Chapter Eleven - Ev

Ev woke up in the absolute best way possible. With Daddy's hot, wet mouth wrapped around his cock. He was coming before he was fully awake, his fingers tangled in Daddy's hair, his orgasm rolling through him in sleepy waves.

"Happy birthday, tiger," Daddy said after pulling off with a final slurp.

Ev giggled, still trying to catch his breath. "Oh my god. Best birthday ever," he told the ceiling.

"Well, that was easy," Daddy said, crawling up and stretching out above Ev, his weight braced on his elbows. "I guess I can cancel the rest of our plans, then."

Ev gaped at him, trying not to get distracted by just how handsome he looked this morning with his mussed hair and swollen lips. Ev kind of wanted to kiss him, but he knew better. As wonderful as this was, it was still just kink. Kisses were for boyfriends. He dragged his focus away from Gabe's mouth. "We have plans? What about work? And how did you even know it's my birthday?" Because Ev had been careful not to mention it, not wanting to put Gabe in a weird position. Again, just kink.

"Yes. No. And a little bird told me. In that order."

Ev huffed. Finny was such a brat sometimes. He knew Ev was keeping birthday-related things on the DL. Finn and Xavier weren't even coming up to celebrate with him until the weekend. "I'm gonna tell his Daddy he deserves a spanking."

Gabe chuckled. "I'm not going to speculate on Finn's feelings about spankings, but I happen to know my little tiger doesn't see them as punishment."

Ev scrunched up his face and poked out his tongue. Fine. That was valid. Nothing got him hotter than being put over Daddy's knee. Not that he and Gabe had done very much of that, no matter how often or how blatantly Ev hinted.

"Which is why it's our first order of business this morning."

Ev's brain screeched to a halt. Wait, what?

"You can't have a birthday without a birthday spanking, can you?"

Oh. Oh! Despite the fact that he'd come like thirty seconds ago, Ev's cock was very much taking interest. He licked his lips, unable to look away from Daddy's eyes. "I suppose you can't."

Daddy's lips twitched up in a smile. "So, my question for you, birthday boy, is do you want your spanking now—or later?"

Ev flicked his piercing. That was a no-brainer. "Now, please," he replied. "I want to feel it all day."

Daddy's eyes darkened, and, in a moment that was happening more and more, Ev thought Daddy was going to kiss him. But then the moment was gone, and Daddy was sitting up against the headboard and patting his thigh. "Up and over then, tiger."

Ev giggled. Daddy was so silly sometimes. He scrambled into place, draped over Daddy's thighs with his upper body on the mattress and his head pillowed on his hands.

Daddy's hands were on his butt immediately, rubbing and kneading his skin, waking up his nerve endings. "You have two options, tiger. Do you want the traditional one smack per year, or do you want Daddy to decide how many you get?"

Ev hummed, trying to focus. Twenty-four wasn't really very many. It would be over before Ev knew it, and he didn't want that. "You decide, Daddy."

Daddy gave his ass a hard squeeze, making Ev groan. "Good choice." His hand left Ev's skin, and a moment later, before Ev could overthink it, came down with a smack.

Heat bloomed, followed by a sting that faded quickly. Daddy gave the other cheek the same treatment, then returned to rubbing and squeezing. Ev sighed happily and settled in. This was gonna be so good.

He was right. Daddy built things up slowly until Ev was squirming and arching, hips searching for more. Then, when Ev thought he was going to have to start begging, Daddy increased the rhythm and strength of his smacks, spreading glowing heat through Ev's whole body. Ev gasped at a hard strike against a sensitive spot, and it turned into something choked and wet. Fuck. It was almost too much. He wanted to squirm away from the painful blows, and at the same time, he didn't ever want it to stop. It hurt, but he was also so hard he could barely think. "Daddy," he begged wetly.

"You're doing so good, baby," Daddy said, his voice warm. It made Ev feel all melty. Daddy was proud of him. His hand came down again, and Ev moaned, clenching at the blankets as his cock twitched and leaked.

Ev lost track of time after that, caught in a swirl of heat and pain and pleasure and Daddy. He was crying, begging. He wanted it to stop, and he wanted it to go on forever. He wanted to come.

