Try (Temptation Series) (38 page)

Pressing his lips against Tate’s, Logan promised, “I want to lay you on your back and kiss and lick every inch of your body, and then, Tate…” He paused, biting Tate’s lip. “
I’m
going to take
you
, and you’re going to love it.”

Just like that, Tate came all over the both of them with a shout and a sharp punch of his hips with no other thoughts except how amazing his orgasm was and how much he wanted Logan to take him that way. He could feel Logan’s hand soothing his sensitive skin as his lips kissed and sucked their way down his neck.

Tate almost whimpered when Logan let go, and he raised his hand to Logan’s cheek where he leaned in and kissed him.

When Tate finally pulled his mouth back, Logan whispered, “Stay?”

“Yes,” Tate replied easily.

“Good. I want you to stay.”

Tate leaned in again and gently pressed his mouth to Logan’s. “Then, I’ll stay.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

The following morning, as they stood outside of The Daily Grind, Logan looked over to where Tate was leaning back with one of his feet propped up against the brick wall and a cigarette in his hand.

Usually, this kind of thing did nothing for him, but as Logan moved in beside Tate, he had to admit the look Tate had going reminded him a little of
James Dean,
and it was flat-out sex.

The white shirt, jacket, and jeans—not to mention, the black steel-toed boots—with the wind-ruffled curls all meshed together in just the right way to make Logan’s palms itch to touch. Logan squinted against the rising sun as Tate glanced over to him and lifted his hand to take a drag of the nearly finished cigarette.

“Quit it, would you?” Logan ordered at the thorough once-over Tate gave him.

“Quit, what?”

Logan aimed his eyes at the lips surrounding the tobacco stick. “Staring at me like you just spent the night, naked, in my bed.”

“But I did. I hardly think it’s making you uncomfortable,” Tate stated, lowering his arm, as he straightened off the wall.

“Trust me, uncomfortable is not what it’s making me feel.”

“Mhmm, and since when has
that
bothered you?”

“Since I’m out on a public street and can’t rectify the issue,” Logan pointed out.

“So, I shouldn’t tell you that you in that suit makes me really fucking excited? I’ve never dated anyone who wears a suit. Well, I’ve never dated a guy, so—”

“Tate?” Logan interrupted shifting his briefcase in front of him to hide the erection he could feel swelling even further between his legs.

“Yeah?”

“Stop it.”

Tate laughed, clearly enjoying his discomfort, as he turned to press the butt of his cigarette into the tall, cylindrical black ashtray by the door.

“No, I don’t think I will. I had to deal with this shit from you for a week before you finally told me what the hell you were looking at.”

Logan stepped around him and pushed his face in close to Tate’s. “I thought I was more than obvious. I was looking at you. And by the way, why are you smoking again? Stressed? Nervous?”

Tate arched a brow and offered a roguish grin. “How about satisfied?”

Rolling his eyes, Logan reached out and pulled the door open to the coffee shop. As the smell of ground beans reached him, he watched Tate maneuver his way through the people waiting to take a spot at the back of the shortest line. Following his lead, Logan moved in beside him and then reached down between them and slid his palm into the one by Tate’s side.

Tate turned toward him, and Logan made sure he was staring right back with a neutral expression. When Tate’s fingers parted slightly and entwined with his own, as they had last night, Logan couldn’t help the way his heartbeat nearly flew out of his chest. Tate winked at him and went back to facing the front, and Logan found it almost laughable that he was the one standing there with a shocked look on his face.

Pulling his shit together, he leaned in, so their shoulders bumped, and he whispered, “You look good in my jeans. I especially like that you aren’t wearing anything under them.”

Without even turning, Tate chuckled as he continued to scan the chalk-written menu. “Can’t help yourself, can you?”

“What?” Logan protested with his eyes on the strong side profile Tate’s jaw presented.

Tate turned to him as they shuffled forward in the line. “That right there.”

“What? I was just making a comment.”

Shaking his head, Tate moistened his lip with his tongue. “You never just make a comment.”

