Can’t Resist

Chapter One

~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~

“Club Destiny.” Luke didn’t bother trying to hide the gruff irritation in his voice when he clicked the answer button on his cell phone and all but slammed it against his ear. The damn thing had been ringing nonstop for the last two hours, so he’d stopped bothering to look at the screen before he answered.

“Hey, bro. What’s going on?” Logan, Luke’s nothing-if-not-persistent twin brother, greeted back, seemingly immune to Luke’s umbrage.

Flying under the radar for the last two months had taken some creative manipulation, but Luke had pulled it off, making a full-fledged effort to work on some of his own personal issues. Nonetheless, said personal issues were not resolved, but he found himself right back in the thick of things once again. He shouldn’t be surprised that his brother was calling, and he wasn’t really, he just wasn’t in the mood to talk to him considering the ass chewing he was expecting.

“Not a damn thing. What about you?” He barked back, walking through the main floor of his club on the way to his office.

He’d spent the better part of the morning with Club Destiny’s head bar manager, going through their weekly order, and trying his damnedest to get back into the groove. Between that and answering the phone, he hadn’t had a minute to himself. Which in his current state was probably not a bad thing.

“Glad you could make it back.” Logan said, and Luke heard his brother’s sarcasm, as well as his frustration, but at the moment, he didn’t give a damn.

“What do you want?” Luke made it to his second floor office and slammed the door behind him.

Thankfully there were only a handful of people at the club that early in the day since they weren’t open to the general public yet. Only members were allowed in during the morning hours, and they all knew to give him a wide berth on a good day. Unfortunately for them, today wasn’t a good day.

Even with the few familiar faces he’d seen that morning, Luke’s only desire was to be left alone. Although he’d managed to abandon his responsibilities, as well as any of his personal relationships for the last eight weeks, Luke still wasn’t in the mood to be around anyone, and he wasn’t keen on the idea of talking to his brother either.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?” His brother never did have a problem calling him to the carpet so to speak, and apparently, Logan wasn’t in much of a better mood than he was.

Which was surprising with all that had apparently happened to Logan during the time that Luke had been away. The man was a husband now, for Christ sake. That alone should make his brother much more pleasant than he currently was.

With a silent groan, Luke flopped down into the high back executive chair that he managed to occupy for at least a few hours every day. Glancing around the immaculate office, gleaming with hardwood and soft, iridescent lighting, he tried to remember what made him find comfort in the place.

Oh wait. He didn’t.

The oversized mahogany desk, the full size, distressed leather sofa, and the intricate, way overpriced designer rug had been someone’s idea of soothing. Instead, the result was just fucking ugly. And the confined feeling that overcame him when he walked in didn’t help either. Without windows, the not so small space seemed more like a broom closet than an office.

Even after spending thousands of dollars on some highly recommended interior designer, Luke hadn’t felt comfortable in the space. Which explained why he spent most of his time down in the club or caught up on the mountains of endless paperwork from home.

Despite his discomfort with enclosed spaces, the club as a whole offered him a sense of peace that was absent from his personal life, thanks to his own demons that managed to haunt him day and night like a bad case of the flu. Rational decisions weren’t generally on Luke’s short list of things to do, so purchasing the club ranked right up there with one of the best he could come up with in quite some time.

Though he often wondered if the club actually intensified those demons.

Remembering that he still held the phone to his ear, and his brother wasn’t going to wait patiently for long, Luke answered. “Just trying to get some shit done around here.” And not succeeding worth a damn.

Luke almost felt guilty for directing his annoyance at his brother, knowing the other man had spent the last two months trying to juggle his own responsibilities, including a full time job and apparently a new wife, along with covering for Luke’s absence at the club. Yes, the wife part had been a surprise because when Luke had left town, Logan and Samantha were only dating. When he came back… Bam! – new sister-in-law.

For some unexplained reason, just the thought of Samantha had Luke’s body going instantly hard. Most likely that was due to the fact that he’d known Sam intimately, on more than one occasion, thanks to the few times Logan had invited him to be the third. The remembered feel of Sam against him, or her hot, sweet mouth on him, had Luke almost longing for another encounter with her. Almost being the key word.

Since his personal demons had begun making a daily visit, Luke had sworn off those little sexcapades.

Granted, Luke liked Sam. And as far as Logan went, she was a perfect match for him.

The fact that they had gotten married shouldn’t surprise him as much as it did. Or perhaps the fact that his identical twin brother hadn’t bothered to mention that little tidbit of information prior to Luke taking some time off was what kept throwing him off. Either way, he tried not to think about it too much. Especially knowing that what they had shared before could never be again, especially after that last night…

Luke brushed off the thought. He didn’t have time to dwell on what couldn’t be.

“I’m glad you’re back, Luke, but we need to talk.” Though Logan’s tone was slightly less frustrated than before, Luke easily picked up on the insistence his twin had thrown in for good measure. Luke hated when his brother did that shit. He’d much rather face the anger than to have to face the fact that he had let his brother down.

“Then talk.” Luke stated, leaning back in his chair, thinking twice about propping his size 15 boots up on the polished wood top.

He could almost predict what Logan wanted to talk about after all their twin bond was strong, and for most of their lives, they could finish each other’s sentences, sometimes even knew what the other was going to say before they said anything at all. And now wasn’t much different.

“I’ll drop by around lunchtime. Don’t disappear on me.” Logan stated flatly before the line disconnected.

“Sonuvabitch.” Luke mumbled to no one in particular. He might deserve to have Logan show up on his doorstep and read him the riot act, but it didn’t mean he was going to be happy about it.

Luke hit the switch to turn on his computer screen so he could scan through his recent emails. While he had been away, he’d managed to stay on top of things as best he could. He couldn’t abandon his responsibilities altogether, though he’d been so fucked up in the head that he had wanted to. Even now he had a hard time keeping his focus. So many things had happened in the last couple of months, Luke wasn’t sure he knew which way was up anymore.

As much as he wanted to blame everything on what had happened that last night with Logan and Samantha, Luke knew he couldn’t do that. Sam might’ve come into Logan’s life, and in turn Luke’s, but the woman hadn’t done anything specific that would have thrown Luke’s life off course the way it had been. No, he only had himself to blame for that, but his own denial wouldn’t allow him to admit that either.

