“The threats seemed to have stopped. Maybe they got scared off.”

  “Maybe.”

  Colton stopped walking and turned to face him. “You don’t sound so sure.”

  “Whoever sent you those letters and that disturbing package went through a lot of trouble to scare you. Our being here is a double-edged sword. We’re here to protect you against a very real threat, but it also shows them that their intimidation worked. They’re not going to give up. My concern is that our being here has forced whoever it is to change things up. So far, King’s investigations haven’t raised any red flags. We need to keep our eyes peeled until they make another move.”

  Colton sighed heavily but nodded. “Okay.” He jumped suddenly and spun around. “What the hell was that?”

  “What?” Ace asked, looking around Colton, who jumped again.

  “There’s something in the water. Something big. It brushed against me.”

  “I’m sure it’s—” Ace didn’t have time to finish his sentence before Colton cursed up a storm and jumped on Ace. “Colton!” Ace scrambled to catch him, wrapping his arms around Colton, but the man was so damned tall, and his weight unexpected, that their legs got tangled. They went hurtling down onto the wet sand, a wave crashing into them and soaking them from head to toe. Ace coughed and wiped the water from his face. He laughed at Colton, who lay on top of him, his hair plastered over his face.

  “I think it was a shark,” Colton sputtered.

  The waves crashed against the shore, and a huge mass of seaweed washed up beside them. They both looked at it before looking at each other. Ace schooled his expression.

  “That your shark?”

  Colton narrowed his eyes. “Big help you are. Aren’t you supposed to protect me?”

  “Do you want me to shoot it?”

  “Yes, Ace. I want you to shoot the seaweed.”

  “I could, but then someone would hear it and call the cops, and then I’d have to explain to them and to King how I drew my gun on a bunch of algae, and I don’t know, that seems like an awful lot of paperwork. I don’t like paperwork. I can call it in if you want. Get Lucky out here to take care of it. Or ask it out on a date.”

  Colton let out a bark of laughter, his entire body shaking with the force of it. He was so beautiful. “You’re such an ass.”

  “And this surprises you?” Ace couldn’t help but run his fingers through Colton’s hair, moving it away from his brow. “You’re a very beautiful man, you know that?”

  Colton’s smile stole Ace’s breath away, and he knew he was treading on very dangerous ground. He needed to put a stop to this before it got any more out of his control. He opened his mouth to ask Colton to get off him, and Colton kissed him. Desire flared through Ace, and he parted his lips, opening up for Colton’s tongue as he deepened their kiss. It seemed to set something off in Colton, and he kissed Ace like he was trying to steal the breath from his body.

  Ace had spent several nights trying not to think about what Colton might taste like, and now that he knew, he wanted more. He wanted more of his lips, his tongue, the heat of his mouth. He wanted to feel more of his firm, lean body against him, of his smooth skin. Ace spread his legs, bringing his knees up so Colton could lie comfortably on him as they explored each other’s mouth, hands roaming, fingers caressing.

  When they were forced to come up for air, Colton pulled back enough to meet Ace’s gaze. As if realizing what he’d done, Colton’s beautiful blue-gray eyes widened. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

  “Don’t,” Ace said, cutting off the rest of Colton’s words with his kiss. He moved fast, turning them and rolling onto Colton, reversing their positions. They ignored the waves crashing against them and the sand getting into places it should never be in. The more he tasted Colton, the greedier he became. The alarm bells went off in his head, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop. He didn’t want to. His body was on fire despite the cool water, and he was surprised steam wasn’t rising from the water surrounding their bodies.

  Colton writhed beneath Ace, his tongue and lips as greedy as Ace’s as they each fought for more. Need like he’d never known spread through him, and his painfully hard cock rubbed against Colton’s own erection, the thin fabric of their shorts making it feel as if they were almost naked, the friction sending delicious shivers through Ace. Colton thrust up against him, and Ace groaned.

  “Oh God, Ace.” Colton wrapped his legs around Ace’s ass, his fingers digging into Ace’s back as he rutted against him. “You feel so damned good.”

  Ace thrust his hips, a deep guttural moan escaping him when Colton grabbed hold of his asscheeks and begged him for more. Colton’s kiss-swollen lips parted in the most erotic way, the moonlight above them making it possible for Ace to see his beautiful face and his flushed cheeks, his eyes filled with heat and desire.