Then he was in Daddy's lap, Daddy's hand wrapped around his aching cock and taking him over the edge for the second time that morning. As he came back to earth, a surge of emotion blindsided him.

"Shh," Daddy said, his arms tight around Ev. "You're okay, tiger. Just let it out."

What? Oh. He was crying. Fuck. His brain was so confused. He felt good. Amazing. His ass hurt like hell, and his limbs were tingling with the aftershocks of his orgasm. Daddy's strong arms were just right, anchoring him in place. Ev did as he was told and cried against Daddy's chest.

Finally, the tears ran out and were replaced by a nice floaty feeling. Daddy's skin was damp from Ev's leaky eyes. Ev licked him then snickered. Salty.

Daddy paused in whatever he'd been saying. Ev hadn't been paying attention to the words, just the soothing tone. He gripped Ev's chin and tilted his head back until their eyes met. "What are you doing, tiger?"

Ev smiled at him. "Cleaning up my mess?"

Daddy's lips twitched. "You're more in need of that than I am." He swiped some of the tears off Ev's cheek with his thumb, then sucked it into his mouth.

Ev laughed at him.

"How does a shower sound?" Daddy asked. It sounded fucking fantastic, as long as he didn't have to shower alone, which Ev made very clear.

A few minutes later, they were in Daddy's walk-in shower. It was three times the size of Ev's—which meant a little bigger than normal. Daddy stayed close, soaping Ev's skin and making sure he was extra clean in all his nooks and crannies. Ev returned the favor. He offered to return the favor for his two orgasms before breakfast too, but Daddy said they had somewhere to be and there wasn't time. Then he got Ev in his ticklish spots until he stopped pouting.

Daddy really did have everything planned down to the minute. He told Ev what to wear and hustled him out the door. When they got downstairs, a driver was waiting.

Ev checked his phone in the car. He had a text from Finny wishing him a happy birthday, as well as a series of birthday wishes in the group text with the Split Rock guys. Even Owen had remembered, sending him a "Happy Birthday" at midnight the night before. Ev should check in on his roommate more often. It felt like forever since he'd seen him.

The driver pulled up in front of a restaurant, and Daddy helped him out of the car. He shivered at a sharp gust of wind and tugged his coat tighter. "Breakfast?" he asked, catching sight of white-clothed tables through the large windows of the restaurant.

"Brunch, technically," Daddy replied, wrapping an arm around Ev and blocking the wind as he hurried him toward the doors.

The blast of warmth when they got inside was a relief. It was bitterly cold out. Ev was fumbling to get his layers of winter gear off as he trailed Daddy to the table, so he didn't realize right away that they weren't alone.

His head jerked up at the familiar voice calling, "Happy birthday, Ev!"

"Finny?" he asked, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. But no, his best friend was here, standing next to the table with his own Daddy. Ev rushed forward and threw his arms around Finn. "Oh my god, you liar! You weren't coming until Friday!"

Finn giggled and hugged him back, his cheeks flushed with happiness. "We wanted to surprise you."

Ev squeezed him tight. "This is the best surprise ever," he said before pulling him over to the table. He hung on to Finn's hand once they were seated, so happy to have his friend close. Daddy and Xavier sat across from them, and he had to admit it was a little funny to have two big Daddies on one side of the table and two twinky boys on the other. If anyone noticed them, they'd be awfully confused about who was there with whom.

Since it was his birthday, Ev needed the biggest stack of chocolate chip pancakes on the planet, with whipped cream and a side of extra bacon. Because everything was better with bacon. Daddy eyed him when he also got a fancy coffee drink that was more chocolate than coffee, but he didn't say anything.

"Are you trying to end up in a sugar coma?" Finny asked when Ev's towering plate was set in front of him. Ev didn't have time to answer. He had work to do!

"Everett," Daddy said, his stern voice sending a shiver down Ev's spine like always.

He paused with a big bite of probably delicious chocolaty pancakes halfway to his mouth and looked up. Daddy's eyes were narrowed, but he seemed more amused than annoyed. "Yes, Daddy?" Ev asked sweetly.

