Chapter One - Ev

Ev moaned and braced his palms against the mirror, grateful to whoever decided the club should have private bathrooms. "I'm close," he managed to choke out. The man behind him made an approving sound and sped up his thrusts, hammering into Ev's body just the way he liked it. "Fuck. Fuck. Your cock is perfect. Feels so good, Daddy."

The man's hands spasmed against Ev's hips, and his movements froze. Shit. That term was probably off-limits. It was always risky, but everything had been going so well that it had just slipped out. The way the man had been handling him and the rough growl of his commands in Ev's ear had hit him right in the part of his brain that wanted to submit. It had been too long.

"Sorry, Sir," Ev managed. Sir was safe in a kink club. "It just slipped out. I won't say it again."

"Stop, boy," his stranger said, voice firm.

Ev shivered and dragged his gaze up to meet blue eyes. His stranger was difficult to read, the top half of his face obscured by his black mask, the same as the mask Ev was wearing. Was he angry? Turned off? Maybe hooking up at the New Year's masquerade had been a bad idea after all. Ev caught his piercing between his teeth.

"Are you listening?" his stranger asked with a tone that made Ev imagine him arching an eyebrow.

Ev nodded quickly, his body quivering from the interrupted release. He'd been so close. He'd die if they stopped now.

"I usually save that term for relationships."

Ev winced and looked away. He did too. He'd just gotten carried away. It had been so long since someone had made him feel the way this masked stranger did.

His stranger caught him by the jaw and redirected him so their gazes met in the mirror. "How about we make a deal. I'll be ‘Daddy' until the masks come off at midnight. Part of the fun of being anonymous, hmm?"

Ev was already nodding when his stranger continued.

"And in return, I get to have a sweet boy at my side for the rest of the night."

Ev's skin erupted in tingles. Hot damn. Was he really that lucky? "I want that," he said before Daddy could change his mind.

Daddy's lips curved up. "Do you think you can be sweet?"

Well, that was a bit trickier. Ev could be sweet, but sometimes it was more fun to be a little sassy. Still, if it got him his sexy stranger for the rest of the night, he could manage. "Yes, Daddy."

"It's a deal, then." Daddy took hold of Ev's hips. "Are you ready, boy?"

He waited for Ev's affirmative response before easing back. Whereas before, he'd been borderline rough, this time, he seemed determined to tease Ev to death. His fat cock dragged against Ev's walls, glancing off his prostate on every other pass, making his belly tighten and sparks dance under his skin. His orgasm was building quickly. He reached down to help it along, but Daddy caught his hand and put it back on the mirror. Ev whined.

"Trust me to take care of you," Daddy said. "Can you do that?"

Ev's lower lip trembled, but he nodded. He pressed his fingertips to the glass until they ached. "Yes, Daddy," he managed.

Daddy's hands roamed Ev's bare chest, pausing to play with his nipple piercings. The tugs went straight to Ev's drooling cock, making it twitch. "Can you come from these?"

Ev shook his head, beyond words.

"I bet you can." He gave them a twist. Ev's vision swam and his jaw dropped. "Not tonight, though." He moved on, thankfully. He was playing Ev like a musician with a familiar instrument, and Ev wasn't sure if he was about to be made into a liar. He didn't have time to contemplate it before Daddy pulled out.

Ev groaned in denial. He got a smack to the ass in reply that turned his legs to jelly. "I thought you were going to trust me," Daddy said, his voice teasing.

Ev was only still on his feet because he'd locked his knees. He shut his eyes, focusing on the fading sting. God. Fuck. He struggled to bring his brain back online. "Please," he begged.

Daddy gripped his stinging flesh and squeezed. "Shit, boy," he said, voice rougher than before. "Don't distract me." He pulled Ev upright, turned him, and lifted him onto the counter with his ass at the edge. Ev braced his hands just as Daddy eased back inside him, slow but powerful.