  “Ace, please. I need you to make me come. Please.”

  Fuck. How the hell was he supposed to deny Colton anything? Their rutting turned frantic, and they gripped each other tight as if they might fall away otherwise, their lips locked in a ravenous kiss that left Ace feeling as if he were about to lose his mind. He needed to feel Colton’s skin. Frantically he reached between them, pushing down their shorts enough to grab hold of both their cocks.

  “Oh, yes. Yes. Make me come, baby.”

  “Fuck. Colton. Oh fuck.” They thrust hard into Ace’s tight grip, their hips losing all rhythm while they nipped, bit, and sucked on the other’s lips, tongue, and skin, their panting breaths mingling in the humid air.

  “Ace, I’m going to come,” Colton cried out as Ace’s muscles stiffened, his orgasm slamming through him. He shut his eyes tight, his own hoarse cry drowned out by the ocean, and the waves washing away evidence of their intimate moment. Colton trembled beneath him, and slipped his arms around Ace’s neck, keeping him close.

  Ace let his brow rest against Colton’s as their breathing steadied. He smiled at the feel of Colton brushing his lips against his own. Then the reality of what they’d done sank in. Shit.

  “What the hell did we just do?” Ace whispered.

  “Can we not overthink this yet?” Colton pleaded. “I don’t regret it. Please, Ace.”

  Ace nodded, he smiled and kissed Colton again, this time slowly, sweetly. He nipped at his lips, and Colton hummed softly. The way he responded to Ace was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Their bodies fit like two pieces of a puzzle.

  “You taste even better than I imagined,” Colton confessed quietly.

  “You thought about this, huh?”

  Colton nodded.

  “I didn’t,” Ace said, straight-faced. “Not at all. Not for a second.”

  “You’re so full of shit,” Colton said with a laugh.

  “Okay, maybe a little. Like once, but then I got distracted by a pastry.”

  Colton chuckled and shook his head. “You know, for a cardsharp, you have a lousy poker face.” He stole another kiss, and Ace retaliated, kissing Colton soundly until it was time to bring this night to an end, no matter how badly he didn’t want to.

  “We should head back before Lucky hunts us down.”

  “Do we have to?”

  Ace laughed softly. “Yes, we have to.”

  “Fine. You’re right.” Colton grimaced. “Also I have sand in my ass. Can we make a note that sexy make-out sessions on the shore leave you with sand in unfortunate places?”

  Ace barked out a laugh. “Duly noted.” He made to get up, but Colton took hold of his face, his intense gaze holding Ace’s.

  “Please tell me this won’t be the last time you kiss me.”

  “Colton, I—”

  “Please. We can talk about it as much as you want later, and we’ll go from there, but don’t tell me this is the last time.”

  Ace could have lied. He could have said yes, but he’d fucked-up royally. The thing was, he wanted to kiss Colton again. Wanted to kiss him all night, and more. He wanted to feel Colton’s naked body beneath him, writhing against him with a need only Ace could fill. Right now, he needed to get himself together, and he couldn’t do that with Colton’s body under him and those gorgeous blue-eyes pleading with him. “No promises.”

  “I’ll take that.”

  Ace nodded and stood before helping Colton to his feet. “Come on.”

  They headed back in the direction they’d come in so Ace could pick up his shoes. They were a mess—their hair and clothes plastered to them, sand everywhere. Thankfully Colton’s white shorts were lined, because as it was, they left nothing to the imagination, and Ace made sure to get an eyeful of that beautiful bubble butt before they reached the property. The man had an exquisite body.

  Outside they rinsed off at the shower by the pool, managing to get most of the sand off. The water was cold as fuck, and they were both shivering by the time they got out from under it. Colton grabbed them each a warm, large thick towel from the pool towel valet, and they dried off as much as they could, then tossed the towels in the hamper below the shelves before grabbing another couple of towels to wrap themselves in. The air-conditioning inside the house had them shivering again, and Ace hoped to get to his room without incident, but of course Lucky emerged from the kitchen. He gaped at them.

  “What the hell happened to you two?”

