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  And, for some unfathomable reason, Cam had caught his attention. Cam didn’t consider himself a slouch in the looks department. Sure, some guys weren’t into redheads, but he’d never had any shortage of attention. The DJ gig didn’t hurt, either, and most guys seemed impressed by his work as a music teacher, too. But in the end, Cam was an attractive, middle-class—at best—dude from Jersey. Which put him in a different league from Jesse.

  Even with those thoughts swirling through his head, Cam switched over to the pre-planned playlist and took off his headphones when Jesse walked toward his booth with a purposeful stride—precisely when he’d promised to arrive. He handed Cam a rocks glass with clear liquid and ice.

  Cam raised his eyebrows but took it.

  “I promised you a drink,” Jesse said. “Vodka. On the rocks. Your favorite, right?”

  Cam blinked at him. “How do you know what I drink?”

  “I quizzed the bartenders. I like to do my research.”

  “Apparently.” Cam sniffed the glass and took a cautious sip. The vodka was smooth and flavorful, with very little bite. “What is this?”

  “Christiania. It’s a potato vodka from Norway.”

  And top shelf, Cam knew. He was familiar with the brand. He’d just never splurged on booze that nice. “Well, thank you. It’s delicious.”

  “Want to come meet my friend?”

  “Uh, sure.” Cam took another sip of his drink to cover his surprise. He’d half-expected Jesse’s suggestion to be a lot more salacious. But as they wove through the club together, he realized that didn’t fit with what he’d seen of the man at all. Despite his phenomenal charm, he seemed too polished to take such a crude approach.

  “Cam, this is my friend and business partner Kyle McKee. Kyle, this is Cameron Lewis. He teaches music to Sadie and Dylan and lives a double life as a DJ.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Kyle’s dark eyes and handsome face were intense-looking, but his smile and handshake were friendly.

  “You too,” Cam said. Jesse gestured to the low-slung black leather couches. Once they were seated and Cam had taken another sip of his drink—damn, it was good—he looked at Kyle. “You work for Murtagh Media, too?”

  Kyle shook his head. “No. Jesse and I own a speakeasy called Under Lock & Key. Under, for short.”

  “Huh.” He’d seen that name in his Google search.

  Jesse grinned at him. “You’re familiar with my work?”

  “Yes. Well, I have to admit, after we met at the school the other day, I googled you. There’s a wealth of information about you out there. Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Murtagh,” Cam said drily. “Which is why I’m not convinced having a drink with you is a good idea.”

  Kyle laughed. “I told you that was bound to happen one of these days, Jes.”

  “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing,” Cam said in an earnest tone. “A little daunting maybe. We hardly run in the same circles. I mean, I saw a picture of you palling around with a senator and his boyfriend. I hang out with school teachers, bartenders and bouncers.”

  “Hey, what’s wrong with bartenders?” Kyle said.

  “Nothing!” Cam protested. “That’s not what I meant at all.”

  “Good. Since that’s what I am.”

  Cam gave him a puzzled frown. “But you said you owned part of the speakeasy?”

  “I do. But I still think of myself as a bartender.” Kyle leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “I get what you mean, though. The guys I hang out with feel out of my league sometimes. But you know what? They’re also some of the nicest, most genuine men out there—Jesse being a notable exception of course.”

  “Hey!”

  Cam grinned.

  “You know I love you, Jes.”

  “Humph.” Jesse sounded unconvinced.

  “And as far as your reputation,” Kyle continued.

  “Watch it, buddy.” Jesse shot him a glare.

  “Well, there’s a reason you cast your net wide. If you stuck to your own pond, you’d run out of fish,” Kyle said with a smirk.

  Jesse gave him the finger and Cam laughed.

  Okay, so maybe they weren’t quite the intimidating men Cam had expected. He liked their banter. They seemed relaxed and comfortable together, and other than Cam’s momentary panic about insulting Kyle’s profession, he found them surprisingly easy to talk to.

  “How long have you been spinning?” Kyle said.

