“I love cooking. Always have. My dads taught me from a young age.”

  Laz turned to him with a bright smile. “Your dads?”

  “Yep. No one expects the Southern boy to have two dads, but I do. My dad always wanted kids, but he had no intention of marrying a woman. He was a flower child in the sixties, met the love of his life during the Summer of Love in San Francisco in 1967. Anyone who says there’s no such thing as love at first sight never met my dads. They were just fifteen at the time, but from the moment they saw each other, that was it for them.

  “They settled in Georgia after Pop’s mom had a stroke. She knew about her son being gay and didn’t care. She loved him, and my dad. They moved in with her, looked after her. Some people suspected my dad and Pops were more than best friends and roommates, but no one dared say a word against them to Grams. Anyway, my dad’s best friend was living with her girlfriend a couple of hours away, and she offered to be a surrogate. She had no interest in having kids, but she loved my dad, so she was happy to do it. The four of them lived together for a while until I was born. After that, Alice and her girlfriend moved to San Diego.”

  “Did you keep in touch with her?”

  Red shook his head as he popped the tray of tortillas into the oven to heat, then removed the cooked rice from the burner. “My dads explained everything to me from the moment I was old enough to understand. They never hid the truth. Alice may have given birth to me, but she wasn’t my parent. My dads were. They loved me, provided me with everything a child needed. Alice loved my dad, and she loved me too, but not because I was her child, but because I was my dad’s. My dads taught me that family is bound by more than just blood, and I really understood that after meeting King and the rest of the guys.”

  “Your dads sound amazing.”

  “I think they are,” Red replied with a big smile. “They raised me to be compassionate and respectful of others, to look beyond race, gender, and sex to what’s inside a person. Our lives haven’t been easy by any means, and we shared some really scary moments, but I wouldn’t change my family for anything.”

  “Where are your dads now?”

  “Enjoying their retirement down in Fort Myers.” Maybe one day Red would ask Laz to come with him when he visited his dads. They’d love Laz. Hearing Ace teasing Colton as they came down the stairs signaled it was time to get everything on the table. Soon as the table was set, Red got started on the flank steak.

  “God, that smells so good,” Ace said with a groan, coming into the kitchen to peek at the steak Red was cooking. “Where’s yours?” Ace asked.

  “Funny,” Red laughed. “Grab me the cutting board and knife.”

  Ace went to do as asked, and Red turned the steak over. “Laz, how do you like your steak?”

  “Medium-rare,” Laz called out from the dining room.

  Ace patted Red’s back. “Same as you, big guy. You know what that means?”

  Red arched an eyebrow at Ace. “That he likes his steak medium-rare?”

  “No. It means it was meant to be.”

  Red rolled his eyes. “Sure. Let me base all my future relationships on how my partner takes their steak.”

  “Hey, Colton likes his steak cooked medium just like me. Mason likes his steak rare. Remember Ewan? Fucking disaster from day one. You know how he took his steak?”

  “No, but I bet you’re going to tell me.”

  “Well done.”

  Red cringed.

  “Yeah. He ruined his steak like he ruined our relationship.”

  “Um, I’m pretty sure it was your finding him with his pants around his ankles and that dude’s mouth around his dick in one of Frank’s back rooms that ruined your relationship.”

  “That too, but if I’d paid attention to the steak that whole ugly incident could have been avoided.”

  “Yeah, okay. If you’re done imparting your weird relationship wisdom, I’d like to get to eating dinner.”

  Ace leaned in, eyes narrowed as he whispered hoarsely, “Listen to the steak.”

  Sweet Jesus. His friend was a nut. But then that was old news. “Sit your ass down,” Red told him as he carried the two iron skillets with the sliced flank steaks over to the table. Instead of sitting across from Colton, who sat next to Laz, Ace wedged himself between the two. Red took a seat across from Laz.

  They talked as they served themselves and ate. Red was glad he’d decided to sit across from Laz, because every time Laz took a bite of something, he made the most decadent noise, and it went straight to Red’s cock. Wonderful, because that’s what he needed, to get a hard-on at the dinner table in front of Laz, and even worse, Ace.

