“Just fine.”
Tate shook his head. “You’re so full of shit.”
Logan’s eyes zeroed in on him, and the irritation simmering just beneath the surface—Yeah, it’s still there—began to rise.
Logan was spoiling for a fight.
He had been ever since Evelyn had bolted Monday night. Tate got that. He understood the need to beat the shit out of something or disappear when someone let you down, but it was high time this was brought out into the open.
“You’ve been acting like you’re ‘fine’ all week, and you know what?” he asked as he inched closer. Jesus, he even smells fantastic. “Time’s up. You and I are talking this out. Now.”
“Let it go, Tate. Let’s just—”
“No,” he interrupted. “I’ve given you time. Time to talk to me. Time to work it out of your system. Time to do whatever the fuck you need to to deal with the fact that your mother is just as horrible as mine—but you’re not dealing. You’re bottling this shit up.”
Logan clenched his teeth together, and the red stain that hit his cheeks was a clear indication he was pissed. “So, we’re just going to stand here and talk all night? That’s disappointing, I had such plans.”
Tate brought a hand up to Logan’s chin, holding him in place. He ran his eyes over the face in front of him and thought, not for the first time, about how he’d ever doubted his attraction to this man.
“No need for disappointment. Once you open your mouth and start talking, we’re going to take this elevator up to your floor, and I’m going to get you out of these fancy-ass clothes you put on to make me crazy. Then…then I’m going to fuck you until you’ve forgotten what a god-awful week you’ve had.”
Logan arched an eyebrow. “Pretty arrogant there. Don’t you think?”
Tate pressed his mouth to the stubble of Logan’s cheek and then parted his lips to lick a wet path along his jaw. “So? You know you want it. You want me to strip you down in that office of yours and slide my cock inside you. Don’t you, Logan?”
Logan’s breath hit Tate’s ear as he panted out, “Maybe.”
Tate chuckled at the insolent response and pulled back to reach for the up button on the wall. He pressed it, all the while holding Logan’s gaze in a stalemate that was soon going to be fought over and won—by someone.
“I’m glad that’s settled.”
“Hardly,” Logan muttered as the chime sounded.
It seemed so loud in the otherwise silent lobby that there might as well have been a marching band surrounding the two of them. Once the doors had parted, Tate lowered his hand and took a step back.
“After you,” he told Logan, gesturing for him to step inside.
Logan brushed by him, and Tate took a deep breath before following. He was determined to stand his ground even though he wasn’t sure how that would be physically possible if Logan decided to make a move on him. After Logan inserted the key into the wall panel, he turned it and hit the button of his floor. Then he stepped to the opposite side of the space and leaned against the brass railing as the doors slid closed.
“Okay, fine,” Logan said. “Let’s get this out of the way, because I don’t plan to fuck around with anything other than you once we get up there.”
Logan’s ability to cut through all the crap to get to exactly what he wanted was, Tate had to admit, a welcome one in this particular moment.
“Go ahead,” he invited as the elevator whirred and started its ascent.
Logan sighed and crossed his legs at the ankles. “God, you’re tenacious.”
“So are you. Now talk, Logan.”
“Okay, okay,” he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “Ever since I was a kid, Evelyn has been pulling this sort of shit.” He dropped his hand, focusing his gaze on Tate. “She’s a leech. She uses people and then discards them when she’s done. Exactly the reason my father never stuck around. Monday night wasn’t the first time she’s used me either, though I will say that it was by far the most spectacular and humiliating.”
Tate nodded but remained silent as Logan lowered his eyes and continued.
“She’s a master con. Beautiful and charming, and she knows exactly how to use it. And I knew…I fucking knew she was going to pull something. That’s what makes it even more infuriating.”
Tate walked across the space until he was standing in front of him and said, “Look at me.” When Logan kept his eyes down, he repeated, “Look at me.”
Slowly, Logan raised his eyes.