He managed to dress, pulling on a pair of cargo shorts and a T-shirt. He grabbed his work boots and socks on the way to the door.
Magnus stopped just outside the door to the kitchen when he heard Trey’s voice.
“Oh, it’s true. Cal set the kitchen on fire, and Bryn flooded the upstairs bathroom twice. Griffin and Tori were notorious for overflowing the washing machine. But Brantley won the award when he put dish soap in the dishwasher. It took two weeks to get rid of the soap film on the linoleum floor.”
Ava laughed. “And your parents didn’t tell y’all to go live in a barn?”
Trey’s gruff laugh echoed out into the hallway. “I’m sure they wished we would.”
“I always wanted a big family,” Ava admitted. “But it was only me.”
Magnus loved that they were carrying on a conversation so easily. He remembered all those times Trey fucked him and how Magnus had wished Trey would open up and share pieces of himself afterward. It hadn’t happened until after they’d rescued Ava. For a brief time, Trey had let him in. Magnus knew Trey had been doing it to keep Magnus’s mind off of Ava’s injuries, but he appreciated it all the same.
“Please tell me you’re not lettin’ him cook,” Magnus said as he stepped into the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway, propping his ass against the jamb, and pulled on his work boots, not bothering to tie them.
“Of course not,” Ava said, smiling at him over her shoulder. She was standing at the stove, a skillet filled with eggs in front of her. “Hope you’re hungry.”
“I am, but I need to go help Gia with the mornin’ chores. Won’t take long, so save me some.” Magnus glanced at Trey. “You wanna help?”
Trey’s eyes were wary, but he nodded, pushing off the counter where he’d been leaning back against it.
“I’ll wait fifteen minutes and start some biscuits,” Ava announced. “See y’all in thirty.”
Unable to resist, he backtracked to her and pressed a quick kiss on her mouth. The smile that he earned in return only intensified his good mood.
“How’re you doin’ this mornin’?” Magnus asked as he and Trey made their way to the Camp K-9 building.
“Fine. Why?”
“Just wanted to make sure you were good with what happened last night.”
Trey grunted. “I really don’t wanna talk about it.”
The way he said it pulled Magnus up short. He turned to face Trey, staring into his eyes, trying to read his meaning. “You regret it.”
Trey stepped up to him, gripping his chin between two fingers. “Not for a second.” He lowered his voice and leaned closer to Magnus’s ear. “But if you start talkin’ about it, I’m gonna get hard again, and you’re gonna have to take care of me when you should be focused on the chores.”
Magnus’s cock kicked hard in his shorts. He knew that gruff whisper had been for effect since no one was around to hear them. And that alone sent a chill down his spine.
“Any time, any place,” he countered, feeling bold and elated by Trey’s admission.
“Careful, Magnus, or you’ll find your ass stuffed full one more time.”
“You can’t get enough of me. Admit it.”
Trey was looking into his eyes, so Magnus saw that brief moment of hesitation, but then Trey’s eyes cleared. “You’re right. I can’t.”
Magnus couldn’t explain what it felt like to have the man you loved admit something he’d refused to acknowledge for so long. It was the most incredible high in the world.
“So it’s a good thing I can take you whenever and wherever I want,” Trey noted with a smirk.
He refrained from telling Trey that he was his forever. Magnus didn’t want to push too hard. Trey was opening up, but Magnus knew from experience he could shut down at any minute. So instead, he said, “You’re right. You can. But you’ll have to catch me first.”
Trey grunted a laugh, clearly taken off guard by Magnus’s retort, the mood still light and comfortable. It remained that way throughout the morning while they did chores, when they shared breakfast with Ava, and when all three of them went back to the kennels to pitch in for the day.
It wasn’t until later that evening, as they were getting the dogs tucked away for the night, that a feeling of foreboding made the hair on the back of Magnus’s neck stand up. He had a strange feeling that the other shoe was about to drop.
Chapter Sixteen
