“Of course n—”
Donovan cut Tate off. “Our business ain’t your business.”
Ben’s eyes widened, then narrowed to slits as he turned his attention to Tate. “Why do I even try?”
When Ben spun around and marched off, Tate huffed a laugh. “Why doeshetry? Good one.”
“You okay?”
Tate’s big blue eyes lifted to meet his, and that all too familiar mask fell into place. The one Tate used when he was putting on the charm and pretending nothing could hurt him.
“Of course I am.” Tate flashed a smile, but it looked forced. “As good as I’m gonna get, anyway. You didn’t have to do that. I had it under control.”
“I know,” he lied, holding Tate’s gaze.
Donovan knew his best option was to walk away. He never should’ve interfered in the first place. For the past few years, he’d been doing his best to steer clear of this exact scenario. He’d had a momentary lapse in judgment, which was the only way to explain what happened last weekend when he’d kissed the man. Donovan had made it a point to put it behind him.
Little good that had done.
He couldn’t explain what it was about Tate that tripped his trigger, but Donovan had endured more than one fantasy about him. It never made sense because Tate wasn’t the sort of man Donovan generally sought when he was looking to scratch the itch, but something definitely kept drawing him back in.
“Don’t worry, sweetie,” Tate said, smiling, and it looked a little less forced than before. “I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.”
And now Tate was back to his usual, playful self. It’d always made Donovan smile when Tate referred to someone as sweetie. And by someone, he meant everyone.
Before Donovan knew what he was doing, he stepped up to Tate, forcing him to tilt his head to stare up at him. “Can you?”
Tate’s sharp inhale made Donovan’s dick kick hard. “Can I what?”
“Take care of yourself?”
Tate’s lips parted as though he wanted to say something, but words didn’t come out.
Maybethiswas what did it for him. Donovan’s usual conquests were those who preferred to top but would give in when nudged the right way. But Tate … no, Tate was a definite bottom, and if he had to guess, he would enjoy Donovan stripping him of all his control for one incredible night.
“I’m not scared of you,” Tate said, his tone steady.
“I don’t want you to be,” he said, not backing off.
“No?”
“No.” Donovan canted his head to the side. “I want you a lot of ways, but scared’s not one of ’em.”
He hadn’t meant to say the words, but now that they were out there, Donovan couldn’t see a reason to recall them. Tate was looking at him the same way he always did. With a bit of hero worship and a hell of a lot of lust sparkling in those big blue eyes. He was so goddamn cute, and Donovan would thoroughly enjoy fucking him into submission.
Provided Tate understood he was only good for one night. That was all he had in him.
Tate didn’t back down. “Does this alpha-hole thing work for you?”
Alpha-hole? That was new.
“Every time,” he said honestly. “Does it work foryou?”
Tate swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing slowly in his throat. “Yeah,” he rasped. “Yeah, it does.”
“I thought so.”
***
