Page 82 of Set Fire to This Cardhouse

Mike hesitates before he nods. “Fine. You get the phone, I get lube. Make it quick.” When he moves off Toby’s lap, Toby has to stop himself from pulling him right back in.

“You’re very bossy.” Toby clambers to his feet and continues talking even as he moves into the house, calling over his shoulder while he rushes up the stairs. “We’ll have to talk about that, just so you know. There can only be one bossy bitch in this relationship.”

Relationship. Huh.

He skids into the bedroom and grabs his phone. The display identifies the caller as Liu, not Matt. That’s... unexpected. After a second’s consideration, Toby picks up. “Liu. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m not sure I want to hear anything about your pleasure, man.” Liu’s drawl is as fabulously relaxed as ever. “You sound like you got plenty of that since we last spoke.”

Toby hopes his grin doesn’t show in his voice. “Is there a point to this call? Anything that would stop me from hanging up on you right here, right now?”

“Actually,” Liu says, “there is: if either you or Mike get a call from someone who claims to be the Governor of Hawaii, don’t hang up on him.”

Toby lowers the phone and looks at it for a moment. Nope, still doesn’t make sense. He shakes his head as he brings the phone back to his ear. “Liu Wei Zhou. Are you high?”

Liu laughs, and he doesn’t sound high, merely comfortable and at peace with the world. “Hawaii is looking to expand its capacity beyond occasionally protecting the President and other VIP travelers during their holidays. The Governor knows Jesy’s part of the family, you know how it is. Long story short, I’ve been asked to set up their new branch.”

A new unit, in Hawaii. Led by Liu.

Toby’s brain spontaneously combusts at the sheer amount of possibilities.

“You’ve been planning this. Ever since I told you Mike’s from Hawaii, you’ve been planning this.”

Liu’s smirk is audible, and wow, he’s a smug, awesome bastard for keeping this to himself. “It’s a pretty sweet deal, bro. Jesy’s on board, and I thought you and Mike might be interested.”

“You think you’re so clever,” Toby says, but the amazement in his voice makes it sound like a compliment. He sits down heavily on the mattress, shaking his head because this, okay, things like this and people like Mike do not happen to Tobias Millen, they just don’t. Certainly not all in one day.

“I know I am.” Liu’s tone takes on a slightly more serious note. “The Governor wants to speak to my preferred candidates in person, so you might want to make a good impression.”

Toby squints at the bright sunshine that falls in through the curtains. The sheets of Mike’s bed are just where they left them, tangled and in dire need of a wash, the room smelling of sex. While Toby is still processing the news, Mike enters the room, triumphantly waving a new bottle of lube as if he deserves a medal for finding it when Toby spotted it openly sitting on the bathroom counter earlier.

“I always make a good impression,” he says belatedly. “So does Mike.”

“Right.” Liu’s tone implies that he reserves judgment, but Toby can’t be bothered to protest—not with Mike stepping right between his legs, immediate and there and so real it hurts. Toby clears his throat and feels a smile growing on his face.

“Okay,” he tells Liu, not taking his eyes off Mike. “I will see you soon, then. Thank you; you are a marvel and a friend. Now please excuse me while I do dirty, dirty things to Mike’s body.”

“I heard that,” Mike says just as Toby ends the call to Liu chuckling in his ear.

Tossing the phone aside, Toby tips his head back to grin at him. “You were supposed to, babe. Also, that was Liu. How do you feel about becoming a member of some new Hawaiian unit he’s been asked to set up?”

“Huh.” Mike runs his hand down Toby’s torso, stopping with his palm flat against Toby’s belly. He purses his mouth. “Pretty good, I guess.”

“You’re not surprised. Why are you not surprised?”

“This is Hawaii.” Mike makes it sound as if he’s talking about some kind of secret cult. His thumb smoothes over Toby’s skin, teasing at the edge of his waistband. “Word travels fast, and since Liu let it slip that Jesy knows the Governor...” At Toby’s raised brow, he shrugs and smiles. “When we talked about Hawaii—you know, about how you might like it here.”

“Liu is a devious man.” Not that Toby particularly cares as long as he has Mike perched over him like this. Really, Mike should lose the swim trunks. They’re fine as far as swimwear goes, sure, and Toby is in fact a fan of Mike wearing clothes in public because seeing him naked is a privilege Toby isn’t willing to share; he might have a brother, but he’s always been of the opinion that siblings teach you to become more protective of what’s yours rather than the opposite.

Jesus. Is Toby seriously considering moving to Hawaii for Mike?

Yeah. Yes, he is.

“I don’t know,” Mike says into the shocked silence that reigns in Toby’s head. “I think Liu is pretty awesome.”

“I am awesome.” Wrapping both arms around Mike’s waist, Toby pulls him down on top of himself. Mike manages to catch some of his own weight on his elbows, but he’s still heavy, real and warm, so much glorious skin for Toby to explore.

Mike’s grin is mischievous. “You’re all right. I guess.”

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