Perfect Fit: Book 4 of the Fated Hearts Series (7 page)

“Uh…” Miller’s stammer only made me smile more.

“J has Xavier too. He
is not
alone and
never
will be.” She came to stand beside us, hands on her hips in full diva mode. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but I think we need to come to an agreement moving forward.” Miller and I just continued to stare at one another, but it was obvious she had our full attention. “We can all get along for Chase and Gray’s sake like one big-fucking-happy-family or we can throw down right here and right now. What I will not listen to is any petty bullshit fighting about where Chase’s heart lies or that he somehow needs to choose between his friends and his lover. Gray’s insecurity over JJ’s existence is his problem, not Chase’s and not JJ’s. I appreciate that you’re Gray’s best friend, but as his friend, you need to assure him that Chase loves him and not create more fucking drama by creating a problem where there is none. How do you think Chase would feel if he walked in and overheard what you had just said to his friend instead of me?” She blew out a frustrated breath and took a step back. “You two fools work this shit out right now.” She turned on her heels and headed back the hallway, her curls bouncing with every angry step she took.

“I’d do what the lady says, fellas.” I hadn’t realized her husband Brandon was even in the room until he spoke. He slapped my shoulder as he followed after his wife.

“She’s kind of scary,” Miller muttered softly so that only I could hear. I always thought she was scary in an awesome way, but I held my opinion to myself. Instead, I moved to go around him so that I could start boxing up the kitchen. “Wait,” Miller said then grabbed my bicep to keep me there. I chose to look straight ahead rather than turn and look into his eyes. I didn’t want to see pity or derision in them; in fact, if I couldn’t look into his eyes to see happiness, humor, or desire then I didn’t want to look into them at all. “I was way out of line, Jag.”

I tensed when he used the nickname he had given me. Before, I had liked hearing it roll off his tongue, but right then it just felt all wrong. “Don’t worry about it,” I said, blowing him off with a casualness I didn’t feel. “I won’t say anything to Chase or Gray and we can forget it happened. Ava’s right, Miller. We don’t have to like each other, but we do have to get along. As pitiful as it might sound to you, Chase and the other two amigos, Ava and Xavier, are my only family and I won’t do anything to hurt any of them.”

I pulled my arm out of his grip and walked away without letting him respond. As I packed up the kitchen, I contemplated why the shift in Miller’s personality bothered me so damn much. Hell, I didn’t know a damn thing about him, not even what he was a doctor of, yet, I felt like I somehow lost something important. It was a mystery I hadn’t solved by the time I packed away the entire kitchen by myself, except the items in the refrigerator and freezer.

I pulled open the refrigerator and was relieved to see that there wasn’t much inside beyond two bottles of beer. I was feeling pretty thirsty so I helped myself to one of them just so we’d have one less thing to pack. I opened the bottle and flipped the cap in the trash can before I took a swig and shut the door.

“Is there another one of those? All this baby and sweetie talk, plus all the kissing, is making me nauseous.” I nearly choked in surprise, I hadn’t realized he was standing on the other side of the refrigerator door. The ornery twinkle had returned and I was finding it hard to hold onto my ire with him looking so frigging irresistible. I opened the door and pulled out the last beer for him. “Thank you.”

“Less shit I have to pack up.” My response was less conciliatory than it could have been and I found myself not wanting to hold a grudge any longer. I could only imagine the horror stories Gray had told him about me, even if they weren’t true. I raised my bottle up in the air and said, “Confirmed bachelors unite.”

“Amen.”

Miller clinked his bottle to mine and the tension from earlier faded until all that was left was two guys sharing a beer while their best friends dreamed of fairy tales, happily-ever-afters, and probably even a unicorn ring bearer at their future wedding. They weren’t engaged yet, but we all knew it was just a matter of time. The teasing glint in Miller’s eyes changed to something more sinister and sexual, but I did my best to ignore it. He had been absolutely right when he cautioned that getting anything started between us would only make the situation more complicated. I had no regrets about the night we spent together, but I was determined that it wouldn’t happen again.

LEAVING MY NIECE’S
birthday party early to attend an alumni mixer at the university was not my idea of a good time. Holiday break was supposed to be just that – a holiday. Instead I found myself surrounded by stuffed suits all peddling to important alumnus who had deep coffers filled with money they could donate to their beloved alma mater. I would have preferred to be wearing a party hat and be mauled by the tiny heart snatchers that were the fruit of my brother’s loins.

Unfortunately, my attendance was required as I was the mastermind behind the joint campaign between Georgetown University and The Smithsonian’s Mayan exhibit, even though my department head, Micah Halverston, took all the credit. I wasn’t exactly sure why he needed me to be in attendance; oh yeah, in case someone had questions that he couldn’t answer because his interest in the project was next to nil until articles praising the exhibit began cropping up. Quite honestly, I was tired of saving his lazy ass every time something like this happened, although it had never before happened on a national level.

The blowhard wasn’t able to answer one too many questions and the biggest alumnus in attendance, Senator Baxter Thompson, narrowed his shrewd, gray eyes at Halverston before turning his attention to me. “I think you and your students did an amazing job, Dr. Brexler, and you should be very proud of the positive press the archeology and anthropology departments have received.”

