smile to Frank and batted his lashes. “You don’t mind swimming Joshua to the sandbar, do you?”
“Oh, um. No, of course not,” Frank replied. He turned away from Joshua. “Just, uh… put your arms around my neck and piggyback.”
Joshua gaped at Frank’s back before shaking his head. “You know what, it’s fine. I’ll just—”
“I think I heard Colton calling you,” Fitz told Joshua, whose brows drew together. Jack was pretty sure the guy was peering distrustfully at Fitz from behind his sunglasses. “It might be important. Maybe something about work.”
Jack held back a smile. Fitz was calculating and sneaky.
“Okay,” Joshua said. “If Frank doesn’t mind.”
“I don’t,” Frank assured him.
Watching Joshua wrap his arms around Frank’s thick neck and plaster his body against the much bigger man had Jack struggling to hold back a laugh. The two were ridiculous in their denial, but it was also sweet to watch them awkwardly navigate around each other. Something had to give soon; that much was obvious.
“Ready?”
Joshua shook his head fervently. “Yep. Totally ready.”
They headed for the sandbar, and when they were far enough away, Jack turned to Fitz. “Wow. You’re worse than Colton.”
“Were we that bad?” Fitz asked as he swam shoulder to shoulder with Jack toward the sandbar.
“I’d like to say no, but I’m pretty sure our friends have a different opinion.”
“Speaking of opinion.” Fitz turned onto his back, doing a backstroke as he searched the beach. “Aw, Duchess and Chip are napping in the tent together. Those cooling pads are a godsend. I’m so glad Joker told me about them.”
“He has, like, ten of them for Chip. They’re everywhere. Hell, I’ve got five of them, and Chip isn’t even my dog.”
They swam for the bar, then spent the next couple of hours enjoying the ocean and one another’s company before they headed back to shore. Having spent enough time out in the summer sun, they packed up and headed for the house, where they took turns showering in the mansion’s many guest bathrooms. They changed and helped Colton and Ace get everything out onto the deck in preparation for the barbecue. It was a gorgeous night, music and laughter filling the air as the sky changed colors, the strings of lights around the deck flickering to life, adding to the magic of the evening.
Fitz sat on the lounge chair between Jack’s legs, his back to Jack’s chest as he lay against him. With a kiss to Fitz’s temple, Jack wrapped his arms around Fitz, contentment spreading through him. He took in the sight around him and felt so very lucky. Laz stood with Red and Lucky at the barbecue, Chip dutifully at Red’s feet in case one of those juicy steaks fell on the floor.
Colton, Ace, and Joshua sat at the bar on either side of Frank, captivated by whatever story Frank was telling, his movements energetic. Jack had never seen Frank so talkative, though he had a feeling it might have something to do with the hero worship in Joshua’s eyes as he leaned toward Frank.
Fitz tapped his finger on Jack’s hand, and he glanced down at Fitz, who nodded toward King. The big guy was fast asleep on a lounge chair with Leo on his stomach plastered over him, also asleep. Before Jack could reach for his phone, he spotted Joker taking a sneaky picture. His best friend winked at him, then returned to his conversation with Mason, who shook his head in amusement. Duchess napped on the cool tiles next to their chair as Fitz leisurely petted her.
They were a motley crew—loud, chaotic, and prone to attracting trouble—but Jack wouldn’t want them any other way. They were his family. Maybe not by blood, but through their bond. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for them or the gorgeous man in his arms. Fitz let out a soft, happy sigh, and Jack smiled. It wasn’t action he’d been missing in his life; it was this—the realization that he had everything he had ever wanted. The only adventure he needed was the one he was already living.
The Kings: Wild Cards series is a spin-off of the Four Kings Security series. Haven’t read the Kings? Start with Love in Spades, available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
A Note From the Author
Thank you so much for reading Stacking the Deck, the first book in The Kings: Wild Cards series. I hope you enjoyed Jack and Fitz’s story, and if you did, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. Reviews can have a significant impact on a book’s visibility on Amazon, so any support you show these fellas would be amazing. Stay tuned for more info on the second book in the series, Raising the Ante, Frank and Joshua’s book.
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Thank you again for joining The Kings: Wild Cards on their adventures. We hope to see you soon!
Also By Charlie Cochet
FOUR KINGS SECURITY
Love in Spades
Be Still My Heart
Join the Club
Diamond in the Rough
FOUR KINGS SECURITY UNIVERSE
Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts
THE KINGS: WILD CARDS
Stacking the Deck
LOCKE AND KEYES AGENCY
Kept in the Dark
PARANORMAL PRINCES
The Prince and His Bedeviled Bodyguard
The Prince and His Captivating Carpenter
The King and His Vigilant Valet
THIRDS
Hell & High Water
Blood & Thunder
Rack & Ruin
Rise & Fall
Against the Grain
Catch a Tiger by the Tail
Smoke & Mirrors
Thick & Thin
Darkest Hour Before Dawn
Gummy Bears & Grenades
Tried & True
THIRDS BEYOND THE BOOKS
THIRDS Beyond the Books Volume 1
THIRDS Beyond the Books Volume 2
THIRDS UNIVERSE
Love and Payne
COMPROMISED
Center of Gravity
NORTH POLE CITY TALES
Mending Noel
The Heart of Frost
The Valor of Vixen
Loving Blitz
Disarming Donner
Courage and the King
North Pole City Tales Complete Series Paperback
SOLDATI HEARTS
The Soldati Prince
The Foxling Soldati
STANDALONE
Forgive and Forget
Healing Hunter’s Heart
Love in Retrograde
AUDIOBOOKS
Check out the audio versions on Audible here.
About the Author
Charlie Cochet is the international bestselling author of the THIRDS series. Born in Cuba and raised in the US, Charlie enjoys the best of both worlds, from her daily Cuban latte to her passion for classic rock.
Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found devouring a book, releasing her creativity through art, or binge watching a new TV series. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.
Website: www.charliecochet.com
Email: [email protected]
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