TripleThreat1 Read Online Free PDF Page B

thought he’d told you we're
not…together.”
    I leaned in close, invading Cannon’s personal space. “Chance
told me. I thought maybe you forgot. You used to forget a lot of things. How’s
that wife of yours?”
    Cannon’s mouth went tight, his face visibly paling even in
the dim lighting. “Classy, Zach. I should have known. You all stick together,
don’t you? I think I’ll go now.” Cannon brushed past me and I followed him to
the door. Cannon Malloy was definitely not the sort of trouble we needed here
tonight.
    Jeremiah’s expression held a question, but I forestalled the
discussion with a brief explanation. “He’s the closeted former lover of an old
friend. I have no idea why he’s here.”
    Strong arms wrapped around me from behind and I momentarily
leaned back into the comfort of Archer’s embrace.
    “How is it going, lovers?” he asked. “You look positively
delicious, Jeremiah.”
    I ignored Archer’s use of the plural and pretended I didn’t
see the shift in Jeremiah’s posture. “I’m not sure. George is here with a small
entourage hanging on every word, plus a slave. The slave isn’t Franklin—all
fingers present and accounted for—but I made him very uneasy.” I smiled. “Leaking
word of the party to George was a definite plus. He never could keep a secret.
I also saw a friend of friend who shouldn’t have known about the party—but who
obviously did, so the word is definitely out in the right places in Atlanta.
    With a quick check of his watch, Archer nodded. “Yes, I’ve
just come from a long conversation with the former mayor. He was passing
through on his way to DC and heard about our little shindig—his word—from the
friend of a friend. If Franklin is anywhere near Atlanta, he’ll be here
tonight.”
    “I’ve hinted around that I’m looking for a sub for an
intense session to demonstrate to the boy.” Jeremiah hissed, but kept his gaze
down.
    “Mmm…there are quite a few subs tonight who are well-trained
and would enjoy your attention, Zachary.”
    “They’ll have to come to me. That should give me plenty of
opportunity to look for Franklin.” I smiled into those blue-green eyes. “Are
you enjoying yourself, Archer?”
    “Not as much as I intend to once everyone leaves and we
finish this business. Considering we have everything we could possibly need.”
Meeting my gaze with a heated look, he stroked my face with his long fingers,
and my response to him was an immediate hunger that had nothing to do with our
surroundings, and everything to do with him. With his lids half lowered, Archer
slipped a finger into my mouth and I sucked greedily. Then his gaze drifted
lazily over my shoulder. To Jeremiah .
     

Chapter Five
    An hour later, I was still chafing from Archer’s apparent
decision to take Jeremiah after the party. I’d tried to shrug it off, but it
had burrowed into my subconscious like a splinter and I couldn’t seem to stop
picking at the wound. For his part, Jeremiah proved to be as efficient in
leather and mesh as he was in his usual khakis. Although I was drinking club
soda—I was working after all—my glass was never empty. With his gaze lowered
and walking behind me, Jeremiah managed to anticipate my direction, my needs.
    Despite the hour, a few late arrivals still trickled in, and
the crowd pushed at maximum capacity as we moved toward midnight. I recognized
a significant number of our guests from our club days, but I noticed many were strangers,
definitely people we hadn’t invited. Good news for us.
    Over the course of the evening several subs had presented
themselves and requested my attention, however, none of them were Franklin, so
I passed without explanation or excuse. A small commotion near the door drew my
attention and I looked up in time to see two masked men talking with the
doorman before they entered and moved into the crowded room. The mask actually
made it easier to recognize Franklin—I wasn’t distracted by the new face