Edgard squirmed at the goose bumps racing down his arms.
“Or—”
“Or we could talk.”
Trevor lifted his head. “Why?”
“Because I have a confession to make.”
Those pale blue eyes narrowed.
Just say it. Straight up. “I love you, man. I’ve always loved you. But it appears I’m also falling for your wife.”
“Run that by me again.”
“I’m crazy about that woman who’s crazy enough to love you.”
“You are?”
“Yeah. From the second I met her I knew she was different—not the same shallow type of pretty, cheap, easy bimbos you preferred to bed in the past.”
Trevor grunted.
“Don’t get me wrong, Chassie is pretty. She’s sweet as pie. She’s unassuming, yet there’s no doubt she is borne of grit and a whole lotta try. Not to mention she’s funny.
And I swear, she’s as raunchy as any man I’ve ever known.”
“Preachin’ to the choir here, Ed,” he said testily.
He closed his eyes and bucked his hips. “Fine. Forget it. Get off me.”
“Oh hell no.” Trevor made his weight feel heavier. “I’m gonna be in you and on you when you tell me you ain’t pullin’ my leg when you confess you’ve got the hots for Chassie, amigo.”
“I wouldn’t joke, especially not about this.”
A pause filled the air. “Hey,” Trevor intoned softly, but with a gruff edge. “Look at me.”
Edgard blinked his eyes open with surprise.
“Sorry.” Trevor smooched Edgard’s nose. “It just caught me off guard, okay? Ain’t every day your best friend tells you he’s got a thing for your wife. Go ahead and finish.
I’ll keep my trap shut for a change.”
Edgard inhaled and exhaled slowly, amazed by how much Trevor had changed. How glad he was the changes didn’t come at the expense of everything else he’d liked about Trevor. “Chassie and I hung out and worked side-by-side after I first arrived here, since you didn’t want anything to do with me. I got to know her. I genuinely liked her as a person before I figured out she really did make you happy. After I kissed you and Chassie left, I felt bad, but not bad enough that I’d’ve given you up if she didn’t come back.”
“Did you tell her that?”
“No. When she returned and worked so hard at understanding our relationship, then wanted to be a part of it, I thought if I could have you occasionally, I’d put up with being in bed with Chassie too.”
Trevor just stared at him.
“But see, there is no put up with. And I’ve been as freaked out about my attraction to her as I imagine you were when you figured out you were attracted to me.”
“Is it just sex?”
“I thought so at first. Strictly on a sexual level I love touching her. Having her touch me. Watching you two together. Having her watching you and me. And the three of us in bed is beyond explosive.”
A smile tilted the corners of Trevor’s mouth. “But?”
“On a personal level…it might sound lame, but Chassie lets me soothe her and she soothes me in a way no one else ever has.”
“Not even me?”
Edgard shook his head. “Not even my mother.”
“Whoa. That’s some serious shit, Ed.”
“Yeah. There’s a softness about her that doesn’t have anything to do with her female parts. The other night, when I told her everything that’d gone on in my life, things I never told anyone, not even you, she broke down and cried for me. Cried. For me. No one’s ever cried for me before.”
“I did. After you went back to Brazil.” Trevor scowled. “But I was really cryin’ for myself, wasn’t I?”
“A tough cowboy like you really shed a tear? For me?” When Trevor ducked his head, Edgard forced it back up. “I’m glad you told me. There was a time when you wouldn’t have.”
“Times change.”
“Thank God. Anyway, the morning after the first night we were all together? She showed honest-to-God genuine sorrow that I’d slept alone. The next night and every night after that she welcomed me. Not only into your bed, but…into her heart.”
“That woman has a mighty big, mighty soft heart. I kid her that her br**sts are so small because her heart is so dang big,” Trevor added with a chuckle. “Long as we’re spillin’ our guts… Lemme ask you something.”
Threading his fingers through the damp hair at Trevor’s temple, Edgard let his thumb caress the hollow of Trevor’s cheek and the man practically purred. “Anything.”
“Do you think Chassie would be so acceptin’ about us if it wasn’t for Dag?”
“No.”
Trevor’s eyes were serious. “Me neither. Why is that?”
“She watched her brother, the first man she loved, wither up inside and die because he couldn’t be who he wanted to be or live his life on his own terms. She doesn’t want that to happen to her or to you, or now, even to me. Not when she has the power to change it. Not in a crusading way, trying to right old wrongs, but in accepting things change.”
“It goes deeper than rollin’ with the punches, don’t it?”
“Yeah. I’m amazed that Chassie loves unconditionally, which is why she’s at her aunt and uncle’s place helping out even when she’s mad as hell at the whole lot of ’em.
Even when she’d rather be here with you, hearing what happened with your family.”
“Doesn’t seem like there’s enough of her sweet goodness to go around, does there?”
Trevor said.
“No. She just…” Edgard stared at Trevor helplessly, hoping he’d fill in the blanks.
“I know, buddy. Chassie is like… it, ain’t she? I discovered that the very first time we spent time together. Made me goddamn glad no other bozos around these parts figured it out before I snapped her up as mine.”
“You’re not mad?”
“No. That pint-sized woman brings out the best in everyone, even degenerates like us. Bein’ with her has made me a better man. I think that’s why I’m able to accept how I feel about you because she accepts it. Encourages it.” Trevor kissed his forehead.
“Besides, I knew you were a goner for Miz Sassy Chassie when you bought her that goddamn goat.”