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  “Okay, fine.” Kyle crossed his arms over his chest and yawned. “What about Carter and Riley?”

  “What about them?” Jesse shrugged off Kyle’s concern. “Riley’s never weird about the people I get involved with, and I used to fool around with his boyfriend. And you and I both know Carter’s way more open-minded than people give him credit for. Hell, he recruited Astrid to work at the CEC despite the fact she and I were seeing each other.”

  Kyle hummed thoughtfully. “True, true.”

  Jesse leaned over and squeezed his knee. “I know what I’m doing.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Kyle grumbled. “You and your plots, always up to no good.” His voice had lowered, however, and the next sound out of him was a soft snore.

  Jesse settled into the drive to Long Island. Kyle had a point—he didn’t like the way things had gone down at Ember. However, his dissatisfaction didn’t hinge on whether he and Cam had hooked up or not.

  While Jesse’s reputation as a hedonist might be well earned, it captured only part of his nature. More accurately, he was a non-conformist. With few exceptions, he did what he felt in the moment, in business and in the bedroom. Sometimes, that meant spending the night with multiple partners, but occasionally, it meant he wasn’t in the mood for company at all.

  He’d wanted company the night before, and specifically Cam’s. Jesse’s interest in him after their exchange at Midtown Academy had increased once he’d gotten a good look at Cam outside of his conservative educator vibe. Cam matched Jesse’s height, and the cut of his stylish T-shirt and jeans hinted at a toned, fit body. The slim silver ring in his left nostril suited his DJ alter ego, but Cam didn’t play the brooding starving artist type one might expect. His smiles came easily and made his eyes sparkle and were touched with exactly the right amount of insouciance to be tempting.

  All that said, Cam had hooked Jesse’s interest by walking away without a backward glance.

  Jesse frowned. Sure, he recognized Cam’s reluctance to get involved with friends of Midtown Academy or parents of the school’s students. But he was neither of those things, and only an occasional babysitter for the Hamilton kids.

  No. Jesse suspected the blow off stemmed from other reasons. He just needed to figure out what those reasons were and work a way around them.

  * * * *

  Two and a half hours later and after a quick stop at a local bakery, Jesse and Kyle stepped over the threshold of Riley and Carter’s second home. A chorus of greetings rang out over the excited noises of David and Will’s dog, Mabel, a sweet-tempered Inu-Husky mix.

  “We wondered if you’d follow through on the breakfast threat,” Riley teased. He took their overnight bags.

  “We didn’t leave the city until after ten, so we brought gooey things for dessert instead.” Jesse handed off the bakery box to David and squatted down to say hello to Mabel.

  “From the seat marks on Kyle’s face, I’d say you boys were up a lot later than you expected.” Riley smirked and headed upstairs to stow their things.

  “Hey, don’t look at me,” Jesse protested. “He fell asleep before we even left Chelsea, but I had nothing to do with it.”

  Kyle’s ears turned red. “We went to the club last night as planned,” he explained and moved toward the kitchen with David and Will. “Jes says he slept somewhere in between leaving and meeting up this morning, but I can’t say how much I slept myself.”

  After letting Mabel love all over him, Jesse joined the crowd in the kitchen, the dog at his heels. His friends clustered around the kitchen island while Carter and Malcolm carefully constructed spring rolls and Kyle unpacked the weekender bag he used to carry bottles of specialty booze.

  “Riley mentioned you and Kyle were checking out the competition last night,” Will said. “I guess I assumed you’d be going to another speakeasy rather than a nightclub, however. What’s the name?”

  “Club Ember,” Jesse replied.

  “What did you think? Did you learn any new tricks?” Malcolm eyed the bottles Kyle set out. “And what’s all this?”

  “The clear bottle is pear vodka. The yellow is a sour mix, and the blue and purple are schnapps.” Kyle pointed at the bottles while Malcolm raised his brows. “I put the vodka up at Christmas and the schnapps at the end of last summer when blueberries and blackberries were in season. I figured they’d be perfect for spring cocktails.”

