Six Degrees of Lust (12 page)

“Sadly, I do.”

“And I’m not entirely sure of what’s going on, but there’s

definitely trouble in paradise with the average looking boyfriend

as well. I just wish Chris would see the light and dump the guy

once and for all.” Adam put the invoice down and joined him at

the door once again. “Julian, that’s the boyfriend, is completely

different from Christian. He’s so bland looking… He’s nice, don’t

get me wrong, but the couple of times he’s been here to talk to

Chris he’s made me very uncomfortable. I get the feeling he is…

I don’t know… judging me, perhaps.” He bumped his shoulder

into Logan’s arm. “Will you stop gawking if I introduce you to

him?”

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“I’m not gawking.” He turned and smiled at his longtime

friend. “And yes, please do introduce us”

“Huh.” Logan could see Adam was confused by his attitude.

He knew Logan enough to see there was no sexual awareness on

his part, so he couldn’t understand the sudden interest.

“Okay, what am I missing here?” his friend asked, crossing his

arms over his chest. “I know Chris isn’t doing anything for you.”

He leaned closer and peered into Logan’s eyes. “I don’t see that

twinkle you get in those grayish blue eyes of yours when a guy

catches your attention, so why do you want to meet him?”

“He seems to be friendly?” He shrugged a little and studied

the guy carefully before speaking again. “As trite as this will

sound, he looks familiar. I’m not quite sure what it is about him,

but it feels like I’ve met him before and I can’t remember when

or where.”

“That’s crazy, but good enough for me. Let’s go.”

Smiling, Logan followed Adam out into the lobby area.

§ § § §

The pretty lady was listening to her friend talk to a few of the

women waiting for their appointments, but focused on them the

second they walked across the waiting area. Smiling at Adam, she

got up from her chair and went to meet them halfway.

“I swear doll, you get more magnificent every time I see you.”

Adam gave her a small hug and a kiss to each cheek.

“I see you’re still the same sweet talker you were last week.”

She rolled her eyes playfully and winked at Adam, then turned

towards Logan, curiosity shinning in her eyes. Obviously, Adam

and Logan’s closeness hadn’t been lost on her. “Is this a new

boyfriend?” she asked, perusing Logan from his hair to the suit

he was wearing.

Adam shot him an amused look and they both laughed. “Lord

no, girl,” he said. “This is Logan, my best friend since we were

little boys and played with Barbie dolls.”

“Oh, please,” Logan joked. “I never played with Barbie dolls.

76 Taylor V. Donovan

Don’t remember doing it with you, anyway.”

He saw Gabi laugh away her embarrassment and stick her

hand out for him to shake. “Nice to meet you, Logan, I’m Gabi.

I apologize for assuming… I shouldn’t have.”

Logan smiled at her and released her hand. “Don’t worry

about it.” He caught some movement to his left and turned his

attention to the hot blond guy rapidly approaching.

“Adam.” He gave the other man a tight hug. “Thank you

so much for squeezing us in today. Gabi said you pulled some

strings.”

“Well, being close friends with me does get you guys perks

and privileges with the owner.” Adam winked at Gabi.

“Surely does.” He turned to Logan and gave him a very

obvious once over. “And who do we have here?”

Logan liked him on the spot. He liked the way he carried

himself and his no nonsense attitude. Not only was the guy

beautiful, but there was something infectious about his personality

as well, something that pulled him in.

He was skinny and as tall as Logan, which put him a little

over six feet. Having no muscle mass to speak of, he looked long

and elegant. Soft eye shadow and lip gloss gave his features a

delicate, almost ethereal look. His hair was blond on top, dark

brown on the bottom, layered and shoulder length. He had high

maintenance written all over him.

Logan stuck his hand out and smiled when Christian

immediately grabbed it. “Logan Brandenburg.”

“Christian Murphy. It’s a pleasure to meet you, gorgeous.”

“You as well.”

Something warm passed between the two men, and Logan

knew they could be friends given the opportunity. Considering

how peculiar he was when it came to making new friends, Logan

intended to make sure he saw this guy again.

“Gabi and Christian own Metaphora, a very famous art gallery

in Chelsea,” Adam said, pride clear in his voice. “It’s recognized

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by artists and critics alike all over the states as well as some places

in Europe.”

“Congratulations to both of you.” Logan smiled at them.

“Don’t think I’ve ever been to your gallery.”

Christian, who appeared to be a serial flirt, took a business

card out of his satchel and offered it to him with a wide smile and

a lot of sass. “You should make some time and stop by. I promise

to give you an exclusive tour myself.”

“Don’t mind if I do. I’ve been interviewing artists and gallery

owners for a few days now, getting some information on canvases

and art materials. Speaking of which…” A quick glance at his

watch told him it was time to get going. Once again he shook

everybody’s hand. “As much as I’d like to stay and talk for a while,

work is calling. It was nice meeting you both. Hopefully I’ll see

you around soon.”

“Will you at least try and make it to my birthday party?” Adam

asked in a rush. “I know it’s still two months away, but with you,

it pays to book in advance. And you’ve missed it the past two

years, Lo!”

“Send me the info and I’ll do my best, okay?” He gently

squeezed Adam’s shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. “See

you later, babe.”

“Don’t be a stranger!” Gabi said. Christian just smiled and

waved, then watched him walk out the door. Logan knew they’d

see each other again.

It wasn’t until he started off down the street that he gave a

second thought to the gorgeous woman’s name.