  “Oh my God, this is so good, Red,” Laz said, following up with another moan. Red shifted uncomfortably, his gaze landing briefly on Ace, who waggled his eyebrows knowingly. Ignoring his meddling friend, Red took another bite of his taco. Thankfully Colton and Laz took the conversation from there, talking about Gio and how he’d be taking some vacation time soon. Laz was looking forward to spending some time with his brother. It seemed like the guy was perpetually away on business, but Red understood time off was a luxury you couldn’t always afford when people were depending on you. Gio was the founder of a huge global charity that helped people all over the world start their own businesses, providing funds and loans otherwise unattainable to most of the people they helped.

  “I can’t wait for you to meet him,” Laz told Red, catching him off guard.

  “Yeah? That’d be great.” Red hoped he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt. He’d heard so much about Gio from both Colton and Laz, it was as if he knew the guy. Gio wasn’t just Laz’s big brother; he was Laz’s hero. After their father passed away from cancer, Gio took over the role of parent, raising Laz and working two jobs so he could put his little brother through college.

  “He’s really looking forward to meeting you.”

  Red almost choked on his tea. “He is?”

  “Of course he is. You saved my life, Red.”

  Red blinked at him. “He knows about that?”

  Colton chuckled. “Gio may not be here, but there’s nothing he doesn’t know. We’re his family. We don’t keep anything from one another. Also, he has a way of getting information out of you without you even realizing it.”

  “I like him already,” Ace said before stuffing the rest of his taco in his mouth. They finished dinner, all of them too stuffed for dessert, so Colton poured them each a glass of wine from one of his many expensive bottles. Red had worried for Ace after learning he’d fallen for Colton, uncertain how Ace would react to being in a relationship with someone who possessed the kind of wealth and status Colton did.

  Red should have known better. Ace wasn’t intimidated by Colton’s wealth. He loved Colton, not his company, not his money or status, and as for Colton, he admitted that he enjoyed being able to spoil Ace when Ace allowed it. The two of them seemed to find a balance that worked.

  “Why don’t Ace and I clean up,” Colton offered, but Red was having none of it. Colton was leaving for New York in the wee hours of the morning. He should be spending the evening with Ace.

  “No, don’t you worry. I’ve got this.”

  “Thank you. Well, I guess we’ll turn in, then.”

  “So early?” Laz asked, checking his watch. “It’s just after eight.”

  Ace nuzzled Colton’s temple. “That was Colton’s polite way of saying we’re going to go boink like bunnies.”

  Colton dropped his head into his hands with a groan.

  “I swear he has manners,” Red promised. “Somewhere in there.”

  “What? We’re in love.” Ace threw his arm around Colton’s shoulders, pulling him in to deliver a kiss to his temple. “Naturally there’s going to be all kinds of hot, sweaty, man sex happening. Like, all the time. Don’t worry, Red. I washed your sheets.”

  Red stared at him. “What? Wait, what sheets?” No, way. He didn’t. Colton’s face turned crimson, and he wouldn’t look Red in the eye. “Please tell me you two didn’t have sex in my bed. In my bed where I sleep every night.”

  “What?” Ace looked affronted. “Of course we didn’t have sex in your bed. I would never have sex in your bed. That’s just… wrong.”

  “Oh, thank God.” He just never knew with Ace. Even after all these years, the only thing predictable about Ace was that he was unpredictable.

  “We had sex in the guest room bed.”

  Laz had unfortunately been in the middle of drinking water when Ace opened his mouth, and now that water was dripping down Red’s face. Ace all but fell out of his chair laughing.

  “Oh my God, Red! I’m so sorry.” Laz jumped from his chair, and ran around to Red’s side with a napkin, his expression competing with Colton’s for most mortified. “I’m sorry. So, so sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” Red assured him, taking the napkin to wipe his face. “It’s not your fault.” He glared at Ace. “I blame him.”

  “On that note. Time to go.” Ace pulled Colton up with him. “Night. Thanks for dinner, Red. Awesome as always. We have to go now.”

  “Ace,” Colton scolded, but his reprimand quickly gave way to a laugh as Ace pounced on him, kissing him, and wrapping his arms around him, manhandling him on the way to the stairs.