“Fuck.” Luke ground out as he pushed out of his chair, nearly sending the damn thing over backward. He had too much shit to do to sit around pondering the reasons why he felt so off kilter lately.

He should just leave again, take another extended vacation and get away by himself. Not that it would do him any good. After all, he’d spent the better part of two months doing exactly that and look where it had gotten him.

Not a damn place.

Resigning himself to staying at the club and attempting to take care of business, Luke grabbed an invoice off of his desk and headed back downstairs to talk to Kane Steele, his bar manager. According to their earlier conversation, it appeared that there were some issues with the deliveries while Luke had been away.

Either that or someone was fucking with him and stealing his inventory. Luke didn’t even want to contemplate that happening; Heaven help the asshole who would be brave enough to steal from him in the first place.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Sierra Sellers wasn’t all that enthusiastic with the idea of being set up, regardless of how hot and mysterious – her mother’s words, not hers – the man might be. Apparently her mother was under the impression that Sierra needed a date, and rather than asking her if she were capable of finding one on her own, Veronica Sellers had chosen to make her own arrangements. Those arrangements had led to Sierra piling into the backseat of Logan McCoy’s supercharged Cadillac CTS while he and his wife talked quietly in the front seats.

After a very brief, very one sided conversation with her mother, Sierra had resigned herself to this outing. Very reluctantly she might add. Veronica’s argument consisted of the words “new to Dallas”, followed by “essential to network”, with the cherry on top of the conversational sundae being “get your business established”.

So, no, Sierra hadn’t come up with a strong enough excuse not to go along with her mother’s logic, though she still didn’t understand how a date was going to help her in that regard.

When Veronica had mentioned that XTX – the company her mother worked for – was holding their annual vendors conference in just two days, Sierra hadn’t thought anything of it. Why would she? XTX didn’t have anything to do with the interior design company that Sierra had yet to even name.

Only when Veronica mentioned that the conference was in Las Vegas had Sierra’s ears even perked up. And here she was, on the next leg of this journey that she only hoped would turn out the way her mother intended.

And yes, she was incredibly nervous, despite her reluctance and despite the fact that she felt as though she were being led to an execution. Even armed with a few details about the man she was going to meet, Sierra wasn’t feeling all warm and fuzzy about the outcome. The positive side of this endeavor was that she at least knew what the man looked like. Or at least she thought she did.

According to both her mother and Samantha, she was off to meet Logan’s identical twin brother. That had immediately piqued her interest because hell, she had to admit, Logan McCoy was smoking hot. Not that she would share that little tidbit of information with anyone, especially the man’s wife who she had become close to over the course of the last few weeks.

But realistically, how similar could the two of them actually be? They were grown men for goodness sake, and surely their personalities would set them worlds apart in appearance. So when Sam and Veronica had reiterated the fact that they were identical, Sierra had mentally rolled her eyes and resigned herself to finding out on her own.

Maybe her mother’s physical descriptions were accurate. Although Sierra liked Logan enough, she still wasn’t all that enthusiastic about the idea of being set up with a man – gorgeous or not. The one positive that she could manage to conjure up from this entire screwed up ordeal was that she and Sam had actually become good friends. Since the woman was the epitome of what Sierra had worked her entire life to become, she knew she would ultimately win in this deal.

At twenty nine years old, Sierra still had some growing to do when it came to establishing herself in business, but after meeting Sam, she knew she’d found a role model who could undoubtedly teach her some things along the way. And when said role model had ganged up on her with the help of Veronica and another woman they worked with at XTX, insisting that Sierra actually meet Luke McCoy, she had found herself outvoted.

Both Veronica and the other woman, Deanna, had spoken very highly of Luke, but something had set her sensors off when Sam had talked about him. If Sierra wasn’t mistaken there was something much more intimate about the way Sam spoke of her brother-in-law. Just in case she was imagining things, Sierra hadn’t bothered to ask. Not that it was any of her business anyway.

Now, two days later, she was on her way to meet the man, though she got the impression that he had no idea he was being set up.

“You said we were going to a club?” Sierra asked, interrupting the loving couple holding hands in the front seat. “Isn’t it a little early in the day?”

“It’s a club, but it isn’t what you’re thinking.” Sam offered. “Well, at least not entirely.”

Sierra noticed the subtle way Logan squeezed his wife’s hand.

What other kind of clubs were there? Besides the ones that offered drinks to people who congregated to laugh, drink and have a good time?

Oh!

Her mind struggled with the possibility before shrugging off the comment. Glancing at her watch, Sierra added, “I didn’t realize clubs were open this early.”

Eleven thirty on a Tuesday and Sierra was on her way to meet a mystery man who, despite the fact that they didn’t know each other at all, would likely accompany her to a four day business conference to be held in Las Vegas.

The Entertainment Capital of the World.

Sin City.

And one of Sierra’s favorite vacation destinations.

She could certainly get down with going to Las Vegas, no matter who she was going with. She was quite fond of the city, having gone numerous times for girl’s only getaways. Never once had she come back disappointed. Going for business, now that would be a first, but no more so than going with a man. Any man.

What would they do if they didn’t get along? How was she supposed to suffer through four long days in the party capital of the world with someone she had nothing in common with?

Granted, she was jumping ahead of herself. She hadn’t even met him yet. The one upside to it all, if he looked anything like Logan McCoy, at least she was in for a visual treat.

Logan maneuvered the car into an underground parking garage, and Sierra felt the butterflies take flight in her stomach.

Glancing down, she noticed that she was wringing her hands in her lap, a sheer sign of the tension coursing through her veins. She chalked it up to the fact that she suspected Luke had no idea she was coming or anything else that was in store for him, in the coming days. She’d gathered that from the conversation she’d overhead – ok, more like eavesdropped on – earlier between Logan and Sam. When Logan mentioned that Luke didn’t seem to be in the best of moods, she’d momentarily questioned her sanity.

Not that she really cared what kind of mood he was in, as long as he could manage to be polite and courteous for four days, only a few hours at a time while they were in Vegas.

Moments later, Sierra was climbing out of the back seat, coming to join Samantha standing at the side of the car.

“Brace yourself.” Sam smiled brightly, looking almost playful.

“Is there something I should know before we go in?” Sierra asked, for the second time questioning what she was walking into.

“Not specifically. Let’s just say that Logan’s brother is the darker twin.”

