“This is a bad idea.” Stavros glanced from the house back to Daniel seated next to him in the back of the SUV. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m good with it. Just wanted to make sure you knew, that this—” He waved at the house again. “Is a really fucking bad idea.”

“Noted.” Daniel’s mouth twitched.

Five minutes they’d been sitting outside this house. If Stavros had his way, they’d leave Seattle and go back to New York. Maybe Atlanta. Hell, a nearby hotel would do. They’d been on the move since leaving Daniel’s mother two days ago. Daniel tying up loose ends. And Stavros handling his own business via phone calls with his uncle. No time to exhale.

This moment was going to be hard on Daniel, and Stavros refused to let his lover do it alone. So he’d come here to Seattle, to be face to face with Levi and his husband. Of course, Stavros fully expected Donovan Cintron to retaliate for what Stavros did.

He’d do the same, so he couldn’t be mad. Shit, he didn’t even care.

Not really.

“Did I tell you I have a house on St. Simons Island in Georgia?” He sidled closer to Daniel, until their shoulders were pressed together. “It’s on the southeast coast, midway between Savannah and Jacksonville.”

Daniel broke off his staring of the house and touched a finger to Stavros’ cheek. “Is it?”

“Yeah.” Stavros tilted his head back, breathing turned loud and heavy when Daniel’s hand traveled down to his throat and squeezed slightly. “House on the beach, too.” Daniel pressed on his throat and Stavros’ lips parted. “I want to fuck you there.”

“On the beach?” Daniel’s expression was all calm seas and blue skies, but his voice was another matter. Choppy, as the hand at Stavros’ throat moved south, digging into his stomach before dipping lower.

Gripping his erection.

Stavros groaned.

“It is true,” Daniel whispered, breath washing over Stavros’ lips in a teasing wave of heat. “We need a vacation.”

“Fuck.” Stavros bucked into his grip. “Yeah, we do.”

“And I must admit…” He licked Stavros, a wet trail of fire across his jaw. “I’m in love with your sex.”

Jesus. Stavros grabbed him by the hair, mashing their lips together. “Don’t fucking say things like that. Not here.” He bit Daniel’s lip then sucked on it, shaking when Daniel’s grip on his cock got tighter. The sweet pain closed his eyes as he rammed his hips forward.

“Diablo.”

“Shut.” Lick. “Your.” Bite. “Mouth.” Kiss. Stavros tore his mouth away, panting as he clutched at Daniel. “Otherwise I will fuck you in your baby brother’s driveway.”

Daniel shuddered, and Stavros pushed him backward onto the seat, throwing one leg over him.

Straddling him.

Daniel’s cock pressed hard against Stavros, and he moaned, head thrown back, both hands clutching Daniel’s nape as he rocked against him. Daniel cupped his ass, mouth on Stavros’ neck, hips lifting as they dry humped.

Damn, but Stavros couldn’t remember the last time he’d done something like this. It was intoxicating. Hot and exhilarating. Daniel’s grunts danced over Stavros’ skin, his fingers tight and definitely leaving marks. They moved together.

Rubbing.

Grinding.

No other way to describe it other than so damn good.

He caught Daniel’s head, lifting him to catch his lips, sucking them one by one into his mouth as Daniel panted for him. Then Stavros went in.

And he went deep.

Fucking his way into Daniel, their mouths wide, heads slanted this way, then that way. Tongues clashed, tangling.

Daniel moaned and Stavros tasted it, rough and sinister before the sound disintegrated around their kiss. He’d spend the rest of the day here in the backseat of the SUV, dry-humping Daniel with his tongue down his throat, all of his lover’s sounds flavoring their kiss. Darkening it. Tinting it something ragged.

Something wild and desperate.

Much like the man bucking up against Stavros’ ass, the man whose fingers gripped him so tight. So fucking dangerous. That danger spurred Stavros on and he reached between them, grasping Daniel’s crotch.

His lover’s breath stuttered.

Stavros grinned as his fingers settled on Daniel’s belt.

The car door to his left opened and hands grabbed Stavros by the hair, yanking him off Daniel and out of the vehicle. He fell to the ground on his knees.

“Ain’t this some shit.”

He lifted his head and stared down the barrel of Donovan Cintron’s gun.

