“Of course. You know you’re welcome here any time. In fact, I wish you would join us more often,” Colton said, taking a seat on the couch across from them with his own margarita. Even dressed casually in a navy polo shirt and cargo shorts, Colton Connolly exuded elegance. He was handsome and tall, with a lean swimmer’s build. Behind his warm smile and blue-gray eyes was a shrewd businessman and heir to a shipping empire. Fitz had known Colton as long as he’d known Laz, what with Colton and Laz’s older brother, Gio, having been friends since college.

  When they’d first met, Fitz had been intimidated. He’d never met anyone wealthy, much less someone who was part of a family worth billions. Fitz wasn’t ashamed to admit he’d judged Colton before knowing him, thinking the guy would believe himself better than everyone, or that he’d enjoy flaunting his money. Colton had done none of those things. He’d been kind and funny from the beginning. A bit of a diva, but considering Fitz was one himself, he could hardly fault Colton for that. They’d bonded over a love of shoes. It sounded cliché, but Fitz couldn’t care less. He loved a man who truly appreciated fabulous footwear. It was probably why Fitz and Lucky got along so well.

  “I’m sorry I turned down so many of your invites,” Fitz said sincerely. He would have loved to join Laz and Colton for all the barbecues, family dinners, and game nights, but he’d been drowning in getting his business launched, not to mention trying to get his life back together after the disaster that had followed the end of a ten-year relationship. “The last year was crazy. I was getting the salon ready to open, training staff, dealing with suppliers and vendors, putting together a client list, then the grand opening. I’ve been working almost every weekend up until a couple of months ago.”

  “Well, I hope we’ll be seeing a lot more of you,” Colton said. “Now, about calling Jack.”

  “Damn. I hoped you’d forgotten about that,” Fitz muttered. At this rate he was going to need several more margaritas. The only reason he’d accepted Colton’s invite to come tonight was because Laz assured him Jack wouldn’t be joining them. It sounded ridiculous, but Fitz wasn’t sure he was ready to face Jack. What the hell would he say?

  “Babe.” Laz brushed a lock of hair away from Fitz’s brow. “I have never seen you look at anyone the way you looked at Jack. Not even your ex, the hairless nut sac.”

  The low growl that escaped Fitz was an instinctive reaction to the mere mention of his asshole ex. “That’s an insult to nut sacs everywhere.”

  Colton chuckled. “Jack will understand.”

  “I don’t know.” It wasn’t that Fitz didn’t want to call Jack. Hell, he’d thought about it at least once a day for months. He’d thought about Jack far more than he was willing to admit to his friends, especially after leaving his ex, but that wouldn’t have been fair to either of them. Fitz had needed to get his life together. But even after he’d moved on from the humiliating disaster that had been the longest relationship of his life, he couldn’t bring himself to call Jack.

  “What’s holding you back?” Colton asked gently.

  This conversation called for more alcohol. Fitz finished off the rest of his margarita in an effort to fortify himself. The slushy goodness was delicious, and he might have asked Colton to slip in a couple of extra shots earlier. “Jack isn’t like all those other jerks I’ve dated. He…”

  “Is an adult?” Laz offered with a sly grin.

  “Oh, I know! Pick me!” Colton waved his hand in the air. “Knows how to spell misdemeanor?” Colton snickered when Fitz chucked a pillow at him. He held his margarita glass away with one hand and swatted the pillow away with the other.

  “Hasn’t had Botox!” Laz pitched in.

  Colton waggled his eyebrows. “Has never been arrested?”

  “You know what? You two bitches can kiss my gorgeously perky ass.” Fitz joined in the fun, reminding Laz of some of his hilariously bad exes, one of whom included a PA who’d been in the middle of professing his love to Laz during a photo shoot right before a spotlight fell from the ceiling. Nothing says love like using your man as a shield after mistaking the bursting light for an explosion. Colton pitched in with his own stories of bad exes. They were all in tears, they were laughing so hard. With their margaritas finished, they moved to the huge kitchen in search of snacks and more alcohol.

  Fitz took a seat at the counter as Colton removed several items from the fridge and started putting together a cheese platter for them while Laz whipped them up some more cocktails.