  “Since high school. I made friends with a DJ, and he taught me what he knew and introduced me to other people in the business. I practiced, volunteered to do some house parties until I built a decent reputation. During college, I got paid to do house parties. After I got some more experience under my belt, I talked the club owner here into giving me a trial run. He was impressed enough to let me spin on occasion, and after a slot opened up for a regular Friday night gig, I got it. I do shows on Saturdays and the odd weekday when they need someone.”

  “Impressive,” Jesse said.

  “But you also teach at Midtown Academy?” Kyle asked.

  “I do. I love teaching. That’s my passion. Spinning is more of a…side gig to keep things interesting.”

  Kyle nodded. “So, if you suddenly became famous and in high demand, you wouldn’t quit teaching?”

  “Hell no. Why? Would associating with you be a boost to my career?” Cam joked.

  Jesse and Kyle exchanged glances. A flicker of some emotion Cam couldn’t identify crossed Jesse’s face. “It’s been known to boost the careers of others.”

  Cam stared at him, open-mouthed, for a moment. “I was kidding,” he said.

  “Yes, well, I wasn’t.” Jesse wrapped his long fingers around the glass in his hand. “People sometimes get involved with me in order to get attention for their business or brand needs.”

  Cam grimaced. “That’s horrible. But, yeah, I can see that happening.”

  “Well, I mean, it could be worse. At least they have good taste.”

  Kyle chuckled. “And Jesse’s ego survives, unscathed.”

  “Well, I promise the thought never crossed my mind,” Cam said in a firm tone. “That’s not why I’m having a drink with you.”

  Jesse seemed to relax and he rested his arm on the back of the sofa, letting his fingertips graze Cam’s shoulder. “I didn’t think so, honestly.”

  “That’s my cue to go see how Gale and Jarrod are doing, then find myself some company for the evening,” Kyle said. “Nice to meet you, Cam.”

  “You too,” Cam said sincerely.

  Kyle stood, then leaned in and brushed his lips across Jesse’s cheek. “Please behave.”

  Jesse looked affronted. “Do I ever?”

  “No.” Kyle smiled, his affection obvious. “But Cam seems like a nice boy. Be gentle.”

  “Oh, fine.”

  Kyle disappeared and Cam turned to look at Jesse. “You two seem…close.” He took a sip of the vodka.

  “We are. We fuck around a lot.”

  Cam choked on his drink.

  Jesse angled his body toward Cam and leaned in. Cam mirrored his actions. “Does that bother you?”

  Cam coughed a few times to clear his throat, then shook his head. “Why would it? I don’t care who you’re involved with.”

  “Oh, you know. Not everyone is comfortable with my friendship with Kyle. They get jealous knowing I like to bend Kyle over my desk. And that I like to go behind the bar, drop to my knees and blow him.”

  Cam coughed again, but this time, it had nothing to do with the vodka he’d inhaled. That was a surprisingly hot mental image. He slid closer to Jesse. “Hey, I fooled around with one of the bartenders here in the broom closet the other night, so I’m not in a place to judge. Besides, it’s not like I’m in any position to be jealous.”

  “Some people I’ve gotten involved with have been quite judgmental.”

  “Oh? Are we involved?” Cam asked. “Because I kind of missed the part where I agreed to that.”

  Jesse la
ughed. “Touché.” His blue eyes sparkled at Cam. “I want to make it clear I am interested, though.”

  “Noted.” Cam dropped a hand on Jesse’s thigh and lightly squeezed.

  “I like you, Cam. You’re capable of holding your own against Kyle and me in conversation, and Carter and his kids tell me you’re a fantastic teacher. You’re also a stellar DJ, and”—Jesse brushed his fingers across Cam’s short hair—“I am a big fan of gingers.”

  Cam pulled back. The reminder that the Hamilton kids were his students had the effect of an icy bucket of water to his interest. He cleared his throat. “I’ll be honest. The offer is very tempting, but I don’t think getting involved is such a great idea.”

  Jesse frowned at him. “Why is that?”

  “The situation is just too complicated. You’re friends with my students’ parent, you’re close with Dylan and Sadie… There’s a lot of potential for it to get ugly.”

  He couldn’t deny being attracted to Jesse, but he wasn’t about to get involved with a student’s de facto uncle. No matter how hot and charming.

  Too bad. Cam excused himself with a wistful smile and walked away a few minutes later. It could have been a hell of a lot of fun.