The new angle was even better, and Ev's head fell back against the mirror with a thunk. "Oh my god. Oh fuck. Daddy."

Daddy wasn't teasing anymore. Each movement hit Ev's prostate dead on. "Touch yourself, boy. I want to see you come."

Ev's hand flew to his cock. It only took two pumps to send him over the edge. He came with a shout, pleasure pulsing through him as Daddy's thrusts sped up until he slammed deep and let out a long, low groan.

"Holy shit," Ev said as he started to come back to himself. He winced at the empty ache left behind when Daddy pulled free. "That was epic."

Daddy turned away to discard the condom, but Ev caught the pleased curl of his lips. A moment later, he was back and helping Ev to his feet. Ev could only blink when Daddy fixed his pants for him and then turned him to the sink and pressed up against his back to help Ev wash his hands. He thought about protesting—he wasn't that little—but it was still nice to be taken care of while he was still woozy from his orgasm.

Once they were both cleaned up, Daddy cupped Ev's jaw and tilted his face up. "I feel like I may have put you on the spot before."

Ev furrowed his brow, not sure what Daddy was talking about.

"You were with friends earlier. It's fine if you want to go back to them."

Oh. Ev shook his head. His "friends" were his roommate, Owen, and Owen's boyfriend, Scott. He wasn't eager to be a third wheel. "I want to stay with you, Daddy," he said, employing his best puppy-dog look and hoping the effect wasn't lost behind the mask.

Daddy chuckled. "In that case, let me buy you a drink."

Ev was still floating on the endorphins of their fantastic fuck while he waited for Daddy to return from the bar with their drinks. Ev had offered to go too, but Daddy had planted Ev's butt on a plush velvet sofa and told him to stay put. Then he'd made his way to the bar. A few people called out greetings as he passed, but Daddy just gave a friendly nod and continued on.

Daddy was hot in his tailored black tux. It was a more traditional New Year's look than Ev's. Ev had stretched the formal theme just a bit. He had the nice tailored pants and the vest—he'd just skipped the jacket and the shirt under it. When you had body art like his sleeves, you took every opportunity to show them off. Daddy approved, at least. Ev had seen the way his eyes drifted. And it wasn't like he was underdressed, compared to a lot of the other subs at this shindig. More than one woman was in just a thong and pasties.

The New Year's party was in full swing—the crowd increasing the closer they got to midnight. Owen and Scott were around here somewhere. Ev hadn't seen them since before he'd hooked up with Daddy, but he wasn't worried. The Edge was a huge building with multiple floors and dozens of rooms. He could text Owen if he needed to track him down.

This part of the club, the lounge, was a social space. The lighting was dim enough to disguise your worst flaws, and the alcohol flowing from the bar in the corner made what was left of them invisible. Comfortable furniture, arranged into semiprivate seating areas, dotted the room. Daddy had led Ev to a sofa with a "Reserved" sign on the low table in front of it. If he had his own table, that meant he had a VIP ticket. Ev was impressed. And jealous. Those had sold out in seconds, and they'd been way out of his price range.

A few minutes later, Daddy returned and handed Ev his drink, then settled on the sofa next to him, their thighs brushing. Ev only realized how close he'd been to jittery when the knot in his stomach loosened and the nerves melted away. Daddy draped his arm over the sofa back, and Ev took the opportunity to relax into his side.

"Did you really manage to snag a VIP ticket, or is someone gonna come kick us out when they see us squatting?" Ev asked, tilting his head back so he could see Daddy better, even if the mask hid everything but his mouth and eyes.

Daddy chuckled, the low sound lifting goose bumps on Ev's arms. "We're safe, I promise." His fingers brushed the nape of Ev's neck, playing with the short hairs there. "I take it you're new? I haven't seen you around before."

"Well, I haven't seen you either," Ev threw back as he tapped Daddy's mask right between the eyeholes.

