“Thanks for helping me out with this. I’m stumped. I can’t find a trace of this app.”

  “That’s because it’s gone,” Leo said, the sound of clacking keys coming through the phone. “The creator and everything they’ve created is gone. Vanished. Not a good sign. Someone that active doesn’t just disappear, and if they do, they generally don’t take all their toys with them unless those toys pose a threat to them, like possible exposure. I’ve asked around, and either no one knows what happened to them or they’re not talking.”

  “Damn. Okay. It was a long shot, but worth a try.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Thanks, Leo.”

  “Oh, before I go, can you tell Ace that I appreciate his contribution to my love of Swedish Fish, but if he ever sends me those abomination cookies again, I will take great pleasure in his demise. Just because they say Swedish Fish and are red, does not make them Swedish Fish.”

  Jack held back a laugh. “I’ll tell him.”

  “I mean, Swedish Fish are fish. Not real fish, obviously, but fish-shaped. Those are a travesty to Swedish Fish-kind! Why would someone do that, Jack? Hm?”

  “I don’t know, Leo. It sounds terrible.”

  “It is! Awful! I sent a very stern email. Okay, I started to, but then I felt bad because they probably worked very hard on those cookies, abomination or not, but I wanted to! I was very tempted to hit Send, very tempted.”

  “I’m sure they appreciate your efforts.”

  “They should.” Leo grumbled some more over the evil cookies before hanging up.

  Leo was… one of a kind, and Jack loved him for it. A knock sounded on the door, snapping him out of his trance. Today was a bust. He couldn’t believe neither he nor Leo had been able to find any trace of the damn app. Another knock and he sat back with a sigh.

  “Come in.”

  The door opened, and Fitz popped his head in. “Hi.”

  It was amazing how quickly his mood shifted. “Hey, beautiful.”

  “Am I interrupting?” Fitz asked, sounding uncertain as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. “I should have called, and I know we’re meeting for dinner, but I really wanted to see you. You’re probably super busy.”

  “Your timing is perfect, actually, and I’m very happy you came to see me.” Jack stood and walked around his desk, meeting Fitz halfway. He pulled Fitz into his arms and kissed him, smiling against his mouth as Fitz melted into Jack, his lips parting for Jack’s tongue. Kissing Fitz had quickly become his favorite thing to do. Yes, the sex was out of this world, but the way Fitz’s body reacted to simply being near Jack, his soft, pliant lips welcoming Jack’s tongue… It was everything. And the way he smelled, the softness of his hair… fuck, Jack was crazy about the guy.

  The last several weeks had been something out of a dream, everything, yet nothing felt new. It was bizarre. He’d never experienced this familiarity or intimacy with someone like he did with Fitz. How was that possible? People didn’t just fall in love, did they? That happened in Jay’s novels, not in real life. Or did it? Was it possible for two people to come together and just know? To meet, form a bond, and boom that’s your person? In just a few short weeks, Fitz had come to know him more than any man Jack had ever dated, more than most people who weren’t his family of brothers-in-arms.

  Jack allowed Fitz to lead him over to the couch and gently push him down onto it. He straddled Jack’s lap with a sweet moan before running a hand though Jack’s hair.

  “What’s that head of yours trying to figure out?”

  “How did you know I was trying to work something out?” Jack asked, running a hand down Fitz’s back. His smile stole Jack’s breath away every time. It was soft, filled with so much affection, and just for Jack.

  “You get this little crease right here.” Fitz put a finger between Jack’s eyebrows. “It’s adorable.”

  “I’m glad you think so,” Jack said with a chuckle. “It used to send my brothers running.”

  “Why?”

  “Because that usually meant I was trying to figure out how something worked, and by something, I mean their toys. They’d get so mad. Most of the time I was able to put them back together how I found them, but they never quite worked the same again.”

  Fitz threw his head back and laughed. “Oh my God. Your poor brothers.”

  “Poor brothers? You think they didn’t get their own back? You have any idea what it’s like to be sat on while your brother farts on your head? Not pleasant.”

  Fitz wrinkled his nose as he smiled.

  Holy shit, Jack was falling in love.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Jack struggled to get air into his lungs. Wait, what? No. That’s not—holy fuck holy fuck holy fuck!