  * * * *

  Within an hour of Cam returning to his booth, Jesse and Kyle left separately. Kyle with a gorgeous Latin-looking guy and Jesse alone, though Cam doubted he would have had to. A small part of him regretted turning Jesse down, but a larger part was relieved he hadn’t crossed that line.

  Dylan and Sadie were great kids and Cam hated the idea of upsetting the delicate dynamic he’d worked out with their parents. Safer to keep his sex life as far from work as possible. I don’t have quite the same qualms about getting involved with people at the club, he admitted to himself as Ben walked toward him.

  “Hey, how was your night?” Cam asked Ben with a smile. Last call had been a while ago and people were filtering out of the club in pairs and small groups.

  “Long, but I made good tips. Yours? Did you strike out with that guy or what?” Cam gave him a puzzled frown, and he shrugged. “He asked me about your drink of choice.”

  “Ah. And, no, I didn’t strike out,” Cam admitted. “It’s complicated.”

  “Hmm. So, how did you like the Christiana?”

  “It’s amazing. Well out of my usual budget, but it was a nice gesture.”

  “Yeah, smooth move there,” Ben said, his tone admiring. “Looks like it didn’t work.”

  “He’s a friend of the dad of two of my students, and it seemed like a bad idea,” Cam explained. He slipped his laptop into his bag and secured it.

  “Makes sense.” Ben leaned in. “Well, at the risk of sounding like I’m offering myself as a consolation prize, what do you think about coming home with me tonight?”

  “I’d love to,” Cam said, “but I’m spent. Another time?”

  “Sure thing.” Ben flashed him a crooked grin. “Guess it’s two for two for you tonight.”

  “At least you know not to take it personally.” He zipped his jacket and slung the bag over his shoulder. He didn’t mention that the other reason he didn’t want to go home with Ben was because he didn’t want Ben getting attached. Cam wanted a quick fuck, not a relationship. Maybe it was better if they let things cool down before they hooked up again so there was no confusion about what they were doing.

  “No kidding. I mean, it’d be a nice boost to the ego to have you go home with me after you turned down Jesse Murtagh, but I’ll console myself with the fact that at least you turned both of us down.”

  “You know who he is?”

  Ben shrugged again. “Doesn’t everyone?”

  Chapter Five

  As they’d agreed, Jesse met Kyle at his building in Chelsea at ten a.m. on Saturday morning. Kyle opened the Range Rover’s passenger door and greeted Jesse cheerfully, but he grimaced after placing his bags on the backseat. Kyle also didn’t remove his sunglasses after he’d settled into his seat and his quiet sigh upon buckling his seatbelt provided the final giveaway.

  Jesse gave Kyle a once-over and grinned at his battered jeans and soft gray hoodie. He had a red and black plaid jacket in his lap. Seeing Kyle out of his usual blacks never failed to tickle Jesse’s fancy as well as turn him on—Kyle looked delicious no matter what he wore—but he decided he’d tease him about his lumbersexual ensemble later.

  “How hungover are you?” he asked instead.

  “Maybe a little,” Kyle replied with a sniff. “Honestly, I think it’s more lack of sleep hurting me this time than an overload of booze.”

  “Ah, I see.” Jesse put the SUV into gear and eased it out into traffic. “Who are we blaming for keeping you up?”

  “Jakob. He’s a cop with the 10th Precinct.”

  Jesse rolled his eyes. “You’re such a slut for a uniform.”

  “I so am. He wasn’t in uniform last night, though.”

  “Shame. You could have asked him to cuff you.”

  “I would never!” Kyle laughed. “Okay, maybe I would. I kind of like this one. He does yoga so he’s very flexible.”

  “Oh, man, I want in on that!” Jesse exclaimed over more laughter. “At least hook me up before you two get all monogamous and forget how to have fun in a group setting.”

  “Quit it. I met the man less than twelve hours ago! The only things I know we have in common right now are a shared love of frozen pizza and gaming.”

  “Ah.” Video games were one of Kyle’s few personal indulgences and he didn’t play lightly. “What did you play and for how long?”

  “Fallout, until about two hours ago.”

