by Ella Frank
Logan pushed away from the building and strolled toward the edge of the road. When Tate spotted him, he placed the helmet between his spread thighs and smiled in a way that made Logan’s heart race.
He wanted to see that smile every day, and that scared the shit out of him.
“Hey.”
Logan let his eyes travel the length of the bike and then raised a skeptical brow.
“If you want me on the back of that again, you better have something more than, ‘Hey.’”
Tate kicked down the bike stand and swung his leg—Are you fucking serious? He’s wearing leather pants too—over the back of the bike. He then stepped up onto the pavement so they were eye to eye before running a hand down the front of Logan’s jacket.
“You look hot in leather.”
“Me? Look at your fucking pants.”
Tate glanced down his body and then brought his eyes back to meet his. “I wear them for protection. You like?”
“So much I’m barely decent.”
Tate’s rumbling laughter mocked him as he invited in a husky voice, “Want to peel me out of them later?”
“Fuck you.”
“Hmm,” Tate mused and then leaned in, disagreeing in his ear. “I don’t think so. Tonight it’s my turn, and I’ve been thinking about it all day.”
Logan couldn’t help the frustrated sound that left him as he twisted his head so he could smell the cologne clinging to Tate’s skin. “Oh? So we’re taking turns now?”
Tate brushed a kiss across his mouth, and Logan felt it all the way to his toes.
“It’s only fair, wouldn’t you say? Now get on the bike, or we’ll be late.”
Well, how’d you like that? A whole fucking lot, according to his dick.
Without another word, Logan took the helmet Tate handed him and climbed on the back. The sooner they got done with game night, the sooner they could play.
* * *
Around twenty minutes later, they stepped into an elevator and Tate waited as Logan pressed Cole’s floor. As it began its ascent, Tate leaned against the sidewall and really took in the man standing across from him now that they were under the lights.
Logan had unbuttoned his jacket, so a strip of blue showed when he pushed his hands into his pockets. He had his glasses on, and his eyes were piercing as they watched him silently in their close confines.
His jeans looked expensive, probably brand-name since even his sweatpants were Armani, but that was something Tate admired about Logan. He never flaunted his wealth, and he certainly never made him feel as if he were beneath him…except when he really was.
“What’s that smile for?”
Tate hadn’t even realized he was smiling, but he figured he might as well be honest.
“I was thinking about how it feels when I’m under you.”
Logan shook his head as though he didn’t understand. “Did I do something to piss you off?”
Tate frowned, wondering what he’d said wrong. “No. Why?”
Logan reached down, bold as ever, and rearranged what Tate now realized was a solid erection.
“Because that’s the only reason I can think of that you’re hell-bent on torturing me tonight.”
Tate would never admit it, but the fact that he could affect Logan so strongly thrilled him unlike anything he’d ever experienced, and he wasn’t quite sure he wanted Logan to have that knowledge.
Which got him wondering...Would Logan admit to his weakness?
“Is that what I’m doing? Torturing you?”
“Yes.”
And there it was—the power.
That one word—yes—not only agreed with him, but also gave permission for Tate to continue doing what he was doing.
It was a rush to know that he was in control.
“Logan?” he asked, and when Logan said nothing, just waited quietly, Tate found a hell of a lot more than a sexual connotation on the tip of his tongue.
He wanted to tell him that he felt the same. That every minute they were together, this fierce attraction he was feeling was transforming into something completely different, something much deeper than he’d ever expected.
“I want you to know—” he started, but he stopped as the elevator sounded, indicating that they’d reached their destination.
Tate quickly took advantage of the moment and walked out into the hall. He was about to ask where he needed to go when he felt a hand on his arm.
He turned, and as the doors slid closed behind Logan, he asked, “You want me to know what?”
Tate thought about the words he’d wanted to say in the security of a safe space, but out here in the open, with Logan’s curious eyes staring him down, he couldn’t quite speak the words.
“I have no idea. I forgot what I was saying.”
Logan walked by, and gave a doubtful look, “You’re a terrible liar,” before he continued down the cream-colored hall.
Tate turned and followed him to the end, taking a deep breath when Logan raised a hand and knocked. He was about to meet Logan’s family.
Actually, that isn’t right, he thought as the door swung open and a tall, dark-haired guy greeted Logan. The same man then turned a friendly smile toward him and held out a hand.
“Hi. I’m Mason, Rachel’s brother.”
I’m meeting Rachel and Cole’s family as…
“You must be Tate? Logan’s boyfriend.”
Well, that clears that right up.
* * *
Logan held back the laugh that threatened when Mason Langley inadvertently gave both him and Tate one hell of a wake-up call. They’d both been tiptoeing around labels and naming exactly what they wanted from one another, but with one simple word—boyfriend—Mason had rendered both of them speechless.
So speechless that they didn’t even deny it.
“Come in,” he invited and stepped aside.
The guy was tall—at least six foot three, maybe more. He would even hazard a guess that he had Cole’s height beat.
“The others are in the living room, and we’re just waiting on Lena and Shelly.”
Logan knew that Lena was Mason’s wife. He’d heard both Cole and Rachel speak of her, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint the other name.
