Fitz’s laugh was loud and made Joker smile. They hung up, and he finished his coffee. He hurried around his apartment, picking up all the shit scattered on his floor. He’d need to vacuum, but that would have to wait. Fitz had been surprised he’d owned a vacuum until Joker pointed out the big hairy black dog. Since Joker could create several more dogs from the hair Chip shed, a quality vacuum was a need, not a want. Also, King expected him to show up in a uniform not covered in dog hair, not that he could see Chip’s black hair on his black uniform, so it was a win-win for everyone.

  Showered and dressed in a pair of comfy, threadbare jeans, a faded Led Zeppelin T-shirt, and his beat-up old Army boots, he grabbed Chip’s backpack and leash. With a whistle, Joker had Chip darting over to sit so he could clip in the leash. They headed outside. The weather was perfect for a ride in the Jeep with the top off. Opening the passenger side door, he waited for Chip to hop into the seat and settle before buckling him up in his doggie harness. He climbed behind the wheel and slipped his sunglasses on, then headed down A1A Beach Blvd.

  The sun shone brightly in the cloudless blue sky, the warm breeze ruffling his hair as he drove; the heat and humidity were just about bearable at this time of day. Joker couldn’t help his smile. His radio was tuned in to his favorite classic rock station; Chip sat beside him, his tongue lolling out of his mouth and his eyes closed as he enjoyed the wind in his fur. Life was good. His thoughts went to a certain dark-eyed, dark-haired someone. An image of Gio sitting in his Jeep, the wind blowing through those silky-looking curls, came to mind. Maybe he should invite Gio out for a day at the beach or something. Chip would love that.

  Joker’s thoughts annoyed him. Clearly he was spending too much time around the guy. The idea of being around Gio didn’t bother him the way it did a few months ago. For one thing, Gio needed to learn to relax. Did he do anything other than work? So far, when he wasn’t working, he’d been happy to hang with Joker, but outside of his events, he never talked about friends or meeting up with anyone who wasn’t part of their little group. Okay, he needed to stop thinking about Gio.

  When he’d gotten up that morning, he’d found a group text from Ace saying they were all heading to Sapphire Sands tonight. It had been a few months since they’d been, and Joker was looking forward to drinks and dancing. Getting a haircut had nothing to do with Gio’s response that he’d be there. Joker’s hair had started to curl around his ears, so it was time for a trim, and he wasn’t about to trust just anyone. Not when his best friend’s boyfriend was a fancy hairstylist.

  This was his first day off after a week of working Gio’s charity events, of joining him in his hotel room after and ordering room service, of eating meals with him and talking, of watching TV and watching Gio play with Chip, treating his dog like he was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. No way did he miss having the man around. That would be stupid. Sometimes they didn’t even talk. Gio would work on his laptop, and Joker would watch TV. Sure, it was nice not being alone, but it wasn’t a big deal.

  In no time, he was pulling into Fitz’s driveway. It had taken a little while to get used to Jack living here. They’d all helped him move in a few months ago, and shortly after, Jack had rented out his apartment. He’d been the last of his brothers-in-arms to move in with his boyfriend, and at first, Joker worried it would be uncomfortable, but it hadn’t been. Probably because the first to make a move had been Ace, and at the time, they’d already been treating Colton’s house as a home away from home, so not much changed once Ace moved in. They simply spent even more time there, having family barbecues and get-togethers.

  The door opened, and Fitz smiled brightly. “Hello, handsome.”

  Joker rolled his eyes while Chip did his whole-body-wiggle thing, and Fitz loved on him as if he hadn’t seen Chip in years rather than a few days. An excited bark resounded from somewhere inside the house, and Chip whined, making Fitz chuckle.

  “The princess awaits her prince.” Fitz stepped to one side with a wide smile, and Chip lifted his pleading gaze to Joker. With an amused shake of his head, Joker unclipped Chip’s leash, and Chip darted in. He hurried over to the armchair where Duchess sat in the center like a queen on her throne, a little sparkling tiara barrette clipped to the fluffy fur at the top of her head in case anyone dared to question her regalness.