“Darker?” Confusion set in, and Sierra tried to comprehend what Sam was saying.

“You know, mysterious. Ominous.” Sam laughed as she took Logan’s hand.

Great. Just what Sierra needed. Her mind immediately conjured up a version of Logan McCoy; only this one had a permanent scowl, making him look sinister. She smiled to herself.

With a deep breath, she stood up straighter, adjusted her short skirt, and steeled herself for whatever was to come.

How bad could it be?

Chapter Two

~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~

“You find it?” Kane asked, looking both weary and determined as Luke approached.

“Of course I fucking found it.” Luke growled, slamming the invoice on the bar top. “Right on my desk. Now you want to tell me how we lost eight cases of our best vodka?” Luke knew he was being an asshole, and he knew that Kane was working his ass off trying to figure out what the hell had happened during the week that the other man had also been on vacation, but Luke didn’t need theories, he wanted fucking answers.

Three thousand dollars’ worth of vodka didn’t just up and walk away, yet no one seemed to know a damn thing.

“Shit, Luke. I don’t have any idea.” Kane answered, running his fingers through his shaggy, brown hair, a clear sign the man was at a loss.

Sucking in a ragged breath, Luke glanced around the near empty main floor of the club – the equivalent of counting to ten – in an attempt to hold on to the anger that was begging to break free. He only hoped there weren’t any customers getting a firsthand glimpse of his tirade.

Since all other areas were limited to their exclusive members by design, he should have thought to have his mental breakdown behind the big double doors that separated the two divisions of the club. However, since Club Destiny saw a large portion of its overall revenue from the public club and bar, Luke spent a lot of his time right in that very spot.

Staring at the empty area now, Luke acknowledged the dim lights above weren’t nearly as attractive as the neon glow of blue and red that outlined the walls and the bar when the club was open. The usual mass of bodies that filled Club Destiny from wall to wall was nowhere to be found, nor was the noise that came with so many people occupying one place. To be honest, Luke wasn’t sure which way he preferred most.

As he tried to gain his composure, not wanting to beat up on Kane too much, Luke inhaled deeply, took one more look around until his eyes landed on the man sitting at a table near the back.

Shit.

Luke wasn’t feeling overly social, and Cole Ackerley was the last person he wanted to talk to. Thankfully, it didn’t look like Cole was up for talking either. Instead, Cole sat at an empty table, drinking what appeared to be a soda, rather than the shot of whiskey he normally favored.

For all intents and purposes, Cole looked like he didn’t give a damn that Luke was staring his way, but Luke felt the heat of Cole’s midnight blue eyes burning a hole into him. They certainly had some things they needed to talk about, but like usual, Luke would put that disaster waiting to happen off for a little while.

Since Cole was one of the main reasons Luke had gone MIA for the last two months, there wasn’t much he could say, even if he wanted to. After everything that had happened between them that night…

Not going there.

Those damned demons he’d managed to bury temporarily were not going to show up now. If he wasn’t careful, Luke would manage to brew up a shit storm of issues he hadn’t been able to figure out during those few weeks he’d disappeared. Since he hadn’t been able to get to the bottom of them then, he knew for damn sure it wouldn’t be happening now.

He didn’t give a damn what that said about him, or how much of an asshole that made him look like. Luke was not ready to address that little clusterfuck.

At least not right now.

He’d wallow in the denial for a little while longer, thank you very much.

His reaction to Cole that night had been pulled from deep down inside of him, and Luke knew that was a part of him that he couldn’t contain. A part of him that set him apart from the rest. Did it bother him? No, not usually. Until now. He’d always been open to sexual experiences that bordered on the taboo.

When his eyes met Cole’s, Luke felt the other man’s confusion and for a moment, he thought about confronting him. Clearing the air. Instead, he turned his back, trying to focus on the stack of papers lying on the bar. Despite the fact that Luke had managed to run off for some much needed time alone, he had also heard that Cole opted to keep a low profile for the last few weeks, as well. He wondered if the solitude had helped Cole because it sure as hell hadn’t done a damn bit of good for Luke.

A moment later Ava Prescott’s sultry voice fluttered through the otherwise quiet club, but Luke didn’t turn around. Ava wasn’t there to see him. She was obviously there to see Cole, which wasn’t at all surprising. Cole’s membership with the club was a longstanding one, and his involvement as a third in the relationship with the Prescott’s wasn’t a secret. Nor was the fact that Cole was open about his sexuality, enjoyed his freedom as a single man, and he would not, no matter what, disclose any information about what went on between him and other members of the club.

Cole was one of the most respected members at Club Destiny, and despite the fact that the man was approached often by other couples, he was downright particular about those he spent his time with.

Luke remembered the first time he and Cole had found themselves in a situation they hadn’t expected. The one night when the two of them ended up alone with the very sexy, extremely flirtatious, Susie Mackendrick. That night had been memorable, and so had the few other nights he and Cole had shared Susie’s bed. And her kitchen table. And her shower.

Luke found himself smiling for the first time that day. Those memories of Susie still sent a spark of desire bursting through his blood stream.

Maybe that was the key to getting him out of the funk he was in. Calling Susie or better yet, just showing up at her house would definitely distract his overstimulated brain for at least a few hours.

The woman was incredibly creative when it came to sex. She was also a self-proclaimed submissive, which worked well with Luke’s darker urges. Although there were times when those dark, dangerous urges to dominate made him realize that Susie probably couldn’t handle some of the things he wanted to do to her.

Which led him back to Cole…

Fuck!

He was not going to go down this road again. Not here. Not now.

With an irritated sigh, Luke turned back to the bar, ignoring Ava Prescott’s sensual purr of as she greeted Cole. Luke flipped through the pages in front of him though he could have been reading instructions in Chinese for all that he was seeing.

It wasn’t that he cared who Cole was with.

He honestly didn’t.

Ok, maybe that was a lie. He cared just a little.

Those damn lingering memories of that one night still haunted him, still had him jolting out of a dead sleep, confused and yet… aching.

He tried to tell himself that it was just lust. What he and Cole had done wasn’t wrong. At least not in relative terms. When it came to Luke’s sex life, there were boundaries he crossed every damn day.