  Jesse caught Kyle’s pained grin and barked out another laugh. “Wrecked. You are officially ridiculous.”

  Kyle flapped a hand at him. “Yeah, well, you should know I’m taking time off when Fallout 4 is released.”

  “Noted. I can’t believe you wore yourself out gaming with the sexy cop instead of fucking.”

  “Hey, we had sex first!” Kyle smothered a yawn behind his flappy hand. “More than once, thank you very much. Not everyone is as single-minded as you,” he chided. “How is it you’re so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning, anyway? Did you and the delicious music teacher manage to leave the club early last night?”

  “We didn’t, or at least not together,” Jesse replied, his tone light. “He turned me down.” He could practically hear Kyle’s jaw drop.

  “You’re shitting me.”

  “I shit you not. He gave me a line about things being too complicated because I’m friends with Carter and his kids.” A line of total bullshit, Jesse thought. He glanced at Kyle, who took off his sunglasses.

  Kyle furrowed his brow. “How is that complicated?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “And that was it?”

  “Essentially. Cam finished his drink and toddled off back to the DJ booth. Some girls stopped by the table and we had a round of drinks, but they were more interested in dropping Molly than anything else, and you know that’s not my scene.” Jesse glanced at the traffic in his rearview mirror. “I left the club around three a.m.”

  “Huh.” Kyle ran a hand over his hair. “Well, this is unprecedented.”

  “Hardly. I do sometimes leave a venue on my own.”

  “Yeah, and when? Because I don’t remember the last time we went out on the pull and you left alone.”

  “Actually, I feel it prudent to clarify some details at this juncture. I left Ember alone, true. But my solitude only lasted as long as it took to get to Astrid’s.” Jesse smiled at Kyle’s chuckling.

  “I love that your backup plan is a former beauty queen.”

  “Don’t be bitchy.” Carefully, Jesse stretched out a hand and booped the tip of Kyle’s nose with his finger. “Astrid is smart and beautiful.”

  “I know. And fond of you.”

  “Well, duh. I gave her a rain check last week when I had to pick up Dylan,” Jesse explained. “She called me yesterday, wanting to meet up, but—
”

  “You laid eyes on Cam at the club and decided to take a detour first,” Kyle finished. “Interesting that you ended up back on the first track anyway. What time did you get home this morning?”

  “Around the same time you and the cop hung up your game controllers, I’d bet. I’m sad that’s not a euphemism for anything sexual, by the way.” Jesse laughed as Kyle gave his arm a light slap.

  “Shut up, you.”

  “Oh, get some sleep, Crankella.” Jesse used the SUV’s controls to seal off the city’s noise behind the windows. “We’ve got at least a couple of hours for you to get over your bitchery, and I’ll wake you up when we get close to Southampton.”

  Kyle slid his sunglasses back on. “Okay. You sure you don’t mind?”

  “Of course not.”

  “You don’t wanna talk about the music teacher?”

  Jesse pressed his lips together. Then Kyle placed one broad palm against Jesse’s hip, and his irritation at recalling Cam’s dismissal faded. “No, I’m good. There’s nothing to talk about.” He frowned at Kyle’s grunt.

  “Oh, hell.”

  “What?”

  “I’m not buying this ‘live and let live’ act you’ve got going, babe. I saw the way you looked at that kid and I know you. You’re being way too agreeable about getting shot down, and it’s not like you at all.” Kyle exhaled loudly. “You’re going back to the club to see him again, aren’t you?”

  “It may have crossed my mind,” Jesse allowed. And that was another line of total bullshit because he planned to pay Cam another visit.

  “Can I ask why?”

  “Because I enjoy a challenge, Kyle. Plus, as you said, the kid is delicious.” He smiled when Kyle chuckled.

  “Ugh, I suppose he is.” Kyle patted his hip and settled back farther into the seat. “I know it’s none of my business, but be careful, okay?”

  Jesse switched lanes. “What are you talking about?”

  “Maybe the kid has a point about your connections to the Hamiltons. If you two hook up and things go bad, it could make things weird for you all.”

  “Dude, come on.” Jesse shook his head as if to clear it. “I’m looking to have sex with the cute redhead, not start a romance. You know me better than that.”