Catalyst (Connectivity Book 2) Read online

  “Probably both. Olivia isn’t allowed to have soda and my mom will probably drink juice too, just so Olivia doesn’t feel like the only one. Edgar will drink whatever, but his favorite is root beer. We usually try not to keep too much caffeine in the house.”

  Jersey grabbed up two bottles of root beer and then made a selection of other sodas for everyone else to choose between.

  They’d invited Cory and Josh and both of their families along with Travis’s own family and even Jasmine had said she’d be there since she hadn’t met Jersey yet. She’d been busy catching up with friends who were also home over their summer breaks and Jersey had been nice enough to offer for her to bring a friend or two so she’d have someone more her age to hang with.

  They made the loop through the chip aisle and when their list was complete, they checked out and headed back to Jersey’s to put everything away.

  Once they were back up in Jersey’s room, Travis pulled out his phone to check for any messages.

  “Still nothing?” Jersey asked, coming back from the bathroom.

  “No. Nothing.” Travis put his phone down on Jersey’s desk and joined him on the bed. He’d called Nick twice over the last few days and left a few text messages, asking how he was doing. But so far, he hadn’t replied to any of Travis’s messages.

  “Sorry, babe. I know you’re worried. Hell, after the way that lunch ended, I’m a little worried and I kinda still hate the guy.” Jersey scooted over and snuggled up next to Travis, who wrapped his arm around him, hugging him close enough to press a kiss to the top of his head.

  “Maybe I should text a few of the guys and see if anyone has heard from him. Maybe he’s just laying low for a little while.”

  Jersey nodded but didn’t reply as he slipped his hand up under Travis’s shirt, resting his palm on his bare skin and curling his fingers into the trail of hair along his abs. They’d done a bit more exploring of each other's bodies, over the last few days, but nothing more than just having their shirts off. Travis loved the warm feeling of Jersey’s skin against his as they kissed or just lay together.

  Sensing where his boyfriend's mind had wandered, he replied, “Sorry I keep bringing it up. I’m just trying to do the right thing. I know you’d rather focus on us right now.”

  Jersey looked up at him then. “I’m not upset. I know you can still focus on us, but it also speaks to who you are, and what kind of person you are, that you’re worried about your friend. Even though he’d been royally screwing things up, he still needs someone to make sure he’s okay.” Jersey rubbed his palm up Travis’s chest, dragging his fingers through his chest hair and passing his fingertips over Travis’s nipples. “We have lots of time to focus on us, babe.”

  “Only until you leave for school. Then we’re stuck with Facetime or occasional visits when we have weekends free or at least half a day. I can’t believe you already have to leave in six weeks.” Travis sighed as he enjoyed his boyfriend's ministrations.

  Jersey trailed his fingers down Travis’s stomach and toyed with the button on his shorts. “In that case, we don't have much time at all, do we?”

  Travis hummed his agreement, his body responding to the thoughts creeping into his mind at the insinuation in his boyfriend’s advances. He lifted his hips slightly, hoping the subtle move would supply enough encouragement for his guy to continue.

  Jersey looked up at him again, his eyes asking the question. Travis hauled him up with his arm and their lips met in a sensual dance, each of them sensing the charge in the air.

  “Do it,” Travis whispered into Jersey’s mouth as their kiss heated up.

  Popping the button through the eye effortlessly, Jersey manipulated his zipper, then slipped his hand inside the parted fabric. The first rub of Jersey’s hand over his underwear had Travis lifting his hips again, and going from semi to full, in seconds. Travis groaned a little at the sensation and realization that someone else had their hand on him for the first time, and the noise he made must have provided some encouragement to Jersey because he shifted up to his elbow and stared down at Travis.

  “Can I touch you?” he asked, his eyes hooded with desire.

  “Please.” Travis shivered, his voice taking on a raspy quality.

  Jersey kissed him again, plunging his tongue into Travis’s mouth. He removed his hand from on top of Travis’s underwear and slipped it under the waistband, curling his fingers into Travis’s coarse hair. He slid his palm down and finally grasped him bare, causing Travis to buck his hips up and hold the back of Jersey’s head with his free hand, angeling his head to kiss Jersey deeper. His guy knew what felt good and took immediate control of his pleasure, sliding his hand over Travis’s length, squeezing and twisting to some unheard rhythm.