Yet he had never – never – crossed that line. He had never thought he was interested. But that night, Cole had managed to give Luke the one thing he’d been longing for. The resistance that had lit Cole’s indigo blue gaze still haunted him. Luke had been boiling with a longing so deep, so dark, that he hadn’t known how to satisfy it. At least not until he had instructed Cole to go to his knees…

Fuck!

Readjusting himself, Luke couldn’t deny the fact that the memories still stoked a fire that he couldn’t extinguish. His jeans were past the point of uncomfortable, and he had no choice but to stand there and stare at the damn papers in front of him. No way in hell was he turning around to see Cole sauntering off with the Prescott’s.

Pushing the papers aside, Luke planted his hands on the bar top, pressing his head down between his shoulders in an attempt to alleviate some of the tension churning inside of him. Every time he began to think about that night, or Cole, or hell, even Samantha, Luke’s brain got more and more fucked up. What had he learned in the two months since that one fateful night?

Too much, and yet not nearly enough.

The one thing he had come to terms with by the time he decided enough was enough and hiding out wasn’t the answer was that he wanted Cole. He didn’t want emotional bullshit, or strings of any sort, but he damn sure had never met a man who made his body throb the way that Cole did.

Yet here he was. Keeping his back turned, and his expression guarded as Cole prepared himself to be the filling in the Prescott’s sex sandwich. The thought had his balls tightening and his dick throbbing. Remembering that night and the way Cole had given himself over to the moment had Luke gritting his teeth. When the man agreed to something, he gave everything he was.

Granted, Luke was discriminatory with his partners, but he had been drawn to Cole from almost the moment he had met him. At the time, it hadn’t been in any way related to attraction, just simple admiration. Cole was an admitted bisexual, open to almost anything, trustworthy, honest and beyond discreet. Everything his members looked for in a partner or a third.

But then it happened. That one damn night at his house when they had invited Cole to be the fourth in a little rendezvous with Luke’s twin, Logan, and Logan’s then girlfriend, Samantha. That night had sent Luke’s mind whirling with uncertainty.

When Ava and Daniel Prescott passed behind him, Luke did turn, this time watching as Cole followed not far behind them. Turning his attention back toward Kane, Luke had the other man walk him through the events of the last two weeks.

He didn’t have time to think about Cole, or anyone else. He had a business to run; one that apparently couldn’t manage to hang on to a few thousand dollars’ worth of liquor unless someone was paying attention.

Chapter Three

~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~

“Who is that?” Kane interrupted Luke as he was trying to decipher a handful of receipts that hadn’t already been logged.

Luke turned his attention to the three people walking through the back entrance to the main floor of the club, and he immediately understood his bar manager’s astonished tone. His first reaction, which he managed to choke back, was to grumble at the sight of his brother and his wife.

Not that he wasn’t glad to see them.

The funk he couldn’t seem to shake still lingered like a storm cloud threatening to burst open at any second. Seeing Samantha, knowing the previous impression he’d made on her, Luke wasn’t so sure he would be able to look her in the eye.

The absolute last thing he expected was for his brother’s new wife to walk right up to him and throw her arms around his neck, but that was exactly what she did. Instinctively, Luke’s eyes darted to his brother, immediately seeking direction. When Logan merely smiled back, Luke managed to lift his arms – apparently made of lead – and wrap them around Sam, tentatively hugging her back.

And the next thing he did might’ve damn well changed his life forever.

Having briefly glimpsed the woman who had been beside Sam and Logan as they came through the door, Luke hadn’t taken a chance to really look at her. With his arms still wrapped around his brother’s wife, Luke’s gaze landed on the sexiest, most petite woman he’d ever laid eyes on. A hot flash of lust shocked his system, and he froze where he was standing. Doing his best to keep his cool, Luke let go of Sam and took a step back, his eyes still glued to the woman.

Standing before him, with her back straight, her magnificent breasts thrust high, Luke couldn’t stop his gaze from roaming down the full length of her. At barely five feet tall at the most, even in those sexy as hell knee high black boots with at least three inch heels, the woman captivated him. And that was saying something because Luke had never been attracted to tiny, petite women, mainly due to the fact that he was damn near six and a half feet tall.

Had he met her before? She looked somewhat familiar, yet he knew he couldn’t have because he would have remembered her. Hell, she would have played a starring role in many of his erotic fantasies, so no, he was certain he hadn’t.

Her eyes were an exotic ice blue that glowed with something so intense, so unique, Luke had to remind himself where he was and who else was around. He imagined wrapping his hand in the long, glossy, black hair that hung like a silk curtain down her back, tilting her head back so that he could claim her mouth.

She must have recognized the heat in his eyes because she abruptly stood even straighter than before, gripped the edge of her jacket, slowly closing the expensive leather over her very impressive cleavage. She might’ve been able to limit his visual feast, but no matter what she did, she couldn’t cover up those toned, trim thighs exposed beneath the hem of that little black mini skirt she wore. He let his eyes wander, his mouth watering from the temptation that small body offered, before returning to meet her silvery blue eyes.

“Luke, I’d like you to meet Sierra Sellers. She’s Veronica’s daughter.” Sam introduced him to the beauty standing beside her.

Luke didn’t know who the hell Veronica was, or maybe he did, but his brain wasn’t functioning at the moment. At least not past wondering whether her panties and bra were silky and black like the halter she’d hidden from his view. He choked on a growl and glanced over at his brother, needing a cold shower if he was expected to have a rational conversation.

“Veronica is Xavier’s administrative assistant.” Logan clarified, and Luke caught the amusement in his brother’s tone. “Sierra is Veronica’s daughter.”

“Sierra, this is Luke McCoy, my husband’s twin brother and the owner of Club Destiny.” Sam offered.

To Luke’s surprise, Sierra released the edges of her leather jacket, her firm, perky breasts once more daring his eyes before she took a confident step forward. As she held out one delicate hand, her fingers tipped with – no, not a bright fuck-me-red like he expected, but a soft, cotton candy pink – Luke forced his brain to function, willing his hand forward to take hers. Immediately he recognized his mistake because the second their fingers touched, he felt something bright and hot ignite deep in his groin, a spark almost as bright as the blue flame of her eyes burning right through him.

Her hand was tiny; her fingers delicate and soft, her grip firm yet utterly feminine. Luke knew he held on longer than he should have, but for some reason, he’d been struck deaf and dumb from the moment he laid eyes on her.

