“Who’s the funny man now?” Mason countered. “And both.”

Gavin wasn’t sure what made him ask, but he knew the words were important. “Something happen?” He worried about Mason—the pressure of working two jobs and driving between Blackcreek, Denver, and Boulder so much. It wasn’t healthy for him.

Mason groaned. “I almost wished we hadn’t started this whole talking thing. You know the rules, tit for tat, right?”

Gavin did know, even though like Mason, he’d rather not discuss it. “What if I don’t have anything to talk about?”

“You do. If not, make something up so I’m not doing this all by myself.”

Gavin laughed. Mason always made him do that. He’d had a long day himself and had been looking forward to crashing, but now he found he was doing exactly what he wanted to do. Talking to Mason. “Okay. You first.”

“I walked in on my father yelling and cursing. It’s not something he’s ever done. They say a stroke can sometimes change parts of your personality. I’m hoping it’s just that he had a bad day. Or maybe it’s the fact that he also felt forced to admit to my mother that he knows I don’t want Alexander’s. He’s angry and hurt, which I understand. Add in the fact that he’s dealing with the realization he might never work again, and from the sound of it, arguing with my mom on whether or not they should tell me my birth mom’s name. I miss my bar, and my boyfriend, and my ex won’t quit trying to fuck me and it’s pretty much been the day from hell.”

“Well, that’s where I’m going, so hopefully it’s not too bad,” Gavin tried to tease, but Mason practically growled into the phone in response.

“Not funny. What happened?”

“I went to see my mom last week. She reiterated where I’m going to spend eternity and asked me to pretend to be someone I’m not.” Just another day.

“Shit. Last week? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you have enough to worry about.”

Mason paused and then said, “I still want to know. Look at us, we’re a couple of sob stories. Aren’t we supposed to be living our lives, jumping out of planes and spending whole days in bed doing nothing except sleeping and fucking?”

“And playing music. Don’t forget that.”

“Never. You’re sexy as hell when you play. And at least we’re not sob stories alone.”

That was true. The responsibility they both felt to their family, to do and be something for the people they loved, had always been a common bond between them.

“Let’s change the subject, music man.”

“Isaac is still trying to fuck you, huh?” Shit. He hadn’t meant for that to come out. “Fuck, I didn’t mean—”

“Are we really going to argue about my ex again? I had a shitty day, and he half teasingly offered me an orgasm. I said no, came to bed, and slept until I woke up to call you—the boyfriend I said I miss, if you didn’t hear that part.”

And now Gavin felt like an ass. He shook his head, almost reached for the light as though that would make a difference, but didn’t. “You’re right. I don’t know why the hell I can’t let that go. And I miss you, too.”

“Good.” Gavin heard a rustling sound on the other end of the line before Mason asked, “Have you gotten off today?”

Gavin liked where this was going. “No.”

“Then lets do it. Take off your clothes. I’m damned good at phone sex. Dirty talk gets me hard.”

Yeah, it did Gavin, as well. At least from Mason. Standing up, he pulled off his clothes the way his lover told him to.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Mason didn’t want to think about everything that happened today. He didn’t want to consider that he hadn’t been willing to talk to his oldest friend but had easily opened up to Gavin. The only thought or feeling he welcomed right now was pleasure—to get off and get Gavin off as well.

“Are you naked?” he asked.

“Yeah. That’s not really something you typically have to ask me twice to do.”

He chuckled at Gavin’s joke. Smiled at the huskiness that already set in Gavin’s tone. He needed this just as much as Mason did.

“I know you can get off by jerking yourself off and listening to me talk to you, but I want you to picture what I’m going to be doing, too. I’ll be pretending you’re fucking me, Gav. I’ll use a few fingers and try and make myself believe it’s your cock.”