Chapter 1

1

The doorbell rang as Phoenix Ford put on his motorcycle boots. He swung the door open and nodded at Logan, his cousin, coworker, and best friend. “Let’s go!”

“Hold it.” Logan put his hand flat on Nix’s chest. “You’re not going anywhere dressed like that.”

Nix looked down at himself. He looked fucking great. The leather pants hugged his ass awesomely, and the T-shirt showed off each one of his abs. He’d spent years perfecting them at the gym, and he wanted to show them off. “What’s wrong with this?” He glared at Logan.

“Nothing, if we were going to a BDSM club, but we’re not. I will not sit next to a wannabe Dom in a family place.”

“I’m not a Dom, nor do I ever want to be a Dom.”

“You want to look like one?” Logan shook his head. “Put on jeans, Nix. Plain, ordinary jeans. They can be black so they match your bad boy persona and your leather jacket, but I draw the line at full leather gear.”

“Fuck you.”

“Cute. Now go change.”

“Ass!” But Nix started unbuttoning the leather pants while walking toward his bedroom. He was bone-tired. They’d worked hard all week, and he’d wanted nothing more than to slouch on the sofa, order pizza, and have a beer while falling asleep to some lame action movie—or the news would work great too. But their boss had been on a team-building seminar, and now he was organizing after work activities for his employees. Nix sighed, but he’d heard Kyle Richards had agreed to come to the pub to hang out with the rest of them.

Kyle was so hot, and the night they’d spent together at the Christmas party last year had been scorching, or close to. Every time he thought about it, he got aroused.

But he’d chased after Kyle for more than two months now without results.

Jeans on, a once-over in the mirror to make sure he still looked hot, he headed out into the hallway where Logan was waiting. “Have you eaten?” Nix’s stomach rumbled.

“No, I figured we’d eat there.”

“Good, me too.” It would’ve been awkward if he was the only one who hadn’t eaten.

Together, they walked through the old part of town. It was a pedestrian zone in the summer but open to traffic now in the dark and gloomy February. The zone consisted of old, narrow, cobble-stoned roads leading to the town square. The pub they were going to faced the square, and while Nix didn’t go there often since the clientele were mostly straight, middle-aged people, it was nice to not have more than a ten-minute walk home. He could have more than a couple of beers and still be able to make it home of his own accord.

His stomach rumbled again. “Please tell me they have good food.”

Logan gave him an unimpressed look. “I don’t understand how you don’t go there all the time. You practically live in their backyard.”

Nix rolled his eyes. “Because when I go out, I want to get laid, and the chances of finding a hook up in there is minimal.”

“You’re such a whore.”

“Just because you’ve played monogamous for the last ten years doesn’t mean I have to.”

“Played? What the hell do you mean?”

Oh-oh. Nix shrugged and grinned, hoping Logan would let it slide. He could get away with a lot, but not when it came to Kristen, Logan’s girlfriend. “It was a joke, Logan. I know you’d never…and Kristen is great.”

“Damn right, she is.”

Nix nodded. “What I’m saying is, you’ve chosen the whole “find a girlfriend and live together for the rest of your lives” route, I’ve chosen the “please close the door when you leave” route instead.”

Logan shook his head, seeing right through him. There was nothing Nix would’ve wanted more than someone to share his life with. But it was different with guys, they didn’t want to be tied down, and most men he hooked up with didn’t want to get exclusive or live in monogamous relationships. It was tiring, but better to get laid than to be lonely.

They walked into the pub, and Nix instantly spotted Kyle at one of the tables. He looked pristine as always, dressed in slacks and a light-blue shirt. His short, dark hair, perfectly styled, and his horn-rimmed glasses made him look hot enough to eat.

“No!” Logan grabbed his arm when Nix started off in Kyle’s direction.

“But it’s an after-work pub night, we’re here to talk to our coworkers.”

“We’re here to eat, have a beer, and socialize. Not harass the administrative staff.”

“I’m not harassing him. He likes me.”

Logan sighed while giving him a long look. “He doesn’t, Phoenix.”

Oh, full name, he must be serious. “He does. We had a great night—”

“I’m sure you both got off famously and all, but he doesn’t like you.”

Nix scowled. Kyle liked him. Why else would he have slept with him? “I’m going to talk to him.”

“No, please—” But Logan didn’t get the chance to say anything else before Nix hurried over to Kyle’s table.