  “Is he always like that?” Laz asked, smiling wide as he helped Red clear the table.

  “Yep, and it’s been nearly twenty years now. Man, how time flies. I remember my first day of training like it was yesterday.” Red stood, and began stacking dirty plates to take to the sink. “You should have seen him then. Hell, both him and Lucky. Couple of scrawny ass teenagers with big ears and bigger mouths. If they weren’t driving our drill sergeant nuts, they were getting themselves into all kinds of trouble, and dragging the rest of us with them.”

  They got everything off the table, and Laz wiped it down before joining Red in the kitchen. “How can I help?”

  “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Okay, I’m going to take some of my equipment into the game room. I’ll be right back.”

  “No problem.” Red popped his phone onto the speaker dock, then tuned into his favorite digital music station. Cleaning up was a lot more fun when you had some good music to groove to. Ace loved to tease him about his taste in music, but Red didn’t care.

  Growing up, his dads were always playing their favorites from the sixties and seventies. They’d taught him to dance from the moment he could walk. A lot of people were surprised he didn’t fall into the stereotype of white boy who couldn’t dance, while others didn’t expect him to be able to move the way he did because of his size and muscles, but he was pretty flexible, thanks to years of Yoga. He let the beat wash over him as he danced around the kitchen. A few minutes later and Laz was back.

  “I didn’t take you for a disco kind of guy.”

  “You kidding? Bee Gees, A Taste of Honey, The Trammps. Bring it, baby.” Red danced around Laz, making him laugh.

  “Oh my God, what’s happening right now? What dance is that?”

  “It’s called the Bus Stop.”

  “Please tell me you have a white three-piece suit at home that you wear with an open-collared black shirt.”

  “I’m happy to announce I do not moonlight as John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever. I don’t even own a pair of bellbottoms.” He stopped beside Laz and grabbed his hand, pulling him beside him. “Come on. I’ll show you. Start with your right leg, kick forward and clap, make sure your right leg lands back behind you. Good.” Red did the moves slowly, step by step so Laz could follow along.

  “Okay, we’re moving back now. Left, right, left back then forward, right, and come to stand with your feet together. Now we’re going to travel to the right, crossing your left leg behind your right, and end with your legs together. Perfect. Just like that. Now we’re doing the same in the other direction, landing where we started. Tap your right leg out. Back to starting position. Tap your left leg out. Back to starting position. Click your heels together twice like you’re Dorothy going home to Kansas.”

  Laz laughed, and Red’s smile was stupidly wide. He loved hearing Laz laugh. He had the feeling Laz didn’t get to do it enough.

  “Tap your right toes, then tap back behind you. Tap twice in front, and twice in back.”

  “Jesus, how did Travolta do this?” Laz tripped, but Red caught him, and moved him back into position.

  “With practice, I’m sure. Ready?” Red performed the steps, making sure to remember the clapping as he moved along with the beat. “Single tap forward and back again. Feet together, then turn to the left. Now repeat. Keep turning left until you end up facing forward again.”

  “Oh, is that all.” Laz turned in the wrong direction, and they bumped into each other, stumbling and laughing. Red wrapped an arm around Laz to steady him, Laz’s back ending up against the counter, their legs entwined, and their bodies pressed together. Laz placed his hands on Red’s arms, and when he lifted his gaze to Red’s, his smile was breathtaking. “Hi.”

  “Hi,” Red replied softly. He should move away, but he couldn’t bring his body to cooperate, not when Laz’s hands were on him.

  Laz slid his hands up Red’s biceps to his shoulders, then down to his pecs, his eyes following the movement while Red kept his gaze on Laz’s face. He was so damned beautiful with his soft, dark curls, thick eyebrows, and big blue eyes. Red brushed his fingers down Laz’s stubbled jaw, stopping at his chin to run his thumb over Laz’s plump bottom lip. For months he’d wondered what these lips tasted like. He hadn’t been able to get Laz out of his mind. The man invaded his thoughts at all hours of the day, and sometimes at night. Laz tilted his head up, his eyes on Red’s lips.

