“Wow,” Eveline muttered. “You look like the cat that not only got the cream, but also inherited the deeds to the cream factory.” She grinned salaciously.

Joe narrowed his eyes at her across the table.

“I still haven’t forgiven you for that stunt you pulled.”

Over a week had passed since Joe and Ethan finally consummated their relationship during one spectacular night of mind-blowing sex. It was Sunday evening and they’d invited Eveline, Cam, and Gabe over for takeout and drinks.

“Really?” Eveline’s gaze shifted to where Ethan sat next to Joe. She arched an eyebrow. “Even though the guy beside you looks like a blushing virgin who’s had his flower plucked for the first time?”

Ethan shoved a prawn in his mouth, ears flaming.

“Oh.” Eveline blinked. “I’m sorry. Should I have said deflowered instead?”

“Sweet Jesus,” Ethan groaned. “Shut the fuck up, Evie!”

Joe’s lips twitched at the nickname. The fact that Ethan and Eveline got on like a house on fire was something he could never have anticipated in a million years. It was like watching a panther become besties with a lioness.

“Still not good enough?” Eveline said with a pout. “How about roast the broomstick? Butter the biscuit? Dip the crane in the oil well? Had a hot beef injec—”

Ethan jerked Joe by the front of his T-shirt while Eveline listed more euphemisms.

“You brought her to the party,” he growled. “Now, fucking deal with it!”

Joe swallowed the laughter bubbling inside him and maintained a deadpan expression. “This is your punishment for tricking me.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Gabe said from across the way.

They all stared at him. Gabe reached for his glass, his expression still puzzled.

Eveline narrowed her eyes at Cam.

“Jesus, Sorvino, how the hell did you end up with such a sweetie?” Eveline leaned toward Gabe, a sexy, filthy smile curving her lips. “Fuck-ing, darling” she enunciated. “We’re talking about Joe and Ethan finally making whoopee.”

Gabe choked on his drink and dissolved in a fit of coughs.

Cam thumped him on the back and scowled at Eveline.

“Will you stop trying to kill my boyfriend?” His expression softened as he looked at Joe and Ethan. He flashed them a grin. “Congrats, you two.”

Eveline’s jaw dropped.

“My God,” she muttered. “I never thought I’d see the day the great Cam Sorvino actually used the word boyfriend in reference to himself.”

Cam threw a piece of sushi at her.

The conversation turned to milder topics as they whiled away the evening.

“By the way, how’s your stocks and shares portfolio doing?” Cam asked Eveline sometime later.

Ethan stiffened slightly next to Joe. “I’ll get us more drinks,” he murmured. He rose from the table and headed for the bar.

“Oh, so-so,” Eveline said with a casual air that had Joe narrowing his eyes.

He knew that expression. It was the one Eveline wore when she was hiding something.

“Mind if I take a look?” Cam said. “There’s some pretty good stuff out there right now. You might be able to get on board before they go viral.”

Eveline hesitated. She brought up an app on her cell and passed her phone to Cam.

Cam wiped his fingers clean and scrolled down the screen. His eyes widened.

“I see you’ve already got them.”

“I do?” Eveline murmured with an innocent arch of her eyebrows.

Joe blinked.

Wow, whatever it is, it’s a fucking whopper.

Cam stilled. He sat up and leaned an elbow on the table, gray eyes focusing as he flicked his finger down the screen.

“Seen enough?” Eveline said brightly. “Can I have my—”

“Wait up,” Cam muttered, lines marring his brow as he studied the data on the cell. It was a full minute before he paused and leaned back in his chair. He watched Eveline with a hard expression. “Say, Eveline, you wouldn’t happen to know a guy called Mr. S, would you?”

A loud clink came from the direction of the bar. Joe glanced to where Ethan stood behind the counter, his back to them while he mixed their drinks.

“Who’s Mr. S?” Eveline asked, genuine puzzlement in her voice.

Cam frowned.

“He’s one of our most elusive clients. Came out of left field about six years ago and wiped the floor with some of the best brains in the business in his first year of dealing in stocks and shares.”

“Wow, Mr. S, huh?” Eveline muttered. “I’m afraid I don’t know anyone by such a lame name.”

There was a noise from the bar.

Joe looked to where Ethan was setting their glasses on a tray on the counter.

“You okay?”

“Uh-huh,” Ethan murmured.

Surprise darted through Joe as he stared at Ethan.

Why are his ears so red?

“Really?” Cam said drily to Eveline. He pushed her cell across the table. “’Cause the data on here pretty much mimics what he’s been doing for the past few weeks.”

Eveline grabbed her phone and slipped it inside her bag.

“Maybe my broker knows him.”

Cam observed her for a silent moment.

“Maybe,” he said finally. “Anyway, the guy would be seriously loaded if he didn’t give most of his money away.”

Eveline blinked.

“What?”

“Yup,” Cam said with a dip of his chin. He took a sip of his Scotch. “He’s a serious do-gooder. Donates most of it to this one charity that helps street kids around the world. Pretty neat for someone who nearly flunked Stanford business school.”

Joe twitched. His eyes found Ethan where he was stiffly crossing the floor toward the table, tray in hand and downturned gaze focused on his feet.

“No, he didn’t,” Eveline blurted. “Ethan graduated summa cum laude. He got the fifth top score Stanford ever—whoops!” She clamped a hand over her mouth just as an almighty crash sounded.

Everyone startled bar Joe, who jumped to his feet and frowned at Ethan where he stood frozen in the middle of a sea of broken glass.

