A/N: Hello again everyone! New chapter alert! :D
Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read the first chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Side1ways, Guest, Jersey609Girl, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!
I hope you all enjoy!
"Why did we have to be here at the butt crack of dawn? You're never up this early. I could have slept at least another hour," Dak grumbled and motioned to the waitress for more coffee. "I even managed to stay asleep when Jett left this morning, and then you come banging on my goddamn door at seven-fucking-thirty in the morning."
"It's not that early, Mr. Cranky Pants," James said to Dak, turning to the waitress and pointed to Dak's coffee mug. "Just keep it coming, sweetie. Man's got his tighty whities in a bunch." The waitress giggled and nodded her head in agreement.
"Don't humor him, Kelsea," Dak said to the young woman then turning his attention back to James. "You didn't stay up late cleaning last night after the party," Dak groaned.
"Well, whose fault is that? You could've left it for today."
Dak leaned his head on his hand like he was trying to stay awake. "You know Jett would've been twitching if I left our brand new kitchen a mess."
"Seriously, Dak, whining doesn't become you and frowning gives you wrinkles. Now, buck up, sir. Breakfast is on me." James grinned.
"You bet your ass it is," Dak growled, looking back toward the door when the bells above it jingled-just as Kendall walked in. Whipping his head back toward James, he said through clenched teeth, "Tell me you didn't drag me out of my comfortable bed on a Saturday fucking morning to stalk Kendall."
James shrugged his shoulders innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about. It's just a happy coincidence." James looked everywhere except at Dak, but he knew that only added to his guilt.
"James," Dak warned, his eyes promising a beat down if James didn't fess up.
James couldn't contain his smile and laughed. "Well, I had no choice. I overheard him on the phone with Mrs. Beard, making plans to come here this morning. He never gave a time, so if you think about it...it's actually kind of his fault I had to wake you up so early." Dak still looked like he was going to reach across the table and strangle him.
James put his hands up in defense. "Okay, I just had to see what my competition looks like. It was driving me crazy all fucking night." James stretched his neck a little further to look at Kendall. "I don't see her though. He's holding hands with some-" Holy shit. It couldn't be…
"Hey there, Lily! Did you come in for some of my special chocolate chip pancakes?" Charlie's voice could be heard clear across the room as he spoke to the little girl holding Kendall's hand. Kendall picked her up and put her on a stool at the counter.
She nodded her head enthusiastically, and her golden blond ponytail swayed with the movement. "Daddy said I could even have chocolate milk and extra crispy bacon."
Daddy?
"Well then, chocolate chip pancakes, extra crispy bacon, and one chocolate milk coming right up," Charlie said, slapping his hand down on the counter.
"Make that two chocolate milks, and I'll have the special. Thanks, Charlie," Kendall said as he sat down next to the little girl.
James sat in shock, staring at the two sitting at the counter. The little girl had to be no more than four or five, and her little legs hung high off the floor, dangling a pair of pink and yellow polka dot rain boots, even though there wasn't a cloud in sight. She obviously liked pink, judging by the rest of her clothes. One thing was for sure-the little girl knew how to pull off a glitter cat-ear headband.
She called him Daddy...Kendall had a daughter...
"James, snap out of it." Dak poked James' forehead with one finger, and James looked at him.
"Kendall is a...That's his…" Dammit, he couldn't even finish the sentence.
"Apparently, that's his daughter, Lily." Dak smiled wickedly.
"You knew?" James' eyes shifted to his best friend, feeling slightly betrayed that Dak didn't tell him.
Dak held his hands up defensively. "Hey, I had no idea." Dak put his palms flat on the table and leaned in toward James, keeping his voice low. "Look, James, can't you just admit you're barking up the wrong tree? Kendall doesn't have time for your games."
"So, he's not married?" James was still trying to wrap his head around this whole thing.
Dak shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know." He crossed his arms and say back in the booth. "Don't you think you should just leave it alone?"