Well, fuck.

Daniel rushed out the SUV, and Stavros’ heart stuttered.

“Daniel,” he barked. “Stop.” He didn’t look away from Van, but from the corner of his eye he saw Daniel freeze. “This is between Van and me.” Slowly, he lifted his hands to interlock them behind his head.

“Diablo.” The agony in Daniel’s voice, Stavros recognized it. The need to do something, anything to protect the person you loved even as you remained helpless to make any moves.

“Stop.” Stavros shook his head slowly. “Let me do this.”

Donovan Cintron’s hand didn’t waver, not even when his husband came running out the front door.

“Van, shit!” Levi skidded to a stop next to his husband. “You’re in public view, damn it.”

Stavros smiled. Was it wrong that he liked that Levi didn’t reprimand Van for pulling a gun on Stavros? Those Nieto boys, bloodthirsty as fuck.

“Van, put your gun away,” Daniel spoke softly, carefully. Probably the first time Stavros had ever heard him take that careful tone.

He didn’t like it.

“Been a while since I’ve wanted to take a bite out of you,” Van said. “You like to think you’re untouchable, and you might have been. Until you put your hands on what’s mine.”

“When you’re at war, you use all the weapons at your disposal.” Stavros shrugged. “Levi was a weapon.”

Van smashed him across the face with the gun, and Stavros jerked backward. Shit. That hurt.

“Van.”

Stavros managed to peer past the blood dripping down his face. Daniel had a hand on Van’s shoulder. Levi had his hands folded as he watched closely.

“Leave him.” Stavros licked at his cut lip, wincing at the resulting burn. “Leave him,” he told Daniel again. “It’s okay.”

He didn’t even see the fist coming until it smashed into his nose.

“You pussy as fuck,” Van snarled as he got down into a crouch in front of Stavros. “Next time you even think about involving my husband in your jacked-up games, I’m shooting your ass.” He straightened. “And I don’t give a fuck who’s keeping your dick wet.” He walked away, back to the house with his husband at his side.

Daniel grabbed Stavros, helping him to his feet. “Are you all right?”

“I’m okay.” Stavros wiped at his face with his sleeve. “We both know I’ve been through worse.”

“Why did you stop me?” Daniel fisted the front of Stavros’ jacket. His eyes narrowed as he sized up Stavros. “He could have killed you.”

“And I wouldn’t have deserved it?” He placed a hand over Daniel’s. “Let’s not pretend I didn’t fuck up and cross a line by involving Levi and Toro in our fight.”

Daniel’s jaw tightened.

“I stopped you because if he’d done to you what I did to Levi, I’d have reacted the same damn way. Besides, if he wanted to hurt me, I’d be hurt.” He didn’t doubt that. Stavros cracked his neck. “I’m fine, and your brother is waiting for you in there.” He shook his head when Daniel opened his mouth. “I’ll be waiting for you here. Your brother needs you.” He cupped Daniel’s jaw. “You need him, too.”

A small twitch curved Daniel’s mouth. “There’s blood on your throat.” His fingers touched Stavros there, feather light. Still, that bit of rough lingered. Like all of Daniel’s touches. “I am hard for you.”

“You’re always hard for me.” Stavros grinned. “But the sooner you talk to your brother, the sooner my tongue can be in your ass.”

Daniel’s nostrils flared and he yanked Stavros into his arms, mouth going to his throat. Wet heat flared against his Adam’s apple when Daniel licked him.

Licked his blood.

Hell. “You know I’m gonna fucking come if you keep that nasty shit up.”

Daniel released him abruptly and stepped back. “Wait for me in the car.”

“Always.” Stavros gave him a crooked smile.

With a shake of his head, a smile playing on his lips, Daniel turned toward his brother’s house. “Oh, and one more thing…”

Stavros stopped with his hand on the car door and looked back.

“When I return you will finish what you started in that backseat.”

Stavros licked his lips.

“Then you’ll take us to that beach house of yours, and do it all over again.”

God. Damn. “I love you,” he said. Because that was really the only response a moment like that required.

“Lo sé.” Daniel nodded once. “I love you, too.” He continued the short trek to his brother’s front door.

And Stavros waited for him.