Six Degrees of Lust (7 page)

Don’t you get tired of the scene?”

Thankfully Chris intervened. Gabi was his best friend, so

he knew how to deal with her. He’d assured the lovely lady that

he knew for a fact Mac didn’t mind going to a gay club, and

suggested they move their party to Tangerine, the most popular

gay club in Manhattan.

Hours later, both Gabi’s innocent question and Chris’s

comment were still ringing in his ears. How he knew for a fact

that Mac didn’t mind the gay scene when he wasn’t working

was anyone’s guess. For a few seconds he wished his friends

had figured him out, then immediately regretted doing so. It’d

definitely make his life easier if they had, but they deserved

hearing the truth from Mac himself.

A few more months… only a few more months…

There was something about night clubs that spoke to Mac.

The music, the lights, the people, and especially the general vibe

of freedom, no matter where the club was located, appealed

to the man he kept on a tight leash. Those folks on the dance

floor were so energetic Mac could literally feel their worries

cease to exist with every complicated dance move they executed.

Everything would be the same once the song was finished, but,

for those four minutes plus, things were all right in their world.

Looking away from the dance floor he finished his drink and

checked his phone. Again.

There was still time, right? Maybe something came up. Maybe

he was taking care of something before he could call Mac…

And maybe Mac should get over the insane attraction he felt

for the guy.

He put his phone away and watched Chris rapidly approach

the booth they had secured in the VIP section of the club. He

was accompanied by a very blond, very cute, absolute queen of

42 Taylor V. Donovan

a guy that hadn’t been around before, but their friend looked

pissed. Mac thought the guy was Chris’s missing boyfriend, but

then Brax opened his mouth and he realized his mistake.

“No luck?” asked Braxton as soon as the pair took a seat

in the booth. Chris had gone outside to call his boyfriend for

the fifth time that night. He was supposed to meet them at the

restaurant but never showed up. And he hadn’t been answering

his cell phone either.

“I don’t understand. Julian was looking forward to seeing

you again, Bee.” Christian’s tone was a little frustrated, a little

worried, and a whole lot pissed. “He said he hasn’t seen you since

he finished working on your club’s logo, and that was years ago.”

“I know,” Braxton said. “I called him several times, but he

never returned my calls. Guess he’s too busy now that he’s a

famous artist.”

“He should’ve returned your calls no matter what,” Chris

said. “After all, it was you who encouraged him to send a sample

of his work to my gallery in Houston, so he owes you.”

“It’s okay, babe.” Braxton smiled at his friend. “I’m not

worried about that right now.”

“Would you like to go to his place?” Mac suggested. “Make

sure he’s all right?”

“Absolutely not.” Now Chris sounded annoyed. “It’s been

six hours since he called to say he was working on a piece and

running a little late. Six damn hours! I’ve left voice mails and sent

text messages and now I’m done. That jerk’s pulled this before.

He’s always working on some piece or the other and standing me

up. Isn’t he, Gabs?”

“He is.” She agreed. “Julian tends to lose track of time. I’m

sure he’s fine.” She winked at her best friend. “But he’d be sorry

if he knew how fabulous you look tonight and he missed it.”

“You got that right, sister!” Chris said with a huge smile and

Mac had to give it to him. With his dark grey dress pants, iridescent

silver top, and sheer black over shirt he looked spectacular. Add

the shiny blond bangs, the meticulously applied makeup that

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43

brought out the crystal blue of his eyes, and the glossy kissable

lips, and the boy was fucking hot. “Moving on.” Chris put his

delicate hand on his companion’s even more delicate shoulder.

“This is Ryan Lewis. We just met outside, not exactly by accident.”

He flashed a wicked smile. “He wanted to meet you guys.”

Mac hoped he wasn’t the object of the guy’s interest. This was

the flip side of hanging out at a gay club with your friends while

still not out to them; getting hit on by guys that he constantly had

to turn down.

And the blond cutie was eating him up with his eyes. Crap.

Mac shook his hand without making eye contact and offered

his standard barking-at-the-wrong-tree smile. It was polite, but

most definitely straight. He knew that for a fact. He’d been using

it since he was fifteen.

It was also very effective.

The guy’s flirty smile faltered… then he re-directed his

attention to Brax.

Thank goodness.

Chris grabbed his drink and waved around the booth. “This

is my best friend, Gabi. And Braxton and Mac are like my family

from Texas.”

After smiles and handshakes were exchanged, Mac resumed

his contemplation of the dance floor and reached for his drink.

That’s when he felt the vibration on his hip. Taking a sip, he took

the phone out of his front pocket and looked at the caller ID.

He smiled and then quickly schooled his features before

anyone noticed. Lord knew this was a nosy bunch and there was

no way Mac could explain he was grinning like an idiot over a

phone call he hadn’t thought he would get.

He put his drink back on the table and got up. “Be back in a

few, guys.”

“Everything okay?”

He gave a slight nod to Braxton and clutched his phone

tighter when it stopped vibrating. “Yeah. I just need to take this

44 Taylor V. Donovan

call. I’ll be right back.”

Mac sped to the bathroom like the hounds of hell were

chomping on his ass, getting a little nervous when there was no

indication of a voice mail. Shit. He went to his missed calls and

pressed on Sexy Super Agent’s number. The guy answered on the

second ring.

“Hey, you.”

Mac gulped. That had to be the sexiest voice he’d heard in

his life.

“Hey yourself. Didn’t think I’d hear back from you.”

Mac prayed his voice wasn’t quavering. He was fired up and

as nervous as a teenage girl on her first date, and he’d absolutely

hate for the other guy to notice.

