Chapter Four
Cooper
The entry to the bar was more crowded than I expected. Naturally, in that crush, I positioned myself behind Lachlan so I could pinch his ass.
He shot me a glare.
I grinned unrepentantly. By agreeing we’d duck out for the adult part of the entertainment, we’d sort of come to a truce. And he’d certainly piqued my curiosity. He’d said a few things that made it clear he was, at the very least, bi.
But Taryn had never said anything. Neither had Steph. And while I believed Taryn capable of discretion, my baby sister couldn’t keep a secret to save her life. Hence me being pretty sure I would’ve known if Taryn had ever said anything about Lachlan being bi or gay.
Maybe I shouldn’t be teasing him. He might be gay, but firmly in the closet. I don’t have the right to out him.
Probably not—but teasing him was more than half the fun.
Once we were inside, our group was led to a circular booth at the back corner. I made certain Lachlan, and I were on the edge. That put me between him and Spike.
Yummy.
Focus.
Right.
Once all our drinks had arrived, l leaned in and whispered in Lachlan’s ear. “I checked it out, and there’s a private room down the hall for us—”
He sputtered and sort of spewed some of his diet cola.
“You okay, Lachlan?” Taryn passed some napkins our way.
He glared at me before smiling at his sister. “Just fine. Went down the wrong way.”
She eyed me.
I smiled innocently.
Spike snickered.
I cocked my head.
He leaned in. “You’re incorrigible. Stephanie warned me about you.”
I tried for mock offense. “Your virtue is safe with me.” Then I sobered a little. “I’m not a homewrecker.”
“No, you’re not. But you are a scamp in an adult man’s body. And, dare I say, a little devilish.”
I saluted him with my drink. “What is life for if not to amuse ourselves?”
“Did you say something?” Lachlan looked at me.
Spike chuckled. “No, not jealous at all.” He snuggled into Dickens’s side.
His husband, who’d been carrying on a very intense conversation with Stephanie, absentmindedly ran his hand through Spike’s hair.
I could practically hear the man purring in contentment from here.
Taryn caught my eye and gestured with her chin.
“So, uh, Lachlan and I have some planning to do. We’ll be back in a bit.”
Stephanie pouted, pushing her lower lip out. “But we’re having such fun.”
“You’re about to have a lot more fun.” I winked.
Taryn chuckled.
My sister knitted her brow in obvious confusion. Then her attention turned to the newcomers. “Why are the police here? And what’s with the weird uniforms?”
Lachlan pushed out the booth and was halfway down the hall before I caught up with him.
“Hey, I need to go to the bathroom. The room’s there.” I gestured. “Here. I don’t have a pocket to spare. Hold this.”
“What is it?”
“Something important.” I pressed the condom into his hand before heading to the bathroom. I didn’t want to leave Lachlan alone to stew in his thoughts, but I really did need to piss. After having completed that task quickly, I washed my hands and headed to the room.
To my surprise, he was waiting for me outside the bathroom. He grabbed my arm and dragged me farther down the hall. “For God's sake, Cooper. Stop it. I am not going to fuck you at a bachelorette party with my sister two rooms away.”
I grinned. “Okay. Can I at least get a kiss?”
He glared that look that had me all hot and bothered.
“No.”
Although consent was a thing, I figured I could weasel my way out of this one.
“Fine. I'll kiss you.” I grasped him behind the neck and dragged him toward me. I nipped his lower lip, and when he startled in surprise, I thrust my tongue into his mouth. Never one to waste an opportunity—and taking the fact he hadn’t shoved me away as tacit consent—I pressed my body against his.
Effectively trapping him against the wall.
I probably should’ve been worried about someone making their way down here, but from the hoots and hollers that reached us, I figured it was safe to assume the police officers were plenty entertaining.
Suddenly, Lachlan switched our positions.
I was the one against the wall.
He was the one pressing me against it. He was the one insinuating his leg between mine. He was the one grinding his very hard cock against my hip.
Well, okay then. It’s on.
I grasped him around his neck and dragged his mouth to mine again. This time, his tongue invaded my mouth. He insisted on dominance. His hands drew down my flank, cupped my ass, and dragged me ever closer.
Basically, we were one person.
He was the one to pull always first.
I moaned.
His harsh breath caressed my skin. “Shit. We need to go back to the party. We'll be missed.”
I groaned. As much as I loved my sister, the last thing I wanted was to stop doing what we were doing. I sighed. “I know. But at least I have my answer.”
He cocked his head. “What answer?”
“Whether you like me. It's okay. I like you too.” I untucked my shirt and arranged it so it covered my hard-on, then I walked back to the group.
The next day, as I sat in Taryn’s living room, I questioned all my life’s choices. “Fuck—who let me drink so much?”
Lachlan approached me. “Here—water and aspirin.” He winced as he handed me both.
Fuck. I must look a mess. I glared. Well, tried to. “Stop being nice to me. I don't know if you're being nice to me. Are you being nice to me?”
He chuckled. “Come on. We have a lot of shit to do today. The wedding’s tomorrow.”
I swallowed the aspirin, drank all the water, handed him the glass back, and put my hands on my head. “Stop torturing me.”
“Oh, this is nothing. Come on. We’ve got errands to run.”
Taryn and Stephanie were in their bedroom. Packing for their honeymoon, no less.
Undoubtedly, Lachlan would’ve packed a month in advance.
I would’ve packed about an hour before leaving for the airport. I groaned. “Why are you insisting I come with you everywhere?”
He snorted. “I need to keep an eye on you.”
“Fuck. You kiss a guy once, and now he thinks he owns you and you'll go everywhere with him.”
“Do you really want to stay here and be a third wheel?”
“Is there a right answer to that question?”
“I can drop you at your house, if you want.”
While he’d been sober enough to head to his hotel after driving us home in Taryn’s SUV, I’d been drunk enough that Steph and Taryn insisted I sleep in their spare room.
I’d gone home drunk before—although had never driven myself, obviously.
To my surprise, Lachlan had pressed me to stay.
Ostensibly to help Taryn with Stephanie, as she was pretty drunk as well.
So was Taryn, though. In the end, we all nursed hangovers this morning when Lachlan arrived—bright and chipper, of course.
The thing was, none of us were big drinkers. The occasional wine or beer. Rarely to the point of excess.
Last night had been special.
Just enough booze to enjoy the night, not enough to be too drunk to remember it.
Or so I told myself.
I pouted sulkily. “No. I want to go with you.”
His lips curled just the slightest bit. “Then, let’s go.”
As we stepped outside, though, I turned to him. First, though, I made certain our sisters were nowhere to be found. I met his gaze. “Seriously. We need to talk. Are you gay?”
He shifted from one foot to the other yet still held my gaze. “No. But I've been with guys before.”
I frowned, uncertain how that worked. “So, bi?”
He blinked. “Well, yeah.”
My frown didn’t lessen. “Why not tell everyone?”
He laughed. But without humor. “One rebel in the family is all my parents can take.”
A pang hit my heart. “That's a sad way to live your life.”
“Well, yeah, okay. I know. “
I should’ve let it drop there, but I couldn’t. “Do you even know what you want? Being a big-shot lawyer and having a rich-man's bimbo on your arm—that sounds like the partner at your firm you’re always complaining about, not you. So, what do you want?”
He held my gaze for the longest time. “I don't have a fucking clue.”
Let it go. He’s got enough to deal with. “Well, my head’s better. What’s the first stop?”