It’s impossible not to kiss him again. “This awards ceremony,” I breathe after a long minute. “Do we really need to go?”
Trevor chuckles. “You don’t have to. But I do.”
I let out as dramatic a sigh as I can manage. “I suppose I can people this once.”
“So charitable of you,” he murmurs. “My prickly little marsh—”
I cover Trevor’s mouth before he can finish that sentence.
We shower and don our best for the porn awards ceremony. I can’t help but stare as Trevor slips a belt through the loops of his tuxedo pants. Dark ink trails up his back and over his shoulders. Down his arms. To his fingertips.
My favorite tattoo is the one centered on his spine, right in the middle of his back and flawlessly integrated into the surrounding designs. He got it a year after we started dating.
It’s a forest, plentiful and wide, the stars above the trees a constellation I immediately recognized as the freckle pattern on my cheeks. I cried when I saw it. The life he saw for us.
Trevor catches my eye as he turns to grab his shirt. “All right, Red?”
I nod easily. “Just thinking.”
“About?”
“Todd,” I fib.
Trevor doesn’t call me out on the lie, even as his lips quirk. “Is he still coming to visit next month?”
“Yep. Lumi’s tour won’t be over yet, but we figured we could catch up with her in New York this summer. What do you think?”
“A trip to Broadway? I approve.”
“Do you think Raf would want to come?”
Trevor hums. “Possibly. I can ask.”
Rafael is still living above the tattoo shop, despite being semi-retired now. When Trevor earned his first million, he bought the building so his uncle would never have to move. Or pay rent again.
We visit him often, Trevor making his uncle’s favorite home-cooked meals while I try to help. He’s some of the last family we have now, outside of Todd, Lumi, and Lumi’s partner, Kit. My dad and I haven’t spoken in well over fifteen years. And my mom, well… She had a long, well-lived life. I miss her every day, but we damn well made the most of what we had.
Through it all, I’ve had Trevor. On the good days. The bad. When I’m a mess or forget I’m far too old to chase Todd down the Las Vegas streets when he gets drunk-horny for waffles.
I always, always have Trevor.
“Thinking about Todd again?” the man asks, his tuxedo jacket in place now. He looks so handsome my mouthdries up.
“Actually yes,” I manage, grabbing a bowtie to add to my outfit. One of Trevor’s favorites. “I was thinking about his love affair with waffles. At what point should we stage an intervention?”
Trevor snorts. “Asks the man who begged his husband to run a reverse-train on half a dozen of his co-stars as an anniversary gift.”
My mouth drops open. “Number one, that was a mighty fine anniversary.”
Trevor looks amused.
“Number two, you gotgreatviews on that video. You should be thanking me.”
My husband steps closer, his hand on my lower back tugging me flush against his body. “Thank you,” he says in all earnestness before dipping to kiss my lips.
It takes a while before we’re ready to leave the house.
The awards ceremony is at a hotel downtown. It draws quite a crowd every year, cast and crew from multiple porn studios attending. We manage to avoid the reporters as we slip inside, finding a relatively quiet spot in the ballroom to appraise the crowd.