This is the point where James usually checked out. He didn't have time in his life for a family, never really wanted something more-at least he hadn't in a really long time. Like Dak said, this was certainly the wrong tree. Fuck, it was entirely the wrong forest. James let his eyes shift back over in Kendall's direction and watched as he colored a picture with his daughter while they waited for their food. There was that genuine smile again, and again, James found himself wishing he was the cause. All he'd ever gotten was a cold, angry look from the guy.
The waitress brought their food over, but James barely looked at it, finding his eyes drifting in the direction of Kendall and Lily again. Instead of being turned off by the unexpected turn of events, he found he was even more curious. Was Kendall raising the little girl on his own? Had there been a woman at some point? Was there still a woman? James turned his attention back to Dak who'd just stuffed his mouth full of pancakes.
"What?" The word was muffled around the enormous bite Dak had just taken.
"Jett must not be able to keep his hands off you, you sexy beast," James said dryly before rolling his eyes, picking up his fork, and pushing his egg-white omelet around his plate.
Dak swallowed the food then said clearly, "Fuck you."
"Tsk, tsk, Dak. This is a family place." James looked back over at the two at the counter. "Apparently."
Dak sighed and closed his eyes, putting his fork down and sitting back in his seat. "You're not going to let it go, are you?"
James shot Dak a look of annoyance. "Don't tell me you're not curious, too," James said. "I know you too well, remember?"
Dak leaned in and said in irritation, "Okay, fine, I'm curious, but it's none of our business."
"What else do you know?" James asked, narrowing his eyes, studying his friend to see if he would have the nerve to lie to him.
"I told you. Nothing."
"Was there a woman?"
"Obviously." Dak snickered.
James grabbed Dak's plate of food and held it out of reach. He grabbed the ketchup bottle and held it open over the pancakes as he threatened, "Tell me, or the cakes get it."
"Give me my fucking breakfast back, asshole."
James glanced at Lily, who was happily eating her own pancakes and then scolded Dak again. "Language." He squeezed the bottle gently and watched a pea-size amount of ketchup fall from the bottle.
"Aww, man. Seriously?" Dak stared at the minuscule drop of ketchup on his pancakes. "Why am I friends with you?"
"Because you love me, now talk."
Dak leaned closer and, in a hushed tone, said, "I don't know anything. He's talked to her a few times on the phone while working. I just assumed it was his wife like you did. I'm not sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. If you want to know more, you're gonna have to ask him yourself. Now, will you give me my goddamn breakfast back before I hurt you?"
"You're right, you could've used another hour of sleep. So cranky." James handed the plate back to Dak, shaking his head, and tried to ignore Dak as he grumbled about the tiny spot of ketchup on his breakfast as if it were the size of Rhode Island.
They sat there for another thirty minutes, even though James had completely lost his appetite. He couldn't help but watch the gorgeous man and his daughter. He obviously didn't share Dak's aversion to ketchup; his eggs practically drowned in it. The man was proving to be more mysterious than James had originally thought. Kendall got up, leaving the money on the counter, and lifted Lily down from the high, red and chrome stool. As they got to the door, James realized they'd forgotten their picture.
Without thinking, he got up and said, "Be right back."
Before Dak could respond, James grabbed the drawing off the counter and walked out the door, spotting Kendall and Lily walking toward a black truck. James followed, and when he was in earshot, said, "I believe you forgot this masterpiece."
At the sound of James' voice, he heard Kendall mumble, "You've got to be kidding me."
"Look, Daddy, it's our picture." The little girl reached her hand up and took the drawing from James.
"You, my dear, are an artist." James looked down at the beautiful little girl with the chocolate milk mustache and laughed.
"What's a artist, Daddy?" She asked.
"An artist is someone who paints or draws beautiful pictures like the one in your hand," Kendall responded, and James was amazed how quickly his eyes softened when he looked at her. Turning back to James, his eyes grew hard once more. "Thanks."
"My pleasure. So, are you going to introduce me?" James asked.