Finny made a sound next to him, but Ev was too distracted by pancakes to worry about it.

Daddy sighed. "Please don't make yourself sick, tiger. We have a lot planned for today, and I don't want you to miss out because you gave yourself a stomachache."

Ugh. Why did Daddies have to have good points? Ev gave his plate a mournful look. Crap. Fine. He pushed his plate toward Daddy and watched as Daddy transferred half the pancakes to a separate plate.

"If you're still hungry after you finish these, you can have the rest."

That made Ev feel better about the whole situation, and he accepted his food back with a smile. "Thank you, Daddy." He dove into his food for real this time, and it turned out Daddy had been right—dammit—and he didn't need the other half of his breakfast after all. The pancakes were super rich and filling.

As he was licking some of the whipped cream off his fork, Finny leaned in and whispered in his ear. "I thought you said you weren't going to date Gabe?"

Ev shrugged and stole a piece of bacon that Finny clearly wasn't going to finish. "I'm not. I mean, we're not. Dating." He crunched on the bacon. "It's just a kink thing."

Finny's forehead creased in confusion. "What does that mean? You call him Daddy and he tells you not to make yourself sick, but you aren't together?"

His sweet, innocent BFF. Finny was adorable, but really new when it came to—well, a lot of things. But kinky stuff, especially. "It means we do the fun stuff, without all the relationship stuff." He leaned closer and dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "My ass is so sore right now. I'm lucky this chair is padded."

Finny's eyes went big, and his cheeks flushed as red as Ev's hair. "He—" Finny's voice dropped to a whisper that Ev had to strain to hear. "He spanked you?"

Ev grinned. "Until I cried," he confirmed. "It was awesome. Best spanking ever. I'm going to have Daddy's handprints on my butt for a week. Wanna see?"

Xavier cleared his throat, catching Ev's attention. "Why don't we save the rest of that conversation for another time, hmm?" He nodded to the waiter, who Ev hadn't noticed refilling their waters. The guy looked a little flustered, but Ev didn't see the issue. It was New York. He was sure the guy had heard worse, and it wasn't like Ev had pulled his pants down at the table to show Finny his pretty, purpling bruises.

"Maybe it's time we did presents," Daddy cut in, seeming way less concerned about the conversation than Xavier. But then, Daddy was more used to Ev than Xavier was.

Wait.

Presents?

He bounced in his seat, then froze. Owwww. Fuuuck. Bad move, Ev.

Daddy caught what happened a moment before the others and huffed an exasperated laugh. "On second thought, let's head back to the apartment first. If only to stop our poor waiter's ears from bleeding."

Ev tore into the colorful paper and sent it flying. "Oh my god!" he shouted as he held up the brand-new Xbox console. "Best. Birthday. Ever!" He hugged the box to his chest, then put it carefully aside before crawling across the sofa, over Finny, and into Daddy's lap to hug him as tight as he could. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

Daddy laughed and hugged him back. "You're welcome, tiger." He kissed Ev's forehead. "There are a couple of games in that other bag, but if you want something different, we can go to the store and exchange them."

"They're perfect," Ev insisted, even though he hadn't seen them yet. He didn't want Daddy to think he wasn't grateful. He snuggled closer, his knees on either side of Daddy's hips and his face tucked into the warm curve of Daddy's neck. An Xbox from Daddy and a super-cool new smartwatch from Finny and Xavier. Today couldn't get more perfect.

Daddy started rubbing his back in firm circles, and Ev sighed happily. He had the best Daddy ever. "We have a few hours before the next thing. Do you want me to set it up, then you and Finn can play some?"

Ev nodded but didn't lift his head. Yeah. That sounded good. In a minute anyway. Right now, he just wanted to cuddle. Daddy didn't seem opposed. His hand didn't stop its circles, and his breathing stayed steady—Ev could feel it where their chests were pressed together.

Xavier and Daddy started talking about work, of all things, so Ev figured he was safe to stay where he was for a while. He peeked out and caught Finny's eye just as he lifted a hand to hide a yawn. "Are you tired, sweetheart?" Xavier asked. "We were up early."

