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It was still fairly early for being out, only about ten thirty, but Driftwood was already packed. I was proud of Declan for what he’d created here. He liked to put it on me because I’d bought the bar and then sold it to him, but that was just money. It wasn’t what made Driftwood a safe space for queer people. It wasn’t what made people choose to spend time here rather than going into LA. That was all Dec.
Declan slid a beer to Corbin, then me. I took a swallow, savoring the bitter taste.
“This is a surprise,” Dec said.
“Marcus was on my ass all day to hang out. I finally gave in.”
I cocked a brow at Corbin, who gave me a grin and nudged me. This fucking kid.
“Hey, baby,” came from behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. I’d recognize Kai’s sexy, flirty voice anywhere. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t land in my cock. Something about him always went straight to my head—other than his looks, I meant. Part of it was definitely his confidence, the fact that he said what he felt and wasn’t shy about what he desired. Too bad I didn’t fuck friends…or friends of friends, which meant I wasn’t fucking Declan’s employee.
“What’s up?” I asked before taking a drink. When I finally turned to look at him, I knew it was a mistake. Kai’s eyes were darker than mine, a rich mahogany. They were always taking the world in, didn’t look at it with the pessimism or caution mine did. They were wide, bright, and damned if I didn’t like the feel of them on me.
He was smaller than me—not totally a twink but closer to that than anything else. His mouth was to die for, lips that were made for sucking cock. He kept short, neatly trimmed scruff around his mouth that just drew my attention to it even more. There wasn’t a universe in which Kai wasn’t fine as fuck, but he was also trouble.
“Eh, it was a good day. Even better now,” he replied.
“That so?”
“Yeah, that hot guy over there was flirting with me.” He winked, confident little fucker, then turned and walked behind the bar, shaking his ass, clearly for my benefit. It was a great ass, but I had willpower like a motherfucker, so I turned away.
Dec eyed me as if asking a silent question, and I just shrugged. What the fuck could I say? Kai was a flirt, and not just with me. Didn’t mean he didn’t want to fuck me and that I wouldn’t slowly take him apart until he was screaming my name, if it wasn’t for the fact that he was too close to home.
“You’re determined to put me in an early grave, aren’t you?” Declan said as Kai made drinks beside him. While Kai was only seven or eight years younger than us, Declan definitely felt some kind of responsibility to him. He cared about Kai like he would a younger brother, which spoke to Kai’s character because Dec didn’t get close to just anyone. He was like me that way.
“What’d I do?” Kai asked, batting the dark lashes framing his beautiful eyes.
Declan shook his head as if he didn’t know what to do with Kai.
“I get that look all the time, man,” Corbin told him. “Don’t stress about it.”
“Oh, I won’t. I’m memorable and make an impression. Isn’t that right?” he asked me.
“Kai,” Declan warned.
“Someone get Sebastian here. Declan’s more chill when he’s around,” Kai teased, and yeah, Corbin and I both laughed. Kai lit up for a moment, then seemed to be trying to tamp it down like he didn’t want us to know how much he’d enjoyed it. A moment later, he headed away with a tray full of drinks.
“That kid wants you,” Corbin said.
“He’s not a kid,” automatically fell from my lips.
My friend frowned. I had a feeling Declan did too, but I didn’t let myself look at him. Corbin added, “You call me kid, and we’re the same age.”
Yeah, I did. I couldn’t say why, so I just shrugged.
Declan said, “He’s a good kid and a good worker. He worries me sometimes, though.”
Curiosity tugged at me. I told myself not to ask, that it was none of my business and I shouldn’t concern myself with Kai, but I was suddenly shit at controlling my own damn self. “Why?”
“He’s too trusting…doesn’t always pay attention to his effect on people, and they tend to want him more than they should sometimes. Guys get handsy with him. We had this man in here for a while who hung around every night he worked, approached him at his car one night. Kai handled it. He can take care of himself, but you know how I get. Sebastian gives me shit because I kept griping at him for giving me his gate code after we’d been fucking for ten years.”