  “God, you feel amazing, Trav. Warm and hard, but soft and perfect.” Jersey panted next to Travis’s ear and Travis reached down with his right arm, gripping Jersey’s butt with his hand. “Put your hand inside,” Jersey directed.

  Travis pumped his hips up into Jersey’s fist at the invitation and squeezed Jersey’s butt one more time, before sliding his hand up, then slipping it down the back of his shorts, rubbing over his boyfriend’s warm skin. Jersey groaned as Travis grabbed a handful of one cheek and he fused their mouths together, nearly climbing on top of Travis to get closer.

  Jersey pulled back abruptly and before Travis had a moment to wonder why, he spit into his hand twice and was back at Travis’s mouth in moments. His hand snaked back into Travis’s underwear, and the new slick made the slide so much better.

  Travis used his free hand to push his shorts and underwear as far down as he could, and Jersey helped, using his wrist to nudge the fabric out of the way. Kneading the warm flesh in his right hand, Travis brought his left over to mess with the button and zipper on Jersey’s shorts. Jersey eagerly shifted to give Travis more room, and when he was finished, he guided Jersey up on top of him, shoving his shorts down as Jersey lifted and repositioned.

  When he settled back down, they both panted out a sharp breath at their first touch of each other and Jersey rocked into him, rubbing their lengths together. Travis’s head fell back against the pillow as he moaned out a long, low groan at the sensation, and Jersey used the opportunity to lavish his neck and jaw with attention, licking and kissing and nipping as he went. Remembering what he’d been doing before, Travis used both of his hands to squeeze Jersey’s butt, pulling him down, and Jersey bit down on the spot where Travis’s neck and shoulder met, sending a tingle down his spine.

  Jersey spit into his palm again and brought his hand down to coat them both and as the friction and slide and total stimulation of all of Travis’s most sensitive parts accumulated, he gripped Jersey’s butt tighter, grinding them together and latching his mouth back onto Jersey’s, moaning a sound in the back of his throat.

  Bracing on his elbows, Jersey thrust his hips into Travis, over and over, and with almost no warning, Travis shot all over his stomach and shirt, gasping out as he crested and Jersey keened a sound in his throat. His boy thrust a few more times then buried his face in Travis’s neck as he shivered and released, coating Travis in his warmth and letting his body go slack.

  Travis hugged his boyfriend close and raised his heavy head to kiss Jersey’s neck, nuzzling into his hair and he breathed in a deep lungful of Jersey’s intoxicating scent.

  “That was incredible,” Jersey sighed against his throat.

  Travis hummed his agreement and squeezed him in response. Jersey shifted so he was looking at up Travis. He looked blissed out and totally happy, with a sleepy smile on his face. Travis pecked him on the lips and Jersey nipped him then drew the kiss out, pulling the abused lip into his mouth and lavishing it with attention. Travis pulled back and his lip slid out from between Jersey’s teeth.

  Jersey grinned at him, pecked him once more, then rolled off, leaving him cold and sticky. “Come on. It’s definitely a perk to have an attached bathroom. Makes for easy clean-up.”

  Travis self-
consciously pulled his shorts back up, but held the waistband out away from his skin and lifted the hem of his shirt. He followed Jersey, who tore his shirt off over his head and dropped his shorts, into the bathroom. With his guy only wearing some rather skimpy underwear, Travis’s focus never strayed from the cute butt he’d just had his hands on.

  Jersey ran his hand through his hair, drawing Travis’s eyes up to the way his skin stretched over his ribs and the curve of his neck and shoulder blades. His slender frame was very appealing, and Travis surveyed the tone and shape of Jersey’s body as he walked.

  Looking back over his shoulder, Jersey stopped and turned around. He gripped Travis’s shirt and lifted the hem, taking his shirt off of him, then grabbed a washcloth from the counter and ran it under some warm water and returned to him.

