Six Degrees of Lust (28 page)

bullshit. Other than giving him your number this was never a

spur of the moment thing. None of it.”

“Well, it still is uncharted territory,” he grumbled, not too

happy with Logan for rubbing his face in details he’d rather not

analyze.

“And yet you’re up for some exploring. Not to mention,

you’re also agreeing to not getting with anybody else.”

“After we set some rules,” Sam reiterated, ignoring the part

about him not hooking up with anybody but Mac. It was scary

as hell.

“That you need because…?”

“It’s the smart thing to do. Once we’ve defined how we’re

going to play this game we’ll know exactly what’s allowed and

what not to expect.” Of that he was one hundred percent

convinced. “It’ll keep things from getting messy.”

“You just decided to be friends with benefits with a guy that

I’m sure was never meant to be more than a one night fling.”

Logan rolled his eyes and threw his bottle in the nearest trash

can. “Got news for you, dear. Things between you two got messy

196 Taylor V. Donovan

the moment you stuck your dick in his hole for the first time. And

I’m not an expert or anything, but isn’t it a golden rule to never

be fuck buddies with a dude that’s looking for a relationship?”

“He sounded like he wants to have fun.”

“While he looks for Mr. Right. What if you’re it for him?

Better yet, what if he’s it for you?”

“Bite your tongue!”

“You’re playing with fire here. Be ready to get burned… just

like those sheets you mentioned before.”

“You just watch me prove you wrong.” Sam squeezed the

bottle until it was a plastic ball in his hand, never noticing what

he was doing. “I can handle this. It’ll be the way I want it, just like

everything else in my life.”

“I know you’ll do your damn best to keep it that way.” Logan

walked closer and put his arm around Sam’s shoulders. “All I’m

saying is you should forget about the rules and live dangerously

for once. Ride this wave, see where it takes you.”

“I’m riding the wave already and it’ll take me straight to Mac’s

ass. That’s as spontaneous as I’ll ever get.” He looked at the

bottle and frowned. Shaking his head he threw it away. “Where

are Duncan and Zane?”

Logan squeezed his shoulder and stepped back. “They went

home.”

“I’m out of here too. You want to grab some food?”

“Definitely.”

“Let’s get Nicky then. He’s right across the street talking to—”

“Holy shit!” Logan rushed to the other sidewalk, leaving Sam

to run after him.

“What is it?”

“That’s him! The kid I’ve been telling you about.”

“From the center?” They slowed down when both kids

looked up and Sam got his first good look at the teen his friend

had been so worried about for several weeks now.

six DegRees of Lust
197

The boy, and he could only say he was a boy because Logan

had mentioned it, could only be described as beautiful androgyny.

He had long straight blond hair down to his chest; his skin was

alabaster, his lips full and pink, his eyes a mixture of green and

blue and a little slanted, making him look positively exotic. His

bone structure was perfect. None of his features gave away his

sex… and Sam had seen him before.

“I know him,” he told Logan and smiled at the kids.

“What? From where?”

“Right before I was given the order to put our team together

I participated in this other operation. Big mafia bust. Russian

mafia,” he explained in a hushed tone, making sure to conceal his

face from the kids. “Little beauty there was in the house.”

“That was over six years ago.” Logan glanced at the boys.

“How can you be sure?”

“I thought he was a girl back then. We all did. And seriously,

would you be able to forget that kind of face? Let me do the

talking, okay?”

He put both hands in his cargo shorts pockets and smiled at

the boys. Nicky smiled right back, while his companion retreated

a few steps. “Hey there, champ. I see you made a friend.”

“Hey, Uncle Sam. We’ve been here talking.”

Although his words were directed at Sam, Nicky’s eyes

kept darting between his new friend and Logan’s naked torso.

The amazing art work that had been tattooed on it usually got

people staring whenever his friend took his shirt off, but Sam

was convinced that, in his nephew’s case, it was the nipple rings

that were doing the trick. The boy definitely had a liking for all

things Goth.

Sam winked at his nephew, exchanged a veiled look with his

best friend, and bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from

smiling when Logan nonchalantly grabbed his tank top from the

waist band of his shorts and put it on. He refused to influence

Nicky in any way until they knew what the deal with his father

was. “What’s with the stick?”

198 Taylor V. Donovan

“It’s a tree branch, thin enough to fit under my cast.” Nicky

waved said branch around and smiled. “I was so itchy and

couldn’t do anything about it. He got the branch for me so that I

could scratch myself.”

“I see.” Sam gave the skinny blond his full attention. “I could

be wrong but I think I know you.”

“Do you?” Nicky looked from Sam to his new friend, and

blushed a little when the rather tall for his age and too skinny

for his own good blond teen stepped closer to him and brushed

his arm. Sam didn’t stop to analyze that. He was just grateful

that the teen already trusted his nephew enough to seek some

security from him. It’d make things easier. “Where do you know

him from?” Nicky asked.

“I met him several years ago.” Sam smiled but kept his hands

in his pockets, trying to reassure the kid he meant no harm. “I

doubt he remembers me, though. He was just a little boy…

Sasha, isn’t it?” Nicky’s smile told him he was right, but the teen

just frowned. “Many things went down when I met you, but

I remember talking to you for a bit. You told me about your

Babushka, right? That’s how you say grandma in Russian,” he

added for Nick’s benefit. “But yeah, doubt you remember that

night because—”

“It was a fucking nightmare?” The question took both Sam

and Logan by surprise. “People don’t easily forget nights where

they get woken up by shots and automatic weapons pointed at

their faces.” Although he had the most adorable Russian accent,

the kid’s English was perfect. And he remembered the events,

even though he had only been about eight years old back then.