"Just a little," Finny admitted. "I'll be okay."

Xavier's voice was skeptical. "It's going to be a long day. Why don't we swing by the condo for a little so you can nap?"

"He can nap here," Daddy offered. "I think this one could use some sleep too." He poked Ev's ribs just enough to make a whine of complaint leave his throat. "Trust me, tiger. You want to be rested up for later."

Ev huffed. "Can I nap with Finny?"

He didn't see Daddy's reaction, but Finny giggled. "I don't mind."

"Watch out for his octopus arms," Daddy warned. "I think I've almost been asphyxiated twice."

Well, how rude! Ev didn't even have to move to get back at Daddy for that one. He just opened his mouth and bit.

"Fuck," Daddy hissed, grabbing Ev's hair and pulling him back to a safe distance. "You little brat," he grumbled. "You're lucky it's your birthday, or those bruises you like so much would be screaming."

Ev snickered, but only because he knew Daddy wasn't mad. Ev's teeth had made his cock twitch. Daddy liked Ev when he got feisty.

"All right, that settles it." Daddy stood with Ev in his arms, one broad hand under his sore butt as he carried him toward the bedroom. "It's definitely nap time. Finn, you're welcome to join this little tiger, unless you fear for your limbs."

"Go ahead and get some sleep," Ev heard Xavier say. "Gabe and I can keep ourselves entertained for a few hours."

"Thanks, Daddy," Finn said, followed by the sound of a kiss.

A moment later, the light dimmed beyond Ev's eyelids as Daddy carried him into the cool room and sat him on the edge of the bed. Ev was happy to let himself be stripped down to his boxers, then hustled under the covers. A moment later and a murmured conversation between Daddy and Finny, and his best friend was crawling in next to him.

"Be good, boys," Daddy said.

Ev smiled to himself. "We're always good," he called back.

Daddy chuckled as the door clicked shut behind him.

Ev flailed across the bed and snagged Finny by the arm, tugging until he came close enough to snuggle. Finny wrapped his arms around him, and Ev did the same in return, scooching over so they could share a pillow.

"I've never seen you like this," Finny said, voice soft, his fingers tugging on the short ends of Ev's hair at the back of his neck. "You're really…relaxed."

"You mean little," Ev murmured, already feeling sleep pulling at him.

"Yeah," Finny agreed.

"'Cause I feel safe. Daddy isn't gonna let anything happen to me. I can be as big or as little as I want. He doesn't care, as long as I'm happy."

There was a long pause, and Ev was nearly gone when Finny finally replied. "And you say you aren't dating."

"Oh my god, you really do have bruises," Finn exclaimed as Ev bent over to work his tightest jeans up his legs and over his jock. He'd forgotten Finn would get an eyeful.

He sent his friend an upside-down smirk from between his legs. "Aren't they awesome?"

Finn's eyes were wide. "Don't they hurt?"

Ev got his feet through the leg holes and shuffled over to the bed to flop down and work them the rest of the way up his legs. They were the same pants he'd worn the second time he and Gabe met at the Edge, and while they were a trial to get on, the results were worth it. "I mean, define ‘hurt'? If I sit down too hard, it kind of makes my eyes tear up, but the rest of the time, it's just this dull throb that makes me want to poke them. They look worse than they are cause I'm a redhead and I bruise easy." Finn was chewing on his lower lip, the way he did when he was anxious, so Ev gave him a lopsided grin. "Plus, when I feel them, I remember Gabe giving them to me, and that makes me horny for more."

Finn's cheeks flushed, but his expression turned intrigued. Okay, actually, he mostly looked embarrassed, but Ev had known him for a long time, and he knew when the embarrassment was hiding his interest.

"Has Xavier ever spanked you?"

Finn coughed, sputtered, and scrambled for the glass of water on the nightstand.

Finn laughed. "That's not a no," he teased.

Finn gulped half the glass, then lowered it to glower at Ev.

Ev just waited with his eyebrows raised until Finn sighed and gave in like Ev knew he would.

"Just a little. As a tease," he admitted. "It barely stung, and then he stopped before I could decide if I liked it or not."

