Take (Temptation Series) (8 page)

“Which makes you a lucky man, wouldn’t you say?”

“And you, as always, are a modest one. Arrogant ass.”

Logan couldn’t help touching the side of Tate’s mouth with the tip of his finger. “If I recall, you were the one demanding I remove my pants and—”

“Yes…I remember.”

“Do you? I’m actually surprised you’re still awake.”

Tate lowered his eyes. “I couldn’t sleep right now even if I wanted to.”

“Want to talk about it?”

Tate turned on his side to face him and shrugged. “Would you be offended if I said no?”

Logan wasn’t quite sure how he felt. “No. Not offended…”

“But?”

What was the word he was looking for? He couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but suddenly, it felt important that Tate confide in him, let him share his burden.

“I guess I just want you to know that you can talk to me.”

Logan barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the grin that hit Tate’s mouth, and when he shifted up the bed and pressed his lips to his chin, Logan closed them instead.

“You know what? I think you care, Logan Mitchell.”

Tate was right. He
did
care. A whole fucking lot, but there was no way in hell he was going to be the one to lay open his heart after just a few weeks in.

He’d been there before, a long time ago, and look how
that
had ended.

“Nothing to say?” Tate pushed.

Logan opened his mouth and swore he was about to respond, but at the last minute, he grabbed Tate and rolled them over so he was lying on top of the guy.

“Shit, Logan!” Tate complained. “Right in the goddamn wet spot.”

“Hey, it’s your mess. Seems only fair you lie in it.”

Tate squirmed around under him until Logan ended up between his legs.

“Want to go out for dinner?”

“Do I have to move?”

Logan rolled his hips, brushing their cocks together, and kissed the corner of Tate’s mouth. “Yes, you have to move. I think it might be a good idea to get something inside you.”

“But I just
had
something inside me.”

Logan groaned and dropped his head forward to the crook of Tate’s neck and shoulder. “You get dirtier every fucking day I know you, I swear.”

Tate’s fingers gripped the hair he was playing with to pull his head back. “I was always dirty.” He wagged his eyebrows and shoved his hips up. “Just not as vocal as you.”

Logan shifted to kneel between Tate’s bent legs. His eyes surveyed the body spread out before him, and he couldn’t stop himself from trailing his fingers up Tate’s shins. When he reached his knees, he ran his hands under them and then yanked Tate down the mattress. As he lowered his head and angled Tate’s body up toward his greedy mouth, he drew a warm, wet path with his tongue across Tate’s cock.

“Oh
Christ,
Logan.”

Tate still tasted and smelled of sex, and as Logan sucked on him, he knew Tate was right—he was
much
dirtier. He hadn’t even scratched the surface of what he wanted, and he had a feeling the person he could share it with was the one currently shoving his hard-on in his face.

But for now, Logan had other ideas. “I think you need to eat something.”

“Are you fucking serious?”

“Yes,” he said as he lowered Tate back to the bed. “All you’ve had today is God knows how many cigarettes, which you need to fucking quit by the way, and too much alcohol. You need food.”

“I need you to suck my dick.”

Logan chuckled. “Good to see you no longer have an issue asking for what you want. But…I need you to eat first. Then, if you’re nice to me, I’ll eat you.”

Tate wrapped a hand around himself and stroked.

“If you keep doing that, you’re just going to be hard and miserable.”

Tate closed his eyes, rocked up into his fist, and groaned. “If I keep doing this, I’m going to come and be satisfied.”

Logan’s hand whipped out to still Tate’s as he promised him, “You have dinner with me and I’ll give you
exactly
what you asked for.”

“Before or after?”

Logan’s fingers flexed around Tate’s. “So this is a negotiation now?”

“That
is
your line of expertise, isn’t it, counselor?”

“Yes. Yes, it is.”

Tate widened his legs and,
fucking hell
, pumped his pelvis up once more. The sight was almost too much for Logan as he lowered his eyes to watch the erotic performance. There was nothing he wanted more than to suck Tate into his mouth and swallow, but first, he was going to take care of him.

He leaned down until his mouth was back by Tate’s ear.

“If you eat, I eat,” he managed. “Your choice.”

* * *

Tate felt daring as he turned his lips into Logan’s neck and asked, “What if I don’t want it later?”

This time when Logan rose up over him, his expression was full of mischief.

Tate felt a shiver race down his spine to his balls when Logan’s mouth touched his and he whispered, “If you don’t want my lips around your cock and my hand down your jeans, then all you have to say is...” Logan trailed off as he teased his lips along his jaw, “...
no
.”  

Tate swallowed, his dick automatically responding, and wondered if there would ever be a time he would or could say no to Logan again.

“Will you say no, Tate?”

Those wicked lips kissed their way back to his mouth, and when Logan’s tongue touched the corner of his lips, Tate pushed his entire body up to the one pressed against his. As their skin connected everywhere it could, Logan deepened the kiss.

Mouths parted, tongues twisted, and as a groan left one—no, both—of them, Tate tried to understand his emotions.

With so many jumbling together, it was hard to pinpoint the one that was making his heart race. All he knew was the man devouring his mouth had the power to hurt him, and wasn’t that a terrifying revelation.

I wonder if I have the same power?