“I don’t?”

“No. You make suggestions, or you turn things into an invitation.”

Logan shifted where he stood, very aware of the heat of Tate’s body and the hand in his own, as he turned back to look at the menu even though what he wanted was standing right beside him.

“Maybe that’s just what you hear,” he added quietly.

He was shocked to feel a set of warm lips by his ear as Tate told him, “That’s what you want me to hear.”

Logan faced him with only a slither of space between them and admitted, “Damn right, that’s what I want you to hear. And it’s
still
what I want, every minute I’m with you.”

Silence slipped between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable in any way. Logan wanted to call Cole and tell him he was taking the rest of the week off, and then he’d convince Tate to do the same, but really, there was no need. It wasn’t as if they only had two weeks to work this out. They had as long as they wanted, they had forever if need be.

Wait—damn, that’s exactly what we have,
Logan thought as he turned back to face the front, and once again, they moved farther up the line.

“So, I’m meeting with Diana and your brother today. Finally, all of this shit will be over,” Tate told him.

As Tate’s words interrupted his current train of thought, Logan blinked several times and tried to refocus
.
“Oh, that’s bound to be fun,” he answered absentmindedly.

“Yeah, I’m sure. A root canal would be more exciting.”

Logan didn’t mean to ignore Tate, but he found himself standing there, trying to imagine how to ask Tate if he were interested in—

What exactly?

Yeah, Tate had expressed that he was feeling things that were more than just sex—feelings that were strong, that would terrify him
—

But did he mean this? Forever?

Because this,
this
was terrifying him.

* * *

Tate continued watching Logan, as he seemed to zone out on him. He knew that he was teasing him with every move and word that had come out of his mouth, and Tate loved it. Logan’s reactions to him solidified that what they were doing was right. Logan was feeling the exact same way he was, and that was the kind of reassurance Tate craved to move forward with their relationship.

This morning, Logan looked exactly as a high-paid lawyer should, all suited up. It wasn’t as though Tate hadn’t seen him dressed this way several times before, but this time was different. This time, he’d sat and watched as Logan had dressed.

Oh yeah
,
I like my choice of lover
, Tate thought as he continued studying the man who had gone from seductively playful to pensive.
Lover? Yes, that is exactly who Logan is to me now.

“What’s on your mind? You seem very serious all of a sudden.”

Logan turned and acted affronted. “I
can
be serious on occasion, you know.”

“Really? Have to say, it must be a rare event. Actually, I’d love to see you in court. I think that would be a total turn-on.”

Logan laughed and told him flat out, “No way in hell are you going anywhere near a courtroom that I’m supposed to be in.”

“Why?”

“Because you step into a room, and everyone else disappears.”

Tate caught the expression of shock that had crossed Logan’s face at his own admission, and he jumped right on it. “So, right now, here in the coffee shop, it’s just me, huh?”

When the person in front of them moved aside, they both turned back to the front, and Tate smiled as he looked at the back of the barista. That was, until he turned. Tate almost groaned at his luck, because right there, standing in front of them, was Robbie—the same guy that he and Logan had run into the last time they were in here, the
same
guy that Logan had admitted to being with. As Tate glared at the man, he felt Logan’s hand squeeze his own.

Tate turned to Logan, and he realized he was still wearing his scowl as Logan’s eyes widened as if to say,
Is this a problem?

And is it?

Not really.

He was the one holding Logan’s hand. He was the one who’d been in his bed last night. As he turned back to face Robbie, Tate took a second to check him out, only to see if Robbie had something that
he
didn’t
—

Right?

“Hey Logan, and, Tate, isn’t it?”

Tate was surprised that the guy remembered his name. He was about to say something caustic when Robbie continued, “I see you’re both back in here again
together
.”

“Robbie, come on, can we just order?” Logan replied just as Tate stated dryly,

“Good to see there’s nothing wrong with your eyes.”

When the guy started laughing, Tate wasn’t sure what the hell to think.

“Oh, he’s touchy, isn’t he?”

