by E. Davies
“Cheeky,” Hunter winked, not dissuaded. “Looking?”
“No.”
Hunter nodded. “I prefer relationships to one-night-stands.”
“Why?” Logan couldn't pretend he wasn't interested; he just didn't know why he was interested in the man who already stood against everything he stood for.
“I want the intimacy of sleeping with a man you know inside as well as outside,” Hunter told him. “And I want to think a man's out there who won't bore me to death. It's a challenge.”
Logan nodded, resisting the urge to rise to the challenge. He didn't have anything to prove to this man. “Yeah, I'm not interested in the romantic side. I'm fine with giving up a little intimacy for that.”
“You like to fuck guys but not love them? Politically?”
Logan shrugged. “Sometimes.” He wasn't above using sex to... persuade people to do things that were favorable to him. He wasn't stupid, though; even though it had just been a quick blowjob with Blythe, Logan had gotten tested as always.
Hunter slowly nodded. “So... you must have heard about the Halton lands.”
Ah, fuck, I don't want to think about work. The Halton lands were right behind Halton Heights, the richest area of the city. They were an environmental haven for all the wildlife pushed out of their natural habitat by rich assholes and their artificial pools and lawn chemicals. Now, the city was keeping the land on one side of the road below the heights as a park and selling the other half. A developer was trying to buy it and put up condos. Logan was on the front lines of the fight against him.
“We're working to keep the land natural,” Logan nodded.
“Ahh. You're part of that group. The Green Heart one.”
Logan was a bit surprised that Hunter knew about the issue, let alone his nonprofit. Then, it clicked: Hunter was rich enough that he lived out there. Shit, those guys were all millionaires and superstars. This guy was probably born into wealth on top of the money he'd earned from selling his company.
“Yes, I know what's going on below the Heights,” Hunter added when Logan didn't say anything. “If you feel like chaining yourself to the trees, I'd be more than happy to help you out.” His voice was a deep purr of sexual appeal and dominance.
Logan scoffed. “Only an idiot would think that's my first resort.”
“First or last, I'd like to watch,” Hunter grinned.
The ire rose within Logan's chest, but he fought to breathe evenly and stay calm. “Not many men get to restrain me.”
“Mm.” Hunter gave a 'fair enough' shrug and sipped his drink. “So, it's not a bit too soon to discuss that, then?”
“Oh, fuck off,” Logan told him, unable to swallow his retort any longer. He wished his body didn't ache with need at the idea of having this gorgeous, sharply-dressed man holding him down in bed and... Fuck. I'm attracted to him. Logan downed the rest of his drink and stood up.
Hunter rose to his feet, too. He still wore an amused smile – nothing fazed him. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Logan.”
“Thanks for the drink, Hunter.” Logan set down his glass and strode out of the VIP section without a backwards glance. He checked his phone for the time, then headed straight outside to walk back to his cheap apartment and cool off. The rest of his friends would manage without him for the rest of the evening.
As he walked home, Logan became aware of how warm he was despite the crisp breeze. Something about Hunter was appealing on a much more instinctive level than he usually relied on. Hunter was incredibly dominant, but there was something more about him than his arrogant self-confidence.
“Fuck me,” he muttered, earning him a glance from a group of younger club-goers who weren't shocked at his language.
He scowled at the idea that Hunter turned him on at all. Not that it mattered. The city wasn't small enough that he saw himself mingling in the same social circles as an obnoxious millionaire – or more – again.
That didn't stop Logan from searching for Hunter online with what few details he knew, and it took only a few searches before he stumbled on the man's paper trail.
Hunter Kenning was a media-shy man worth a billion if you counted his family fortune, but at least eight figures since selling his startup last year, according to one magazine profile with glowing praise of his leadership skills and bargaining savvy. Now, another profile wrote, he spent his days investing in real estate and enjoying life. The kicker was that Hunter was only seven years older than Logan, who was barely twenty-four.
The newspaper photo wasn't as flattering as the sight of him in real life had been, though. He'd clearly been rushing past the photographer. Logan shut down his computer before he spent the night obsessing over the billionaire who had taken such a brief interest in him.
He crawled into bed, trying to keep his mind on more pressing matters. He would never admit it to anyone else, but Hunter's intense blue eyes and broad, teasing grin were the last image in Logan's mind's eye as he drifted to sleep.
Chapter 2
Hunter
Logan Hudson was utterly captivating.
Hunter hated admitting that to himself. The beautiful stranger he'd spotted in the bar should have been an annoyance, someone Hunter wanted to crush out of the competition for the Halton lands... a hotheaded green freak with immature ideas about the world.
But he wasn't that at all.
Logan was articulate, passionate, and cool-headed even when Hunter was deliberately provocative. He knew what he was talking about. Even during his speech about simple ways for Hunter to reduce his impact on the earth, he'd clearly been holding back on a wealth of knowledge in the interest of conciseness.
Hunter saw why Green Thumbs, Green Hearts – the organization he knew Logan spearheaded – was succeeding. He'd quietly watched from the wings as GTGH bid, fundraised, won, and renovated an urban site that would have been the perfect site to develop expensive condos on and raise the value of the neighborhood. He'd had money in those condos, in fact, and he'd been angry at first.