  “We should probably—” Red’s words died against Laz’s mouth.

  It was a tentative kiss, soft, uncertain, but when Red parted his lips, all uncertainty flew out the window on both their parts. Laz dove in, tongue dueling with Red’s, soft lips demanding more as Red leaned into Laz, giving into his demands. Whatever Laz wanted, Red was willing to give. His left arm joined his right around Laz’s waist as Red explored every crevice of Laz’s sweet mouth. Damn, he tasted like heaven, and felt so good in Red’s arms, like he belonged there.

  Laz slid his arms up and around Red’s neck, keeping him close as Lobo’s “I’d Love You to Want Me” played quietly from the speakers. They started to sway together, and Red smiled against Laz’s lips, their kiss going from urgent to slow, sweet, and heartachingly intimate. Red loved kissing, loved all the ways his kisses could convey what he felt when words failed him.

  “Hey, Red, I forgot—shit.”

  They gave a start and moved away from each other. Red’s heart pounded in his ears, and he ran a hand through his hair in the hopes of getting his pulse to steady. He’d been so lost in Laz, he hadn’t seen or heard Ace approach. Not good.

  “I, um, I think I’m going to turn in. It’s been a long day,” Laz said, walking backward out of the kitchen, his cheeks flushed. “Goodnight, Red.”

  “Goodnight. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

  Laz nodded. “Thanks for dinner, and, um, yeah. Thanks.” With a shy smile, he spun on his heels, waving a quick hello at Ace as he darted for the stairs.

  Red sighed and leaned against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest. He narrowed his eyes at Ace. “Has anyone ever told you, you have terrible timing?”

  “Yes. Often.” Ace winced. “I’m sorry. Can I just say one thing?”

  “Not if that one thing is ‘I told you so,’” Red muttered.

  “Dammit.”

  “What did you forget?” Red moved across the kitchen to pluck his phone off the speaker dock and turn off the music. “You know, before you interrupted our first kiss.”

  Ace groaned. “Aw, come on, man. Don’t guilt-trip me like that. I said I was sorry.”

  “You did.” Red held back a smile. Yeah, he was being a dick, but it wasn’t often he got to make Ace squirm. After several heartbeats of epic pouting from Ace, Red took pity on him. “It’s fine. Really. What did you need to tell me?”

  “I forgot to tell you that Quinn’s getting married. We’re all invited to the wedding. You know everyone is going to be there. It’s in October, which I know is when your dads go to San Diego to visit Alice, so I wanted to make sure you let them know since the invites won’t be going out for a few more weeks yet.”

  Red grinned widely. “Holy shit, Quinn and Spencer are getting married? That’s amazing. Is the wedding in Miami?”

  “Not sure yet. Possibly. Quinn wants his SWAT buddies to be able to pop in if they can’t get the day off. Either way, maybe you can bring Laz as your plus one.” Ace waggled his eyebrows, making Red laugh. He was such a dork.

  “We’ll see.” They turned off the lights and checked the doors and the alarm before they headed upstairs. “Night, Ace. Tell Colton I said I hope he has a good trip.”

  “I will. Thanks, bud. Goodnight.”

  Red walked into his room and closed the door behind him, his thoughts going to the sweet and sexy man in the room next door. Warmth flooded through him at the thought of his kiss with Laz. Yeah, it had definitely been a good night. Maybe things would be different in the morning, but that didn’t necessarily mean different in a bad way.

  As he changed into a T-shirt and loose pair of pajama bottoms, he found himself smiling. Ace was right—not that Red was about to tell him so—there was something special between Red and Laz, and he was looking forward to seeing where things went.

  Chapter 6

  Air. He needed air.

  Red gasped, choking on the lungful of heavy smoke and dirt he’d sucked in. He gagged, then hurled, puking up water, saliva mixed with blood, and God only knew what else. His ears were ringing. Something warm trickled down his neck, and his body screamed in agony from the weight of his gear and something else crushing him. He was on his stomach, surrounded by rubble, the air so thick with black smoke he could barely see his hand in front of his face. A shadowy lump a few feet ahead took form, and he realized it was one of his brothers.