“What you thinking about?” he asked Jack.

“Our family,” Jack replied. He sounded emotional. Riley knew exactly how that felt.

“It’s pretty fucking awesome,” Riley agreed.

“Don’t you ever feel overwhelmed?”

Riley hesitated. He wasn’t entirely sure what Jack wanted to hear. Then he decided for the truth. “Every freaking day,” he admitted.

Jack rolled onto his side and placed a hand on Riley’s chest. “Me too.”

“We can do this,” Riley stated simply. He believed what he was saying as well.

“I know. Together. Riley…”

“Uh huh.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you in my life.” Jack’s voice dripped with feeling.

“What makes you say that?” Riley asked gently. “Not that I don’t feel the same way.”

“No reason really. Just that I love you.”

“And I love you, and we really should get showered and dressed,” Riley said.

Jack traced a pattern in the cool come on Riley’s stomach. Then he smiled. “I think you need to go first, I’ll listen for the twins.”

In the shower Riley made quick work of cleaning himself up and was out in the bedroom to find Jack still naked and sleeping, his chest rising and falling slightly. He sat next to Jack and pressed a kiss to his lips.

“You want a shower?” he asked with laughter in his voice.

“Mmmph” was all the reply got. He knew that Jack had been up twice in the night with the twins to let Riley sleep for work today. And hell, he looked so gorgeous all laid out on the covers. Pulling the sheet over Jack, Riley decided an hour wouldn’t hurt, and quietly he left the room and closed the door behind him.

Chapter 10

Eli crossed his arms over his chest and gave both Robbie and Liam his best no-arguing expression. The clothes he’d grabbed from the latest model shoot looked pretty damn fine on Liam, and he wasn’t going to let the man pull them off.

“I can’t wear this,” Liam said in horror. That was the tenth time he’d said that. He stood in front of the full-length mirror that Eli had demanded be installed as soon as he moved in with Robbie.

“And I say again. Why not?”

“It’s…look…” Liam pulled at the tight-fitting jeans. “They’re too tight. Fuck, they don’t even need a belt.”

“You’re a slim guy, you should show that off, and your butt, you have the best butt.” Robbie coughed behind him. “Of course it’s not as good as Robbie’s.” Eli threw a look over his shoulder and grinned at Robbie, who smirked back at him. “But look…” He ran a hand over Liam’s back and admired the black shirt with the threads of silver. “The gray in this shirt makes your eyes look huge,” he explained again.

Liam shrugged in the shirt. “That’s too tight as well, I can’t freaking breathe.”

Eli moved swiftly to stand between Liam and the mirror. Liam attempted to look around him, but Eli gripped his chin and held his gaze.

“How old are you, Liam?”

“Twenty, nearly twenty-one, but you know that.”

“You have a whole life ahead of you. Be young, have fun, be sexy, have men staring at you all night.” Eli kept his voice low but realized he’d fucked something up when Liam’s eyes shone with emotion. Hell, had he made the kid cry? “Liam?”

“I don’t want to be someone that people look at,” he said brokenly.

Eli didn’t know what to say, but he caught Robbie’s glance and nodded.

“I’m checking the horses,” Robbie excused himself until only Liam and Eli remained.

“You’re gorgeous,” Eli said gently. “People will look at you if you were in your oldest jeans and that shirt you wear every day. You can be scruffy and messy, but what shines through is that under all of that you are a beautiful guy with a good soul.”

A single tear rolled from Liam’s eye, and Eli caught it with his thumb.

“You really see all that?” Liam asked. There was doubt and denial mixed into his tone, and for a moment Eli was lost for words that Liam couldn’t see Eli was telling the truth.

“Yes, I do. Robbie does. And I really think Marcus sees it too.”

“I don’t know what to think. When I was…at the old ranch…there was…” He stopped as emotion choked his words and a flicker of fear passed over his expression.

“You don’t have to explain. Whatever happened to you, maybe one day you can tell me everything, maybe not. But if you want to I’ll listen or Robbie will, Jack, Riley, but you have to remember you are bigger than what you’ve been through.”

“I wish it were that easy.”

“You look good. The jeans aren’t tight, they’re fitted, which is a whole lot better than the jeans you wear for work. They’re not designer; this is from a day-wear shoot, nothing screams look at my ass. And the shirt?” Eli smoothed a hand over Liam’s arm again, gentling him. “The shirt is tailored and looks good on you.”

“And it really makes my eyes look big,” Liam said with question in the tone. He looked down at the shirt doubtfully.

“The color, totally.”

“One question,” Liam said finally.

“Uh huh.”

“Please God, tell me I can wear my boots?”

Eli smirked. “Hell yes, a cowboy separated from his boots is a crime. Now, we have an hour. I’ll pretend like you’re twenty-one already and get you a beer.”

“Okay, I think I need one.”

“Beer and then go see the horses.”

Eli knew he’d said the right thing when Liam visibly relaxed. If in doubt with Liam get him with the horses.

“No touching though,” Eli sniffed the air. “’Cause you smell good now.”

“I didn’t smell good before?” Liam teased. Eli loved that there was the hint of smile that reached Liam’s eyes.

Eli snorted a laugh. “Eau de shit? What’s not to love?”

* * * * *

Liam was relaxed and had swallowed all of his beer and half of Eli’s by the time Marcus arrived to pick him up. But seeing the man get out and walk toward him was a whole different ballgame. Marcus was dressed casually in jeans and a red shirt, and he looked so damned sexy and comfortable in his own skin. Liam wished he could shove the growing nerves to one side.

“Wow,” Marcus said with an added whistle. “You look good there, cowboy.”

Liam could feel the weight of Marcus’s gaze and the added expectation that he should say something clever back.

“Thank you,” he said. “You’re very…” He stopped, suddenly aware he had no idea of what a man said to another man. Not in polite ways anyway. “Handsome,” he finished lamely. And Marcus was. His blond hair was soft and layered, and he had bangs that were normally gelled back but that he’d allowed to fall onto his forehead. And his brown eyes were wide with appreciation and a touch of humor.

“Thank you,” Marcus said. “You ready to go?”

Liam patted the jeans pockets. Cell. Money. He was good to be moving on now although leaving the D wasn’t something he was looking forward to doing. Maybe they should have agreed to eat here? He ruthlessly pushed the thought down. Where would they eat? In the kitchen with the guys and the kids? Or in his damn tent in the horse barn? Maybe Marcus had a house? Of course he had a house. He was a responsible adult with a company and a house and probably money, unlike Liam, who had a tent.

The D paid well considering Liam was only twenty, and he actually had money in his account and in his pocket, but yeah, a tent.

“You okay?”

Liam nodded. He realized he had been motionless at the passenger door and was simply staring into the car. “Sorry. Yeah.” He climbed in and belted up. The scent inside the car was of Marcus. Liam’s damn treacherous cock was well into the idea of being near Marcus. Maybe he should listen to his cock instead of the hateful words that filled his memories.

“I thought we could go for a steak at The Rusty Nail,” Marcus began conversationally as they left the D and headed away from Liam’s safety net.