“I… WHAT… DID I just see who I think I saw?” Robbie’s voice was about ten octaves higher than his usual falsetto as Tate pulled him into Logan’s new office and shut the door behind them. The band was now a muffled sound of holiday cheer that was soon becoming a soundtrack to a nightmare at Christmas.

“How could he?” Robbie demanded as he started to pace. He had his hands on his hips and a pissed-off expression stamped all over his face as Tate tried to think of something to say.

“What am I saying?” Robbie answered for him. “Of course that asshole would do something like this.”

Tate was about to agree that Julien was an asshole when Robbie whirled around and pointed a finger.

“Didn’t I tell you that that Priest guy was an asshole?”

Wait…Priest? What did Priest do wrong, other than marry a— Oh, great, Tate thought. I have the fun job of telling Robbie they’re married. That’s going to go over well.

“Look, Robbie,” Tate started, and then he stopped, knowing that this was going to be hard to hear. “It’s a bit more complicated than you think.”

“Really?” Robbie said, his chin jutting out as he seemed to dare Tate to give it his best shot.

“Yeah, well.” Tate sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Shit, this was worse than when he’d had to tell Jill that he’d caught Garry Dalton kissing one of the cheerleaders behind the bleachers after school. Robbie had been through a lot this past year and was only now starting to act like himself. Tate didn’t want to be the one to land this blow to his confidence.

Fuck that Prick, Tate thought. And what a fitting name that is.

“Listen,” Tate started again, and walked over to where Robbie stood with his arms crossed and his lips pinched. “Logan and I, we had no idea about Priest and that he was…” Tate paused, dreading to actually have to say the word.

“What? That he was what? Gay? News flash, I knew. He kept looking at my mouth—dead giveaway. But what I didn’t know was that that arrogant jackass was going to invade and steal my life. First,” Robbie said, and held up his index finger. “He gets a job with Logan, like I do with you. Second.” Up came the middle finger. “He gets invited along to shindigs and intimate gatherings with the two of you. And third, apparently, he’s now going to be there to steal every guy who happens to look at me twice. I swear, that man was put on this planet to piss me off. Tell me, is that what you didn’t know? Because I’ve known that from the second we met.”

“Uh…no,” Tate said, and then rubbed a hand over his face. There was no easy way to say this, he just had to fucking say it, and sometime this century, before Robbie got the completely wrong idea. “What I didn’t know, what Logan didn’t know, is that Priest is…married. To Julien.”

As the word hung there in the air between the two of them, Tate braced himself for what he knew was about to come, and he was right—Robbie exploded.

“They’re what?”

* * *

LOGAN GLANCED OVER at the partners’ table, where Priest was saying something in Julien’s ear, and when the Prick had the audacity to smirk, that was it. Logan’s intentions must’ve been written on his face, though, because before he could get two steps away, Cole’s hand landed on his arm and he was turning Logan away from the crowded room.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Cole asked.

“I’m going to go and tell them they need to leave.”

Cole sighed and shook his head. “No, you are not. You cannot ask our newest business partner to get out because his husband… What exactly did he do?”

Logan’s jaw ticked as he thought about the way Julien had flirted and led Robbie on. “Let’s just say he acted a lot more single than married the night we all met.”

“So he hit on Robbie?” Cole said matter-of-factly.

“That’s one way of saying it, and I’m not going to let some smug French chef, celebrity or not, hurt him like that.”

Cole nodded and put a hand on his hip as he looked over his shoulder to all of their guests. “Look, if you go marching over there, accusing this Julien guy—”

“The Prick.”

“Yes, him, of cheating on his husband, that’s not going to help your friend out all that much, but it is going to embarrass Priest. This is his first event with the firm, not to mention the first time he’s let us in to his private life. He’s opening up—”

“Yeah?” Logan said. “Well, some things you don’t need to, or want to, know. Such as this. I didn’t want to know that his husband is a lying sack of shit, because now I have to live with that.”

Cole let out a sigh of frustration and rubbed his chin. “Just cool it for tonight, would you? This is supposed to be a Christmas party. Talk to Priest on Monday, in private, where he isn’t going to feel singled out or embarrassed.”

Logan shook his head.

“Logan…” Cole said.

“Fine, but do you mind if I go and get myself a bourbon or three? I suddenly feel like tonight would be better handled if I was inebriated.”

