Chapter 11

11

A nd then Kyle arrived.

He and Logan had been roommates during Logan’s Art degree, when Logan had chosen a classic student dorm experience over his parents’ mansion in one of Miami’s super rich island communities. Unlike Logan, Kyle had never stopped the party.

He came with a bang—literally. One evening, the front door to the cabin crashed open, and in fell Kyle with a, “Listen up, bitches! Your holiday is about to level up because The Kyle is here.”

Logan, Nia, Tom, and I were all on the terrace when this happened, concluding the evening with beer and some tinny tunes from a portable speaker. Tom dropped his head with a groan. “Next time,” he mumbled in Logan’s direction, “we lock the fucking door .”

“Deal.” Logan was grinning, though, eyes bright as he called for Kyle to find us “Out here, man!”

Unease knotted my belly. I took a sip of beer to cover it up, shifting away from Logan just slightly since I didn’t know what he’d told his friends back home. Probably nothing. Why would he?

A second later, Kyle ambled outside. I’d heard his name, most of Logan’s tales that included him coated in exasperated fondness, but I hadn’t known he was… kind of hot. Blond, spiky hair and a lithe body, prominent eyebrows, lips twisted into a confident smirk. Logan jumped up to hug him while the rest of us sat back, Tom with a long-suffering expression that couldn’t entirely mask the gleam of reluctant amusement in his eyes.

“Kyle!” Logan patted Kyle’s back, seeming thoroughly delighted to see him. “Should’ve told us you were coming—we’d have ordered some extra dinner for you.”

“And ruin the surprise? Fuck no.” Kyle’s gaze swept over the rest of us before it returned to Logan, keenly focused. I clenched my fingers around the bottle in my hand and looked away.

At Des, trailing behind Kyle with a suitcase and a sheepish expression. Well, fuck.

“My apologies,” Des said. If he was surprised to see Nia and me, he didn’t show it. “I wanted to call ahead, but the young sir would not be stopped.”

“I cannot be contained,” Kyle agreed proudly. He let Logan go— finally —and nodded at Tom. “What’s up, fucker?”

“Nothing much, dickhead,” Tom returned. Oh my God. At this rate, they’d start shotgunning beers to out-bro each other.

“And you are?” Kyle asked with an eyebrow raise at Nia and me, as though we were the ones who’d barged in with no warning.

I tried to hold back a frown. “I’m Milo, and this is Nia.”

“We run the dive center here,” Nia said, voice light and pleasant, while Des pointedly didn’t react. The man was good. We’d have to catch him on the way out, tell him it was just a casual post-dive drink—nothing to see here, please move along.

“Ah.” And just like that, Kyle lost all interest in us. He turned to sling a way too familiar arm around Logan’s shoulders, dragging him into a broad laugh as though personal space was a foreign concept. “So, man. What’s a boy gotta do to get a beer around here?”

Hopefully nothing like what their closeness implied. Or did it?

I reminded myself that I didn’t do jealousy. That had been Michael’s domain—jumping at shadows and fighting windmills. I wasn’t anything like that. Case in point? Some days ago, on the boat, a gay couple had obviously tried to chat up Logan and Tom—I hadn’t even twitched. And sure, I’d stepped in when that girl at the beach bar had sidled up to Logan, but that had been before I knew where Logan and I stood.

Which… yeah, fuck. Not like I was entirely sure of that anymore. What’s more, I wasn’t even sure of what I wanted out of this.

Abort.

“Sit down,” Logan told Kyle, waving at the outdoor lounge area. “Or jump in the pool, if you want to freshen up. I’ll get you a beer, and Des”—a smile directed at the very same—“can find us some sheets for the couch.”

Good . No sharing of beds—I wholeheartedly approved of this plan.

“Think that’s our cue to leave.” I extended a foot to poke Nia in the thigh, keeping my tone neutral. “New friends shouldn’t intrude on old friendships.”

“You sure?” Logan asked, his attention catching on my face. It eased the weight in my chest just slightly.