"No. Go away, James." Kendall turned back to the truck and opened the back door.
The little girl tugged on Kendall's hand. "Daddy, you're being rude at him. I told Gabe to go away in school cuz he wanted the glue, and I didn't wanna share, cuz he always uses too much, and Mrs. Phillips said it wasn't nice."
James wasn't completely sure what the girl just said, but he caught the part where she defended him and ran with it. "Oh, well, Mrs. Phillips sounds very smart. She's right." James turned to Kendall and said, "It isn't nice to tell someone to go away."
James could literally see the steam coming off Kendall, his neck and ears turning red with anger-and damned if it didn't look sexy as hell on him.
"No, it's not nice," Kendall said through clenched teeth.
She stared up at Kendall. "You should say sorry. Mrs. Phillips made me say sorry to Gabe."
If Kendall didn't look so edible when he was pissed, James might actually run for his life. What's the fun in that though? He'd take his punishment like a man-on second thought, preferably with a nice spanking.
Kendall closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This had to be a goddamn joke, right? Lily and James both stared at him, waiting for him to speak.
Fuck.
"I'm sorry," he said to James through clenched teeth.
"There, now that wasn't so hard was it?" James was deliberately pushing his buttons. "So, who's this beautiful girl? I know. She must be a princess." James looked at Lily and smiled.
Lily giggled. "I'm not a princess. I'm just Lily."
"Well, Lily, I'm James. It's nice to meet you." James reached out and shook her tiny hand. "I still think you might be a princess." He winked, and Lily giggled again.
Kendall picked Lily up and put her in her car seat, buckling her in. "Okay, well, we have to go. Grammy and Pop are waiting for us, Lilypop."
"Lilypop?" James asked.
"Daddy calls me Lilypop cuz I'm sweet like a lollipop, 'cept I'm Lily." She smiled and looked up at Kendall. God, he loved that smile.
James looked at Kendall. "Well, that's incredibly adorable."
Kendall completely ignored James and said to Lily, "I'm going to talk to James for a second, okay?" Lily nodded her head and waved goodbye to James as Kendall closed the door.
Unfortunately, Kendall couldn't hit him with his daughter right there. He walked around to his door and spoke in a low voice; afraid Lily would still hear him. "Listen, James, you want to play your fucking games with me, bring it, but you drag my little girl into it, and you'll regret it."
"No matter what you think of me, Kendall, I assure you I would never drag your daughter into anything." James appeared offended, and it pissed Kendall off even more.
"Cut the act, James. I know your type, dealt with your type, and have absolutely no respect or patience for your type." Kendall pushed a finger on James' chest.
"Got me all figured out, huh?" As James asked the question, Kendall saw something other than cool confidence on that pretty-boy face. He looked annoyed and maybe even a little hurt. "You know, I may be a flirt, but's in my nature. I make no apologies, and I promise you, I live with no regrets, but at least I'm honest."
"Are you saying I'm not?" Kendall snapped.
"I piss you off-"
"Yeah, you do. See? I'm completely honest about that."
"I wasn't finished." James moved slightly closer, making Kendall back up against his door and his skin prickle with sweat. "I piss you off because I obviously remind you of someone." He moved even closer. "And because, no matter how hard you try to deny it, you're still attracted to me."
That hit a nerve so deep Kendall felt it in the pit of his stomach. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about," Kendall argued.
"Oh, yeah? Then why do you try to avoid me at all costs?" James hooked a finger in the opening of Kendall's t-shirt at his neck. "Why are you sweating?"
Kendall swallowed hard. But hearing Lily calling him from inside the truck was all he needed to gain back his momentum. "Your lines may work on the city boys, but you're wasting your time with me. Now back the fuck up, or I'll run over your goddamn feet." Kendall placed a hand on James' chest and pushed him far enough away to open his door and get in his truck.
He took a few deep breaths, not wanting to drive away angry with Lily in the car. Kendall watched James walk back to Charlie's, a slight swing in his hips. Fuck, that guy was like a motherfucking leech.