  “Jack?” Fitz got up and waved a hand in front of his face. “Talk to me. Nod. Something.”

  Jack moved his head, but it was more of a wobble.

  “Shit. Don’t get up.”

  Jack was barely aware of Fitz being gone, and suddenly Sacha was in front of him.

  “Hey, buddy. You okay?”

  Jack stared into big blue-gray eyes and blinked.

  “Fuck. Okay.” Joker turned to Fitz. “Could you, um, give us a minute?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  The door closed, and Joker turned back to Jack. “Hey. You wanna tell me what short-circuited that big brain of yours?”

  Jack sucked in a sharp breath and grabbed his best friend. “I think I love him.”

  Sacha stared at him. “Okay. You’re not sure?”

  “I can’t be. Can I? It hasn’t been long enough. Isn’t this sort of thing supposed to happen gradually over time, not like bam smack you in the face and suddenly you’re thinking, this is it, this is the guy? I mean, I know a lot about him, like how much he loves classic Hollywood movies, and how he doesn’t function without coffee in the morning, or how sensitive he is to fabrics, how he hates slimy food, and is almost always cold. And he’s brave, Sacha, so fucking brave, but then he cuddles up to me and holds on for dear life like he needs me to battle the dragons for him, and not because he can’t do it himself, but because he trusts me to do it for him, to share some of the burden. Oh my God.”

  “Breathe,” Sacha said softly, rubbing circles over Jack’s back as he doubled over and sucked in air.

  Love.

  It was weird. “This is weird. Is this what love feels like? Like my blood pressure is spiking?”

  “Possibly? I mean, Colton often looks like his blood pressure is spiking, and look how in love he is with Ace.”

  Jack frowned. “Not sure that’s a good example.”

  “Hey.”

  At the softly spoken word, Jack lifted his head, his breath coming a little easier at having Sacha smiling warmly at him.

  “What if it is, hm? Who gives a shit about the hows or whys? You deserve a great guy to love you, Jack. Embrace it. Be happy.”

  Jack eyed him. “Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”

  “Fuck off,” Joker said with a laugh as he straightened. “I’m going to call Fitz back in. You gotta stop scaring the shit out of the guy with your short-circuits.”

  Jack nodded and sat back on the couch as Joker let Fitz in.

  “He’s all yours.”

  Fitz hurried over as Joker left the office, then paused long enough to smile at Joker before closing the door behind him. Holding a hand out to Fitz, Jack’s tension eased when Fitz took his hand and sat on his lap, his thumb stroking Jack’s eyebrow.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah. Sorry. Sometimes when I get overwhelmed by something, or what I’m feeling can’t be rationalized by my brain, it short-circuits, or at least that’s what Sacha’s always called it. It’s been like this since I was a kid. I just need to work through it, or someone helps me through it. Weird, I know.”

  “It’s not weird. Everyone has their own way of handling stress. Was it something I did or said?”

  Jack shook his head and wrapped his arms around Fitz. “Nope.”

  “Did you work it out?”

  With a smile, he kissed Fitz, coaxing his mouth open. Yeah, pretty sure he’d worked it out. Embrace it. Be happy. Sacha was right. He only hoped Sacha would follow his own advice one day.

  “Is it okay to do this here?” Fitz asked, breathless from their kissing.

  “We have a rule around here. If the door is closed, you knock and wait.”

  Fitz eyed him. “Why do I get the feeling that rule was put in place for a very specific reason?”

  “You mean like when I forgot to knock and walked into Red’s office one night after hours? I thought he was having a seizure, so I ran over. It was Laz. On his knees.”

  Fitz’s loud gasp made Jack laugh. “No.”

  “Yep. Remember when I said ‘oh, the things I could tell you about our sweet Red’? That’s one of the things. Hence a ‘knock first and wait’ policy.”

  “Oh, that hussy!”

  “Who? Red?” The evil twinkle that came into Fitz’s bright green eyes terrified Jack a little.

  “No, Laz. He acts all sweet and innocent, and then you find out he’s giving his boyfriend bjs at the office.” Fitz snorted, and it was so damned cute. “I mean, I would never do that.” He bit down on his bottom lip as he played with the collar of Jack’s polo shirt. “But if you ever happen to be working late and need me to bring you dinner, I could stay a while and help you… destress.”