  “Jack is different,” Laz admitted. “I thought the same thing about Red. I can’t imagine loving anyone else. Being with him is amazing, but sometimes it’s hard, and heartbreaking. What these guys lived through?” Laz shook his head before he lifted his gaze to meet Fitz’s, his eyes glassy and a sweet smile on his face. “He needs love, Fitz. He needs to be reminded every day that he made it out alive, that King is alive and so are the rest of the guys. Loving him will be easy. The days he doesn’t love himself? Those are hard.”

  Fitz nodded but didn’t reply. That was part of the problem, and maybe it was selfish on his part, but Fitz had never dated a soldier, much less one who had been through what Jack and his friends had been through. What if Fitz couldn’t help Jack when he needed it?

  In the last two years since Laz had come back into Fitz’s life, they’d been closer than ever. When Laz needed someone to confide in, he turned to his brother, Gio, and Fitz, so Fitz was aware of the good and the bad that came with being in love with one of the Kings. Because of Laz, Fitz knew more about the guys than most people, and although he didn’t know intimate details, he knew enough to hesitate where Jack was concerned. He finally had the peaceful life he’d always wanted, and he doubted it would remain peaceful if he dated a former Green Beret who worked private security with a family of mayhem-magnets. Hell, not one of the Kings or their guys hadn’t been shot or shot at. Fitz despised guns, but that was a whole other issue.

  “I know we keep pushing you to call Jack,” Colton said gently, “but it’s only because we really believe you two can have something special, but you have to be willing to accept all of him.”

  The idea of letting Jack down hurt Fitz’s heart, and he hated the feeling. Then there was the possibility of Jack breaking his heart, and if their track record with relationships was anything to go by, the odds were not in Fitz’s favor. Jack was one of those guys who was too good to be true. Handsome, sweet, talented, and so damned smart. He raised money for charities and, with his friends, looked out for the families of their fallen brethren. He was a protector. A man of action. The most excitement Fitz saw these days was finding his favorite ice cream was in stock at the supermarket.

  Fitz toyed with the stem of his empty margarita glass. “Sounds like a lot of drama. Which, might I remind you both, is the reason I left the fashion world behind and opened my own salon.”

  Laz and Colton exchanged glances. “Right,” Laz drawled. “Because your salon and the queens you work with is drama-free.”

  Clearly his friend needed more alcohol. “It’s a different kind of drama.”

  “He’s worth it, Fitz.”

  “I’m sure he is. I just don’t know if I want to risk my heart like that. I’m not as brave as you two.”

  “Not as brave?” Colton asked, offering him some grapes, which Fitz accepted just so he had something to do with his hands.

  “Aren’t you scared of letting Ace down?” He glanced over at Laz, who watched him intently. “Of letting Red down when he needs you most?”

  Laz nodded. “Of course, but I won’t let that define our entire relationship. Communication is key, and we talk about everything. We both do our part. I’m not saying it’s easy or that every day is sunshine and candy hearts, but then there are the days when I get home exhausted from a shoot, the kitchen smells amazing, and I walk in there to find him singing along to one of his awful disco songs. He turns around, and the smile he gives me, the love in his eyes before he walks over and crushes the breath out of me in one of his big bear hugs as he kisses me like he can’t breathe without me…” Laz let out a happy sigh that Fitz envied just a little. “It’s everything.”

  “That sounds nice,” Fitz admitted with a grumble. Who didn’t want their own happy ever after? Fitz’s issue was that he no longer believed in princes or fairy tales with happy endings. He didn’t believe in soul mates. Right now, the only guys he trusted to have a monogamous relationship were taken. Could he trust Jack to be faithful? The real question was, could he let his guard down long enough to find out? He popped a grape into his mouth and grinned at Colton. “I bet communication isn’t a problem where Ace is concerned.”

  “You would think that, wouldn’t you?” Colton’s smile turned wistful as he shook his head. “Ace doesn’t like to talk about what happened, so although he will pretty much talk your ear off about anything and everything, getting him to open up about his time in the military is a different story. Granted, there’s a good deal he can’t tell me—national security and all that—he still struggles to open up about certain things, but that’s where patience and love come in. We’re a work in progress, but I wouldn’t be marrying the man if I didn’t adore him.”

