Ace found Colton exactly where he thought he’d be, curled up in his armchair, a book in his hand, and a glass of white wine in the other. Colton didn’t bother looking up when he spoke.

  “Did anyone tell you you’re like a storm cloud? The way you roll in, I don’t even have to see you to know you’re there. You block my sunlight.”

  “Ouch. I’m not the only one good at throwing shade.” Ace turned one of the rocking chairs, and sat facing Colton, who sighed and closed his book.

  “If you’re here to try and convince me not to go, don’t bother.”

  “Colton—”

  “This event is important to both me and our company. The host isn’t just one of our biggest clients; he’s a dear friend of the family, and as one of the charity’s benefactors, the children’s organization I’m contributing to expects to see me there. I’m not cancelling this or the Sapphire Sands Charity Masquerade.”

  “For now, let’s focus on the White Party. It’s on an island, which limits our options in case of an emergency.”

  “It’s secure,” Colton argued. “No one will be allowed onto the island or into the event without being cleared by security.”

  “The party itself is on the beach. Out in the open. It’s a logistical nightmare.”

  Colton arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him. “I’m sorry, are you telling me the Kings are incapable of securing their client while at an event?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Ace replied patiently.

  “Good. Now go get ready. There’s a suit hanging behind the door of your room.” Colton stood, stretching his long, toned body, and Ace found himself mesmerized, especially when Colton’s shirt rode up, exposing smooth tanned skin and well-defined abs. “Are you listening to me?”

  Ace’s cheeks grew warm, and he moved his eyes up to Colton’s, sucking in a breath at the heat he found in Colton’s gorgeous gaze. Colton sauntered over, and Ace quickly got to his feet. He took a step back, forgetting the damn rocking chair, and fell back into it. Colton’s husky laugh sent a jolt of need through him, and he cursed himself for letting his guard down. It had never been a problem before. Colton was hardly the first attractive man—or attractive gay man for that matter—Ace had worked alongside of. Colton was throwing him off his game, and he couldn’t allow that. He had to put an end to it. Now. He coughed into his hand.

  “I hear you. Suit behind the door. Gotcha.”

  Colton stepped out onto the balcony and came to a stop between Ace’s spread legs. Swallowing hard, Ace leaned back in the rocking chair, his fingers in a death grip on the chair’s armrests. Colton began to lean in, and Ace threw a hand out to stop him.

  “What are you doing?” Touching Colton had been a mistake. Ace splayed his fingers against Colton’s abdomen, and Colton visibly shuddered. He took the hem of his shirt and slowly tugged it up and out from under Ace’s fingers, his low groan matching Ace’s when his hand lay against Colton’s smooth bare skin.

  “I like your hands on me, Ace.”

  I like my hands on you too. It was what he wanted to say but didn’t. He had better control than this, or so he thought. The line between him and his clients was never crossed. Why was he finding it so difficult to maintain that line? Because you want him so fucking bad it hurts. Ace made the mistake of lifting his gaze to Colton’s, and the fiery lust in those stormy blue-gray eyes had him placing his hand to Colton’s hips and digging his fingers in. Before Ace had time to register what was happening, Colton was straddling his lap, the fingers of one hand buried in his hair while he caressed Ace’s jaw with the other, his lips brushing over Ace’s.

  “I’ve never met a man with the power to both infuriate and arouse me simultaneously. How do you do it?”

  “A talent, I guess.” Ace gripped Colton’s hips, holding him down against him as he thrust up, his erection rubbing against Colton’s, making them groan. Fuck, they were both so damn hard. All he had to do was unzip Colton, wrap a hand around his firm dick, and give it a few tugs. He’d have Colton coming all over his hand in minutes. He thought about licking his fingers clean, then kissing Colton so he could taste himself. Fucking fuck, that is not helping!

  “I’ve been dreaming about that cock,” Colton murmured. He poked his tongue out and flicked it across Ace’s lips, making him jump. Colton chuckled before his sexy low drawl was back. “And your mouth. God, Ace, you make me so fucking hot.”