"So, ask him to do it again."

Finn shook his head, hiding behind the water glass. "I can't."

Ev sat up and gestured him closer until he could pull him to sit on the mattress and wrap an arm around his sweetheart of a best friend. "Look, Finny. Xavier's a Daddy, right?"

Finn gave a nod. "Yeah."

"Well, trust me. Daddies aren't shy about spanking their boys. You should come to the Edge sometime and see for yourself. They even do demos and stuff. You aren't going to freak Xavier out if you ask."

Finn still looked unsure, but Ev let him have that. He sometimes needed to work through new stuff in his head before he got comfortable with it. He gave Finn a final squeeze, then pushed him to stand.

"We'll talk about this later. For now, let's see if our Daddies are ready to go."

Gabe was winning when it came to birthday stuff. After their nap, they'd gone to an escape room—something Ev had always wanted to try—and totally owned it. Now, they were going to the coolest rooftop bar ever for drinks before dinner.

It was bone-numbingly cold when they stepped out of the elevator and onto the roof, but that was part of the fun, because the space was dotted with dozens of colorful igloos. Not real igloos, of course, because that would have been difficult to manage in New York, but the PVC structures, covered in clear plastic, gave the same effect. They were lit from the inside with LED string lights, and it made them look like they were glowing.

Finn was tugging him toward a big one on the end, and Ev hurried with him, eager to get out of the wind. He opened the swinging door and stepped into the heated interior with a sigh of relief.

"Surprise!"

Ev took a startled step back, straight into Gabe's chest. Were they in the wrong igloo? Finn still held Ev's hand and was bouncing on his toes next to him with a grin on his face. What the fuck?

Micah and his partners, Ryan and Nick, were there, all the way from Split Rock. Ev went to hug them hello. Then he noticed Owen, bundled up in winter clothes but with a smile on his face and a drink in his hand. He got a hug too and a little shake for being so sneaky. It took Ev a second to place the other man in the igloo. Archer, Micah's best friend, who worked with them at the ranch. Ev only knew him from his infrequent contributions to the group chat—but hey, the more, the merrier.

"What are you guys doing here? This is so awesome," Ev exclaimed as he finished the rounds of hugs. "Why are you in New York?"

"Archer is meeting a client this weekend, and we tagged along," Nick said, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair, which fell neatly back into place except for one strand that flipped to the wrong side. "I used to live here, so I'm always down for a visit."

Ryan reached up and fixed Nick's hair, then left an arm draped over his shoulders. "The weather might be terrible, but it's the best time of year for all three of us to get away from work."

Micah nodded in agreement. "Don't let anyone tell you running a horse ranch is easy," he said with a laugh. "I think the last time we slept in was the last time we were here. But lucky for you, we did! And we're ready to have some fun tonight and celebrate your birthday."

After Ev exchanged another exuberant hug with Micah, Archer reached out to shake Ev's hand. "Happy birthday, man. I appreciate you letting me crash your party."

Ev waved him off. Of course. "It's awesome you're here. I'm surprised Izzy let you guys leave him behind, though. He's the one who keeps saying he wants to visit."

Micah exchanged a look with Ryan, who gave a long-suffering shake of his head. "Izzy's got some stuff going on. He says ‘Happy birthday,' though, and he's gonna hit you up next time," Micah explained.

"Is he okay?" They weren't exactly close, but they bantered all the time in the group chat, and Ev counted him as a friend.

"Oh yeah," Micah said. "It's just personal crap, according to him. But it's Izzy. He'll be fine."

That was good. Ev would have to text him later, though, and check in.

It was warmer than he expected inside the igloo, a small electric fireplace pumping out heat. He stripped off his coat and gloves and dropped them onto one of the low sofas lining the curved walls. As he was straightening up again, Gabe walked over with a drink in a long-stemmed margarita glass.

Ev's mouth dropped open. In the bowl of the drink sat a rubber duck, floating on a cloud of what looked like pink cotton candy. He took the glass, careful not to spill. "My drink comes with a toy surprise?"

The corner of Gabe's mouth pulled up in a smirk. "Don't tell the other littles. This place will be overrun."