“I’m sorry about that.” And Sam really meant it. “We didn’t

know there was a kid in the house.”

“I know! You told me that right after you gave me a soda

and some candy.” The boy shrugged dramatically and dismissed

the whole thing with a very limp movement of his wrist. So he

had embraced his feminine side, was European, and already a

snippy queen at his young age. Boy, was Logan going to have his

hands full with that one. “I can’t remember your name. It was too

six DegRees of Lust
199

complicated.”

“Shaughnessy is my last name, but you can call me Sam.

That’s easy enough.” Sam held his hand out to the kid and waited

patiently until he shook it briefly before gesturing towards Logan

with his head. “This is my best friend Logan. He volunteers at

Horizons whenever he can. You ever see him around?”

After another sigh and over the top shrug, the kid shook

Logan’s hand as well.

“Yes, he has! Right, Sasha? I saw you listening to Logan’s talk

that one time I went to the center with him.”

Sasha moved his hair away from his face and stuck it behind

his ear. “That is correct.”

“You should’ve participated. People say it helps them a lot

when Logan listens to them and counsels them and stuff… I

wish I could be there more often… maybe then I wouldn’t be so

confused about things…”

Both adults snapped their heads at once in Nicky’s direction.

That was a comment that needed to be addressed immediately.

“I am not crazy. I do not need a psychologist.” Yup, a real

queen indeed, but neither Sam nor Logan could help smiling at

the arrogant shit’s words.

“Why don’t you give the support group a try?” asked Logan.

“You don’t have to say anything. Sometimes it’s just good to

know we aren’t alone and that’s a big help on itself. But we don’t

need to talk about that now.” He flashed the kid his I’m-about-

to-turn-you-into-putty smile and took a step closer. “We’re going

to go grab a bite. Want to tag along?”

“No, thank you.”

“Ah, come on!” Nicky bumped the kid’s arm with his

shoulder. “Didn’t you say you’re bored and didn’t really have to

be anywhere?”

“Will you just remain quiet, please?” Sasha told Nicky, but

soothed the sting of his words by lightly touching the boys arm

with his delicate fingers.

200 Taylor V. Donovan

“Come on, buddy,” Sam said with a smile. “We all gotta eat,

right? Plus we owe you for taking care of Nicky’s itch problem.

Does your mother know where you are? We can call her to let her

know where we’re going to be and drop you off at your house

after dinner.”

“I am not a ‘buddy.’” Sasha turned to Nicky and pinned him

with his intense blue-green eyes. His poor nephew was paralyzed

by the gaze, and Sam couldn’t blame him. “You promise they are

not jerks?”

“Yup.” Nicky nodded. “They’re the coolest. You’ll like them.”

“Fine.” He directed the same intense look at the adults. “I

shall go, only because Nikolai says you are fine.”

“It’s Nicholas,” Nicky mumbled.

“And is that not what I just called you?” He smiled a little

at Nicky, but the gesture completely disappeared as soon as he

looked back at the adults. “Afterwards I will take myself home.

You can show me to your car now.” Both Logan and Sam were

stunned into silence and for a few seconds they just stood there,

like total idiots. “Well?”

“Right… Burgers and shakes okay with you?” Logan asked in

an obvious effort to put the kid at ease. Sam knew Nicky would’ve

gotten a choice between tofu and spinach wraps, but he didn’t

need to be lured into coming to dinner with them, and Logan

was not missing out on this opportunity. Sasha only shrugged,

like he didn’t give a shit about the menu. “Burgers it is then.”

The kids moved away, and it was only then that Sam and

Logan shared a huge triumphant smile. “Noticed how he ignored

the question about the mother?”

“But agreed to come with us and that’s all you needed to

break the ice, babe.”

“You’re right. Now it’s a matter of finding out what the deal

is.”

June 30, 2009

Houston, Texas

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: June 29, 2009

Subject: F.W.B. Rules

Although I already agreed to play with you for a little

longer, it is imperative for us to establish a perimeter

and set boundaries before we attempt to see each other

again. It is human nature to develop some kind of feeling

for a person you are having sex with and you need to

know that I won’t, even if you’re stupid enough to get

attached to me. So, if for whatever reason you’re hoping

to get anything other than hot, heavy, sweaty fuckathons

out of this deal, you’ll be greatly disappointed. You need

to be 100% sure you can do casual, no strings attached

fucking, and won’t become territorial or feel used once

we’re done. If you’re positive you can, then I give you

my conditions without further ado.

I’m not your potential boyfriend and you aren’t mine.

We aren’t dating either.

If you do start seeing someone, I want to know about it.

Unprotected oral sex will only take place as long as you

remain single and aren’t also having unprotected sex

with anyone else. Same applies to me.

Get tested again and have the results with you next time

we hook up.

Circumstances permit, we’ll get together once a month,

202 Taylor V. Donovan

two nights max, always at a hotel.

No pillow talk.

If there’s something OF A SEXUAL NATURE ONLY you

want to try or need we can discuss it.

I understand things happen, but I really don’t care if you

had a bad day or whatever else the times we hook up.

If we make it to that hotel I’m fucking you no matter how

shitty your day was.

In the event we have to skip a month I suggest we add

an extra night next time we get together.

No constant phone calls and never ask me to be your

date to your three times removed cousin’s wedding.

I’m not meeting your friends or relatives under any

circumstances and don’t expect to meet mine.

I don’t want to hear anything about your family.

Don’t compare what we do together to anything you did,