  Chip, however, was not content to play the submissive suitor. He jumped up onto the armchair and shoved his butt down, forcing her to move over. She let out a very put-upon sigh and made room for him, then lay down. Chip, being the gentleman he was, slid down onto his belly and shoved his nose in her face.

  “There is no question he’s your dog,” Fitz said with a laugh.

  Joker snorted. “That’s for damn sure.” He followed Fitz inside and locked the door behind him. With Chip’s leash hung on the hook behind the door next to Duchess’s, he headed for the living room.

  “Want something to drink?” Fitz asked.

  “No thanks.”

  Fitz was quiet as he entered the bedroom he’d converted into a mini-salon for friends and hair emergencies, whatever that meant. His lips were pressed together.

  “Just say whatever you’re bursting to say,” Joker muttered.

  A dainty gasp escaped Fitz, and he put a hand to his chest. “Why, whatever do you mean?” He blinked innocently, or at least attempted to. Joker arched an eyebrow at him, and he laughed. “Fine. The chair is ready; sit down and tell me everything.”

  “Fuck no. Besides, there’s nothing to tell. If there had been, your boyfriend would’ve already told you.” Joker dropped himself into the chair as Fitz moved around the room, gathering the supplies he needed.

  “Jack doesn’t tell me everything.”

  “Wow. You managed to say that with a straight face. Good for you.”

  Fitz laughed again as he draped the salon cape around him. From the moment Joker had met Fitz, before the guy had even gotten together with Jack, there’d been something different about him, something that made Joker feel protective of Fitz, like he could open up to him, have serious conversations. He’d never really had that with anyone. As much as he talked to Jack about everything, they didn’t get into any touchy-feely stuff.

  Despite Fitz being several inches taller than Joker, he had this air about him—a vulnerability easily targeted because of his soft heart. He had a way of creating a safe space. Joker had certainly never been the talking-about-his-feelings type, but for all his teasing, he knew anything he said to Fitz in confidence would stay between them. And it wasn’t like he cared if Fitz told Jack. Other than whatever Fitz was expecting to hear, chances were Jack already knew.

  Fitz ran his fingers through Joker’s hair, checking the length. “I hear Gio’s events are going well.”

  “I wouldn’t know,” Joker muttered.

  “You’re there. How much do you want me to take off?”

  “I’m there working. Whatever you think, but don’t leave it too short.”

  “Well, he’s secure, so that means it’s going well. Workwise anyway. Sink.”

  Joker stood and plopped himself down in the chair by the small black sink. He reclined back, but narrowed his eyes when Fitz loomed over him with a wide smile.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. Let me know if the water’s too cold.”

  “You’re a terrible liar,” Joker grumbled, making Fitz laugh. He tapped a finger against his thigh as Fitz shampooed his hair, relaxing when Fitz started to massage his scalp. His eyes drifted closed, and he sighed with contentment.

  “You sound like Chip when you scratch his belly.”

  Joker smiled. “We’re simple guys with simple needs.”

  Fitz hummed. “And who’s meeting your needs these days?” He finished washing Joker’s hair. “Back to the other chair.”

  Joker moved, watching Fitz fuss with his hair through the mirror. “Are the scissors in your hand?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Just making sure you don’t chop or stab anything.”

  Fitz met his gaze in the mirror. He was unimpressed. “Don’t be silly. I’m a professional. Besides, I’m friends with Ace. Nothing surprises me anymore.”

  Joker considered his next words, his fingers tapping against his thigh again. Shit. Was he really going to do this? Fuck it. “I kissed Gio.”

  Silence.

  Joker studied Fitz’s frozen face through the mirror. His friend stared wide-eyed at him, mouth hanging open. Suddenly, Joker found himself spun around.

  “I lied. I’m surprised. Very surprised.” Fitz stood in front of him, eyes still huge. “Oh my God, you kissed him?”

  “Isn’t that what I said?”

  “When? How?” He narrowed his eyes and pointed his scissors at Joker. “Spill the tea.”

  “You said you weren’t holding the scissors!”

  “I lied.” Fitz waved the scissors at him. “Spill.”

  Why he felt the need to talk about this with Fitz—or anyone for that matter—when he hadn’t even told Jack was beyond him, but the words tumbled out.