Cole swept his arm out, and Logan walked off in the direction of the bar.

What a goddamn clusterfuck, he thought, as he plastered on a smile and stopped to make small talk with several employees and their spouses, and when he finally reached the bar, Logan said, “Bourbon, neat, thanks.”

He hadn’t seen Tate or Robbie since Tate had dragged Robbie off in the direction of Logan’s office, and as the bartender put his drink down in front of him and the band started to play “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” Logan picked up the glass and downed the smooth alcohol in one gulp.

Tonight was not going as he’d envisioned it. Actually, he didn’t think he was capable of envisioning this. How had he and Cole been unaware of Priest’s marital status? Not that it was a vital piece of information, and when they’d asked for his background check, of course they’d only been given his legal information, past employment, and track records, because that was all that really mattered to them when hiring.

They’d never been one of those firms who needed an employee, or partner, for that matter, to fit a certain mold. They didn’t require that one be married and have 2.5 children to make them look well rounded and perfect on paper. But as Logan stood there, he wanted to kick his own ass for not even thinking this was a possibility. That Priest was married to a man, and not just any man. A fucking celebrity who apparently had a penchant for feisty blonds in his spare time.

“Mitchell… I was hoping we’d get a chance to talk to you alone.” Priest’s voice behind him had Logan shutting his eyes as he prayed for the patience he knew he was sorely lacking right now.

Please go away, Logan thought, but when Priest walked up to stand beside him at the bar, Logan knew he was shit out of luck. He turned and immediately spotted Julien by Priest’s side, and wanted to tell him to fuck off. Luckily, Logan hadn’t had more than one drink so far tonight, and was still able to control what his tongue did and didn’t say…for now.

“I actually think dinner’s about to be served,” Logan said, and was about to step around them when Priest got in his way.

“No, it’s not. You told me dinner was late. Nine o’clock.”

Jesus, Priest, just let me go, Logan thought as his eyes moved to the man by his side, and he took a moment to really look at him.

Julien Thornton was an incredibly attractive man, that much was true. With his closely cropped hair, his cheekbones were a wicked slash up his face that made his features appear angular, and savage when he wasn’t smiling. But he was intriguing to look at, and when he realized Logan was staring at him a little longer than was polite, Julien’s lips curved and a dimple appeared on his right cheek.

“Do I pass inspection?” Julien asked.

Logan’s eyes flicked to Priest’s for some kind of indication on how to play this, and when he said nothing, merely eyed Logan over the rim of his glass, Logan returned his attention to Julien and said, “No inspection. I’m still getting over the shock that Priest here is married.”

“No, you’re not,” Julien said, and then cocked his head to the side. “You’re wondering if you should or shouldn’t tell my husband that I was in your bar the night before Thanksgiving.”

Okay…Logan thought. That’s it. If he doesn’t want to be polite about this, I’ve got no problem with that at all. “You’re right. I am wondering that. I’m also curious if he knows you’re a lying sack of shit.” Logan then turned to face Priest and saw that his mouth was twitching, as though trying to hold back a smile. Why doesn’t he look—

“If I didn’t have such a hard-on for the princess your guy just towed out of here,” Julien said, “you would be very interesting to me right now. Especially since I now know who you really are, and here I just thought you were a bartender.”

Wait up, Logan thought as Julien’s words fully registered with him. Did he just hit on me? “Surprise, asshole,” Logan said, his voice caustic even to his own ears.

“Hmm, no matter. As fate would have it, it appears my attention does indeed lie with a bartender, just as I hope to,” Julien said, and looked over his shoulder. “Where did he run off to, by the way?”

Logan’s eyes shifted to Priest’s.

“I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you speechless, Mitchell,” Priest said.

And he was. Completely and utterly speechless.

“I didn’t know Robert was going to be here tonight.” Priest said it so matter-of-factly he could’ve been talking about anyone, but the way his eyes also scanned the room belied his disinterest, and Logan finally found his tongue.

“Tate invited him at the last minute. I don’t know what game you two are playing here—”

“No game,” Priest cut in.

“It certainly feels like one.”

“Does it?” Priest asked. “Why?”

That was it—Logan was done. He had a Christmas party to deal with, employees to watch over to make sure they didn’t get hammered and do something that would cost them their job, and he didn’t have time to try and work out what the hell was going on here.