Daddy smirked. "I like to think I'd remember this mouth," he said, brushing his thumb over Ev's lower lip, then touching Ev's labret piercing. "And those sleeves." His gaze dropped to Ev's arms.

Ev gave Daddy's thumb a teasing nip. Yeah, he had a memorable mouth, and his tattoos were fire. Sue him. "I've been a member a few months, but I've only made it here a couple times. Work is busy." He pursed his lips. That was an understatement. It would probably get easier as he adjusted to his new job, but he was still in the slightly overwhelmed stage of things. Wanting to make a good impression on his new boss didn't help. Ev pushed those thoughts away. He hadn't had a day off all week, and he didn't want to think about work tonight.

This close, Daddy's eyes were startlingly blue, even in the dim light. Ev was feeling snuggly, but he was already as close as he could get without being in Daddy's lap. He sighed. That was the drawback of a club hookup. He didn't get nearly the cuddle time he needed.

"What's wrong?" Daddy asked, eyes narrowed as he flicked them between Ev's.

Ev made a face at having given himself away. He didn't want to explain. "Will you dance with me, Daddy?"

Daddy's eyebrow went up in surprise, but he nodded. They finished their drinks, and Daddy led Ev upstairs. Where the first floor was for talking, the second wasn't. The music was loud enough to drown out Ev's thoughts. He bounced on his toes as he recognized the song and grabbed Daddy's hand, tugging him toward the dance floor. The middle of the room was taken up by a large stage that was used for demos most of the time, but tonight, it held a DJ.

They were buffeted by bodies as Ev pushed through the crowd, wanting to find the best spot. Before he could get far, Daddy's strong arms wrapped around him and pulled him back. One large hand gripped his hip, and the other slid across his chest, Daddy's forearm anchoring him in place. Ev melted into the possessive hold and reached back to grip Daddy's ass in return. This was better. Not the same as cuddling, but at least he could feel Daddy everywhere now.

Ev lost track of time as they danced, falling into the hot press of their bodies, the push-pull rhythm, and the thud of the music vibrating through him. Daddy felt perfect behind him, tall and broad enough to wrap around Ev, but not so much bigger that Ev's ass didn't fit right up against Daddy's cock. Ev could have kept dancing all night, but eventually, Daddy steered him off the dance floor and back down to their reserved sofa. They got another round of drinks and caught their breath. Ev was starting to feel the alcohol a little, and it made him loose and happy. Maybe, if he worked it just right, he could convince Daddy to play with him some more. He put a hand high up on Daddy's thigh.

"It's nearly midnight," Daddy said.

Ev's stomach dropped. He looked down and swallowed. That meant their time was almost up. Ev wasn't ready.

Daddy gripped Ev's chin and tilted his face back up. "I'm glad we met. I wasn't expecting to have this much fun tonight."

Ev licked his lips. "Me too," he managed, his heart starting to race. Maybe it was because they were anonymous and there were no strings or expectations, but it had been a long time since Ev had felt so connected to a hookup. "Do you think—"

"Ten!" the crowd shouted, making Ev startle.

Daddy smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling behind the mask as the countdown to midnight began. Ev smiled back and joined in. At "One," Daddy leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to Ev's cheek. "Happy New Year," he murmured as he pulled back.

All around them, people were cheering, laughing, and discarding their masks. Ev reached up to remove his at the same time that Daddy did, nerves rushing back. What if Daddy—it was after midnight, Ev needed to stop thinking of him that way. What if Ev's stranger didn't like what he saw? It took Ev a few seconds to gather his courage and look up. When he did, he froze.

Oh. Oh, fuck no.

Ev scrambled to his feet. No. No, no, no. Please tell him he didn't. He was going to be sick.

Gabriel Diaz—his fucking boss—watched him with an unreadable expression. Ev opened his mouth, not sure what was going to come out of it other than utter panic. He'd fucked his boss.

Again.

Fuck.

This was so many kinds of wrong. Before he could say anything, hands gripped his arm, and his roommate Owen was at his side.