Thinks he's so irresistible with his dark hair and those smoldering, hazel eyes, framed by those dark lashes. Does anything serious come out of his mouth? That perfectly shaped mouth with those full lips…
Kendall banged a hand down on the steering wheel and just barely stopped himself from cursing in front of Lily.
"What's wrong, Daddy?" Lily asked, and he could see her worried eyes in the rearview mirror.
"Nothing, Lilypop. There was a spider," he lied.
"Eewww. Did you get spider guts on your hand? Joey in school said he ate a spider for dinner in his pasketti."
"Spaghetti," Kendall corrected.
"Yeah, pasketti. And once, Nick said a spider crawled up his nose, and when he sneezed, the spider came out in a booger." Lily was giggling, and just like that, she had eased his mind and calmed the anger boiling inside of him as he laughed along with her.
XxX
Lily ran ahead of Kendall and burst through the door of his parents' house. Kendall could hear the squeal of laughter and knew his mom was already smothering Lily with kisses. Moving back six months ago had definitely been the right decision. Choosing to live in the next town over from his parents gave Kendall just enough space, without being too far away. It had been lonely in Massachusetts, even though he'd had Lily.
"I had chocolate chip pancakes and chocolate milk, and Daddy and me colored a unicorn. We forgot it, but Daddy's friend James found it and gave it to us." Lily barely took a breath as she updated his mom on all they'd done that morning. Kendall closed his eyes and took a deep breath, wishing that James hadn't been a part of Lily's play-by-play.
"Daddy's friend James?" his mom asked and looked over at him with raised eyebrows. "I didn't know Daddy had a friend named James."
Shit, his mom really didn't miss a thing. "I don't," Kendall mumbled, but it was drowned out by Lily's rambling.
"He thought I was a princess, Grammy, and he said my picture was a mister piece."
"A masterpiece," Kendall corrected.
"Yeah, a mister piece, and Daddy told him to go away, but I said that wasn't being nice, so Daddy said sorry." Lily looked proud of herself, with a big goofy grin on her face. "Pop!" she yelled and ran over to give Kendall's dad a big hug.
"Kendall, why would you tell the man to go away?" his mother scolded.
Kendall rolled his eyes and walked around her to the kitchen. "I already got the lecture from Lily, Mom. I don't need one from you, too." He opened the fridge and took out the iced tea then got himself a glass.
"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" she asked following him and then turned to Kendall's father. "Your son just rolled his eyes at me, Kevin."
His dad laughed and said to Kendall in an exaggerated voice, "Don't roll your eyes at your mother."
"That was a big help, thanks." She rolled her eyes at him, and his dad laughed again.
Pointing a finger at her, his dad teased, "I wonder where he gets it from, Jennifer."
Kendall leaned back against the counter and raised an eyebrow at his mom, crossing his arms and challenging her to get out of that one.
"Oh, whatever. Kendall, you need to stop pushing people away. He sounds like a very nice man." His mom already had that sparkle in her eyes, like she was planning the goddamn wedding in her mind.
"James Diamond is anything but nice," Kendall growled, taking a sip of his iced tea as he looked at the floor.
"He was nice to me," Lily said in her little voice, reminding him she was there.
As if reading his mind, his mom said, "Lily, honey, why don't you take Skip out in the backyard? He hasn't stretched his legs yet today, and I bet he wants to play ball."
Lily jumped up and down with excitement then called for the Yorkie, running out the back door with him. Kendall wished he could go with them because he knew what was coming next.
"So? What's your excuse this time? Too tall, too short, too needy, too-"
"Mom," Kendall warned and shook his head. He didn't want to have this same argument with her over and over again.
"What? There's always an excuse, Kendall. Anything to keep you from getting too close to anyone." She had her hands on her hips, completely annoyed with him, and he knew she wasn't about to back down. Hell, he knew where his stubborn streak came from.