The plan to turn the land into a community garden had sounded stupid to him at first, but those living nearby had been surprisingly opposed to the chance to raise their property values and attract a new class of neighbor. They had supported the garden completely.
Still, Hunter had started to come around. That community had decided together to say no to development and say yes to... well, their own community.
It sounded cheesy as hell, but it wasn't that far off his own neighborhood.
Rich, famous, or wannabe rich-and-famous people moved into Halton Heights. They banded together to get tax rate freezes, and talk each other out of ugly building work that would drag down the look of the place. They attracted their preferred architects and developers – the ones whose designs would match the feel of the neighborhood.
As far as Hunter was concerned, if a bunch of people wanted to live next to a dirty garden and eat potlucks together, it was their right. His boyfriend at the time hadn't thought so, but then...
They weren't dating anymore.
But he was the last person Hunter wanted to think about.
Logan was the one on his mind.
Fuck, those pretty lips... the dirty blond hair... deep brown eyes... and the casual way he wore a t-shirt to expose his rippling muscles, the collared shirt layered over top to make him look just formal enough for the settings.
His friend had been pretty hot, too, but there was no question about which one he should choose when he'd looked across the bar at the two of them.
Not that Logan seemed sold on the idea yet.
Hunter was going to have to make it his mission to get Logan in bed one way or another. If he wanted more than that, if the persuasive, strong-willed young spitfire interested him enough to pursue seriously, well... that would come later.
One step at a time.
Chapter 3
Logan
Logan's first resort to save the Halton lands, far from chaining himself to trees, was one he was
certain the developer wasn't expecting. He had put his life savings on the line and placed his bid, which Blythe had seen fit to approve him to do.
Lucky me, he thought with a smile as he got out of the car and locked the door with the key before pocketing them. He juggled his notebook and pen back into his right hand and strode for the building.
He was certain his bid would be the only one with a promise to seriously review the environmental impact of any development, with no more than one low- to no-impact dwelling on the property. He would rely on the environmental activism he and his group had been doing to pressure the council into accepting his bid for natural preservation reasons.
Bids were closed, and it was finally the night of the public consultation and open forum. All public comments would be taken into consideration when deciding which bidder to select, they promised, but he was always skeptical.
Almost everything in his mind ground to a halt when he entered the school gymnasium being used as a community hall this evening, scanned the crowd of people sitting in folding metal chairs, and spotted none other than Hunter.
This time, he was dressed in a casual sports jacket and dark designer jeans.
Despite himself, Logan's hopes rose.
Hunter glanced over to the doorway and smiled.
He doesn't hate me that much, then.
Logan didn't know why that thought was reassuring. It was likely Hunter was going to be on the enemy's side tonight. He quickly broke the gaze as he walked into the hall.
He deliberately chose to sit a few aisles ahead and to the side, but it didn't surprise him at all when he smelled the woodsy musk of whatever cologne Hunter wore and heard the quiet rustle of fabric.
“Maybe that chair's taken,” he muttered, staring straight ahead at the microphone and the nervous people milling about near it.
Hunter stood up in a smooth motion and sidled past Logan, his thighs and backside brushing across Logan's knees and thighs as he switched to the seat on the other side of him. “I bet this one isn't, though.”
Logan refused to let his body react to that closeness, much as he wanted to shift and cover his groin in case that initial flush of heat produced another reaction altogether than the one he wanted to show. “Suppose not.” He finally glanced over to the billionaire. “So, what brings you to mingle with the peasants?”
Hunter burst out with another quick laugh, draping his arms along the seats to each side of him. Logan was acutely aware of the arm that didn't quite touch his shoulders. “Wow, you're mouthy. You should be saving that spark to rage against the system.”
“You're part of it,” Logan murmured but took Hunter's point. He had a difficult fight ahead of him.
“Maybe not,” Hunter told him.
Before Logan questioned him on that, he heard the microphone pop and glanced ahead again.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the public forum regarding the Halton redevelopment on the edge of town.”
Most people tuned out these speeches, but Logan opened up his notebook and took notes. Even Hunter was nearly forgotten next to him, though the peripheral sight of Hunter's muscled forearms and neatly folded hands next to him distracted him occasionally.
After taking public comments and passing them along to the appropriate councils responsible for zoning permits and construction regulations, the moment Logan had been waiting for arrived and he glanced up from taking notes.
“What about the environmental implications of the bids you've accepted?” Juan was at the public feedback microphone now. Logan bit back a smile, his heart racing with anxiety. “What can you tell us about the use of the land?”
“In light of public feedback on the issue, we have decided not to accept bids for development of the land into multi-use residential and commercial construction, such as a condo development with a business on the ground floor,” the woman at the microphone answered, to audible gasps and scattered applause. “We have received two eligible bids from other bidders for this property, and we'll be contacting the winning bidder shortly.”
Logan's heart soared.
Then, almost imperceptibly, Hunter sat up straighter, the expression of interest growing.