“Nice to meet you.” Sierra smiled, a slight tilt to the corner of those seductively full lips, her bright blue eyes focused intently on him.

Holy hell. He was in a world of hurt. Even the sound of her voice was seductive.

“Why don’t you ladies order a drink, while I take a minute to talk to my brother.” Logan said, bringing Luke back to the present.

“Kane, get these ladies anything they want. We’ll be back in a minute.” Luke managed to say when he found his voice, instructing his bar manager as he headed after his brother. The same brother he was going to have to punch for bringing a distraction the likes of one Sierra Sellers into his club.

What the hell was he thinking?

Shit. He needed to get his head in the game, not find another person to lust after. He wasn’t quite sure what the hell had just happened, or who the hell the smoking hot woman was, but Luke was pretty sure it wasn’t going to matter in a few minutes.

Sierra Sellers, no matter how heart stopping beautiful she was, or how confident she appeared, would never be able to handle a man like him and surely Logan was aware of this before he’d brought her into the club.

“So are you going to tell me what was so damn urgent for you to come down here? Or do I have to follow you around like a dog?” Luke’s indignation was back full throttle, and he directed every ounce at his brother.

“Man, you need to relax.” Logan stated as they made their way into Luke’s office, shutting the heavy wooden door behind them. “I figured that little hiatus of yours would have calmed you down a little.”

“Well, you were wrong.” Luke huffed as he propped himself on the edge of his desk. “And I’m not in the mood for any shit right now.”

“I’m only saying this because you’re my brother and I love you, but damn, man. I think you need to get laid.” Logan chuckled.

“Fuck you.” Luke retorted, hating that Logan enjoyed getting a rise out of him.

Logan glared back, and Luke knew that no matter how many warnings he gave his brother, he wasn’t going to back off. With a deep sigh, Luke relocated to the chair behind his desk. “Let me have it.”

“What the hell happened to you?” Always direct, Logan was.

Luke scrubbed his hands down his face and then stared back at the mirror image sitting across from him. There was no reason to play dumb; it would only prolong the inevitable. Logan wasn’t stupid, and Luke knew that he’d been acting like an ass for quite some time now which made Logan’s concern only that much more predictable.

“I know something happened that night.” Logan said making reference to the night Luke, Cole, Logan, and Sam had all engaged in some overly erotic entertainment at Luke’s house.

Before Luke could interrupt, tell Logan exactly what he thought about his brothers interference, Logan held his hand up.

“I’m not asking for details. It’s your business, but I’m going to offer some advice, even if you don’t want it.”

Luke knew Logan, and he knew that arguing with him would just prolong the agony that this conversation had already turned into. Instead, he gave him the attention he sought as he leaned back in his chair, crossing one ankle over the opposite knee. He was proficient at pretending nonchalance, though he felt anything but.

“Look, what happened that night took us all by surprise. Sam especially, but it had nothing to do with what happened between you and Cole. And, you know I don’t judge. Ever.” Logan leaned forward in his chair, his elbows resting on his knee. “I know that something happened that night between you and Cole, something neither of you want to acknowledge, but damn it, Luke, you’ve got to figure this out.”

Luke heard the frustration in Logan’s voice, and as much as he appreciated the sentiment, Logan was on the wrong track. “Little brother, I appreciate your relationship advice, I really do, but it isn’t necessary.”

“Bullshit.” Logan stood from his chair. Driving his fingers through his hair, he turned to stare back at Luke. “That isn’t why I came, but while I’m here, you knew I was going to give you my opinion. Figure it out, Luke.”

Luke nodded his head, knowing that his acknowledgment was the only thing that would move Logan on to his true reason for being there. After all, Logan wasn’t telling him something he hadn’t spent the last several weeks thinking about. As a matter of fact, he’d thought of nothing else except that one October night the four of them had been at his house.

What happened had taken him by surprise more than anyone else. Something had shifted deep inside of him, something so unexpected he didn’t know how to deal with it.

He knew what he wanted. It didn’t mean he was happy about it.

For years, he’d been satisfied, or so he thought, with the various trysts he’d experienced. Just the thought of wanting something more permanent, even more monogamous was enough to make Luke’s eyes cross. Where the hell had that come from anyway? Was it the fact that he was getting older?

Shit. He had no idea, but the more he thought about it, the more he came to the realization that he was ready to slow down. Some of those baser urges may never be satisfied, but hell, Luke wasn’t sure he would ever find a woman who could handle what he desired anyway.

Maybe he would have to compromise. Maybe he would have to just… settle. Ok, so that definitely wasn’t the answer. Luke didn’t take kindly to settling for anything less than what he wanted.

And when it came to sex, Luke wanted it all. He wanted his partners to be willing to give in to his every whim. There were lines that would be crossed, and up until the night he had lost all control and taken Cole in a way he had never done with another man, Luke knew there weren’t many lines that he wouldn’t cross.

The problem he knew he would run into would be finding a woman who could handle that side of him. The side of him that sought to find the sheer pleasure from sex – boundaries be damned.

Despite the anger and frustration that continued to build because Luke didn’t believe there was a release for the personal demons that haunted him. The one’s that made him feel like a sexual deviant at times for wanting the full and complete submission of a woman, her willingness to give herself over to him, to trust that he would care for her and take her higher than she had ever dreamed possible.

Not that being with Cole had changed any of those wants, but Luke had found a release that night. One he had never known before. And that had scared him beyond measure. To the point that he wondered about his sexual preferences and wondered if he had been looking in the wrong place the entire time.

Then he realized that he hadn’t been. He wasn’t gay; although that night, the thought had crossed his mind. No, being gay would have been easy to accept, but Luke knew his interest wasn’t only in one gender. He liked women and apparently he found just as much sexual satisfaction in men.

Scratch that. One man.

That life altering realization had come to him after a week of being holed up in his vacation cabin, forcing himself to think things through. To decide what the hell it was that he wanted. And to stop thinking about the fact that he couldn’t change the man that he was, even if he wanted to. Which he didn’t.

And no, Luke wasn’t in any position to talk about, or even deal with what had happened. At least not now.

“So, why did you come?” Luke asked, suddenly more than willing to get this conversation over with.

“I need a favor.” Logan said, this time smiling that mischievous grin that told Luke he wasn’t going to like what came next.