That question was
definitely
directed at Logan, and before he could answer, Tate snapped, “No.
He
just wants to order a coffee.”

Robbie rested his hip up against the counter and leaned over, so he was slightly closer to them both. “That’s fine. I can help you with that. But while you’re both here, let’s chat.”

“Let’s not,” Tate fired back as Logan groaned out, “
Robbie
.”

“Oh, come on. That’s no way to talk to a friend.”

Jesus, this guy just doesn’t know when to quit,
Tate thought as he looked from Logan, who shrugged and rolled his eyes, and then back to Robbie, who was beaming at him as he chatted casually almost as though they had all been doing this for years instead of…
never
.

“You’re not his usual type, you know.”

“Robbie, just take our fucking orders, would you?” Logan suggested as he released Tate’s hand to press his thumb and index finger to his forehead.

“What? It’s true.”

Knowing
who
he meant but not quite
what
, Tate managed, as politely as he could, to ask the question pounding in his brain, “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re nothing like me, are you?”

He was definitely nothing like him. Robbie was shorter to start with, probably around five-ten, and had blond highlights throughout his hair, which was slightly longer in the front and swept to the side. Down the side of his neck was a tattoo of some kind that snaked into his black polo shirt, and in each ear, he had black gauges. He was also wearing
—

Is that eyeliner?

He looked like a runaway from a punk band.

And he is criticizing me?

Without taking his eyes off Robbie, Tate asked, “So? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means nothing. He’s talking out of his ass,” Logan interjected.

But it was too late. Tate wasn’t paying attention to Logan, and Robbie was having too much fun messing with the both of them.

Robbie straightened and shrugged. “Nothing, I guess. Just that, usually, he goes female or, you know, my kind. You…you’re…well—”

“Well, what?” Tate demanded, and felt Logan grab his hand.

Not realizing quite how loud he had spoken, it wasn’t until the woman in the line beside them turned their way with a frown, that Tate mumbled, “Sorry.”

“Well, you’re like him. Big, tall…” Robbie joked, lowering his voice to a false baritone as he turned to Logan, and then Tate before trailing off. He seemed to be concentrating on something very important, then whispered, “And really sexy. I bet you two look so damn hot when you get together. Who tops?”

Tate almost choked as he heard Logan mumble, “Oh fuck,” beside him.

“Jesus,” Tate cursed. “No wonder you two get along. You have no filter either.”

Robbie frowned at him and looked toward Logan, who was still muttering something under his breath. “What do you mean? Who has no filter?”

“Nothing, forget it,” Tate grumbled, irritated that he was slightly amused by the entire conversation.

“Okay,” Robbie answered with a quick grin and then asked again conspiratorially, “So, who tops? I can’t imagine Logan as anything else, but
then
—”

He was cut off by Logan’s phone that started ringing at that exact moment. Tate turned just as Logan looked down at the screen and then back at him. He indicated the waiting area behind them.

“I’ve got to take this. Will you be okay
here
?” He emphasized the word
here
as he glared at Robbie.

“I guess,” Tate answered with much more surliness than he knew he possessed.

“Okay, just black for me.”

Nodding, Tate watched him walk away and then turned back to face Robbie on his own.

“Can we just have our coffees?” Tate requested through clenched teeth, his jaw starting to ache.

“Well, you could,
but
…” Robbie drawled in a way that was more than a little obnoxious.

“But what?”

With a quick, flirty wink, Robbie shrugged. “You haven’t ordered yours yet.”

Tate lost all of his annoyance that quickly, and he found instead that he was laughing and shaking his head.
Great, just what I need—to actually find him humorous instead of annoying.

“Okay, Robbie, you win. God, I need a coffee now more than ever. Can I have a hazelnut latte? And his espresso. To go.”

“Sure. Want me to bring it over?”

Tate looked at him in a way that screamed,
Not if you value your life
.

Robbie’s smile was full of mischief as he finally put Tate out of his misery. “Got it. It’ll be ready here in just a minute.”