“Yeah.” I rose from the couch that he and I had shared—up until Kyle had crashed into our bubble, that was. “Got an early start tomorrow.”

Nia squinted at me, then nodded and set down her beer. “No rest for the wicked. But we’ll see you guys tomorrow, right? For the afternoon dive.”

“Make that all three of us,” Logan said. “Kyle’s an instructor, worked in Mexico for a year. You lot can talk shop.”

This was not a competition. Nope.

“Sure,” I said. “We’ll still need to see some certification, though.”

Kyle tossed me a superior smirk. “Sure, no problem. I’ll bring it along tomorrow.”

“Or you can clear it with Des, if that’s easier,” Nia said—right, dialing up the volume on customer service that had been missing from my tone. I both appreciated it and felt a hint betrayed .

We lingered while Des and Logan discussed some details in low voices. Then Logan walked us to the door, and since I brought up the rear, we had just enough time for a covert exchange of glances as his hand brushed my waist. The brief, light contact settled something in my blood.

Once Logan closed the door behind us, we quietly followed the gravel path from his cabin to the wooden boardwalk that curved through the resort. With dusk sinking between the trees, the first lights were just coming on.

Des spoke first, careful warmth edging his words. “I see you’ve had a chance to get to know Mr. Fox and Mr. Yorke better. They appear to enjoy their time here.”

“Well.” I glanced at Des’s profile. His white uniform, flawless in spite of the heat, contrasted with his skin—a true professional who knew his place. Unlike me. Or Nia, in this particular case. “You told us to go the extra mile for them, didn’t you?”

“They’re really nice guys,” Nia said lightly. “It’s no hardship.”

“Indeed.” Des hesitated, so brief it barely registered. “It’s been an honor to serve them.”

God, he made it sound like they were about to pack their bags and leave. Not so. One more week.

“They’re not gone yet,” I said, then wished I hadn’t. I wasn’t supposed to care.

Maybe Nia sensed my discomfort because she reached out to squeeze Des’s shoulder. “Hey, how’s your brother getting around?”

“Better by the day,” Des said. “Still on crutches, but he’s back at the market stall.”

Nia smiled. “That’s good to hear. Send him my best, yeah?”

“Will do.” Des gave us a friendly nod before he offered us a ride on his golf cart. We declined and parted ways with him, quiet until the whir of wheels on wood had faded.

“So,” Nia said then. “Kyle.”

I shot her a sideways look. “I don’t like him.”

“My, what green eyes you have. ”

“Fuck off.” I softened the words by throwing an arm around her shoulders and hugging her close. “Come on, how would you feel if some pretty girl suddenly showed up for Tom?”

I expected Nia to shrug it off. Instead, she was quiet for a beat, frowning at the canopy of leaves above us. “Surprisingly, not very good.”

Whoa. I drew us to a halt and turned to stare at her. “Oh my God, Nia. Did you catch feelings? You ?”

“Fuck off,” she echoed me, face scrunched into a pained grimace. I got it, so I decided not to push her.

After a minute, we started walking again towards the dive center, towards home . So what if this would be the first night since the beach bar that I didn’t share Logan’s bed? I didn’t need him. I didn’t need anyone .

I’d learned my fucking lesson.

Yeah, so Kyle truly was a dive instructor. Fine, whatever. That was no damn reason to interpret ‘buddy check’ as an overzealous pat-down of Logan’s… everything, really.

“Control your face,” Nia muttered from behind me.

I did. Or at least tried to.

“ Groping ,” I said in response just as Kyle flung his arm around Logan’s neck and hauled him in, laughing right into Logan’s ear like this was some frat party and outshouting the music was a necessity.

I maybe kind of hated Kyle a little.

I hated Kyle a lot .

Just my luck that I was scheduled for a bar shift that same evening, and Logan, Tom, and Kyle had opted to chase dinner with a round of drinks, or three. They’d picked a lounge booth near the water, laughter spilling out because oh, right, they were on vacation while I was just the hired help meant to make it a good one.