Ev laughed. He was definitely telling every little he knew. Which, granted, was mostly just Owen at the moment, and he was already here. Still— "Owen, look at my drink!" He held it up for Owen to see and was treated to his roommate's eyes going wide. Owen was a total sucker for cute things.

It took Ev a few minutes to figure out how to drink around the cotton candy, and the duck, which kept bumping into his nose, but Gabe got him a cocktail straw, which helped. Ev leaned toward Gabe after taking a sip—fruity and yummy. "Can you get one for Owen too? I'll pay you back."

Gabe kissed his forehead and walked away. What? Was that a yes? Well, Gabe was leaving their igloo, so Ev assumed that was a yes. Finny was over talking to Owen now, and Ev crossed to join them.

"I'm so glad you're here," he told Owen, pulling him in for a side hug. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"It's been a while," Owen agreed, hugging back. "I'd almost think you moved in with your boyfriend, but I keep finding your dirty clothes in the bathroom and your travel mugs in the sink. Also, your piano is still there, and I know you wouldn't leave that behind."

Ev winced, a tingle of guilt taking up residence in his stomach. He should really work on being a better roommate than that, but first, "Gabe's not my boyfriend."

Owen gave him a withering look that was spoiled by the LED lights washing over his face in pinks and then greens, highlighting his glossy lips and the faint sparkle on his eyelids. "Ev. I haven't seen you since before you left for LA. You're saying you've been living in the guy's pocket for three weeks and you aren't dating?"

"You've been staying with him since LA?" Finn asked. "You didn't tell me that."

Ev blinked at them. No. That couldn't be right. He did some mental math. The first time they'd fucked—well, fucked again—was about a week after they got back. Ev was sure he'd slept at home at least once or twice that week. Though mostly, he'd run home before work to shower and change. It couldn't have been two weeks since they'd started fucking again, could it?

"Just tell me when I need to start looking for a new roommate," Owen said, his tone amused. "I'll be pissed at you if you ghost me."

Ev shook his head, the knot in his stomach tightening. "I'm not going to move out. I swear. It's just kink. And it's new, so I guess I got a little carried away. I'll come home tonight. I promise."

Owen laughed at him. The brat. "No, you won't. It's your birthday, and you're going home with your Daddy. But it would be nice if you came to visit at some point this week."

"Sure. Yeah." Ev nodded. "Tomorrow is Saturday. I'll be there. If you're right, I need to do laundry anyway."

"See?" Owen said to Finn.

Finny, the traitor, nodded. "I have to agree with Owen."

"What are we talking about?" Micah asked as he walked up and draped an arm around Finn's shoulders. Archer was right behind him with another rubber duckie drink that he handed off to Owen.

"From Gabe," he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at Ev's Daddy, who had settled on one of the sofas and was talking to Xavier, Ryan, and Nick.

Owen's mouth made a little "o," a hint of his own little slipping through, but then his eyes got glassy. Crap. Ev really hated Owen's ex.

"Ev says he and Gabe aren't dating, even though Ev has been sleeping over for almost a month," Finn told Micah.

Micah's eyes lit with interest. "Oh really? So you finally came clean about the New Year's hookup."

"New Year's hookup?" Owen parroted, blinking back his emotions.

Dammit. He never had gotten around to telling Owen what had actually happened with Gabe, had he? "We didn't recognize each other with the masks," Ev admitted.

Owen stared at him in surprise. "Gabe was who you were with that night? Why didn't you tell me?"

Ev cringed. "You had your own shit to deal with. I didn't want to pile mine on."

Owen just shook his head, a hint of wry amusement curling his lips. "Honestly, it would have been a good distraction."

Ev clinked their duckie drinks together. "I promise to dump all my shit on you from now on."

Owen laughed. Finally. "Gross. Please don't."

"Back to the subject," Micah interjected. "What's going on with you two if you aren't dating? 'Cause all of this—" he waved his hand at the igloo "—feels like relationship goals, to be honest."

