Page 18

Chapter 18

Drubbing

He didn't know how he'd gone from the edge of the dance floor, to being surrounded by moving, writhing bodies, to Eli's hands sliding over his chest, his hips, his sides.

And not only Eli's hands, either. At some point, a third pair of hands had joined in, trailing over the mesh front of Logan's shirt, a body pressed close against his back. Blindly, Logan reached up behind him, cupping his new partner's neck as they danced, just to see what Eli would do.

He didn't disappoint. Eli's eyes went wide before he barked out a laugh, and Logan felt an answering chuckle bubble up out of his chest.

"You're a natural!" Eli grinned, pulling Logan closer until his beard brushed the shell of Logan's ear. "What did I tell you? Don't think about labels. Think about fun. Think about how sexy we look together. Think about how hot and bothered you're making Oz."

Logan glanced over his shoulder and caught sight of that same unblinking stare, Oz's drink still untouched in his hand.

Their third abandoned them in favor of the bar, a new man slotting into his place. He was shorter than Logan, with a head of messy curls and a bitingly sharp grin.

"Hey," he murmured as Logan pressed back against him, his eyes flicking to land on Oz. "I'm Isaac."

"Logan." His voice was rough.

"Nice to meet you," Isaac said, arms sliding around Logan's waist, his cheek tucked against the curve of Logan's shoulder blade. His breath was hot against Logan's skin through the mesh shirt, his hands wandering, nails scratching lightly down Logan's stomach.

Logan was —

He was hard.

Fuck, he was so hard. And when he looked for Oz, Logan found him still watching from the edge of the crowd, his expression hungry —

Logan let his head fall back to rest against Isaac's temple, his eyes sliding shut as Isaac's hands slipped up under his tank.

The music was so loud he couldn't hear anything over it; the beat filling his veins. The smell of alcohol and sweat and cologne was thick, and the feeling of bodies pressed against his, skin brushing skin, it was all —

Good.

It was so fucking good.

One song blended into the next, the steady heartbeat of the club matching Logan's own. Isaac swapped places with a Darren, a Vincent, an Ernesto, a Liu, a Xavier, a Tim. Until it was Eli's chest against Logan's back, and a large, bearded guy wearing a tight "Baby Bear" t-shirt, grinning at them as he danced in the circle of Logan's arms.

Logan chanced a look over to where Oz had been standing by the bar. Was still standing by the bar, his eyes locked on Logan dancing.

"Y'know," Eli mused in Logan's ear. His breath was almost as warm on Logan's neck as his hands were, as Eli clutched the bare, exposed skin of Logan's sides. "I don't think I've ever seen Oz bring someone here? It's usually him hanging off that asshole Brett's arm."

"Who's Brett?" Logan grunted as Baby Bear was swept away by a lanky black man in a sharp goatee and a grin to rival the moon.

Logan frowned as a thought struck him —

Oz said he came here to dance. So… Why isn't he dancing?

He glanced over to find Oz again, a smile bubbling up from deep inside, spurring Logan to hold out his hand in invitation.

Something in Oz's face brightened at the gesture. He knocked the last of his drink back before making his way through the parting crowd. Every damn cheesy romcom Logan's older sister and her friends had ever made him sit through come to life right then and there; all fused into the form of the man heading right for Logan.

He'd always thought it was some utter bullshit. But here, like this? Logan was surprised to find he fucking loved it.

"Oz looks good tonight, don't you think?" Eli murmured in Logan's ear.

Logan's "Yeah," slipped out before he realized it, but he figured… Hell, why not? He doubted it was anything Eli hadn't already seen. "Not sure what it is, but… He looks confident. Relaxed."

"Oh, sugar," Eli laughed. "That's because he knows he's safe here. Relatively speaking, of course; never take your eyes off your drink. But what I meant was: Oz looks happy."

Logan rolled his eyes. "He's always happy," he replied, twisting so Eli could hear him over the roar of the club.

He caught the barest edge of a surprised expression on Eli's face, but any response the other man might've made was lost to the hum of the crowd as suddenly, Oz was there.

"You two look like you're enjoying yourselves." Oz grinned as he stepped in close. "Having a good time?"

"Yeah," Logan answered him. His hands had automatically found the curve of Oz's hip, the familiar feel of him, the shape of him. "Even better now. But why aren't you dancing?"

"And miss the show?" Oz asked, laughing.

Heat rushed to Logan's cheeks to realize Oz meant him. Eli gave a throaty chuckle, pressing so close against Logan's back he found himself sandwiched between the smaller men.

"So, are you here to show us your moves, Oz, or are you two going to chat all night?" Eli asked.

"He's gonna dance," Logan replied, trying to keep his expression neutral.

"Oh, am I?" Oz laughed, his hands resting on Logan's shoulders.