  “And want to strangle him at the same time,” Laz teased.

  Colton chuckled. “There is that.”

  “Why haven’t you strangled him already?” Fitz asked before popping another grape into his mouth.

  “Because Ace has incredible survival instincts. The moment he sees I’m about to murder his fine ass, he’s all over me.” Colton’s cheeks turned pink. “The man has a sinfully talented tongue.”

  Fitz and Laz both whooped and teased Colton mercilessly. In retaliation, Colton grabbed a handful of almonds and started pelting them with it.

  “Come to the party,” Laz insisted as he swatted the almonds away. “I hear Jack’s one of the bachelors up for auction.”

  Fitz snorted. “Please. The place is going to be crawling with rich guys. I can’t afford to bid on him.”

  “Doesn’t cost anything to show up. Who knows what could happen?” Colton waggled his eyebrows, and Fitz threw a grape at him, laughing when it bounced off his forehead. A bark caught their attention, and Fitz stilled. He knew that bark. Wherever Chip was, his person was close by, and wherever Joker was, his best friend was usually with him. Fitz glared at Laz.

  “You said he wasn’t coming.”

  “He wasn’t,” Laz promised.

  Chip sped straight to Fitz, tail wagging excitedly, and Fitz jumped off his chair and dropped to the floor like he always did to hug Chip. He loved this damn dog so much. The few times he’d been able to hang out with the guys, Joker had showed up long enough to steal some food, Chip at his side. No one was ever as excited to see Fitz as Chip. His tail wagged so hard he could easily take someone out if they stood too close. It made his whole butt wiggle. As Fitz accepted Chip’s doggie kisses, he realized that over the last couple of years, he’d spent more time with Chip than he had with Jack.

  “How’s my favorite handsome boy?” Fitz cooed. He laughed when Chip flopped onto Fitz’s lap and rolled over onto his back, paws up so he could get belly rubs. He weighed a ton, but Fitz didn’t care. Chip would get all the belly rubs he wanted.

  “He’s a pain in my ass as usual,” Joker said, strolling into the kitchen and making straight for the fridge. “He’s nerding away behind his computer at work and will be there all night unless someone pries that damned keyboard away from him.”

  Fitz gently moved Chip off his lap and stood. He planted a hand on his hip, one eyebrow arched at Joker. “Really?”

  “Yeah, really.” Joker removed several dishes from the fridge. He turned and blinked at Fitz. “Oh, when you said your handsome boy, you meant Chip.”

  “Yes, I meant Chip.” Fitz cast Colton and Laz a sideways glance as the two snickered like a couple of schoolboys. He’d certainly not be getting any help on that front. Turning his attention back to Joker and the mountain of food that was taller than he was, Fitz shook his head. “Why would you think I meant Jack?” He wasn’t about to admit that a small part of him was disappointed Jack hadn’t arrived with his best friend.

  “Well, I wasn’t sure. What with the kissy-face emoji you sent our other handsome boy.”

  Wait, what? Fitz frowned at that. “What kissy-face emoji?”

  “The one that almost got me run over by a motorcycle.”

  Fitz was so confused, but then he shouldn’t be surprised. That was often the case when dealing with Joker. Sometimes he was the easiest of the guys to read, mostly because he didn’t possess a filter and said whatever was on his mind. Other times he was a complete mystery, as if he could shut down his emotions with the flick of a switch. It was a little terrifying.

  “We’d finished a case earlier today. Ace, Chip, and I were heading back when Chip stopped me from getting run over by a motorcycle. Jack was manning one of his surveillance drones, but he didn’t see it because he’d been distracted by his phone. Namely, a text from you.”

  Fitz removed his phone from his pocket and checked his outgoing texts. There it was. A reminder to Jack about his hair appointment followed by a kissy emoji. His face heated and his pulse fluttered. This was ridiculous. Since when did he blush over a damned emoji?

  “More importantly,” Ace said, rounding the corner to join them in the kitchen. He grabbed Colton, dipped him, and kissed him. “Hey, sugarbear.” When he lifted Colton back up, the dreamy look in Colton’s eyes and the soft laugh he let out might have made Fitz a little bit jealous. Just a tad. A skosh. “Why was my emoji one of suspicion?”