Tipping one eyebrow up, urging Logan to get on with it, Luke didn’t move, and he didn’t say anything.

“XTX has a vendor’s conference in Vegas this weekend. I owe someone a favor and she’s called me on it.”

“A favor?” Where the hell was Logan going with this?

“Sierra is Veronica Sellers’ daughter.” Logan stated.

“So you’ve said.” Luke’s testy response was met with Logan’s even broader smile.

“Sierra’s an interior designer who just moved to Dallas from Nashville to be closer to her mother. She’s looking to build her business here, but she doesn’t have many contacts. Veronica seems to think this conference might be just the place to get her daughter’s name circulating.”

That sounded reasonable enough, but it didn’t explain why Logan was there. “So how does this involve me?” Luke asked, trying to tie it all together.

“I need you to accompany Sierra to Vegas for the conference.” Logan said, taking a step back as though he were already anticipating Luke’s reaction.

Luke pushed up from his chair, ran his hand through his hair and then directed a death glare at his brother. “Are you fucking serious?”

Luke didn’t quite know what to make of his brother’s request. The woman he’d just been introduced to, the one that made his dick stand up and take notice, needed a date. To Vegas.

What the hell was Logan thinking bringing her here?

“Did you completely fucking forget who you’re talking to, Logan? That sweet, innocent woman out there doesn’t stand a chance around me, and you know it. You know me better than anyone else, and hell, you saw my reaction to her. You bring the two of us together, and you’re opening up Pandora’s box.”

Surely his brother had gone insane. Logan had his own sexual preferences, a little on the dominant side, but the two of them weren’t even in the same league. What Luke wanted, no, what Luke needed, was far darker than any single woman could give him. And that woman, with her sleek black hair, long legs, and tight body was a temptation that Luke wouldn’t be able to resist.

“I know what I’m asking, Luke. I wouldn’t have come here if I had any doubts.” Logan’s calm, assertive attitude pissed Luke off.

Fuck.

He was fucked no matter how he looked at it. The part of him that wanted to shield that unsuspecting woman from a man like him was being held back by the part of him that wanted to strip her naked, right in the middle of his club, and fuck her blind.

“Ok.” Luke heard himself say, against his better judgment.

“Ok? You’ll go?” Logan’s incredulity was obvious.

“I’ll go.”

“One more thing.” Logan said as he turned toward the door. “Cole Ackerley’s attending. He’s going as a representative of CISS. Alex can’t make it, and Cole has contracted for him before. I just thought you should know.”

Sonuvabitch.

Luke watched his brother walk out of the room, but he didn’t make a move to follow him. He didn’t think his heart could handle the movement. What the hell was he getting himself into? Being around either of them wasn’t going to be a hardship, but Luke had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to control his baser urges.

Alone with both of them. In Vegas. For a weekend.

What the fuck?

Luke was so totally screwed.

Chapter Four

~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~

Sitting at a small table close to the bar, Sierra forced her gaze to the woman sitting across from her. Despite the overwhelming desire to search the room for the sexy, brooding man she had been introduced to only minutes before, she fought to focus.

The man made her skin tingle. Everywhere. The way his eyes had grazed her, the equivalent of a sensual caress, had sent a shiver down her spine. Had he looked closer, and yes, she knew he had tried, he would have seen her nipples pebbled beneath the shiny black halter she wore.

Looking down at her hand, she remembered the feel of his skin on hers, the way heat had spiraled low and fierce in her belly moments before her internal muscles had contracted. She had never had a reaction as all-consuming as the one she had to the feel of Luke McCoy’s giant, calloused palm on hers.

How was it possible for a man to come across so mysterious, so powerful, that Sierra felt it all the way down to her toes? The way he looked at her, the way his penetrating hazel eyes touched every inch of her overheated skin had Sierra wanting to search the room for him once more.

“So, the flight leaves Dallas on Thursday morning at seven. Logan and I will be glad to give you a ride to the airport if you need one.”

Sierra had to process Sam’s comment and erase the graphic images of Luke from her brain.

Flight. Airport. Oh, right.

“I’m good, but thanks. I figure my mother will want me to come along with her.”

Sam nodded her understanding, taking a sip of her drink. Sierra stared down at the half empty glass of cranberry juice and vodka she’d ordered. Despite her original concern that it was a little too early to be having a drink, she found the combination was just what she needed to calm her rioting nerves. Yes, Luke McCoy was driving her to drink.

And to think, she’d just met the man.

He owned a night club, Sierra thought as her eyes drifted around the room, taking in the sleek, modern decor – smoky glass, metal and wood – that decorated the room, giving it a sophisticated feel. Admittedly Sierra had never seen a night club in the harsh light of day; the decision maker lights at two o’clock in the morning notwithstanding.

She glanced toward the grand staircase that led to the second floor, and she wondered what was up there. From where she sat, Sierra could see a set of heavy wooden double doors that were closed, and she had a desire to go up there to find out where Luke had gone.

“Have you been to Vegas before?” Sam asked, interrupting her thoughts once more.

“Several times. Some of my girlfriends and I would try to go out there a couple of times a year.” A sudden homesick ache stirred inside of her.

Sierra had only been in Dallas for a couple of weeks and leaving the comfort of the place she had grown up had been difficult to swallow at first. Granted, the opportunities that were presented to her in Dallas were vast, but that didn’t make the transition any easier.

“Well, this will be my first time.” Sam stated quietly, and Sierra was almost positive the other woman blushed.

“Really? Aside from the conference, I’m sure you’ll have a great time.” Sierra laughed. “Not that you won’t have fun at the conference.”

Sam laughed in return. “I hope we get some time to ourselves to enjoy the sights.”

“We’re in a great location. The hotel we’re staying at is one of the nicest in the area, even though it is at the south end of the strip, it’s still close to other resorts we can visit.”

“So, do you gamble?” Sam asked with a twinkle in her eye. Sierra got the impression her question had a double meaning.

“A little. I like to play blackjack, and of course, drop some quarters in the slot machines.” Sierra took a sip of her drink, letting the tart, liquid fire flow down her throat. At this rate, she’d need another, and surely it was too early in the day to actually get drunk.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Cole Ackerley stepped out into the dimly lit hallway, clicking the door shut behind him.

