“Yep.” Jack waved him off. “Go kick some ass.”

  “You got it.” Joker patted his cheek before jogging off back to the others.

  “You know,” Colton said with a hum, “behind the messy hair, never-ending parade of T-shirts and swear words, is quite an intelligent individual.”

  “Oh, Sacha is terrifyingly smart. He just hides it well.”

  “Why hide it at all?”

  “The places he grew up in, playing dumb became a survival skill.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  Jack shrugged. He wasn’t going to get into their past. Colton knew enough about Sacha not to question, and Jack appreciated it, especially since it wasn’t his story to tell.

  “I swear it’s got to be like a million degrees today,” Joshua said as he walked into the shade of the huge tent. He moved his sunglasses onto his head as he smiled brightly at them. “Hey, guys. Thanks for inviting me.”

  “So glad you could join us,” Colton said. “There’s water, soda, and beer in the coolers, and enough food and snacks to feed an army.”

  “Or Ace,” Jack teased.

  “Or Ace,” Colton agreed with a chuckle.

  With August came sweltering heat and humidity that not even the ocean breeze could tame, but the day was gorgeous, not a cloud in the sky, so Colton and Ace invited everyone over for a day at the beach and evening barbecue. Jack and Sacha had set up the huge tent on the private beach behind the house before his best friend had been summoned by Chip and Duchess. Barky opinions were made, and ball-throwing was to commence immediately. Ace and Jack had taken over the entertaining of the pups so Joker could play frisbee with the guys, but since Ace had bested the devil in a banjo duel or something, the guy never seemed to tire, much like their furry companions. Jack, on the other hand, needed a break.

  “The water looks amazing,” Joshua said with a little sigh.

  Red and Laz had headed straight for the ocean and were currently being all ridiculously romantic and cute.

  “Go for a swim if you want.” Colton sat up, grabbed one of the dozens of sunscreen bottles, and tossed it at Joshua, who caught it. “I think I’m going to go for a dip as well.”

  “I hope you’re all wearing the appropriate sunscreen,” a gruff voice grumbled, and Jack grinned up at Frank just as Ace and Lucky came running, whooping and making catcalls.

  “Nice legs, Ramirez.” Ace held his thumbs up, and Frank flipped him off.

  “Holy shit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you not in a suit,” Lucky teased. “Look at you. I didn’t know you had clothes that weren’t black.”

  Frank flipped them both off, and they cackled before they turned to Jack.

  “We’re going to swim to the sandbar,” Ace said, smacking Jack’s arm. “You joining us, old man?”

  “Fuck off.” Jack spotted Fitz heading his way. “We’ll be there in a minute. Go terrorize Red.”

  “Um, no. Red must be protected at all costs,” Ace replied with a scoff.

  “Why?” Frank asked, confused.

  Jack shook his head in amusement. “Because Red’s cooking barbecue tonight.”

  Lucky and Ace nodded in unison; then Ace grabbed Colton and picked him up, ignoring his fiancé’s curses.

  “Anston Sharpe, don’t you dare!”

  Jack cringed. Ooh, was Colton new at this? A surefire way to get Ace to do something was to demand he not do the thing. With a big grin, Ace threw Colton over his shoulder and headed for the water.

  “He is ridiculous,” Lucky said, then let out a yelp as he was swung over Mason’s shoulder. It was followed my much Spanish cursing before Mason smacked Lucky’s ass on the way to the water. Lucky let out a loud laugh and smacked Mason’s ass in return.

  “Hey, fellas.” Fitz grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler, his gaze going from a very quiet Joshua, whose cheeks were red—and not from the heat—to Frank, who shifted awkwardly. Jack hid his smile. What was it with these two? Fitz unscrewed the cap to his water and swallowed down several gulps before he grabbed a bottle of sunscreen and threw it at Frank. “Come on, Frank. Time to go swimming.”

  “Um. Yeah. Sure.” Frank stood there for a second, then seemed to snap himself out of it. He unbuttoned his shorts, and Joshua’s blue-green eyes went so big, Jack feared they were about to pop out of his head. When Frank removed his shirt, Jack had to put a fist to his mouth to keep from bursting. Poor Joshua. The young man looked about ready to pass out from lack of oxygen. Jack couldn’t blame him. Frank was an impressive guy. The man was a wall of muscle, naturally tanned skin, a chiseled stubble-filled jaw, and an intensity that could stop someone dead in their tracks.

  “You too, Josh,” Fitz said, his smile bright as he pulled Jack to his feet.

  What was Fitz up to?

  “Oh, um, okay. I-I guess.” Joshua started to get undressed, and Frank lifted his eyes to the ceiling. Did he think Joshua was going to get naked or something? Did they think they were being subtle? That no one noticed the incredibly obvious attraction between them?

  When Joshua was down to his swim trunks, he handed Fitz the bottle of sunscreen. “Could you get my back?”

  “Sure. Oh, Colton’s calling us.”