  “And I would very much love for you to help me… destress.”

  Fitz nodded, his eyes still twinkling with mischief. “I mean, heart health is very important. I want to do my part to help keep you strong…” He slid his hand down Jack’s chest and leaned in to nibble at Jack’s ear. “And active.”

  Jack groaned, his hips thrusting into Fitz’s hand when he placed it to Jack’s groin. “Fuck.”

  “That’s a great way to destress. You have such good ideas.” He nipped at Jack’s jaw and removed his hand, making Jack whimper. “Sadly, it’s not after hours.”

  “Oh, you—”

  Fitz arched an eyebrow at him.

  “Stunning, intelligent, fabulous person.”

  “I do love how well you know me.” Fitz smiled and leaned in to kiss him, but someone knocked on the door. He popped a quick kiss on the tip of Jack’s nose. “To be continued.” He stood and Jack followed.

  “Come in.”

  Ace poked his head in, smile huge. “Lil’Rebel is here.”

  “Aw.” Fitz put a hand to his heart. “Bibi’s here with Lily?”

  Ace nodded. “Yep. This is your lucky day. Not only do you get to see Lily, but you get to see something equally amazing.”

  Fitz turned a questioning look to Jack, who held back a laugh as he took Fitz’s hand in his, lacing their fingers together before leading him out of his office.

  “What’s happening?” Fitz whispered as he stared at everyone from the entire floor crowded outside of King’s office. “Are they all trying to see Lily?”

  “Oh no. Bibi always brings Lily out so everyone can gush over her. They’re trying to see King.” Fitz’s puzzled expression was sweet. “You’ll see.”

  They walked into the office, and as Jack expected, Fitz put a hand to his mouth, most likely to keep himself from bursting. It was rare to see Ward Kingston smiling, especially if his boyfriend wasn’t around, but to see the big man lying on his couch, knees drawn up, and a huge grin on his face as he lifted his giggling eight-month-old niece above him was unprecedented. King was so lost in making Lily laugh that he had no idea an entire floor of people was staring at him. Jack was pretty sure several ovaries had exploded, not to mention some definite tightening of pants. King had people falling at his feet a good deal of the time without the presence of that smile, and add an adorable baby to the mix? Kaboom!

  Bibi came over to hug Jack and Fitz. “Eight months later, and it’s still the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “It’s so good to see you, Bibi,” Fitz said. “My God, she’s gotten so big! And I only saw her a couple of weeks ago.”

  “I swear she grows by the minute.”

  Lily was the most beautiful baby Jack had ever seen. Granted, he was a little biased, but that didn’t make it any less true. Those chubby little cheeks and arms, that baby smell, and those adorable squeals were irresistible.

  Movement to his left caught Jack’s attention, and he fought not to laugh at Lucky very clearly recording King with his phone. Jack had a feeling there were more videos where that came from.

  “Okay, my turn, Uncle I Don’t Know How to Share,” Ace said, making grabby hands as he walked over to the couch. King sat up, kissed Lily’s cheek, and held her out to Ace.

  “Come here, Lil’Rebel.”

  “Don’t you go giving her any ideas, Anston Sharpe,” Bibi scolded, arms folded over her chest. “Between Nate and Lucky buying her toy motorcycles, your baby obstacle courses and toy cars, and King’s boxing training—don’t think I haven’t noticed, Ward—I’m going to have another trouble magnet on my hands.”

  “Aw, but danger is in her blood,” Ace said, holding Lily carefully under his arm as he made speeding car noises and circled the room.

  Next to Jack, Fitz put a hand to his chest, his voice quiet so only Jack could hear. “It’s so sweet to see how they are with her.”

  A bark sounded, and Ace stopped. He lifted Lily in front of him. “Gasp! Who’s that?”

  Lily’s squeal could have shattered windows. “Sip!”

  Everyone laughed, and Jack leaned into Fitz. “She knows three words. Mama, Dadda, and Sip.”

  “Oh my God,” Fitz chuckled. “Chip.”

  “Who else?”