He’d just spent the last hour and a half with the Prescott’s, succumbing to Ava’s every desire, yet the yearning that had consumed him for the last two months hadn’t been sated. Which was unusual because Ava and Daniel Prescott could generally scratch that insatiable itch with minimal effort. The woman didn’t know the term inhibition when it came to her desires. Between her beloved strap-on, which she used rigorously on her husband, and her desire to direct every movement, Cole could generally get lost in the sensations that the man and woman inspired within him.

Not so much today.

Sure, Cole found his release, but only when he closed his eyes, pretending the man plowing into him from behind was Luke McCoy while Ava used her very skilled mouth to suck him dry. Yep, that had certainly worked, but now, as he walked down the empty corridor to the main doors that would take him back to the main floor, Cole felt… alone.

That was a new emotion for Cole, considering he’d grown accustomed to his solitary life, enjoying it actually. Yet in recent months, Cole had found out some things about himself that he wasn’t sure he thoroughly understood.

Taking the stairs down to the main floor, Cole’s attention was drawn to two women sitting at one of the tables near the bar. He recognized Samantha McCoy immediately. The other woman, he’d never seen before, but he couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from her. Sitting at the table, talking animatedly with Sam, Cole admired her momentarily. She was exquisitely beautiful, in a very sensual, extraordinarily exotic way.

Damn near tripping over the last step, Cole focused on his feet, slowing his movements because he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the black haired beauty. When her gaze landed on him, apparently drawn to his less than graceful entrance, Cole’s heart thumped hard in his chest.

Those eyes.

Even from across the room, Cole could see the glimmer of silver in her blue eyes, a color he’d never before seen. When one slight eyebrow arched, Cole tilted his head slightly, trying to read her intent. Oh, he’d seen that look before. Numerous times.

Women were attracted to him physically. He knew that. And without ego, he accepted it. He was a big man, which in general, drew attention, often unwanted, but attention nonetheless. At six feet, four inches, two hundred and seventy pounds of solid muscle, Cole would never be considered average. And thanks to his rigorous training regimen, he kept himself in shape.

He maintained eye contact with the woman until his attention was diverted to Sam, who turned to glance in his direction.

“Cole.” When she called out to him, Cole faltered only briefly, wondering whether he should just wave a hand, acknowledging Sam, or take this opportunity to be introduced to this woman.

His brain told him to head out the back door, as was his original intention, but his dick instructed him otherwise. Several steps later, Cole was stepping up to the table, being greeted by Sam with a quick hug.

“Cole, I’d like you to meet Sierra Sellers. Sierra, this is Cole Ackerley.”

When Sierra stood from her chair, all five feet of her, Cole nearly took a step back. The woman was tiny. And when she held out her hand, he hesitated briefly before returning the gesture and taking her small, cool fingers within his grasp. A powerful torrent of desire spiked his blood stream at the contact, causing Cole to abruptly pull back.

“Nice to meet you, Cole.” Her husky, seductive voice slid over him, making the hair on the nape of his neck stand up.

“You too.” How incredibly eloquent, Ackerley.

“I hear you’re attending the conference in Vegas as a representative of CISS.” Sam stated, interrupting his temporary lapse in cognition.

“Yep.” Ok, maybe it wasn’t temporary.

“Sierra’s attending, as well. She’s new to the Dallas area, establishing her interior design company here, hoping to meet some potential clients at the conference.”

Cole couldn’t speak, so he nodded his head. Good Lord, he looked like a total idiot, but his vocabulary skills had suddenly been rendered useless.

The sound of footsteps from behind him jolted Cole, making him turn in time to see one of the McCoy brothers walking down the stairs. Logan. That certainly wasn’t Luke all decked out in an Armani suit. But it wasn’t the suit that was the main difference in the brothers. Logan had a gleam in his eye, an easiness about him that Luke hadn’t seemed to inherit, which set the otherwise identical brothers apart.

“Cole.” Logan greeted, holding out his hand.

Cole gripped Logan’s hand, returning the hand shake. “Logan. Good to see you.”

“Same here.” Logan slid his hands into his pockets. “Alex tells me you’re attending the conference this weekend. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to have a beer at some point.”

Again, Cole couldn’t seem to find his voice, the thought of Sierra’s eyes boring into him was a clear distraction, one that he couldn’t seem to shake. Just when he realized that he needed to say something, do something, so he didn’t look like a clumsy idiot, Luke McCoy descended the steps and Cole’s heart damn near plummeted to his toes. His heartbeat increased, and there was a sudden roaring in his ears. It was a visceral reaction, one only Luke managed to instill in Cole.

Well, that was until he’d laid eyes on Sierra Sellers.

“I look forward to seeing you in Vegas.” Cole managed to choke out, seconds before he headed in the opposite direction.

He might look like a stammering fool, but that was nothing compared to what would happen if he was within ten feet of Luke. After what had happened between them months before and the fact that Luke had successfully avoided him since, Cole hadn’t been able to look the man in the eye. And it had nothing to do with embarrassment and everything to do with the fact that he longed for an instant replay of that night.

Which was another first for Cole.

Hell, the day had been full of them already, and as he walked through the doors leading to the parking garage, Cole wondered just what this weekend had in store for him.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Sierra’s attention was drawn to the omnipotent male descending the stairs. As far as appearances went, and the way that both Luke and Logan carried themselves, Sierra was pretty sure she had never seen two men look so much alike, yet so vastly different. There was something intensely masculine, and yes as Sam mentioned, very reticent about Luke.

Though Logan was the mirror image, and sexy as hell in his own right, there was something more demanding about Luke, something darker, more intriguing. She glanced quickly at Sam, who was smiling back at her knowingly.

“Don’t worry. You aren’t the only woman who has had that reaction.” Then she lowered her voice a little. “Like I said earlier, brace yourself.”

Sierra watched Luke move toward them, briefly glancing toward Cole who was exiting through the main doors at the same time.

Was it her imagination, or was Cole leaving because of Luke? She hadn’t gotten a good read on the incredibly handsome man because he had seemed incredibly nervous, or maybe that had been her.

When their eyes met, Sierra had felt an intrinsic longing reflected in the midnight blue gaze staring back at her. She’d been surprised by the all-consuming heat that rushed over her.

Hadn’t she just been thinking about Luke and the way the man seemed to make her libido awaken from a decade long coma? It seemed ironic that she would have a similar reaction to another man so soon afterward.