  “What?” Colton wasn’t—oh. Right. Jack took off with Fitz toward the water, Frank’s protest drowned out by the sound of Chip and Duchess barking as they played along the shore together. Jack swept Fitz off his feet, loving the way he threw his head back and laughed. He tossed Fitz into the water, enjoying the squeal he let out before he hit with a splash. Jack turned to see Frank applying sunscreen to Joshua’s back. Something told Jack that Joshua was enjoying that a whole lot.

  “Stop perving on them,” Fitz said, wiping water from his face.

  Jack pulled Fitz into his arms. “I’m not perving on them, troublemaker. I’m making sure Joshua doesn’t faint.”

  “The poor guy. You can practically see the little hearts appear in his eyes whenever Frank’s around. I don’t understand why Frank doesn’t just give in. He’s clearly attracted to Josh.”

  Jack shrugged. “Frank’s a mysterious guy. I mean, I don’t know all that much more about him now than I did when we first met, and that was years ago. I know he retired early after a really bad shoulder injury he got on the job. You’ve probably noticed, but Frank’s not much of a talker.”

  “Really? You don’t say.” Fitz chuckled as he slipped his arms around Jack’s neck, the water lapping serenely at them.

  “Smarty-pants.” Jack kissed him, then realized something. “Shit, where’s King and Leo?”

  Fitz snorted. “Oh my God, you only just noticed?”

  “Hey, in my defense, this group keeps multiplying. We’re like bunnies. But instead of baby bunnies, we end up with boyfriends.”

  Fitz laughed so hard he was in tears. “Oh my God.” He snorted before teasing Jack. “Say baby bunnies again.”

  “No.”

  “Come on. Say it. You sound so cute.”

  “Baby bunnies.”

  Fitz did his little happy dance, and Jack’s heart swelled. God, he loved this man.

  “Okay, so tell me about King and Leo,” Jack said as they waded away from Ace and Lucky, who each sat on their boyfriend’s shoulders as they tried to knock each other over.

  “Just before you sat down, Leo was in the tent getting a bottle of water. He dropped the lid and bent over just as King turned around. He said something to Leo, and next thing you know, they’re running for the house. I think you can guess the rest.”

  “I’d… rather not,” Jack said with a shudder.

  “What, you think King and Leo don’t have sex all the time, because spoiler alert, they totally have sex all the time.”

  “Don’t say that. King’s like a big brother.”

  Fitz arched an eyebrow at him. “And you think your brothers don’t have sex?”

  “We need to change this conversation, because it’s just going from bad to worse.”

  “You’re adorable.” Fitz kissed him, and Jack hummed. “Is this better?”

  “So much better.”

  Frank and Joshua joined them just before King and Leo appeared, both looking flushed. Fitz waggled his eyebrows at Jack, who splashed him, making him giggle-snort.

  “Stop it.”

  “What? I bet they like kinky sex.”

  Joker popped up beside Jack. “Who likes kinky sex?”

  “What about kinky sex?” Leo asked, while King continued to swim past them.

  “Just keep swimming, sweetheart. Keep swimming.” King hauled ass away from them, Leo following despite the adorable confusion on his face.

  “We’re swimming to the sandbar,” Ace announced as he and the rest of the crew headed off.

  Jack was about to go, but he saw the worried expression come onto Joshua’s face. “You okay?”

  “I, um…” Joshua cleared his throat. “I can’t swim. I mean, I can, sort of, but when my feet don’t touch the bottom, I panic.”

  “That’s okay,” Fitz pitched in cheerfully. “I’m sure Frank wouldn’t mind taking you.” He turned his big smile to Frank and batted his lashes. “You don’t mind swimming Joshua to the sandbar, do you?”

  “Oh, um. No, of course not,” Frank replied. He turned away from Joshua. “Just, uh… put your arms around my neck and piggyback.”

  Joshua gaped at Frank’s back before shaking his head. “You know what, it’s fine. I’ll just—”

  “I think I heard Colton calling you,” Fitz told Joshua, whose brows drew together. Jack was pretty sure the guy was peering distrustfully at Fitz from behind his sunglasses. “It might be important. Maybe something about work.”

  Jack held back a smile. Fitz was calculating and sneaky.

  “Okay,” Joshua said. “If Frank doesn’t mind.”

  “I don’t,” Frank assured him.

  Watching Joshua wrap his arms around Frank’s thick neck and plaster his body against the much bigger man had Jack struggling to hold back a laugh. The two were ridiculous in their denial, but it was also sweet to watch them awkwardly navigate around each other. Something had to give soon; that much was obvious.

  “Ready?”

  Joshua shook his head fervently. “Yep. Totally ready.”

  They headed for the sandbar, and when they were far enough away, Jack turned to Fitz. “Wow. You’re worse than Colton.”

  “Were we that bad?” Fitz asked as he swam shoulder to shoulder with Jack toward the sandbar.

