OVERTIME (15 page)

Colton’s smell, a sweet mix of masculinity and his expensive cologne, wrapped around Jagger, weaving a do-whatever-Colton-wants-spell. Add the other man’s sexy smile to that, and he would probably do about any damned thing Colton asked of him. “Do I have to take my clothes off?”

“Hell, no, Wildcat! If I wasn’t ready to let Jeremiah see your ass today, I hardly think I’m ready to share all of you with complete strangers! You are keeping your clothes on tonight. Going to be able to give it a try for me?”

“You realize this is weird, right?”

“Not to me, it’s not,” Colton answered with a smile. “Now, come on, my friends are waiting and they are dying to meet you.” Colton took his hand, paused to see if he was going to fight it and, when he didn’t, he led him through the lobby and then through a short maze that led them to a pool and bar area. He heard a group yell Colton’s name and the next thing he knew, he was surrounded by Colton’s friends, each of them hugging, touching, and talking to him at the same time. Not having friends other than Riley and he was a brand new friend, Jagger wasn’t sure how he was supposed to act. His insecurities didn’t matter though—they didn’t give him time to stumble and fall. Taking the lead, they made him feel welcome and at home in their small group. He figured they must have felt his body tense up when they touched him because they all suddenly eased back from him but their faces were still warm and friendly.

He learned the guy named Rory was from Louisiana and was Colton’s business partner and best friend. The dude was totally hot with his inky black hair and sexy gray eyes, but when he opened his mouth and his intoxicating Cajun voice slipped out, Jagger was certain the man had the pick of anybody he wanted to warm his bed. He was funny, naughty, and clearly loyal to
Colton and their group of friends.
Oh yeah, he was filthy rich like Colton. Of course. Weren’t they all?

Jax
and Jeremy were a couple and had attended school with Colton. They were more reserved than Rory, but still very warm and friendly. They seriously only had eyes for each other. Their hands would touch each other, caressing each other in totally non-sexual ways but left no doubt to anybody with eyes that they were madly in love. As Jagger watched their hands casually make their love gestures, he wished he wasn’t so adverse to the whole
touching
thing. They made it look so easy, so warm and loving.

Didn’t matter. That horse was already out of the barn—he didn’t like to be touched. Thank you very much for that sweet momentum of love Mr. and Mrs. Jameson.

Tobias was brother of the guy who made the leather bracelets decorating his wrists and his date for the night was a guy named Clay. From the roll of Colton’s eyes, Jagger had a feeling Tobias might very well have a different date each and every night.

The mysterious Landry was a part of their usual group but he was MIA for the night. Apparently he had the big meeting with the bankers today and nobody had heard from him since. The guys figured that could be really good…but probably really bad. If Landry was going to be celebrating good news, he would have wanted to do it with them.

They’d been there about thirty minutes and Jagger was slowly beginning to feel more and more comfortable. The guys were politely including him in all their conversations and Colton was being boyfriend attentive to his every need. The naked dudes were still lurking about, keeping him aware of this Alice in Wonderland world he’d fallen in to but he wasn’t nearly as shocked as he’d been when they’d first arrived. Colton had ordered him some kind of fruity drink that he was sipping slowly. He wasn’t much of drinker—thus the slow sip. He’d be damned if he turned into a drunk like his father.

****

“Hey, Jag,” a familiar voice said. “Everything going okay?”

“What in the fucking hell are
you
doing here?” Colton roared. “I’m pretty sure I left you in Kentucky…where you belong.”

Jagger looked up to find Riley standing next to their table, smirking at Colton like pissing him off was his most favorite thing to do in the world. He winked at Jagger and then turned his attention to Colton. “Did you really think I would let you drag my boy half way across the country and trust that you’d do right by him? Fuck no, I wouldn’t. I’m here to make sure you don’t act like too big of an asshole.” He grinned. “Yeah, I know that will be hard for you…almost impossible…but I want you to know I’m rooting for you.”