  “Colton got attacked by a shark,” Ace said somberly. “I saved his life. Something else I can add to my resume.”

  “What happened to operating under complete discretion, Mr. Sharpe?” Colton asked, heading into the kitchen and opening the fridge to grab two bottles of water.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Was I supposed to keep my heroics to myself? That sounds very unlike me.”

  Lucky was hysterically confused. “A shark? Qué?”

  Ace couldn’t help breaking into laughter. Colton’s uninspired expression didn’t help either.

  “It was dark, okay? Something big moved under the water, and when it touched my leg, I may have overreacted.”

  Lucky arched an eyebrow at Ace, who waggled his eyebrows.

  “It was seaweed.”

  Lucky shook his head and let out a snort of laughter.

  Ace joined Colton in the kitchen and grabbed the bottle of water Colton held out for him.

  “Smartass,” Colton grumbled, shoving Ace away playfully and making him chuckle.

  “Ouch, why are you beating me up? I saved your life.”

  “Yes, that seaweed was so incredibly lethal.” Colton took a swig of his water before leaving the kitchen. “I’m going to go shower and change.”

  “Watch out for the sharks,” Ace teased, cackling when Colton flipped him off. As soon as Colton was gone, Lucky was in his space, his big brown eyes filled with concern.

  “What are you doing?”

  “What?”

  Lucky planted his hands on his hips and averted his gaze. It wasn’t like his cousin to mince words. He usually said whatever he had to and the rest be damned. It was one of the things Ace admired most about him. Of course, sometimes that meant he came across as crass or rude, but Lucky didn’t see the sense in beating around the bush.

  “Say what you have to say, Lucky.”

  Seeming to come to some kind of conclusion, Lucky nodded, then met his gaze. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. “I’m afraid you’re getting too close, you know?”

  “What? Because we’re having a little fun?” The problem with working with family was that sometimes they knew you better than you knew yourself, and they could call you out on your bullshit.

  Lucky peered at him. “Don’t try to play a player.”

  “I’m not playing.”

  “Which is even more dangerous. Do you know the level of shit that will come down on you if you get involved with him? And I’m not talking about King, who will, by the way, kick your ass.”

  “I’m not getting involved.”

  Lucky ignored that. “What are you always telling me?”

  Man, sometimes he hated that his cousin actually listened to him. “Keep your head in the game and don’t get distracted. You think I’m distracted?” Did Lucky really think he wouldn’t be able to do his job if he was emotionally invested in Colton?

  “I think you like him.”

  “He’s a nice guy.”

  “¡Ay carajo!” Lucky threw up his arms in frustration. “You know that is not what I mean! The way you two are together? There is something there, Ace. Anyone can see it. At the party? It was all over your face and his. The way you stand so close to him? How he smiles at you? I mean, come on.”

  Ace knew exactly what Lucky was referring to, but he played dumb and shrugged.

  “Bro, please be careful.” Lucky put a hand to his heart. “Tú eres como mi hermano. I love you. I don’t want to see you get in over your head. You worked too damn hard to be where you are. Please, just think about it.”

  Ace nodded. “Okay.”

  Lucky moved in to hug him, then realized he was still wet. He wrinkled his nose and backed away. “You need to shower. Apestas.”

  “What, you don’t want to hug me?” Ace held out his arms and took a step toward him, laughing when Lucky jumped back.

  “Fuck no. You got sand and shit all over you. This shirt is Armani.”

  “Aw, you’re hurting my feelings.” Ace darted forward, arms wide, and Lucky took off around the counter.

  “No, Ace. Fuck you. Don’t touch me,” Lucky growled, staying as far away as possible.

  “Let me hug you!” Ace ran after him, and Lucky took off outside. He stopped on the other side of the glass wall and flipped Ace off, making Ace double over laughing. Having aggravated his cousin enough for one night, Ace headed upstairs to his bedroom. He paused outside and stared at Colton’s closed door. If he knew what was good for him, he’d pretend like tonight never happened. It would be the best course of action for both of them. With a sigh, he walked into his room and closed the door behind him. He came to a halt when he heard his shower running. What the hell?