“Thank you, Senator Thompson, for acknowledging the dedication of my students to see this exhibit become a reality. They worked tirelessly to make it all happen.” I had to admit that I was just a little bit of a fan boy of Senator Thompson, who was openly gay and a champion for LGBT rights, not to mention an extremely handsome devil. He was one of the brightest to attend Georgetown Law, as well as one of the youngest members of congress, and he had people fawning all over him all night long.

“It sounds like they had some amazing instruction.” The senator turned his full charm on me and I felt myself turning a little pink under his perusal. He smiled charmingly and I smiled in return. I half expected an invitation to get to know him a little better, but his attention was suddenly diverted. “It has been lovely getting to know you, Dr. Brexler, but I see an old acquaintance and I need to say hello.” He shook my hand in a hurry and made a beeline for someone in the room behind me. I was curious to know who he was talking about and turned to watch his progress, but then I wished I hadn’t.

I watched as Jag waved in the senator’s direction. A huge smile split his face and I found an unfamiliar feeling burning in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t like Jag smiling at Senator Thompson like that and I certainly didn’t like the hug they exchanged. I knew right then what kind of acquaintance they had been and understood the senator’s burning desire to reacquaint himself with Jag. I sure has hell had spent several nights tossing and turning with a burning rage of desire that I started to suspect only Jag could put out. Fuck, I wanted to reacquaint myself with his skills.

The fiery sensation intensified until I could feel it burning a path up my esophagus and taste my jealousy on my tongue. There was a part of me that wanted to stomp over there and break up their little bromance before anything could get started, but I held myself back. I made a big enough asshole of myself the last time I saw Jag and gave into my newfound jealousy, I refused to do so again.

Dr. Halverston began to yammer on about this alum and that alum, but I tuned him out and focused on the two gorgeous men engaged in a conversation full of smiles and laughter. It was during this intense scrutiny that I noticed that Jag’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. My jealousy faded somewhat as I remembered the times I saw the smile in his eyes when he looked into mine. Okay, so we were either playing basketball, fucking, or sucking each other off, but still… I had been on the receiving end of his genuine smile. The urge to see it again struck me between the eyes hard enough to make me dizzy, causing me to blink several times while I gathered myself.

“Are you okay, Miller?” I heard the concern in Dr. Halverston’s voice. “You’re not intoxicated are you? That would make the department look really bad in front of such an illustrious group of graduates.”

“Too much birthday cake at my niece’s party this afternoon, sir. I think my blood sugar dropped suddenly and left me a little lightheaded. I’ll just go grab a bite to eat from the buffet and I’ll be just fine.” I kept my voice modulated so as not to show my disdain for the man who thought I’d get tanked at such an important event. Some people could be so fucking intelligent, but didn’t have an ounce of common sense.

“Dr. Brexler,” Gavin said, walking up beside me, “there are a few benefactors who’d like to talk to you about your future projects.” Thank God for Gavin, who knew of my dislike of for the clueless department head.

“Perhaps I should come along, as well.” I would have hung my head in embarrassment for him, but Jag chose that exact moment to look at me.

Time had not diminished the impact those penetrating eyes had on me. Jag titled his head slightly in acknowledgment before turning his focus back on the senator. It felt more like a dismissal than a greeting and the burning sensation returned in full force as if some evil witch stirred her wicked brew in in my stomach.

“There are so many people for you to circulate and talk with, Dr. Halverston,” Gavin answered for me. “If Dr. Brexler needs your assistance then I will come find you.” Gavin’s ass kissing was met by a harrumph and hearty slap on his back before the penguin-shaped man waddled off into the crowd. “Is that him?” Gavin asked me as soon as Halverston was out of earshot.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Gavin.” I pivoted on my heels and made my way over to the buffet table to get a bite to eat. The excuse I gave to Halverston wasn’t too far from the truth; I had eaten too much birthday cake and not enough protein and fiber.

“Don’t play coy with me, Dr. Brexler,” Gavin said as he followed behind me. I had hoped by ignoring him as I loaded my plate that he’d walk away and find someone else to amuse him, but fortune wasn’t smiling down upon me. “I saw the way you were looking at the tall, dark, and sexy man talking to the senator.”

“You saw no such thing, Gavin.”
Deny. Deny. Deny.
Maybe one day it would be true.

“He’s the one that had you wiggling in your chair a few months ago, right? The one you were sighing over as you looked through your planner like you just couldn’t get the memory of how he made you feel out of your mind.”

“Perhaps you should switch your major to romantic literature, Gavin, as you seem to have the knack for it.”

“I know what I saw on your face in the office that day. I haven’t seen that look again until tonight, so who are you trying to fool – me or yourself?”

“Look, Gavin…”

“Yeah, Doc, who are you trying to fool?” His dark, sexy voice came out of nowhere and caught me by surprise. “Let me help you with that,” he said as he eased his arm around me and plucked the plate right out of my hand. “I’m going to borrow him for a bit, Gavin. I hope you don’t mind.”

Gavin looked Jag up and down like he was a life-sized hot fudge sundae. “Take all the time you need, fellas.” He gave me a jaunty little salute and an impish smile. I was ready to give him a scalding retort, but Jag took my upper arm in his free hand and began guiding me to a table.

“You’re a doctor who studies bones, yes?” That was a unique way of referring to my job, but I knew which
bone
he was referring to and it had nothing to do with archeological digs and lost civilizations.