Hormones. That’s what it was. Luke must have awakened her to the point that she was now flooded with them.

“Let’s go next door and get a bite to eat while these two have a few minutes to talk.” Logan’s deep voice interrupted her thoughts and had her attention returning to the couple standing beside her.

Not to mention the man fast approaching, whose eyes were riveted to the doors that Cole had just exited. Interesting.

Sierra felt the butterflies take flight once more. Just being near Luke was short-circuiting her insides and now she was going to be left alone with him. She took a fortifying breath and then graced him with a smile. She could do this.

Surely she could do this.

When he smiled back at her, a sexy, crooked, mischievous grin, Sierra knew she’d need more than courage to get through the next few minutes.

“I hear you need a date for Vegas.” Luke stated as he took the seat that Sam had been sitting in, motioning to the chair across from him. The man clearly didn’t have a problem with getting to the point.

“Depends on who you ask.” Sierra stated, returning his playful grin and easing into the chair.

“Not that I have any doubt you could find one on your own.”

Was he flirting with her?

Sierra took in Luke’s rugged features, his midnight black hair and hazel eyes that were more green than brown, thanks to the forest green polo shirt he wore. His thick, well groomed eyebrows were halfcocked while his sexy lips were tilted into a smirk as he waited for her response.

“I won’t dispute that, but being I’m new in town, and definitely not looking to find anything more than someone to accompany me to the conference, I decided to take my chances.”

“Ever been to one of XTX’s vendor conferences?”

Luke’s penetrating gaze was directed at her, and Sierra felt the warmth of those radiant green-brown eyes all the way to her toes. She was grateful she was sitting down because she wasn’t sure she would be able to hold herself up thanks to the way her knees had turned to jelly.

“No, I haven’t. My mother has been to a few, but I didn’t get many details from her.”

Veronica hadn’t been forthcoming with any information; other than that Sierra would want to take someone with her because there were numerous afterhours’ events that would be mostly couples. No matter how much Sierra protested Veronica hadn’t let up.

Sierra was a little shocked at how adamant her mother had been since Veronica was single as well, and wasn’t likely to be taking a date. Though she knew Veronica and Xavier usually attended events together, as far as she knew, they weren’t actually a couple. Being that Xavier was widowed, and Veronica had been divorced from Sierra’s absent father for nearly two decades, Sierra figured they could do whatever they wanted.

“I’m amazed that Logan thought to invite me.” Luke said, but Sierra got the impression he didn’t mean to say the words out loud.

“Why is that?” Unexplainably intrigued by the man, Sierra wanted to know more about him.

“Tell me a little about you, Sierra.” Luke obviously wasn’t interested in talking about himself if his deflection of the subject was anything to go by.

“What do you want to know, Luke?” Sierra addressed him, using his name the way he had used hers.

She was all for getting to know this man, but based on the vibe she felt coming off of him in waves he was used to things going his way. The slight tilt of his lips into a barely there smile told her that he realized she would be a challenge.

“Kane, bring Sierra another drink.” Luke instructed the bartender, but he never took his eyes off of her.

She liked the way he looked at her; the dark passion that swirled just beneath the surface was there for the world to see, but Sierra knew he held something back. Probably a lot of somethings if she had to guess.

“You’re from Nashville?”

“Born and raised. My mother moved to Dallas right after I graduated from high school. I stayed to go to the University of Tennessee. Until recently, I’ve been working for a design firm in Nashville. I started there after I graduated, but I’ve always intended to start my own business.”

“Other than your mother, what made you want to come to Texas?” Luke asked as Kane sat her drink on the table, removing the empty glass.

“Nothing, honestly. I love Nashville, and if she hadn’t been so far away, I probably would’ve never left. But, design firms are a dime a dozen here, the clientele desirable, so I figured I could kill two birds, so to speak. Being close to my mother is important to me, more so than where I start my business.”

“Do you live with your mother?”

Sierra laughed, trying to imagine how that would even be possible. “Hardly. I think we’d kill each other if we were under the same roof.”

Growing up in a house, just her and her mother, had been a challenge. Two of them, both self-sufficient, exceedingly independent, and more than a little bit princesses in their own right meant that neither of them could be under the same roof for long without trying to see who the bigger diva was. They had barely managed to survive Sierra’s teenage years.

No, she certainly hadn’t moved in with her mother.

“What about you, Luke?” Sierra asked, trying to turn the tables. If she wasn’t careful, she got the impression Luke would know everything there was to know about her while she would walk away knowing nothing.

Likely his intention.

“What about me?”

“Do you live with your mother?” Sierra smiled, then took a sip of her drink. Wow. Apparently Kane thought she needed some courage of the liquid variety by the strength of the drink he’d made for her.

Luke’s raspy laugh tickled Sierra’s insides. A gruff, unpracticed sound. Like his laugh muscles hadn’t been used in quite some time.

“No.”

Well, hell. Talking to this man was like pulling teeth. Instead of asking anything more, Sierra pierced him with a glare, tilting her head slightly to the side as she waited for him to continue. When Luke leaned back in his chair, crossing his massive arms over his chest, Sierra knew they were at a standstill.

So be it. She wasn’t about to give in.

“Can I assume you’ll be attending the conference in Vegas?” Sierra finally broke the silence, figuring she needed to get this conversation over with before she lost the little bit of nerve she still had left.

“You can.”

Sierra laughed again. If nothing else, this trip was sure to be interesting.

Pushing her chair back from the table, Sierra stood, shocked momentarily when Luke rose abruptly, his enormous size making her feel even smaller than she normally did. She couldn’t look him in the eye without tilting her head back. Even with heels she came just barely to the middle of his broad chest, and he was easily twice her weight and width, but she wasn’t about to let him intimidate her.

“I’m glad to hear it. I think I should be going. It was very nice to meet you, Luke. I look forward to seeing you in Vegas. I’m sure you’ll be able to find me if you’re interested.” With that, Sierra gave him her brightest smile, turned on her heel and walked straight out the front doors without looking back.

Her heart was racing, her hands were sweating, but Sierra wasn’t about to let that man know what he did to her. He was dangerous. She could feel it in her bones. He would want things from her that she wasn’t sure she was ready to give.

But, damn was she tempted.

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