  “He’s not making anything we drank last night, by the way,” Jesse said. Riley walked in and joined them. “Kyle started scheming over recipes last week when Carter mentioned coming out here. To answer your question, Mal, the drinks at the club were good, but nothing rocked my world.”

  Jesse told the others more about Ember while Kyle filled rocks glasses with ice and measured out ingredients.

  “It’s been an embarrassingly long time since I went to a club, especially since moving out here,” David said. “I stick to the smaller places closer to Freeport out of laziness. I’m not even sure they qualify as nightclubs.”

  Jesse stared at David. “Well, that’s just bad form, Senator Sexy.” He chuckled at David’s scowl—he hated that nickname with a passion. “You don’t seem to have any problem showing your face at Under, so why not a nightclub?”

  “Well, for one, you keep letting me into the speakeasy, which is a point in Under’s favor.” David smiled at the others’ laughter. “Plus, with my job, I need to be careful about appearances—too much partying isn’t healthy PR for a politician.”

  “Okay, but what does that mean?” Jesse asked. “You’re not allowed to set foot in a nightclub ever again?”

  “You sound oddly offended, Jes,” Riley said.

  “I believe I am. The idea of being forbidden to enjoy myself so as to avoid negative appearances is horrifying.”

  He could tell from his friends’ expressions his comment had struck a nerve. For good reason, most of them erred on the side of conservatism and caution, protecting their careers and their families in the process. In direct contrast, Jesse did what he wanted and his family was long accustomed to dealing with any wrinkles his actions might cause in the court of public opinion.

  “It’s not a matter of being forbidden,” David said, a pensive expression on his face. “It’s more being smart about where I’m seen and with whom.”

  Jesse grimaced. “That sounds like being forbidden by slow degrees.” He accepted a glass of brilliant blue something-or-other from Kyle, and the others murmured in agreement. “Regardless, you and Will should make a point of coming with us the next time. I’ll be dragging Malcolm out, too, and Carter and Riley, whether they like it or not.”

  Carter frowned. “Wait, what? What did I do?”

  With a fond grin, Kyle handed Carter a glass and rose up on his toes so he could press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Pouting is hereby forbidden while I enjoy the rest of my time off, babe. I’d much rather eat, drink and be merry.” Kyle held up his glass in salute.

  “Hear, hear,” Jesse chimed in and the others followed suit.

  The conversation paused as everyone tasted their cocktails and an outburst of compliments followed. Jesse caught Kyle’s eye. Hot damn, the man knew how to mix up magic.

  “This is fantastic,” Riley declared, his eyes on his glass. “I have no idea what I’m drinking, of course, but it’s delicious! What’s it called?”

  “It’s a Dick Sucker.” Riley’s mouth fell open and Kyle’s dark eyes glowed with mischief and delight. “And that’s exactly how I want you to look every time you taste one, Ri.”

  Once Carter and Malcolm finished the spring rolls, everyone grabbed their jackets and trooped out onto the beach for a walk. Kyle and Malcolm took the lead, followed by Riley, Will, and David. Carter and Jesse brought up the rear while Mabel ran back and forth among the three groups.

  “You feel like running tomorrow morning?” Carter asked.

  “Yes, as long as it’s not before eight a.m.” Jesse raised his brows at Carter’s aggrieved e
xpression. “I’m taking time off, Car, and I’d like to actually sleep in for a change.”

  “Okay, I get you.”

  “You gonna wrangle anyone else to join us?”

  “Riley and David said they’d be up for it,” Carter replied. “Will rejected me and Malcolm’s on the fence, but I think it’s got more to do with Kyle’s cocktails than anything else—they’re giving people delusions of grandeur.” They laughed together, then fell silent for a minute before he spoke again, his tone more tentative. “Are you really going to force me to go to a nightclub with you?”

  Jesse chuckled. “Of course not. I’d be happy if you and Riley wanted to come out with me, but I’d never force you to do anything you didn’t want to.” He looked askance at his friend, whose eyes were focused on a faraway point farther up the beach.

  “What’s going on in that brain of yours, Car? You’ve been strangely quiet for someone with a house full of people.”

  Carter drew in a noisy breath through his nose. “My mother’s been calling me. She wants increased visitations with Sadie and Dylan.”