And Kyle kept fucking touching Logan. Kept leaning into him with a quick grab of the forearm, heads bent close. Logan showed the loose, happy sprawl of the pleasantly tipsy, cheeks tinged pink and buttons of his shirt undone down to his ribs, damn near magnetic in the dusky hues of the setting sun. I wanted to… I just wanted .

Instead, I smiled and weaved between tables and served drinks when I desperately needed one myself.

At least Logan still seemed to remember my existence. I caught him watching me several times, his gaze hot and heavy like maybe I wasn’t the only one who’d missed… who’d missed us last night. But each time, Kyle would draw Logan’s attention away with a word and a touch, and I was the only one still looking.

Low curl of tension in my gut, pressure at the base of my spine.

Thanks to Leroy covering their section, I dodged all direct interactions for most of my shift. My luck ran out when the bar slowly emptied and Leroy left me to deal with the place on my own. I adjusted the stupid, stupid black silk scarf around my neck, grabbed three menus to serve as my flimsy shield, and approached their table.

“Gentlemen.” I kept my voice as steady as my expression. “Anything else I can get you?”

Logan looked up like he was surprised to find me there, elbows leaned on his thighs. A slow, drunken smile spread across his face, and he reached out to curl his fingers warm around my wrist. “Sit down with us.” His words ran together into a low, sliding drawl. “Just for a minute, yeah?”

Dammit, Logan.

I struggled to remember why this was a bad idea. “I’m working.”

“You’re always working.” He sounded more pensive than reproachful, and it bypassed my knee-jerk, harsh reply of, ‘Well, some of us have to.’ His hand was still clasped around my wrist.

“Well,” I began, too soft, and I wasn’t even sure what I would have said next when Kyle tugged Logan right in against his shoulder.

“Logan. Logan .” Kyle’s lips were too damn close to the corner of Logan’s mouth. “Remember when Kira hosted that Christmas party and we got so smashed you puked into a trash can and I pushed you into a fountain so you’d sober up?”

Logan snorted out a laugh and dropped his hand, attention swiveling from me to Kyle. “Tequila,” he agreed, like it was some kind of secret code.

I didn’t get it. I had no fucking clue who Kira was either because it was all part of Logan’s other life, his real life that happened without me. Also, also , Tom was a traitor who simply watched the whole thing with an amused raise of his eyebrows, all while Logan and Kyle cracked up in their stupid private bubble. No trespassing.

Then Kyle curved a hand around the nape of Logan’s neck.

My vision dipped and swayed for a moment because it didn’t make sense. How—what—? Blunt fingernails and someone else touching Logan like that, why ?

Kyle.

Kyle touching Logan like that.

And Logan letting him.

A sick weight rolled up behind my sternum. Felt like I was about to throw up. Maybe the tuna sandwich I’d had for dinner.

I tossed the menus on the table and barely recognized my own voice, vaguely proud I managed to form words at all. “I’ll leave these with you. So you can make up your mind about what you want.”

Logan broke away from Kyle’s hold. “Milo,” he said, half-rising from the seat like he’d finally registered that something was off, and oh, now he remembered I existed?

I was moving before I could think. Ignored a table signaling for the check, passed Frankie behind the bar and told him I was taking five, then shoved my way past the bathrooms and into the employees-only section.

Logan caught up just as I was about to head out the back exit. He grabbed my arm and I shook him off, banged my way into the outdoor space reserved for staff breaks. Almond trees and oleander peered over the high wooden walls that enclosed the area, a naked light bulb shedding brightness, soggy cigarette butts swimming in a saucer on the floor. My stomach roiled at the sight.

“What’s wrong?” Logan sounded confused, and God, the fucking nerve .

I whirled around and reached out, dragged him over the threshold before I kicked the door shut behind him. He stumbled into me, hands on my shoulders.

“Milo, what?—?”

He didn’t get to finish his question. I shoved him hard against the wall of the building and swallowed his surprised gasp—forced his mouth open to taste rum and coconut, thought about Kyle’s hands on Logan’s body and bit at the upper curve of Logan’s lip, sting of teeth that made him grunt and slide down a little, breath a soft whoosh of air.

