Ethan blinked rapidly when Joe crowded him against the half-open door.

“Why?”

Joe glowered.

“This asshole nearly chased you in that alley tonight and he’s been sending you notes to this place. I want to check your apartment.”

Ethan swallowed, his pulse accelerating at Joe’s proximity despite his annoyance at the carefully orchestrated charade they were now engaged in.

God, he smells good.

Joe hustled him inside the lobby and inspected the letterboxes as the door swung closed behind them.

“Which one’s yours?”

Ethan hesitated. “Three-oh-one.”

Joe looked at him pointedly. Ethan sighed and handed him the key card.

Joe opened the letterbox. It was empty. He frowned.

“What kind of stuff does he normally send his notes in?”

“White envelopes. About the size of a greeting card.”

Joe scanned the clean lines of the lobby, suspicion creasing his brow.

“You sure it’s not your mailman?”

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

“My mailman is a fifty-five-year old lady with arthritis.”

“Oh.” Joe watched him for a silent moment. “Lead the way.”

* * *

Joe studied the sweet curves of Ethan’s butt as the bartender climbed the stairs ahead of him.

The memory of the kiss they’d shared earlier that night still burned through him. Joe had expected that making out with Ethan would be hot, but the reality of it had utterly stunned him. He still regretted the words he’d spoken following the kiss, the ones he’d uttered to make it clear to Ethan that this was all just an act to flush out his unwanted admirer. Deep down inside, Joe knew he’d also said those words to remind himself that he needed to keep his distance from Ethan.

Despite the bartender’s cool behavior for the rest of that evening, Joe had still insisted on walking Ethan home, his concern about the stalker situation unabated.

Although Joe had enjoyed the companionable silence they’d shared as they strolled to the bartender’s home, he had only intended to make sure Ethan got to his apartment building okay. One look at the place and the exclusive neighborhood it was set in had sent a bolt of intense curiosity through Joe.

Who the hell is this kid?

“Joe,” Ethan said quietly as they negotiated a landing.

“Yeah?”

“Quit staring at my ass.”

Joe blinked.

“What makes you think I’m staring at your ass?”

“‘Cause I can feel your eyes boring a hole into it.”

“You mean, besides the other hole?”

Ethan cursed and mumbled something that sounded like, “Irritating fucker,” above him.

Joe grinned. He was glad to see Ethan back to his normal self.

The bartender stopped on the third landing and headed left down the corridor. He paused in front of the door to his apartment and put his hand out.

“My key card.”

Joe ignored him, slipped the plastic strip in the lock, and twisted the handle. Lights came on as he entered the apartment ahead of Ethan.

Joe stopped and stared at the open-plan living area, the dark oak wood floor, and the sleek lines of chic furniture dotting the place. He frowned at Ethan over his shoulder.

“Care to tell me how you can afford this on the wage I’m paying you?”

“I came into some inheritance money and invested it wisely,” Ethan said, deadpan. He shrugged his jacket off and barged past Joe.

Irritation flashed through Joe. He could spot a barefaced lie from a mile away. That Ethan was holding back on telling him the truth again made his gut twist with anger. He marched after Ethan, grabbed his arm, and spun him around.

“You’re lying to me, Ethan,” Joe said silkily. “And you should know by now, I don’t like liars.”

Ethan’s gaze dropped to where Joe’s hand was wrapped around his right biceps. The fury in his green eyes when he looked up made Joe blink in surprise.

“If anyone is lying, it’s you,” Ethan said harshly.

Joe slowly released his hold on the bartender.

“And exactly what do you mean by that?”

“You fucking well know what I’m talking about!”

Ethan dropped his jacket on a sofa chair and twisted on his heels to face Joe.

“Why do you still go there? To Le Secret? What kind of hold does that—that woman have on you that you would sell yourself for her when you clearly don’t need the money?”

Joe stilled.

“That’s none of your business,” he said coldly.

“Oh, yeah? Well, it’s none of your business how I can afford this place either!” Ethan spat.

Joe clenched his jaw as he stared at the gorgeous, irate man before him.

“I owe Eveline my life.”

Ethan blinked, shock replacing the anger on his face.

“What?” he mumbled.

Joe raked a hand through his hair.

“I would be long dead by now if Eveline hadn’t rescued me from the hellhole I was living in back in New York.”

Ethan paled.

“Is she blackmailing you?”

“No.” Joe scowled. “That’s all I’m gonna say on the subject, so don’t push me, Ethan.”

* * *

Ethan’s heart thundered inside his chest as Joe strode past him, still reeling from the club owner’s unexpected confession.

Joe checked the apartment and returned to the living area a moment later.

“Everything looks okay,” he said gruffly.

Ethan nodded mutely.

“I’ll come pick you up tomorrow before your shift,” Joe said.

He dropped Ethan’s key card on the coffee table and headed for the door.

“You don’t need to do that,” Ethan murmured, walking slowly after him.

Joe froze with his hand on the door handle. He turned, grabbed Ethan’s arm, and pushed him against the hallway wall.

Ethan gasped when Joe trapped his wrists above his head with his powerful hands and pressed his tall, hard body against him.

“What the—”

Joe swooped and swallowed the rest of Ethan’s words with his lips, his kiss sending electricity surging through Ethan, his hot tongue masterfully invading Ethan’s mouth.

Ethan moaned and arched, hips flexing against the steely leg wedged between his thighs. Joe pushed back, his erection digging into Ethan’s stomach. He kept Ethan’s wrists trapped with one hand and dropped the other to Ethan’s groin.

Fire licked Ethan when Joe ran a finger across his throbbing cock.

“Oh!”

Ethan felt Joe grin against his lips. Then, his entire world narrowed in on the sound of a zipper opening and the draft of air that washed across his lower abdomen.

Ethan groaned with pleasure as Joe dipped his hand inside his briefs and palmed his aching cock. He wrenched his mouth from Joe’s kiss and dropped his head back against the wall as the latter started stroking him with delicious, slow movements of his wrist.

“Oh God.”

“You like that?” Joe whispered teasingly in his left ear, his breath sending a shiver of need down Ethan’s spine.

Ethan bit his lower lip.

“Yes!”

“Good,” Joe murmured. He dropped hot kisses against Ethan’s neck, his hand working him faster and faster.

Ethan matched Joe’s rhythm with his own hips, thrusting into the fingers pleasuring him, unable to halt the gasps and moans leaving his throat. The first wave of his climax gathered at the base of his spine and deep inside his belly a moment later.

“Oh Jesus!” Ethan closed his eyes, his ass clenching tight and his entire body stiffening in anticipation of the intense orgasm.

Joe’s hand froze on his cock.

Ethan blinked dazedly and looked up at him. Confusion clouded his pleasure-dazed brain when he registered Joe’s cool expression.

“This is your punishment for lying to me,” Joe said stonily.

He let go of him so suddenly, Ethan nearly collapsed to the floor.

Ethan pressed his back against the wall, knees trembling and cock throbbing. Shock turned to anger when he realized he’d just been masterfully played.

“You fucking asshole,” Ethan hissed.

Joe’s gaze dropped to Ethan’s stiff dick.

“That looks kinda painful. I’d take care of it if I were you.”

He turned and headed out of the apartment. The door closed loudly in the deafening silence.

Rage flooded Ethan. He slipped his aching cock inside his pants, opened the door, and glared at Joe’s back as the latter strolled toward the stairs.

“You fucking asshole!”

Joe stopped and arched an eyebrow at him over his shoulder.

“I’ll pick you up at five. Be ready.”