“Magical.”

  Jack laughed. Ace was such a nut. He followed Ace backstage, where Joker took one look at Ace and narrowed his eyes with murderous intent. Ace took several photos with his tablet. He might as well make his demise worth it. They walked through the whole auction part of the evening once again, and by the time they were done, the party had started. The place was packed with men in tuxedos, some of whom Jack recognized as clients. Although Sapphire Sands regularly hosted charity events that were open to the public, several were exclusive to members only, since Frank’s client list included powerful and wealthy men whose sexual identities or proclivities weren’t public knowledge.

  Ace appeared beside Jack, his eyes gleaming with mischief. What had his friend done now? “Ooh, I spy with my little eye…”

  “My fist about to punch you in the face?” Jack replied sweetly.

  “A very glamorous-looking hairstylist.”

  “What?” Jack scanned the crowd, his heart ready to beat out of him when he spotted Fitz. It was ridiculous the way his body reacted at the mere sight of the beautiful man. His pulse sped up, his stomach doing flips as everything around them seemed to fade away, even Ace. Sensing he was being watched, Fitz turned, his lips parting when he saw Jack. The music disappeared into the background, and somehow Jack managed to get his legs moving. They maneuvered through the crowd, then both stopped mere inches apart from the other. This had never happened to Jack before. He’d never been so captivated by a man that everything around them ceased to exist.

  “Fitz.”

  Jack hadn’t intended the name to sound like a breathless whisper, but breathless was a pretty apt description of himself right now. Beautiful didn’t seem an adequate word to describe the stunning, sinewy man, yet Fitz embodied it. The eyeshadow was subtle until it reached the smoky color that made his hooded green eyes pop, along with his long lashes. His chestnut-colored hair was softly curled and impeccably styled, his long bangs swept elegantly to one side, the rest curled away from his face and resting against his slender nape.

  Fitz was the kind of man who stole your breath away. He was the same height as Jack, but the thick heels of his boots, peeking out from beneath the black wide-legged pants, made him taller than Jack by a couple of inches. The solid black button-down shirt turned sheer when it reached his shoulders, except for the collar and row of buttons. He stood in front of Jack, full lips slightly parted, as if he were surprised to see Jack. Surely he had known Jack would be at a Four Kings Security event. Seeming to get himself together, Fitz smiled softly at him.

  “Hi, Jack.”

  “You look beautiful.”

  Fitz’s smile widened, his cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink. “Thank you. Look at you, all suave in that tux. The gray brings out your eyes.”

  “Thanks. It was Ace’s idea. Figured we’d stand out, and as long as we had black bow ties we’d still fit in with the black-tie thing.” Jack fiddled with his bow tie.

  “Now it’s crooked,” Fitz said, reaching out to fix it, his fingers brushing Jack’s. Their eyes met, and Jack’s pulse sped up. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” Jack asked, confused. It didn’t help that he was having trouble focusing, something that never happened to him. Yet all he could think about was Fitz and how good he looked. Christ, and he smelled good too.

  “For never calling you back.”

  “It’s okay,” Jack murmured, averting his gaze. It stung when Fitz hadn’t returned any of his calls or messages. Jack had been worried about Fitz and wanted to make sure he was all right after the incident on the beach. They’d had a connection. Or so Jack had believed.

  “No, it’s not okay. I liked you, really, I did. I just… wasn’t in the right frame of mind to do anything about it.”

  Liked. As in past tense. He’d liked Jack, but now? He’d obviously moved on. “You don’t need to explain yourself to me.”

  “But I want to. You were so sweet, checking up on me, but I’d just found out my boyfriend of ten years was happily married to someone else. He’d been married for three years to a man he’d been with for twenty. I’d thought he was the one, and if I hadn’t walked in on him having sex with someone I worked with, I would have continued to think that.”

  “Jesus.” No wonder Fitz hadn’t called him. To find out someone you’d given your heart and ten years of your life to had not only betrayed you, but been doing so for years?

  “Yeah. To say I needed some time to come to terms with everything would be an understatement. There was a lot of therapy and Ben & Jerry’s involved.”

  “I’m so sorry, Fitz.”