  Hurrying into the bathroom, he froze at the sight of a completely naked Colton washing himself. Oh damn. Ace stood mesmerized by the vision before him. Water sluiced over every dip and curve of that gorgeous body, over sculpted muscles and smooth skin. Long fingers massaged his scalp as he rinsed his hair. Stepping out from beneath the showerhead, Colton wiped water from his face and smiled ruefully at Ace from over his shoulder.

  “I hope you don’t mind my using your shower. I had a problem with mine.”

  Ace fought a smile. “That so?”

  “Yes.” Colton’s expression was sinful as he turned to face Ace. “You weren’t in it.”

  Ace groaned and undressed in record time. He joined Colton in the huge shower, pushing him up against the tiled wall and making a meal out of his mouth. He slid his fingers down Colton’s body, palming Colton’s hard shaft and drawing a decadent moan from him.

  Getting to his knees, Ace swallowed that delicious cock, and Colton bucked his hips, his fingers on Ace’s head.

  “Oh God, Ace. Your mouth feels so good.”

  Ace worked his tongue over Colton on a mission to drive the man out of his mind. He sucked, licked, and nipped at Colton’s thick hard cock. He pressed his tongue into the slit before swallowing Colton down again, loving the way Colton bucked his hips and held on to Ace for dear life. The glass around them fogged up, giving the illusion they were hidden away from the world. It wouldn’t last long, but Ace would take advantage of it while he could. He slipped his hands around to Colton’s ass, his nose buried deep in the fair-haired curls of Colton’s groin. He hollowed his mouth and sucked hard, urged on by Colton’s quiet begging for more.

  Ace slipped one finger in between Colton’s asscheeks and searched out his hole, groaning when Colton’s body trembled. He pressed a finger inside Colton and doubled his efforts. Colton held on to Ace’s head, thrusting in deep, and thanks to Ace’s lack of gag reflex, he stilled and let Colton fuck his mouth.

  “Oh yes. Jesus, Ace. Your mouth is so fucking hot.” Colton’s movements turned frantic, and he let out a strangled sound as he bent over Ace, hot come squirting inside his mouth. Ace swallowed down the salty thick come, and once Colton had emptied himself, Ace pulled off and stood, then wrapped his arms around Colton and kissed him so he could taste himself. Colton moaned, and their tongues tangled with the taste of his release.

  Colton led Ace under the shower, and Ace allowed himself to be taken care of, get soaped up and washed, not an inch of his body missed. After lowering to his knees, Colton ran his hands reverently up Ace’s body, stopping to trace the lines of Ace’s tattoo.

  “I’ve been dying to get a good look at this.”

  “Couldn’t you see it from your balcony?”

  Colton laughed and swatted his ass.

  “Ooh, kinky. Yeah, do that again. I’ve been a very bad boy.”

  “I’ll bet you have.” Colton continued to trace the lion portion of his ink down over his shoulder to his pec. “Why a lion?”

  “All the Kings have a lion tattoo somewhere. Different style and design. Our commander used to say we fought like lions in battle and no matter how deep in shit we were, we had each other to make sure we never lost our honor or courage. When it came time to brand the company, we thought of him. The lion became part of our crest, and his words turned into our motto. We each got a lion tattoo so we’d never forget what we were to each other, and we’d never forget the man who believed in us.”

  Colton laid his hand over Ace’s heart. “I can’t imagine anyone not believing in you.”

  Ace was thankful for the water he stood under. It meant the tears in his eyes were washed away before Colton could tell they were there. He blinked away the wetness and let Colton lead him away from the shower. He turned off the water, and they stepped out onto the plush bathroom rug. Colton nipped at Ace’s bottom lip before leaning in to whisper in his ear.

  “I’d really like you to fuck me now.”

  Ace’s cock twitched, and they wasted no time in drying each other off before their lips were locked together again, towels on the floor. They stumbled into the bedroom toward the bed, and Ace pulled away long enough to lock the door before he rushed back to Colton. He turned Colton and walked him to the bed until the back of Colton’s legs hit the mattress and he fell back onto it. With a wicked grin, Colton scooted up the bed, one arm behind his head, his free hand palming his cock between his spread knees. Ace climbed onto the bed and stalked forward, feeling like a predator ready to pounce on the mouthwatering flesh on offer.