“You are, huh?” Tristan gave him a smile.

At that Mateo turned to look at them, as though he knew they were talking about him. “Get your slow asses up here!” he teased, as he waited for them.

It was crazy, the change in his men lately. The good kind of crazy that made Josiah glad they were all a little insane. The love he felt for both of them had always been enough for Josiah, but now that he had the taste of more, of both his dream and the two of them seeming happy, he realized they really could have everything. And he wanted that.

They continued to walk up and down the beach for a while before heading back to the house. Tristan ordered dinner, and Teo sat at the table, looking through pictures he’d taken. He’d brought both the digital and his film camera, switching back and forth for different shots.

Evening made the air cooler, so Josiah grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around himself and went to look at the water. Waves lapped restlessly at the shore. It looked rough, but somehow still peaceful, the way he could describe both Teo and Tristan.

A few birds flew overhead, and then suddenly one dipped in front of him, before swooping high again. Another did the same, one after one, as though they were waiting for him to feed them something. Which was ridiculous, he knew, but it was the only way he could think to describe it.

There was a click behind him, then another and another, and he knew Teo stood back there taking pictures. Josiah didn’t turn, letting him do his thing, until suddenly the birds flew away and Mateo stepped up beside him. “Everything’s drawn to you. Even birds know how good you are.”

Josiah shook his head, praise from them still embarrassing him at times. “I’m not better than anyone else.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it. Dinner just got delivered. Tristan is in the shower. Figured I’d start a bonfire, then we can eat out here.”

That sounded about perfect to Josiah. “Okay. I’ll grab some chairs.”

As Teo started the fire, Josiah pulled three of the chairs from the porch and set them in the sand around the fire. Tristan came out just as they finished, his hair wet from the shower, and two plates in his hands.

“You’re going to get sick being out here with wet hair,” Josiah told him, but Tristan just smiled and shook his head.

“Here you go.” He handed Josiah a plate and he sat, then he gave the other to Teo.

“You take this one. I’ll go grab my shit,” Teo said.

Tristan shook his head. “I’m not hungry this evening. I’ll be fine.”

Josiah almost said something but let it go. If he wasn’t hungry, he wasn’t hungry. They all sat down as Josiah and Teo ate. It wasn’t long before it got dark, the water harder to see, but still they stayed outside, watching the red fire dance. “This is nice.”

“We’ll come back,” Tristan told Josiah.

“At least once a year,” Josiah replied, and Teo laughed.

“Gettin’ used to getting your way aren’t you?” Mateo looked his way, and then they were both laughing.

Tristan was quiet as he and Teo teased each other. Something was on his mind, and it made Josiah’s gut ache not to ask him, but he needed to learn to let things go. Tristan needed to be able to speak honestly, without Josiah pulling it out of him.

It was about a half hour later, a half hour of silence from Tristan, before he stood. He didn’t say a word as he started to put out the fire. Josiah still felt the heat of it, not as comforting as it had been, though. Fear began to rise inside him. What was Tristan going to say?

Teo asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Shh,” Tristan replied. Once the fire was completely out, nothing but darkness around them, Tristan took a few steps, stopping in front of him.

“Tris—” Josiah started, but Teo grabbed his wrist, a silent plea to be quiet.

He could hardly see, but what he did realize was that Tristan held a hand out to him, and one to Teo. They both grabbed hold, and he silently led them inside the house. Inside the room, where he stopped at the foot of the white bed. “It’s time. I’m giving myself to both of you tonight. First Mateo, then Josiah. I want you both to fuck me.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Tristan

Tristan had known this moment was coming for a while. It wasn’t his reason for the trip, but he realized this was the right time. He needed to be able to give himself. If he was willing to fight for them and protect what they had, they deserved this part of him, too. And not just the one time like it had been with Josiah. It wasn’t something he would ever want regularly, but he wanted every part of himself to belong to them both.