Owen's eyes were as wild as Ev's insides felt, and his grip was painful. "We need to go. Right now. Right now." He pulled at Ev desperately. "Please."

Ev's gaze flew from Owen to Daddy and back again. "I—" he tried, but Owen just shook his head, tears welling and spilling down his cheeks. Shit. Ev wrapped an arm around Owen's shoulders, looking for Owen's boyfriend. Where the hell was the guy who was supposed to be taking care of him?

Ev glanced back at Gabe, then shook his head. One crisis at a time. He could deal with his boss at work next week. It was probably a good idea anyway. If Ev said something now, he'd fuck it all up. Instead, he gave Daddy a final look, regretting everything about the last few hours, especially how much he'd liked what they'd done. How much he'd wanted more. Then he hurried Owen away, down the stairs, and out the doors to a waiting cab.

Monday was going to come way too soon, and it was going to be a disaster.

If this was the start the new year was off to, it didn't bode well for Ev—or for Owen. It took Ev the whole ride back to their apartment, but he got Owen to explain that he and Scott had some kind of disagreement. Scott had blown up at Owen, then left.

Owen had been devastated. In between offering his shoulder for Owen to cry on and cursing Owen's hopefully ex-boyfriend to the pits of hell, Ev hadn't had the heart to explain his own New Year's fuckup or the fact that he might be getting fired on Monday. Owen didn't need the extra stress. Instead, they'd turned off their cell phones and spent the weekend on the sofa, eating junk food and watching movies. Well, Ev watched while Owen curled in a miserable ball with all their spare blankets and napped off and on.

Ev was worried that Owen was bored with their Remy Dalton Action Movie Marathon, but Owen said it was fine. Remy was hot—hotter now that it had come out that he was gay—Owen was just tired. Ev didn't think he'd ever be so tired that he'd sleep through Remy taking on the bad guys. It was crazy to think that his BFF, Finny, had met Remy and hung out with him. Ev was super jealous.

Now the weekend was over, and Ev wanted nothing more than to call out sick. Or dead. His best friend would help. Finny had helped him get the job in the first place. Ev could have Finny ask his boyfriend—who was also Gabe's business partner—to tell Gabe that Ev had moved to Australia. Except Ev didn't want to live in Australia. They had cyclones and wildfires and snakes. Really poisonous snakes.

Ev forced himself out the door by promising himself good coffee when he got to work. God, he hoped he didn't get fired. He needed the money, and Finny would be disappointed if this job ended the same way the last one did. Maybe Ev could convince Gabe it hadn't been him at the club. He could totally create a mysterious twin that no one had met before and would never meet again. He would call him Bob.

In the lobby of the DeCain PR building, he detoured into the tiny coffee shop, inhaling the aroma of strong, dark beans and chocolate. "Morning, Ev," Natalie called from behind the counter. He gave her a wave and eyed the pastry case as he waited in the short line. Ooh. She had donuts this morning. The big, fat bakery ones that were the size of his whole hand and dusted with the perfect coating of crunchy sugar. He had a weakness for sugary bread.

He went to play with his labret piercing, but remembered at the last minute he'd replaced it with the tiny flesh-toned one for work. He'd learned the hard way that people didn't take him seriously with facial piercings or when he had his hair styled in his preferred fauxhawk. So for the boring businesspeople, he kept his hair slicked down, covered his tattoos with a buttoned-up collar and long sleeves, and replaced his piercing with one that was nearly invisible unless you knew where to look. He'd even traded his contacts for glasses after a client at his last job wouldn't stop talking about his eyes. They were just green. Which shouldn't be a shock. He was a redhead—even if he wasn't one of the ones with pale, ginger hair and freckles. His was a deeper color, and people liked to ask if it was natural. Ev liked to tell those people they were welcome to check…and see if their minds went straight into the gutter.

"Just your order today, or would you like Mr. Diaz's as well? He hasn't been in yet," Natalie asked when Ev reached the counter.