“Gabi,” he whispered. “Gabi, who happens to be the co-

owner of an art gallery in Chelsea…” He stopped and stared at

Escape for a second, then turned back and headed for his SUV.

“No fucking way… right…?”

He grinned and started his SUV. He had never believed in

coincidences.

May 20, 2009

Houston, Texas

Hey there.

It was a little after eleven on a rather busy Wednesday night

at The Five Alarm when he got the first text message. There was

not a table to spare in the dining area and the bar was packed to

the gills, overflowing with customers watching the baseball game

on the multiple plasma TVs scattered all over the establishment.

To say it took him by surprise would be the understatement

of the year. For starters, things had gotten pretty awkward at the

end in that hotel room. Then there was the fact that the Yankee

didn’t strike him as the type to follow up with his hook ups,

especially when they were from out of town and the sex didn’t

quite happen.

Yes?

Mac sent the short reply and put his cell phone back in his jeans

pocket. He wasn’t exactly happy with the way Sexy Super Agent

handled things, and Sam was lucky Mac was replying at all. After

taking a quick look at the drink order for table seven he rushed

to get it ready and gave it to Tina, along with a grateful smile. She

winked at him and was gone a second later, her magenta ponytail

bouncing down her back, expertly navigating her way through

the crowd. It was supposed to be her night off, but she’d gladly

showed up when she heard Mac was short staffed.

His phone vibrated again.

Remember me?

Christ, did he ever. Mac had remembered the blue eyed

Yankee twice a day and again that morning before going to bed

80 Taylor V. Donovan

since his return from New York. Which needed to stop.

What do you want?

He grabbed a couple of Coronas, a Bud Light, and a bottled

water and set it on the next tray. Good to know there was a

designated driver on table twelve. That crowd was on the wild

side. The phone vibrated again.

There’s something I gotta know.

Huh.

What is it?

The reply came before he could put his phone away.

Do you have a wife? A partner? Kids? Because the

last thing I need is to mess around with a man that

has a ball and chain back home.

Mac’s green eyes opened to the size of saucers when he read

the question. Where the hell was that coming from? They were

nothing to one another. Mac had known that the man’s very

fine denim clad ass was the last he would ever see of Samuel

Shaughnessy once he’d left his hotel room in the most nonchalant

way, as if he didn’t care whether he got to fuck Mac or not.

Friggin’ dickhead.

So what did it matter to Sam? And after five days, no less.

Then it dawned on him.

Is that why you left the way you did? Because you

overheard me when I was on the phone and jumped

to the wrong conclusion?

He hit send, wishing he could go to his office and have this

conversation in private even if it was via text message. But the

orders weren’t slowing down and two of his bartenders had

called in sick that afternoon. He couldn’t leave the bar.

So what are you saying? Do you or don’t you?

Mac had to take care of two more orders before he could

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reply.

I’m saying I’m free to hook up with whomever I want

to and you were an utter shit.

He put his phone on the counter behind him and proceeded

to prepare one Cosmopolitan and two Bahama Mamas. Next

order was just draft beer. Then he was able to take a moment to

read Sam’s reply.

Let me make it up to you.

Mac almost dropped his phone when he read that one. Then

he rolled his eyes and typed his answer as fast as he could.

Unless you can overnight me your ass on a silver

platter or figure out a way to suck my dick through

the phone I don’t see how you’ll manage.

He regretted his reply the second it was sent. It was vulgar

and rude and definitely not something Mac would normally say,

but he couldn’t help it. He was pissed at Sam for walking away.

So the phone call had put a damper on their ridiculously hot

encounter and Mac lost his erection, but Sam could have had him

hard in a minute had he stayed.

Which he didn’t.

Fucking asshole.

Mac prepared four more orders and wiped the counter in

front of him before glancing at his phone. He wasn’t surprised

in the slightest when he didn’t see a reply from Sam. Shaking his

head, he was about to put it back in his pocket when it vibrated

again.

How about I fuck you through a mattress instead?

Mac got hard. Painfully so.

Little too late for that, don’t you think?

He adjusted himself and looked around, relieved to see a few

tables had emptied out. Last call was in fifteen minutes, then Mac

would be able to go back to his office and take care of the nightly

82 Taylor V. Donovan

deposit and other closing procedures before heading home.

Come to New York.

What. The. Hell.

What???

His phone vibrated in his hand… and kept vibrating. Mac just

looked at it, the “Sam Calling” on the display not making sense

for a second. Then it went back to text.

Why didn’t you answer?

Was this happening for real?

I can’t talk right now.

He put the phone down and took care of one more order. A

beer and a White Russian. All of a sudden he couldn’t remember

how to make a White Russian. Damn. He was having a hard time

opening the beer, so he grabbed his phone again.

You can’t talk, but I see you can text.

Damn it!

You can’t see shit. Send. I am at work. Send. I’ll call

you back in 15.

Mac set his phone to silent and put it in his pocket. He needed

to get his dick under control and concentrate on the job at hand.

But he couldn’t stop glancing at his watch while he prepared

the last drinks of the night. He couldn’t stop speculating on

why Sam would contact him. Unfulfilled desire was the obvious

answer. After all, Mac knew he hadn’t been alone on that crazy,

lustful ride in NYC almost a week ago. Not by a long shot. Sam

had been with him every step of the way. But why his Yankee

would contact him again was anybody’s guess.

He had to stop calling Sam his.

As soon as the bar was closed for the night Mac made his

way to his office. He knew the bartenders would do the clean up

without having to be told or supervised, but even if that weren’t

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the case, Mac couldn’t be bothered with any of it. He had more