Ev glanced across to where Gabe was sitting with the older half of the group and was startled when Daddy was already looking at him. Ev looked away, his cheeks heating for some stupid reason. "It's just a kink thing," he insisted again. "We have an arrangement, and we both know what it is and what it isn't." He swallowed the discomfort that came with that statement along with a big gulp of his drink. It wasn't a lie. Just because he found himself wanting to spend more and more time with Daddy, to wake up in his arms and cuddle on the sofa and kiss him goodnight, didn't mean Ev was interested in changing their deal. He wasn't dating his boss, dammit!

"I think we need shots," Archer announced suddenly. "And dancing."

Thank fuck for Archer. 'Cause Ev was done with this interrogation. He downed the last of his drink and set his duckie on top of his coat so he didn't forget it later. Finn was the only one who looked hesitant, so Ev grabbed his hand on one side and Owen's on the other and started pulling them to the door of the igloo. Micah stopped to snag Nick, and Xavier stood to make sure Finn was okay going without him.

Ev gave him an eye roll. "I think we can manage without Daddies for a few songs." He turned his head so he wouldn't be tempted to look at Gabe. "We're big boys."

Finn smiled at Xavier. "It's okay. We'll be right downstairs, and we'll come back when we're done."

"See?" Ev said, pulling on Finn's arm.

Xavier gave an amused shake of his head, kissed Finn on the temple, and let him go.

"Don't worry," Archer said. "I'll babysit."

Ev turned his glare on the other man, but Archer just laughed, put a hand between Ev's shoulder blades, and pushed him toward the door. "Don't argue," he said in Ev's ear. "They're the type to worry themselves to death if someone isn't going to be the responsible one."

Ev gave in. As they stepped out into the frigid air, he glanced over his shoulder and caught Gabe watching him again. Dammit. He turned away. This wasn't a scene. He didn't need Daddy's approval. It was his birthday, he was single, and he could do what he wanted.

What he wanted to do was dance. After fun, fruity shots at the bar that Finny put on Xavier's open tab, they hit the dance floor. Ev took turns dancing with Finn and Owen. Archer stayed nearby, sipping a drink and keeping an eye on things as promised. It seemed boring to Ev, but maybe that was what fun looked like when you were Mr. Responsible.

Of the three of them, Owen was the best dancer. He'd taken lessons for years, and it showed. It caught people's attention, but the girls casting flirty glances their way were headed for disappointment with this group. Well, Archer might be interested, but he was on babysitting duty, so the flirty girls were doubly out of luck.

From the corner of his eye, Ev saw Archer straighten. Following his gaze, Ev did a double take at the couple headed in their direction, the crowd parting like a curtain.

It was hard to say who was drawing more attention, Kelsey, in her skintight, floor-length, sequined dress, or Remy, in his worn jeans, ball cap, and button-down that seemed to be missing most of its buttons—at the very least, he hadn't bothered with the ones above his belt buckle. The brim of his hat was pulled low, maybe to protect him from photos, but it didn't do much to disguise his identity.

"Am I losing it, or is that Remy Dalton?" Owen shouted in his ear over the music.

Aw, crap. He was a terrible roommate. He really needed to get Owen caught up. No time for it now, though. Finn noticed Remy just as he reached them and gave an excited shout, going in for a hug at the same time that Kelsey reached Ev.

"Happy birthday," she said with a brilliant smile, offering her cheek for Ev to kiss like a true Hollywood diva. Ev laughed and did as he was supposed to.

"You look stunning," he told her, unable to keep from grinning back. "But how the hell did you get in here? Are you even twenty-one?"

Kelsey smacked his shoulder. "Close enough. And who's going to card the woman on that guy's arm?" She gestured to Remy.

Ev laughed again. "Fair enough." He turned to introduce her to Owen, who was looking a little stunned but rebounded quickly. Luckily, as a makeup artist, he had the advantage of working in an industry where he was often in close contact with famous people, so he'd be a lot smoother around Remy than Ev had been when they'd first met. Owen shook Kelsey's hand, while complimenting her fit, which made her light up and start talking trends with him.

Ev turned to Remy and got pulled straight into a hug. "Happy birthday, hot stuff," he said in Ev's ear.

Ev hugged him back. "Is that going to be a thing? 'Cause you'll give people the wrong idea."