  Before he brought the cloth to Travis’s skin, however, Jersey bent low, and starting at the waistband of his shorts, licked a stripe up Travis’s abs, dipping into his belly button and not stopping until he reached the hollow at the base of his throat. He kissed Travis’s Adam's apple, then focused on gently wiping away their combined release.

  The moment was so intimate that Travis swallowed at the gesture and the tender attention his boyfriend paid to taking care of him. When Jersey was satisfied, he tossed the towel toward the hamper and tucked his hair behind his ear, looking up at him from under his lashes.

  Travis cupped his cheek and ran his thumb over Jersey’s bottom lip, then kissed him softly, catching just a hint of their flavor as it remained on Jersey’s lips. Jersey wrapped his arms around Travis’s waist and buried his face in his neck.

  “Thank you,” Jersey whispered.

  “I’m not sure why you’re thanking me, but you’re welcome. I should be the one thanking you,” Travis said in return, a slight lump in his throat.

  Jersey shook his head. “Whether you’re doing it on purpose or you have no idea what you’re doing, you’re giving me exactly what I need. These little moments with you… I know they may not seem like much, but to me, they’re everything I’ve never had before. You are everything I’ve never had before.”

  Travis squeezed him and dropped a quiet kiss to his head, feeling more at ease in that moment, knowing they were in a good place and being as honest and heartfelt as possible with each other. “You are everything I’ve never had before either, babe. Maybe that makes us kinda perfect for each other, huh?”

  Jersey looked up then and smiled a gorgeous smile that Travis would love to see over and over again. “I like that thought.” Pressing up on his toes, Jersey kissed him. Travis ran his hand through Jersey’s long hair and held on to the back of his head. When Jersey pulled away, he looked more at ease and settled than Travis could recall from any of their time together over the last couple of weeks.

  As they righted themselves and took care of each other, Travis realized those little moments were the bricks of their foundation falling into place. And hopefully, with just the right alignment, they could create something beautiful together. Travis could find the value in that, even if Jersey wasn’t his Complement.

  ~

  Saturday morning, Travis was seated at the table with his family, enjoying one of their rare, ‘we’re all together’ moments. He’d helped his mom and Jasmine put together a quick brunch, and after their meal, they were all going to head over to Jersey’s for their day at his pool.

  “So, Trav, I’m excited to meet this new boy of yours. Olivia hasn’t stopped talkin’ about him since last weekend. Of course you had to bring him over when I wasn’t here, and now I’m the only one who hasn’t met him but according to little miss here, he’s the most amazin’ thing on two legs,” Jasmine said after taking a sip of her juice.

  Travis chuckled. He had his plate piled up with waffles and sausage, and was just about to take a bite, but paused to respond to Jasmine. “I think a certain someone has a little crush on my boy,” he teased and Olivia giggled.

  “I do not. He’s your boyfriend. Boys are gross,” Olivia chirped.

  “Oh? And what was that picture I saw you drawing earlier this week, then?” Travis teased back.

  “Okay, I like him. He had nice hair and he talked about swimming.” She giggled as she admitted her feelings.

  “He does have nice hair, doesn’t he?” Travis mused, thinking about running his hands through it again. Jasmine snickered and the sound drew him back. “You know, I think he likes you, too? He hasn’t even let me go swimming in his pool yet.”

  Olivia’s eyes got really wide as she looked back at him. “Really?” she asked. “He hasn’t?”

  “Nope. I sure hope I don’t have to compete with you about feeding the fish in his pond, either,” Travis said.

  “He has a pond with fish?” Olivia asked, her excitement mounting the more they talked.

  Travis nodded. “Big ones. Really pretty. I think there were some orange ones and some white-and-red ones. But,” he shook his head in dismay, “I haven’t been allowed to feed them yet.” Travis hung his head, playing up the moment for his sister.

  “Do you think he’ll let me feed them?” she asked hopefully, her hands fluttering around in her excitement.

  “I don’t know. Maybe he hasn’t let me do it yet because I haven’t drawn him a picture.”

  “I drew a picture. I could give it to him, or I could make a new one. Would he let me feed the fish if I gave him a picture?” Olivia was practically vibrating with excitement over the anticipation of possibly getting to feed the fish.