“I’m sorry about that. I just got your message a few minutes

ago.”

“No problem.” He looked behind him to make sure Braxton

hadn’t decided to follow him and almost dropped his phone

when he had to move further inside the bathroom to avoid a pair

of guys coming in. He fumbled with it a few seconds then put it

against his ear. “I’m glad you called, though.”

“Is this a bad time? You seem to be a bit distracted.”

Mac shook his head, even though the other man couldn’t see

him. “No, I’m good.”

“Enjoying your visit to NYC?”

“Very much so.” Mac shifted his stance, not surprised when

his cock twitched. “I’m out with some friends.”

“Oh…I see…” Was that disappointment Mac heard in the

other man’s voice or was he imagining it? “Damn.” Nope, he

didn’t imagine it at all. “I was hoping I could still—”

“Show me the goods?” Mac interrupted him and almost came

in his damn pants when the deep, seductive laugh reached his ear.

“Yeah. Show you mine… and most definitely take a look at

yours.” Jesus, could the guy’s voice get any deeper? “Would you

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45

like that?”

“Fuck,” Mac whispered.

“I’m up for it, if you’re free,” he said, and Mac could hear the

smile in his voice.

“Where?”

“Your hotel okay?”

His hotel, the backseat of a cab, a back alley; who gave a fuck

where? Mac certainly didn’t, but he wasn’t about to say so.

“That’s fine. An hour or do you need more time?”

“Where are you right now?”

“Not really sure. This city is confusin’ to me.” He took a deep

breath. “A club with a fruit name.”

“A gay club?” Mac heard the guy laugh a little and rolled his

eyes, totally mortified. Could he be any lamer?

“Yeah.”

“Tangerine,” he provided the name, and Mac could tell he

wasn’t smiling anymore. “How is it?”

“It’s fine. Crowded and loud. Fun.”

“I’ll text you when I get there.”

“You pickin’ me up?” Mac swallowed hard. Shit. What if

someone saw him? He was more than ready to come out to his

friends, but he still had to honor the agreement he had with his

family.

“Is that a problem?”

He thought about it for a few seconds. It was risky, but he

could find a way to leave by himself. “It isn’t,” he finally said.

“See you in forty-five minutes or so. And, Mac?”

“Yeah?”

“Unlike you, when I said I’m up for it, I meant I’m up… as

in up.”

“Jaysus.”

46 Taylor V. Donovan

Mac closed his eyes and adjusted himself. It wasn’t until he

went back to their booth five minutes later that he realized he

never asked the guy what his first name was. Friggin’ great.

He ordered another beer and faked being interested in his

surroundings while trying to come up with a valid, credible reason

to abandon his friends and get out of there without looking like a

total ass. He more than appreciated the birthday celebration, but

there was that unexpected present he couldn’t wait to unwrap.

He talked to Chris and Gabi and watched Braxton dance with

Ryan, but his mind had checked out from the club the second

he’d seen Sexy Super Agent’s number displayed on his cell. What

was he going to do? The more minutes passed, the more quiet

he got and by the time his cell phone vibrated and he read the

“I’m out front” message he was ready to jump out of his skin,

which totally worked to his advantage because, at the end, he just

told his friends he wasn’t feeling too well, had a headache—a

half lie, considering how badly his little one was throbbing—and

that he’d had enough of the club and was ready to go back to his

room.

It took him a few minutes, but he was able to talk his friends

out of leaving with him. He was perfectly capable of getting a

cab and making it back to the hotel on his own. Then finally he

was free to make a quick beeline for the exit and go be with the

man that had kept him hard as a rock for days.

May 15, 2009

New York City

The gods must have been smiling on Sam because, after

brushing his teeth, dressing in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and

writing down a note for his mother in case she got up and went

looking for him, it only took him forty minutes to make his way

to Mac. At a club. He was picking him up as opposed to meeting

him at his hotel room.

Fucking unreal.

What had possessed him to make such an offer? This wasn’t

a damn date. It was… a sexual meeting. Yeah. And he’d sped all

the way from Queens to Manhattan in order to make it there as

soon as possible, not because he was anxious to see this man, but

because the sooner he took care of business, the sooner he could

go back home.

Yeah. That was it.

He double parked a few feet away from the club’s entrance, sent

a message to Mac and instinctively scanned the street, something

he’d been doing since his days with the police department. People

would be surprised if they could see how many normal looking

predators lurked the streets, especially around this club. It was

the place where some of the victims on the Leviticus case had

last been seen.

But then the door opened and all coherent thought escaped

Sam.

“Holy Mother of God…”

He rolled down his window and signaled with his truck’s high

beams until he was sure Tex had seen him. Then he leaned back

in his seat and just watched him.

48 Taylor V. Donovan

The guy was huge. He was wearing blue jeans that were tight

in all the right places and a dark red shirt that brought out his

lightly tanned skin and the whiter streaks in his golden blond

hair. It also showcased bulging, rippling biceps. His full, sensuous

mouth and straight nose softened the sharp angles of his face,

and Sam could’ve sworn he was able to see Mac’s emerald green

eyes sparkle under the street lights.

He was fucking stunning and Sam was insanely turned on just

from watching him walk.

Mac reached the truck and instead of getting in right away

he stopped by the driver’s side door and smiled. A low moan

rumbled its way out of Sam’s throat before he even realized it.

He loved dimples, and Mac had them in spades.

“Damn,” Mac said. “You are hotter than I remembered.”

Sam felt his face heat up a little under Mac’s scrutiny, and all of

a sudden wished he had taken more time on his own appearance.