Logan's stomach lurched. He'd never be able to outbid the billionaire. He hoped Hunter wasn't the other bidder. If he was, his only strategy was to get between him and the property, perhaps literally. And luckily, I already know exactly how to do it.
The moment the meeting wrapped up, Logan glanced over at Hunter. “So...” He had to make his move now.
“Yes?” Hunter answered. He still seemed a little aloof, as if he were simply amused by everything Logan said and did. Logan wasn't sure he liked that. He found it a little obnoxious, but also obscenely attractive. Fucker.
“Have you bid, then?”
“I'm not getting between you and that land. I mean, unless there's a guarantee of chains,” Hunter teased. The way his blue eyes twinkled with amusement made Logan want to blush despite himself.
“Chains are optional these days. You're behind the times on our protest tactics,” Logan shook his head.
Hunter winked. “You can show me.”
Logan narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “You never said yes or no to whether you bid.”
“Yes, I did... but I'm open to selling it again to the right person if I win.”
“Who would that be?”
“Someone who isn't going to put condos there.”
Logan's shoulders dropped with relief. “Oh. So, um, you are on my side... or at least, not on their side.”
“Yeah. I would have told you that upfront, but... I doubt you would have believed me,” Hunter grinned.
Logan laughed, knowing Hunter was right. “So, how can I persuade you to give up the land to me if your bid wins?”
“Mmm... well, let's meet up tonight,” Hunter suggested. “Talk to me about your plans for it. I know you must be planning on something, not just a nature preserve.”
“I was, yeah,” Logan nodded. “We could meet for dinner or coffee.”
Hunter shook his head. “Let's meet on the land. By the road. Fitting, right?”
“The Halton--”
“Yeah.” Hunter's eyes sparked with something adventurous that made Logan instinctively want to follow.
Faking attraction is hard when I am attracted. Fuck.
“Okay,” Logan murmured, keeping his voice low. He still felt high on the elation of blocking the developer from buying the land. As the lanky man stood up to leave, Logan was positive he felt a glare. Logan didn't care; his work here was mostly done. Now he had to try to pull the rug out from under the council if they accepted Hunter's bid instead of his.
Hunter checked his watch. “This evening? Say, seven?”
“I'll see you there. Don't stand me up,” Logan warned him, wagging his finger.
He didn't expect Hunter to take his hand, his fingers warm and calloused and his grip firm as he raised the back of Logan's hand to his lips and brushed lightly.
Logan shivered, unable to feel the distant coldness he'd been trying to project towards Hunter to discourage romantic advances. Heat flushed his body, along with the unbearable desire to let those lips keep wandering up his arm.
“I wouldn't dream of it,” Hunter murmured, slowly letting go of his hand.
“Right.” Logan nodded, then strode straight for the door. You have to look at him like he's the enemy. The kiss of his hand was a ploy to distract him, he was certain of it.
Coming to this conclusion didn't stop him from daydreaming about the smooth lips against the back of his hand as he dressed up for the date. No, not a date – an appointment. A meeting with a hidden purpose, he reminded himself.
Chapter 4
Hunter
He'd done it. Hunter had won a date with the smoking hot young environmentalist, and he hadn't gotten punched.
Well, it wasn't exactly a date, but at least they could talk somewhere more private... and then he could try out a proposal on Logan.
Right now, though, he had bigger things to worry about... like Charlie Gold, representing his own company, Gold Touch.
The bastard was trying to get in touch with him again. He and Charlie both knew that technically, the land wasn't barred from being developed into condos. It had been sold to one of the two of them because they were proposing low-impact solutions. But short condos, ones designed properly so they didn't obscure the views of the neighborhood...
If Charlie were to wait for a few months or even years, keep his head down, and then apply for a zoning permit, nobody would bat an eye.
Groups like Logan's would keep an eye on it, but they couldn't do anything about backroom deals. Most people didn't care about backroom deals.
That meant Charlie wanted to buy the land off him if he won the bid. The other possibility was that Logan would win the bid, and then... Hunter's gut instinct told him that Charlie would want Hunter to get the land off him, then resell it.
“Fuck,” he murmured quietly as his cell rang for the fifth time that day. Normally, most people didn't have a direct line to his pocket, but Charlie wasn't most people.
Far from it. Charlie was the biggest asshole this side of Russia, but as for what he could offer... millions, easily. Even with as much money as Hunter had, he had to at least think about the deal Charlie might put on the table.
If Hunter said no, Charlie might go across the road to the public park on the other side of the relatively undeveloped Halton Park and convince the parks authority that they should give up some of that land for a project to revitalize the area and the parks authority's wallet.
If he said yes...
He wished Logan's face didn't appear in his mind.
He wished it didn't look so fucking disappointed in him.
He wished he didn't care what Logan's reaction would be if he sold that land under the table.
It was only some squirrels and deer, surely.
“Hello?” Hunter pressed the phone to his ear and closed his eyes as he leaned against the kitchen island. The view across his spacious backyard, then down the forested hill and across to the park and then the ocean beyond always made him pause.