“Hey. Milo, hey.” Soft and surprised, but there was a whole different message in how he tilted his head so I could suck on his throat, sure to leave a bruise. “Is this—” A gasp. “Just, here ?”

“I’m on break.” Not really an answer. Fuck it. I kissed him again and tugged at his belt buckle. He arched off the wall only for me to push him back. The weight of my body caging him in. I dragged the zipper down to skim my knuckles along the hardening line of his cock, cotton of his boxers soft under my fingers. Mine .

“Okay. Yeah, God .” Logan swallowed harshly, and with my mouth back on his throat, I felt the movement. He shifted so his jeans came down a little and hung open off his hips, almost-hard cock tenting the hem of his shirt. I unbuttoned it enough to fling it out of the way, then slid down his body—nose dragging over the bumps of his abs and the coarse hair that started at his navel, a neatly trimmed path for me to follow.

Somewhere on the other side of the wooden wall, a cell phone tinkled with a notification. Must be on the service trail winding along the back of the building. I paused to listen, hands curved around Logan’s waist to hold him still, my knees just shy of hitting the concrete ground.

“Hey,” Logan whispered. “You sure? What if?—? ”

I shushed him and grabbed at his boxers. He fell quiet, slouching a little as he spread his thighs for better access—like this was for me, giving me just what I needed even though it was stupid and risky, and something in me cracked open at that. Kyle did not get to have this.

The chirp of another phone notification was followed by footsteps, barely louder than the faint wisp of music from the bar. Receding. Good. I kneeled and buried my face between Logan’s thighs, inhaled and was hit by a random flash of mildly hysterical gratitude that they had us wearing dark jeans here. At your service, sir. Oh, it’s my pleasure.

Logan’s fingers tangled in my hair, lightly caressing. I tipped my head back for our gazes to meet. He still looked a hint confused but turned on as well, liquid heat in his eyes, the flush on his cheeks from more than just alcohol. His cock was fully hard now, and I circled the base in a loose hold. “You want this?”

“Jesus, Milo. Yes .”

“Good.” I sank down in one go—no finesse, just fitting as much of him into my mouth as I could and gagging slightly as he hit the back of my throat. He made a strangled noise, half groan and half sigh. His ass twitched away from the wall and I shoved him back, my thumbs digging into the soft dents next to his hip bones. It didn’t keep him from moving in tiny, aborted thrusts, staring at me with one hand flat against the wall and the other tracing the scarf around my throat. Barest scrape of nails on my skin.

I closed my eyes and inhaled, dark and earthy and delicious, God. Moments or a minute, time elastic as we stayed like that, my mouth stuffed so full it was almost too much and I still wanted more. I bent my head and sucked him down, down, didn’t stop until I hit the circle of my fingers.

“ Fuck .” The word seemed ripped from him, muttered like an incantation. Yes. No one else should get to hear him like this, ever. I hadn’t had a drop all night and felt drunk anyway, jealousy swirling through my blood like heady wine.

Blindly, I unzipped my pants and wedged a hand down my boxers, jerked myself off rough and hard in time with my mouth on him. Fast and sloppy, a hint of teeth. His hips stuttered, fighting to get closer. I let go of his cock, reached around to feel the pull of muscle, and pushed a spit-slick finger into him—just the tip, just enough that he’d remember. Tight heat and Logan twisting back into it like he wanted more, breath collapsing around a soft, high moan.

I wanted him like air and water, bruise him up and hold him close, mine mine mine . Aching with something I couldn’t name. Thick, wet glide of his cock on my tongue, dark heat that wound all the way to the base of my spine. He curled over me, panting, his fingernails scrabbling along the arch of my neck. “Gonna,” he muttered, gravel in his voice. “ Milo .”

I pulled back a little, mouth wrapped around just the tip of his cock, and jacked him off with jerky pulls. An ocean in his eyes. I’d be embarrassed how much I needed this, needed him, but it was damn near impossible to think with blood rushing in my ears and the crushing swell of release pulling at me.