“The girls got caught at work down at University Hospital.”
Finally, Tate spoke up. “What do they do?”
“Lena, my wife, is a pediatrician and Shelly is a pulmonologist.”
Tate whistled, impressed. “Doctors, huh?”
Logan respected the way Tate wasn’t threatened by another’s accomplishments. Many men were prideful when it came to position, money, and power, and even though Tate was essentially starting over after his separation, he never wore that like it defined him. In fact, he never mentioned it at all.
They all wandered down the hall as Mason kept talking.
“Yeah, both are amazing doctors. And both are troublemakers. You’ll see.”
As the three of them stepped into the living room, Logan spotted Cole, who was dressed casually in jeans and a burgundy shirt, in his favored corner chair, with Rachel perched on his lap.
To their left was a man Logan had seen around the office a couple of times—Joshua Daniels, a client and friend of Cole’s who apparently was somehow connected to the rest of these people.
Logan wondered what was going through Tate’s mind as he surveyed the crowd that was currently staring at them, but before he could check, Rachel hopped off Cole’s lap and made a beeline for them.
“Logan,” she greeted with a smile so bright that it almost outshined her pink leopard-print skirt. She then looked at Tate and seemed to light up even more if that were possible. “Hi. I’m so glad you both came.”
“Who could resist game night?” Logan asked dryly, wincing when Rachel swatted his arm.
“It’s going to be fun. Right?” she asked Tate and sidled in close to his arm.
Like everyone who met Rachel, Tate immediately fell for her vibrant personality and warm way of making
you feel at home. He flashed that easygoing grin Logan was a sucker for and replied good-naturedly, “I’m sure it will be.”
“See, Logan?” she told him as she stuck her tongue out and slipped an arm through the crook of Tate’s arm. “I think you should be on my team. You want to win, right?”
Tate’s laughter filled the room with Rachel’s, and even though Logan knew it was all for fun, he wanted Tate on his team, damn it. Luckily for him, and before he made an idiot out of himself and actually said that, Cole wandered over to them and stopped by his side.
“You made it. I have to say, I was almost convinced a stomach virus was going to break out in your building tonight.”
Logan shrugged out of his jacket and faced his brother. “You know, I heard something like that was going around. But I knew if I didn’t show tonight that I’d have an even bigger pain to deal with on Monday.”
Cole clapped him on the shoulder. “Glad you’re smart enough to take preventative measures then.”
“You are serving alcohol, right?”
Cole chuckled and nodded. “Yes. Your usual? Or are you driving?”
Logan glanced at his designated driver, who still had Rachel wrapped around his arm.
“Go ahead. I promise to get you home safely.”
The sappy look that crossed Rachel’s face would have been comical if Tate’s smart-ass comment had nothing to do with that damn bike and his dislike of it.
“Why don’t you all go take a seat and I’ll bring it in. What about you, Tate?” Cole asked as he walked toward the kitchen.
“Just a Coke, please.”
“Gotcha. Rachel seems to have claimed you, so I’ll leave her to make the introductions.”
Logan walked into the living space he knew almost as well as his own and took a seat on the double couch. When Rachel finally released Tate’s arm, Logan waited to see where he would go, and without hesitation, he walked over to where the seat beside him was empty and sat.
“Well, you guys just met Mase,” Rachel said as she sat down on the arm of her brother’s chair. “He runs the restaurant Exquisite downtown.”
“Which we both own,” Mason added, and Rachel automatically reached out and touched his shoulder.
“He also happens to be the father of an amazing little girl, Catherine.”
“You’re not biased or anything?” Mason joked with his sister.
“Well, she is amazing. Just like her aunt.”
That was when the other occupant of the room piped up. “Yeah, she dresses funny like her aunt also.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Rachel brushed him off. “The quiet one there is Josh. His daughter Savannah is an angel. Looks and acts like one. The kids are having a play date tonight with the babysitter. Josh, this is Logan Mitchell, Cole’s brother and partner at the firm. And this is his boyfriend, Tate.”
There’s that word again, Logan thought as he felt Tate shift on the couch beside him. What is he thinking?
“Did you just say I was the quiet one?” Josh asked, oblivious to any discomfort in the room. “Who can get a word in edgewise in this group? Between you three women and the little women now in the mix, please tell me when the men are supposed to talk. Hey, Cole? Think you could do us a favor and have a boy?”
“Cole has already done his part in deciding if it’s a boy or a girl, thank you very much.”
“Yes. I participated in the fun part,” Cole called from the kitchen.
Logan heard Tate chuckle beside him, and turned to see he was looking at Mason wince.
Aww, poor guy.
“There’s nothing worse than hearing about your sibling’s sex life, am I right?”
Mason tried to shrug it off. “I should be used to it. Cole isn’t exactly subtle, and neither is Rach.”
Logan shook his head and leaned back on the couch, stretching his arm behind Tate, so that his fingers grazed his back. He felt Tate straighten and spoke in a soft but serious tone.
“Cole and I have never been good at subtle.” Tate gave him a look that screamed, ‘No shit,’ so he continued. “It’s probably the reason we both turned out to be lawyers. We see what we want—and take it.”