The anger was literally rolling off Colton in waves. At the sound of Riley’s voice, his hand had automatically dropped to Jagger’s upper thigh and now it remained there, gripping him tightly. Strangely enough, instead of pissing Jagger off, it made him feel lightheaded and turned on at the same time. He didn’t advocate jealousy and knew it was an unhealthy emotion but this determined possessiveness that Colton exhibited around him sent his blood racing southward.

“Well, I’m rooting for you to get the fuck out of here. This is a private, membership only resort and I’m pretty certain you aren’t a fucking member since you don’t live in Key West,” Colton growled. “You need to work on your creepy stalking skills, Kentucky. You’re coming off pretty desperate.”

“I’m desperate?” Riley screeched in amusement. “I’m not the one that had to win a championship ballgame to force someone to go on a date with me!”

“Colton…don’t, okay? Riley’s my…team mate.” He stumbled around, unsure of how to classify Riley. “Why can’t he just stay?” Jagger asked quietly. Almost every eye in the bar and pool area had landed on their little group as soon as Colton’s voice had thundered out his
greeting
to Riley and Jagger wasn’t at all fond of the attention.

“Because he isn’t a member, that’s why,” Colton answered with an innocent smile. “Sorry, wildcat; rules are rules. I didn’t make
em but I don’t believe in breakin’ em
. This is the hottest place on the island and I don’t want my membership revoked because of your…team mate.” He eyed Riley up and down as the hand wrapped around Jagger’s thigh gave him another affectionate squeeze.

“Lucky I have a day pass, then,” Riley answered with an innocent smile of his own. “On top of that, I’m good friends with Landry and he’s always able to get me in on his membership pass if I need it.” He shrugged, “Since Landry was busy with the bank this afternoon, and I went ahead and bought my own pass.” He pulled up a chair and plopped down in it like he was welcome at their table.

Rory, who had been eye-fucking Riley since the moment he walked up, chuckled under his breath when Kentucky had the balls to shove it right back in Colton’s face. There were two things in life Rory respected and admired—a good firm, bubble-ass and loyalty in a friend. From his very brief encounter with Kentucky, the man had both, leaving Rory with wanting to get to know him much better. How in the hell did this beauty know Landry and, more importantly, why the hell hadn’t Landry ever mentioned him before?

He might not be an expert at reading people, but he was pretty damned good at it and there wasn’t a thing, other than friendship, going on between Riley and Jagger—that much he could see. Colton, if he wasn’t so blinded by his infatuation with Jagger, would be able to see it as well.

“Come on, Colton, he does have a day pass.” He winked in Riley’s direction. “Hell, any friend of Landry’s is a friend of mine.”

Colton’s glare moved from Riley…to Rory…then landed, and stayed, on Jagger. Finally, he leaned in and whispered in Jagger’s ear, “Do I have a problem here? Is Riley sweet on my Wildcat?”

“Stop calling me that and stop acting like I belong to you,” Jagger hissed back. The hot hand on his thigh inched upward, so close that when Colton stretched one of his fingers, he casually brushed Jagger’s package. Shocked, Jagger gasped and grabbed at Colton’s hand, meaning to shove it away but ended up only holding it tightly.

His eyes begged Colton to back down from fighting with Rory. His heart begged for more.

“Well, Riley, it looks like my boy wants you to stay. What he wants, he gets,” Colton said politely. “But how about you and I step outside and have us a chat, man to man, just to clear the air, okay?”

“Sure. I think that sounds like a great idea,” Riley answered. Turning to Jagger, he said, “You okay with that, Jagger?”

“Don’t talk to him,” Colton demanded, sounding like a spoiled kid. To Jagger, he said, “Are you okay with me stepping outside for a few minutes, Wildcat?”

Jagger bit back a smile. “Yes, to both of you.”

“Rory, keep an eye on my man, okay? You know how the guys are with fresh meat.” When Rory nodded, Colton and Riley stood up to leave. Colton dropped his head and placed a
quick kiss on Jagger’s surprised lips. “I’ll be back in a few, babe. Be good to Rory and don’t let him get into too much trouble while I’m gone.”

