“It’s nothing personal, Mark. No one was getting backstage. Can I ask you something?” Trey had to get his point across somehow.

“Of course.”

“How do you know when you’re in love?” Trey asked.

Mark hesitated so long that Trey checked his phone to make sure the call hadn’t dropped.

“Why?” he asked finally. “Are you in love with someone?”

“I think so. It’s just that I’ve loved Brian for so long that I’m not sure I can recognize it with someone else.”

“How does this person make you feel?”

Trey hesitated, not sure how to describe how he felt when he was with Reagan. “Like I’m truly alive for the first time in my life.”

“I feel that way too.”

Trey winced. As usual, Mark was hearing what he wanted to hear. That was why it was so hard to get rid of him. “I didn’t mean that I’m in love with you, Mark. I think I love Reagan.” And he’d told her, hadn’t he? Probably not the best thing to say to someone you were breaking up with. The sudden memory of her tear-streaked face squeezed his heart. He knew it was best that they parted ways. She could never accept the part of him that liked the feel of a hard body against his. The touch of a man. To be penetrated. Dominated. Fucked. He didn’t want to hurt her more than he had to. He couldn’t give up his attraction to men. He’d tried it. Maybe that made him a selfish bastard. Maybe he’d never find true love. Maybe he’d never be as happy as he’d been with her, but at least he’d be true to himself.

“She can’t give you everything you need,” Mark said. “Can I come over? I’ll give you what you need. Just hearing your voice makes me hard. Or if you want to top, you know I’ll let you.” Emotionally, Trey wasn’t ready for this, but physically he wanted it. His brain was telling him to hang up before he asked Mark to come over and keep him company, but his body craved the touch of a man. If he wasn’t careful, any man would do. To hell with feelings and consequences.

“Trey?” Mark questioned.

Trey flopped onto his back and stared at the ceiling fan overhead. No matter how much he wanted someone to warm his bed, he couldn’t give in to that temptation. He knew he’d regret it. And Mark was the worst possible choice to appease his needs. Well, second worst. At least he hadn’t given in to Ethan. He was the one Trey really wanted, but that would have devastated Reagan. “Not a good idea.”

Mark cursed under his breath. “I hate that I’m so fucking addicted to you. Do you think I enjoy this?”

Trey produced a lopsided grinned. “You must. You keep coming back for more.”

“You can’t deny that you want me.”

“I enjoy sex with you, sure, but you open up an entire set of complications I’m not ready to deal with. I know what it feels like to be in love with someone who isn’t in love with you. I’ve lived that way for years.”

“Who said I was in love with you?” Mark said.

“I think it was you.”

“Are you telling me that if you had the chance to have sex with Brian, even though you knew he didn’t love you in return, you wouldn’t have taken it?”

“God, yes,” Trey gasped. “I would have taken anything that man wanted to give.”

“I feel the same way about you. You don’t have to love me. Let me come over and I’ll love you.”

“But then you’ll have hope that things will work out between us and they won’t.”

“Even though Brian never had sex with you all those years, didn’t you still have hope?”

Trey sighed in frustration and rolled onto his side and stared at the TV screen. “Yes, but—”

“But? No but, Trey.”

Trey chuckled. “Exactly. No, butt.”

“Own me,” he whispered. “Just in the bedroom. I promise I won’t be a bother to you, if you just own me in the bedroom.”

“I can’t right now, Mark. I need some time to get my head on straight. Why don’t you call Jacob? He’d love to keep you.”

“I don’t want Jacob. I want you. Don’t you want me? Am I undesirable? I don’t understand.”

“You know I’m attracted to you.”

“Then fuck me.”

What would it hurt to lose himself in mindless sex? He’d been doing it his entire life without a second thought. What had changed?

Reagan. Reagan had changed everything, and though something inside him would love to go back to the way he’d been before he met her, he knew that would never be enough for him now.

“I can’t, Mark. Okay? I just can’t. It really isn’t you. Find someone who deserves your love and attention. It isn’t me.”

The intercom near the front door buzzed. Trey scowled. “Who could that be at this hour?” He climbed from the sofa, pressed the button, and spoke into the speaker. “Who is it?”

“Ethan.”

Trey’s heart skipped a beat. “I have company,” he said to Mark. “I have to go.”

“Who’s Ethan?”

Again with the jealous tone.

“He’s Reagan’s roommate. Don’t call me back. I won’t answer.”