Josh smacked a hand on his thigh and laughed loudly. “Oh my God. He is definitely related to Cole.”
“I just said that when I was being overly chatty,” Rachel pointed out with an I-told-you-so roll of the eyes.
Josh winked at her fondly. “As if you are ever anything other than chatty.”
Logan watched the exchange, realizing that it was almost as familiar as his own with Cole. Josh was most definitely a part of this family, and Logan was curious how other than by knowing his brother.
He was also the most casual and relaxed-looking one of the group. He was wearing faded blue jeans, work boots, and a black long-sleeved shirt, with his brown hair pushed behind his ears, and as Logan sat there listening to them talk, it finally dawned on him.
“Creative Construction & Remodeling Company, right?”
“The one and only,” Josh agreed, sitting back on the couch.
“I knew your face was familiar. I was trying to work out from where.”
Tate made a sound beside him, and when Logan turned his way, he covered it with a cough, but not before Logan took note.
Oh no, he didn’t know Josh like that.
“Yeah. Cole’s been my lawyer for years. I recognized your name from my invoices.”
“Ahh. Then I’ll try not to be insulted that you chose to go with him when clearly I’m the best when it comes to the business contracts.”
“And he’s clearly modest too,” Cole interjected as he wandered into the room holding two glasses. He handed one to him and the other to Tate before moving back to his original seat. “So we’re just waiting on the girls?”
“Yeah. Shelly text me around fifteen minutes ago. They should be here soon.”
Logan raised his glass and was about to take a sip of his gin and tonic when Rachel asked again, “So, Tate? You are going to be on my team, yes?”
Logan knew she was asking as a way to include Tate, and he loved her for that, but when he saw Tate nod and agree…he hated her for it too.
“Sure. You might want to tell me what we’re playing first,” he teased.
Logan finally took that sip of his drink and saw Mason and Josh talking before he looked across the room at Cole, who was smirking at him.
The asshole knew he was jealous.
Jealous of fucking Rachel.
“Pictionary.”
Tate’s laughter made his arm rub against his own, and Logan faked a really fantastic smile when he heard, “I’m not a great artist.”
Rachel, unaware of his irrationality replied with, “We will just have to become one mind then,” and Logan lost his cool.
Fuck this, he thought, and stood.
“I’ll be right back.”
He felt Tate’s hand on his leg, and when he glanced down, concerned eyes met his.
“Everything okay?”
Even though it was childish and he felt like a fucking moron, Logan wanted to stomp his foot and tell Tate, “No, everything is not okay.” He was there as his date, damn it, and he was supposed to be his partner in…yes, Pictionary.
“Everything’s fine, but I felt my phone buzz.” Total goddamn lie. “I’m going to step outside for a minute.”
Tate removed his hand, and even though he knew he was being a dick, Logan stepped around him.
He was about to turn away when he noticed Cole still watching him and tapping the side of his cheek, and again, Logan thought, asshole.
This time though, as he left the room, he wasn’t sure if he meant Cole or himself.
10.
Tate remained seated on the couch that had been vacated by Logan. He was confused.
He thought back to what he’d just said and then stared across the room to Cole, who was watching him closely. Mason and Josh were discussing something involving their wives, and when Cole raised a glass to him i
n mock salute, he said something that would’ve knocked him on his ass had he been standing.
“He’s jealous. Give him a moment and he’ll come around.”
Tate immediately shook his head. There was…“No way.”
Cole took a sip of his drink and nodded. “Trust me. That, my friend, was the green-eyed monster leaving the room.”
“But—”
“I know my brother, and I’ve only seen him act that ridiculous once before.”
Cole placed a hand on Rachel’s leg and stroked it. She looked down at him, and her lips tightened with concern.
“I didn’t mean to upset him.”
Cole thought that was hilarious. His mouth split into a wide grin and his laughter boomed around the room.
“Oh you didn’t upset him, but I’m pretty sure you just opened his eyes.”
Tate didn’t know what that was supposed to mean, but he didn’t want Logan upset either. He stood and smoothed his hands down his pants, about to go and look for him when Rachel spoke.
“By the way, Tate, I love your pants.”
Usually he would’ve winked and thanked her, but the comment made him think of Logan, and now he just wanted to find the guy. He smiled quickly and excused himself with one thing in mind—locating Logan and knocking some sense into him.
* * *
Logan stepped out of Cole and Rachel’s condo and into the main hall, trying to remind himself he was a fucking adult.
Jesus, he felt like an idiot.
As if it weren’t bad enough that he had to sit through playing board games all night, now he had to sit across from Tate playing with Rachel, his sister in-law, who he was apparently jealous of. His own stupidity astounded him.
What the hell is the matter with me?
Rachel was pregnant and madly in love with his brother for fuck’s sake.
Logan brought a hand to his face and rubbed a palm over it before he cupped the back of his neck. Then he heard a door open and close behind him, and turned just in time to see Tate step out into the hall.
Logan watched as he checked his left, and when he saw nothing and turned in his direction, Tate’s eyes narrowed and he began walking his way.