  Fitz shrugged, drawing Jack’s gaze to his smooth shoulders beneath the sheer material of his shirt. “I threw myself into my work and focused on myself.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. I don’t know your ex, but clearly he’s a moron who didn’t deserve you.”

  Fitz’s smile reached his sparkling green eyes. “I know that now.”

  “Thank you for confiding in me. I thought I’d done something wrong.”

  “Oh no, sweetie. Nothing wrong about you,” Fitz purred, taking a step closer to Jack. “Your vest is a little wrinkled. Let me smooth that out for you.” He slid his hands up Jack’s chest, and Jack’s breath hitched. “There. Better.”

  “Thank you.”

  Fitz smiled sweetly, his eyes dropping to Jack’s mouth before he cleared his throat and took a step back.

  “Jack, where are you? It’s time,” Ace said through Jack’s earpiece.

  “I gotta go. Can I come find you after?” Something inside compelled him to stay, to want to explore whatever the hell this was between them, even when his brain argued against it. Their lives were so different, they were so different, and Fitz was distracting in a way that could prove dangerous, yet the longer Jack stood near Fitz, the more drawn to him he was.

  “I don’t know. I…”

  Jack took Fitz’s hand in both of his. “Please.”

  “Okay.” Fitz’s smile warmed Jack all over. He leaned in and kissed Jack’s cheek. “Go get ’em, tiger.”

  Right now, he felt more like a kitten, ready to curl up on Fitz’s lap. What the hell? What was wrong with him?

  “Thanks. I’ll see you soon.” With a smile, Jack turned and headed quickly for the side of the stage.

  “Tiger, huh?”

  “Shut up, Ace,” Jack hissed, his face growing hot. Shit, he’d forgotten Ace could hear everything. Fuck my life. Because that was just what he needed right now.

  “Looks like things are back on with Fitz.”

  “It doesn’t look like anything, because things would have had to have been on to begin with before they could be off so they could be on again.” Jack reached the side door of the stage where Ace stood, eyes wide.

  “Um… wait, what?”

  “And there had been a chance for it to be on, and then off, to be on again, but I was never given that chance because he never answered me, and now I know why, which is a perfectly valid explanation, and quite frankly I’m happy for him. I am. We all need to do whatever’s necessary to find ourselves again. I mean, who better than us would understand that? But then he didn’t seem all that sure about reconnecting, so maybe I read too much into things and whatever I think I feel between us isn’t really there.”

  “Holy shit.”

  “What if I completely misread the situation? I mean, that doesn’t happen to me. I don’t misread things. I don’t go on hunches or feelings.”

  “I need to get Joker.” Ace looked around like he was in a panic, then darted off.

  Maybe this was all a big mistake. What was he hoping would come out of his encounter with Fitz? And what exactly was he going to do? Talk. Talking would be a good place to start. He could do that. Ace returned a heartbeat later with a very perplexed Joker in tow.

  “What the fuck, man?”

  “He’s broken,” Ace whispered hoarsely. “Fitz broke him, and I don’t know what to do with Broken Jack!”

  “What the hell are you talking about. He’s fine.”

  “He looks fine, but he’s not. Watch. Jack, what’s going on with you and Fitz?”

  “Oh God.” Jack groaned. “What the fuck am I doing? I should have just walked away when I saw him, but it was like two magnets coming together, and that makes sense, right, because for magnets to stick together you need opposites, a positive charge and a negative charge, a north pole and a south pole, and we’re opposites, so you’d say, yeah, that makes sense, but what if it’s really a recipe for disaster?” He lifted his gaze to find Joker and Ace gaping at him. “What?”

  Joker shook his head, eyes wide. “Holy shit, Fitz broke him.”

  “Shut up,” Jack grumbled. “Assholes.”

  “Okay, we’ll worry about this later. Time to auction you off.” Ace ushered Jack backstage, and he got into position while Ace did his song and dance, entertaining the crowd and singing Jack’s praises. Fuck, he was nervous. Huge crowds weren’t his favorite to begin with, and now he had to go stand in front of one while men bid on him for a date. Ace called his name, and Jack plastered on a smile. He walked out on stage to the sound of cheers and catcalls. With a wave, he came to stand next to Ace, who started the bidding. The bright lights of the stage and glittering decorations made it difficult to see everyone in the crowd, which helped ease Jack’s nerves a bit.