  Jesse looped his arm through Carter’s. He ached for his friend, whose parents had all but cut ties with him after he’d come out of the closet. Even after nearly two years, Bradley and Eleanor Hamilton continued to voice their disapproval of Carter and Riley’s relationship, and Kate Hamilton supervised any time the kids spent with their grandparents.

  “That’s promising, isn’t it?” Jesse asked. “I mean, at least your mother’s talking to you—that’s more than you could say six months ago.”

  “True. She’s decent to me when we talk. Of course, I can’t tell if she actually wants to speak to me or if being pleasant is a means to an end for her.” Carter shook his head. “I feel ridiculous because I know I’m acting like a child who wants his mom’s attention instead of a grown man. The whole thing makes me want to throw myself out a window.”

  “Ugh, you’re so dramatic.” Jesse gripped his arm more tightly. “You need a night out with me. Will’s already said he and David are up for it, so don’t you and Ri be the old guys who stay home to binge watch Netflix.”

  Carter rolled his eyes. “Okay, enough with the guilt trip, jeez. If we don’t have the kids the next time you and Kyle go to this nightclub of yours, we’ll come, too.”

  “Excellent.” Jesse licked his lips, a frisson of nerves rolling over him. “This seems like the right time to tell you I ran into someone you know at the club, by the way.”

  “Someone I know? Not Malcolm, obviously.”

  “No, though I can imagine him at Ember. It was your kids’ music teacher.”

  Carter made an O with his lips. “You’re kidding!”

  “Nope. Cam spins records there as a side gig, and he’s a decent DJ.”

  Carter blinked, then abruptly narrowed his eyes at him. “Cam, huh?”

  “That’s what he told me to call him when I bought him a drink.” Jesse smiled at Carter’s despairing sound. “Relax, that’s all I did—buy the kid a drink and talk to him about music.”

  Unfortunately.

  Jesse still didn’t know how things with Cam had gone from “foregone conclusion” to “sorry, but fuck off”. Cam had clearly been interested in him. His gaze had crawled all over Jesse while they sat together, scanning the breadth of his chest and lingering over his eyes and mouth. After Kyle had left, they’d huddled together on the black leather sofa, faces separated by mere inches. Cam had put his hand on Jesse’s thigh and squeezed, and Jesse’s cock had stirred. He’d considered winding his fingers into Cam’s hair and tugging to expose the long, pale column of Cam’s neck.

  But then some kind of switch had been thrown and things screeched to a halt.

  “We both know drinks and talking aren’t all you plan to do,” Carter observed. “If it were, we wouldn’t be having this conversation in the first place.”

  “That’s fair.” Heat crawled up the back of Jesse’s neck. He sometimes forgot how well Carter could read him. “Kyle’s already told me it’s not a good idea to start up with Cam.”

  “And you ignored him because you don’t agree.” Carter grunted softly. “Well, for what it’s worth, Kyle’s got a point. Cam Lewis works with Sadie and Dylan a couple of times a week. You don’t care about your work and personal lives overlapping, but not everyone has the same gift for compartmentalization.”

  Jesse smirked. “I promise to treat him with kid gloves.”

  Carter nodded but drew his brows together. “Whatever happens, try to leave the kids out of it, okay?”

  “Hey.” A chill settled over Jesse at his friend’s words. He stopped walking and looked Carter square in the face. “Of course, Car. Anything that happens between Cam and me is our business, not Sadie’s or Dylan’s. You know me better than that, right?”

  Carter’s expression softened. “I do know you, and I believe you mean what you’re saying. I also know you’re a force of nature and by that I’m talking tornado-strength winds. I don’t want either of you to get wrecked if you decide to sweep the music teacher up, Jes.”

  Jesse studied his friend’s expression for a long moment, arrested by the concern he read there. He felt oddly touched to understand Carter’s concern wasn’t just for Cam but for Jesse, too, and he exhaled a quiet breath. Jesse didn’t know what he’d done to deserve his friends, but he was supremely thankful to have them in his life.

  “I’m telling Cam you compared him to an old barn in your storm metaphor,” he said at last. He laughed and ducked when Carter aimed a whack at his head.