“It feels like a game, because your husband gave Robbie his phone number the other night in my bar. That puts me in an awkward situation,” Logan said, and then looked to Julien. “As I’m sure you can appreciate.”

“I can assure you. We’re not playing games,” Priest said.

“Seems that way to me,” Logan answered.

Priest shook his head, his eyes narrowing as he took a step closer to Logan. “And I apologize for that. This was rather…unexpected for us too. We didn’t anticipate Robert being here tonight.”

“Robert?” Logan said. “As in Robbie?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re married.”

“We are aware,” Priest said. “Come on, Mitchell, you’re hardly the type to believe that unions such as marriage have to be so conventional, so…conservative.”

Logan had known what was coming even before Priest confirmed it. But up until that exact second, he never would have thought of it. Probably because the very idea of such a thing with Tate wasn’t one that he, in a million years, would contemplate.

Logan aimed a glare at Julien, annoyed on Robbie’s behalf. “He thought you were interested in him.”

“I am.”

“Only him.” Logan shook his head. “Jesus. I need another drink,” he said, and gestured for the bartender. “Two bourbons, thanks.”

“Look, we didn’t know he would be here,” Priest said again, as if that would help.

“Yeah, well, I don’t think that matters too much now.” Logan scoffed. “You know he hates you, right?”

“He doesn’t hate me,” Priest said, arrogant as ever. “He just doesn’t understand…yet.”

As Logan’s drinks were placed in front of him, he downed one of them and then picked up the other. “I don’t care whether he understands or not. If either of you hurt him, I’ll cut your fucking balls off, partner or no partner. Do we understand each other?”

But before Priest could answer, Logan walked off to find Tate and to see if Robbie could do with a drink.

* * *

TATE WATCHED AT a careful distance as Robbie paced the length of Logan’s new office. He’d been silent ever since Tate had told him of Priest’s marital status, and while there was no furniture in the space yet, Tate stayed as far away as possible so Robbie could express his anger by kicking a wall, if he wanted to.

Robbie was muttering and shaking his head as he marched in time to whatever beat he was imagining pounding into Priest’s head, and when there was a soft knock on the door, Tate looked over to see Logan poking his head inside.

“Jingle Bell Rock” slipped through the crack, and when Logan’s eyes shifted past Tate’s shoulder to the pacing Robbie, he stepped inside. With a glass of alcohol in one hand and a scowl on his face, Logan looked like he wanted to join Robbie in his march of irritation.

“Hey,” Tate said when Logan stopped beside him.

“Hey. How’s he doing?”

“Um…well, he hasn’t said much.”

Logan shook his head. “What a fucking mess.”

Tate agreed. He gestured to the drink. “Medicating?”

“No. I already had mine. This is for him,” Logan said, gesturing to Robbie.

“Did you talk to Priest?”

Logan nodded. “I did.”

“And did he know about Julien?”

“He did.”

Wait… “He did?”

“Yes,” Logan said, and looked Tate dead in the eye. “He did. They…are interested in this one.”

Logan gestured to Robbie with the tumbler, and Tate held his hand up. “Hang on a minute—they are interested?”

“Yep.”

That hadn’t even occurred to Tate, and his expression must’ve said as much, because Logan chuckled.

“I know. Last thing on my mind too.”

“Well, thank God for that,” Tate grumbled. “So what now? Are you going to tell him?”

“Robbie? Fuck no,” Logan said. “That’s their business, not mine. Plus, who knows how he’d react.”

Tate looked back over to Robbie, who had now stopped by the door to the balcony. “Then what do you plan to do?”

Logan sighed and raised the glass. “I plan to give him a drink and tell him he’s welcome to stay if he wants and that if, and when, he wants to talk to us, he can.”

Tate smiled and leaned forward to kiss Logan gently on the lips, tasting the bourbon there. “You’re very sweet sometimes. You know that?”

Logan’s lips quirked. “Well, I already threatened to chop off their balls if they hurt him, so there’s not much more I can do beyond that, is there?”

“No, I don’t suppose there is. He is an adult,” Tate said just as a howl of pain echoed around the room and the two of them looked over to see Robbie hopping around on one leg while holding the other.

“You were saying?” Logan asked as they walked over to Robbie. He looked up from under his bangs and frowned.

“Stupid door,” Robbie muttered.

“Yes,” Logan said as he looked to the access door to the balcony. “How dare it jump out and kick your foot.”