Hmm. That might be a way to smooth things over. He'd had Ev pick up his coffee a few times before. "Can I get two of those donuts too?" he asked, pulling out his card. He had a company card, but it felt weird to use it without asking first.

He paid and moved down the counter to watch as she made his boss's boring soy latte and his own raspberry mocha with whipped cream and an extra shot. He could almost taste the sweet, sugary goodness. His stomach rumbled.

"Is one of those for me?" a smooth voice asked from behind him, close enough that the hair on Ev's arms stood on end and a shiver went down his spine. He blamed the volume in the club for not recognizing it the other night. This time, his dick perked up, and Ev bit his tongue until his eyes watered, holding back a whimper. Daddy.

No. Fuck, no. He stiffened his spine. Gabe. His name was Gabe. Ev took a deep breath and tried to convince his pulse to slow the hell down. Be cool. Act normal. "That depends," he replied, keeping his eyes on Natalie as she steamed the milk.

"On?" Daddy—Gabe asked, humor in his tone.

"How busy we're going to be today. I might need the extra caffeine."

That got him a low chuckle, and Ev cursed himself for making the joke. The last thing he needed was that sound setting off all kinds of pants feelings.

"I may have only known you a few months, but I'm relatively sure you never need more caffeine."

Ev rolled his eyes. "That's because you've never seen me without it."

"Fair enough."

Was this how they were going to play it? Just act like everything was normal and they didn't do what they did? Like Ev didn't have some of the best sex of his life with his off-limits boss?

Natalie held out their drinks, and Gabe reached past Ev to take his. Ev let out an annoyed hiss. He'd never actually agreed to give him the drink. Even if he had ordered it for him. He gave Da—Gabe an affronted look, but it was ignored as the asshole took a sip and hummed with pleasure. If this guy could stop making sounds, that would be great.

Ev fought to drag his eyes away from the bob of Gabe's throat—it was really unfair how handsome Gabe was with his warm, tanned skin, bright-blue eyes, and chiseled features—and caught Natalie watching them, her lips quirking with amusement. He gave her a "don't you dare" look, and luckily, she kept her thoughts to herself, turning to help the next customer.

Ev took a sip of his own drink, his shoulders unknotting at the rush of chocolate and sweet, sweet caffeine. Fuck, that was exactly what he needed.

"Shall we?" Gabe gestured in the direction of the elevators, and Ev's gaze caught on his hands. Hands that had been all over Ev's body just three days ago. His tension came rushing back. Maybe they weren't ignoring it. Maybe Gabe was just waiting to get him alone. Could Ev get away with taking the stairs to the thirty-second floor? He could claim he was starting a new workout routine. New year's resolutions and all. Except Ev hated working out, and if he climbed that many flights of stairs, he might die before he reached the top—which would solve all his problems, if he was being honest.

By the time Ev decided he needed a different excuse, they were in the elevator, the doors closing. Ev pressed his back to the wall, his skin heating as he waited for the other shoe to drop.

"How was your weekend?" Gabe asked.

Ev choked. "Good," he replied in a strangled tone, then cleared his throat. "Yours?"

"Better than I expected," Gabe said. His eyes were warm, but he wasn't looking at Ev. In fact, he seemed lost in thought. Huh. Wait. Ev searched Gabe's face for any hint that he was being teased. Maybe Gabe was testing him?

"Why's that?" Ev scrubbed his damp palms against his thighs, then hid a hand behind his back and crossed his fingers. Please.

The corner of Daddy's lips curled into a private smile. He didn't look at Ev. "Just a very good night."

Ev stayed frozen for the rest of the ride, his heart pounding in his ears, his mind racing. Was he really this lucky? Did Gabe actually not know? Had Ev somehow fucked his off-limits boss and gotten away with it? Fuck. Maybe he wasn't going to have to invent a twin brother who lived in Australia after all.