Zack paused at the door. “What is?”
“You have two immortal hotties wrapped around your little finger, and you never crack a smile.”
“You think I should be happy because I’ve got boyfriends?” Zack scoffed. “Why are you coming at me for that? You’re involved with them, too.”
Carver hopped off the treadmill and approached Zack. “You and I both know that they’re not into me the way they are with you. Takashi and I have a little fun. Roger’s nice, but we haven’t connected on a physical level like I thought we would. And all that’s fine. Because I get to brush elbows with some amazing people, and I get to party and eat great and not have a care in the goddamn world. You have all of thatplusromance, and all you do is piss and moan every night.”
“I do not,” Zack replied.
“Fine, you neversayit, but it’s obvious that you only see the problems.”
“Oh, is it?” Zack snapped.
Carver raised an eyebrow. “Well, you’re taking out your anger on me, for starters.”
“Maybe this time I have a fucking reason to be angry with you,” Zack replied. “Unlike you, I’m not seeing a dime for any of this. And how’re your parents? Got any siblings? Do they answer your texts? Calls?”
“When are you going to stop moping over what you lost and appreciate what you’ve got?” Carver returned.
There was no getting through to him. Zack huffed and stormed off for the master bedroom. His sore knee made his walk less dramatic than he’d been hoping for, but Carver didn’t follow him.
Every detail of the living room was new to him again. The modern-styled furniture was sleek and extravagant. The flat-screen television was massive. And what sort of suite typically had a full bar? A well-stocked kitchenette in a corner? Then, there was the view of Lake Michigan out beyond the balcony. The world sucked, but he was comfortable.
Money wasn’t the point. The suite could burn for all Zack cared. He whipped open the door to the master bedroom.
Roger and Takashi were kissing, a slow and gentle push and pull between the two of them. Both of them slept in pajama pants. Where Roger was stacked with muscles, Takashi was more lithe but no less muscular. A thin trail of dark hair was a whisper of a line from Takashi’s navel and toward his groin, disappearing from sight beneath his plaid sleepwear. Takashi had his long fingers threaded through Roger’s long, black hair.
And the picture before Zack was beautiful. Stunning. Literally better than any porn or fantasy he’d ever had. They finished their kiss, and Roger turned toward Zack with a lazy smile on his lips. Takashi nipped at Roger’s chin, then leaned against him as he regarded Zack as well.
They were happy to see him, though that was quickly becoming confusion and worry.
Because he was the problem. The angry, stupid mortal who couldn’t deal with his shit.
“I need a shower,” Zack said, unwanted sharpness coloring his voice.
Roger left the bed. “Zack?—”
“It’s not you.” Zack hurried into the bathroom.
“You’re hurt,” Roger said.
“I fell.”
“How?”
“I was stupid.”
Soundlessly, Roger followed Zack into the bathroom. Rather than shutting the door behind him, he continued trailing Zack. Takashi slipped out of the bed, shut the door between the bedroom and the rest of the suite, and then lingered in the bathroom doorway.
So I’ve got two boyfriends trying to handle me now. Great.Zack stripped off his tank top and tossed it onto the floor. He kicked off his sneakers. When the two of them continued to watch him, he snapped, “Can Ihelpyou?”
Roger folded his arms over his chest. “You’re lashing out. What’s really bothering you?”
“Nothing.” Zack winced as he dragged his shorts over his wounded knee. He hadn’t been careful, but he wasn’t about to slow down now that he was on a roll again.
Roger cheated and used his vampire speed to zip in front of Zack before he could get into the shower. His black hair framed his face, gently brushing his shoulders, and the set of his shoulders created a perfect triangle to his hips. Even with a stern expression, he had the ability to worm into Zack’s heart and open gates.
Zack slammed those gates shut, though he could feel them catching, like Roger still had a foot through them. He met Roger’s gaze in another of their long staring contests, but he was crumbling every second. The gates might have closed, but the walls around them fell away into dust. Roger and Takashi were everything.