Robbie let go of his foot and straightened, narrowing his eyes on Logan. “Don’t start with me, Logan Mitchell. I can only deal with one infuriating man at a time.”

Tate looked at Logan and knew they were both thinking the exact same thing in that moment. Good luck there, Julien and Priest. But then Logan turned back to Robbie and held a hand up.

“I don’t want to start anything. In fact, I brought you a drink,” Logan said, and held out the bourbon.

As Robbie took it, he shook his head and said, “You two must think I’m a total idiot right now, don’t you?”

“What’s this right now business?” Logan joked, and Tate smacked him in the arm.

“No, we don’t think you’re an idiot,” Tate said. “There was no way you could’ve known. We didn’t even know.”

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Robbie said, and then brought the glass up to sniff at the contents. “Bourbon?” he asked, scrunching his nose up.

“Some of the best bourbon,” Logan clarified. “And it’s free. Stop complaining. It does the trick.”

“Whatever,” Robbie said, and then swallowed the liquor. When he made a disgusted expression, Logan took the empty glass from him. “I just can’t believe that Julien Thornton would sleep with that horrible man.”

“That’s what’s bothering you?” Logan asked, his eyes almost falling out of his head.

“Uh, yeah,” Robbie said as though Logan was stupid. “Priest is a jackass.”

“Okay, I take it back,” Logan said. “You are an idiot.”

“Logan,” Tate said, but barely managed to keep a straight face. This night was turning out to be entertaining after all. Just for the wrong reasons.

“Ugh, you wouldn’t understand,” Robbie said to Logan, and then turned to look out at the balcony. “Could you open this door so I can go and fling myself off that, please?”

Logan shut his eyes, and Tate knew he was trying for patience, and when Logan finally reopened them, they both stepped up and stood on either side of Robbie.

“I’m sorry,” Logan said, and when Robbie looked at him, Logan took his chin in his hand. “I know you were hoping Julien would call you.”

“Yeah,” Robbie said, and shrugged. “Oh well. I guess he was just playing with me.”

“I think that’s exactly what he was doing, and wants to keep doing.” Logan looked over Robbie’s head, and when Tate locked eyes with him, Logan raised his brows as if to say, Oh well, here goes. “They both want to play with you.”

Robbie didn’t say anything as he stood there between the two of them, and then he suddenly laughed. “You’re joking, right?” When he looked back to Tate, he said, “This is a joke. Isn’t it? They both want to play with me…” he said, and started laughing all over again.

But when neither of them said anything, Robbie finally stopped and looked between them, realizing what they were telling him was true.

“They both want me?” he repeated, much calmer this time, and when Logan nodded, the only sound that followed was “Fuck…”

* * *

“SO I’LL SEE you soon,” Logan said as he pressed a kiss to Tate’s cheek. Around ten minutes ago, Robbie had gone into some kind of silent state of reflection, and was currently standing over by the window watching the snow that was now steadily falling.

“Yeah, I’d feel better being the one to drive him back to his place, and once he’s settled in, I’ll head back.”

“Okay, I think that’s for the best,” Logan said, and glanced over to Robbie. “I still can’t believe he’s been quiet for this long.”

Tate nodded. “I know. It’s starting to freak me out.”

Logan chuckled. “Nah, he’ll be fine. He’s just shocked.”

“I suppose,” Tate said. “But this is the same guy who invites us to share his bed on a daily basis. Maybe this is what Robbie looks like when he’s thinking.”

“Huh…” Logan said, and then aimed a wink Tate’s way. “No wonder I didn’t recognize him.”

“Okay, Mr. Mitchell. That’s enough out of you. You have a floor full of guests,” Tate said.

“That I do,” Logan agreed as Robbie walked over.

His face was now a mask of indifference as he plastered a cheery smile on his shiny lips. “Okay,” he said as he looked between them. “I’m ready.”

“For?” Logan asked.

Robbie blew out an exasperated breath, and then sashayed to the office door, which he flung open. “For my dramatic exit, of course.”

Then, before Logan could say a word, Robbie was marching out the door and Tate was jogging after him, calling back to Logan, “See you in a little bit.”

Logan couldn’t help but laugh as he was left standing alone in his office with the sound of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” playing.

He’d known the night was going to be entertaining, but shit, not even he could’ve predicted just how much.