  Chapter Six

  The sound of a throat clearing made Cam look up from his laptop screen. Carter Hamilton stood in the doorway, looking handsome in a navy-blue suit.

  “Do you have a moment?” he asked.

  Cam stood and smiled at him. “Of course. How can I help you, Mr. Hamilton? Is everything okay with Sadie and Dylan?”

  He offered Cam a warm smile in return. “Everything’s great. My ex-wife and I were here for parent–teacher conferences with the kids’ teachers and I thought I’d pop in. What I wanted to discuss has nothing to do with Sadie or Dylan, however. Or at least not directly.”

  Frowning, Cam tilted his head. “I’m not sure I follow.”

  “I’m rambling, aren’t I?” Carter leaned against the doorframe. “My point is I’m aware of what happened with you and my friend Jesse.”

  A chill slithered down Cam’s spine. Shit. This was exactly why he’d turned Jesse down. It had been a difficult decision, but this confirmed he’d made the right one. “Please allow me to explain,” he croaked.

  Carter straightened and held up his hands. “Oh, God, no. I didn’t mean to scare you. I wanted to tell you not to worry. To not hold back on our account if you’re interested in Jesse.”

  Cam blinked at him. This conversation was the opposite of what he’d expected. “Err. Say what now?”

  “Jesse and I discussed it. I think it’s admirable you’re concerned about the impact it could have on Sadie and Dylan. But unless you think your interactions with the kids or Riley and me will change if things don’t go well with Jesse, I don’t see how it would be a problem.”

  Cam considered Carter’s words for a moment, then shook his head. “I wouldn’t dream of treating your kids differently, and, at worst, it might be awkward between you and me for a while. But I would never take anything out on anyone in your family. I can separate my work and personal lives.”

  “What you do is your decision, of course, but as far as I’m concerned, if you’re into him, go for it.”

  “You’ve totally taken me by surprise,” Cam admitted. “But I’ll be sure to think about it.”

  Carter gave him a speculative look. “Do you have plans Thursday night?”

  Cam mentally reviewed his schedule. “I don’t think so.”

  “Because I’d like to invite you to come to Under.”

  “Jesse’s bar?”

  “Technically, it’s a speakeasy, but yes.”
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  “I…um.” Cam cleared his throat. “Are you sure he wants me there? After all, I did shoot him down.”

  Carter grinned. “That doesn’t happen to Jesse very often. If anything, he’s even more intrigued by you now that you’ve done it. He’s still considering his next move, so the ball’s in your court. If you want to see Jesse again, come to Under on Thursday. The worst that happens is you have some great drinks and make a few new friends.”

  “Sounds good. Unless I’ve forgotten about plans I already made, I’ll be there.”

  “Fantastic. I’m glad to hear it.” Carter held out a hand and a business card to Cam. “If you do decide to come, shoot me an email. You’ll need a passphrase to get into the speakeasy.”

  “Thanks.” Cam accepted the card and shook his hand, still slightly dazed by the turn the conversation had taken. “Have a good evening.”

  “You too.”

  Carter walked toward the door and Cam resumed his seat.

  “One thing.” Cam glanced up with a quizzical expression. “Jesse’s not the monogamous type, so if you’re thinking—”

  Cam cut him off. “Trust me, I’m not looking to get involved with anyone seriously.” Much less a guy with a reputation like Jesse’s.

  * * * *

  On Thursday night, Cam stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom and frowned at his reflection.

  He’d filled Taryn in on the situation with Jesse and she’d agreed that Cam worried too much about the conflict of interest.

  ’He’s not Dylan’s father,’ she’d pointed out. ‘Or even a family member. Jesse’s their friend, right? There are no rules about that. And you’re going to turn down a chance to hook up with one of Manhattan’s most notorious playboys? How are you not all over that?’

  He’d snorted. ‘Because that’s never been my thing and you know it. I’m not a fame whore.’

  ‘Yeah, but think how amazing he must be in bed.’ Taryn had gotten a dreamy expression on her face. ‘Ugh. He’s so good-looking I can’t stand it.’