"I don't need anyone. Lily is all that matters." Kendall pushed off the counter and sat down at the kitchen table.
"Oh, that's bullshit, and you know it." She pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.
"Mom-"
"There is room in your life for both, Kendall. Wouldn't it be nice to share your life with someone? Raise Lily with someone?"
"Are you saying I can't do it alone?" Kendall asked defensively.
His mom reached her hand out and took his, squeezing it. "You know I'm saying no such thing, so don't even go there. I know raising her alone wasn't the plan, and when it worked out that way, you stepped up and have been an amazing father."
"He's just like him," Kendall mumbled and immediately regretted his weakness to hide his feelings from his mom.
"Who?" she asked.
"James." He scrubbed a hand over his face. "James is just like Eric."
She looked at him as if finally understanding what was going on. "No one is just like Eric, honey. That bastard holds the title all by himself."
Kendall laughed and nodded his head. "Yeah, he is. Spoiled, rich kid, takes nothing seriously, and only thinks of himself."
"So, you have gotten to know him?" she asked in confusion.
"Don't need to. I know his-"
"Type?" she said, finishing his sentence. "I see, so you haven't gotten to know him and are immediately condemning him because he reminds you of Eric. Have I gotten that right?"
Nailed it, as usual.
"Kendall, if I had a dollar for every time you've pushed someone away because you knew their type-"
"Look, Mom, I know you mean well, but I can take care of myself and my daughter. I don't need anyone's help, and I sure as hell don't need someone like that in my life. Now, will you please drop it?" he said in frustration.
Lily came bursting back through the door with the dog, and Kendall prayed it would put an end to the conversation. He'd had enough of James Diamond today. Talking to him, talking about him, thinking about him.
In a hushed tone, his mom added, "One of these days you're going to push the wrong person away, and it'll be too late when you finally realize it."
His mom's words touched a nerve, but he tried to tell himself he didn't care. Lily was the most important person in his life. As long as she was happy, he didn't need anything else. He watched as she rolled around on the floor with the dog, blonde wisps falling out of her hair tie as she wrestled and laughed with Skip. There was a sparkle in her bright, green eyes and dimples on her pale skin as she giggled. At the end of the day-no matter what his mom said and no matter how lonely he was-she was all that mattered.
"I'm still not sure I understand," Jett said, looking at James who sat on the couch in Jett and Dak's living room. "He found out Kendall's a father?"
Dak stood next to Jett, leaning his back against the living room wall. "Yup."
"And he's still obsessing over him?" Logan asked, standing on the other side of Jett.
"Yup."
"Huh," Jett and Logan both said in disbelief.
"Uh-huh," Dak added and all three continued to watch him.
"As extraordinary as I am, will the three of you please stop gaping at me like I'm an exotic animal in a goddamn zoo?" James snapped.
Logan was the first to walk over and sit next to James. "Sorry, we're just…" He looked up at Jett as if he needed help.
"Confused as shit," Jett finished for him and sat in one of the chairs by the fireplace. "What happened to it being all about the hunt? I figured once you found out Kendall wasn't the prize game you thought he was you'd back off. Plus, you still don't even know if he's single."
"Or gay," Logan added.
James looked up and said with absolute certainty, "If he wasn't, that would've been one of the first things he would've told me to get me to back off. He's gay."
Dak was the last to come over and sat across from James on the coffee table. Leaning over, he rested his forearms on his knees and clasped his hands together. "You ready to take that road, man?"
"What?" James widened his eyes and couldn't believe his ears. "Okay, look guys, I was surprised. That's all. Let's not get carried away. I've never wanted the white picket fence and the happily-ever-after with the handsome blond man, two kids, and a black Lab named Midnight."
"That's a pretty clear description of something you've never wanted," Jett said skeptically.
"That's also a lie," Dak mumbled.
"What?" Logan asked as James shot Dak a dirty look.
Dak sighed. "Just tell them, Jay. Or do you really want people to continue to think you're this heartless playboy?" Dak stared James down, challenging him. It pissed James the fuck off.