  Ace shut his eyes tight and worked on controlling his breathing.

  “What are you thinking right now?” Colton ground his hips against Ace’s, his arms wrapped around Ace’s neck. “Do you want me, Ace? Tell me you want to take me to bed and fuck me so hard I’ll feel you for days.”

  Ace opened his eyes, his breathing steady as he unwrapped Colton’s arms from around his neck. He dropped his gaze to Colton’s lush lips, a burning need spreading through every inch of his already smoldering body. He’d never wanted anyone as bad as he wanted the sexy man in his lap. Temptation was a real bitch.

  “What is it you want from me?” Ace asked, managing to regain some semblance of calm.

  Colton ground his hips down again, his lips curled in a seductive grin. “Isn’t it obvious? Am I being too subtle?”

  “Colton,” Ace warned, his eyes all but rolling into the back of his head when Colton moved his hips again. Fuck. If he didn’t do something, he’d explode.

  “My bedroom is right behind me.”

  “No,” Ace growled.

  “Because you can’t or don’t want to?”

  Ace threw Colton’s words back at him. “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “Do you want me on my knees, Ace? Do you need me to beg?” Colton dragged his nails down Ace’s chest, and Ace could feel the burn despite his T-shirt. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Colton’s face was the picture of ecstasy as he moaned. “Oh God, yes. Ace, fuck me. Make me come. Bury that big dick inside me.”

  “That’s it.” Ace got up, knocking Colton onto his ass, his hands balled at his sides as Colton laughed. “You think this is funny?”

  Colton shrugged. “A little.”

  “Well, it’s not,” Ace growled, turning to go as Colton jumped to his feet and grabbed his arm, the smile gone from his face. He almost looked… concerned.

  “You’re really upset.”

  And Lucky called him Captain Obvious.

  “What gave it away?” Ace sneered, his anger melting when Colton cupped his face, his eyes searching Ace’s for who knew what. Ace gently took hold of his wrists and moved his hands away. He couldn’t have Colton so close to him right now. “I don’t play these kinds of games, Colton.”

  Colton frowned. “Neither do I.”

  “Really? You could have fooled me.”

  “I can’t seem to control myself around you.” Colton pushed away from him with a frustrated growl. “I don’t want to want you, but I fucking do, and it’s driving me crazy.” He worried his bottom lip with his teeth. “I thought maybe if I did something about it, I could get it out of my system.” He met Ace’s gaze. “I could get you out of my system.”

  “I don’t shit where I eat, Colton.”

  “That’s… a very unpleasant way to put things.”

  “It’s the truth. I’m not interested in fucking around. This is my career, my reputation, my life. I won’t screw that up for a quick fuck, especially with you.”

  Colton’s expression turned indignant. “Why? Am I not good enough?”

  With a sigh, Ace closed the gap between them and brushed his fingers up Colton’s jaw, smiling at the way Colton melted against him.

  “I don’t want a quick fuck with you, Colton, because there would be no getting you out of my system.”

  Colton sucked in a sharp breath, and Ace leaned in to kiss Colton’s cheek.

  “You deserve more.”

  Colton’s cheeks flushed an adorable shade of pink, and Ace wanted nothing more than to grab him and kiss the hell out of him. As if sensing that, Colton took a step back. Mischief filled his eyes, and Ace braced himself.

  “So what you’re saying is that you actually like me.”

  Ace held back a smile and kept his expression stoic. “Well, I don’t know that I’d go that far.” He turned, loving the sound of Colton’s rich, throaty laugh echoing behind him as he headed back to his own room. And yet, he couldn’t help the smile that crawled onto his face. He’d never met anyone like Colton Connolly. For the first time in his life, he was unsure.