Remy grinned as he released Ev, flashing his perfect white teeth. "That's what I live for."

Ev shook his head. "You're trouble."

"You know it," Remy said, chucking him under the chin. "Now, who do I need to pay off to get a dance with the birthday boy?"

"Archer, probably," Ev told him, gesturing to their chaperone, who was standing with his hands in the pockets of his worn, paint-splattered jeans. Ev had assumed they were designer, but now that he thought about it, Archer was some kind of artist, so maybe they were authentic.

Remy gave Archer a lingering once-over. "He's welcome to stop me," he said, winking when Archer met his eyes. Archer blinked at him, looking a little off-balance, but who wouldn't be?

"I'm pretty sure he's straight."

Remy shrugged. "That's usually less of a problem than you'd expect." He turned back to Ev and held out an arm. "C'mon, let's make the lookie-loos jealous."

Ev shook his head. He was never going to get used to Remy, but he stepped closer anyway and let himself be pulled into the rhythm of the music.

They were into the second song when Remy leaned in to say, "If you keep looking at the stairs, I'm going to think you're hiding from someone."

Ev dragged his gaze away from the stairs leading to the rooftop. "I'm not hiding," he said quickly, then groaned at Remy's smirk. "Don't be an asshole."

"I'm just calling it like I see it, kid. And it looks to me like you're waiting for someone to walk down those stairs."

Ev thumped his forehead against Remy's collarbone. "Shut up," he grumbled.

A moment later, Remy spun them and tilted Ev back in a dip that made him yelp and grab for Remy's shoulders. "What the fuck?" he asked, laughing and half terrified, even though he knew Remy wouldn't drop him.

Remy righted him, then gave him a little push that had him taking a stumbling step—only to be caught by strong, familiar arms.

"Just keeping him warm for you," Remy said to Gabe with a jaunty salute.

Ev's heart was racing, his brain trying to catch up to the abrupt change in partners. Gabe pulled him closer, and Ev slid his arms around Gabe's neck automatically. Gabe's skin was warm, and Ev wanted to bury his face in the curve of his throat. "Got tired of the grown-up talk?" he asked, pushing away the impulse.

Gabe shifted his gaze from where he was clearly giving Remy some kind of silent warning back to Ev. "More like Xavier couldn't handle having his boy out of his sight. He gets twitchy." He pulled Ev closer, and Ev wondered if Xavier was the only one.

"That doesn't seem a little codependent to you?" he teased.

"I can't say I blame him," Gabe shot back. "You clearly need supervision too. You have terrible taste in dance partners."

Butterflies swarmed in Ev's belly. He should really take more offense to that than he was, but it felt good to have someone worry about him, even if it was misplaced when it came to Remy. "If he drives you so crazy, why did you invite him?"

Gabe's lips pursed in annoyance, like he bit into a lemon and was trying to pretend he didn't care. "I didn't. I invited Kelsey. Remy invited himself."

Ev laughed and stretched up, kissing the pout off his face.

Oh crap. He shouldn't have done that.

Gabe's lips softened at the pressure, and he immediately kissed Ev back, taking control. Ev's head swam and his knees went weak when Gabe's tongue brushed his lower lip, asking for entry. Ev opened for him, clutching the back of his neck as Gabe swept inside, claiming his mouth.

Half of his brain was screaming, "What the fuck are you doing?" while the other half told it to shut the hell up because this felt too good to ever stop. He whimpered when Gabe slid his hand into the short hair at the back of his head and adjusted the angle so he could go deeper. It was too much and not enough. He wanted to climb Gabe and cling to him like a baby koala, and he wanted to push him away and insist they weren't doing this. He was a mess, and the only thing he could do was hang on and hope Gabe had a plan, because all of Ev's plans had just dissolved like the cotton candy in his duckie drink.

Gabe broke the kiss and seemed like he was going to say something. But instead, he looked into Ev's eyes, then dove in and kissed him again. And again. In between the assault on Ev's senses, Gabe gripped the back of Ev's neck and told him, "Don't run." Then he kissed him again, deep and hungry, until escape was the furthest thing from Ev's mind.