  “Do I hear ten?”

  “Ten thousand dollars,” one man called out, waving his numbered auction paddle.

  “I hear ten. Do we have fifteen?”

  The bids flew back and forth, a small bidding war happening between two men to their right. Jack hid his surprise. There’d been bachelors far more attractive than him up for auction. Guys with rippling muscles or movie star looks who worked for King’s department or Ace’s. Guys who did things far more exciting and adventurous than Jack.

  “Fifty thousand dollars!”

  Jack sucked in a sharp breath. He stared at Colton, standing in the middle of the cheering crowd, smiling wide at Jack. Jack moved his gaze to Ace, who didn’t so much as blink. Did Ace know Colton was going to bid on him? The better question was why was Colton bidding on him?

  “Sold, to Mr. Colton Connolly for fifty thousand dollars!”

  Jack ignored the cheers and catcalls from the crowd as he descended the stairs. He didn’t know what to do with all the attention. It was weird. This sort of thing was par for the course where the Kings were concerned. They were used to being in the spotlight. Jack tended to stick to the background. He was the tech guy, the computer geek hidden away in the surveillance van guiding the hero as they infiltrated the bad guy’s lair and dove down an exploding elevator shaft. Not that Jack didn’t see his fair share of action. How could he not when he worked with the nutjobs he called family?

  It’s for charity, he reminded himself.

  Jack stopped in front of Colton, arms spread. “Well, I’m all yours.”

  Colton’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Oh dear heavens, no. I have my hands full with one of you. You’re not for me.”

  Jack was confused. “I don’t understand.” Colton had paid fifty thousand dollars for a date with him. A date that he was apparently not going on.

  “Laz, what are you doing?”

  At the soft, husky voice, Jack froze. He’d recognize that voice anywhere.

  Laz kissed the beautiful man’s cheek before gently shoving him at Jack. “Happy birthday, Fitz.”

  Fitz gaped at Jack, then arched an eyebrow at Colton. “You know, most people just get their friends a shirt or a gift card for their birthday.”

  Colton waved a hand in dismissal. “Gift cards are so impersonal.”

  “So you buy me a date.”

  “With a very cute guy.” Colton winked at him. “I can give him to someone else if you don’t want him.”

  Fitz lifted his chin and looped his arm through Jack’s. “I didn’t say I wasn’t keeping him.”

  Jack’s smile couldn’t get any wider.

  “Wait. That came out wrong. What I meant to say was, um…” Colton and Laz laughed, earning a glower from Fitz. “Oh shut up. Come on, Jack.”

  “Yes, sir.” Jack allowed himself to be led away by Fitz. They headed toward a table near the back when Sacha’s name was mentioned. They turned just as the crowd whooped loud and cheered. Joker walked out onto the stage, bowing as he made his way over to Ace. For all his griping and bitching, Joker wasn’t one to turn away from an entire crowd of men vying for his attention. He soaked it up, bowing, then turning and lifting the tails of his suit jacket to shake his ass. The crowd ate it up, a bidding war quickly starting between several men. Ever the showoff, Joker removed his top hat and flattened it. He whistled, and Chip bounded onto the stage.

  Next to Jack, Fitz looked delighted. “I have to give it to Joker, he might be a grumpy shit, but he knows how to work a crowd.”

  “You got that right.”

  Joker held the flattened hat out, and Chip sped toward it, soared over it, then ran back as Joker lowered the hat. Chip slowly got on his belly to crawl under it. Then he ran to the end of the stage, turned, ran back to Joker, and jumped onto Joker’s back when he bent forward. The cheers were deafening as Joker carried Chip on his shoulder with ease. The bidding was getting crazy, and then one voice pierced the noise.

  “One hundred thousand dollars.”

  The room went silent.

  Holy fuck! Jack’s jaw dropped. That was the most the Kings had ever gotten for anyone, even King. Ace almost tripped over himself in an attempt to get closer to the front of the stage to see who’d bid.