  “It was after one of his charity events. He invited me to his room.”

  Fitz gasped, and Joker rolled his eyes.

  “It wasn’t like that. He invited me over for food. We’d done it before. He was too tired to go out to eat, so he ordered room service, and who am I to turn down free food?”

  “Naturally.” Fitz motioned for him to continue. “So he invited you to his room for some free food, you said yes, and then…?”

  “We ate and talked. He’d left his event early because he said he had some work to catch up on, and he did. I wasn’t going to eat and run, you know?”

  Fitz nodded and hummed. “Of course not. That would be rude, and you’re never rude.” His eyes twinkled with mischief.

  Joker flipped him off, making him laugh. “Anyway. After we ate, he told me to make myself at home, so I did. I watched TV while he worked on his laptop. It was nice.”

  “Nice.” Fitz seemed confused by the word.

  “Yeah. Nice. At some point, he fell asleep. The guy was exhausted.”

  “And his sleeping form was too hard to resist?” Fitz guessed.

  “Um, no. He got cold.”

  “How do you know?”

  “How did I know he was cold?”

  Fitz’s amusement was not lost on him. Fucker.

  “I just did, okay. You wanna hear this or not?”

  Fitz pretended to zip his lips.

  “He was cold, so I grabbed a blanket and went to cover him up.” He ignored Fitz’s little squeal. “He woke up, and we sort of stared at each other. I finished covering him up and turned to leave when he caught my wrist, and then it sort of just happened.”

  “Sort of just happened.” Fitz nodded slowly and waited.

  “Yeah, all right. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to kiss him really fucking badly, so I did.”

  “And?”

  Joker shifted in his seat. “And he kissed me back.”

  “And?”

  “It got… heated.”

  “For the love of Lady Gaga, tell me!”

  Joker snorted out a laugh. “Christ, I climbed him like a tree, okay? Happy? I shoved him onto the couch and climbed him, and we were both hard as fuck. We mauled each other and rubbed up against each other, and it was hot as fuck.”

  Fitz took a step back, one hand to his chest while he snatched the little spray bottle of water from the tray and sprayed himself, making Joker laugh. He motioned for Joker to continue.

  “Then I left.”

  “You left.” Fitz narrowed his eyes like he couldn’t quite work out if Joker was telling him the truth or not.

  Joker shrugged. “Yeah, I mean, nothing can happen between us.”

  “And why is that again?”

  “Come on, Fitz. Think about it. A guy like Gio with a guy like me?”

  A mist of water hit him in the face. Joker blinked up at him. “Did you just spritz me in the face?”

  “I did. To wake you up. I know you’re not thinking you’re not good enough for him.”

  Joker frowned and shifted in his seat. “No, not that. We’re so different. He’s all tailored designer suits and private jets, and I’m faded T-shirts, jeans, and a Jeep covered in dog hair. His lint roller budget alone would be enough to fund small governments.”

  “You’re adorable,” Fitz said, making Joker frown. “Have you seen the man with your dog?” He threw a hand out and made an exploding sound. “Ovaries everywhere erupt at the sight.”

  Joker couldn’t help his snicker. “You’re such a dork.”

  “You know,” Fitz said as he spun Joker around and went back to working on Joker’s hair, “I’d thought the same about Jack. I mean, when he gets all excited about his computer stuff, I have no idea what he’s talking about, but it doesn’t matter because seeing his eyes light up and that big boyish smile he gets makes me so happy. And he knows I have no clue what he’s saying, but he loves how attentive I am regardless. That’s what relationships are, not having every little thing in common. I certainly wouldn’t have fallen in love with him if he’d been just like me.” Fitz snorted. “There’s only room for one diva in this relationship.” A bark resounded from the other room, and they both laughed. “Okay, one human and one furry diva,” Fitz corrected.

  Joker left Fitz’s with a new haircut and some food for thought. The truth was, the differences between him and Gio didn’t concern him all that much, at least not in the compatibility department. Joker avoided relationships for a reason, and not because he was afraid of putting in the work. There were certain things he was willing to change, but he’d gone through too much in his life to have someone come in and try to change him.