"Yeah," Logan teased, sliding a hand under the hem of Oz's shirt, his palm coming to rest against the small of his back, skin against skin. "You are."

The heat in Oz's eyes was enough to burn.

"I think I'm starting to get the idea why he brought you tonight, sugar," Eli mused, his teeth catching at the shell of Logan's ear, his beard scratching the back of his neck. "You two let me know if you want a third, alright?"

Logan bit his lip, but…

"It's up to Oz. He's the one that calls the shots," Logan replied, half-teasing, and half — not.

"You sure?" Oz breathed, leaning close, his lips a hair's breadth from Logan's. "You can say no, Logan. This — I don't think our deal covered this."

"I said I'd do anything you asked," Logan whispered, his blood thrilling with something new and wild. "So…ask."

"Could be fun." Oz's grin was wide as his hands came up, sliding over the back of Logan's neck, his thumbs pressing lightly into the front of Logan's throat, making him feel… Wanted. Desired.

Claimed.

"You need another drink?" Oz asked, but Logan just shook his head.

"I'm good."

And he was, buzzing more with the thrill of Oz and Eli and a dozen other guys' hands on him than anything else. With the sense of freedom thrumming in his blood with the pulse of the club music, the strobe lights and body glitter dazzling his vision.

Free and easy in his skin like Logan had never felt before, time seemed to lose its meaning. Even the warm press of Eli at Logan's back faded into the background. The only thing that mattered was Oz. Oz in his arms, Oz pressed against him; his eyes bright and hungry as he and Logan and the whole club moved together.

"Oz," Eli grunted over the greeting shouted from the front.

Because of course a feeling that pure couldn't last for long.

"I see him."

"Come on." Oz's hand found his; he and Eli dragging Logan behind them off the dance floor, towards the edge of the club.

"Where are we going?" Logan asked, confused.

"Anywhere else," Eli murmured, before suddenly Oz stopped short.

"Oswald," a low voice sneered.

"Brett," Oz gritted out, his tone instantly bringing Logan's hackles up

He stepped close to Oz's shoulder, experience recognizing the signs of a brewing fight long before his brain made anything like a conscious decision.

"Eli," the newcomer greeted, Brett's lip curling as a nasty, mean look slithered into his eyes. "Funny running into you here."

"I could say the same."

"It's like that, huh?" Brett grinned, obviously enjoying himself. His attention flicked over to Logan, abruptly making him all too aware of how he was dressed, where he was, what — "You aren't going to introduce me to your new… friend?"

Logan's blood boiled. He opened his mouth, ready to step in, but a quick nudge from Eli kept him quiet.

"We were just leaving, Brett," Eli drawled, his expression bored. "You want to catch up with Oz, you've got to pick a better place than the club's dancefloor."

Brett's laugh was sharp and cruel.

"Right. He's yours. That makes so much more sense. Well, you and your boy toy go have fun with my leftovers, Eli. Maybe as a third, Oz could make half a decent lay."

"Excuse me?" Logan said, unable to keep silent anymore, his temper snapping. "What the fuck did you just say?"

Brett's eyes glittered, grinning like a wolf discovering a treat. "You should watch your mouth, gym rat. Some of us actually know what to do with our muscles outside the weight room mirror."

"Fuck off, Brett," Oz snarled. "You can't get anyone new to put up with your shit, so you come here looking for a fight. It's pathetic."

Brett's face turned red. "You're the one who's been crawling after my dick since the day we met. If anyone here is pathetic, Oswald — it's you ."

And Logan —

He's really not sure what happened next.

One minute, Brett was shoving Oz, pushing him into Eli's startled catch. Pain bloomed across Logan's knuckles next; his feet braced as his shoulder absorbed the shock, Brett's head rocking back on his neck.

Then it was a flurry of dark and light, snatches of hasty words and pulsing music. Oz and Eli grabbed at Logan, bundling him out of the club and into the cold, metallic air outside.

"Oh my God, let me look at your hand," Eli demanded, tugging at Logan's wrist.

"It's fine," Logan said with the voice of experience, flexing his fingers to prove it. "I get worse injuries in practice."

It felt strange to be out here, letting Eli cluck over him like a mother hen. Everything within him was shouting at Logan to go back in, to find that Brett guy and give him the beating he deserved. To make him apologize to Oz, to Eli, to Logan for ruining their night. To win .

You go out there and do whatever you have to do, as long as you bring back a win — or I swear I'll make sure none of you ever set foot on my field again.

Logan sighed, hearing his father's voice and… and fighting the instinct down.

"Ride'll be here in five minutes," Oz said, his face awash with the light of his phone as he looked up at them. "C'mon."

Logan snatched his fist out of Eli's hands, glancing only briefly at his reddened knuckles before following Oz around the corner into a nearby alley.