  “Um, right. We have one hundred thousand dollars. Going once. Going twice.”

  “Who is it?” Jack asked, craning his neck to see. The crowd started to move, speaking in hushed whispers as the mystery man emerged from the shadows of his booth at the end of the room.

  Beside Jack, Fitz gasped. “Oh my God.”

  The man finally came into view. Something about him seemed familiar. His hair was pitch-black, the waves neatly combed back, his goatee trimmed. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a narrow waist. Everything about him was striking, from his hooded eyes and chiseled jaw to the confident way he moved—like he was someone everyone should take note of.

  “Do you know him?” Jack asked Fitz, receiving a nod.

  “Yeah, he’s—”

  “Sold! To Mr.…?” Ace asked.

  The man stopped in front of the stage, the corners of his lips lifting as Joker eyed him warily. “Galanos. Giovanni Galanos.”

  FOUR

  Jack cursed under his breath. Giovanni? As in Gio, Laz’s brother? Jack was as stunned as Sacha looked. Joker’s eyes were huge as realization dawned on him. From here Jack could read Gio’s lips.

  “Hello, Sacha.”

  Jack turned to Fitz. “I thought Gio was on another continent somewhere.”

  “You hadn’t heard?”

  “Heard what?”

  “Gio called Laz the other night to give him the good news. He’s moving back home. For good this time. I didn’t think it would happen so fast, but then that’s Gio for you. He sets his mind on something and doesn’t stop until he gets it.”

  Jack had no idea what to do with that information. He turned back in the direction of the stage, where Joker descended the stairs. Jack cringed. Ooh, Joker was not happy. Jack stared dumbstruck as Gio stepped up to Sacha, took hold of his chin, and kissed his cheek. The club lighting made it difficult to see, but Jack was pretty sure Joker’s face looked like it was about to catch fire. Sacha was frozen to the spot. Seeming to shake himself out of it, he thundered away with Gio following gracefully at a more leisurely pace, a broad smile on his face. The two disappeared backstage, and Jack made a mental note to stay away from the area. He had no intention of becoming a casualty of Joker and Gio’s war.

  Jack turned back to Fitz with a smile. “So, I was thinking…”

  “Thinking? You mean you’re not just a pretty face?” Fitz teased.

  Jack laughed. He loved the easy way Fitz teased him, as if they’d been friends for years and were just shooting the shit. “I’ve been accused of lots of things, but being a pretty face has never been one of them.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. Why? You think I’m pretty?”

  Fitz gave him a knowing look. “What were you thinking?”

  “I was thinking that our date doesn’t have to be one night. I mean, we can start it now.”

  “Oh? What did you have in mind?”

  “How about a dance?” He motioned to the dance floor. The auction was over, and the music was back, the lights dimming. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

  “Okay.”

  They reached the dance floor, and Jack turned to face Fitz as the upbeat tune switched to a slow love ballad. Fitz arched an eyebrow at him, and Jack shook his head. He held his hands up in front of him.

  “Wasn’t me, I swear.” He let Fitz decide, his heart skipping a beat when Fitz stepped into his space and slipped an arm around Jack’s waist.

  “I believe you. I blame Ace.”

  “What makes you say that? Not that you’re wrong. We all blame Ace. He’s usually done something to warrant it.” Jack took hold of Fitz’s right hand in his before placing his free hand on Fitz’s waist.

  “Because he’s standing next to the DJ and giving you a thumbs-up.”

  “What?” Jack glanced over his shoulder and groaned. Ace’s grin stretched from ear to ear, two thumbs held up. “Are you kidding me?” He turned back to Fitz. “I’m sorry. He’s… well, he’s Ace.”

  Fitz chuckled. “It’s cute.”

  “With the wedding just a few months away, he’s got love on the brain.” Jack tried to ignore the heat that spread through him at having Fitz so close. The firmness of his body, his scent, the way the lighting softened his features, giving him an almost ethereal look.

  “I still can’t believe he and Colton are getting married.”

  “Why?”

  “They’re so… different.”

  “True. So are King and Leo, and Lucky and Mason, but their differences seem to work well together, complement each other.”