James stood up and put his hands on his hips, looking at Logan and Jett. "It was a lifetime ago. Not even worth remembering." James turned and headed towards the door, hands in his pockets when he suddenly stopped. He never turned back around to face his friends when he said, "Despite what people might think, I'm not a heartless bastard. I was in love once."
"What happened?" Logan asked.
James still didn't look at them. "He sold his soul to the devil."
"The devil?" The question came from Jett this time.
Looking over his shoulder, James replied, "My father." James turned back around, and as he walked out, he said, "Fill them in, Dak."
Okay, so it was a dramatic exit, but he didn't feel like talking about it. Getting in his car, he drove around town, hoping there would be a new rental sign somewhere, so he could get out of the B&B. That's when it hit him-he still intended to stay, and it made absolutely no sense. Maybe it was because Dak was staying. That would be the logical reason. When am I ever logical? Maybe it was still the challenge Kendall gave him by refusing all his attempts to be friends.
He didn't think so.
It was starting to become more for James, and what the hell was he supposed to do with that? James couldn't quite wrap his brain around it yet. All he knew was, Kendall intrigued him. But being with Kendall meant giving up the extravagant lifestyle he was used to. Could he be with a man like Kendall? A blue-collar man? The idea was ridiculous. Besides, as much as Kendall liked to act like the wounded one-like he had to protect himself and his daughter from The Big Bad James-James was just as much at risk for getting hurt.
The hunt ended before it even began. Now, James realized he wasn't hunting so much as practically begging to get to know the guy. It was pathetic. Good God, what kind of man was he turning into? Maybe he did need to leave Cape May and get back to his real life. The only problem was, his only real friend was staying here. So, what was he going back to? A life of men's clubs, drinking, and fucking-mostly married-men who didn't acknowledge he was in the same room after they were done. That was the way he wanted it, right?
So, why did he feel like he was trying to convince himself?
After James had gotten back to his room, he lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He was bored out of his mind, had no job, and his reason for being here in the first place was in love and had a life of his own.
Dak and Jett hadn't had the easiest time, but against all odds, they made it work. Fuck, it wasn't every day you heard of someone falling for their high school bully, but back then, Jett was trying to be someone he wasn't. Running from his past only brought him full circle, and this time when he ran into Dak, he didn't let him go.
Was James trying to be someone he wasn't? He felt like he was. Problem was, he wasn't sure which guy was the real him. He'd been the rich playboy for so long now, and he was good at it. That was the guy everyone expected him to be. That was the guy who never got hurt. Now, he was trying small-town life, wishing he had something even close to what Dak and Jett shared. If he actually had it, would he be happy?
The knock on the door made him jump. Immediately, he wished when he opened it that there would be a gorgeous man standing on the other side. When the person knocked again, he rolled out of bed. "'I'm coming."
To his surprise, there was, in fact, a gorgeous man on the other side of the door. Too bad it was the wrong one.
"Logan, to what do I owe this pleasure?" James was surprised to see him. In the two months he'd been here, he'd spent a lot of time with Logan, but always with Dak and Jett. The guy seemed to be perfect. He was nice to everyone he met and held no grudges. Even handled everything with ease when he and Jett broke up, and Jett fell in love with Dak almost immediately after. He was amazing, but he wasn't for James. James needed a little drama in his life-fed off it-but Logan was probably the most content, happiest person he'd ever met. Sometimes, it made James want to figure out a way to ruffle those angelic feathers.
And that was his problem, wasn't it? He couldn't make anything easy-didn't want it if it was too easy to get. No wonder he couldn't get Kendall off his mind.
"Can I come in?" Logan asked.
"Of course," James said, moving to the side to let Logan in.
James closed the door and walked across the room, pointing to the chair at the small table by the window. "Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink? I'm afraid I only have water, wine, or coffee."
