Alec jerked his head from the bike back to Keyes. His confused gaze searched Keyes’s face for the lie as his brain tripped in understanding. He glanced back at the motorcycle, taking in the subtle nuances that he hadn’t immediately noticed. The bike was blue. Not any blue either. The color of Keyes’s eyes. Alec’s favorite color. The rest was gray/silver. Both colors wove through every part of the sleek build.
Only then did he recognize the art. The same design as the tattoo on Keyes’s back. The winged angel that represented Alec.
“Key, what’ve you done?” Alec’s heart slammed against his rib cage. Keyes stayed rooted to his spot, making it clear he had no idea of Alec’s thoughts. Hell, he had no idea of his thoughts as something akin to fireworks shot through his vision. His heart pounded in his chest.
Alec covered his hands over his face, then dropped down into a squat on the balls of his feet. If he passed out, he’d be closer to the ground.
“Alec,” Keyes said unsteadily.
Screw passing out. He shot up, sprinting the seven or eight steps separating them. He didn’t stop as he leaped forward, wrapping his arms and legs around his beautiful mister. Keyes absorbed Alec’s body weight with a small step backward, remarkably staying on his feet. Keyes gripped Alec’s thighs, holding him in place.
It wasn’t often Alec’s face was above Keyes’s. He relished the way he looked down at his guy. “It’s the color of your eyes.”
“Seems silly now,” Keyes murmured, searching Alec’s face. The uncertainty still worrying Keyes was all Alec’s doing. He’d make it right though. Nothing could stop the joy running through him.
“No, not silly at all. It’s for me, right?” Alec asked, inches above Keyes. “Not just here to show me your work, you built the bike for me.”
“’Course. It’s the first one I built, but I’ve been tinkerin’ with—”
Alec mashed his lips against Keyes, giving him a hard, solid kiss.
When his tear-filled gaze met Keyes’s again, he stared down at his love and said, “Thank you.” Alec kissed Keyes again. “Thank you.” And again. “Take me to the motorcycle,” Alec whispered against Keyes’s mouth and kissed him again.
Keyes started toward the trailer.
Alec looked over Keyes’s shoulder to their friends. “I’m sorry I’ve been so down. It never occurred to me that the best husband in the world was building me a motorcycle. The best Christmas present ever.” Alec wrapped his arms tighter around Keyes’sneck, pulling his head closer, whispering into Keyes’s hair. “I love you.”
“Alec was getting to be a lot to handle,” Arik said irritably. “Something had to be done. Keyes wanted to give you the present tomorrow morning, but you were such a brat.”
“Right on,” Dev seconded, his tone not even close to teasing. “I thought he was gonna divorce Keyes.”
“Don’t listen to them. Take me to the bike,” Alec said and kissed Keyes’s lips again.
Alec kept hold of Keyes’s neck and glanced over his shoulder. The bike was perfect. Keyes took a giant step onto the trailer. “You’re heavier than you look.”
“You’re stronger than you look. Tell me about the motorcycle,” Alec repeated as Keyes put him on the seat. It was the only way he was willing to let go of his mister. He hiked a leg over and reached for the handlebars.
“It’s built for speed but handles well on the road. You nailed it when you said I used carbon fiber. I like workin’ with it. I use it on all the bikes,” Keyes said. His voice lost the concern from earlier, building in confidence with each syllable spoken. “Every part of the bike’s designed to be lighter.”
“Remember the helmet,” Uncle Clyde said, coming up on the other side of the trailer with a helmet and leathers for riding. Alec took the offering, smiling bigger than before. The helmet matched the exact shade of blue of the bike. Alec eagerly placed it on his head and lifted the face shield to better see the leathers. The same color combination and design were woven through the pants and jacket. The TDTK logo was on the back of the jacket. His tears were back.
“This bike fits me. I feel like it’s an extension of my body. I love it so much.”
Keyes grinned, looking over at Dev, giving a thumbs-up. “That’s exactly the point of a custom sled. Now you’re gonna have to learn to ride…”
“He doesn’t know how to ride a motorcycle?” Dev hollered and tossed his hands in the air. “Goddamn, Keyes. Don’t you think you should’ve been teachin’ him this whole time?”
“No,” Keyes argued as if Dev were the dumbest person on the planet. “I didn’t want to give it away.”
“I don’t want to ride it,” Alec said, tossing in his own attitude. “It’ll go in the garage with my other cars. I can go in and enjoy it while keeping the miles low.”
“Oh my God, he’s not gonna fuckin’ drive it?” Dev asked Keyes. “I bet you fuckin’ knew that too.” He threw his hands in the air again and started for the back door. Alec was too absorbed in the moment to care about anything else.
“We’re leaving. We have a family obligation,” Arik said.
“It’s beautiful,” Kellus offered with a critical eye. “Keyes and Dev have true talent. The three-dimensional effect with the wings popping off is absolutely stunning.”
He was proud of Keyes, who smiled brightly. Kellus was a successful artist by trade with international notoriety. The admiration in his voice meant a lot.