  Travis smiled. “Maybe. You know? I think the fish actually belong to his grandparents. You might need to draw them a picture, too. Just in case.”

  She nodded her head along with the suggestion. “Mom, can I go draw some pictures now? I want to feed the fish.”

  His mother laughed. “I think you might need to eat a little breakfast first, Livi. If you’re going to spend the day swimmin’, you need some energy to keep you going. How about eight more bites? Then you can be excused.”

  Olivia nodded and started shuffling food into her mouth. Everyone laughed at her enthusiasm.

  Edgar piped up, as he’d been following the conversation while reading lips. “A pond and a pool? Anything else?”

  Travis nodded. “Tennis court, greenhouse, and a huge garage for all his grandpa’s cars.”

  “Really? What kind of cars?” Edgar asked, perking up a bit at the mention of something more his speed.

  Shrugging, Travis responded, “Not sure. I’ve never been inside.”

  “Do you think I could I get a tour?”

  “Maybe. You might need to draw them a picture first, though.”

  Everyone laughed again and Edgar grinned. His brother could totally use his drawing skills to make an impression. Maybe Travis could see if Herald would let his brother make some sketches of his cars. If there were some collectibles in the garage, Edgar would love a chance to practice his drawing.

  Olivia asked to be excused, and everyone else finished up their meals. When the dishes were cleared, they all headed their separate ways to get ready for the day. Travis texted Jersey, letting him know they would be leaving soon and called in the favors he’d mentioned over breakfast. His guy agreed easily and seemed eager to get Travis there as soon as possible. Travis couldn’t agree more. Even though they’d hung out the night before and kissed until their lips were swollen, Travis was missing him hard. It seemed the more time they spent together, the harder it got to say goodbye every time. He wondered if it would be weird to suggest staying the night. He’d mention it to his parents and pack a little bag, just in case.

  Pulling his truck into Jersey’s drive a while later, Travis was followed by the rest of his family in their minivan. He noticed Jersey looking at his phone, waiting on the steps, but when his engine caught Jersey’s attention, he jumped up quickly and shoved his phone in his pocket. He was at Travis’s door before he had it open.

  Travis climbed out and was immediately engulfed in a hug by his happy little boyfri
end.

  “I missed you,” Jersey said into Travis’s shoulder.

  “I missed you, too,” Travis returned, petting the back of Jersey’s head. “Could I stay with you tonight?” he blurted.

  He hadn’t really meant to just blurt that out, but once Jersey was back in his arms, the question had just popped out. He needed to spend more time with his guy and less time saying goodbye.

  Jersey pulled back and looked up at him in surprise. He pushed up and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Of course. If you’re sure. I’d love it if you stayed. I hate it when you leave; I always feel so mopey and weird.”

  Kissing Jersey again, Travis smiled. “Same. Yeah, I’m sure. I wanna stay with you.”

  The smile on Jersey’s face warmed Travis’s heart and with one last sweet kiss, they grabbed up his things and went around his truck to help the rest of his family.

  “Ooh, he does have nice hair, Olivia.” Jasmine grinned over at them with a hand on her hip. Olivia giggled as she stood next to the van with her bag on her shoulder.

  Travis laughed and Jersey looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Olivia thinks you have nice hair and kept telling Jasmine how amazing you were. I just happened to agree. You do have great hair.” Jersey smiled back at him almost bashfully. Travis wrapped his arm around Jersey’s shoulders and kissed the top of his head. “This lovely lady here is my sister, Jasmine. Jazzy, this is Jersey.”

  “Well, it is about time I finally met the person who has my brother all tied up in knots,” Jasmine said and Travis blushed, feeling suddenly outted by his own sister. “Jersey, it is a pleasure to meet you. Let me just say. Some of the looks I’ve caught on his face this last week, mmm mmm. My brother is crushin’ somethin’ hard and I’ve never seen him so dreamy-eyed. Whatever kind of magical Travis voodoo you have goin’ on, it is definitely working.”

  Travis groaned and everyone else laughed as he buried his face in the side of Jersey’s head, blushing until his cheeks felt like they were on fire. Jersey wrapped his arm around Travis’s waist and squeezed.