He came slippery and hot, clutching at me with frantic fingers—tracing frayed arches along my shoulders, kneading muscle. I swallowed, my breath reduced to punchy little gasps. Bright spots in my eyes each time I squeezed my cock.

Then Logan hauled me up and against him, knocked away my hand and replaced it with his own. Words like bittersweet confessions, floating on the surface of my mind, sinking back into oblivion. I dropped my head against his neck and lapped up a bead of sweat, his skin stretched thin and vulnerable here, and I let my teeth skate along the tendon. Hoped there’d be marks tomorrow.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Logan whispered. A jarring contrast to my frantic pulse, heart hammering against my ribs. If anyone walked up, I wouldn’t notice, world narrowed to the sly twist of Logan’s fingers on me. Clever swipe of the thumb, and that was it, I was done . Release like a beautiful wave, towering high then pulling me under.

For a moment, all I could do was breathe.

Breathe.

I dragged Logan in, sweaty foreheads and shared exhalations. My mouth skidded wetly over his chin as he slipped his hand out of my pants and puffed out a groaning laugh. “Didn’t think this through.”

Words. Right.

“Problem?” I mumbled.

“Nah.” He twisted past me, plucked a leaf off a bush, and wiped off his hand. Smart boy. I got another leaf when he dropped the first and helped him clean his fingers some more. Almost normal— normal but for the pulse still stuttering in my throat, something strange and heavy folded around the curve of my spine. I stepped back to look at him.

Slumped against the wall, his face soft and lips parted as he watched me through half-lidded eyes. A smile was caught around his expressive mouth. So fucking gorgeous, and God, I was stupidly, irrevocably in love with him.

In...

In love.

I was in love with him.

It pressed in on me, the sudden weight around my chest like an iron band. I needed to... needed to move and pushed away from him, took a step towards the exit. Logan caught me with an arm around my middle, pulling me back into his body almost roughly.

“Okay, hey, stop .” His voice was quiet and serious, lips against the back of my neck. “Talk to me.”

No . I struggled faintly only for Logan’s arm to tighten.

“Come on, Milo.” Almost soothing. “Not that I’m complaining, but what brought this on?”

Oh, what the hell.

“ Kyle ,” I spat.

“Kyle?” Logan sounded completely sober now. “What—did he say something?”

I twisted against Logan’s hold so I could look at him. “He’s touching you. All the fucking time .”

Logan’s eyes cleared, a smile twitching around his lips. Right, sure, because this was funny. Fuck him. I tried to shake him off and he held on, walked me back against the same wall I’d pinned him to before. “Kyle,” he said quietly, “is straight .”

No fucking way.

I scoffed, breath catching in my throat, and kept all inflection out of my voice. “And you’re sure about that.”

“Pretty damn sure, yeah.” He shook his head, artificial light catching on the upper bow of his lips. Brief hesitation pulled them down before his mouth firmed. “Look, if he implied there’s anything between us—that’s just to test you.”

“What for?”

“Are you into me or just into the money?”

I’m in love with you, idiot.

I let my head fall back against the wall and watched him through half-lowered lids. “If you really have to ask, you haven’t been paying attention.”

“No, I know. Kyle doesn’t, though.” Logan angled closer, shadows dripping down his face and collecting in the dip between his collarbones. “But even if he were into me—and he’s really, really not...” A hitch of air feathered over my cheek. “There’d be no way. I’m not... I wouldn’t. There’s no one else. Okay?”

Oh.

Breathe .

I turned my head. Our noses brushed, the space between us collapsing into delicate infinity. “Me too,” I said.

“Yeah?” His tone was hopeful, and it would be so easy to just put it out there. I love you . But not here, not like this, light-headed from the sudden punch of emotions.

“Yeah.” I drew him into a sweet, easy slide of our mouths, still smiling when I broke our kiss and nudged him back. “I’ve got to go before Frankie comes looking.”

