Marie Harte - Fortune's Favor

Jack grumbled under his breath, ran a large hand through his hair, and leaned over his desk, engrossed in paperwork. Had to be killing the guy, because one thing Jack Keiser wasn’t was a pencil pusher.

Avery left before his boss could question him further and went in search of Nathan. He found him upstairs, arguing with Ian by the laundry in the back.

“Hey, who’s manning the desk?” Avery asked.

Ian and Nathan glared at each other, ignoring him.

“I’m hearing myself, so I must be making noise.”

Nathan sighed. “Chloe’s out front with one of her husbands, lovers, whatever the hell they are.”

“Fiancés,” Ian corrected. “Honestly, Nathan, you were much more pleasant before your little joyride to PA. Now you’re acting more like him.” He motioned to Avery and said, “No offense.”

“None taken.” Avery waited for Nathan to look at him, but for some reason, Nathan was keeping his distance. They’d arrived back in town late last night, and Nathan had asked to be dropped off at his place and left alone. Truth to tell, Avery had welcomed the space. And if he’d felt lonely this morning, missing Nathan’s company, that was only to be expected after spending the past week glued to the guy.

“Okay, you two. What’s up?”

Ian had a twinkle in his eye, and the bright blue color of his irises didn’t seem real. Yet Avery knew Ian didn’t wear contacts. He thought the color had something to do with his ability to detect patterns, a psychic overlay of power visible in that gaze that picked up minutiae with ease.

Avery had always wondered if Nathan and Ian had ever hooked up. Slender yet toned, just shy of six feet, with features that stunned no matter how many times you looked at him, Ian wore his sexuality like a banner, gay and proud of it. Avery found him amusing, funny, and an intelligent companion to spend time with. Not his type, exactly, since Ian seemed almost too pretty. And that long hair didn’t turn him on. Avery preferred a muscular frame, an annoying propensity to disobey the rules, and apparently the ability to ignore him in the presence of friends.

“Hey, assholes. I’m talking to both of you,” he directed to Nathan.

But instead of responding with a smart-assed remark, Nathan turned on his heel and walked away.

Avery tried hard not to stare at Nathan’s ass. “What the hell?”

“Your boyfriend is jealous.”

Avery turned to Ian. “What?”

“I was teasing him, that’s all. I swear.” He held up his hands in surrender. “I might have mentioned how hot you are in the sack, or so I’d ‘heard,’ and he snapped at me. I get the feeling our playboy has decided to settle and put down roots around our own Major Holton. Could I possibly be right?”

Nathan, jealous? Avery wanted to think so, but there was something else wrong with his partner.

“Ian, you feeling anything weird lately?”

Ian sighed. “None of you are any fun anymore. And before you try to beat an answer out of me, yes, something is big-time creeping us all out. Don’t let Nathan out of your sight. My money is on his uncle.”

“That’s what I thought.” Avery turned away, but Ian stopped him.

“And Avery? I’ve been feeling weird for a few days now. I think Dixon has been here for a while, staking the place out. That means he knows about Nathan, about us, and he’s forewarned.”

“Yeah.” Perfect. What else could go wrong? He followed Nathan into the main gym, where several people welcomed him back with open arms, all folks he recognized. Chloe and one of her men stood by the entrance, keeping a sharp eye out, he assumed. The Cannon brothers were good to have around. Both lethal and not afraid to use force. Jack gave them high marks, which was good enough for him.

“Avery!” Diane Holcomb, his ex, rushed to greet him and enveloped him in a huge hug. “It’s been a while.”

Not long enough. He saw Nathan’s scowl out of the corner of his eye and felt guilty—for what, he didn’t know. It wasn’t as if he was fucking the woman. He was having a conversation, nothing more. “Diane. Good to see you.” He forced a smile and wished for a drink.

They made small talk while Avery kept Nathan in his periphery. He felt like an idiot for reveling in Nathan’s irritation. It did him good to know his partner—lover—hadn’t decided to scrap the beginning of their relationship the minute they returned. They hadn’t had much of an opportunity to talk since coming home, but Avery intended to remedy that. The sooner the better.

Nathan suddenly stood next to him with an expectant look on his face. Avery read banked fury in his eyes. Oh hell.

“Diane, I’d like you to meet Nathan, a friend of mine. Nathan, Diane. She and I used to date.”

“Hi, Nathan.” Diane gushed, no more immune to the charm Nathan turned on than anyone else. In minutes, Nathan directed the conversation from Avery toward Diane and her business, Bend, and her social life.

“Well, I was going to ask Avery if he wanted to go to a movie next week,” she said with a smile.

Such a nice woman. But she hadn’t sparked more from Avery than some pleasant sex and a companion to make movie or dinner palatable. She was fun, easy to get along with, but not exciting. Not like Nathan.

“I’m sure he’d like to go, but he’s got plans.” Nathan shocked him by reaching for his hand and squeezing tight. “Don’t you?” he asked in a low voice.

Diane’s eyes widened. Though Avery had been up-front with her about his sexual proclivities, seeing the truth had to be something else.

“Oh, well. I see.” She chuckled. “Though come to think of it, I’m not surprised. You two look good together.”

Nathan blinked, then smiled with delight. “We do, don’t we?” He hustled her away and whispered something into her ear that had her giggling and looking back at Avery.

I so don’t want to know . He turned around only to see Ian, Chloe, and one of her dudes staring at him.

“What?” he snapped.

“I knew all that antagonism was hiding a bundle of lust.” Ian smiled like the cat that had eaten the canary. “That bastard owes me money.” He looked past Avery at Nathan.

“You bet on me?”

“I bet he’d make a move. Hell, yeah. Only a blind man could miss the sparks flying between you two. The way you constantly argued, you might as well have been married.” Ian clapped his hands together. “Told you, Chloe.”

She groaned. “Now he’s going to be impossible to live with.”

“Hey. How about work with?” her fiancé said. “No way in hell is Ian living with us.”

“Good point, Josh.”

Nathan returned, but when his gaze met Avery’s, he glared. “Come on. We need to talk.”

“The four words every man dreads to hear,” Ian practically sang.

Nathan flipped him off. Avery did one better and cuffed Ian in the back of the head.

“Ow. I’m injured! You big bully.”

“Good God. Chloe, take the drama queen into the back before he scares off the customers, would you?”

Josh sighed. “I’ll do it. Chloe and Xavier can man the front desk.” He yanked Ian by the collar and dragged him away.

Ian winked and continued to lament his treatment, while gym patrons laughed, no doubt familiar with his antics.

Avery hurried to find Nathan waiting impatiently outside by the front door. He took Nathan by the arm and pulled him toward his truck.

“Get off me.”

“Can it, princess. You want an argument, we’ll do it at my place. I don’t like it out here. We’re not alone.”

Nathan opened his mouth to argue, then snapped it closed. “Fine. But you’re feeding me too.”

“What else is new?” Avery hopped in the truck and drove them to his house in the northwest section of town. He lived near the mountains in an area away from close-in neighbors. Jack had put people on Nathan’s house the moment they left for Bloomville, in the event Dixon made a move. But so far his surveillance had turned up no hint of Dixon. Avery wasn’t reassured.