  Fitz stared down at his text. “I must have hit it by mistake. It was next to the happy-face emoji.” Right? That made sense.

  “I knew it!” Ace poked a finger in Joker’s face. “He hadn’t meant to send me that.”

  “Oh no, I totally meant to send you that emoji,” Fitz said, amused by Ace’s scandalized expression. “It was Jack’s I hadn’t meant to send.” He chewed on his bottom lip for a second, ignoring Joker teasing Ace. Why would something as small as an emoji from Fitz distract Jack? Oh God, poor Jack. What must he be thinking? Two years of avoiding him and suddenly a text ending in heart kisses? “I’ll go.”

  Everyone stopped midconversation and stared intently at him. Oh, wonderful. So this was what it was like to have close friends. He cleared his throat and returned his phone to the pocket of his skinny jeans.

  “It’s been a while since I’ve had an excuse to wear something outrageously fabulous.”

  Laz hurried around the counter. “You’ll come to the charity auction?”

  Fitz nodded. The one thing he missed was getting the chance to dress up. Sure, he could wear Louis Vuitton to the supermarket the next time he needed to buy milk, but somehow that wasn’t as fun.

  “Woo!” Laz did a little victory dance, the remains of his cocktail splashing around his glass.

  “Okay, Boozie McGee, watch the cashmere.”

  “Who wears cashmere in Florida?” Ace asked. “In the summer?”

  “I do,” Fitz said. “It might be summer outside, but it’s winter indoors.” He tended to run cold, which didn’t help when everyone had their AC temperature turned to “polar ice cap.”

  Laz grinned like a loon at Colton. “This is going to be so much fun, isn’t it?”

  Fitz peered at his friend, then at Colton, who was also grinning like a dope. “What’s going on?”

  “Um, nothing,” Laz said, eyes big and innocent.

  Fitz wasn’t buying it for a second. “Wow, and the Oscar goes to… not you.”

  Ace came around the counter to throw an arm around Fitz. “Welcome to the family, Fitz. Question. What kind of health insurance do you have?”

  “What?” Fitz blinked at him, puzzled by everyone breaking into laughter. “It’s nothing to shout about, but it’s decent. Why?”

  “No reason.” Ace patted his chest before leaving him to pull Colton into his arms.

  Laz’s phone rang, and he answered the call, his smile going huge, meaning only one thing—his big brother was on the other end.

  “Hey, Gio! How are you?”

  Fitz hadn’t thought Laz’s smile could get any wider. He was wrong.

  “Oh my God, for real?” Laz whooped loud and did another little dance just as Red appeared, making Red chuckle. Red greeted everyone on his way to Laz, then kissed Laz’s cheek. With a smile that was only for Red, Laz turned his head to receive a sweet kiss on the lips. “Of course I’m listening. Red just got here. I’ll tell him. Actually, Colton, Ace, Fitz, and Joker are here too. Sure.” Laz moved his phone away from his ear and tapped the screen. “You’re on speaker.”

  “Good evening, everyone. Forgive me for interrupting.”

  Once upon a time, before Fitz had come to see Gio as a big brother, he’d thought Gio to be the sexiest man he’d ever met. Like Colton, Gio exuded elegance, but unlike Colton, who was sweet and a little adorkable at times, Gio was the epitome of smooth sophistication. His voice dripped with sex, a silky rumbling that, combined with his sinful smile, made men and women want to drop to their knees. He was a philanthropist, a ruthless businessman, and had a reputation as someone not to be messed with. Giovanni Galanos was both gorgeous and intimidating.

  Everyone greeted Gio cheerfully except for Joker, who rolled his eyes like he always did. It wasn’t the first time Gio had called while the guys were with Laz, nor was it the first time he was put on speaker, a result of Laz getting fed up with Joker continuously grumbling that until he met Gio for himself, the guy didn’t exist. The hostility from Joker for a man he’d never met baffled everyone.

  “Good evening, Sacha.”

  Joker narrowed his eyes at the phone. “I told you not to call me that.” If he’d had fur, his hackles would have been up. Fitz found the whole thing extremely amusing. He’d never seen anyone get to Joker the way Gio did. It was like the nicer Gio was to him, the more annoyed Joker became.

  “But that’s your name, love.”