own, I guess,” Chris said. “Can I ask how old you guys are? I mean Mattie looks so young.” The question came out before he could consider his words. “Sorry, I sometimes say what I’m thinking…well, without thinking.”
Victor slid back into his chair, waving Chris’s apology off. “I am thirty-six years old, Andrew is thirty-three, and Matthew is twenty-three.” Victor watched his two men at the other end of the table with a lopsided grin. “I know it is odd arrangement, add to that the business we run, and it is hard sometimes for people to take us seriously. But I love each of them just as much as other; they are my world.” The love in his gaze was evident to anyone in the room, and whether Chris understood the mechanics of their relationship or not, it wasn’t for him to decide.
He sipped his coffee, listening to bits and pieces of the various conversations between the guys. The cup was at his lips again when Jordan came up behind him and grasped his shoulder. Chris was caught off guard and half spit, half choked out the mouthful of coffee he’d just gulped. “Shit, man, sorry! You okay?” Jordan grabbed a napkin and handed it to Chris.
“Yeah, I’m good.” Chris sputtered, still coughing up coffee.
“Take a walk with me and let’s talk,” Jordan said as he headed for the door. Chris wiped the brown liquid off his chin and stood to refill his cup. “Sorry to interrupt your breakfast, but I’m headed into the city in a few hours and wanted to talk before I left, see if you had any questions or concerns.”
“One hundred and one, actually.” Chris followed, careful where he stepped. The grass was wet with morning dew, and the hill was steep. They walked down to the dock at the bottom of the hill, just off the backyard of the property. There was a boat tied to the dock with the letters V.A.M. in large, black print on the hull. Chris lifted his cup toward the boat before bringing it to his mouth and taking a drink.
“Yeah, that’s Victor’s boat. We have some wild summer parties out on the lake in that baby. Want a tour?”
Chris nodded. “The penny tour, if you please.” Jordan cackled, obviously understanding the joke. They wound up sitting out in the sun on the deck of the boat talking about what had brought each of them to All Cocks.
Apparently, Jordan started doing straight porn his first year in college to help pay bills and tuition. Studying to be a doctor, a full-time job wasn’t an option. As time went by, the fees for classes and books along with rent and money for food began to exceed the amount of money he was making, and Jordan worried he would have to take a break from classes for a semester. Then he met Lincoln at a party, and after talking to him about his work in the gay porn industry, Jordan realized doing gay porn could bring in more money in one shoot than a month’s worth of straight dirty videos, much less a nine-to-five job. So, he’d decided to at least meet with Victor.
“Let me tell you, he was very intimidating when we first met. He looks mean. But then you talk to him and get to know him, and he’s sort of…mesmerizing.” Jordan described Victor just as Chris had seen him.