  “I’d like to say no, but I’m pretty sure our friends have a different opinion.”

  “Speaking of opinion.” Fitz turned onto his back, doing a backstroke as he searched the beach. “Aw, Duchess and Chip are napping in the tent together. Those cooling pads are a godsend. I’m so glad Joker told me about them.”

  “He has, like, ten of them for Chip. They’re everywhere. Hell, I’ve got five of them, and Chip isn’t even my dog.”

  They swam for the bar, then spent the next couple of hours enjoying the ocean and one another’s company before they headed back to shore. Having spent enough time out in the summer sun, they packed up and headed for the house, where they took turns showering in the mansion’s many guest bathrooms. They changed and helped Colton and Ace get everything out onto the deck in preparation for the barbecue. It was a gorgeous night, music and laughter filling the air as the sky changed colors, the strings of lights around the deck flickering to life, adding to the magic of the evening.

  Fitz sat on the lounge chair between Jack’s legs, his back to Jack’s chest as he lay against him. With a kiss to Fitz’s temple, Jack wrapped his arms around Fitz, contentment spreading through him. He took in the sight around him and felt so very lucky. Laz stood with Red and Lucky at the barbecue, Chip dutifully at Red’s feet in case one of those juicy steaks fell on the floor.

  Colton, Ace, and Joshua sat at the bar on either side of Frank, captivated by whatever story Frank was telling, his movements energetic. Jack had never seen Frank so talkative, though he had a feeling it might have something to do with the hero worship in Joshua’s eyes as he leaned toward Frank.

  Fitz tapped his finger on Jack’s hand, and he glanced down at Fitz, who nodded toward King. The big guy was fast asleep on a lounge chair with Leo on his stomach plastered over him, also asleep. Before Jack could reach for his phone, he spotted Joker taking a sneaky picture. His best friend winked at him, then returned to his conversation with Mason, who shook his head in amusement. Duchess napped on the cool tiles next to their chair as Fitz leisurely petted her.

  They were a motley crew—loud, chaotic, and prone to attracting trouble—but Jack wouldn’t want them any other way. They were his family. Maybe not by blood, but through their bond. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for them or the gorgeous man in his arms. Fitz let out a soft, happy sigh, and Jack smiled. It wasn’t action he’d been missing in his life; it was this—the realization that he had everything he had ever wanted. The only adventure he needed was the one he was already living.

  Continue The Kings: Wild Cards series with Raising the Ante, Joshua and Frank’s story.

  Haven’t read the Kings? Start with Love in Spades, available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. Or grab the Four Kings Security Boxed Set on Amazon and KU.

  A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  Thank you so much for reading Stacking the Deck, the first book in The Kings: Wild Cards series. I hope you enjoyed Jack and Fitz’s story, and if you did, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. Reviews can have a significant impact on a book’s visibility on Amazon, so any support you show these fellas would be amazing. Check out Raising the Ante, Frank and Joshua’s story, and the second book in The Kings: Wild Cards series.

  Haven’t read the Kings? Start with Love in Spades, available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.

  Want to stay up-to-date on my releases and receive exclusive content? Sign up for my newsletter.

  Follow me on Amazon to be notified of a new releases, and connect with me on social media, including my fun Facebook group, Donuts, Dog Tags, and Day Dreams, where we chat books, post pictures, have giveaways, and more!

  Looking for inspirational photos of my books? Visit my book boards on Pinterest.

  Thank you again for joining The Kings: Wild Cards on their adventures. We hope to see you soon!

  ALSO BY CHARLIE COCHET

  Shifter Scoundrels Series

  Co-written with Macy Blake

  FOUR KINGS SECURITY UNIVERSE SERIES

  Four King Security

  Four Kings Security Boxed Set

  Black Ops: Operation Orion’s Belt

  The Kings: Wild Cards

  The Kings: Wild Cards Boxed Set

  Runaway Grooms

  THIRDS UNIVERSE SERIES

  THIRDS

  THIRDS Beyond the Books

  THIRDS: Rebels

  TIN

  THIRDS Boxed Sets

  OTHER SERIES

  Paranormal Princes

  Soldati Hearts Series

  North Pole City Tales Series

  DID YOU KNOW?

  If you own a book or borrow it through Kindle Unlimited, you can get Whispersynced audiobooks at a discounted price. Interested in audio? Check out the Charlie Cochet titles available on Audible.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Charlie Cochet is the international bestselling author of the THIRDS series. Born in Cuba and raised in the US, Charlie enjoys the best of both worlds, from her daily Cuban latte to her passion for classic rock.

  Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a highly opinionated sable German Shepherd and a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found devouring a book, releasing her creativity through art, or binge watching a new TV series. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

  Website: www.charliecochet.com

  Email: charlie@charliecochet.com

  Sign up for Charlie’s newsletter:

  https://newsletter.charliecochet.com

 

 

  Charlie Cochet, Stacking the Deck (The Kings: Wild Cards Book 1)

 

 

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