“Right.” Logan looked a little dazed. “I’ll see you later?”

“For sure.” I ducked in for one more kiss, then zipped up and tucked my shirt back into my jeans while Logan watched, entirely unhelpful. He looked a mess, his face still flushed, lips bitten red. So very obvious. All it would take was one glance at him, another at me, and Tom and Kyle would know exactly what we’d been up to.

I rather liked the thought.

Frankie shot me a suspicious look when I reported back for duty. He didn’t comment, though, and so I spent the remainder of my shift slightly unsettled, body still humming even as reality trickled in around the seams.

Logan, Tom, and Kyle left a short while later, Logan slipping me his keycard as they signed the bill. I bit my tongue at the overly generous tip and caught Kyle eying me with a thoughtful air. He glanced away when I raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him. Whatever.

Once the bar slowed down to a drip that Frankie could handle alone, I ducked home for a shower and a quick change of clothes. Nia was gone, most likely with Tom. Well, I had no room to judge.

Nighttime chirps framed my path to Logan’s cabin. The rooms were dark when I slipped inside, ditched my sandals, and tried to tiptoe past the living area. A faint breeze carried the scent of something sweetly floral through the open terrace door, the only light shed by a mosquito plug that cast its ghostly glow on the floor.

I’d hoped to make it to Logan’s bedroom undetected, but alas, no such luck.

Fabric shifted as Kyle sat up on the couch. I considered moving along without a word as though I hadn’t noticed him.

“Milo?” he asked.

All right, so much for that. I paused, then turned. “Yeah. Sorry—didn’t mean to wake you.”

“No worries.” He paused, his outline barely visible in the dim light. “Think we got off on the wrong foot, huh?”

Ah, so we were doing this.

“Entirely possible.” I shifted on my feet. “But whose fault is that?”

“Fair enough.” His laugh was more breath than sound. “Can’t blame a guy for trying to protect his friend, though—Logan’s picked assholes before.”

Yeah, Logan had mentioned a few of them, like the photographer ex who couldn’t keep it in his pants. I leaned against the door jamb, crossing my arms. “And clinging to him like you’re getting paid for it protects him… how?”

“Just checking out your true colors, buddy. Green suits you.”

Fuck you .

I bit it back and instead went for, “You done?”

“Just about.” Kyle made a considering noise, sheets rustling. “You really care about him, don’t you?”

Man, his timing was impeccable. I inhaled sharply and tried to cover it up by clearing my throat immediately after—like hell I’d tell Kyle before I told Logan. Keep it simple.

“I do, yeah.”

Kyle was quiet for a beat, seeming to study me. No way could he make out any details, though, so I forced myself to relax. “Okay,” he said then. “So, we good?”

Just like that? I took a second to respond. On the one hand, he was a bit of a douche. On the other, maybe his heart was in the right place, and he was one of Logan’s best friends. If I wanted any kind of future with Logan—and God, I did . I had no idea how, just that I wanted it. Which meant that getting along with his friends was advisable.

“Yeah.” I nodded. “We’re good.”

“Fab. Goodnight, then.” With that, Kyle’s silhouette sank back into the couch, darkness swallowing him up once more. Humor glinted in his tone as he added, “Kiss Logan from me.”

“Fuck off,” I said, smiling a little.

Kyle snorted, and the room settled into silence. After a parting rap of my knuckles against the doorframe, I moved for the stairs.

Since no light shone through the gap underneath Logan’s bedroom door, I made sure to enter quietly. The curtains weren’t fully closed, letting in just enough light to make him out—fast asleep on the bed, facing the door, on his side with a pillow shoved under one shoulder. Softness washed over me, so intense that I had to stop for a moment and ground myself.

So. That was a thing now.

I curled one hand into a fist, nails cutting half moons into my palm, and told myself I wasn’t scared. Yeah, Logan might hurt me. But…

‘There’s no one else.’

But it was Logan .

I shucked my clothes and crawled into bed behind him, skin to skin, one arm around his chest. Even in sleep, he shifted into me like it was second nature.