Logan sat down and shook his head. "No, thanks, I can't stay long." Logan stared at James as he rubbed the back of his neck. A nervous habit, perhaps? No matter how hard Logan was probably trying, he couldn't hide the sympathy in his eyes.
"Okay, Logan, spit it out. Obviously, Dak told you about my sad, sad love life." James sat across from him at the table and watched as Logan fidgeted.
Logan continued to stare at him, making James start to fidget. Finally, Logan asked, "Are you really going to let your father win like that?"
Well, no beating around the bush there. "I'm not letting him win, Logan. I'm simply choosing not to play the game."
Logan's brow furrowed with concern. "And you think fucking married men out of spite isn't playing the game?"
James shook his head and laughed. "Logan-"
Logan put his hand up to stop James. "I know it's none of my business, but I just don't get it. I want to respect you-no, I do respect you, but that's hard to do when you don't respect yourself. Don't you know you're so much better than that?"
There was that huge heart again, trying to see something in James that just wasn't there. James smiled. "Logan Mitchell, always trying to save the world from heartbreak and pain. You can't solve everyone's problems, Logan."
Logan smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I can try. Look, I think you need a distraction. Maybe even step away from the whole Kendall situation a little."
"Why, Logan, you sly fox. Are you offering yourself as the commercial break from my regularly scheduled program?" James said seductively, laughing as Logan turned the color of a ripe tomato.
"James…" Logan squirmed in his chair, and James couldn't keep up the teasing.
James patted Logan's hand and laughed. "I'm kidding, Logan. Besides, I prefer devil's food cake for dessert." James winked at him.
Logan shook his head and chuckled, looking offended. "What are you trying to say? I'm vanilla?"
James let his eyes roam over Logan's body as he sat in the chair, making sure to take in every inch. "Oh...no, sir. Not vanilla. Let's just say, I enjoy something a little more sinful, and you definitely have angel's food written all over you."
Logan's skin was flushed from James' roaming eyes as he squirmed in his chair a little. "I'll try to take that as a compliment."
"Absolutely. You should." James smiled.
Logan returned the smile, relaxing again, and said, "Why don't you come to the gym with me? I can get you a pass. I know it's not the fun you had in mind," Logan said with a laugh, "but it could be a good distraction. Not to mention, the scenery isn't all that bad." Logan wiggled his eyebrows up and down.
James suddenly had visions of hot, sweaty bodies, muscles straining with exertion, grunts of men as they lifted. Why hadn't he thought of it himself?
Logan smirked. "By the look on your face, I'd say you're interested."
James narrowed his eyes then grinned. "I have to say, Logan, for someone who doesn't know me all that well you seem to have read me correctly."
"Remember you said that," Logan said. "Pretty sure it applies to everything I've said to you just now."
James hung his head and laughed. "Walked into that one, I suppose."
"So, you'll come?" Logan asked.
"Maybe a little later. Right now, I think I'll go to the gym with you," James said and watched as Logan blushed once again.
"And I walked into that one." Logan chuckled.
James stood up and walked Logan to the door. "Shall I follow you, or do you want to just give me the address?"
Logan reached his hand in his pocket and pulled out his car keys. "I'm on my way there now. If it won't take you long to get ready, I'll wait in my car."
"I'll only be five minutes. I may be high-maintenance, but believe it or not, I don't wear my Armani suits to the gym."
Logan chuckled again and nodded his head. "Okay, I'll be in my car. The gym's in the next town over, but it still only takes ten minutes to get there. You can follow me." Logan opened the door then turned back around with a smile. "Oh, and by the way, even angels fall every now and then, and it's twice the ride. Scorching all the way down, but the best fucking ecstasy you've ever felt on the way back up." It was Logan who winked that time, and James found himself with a shitload more respect for the guy.
Done! So, a few revelations and hints this chapter. ;)
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!
Again, I hope you all enjoyed and that you all are doing well! The next chapter of this most likely won't be up until either this weekend or next week, but either way, there shouldn't be too long of a wait for that.
Until then!
-Epically Obsessed