“Thanks for talking to me. I miss you.”

“Bye.” Trey hung up.

His intercom buzzed again. He rubbed a hand over his face and then pressed the button to speak to Ethan again. “Don’t you think you’ve caused enough problems for me for one day?”

“Reagan and I talked. She thinks she can handle—” The repetitive yapping of a small dog emitted from the intercom speaker.

“You’re standing in my way, big fella,” the wizened voice of Mrs. O’Neal, who lived down the hall from Trey, came through the speaker. “Quiet, Shortie.” The yapping changed to a series of low growls.

“Excuse me,” Ethan said to the woman. Into the intercom, he said, “Look, Trey, I don’t think we want to discuss this over the intercom. Can I come up?”

“Is Reagan with you?” Trey said.

“No. It’s just me.”

Trey wasn’t sure why he felt such disappointment. Actually, that wasn’t true. He still had feelings for the woman. He couldn’t turn that off by walking out the door. He did want to hear what Ethan had to say. Maybe things could work out with Reagan. Ethan knew her better than anyone. Maybe he could help Trey figure out how to proceed from here, because even though he’d said he wanted to break up with her, he didn’t. Not at all. He wanted her back. Maybe he could get by with artificial stimulation. Would she wear a strap-on for him? Or maybe… He didn’t know. He had to do something, though. His conversation with Mark had made him realize he needed that woman in his life. He loved her. “Fine.”

Trey pushed the button to let Ethan into the building. He shoved his cell phone into his pocket and glanced around the apartment. He wasn’t sure what Ethan could possibly want to talk to him about. He was probably pretty mad that Trey had made Reagan cry. Maybe he was coming upstairs to rearrange his face. He had that temper issue when he thought he was protecting the innocent. And Reagan was definitely the innocent one in this situation.

Maybe Trey shouldn’t have let him into the building after all.

Maybe he could pretend he wasn’t home.

A set of knuckles rapped on the door.

“Trey?” Ethan called from the hallway.

Trey’s dad was a plastic surgeon. He’d do a good job of fixing Trey’s face if Ethan was pissed enough to hit him. Trey took a deep steadying breath and then went to open the door.

Ethan gazed at Trey with that feral hunger that made Trey’s balls throb. Damn him. Is that why he’d come? For sex? Ethan didn’t look mad. Or even annoyed. He looked horny.

Ethan let himself into the apartment, rubbing up against Trey as he passed. Trey closed his eyes and tried not to be too obvious about inhaling Ethan’s heady, masculine scent. Turning down Mark over the phone had been easy. Ethan in the flesh was a different story. Focus on keeping Reagan. You haven’t strayed yet. You can fix things with her. Be strong.

Trey closed the door. Ethan reached over and turned the deadbolt. He was so close, and he smelled so good, and he felt so hard. Fuck, it had been too long since Trey had been with a man. He couldn’t deny his needs. Wasn’t sure why he’d ever thought he could.

Ethan’s hands moved to Trey’s ass. “You’re mine now,” he said in a low growl.

“Ethan, why did you come here?” Trey asked even though he could probably guess.

Ethan moved one hand to grip Trey’s chin between his thumb and forefinger and forced his head back.

“I’m here to fuck you,” Ethan said.

Trey pulled away from him. “This is what you planned all along, isn’t it? To get me to break up with Reagan so you could seduce me?”

Ethan shook his head. “Don’t flatter yourself. She sent me over here to seduce you. She thinks she can allow you to have a male lover as long as it’s me.”

Trey laughed. “That’s the biggest bullshit story I’ve ever heard. Reagan would never say that. Just look how freaked out she was when you cheated on her with a man.”

“But you didn’t cheat on her. Where I snuck around behind her back to find sexual gratification, you were frank and honest with her. She’s willing to try this to keep you in her life. I’d say that makes you one lucky son of a bitch.”

“So I’m allowed to have sex with a man, but only if it’s you,” Trey said. “Do I get a say in this?”

Ethan gaped at him. Apparently, that was not what he had been expecting Trey to say. He’d probably thought he’d be naked and lubed up by now. “You don’t want to?”

Trey grinned crookedly. “I don’t think Reagan knows what she’s getting herself into. Actually, I’m half-convinced that you’re making this story up and are here because you want to be here. I don’t think it has anything to do with Reagan. I think you’re using her as an excuse to get laid. Or making sure you finish the deal so there is no way she’ll ever let me close to her again.”