  As if on cue, Chip trotted into the room like he owned the place, tail wagging so fast it made his butt wiggle. He stood in front of Ace, gaze moving from Lily to Ace and back. He let out a huff of impatience, like Ace was taking far too long to share Lily. Joker walked to Ace and scooped Lily out of his arms.

  “This is the best part,” Jack whispered to Fitz.

  Joker popped a big sloppy kiss on Lily’s cheek, making her squeal and giggle. “Who’s my little rebel?”

  Lily let out a string of vowels and consonants in response, and Joker nodded.

  “Really? Wow. That sounds intense. Tell me more.”

  An entire baby garble conversation started, with her huffing at certain intervals and throwing her arms up.

  “No? Really? Scandal!”

  Lily nodded as she rocked herself in Joker’s arms and continued to “talk” as she patted his hair or cheek. No one had any clue what she was saying, but Jack could watch this all day. Sacha was such a sarcastic, grumpy ass most of the time, it was mind blowing to see him smiling wide while having a conversation with an eight-month-old.

  “Well, I hope you gave them a stern talking-to,” Joker said, eyebrows drawn together in mock sternness. “They gotta learn you’re a classy lady and you won’t put up with that kind of nonsense.”

  Another huff and a nod from Lily before she clapped her hands. “Sip.”

  At the sound of what he knew was a version of his name, Chip barked. By now Lily knew enough about Chip not be scared by the loud noise and no longer cried but instead squealed.

  “You want to say hello to Chip?”

  Lily bounced excitedly.

  “Okay.” Joker turned to Chip, who lay down, head on his paws, big amber eyes moving from Lily to Joker and back.

  “Good boy.” Joker sat down with Lily on his lap, and Bibi came to sit beside him.

  “You have to be gentle,” Bibi told her as she took her tiny hand and stretched it out to Chip, who waited for Joker’s command. Once it was given, he slowly got up on four paws.

  “Say hello,” Joker told Chip. “Gentle.”

  Chip stretched his neck, his face near Lily’s hand, and with Bibi to guide her, Lily put her little hand on Chip’s head. Gently she petted him, absolute delight on her sweet little face, big brown eyes like her daddy, Nash, intently focused on petting Chip.

  “Want to boop?” Joker asked Lily, who nodded and bounced.

  “Okay.” Bibi pulled her hand back and opened her fingers.

  “Chip. Boop,” Joker instructed, and Chip pushed his nose into Lily’s hand, making her squeal and bounce, her other arm waving excitedly.

  Everyone melted, and Joker told Chip to “boop” again, and Chip pushed his nose into her hand again.

  “My God, I can’t handle the cute,” Fitz said.

  They all gushed over Lily some more before Bibi and Lily said their goodbyes. Joker stopped in front of Jack and Fitz while King got everyone back to work.

  “We’re going to Frank’s tonight to celebrate Joshua getting promoted to Colton’s executive assistant. You two coming?”

  After years of being Colton’s right-hand gal, Nadine had been given her own region to run for Connolly Maritime on the West Coast, leaving the very coveted position of Colton’s executive assistant open to applicants, one of whom had been Joshua, a young man Colton had run into in a bathroom at Sapphire Sands, of all places. Joshua had been in distress, and Colton had stepped in. Joshua had ended the evening with a job offer at Connolly Maritime and one guardian angel in the form of a big, muscly former firefighter turned nightclub owner.

  “That sounds like fun,” Fitz replied cheerfully.

  “You heard him. We’ll be there.” Jack waited for Joker to go, and when everyone was out of the office, turned to Fitz. “Are you sure?” The last thing he wanted was Fitz doing something he wasn’t comfortable with because he thought it was what Jack wanted. “You know I’m more than happy to hang out at your place or go out, just the two of us.”

  Fitz planted a sweet kiss on Jack’s lips. “I do know. Thank you. I wouldn’t have said yes if I wasn’t sure. I won’t let what happened that night stop me from living my life, Jack. I love going out with you and the guys.” He slipped his arms around Jack’s waist. “Besides, give up a chance to see you shake that fine ass? Never.”

  A loud laugh escaped Jack. “Well, in that case, I’ll be sure to wear my best ass-shaking pants.”