“You hurt?” Joe snapped.

Ethan shook his head, face pale and body immobilized under Joe’s hard stare.

“Good,” Joe said gruffly. “Don’t move.”

Joe’s pulse started a steady drumming beat as he headed carefully across the shard-strewn floor to Ethan, his mind swinging between shock and anger at the outrageous revelation that had just slipped from Eveline’s mouth.

“I’m sorry, Ethan,” Eveline said with genuine regret. “I looked up your profile on—”

“No fucking way!” Cam exclaimed. “You’re telling me this little shit is Mr. S?!”

“Hey, watch it!” Eveline growled. “This ‘little shit’ made me a quarter million dollars last month.”

“Wow,” Gabe murmured.

Joe blocked out Cam’s and Eveline’s bickering as he reached Ethan.

Ethan licked his lips nervously.

“Um, Joe—”

The rest of Ethan’s words vanished in a shocked whoosh when Joe grabbed his waist and tossed him over his shoulder. Joe held on to Ethan’s butt and carefully navigated his way out of the danger area before turning toward the table where Cam, Gabe, and Eveline sat staring.

“Like a goddamn caveman,” Eveline muttered in a voice full of admiration, her eyes dancing with laughter.

Cam grinned. Gabe soundlessly opened and closed his mouth beside him.

“Broom, dustpan, and mop are through there,” Joe said silkily, indicating the private door next to the bar. He patted the firm ass of the man he was carrying. “This guy and I have some serious talking to do.”

“Oh, fuck,” Ethan whimpered.

Joe smiled grimly and headed for the back of the club, pleased with the small shiver that ran through his lover. He paused at a sudden thought, dug around in his pocket, and tossed something toward the table where their friends still sat.

“Oh, and lock up, will you?”

Cam caught the keys midair and chuckled. Gabe blushed beside him, his expression warming.

Joe caressed Ethan’s ass, his fingers lingering lovingly on the tense toned flesh.

“We ain’t coming down for the rest of the night. In fact, we might not leave the apartment for several days.”

“Oh God!” Ethan groaned.

Eveline beamed. “Wow, your make-up sex is gonna be so hot.”

Joe bit his lip to stop himself from laughing and moved toward the door. He nudged it open with his foot and carried on walking, not stopping until he reached the private stairs that led to his apartment. He ignored Ethan’s mumbled protests while he climbed the steps, headed through the front door of his flat, and crossed the floor to his bedroom.

Joe tossed Ethan unceremoniously onto his freshly made bed before climbing up over him. He studied the flushed and clearly nervous man beneath him, wondering if he’d finally revealed the last of his secrets.

“So, you didn’t flunk business school?” Joe said in a hard voice.

Ethan shook his head and licked his lips.

Joe’s gaze dropped to Ethan’s mouth, his cock stirring.

“And you’re some kind of whiz kid?”

Ethan hesitated before shrugging and nodding, an awkward expression flashing across his face.

Joe stilled as he gazed into Ethan’s eyes, the last of his irritation finally fading. Love filled him when he realized the gift Fate had granted him by bringing this sweet, funny, sexy, cocky, humble, brilliant man into his life.

Thank you, God!

Joe lowered his head and brought his lips to Ethan’s left ear, prolonging his fake irate act just a bit longer.

“How much, Ethan?” he murmured.

Ethan shivered, his body reacting to Joe’s touch. “What?” he mumbled in a dazed voice.

Joe licked the shell of Ethan’s ear.

“How much are you worth?”

Ethan gasped and squirmed beneath him, his back arching.

“I—I don’t want to—”

Joe tugged on the lobe of Ethan’s ear with his teeth.

“Tell me.”

Ethan moaned, hands rising to grip Joe’s back. He whispered a figure that made Joe blink and freeze.

“Holy shit.” Joe straightened and stared at Ethan. “And you’ve given most of it away?” he said hoarsely, his heart thumping wildly in his chest.

Ethan nodded.

“Why?” Joe blurted.

Ethan watched him for a long, silent moment, his eyes darkening as the seconds ticked by.

“Making money is a talent.” Ethan touched Joe’s face gently, his fingers skimming Joe’s left cheek before coming to rest against his lips. “I’d rather be happy. With you.”

Joe’s breath hitched in his throat when he read the blatant adoration in Ethan’s green eyes.

“God, you kill me.”

Joe took Ethan’s mouth in a scorching kiss that had the man beneath him clutching desperately at his shoulders.

“Any other secrets you need to tell me?”

Joe peeled his T-shirt off before tugging Ethan’s out of his jeans and yanking it over his head.

Ethan feverishly undid Joe’s belt buckle, his teeth sneaking out to tug sexily at his lower lip.

“What kind of secrets are we talking? Like stealing, cheating—”

Joe groaned when Ethan’s fingers found his throbbing cock through his briefs.

“Anything!”

Ethan suddenly went quiet beneath him, a serious expression dawning on his face. He took a deep breath.

Joe tensed.

“I popped my cherry in the back of a Corolla,” Ethan admitted solemnly.

Joe blinked before bursting out laughing. He couldn’t believe how much fun sex with Ethan could be.

“I love you, Ethan Skye,” he said after the last chuckle left his lips. “So goddamn much.”

Ethan flushed, his gorgeous eyes filling with emotion at Joe’s heartfelt confession. It was the first time Joe had openly declared his love to him. He raised trembling hands and cradled Joe’s face.

“I love you, too, Joe Cavendish,” he breathed.

Joe smiled and leaned down to kiss him.

* * *