Jagger watched Colton walk away with Riley, admiring how his ass flexed with each and every step. Like most of the folks there (who weren’t naked), he was wearing casual shorts; he just wore them so much better. The realization that Colton was actually leaving him alone suddenly crashed down on him. He wasn’t afraid. He knew he could damn well take care of himself. He just didn’t want to be away from Colton, not even for a few minutes. Fuck, but he was standing in quicksand where Colton was concerned.

“You look terrified,
cher
.” Rory gave him a shoulder bump and a wicked smile. His gray eyes twinkled as he clearly enjoyed Jagger’s obvious discomfort. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid you might turn gay just by hanging here,” he teased. “Chill out. You’ll be fine. We aren’t contagious.”

Jagger rolled his eyes, hating that he knew Rory had to be mocking him. The dude had just caught him watching Colton’s ass like a kid in the candy store. Fuck, he’d probably even licked his lips if the truth be known. What could he say? Colton had a mighty fine ass!

“I’m good; just need another drink, I think.” What had happened to his slow-sip plan? How many drinks would it eventually take to help him get his courage up and do what he’d been dying to do since Colton had whispered those words to him all those years ago?

Rory motioned for the waiter to bring them another round and then quickly returned his attention back to Jagger, his knowing smirk still firmly in place, making Jagger want to smack it right off his handsome face. “How many of those do you think it will take before you’re ready to face whatever you’re hiding from? Colton is a good guy. You should shut down all that static shit going on inside your head and listen to other parts of your body for a change. I think you’d be much happier if you did.”

Jagger snorted. “Seriously? Somehow you believe listening to my cock will be so much smarter than listening to the
static
in my head? I’m not so sure that’s sound judgement, dude.”

A smile spread across Rory’s face. “Well, I was referring to you listening to your heart but I guess your cock works, too.”

Shit, now he looked even more like a fucking coward. Since there really wasn’t much else he could do to try and save face, he flipped Rory a bird and turned his undivided attention to his latest drink. He didn’t have a clue what the fruity drink was, but he knew he liked it. He also
knew that by giving his drink his undivided attention, he might not notice the two naked guys dancing erotically about three feet away from him.

“What is this drink?” He asked Rory. “I’m not usually a fruity drink kind of guy, but this is really good.”

“It’s their signature cocktail. It’s called the Tara Reid because it has enough liquor in it to turn you into a hot mess really fast…and you’re headed in that direction…really fast,” Rory laughed. “It’s a naughty mix of Mango and Strawberry puree, Dragon Berry rum,
Stoli peach, peach schnapps, and Bicardi coconut rum and it will sneak up on your ass if you aren’t careful.”

The Island House had been busy when they’d arrived earlier, but it was now beginning to near the jam-packed level as they neared happy hour. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected when Colton had told him they were going to a gay resort but nothing could have prepared him for this event—absolutely nothing. From what he’d been able to gather so far, Island House was a resort that catered to men only (no vaginas allowed on the premises) and locals or Key West visitors could grab a day pass to enjoy the events offered. By events, he meant the bar, the pool area, the playroom, the adult video room, the bathhouse. You know—all the wonderful things most resorts offered, right? Oh yeah, don’t forget that clearly clothes were optional since over half the guests were walking around buck-ass naked.

He was pretty damned sure a polite “heads-up” could have been in order in this case, but apparently Colton thought he was on a “need to know” basis and hadn’t thought he needed to know. It was probably for the best. He wouldn’t have ever gotten the courage to visit Island House if he’d known in advance what he was going to be facing. He gulped down another healthy swig.

The music playing was good—the same shit he listed to on his iPod, and was thumping so loudly he was pretty sure he might be deaf by morning. His eyes scanned the gyrating crowd swiftly, hunting for Colton but coming up empty. Where the fuck had he gone? He knew poor Rory had to be disgusted with his obvious babysitting job.

“Hey, doll,” a deep voice interrupted his private drinking party. “Want to dance…or anything else? I’d love to take you to the playroom and see if I could loosen you up a bit.” The giant hulk of a man, dressed in black leather pants and all sorts of harnesses around his hairy chest area, leaned in closer and added, “Are you tight everywhere, doll?”