He wrenched his mouth away and looked at Logan.

This new silence that settled between them lately wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was heavy. Each of them knew this was moving faster than they had expected, but unless they called it off, there was nothing they could do but go with it.

It was like a giant wave—if you got caught in its pull, it was best to just surrender and let it steer you where it would. All you could hope for was to keep your head above the water and remember to breathe.

“Okay. Let’s go and eat then.”

* * *

The entire way to dinner, Logan was aware of the difference in Tate.

Gone was the relaxed flirt, and back was the man he’d found sitting in his living room an hour or so earlier. He’d retreated inside his mind, and Logan wanted in. His problem was he didn’t know if Tate was ready to let him in.

He pulled his Audi R8 into the small parking lot behind his favorite Italian restaurant and parked in the far back corner before turning off the ignition. When the quiet purr of the car silenced and Tate reached for the handle, Logan placed a hand on the man’s thigh.

“Hey?”

Tate glanced his way, and Logan gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

“You do whatever you need to do with your family, okay?”

The eyes that narrowed on him made Logan aware that whatever he’d just said had
not
been the right thing. Tate was pissed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just what I said. I want you to do whatever you have to do for this to be right for you.”

“For me?”

“Yeah, for you. Don’t worry about how this will affect me.”

Tate’s lips tightened as he shook his head. “Fuck you, Logan.” He pushed open the car door and climbed out, slamming it behind him.

Logan sat where he was, stunned.

Fuck me? What the hell did I do?

He pulled the keys out of the ignition and pushed open his car door. After getting out, he shut it, walked around to where Tate was leaning with his ass up against the side of the car, and demanded, “What the hell is your problem?”

The irritated expression on Tate’s face should have warned him to back the hell off, but true to form, he ignored it.

“My problem?” Tate asked.

“Yes, your problem. All I said was—”

“I know what you said,” Tate interrupted, straightening and stepping closer to him. He jabbed a finger against his jacket and spat out, “I’m getting sick and tired of you giving me permission to walk the fuck away. If I wanted to tell you to fuck off, I’m quite capable of opening my mouth and saying the words.”

Wow, okay.
Logan hadn’t even been aware that that’s how it had come across.

“First you tell me if I want to deny it, feel free. Now,
Tate, do whatever you need to
. You know what I need? I need you to eat dinner with me so I can tell you what happened and then suck my dick like you promised. Is that okay with you?”

Logan couldn’t help the slight twitch of his lips at the last comment. “I’m not trying to piss you off.”

“Well, congratulations. You’re succeeding anyway.”

Logan’s body responded to the volatile side of Tate as it always did—he hardened in an instant. He walked Tate backwards until his ass was against his car door.

“Okay, Mr. Morrison. Listen closely.” He ran his index finger up the front of Tate’s leather jacket to the collar, where he gripped it and pulled him in so their lips were touching. “Dinner. We’re both going to go in and eat it. Then we’re going to discuss exactly what happened today.”

Tate’s hand flattened on his chest, and he nodded. “Good.”

Logan moved a hand to the back of Tate’s neck, pulled him forward, and planted a fierce kiss on his mouth. When they pulled apart, his eyes lowered to Tate’s full lips and he added, “Then I’m going to bring you out here, unzip these jeans, and suck you off until you come down my throat.”

Tate said nothing, just licked the mouth Logan couldn’t look away from, so he prodded him.

“Is that okay with you?”

Tate nodded, but there was no way in hell Logan was letting him go without the words.

“
Say
it.”

Logan felt the hand on his chest trail down and circle his waist under the jacket.

“Yes. That is
all
okay with me.”

Satisfied, Logan took a step back and was shocked when Tate grabbed his hand. Without another word, he locked the car before entwining their fingers, and then they both walked inside the restaurant.

7
.

Tate followed behind Logan as he weaved them through the tables of the small restaurant and stopped in front of one of the booths. They each had red-and-white-checkered tablecloths and glass jars with spices and Parmesan cheese holding up the menus. As he looked around and saw several couples and families seated for dinner, Tate was more than aware that he triple-checked to make sure it was no one he knew and instantly hated himself for it.

“This table cool with you?”

He nodded as Logan sat in one side and he took the other. He grabbed the menu for something to do and opened it, lowering his eyes.

Logan wasn’t an idiot, however, and when he reached across and pulled the menu down, he narrowed his eyes. “Relax. I’m not going to attack you in a family restaurant.”

“I know that.”

“Do you?”

Automatically defensive, Tate stated, “Yes.”

“Could have fooled me. You’re using the menu as a shield.”

Tate lowered the menu. “Am not.”

Logan laughed at the bratty response and raised his own. “Were too.”

Tate raised it again and started to scan the appetizers. The problem was that he wasn’t seeing anything.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation with his mom and her disapproval. “
William, you are not gay.
”
If only she knew how much he’d enjoyed Logan only an hour ago, she’d know how wrong she was. He wasn’t sure if he was gay or bi. All he knew was that thinking about Logan’s hands on his body made his heart jump and his dick hard.

“Good evening. What can I get you two tonight?”

The waiter who stopped by their table snapped Tate out of his thoughts.

“Oh hello, Mr. Mitchell.”