  Colton was beautiful, and an explosive attraction definitely existed between them, but it was an attraction Ace couldn’t pursue. He was here to keep Colton safe, and that meant being around the man at all hours, for who knew how long. Getting involved with Colton would bring a shitstorm down on him of epic proportions. If he screwed up, he could cost the Kings the contract with Connolly Maritime. If it got out that he slept with a client, his career could be over, and he’d worked too damn hard to get where he was. As tempting as Colton was, he was off-limits.

  In his room, Ace found the suit Colton spoke of hanging from his door. “The fuck?” He grabbed it, marched back out onto his balcony, and went around to Colton’s bedroom. “Colton,” Ace growled, walking into the sitting room.

  “Down here,” Colton called up.

  Ace hurried down the stairs, ignoring the huge California king bed Colton was sitting on as he removed his shoes and socks. “I’m not wearing this.”

  “Why? What’s wrong with it?”

  The man looked far too amused for his own good. “The price tag for one.” How the hell had Colton even known what size to get?

  “It’s a work expense, and therefore tax deductible.”

  “It’s linen. White linen. Everything is white.” The pants, jacket, the shirt underneath. Even the damned belt was white.

  Colton squinted at him. “I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the whole premise of a white party, but basically, you wear white.”

  “You don’t say.” The guy was fucking hilarious.

  “And it really wasn’t expensive. It’s off the rack.”

  “Oh, it’s off the rack. Well, that’s okay, then.” He narrowed his eyes at Colton, who was clearly trying not to smile and failing miserably. “I’m not your Ken doll.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course you’re not my Ken doll.” The glint in his eye was wicked. “You’re my personal G.I. Joe.”

  Ace pursed his lips. “I’m not sure whether I should feel insulted or not. I’ll get back to you on that.”

  “Why don’t you go get dressed while you think about it, and try not to hurt that pretty little head of yours.”

  “Don’t objectify me. I’m more than a pretty face and spectacular ass.”

  “I’m sure,” Colton purred. “Please go. We leave in an hour.”

  “Why is no one else wearing white?”

  “Because they won’t be seen. You, unfortunately, will be.”

  “And still with the insults.”

  Colton laughed. It was loud, rich, and made Ace smile.

  “Go. Get out,” Colton said, pushing him toward the stairs.

  “Fine. Fine. But if I look like an ass, that’s on you. Everyone will be all ‘Oh my God, did you see Colton’s security detail? He looked like such a dork.’ And I’ll be all, ‘Ha! I told you so!’”

  “Well, I can hardly have you looking more handsome than me.”

  Ace missed a step and almost hit the stairs face-first, but managed to grab the railing in time. He straightened and turned to glare at Colton, who was cackling on the way to the bathroom.

  “When did you get a sense of humor?”

  Colton stopped outside his bathroom door and looked up at Ace, his grin wide. “When it became clear there’d be no getting rid of you. If you’re going to constantly be in my space, I might as well enjoy tormenting you.”

  “Peachy,” Ace grumbled, heading upstairs. The truth was, he’d take playful and flirty Colton over pissed-off Colton any day of the week. This was a whole other side of Colton he was seeing, and he liked it. Maybe a little too much, but that was on him, and he’d deal with it.

  Ace showered and dressed, glowering at himself in the mirror. He looked like a douchebag. Not that everyone who wore all white looked like a douche, but he certainly did. Not only were his shoes also white, they were knit Oxfords. Knit. He didn’t even know they made those. Granted, he knew as much about designer brands as he did about art. Whenever he needed something top-of-the-line for a special occasion, he got Lucky to do it for him. Anytime Lucky tried to talk to him about designer labels, it was like he was speaking a different language. Ace nodded and told him to make sure he looked good. Having a client dress him was a first, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Not that he could do anything about it now.

  Once he’d dressed and styled his hair, he checked in with Lucky and Red to make sure they were on schedule. With everything confirmed, he gave Lucky the go-ahead with his team, leaving him in the living room on his own waiting for Colton. He checked his watch. ETA on the helo was ten minutes. He took a seat on the end of the couch, sat back, and waited. The lighter material of his suit made him very aware of the weight inside his suit jacket’s inner pocket. He reached in and removed the intricately designed tuck case of Union playing cards, his thumb stroking the embossed metallic copper artwork. The ache to his heart wasn’t as great as it had been once, but it was still there, and always would be, much like the love he had for the man the cards represented.

