Try (Temptation Series)(118)

“Diana!” Tate shouted and got in her face. “Stop it.”

Narrowing her eyes, she didn’t back down one bit. “Fuck you, Tate. Oh, hang on,” she said, making sure to spread her venom as she moved past them with his sister in tow, “maybe he can do that.”

* * *

Logan stood in the middle of Mitchell & Madison with all of his coworkers, including Cole, staring at him and the man standing beside him. It didn’t bother him in the slightest that they knew he was seeing Tate, but never had he blatantly displayed his personal relationships before. Then again, this was his first.

“Okay everyone, show’s over, go back to work. Tate, can I see you in my office, please?”

Logan moved to his door, and glanced inside to see Rachel sitting on his couch with her lip caught between her teeth as she stared at him with an I’m-so-sorry look plastered all over her face. Logan winked at her and tried for a smile, letting her know it wasn’t her fault, as he stepped aside to let a traumatized Tate walk back into his office.

Standing, she glanced in their direction and indicated she was going to go and almost ran out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her. As it clicked shut, Logan turned to face Tate, who was still silent and looked as though he was in shock, which he probably was considering everything that had just happened.

Logan was just about to suggest they sit down when Tate turned and grabbed his hands.

“We need to go and see my parents.”

Wait…what? Logan thought as he looked at the desperate expression on Tate’s face.

Tate nodded manically as he clutched Logan’s hands, and then he started talking rapidly.

“Yeah. We’ll go there now, my mom is home, and she can call my dad. We can sit down, tell them how we met, and that this is all good, that we…you know…that this is…”

He trailed off, and Logan felt his own anxiety starting to swirl and race through him. Meeting parents? Meeting family? Family that won’t like me because of who I am? No, thanks. He’d already had one of those in his life with his own father.

Plus, are we really that serious that we have to jump into this right now? Tate is just nervous, he is rushing things, he is—

“I want to tell them, Logan. They need to hear it from me—the right way, not the distorted, warped version that she’ll tell.”

Okay, so apparently, Tate is very coherent.

Logan took a step back and rested up against his desk. Removing his glasses, he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Tate, I don’t know. I’m not good with families. I don’t think you need me there.”

Tate stepped toward him and reached out to touch his shoulder. “Of course you need to be there.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Logan stared up into the brown eyes now staring at him with confusion.

“I don’t understand.”

Glancing away from that all-too-knowing stare, Logan said once again, “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“What’s not a good idea?” Tate demanded, his voice so loud that Logan knew it could be heard outside of his office.

Standing, so they were on equal footing, Logan put his glasses back on and slid his hands back into his pockets for something to do. Suddenly, the whole day looked totally fucked-up. “I just don’t think we’re at that stage yet. I mean, I get you need to tell them. But they don’t need to meet me.”

Tate blinked several times and almost staggered back from him. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Letting out a sigh, knowing this was not what Tate wanted to hear right now, Logan raised a hand and stroked his chin. “No.”

Tate launched himself at him before Logan even had a moment to counter it. He shoved him so hard in the chest that Logan stumbled back and landed on the desk.

“You fucking asshole!” Tate boomed as he crowded in against him.

Taking a hold of his jacket lapels in his fists, Tate yanked him up, and Logan had never, ever seen him look so volatile. He also had never realized how fucking strong Tate was when he was angry.

“You ask everything of me, everything, and risk absolutely nothing in return.”

Releasing him with a rough, hard push, Tate glared at him in a way that made Logan feel like the piece of shit he knew he was being.

“I don’t know why I’m so surprised. Did things get a little too real for you, Logan? Well, fuck you! My whole goddamn life just changed, and here you are, backing away like a pussy.”

Logan straightened and stood up as Tate moved to the door. He was about to call out to him, stop him from leaving, when Tate placed his palm on the handle and turned back, pinning him with a look that shouldn’t have, but did, cut him to the core.