"Holy fuck, Logan!" Oz's eyes were wide and wild, turning on Logan as soon as they were out of sight of the club. "I didn't bring you out tonight just so you could end up slapped with an assault charge for punching my ex!"

Logan frowned, guilt slamming through him that he'd upset Oz when he'd only meant to — "He touched you."

Oz rolled his eyes. "Yeah, he did. Brett was being his usual charming self. But while I admit, watching you K.O. him would be the highlight of my year, I promise: it's not worth you getting arrested."

"I only punched him," Logan replied. "Once."

"You," Eli huffed, gesturing with his hand at all of Logan's six-foot-one, two-hundred-and-fifty-seven pounds of game-ready muscle; all poured into Oz's too-tight clubbing clothes and covered in about seventy pounds of body glitter. "Punched him at a gay. bar. you. idiot. You don't think the cops already take any and every excuse to harass us queers, even before your sweet ass offered them something like this on a silver platter?"

"I'm not going to get arrested," Logan scoffed, though he was less sure now. "And I'm not q— … gay ," he corrected himself, his tongue tripping around the forbidden word.

"What you are, is a fucking idiot," Eli snapped, throwing his arms up in exasperation.

"Hey!" Oz stepped between them, glaring at Eli. "Logan's not an idiot, okay? He's just… He's new to all this. Cut him some slack."

Eli huffed, rolling his eyes, but didn't argue.

"Logan," Oz started, turning back to him. "I dunno if you thought you were defending my honor, or whatever the fuck that was, but —"

"Ride's here," Eli said as a car pulled up at the mouth of the alley. "Where are we going?"

"It's Logan's call," Oz told him as they headed for the waiting vehicle. "We can all go home, or…"

" Or ," Logan replied vehemently as they got in, not ready for the night to end. Not wanting to feel like he'd been the one to end it. "Whatever 'or' is. My vote's that one."

"My place?" Eli suggested, then glanced over at Logan. "Not sure if you're interested in a little extra fun, or an evening of actual movies and chill, but my roommate's gone for the weekend. Got the entire apartment to myself."

"Logan?" Oz murmured, the warmth of his fingers a promise as they brushed the back of Logan's neck. "Want to go over to Eli's?"

Logan bit his lip, considering, his mind spinning. He was a little buzzed, and a lot worked up, and his whole body was singing with the high of being on the dance floor. He didn't want to head home yet. Not when his veins were still full of the thrill, the feeling of bodies pressed close and hungry hands as they roamed.

And then there was the way Eli was looking at him. At them both. Like maybe Logan wasn't the only one who'd enjoyed their time on the dance floor. Like maybe —

"Logan?" Oz prodded, squeezing his neck.

"Sure," Logan breathed. "Sound fucking great."

"Oh, I like this one, Logan," Eli purred as the car took off, snuggling up on Logan's other side. "You should keep him."

"Maybe I will." Oz's tone was light, teasing, and yet —

It settled in Logan's gut, and lower, a feeling he'd never experienced before. Something hot and heavy. Hungry. Wanting

"So," Eli said, sliding his palm over Logan's thigh. "Just to be clear: we're all going to fuck, right?"

"Jesus," Logan choked, his eyes flying open.

Oz chuckled. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Logan," Oz reminded him. But his hand was still on the back of Logan's neck, the possessive curl of his fingers sending a thrill down Logan's spine. "This is outside of our deal."

Logan glanced over at him, but didn't voice the disagreement grumbling away in his mind.

It…made it easier, if he kept on pretending this all was part of their bargain. Logan just wasn't sure what to do with that yet.

"Well, how about it?" Eli asked, giving his thigh a squeeze. "You want to join us?"

Logan thought of the way it had felt on the dance floor. To have all those other guys' hands on him. To have Eli grinding against his ass as Oz danced in Logan's arms. How his blood had sang, and his heart had pounded, and his body had thrummed with desire.

If he said no… It's not like he'd get another chance to feel that again, was he? Not once he and Oz's deal was over. Not once he was straight again.

"I do what Oz tells me to," Logan managed. "Or…who, I guess."

"Oh. My. God ," Eli practically squealed, turning to Oz excitedly. "You found a gym bunny sub, and I love that for you. Oh! For us ."

Eli's face was triumphant as he smoothed his palms over Logan's shoulder and down his arm appraisingly. Logan glanced at him, amused and not a little surprised by how…interesting he found Eli's attention. He tipped his head as Oz squeezed the back of Logan's neck gently, just enough for his fingertips to drag possessively against Logan's skin as Oz tugged Logan closer.

Fuck, but sandwiched between the two men like this? Logan was felt really fucking good right then.

"You can change your mind at any time," Oz whispered into Logan's ear. "Don't do anything you're uncomfortable with, alright? Remember your safe word."

Logan swallowed, nodding. And as the streetlight sped by outside the ride share's windows, he knew to his bones there was nothing on the planet just then that could make him use it.