  “Everything okay?”

  Ace gave a start and cursed under his breath for allowing himself to get distracted. “Yeah, of course.” He quickly tucked the cards back into his inner jacket pocket and stood. Colton looked like he wanted to say something, and Ace was grateful when he didn’t. He wasn’t ready to talk about what happened to Pip or the others, not with anyone who hadn’t been involved or an appointed therapist.

  Colton nodded, then motioned toward the glass doors. The balcony had several sets of stairs, the farthest of which led down to the small helo pad on the far end of the property. That was when he saw Colton. Jesus. He looked like he’d stepped out of The Great Gatsby or something, with his hair neatly parted and slicked to one side, and the white three-piece suit accentuating his broad shoulders and slender waist. He wasn’t wearing a tie, the top two buttons of his white shirt open. He was stunning.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Colton asked, his concern touching.

  “Great, considering I look like a snowman.” He looked down at himself, and when he lifted his eyes, he was caught off guard by the fiery look in Colton’s gaze.

  “Actually, you look more like a marshmallow.”

  The guy actually managed to say that with a straight face. Ace was impressed. “Are you saying this outfit makes me look gooey and sweet or puffy and pudgy?”

  Colton laughed softly on the way to the door, Ace right behind him. The whir of the Airbus H135’s blades whipped gusts of wind at the nearby trees, but the engine was low-noise, which was key when operating in the city. The Kings had three of these bad boys, all with excellent payload capacity and performance range, the interior of which had been designed with luxury in mind and even included a fully stocked minibar. Underneath it all, they were dealing with technologically advanced beasts picked for their safety features, from their crash-resistant cells to their energy-absorbing fuselage. The rear door and oversized sliding doors boasted fast loading and unloading of passengers and equipment. It was the same type of chopper often used by medical services and law enforcement. Four Kings Security had several pilots on staff, including the four Kings, Jack, and Joker.

  The all black helicopter displayed the white Four Kings Security crest proudly beside the sliding door, big enough to be spotted from anywhere. Ace opened the door for Colton and waited, but Colton just stood there.

  “I, um, I’m not sure….”

  Ace was about to tease Colton, but he’d gone pale. “Shit, Colton, are you afraid of flying?”

  “I’m not fond of it,” Colton stated carefully.

  “Colton, the look on your face isn’t because you’re not fond of flying.” It was more like he was about to pass out at the thought of flying. Damn it, he’d pushed the helicopter, believing Colton’s resistance was him being difficult, but how the hell was he supposed to know if Colton didn’t tell him? “Why didn’t you say you were afraid of flying?”

  Colton’s jaw muscles flexed, his intense gaze meeting Ace’s. “I didn’t need to give you another reason to believe I’m pathetic.”

  “What?” Since when did Colton care what Ace thought of him? And why would he assume that’s the conclusion Ace would leap to after being told the guy was terrified of flying? “Where’s this coming from? You know what, we can talk about it on the way to Fisher Island. I’ll have Red bring around one of the SUV’s, and—”

  “No.” Colton breathed in deep and rolled his shoulders. “We’re doing this.”

  “Colton, you don’t have to—”

  “I do,” Colton insisted before climbing into the cabin. After some hesitation, Ace climbed in after him, slid the door shut, and checked it was securely locked. He helped Colton buckle in before he pressed the button to lower the privacy screen. Jack’s big boyish grin greeted him.

  “Hey, Ace.”

  “Hey, buddy. Ready to get this bird in the air?”

  Jack nodded and handed him a couple of the passive headsets. “ETA eighteen hundred.”

  “Great. Jack, this is Colton Connolly. Colton, this is Jack. He’s like a brother to us Kings. Him and his pain in the ass best friend, Joker, who’s down in Miami wreaking his own personal brand of havoc.”