  It always went the same. In the beginning, they loved his carefree manner. They laughed at his hijinks with his brothers-in-arms, loved how much he loved his dog, were excited he’d been a Green Beret. They expressed all the things they loved about him, and soon the newness and excitement wore off and the arguments started. He was too messy, too loud, too outspoken, cursed too much, spent too much time with his friends, cared more about his dog than them, and the list went on.

  At first they’d say they were okay with him not going to birthday parties or weddings. Then they’d be arguing over why he was okay to go clubbing but wasn’t comfortable going to Grandma’s eighty-fifth birthday party. The arguments would escalate, the accusations of him being emotionally unavailable. So he’d stopped—stopped dating, stopped believing there was someone out there for him who might want him as he was.

  With a sigh, he patted Chip’s side as he drove them back to his apartment. Why was he even worried about this? He had a list of reasons a mile long why he shouldn’t get involved with Gio. The guy wasn’t just a friend—sort of—he was Laz’s brother and Colton’s best friend, two men who were in relationships with Joker’s brothers. Their family had grown, and the last thing Joker wanted was to fuck up the good thing he had, and getting romantically involved with Gio was a surefire way to fuck everything up. Maybe the same went for the rest of them, but Joker had to face the fact that if someone was going to fuck up a relationship, it’d be him.

  Determined not to think about it, he took Chip to the dog park near their apartment. He grabbed the Frisbee and one of the tennis balls from the floor behind his seat. They played until Chip decided he’d had enough and dropped onto his side at Joker’s feet in dramatic fashion. The rest of the day went like any other day off. Soon they were home and it was time to shower and get dressed.

  It really shouldn’t have taken him as long as it did to pick out some fucking clothes. Since when did he ponder his wardrobe choices? He usually threw on whatever was clean, and even then, it depended on the day. Instead of grabbing jeans and a T-shirt like he would have any other night, he spent far too long picking the right pair of jeans—black—and the right shirt—a royal blue that made his eyes look more blue than gray—and his new all-black Vans.

  He made sure Chip was settled and had everything he needed before giving him love and telling him he’d be back soon. His phone buzzed, and he locked up the apartment. Downstairs, Ace and Jack waited by Ace’s flashy car. Joker had no idea what time Gio would show up, but he did his best not to think about it.

  “Holy fuck,” Ace said, eyes wide as he smacked Jack in the arm.

  “What the—”

  “What?” Joker asked, stopping in front of his friends.

  Ace peered at him. “Your hair… It’s like you brushed it or something.”

  “It’s been known to happen,” Joker grumbled.

  Jack’s gasp was ridiculously dramatic. “Fitz cut your hair!”

  “Holy shit! Hold on.” Ace precariously leaned in and sniffed. He jolted back. “You showered.”

  “I fucking shower, asshole.” He was going to murder his friends. Murder them dead and take Ace’s fancy car.

  “But you smell… good,” Ace added.

  “No, he doesn’t.” Jack leaned in and sniffed, his eyes going huge. “Holy shit, he does smell good.” He gaped at Joker. “You showered, got a haircut, and you smell good.”

  “Wait.” Ace ran his gaze over Joker. “You’re wearing clean clothes. Clothes without holes. Going-out clothes.” He gasped. “Holy fuck, you’re in lo—”

  “You shut your mouth,” Joker growled, throwing a hand over Ace’s mouth. “If you ever finish that sentence in my presence, I will kick your ass, you hear me? I will send Chip to shit in every pair of shoes you own and tell your mother every time you bullshit her about why you couldn’t take her call.”

  Ace’s eyes went huge, and he nodded fervently.

  The fuck he was in any kind of L-word hell. How dare Ace suggest such a thing! He narrowed his gaze at Jack, who stood looking like a constipated hedgehog. “Whatever you’re fucking thinking in that big brain of yours, you better stop. Like, right this instant.”

  Jack threw his hands up in front of him. “Got it.”

  They climbed into the car, Joker sitting in the back. Did his friends think he didn’t notice them exchanging glances? Some kind of unspoken conversation was happening in the front seats between asshole friend and asshole best friend soon-to-be-punched-in-the-face friend.